Technology

How to type faster, easier with 1 hand on your iPhone

Published

2 months ago

March 12, 2024

Press Room

How to type faster, easier with 1 hand on your iPhone

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Typing with one hand can be a real challenge.

Whether you’re juggling a coffee cup, holding onto a subway pole or carrying a shopping bag full of groceries, we’ve all been there.

However, did you know that your trusty iPhone has a secret keyboard trick that makes one-handed texting a breeze?

CLICK TO GET KURT’S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK VIDEO TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER

Man typing with one hand on iPhone (Apple)

The problem: Expansive screens

Remember the days when cellphones were compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand? Those tiny devices were perfect for quick texts. But as technology evolved, so did our expectations. Today’s iPhones have large screens, although navigating these expansive screens can feel like trying to play piano with boxing gloves on.

MORE: BEST ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR PHONE

The solution: The one-handed keyboard trick

Apple has a clever solution tucked away in your iPhone’s message app. By enabling the one-handed keyboard, you can effortlessly type messages using just a single hand. Let’s unlock this feature step by step:

Open the Messages app on your iPhone
Tap the new conversation button
Then tap and hold the emoji icon (the smiling face) at the bottom left of the screen, or you might see a globe icon at the bottom left of the screen

Steps to type a message using just a single hand (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

SURPRISE! TALKING WITH OTHERS IN PERSON BOOSTS MOOD MORE THAN TEXTING, SCROLLING OR BEING ALONE, STUDY SAYS

A menu will pop up, revealing three keyboard icons. Choose Your Side:
Left-handed typing: Tap the keyboard icon on the left. Your keyboard will compress itself toward the left side of the screen, creating a smaller layout perfect for left-handed users.
Right-handed typing: Opt for the keyboard icon on the right. It’ll shift the keyboard toward the right side of the screen, catering to your right-handed needs.
Revert to the standard keyboard layout: Simply press the arrow icon in the empty space. Your keyboard will return to its original position. Or you can press the keyboard icon in the middle and your keyboard will return to its original orientation.
Left-handed typing: Tap the keyboard icon on the left. Your keyboard will compress itself toward the left side of the screen, creating a smaller layout perfect for left-handed users.
Right-handed typing: Opt for the keyboard icon on the right. It’ll shift the keyboard toward the right side of the screen, catering to your right-handed needs.
Revert to the standard keyboard layout: Simply press the arrow icon in the empty space. Your keyboard will return to its original position. Or you can press the keyboard icon in the middle and your keyboard will return to its original orientation.

Steps to type a message using just a single hand (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Customizing your default keyboard

Want to set your default keyboard for all apps? Follow these additional steps:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone
Scroll down and tap General
Select Keyboard
Tap One-Handed Keyboard
Choose either Left-Handed or Right-Handed based on your preference. Your keyboard will now maintain this layout across all apps.
Click the left arrow in the upper left and your change will be saved.

Steps to customize your default keyboard (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Typing with one hand on your iPhone doesn’t have to be a struggle. With the one-handed keyboard trick, you can easily adjust your keyboard layout to suit your needs. Whether you’re left-handed or right-handed, you can enjoy the convenience of texting with just one hand. Plus, you can customize your default keyboard for all apps, so you don’t have to switch back and forth.

What are some other situations where you need to type with one hand on your iPhone? How do you cope with them? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Technology

Have a look at this Terminator 2 fan restoration project

Published

50 mins ago

April 28, 2024

Press Room

Have a look at this Terminator 2 fan restoration project

Terminator 2: Judgment Day was — and is, for some — the standard-bearer for bombastic tentpole action films after it was released in 1991, but many of its fans have been less than enthusiastic about its Blu-ray releases. In recent years, though, people who love the movie have been restoring it using 35mm prints, and one of those efforts has been making the rounds over on X.

Jon W., who frequently posts about movies and projects like these, compiled a few screenshots in a thread comparing the new version with other transfers. They didn’t credit the person working on this directly, but did post a screenshot of text from “the person who restored Terminator” — Googling some of it verbatim led me to Rob’s Nostalgia Projects.

The background in the fan version (top) implies, like the shadows, a sun that’s low in the sky.

Image: Jon W.

A big part of this effort is aimed at “fixing” the coloring of this movie, which is very muted throughout — that was pretty common in a lot of movies back then, especially grim films like Terminator 2 or Robocop. I’m not sure it’s an improvement, but I do like some of what’s seemingly aimed for here.

Take the fan project’s (top) now-much-warmer shot from a scene in which Robert Patrick’s T-1000 questions some youths about John Connor’s whereabouts and other versions of the movie. It makes the scene feel more like it’s set in the early morning or late evening, which makes sense given the long shadows in this and other, adjacent sequences. I’ve always thought there are parts of this movie that are too cold-looking for me, and this gives it some life it doesn’t otherwise have.

The fan restoration (top) goes for bluer shadows.

Image: Jon W.

But there are a lot of places it doesn’t work — for instance, the transition from these blue shadows to the sandy colors where the sun hits the ground is too harsh. Comparing this shot to the lower one from the Blu-ray, as well as my almost 30-year-old copy of The Ultimate Edition DVD, it seems like the dustier brownish gray of those transfers is just how director James Cameron wanted it to look.

