Jim Karpen holds a Ph.D. in literature and writing, and has a love of gizmos. His doctoral dissertation focused on the revolutionary consequences of digital technologies and anticipated some of the developments taking place in the industry today. Jim has been writing about the Internet and technology since 1994 and has been using Apple's visionary products for decades.
By Jim Karpen
After months of beta testing, iOS 9 will be available some time today for downloading. It offers a range of new features, including a News app, a more intelligent Siri, transit and walking directions in Maps, greater search capabilities, split-screen multitasking on the iPad, and more. I've been using the beta version since early August and really like it. In this tip I'll be covering how to update your device to iOS 9.
By Jim Karpen
One of the new features of the iPhone 6s is Live Photos. Turned on by default, this feature captures images for 1.5 seconds before and after the actual still photo that you take. When you tap on your still photo, you see what appears to be a three-second video of that moment. As you can see in the embedded video below, a still photo of rippling waves can show the actual rippling when you touch the display. Apple emphasized, however, that this is not a video, and that it doesn't greatly increase the file size. Any Live Photos you take can be viewed across iOS devices. And they appear as simple jpeg images when viewed on other devices.
iOS devices have a range of options for inputting text, from the onscreen keyboard that pops up when you need it to dictating text using Siri. A third option, preferred by many when they're inputting large amounts of text, is a Bluetooth keyboard that connects wirelessly to one's iPhone and iPad. A challenge with Bluetooth devices, however, is pairing them with multiple devices. The Logitech Bluetooth Multi-Device K480 Keyboard ($49.99) solves this by having a handy dial that lets you select among three different devices.
By Jim Karpen
You may have had the experience of working on a draft of an email but then needing to look at a different email in your inbox. But the draft obscured the screen and couldn't be quickly pushed aside and then returned to. Fortunately, you can easily swipe away a draft, access your other email, and then quickly bring it back into view to continue working on it. This is typically referred to as "minimizing" the email draft.
This is one iPhone Life journey I’m very much going on with you all. It’s that time of year: new devices in means old devices got to go. But how? Should you sell your iPhone or trade-in your iPhone? How do you get the best deal? I’m facing these same questions. Sure, selling my iPhone would mean more money toward that shiny new iPhone X, but how much trouble do I want to go through? There are a lot of iPhone trade-in offers out there, including those from carriers like Verizon, third-party resellers like Gazelle, and even from Apple itself. We can’t make the decision for you, but we can lay out all of your options and the money (or credit) you can expect to get from each. Here’s how to sell or trade-in your iPhone so you can get that new one.
By Jim Karpen
The forthcoming iOS 9 has a lot of great new features, including the News app, split-screen multitasking on the iPad, transit and walking directions in Maps, new formatting options in Notes, and a more intelligent Siri. For the first time, Apple is making a beta version (which means a not-yet-final test version) available for public download. You can use the new iOS software and report any bugs to Apple. But beware: Apple advises users not to install it on their main device because there may still be some bugs and because some of your favorite apps may not work. If you'd like to give the new software a test run, you can download it by following these steps.
By Jim Karpen
Apple is again offering a free music festival this year featuring top performing artists. Those in London can attend the Apple Music Festival in person, and the rest of us can stream for free, both live and on-demand. Slated for September 19–28, the festival will feature Pharrell Williams, One Direction, Florence + The Machine, and Disclosure. You'll be able to stream the event via the Music app, as well as via the iTunes software and Apple TV. Plus, you can follow the festival on Beats 1, as well as get a "virtual backstage pass" by following the festival in Apple Music's Connect and in iTunes — bringing you exclusive videos, photos, and behind-the-scenes access to your favorite artists.
By Jim Karpen
It can be really handy to use Siri to create events and reminders — so much faster than opening the app and doing it manually. However, you need to be careful how you word your request, because Siri will sometimes mix things up: creating an event when you wanted a reminder, and vice versa.
By Jim Karpen
I'm finding it so much easier to interact with my personal information apps via Siri compared to opening the app and entering the information, especially setting a calendar event or a reminder. You just speak a few words and it's done. What I didn't know, until recently, is that you can also use Siri to edit events.
As a tennis player, I often need to know when sunset will be (since the outdoor courts where I play don't have lights). Conveniently, Siri can tell me the time of sunrise and sunset. You cannot only find the time for today but also for any day of the next week. (Note, however, that Siri won't give you information for dates in the past.)
