How-To - page 78

Unless you’ve been snoozing like a Snorlax, you can’t have escaped the phenomenon that is Pokémon Go. The smash hit instantly revolutionized mobile gaming (and rejuvenated Nintendo’s fortunes), and it’s also helping Pokéfans around the world get in shape.

You see, Pokémon Go is more than just a game: It is actually a fitness app in disguise. And with the help of these top tips from a Pokémon Master, you can ensure you are maximizing your fitness gains while you pocket the best Pokémon at the same time.

While I’m watching a YouTube instructional video or keeping half an eye on a TED Talk while answering emails, the ability to keep a small video window open on my screen while I switch between apps is something I’ve wanted for ages.

That’s exactly the purpose of the new Picture in Picture (PiP) feature found on macOS Sierra. So long as it’s been implemented by web developers, the feature works with video sites such as YouTube and Vimeo — and more are sure to be added over time.

Here’s how to use it when running the new operating system, which is currently in public beta and will be released this fall.

Apple stole a great idea from Google for its improved Photos app in iOS 10, and that’s the ability to search for people, places and things. It makes it immensely easier to find the images you’re looking for in large libraries, and it’s so simple to use. Here’s what to do.

With macOS Sierra, Apple makes it easier to free up space on our computers without having to undergo the time-wasting indignity of trawling through files and deleting them manually.

The new “Optimized Storage” feature helps you deal with junk like duplicates, old email attachments and downloads — and automatically sifts through them to delete the files or move them to the cloud. It’s one of macOS Sierra’s best features.

Here’s how you can use it to your advantage if you’re running the new operating system, which is currently in public beta and will be released this fall.

The entire U.S. has contracted a serious case of Pokémon Go fever, with millions of would-be Pokémon trainers hitting the streets in hopes of becoming the very best like no one ever was.

Becoming a Pokémon Master ain’t easy, but if you know what you’re doing you don’t even have to leave the house to do stuff like hatch eggs, lure in Pokémon and toss a wicked curve ball.

Here are the Pokémon Go tips you need to know to dominate the hottest game in the world.

When Apple launches watchOS 3 to the public later this fall, Apple Watch wearers will be able to automatically call for help if they find themselves in an emergency situation.

The new SOS feature in watchOS 3 will make Apple Watch even more of a lifesaver for wearers by placing a 911 call within 10 seconds, even if they don’t have their iPhone.
Here’s how it works:

Most of us have heard nightmare stories of friends who traveled abroad only to come home with a horrific cellphone bill. Either they forgot to put their device in Airplane Mode, or didn’t consider an international plan. Those types of mistakes have cost people hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars in international fees for phone calls and data usage abroad.

Stories like these are becoming less common, however, as technology improves. One of the best and most recent advancements are new plans that make it easier for folks to travel to another country and still be able to use their current phone.

We tell you about three options for using your phone while traveling abroad, so you can keep in touch with friends and family back home — and not spend too much in the process.

If you’ve noticed a serious lack of actual news in your Facebook News Feed since the beginning of July, you’re not alone.

The social network recently made big changes to its News Feed algorithm to emphasize posts from friends and family, and fewer posts from the sites and pages you’ve liked. The end result has transformed many users’ feeds into an endlessly scrollable collection of baby pics, birthday posts and political drama no one wants to touch.

Thankfully, there’s a way to take back some control of your page so that important posts from news sites show up more frequently.

The iOS 10 public beta is finally here! It’s never a great idea to install beta releases on a primary device, but many of us just can’t wait to get our hands on the latest features. Fortunately, if you update properly, there’s an easy route back if you decide it’s just not stable enough for you.

Our helpful step-by-step tutorial video that will walk you through the whole process!

If you’ve been thinking about downloading and installing the latest macOS Sierra public beta, but you’re worried it might be too difficult, Cult of Mac is here to help.

Although using beta releases on your primary computer isn’t recommended, a lot of people (including myself) just can’t wait until the public release later this fall to try out the latest features Apple has to offer.

We’ve gone ahead and installed the public beta to bring you this handy step-by-step tutorial video. Check it out below.

Pokémon Go is still available in just a small number of countries right now, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to miss out on all the hype. You can download the hit game today, wherever you live, by creating a U.S. iTunes account. Here’s how!

Barking out a song request at my Amazon Echo smart speaker, then hearing the track magically start playing, makes me feel like I’m living in the future.

Unfortunately, that feeling evaporates when the song isn’t part of the relatively skimpy Amazon Prime Music catalog. If it’s not there, Amazon’s AI assistant Alexa queues up an annoying 30-second sample — and that makes me realize I’m living in the very buggy present.

Luckily, you can fix that. Here’s how to make Amazon Echo default to Spotify so you don’t get stuck with those annoying song and album previews.

