Google Maps Adds Pokémon To Locations Around The World in the 'Google Maps: Pokémon Challenge'

This would have to be the best April Fools prank by Google, ever! And it's not even April 1st in the USA, yet. Google has added Pokémon all over the world to their Google Maps application.

"Dozens of wild Pokémon have taken up residence on streets, amidst forests and atop mountains throughout Google Maps. 

To catch 'em all, grab your Poké Ball and the newest version of Google Maps for iPhone or Android. Then tap the search bar, "press start," and begin your quest."

Oh, and by the way, it may be April fools day, but there is really Pokemon on Google Maps... Open your Google Maps app on iOS or Android, and tap in the Search field, then tap "Press start". Lookout for some Pokemon in location like; the Sydney Observatory, Central Park in New York, the Googleplex, and more....

The competition may not be real, but the Pokemon are! The game ends; April 2, 2014 at 2:00 P.M. PDT. So what are you waiting for? Go catch 'em all, and become a Google Maps: Pokémon Master!!

To play the Google Maps: Pokemon Challenge, make sure you have the latest version of Google Maps for your iOS (iPhone / iPad) or Android device. 

Kids App DRAWNIMAL for iPhone/iPad Combines Learning The Alphabet & Art Into One

DRAWNIMAL by Lucas Zanotto is Apple's 'App Of The Week', which means you can download it for FREE this week! (Saving $1.99).

DRAWNIMAL is a app for young kids that combines the alphabet and art. The app contains minimalist animal character drawings, and has sounds that says the letters of the alphabet and gives you an animal example. For example when you press the play button, the voice will say: "A, for alligator."

To be honest, I don't like this app, and here's why:

First off, it's really simple. Yes, the app itself is made nicely, however - there is only one thing "A" is for. Once you run through the app, you're not getting anything different the second time.  

My second dislike of this app is with it's "art" element. The app tells you to place your device (the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad) down on a piece of paper, or a surface you can draw on. And then as animation shows on the screen, draw around your device - completing the animal picture... Now, I don't have any kids, but the first thing that came to my mind was, I don't want marker or pencil markings on my devices. And that surely will happen with any kid ...and maybe some adults.  I'm sorry, but if you put a markers near your device, it's sure to get on it, eventually. And if the adult draws the picture, then what's the point? Also think about all the paper you're wasting, for half a drawing.  If you do this, please, at least use a whiteboard.

The app is also British. It says "zed" instead of "zee", and has a British accent. So americans, be warned.  There are five languages available: English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Italian.


DRAWNIMAL is a cute app for kids. Currently free this week, as it's Apple's pick of the week. Regular price is $1.99. DRAWNIMAL is available for iOS (designed for both iPhone and iPad), and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store. 

Poll: If Apple Released An iWatch, Would You Buy One?

iPod Nano on wrist band, (iWatchz).

The next big thing in mobile technology seems to be wearables. Samsung has already released two smart-watches and a fitness band. Other companies like Sony & Pebble also have smart-watches, and Google is now offering their Android software to many manufactures who will make smart-watches in all 'shapes-and-sizes'. But the one that a lot of people are waiting for - to see what they would release - is a Apple smart-watch, known and rumored on the internet as the "iWatch".

But is there a demand for smart-watches? Our poll today is asking you the question, "If Apple released an iWatch, would you buy one?" Now of course, as the device is not yet available - we know nothing about it. What the features would be... What it would look like... What the price would be... But judging for the smart-watches already on the market, we can get a ruff idea of what it could be. Most likely, it may be a companion to your iPhone, which could show notification, messages, reminders, ect... and might also be health / fitness focused. And whatever else Apple has to 'wow us', is just an extra bonus. So if you're interested in the idea, and would consider buying a 'iWatch', vote "Yes". If you have no interest in a smart-wearable device by Apple, vote "No".

If the poll does not load below, you can click here to vote on the poll.

Mac Tip: How To Lock Your Mac Screen Without Putting It Into Sleep Mode

In many situations, you might want to lock your Mac Computer because you'll be monetarily away, but you don't want to put the Mac into sleep mode because you may have background application running. Here's how to lock only the screen.


To lock your Mac's screen, without putting it into sleep mode:

On new Mac's (ones without an optical disc drive):

At the same time press the keys: 

Control + Shift + Power.

On older Mac's (the ones with optical disc drives):

At the same time press the keys: 

Control + Shift + Eject.

*Note that if you're Mac is not plugged into a power source, it will eventually go into sleep mode. Also due to your set power settings, your Mac may also eventually go into sleep mode. 

Poll: Do You Want The iPhone 6 To Have A Bigger Screen?

With the iPhone 6 getting closer, the rumor mill continues to grow. The most common rumor is that the next iPhone will have a bigger screen.

There is also rumors of two new iPhone's that won't even carry the iPhone brand name with bigger screens...

