Friday 2 November 2012

How to Jailbreak iOS 6.0.1


Apple has just released iOS 6.0.1, which includes a number of bug fixes and improvements. The good news is, you can use Redsn0w 0.9.15b3 to jailbreak your iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS using a simple trick.

This article shows how to jailbreak your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4G running on iOS 6.0.1 using Redsn0w.

Here are some important points to note before you proceed.

  • This guide is meant for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4G users.
  • Warning: If you depend on Ultrasn0w to unlock your iPhone, then DO NOT update to iOS 6.0.1.
  • Redsn0w 0.9.15b3 only supports a tethered jailbreak, which means that you need to connect your iPhone to the computer on every reboot (except iPhone 3GS with older bootrom). It is currently not possible to jailbreak iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPod Touch 5G.
  • Please note that jailbreaking your iOS device may void your warranty and hence proceed with caution and at your own risk.
  • Please do not forget to backup your iOS device before you proceed. You can refer to this post for instructions on how to backup your iOS device using iTunes.
  • Please ensure you are running latest version of iTunes i.e. iTunes 10.5 or later.

You can follow these step-by-step instructions to jailbreak your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4G on iOS 6.0.1:

Step 1: Download Redsn0w 0.9.15b3 (Redsn0w 0.9.15 beta 3) from this link and save the application in a folder named “Redsn0w” on your desktop.

Step 2: Download iOS 6.0 firmware file (yes, iOS 6.0 firmware file) for your iOS device from the links mentioned below:

Step 3: Double click the Redsn0w zip file and extract the application. Navigate to the Redsn0w folder and launch the Redsn0w application.
Windows 7 users should run the exe in Windows XP compatibility mode (right-click on the Redsn0w exe and select Properties, then select the Compatibility tab and select Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows XP). Windows XP and Windows 7 users should run Redsn0w as ‘Administrator’ (right-click on the Redsn0w exe and select ‘Run as an Administrator’).

Step 4: Click on Extras button.

Step 5: Then click on the Select IPSW button. Navigate and select the firmware file download in Step 2.

Step 6: Go back to Redsn0w’s main page and click on the Jailbreak button.

Step 7: You will now be prompted plug your iOS to the computer and switch it OFF. Follow the instructions and click on the Next button to move to the next screen:

Step 8: You will now need to put your iOS device into the DFU mode. Redsn0w will take you through the necessary steps:

(a) Hold the Power button on your iOS device down for 3 seconds:

(b) Now simultaneously hold the Home button and keep the two buttons pressed for 10 seconds:

(c) Now release the Power button while keeping the Home button pressed until Redsn0w detects the device:


Step 9: Your iOS device should reboot now. Please remember to release the Home button.

Step 10: Redsn0w will now start preparing the jailbreak data.

Step 11: You will now be prompted to select the jailbreak options. Make sure Cydia is selected and click on the Next button to continue. iPhone 3GS users can also select Enable battery percentage option.

Step 12: Your iOS device will reboot again and Redsn0w will now begin uploading the new RAM disk and kernel.

Step 13: You will now be notified once the jailbreaking process is complete. Click on the Ok and then Quit button to exit the application.

Step 14: The rest of the process will take place on your iOS device, wait for it to complete. Your iOS device will reboot once again (which could take approximately 5 minutes).


Boot tethered:

Step 15: You still need to  rerun Redsn0w to boot tethered. Launch Redsn0w again.

Step 16: Click on Extras button.

Step 17: Then click on the Just Boot button.

Step 18: You will now be prompted to plug your iOS device to the computer and switch it OFF again. Follow the instructions and click on the Next button to move to the next screen:

Step 19: You will now need to put your iOS device into the DFU mode. Redsn0w will take you through the necessary steps:

(a) Hold the Power button on your iOS device down for 3 seconds:

(b) Now simultaneously hold the Home button and keep the two buttons pressed for 10 seconds:

(c) Now release the Power button while keeping the Home button pressed until Redsn0w detects the device:


Step 20: Redsn0w will recognize the iOS device in DFU mode and apply the limerain exploit (remember to release the Home button). Your iOS device will reboot and a pineapple logo will appear, indicating a tethered boot.

Step 21: Wait for the process to complete, once it is complete, you should see the Lock screen on your iOS device.


That’s it, your iOS device has now been successfully jailbroken and you should see Cydia on the Home screen. If you don’t find it on the Home screen, please don’t panic, search for it using Spotlight.

Note: Since Redsn0w currently supports only a tethered jailbreak except for iPhone 3GS with older bootrom, you will need to follow steps 15 to Steps 21, each time you reboot your iPhone or iPod touch to be able to use the jailbreak apps like Cydia.


Monday 29 October 2012

How to Create A Shared Photo Stream in iOS 6


photo


iOS users can now post and share their photos to a shared Photo Stream album thanks to iOS 6. The shared Photo Stream album is hosted by iCloud, but any photos you store there will not count against your iCloud storage allowance and will work over Wi-Fi or your cellular data. The new feature allows you to share photos with fellow iOS users and also provides an option for the non-iOS users in your life. iOS users will be able to access the shared Photo Stream album directly from their iOS device, while non-iOS users will have to access the iCloud.com site to view the shared Photo Stream. Here's how you get started. 


