Did you know that when you purchase a new set of headphones they are not at their optimum performance out of the box? I didn't, until I discovered Moshi Audio's Burn-in Tool (free).

A while back I reviewed Moshi's Dulcia in-ear headphones. They had a great sound, but I read that to make them perform even better it was recommended to download and use the Burn-in Tool app.

I recently interviewed Moshi's director of product marketing, Spencer Pangborn, by email so he could explain how the headphone burn-in process worked.

iPhone Life: How do you know when the headphones have reached their best sound quality?

Spencer Pangborn: This depends on many factors such as driver type, size, and equipment used. But generally, 10 hours should relax the diaphragms enough to reach the intended sonic performance. Even without using any burn-in apps, the headphones should be fully burned in after a couple weeks of normal usage. The burn-in app is meant to accelerate the 'settling' in process.

iPL: It says the recommended duration for each burn-in cycle is 4-8 hours. Does that mean it has to be done all at once or can you just let it run for 10-20 minutes at a time? Is it possible to use your iPhone or iPod while the burn-in process is working?

Pangborn: Unfortunately, you cannot use your phone while the burn-in process is taking place. For this reason, it may be best to conduct the burning-in overnight. You may break up this burn-in process into 10 or 20 minute (or any shorter duration) chunks without affecting the results. 

iPL: The burn-in tool is customized for each set of Moshi headphones. Explain how that works? Give an example between burn-in tones for the Dulcia compared to the Mythro. 

Pangborn: The burn-in process involves playback of a set of tones/frequencies in a continuous loop. Since each of our headsets uses different drivers with tuned frequency responses, we arranged these tones to best suit their sonic signature. We could use a generic tone generator that sweeps across the entire spectrum (i.e. 10Hz–30kHz) for all headsets, but it won't be as efficient at relaxing the diaphragms on the drivers as the ones we've tailored. In other words, it's a waste of time to playback tones under 20Hz for a driver that can't go that deep and expect any meaningful burn-in result.

iPL: Does the Burn-In Tool work well with third party headphones?

Pangborn: Yes, the app allows you to enter in any headphones so they may be burned in. We have created a standard burn-in profile which is available within the app for this purpose. The app itself is customized for Moshi Audio earphones, so it will work best with the products we make, but should be nearly as effective at burning in other audio products.

So, does the Burn-In Tool work? To tell the truth, I haven't burned the Dulcia headphones long enough to make a difference (only 20 minutes so far).

If you decide to try it out for the recommended time on a pair of headphones you own, let me know what you think in the comment section below.

Are you excited about the iOS 7 update available tomorrow? Well, don't get so excited that you forget to take this very important step first - back up your device! Also, bear in mind that not all your apps will be up to speed with the new update. Hopefully the hard-working developers are doing their best to make the transition as smooth as possible for us. In the meantime, we just need to be patient. 

What devices will be compatible with the update? (for a complete itemized list of features and their compatibility visit Apple)

iPhone 4 and higher

iPad 2nd generation or higher

iPad mini

iPod Touch 5th generation

How to back-up your device (from Apple support)

Back-up with iTunes 

Use these steps to manually back up your iOS device using iTunes: 

1. Connect your iOS device to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed.

2. Click the File menu and select Devices > Back up.

Or

1. Connect your iOS device to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed.

2. Open the iOS device's Summary tab. There are two ways to access this:

   • Click the device button in the upper right corner. (If viewing the iTunes Store, click the Library button in the upper right corner. The device button will then be visible.)

   • From any view in iTunes, click the View menu and select Show Sidebar. Select your iOS device in iTunes under Devices.

3. Click the Back Up Now button.

4. To verify that the backup finished successfully, open iTunes Preferences and select the Devices tab. The name of the device will appear along with the date and time the backup was created.

Now that you've done that, sit back and enjoy the preview of iOS 7 presented by Apple.

Now that the new iPhones have been launched, the rumor mill is gearing up for the iPad launch. Apple's previous introduction of new iPads was in October of 2012, so it seems very likely this year's iPad event will again be in October. A French website recently said that gossip indicates the date will be October 15. See the Google translation here. Whatever the date, it will be interesting to see what Apple announces. Quite a bit is known about the forthcoming fifth-generation iPad, but the next iteration of the iPad mini remains a mystery. And it's also a mystery whether the new iPads will incorporate some of the iPhone 5s features, such as Touch ID and the M7 chip.

Thanks to quite a few leaked photos, it's clear the fifth-generation iPad will have a different form factor. It's expected to be thinner, lighter, and narrower. It's overall shape will be like that of the iPad mini, including narrower bezels on left and right. Although the device will be narrower, it will still have a 9.7-inch display. A number of rumors have said the new iPad will have an IGZO (indium, gallium, zinc, oxide) display, which will be big news. This new technology offers a better quality image, yet takes up to 90% less energy. That means the battery can be smaller and lighter, yet still offer greater battery life than before.

You can see videos of the casings and front panel for new iPads in a previous post, giving you a clear picture of what they'll look like. The image accompanying that post shows the front panel of the new iPad compared to the previous generation, showing how much narrower it is.

According to the Register, the new iPad will have the same A7 processor as in the iPhone 5s. This will also be big news if the iPad line moves up to a 64-bit architecture, with its greater speed and the increased horsepower necessary for running ever more sophisticated apps—even approaching the robustness of the software on desktop computers.

There have been rumors the new iPad mini will have a retina display, but other rumors have indicated the manufacturers have had challenges producing a retina display on the mini, and that it won't be ready until next year. If that's the case, it's hard to imagine what's in store for this device. Some rumors have suggested that Apple will come out with a lower-cost version of the mini. The Register article says it will also have the new A7 processor.

The big question is whether the new iPads will have some of the iPhone 5s features. It seems inevitable Apple will eventually include the A7 processor and Touch ID and M7 chip on all its devices. But when? It's unlikely the features of the iPhone 5s camera will make it into the new iPads.

So here's what I'm wishing for: an even thinner and lighter iPad mini with an IGZO retina display, touch ID, A7 processor, and M7 chip. If they announce something like that I'll jump. Otherwise, I'll likely stick with my first-generation model for now.

