Category Archives: Apple

iWork is free on new Mac purchases but there are other ways – details

Apple, Tech News

If you buy a brand new Mac you will get iLife and iWork for free. Well the Mac did cost a small fortune so it is not exactly free.

But lets say you already have a Mac. You can still get iWork for free. Download and install the 30 day iWork trial. After 30 days your software will get upgraded to the full versions for nothing. This is a bug which apparently will be impossible for Apple to fix.

The other option was finding an old iWork DVD, installing the software, and this then gets upgraded to the latest versions for free.

HMV iOS app removed by Apple

Apple, Tech News

HMV recently launched an iOS app which allowed music purchases and downloads. This is in contravention of Apple App Store guidelines.

Apple quickly removed the app. HMV are amending their app to be compliant.

The best part of this story is who is to say that HMV didn’t deliberately create an app foul of the App Store guidelines just to gain media coverage? Because of the ban more people will be aware of the app!

Samsung looking to prevent customers using third party accessories

Android, Apple, Tech News

Sammobile reported that Samsung is looking to restrict its customers using third party batteries and cables with its phones by incorporating a ID chip.

This means third party companies will have to obtain authorisation and the necessary equipment from Samsung in order to be able to sell accessories.

This might seem draconian but it is similar to what Apple does with it’s lightning connector.

New iPads announced by Apple – but what was missing ?

Apple, Tech News

Apple announced a new iPad Air and iPad Mini Retina. But prior to the announcement there were many rumours of the features one might expect from these new iPads. So what didn’t make the cut?

The obvious omission was TouchID as featured on the iPhone 5S. To be honest a fingerprint scanner on the home button may not have been as natural to use as it is on a phone. But nonetheless it was missing.

Colours. Unlike the iPhone 5C which is available in many colours there were no new finishes. In fact what happened to a gold iPad. I wonder how people who bought a gold iPhone feel now, hoping they would get a gold iPad too? Have you been affected by this?

I do have a gold 5S and therefore won’t be able to have a matching finish of the new iPads.

Cameras. The new iPhones have 8mp cameras. The new iPads only have 5mp.

These are the most obvious omissions. Do you feel anything else should have been included?

I do think with all the software Apple is providing with iOS 7 and new devices the combined hardware and software experience will be unrivalled.

Whats new with iOS 7.0.3 update

Apple, Tech News

Last night was a big day for Apple. This included releasing iOS 7.0.3. The update included –

-iCloud Keychain
-A new Password Generator has also been added to the Safari browser
-updates the 5S lock screen to delay the display of “slide to unlock” when Touch ID is in use.
-Addresses an issue where iMessages would fail to send for some users
-Fixes a bug that could prevent iMessage from activating.
-Improves system stability when using iWork apps
-Fixes an accelerometer calibration issue
-Addresses an issue that could cause Siri and VoiceOver to use a lower quality voice
-Fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the Lock screen passcode
-Enhances the Reduce Motion setting to minimize both motion and animation
-Fixes an issue that could cause VoiceOver input to be too sensitive
-Updates the Bold Text setting to also change dial pad text
-Fixes an issue that could cause supervised devices to become un-supervized when updating software

Some decent extras and bug fixes.

The Apple Keynote and the long list of new products and software – my views

Apple, Tech News, , , , ,

Yesterday Apple announced changes to its own Apps, iLife and iWork, launched OS X Mavericks for Macs with support on some really old devices dating back to 2007, launched 2 new iPads and new smart cover and cases, the iPad Air and iPad Mini Retina, updated its MacBook Pro line and introduced the new Mac Pro.

If you want to read all about the new hardware and software in crazy detail, go to http://www.Apple.com .

So what’s my view on all this Apple news. Simply, it is one of unity and trying to deliver a complete eco system across media, productivity and all hardware regardless as to whether you are using a Mac, iPhone or iPad.

Apple does not want you to use other services, or other cloud services os by offering free software and software updates it accelerates this unity towards an even stronger one eco system reliance. And from what I have seen it is going to do this really smoothly and slickly.

And then the was the new full size iPad, renamed as the iPad Air, and at its thickness of 7.5mm and weighing 469g it is seriously thin and light. I previously owned the Sony Z Tablet which weighed 495g and that was amazing, but the iPad Air is a much smaller profile too and has smart covers, something the Z Tablet could have done with.

Most people might sway towards the iPad Mini Retina as it is a smaller more portable affair. It also has the identical spec compared to the iPad Air, just a smaller screen and naturally weighs less at 331g. The retina Mini is a fraction thicker than the old Mini but it is hardly noticeable. But don’t lose sight of having a larger screen on a lightweight frame will really be a wow moment.

But, here is an interesting fact. The iPad Air has a 264 ppi screen resolution vs the iPad Mini Retina which comes out at 326 ppi. So the Mini screen will look better as it is smaller. As a comparison the Sony Z Tablet 10.1 inch is 224 ppi and the Google Nexus 7 2013 is 323 ppi so practically identical to the iPad Mini Retina.

Also surprising is the fact that both iPads are now available in 128gb memory capacities.

And the one fact with Apple that no other company has learnt to do, is make an announcement on a new product/updates and then immediately or within a week or two, you are able to buy the new product. Apple has made the iPad Air available on 1st November and all the new MacBook’s from today. That is fantastic.

But really, my question is which iPad would you buy and why?

Netatmo Urban Weather Station for iOS, android and Windows Phone

Android, Apple, Reviews, Tech News, Windows,

I have written 2 previous articles on this weather station. Click here to recap https://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/?s=netatmo&submit=Search

After owning the Netatmo Urban Weather Station for over a week now, I am writing my full review. Before I start I will just say this is one of those products that does exactly what it says on the tin. If you look back at the previous two articles you will see screen shots of the functionality from the iOS app, web app, WeatherPro and baratmo mac app. Below is the indoor sensor.

