Thursday 20 June 2013

Taking Care of your iPhone and iPad

Ever since the introduction of the iPhone, Apple seems to be making a killing especially in terms of providing options for mobility among urban professionals. When the first iPhone was released in 2007, many saw it as a game changer in the mobile industry. With a sleek look and the ability for customization, a lot of consumers were taken in awe by the first iPhone. Contentment, however, is something that seems to be lacking in Steve Jobs’ vocabulary as he set about in making sure that all the things that were not considered when the first iPhone was designed would not be incorporated in an upgraded iPhone. Thus, after six years, the market now has 6 variations of the iPhone.

Apple did not stop with an iPhone, however. With more and more people clamoring for a device that would help them get through their daily activities without necessarily being cumbersome, it is only but natural for the mobile giant to come up with the idea for the iPad, a cross between an iPhone and the netbook.

If you are one of the lucky people who happen to be owners of an iPhone or an iPad (or both!), you have to exert an effort in order to take care of your device. Probably the easiest way that this can be done is if you get yourself an iPad or an iPhone cover, depending on which unit your have. Finding one that would fit your unit is not that hard as there are a number of stores, both online and offline, that sell different kinds of iPhone or iPad cover. What’s more, you can always head to an Apple Store, online or offline, if every you cannot find an iPhone or iPad cover that would suit your taste.

Aside from getting an iPad or an iPhone cover, it is also a great idea to have a screen protector in place. This would help protect your screen from any scratches that could interfere with your iPhone’s or iPad’s viewing performance.

Because an Iphone’s battery can be somewhat sensitive to the environment, you have to make sure that, every now and then, you have it fully drained before charging. As tempting as it may be, never trying opening your iPhone and toying with the battery. If you have concerns with your battery’s performance, the best thing that you can do is bring it to an Apple store and have their technicians take a look at what could be causing the problem.

If your battery gets drained easily, check if there are any applications running in the background. Your Wi-Fi as well as your Bluetooth connection are just two of the most common culprits when it comes to short battery life. Setting the background light to the maximum level can also cause the battery to get drained easily.

Lastly, if you are planning to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad and tinker with its operating system, don’t! Jailbreaking, including opening the unit, might cause you to lose your warranty coverage. If ever something happens to your iPhone or iPad, you might then find yourself having to spend more.

Essential iPad Mini Tips to Keep In Mind

It might initially appeal to you as something that’s shiny and cute but the iPad mini packs as much punch as its bigger sibling. Although it is smaller in size, the mini actually has a lot of nifty tricks under its sleeves that users can only take advantage of if they know where to look. Some of these features can actually be turned off and on in order to conserve on battery as well as on data plans. So how do you make the most of your mini?

One of the things that you can have your iPad mini do is sync your Facebook contacts not only with your phone contacts but also with your calendar. That way, you do not have to miss any birthdays or anniversary dates. What’s more, you do not have to copy each contact to your phone book as your iPad would automatically update entries.

Just like with the iPad 4, you might experience apps crashing or the system freezing especially if you have a number all running at the same time. The best way to handlea frozen system would be to do a hard reset. Holding the power button as well as the home button at the same time for a few seconds does this. Your iPad would then restart and you no longer have to deal with a frozen or crashing system. You can also press down the home button if you would like to perform a force quit on a running application.

If you are planning to change from an iPad 4 to a mini version, the first thing that you would need to do is to back up your phone’s content. Your iTunes would be of great help n this so you have to make sure that you always have the updated version. If you are using a PC, you might have to download this first. If, on the other hand, you are using a Macbook, syncing should be a breeze as Macbook typically comes with an iTunes already installed. Make sure that, before you start syncing, all the settings are correctly in place. You do not want to find all your files gone because you have set the iTunes to delete all the files on your iPad that are not in the computer.

Having a hard time copy-pasting paragraphs? Tap on any of the word four times and you would be able to highlight the whole paragraph. You would then be given the option of copying the entire paragraph.

Now, if you are planning to buy a separate Kindle so that you can read your Amazon-downloaded books, don’t. Instead of buying a Kindle unit, download instead the Kindle app from the App Store. This would allow you to sync all your Kindle books on your iPad.

Lastly, if you would need to take a screenshot, your best move would be to hold the sleep/wake button for a few seconds simultaneously with the home button. You would then hear a snapshot sound, which means that a screenshot has been taken. The screenshot should be on your photos.

Your Samsung Galaxy and Your TV

The very first Samsung Galaxy was introduced to the public in June of 2009, about two years after Apple came out with the first version of iPhone. Known as the Samsung Galaxy i7500, the unit included such features as a 5 MP camera, geo-tagging of images, touchscreen, accelerometer, and a number of Google apps. It also runs on Android Cupcake OS. Four years after, the Samsung Galaxy model line has evolved greatly giving Apple a run for its money when it comes to smart phones.

One of the latest models in the Galaxy line that has been making quite a buzz in the market nowadays is the Samsung Galaxy S4. The S4 measures almost 6 inches in height and around 3 inches in width. At 130 grams, it is considered to be a bit heavier than the competitors. However, the Samsung Galaxy S4seems to be ergonomically designed that very few users have reported problems about the unit slipping from their hands.

