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In this age of multi-device households, sharing accounts with family members can be a little stressful. Add a tween or teenage into the mix, and it might be enough to push you over the edge. If you’ve ever had your phone ring with a FaceTime call from your 12 year-old’s best friend or received the “iCloud is full” error message after adding a new device to your household, this article is for you. First, it’s important to know a little bit about your Apple ID and iCloud. Your Apple ID is what gives you access to iCloud, FaceTime, iMessage, iTunes, the App Store, and Game Center, among other services. Since these are the most-used services in my house, they are the ones I’m going to talk about here. Some families choose to share an Apple ID for some services and use separate Apple IDs for others. There is no “one size fits all” cure for family device management—it all depends on your family's preferences.
This article is meant for advanced users and programmers.
Today, I've started investigating the CPU usage of the software decoders of the iOS multimedia players I'm reviewing for my forthcoming iOS Multimedia bible. (Of which the work-in-progress feature & benchmark measurements chart, in OpenOffice format, is already public. It's quite a bit messed up (again, it's a chart I'm actively working on) but you may already find answers to even your most unique questions.) For this, I've reviewed all the CPU measurement techniques available on iOS – a very important parameter of the players if you want to have as good battery life and low device temperature as possible. (There may be huge differences in the efficiency between even custom audio – for example, OGG or WMA – decoders, let alone video ones.)
The iPhoneography Tip of the Week series features tips, tricks, and tutorials to help you take better pictures with your iPhone. I received a Facebook message from a friend a short time ago challenging me to describe the method she used to create an image of a rose surrounded by a silky-pink tunnel. I found out she used a straw to create the beautiful image, and I decided I would experiment with the trick, and see what I could create. Here is what you will need to try it yourself: 1. Scissors; 2. A straw (your choice of color); 3. The subject; 4. Your iPhone!
When it comes to having babies, all of your experiences will pretty much be brand new. Whether it's baby number one or number twenty, they are going to pull at least one thing you have never seen before. Where there were once old wives tales and home visits; now there are Google searches and frantic nurse line calls. Everywhere in between there we tend to turn to our smartphones for every answer. Luckily for us there are enough smart people out there to have our every need covered. If you have recently welcomed a new baby into your life these three apps are essential.
It's official, summer is here. Time for days at the beach and afternoons by the pool: in other words, for many people, it's time to shape up. When it comes to staying bikini ready, my iPhone is my best friend. I have apps that help me track of my calorie intake, sign up for classes at my gym, and track my heart rate. But recently I've added a new app to my fitness arsenal, My Diet Coach - Weight Loss for Women (Free). My Diet Coach takes a totally different approach to dieting; this isn't a calorie counter or fitness tracker. My Diet Coach uses personalized motivation and tips to help you through social or emotional eating situations where you may be tempted to make unhealthy choices.
Last month at the Wireless Association-CTIA tradeshow, iPhone Life Magazine hosted a major event at which Otterbox CEO Brian Thomas announced the rugged case maker had acquired Lifeproof case company. Although Thomas made the announcement at our event, we were nonetheless taken by surprise as Thomas revealed the merger of these two exceptional case companies. As someone who appreciates a good protective case for my iDevices, I am excited to see what comes out of this union. Both companies are already known for making some of the best cases on the market, especially in the rugged, military-standard case division.
The rumors are becoming hot and heavy as we move toward Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference next week and the release of new devices this fall. The latest rumor on iPads, originating from DigiTimes, is that mass production of the next 9.7-inch iPad will begin July or August, with shipment scheduled for late September. The site again states what so many other rumors have said: that the form factor will be like the iPad mini, with narrower bezels left and right and an overall thinner and lighter design. The site, which gets its information from Apple's suppliers, says the next-generation iPad mini will arrive in November. The reason behind the timing is unclear, but could be because Apple wants to clearly separate the launches of the two models. Or it's possible Apple's suppliers simply don't have the capacity to ramp up production of both iPads simultaneously. Most of the rumors surrounding the next mini relate to the possibility of it having a retina display.
Thanks to everyone who entered iPhone Life's Biweekly Weekend Giveaway! We received entries from 305 people in 20 different countries this week! WOW! And we gave away 1 accessory and 5 apps!
And the winners are... (drumroll please): David J., Michael M., Barry B., Marcia W., Carlo V., and Bryan M.
If you see your name but didn't receive an email, please check your spam folder.
Didn't Win This Week? No worries! Visit iphonelife.com/giveaways for the chance to win a ton of these app in the next giveaway round for the chance to win 50+ apps and two accessories:
1. CandyShell for iPhone 5: Retail Price (34.95)
New iOS keyboards continue to venture forth. Here are my thoughts on the latest arrivals: The Belkin FastFit Keyboard cover is designed to compete with the Zagg PROplus iPad Keyboard ($129.99) and the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover ($99.99). Unlike those two cases, the Belkin FastFit offers two viewing angles, which means you'll have a lot of open space on the far end of the keyboard, in fact, too much when you see it next to these other keyboards. As with most portable keyboards, Belkin misses a key touch typing element: the full-sized shift key on the right-hand side of the keyboard. Push everything back a half-inch or so and the same arrangement of keys can be easily accommodated. I'm not sure why keyboard manufacturers continue to make this fundamental mistake when Zagg, Logitech, and Clamcase clearly demonstrate keyboards that easily make room for a full-sized right shift key.
Game Centered features roundups and in-depth reviews of the best in iOS games. Among the App Store’s myriad games, it’s all too easy to overlook some of the greats. Each installment of Game Centered will take a close look at a select few worthy of special recognition. In this installment of Game Centered we’re taking a look at some of the new Blockbuster role playing games recently arriving in the App Store. Honestly, each one of these awesome games deserves its own in-depth review. I will assuredly get to that in future posts, so stay tuned! But for now, enjoy this brief introduction to these stellar iOS RPGs.
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