For anyone who is perplexed by their iPhone or iPod touch, or who feels that they'd get more out of it if only they understood it better, two new Take Control ebooks are now available and ready to help.

Much as we wanted to release these ebooks shortly after Apple released iPhone OS 3 and the iPhone 3GS in June 2009, it took time to give these ebooks the depth and polish that we require. Luckily, during that time, Apple updated the iPhone OS several times, plus Snow Leopard and iTunes 9, so we were able to incorporate those changes as we worked. And so we are extremely pleased to announce the release of two very up-to-date ebooks: Jeff Carlson's "Take Control of Your iPhone Apps" and Ted Landau's "Take Control of iPhone OS 3."

You can buy either ebook separately or purchase them together in a discounted bundle:

• "Take Control of Your iPhone Apps," by TidBITS Managing Editor Jeff Carlson, teaches you iPhone app basics and offers numerous clever tips based on Jeff's real-world experiences with using the iPhone for work, photography, and fun since its initial release. Apps that Jeff covers with the eye of a professional tech writer include Calendar, Camera, Compass, Contacts, iPod, Mail, Maps, Messages, Phone, Photos, Remote, and Safari (and, for iPod touch owners, the Music and Video apps). He also provides pointers to independent apps that further expand the iPhone's capabilities. This is Jeff's first Take Control ebook, though he has written numerous books for Peachpit Press; contributes regularly to TidBITS, Macworld, and the Seattle Times; and has even edited various Take Control titles. We are pleased to have him on board as an official Take Control author, and we have particularly enjoyed his clear, concise text and illustrative screenshots. The 122-page ebook costs $10.
• "Take Control of iPhone OS 3," by troubleshooting guru Ted Landau, helps you deepen your iPhone and iPod touch knowledge by exploring the operating system and hardware. Ted takes you under the hood to clear up mysteries about many topics including backups, batteries, Bluetooth, buying and managing third-party apps, damage control, jailbreaking, Location Services, MobileMe, networking, passwords, ringtones, root access, security, SIM cards, syncing, tethering, voice control, and volume control, among much else. And, if you run into trouble, you'll find a cornucopia of advice on handling freezes, crashes, and buggy behavior, as well as on solving problems with Safari, syncing, and your network connection. Ted also discusses how to determine if a recalcitrant iPhone might need a hardware repair. The 202-page ebook costs $15.

If you already own Ted's previous Take Control ebook about the iPhone - "Take Control of Your iPhone" - note that this is effectively the third edition of that ebook. You should have already received an email message with update information; if not, if you bought the second edition after 1 May 2009, get in touch with us. Otherwise, open your PDF of that ebook and - on page 1 - click the Check for Updates button.

If you would like to purchase both ebooks, you can do so at a discount; look on the left side of either of the book pages linked above for a 20-percent discount on both, or a 30-percent discount if you want additional ebooks that cover related topics.