Apple Tech Tips -

Jere Minich, Advisor, Region 5 (AL, FL, GA, SC).

June 20, 2019

HOW TO TURN YOUR PHONE INTO A WI-FI HOTSPOT – With a few taps, you can turn your smartphone into a source for internet that laptops, tablets, and other phones can use. Here’s how to turn your phone into a hotspot.

If you’re stuck in a situation where you need a Wi-Fi connection, but can’t get it anywhere else, chances are your smartphone can give you the boost you need. By setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot, you can turn your phone into a source for internet that laptops, tablets, and other phones can use.

It may sound complicated, but you can be connected with just a few taps. Most of the major carriers offer tethering services, though your ability to create a Wi-Fi hotspot depends on your service plan and data allowance.

One thing to keep in mind: tethering eats up battery life in addition to data. Investing in a battery case is a good idea if you intend to use hotspot mode frequently. If you’re a business traveler who needs to be connected all day, consider a dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot; we have a few favorites.

If you’re ready to tether, here’s how to turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Go to this PC Magazine web page and get the steps for iPhone or Android phone. http://bit.ly/2IuTwqB

HOW TO REMOVE PERSONAL INFO FROM A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION BEFORE SHARING – It’s never a bad idea to remove your personal information from a file before sharing it. Office applications might store personal information in each file you create, meaning everyone that receives that file will have your information. Here’s how to remove it. Microsoft PowerPoint is free for iPads and iPhones.

Go to this How-To-Geek web site and get the steps with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2XlyUch

APPLE CERTIFIED REPAIR SERVICE EXPANDS TO EVERY BEST BUY IN THE U.S. – This adds almost 1,000 new places you can get an official repair for your Apple gear.

Need to get your iPhone screen fixed (or maybe your MacBook keyboard) but the nearest Apple store is over an hour away? You may now have another option.

Apple has announced that it has partnered with Best Buy to offer certified repairs at every one of its nearly 1,000 locations in the United States. According to the release, Best Buy’s Geek Squad now has nearly 7,600 newly Apple-certified technicians that can make same-day iPhone repairs and service other products. Best Buy stores will use official Apple parts and their repair work will be backed by Apple.

Apple has been under a lot of pressure to reduce backlogs, wait times, and crowding for repairs at its Apple Stores, and this should help a lot. According to Apple, this partnership means that there are now over 1,800 third-party Apple authorized service providers in the U.S., which is three times as many locations as three years ago. Apple claims that eight out of ten Apple customers will now be within 20 minutes of an authorized service provider.

HOW TO BACK UP AND ORGANIZE PHOTOS FROM YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – Running out of space? Here’s the easiest way to get photos and videos off your iOS device and the best way to organize them.

My partner recently asked me to share my digital photo albums so that we both have access to them. Before I shared them, I wanted to make sure all the photos were saved to the same location and clearly labeled. It had been about two years since I thoroughly organized my collection. A big part of the job would be getting images off my iPhone, saving them to the same file-syncing and storage service I use for the rest of my images and making sure they were clearly labeled.

I had put off the task for a few weeks when suddenly my iPhone and Mac began shoving notifications in my face about nearing the cap on my iCloud storage. All signs were pointing me toward a photo cleanup project, and the first step would be to deal with the pictures on my iPhone.

I went through the process and distilled it down to this guide for how to get photos off your iPhone and organize them.

Go to this PC Magazine article and get three options and other facts. http://bit.ly/2ZzWUGg

HOW TO MANAGE OR CANCEL YOUR PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM iPHONE OR iPAD – Apple now supports several premium subscriptions to various services. However, finding where to cancel a trial or resubscribe to a service can be confusing. Here we show how to manage them.

The other day, I signed up for a monthly subscription trial. Like most, I only wanted it for that month because it was free, just like it explains in this article. But I couldn’t find anywhere to cancel the recurring charges. There wasn’t anywhere to do it in the app. And it prompted me to go into Settings and cancel it.

Since iOS 11, Apple will manage all your paid subscriptions, but it’s buried deep in Settings and it can be frustrating to find. Here, we’ll show you the step-by-step process to manage your paid subscriptions on your iOS device to avoid recurring charges.

Go to the Groovy Post web page and get the information on How to: http://bit.ly/2ZmN9eu

HOW TO CREATE FREE RINGTONES DIRECTLY ON YOUR iPHONE – Creating a ringtone for your iPhone from your favorite song can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how to quickly whip up a killer new tone directly on your phone.

There are numerous ringtone apps in the iOS app store. We checked out about a dozen of them, and they all have similar functionality. All of the apps we tested required that you load music to the iPhone using iTunes instead of downloading it from a cloud or streaming music service. It remains to be seen how the retirement of iTunes will affect these apps going forward. A surprising number of these apps also look for a weekly subscription upgrade to unlock all the features, which feels a little dirty.

Ultimately, we went with Ringtone Designer 2.0. Ringtone Designer 2.0 has all the basics you need—the ability to import a track and determine the positioning and length of the clip (30 seconds max). It also adds the ability to fade the clip in and out.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and follow the steps to make your ring tone your favorite sound from a song you love. http://bit.ly/2IbGopZ

HOW TO SEND AN IPHONE OR IPAD APP AS A GIFT – The iOS App Store includes a feature that lets you gift apps to other users. You can even add a personalized message and schedule the gift to be delivered on a specific date if you want. Here’s how.

Go to this How-To-Geek web site and follow the steps with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2Ke1Rkp

June 5, 2019
DO iPHONE “SECURITY” APPS ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING? – Apple won’t allow “antivirus” apps in the App Store, but there are many “security” apps available. For example, Norton Mobile Security costs $14.99 per year, and Lookout Premium costs $29.99 per year. But do these apps actually do anything?

You don’t need an antivirus app for your iPhone. (http://bit.ly/30SuYPd). You won’t find any in the App Store. So what do these “security” apps do? Are they useful, and how exactly are they protecting you?

If you need more information, go to this How-To-Geek web page and read on. http://bit.ly/2woFFLw

FIREFOX TO BLOCK THIRD-PARTY TRACKING COOKIES BY DEFAULT – For now, the default blocking will only be switched on for new Firefox users. It will roll out for existing users in the coming months.

The latest release of Mozilla’s Firefox browser will now block third-party tracking cookies by default.

The privacy protection arrived Tuesday in Firefox 67.0.1. “When it comes to privacy, default settings matter,” Firefox product lead Peter Dolanjski wrote in a blog post. “We hope that the actions we are taking can ultimately compel change in the industry.”

The blocking will automatically occur for new users who download the latest Firefox release. You’ll notice the feature when you go to the browser’s preferences and check “Content Blocking.”

To read the entire article go to this PC Magazine web page. http://bit.ly/2WNZqe8

HOW TO USE GOOGLE CHROME’S HIDDEN READER MODE – Chrome 75 has a hidden “Reader” mode that strips web pages down to the bare minimum to make them easier to, well, read. But it’s not enabled by default—here’s how to get it now.

Google has been experimenting with this feature on and off in the desktop version of Chrome for years, but it’s now available with a hidden flag instead of an extra hidden command line option. We expect Google is gearing up to release it in stable form without any flags required.

Go to this How-To-Geek Web page to turn ON readers view if you use the Chrome Browser. http://bit.ly/2QOr1qe

May 28, 2019
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DUCKDUCKGO – Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo is an internet search engine that promises to protect the privacy of its users. Here is a look at how the browser protects your data and what you can expect.

To become one of the largest companies in the world, Google has relied heavily on how it collects user data. In turn, it sells this information for marketing and other purposes. This data collection hasn’t set well with many over the years who have accused Google of being weak on privacy. When it comes to search, there’s an alternative. DuckDuckGo is an internet search engine that promises to protect the privacy of its users. In doing so, it has become a worthy Google competitor.

Go to this Groovy Post web site and read all the information about DuckDuckGo. How to Start Using this search engine in many different browsers, mobile devices and of course your PC, with lots of screenshots. http://bit.ly/2WuhWrP

(PS: I have been using DDG for many years, and I love it.)

Is DuckDuckGo for You?
I do not like giving away my personal information to services like Google, Bing, and Yahoo search engines. I decided to switch from Google search to DuckDuckGo for search engine purposes years ago to protect my privacy. I did it on my Laptop PC, iPad and iPhone.

WHERE’S MY PACKAGE? AWESOME WAYS TO TRACK YOUR PACKAGE ON SMART DEVICES – If you get package deliveries from numerous companies, tracking them all can be overwhelming. Instead of using basic tracking from the parcel services, check out these all-in-one mobile apps.

There are countless package delivery companies in the United States, including the big three, the US Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS. Sure, you can track your deliveries using official apps and websites. However, if you get packages delivered from numerous companies, tracking your items like this could prove frustrating and cumbersome. There is a better way. Use all-in-one delivery apps instead.

Go to this Groovy Post web page and maybe you can better track your package. http://bit.ly/2HEyd5m

HOW TO STOP ALL THE VOICE ASSISTANTS FROM STORING YOUR VOICE (GOOGLE, ALEXA, CORTANA, SIRI) – Voice assistants, like Google Assistant and Alexa, record what you say after the wake word to send off to company servers. The companies keep your recordings until you delete them. Some companies let you turn that behavior off: here’s how.

Voice Assistants Record You After Their Wake Word
Voice assistants work in a straightforward manner. They continually listen to everything you say, all day long. But the device in the room doesn’t have much intelligence. The only thing it can understand is its wake word: Alexa, Hey Google, Hey Cortana, and so on.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and find out How. http://bit.ly/2JGrASg

26 ACTUALLY USEFUL THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH SIRI – Siri is best known as Apple’s so-called digital personal assistant available on iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad. Some might think Siri is only good for looking stuff up, but it can actually do a great deal more.

The thing about Siri is that can be hard to get used to, but once you do, it is incredibly useful. You can do a fairly wide array of tasks on your iOS device beyond simply looking something up. For example, you can have Siri create reminders, take notes, and set alarms. It can even make changes to system settings. Siri will also adapt to your personal language use and as you use it more and more, will tailor results individually to you.

Siri can easily be activated by holding down the home button on your iOS device until it beeps and the Siri interface appears. On iOS 9, Siri can also now be activated by saying “Hey Siri”, which is invaluable when you’re eating or driving or your iPhone is simply out of reach.

In this article, we want to go through and highlight some of the things that Siri can do. You might be surprised at how versatile and useful it is.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and get it, a long list. http://bit.ly/2QrtmY1

HOW TO LISTEN TO (AND DELETE) EVERY COMMAND YOU’VE EVER GIVEN TO ALEXA – Believe it or not, the Amazon Echo has something similar to what your web browser history is on your computer: Alexa records and logs every single command you’ve ever given. Here’s how to access it and see (and hear) everything you’ve ever said to her.

You might assume that the main screen of the Alexa app shows you past commands that you’ve shouted out. While this is partially true, the main screen is really only there to show you additional info for specific commands.

For example, if you ask Alexa about the weather, you’ll see a weather card appear in the Alexa app, giving you more details about the forecast. If you set a timer, you’ll see that timer appear in the Alexa app, where you can view the time remaining. However, saying something like “Alexa, turn the lights on” won’t appear on the main screen.

With that said, here’s how to see and hear every single command that you’ve ever told Alexa on any of your Alexa devices.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and get the procedure with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2K91CGC

DO iPHONE “SECURITY” APPS ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING? – You don’t need an antivirus app for your iPhone. You won’t find any in the App Store. So what do these “security” apps do? Are they useful, and how exactly are they protecting you? Read more at this How-To-Geek article at http://bit.ly/2wlcmcJ

MY iPHONE SCREEN LOCKS TOO SOON – Cyn Mackley, Tech Whisperer, helped a relative out with this issue recently and since it’s such a super-simple fix, She thought she would show you how to take care of it. Her screen was locking when in not in use much too quickly to suit her taste and she wanted to know if Cyn knew how to fix it. Fortunately, she was able to do it in a few seconds. (Which is great because there’s nothing worse than being a tech writer that has no clue how to fix a tech problem.) If your iPhone screen locks too soon, read Cyn’s article on how to fix it with screenshots: http://bit.ly/2VRfmrs

SAFARI TEST POINTS TO A FUTURE WITH TRACKER-FREE ADS – Apple thinks it has come up with a way for advertisers to track how well their ads are doing without (*gasp*) compromising user privacy.

It sounds like a tall order but according to John Wilander, WebKit engineer and architect of Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), a technology called Privacy Preserving Ad Click Attribution has been added as an experimental feature to Preview 82+ of the Safari browser.

Nobody doubts the industry has a problem. Advertising keeps websites and advertisers afloat but at the expense of all sorts of privacy-bashing tracking that follows, profiles and gathers as much data about users as it can using cross-site tracking. Read more at the NakedSecurity by Sophos article: http://bit.ly/2Ma7fXt

May 19, 2019
HOW TO USE SCREEN TIME IN APPLE’S iOS 12 – Are you spending too much time on your iPhone and iPad? With iOS 12, you can set screen time limits for yourself or your child and develop some healthy device habits.

Are you or your kids glued to your smartphones? Do you want to scale back? One of the many cool features in Apple’s iOS 12 is Screen Time, which lets you discover how often you use your phone, where you spend your time, and which apps you use the most.

To help kick your smartphone habit, you can set up different options to block certain apps or limit the time you spend with them on your iPhone or iPad. Since the feature is cloud-based, it can show you how much time you spend on all your iOS devices collectively.

With iOS 12.2, meanwhile, Apple updated the Downtime feature, which grants access to only certain apps and phone calls so you can set specific days and times to schedule Downtime.

If you’re ready to tackle tech addiction, or just keep a closer eye on how much time you’re staring at your phone, here’s how to get started.

Go to this PC Magazine web page and learn all about how to use Screen Time with iOS 12.

You will see some great screenshots. http://bit.ly/2HBQkHP

UPDATES TO APPLE DEVICES – iOS 12.3, Apple Card first look, Intel vulnerabilities, more: In this week’s top stories: New 2019 iPhone molds, iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 release, a closer look at Apple Card, and more. Read on for all of this week’s biggest news.

Apple this week released iOS 12.3, watchOS 5.2.1, tvOS 12.3, and macOS 10.14.5 to the public. The new tvOS and iOS updates include Apple’s overhauled TV app with support for Apple TV Channels. Meanwhile, watchOS 5.2.1 packs new Pride watch faces, as well as a fix for the Explorer watch face.

There are lots of new updates to all sort of Apple devices in the 9 to 5 Mac web page. If you have any kind of Apple device start here. http://bit.ly/2w9nyZY

HOW TO SET UP EXPRESS TRANSIT WITH APPLE PAY FOR ANY CARD WITH iOS 12.3 – Express Transit lets you use Apple Pay without requiring authentication like Touch ID or Face ID. This means you can make instant transactions at transit gates and terminals just by tapping your watch or phone.

Until recently, this convenience was limited to special transit cards like Suica in Japan. With iOS 12.3, Apple has now enabled the ability for any credit or debit card to be used with Express Transit. There is a catch though …

In iOS 12.3, anyone can go to setup Express Transit but whether you can use it is a different matter entirely. The problem is Express Transit requires cooperation from each transit system and some banks also aren’t participating.

If you want or need to use the “Express Transit” function with your phone, this is the information you will need. The screenshots are also here. http://bit.ly/2EiYCDI

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO MICROSOFT EXCEL – Microsoft Excel has been around for decades and many have used it since its release. But there are still others who are just now starting to use it. Whether for work, school, or personal use, it can be a little intimidating when you first begin. There are even classes for new Excel users both online and on campuses.

This guide is available to download as a free PDF.

This guide to Excel is for those who have never used it before, are struggling with it as a beginner, or just want the basics to then learn it on their own.

Go to this MakeUseOf web site and get a great look at beginners Excel. The free PDF is a link on the web page, for offline use. http://bit.ly/2YEQSDx

5 GMAIL SEARCH TRICKS EVERY POWER USER SHOULD KNOW – It’s hard to feel like Gmail isn’t due a major overhaul. Many of Google’s other productivity apps—such as Calendar, News, and Keep—have been redesigned in the last 18 months. Surely Gmail is next?

When the upgrade eventually happens, Google will hopefully include some additional filters and inbox management tools. Until then, you’ll need to memorize a few search terms if you want to perform some “inbox gymnastics.”

Here are some useful search tricks every Gmail power user should know.

Go to this MakeUseOf web site and take a look at the Gmail search tricks. They will help you find emails that are in your long list of past emails. http://bit.ly/2JuQCns

HOW TO SHARE YOUR WI-FI PASSWORD BETWEEN iPHONES – iOS has a built-in feature that lets you quickly share Wi-Fi passwords between devices by bringing them near each other. It uses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and each user’s Apple ID to securely share the password between devices.

Sharing your Wi-Fi password can be a frustrating endeavor. If you have you have a complicated Wi-Fi password with letters, numbers, and special characters, that can be a real pain for your Aunt Edna coming to visit on Thanksgiving. But as of iOS 11, Wi-Fi sharing between iPhones and iPads is a piece of cake! There are three things you need to check before you can do it, though.

Go to this How-To- Geek web site and see the short steps with screenshots. It can save you a lot of time when people come to visit. http://bit.ly/2WlkBUV

HOW TO SAVE BATTERY LIFE ON YOUR IPHONE – Tired of constantly charging your iPhone? These Apple iPhone battery tips and tricks will help get you through the day without a charge.

It’s tough to exist without a smartphone these days, and with so much of our life contained inside these tiny devices, we don’t want them running out of juice at an inopportune time.

The iPhone XS Max$1,099.99 at Verizon Wireless has nearly a 10-hour battery life. And Apple last year offered cheap battery replacements after it was caught secretly slowing down older iPhones. But everyone would love to eke out a few more minutes (or hours) from their smartphone.

No, you don’t have to disable everything; many individual features can be quickly toggled on or off. Here is what you can do right now to boost your iPhone’s battery life, and hopefully make it through the day without having to recharge.

Go to this PC Magazine web site and learn 16 different steps to take saving that iPhone battery power. http://bit.ly/2HsgrSN

iOS 13 LIKELY TO DROP SUPPORT FOR A LOT OF OLDER HARDWARE – iOS 11 and 12 have been kind to those running older iPhones and iPads, not only giving older devices extra time but also a performance boost. But a report suggests that iOS 13 will drop support for a number of older iPhones and iPads.

iOS 12, released last September, was particularly good at supporting older hardware. We’d expected that the aging iPhone 5S – which is almost six years old – would be dropped, but iOS 12 carried forward the same hardware support list as iOS 11, which was good for both owners of older devices (who got an extra year of use), and Apple (which got to grow its base of active devices).

Not only that, but iOS 12 gave older devices a surprise performance boost. But it looks like iOS 13 will be the end of the line for the iPhone 5S, along with a handful of other devices. Read more of this ZDNet article at: https://zd.net/2HmvP34

LOST OR STOLEN iPHONE? HERE’S HOW TO GET IT BACK – Losing your iPhone ($1,000 at Amazon) or having it stolen is one of the worst feelings ever. When you rely on your phones for nearly everything, the idea of being disconnected from the outside world is stressful at the least and terrifying at the most. And with Apple’s recent announcement of the Apple Card, a credit card relies on an iPhone for everything from sign up to paying your bill, losing your iPhone is about to get a whole lot more complicated. There’s also the cost to consider. iPhones are getting more and more expensive — losing your pricey investment isn’t something any of us wants.

There are steps you can take to help reduce the risk of losing a phone, and using Apple’s Find My iPhone service is the key to securing and recovering a lost phone. Read more of this c|net article at https://cnet.co/2EeqaKq

HOW TO STOP ROBOCALLS ON iPHONE AND ANDROID – The US has a robocall problem. These are the calls made to your phone that deliver a prerecorded message that often wants you to do something. Sometimes it’s a message from a candidate running for office. Or a call from your bank advertising a new service. More worrisome are the scammy robocalls — posing, say, as the “IRS” — that intend to scam people out of their money. On May 14, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed giving carriers like Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile the authority to block some of these robocalls by default and allowing customers to block calls from unknown numbers. Read more of this c|net article at: https://cnet.co/2JMHFoS

May 9, 2019
HOW TO DETECT HIDDEN SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS WITH YOUR PHONE – A family recently discovered a rude surprise at their Airbnb: a hidden camera disguised as a smoke detector in the living room. Here are two ways to check for cameras—in an Airbnb or elsewhere—using only an iPhone or Android phone.

If you’re staying in a hotel or an Airbnb, hidden cameras can be a worry. In the case of Airbnb, your host is required to list any cameras they have, whether or not they’re turned on. Additionally, Airbnb does not allow hosts to place cameras in bathrooms or sleeping areas, even if that’s a living room with a foldout bed.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and see how to discover what is connected to the same internet network you are connected to, with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2VaGGVu

WHAT IS BLUETOOTH AND WHAT CAN I USE IT FOR? – Isn’t it funny how you can know that a thing exists, you use that thing, but that’s all you know about it? Bluetooth is definitely one of those them. You’ll be surprised at where that odd name came from, too. Read through to the end to find out.

Go to this Groovy Post web site and read all about it. http://bit.ly/2KQ11v7

HOW TO LOCATE YOUR APPLE WATCH WITH THE FIND MY WATCH FEATURE – In an unfortunate situation where you lose your Apple Watch, you can use the Find My Watch feature to find it. And if the worst happens, you can remotely wipe it to save your personal data.

Just like your phone and other tech devices, you might be in a situation where you lose your Apple Watch. Sometimes it’s in the couch cushions or behind the nightstand. Maybe you leave it at work or your friend’s house. Or, if the worse happens it’s stolen or gone and not retrievable. Luckily, if you lose your Apple Watch, you’re not completely out of luck. Whatever the case, Apple includes the “Find My Watch” feature that provides options to find it. Here is a look at what you can do.

Also, keep in mind that finding your watch will be limited to the hardware you have. For example, all Apple Watches within Bluetooth range of the iPhone can be found. Which is perfect if you’ve just misplaced your watch somewhere in your home or office. But you’ll have more of an advantage with Apple Watch Series 2 or later that have built-in Wi-Fi or GPS, and cellular.

Go to this Groovy Post web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2UNgcdn

WHAT IS 5G? – AT&T, Verizon, and other carriers are starting to launch 5G networks this year. But what exactly is 5G, and how fast is it compared with 4G? Here are the facts we know so far.

This PC Magazine article does a great job of describing 5G. http://bit.ly/2GqbU1y

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR FACEBOOK PASSWORD ON iPHONE – Want to know how to quickly change your Facebook password on iPhone? Read on below for how to do it in three easy steps.

Whether you want to update your Facebook password after hearing about a security breach or are just doing some routine account updates, it’s good practice to regularly change your passwords.

Make sure to use a unique password for each of your accounts. Making use of a password manager like 1Password or even the built-in AutoFill password manager with iOS/macOS makes the process more seamless.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR FACEBOOK PASSWORD ON iPHONE

Open Facebook on iPhone and tap the tab with 3 lines in the bottom right corner

Swipe down and choose Settings & Privacy, then Privacy Shortcuts

Swipe down a bit more and tap Change your password.

Here’s how the process looks:

change Facebook password iPhone walkthrough

HOW TO SEARCH THE SETTINGS ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – There are a lot of different iPhone and iPad settings, and with each new version of iOS, the list grows. Luckily, Apple realized the possibilities were starting to be overwhelming and added a search bar in the Settings app back when it released iOS 9. I’ve found this particularly useful when I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, but I know what it pertains to.

Go to this iPhone life web page and get the procedure for searching the Settings app.

http://bit.ly/2KQy1nb

INCOGNITO MODE COMING TO GOOGLE MAPS AND SEARCH – Google first introduced Incognito Mode years ago with the release of the Chrome browser. Now, as part of a larger push to enhance consumer privacy, the search giant is adding Incognito Mode to both Google Search and Google Maps.

When Incognito Mode is engaged in Chrome, your activities aren’t stored in your browser history. It also disables cookies, which are used to identify and sometimes track individuals around the web and turns off browser extensions. It doesn’t hide your online activity, as a VPN would.

Incognito mode for Google Maps will be similar, Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained in a blog post. Once Incognito Mode is engaged in Maps, “you can search and navigate without linking this activity with your Google account,” he wrote. Read more of this PCMag article: http://bit.ly/2Jtwykf

SWITCHING FROM MAC TO LINUX? 5 TIPS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER – There are a lot of things to love about macOS, but there are definitely issues with using it. One of the bigger problems is that it’s exclusive to Apple computers. If you don’t like the hardware the company offers, you’re out of luck when it comes to using macOS.

If you’re looking for a desktop operating system that runs on top of a solid Unix-based foundation, Linux can be a good alternative. To make it easier to get used to Linux, you might want to make your installation a little more Mac-like. Read more of this Kris Wouk MakeUseOf article: http://bit.ly/2Dr3giH

HOW TO CLEAN A COMPUTER KEYBOARD – From a simple chassis shakedown to removing all the key caps and the outer shell and giving certain bits a bath, these tips will help you banish that keyboard grime. Typing can be such a messy business. Whether you’re a gamer, a hard-working professional, or both, you’re bound to get your hands on something gunky prior to clicking and clacking away at your keyboard. When all that sludge and silt becomes too much, you’ll have to undertake that most thankless of PC tasks: cleaning your keyboard. Nasty!

The good news is that you can do it using tools you’ll find around your house. Learn how at this Gabe Grey PC Mag article: http://bit.ly/2vuetdg

iPHONE OTHER STORAGE: WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO YOU DELETE IT? – You’re trying to download and install the latest iOS release, or take some photos, or download that cool app your friend told you about, and your iPhone says the storage is full.

You’ve already deleted every app you don’t think you need, and there’s still not enough space. So you look at your iPhone storage in Settings page and, sure enough, your iPhone’s storage is full. Worst of all, a huge chunk of it is just categorized as Other. What’s that supposed to mean? How do you get rid of it?

The Other storage is mysterious and confusing, and there’s no one answer that works for everyone, but hopefully this guide will help you deal with this problem.

Go to this Mac World web page and get the steps to clean up storage on your iPhone. http://bit.ly/2KwA5k4

6 STEPS TO SOLVING YOUR STREAMING VIDEO PROBLEMS – Got buffering or other streaming video issues? This step-by-step guide will help isolate the problem.

Although cutting the cable TV cord can save you money, it also involves more potential points of failure.

With cable or satellite TV, a technician hooks up one of their company’s set-top boxes, which in turn connects to your TV, and it generally just works. With streaming video, you must account for internet speed, Wi-Fi connectivity, the capabilities of your streaming device, and your individual streaming services, which have their own unique set of reliability issues.

All of this makes troubleshooting more complicated if you run into problems such as buffering or poor video quality. Instead of trying solutions willy-nilly, it’s best to walk through a series of specific steps to isolate the source of the problem. Consider this your ultimate step-by-step guide to dealing with buffering and other streaming-video issues:

Go to this Tech Hive web page and see the 6 steps to curing streaming problems. http://bit.ly/2UVQkuM

HOW TO CREATE AND PRINT LABELS IN WORD – If you’re looking to make customized labels, look no further than Microsoft Word. Whether for personal or professional use, Word provides a comprehensive feature set for creating personalized mailing labels. Here’s how to do it.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and see how with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2VHMbb9

SEVEN GOOGLE MAPS ALTERNATIVES AND WHY THEY’RE BETTER – Even if you’ve used Google Maps for years, you may be missing out. Try out a few of these Google Maps alternatives and see if they might be better for your mapping needs.

Google Maps is an excellent navigation and mapping tool, but there are actually many Google Maps alternatives that are as good or better for a number of reasons. Your choice of mapping tool really depends on how you plan your trips, and how you use your maps. Do you like planning out your trips at home on your computer, or are you doing most of your trip planning and navigation from your phone?

The following list highlights the features and all of the pros and cons of each Google Maps alternative so that you can choose the perfect mapping tool for your situation.

Go to this groovyPost web page and see the other choices. http://bit.ly/2Dcc4IZ

HOW TO SET UP AUTO-REPLY FOR TEXTS & CALLS WITH DO NOT DISTURB – Have you ever wished you could set up an auto-reply text message on your iPhone for times when you can’t or don’t want respond to text messages? Well, Do Not Disturb While Driving has an auto-reply feature that sends a message to people who text you letting them know you’re driving and can’t reply. If you want to send auto-replies even when you’re not driving, all you have to do is customize the message and then use Do Not Disturb While Driving instead of the regular Do Not Disturb when you are in meetings or are otherwise unable to answer texts. Here’s how to set this feature to be used with ease!

Go to this iPhone Life web page and see the setup with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2VI86iC

iPHONE PHOTO SAVING & SHARING GUIDE: TEXT, EMAIL, AIRDROP, SHARED ALBUMS & SOCIAL MEDIA – One of my favorite uses for my iPhone is taking and sharing pictures, but with so many different methods and platforms, it can get a little tricky. In this guide, I’ll cover everything I’ve learned about saved images and photos, including how to save and share them from text and iMessage, from email, with AirDrop and iCloud, from Shared Albums, and even social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. After we cover that range of topics, we’ll go over how to transfer pictures from your iPhone to your Mac and PC so you can keep your photos and albums organized and safe. Let’s get started!