But the real question is, do the public really want an iPhone with a bigger screen? Some seem to think that Apple needs to increase the iPhone's screen size to compete with Samsung's (and other competitors) bigger screen smartphones. I personally however think that a 4 inch screen is big enough. I don't want to hold an iPad mini against my head.

So I'm asking yous. Do you want the iPhone 6 to have a bigger screen? And if so, what do you think the screen size should increase to? 4.5"? 5"? Over 5"? Vote in the poll, and leave your answer in the comments!

Twitterrific 5 - Currently FREE For iOS - Download Now!

I used to be a big fan of Twitterrific by The Iconfactory, and would use the app before there was a official Twitter application for iPhone and iPad. But Twitterrific has always been a great alternative client app for Twitter. Twitterrific most recent version is Twitterrific 5.

Twitterrific has a lot of great features including; a iOS 7 style interface, live timelines streaming, push notifications, automatic switching to night theme, timeline syncing, multiple account support with fast switching, and a lot more... Check out the full feature list on Twitterrific's App Store page.

Twitterrific 5 is currently FREE to download (at time of posting), a saving of $2.99. If you're looking for an alternative to the official Twitter app, check out Twitterrific 5.

Twitterrific 5 is available for iOS (designed for iPhone & iPad). Download Twitterrific 5 now, from the iTunes App Store. 

'2048' Challenging Math Puzzle Game For iOS - App Review

'2048' is a challenging math / strategy game for iOS (designed for iPhone and iPad) by Ketchapp.

In '2048' you have a grid of appearing numbers with every move you make. The aim is to slide the grid either in a up, down, left or right direction to add the numbers of the same value together, merging them into one tile. The challenge is to get up to the "2048" tile. If you fill the grid with no more possible moves - it's game over.

While '2048' "looks simple", it's a challenging game that will put all your math, logic, and strategic planning skills to the test.

'2048' also features Game Center integration so you can compare your highest score to the worlds.

The game has skyrocketed recently to the top of the free app charts. If you love these math puzzle games - you have got to download '2048'. You'll love it! Even if you're not to great with math, and strategic planning, give the game a try - it may even help you increase your skills.


'2048' is FREE to download, and is available for iOS (designed for iPhone and iPad) devices. Download '2048' now, from the iTunes App Store. 

'Redd' The iOS App Client For Reddit With The Best Visual Interface - App Review

For a while now I had been using the app client Alien Blue for Reddit, until I came across a recently gone free app for iOS (designed for iPhone & iPod Touch) called, Redd - Reddit client by Craig Merchant. Redd is actually a really great app for Reddit. A a recent update has made the app, even better.

Redd has a really nice clean interface. It looks the part for iOS 7. The app divided by tabs on the bottom of the app. There's: Hot, New, Rising, Controversial, and Top. These also work for each category you enter. The categories can been accessed from the three line "hamburger menu" on the top left corner.

The Features of Redd:

- Search and browse your favorite subreddits
- Add and reply to comments and stories

- Upvote and Downvote stories and comments

- Share stories to your favorite services

- Add your own text, link, or photo stories

- Upload single or multiple photos quickly and easily straight to imgur

- Browse photo galleries in our built in photo viewer

- Night mode

Redd, in a recent update included a really useful feature - Night mode. A dark interface, consisting mainly of blacks and grays, that helps eyes read a little better at night. This mode can work without any user interaction. Once switched on, just set daily times (i.e: 10pm - 6am), and Redd will automatically switch Night mode on for you.  

My dislikes with Redd: There are a few things that I would change. I'd add a share button. You can share things like photos that other users have uploaded, but you can't seem to share the whole posting. Not a big fan of the gray writing in the posts and comments, could be a shade darker. Adding Reddit Messages is an important feature that should be added, too. Another thing that Redd may want to add is a native iPad version. As a lot of people now do there reading on iPad's, I'm sure they'd appreciate this feature. And if I'm going to really nitpick, I'd make the logo on the app icon a bit smaller. It's not evenly boarded.

In the Settings, you can of course login with your Reddit credentials. You can switch on 'Hide NSFW Content'. And change text size.

Visually, Redd is the best app client for the Reddit website. It may not contain all the features for the pro' Reddit users, but I'd still recommend you check it out.


Redd - reddit client is currently priced at FREE, and is available to download for iOS devices (Designed for iPhone). 

iOS Tip: How To Attach Picture To Email On iPhone & iPad

Another reason why the Apple Mail app on iOS is not as great, or at least intuitive, as it should be: Attaching a picture or video in email... Have you tried it on your iPhone or iPad? You may of one day been typing out an email, then wanted to send a picture (or media file) and thought, "Where is the attach button?" You didn't find it, because there isn't one.

So how do you send pictures in Apple Mail on iOS? Well there is two ways. One way is for when you are starting out a new message, or aren't already typing a message. And the other for when you want to add media into an existing draft or reply.

