May 21, 2012

Google Drive: The Overview

April 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Google released, on Tuesday, Google Drive, a service that allows you to save you digital information in the cloud. You can access the information you save on Google Drive online and on your smartphone. Google Drive is working toward becoming competition with other cloud based services like Dropbox. Google Drive is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. You can collaborate with the documents you save on Google Drive. Google Drive gives you 5GB of memory for free to any user. Today, we will take a look at a couple of features in Google Drive.

Features in Google Drive

Like other cloud based services, Google Drive is working toward becoming the service that will have your information safe and available anywhere. From your laptop to your iPhone, Google Drive wants to be the service that keeps your information safe. However, unlike other services, Google Drive allows you to make changes and edits to your and other files saved on the service. This is perfect collaboration that you won’t find with the other services. Google Drive is also linked with Google search. For example, when you search for a photo in web search, there is a section on the options section on the left that allows you to just select to search for your photos.

Availability and Costs

Google Drive isn’t available yet, it is expected to be available in the near future. However, we do know how much Google Drive will cost. Google Drive took a tip from Dropbox and ensured that all users will be able to use free space to start with. All users get 5GB to start, from there if you require more space, it will be available for $2.49 for 25GB, 100GB for $4.99, and 1TB for $50.00. These prices are monthly. Still, when compared to Dropbox for example it’s cheaper to choose Google Drive. With Google Drive, 100GB costs $59.98 a year, $200 a year with Dropbox.

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Tips for Taking iPhone Photos

April 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When venturing out for some photography on a nice day, some of the things I will include in my bag will obviously include a DSLR. However, when on the go, a DSLR becomes impractical. With the very thing that I carry around everyday, my iPhone, having a more advanced camera by the next update, it seems to be a more portable alternative nowadays. However, to make the most out of the decent photos your iPhone takes, you must first know how to correctly take them. I will show you how to take amazing iPhone photos.

Tripods Are Essential

One reason for shaky photos is because of an unsteady device. Taking photos by hand presents an even larger opportunity for your photos to be prone to shakiness. However, using a tripod will ensure your photos will come out clear.

Never Zoom

Zooming in for your photo can make them a bit more prone to grainy photos. Instead, you should physically get closer to your subject to preserve quality. There are very few exceptions because there is never a reason why we would allow grainy quality, additionally; the zoom isn’t good enough to be used for extremely far subjects.

Apps Are Essential

Some of the best iPhone photos come from photos processed in many well-known iPhone photography applications, some which are free. There are a lot of applications out there to help, from applications that help with basic editing like cropping and enhancing like Adobe Photoshop Express, to applications that can completely transform your already amazing photos, like Camera+. Even after your photos are edited beyond imagination, you can give your photos an added edge by sharing them on Instagram with added filters.

Look Into Lenses

An iPhone secret that many power iPhone photographers use are amazing lenses. Yes, with a metal band, your iPhone can attach to specially made iPhone lenses. From Macro lenses to fisheye, there are many lenses available for your iPhone. They can turn great photos into artistic masterpieces. Many can run from $20 to $100 for many kits, but there are many deals found throughout the web, so keep looking.

More Photos Please

Whenever taking group photos, you always hear the phrase “let’s take one more”. Many times, this is done to prevent blinking subjects or someone out of place; the same goes for individuals taking iPhone photos. If you are taking a subject, always take more than one. This is to prevent a photo that is overexposed, shaky, or with a blinking subject.

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Top Apps for Searching for a Car

March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Car buying can be a hard process for many people. From having to haggle for a good price to making sure that the price you do have is for a car in good condition. You have the choice between the great condition and expensive new car, or risky but cost friendly used car. However, car buying isn’t always that simple. Many used cars can be in fantastic condition for a great price, and many new cars can be affordable as well. To cut the confusion, here are four great iPhone applications that help with the car search.

Craigslist

Craigslist is one of the most well known places to purchase a used car from. The marketplace features various cars on the website, posted by owners, relative to their specific location. Craigslist for iPhone allows you to search across the nation for the car you want. You can view high quality photos, view information on the car, and contact the seller all from the application. You can also share listings with other individuals.

