3 Essential Photography Accessories for your iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5

iPhone 4S photo with Olloclip Macro Lens

It is amazing how the smartphone camera is quickly replacing point-and-shoot cameras. There are times that I even leave my Nikon DSLR at home because I know I have my iPhone 4S with me that will take incredible photos. In addition, the improved optics on the iPhone 5 make your pictures look even better and allow you to take clearer photos in low light situations. Who knows, with the iPhone 6 or iPhone 7, wedding photographers might get rid of their fancy cameras and start using their iPhone… (ok, that’s taking it a bit far, but you get my point). Continue Reading →

iOS 7 and 8 Tips: How to set up and personalize Siri on your iPhone, iPad (Mini), and iPod Touch

iOS 7 Tips: How to set up and personalize Siri on your iPhone, iPad (Mini), and iPod Touch

Siri is the personal assistant that Apple introduced with the iPhone 4S and iOS 5. Now, with the recently released iOS 8, Siri is smarter and faster than ever. I personally use Siri everyday. I like that I can speak to Siri using normal sentences and in normal tones. For the most part, Siri can accurately interpret what I am saying and will respond with the information I am requesting. If you are new to Siri, here are some of the basics of how to access and activate Siri. There are two primary ways to access Siri (this is the same Continue Reading →

Help! My iPhone or iPad (Mini) is stuck in Kid’s Mode (aka. Guided Access or Single App Mode)

Kid's Mode, Guided Access, Kid Mode, Single App Lock Mode,

With iOS 6, Apple introduced a much needed feature called Guided Access Mode, which I will call Kids Mode. What this does is lock your iPhone, iPad (Mini), or iPod Touch into a single app that requires a passcode to get out of the app. All of the hardware buttons are disabled when in Kid’s Mode (Home Button, Volume Buttons, Ring Silencer, and On/Off Switch). This is a fantastic feature that is perfect for when you give your iOS device to your toddler or one of your other kids and you want to make sure they don’t accidentally delete photos Continue Reading →

Hard reset your iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch every couple weeks to maintain speed of device

All computers and smartphones benefit from a restart periodically. Your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch are no different. I would recommend doing a hard reset every couple of weeks. It is simple and only takes about 30-60 seconds. Here is how: 1. Navigate to the Home Screen (your first page of apps) and then double tap the “Home Button”. This will bring up the multi-tasking tray at the bottom of the screen revealing all of your recently used apps. Tap and hold on the first app in the list till it starts to shake. A little red minus with a Continue Reading →

Turn on Kid’s Mode (Guided Access) on your iPhone, iPad (Mini) and iPod Touch in iOS 6

Have you ever wanted to let your kids, grandkids, or someone else’s kids play with your iPhone or iPad? Have you ever come back later to find that this wonderful little person ended up sending random texts to people in your contacts list, deleting photos, and other things you didn’t want to happen? Well, there is a solution to that. It is called “Guided Access.” I have renamed this Kid’s Mode or Child Mode because that’s what I use it for. Kid’s Mode locks your device into one app and disables the Home Button, On/Off Button, and Volume Buttons. This Continue Reading →

Home Button (From Lockscreen)

The primary button on your iOS device is the Home Button. This button has various uses depending on how many times you push it and how long you push it. From the lock screen, the home button is used to activate the screen. This brings up  “Slide to Unlock” where you can simply slide your finger to unlock the device. If you have set a passcode (which I highly recommend as a way of protecting your device), then you will have to enter it before you can begin using your iOS device. The Home Button has a couple of other Continue Reading →