The first way to Attach Photos or Videos in Email on Apple iOS Mail:


Using the Share Button To Attach A Photo In Mail:

The more obvious way to send a photo by email is to locate the file in the Photo's App, tap the Share button (the square with arrow pointing up), then tap "Mail". This will attach the photo to a new email, where you can fill in the blanks, and send.

But what if you wanted to send more than one photo? For that, all you need to do is, locate the pictures you want to email in the gallery view in Photos. Tap the "Select" button, select the multiple photos, then tap the Share button, and then "Mail".

But what if you had already started typing the email? That's where technique two, is useful.


Copying & Pasting Photos into Mail: 

The second way to attach a photo to an email is to simply copy and paste. Just locate the photo, and open it. Then press and hold on the photo, until "Copy" appears. Tap "Copy". Now go to your email that you are writing, and in the message, tap. Controls should show. Tap "Paste", and your photo will be added into the message. You can do this multiple times, however, remember that only 10MB of data can be sent in a single email, so that'd be only about two to three (8 megapixel) photos, per message.

• For More iOS and Mac 'Tips & Tutorials', check out our Tutorials search label. 

How To Use Siri-like Dictation On Mac Computer Without Internet Connection - Mac Tip

Dictation is a great way to get your thoughts down - quickly, without having to type a lot of writing. The translations may not always be perfect, but it's still a useful tool, that always seems to keep getting better.

On a iPhone or iPad, you can dictate to Siri, or the Dictation tool - like in Messages. Now there is no Siri yet on Mac's, but there is the Dictation tool.

The Dictation tool can be switched on in 'System Preferences' on your Mac, and after you can access the dictation with a simple keyboard shortcut - like pressing the 'Fn' key twice.

One thing you may not have known is you can use dictation without even being connected to the internet. A really useful, and a quick way to use the feature.  'Enhanced Dictation', is what it's called, and it'll allow offline use, continuous dictation, with live feedback, which means it'll type as you talk, without having to first stop - send to the servers on the web - translate - then send back.


How To Switch On Dictation On Mac OS X Computers:

1. Open System Preferences.
2. In the forth row, click Dictation & Speech.
3. Make sure you're on the Dictation tab, then where it says Dictation - On - Off, click "On".
4. Select your language.
5. Choose your preferred shortcut key.



How To Activate Offline 'Enhanced Dictation' On Mac OS X Computers: 

Now a warning: activating 'Enhanced Dictation' will download a large file from the internet - which will be over 300mb...

1. On the same Dictation tab where you switched on Dictation, under the On/Off switches you'll see a option for Enhanced Dictation.
2. Check Enhanced Dictation on.
3. The file will download. Once complete - you can use Dictation while offline.


Related Posts: 

• How To Get Siri's Voice On Your Mac
• How To Use Emoji Keyboard On Mac - Tip / Tutorial
• How To Display Your Name In Mac Status Bar
• How To Show The Date On Mac Status Bar - Mac Tip

Angry Birds Go! 'Sub Zero' Episode Is Here ...Sort Of. Download Now! [Pictures Included].

The Angry Birds Go! 'Sub Zero' episode is here! ...Sort of. It's actually a preview of the episode, which only contains the first track.

Here are some screenshots of the new levels: 

You'll have to buy an all new vehicle. There is only one available for payment with just coins. Upgrades are cheap at the moment, only about 500-600 for the first 'lines'.

 The tracks are on a snowy surface, where there will be a lot of drifting.

New Ice-Cream Splat event, replaces the fruit splat event, in 'Sub-Zero'. 

- Check you App Store for the update! 

How To Block Facebook Apps, Games / Stop App Notifications

One of the most annoying Facebook Notifications are those Game / App requests and invitations that come from your friends. There are some ways to stop these notifications, that do not include removing that friend. Although, that could be a good solution too.


How To Stop Mobile (iPhone, iPad) Facebook App Push Notifications / Requests / Invites:

Notifications on your iPhone or even iPad should be of some importance, not someone has invited you to play some game.

1. Launch the Facebook app for iOS.
2. Tap the 'More' tab.
3. Scroll down to, and tap 'Settings'.
4. Now tap 'Notifications'.
5. Then tap 'Mobile Push'.
6. Find, and then uncheck: 'Application Requests' & 'Application Invites'.



How To Block Facebook Apps / Games: 

If you get a lot of requests from a certain app that you don't want /or use, a good option is to block that application. By blocking the app, you'll become invisible to it. Your friends will no longer be able to send you requests or invitations, and you'll no longer see the app. This is the perfect way to not have to deal with the certain app ever again.

You'll need to login to Facebook's desktop version for this method.

1. Login to Facebook. (Obviously).
2. Click the Settings Gear.
3. Then 'Settings'.
4. From the left hand-side menu, click 'Blocking'.
5. Scroll down to 'Block Apps'.
6. Type the name of the App you wish to block, and select it from the popup list.



