iOS 9: Best Feature

Apple's latest iteration of the iPhone software, iOS 9, was released it's final edition to the public this past Wednesday (Sept 16/2015). I have been playing around with it since then on my iPhone 5s. As with typical Apple fashion, all the latest-and-greatest features are reserved for the new iPhone; in this case the 6s and 6s plus. Even though many of the innovative features have been stripped from my phone's copy of iOS 9, there is one feature that put a smile on my face when it was stumbled upon.

PSA: 3rd-Party Keyboards in iOS 8

Around this time every year, we all scramble to upgrade to the newest iOS. This year iOS has had some great features, many of which we have been waiting for with anticipation; the Keyboard Extensions is no exception. However, there may be an unwanted side affect to this new found typing feature.

Pornography and the iPhone / iPod / iPad - Every Parent Must Read

Back in 2010, along side the iPad, Steve Jobs took a revolutionary stance on a taboo topic. "Freedom from porn" was his statement in a heated correspondence with Gawker writer Ryan Tate. (The entire back and forth can be read here and TechChruch's take can be read here.)

In another email conversation, this time between Jobs and an Apple customer, Jobs said, “Folks who want porn can buy [an] Android phone.”

During the time of Apple taking a morally responsible stance on the issue of pornography 5,000 apps were removed from the AppStore.

One year previous to these events XXXChurch.com posted an article entitled "Did you get your kids Porn for Christmas?". The thesis of the article is, if you have given your child a mobile device with internet access you have given them opportunity to look a pornography. So what are you going to do about it?


Now you are probably asking yourself, "Why is this guy writing about a 4 year old topic?" Allow me to answer.

Apple's stance has not changed in regard to the moral responsibility that they feel they have to filter adult content on their mobile platform. The "Restrictions" settings options have been greatly expanded in the current version of iOS (7.0.4). They have expanded so much, I am surprised they have not been better publicized by the media.

In previous versions of iOS, the "Restrictions" were limited to "Safari On/Off," "Internet Access On/Off," or AppStore content filters by age rating. The first two options made the device difficult to use especially if you were already accustomed to having internet access. Also, if internet access was still enabled but Safari was disabled a quick trip to the AppStore and a new browser could be downloaded.

Listen to iTunes Radio outside the USA

iTunes Radio was announced along side iOS 7 back at WWDC. The service did role out in the United States along side the mobile operation system but other regions (like Canada) have not yet been given access to the radio feature. 

I quite enjoy the concept of the iTunes Radio and have been frustrated with the lack of availability of the service in Canada. To my surprise, it is very easy to unlock the radio. So I present you the instructions so that you may enjoy it as well. 

Creating a US iTunes Account from Canada (Works for Other Countries Too!)

I present to you a much requested topic!

Up until recently, I had been content with the selection within my own (Canadian) Regional iTunes Store. However after reading about "Paper," the new Flipboard/Facebook mash-up App, I decided it was time to gain access to the US iTunes Store.

And now I will share it with you.

As you can derive from above, I am living in Canada and created a US iTunes account. Typically when creating an account a credit card from within the same country is required. There is a simple work around to "skip" providing this information.

What you need

• a computer running iTunes
• a valid address for the country you are creating an account
• an email address that does not have an Apple ID associated with it

iOS 7 Screenshot Tour

It should not be long now before Apple releases the "Gold Master" iOS 7 to the public. At the (still rumored) September 10th presentation, I can hear the words "iOS 7: the biggest thing to happen to the iPhone since the iPhone." The difference between this and the last time those words were said, this time it is true.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the side-by-side comparison of iOS 6 and iOS 7.

Lock Screen

iPhone Carrier Editor - No Jailbreak (iOS 6)

A common misunderstanding among iPhone owners is that Jailbreaking is required to achieve any type of customization. While this was mostly true in earlier versions of iOS, the 6th release (iOS 6) has a nice handful of tweaks. CarrierEditor is one of my favorites; it allows the ability to stop advertising for you carrier, and chose your own logo as a replacement. As you can see pictured below, my phone is on BatSignal.

Hidden Apple TV Features

Apple TV is a wonderful little set top box with some powerful features. Here are four of my favorite hidden features. 

Install iOS 7 BETA for Free - EXPIRED

iOS 7 has Officially been released to the public. On you compatible device navigate Setting>General>Software Update to download and install the new operating system.

Compatible Devices

• iPhone 5
• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4
• iPad 2,
• iPad Mini
• iPad w/ Retina display
• iPod Touch 5th gen.

Enjoy!

Removing Stock iOS Apps - No Jailbreak (iOS 6)

If you have upgraded to iOS 7, please use this updated post. If you are still using iOS 6, please continue reading.

At first glance, the iOS home screen looks nearly identical to the original release back in 2007. Though those experienced with the evolving iterations of iOS will tell you that the features have changed. Furthermore, with the App Store continuing to explode with (lets face it) better options than the stock software, these included applications are only causing clutter across the springboard.

The last two releases of iOS have included new applications. One of which, "Newsstand" is of particular annoyance as it cannot even be placed in a folder. There was a former fix for this, however Apple quickly patched that "bug". There is now however a new method for hiding Newsstand and most of the other stock iOS apps. The following will provide instruction and links to complete this on your own iOS device.

Quick Fix: iOS 6 Passbook (Eliminating App Store Error)

The recently released iOS 6 included a built-in app called Passbook. This feature for many has been a sore spot because of the lack of functionality. Upon opening the new application an introductory screen is shown with a button guiding the user to the App Store. However, the common reaction to the tap of the App Store button is a cannot connect error. 

