iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

In the 208th episode, Editorial Director Sarah Kingsbury joins Donna to share a behind-the-scenes look at our award winners at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. From health and fitness gear, to artificial intelligence and robotics, to mixed reality and self-driving cars, get a tour of the latest tech trends with Sarah!

During the Space Race, the United States spent millions to develop a Space Pen that could work in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil. The lesson is that sometimes there can be too much technology. While numerous businesses are developing robotic toys and pet food dispensers, the folks at Cheerble have introduced a lower-tech, but still technically solid alternative. It's being crowdfunded, but I know it's a real product because they sent me a review unit of the Wicked Ball (starting at $34) to try.

The iPhone's Screen Recording feature lets you record videos of your screen along with in-app sounds so that you can share videos of things like how to use your favorite golfing app or that funny GIF you found online. When you enable the Screen Recording feature in the Settings app, your iPhone can record videos of your screen that include the audio feedback on most apps. While this tip won't let you capture audio in apps like Apple Music or Netflix, it will let you record audio in most other apps. With that in mind, let's dive into how to record your screen along with in-app audio.

I have reviewed a number of SleepPhones wireless headphones from Acoustic Sheep over the years, and while they always do the job, namely serve as Bluetooth headphones integrated into a soft headband, suitable for sleeping, I did write that I wish they had could charge as easily as my Apple Watch and iPhone do. I'm glad to announce that they now come with wireless charging!

I have been a customer of Logitech Harmony remotes since the beginning, before Logitech acquired the Harmony Remote Control company, so I am always excited when the company introduces a new model. The latest is the Harmony Express ($249.99) and they kindly sent me a review unit to try. Compared to the traditional models, the Express is much more compact and sleek. And since it's so small, it's nice to know you can use the app to find the remote control. It charges using a microUSB cable (included) and not a cradle as other models do. I would have preferred USB-C or, better yet, Qi-based wireless charging so I could just place the remote on a charging pad. 

If you forgot your Notes password, then you’ll need to reset your password in order to lock and unlock your notes. To reset your Notes password, you’ll need to navigate to the Notes section of the Settings app and log in with your Apple ID. This is also how to reset your password if you already know it. Read on to learn how to reset a password for the Notes app.

When you make a photo album on your iPhone, the Photos app automatically sorts that picture album in the Albums tab in order of when the album was created. You can rearrange the order your albums appear in the Albums tab by holding and dragging your albums inside the Photos app. Read on to learn how to organize photos by rearranging how your albums appear in the Photos app.

If you've set up Screen Time on an iPhone or iPad for your child and have blocked or limited social media and other apps, those apps' services may still be accessible via their URL websites, providing kids with a way to get around your parental controls. Here's how to block a website on Safari, Chrome, or any browser on an iPhone or iPad. Whether it's Facebook, YouTube, or any other website that's too mature for your kids, you'll be able to fully block an app's website and not worry about kids finding a way to use them. This tip can also be used by adults who are trying to limit their own social media use, or don't want adult content unexpectedly popping up on their devices.

Sometimes I'll have words randomly capitalized while texting, such as "may" into "May" like the month. If you're bothered by unwanted or random capitalizations while typing on your iPhone or iPad, you can try turning off auto-capitalization in your device's keyboard settings, which can be found under General in the Settings app. While this is not the same as turning off auto-correct, having auto-capitalization off can stop words from being capitalized when you don't want them to be. Try this tip to cut down on your texting frustration!

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