Cars.com

Cars.com for iPhone is a great application for individuals looking for a new car. Not only does it help you find the perfect car for you, but the application also helps you find the car that you can afford. You can also read reviews from buyers and also mark cars as your favorite for easier referral back to them. Cars.com for iPhone is free to use, so get started today!

eBay Motors

This is by far my favorite car buying application on the App Store. It is very well designed, well priced at free, and is associated with one of the most popular websites for purchasing cars, eBay. eBay Motors for iPhone allows you to view various automobiles and other motor vehicles with full photos and descriptions. You can view the car’s history as well. Searching can be by the make, model, and when it was built. While it is connected to eBay, you can’t use the same app to look for cool jeans or that antique item you’ve wanted to bid on. This is strictly motor vehicles, however the my eBay page allows you to see how your other bids and eBay activity is holding up.

KBB.com

The last application that we will look at in this list is the Kelley Blue Book for iPhone. Kelley Blue Book is the hit source of information that prospective car buyers look to for more information on whether the car they are interested in is actually a good car for them. It also is a great resource for individuals selling cars, allowing many of them to see the current worth of their car. Once you find the perfect car for you, the application gives you information on finding the perfect car dealer for you.

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Five Apps for New iPad Owners

March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The new iPad will be available in stores on Friday. This means that users new to the iPad in general will use the weeks to come to figure out all that their new iPad can do. One thing that new iPad users will learn is that it’s not what their iPad comes with out of the box that makes it revolutionary, but the apps you download that make using the iPad an enjoyable experience. Below are five applications that new iPad users will enjoy.

iPhoto for iOS

iPhoto was announced at the iPad event. This was the application that finalized the iLife suite for iOS. iPhoto, along with Garageband and iMovie, allows you to make the same projects that you can make on your Mac. iPhoto for iOS allows you to edit photos, create photo groups known as Journals, and more. iPhoto for iOS is available for $4.99.

iWork Suite

Along with the iLife suite, the iWork suite is another group of applications to look into for your new iPad. iWork includes Numbers, Keynote, and Pages. If you aren’t familiar with iWork, Numbers allows you to make graphs. Keynote allows you to make presentations. Pages allow you to make nice flyers and other documents. Just like how Microsoft Office is essential for any new Mac user, iWork is a great addition for any new iPad user.

Skype for iPad

With Apple’s upgraded frontal as well as rear camera, applications for video conferencing are essential for anyone looking to make some serious use of the iPad’s cameras. Skype for iPad In addition to video calls, if you want to make use of your iPad in other ways, Skype for iPad allows you to make free Skype-to-Skype calls and low cost calls to landline and cell phones. Not only can this make sure of your new iPad in a new way, but it can also cut down on the cell phone bill if you don’t have an iPhone or smartphone.

Flipboard for iOS

Flipboard allows you to easily consume all of the content that different social media and news websites have to offer. Instead of having to click repeatedly on several websites, Flipboard puts all of your content from Twitter feeds to articles from your favorite tech websites all into one place. Plus, it’s free!

SkyGambler

When I saw this application being showed off at the iPad event, I knew I had to include it into the list. SkyGambler allows you to control a plane in a war simulation. With the new iPad’s improved processing performance, processor intensive games like SkyGambler allows you to take good advantage of what the A5x processor has. Try your best to dodge the threat of relentless attack, all for $4.99.

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Your Guide to The New iPad Lines on March 16th

March 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The new iPad was announced almost a week ago. On the day of the announcement, individuals were able to make their pre-orders online. However, one day after pre-ordering became available, individuals were presented with information saying that the new iPad was sold out online. For individuals not savvy enough to know, they may think that it will only be available once the stock is replenished online. However, all Apple followers know that the new iPad and all other launches will be available a week or so after, in store. However, even those in the know aren’t always prepared for the long lines. This guide will help you survive them.

Before March 16th

Sell Your Older Model

If you haven’t sold your older model – be it the original or iPad 2 – then you may be at a slight disadvantage. Unlike selling it even the day before the announcement, where most un-tech savvy individuals won’t know that a new iPad would be announced the next day, individuals now know about the new iPad. Would they be willing to pay $500 for your good condition iPad 2, even with the wireless keyboard and smart cover, or would they rather have the iPad 3? I’m sure you know the answer to that question. However, you aren’t out of luck. If you sell your iPad at a reasonably low price, consumers may see that the new iPad and the iPad 2 are quite similar and saving the extra $150 may be worth it. Make sure to sell your device right away. At this time, the selling and purchase of an iPad is a buyers market than a sellers market. If you are the individual looking for an iPad, you are thrown deals left and right. However, with everyone wanting to get rid of their old iPad, you have a lot of competition!

