Just a month after releasing iOS 13.3 and iPadOS 13.3, Apple released new updates for the operating systems of iPads, iPhones, and MacBooks to troubleshoot bugs that users reported in December 2019.  Rather than introducing major changes to the Apple devices, the new iOS focuses on small software changes and security updates.

Ultra-Wideband Technology

Concerns about the Ultra-Wideband Technology on the iPhone 11 were voiced by its users, who claimed that their phones failed to send files using Airdrop. Shortly after updating their phones to iOS 13.3, a pop-up warning saying “Ultra-Wideband Update Failed” flashed on the screens of their devices. Customers who had their phones checked at Apple Stores said that it was a hardware issue and had their phones replaced with new ones that weren’t upgraded to iOS 13.3 yet.

Apple also added a new feature that gives users the option to turn off its ultra-wideband software, following privacy-related concerns. To turn off this technology on your device, go to Settings, then Location Services, and switch the Networking & Wireless option from on to off. MacOS Catalina 10.15.3 brought two significant changes to Macs: better performance for its multi-stream video editing and better handling of SDR content for videos.

Issues Addressed by the Software Update

iOS 13.3.1 fixes privacy issues wherein new contacts can be added without having to encode the Screen Time passcode, and it also fixes an issue with Mail that loads images even when this setting is disabled on the phone. On the iPhone 11, the Ultra-Wide rear-facing camera can now be used instead of the wide camera when FaceTime is being used. Screenshots taken in the Messages app showed additional content that weren’t originally in the conversation, which was also fixed in the new Software.

All in all, the new iOS fixes 23 issues, and Apple is content that this new upgrade is able to fix small issues on their iPhones and iPads. Similarly, macOS Catalina is highly recommended for all Mac users because it improves the stability and security of their devices.

Users can update their devices through the Settings app and by manually updating the software if it is already available to them. Some devices will update automatically after notifying its users that it’s ready to be installed. Owners of previous versions of iPhones and iPads may also update their iOS software to iOS 12.4.5, which does the same job as iOS 13.3.1.

If you have a device running on iOS technology, it’s always best to frequently back up your data before you install new updates so that you can restore your data when things don’t go as planned. There is no reason to forego this update, as the engineers from Apple designed this to troubleshoot problems that iOS 13.3 may have brought to their devices. Although the updates are incremental, it does fix bugs and issues that surfaced after launching iOS 13.3, so before you decide to sell your MacBook, make sure that you’ve upgraded your device to its latest software update and you’ll see that it’s in tiptop shape—you’ll want to keep your devices for much longer.

Security, convenience, accessibility—these are what makes the iCloud one of the best gifts of technology to us. It safely stores all our content in Apple’s secure cloud infrastructure. It affords us the convenience of syncing all our data and devices in a single cloud storage that is accessible from all Apple devices, as long as you have an internet connection.

If you don’t have one yet, now is the best time to create an iCloud account. Maybe start looking for the best place to sell your laptop secondhand and get yourself an Apple device.

Once you do, or if you already had one but aren’t using iCloud yet, follow these steps to setup, access, and customize iCloud.

iCloud on Mac

Before you set up your iCloud, make sure that your device is updated with the latest version of the macOS. To set up iCloud, simply go to the Apple menu and click on System Preferences. Click on Apple ID and key in your own ID and password. You’ll then be signed in and iCloud will automatically be turned on.

iCloud can be accessed by clicking on System Preferences first, and then on iCloud. A list of available apps and services will be displayed. The list includes Contacts, Calendar, iCloud Drive, Keynote, Reminders, Photos, and third-party apps. Go through the list and tick the apps and services you want to store.

You may want to upgrade your storage if you plan on storing more than 5GB—which you most likely will. To upgrade storage, go to System Preferences and select iCloud. Click on Manage, then click either Buy More Storage or Change Storage Plan. You can the follow the instructions to push through with the change in subscription.

iCloud on iPhone and iPad

For your mobile devices, make sure that you have the latest iOS and iPadOS versions. iCloud is automatically switched on whenever you log in to your device using your Apple ID.