Go to this iPhone life web page and get the procedure with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2UVY2oM (16 plus different procedures)

HOW TO LIST ALL APPLICATIONS ON A MAC – MacOS applications are installed a bit differently than Windows. Since they’re almost always single .app files, you can move them around your hard drive much easier. Find out how to track down the ones you lost with this How-To-Geek article (with screenshots): http://bit.ly/2UHUlD6

THE 50 BEST MAC TIPS, TRICKS AND TIMESAVERS – Now that macOS Mojave is here, there’s never been a better time to explore everything your Mac can do for you – and it may be more than you think. Your Mac, just with its native software, can do so many things that Windows 10 needs expensive third party tools to perform.

One of the major benefits that a Mac can offer is the fact that you don’t need to rely on third party apps like you do with Windows devices – on the best Macs, everything just works. Whether you’re trying to sign documents, do some light photo editing or even combine multiple PDFs, macOS will let you do it with its native software. So, to help you do all of this, we’ve come up with a guide to 50 useful Mac tips and tricks, so you can take your Mac expertise to the extreme.

This easily digestible list comprises the 50 top Mac tips we could think of and organizes them into bite-sized slides. Click or tap ‘Next’ to dive in at this TechRadar article: http://bit.ly/2WPzvyY

HOW TO CREATE AND MANAGE ALARMS ON YOUR APPLE WATCH – You can have alarms set on your iPhone ring through to your Apple Watch. But unlike manually updating your Apple Watch, for alarms, your iPhone and watch don’t need to be tethered. The alarms set directly on your watch are different than using the Clock app on your iPhone. For example, if you create an alarm on your Apple Watch, it isn’t going to show up in the Clock app and ring on your iPhone and vice-versa.

Read more (with screenshots)at this groovyPost article: http://bit.ly/2K9hKcI

MIRROR IMAGE PHOTOS? HOW TO FLIP PICTURES WITH A PHOTO EDITOR APP – We’ve all had the experience by now of taking a selfie and realizing that the finished product is not the mirror image we’re used to seeing. Even though a flip image like this is an accurate photo, it looks strange, and it sure would be nice to have a way to flip it back. Unfortunately, neither the iPhone Camera app nor the Photos app has a way to mirror photos, so we’ll need to find a third-party iPhone photo editor. Let’s get started going over a few apps I’ve researched for editing, and specifically, flipping your images so they look how you’d hoped they would.

Go to this iPhone life web page and get the steps plus screen shots. http://bit.ly/2TVRIsM

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR FACETIME CALLER ID ON iPHONE AND iPAD – When you make FaceTime calls on iPhone and iPad, recipients see your caller ID—an email or phone number. If that caller ID isn’t what they expect, they won’t know who’s calling. Here’s how to change your caller ID.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and see screen shots and steps. http://bit.ly/2VojboH

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY PHOTO STREAM AND ICLOUD PHOTOS? – Keeping your family photos safe from device failure is the primary reason backups exist. iCloud claims to back up all your photos “in the cloud,” but the way it works varies depending on what settings you have enabled.

Go to this How-To-Geek web site and discover the right answer. http://bit.ly/2YDfIVx

HOW TO MAKE FOLDERS FOR THE NOTES APP ON iPHONE, iPAD, AND MAC – Do you have lots of notes saved across your Apple devices and want to get more organized? Read along for how to make folders for the Notes app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Apple’s Notes app on iOS and macOS has become more and more feature packed over the years. Along with its evolution, it has become easier to rely on the app for storing more and more notes. Follow along below to get going with organizing your notes with folders.

iPhone & iPad

Open the Notes app,
Tap the left arrow in the top left corner
On the Folders screen, tap New Folder
on the bottom right corner on iPhone,
bottom left-ish corner on iPad
Enter a name for your folder,
Tap Save
You can move existing notes to folders by:
Tapping Edit on the main Notes app screen.
Select the notes you’d like to move,
Then tap Move All,
Finally tap the new folder you’d like to move them to.

Here’s How You Can Download Videos on an iPhone from YouTube

Go to App Store.
Search “Documents”.
Install the App called “Documents by Readdle”.
Open the “YouTube” app on your iPhone.
Play the video that you wish to download.
Tap the “Share” button.
Tap “Copy Link”.
Now open the “Documents by Readdle” app that you just installed.
Tap the blue compass icon on the bottom right.
Type ytmp3.cc into the browser.
Tap the “MP4” option under the “Convert” button.
Paste the YouTube video link into the box below “Please insert a valid video URL”.
Tap “Convert”.
Tap “Download”.
You now will be asked to save the video.

IOS 12.2 Update Summary:

Apple News+ – a new subscription service that extends the Apple News experience with hundreds of magazines and top newspapers. Automatic downloads make it easy to read magazine issues offline.

Siri – on iPhone/ iPad – play any video, show, movie, sports game, or channel on Apple TV. For example, “Hey Siri, play Free Solo on my TV”

AirPlay – Dedicated TV controls in Control Center and on the Lock Screen give you quick access to TV controls. AirPlay multitasking for video allows you to browse other apps, as well as play other short form audio and video files locally on your device without interrupting AirPlay. AirPlay destinations are now grouped by content type making it faster for you to find what device you want to play to.

Apple Pay – Apple pay Cash customers can now transfer money to their bank accounts instantly using their Visa debit cards. Wallet app now conveniently displays Apple Pay credit and debit transactions right below the card.

Screen Time – Downtime can be configured with a different schedule for each day of the week. A new toggle enables easily turning app limits on or off temporarily

Safari – Website sign-in now occurs automatically after filling credentials with Password AutoFill. Warnings now appear when loading unencrypted webpages. Removes support for the expired Do Not Track standard to prevent potential use as a fingerprinting variable; Intelligent Tracking Prevention now protects against cross-site tracking by default. Smart Search Field queries can now be modified by tapping the arrow icon next to search suggestions.

Apple Music – The Browse tab shows more editorial highlights on a single page making it easier to discover new music, playlists, and more.

A MAC USER’S GUIDE TO THE GOOGLE CHROME BROWSER – Though Safari is the default browser for most mac OS users, some have to use Chrome.

Estimates vary but perhaps a third of Mac users choose to use the Chrome browser on their Apple system for some reason. If that’s you, you’ll benefit from these Computerworld How-To tips: http://bit.ly/2YaV1j9

HOW TO CONTROL WHICH APPS CAN ACCESS YOUR IPHONE’S HEALTH DATA – Your iPhone knows a lot about your health, especially if you use apps like MyFitnessPal or track your activity using an Apple Watch. If given permission, apps can access that data. Here’s how to check which apps have access to your data.

We’ve shown how it can keep tabs on your location and expose that data to apps before, but what about your health data? The Health app collects as much data as you can give it, and if you’re using apps for tracking your weight, calories, blood pressure, and more, that can be a lot. If you’re wearing an Apple Watch, it can be even more information than you may realize.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and get the steps plus screenshots. http://bit.ly/2TyV0Hc

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR DIGITAL LIFE FOR YOUR DEATH – Death is inevitable. Don’t make it harder on those you leave behind. Here’s how to let loved ones manage passwords, sensitive data, and social media profiles after you die.

Our own death is as somber as it is inevitable. But as we live more of our lives online, it’s more important than ever to make sure loved ones can access digital accounts when we’re gone. Don’t be the guy who locked cryptocurrency exchange customers out of $250 million after his death because only he knew the password.

There are a number of ways loved ones can request access to your accounts once you’re gone, but they don’t need that stress. Several online services allow you to designate legacy contacts or grant access after a period of inactivity. Here’s how to make sure that those you leave behind are able to manage your affairs when you can’t anymore.

Go to this PC Magazine web page and get started. http://bit.ly/2F80WwK

HOW TO BLOCK A NUMBER ON YOUR SMARTPHONE – Whether you have an iPhone or Android smartphone, here’s how to block annoying calls and texts on any phone.

There are all sorts of reasons to block a number: an ex who won’t stop calling, telemarketers who can’t take a hint, scammers, or an aunt who wants to check in and see why you’re still not married.

When your phone has buzzed one more time than you can take, you know it’s time to block that number. But how? Here are the steps to take by popular operating systems and carriers.

Go to this PC Magazine web page and get help. http://bit.ly/2T96snO

HOW TO CAPTURE SCREENSHOTS ON YOUR PHONE AND COMPUTER – Sometimes you want to keep a copy of something you’re looking at on your computer or phone screen but it’s not a file that can be saved or website that can be bookmarked and replicated in exactly the same way. Read more of this Techlicious article at: http://bit.ly/2TYt1jI

HOW TO QUICKLY SEARCH A WEBSITE USING SHORTCUTS ON iPHONE AND iPAD – Apple’s Shortcuts app is as powerful as you want to make it, and it can do some incredible things if you know how to wrangle it. You can also use it for some super simple things, like searching a website for text.

If you find yourself needing to search a website for something regularly, then you’re no doubt familiar with the site search operator. Head to Google—or use the address bar—and enter “site:nameofsite.com keywords” to search that site. Searching the How-To Geek website for Shortcuts, for example, would require “site:howtogeek.com shortcuts” and you’ll be rewarded with the results.

It isn’t a complicated process, but it’s cumbersome to type out every time. That brings us to Shortcuts. Read more of this How-To-Geek article with screenshots: http://bit.ly/2Tm3zVW

SIRI SHORTCUTS AND GOOGLE ASSISTANT LEARN TO PRINT AND SCAN DOCUMENTS WITH EPSON PRINTERS – Epson is today adding support for voice assistants to its printers including Siri and Google Assistant. For iOS, users will be able to create a Siri Shortcut to quickly print and scan documents.

It’ll be as easy as taking a picture, initiating a Siri Shortcut, and printing the document all without having to leave the Camera app. You’ll also be able to do other things such as scan a document, ask for your printer’s current ink levels, and more.

Go to this 9 to 5 Mac web site and read the article. It is great if you have an Epson Printer. http://bit.ly/2NhmoDk

HOW TO CHANGE THE DEFAULT EMAIL ACCOUNT ON iPHONE – Do you have multiple email accounts on your iPhone but use one more than the rest? Read on for how to change the default email account on iPhone.

Changing the default email account on your iPhone makes your workflow more efficient as it will be the account that pops up when you compose a new email. It’s also the email account that’s used when sharing content with others from Safari, Apple’s other first-party apps, and third-party apps.

How to change the default email account on iPhone

Open Settings
Swipe down and tap Mail
Swipe to the bottom and tap Default Account
Tap the account you’d like to use

Go to 9to5Mac for screenshots. https://9to5mac.com/2019/02/19/change-default-email-iphone/

HOW TO CANCEL APP SUBSCRIPTIONS ON iPHONE OR iPAD – Apple’s App Store is full of apps with in-app subscriptions. That’s great news for developers, and it’s great for users who don’t want apps to go away. But if you don’t use an app, why not cancel your subscription?

Canceling a subscription to an iPhone or iPad app hasn’t always been the easiest thing to do, because Apple hasn’t always made the process obvious. Even if you did know. the chances are good that you do it so infrequently that you have forgotten, and there’s always the chance that Apple changed something in a recent iOS update.

Apple did in fact recently change how iPhone and iPad owners cancel subscriptions via the App Store, and thankfully, it’s now easier than ever. As with all things in life, however, these things are only easy if you know how—and we’re going to make sure you do.

Go to this How-to-Geek web page and get the steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2V7X70V

HOW TO FIX AN ECHO OR GOOGLE HOME THAT WON’T CONNECT TO WI-FI – Congratulations, you have a new Google Home or Amazon Echo device! But for some reason, even though you’re confident you have the password correct, it won’t connect to Wi-Fi. The good news is, there are easy solutions to try.

Whether you have a new Google Home or new Amazon Echo device, setup should be easy. As long as you have the correct accounts created, the apps walk you through all the steps in a straightforward manner. But occasionally you might get hung up on connecting to Wi-Fi, even when you’re sure you have the password correct. Often, the problem isn’t your password but the network you’ve chosen or that your smartphone is trying to maintain a working internet connection.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and read the article with hints on how to fix this problem. http://bit.ly/2UXsgUX

HOW TO SET UP AND USE FIND MY iPHONE – Do you want to enable the option to play a sound and locate your iPhone and other Apple devices?

Find My iPhone is a handy security and device tracking feature built-in to iOS. And with the latest software, iOS 12, you can even use Siri and HomePod to play a sound on your devices with Find My iPhone and easily locate them.

Read how to enable this option (with screenshots) at: https://9to5mac.com/2019/02/14/how-to-use-find-my-iphone/

WHAT IS GOOGLE VOICE AND HOW DO I USE IT? – If you’re using Google services like Gmail and Google Docs, you may have heard about Google Voice, but are unsure what it is. Google Voice is a free service offered by Google that provides you with a cloud-based phone number you can use from anywhere. The service includes free phone calls, free voicemail, and integration with mobile devices.

Go to this groovyPost web site to learn more. http://bit.ly/2BxTM40

HOW TO USE YOUR MAC SAFELY IN PUBLIC PLACES – Coffee shops across the planet are populated by earnest Apple Mac-wielding remote and/or freelance workers – but are they taking steps to protect themselves in a public place? Follow the checklist at this Computer World article to make sure you are protected. http://bit.ly/2Gteczs

WAZE FOR iOS NOW WORKS WITH SIRI SHORTCUTS, supporting custom voice commands and more – Popular navigation app Waze for iOS has received an update today that brings Siri Shortcuts to users. The new integration means users can set up useful automation for specific locations or routes like your drive home.

The Google-owned company that celebrates an annual “Tim Cook Day” has brought the Apple AI integration to its app after launching its Carpool service and CarPlay integration to iPhone users last fall.

Waze rolled out an update via the App Store today with the sole change of adding Siri Shortcuts support. The company notes use cases like setting up automation for your “drive home” or “favorite places.”

Here are the full release notes:

Saving time & avoiding traffic is even easier with this update: – Use Siri Shortcuts to drive with Waze. Record shortcuts for your drive home, your favorite places, and more.

Waze has an average rating of 4.8/5 stars on 1.5 million reviews and is a free download from the App Store. https://9to5mac.com/2019/02/12/waze-ios-update/

HOW TO ACCESS iCLOUD ON iPHONE, iPAD, MAC, AND THE WEB – iCloud is Apple’s cloud platform to save and synchronize data like photos, videos, contacts, notes, documents, and also store backups. If you’re not quite sure where to go to see and manage your saved data, follow along for how to access iCloud on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the web.

Apple gives users 5GB worth of free iCloud storage space, after that you’ll need to pay for more starting at $0.99 a month.

Something to keep in mind to help you understand how iCloud works is that it’s woven in throughout Apple’s software on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Another way to think of this is your data in various apps like Photos, Notes, Contacts, and more are viewable on each of your devices, but are saved and synchronized with Apple’s servers via iCloud (depending on your settings).

As separate portion of iCloud is iCloud Backups. They aren’t designed so that you can open them like a folder and see everything that’s inside. Rather, they are like a sealed package that is used when you restore an iPhone or iPad from the iCloud backup.

Another way to think about it is iCloud Backups are just a clone of your iPhone or iPad, and you won’t use that clone unless you get a new device or need to erase or restore your entire device for some reason.

Go to this 9 to 5 Mac web page and get the steps plus screenshots. http://bit.ly/2BA7SlD

HOW TO SEND SECURE MESSAGES WITH GMAIL CONFIDENTIAL MODE – Would you like to add an extra layer of security to important messages you send through Gmail? With Gmail’s Confidential mode you can do just that. It allows you to send important confidential email messages that you want to protect from unauthorized access. It allows you to set expiration dates for messages, requires a passcode, and revoke access at any time. In addition, the option to forward, copy, download, and print will be disabled for the recipient.

It’s a relatively new but an overlooked feature that has been with the consumer Gmail since the summer of 2018. Note that at the time of this writing the feature is not yet available for G Suite for businesses. Here is a look at how to send and receive messages using Confidential mode.

Go to this groovyPost website and get the procedure with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2Dc4ptn

HOW TO CHECK YOUR iPAD TRADE-IN VALUE – Looking into upgrading your iPad or just want to know what your current tablet is worth? Read on for how to check your iPad trade-in value and make sure you get the best price possible.

There are a variety of ways to trade-in your current iPad for a credit towards a new one. Most trade-in programs do require a new purchase. However, some may not, but you may not get quite as much as the trade-in options if you’re picking up a new iPad.

Here are some great options to make sure you’re getting the most for your iPad trade-in.

Go to this 9 to 5 Mac web site and get the simple steps. http://bit.ly/2MTFEq6

There is a link on that page to check your iPhone trade-in value.

iMESSAGE FEATURES TO AVOID WITH YOUR GREEN BUBBLE ANDROID BUDDIES – There are a lot of cool things you can do in iMessage other than just sending text messages to your friends and family, but for your compatriots that use Android, you’ll want to skip these specific iMessage features, since they don’t work on Google’s mobile OS.

Keep in mind; some iMessage features still work with Android, albeit maybe not as well as they would with other iPhones. I’ll cover both sides of the spectrum so that you know what exactly does and doesn’t work with Android.

Go to this How-To-Geek website and read about what will and will NOT work when using text to an Android device. http://bit.ly/2GylzF1

HERE’S HOW TO UNSEND MESSAGES ON FACEBOOK MESSENGER – Last year, it was revealed that Mark Zuckerberg had an option to “unsend” messages that were sent on Facebook Messenger. Once that info came out, everyone who uses Messenger wanted in on the functionality too—and now Facebook is delivering.

So, to be clear, the current “delete” option on Facebook Messenger only removes the message for you—the recipient can still see it. That also means it’s still on Facebook’s Messenger servers. The Unsend feature, by contrast, will allow users to completely remove the message as if it never happened.

Of course, there’s a catch: it’s limited to a small, 10-minute window. That means you won’t be able to run back through old messages and unsend anything you want, which is both a bummer and a logical move. Still, if you say something and immediately regret it, you’ll be able to unsend it starting today. Here’s how.

Go to this How-To-Geek website and see the procedure with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2SvPB2h

HOW TO RECOVER DELETED PHOTOS FROM AN iPHONE OR iPAD – Chances are they’re gone, but there are a few places you can check.

There’s something reassuring about digitally stored photos. Unlike the ones we used to stow in shoeboxes and albums, they can remain available, searchable, easily accessible, and un-degraded.

Until you delete them. Then your most-precious memories may be gone for good.

If you delete media from an iOS device, you may be able to recover them, especially if you act quickly.

Go to this Mac World web page and find out how to recover those deleted photos if at all possible. http://bit.ly/2RNNZwI

WHY IT’S DANGEROUS TO SHARE YOUR BIRTHDAY ONLINE – A birthday isn’t something you might think of as being private information you should keep secret. Almost everyone celebrates them on social media, and quite a few people post them on their profile. That’s a horrible idea; here’s why.

Alongside the model of your first car and your mother’s maiden name, your birthday is perhaps the most common security question asked on most websites.

It’s much easier for a hacker to find out your birthday than “the street you grew up on.”

When I upgraded to a new phone at a Verizon store, they asked me for two things: my phone number and my birthday. Nothing else.

Heck, if you were born in the USA and have a social security number, people can use your birthday and place of birth to guess your social security number. Social security numbers were linked to birth location up until 2011 when randomization began, so everyone born before then has a more predictable social security number.

Your birthday isn’t the only dangerous thing to share; identity thieves can also make good use of details like your birthplace and mother’s maiden name. And it’s tough to avoid sharing these details online.

See the full article at Howto-Geek. http://bit.ly/2Sgt8XU

DUCKDUCKGO SWITCHES TO PRIVACY-FOCUSED APPLE MAPS TO ‘SET A NEW STANDARD OF TRUST ONLINE – DuckDuckGo, the popular search engine alternative to Google has announced today that its address and map searches on mobile and desktop are now powered by Apple’s MapKit JS framework. DuckDuckGo is one of the first companies to rely on MapKit for its data and touts the privacy that the move brings to its users.

DuckDuckGo shared the news on its blog:

We’re excited to announce that map and address-related searches on DuckDuckGo for mobile and desktop are now powered by Apple’s MapKit JS framework, giving you a valuable combination of mapping and privacy. As one of the first global companies using Apple MapKit JS, we can now offer users improved address searches, additional visual features, enhanced satellite imagery, and continually updated maps already in use on billions of Apple devices worldwide.

The company said it is excited to be working with Apple to “set a new standard of trust online, and we hope you’ll enjoy this update.” It is also seeking feedback from users to help improve searches.

The update means Apple Maps will be seen in DuckDuckGo as embedded in private search results as well as in the Maps tab.

To read this full article got to 9 to 5 Mac web page. http://bit.ly/2HanPUC

HOW TO GET AROUND ACTIVATION LOCK ON IPHONE, IPAD, AND IPOD TOUCH – Having trouble with a locked iOS device? Follow along for how to get around Activation Lock on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Activation Lock is a security feature that is turned on when Find My iPhone (iPad, iPod) is enabled. Here’s how Apple describes it:

When you turn on Find My iPhone on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, your Apple ID is securely stored on Apple’s activation servers and linked to your device. From that point on, your Apple ID password or device passcode is required before anyone can turn off Find My iPhone, erase your device, or reactivate and use your device.

This is different than the iOS device passcode. You’ll see a screen like the image above asking for the Apple ID email and password if you’re having trouble with Activation Lock.

To find out how to reactivate your iPhone or get around Activation Lock, go to this 9 to 5 Mac web site and read the article. If you can’t remember your Apple ID; Apple Password or Security Questions, you need to visit this web site. http://bit.ly/2RxQ0BG

HOW TO USE THE iPHONE’S TODAY VIEW AND MANAGE ITS WIDGETS – The Today View on the iPhone gives you quick access to information from your favorite apps. Here’s how to use and manage it.

The iPhone has a Today View that provides access to at-a-glance information from your most-used apps. It’s a great way to use your apps without actually tapping them on the Home screen. For example, the Weather widget in Today View shows the local forecast. You can even access Today View from the iPhone’s Lock screen.

Here’s how to access and manage the widgets in Today View. Go to this Macworld web page and get the steps with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2ROj0Vb

HOW TO RECOVER DELETED FILES FROM iCLOUD DRIVE – Losing files is gut-wrenching, especially if it’s an important work document or pictures of your kids. Online storage solutions usually offer a way to restore deleted files, and iCloud is no different. The process is convoluted, but we’ll hold your hand all the way.

Go to this How-To-Geek web site and get the steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2stiMEH

STOP USING SKYPE & START USING ZOOM – Again, I am a bit disheartened to be saying this about a service I have long loved, by Skype is no longer on my favorites list. I used to be a huge enthusiast but then Microsoft got their grubby mitts on it and the Redmond virus is slowly degrading what was once a magnificent product that totally revolutionized the telecom industry.

The current MacOS version in particular, is a travesty. Don’t even get me started on it. As far as Windows is concerned, the day they scrapped the standalone desktop version in favor of the Windows 10 store app was the day I used bad words very liberally.

So, what are the alternatives? Well, thankfully you do have a lot of options when it comes to VOIP and video conferencing. I can’t believe I’m saying this but Facebook Messenger is actually quite good. So is Signal, and if you are an iOS user, Facetime kicks butt.

But my all-time favorite now is Zoom, which is earning rave reviews and plaudits from users. High-quality audio and video rarely dropped calls, and group chats are just a few of the great things about it. There is a browser extension and, of course, smartphone apps.

FACETIME GUIDE FOR iPHONE & iPAD: MAKING GROUP CALLS, USING AUDIO OR VIDEO & MORE – A phone call where you can see the person on the other end in real time; it used to be the stuff of science fiction. In 2010, though, Apple made it a reality when Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 and FaceTime at WWDC 2010. Through the years FaceTime has evolved and improved to include more devices and capabilities, until with Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 12.1, we finally have group FaceTime, where up to 32 people can use the audio-video feature at once. Since FaceTime has expanded so considerably, the time has come for a guide that includes all the different ways to use the service on iPhone and iPad. We’ll cover how to make and join a call using the FaceTime app, iMessages, and Siri, as well as how to use Group FaceTime, Memoji, and Animoji. Let’s get started!

Go to this iPhone life web page and get the steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2RFc10I

STOP USING GOOGLE SEARCH & START USING DUCKDUCKGO – Google has always been, is, and will continue to be “THE” search engine online. I don’t foresee any possible realistic scenario where someone is going to topple them from the throne. But that doesn’t mean you automatically have to drink their Kool-Aid. In fact, from a privacy point of view, you should NOT be using them.

Instead, use DuckDuckGo. There are many other similar privacy-focused search engines but I like DuckDuckGo (despite the silly name). The ironic thing about people who adamantly declare that they will never stop using Google is that they don’t realize that DDG uses Google’s search index. The only difference is that DDG strips out all the tracking first before delivering the results to you.

So, in other words, you are getting the same results but no adverts based on what you’ve just searched for. How is that a bad thing?

15 SECRET TRICKS AND TIPS INSIDE iOS 12 – Many are big, flashy, in-your-face features. Just as many are little hidden tricks that only a true iOS aficionado will find fascinating.

Apple released iOS 12 in September 2018, and it has since gone through several dot revs (as of this writing, we’re at 12.1.2). That’s plenty of time to have figured it all out, right?

Anyone can with iOS gets a pretty simple operating system, so it’s easy to get going. But with each new version there comes new innovation and new options.

Since iOS 12 works on iPhones from the 5s on up, the iPod touch, and iPads going back to 2013’s iPad Air, that’s a lot of devices that can take advantage of Apple’s latest mobile software upgrades. The new stuff featured below are the items that should push you from casual user to power user in no time. Show your friends and relatives and you’ll soon be their iPhone guru (for better or worse). Read more at this PCMag article: http://bit.ly/2CWdaHW

HOW TO ENABLE USB RESTRICTED MODE TO PROTECT THE DATA ON YOUR IPHONE – If you lose sight of your phone in a public place, like leaving it plugged into the wall of the coffee shop while you do some remote work, your data is susceptible to USB hacking tools such as keyloggers. USB Restricted Mode can help secure your data by preventing access to the Lightning port after your device has been locked for an hour.

Go to this iPhone life web page and see the short procedure with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2Rj6i1b

HOW TO CREATE HANDY SHORTCUTS FOR CALL REMINDERS ON iPHONE, iPAD. (AND MAC) – Apple’s Reminders app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac has a fun feature built-in when you ask Siri to create reminders for phone calls. Read on for how to create handy shortcuts for call reminders on iPhone and iPad.

Interesting enough, this fun little trick only works with Siri. If you type in the same text for a reminder, you won’t get the shortcut to make the call.

How to create shortcuts for call reminders on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Activate Siri (Press and hold your Side button or Home button, or say “Hey Siri,” tap the Siri button on Touch Bar or the menu bar on Mac)
Make a request like “Remind me to call Zac at 12:10 pm”
You’ll see a colored phone icon with a shortcut to make your phone call

Here’s what these handy reminders with shortcuts to make calls look like on iPhone:

You can tap the phone icon in reminders to immediately place the call. Alternately, you can firm press (or long press) on the reminder when it pops up to tap Call Now.

A nice feature is when you have multiple contacts with the same name, Siri will ask which one of them you’d like to set the call reminder for. The same applies for your contacts that have multiple phone numbers.

Alternately, you can specify both last name and which phone number for a more seamless experience.

If you want to see this article, go to this 9 to 5 Mac web page. http://bit.ly/2QDSXeP

THE BEST WAYS TO READ NEWS ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – The iPhone and iPad are great for consuming news, whether that’s current affairs or the latest on your favorite sports team. The iPad, in particular, is ideally suited to kicking back and reading, and we’re going to tell you how to make the most of it.

With the App Store filled to the brim with new apps for your iPhone or iPad, it can be difficult to know which to download and in some cases, buy. With Apple offering its own news reading app, Apple News, do you even need to try a third-party solution at all? We’d suggest that yes, you do, and we’re going to tell you about some of the apps we use to keep up to speed on what is going on around us, across many different categories.

Some of these apps will be free, and some will require a fee. We’ll let you decide whether reading news is worth paying for.

Let’s jump in! Go to this How-To-Geek web site and get started. http://bit.ly/2QAeWmM

HOW TO USE YOUR iPHONE AS A FLASHLIGHT – If you find yourself in a situation where you need some extra light, the flash on your iPhone’s camera works great as a flashlight. There are more features to this than you might expect, so here’s how to use it.

Go to this How-To-Geek web page and see how to turn it on two different ways. http://bit.ly/2FlGgUN

HOW iOS’S WI-FI ASSIST WORKS AND HOW IT CAN AFFECT YOUR CELLULAR BILL – A bad Wi-Fi connection can still cause your iPhone (or iPad) to use cellular data.

Added in iOS 9, Wi-Fi Assist recognizes when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, but have a poor or erratic signal. When this happens, Wi-Fi Assist kicks over automatically to cellular for foreground apps to keep data flowing. This feature is enabled by default.

Wi-Fi Assist automatically excludes third-party audio and video streaming and doesn’t relay data from apps working in the background. Nonetheless, some users wound up with surprising cellular bills when they thought they were on Wi-Fi networks—it turned out Wi-Fi Assist used cellular data because the Wi-Fi connections were marginal. (U.S. carriers have largely switched to a fixed or flexible monthly maximum after which your cellular data rate is throttled to a very slow speed, so surprise bills are less likely.)