Prepare Your New iPad – Before It’s Even in Your Hand

Even though you don’t have your iPad yet, you can make many steps to make your new iPad feel at home once it is in your hands. Make sure to backup your old iPad completely to make sure that once you sync your new iPad, it will be filled with the correct content. Additionally, begin shopping for some cases and accessories now. It’s highly likely that most stores won’t have accessories for the new iPad, however, many online retailers do. We will go more into this later in the guide.

Head To The Store – Prepared

You’re now ready to head to the stores. Depending on your location, your store may have a much larger line than usual or an astronomically larger line than usual. Either way, you should expect a very long wait. If you are an individual who has a special order (shopping for family, or wanting an iPad that will be less in stock – like the 64 GB WIFI + 3G White iPad will be rarer than a black, 16GB WIFI only one), then you should head to the store at least sometime around the day before, or at least night before, to guarantee your model will be in stock.

On March 16th

Prepared To Pay

March 16th is here, you are in line, you have your new iPad in hand and you’re ready to pay. You take out your wallet and get the card out to find that you either don’t have enough funds, or systems seem to be down. You have just become that guy – the one who slows down an already busy line and day at Apple. To prevent yourself from becoming that guy, you should take a couple of precautions to plan ahead of time. For individuals who remember Apple’s rule with the first iPad, about only accepting cards. Since the iPad 2, consumers could pay for their iPad with cash only as well as with cards. However, if you do have a card, that should be a preferred payment. This is to prevent having a bank load of money with you in line, you’re just inviting trouble with having all of that money. If you don’t have a credit card or debit card, you can also go to your local store and get a gift card. Most have a $1000 limit, make sure to read the fine print beforehand to be sure.

Know How to Set It Up

You have your new iPad, not only did you survive the lines, but you have a gadget that many individuals may have missed out one when pre-ordering became unavailable. Consider yourself lucky. Now that you are safe and home, it’s time to sync your device if you haven’t already. This can take a while, but is well worth it when complete.

Protect Your New iPad

Within 30 days, you have the option to purchase Apple Care +. This is worth purchasing and actually a privilege, especially since this relatively new option was only a dream a while back. This allows for two accidental damage incidents (with a $49 service charge), without having to pay $500 for a new iPad. This covers drops, water damage, etc. This is an essential for any new iPad user. Additionally, make sure to invest in a good case soon. Most retailers like Zagg usually have cases like these available for purchase days leading up to an official launch. Stay tuned to their sites and sites like theirs to see what they have to offer. While the iPad 2 and new iPad look alike, the new iPad is a bit heavier and thicker.

The Days After March 16th

Be Prepared for A Choppy Ride

Oh, the joys of being an early adopter. Despite the heavy tests Apple has, you are always prone to being apart of the early adopter problems, like what we saw with the iPhone 4 and “antenna gate”. This is the time when mass users will reveal any parts of the new iPad that just aren’t working out. Apple will most likely offer a solution to the problem, like how Apple offered free cases to new iPhone 4 purchasers to alleviate the antenna gate issue.

Fill It Up

You have a new iPad, now use it for what it’s for, the apps. Even if you had an old iPad, there are many other applications out there that show off the new Retina display or take advantage of the newly improved camera. Additionally, iPhoto for iOS was newly released at the event, this is a great purchase for any new iPad user looking to take advantage of the new iPad’s camera and screen.

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Getting The Most Out of Your Old iPad

February 27, 2012 By 1 Comment

You hear about the new iPad 3 is expected to be announced in the beginning of March. You glance at your calendar and notice that is next week. This means that you want to see how much you can get out of your old device. Thankfully, between announcement time and when it’s time to go in line, you have about a month. But the majority of consumers who aren’t technology inclined may not understand that a new model is right around the corner. Take advantage of this time as much as you can with these few tips for selling your old device.

Where To Sell

There are many locations that you can sell your iPad on. However, it’s important to know the safe location to sell your iPad. Some websites, like eBay, have great rules and regulations that help to protect the seller and the consumer against fraud. In addition, the ability to accept Paypal payment allows you to easily and safely receive money that isn’t counterfeit or bounced. However other places like Craiglist can yield great profit, not having to worry about shipping all the time, but you aren’t always guaranteed safety when selling in person. You can expect a higher profit though with the eBay route, so that’s what I recommend.

