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Thursday, June 11, 2015

The Common Problems With iOS 7 1 and iOS 7 0 and how to Fix Them


Every new operating system has its issues and Apple’s iOS 7 is certainly no exception.

We’ve seen a multitude of bug reports rolling in and, while many people have updated successfully, there’s no shortage of people encountering glitches or even major problems. We discussed how to prepare for and download iOS 7, and we’ve suggested some helpful iOS 7 tips and tricks , now it’s time to review some common iOS 7 problems and, where possible, identify solutions. We’ll refer to the iPhone throughout the article, but the majority of the problems and fixes will apply to the iPad and iPod Touch as well.

Here are the iOS 7.1 issues we’re hearing about with some advice on how to deal with them, for the iOS 7.0 problems  you’ll find it below. 


iOS 7.1 Glitches



Bug: Thieves can bypass Activation Lock


There is a bug in iOS 7 that allows a thief to disable the Activation Lock protection. The method to disable Find My iPhone is not very difficult and there are examples videos on YouTube. As long as the thief has your device and it’s unlocked they can bypass the security and restore your iPhone through iTunes.


Solution:

  • The attacker must have access to your unlocked device. The simple fix for this is to make sure that you enable a passcode. Go to Settings > General > Passcode Lock and tap Turn Passcode On. Pick the code you want and set the Passcode Lock down to as short a time as you can put up with.


Glitch: Apps crash or won’t load


Quite a few people have encountered issues with apps refusing to load up or crashing intermittently after upgrading to iOS 7.1. On the whole there should be less app crashes in iOS 7.1, but if you’re having problems that’s no comfort.


Potential solutions:

  • Double tap the Home button and swipe up on any app that has been crashing or failing to load. Now try loading it again.
  • It’s always worth trying a restart. Hold down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo.
  • Your apps should automatically update, but you can check in Settings > iTunes & App Store to turn on Updates under Automatic Downloads. If you prefer to do it manually then make sure that any app that’s crashing is fully up to date.
  • Try uninstalling any problem app and then reinstalling it. Backup to iTunes first if you’re worried about losing saved data in the app.
  • Try a factory reset by going to Settings > General > Reset and choosing Erase All Content and Settings. You’ll want to make sure you backup first, but bear in mind that you might reintroduce the problem if you restore your backup.


Bug: Thieves can bypass Passcode to access contacts


Another exploit that has emerged recently enables anyone with physical access to your iPhone to use Siri to bypass your passcode and gain access to your contacts list.


Solution:

If you’re worried about this then it’s easy to combat. Just go to Settings > General > Passcode Lock and look under the Allow Access When Locked section to turn Siri off on your lock screen.


Problem: Wallpapers dark at the top


A lot of people have been complaining about the fact that some of their wallpapers have a darkened band at the top after updating to iOS 7.1. It generally covers the top third and it only seems to impact on certain wallpapers, while others remain unaffected. Apparently this is a deliberate change and the shading is intended to make it easier to read text that sits on top of the wallpaper.

Workaround:

  • Try a different background.

Potential solution:

  • If it’s really annoying you then submit feedback to Apple. If enough people complain then there’s a chance they’ll remove it or allow you to override it in a future update.



Problem: Rapid battery drain


This was an issue for a lot of people when the original iOS 7 update rolled out, but after updating to iOS 7.1 many users are reporting serious battery drain. Updated iPhones and iPads are proving slightly more power hungry than before for most people, but a few owners have encountered unusually rapid drops, with claims that as much as 50 percent of the battery life is disappearing within an hour, and that the remaining juice is draining away unusually quickly even when the device is not in use. There are various things worth trying.


Workarounds:

  • There are many ways to squeeze more juice from your battery and you may also consider some iOS specifics, such as turning off Background App Refresh in Settings > General, turning off AirDrop in the Control Center, turning off Location Services in Settings > Privacy, and consider turning off at least some push notifications via Settings > Notifications.
  • You should also keep an eye out for rogue apps guzzling more juice than they should. Double click the Home button and swipe away anything you aren’t using. Be vigilant for battery drain when you use specific apps.


Potential fixes:

  • Hold down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo to restart your device.
  • Try going to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset All Settings.
  • You could try erasing everything. Make sure all your precious content is backed up then take a look at how to factory reset an iPhone.



Glitch: Freezing and lag


A few people have run into an issue where the screen just freezes for a few seconds. It will just be entirely unresponsive at apparently random intervals and then start working again without any obvious cause. Sometimes it happens when opening or closing an app, or it may occur when a notification comes in. There’s a chance this is linked to a specific app, so keep an eye on what’s running.


Workaround:

  • Hold down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until the device restarts and you see the Apple logo.
  • Double tap the Home button and make sure you swipe to close anything you don’t need running, and stay on top of this.



Potential fixes:

  • Make sure that your apps are up to date. The quickest way is to go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and make sure that Apps is toggled on under Automatic Downloads.
  • You could try resetting your settings via Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset All Settings.
  • You could also try a factory reset and restore via iTunes or iCloud.
  • If that doesn’t work then contact Apple.



