Piotr Marcinski

I'll be honest, I don't think I've used a scientific calculator since college. But my teenage daughter uses one every time she does her math homework. The problem is that she's constantly losing her calculator. On the other hand, she has never once lost her phone. I suspect that her priorities in this matter are similar to those of most teenagers. That's why it's so great that the iPhone has a scientific calculator for backup.

To access the scientific calculator on your iPhone, all you have to do is open the Calculator app (the fastest way is probably through Control Center) and turn your iPhone to landscape mode. The calculator keyboard will expand to include all the functions of a scientific calculator:

However, if you are using your iPhone's scientific calculator as your main calculator instead of a back up, you may want to look at the functionality of other calculator apps to see if they suit your needs better.

Summer is upon us again, and it’s time to shape up. We’ve got four weeks before Memorial Day and I’m here to show you how your iPhone can help whip you into shape before the festive weekend that kicks off summer. Now, next year at this time, we’ll have Healthbook for iOS8, but we still need to take care of 2014, and trust me, there are apps for that. Week one we need to focus on eating healthy, kicking some bad habits which may have crept up over winter, and getting enough sleep. Don’t worry, I plan to take this journey myself and I’ll update you ever step of the way. 

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Step 1: Eating Healthy

Eating healthy needs to be distinguished from losing weight, which is why when it comes to tracking nutrients, I like Calorie Counter Pro by MyNetDiary (3.99). Although you can easily configure MyNetDiary to help you lose weight, the app tracks so much more. Of course, you can track fats and carbs like many other dieting apps, but MyNetDiaryPro also lets users track vitamin intake, water, and alcohol consumption. There is even a place for users to track notes such as thoughts and feelings or creating shopping lists. Entering foods is simple, as users can manually add foods, search from an extensive database, or scan a bar code. You can even create recipes. At the end of each day, users can hit the analysis tab and get a rundown of how they did for the day and what improvements could be made in the future. The Food Checker function allows you to scan barcodes and make healthier choices by comparing the nutrients in two foods and if you own an iPhone 5S, MyNetDiary can be set to use the M7 compressor so that it can be used as a pedometer, making it a complete and well-rounded health monitor. Although there are many great free dieting diaries in the App Store, I chose to use MyNetDiaryPro because of it’s focus on tracking more than just weight and calories. 

Step 2: Ditching Bad Habits and Getting Things Done

Getting healthy for summer isn’t all about how you look, but also about how you feel. You want to be able to enjoy all that summer sunshine. So, if you’ve developed some bad habits over the winter or just have some nagging chores you’ve been putting off, Everest (Free) is an app which can help your mental state. The cool thing about Everest is your goals can be just about anything and you can either keep them private or get social support from friends and family. Push notifications can be set to help keep you on track and photos can be added to track your progress. The layout of the app is aesthetically pleasing and easy to use and there’s no limit to the amount or variety of tasks which can be added. I currently have goals set for eating less sugar and cleaning out the boxes in the garage. I’ve also set it in the past to remind me to read a daily Bible verse and to take some time out of my day to sit and relax. Everest isn’t a task manager but a goal setter. This would be a great place to set reminders and keep goals about your longterm health and wellbeing such as working out more or drinking less, even something as simple as having it remind you to go outside and spend five minutes in the sunshine every day. 

Step 3: Getting Enough Sleep

You’d be surprised what a good night’s sleep will do for a person. There are many sleep aid and alarm clock apps out there but my favorite is BrainWave ($2.99). BrainWave uses isochronic tones to help relax your mind and add a little calm into your life. I always use the app when I’m traveling and I must say although I’m not sure how it works, it does relax you. The entire app is customizable, even allowing you pick the pitch of specific sounds and endlessly loop or set a timer as you drift off to sleep. The app is broken down into four categories: Relaxation, Sleep, Meditation, Stress and Anxiety, and Mind Training, and all have both pre-event and post-event sessions. You can choose to listen to relaxing music in the background or just the soothing noises themselves. Each event comes with a list of three suggested sounds which can be used in any combination at varying levels. For example, under Quick Tension Relief Session I have the choice to add up to three sounds: wind, rain, and birds. Wind personally freaks me out and I’m not a huge fan of birds either (although the birds on the app sound pretty friendly and I do find them calming). I can omit the wind all together, bring the bird sounds down low, and just listen to the rain. The music library is also quite extensive, although some of it sounds like what you might hear in a dentist’s office. I would have preferred traditional classical selections. 