If you’re planning to install the new macOS Sierra public beta today, one of the first things you’ll want to check out is Siri. The virtual assistant is just as useful on your desktop as it is on iOS, and summoning it is super simple with this keyboard shortcut.

As soon as it was released, I rushed to install the new iOS 10 beta on my iPhone. The only problem is, new betas can be buggy. Really buggy.

If you made the same mistake and want to return to the stable and reliable iOS 9.3.2, there is a solution. In this week’s Quick Tips, I’m going to show you how to downgrade from iOS 10 to iOS 9.3.2. Check out the 60-second video below!

SAN FRANCISCO — If you want to make a truly killer app, here’s a crucial part of the creative process you shouldn’t overlook: Give your “finished” software to someone, ask them to do something with it, and then shut the hell up.

Observe their interaction with the app, and you’ll learn what you’re doing right — and what you’re doing wrong.

That priceless piece of advice comes from Bill Atkinson, an Apple veteran who coded some of the greatest Mac software of all time, including HyperCard and MacPaint.

If you want to get in shape, the best way to get started is with some fitness testing. That might sound challenging, but luckily your Apple Watch is all you need to test yourself to the limit.

Fitness tests enable you to establish a baseline so you can see how your physical condition improves over time. And if you are already a fitness fanatic, regular testing enables you to identify areas of weakness and optimize your training program. Here’s how to make the Apple Watch a part of your essential fitness testing.

Instagram’s latest update makes it far easier to post from other iOS apps, thanks to a new shared extensions feature which allows users to upload images directly from their image rolls in apps such as Photos.

Here’s how you do it.

A few weeks ago, I showed you how to turn text into a spoken iTunes track to allow you to read your favorite Cult of Mac articles on the move, while being offline.

But what if you just want to read your articles yourself, instead of having them read to you? Or how about printing out a webpage from your iPhone or iPad?

Well in my latest Quick Tips video, I’m going to show  you how to save webpages to iBooks, to read at a later time.

Check the video out below.

Notes on iOS is an extremely useful app, and it got more useful with the addition of password protection in iOS 9.3. Keeping bank codes, addresses, passwords and more has never been more secure from outside threats. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe from you.

If you tend to tidy up apps and notes in a rush — as I do — you may end up deleting something you need or want. And if you haven’t finished with that note yet, that becomes a big problem. But it’s one that’s easy to fix.

In this week’s Quick Tips video, I’m going to show you how to recover deleted notes and restore all those personal details you’ve jotted down to their rightful place.

Check the video out below.

Have you ever noticed that Siri understands you less and less as the months go by? The digital assistant works great when you first set it up on a shiny new iPhone, but over time, it has a habit of becoming annoyingly inaccurate.

In this week’s Quick Tips video, I’m going to show you how to retrain Siri. By improving its recognition of your voice, you can make it work just as well as it once did.

Check the video out below.

Want a quick way to move your photos, music and documents from your iPhone to your Mac? What about backing up your iPhone on the go?

iKlips Duo is an innovative little gadget that will do both. It’s a well-made, MFi-certified USB stick that lets you connect to your iPhone (or iPad) via its Lightning port and to your Mac via a USB 3 port. Toss it in your bag and rest assured that you’ve always got a way to get your data off your iOS device.

It’s simple, easy and doesn’t require iTunes or iCloud. Here’s how to transfer your iPhone media to your Mac or PC, and then put it back, if you like, using the iKlips Duo.

If you’re still rocking an older iPhone, you might notice that things are starting to feel sluggish when you run the latest iOS 9.3.

If so, there’s a quick trick to speed up your iPhone: simply disable those pretty animations in iOS 9. Your iPhone will feel quite a bit snappier as a result.

Here’s how.

I find myself using the text to speech function on Mac OS X far too much. Having my Mac read articles and emails out loud to me allows me to multitask and do other things — like edit awesome videos for Cult of Mac — without ignoring important messages.

But did you know you can even save those text to speech recording for listening at a later time?

In this week’s Quick Tips video, I’m going to show you how to turn text into a spoken track and save it into iTunes, allowing you to find save your favourite articles and listen to on your iPhone.

When you’re out in the sticks somewhere, you might get to a place where there’s no signal. How will you ever find your way home (or to the next party) without your trusty Google Maps app?

Well, with a little foresight, you can make sure Google Maps continues to be useful, even when you’re not within range of cellular data. Here’s how to use Google Maps offline to make sure you never get lost again when your smartphone goes offline.

Note: This tip will work with Android and iOS versions of Google Maps.

If you’ve got a tiny hard drive on your Mac and a large-capacity iPhone or iPad (or both!), you might worry that you’re about to run out of space due to all the stuff you want to back up from your iOS device to your OS X one.

You won’t have to worry any longer. This trick makes your Mac back up your iPhone or iPad to an external drive, which will ensure you never run out of space to keep your data backed up.

Here’s how.