30 Second Tips - Scroll On Webpages

This is the 46th post in a series called 30 Second Tips. My goal is to show you how to do some neat stuff in 30 seconds or less!

While surfing the web on your Mac or PC, you can easily scroll down by pressing the Space Bar. If you want to scroll back up the page you can press Shift + Space Bar.

This should work in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.

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Apple Event Recap June 2013

On Monday, June 11, 2013 Apple had an event where they announced numerous new products. The highlight of the event was iOS 7. In this blog post I will recap what was announced and share my thoughts.

iOS 7

“iOS 7 brings with it the most signifcant changes to the user interface since the introduction of the very first iOS. To create it, we brought together a broad range of expertise from design to engineering. With what we’ve been able to achieve together, we see iOS 7 as defining an important new direction and in many ways a beginning.”
— Jonathan Ive, Apple Senior VP of Design

iOS 7 is a signficant change to the software that runs our iPhones and iPads. Apple has not only changed the look and feel, but also redesigned the way many things work to make the experience of using our devices even better!

Some of the changes include:

  • All new Control Center
  • Multi-tasking for all apps
  • AirDrop (device to device sharing)
  • Automatic updates for apps
  • Activation Lock
  • Improvements to Siri
  • Redesigned apps (Mail, Calendar, Photos, Safari, and more)
  • Redesigned look and feel of most aspects of the software

iOS 7 will be compatible with:

  • iPhone 4
  • iPhone 4S
  • iPHone 5
  • iPad 2
  • iPad 3
  • iPad 4
  • iPad mini

iOS 7 will be availble this fall for free.

It has been a few years since I have been this excited about something that Apple has announced. I think iOS 7 will significantly improve the way we use our devices and will lay a foundation for the next few years of advancements!

Learn more about iOS 7 on Apple's website.

OS X Mavericks

OS X Mavericks (10.9) will be availble this fall.

Some of the changes include:

  • New apps (iBooks & Maps)
  • Significant improvements to apps (Safari, Mail, Calendar)
  • Advanced Technologies
  • Tags (for organizing your files)
  • Improved Notifications
  • iCloud Keychain

Apple has ran out of cat names so they will now name OS X after places that they love in California. Mavericks is a beach known for some awesome surfing. Mavericks appears to be a great update for all Mac users. I am especially excited about the Advanced Technologies. It sounds like Apple has come up with some neat ways of increasing the speed and battery life our Macs.

Learn more about OS X Mavericks on Apple's website.

iTunes Radio

This fall when iOS 7 is released, you will be able to use iTunes Radio. iTunes Radio is like Pandora, but built right into the Music app on your iPhone or iPad. You will be able to play music from a wide variety of pre-built stations or you can create your own station based on a particular artist or song that you like.

iTunes Radio will be free but supported by ads or ad free if you are pay for iTunes Match.

Learn more about iTunes Radio on Apple's website.

MacBook Airs

Apple announced updates to the MacBook Air line. The most sigficant difference is the battery life. The 11-inch MacBook Air improves to 9 hours (from 5) and the 13-inch MacBook Air improves to 12 hours (from 7).

Other notable impovements include:

  • Better graphics performance
  • Dual microphones
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi support
  • Faster all-flash storage
  • Increased storage

I will be purchasing a new 11-inch MacBook Air this week to take advantage of the massive increase in battery life. Britta will take over my 2012 MacBook Air and we are selling the 2010 MacBook Pro.

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Ask The Nice Guy - USB Hubs, GPS App For iPad, Apple Warranty

This is the 9th post in a series called Ask The Nice Guy. In this series I will attempt to provide answers to the various questions I get asked throughout the week.

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in this blog post, boiled down to five word (or less) summaries.

  1. More UBB Ports
  2. GPS App For iPad
  3. Apple Warranty

QUESTION 1: How To Get More USB Ports?

“Is there a way to get more ports for USB drives, printers, etc.?”

If you find yourself running low on USB ports you can purchase a USB hub. I would recommend the AmazonBasics USB 2.0 4-Port Ultra Mini Hub because it won't take up too much space on your desk and it cost less than $10. It will give you three additional USB ports.

QUESTION 2: GPS App For iPad?

“Is there a GPS app for the iPad that we could buy? Our son (in San Diego) mentioned it the last time we were out there, and we were wondering if we could have something on the iPad instead of buying a separate GPS system for the car. Our son thought it would cost about $40. We don’t know anything about it but think it might come in handy for traveling.”

There are numerous apps available on the iPad that could provide turn by turn directions like a dedicated GPS device. If your iPad or iPad mini has an active cellular connection (most iPads do not), then I would recommend you download Waze. It will provide complete voice-guided navigation.

If you have a Wi-Fi only iPad (most iPads are Wi-Fi only), then you will need to go a different route (pun intended). You will need to download an app that has the ability to download map data directly to the iPad since you won't have an internet connection while in the vehicle. I would recommend CoPilot Live Premium HD USA - Offline GPS Navigation & Maps. The app costs $12.99.

You will also need to have a GPS adapter for your iPad. I would recommend the Dual Electronics XGPS150 Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver. It costs $99.

So, if you have an iPad or iPad mini with a cellular connection it won't cost you anything to get turn by turn directions. If you don't have a cellular connection on your iPad, you will be spending approximately $113 to get everything setup.

You could purchase a nice TomTom for less than the cost to get your non cellular iPad setup for GPS. If you want to go that route, I would recommend the TomTom START 45TM 4.3-Inch GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps and Roadside Assistance.

QUESTION 3: Do I Have Extended Warranty On My iPad?

“I checked my serial number as your blog suggests, and it says I have a one year warranty only. When my kids gave me my iPad for Christmas, they said the had bought the extended warranty, What do reccomend I do to check if I do have the warranty?”

I would recommend that you check the receipt! There is a chance that they purchased the iPad at Target, Best Buy, or other retailer and purchased a non Apple warranty. If that is the case you will have to deal with the company that sold you the non Apple warranty for any repairs or issues after the first year warranty is over.

If the receipt shows that they purchased AppleCare you should contact Apple Care by calling 1-800-275-2273 and they can help get things straightened out.

If you want to learn how to check the warranty status of your Apple device check out my blog post title, 30 SECOND TIPS - CHECK WARRANTY (APPLE).

If you appreciate the free content on NiceGuyTechnology.com please support Mike by shopping on Amazon. If you click on the link and buy something, Mike will receive a small percentage of your purchase and it won't cost you any extra! Thanks for your consideration!