Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Apple's iPhone Battery 'Slowdown' to be Optional

iPhone

Apple is making the feature to slowdown the battery on iPhone an optional


After dealing with huge backlash for slowing down the iPhone Apple has decided to bring new software which will make this feature optional. This update will effectively result in switching off the “battery saver” feature which was the major cause of slowing down some of the Apple models. This option will be made available in the following smartphone models namely iPhone 6+, 6 Plus along with the S editions as well as smaller iPhone SE model. This would also be applicable for the iPhone 7 and 7Plus editions.

Apple has to deal with huge backlash month for slowing down the smartphones deliberately and it has apologized for the same. Customers and fans were angry with the Apple for not accepting this fault and before its discovery were made. Over the years it was suspected that Apple used to deliberately slow down some of its devices in order to push the need to upgrade.

Apple has maintained that it has slowed down some of the phones due to their ageing batteries and it was done in a bid to prolong the life of the iPhone devices. Users will get the ability to get rid of the battery performance throttling on these models with upcoming iOS 11.3 software update. With this update users will get the ability to switch off the battery saver on their iPhone. Apple has asserted that battery saver feature was designed to ringing dynamic management of the resources on the iPhone to offer maximum performance in order to prevent any kind of unexpected shutdowns.

Apple understands that its battery management code will remain under close scrutiny by the computer engineers, fans and tech enthusiasts in the upcoming days. Therefore Apple will be showing more information related to the battery and any kind of the path to the code will be displayed instantly.

Drop in price for the battery replacement


Simply by replacing the battery on their iPhone, users will be able to get same old performance without any issues. Apple has stated that it will be lowering the price for the out-of-warranty batter replacement service from hefty $79 to just $29. This price drop is available for the iPhone users in the US territory and it is applicable for devices like iPhone 6 and later models. Similarly in UK Apple has lowered the price from £79 to £25. A number of tech enthusiasts has complained that the issue related to the battery performance issue is quite rampant across the varied iPhone variants present in the market and it is a cause of concerns for millions of users worldwide.

As the long standing myth Apple deliberately goes on slowing down it older devices in order to boost the sales of the new one has been busted. Apple has come under scrutiny of the regulators, fans and customers therefore it is actively indulging in offering as many options as possible to enhance their battery performance on the iPhone models.

Monday, January 29, 2018

Why You Should Invest in a Blog for Your Website

Are you looking for a way to start generating more traffic to your website? Maybe you have seen a dip in traffic due to search engine algorithm changes or you have generally struggled to maintain the numbers of visitors you want? There are so many different marketing strategies out there to try but you don’t want to waste time on ones that won’t get results. You want to make sure you are investing your time in marketing techniques that are going to help you to achieve your business goals. You want to increase your website traffic and drive more conversions.

If you haven’t already tried blogging as a marketing strategy, the first question is -why not? Websites with a blog tend to have 434% more indexed pages and more indexed pages mean that your website will perform better in organic search results. If your website features higher up in search results then you are going to get more website visitors. Just make sure that your web hosting plan will be able to support increased levels of traffic before you start. Most shared web hosting plans often include “unlimited” bandwidth but we all know that’s a false promise!

Attracting blog readers

Blogging also allows you to provide expertise on subjects that people search for, which are related to your business. For example, if you run a hair salon, a good way of attracting visitors to your website might be to write a blog on how to copy a celeb’s hairstyle or covering different hair trends that are emerging in the industry.

Or if you are a builder, you could do a regular blog providing tips on smaller DIY jobs like tiling. Once you have attracted them to your site with your expertise, you have the opportunity to showcase your services. So they might have a look at an extension you recently completed or a new kitchen that you fitted. Or they may decide that tiling is actually too difficult for them to do themselves and contact your company to do it instead. Creating useful blogs will enable you to build up authority – recognition that you know what you are talking about and that people find your website to be of great use.

Whatever type of industry you work in, blogging is one of the best ways to generate organic traffic to your website. Also, if you add social media sharing buttons onto your blog, when you write something that someone really appreciates, they might share it with their friends on Facebook, Twitter etc. That means that your audience reach increases and more people might start following your blog, looking out for your useful tips and advice.

Interaction and engagement with audience

You can also open up comments on your blog to enable a two-way communication with your website visitors. Maybe there is an issue with your website that is stopping people from contacting you, or a user is struggling to find a specific product, they can use the comments to raise this. Or they might want you to go into more detail about a specific topic, enabling you to reply to them and start building that relationship.

They might suggest another topic for your next blog that would help them and many other people. You might not have any idea that people need help with a specific task unless they ask you. Then that could open up a huge opportunity if there is a big demand for people to learn about your next blog topic.

One thing that sometimes puts people off blogging is that they think it takes up too much time. It doesn’t have to take up hours of your day, most blogs are around 600-1000 words long which shouldn’t take too long if you already have an idea of what you want to cover.

If writing isn’t your strong point or you really don’t have the time, then you can always employ a freelance writer to do it for you. You can provide them with some bullet points of what you want to cover and they will write the blog for you. Or you can simply ask them to research the topic themselves and produce a blog. There are lots of ways to get a blog created, so don’t worry if you’re not a wordsmith or you don’t have the time to write your own blogs.

