How to Convert Live Photos to Animated GIFs on iPhone with a Free App

Live Photos are a great new feature for the iPhone camera, and while you can easily share them with other iPhone and iPad users or to a Mac, they come across as little movies unless the user has Live Photo compatible iPhone. Mysteriously missing is the ability to convert and save Live Photos as an animated gif directly from the iPhone Photos app, but with the help of a third party application, you can convert any Live Photo into an animated gif with minimal effort.

Before getting started, take any Live Photo with the iPhone camera that you want to convert if you haven’t done so already (you’ll need to enable the Live Photo feature if you turned it off).

Convert a Live Photo to Animated GIF on iPhone with GIF Toaster

1. Download the GIF Toaster app for free from the App Store for iOS
2. Launch GIF Toaster and tap on “Photo > Gif” then tap on “Live Photo” in the corner to show only Live Photos
3. Select the Live Photo you wish to convert to gif then tap “Encode”



4. Adjust the GIF settings as desired, including frame rate (FPS), range, playback speed, and the resolution size of the gif (note that higher resolution gifs require the app to be paid for, but more on that in a moment*)

5. Choose “Start Encoding” and when finished, choose “Export to Camera Roll” or “Open In…” to message or email the aniVery easy, here’s a Live Photo converted into an animated GIF of a fireplace that was created with the app.








































* GIF Toaster works well but has some limitations and some quirks in the user interface, so while it’s great for limited usage, if you plan on converting many Live Photos to animated gifs, you may want to try some other apps for Live Photo conversions, and the $2 Live GIF app or $2 Lively app are perhaps better choices. Nonetheless, for a free offering, GIF Toaster gets the job done well, and can also convert video to animated gifs as well.

It’s worth mentioning that if you just want to make animated gifs from still pictures or videos, GifMill works great for that purpose as well, which is another free app for iOS we’ve discussed before.Animated GIFs are popular enough that the ability to generate one out of a Live Photo should probably be included natively on the iPhone Camera app or Photos app, perhaps such a feature will arrive in the future, but until (if ever) that changes, enjoy the apps to make your own animated GIFS!

Source: osxdaily

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How to get Siri to read you any webpage

Siri is full of surprises. She can tell you the weather, launch apps and give you sport scores. She's really funny and can beatbox (sort of).

Over the years, she's gotten smarter and smarter, but here's one really cool trick you may not have known she could do: Read webpages.

There are times when it's more convenient to hear an article than read one. Like when you're driving, cooking or taking a nice warm bubble bath.

Unlocking Siri's webpage reading power is easy. Go into your Settings app and then General > Accessibility > Speech. Turn on the Speak Screen option.

Then open Safari and surf to a web page. Once you're on the page you want Siri to read, swipe down from the status bar using two fingers and a Speak Screen box will pop up, and Siri will automatically start reading you the webpage — ads and all.



To get around Siri reading you ads and other non-content-related text, tap the Reader View button (the one with four lines) in the upper left before using the two-finger swipe to bring up the Speak Screen box.

You can slow down or speed up the dictation by tapping on the turtle and rabbit buttons, play and pause, and go to previous or next paragraph using the rewind and fast forward icons.

Source: Mashable

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Play music from your iTunes library without opening iTunes

My iTunes library sits untouched for long stretches of time. Part of the reason is I primarily use streaming services to listen to music these days, but part of the reason is iTunes itself. I just don’t like using the once-great, now-bloated application.

If you have a particular song buried in your iTunes library that you want to hear, there is a way to play it without touching iTunes. Let iTunes continue its slumber and instead turn to Spotlight search.

Open Spotlight by clicking on the magnifying-glass icon in the menu bar or by hitting Command-spacebar. Search for the song you want to play and in the results panel on the right you will see information about the song plus an album cover. Mouse over the album cover and you will see a play button. Click it to play the track.



You can close Spotlight and go about your business, and the song will continue to play. You can return to Spotlight, where your search query will remain along with a pause button if you want to stop the song. You will need to use Spotlight to stop the song because the media control keys at the top of, say, a Macbook’s keyboard do not work when playing a song in Spotlight.

See also: How to Share iTunes Library on A Home Network
Also, you cannot queue up multiple songs or an album or a playlist in Spotlight but must play songs one at a time. For times when you want to listen to a song or two from your vast iTunes library, however, using Spotlight search is the quickest and easiest way to go.

Source: Cnet
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Apple fixes 'Error 53' and apologizes to customers for bricking iPhones

Apple is apologizing — and fixing — the "Error 53" bug that left some iPhone devices bricked.

The basic problem occurs if your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus home button is repaired anywhere other than an Apple Store or Apple-authorized repair center.

At first, the phone might work — with everything, including Touch ID, seeming perfectly fine. But then, when you try to update to a newer version of iOS (or you attempt to restore your phone from a backup), the software checks to make sure the Touch ID sensor matches the rest of the hardware. If it doesn't find a match — and only authorized Apple repair centers can pair a phone and Touch ID sensor — your phone will stop functioning.

Although Apple originally said that "Error 53" was a security measure, many users questioned why the company would take the measure of disabling an entire phone and not just the Touch ID features. Apple is facing a class action lawsuit over the feature.

In an interesting about face, Apple on Thursday released an updated version of iOS 9.2.1 for iTunes that will fix phones bricked by "Error 53" and prevent future unofficial Apple repairs from bricking phones.

