AirPrint Printers

When you are considering buying a printer, check out AirPrint printers. They allow you to print via your iOS device. On any document or picture on your iOS device, tap the "Share" button and tap "Print." Select your printer and tap print. There you go! If you're looking for a good AirPrint printer, try the HP Photosmart 6520 e-All-in-One Printer. If you don't own an AirPrint printer, look on the internet for plugins that allow you to "share" the printer to an iOS device. 

How to take pictures that fit iPhone 5's larger screen

If you're tired of pictures not taking up the full screen on your iPhone 5, this is for you (iPhone 5 only)! Instead of taking a picture, take video and tap the camera icon in one of the corners (depending on your device orientation). This takes a picture in a full screen shot. Check it out (don't forget to delete the video)! Here are some examples below. 

P.S. I'm sorry if this looks really bad, but it's what I had to work with at 6:30 AM. Also, the picture differences are easier to see on an iPhone 5, so I suggest if you have one, to save these pictures by tapping and holding each picture and tapping save. 

This is how a picture looks normally.

This is how a picture looks when taken with video. 

The Nintendo 2DS! It's like a 3DS but with a 2!

Nintendo made a surprise announcement yesterday (along with a Wii U price cut) that they would announce a brand new system to the "3DS family". It's called the 2DS. Initially, it sounds like a joke, but it's not. This is a real thing. It doesn't fold, unlike the 3DS or DS. It's more of a Game Boy. Nintendo made the 3DS a toy. Apparently, their logic goes like this. "Folding seems too 3D-ish, so let's make it flat!" You can't fit it in your pocket (not the best strategy for StreetPasses) and Nintendo endorses a carrying bag (an extra $12.99). The 2DS in general is a great marketing tactic for making the 3DS games more accessible to the general public without a 3DS. However, a $129 price tag won't cut it for some people. Especially when they can just buy a 3DS and turn off the 3D for an extra $40 ($169). Long story short, good idea, bad outcome. This system only appeals to people under 7 (who shouldn't be exposed to 3D) and people who are just in it for the gaming. After all, nobody really uses the 3D. One final note, the 2DS has the ability to take 3D pictures, but it can't display them in 3D. Strange.

The Nintendo 2DS has a set release date for October 12, 2013 (The same day that Pokémon X & Y come out; The funny part is that there's no Z for a 3D "Z axis"). 

Making School Fun With Apps: iStudiez Pro

Today is my first day of high school, so I decided to make a new series for the school year. "Making School Fun With Apps." Pretty self-explanatory. iStudiez Pro is an app that is a planner. Although there is a lot of initial setup (for each semester/trimester) it works really well. It syncs to all of your devices and has a great interface. It keeps track of your assignments and your schedule. It even holds contact information for your teachers! iStudiez Pro is available off of the Apple App Store for $2.99. There is a lite version available for free. There is a Mac version available from the Mac App Store for $9.99.

Apple TV Update

Apple released an update for the Apple TV. It's a pretty nice update. It adds many new apps such as:

- Vevo (music videos)

- Sky News (news)

- The Weather Channel (What ever happened to Apple's partnership with Yahoo! Weather?)

- Disney Channel (also known as WATCH DISNEY CHANNEL)

- Disney XD (also known as WATCH DISNEY XD)

- Smithsonian Channel (it's kinda like National Geographic, but on your Apple TV)

- Qello (concert videos)

- Crunchyroll (ANIME!!!)

Try the update today. It's free! 

Alarm Clock Apps

Whether you wake up if a bird chirps or if it takes an entire parade to wake you up, there's an alarm clock app for you, and just in time for back to school.

P.S. I recommend using an iPad for these apps for a larger clock.

For the heavy sleeper:

Night Stand HD 2 ($2.99) is the app for you. It allows you to set an "aggressive alarm". First, the iOS device's screen will brighten to mimic the sunlight. "On the second snooze, low frequency square waves are used instead of iPod music to interrupt sleep patterns."
The third snooze makes the time between snoozes down to ten seconds. The fifth snooze makes it so the alarm can't be stopped until a game is played. But seriously? If the snooze time is six minutes (default and can't be changed), that means that you'll have to sleep in a whopping 18 minutes and 30 seconds until you play a game. If you have that kind of time, why do you need an alarm clock? In addition, you can unlock new clocks by earning points. Points are earned by waking up before 9 AM (which is useless unless your work starts after 9 AM). But, hey, everybody's different.  

