In the early to mid 2000s one of the most popular 'smartphones' was the BlackBerry. Business users loved it for many different reasons, one of the most common being the QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry's time in the spotlight is over however and the iPhone is now the go-to for many users. One common gripe about the iPhone however is the keyboard. It definitely takes a while to get used to, especially if you are upgrading from a phone with a physical keyboard.

Here are four tip to make the typing experience better on your iPhone.

1. Lock caps lock - While the use of capital letters while typing is generally frowned upon, there are times when you need to type more than one letter in a row in caps. Most users will hit the caps button (upward pointing arrow) on the keyboard, type a letter and then hit it again to type another in caps. You can lock the keyboard in caps mode by double tapping the caps lock button. You'll notice the key turns blue, indicating caps lock is on. When you are finished, tap it once to turn it off. 2. Turn off auto-correct - We've all seen the funny and sometimes embarrassing texts blamed on auto-correct. While useful when getting used to typing on the iPhone, it can be more of a hindrance than a help after you've gotten the hang of it. You can turn auto-correct off by selecting Settings, followed by General, Keyboard and finally setting Auto-Correction to Off. 3. Long-press keys for more options - At first glance, the iPhone's keyboard is a little sparse with many of the standard keys beyond the letters and number keys missing. They are still there, however but just not labeled. With many keys, a long-press on the key will bring up a number of different options and other keys. For example: a long-press on the A key will bring up different letters associated with a, or a long press on ? will bring up the option to use an inverted question mark or an exclamation point. Play around with the keys, and you'll soon see a ton of different typing options emerge. 4. Stop typing .com - Did you know that you don't have to always type .com, .net or .org? In certain places, the iPhone will put it in for you. For example, when you are typing a web address on the browser, you can do a long-press on the . to get a pop-up of a whole bunch of dot something endings. This will also work in the email To, CC and BCC: fields.

The above tips are just a few ways to make it easier to type on the iPhone. Do you have another typing tip? Let us know; or, if you would like to learn more, please contact us.

The iPhone is a great gadget and many users probably don't know what they would do without it. One the biggest issues with it though is its relatively short battery life, although with careful use you will likely get through a full day and some of the next. This likely means you need to charge it at the office, which probably means you carry that silly cable around with you all the time. A new charging device aims to replace this cable with something that you can easily fit into your wallet.

Scheduled to release in December 2012, the Charge Card, (no, it's not a new fangled credit card), is a device that will replace the somewhat unwieldy iPhone charging cable. The concept behind the gadget is to replace the charging cable with something you can fit in your wallet.

The Charge Card is a credit card sized charging device which is .1 inches thick and made of a hard plastic. In the middle is a rubber USB connector that pops out and is compatible with any USB port. On the opposite end is a small 30-pin connector - the standard connector used by Apple. The 30-pin connector will work with the iPhone 4s and older; the iPad 3 and older; and any iPod. It is compatible with the new iPhone 5, iPads and iPods if you have the adapter.

How it works is you pop out the flexible USB connector, plug it into a USB port on a computer, TV, airplane seat, etc. and plug the other end into your iDevice. While it isn't a battery, it does allow you to leave the cords at home, and USB ports being pretty much everywhere these days, you can charge your device whenever you need to.

What is interesting about this is that the project was crowdfunded through Kickstarter, meaning people think it's a good enough idea to invest in it. You can learn more about the project here, and if you'd like to learn more about using the iPhone in the office, give us a shout, we'd be happy to chat with you.

“It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here!” At the end of September, Apple fans took delivery of the first shipments of the newly released iPhone 5. Reviews have been largely positive, it’s an Apple product after all; expectations are high. The new version of the popular iPhone has some new features that managers will definitely find useful.

Here’s an overview of the iPhone 5 and the changes it brings with the new version.

New version of iOS As has become tradition, a new iPhone means an update to the operating system. iOS brings some features like a modified user interface, deeper iCloud integration, a new maps app, a digital wallet and many more. At this time, the maps app is good, but will need a lot of work to compete with Google Maps, while the digital wallet has yet to really be tested. To provide iPhone users information about businesses, Apple integrates Yelp information, so it will help you if you have a presence on Yelp.

Bigger screen The iPhone 5 has a 4-inch screen, when measured from top-left to bottom-right. This extra screen space allows for an extra row of icons and a better landscape view. The retina display makes a comeback and produces some of the highest quality images on any mobile phone. The bigger screen also means you will be able to see more of a document, web page or any new program.

