RichC | April 3, 2018
The other day I mentioned “selective focus” as a photography technique to my son … so I took advantage of the low light and ugly rainy weather to use the “longer x2 lens”on the iPhone7plus to hide the ugliness. The telephoto lens on any camera, especially in closer up photography), is that it is easy […]
RichC | March 25, 2018
Looking back (post from March 2015) on technology buys over the past few years, it is hard for me to put my finger on a favorite … besides the smartphone which surly#1? But push come to shove for #2 … it is likely the Apple iPad as I use it far more that I ever […]
RichC | February 28, 2018
What a pain. I had a major crash on my iMac and wiped out my Parallels install (corrupted the virtual hard drive). One would think this would be an easy fix, but it wasn’t. I spent about 6 hours attempting fix after fix to restore a back up version of the virtual disk (Apple’s Time […]
RichC | February 24, 2018
I probably spoke too soon in praise of the Totallee super thin and lightweight case or more appropriately "cover" for my iPhone 7plus last year. Last week. While out of town traveling the thin skin just "slid" off the plastic case. It was as if the bonding method they used to attach the skin […]
RichC | December 22, 2017
The big technology news this week if you are an iPhone user is that Apple has a "feature" that slows down older iPhones with older batteries in order to protect users from unwanted crashes. Yes … your phone older phone will actually run slower. According to CNET, the best option for owners of older iPhones […]
RichC | December 15, 2017
We’ve had a colder than usual early December here in Cincinnati … and has much of the country. The freezing temperatures will likely show up in higher heating bills but I’m hoping the new LED Christmas lighting will offset that cost? We’ll see. I’ve been wanting to test the Live Photo editing feature on the […]
RichC | December 8, 2017
For those planning ahead and thinking about replacing their aging (1 or 2 years old! HA!) iPhone, there are rumors already floating around as to what Apple might have up their sleeve for 2018. Perhaps the most interesting "rumor" is that the iPhoneX may come in a 6.1" TFT-LCD with 320-330 PPI AND an aluminum […]
RichC | December 2, 2017
After updating my iMac to the latest High Sierra MacOS, a root log in security flaw was discovered and had users scrambling for a temporary fix. I followed the advice on 9to5Mac, but Apple quickly sent out a security update. Safe again? Another install has been a major update for Mozilla and their popular Firefox […]
RichC | December 1, 2017
Most Apple iPhone users (as well as Android users) have been using a smartphone as a flashlight for years with only a few innovations. The simple swipe up and click on has been relatively straight forward until the addition of brightness levels. With iOS11, the text description has been eliminated (???) but the brightness level […]
RichC | November 17, 2017
I have a perfectly functioning iMac and against my better judgement spent this morning upgrading the OS to macOS High Sierra (release about 1-1/2 months ago). Hopefully that was enough time for quick fixes because I’ve upgraded Macs too many times over the years and have often regretted the decision. Usually software and hardware requires upgrading […]
RichC | November 5, 2017
Like others, I’ve used my iPhone as a kitchen timer for a while now and noticed Siri has recently adopted a little more attitude. After my simple 11 minute request, her "I see you shiver with anticipation" wise crack surprised me! Also, after last weeks iOS 11.1 update, battery life has returned to both my […]
RichC | November 4, 2017
It was a big Friday for Apple iPhone lovers as those who pre-ordered were able to pick up their brand new iPhoneX smartphones … for the insanely high $999 or $1150. Wow, have prices risen for cellphones in recent years (of course so has their function) … and they are back to the price of […]
RichC | October 2, 2017
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RichC | September 20, 2017
If Joanna Stern (WSJ) moves too fast, check out this longer list of iOS11 features by David Pogue at Yahoo.com.