Go to this Mac World web site for all the info. http://bit.ly/2TBkvDs

WHAT IS TV PROVIDER ON iOS AND HOW DO I USE IT? – So, what is the “TV Provider” option on your iPhone or iPad anyway? The TV Provider option has been in place since iOS 10 and it allows you to use the single sign-on feature for the TV apps on your device. Once you set it up, you won’t need to type in your credentials each time for supported TV apps. You sign in using TV Provider once and then you’re good to go. And after it’s set up, you’ll be able to access the supported channels using the TV app on your device. Find out how to use the iOS TV Provider at: http://bit.ly/2RMRd7H

Go to this iPhone life web page and get the steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2RFc10I

HOW TO ENABLE USB RESTRICTED MODE TO PROTECT THE DATA ON YOUR iPHONE – If you lose sight of your phone in a public place, like leaving it plugged into the wall of the coffee shop while you do some remote work, your data is susceptible to USB hacking tools such as keyloggers. USB Restricted Mode can help secure your data by preventing access to the Lightning port after your device has been locked for an hour.

Go to this iPhone life web page and see the short procedure with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2Rj6i1b

Interesting enough, this fun little trick only works with Siri. If you type in the same text for a reminder, you won’t get the shortcut to make the call.

How to create shortcuts for call reminders on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Activate Siri (Press and hold your Side button or Home button, or say “Hey Siri,” tap the Siri button on Touch Bar or the menu bar on Mac)
Make a request like “Remind me to call Zac at 12:10 pm”
You’ll see a colored phone icon with a shortcut to make your phone call

Here’s what these handy reminders with shortcuts to make calls look like on iPhone:

You can tap the phone icon in reminders to immediately place the call. Alternately, you can firm press (or long press) on the reminder when it pops up to tap Call Now.

Alternately, you can specify both last name and which phone number for a more seamless experience.

If you want to see this article, go to this 9 to 5 Mac web page. http://bit.ly/2QDSXeP

Some of these apps will be free, and some will require a fee. We’ll let you decide whether reading news is worth paying for.

Let’s jump in! Go to this How-To-Geek web site and get started. http://bit.ly/2QAeWmM

Go to this How to Geek web page and see how to turn it on two different ways. http://bit.ly/2FlGgUN

HOW iOS’S WI-FI ASSIST WORKS AND HOW IT CAN AFFECT YOUR CELLULAR BILL – A bad Wi-Fi connection can still cause your iPhone (or iPad) to use cellular data.

Wi-Fi Assist automatically excludes third-party audio and video streaming, and doesn’t relay data from apps working in the background. Nonetheless, some users wound up with surprising cellular bills when they thought they were on Wi-Fi networks—it turned out Wi-Fi Assist used cellular data because the Wi-Fi connections were marginal. (U.S. carriers have largely switched to a fixed or flexible monthly maximum after which your cellular data rate is throttled to a very slow speed, so surprise bills are less likely.)

Go to this Mac World web site for all the info. http://bit.ly/2TBkvDs

HOW TO BLOCK PHONE AND FACETIME CALLS ON iPHONE AND iPAD – Whether it’s a telemarketer or someone you know who’s annoying you, sometimes the best thing to do is block them from calling or FaceTiming you. Here’s how to do that on your iPhone and iPad.

For iPhone and iPad owners, there are myriad ways someone can contact you, whether that’s a phone call, a FaceTime Audio call, or a FaceTime video call. Despite the many different ways someone could contact you, iOS operates under an all-or-nothing approach. That means that blocking someone from calling you also blocks them from contacting you via FaceTime. As a handy bonus, it also stops them from reaching you over SMS or iMessage, too.

You can block contacts from reaching you in the FaceTime and Phone apps—again, this will block all points of contact, no matter where you do it—and we’ll show you how.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see the steps plus screen shots. http://bit.ly/2FYSnbe

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE APPLE WATCH NOTIFICATIONS – Whether you’d like to see the same notifications on Apple Watch as you do on iPhone, or want to tailor them for each device, read on for how to customize Apple Watch notifications.

Apple Watch can make life simpler, but if you’re receiving all of the notifications from iPhone on your wearable, it may feel like a distracting experience. Luckily watchOS offers granular notification control for Apple Watch.

How to customize Apple Watch notifications

Open the Watch appon iPhone
Tap on Notifications
Tap on the apps that you’d like to customize notifications for
Further down you can toggle off/on third-party app notifications

HOW TO GET A REFUND FROM THE APPLE APP STORE – No matter how much research you do, there is always the chance of getting something that doesn’t work as advertised. That’s when you’re likely to need a refund, and even though Apple doesn’t advertise this, you can indeed get refunds from the App Store.

While Apple might not make a big deal about it, getting a refund from the App Store is not only possible, it’s pretty easy to do. Whether you’re requesting a refund for an in-app purchase or a whole app, the process is the same. It’s worth remembering that even though refunds are possible, this is not a means to get a free trial—Apple still doesn’t offer trials for apps—and it’s likely Apple will clamp down if that’s the route you take. If you bought an app that simply doesn’t work, or is broken in some way, however, a refund is possible.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the steps plus screen shots. http://bit.ly/2dnsskm

HOW TO MAKE AND ANSWER CALLS ON AN iPAD – Making and answering calls on your iPad is a little-known feature that can be pretty amazing in use, and all you need is to have your tablet and your iPhone near one another. Thanks to the magic of Apple’s Continuity features, handling calls on an iPad is one of those features that you might forget exists but can be handy if you already have your tablet in front of you.

Before You Get Started

If you want to use your iPad as a big phone, you’ll need to have a couple of prerequisites ticked off before getting started. You’ll need to have an iPhone and iPad that are:

Connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Logged into the same iCloud account in Settings.
Running iOS 8.1 or later, which shouldn’t be too hard at this point.

Assuming all of those boxes are checked, let’s move on. Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the information plus screen shots. http://bit.ly/2QkoV3F

HOW TO TURN APPLE WATCH ON AND OFF – Whether you’re new to Apple Watch or you just haven’t needed to power your wearable on or off in a while, follow along for how to turn Apple Watch on and off.

In day-to-day use, you won’t really need to turn Apple Watch on or off, but there are some cases where it may be needed. It’s good to also keep in mind in some cases, new Apple Watches may need to be charged before powering on for the first time.

How to turn Apple Watch on and off

Press and hold the Side button (oval shape)
You’ll see the Apple logo appear as it powers on
If it doesn’t power on, place it on the charger

Off

Press and hold the Side button (oval shape)
Release when you see the power off screen
Use the touchscreen to move the POWER OFFslider over and power down your Apple Watch

Alternately, if you’re running low on battery, you can enable power reserve mode which will still give you the current time while being battery efficient.

Swipe up from your watch face to reveal Control Center, then tap on the battery percentage as shown below.

Here’s how the process looks:

How to adjust Display Zoom on iPhone and iPad

As displays get larger, text is seemingly getting smaller. On certain iOS devices, Apple offers an option to adjust Display Zoom, which not only makes text larger, but things like the Home screen icons.

Follow along to learn how to enable Display Zoom.
How to adjust Display Zoom on iPhone and iPad
Note that Display Zoom is only available on iPhone 6/7/8 (Plus), iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and the third-generation iPad Pro 12.9-inch.

How to Disable and Deactivate iMessage on iPhone or iPad
Oliver Haslam

Apple’s iMessage is one of the most popular messaging platforms around, and it’s a great way for Apple to lock people into its ecosystem. As great as iMessage is, there may still be times you need to disable or complete deactivate it.

Some of those times may be down to good old-fashioned troubleshooting (or perhaps you really did make the jump to Android) Whatever your reasons, you will not only need to turn iMessage off on your iPhone or iPad but potentially tell Apple to remove your number from iMessage on the server-side, too.

Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, How-to Geek is here to help. Go to the following web page and get the steps plus screen shots. http://bit.ly/2zgCxD9

HOW TO SEARCH ON iPHONE – iPhones have evolved to help us with so many different tasks, but that also means keeping track of more information than ever. Whether its, work, personal, or shared content, follow along to become more efficient by improving how you search on iPhone.

There are several ways to leverage the power of search on iPhone. We’ll look at Spotlight (searching for local content like notes, documents, apps, the web, and more), searching the web, and even searching specific pages and documents for a keyword.

How to search on iPhone

From the Lock screen, swipe from left to right, use the search box at the top of your screen.
From your Home screen, you can also swipe from right to left to search with the Today View screen or pull down on your Home screen (in between apps is usually best).
Type in your search.

HOW TO CREATE AN APPLE ID ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – When you’re using any of Apple’s computers, smartphones, or tablets, an Apple ID is integral to not only setting devices up in the first place but getting the best out of them as you use them, too. When you pay a premium to use an ecosystem that “just works,” not having an Apple ID cripples the experience.

Note: For this guide, we are going to make the assumption that you already have an iPhone or iPad up and running, and that you need to create an additional Apple ID. These steps are the same even if you are setting up a new device. When you reach the point of entering your Apple ID, tap “Forgot password or don’t have an Apple ID,” before tapping “Create a Free Apple ID” and following the process. Go to this How-To Geek web page and follow the steps. http://bit.ly/2zd7Ii0

APPLE PUBLISHES FULL IOS 12.1 IPHONE USER GUIDE, CONFIRMING GROUP FACETIME, DUAL-SIM & MORE – When you buy an Apple product, one of the things it doesn’t come with in the box is a full user manual. To get a full manual, you have to go to Apple’s support website or look for its iPhone user guide on Apple Books.

Today, Apple has just made available an updated version of its iPhone User Guide, including new features from iOS 12.1. The user guide can be obtained for free on the Apple Books Store.

This updated guide includes references to new features of iOS 12.1, such as dual SIM support, Group FaceTime and the ability to adjust the depth of portrait mode pictures in the Camera app. Group FaceTime was previously announced as a feature of iOS 12, but Apple delayed its release as it wasn’t quite ready for the initial build of iOS 12. Instead, Apple had promised it would ship in a future software update – which we now know is iOS 12.1.

The inclusion of Group FaceTime on this updated user guide indicates that the feature will in fact be shipping with iOS 12.1. Group FaceTime does have some limitations however, including the fact that FaceTime itself is not available on all regions and that older devices, specifically the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus will only support Group FaceTime audio-only calls.

Another area highlighted by the updated user guide is Apple Music. It mentions the app is getting new features such as updated artist pages, daily top 100 songs around the world, and search by lyrics.

HOW TO MOVE iPHONE APPS – Whether you’re new to iPhone or just haven’t reorganized your apps in a while, follow along for how to move iPhone apps as we cover everything from the basics to advanced tips and tricks.

We’ll first take a look at the basics of moving individual apps. Then look at some advanced app management maneuvers below. Whether you’d like to move multiple apps at once, make and rename folders, and more, we’ve got you covered.

Tap and hold on an app until all apps start wiggling
Tap and hold on the app you’d like to move, drag it to a new location
Repeat as needed
When finished, tap Done in the top right corner of iPhone X and later, press the Home button for iPhone 8/8 Plus and earlier (and iPad)

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM APPLE’S OCTOBER MAC EVENT –To nobody’s great surprise, the previous Apple event, in September, was the traditional start-of-fall fest that was all about the phones, revealing the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max to the world. This time around, according to the most credible rumors, the Cupertino crew is ready to show off what could be music to your ears: new Macs and iPads. Rather than hosting the press in California as it usually does, Apple is coming right to PCMag’s backyard here in New York City. On October 30 at 10 a.m. (ET), the tech giant will take the stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. While nothing is confirmed yet, obviously, the rumor mill has been pretty consistent: It’s likely the turn of the iPad Pro and the desktop Macs to get refreshed. Read more of this PCMag article at: http://bit.ly/2Daecm8

HOW TO MOVE YOUR iTUNES MUSIC TO A CHROMEBOOK – If you switch between platforms a lot, you know it’s a hassle to move your stuff around. Fortunately, music files don’t have any sort of DRM tying them to a specific platform the way that movies do, so you can copy and paste your library around with ease. Or if your music is already in a cloud library, getting your music on a new device may be as easy as downloading a single app. Find out how at this How-To Geek article: http://bit.ly/2z5AD7y

HOW TO USE A MORE SECURE iPHONE PASSCODE – Touch ID and Face ID have made unlocking iPhones super-fast and secure. It’s hard for someone to fake your fingerprint or face. Now, let’s do something about those short passcodes.

Security is always a balance between actual security and convenience. Before Touch ID, most people used a simple four-number passcode (or god forbid, just used swipe to unlock) because they were quick to enter and provided a small amount of security. Now, most people use a six-digit code, but that’s still not very secure. Someone only has to glance over at you entering it once or twice to learn it.

Since Touch ID and Face ID are now so convenient, you can actually use a more secure passcode, or even a passphrase, without inconveniencing yourself too much. I so rarely have to enter my iPhone’s passcode, that the loss of convenience from taking a few seconds longer to enter it once or twice a day is made up for by the extra security. Here’s how to do it.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the step plus screenshots. http://bit.ly/2q5WkjB

HOW TO ADD ANOTHER FACE TO FACE ID ON iPHONE – If you want to add a second person to your iPhone’s Face ID recognition, iOS 12 now lets you do just that. Here’s how.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the steps with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2D0p4mt

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE DO NOT DISTURB IN iOS 12 – Do Not Disturb saw a small change in iOS 12. Rather than being a simple on/off switch, Apple now gives users a few more options when enabling the feature. Follow along to learn how to customize Do Not Disturb in iOS 12.

Swipe down from the top right (on iPhone X and beyond), or from the bottom to access Control Center.
3D Touch or long press on the Do Not Disturb icon.
Choose For 1 hour, Until this evening, or Until I leave this location. You’ll sometimes see Until the end of this eventas well, if you have a calendar event scheduled.

And that’s all there is to it. While it’s not as extensive as some may want (enable on certain days, for example), it’s a step in the right direction. Maybe in the future, Apple will expand on the feature and make it fully fledged. For now, this is all we’ve got.

You’re also able to set a DND schedule in the Settings, as well as use Do Not Disturb during Bedtime to schedule when you’d like to not be disturbed. However, you can enable Do Not Disturb whenever you’d like by simply tapping the icon in Control Center. This will keep it on indefinitely until you tap the icon again to disable it. Go to this 9to5Mac web page for a screenshot and video on 5 Favorite iOS12 Features: http://bit.ly/2Slq09A

HOW TO USE FLASHLIGHT WITH iPHONE – Whether you’re new to iPhone or want to learn a new way to use the flashlight, follow along for three ways to use flashlight with iPhone.

There are several ways to use flashlight with iPhone. While Control Center may be the most well-known option, Siri and the Lock screen shortcut on certain iPhones are usually the most convenient choices.

Ask Siri to turn the flashlight on
Tap the flashlight icon in Control Center
Use the Lock screen shortcut on iPhone X and later

Option 1
The most convenient way to use flashlight with iPhone in many cases may be to ask Siri. There are a variety of phrases that will get the job done, the simplest is “Hey Siri, flashlight.”

Siri will confirm when it’s been turned on and you can ask to have it turned off with a command as simple as “Hey Siri, flashlight off.”

Option 2
Another common way to make use of the flashlight is with Control Center. For iPhone 8/8 Plus and older, swipe up from the bottom of your screen and tap the flashlight icon.

For iPhone X, XS, and XS Max, swipe down from the top right corner to access Control Center.

Option 3
The fastest way to turn on flashlight on iPhone X and newer may be the Lock screen shortcut. You’ll see the flashlight icon in the bottom left corner. Firm press (3D Touch) on it to toggle it on and off.

Go this 9to5Mac webpage for screenshots: http://bit.ly/2SglmJW

HERE’S WHAT iCLOUD BACKUP INCLUDES

App data
Apple Watch backups
Call history
Device settings
HomeKit configuration
Home screen and app organization
iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages – When you use Messages in iCloud or turn on iCloud Photos, your content is automatically stored in iCloud. That means they’re not included in your iCloud Backup.
Photos and videos on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Purchase history from Apple services, like your music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books – Includes information about the content you buy, but not the content itself. When you restore from an iCloud backup, your purchased content is automatically redownloaded from the iTunes Store, App Store, or Books Store)
Ringtones
Visual Voicemail password (requires the SIM card that was in use during backup). (Your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch backup only include information and settings stored on your device. It doesn’t include information already stored in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, Mail, Notes, Voice Memos3, shared photos, iCloud Photos, Health data, and files you store in iCloud Drive.)
iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you’ll have a copy of your information to use in case your device is ever replaced, lost, or damaged.

Choose a backup method
Before you get started, learn the difference between iCloud and iTunes backups, then choose the method that’s best for you. If you need an alternative backup, you can make one in iCloud and another in iTunes.

Go to this support Apple web page and get the step with screen shots. https://apple.co/2PPZxPT

APPLE BOOKS: WHAT’S NEW IN iOS 12 – Apple has completely redesigned and overhauled its iBooks app for iOS 12. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

iOS 12 brings a bunch of refinements and speed to your iPhone and iPad, but that’s not all: There are a number of core apps getting huge facelifts and functionality improvements, too. One of these apps is Apple’s ebook reader and store, iBooks, which bears the moniker “Apple Books” in iOS 12.

While the ebook-reading experience itself has stayed largely the same in iOS 12, Apple Books has completely rethought the design, book management, purchase, and organizational aspects. The new Book Store app is available in 51 countries (and free books in 155 more); here’s everything new in Apple Books on iOS 12.

Go to this iMore web page and get all the news about Apple Book. http://bit.ly/2CVmNcn

HOW TO RENAME FOLDERS ON IPHONE AND IPAD – If you’re looking to customize and organize your iPhone or iPad, renaming folders from the defaults that iOS offers is a valuable thing to do. Follow along for how to rename folders on iPhone and iPad.

Whether you’re new to iOS or just haven’t spent the time to tackle customizing folders before, it’s quick and easy to do.

If you’d like to make a new folder while you work on the renaming process, just press and hold (long press) on an app until it wiggles, then drag it on top of another one.

Tap and hold (long press) on the folder you’d like to rename
Once your app/folder are wiggling, tap the folder again
Tap the folder field up top to rename and tap done on the keyboard
On iPhone X and later, tap outside of the folder and then tap Done
One iPhone and iPad models with a Home button, tap it to confirm the change.

Go to this 9to5 mac web site if you want to see a walkthrough with images for the renaming process: http://bit.ly/2CVs4jV

NOW THAT PASSWORD AUTOFILL IS PART OF IOS 12, THERE’S NO REASON NOT TO USE A PASSWORD MANAGER – “You should use a password manager!” is advice you’ve likely ignored for years, but with proper integration on every platform, there’s no legitimate reason not to use a password manager now.

Why You Should Use a Password Manager – The biggest reason to use a password manager is security. Many people reuse the same handful of passwords across the web because they’re easy to remember—but this is also the worst way to handle account security. What if someone finds out even one of your “most used” passwords? How many accounts will be compromised?

With a password manager, you let the software handle the task of remembering complex passwords while you only remember one—the master password to the vault. Instead of remembering several simple passwords, you remember one more difficult password, and then let your manager handle the duties of creating and storing much more complex and secure passwords.

If you’re doing it properly, you won’t have the slightest clue what most of your passwords are. I don’t know my bank password, my mortgage company’s password, or pretty much any of my other important logins. These are all held in my password manager, and I don’t even want to know them.

Why Now’s the Best Time to Start Using a Password Manager – Here’s the thing with password managers: they’ve been a massive inconvenience for a long time. You could use LastPass on the computer, but then when you need a password on your phone, it was a huge pain. Until now, anyway.

With proper password manager support on both Android and iOS, there’s no good excuse not to use a password manager now.

I say “proper” password manager support because LastPass had a useful-but-janky feature on Android for a couple of years that used a chatheads-like feature to fill password info when necessary automatically. But starting with Android Oreo (8.x), Google built an autofill API that allows third-party password managers to automatically fill password information across the entire system.

With iOS 12, Apple also added a very similar feature. You can not only fill passwords from your iCloud Keychain, but also from services like LastPass, 1Password, and more. It’s incredibly intuitive and convenient.

While both systems make easy work of implementing your password manager on mobile, Apple’s system is a little more seamless—it’s baked into the keyboard for ease of use, and it also allows you to set multiple sources from which to pull passwords. Android’s implementation requires you to set a default autofill system, which is fine even if a little less versatile.

Autofill on Mobile is Simple, Intuitive, and Built for Everyone – Now that both Android and iOS have native autofill function baked-in, it’s time for everyone to get on board. It’s incredibly intuitive and simple, but most importantly it’s convenient.

How to add custom email signatures on iPhone and iPad

Whether you have one email account or multiple, follow along for how to add custom email signatures on iPhone and iPad.

For this tutorial, we’ll cover how to add email signatures on iPhone and iPad when using the default Mail app. If you’re looking to add a signature via a third-party email client, take a look in settings of that particular app.

With the iOS Mail app, you can have a signature apply to all email accounts you are using, or have different signatures for each account.

1. Open Settings

2. Swipe down and tap Mail

3. Swipe down and select Signature

4. Enter your signature (can be the same for all accounts or on per account basis)

Here’s how the process looks:

If you have an iPhone and an iPad, you’ll need to set up signatures on both devices as they don’t sync automatically. Follow the same steps as above.

WHAT ARE SIRI SHORTCUTS AND HOW DO I USE THEM? – Siri Shortcuts are one of the new features in iOS12. They let you automate specific tasks (or sequences of tasks) on your iPhone or iPad that you can trigger with a single tap or voice command. So, what can you do with them? Let’s take a look.

What are Siri Shortcuts? – Long story short, Siri Shortcuts let you automate sequences of actions so that you can perform them quickly with one tap on a shortcut icon or with a voice command issued to Siri.

You can say a custom phrase like “Hey Siri, good night” to switch your phone to Do Not Disturb mode and turn the screen brightness all the way down (if you don’t already have auto-brightness enabled). Third-party apps can also include support for Siri Shortcuts for getting things done in those specific apps. Philips Hue is one example, where you can record custom phrases to tell Siri, and she’ll activate your favorite Hue scenes. This is just one small example, though.

You can, of course, trigger shortcuts without using your voice by tapping on the shortcut within the Shortcuts app. You can even create home screen icons for shortcuts or place them on your lock screen in the form of widgets.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and read the complete article. http://bit.ly/2QJjRlJ

APPLE iOS 12 NEXT-GEN MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM ROLLED OUT ON SEPT. 17 – It’s compatible with iPhone 5s and above, iPad mini 2 and above, and the sixth-gen iPod touch. Apple’s newest iPhones—the iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and XR—come with the mobile OS built in.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APPLECARE AND APPLECARE+? – When you buy a brand-new Apple product, you get a free year of AppleCare with the option of adding on AppleCare+, but it can be confusing figuring out what exactly you get with each service. Here’s how they work.

AppleCare Is Just a Basic Warranty – Most products you buy at the store come with some kind of warranty from the manufacturer that guarantees the product will work as advertised for a certain amount of time. And if not, the manufacturer will fix any problem that comes up free of charge. The length of the warranty and what exactly it covers and doesn’t cover varies depending on the company.

AppleCare is what Apple calls its warranty on its products. It’s a one-year warranty that covers issues and problems with devices—like a malfunctioning power button or a dead screen or anything that fails due to a manufacturing defect or an act of God. You also get 90 days of free phone support. All of this is free of charge and automatically comes with your Apple product, no matter where or when you buy it.

AppleCare+ Adds Another Year and Accidental Damage Coverage – While AppleCare comes with all brand-new Apple products for free, you have the option of paying to add AppleCare+.

AppleCare+ includes regular AppleCare, but on top of that, you get an extra year of warranty coverage (an extra two years for Macs), two years of free phone support (one year extra for Macs), and accidental damage coverage (except for the Apple TV).

Regular AppleCare provides no accidental damage coverage. AppleCare+ does, but there are some limitations. For all Apple products, you only get “up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage,” and there’s a deductible depending on the type of damage and the device:

iPhone: $29 for screen damage, $99 for any other damage.
iPad: $49 for any type of damage.
Mac: $99 for screen damage (or external enclosure damage), $299 for other damage.
Apple Watch: $69 for any kind of damage.
HomePod: $39 for any kind of damage.
iPod Touch: $29 for any kind of damage.

Even though you have to pay a deductible, it’s still way cheaper than paying to repair damage at full price. So, getting AppleCare+ just to have the accidental damage coverage can definitely be worthwhile.

AppleCare+ Can Cover Loss or Theft, but You’ll Pay More – As great as AppleCare+ is, though, there’s one factor that has always been a deal breaker for some: It doesn’t cover lost or stolen devices. That is, until recently.

AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, as it’s called, costs an extra $100 on top of the normal $199 price tag for regular AppleCare+. So you’ll pay $299 total for everything that AppleCare+ offers, as well as theft or loss coverage.

However, you’ll also end up paying a deductible whenever you lose your iPhone or get it stolen, and it won’t necessarily be cheap:

$199 for iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, and iPhone 6

$229 for iPhone XR, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6S Plus, and iPhone 6 Plus

$269 for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone X

It’s definitely cheaper than having to buy a whole new iPhone at full price, but it’s certainly not something to take lightly.

HOW DO I REMOVE PHOTOS ON MY iPHONE? – The whole idea behind cloud services is to have all of your things available across all of your devices. iCloud Photo Library is no different. You have all of your photos available across all of your devices. Your library is like a single location that you can access from anywhere. So if you delete a photo, it is deleted from everywhere.

But it sounds like what you want is not to delete photos because you don’t want to see them, but you just want to manage your space on your iPhone. There is an option for exactly this.

On your iPhone go to: Settings> Photos.

Turn on “Optimize iPhone Storage.”

Then your iPhone will only keep a small thumbnail of each photo that only uses a little bit of storage space. As you view photos, it will download the full versions from the cloud. As time goes on it will offload full photos that you haven’t viewed in a while, freeing up space.

This way you have the best of both worlds — all of your photos available everywhere, and you optimize space on your iPhone.

Apple Watch Now Offers ECG, The First Over-The-Counter Consumer Device To Do So – The Apple Watch Series 4 can now take an electrocardiogram (ECG) reading …

This is something that normally requires specialist medical equipment, Apple says it is the first-time consumers have ever been able to buy an ECG advice without a prescription. The Apple Watch Series 4 has been approved by the FDA for this purpose.

How to Sell Your iPhone Safely – And for the most cash. Before you trade your iPhone 6, 7, or 8 in for whatever Apple reveals this week, here’s how to get your old smartphone ready to sell.

Rumors tip an iPhone Xs, Xs Max or Plus, and Xc. While we can speculate on the size, features, colors, and even materials of the phones, one thing we definitely know is that they’ll be pricey.

Still, there will be fans lining up to buy the newest offerings. If you’re one of them, you’ll probably want to sell your existing phone to help soften that blow. But before you pack up your old iPhone and ship it out, you should know there’s more to the process than just handing it over and waiting for cash to hit your bank account.

Privacy concerns abound with phones, from photos stored in iCloud to personal data housed within apps, so wiping your phone before you hand it over to its next owner is a must. And don’t forget to back up, so you don’t have to manually re-download hundreds of apps on your new iPhone.

Below is our step-by-step guide to preparing your phone for sale, as well as a few reputable sites that will take it off your hands for top dollar.

Go to this PC Mag web site and get the scoop on what to do before you sell that old iPhone a d where you can get the best price. http://bit.ly/2vVeGVO

WHAT’S THE BEST EMAIL APP FOR iPHONE? – E-mail, like calendars, is something that is very personal. Over the years, email has morphed from a way to send electronic letters to turning into the digital hub of all we do online. Your Facebook account is tied to an email. Your Amazon account is tied to an email. Everything is tied to your email.

Email accounts are also difficult to change. Once you have it signed up with multiple services, moving from it is like moving your physical address. I’ve seen this first hand when folks leave the school I work at. I usually give them a few days to tie everything up, but many of them have used it as a personal account for years despite my warnings not to, so it becomes a difficult transition.

Go to this 9 to 5 mac web page and get info on 7 different email used for iPhones. http://bit.ly/2MTzSqX

USE READING MODE ON ANDROID OR iOS TO VIEW WEBPAGES CLUTTER-FREE – While you’re trying to get to the meat of an article while reading on your smartphone or tablet, it’s best done without distractions on the webpage.

When it comes to reading news and online articles on your phone, sometimes the pages can be overwhelming to look at. Most notably sites that have a ton of images, sidebars, ads, and other on-screen activity. Sometimes you just want to get rid of the excess and just read the text of an article. Here is a look at how you can read articles in a browser on your Android or iOS device distraction-free.

Go to this Groovy Post web page and get the steps plus screen shots for Chrome on Android and Safari on iOS. http://bit.ly/2Pd8TED

TECHOPEDIA EXPLAINS ALGORITHM – An algorithm is a detailed series of instructions for carrying out an operation or solving a problem. In a non-technical approach, we use algorithms in everyday tasks, such as a recipe to bake a cake or a do-it-yourself handbook.

Technically, computers use algorithms to list the detailed instructions for carrying out an operation. For example, to compute an employee’s paycheck, the computer uses an algorithm. To accomplish this task, appropriate data must be entered into the system. In terms of efficiency, various algorithms are able to accomplish operations or problem solving easily and quickly.

APPLE TEACHES PHOTO EDITING WITH OVER-THE-PHONE CLASSES – Many device makers give you the tools to capture and edit great photos, but they seldom teach you how to make the most of those tools. Apple thinks it can — and unlike in the past, you don’t need to show up in person to develop your skills. The company has launched an over-the-phone training program that teaches you how to edit with Photos (both iOS and macOS) in a 30-minute one-on-one session with a specialist. It’ll both show how to use simple adjustments like Auto Enhance as well as deeper edits like color balance and exposure. If you have Live Photos or Portrait mode pictures from your mobile devices, you’ll learn how to edit those as well. Read more of this engadget article: https://engt.co/2wwOhzk

iPHONE & iPAD: HOW TO CUSTOMIZE NOTES SETTINGS – Whether you’ve been using the iOS Notes app for a while and never customized it or are just starting to use it, follow along below for how to dial in your settings.

