New iPhone Announcement
Since the iPhone introduction in 2007, every year, the announcement of the new Apple smartphone generates a lot of media attention (and distracts several members of the Andrews Technology Group team.)
We have a lot of opinions of the products released at Apple's press event this week. For a comprehensive analysis or to answer any specific questions you have about new product features or availability, contact your Andrews Tech. To provide a basic overview, however, we are going to pass along the video link below that (rapidly) reviews the major announcements of the new iPhone 7, associated wireless AirPods earphones, and an updated Apple Watch.
Online Manuals and User Guides
If you’re like most online shoppers, sometimes you need a little help figuring out all the intricacies of new gadgets. When researching tech products online-- in addition to skimming product reviews on Amazon, and browsing YouTube for “How To” videos-- it’s a good idea to go to the manufacturers website and download the PDF user guide for the specific product. It's one of the best ways to get a sense of the device features and other additional useful information.
For example, the manual for a new TV will show you the layout of the connectors in the back or side, an up-close view of the button layout on the remote, and even common troubleshooting tips. The list goes on, but the point is, you won’t have to wonder or feel lost when the information is at your fingertips.
After you purchase your new tech "toy," make sure to keep the downloaded PDF manual in a labeled folder on your computer. Having it in electronic form not only makes the manual tremendously more convenient to find, but the ability to search within a PDF makes finding specifics about the product so much quicker and easier.
Need buying advice for a new technology product?
Swiping up unnecessarily
At some point along the way in your iPhone ownership, someone may have shown you that when you double click the home button, you can display your recent apps and, by swiping up an app screen, you can force quit specific apps.
Now, we don't want to take away anything from you. After all, inside information and tips & tricks is our thing. However, many people over/misuse this feature.
Your phone is smart, after all, so you don't need to regularly force quit apps manually. The iPhone software will manage its resources appropriately without your intervention. Doing so, for the most part, doesn't make your phone faster or operate better.
So why is the feature there? It's there for when an app is not functioning correctly, such as a non-responsive screen. It's not intended for digital housekeeping.
Save your swiping for Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, and Tinder!
The friend who is always with you but to whom you don't speak...
It's surprising how many iPhone users don't use Siri for some quick tasks on their iPhone 4s or later. Apparently, Apple is also disappointed at the low adoption rate. They've recently created a Siri webpage to remind iPhone users (and future Apple Watch consumers, no doubt!) of some of the digital assistant's capabilities.
Our favorite use of Siri is creating reminders; simple say "Remind me to call Mom tomorrow at 3PM!" In case this subconscious, guilty request for a reminder happens to occur at 1AM after a scandalous night out, Siri is even smart enough to ask for clarification about whether "tomorrow" refers to later the same day or, technically, the following day.
Take a look at Apple's Siri page here.
Handle your Spam
These days, most of us use mail providers like Yahoo, Gmail, or Microsoft Exchange at work. Typically, these accounts do a decent job of filtering out unsolicited emails or "SPAM." However, here are some tips to avoid getting SPAM altogether.
Do not post your email address on publicly accessible websites; "robots" created by scrupulous online marketers will scrape websites and capture your email address and start sending messages. Alas, sometimes SPAM will get through to your inbox, when they do, mark it as junk in your email client to help train your mail filtering.
The message below is definitely one message our team will be marking as junk mail… sorry Olga!
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New Year's Resolution Fail?
We're 4 months into the new year and have you already failed on your resolution to implement a smart backup plan for your computer? We won't judge. There are many strategies available for you to make sure that your smartphone data, personal photos, work files, and personal tax documents are not at risk of being evaporated into the digital ether.
Contact us for help with finally setting you up in 2015. If you're already motivated to start immediately backing up your Mac or PC, our preferred service provider is Backblaze. Click here to start.
3D Flyover Paris
Did you successfully upgrade to iOS 8? Now here’s your reward. With iOS 8, you can get an all expense tour of your favorite major city.
OK, here’s the fine print: within the iOS 8 Maps app, you can view interactive, high-resolution animated “flyover” tours of major cities.
Launch the Maps app, switch into “Hybrid” view using the "i" (info) icon in the bottom right of the screen. Type “Paris, France” in the search field and choose “Start” to the right of “3D Flyover tour" Lean back and smell the dark roast and pastries from the virtualized cafes on your phone display. (Additional Tip: tours are best viewed with iPhone turned horizontally.)
Not enough storage for iOS 8 ?
iOS 8 is Apple's most recent major revision of the software for your iPhone and iPad. If you haven't updated your device to iOS 8 because you've been getting an error that there is not enough storage, here’s a useful tip.
