Bentgate: Why You Shouldn't Worry Just Yet About It

UnboxTherapy image from "Bend Test"

The past 24 to 36 hours have been remarkable in terms of how viral “bentgate” has spread. Apple has gone from being in celebration mode to defensive mode in a matter of mere seconds. From praises to condemnation, things haven’t exactly swung in Apple’s favor in the slightest. However, I can’t help but think I have seen this scenario before. This inevitably leads me to ask even more questions of how one video and a few forum posts can take a highly touted and praised product from a throne to the dumps. 

While I wanted to stay out of this situation, I couldn't help but be angered by the quick, reactionary journalism and belief of legitimacy before there was even time to process it. Every year there seems to be a bent iPhone or two that happens from “pocket use” or some other trivial usage of the new iPhone. Don't believe me? Just try google searching the phrase “iPhone bent,” which brings up iPhones going back to the 4/4S having small and minor issues of bending. So what makes this situation so different that it causes wide spread fear and panic? 

I have heard a lot of crazy stories about “bentgate" on the forums and other tech sites about fowl play, Samsung attacking Apple indirectly through negative press from technical issues. Before we chase that story down a rabbit hole, lets try and approach this from a more logical, quizzical approach. 

The story broke that a man had an iPhone 6 plus in his suit pocket for roughly 18 hours as he drove, attended, and partied at a wedding. After the wedding ended and the dust settled, he noticed that his iPhone was bent. After realizing it was bent, he took to the forums to vent his frustration which led a small, but quick growing fear that the iPhone was easily bendable and not durable. But lets start from the very beginning, but lets ask some logical questions that I believe should be asked, that to this point haven't been asked, that would explain why the iPhone 6 plus appears to be much weaker and susceptible to bending. 

First report of bent gate from man sitting 18 hours with iPhone

Here is the process I think everyone should consider before canceling that pre order or trading in your iPhone 6 plus. 

The video from Unbox Therapy, which shows a guy with a bent iPhone before he ever even starts to bend it. He explains that the iPhone randomly was bent doing “normal” activities like storing the phone in his pocket. The first question you should ask, How was this iPhone bent? Is he telling the absolute truth about the situation? What does he stand to gain from manipulation of the iPhone?

The guy proceeds to put a lot of force behind an already damaged metal iPhone. Once metal, like the iPhone’s is damaged, the integrity of the chassis is compromised, therefore easier to bend. Despite that, the guy still struggles to bend the iPhone. After he does, he goes “The end,” and thats it. 

After the first video, which went viral as panic set in, he made another video doing “bend tests,” yes you heard right, bend tests. This time, he pulls out an iPhone 6, a Moto X, HTC One, and a Nokia Lumia phone to test. While this is all good and dandy, lets look at it a little closer. With the iPhone 6, notice the device is NOT compromised as it is in perfect shape. The guy then struggles to even slightly bend it, declaring it much harder to bend than the iPhone 6 Plus. Comparing a solid, metal phone to a half plastic or mostly plastic phone that is designed to have the back plate and battery come out doesn't seem like a worthy or fair test. After two videos of “bend tests,” I am left with more questions about the tests that were performed on the products rather than the durability of the products themselves. 

But how can you make that claim? One phone was damaged and the other wasn’t. Anything could of happened to the iPhone 6 plus that made it bend, but we don't have any other evidence other than the guys word. He could of had a defective iPhone, which isn't out of the realm of possibility seeing Apple made well over 10 million devices to be ready for this launch. There just isn't a way this early on to know for sure if this is a design flaw or an individual unit defect.

I am not trying to say that this guy is a fake or the video is. Metal does bend and thin, warm, aluminum phones could potentially be very weak, weak enough to bend under pressure from pocket wear potentially. However, after watching the videos, looking at pictures, and reading forums, there just aren't enough legitimate cases for me and anyone else to make an accurate assumption just yet.

For the record, my iPhone 6 plus has with stood being pocketed for hours in fairly tight jeans with moments of pressure that should bend the phone, but to this point, no damage. All I can say is wait, enjoy your phone, and check back in a few weeks. The worst that happens is that Apple replaces your iPhone if you truly do have a defect or issue with your shiny new iPhone. 

iPhone 6 Plus Review: It's All About Choice

Evolution of iPhone. Image courtesy of Mashable.com

Stop me if you haven't heard this before, “Apple will never, EVER, make a ‘phablet,’ Steve wouldn't want this.” Well, under the new direction of Tim Cook and Jony Ive, Apple not only has a larger iPhone of 4.7 inches, they crossed over to Samsung side of things with a 5.5 inch massive iPhone. For the first time ever, users of the iPhone have a legitimate choice between an amazing iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus, something that other phone makers have been offering for quite some time. I personally love choice and i chose to go with the behemoth iPhone 6 plus on the day of the preorder. So here is my review living with the iPhone 6 Plus for the first few days. 