HomePod Apple Smart Speaker: Features, Release Date And Everything We Know

Everything you need to know about the Apple HomePod


We have been waiting long for the Apple’s HomePod as it makes its debut about six months ago. In June Apple unveiled its very first smart speaker in a bid to give a stiff competition to the ever popular Amazon’s Echo speaker but apple has been quite shy to bring to the market by postponing the launch date again and again. Apple HomePod worked just like any other smart speaker where it brings a wireless audio experience powered with the voice control offered with the help of Siri. Apple promised that it will bring a premium sound experience which will be coupled with the enhanced voice-control functionality with Siri support resulting in a much better experience than the Amazon Echo speaker. Being an Apple product it is designed to work seamlessly with the Apple Music along with some advanced features like smart home integration, multi-room audio as well as voice messaging.

Apple HomePod Key features you would love


Apple is coming quite late into the category of smart home speaker which is led solely by Amazon with its Echo and Echo dot models. Now the major competitor for HomePod includes the Alexa powered Echo series made by Amazon and the Google’s very own Home speakers. Apple has spent a huge time with several of years of research and development in order to come up with its own version of the smart speaker. It had given two years of free reign to the Amazon while it kept on developing the smartphone therefore it will come with a premium price tag along with some cool features baked right into the smart speaker.

HomePod becomes the first smart speaker from Apple which gets powered by Siri. Apple has baked in a number of features based its voice and smartphone assistant Siri into this smart speaker in a bid to give competition to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Siri will allow users to send messages, play a podcast, set a timer or even check the news. Furthermore it will allow users to link a wide range of HomeKit smart home tech appliances with it to turn it a true smart home. Apple has brought the HomeKit ability right into the smart speaker to bring the function of controlling multiple devices or home accessories by simply saying “Hey Sir, I am Home”. You can turn on and off the lights, set up the temperature and perform other smart home automation right by speaking to the HomePod.

Finally the wait is over for the Apple fans


The HomePod will be making its available for pre-order on January 26 in the UK and it will be realizing worldwide on 9the February 2018. A number o fans had gone ahead and waiting whole night for the HomePod sales to begin but they were left disappointed. Apple had announced it at the WWDC developers conference in June but it kept getting delayed from November to December then finally to New Year. Apple has priced the HomePod at just $319 in the US while in UK it will cost around £ 319.

Friday, January 26, 2018

The Cool Stuff in iOS 11.3

The iOS 11.3 beta version has just been released recently with a lot of cool stuff for developers to check out. No one expected the .3 version of the OS to contain a lot of improvements to the overall OS. Besides the smoothing up of edges and giving everything a more polished feel, Apple has also gone the extra step in introducing a lot more features than before in iOS 11.3.

Besides the basic fixes and patches, Apple has also introduced a new animoji, a fix for that battery fiasco and AR upgrades. Apple iOS 11.3 will be available for iPhone 5 and upwards.

That Battery Fiasco and iOS 11.3: 

So a while back Apple had to disclose a feature that makes your IPhone’s processing slower due to an ageing battery, Apple had to apologize for secretly doing this and now has released a way to take control of your own battery through iOS 11.3.

As of iOS 11.3 you can switch off this battery feature or check out your battery’s health by going to Settings>Battery. With iOS 11.3 your IPhone will inform you if you need a battery swap and for a limited period only, and by that I mean a year, you can get a battery swap at just $29.

Adding more to AR with iOS 11.3: 

Although Apple’s ARKit can do a lot, it still had some limitations in that you couldn’t add stuff in vertical terms. You could add for example a sofa against a wall but you couldn’t stand a cabinet against the wall.

Now all that is changed in iOS 11.3. The newer version of iOS can not only recognize vertical spaces but also oddly shaped items as well. Besides this, the ARKit can now also recognize pictures or posters and give out AR content.

More Animojis and iOS 11.3: 

Users with an IPhone X may be aware of animojis, the floating avatar that you can control with your face when you want to send those emotion filled messages.

With iOS 11.3, Apple has added a few more to the floating avatar group, namely a dragon, a skull, a lion and a bear.

Once deleted Stays Deleted in iOS 11.3: 

In iOS 11.3 you can now read and delete your messages from any Apple device and what’s more is that if you delete a message from your laptop then it will be deleted across all other Apple devices as well.

Introducing business chat in iOS 11.3: 

iOS 11.3 is also introducing business chat where you can chat with businesses on business chat instead of phoning them or looking them up online for any enquiries. You can even stop chats whenever you like and you don’t even have to send your personal info to them.

All your medical records in one place: 

Visiting a number of doctors and hospitals all requires you to make several folders and whats more is that you have to lug these medical files to every doctor visit you make. With iOS 11.3 all that is in the past with all your medical files stored in one location.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

5 ways to adapt your online store in 2018

The new year has arrived, and with it comes an opportunity for change. So, take a look at your online store – what can be done to elevate it into the future? These five ways to adapt it will ensure it strives in 2018 and the years ahead.

Is your hosting provider good enough? 

Think about how your store is doing. Are you receiving more and more traffic as time goes on? Are you unhappy with the reliability and/or support of your hosting provider? If so, it might be time to reconsider. Begin the year with a new hosting provider that fulfils your demands and meets your needs.

Shared hosting is ideal for small online stores, as highlighted by Ecommerce Guide, but if your store is beginning to grow bigger, it may be time to make that step up and invest in a dedicated server. It’ll cope better with larger audiences, with faster speed times and a much lower risk of any downtime.

Ensure your design is set for the future

One of, if not the most effective way of getting customers to stick around on your store is through its design. Consider your store’s ease of access – can customers find their way around easily? Or are vital links and features hidden behind a garish, difficult design?