1. To create a Shared Photo Stream, launch the Photos app on your iOS device, and select the Photo Stream option at the bottom of the screen. In the upper-right corner is a + sign; tap on it.




2. Enter the iCloud e-mail address of the person (or people) you'd like to shared your album with into the To section. Create a name for the album and title your album. Select if you want the shared album to have a public website URL by swiping ON or OFF. If you select ON, anyone will be able to view the shared Photo Stream on iCloud.com. If you wish to have non-iOS users to have the ability to view the album via the iCloud website, toggle the Public Website switch to ON. Tap the blue Create button on top-right hand corner once completed.
NOTE*: Either way the album is shared (with iOS users or via the iCloud site), you will be the only person with the ability to upload photos to the album. Everyone else will only be able to view, like and comment on the photos in the shared album.

  



3. Once the album is created you will now see the shared Photo Stream album appear when you access the Photos app.




4. Now it's time to add photos to your shared Photo Stream album. You can send photos to the shared album by viewing photos in the photo app and tapping on the Share button. Select Photo Stream from the list of options. Top right-hand icon titled Photo Stream.




5. Tap on the album you want to add the selected photo to




6. Leave a comment on the photo that will act as a caption for your photo and then tap the blue Post button once completed.




7. As you add photos to your shared album anyone you invite can now comment or like the photo through their iOS devices or by visiting the iCloud website. Each time you get a new comment or like, you will receive and alert notification.


Sunday 21 October 2012

Use Passbook in iOS 6


passbook_2246204b 








Passbook is a new iOS 6 app that turns your iPhone into a virtual wallet ready to store tickets, loyalty cards, coupons, gift cards and more. While it doesn't handle NFC payments like Google Wallet, it does help iOS 6 users streamline some of the plastic bulk out of their wallet, leaving more room for more important things, like the green stuff.

How to Use Passbook in iOS 6 

1.  Open the Passbook app by tapping on the app icon.
 


2. Tap App Store, this will link you to the App Store and an introductory list of apps that currently support the app.

 


 3. Tap on the app that you want linked to your Passbook and enter in your Apple ID/Password to begin the download process.
Walgreens has been used here for demonstration purposes.



4. After your chosen app is downloaded, tap on the app icon and a notification will appear with the option to add the card to Passbook. After reading the notification, exit and either create a rewards account or log into your existing account.

 


5. Once you've created a new rewards account or logged into an existing one, tap the button at the bottom that says Add To Passbook.

 


6. The Walgreens Press allows its user the option to be notified when a preferred Walgreens store is within proximity to the user, tap Add with Store or Add without Store to continue. 
Note: This step may vary depending on each individual vendor app options.

 


7. Once you've completed selecting your preferred Pass options, tap the blue Add button in the top right hand corner. This will add and activate your rewards card to the Passbook app. You can now exit the vendor app and re-open the Passbook app. Your rewards card will appear ready to be used.

 


8. Tapping the information button (i) in the lower-right corner of the card flips the card over to showcase additional options. Here you can choose to turn Automatic Updates on, which will notify you when your location services detects that you are near a store.

 


9.  To delete a Pass tap on the trash icon found in the upper left corner of the screen. Tap on Delete to proceed with removing the Pass or Cancel to keep the Pass active.


10. After tapping Delete, you will see the pass shredded and it will no longer appear in your Passbook app.




Note*: Passbook is installed on the iPhone and iPod Touch with iOS 6, but the app is currently not available for the iPad. Steps to add/activate a new record or loyalty account will vary depending on each vendor specific app requirements prior to adding to Passbook.


Monday 8 October 2012

Email Multiple Photos or Videos From iPhone [iOS 6 Tips]


iOS 6


Prior to iOS 6, it was quite a pain to attach photo or video to an email. One had to launch the Photos app, select the photos or videos and then tap on the share button to send them via email.

In iOS 6, Apple has finally made it easier and more intuitive to add a photo or a video to an email in the Mail app. You can use this new direct insert method to email more than 5 photos/videos, which is still one of the weird limitations if you want to send multiple photos via the Camera roll in iOS 6.


  • Launch the iOS 6 Mail app
  • Tap on the Compose button at the bottom right corner
  • Tap and hold in the body of the mail
  • This will give you an option to Select, Select All, Paste. Tap on the right arrow button as show below.


  • Then tap on Insert Photo or Video option
 
 
 
  • Tap on the photo or video you want to attach to the email from the Camera roll
  • Then tap on Choose button
 
 
  • This will add the photo or the video to the email.
  • You can repeat the steps mentioned above to add multiple photos or videos.
  • Then tap on the Send button to email them.


The direct insert method outlined above is the only way to email more than 5 photos and/or videos from your iPhone. But it's faster and less cumbersome to email less than 5 photos or videos via the Camera roll as you can select multiple photos.

iOS 6's Shared Photo Stream is the most convenient option to share photos/videos (not more than 16 photos/videos at a time) with your family and friends who have an iOS device running iOS 6.