How To Switch Off All Facebook Apps:

I would NOT recommend this, because it'll disable all Facebook apps, even the ones you may use or want to use. But, if you never want to use a Facebook application, follow these steps to switch off the Facebook App platform.

1. Login to Facebook. (Obviously).
2. Click the Settings Gear.
3. Then 'Settings'.
4. From the left hand-side menu, click 'Apps'.
5. Under 'Apps you use', where it says "Use apps, plugins, games and websites...", click 'Edit'.
6. Now click 'Turn Off Platform'. Remember to read all the warnings, and make sure you understand what doing this, will do, before you click the button.

Google Extends The Android Platform, Introducing 'Android Wear'

Google today has announced, "Android Wear", it's wearable Android software project. Android wear will focus on wearable smart-watches which will come from a variety of different manufacturers, in different styles.

"Most of us are rarely without our smartphones in hand. These powerful supercomputers keep us connected to the world and the people we love. But we're only at the beginning; we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with mobile technology. That’s why we’re so excited about wearables—they understand the context of the world around you, and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with just a glance or a spoken word."

Android Wear is designed to provide you with important information, when you need it.  With the wide range of applications available for Android phones, you could receive notifications from social apps, news, messages, and so on...

The smartwatches also have the ability to monitor your health-related information. With exercise goals, fitness summaries, and more from your fitness apps, with realtime reports as your working-out. 

You can also use your smartwatch to get answers from Google. By just saying, "Ok, Google", you can get a range of information like, how many calories you've burned, to sport scores, to the time of your next appointment, or to send a message, to call a taxi ...and the possibilities that developers could make - are endless.

Read more about the Android Wear project on the Google Blog. 

Download Angry Birds Epic Game Now! Available In Australia, New Zealand, & Canada For iPhone & iPad

The latest Angry Birds game is out now in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada for iOS devices. Angry Birds Epic is a FREE to download RPG game.

The game features:  Turn-based battles, a fantasy Piggy Island, favorite characters; Red, Chuck, & Bomb, and more coming soon. Upgradable characters, armor, weapons and potions.

The game is FREE to download, with in-app purchases available. If you're in Australia, New Zealand, or Canada, you can download the game now, with more countries to come at a later date.

Download Angry Birds Epic now from the App Store.

iOS: How To Remove 'Sent From My iPhone / iPad' Email Signature

When you send a email from the Mail app on your iPhone or iPad you may of noticed that a signature "Sent from my iPhone" or if your on a iPad, "Sent from my iPad", gets added to the end of your email. I don't get why anyone would want to boast about having some device, and letting everyone know that you sent an email from it. Wow, congrats you can send an email from your phone! The only reason I can think of, to have that signature is to explain why there was so many typos, or wrong autocorrected words.

If you're like me and don't want/ or see a need to have a signature that says you sent the message from your iOS device, here's how to remove or change the signature:

How To Remove 'Sent From My iPhone / iPad' Email Signature

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Find and tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
3. Scroll down to and tap Signature.
4. Tap on the text, and remove or change to your desired signature.
5. Once done, tap the back 'Mail' button, then Settings to exit.    

Discovr Movies - Movie Discovery App For iPhone & iPad - Download FREE Now!

Discovr Movies - discover new movies by Filter Squad Pty Ltd, is a movie discovery app for iPhone and iPad devices. You may of downloaded Discovr before, which helped you fine music that you may like, this app is really similar, but with movies. If you're not familiar, Discovr Movies basically recommends movies based on movies you like.

Now is a great time to download Discovr Movies as it's currently FREE to purchase, a saving of $4.49.

A quick review of the functions of Discovr Movies: to get started you are asked to enter the name of a film (that you like). Then you'll be shown a interactive map of movies that you may like.   If you click on another movie on the map, you'll be shown movies similar to that one, and so on...

Double tapping a movie on the map will bring up information about that film. You can view; synopsis, cast, reviews, clips, and more... You can also favorite the film and share. 

On the bottom navigation buttons, you have 'Favorites', which shows the movies you favorited. 'In Cinemas', which did not load for me. And 'Our Picks', which shows picks from Discovr. 

Discovr Movies is available for iOS (designed for iPhone and iPad), and is currently FREE to purchase (at the time of this post). Last listed price was $4.49. Download Discovr Movies from the App Store. 

iPhone 6 Concept With Curved Sapphire Screen & 'Air' Like Design - Video

A new iPhone 6 concept by Arthur Reis (video by Ran Avni), shows off a really nice iPhone design, one that looks like it fits in perfectly with the rest of the iOS family.

This concept features a iPhone with slightly curved unibody casing. A 4.5" curved sapphire screen, a improved camera (of course), and the rest of the greatness of the current iPhone. It's like a mini iPad... a errr, even mini-er one.

Gotta say, I'm a big fan of this design. I like the curved edges, it's much more natural (apparently not everyone is a fan, however) and the full unibody aluminum case.