Getting healthy in time to enjoy your summer doesn’t just mean having a bikini ready body; it means taking care of yourself internally and externally, clearing away the winter blues, and learning to relax. Making the smallest changes can greatly influence your success.

Power. You can never have enough. Just ask any president, king, or dictator. That's why I always try to have a spare battery charger or battery case plus the necessary cables. But it can be a pain to carry everything around, and you have to remember everything. Last week, our family stayed in a hotel and my daughter left her charger and cable plugged into the wall in the hotel room. Those Lightning cables aren't cheap!

Finally, there's something better than the rat's nest of cables and wires required to support iPhone charging. The Prong PWR is a combination case + battery pack + built-in two-prong charger mechanism!  It's brilliant and something that should have been invented long ago. In fact, the Prong case has been around a while, but only now have they added the removable battery pack component.

This will make long sessions away from an outlet so much easier. The Prong PWR battery pack offers 100 percent extra charge, essentially doubling your battery life. In fact, with multiple battery packs, users can go indefinitely without being tethered to a wall outlet. Regardless, there are no cables to lose and no chargers to leave behind.  

And users don't have to sacrifice aesthetics for functionality. The Prong PWR case comes in assorted colors and should please most users. Choices include White High Gloss, Slate Soft Touch, Pink/White High Gloss, and Blue/Grey Soft Touch. Want to charge your device the traditional way? There's a backup microUSB so you can charge (and sync) using your laptop's USB port, etc.

The Prong PWR case will be available at BestBuy this summer for a reasonable $75 but can be preordered at www.prong.com for an even better $65!

on Wednesday, a report  on AppleInsider citing a Japanese blog said that the iPhone 6 will have curved edges.: That is, both a curved casing and curved glass. The blog is known to have generally reliable sources, so this rumor may have credence. And to help visualize what the iPhone 6 would look like with curved edges and glass, you can see some great renderings by Martin Hajek on the French website Nowhereelse.fr. The renderings show rounded corners and the glass of the display wraps slightly around the edge. In addition to the curved edges, the report says the back of the iPhone 6 will differ from the 5 and 5s, in that it will no longer have the glass-covered antenna windows seen on those models.

According to multiple rumors, the iPhone 6 will have a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 1,334-by-750-pixels. A leaked case reported Wednesday by AppleInsider again suggested the phone will be larger and thinner. The case also appears to confirm that the sleep/wake button will be moved from the top to the right side and that the design of the volume buttons will be more like that of the current iPads. And it again suggests that the phone will have rounded edges.

A video showing a mockup of the phone in the leaked case has been posted on YouTube.

Many people don't realize that when they install an app onto their iDevice that by default, it is added to their iCloud backup. I didn't realize this until very recently and I've had an iPhone since November 2012!

Every iDevice user gets 5 GB of free iCloud storage from Apple. This is not 5 GB per iDevice but 5 GB per Apple ID. If you have an iPad and an iPhone, like I do, where you are using the same Apple ID, the cloud storage is shared. The problem with this default backup setting, is that unbeknownst to you, your storage could be eaten up with apps and data that don't need to be backed up.  

Evernote, Kindle, your social media apps (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and Maps—to name just four—are already all in the cloud and do not need to be backed up to your iCloud too.

Now What?

To see what is actually being backed up to your iCloud, go to Settings > General > Usage. On this screen, you will see Storage along with the amount of space you have available on your iDevice (not your iCloud) and the space you have used. Here, you will also see every app you have installed along with the amount of space they are taking on your iDevice.

Scroll to the bottom of this screen and click on Manage Storage (right above Battery Usage). On this screen, you can see all your Backups along with the total size of the back up, the size of each iDevice backup (see below), Documents & Data and Mail.