Bug: Wi-Fi not working or unavailable


We’re not surprised to see people encountering Wi-Fi issues after the iOS 7.1 update; this seems like a common complaint every time there’s a new platform version. Some people are finding that previously good Wi-Fi connections are now a bit flaky, others are reporting that Wi-Fi is completely unavailable and they can’t connect at all.


Potential fixes:

  • Try switching Airplane mode on for 30 seconds or so, then turn it off and try connecting to Wi-Fi again.
  • Try holding down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until your device restarts.
  • Turn your router off for 30 seconds and then switch it on again.
  • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and then set up your Wi-Fi network again from scratch.
  • Try changing the channel on your router and check the rest of the settings.
  • Make sure that your router firmware is up to date.
  • Try a factory reset of your iPad or iPhone.


Problem: Bluetooth not working properly


Here’s another common problem that also cropped up when iOS 7 came out. If you’ve been having trouble getting Bluetooth devices to connect properly, or your Bluetooth streaming has been choppy then you’re not alone.


Potential fixes:

  • Start by holding down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until your device restarts.
  • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and then set up your Bluetooth pairings again.
  • Check the manual for your Bluetooth device. Is there a pairing button? Can you delete the saved pairings? Is there a firmware update?
  • Try a factory reset of your iOS device.



Glitch: Keyboard lag


Quite a few people have been reporting a significant lag on the keyboard when they type on their iPad or iPhone after the iOS 7.1 update. Luckily there’s an easy fix for this one.


Fix:

Go to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset Keyboard Dictionary.



Problem: Full screen caller photo gone


A lot of people are complaining that the full screen caller photo has been replaced in iOS 7.1 with a grey screen that has a photo of the contact in a small circle. This means it’s harder to see who is calling at a glance.


Potential fix:

Sadly there’s no way to get the full screen caller photos back right now, but a lot of people are complaining online and you can join them by submitting feedback to Apple. If enough people make a noise about this then Apple might just bring it back as an option in the next update.



Problem: Touch ID not working


The iOS 7.1 update was supposed to improve the Touch ID feature, but for many users it seems to have broken it. Some people are reporting that Touch ID is now working much better for them, but others are struggling to get it to work at all after the update.


Potential fixes:

  • Head into Settings > Touch ID & Passcode and make sure that iPhone Unlock is still on. Try turning it off and on again.
  • Try going into Settings > Touch ID & Passcode and then tap on each fingerprint listed and choose Delete Fingerprint. When they’re all deleted, try Add a Fingerprint to set it up again. Make sure that the Home button and your hands are clean.
  • If that didn’t work, fire up iTunes on your computer and attach your iPhone 5S to try a restore. Choose your device in iTunes and click Restore iPhone … then work through the instructions. You can use iCloud instead, just make sure you have a recent backup first in Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup then go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all content and settings and when you set up your iPhone 5S again choose Restore from a Backup and sign in to iCloud to choose the backup you want.
  • Your last option is to take it into an Apple Store and show them the problem.


Glitch: Sound muffled or low volume



A few people are reporting that the sound is muffled after the iOS 7.1 update and that the volume won’t go as high as it used to go. This seems to be mostly affecting iPads and it should be easy to fix.


Potential fixes:

  • Always start by trying a soft reset by holding down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until the device restarts and you see the Apple logo.
  • There’s a side switch on the iPad that can be used for mute. Check in Settings > General and see what is ticked under Use Side Switch To.
  • Plug in some headphones and test them and then unplug them again.
  • Try going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings and see if makes a difference.
  • If nothing works then head to an Apple Store and see what they can tell you.


Glitch: Auto-brightness not working


If you’ve run into issues with the brightness on your iPhone or iPad and it doesn’t seem to be behaving as it should, then don’t panic.


Potential fixes:

  • Go to Settings > Brightness & Wallpaper and toggle Auto-Brightness to off. Go into a dark room and slide your brightness bar to the bottom, all the way to the left. Now toggle Auto-Brightness back on again.
  • Try going into Settings > General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast and see if Reduce White Point is on.


Read also:
  • How to avoid big international iPhone data charges
  • iOS 7.1 Tips: Make White Less Brighter on your iPhone, and Easy on the Eye
  • How to Delete Photos from iPhone?
  • AirPlay Mirroring: How to Use It in iOS Devices
  • iOS 7 Tips: Monitor & track your cellular data usage
  • Heres How To Create Custom Vibration Patterns To Use As Ringtones In iOS 7


iOS 7.0 Glitches


These problems are for those of you still running iOS 7.0 many of them may still impact or be useful to those running iOS 7.1


Problem: Unable to send email


Some people have found that they are unable to send emails after the iOS 7 update. They can still receive emails, but when they try to send emails it doesn’t work. For some people it’s failing to send with an error message, for others email appears to send, but never arrives in the recipient’s inbox. This seems to occur intermittently and it can potentially happen on various types of email account. There are a few things you can try.

