iOS 9: Getting Ready for the Upgrade

Apple will be releasing iOS 9 tomorrow, and by all accounts, the new operating system for iPhones, iPads, and iPods looks to be a good one. Featuring Ad blocking, a new power saving mode, an update in Siri's abilities and lots more, iOS9 will run on iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPod Touch 5th gen and anything newer. Early reviews say it may bring new life to the iPhone 4S, perhaps running faster and better than the disappointing performance drop many saw with iOS8.

So… now is the time to get ready.

1. Save all your photos and videos to the cloud or to your computer. There's no sense risking losing them if anything goes wrong, and they're taking up space that could be needed during the upgrade. My practice is to have copies in the cloud and on a hard drive.

2. Remove the apps you never use. It will free up space and declutter your home screen.

3. Make a backup. Check your backup. Your device should be backing up to iCloud every night, but it's a good idea to check, and make sure that you have a current backup. I strongly recommend connecting your device to your computer and making a backup to it using iTunes. It's a more complete backup, and if something goes wrong, it's a lot quicker to restore from iTunes than to restore from iCloud. (I speak from experience. Trust me.)

4. If at all possible, do your update via iTunes. The over the air updates seem to be OK these days, but again, in the event of complications, having the computer and iTunes handy can make for an easier recovery. If you are tight on space on your device, the iTunes update is definitely less of a hassle.

Finally… Maybe just wait! If your phone is critical to your survival (social or business) maybe wait a couple days. Even the finest software on the planet has some… issues… when first released to the public. I guarantee you that not everything will work well for everybody, and that some people tomorrow will really wish they waited for the 9.01 update.

In the past, people have seen problems with extreme battery drain, key apps failing to function, wifi interruption or general unexpectedly slow performance. Why not let the cowboys and thrill seekers check out the new territory and send some messages back from the front. As I've said before, you won't get a prize for updating first, but you may get some surprises. It's better to be a fast follower than a first mover.

iOS 8 is coming. Maybe Wait?

Tomorrow, iOS 8 comes as a free update for all iPhones 4S and newer, all iPads 2 and newer, and the 5th generation iPod touch. As always, my advice is wait and see how others do.

For most of us, it will be fine. But, you never know. Is your phone OK right now? So maybe wait and see what happens to battery life,
Internet connectivity, email and critical apps for the brave ones who "just do it" tomorrow. What do you lose by waiting until those reports are in, versus what could you lose if your perfectly working iPhone stopped working perfectly?

If you are traveling, it's always a good idea to wait until you are back at home. If your phone is one of the rare few that brick, and a few always do, would you rather be home, yelling at your local Apple Genius, or sleepless and phoneless in Seattle, or Austin, or Cleveland (God forbid.)

In law school, my torts professor tried to explain the idea of a "slight risk of grave danger," by pointing to a giant fish bowl full of jelly beans. "Here," he said, "I have a few thousand jelly beans. They are delicious. One of them is made of cyanide, and will kill you quickly. Who would like to try one jelly bean?"

Most people will get grape, or cherry, or lime, or that weird white one… but someone's gonna get the poison one. Back up your phone and be at home before you take that chance.

iOS 7.1.2 Update for iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch Now Available

According to Apple, latest iOS update includes the following changes:

• Improves iBeacon connectivity and stability
• Fixes a bug with data transfer for some 3rd party accessories, including bar code scanners
• Corrects an issue with data protection class designations of Mail attachments

It also contains "miscellaneous bug fixes and security updates."

You can download the update over-the-air via Settings > General > Software Update or install it via iTunes by connecting your phone to computer using a USB cable. Even though you can update/upgrade directly over the air on your phone, don't. Although it's only a 23.1-megabyte delta update (just the changes, not a whole system file) user experiences with over-the-air upgrades vary, while those who use the tried and trusted USB method seem to be unanimous in their success stories. And, I always like to make a fresh backup to my hard drive first.

Here's the safest way to upgrade/update:

• Attach the iPhone to your computer.
• Open iTunes.
• Click on "Back Up Now."
• Wait for the backup to finish
• Click on "Check for update" and then do update to 7.1.2

Because it's a delta update, you shouldn't have to wait to long to get back on the device, with all your data and settings intact.

As always, unless you are absolutely dying to have the listed issues fixed, maybe wait a couple days. You never know what might be broken, diminished or deleted in an update. You won't get any prizes for updating first, but you might get some surprises.

Time to update to iOS7?

iPhone 4S or 5?

Definitely go for it.

But:

• Do a full, encrypted backup by wired connection to your computer.
• Do the upgrade through iTunes on your computer
• Be ready to not be able to use the phone for +-30 minutes
• Expect to have to spend a couple hours getting used to how things look and how some things are different or relocated.

My advice... start it going before dinner. Get it to the point where the software is downloaded, unpacked and you can see that it is starting to grind away on the install. After dinner, keep it plugged in to power, and mess around with it during evening.

If you have an iPhone 4 you should probably still update; your phone may be a little slower, but most people are still happy with the changes.

If you have a 5 and a non-Apple charger, the charger will not work after the update. take it to the Apple Store, give them the charger and $10 and get an official, won't fry you, Apple brand charger!

