Apps

I admit, I was one of the last people at iPhone Life to own an iPad. I just didn’t see the use in it. My iPhone could do whatever I needed; and for those times I needed a bigger screen and a keyboard, I had my laptop! Well, after two months with the iPad Pro, I see the appeal, particularly when it comes to being more productive in my creative pursuits. The following apps have become my favorite solutions for everything from learning new skills to efficiently accomplishing my artistic goals.

While I have a Ring video doorbell, it has some drawbacks. First, I had to physically hardwire it into my house. If I lived in an apartment, that would not be an option. The other issue is that I have to find and open my phone to see who is there. If I'm at the door, a peephole makes more sense. The folks at Brinno have a solution, with the Brinno DUO Smart Peephole DoorCam ($199.95). Brinno sent me the peephole camera and, sure enough, no heavy duty tools were required to install it.

Are you wondering how to use the Safari app because you're not quite sure what the icons mean? Here's a brief overview of the main icons in the iOS Safari app and how to use them. All the icons reviewed can be found along the bottom bar after you open the Safari app on your iPhone. The icons do the same thing in the iPad Safari app, but may be located in a different part of the screen.

All of us have had to plow through at least one difficult day of school or work after a less-than-optimal night of sleep. But what happens when a rough night becomes the norm? The Centers for Disease Control collects data about the sleep habits of Americans and reports that one in three of us are getting fewer than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night. Whether you can’t fall asleep, can’t stay asleep, or both, insomnia is not only miserable but bad for your health. I’m one of those insomniacs who wakes up more nights than not after about four hours of shut-eye, and who’s unable to drift off again for at least an hour or two. If you’re like me and have spent many wakeful hours wishing you could just relax and sleep, it’s time to find some help. I’ve been researching why insomnia occurs, as well as testing iPhone gear and apps meant to deliver a good night’s sleep. Here, I’ll share the tips, apps, and gear that have been most effective so far in my quest to cure my insomnia.

Ever since Apple’s virtual assistant Siri debuted with the release of the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 in 2011, using our cell phones has become quicker and easier. So why are you still navigating your device with taps, swipes, and gestures when you could be using Siri? Whether you are a seasoned or rookie iPhone user, Siri will allow you to take control of your device, save time, and be more productive.

If you came of age in the pre-smartphone era, you already know the basics of phone etiquette. But now that texting and messaging apps have overtaken phone calls as the preferred method of staying in touch, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the dos and don’ts of texting as well. Here’s how to avoid being the bane of the group chat, telling someone it’s funny that their loved one died, and snubbing someone just by letting them see that you read their message!

Best Apps: Meetup

By Hallei Halter

Feel like you need to leave the house or want to squeeze in a small outing on your business trip? If you're wondering how to meet people or find local events, the Meetup app is your answer. With its array of groups and events created by people local to the area, Meetup could show you something you've never seen before, even in your own hometown.

A big theme at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was "Retro" and yet the cutest item I saw was both retro and futuristic at once. The folks from Divoom gave me a Tivoo ($59.90) to try and I love it. It looks like a small, old-fashioned CRT television set from the 50s or 60s, without the rabbit ears. It's sold in assorted colors for a reasonable price.

Want to see what any given week has in store for you in your iPhone's Calendar app? Just turn your iPhone on its side and you'll see your week in more detail. The Calendar app is one of a handful of iOS apps that shows you a different view if you hold your iPhone horizontally instead of upright. (You can see the Week view in both landscape and portrait oritentation on the iPad.) Looking at events in the week view allows you to see at a glance what you have planned over the next few days and makes it easy to reschedule events by dragging them from one time slot or day to another. Here's how to see the week view in Calendar. 

Within the Clock app on the iPhone there is a stopwatch you can use. Here’s how to use the iPhone’s stopwatch, and why you would want to use it. Whether you want to track how quickly someone runs a mile, time individual laps or circuits, or simply track the time it takes to complete a task, you can use the stopwatch to do it. 

Apple introduced the Live Photo feature with the iPhone 6S, and it's still a fun and popular feature of the native iPhone Camera app. Unless you've unselected Live Photo settings in the Camera Settings, the Live Photo function is on by default when you open the Camera app, so you need to turn off Live Photo if you want a traditional still shot. Sometimes, though, we all forget to turn off Live Photo; now what? No worries, you can delete the Live Photo version of your picture and keep the still photo. 

Last week, to very little fanfare, Apple released the iPad Mini 5, the next generation iPad Air, and the new AirPods. Apple’s reason for the quiet soft-release of its new hardware was to avoid robbing attention from the March 25 announcement today in Cupertino, California. But was Apple’s services-oriented announcement worth quietly releasing the highly anticipated iPad Mini 5 ahead of the event? We’ve got all the details on Apple’s new subscription-based services, from the Apple TV Plus collection of original content to the brand new Apple Card. Read on to learn all about Apple’s pricing for their new services, availability, and all of the relevant details Apple didn't share today.

Apple News Plus, Apple's premium news membership that lets you access over 300 magazines and at least 2 newspapers, is here! Here's how to subscribe to Apple News Plus on your iPhone or iPad. There's no risk in giving Apple News Plus a try; you'll be able to browse the titles Apple News Plus has to offer before confirming your subscription and you can cancel any time during the 30-day free trial.

Apple finally announced its rumored TV streaming service at the March 25 event in Cupertino. The tech giant is branching out in a big way and bringing other streaming and cable subscriptions under the umbrella of a completely redesigned Apple TV app. As well, Apple will offer original content through its premium Apple TV Plus service. Let’s go over everything we know so far about the updates to the Apple TV app and Apple TV Plus streaming service.

Today during its services announcement, held at the Steve Jobs Theater in its Cupertino headquarters, Apple announced a new premium magazine subscription service called Apple News Plus. With the Apple News Plus membership, readers can access thousands of articles by hundreds of publications in one place. Having a single digital subscription to several magazines and newspapers can make it easier for you to read and know more about current events, be it news or upcoming trends. The service is available today with the iOS 12.2 update on both iPhone and iPad, and on macOS 10.14.4 on Mac. With the $9.99/month price, you'll have access to 300 magazine titles, which includes content from back issues, and at least two newspapers. You'll be able to share the subscription to up to six people at no extra cost with family sharing. 

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