In a statement given to Mashable, Apple said:

Some customers' devices are showing 'Connect to iTunes' after attempting an iOS update or a restore from iTunes on a Mac or PC. This reports as an Error 53 in iTunes and appears when a device fails a security test. This test was designed to check whether Touch ID works properly before the device leaves the factory.

Today, Apple released a software update that allows customers who have encountered this error message to successfully restore their device using iTunes on a Mac or PC.

We apologize for any inconvenience, this was designed to be a factory test and was not intended to affect customers. Customers who paid for an out-of-warranty replacement of their device based on this issue should contact AppleCare about a reimbursement.

Apple also updated its support document for "Error 53" on its website. If you have an iPhone that was bricked by "Error 53," plugging it into iTunes and running the latest iOS 9.2.1 update should restore the phone and get it up and running properly.

Although the new update will fix bricked phones — and prevent a non-Apple authorized repair from bricking phones in the future — there is a security-based caveat — the Touch ID sensor will no longer work.

That's because the Secure Enclave stored within the Touch ID sensor still needs to be paired and secured. Only Apple and Apple-authorized repair shops can do this.

What this means is that if you do replace your home button on an iPhone 6 someplace other than an Apple Store — you no longer need to worry about your phone bricking. Still, doing this will mean that you will be unable to use Touch ID on the phone.

Source: Mashable

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Any Video Converter 5.9.1 Supports NVIDIA NVENC Encoding and HEVC/H.265 Standard

Any Video Converter series adopted the NVIDIA NVENC video encoding and HEVC/ H 265 video compression technology to optimize video converting speed and quality.

Any Video Converter, an all-in-one video converter, DVD converter and editor, video recorder and video downloader, submitted its new version 5.9.1 on January 28th, 2016. Three versions for Windows system (Free, Pro and Ultimate) are all included in this update. NVIDIA NVENC video encoding technology is applied to accelerate the speed of converting process. The implement of HEVC/H.265 video compression standard can also deliver significantly better visual quality to users.

NVIDIA NVENC accelerated encoding

Any Video Converter series software (version 5.9.1) leverages the NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC) API to access the high-performance H.264 hardware video encoder introduced in graphics cards with the Kepler GPU architecture. NVENC-based video encoding is faster and consumes less power than legacy CUDA-based or CPU-based encoding.

Please note the Nvidia NVENC needs to be supported by the device driver.

High Efficiency Video Coding

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265, a video compression technology providing twice efficiency of the previous standard, H.264 / AVC. Any Video Converter adds this technology to enable video to be converted to a file that is about half the size (or half the bit rate) of AVC. On the other side, when converted to the same file size or bit rate as AVC, it offers the higher level of picture quality. That will be much easier if you want to convert 4K/Ultra HD videos, 4K Blu-rays, and more.

These two features are undoubtedly the great progress in improving video converting process. However, technology moves on, fashions and the demand for technology may change. Hence, any feedback from you will be appreciated.

All versions of Any Video Converter are available on AVC website. Get more details from: http://www.any-video-converter.com

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Don’t Try This At Home: Destroy an iPhone by Changing the Date

Every once in a while an awful bug is discovered that can crash an iPhone, render it nearly useless, or rarely, worse. The worst scenario applies here, because it turns out you can completely destroy an iPhone and make it inoperable by simply changing the devices date to a specific time and date far in the past.

We’re going to show you how this date trick works to destroy an iPhone so that you can avoid it yourself. Absolutely do not try this yourself, do not set the iPhone clock to January 1 1970 under any circumstances, it will break any iPhone. It will supposedly also brick any iPad or iPod touch as well, so do not try it on any iOS device.

Do not try this yourself, you will ruin the iPhone. That can’t be made more clear, if you try this, you will ruin the iPhone. In other words, do not try this yourself with any iPhone that you care about, unless you don’t mind sending it back to Apple for repair. Doing this will destroy the iPhone and make it inoperable. That means you won’t be able to use the iPhone at all, it will be broken. So we repeat, again, do not try this yourself. Do not try this at home. Do not try this with your iPhone. Do not try this with your friends or anyone elses iPhone. And most importantly, don’t be fooled into trying this by someone else, as there are several ridiculous pranks in the form of various claims circulating on the internet as to what happens if you set the iPhone date far into the past – don’t do it, it breaks the iPhone. This is often referred to as a bricked phone, because the iPhone becomes as useful as brick.

Do Not Try This, It Will Brick the iPhone

What not to do: All that is required to brick the iPhone is to set the clock back to January 1, 1970. This is done through the Settings app > General > Date & Time, disabling Automatic, and setting the clock manually to January 1 1970. Then, turn the iPhone off and again or force restart it. The iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is now bricked. That’s it. The iPhone then boots back up and gets stuck on an  Apple logo screen, unable to do anything else. It’s completely stuck and the device becomes unusable.

Don’t do this:


You’ll get stuck on this, the iPhone becomes useless:


This is quite obviously a bad bug, and though it’s unlikely that average users will attempt to set their iPhone clock back to the Woodstock era, there have been various pranks and claims surfacing on the internet that try to trick people into setting their clock way back into the 1970’s. Don’t fall for it.

Help, My iPhone is Bricked By the 1970 Date Bug! What Do I Do?

