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Verizon Wireless is now offering the XV6900, its version of the popular HTC Touch Windows Mobile smartphone. It is the third carrier-home, after Sprint and Alltel, in the U.S. for HTC's answer to the iPhone. Below are several tips to help you get the most out of this device.

Typing
The loss of the slide out QWERTY keyboard from the XV6800 to the XV6900 hurts. But if you're fairly adaptable and adept with a stylus, typing on the newer, sleeker, lighter Smartphone is still possible.

In a text input screen, such as a message or a Word document, tap the "20" in the bottom menu bar to bring up the typing screen. Make note of the key between the "shift" and the "space". It toggles between "abc," "123" and "xt9." When typing letters, use the abc or xt9 keypad and shift works as you'd imagine-tap it and the letters become capitals, after you type one upper-case letter they automatically revert to lowercase. Tape shift twice to keep the uppercase turned on.

For the symbols shown, including all numbers, you must be in 123 mode. Additional symbols are available in Sym mode, simply tap that button.

Word suggestions and how they are presented while you type can be customized on the XV6900. From the Settings menu, tap Input then Word Completion.

Here, you can tell it how quickly to begin suggestion words (after a space, one letter or more letters), you can tell it how many words to suggest (one to four) and you can indicate whether you want it to place a space after words you select. This is also where you can turn off Auto Correct. As you are typing, you'll have the option to store words you type often that don't come up in the dictionary.

This is where you can clear those additions if you wish to. Finally, in the options tab you can ask it not to capitalize the first letter of a sentence and choose whether you want it to scroll when it reaches the last line.

Autotext for Text Messages
Let's face it, a text message is really only as good as the speed with which you can produce and send it. So, why not take advantage of the auto text offered on the XV6900.

After tapping Settings'Messaging and selecting Text Message, select Menu'New. Enter the recipient's number manually or access it from your contacts (separate multiple recipients with a semi-colon). Tap into the message area and then from the Menu list select My Text. Canned phrases include "I'll be right there," "Just checking in…," "I'm running late," and "Urgent! Please reply ASAP."

You can edit the phrases to better suit your communications needs or style. You can also add your own commonly-used text for speedy access in the future. Just type the sentence or question into the text box and tap return and it will join the list.

Using the Phone
Just to spice things up a bit, the XV6900 has both buttons and touch screen keys for phone use. With only three buttons on its front face, this smartphone is a long way from its traditional predecessors with full keypads. But for the more tactile among us, you can still answer a call or end one with the green or red button, respectively.

Dialing is simple and the number keys are plenty big for tapping with a finger. Call history and contacts keys also allow for standard Windows Mobile procedure for calling people from your address book or your past calls.

To pick up the phone when it's ringing, you have the choice of using the green phone button (the tactile option), or touching the Answer button on the screen. When dialing a new number, you touch it in on the keypad, then press the green button to place the call. Calls from Contacts or Call History can be placed from the screen alone.

Toggle Among Open Applications
To access running applications or toggle among them, tap the upper right corner of your home screen (the icon looks like three stripes with the third interrupted by an arrow). A list of open applications comes up. Scroll and click to switch to one. Click the X next to it to exit it.

This view also gives you quick access to the task manager (the wrench icon), which allows you to close any or all programs you're not using at once. The third icon in this quickie menu lets you check your main memory and memory card usage.

Camera Fun
The XV6900 camera shoots both stills and video. And, it has some fun bonus features. Point your camera phone at yourself and you can see via a tiny round mirror the image you're about to make. Self-portraits on a phone have never been better. Once you've snapped an image, click the magnifying glass to see it full screen.

A really handy feature is that while viewing a photo, you can rotate it by simply tracing your finger over the screen in the direction in which you want the image to turn. Finger swipes also let you scroll through your photos manually.

Or, while viewing tap the screen and select from the six keys that spring up: send, set as caller id, return to photo browsing, view all photos as slide show, trash this image and "Gesture Tips," a handy guide to how your finger controls image viewing. (Tap and drag left or right to view images manually, long press to enter Pan mode, etc.)

Battery Conservation
A note of caution about the new XV6900: the default setting seems to be to turn off the device after just one minute of inactivity. This makes sense when you're far from AC power and super-concerned about battery life.

But when that's not the scenario, go to Settings'system'power'advanced to give yourself a little more breathing room before the power turns off. Of course, you can force standby mode by lightly pressing the power button at any time.

Other tips for conserving your battery life include adjusting the backlight settings (settings'system'backlight, note brightness and battery power both have options), turning off Bluetooth when you're not actually using it (Settings'Connections'Comm Manager'Bluetooth), lowering the volume, and making sure you have ended programs (not just minimized them) when you're not using them (especially high-power consumers, like the camera).

If you're not sure what's running, pull down the farthest-right icon from the Today screen (looks like two stripes and a third that's cut off by an arrow) and select the wrench icon.