Although it’s good to be independent and innovative, look at competitors to see where their designs succeed. Flat design is often the way forward and looks to be so for the significant future, so ensure your online store brings your products and services to the forefront, with a minimal design to prevent any distractions or confusion.

Think about mobile browsing

Online shopping via mobile is becoming more popular than ever, and so it’s important your mobile design is just as forward-thinking and easy to use as the desktop version. 62% of e-commerce shoppers used their mobile phones to make purchases in the last six months, which means it’s definitely a priority.

Upon mobiles, online stores should be quick, simple and striking, bringing the product to the forefront and omitting any unnecessary steps – the process from browsing to buying should be minimal and fast. As handheld devices begin to overtake desktops, it’s important to be prepared.
Consider changes in the market

Make sure you remain vigilant and prepared for any shifts or changes in the market. Trends often change and phases of popularity for certain products can be short-lived, and so it’s crucial you remain a frontrunner and get ahead of the competition – innovation is key. Observe the market and be prepared for the tides of new demands and expiring products, and be prepared to reinvent and introduce new ideas to keep customers coming back. Remember – if you’re not forward-thinking, they’ll likely end up looking elsewhere.

Employ new levels of security

Hackers and attackers are always finding new ways to breach the security of online stores, so make sure you’re prepared for any eventuality. Ensure your security is top-level – especially when dealing with a large number of customers – as confidential details could easily be discovered should an attack be successful.

SQL injection is a common threat in e-commerce, but thankfully there are many methods of prevention that’ll protect you from any harm. This is crucial – should a customer fall victim to a hack, they’ll likely never shop with you again.

Do you have any more tips for adapting an online store for the future ahead? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

The Battle of the Voice Assistants: Google Assistant or Alexa

The recent CES saw a lot of new and innovative products, but most importantly we are now seeing trends where various gadgets whether it is house hold gadgets or otherwise, are adopting voice assistants into the mix. A common standard against which to measure performance of a voice assistant is how many products come with a particular voice assistant.

Currently there are many voice assistants out there, but the more prosperous of the lot seems to be the ones made by Amazon and the Google voice assistant. So who will take the lead in being the best voice assistant out there?
  
The Battle Between Alexa and Google Assistant Begins…
  
Talking of house hold appliances, at the recent CES Amazon’s Alexa has been inserted into a bathroom mirror whereby you can pass commands to the other house hold appliances through Kohler Konnect.

At the CES a number of products have built in voice assistants which you guessed right- Alexa and Google assistant being at the forefront.

Many smart speakers have a built in Google assistant like JBL, Altec Lansing and LG. Apart from speakers two leading TV brands have also adopted the Google assistant which are Sony and LG.

Getting into cars is another place where you’ll find the Google assistant courtesy of the new android auto.
  
YouTube Between Alexa and Google Assistant:
  
A little set- back for Amazon’s Alexa is that Google has recently blocked Alexa powered echo Show devices from YouTube. While this might be a deal breaker for some, Alexa is still ploughing on with house hold appliances such as fridges that dictate recipes to you while you cook, to bathroom mirrors that can control your other appliances.

In other news, Whirlpool remains non –committal when it comes to the best voice assistant out there. The users are given a chance to pick their favorite voice assistant on their microwave and/or oven appliances.

One of the most talked about gadgets at the CES this year has been the $1000 Vuzix smart glasses and these too feature Amazon’s Alexa to browse through the net for you.

  
So who’s the Winner?
  
While some say that hands down Amazon’s Alexa is the winner, others are a little dubious about the same.

Amazon is a long way off when it comes to countries outside Europe and the US; this may slow down its progress as compared to the Google assistant. The Google assistant too has more language support as compared to Alexa giving it a head start in world markets.

For now voice assistants are a novelty to a great many and while Google and Amazon do have their loyal fan base getting others to use voice assistants and their advantages stills remains a challenge.
What about other company’s voice assistants?

Coming to Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and Samsung’s Bixby, all seem a far way off when it comes to the reigning champions Alexa and Google assistant.

But you got to hand it out to Samsung for remaining loyal to its own voice assistant by seeing bixby into its fridges, TVs and Smartphones.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Intel, ARM and AMD Chip Scare: What You Need to Know

chip
In recent news Google’s team Zero team has come out with a report that shows that hackers could potentially get through to your personal data through a fundamental fault in chips.

Coming at a not so great time for the industry with the consumer electronics trade show only a few days away, this scare about a security flaw has put the world on pins. With 1.5 billion users having laptops and desktop computers, the security flaw is far reaching and could be potentially very damaging.

What is the security Flaw about? 

Researchers have discovered that flaws in CPUs or to be more precise the chips that do most of the processing, seem to have gaps that allow or could allow hackers to gain access to a user’s most private data such as credit card passwords. These chips that are most susceptible to hacking are the Intel, ARM and AMD chips.

The security flaws are mainly of two categories. Meltdown is one of the security flaws that affect desktops, laptops and internet servers running on an Intel chip. The more far reaching of the security flaws is spectre that could affect smartphones, tablets as well as PCs running on any of the three chips that is Intel, ARM and AMD.

Also coming under the purview of the security flaw is any computer or device connected to the cloud, too can be susceptible to an attack.

How serious is this Security Flaw to be taken? 

The security flaw is no doubt far reaching, however, there have not been any reported cases of people taking advantage of this security flaw at present.