For the "uses built-in apps to their fullest" sleeper:

If you want to use the built in Clock app, try it. There's not much to it. You can use a built-in sound, ringtone, or song from your Music app.

For the "iSleep with a dock for my iOS device" sleeper:

iHome+Sleep (Free) is a great app. However, one might say that it WAS a great app. Unfortunately, this app is severely outdated with no iPhone 5 optimized nor Retina Display optimized. Then again, it does work, especially if you have an iHome dock yourself. If so, try it for a night. It knows how long you've slept and shows you weather.

For the "elegant" sleeper:

Okay, that might've been a strange title, but this app is VERY elegant. It's called Rise ($1.99; and was free a few weeks ago). The app is as if you're using a piece of glass, well, because you are! The time you set for waking up shows what the sky will look like, as shown below. If you hit the clock at the top, you get a nice desk clock. You can pick from three themes: solid black background, weather, or use the camera as a background.

The iPad TV Revolution

Remember that time you wanted to watch TV while doing yard work? Or maybe in the attic? Well, we all have different situations, but now you can watch TV from anywhere in your house (and sometimes in other areas too!). With the power of your iPad, you can watch TV. Lookup your service provider and search the Apple App Store for an app. Major providers such as Time Warner Cable and Cox have these apps and will offer the service to you based on your subscription. Be sure to check yours out!

Double-tap for a period

If you find typing on an iOS device inefficient, try tapping the space button twice. This automatically gives you a period and a space after it for proper grammar. I use it all the time! If this doesn't work, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > and turn "'.' Shortcut" to on. 

What I Could Dig Up: iPhone 5S/5C and iPad 5 - Part 1.5

Today's post is a quick update on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The iPhone 5S and 5C expected release dates are being rumored currently.

The USA: September 20th
Japan: September 20th
China: November 29th

*Subject to change

Small, Medium, or Large?

YouTube has released version 2.0 of their App Store app. You can now view videos in three ways. First, you can watch it full screen (large). You can watch it with the description (medium). What's new is that you can now watch videos in the corner of the screen while you browse for other videos (small). Interesting. YouTube is available for free off of the Apple App Store. 

Find My iPhone

If you've lost your iPhone, you should always be sure to check Find My iPhone. Go to iCloud.com on the computer or download the app on your iOS devices. Be sure to set it up on your iOS device prior to losing it. To check, go to Settings > iCloud > and make sure that "Find My [iOS device]" is set to on.

Once that's done, check out my other tips about Find My iPhone!

Secure Your Security!
Secure Your Security: Part Two! (Only recommended when you know what you're doing)

I hope this helps!

Using Siri With A Headset

When using headphones or Bluetooth and Siri, you're going to want to choose where Siri's voice goes. First, connect the headphones. By default, the output source is set to connected headphones. Tap on the blue megaphone icon to pick the output source. Try it. 

What I Could Dig Up: iPhone 5S/5C and iPad 5 - Part 1

Here's some quick facts about what we know about the new iPhone(s) and the new iPad. Part 2 will come out when more details are available.

iPhone 5S:

• Announcement date: September 10th
• Possibly in a gold color option.
• Wider camera aperture.
• There is no change in the megapixels.
• Possibly a 128 GB option?

iPhone 5C:

• Will be announced alongside the iPhone 5S.
• No gold color option.
• It may replace the iPhone 5.
• Missing features to make it more cheap.
• It seems to be made of plastic. 
• It still has a Lightning connector.

iPad 5:

• Thinner side bezels. Much like the iPad Mini.
• New back shell. Also like the iPad Mini.
• Back shell color reflects the color option on the front of the iPad.
• Overall, it looks like a big iPad Mini.

The Mac Store

The Mac Store is an Apple Authorized Reseller located near Seattle. They sell products new and used. They also sell t-shirts that say "Macoligist". The Mac Store also have stores located in the Pacific North-west. 