The new iPhone 5S is coming very soon, and a lot of people are wondering the same thing... (maybe for the first time). Is it worth the hype? Let's face it, Apple didn't exactly blow socks off at their recent press event, though I was still pretty impressed, particularly over two things: the ARMv8 64-bit design and support for OpenGL 3.0 ES. Some would say, "well, you are a fanboy writer for a magazine called iPhone Life." Of course, I should be impressed, right?! You might be surprised to know I'm not really such a fanboy of the iPhone (more the iPad and iPod), But I digress from the question at hand. Can the new iPhone 5S render a startling 2X performance boost over the iPhone 5, and will that translate to better iStuff in the future? I'll try to sum it all up for you. Without being too much of a fanboy, I promise.

CPU Speed-The Rabbit and the Tortoise

Everyone remembers how the tortoise kept up a steady, but slow pace to beat the hare (who was lazy and fell asleep). Not exactly an apropos analogy, but not hugely off the mark in this case either. Speed is a slippery thing when assessing practical processor performance (referred to by the term clock speed), particularly since not all apps benefit equally from a boost. The faster hare, may actually be hobbled when performing some tasks (depending on implementation), while the slower more stable turtle might excel better for the long haul. If an app runs faster but crashes or throws errors constantly, you may not really get much of a benefit. In the case of the new A7 SoC ARMv8 in the iPhone 5S, we don't yet have the really gory specifics on the implementation, but some assumptions one can make are:

1. Apple will have tuned it up, particularly for the heavy lifting tasks like graphics-related applications and for OS in general (see section below on OpenGL ES 3.0). My guess is that it is likely to be a fast rabbit for running apps that are CPU/GPU intensive (and maybe not so much for other apps). Will there be bugs with some apps? It's likely.
2. Even if first gen A7 apps (still 32-bit) don't see an immediate boost, some second generation apps will probably be tuned to take advantage of the newer iOS 64-bit stack (which also will be tuned better in patches and updates).

64-bit, What's So Great about That, Anyway?

Well, it depends (what a decisive answer, eh?), and while I admit that I am not a microprocessor expert, I have researched it over the many years of working on and with computers (and I asked an expert, see comments below). In practically every case where I have seen 64-bit implemented, there was an apparent boost in performance, even when running 32-bit apps, on PCs that is! Apps start quicker, and respond better.

It boils down to how big the hopper the CPU uses to point to data in memory, and how much total system memory the processor can make use of (to load app functions into). That computing hopper has been growing from older 32-bit chipsets (8 and 16 before that) to an expanded 64-bit design. 64-bit has been around since early 2000s in personal computing, and even before that in business computing, and will continue to expand in the future. The benefit being that it potentially doubles the amount of data the CPU can simultaneously process in memory, thereby speeding up applications that do a lot of intense operations (let's call them very "volatile" apps). Apps that are meek in comparison (not changing stuff in virtual memory very much), are not necessarily going to enjoy a big boost in apparent speed just from 64-bit, but apps that are doing lots of processor-intense operations should see improvements.

A limitation to consider for phones being the total RAM available on the device, which isn't as much as a PC (usually around 1GB), so many apps may not see much of a boost. I asked an anonymous source who works in the SoC implementation field what her opinion was on the aspect of 64-bit, and it's impact on graphics intensive applications (like games), and her comments mirror many of my own:

"I don’t think there is any fundamental direct impact of a 64-bit CPU (versus a 32-bit CPU) on the GPU in a mobile device system. Of course with 64-bits there is the potential to move data more quickly because of the wider registers, so that could be an indirect benefit. It’s also possible that a larger addressable memory space could enable use of more geometry, texture resources, etc. but most of today’s mobile devices have only 1GB to 2GB of RAM (and are currently limited to that for power consumption reasons) so this isn’t a reality yet."

OpenGL for Embedded Systems (ES)  3.0

OpenGL ES 3.0 is a graphics API that defines a set of functions for programmers to leverage when writing applications that must perform rendering, particularly for mobile devices. Sounds super technical, but basically it enhances the coding tools programmers use for drawing 2D and 3D shapes in a program. When you have to do this for a bunch of objects that look similar (like a bunch of trees in the distance or buildings that look a lot alike), it can take a toll on performance.

The newer 3.0 extensions provide better acceleration of these operations. They will be available to programmers to use with the new SoC in the A7 (See my Imagination Tech coverage at CES here for more info). By itself, this won't make iPhone better than a similarly enabled Android phone, of course; but combined with a faster GPU, and the ability to double the number of mathematical operations and write more data to memory, it could give the new iPhone an edge in this regard.

Better hardware performance means more objects with smoother rendering can be presented simultaneously. If you have ever played a game that has a large number of 3D objects on screen, and seen the display start jerking or pausing every few frames, then you have suffered from a bottleneck due to this kind of rendering.

The Verdict

To give a clear verdict in this case (and of course, this isn't really one of my formal hardware reviews), I would need to get my hands on an iPhone 5S, load up all 300 of my applications, and use the crap out of it for two to three weeks. We can't do that yet, so have to make some assumptions. In theory, there is nothing that Apple says about iPhone 5S that is untrue in terms of performance, in my opinion.

1. The CPU/GPU should be faster (possibly just not for everything) being a newer, custom generation of the A7 SoC. They would have taken time to tune it for the OS particularly, and game sellers may be keen to capitalize on that potential marketing aspect (faster graphics and processing.)
2. Two times faster? Sure, why not? Though I think this will be relative to the application and situation the phone is running under. Being a computing device, an iPhone 5S won't magically stop having other bottlenecks or problems that could affect performance, and Apple could be making that claim under tightly controlled test conditions.

The iPhone 5S is another step toward higher-end handheld computing, no matter how you cut it, but changes almost always boil down to adoption. How many developers will compile their apps under 64-bit for only one version of phone? I would actually like to see how this shakes out for the iPad, and can certainly see a potential for a bigger performance gain there if more memory can somehow be implemented. On that count, I will remain unabashedly fanboyish, but on the iPhone 5S I will (like many of you) wait and see!