This is not to say that with the news being divulged of such a security flaw, there won’t be people out there who are going to look out for loopholes to get to user’s personal data.

The most important thing for users to do at present is to ensure that their systems are up to date with the latest update and any third party security packs should also be updated at the earliest.

Safeguarding against the Security Flaw: 

The news about the security flaw was already known to tech experts at least 6 months prior to when the issue has come out. This has given them ample time to develop patches and fixes for the security flaw.

All users no matter what the device should install the latest update as soon as possible to protect their data from any potential threats.

Effects of downloading the patches: 

Downloading the patches, as researchers have discovered, will likely slow down performance by at least 30%. Intel has rubbished the claims saying that they are exaggerated and any performance slowdown will be mainly work related.

With the CES coming up shortly, researchers are worried about how news of the security flaw is likely to affect sales of products on display.

News of the security flaw has revealed a fundamental flaw in the way that chips are made which will now require a complete rethinking of how chips are to be developed.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

How to Customize Your MacBook: More than 15 Great Ways to Do It Quickly

MacBook
For years, Apple has evolved towards an increasingly minimalist user interface. Inexactly, macOS works especially well, but I could make use of some modifications. By customizing some settings you can make MacBook work even better for you.

If you are wondering if there are great ways to customize your MacBook, then this is the article that you must submerge. You can quickly modify the look and feel of your Mac. Learn how to modify your Mac, adjusting your preferences to your personal taste.

How to Quickly Customize the Appearance of Your MacBook


It's a good idea to customize a MacBook, to make it yours. There are even websites devoted entirely to thematizing MacBook. Instead of using third-party tools to get different appearances, I'll show you what Apple already provides.

In this tutorial, we will be using the current version of the operating system, macOS 10.12 Sierra. You will find that the principles are the same for whatever version you are using, although with slight differences. Now let's play with some great ways to customize the Mac's visual settings.

1. Automatically modify the screensaver every few hours, or days


When it comes to computer metaphors, I've always struggled with the concept of putting a screensaver on the desktop. I guess changing the housecloth does not have the same effect in MacBook.

To change the screensaver, go to the System Preferences> Desktop and Screensaver. You can also reach the same site by pressing the Apple symbol, in the upper left of the menu bar, or by pressing Command / Space to open Spotlight and enter Desktop to find the preferences.

Once you have selected a screensaver image, you will have the option to change it automatically in MacBook. You can also configure how often it will change. Click on the box to place a mark in the Change Image box: and use the drop-down menu to select the desired interval.

If you prefer, it is possible to make the images on the desktop background show in a random order. Press the check mark to activate the Random Order.

To keep things organized, use a specific folder in iPhoto to save the images from the desktop background in MacBook. The Desktop and Screensaver panel is always kept up to date, so you will not have to worry about adding a new image when you download it.

On the other hand, you can use any folder on the MacBook, as long as it contains more than one image.

2. Use Active Corners to Show Screen Savers and Other Things


From the MacBook Desktop and Screen Saver preferences panel, press the Screen Saver tab to see the options for them. Down on the right there is a button called Active Corners ...

Active Corners is a macOS system feature that allows you to use the four corners of the screen to invoke certain actions, as indicated by its name. It could be to launch a screensaver, open LaunchPad, the Notification Center or anything else.

Move the mouse to the defined corner to activate the feature.

3. Add Separators to the Dock


Your MacBook dock may end up crowded with a host of application icons. If this happens to you, adding a space between the icons makes sense.

The spacers added by this command are invisible "tiles" that can be easily removed, if necessary, by dragging them from the dock to the outside.

To enable the empty tile, open the Terminal and enter the following command:

defaults write.com.apple.dockl persisent-apps – array-add '{“tile-type”=”spacer- tile”;}'; killall Dock

Once the command has been executed in MacBook, the dock disappears for a moment and it will be loaded again with an invisible tile to create the space.

The invisible tile can be dragged along the dock to place it where you need to create more space between icons, or drag it from the dock to the desktop to eliminate it if you no longer need it.

 

4. Change the Color Scheme of the MacBook OS System


If you prefer to highlight the text so that it has a different color than the default blue, open the System Preferences> General and change the Color of Enhancement: to another color.

Along with the eight colors of the menu, you can use the Other ... option to select any color from the selector.

There is another Appearance option here that changes the buttons, menus, and windows of all applications to a more monochrome option called Graphite. Blue and graphite are the only options, so if you like a very hard look and without those colorful buttons to close, minimize and increase located in the bars of the windows, they will be your preferred options.

5. Add Extension to the MacBook Dock, Hide it and Change its Position


By default, the Mac dock does not jump as you may have seen on other MacBook. That's because the increase is not enabled.

To enable it, press the Apple symbol, at the top left of the menu bar, select Dock, and press Activate Enlargement.

This menu also gives you the possibility to hide the dock, which is useful to maximize the screen space in your MacBook, especially in small screen laptops. When it is hidden, you can show the dock by moving the cursor to the part of the screen where it resides.

You can change the location of the dock and place it on the left or right side of the screen. The appearance of the dock will also change if you move it to the sides; its appearance is more two-dimensional and reminiscent of the one I had in OS X Tiger.

How to Customize the Menu Bar on Your MacBook


Many people do not get all the advantages of using the menu bar. Some applications use extra information, but there are other really creative things you can do with the information there. Let's take a look at some great ways to customize the Menu Bar on your MacBook.