Apparently there is one reliable way to remedy this bug if your iPhone has turned into a brick because of the date: take the iPhone to Apple for repair. That’s it, definitively this works, and Apple will take care of it – apparently what they do is reset the battery, which fixes the clock… which leads us to the next possible method.

Another approach to fix the brick date bug, if you have the tools, screwdrivers, and patience to do it, is to open the iPhone up and disconnect the battery briefly, then re-connect the battery and put the iPhone back together. This works because it resets the internal clock on the iPhone away from the 1st of January 1970 Unix epoch brick date. That is obviously not going to be a solution for everyone, however.

Some users report that placing another active SIM card into the iPhone can make it work again as well, but given the uncertainty of that it would not be advised to rely on the SIM card approach to fix the bricked iPhone.

Interestingly enough, the typical method of fixing an iPhone stuck on the Apple logo with DFU restore does not work, which is why the iPhone must be taken into an Apple store to fix.

So, now that you’re aware of this awful bug, whatever you do, don’t try this at home with any of your iOS devices! If you happened to encounter this bug or did it anyway, let us know in the comments what method you used to resolve the problem!

Source: OSXDaily

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How to Record an iPhone Screen with QuickTime in Mac OS X

If you would like to capture and record the screen of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you can easily do so thanks to QuickTime, the video app that comes with every Mac. This offers a simple solution for recording the screen of an iOS device for demos, presentations, tutorials, and much more, and it’s remarkably simple to use.

To get started capturing a video of an iPhone or iPad screen with QuickTime, you’ll need a USB cable, and want to be running a modern version of OS X on the Mac, and a modern version of iOS on the iPhone or iPad. Specific requirements and an alternative approach for older versions are discussed further below. But since most users already have all that is necessary on their Mac and iPhones right now, let’s jump right into recording the devices screen.

How to Record an iPhone / iPad Screen on Mac with QuickTime

1. Connect the iPhone (or iPad / iPod touch) to the Mac with a USB cable
2. Launch QuickTime Player in OS X, as found in the /Applications/ folder
3. Pull down the “File” menu and choose “New Movie Recording”


4. At the video recording screen, hover the mouse over the active window so the record and volume controls are visible, then click on the little arrow next to the red record button to show the camera and microphone recording options – from this list choose the name of the connected iPhone for ‘Camera’ and for ‘Microphone’*


5. You’ll now see the Movie Recording screen turn into the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch screen, unlock the iOS device as usual and the Home Screen will display on the Mac screen ready to record, when you want to start recording the video click on the red Record button


6. To stop recording the iOS device screen, you can press the Stop button in the upper right menu bar of the Mac, or hover over the video and choose the Stop button (what the record button turns into)
7. If desired, trim down the video in QuickTime, otherwise save the screen recording by going to the File menu and choosing “Save”



That’s all there is to it, the saved iPhone screen recording will be a .mov video file. Opening the .mov file will default to launch in QuickTime, but you can edit the video in QuickTime, iMovie, Final Cut, convert it to another video format, upload it to share online, embed in a presentation, or whatever else you want to do with the screen capture.



* If you want to record the audio directly from the iPhone, choose the iPhone as the ‘Microphone’ source input as well, otherwise the video capture will come from the iPhone screen but the microphone will record from the Macs built-in mic.

The screen video captured on modern devices is high resolution, on new iPhones that is 1080 × 1920 resolution in vertical mode, and 1920×1080 in horizontal.

For longtime Mac users, you may recall that it’s also possible to record the Mac screen with QuickTime too, a handy feature that has been available in OS X for quite some time. The introduction of the ability to record connected iOS device screens is much newer, however, and it’s sort of a hidden feature that is often overlooked. There’s even a built-in audio recording feature in QuickTime if you just need to capture some audio, even audio from the iPhone or iPad microphone.

The tutorial demonstrates mirroring and recording an iPhone 6S Plus screen with iOS 9.3 on a Mac with OS X El Capitan 10.11.4, but it will work with any other iOS device or Mac as long as the basic system requirements are met. The iOS device must be running a modern version of system software at version 8 or newer, and the Mac must be running a modern version of OS X at version 10.10 or newer. If you do not meet these system requirements or are running prior versions of system software on the Mac or iOS device.

Source: OSXDaily

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How to Rotate Videos in Mac OS X

Have you ever had a video that was recorded vertically or sideways, and you wish it was orientated either horizontally or otherwise rotated? This is often the case with videos recorded on iPhone or Android phones shot with the notorious Vertical Video Syndrome, but the technique we’ll demonstrate works to flip or rotate any movie, even if it’s not from a smartphone.

Perhaps the best part of this is that with Mac OS X you can easily and quickly rotate any video or movie file without requiring any added software to do so, as the feature is built directly into the OS X video viewing app QuickTime. It doesn’t matter if the video has been recorded as 4K, HD, or standard, slow motion or regular speed, or whether it’s your own video or another movie file from elsewhere.

How to Rotate or Flip Videos in Mac OS X

This works to rotate or flip any video or movie file in Mac OS X, the newly rotated video will be saved as a new video file and will not override the existing movie unless you give it the same name.
1. Open the video or movie file you wish to rotate into QuickTime Player in Mac OS X


2. Go to the “Edit” menu and choose one of the following rotation options for the video:

• Rotate Left (90 degrees)
• Rotate Right (90 degrees)
• Flip Horizontal
• Flip Vertical

3. Save the newly edited rotated video as usual by hitting Command+S or by going to File and “Save”



As you may have guessed, to rotate a video 180 degrees or 270 degrees, you’d simply apply the 90 degree rotation two or three times.