RichC | September 19, 2017
A successful install after receiving the Andrew Rodriguez “group buy” iDrive Android Avin replacement for my BMW X5 35d on Saturday. It was a bit intimidating seeing the bundles of wires and 4″x4″ instruction sheet. But after disassembling the dash, most of the plug n play was very smooth. If there would have been a […]
RichC | September 15, 2017
In anticipation in receiving new iDrive display and components from a "group buy" on the BMW diesel group I belong to, I made a new CD/DVD slot bracket for the previously installed Nato Smart Mount. The previous location was fine for the older small iPhone 5s, but after updating to the much larger iPhone 7 […]
RichC | September 15, 2017
So you want the new iPhoneX? Wouldn’t that be nice, but can you handle the new features? A BIG sharp OLED screen = 5.8 inch. Glass front and back. Stainless steel. Wireless charging. Home-button-less swipe gestures. Animoji expressions. iMessage ApplyPay Four-core CPU 70% faster than the A10 A11 capable of 600B operations/sec. Three-core GPU that […]
RichC | September 13, 2017
And the number one reason to upgrade to the latest Apple iPhone (8, 8plus or X) … the talking Poophead emoji. (see WSJ video) Now personally I don’t have a need for this new latest and greatest iPhone, but know many of my fellow Apple gadget addicted friends will definitely find a way to scrape […]
RichC | September 1, 2017
The big day looks to be September 12, 2017 when "watchers" expect Apple to release their 10th Anniversary iPhone. I may have been slow to accept the virtual keyboard "back in the day," but have comfortably adapted to it starting with the iPhone5 in 2012. As smartphones go (after the Palm Pilots and Handspring clones), […]
RichC | August 25, 2017
While listening to the early comments from the technology pages and news programs regarding Samsung (Galaxy Note 8) and Apple (iPhone 8 – ???)releasing their new smartphone models, I realized there are features I haven’t used much. One of the camera upgrades coming to the new Samsung Note 8 phone is a portrait mode like […]
RichC | August 2, 2017
The Dow broke above the 22,000 threshold for the first time on Wednesday rising for the seventh straight day. The boost over the "nice round number" happened after Apple posted stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings and iPhone sales met expectations. $AAPL stock rose 5.5% and made its largest single day percentage rise since February. (Story WSJ.com)
RichC | July 21, 2017
While learning a little bit more about the improved camera on the iPhone7+ (was the reason I opted for the "plus" was the camera), I tested the macro and zoom features while shooting a video of my "Little Praying Friend." It has been vastly improved over the iPhone 5 in several areas … particularly stabilization […]
RichC | July 9, 2017
The new iPhone7 Plus is a bit too large for my taste at the moment, especially coming from the iPhone5. I like the speed and the bigger screen, but not the bulk, especially with the new protective case. So … I ordered thinner case (maybe too thin) that should be in this week, but since […]
RichC | June 30, 2017
Switching from an iPhone 5s to an iPhone 7 Plus has a few surprising pluses and minuses that need to be address by new users. One such negative adjustment has a fix that on the surface may not be found by everyone. The annoyance: The larger iPhones (currently 6 Plus & 7 Plus) go into […]
RichC | June 27, 2017
Well so much for waiting for the new iPhone8 to arrive in the fall … as was the plan. On the other hand, the $1000 “rumored” price was frightening me anyway. Last week for a Tech Friday post I blogged on the VirginMobileUSA “Inner Circle” promo that offered unlimited talk, text and “almost” unlimited data […]
RichC | June 23, 2017
In the battle of carrier wars, Virgin Mobile USA is stepping in with an attractive "first year" deal for buyers of a new or refurbished iPhone either through the Apple Store or their own site. Under the deal, customers will get up to one year of service for $1. Virgin piggybacks service on the Sprint […]
RichC | June 9, 2017
Along with all that is happening with hardware and innovation at the Apple developers conference — WWDC — one of the more anticipated upgrades to the mobile operating system was announced. Along with the likely "millions" of suggestions from daily users, my iOS11 suggestion/request was probably lost in the shuffle … although I’ve made the […]
RichC | June 2, 2017
Who doesn’t love anticipating "the next big thing" when it comes to tech, especially the mobile tech we used everyday? I for one am ready to replace my iPhone5s with some new hardware — if for nothing else, a snappier interface (it just feels slow). The plan for about a year has been to wait […]
RichC | March 17, 2017
The Magnifier is a simple but overlooked feature on an iPhone. The setting is found in Settings > General > Accessibility. Turn “Magnifier” on. Then simply press the home button three times anywhere on the iPhone — either on the lock screen, the home screen, or in an app.
