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8 clever iPhone headphone tricks from Tekserve
You see them everywhere -- the ubiquitous white iPhone headphones. For many people, they're just a way to listen to your tunes and look cool, but to the Apple Specialists at New York City's Tekserve, the standard Apple headphones a powerful tool for controlling your iPhone. Tekserve's Chris D'Lando served up a tasty platter of eight iPhone headphone tricks, some of which might be old hat to iPhone aficionados, but all deserve another look. First, did you know that you can summon Apple's intelligent assistant Siri by pressing and holding the center button on your headphones? This is very helpful when your iPhone is in a pocket or bag and you need to get Siri's help. Next, if you're using Apple's Camera app, you can squeeze the volume up (+) button to take a photo. This is especially useful if your iPhone is mounted on a tripod and you want the equivalent of a shutter release cable to avoid shaking your iPhone when snapping a photo. D'Lando also shares three great tips on placing and receiving phone calls. If a phone call comes in and you want to decline it, holding the center button for about two seconds and then releasing it will decline the call. Two beeps give you verification that the call was declined. Next, if you decide to answer the call, just give the center button a squeeze to do so. That same gesture also hangs up your call when you're done. Finally, if you're on a call and another call comes in, you can switch to the incoming call (or back to the original call) with a quick squeeze of the center button. Holding that center button for two seconds when another call is coming in will switch to the new call and hang up the original call. Many iPhone owners who listen to music on their devices probably already know the last three tips, but those in a mood for learning can head on over to the original post and check out numbers 3, 4 and 5. If you're in or near NYC, be sure to look into Tekserve Academy for classes they've developed to help you get the most out of your iPhone.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me stick my scroll bars
Dear Aunt TUAW, I know I'm late to the party but Lion killed my scrollbars. Please bring back my scrollbars. I miss my scrollbars. Sobbing, Scrollbarless in Seattle Dear, um, "Scrollbarless", Head on over to Settings > General and just set the "Show scroll bars" preference to "Always". Auntie prefers "Jump to the next page" action as well. Your mileage may vary. Hugs, Auntie "Scrollbars are our friends" T.
Five top tips for your first few days of Diablo III
Diablo III officially launched at midnight last night, opening the floodgates on what is possibly the most pre-ordered PC game in history. It's been almost 12 years since the previous game in the series launched, and it's still going to this day. Whether you've played previous games, have taken part in the Diablo III beta or are taking your first steps into Sanctuary today, everyone starts with a clean slate. In this article, I give my top five tips for spending your first few days wisely in Diablo III. #5 - Spend most of your time on one character It seems like a bit of a no-brainer to initially focus on one character, but in Diablo III's case, there's a special reason to do it. You'll likely finish normal mode around level 20-30, and until then, you'll get a new skill almost every level. It's only when you've completed normal mode and moved on to nightmare that the challenge really starts and you will have picked out an effective set of skills. Your last active skill unlocks at level 30, and from then on you'll gain a combination of two to three runes or passive skills every level until you hit the level cap at 60. Read on for four more tips you should keep in mind as you start playing Diablo III.
TUAW TV Live: Handy tips from Steve and Doc
Today on TUAW TV Live Hawaii's most famous podcaster -- Doc Rock -- is going to join me for an hour of handy tips that you may not already know about as a Mac or iOS user. If you're in the chat room -- which we hope you will be -- be sure to pipe up with your favorite tips, too! We'll also have a short look at some new products that have arrived at the top secret TUAW Labs, including Kanex's new ATV Pro, the Cellink I power/media syncing device, and a pretty amazing iPad case (Powis iCase) that is truly one-of-a-kind, not to mention the very cool Une Bobine iPhone cable/stand Kickstarter project. Below, you'll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. You can also choose to watch the live show on Justin.tv if you wish, by visiting our portal at http://justin.tv/tuawtvlive. In either case, you'll be watching the show in glorious HD! If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It's a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat. We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you'll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.