While this feature is new and few app developers are supporting it currently, the "cannot connect" error limits the consumer market to even see what options are available. If you have encountered this error, there is a very easy fix to allow you access to the App Store through Passbook so that you may look at you option to take advantage of this new iOS feature.

This simple fix

The steps:

1. Open Settings>General>Date & Time. 
2. Turn off the "Set Automatically" feature.
3. Manually set you device's date to 2013.
4. Close the Settings app and navigate to the Passbook app.
5. Follow the link in the app to the App Store (A loading wheel should appear rather than the error).
6. Navigate back to setting and re-engage the "Set Automatically" feature for the Date & Time.
7. Hard reboot your device. This is accomplished by holding down the sleep/wake and home buttons at the same time until the screen goes black (ignoring the "Slide to power off").
8. Restart the device and open the multitasking tray.
9. Close from multitasking both the App Store and Passbook.
10. Done!

With these steps complete opening Passbook and navigating to the App Store through the provided button should be successful. At the time that I enabled this functionality there were only 6 apps supporting Passbook integration.

Let me know if this worked for you in the comments below. 

iSO 6 Live for Download

The much anticipated iOS 6 is now available for public download. Available either through iTunes with a connected device or over the "air" on you iDevice (Setting>General>Software Update).

Enjoy.

WWDC Reflections: Hardware

Over the last week and a half I have both drooled over and chewed on the Next Generation MacBook Pro announcement. This notebook is nothing short of remarkable and I would be lying if I said I did not desire one myself. However, the justification of the purchase price coupled with the how the hardware was designed, the satisfaction quickly wears off.

(Courtesy Apple.com)

The Retina Display

This is the reason to purchase this machine. With an incredible resolution, images and video will have never before seen clarity. The downside to this however is the applications that do not support the pixel density, they not going to look too hot until the developer gets around to an update.

(Courtesy ifixit.com)

All Flash Architecture

This flash storage setup coupled with the new Ivy Bridge processors is going to make this machine screaming fast. According to this independent YouTube Video boot time is under 15 seconds! 

Dropping the Legacy

(Courtesy of Apple.com)

The other main feature of the next generation MacBook Pro is the removal of all legacy I/O ports. What have come to be standard features on most notebooks have been removed in entirety from this hardware. The list of "missing features" includes: Ethernet port, FireWire, and (thought this would happen a while ago) Optical Drive. There are two other features that although not "legacy" will be missed from this device. First is a dedicated Audio-in port. Second is the simple battery charge indicator.

Putting it All Together is Where it Falls Apart

This computer's physical size is impressive enough; slap on the specs that Apple has built in and it is jaw-dropping. This computer was built to take on the most demanding of computing tasks in whatever location you want to perform them (I always prefer to work out of the office). There is no doubt that "Pro" is the name that suits this computer...But not for the reason in which Apple started the Pro line.

The Apple Pro line of computers (Mac Pro and MacBook Pro) where, and still are, designed for the professionals. The original feature that set these machines apart from the rest of the Mac line-up was the easy upgrade-ability. Though the easiness of this upgrading has taken a downward turn over the past few years it was still possible, until this next generation MacBook Pro. With the RAM soldered to the logic board and a proprietary cut SSD, what you buy is what you get. My advice, buy the fully upgraded version if this is the machine you want. Otherwise, you may regret it in as little as a year from now.

What are your thoughts on this new generation of hardware? Comment below.

Apple's Naming Convention - The New iPhone

Since the release of the Millennial Mac, there have been many iterations of both hardware and software. Along the way we have seen Apple's products grow in leaps and bounds in the performance spec department while keeping the familiar names: iBook, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro (okay, the latter hasn't seen much change). And since the release of OS X (the tenth Apple operating system) we have simply referred to it as the "big cat" names: Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion. All along the way, Apple has used a naming system that is both recognized and simple (unlike the Android phone names). There has however been an exception, specifically in the mobile device department.

WWDC 2012 - Predictions

Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC) is right around the corner. The feature Keynote address is probably one of my favorite times of the year... actually any Apple Keynote event is great. With WWDC 2012 less than two weeks away the rumors are flying around the internet. These are my thoughts on the subject.

Thoughts on Flash

Since the invention of the iPhone, it has been heavily scrutinized for its inability to run Flash. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs publicly shared his thoughts in the famous Apple's thoughts on Flash letter back in 2010. Here we are 2 years later and the iPhone (and iPad) are still flash free.

And it appears mobile devices are going to stay Flash-free. Adobe has put an end to the mobile flash development. Yet I still hear potential cell phone consumers (and sometimes new iPhone owners) complaining about this "hindrance." What is the big deal anyway? I have been an iPhone user since the 3GS and the number of times "Flash-inability" has ruined my internet browsing experience is exactly... never. Sure I have come across the "you must install Flash" badge on a handful of occasions however, it is rarely hindering the reason that I have navigated to that page. Furthermore, if the page requires Flash there is most likely another non-Flash-based site with the content that I am looking for.

In my opinion there is another way to view Flash and this is probably the more important argument to have.

What's your experience with Flash in the mobile world? Do you encounter Flash issues regularly? Are you sad to see it go? Comment below.

iPhone Repair

The iPhone 4 and 4S have raced to the top of the mobile phone market. With the popularity being so high, accidents are inevitable; luckily parts and tool providers are plentiful however repair-skills required go from Basic to Challenge Accepted.