Is the extra screen space worth upgrading from older iPhone models? Yes, ask any Android user who has upgraded to the now standard 4-4.3 inch screen and they will tell you that they don’t know how they coped with a smaller screen. The same can be said for the iPhone.

More battery power An important factor to consider before buying a smartphone is if the battery will last through your whole work day. Many iPhone 4 and 4s users know that their phone could get through a day of minimal use, but make calls or put the phone through it’s paces and a mid-afternoon top-up is needed. The battery for the iPhone 5 is bigger and according to Apple you should be able to get up to eight hours of surfing the web out of the phone.

Actual reports have been mixed from poor to amazing, with most reviews stating battery life is better than the iPhone 4, meaning you should be able to get you through a day of moderate use without needing to recharge.

Faster processor The iPhone 5 has a new processor, called the A6, which is touted as being smaller, but nearly twice as powerful. This means that the phone will run faster, open apps quicker and be able to run more advanced apps. As of the launch, there aren’t a wealth of programs that utilize the new processor’s power, but give it a few months and you’ll see some highly useful programs that parallel those found on the computer.

New connector If you are like any other modern worker, you probably have at least one laptop, two phones, an mp3 player and maybe a tablet. This can amount to a number of cables and cords that can be hard to keep track of. Apple isn’t making your life easier, as they have introduced a new connector. The connector is pretty cool, as it’s smaller and double sided, meaning you don’t have to worry about which way you plug in the device, both sides will work. The downside to this is you have to buy adaptors to use old cords, which cost around USD$30 each.

LTE support LTE is a new form of wireless communication that’s widely thought to be the next version of mobile communication. Most networks in the world use 3G; LTE is commonly known as 4G, and is currently available in, or coming soon to, a large percentage of countries. The iPhone 5 can connect to LTE networks allowing users to benefit from super fast Internet speeds, and supposedly improved connections.

Durability One of the most common complaints about modern phones is that they are somewhat fragile. Most people have dropped their phone at least once, many have had screens replaced. A drop test conducted by the Android Authority has shown that the iPhone 5 is durable, with three drop tests from different heights showing little damage. If you err on the slightly clumsy side you’ll be glad to know that the iPhone 5 appears to be more durable than other models. In general, the iPhone 5 is an evolution more than the proposed revolution, but it’s a development that should be good for businesses users who pick one up. The biggest barrier might be price, which is the same as the iPhone 4s. If you’re looking to upgrade, contact your mobile provider, or let us know, as we may be able to help.

The iPhone and its operating system, iOS is arguably the single most popular cell phone on the market. There are a large number of great features and apps that make it an easy to use system. One app, iCloud, utilizes the cloud to ensure that all your files and important information are synced across all devices. While iCloud is useful, it can cause your phone to run slower.

Here’s how to optimize iCloud to ensure your iPhone runs quicker.

What is iCloud? Before optimizing iCloud it’s important to know what exactly iCloud is and how it works. iCloud is Apple’s cloud syncing solution. It’s main purpose is to keep your device’s important information in sync with your Mac, PC and other Apple devices. It works by uploading information like your contacts, installed apps, email, photos, bookmarks and calendars to Apple’s servers, which then make your information available to any device with iCloud installed on it, including your computer. The main purpose of this app is to back up and sync data across multiple devices, not store your data.

Every iPhone owner who has an up-to-date iPhone can sign up for the service and receives 5GB of space for their needs. By default, iCloud constantly syncs in the background without the user noticing. The only problem is syncing can slow your iPhone to a crawl.

Optimize iCloud for iPhone speed If you have iCloud set up and have noticed that your iPhone is slowing down we recommend three different ways to speed it up.

• Set iCloud to only sync when connected to WiFi. Chances are high that you have a data plan for your iPhone. When you set up iCloud, the default setting is to sync even while connected to a data network. This means iCloud is always syncing, using valuable system resources and data. You can set it to only sync when connected to WiFi by going to Settings, selecting Store and scrolling to the bottom and turning Use Cellular Data to Off. This will cause your Internet to slow down slightly however.
• Turn off iCloud sync. You can also disable iCloud until you want to sync. Go to Settings and select iCloud and turn everything to Off. When you add a new contact, or would like to sync something, you can go back to the iCloud and turn on what you want to sync. Another option is to turn it on when you go to sleep at night, then turn it off again when you wake up.
• Select what to sync. With iCloud, you’re in control as to what is synced and backed up. If you take a lot of pictures or are an avid media and app user you’ll find that your iPhone is constantly updating. You can go to iCloud in Settings and turn off non-essential apps and backups. When you need to back up your media, do so by connecting your phone to the computer and using iTunes to transfer your files onto your computer.

iCloud is a great way to back up your phone’s important information, but you shouldn’t rely on it. The optimal solution is to back up your phone using a cloud backup like iCloud as well as backing up your phone on your computer. If you’re interested in learning more about iCloud or other mobile backup solutions, please contact us.