TUAW TV Live at 5 PM EDT: Steve and Doc talk tips
It's always fun when someone shows you a Mac or iOS tip that has you saying "I didn't know you could do that!" I surprised myself last week when I showed fellow blogger Erica Sadun a simple Finder keyboard shortcut that she wasn't aware of, and she made squeeing noises expressing her pleasure at learning something new. Well, on today's TUAW TV Live Doc Rock and I are going to see if we can show y'all some fun tips to make your Apple life easier and more enjoyable. Hawaii's most famous tech geek and DJ will be joining me for an hour that's sure to get nominated for some sort of award (even if I have to make up an award category myself). As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you're unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in iTunes or any other favorite podcatching app. The past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel. The chat is on IRC: join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.
Wings Over Atreia: Once more into the rift, my friends
A rifting we will go A rifting we will go Hi-ho, the derry-o A rifting we will go! The Asmo makes a slice! The Asmo makes a slice... Ahh, the frivolity of travel songs; they entertain and amuse as well as pass the time while you're en route to your destination, even in Aion. And where am I headed while chanting this little ditty? Why, deep into the dangers of enemy territory, of course! Care to join me? If you haven't traveled through a rift in Aion, you are missing out on one of the core features of the game, not to mention depriving yourself of some fun. Admittedly, rifting has a bad rap and can be quite a polarizing topic in discussion, but don't be fooled -- it's not just for PvPers. Not everyone who rifts is looking to completely gank others; even carebears can experience and enjoy the thrill of sneaking somewhere fraught with dangers! So what's stopping you from slipping through that colorful swirl? Let me borrow the immortal words of wisdom from a shoe: Just do it! But before you go, let Wings Over Atreia offer a few handy tips to help you make the most of the experience.
4 lessons from 5 years of Officers' Quarters
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, available from No Starch Press. Amazingly enough, exactly five years ago today -- at 11:15 a.m. on May 7, 2007 -- the very first Officers' Quarters went live on WoW Insider. It was so long ago that I actually used Thottbot links. Since then, yours truly has composed more than 250 OQs. At about 1,000 words per column, I've written enough words on the topic of guild leadership to fill up a large fantasy novel. (Of course, I've also written an actual book on the topic.) For this column, I briefly thought about pulling out the best and worst of OQ to share my personal favorites (and my shame) from the past five years. I decided against it. Maybe some day I'll do that -- maybe right before I hang up my WoW Insider columnist sash -- but that day is not today. Rather, I thought I'd do something more personal. OQ has always been about learning how to do a better job as an officer and a guild leader, both for your members and yourself. During the past five years, I've done my best to give advice on exactly that. However, I've never claimed to have it all figured out. I've also learned a lot, too. On this anniversary, I'd like to share four things that I've learned over the past five years. (Five would have been better, but I'm long-winded.)
Dear Aunt TUAW: I'm going to WWDC. What should I pack?