Design

Like previous generations of iPhones, there is a tick tock cycle where you have a redesign and then a refinement of the product. This year happens to be the tick of the cycle with two new completely redesigned iPhones. Both iPhones are thinner than previous iPhones that come in three colors space grey, silver, and gold. Much like previous iPhones, there are rectangles, or bands on the back, that allow the phone to use aluminum on the phone without hindering the antennas in the phone. While some do not like this, I think the iPhones design on the back is simplistic and elegant. Another sticking point with people was the protruding camera. I must admit, I didn't care for the protruding camera and still say that Apple shouldn't have sacrificed design for thinness. 

Reachability, a new iOS 8 feature, for iPhone 6 and 6 plus

From the design of the 6 plus, I love the thinness and relative weight with it feeling almost as light as my iPhone 5s, but feeling sturdy and tough in the hands. The shifting of the buttons and refinement of them took a few days to get used to, but feel natural on the larger iPhone 6 plus because the distance from the bottom of the phone to the top is too much to want to reach for the top of the phone. 

The iPhone 6 plus makes no shame of being a ‘phablet,’ I much prefer larger phone terminology opposed to the word ‘phablet,’ with the screen size coming in at 5.5 inches and around the size of other phones in the market. With the phone being so big, as with other phones this size, the design makes one handed use very difficult to impossible, even with Apple’s new “reachability” mode in iOS 8. This is a two handed phone that borders on a mini iPad mini, if that is possible. 

Display 

The screen on the iPhone 6 Plus is absolutely stunning checking in at 401 pixels per inch with an aspect ratio scaled down to a 1920 x 1080. That alone, that sentence says it all. That is the BEST screen Apple has ever made on a mobile device. Sure, there are other phone manufactures that produce screens with a higher PPI, such as the LG G3, but the differences are subtle if they are noticeable at all. 

iPhone 6 plus (left), iPhone 6 (right)

Beyond the specs and numbers, the iPhone 6 plus looks gorgeous outside in the light with ample brightness to ensure your screen is easily legible. As with every smartphone, direct sunlight always makes a screen tougher to read, but with the new iPhones, they are a vast improvement over previous generations. Even at a very sunny 12 pm kickoff for a football game, I was able to take pictures, read texts, and score updates with about 60% brightness on. 

Apps such as Netflix, Camera, Safari, and Instapaper and others that take advantage of the new display make the iPhone 6 plus incredible. Watching Netflix or taking a video on such a large, rich display is a joy. For the first time, I didn't feel cramped reading an article on safari with my iPhone. While the iPhone 6 plus is no iPad, the experience feels closer to that than an iPhone because of the new screen size. 

Performance & Battery Life 

The new iPhone comes packed with the new A8 processor, M8 motion chip, 1 gb of ram, and nearly a 3,000 mAh battery. We could go on and on about the specs for performance, but we wont go too far into it. The new iPhone 6 and 6 plus are screaming fast, power efficient, and maximize performance. A lot of people have slammed the iPhone for not expanding Ram throwing out examples of other phones that have 2 and 3 gbs of ram. However, you shouldn't worry at all about that as the iPhone has been optimized to take advantage of every aspect of the OS while other phones on other OS’ have to provide more ram to compensate for the fact the hardware and software are not totally in sync. 

Phil Schiller revealing battery life for new iPhones

As far as battery life goes, both iPhones are better than the predecessors before them. However, the iPhone 6 plus has incredible battery life. I use my phone quite heavy, more than the average person, which requires charging the iPhone usually after being off of the charger less than 12 hours. However, with the new iPhone 6 plus, I was able to achieve on average 9 hours and 13 minutes of usage with 23 hours and 49 minutes stand by averages the past 5 days. I no longer watch my iPhone battery as I have in the past and even leave my iPhone 6 plus off the charger at night occasionally because I simply do not need to charge it, even after a whole day’s use. 

Camera

Photo taken with iPhone 6 plus

Much like other features in the new iPhone 6 and 6 plus, the camera has been upgraded in a huge way with better sensors and software that allows the new iPhones to take pictures that are on par or better than any other camera phone on the market. One feature that sets the 6 plus apart from the iPhone 6 is that the 6 plus has OIS, optical image stabilization, that allows the camera to correct movement from the user that creates better, more clear pictures. For many people, the only camera they have or want is an iPhone and with a larger screen, the person taking a photo can see more of the picture with better clearity because of the improved screen technology in the iPhone as well. Because of this, the iPhone 6 plus is rock solid and an obvious selling factor for anyone in the market for an amazing camera phone. 