6. Add Seconds and Date to Time


It is possible to display more than just the time in the menu bar. Click on the current time and select Open the Preferences panel "Date and Time" to expand them. In the main tab you will find a place to adjust the Date and Time.

If it is correct, go to the Clock tab. Change the time options from Digital to Analog, and activate to your liking the boxes Show the time with the seconds, Blinking of the separators, Use clock of 24 hours, Show the indicators of a.m. /p.m., Show the day of the week, Show date in the menu bar and Announce the time in quarter intervals, half hours or full hours.

MacBook OS has many great hidden options to show the time. It is useful to have the date in the menu bar, and the seconds can be useful if you want to be punctual. Do not forget that you can change the format of the date in the Language and Region panel. I'll talk about this later.

7. Add the Battery Percentage and Life Time


If you have a MacBook and the battery indicator in the menu bar is only an icon, you will need to change this to see more information. When it's plugged in, press and select Show Percentage to give you a reading of the current charging status. Then unplug the charging adapter from the MacBook and test that the indicator works as expected.

Note: There used to be an option to show how long the battery could last with current usage, but it has been removed from Mountain Lion. If you are using an earlier version of OS X, press the battery icon and look for this option.

In any case, there is a small utility called Battery Time Remaining that tells you how much time it will take to deplete it. It is available on GitHub.

8. Change the Action when Inserting a CD or DVD


You may not always want a DVD player to open when you insert a video disc into your MacBook, if you still have a reading unit.

To change this behavior, open the CD and DVD panel in the System Preferences. Click on any function you want to modify and select "Open another application ..." Or, to completely deactivate the function, select Ignore.

You can even Run a Script ... if you have a custom function.

9. Adjust Spotlight Searches and How They Are Ordered


Maybe you have some private files that you do not need to list when you do searches. If so, you can exclude them from the Spotlight query system. Here is how to do it:

Open System Preferences in your MacBook and click Spotlight Click on the Privacy tab

Press the + button to add a folder or a whole disc that you do not want to be shown You can also adjust the way in which Spotlight displays the search results. On the Search Results tab, deselect any category you do not want to see, or drag them to sort them in your preferred order. Here you can also change the keyboard shortcut for Spòtlight.

10. Change the Default Dictionary in Your MacBook


The Apple Dictionary application is one of the most useful tools on the MacBook. It is simple and does your job well.

Although, if you're like me, you'll like to look up words in a real English dictionary: the British. To enable an alternative language in the app, go to the Preferences window and check the box you want to have in the main window.

There are ten dictionaries and thesauri included in the MacBook, and two of them are more resources than dictionaries, the Apple dictionary and Wikipedia.

11. Change the Application Icons on Your MacBook


If you are really determined to customize your MacBook and do your things, it is even possible to change the icons of the applications. There are utilities for this, but the process of changing the icon of an application manually on your MacBook is quite simple.
  • Select the .png or .jpeg icon and open it with Preview. Press Edit, Select All, then copy the selection. The usual .png files do not work because they do not always have transparent backgrounds.
  • Find the application you want to modify, select it, and click Get Info. You can also press the key combination Command-I.
  • It's the small icon in the upper left part of the application and Command-V to paste the new icon.

To delete a custom icon, select the small one in the Get Info window and press Undo on the keyboard.

Manually: This technique works for most applications, but may not work for Apple owners.

12. Make the Finder Open in a Different Folder to All My Files


The new Macs display the All My Files directory by default when you launch the Finder.

Personally, I do not like this setting. Fortunately, there is a way to change it.

Go to the Finder Preferences in MacBook and select the General tab. Choose a drop-down menu folder below The new Finder windows show. Press Others to use any folder on your hard drive.

13. Adjust the Regional Variations on Your MacBook


If you live in the United States, the date format will be foreign to the rest of the world. Therefore, having a preference to change the format as an ascending format DD-MM-YYYY or descending YYYY-MM-DD makes sense. The latest is an ISO standard. You can order spreadsheets properly with the ISO format, for example.

You do not have to use the date format in the same way as the rest of the USA. You can modify this and other things, from the Language and Region panel of the System Preferences. Once there, click on the Region tab. Here is a list of what you can do:

Make the week begin on a given day - You might prefer that the calendar week start on Monday. Press the drop-down menu next to First day of the week, then select the day on which you want the week to start.

Change the Date Format - Press the Customize button next to the Dates section and arrange things as you like. Apple makes things extremely simple so you can drag and drop the values and sort them as you like. There is even an option to add the era, d.C.

Change the Time Format - milliseconds are part of the time. Apple leaves it to your choice on the Customize screen in the Hours section. Again, it is a drag and drop process.

Modify Currency Separators and Decimal Characters - Some people like decimals separated by commas and semicolons. If that's you, click Customize below the Numbers section and change things. You can change the values to any character.

Change to a New Currency or Unit of Measure - There are options for the currency and the units of measure you are using. There are lots of coins, but the units of measurement are only offered in the UK, US or Metric. The UK is not usual since it uses a mixture of imperial and metric measures.

14. Organize Your Folders Automatically


It is annoying to see a folder completely disfigured due to bad organization. The Finder has settings for this kind of thing, and they are located in the toolbar.

Press the button that looks like a small list of icons, as shown in the screenshot below, and then select the organization method that works best for you. Name is the best because you will always find things on your site.

Although you can do anything, from Type to Size and Label. On the other hand, drag things out of the grid to mess up a bit.

