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Using Siri to Create a Time or Location-Based Reminder

By
Kelly Hodgkins
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Siri allows you to do many things right from the lock screen using only voice commands. One of the most useful features is the ability to create a new reminder that’ll alert you at a particular time or location.

How to set a time-based reminder using Siri

Once you launch Siri, you can set a timed based reminder with a single phrase.

  1. Press and hold the Home button on your iPhone or iPad to activate Siri.
  2. Tell Siri to remind you to do something at a particular date or time. You can say “Remind me to meet John tomorrow at 11 am,” for example.
  3. Siri will confirm what you said. If anything is incorrect, just tap the reminder to edit it, or start again with Siri.
  4. Once the reminder has the correct details, you can tap on “Done” or “Confirm” to finish adding the task to your Reminders list.

How to set a location-based reminder using Siri

Once you launch Siri, you can set a timed based reminder with a single phrase.

  1. Press and hold the Home button on your iPhone or iPad to activate Siri.
  2. Tell Siri to remind you to perform an action at a particular location, such as “Remind me to call Jane when I get to Dave’s house.”
  3. Siri will confirm what you said. If anything is incorrect, just tap the reminder to edit it, or start again with Siri.
  4. If the reminder has the correct details, you can tap on “Done” or “Confirm” to finish adding the task to your Reminders list.

For Siri to add a location, that place has to be included in your contacts. It’s easy to add these sites — just create a contact card for a contact and add the address. This method works for friends, families and even businesses such as your local pizza joint.

A quick guide to using Siri with your HomeKit accessories

By
Henry McIntosh
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An automation framework, HomeKit is Apple’s attempt at creating a way to control smart household appliances, such as: speakers, lights, security, TV, coffee machine, locks etc.

But HomeKit won’t come with a centralised app, instead you’ll need to use Siri- Apple’s personal assistant to command the software.

By utilising Siri you can organise this functionality and trigger commands across all your appliances.

Pre-set commands allow you to tell Siri how exactly Homekit should respond. For example, you could tell Siri to ‘turn off the bedroom lights’ or ‘lock the garage door.’

If you’re running current Apple software you can even control such appliances remotely.

But perhaps most impressive is the fact that Siri has the ability to run group commands, simultaneously allowing you to lock the front door, turn off all the lights and make sure those speakers are off.

Interestingly, you’ll even be able to query things such as: ‘did I lock the front door?’

So how can you create a smart home using Apple’s HomeKit? Read on for a quick guide to getting started. Note steps may vary depending on app.

Appliance Setup

First of all you’ll have to setup you appliances in their given apps- this is because there isn’t one specific app for HomeKit- as aforementioned.

Once this is complete, you will need to open the Siri Integration Screen and add your HomeKit appliances so Siri recognises them.

Room Setup

  • Open chosen HomeKit app and proceed to Siri Integration Screen -> Select ‘Rooms’ -> Select ‘Plus Button’ to add a room -> Name the room -> Select devices you wish to control within it -> ‘Save’

 