Workarounds:


  • Double tap the Home button and swipe the email app up to close it. Then try restarting it again. It may work properly for a while.
  • Restart your iPhone by holding down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo.
  • Enable Airplane mode and wait 30 seconds then turn it off again and try again.

Potential solutions:


  • Select the email account that’s giving you problems from Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars and tap on the Account section at the top where your email address is listed. Now tap on Outgoing Mail Server listed at the bottom and then tap on the Primary Server at the top of the next page. Make sure your email address is listed under User Name and then tap on the Password and re-enter it, even if it’s already filled in.
  • You could try deleting the problem email account. Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars select your email account and tap the Delete Account option at the bottom of the screen. Now make sure you have all the correct setup details and go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account to add it again.
  • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and set up your Wi-Fi connection again.



Bug: Disappearing contacts


Do you find that your contacts sometimes disappear? You’ll open up the Contacts app on your iPhone and find that it’s empty, or some of the contacts are missing. You may find that they randomly return after a few minutes or a couple of hours. You could start by going to iCloud.com and logging in to check that your contacts are all listed correctly.


Potential solutions:

  • Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > iCloud and make sure that Contacts is toggled on.
  • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and then set up your Wi-Fi network again from scratch.
  • Go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup and make sure iCloud Backup is toggled on.
  • If none of that works for you then you could always restore a backup from iTunes, assuming you made one. Launch iTunes on your computer, and go to Edit > Preferences > Devices to check Prevent iPods, iPhones and iPads from syncing automatically. Now plug your iPhone in, click on it in iTunes and choose Restore Backup from the Summary tab then follow the instructions.


Bug: White screen of death


A bug that seems to have cropped up for a lot of people, particularly on the iPad, but also various iPhone models is a random crash from the home screen which soft reboots the device and brings up a screen with the Apple logo. The background color matches the device, so a white iPhone will have a white boot up screen with a black Apple and vice versa. There’s some suggestion that this is linked to the battery, but it’s not clear.


Workarounds:

  • Press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo to restart your device.
  • Try DFU mode, explained below under the Glitch: Stuck on Apple logo.
  • Backup and factory reset your iPhone.


Potential solution:

  • Apple has acknowledged this issue, Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller told Mashable “We have a fix in an upcoming software update for a bug that can occasionally cause a home screen crash.”



Problem: Can’t make or receive calls


If you’ve run into problems with making or receiving calls after updating to iOS 7 then you are not alone. You might find that people are trying to call you, but your iPhone is not ringing, or perhaps you are unable to make a call. Some people report calls apparently connecting, but the line seems to be dead and they can’t hear the other person. Assuming you’re not just in a dead spot (try making the call from another location), there are a few things you can try.


Potential solutions:

  • Go to Settings and toggle Airplane Mode on for five seconds and then turn it off again.
  • Make sure that Do Not Disturb in Settings is not turned on.
  • Go to Settings > Phone and make sure Call Forwarding is not turned on.
  • Go to Settings > Phone and check under Blocked.
  • Make sure you have the latest carrier update by going to Settings > General > About. If there’s something available then you should be prompted to download it (make sure you’re connected the Wi-Fi and your mobile network).
  • Make sure there isn’t another iOS update by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
  • Try removing the SIM card, make sure it’s clean and replace it carefully.
  • Try resetting your network settings via Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
  • Go to Settings > Cellular and try toggling Enable LTE and/or Enable 3G.
  • Contact your carrier and make sure there’s no problem on their end.
  • Try factory resetting your iPhone.


Glitch: Keyboard is orientated the wrong way


Occasionally, iOS 7 fails to identify the correct orientation of your device and produces a keyboard that is only partially on the screen, rendering it useless. It is a common occurrence after using the camera from the lock screen. 


Solutions:

  • Slide across the screen and the keyboard will correctly orientate itself to the screen.
  • The glitch appears to be fixed in iOS 7.1 beta. 


Bug: Control Panel and Notification Center don’t appear


There have been some reports of an issue in iOS 7.0.4 that the Control Panel and Notification Center aren’t accessible by swiping up or down respectively, or will work for a short period of time but eventually become unavailable.


Potential Solution:

  • Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Assistive Touch. Turning this setting on and off seems to provide a fix for the issue, albeit it sometimes only a temporary one.



Glitch: Stuck on Apple logo


If your update, wrong then you may well find that your iPhone is stuck on a blank boot screen or on the Apple logo and it won’t start up properly. You’re going to want to connect to iTunes and try DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) mode.


Potential solution:
  1. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button to turn your iPhone off.
  2. Open iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone.
  3. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button together for ten seconds, and then release the Sleep/Wake button.
  4. Continue to hold down the Home button until you see a pop-up on iTunes stating that “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.”
  5. Your iPhone screen should be blank, if you see a logo or message on it then you are not in DFU mode.
  6. Select your iPhone in the left hand column of iTunes and select Summary then Restore.
  7. You may need to install the iOS 7 update again.


