How to Prevent Your Kids From Running Huge App Store Bills on Your iOS Device

Are you one of those people who always get a shock upon receiving their credit card bill that happens to reflect a huge bill from iTunes Store without their knowledge? There have been an increasing number of stories in the news where a child has accumulated a large bill on the App Store without their parents’ knowledge. Most parents are baffled. They apparently don't know how they can prevent this from happening again. Fret no more. Parental controls can be used to disable in-app purchases so you won't receive any more surprises from your billing statements. Checkout the steps below on how to prevent your kids from making purchases without your knowledge.

Prevent Kids From Running Huge App Store Bills on Your iOS Device

First thing to do is to go to your iOS device's Home screen and tap Settings.

Tap General, then tap Restrictions.

From here, tap Enable Restrictions.

You will then be prompted to enter a 4-digit passcode. This passcode will be required to make changes to the Restrictions settings so make sure it is different from the passcode you use to unlock your iOS device. Please note that in case you lose or forgot the Restrictions Passcode, you will need to perform a factory restore to remove it. For instructions on how to perform a factory restore, follow the steps posted here.

Re-enter the Restrictions Passcode to confirm it.

Now go to In-App Purchases and turn it off by sliding the slider from right to left. The slider should now turn gray.

Next, move to Require Password and tap on it. By default, this is set to 15 minutes, which means that once you have entered your Apple ID to make purchases in iTunes, your iOS device will remember the password for 15 minutes and will not prompt you to re-enter the password when you make another purchase within the time limit. In this case, if you purchased an app and handed your iOS device immediately to your child for him/her to play with, he/she has a time window to make purchases in the App Store without having to supply a password. To prevent this, change Require Password to Immediately as shown below.

That is it. Changing those two settings will relieve you from running the risk of having your kids make unexpected purchases in the App Store. In addition, they will not be able to disable the restriction without entering the Restriction Password you set up. Another tip I can give is to refrain from giving your Apple ID and password to your kids. That will save you a whole lot of headache.

Amazing iOS 7 Tips and Tricks

iOS 7 is Apple's new and improved iOS for your iPhone and iPad devices. The complete redesign of the iOS created an experience that is simpler, more useful, and more enjoyable. The redesign includes sharper and flatter icons, slimmer fonts, a new slide-from-the-bottom unlock function, and a Control Center that gives easy access to all frequently used settings. But there is more to iOS 7 than the features that has been announced. We have compiled some tips and tricks for you to get the most out of your iOS 7 device.

Camera Burst Mode

You can now shoot in burst mode (take multiple shots in quick succession) using the Camera app. All you have to do is press and hold the volume up button on your iOS device.

Multitasking

With the new iOS 7, you can quit running apps by tapping the Home button twice and swiping the app you want to quit upwards. Not only that, you can also quit multiple apps using multiple fingers all at the same time.

Text Size

Apple has added the Dynamic Type mode that will make the text larger and easier to read on supported apps.

To adjust the setting, go to Settings>General>Text Size. Adjust the text size by moving the slider to your preference.

NOTE: Not all apps support the Dynamic Type mode.

Notifications

When you receive a new notification, you can swipe to the right to open the appropriate app, or swipe up to hide the notification.

Message TimeStamp

With the new iOS 7, you can now see the exact time a message has been sent and received by swiping the screen from right to left.

Compass

The Compass app can be used as a level tool. Just launch the app to display the familiar dots at the bottom of the screen that indicates a second screen. Swipe from right to left to display the spirit level.

Block Contacts

In some instances, there will be a need for you to block certain individuals from contacting you. Blocking a contact is now possible with your iOS 7. All you need to do is to go to Contacts, then scroll down to the contact you want to block, and then tap Block This Caller to refuse incoming calls, messages (SMS and MMS), and FaceTime calls.

Background App Refresh

Background App Refresh allows apps running in the background while you multitask to continually refresh their contents when running Wi-Fi or cellular data. This is considered to be both a convenience and a nuisance at the same time, especially if you are saving your battery life.

To turn this feature off, go to Settings>General>Background App Refresh. Here, you have the option to turn off the feature altogether or just turn it off for the apps you don't need refreshing.