Here's the address for the store I visited:

815 NE 45th St

Seattle Washington 98105

United States

How to turn off cellular data

When you travel abroad, data and voice costs more. A LOT more. $2.05 per megabyte (Verizon customers). You'll even get a text message. 

To turn off data, follow the steps below. 

iOS 6 Users:

Go to Settings > General > Cellular > turn off "Cellular Data". 

iOS 5 Users:

Go to Settings > General > Network > turn off "Cellular Data". 

When you return to your country of origin, be sure to turn "Cellular Data" back on. 

The Microsoft Visitor Center

The Microsoft Visitor Center is a quick tour of Microsoft's franchises. It shows off a huge ball of Microsoft ads and products, XBox, Kinect, Surface, Windows, Windows Phone, and Skype (images shown respectively)!

The Visitor Center is located across from the Company Store, both located in building 92. Be sure to check it out! Both are open to the public. 

Microsoft Company Store

The Microsoft Company Store has amazing Microsoft swag! They even use the term "geek" on most of their t-shirts. The store is large! It seems that they've devoted each section of their store to represent most of their franchises. 

- Microsoft in general

- Windows

- Bing

- XBox

- Office

- And more!

They have everything from piggy banks with glasses on them to lanyards for events. So check Microsoft out at building 92 at the visitor center. 

+1

Have you ever wanted to remember a number for long-term memory? Or maybe you need an accurate counter for whatever reason. Try +1! A quick counter that lets you hold as many numbers as you want!* Search "+1 Thomas Castel" on the Apple App Store to find it! Try it for free!

*Requires in-app purchase of $0.99 (WORTH IT!)

How to right-click on a Mac

While on a MacBook or a mouse with special settings, you may find that you can't right-click. At any time, tap and hold the control button and click the mouse. Release the control button. You should've right-clicked. I hope this helps.

RedLaser

RedLaser lets you scan barcodes and QR (Quick-Response) Codes. It's pretty simple. It can get you product information, compare prices from UPC codes (EPIC DEAL FINDER!!!), and direct you to websites. QR Codes are common in the real-world so keep on the lookout and scan them. Here's a sample QR Code. RedLaser is available for free off of the Apple App Store.

Airplane Mode: What is it?!

While on vacation, I took a plane. And I thought, why not make a quick explanation on Airplane Mode? For those who don't know, Airplane Mode (accessible from your Settings) is a mode that disables all wireless functions on your phone. You can optionally turn on WiFi manually after disabling it. When do you use it? On an airplane. Wireless communications can interfere with plane controls. TSA guidelines require that all electronics be turned off until the plane has reached 10,000 feet. Then, you can use a phone (or electronic) with Airplane Mode. 

Deletion: How Does It Work?

How can a computer forget something by command? It can't exactly. When you put something in the trash, the computer only marks the file as void and it can't be used. When you empty the trash, it's still not gone. The computer marks the storage once accumulated by the deleted file as "free". If you have a recovery method or software, use it now. But if you "write over" the deleted data (download or create another file), then the file might become corrupt. This means that the deleted file might look completely random. But it's possible to"stitch" the file back together but it'll be expensive (check the internet for a free service first). It's kind of like putting shreedded pieces of paper back together. 

Credit: Vsause from YouTube

Once, there was a photographer named Melanie Willhide had her laptop stolen and the thief deleted and corrupted her pictures. Eventually, she got it back. The photos were corrupted in a way that was cool, so she put them in an exhibit. Here's some of her photos below. 

Windows Tablet Taunts The iPad Mini

Surface (which still can't talk) took a jab at the iPad Mini with another ad. These ads aren't proving effective. People are saying that the ads are embarrassing and should stop comparing it to the iPad. Here's the ad anyway:

While an average consumer may bite, the people who did research know that a 32 GB Surface only has 16 GB of available space.

Microsoft has been making many anti-iPad ads. For example, they leaked an ad taunting the iPad Mini's initial ad (never aired). Check it out!