RichC | February 1, 2017
After the stock market closed yesterday, Apple $AAPL reported their fiscal first quarter earning and shocked even the most bullish in the crowd. Their iPhone 7 sales help them deliver record earning, no doubt due to Samsung’s battery issues (Android users switching to Apple iOS). Considering Apple make a lot more than phones, it is […]
RichC | November 5, 2016
While I continue to struggle with the "do I need a new notebook computer" question, I continue to frustrate myself with the old 2007 Gateway, iMac desktop and iPad? It would really be nice to have a fast, lightweight traveling notebook computer (with more than 30 minutes of battery life!), but have found that a […]
RichC | October 28, 2016
As Fernando Lamas would say (or Mark Howard – it’s on the back of my late brother-in-law grave marker) … "it looks mahvelous!" (paraphrased). Unfortunately the Apple’s newest MacBook Pro has a price to match it’s looks and expected performance with the 13" model WITH the new TouchBar starting at $1799 and the big boy […]
RichC | September 13, 2016
T-Mobile US said on Tuesday that pre-orders for Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus broke the company’s record and Sprint (S) said they were almost four times greater than last year. Pre-sales of the phone, which started on Friday, were up fourfold from the next most popular iPhone and set a single-day sales record […]
RichC | September 8, 2016
Why you ask? The Camera. Apple has again updated their excellent smartphone and this time, from the sounds of it, have really improved the picture taking ability of the iPhone. Both versions have an upgraded lens, software, processor and larger sensor (12 megapixels). There are a lot of smart tweaks that help with point and […]
RichC | July 22, 2016
With a renewed interest in the upcoming iPhone7 after Apple released the new iOS10 public beta, I’m wondering what’s really the next “big” (pun intended) thing for pocketable smart devices. If it were durable and possible, I’d love having an expanding screen on my iPhone that could do double-duty as an iPad!
RichC | July 20, 2016
Now that Apple’s third iOS 10 developer beta has had some time to settle, Apple has released the second iOS 10 public beta for non-developers testing the pre-release software. The latest buil… Source: Apple releases iOS 10 public beta 2 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
RichC | May 3, 2016
Noticed a short video on TechInsider website demonstrated a few of the Apple design details that make an iPhone an iPhone. Some I knew and paid attention to, other I hardly noticed. Good stuff. http://richc.us/tiny-iTips
RichC | March 2, 2016
Heard this interview this morning on SirusXM and glad Maria Bartiromo included it in one of her morning tweets.
RichC | January 16, 2016
This is probably something I should have known, but the small Apple device chargers have such small printing that I’ve never eyeballed them close enough. The are only a 1A charging device so they do not power the Raspberry Pi computers approrpriately (just in case you needed to know). Instead, you’ll need to be looking […]
RichC | December 29, 2015
How do you control the brightness on Thunderbolt connected secondary monitor without any physical controls? This took me a few minutes to figure out … so its worth archiving as a tidbit. When your display desktop is at a premium, or you are running virtual operating systems, having a second monitor is a real plus. I added a secondhand 27″ Mac Thunderbolt […]
RichC | October 2, 2015
What do you think??? I think I need thicker reading glasses. Apple could be developing a new wearable device even smaller than the Apple Watch: an Apple ring. That is, if a recently filed patent leads to an actual product. The ring, which could be made with or without a touch display, would be linked […]
RichC | September 15, 2015
I snipped a few screen shots while watching the #AppleEvent last week as Tim Cook and team unveiled the new iPhones, iPads and AppleTV. All in all the surprises were “non-surprises” so really there weren’t any shockers … not necessarily a bad thing. The normal expectation in the month of September is either upgraded iPhones […]
RichC | July 22, 2015
Chuckling at the “miss” from Applefalling short of their guidance, but they continue to build their bankroll of cash … now above $200 Billion! Profit margins are so far above most tech equipment makers and they are still cranking out the iPhones (47.5 Million in the 3rd quarter). Unfortunately for shareholders use to $AAPL blowing […]
RichC | July 17, 2015
The Apple iOS 9 pre-release has been dangled in front of me for a little while now, but since I’ve been traveling the last couple weeks, the temptation to install while away was not all that powerful, so I decided not tempt fate. That probably a good thing since a few tech people I follow, […]
RichC | June 20, 2015
