How to Transfer Any Media File to Your iOS Device

Waltr – New Mac App - Softorino

More progress and headway in technology has given rise to the use of Mac app Waltr wherein the user can now transfer any form of video or music file to an iOS device without the use of another iOS app. Waltr is a new Mac app from Softorino whichhas been designed for easy upload and conversion of any music or video file to an iPad or an iPhone format for the purpose of native playback that supports a large options of media file forms.

 This includes MP3, MP4, AVI, WMA, CUE, M4R, M4V, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, KUV and much more. It also lends support to file type which is not usually compatible with iOS4 and includes AVI, MKV, FLAC and CUE and these could be played in native Movie as well as Music apps on iOS. Operating Waltr is easy and simple.

On closing iTunes the user could plug on to the iPhone or iPad in a Mac and then open the Waltr app where the iOS device along with its storage space which is available is portrayed at the top of the app wherein files could be dragged over to the blank space in the app to be transferred to the iOS device. As soon as the file is dragged and placed in the Waltr app, the upload gets started most of which is very quick, probably a few seconds.

App - Possibility of Transferring any Form of Video/Audio File

When the file has been transferred to the iPad or the iPhone, it can be accessed in the native Music or Movies app on the device. The overall Waltr process is quite simpler than converting through a separate app and then again uploading through iTunes.

Waltr is an amazing app with the possibility of transferring any form of video or audio file irrespective of its format to an iOS device having playback of the file in Apple’s Video and Music apps when compared to similar apps which may need the installation of a companion iOS app on a device, it has limitation to access of files within the app – and limiting access to features in some cases like AirPlay.

Result of Technique Used – No Quality Loss

On completing the download of the app, the user is then asked to disable iTunes’ automatic sync feature and once done the only thing needed is to get connected to the iOS device to Mac through USB. Thereafter, the drag and drop approach is taken by Waltr in order to transfer the content to the iPhone of iPad and on dropping a file, irrespective of its format, the Waltr app makes the file compatible with iOS and then uploads the same to the device.

Assurance has been provided by the marketing manager, Josh Brown, that the results of the technique used by the company, is no quality loss. Waltr is now made available as an online download for OA X 10.9 or new with a free trial of 14 days and thereafter it will prompt the user to purchase a license for an amount of $29.99. Users of Windows could sign up for an opportunity to take part in the beta of Waltr for Windows.

Three Tips to Get You Started With Workflow 1.1

Workflow Update with New Features & Actions

The most popular iOS automation app has a large update with new added features and actions and Workflow is an app which is used first on startingan iOS device. The latest update to Workflow has the addition of new features and actions which has enhanced the app in the most amazing way. With over fifty new actions, improvement are being made to the earlier existing action though missing out from the app’s offer is the capabilities toback up and sync action utilising iCloud.

Favorite an Action

At the time of building workflows, one tends to access the same action often and the search bar provides an easy and quick option to locate an action and with the latest updates, one can have favorite action to access with ease. On tapping on an action in the editor it will indicate its description together with a button to favorite it and after adding an action to the favorites, one could tap on the Favorites option in the editor for the purpose of easy access.

Run Workflow from Main Grid

Earlier version of the Workflow needed to launch the app, by tapping on the workflow and then tap on the play button in order to run a workflow in the app. The process of running a workflow from the main grid is a simple asdouble tap on a workflow’s icon in the latest update.

Duplicate Workflows

According to some, one of the favorite things about Workflow is the community of users who tend to share a variety of workflows together with ideas though not every workflow which is created and shared could fit the exact needs. For instance, customizing a workflow could mean tampering with a copy of the workflow which works. On tapping and holding on any workflow in the main screen till it is highlighted where in the top right corner of the screen a duplication icon will appear. This will enable the user to make changes to any workflow without any cause for worry about ruining on the work already available on the workflow.

