Wednesday, September 25, 2013

iOS 7 for the Vision Impared

Now that iOS 7 is out, here is how I have my iPad set to assist with my vision disability.

 

Fist, the clean and lots of white space are very good for my vision. There is very good contrast between text and background and that is necessary for me. Otherwise, there are only two things I've changed to make things really work for me.

  • Enlarge the font
  • Make the text bold

 

I just need larger text to be able to read and the iPad does this very well. The newly advertised "clean" interface is really good but a bit thin for me so I just make the text bold.

 

All necessary changes are done in Setting > General > Accessibility

  1. Turn Larger Text to On.
  2. The next page has the slider adjustment to the desired text size.
  3. Then turn on the Bold Text.

 

Once Large Type is turned on, I slide the slider bar to the right to the desired size. As you can see, I use one step down from the largest text size.

 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

iPad Tip: Improve Battery Life by Stopping Programms Running in the Background [iOS 7] Update Sept 20

The iPad (iPhone and iPod Touch) leaves apps in the background when you choose a new one. You can see these apps by double-pressing the Home button. What you may not know is while most of these apps just sit there waiting for you to return to them, others are running and drain your battery.


Apps that use GPS and your location, music playing apps, Internet phone apps like Skype and apps using Newsstand or Weather can drain the battery. To avoid this, close the apps running in the background.


Watch this 1 min 47 sec video demonstration.


You can close any or all of the apps by again, double tapping the Home button to see, what Apples calls the multitasking screen. In iOS 7, you see each running app and a large screen of the app right where has been left off. Do a ONE [update] finger swipe upward to "throw the app off to close it. Don't worry, the apps won't be deleted.

This method works on all iOS 7 iPads, iPad Minis, iPhones and iPod Touches.

 

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

iPad Tip: Save Battery by Stopping Apps Running in the Background [iOS 6 and earlier]


The iPad (iPhone and iPod Touch) leaves apps in the background when you choose a new one. You can see these apps by double-taping the Home button. What you may not know is while most of these apps just sit there waiting for you to return to them, others are running and drain your battery a little faster than normal.


Apps that use GPS and your location, music playing apps, Internet phone apps like Skype and apps using Newsstand can drain the battery. To avoid this, close the apps running in the background.

Watch this short, 2 minute and 43 second  video demonstration.
 



You can close any or all of the apps by again, double tapping the Home button and then do a long press on one to get them to jiggle. Tap the red circle with the horizontal white line to stop the apps. Don't worry, the apps won't be deleted as this only occurs when the icons jiggle from the main screen.


This tip works for the iPhone, iPad Mini and iPod Touch too.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Google Keep is my New To Do List of Choice. Here's Why.


I wrote a brief review of Google Keep a while back and gave it high marks but it wasn't ready to replace Any.Do as my to do list app. However, things have changed. Google has just updated its FREE To Do List app with the ability to add very fancy reminders.

 
 
 

Not only is Google Keep easy to see, easy to enter quick lists but now it has alarms to remind me to get those things done. Not just any alarm though. You can set an alarm based on where you are. Doesn't this situation happen to you. You are out and about and get home and remember that you had to get to Home Depot for some items and you drove right by them. Google Keep's new alarm will sound off when you drive by Home Depot. Actually, you choose a location based alarm right on your list. But wait, there's more...



 I can include a photo or photos on my list. My Home Depot list includes pictures of plants I need for my yard. My wife liked some jewelry so I took a picture to remind me at Christmas time. The sky's the limit for lists now.

 
Google Keep's  cards are very easy to create. Just tap, type or say what I want. Then tape Done.

 
Google Keeps card style is so elegantly clean, my poor eyesight doesn't hinder me to read the cards. Hard to admit but Google Keep reminds me of an iPhone looking app. Freaky.

 
Oh, did I say that Google Keeps is FREE but only for Android. There are two apps for iOS called App for Google Keep but not produced by Google. One is a FREE version while the other is $1.99. I tried the free version and it doesn't stack up and don't recommend it. While Google produce a version for iOS? We'll see.
 

 
Like I said, I reviewed Google Keep when it first came out and I liked it but went back to my previous favorite Any.Do. But now I believe I have a new favorite. The only possible problem is that there isn't an iOS version. I love that I have my To Do List on both my Android phone as well as my iPad. For now, I'm going to use the browser for Google Keep on the iPad.

 
Google Keep is available for Android, Chrome and on any web browser and it's FREE.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

My 6 Favorite Travel Apps



Kayak is my favorite app for investigating flight schedules and costs. Its screen is easy to use and easy to read. I can watch fare changes by setting up an alert on a particular route. This helps me decide when to "pull the trigger' on the purchase of a flight. When I see the fare and schedule I like I can click right on the screen to go either the airline site or other travel sites to make my purchase. Kayak is FREE and available on iOS, Android and even the web. Kayak is a Universal app for iOS which means it looks perfect regardless of iPhone or iPad.
 

Trip Advisor is a great place to get reviews of great places to visit when traveling. Trip Advisor is very common internationally and I've used it in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico most recently. Check out Cabo Flyboard for one of the greatest water activities I've ever attempted. My cousin provides reviews from her home in Florence, Italy and I get to see lots of fun things to do there. Trip Advisor is very similar to Yelp and available on iOS, Android and the web, all for FREE
 

Gate Guru, which is owned by TripAdvisor,  has an itinerary saver like TripIt but what Gare Guru does so well is show all of the Food, Shops and Service locations at each of the gates within an airport.  It even includes ratings from other travelers too. There's nothing more frustrating than getting off a plane and wanting to find a shop or restaurant that has good quality. Gate Guru is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone  and is FREE.

 

 
FlightTrack my app of choice to see when flights are late or on time. The Android interface is new and quite nice. I poetically like the view of the flight in progress and shows a plane superimposed on a map. Kind of cool. FlightTrack is available for iOS ($4.99 FREE for iPad if you already purchased for iPhone), Android ($4.99). There is a PRO version with additional features and cost.

 

Tripit is used to store my itineraries and travel plans. When I get an email confirmation of any type of travel I forward the email to Tripit and it is reformatted in consolidated and easy to read view of all travel plans for a particular trip. Tripit is FREE but has a PRO version too which can notify you of gate changes as well as fare changes for potential refunds. It is available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, Blackberry  and the web.

 

 
AMTRAK is an app on iOS and Android along with a web site. The app provides the ability to check a schedule, book a reservation, have the ticket on the app instead of paper and even see if the train is early or late. Over the last few years I've ridden AMTRAK and enjoyed the experience very much. It is not the cheapest method of travel but, by far, the most relaxing. The food is surprisingly good and the price is as expected--a little higher but not outrageous. I've done one 3 night trip and got a roomette which can sleep two but via an upper bunk. Comfort what top notch, there were restrooms and even showers very close buy and a car attendant to take good care of you and to make sure your room is clean. They even help to get your reservations for meals. Getting a sleep care, like the roomette, includes 3 meals per day. Check it out. Both Apps are FREE.

 
NOTE: Since these apps are mostly used for travel, the iOS versions are for the iPhone and not optimized for the iPad.


Please feel free to share your favorite Travel Apps too. I'd love to hear about them.