The newly saved video will be have the orientation defined in the prior save process, whereas the original video will be preserved with whatever orientation it had to begin with (vertical or horizontal, flipped or not).

This is a handy trick if you come across a video that is recorded the wrong way with orientation off, as is sometimes the case with movies captured from cameras and smartphones, and it offers a simple way to correct any video file that is wrongly arranged or would just be better viewed in another orientation.

Certainly a nice feature for flipping and re-orientating videos, though unless you’re an avid videographer it may get less use than rotating pictures which are frequently situated wrongly as well.

Source:OSXDaily

You can follow Syncios on Twitter, Facebook for more tips and tricks. Recommend: if you would like to backup your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch data to the PC, just go here to learn more. Simply download the free version and have a try, it can transfer data between iOS device and PC freely and easily.
 

Samsung's Galaxy S7 could look almost exactly like the Galaxy S6

Samsung will likely unveil its next flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S7, at Mobile World Congress next month, but we may already know what it looks like.

Surprise, surprise: It'll look very similar to the Galaxy S6, if newly leaked press images of the unreleased phone, from the well-connected Evan Blass (@evleaks), are to be believed.


SEE ALSO: How to Transfer Messages from Old Samsung to New Samsung Phone

Writing for VentureBeat, Blass reports the GS7 will indeed come in two screen sizes. The 5.1-inch model will have a flat screen and the larger 5.5-inch model "S7 Edge" will have the curved screen that we saw on the S6 Edge and S6 Edge+.

The displays will stick with the same Super AMOLED panels with QuadHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution; the screens are said to have an "always on" feature that will let you look at glanceable content without sucking up too much power. Interestingly, Blass makes no mention of apressure-sensitive screen as previously rumored.









As previously reported, the GS7 will come with Samsung's Exynos 8 8890 octa-core processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor will be available in some regions), 4GB of RAM and two storage capacities (32GB and 64GB). The batteries will remain non-replaceable — 3,000mAh on the GS7 and 3,600mAh on the S7 Edge; the phones will both support fast wireless charging.

The phone will have a 12-megapixel back camera with a faster f/1.7 aperture lens; the camera module is said to be flush with the back and no longer protruding out. The front camera will be a 5-megapixel selfie camera — same as on the GS6.

Blass also confirms the return of the microSD card slot for storage expansion (supports cards up to 200GB) and IP67 dust and water-resistance.

Source: Mashable

You can follow Syncios on Twitter, Facebook for more tips and tricks. Recommend: if you would like to backup your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch data to the PC, just go here to learn more. Simply download the free version and have a try, it can transfer data between iOS device and PC freely and easily.

Apple to introduce new iPad Air in March, rumor says

Not only will Apple introduce a new, 4-inch version of the iPhone this March, it will also show off a new iPad — at least according to a new report by 9to5Mac.

The details are fuzzy as always, but Apple should be showing off a new iPad Air — most likely called the iPad Air 3 — as well as some new Apple Watch models with the new iPhone.

See Also: How to Transfer Music from Old iPad to the New iPad?

The iPad Air 3 will have a 9.7-inch screen (just like the current one), and it might come with a rear-facing LED flash, improved sound quality, and support Apple Pencil.

The new Apple Watch models, according to 9to5Mac's sources, will mean new wristbands added to the line-up.

Finally, Apple is expected to release several software updates, including a new version of iOS — iOS 9.3 — and WatchOS 2.2.

As for the 4-inch iPhone that'll be the star of the March show, it should come with an iPhone 6/6S-like metal design, Apple's A9 processor, better cameras and an NFC chip.

Absolutely none of the above has been confirmed in any way by Apple, so we'll have to wait till March to see how much of it is true.

Update: On Thursday, Digitimes quoted unnamed chain supply sources saying the new iPad Air will indeed come in March, and will have a 4K resolution, 4GB of RAM and improved battery life. This info, just like the report above, remains unconfirmed by Apple.

Source: Mashable

iPhone 7 Plus rumored to have two rear-facing cameras

The iPhone is already known for having one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, but imagine the power of having not one but two rear-facing cameras to capture the shot you want.

While we're about eight months away from the probable launch of the iPhone 7, the rumor mill is currently cooking up a doozy: the larger model of the next-generation iPhone, believed to be the iPhone 7 Plus, will come with a dual-camera system on the back of the device, according to MacRumors.


The report cites KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who believes there will be two versions of the iPhone 7 Plus, one with a single rear-racing camera and another with two.

Although two rear cameras may seem unnecessary, the cameras would work together to create one photo. The additional camera could also be used to potentially capture 3D video and allow for better software tricks, including refocusing features found on the Lytro camera.

The cameras would also use imaging algorithms obtained by Apple in last year's acquisition of Israeli camera company LinX Imaging. Integrating this type of technology could potentially remove the need for a protruding camera lens and offer better sensitivity to light, according to the report.

Kuo also said there will be an enhanced optical zoom function coming to the iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple continues to look for ways to improve its camera capabilities, so a drastic approach like this wouldn't be too much of a surprise. However, most of the iPhone camera upgrades occur during the "S" cycle of device launches, which happens every two years. The last S cycle — in which we saw the launch of the iPhone 6S — debuted just this past fall.