Curating your settings for Notes is easy to do and is definitely worth your time. Whether you like to start new notes with Siri, Control Center, or manually, we’ll look at how to adjust your default account, default sort option, and more.

iPhone & iPad: How to customize Notes settings

Open Settings
Swipe down and tap Notes
Double check “Default Account” at the top, set to your liking (if you have options)
Another valuable setting to check is ‘Sort Notes By’
Look over any other settings that you’d like to tweak.

HOW TO CONTACT GMAIL SUPPORT – Although you may not be able to directly contact Gmail support without subscribing to G Suite for businesses, there are a couple of ways to get the answers you’re looking for online. Let’s look at how you can get help with your Gmail issues.

Go to this How-to Geek web page and get your Gmail concerns solved. http://bit.ly/2OSEhbl

HOW TO REALLY STOP GOOGLE FROM TRACKING YOUR LOCATION – Even when Google Location History is off, your phone or tablet is still collecting your location data. Here’s how to really make sure it’s turned off.

Everyone should know that the services and app you use from Google aren’t really free. In exchange for creating a Google account and using Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs, and even search itself, you agree to have your data collected. And one of the data metrics that’s collected is your location history. Here is a look at how you can really stop Google from tracking your location while using its services.

A recent report from the Associated Press reveals that even if you disable Google’s Location History on your phone, it’s not really stopping the search giant from tacking you. In fact, just today the company clarified its tracking policy. “We have been updating the explanatory language about Location History to make it more consistent and clearer across our platforms and help centers,” Google said in a statement to the AP.

Go to this Groovy Post website page and stop Google from tacking your location. Apple Devices http://bit.ly/2Bq9Abh

7 WAYS TO CREATE STRONG PASSWORDS

Avoid the Obvious– Don’t make the mistake of creating passwords that are based on personal information, your login ID, or are simple to guess or locate.
Make It Longer – One of the features of a strong password is that it is at least 8 characters in length and it should be a combination of mixed-case letters with the addition of numbers and punctuation where allowed.
Vanity Plates – How many times have you been driving behind a car with a vanity plate? Were the characters cryptic but easy to decipher? Have you seen these plates?

Consider an easy to remember phrase that can be expressed without complete words and with a combination of mixed case letters as well as numbers and symbols:

Have some fun making up combinations of phrases that have meaning to you but that would not be easy for other people to guess.

Song Lyrics – Think of a favorite song lyric, book, or poem. The more obscure your choice, the better. Next, create a password from a combination such as the 1st letter of each word of the phrase. Some hacker dictionaries have common songs and phrases built in, and so, you will want to strengthen your password by adding in other characters or personalizing the song in some way.

For instance: “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose,” might become r1trNr2Xhavsn.

You want to avoid obvious geek phrases, of course, such as “Luke, I am your father” or “Beam me up Scotty.”

Passphrases – Choose 5 or more random words and string them together to create a nonsense phrase. For greater strength, use a downloadable program such as Diceware that helps you generate word combinations from your throw of multiple dice.
Blended Words – String together 3 or more totally unrelated words by breaking apart and re-combining the parts of each word. For instance, combining the words SPOON LIME PUPPY might result in SPOLIPUPP.
Annoy Lurkers – Do use a password that can be typed quickly, without having to look at the keyboard. This makes it harder for someone to steal your password by looking at your keyboard (also known as “lurking” or “shoulder surfing”). Do not use keyboard sequences or characters found together such as QWERTY.

These 7 strategies will enable you to choose and create strong passwords that will help improve the security of your computer and other devices.

INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS ARE BEING HACKED, LOCK YOURS DOWN NOW – Attackers are compromising Instagram accounts and locking out users, so take a moment to lock down your account.

A growing number of users are taking to Twitter and Reddit to complain about compromised Instagram accounts, and there seems to be a pattern. Here’s Karissa Bell, writing for Mashable:

It’s not clear how hackers are gaining access to these accounts, or if it’s the result of a coordinated attack. But Mashable has identified several commonalities among the hacking victims—like a changed handle and profile avatar (often to an animated character from a Disney or Pixar film), deleted bios, and a new .ru email address on the account. In most cases, the Instagram users did not have two-factor authentication enabled at the time of the hack, but it appears even this setting may not be enough to deter hackers.

The changed email addresses are a big deal because they make it hard to recover your account. With this in mind, we think prevention is key. Here’s our advice:

Change your password, particularly if you’ve been re-using one on various accounts. Set up a password manager so you can quickly generate random ones.
Enable two factor authentications on Instagram right now. Yes, some people have been hacked with this on, but it’s still better to have this on

These steps aren’t a guarantee, as Bell outlines in her piece, but it’s a start. Stay safe out there!

iPHONE & iPAD: HOW TO CUSTOMIZE SIRI SUGGESTIONS – As Siri has evolved in various ways over the years, suggestions from the smart assistant pop up across iOS in a variety of ways, often by default. Siri suggestions come from analyzing your personal data, which happens on-device for greater user privacy. Even though many of these features are on by default, Apple gives users fine grain control of them, along with easy to understand descriptions of how the features work.

Go to this 9to5 Mac web page and see the steps and screen shots for customizing Siri.
http://bit.ly/2P9kOnr

QUICK TIP: ASK SIRI HOW TO SPELL A WORD – Since you talk instead of type to communicate with Siri, it is an ideal way to find out the spelling of a word. Just ask Siri on your Mac or iOS device: “How do you spell daiquiri?” Not only will you see the result, but Siri will spell it for you.

HOW TO AUTO-REPLY TO TEXTS ON iPHONE WHILE YOU’RE DRIVING – With iOS 11 on iPhone, you can turn on a new feature called Do Not Disturb while Driving. What does Do Not Disturb mean on your iPhone? It means that with this “car mode” feature turned on, your iPhone won’t receive notifications while you’re driving so you don’t get distracted. You can turn off Do Not Disturb if you’re a passenger and would like to use your iPhone. Your iPhone’s driving mode also allows you to turn on and customize an Auto-Reply message that’s sent to whomever is texting you when you’re driving. Here’s how to set up an auto-reply message to texts while you’re driving with iOS 11 on iPhone.

Go to this iphonelife web page and get the procedure with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2KkiKW1

IDEVICE USER GUIDE – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IDEVICES. Go to this Apple web page: https://apple.co/2OHE5Mz It will provide you with the opportunity to Browse Manuals by Products. Also, manuals are available in other languages.

If you select “iBooks,” that manual can be downloaded and read in iBooks on your Mac or iOS device.

If you select “Web,” that manual can be displayed on your Windows PC.

GIVE SIRI THE FINGER – One of the big problems with voice-controlled devices is that you don’t always want to use your voice: “Hey, Siri! Search the web for fungal foot cream!” isn’t something you generally want to shout on the bus.

If you go into Settings > General > Accessibility > Siri and enable Type To Siri, long-pressing on the Home button brings up the keyboard. “Hey Siri” still works, and if you’ve enabled voice feedback that still works too.

GET MORE STORAGE SPACE – iOS 11 introduces several new ways to improve your available storage, including new, more efficient file formats for photo and video – although those formats only apply to new images or recordings, not ones you’ve already got.

In addition, you can free up storage by enabling iCloud sync for Messages in Settings > Messages > Messages on iCloud and by deleting message attachments from the same page.

You can also “offload” apps, which deletes them but remembers their data: when you want to use them again you just re-install and they pick up from where you left off. That option is in the iCloud storage bit of Settings.

GOOGLE EARTH FOR iOS RECEIVES HANDY MEASURE TOOL TO CALCULATE DISTANCE AND AREA – Google Earth on iOS has been updated with one of the most requested features: a measurement tool.

Announced in a blog post, Google shared that after previously coming to Chrome and Android, it has brought the popular feature to iOS.

Ever wonder how far your hometown is from the North Pole? Or maybe, you simply want to measure the length of that hike you just finished.

One of the most requested features for Google Earth is the ability to measure distance and areas.

Google shared some other useful ways to use the measure tool like checking out the size of a park in a new neighborhood before buying a home or teachers using it to create engaging lessons for students.

Or if you’re a teacher, challenge your students to measure the distance between Tokyo and Timbuktu; compare the area of Colorado and Utah or create math problems using the map.

The measure tool is live now in the latest version of Google Earth and can be found by long-pressing on the map or opening the overflow menu.

Google Earth is a free download on the App Store. Version 9.2.25

HOW TO SYNC AND ACCESS OPEN TABS IN FIREFOX ACROSS DEVICES – Do you use Firefox on multiple devices? You can sync your tabs across devices using Firefox Sync and open them on any device.

With today’s on-the-go lifestyle, most people switch among several devices to stay informed and connected. Luckily, you can continue viewing the same web pages in Firefox across your devices by syncing your open tabs.

You can easily access a list of Firefox tabs open on each device and open any of those tabs on any of your devices.

Today we’ll show you how to access open Firefox tabs in Windows, Mac, and Linux, and on iOS and Android devices.

Go to this Groovy Post web page and get the procedures with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2OaVi0O

INSTAGRAM DM NOW LETS YOU SEE WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE ONLINE (DM = DIRECT MESSAGE) – Instagram has out a new feature to let users see when their friends are on the platform and available to chat.

Detailed in a blog post, Instagram shared that users will now see a green dot in the bottom right portion of profile photos to indicate a user’s status.

When your friends are active on Instagram, you’ll see a green dot next to their profile picture in various spaces within the app, including the Direct inbox and your friend list when you share a post from feed.

The status indicator will only show up for your followers or users who you’ve chatted with in Direct.

Instagram notes that you can turn off the feature at any time.

You can easily hide your own status and turn off the ability to see when your friends are active in your settings.

Instagram hopes the new status feature will make it more fun to chat on the platform when users know if friends are immediately available.

Instagram is a free download from the App Store.

iPHONE: HOW TO DISABLE VOLUME BUTTONS FROM CHANGING RINGTONES AND TEXT ALERTS – Do you find yourself accidentally changing your ringtone volume level with the physical buttons on your iPhone in your pocket, bag, or purse? Follow along for how to keep your ringtone volume fixed for calls, texts, and more.

The handy thing about this feature is it allows you to keep your ringtone volume the same for calls, texts, emails, third-party apps and more. But it still allows the physical buttons to control volume for music and video playback and any other audio output.

HOW TO SET 24-HOUR TIME ON iPHONE, iPAD, APPLE WATCH & MAC – Those who live outside of the United States are typically accustomed to setting clocks to 24-hour time. However, that is not the default in the U.S.

Fortunately, Apple gives the option on all its platforms to set 24-hour time, regardless of region. Follow along to learn how to flip the switch…

Go to this 9to5mac web page and get the steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2NvvQ4T

VLC FOR IPHONE AND iPAD UPDATED TO SUPPORT 360 VIDEO, CHROMECAST, MORE – VLC has updated its app on iOS with a handful of new features. The update brings the app to version 3.1.0 and includes several long-awaited features sure to please users…

The two standout features from the update is support for Chromecast, which allows users with the device to stream VLC to their Chromecast-enabled TV, and 360-video. Users are now able to view 360-video by simply tilting/moving their phone.

VLC is also focusing on bug fixes, and resolves issues with downloaded files disappearing, Google Drive logins, and improvements too H.264/H.265 hardware decoding.

The update is now available as a free download on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

WHAT IS “LOST MODE” ON THE iPHONE, iPAD, OR MAC? – If you ever lose your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch, you should put it in “Lost Mode.” Lost Mode locks your device to protect your personal information, tracks its location, and places a customizable message on its lock screen.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the complete story with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2O5prhK

APPLE iOS 11.4.1 HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM – iOS 11.4.1 has landed and my upgrade guide explains its best features and changes. That said, it isn’t without flaws and following a complex security breach, a far more fundamental and frustrating problem has emerged…

A growing number of iPhone and iPad owners report that after upgrading to iOS 11.4.1 they can no longer update any apps from the App Store (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15, etc.). Several users have also contacted me about this directly and it has also been reported to the eagle-eyed bloggers at PiunikaWeb.

Meanwhile, Apple Support appears to have no answer. It’s suggestions of switching to WiFi, Apple ID checks, iCloud restores and even resorting to updating apps one-at-a-time has not done the trick. In fact, the only workaround anyone has found is to use a VPN to trigger updates but it isn’t doing the trick for everyone and is obviously not a viable solution long term.

Given app updates are fundamental to the ongoing enjoyment of using iPhones and iPads, it appears Apple’s only option will be to release an emergency iOS 11.4.2 patch. It is possible this could be delayed until iOS 12 (which is already in beta testing) but a final release for that won’t come until September.

Go to this TechSpot web page and read the article if you are having problems with App Store. http://bit.ly/2uuE0Du

I did not have this problem on my iPhone 8 Plus or my iPad 9.7 2017 32GB model after downloading and installing iOS 11.4.1. Jere

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND SOMEONE’S LOST iPHONE OR SMARTPHONE – Smartphones go missing all the time. I’m pretty sure my sister loses hers the second Tuesday and third Thursday of every month. We’ve already looked at what to do if you lose your smartphone so let’s take a different perspective: what to do if you find someone’s smartphone and want to return it to them.

Editor’s Note: If you take an expensive smartphone home with you, and then get caught with it a few days later, you’re going to have a very hard time explaining to the police that you didn’t steal it, even if you had the very best of motives. And depending on where you live and where you found it, you might be guilty of theft by taking it home regardless.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and read the important information. http://bit.ly/2mrMnvj

HOW TO TURN OFF LOCATION SERVICES ON iOS DEVICES – Customizing location settings to protect your privacy can be confusing and complicated for the average user. This PCMag article shows you how to control what Apple and app makers know about your whereabouts. http://bit.ly/2JpNFzV

HOW TO USE GOOGLE ASSISTANT ON THE iPHONE AND iPAD – Do you own an iPhone but hate Siri? Why not give the Google Assistant app a try? You can’t access Google Assistant as easily as you can Siri, but Google’s voice assistant can still come in handy.

You can ask Google Assistant to answer a range of questions and perform a variety of tasks. Tell it to make a phone call, send a text message, or kick off an email. Request it to set a reminder, a calendar appointment, and a shopping list. Ask for directions and get information on nearby restaurants and other spots, and more.

Read Lance Whitney’s PCMag article to look at some of the many capabilities Google Assistant offers iPhone users. http://bit.ly/2KZBRdh

HOW TO RESET AN iPHONE OR ANDROID DEVICE – Before ditching your old gadget, you’ll want to wipe all traces of yourself and your data. Fortunately, Apple and Android phones and tablets offer built-in features through which you can erase all your personal information, applications, and other content. The process brings the phone back to factory conditions, so a new owner can’t retrieve any leftover information.

The steps for wiping your phone differ between an iPhone or Android phone but are still quite doable with either type of device.

Go to this PCMag web page and get the steps with screen shots on how to reset your device before selling or giving away. http://bit.ly/2KViH4d

HOW TO TRANSFER PHOTOS FROM YOUR PC TO YOUR MOBILE PHONE – Are there pictures on your computer that you want to access on the go? You can push your favorite photos from your computer to your phone. Here’s how.

You may already have a method for sending photos from your mobile phone to your computer, but what about the reverse trip?

Perhaps there are photos on your computer that you want to use as phone wallpaper, or maybe you want to copy certain personal photos from your PC to your phone.

On iPhone, you can set up a specific folder for photos and use iTunes to make the transfer. On Android, you can copy the photos directly to your phone or via an SD card through File Explorer or Windows Explorer. You can also sync the photos using an online photo storage site, such as Google Photos, which also works on iPad and Android tablets.

Let’s check out your options. Go to this PCMag web page and get the different options. http://bit.ly/2zjUiUu

HOW TO SCAN QR CODES WITH YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD – You used to need a third-party app to scan QR codes, but now the feature is built right into iOS.

QR codes can be handy. A grid of seemingly random black-and-white squares can hold enough information to store website URLs, contact information, email addresses, pre-defined SMS text messages, and even your Wi-Fi SSID and password.

Put a QR code on your business card, and people can copy all your contact info into their phone in a heartbeat. Post a QR code somewhere in your house, and guests can use it to instantly sign on to your Wi-Fi network.

You used to need a third-party app to scan QR codes, but with iOS 11 Apple built it right into the camera app. It couldn’t be easier to use.

Go to this MacWorld web page and get the procedure with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2u5SQ30

REMINDER: THIRD PARTY GMAIL APPS HAVE FULL ACCESS TO YOUR EMAIL Remember that “cool” free Gmail app you installed years ago and then forgot about? It probably still has access to your email, and actual humans might be sifting through them.

RELATED: How to Secure Your Gmail and Google Account

Douglas MacMillan, writing for The Wall Street Journal, re-iterated a problem we’ve been talking about for a while: free applications users give permissions to and then forget about. These apps have full access to your email, and they’re taking advantage.

Here’s MacMillan:

One of those companies is Return Path Inc., which collects data for marketers by scanning the inboxes of more than two million people who have signed up for one of the free apps in Return Pathʼs partner network using a Gmail, Microsoft Corp. or Yahoo email address. Computers normally do the scanning, analyzing about 100 million emails a day. At one point about two years ago, Return Path employees read about 8,000 unredacted emails to help train the company’s software, people familiar with the episode say.

Creepy, right? And that’s just one example MacMillan gives.

Think carefully the next time a “free” application asks for access to your Gmail account, or any email account for that matter. And if you haven’t scrolled through Google’s list of Apps with access to your account lately, you should. Immediately.

Seriously, do it now!

https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/reminder-third-party-gmail-apps-have-full-access-to-your-email/

FIVE EASY WAYS TO RECOGNIZE AND DISPOSE OF MALICIOUS EMAILS – I suppose we all get our share of spam. Some more than others. But how do we differentiate between simple commercial spam and the types of emails that want to get us in trouble?

The unsolicited commercial spam email is generally easy to recognize, report, and discard, but what about more dangerous types of spam? How can you determine if an email contains a malicious link or attachment, or is trying to scam you out of money or your personal information?

And if you do discover you have malicious emails in your inbox, what then? Is reporting as spam and deleting the email enough?

Knowing what you are up against helps you determine what to do with all that spam—whether it’s simply a nuisance or a landmine waiting to detonate.

Go to this BlogMalwarebytes web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2KIW1qQ

HOW TO BLOCK ROBOCALLS AND SPAM CALLS – Are you getting too many phone calls from spammers and telemarketers? You can take several steps to battle against those annoying, unknown callers.

Beyond registering your phone number with the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry (which doesn’t stop scammers and disreputable telemarketers from calling you), you can take other actions.

Apple iPhones and Android phones come with built-in features for blocking specific phone numbers, and several third-party apps—such as Nomorobo, Hiya Caller ID and Block, RoboKiller, and Truecaller—work to block telemarketing calls. These tools can also be used to stop unwanted text messages. Let’s check them out.

Go to this PCMag article web page and get screen shots of how to block on Android, iPhone, Land Line, through your phone carrier and 4 different apps to add to your smart phone. http://bit.ly/2u4grAp

WHY EVERY APP PUSHES NOTIFICATIONS NOW, AND HOW TO STOP IT – If you want your notifications to work like they used to, only showing you things, you care about, you can get there. It just takes a little work.

We’ve written about how to turn off notifications everywhere, and you should absolutely learn about all the tools for your platform. Here are a few platform specific guides for stopping specific apps from showing you notifications:

How to Disable Notifications on Your iPhone or iPad
How to Disable Notifications on Android
How to Disable Notifications on Windows 10
How to Turn Off Annoying Mac Notifications

Turn off all notifications for any apps you don’t want notifying you about stuff. Be ruthless about it, because every notification you don’t want might obscure one you actually do.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and link to the Disable you want and see a Facebook sample. http://bit.ly/2yHVBfA

TECH TERM

MOUSETRAPPING – Mousetrapping is a technique used by some websites to prevent users from leaving or completely closing out the website. Methods used can include relaunching the website in a window that cannot be easily closed, refusing to allow the browser to navigate to a new/different URL, and/or launching an endless series of pop-up ads/windows.

HOW TO FIND A LOST SMARTPHONE – Smartphones contain a lot of personal information, and they’re not cheap. If you’ve misplaced your iPhone or Android phone, these tools can help you hunt it down.

Uh oh. Where’s your smartphone? Maybe it’s lost. Maybe it’s been stolen. Either way, you need to find it. Don’t worry, you can do this a couple ways.

Apple’s Find My iPhone app can run from an iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac. Google provides an app and website called Find My Device through which you can seek out your mobile device. And if you believe your phone may have been stolen or don’t want it falling into the wrong hands, you can remotely erase the information on it so no one else can access it.

Whether you have an iPhone or Android phone, here’s how to locate your missing device. Even if it is missing in the house.

Go to this PCMag web page and find out how to find your smartphone. http://bit.ly/2M6AZ2M

iOS 12 WILL SHARE PRECISE LOCATION DATA FOR 911 CALLS – Your iPhone will soon share accurate location data when you call 911, allowing emergency workers to know exactly where you’re calling from even if you can’t tell them. This is a new feature in iOS 12, which is coming later this fall. Read more of this How-To Geek post at: http://bit.ly/2tmjsf4

HOW TO TURN OFF SMART REPLIES IN THE NEW GMAIL – If you live under a constant barrage of email requests, the availability of one-tap responses is probably useful. However, if you aren’t comfortable with Google scanning the words of every single email you receive, you might prefer to turn off the feature. Luckily, it’s easy to do. See how at this MakeUseOf web page: http://bit.ly/2JVDQii

HOW TO PRINT FROM AN iPAD – If you need to print from your iPad, there’s no single “best” way to do it. Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s AirPrint utility, along with some alternative mobile printing solutions.

5 Ways to Print from Your Tablet – As Apple iPads have become commonplace in homes, as well as essential tools for many businesses, the demand for easy ways to print from them has grown. A variety of printing methods has emerged to meet this need. They fall into five general categories, which we’ll visit here: Apple’s own AirPrint utility; print server utilities that install on a computer on your Wi-Fi network; manufacturers’ and third-party iOS printing apps; cloud printing services; and email printing. Because many of the solutions are OS-dependent, most iPad printing solutions are like, and in many cases identical to, the solutions for printing from iPhones.

Go to this PCMag web page and see how to print five different ways. http://bit.ly/2ldH0z5

BATTLING ADWARE THAT REDIRECTS YOUR BROWSER – If your browser is suddenly full of pop-up ads or taking you to sites you didn’t request, you probably have a malware infection. Aggressive invasive adware programs — which can affect Macs along with PCs — often redirect your browser to certain pages so those sites can get revenue by showing advertisements to (unwilling) visitors. Read more of this NY Times Personal Tech article at: https://goo.gl/6mvBUf

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR iPHONE IS GETTING A BAD SIGNAL – There are dozens of factors that can affect your cell service—from your distance to a tower to the weather—but what can you do if, for some reason, your iPhone suddenly isn’t getting a good signal? Let’s find out.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get 5 different fixes for a bad signal. http://bit.ly/2LGHEQM

NOT PHISHING: GOOGLE IS CHANGING ITS LOGIN SCREEN THIS WEEK – Google is tweaking its login prompt this week and you should take a quick look at the new design.

Slightly different login screens can prompt panic in savvy web user, who fear spear phishing and other attacks built around fake username and password fields. So, it’s worth knowing when a change is coming, however slight it might be.

Google announced the new login screen last week, and GSuite users should start seeing it on Thursday, June 14th. The rollout will take 15 days, meaning everyone will have this new design by July.

Slight aesthetic tweaks generally aren’t the most exciting news, even if this new login prompt nicely employs Google’s Material Design aesthetic. Just be aware the change is coming, so you don’t panic later this month while logging in. Stay safe out there! See the screenshot at this How-To-Geek web page: http://bit.ly/2JE4jwu

HOW TO VIEW EXIF METADATA FOR PHOTOS ON AN iPHONE OR iPAD – If you want to get more information about a photo you took, there’s an easy way to do it on your iPhone or iPad. A free iOS app lets you quickly and easily view your photo metadata.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and read about Metadata and how to see it. http://bit.ly/2LKshai

WHAT IS A SIM CARD (AND WHAT COMES NEXT)? – A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a chip inside most modern cellular phones that stores information your phone needs to communicate with your carrier’s cell towers. SIM cards come in different sizes and if you were to remove the SIM card from your phone you wouldn’t be able to text, call, or access anything on the internet.

SIM cards have been on the scene since 1991.

What’s stored on a sim card? – A SIM card stores an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number, which is a unique 15-digit number identifying the card on carrier’s mobile network.

A SIM card is also capable of storing SMS messages and the names and phone numbers of up to 500 contacts, depending on the memory size of the SIM card you have.

If you have to change phones for whatever reason, you’re able to transfer your contacts via the SIM card painlessly. Most SIM cards contain between 64-128 KB of storage.

Most modern phones do not store that kind of information on SIM cards.

The first thing you should do if your phone or SIM card is stolen is report the theft to your carrier. They can then block that SIM card from being used at all.

Call your carrier and ask them to add a security PIN to your account. That way, anybody who talks to them to make account changes (including you) must provide the PIN number first.

The next-generation SIM technology is called an Embedded-SIM (eSIM). It’s a non-replaceable chip soldered directly to your device’s circuit board and contains something called “Remote SIM Provisioning,” which allows customers to remotely activate the e-SIM on their devices. Right now, Google’s Pixel 2 and the Apple Watch 3 (along with some cars), are the only real consumer tech using eSIMs, but that’s expected to change quickly. Read more at this How-To Geek web page: https://goo.gl/cKWKYS

HOW TO EDIT LIVE PHOTOS ON YOUR iPHONE – Live photos are basically three second movie files—3D press the photo and watch it move. The cool thing, though, is you can edit them in the Photos app just like they were any other photo. Here’s how to edit your live photos, as well as change the key photo and video length, and convert them to different formats.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see the screen shots and step to edit your live photos. http://bit.ly/2HcxoND

THE BEST PLACES TO FIND FREE AUDIOBOOKS (LEGALLY) – Audiobooks are great for commutes, long trips, and dull tasks. Here are a number of places you can download Audiobooks legally, and for free. And they’re not all public domain stuff.

Many of the audiobook sites you can find on the internet let you download classic books in the public domain for free, but some sites have better quality books than others. We’ve rounded up some of the best of those sites, plus some ways you can get other kinds of audiobooks for free, too.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and you will find 9 different resources for free audiobooks. http://bit.ly/2LjUyE2

HOW TO CLEAR YOUR CACHE ON ANY BROWSER – It’s not always a straightforward process, but it’s always a good thing to do on occasion.

The browser history—a list of every page you’ve visited online and the time you were there—is a standard of modern computing. And it can lead to trouble; it’s practically a cliché. Think of the romantic “comedies” where the girl finds a guy’s browser history (because it’s always the guy’s) and he’s in scalding hot water.

For most of us, sharing a PC is normal (sadly, setting up multiple user accounts is not) and handing off a smartphone to someone isn’t unheard of. It doesn’t matter if you’re encrypting your emails, using Tor and VPNs while browsing to stay anonymous, or if you wear a false moustache at your desk: if someone has access to your devices, they can see where you’ve been.

A browser can and will hold your history indefinitely. The goal is to help you find your way back to a perhaps-forgotten corner of the Internet you visited once upon a time. The reality is, it can be used against you by significant others, friends, bosses, subordinates, teachers, even the authorities. It doesn’t even matter if you never stopped to look at the contents; these days, simply visiting can be impetus enough for outrage, blackmail, or whatever you fear most in reprisal.

Go to this HomeBT web page and save some storage space on your device. http://bit.ly/2kNdKij

APPLE’S IOS 11.4 SECURITY UPDATE ARRIVES IN AN iCLOUD OF SILENCE – Apple has released iOS 11.4, presumably with the new 7-day USB shutout feature Naked Security wrote about recently.

If the word “presumably” above sound vague, it is, because this particular update didn’t arrive with its usual documentary certainty.

Regular readers will know I’m (Paul Dunklin) a proponent of prompt security updates, and that I like to say, “Patch early, patch often,” yet this time I wasn’t first out of the blocks – I found out about the new iOS almost by accident.

That’s because I made a routine visit to Settings → General → Software Update on my iPhone yesterday, without any notifications from Apple to clue me in.

(Whichever device, operating system or apps you use, and no matter how aggressively and automatically you’ve configured your patching process, it’s worth doing a manual cross-check every so often – just in case you’re out of date but didn’t know it.) Read more at: http://bit.ly/2LaaYPi

MESSAGES IN iCLOUD ARRIVES WITH IOS 11.4, HERE’S HOW IT WORKS – Messages in iCloud is finally here as part of this week’s iOS 11.4 release, but the long-awaited feature isn’t totally straightforward without a little help. Turning it on, knowing how it works everywhere, saving important messages, and knowing what benefits it actually offers aren’t made obvious by Apple, but we’ve got it figured out for you:

Ensure all your text messages are up to date across your devices via Messages in iCloud.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and get the turn ON and set up. http://bit.ly/2JheURb

iPHONE: SEE HOW MUCH TIME YOU’RE SPENDING IN APPS – Whether you’d like to get an idea of how much time you’re spending in various apps or would like get a better idea of how your kids are using their iPhones, follow along for how to easily breakdown your screen time.