Final Verdict

I absolutely love my new iPhone 6 plus and every inch of it. If you are someone that has always wanted a bigger phone, but not quite an iPad, or felt cramped on a 4 inch iPhone so you did a lot on a tablet instead, this is the phone for you. The size of the phone will be too much for anyone that doesn't want a big screen for movies, articles, or games. However, if you are in the market for a huge iPhone, the best camera phone, a phone that has remarkable battery life, and can get past the huge footprint, this one is for you. 

For most people, the iPhone 6 is exactly what they want and should get. If you cant find a definitive reason to get the 6 plus besides its the more expensive iPhone, so I have to get it, you shouldn’t. For the first time for iPhone users, we have legitimate choice in the device that we buy. Pick an iPhone that feels the best to you and fits what you do with an iPhone the best. For myself, the iPhone 6 plus was a clear winner because of what I wanted to do with my iPhone. So go out there people and exercise your choice, enjoy it. Either way, you can’t go wrong with either new iPhone.  

One Historic and Memorable Week

The most anticipated week in Apple history since the iPhone? Perhaps the Macintosh? Regardless, this has been the most anticipated, fan fared week in the history of Apple under Tim Cook. For the first time under his tenure, a new product line and service with the Apple Watch and Apple Pay respectively were launched, marking a new figurative chapter for Apple. There was so much to report this week, so lets get started!

Keynote Debacle

There was a crazy amount of hype and anticipation leading up to the keynote. Rumors of a larger iPhone with leaked videos of the device with the chance of a new payment system and a new product category took the keynote to a whole new level. Seconds after Tim Cook took the stage, the video feed crashed with a multi colored screen with a schedule. Once the feed came back, a Chinese translator did a voice over for Phil Schiller which was just good enough that I didn't complain. This was Apple and Tim Cooks moment and it was botched. For a keynote that was as big as any keynote before it, the take away was how bad the feed was. I understand the difficulty and challenges of bringing something like this live, but when in doubt, don't broadcast because people anticipated the keynote only to have it marred by technical difficulties. 

Website Woes and Pre Order Madness 

For the first time since the iPhone 5, there was a pre order for the iPhone. What made this pre order different was that there was, for an iPhone purchaser, a choice. That choice was either the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 or the 5.5 inch iPhone plus. Between choice and pent up demand for a larger iPhone, demand for a new iPhone was astronomical from what Apple is saying (Numbers have yet to be announced) which caused some issues. 

I will give you a timeline of what the process of pre ordering was for me. At 2:40 am EST I woke up, readied my iPhone, iPad, and Mac to attempt to preorder an iPhone 6 plus, 64 gig, gold iPhone on AT&T through Apple. By 2:59 am EST, the hype was building and I was eagerly hitting refresh as often as I could. By 3:05 am EST, the store and app were both down and were down for the next 40 minutes for me. By 3:43 am EST, frustration had set in as some people had posted on twitter getting their iPhones through Apple. Finally, at 3:58 am EST, I had secured the iPhone that I wanted. Sure the process wasn't ideal, but I understand the challenges that come with an iPhone preorder. On record too, MacRumors.com, ATT.com, verizon.com, and others all had issues as well. However, following a botched keynote delivery fresh on the minds, the timing of this wasn’t ideal. 

New Product Category

A history keynote in and of itself ending with a famous phrase that harkens back to the days of the late Steve Jobs with “One more thing…” Tim Cook came out beaming as he introduced the Apple Watch and showing it off. I lost track of the times he fist pumped the air showing off the watch. You could see the joy on his face which told the whole story. He couldn't wait to show something really cool that no one really knew much about. The unveiling reminded me of the iPhone and iPad unveilings Steve Jobs did. For the first time, I felt like Tim Cook finally acknowledged the fact that Steve is gone, but his influence isn’t, and he came out from under the shadow of Steve for the public. The new Apple is here and looks poised to be a major player that it has always been.  

How To: Multi-tasking on iOS 7

Craig Federighi introducing new multi tasking for iOS.

iOS 7 brought a number of new and refreshing changes to a very mature mobile operating system. Among some of the notable changes is multi tasking. Before iOS 7, when you double tapped the home button, a small bar with icons showed up at the bottom. From there, you had to tap and hold an icon until it began to shake and then peck away at a tiny red minus button on the top right of the icon. Well no more! (Thank goodness!)

The way multi tasking works on iOS 7 compared to iOS 6 is monumentally different. If you can remember or maybe used WebOS, then multitasking on iOS 7 should be both welcomed and inherently easy to use. However, if you are unfamiliar with WebOS, multitasking on iOS 7 is not as simple and straight forward to use.