Source: Mashable

You can follow Syncios on Twitter, Facebook for more tips and tricks.
Recommend: if you would like to backup your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch data to the PC, just go here to learn more. Simply download the free version and have a try, it can transfer data between iOS device and PC freely and easily.
 

How to Add Checklists to Notes in iOS & OS X

Notes app includes a variety of enhanced features for iOS and OS X users, but one that is particularly useful is the ability to make checklists easily in the app. As you probably guessed, the checklists are interactive, so you can check things off your own created lists or notes easily to help you keep track of progress or tallies, essentially turning a regular note into a To Do list.


Whatever you intend to use the checklists feature for, it’s easy and a welcome addition to Notes for Mac and on iPhone and iPad. Assuming you’re using iCloud Notes, the checklist will even sync between Mac and iOS as well. Here’s how to use it for both platforms:

Create a Checklist in Notes for iOS

1. Open Notes app and create a new note (you can place a checklist into an existing note too)
2. Tap the (+) plus button hovering above the iOS keyboard then tap on the little circle around a check icon in the corner
3. Type your checklist items, hitting return once to create a new checklist item, and hitting return twice to end the checklist

You can place a checklist in Notes for iOS amongst other items added to notes, whether that’s pictures and images that have been inserted or your own drawings made in the app.

How to Make a Checklist in Notes for Mac OS X

1. Open Notes app and either create a new note or select an existing one
2. Click the (V) circle checkbox button in the apps toolbar to insert a checklist
3. Add checklist items by typing and hitting return, hit return twice to exit and stop creating additional checklist items

Just like in iOS these can be inserted just about anywhere with any notes, and they’re interactive too.

Assuming you have iCloud enabled with Notes, your iCloud Notes with checklists and other changes will quickly sync between any Macs, iPhones, and iPads using the same Apple ID.

A useful and welcome feature for list makers on both OS X and iOS, whether it’s for tracking getting things done, shopping, preparation, or otherwise.

Source: OSXDaily

You can follow Syncios on Twitter, Facebook for more tips and tricks. Recommend: if you would like to backup your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch data to the PC, just go here to learn more. Simply download the free version and have a try, it can transfer data between iOS device and PC freely and easily.
 

Spotify introduces video for its phone apps

Finally, music streaming service Spotify is jumping into the 21st century by adding video — but only on its mobile apps.

The streaming music service is set to begin integrating video clips into its Android app in the coming days and iOS not long after that.

Spotify users have awaited video since May 2015, when Spotify announced that it would be expanding beyond music and into the digital video space with a variety of partners including ESPN, Comedy Central, VICE News and many others.

See also: Apple Music VS Spotify

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The move was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed to Mashable by Spotify,

The videos will be short and contextual, with some partners making original content for Spotify. The launch is a turning point for a company that has at time struggled to turn a profit despite rising subscriber totals.





The U.S., U.K., Germany and Sweden will be the four launch markets for video, which will be accessible by both paid subscribers and unpaid members.

That means Spotify will be pushing out video to a big chunk of its 75 million active users, 20 million of whom pay for the service — but notably without ads, at least for now.

It may just be a matter of time. Paid subscribers generate the bulk of Spotify's revenue — 92% by one research firm's estimates. Spotify has long said its model relies on converting unpaid users to subscribers.

Video necessarily won't change Spotify's model, but it could ease the company's reliance on subscribers. Video is among the most lucrative online advertising formats, and one that Spotify has not yet tapped.

Source: Mashable

Return of the 4-inch iPhone? Rumor hints at March launch

Thought the days of the 4-inch Apple iPhone were gone? Not so fast.

The Cupertino, California, electronics giant might be working on such a phone for a March unveiling, according to a report Friday from tech blog 9to5Mac, which has built a reputation for reliably breaking Apple news. The model could be called the iPhone 5SE.

While Apple has met customer demand for larger screens in its iPhone 6 and 6S series, selling a smaller-screen phone would appeal to fans of more petite models. As Apple's main profit maker, keeping the iPhone fresh is imperative to a strong sales forecast. In a product marketplace where stalwart brands like Samsung and HTC struggle for steady growth, Apple continues to post a profit quarter after quarter.

Separately, 9to5Mac also reported that Apple is preparing to unveil new band styles for its Apple Watch in March, alongside a new version of the watch software. The second-generation Apple Watch design is said to be slated for the same month.

Apple declined to comment.

Here's what 9to5Mac says is coming:

Smaller, 4-inch iPhone

• March launch event
• Upgrades 4-inch iPhone 5S
• Would include curved glass edges like iPhone 6 phones
• Same 8-megapixel, 1.2-megapixel cameras as iPhone 6
• Support for Apple Pay, Live Photos
• No pressure-sensitive 3D Touch display
• Uses iPhone 6 processors (A8, M8)
• Colors: Silver, space gray, rose gold
• Pricing: Same as current iPhone 5S (varies by region)
• Could sell late March or April

New Apple Watch styles

• March launch
• New band styles, new materials
• Watch software update (currently in beta)
• Full redesign by the end of 2016

More iPads on the horizon

• New iPads code-named "iPad 6,3" and "6,4" could arrive in November

Source: Cnet

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How to secure the Notes app on iOS 9.3

Apple recently announced the preview of an upcoming iOS update. Included in the future iOS 9.3 update, Apple is adding features such as Night Shift which it claims will help you fall asleep easier despite staring at your screen after sunset.