Not sure about that larger, and curved screen... I really don't want to look like I'm holding a iPad against my face ...*cough* Samsung phones *cough*, so if the screen size does go larger, personally I'm hoping for nothing more than 4.5".

As design goes, if Apple wants to redesign the iPhone to look like a mini iPad, I think I'll be fine with that!


Related Posts:

• iPhone 6 Concept Videos: Really Thin iPhone's, With a 4.7 inch Screen

New Angry Birds EPIC Game Coming First To Australia and Canada

It was not long ago that Rovio teased a new Angry Birds game "Stella", and now they done it again! A short teaser that went out on Saturday showed off a Angry Bird in a medieval armor, with taglines, "The most epic soft launch ever" ... "Starting in Australia and Canada".  

What is this Epic Angry Birds game? Well according to the sources of AngryBirdsNest the new game will be a medieval RPG, called; Angry Birds EPIC.  Check out the alleged screenshots and details over at AngryBirdsNest. 

Rovio is keeping the Angry Birds team busy this year with the following still to come...
- Angry Birds GO! New 'Sub Zero' update.
- Angry Birds GO! Transformers (?)
- Angry Birds Stella
- Angry Birds EPIC
- And possibly more...

iPhone 6 Concept Videos: Really Thin iPhone's, With a 4.7 inch Screen

As we get further into the year, the iPhone 6 rumors are sure to rise. There are already heaps of designers making their own iPhone 6 concept videos, and I though it'd be fun to look at some of their concepts.

This "iPhone Air", concept by Sam Beckett, shows the old familiar design of the iPhone 4, but with current features, and some new improvements, like a 4.7 inch screen with full a HD screen.





Think the current iPhone is too thick? Really? It's like so thin already! Well, anyway - then maybe you'd like this 'iPhone 6' concept by OvalPicturE.com





This iPhone 6c design is also by OvalPicturE.com. The concept features colored iPhone's, with a slim design, a 4.7" screen, a white or black front, and the Touch ID home button.


Seen some awesome iPhone 6 concepts? Post the links in the videos! 

Poll: iPhone Edging - Sharp Edge or Curved Edge? Which Do You Prefer?

Wanted to see everyone's opinion on this topic. What type of edge do you prefer on the iPhone? A sharp edge, like on the current iPhone 5s, and since the iPhone 4. Or a curved edge, as seen on the original iPhone, iPhone 3G/S, and iPhone 5c?

While the sharper edge on the iPhone does look cool, I feel that the more curved edge makes the iPhone feel much better to hold. The sharp edge means you can stand your iPhone up, or on its side... I have never done/ or needed to do this.

So what's your opinion? Curved, or sharp? What type of edge would you want on the iPhone 6? Vote in the poll (thanks to app Polar) below, and leave us your comments below! If the poll doesn't load below, you can vote here.

iOS 7.1 is Here! What They Changed: Removed Full Screen Caller ID Photo, Calendar List View, UI Tweaks, Faster Animations, & More...

Apple released software update iOS 7.1 today for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. Here is some new information about the new features and changes in the update. For how to update your device to the new version, see the previous post.

This post will not include all changes in iOS 7.1, but more of the noticeable changes.


Changes In iOS 7.1:

Caller ID Photos:
- In iOS for awhile now we've had full screen caller ID photos. You recieve a phone call, and if you had a photo associated with the contact, there image would show. In iOS 7.1, this is no-longer the case. Now the persons image is only shown in a tiny circle on the right of the screen, next to there name, with a empty blurry background. There seems to be no option to change this behavior. Really Apple? Have you been receiving calls from people who you don't want full screen images of, showing on your screen?

Phone App Buttons:
- Also in the Phone app, some small U.I. button changes, like the Answer/End call buttons are now round.

Calendar:
- Calendar now features a new option to show your day events listed in the month view, similar to how it was in iOS 6.
- Also you may see that Apple has chosen to automatically subscribe you to a U.S. Holiday's calendar. This can be unchecked in the 'Calendars' section.

Wallpapers:
- When setting a wallpaper, you now have the option to turn off the parallax (Perspective Zoom) effect.

U.I. Tweaks:
- Among the user interface tweaks are: Greens are now slightly darker. For example, the Messages icon.
- There is a new 'Turn Off' device screen.
- Control Center appears lighter and now has a little bounce added to the slide-in animation.
- The Keyboard has also received tweaks. The writing is now more bolder and the gray background has also slightly changed. Also the Shift key button has gotten a color change. Now when on, the key's background will be white with a black arrow. When Caps-lock is on, arrow will have a underline.

Animation:
- All the animation in iOS 7.1 are a lot more faster then in the previous version. It really makes the device seem faster.

Accessibility:
- Added to accessibility is new visual options. Button shapes, can make a background to show that text is a button.
- Increase Contrast has got a few new features including; 'Darken Colors', which make certain colors like the Blue Button text darker. And there's 'Reduce White Point', which makes all the 'white' a bit darker.