At the very bottom of the screen, you will see x.x GB available of y.y GB on iCloud (mine says 4.3 GB of 5.0 GB).

From this screen, choose which iDevice you are currently using. Under my Manage Storage, I see Mark's iPhone  and Mark's iPad.  If you only have one iDevice with this Apple ID, you will only see one device listed.

Next, click on the Backup.

On the next screen, you will see Your iDevic, when your latest backup was, and the Backup Size.

Below this, under Backup Options, you will see every app that is installed on your iDevice. Note: you may have to click on "Show All Apps" to see, well, all apps.

What you back up to the iCloud is up to you.  For me, the only apps that I have turned on are Pages, Numbers, iMove, and Find iPhone. The other apps are either already in the cloud (online) or don't have any data to be backed up.  

Another note: back on your Manage Storage screen, make sure that the only iDevices listed here are active iDevices. When I first looked at this, I saw three iDevices and my backup was at 4.5 GB. I had given my wife my 4S (which she signed into with her own Apple ID) but I never deleted the backup. It was over 1.1 GB.

On my recent trips to London and Washington D.C., I had the opportunity to review several pieces of Briggs and Riley luggage. I found them all superbly crafted and well-suited for the life of the commuter. The lifetime warranty on all bags includes repair coverage even for damage caused by an airline (but it does not include cosmetic damage). Each bag includes a unique serial number so it can be registered, eliminating the need to find original proof of purchase should the bag ever need repair.

Navigate Rolling Case ($369)

This was my trusty main carry-on for two trips already, and will likely be a regular companion going forward. It was clearly designed with modern tech-travelers in mind. Larger elastic loops hold not just pens, but also help manage charging cords and cables. A front fleece-lined pocket provides good temporary storage for an iPad, unless the front pocket is overstuffed as mine tend to be.

My favorite feature of this bag is its clever elastic corded handle that sits out of the way between its own airplane grade aluminum telescoping handle. If this is your only carry-on, and you want to place it securely atop a checked bag when retrieved, simply pull out this corded handle and flip it 90 degrees to easily secure this bag to any roller.

Pros: Great storage and a solid telescoping handle make it good, well-designed wheels and tall legs keep it clean, and fine manufacturing and materials mean it will last for a long time. The ability to securely mount it to a larger roller is icing on the cake.

Cons: Would like to see the PC slot more customizable so it can be reduced in size to more tightly hug today’s increasingly diminutive notebook computers. As it is, the case provides ample room for even the largest of computers, but I sometimes feel my Microsoft Surface tablet has a bit too much wiggle room (by contrast, I own a Samsonite bag that uses Velcro along the sides of the PC compartment so it can grow or shrink depending on the size of the PC it is carrying.

Final Verdict: This is a great primary carry-on for the modern traveler.

Medium Leather Backpack ($469)

This is one of the best backpacks I have ever used. It makes a backpack feel, and act, like a fine briefcase, with the advantage briefcases can’t offer: you can wear it rather than carry it. It’s very roomy for a medium backpack, though I still tend to get close to capacity (but that’s the nature of tech evaluation work). Several fleece-lined padded compartments protect more delicate items like iPhones and iPods. A large fleece pocket takes good care of iPads, even those without a case. Unlike many “iPad” pockets, this one is roomy enough to hold an iPad even in a case with a keyboard. RFID pockets protect valuable information from being pilfered from the likes of credit cards and passports. I find the top facing zippered pocket an ideal place to unload everything from my pockets before I enter security screening—and I do mean everything, from coins to wallets and cameras. A large center section could hold a ream of paper, but I used it for an Eagle Creek packing cube encased change of clothing; if the checked bags don’t arrive, I’m still able to make it for a day.