Go back 20 years and tell a person that they’d be able to access the Internet through their mobile phone. Guaranteed these people would scoff at your zany ideas, but, it’s true, the modern mobile phone is smart, and one of the most popular smartphones is the Apple iPhone. While the iPhone is popular, it can, like any device, break. Often the first thing to break is your screen, and when it does you may be stuck wondering how to replace it.

If your iPhone’s screen cracks, chips, scratches or breaks there are four things you can do to:

Keep using it Some people that have a slightly damaged screen find that their iPhone is still perfectly functional and will continue to use it. If your screen is slightly scratched but the phone’s still working then, why not continue using it? Better yet, if the scratch comes with a funny story, it could be a great icebreaker.

DIY replacement An option for those who love to take things apart, or whose iPhone is off warranty, is the DIY screen replacement. You can order screens and related screwdrivers (needed for disassembly) online for around $100 and $15 respectively.

Be aware that this is an advanced method that should only be undertaken if your iPhone is past warranty and you’re comfortable working with small parts. For a full step-by-step guide on the process, please refer to cnet. Be warned that you attempt this process at your own risk, and we can’t be held responsible for any damage to your iPhone.

Send it back to Apple If your iPhone is still under warranty please don’t attempt to replace the screen yourself, as you will void any and all associated warranties. You should just send it back to Apple or to an Apple service center to fix. If there’s an Apple store with a Genius bar in your area you can make an appointment and take it there.

Buy a new one If you’d rather not do any of this, you can also wait for a new iPhone to be released and buy a new one. If you purchased your phone through your mobile provider, you may be eligible for an upgrade when the new iPhone comes out, so be sure to contact them and ask.

To minimize potential damage to your iPhone, we recommend purchasing a screen protector - a thin film that covers the iPhone’s screen and protects it from scratches. You could also buy a case for the iPhone, preferably one that sticks up over the screen a tiny bit. This way if you drop the phone screen down the case will hit first. If you have any questions about the screen replacement process please contact us.

One of the most popular phones for professionals has been the BlackBerry. It’s a high chance that we knew someone who was addicted to their “CrackBerry”, constantly checking their email, or texting with colleagues while out of the office. Then came the iPhone, and many professionals have moved on, only to wish their shiny new iPhone had some of the great features of the BlackBerry.

Here’s how you can get some of the email features of BlackBerry devices on your iPhone.

Auto complete text With a physical QWERTY keyboard, BlackBerry is ideal for typing long emails, even more so with the ability to specify common phrases and short codes e.g., typing ‘tdy’ could put today’s date. You can do this with the iPhone as well by going to: Settings, General, Keyboard and selecting Shortcuts. Type the full phrase into the Phrase field, and the shortcut into the Shortcut field.

Blinking indicator light for new emails One of the most useful features of the BlackBerry is the LED light that blinks in different colors, depending on the notification i.e., red for new message. While you can’t set the iPhone’s LED light to flash different colors, you can get it to blink when you have a new notification. Navigate to Settings, select General and tap Accessibility. Select LED Flash for Alerts.

Specific notification As many small business owners get over 100 emails a day, it can be annoying to see a constantly blinking light. With the BlackBerry, you can set it so the LED blinks only when you’ve received an email from a certain person or group. While you can’t do this with the current software version of the iPhone - iOS 5.0, the impending iOS 6.0 will allow you to set the phone to notify you only when certain people email.

Compose email quick key Being able to quickly view and reply to an email is a speciality of BlackBerry devices, and many smartphones, the iPhone included haven’t been able to beat it. It is a relatively painless process to compose a new email on your iPhone, simply press the Home button followed by email and Compose.

While it seems to be that BlackBerry devices have had their time in the spotlight, there are many loyal users who have had to switch devices due to necessity. Many of these users probably wouldn’t go back to a BlackBerry if they had the choice, especially if they have similar features on the new devices. If you’d like to learn more about how to use the iPhone for business, please contact us.