Problem: Rapid battery drain

Many people are finding iOS 7 is more power hungry than iOS 6 was. You can find some general help by referring tips for saving iPhone battery, but there are also a couple of iPhone specific fixes worth considering.


Potential solutions:
  • Disable the parallax effect that gives the home screen that 3D look by going to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion.
  • Turn off the background app refresh for at least some of your apps by going to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
  • Turn off AirDrop by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and selecting the toggle in the Control Center.
  • Go to Settings > Notification Center and toggle off any apps that you don’t want to include.



Bug: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth not working

A lot of people have found that the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions are not working properly after the update to iOS 7. They may appear greyed out in Settings and either won’t toggle on or appear to toggle on, but turn straight off again.

Workaround:


  • You should try rebooting your iPhone and your router, but it is unlikely to permanently fix the problem.

Potential solutions:
  • Some people have had success by removing an apostrophe from the iPhone name. If your iPhone is called something like “John’s iPhone” then this might work. Go to Settings > General > About > Name and change it to something with no apostrophe.
  • Some people have reported success by putting the iPhone into Airplane mode and then going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings, but the problem may return.
  • You could also try going to Settings > Control Center and disable Access on Lock Screen then turn your iPhone off and on again.
  • Make sure that your router firmware is up to date.
  • Try backing up your iPhone and then restoring it. Check how to factory reset an iPhone for details.
  • If nothing is working for you, try contacting Apple or take your iPhone into an Apple Store.


Problem: Keyboard lag

This one seems to be a problem for iPhone 4 owners, but it may not be limited to that model. Sufferers have been complaining about lag with iOS 7 in general, but also some serious delays when typing on the virtual keyboard.


Potential solution:


  • Go to Settings > iCloud and turn Documents & Data off.


Bug: iTunes Store keeps crashing

Some people have found that the iTunes Store app on their iPhone crashes when they try to open it. There are two potential fixes to try.


Potential solutions:


  • Open the Music app and tap Store in the upper left corner. You should find that the app now works, although the problem might reoccur.
  • Double tap the Home button to open the multitasking menu. Close iTunes Store if it is listed. Now go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and click on your Apple ID then choose Sign Out. Sign in again and open the iTunes Store app and it should work.



Bug: iMessage or FaceTime not working

Many people have encountered issues with FaceTime and/or iMessage not working after the iOS 7 update.


Potential solutions:


  • Turn FaceTime and/or iMessage off and on again via the toggles in Settings.
  • Turn off Cellular Data in Settings > Cellular and make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi, then go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. You’ll have to set up your connection again, but FaceTime and iMessage should now work.
  • If nothing else has worked then back up your iPhone and try restoring it.



Glitch: Freezing

Some people have been complaining about random freezing on their iPhone after the update. It doesn’t seem to be confined to a specific model.


Potential solutions:


  • Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home Button until you see the Apple logo.
  • Try backing up and restoring your iPhone.


Bug: There is a crazy way to bypass the lock screen

If you’re worried about the security risk posed by the revelation that people can bypass your lock screen and gain access to some content, there is a way to close the loophole.

Workaround:


  • Go to Settings > Control Center and toggle Access on Lock Screen to off.

Solution:


  • Apple has already released an update to deal with this bug and you can get it via Settings > General > Software Update.


Problem: Apps keep logging you out

Many users have encountered issues with apps like Mailbox and Snapchat logging them out. App developers are working on fixes and seem to be in agreement that the way iOS 7’s background refresh works is the problem.

Workaround:


  • Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn it off for any apps where you’re finding problems.

Solution:


  • You may have to wait for an update from the app developer or Apple to find a permanent fix for this one.


Bug: Loads of unread emails

Some people found that they had hundreds or even thousands of unread emails after updating to iOS 7. This problem seems to be particularly common for Gmail users, but it can occur with other email accounts.


Potential solutions:


  • Go into your email account on your computer and select all your emails then choose Mark as Read. Now go back to your iPhone and the count should be drastically reduced. It may be quicker to select all, choose Mark as Unread and then choose select all again and click Mark as Read.
  • You can also select Edit > Mark All > Mark as Read on your iPhone, but for it to work, you’ll need to download all your emails to the iPhone first, which can take a long time.


Problem: iPhone won’t turn on

A few people have reported that their iPhone won’t turn on at all after installing the recent update. Plugging in the charger doesn’t seem to have any effect. In some cases, there’s no recognition when plugging into a computer and trying to connect to iTunes either. There’s probably more than one problem at work here, but here are some steps you can try.


Potential solutions:


  • Make sure that you’re using an Apple cable. Apple is working to block third-party cables and chargers by including an authenticator chip in its official cables. It’s not likely, but just to eliminate them as problems, try using a different cable and a different power outlet.
  • Try holding down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button together for at least 10 seconds.
  • If you are using an official cable then plug your iPhone in and leave it to charge for at least a couple of hours before trying the Sleep/Wake and Home button again.
  • Try a factory reset.
  • Try DFU mode (you can find full steps under Glitch: Stuck on Apple logo at the start of this article).
  • If none of these steps works for you then it’s time to call Apple, or, even better, take your iPhone into an Apple Store.