Wow, the headlines in my RSS reader suggest the new iPhone 5Ss is being very well received, with lots of superlatives. Here's the respected John Gruber on the Daring Fireball website: "This is what innovation, real innovation, looks like." He rebuts arguments that Apple has lost the ability to innovate and argues that the refinements in the iPhone 5S show real innovation. He offers a very detailed review of the camera, Touch ID, and the 64-bit architecture, including benchmarks showing how much faster the iPhone 5S is than the iPhone 5.

And here's TechCrunch: "With the iPhone 5S, Apple once again wins the right to claim the title of best smartphone available." The review covers the phone's basics, design, features (Touch ID, M7 motion coprocessor), display, software, camera, performance, and battery.

Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal also raves about the new phone, calling it the "best smartphone on the market," praising both the hardware and the software. He finds the Touch ID fingerprint sensor reliable, and says this version of Siri is much improved.

USA Today takes a look at the new features and new software and concludes, "The iPhone 5S makes the best smartphone even better."The review says the biggest change with the new phone, though, is iOS 7.

And if you want an encyclopedic review of the iPhone 5S, check out the one by AnandTech—all 13 pages of it. You get an analysis of every last detail, but especially the processor. A number of benchmark tests show that the iPhone 5S is indeed the speediest phone on the market, with the review referring to the A7 processor as "seriously impressive." The review refers to the phone as "future proof," meaning that the processor is so powerful that it will be a long while before the phone becomes obsolete.

David Pogue of the New York Times is equally bullish: "Apple still believes in superb design and tremendous polish. The iPhone is no longer the only smartphone that will keep you delighted for the length of your two-year contract—but it’s still among the few that will." He reports that in his experience so far, the Touch ID works flawlessly and is superior to other fingerprint sensors he's tried.

Engadget says that the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5S isn't large enough for some people. But for those who like a phone with a screen smaller than 4.5 inches, the 5S is "the best small phone you can get." The review particularly praises the camera and the 64-bit processor.

Apple has done well. It's great to see the appreciation these reviewers have for Apple's focus on refining the phone and making it the best. And it's fun to see the benchmark tests showing that it is indeed the fastest phone out there.

Oh happy day! Infinity Blade III ($6.99) has finally arrived! In case you didn't know, this hugely popular and highly anticipated game was first debuted last week at Apple’s iPhone 5S/5C event and since then the excitement has built to a fever pitch. The award-winning and genre-defining Infinity Blade saga is one of the most popular and most successful games ever to land on a mobile platform, and with good reason.

With its revolutionary graphics, fast paced, intuitive gameplay, and intricate storyline, this game series has elevated mobile gaming to a whole new level! I've completed both of the previous Infinity Blade games as well as both Infinity Blade novels, so as you may imagine, I was first in line to download this poignant conclusion late last night when this final chapter in the epic series made its appearance in the App Store a day early.

For years Infinity Blade has consistently managed to raise the bar as to what is possible in mobile gaming. If you are a gamer, and haven't checked out Infinity Blade yet you are missing out on one of the best adrenaline-fueled titles out there. For anyone new to the game series, I've included brief trailers below for both of the preceding Infinity Blade games.

If you can't see the embedded videos click HERE, and HERE.

Now with Infinity Blade III, we have a game that has almost an hour’s worth of cut scenes with Oscar-caliber voice acting, as well as the new ability to play as one of two characters, our old protagonist and tragic hero, Siris (pronounced Sigh-Rus) and Isa, his companion whom we were introduced to in the first Infinity Blade novel: Awakening and later in Infinity Blade II. Basic gameplay is the same, using tap to move, swipe to attack and defend. Only this time, there is far more terrain to cover and explore, and more secrets to uncover and earth-shattering truths to discover. While I've had my fingers crossed that this latest iteration in the Infinity Blade universe would allow for more open-world exploration along the lines of Grand Theft Auto V, the fact that it remains consistent with gameplay of the previous entries in the series isn't a bad thing, plus we are also treated to three new game modes that offer group-based challenges. Truly, Infinity Blade III is a technical masterpiece with a beefy storyline guaranteed to suck you right in to this alternate universe of our world gone wrong. If your iDevice is capable of running this game (and most are) go download this modern classic, you wont be sorry!

Optimized to perform superbly on older versions of our iDevices, Infinity Blade III also manages to take full advantage of the new desktop-caliber 64-bit chip in the iPhone 5S, delivering an experience that is unsurpassed in graphic richness and smooth gameplay. It’s a big game, weighing in at just shy of 1.5 GB but well worth the space it takes up as well as the price it costs. Look for this game to be one of the best-selling and highest grossing games over the course of the next year. And I'd say its a shoo-in for best iOS game of the year, I know it’s already vaulted to being a top contender in my book.

Infinity Blade III is compatible with iPhone 4 and higher, the iPad mini and the iPad 2 and higher.

Hammerhead is a new navigation system for bicycles that will guide you over streets and along trails accurately. It is a portable unit that attaches on the handlebars for easy viewing and accessibility. An array of LED light supplies turn-by-turn directions. It works in conjunction with a free downloadable app. Once the phone is connected you can stash it in your pocket and turn off the screen. It will continue to communicate via Bluetooth and guide you along a selected route.

There is nothing else like Hammerhead on the market. One of its attractions it that it is an interactive social-network-connected program that allows people to contribute their favorite routes. But it also uses map data and works in conjunction with popular apps such as Strava (free) and MapMyRide (free). It can be used in a competitive mode to let you know how you are doing against other riders over the same route in real time.

Hammerhead works with all the major bike share companies found in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Boston.  Attach Hammerhead to the rental bike, and it will give time of departure and arrival as well as navigate to the next docking station in the system.

Hammerhead is multifunctional. It’s not just a navigation system, it also doubles as a night light with a bright headlight and two side lights. and it operates for about 15 hours between charges and can be used for about 6 hours with a Smartphone.

Hammerhead is the creation of inventor Piet Morgan, a recent Yale grad from South Africa. While biking from Connecticut to California he realized the difficulty of plotting safe bike routes. He appreciated the danger after losing a friend and fellow biker on an unsafe route. His goal was to be able to plot safe routes for bikers everywhere.

The Hammerhead is a crowdfunding project. If you are not familiar with crowdfunding yet, it is a relatively new concept that allows inventors to fund, manufacture, and bring a project to market. Participants choose a funding package and then receive their own Hammerhead in return when the product come to market. There are only 30 days remaining to fund the project with a goal of $145,000. The project is about 30 percent funded with 387 backers at this time.  