While Apple has previously shared that is continually working on how to make its devices better for users when it comes to aspects like ‘digital health’ and parental controls, there are some tools already available in iOS 11 to help guide iPhone use.

We may see some new updates to how Apple will approach all of this next week at WWDC, similar to how Google announced its new Digital Wellbeing platform.

See how much time you’re spending in apps on iPhone

Open Settings
Swipe down and tap Battery
Tap the clock icon to the right of Last 24 Hours and Last 7 Days

REBOOT YOUR ROUTER TO AVOID RUSSIAN MALWARE, FBI WARNS: What you need to know. In some cases, a full factory reset may be required

Your gateway to the Internet may be the portal that foreign hackers are using to snatch your data. The FBI recently issued a security notice warning that all home and small office routers should be rebooted after Cisco’s Talon group discovered sophisticated Russian-linked “VPNFilter” malware infecting at least 500,000 networking devices.

Here’s what you need to know about VPNFilter and the FBI’s guidance to reboot your router—which might not even safeguard against the malware completely.

Go to this PCWorld web page and read all about it. Do it now. http://bit.ly/2xqaMty

HOW TO UPDATE CREDIT CARD INFORMATION IN SAFARI AUTOFILL SETTINGS – Safari’s AutoFill is a feature that automatically enters contacts, logins, passwords, and credit card information, so you don’t have to spend time remembering and typing the same things over and over. AutoFill can even create secure passwords if you’re having trouble coming up with your own. If you have iCloud set up and iCloud Keychain enabled, iCloud Keychain will securely store AutoFill information from Safari. Once your AutoFill information is stored, it can be automatically entered across all Apple devices you sign into your iCloud account on. But what happens when some of your information changes and AutoFill keeps entering old data? Don’t worry; there is a way to update your AutoFill information right from your iPhone! Let’s get started learning how to update credit card information, so your AutoFill data is once again helpful and correct.

Go to this iPhoneLife web page and get the procedure with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2LJxJuF

WHAT IS A WI-FI HOTSPOT (AND ARE THEY SAFE TO USE)? – A Wi-Fi hotspot is really just a wireless access point. Typically, they are public locations where you can access the internet through Wi-Fi on your mobile devices. They are convenient, but there are also some security issues to be aware of when using them.

Technically, there’s nothing distinguishing a Wi-Fi hotspot from any other wireless access point. You could consider the wireless router in your home to be a Wi-Fi hotspot. However, when we talk about hotspots, we’re usually talking about the public, physical locations where you can sign on to Wi-Fi (often for free). They’re usually provided by businesses like coffee shops and hotels but are sometimes provided as a public service. To connect to a hotspot, the only thing you need is a device with wireless connectivity, whether that’s a smartphone, laptop, or tablet.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and read about the plus and minus of using a HotSpot. http://bit.ly/2xukoTR

IF YOUR CELLPHONE IS PAID FOR, DEMAND YOUR CELL COMPANY UNLOCK IT – If you buy a cellphone from your carrier, it’s almost always locked to their network. You can’t just stick an AT&T sim card in a T-Mobile Verizon. Or can you? If your smartphone is out of contract you can demand they unlock it and do just that. Let’s dig in.

Go to this Reviewgeek web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2skP0lX

All the national level providers in the US—think Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and so on—are mandated by law to unlock your phone once you’ve fully paid off the device subsidy, your contract ends, or you’ve paid an early termination fee. This means that you’ll be able to use it on other networks and even internationally.

APPLE RELEASES 11.4 UPDATES FOR iOS AND APPLE TV AIRPLAY 2 SUPPORT – A week ahead of this year’s WWDC, Apple released updates for all its devices (sans macOS) and it includes Messages in iCloud and AirPlay 2 support.

WWDC = WORLD WIDE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE. Apple today released new updates for its entire line of hardware devices. The updates include iOS 11.4 for iPhone and iPad, tvOS 11.4 for Apple TV, and watchOS 4.3.1 for Apple Watch. The update includes bug fixes, stability improvements, and a couple notable new features for iOS and tvOS. The two main new features include Messages in iCloud for synced conversations among devices and AirPlay 2 which provides multi-room

Messages in iCloud is a feature that was first introduced during last year’s WWDC. It allows you to keep track of your conversations across all your Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, Watch, and your Mac. You can now access your entire Messages history when you set up a new iOS device. Also, when you delete a message from one device, that change syncs to all your other Apple devices. With messages (including attachments) stored in iCloud, it opens more room on your devices that are cramped for local storage. It’s also worth mentioning that the messages are secured with end-to-end encryption protected by a unique key linked to the device.

AirPlay 2 is the new feature that allows to wirelessly stream audio to multiple rooms with compatible speakers and devices. You can control the audio in Control Center on your device and ask Siri to play music to a single room or group of rooms. If you have a HomePod, Airplay 2 is automatically supported, and you don’t need to manually group speakers. This is similar to setting up multiroom audio on Alexa devices or using Google Home for multiroom audio playback. AirPlay 2 is also supported on Apple TV and you can control the playback of audio to different devices from your screen. Popular speaker manufacturers like Bose, Pioneer, Marantz, and Sonos and others will support Apple’s AirPlay2 technology.

The iOS update is available for iPhone 5s and later, iPad Air and later, and even the 6th generation iPod touch. The tvOS 11.4 update is available for the 4th generation Apple TV and the new Apple TV 4K. And all models of Apple Watch are compatible with the 4.3.1 update. The only thing not updated today is macOS

11 FUN AND USEFUL AUGMENTED REALITY APPS FOR iPHONE X – AR might just be getting started on the iPhone, but some apps are already showing great potential. If you have a horizontal surface, a well-lit room, and a modern iPhone, check it out for yourself. Explore your iPhone’s capability with these augmented reality apps you can find in the App Store. Read more at this Make Tech Easier web page: http://bit.ly/2LzC7w7

HOW TO REMOTELY TROUBLESHOOT YOUR RELATIVE’S COMPUTER – If you’re the designated ‘tech person’ in your family or friend group, this PCMag article will show you how to access a computer from afar, Mac or PC, to see what’s going on. http://bit.ly/2IQeiml

5 OF THE BEST eBOOK READER APPS FOR iOS – For those who love ebooks, they’re a gift from the literary gods. Carrying a library in the palm of your hand is amazing. And if you can store it on your phone, you’ll never be without a good book. Check out our favorite third-party ebook reader apps for iOS at this Make Tech Easier web page: http://bit.ly/2IJHhb8

WHY RESTARTING YOUR PHONE MAKES IT PERFORM BETTER AND FIXES COMMON ISSUES – We’ve all heard it: “have you tried turning it off and back on again?” It’s the first step when troubleshooting any tech problem—it even makes your phone perform better when nothing is wrong. But why?

Go to this How-To Geek article and read about why turning it OFF is good. http://bit.ly/2wQ5M0I

INSTANTLY JUMP TO THE RIGHTMOST TAB IN ANY BROWSER – Need to quickly get to the rightmost tab? Press Ctrl-9, or Command-9 if you’re on a Mac. This works in every major browser, no matter how many tabs you have open. You probably know you can press control and a number to quickly jump between tabs—Ctrl-1 takes you to the first tab; Ctrl-2, the second; and so on. But Ctrl-9 is different: it takes you to the rightmost tab, not the ninth, which is very useful when you’re managing dozens of tabs. How-To Geek – http://bit.ly/2IApqiQ

HOW TO USE THE READER VIEW IN FIREFOX – How many times do you go to a website to read an article and once the page loads, you’re bombarded with banners and distracting ads? Firefox’s Reader View removes the clutter and simplifies the page for better readability, leaving only what you want to see: the article.

Safari sort of pioneered the reader view, but other browsers have also started to adopt it. Firefox is no exception, and you can enjoy the reader view in both the desktop and mobile versions. Enabling Reader View is surprisingly easy on both PC and mobile and only requires that you have Firefox installed before getting started.

Go to this How-To Geek article and read about this easy feature. http://bit.ly/2IMwQ5U

It can be enabled in other browsers also. Google it for your browser. Ex: Readers View Safari.

YOU CAN NOW @ PEOPLE IN GMAIL – Apps like Twitter, Slack, and Facebook let you direct messages to a user by typing @ followed by a username. Gmail now does the same thing, sort of.

Compose a new message in the new Gmail and, while writing the text, type “@” followed by the first few letters of a contact’s name. You’ll be recommended a few people. Select someone, either by hitting “Enter” or by clicking them. Their email address will be added to the “To” line, and a link to their email address will show up in the text. It’s not a mind-blowing feature but I could imagine it being occasionally useful. More importantly it makes email “feel” more like a modern messaging app, which I suspect will be important in coming years. I wonder what other features Gmail will copy from other messaging apps? See screen shots at this How-To Geek article: http://bit.ly/2rUGo5f

THREE iOS TRICKS YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT USING – Apple has packed a lot of features into iOS. Problem is, you can’t use them if you don’t know they are there.

Here are three simple, yet highly useful, iOS tricks that you’re probably not making use of.

Turn the keyboard into a trackpad – The first allows you to turn the keyboard into a trackpad to allow you to more easily move the cursor on the screen to navigate around documents. All you do is press down firmly on the keyboard (requires iPhone 6s/6s Plus or later) and when the keys turn blank you can slide your finger around the keyboard, moving the cursor at the same time.
Take better top-down photos – If you take a lot of top-down photographs – maybe shots of gadgets, or your food – then this tip will help you get better photos.

When you’re using the camera for taking top-down photos, you might have noticed two little crosses on the screen – one yellow, another white. To get your camera perfectly perpendicular to the ground, just align it so both crosses overlap and take your shot.

Quickly scroll to the top of the screen – To quickly get back to the top of an app where you’ve scrolled down, all you need to do is tap on the top of the screen (where the time or battery level is displayed = Status Bar) and you’ll effortlessly be taken back to the top.

The only app I’ve seen where a single tap doesn’t work is Safari, and here you must tap twice (a single tap brings up the address bar).

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR iPHONE RINGTONE – The problem with having a popular phone like an iPhone is that, by default, everyone has the same ringtone. If you want to give your iPhone a more personal sound, go to this How-To Geek article and get the steps. http://bit.ly/2wWcAdu

HOW TO USE GMAIL OFFLINE – Google has added offline access to Gmail. Here’s how to enable this new feature. In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary of the steps to enabling Gmail offline access:

Log in to your Gmail account
Click on the gear icon to open the Gmail menu, then click Settings
Under Settings find Offline. Click on it.
In the Offline menu, click Enable Offline Email
Choose how many days to sync, and whether to keep or remove cached email when signing out of a Gmail account.

Click Save Changes and you’re done.
Give Gmail some time to download messages and be sure you have Gmail open in Chrome before going offline.

HOW TO LET FAVORITE CONTACTS CALL YOU WHEN DO NOT DISTURB IS ON – The Do Not Disturb setting is handy, especially when you’re at work or sleeping. This feature allows you to receive all your usual notifications, minus the disruptive sounds and vibrations that tend to come with them. But what if someone on your favorites list (like your brother, mom, best friend, etc.) has an emergency and can’t get ahold of you? Well, there’s an easy way to let their call pass through the Do Not Disturb barrier. Here’s how to let Favorites contact you when Do Not Disturb is turned on.

In order for this to work, the contact must be a part of your Favorites list in Contacts. To add someone to your Favorites, open the Phone app. Tap the Favorites tab and select the + sign in the upper left corner. Choose the person from your contacts list who you want to add to Favorites.

To allow favorites to contact you when Do Not Disturb is on:

Open the Settings app
Tap Do Not Disturb.
Select Allow Calls From
Choose Favorites

HOW TO USE SWIPE OR GLIDE TYPING ON iPHONE – iOS is often behind Android with a variety of features, but fortunately there are usually some good third-party options to bring functionality like swipe or glide typing to iPhone.

Swipe texting has been around for quite a while, but Apple still doesn’t offer it with its default keyboard in iOS 11. Besides being able to type with increased speed, swipe typing is useful for one-handed typing and texting. While there are a variety of third-party options on the market, two of the most popular to offer swipe typing are Google’s Gboard and the Microsoft owned SwiftKey.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and get the procedure with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2IhhpPS

APPLE’S $29 iPHONE BATTERY REPLACEMENT PROGRAM: Apple says batteries are available ‘without delay.’ After admitting that it was purposefully throttling some older iPhones in order to conserve battery life, Apple has announced a new program that offers replacement batteries to all customers that may be affected. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Program runs out in Dec. 2018. All required repairs will be made on your iPhone at additional costs.

Go to this Macworld web page and get the facts if your battery needs replacement. http://bit.ly/2jOFlzf

iPHONE: HOW TO DELETE ALL PHOTOS – Photos and videos can add up quickly on iPhone, filling up what may have seemed like a high storage capacity just weeks or months earlier. Whether you’re wanting a fresh start all together, or maybe transferring your photos to your Mac or other computer first, it can be helpful to know how to delete all photos from your iPhone.

If you want to keep any of your photos, make sure to back them up with a third-party service like Dropbox or Google Photos or your Mac or PC. If you use iCloud to back up your photos, you only have the option to restore all of them.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and see the steps. http://bit.ly/2KVz3KL

5 iOS HIDDEN SHORTCUTS THAT WILL BOOST PRODUCTIVITY – With every update to iOS, bug fixes and native apps aren’t the only things that get modified—Apple’s developers often include under-the-hood functionality and frameworks that enhance how users interact with their devices. Many of these updates are typically not highlighted in the release logs or bullet points compared to the much-touted new features and applications, so the enhancements often gain popularity when users discover them by accident or via word of mouth. For instance, gestures are shortcuts that allow for quick executions of common or helpful tasks. Gestures are often overlooked additions that are hidden throughout the system and can dramatically change how users do things. Learn about the 5 iOS hidden shortcuts by reading this Tech Republic article: https://tek.io/2G60a1N

APPLE DOESN’T COLLECT MUCH DATA ABOUT YOU – You know Facebook and Google have tons of your data, but what about Apple? Turns out they don’t have much.

You can see what Facebook has on you, and you can download all of your Google data as well. Various tech journalists have done this only to be surprised by what they found.

Jefferson Graham, writing for USA Today, did a similar process for Apple and was surprised for a different reason. Here’s Graham:

The zip file I eventually received from Apple was tiny, only 9 megabytes, compared to 243 MB from Google and 881 MB from Facebook. And there’s not much there, because Apple says the information is primarily kept on your device, not its servers. The one sentence highlight: a list of my downloads, purchases and repairs, but not my search histories through the Siri personal assistant or the Safari browser.

You can do this yourself but it’s not straight forward: head to this form, fill it out with accurate information, then request a copy of your personal information in the comment field.

TWITTER – KEEPING YOUR ACCOUNT SECURE – When you set a password for your Twitter account, we use technology that masks it so no one at the company can see it. We recently identified a bug that stored passwords unmasked in an internal log. We have fixed the bug, and our investigation shows no indication of breach or misuse by anyone.

Out of an abundance of caution, we ask that you consider changing your password on all services where you’ve used this password. You can change your Twitter password anytime by going to the password settings page.

About The Bug

We mask passwords through a process called hashing using a function known as bcrypt, which replaces the actual password with a random set of numbers and letters that are stored in Twitter’s system. This allows our systems to validate your account credentials without revealing your password. This is an industry standard.

Due to a bug, passwords were written to an internal log before completing the hashing process. We found this error ourselves, removed the passwords, and are implementing plans to prevent this bug from happening again.

Tips on Account Security

Again, although we have no reason to believe password information ever left Twitter’s systems or was misused by anyone, there are a few steps you can take to help us keep your account safe:

Change your password on Twitter and on any other service where you may have used the same password.
Use a strong password that you don’t reuse on other websites.
Enable login verification, also known as two factor authentication. This is the single best action you can take to increase your account security.
Use a password manager to make sure you’re using strong, unique passwords everywhere.

We are very sorry this happened. We recognize and appreciate the trust you place in us and are committed to earning that trust every day.

APPLE WON’T REPLACE YOUR BATTERY UNLESS IT FIXES EVERYTHING WRONG WITH YOUR PHONE – Apple is currently offering a sweet deal on a battery replacement, but if there’s anything else wrong with your phone you’ll have to pay to fix that, too.

According to a report from the BBC, some users going into Apple to get a battery replacement are finding themselves with higher bills than they expect. As the company works on the phone, it will sometimes find other issues like cracked screens or faulty components. Per Apple’s company policy, any issue that could “impair the replacement of the battery” also has to be addressed (and paid for). And in a device this small, pretty much any broken part could be considered an impairment to replacing the battery.

While this makes sense as a policy, it’s worth keeping in mind if you go to get your own battery replaced. If you have even a small hardware problem—say, a hairline crack in your display—that you’ve just learned to live with, Apple may make you pay to fix it if you want the cheap battery replacement. While it’s not the most unreasonable request on Apple’s part, it still might be enough to dissuade some from taking advantage of the deal. http://bit.ly/2rqY9Zw

THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE FREE CONFERENCE CALLS – You can now host your own conference calls more easily than ever before. Whether you’re working from home, own a small business, or just want to stay in touch with friends and family, there are dozens of free services available to you.

Between audio-teleconferencing, screen sharing, video calls, and text chat, we’ll cover some of the best options for you to get started with free conference calling. Most of the applications we’ll cover below provide support for mobile phones, landlines, and VoIP, which essentially means you can call using the internet.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and read about 8 different conference call options for all mobile devices. http://bit.ly/2KHNnpO

HOW TO MAKE BETTER PHOTOS WITH YOUR iPHONE CAMERA – Taking great photos takes knowledge of photography, your camera and a lot of practice. This guide explains the basic features included with the iPhone Camera.

We truly live in a unique period in history when it comes to Photography. By some estimates, due to the advanced cameras bundled with modern smartphones, InfoTrends research estimates that over 1.7 trillion photos were created and over 4.7 trillion photos were shared in 2017. Truly amazing!

Go to this GroovyPost web site for 15 tips on taking pictures. http://bit.ly/2I1gLFK

iPHONE: HOW TO BLOCK TEXTS – Whether it’s someone you know, someone you don’t, or someone you’d like to forget, unwanted text messages can be a drag. Follow along for how to block texts on iPhone.

Just like with email, it can be easy to get in the habit of deleting text messages from unwanted senders instead of blocking them. However, it doesn’t take more than a few seconds and can save you from headaches and wasted time.

Go to this 9to5Mac web site and find out how to block iMessages, Text messages and How to manage blocked numbers. http://bit.ly/2rsvLX5

HOW TO COMPLETELY ERASE ANY DEVICE – FREE WAY TO ERASE iOS AND ANDROID DEVICES – Maybe you’re super-paranoid, or maybe you just want to sell your old device and have peace of mind. Either way, being able to delete data is a valuable skill. Here’s everything you need to know about securely wiping hard drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs), flash drives, and even iOS and Android devices.

iOS and Android devices both have built-in tools to erase the devices.

On iOS: Settings > General > Reset and then tap Erase All Content and Settings.
On Android: Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset and then tap Reset phone or Reset device.

You can also securely wipe the devices remotely using Find My iPhone for iOS or the Google Account associated with the Android device.

Encrypt the whole drive

One of the easiest — and certainly the cheapest — ways to erase data on a device is to encrypt the entire drive with a complex passphrase. You can use built-in tools such as BitLocker on Windows or FileVault on macOS, or a third-party tool such as or third-party VeraCrypt. Encrypt the drive with a strong throw-away passphrase and you’re done.

No passphrase, no data. You can then format the drive, from which point it should be sterile and ready to accept a reload of the data.

Erase using manufacturer utilities

Another way to erase SSDs is to use the manufacturer utilities. Here are some links to get you started.

The hands-on method

Not sure how to erase a device? I guarantee you that if you get a big enough hammer and spend enough time hammering, this will work on anything!

This method also works great if you just want to destroy drives before you take them to the recycling plant. It’s also a great stress reducer!

You will need:

A hammer (I use my trusty 32oz “fine adjustment” hammer)
A thick nail (a 6-inch nail will do fine)
Thick gloves – because you’re going to be hammering that nail through the drive using the hammer, and hammers seem to be magnetically attracted to thumbs
A block of wood — so you don’t nail the drive through your floor (it’s preferable to do this outside if you can)
Eye protection — you’ve only got a maximum of two to start with, so it’s silly to take chances!

Now you apply brute force. Ideally you want to put a nail through the platters of the drive, going all the way through (it’s actually not as hard as it sounds). I aim for the spot marked by the red X on hard drives.

Alternatively, you can use a power drill to make holes, but make sure that you have a way to securely hold the drive, for example, using a vice. Don’t hold the drive in your hand because if the drill bit catches and the drive starts to spin — or helicopters — then there’s a real risk of injury.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the data in SSDs is held on small flash storage chips rather than large platters, and to securely erase the data you need to smash the chips. Usually, this means taking the cover off the drive before you start swinging.

If you’re not sure which are the flash storage chips, just drive a nail through all the large chips to be on the safe side.

HOW TO FIX AUTOCORRECT IN iOS – What to do when you get inappropriate suggestions from the iOS autocorrect feature.

You’re tapping along on your iPhone or iPad, and suddenly an ordinary letter or word gets replaced by something bizarre. We’re all used to autocorrect picking up weird expansions, which happens partly because Apple has introduced machine learning into how it predicts what you might intend to type.

Go to this MacWorld web page and get a simple solution to Auto Correct. http://bit.ly/2vGwubP

THE NEW GMAIL IS HERE, AND IT’LL CHANGE THE WAY YOU USE EMAIL – The new Gmail for web is here, and it’s designed to take the stress out of managing email overload. It’s a ground-up rewrite with an eye towards making it safer and more productive for workers – not just businesses who pay for it, but also for everyone who uses the free version to manage their work.

One of the biggest changes to Gmail is a new Confidential mode, which is designed to make Gmail more secure and prevent loss of sensitive information through hijacking of accounts.

Go to this TechRadar web page and read about major changes to Gmail. http://bit.ly/2vPxCts

HOW TO CHECK WHICH APPS HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR IPHONE’S CAMERA AND MICROPHONE – Over time it can be easy to forget which apps you’ve granted access to your iPhone’s camera and microphone. Whether you have privacy concerns or just want to tidy up, follow along for how to check and turn off app access to your camera and microphone.

One option to remove camera and microphone access is to just delete apps. If you’d prefer to keep an app, but revoke what access it has, that’s easy too.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and get the 3 easy steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2Ke7xaT

HOW TO REPORT PHISHING ATTEMPTS AND OTHER SUSPICIOUS MESSAGES TO APPLE – Phishing and scams are a constant issue and staying sharp to weed out attempts is important. In addition to staying safe yourself, you can help the broader community and reduce phishing and more by reporting suspicious messages to Apple when you notice them, here’s how.

Apple has a great support document on spotting phishing and other nefarious messages. Even if you feel confident in your fake email and phishing spotting prowess it’s worth looking over. Also, this is perfect to share with less tech savvy friends and family.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2HmkO2v

HOW TO MAKE iPHONE BUTTONS EASIER TO USE – There are a variety of ways to utilize the Home and Side buttons on iPhones. In addition to single clicks, iOS allows users to use double- and triple-clicks. Follow along for how to make iPhone buttons easier to use.

Customizing the click speed for the Side or Home button (depending on which iPhone you have) can provide a smoother user experience. In addition to the default speed needed to register double- and triple-clicks, iOS offers two slower speeds that will still trigger the secondary clicks.

Whether from time to time your fingers don’t fire as fast as your brain, or you just prefer to increase the range of click speeds accepted for regular use, this is a handy setting to change.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and follow along. http://bit.ly/2HEFLpt

THE BEST WAYS TO SEND MONEY WITH YOUR PHONE – If you need to pay someone back for dinner, send rent money to a roommate, or send someone cash when they need it, you can do it all easily from your smartphone. We’ve rounded up the best mobile payment apps that help you send money easily.

We should note right upfront that you should never send money online to anybody without verifying that you are really sending to the right person, and that the person actually asked you for it (preferably with a phone or video call). There are lots of scammers on the internet that try to trick people into sending them money.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get seven different choices on how to send $$$. http://bit.ly/2HfhC5n

HOW TO SEND A FAX FROM YOUR iPHONE – We’ve likely all been there: You need to send a quick one- or two-page document to someone insisting the message arrive via fax, yet you no longer have access to a fax machine, and you may have let a fax-to-email service subscription expire. Thankfully, it’s easy to send a fax using just an iPhone. Here’s how.

Go to this TechRepublic web page and get the steps with screenshots. https://tek.io/2vppMGT

HOW TO CANCEL AND VIEW APPLE SUBSCRIPTIONS – Have you ever signed up for a first- or third-party subscription through Apple and forgotten about it? Whether you’d like to cancel one or just remember what services or apps you’re paying for, follow along…

It can be convenient to subscribe to recurring services through your Apple ID, but it can also be easy to forget what you’re paying for and a bit tricky to view it all.

Check out this 9to5Mac web page and follow along. http://bit.ly/2JYfEbc

HOW TO SECURE YOUR iPHONE AND iPAD LOCK SCREEN – One of the things Apple touts is its focus on user privacy, and that commitment shows throughout the company’s ecosystem, all the way down to what is visible and not visible on a user’s Lock screen.

Follow along as we walk you through how to make the most out of your iPhone or iPad’s Lock screen.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and get the steps on making your lock screen more private. http://bit.ly/2vvj1mO

HOW TO ENABLE WI-FI CALLING ON iPHONE, iPAD, OR APPLE WATCH – Wi-Fi calling is a nifty feature that allows you to make phone calls on your iPhone even when it doesn’t have any cellular connectivity. Follow along as we walk you through how to enable Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

These steps are pretty much the same on the iPhone and iPad. Enabling Wi-Fi calling on the iPhone will automatically enable it on the Apple Watch.

With that being said, you’ll want to head over to Settings > Phone (on iPhone), FaceTime (on iPad).
From there you’ll want to head into Wi-Fi Calling and enable this feature.
If this is your first time using this feature, your device may prompt you to enter your E911 address. What this is an address where you are most of the time. In most situations, when dialing emergency services, your device will either ping your Wi-Fi network or use cellular towers to figure out your approximate location. But if your device is unable to, it will use your E911 address as a backup. Always make sure your E911 address is up to date.

Other topics of interest to you may be:

How to clean your Apple cables, keyboards, mice, trackpads, and more

How to clean your dirty AirPods and charging case

How to use Scribble on Apple Watch to text without voice

How to sync your local iTunes library when you’re subscribed to Apple Music

How to turn off app notification badges on iPhone

How to fill Apple Watch activity rings while traveling through time zones

How to stream Apple Music on Apple Watch Series 3 without iPhone

How to check battery health and disable iPhone battery performance throttling in iOS 11.3

Go to this 9to5Mac web site and get access to all these subjects. http://bit.ly/2GN5cBG

WHAT DOES AN iPHONE BATTERY LOOK LIKE?

Apple will replace your iPhone battery for just $29.

NEW IOS 11.3 UPDATE: BATTERY HEALTH, ANIMOJI, MORE – iOS 11.3 is now available and brings with it fixes that iPhone owners have been hoping for, as well as upgrades and a few surprises. Two major fixes include greater transparency about data and privacy, and more information about battery health and throttling. Among the new features added to iOS 11.3: a Health Records feature in the Health app, the Business Chat platform, app integration with ARKit for a more diverse range of Augmented Reality experiences, and of course, four new animoji!

Go to this iPhonelife web page and get the news about new stuff. http://bit.ly/2JG9EnB

REMINDER: REMOVING “VOID IF REMOVED” STICKERS DOESN’T VOID YOUR WARRANTY – Tech companies aren’t allowed to void your warranty just because you removed a sticker—regardless of what that sticker might say.

That’s according to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), who yesterday posted a press release warning car, phone, and video game console makers to stop using warranty terms that aren’t legally enforceable.

The sticker thing comes up, and it’s a good reminder: the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 makes it illegal for companies to deny you warranty coverage for attempting repair yourself. Also, in the release: companies can’t force you to buy first party parts as part of a warranty:

Unless warrantors provide the parts or services for free or receive a waiver from the FTC, such statements generally are prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a law that governs consumer product warranties. Similarly, such statements may be deceptive under the FTC Act.

HOW TO TRANSFER PHOTOS FROM AN iPHONE TO A PC – You don’t need any special software to transfer photos and videos from an iPhone to a Windows PC. You don’t even need iTunes. All you need is the Lightning-to-USB cable you use for charging.

In fact, Apple’s iTunes software doesn’t even have a built-in way to copy photos from your iPhone to your PC. It does have a photo sync feature, but that’s just for copying photos from your PC to your iPhone.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see two different ways to transfer and sync pictures. http://bit.ly/2HeLmCR

SOON YOU WON’T HAVE TO SIGN CREDIT CARD RECEIPTS – Using signatures to verify a purchase dates back to the Roman Empire, but it’s ending in America—when it comes to credit cards, at least.

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa will all stop requiring signatures for credit card purchases this month, meaning it’s up to individual stores to decide whether to ask for them or not. Large chains including Target and Wal-Mart have already opted not to.

Which is good news: signatures are useless for verifying identity, as Stacy Cowley demonstrates writing for the New York Times:

For nearly a decade, Doug Taylor, a sales manager who travels often for work, has signed credit card receipts with a doodle of a dog wagging its tail. No cashier has ever rejected his “signature” as invalid.