So lets walk through the steps:

1.  Double click the home button, or if on the iPad, four fingers swipe up. (This is the part that hasn't changed at all from iOS 6 to iOS 7.)
2. After double clicking or four finger swipe up, a list of cards with a live look at the apps running appears.
3. Tap and hold in the middle of the card. 
4. Then take your finger and swipe all the way up to the top of the screen. 

The iPhone 5S; A Proper Introduction, For the forward thinkers

Photo courtesy of BGR.com

While there are many reports of limited iPhone 5S supply with high turn outs for those wanting to wait in line to purchase the new iPhone, that is not the full story. The new iPhone 5S is packed with an all new 64-bit desktop class A7 processor, an M7 motion chip which is brand new to the iPhone, and the most innovative and exciting feature in the new iPhone, Touch ID.

By adding all of those new innovations and upgrades on the inside along side the addition of the already popular gold iPhone, this years iPhone 5S looks to be an early success admist many pessimistic expectations that an 'S' upgrade is "boring."

The iPhone 5C; A Proper Introduction, For the colorful

While you may have seen this video, this is a perfect reminder of what the iPhone 5C looks like and what it can do. The iPhone 5C is now on sell for $99 for a 16 gig in several colors and $199 for a 32 gig in several colors when signing up for a 2 year contract.

Here is what one of the iPhone 5C's looks like and should give you a good idea of what to expect if you decide on an iPhone 5C as your next iPhone.

iPhone 5S vs. iPhone 5C, The Great Debate

Today is the day, the best day of the year for fans of the iPhone. Thousands of people across the globe have been lining up for days, some even a week or more, just to be one of the first people in the world to purchase the latest iPhone. For an S, incremental upgrade, there has been a lot of buzz circling the iPhone 5S and rightfully so. While on the outside, the only change that is visible is the home button, the magic is on the inside. From the new 64-bit A7 chip, to the M7 motion chip, to the touch ID sensor, this is the most advanced iPhone and arguably the most advanced smartphone on the market to date.

So your contract is up and you are coming from an iPhone 4S or older. In years past, the obvious answer was go with the new iPhone. However, Apple has taken a new approach to tiering the level of iPhones. This year, Apple has taken the iPhone 5, redesigned it and given the phone new life as a new device for a mid market approach which leaves the iPhone 5S as the luxury, more expensive iPhone. So which device should you upgrade to?

There are two kinds of iPhone users and the first is the user that loves the latest and greatest tech even if it is not totally essential to a phone yet. The second kind of user is the user that just wants a solid device, capable, upgradable for the foreseeable future at a good price. Sure, there are users that fall into other categories, but those are a small percentage.

Still on the fence about which device you should go with? Let's run down the list of features.

Courtesy of Lifehacker. A complete list of features, storage sizes, and prices for new iPhone models.

From the chart, you can see that the iPhone 5C is a very capable device that is perfect for most people that want a phone to last them two plus years on or off a contract. Sure, Apple is marketing the iPhone 5C as a new device when it is an iPhone 5. However, who really cares? The iPhone 5 is still amazing, and redesigning it and making it $100 for a 16 gig or $200 for a 32 gig is a really good deal.

While some have questioned or slammed Apple for the iPhone 5C, I think this is going to be the go to iPhone for millions of people and will be the most popular phone Apple sells. At $100 bucks, durable plastic back, color, and modern tech that will be future proof through iOS 9, what is not to love about the iPhone 5C? Heck, as an iPhone 5 owner, I am jealous of those that have an iPhone 5C. There is something to be said about making a more affordable, new, stylish device that is going to last the user easily the life of their contract. 

iOS 7 Coming Tomorrow, One Last Preview

iOS 7 is the most radical change to the iPhone since the introduction of the iPhone back in 2007. We have been focusing so much on iOS 7 not because we love it so much and that it is the latest version of iOS, rather because how radically different iOS is from its current look (for now).

So here is an in depth look at iOS 7 back from WWDC. While some minor visual aesthetics have changed, mostly on the lock screen, this is a great detailed look at the operating system that will shake up millions of iOS users in the next 24 hours. So sit back, watch, and remember, iOS 7 will be available for download Over the Air in the settings app or on iTunes Wednesday, 1 pm EST/10 am PST.

iOS 7 is Coming, Are you ready?

Wednesday, September 18th, 1 pm EST, 10 am PST. That is the exact time when Apple plans on releasing iOS 7, the most radical change to the iPhone and iOS since the days of iPhone OS 1.0. While many people go out looking for youtube videos, google pictures, or are willing to out right pay Apple to get a taste of the new iOS, many people simply are unaware the impending changes that are coming. 

