TechPC Corner: apple

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Monday, September 23, 2013

How to Multitask in iOS 7

In iOS 7, Apple rolled out a totally new way to manage your apps. Here's how to make it work for you.

By Max Eddy
September 23, 2013

Let's get this out of the way first: Yes, multitasking is not new to iOS. It was introduced all the way back in 2010 with iOS 4, where double-tapping the home button opened a tray of currently running apps that you could jump into or shut down. And yes, Android pioneered using screenshots to navigate the app manager, and a flick-to-quit interface. But in iOS 7, Apple introduced a totally new way to interact with your apps—one that brings the best ideas from Android to Apple users in a unique and entirely iOS way.

New Features for New Arrivals
If you're coming to iOS 7 from Android, you'll notice that instead of long-pressing the home button as you do on a Galaxy S III$199.99 at Best Buy or tapping the physical app manager button on a Nexus 7$229.99 at Office Depot, you access the app manager by double-tapping the home button.

Newcomers from iOS 6 will notice that they are now treated to big previews of apps that are running. To shut down an app, simply swipe upward over one of these previews and the app shuts down—no more jiggling icons and awkward x-tapping. Also, the big previews let you quickly see information in an app without having to leave the app you're in.

In OS X, apps and desktops continue to run normally when you view them from Expose or Spaces, but Android uses completely static screenshots. iOS 7 splits the difference. Unlike OS X, it won't keep running video in the app manager but smaller animations—like spinning progress wheels or the scrolling text in the Podcasts app—will continue to run.

iOS 7 will even allow some apps to update or reload while in app manager view, but it balances this against rationing battery and CPU power. Factors like recent notifications, connection, and frequency of use apparently make a difference on how often iOS lets a background app update. You can control more of these features from the Background App Refresh section in the General settings menu. Remember, shutting down apps you're not using will help save battery life.

Exiting the app manager is different as well. Tapping the home button again will take you back to where you launched the app manager from—either another app or the home screen. Scrolling all the way to the left lets you quickly jump to your home screen, and you can jump into a different app just by tapping on it.

Not Perfect
I have a few complaints about the new app manager. For instance, my iPhone 4S seems to frequently interpret my attempts to quit an app with a thumb swipe as a left or right scroll. I suppose it's better than frequently closing apps accidentally, but it is annoying. Also, I'd like Apple to come up with a function for down-swiping an app from the app manager.

These are minor quibbles because multitasking in iOS 7 is much better than either previous version of the operating system or even the most recent version of Android. It might take some getting used to, but, once it's a part of your work flow you'll wonder how you lived without it.

iOS Multitasking Main

Double tap the home button from the home screen or any app and you'll be taken to the new app manager in iOS. Note the large previews of each app, an idea taken from Android and a big improvement over iOS 6.

iOS Multitasking Orientation

iOS 7 will match the orientation of your phone in the app manager. Note that once you enter the app manager, the orientation will remain locked until you exit again.

iOS Multitasking Homescreen

To quickly jump to the home screen, simply scroll all the way to the left. If you entered the app manager from another app, taping the home button once will return to the app you just left.

iOS Multitasking Quit

To quit an app, simply swipe upward over the preview image. You cannot re-order apps in the app manager.

iOS Multitasking Video

Some preview images will continue to update while in the app manager view. Videos will not, but frequently used apps will.

iOS Multitasking Refresh

You can control the behaviors of background apps from the Background App Refresh menu. You can access it by tapping Settings, then General, then Background App Refresh.

iOS Multitasking Music.

While video and games will pause when you jump to the app manager, game audio will sometimes continue. Also, music and podcasts will continue playing until you open or enter an app with its own music.

The Best iPhone 5c Cases

Despite its unapologetically plastic build, your new iPhone 5c could use a case to keep it safe and sound. Here are 20 of our favorites so far.

By Patrick Austin
September 20, 2013

Past iPhones haven't been big on color. Apple's latest smartphone, the iPhone 5c, seems to have borrowed some iPod DNA. With a plastic build and five color choices including blue, green, pink, white, and yellow, the 16GB model is $99 with a two-year contract, half the price of the high-end 16GB iPhone 5s.

With the flagship 5s, you get a solid aluminum build, the first 64-bit phone CPU, Apple's A7, with motion coprocessor, the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which lets you lock your phone and make purchases with your fingertip, and an improved camera with a larger image sensor and aperture, bigger pixels, and a dual LED flash.

The 5c, on the other hand, packs last year's A6 processor, and the same 8-megapixel camera found in the iPhone 5. In fact, besides the new build, the 5c shares all the features of the iPhone 5. Aside from a few minor enhancements to the battery and the front-facing camera, the only difference is that both new iPhones ship with iOS 7, Apple's completely revamped mobile operating system.