For the seasoned traveler, Briggs and Riley backpacks offer one essential feature that most backpack manufacturers completely neglect: the ability to fit it securely over the handles of a rolling back. This backpack sports a wide elastic strap that holds the backpack tightly to Briggs & Riley luggage, or any other dual handled luggage (nothing much fits securely on bags with a single telescoping handle). Unlike regular bags with thin straps, this one doesn’t permit flipping or turning so you will never find yourself repositioning a backpack that has fallen over the front of the roller bag causing that sometimes embarrassing, and always annoying, need to reposition your bags as you hurry from appointment to appointment.

Elastic compartments for other gear and kit; generous side pockets, including a mesh one for holding a bottle; and a lockable laptop section fill out the features.

Pros: Fine leather, great wearability and ample storage, as well as good security features make for an excellent backpack that works in the airplane cabin, on the day trip, or in the boardroom.

Cons: Pricey for most backpack buyers.

Final Verdict: An outstanding backpack. A bit pricey, but if you want the flexibility of a fine leather case that acts as carry-on and briefcase, it will cost. The price isn’t out of line with traditional briefcases in this class like those from Hartman or Mont Blanc.

Large Clamshell Backpack ($299)

This larger backpack offers nearly the same features as the Medium Leather Backpack, but in a larger size and with the durability and lightness of ballistic nylon. I carried this backpack around London for several days and found it light (at least to start with, before being loaded down with guide books from various churches and palaces).

In addition to the shared features of the Medium Backpack, the Large Clamshell is TSA compliant: its rear padded laptop section unzips so it can lie flat for x-ray inspection.

Pros: As a larger version of the Medium Backpack there is just more room, but the bag doesn’t feel overwhelming by any means, as do some “large” backpacks.

Cons: A little more depth to the mesh water bottle holder would be good, as my bottle popped out a couple of times when I sat the bag down.

Final Verdict: A very well constructed backpack that is a pleasure to wear. Clean lines make keep it professional looking while inner pockets let the geek in you go wild.

Transcend Commuter Carry-On Spinner (Available in Fall 2014- will retail for $349.Note photo is of similar Baseline Carry-On Spinner that retails for $419, available now)

Today many people carry on very large bags because the fees for checked luggage have become so exorbitant. But many of those bags aren’t made to fit well on fleets of 737s with their mostly diminutive luggage space (newer models improve overhead storage, but they aren’t widely deployed yet). I think of this spinner bag as being in the “Goldie Locks” zone, as it is just right. It fits into the overhead space on all but the smallest planes. That said, I managed to pack a complete three-days of clothing in the bag, including a wrinkle-free sports coat. That’s an efficient use of space.

The Transcend Commuter achieves this feat with great design. First of all, the handle is on the outside, leaving a flat surface on the interior of the bag. No need to unbundle socks to fill in crevices. But speaking of filling in crevices, Briggs & Riley placed a slim zippered compartment between the handle uprights. That compartment proves just the right size to hold a wallet and money clip. Perfect for unloading just before the security scan.

The case includes a zippered inner compartment for separating clothing (perhaps for two different stops so you don’t have to unpack everything at the first stop. This is where I stored my sport coat.) On the lower compartment, mesh cinches holder everything in place, not just the stuff that happens to be under the usually thin straps of other bags. Roomy front pockets, including a padded one for quick tablet access give this bag a tech edge.

Pros: Clean design predominates to create a fashionable and very useful carry-on.

Cons: Minor point: Mesh cinch clasps don’t snap into place, but rather hook around straps. There may be a design reason for not using interlocking clips that snap into place, but when really forcing stuff down, it can take a bit more finesse to get these to work.

Final Verdict: Travelers who are bag connoisseurs are always in search of the perfect carry-on, constantly buying small bags in hope of finding the right mix of features. I’m not going to stop looking, but with the Briggs & Riley Commuter in my arsenal, I may not do so in earnest. The best basic carry-on I have ever used (so far). 

Last week Apple posted a new ad on their YouTube channel showing the amazing range of things an iPhone 5s can be used for, from making music and videos to launching model rockets and controlling stage lighting. The ad is reminiscent of earlier iPad commercials. The background music is "Gigantic" by the Pixies. The tagline of the ad is "You're more powerful than you think." I always enjoy watching their ads.