Zone Setup

  • Open chosen HomeKit app and proceed to Siri Integration -> Select ‘Zones’ -> Select ‘Plus Button’ to add a new zone -> Name Zone -> Select rooms to control within it -> ‘Save’

~~~

 

Once you’ve enacted these steps you should be ready to start utilising your smart home- enjoy!

Three of the best camera apps for Android

By
Henry McIntosh
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Earlier this week we wrote an article demonstrating how to change your Android Camera.

Now it’s time for us to recommend a few of our favourites so that you can really enjoy the opportunities changing your camera brings.

From beginner photographers to seasoned pros, the diverse array of camera apps that are available to Android users caters for every experience level and taste.

The one thing all these apps have in common: they’re all free.

Camera MX

Best for: Action Photographers

Camera MX packs a load of useful features in. With HDR, Lomo, mirror, kaleidoscope, auto optimization, overlays and textures effects and the ability to optimise brightness, photo + video rotation, contrast, colour temperature and aspect ratio for a free app this is a commendable effort.

One feature that particularly stands out though, is Camera MX’s: “Shoot the Past” Mode. Which, as the name suggests, allows you to go back in time to prior to your actual photograph to ‘select and save’ the action that you missed.

 

Blend Pic

Best for: The Artistic Type

Blend pic is simple but the results it produces are quite stunning and professional in look. If you want to impress your friends with faux-design skills then this is the app for you.

Blend Pic can merge to pictures together. But rather than a random amalgamation of the two you can adjust the transparency and gradient, crop, move, rotate and erase things within the picture.

That is all it does, but it’s certainly fun to play around with.

 

Photo Editor Pro

Best for: Serious Photographers

Going from the simple to a more advanced platform, Photo Editor Pro is for those who want to toy with their photos a little bit more.

Key features of the app include the ability to use one-tap auto-enhance, effects and frames, add fun stickers to pictures, alter colour balance, crop, rotate and straighten photos, adjust brightness, contrast, colour temperature and saturation, sharpen and blur images, add text, create memes and share to social.

To summarise, it can do a lot. So it’s a pretty cool app for photographers of all levels.

The best part is that all these apps are free so try them out and have a play around to see which ones you like best.

 

 

 

How to Enable Two-Factor Authentication for Your Apple ID

By
Kelly Hodgkins
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Apple added two-step verification in 2013 to increase the security of its Apple ID accounts. The extra authentication step was added to iCloud in September 2014 following a high-profile celebrity hack that led to the release of leaked photos. More recently two-factor authentication was enabled for iMessage and FaceTime, allowing users to lock further down those accounts and prevent unauthorized access.

How Does Two-Factor Authentication Work

Two-factor authentication is an additional security feature that requires you to enter not one, but two pieces of information when you login to an account. This two-factor login makes it harder for hackers to access your Apple account and keeps your personal information as secure as possible.

For your Apple accounts, you will need to verify your identity as the account holder by entering both the password you created for the account and either your Recovery Key or a 4-digit verification code that is sent from Apple to a trusted device registered on your account. This trusted device is an iOS device in your possession that is capable of receiving a 4-digit verification code via SMS or Find My iPhone.

Enabling Two-Factor Authentication

Enabling two-factor authentication is a multi-part process that takes just a few minutes to complete. It should not be done hastily as the process requires you to record and store a recovery key that provides instant access to your account in case it is locked following a hacking attempt. You can enable two-factor authentication as follows:

  1. Go to My Apple ID.
  2. Select Manage your Apple ID and sign into the account.
  3. Select Password and Security.
  4. Answer your security questions and then click Continue.
  5. Under Two-Step Verification, select the Get Started link.
  6. Read through the instructional screens that explain the feature.
  7. Click the Get Started button to begin.
  8. Set up at least one trusted device by clicking on “Add a phone number…”.
  9. Enter your phone number and select Next.
  10. Enter the four-digit verification code sent to your phone and click Verify.
  11. You can also verify any other iOS device that already has Find My iPhone/iPad,/iPod touch. Select Verify to send a code to that device and add it as a trusted device.
  12. Click on Continue when done verifying your devices.
  13. Write down and print your Recovery Key and then select Continue.
  14. Enter your Recovery Key and click on Confirm.
  15. Click on the checkbox if you agree to the conditions and then click on Enable Two-step Verification to complete the process.
  16. Clicking on cancel anytime before this last step will halt the process.

Using Two-Factor Authentication

Once enabled, two-factor authentication secures your account by requiring both a password and a verification code that is sent to your trusted device when you do the following:

  • Login to your My Apple ID online account
  • Login to iCloud on a new device or at iCloud.com
  • Sign into iMessage, Game Center, or FaceTime
  • Initiate an iTunes, iBooks, or App Store purchase from a new device
  • Request Apple ID support from Apple

You also may need to configure and use app-specific passwords for all third-party apps that access your iCloud data and don’t natively support Apple’s two-step verification process.

Did you enable two-factor authentication for your Apple ID? Why or Why not?

Apple Lightning Dock Review

By
Henry McIntosh
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Supposedly future-proof, thanks to its new flat design which ensures the width of the phone is no longer of concern, the Apple Lightning Dock is suitable for iPhones 5 right through to the latest incarnation- the 6 Plus.

As with most things Apple, the stylish and subtle design means that aesthetically this isn’t the below your desk type of charger but rather something that complements the stylish nature of the iPhone itself.

Despite its simplistic exterior, this is an unmistakably Apple product. For this reason alone it will probably become a fixture in many homes and offices.

Stylish maybe, but in a practical sense the design isn’t perfect. The non-slip base provides little actual defence against slips and without too much effort the Lightning Dock can be pushed aside.

It’s worth mentioning too, that while the new Lightning Dock will suit an array of Apple devices we wouldn’t recommend plugging your iPad in just yet. The weight on the angled connector may snap it off- so stick to using it for phones.

Despite this, the Lightning Dock isn’t fragile. Your phone will remain in place until you make a concerted effort to remove it, so don’t worry about the durability of this gadget- it’s purpose built for your phone so keep it that way!

It’s interesting that Apple took six months to provide a Lightning Dock for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus range. A timeframe that almost equates to a decade in tech terms, numerous other brands have attempted to fill the gap Apple left during this time.

Often these docks afford more functionality and more interesting design too. But most Apple aficionados will appreciate the classic Apple design of the Lightning Dock and if you’re just looking for a neat way to charge your phone you don’t really need to look much further.

Still, while prices vary greatly, Apple –as you can imagine- have not produced the cheapest dock of the lot. In fact while the lightning dock is perhaps positioned at the lower end of the mid-price range there are other docks below its $39 price point; there are plenty above it too.

 

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