I can't answer the asterisk question because I don't have an iphone, but if you select "Remember me" when you login, you won't be timed out while writing long posts. So this eliminates the need to copy and paste posts from some other format.
Also, when I want to leave the site, I just close the browser window (or tab), and do not logout. Next time I visit, I'm automatically logged in - all because of cookies from "Remember me" being checked. Makes life easier.