My friend Brandon Carroll recently talked about Google Plus automatically uploading personal photos from the iPhone. His instructions are useful for those wishing to turn this feature off, I would like to add another caution: Although Google Plus’ “Instant Upload” feature is not the default, and it sets them private anyway, it’s easy accidentally to turn this feature on and end up in the same boat with Brandon. And the issue isn’t just privacy!
How to Legitimize and Upgrade Your Music Library Using iTunes Match
Although delivered a month late, Apple has finally shipped the complete cloud integrated version of iTunes. This includes iTunes Match, a much awaited feature allowing both online streaming of music and “upgrading†library content from the iTunes Store. Here’s how to upgrade your old low bit rate MP3 files with high quality 256 bit AAC replacements from Apple’s server.
How To Update iPhone and iPad iOS Software Without a Computer
Among the many new features in Apple’s iOS version 5 is the ability to update the operating system “over the air†without attaching it to a computer. An added bonus of updating in this manner is a smaller (and thus much quicker) differential or delta download. Today, Apple released the first over the air update to iOS, 5.0.1. Here’s how to trigger an automatic over the air update.
Siri is AWOL After Upgrading to the iPhone 4S
One of the most important features in the new Apple iPhone 4S is Siri, the voice controlled “information assistantâ€. But folks like me who upgraded from a previous iPhone might not find Siri on our new Where did you go, searingphone. The reason: the upgrade process disables Siri! Here’s how to fix it.
Back From the Pile: Interesting Links, July 8, 2011
This regular series features highlights from the week. Hop By Hop TCP What is a Switch Network Fabric ? Deal: 1800 mAh iPhone backup battery for a measly $13 Web-based jailbreak returns, supports iPad 2 and any other iOS device Rumor: Apple soldering MacBook Air SSD to motherboard (and why it’s a bad idea) (updated […]
MetaGeek and Ekahau: Wi-Fi Analysis To Go
The most interesting products and companies at Interop Las Vegas 2011 were found around the edges of the show floor. Companies like NEC, Synology, Ciphertex, and Endace may have gone unnoticed in the shadows of towering booths of the industry titans but deserve attention. One such pairing was two Wi-Fi analysis companies, MetaGeek and Ekahau. Both work together to enable spectrum analysis and site surveying on portable devices – smart phones and tablets.
Why Can’t We Prime Our Devices For Upgrades?
Upgrades are an inevitability in our modern technological world. A new phone comes out every year or two, and the migration process begins. So why don’t devices have a special mode, priming them for upgrade and migration? This really hit home recently, as I upgraded the hard disks in my Drobo, but it applies equally to laptops, phones, and services like e-mail.
Apple Breaks ICS Calendar Auto-Subscription In iOS 4.2
A few years ago, I posted a treatise on calendar subscription for iOS devices. This post noted that iOS 3 handled Internet links ending in “.ics” correctly – that is, that it asked to automatically subscribe to them in the Calendar app. This was an example of Apple’s excellent iOS data detection features, and made it very easy to subscribe to a calendar. But recently, a commenter noted that this no longer works in iOS 4.2. I checked, and sure enough it’s broken or removed after iOS 4.1.
Explore 9/11 – An iPhone App of Remembrance
Nine years ago tomorrow, a group of terrorists attacked the United States. Next year, a memorial will rise in New York. Last year, I met the staff of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and was struck by the professionalism and respect of this group, all struggling to build a fitting memorial. An iPhone app to explore 9/11 might seem odd, but as you will see it makes perfect sense.
How Apple Will Get Their Mobile Phone Mojo Back From AT&T
Apple has taken a beating from the “in crowd” lately. In the mind of these technophiles, they’ve gone from hip to evil in just a few years. While Apple is lambasted for turning the iPhone “walled garden” into a jail, Google is applauded as the new bastion of openness and geek friendliness. This criticism focuses on the iPhone, especially with regard to the despised American mobile carrier, AT&T. But Apple is a long way from the evil empire it’s accused of being, and is showing signs that it will soon retake its mojo from the carriers.