• Apple's release notes on the iOS 7.1 update can be seen here. 

What do you think of iOS 7.1? Great improvements? Or epic fail? Let us know in the comments.

iOS 7.1 Is Here! - How To Update Your iPhone & iPad Devices!

Apple today has released a new software update (version: iOS 7.1) for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) devices. The new update has a bunch of new changes, but first - if you haven't updated yet, here's a small guide on how to do so.

Updating to iOS 7.1:

The first thing you'll want to do is BACKUP! Yes, it's very important, unless you want to lose your data. Now, chances are the update will run smoothly and you'll have no issue, but with all computers, sometimes things go bad. If your using iCloud, that's great - if you know how to backup to iTunes as well, even better!

The update is only around 220MB, but will need about 2GB of free space, so you may need to make some room on your device. You can check your storage from: SETTINGS > GENERAL > USAGE.

Next! Once your ready to update, if you're connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can update your device by heading to: SETTINGS > GENERAL > SOFTWARE UPDATE, and following the instructions.

To update through iTunes: Connect your device, and on the Info tab, click 'Check For Updates'...

However, if you don't know anything about the update, you may want wait and read part two of this post:  iOS 7.1 is Here! This is What They Changed!

Hands-On Video of the Samsung Gear 2 & Gear Fit Smartwatches

SAMSUNG has released a official hands-on video of their new smart-watches, the Gear 2 and Gear Fit. The video which runs for over 9 minutes, is a very informative, detailed video, which goes into the new features.

For more information about the new Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Fit smart-watches, check out the official webpage.


Related Posts:

• Hands-On Video with new Samsung Galaxy S5

Hands-On Video of the new Samsung GALAXY S5 Mobile Phone

SAMSUNG has released a official hands-on video of the new Galaxy S5.  The video, which runs for almost 8 minutes, is very informative, but feels very robotic. Not a very entertaining video, but it does showcase the new features, with detailing the specs of the smartphone.

For more information about the Samsung Galaxy S5, check out the official website.

Related Posts:

• Hands-On Video with new Samsung Gear 2 & Gear Fit Smartwatches

The Best 8 Ball Pool Game For iPhone, iPad & Android Devices

A few months ago I was looking for the best pool game for iOS and Android devices. In this search, I found and reviewed the app 'Shark Party Pool', and wasn't very impressed with the game. There was a lot of connection issues, the game used coins and was stingy about giving them out.

Recently I came across another game which has been out since Feb. 2013. It's called 8 Ball Pool™ and it's by Miniclip.com.

8 Ball Pool claims to be the "World's #1 Pool game", and I'd believe it. This game features online modes. You can play as a guest, or sign-in through Facebook, or use your Miniclip account to play. You can verse other players from all around the world.

8 Ball Pool does use coins (in-game) to play the game. There is a low paying round of only 25 coins. And with daily free spins to win more coins, and with wining coins - if you win games, you'll have more than enough coins to play a lot of games per day.

There are 1-vs-1 matches, or tournaments. The play modes are unlocked by your game level.  There are a bunch of in-game purchasable items, like cue sticks, and power-ups available to buy with your coins, or with real money, but they are not necessary.

You can challenge your friends, if you play using the Facebook or Miniclip login methods.

The games graphics are pretty good. The physics seems about right... I have seen a few connection issues, but they usually resolve themselves.  You get a profile, which contains stats on your performance. I'd like to see maybe more different stats added, other than just win/loss ratios.  The game is fun, and addicting. As I mentioned earlier, you really don't need to spend real money to play. The game provides enough coins, in my opinion.

This is the best Pool game I've played on a iOS device. Highly recommend it to anyone else looking for a quality, fun, online pool game.


8 Ball Pool™By Miniclip.com is FREE to download, and is available for iOS (Designed for iPhone and iPad) and Android devices.

iTunes Festival iPhone & iPad App Updated For SXSW

Apple today has released their updated version of the iTunes Festival app. iTunes Festival will be at SXSW from March 11th, for 5 nights, and 5 shows. Featuring: Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Keith Urban, Pitbull, and more...

The iTunes Festival app contains useful information including: the lineup, concert streaming, and on-demand videos, photos, and more.

The event which is FREE to watch, can also be viewed on Apple TV, or on the iTunes Store.

More info can be found on the iTunes Festival website. 

Listen To Linkin Park's Brand New Single "Guilty All The Same" Now!

Linkin Park has premiered worldwide their newest single, titled, "Guilty All The Same", on the app, Shazam. The almost 6 minute song, is a departure from their previous record's sound - for dare we say, a more heavy, aggressive sound - similar to their older albums, Hybrid Theory and Meteora.

"Guilty All The Same", is missing one thing. Mike (Shinoda) rapping. The new single features rapper, Rakim, alongside singer, Chester Bennington.