Problem: Motion sickness

A lot of people have reported motion sickness issues with the new iOS 7 platform. The parallax effect, bright icons, and all the zooming transitions can prove to be a bit much and may cause nausea or dizziness. There are a few things you can try to lessen the problem, but they aren’t going to fix it entirely because you can’t turn off the animations right now (it’s possible Apple will address this in a future update).


Potential solutions:


  • Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion.
  • Make sure that you are using a static wallpaper via Settings > Wallpapers & Brightness, and then choose from Stills or your own photos.
  • It’s possible that larger text will help via Settings > General > Text Size.
  • You can also reduce the transparency via Settings > General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast.


Problem: Speaker not working

There have been a few problems reported with the speakers on Apple devices after the iOS 7 update. Some people are suffering with no audio from the speaker, some report that audio is only gone when playing media, and for some people it’s not working with headphones either. There are some settings you should check and other steps worth trying before you contact Apple.


Potential solutions:


  • If you’re having the problem with an iPad, try toggling the side switch. You can also check under Settings > General > Use Side Switch To and see if it is set to Mute.
  • Check under Settings > General > Accessibility > Mono Audio and make sure it’s off.
  • Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button to reboot your device.
  • Try restoring your iPhone.
  • If you find that the headphones work then there could be a problem with the port. You could try blasting it with compressed air, or even sucking to see if anything is stuck in there. If you’re going to use a brush then be very gentle.



Glitch: Media controls not working

Many people have found that the media controls in the Control Center and on the Lock Screen are not working after the iOS 7 update. Luckily there’s an easy fix.


Solution:


  • A soft reset should deal with this one, so press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the red “slide to power off” appears and slide it. Once the device is off, simply press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again until you see the Apple logo.


Glitch: Receiving someone else’s messages or contacts

You may find after updating that you end up syncing contacts, or even receiving messages that belong to another family member. This is probably because you are using the same Apple ID. Your best option is to create a new Apple ID for one of you (you’ll still be able to share an iTunes account).


Potential solutions:


  • Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and you can select any number or email that you don’t want to be sharing messages with. You can also change your Apple ID in here.
  • For contacts, the problem is probably caused by sharing iCloud. You can go to Settings > iCloud and choose Delete Account and then Keep on My iPhone. Then use your new Apple ID to set up a new iCloud account just for you.



Problem: Can’t send text messages

A few people have reported issues with sending text messages after the iOS 7 update. There are a couple of possible reasons for this.

Workaround:


  • Tap and hold on the message and then select “Send as text message.”


Potential solutions:


  • If the issue is popping up in iMessage then it may be because iOS 7 turns the send as SMS option off by default. Go to Settings > Messages and turn Send as SMS on.
  • You could also try the steps listed under Bug: iMessage or FaceTime not working.
  • If the issue seems to be with sending texts to other types of phone then it could be because the recipient is still registered with Apple, or has another Apple device. It may be worth checking if they used to own an iPhone that they never deregistered, or if they used their SIM card in an iPhone in the past.


Data source: Digitaltrends (By Simon Hill)

Read also:
  • How to avoid big international iPhone data charges
  • iOS 7.1 Tips: Make White Less Brighter on your iPhone, and Easy on the Eye
  • How to Delete Photos from iPhone?
  • AirPlay Mirroring: How to Use It in iOS Devices
  • iOS 7 Tips: Monitor & track your cellular data usage
  • Heres How To Create Custom Vibration Patterns To Use As Ringtones In iOS 7
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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

U S Carriers and FCC Come to Agreement Over Consumer Unlocking of Mobile Devices


The five major U.S. carriers have come to an agreement with the FCC over a set of voluntary industry principles to make it easier for wireless customers to unlock their devices and switch from carrier to carrier if they wish. The CTIA -- the industry trade group representing AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon in the matter -- says it will recommend the principles be added to the groups "Consumer Code for Wireless Service" and the carriers will commit to implement them within 12 months.

The terms agreed to include [PDF]:
- Disclosure: Each carrier will post on its website its clear, concise, and readily accessible policy on postpaid and prepaid mobile wireless device unlocking.
- Postpaid Unlocking Policy: Carriers, upon request, will unlock mobile wireless devices or provide the necessary information to unlock their devices for their customers and former customers in good standing and individual owners of eligible devices after the fulfillment of the applicable postpaid service contract, device financing plan or payment of an applicable early termination fee.
- Prepaid Unlocking Policy: Carriers, upon request, will unlock prepaid mobile wireless devices no later than one year after initial activation, consistent with reasonable time, payment or usage requirements.
- Notice: Carriers that lock devices will clearly notify customers that their devices are eligible for unlocking at the time when their devices are eligible for unlocking or automatically unlock devices remotely when devices are eligible for unlocking, without additional fee. Carriers reserve the right to charge non-customers/non-former customers a reasonable fee for unlocking requests. Notice to prepaid customers may occur at point of sale, at the time of eligibility, or through a clear and concise statement of the policy on the carriers website.
- Response Time: Within two business days after receiving a request, carriers will unlock eligible mobile wireless devices or initiate a request to the OEM to unlock the eligible device, or provide an explanation of why the device does not qualify for unlocking, or why the carrier reasonably needs additional time to process the request.
- Deployed Personnel Unlocking Policy: Carriers will unlock mobile wireless devices for deployed military personnel who are customers in good standing upon provision of deployment papers. 
Carriers reserve the right to decline an unlock request if they have a reasonable basis to believe the request is fraudulent or the device is stolen.