Dear Aunt TUAW, I've got my golden tickets to WWDC but this is my first time traveling to Oz. Do you have some suggestions for what I should pack and any tips for dealing with things once I'm out there? Thanks a bunch! Your loving nephew, Arthur Dear Arthur, Auntie turned to two of her favorite nephews for advice. Oliver Drobnik of Cocoanetics offered her an extremely practical list. His suggestions include A camping chair if you plan to queue from 6 am for the keynote and some friends (or make some) that will save you your seat or place in line when you need to step out. For MacBooks without Ethernet: the USB Ethernet LAN adapter, A power adapter for your Macbook with a US-plug converter, possibly a 10W USB adapter to charge iPad and iPhone with independently from MacBook, and an iPad/iPhone loaded with all your done or in-progress apps that you want to show off to your colleagues, apps that you want to schedule a design review for, and apps that you want to speak to the app review team about. Business Cards with your Twitter account on it and possibly a promo code for your best apps Some good questions and possibly example projects to ask the Apple engineers in the labs, CATiledLayer, iCloud with CoreData, etc. Auntie notes that you'll want to bring along a sweater or jacket for that campout (it gets cold out there). Plus, you can purchase a folding chair once you get there. One less thing to pack. Here's Yelp's report on drugstores near Moscone. Auntie has purchased her chairs at Walgreens. Consider donating your chair to a worthy local before heading home. As for business cards, TUAW's favorite vendor for high quality cards is moo.com (You can get a discount if you're an about.me customer). Nephew Chris Forsythe of the Growl Project recommends that you consider loading a clean OS X and Xcode install via VMWare or Parallels. That way, you can do the labs at WWDC without affecting your dev workspace. Finally, Auntie recommends that you pack some sucking candy (helps keep your ears from popping on flights, make sure to bring along enough to share with everyone), some deodorant (be thoughtful to the other 5000 geeks standing in line with you), and that you call Auntie on your cell during the keynote so she can listen in. Hugs, Auntie T. p.s. Auntie's nephew Rudy points out: "If you plug your laptop power brick into the power strip, hogging multiple outlets, you will be unplugged by your fellow conference goers." Bring the corded adapter and consider purchasing one of these.
Amnesia dev shares secrets of evolving the horror genre
Frictional Games proved it knows how to make a game that would scare the bejeezus out of Beelzebub himself with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but there's always room for improvement. Frictional's Thomas Grip has compiled a list of 10 items that can "take horror games to the next level," and (surprisingly) it doesn't begin with "Everything opposite of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City." It does, however, touch on a few points that could have put the "horror" back into that particular survival-horror title.Grip suggests "minimal combat," "long build-up" and "doubt" are essential to evolve the horror genre, and we've already seen these aspects work wonderfully in Amnesia. Another aspect Grip notes is "no enemies," which he clarifies as follows: "What I mean is that we need to stop thinking of any creatures that we put into the game as 'enemies.' The word enemy makes us think about war and physical conflict, which is really not the focus in a horror game."Grip's list seems to focus on different approaches to immersion and connecting to players on an emotional, human level before ensuring they won't be able to sleep properly for a few weeks at least. All 10 points are described in full on Frictional's blog.Perhaps we'll see a few of these fleshed out in Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs, a sequel in development by thechineseroom and overseen by Frictional itself.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help Siri call me Gerry
Dear Aunt TUAW, Is there a way to change Siri's spelling of my name at the end of an email? I would like it to print out "Gerry" and not "Jerry," but I can't figure out how to do it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Your loving nephew, Gerald ("Gerry") Dear Gerry, That's actually a really hard request, since you're asking Siri to replace a known well-enunciated name with an alternative spelling. The only way Auntie can figure out how to handle this is to spell out the name during the dictation. "Gee. Ee. Ar. Ar. Why." This creates an upper-case presentation that may work well enough for you, e.g. It's Auntie's considered opinion, however, that you'd probably be better off simply adding your name to your normal signature, e.g. "From Gerry. Sent from my iPhone" or similar. You can edit this in Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars, > Signature. Hugs, Auntie T.
WoW Insider's guide to being a productive Mists of Pandaria beta tester
So you finally got into the Mists of Pandaria beta, along with all of the Annual Pass holders. You now have a chance to impact the final product, at least reducing the number of bugs it gets released with. But how do you do that, and what can you expect? We've got you covered in our Beta Testing 101 series. 5 things you should always report How to write a good bug report on the forums What to, and what not to, expect from the MoP beta Addons and the Mists of Pandaria beta Good group etiquette How to stream your beta sessions If you have further questions not answered in the above posts, you can always try The Queue. Or you can let us know in the comments what other beta guides you'd like to see. See you in the Wandering Isle! It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Android Design guide updated with new tips for app developers
Not all design choices are blatantly obvious, which is why it's helpful to see fresh sections being added to Google's official design guide for Android devs. There's a whole new chapter on how to create a good Settings pane, including what settings to make controllable or fixed and how to describe options in plain English. There are also new tips in the Navigation section, such as how to take full advantage of Android's ability to let different apps activate each other. There's no color-matching advice, unfortunately, but if you stick to black and blue you ought to be fine. Access the tips via the Google Plus link below.
