Jim Karpen

Author Details

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Author Details

Jim Karpen

Jim Karpen holds a Ph.D. in literature and writing, and has a love of gizmos. His doctoral dissertation focused on the revolutionary consequences of digital technologies and anticipated some of the developments taking place in the industry today. Jim has been writing about the Internet and technology since 1994 and has been using Apple's visionary products for decades.

More than 160 million people use Snapchat every day, and developers keep rolling out new, versatile features to keep Snap fresh. Whether you want to use Snapchat to send a photo, video, or message to one friend or to a whole group of followers, live video chat, or discover short-form content from publishers and celebrities, there's a lot to keep you connected and engaged. Beyond that, Snapchat allows users to send and receive money through Snapcash, create avatars, augment content with filters and AR lenses, stickers, and a drawing feature, and share locations for still shots and live chat. Formerly a non-archival platform, Snapchat now allows users to save photos and videos, called snaps, with their Memories feature. A frustration many Snapchat users share is the inability to download Snap for iPad. Snapchat for iPhone is super convenient, but when you have the ability to use an iPad, it sure would be great to have a larger drawing surface so you can add more detail to your still shots and filters, and have more screen space to explore Stories. Although Snapchat for iPad is not officially available, there's an easy trick to install Snapchat on iPad. Let's get started learning how to get Snapchat on iPad! 

As noted in this earlier post, rumors have been swirling that Apple will be holding an event in March to introduce new products. And in recent days details of what to expect have become more clear. The biggest news is that it's increasingly likely that Apple will announce a new 4-inch iPhone the week of March 14 that will take over the low-end slot in its lineup of models. The announcement could come at a media event or it could simply be an online announcement. It may also include new Apple Watch models with new bands and an iPad Air 3.

I'm working on a post about cutting the cord with your Apple TV, and my best discovery so far is that I'm able to watch the wide range of programming that Sling TV offers for just $20 per month via my Apple TV. The service includes ESPN, ESPN2, AMC, A&E, History channel, TNT, TBS, Disney channel, Travel Channel, CNN, HGTV, Food, and more. This can be done in two different ways: mirroring your iPhone or iPad using AirPlay and using Sling TV as your credentials for the WatchESPN app. 

When Apple announced iOS 9, I got really excited about the forthcoming News app. And now that I'm using it regularly, I feel my excitement was warranted. Plus, I like the snappy and seamless manner in which one can toggle between the overview of the news and a specific story. And I recently learned there's an even easier way to return to the overview, as well as to read the next story without going to the overview.

Apple first announced HomeKit, its smart-home platform, in June of 2014, but HomeKit-compatible devices have been slow in coming. And frankly, it may not have been easy to understand exactly what HomeKit is and what the benefits are. iHome generously sent me its smart plug a few weeks ago, and now I finally get what HomeKit is. It's really cool. I want to share with you what I've learned, in case you're interested in what HomeKit is and whether you may want to start creating a smart-home environment. This is especially relevant now, because with the annual Consumer Electronics Show currently going on, more and more HomeKit devices are being announced.

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