15. Remove Desktop-mounted Discs


Maybe you do not want to see the CD or an external hard drive cramming your desktop.

To deactivate it, open the Finder Preferences and deselect one of the options Show these items on the desktop in the General tab of your MacBook.

This will eliminate some unnecessary things from the desktop.

16. Bring the Status Bar Back


There used to be a status bar to the bottom area of the Finder, which showed the size of a selection and number of files in a folder, as well as other useful information.

By default it was deleted in OS X 10.7 Lion, but you can always recover it with a keyboard shortcut: Command / (Command + Line Oblícula).

You can also do it by clicking on the View menu and selecting Show the Status Bar.

What Tips to Customize the MacBook Do You Have?

In this tutorial, we've shown you how to customize your MacBook, better organize things, change the default dictionary, reorder Spotlight results, show different desktop backgrounds and recover hidden functions that were in previous versions of OS X.

Although it is only an introduction. There are many more customization options for the Mac, such as drastically changing the appearance of the dock by applying a theme. The same can be done with the rest of the MacBook OS, although it does not take a while to get things to be perfect.

Saturday, January 6, 2018

ConnectSense Debuts New HomeKit-Compatible Smart In-Wall Outlet

ConnectSense
If you want to have a greater command over your home environment and also control and monitor the power usage in your home, then ConnectSense Smart In-Wall outlet will help you do just that.

The ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet is an addition to Apple’s HomeKit technology which will be available later in the year 2018. At the end of 2015, ConnectSense had launched their original external Smart Outlet which was compatible with the HomeKit.

ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet


The ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet can be installed in your home just like any usual outlet. It is designed to blend in with the room décor as well as provide all the benefits of HomeKit control. The ConnectSense Outlet makes any product smart and also provides power monitoring and plug detection features. Any of the devices plugged in the ConnectSense outlet can be controlled by the ConnectSense app, the HomeKit app, built-in touch controls or your voice using Siri.

It comes with two WiFi connected outlets that can be controlled and monitored individually. When a device has been plugged in, the outlets have plug detection to sense it. All your plug-in devices like fans, lights, heaters, televisions can be controlled and monitored from your iPhone or iPad. You can control your home settings with customized scenes. If you want a scene to turn off the lights, lock your doors, set the room to the desired temperature, all of this can be done in one simple step.

It has two buttons on the right to turn on or off each outlet individually. On the left there is a 2.4 amp USB charging port for quick charging of your iPad, iPhone and other devices. With the help of the Energy monitoring, you can also see the power usage of the various devices via an app on your iPhone or iPad.

In addition to using the ConnectSense Outlet in the house, the Smart In-Wall Outlet will also be able to function in commercial establishments such as offices, airports and various other places using both the 15A and 20A options.

In the box, you will get the ConnectSense Smart In-Wall outlet containing the WiFi Dual Smart Plug, an 8-Digit pin code and a Quick Start Guide.

Installing ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet


When you plug the In-Wall Smart outlet into the wall, click on the WiFi settings on your iPhone or iPad. At the bottom, you will see a sub menu ‘Set Up New Device’ showing the ConnectSense outlet name. By clicking on it, the Smart outlet is automatically connecting to the WiFi network without actually entering the WiFi password. Install the ConnectSense app from the App Store. You need to add your first Smart Outlet device and it should automatically find it. Enter in the 8-digit pin code that comes in the box along with the Smart Outlet plug. The Smart outlet will be installed.

The price of this device has not been announced, but it should be available for purchase later this year.

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Apple Announced GymKit in the Summer

GymKit

Apple watch and GymKit

The sport, lead a healthy life and training is increasingly fashionable, but Apple knows that more than one is hard to go on their own to the gym, and more when you have no one to tutor you or help you prepare a Exercise table best suited to your physique and activity. Since its inception with the Apple Gymkit, many people were curious that could not resist the temptation to get one and start to try all the benefits that it offered.

But the following had to be kept in mind: the iWatch has no GPS, no audio input, and the connection to the mobile is made via Bluetooth 4.0. But not only that. An iWatch without an iPhone is practically unusable, since the watch could be said to be an extension of the phone that allows you to receive notifications on your wrist of those applications that you have installed on your iPhone and that allow connectivity with the watch.

That is why with the passage of time, and due to the strong dependence that exists between the clock and the telephone for its optimal use, many have been losing their interest or seeing their utility increasingly reduced.

However, this is something that has not gone unnoticed for Cupertino, and that is why in the Keynote of this year 2017 and with the advance of watchOS 4, apple decided to make the most of the health and training.

For this reason, in its advance of presentation Apple has included several improvements, such as very striking elements in the training app with the idea of offering the most practical information for users throughout the day. But something that draws much attention to the rest is the update of the app train much improved jointly with Apple Gymkit, a platform with technology that will offer users training connected with cardio equipment of gyms.

This is what Jeff William, COO of Apple, said:


"The Apple Watch is the perfect device to lead a healthy life and is now smarter than ever thanks to watchOS 4. We have designed a truly individualized experience with the most intelligent Activity and Training apps, the Siri sphere that shows the information that you need at the right time and, in addition, we will offer users their favorite music easily. "

But what is it and how does Apple Gymkit work?


Apple Gymkit is a specific development kit for gym machines that will allow both the iWatch and the machine to share data of the user. With Apple Gymkit, customers who use their favorite gym machine can link their Apple Watch directly with treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bicycles or step machines from manufacturers around the world such as Life Fitness and Apple Gymkit with a single touch. And how is this achieved? Through NFC technology.