Additional features such as allowing multiple user accounts on a single iPad, CarPlay enhancements and (finally) the ability to password protect personal musings in the Notes app can also found in the update.

Adding the option to protect a note -- perhaps containing a bank account number, health information or even just a daily diary -- feels like it should have been in the Notes app from day one. Alas, it wasn't, but Apple is intent on fixing that.

Keep in mind that in order to lock a note right now, you'll have to be using either the developer or public beta preview of iOS 9.3. You can learn more about the risks of running a beta version of an OS on your device, as well as where to sign up if you feel like living on the technological edge by visiting Apple's beta page.



For those already on iOS 9.3, or those about to take the plunge, here's what you need to do to secure a note in the Notes app.

• First, start by selecting a note you'd like to lock down with a password or Touch ID.
• Tap on the share button in the upper-right hand corner.
• Select Password Protect Note from the list of options.

If this is the first time you've selected this option, you'll have to enter a password and a password hint. Notice the warning just below the password section: You cannot access any secured notes on non-iOS 9.3 or Mac OS X 10.11.4 (also in beta) devices. If you'd like to use Touch ID in addition to a password, leave the switch in the On position.

Alternatively, you can set up or change your Notes password by launching the Settings app on your iOS device, then going to Notes > Password Protection. This is also where you'd go if you want to change the password for your Notes.

With a password set, the next time you select Password Protect Note from the share menu, the note will be placed behind your password. You can identify which notes are protected when viewing the list of notes in your account thanks to a lock icon placed just below the title.

Source: Cnet

How to Save Deleted Photos on the iPhone

It can be easy to delete a photo from your iPhone that you actually needed to save. Deleting photos is one of the fastest ways to free up storage space and people are sometimes too aggressive in pruning old photos.

If you've deleted a photo that you need to hold onto, you may be worried that it's gone forever. Not necessarily. Depending on a number of factors, you can save deleted photos on your iPhone.

Here are a few options of how to do this.

How to Save Deleted Photos on the iPhone

Apple knows that we all accidentally delete photos sometimes, so it built a feature into the iOS to help us out. The Recently Deleted Photos album stores your deleted photos for 30 days, giving you time to restore them before they're gone for good.

You need to be running iOS 8 or higher in order to use this feature, but if you are, follow these steps to save deleted photos:

1. Tap the Photos app to launch it
2. On the Albums screen scroll down to the bottom. TapRecently Deleted
3. This photo album contains all the photos you've deleted in the last 30 days. It shows each photo and lists the number of days that remain until it will be permanently deleted
4. Tap Select in the top right corner
5. Tap the photo or photos you want to save. A checkmark appears on each selected photo
6. Tap Recover in the bottom right corner (alternatively, you can tap Delete in the bottom left if you want to delete the photo right away)
7. In the pop-up menu, tap Recover Photo
8. The photo is removed from Recently Deleted Photos and is added back to your Camera Roll and any other albums it was a part of.

Other Options to Recover Deleted Photos

The steps outlined above are great if you've got iOS 8 or higher and deleted the photo you want to save less than 30 days ago. But you've still got a couple of options even if your situation doesn't meet one of those requirements.

These options are less of a sure thing than the first approach, but if you're desperate, they might work.
Desktop Photo Programs—If you sync the photos from your iPhone to a desktop photo management program like Photos on the Mac, you may have a copy of the photo you want. In this case, search the program for the photo. If you find it, you can add it back to your iPhone by syncing it, emailing or texting it to yourself and then saving it to Photos.
Third-Party Recovery Tools—There are a ton of third-party programs that let you dig into the filesystem of your iPhone to find hidden files, browse "deleted" files that are still hanging around, or even comb through your old backups.

Because there are dozens of these programs, their quality can be hard to analyze. Your best bet is to spend some time with your favorite search engine, finding programs and reading reviews. Most of these programs are paid, but some may be free.

Here we recommended Syncios Data recovery:

How to Recover Deleted Photos from iPhone 4S/5/5S/6/6+/6S/6S+

iOS 9.2.1 Released for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

Apple has released iOS 9.2.1 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The small update arrives as build 13D15 and includes bug fixes and security updates, but does not appear to include any new features or changes.

The over the air update weighs in between 100MB and 300MB depending on the iOS device being installed on.
Installing iOS 9.2.1 Update

The easiest way to install iOS 9.2.1 is through the OTA mechanism in iOS. Always backup before installing a software update:
Back up the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, then go to “Settings” and to “General”
Under “Software Update” find iOS 9.2.1 Update and choose to Download and Install



Installation requires at least 500mb of available space on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, the update process can take a while but will reboot itself when complete.

Release notes accompanying iOS 9.2.1 are brief, accompanying the download as follows:


This update contains security updates and bug fixes, including a fix for an issue that could prevent the completion of app installation when using an MDM server.