Use a Mouse On iPad & iPhone



The iPad is primarily a media consumption device. However, as users have come to realize, it is also a competent device to work on documents using iPad apps such as Pages and Numbers and is also popular with some bloggers. For users who are not comfortable using the virtual keyboard while working on documents, Apple offers an iPad Keyboard dock accessory.

While this is a useful add-on for business users, a drawback in using this accessory or any other Bluetooth keyboard, is the touch-screen based navigation on the iPad.

If you think that an iPad connected to a Bluetooth keyboard may be better operated using the point-and-click navigation feature offered by a mouse, then we've some good news.
A new jailbreak tweak called BTC Mouse & Trackpad allows you to do just that. You can follow these steps to pair a mouse with your jailbroken iPad:


Install BTC Mouse & Trackpad:

  • Launch Cydia on your jailbroken iPad
  • Tap on the Search tab at the bottom and search for BTC Mouse
  • Tap on BTC Mouse & Trackpad from the search results
  • Tap on Purchase button to buy the jailbreak tweak (BTC Mouse & TrackPad currently available for $4.98 on Cydia, and at a 50% discount if you had purchased BTstack Keyboard)
  • After the jailbreak tweak has been purchased, tap on the Install button at the top right corner
  • Then tap on the Confirm button
  • After it successfully installed, tap on the Restart SpringBoard button when prompted

Pair Bluetooth Mouse with your iPad:

  • Launch the Settings app
  • Tap on General, then tap on the Bluetooth option, ensure that the Bluetooth is enabled, if it Bluetooth is OFF, tap on the toggle to turn it ON
  • You should now see BTC - Bluetooth Companion, tap on Mouse & Trackpad option, this will connect to the server of the developer and thank you for purchasing the jailbreak tweak. Click on Okay and you will notice that the Mouse & Trackpad option is now enabled and it is trying to discover devices
  • Power on the Apple Magic Mouse or any other Bluetooth mouse
  • You will see the Apple Magic Mouse under Devices (interestingly, it will briefly say Keyboard)


  • Tap on it to pair it with your iPad
  • The status will change to Connected after the mouse is successfully paired with the iPad



That's it, you will now be able to use the mouse with your iPad. By default, the right click simulates the press of the Home button, left click simulates a tap, so you can left click on an app to launch it and double clicking on the Home screen will open the multitasking tray/app switcher. If you have a Bluetooth mouse with a middle button or the scroll wheel, it is mapped to pinch/zoom. At this point, gestures don't work on your Apple Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
The jailbreak tweak also offers a feature called presentation mode, that can be enabled for each app. If presentation mode is enabled, left or right click on the mouse will generate a left or right wipe, which can be useful in apps like Keynote. You can configure the jailbreak tweak via the Settings app (Settings -> Mouse).

The cool thing is that most of the touch gestures for things like cut, copy, paste work just fine with the mouse.
 
It also works with Apple's Magic Trackpad. The jailbreak tweak should also work with your iPhone, though using the mouse on the iPhone would be quite weird even with iPhone 5's taller 4-inch display.

Thursday 27 September 2012

10 iPhone Apps Focused on Child Safety




The highest priority of any parent or quality childcare provider is ensuring the safety of the children under their care. The world can be a very dangerous place, and many of the hazards are all but hidden to inexperienced youngsters. If you’re responsible for the wellbeing of a child and are the owner of an iPhone, there are several applications in the App Store designed to help you keep your little ones safe. From product recalls to content filters, here are 10 of the best child safety apps available for the iPhone.