If only Touch ID would work! Kamira/Shutterstock

Touch ID is so very convenient, allowing you to keep your phone secure while eliminating the need to enter your passcode every time you unlock your iPhone. And because you don't need to enter your passcode every time, you can use a longer, more secure passcode without any extra hassle, thus increasing your iPhone's security as well.

Touch ID is so convenient. Except when it isn't.

Because there are always those times when it just won't read your fingerprint, no matter what position your finger is in; and after multiple failed tries you are forced to enter a passcode to unlock the phone. If you have an extra-secure passcode, the inconvenience is multiplied.

At least, this was my experience until our CEO David Averbach showed me this cool trick that resulted in Touch ID working for me every time:

Go to Settings>touch ID & Passcode and enter your passcode.

Place one of the fingers for which you have Touch ID enabled on the home button. If you are using Finger 2, then Finger 2 should turn gray. Lift and place your finger on the Home button in a slightly different position until Finger 2 turns gray.

Repeat this, changing position slightly each time, until you have entered a whole range of positions.

Do this for each of the fingers you use for Touch ID.

From now on, your Touch ID should be very responsive. These days if I press my Home button to wake up my iPhone and then just rest my finger for a brief moment, that is usually all it takes to unlock my iPhone.

The rumblings began 10 days ago when Nike, as reported by CNET, laid off 70–80 percent of the employees working on their Nike FuelBand, one of the more popular fitness trackers. Plus, they acknowledged they would be stopping development of the hardware side of fitness tracking, though indicated they planned to continue selling the second-generation FuelBand SE. That move raised lots of eyebrows, and some even speculated that Apple's rumored iWatch was a factor. Then, last week GeekTime reported that Apple and Nike are gearing up for an announcement this fall of a "smart band." The website claims to have received this information from two sources in Cupertino, where Apple is located. According to the report, "Apple is looking to launch a smart band toward the end of this year whose collection of sensors will be able to be used not only to monitor the activity of the wearer, but also to operate other devices as a gestural controller."

So this is getting interesting, but still on the level of rumor. But then, in an interview with CNBC last Friday, Nike CEO Mark Parker talked about Nike's relationship with Apple. He was asked if the two companies would be collaborating on a device, he said, "I can’t really say that. There’s been a lot of speculation, which I understand. I will just say the relationship between Nike and Apple will continue. And I am personally—as we all are at Nike—very excited about what’s to come."

That at least confirms that the two companies have a relationship. And his Tim-Cook-speak "very excited about what's to come" is the sort of nondenial that seems meant to stoke interest. In addition, Cook has been on the Nike board for nine years, and in the past he's talked about the fact that he wears a FuelBand and that he thinks it's a great product.

So are they partnering on a device? The question is, Why wouldn't they? Apple has clearly invested a lot of resources in fitness and medical sensor technology and research in the past year. And Nike has experience developing the software for such a device. Plus, Apple has explicitly said they're interested entering the market for wearables. 

It will be interesting to see what develops. The New York Times blog reported on Sunday that fitness trackers are notoriously inaccurate. This could be one more instance in which Apple enters an established market and gets it right. 

For an interesting take on how two massively successful corporations operate, just take a look at Microsoft and Amazon. Both companies offer apps that rely upon users buying a subscription. When Microsoft released their Office suite for the iPad, they made it free, but users needed to buy an Office 365 subscription to access premium features. Amazon just bought the comic book reading app Comixology which also lets users buy and subscribe to new comic releases using the app. This is where the similarities end. 

Microsoft leverages Apple's in-app purchase infrastructure, as Comixology did originally. Now that Amazon has purchased Comixology, this has changed. Users need to purchase comics using the web site, as Amazon has done for Kindle books. It's interesting that Microsoft seems to have no problem letting Apple take 30 percent of purchase revenue, but Amazon won't stand for it.  

As a developer I can relate, because besides losing the extra revenue, we don't get to know our customers. Apple knows who buys what and it's hard to cross-sell. But Apple makes it easy (maybe too easy) to make in-app purchases, so I accept the 30 percent as the cost of doing business. Amazon has a sophisticated shopping system, unlike most app developers, but still they could offer two ways to purchase and let the customer decide what is preferred.

