Help me use my S410 better

[Darbydoggy]

I am the new owner of a S410 and have some early questions. I need help getting better pictures. A lot of my pictures seem to have a soft focus. I also want to know the best setting to use in the M mode for best results in various situations. My worst pictures seem to be indoor at night. With the auto flash my pics are way to washed out (flash seems to bright). With flash disabled my pics exposure and color looks good, but the focus is very soft and I get the camera shake indicator (due to long open shutter?). I am shooting in a 250 sq foot living room lit with a couple of 60 watt and a 150 watt lamps.

Any general suggestions for getting the sharpest images I can (in various situations) out of this camera would be really appreciated. Should I use the multi point auto focus or only spot center? Should I use the AF assist lamp or is turning it off okay?

Thanks for your help!!