  1. FBI Child ID – No parent or caregiver wants to think about the possibility of a child going missing, but unfortunately from time to time it does happen. With the free FBI Child ID app you can save and organize personal information relevant to your child for use by law enforcement professionals. The app also provides tips for helping keep kids safe from harm in the first place, making it a great resource for anyone responsible for the care of a child.
  2. Consmr Reviews – Grocery, Baby & Health Product Barcode Scanner – Choosing the best and safest products for your child can be a challenge when you’re browsing the available options at a brick-and-mortar store, as there are no helpful product reviews sitting on the shelves alongside the many options. With this free app, you’ll be able to scan product barcodes to access allergy information, hidden food ingredients, and product reviews from real users.
  3. Sex Offender Search – While you cannot legally act on the information in any way, being aware of any sex offenders that live in your area is essential for the parents and caregivers of children. Registering for an account will also allow you to sign up for monthly update emails that notify you of any new offenders in the area, keeping your knowledge of the neighborhood and its residents current.
  4. Child Safety Poison – Kids, especially very young ones, explore the world using all of their senses to gather information. Unfortunately that means that a lot of dangerous substances can end up in their mouths. It only takes a single unsupervised moment for a child to gain access to and ingest poisonous substances, but this $4.99 app will let you know exactly how to treat a child who’s managed to swallow any one of the 252 household substances or 72 plants stored in its database. Of course, Child Safety Poison is no substitute for medical attention, which you should seek immediately if you suspect that a child has ingested a poisonous substance.
  5. Evoz – Imagine being able to listen to your baby from the office, the gym, or during your morning commute with a few taps of your iPhone’s screen. With the free Evoz app, that scenario is no longer a far-fetched one. The app will even push notifications or send emails when your infant cries, allowing you to track and monitor sleeping patterns all day long. There are no range limitations, so you can monitor the activity in your home and your baby’s sleeping habits from anywhere.
  6. iHound – Using GPS technology, iHound allows parents to track the movements of every member of the family. Know when your children arrive at their designated destinations, and if they leave them unexpectedly. In addition to providing you with valuable information regarding the whereabouts of your children, iHound also allows you to communicate with a lost or stolen iPhone.
  7. Nearparent – When children get old enough to explore the world and spend relatively unsupervised time with their friends, the ability to check in periodically to let you know they’re okay is invaluable. As an added bonus, this free app also allows parents to receive notifications when a child leaves a designated “safe” zone and gives you contextual weather warnings.
  8. Life 360 Family Locator – Know where every member of your family is at any given time and stay informed of any safety hazards in their area with Life360′s Family Locator. Available for free in the App Store, this app even allows you to track family members that have regular cellphones. There’s no need to buy pricey smartphones for young children in order to keep tabs on their location.
  9. Pocket First Aid & CPR from the American Heart Association – Knowing how to properly perform CPR and administer first aid is one of the most essential skills a parent or childcare provider can master. From the United States’ largest and most venerable voluntary health organization, Pocket First Aid & CPR provides you with valuable information, including child and infant CPR techniques.
  10. Mobicip – Before presenting your child with his first iPhone, be sure to install this $4.99 app to protect him from questionable or objectionable content. Your youngster will only be able to access age-appropriate content, even providing safe and non-threatening YouTube usage.

    Click here for original article.

Sunday 23 September 2012

Backup Your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Using iTunes



You can take a a backup of your iPhone, iPad or iPad touch using iCloud or iTunes. Here we show you how to take a backup of your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch using iTunes.

Please note backed-up information includes purchased music (backup of purchased music is not available in all countries), TV shows (US only), apps, and books; photos and video in the Camera Roll; device settings (for example, Phone Favorites, Wallpaper, and Mail, Contacts, Calendar accounts); app data; Home screen and app organization; Messages (iMessage, SMS, and MMS), ringtones, and more.

iTunes takes a backup of your iOS device when you sync with iTunes (disabled if you have iCloud backup turned on).
You can also manually backup your iOS device using iTunes. Follow these steps to manually backup your iOS device using iTunes:
  • Connect your iOS device to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed
  • Select your iOS device in iTunes under Devices
  • Right-click (or Control-click) the device and select Back Up

Transfer Data From Your Old iPhone To iPhone 5 Using iCloud










If you've just got your hands on the shiny new iPhone 5 and want to know how to transfer data from your old iPhone to the new iPhone, then follow the steps mentioned below to first take a backup of your old iPhone and  then restore the backup to your new iPhone 5 using iCloud.


In this guide, we will show you how to transfer the data from your old iPhone to iPhone 5 using iCloud. If you're using iTunes to backup your iPhone, then check out this guide that shows you how to do it using iTunes.


  • Though it is not a standard practise, we would recommend you to update your old iPhone to iOS 6 to ensure that you don't hit any compatibility issues when you migrate from your old iPhone on iOS 5.x or lower to iPhone 5 running on iOS 6. You can check out this guide to update your old iPhone to iOS 6.
  • iCloud backs up your device once a day. But it is good practise to backup your old device to iCloud one last time before before migrating so nothing is missed out. Launch the Settings app and navigate to iCloud > Storage & Backup and tap on Back Up now button. This may take time depending on the amount of data to be backed up.
  • After the backup is complete, check the Last Backup time (should show current time) to ensure that your backup was successful.





  • Now turn off your old iPhone and turn on your new iPhone 5. Note: It's important that you don't use your old iPhone as it will cause conflicts with the backups in iCloud.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup assistant by selecting your language and country, and choose whether to enable Location Services. When prompted, choose your Wi-Fi network.




  • When prompted to set up, choose "Restore from iCloud Backup," tap next, and enter your Apple ID and password.



  • Select the latest backup of your old device and tap Restore. Wait until the device has finished restoring from the backup. Please note that it can be a time consuming process and depends  on the amount of data contained in the backup and on the speed of your Internet connection.



  • When the restore process is complete, your iPhone 5 will restart. Then it will be ready for use. You should also connect the device to iTunes to sync data not contained in the backup (such as music, videos, apps , and so on).
  • iPhone will also start re-downloading all your apps in the background.
  • You can verify and change which data are synced by clicking the syncing tabs in iTunes.
  • You will also need to enter your password for your Apple ID, email and other accounts, and voicemail again. The passwords are not restored to a new device for security reasons.
That's it, you should now be able to use your shiny new iPhone 5.

