Apple posted a new video in its “Shoot with iPhone” series called “How to shoot a one-handed selfie on iPhone 7.” It offers the three steps needed to take a quick selfie with your iPhone (works with all iPhones running iOS 10). 1.) Swipe left from the lock screen. 2.) Switch to front-facing camera. 3.) Press either volume button to snap your selfie. There are now 20 videos in this series, and they’re great resources for making the most of your iPhone’s camera.
iPhone
iPhone-related tips and news for everyone interested in Apple’s iPhone or looking to make your iPhone experience even better.
NFC on iPhone Can Be Unlocked, but Should You Care?
While NFC might always be limited to Apple Pay officially, more advanced users have been hoping the technology will be unlocked for other purposes. A popular jailbreak developer has done that, and Jeff Butts thinks it’s great for some and unimportant for most people.
iCloud and iWork: Using On-Demand Downloads
Using iCloud Drive? Then you need to know how to download all of your Pages, Numbers, or Keynote files to your iOS devices automatically. This’ll definitely save you some headaches if you need access to your spreadsheets when you head out into an area with sketchy cell coverage!
Apple Launches 16 'Shoot with iPhone' Videos on Dedicated Website
Apple has launched a site dedicated to its Shoot with iPhone 7 instructional videos. Those videos were launched on YouTube Thursday evening. On Friday, Apple published a subsite on the apple.com domain with 16 videos from the series. Bryan Chaffin explains.
Amazon's Alexa Calling Feature Works From Your iPhone, too
Amazon’s Alexa Calling feature works great on the Echo and Echo Dot, from the testing TMO staff have done so far. Jeff Butts and Jeff Gamet also took the time to check out how the feature works from the Alexa app on the iPhone. Here’s what they found out, and how you can use it, too.
Apple's $200M Advanced Manufacturing Fund Investment in Corning Means No Sapphire iPhone Displays
If you’ve been waiting for a sapphire glass for iPhone display, stop holding your breath because Apple’s $200 million investment in Corning says that’s not going to happen. The investment comes from Apple’s recently announced Advanced Manufacturing Fund, and is going to be used for Corning research and development, capital equipment needs, and state-of-the-art glass processing.
How to Prevent Photos and iTunes from Opening Automatically
If you’re getting sick of watching programs bounce in your Dock just because you plugged your iPhone into your Mac to charge it, then boy, have we got a Quick Tip for you! Melissa Holt’s going to tell us how to stop Photos and iTunes from opening automatically.
Apple Just Bought a Sleep Tracking Company
Apple is—at last—getting into the sleep tracking business. 9to5Mac reported that Apple purchased Beddit, a firm that makes sleep-tracking hardware and apps for Apple’s iPhone and Apple Watch.
FBI Paid $900K for San Bernardino iPhone Hack
The FBI refused to ever share how much it paid for the hack into San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook’s iPhone, but thanks to Senator Diane Feinstein we now know the price was US$900,000. The Senator accidentally spilled the beans during a Judiciary Committee meeting on accessing encrypted data on smartphones and personal computers.
iOS: If You 3D Touch Call from Phone App, Fun Stuff Happens
Jeff Butts found a cool new trick his iPhone could do this weekend. From the Phone app, you can 3D Touch call a number to bring up quick and useful actions. Check out how it works and decide whether it’s useful for you or not.
Senator Feinstein Revives Encryption Back Door Bill with FBI Support
Senator Dianne Feinstein is dusting off her bill aimed at forcing technology companies to give the U.S. government access to the encrypted data on our smartphones, tablets, and computers. FBI Director James Comey is on board with her plan saying the inability to access our encrypted data is a major security threat to the country.
Imagination Technologies Triggers Dispute Resolution Over Apple GPU Designs
It looks like Imagination Technologies and Apple haven’t found a way to kiss and make up because now they’ve entered into a formal dispute process. Imagination said on Thursday it started the process because it hasn’t been able to reach an agreement with Apple over licensing its tech for iPhone GPUs.
iPhone 8 Renders Replace Home Button with Touch Bar Function Area
The iPhone 8 rumor mill has been spinning for quite some time, and we keep getting new ideas of what Apple might have up its sleeves. Renders of the rumored Function Area, which would work just like the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro, have shown up. Jeff Butts brings us the details.