Though the new 5c has a plastic build and lacks the upgrades of the 5s, the phone is sure to find an audience given its lower price and fun, colorful design. As with every new iPhone, third-party accessory manufacturers are scrambling to be first to market with new cases. The 5c was just released, but we're already seeing a variety of new designs ranging from super-thin fashion statements to bulked-up, ruggedized tanks that will keep your phone protected no matter how badly you abuse it.

We see new cases every day, so we'll update this list frequently. For now, check out some of the coolest cases you can get for your new iPhone 5c. Have a case you like that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

Getting an iPhone 5s instead? Check out The Best iPhone 5s Cases.

Apple iPhone 5c Case

$29MSRP

Apple's new iPhone 5c may have a colorful outer shell, but it's pointless if your case covers it up. Apple's new iPhone 5c cases take advantage of the iPhone 5c's colorful plastic casing, with circular cutouts that let the hue shine through. The cases are constructed of silicone and lined with microfiber and are available in the same shades as the 5c itself, plus black, for a multitude of possible color combos

Belkin Grip Sheer Matte

$24.99MSRP

Clear cases are often made of slippery plastic. The Belkin Grip Sheer Mattedoes its best to let the 5c's color shine through while protecting it from slippage and light abuse. The matte-finish case is flexible and won't slide away from you. It's available in a smoky stone gray or plain old transparent.

Belkin View

$24.99MSRP

A clear case with a bumper for protection is an ideal complement to Apple's colorful iPhone. Belkin's Viewhas a clear plastic back to show off the 5c's color and a wrap-around bumper to keep it safe from drops. It's similar to Apple's bumper case for the iPhone 4/4s, but with an extra layer of plastic protection. You can get the case with a black, purple, or topaz bumper.

BlackBerry Messenger for iOS and Android: Delayed

By David Murphy
September 22, 2013 01:50pm EST

If you circled this weekend on your calendar and have been waiting with a Santa Claus-like interest for BlackBerry to release its BlackBerry Messenger app for Android and iOS, we have good and bad news for you.

First, the good news: Leaked versions of the Android and iOS apps have already made their way online, so a little sleuthing should allow you to grab and install the apps on your particular devices.

And now, the bad news: That leak prompted BlackBerry to officially disabled the Android version of the app for the time being, and has delayed the official release of both apps — in case you'd rather have them straight from the source — for an unspecified amount of time.

"The interest and enthusiasm we have seen already – more than 1.1 million active users in the first 8 hours without even launching the official Android app – is incredible. Consequently, this unreleased version caused issues, which we have attempted to address throughout the day," reads a blog post on BlackBerry's website.

BlackBerry goes on to suggest that interested Android users should sign up at bbm.com if they want to receive updates about the Android version of BlackBerry Messenger. As to when that might actually be, BlackBerry is a bit mum. The company indicates that it will ultimately launch the iOS and Android apps via a staggered, worldwide rollout, but it hasn't given any possible timeline, save for saying that it hopes to get to apps out "as soon as we are able."

Of course, it didn't help the situation at all that Google Play has seen a bombardment of fake "BBM" apps as of late. Clearly, spammers — or worse — have been attempting to use the app launch as a means for convincing people to download fake apps. In a number of cases, they aren't even bothering to write convincing text within the app's description. As Android Central reported yesterday, here's one example of what spammers might write about their fake apps:

"minion rush plants vs zombies Grand Theft Auto Vice City Marvel Avengers Alliance Minecraft Free and Full Papa Pear Saga Angry Birds Seasons Angry Birds Rio Fruit Ninja Free Angry Birds YouTube Adobe Flash Player 11 Gmail Street"

In other words, it's a blatant attempt to keyword stuff one's way to popularity. Google appears to have cleaned up its app store and kicked out most of the spammy apps, but a quick search for "BBM" highlights a few that remain. Spoiler: It's unlikely that the company "BBM for Android FREE" will be the one officially launching BlackBerry Messenger versus, say, BlackBerry itself.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Samsung sends spies to uncover Apple's iPhone line phenom

The Korean electronics giant may use ads to mock fanboys waiting for the iPhone, but that doesn't mean it's not curious about why Apple buyers will sit in line for eons for the device.

by Shara Tibken

September 20, 2013 10:46 AM PDT

An Apple videographer cheers with Brian Ceballo, the first person to get his hands on the iPhone 5S at Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

NEW YORK -- You can't have an ad campaign mocking people waiting in line for the iPhone and then wish you had the same lines. Or can you?

Apparently Samsung thinks it can. Along with the hundreds of consumers, reporters, and app promoters converging Friday on Apple's flagship store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue for theiPhone 5S/5C launch were employees from the Korean giant.

Smartphone companies often check out the competition, either quietly or in a very public way. During Samsung's Galaxy S4 event inMarch in New York, for example, HTC hired people to promote its brand outside the venue. Woman decked out in HTC gear touted the benefits of that company's devices over those from Samsung while handing out snacks to reporters waiting in line.