Transfer Data From Your Old iPhone To iPhone 5 Using iTunes




If you've just got your hands on the shiny new iPhone 5 and wondering how to transfer data from your old iPhone to the new iPhone, then follow the steps mentioned below to first take a back up of your old iPhone and then restore the backup to your newly purchased iPhone 5 using iTunes.


This process will transfer your saved messages, email accounts, photos, notes, and other personal settings to your new iPhone.

In this guide, we will show you how to transfer the data from your old iPhone to iPhone 5 using iTunes. If you're using iCloud to backup your iPhone, then check our this step-by-step guide that shows you how to do it using iCloud.

  • Though it is not a standard practise, we would recommend you to update your old iPhone to iOS 6 to ensure that you don't hit any compatibility issues when you migrate from your old iPhone on iOS 5.x or lower to iPhone 5 running on iOS 6.
  • Ensure that you've installed the latest version of iTunes (iTunes 10.7). You can update it via Software Update or download it from Apple's website.
     
  • Take a back up of your old iPhone by following the steps in this tutorial.
  • After the backup is complete, turn off your old iPhone and turn on your new iPhone 5. Note: It's important that you don't use your old iPhone as it will cause conflicts with the backups in iCloud.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup assistant by selecting your language and country, and choose whether to enable Location Services. When prompted, choose your Wi-Fi network.



  • When prompted to set up, choose "Restore from iTunes Backup," tap next, and enter your Apple ID and password.




  • Connect your iPhone 5 to iTunes (on the same computer you used to back up your old iPhone). iTunes will ask you to restore from backup or set up as new. Select the backup of your old device and choose Continue (Ensure that iTunes is showing you the latest backup of your old iPhone). Please note that restoring from the backup can be a time consuming process and depends  on the amount of data contained in the backup and on the speed of your Internet connection.

  • When the restore process is complete, your iPhone 5 will restart. Then it will be ready for use. You should keep your iPhone 5 connected to iTunes to sync data not contained in the backup (such as music, videos, apps, and so on).
  • You can verify and change which data are synced by clicking the syncing tabs in iTunes.
  • You will also need to enter your password for your Apple ID, email and other accounts, and voicemail again. The passwords are not restored to a new device for security reasons.

That's it, you should now be able to use your shiny new iPhone 5.


Saturday 22 September 2012

Add Your Own Music to the Google Play Music Cloud




If you’re new to Google’s Play Music, it might be a bit confusing as to how to get new music into your Google Play account so that it automatically syncs across all of your Play Music enabled devices. Just adding the music to your Nexus 7 or Android device will add it to that device’s playlist, but if you want to have it either stream from the cloud or want it to sync with all devices, there’s a different way.
 
 
1. Open an internet browser window on your computer.
 


2. Type music.google.com into the address bar and hit enter.



 3. Log in with your Google account if you are asked to.




4. Click on Upload Music at the top right.



5. Click Download Music Manager and download and install the Music Manager to your computer.



6. Open the Music Manager program on your computer.




7. Click Add Folder and select whatever folder you keep your music in.
 
 
 
8. Once you have added the folder, click the checkbox to have it Automatically Upload Songs Added to My Selected Folders. 
 
 


9. From now on, any songs you put inside that folder will automatically be uploaded to Google Play and synced across all your Google Play devices.


Thursday 6 September 2012

10 iPhone Applications to Help Manage Allergies




When a member of the family suffers from food or seasonal allergies, managing symptoms and reducing the likelihood of contact with known allergens is of the utmost importance. Fortunately, modern technology offers a slew of options for doing just that, with iPhone apps available in the famed App Store to do everything from tracking pollen counts to discovering potentially problematic food ingredients to reminding sufferers to take their medication daily, just to name a few. If you or someone in your care suffers from allergies, these 10 iPhone apps may prove to be helpful. 