Users had some fun with a few of the Twitter Periscope programmers this past week in participating in their Mad Libs update copy for the App Store. In keeping with geeky humor (see the “Peter” joke), the jovial staff decided to include 900 of their users in the live update of Periscope Version 1.1.1. Each of […]
RichC | June 16, 2015
By default, Twitter now plays video as you scroll through posts. This can both be a bit annoying and will use data, especially on you mobile device with minimal data. To turn off the “autoplay” feature, go to the setting menu on the mobile Twitter app (currently Apple iOS devices only) and “check” either Use […]
RichC | April 13, 2015
An article in published in an online story on Medium this past week shared the growing discontent from software developers over Apple’s dominance and authoritative control over “app” reviews. Dave Kushal believes that the slow review process hurts the reliability as well as “impedes the pace of innovation.” While I’m somewhat in agreement with Dave, […]
RichC | March 20, 2015
Although cloud based apps aren’t for everyone, they have made inroads over the past few years. Googles’ online Docs, Sheets and Slides have been slowly improving and many other players have entered the foray including Microsoft with their Office Online. Apple has improve their iWorks online apps and offers their Pages, Numbers and Keynote […]
RichC | March 11, 2015
The Apple event earlier this week had be jumping to pick up an AppleTV with the price drop to $69 (opted for refurb)… if for nothing else, a device to plug into the TV on the boat and play video from my iPhone or iPad. Also, it is possible I’ve was bitten by the “want […]
RichC | March 9, 2015
I ate a late lunch today and watched the live Apple product announcement events. The stock price moved up $3/sh to $129ish as the events were mentioned. Before the “main event Apple Watch” comments, Tim Cook and his team announced an HBONow ($14.99) exclusive tie to their devices as well as a lower price on […]
RichC | February 13, 2015
Judging from the suggestions complaints to Google from users making an accidental “mouse swipe” through their online Calendar app, it looks like I’m not the only one frustrated. The problem of scrolling to the wrong month has existed for years and is most noticeable when using the Apple OS and their Magic Mouse. The sensitivity […]
RichC | January 23, 2015
If you are an Apple Macintosh user and have been living with a cluttered desktop, give the free program Hocus Focus a try … if you like it, make a donation. The purpose of the small program is to automatically hide unused but opened applications and windows so it is easier to focus on the […]
RichC | January 2, 2015
The slower work days between Christmas and New Years has given me a little time to clean up my files and office, both paper and digital. One productivity app that I’ve been using on my iPad for over 2 years is Notability and I’ve collected a bunch of “notes” and PDFs that have been semi-organized […]
RichC | December 26, 2014
Here’s a very short Apple iCloud iOS tip from a question that came up this past weekend. The question had to do with what size files can be emailed or messaged back and forth between smartphones. A large message may be undeliverable even if it’s smaller than the iCloud Mail message maximum of 20 MB […]
RichC | December 10, 2014
One of my favorite technology reporters, Joanna Stern with the Wall Street Journal, offered her thoughts on tablet keyboards just as started to use a Zagg Folio Keyboard case that arrived on Tuesday. I’ve been waiting for a Brydge Keyboard for iPad Air2 (the space gray ships on Dec. 15th I’m told) and have been pecking […]
RichC | November 20, 2014
It has been challenging using the new iPad Air 2 without a tactile keyboard since I’m use to using an iPad 2 as a replacement traveling notebook. Typing on the glass screen is less than optimum, so I’ve been searching for a better quality replacement than the previous Logitech Bluetooth keyboard. Unfortunately few “fitted” keyboards […]
RichC | November 17, 2014
Hard to verify since Ino long using the iPad2 (now Air 2), but Apple has released an update iOS called 8.1.1. The update claims to “increase stability and performance” for those using older iPhones and iPads. This was a big complaint with the iPad 2 and will hopefully return performance to at what lease was […]
RichC | November 11, 2014
There was a day when being an Apple Macintosh computer user put one in the minority … but not anymore it seems. The photo below is of journalists in the White House press corps traveling in China … take a look at their desks. The number of Apple logos made me chuckle and I could […]
RichC | October 31, 2014
Chris Bryan Films
RichC | October 19, 2014
Against my better judgment I upgraded my iMac to Apple’s OS X Yosemite this weekend … bold move after my frustrations with iOS 8 and my older iPad2. So far all is well and it should be an easy to adopt upgrade … particularly since it was free. I’ve had my frustrations with both Apple […]