This means that, just by bringing the iWatch closer to the area specified in the fitness equipment and through the communication of the NFC chip between the machine and the clock, our data will be recorded and an automatic training will be started on the clock, in accordance with the training that we programmed in the machine. Both devices, machine and clock, will begin to exchange data of the exercise in real time (calories, distance, speed, raised floors, inclination and rhythm).

Of course, some questions arise about the operation and the start-up, but we will have to wait until its deployment in the autumn of this year to dispel any doubt. But what is clear is that Apple is strongly committed to the sport to get more juice to Apple Gymkit and in turn encourage users to lead a more active life.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

5 Ways to Handle Spam Text Messages

Spam

When you hear the notification that you have received a text message, you probably want to see who it is from right away. It could be a loved one saying hello or a coworker relaying important information about work. You likely aren’t expecting a spam message congratulating you on winning a prize or soliciting you to confirm financial information. These messages aren’t just annoying—they can be dangerous, too. You are savvy enough not to fall for these pranks, but you might not know what to do in order to get the messages to stop.

There are a few different ways to handle these messages and prevent these messages from becoming a consistent invasion. Consider the following five ways you can deal with spam text messages and reclaim your phone from predatory scammers. You should not have to deal with unwanted texts, and with these tips, you will not have to.

Register on the Do Not Call List

One of the first things you should do to ensure that you minimize unwanted texts and calls is register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry. This list is managed by the Federal Communications Commission and functions to alert solicitors that you should not be contacted. By law, cold callers must reference the list to ensure that they are not contacting anybody who appears on it. In recent years, the FCC expanded the function of the DNC list to include an opt-out option for text messages, too. You can register your number to prevent unwanted texts and calls.

Install a Filter App

Unfortunately, many spam calls and messages do not abide by the laws requiring that numbers on the DNC list not be contacted. You might find, in fact, that there is very little difference before and after you register on the DNC list. Some cell phone users have found that an SMS spam blocker is a more effective solution to the problem. There are a number of different apps you can install that fulfill this purpose. SpamHound, for example, works to filter unwanted texts and allows users to specify specific phrases to be omitted from one’s inbox.

Report Spam to Your Carrier

In addition to installing an SMS spam blocker on your phone, you can report the spam directly to your carrier. Cell service providers such as Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T will all typically accept your complaint and make note of the spam. This is useful, too, given the fact that you are likely being charged for every unwanted text message you receive. You should not be financially liable for these unwanted communications, so notifying your carrier of the issue may help you get the charge removed from your bill. You can also request that your carrier block the number.

Block Offending Numbers

Blocking a number is, in fact, often the most effective way of dealing with spam messages. You can contact your carrier to request this, or you can often log online and complete the task yourself. Most carriers allow you to create an account and control who can communicate with you. On some phones, you can even complete a block directly on the interface. If you consistently receive spam messages from several numbers, it is best to prohibit them from contacting you. This also ensures that you will not be charged for any attempts at calling or texting from the number.

Consider the Message Carefully

Most internet-literate people can tell when a message is spam. Any unexpected prizes or strange financial emergencies are typically a ploy to gain personal information that can then be sold or used against you. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the goal is often identity theft. To this end, many of these messages are often disguised as notifications from your bank asking you to enter confidential information. Because of this, you should always carefully read messages that claim to be from a financial institution. Of course, some of these will be legitimate, but you should err on the cautious side.
Spam texts are not just a nuisance. They are often a risk, too, and it is imperative that you take care of them rather than simply ignoring them. Luckily, there are many ways to do this, but you should always be careful when you receive a message from a number you do not recognize.

Purpose and Advantages of a Docking Station

Docking
Docking stations are a fundamental component of the modern computing world. The versatility that we all enjoy from a multiplicity of computers, phones, and peripherals would be lost if there were no way for these devices to talk with each other. It is essential to provide components that permit convenient interface between differing devices, especially when recharging batteries or downloading important data. A well maintained docking station provides everything the end user will need to keep their devices functioning smoothly and in harmony with each other.

What To Look For in a Docking Station

Mechanical efficiency and resiliency are among the most important issues faced by a docking station, especially when they will be dedicated to devices that are in constant daily use. The peripheral should mate securely with the station and release smoothly. It should be so clear and intuitive in its operation so as to be practically impossible to misuse. The electrical connection should be grounded to prevent shorts and other electrical faults. The entire package should be as well designed and engineered as possible so as to last for tens of thousands of plug ins and unpluggings. USB-C connections are standard for the electronics industry, so the docking station should support them. No matter what specific form the docking peripheral on the station may have, it should output to USB-C. Both power and data should be transferred by the docking station.

Purchasing Docking Stations

Fully completed docking stations are available online. They can be procured from the manufacturers or from third parties. They can be found in factory built, refurbished, and scratch-built configurations. Although the end user will know their particular needs and desires best, they may find that refurbished docking stations are sufficient for most personal purposes. Business customers or those who are stocking an entire organization may choose to go with the versions marketed by the manufacturer. Hobbyists, inventors and IT professionals may choose to go it alone and build their own docking station from scratch.

