Boosting Netflix’s Sound on iPhone & iPad …

How can I increase the volume while watching Netflix — beyond maxing out the sound control?

Settings > Music > EQ > Late Night

Really, is that all it takes to increase the volume of sound when the volume controls are already maxed out? Yes, try it …

Managing Apple Watch Alarms Using Siri …

This article will show you how to instruct Siri to set, label, reuse and otherwise manage your Apple Watch alarms …

You probably know how to ask Siri to create alarms on your Apple Watch by saying something like “Hey Siri! Set an alarm for 7.30 am”. Viola! She dutifully sets a generic alarm for 7.30 am. Easy, but she can do much more. Read on.

How to get Siri to use Google Maps: Just add “via transit” to your command …

When asking Siri for directions Just add “via transit” to your command!

Since Apple maps don’t include transit options, you’ll be presented with a selection of Transport Apps, which will include Google Maps if you have it installed. The location information will be handed off to Google Maps. This can be a lot easier than entering the address directly into the Google Maps app. No jailbreak required.

My iPhone ringtones don’t show in settings, what now?

I’ll get straight to the point, I’ve found some ringtones that do not have both a Name and an Artist listed for the ringtone won’t sync to my iPhone (iOS 6x). Get Info on the track in iTunes, add the missing metadata and sync again. Strange but true.

If you already have an Artist listed and think this doesn’t apply to you but still can’t sync up the ringtone, try deleting and then reentering the Artist info and then sync up again. Stranger but equally true.

Other common faults are that the tone is longer than 40 seconds or that you haven’t enabled the iPhone to synch all or this specific ringtone under the Tones tab against the device in iTunes.

Links How to create your own custom iPhone ringtones

Answers the question: Why won’t my ringtones or Tones sync with my iPhone?
Addresses the problem: iPhone ringtones or Tones will not sync from iTunes

How Apple abuses its coveted UX and UI to hide something it doesn’t want you to turn off …

You’d like think that Apple would disable an option to track users by default, not so? In iOS 6 for iPhone they introduce IFA or IDFA, which stands for identifier for advertisers, and leave it on by default. That’s questionable enough. But then not to say much about it to users and also bury the setting to disable it in a counter-intuitive location? That’s deceptive, and when you see where they buried it you’ll agree — it’s a shameful abuse of their user interface and experience.

How to get Google maps back onto your upgraded iPhone …

You lose Google’s maps when upgrading from iOS 5 to iOS 6, or when buying the new iPhone 5. Some say that Apple’s map solution is immature and ask “How can I restore Google maps to my iPhone?”

Here’s how: As a web app! Follow these simple instructions …

AT&T unlocking paid-up iPhones …

9to5mac.com is reporting that AT&T will start unlocking paid-up, off-contract iPhones from this Sunday.

This applies to those of us whose two-year contract has run out, something to consider on you current iPhone 4 before upgrading to 5 later — so you can use your old phone on a different/cheaper SIM card while traveling internationally.

Link: 9to5mac.com’s In response to rising number of complaints, AT&T is unlocking iPhones starting Sunday (AT&T Statement)

What’s your alternative to iDisk storage?

With .mac’s iDisk going away soon, what to use instead? I’m liking DropBox, only 2Gb free, but you get 500Mb extra (as do I) when you accept an invite from a friend.

So, if you need a great way to store files in the cloud which you can access from your iPhone, please take this link — and help both of us. Thanks!

You can get up to 16Gb free through referrals. Remember both the referrer and the invitee get the extra credit.

http://db.tt/9dFN1VQa

Anticipating a slow iPhone/iPad iOS5 update?

An iOS 5 update to your iPhone or iPad can take an hour — or three, or four. I recommend you choose to “download only” first and then “update” later. In so doing you can untether your iPhone/iPad and leave iTunes to take its time downloading the file. If you choose “update” you cannot untether the device from your computer and you may be in for a very long wait.

R.I.P. Steve: You made life so much more interesting …

Steve Jobs
February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011

Our paths crossed a few times, I wish there would have been more.

App Store “Error 1004 please try again later” on iPhone and iPad?

By all accounts, from googling the experiences of others, issues from clock time to full memory can trigger the iPhone and iPad App Store “Error 1004 please try again later”.

I was simply trying to update my installed apps. The problem hit me simultaneously on iPhone and iPad — which is a hint that the problem is server side.

No amount of waiting to try again later made a difference. Not resetting the time. Nor restarting my iPhone/iPad. Nor rebooting my iPhone/iPad. Nor deleting a couple of videos to recover memory (even though I wasn’t short on available RAM to start with). Nor even switching between 3G and WiFi, thereby excluding router issues.

For me the solution was different and simple.

Apple’s dark side emerging: iPhone patent will allow third parties to turn OFF your camera!

What the hell is Apple thinking? New Apple patent US20110128384 will allow 3rd parties to disable your camera …

Ugh! My iPhone is spying on me …

There’s a Mac desktop iPhoneTracker.app which displays which cell towers your iPhone was in communication with — on a map, by date.

Atari brings classic games to the iPhone and iPad: Tempest included!

My youth was not entirely misspent, but I was addicted to one particular arcade game: Atari Tempest. To the extent that I purchased a game console at auction and installed it in my apartment in Hillbrow, Johannesburg and played it to perfection.

How to get your “Free” AT&T MicroCell™ …

AT&T have recently been sending out letters offering some wireless customers a free Cisco MicroCell™ — a letter they can redeem at a local AT&T store. I believe they’re doing this because AT&T want to buy loyalty from good but wavering customers. I was one such wavering customer, except I did not come by my free AT&T microcell so easily. Many subscribers got unsolicted letters for a free microcell. I had to argue for mine.

Here’s how to do it …