Kudos to Microsoft for making the customer experience come first, even on a competitor's platform, and shame on Amazon, which prides itself on offering a great customer experience, but is making customers jump through an extra hurdle. 

Every time Apple ships a new phone or releases a new version of iOS the first thing most pundits check is battery life. And the news usually isn’t good, meaning that it’s about the same as it was in the previous version, or worse. During international travel, especially when one is on his own, a dead phone can be a very disconcerting thing. Apple’s battery challenges have created an entire market for external batteries to keep their kit going. I’ll comment on external batteries in a moment, but first...

I decided to buy a phone on this trip to the UK (my daughter is already in the UK so we needed a phone to stay connected). I selected a Nokia 106 running on the O2 network. I hadn’t used anything other than a “smart” phone for years, since I gave up my 6310i Nokia international phone probably over 15 years ago. The Nokia 106 reminded me that batteries can last for a long time when battery life is the primary design imperative. This little “candy bar” phone claims 35 days of battery life. I didn’t charge it during the entire 10 day trip. Many iPhone users, given how much the iPhone has driven mobile adoption, have never owned a phone that didn’t need to be charged daily.

The international travel experience is very different than the one in the country in which your device is registered. When I visit New York, Washington, D.C., or any other city in the United State, my iPhone runs dry too quickly. The device is running full tilt, with location services, e-mail retrieval, downloading of app updates, communicating with Bluetooth devices, and whatever else I have going on. International travel is very different.

When you go international, the first thing you want to do, before you put your device in airplane mode, is turn off domestic cellular data services. That way when you land, you won’t accidently connect to a roaming data service. Even a little data can be expensive. When you do land, don’t turn off airplane mode, but rather selectively turn on the services you will actually use. I travel with an iPhone and an iPad because of the iPad’s superior battery life; and when I don’t employ my phone as a phone, I tend to leave the iPhone off and use the iPad to seek out WiFi for checking in on FourSquare or posting to Facebook.

Since the iPhone has a better camera than the iPad Air, and a flash, I did use if for pictures. When doing so, I left all the wireless services off. When I found WiFi on the iPad, I would turn on the iPhone so it could synchronize to iCloud, and then turn off the WiFi when I wandered beyond the signal.

Did I take external batteries on the trip to the UK? I did, three of them..and frankly I did not use any of them on an iOS device. My Kindle Fire went down after sitting in a hotel safe for a couple of days with WiFi enabled, so I used a battery to jump start it, but beyond that, nothing. The iPad, with Bluetooth and cellular disabled, never ventured below 60 percent battery even after 14-hour days and occasional connections to WiFi.

You can’t configure an iPhone to match the battery in phone like the Nokia 106, but you can keep it running much longer if you follow a few simple procedures:

International Battery Tip Summary

• Turn off all cellular data services before going to airplane mode.
• Keep your device on airplane mode to avoid connecting to any data or other cellular service.
• Only turn on selected services when required (for instance, when you know you have WiFi access).
• If you have an iPad, use it to search for services rather than an iPhone (the iPad has much better battery life).
• Turn off WiFi services when you move beyond a WiFi signal or don’t need to use WiFi.
• Fully charge your iOS devices when you return to your room.

Note that if you are using an unlocked phone, and you install a SIM for the country you are visiting and then use your device just like you do at home, the battery life conditions will be similar to normal use and you will likely need an external battery on long days.

There have been months of rumors regarding the next iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone 6" by bloggers and the media. Increasingly the rumors are coming from reliable sources, and some are now being supported by leaked images. Here's a roundup of what the rumors are saying. As always, it's important to realize that rumors fall short of fact and that we won't know for sure what the new iPhone will be until Apple announces it, which will most likely be in September. Accompanying this post is a rendering by Martin Hajek based on the cases that manufacturers are already making and purported specs. It shows what a bezel-free, 4.7-inch iPhone may look like. You can see more renderings on NWE.

