iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

HomePod not responding? Whether you're having issues or looking to sell your current HomePod, we'll explain a few simple methods for resetting your HomePod to factory settings. Both the original HomePod and the HomePod mini can be restored through the Home App or with a manual hardware reset. Your HomePod mini can also be reset by connecting to a Mac computer. Read below to learn how to reset your HomePod.

Kindle Fire HD 7 Review

By Daniel Rasmus

Hey, I know this blog is all about Apple iOS products, but part of understanding a product requires putting it in the context of its competitors. I recently received a Kindle Fire HD 7 for evaluation, and I have to say, I’ve been using it quite a bit lately, here’s why.

User Experience

I've published several articles on “remuxing” video converters, which make it possible to convert a lot of videos very quickly for consuming on iOS. Generally, with today's most widely used video formats (H.264), this only involves converting the audio (if it's not already AAC) and changing the container.

So far, the two remuxers I've recommended the most were the free Subler and (strictly the beta version of) MP4Tools. They're very fast and astonishingly useful tools.

 

Every weekend we will be raffling off tons of great apps and accessories for FREE. Here's how it works: Every Friday we will announce the prizes being given away through iPhoneLife.com, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. To enter the giveaway, go to iPhoneLife.com/giveaways. On Monday morning we will randomly select the winners. If you win an app, we will email you the promo code to redeem the app for free. If you win an accessory, we will mail it to you.

Back in the Windows Mobile / Symbian days, in 2007, I've already published a full roundup of then-current UPnP (desktop) server and mobile client apps (see THIS / THIS). Now, let's take a look at how it is done on the iDevice (iPad [Mini] / iPhone / iPod touch)!

As you may have guessed, the stock video player shipped with iOS, “Videos”, doesn't support accessing UPnP (also known as DLNA; in this article, I refer to it as “UPnP”) servers. That is, you'll need to use third-party apps on your iDevice. Fortunately, there are several of them.

1. What can you use UPnP for on iOS?

Just this week, Chevrolet announced the integration of Siri with upcoming Spark 1LT and 2LT models and Sonic LTZ and RS models. Siri, the virtual assistant that has been helping iPhone users with hands-free tasks since late last year will soon be integrated with these vehicles through their MyLink infotainment system. The Siri-enabled automobiles will be available to the public early next year. Using pass through voice recognition through the vehicle’s MyLink infotainment system, Siri will be controlled both hands-free and eyes-free through the driver’s voice after one touch of a steering wheel button.

Up until now, I haven't really recommended the otherwise excellent (“thanks” to Apple's overly strict and - in my opinion - when it comes to video playback, absolutely unnecessary restrictions, jailbreak-only) XBMC multimedia player for iPad 3/4 users playing back high-resolution videos.

The reason for this was, as has always been explained in my articles, the lack of Retina screen support.

Now, take a look at the next two screenshots (click the thumbnails to get the original shots! Don't even try to evaluate the video playback resolution using the thumbnails):

WARNING: This review is graphics heavy!

Note: Due to security concerns for my iPad and iPhone I decided not to include device information screenshots for them. However, you can access any iOS device information by clicking on the Devices button next to the iTunes Store/Library button on the right upper side.

 

Yes, there is a new icon! :) It does look better than the previous version.

 

Cord Organizer

By admin

On the box, it says, "Keep Cables on the Table." This unique cord organizer will help you keep the plethora of cords we all end up with more manageable. I look forward to the day when we can go completely cordless, at least that's my dream. But, in the meantime I am grateful to the Metal Cordie by Quirky.

It's one of those, "Why didn't I think of that" inventions. It's simplicity of design and functionality put up right up there with the invention of the wheel.

It consists of four rubber posts on a metal pad to hold four cords between them. It keeps your cords separated, available, and easily accessible.

 

 

Those of you who follow my articles know that I'm both an outdoor enthusiast as well as a person who likes to bring my mobile devices into the field with me. So I get to test the reliability, durability and ruggedness of many products that claim to be just that; reliable, durable and rugged. I'm always keeping my eyes open for any new accessories that can help keep our iDevices safe in potentially unfavorable circumstances, whether they occur in the urban jungle or in the great outdoors.

 

The Closed Captioning bible

By Werner Ruotsalainen

There is a lot of confusion (see for example THIS) around Closed Captions (CC for short); they are routinely mistaken for traditional, textual subtitles (subs for short), even in the non-TV-streaming / DVD, that is, strictly Apple world. In this article, I've elaborate on the difference, the CC-to-subs conversion and the rendering of the original (Apple) CC's in desktop and iOS players.

1. The difference between CC and textual subs

1.1 Apple's CC

Given that a lot of iOS multimedia developers use my suite of test videos to conformance test their apps (see for example the iPad screenshot HERE, with the latest Moli_player Pro HD (a screen capture link showing my Finnish test video I've created and generally use for DVB TS multiple subtitle and audio track conformance testing)), I found it necessary to dedicate a separate article for a new subset of my conformance and speed test suite so that as many of them get notified of the changes as possible.

I've written, glowingly, before about the HMDX Jam Wireless Portable Speaker that uses Bluetooth to pump out solid sounds and act as a speakerphone.  And it does so in a solidly built, beautiful design, that, when packaged in its clear jar, is suggestive of jelly, hence the name Jam!

 

Mobile presenters listen up. Here's the gadget of your dreams. You will never want to leave home without one again.

It's a laser pointer that you plug into the 3.5 mm port of your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. It's only 1.6" long, so it won't exactly bog you down. Once it's plugged in, it turns into a clear and bright red Class II  laser pointer.

The pointer is activated from a free app called X-Presenter. Just point your laser and push the button on your screen, and you are highlighting your presentation.

As you may already know (see for example THIS), the previous iPhone model, the iPhone 4S, couldn't truly record video with more than 30 frames per second (fps) without, by 50%, decreased vertical resolution and (with the 1080p-native 4S) switching to 720p resolution. Now, let's take a look at how the iPhone 5 behaves in this respect! Can it record 30+ fps video at all?

I've constantly been receiving requests for the iOS5+ compliant version of my iOS 4-only iPhone 3G S / 4 video camera enhancers (latest, dedicated article). This tool is still unique in that it's the only GUI-based tool (read: no need for manual plist copying) to quickly and easily do the following:

- change the video bitrate to allow for, for example, long-time recordings using low bitates

- change to the special resolution of 1080*800, which does deliver considerably better resolution than the default 640*480.

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