Ben Patterson

Ben Patterson

Senior Writer

Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.

Articles by Ben Patterson

6 only-for-iPad gestures you need to know

Nope, you can't pinch your iPhone's display to get to the home screen, nor can you swipe directly through your open appsu2014but you can if you're an iPad user. Read on for six gotta-know, only-for-iPad gestures.
By Ben Patterson 8 years ago

7 truly annoying iOS features, and how to make them stop

Nope, you're not the only one who's ever barked "stop it!" to your iPhone or iPad because it was being, well, a little too helpful. Luckily, you can tweak or turn off many of iOS's most nagging and intrusive features.
By Ben Patterson 8 years ago

10 gotta-know calendar tips for iOS

Confused by Apple's sparse, ultra-simplified Calendar app for iOS? Read on for ten tips that'll help you get your bearings with the revamped iOS Calendar, as well as a few advanced pointers on setting default alert times, dealing with time-zone changes, adding a non-iCloud calendar, and more.
By Ben Patterson 8 years ago

Make the most of Mail for iOS with these 8 powerful tips

Learn how to see more of your messages from Mail's inbox view, zip directly to your draft messages, manage mail recipients with your fingertip, get special alerts whenever (say) your boss sends you a mission-critical email, and more.rn
By Ben Patterson 8 years ago

4 tricks every Gmail for iOS user should know

There's more to the recently revamped Gmail app than just checking your Gmail inbox. You can manage threads, respond to mail from Notification Center, set a vacation responder, and more.
By Ben Patterson 8 years ago

4 tricks for Messages in iOS 8

You can forward any text messages you receive, shush an annoying group thread, and sync messages between devices.
By Ben Patterson 8 years ago