In a statement issued after the agreement was announced, the CTIA noted that "unlocking devices may not necessarily mean full interoperability since devices that work on one provider’s network may not be technologically compatible with another wireless provider’s network" and that unlocking a device may enable some functionality but not necessarily all.

Early this year, the Library of Congress ruled that it was illegal for certain mobile phone owners to unlock their phones unless specifically authorized by their carrier. This past September, the Obama administration filed a petition with the FCC, asking that carriers be required to unlock mobile devices. This voluntary agreement between the FCC and carriers would appear to forestall the need for legal action by either Congress or the FCC.


Data source: via MacRumors (By Jordan Golson)

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Monday, May 18, 2015

Runscope Offers New Service To Test Live API Calls For Improving The Quality Of Mobile Apps


Runscope, which develops tools that monitor API traffic, has launched a new automated API and backend service testing tool to improve the quality of mobile apps.

The new Runscope Radar service, launched at the AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas, is designed to alleviate the concerns that come with changing backend APIs. It allows app maintainers to verify that their backend services are returning the data their apps expect with the intent of reducing the frequency of app crashes. But testing can be a fragile process that if it goes wrong can cause a poor experience for the customer. Runscope Radar is designed to help customers change their apps’ backend services without breaking it. The intent is to provide ways to improve the service without disrupting the customer experience.

With Radar, a developer starts with a list of requests and sets the parameters to determine if the API is working. The tests are based on real requests made from apps for high-fidelity recreations of real-world situations.

A customer receives notifications based upon the completion or failure of any test. The service integrates with services like CircleCi, GitHub, Heroku, Jenkins and TeamCity to run API tests on commits, builds or deploys.


For example, a developer consuming an API just wants to make sure that it is not affecting the end-user experience. If an API breaks it disrupts the communication.

“Broken services, broken apps,” said John Sheehan, CEO of Runscope, to me at the conference after his presentation. “Even internal services powering your apps need to be always available.”

APIs are now widely used by developers but reliability is still an issue, as there can be any number of issues with the numerous devices and platforms people use.

There are still few ways to manage API reliability. Companies go through a process of checking with API providers to determine if they can be counted on.

Runscope is a company that offers a service that will become more in demand as APIs become ever more common. The process to test APIs is for the most part a manual one that needs to be more automated. This is especially true as more startups emerge that are pure API services offered as mobile apps.


Data source: via TC (By Alex Williams)
Origine souorce: Runscope

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Friday, May 15, 2015

Are you sick Get ready for your iPhone to take your temperature and diagnose your illness


My iPhone can tell me where I am in the world, remind me when I need to take my vitamins and bring me face-to-face with relatives all over in an instant, but it cant tell me why I have this nagging cough -- at least not yet. As Fast Company reports, a new iPhone app/accessory combo hopes to change that. Its called Kinsa, and it all starts with a thermometer.

After plugging the thermometer into your iPhone via the headphone port, it will read your temperature in real time and display it on the screen, letting you spot a fever as soon as your temp passes a healthy mark. Once the thermometer accessory has done its job, the Kinsa app takes your hand and helps you make sense of whatever symptoms you may have. The app taps into account what the Kinsa team calls "health weather" -- a database that can reveal if a particular illness is making the rounds in your area.

Kinsa is a powerful tool for adults, but its designed to work better than a traditional thermometer when it comes to kids as well. Playful graphics and bright colors give the app a very relaxing vibe, which isnt exactly the norm when it comes to medical devices. Kinsa isnt quite ready for retail just yet, but you can sign up on the companys website to be notified as soon as you can get your hands on your own.


Data source: via TUAW (By Mike Wehner) [fastcodesign]
Origine source: Kinsahealth

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Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Apples iWatch Said to Arrive in Separate 1 7 and 1 3 Inch Display Sizes for Men and Women

Samsungs Galaxy Gear smart watch

Last month, NPD DisplaySearch analyst David Hsieh offered an overview of Apples display plans for future devices, based on sources in the companys supply chain. Among the products included in Hsiehs analysis was Apples long-rumored "iWatch" smart watch device, with Hsieh only briefly noting that Apple appeared to be looking to source both 1.3-inch and 1.63-inch flexible AMOLED displays with resolutions of 320 x 320 pixels.