Display

The rumors have converged around the new phone having a 4.7-inch display. Concrete evidence began surfacing in April, which I covered in a post on leaked photos of molds used to make the casing. The image at right shows the mold in comparison to an iPhone 4s. While earlier rumors said the phone would have a 1,920 x 1,080 display, most recently a credible rumor said it will have a resolution of 1334 x 750 (326ppi). You can read more in my post about Apple's roadmap for 2014, which relays information from Ming Chi Kuo, who usually has solid inside knowledge of what Apple is coming out with. Also, my post on leaked specs noted the iPhone 6 could sport an "ultra-retina" display at 389 ppi.

In addition, rumors have converged around Apple releasing a second new phone later in the year (or early next year) that would have a 5.5-inch display, which Ming Chi Kuo affirmed. In February I passed along the rumor that this "phablet"might not carry the iPhone moniker. Kuo also said that the phablet's display will be made of sapphire crystal or have a sapphire crystal laminate and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi). However, he said Apple may not use sapphire crystal in their 4.7-inch phone. In late February, I posted a hot rumor that the iPhone 6 display may use Quantum Dot technology, which renders colors much more accurately. Finally, in a post in early February, I passed along the rumor that said the phablet will be a 2K device, with 2,272 x 1,280 pixels.

Bezels

In February we also began to get rumors that the iPhone 6 would have narrower bezels (the left and right borders on the display) or even no bezels. This would mean that while the display would be larger, it would keep the overall size of the phone as small as possible.

Buttons

I also posted a photo of an iPhone 6 case that suggests the sleep/wake button will be moved to the right side of the phone opposite volume-up button. And I passed along the rumor that the shape of the phone's volume buttons will be an elongated pill shape, similar to the iPhone 5c. In that post I also reported noted that the iPhone 6 will emulate the iPhone 5c's holes on the bottom for the speaker and microphone as well as the iPhone 5c's back, rounded edges. In my post on the bezel-free design, I passed along the rumor suggesting that the Touch ID would be incorporated into the bottom of the display, and that there would no longer be a Home button.

Processor

Pretty much everyone expects the phone to have a new A8 processor. In March I passed along the rumor that new processor will be a quad-core chip with quad core graphics. I also posted in March some leaked specs, which included the tidbit that the processor will be a speedy 2.6ghz.

Memory

In a post in early February, I passed along some leaked specs that said the there would be a 128GB option for the new phone.

Thickness

Some rumors have suggested it will be even thinner than the .3 inches of the iPhone 5s, as in this post about leaked specs in which I reported it will be in the range of .22 inches thick.

Camera

Rumors suggest the camera will continue to be 8-megapixel but will be much improved and will include optical image stabilization.

Cost

In mid-April TheStreetInsider.com reported that Apple was talking with the carriers to see what they'd think about a $100 price increase for the iPhone 6. So far, the carriers are balking, but it's possible Apple could succeed in getting them to agree to at least a small increase in price.

Bottom line

Everything points to a 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and a larger 5.5-inch iPhone that would come out late this year, or even possibly early next year. Of course it will have a faster chip, and I'm betting we'll see the A8 processor. I also think it's a good bet that the appearance will change, such as the bezels, button shape, and edges. It will come with iOS 8, a feature of which will be the new Healthbook app for monitoring health and performance, as well as a new version of the Maps app.

What we don't know

There has been little news about the battery, but I think it's safe to assume the battery life will be longer, as Apple adopts new, more energy-efficient technologies. I expect them to use IGZO technology in their future displays, maybe even the iPhone 6. An IGZO display would use up to 90% less energy. 

What it means

So is Apple copying Samsung, who's been making larger smartphones for several years? Steve Jobs was pretty clear that he thought a phone should be small enough that you could easily hold it in one hand. But larger phones and phablets have become extremely popular, so much so that a court document in Apple vs Samsung revealed that Apple explicitly acknowledged they needed a device to compete in this segment of the market. Not only does a larger phone seem to contradict the direction Steve Jobs gave, it also goes against Apple's long-held tradition of keeping its product line tightly focused. This has helped Apple be more profitable, as well as sell more devices. Research suggests that when there are too many options, consumers actually make fewer purchases. By the end of the year, we could have three phones to choose from: the iPhone 5s, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and a 5.5-inch phablet. That's quite a change for Apple.