Preparing your old iPad for sale in five easy steps (Update)
It appears from the huge pre-sales of the new iPad that a lot of people are getting the new model. We've also heard from a number of iPad "recyclers" that they're seeing record numbers of people who are selling their original iPad or iPad 2 to trade up to the new model. Since I'm among those who recycle their iPads whenever a new model appears, I thought I'd share my method of getting the old devices prepared for sale. There are five steps that you should take to prepare your old iPad for a new owner, even if it's just going to be turned over to a friend or relative. Follow along as I go through these steps: 1) Cancel your recurring monthly data plan if you have a Wi-Fi + 3G model This first step is only necessary if you have a Wi-Fi + 3G iPad. You'll want to make sure that you no longer need the 3G service before you do this, but it's a necessity if you don't want to continue getting billed every month for cellular data. Update: If you are staying with the same carrier and using the same plan, do not cancel your data plan, and don't follow Step 2 of this post. You can swap the SIM from your current iPad and put it into the new iPad. Steps 1 and 2 area really only useful if a) you're switching data carriers or b) getting rid of your iPad and not purchasing a new one. Go into Settings on your iPad, then tap the Cellular Data icon. You'll want to tap the View Account button, after which you'll need to log into your account using the email address and password that you used when you signed up for the service. Once you're signed in, you'll see an account overview (screenshot below). The shows the data plan you're using and the status of that plan (how many MB or GB you've used and how many are left). Next, tap the Add Data or Change Plan button. This brings up a list of plan options for your wireless carrier. To cancel the service, tap the Cancel Plan button. The following screen appears: You'll be asked if you want to cancel your plan and delete the account now, or cancel the plan and have the account deleted after 60 days of inactivity (screenshot below). Make your choice, and then tap the Continue button. After tapping the Cancel Plan button, your iPad pauses momentarily and then displays a note that tells you that you will be notified of the changes as soon as they are processed by your carrier. In my case with AT&T, that took about 30 seconds. 2) Remove the SIM if you have a Wi-Fi +3G model Next, you'll want to remove the SIM from your iPad. Once again, this is only necessary if you have a Wi-Fi + 3G model. Locate the SIM door on your iPad. On the original model, it is located lower left side as you face the screen. On the iPad 2, it's on the top left side. Now take a very skinny paper clip or one of Apple's SIM removal tools (which they no longer seem to provide, by the way), and push it into the hole at the top of the SIM door. The door pops open, revealing the SIM in its tray (see photo below). Pull it all the way out of the iPad, remove the SIM, and keep it as a souvenir. I have a pile of these things... When you're done, slide the door back into place until it clicks. Note that you'll get a "No SIM card installed" error message on your iPad the first time you power it on after you remove the SIM. 3) Back up your device OK, hopefully you're on a Wi-Fi network for the next step, backing up your iPad. Fortunately for all of us, we no longer need to back our iPads up to a Mac or PC unless we really want to. Instead, tap on the iCloud button in Settings and then tap the Storage & Backup button (screenshot below). Chances are good that your iPad has automatically backed itself up when it is plugged in at night. If it hasn't met the backup criteria of being plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi, the Storage & Backup screen will show that you haven't been backed up in a while. You can plug in your iPad and then tap the Back Up Now button to force a backup (screenshot below). Wait until the backup is done before moving on to step 4. 