If you are one of those users just finding out about iOS 7 because you are thinking about pre ordering the new iPhone 5C or iPhone 5s, then you need to inform yourself before you dive head first into iOS 7, especially if you are hesitant to change. So lets run down the list of five major changes that you need to be aware of. 

1. 1. Fonts, Colors, Status Bar, Everything. From the font, to the wallpapers, sounds, all have been revamped to reflect the paradigm shift in design philosophies from Scott Forstall, a big component and driver for Skuemorphism, to the more modern and sleek hardware master Jony Ive. From the first time the lock screen comes up, to the folders, to the settings, they all have a new, updated look.
   
   
   
2. 2. Spotlight Search. Yep, the swipe to the right on the front home page is now gone. Instead, from any home screen, just pull down below the top status bar and boom, the spotlight search appears. While the functionality hasn't changed, the look and feel certainly has. 
   
3. 3. Multi-tasking. Remember when iOS 4 added the multitasking bar that you could see what apps you had opened and could hold down until it shook and you tapped the red button top right to clear out the bar? Yep, totally goneand different. Replaced with is now a Web OS inspired way of multitasking with cards that show what the app is doing in real time. To get to the cards is the same as before, you just double click the home button to bring up the cards. However, to clear out the apps, you touch one of the cards and swipe up to throw the card out. Gone are the days of tapping a ridiculously small red button (Finally!!).
   
4. 4. Notification Center. When Apple introduced Notification Center with iOS 5, it was designed to show you a list of apps that had notified you. You could add stocks and local weather, but that was about it. With iOS 7, gone is the linen in the background and the weather widget. Rather, Apple has introduced three panes that you can swipe through with Today, All, and Missed tabs. For the Today tab, Apple gives you sort of a day view where you can view the date, birthdays, calendar events, alarms, a text update of the local weather, and predicted driving information. Think Google Now/Cards sort of thing. As for All and Missed, this is just for notifications and is exactly how it sounds. All shows all of your notifications and missed shows you ones that have been untouched for an amount of time.
   
5. 5. Control Center. This is a totally new feature specific to iOS 7 and is much like SBSettings if you are familiar with the jailbreaking community. If not, that is totally okay too. Control Center is activated anywhere and in any app (I can't seem to activate it in messages) by swiping up from the bottom, middle edge of the screen. Control Center gives you 5 icon toggles across the top with Airplane Mode, Wifi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, and Portrait Orientation Lock. Underneath the toggles are the brightness control, and music controls, followed by AirDrop and Airplay buttons (Airdrop for certain iOS devices, and Apple TV if you are near one). On the very bottom, there are a row of icons consisting of Flashlight, Timer/Alarm Clock, Calculator, and Camera. All of these toggles and buttons are meant to be quick ways of accessing certain settings with out going into settings. 
   

iOS 7 will be released to the public on Wednesday, September 18th, around 1 pm EST. And remember, to get a comprehensive list of every feature for both the iPhone/iPod and iPad and which devices are going to be compatible, head on over to www.apple.com/ios/ for all the details. 

Remora by Outpost Labs, An Ultra Slim Wallet Case

I am one of those iPhone users that values protection over minimalistic cases. On a weekly basis, I seem to drop my iPhone from a fatal height that is certain to crack some glass. Thankfully, I have always had an Otterbox to protect my phone from such disasters as that. 

Because of the user I am, trying a case such as the Remora Wallet case made me a little uneasy not having my iPhone all bundled up and exposed. But I decided that the case was such a unique design and something I had never seen, I'd try it for a week. So here is what I found:


Protection:

Outpost Labs, the vendor and creator of the Remora case, openly states on their website www.outpostlabs.com and on the packaging of the case that it is not intended to be a protective case. However, they have designed their case in a way that the top right and bottom left of the case extends over the top of the bezel to keep the face of the iPhone off of surfaces and the back of the iPhone elevated which prevents scratches. This is no Otterbox case, but its not designed to be and are for people that value minimal, sleek cases over bulky ones. 


Functionality:

The case itself snaps right on to the iPhone and with a little effort snaps right back off. Once the case has been applied, you can store two cards securely in the back. I wasn't sold from the videos if the cards would actually stay or not and that was a huge concern. The last thing anyone wants is a lost drivers license or debit card. However, the design is well made and securely holds two cards in place. By the end of the second day, my doubts were gone. Here is a list of features:

- Carries up to two cards.

- Hidden latch snaps closed to safely hold cards.
- Protects screen when set face-down on a surface.
- Full access to all buttons/ports.
- No camera flash bleed.
- Incredibly slim with unique thin two-corner design. 

