I lean toward simple, puzzle-based challenges that grow in complexity with each level when it comes to iPhone gaming. Angry Birds not only fits that category; it defines it. But if you’re looking for a catapult-style game without the birds, we’ve got you covered. Read more »
When Lion first came out, transitioning from Spaces to Mission Control was a big change for me. If you’re looking to take some control back from Mission Control in order to make things feel a little more like how they were before, here are some tips. Read more »
Competition is certainly heating up in the realm of turn-by-turn navigation apps. There are lots to choose from for your iOS device, including many big names in navigation. But are the biggest names also the best? I took a look at the field to find out. Read more »
Sometimes you need a plain old phone more than you need a smartphone. But with all the activities and apps you have running on your iPhone, your battery may not hold out when you need it most. Here’s how to help make sure it does. Read more »
The truly unique gem of iTunes is not its music, movies, television, books, podcasts or apps. It’s the collection university lecture series on iTunes U. With more than 350,000 lectures from more than 800 institutions, there’s definitely something out there for everyone to learn. Read more »
Podcasts have become a good way for cord cutters to get up to date info in lieu of broadcast news or TV shows. Thanks to the Apple TV, bringing them into the living room is a piece of cake. Here are two ways to do it. Read more »
Preview is definitely one of the under-appreciated gems of OS X. Preview actually has two main uses. One for graphics and photos, and another specific to PDFs. There are certain very handy capabilities in Preview that are only available when working with PDF files. Read more »
Keeping track of where you’ve taken photos is not as easy as you might think. Your iPhone automatically geotags images, but most digital cameras aren’t GPS enabled. You can manually add the data, but there’s a better way to do it automatically in batches. Read more »
One thing that iTunes has over Spotify’s online music service is its wireless connectivity to the Apple TV. But it is actually possible to get the same kind of connectivity with Spotify, and use it from any room in your house. Here’s how. Read more »
It’s easier to explain what AirDrop is by first explaining what it isn’t. It’s not Dropbox, with which it is often compared. It is not a replacement for file sharing services across the Internet. It’s more like a close range transporter (Star Trek-style) for files. Read more »
After upgrading to Lion on my early 2008 15″ MacBook Pro, I started to notice that the computer was hot to the touch. Really hot. So I started measuring the internal temperature of my Macs to see if there was anything to be truly alarmed about. Read more »
There are times when your Mac will just start misbehaving. Video settings getting reset, fans start running at full speed, and more. This often happens after an upgrade like Lion. There are many possible fixes, but if everything fails, try resetting your PRAM or SMC. Read more »
The wait is over. Lion is here. But are you (and your Mac) prepared? Here are five things you need to really, really need to do before you upgrade to Mac OS 10.7 (and links on how to do them). Read more »
When you’re getting ready for a major OS upgrade — say, from Snow Leopard to Lion — it helps to know the exact specs of the Mac that you have. Here’s a simple way to figure it out, plus a list of resources to get additional help. Read more »
After reading through the description and reviews of over twenty fireworks apps, I tried out a little over a dozen of the best to come up with a few good choices for your Independence Day festivities, including some games and fireworks alternatives. Read more »
If you want to shop for real-world goods, you’ll often give your business to the store that offers the best shopping experience, price and convenience of location being equal. Which is why I do my iPhone app shopping on the iPad. Read more »
Almost every car stereo available today has some way to connect to your Apple devices, but Pioneer is looking at even tighter integration with Apple’s iOS devices through custom-built apps that leverage services like Pandora. Here are my impressions of one such stereo. Read more »
As more and more people browse the web with their iOS devices, website owners would do well to prepare their devices for mobile access. Part of that is creating an icon that will look good on an iPhone home screen. Read more »
When you establish a secure passcode on your iPad, the expectation is that it locks out potential snoops. But if someone has access to both your Mac and your iPad, that isn’t the case. Here’s how to go an extra step further with iPad security. Read more »
Google hasn’t made nearly as many native apps for the iPad as it has for the iPhone, so you can probably count Google among those who think a web-based, cross-platform solution is just as good as an app for tablets. Luckily, third-party developers don’t agree. Read more »