One of the many features that the S4 provides its users is the ability to connect it to your HDTV. If you happen to have a Samsung smart TV, this should be no-sweat, as you only have to make use of your wireless hub. From your S4, all you have to dois head to Settings menu where you would have the option that would allow your TV to mirror what’s on your phone. This can be found under the Connections tab. When you click that, you would be able to see which TV you can wireluessly connect to. Another way to do this is to make use of the Samsung Blu-ray player that features an AllShare Cast.

If, however, you do not have a Samsung TV at home, you can make use of an MHL Adapter in order to connect your phone to your TV. This adapter allows your TV to mirror what’s on your phone. With the MHL adapter, you would be able to enjoy crisper images and sounds as well as uninterrupted video playing. However, because of its length, you might find yourself having to get up every now and then in order to change whatever it is that you are watching. If you are going for the latter, you would need to have an MHL-to-HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable. You would need to plug the MHL adapter to the microUSB port of your phonewhile your phone’s wall charger goes to the MHL adapter. Once this set up has been done, you would need to plug the charger into the wall and then have the HDMI cable connected to your adapter. The other end would have to go in to the free port of your TV set.

With your S4 connected to your TV, you would no longer have to worry about squinting your eyes and not being able to share your favorite movies with your family and friends. As long as you have the needed cables and equipment, you would be just fine. The only thing that you would have to worry now is the popcorn and drinks.

Taking Care of Your iPhone 4s

Because today’s world requires a fast pacing, more and more people are starting to find themselves relying heavily on their mobile devices. One mobile device model that has definitely been heating up the market is the iPhone. With its touch screen technology and the option for personalization, iPhone has definitely become one of the top choices for today’s urban professionals.

The very first iPhone design was introduced in June of 2007. This came in the heel of Apple’s discontinuation of its support for the ROKR line of mobile phones by Motorola. The first iPhone made use of the 2G networks and would basically seem like a combination of a phone and an iPod. Six years after, the iPhone has maintained its position as the market leader when it comes to mobile phones that make use of touch screen. To date, iPhone comes in 5 more models including iPhone 4s and iPhone 5.

Now, just like with any mobile devices, you also have to make sure that you take care of your iPhone. Regardless whether what you have is an iPhone 4s or an older model, you have to manage properly the charging of your mobile phone. iPhone batteries tend to get drained easily. The best way to handle this would be to fully drain the phone and then charge it using the right iPhone charging cable.

Aside from having the right kind of iPhone charging cable, it also pays to ensure that you do not overcharge your iPhone nor should you store it in a place where there is direct sunlight. Temperature is everything in this Apple mobile phone. Once the unit heats up, the motherboard could easily suffer from a short circuit. This is aside from the possibility that the screen could crack.

If possible, invest in some dependable hard casing for your iPhone as well as a screen protector. The hard casing would come in handy during those times you accidentally dropped your phone, while the screen protector would help ensure that your screen remains scratch-free.

In most cases, iPhone users do not take the time to clean out the speakers and the mic of their unit. This is understandable since users do not easily notice both. Unfortunately, because of their placement and their size, dirt and dust usually collect on them, which tends to have a negative effect on the volume of the incoming as well as outgoing calls. A clean cotton bud can help in cleaning these areas. Make sure that you do not use any liquid when cleaning the speakers and the microphone as this could short circuit the motherboard.

Lastly, if you have the budget for it, try and get the AppleCare+ coverage for your mobile phone. This would help you lessen your expenses associated with hardware repair. Of course, you have to keep in mind that this is only offered to damages that happened through no fault of your own. This means that damages from accidentally dropping your phone would most likely not be covered.

iPhone 5 Tips You Should Not Be Without

With the proliferation of smart phones and mobile phones with touch screen, it can be quite hard to come across someone who has not heard about the iPhone, or at least own one. However, most of the time, owners of iPhone do not have an idea about how they can actually make the most of their trusty mobile device.

The iPhone first came about in June 2007 a few months after Apple has discontinued support for ROKR, the first mobile phone that made use of iTunes. Since then, Apple has come with 5 more models, incorporating various updates not only to the hardware but to the apps as well. Because of the constant changes and updates in the design and operating system, many iPhone users do not bother to check if there are actually tips and tricks that they can use in order to extend the life of their phone and make it more dependable.

If you own an iPhone4 or an iPhone 5 model, you would know that these come in either white/ silver or a black/ slate color combination. Most people typically go for the latter because of its sleek and professional look. If you are one of these people, you have to make sure that you get a casing for your phone. You also have to make sure that you do not just place it on top of any surface as the black/slate iPhone 5 has a tendency to get scratches easily.

Stuck at the bottom of a page and do not want to spend too much time and effort scrolling your way to the top? Your best move would be to tap the right-hand corner of your screen, right where the clock is. This would allow you to jump right to the top of the page. Another nifty trick when it comes to browsing content without going over your data plan would be to make use of offline reading. Later versions of iPhone allow you to save web content for offline reading by pressing down on the page concerned and waiting for a menu to pop up. Once it does, all you have to do is click on “Add to Reading List” and you are off to go.

If you are using your iPhone in order to take pictures, make sure that you turn on the HDR. Keep in mind that this would not only help you take crisper pictures but would also provide you with two choices as you would have an HDR image as well as its non-HDR counterpart. A caveat, HDR images tend to be processed at a much slower speed than its counterpart.

There are rumors that the iPhone 5s is to be released anytime soon. This means that there is a whole new slew of commands, tips, and tricks that users have to get accustomed to. You can still, however, make use of such features as Siri, Find My iPhone, and iCloud, which are sure to still be present in iPhone 5s.