Connect your iPhone/iPad to a computer. If the latest version of iTunes is installed, you’ll get a notice indicating that there is a software update for your device. iTunes will download the update on the computer and then install it on your device.
Future updates will be smaller in size; you won’t need to connect to iTunes for every update.
"Sherlocked"?...
Has TipCards been “Sherlocked”? Roughly stated, in the lexicon of technology, to be “Sherlocked” means having Apple (or any first-party manufacturer) bundle software with their operating system that copies features from smaller third-party software developers without permission, compensation, or attribution.
Screenshot: Apple's "Tips" app in iOS 8
TipCards is an iPhone app that the team at Andrews Technology Group began developing last year, as a casual and informative blog for iPhone users providing weekly technology tips, tricks, and product reviews.
If you've updated your iPhone or iPad to iOS 8, you may have noticed a new app from Apple that is very similar to TipCards. Apple calls the new app... wait for it… “Tips”.
Have we been Sherlocked? If so, it’s flattering to know that the folks in Cupertino liked our idea of providing regular tips to iPhone and iPad users. Regardless, we will continue to develop TipCards and have some exciting new features coming in future versions.
For those inclined to review the history of the term, "Sherlocking", feel free to review here.
iPhone Photoshoot
Reminder: Apple's special event is today at 1 PM (Eastern) to introduce new products.
Want to make sure you snap the perfect picture on your iPhone?
Thanks to the "burst mode" feature you can snap multiple pictures at lightning speed and just choose the best photo afterwards. To take pictures in “burst mode,” hold down the shutter button in the default camera app on your iPhone. If you’re on the iPhone 5s, the shutter will snap 10 pictures per second. Older phones will take pictures at a slower rate, but still very quickly. When you’re done, you can choose which ones to keep by using the “Favorites” menu while viewing the burst pictures.
This tip also comes in handy while taking pictures in motion.
Shake to Undo
Apple announced an event on September 9th to introduce new products. In anticipation, we will offer a series of bite-sized iPhone focused TipCards.
Need to quickly erase or make a change to something you’ve just typed on your iPhone?
In most iPhone apps, just shake your iPhone (gently, please!) and you will see an “Undo ...” dialog box. Erase it or keep it. The power is in your hands.
"Historical" tip...
Apple announced an event on September 9th to introduce new products. In anticipation, we will offer a series of bite-sized iPhone focused TipCards.
Can't quite remember that cool website you visited last week on your iPhone?
Don't worry. By simply holding down the back arrow in the navigation toolbar in Safari web browser, a list including your browsing history will appear.
No more website guessing games.
Homescreen Bookmarks
As you probably know, The App Store is full of mobile apps, including your favorite tech tip app! But beyond mobile apps developed specifically for the iPhone, there are actually tons of websites that are specially designed for mobile devices. If you have a favorite optimized website that you visit frequently, bookmarking it directly to your home screen with all of your other apps makes it much quicker to access when needed.
Share icon in iOS 7
Share icon in iOS 6 and earlier
To bookmark a site to your iPhone or iPad home screen, while in Safari, select the "share" icon. At the bottom of the share options, select "Add to Home Screen". It even gives you a chance to shorten and rename the title to your liking before you add the icon. Make it fun and give all of your favorite sites personalized nicknames.
Kind of like little home screen pets!
Speed Testing...
Frustratingly, rather than advertising guaranteed speeds, Internet service providers often quote speeds of "up to" for marketing purposes. But why is your internet connection still so slow?
You can get to the bottom of this by visiting speedtest.net on your computer or with the Speedtest.net app to check the speed of your Internet connection. This is a valuable tool and lets you find out right away if your connection is up to par.
Note that the result of your Internet speed is determined by several factors and the result of the speed test may not be 100% accurate. Nonetheless, the test provides enough information to determine relative speeds and changes in speed over time. If the speed test results are much lower than the speeds quoted in your internet package, refer to the results when contacting your service provider.
If the speedtest results suggest you're getting close to speeds, as advertised, and your connection still seems slow, then the likely culprit is one of the devices or networking equipment within your network.
Also, for your own sanity, don't obsessively check speedtest.net!
Promo code scavengers...
Whether a novice or expert online shopper, it has undeniably become a valuable convenience for most of us. Hopefully you’ve been following all the best practices for your cyberspace safety; if not, get in touch with us and let's discuss. But besides being a secure shopper, there is something else you should know to get the most bang for your buck.
Before you submit the order for that hot item, be sure to perform an Internet search for the online retailer and add "promo code" to your search term. Most of the time, you will find retailers have some form of discount floating around the web. Also, make sure to check the retailers e-mail sign up section before purchasing to see if it offers discounts for first time buyers, as well as future deals sent right to your inbox.