IMG_1110

Rear of indoor sensor. Outdoor sensor looks identical, except one inch shorter.
IMG_1111

It comes in a box with two sensors, the indoor sensor is taller than the outdoor one by about an inch. You also get a micro usb cable, UK plug, startup guide/installation of sensors, a screw and raw plug, strap for indoor sensor and that is it. Oh, there was also 4 AAA batteries. I downloaded the app, created a user ID and password, after which then took me into the setup. So all you do, is install the 4 batteries into the base of the outdoor sensor, drill a hole in to an outside wall, where the sensor wont be exposed to direct sunlight and rain, screw the screw into the raw plug and then slide outdoor sensor onto the screw. 5 mins after completing that task, I then connected the indoor sensor to the mains. I then continued to follow the iOS app instructions for setup. At each turn you get a pretty picture of what to do and written instructions. Really, really simple and clear instructions. You next connect your phone directly to the indoor sensor and it updates the sensors firmware, reads your wifi setup and copies it across. The indoor sensor then talks to the outdoor sensor and voila. The screenshots below give you a clear idea of what data you can obtain but this includes indoor and outdoor temperatures, CO2 indoor, humidity, air quality (via CiteAir), mbar, sound levels, weather forecasts (provided by MeteoGroup), graphs plotting data over a given period and more. As an example the rain mode gives you: the amount of rain per 3 hour period (represented by blue bars) and the probability of rain (represented as a red curve). By touching on the icon button on the air quality gauge, you may switch between background air pollution index,
traffic air pollution index and complementary information about the main pollutant.

Screenshot from iOS app which will look the same for android. The Windows Phone app takes on the tile look of Windows Phone.
IMG_1090

This displays details of the indoor and outdoor sensors. Buy scrolling down or flicking up you can reveal more data.
IMG_1091

You can also go in to the settings and retrieve information on the sensors and their battery and wifi strengths. Turning the phone horizontal will allow you to show graphs on all the different measurements. Pinch and zooming allows for the data to be expanded or shortened depending on your requirements. The web app is excellent and shows nearly everything across one page.
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It is great that you can integrate the Netatmo Urban Weather station into other apps. So far I have found WeatherPro on iOS and Baratmo for mac. Screenshots below.
IMG_1092
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and for the mac, Baratmo provides a quick list of data from the status bar.
bar

The key aspect of this solution is that it all has to be linked to your home network via wifi and logged in to Netatmo servers. You need 4 AAA batteries in the outdoor sensor which requires installation on a wall, preferably not in direct sunlight and directly exposed to rain. i.e.. perhaps under the eaves. And apparently the batteries last one month, but at present I cannot provide confirmation of that as I have not had the product long enough. A caution, if Netatmo’s servers go down, you will not get any data.I have had this a week, and for 2 hours last Wednesday they were updating their servers so I received no data.

The sensors send data every 5 mins, can provide notifications for high levels of CO2 or weather warnings from sensors, you can manually check for a CO2 reading immediately update by pushing the top of the indoor sensor. When measuring on demand, the indoor module displays the CO2 level using the following color code:
– Green = Good
– Yellow = Could be improved
– Red = Room should be ventilated.

You can also invite friends into the Urban Weather Station to share you data too. You can also act as a contributor for your outdoor readings. This is still a work in progress, but this is a map of what people would see.
map

All in all it is an impressive experience, albeit expensive at £139. Additional indoor sensors, up to another 3 can be added to the system too. There is also a PDF manual that you can download which is seriously comprehensive.

So far I have really enjoyed using the Urban Weather Station, and is probably my favourite gadget of the year.

Update – after a week, the following notifications appeared.

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Update 2 – last night mapatmo tweeted me and invited me to be part of the Public World Netatmo World Map. More details here – http://www.mapatmo.com

iPhone 5S – One Month later review

Apple, Reviews, Tech News

Just a short piece on my thoughts on my iPhone 5S one month later. Just to recap I had spent 6-7 months using Android and Windows Phone devices and a wide selection. So here I am back full circle to the latest iPhone and iOS.

The 5S is a fast phone, great for anything one handed and is enhanced by my huge and I mean huge app and game selection. In fact, my iOS app collection is stronger than android and leaps ahead of Windows Phone options. Having such a strong selection means I can do more or play more varied games. And it is the apps and games where I realise I have found the pleasure again in using an iPhone.

iOS 7 plugs many of the gaps that were needed on iOS and then adds to making the iPhone experience second to none. The camera whilst only 8mp on paper takes some really incredible photos, and with just one touch. No fiddly settings. The battery life is better than that of my previous 5. The audio quality is considerable improved over the 5. IMO its the best Apple device for music quality. Touch ID means I always have a locked secure phone.

And using the Apple Eco system is a simple affair. What was amazing is not only is iCloud Backup the best solution on any platform, it happens automatically. It was great to restore my phone, and pull back all app data and game data. No need to replay games to my last position. That was great. And the last time I had an iPhone was 6 months ago.

Accessories. The 5S and my Sony QX10/100 lenses fit really comfortably on the phone. WeMo and Netatmo hardware all integrate nicely on the iPhone 5S. The M7 motion processor is tracking my movement without using battery. Neat.

Out of any phone, the 5S represents a smooth, hassle free experience over any current phone. Well nearly. iOS 7 has a few bugs. The 5S has reset itself a few times over the last month. Nothing serious and back in action 15 seconds later but not what I would have expected. I am not sure if it is iOS 7 or third party apps not fully updated. But as I install the iOS7 updates, the 5S becomes more useful and smooth.

And yet, despite having the perfect and best phone experience to data, the bloody Samsung Note 3 keeps calling me…..

But I can resist 🙂