Customization/Compatibility:

The Remora case is designed for the iPhone 4, 4S, and iPhone 5. Furthermore, the case comes in six colors, Obsidian Black, Electric Blue, Arctic White, Fire Engine Red, Mint Green, and Bubblegum Pink. 

Cost/Shipping:

For the amount of value in the case, I was surprised to find that they only charge $19.95 for the case. At that price, this case is a steal! Plus, shipping was fast and the packaging was stellar. From order to pick up, the whole experience was smooth, easy, and professional. 

Overall Impressions:

I had never heard of Outpost Labs or the Remora case until a few weeks ago. Their design and take on a wallet case is something completely fresh and innovative. If you are in market for a sleek, minimalistic case, Remora is the answer. Remora is very unique because the Remora case succeeds not only where minimalistic cases fail, but where wallet cases fail as well. Remora truly shines as a creative, innovative, modern approach to a slim, sleek, wallet, and case for iPhone. This is a must buy for anyone looking for a slim, sleek case or slim wallet case.

10 Tips to Extend Battery Life on an iPhone, iPod, and iPad

Anyone who’s used an iPhone, iPod, or iPad, even for just a day has discovered that while these devices are more powerful, and more fun, one place they don’t exceed in is battery life. Any halfway intensive iPhone or iPod user will recharge their phone almost every day, if not .

There are ways to conserve iOS battery life, but many of them involve turning off services and features, which makes it a choice between all the cool things that the iOS can do and having enough juice to do them.

Here are 10 tips to help you extend your iOS battery life.

1. Turn on Auto-Brightness

iOS devices, like the iPhone have an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness of the screen based on the light around it (darker in dark places, brighter when there's more ambient light) to both save battery and make it easier to see. Turn Auto-Brightness on and you’ll save battery because your screen will need to use less power in dark places.

Find it in the Settings app -> Brightness & Wallpaper -> Auto-Brightness On

2. Reduce Screen Brightness

You can control the default brightness of your iOS device screen with this slider. Needless to say, the brighter the default setting for the screen, the more battery it requires. Keep the screen dimmer to conserve more of your battery.

Find it in Settings -> Brightness & Wallpaper

3. Turn Bluetooth Off

Bluetooth wireless networking is especially useful for cell phone users with wireless headsets or earpieces. But transmitting data wirelessly takes battery and leaving Bluetooth on to accept incoming data at all times requires even more juice. Turn off Bluetooth except when you’re using it to squeeze more juice from your battery.

Find it in Settings -> Bluetooth -> Move Slider to Off

4. Turn Off 3G/4G

iOS devices, depending on the model like an iPad or iPhone, can take advantage the speedy 3G and 4G LTE cellular phone networks. Not surprisingly, using 3G, and especially 4G LTE, requires more battery life to get the quicker data speeds and higher-quality calls. It’s tough to go slower, but if you need more battery, turn off 3G or LTE and just use the older, slower networks. Your battery will last longer (though you’ll need it when you’re downloading websites more slowly!).

Find it in Settings -> General -> Cellular -> Slide Enable 3G to Off on some models or Enable LTE to Off on the iPhone 5 or newer

5. Keep Wi-Fi Off

The other kind of high-speed network that an iOS device can connect to is Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is even faster than 3G, though it’s only available where there’s a hotspot (not virtually everywhere like 3G). Keeping Wi-Fi turned on at all times in hopes that an open hotspot will appear is a sure way to drain your battery life. So, unless you’re using it right this second, keep Wi-Fi turned off.

Find it in Settings -> WiFi -> Slide to Off

6. Turn Off Location Services

One of the coolest features of an iOS device is Location Services. This allows your phone to know where you are and give you exact driving directions, give that information to apps that help you find restaurants, and more. But, like any service that sends data over a network, it needs battery power to work. If you’re not using Location Services, and don’t plan to right away, turn them off and save some power.

Find it in Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> Slide to Off

7. Turn Data Push Off

iOS Devices can be set to automatically suck email and other data down to it or, for some kinds of accounts, have data pushed out to it whenever new data becomes available. You’re probably realized by now that accessing wireless networks costs you battery life, so turning data push off, and thus reducing the number of times your phone connects to the network, will extend your battery’s life. With push off, you’ll need to set your email to check periodically or do it manually (see the next tip for more on this).

Find it in Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendar -> Fetch New Data -> Slide to Off

8. Fetch Email Less Often

The less often your phone accesses a network, the less battery it uses. Save battery life by setting your phone, iPod, or iPad to check your email accounts less often. Try checking every hour or, if you’re really serious about saving battery, manually. Manual checks means you’ll never have email waiting for you on your phone, but you’ll also stave off the red battery icon.