Lost ...and Found

A news story today caught my eye, and made me smile

A man accidentally forgot his iPad on an airline flight. An honest and helpful departing passenger found it, and brought it to the less honest flight attendant, who took his iPad to her home and promptly made it her iPad. But the man who lost the iPad used the built-in "Find My iPad" option to zero in on it's location. He called the cops in her hometown, they went to the address he gave them, grabbed the iPad and arrested the crook. [Full story here]


Did you know that every modern Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod has the built-in ability to be found? It's easy to take advantage of these features, but there are a few things you do need to do before the need to find your device arises:

1. You need an Apple ID. If you set up iCloud already, you have one. If you haven't set up your free iCloud account already, what are you waiting for? It has so many great uses besides finding your iDevices that there's no reason not to set it up.

2. You need to activate it on your device - in advance - if you want to be able to use it. On your iDevice, go into Settings>iCloud, and scroll down to Find my i[Device]. Make sure it's "On."

3. Download and configure the free "Find My iPhone" App from iTunes.

4. Know your iCloud username and password. This means that although you need to use a secure password, you also need to be able to absolutely positively remember this one.

Then, in the event that your Mac or iPhone is lost or misplaced, you can either use the app on one of your other devices, or a friend's device, or get on the web and log in to iCloud and activate "Find My iPhone."

A map will open up, and - if it can - the app will pinpoint the location of all your stuff! You also have the option to make the lost device beep loudly (very useful when you don't know where your phone is but you know it's around here somewhere), lock it and pop up a message ("Hey, If you found my phone, please call me at this number...) or erase it (This is the "nuclear option:" a last ditch effort to avoid having all your private stuff become someone else's. After you erase the information on an iOS device, you won’t be able to use Find My iPhone to locate it or play a sound.)

If you are running iOS 6, you'll even be able to track your device, keeping a log of all the places your phone goes until you can get it back.

So, download the app and play around with it, and visit iCloud and try it there as well.

If you need help, you know where to find me!

UDID what?

A hacker group known as AntiSec claims to have hacked into an FBI agent's laptop and downloaded a database containing 12,000,000 UDID's along with other personal information attached to those IDs.

A UDID is the Unique Device Identifier for your Apple iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch.) It's kind of like DNA trace, only digital. And just like DNA trace, if someone has merely that alone, it doesn't do them much good. But if that UDID gets into a database (like CODIS, perhaps?) with your name, and other personal data, it becomes a very powerful tool for identity theft, or privacy invasion. And AntiSec says the FBI and other entities are working on just such a database. Some may find that troubling. (The rest are brain-dead.)

While the FBI has denied that it was the source of the leak, it hasn't actually denied having the information.

There's a more detailed explanation of the whole thing available at TechCrunch.

And, there's a good way to find out if your UDID is one of the million published. Here's how:

1. Plug your iDevice into iTunes.
2. Click on your iDevice in the Devices part of the window.
3. Click Summary in the Main window.
4. Click on the Serial Number area. It changes to your UDID.
5. Make note of that string of characters
6. Browse to LastPass.com
7. Just enter the first 5 of those characters and see if it thinks you've been leaked.

If it comes back with your whole number, it's been leaked. Otherwise, you're not one of the million, but there are 11 million more where those came from. :-(

This is a good reminder to make sure that you have taken all the security measures you can with regard to your iDevices, your computer, and all your various Internet accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, your bank and credit cards, and all those other places that really only have a few keystrokes between the bad guys and all of your stuff.

If you are still using the same user name and password at more than one site...

If you are still using passwords like fluffy1994...

If you are not already using 1Password or LastPass or some thing like them...

Now is the time to take a security inventory and step up your guard. I'm here to help if you need me.

For now, whether your UDID has been leaked or not, there's not much more to do. Except maybe join the EFF.

Frozen iPhone / iPod / iPad? Try This!

If your iDevice has locked up... like an app won't quit, and it doesn't respond to just pushing the home button, try this:

Restart: Hold down the power button and the home button, and keep holding them. The device may say "slide to power off." If so, do that, wait until it is completely off, and then turn the device back on again.

If the "slide to power off" doesn't appear, or if you continue to have problems after a restart, try this:

Reset: Hold the power and the sleep buttons. Keep holding both buttons, even if the slide to power off option appears. The screen will go black and maybe a little streaky. Keep holding the buttons. Wait until the Apple logo comes up. Now let go of the buttons. Wait for your phone device to finish starting up. It's going to take longer than usual.

All Better? Good. You're welcome

No? Sorry. Call me. Maybe I can help.

iTunes Smart Playlists

If you haven't yet tried the "smart playlist" feature in iTunes, I highly recommend it. Smart playlists automatically update themselves based on rules that are easy to set up. One of my favorite smart playlists keeps 45 minutes of music that is made up 1/2 with songs from my most frequently listened to songs, and 1/2 with songs I haven't listened to in over a month. And, all of the songs on the list have just the right beat for me when I'm out running. This way, every time I run, I have a fresh mix of familiar and old favorites that works just right for me at exercise time. Smart playlist creation is just one of many features of iTunes that I can introduce to you during a one-hour "Making iTune MyTunes" class.

Life Not What It Used To Be?

iPhone or iPod battery life got you down? I can replace your old battery with one that is more powerful and lasts longer than the original. In your home or office. In about an hour.

iPhone or iPad Just Not Quite Right?

Don't forget that simply shutting it down, letting the screen go all the way to black, and then starting it back up again, cures a lot of what ails these things. In fact, it's a good habit to shut these things down and start them back up with some regularity... I'd say at least once per week.

It's also a good idea to plug in to iTunes and do a backup first - and every so often, just for good housekeeping.

As long as your backup is fresh, plugging in to iTunes and using the restore function should solve any lingering problems, but don't do this if your device is jailbroken and/or unlocked. There are ways to get these devices back to 100%, but if you are uncertain how to do that, you are best off being shown the first time.