How To Listen To Linkin Park's New Single, "Guilty All The Same". 

1. To listen to the new single, download the Shazam app, if you haven't got it installed already.
2. Then play and Shazam any Linkin Park song. (Castle of Glass is embedded below).
3. Then tap on "Listen to the New Single".

Password Protect Images / Files, Access Cloud Accounts, & More, with All-in-one App 'Files United' For iPhone & iPad

Files United by Zuhanden GmbH, is a all-in-one file manager. With two apps, available from the iTunes App Store and Mac App Store, for iOS devices (iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) and Mac computers.

Files United lets you access local files stored in the app, your Dropbox account, or Drive, or Box.com, SugarSync,and/or, SkyDrive. All from the one app.

Files United also makes it easy to transfers files to and from a computer with their companion Mac app. The app can also access; FTP servers, WiFi Connect or SMB (Windows/Mac/NAS).

You can also view your files from within the app, with their inbuilt document viewer and media player.

You can protect your files with a PIN or password. So whether you want to protect photos or confidential documents from prying eyes, Files United will keep them secured.  

The U.I. (user interface) of Files United is based on the iOS 7 look and feel. It really matches well with the stock iOS 7 apps.

Files United can support many different types of files, including; Microsoft Office documents, PDF files, JPG's and other types of images, Music and Video files, Websites, and even Zip Files.

As for functionality, if you were to use Files United to store images in one of the folders, the images viewer is not the smoothest. Swiping through images, pinch and zooming, is a little rough and sharp. Not like the default images viewer on iOS. There were sometimes that images also went to black when swiped onto them. Also there is no gallery 'thumbnail' view, you will have to do with only a list of files.

Viewing PDF files seemed to work file. It was a smooth, good experience. You can also print from the app, or open the file into other apps that support the file, installed on your iDevice.

Videos and other media files also seem to work okay.

Importing files from your iOS device's Photo's folder, takes a few steps that a little unexplanatory. You need to go to the Image Gallery, then open edit, select files, and then press the copy button (which is the two overlapping squares), then choose the folder you want to store the file(s), and tap 'Copy here'. A few steps that you may not 'get' straight away.

To transfer files to the app from your Mac, you will need the companion app for Mac OS X. You can't use iTunes File Sharing, as it gives you a permissions error. You could work around this using Cloud apps however.

All-in-all, Files United is a useful file manager. It gives you the access you need to all your cloud storages, all from one app. It can store files, like photos, videos and documents, locally, with password or PIN protection. The UI makes the app look apart of iOS 7. And it's Mac companion app helps making transferring files from Computer to iOS, even easier. If you hate having to switch between a bunch of different apps to view all your files, check out Files United.


Files United is priced at $2.99 for iOS (designed for iPhone & iPad) and $1.99 for the Mac app.

App to Learn How to Draw Everything On Your iOS Device From YouTube

Wanna learn how to draw a cat? Or a Alien? Maybe a Dinosaur!? Whatever you want to learn to draw, there's probably a YouTube video on that. The following app has entered the search term for you, and has categorized heaps of topics.

The app is called, How to Draw Everything FREE! Easy Drawing Lessons & Art Ideas From YouTube How To Videos by Michael Quach.

The app is all about learning to draw from videos on YouTube. What do you need this app for? That's a very good question. As all this app appears to be is a categorized, YouTube, with a banner advertisement. Which I believe is actually against YouTube's policies (Section 4.D), Because this app does not contain any real content of it's own to justify an advertisement.  

To say something positive about this app... it uses iOS 7's design, so it matches the system UI. The videos are all sorted - good for if you don't know what you want to search for. It's free, of course it is! That's about it...

So in conclusion, YouTube has a lot of great videos to help teach you how to draw. So go search on YouTube. 

How to Draw Everything FREE! is available from the App Store for iOS devices (designed for iPhone). 

An iPhone App That Reminds You To Go To Bed

Sometimes we may get out of our sleeping schedule, or like to stay up a little late, and then feel so tired the next day because we only got a few hours of sleep. Well unless you're a kid, your mom might not be telling you to go to bed anymore. If you need a little help (or a reminder) that instead of being awake watching Letterman, you probably should be asleep, check out the iPhone app, To Bed by Tord Asnes.

To Bed, is a FREE iPhone app that'll remind you to go to sleep. To Bed uses information about your age, and next-morning wake-up times, to determine the best times for you to go to sleep. You get a push notification when you should start getting ready for bed.

Depending on your age, To Bed, recommends around about 7-8 hours of sleep, which seems to be scientifically accurate. You can change the recommend sleep time in the settings, to your own liking.

The look of the app is really... a guess 'fun', or childlike, is a more accurate description. The picture above shows the apps main screen. You'll see the moon, the remaining time until you should head to bed, and the button which looks like a nose to me, is your option button.

