Let’s start by agreeing that we all hate iTunes. Feel better now? Nope. Me neither.
However, I seem to have found a reliable solution for when iTunes repeatedly asks for your password. A hat tip to ytene over on the Apple forums for this.
The simple solution:
Hopefully, this will fix the problem.
A fairly regular occurrence when you do a lot of driving; you find something during your drive that should be reported (roadkill, accidents, debris, etc.). If you are on a rural road, the GPS coordinates would be ideal. But, since you are a sensible person you don’t want to take your hands off the steering wheel to fiddle with your phone.
I have a solution for iOS phones (mostly – it still will require one touch of the screen).
The solution is to use Siri and ask the question “Where am I?”
Now unfortunately, Siri doesn’t store this information, and once your screen turns off it will disappear. However, if you touch the map, the information will be transferred to the maps app. The maps app will hold the information until you are ready to deal with it.
Now when you can pull over you can use either the option to Share My Location or Mark My Location.
Selecting Share My Location brings up your share sheet.
You can also pull the panel a little higher up over the map, for more information. Like the GPS coordinates or contact options.
You can use the Mark My Location to do exactly that on the map. A red pin will display on the map, and the option to Edit the location appears.
If you choose to edit the location, a satellite view of the location opens, and you can drag and drop the pin.
Marked locations remain in the map app for later reference.
If you are using an iPhone or iPad and your vision is compromised (or, ahem if you are over 50), you might find these options useful. With every version of iOS the accessibility options have improved and expanded.
The following is the sequence of steps I follow when setting up an iOS device for someone with vision issues; as always your mileage may vary, but even if you only catch yourself squinting at your phone from time to time – give these options a try.
It is cool to have nifty images on your phone screen, but if you are having trouble reading the labels for your folders, then it may be time to use a black background. You may also want to do this for your lock screen so that notifications and buttons stand out more.
The easiest method is to take a black photograph and use it as your background. Set your device on a table, block the light and take a photo (you may need to turn off your flash first). Use this photo for your background by going to Settings>Wallpaper > Choose a New Wallpaper and selecting your new photo from the Camera Roll.
Choose the Set option and then select the Set Home Screen option
Next go to Settings > General > Accessibility and select the following options:
While you are still in Settings > General > Accessibility , move down to Accessibility Shortcut. Here you can customize the action of the Home button when your triple-click it. Choose Zoom
You’ll need to fine-tune Zoom’s behaviour, by going to Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom
Don’t worry about turning Zoom on here, that is what your triple-click will do. Instead:
To turn the zoom window on triple-click your home button and the zoom window will appear, outlined in black with a small tab handle at the bottom.
This is a toggle, so a second triple click turns the zoom window off. And what is really great, is that you can interact with the screen through the window. Click on links and type in dialog boxes whatever you need to do. This window is not just for viewing!
By touching the tab handle shape at the bottom of the zoom window, a customization menu opens up.
Through it you can:
which will allow you to resize the Zoom Window with the handles provided.
The new magnifier option isn’t for your screen, but rather for all the small print articles you need to read. From menus in dark restaurants to the label on a pill bottle, if you have your phone you can read it. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Magnifier
Turn on the Magnifier and Auto-Brightness.
Now when you triple-click your Home button, an Accessibility Shortcuts menu will pop up. Tap the action you want to perform.
Did I get what I want from the Apple Event today? Yeah, pretty much. Although we still don’t know if any podcast improvements are happening. 🙁
But in the main I’m pretty happy with what I saw today. Apple is pretty clearly positioning the iPad Pro for business users and as serious competition for gaming laptops. The mini 4 gets a much-needed hardware update. And there certainly is enough improvement in the iPhone 6S category to warrant an upgrade from a 5S.