  1. MyFoodFacts – Grocery shopping can be a mighty undertaking when someone in the household suffers from food allergies, however this app can make the task a bit less arduous. Tech-savvy shoppers can simply snap a picture of a product’s bar code with their iPhone’s camera and MyFoodFacts will return a detailed list of potentially allergenic ingredients. Sesame seeds, tree nuts, peanuts, egg, shellfish, soy, fish, wheat, and milk are among the app’s focus, helping shoppers avoid foods that could spur potentially serious reactions.
  2. Allergy Advisor – Something of a one-stop-shop app for those suffering from respiratory allergies, Allergy Advisor offers pollen counts and weather forecasts for a user’s area, the ability to log symptoms and triggers, special storage for medical professionals’ contact information, and treatment/prescription refill alerts. The free app is, however, supported by ASTEPRO® nasal spray.
  3. Allergy Track – The ability to track your respiratory allergies in order to accurately report symptoms and triggers to your doctor is at your fingertips with PLB Melody’s free Allergy Track app. Logging the intensity of symptoms and monitoring allergic episodes over a significant period also makes it easier for your allergy specialist to determine the impact that your allergies have on your daily life and build an accurate allergy profile for more effective treatment.
  4. ZocDoc – When allergic reactions require non-emergency medical attention, especially when you or an allergic family member is away from home, ZocDoc can help you locate a doctor and book an appointment easily. Entering your zip code and insurance information will return a list of doctors that are in your network and their available appointment times, and with the tap of a finger your appointment is booked!
  5. RxMindMe Prescription – Allergies that require medication can often go untreated during hectic times simply because taking medication slips your mind. RxMindMe allows you to create profiles for several members of the family, sends notifications to remind you to take your medication or administer it to a child, and track the remaining quantity of medication you have on-hand.
  6. Allergy Alert – Free from Pollen.com comes Allergy Alert, an app designed to update users with pollen and allergy forecasts. Environmental forecasts like an asthma index also help those with allergies or children who suffer from allergies to stay informed about environmental factors that could exacerbate the condition and increase the severity of symptoms.
  7. iEatOut Gluten Free & Allergy Free – Ordering safe entrees from a restaurant is no easy task for those that suffer from food allergies; fortunately, iEatOut allows users to select items from a variety of ethnic cuisines that do not contain known allergens or gluten. The app also helps users communicate their needs to wait staff regarding food preparation and ingredients.
  8. Recalls Plus – Product recalls are no laughing matter; they can, however, be hard to keep up with. Using Recalls Plus takes much of the legwork out of discovering product recalls, especially those that are related to known allergens. While the app is very useful for parents of children who suffer from allergies, it also provides valuable safety recall information as well.
  9. Air Quality Pro Before planning an outing or trip to the park, allergy and asthma sufferers should determine whether or not their area is under an air quality alert. Air Quality Pro monitors the air quality index in major cities around the United States and returns forecasts that include detailed information and maps.
  10. Cook it Allergy Free – Cooking delicious, allergen-free meals at home is easier than ever with the Cook IT Allergy Free app, which makes simple work of substituting allergenic ingredients with safe alternatives. Modifying favorite recipes to make them safe for those suffering from food allergies isn’t always easy, but this app does most of the work for you. Users can also share their allergen-free custom recipes through a variety of social networking platforms.
Using these apps can make a major difference in the way that you approach and handle allergy management, but it’s important to remember that these tools, like any others, are not infallible. There’s no substitute for the advice of a medical professional or your own personal experiences, so if an app suggests that a particular item is safe and you’re not completely convinced, you should always follow your instincts and knowledge base.


Click here to see the original article.

Ten Tips and Tricks Every iPhone and iPad User Should Know

It's with you every moment of every day. It reminds you of little things that you sometimes forget, like calling friends on their birthdays and picking up the dry cleaning. It sleeps by your side, resting when you rest and working when you work. It even talks back once in a while. But how well do you really know your iPhone? 

After months of watching friends and family use their iPhones and iPads, I realized most of them were missing out on a lot of features. I'll walk you through 10 things you might not know your iPhone and iPad can do. Aficionados may know most of these, but typical users likely won't. 

 
1. Directly Access Apps

If you're like most people, you have your iPhone set to show some pop-up notifications. They might show up on the home screen when you get a Facebook notification, or a text message, for instance, and even when the phone is locked and the screen is asleep. To open these messages, you don't have to first swipe to unlock your phone and then open the app. As long as your device isn't protected by a four-digit security code, swipe from left to right on the notification to open the app in which the message appeared. If you do use a code, you'll be prompted to enter it after swiping the notification.

 
2. Tap to Scroll Up

Give your pointer finger a rest from scrolling up, up, up to get back to the top of a page. Tap once on the status bar—where the time and battery life are displayed—at the top edge of the iPhone or iPad screen and you'll jump up to the top. This works for websites, email, Contacts and many other apps.


3. Keyboard Shortcuts

Tapping on a glass keyboard has its downsides, but a few shortcuts could ease the experience. Tap and hold the "Compose new message" button in Mail to automatically bring up all your saved email drafts. And rather than switching to the number keyboard and then switching back to the letter keyboard, tap and hold the "123" key, then drag it to a number to select it. When you lift your finger from the number, the letter keyboard will appear again. 

When entering an email address, hold down the period key to see other address endings. Add emoticons to your keyboard by choosing: Settings, General, Keyboard, International Keyboards, Add New Keyboard, Emoji. When entering a Web address in the browser, hold down the .com key to see alternate URL endings, like .org and .edu. 

You can split the iPad's on-screen keyboard in two so you can grasp the iPad with two hands and type with your thumbs. This is on by default, though you might not know it. (To check, go to Settings, General, Keyboard and Split Keyboard.) To see the split keyboard anytime you're using the regular keyboard, spread your two thumbs from the center of the keyboard out. Or just tap and hold the keyboard icon (bottom right corner) and select Split. An Undock option also appears and this lets you move the keyboard up or down. 