Preparing Your iPad

Once you have chosen to sell your iPad at a certain location, it’s now important to get your iPad shipping ready. You should give it a nice wipe down. If you are inclined to, you can even add a nice screen protector. While it could cost at most $20, you can add that in with the selling price, it can increase the lifespan of the screen, and it can yield a slightly higher profit because the iPad will look possibly as good as new. After it’s all clean, get the iPad all cleaned out from the inside with a nice backup and wipe from iTunes. Backing up is crucial because once you get your iPad 3, all you have to do is sync and your contact is back up. After it’s backed up, get your iPad in it’s packaging and have it ready for shipment.

Pricing Your iPad

Your iPad is now ready as if it were sold. However, it’s not and that means it’s important to choose an appropriate price for your iPad. Unlike the iPhone which has many generations of choices, the iPad only has two. The original iPad should be sold at least for $300- $350, a little less if the condition isn’t as good. The iPad 2 should be sold at least for $450 – $475. If you have accessories, get the price of them, slash it in half, and add that to the price. For example, If you want to sell your new iPad for $450, and you have a $30 case, sell your whole package for $465.

Free shipping should always be an option, it attracts more buyers and makes them think they are getting a steal on the price. When posting your iPad, make sure to be as descriptive as possible. This means not only telling the buyer what scratch or crack is found, but also to take a photo. It may feel like you’d loose a buyer, but if you are truthful, the buyer will know what they are getting themselves into.

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Great Apps for Watching The Oscars

February 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Oscars are an event that different individuals have different opinions of watching for. Some individuals take it as a regular award ceremony that don’t really affect their television schedule. However, others love The Oscars and even have “watch parties” to enjoy the awards fun with friends. However, if you don’t have individuals to make it a fun event with, but you still want to enjoy it, then there are many applications available to enjoy The Oscars. From television applications and even an official application, these are the best Oscars apps on the App Store market today.

GetGlue

GetGlue is one of my favorite television applications on iPhone. GetGlue is pretty much the Foursquare of television. Once checked in, you get a sticker for the show that you have watched. These stickers can add up to more prizes, tangible ones. For The Oscars, you can stickers for watching the actual event and related television shows that may cover the Oscars or interview nominees. GetGlue is free, so download it now to enjoy the show!

Official The Oscars App

What’s better than the official application? The official Oscars application is available for iPhone users and allows you to get the behind the scenes information on The Oscars. You can get information on all of the nominated actors and award information. You can also enjoy The Oscars with special video streams. This allows you to choose the video point you want, without having to wait for the official television show choosing it for you. This means if you want to focus on the red carpet, you can. Lastly, you can choose who you want to win the awards.

Miso

Miso is your one stop shop for activities related to television shows. Along with the myriad of choices for trivial games and polls, you can also view and even create games and activities based on a television show. This is a great application for watching television shows with friends, or just making a show more fun and interesting to watch. Like GetGlue, you can get awards for checking into television shows, including The Oscars. During Oscar season, you also can check out live cameras and take polls for Miso.

IMDB for iPhone

IMDB is any movie lovers essential application. Since we are watching the awards for actors and actresses, this is an essential application for settling the inner conflict of remembering who played who in which movie. You can type names or titles, and results will appear right away. However, these features are available year round, nothing special. So, IMDB has provided a special Oscars section for enjoying and watching the festivities.

IntoNow for iPhone

I received an email from IntoNow a couple of days ago about their Oscar special features for this year. IntoNow, the application that allows you to check into a show by placing the phone next to the TV to pick up the audio which identifies the show, will have a couple of features allowing you to choose the best Oscar clothes, voting for who you think might win, and more. Any IntoNow user knows that, when you aren’t checking into to shows, the application will be used for great discussion. Twitter and Facebook hook up helps with this discussion feel as well.

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How To: Win $10,000 For Downloading an App From App Store

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Just a year ago, Apple was giving away $10,000 to the user who downloaded the 10 billionth application on the App Store. Now, Apple is awarding the same prize to the user who downloads the 25 billionth app. This not only shows Apple’s generosity, but also the growth that the App Store has had in users, downloads, and apps in just a year, let alone the three years it has been active. There are two ways to enter into this contest:

  1. Enter this form on their website to be considered, doesn’t require a download/purchase.
  2. You will be automatically entered when you purchase an application.

