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AI Planned My Vacation

By Linda Ruth

AI Planned My Vacation

With my 35th wedding anniversary coming up, I wanted to plan something extra special. My husband is ambivalent about travel—sure, it’s a big treat, but it’s also a big pain. Plus, when you travel, you’re not at home! I have a reputation as the family’s travel planner. This year, though, I wondered: might AI have something to contribute?

Most professional videographers agree that high-quality audio capture is just as important, if not more so than, high-quality video capture. Watching a low resolution YouTube video with superb audio reproduction is far more tolerable than watching a high resolution video with poor audio quality. That is why I find it so surprising that Apple has focused so much of its iPhone feature attention on camera and video capture quality while still utilizing a run of the mill embedded mono microphone for audio. The founders of Hooke Audio saw this subpar configuration in not just the iPhone but other smartphones and video capture devices like GoPro's, and built a product to address this discrepancy. Read on to find out if the Hooke Verse wireless binaural 3D audio microphone system ($159.99) succeeds at eliminating this mobile audio capture fidelity problem.

You can rename your AirPods, AirPods (2nd Generation) and AirPods Pro using your iPhone. Renaming your AirPods can save you a headache if you have multiple pairs of AirPods in your household. Here's how to change the display name of your AirPods, making them quick to find if you need to do some adjustments. Note that your AirPods will need to be paired and connected to your iPhone to change their name. 

Education doesn’t have to stop once you're an adult; we should continue learning and growing so we can evolve and adapt as human beings. Whether you choose to play brain games from Lumosity, pick up some new math skills from Kahn Academy, or learn Spanish language vocabulary from Duolingo, lifelong learning has many benefits. This sort of personal bettering can increase positivity, help out at home and abroad, and result in fiscal rewards through our jobs as we demonstrate further education and better-developed skill sets to our employers. Let's go over ten of our best picks for free and paid apps that will help you on your lifelong learning journey.

If you've ever struggled to get Hey Siri to listen to your requests or wondered how to optimize Siri to meet your needs, then you've come to the right place. This guide will teach you how to set up and activate Siri on your iPhone, AirPods, and HomePod, plus share tips and tricks to get the most out of features like Ask Siri and My Shortcuts. Read on to learn everything you've ever wanted to know about setting up, activating, and using Siri. If Siri won't respond on the right device, we can help with that, too!

In March of 2019, Apple quietly released the new iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 5. Since then, Apple fans have wondered when we can expect the release of the 4th-generation iPad Pro and the 7th-generation iPad. Rumor has it the upgrades won't be available in time for the September 2019 announcement, but that hasn't stopped us from speculating about what's to come. Read on to learn all the recent iPad-related gossip.

If you want to get a better handle on file organization on your iPhone, the Files app can really help. Here's how to make a folder in the Files app. You'll have to have iOS 11 or later, and have set up and enabled iCloud Drive on your iPhone. You'll only be able to create a folder within the iCloud Drive category in the Files app. The On My iPhone category only stores files from apps that are downloaded to your device and can't be manually changed. 

I have been using Logitech Harmony remotes since before Logitech acquired the Harmony Remote Control company. Each time the company came out with a new model, I would buy it and upgrade my main family room remote then migrate the previous generation Harmony remote to other rooms in the house. But until recently, I had stuck with the last generation model, the Ultimate. With a name like Ultimate, I really didn't expect that the new model could be much better. Then Logitech sent me the newer Harmony Elite ($349.99). 

When searching the web on your iPhone, you can use the search suggestions that appear below the search bar in Safari or Chrome instead of typing out your whole query. Usually when you tap a search suggestion, it immediately searches with those terms. With iOS 12.2 or later, when you tap the blue arrow next to a search suggestion, the phrase is added to the search bar and you'll be able to continue typing or tapping to add additional search suggestions 

How to Save to Files: iPhone Organization 101

Saving items like notes, documents, and photos to the Files app on your iPhone can help you view and manage various content types in one place. We'll show you how to save files to your iPhone’s dedicated Files app and use it as a hub to view your content. The Files app can be synced via iCloud across all your App devices, which makes it especially efficient as a file management system!

If you’re looking for the latest in iPhone upgrade gossip, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got all the latest rumors surrounding Apple's fall iPhone event, including the latest renders, details about the A13 chip, camera upgrades, and potential names of all three expected models (iPhone XI, iPhone XI Max, and iPhone XIR).

If you bought an iPhone XR, as I did, you probably spent some time deciding on a color (I chose red) and the last thing you want to do is cover that phone in a solid case. At least that's how I felt. Fortunately, X-Doria makes some very protective cases that have a clear back. The company sent me the Defense Air ($39.99) in several colors. I chose the red one, and it looks quite stylish with the red iPhone XR. But X-Doria also offer versions with silver or black or teal. Apple offers the iPhone XR in more colors than that, so I would hope X-Doria would match the others, but if not, you can still mix and match nicely.

Have you noticed the Photos tab in the Photos app doesn't display all the photos you took at last night's party or from your morning walk? You can turn off Summarize Photos to view photos, as in ALL photos, in the Photos app. When Summarize Photos is on, the Photos tab chooses key photos to display. For example, if you took multiple photos of the same flower, Summarize Photos will have one or maybe two displayed when you browse the Photos tab. Here's how to turn off Summarize Photos so you can view all photos on your iPhone.

The Senstroke Drum Sensors (starting at $190) could have helped back when I had a roommate who played the drums. France-based Senstroke sent me its virtual drum kit sensors and I have a new appreciation for the drums. Instead of bothering others, you can play drums on just about any surface and "hear" the percussion from the companion Senstroke iOS or Android app, including via headphones. The app supports Basic and Expert modes, with the advanced option allowing customization of your virtual drum kit.

Have you ever wanted to turn your text into a call on the iPhone? Text messages are quick to send and read, but sometimes you'll need to call the other person to clear something up or if you need more direct communication. Here's how to make a phone call from the text chat, so you can reply to a text message with a phone call without leaving the Messages app. This can also be helpful if you don't have a contact's number saved on your phone, but have received text messages from them. 

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