In the case of the iPhone launch Friday,however, Samsung kept its presence pretty clandestine. It didn't hand out fliers or post advertising or display anything identifying itself as Samsung. It didn't even talk to anyone in line. Rather, a Korean video and photography crew documented the scene and interviewed reporters to figure out why Apple has such a rabid following.

The videographers asked questions such as, "Is the line shorter or longer this year than last?" and "Is the crowd more excited or less than previous years?" All questions revolved around whether Apple seemed to be losing a bit of its cool factor or if the company's fans remained as loyal as ever.

"Other companies release new phones, but there's not as much passion and heat [from buyers]," a Korea-based producer from Samsung Broadcasting Center/Cheil Worldwide, who asked not to be named, told CNET at the iPhone launch. "It's only Apple. Why? We're curious."

Hundreds of people await the iPhone 5S and 5C launch at Apple's Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The video group appeared to come from the Samsung Broadcasting Center/Cheil Worldwide, not from the electronics arm. Samsung is best known for its phones and TVs, but its parent company -- Samsung Group -- also owns operations in everything from shipbuilding to clothing. Cheil is a Korea-based Samsung Group company focused on marketing and communications. It works with Samsung Electronics on campaigns from time the time, but it's unclear who organized the study and what the information will be used for.

The producer noted that the information would only be distributed internally and that Samsung specifically chose the Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan because of its size and the amount of hype surrounding the store. The person said Samsung wasn't doing studies at any other stores.

A US-based Samsung representative declined to comment.

When it comes to smartphones, Apple and Samsung are the only two companies that make any money. Together, they ship more than 40 percent of the world's smartphones, and they generate the vast majority of the buzz. Their rivalry has been fierce in the market and in the courtroom, with Apple and Samsung clashing over everything from patents to phones. Apple may have popularized the touchscreen smartphone category, but Samsung now dominates the segment, shipping more than double the numbers of devices as Apple.

Even though Samsung sells more devices than Apple, it doesn't generate the same lines at its product launches. Its Unpacked event to unveil the Galaxy S4 in March drew thousands of people, but lines didn't stretch around the block to actually buy the device in stores. As the company tries to become a bigger brand and control an even larger chunk of the market, it's important for Samsung to develop a loyal user base like that of Apple.

Samsung has been building more buzz around its brand by releasing ads mocking Apple fanboys, particularly those who wait in line for the newest devices. One TV ad, released around the time of last year's iPhone 5 launch, made fun of Apple's earliest adopters who wait in line for hours.

The tag line for that campaign was "the next big thing is already here."

How to Block Calls, Texts, and Messages in iOS7

If you've been longing for a way to block numbers and messages on your iPhone, your day has finally come.

By Jeffrey L. Wilson
September 19, 2013

Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment, shall we? There are people or companies in our lives whose calls or texts we'd never like to receive again. EVER. Unfortunately, the Apple iPhone has lacked basic blocking capabilities since its inception, which is quite perplexing when you think about it. If you're an Apple user who's ever wanted to ban someone from contacting you via your mobile device, this was undoubtedly a source of much frustration. Fortunately, iOS 7 now lets you block to your heart's content.

iOS 7 now ensures that spammers, exes, and bill collectors will never be in your hair again (unless they email or snail-mail you). Ever cooler, iOS 7's blocking abilities aren't limited to inbound calls and text messages. You can use it to block FaceTime and iMessage messages, too.

Are you ready to learn how to block calls, texts, and message in iOS 7? Excellent. Here's the short version: You simply go to Settings, select either "Phone," "Messages," or "FaceTime" and then select "Block." You then need to add people from Contacts who you'd like blocked. If you're a newbie iPhone user (if, say the iPhone 5c or 5s is going to be your first Apple handset) and you'd like a more detailed, step-by-step primer on blocking calls, texts, and messages, check out our slideshow. iOS 7 is chock full of harassment-avoiding goodness and has vital accompanying images that will help you block, block, and block some more.

Remember, applying blocks to calls, texts, and FaceTime, and iMessage messages requires iOS 7. If you're still running iOS 6 you can't take advantage of this wondrous new feature, but you can easily update your operating system to Apple iOS 7 using these simple steps. And, really, why wouldn't you? Besides having a fresh new design and excellent blocking features, iOS 7 may be the most secure mobile operating system available.

Let's get started.

Phone, Messages, and FaceTime

Tap the Settings icon on your iPhone's home screen and scroll down to the "Phone," "Messages," or "FaceTime" menu options. Tap the appropriate option to begin the blocking process.

The Block Button

After you tap "Phone," "Messages," or "FaceTime," you arrive at a second screen. Scroll down and tap "Blocked."

Add a Contact to Block

Now you engage in the most satisfying part of this process: adding a contact to block. It's simple. You begin by tapping "Add New."

Select a Contact

Tap a contact's name and, boom! That person is blocked. No more annoying calls or messages.