The first option shows that you will be competing against individuals who also aren’t downloading applications. This means that it is crucial to both download an app as well as enter manually to be considered. The second option also includes free applications. How exactly does that work? If someone enters after the 24,999,999,999th app is downloaded, that entry wins. If someone enters after the 25 billionth app is downloaded, they don’t win. If someone enters when the 24,999,999,998th app is download, and the other two entrants are from purchases, then the 25 billionth app download is the winner. This contest is only with the iOS app store, not Mac App Store. Just to prove that no purchase is necessary, last years winner of the ten grand was Gail Davis from the UK who won when she downloaded a free, Paper Glider app. Quite encouraging, huh?

As of today, nearly 25 billion apps have been downloaded worldwide. Which is almost as amazing as the apps themselves. So we want to say thanks. Download the 25 billionth app, and you could win a US$10,000 App Store Gift Card.* Just visit the App Store and download your best app yet.

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Mini Tip: How to Send an iMessage as a Text Message

February 15, 2012 By 1 Comment

When emailing a friend today, I felt that they would receive my long message a lot quicker if I sent an iMessage. However, I soon remembered that because she has a capped data plan, a long iMessage conversation would eat up her data. That’s when this tip came in handy. Here is a basic way of sending your iMessage into a text message on any iMessage supported iPhone.

Step 1: Double tap the message before it’s fully sent.

Step 2: Click ” Send as Text Message”

Step 3: All Done.

It’s quite simple, however, it’s important to remember that this doesn’t work if the message is already sent. In addition, if they are not able to receive iMessages, your iPhone will automatically send it as a text message.

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AT&T’s Unlimited Data: Unlimited to a Limit [with Solutions]

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Back last summer, AT&T cancelled their unlimited data service. This was as a way of protecting themselves due to an onslaught of new iPhone users due to the release of the iPhone 4S and the free 3Gs. However, as a way of looking out for the users already with unlimited data, the carrier allowed those users to grandfather the plan to their current and subsequent plans, until they opt out for the cheaper options. However, this plan has now backfired for the carrier.

With new users with tiered plans pressuring data systems, along with unlimited data users already stretching their data privileges, AT&T is going on a campaign to counter the “Top 5%”. These are the individuals who use large amounts of data a month. However, some users with the tiered system are even receiving some of these notifications, even though they barely use their allowance. Whether you’re affected (when you must lower your usage) or not, it is still nice to other AT&T users like myself to not go ridiculous with usage. It not only makes for a larger bill for yourself, but can affect Internet speeds for users. Below, we have offered some good solutions to lowering your usage without having to count every single KB.

Use WIFI

Yes, this should be a simple enough tip, but it actually isn’t. Half of you reading this most likely don’t have your WIFI turned on. This will greatly save you on Data. WIFI is almost always free these days, since the emphasis on WIFI is so great, the days of charging for WIFI in public places are far gone. WIFI can be turned on in your settings sections.

Quit Applications When Finished

Another thing that many new iPhone users don’t know about is how to quit applications. Especially those new to the iPhone concept, “quitting applications” seems relatively foreign. However, when you use an application and click the home button, that doesn’t magically make it go away. Thanks to multitasking, for some a blessing and a curse, the application still runs. This is perfect for those typing a document or Facebook status and are interrupted by the boss or a Words with Friends notification, but it’s bad for those who want to save on data. To quit an application, double tap your home button, press and hold the application until it “wiggles” and then press the red delete button to quit.

Tackle the Email Problem

Email is a sneaky data stealer, and it’s one of my biggest data killers. For one, if you have your mail “push”ed into your inbox, this means  your inbox is repeatedly checked for a new message, then the data is almost always in use. In addition, if you have an email hooked up that already receives a ton of mail, you can forget about data control being a possibility. To counter these two problems, you must first make sure that you don’t add a busy email. For example, my work email receives a ton of mail a day, this has caused me to make use of the mobile site in Safari or wait until I get home to check my email. However, I hooked up my less traffic prone personal email. In addition, in the mail settings, I changed from push email. Now, the only time Mail checks for a new email is when I go into the application. Big time and data saver!

Your Weekly Check-up

No, your doctor will not give you a report of your data along with your check up. However, we mean that you should make use of the “View Data Usage” technique if you’re on a tiered data plan. This means calling “*3282#” to receive a text message of how much data you’ve used out of your allowance. This allows you to get an assessment of how much you have used. This is great for data portion control, and you may be surprised with how little you’ve used based on the techniques above.

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