Making Docking Stations

The most important issues with building docking stations all revolve around the quality of the components and the accuracy of the installation. Sensitive electronics components should be purchased from reliable manufacturers and either personally tested or researched thoroughly. Docking connectors should be mechanically perfect and electronically reliable, such as those marketed by the IPEX corporation. They can be assembled and completed with a reasonable degree of electrical skill and study. Fortunately, there are any number of valuable videos and web pages that can impart specific information for electronics tasks such as these. Always remember to clear the work area and perform a clean installation to avoid problems in the future.

Repairing Docking Stations

As a docking station will typically see more misuse and rough use than either of the devices it joins, it is not uncommon to perform minor or major repairs on them. Simply identify the damaged component and procure a replacement part from a reliable manufacturer. The open architecture of most docking station systems make replacement and maintenance a snap. Do not forget that lint, dust, and other debris in the docking area can lead to problems in both the short and long term. Always clean the area and be certain to securely assemble the housing so as to prevent internal dust build up.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Everything exciting about the launch of the iMac Pro

 iMac Pro
Does iMac Pro died just like the disappearance of the iPods? iMac in its true form was last seen in the 2013 but since then Apple has brought any new iteration of the device which eventually led to the rumors surrounding its demise.

Apple Pro series brings the best of design with impeccable hardware into the play for those who love to things more aggressively and demanding on their computing devices. Apple has showcased the new iMac Pro which is expected to the take the consumer electronics with a storm. This device made its appearance was back in June 2017 during the Worldwide Developers Conference but simply didn’t launch in 2017 which left a number of trade pundits surprised.

The best desktop you can ask for

Laptops are seen as beast while desktops are simply seen old class heroes with relation to the modern design and aesthetics. Apple has already changed this attitude with the launch of iMac series and iMac Pro is the next stop towards bringing most powerful all in one desktop PC to everyone.

Finally it launched on 14th December 2017 for a commanding price of just AED 19,999. Apple has never revealed when these new computers will be launching in 2017 and it has put forward a complete plan for the new iMac family. The new line of the iMac devices comes loaded with Kaby Lake processors which offer incredible performance ever on any given desktop personal computer.

Given its robust hardware and specification entry level iMac Pro has price tag of AED 19,999. You can get the best device in this category boasting of a 27 inch Retina 5K display along with an 8 core Intel Xeon processor, 32 GB ECC memory, 1TB SSD and an AMD Radeon Vega graphics card.

This device comes with four Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C) ports along with a 10 GB Ethernet port for connectivity purposes. There are also two pairs of USB 3.0 Type A ports.

It’s the design which is the talking point


When it comes to design Apple hasn’t made a major shift in the design language from the earlier iMac lineup. There is one major exception which is quite evident for everyone as Apple has used a Space Gray coat for a more subtle look. It has the similar all aluminum design with curved shell and Apple has made certain enhancement in the overall design to make the internal cooling system more than 80% efficient than before. There is also a rumor that Apple will be making a giant design change for the iMac line next year where it will have a black finish along with the glass and the ageless Apple Logo will make its comeback with the a micro LED panel. Apple will also be bringing a dynamic audio technology on the iMac Pro speakers which will be able to make shift in the volume depending upon the distance between the user and the device.

Monday, January 1, 2018

iMac Pro: Taking Power to a Whole New Level

iMac Pro
Apple first hit the market with its Macintosh in the year 1984. It then brought out many products since then that we have grown to love and admire, whether we are able to afford it or not. IPhones, Apple watches, Apple TVs , ITunes, Apple Pay are some of the stuff that Apple has brought out to us combining great quality with an even greater price tag. Now Apple brings to you the iMac Pro, “The most powerful iMac ever”

Adding to the power of the iMac Pro is its cost. The cheapest model out there costs about 5599 euros. With that money you get a 27 inch retina display, 32 GB RAM, 8 core processor and 1 TB of storage. Announced in June, Apple has begun rolling out the iMac Pros to its customers.

Getting down to the Design of the iMac Pro:


With all that power comes a lot of responsibility. The iMac Pro also has a lot to do when it comes to cooling down. With all the power that it is supposed to handle, getting the system to cool down was on the priority. The iMac Pro comes with an all new thermal system, which delivers 80% more cool down than previous models with the same quietness as earlier models.

The iMac Pro also features 10 Gb Ethernet which gives you 10 times the networking speed.

The iMac Pro is 5mm at edge with a new space grey color. The iMac Pro is also accompanied with the usual magic mouse, magic keyboard and depending on the model you opt for a magic trackpad. The unit also comes with 4 microphones, a 1080 FaceTime HD camera and great speakers that are a lot louder than its predecessor.

 

IMac Pro’s great performance:


The iMac Pros are available with different processors starting from 8 core Intel xenon processors all the way up to an 18 core processor. Apple also did not take graphics lightly with the iMac Pro coming with up to 22 teraflops of performance. This is all packed behind a 5K 27 inch retina display.
With the iMac Pro you get immersive VR, great photography tech, 3D rendering, intensive developer workflows and massive audio projects. They were really not kidding around with this machine.

The iMac Pro was made to handle the most intense of work keeping in mind all professions.

Security with the iMac Pro:


The iMac Pro also contains the T2 chip. This chip combines system management controller, audio controller, image signal processor and SSD controller. The T2 also has a secure enclave processor that provides the basis for encrypted storage and secure booting capabilities.

AES hardware ensures that data is encrypted without affecting performance in anyway and the secure boot ensures that only trusted software is allowed to boot.

Apple is also planning to release an all new Mac Pro with a whole new level of redesigning involved. We can’t wait to see what the new Mac Pro is all about.