I can’t wait to get one of these on my recumbent bike and discover new and safe bike trails wherever I go.

In a time where we rely on our devices and computers to keep us in the loop on many things personal and professional, it can be a bit tough to keep track. But one new app looks to provide a solution that's all about productivity with a stylish twist. Knot ($0.99) is the creation of muoj, Ltd. It gets its moniker from when reminders were created by tying string in a knot upon one's fingers before the advent of more digital means of memory. 

The main purpose of the app is to serve as a touchstone for reminders via your iPhone for different things you want to accomplish, like setting your DVR to record the latest episode of your favorite show. You customize how you want to be reminded via the time and place. When the time is right, your reminder gets displayed and you can then clear it out with a tap of the finger. In addition, there's a percentage score at the bottom of the screen where reminders are listed. The more you're on top of your reminders, the higher it goes, complete with a phrase of encouragement. Or a wisecrack if you're not up to snuff.

Knot primarily works with taps and swipes over two main screens, the home screen and a screen where all of your reminders are kept until you need to access them. While Knot has an engaging design style, there is a lot to be desired in the app overall. 

The concerns lie with the user interface. At first it seems simple, but there is a lot of trial and error. You don't have a lot of space in the gray bar where you type your notes, so it means they have to be brief. It can be an issue for those who need a bit more detail in their
reminders. Also, once you save a reminder there is no room for edits after the fact. With usage, the interface also can be a bit choppy; on occasion there is a glitch that covers the bottom part of the home screen rendering those tabs useless. The memory game part of the app is a nice touch, but on use it seems more prone to count missed reminders toward your score than made ones. Knot has a ways to go for the function be on par with the design, and hopefully newer versions will make it a key productivity app in the future. 

Rating: 2 of 5

Apple's recent event revealed the iPhone 5S, complete with space gray, silver, or gold color schemes, new camera features, and a fingerprint sensor. It also highlighted the new M7  motion coprocessor, designed to gather motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass.

Fitness apps that would normally fall on the A7 chip will now rely on the M7, a more efficient alternative that draws less battery. With a new set of CoreMotion APIs, developers can also contribute a variety of fitness and motion tracking apps for iOS 7.

To kick things off, Nike provided an introduction, with the Nike+ Move tracking app which will track your daily activity and make it easy to compete with friends via Game Center.

As noted on Apple's feature page: "M7 knows when you’re walking, running, or even driving. For example, Maps switches from driving to walking turn-by-turn navigation if, say, you park and continue on foot. Since M7 can tell when you’re in a moving vehicle, iPhone 5S won’t ask you to join Wi-Fi networks you pass by. And if your phone hasn’t moved for a while, like when you’re asleep, M7 reduces network pinging to spare your battery."

This not only leaves the door open for additional fitness features, but also implies some improvements to navigation. According to 9to5mac, the M7 will incorporate several new mapping and location functions.

Sources claim Apple is also working on a tool to locate your parked car by registering the car's location. Public transit directions and indoor mapping features were also listed as possible updates. Recent acquisitions of transit apps Embark and HopStop, and the indoor mapping startup WiFi Slam will presumably be featured in future updates for iOS.

Techcrunch's Darrell Etherington speculates that we may start seeing gesture-controlled games or apps that offer different modes for transit versus walking. While it isn't entirely clear what the M7 is capable of just yet, there may be room for a variety of different features that go beyond navigation and fitness tracking.

Do you have an idea for an app but lack the programming knowledge to begin building it? In this weekly blog series, I will take you, the non-programmer, step by step through the process of creating apps for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Join me each week on this adventure, and you will experience how much fun turning your ideas into reality can be! 

As I write this blog post (September 18, 2013), Apple has officially released iOS 7 and Xcode 5! I'm going to take a detour from my usual topic of building the iAppsReview app and give you an overview of these new tools and technologies. You can check out the regular series here.

What's New in Xcode 5

If you want to create apps for iOS 7, it requires a move to the new Xcode 5. When you first open Xcode 5, you will immediately notice that everything is a little easier to read. Rather than using gray backgrounds, Xcode has white backgrounds for almost all of the panels and toolbars. In the same way that Apple has streamlined and simplified the iOS 7 user interface, they have given Xcode a cleaner, stripped down look, where your content takes precedence over the tools and color is used to identify the primary user interface elements as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - The cleaner, simpler look of Xcode 5

Xcode also gives your content precedence by halving the height of the toolbar at the top of the Xcode screen. This required removing the labels under the toolbar buttons, but you can still hover your mouse over a particular button to see a tooltip describing its function.

Xcode iOS 6 / iOS 7 Previewer

It's an understatement to say that the iOS 6 and iOS 7 user interfaces are different. iOS 7 introduces the biggest visual changes since the release of the first iPhone. 

If you have apps that you need to support for both iOS 6 and iOS 7, Apple has provided you with some help in the form of the iOS Previewer. As shown in Figure 2, the Previewer allows you to view a scene side by side in different versions of iOS (the iOS 7 version of the scene is shown on the left, and the iOS 6 version of the scene is shown on the right). 

Figure 2 - Xcode's iOS Previewer allows you to view scenes side by side in different versions of iOS.

This allows you to quickly see what changes to your user interface look like in iOS 6 and iOS 7. To launch the iOS Previewer:

1. Display the Assistant Editor by clicking the center button in the Editor button group in the Xcode toolbar.

2. In the Assistant Editor's jump bar (located at the top of the Assistant Editor window), click the first segment in the jump bar (usually labeled Automatic or Manual) and select Preview (1) > MainStoryboard.storyboard (Preview) from the popup menu (Figure 3).

Figure 3 - Launching the iOS Previewer

3. Next, in the bottom-right corner of the iOS Previewer, select iOS 6.1 and Earlier from the toolbar as shown in Figure 1.

The center button in this toolbar allows you to toggle the scene between portrait and landscape mode (Figure 4). The button on the right lets you toggle between iPhone 3.5-inch and 4-inch form factors.