Arnold is so orange now!

Image: Jon W.

The fan version’s heavy-handed coloration also shows up in the above shot, where much of the detail that was there before ends up crushed in blown-out reds. But the Blu-Ray version of this scene has a weirdly salmon-colored pall that goes redder a few moments later. Again, I’m not sure it’s better, but the fan version’s colors do feel a little more consistent at times.

Is the deep contrast better?

Image: Jon W.

Ultimately, the biggest benefit this transfer gives the movie, in my opinion, is letting the movie be grainy. People complain that the Blu-ray transfers overuse digital nooise reduction, resulting in a sort of waxen look, and seeing the film grain in 1080p is really comforting, somehow. It’s just a shame the color grading feels so unpolished.

Still, I applaud efforts like this as much as I do the folks who brought us the Star Wars theatrical restoration project known as “The Silver Screen Edition,” which attempts to deliver the version of that movie as it was shown in theaters originally before it even had “Episode IV: A New Hope” added to the opening text crawl.

I might not prefer this version of Terminator 2, but it’s still fun to watch in the same way that turning the color saturation down on my TV just to see how my color movies look in black and white is. Especially when you’ve seen the same movie a hundred times, and you just want something a little different.

Technology

Hear iPhone alerts better by changing the default notification sound

Published

1 hour ago

April 28, 2024

Press Room

Hear iPhone alerts better by changing the default notification sound

Ever since Apple rolled out iOS 17, there’s been a bit of a buzz — or, should we say, a lack thereof.

The default notification tone, “Rebound,” has been causing quite a stir among users.

It’s soft and subtle, but for many, it’s just too quiet.

Fear not, fellow iPhone users. We will show you how to customize your alerts by changing the default notification sound on your iPhone.

CLICK TO GET KURT’S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK VIDEO TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER

Default alerts setting on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to update your iPhone’s software

First things first: If you haven’t already updated the software on your iPhone, you’ll want to do that first. Here’s how to do it.

Go to Settings
Tap General
Click Software Update to check for the latest iOS version available

APPLE SENDS OUT THREAT NOTIFICATIONS IN 92 COUNTRIES WARNING ABOUT SPYWARE

Steps to update your iPhone’s software (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How to change the default notification sound on your iPhone

Now that you’ve updated to the latest software, let’s tackle the steps to change the notification sound:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone
Go to Sound & Haptics and click it
Tap Default Alerts
Choose your preferred notification sound from the list of alert tones that appear.
If you’d like to change the default notification sound back to what it was before you updated to iOS 17, select Tri-tone

Steps to change the default notification sound on your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How to make notifications quieter or louder

Open the Settings app on your iPhone
Go to Sound & Haptics and click it
Adjust the volume for Ringtone and alerts with the slider

Steps to make notifications quieter or louder (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: HOW TO UPDATE YOUR PASSCODE ON YOUR IPHONE

How to personalize your iPhone notifications and ringtones

After following the steps mentioned above, all apps that utilize default alerts will adopt the tone you’ve selected. However, the alert sound for notifications from specific apps (such as Calendar and Reminder Alerts) will remain unchanged unless you manually adjust it. Here’s how to do that.

Go to Settings
Tap Sound and Haptics
Then, choose the Type of Alert and change it by tapping the desired sound.
Additionally, you can set custom iPhone ringtones from the same menu.

Steps to personalize your iPhone notifications and ringtones (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

You can also associate a ringtone with one of your contacts on your iPhone. Here are the steps to do that.

MORE: BEST ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR PHONE

Kurt’s key takeaways

Whether you’re a fan of the gentle Rebound or team Tri-tone, it’s all about what rings true for you. A louder alert might be the ticket for those who need a sound that cuts through the noise.

What’s your notification sound of choice, and why? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

In the first Autonomous Racing League race, the struggle was real

Published

8 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Press Room

In the first Autonomous Racing League race, the struggle was real

The first race of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) took place on the Yas Marina Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 track today, and I’m pleased to report that a race both began and ended. But the event was not without strife — far from it. During qualifying time trials, the driverless Dallara Super Formula racers outfitted with cameras and software seemed to struggle mightily to complete a full lap.

During the trials, cars randomly juked:

Or just pulled off the track to take a little break:

You get well-acquainted with the interstitial music during these highlights. All praise to the patience and grace of the announcers, who didn’t sigh once that I heard. Instead, they declared things like that these cars are “pushing the boundaries of science.”

When it came time for the actual race, the lead racer, Polimove, spun out on the fourth of eight laps. The second car, Tum, passed it safely, but shortly after that, the event’s officials threw up a yellow flag. And since these are good AI drivers who obey the rules, the two behind Polimove stopped, unwilling to pass the spun-out yellow car. Racers aren’t supposed to pass each other during a caution lap, you see.

About an hour after the first lap of A2RL began, the AI racers completed their eight-lap race. If you must know, Tum won.

These are early days for autonomous racing, and surely things will get better eventually — certainly, they’ve come a long way since Roborace’s first full circuit in 2017. I’m looking forward to the day they’re as good as human racers (if that ever happens). But for right now, we’re very much still in the “congratulate baby for successfully getting most of its food into its mouth” phase of self-driving racers.