Reduce Motion

Any type of animation or moving screen wallpaper, including the parallax effect of icons and alerts, may look cool but it can put a strain to your eyes and will make you a little queasy. Furthermore, it will drain away your battery like there is no tomorrow. You can disable these feature by turning on Reduce Motion. To do this, go to Settings>General>Accessibility, and toggle Reduce Motion to on.

Automatic Updates

iOS 7 keeps your apps up-to-date by automatically downloading updates without having to visit the App Store. This is a very smart feature and a big time saver as long as you have unlimited data plan.

To manage this feature, go to Settings>iTunes & App Store>look for Updates under AUTOMATIC DOWNLOADS.

Siri

The new iOS 7 allows you to correct Siri's pronunciation by simply saying "Siri that's not how you pronounce that." Siri will then ask you to say it again to better pronounce the name.

Spotlight

Spotlight is Apple's internal search functionality, which is now accessible from any screen. All you need to do is swipe down on the icon grid from any screen to access it. You can customize Spotlight by disabling it on the apps you don't need to be indexed.

To disable Spotlight on some apps, go to Settings>General>Spotlight Search, and then uncheck the items you do not need to be indexed.

Control Center

Control Center provides quick and easy access to frequently used settings such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Brightness, etc. by simply swiping up from any screen, including the Lock screen.

AutoFill

AutoFill is a feature that allows Safari to automatically fill out web forms with your contact information, previous user names and passwords, and credit card details. If you want to enable AutoFill, go toSettings>Safari>Passwords>AutoFill.

AirDrop

The AirDrop feature allows users to transfer files easily. However, it should be turned off when it is not in use to conserve your battery.

NOTE: AirDrop is not available in iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s.

To manage AirDrop, go to Control Center by swiping up on the Home screen, and then tap AirDrop. You can make your iOS device discoverable for Contacts Only or Everyone, as well as turn the feature off altogether.

FaceTime

iOS 7 now allows you to make audio-only FaceTime calls by simply tapping the phone icon instead of the video icon in the FaceTime app.

Notification Center

The new Notification Center is accessible from the Lock Screen, which allows anyone to view your appointments and excerpts of your recent messages without having to enter the passcode. Good thing iOS 7 allows you to customize the Notification Center available from the Lock Screen, or you can simply turn off the feature entirely.

To do this, go to Settings>Notification Center. Under ACCESS ON LOCK SCREEN, disable the features you want to limit or swipe both Notifications View and Today View to turn off the Notification Center from the Lock Screen altogether.

Safari Tabs

If you are one of those people who struggles from tapping the tiny x to close a tab, iOS 7 has made things easier for you. Closing a tab is very simple. All you have to do is swipe them away to the left to close them. iOS 7 has also increased the tab limit to 24 tabs all open at the same time. 

Giant Folders

Previous iOS versions only allows a certain number of apps that can be placed on a folder. With the new iOS 7, there is no limit to the number of apps you can place on a single folder.

Location Services

There are some apps that tracks your current location. This usually applies to Maps, but there may have been a time where you have authorized other apps, such as Facebook or Twitter, to monitor your location without using the in-app features. You can manage Location Services by going to Settings>Privacy>Location Services>System Services>Frequent Locations where you will find a list and a map that shows your movements. You have the option to clear the history or to turn Frequent Locations off. You can also prevent specific apps from tracking your location by going to Settings>Privacy>Location Services and turn off the feature for the apps you have no use of.

Limit Ad Tracking

By default, iOS 7 tracks your browsing history to allow ad companies to keep track of what you browse on the Internet. To turn this off, go to Settings>Privacy>Advertising, then swipe Limit Ad Tracking to.

Sources: 

www.techradar.com

www.digitaltrends.com

www.pocket-lint.com

www.entrepreneur.com

www.trustedreviews.com

How to Autohide the Taskbar in Windows 7

Most Windows users are probably aware of what a taskbar is. It is the familiar horizontal strip located at the bottom of your desktop, where your open files and programs appear. Unlike the desktop, the taskbar is visible almost all the time and it has four main sections:

• Start button, which opens the Start menu
• Quick Launch toolbar, which allows you to start a program with just one click
• Middle section, which displays the programs and documents that you have opened and allows you to quickly switch between them
• Notification area, which includes the clock and icons that communicate the status of certain programs and computer settings

However, some people find the taskbar to be an eyesore on their desktop, so they prefer to hide it from view. If you are one of those people, checkout the simple instructions below:

Autohide the Taskbar in Windows 7

Open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window by clicking the Start button, then going to Control Panel. Click Appearance and Personalization, and then click Taskbar and Start Menu.