 
4. Speed from App to App

The iPhone and iPad have many apps running in the background. There are shortcuts for jumping around apps without going to the home screen. Double tap the Home button (a physical button below the screen) to see a pop-up tray of apps and swipe to the left to scroll through them. Select one to jump to it. On the iPad, do this is by placing four fingers on the screen and swiping all of them up at once. This and other multitask gestures are on by default on the iPad 2 and newest iPad. But you have to turn them on with the first-generation iPad by going to Settings, General, Multitask Gestures.

 
5. Take Screenshots

Ever see something on your iPhone or iPad screen and wish you could save that image, but can't figure out how? Press the Home button and the On/Off button (top right edge) simultaneously to take a screenshot of whatever you see on the device. You'll hear the same sound as when you take a picture with the Camera app. You can find all of your screenshots stored in Camera Roll, along with your photos, and share them via email or social networks as you do regular photos.

 
6. Swipe to Search

Another way to quickly find apps on an iPhone or iPad is to swipe left-to-right from the home screen. This reveals a search box in which you can type the name of any app to jump right to it. This search also finds contacts, emails, calendar items and texts, as well as other things.

7. Read Websites More Easily

Stop struggling to read overcrowded Web pages on the iPhone's small screen. Instead, tap the Reader button, found in the URL bar at the top of a Web page, and you'll see a much clearer, predominantly text version of the page. Even better: This view hides advertisements. It doesn't work with all websites. This also works on the iPad.


8. A Smarter Camera (iPhone)

If you've ever wished your iPhone camera had a physical shutter button, look no further. The phone's volume up (+) button doubles as a shutter button whenever the Camera app is opened. This hard button feels sturdier all around, plus it makes it a cinch to take self-portraits or to tell strangers how to take a photo of you and your friends. 

And speaking of handing your phone to strangers, don't forget about the lock-screen shortcut for opening the Camera: Slide up the camera icon (found at the bottom right of the home screen) to open Camera without unlocking the phone. You can do this with anyone's phone, regardless of whether or not you know their password because it only opens the Camera app, locking you out of all other apps—and other photos and videos—on the phone. Just the photos or videos you take at that moment will be visible to you.


9. Digital Picture Frame (iPad)

Put your iPad to work as a digital picture frame for a photo slide show. Tap the Picture Frame icon, which appears to the right of the slide-to-unlock bar on the lock screen. 

If you own an iPad case, flip it into its stand-up position, place the iPad on a table, press the Picture Frame icon and walk away. Guests in your home will have to unlock the iPad to access other apps. 

Photos can be pulled from all photos or specific albums, events or images of certain faces. Make these and other slide-show adjustments in Settings, Picture Frame.


10. Mute or Screen Lock (iPad)

The same button on the right edge of your iPad that locks the screen in portrait or landscape mode can double as a mute button. This comes in handy if you find yourself frequently muting the iPad. Change this button's default lock function by going into Settings, General, Use side switch to: Lock Rotation or Mute. By default, this button is on Lock Rotation. Another quick way to mute is by pulling up the multitask bar by double tapping Home (or using a four-finger swipe up), then swiping left-to-right to see a mute, as well as sliders for volume and screen brightness.


Use Google Voice Search From Anywhere on Your iPhone



If you're a fan of Google's Voice Search then there're cool ways to invoke it on your jailbroken iPhone. While the "Just Talk" feature in the Google Search app is quite cool, you have to exit the current app and launch the Google Search app for it to work.

VoiceSearch is a new jailbreak tweak that allows you to access Google's Voice Search from anywhere in the iOS.

The jailbreak tweak essentially adds an Activator action, which can be configured via Settings that allows you to invoke VoiceSearch from anywhere on your iPhone using say a double tap on the Status bar.

As you can see in the screenshot below, it pop-ups a window with a speakerphone (and Cancel and Done buttons), which allows you to speak your search queries instead of typing. When you're done speaking the search query and tap on the Done button, it opens up Safari (or Chrome if you've made it the default browser on your iPhone) and automatically does the Google Search.


 

It would be nice if the tweak automatically did the Google Search after you're done speaking the search query like Google Search apps' "Just Talk" feature, so you don't have to tap on the Done button.

Since the tweak uses Google Search, it automatically uses your location and shows you relevant business results near your current location.

Google Search by voice also supports quite a few languages. It's supported for American, British, Australian, and Indian English, plus French, Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Czech, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Dutch, Afrikaans, South African English, Indonesian, Malaysian, Zulu, and Arabic.

VoiceSearch is available for free in Cydia.

Alternatively (many of you probably already know it), you can also set the Activator action (Settings -> Activator -> Anywhere) to launch the Google Search app (App Store link) and enable the "Just Talk" feature (Launch the app -> Tap on the Settings icon at the top and navigate to Voice Search ->  Just talk toggle to enable it). So you can just lift your iPhone to the ear, wait for beep and get the search results by talking into the phone.

So try it out and see how it goes.

Erase iPhone or iPad Data



Are you planning to sell your iPhone to buy Apple's next generation iPhone?
Before you sell or trade-in your iPhone, it is extremely important to erase your personal data on it. You'll be surprised how many people sell their iPhones without doing anything to remove personal data.

