iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear
Informant 5: The Calendar App to Rule Them All
Sponsored By Fanatic Software on Mon, 08/12/2019
Apple is pretty good about updating its products, but it seems to have forgotten about the Calendar app. The makers of Informant 5 remember, and the latest update to this calendar and task-management app are a productivity game changer. Unlike Apple's Calendar, Informant 5 is updated regularly with improvements based on customer feedback. Just check out the newest feature; the Time Picker.
Featured iUser: How Blogger & Fashion Influencer Malvika Sheth Uses Her iPhone
By Leanne Hays
In every issue of iPhone Life magazine, we feature the iPhone Home screens of people from different walks of life, so our readers can see how they use iPhone apps to meet a variety of needs. In our Spring 2019 issue, we featured Malvika Sheth, who uses her iPhone for uploading fashion, beauty, and travel videos, and maintaining her social media profiles and website. If you have a story and apps you'd like to share, email me and we may feature you in an upcoming issue of the magazine!
How to Stop Kids from Accessing Blocked Apps on the Apps' Websites
By Hallei Halter
If you've set up Screen Time for your child's iOS devices and have blocked or limited social media and other apps, those apps's services may still be accessible via their URL websites, providing kids with a way get around your restrictions. Here's how to limit access to those websites on any browser on an iPhone or iPad so you'll be able to fully block an app's website and not worry about kids finding a way to use them. This tip can also be used by adults who are trying to limit their own social media use.
How I Built iPhone Life Part 2
By Donna Cleveland
In the 117th episode, iPhone Life’s founder Hal Goldstein returns to the show to share how the invention of the iPhone changed everything for his tech publishing company and how he managed to adapt with the times.
Review: This Compact Apple Watch Charger Goes Anywhere
By Todd Bernhard
My whole family has Apple Watches so I'm always looking out for the best way to charge them. On the go, the Keychain Charging Dock for Apple Watch ($38.99) that Choetech sent me to review is my favorite. It's small, essentially palm-sized, but it houses 900 mAh of extra battery life and includes its own Apple Watch magnetic charging mechanism. The charger itself charges via microUSB so that's another cable to remember to bring.
Review: Nomad's Rugged Lightning Cables with Kevlar
By Todd Bernhard
I've been using Nomad cables for quite a while, because they last quite a while. Unlike the included Apple cables which always seem to fray at the ends, the Nomad cables are rugged, made with woven fabric and solid connectors. So I wasn't sure that they could be improved. But the new Kevlar-coated USB-C to Lightning Cables (starting at $39.95) show that they can indeed be improved.
How to Edit a Photo's Geotag on Your iPhone or Mac
By Cullen Thomas
You’ve got some great photographs of your weekend with your friends, but when you check the Places feature in Photos, you notice one is tagged as having been taken in the middle of a random field. Here’s how to edit the geotag using a Mac or an iPhone app so that your photos appear where they ought to.
Adonit Note: A Stylish, Functional Alternative to the Apple Pencil
By Todd Bernhard
I was looking forward to trying the Adonit Note stylus ($49.99) when Adonit sent me the unit, although at first it didn't work for me. It turns out I was using my 2017 iPad and such pens require the 2018 or newer iPad, or an iPad Pro. So I borrowed my daughter's newer iPad to test it, and I liked the Note so much, I upgraded my own iPad as well! There's something magical about drawing on glass and it takes me back to my original Apple Newton, but the iPad is much more elegant and responsive. It's great for natural note taking as well as drawing.
Scosche Review: USB-C to Lightning Cable, Fast Charge Adapter & Audio Transmitter
By Mike Riley
Scosche, a company well known for its wireless headset line, has continued to broaden its product base by branching out into power and cable accessories as well as expanding its audio offerings. This article takes a look at the variety of items Scosche has recently released.
How to Turn Off Auto-Capitalization on Your iPhone
By Hallei Halter
Sometimes I'll have words randomly capitalized while texting, such as "may" into "May" like the month. If you're bothered by unwanted or random capitalizations while typing on your iPhone or iPad, you can try turning off auto-capitalization in your device's keyboard settings, which can be found under General in the Settings app. While this is not the same as turning off auto-correct, having auto-capitalization off can stop words from being capitalized when you don't want them to be. Try this tip to cut down on your texting frustration!
Magnetic Car Mount: An Attractive Wireless Charger from Moshi
By Todd Bernhard
I have reviewed many car mounts over the years, and ever since Apple released phones with Qi-based wireless charging, the question was how to mount the phone so it could also charge, and still be able to quickly eject the phone when needed. Moshi sent me an early version of its SnapTo Magnetic Car Mount with Wireless Charging ($59.95) and I think the company is on the right track. Because Moshi is also a case maker, the comany has a special case that accepts optional "SnapTo" metal plates. Once inserted, and attached via 3M adhesive strips, they blend into the case but allow the phone to attach to a magnetic surface.
Review: A High Fashion Apple Watch Band without the High Price
By Todd Bernhard
Apple has a history of bringing luxury to the masses. A luxury watch used to cost thousands of dollars, and sure, with specific materials and straps, an Apple Watch can extend into that price range, but the same watch with aluminum and a silicone strap is available to almost any potential customer. If you want the higher-end look for your less expensive Apple Watch, you can get it with the Hermes Style Leather Apple Watch Band ($34.99) from SupWatch , who gave me the band to try. The casual observer might not be able to tell it apart from the higher-end version.
The Fastest Way to Your Share Location from an iPhone
By Hallei Halter
There are a couple ways to share your location, but this might be the quickest! Here's how to share your location from your iPhone in a text message using predictive text. For this tip, you'll have to have both Predictive Text and Location Services enabled. And if you're not connected to Wi-Fi, you'll have to enable Apple Maps too.
Steel Series Nimbus: A Versatile Game Controller for Apple Devices
By Todd Bernhard
For a long time, SteelSeries' Nimbus Wireless Controller ($49.95) has been the only game in town for gaming on the Apple TV. While Apple just announced plans to support PlayStation and Xbox controllers going forward, this was a good time to check out the Nimbus, which SteelSeries sent me to try.
The 10 Best Apps for Making & Listening to Music
By Kenneth Boshell
Whether you're a music maker, a music lover, or both, you're probably on the lookout for the best apps to record songs or find new favorites. We've rounded up ten free and paid apps; some, like Pandora, YouTube, and Amazon Music are well known, others are more obscure. Whether you'd like to learn a new instrument or improve your skills, listen to favorites or discover new artists, we have the app for you.
Review: Compact USB-C Dock Does a Lot in a Little Footprint
By Todd Bernhard
I had already recommended the UD-CAM USB-C dock from Plugable, in part because it was so compact, so I wasn't sure what the advantage of the UD-CUBE ($79.95) would be until Plugable sent me a review unit. As small as the original model was, about the size of an Apple TV, this new model is even smaller. It's about the size of wedding ring jewelry box.
How to Disable Your iPhone's Attention Aware Features
By Hallei Halter
If you have an iPhone X or later, you might notice your device does a few things automatically if you're looking at it. For example, your screen won't dim if you're still facing it and your ringer's volume will lower when you're facing the screen as well. This is because of the Attention Aware feature. By disabling Attention Aware, you can stop your alert noises from lowering automatically and your screen will dim with your face in view, which may save you some battery power.