iOS 13 has been good so far for me with only a few annoyances. I recommend the upgrade if your device is compatible. As with any software upgrade, please back up your device first. I recommend making an encrypted backup with iTunes (or Finder in macOS Catalina), if feasible, for the quickest restore if something [...]
Are you confused by all the choices of cloud storage platforms? You might be familiar with iCloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive. There are others, too, but what’s the difference between them and which one is best for your needs? While this is not an exhaustive review of these storage platforms, I hope it gives [...]
On December 31, 2018, I wrote about taking screenshots on the Mac. Apple also offers the easy ability to do this on iPhone and iPad by pressing two buttons together on a given device. Then, you can immediately act on a screenshot, like annotate or share, and you don’t even have to save it to your Photos library. [...]
Do you know your iPhone can serve as your medical ID and call emergency contacts if you’re incapacitated? Lots of folks add “ICE” entries to their contacts. I find this unnecessary and potentially confusing. If you create a contact entry that you name “ICE #1,” for example, the person calling it in an emergency won’t [...]
The application switchers on macOS and iOS enable you to quickly switch to the apps you’ve used recently. Learn what applications show on each device and key shortcuts to interact with this often unknown or underutilized feature. Mac App Switcher On the Mac, hold the Command key and tap Tab. This reveals the [...]
The best way I’ve found to set up a new (to you) iPhone is to use iTunes to manage the transition with an encrypted backup of the previous iPhone. This avoids most of the hassles of having a slow Internet connection or not having enough space in iCloud. Backup First When you plan to [...]
Apple offers but a few live appearances each year when company leaders take the stage to discuss and demo new products and services, and share updates on technological innovation. Tomorrow is one such learning opportunity. New iPhone Apple’s annual late summer event, which usually occurs in the second week of September, is traditionally the introduction of [...]
Did you know you can create your own digital keyboard with exactly the functions you want? Have you ever wanted to use a non-keyboard input device to control your Mac? Apple offers some additional ways to interact. Accessibility Keyboard For many folks, a physical keyboard is the primary feature that distinguishes a MacBook [...]
Apple has been ahead of the game in many areas of Accessibility and has long offered fair dictation and quite good text-to-speech support on its devices. These services are getting a significant improvement in macOS Catalina and iOS 13 coming this fall. Text to Speech In most applications where you can display or enter [...]
How important to you are seeing and hearing? How do these core senses help you understand and make meaning while using technology? Can you imagine your computing experience being better aligned with your expectations because of how your device looks and sounds? Inbox Color & Sound I manage six email accounts across my [...]