Stories like this are common. No one checks your signature anymore, because there are better tools for detecting fraud. Chip readers, which create unique codes for every transaction, go a long way, as does data analysis.

Smaller shops might take longer to make the change and be patient with them: many don’t have chip detectors installed yet. But it’s only a matter of time until you can stop picking up pens in stores.

How-To Geek article: http://bit.ly/2qrCYGh

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR APPLE CABLES, KEYBOARDS, MICE, TRACKPADS, AND MORE – Accessories for your Apple devices can add up quickly and before you know it they’re also looking a lot dirtier than when you first unboxed them. Follow along for the best ways to clean your first- and third-party accessories.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and follow the directions with pictures. http://bit.ly/2qtpVDD

HOW TO DISABLE NOTIFICATIONS EVERYWHERE – Some notifications are helpful, but notification overload is a real problem. Apps on your phone, tablet, and computer all want your attention, but that constant buzz of alerts can be a distracting waste of your time. Here’s how to tame them.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the steps for iDevices. http://bit.ly/2Jf4EWE

iOS 11.3 RELEASED WITH NEW ANIMOJI, ARKIT IMPROVEMENTS, BATTERY HEALTH BETA, AND MORE – Updated 03/29/18: iOS 11.3 is now released for iPhone, iPad, and HomePod, along with tvOS 11.3 on Apple TV and WatchOS 4.3 for Apple Watch.

iOS 11.3 has been released. First previewed by Apple in January, the release has gone through six beta releases, over which many of the features have appeared and disappeared. It is available for iPhone, iPad, and HomePod, and is accompanied by updates for Apple’s other devices: tvOS 11.3 for Apple TV and WatchOS 4.3 for Apple Watch.

Notably absent from this release is AirPlay 2, which will surely disappoint all the HomePod early adopters. Also missing is Messages in iCloud, first promised for iOS 11 back at WWDC in June 2017. The feature was available in the latest beta, but has been removed from the final 11.3 release.

Here’s everything you need to know about what’s in iOS 11.3. http://bit.ly/2q0d6Ag

groovyTip: DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN BOOKMARK INDIVIDUAL GMAIL MESSAGES? – Well, you can. If you’ve ever looked at the address bar while using Gmail in a web browser, you may have noticed that the URL changes whenever you look at a different email message. These are essentially permalinks to emails in your Gmail account. Read the groovyPost how-to post with screen shots, by Jack Busch at: http://bit.ly/2q465OP

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT GETS “HACKED” – A few days ago, I got a strange Facebook message from my uncle. It was clearly out of character for him, so I knew something was up: his account had been compromised. Here’s what to do if this happens to you or someone you know.

Let’s Talk About Getting “Hacked” – The term “hacked” gets thrown around a lot—loosely, to be honest—and has become the popular term for any time an account becomes compromised. Since it has become such a vague term in popular culture, let’s lay down a quick definition: leaving your phone somewhere so your friend/gf/whatever gets access to it is not getting “hacked.” We’ve all seen those posts— “Hacked! Love you baby!” This is not a hack. Not even close. And we’re not talking about that today.

There’s another phenomenon common on Facebook where somebody else creates a new account using your name, and sometimes a profile picture they obtained from your page, and then starts spamming your friend list with invites and other messages. This is also not a hack. Report that fake user to Facebook, and they’ll help you sort it out.

What we are talking about is when your account becomes truly compromised. This is when your account credentials fall into the wrong hands or your account otherwise starts to allow activity that you didn’t authorize. While we wouldn’t always call this getting “hacked,” it’s the term that’s most widely used to describe the situation.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the When, What and How with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2GwYlQ1

EVER WONDER HOW MUCH FACEBOOK KNOWS ABOUT YOU? HERE’S HOW TO SEE – Facebook has a lot of information about—every post shared, photo uploaded, message sent, item clicked on, and pretty much every other data points you can imagine. And it’s all in the name of serving you better ads and keeping you on Facebook.

The thing is, this is still your information. You can’t get access to the weird metrics that Facebook tracks behind the scenes, but you can easily download everything else: messages, posts, photos, and more. So, let’s dig deep and have a look at how to see all the info Facebook keeps stored on you.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see the screen shots with full explanation. http://bit.ly/2GtfHgj

HOW TO SAVE WEBPAGES AS PDFS AND ANNOTATE ON iPHONE & iPAD – There are a variety of scenarios where it’s helpful to create a PDF version of a webpage or article. While doing this on a Mac may be more widely known, there’s an easy shortcut on iOS for the functionality as well.

It can be easy to overlook some of the options in the iOS share sheet, particularly on iPhone. And that’s exactly where you’ll find the button to create a PDF from a webpage.

Go to this 9to5MAC web page and get the procedure with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2DW9iVT

HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PHOTOS FROM FACEBOOK – Facebook isn’t the best place for keeping your photos, but its convenience makes it a decent space for sharing them. If you want to download a photo you’ve uploaded (or even one your friend has uploaded), here’s how.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the procedure for individual photos or all photos and info on mobile devices with an app. http://bit.ly/2pFhvcO

HOW TO DEACTIVATE/DELETE YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT OR CHANGE PRIVACY SETTINGS ON iPHONE – Whether you’ve been considering changing how you use Facebook for a while or the latest news about how the social media service has shared user data has caused some concerns, there are some easy ways make some adjustments. Follow along for how to deactivate or delete your account, or dial in your privacy settings.

There are a few options when it comes to changing how you use Facebook. First, you can adjust and tighten up your security and privacy settings if you’d like to continue using the platform but have some concerns.

Alternately, you can use the temporary or semi-permanent option of deactivating your account, which doesn’t fully delete it.

Lastly, you can opt to permanently delete your Facebook account. We’ll look at how to accomplish all three below, skip to whichever section you’d like if you’re confident about what you’d like to do.

Go to this 9to5Mac web page and see all 3 choices with step-by-step and screen shots. http://bit.ly/2u9LfmF

TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION: WHO HAS IT AND HOW TO SET IT UP – Everyone is concerned about online safety. Whatever you use, keep it secure with two-factor authentication (2FA).

Everyone is concerned about online safety. Whatever you use, keep it secure with two-factor authentication (2FA).

In 2014, the Heartbleed exploit left everyone’s login information potentially up for grabs thanks to one itty-bitty piece of code, and in the past few years our security nightmares have only gotten worse. In fact, more data was leaked in the first half of 2017 than in all of 2016 combined.

Things aren’t getting any easier in 2018, so what is the average internet user afraid for their security to do? Well, you should change your passwords—regularly! By sheer brute force or simple phishing, passwords are, to be honest, a laughable way of authentication.

What you really need is a second factor of authentication. That’s why many internet services, several which have felt the pinch of being hacked, have embraced two-factor authentication for their users. It’s sometimes called 2FA or used interchangeably with the terms “two-step” and “verification” depending on the marketing. Even the White House once had a campaign asking you to #TurnOn2FA. But what is it exactly?

Go to this PCMag web page and get the facts on 34 different sites for 2FA. http://bit.ly/2FW3GRc

HOW TO WIRELESSLY TRANSFER PHOTOS FROM YOUR PHONE TO A PC – Microsoft’s Photos Companion app transfers photos from a mobile device to Windows 10 PCs over Wi-Fi.

You can send photos from your mobile phone to your computer using a variety of tricks, from email to Google Photos to a direct connection. But one of the newest and handiest methods is through a Microsoft mobile app called Photos Companion.

Designed for iOS and Android phones and tablets, Photos Companion quickly and easily sends photos from your mobile device to your computer via Wi-Fi. With both your phone and your Windows 10 PC on the same Wi-Fi network, select the photos you want to transfer. From there, your pictures are sent to the Windows Photos app where you can view them, edit them, print them, or organize them.

Go to this PCMag web page and get the 9 steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2py0MYJ

HOW TO TURN ON ‘DO NOT DISTURB WHILE DRIVING’ ON iOS – How to Turn On ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ on iOS Keep your eyes on the road; here’s how to silence distracting messages.

Keep your eyes on the road; here’s how to silence distracting messages.

You receive a phone call or text message on your iPhone while you’re behind the wheel. You know you shouldn’t respond, but sometimes the temptation is strong.

With iOS 11, you can enable a special mode called Do Not Disturb While Driving to prevent incoming phone calls, text messages, and notifications from distracting you. With this mode activated, your iPhone can sense when you’re in a moving vehicle and stop any notifications in their tracks. A phone call goes straight to voice mail while a text can trigger a message telling the texter that you’re busy driving.

Customization options include enabling it only when your phone is connected to your car’s Bluetooth, receiving calls from a select few, allowing people to break in during an emergency, and setting up custom replies.

Here’s how to get started so you can stay safe while driving. Go to PCMagazine web site and see the steps and screen shots. http://bit.ly/2FHboyw

HOW TO KEEP APPS FROM DISAPPEARING FROM YOUR iPHONE BY TURNING OFF APP OFFLOADING – Have you noticed apps disappearing from your iPhone or iPad? There might be a simple explanation to what’s going on, a new feature that automatically offloads unused apps from your iOS devices. Follow along for how to turn this feature off.

Apple introduced the Offload Unused Apps feature with iOS 11 to help users with limited iPhone storage. All in all, it’s a useful addition, but if it’s on accidentally or without your knowledge, it can make for a frustrating experience.

While it seems that the feature is off by default, we’ve heard from some users that they found it turned on without them manually doing so. With this feature, apps are deleted, but not removed from your Home screen. It simply shows a cloud icon next to the name, indicating that it has been removed.

There’s a chance iOS 11 could enable this feature automatically when an iOS device is running out of storage space. However, there doesn’t seem to be an official Apple Support document on it for now.

Here’s how to check if this feature is turned on and how to turn it off.

Go to this 9to5Mac web site and get the easy 4 step process with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2G0ScLl

HOW TO VIEW PHOTOS OF YOUR SNAIL MAIL BEFORE IT ARRIVES – With Informed Delivery from the US Postal Service (USPS), you can preview your mail before it reaches your mailbox.

Are you curious about what letters, bills, checks, or other items will be arriving in your mailbox? Wondering if you even need to pick up the mail today? Well, a free option from the US Postal Service can help answer those questions.

With Informed Delivery, the Postal Service sends you email each morning with photos of the front of each envelope due to hit your mailbox that day, including the return address. Informed Delivery can be of value if you’re waiting for a check or other important piece of mail. It can also be helpful if you’re away from home for a few days and want to keep tabs on what’s gathering in your mailbox.

Informed Delivery has been available in select locations since 2014 but rolled out to more locations last year. How do you sign up for this free service? Read on.

Go to this PCMagazine web page and see if your zip code is eligible. This article has screen shots of how to sign up for this free option service. http://bit.ly/2FGVzI5

HOW TO SHARE ONE iCLOUD STORAGE PLAN WITH YOUR WHOLE FAMILY – Apple’s Family Sharing iCloud feature was introduced back in 2o14 with iOS 8, but for several years many users requested a way to share one iCloud storage plan with multiple accounts. Apple brought this option to users with iOS 11, but for many it’s not turned on by default. Follow along for how to share one iCloud Storage plan with your whole family.

Depending on when and how you set up Family Sharing, iCloud Storage may be turned off by default. One other thing to keep in mind before we go further. You’ll need the 200GB plan ($2.99/month) or higher to share it. These steps assume you already have Family Sharing set up (read more here if you need help getting going with it).

Go to this 9to5Mac web site and see how to do it. Screen shots are in the article. http://bit.ly/2tU1RyL

iPHONE X/8: WIRELESS CHARGING WILL WEAR OUT THE BATTERY FASTER THAN CABLE CHARGING – Wireless charging is a nice feature, but testing suggests that it will wear out the battery faster than charging with a cable.

As much as I love the convenience of wireless charging, I’m switching back to a cable.

Here’s why. Back in January, I became suspicious that regularly using wireless charging wouldn’t be good for the long-term health of my iPhone’s battery.

Before I go any further, a little battery 101.

According to Apple, the battery ” is designed to retain up to 80 percent of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles,” and beyond that, the battery is considered worn and heading toward end-of-life. Some batteries can and do retain more than 80 percent charge after well over 500 recharge cycles (I have an iPhone 6 Plus with over 800 recharge cycles that’s still above the 80 percent mark), but in my experience, once you hit 500 recharge cycles, your battery is on borrowed time, especially if you’re in a colder climate.

So ideally, you need to ration out those 500 recharges over the life of the device. However, you additionally need to bear in mind that as the battery gets older, it won’t last as long, so your recharge frequency is going to increase as your device gets older.

Go to this ZDNet web page and read the article. http://zd.net/2DmaNvW

HOW TO NOT DROP YOUR iPHONE – Glass is back, baby. And glass is back for backs. Most new high-end phones this year—like the iPhone X and Galaxy S9, have glass screens and backs. This could mean expensive repairs, so let’s go back to basics, and look at how to not drop your phone.

This article explains some simple steps and features with certain phones that can help you not lose a grip or phone, from How-To Geek. http://bit.ly/2DmTdYO

HOW TO QUICKLY SHARE YOUR CURRENT LOCATION ON IPHONE – There are lots of scenarios where you might want to quickly share your location with a friend or family member. Many people are probably aware of how to do this via Apple or Google Maps, but there is a slick shortcut built right into iOS for this feature.

In some cases, it might be fastest to type out the address you’d like to share with someone rather than dropping a pin from a maps app. However, Apple has an even faster shortcut that’s built right into the iOS QuickType keyboard suggestions.

How to quickly share your current location on iPhone

Launch Messages

When you’re ready to share your currently location, type “I’m at ” (make sure to hit the spacebar after at)

You’ll see “Current Location” appear just above the keyboard

Tap it to send your location, wait a moment before tapping a second time, it can take a bit to respond

A pin with a quick link to get directions to your location will be sent, and you don’t have to send any text with it, the “I’m at” is just a trigger to call up the shortcut.

Alternately, you can let someone else share their current location quickly with you by asking “Where are you?” See more at: http://bit.ly/2FK9cWi .

HOW TO USE GOOGLE KEEP FOR FRUSTRATION-FREE NOTE-TAKING – There are a lot of note-taking apps out there. Google Keep may not be as powerful as services like Evernote, but its value is in its simplicity. Let’s talk about how to make the most of it.

What Is Google Keep?

Keep is a free-form note-taking app. When Keep was first announced back in 2013, there were a lot of conversations on whether or not we needed another note-taking app. People made comparisons to Evernote and other similar services. But in the end, Keep is its own thing. It’s simple where it matters but Keep still offers enough features to make it powerful.

Keep is also prolific. You can use it on the web, so it’s available on all your computers, and there are also Android and iOS apps. Since it’s a Google product, Keep syncs to your Google account, so it’s always up-to-date regardless of which device you’re using it on. There’s also a Chrome extension to make it easy to add things to keep as you find them.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and read all about Google Keep. http://bit.ly/2FJzN5Q

NOTE: The typical cycle of usability for tablets (e.g. – iPads) tends to be around 3, possibly 4, years.

iOS TIP: HOW TO JUMP TO THE TOP OF WEBPAGES, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND APPS WITH iPHONE – We’re able to consume more and more content on our iPhones and it can be easy to find yourself deep in threads, webpages, social media, and other apps. If you haven’t made it a habit already, there’s a quick easy trick to return to the top of almost any app.

Tapping on the status bar (very top of the iPhone display) will jump you back to the top of your current app, webpage, or social feed. This shortcut works across almost all of Apple’s first-party apps as well as the majority of third-party apps, although there are a few exceptions. With that said, there are a couple of things to watch out for.

HOW TO JUMP TO THE TOP OF WEBPAGES, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND APPS ON iPHONE – Tap on the status bar (top edge of your iPhone screen, pretty much on the notch on iPhone X). You can also tap on the status bar on the left or right ear of the iPhone X.

Some apps like Safari may require a double tap, the first will expand url/menu bar, the second will return you to the top of the webpage. However, most apps and social media like Twitter and Facebook only require one tap.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR iPHONE FROM THIEVES – Apple products, with their high sale and resale values, have always been popular targets for thieves—none more so than the iPhone. Let’s look at some of the steps you can take to protect your iPhone from thieves.

When protecting your iPhone, you’re really looking to do three things:

Make it a less tempting target
Stop the thieves from getting access to your data or being able to resell it
Prevent yourself from being too inconvenienced

While your iPhone can be stolen anywhere, tourists (and tourist hotspots) are prime targets. You’re far more likely to be at risk if you’re sitting in a café in Paris, France than doing whatever people do in Paris, Maine.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and learn the tricks. http://bit.ly/2FMhudD

BLUETOOTH 5.0: WHAT’S DIFFERENT, AND WHY IT MATTERS – Modern smartphones and other devices, from the iPhone 8 and iPhone X to the Samsung Galaxy S8, advertise support for “Bluetooth 5.0” on their specifications list. Here’s what’s new in the latest and greatest version of Bluetooth.

What is Bluetooth? – Bluetooth 5.0 is the latest version of the Bluetooth wireless communication standard. It’s commonly used for wireless headphones and other audio hardware, as well as wireless keyboards, mice, and game controllers. Bluetooth is also used for communication between various smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The official Bluetooth marketing material from the Bluetooth standard organization advertises that Bluetooth 5.0 has four times the range, two times the speed, and eight times the broadcasting message capacity of older versions of Bluetooth.

Go to the How-To Geek web page and get the all the information. http://bit.ly/2t4Vecs

TRANSFER PICS AND VIDEO TO WINDOWS 10 FROM MOBILE WITH PHOTOS COMPANION – This Microsoft Garage project for Android and iOS makes it easy to transfer photos from your phone directly to the Windows 10 Photos app.

When it comes to transferring photos from your phone to your PC, you can always plug your phone directly into your computer. Of course, there are other ways to do it like using an automatic backup to OneDrive or Google Photos. But Microsoft has created an interesting new app called Photos Companion that is available for both Android and iOS. It allows you to transfer photos and videos on your phone over Wi-Fi directly into the Windows 10 Photos app.

Go to this groovyPost web page and see the screen shot and try it. http://bit.ly/2F5mjRF

HOW TO CHECK IF YOUR PASSWORD HAS BEEN STOLEN – Many websites have leaked passwords. Attackers can download databases of usernames and passwords and use them to “hack” your accounts. This is why you shouldn’t reuse passwords for important websites, because a leak by one site can give attackers everything they need to sign into other accounts.

Have I Been Pwned? – Troy Hunt’s Have I Been Pwned website maintains a database of username and password combinations from public leaks. These are taken from publicly available breaches that can be found via various sites on the web, or dark web. This database just makes it easier to check them yourself without visiting the sketchier parts of the web.

To use this tool, go to this How-To Geek web page and see if you have been pwned. http://bit.ly/2CnC856

HOW TO MOVE MULTIPLE APPS AT ONCE ON iOS – Apple doesn’t really believe in detailed instruction manuals, so some handy tricks slip through the cracks. One such trick we’ve recently discovered is that you can move multiple app icons at once on iOS. Here’s how.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and get the steps. http://bit.ly/2t36uG4

APPLE ADDS LIVE NEWS CHANNELS TO ITS TV APP FOR IOS AND APPLE TV – Apple has added support for live news in the TV app on iOS and Apple TV. Here is a look at the available channels and what you can expect.

When Apple announced its new 4K Apple TV last year, it hinted about other cool things were coming to the platform. One much-anticipated feature that finally came to fruition is Amazon Prime Video. The company also teased that it would add support for live news in the TV app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. The live news feature has now been rolled out and it currently supports just a handful of channels for users in the U.S.

Go to this groovyPost web page and read all about it. http://bit.ly/2CwPyHv

EVERYONE SHOULD USE A VPN TO PROTECT THEIR INTERNET PRIVACY – For $3/month, you can protect your privacy from marketers, hackers, and other snoopers. groovyPost discuss why a VPN is totally worth it and who they recommend.

Occasionally, there are moments when niche tech topics spill over into public awareness. For me, that usually comes with a feeling of excitement and vindication, like when the Serial podcast exploded and everyone was like “Oh, you can have STORIES play in your head no matter what you are doing…” and I was like “Yes! This is the ‘podcast’ thing I kept pushing on you ten years ago!”

Next up on the horizon in terms of tech-trending-to-the-mainstream: VPNs. A virtual private network, or VPN, is basically a proxy that prevents others from tracking which sites and services you access on the internet. And the reason we are talking about VPNs right now is because of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution signed in April 2017 that rolled back a privacy rule created by the FCC last year. The FCC rule was supposed to regulate the ability of ISPs to collect your internet browsing data and sell it for marketing purposes.

The rollback of that FCC rule is controversial, of course. But what I think really struck a nerve with the public is this realization:

“What? My ISP can see and record what I’m looking at on the internet?”

Yes. They totally can. And this has been true since the dawn of the internet.

The technical aspect of this shouldn’t be a huge shocker. It’s not much different than your phone company knowing what phone numbers you are dialing. They kind of need to have that information in order to provide you service. But the thought of an ISP actually tracking and analyzing your internet activity probably never crossed your mind. Until now.

So, whether you are for or against the regulations barring ISPs from collecting your data for profit, the fact stands: ISPs can and do watch where you go on the internet.

That is unless you use a VPN.

Go to this groovyPost web page and get the facts and a simple explanation of VPN. http://bit.ly/2GtoyuL

WORLD’S NO.1 IPHONE CLEANER TO FREE UP SPACE FOR iPHONE/iPAD/iPOD! – Clean junk & temp files for a faster iPhone; Compress/export/delete photos to free up iPhone; Manage smartly large files & apps in bulk; Fully compatible with iOS 11 and iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus!

With over 25 analysis technologies applied, it is easy to know where and how all the space on your device is being used, so as to rid your iPhone/iPad/iPod out of any storage trouble with only several clicks.

Given the large amount of photos that we have today, our iPhone’s memory soon gets filled. So, how to deal with hundreds of photos on your iPhone effectively?

Compress photos to release 75% of photo space, Export photos to PC for backup or future use, Preview, select and delete all the unwanted photos with 1-click.

Go to this iMyFone web page and consider this free or paid version of a clean-up tool.
http://bit.ly/2EFhZ89

HOW TO CHANGE SIRI’S VOICE – Siri can be a “he” or a “she” and even speak with a different accent. Siri sounds great. It’s one of the more natural-sounding virtual assistants, and she’s full of personality, too. She? Is Siri a “she?” It doesn’t have to be! Siri’s default voice is female, but you can make Siri sound male, too. You can even give her three different accents: American, British, and Australian. (If you’re using Siri in non-English language, your choices will probably differ). Read how to change Siri’s voice at this Macworld article: http://bit.ly/2ELYTQS

iPAD 2018 RUMORS: ANIMOJI AND TABBED WINDOWS ON TAP – If you want to get a sense of where the iPad will go in 2018, look to the iPhone X. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that the next iPad with get tabbed windows and an Animoji-ready camera. When it comes to the tablet market, there’s the iPad and there’s everybody else. Apple dominates the market, especially in the premium price range. To hold on to its position, Apple has been kept things fresh with new models like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and new technologies like Apple Pencil and ProMotion.

But the fundamental design of the iPad hasn’t changed much in years. That could all change in 2018, as Apple gives use the first holistic new iPad design in a very long time. Read more of the Macworld iPad 2018 rumors at: http://bit.ly/2HlD9d5

NEW MAC CRYPTOMINER HAS 23 OLDER VARIANTS – On February 1, a new Mac cryptominer was discovered being distributed via a hack of the MacUpdate website. Since then, we’ve been doing some digging and found that this isolated incident was just the tip of the iceberg. The malware delivered by the MacUpdate hack appears to be the culmination of something that has been around since at least early October of last year.

As we usually do when looking into new malware, we did some searches through the website VirusTotal—a massive crowd-sourced malware repository —to see if we could find any other variants. These searches, called “retrohunts,” don’t always turn up much, but in this case, we struck gold, finding no less than 23 older variants of this malware! Read more of the Malwarebytes Lab post at: http://bit.ly/2HlRS82

HOW TO AUTOMATICALLY SET UP A NEW iPHONE – You’ve just upgraded to a new iPhone and now it’s time to set it up. Ugh, now you must go through each screen in the initial setup process, trying to remember how you configured your old iPhone. If only there was a way to transfer the key settings from your old iPhone to the new one.

Yes, you can perform a backup and restore via iTunes or iCloud but that just handles the apps and data. Another option can automate the transfer of most other settings, if you’re running iOS 11 or higher.

The latest version of iOS offers an automatic setup feature for outfitting a new iPhone. You just point your new phone at the old one, and all the core settings transfer over. You still need to go through the setup screens for Touch ID (or Face ID), Siri, and Apple Pay. But at least the automatic setup feature takes care of the rest. And it works on iPad, too.

Go to this PCMagazine web page and get the 5 steps. http://bit.ly/2EHzqpf

HOW TO SET UP MEDICAL ID ON YOUR iPHONE – There are plenty of iPhone features that feel like you just can’t live without them. But there is one that can literally save your life: Medical ID. If you get into an accident or otherwise become unconscious or unresponsive, a first responder can pick up your phone and place an emergency call. But they can also tap the Medical ID button to be taken to a screen that shows important information about you: Age, blood type, allergies, medical conditions… whatever information you wish to share that may help a medical professional to treat you properly.

Setting it up is a snap, but you may not have thought about it because you access it through the Health app rather than Settings. Read more of this Macworld article at: http://bit.ly/2nPzSK8

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FORGET YOUR MAC’S PASSWORD – Can’t remember your Mac’s password? Don’t worry. With the default settings, you can simply try logging into your Mac. Fail enough times and you’ll be able to reset your password with your Apple ID. But this won’t always work. If you haven’t enabled FileVault disk encryption, there’s an easy password-reset tool you can access. If you have enabled FileVault, you’ve got two potential options: your Apple ID can work if you have one, or you can use the passcode you were shown after starting the encryption process. If none of that works, your files are gone, and you’ll simply have to reinstall macOS. Read more of this How-To Geek article at: http://bit.ly/2Dtjy9a

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR SMARTPHONE IS HOT – Unlike your computer, your smartphone doesn’t have fans or any other active way to keep itself cool. Instead, to keep them working within acceptable temperatures, smartphone manufacturers count on passive cooling methods and the fact that most people don’t do too many super intensive tasks with their phones.

Most phones also have safety measures built in. If it does start to get hot, your phone might turn off some features—like the camera flash—and limit processing power until things return to normal. That said, it’s still possible for your smartphone to get hot; maybe even too hot. Here’s what to do in some of the most common scenarios where your phone starts to feel very hot. Read more of this How-To Geek article at: http://bit.ly/2mozu4C

groovyTip: HOW TO COMBINE PDFS IN macOS USING PREVIEW – Preview is macOS’s built-in image viewer and PDF viewer. The name is a bit misleading, though, since Preview can do some light conversion and editing tasks, such as exporting as a PDF or converting a PDF to JPG. You can even use your Mac to combine single PDFs into a multi-page PDF by merging PDF files. Find out how to do this with this groovyPost article: http://bit.ly/2Dtjy9a

IS APPLE EVEN PAYING ATTENTION TO MACOS SECURITY ANYMORE? – A new Mac security flaw lets you type literally any username and password to unlock the Mac App Store panel in System Preferences. It’s probably not a big deal practically speaking—the panel is unlocked by default—but the fact that this issue exists at all is a worrying reminder that Apple isn’t prioritizing security like they used to. Back in November 2017, a macOS bug let anyone create a root account without a password in System Preferences simply by typing “root” as the username and making up literally any password. Instead of denying you access, like a well-designed system would, macOS High Sierra would just create a root account using whatever password you entered. Read more of this How-To Geek article at: http://bit.ly/2AWf4oG

BACKUP FILES ON YOUR IPHONE TO YOUR COMPUTER OR OTHER DEVICES USING EASEUS MOBIMOVER – For years users have accepted the lock-in associated with using Apple products. We all know the necessary evils required to easily use Apple devices on Windows: iTunes, iCloud and sometimes upgrading to a newer device or iOS release to gain new functionality and flexibility. In 2018, you don’t have to do things the Apple way; you can have your Apple pie and eat it too when it comes to managing iPhone Files, Photos and Videos from a Windows PC.

EaseUS MobiMover is a flexible piece of software that can help you quickly manage all the data stored on your Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPad. It’s purpose-built and slim vs. the fairly bloated iTunes for Windows. For this article, the groovyPost author downloaded the free version, which is fully featured and not limited in any way when it comes to transferring files from your iOS devices. There is a Pro version, which adds a few more capabilities and support options, but the free version is worthy enough to give it a go. Read more at: http://bit.ly/2AVFqHJ

USE IOS 11 NOTES APP TO SCAN, MARKUP AND SHARE DOCUMENTS – There are several cool features with iOS 11 and one of them exists where you wouldn’t even think to look. You can use your iPhone or iPad into a portable document scanner by using the built-in Notes App. Plus, it includes some helpful features that allow you to optimize and markup the document you scan. This groovyPost article will show you how to find and use this hidden gem: http://bit.ly/2DaapFS

UPDATE YOUR iPHONE AND MAC NOW: APPLE CONFIRMS VULNERABILITIES – iPhone and Mac owners, you’re not escaping unscathed from the flaws affecting the processors inside laptops, PCs and smartphones. Apple confirmed tonight (Jan. 4) that the security issues known as Meltdown and Spectre also affect Mac and iOS devices. Read more at this Tom’s Guide article: http://bit.ly/2m0oJVR

15 ESSENTIAL iPHONE X TIPS –From the Super Retina OLED screen and Face ID to Animoji and the utter lack of a Home button, there’s a lot that’s new in the iPhone X. But all that newness also brings a new way to use the iPhone, and some of the biggest changes will take some getting used to. (Hint: there’s a lot more swiping and less pressing.) In fact, some of these changes are guaranteed to throw you for a loop until you get accustomed to using Apple’s new flagship. Read this Tom’s Guide article to find out more about your iPhone X: http://bit.ly/2C6YcOv

MACWORLD STAFF’S FAVORITE FREE iOS GAMES OF 2017– We routinely pour hours into free-to-play games but, thanks to freemium annoyances and sometimes limited or simplistiv gameplay cycles, they may not qualify as the best fames we’ve played all year. But we still love ‘em, and best of all, they are free—so, while we also have a best overall games list that a couple of these games are on, this list is all about gratis gaming.