Figure 4 - A scene toggled to landscape mode

Xcode Documentation Viewer

Xcode documentation has been moved from the Organizer window to its own Documentation Viewer window (Figure 5), which you can launch by selecting Help > Documentation and API Reference from the Xcode menu.

Figure 5

In addition, the Documentation Viewer is much faster than when documentation was displayed in the Organizer window. Getting to the information you need quickly is a real benefit when you are on a deadline!

Unit Testing Becomes a First Class Citizen

When you created a new project in previous versions of Xcode, there was a check box that allowed you to specify if you wanted to include unit tests in your project (a unit test is a method by which individual units of code are tested to determine if they are "ready for prime time." Creating unit tests for your app is a best practice that helps you create a for more stable and reliable app.)

In Xcode 5, unit tests are automatically added to your project, and Apple has created a new Test Navigator (Figure 6) that allows you to manage and run your project's unit tests.

Figure 6 - Xcode 5's Test Navigator

You launch the Test Navigator by selecting the fifth button from the left in the Navigators toolbar. If a test passes, a green check mark is displayed to the right of the test. If a test fails, a red check mark is displayed instead.

Later in this blog series, we will create unit tests for the iAppsReview app to show you how it's done, and so you can understand the value of unit testing.

Specifying App Capabilities

Xcode 5 makes it much easier to manage your app's capabilities in the Project Editor (Figure 7).

Figure 7 - Setting your app's capabilities in the Project Editor

Certain iO technologies such as Game Center, iCloud, and In-App Purchase require additional configuration in your Xcode project. Xcode 5's Capabilities settings make the job of managing these much easier!

Application Performance Gauges

Starting in Xcode 5, the Debug Navigator displays gauges that indicate CPU and Memory usage (Figure 8).

Figure 8 - The CPU and Memory gauges in the Debug Navigator

If you click one of these gauges, Xcode displays a full report including a preliminary diagnosis of any problems (Figure 9).

Figure 9 - The Memory and CPU usage report

You can click the Profile in Instruments button to launch Instruments for a more detailed analysis.

Changes to the iOS Simulator

During Apple's special event where they announced the new iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S, they also announced that iOS would be a 64-bit operating system. You can think of this as expanding a two-lane highway into a four-lane highway. It allows for a lot more traffic and the potential for greater speeds. To support this new 64-bit version of iOS, a new option is available in Xcode to run your apps in 64-bit mode. You can select this option from Xcode's Scheme setting as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10 - The 64-bit iPhone Simulator

Another big enhancement to the iOS Simulator is support for syncing documents via iCloud. This feature allows you to test that app documents and data are syncing properly across multiple devices. Very nice!

Conclusion

There are a lot more great features included in Xcode 5, and we'll talk about these in future posts. In my next post I'll take you step by step through converting the iAppsReview app from iOS 6 to iOS 7 and learn about some great new enhancements along the way.

Here’s a last minute chance to get involved in the realization of an exciting Kickstarter project for which the funding period ends Sept. 20, and if the goal is met shipping will begin Oct. 1st.

The project involves a bike computer from Wahoo Fitness powered by an iPhone, for access to GPS, music, and app functionality connected by Bluetooth.

The unit mounts on the handlebars for convenient viewing and access. It can display up to eight screens with pertinent information that you specify, including turn-by-turn navigation. It weighs only two ounces and measures 2.4 x 1.6 x .5 inches.  It connects to iPhone 4S and 5 via Bluetooth 4.0. It’s powered by a small coin type battery and has a screen resolution of 128 x 128 pixels and works well in direct sunlight.

It’s weather and shock proof for rides in rugged terrain and through foul weather. Just download the new Wahoo Fitness app (free) and you’re good to go. It also works with other popular cycling apps such asCyclemeter GPS ($4.99) and Strava Cycling (free).

If you are not yet familiar with Kickstarter, it is one of several crowdfunding sites. Kickstarter helps developers with fundraising, production, and marketing of projects. Visitors to the website pledge contributions to bring the project to fruition. The donations are given freely without any expectation of compensation or equity other than sometimes a sample of the product when it goes into production.

You can visit the Kickstarter site to make a contribution or watch the video showing RFLKT+ in action. The projected cost for RFLKT+ is $129.00; make a contribution of $100 or more and get a free unit.

So far I really like iOS 7, but my immediate impression was that it was harder to see. I had a light wallpaper and the white text on the lock screen and icon names was barely visible. (The text was white in the past, but it was superimposed over the darker shadow that give the icons their 3-D look.) So I immediately went to Settings>Wallpaper & Brightness and chose a darker image. Plus, I was initially confused about a few things. Here are some basic tips to help you get oriented.

1. Spotlight

The search feature is now accessed by swiping down anyplace on the home screen other than the very top or bottom. Tap anyplace on the home screen to make it disappear again.

2. Control Center

Access Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the home screen. I really like this feature. You can toggle Airplane Mode, WiFi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, and Mute, as well as adjust sound and brightness levels. It also gives access to the camera, timer, playback, and AirDrop. Note that you can access Control Center and Notifications from the lock screen and from within apps. (You can turn off access to Control Center from the lock screen and apps by going to Settings>Control Center.)

3. Notifications

Access Notifications by swiping down from the top of the home screen. The default view is your calendar. I initially wondered where my Alerts were, which I had been accustomed to accessing in the previous iOS by swiping down. I saw they're in the tab marked All. 

4. Viewing Running Apps

To view running apps, double-press the home button, as you did before. But now instead of an icon tray along the bottom as before, you'll see a carousel of screen shots of your running apps with the related icon appearing below it. Swipe left and right to view the apps. To quit an app and all associated processes, simply swipe up on the screen shot of a particular app. To bring the app to the foreground, tap on it or the icon below. (Note that just closing an app doesn't actually quit the app. You need to use the above procedure to actually quit it.) To exit this mode, press the home button once.

5. Camera

You can access the Camera app from the lock screen without unlocking your phone. Simply swipe up on the icon in the bottom right corner of the lock screen.

6. iTunes Radio

If you're eager to try iTunes Radio, you can find it in the Music app. It's the default selection when you open the app.

7. Search Field

Safari finally has a unified search field. You use the same field to search or to enter a specific URL such as Apple.com. If you enter "Apple," you'll get search results relating to that term. If you enter "apple.com," you'll go directly to the website.

