5 Awesome Remote Tricks That Could Supercharge Your Apple TV

Do you know that you can find one of the fastest growing niches of the consumer technology space in your living room? Nowadays, almost everyone wants to have their own piece -- Apple, Google, Amazon, and Roku. The reason for this is because HDTVs are usually expensive; therefore it's not something an average consumer can buy. There's a lot to love about the new Apple TV. And to help you get the best out of your new Apple TV remote, check out these tips to find out more.

Adjust the sensitivity of the Touch surface

The Touch surface on the new remote is a great addition, but it can feel fairly imprecise while performing a text input. A part of the problem is that everyone swipes a little differently, and fingers of varying sizes fit differently on the Touch surface. To compensate for this, Apple allows us to adjust the sensitivity of the Touch surface. Just go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Touch Surface Tracking and then choose Fast,Medium, or Slow.

Use the remote to control your TV or receiver

Did you know the new remote can control the basic functions of compatible TVs and receivers? If your equipment supports HDMI CEC (which is often referred to by manufacturer-specific names such as SimpLink, EasyLink, Bravia Link, Anycast, or CEC), the remote can be used to adjust the volume, turn everything off when the Apple TV is placed into sleep mode, or turn it all on and switch to the TV's correct HDMI input when the Apple TV is woken up. Your Apple TV should set this all up automatically, and the remote's volume buttons should work even on tech that don't support HDMI-CEC.

Manually start the screensaver

Press the Menu button with the first app highlighted on the Home screen in order to manually trigger one of the Apple TV's swooping cityscape screensavers. If you're deep into an app, simply continue tapping on the Menu button -- paging backward through as many menus as necessary -- until the screensaver shows up.

Zoom in on the action

If you'd like to have a closer look at a movie, game, etc., you can use the remote to zoom in and magnify a section of the screen. Once you've turned on this feature by heading to Settings > General > Accessibility, it can be triggered by clicking the Touch surface three times. With zoom activated, simply slide your finger across the Touch surface to move your magnification area across the screen. To return the screen to its normal setting, just do another three clicks.

Extra video controls

You may already be aware that you can swipe left or right on the Touch to slide the scrub bar to the exact scene you want, but did you know you can also click the right or left edge to jump 10 seconds or backward? Aside from that, you can also click and hold an edge to rewind or fast-forward the video clip. These tips are useful especially if you want to go back to a specific part of a long video clip that you're currently watching.

Understanding Basic Operations on how a Computer Works Can Make a Difference

How nice it would be if you know at least the basics of how to operate a computer. But some people tend to get the idea that if only they just know more by exploring their computer’s inner functions they might improve on how to use the computer, or worse, they think they might be able to improve its performance.

Sometimes there are just some things you really need to leave alone. As the overused cliché goes, “curiosity killed the cat,” and in this case, your curiosity can actually kill your computer. It would be more appropriate if you at least understood the basic operations on how a computer works and just leave things as they are.

Understanding your computer’s operating system

The operating system is the most complicated, complex, and important software that runs your computer. It manages the computer’s memory, processes, other software, and hardware. It allows the user to communicate with the computer without the need to really speak the computer’s real language. In short, just learn to communicate with the computer and things will go well with you both. Tampering with the OS is a big NO-NO unless you’re a professional support technician, so leave the OS alone.

Understanding storage systems

Computer data storage is referred to as storage or memory that saves all digital data. Examples are RAM (Random Access Memory), hard disks, CD’s, DVD’s, and removable flash memory sticks. These aforementioned are called permanent or non-volatile storage devices that don’t require power to store data. A loss of power will not affect their ability to retain data. Temporary or volatile storage is more often called “memory” and any loss of power means that any data stored will be lost irretrievably. When all is said and done, all storage systems are important to the computer’s lifeline and is therefore hands off to all struggling DIY repairs. Should you attempt to repair a storage system with no prior training, you could end up damaging it further. It’s best to call your tech support company if one or more of your storage systems, particularly the hard disk, is failing.

Understanding computer processing

The processor is the brain of a computer. It’s also called the CPU (Central processing unit) and is in the form of a microchip. For a non-programmer, this is where all the real action is. Programs only set the stage and direct the play. The processor actually performs very simple operations like basic arithmetic and comparing two values. Despite its apparent simplicity, the CPU does in fact run the show, controlling all of the peripherals while executing the current software commands. Since you don’t want other people picking into your brain, so it would be wise to stay away from the computer’s brain, and should anything go wrong, let the professional tech support people look into it.

Understanding the basic operations of computers simply means that while you do understand how your computer works, it isn’t a license to start poking inside, inviting damage to the software or hardware. Understanding how your computer works simply gives you a reason to take more care of your machine since it’s a complicated device.