From the option button, you can access; Turn Notifications On/Off, Wake Times, & App Settings. On of the main things I don't like about this app is, you can't set sleep reminders for weekends. The app just assumes that everybody can sleep in on weekends. Well unless your five... and even then, kids have weekend activities.

Other than the missing weekend settings and a few graphical glitches in settings, To Bed, is a good app, if you need that little extra push to remind yourself to go to bed.

To Bed is FREE to download, and is available for iOS devices (designed for iPhone). 

How To Fix: "Google Safe Browsing Service is Unavailable" Error in Safari - Mac Tip

If you look in your Security settings in Safari on your Mac computer, and see a warning that says, "The Google Safe Browsing Service is unavailable."  You'd probably feel a little concerned. This feature is apart of the Fraudulent sites protection in Safari. The list is provided by Google. 

I'm not sure why Safari gets this error, but it seems to be a problem with the database file, and there's a fix you can do, to get the Google Safe Browsing Service updated and working again. 

The culprit is the SafeBrowsing.db file. If you delete the database, Safari will reset the file. 

How To Fix: "Google Safe Browsing Service is Unavailable" Error in Safari 

1. On the Finder Menubar, click "Go".

2. Then click, "Go to Folder..."

3. Type in: /private/var/folders 

4. There will be a few folders, open them up and look for a folder with com.apple files.

5. Find, and open the folder named, com.apple.Safari. 

6. In this folder, there should be a file named, SafeBrowsing.db.

7. Send the SafeBrowsing.db file to the Trash. This will force Safari to rebuild the file. 

8. This should fix the problem. But check back again, a few days later, and see if there are no more errors. *Note, the file doesn't seem to be updated every day. 

Unofficial Practice Exams For Apple Support Essentials & Server Essentials 10.9 Exams

If you plan on taking the Apple Support Essentials 10.9 exam or Server Essentials 10.9 exam, to get the Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) 10.9 & / or Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) 10.9, certifications, you're going to need as much help, as you can get, to practice and learn.

Revise IT by Amsys plc, is a great free revision tool, to test your knowledge of OS X and OS X Server, by taking their practice exams.

Revise IT, features over 1,400 practice questions, covering knowledge for exams like; OS X Support Essentials v10.9, OS X Server Essentials v10.9, MIB v10.9, and even for the 10.8, and 10.7 versions.

There are 2 different ways to learn and test:

- Study Mode: Where you can select chapters and test yourself on questions.

- Test Mode: Like taking an exam, get random questions, a time limit, and a certain percentage score to 'pass'.

- History: There is also a History mode, that'll keep track of previous tests


Please note, while this app is good for testing your skills, and to see which chapters you may need to work on, the questions in the app, are NOT from the real exams. And therefore, this app should be used for 'entertainment' purposes only. Nothing substitutes the real books (OS X Support Essentials, and OS X Server Essentials 10.9), and a hands-on course that you should take to learn, and to pass the exams.


Revise IT is a FREE app, available for iOS (designed for iPhone and iPod Touch).

More information about the Apple Certifications can be obtained from the Apple Training Webpage.

94 Degrees - Fun Visual Question & Answer 'Hot & Cold' Game For iPhone, iPad & Android

Ever play that game, when you say, "You're getting warmer... colder... hot...", well there is a fun visual question game available for iOS and Android devices, from developer, Scimob, called 94 Degrees, that uses a similar game play.

The way 94 Degrees works is, you are show an image, and given a something to find, and you must locate 'the answer', by placing pins on the picture, in the place you think is the answer.

As you can see from the image above, there is a human male body, showing all the muscles. In this level, you are told to find the "Pectoral Muscles". If you tap and place the pin near his knee, you get a temperature reading of 23 degrees, (which is cold), in the game the correct answer is always 94 degrees. Say you place the next pin on his abs. You get a reading of 74 degrees. So you can see that you're getting "warmer"to the correct answer. You add another pin a little higher and see that the correct answer is right around their somewhere. Finally you figure out the answer, and place a pin a bit higher on the "Pectoral Muscles" and you win, and move on to the next puzzle/ question.

For guess the correct answer, you get 4 coins.  Coins can be used to buy clues (or "jokers") to the correct answer. Jokers include;
- A Dice, that rolls, then adds the rolled number of pins somewhere on the image. One of the pins in the are correct place.
- A Compass, which will help guide you in the right direction.

Questions are from all sorts of general knowledge categories. You'll get, maps questions, math problems, human anatomy questions, fruit / vegetable questions, sport related questions, animal questions, cards, logos, and so on...  There's hundreds of levels.

You get 50 pins to play with, which recharge over time (or you can buy packs of pins). The free version of the game is very playable, but includes ads. If you upgrade to Premium for US$2.99, You'll get more features like; No Ads, Detailed Statistics, and more...

It's actually quite a fun and addicting game. You won't want to put it down!


94 Degrees is FREE to play, and is available to download on iOS (iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad) and Android devices.