To access iCloud, go to Settings and tap your ID. A list of apps and services that can be used in the iCloud will appear. This list is pretty much the same as what you’d see on Mac. To the left of each app and service is a slider. Just tap on the ones beside each of the services you want to use. Take note that you may have to enable permissions for some apps.

The free 5GB storage space is for all your devices connected to your Apple ID. If you have multiple devices and love taking several pictures and videos, 5GB would definitely not be enough to store all your content.

To upgrade your storage plan, go to Settings and tap on your Apple ID to sign in. Tap on iCloud, then on Manage Storage. Similar to what you would do on your Mac, choose Upgrade iCloud Storage and follow the subscription instructions after.

While there are many different laptop models, knowing the right ones to get for your kids can help you save considerably. Your kids won’t necessarily need expensive, heavy-duty laptops for daily use, but giving them outdated models won’t do either.

Before you sell their old laptops online for a new one, take a look at this list of the best laptops you can gift to your kids.

1. Tanoshi 2-in-1 Kids Computer

If you’re looking for a laptop that’s safe for young children to use, then this personal computer might just be the thing. The Tanoshi 2-in-1 Kids Computer isn’t exactly a laptop; it’s actually a 10-inch touchscreen tablet that can be attached to a kid-sized keyboard that’s great for primary school-age children.

This laptop has features to help your kids learn more about computers through a child-friendly environment that parents can easily monitor. It runs on an Android OS, making it simple and easy for children to use, and it’s compatible with Google’s Family Link app so parents can set up parental controls more conveniently.

The Tanoshi 2-in-1 can do what other laptops can at a low price point; it can play Android games, browse the internet, and it can even run Google’s suite of Office apps like Docs, Sheets, and similar apps to help your kids with schoolwork.

2. MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is a no-brainer if your kids prefer Apple products. Apple laptops are expensive, but their price is well-justified by their extensive longevity and versatility. The MacBook Air is remarkably thin and lightweight, and it can serve as an all-around platform for entertainment and schoolwork.

Its sleek and stylish look is visually appealing and its performance isn’t bad either. Its battery can last up to 13 hours and it has top-of-the-line features such as an HD Retina display with True-Tone technology, and a speaker system of amazing quality.

This laptop is excellent for both leisure and educational purposes, and is in an investment in itself as your kids will be able to use it well into middle school and beyond.

3. Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14

Chromebooks make for great laptops for kids. They’re more fool-proof than your standard Windows PCs and parental controls are easier to setup. The Inspiron Chromebook 14 is one of Dell’s newer laptops that follow the same vein as its predecessors.

The Chromebook 14 sports decent hardware for great performance in lightweight games as well as the standard multimedia and office apps. Parental controls can be easily configured via Google’s Family Link app so you can monitor your child’s activities without much trouble. It also uses the Chrome OS, which is much more hardware-efficient than Windows and MacOS.

The laptop is capable of producing HD graphics thanks to its Intel i3 processor and integrated UHD graphics chipset. Most Chromebook games will be able to run smoothly on this laptop model, and the overall picture quality will be great for such a small computer.

Foldable flip phones evoke a sense of nostalgia for days gone by . With the release of the Motorola RAZR , You can now relive the experience of those days. The clamshell pone that we Know and love is now back in a more tech-savvy , futuristic form.

On November 13, 2019, Motorola, a Lenovo-owned company, unveiled the foldable RAZR, and the demand for this modern, re-imagined flip phone has skyrocketed since.

Preorders from Verizon’s online store for the Motorola RAZR started on January 26. You can choose to shell out $1,500 for a one-time payment, or opt for a 24-month plan, paying just $62.49 monthly. You won’t need to sell your laptop online to get enough money for an RAZR.