According to the Korea Herald (via Unwired View), Hsieh offered a few additional details on Apples plans at a conference today, noting that the company will be using the two sizes to offer watches targeting men with a larger 1.7-inch display and women with a smaller 1.3-inch option.
Apple’s wearable iWatch is expected to come with a 1.7-inch OLED display for men’s watches and a 1.3-inch OLED screen for women, David Hsieh, DisplaySearch’s Vice President of the Greater China Market, said at a conference today in Taiwan, citing Apple sources. [...]

It is yet to be confirmed whether the displays will be flexible but sources said it was a possibility, since Apple will want to upstage Samsung’s Galaxy Gear.
Separate from Hsiehs comments, the report claims that Apple could introduce the iWatch as soon as late this year, but that appears to be extremely unlikely given that it is already mid-November and that recent rumors have pointed to a late 2014 timeframe for launch.

Just days ago, fellow NPD DisplaySearch analyst Paul Gagnon noted that Apple appears to have put its major television product plans on hold for the time being in order to focus on wearables such as the iWatch. Apples ambitious TV plans have reportedly been stymied by difficult negotiations with content providers, with the company feeling that it needs to have the content side in place before being able to offer something more substantial than the current Apple TV box on the hardware side.


Data source: via MacRumors (By Eric Slivka)

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Thursday, May 7, 2015

Zepp Labs shipping Multi Sport Training System to help athletes improve their skills


Whether youre a dedicated amateur athlete or a professional, Zepp Labs has just started shipping something that can help you get to the top of your game. The companys Zepp Sensor and mount kits, along with dedicated apps for baseball, golf and tennis, are designed to let you focus on your swing while staying out of the way.

The sensor is about one inch square in size, about a half-inch in thickness, and weighs only 6.3 grams. It can be attached to the bottom of a baseball bat or tennis racquet, or attaches easily to the back of a golf glove. Containing an ARM processor, 3D motion sensors, and storage for thousands of swings, the Zepp sensor grabs up to 1,000 data points per second, then transfers the data to the athletes iPhone or iPad.


Zepp Baseball (US$149.99) lets players replay and review swings in 360 degrees from any angle, track bat speed, capture the angles of the bat at impact with the ball, and track progress over time. Zepp Golf ($149.99) also provides swing analysis, measures club speed, swing tempo, and the angle of the club shaft at the top of your backswing. If your iPhone is in your pocket while youre swinging the club, it will measure how much your hips rotate. Each swing is given a SwingScore, measuring the quality of the swing. Your golf swing data can be shared or even compared with a PGA coachs swing.


Finally, tennis players will love Zepp Tennis ($149.99), as it tracks the number of forehands, backhands, serves and smashes hit during a tennis match. The power of each stroke is tracked, along with how many topspin, slice and flat shots are hit.


The sensor packs, along with an appropriate mount, will be in Apple Stores starting November 19 and selected Verizon stores beginning November 21. The company will also sell additional mounts for $9.99 each from the zepp.com website. You can purchase the complete Training System today from the Zepp.com website if you are anxious to get started improving your abilities.


Data source: TUAW (By Steven Sande)
Origine source: Zepp

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Saturday, April 4, 2015

How to Set Password on Lenovo Smartphone


This post mainly introduces the general approach to set a password on Lenovo smartphone step by step.

Step 1: Open Settings.
FYR, you can touch the bottom-left Menu Key and select Settings in the pop-up menu.

Step 2: Choose All settings on the top right corner.

Step 3: Locate and access Security.

Step 4: Click Screen lock to move on.

Step 5: Select Password from the options.

Step 6: Enter at least 4 characters to be a password and click Continue when done.

Step 7: Re-enter the password and tap OK to accomplish the setting task.



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  • How to View Deleted Text Messages on Lenovo A-series Android

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Friday, April 3, 2015

Tutorial 01 How to Change the Language in Android

It is usually done in 3 steps regardless of your Android version.


1st Step : Go to Settings by scrolling down the notifications bar on the right side (available since Android 4.2), by finding the Settings app in the app drawer or by clicking the options button (if it is available)


2nd Step : Select and click on Language & Input


3rd Step : Click on Language and select your desired language





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Octa Core MT6592 Huawei Honor 3X wants to Take Down the Xiaomi Mi2S


In its upcoming event scheduled on December, 12th, Huawei will unveil 2 smartphones. We talked about the Huawei Honoc 3C destined to compete against the Xiaomi Red Rice but the second future born of Huawei, the Octa Core MT6592 Huawei Honor 3X wants to attack the mid range market and aim directly to rival the Xiaomi Mi2S and its Snapdragon S600.

A few weeks back, despite the buzz surrounding Octa Core chips, we made some prevision towards 2014 and we predicted MT6592 chip performance to be close to Snapdragon S600. Turns out, we were right about that.