Gusto Technologies, creators of the FitTrip App now on Kickstarter, are helping out fellow residents of the Boulder, Colorado area who lost almost everything they own to the flooding that occurred during the week of Sept. 12. Close to 13 inches of rain fell in the region in just a few short days. 

(Photo courtesy USA Today)

"We want to help," said FitTrip creator Shane Schieffer on the company's flood relief page. "We encourage you to donate to flood relief directly, also, we are offering an incentive. We will donate half of any one-year FitTrip membership to flood relief on your behalf. Participants will have their name posted on our gratitude wall.

"I have been in Boulder for 19 years. This is my home. I am proud to be part of a vibrant community. Until this flood, Boulder has been know for its incredible population of athletes. We're known as a community who loves the outdoors. Who values open spaces…. This is a great place to live...
Please support flood relief."

A one-year membership to FitTrip is $59.99.

You can also donate directly to BoulderFloodRelief.org or to American Red Cross to aid in the relief effort. 

As new iOS apps flood the App Store every day — recently topping 900,000 — we know it’s tough to tell which ones are worth their salt. But thanks to our Weekly Scoop, you can have the best for free! Here you’ll find a weekly roundup of the coolest apps free or at a discount for a limited-time only. Each week features the best and brightest from websites like Free App Report, AppsGoneFree, appsfire, and more.

Hurry! Get 'em while they’re hot!

1. Sleep Sounds  ($.99 from $4.99)

35 various sound loops help you relax for sleep or just a time out from your day. This app also has beautiful and soothing photos to help set the tone for a calming experience. Choose from sounds like After the Rain, Distant Lawnmower, Trickling Cavern, Windchimes, and so many more!

2. iSwap Faces ($.99 from $1.99)

The sale ends soon on this fun app that lets you transplant one face onto another in just under a minute. It’s always fun to morph one person into another, but you normally need to be a Photoshop wizard to pull it off. This app helps you do it quickly and easily for maximum fun and entertainment.

3. Color Curious ($.99 from $1.99)

Have you ever looked at something and wondered “what color is that?” With this app, you can find out what name best describes the color you’re seeing. This is an amazing tool for folks who are color blind, or even for people who never really got the whole “colors thing” in preschool.

Today's the big day! You just got yourself a shiny new iPhone 5s and it's time to go play. While most users can likely stretch their iPhone's battery life over the span of a normal day, power users like myself need to stop for a charge every few hours. But, what if you're out with no power outlet in site? Fortunately, there are plenty of options to keep your new iPhone going all day, and then some.

Mophie Juice Packs

Perhaps the biggest name in battery cases, Mophie offers three different cases to accommodate your iPhone 5s: the Juice Pack Helium ($79.95, 1,500 mAh battery), the Juice Pack Air ($99.95, 1,700 mAh battery), and the Juice Pack Plus ($119.95, 2,100 mAh battery).

Depending on which case you choose, you can provide your iPhone 5s with at least an extra 80 percent, according to Mophie, while offering full protection of your phone. Best of all, these cases don't add much bulk to your iPhone and include an adapter to ensure you can still use your favorite headphones with the case.

Lenmar Meridian ($89.99)

Lenmar's Meridian case is very similar in design to Mophie's offerings, except it's packing a 2,300 mAh battery. Cutouts are provided for the iPhone's ring/silent switch, volume buttons, and headphone jack. Just keep in mind that unlike Mophie's cases, the Meridian doesn't include an extended headphone adapter. 

Belkin Grip Power Battery Case ($99.99)

The Belkin Grip Power Battery Case packs a 2,000 mAh battery that protects the bottom and back of the iPhone, while a frame slides over the front of the phone to add coverage to the sides and top and hold the rest of the case in place. Rather than featuring cutouts for the iPhone's buttons like the Meridian, Belkin's case features overlays for the iPhone's volume buttons.

Each case comes in a variety of colors and will keep your iPhone 5s powered for more web browsing, photo taking, and life living. 

What are some of your favorite battery cases for the iPhone? Be sure to let us know in the comments! 

Adoption of iOS 7 has been remarkable. According to the New York Times, an estimated 18[ercent of iOS users had downloaded iOS 7 within the first 24 hours. So many people were downloading it that some university networks crashed, and Apple's servers struggled under the load. This strong demand for the new software has led to problems. 

The main issue with installation so far has been people getting a message saying "download has failed" after they start the process. You can read more on CNET. Of course the solution is simply to wait until the rush is over or to try downloading it at a time of day when the servers are less likely to be overwhelmed. According to the International Business Times, you may have better luck downloading the update by connecting your device to your computer and downloading the update via the iTunes software. (It's not clear to me why this might help, since I would think it would be the same servers, but it's worth a try.) The article also walks you through the steps of downloading the update directly to your device.

The main complaint is decreased battery life. In fact, iOS 7 does make more demands on the battery than before. But the good news is there are many things you can do to help remedy that. An article on Trusted Reviews outlines steps you can take. They include going to the new Control Center by swiping up from the bottom and turning off everything you're not using: WiFi, Bluetooth, and AirDrop. All of these are constantly searching for available devices, so turning them off if you're not using them extends your battery life. Control Center makes it easy to toggle them on when the need arises.

The article also suggests simply turning down the brightness. In addition, it explains you can turn off some elements of Notifications. If, for example, you don't need stock market updates, there's no reason to have your device using the little bit of energy it takes to keep going out on the Internet to get the latest info. Similarly, do you really need to have your device constantly checking for email? The article suggests you simply change the setting so that it only retrieves email when you manually ask it to do so.

Of course, there are more extreme measures you can take if the problem is so serious that tweaks don't help. The IBT article tells how to do such things are restoring your phone as a new device, which cleans out a lot of stuff that might be clogging your phone, and how to do a "hard reset," which is similar to rebooting a desktop computer. 

An article on iMore makes some of these same suggestions. It also recommends once a month completely draining your battery until your device shuts down, and then recharging it. In fact, the article suggests doing this even if you aren't having battery problems as a way of conditioning your battery.

iMore also discusses why in some cases it's better to drop back to 3G service rather than LTE, and that if you're getting a very weak signal, it may be better to switch off your phone access until you're in better range of a tower.