New Features 

These tips are just scratching the surface to what has been added to Workflow 1.1 though they seem to be more than enough for getting started with this new feature. The new feature includes –quickly running workflows from My Workflow by double tapping on them, use of selected text from Safari as input to action extension workflow, actions to filter and obtain details of all the content on the device, duplicate workflow to make own versions, create custom home screen icon for workflow utilising photos from one’s library, access for VoiceOver users, added apps section for easy discovery of action which interacts with other apps, added ability to mark actions as favourite to use them quickly later on, improved Workflow URL scheme and improved overall responsiveness, launch time and speed.

Bug Fixes

Noteworthy bug fixes include - decimal numbers can correctly be handled in international locales, issue can be fixed where action extensions that cause a workflow to be emptied of its action, issue can be fixed where action could disappear while scrolling through long workflows, when importing workflows, prevailing workflows with same name are not overwritten, keyboards provide `Done’ buttons for easy dismissal, special characters in workflow names are not handled properly, imported workflows ask for user permission prior to running for the first time, app badge is removed to reduce confusion, issue is fixed where output of a workflow would not be displayed and much more.

Apple Patent Outlines Mobile App Data Sharing and Collaboration Over Facetime

Apple’s U.S. Patent for `Interactive Application Sharing’

Though screen sharing for collaboration is a popular function on desktops, it is yet to make its way to mobile devices and as assigned by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple’s U.S. Patent for `Interactive application sharing’, comprises of provisions which enables multiple users in sharing as well as collaborating on project in app such as Google’s Web based productivity services.

Apple is making headway in video conferencing capabilities though making it a more personal collaboration tool. Apple’s patent indicates that the company is working towards a new screen and data sharing method for iPad and iPhones. The patent outlines a method wherein several users could share their screens as well as app data while working on iOS devices.

It was acknowledged by Apple that the users of iPhone and iPads have been sharing data and states that the existing solution like sharing of documents by email would not be efficient and the company has come up with a system which enables users to share document data in a common app in real time on several iOS devices in some cases with media and screen sharing or live video as well.

Interactive Application Sharing 

As per Apple’s invention, the user initiates a collaboration session with at least another device which accepts the wireless connection and the initiating device could host the session with screen as well as data updates to the second device across a suitable wireless communication The system enables interactive application sharing that transfers specific app data to and fro across an established wireless bridge where a standard user interface is not described.

 The Patent indicates app data can be overlaid over a FaceTime image and vice versa. The video feed in some instances could serve as a background for the iOS Spring-Board before the selection of a common app for sharing. An illustration indicates what appears to be a mother reading `Winnie the Pooh’ to their child from what is presumed to be a remote location, though no mention is made in the document text and the scene is a reminder of Apple’s fire FaceTime TV commercials which attempted the ability to connect remotely to family from a distant.

Security – Set Privacy Designators – Private/Public

Users could opt to share data in some embodiments, only when another option of communication takes place between two devices such as a host device could opt to limit data sharing to FaceTime calls, a protocol which needs adequate bandwidth capacity. For the purpose of security, users could set privacy designators to indicate data as private or public.

Moreover the user could also choose to share available times with another user while leaving event specifics, concealed. Rest of the patent provides detail pertaining to the proposed system’s user interface, communication backend and operating workflow, besides other details.

FaceTime collaboration Patent of Apple was filed first in January 2012 and credits go to Brandon Joseph Kieft and Catherine Rose Grevet as its inventors. It is unclear whether Apple has intentions of bringing the version of present day’s invention to market though competitors such as Google are already striving on similar technology of real time collaboration.

Apple Adds Two-Step Authentication to iMessage and FaceTime

Security of FaceTime & iMessage App

Apple,it is said has made improvement in the security of FaceTime and iMessage, its voice/video together with multimedia chat communication tools and has announced that that it will be adding a two-step authentication to iMessage and FaceTime applications in order to protect the users from hackers of its iPhone, iPad and Mac computers.

This is a security feature which means that a person’s identity is verified in two ways that includes something which the user knows for instance, a password and something which the user is in possession of, a mobile device. If someone intends to use their Apple ID email and password to enable iMessage or FaceTime on a new device, they would have to use a PIN from a reliable device in order to gain access to these services.