The Huawei Honor 3X is said to pack Octa Core MT6592 chip running at 1.7 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 8 GB of internatl storage (what ?), a 5.5 inch HD 720p Display (WHAT ???), 13 MP Rear Camera, 5 MP front shooter and the price tag would be like the Mi2S around RMB 1700 ($280/€205).

Wait & see folks.
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How to Use Samsung Galaxy Star Pro as Modem to Connect to Internet From PC

Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos S7262 is a budget Android smartphone. It is powered by 1GHz Cortex A5 processor with 512MB of RAM. Internal storage of the device is 4GB and supports microSD card upto 32GB. The Galaxy Star Pro sports 4inch TFT capacitive touch screen with WVGA screen resolution.  Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos price in India is Rs.5485.

Samsung galaxy Star Pro Duos as Modem

This Budget Samsung Dual sim Smartphone has 1500 mAh battery which is rated to provide 15 hours of talk time and standby time of 370 hours. There is 2MP primary camera for taking stills and recording videos. Connectivity features of the device includes 2G, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB tethering and WiFi Hotspot.
As you can already read, Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos does not comes with 3G data support. Hence the mobile data will very slow in 2G network. It is not ideal to use this as modem to connect to internet from PC. However, in emergency you can use this device as this device supports WiFi hotspot and USB tethering. Lets have a look on how to use Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos as Modem.

How to Use Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos as Modem

There two ways through which you can share the mobile data of Galaxy Star Pro duos to PC. Here the guide on the same. For using any of the methods, you need to have active mobile data plan and it should be activated. Charges as per your mobile operator.

Using Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos as WiFi Hotspot

To use Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos as WiFi hotspot follow the steps given below.
  • Got settings. Which you can get it by going to all apps or from the quick menu which can be found by swiping your screen from top to down.
  • Under Settings, go to More Settings.
  • Tap on to Tethering and Portable hotspot.
  • Enable Portable WiFi Hotspot by sliding the option bar to right. It will take few seconds to enable WiFi hotspot.

Customise Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos WiFi Hotspot Settings

  • Once WiFi hotspot is enabled, tap on to Portable WiFi Hotspot. 
  • On the screen right bottom corner you will see , Configure. Tap on to it.
  • Enter or use the same SSID as per your wish.  Choose the security type.
  • Enter the password which is required for accessing this hotspot from other devices.
  • Tap on to Save. 
You are done. Now your Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos as WiFi Hotspot Modem.

How to use Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos as Modem through USB tethering

  • Download and install the PC suite for Galaxy Star Pro Duos from the support page.
  • Connect your device to PC through USB cable.
  • Follow the step 1 to 3 given in above method.
  • Now tap to USB tethering.
Your Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos will start working as USB modem.

Video Guide to Use Samsung Galaxy Star Pro Duos as WiFi Hotspot

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An Apple Watch App That Tells You When Youre Going To Die

Do you know, when you are going to die? Of-course not. This app for Apple Watch uses several tools to decide and tells you, when youre going to die.

This app even offers you a timer, that tells you how much time you have left on earth. The idea behind this app was developed by Alaric Cole. He has already made a good use of the Watchkit SDK that Apple has released in the earlier week to develop the test version of his latest app. He has also created a short video in iOS simulator to preview the action.

This app will be available at $0.99 to let you know the demise of your own. As per the video the wearable device by Apple demonstrated the preview of the Deadline version. The Deadline version will show the current time and even the thearetical time that is left in your life.

There are several rules created by Apples Watch SDK tools including the screen resolution and complex interaction methods and that everyone needs to abide striclty.

For more information regarding the Coles Deadline concept for the Apple Watch, check-out the video. The app is already available on iPhone device for iOS 8.


About Anna Harris:
Anna Harris working as web content writer and a strategist for a major IT firm specialized in various mobile application development services for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and other operating systems.

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Thursday, April 2, 2015

Air Umbrella uses air flow to shelter you from the rain

A team of Chinese designers has taken to Kickstarter to fund a nifty little idea called Air Umbrella. It’s an umbrella that’s powered by a “force field” of air. It uses this to replace the fabric in a normal umbrella, with the air flow deflecting the rain drops from you.
The inventors have already received more pledges than they asked for – right now around $17,000 have been pledged by people eager to replace their umbrellas with something more high-tech, and the goal was just $10,000. There are 9 days to go in the Kickstarter campaign, but since the goal has been surpassed this thing should become reality.


There will be three models of the Air Umbrella. The smallest product, apparently aimed at women, will be 30cm long, will weigh 500g, and will have 15-minute battery life. There will also be a variant measuring 50cm, weighing 800g, and coming with 30-minute battery life. Both of these have fixed sizes. The third variation, however, will be extendable, from a minimum length of 50cm to a maximum of 80cm. This one will weigh 850g and will have 30-minute battery life too. The width of all models is 34mm at the base.
If you’re excited about this, though, here’s the downside – the plan is for the first Air Umbrellas to be produced in September 2015. Those who pledge money through Kickstarter will get theirs “by December 2015″, which obviously means you’ll have a lot of waiting to do for one of these.
Source
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