The article explains a range of features that you can turn off. In addition to those mentioned above, you can save power by turning off content refreshing in background apps, Siri's "raise-to-speak" function, and Location services, as well as quitting power-hungry apps.

Atlantic Wire reports that some users are having issues with Gmail and Mailbox resetting their inbox. They say restarting your phone will fix the Mailbox issue.

Finally, someone has already discovered a security issue with the lock screen. You can read more on TechCrunch. By accessing the Control Panel in the lock screen and tapping on the timer button and holding down the power button until Cancel comes up, someone can get access to the Multitasking feature. This then gives the person access to certain camera and social network features. Apple says they're aware of the problem and will be coming out with an update soon.

When I take my mountain bike out on the trails, besides getting a good workout, it relaxes me. For me it's a mindful experience being out in nature with only me, the bike, and the trail.

However, because I live in Colorado, when the snow starts falling my bike finds residence in my garage until the sun starts shining again, I can shed my North Face coat, and the trails start drying out.

During the winter, I usually find myself hanging out on the couch instead of getting the exercise I need. I absolutely hate going to the gym. 

So, that's why I was happy to hear about a fellow Colorado resident who developed an app designed to quiet the mind and make working out at the gym like being outdoors.

FitTrip is a new app created by Shane Schieffer, CEO of Gusto Technologies, Trey Marshall, and Nikhil Patel. It's currently on Kickstarter until Sept. 30, and has a Nov. 1 release date on Apple's App Store. 

I was fascinated with the app idea, so I emailed Schieffer and asked him several questions about FitTrip.

iPhone Life: How did you come up with the idea for the FitTrip app?:

Schieffer: I was training for a half-marathon with my wife. We were doing an 8-mile run on the treadmill because it had snowed. I was bored. I like the gym, but it can be difficult to maintain motivation and focus.

So I found myself doing what I always do when I am struggling at the gym. I closed my eyes (tricky on a treadmill) to make the gym disappear and began picturing a favorite mountain biking course. Where was I? How hard did I have to be working on that section of trail? When was my next break/easy spot? And so forth.

After a few minutes I realized that tablets (at that time still very new, this was April of 2011) were a perfect platform for creating an interactive experience. All cardio machines have book readers that tablets can be set on and the tablets have great processors and beautiful screens. The only thing that perplexed me was how to create the interaction.

That night, as I tucked my son into bed, it occurred to me that heart rate and machine resistance are directly related, and so if I could adjust video based on heart rate it could account for effort and the difficulty of the terrain. Within the week my brother, my friend, and I started building a proof of concept. I quit my job that August. In October of 2012 I was able to bring together a team that includes two cofounders to pursue this full time.
 
iPL: What is the overall purpose of using FitTrip?

Schieffer: Interactive video is really just the “how” of FitTrip. The “why” is centered on a strange paradox. As adults we rarely get time just for ourselves. Everything demands our time: kids, jobs, spouses, etc. So any time we take for ourselves should be something we treasure. And yet we dread going to the gym. Why is that? 

Most people would say that it's because the body is working hard. I believe it is because the mind is in pain. The mind is disengaged from what the body is doing. Running on a treadmill and spinning on a bike takes no mental effort—you don’t have to pay attention. What does that leave the mind to do? It perseverates on work, on the stresses of the day, and on how slowly time is passing while the body is uncomfortable. 

The secret to making your time at the gym great is to make the brain turn off for a while. I believe that this is why studies show that outdoor exercise leads to greater stress reduction than indoor fitness. The purpose of FitTrip is to make the workout feel shorter and to help you feel more relaxed when the workout is completed. It is achieved by aligning your mind to your body so that it quiets down.
 
iPL: What sports does FitTrip cover and how were they chosen?

Schieffer: FitTrip was designed for flexibility and portability. It was important to us that users were able to engage in many sports, and we wanted to test a multitude of options so that users could tell us what they love. So far we have cycling, running, hiking, rowing, paddling, climbing, and even stand up paddling and swimming. Users don’t have to match a sport to a specific type of fitness equipment. They can mix and match at their discretion. While cycling and running will probably be the most popular, I find the paddling courses to be just as spectacular. The trips are selected based on geographical interest and raw beauty. So far we have selected trips by asking ourselves, “Where would we most like to go?” I also read blogs and surveys about people’s “bucket list” destinations.
 
iPL: What are the best types of workout equipment to use with FitTrip?

Schieffer: FitTrip works with any fitness machine; in fact you don’t even need a machine. There have been days I simply do pushups and lunges to a course. So whether you are at home, at the gym, or on the road you can use FitTrip. In fact, hotel gyms are a whole lot better when you have FitTrip. I think treadmills, ellipticals, and spinning bikes will be the most often used equipment.

iPL: What kind of feedback are you getting from users who are now testing out the beta version of the app?

Schieffer: Beta feedback ranges from enthusiastic comments like, “I would buy an iPad just to use this.” (after seeing a demo) and “I prefer running to FitTrip over running outside because I can be at the beach.” to suggestions about specific features.

Triathletes would like to see us add power and cadence information from sensors. Racing friends is a feature that we are working on that is often requested. The coaching we are adding came from beta user feedback. And of course people have lots of ideas for courses. 

The more people interact with FitTrip the more they become excited at the depth of the interaction. We have put a lot into the app.

iPL: What other type of gear is needed to use with the FitTrip app? Do you have to have this equipment to use the app?

Schieffer: To use FitTrip at the fullest interactive capacity a user needs an iPad and a heart rate monitor. Without the heart rate monitor videos play at the speed I recorded them at. It is still beautiful to use. With the heart rate, users get not only interactive courses, but also some great stats about conditioning, calories, and heart rate zones. Coaching will further be based on heart rate. And when we get to gaming, it is our ability to know how a user really did the course (not only their effort, but their speed too) that will make the competition fun.

The app speeds up and slow down the video footage to reflect the speed that you would be going if you were there in person.
The reason we can do this is because the muscles need oxygen to exert force. The more force, the more oxygen. Heart rate is not a random event. The heart rate reflects the oxygen demands of the muscles. If a user speeds up or turns up the resistance on their machine then it shows up in the heart rate proportional to the effort. If they get off the bike and watch from the side then we will know. Their heart rate will betray the cheat. Unlike a video game it is your heart (not your thumbs) that control the interaction. We call it bio-interactive. 