Find it in Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendar -> Fetch New Data -> Select Your Preference

9. Auto-Lock Sooner

You can set your iOS device to automatically go to sleep – a feature known as Auto-Lock - after a certain amount of time. The sooner it sleeps, the less power is used to run the screen or other services. Try setting Auto-Lock to 1 or 2 minutes.

Find it in Settings -> General -> Auto-Lock -> Tap your Preference

10. Turn off Equalizer

The Music app on an iOS has an Equalizer feature that can adjust music to increase bass, decrease treble, etc. Because these adjustments are made on the fly, they require extra battery. Turn the equalizer off to conserve battery. This means you'll have a slightly modified listening experience - the battery savings might not be worth it to true audiophiles - but for those hoarding battery power, it's a good deal.

Find it in Settings -> Music -> EQ -> Tap off

iOS 7 Beta 7 to be Released Today? [Updated]

A BGR report is claiming that a trusted source for Apple is all but confirming that iOS 7, Beta 7 will drop today at 1 pm EST. 

We are told by our trusted sources that Apple has once again seeded a new build of iOS 7 to partners, and that it should be released to developers later today. We can confirm the build number is much higher than the previous beta, and we would assume that iOS 7 beta 7 should be distributed and made available for developers around 1:00 p.m. EDT, as usual.

While this is news that is music to many users ears that are running iOS 7 beta, this is something that I take with a bit of skepticism. Earlier last week, BGR was reporting that Beta 6 would be the last beta before the gold master version. However, hours later, an emergency hot fix for an iTunes in the Cloud issue forced the release of Beta 6. 


According to BGR's previous report from last week, the beta version that is rumored to being released today is reportedly going to be the final version seeded to developers before a golden master version is seeded sometime in early September. That golden master would then be made available to developers following Apple's rumored iPhone media event on September 10, with a release to the public happening perhaps a week or so later just prior to the launch of new iPhone hardware.

Update: As of 1:45 pm EST, there is still no sign of Beta 7. Stay tuned for more updates.

jOBS the Movie, Worth it or Not?

jOBS opens up in the year 2001 with Steve Jobs presenting the iPod to employees and friends of Apple at Apple Headquarters. From there, the movie bounces back to Jobs days at Reed College and follows his timeline from there. Enough though about the events, we all know them and there is no surprise at all to what is going to happen next.

jOBS the Movie

I am going to do my best here to try and give this an unbiased review. Okay, so the good about the movie? I thought this was a fantastic look at Steve Jobs life as a whole from his faults to his positive attributes as well. They show a man of passion, of vision, desire, cut throat, cold at times, and incredibly loyal mainly to himself. Contrary to the rose colored glasses people have of Steve Jobs, this movie touches on a lot of the faults of him and I feel the movie does a great job at portraying who he really was. 

So what was the bad? Well Ashton Kutcher is, well, Ashton Kutcher. I tried so hard to see past the fact that he is just playing a role, but I can't. His mannerisms, the way he mimics Jobs, sometimes it is believable and sometimes its just forced and bad. Beyond that, the structure of the film screams first time writer and that is because the film writer is a first timer. The movie rapidly moves from one life event to another with some events that just feel pointlessly thrown in (queue the trip to India. Seriously, he was high on LSD and they show flashes of India with no point to it at all.) And think of the most fanboyish quotes from the story of Apple and Steve Jobs, like the "do you want to be known for selling sugar water for the rest of your life" or "He's a fruitarian"and those quotes are awkwardly thrown in at times that come off as funny in places that shouldnt be funny at all. 

All in all, this was a fun, enjoyable movie. So if you are an Apple fan, this movie is a good, not great movie to watch. In a way, this movie blew me away in some parts, but those moments are few and far between. Because of that, this movie a good, not great movie. If you haven't seen it, go check it out, it is worth it. But if you want the full, true story, just go buy the book Jobs, by Walter Isaacson to get the whole scoop.

Keep a look out for Guessing the Apple as we are making a strong, refocused come back with product reviews, app reviews, iOS and OS X tips and tricks, just a hint of rumors, and press release coverage (*cough, cough* September 10th, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C with iOS 7). Thanks for being such great fans!

iOS 7, the future of Apple (With iOS 7 Screenshots)

Just a few short weeks ago, Apple took one of the oldest modern mobile operating systems and completely shook it up with the introduction of iOS 7. The change has been met with a lot of mixed reactions from total love, to complete and udder hate. For the most part, many users have reacted somewhere in the middle. However, iOS 7 is the best iOS to date and sets the stage for the next five years of iOS.