Apple failed to update iWeb in its latest iLife refresh, and at last week’s keynote at WWDC, there was no mention of hosting support in iCloud. Here are some alternative strategies for those who were using Apple as their web hosting solution. Read more »
Innovation is best measured by the disruption it causes, and Apple sure has been disruptive this week. OS X Lion being offered only via digital distribution is perhaps the most noteworthy example, but here are a few more that are nearly as pertinent. Read more »
Apple showed its hand today during the WWDC keynote, and the company is clearly all-in on a cloud-based mobile future. In fact, in many ways it looks a lot like the approach Android has taken, but in fact, Apple’s strategy couldn’t be more different. Read more »
The next version of OS X will also be sold only through the Mac App Store. This is yet another step away from traditional media distribution as Apple will effectively be cutting out other means of software distribution like Amazon. Read more »
There’s nothing quite like attending Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco at the Moscone Center. Hearing first-hand about new tech from the engineers that built it is amazing. Here’s what lucky attendees should do to make the most of next week. Read more »
One of the best new features in Apple’s updated iWork suite for iPhone and iPad is the ability to control a Keynote presentation on your iPad using your iPhone. Here’s how to do it, and what you’ll need to make it work. Read more »
Apple’s iWork suite of Apps are now available on the iPhone and iPod touch. With the exception of GarageBand, that makes all of Apple’s iWork and iLife iOS apps universal. Here’s how the iPhone versions stack up to their larger-screen counterparts. Read more »
Out of the box, Apple has you covered on your iPad 2 with FaceTime for video chat. But if all you want to do is replicate a phone connection, Google Voice and two native iOS apps may be just what you’re looking for. Read more »
In-app purchases, though somewhat of a controversy at the moment, are definitely a hit with mobile gamers and developers alike. But if you think feeding a game money for a shot at reaching the next level is new, consider the glory days of the arcade. Read more »
Last year, I wrote about how the iPhone was still the best development platform. A lot can change in a year, especially in tech, but here’s why iOS still the best platform for smartphone development, even as Android passes it in terms of activations. Read more »
In a disc-less age, what is a disk burning platform to do besides re-invent itself? The challenge is which way to steer your product. In the case of Roxio and its market-leading disc burning tool Toast, that direction points down two different paths. Read more »
Mothers are getting more and more tech savvy. It is more than a little likely that flowers, candy and a trip to the spa will soon be replaced by apps, digital media, and pre-paid online services. Here are some gift ideas along those lines. Read more »
In light of recent events regarding the security of online password managers, it’s worth a look at some of the alternatives out there, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Here’s a look at the three best iPhone, iPad and Mac password managers money can buy. Read more »
If you’re looking for a way to use your existing iMac, in an effort to justify purchasing a new one, look no further than the bare spot on your wall. It all starts with Apple’s VESA Mount Adapter Kit or the third-party iMac Wall Mount. Read more »
There will come a time when you realize that you want to get something off of your iPhone, and yet you don’t have access to the Mac your normally sync with, or your Mac’s HD has failed. Don’t worry, you can still reach your iPhone’s data. Read more »
There are definitely some great tools for the iPad to help solidify your app concept from a more abstract point of view. Looking at the more tangible side of visual design, I’ve found the following tools available in the Mac App Store to be quite helpful. Read more »
One of the biggest changes that came as a result of the introduction of the iPad and iPhone was in the way developers design and develop software. And this change appears to have a much farther reaching impact than you might have imagined. Read more »
In the latest earnings call, Apple COO Tim Cook reiterated that the Mac-maker has paid out over $2 billion to developers. That’s an impressive number, but how much of that app revenue is actually making its way to the average developer? Read more »
Besides being just a catchy name that people can easily remember, what makes a domain name valuable is the content behind it, and MobileMe is a good repository for that content. Here’s how to connect your GoDaddy-registered name to your MobileMe site. Read more »
When Cisco announced its decision to shut down its recently-acquired Flip portable camera division yesterday, I couldn’t help feeling that it was somewhat premature. In fact, it was actually my healthy stock of Apple devices and iOS apps that led me to feel this way. Read more »