Another way to access the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window is by right-clicking the taskbar and clicking Properties. Either way will do just fine.

Once the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window appears, look for Taskbar appearance under the Taskbar tab, then check the Auto-hide the taskbar box.

Finally, click OK to save the setting.

The taskbar is now hidden from view. If you want to see it again, just point your mouse to the location where you last saw the taskbar.

Sources: 

www.microsoft.com 

www.wikihow.com

Samsung Galaxy S4: The Brightest Star in the Galaxy

Source: http://www.samsung.com

Samsung, the South Korean champion in the Android high-end smartphone has launched the Galaxy S4 , which is already taking the market by storm next to Apple’s iPhone 5S. By itself, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is enjoying some technical accolades, but is not the run-away winner Samsung is counting on.

Samsung is the brand that has singlehandedly challenged the big names in the landscape of global smartphones. It has had a far-reaching impact on big brands by forcing them to think and rethink their product and marketing strategies.

Apple is in for a tough fight with Samsung, having HTC, Sony, Nokia, and Blackberry trying to nip at the heels or play catch-up with Samsung.

In spite of its shortcomings, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is an intriguing product. The one change that most people were expecting and were disappointed in was in the body design of the S4. It’s hard to distinguish between the S3 and the S4, making the S4 almost like an S3 rebrand. The most common long-standing complaint is the ‘plastic-feel’ of the S4.

The full HD AMOLED screen has become the signature mark for the Galaxy S4. It works to the advantage of the consumer with its improved screen resolution. The body is smaller and thinner as compared to the S3. At 5 inches, the phone certainly has a longer display surface as compared to competitors like the Sony Xperia. In fact, the resolution hardly gets distorted thanks to the pan-viewing angle technology.

The 1.6GHz processor with a 2GB RAM is a decent combination. Though the HTC One and Sony Xperia have faster processors, the Galaxy S4’s processor gets the job done with the jellybean Android OS. Samsung is good at packing small innovations with high impact in its technology. One new technology is its being able to track the eyeball movement of the user and pauses the videos on gaze. The Internet browsing experience has also taken up a couple of notches.

The 2,600mAh battery powering the Galaxy S4 supports the device positively. The 13MPa camera works well to its favor, but the front camera is somewhat a disappointment. The internal and external memory was never a concern for any Galaxy model.

Having set the benchmark high with the Galaxy S3, what eventually came out with the S4 was a little dismal showing from a phone that was set to revolutionize the smartphone market and drive other fringe brands out of the competition. Instead, the S4 has provided the competition an opportunity to strike back hard and dent its market share.

Ever since its launching, no known major issues have plagued the Samsung Galaxy S4. Minor issues like enabling the USB mass storage is easily done and can be readily searched on the Internet from legitimate computer technical support companies and websites.

With the high standard of the Galaxy S3 and customer’s expectation needing to be surpassed, it has been rumored that Samsung will do so with the rumored soon-to-be-launched Galaxy S5. But, as they say, that is another story.

Setting Up an Email on Your iOS Device

Setting up an email on your iOS device is very easy. If you are setting up your email on your device for the first time, follow these simple steps:

STEP 1: On the device’s Home screen, tap the Mail app.

STEP 2: Or tap Settings, and then tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.

STEP 3: When you get to a screen similar to the image below, select your email provider on the list, then you will be asked to input your username and password for that email account, and then it will automatically configure the email settings for you.

NOTE: If you do not see your email provider on the list, tap the Other option, and then fill out the following information:

You can get these information from your email provider. Apple maintains a database of the most common email settings. These settings are automatically configured on your device during setup. If the database doesn't automatically configure the settings and you don't know them, please contact your email provider and gather the settings as shown on the image above.

STEP 4: If you want to add another account, tap Settings, then tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and then tap Add Account.

STEP 5: Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the email setup.

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