While it may be pricey, you’ll be paying for the research and development that has been put into the innovative folding screen, as well as for the RAZR’s aesthetics.

Motorola RAZR Specs

The $1,500 RAZR, which runs on Android 9, will have:

• 6.2-in. folding plastic OLED main screen
• 2.7-in. glass OLED front screen
• 16 MP main camera with f/1.7 aperture
• 5 MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture
• Processor: 2.2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710
• 128 GB storage and 6 GB of RAM
• 2510 mAh battery

Aside from Verizon, you can also preorder the Motorola RAZR from the Motorola Store or from Walmart.

Caring for Your Motorola RAZR

Here are a few tips on how to take care of your RAZR:

• Don’t get your screen too wet. Immediately wipe the screen dry if it gets wet.
• Keep sharp objects away from the screen.
• Close the phone before putting it in your pocket.

According to Motorola, you shouldn’t worry if about the appearance of bumps and lumps on the RAZR screen, as this is normal. The company also stresses that applying a screen protector isn’t necessary.

If, however, your phone sustains any damage, don’t use a DIY approach to fix it. The phone has intricate circuitry and numerous sensor cables. In fact, the experts at iFixit featured the Motorola RAZR in one of their latest teardowns and gave it a “repairability score” of 1 out of 10, with 10 being the easiest to repair.

While the Motorola RAZR may have some generic features, you can’t deny the pull of nostalgia and the R&D that comes with its clamshell design. It’s comparable to other foldable phones such as the Huawei Mate X, Samsung Galaxy Fold, and a yet unnamed dual-folding phone from Xiaomi.

 

 

When you’re a heavy Smartphone user, you would know how agonizing it is stare at its screen while it chargers, to patiently eait for what feels like hours on end for its battery to be fully replenished.

If you’ve ever been in a hurry to leave the house but had to wait for your pone to become sufficiently charged, then you’ve probably Heard somewhere that putting it in airplane mode will charge its battery faster.

Authenticating the Myth

When your phone is in airplane mode, all Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and infrared connections are disabled. Airplane mode stops your phone from trying to communicate with cellular towers, which may also use up your phone’s battery.

While this doesn’t directly affect the charging process, it does take away some processes that may be using up a lot of power. If your smartphone is running a lot of background applications, it’s going to use more juice compared to when it’s disconnected from the internet.

However, with or without internet connection, your smartphone’s battery can only take so much current before it overheats. Your phone has a built-in power receiver of sorts that regulates the power going into your phone per minute—otherwise your smartphone would explode.

Simply put, the answer that you’re looking for is yes. Putting your phone in airplane mode does help your phone charge faster, but experiments show that it doesn’t make much of a difference as to when it is connected to the internet. It’ll probably boost your phone’s battery by 1-3% compared to when it’s charged while connected to the internet, but there are other ways that you can charge your phone faster.

 Other Ways You Can Charge Your Phone Faster

• Don’t use your phone while it’s charging
  • Using apps while it’s charging will take more time for your smartphone to be fully charged

• Plug it into the wall instead of a laptop or tablet
  • USB ports emit less power compared to wall sockets. If you find that your phone doesn’t charge fast while connected to the laptop, consider plugging it into the wall before you consider selling your laptop online for a better one.

• Invest in a fast charger
  • Fast chargers allow more power into your device in a short amount of time without potentially damaging the phone’s battery.

• Turn your phone off
• Sure, you won’t be able to see all of your notifications for a few minutes, but this trick helps your phone charge faster since it eliminates all other processes that your phone can perform.

When you head out with your phone, remember that there are plenty of ways that you can save battery while it’s plugged. Turn off background apps that aren’t being used, lower its brightness, or consider putting it on Low Power Mode or Battery Saver Mode.

When you get home and charge your phone, know that putting your phone in airplane mode does help your phone charge faster, but there are other ways that you can boost its charging speed.