The iPhone is one of the most popular smartphone platforms and has a wide variety of users, including small business owners and managers. Many now use their phone as both a personal and business device, but they’re finding that they’re constantly being interrupted by notifications. A barrage of these notifications can get annoying, but they can be dealt with.

Here’s how you can change your notifications to ensure that the most important are separated from the less so.

Organize first The first step is to set different levels or categories of notifications, which apps or functions fall into each level and the type of notification associated with each. You could follow a system like this:

1. Immediate. The immediate notification should get your attention and be for apps that are important. Text messages, phone calls, calendar notifications and work email fit in well at this level. As this notification setting should grab your attention, you should turn on everything: vibrate, sound, Notification Center badges, etc.
2. Less important. This notification should get your attention when you look at your phone, and is good for apps that don’t require your immediate attention. Twitter, Facebook notifications and Instant Messages are good apps for this level. For this category maybe use vibrate and Notification Center badges as the notifications.
3. Unimportant. Unimportant is for notifications that are of little use to you such as app and news feed updates, along with random apps you don’t use. As these are unimportant notifications, you could turn off all notifications, or set apps to notify you just via the Notification Center.

Once you’ve decided what notification style to use and the apps for each level, it’s time to change the notification settings.

Change app notifications To change the notification settings on your iPhone, you have to go into each app’s notification settings and choose how the phone notifies you. This is done by going to Settings followed by Notifications. You’ll get a list of all your apps which you can press on to set the notification. Be advised, when you select Sound, both sound and vibrate are turned on if you have vibrate on.

To go even further, you can tweak the notification sounds made by apps by going to Settings, followed by Sounds. You’ll see different categories of apps and the notification sound for each. Press on the category to pick the notification sound or turn vibration on/off.

With a little proactive maintenance you’ll be able to separate the wheat from the chaff and be able to focus on the important notifications, while leaving the less important for when you have time. If you’d like other tips on how to get the most out of your iPhone, please feel free to contact us.

When the iPhone was released in the summer of 2007 it revolutionized the smartphone market. Each of the following models have added something new to the game. Despite a new version coming out more or less every year, many users still have older versions. These versions, while still being able to run many of the apps, can be a bit slow.

Here are five tips on how to speed up your older iPhone:

1. Clear multitasking tray The multi-task tray can be one of the most useful features of the iPhone, but it can also take up a lot of processing power. About once a week be sure to double click on the Home button, press and hold an app and select the minus (-) sign on all apps.

2. Delete pictures, music and apps As the majority of iPhone users use their phone for pretty much everything, they can run out of storage space astonishingly fast. To see how much space you’ve used, press Settings, General followed by Usage. You’ll see two numbers at the top of the screen. On the left is how much space you have left, and on the right is total space used. In general, the more space used, the slower your phone will run. It’s recommended to leave 10-15% of total storage space free for operations.

To free up some space, it’s a good idea to delete old pictures, music and apps you don’t use. To delete all your music at once, go to Settings, General followed by Usage and select Music. Tap Edit followed by the red circle with white line. This will delete all associated files. Alternatively, you can open your music player and delete individual songs by pressing and holding your selection, and then selecting Delete.

To get rid of pictures, you need to open the Photos app and select the album you’d like to delete. Press the icon on the top left of the album, and select which photos you want to get rid of. When you’re finished, press the red circle with the white line. Be sure to either upload your pictures to iCloud, or your computer before you delete them.

To get rid of apps, go to your phone’s home screen, press and hold the app you’d like to get rid of and select the black “X”. A window will pop up asking if you want to delete it, confirm it and the app will be deleted.

3. Clear Safari’s cache The cache is where your browser stores temporary files to decrease bandwidth usage and increase the loading speed of a page. To clear it, press Settings and select Safari. In the window that opens select Clear History and Clear Cookies and data. This will clear all browser related data including passwords. You’ll need to log in to services like Google again.

4. Factory reset If your phone is still sluggish, you could try a factory reset. This will wipe the phone and reset it to the way it came out of the factory. To do this: plug your phone into your computer and open iTunes. Select your phone, click Summary followed by Restore. Follow the instructions from there. Before you do this, it’s recommended that you backup your device.

5. Bite the bullet If a factory reset doesn’t work, it may be time to bite the bullet and upgrade. Talk to your mobile carrier to see if there are any deals or trade-in programs. Be aware that a new version of the iPhone is rumored to be released in October of this year, so if you can hold off until it’s released you’ll be better off.