Follow these simple steps to make sure that your personal data such emails, text messages etc. cannot be accessed by a stranger.


Backup your iPhone's data:

Before you erase your iPhone's data, it is important that you first take a backup of your data, so that you can restore it to your new iPhone.

Depending on which version of iOS you're using and your sync preferences, you'll either backup to your computer or Apple's iCloud service.


Back Up via iCloud:

iCloud automatically backs up most of the important data on your iPhone (running on iOS 5 or higher) on a daily basis. But you can manually take a backup one last time before we show you how to delete your personal data.
  • Please ensure you're connected to a Wi-Fi network.
  • Launch the Settings app
  • Navigate to iCloud -> Storage & Backup
  • Tap on Back Up Now


This can take several minutes depending on when your iPhone was last backed up to iCloud.


Back Up via iTunes:
  • Connect your iPhone to the computer that you normally sync it with.
  • Open iTunes and select your iPhone under Devices in the left-hand navigation pane
  • Right-click (or Control-click) the device and select Back Up
Note: If you've purchased some items on your iPhone and haven't transferred these purchases to your computer yet, right-click the iPhone and choose "Transfer Purchases" to transfer the purchases prior to backup.
Erase all your iPhone's Data and Settings:
Now that you've taken a backup of your data, you can follow these steps to delete the data and settings from your iPhone.
Note: It is advisable that your iPhone has full charge or connected to a power source before beginning this process.
  • Launch Settings app
  • Tap on 'General'
  • Scroll down to the bottom and tap on 'Reset'
  • Tap on "Erase All Content and Settings" option
  • If you've set a passcode, it will prompt you to enter the passcode
  • After entering the passcode, it will prompt you one last time if you want to delete data and settings from your iPhone.
  • Tap on 'Erase iPhone' button

During this process your iPhone will display the Apple logo and a progress bar. The process may take few minutes to several hours based on the version of your iPhone and the amount of data on your iPhone. If you've jailbroken your iPhone then it is advisable to erase all your iPhone's data and settings by plugging it your computer and clicking on the "Restore" button.  


Unlink/Unregister your iPhone: It may be also be a good idea to unregister your iPhone from Apple's website so that it is no longer linked to your Apple ID.
  1. Go to: https://supportprofile.apple.com/MySupportProfile.do
  2. Log in if not already logged in.
  3. Click on "edit products"
  4. Click on the "x" to the right of the product.
  5. Click "Unregister"


To be on the safe side, you should also unlink your iPhone from services like Dropbox, Pandora etc.. That's it! As you can see, it is very simple to prepare your iPhone for resale. 


Monday 3 September 2012

Backup Android Apps to ZIP File and Restore Them


An Android developer has released an app, App2Zip, which allows users to backup apps to a flashable ZIP File. Earlier, we used to backup apps using some of the apps available in the Google Play that let you backup the APK files of your favorite apps. The problem with those apps was that you couldn’t install all the apps at one go. You had to install each APK one-by-one. With the launch of App2Zip, all these problems are gone and you can backup bulk apps as well as restore (install) them on your smartphone in one go. Here’s how you can do it:

 

I. Before You Begin:

1. You must have rooted your smartphone before doing this procedure.

2. You must have ClockworkMod Recovery installed on your smartphone.

II. Downloading Required Files:

1. Download the App2Zip App from here. (Google Play Link)

 

III. Backing up Apps with App2Zip:

1. Download and install the app on your smartphone.

2. Launch the app on your phone by navigating to Menu.

3. When you open the app for the first time, you will need to accept their terms and conditions. Just tap the Accept button to do so.

Tap Accept button
[ Tap Accept ]


4. After that, you will be asked to provide Superuser permission. Just provide it using the Allow button.

5. Now, from the app interface, choose the apps which you want to backup to a ZIP file.

Choose apps you want to backup
[ Select Apps, tap GO! ]


6. Once you have done the selection, tap on the GO! button given at the bottom-right corner.

7. Enter the name for the ZIP file. By default, it is update.zip. You can name it anything you want. Then, tap the confirm button.

Enter Filename and Confirm
[ Enter FIlename, tap confirm ]


8. It will then begin building the ZIP archive. As soon as it completes, you will get a notification on your screen. Tap on Ok.

Tap on Ok
[ Tap Ok ]


Well done ! You have successfully created a ZIP file containing all the apps you chose to be backed up. The file is saved in the root folder of your SD card. You can flash this ZIP file from the ClockworkMod Recovery to get all the apps back on your phone. Here’s the procedure for that.


IV. Restoring Apps from ZIP Archive:

1. Turn OFF your smartphone.

2. Reboot your phone into the ClockworkMod Recovery. Find out the key combination to reboot into recovery from the Recovery installation procedure.

3. From the recovery menu, choose install zip from sdcard followed by choose zip from sdcard.

4. Navigate to the ZIP file you created using the App2Zip App and select it for flashing.

5. After the file has been flashed, choose reboot system now from the recovery menu.


Cheers ! You have successfully restored all the apps from the backup file. It wasn’t that difficult, was it?