Hulu with Live TV Streaming Service Launches on iOS, Apple TV, Xbox One
Hulu launched its live streaming service, called Hulu with Live TV, on Wednesday with 60 channels and a 50-hour cloud-based DVR system. Hulu Live will cost you US$39.99 a month unless you also want Showtime, which adds $8.99 to the price.
Apple's Q2 Earnings Report, Microsoft Surface Laptop - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-03
Apple reported some big numbers during its second quarter earnings report yesterday, and raised a few questions, too. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet look share their reactions to Apple’s iPhone and iPad sales, plus they have some thoughts on Microsoft’s just announced Surface Laptop, too.
Textalyzer's Privacy Threat, Wi-Fi Security Tip - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-01
Tragedies can lead to a push for new laws, but sometimes that legislation leads to unintended consequences. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet share their thoughts on Textalyzer and giving police access to our smartphone activity for accident investigations. Dave also has a tip for easily improving Wi-Fi network security.
Apple's Wireless Charging Could Use Your Wi-Fi Router in a New Way
We’ve thought for a while that Apple was working on wireless charging for the next iPhone, and a recent patent filing reinforces that. What’s surprising is that the filing suggests the possibility of using a Wi-Fi router to transmit the power, but Apple’s not in that business anymore. Or are they? Jeff Butts thinks it might be too early to sound the death knell for the Airport router, and wireless charging might be the defibrillator needed to bring the device back to life.
iOS Control Center Bug Is Freezing Certain iPhones
An iOS Control Center bug plaguing some Apple customers is causing some iPhones to freeze and restart. It happens when you tap any three buttons in the Control Center at once. iOS versions affected by this include iOS 10 and even the latest iOS 10.3.2 beta. Andrew Orr gives us the details.
Uber iPhone Tracking, Carpool Karaoke Delay - TMO Daily Observations 2017-04-25
Uber tried to pull one over on Apple by tracking iPhones in violation of App Store guidelines. Jeff Butts and Bryan Chaffin dive into what Uber did with Jeff Gamet, plus they share their thoughts on Apple postponing Carpool Karaoke’s premiere again.
Slate Wrap for iPhone, a Study in Textured Black
The Slate wrap from Slickwraps crossed my desk a few days ago, and the thing is that it stuck with me. I find it compelling. Attractive. It’s a study in textured blacks, and I do like black cases and covers for my devices (YMMV). Slickwraps has been knocking it out of the part with their wraps lately, too. In any event, the company is calling this a limited edition, and say that it protects from minor scratches and small drops. They have them for iPhones, several Android devices (if that’s your thing), and even a MacBook. The ones for smartphone are priced at US$24.95.
Touch Screen Macs, iPhone's Name, and Star Wars - ACM 407
Would Apple ever make a touch screen Mac? Bryan and Jeff chew over recent rumors about Apple making an iMac for creative pros that would compete with Microsoft’s Surface Studio. They also talk about iPhone’s name and Disney’s management of the Star Wars franchise.
A Full Screen 'iPhone X' Leak I Can Get Behind
KK Sneak Leaks has posted a leak of what’s supposed to be Apple’s full-screen iPhone, the so-called iPhone X. I don’t know if it’s real, but it’s a leak I can get behind. And for what it’s worth, KK gave it a 99% reliability. Bryan Chaffin takes us on a tour.
Apple Celebrates the Joys of Water Balloons in New Commercial
Apple launched three commercials in the company’s Shot on iPhone series. All three spots were released for the Turkish market on the Apple Turkey YouTube channel. They were shot by 11 year old children on iPhones, and were released to celebrate National Sovereignty and Children’s Day in Turkey.
No, Apple Isn't Dropping iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c Support in iOS 10.3.2
There’s a report making the rounds claiming Apple is dropping support for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c in iOS 10.3.2, and they’re wrong. Apple hasn’t ever cut device support with a minor point update, and that holds true for iOS 10.3.2.