4) Delete everything Quoting the great line from Aliens, "I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." The iPad equivalent of nuking the site from orbit is completely wiping its storage. The iPad and iPad 2 both support hardware encryption, so Apple's method of wiping your data is stated as "Erases user settings and information by removing the encryption key that protects the data. This process takes just a few minutes." To "nuke the site from orbit" is pretty easy. Go to Settings, tap on General, and then tap the Reset button. Next, tap the Erase All Content and Settings button (screenshot below). With a few minutes, your iPad is cleaned of all apps, data, and setting that you had on the device. You probably want to wait until after your new iPad is set up and running to do this... 5) Clean it up physically Many of the "recycling" services will actually pay more for iPads that look brand new. If your iPad spent most of its life in a case and has no scratches or dents, you'll get top dollar. What I always do before boxing up my old gear to send to the recyclers is to clean it physically. The best way to do this is to use any of the commercial cleaning sprays and a microfiber cloth. My current favorite brand of cleaner is the Antec Advance line, which comes in bottles of various sizes and will last a long time. Rather than spray the cleaner right onto the device, I always spray the cloth lightly and then begin wiping the screen and body to make sure that any and all smears are gone. Let the iPad dry completely, and then give it another close look to make sure you haven't missed something. That's it! Your iPad is now ready to leave your hands and go on to be used by someone else. Give it a goodbye kiss if you'd like -- just don't smear up the screen you just cleaned.
Pocket Gamer: How to get Trophies in used Vita games
We've seen Sony's own tips and tricks for the Vita, but as the device ages (six days old already!) more and more will appear, as Pocket Gamer shows with its tutorial that explains how to renew trophy-earning functionality in used Vita games.Upon booting up a pre-owned Vita title, players will get a screen that reads, "You cannot earn trophies in this application. Only the first player to use an application can earn trophies. To earn trophies, you must link the Sony Entertainment Network account of the first player to use this application with the PS Vita system." Pocket Gamer says the following steps will render that warning useless: Go to the main menu and hold down the screen for two seconds, until little bubbles appear on the upper-right side of each game's icon. Hit the bubble you want and click "Delete." A screen reading "All data related to this application will be deleted" will pop up. Hit "OK." Load the game and you should be good to go.This process won't delete the previous player's trophies, Pocket Gamer adds.
Sony posts official tips and tricks for Vita, comments have more
It's the first weekend with your Vita and you've spent the entire time together, touching, sliding, swiping, tapping the back... Oh, yeah. You know more about each other than any other device you've played with previously, but there's always more to learn. Sony has compiled a list of nine tips and tricks for the Vita that may make your life together easier -- as long as you put the toilet seat down, Harold. No really, that's one of the tips.The list in includes Sony's tricks, but the comments offer a few more gems, such as pressing the plus and minus volume buttons to mute all sound on your Vita. You can also mute it by yelling at the top of your lungs, "Shut up, Vita!" Really, try that one on a crowded bus some time.
How to enable iCal's debug menu
ZDNet (via Macgasm) has posted a couple of neat iCal tweaks that should make your life a bit easier: Enabling the debug menu and showing two weeks worth of appointments at once. The trick involves a couple of Terminal commands. To enter debug mode, use the following: defaults write com.apple.iCal IncludeDebugMenu 1 And, if you want to remove it, use the following command: defaults write com.apple.iCal IncludeDebugMenu 0 Once you've got the debug menu activated, restart iCal. Here's what you'll see. There's quite a few tricks here, including the ability to have to multiple iCal windows open at the same time. You also can expand the week view to glimpse up to 28 days at once, which is a little too much. But like ZDNet says, being able to see two weeks at a time in week view is pretty handy. To switch the views, select the desired time from the "top sekret" menu and toggle between week and another calendar option. The new mode is enabled once you return to the week view.