A smooth running phone is important to all of us, and these tips can help extend the life your device. For more iPhone tips, please contact us.

The iPhone has quickly become one of the most popular smartphones on the market. When Apple launches a new version, fans line up for blocks to get their hands on it. What makes it so desirable? Well it’s easy to use and has powerful apps that users have come to rely on. Some would say the iPhone has even gone so far as to replace desktop calendars for many people.

The three most popular calendar programs are Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar and iCal. Here are the steps you can take to sync your different calendars with the iPhone. These calendars will all be viewable using the Calendar App on your iPhone.

Sync with Outlook Microsoft Outlook is the most popular email program in use, making the accompanying calendar just as prevalent. To sync your Outlook calendar with your iPhone:

1. Open Outlook
   1. Click Tools and select Trust Centre.
   2. Click Add-ins, followed by Details.
   3. Select iTunes Add-in, followed by Manage.
   4. Select Com Add-ins, Go and finally iTunes sync add-in.
   5. Click Ok.
2. Plug your iPhone into your computer using the USB cable. iTunes should open automatically.
3. In iTunes, select your iPhone. It will be located in the left hand bar, under devices.
4. Navigate to the Info tab and check Sync calendars with.
5. Choose Outlook. You’ll be able to select which Outlook calendars you want to view using your iPhone.
6. Press Sync.

Sync with Google Calendar If you use Google Calendar, syncing with the iPhone takes a few more steps, but it’s still fairly straightforward.

1. On your iPhone select Settings followed by Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
2. Press Add Account.
3. Select Microsoft Exchange. Note: Devices running iOS 4.0 can sync with more than one Exchange account. If you’re using a version that’s earlier than 4.0 you’ll only be able to sync with one Exchange account.
4. In the Email and Username fields, enter your full email address e.g., name@gmail.com. If you use a @googlemail.com account you’ll most likely get an Unable to Verify Certificate error message. If you do, press Cancel when the error message is displayed.
5. In the Password field enter the password you use to log into your Gmail account.
6. When you have entered the information, press Next in the top right of your screen.
7. In the Server field enter “m.google.com” (without the quotations).
8. Tap Next.
9. Select Calendar if you only want to sync with your calendar. If your company uses Google Calendar to setup meetings, you’ll also need to turn on Mail.

The calendar should sync automatically and show up on your iPhone within a few minutes.

Sync with iCal If you use iCal you can sync with your iPhone by:

1. Plugging your iPhone into the computer using the USB cable. iTunes should open automatically.
2. Select your iPhone. It will be located in the left hand bar, under devices.
3. Click the Info tab, followed by Sync iCal Calendars. You’ll be able to choose what calendars you would like your iPhone to sync with.
4. Press Sync.

No matter which calendar app you use, you can view it on your iPhone. There’s no need to carry around a day planner or appointment book with you anymore, just carry your phone. If you would like to know more about how to capitalize on the features of the iPhone we’re only a call away.

The smartphone has become an essential and integral business tool. One such phone, the iPhone, was initially introduced and focused on the private market, but there is a recent trend of businesses switching from current devices to the iPhone, for their main business phone. Apple has recently released a new program aimed at helping IT staff better manage a group of iPhones.

The program is called Apple Configurator, and is aimed at helping iOS business environments better manage devices - specifically the iPhone. Admins can use the program to configure and manage up to 30 devices at the same time, thus allowing for easier device management. One good selling point: the program is being offered for free. This makes it ideal for small businesses using iOS and OS X as their main operating environment.

What Can I Do with Apple Configurator? As noted above, the program is for device management. It allows you, or the administrator, to update, configure, restore and import/export apps to devices using iOS. With Configurator you can also put devices into different groups based on jobs - e.g., if you have two staff in IT, and one in sales, they may need different apps, so you can manage the devices based on each group.

Another interesting feature is that you can set which computers the phone will sync with, allowing for safer data transfer. Also, you can backup user settings, and assign them to another device if one is lost or needs to be replaced.

The one downside is you will need to have a system running Mac OS X 10.7.2 or later for Configurator to work. If you have not kept your system up to date, you will need to get started.

How do I get Apple Configurator? The program can be found and downloaded in the Apple app store. From there it’s just a matter of setting up the program and hooking up the devices.

Overall, this is a good program that is easy for the busy small business owner or IT manager who does not have time to manually plug in and update all Apple devices. If you would like to learn more about this program, the iPhone or other Apple products, please contact us.