Users can also choose to update iOS by connecting their device to a computer with iTunes and using the update feature offered in the iTunes application, or by using IPSW files available below.
iOS 9.2.1 IPSW Direct Download Links

Users who prefer to install iOS updates through IPSW firmware files can find their respective version below. For best results, right-click and choose “save as”, being sure the file has a .ipsw file extension. These files are served directly from Apple.com servers:

iOS 9.2.1 for iPhone

• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 5s (CDMA)
• iPhone 5s (GSM)
• iPhone 5 (CDMA)
• iPhone 5 (GSM)
• iPhone 5c (CDMA)
• iPhone 5c (GSM)
• iPhone 4s

iOS 9.2.1 for iPad

• iPad Pro
• iPad Pro (Cellular)
• iPad Air 2 (6th gen)
• iPad Air 2 (6th gen Cellular)
• iPad Air (5th gen Cellular)
• iPad Air (5th gen)
• iPad Air (5th gen China model 4,3)
• iPad 4 (CDMA)
• iPad 4 (GSM)
• iPad 4
• iPad Mini (CDMA)
• iPad Mini (GSM)
• iPad Mini (2,5)
• iPad Mini 2 (Cellular)
• iPad Mini 2 (4,4)
• iPad Mini 2 (China)
• iPad Mini 3 (China)
• iPad Mini 3 (4,7)
• iPad Mini 3 (Cellular)
• iPad Mini 4 (5,3)
• iPad Mini 4 (Cellular)
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi (3rd gen)
• iPad 3 (Cellular GSM)
• iPad 3 (Cellular CDMA)
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi (2,4)
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi (2,1)
• iPad 2 (GSM)
• iPad 2 (CDMA)

iOS 9.2.1 for iPod Touch

• iPod touch (5th-gen)
• iPod touch (6th-gen)

Separately, Mac users can find OS X 10.11.3 update for El Capitan, along with security updates for Mavericks & Yosemite users.

Source: OSXDaily

Read more:

How to Jailbreak iPhone 6/6s, iOS 9 or iOS 9.0.2 ?

WhatsApp kills $1 subscription fee

If a dollar saved is a dollar earned, WhatsApp users can make themselves a quick buck in 2016.

The popular messaging app on Monday killed its $1 subscription fee, which converts to 70p or AU$1.45, making its service free to all users globally. In the past WhatsApp has been free to use for the first year, following which the nominal fee has been charged on annual basis. But no more.

"As we've grown, we've found that this approach hasn't worked well," the company explained in a blog post. "Many WhatsApp users don't have a debit or credit card number and they worried they'd lose access to their friends and family after their first year."

WhatsApp is one of several messaging apps, along with the likes of Viber, WeChat and Line, that flourished in the wake of 3G Internet access becoming almost ubiquitous. After it was bought by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion, the service continued to grow, and with 900 million users worldwide it currently leads the pack.

Its next challenge will be to keep up with its competitors, which are starting to integrate third-party services into their apps, particularly banking and money transfer. This could ultimately open up new revenue streams for WhatsApp, although these third-party business partnerships are uncharted territory for messaging apps.

The company categorically said it will not be replacing the subscription fee with third-party ads, a common method used to make free apps profitable. Instead, it says, it will introduce new ways for you to communicate with businesses and organisations that you want to hear from. These interactions could be with your bank about recent transactions, or with an airline about a delayed flight.

It's the same approach parent company Facebook is using with its own Facebook Messenger application, which in December started letting users book an Uber directly through the app.

WhatsApp said it will be testing tools to this effect later this year, although speaking at DLD in Munich, the company's CEO and founder Jan Koum admitted "we haven't written a single line of code yet," Re/code reports.

Source: Cnet

Read more:

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How to downgrade from iOS 9.3 back to iOS 9.2

If you decide the iOS 9.3 public beta just isn't for you, you can downgrade back to iOS 9.2.

The iOS 9.3 public beta is a way to try out the next iteration of iPhone and iPad software. But it may not be for you, at least not right now. If you downloaded the iOS 9.3 public beta but now you want to go back to the current version, iOS 9.2, that fine. You can always try iOS 9.3 again later, or wait for the final release this spring. What's more, downgrading is easy, all you need is iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC, and to follow the steps below!

How to put your iPhone and iPad into recovery mode

There's no button tap to revert your device back to iOS 9.3. So, to get started, you'll need to put your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into recovery mode. That lets iTunes take over.

1. Turn off your iPhone or iPad. (Hold down the Sleep/Wake button until Slide to power off appears, the slide.)
2. Plug your USB to Lightning cable (or USB to 30-pin Dock cable for older devices) into your computer.
3. Hold down—and keep holding down—the Home button on your iPhone or iPad.
4. Plug your USB to Lightning cable (or USB to 30-pin Dock cable for older devices) into your iPhone or iPad.
5. Continue holding down the Home button until the connect to iTunes screen comes up.

If, for some reason, Recovery Mode doesn't work, you can also try putting your iPhone or iPad into DFU mode. Device Firmware Update mode is a little trickier to get into, but will often force a restore even when nothing else works.

How to downgrade to iOS 9.2 on your iPhone or iPad

If iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC doesn't launch automatically, launch it manually. iTunes will detect your device in recovery mode and ask you what you want to do.

1. Click Restore on the iTunes popup.
2. Click Restore and Update to confirm.
3. Click Next on the iOS 9.2 Software Updater.
4. Click Agree to accept the Terms and Conditions and start downloading iOS 9.2. 

If your device reboots to iOS 9.3 before the download is complete, simply repeat the steps above and put it back into Recovery Mode. Once the download is complete, iTunes will restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iOS 9.2.