All 15 of these 2017 picks can be downloaded and played without spending a cent, and offer entertainment and amusement in strong chunks without feeling overly hampered by a business model. From live competitive trivia to card-based combat, frantic puzzling, and super-powered fighting, these are the iPhone and iPad freebies you souldn’t miss from this year. You might find some new games to play at this Macworld web page: http://bit.ly/2CadN24

50 BEST AMAZON ALEXA SKILLS – Enabling Skills for Amazon’s Alexa is easier than ever. Now, all you have to do is say, “Alexa, enable Lyft,” and poof — you’ve given your Echo speaker or other Alexa-enabled device the ability to order you a ride. But there are now more than 15,000 skills, according to Voicebot, so how do you decide or know which Skills to enable? Well, you can search the Alexa app by category, such as Smart Home, Food and Drink or Lifestyle. Or, you can just check out this Tom’s Guide list. http://bit.ly/2C8Qzad

REMOTE TECH SUPPORT: BEST WAYS TO SCREEN SHARE ON iOS, MACOS, AND MORE – Your friends and family have likely just gotten a range of new devices, and an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV is probably in the mix. If you’re like me, you’re the go-to tech support for family and friends and the holidays mean you have some work cut out for you. With fresh handy features like iOS 11’s built-in screen recorder, let’s look at some the best ways to remotely help others with their new Apple devices and an option to screen share with any device.

Until iOS 11 and its new screen recording feature, it was a bit of a pain to remotely screen share with an iOS device (especially if you needed to see the screen of the person you’re helping). Read more of the 9TO5Mac article at: http://bit.ly/2pF37U4

HOW TO SAVE PHOTOS FROM THE iPHONE NOTES APP TO YOUR PHOTO LIBRARY – If you’re a heavy user of Apple’s Notes app on your iPhone, you’ve probably noticed a slightly weird behavior: unlike almost every other app, if you take a photo in Notes, it isn’t saved to the Photos app.

I’d guess this is so photos of things like shopping lists don’t clog up your Camera Roll, but if you use Notes as more of a journal than a to-do list, you might want any photos you take while writing a note to get saved. Here’s how to do it.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see the screen shots and procedures. http://bit.ly/2jAUdow

HOW TO SHARE A CONTACT OVER TEXT MESSAGE ON THE iPHONE – We’ve all gotten that text from a friend asking for another mutual friend’s number. You could jump into your contacts list and try to remember the number, but it’s a lot easier to just share the other person’s contact card. A couple of extra taps and boom—that person will be in your recipient’s contacts, too.

Go to this How-To Geek web page to see the screenshots and procedures. http://bit.ly/2Aw8l9N

HOW TO CHARGE YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD FASTER – If you’re using the charger that came with your iPhone or iPad, you’re getting “slow” charging speeds. You can buy a much faster charger. And, with iOS 11.2, there are now even several different speeds of wireless charging as well.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see how you can speed up charging. http://bit.ly/2j7yzIh

HOW TO MAKE YOUR iPHONE MORE SECURE WHEN LOCKED – Locking your iPhone does a pretty good job at keeping people away from your personal information, but there are still some things someone unscrupulous can do without typing in your passcode.

They can:

See your Today View with all your Widgets.
See your recent notifications.
Use the Control Center.
Use Siri to make phone calls, set alarms, search the web, and everything else that doesn’t require you to unlock your phone.
Reply to Messages.
Control your smart home.
Try to use Apple Wallet (although they won’t be able to make a purchase).
Return Missed Calls.
Take photos.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see how to make your iPhone more secure. http://bit.ly/2B3775p

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO FOR APPLE TV IS NOW AVAILABLE – Apple today announced that the long-awaited Amazon Video app is now available for its Apple TV set-top box. This is great news for cord cutters and Amazon Prime members who want an easy way to access Amazon-exclusive content.

This will also provide an easier way to watch your purchased content from Amazon on your Apple TV. You can already watch films you bought from Amazon on your Apple TV by linking your Movies Anywhere account. And, you can AirPlay Amazon Video from an iPad to the Apple TV. But having the Amazon Video app installed on the Apple TV means there is no need for those extra steps. It’s also an advantage for Apple TV owners that want to watch live NFL Thursday Night Football on Amazon.

Go to this GroovyPost web page and read. http://bit.ly/2BhIx12

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE iPHONE X – With the home button no more, how do you get around Apple’s newest iPhone? You’ve got yourself a new iPhone X, and you want to get to the home screen, see all your open apps, or call upon Siri. Your finger reaches for the home button, and then you stop. Oops, you remember, there is no home button. Apple jettisoned it to make room for the edge-to-edge display.

The resulting large screen is beautiful, but how do you perform actions and tasks you used to do with the home button? Don’t worry, Apple has you covered, and so do we. Let’s look at how to navigate the iPhone X$999.00 at Verizon Wireless sans a home button.

Go to this PCmag web page and see the steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2jC1Ua1

14 ESSENTIAL TIPS AND TRICKS TO MASTER THE iPHONE X – With no home button and a status bar split on either side of The Notch, using the iPhone X is a little different than you’re used to. It’s the phone of the future, today! You got it all set up and even picked up a few new iPhone X-optimized games. Now it’s time to take your iPhone X mastery to the next level. These tips will help you work through some of the interface quirks and point out features about which you may not have known.

Go to this Macworld web page and get the tips. http://bit.ly/2i7ygsG

HOW TO MASTER iOS 11’S NEW CONTROL CENTER – Yes, the new Control Center in iOS 11 looks different, but now you can customize it. The Control Center on your iPhone or iPad offers quick access to many commands and features.

With iOS 11, Apple tweaks the Control Center so it now appears as a floating array of buttons, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Brightness, Volume, and Music. Now you can also add certain icons to or remove them from Control Center, so your favorite items appear.

Go to this PCmag web page and get the procedures for the new Control Center. http://bit.ly/2jBshwx

HOW TO STOP YOUR iPHONE FROM SHOWING YOUR NUMBER ON OTHER PEOPLE’S CALLER ID – There are plenty of reasons to not want your phone number showing up when you call someone else. Maybe you just don’t like giving it out to strangers, or perhaps you don’t want the person you’re calling realizing you’re ringing from a foreign number. If you have an iPhone, you can block your number from showing up on other people’s caller ID with a simple settings toggle.

Go to this How-To Geek web page and see the setting procedure. http://bit.ly/2AiadBK

ONLINE SECURITY 101: TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY FROM HACKERS AND SPIES – This simple advice will help to protect you against hackers and government surveillance. Got nothing to hide? Think again. Privacy is what sets us apart from the animals. It’s also what sets many countries and citizens apart from dictatorships and despots. People often don’t think about their rights until they need them — whether it’s when they’re arrested at a protest or pulled over for a routine traffic stop.

Surveillance is also a part of life, and it’s getting progressively more invasive. Government eavesdropping is increasing, carried out in wider secrecy, and it’s becoming far more localized. In fact, the last three presidents have pushed for greater surveillance: Clinton introduced mandated wiretapping laws, Bush expanded mass domestic surveillance, and Obama expanded the intelligence service’s reach — just in time for Trump. Now, with a new president in the Oval Office, many are concerned about the future of their fundamental freedoms and constitutional rights.

There is no such thing as perfect security. But no matter who you are or where you are in the world, there are a lot of things you can do — many of which are simple — to protect yourself in this turbulent time.

This ZDnet article has lots of tips for making your privacy a reality. http://zd.net/2Bz11XQ

HOW TO ADD AN EMAIL ACCOUNT IN iOS 11 – With today’s on-the-go lifestyle, the ability to check, manage, and respond to your email on your phone or tablet is essential. Adding an email account in iOS 11 has changed slightly since previous versions of Apple’s mobile operating system, but it’s still easy to do.

This GroovyPost article will show you how to add an email account in iOS 11, making it available in the default Mail app. The procedure works on both iPhone and iPad.

NOTE: If you use a different email app, like Outlook, Airmail, or Spark, you must add your email accounts inside those apps.

Go to this GroovyPost web page and see screen shots and procedures for a lot of email changes you can make. http://bit.ly/2iwoMYw

iOS 11.1 IS OUT NOW WITH NEW EMOJI AND WI-FI BUG FIXES (KRACK FIX) – The 3D Touch app switcher is back, too – Apple just released iOS 11.1, the first major update to iOS 11 since its release in September. Included in the changes are over 70 new emoji, along with some other minor updates, like the return of the 3D Touch option to open the app switcher by pressing down on the left side of the screen that Apple mystifyingly took out in the original iOS 11 release.

iOS 11.1 also features a patch for the “Krack” Wi-Fi hack vulnerability, which is good news and a reason to make sure that you’re updated on your devices, even if you aren’t particularly excited by the idea of a broccoli emoji. And of course, there’s the usual “bug fixes and Improvements,” which should hopefully make iOS 11 a little more stable.

Go to this The Verge webpage and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2iR6dh0

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN QR CODES FROM YOUR IPHONE – You might think that QR codes are so 2006, but they’re coming back in a big way. Here’s how to create your own. You might be asking yourself, “Why would I ever want or need to create my own QR code?”, and that’s a valid question. QR codes are a sort of hidden gem that a lot of people underestimate, and they can be used in all sorts of different ways. When scanned, they can take you to a specific website, lead you to a file to download, or even just display a bunch of text about something.

For example, I frequently use a QR code of my phone number. If I want to give my number out to someone, they can just open the camera on their phone and scan the QR code image that I have stored on my own phone. If this is something that is of interest to you, here’s how you can create your own QR codes for just about any situation.

Go to this How-To Geek webpage and get the procedure. http://bit.ly/2iP0qIU

YOU CAN NOW VIEW DETAILED APP STORE AND ITUNES PURCHASE HISTORY ON iOS – Apple today is making it easier for users to view purchase history directly from their iOS devices. The company revealed in an updated support document today that you can now view your App Store and iTunes purchase history in the Settings app on iOS…

Previously, as the support document notes, this functionality was only available through iTunes on Mac and PC. While you could view purchase history via the App Store and iTunes Store on iOS, it was purely for re-downloading purposes and didn’t show detailed pricing information.

Go to this 9to5Mac webpage and see all the info and steps: http://bit.ly/2ji8dTB

HOW TO MAKE iPHONE NOTIFICATIONS DISAPPEAR AS SOON AS YOU’VE READ THEM – The Notification Center in iOS is split into two sections: your new notifications, and your History. Notifications for things that have happened since you last looked at your phone appear at the top. After that you’ve got all the older notifications that you’ve seen but haven’t done anything about; they appear under Earlier Today, Yesterday, and so on.

By default, iOS doesn’t remove notifications from the Notification Center until you actually do something with them. This means you’ve got to open the app, read the message, dismiss the notification, or otherwise do something so that iOS goes, “ah, you’re done with that.”

Most apps are intelligent. If you open Facebook, any Facebook notifications are removed from the Notification Center. Some are a bit more awkward. For some reason I have to manually dismiss all Instagram notifications; opening the app or even reading the relevant message isn’t enough.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and read on How to: http://bit.ly/2hRFf9l

HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOM APPLE WATCH FACE FROM A PHOTO OR ALBUM – While you still can’t create completely custom watch faces on your Apple Watch, you can use any photo you want as your wallpaper, either by using a single photo or rotating through a photo album. Here’s how to do it.

Apple calls this “creating a watch face”, but technically, you’re not really “creating” a watch face. Rather, you’re just using the existing “Photos” watch face and picking a photo to use as the wallpaper for that watch face.

Recent versions of iOS and watchOS have made this process easier than it used to be, though, and the only requirement is that the photos start off in your iPhone’s camera roll, whether you took them with your iPhone in the first place or just transferred them from a different device.

There are two ways you can do this. The first way is choosing one or more photos that never change and use them as your wallpaper. Or you can select a photo album from your iPhone and have your watch face automatically update with new photos whenever you add them to this album. Let’s get started! http://bit.ly/2m5l3pi

iOS 11.1 HAS 70 NEW EMOJI AND IT’S AVAILABLE NOW – The first big iOS 11 update brings in dinosaurs, zombies, hedgehogs, and more. Plus, the return of a multi-tasking favorite. It’s time to update your iOS devices, because iOS 11.1 is here. On Tuesday, Apple pushed iOS 11.1 out of beta and made it available to the masses, ushering in a slew of improvements as well as some new features. This is the first major iOS 11 update. The most notable addition is a large crop of new emoji—more than 70 new characters—including new food (pie! Chinese takeout boxes!), creatures (mermaids! Fairies! Vampires!), expressions (sillier faces!), animals (giraffes! Hedgehogs! Dinosaurs!), and more. You’ll need iOS 11.1 to both send and receive these new emoji—otherwise, you’ll just see a generic empty box. Read More of Macworld by IDG article at: http://bit.ly/2lBfKh4

HOW TO BLOCK SPAM TEXTS AND MESSAGES ON YOUR PHONE – Ting! You’ve just received a new message. You set down your bags of groceries, dig into your pocket and pull out your smartphone. Then, you frown. The message reads: “REAL ROLEX 90% OFF!” You’ve never seen the phone number in your life. You received spam, and smartphones have become a major target for indiscriminate marketing campaigns. Sometimes the senders are legitimate. You willingly gave your phone number to a company, and now that company is sending you ads. But spam also comes from unknown numbers, advertising fake products and offers. Read more of Kim Komando’s article at: http://bit.ly/2iPWqvt

WHAT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF CTRL+ALT+DELETE ON A MAC? – If you switch to a Mac after becoming familiar with Windows, you’ll quickly find that the standard Ctrl+Alt+Delete shortcut doesn’t do anything. Mac OS X does have its own version of the Task Manager, but it’s a bit different than Windows’, and you access it by pressing Command+Option+Esc. While Windows’ Task Manager contains a wealth of information and features, OS X splits some of those features up into separate apps. The Force Quit dialog, which you access with Command+Option+Esc, allows you to close misbehaving applications much like the Ctrl+Alt+Delete Task Manager in Windows. However, if you want more in-depth information info about your running applications and overall system resource usage, you’ll want to use the separate Activity Monitor application. Read more at this How-To Geek Web page: bit.ly/2z1hdTg

THE BEST WAYS TO SCAN A DOCUMENT USING YOUR PHONE OR TABLET – “Scanning” documents and photos with your phone is a mixed bag. Thankfully, there are very easy ways to scan items and get reliably good results.

Sure, a dedicated scanner is still great to have if you frequently need to scan a large handful of documents, but using your phone also works great if you only have a couple documents to scan every now and then. Here’s what we recommend for Android and iOS. Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the procedure. http://bit.ly/2ywoSs2

HOW TO SCAN DOCUMENTS WITH THE IPHONE’S NOTES APP – In the past, iPhone users had to download a third-party app in order to scan documents and save them in a digital format on their phone. However, with the release of iOS 11, you can now scan documents natively using the built-in Notes app.

Granted, some third-party document scanning apps still come with way more features than iOS 11’s Notes app, but if all you need to do is digitize a simple form and nothing else, the Notes app is the way to go. To get started, go to this How-To Geek Web page and follow the procedure. http://bit.ly/2yuIvyG

ACCESS MORE SETTINGS IN IOS 11’S CONTROL CENTER WITH 3D TOUCH – iOS 11 has a completely new Control Center, which squeezes in more settings onto one screen without needing to swipe back and forth. However, on top of what’s currently available in Control Center, there are even more settings that you can access from that screen with a simple 3D Touch or long press.

The new Control Center gives you quick access to Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Cellular toggles (although, beware about them working properly), do not disturb, music control, and more. However, what you see isn’t all that you’ll get—you can access even more settings by 3D Touching on some of the already-shown settings (if you have an iPhone 6s, 7, 8, or X) or simply tapping and holding if you don’t have 3D Touch.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the extra settings that you’ll have access to with a 3D Touch or long press: Go to this How-To Geek Web page for step-by-step directions with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2xMfi3D

HOW TO QUICKLY TRANSFER FILES FROM A COMPUTER TO YOUR PHONE WITH PORTAL – We’ve all had that moment where we need a file on our phone that happens to be on the computer. Now, there are a couple of ways you can do this: email it to yourself, put it in cloud storage like Dropbox, or even transfer it with a USB cable. But there’s a faster, easier way. Enter Portal.

What Is Portal? Portal is an app for Android and iOS developed by the same guys who made Pushbullet, so you know it’s good—Pushbullet is easily one of those must-have apps for all Android users.

In its simplest form, Portal is a way to instantly transfer files from a computer to an iOS or Android phone over Wi-Fi. Really, that’s all it is. It’s so easy, you may end up asking yourself “that’s it?” because simple tasks like this are often made overly complicated for reasons that are unknown to me.

Portal lets you transfer single files or full folders to your phone, and transferred images are automatically added to your gallery. It just makes sense. While I’m using Android for this tutorial, the process is the same on iOS.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the step-by-step directions with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2fDzApU

GOOGLE DRIVE NOW WORKS WITH iOS 11’S NEW FILES APP – Google announced this week that Drive now fully integrates with Apple’s new Files app on iOS 11. Files allows you to access documents and media from multiple cloud providers including iCloud Drive and Dropbox in a single interface.

iOS 11 Files integration comes with the latest update to Google Drive for iPhone and iPad, version 4.2017.37510. After installing the latest version of Google Drive on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 11, look for the ‘More Locations’ section of the Files app which should have a red badge that signals a new provider is available. Google says the new integration also extends to Docs, Sheets, and Slides by auto-launching the correct app when opening a Google document, spread, or presentation from Files.

With the latest version of the Drive app installed, you can easily access and manage documents and photos stored in Drive just by opening the Files app on your iOS device. If you have Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides apps installed as well, tapping on any Google document, spreadsheet, or presentation in the Files app will open the app of the associated Google editor. You can also take advantage of new iOS 11 features like dragging and dropping files between apps and folders in the Files App.

Google Drive for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

iOS 11 RELEASE DATE, NEWS AND FEATURES – New iOS 11 features are changing your current iPhone and iPad now that Apple launched the final version of its big software update yesterday.

Even if you’re not upgrading to iPhone X or iPhone 8, your device will feel as good as new thanks to several user interface changes and fresh features.

So, what’s it like? Is it worth downloading right away? And is it bug-free enough for you to do so? Below you’ll find our thoughts on every major iOS 11 feature.

Go to this Techradar Web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2jRgqhx

APPLE PROMOTES ALL-NEW iOS 11 APP STORE IN NEW SERIES OF VIDEOS – Following the release of iOS 11 to the public yesterday, Apple has shared a new series of videos on YouTube that highlight the all-new App Store design. The four videos all highlight new features and capabilities of the iOS 11 App Store.

The primary video simply highlights new features of the App Store, including the new card-based interface for easily finding the latest and greatest apps. The video also promotes the new curation features in the App Store, focusing on new, daily apps.

Go to this 9to5mac Web page and read all about it. http://bit.ly/2hosXnT

iOS 11’S CONTROL CENTER DOESN’T TRULY DISABLE WI-FI OR BLUETOOTH: HERE’S WHAT TO DO INSTEAD – That shiny new Control Center in iOS 11 doesn’t actually let you disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth anymore. You can toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off from the Control Center, but the hardware radios will still be running and they’ll turn back on completely at 5 a.m. Yes, this is really weird.

What the Control Center Toggles Do
The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggle buttons in the Control Center don’t actually disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Instead, as Apple’s own documentation says, “In iOS 11 and later, when you toggle the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth buttons in Control Center, your device will immediately disconnect from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth accessories. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth will continue to be available”. Of course, since the hardware radios are active, they’ll continue draining battery power.

So, while it may seem that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are disabled when you flip this switch, they aren’t. Apple says this allows you to continue using “important features” like AirDrop for transferring files, AirPlay for playing media on other devices, the Apple Pencil, Apple Watch, Continuity features like Handoff and Instant Hotspot, and Location Services.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the straight story. http://bit.ly/2hoQZiK

HOW TO FREE UP SPACE ON YOUR IPHONE OR iPAD BY OFFLOADING UNUSED APPS – Apps can consume a lot of space on an iPhone or iPad. In iOS 11, a new feature allows you to remove an app from your device without removing the app’s data. In other words, you can remove the app and free up space without losing anything—when you redownload the app in the future, you can immediately pick up right where you left off.

This feature can be used in two different ways. You can manually offload one or more apps to free up space. Or, if you’d rather not think about it, you can tell your iPhone or iPad to automatically offload apps you don’t use to free up space when you need it.

Go to this How-to Geek Web page and get the steps. http://bit.ly/2hlOaT8

HOW TO STOP iPHONE AND iPAD APPS FROM ASKING FOR RATINGS – Lots of iPhone and iPad apps ask for ratings, and they often don’t stop. Even if you do leave a review just to stop seeing the review requests, new apps you install will pester you for reviews, too. iOS 11 fixes this problem, limiting how often apps can ask for ratings and allowing you to stop these requests entirely.

Apps Can Only Ask for Ratings Three Times Per Year
Even if you don’t change the setting we’re about to discuss, you’ll benefit from upgrading to iOS 11. As of iOS 11, apps have to use Apple’s standard way of asking for a rating—specifically, the SKStoreReviewController API. Apple will begin rejecting apps that use their own ratings request prompt.

Each app can also only ask for a rating three times every 365 days. This limit is not reset when the app is updated, so there’s no way for developers to escape the limit. That will put a stop to those annoying apps that insist on asking for a rating every single day.

Go to this How-to Geek Web page and get the step by step with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2ho03o8

APPLE DEVICES THAT WILL & WILL NOT BE UPDATED TO iOS 11 ON 9/19 – Apple officially announced this afternoon that it will release iOS 11 to the general public on September 19th – bringing new features to supported hardware like a new Control Center, a redesigned App Store, and more. As always, however, some devices won’t receive the update as Apple works to provide the best user experience to all users…

Go to this 9to5mac website and see the lists. http://bit.ly/2fl2gAC

APPLE RELEASES iTUNES 12.7 TO THE PUBLIC WITH iOS 11 SUPPORT, SIMPLIFIED CONTENT TYPES, & MORE – Following its event earlier today, Apple this evening has released iTunes 12.7 with a variety of enhancements to the public. The update brings new features such as new social capabilities for Apple Music, support for iOS 11 devices, and more.

The update simplifies iTunes with a stronger focus on music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks. Gone are categories for apps, iTunes U, Internet Radio, Ringtones, and Books on Windows. This is noticeable when you click the drop-down menu in the upper left corner of iTunes.

Go to this 9to5mac Web page and read what Apple says about the upgrade. http://bit.ly/2wrYuLh

CCleaner COMPROMISED WITH MALWARE – CCleaner version 5.33 was compromised with malware. Please check to see which version of CCleaner you have on your computer.

Open CCleaner and you will find the version number in the upper left corner on the title bar.

Version 5.33 of the CCleaner app offered for download between August 15 and September 12 was modified to include the Floxif malware, according to a report published by Cisco Talos a few minutes ago. Updating to recent versions removes malware.

Floxif is a malware downloader that gathers information about infected systems and sends it back to its C&C server. The malware also had the ability to download and run other binaries, but at the time of writing, there is no evidence that Floxif downloaded additional second-stage payloads on infected hosts.

The malware collected information such as computer name, a list of installed software, a list of running processes, MAC addresses for the first three network interfaces, and unique IDs to identify each computer in part. Researchers noted that the malware only ran on 32-bit systems. The malware also quit execution if the user was not using an administrator account.

Avast recently bought Piriform – below from Avast CTO:

In an email to Bleeping Computer, Avast CTO Ondrej Vlcek said that updating CCleaner to the most recent recent versions fixes any issues, as “the only malware to remove is the one embedded in the CCleaner binary itself.”

“The affected software (CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191) has been installed on 2.27M machines from its inception up until now,” Vlcek also added. “We believe that these users are safe now as our investigation indicates we were able to disarm the threat before it was able to do any harm.”

“There is no indication or evidence that any additional “malware” has been delivered through the backdoor,” Vlcek added.

Read the complete article at: http://bit.ly/2f5XmGX

EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT NEW SIRI, MESSAGES, PHOTOS, APPLE PAY – Learn all about the upcoming iOS 11, including its release date, top features, and biggest changes from iOS 10.

Apple’s iOS 11 brings a new voice to Siri, improvements to Messages. indoor maps, a file drawer and more. Here are the highlights.

iOS 11: The top features announced: Editors’ note: We’ve updated this story to include information about the newest iOS 11 developer release and ARKit demo videos.

Siri in iOS 11 has learned to sound like an actual human—and that’s just the beginning when it comes to the new mobile operating system for iPhones and iPads.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and friends gave us a full overview of iOS 11 during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday. New features include sweeping new upgrades to Siri, a redesigned Control Center and App Store, and a brand-new Apple Pay feature that lets you send or receive money to your contacts via iMessage.

In addition, developers can now create apps that tap into your iOS device’s potential to create augmented reality experiences via the new ARKit. Plus, there are new productivity features for the iPad, including drag-and-drop capability and a new Mac-style Dock.

Here’s everything we know so far about iOS 11, plus a bunch of the new features that we can’t wait to try.

Go to this Macworld Web page and read all about it. http://bit.ly/2exYJ0M

HOW TO STOP GOOGLE ASSISTANT, SIRI, CORTANA, AND ALEXA ACTIVE LISTENING – Google, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft each have audio-driven digital assistant technology that’s always listening to hear the magic wake word. These virtual assistants are included on all sorts of mobile hardware devices. The current trend is putting digital assistant technology in a smart speaker that is meant to act as a central hub for your household.

Amazon has Alexa on its Echo devices, Fire TV, and Fire tablets, and Alexa is rapidly showing up on other devices, too. Google Assistant is available on Android phones, select Chromebooks, and the Google Home smart speaker – its answer to the Amazon Echo. Microsoft’s Cortana is available on Windows 10, Windows Phone, and powers the Harman Kardon Invoke smart speaker; which is set to be released this fall. Apple’s Siri is available on its iOS devices, macOS Sierra, watchOS, and Apple TV via the Siri remote. Siri will also be featured in the soon to be launched HomePod.

The devices don’t record or transmit any data until the digital assistant is activated by the wake word first – in theory anyway. However, convenience and ease of use will trump security and privacy. After all, the selling point is the how simple it is to get things done — hands-free. However, you might want to have more control and kill the active listening on these devices when not in use.

Go to this groovyPost Web page and read the facts. http://bit.ly/2wy6VYD

GOOGLE MAPS TIPS – Don’t take Google’s trusty Maps app for granted. It gets even better once you dig into its settings and start customizing it. Here are some tips to make it even more efficient.

Go to this PCworld Web page and learn the new capabilities for Google Maps. http://bit.ly/2grAKop

SEPTEMBER 12 APPLE iPHONE ANNOUNCEMENT: 10^th-ANNIVERSARY iPHONE, APPLE WATCH RUMORS & MORE – Apple is expected to unveil its newest iPhone on September 12. It’s the 10th-anniversary Apple iPhone, so there are a lot of iPhone announcement rumors flying around about what kind of features it will have, the price, the release date, the size, shape, and even the colors that will be available. Another interesting aspect is the Apple Watch rumors. The Apple September 12 iPhone release event is sure to be packed full of surprises and fun new gadgets. If you are looking to learn more about the hype surrounding both the new iPhone 8 release date and the Apple Watch rumors, you’ve come to the right place!

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2xAzXFI

HOW TO CREATE DIFFERENT SIGNATURES FOR SEPARATE EMAIL ACCOUNTS ON iPHONE – Want to get rid of that annoying, “Sent from my iPhone” signature? Here’s how. Better yet, if you have more than one email account connected to your Mail app, you can create different signatures for the separate accounts. This is especially convenient if you have mail accounts for different purposes, such as one for work and one for personal use. You can create different signatures for Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, iCloud, and more. Here’s how to create different signatures for separate email accounts on iPhone.

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and get the step by step with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2xPu3jr

HOW TO HIDE PHOTOS ON iPHONE IN A LOCKED & PRIVATE PHOTO ALBUM – So, you want to know how to hide photos on your iPhone, eh? Well the iPhone doesn’t really allow you to create a private photo album even though your photos are technically hidden. Hiding picture on your iPhone within the Photos app has some big loopholes that makes it easy for someone to find the photos you mean to keep private. Which is why we’ll go over how to hide photos with the built-in ‘private’ photo album, yes, but also how to lock photos away on iPhone so that they are hidden behind a passcode. We consider this the way to really, truly hide photos on iPhone. But for even more security, you can also use an app to hide photos in a secret photo album on iPhone. Here’s how to hide photos on iPhone by creating a locked photo album.