A very handy 1Password tip
I can't vouch for everyone out there, but at least amongst the blogging tribe here at TUAW, 1Password (from Agile Bits) is an indispensable piece of utility software. Now former TUAW blogger and current Evernote expert Brett Kelly has documented a cool 1Password tip that I'd like to pass along. Brett notes that he didn't come up with the idea for this tip; he heard it on an episode of the Back to Work podcast and just wrote it up for easier consumption. So, what's this handy tip? Well, it's a way of creating a browser bookmark that will not only open a commonly used website, but also "automatically fire up 1Password and fill in the login for you." That makes it possible to make one little click on your bookmark bar and get logged into a website in seconds. Whenever I can, I like to donate whole blood to a local blood center, so I decided to make logging onto their website for scheduling a donation a one-click proposition. To do this, I launched 1Password on my Mac and looked at the list of all of my logins that are stored in the app. Next, I positioned the 1Password window next to the browser. I had already captured the login information in 1Password previously, which included my email address, birthday, and a password. I dragged the login "button" in 1Password up to my browser's bookmark bar as shown below, and dropped it on the bookmark bar. Now, with a click of the bookmark the page for the blood center is loaded and I'm automatically logged in, ready to set up my next appointment. It's a lot like magic! To quote Brett, "I was a huge fan of 1Password before I learned about this little trick. Now I wish I could physically hug it." Me too, Brett.
Five myths about making gold
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen and Fox Van Allen aim to show you how to make money on the Auction House. Check out Fox and Basil's reboot of Call To Auction, and email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! Gold making is one of those games you can play without much cooperative interaction with other players. If I hadn't been set straight about how to raid by cooperative guildies when I started, I'd still be as bad as I was when I started, minus any progress I'd have made myself. This type of environment is a breeding ground for less-than-optimal gold making strategies, so here are five myths about gold making that continue to require banishment. 1. Mats are free if you don't pay gold for them. It doesn't matter whether you picked up a gem from a Satchel of Exotic Mystery, farmed a stack of herbs, procced a bonus somehow, or mugged someone. If you figure your cost on the mats for whatever you're selling as what you actually paid for it, you're doing it wrong. The value of crafting mats is what you could sell them for.
Unofficial "Look Up in 1Password" bookmarklet for iOS 5
1Password is one of my most-used iOS apps, since I need it to log in to any site which requires a password. Since the introduction of 1Password on iOS, Agile has provided a bookmarklet which will open 1Password and then search for the current domain. That helps the fact that 1Password can't be fully integrated with Safari on iOS. Unfortunately the bookmarklet stopped working in iOS 5. According to the company's blog, Agile has discontinued the bookmarklet and won't be updating it. They are working on "something better coming up for the future." They went on to add that they want to make 1Password's own integrated browser "more usable as "a Safari replacement, or rather partial replacement." While I will reserve judgment until I see it, I have serious reservations about this plan. I have used iCab Mobile on the iPad for over a year. iCab is a superior browser to Safari, but it is still difficult to use instead of Safari because iOS doesn't allow you to change the default browser. It's hard to imagine that 1Password's integrated browser will be better than iCab. Fortunately, two 1Password users, Kevin Yank and Brendan Averett, have created a new Look Up in 1Password bookmarklet which is compatible with iOS 5. You can either copy that link, or use this: javascript:window.location='onepassword://'+window.location.href.substring(window.location.href.indexOf('//')+2 I have successfully tested it on iOS 5 and 1Password Pro (with both Safari and iCab).
Raid Rx: How to be the world's worst healer
Every week, Raid Rx will help you quarterback your healers to victory! Your host is Matt Low, the grand poohbah of World of Matticus and a founder of Plus Heal, a discussion community for healers of all experience levels and interests. Catch his weekly podcast on healing, raiding and leading, the Matticast. Time to take a break from trying to be an awesome healer. It just feels much easier to be the best at being the bottom of the barrel. Without any concerns, you can simply play however you like with no fear. There are multiple steps on the road to being an excellent healer for your raiding guild. As you might expect, the same applies to being the worst healer. Note: You shouldn't actually do any of these, as they're the exact opposite of the way you should be playing. I would like to add that I've seen parts of this list in action throughout the years in my experiences.