The two step authentication had been added to Apple’s iTunes as well as iCloud accounts in March 2013 and the company is presently focusing on extending the security features to FaceTime as well as iMessage. This means that when users use any of these applications, they would have to register a `trusted device’ and when attempts are made to log in FaceTime or iMessage, the user would receive a four digit verification code through SMS or Apple’s Find my iPhone app.

14 Character Recovery Key

The code received needs to be entered along with their password in order to access the application without which i.e. the password and verification code, access will be denied to the said account. According to Apple as mentioned on its support page, the user need not create or remember any security question with the two step verification and the user’s identity is verified by using password (and) verification codes send to trusted devices.

Moreover, the user will also be provided with a 14 character Recovery Key in order to print and keep the same in safe custody should they lose access to their trusted devices or tend to forget their password. This issue came up due to the iCloud accounts of celebrities which were breached by hackers last year, together with nude photos which were leaked online.

Apple was targeted at that time since it had offered the option of two factor authentication for iCloud accounts and this feature is not enabled by default hence several people do not use it.

Added Level of Protection – Difficult to Obtain Private Images

The added level of protection applicable to these service helps to ensure that people would have difficult time in obtaining private images from an iMessage history or pretend to be the user through online communication systems. The two-step is useful when individuals log out of an account on their device and try to log back in which means that the user would have to get the trusted device out if one temporarily tends to disable an account on the device or if one runs a system update or tends to switch SIMs.

Vice President of Security Research at Trend Micro, Rik Ferguson, states that `it is great to see Apple extending its two step authentication to cover more services particularly person-to-person communication services like these which have been widely abused in the past – Facebook, Skype etc.

Apple Gears Up to Challenge Tesla in Electric Cars

Creation of Apple Branded Electric Vehicle

The Cupertino California Company has revolutionized phones and music and is now focusing at bigger target – the automobiles, as reported by Daisuke Wakabayashi and Mike Ramsey for the Wall Street Journal. The giant tech company has hundreds of employees who are secretly working in the creation of an Apple branded electric vehicle as indicated by people who are familiar with this issue. The said project code-named `Titan’, is initially working on the design of the vehicle which resembles a minivan.

It is said that Apple often investigates technologies as well as potential product and going for building multiple prototypes for something which it will not sell and any car would take many years for completion as well as to obtain safety certifications. Moreover the size of the project team as well as the senior people involved, state that the company is serious as reported by some source. Apple executive had flown to Austria in order to meet with the contract manufacturers for high end cars which included the Magna Steyr unit of Canadian auto supplier Magna International Inc.

Stamp on Electric Vehicle Market

The industrial team of Apple comprised of several people with experience at European auto makers and Marc Newson was hired by Apple last year, who is a famous industrial designer as well as a close colleague of the company’s designer John Ive. Newson, in the past had created a concept car for Ford Motor Company. As reported by Wakabayashi and Ramsey they state that `Apple hopes to put its stamp on the electric vehicle market in the same way it did the smartphone with its iPhone, indicated by a person familiar with its work’.

The car project was approved by Mr Cook almost a year ago and had assigned veteran product design Vice President, Steve Zadesky in leading the group related by the people who were familiar with the matter. Zadesky is the former Ford engineer who had helped in leading Apple team with the creation of iPod and iPhone according to Wakabayashi and Ramsey. Apple had also hired Johann Jungwirth in September, who had been the president as well as the chief executive of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America having operation in Sunnyvale, California in the vicinity of Apple’s campus as per his LinkedIn profile.

Advantage – Persuaded Employees to Stay on 

Another benefit of the project according to a source was that it persuaded several Apple employees who had intentions of leaving the company, to stay and work on an exciting new endeavour minus the pressure of churning new product every year. Other Silicon Valley giants are also looking at autos and Google Inc. has also been working on a self-driving car for years.

Google’s head autonomous vehicle project stated that last year the company had their focus to forge a partnership with auto makers in order to build a self-driving car within the next few years. As informed by a source familiar with the project it was stated that a self-driving car was not part of Apple/s current plan. Chief Executive Tim Cook had informed interviewer Charlie Rose in September that `there were products that they were working on and that no one knows about it and nothing has yet been rumoured about it’.