Many of the complaints that users have are that the icons are horrible and the new "flat" design goes against what made Apple and iOS stand out as a staple of what a mobile operating system should be. True, iOS 7 is a staggering paradigm shift from iOS 6 (the current iOS), but new look is not what have people so upset. The reason people are so upset is that for six years, iOS has looked and felt the same way with improvements along the way. Furthermore, this was the software that Steve Jobs had his name attached to it which makes changing iOS fragile situation. Sure, there will be users that will not care for the new look, but the animosity over the change is from removing the familiarity and changing what was tied to a glorious past.

While iOS 7 is still young and not yet to Beta 3 (check back tomorrow, that may change), the changes that Apple has made are staggering. Changes to the notification center, adding control center, and many more user interface and design changes have put Apple back at the fore front of the modern mobile operating system and lays a path for new growth. For the first time, iOS has been created around both the iPhone and the iPad.

So here are some screen shots of iOS 7 running on an iPhone 5 and iPad Mini:

Must Have Cydia Tweaks of 2013

Things have been quiet in the Apple world and while there have been a few rumors coming in through the rumor mill, there really hasn't been much to say. So instead of giving our two cents on a guess about the latest iPad or Mac Pro, we wanted to bring you a list of a few cydia tweaks that actually exist that we think are pretty cool. If we miss a tweak that you think is flat out a must have, then let us know in our forums.

Dashboard X ($1.99): Do you love widgets? If you do, then Dashboard X is the Cydia tweak for you. With this tweak, you can add a widget anywhere on your screen. For me, I left my first page of my iPhone 5 open and added several tweaks that work in several spots on my iPhone that I will mention later. For $2 bucks, this is a must have and a Cydia classic.



Forecast ($.99): This tweak replaces the typical notification center weather widget with a much cleaner, more information widget. I use this on my lockscreen, Notification Center, and with Dashboard X. For 99 cents, this is a steal in my opinion. 


Jukebox ($1.99): This is another tweak that does cost, but another versatile app. Jukebox gives you iPod controls through a Notification Center Widget, but can be applied to your home screen through Dashboard X, which is what I have on my home screen. You can adjust the volume, rewind, fast forward, play/pause, rate the song for iTunes, and share your current song as a tweet or facebook post. By far one of the coolest tweaks I've used.



Auxo ($1.99). While I don't recommend spending money on every tweak you see because you can usually find a solid free alternative, Auxo stands out as one of the best tweaks on Cydia. Auxo takes the boring, stale iOS multitasking and adds much needed functionality. This is the way Apple would and should change the multitasking in iOS.   


NCSettings (Free). NCSettings is a simple, small, notification widget that allows you to control settings such as 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, and volume. This is similar to SBSettings, but way more minimalistic. This widget is very Apple like and something I could see them add if they did add settings as a widget.

iSteve, a Funny or Die production, Releases 90 second Trailer. Better than jOBS with Ashton Kutcher?

A few weeks ago, comedy site Funny or Die reported that they had created and filmed the first Steve Jobs movie named iSteve. According to Funny and Die along with other sources, this movie took about
3 days to write and 5 days to film.

A 60-75 minute film, we don't have high hopes that this will be the most amazing movie. But it can't be any worse than jOBS with Ashton Kutcher which just looked horrific at best. Playing the role of the iconic Steve Jobs is Justin Long. You may remember Justin from famous Apple commercials like "Get a Mac." 

iSteve Exclusive Teaser Trailer from iSteve

iSteve may not be the best Steve Jobs movie to come out this year, but they will be the first. Along with iSteve, jOBS with Ashton Kutcher, and the Sony backed, Aaron Sorkin directed film based on Walter Isaacson's biography Steve Jobs are set to debut sometime this year as well.

If you are interested in this, or just want to see how good or bad this film will be, you can watch it on the funnyordie.com website on April 15th. But seriously, it cant be any worse than jOBS. 

Our Next Giveaway, What Should It Be? It's Your Choice!

We just finished up our 3rd giveaway here at Guessing the Apple and we are so excited to be giving back to our readers because we have the best readers on the net. But now it is your turn to decide the next giveaway!

Under our giveaways page, we just posted a poll with a list of several gift cards and accessories that we think are great giveaways for you guys. We want you to select one of those options to choose our next giveaway! However, if there is something you want to be considered for a giveaway that isn't on the list, then select other and email us at appleguesser@guessingtheapple.com and let us know what and why that item or giftcard should be selected!

What should our next giveaway be?
	Starbucks Gift Card
	Amazon Gift Card
	iTunes Gift Card
	iOttie Car Mount
	Otterbox iPhone Case
	Apple Smart Cover
	Other - Email suggestion at appleguesser@guessingtheapple.com
pollcode.com free polls

We really are looking forward to hearing your suggestions and be on the look out for our next giveaway, which is currently being decided by you, our great fans!