How to restore your archived iOS 9.3 backup to your iPhone or iPad

Once your device is restore, it'll have a clean copy of iOS 9.2. To get your data back, you'll need to restore from a previous backup. If you've been running iOS 9.3 for more than a day, your standard iCloud or iTunes backup will likely be iOS 9.3-based and may not restore properly to an iOS 9.2 device (we're testing this now). That's where the archived backup you made prior to installing the iOS 9.3 public beta comes in...

1. Select Restore from this backup in iTunes.
2. Choose the archived backup you made before installing the iOS 9.3 public beta.

Once the restore is completed, your iPhone or iPad should be back to where it was before you installed the iOS 9.3 public beta. If you've made any major changes since then, and they don't sync back some other way, you may have to repeat them to get back to exactly where you were before downgrading.

Source: iMore

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• How to Recover Data from Water Damaged iPhone
• How to recover lost data on jailbroken iPhone 6/ 6s ?

How to stop Microsoft's annoying Windows 10 upgrade notifications

Windows 7 and 8 loyalists rejoice. Microsoft has released detailed instructions to turn off the insistent notifications about upgrading your operating system to Windows 10.

The process itself is pretty complicated, so be prepared to roll up your sleeves and copy in some code. Don't be worried if you don't know exactly what you're doing though; Microsoft holds your hand in a clear and concise step-by-step tutorial. You're going to have to open up the Registry Editor on your computer and add in the code provided by Windows, but the guide makes it pretty clear by detailing exactly what to do.

Windows 10 was released as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and 8.1 owners in July this year, and Microsoft hasn't stopped pushing it. The new OS hasn't had a lot of early adopters since it came out, and still hovers between 10-20% of Windows web traffic, according to web traffic-tracking company GoSquared.

Windows 10 came after the poor reception of Windows 8, which reimagined Windows as a tile-based stream of applications with an option to switch to the more standard desktop home screen. There was a general aversion to the tile start screen, which was meant to cater to both tablet and desktop users, and ultimately fell short on both ends. Other design updates disregarded Windows conventions, which led to a lot of frustration from users. Windows 8, which launched in October 2012, has been roughly in line with Windows 10 traffic numbers.

Windows 7 still leads the pack with a typical share of over 50%, which is probably why Microsoft has been pushing so hard for the Windows 10 upgrade.

If you're on the opposite end of the Windows spectrum and need reminders to upgrade out of Windows 8.1, Microsoft has provided a similar guide to turn the notifications on. It is located just under the guide to disable them.

Source: Mashable

You can follow Syncios on Twitter, Facebook for more tips and tricks.
Recommend: if you would like to backup your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch data to the PC, just go here to learn more. Simply download the free version and have a try, it can transfer data between iOS device and PC freely and easily.
 

Fix Constant Apple ID Verification Password Pop-Ups on iPhone & iPad

Some iPhone and iPad users have discovered their devices keep asking them repeatedly for their Apple ID to be verified with a password. If you have this issue, this Apple ID password verification pop-up appears at random but frequently, and you’ll see it appear anytime you reboot the device on the lock screen, and often when unlocking the device after a period of going unused.

There are actually two different pop-ups you may encounter with this issue in iOS, the wording is either“Apple ID Verification – Enter the password for (Apple ID) in Settings”or “Apple ID Password – The password for (Apple ID) needs to be updated.” in both cases, you’ll have an option to go to “Settings” and to “Sign In”.

So, what’s going on, and how do you fix the constant Apple ID verification request?

Constant iOS Apple ID Password Verification Pop-Up Alert Fix

Resolving the continuous Apple ID password verification request is usually by doing the following:

1. When you see the Apple ID Verification pop-up message, choose “Settings”
2. Sign into the Apple ID with the password for the account as usual, this will make the message go away temporarily
3. Next, back up the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iCloud and iTunes, you need to backup the device because you likely need to update iOS software
4. Open the Settings app and go to “General” followed by “Software Update”, install any software updates that are waiting available – If you’re already on the latest version of iOS and there are no software updates available skip this step, reboot the device, and go to the next
5. When the device boots back up, go back to “Settings”, then to “iCloud” and tap on the Apple ID username and email address, then sign in to iCloud when requested
6. Exit out of Settings, you shouldn’t see the Apple ID verification pop-up again

A bit of jumping around, a possible iOS update, a reboot, and multiple logins for the same Apple ID and iCloud account, but for most users this resolves the issue. Contrary to some other reports on discussion boards, you do not need to log out or change the Apple ID to resolve the issue, simply verifying the password and rebooting is usually enough.

If you reboot the device after this, you should no longer see the lock-screen error message requesting Apple ID password verification.



Of course, you can just ignore the pop-ups and nothing seems to change, though if you don’t login to the Apple ID then your device won’t be backing up to iCloud and you’ll see a “last backup could not be completed” error message until the issue is resolved.

Quite a few users have experienced this frustrating issue as shown in various Apple discussion threads, another similar issue exists with some versions of iOS with constant iCloud backup password requests in the form of a pop-up. Both of these are likely a bug that will be sorted out in a future iOS version, so be sure to keep iOS updated (or consider to use automatic iOS update if you regularly procrastinate). Nevertheless, if your iPhone keeps asking for your Apple ID password and verification, now you at least know how to fix it.

By the way, Mac users may also find that iCloud in OS X is asking for the password randomly with Messages, FaceTime, or iCloud usage, and if you encounter the issue on one device, chances seem to be that you’ll encounter it on another soon after as well.

Source: OSXDaily

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