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and get the step by step with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2eHkxaX

LIVE PHOTOS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO IPHONE’S MOVING PICTURES – Live Photos on iPhone are three-second-long moving pictures that first appeared with the iPhone 6s. If you’re not sure how to take a Live Photo, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how easy it is. I leave my Live Photo feature on for my iPhone 7 Plus camera; that way, all of my photos are moving pictures. My dog Buddy passed away earlier this year, and I was really grateful to have all of the Live Photos of him. There’s a lot you can do with your iPhone moving pictures. We’ll cover how to take Live Photos, how to make your own live wallpaper with Live Photos, how to turn your Live Photo into a gif, and much more. This is our complete guide to taking Live Photos; here’s everything you need to know about taking Live Photos on iPhone.

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2glnTQP

AMAZON AND MICROSOFT AGREE THEIR VOICE ASSISTANTS WILL TALK (TO EACH OTHER) – Those betting big on AI making voice the dominant user interface of the future are not betting so big as to believe their respective artificially intelligent voice assistants will be the sole vocal oracle that Internet users want or need.

And so, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos are today announcing a tie-up, which will — at an unspecified point later this year — enable users of the latter’s Alexa voice assistant to ask her to summon Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant to ask it to do stuff, and vice versa.

Go to this Techcrunch Web page and read the story. http://tcrn.ch/2elLgsS

MALWARE! MACOS ISN’T IMMUNE! THE BEST FREE ANTIVIRUS FOR MAC PROVIDES A BOOSTER SHOT – Mac malware has increased by 230% over the past year. Digital Trends compares several anti-malware platforms designed to give your Mac a booster shot against the latest viruses, adware, and ransomware. Read their reviews of the best free antivirus for your Mac. Beware of Fruitfly! Read the reviews at: http://bit.ly/2x7BdCu

BEST SIRI COMMANDS YOU NEED TO KNOW – Apple’s Siri has been helping people complete tasks since October 2011. This feature is going to be even more popular when Apple releases its HomePod later this year. In this article, Mark Jones, Komando.com, tells us about the best Siri commands that will enhance our experience. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family so they can get in on the fun. http://bit.ly/2wTeJpo

iPHONE 8 RUMORS: NEW GESTURES, NOT A VIRTUAL HOME BUTTON, WILL CONTROL NAVIGATION – Apple is still selling tens of millions of iPhone 7s every month—but all everyone can talk about is what’s coming next. After all, 2017 marks the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, so Apple is reportedly gearing up to make this year’s model extra special. Read more of this MacWorld article at: http://bit.ly/2vG4f8p

RECENT FEATURE IMPROVEMENTS IN TWITTER FOR iOS – All the major social networks such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram are rapidly adding new features and functionality; it’s almost hard to keep up! Twitter is one of the popular social networks whose feature list keeps growing. Just like groovyPost’s Instagram feature guide, they have prepared a list of the latest features added to Twitter over the past year. Read more of the groovyPost article at: http://bit.ly/2ghsKWN

8 BEST IPHONE APPS YOU’VE (PROBABLY) NEVER HEARD OF – We are all aware that there are millions of apps in the App Store, which means there’s very little chance any one of us has been able to see even a quarter of what’s available. That’s why we love to look for lists of the coolest iPhone apps, best apps for iPhone, and now, the best unheard-of apps. Lots of cool apps are bound to slip below the radar. But we’re all excited when a new app we’ve never heard of turns out to be fantastic. We’ll cover ten awesome, educational, and helpful apps for iPhone, all of which you’ve probably never heard of. Time to discover something new!

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and see and read about these great apps. http://bit.ly/2uUaEwy

HOW TO VIEW YOUR RECENT SIRI CONVERSATIONS ON IPHONE – Did you know Siri is keeping a record of your conversations? Don’t worry; Siri only keeps a page of your most recent conversations with the AI. Which can actually be incredibly helpful if you ask a question and need to look at the answer multiple times. You don’t have to keep asking Siri over and over again if you’ve asked once. Just use this hidden trick to view your recent Siri conversation history.

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and see what you asked Siri. http://bit.ly/2uTOpaa

HOW TO TRANSFER PHOTOS FROM IPHONE TO COMPUTER (MAC, PC, ICLOUD, & AIRDROP) – If you’re looking to transfer photos from your iPhone to your computer, you have lots of options. The classic way of getting your pictures off iPhone is to use the built-in Photos app both Mac and PC offer. This method of importing photos involves plugging your iPhone into your computer.

But you can download photos to your computer wirelessly by using iCloud, or if you have a recent Mac, you can use Airdrop for an incredibly easy transfer of your photos to computer.

Getting photos off your iPhone may be frustrating but it doesn’t have to be. Our devices have become our go-to cameras, which means we can’t avoid importing our pictures from iPhone to computer forever. Whether you have a Mac or PC, we’ll cover transferring pictures from iPhone to computer for each. Then we’ll cover using iCloud and Airdrop as popular alternatives. You’ve got plenty of photos to import from iPhone; don’t leave them there without backup pictures. This article will make transferring your pictures from iPhone or iPad to computer (Mac or PC) a breeze.

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and get the procedures, step-by-step with screen shots.
http://bit.ly/2uTNh65

HOW TO HIDE APPS ON iPHONE (& HOW TO FIND THEM LATER ON) – It doesn’t matter if you want to hide apps on an iPhone 7 or an iPhone 5—you can hide apps from your iPhone or iPad Home screen regardless of what device you have, so long as it’s running iOS 10 or later.

Users have been trying to figure out how to hide apps on their iPhones for years, and we’re especially keen on hiding Apple stock apps. Plus, a lot of people want to know how to hide their apps on iPhone from themselves: out of sight out of mind, eh? And it makes sense: Spotlight search allows you to easily find any app on your device, so why not hide them?

While there is no official method on iPhone for hiding apps, smart users across the web have figured out a couple different ways to hide apps on their iPhone. And, of course, if you have iOS 10 or later, you can hide apps by Apple, such as iTunes Store, Calculator, Reminders, and more. We’ll go over a few different ways you can hide apps on your iPhone, as well as how to find those hidden apps on your iPhone later on.

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and get the step by step with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2w5w65I

HOW TO SEE A LOG OF EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER DONE ON FACEBOOK – Facebook keeps an Activity Log of absolutely everything you do—tracking things you like, post, or share on someone’s Timeline. You can view that Activity Log anytime you like.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the information with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2hIteFM

ONEDRIVE iOS APP UPDATED WITH PDF SCANNER, OFFLINE FILES, AND MORE – Microsoft’s mobile online storage client for iOS got a total rewrite today with new features such as offline scanning, paper scanning and expiring links. Some of these features were previously found in apps such as Microsoft’s own Office Lens scanning app. Now you can conveniently access them from the OneDrive app.

Go to this groovyPost Web page and get the right stuff. http://bit.ly/2vShQN7

APPLE REPORTEDLY PREPARES TO UNVEIL A CELLULAR-ENABLED APPLE WATCH – Well now, this is exciting Apple Watch news! Based on recent reports Apple is gearing up to release a cellular-enabled Apple Watch, and for the first time since its debut, I’m actually considering saving my money for the new Apple Watch.

Go to this iPhonelife website and read about it. http://bit.ly/2wxIwQX

HOW TO UPLOAD PHOTOS TO SOCIAL MEDIA (FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM) ON iPHONE – I love to add my photos to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, whether it’s to show off my vacation or share pictures of my kids for distant family members to see. And, of course, there’s the not-so-occasional cute photo of my pets. If you have an account on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, there is an easy way to upload your photos from your iPhone or iPad right to your choice of social media sites. Here’s how to upload photos to your social media account on iPhone.

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and get the steps with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2vmBiRs

HOW TO RECORD YOUR IPHONE SCREEN WITH iOS 11 & iOS 10 – We do a lot of screen recording at iPhone Life for our Insider program. Before iOS 11, learning how to record your iPhone screen meant either finding a screen capture app or plugging your iPhone into a computer with a software that can screen record, which we’ll go over how to do below. But with iOS 11 on iPhone, you can record your screen with nothing more than the built-in function. There are many instances in which you might need or want to record an iPhone screen. There are plenty of iPhone screen recorders on the market if you don’t mind spending some money. But we’ll cover your free options here. Whether you have iOS 11 or iOS 10 & earlier, here’s how to record your screen on iPhone.

Go to this iPhonelife website and read all about it. http://bit.ly/2vmsM53

HOW TO CLEAR COOKIES FROM iPHONE & iPAD – When you delete cookies from your iPhone or iPad, you free up storage space and improve your device’s performance speeds. When you clear the cache and cookies on your iPad or iPhone, you can also better protect your online privacy and potentially remove any malicious bugs your device may have picked up. And the good news is that to delete cookies from your iPhone takes only four simple steps in your Safari settings. Keep in mind that clearing cookies on your iPhone will delete saved logins and other website information.

Go to this iPhonelife Web page and read all about it. http://bit.ly/2vSfoGu

QUICK TIP: HOW TO USE THE HIDDEN TOUCH PAD ON YOUR iOS KEYBOARD – Your smartphone opens up a world of new opportunities, but it does come with some compromises at times. For example, activities you would normally do easily on a PC with a mouse, like selecting and copying text, is not as easy and convenient on a small touch screen device. Apple tried to provide some convenience over the years with a magnifier, which zooms into text, however, if you’re like me, it’s far from perfect.

This is why I’m excited to show you a new iPhone tip for those of you with 3D Touch Support. With 3D Touch, Apple has made it even easier to work with your text on the screen.

Go to this groovyPost web site and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2tZlsZX

HOW TO VIEW AND DELETE YOUR GOOGLE MAPS HISTORY ON ANDROID AND iPHONE – If you’re anything like me, you use Google Maps a lot. The thing is, it keeps a detailed history of everywhere you’ve been—regardless of whether you’ve used navigation or not. Here’s how to delete that data.

Maps keeps your travel history in a couple of different places: “Your Timeline” and “Maps History.” The former is a very detailed look at everywhere you’ve been, even if you didn’t navigate there (yes, your phone is tracking your every step). The latter, however, is only places that you’ve used navigation to get to. It’s actually kind of confusing that they store this data in two different places, so that’s why we’ll cover both of them.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the step by step with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2vsKTaK

HOW TO ENABLE COLOR FILTERS ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD FOR EASY-ON-THE-EYES READING – On an iPhone or iPad, you can use the “Display Accommodations” accessibility feature to invert the colors on your screen, reduce the brightness of white and bright colors on your screen, and enable color filters designed to aid people with color blindness.

This is different from the Night Shift feature, which blocks blue light for easier reading at night. It works in a similar way, however, adjusting the colors of everything on your iPhone or iPad’s screen.

Go to this How-to Geek website and learn How to Adjust Display Accommodations on your iPad or iPhone. http://bit.ly/2u41xwX

HOW TO SHOW EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFORMATION ON YOUR IPHONE – There’s a good chance you’ll have your phone with you in a medical emergency. That’s why Apple allows you to set a Medical ID that shows your medical conditions, drug allergies, emergency contacts, and organ donor status that anyone can see without unlocking your phone.

This Is No Substitute for a Medical Alert Bracelet

This feature is a great idea, but it’s probably a bad idea to depend on it if there’s crucial information you need paramedics, doctors, or other medical professionals to see in an emergency.

First of all, not everyone knows about this feature, so a doctor or paramedic may not think to check your iPhone for it. Second, it’s possible your phone could become damaged or the battery may die. If you need to communicate this information, it’s probably better to do it in the traditional way: By wearing a medical alert bracelet and recording more information on a card in your wallet.

But, if you’re already wearing such a bracelet—or if you just want to note down a few details, like your emergency contacts and organ donor status—you may want to record this information on your iPhone.

Note that, when you set this up, people will be able to view the medical details you provide from your lock screen without signing in. That’s the whole point! People can access this information even if you’re unconscious.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the procedures, with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2wboNp9

HOW TO STOP TWITTER HIGHLIGHTS FROM PESTERING YOU WITH UNRELATED NOTIFICATIONS – Social networks are always trying to get you to “engage” more with their service and recently, Twitter has introduced a new trick: Highlights notifications.

Highlights are, in theory, content Twitter thinks you’ll want to see because of some secret algorithm. If a few people you follow all share the same link or have a conversation, you might get a notification, like the one below, telling you about it—even if you had no interaction with the tweet yourself.

For the time being, Highlights are only available in the official iOS and Android mobile apps, but they may make their way to the other platforms soon.

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do about Highlights. You can’t turn them off completely. The best you can do is ask Twitter to show them less often and turn off the push notifications. Here’s how to do both.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the procedure with screenshots. http://bit.ly/2uYNplS

HOW TO PROPERLY TEST 911 SERVICES ON YOUR CELL PHONE – Recently, OnePlus owners got a scare when users discovered the new OnePlus 5 would reboot upon trying to call to 911 emergency services. Other Android users then showed up to say the same thing happened to them—many on non-OnePlus phones. The last thing you need is for your phone to not work when you need it most, so here’s the right way to test 911 services on your phone to make sure it actually works.

Before we get into it, however, I want to point out that OnePlus is aware of the 911 issue and is reportedly sending a fix. So, if you’re a OnePlus 5 owner, make sure you always have the latest software. This is exactly why you should always have the latest software on any device you use, regardless of manufacturer. Automatic updates save lives!

But if this whole mess has gotten the ol’ noodle wondering if you’d have that issue on your phone, then the time to address that curiosity isn’t when an emergency happens—it’s right now.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the step-by-step procedure to check out your 911 call from your cell phone. http://bit.ly/2vINtWE

HOW (AND WHY) TO DISABLE 2.4GHz WI-FI ON YOUR NETWORK AND USE 5GHz – Technology is an odd duck: in less than 20 years, Wi-Fi has gone from an amazing (and expensive) luxury to an assumed inclusion in every device you own. And yet, there’s plenty of room for improvement…which is why you should consider disabling the old 2.4GHz band on your home’s Wi-Fi network and using the newer, faster, less crowded 5GHz band exclusively.

Why? Let’s break it down. Go to this How-to Geek website and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2h375Sq

13 SECRET CODES THAT UNLOCK HIDDEN FEATURES ON YOUR PHONE – The USSD protocol allows you to access hidden features you didn’t know about right from your smartphone’s dialer. But there is some trickiness you’ll need to know about.

The USSD protocol allows you to access hidden features you didn’t know about right from your smartphone’s dialer. But there is some trickiness you’ll need to know about.

Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)—sometimes known as “quick codes” or “feature codes”—is an extra-UI protocol, which allows people to access hidden features. This protocol was originally created for GSM phones, but can be found on CDMA devices as well (if that’s a bunch of acronym gibberish to you, here’s a quick primer).

Go to this PCmag Web page and learn about the different codes. http://bit.ly/2w0DVpC

UPDATE YOUR IPHONE, IPAD TO SQUASH DANGEROUS WI-FI BUG – Apple yesterday made a number of security updates to its iOS mobile operating system, including a fix for a Wi-Fi chip vulnerability that could let hackers gain wireless access to iPhones and iPads.

The iOS 10.3.3 update addresses nearly four dozen security flaws, one of which, called “Broadpwn,” lies in the Broadcom Wi-Fi chip used in many iPhones and Android devices. Google announced an Android fix for Broadpwn earlier this month. Apple’s patch is available for the iPhone 5 and later, 4th-generation and later iPads, and the 6th-generation iPod touch.

Go to this cio-today Web page and get the news. http://bit.ly/2gQjjxq

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE IOS 10.3.3 UPDATE – Apple’s finally moved on from iOS 10.3.2 which means the company’s iOS 10.3.3 update is now live for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

The iOS 10.3.3 update isn’t as exciting as the company’s incoming iOS 11 update but it’s still an important release thanks to the bug fixes and two dozen security patches on board.

iOS 10.3.3 is a fairly small update but even the smallest maintenance releases can have a dramatic impact on your device’s performance. The iOS 10.3.3 update is just a few hours old and we’re already hearing about problems plaguing those who decided to download it.

Now that the firmware is officially out, we want to walk you through the most important things to know, right now, about the iOS 10.3.3 update. Let’s start with a quick look at the iOS 10.3.3 update’s performance on two popular iPhone variants, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 5…..

Go to this Gottabemobile Web page and get the important info. http://bit.ly/2tmSwLb

HOW TO INSTALL APPLICATIONS ON A MAC: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW – If you’re switching to macOS from Windows, you might be confused about installing software. Sure, there’s the Mac App Store, but not everything is in there.

If you look for apps outside the store, you’ll find different kinds of installers: DMG files with apps in them, PKG installers, and simple applications inside ZIP archives. It can seem overwhelming, but it’s relatively straightforward once you get the hang of it. Here’s how to install software on your Mac, from the App Store and beyond, and why all these different methods exist.

Go to this How-To Geek Web page and read all about it with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2uQlE1I

GOOGLE’S SEARCH PAGE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE FOREVER – Google’s homepage on the web – which has pretty much always been a sparse white page with a simple logo and search box – is about to become very different, as the company intends to populate it with a personalized newsfeed, Facebook-style.

The new look is set to replicate the Google mobile app, which witnessed the introduction of such a feed for both news and event (appointments, travel info and so forth) updates at the end of last year.

Go to this Techradar Web page and real the news. http://bit.ly/2uiMkoN

APPLE MACBOOK PRO 15-INCH (2017) REVIEW & RATING – This year’s MacBook Pro is similar to last year’s model, adding slight improvements in speed and major battery life improvements to the iconic design. If you’re willing to pay the premium, it’s the best large-screen Apple laptop yet.

Starting Configuration Price $2399.00 Lowest Price$2,299.00

Pros Sturdy, sleek aluminum build. Beautiful display. Four USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3. Excellent Category-leading 15-hour battery life.

Cons Pricey. Competitors offer a 4K screen for less. Only USB-C ports, making adapters for legacy peripherals a requirement. Shallow keyboard.

Bottom Line This year’s MacBook Pro is similar to last year’s model, adding slight improvements in speed and major battery life improvements to the iconic design. If you’re willing to pay the premium, it’s the best large-screen Apple laptop yet.

Go to this PCmag Web page and get all the facts about the new MacBookPro. http://bit.ly/2v5fMi3

CLOUD COMPUTING – GOOGLE BACKUP AND SYNC LETS YOU BACK UP EVERYTHING ON YOUR PC – Whatever digital data you have on whatever device, Google has a new way for automatically backing up those files in the cloud: Backup and Sync. Announced last month, the new backup service, available to anyone with a Google account, combines the capabilities of two previous Google apps: the Mac or PC app for the cloud-based data storage service Google Drive and the desktop uploader Google Photos.

The new Backup and Sync, which Google said yesterday was now live for most users, is an app for both Mac and PC that also backs up data on any device regularly connected to a desktop, including phones, digital cameras, and SD cards. Users can specify which folders on their desktops to automatically and continuously back up, while USB devices and SD cards can be backed up and synced when they’re connected to desktops.

Go to this cio-today Web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2tWlqEw

HOW TO ENABLE MACOS’ DARK MENU BAR AND DOCK – You’ve seen it in screenshots: a black menu bar, and a black dock. How did they do that? If this seems like a magic trick, there’s a reason for that: until Yosemite a few years ago, setting up a black meant employing hard-to-install third party hacks. These days, it’s simple.

Go to this HowtoGeek.com web page and get the step by step with screen shots. http://bit.ly/2vpMw4J

APPLE REPORTEDLY PREPPING A MIRROR-LIKE FINISH FOR THE iPHONE 8 – (tech radar article) – It’s been a busy weekend for iPhone 8 rumors: right off the back of news that the wireless charging tech Apple wants to put in its next handsets might not be ready by September, we’ve got speculation that a special “mirror-like” finish is in the works for the flagship phone.

The tip-off is courtesy of seasoned Apple leaker Benjamin Geskin on Twitter, someone we’d trust more than most when it comes to iPhone info, who says that a source inside the company told him what was in the pipeline.

According to Geskin, four colors are in the way for the iPhone 8, with the others presumably white, black, and rose gold. We should point out that the image above, tweeted out by Geskin, is an older iPhone with a reflective case, but it gives you an idea.

Color us surprised. Previously we’d been expecting up to six colors for the iPhone 8, with red, gold and gray also on the table, but the mirror-like finish is something of a curve ball. It would certainly make the tenth anniversary iPhone stand out from the crowd, including the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus expected to launch alongside it.

We’re just glad to see a rumor that isn’t about whether the Touch ID sensor will be on the front or the back of the iPhone 8, to be honest – a saga of speculation and gossip that feels like it’s been running for the whole year.

Also on the cards for the iPhone 8’s unveiling in September are a bezel-free display, a vertically aligned dual-lens camera with some extra AR smarts, and possibly even a curved screen. We’ve rounded up all the rumors we’ve heard so far into one place for you here.

APPLE RELEASES PUBLIC BETA OF iOS 11: HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW – Several new features stand out in iOS 11, the coming update to Apple’s mobile operating system that became available in public beta yesterday. They include a new keyboard mode for easier one-handed typing, a “Do Not Disturb” feature for driving, and the option to ask digital assistant Siri questions by typing rather than speaking.

Set for general release in September, iOS 11 will be the “biggest software release ever for iPad,” according to Apple. For now, however, the developer preview and public beta are not necessarily “ready for prime time,” so users should expect bugs and avoid downloading the OS onto their primary work or personal devices.

Early reviews of the iOS 11 beta are calling the update “massive,” great,” and “ambitious,” and note the changes are particularly noticeable on the iPad. TechCrunch, for instance, said the operating system “feels like a completely new beast on the iPad.”

Go to this cio-today.com Web page and read about the details. http://bit.ly/2umVItT

HOW TO RECORD A PHONE CALL ON AN iPHONE – So you’ve decided you need to record a phone call. Maybe you’re performing a delicate sting operation…or maybe you just want to make sure you’re getting the best customer service possible. Whatever your reasons, things are a little difficult on an iPhone.

Is Recording Calls Legal? – Before you start recording phone calls, it’s important to know that—depending on where you live—recording phone calls without consent can be illegal. In the US, different states have different laws regarding this. Some states require that both parties consent to the phone call being recorded, while other states only require that one person consents (and that one person can be you). In that case, as long as you’re okay with recording a phone call, the other person doesn’t have to know about it all; that’s perfectly legal if the law allows it.

For more info, you can check out the Digital Media Law Project, which has a ton of info about the legality of recording phone calls and conversations. Go to this How-To-Geek Web page and learn how with step by step and screen shots.
http://bit.ly/2ujprAW

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SILENT, DO NOT DISTURB, AND THEATER MODE ON YOUR APPLE WATCH (and When to Use Each) – Since it was introduced, the Apple Watch has gained a number of different modes, but it’s not immediately clear when to use each. Let’s look at each mode, what it does and doesn’t do, and the best time to use it.

There are now three modes available to Apple Watch users: Silent, Do Not Disturb, and, the newest, Theater—seen in the image above from left to right. All three modes can be toggled on and off by simply swiping up on your Apple Watch face to access the watch’s Control Center and simply tapping on the icon for that mode. Here’s what they do: Go to this How-To Geek Web page and get the facts. http://bit.ly/2sGr9Kw

HOW TO GET THE BEST AMAZON DEALS AND DISCOUNTS – Amazon is synonymous with online shopping, and with good reason. Launched over 20 years ago, the world’s largest retailer now sells nearly every mainstream product throughout all categories with brands ranging from niche sellers to global labels.

At this point, Amazon is the closest thing to a digital one-stop shopping destination; it even sells clothes. The Seattle-based commerce giant has also expanded into food delivery with AmazonFresh; its latest gadget—the Dash Wand—makes it easy for shoppers to add items to their AmazonFresh shopping cart. It’s also testing a drone-based delivery system, dubbed Amazon PrimeAir.

But beyond the novel promotions and gimmicks, Amazon is an incredible option for shoppers of all stripes. There’s so much to choose from, but it can be challenging to find the best prices. To help you streamline the purchasing process, we’ve come up with 12 tips to score better prices and find the products you really want.
Go to this PCmag.com web site to get the 12 tips. http://bit.ly/2sGTWil

AMAZON PRIME DAY 2017 – Everything you need to know about Amazon’s shopping extravaganza. Prime Day, Amazon’s summer shopping event, is back for its third appearance. On Monday, July 10, Amazon will offer deals for 30 hours on more than 100,000 products on its sites around the world. Bargain hunters can track all the action via the company’s Prime Day landing page.

To keep Prime Day important to consumers, Amazon is giving people a reason to shop—and that’s by offering more deals, better deals, and higher stock of the best deals. For those reasons, we expect to again see some good buys this year and a general improvement on sale prices compared to last year. Here’s what you need to know about the day, and how to prepare.
o to this PCworld.com web site and read all about it. http://bit.ly/2sApGdA

WHAT ARE MDS AND MDWORKER, AND WHY ARE THEY RUNNING ON MY MAC? – While checking out Activity Monitor, you noticed a couple of processes you don’t recognize: mds and mdworker. Neither have an icon, and they seem to be running constantly. Don’t worry, they’re harmless.

This article is part of How-to Geek’s ongoing series explaining various processes found in Activity Monitor, like kernel_task, hidd, installd, and many others. Don’t know what those services are? Better start reading!

The two processes are part of Spotlight, the macOS search tool. The first, mds, stands for metadata server. This process manages the index used to give you quick search results. The second, mdworker, stands for metadata server worker. This does the hard work of actually indexing your files to make that quick searching possible. Go to this Howtogeek.com website and read the whole story. http://bit.ly/2tfYos4

APPLE IMAC 27-INCH WITH 5K RETINA DISPLAY (2017) REVIEW & RATING – The newest 27-inch Apple iMac is a gorgeous machine with a brilliant display and a handful of modern upgrades at an appealing price. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s the best version of the iMac to date. Go to this groovypost.com web site and read about the newest Mac 27 Inch. http://bit.ly/2tg8sBq

iOS 11 RELEASE DATE, NEWS AND FEATURES – Update: The iOS 11 release date is here – now anyone who wants to test out the public beta can get the latest version of Apple’s mobile software.

You can download it in its unfinished form, or wait for Apple’s final release, which we’re expecting later in the year (around the end of September).

New iOS 11 features are transforming your iPhone and iPad, and Apple’s update is either out now or three months away, depending on who you are.

It’s an especially big upgrade for the iPad. Apple’s tablet becomes a possible laptop replacement (for some people) with revamped iOS multitasking. Both the iPad and iPhone get a much-needed Control Center reorganization, too. Go to this techradar.com web page and see what is expected with iOS 11. http://bit.ly/2tRRyHe

WILL APPLE’S NEW iOS 11 CAR SAFETY FEATURES HELP US HELP OURSELVES – This year at the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) Apple announced some significant changes to the way the iPhone will behave while its user is driving. The new Car Safety features in iOS 11 arrive in response to increased pressure from the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, which has urged Apple and other cellphone manufacturers to develop safeguards to reduce death and injury attributed to distracted driving. Distracted driving has been an issue in at least some capacity for over 20 years without much response at the developer level. Distraction related accidents, whether involving gadgets or otherwise, killed nearly 3,500 people in 2015, according to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, with 391,000 lesser injuries. Read more at: https://www.iphonelife.com/content/will-apples-new-ios-11-car-safety-features-help-us-help-ourselves

APPLE RELEASES FOURTH IOS 10.3.3 BETA FOR IPHONE AND IPAD – Go to this 9to5mac.com website and read all the news. http://bit.ly/2sZipUr

APPLE UPDATES ALL iMACS WITH IMPROVED DISPLAYS, KABY LAKE PROCESSORS, AND MORE – Apple detailed new iMac hardware at the WWDC 2017 (Worldwide Developers Conference). Apple previously promised new iMac hardware for later this year, although a WWDC reveal was not totally expected. The new hardware includes improved Retina displays, Kaby Lake processors, and upgraded memory and storage options.

Kaby Lake is the codename used by Intel for a processor microarchitecture which was announced on August 30, 2016. Kaby Lake is produced using a 14-nanometer manufacturing process technology. Breaking with Intel’s previous “tick-tock” manufacturing and design model, it represents the optimized step of the newer “process-architecture-optimization” model.

The new machines include both USB-A and USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports on the back I/O. Updates are available for the 21.5-inch non-Retina machine as well as the 4K iMac and 5K iMac.

Apple has specifically described the new 27-inch iMac as designed for VR (Virtual Reality) development thanks in part to new GPU (graphics processing unit) upgrades. Included in the presentation is a demonstration of virtual reality gameplay driven by a new iMac paired with a VR headset.

Go to this 9to5mac.com website and see a graphics display of the new iMac hardware. http://bit.ly/2t0epTo

THE 50 BEST MAC TIPS, TRICKS AND TIMESAVERS – All the awesome things you forgot your Mac could do. Everyone knows that Apple’s Mac computers are nothing without their sublime software. But moving from Windows or Linux, adapting to macOS is easier said than done. One quick look at how files and applications are organized and you may be tempted to turn back to your old OS.

Fortunately, you can rest easy knowing that, as Mac experts, we at techradar know the ins and outs of Apple’s desktop operating system. And, in no time at all, you will too. Now, head to the App Store and make sure all your updates are installed so that we can go over all the top Mac tips up to the latest macOS Sierra.

This is neither a formal nor an exhaustive list; we’ve simply put our heads together to gather the 50 best Mac tips, tricks and timesavers that might have passed you by. Go to http://bit.ly/2sv2f3O for all the awesome tips.

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