Original Ad:

Leaked Ad:

The reality:

And I could rant on and on about this, but how about I end this post with some memes (pictures with text) I made. They're just my humble opinions.

Travel Apps: Travelog

Want a quick, easy, and free way to remember your vacation? Travelog is the app for you. It lets you create "memory books" to organize your trips. It also uses a nice timeline to show your memories. Just add pictures, thoughts, check-ins, and more! Travelog is available for free off of the Apple App Store.

Travel Apps: Travel List

This app is probably one of the best ways to pack your stuff. It lets you keep track of what you've packed, set reminders, notifies you if you've forgotten to pack some items based on location, and plan when you leave. All of this and iCloud support. Travel List is available off of the Apple App Store for $2.99. 

Link to app:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/travel-list-easy-trip-packing/id348737462?mt=8

iPad's Unique Dock

By default, the dock on an iPad has four apps on it. However, you can have up to six icons on the dock. Just drag and drop the icons onto the dock (tap and hold an app until it wiggles and move it; press the home button the stop the wiggle). Simple. You can take them out of the dock too. Just put them back on the home screen. Remember that this doesn't work on the iPhone or iPod Touch. Just iPad and iPad Mini.

Happy Anniversary Tech Talk 4 Geeks!!!

A year ago today, Tech Talk 4 Geeks was created. It started when I wanted to share my knowledge of iOS devices and Macs. I'd tried making magazines, writing books, and more! But none of those worked out because I didn't have enough time to fill a book, let alone a magazine (especially not every month). So, I had to find a method to share the knowledge with a service that would let me write as much as I'd want to and as often as I'd wanted. Then, I thought of Blogger. It made it easy to post on-the-go too! The next morning, I made my first post. So, while the first post was August 6th, this is the blog's creation date. It was created at night, so there was no time for me to post. And that's how Tech Talk 4 Geeks came to be. Thank you to all of you readers who have been with me whether you've found this blog the day it was founded or just yesterday.

Travel Apps: Kayak

Kayak is one of the best travel apps I have on my iPhone. You can plan your vacation this Summer on Kayak.com and take it with you on your iOS device. Just go to the "My Trips" section on Kayak. On your iOS device, go to the trips section to get details. To forward your confirmation emails to automatically show up in your trips, forward the email to trips@kayak.com from the same email you use for your Kayak email. The process takes about 15 minutes. On your iPhone, you can get passes for Passbook by tapping the "Share" button (in the bottom right corner) in the plane or hotel details. More travel apps to come. 

Apple Allows Apple IDs For Children Under 13

Apple will be revising the terms and conditions for Apple ID when iOS 7 comes out. The terms state that Apple IDs will be obtainable for children under 13 for education purposes. Of course, it's not like people read (let alone complied to) the terms.

Here are the new terms:

"These App and Book Services are only available for individuals aged 13 years or older, unless you are under 13 years old and your Apple ID was provided to you as a result of a request by an approved educational institution. If you are 13 or older but under the age of 18, you should review this Agreement with your parent or guardian to make sure that you and your parent or guardian understand it."

More to come on this with the release of iOS 7. 

Night Stand HD 2

If you have trouble waking up without tapping the snooze button, then this app is for you! It's an app with an "Aggressive Alarm". If you snooze the alarm twice, it will use low frequency square waves to interrupt sleep. The third snooze makes the snooze interval 10 seconds. The fifth snooze makes you do a challenge. If you wake up before 9 am, you get points and can spend them for new clocks. Night Stand HD 2 is available on the Apple App Store for $2.99.

How 2 Save Your Battery Life

First off, a little disclaimer. Since iPad uses WiFi and when it uses cellular, the battery can handle it. So, I'll mainly be talking about the iPhone. Turn down the volume and the brightness. To save battery on the iPhone, start off with turning off Bluetooth when it's not used. Plug in your phone when possible. Just because the battery is at 90% when it's done charging doesn't mean you plain out shouldn't take it to work. Turn off apps in your multitasking bar (especially apps that use location all day like Find My Friends and Moves). Charge your phone every night (check out my tips for charging your phone)! Anyways, try these tips. I hope this helps! If it doesn't consider a portable charger.