To enable this interaction the user performs a five-minute calibration on a treadmill, we can predict how much force they are putting into their muscles based on their heart rate. Every second the app compares that force with the sport they are doing, the difficulty of the terrain, and other factors such as weight, friction, wind resistance, and more—and then it predicts the speed the user would be going if they were actually in Cozumel, France, Patagonia, or wherever their trip has them.

Why go through all this effort? Isn’t it enough for the trip to just speed up or slow down? No, not for us. We want the Alps in FitTrip’s video feel like the Alps in France. We want the coast of Cozumel to feel just as easy as it would be if you were on the sun-soaked road yourself. That is part of the magic of experiencing a place. It is why we go there.

Schieffer let me preview the beta version of FitTrip. 

The video looked amazing on my iPad Mini. I was able to choose which trip I wanted and download it onto my iPad. I tried out Cozumel's "wild" side. I'll take riding alongside a beach over watching CNN any day! I look forward to the full version that includes videos of mountain bike trails. 

The cost of FitTrip is $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year. These memberships give access to all courses in the library, as well as courses that will be offered in the future.

FitTrip works with iPad 2 and newer. An iPhone version is also in the works.

I think I might actually force myself to go to the gym this winter. Exercise bike, here I come!

Gusto Technologies is also helping the Boulder region with flood relief donations. Much of the area nearby was destroyed by record rainfall and flooding. Gusto Technologies is donating half of all FitTrip one-year membership costs to assist those affected by the devastation. Click here to help. 

To bring peace to the Earth, strive to make your own life peaceful - Buddha

World Peace Day is Saturday, September 21. A newly released app is encouraging people to practice peace on a regular basis, as well as connect with others who have positive intentions towards creating peace.

The Peace App ($2.99) helps put the power of collective thoughts and positive intentions towards creating peace.
Users can choose from a variety of methods and activities to bring about peace in their own lives, including intentional thought, prayer, yoga, meditation, or movement. The app provides imagery and music to go with each activity. Users can also upload their own images to make the experience their own.

What makes this app unique is the ability to practice each activity with others around the world. The app includes a Community section so you can connect with others around the world that are also practicing peace. The Peace App uses Google Maps and you can view people's profiles and add them as friends to intend peace together.

Overall, I think this is a great app for those who believe in the power of intentions and want to have an interactive way to practice peace.
And the best thing is that Minerva Endeavors, Inc., creators of The Peace App, is donating 10 percent of sales to help teach vets with PTSD and soon-to-be-released prisoners mindfulness, yoga, and mediation—helping to reduce conflict and bring the peace efforts full circle. 

A few years ago no one would have thought that a digital camera would be capable of taking such incredible pictures, videos, and panoramas, but now you can use these and other features like smile detection and eliminating red eye to take great photos. There is one more thing that is important for making high-quality photographs—having the right exposure. For that, you need the help of a light meter. That’s where the new Luxi ($29.99) comes into play. It turns your iPhone 5 into a quality incident light meter. If you use your camera’s built in light meter, you are getting a reading for reflected light, which could be a false reading resulting in a photograph of under or overexposed poor quality.

First you have to install a light meter app (there are several available on iTunes), and then snap the little Luxi dome over the front or back camera lens of your iPhone 5. Hold the meter up to the subject, and a readout will appear on your phone screen giving you the perfect settings for your DSLR camera and a great shot. I was surprised to learn that Luxi does not have its own app You may want to experiment with available apps to see which you prefer.

It comes with a small bag for storage and transport along with a lanyard that makes it easier to keep track of it. Any serious photographer should have one of these in his gadget bag. The accuracy of the readings compares very well to much more expensive light meters which can cost up to 10-times more than the Luxi.

Incidentally, the Luxi is a great success story. It was originally a Kickstarter funded project. The creator, James Flynn, was hoping to raise $10,000 to launch Luxi. Forty-five days later he had raised $120,921.

I never would have imagined that I could improve my golf game with my iPhone, but now I can with the new GolfSense by Zepp. This golf swing analyzer works with a sensor in a glove and sends data to a free app on your phone. Amazing. Just attach the motion sensor to your favorite golf glove, download the app, and you are ready to start improving your game.

The sensor captures 3D swing data with precision and transmits it to your phone via a Bluetooth connection. Weighing less than a hummingbird beak, the sensor will not interfere with your playing. Its rechargeable battery lasts for five hours, which should be plenty of time to play a round as long as you don’t keep losing your balls. It works equally well for left-handed and right-handed players.

The developers have determined that placing the sensor on the glove rather than the club gives more accurate readings and does not interfere with the performance or ball flight. Also, you do not need to keep attaching and reattaching the sensor every time you change clubs like other sensors.

The glove sensor consists of two accelerometers, a gyroscope, and a compass. You can use these instruments with your phone to track hip rotation.

For the first time, GolfSense allows the evaluation of your swing using a single metric called Swingscore that tells you how closely you are matching your swing goals. Goals may be chosen on the basis of skill level, or best swings or a coach’s swing can be used as a benchmark. The data illustrate what aspects you need to improve by using a color-coded dashboard.

Swing metric data are registered for plane and path of the swing and speed. Tempo measures the ratio of time it takes to make your backswing versus your downswing (3:1 is a common goal). Backswing position measures the angle of your club shaft at the top of a backswing ((270 degrees is the usual goal), and finally hip rotation can be measured when you place the phone in a pants pocket.

With GolfSense, it’s easy to track your improvement or need for improvement with every single swing you make. You can tell which clubs are best for you and on what clubs you need improvement with a detailed data log. It allows you to compare your own progress through time or compare to a golf pro’s performance. And you can share your data with others via email, Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.

By the way, the sensor works with the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android. It speaks English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

In the box, you get the sensor for your golf glove, a charging dock, a USB charging cable, and documentation.

The sensor comes in your choice of white or black. It costs $129.99. You can order it here from Zepp. A hundred and thirty bucks might seem a little pricey, but it’s a lot cheaper than golf lessons.