Market analysts seem pretty much agreed, though, that the iPhone 6 is going to create the biggest splash of 2014 in the smartphone market. Many are already expecting huge sales for the device, and there are rumors that Apple will be making some 70 million of them. That's a lot of phones. In the meantime, the world awaits breathlessly to hear what Apple announces.

StockLite/Shutterstock

If you haven't already, you should take a moment to introduce Siri to your family. Once you have done so, you can quickly ask Siri to message or call your wife or your brother without having to say their full name. If your spouse's full name is a multi-syllabic mouthful like my husband's, this can be pretty handy.

But first you're going to have to introduce yourself to Siri.

In order for Siri to know who you are, you will need to create a contact card for yourself in Contacts.

Once you have done this, go to Settings>General>Siri. Tap on My Info and select your name from your contact list.

Now you can start introducing people to Siri.

Press and hold on the home button to open Siri and state the relationship you want Siri to remember. For example, I might say "iPhone Life is my office." Siri will ask me to confirm the relationship and from then on if I want to call iPhone Life I just need to say "Call my office." 

If you have more than one of the same kind of relationship, like multiple sisters or brothers, use a qualifier like "younger" sister, "coolest" brother, etc. when you are adding a relationship.

To edit or remove a relationship (maybe your other brother found out he is not the "coolest" brother or maybe your girlfriend got tired of you talking to Siri so much and dumped you), go to your card in Contacts, tap Edit in the top right corner, scroll down to your list of relationships, and tap on the delete icon.

Like many iOS device owners, I am also a MacBook owner. But at this point I own more chargers than MacBooks, because they are prone to getting damaged due to the unique way Apple connects the thin wire to the charging brick. The folks at JuiceBoxx have decided to do something about it and via Kickstarter are offering a protective wrap that eliminates the stress that causes the cable to fray.

Given the expensive nature of MacBook chargers, with the proprietary MagSafe connector, it's important to keep the charger undamaged. The JuiceBoxx could save users its price several times over. There are less than two days left to back them on Kickstarter; but the good news is they have received their minimum required funding, so customers can expect to buy these even after the campaign ends. I learned about this from Brian and the team at SellYourMac.com. They buy and sell used Macs so if anyone is an expert on the reliability of Apple products, it's them!

It's hard to beat free, and with FreedomPop, you get it all for free: 200 voice minutes, 500 text messages, and 500MB of data per month. If you want more, you can sign up for an inexpensive plan starting at $5 per month. 

The service uses the Sprint network, so you'd want to make sure they have coverage in your area. FreedomPop has been around a while, but according to a detailed report on Re/code, has only now announced they will begin offering service for the iPhone. You can buy a refurbished iPhone 5 from FreedomPop for $349 to use with their service, or you can bring over a Sprint iPhone 4 or 4s. Their voice service uses VoIP, meaning that your call is placed via the cellular data network. And that means you'll get the best quality if you use an LTE iPhone 5 with their service.

This blog won’t run on for long. It is about little things, little things that can get lost if you don’t take care of them.

Let me start with my EDM Universe In-Ear Headphones with Headset Functionality and Universal Volume Control from MEElectronics. I used the headphones on the London Big Bus Tour to listen to the recorded commentary. This is a hop-off, hop-on tour, so every time you leave the bus you must disconnect the headphones from the jack. 

As a regularly used item, I kept the pair of headphones in my Scott eVest hand warmer pocket (that’s the main one on the side of the jacket where hands can easily plunge in, out of the cold.) The earbuds began in a zipped inner pocket, nicely secured. But when they started sharing my hand warmer pocket they were in jeopardy. Somewhere at the Tower of London, during a moment of frantic photography, I whipped out my camera and must have sent the earbuds plunging into the abyss that is the Tower of London. Like the souls of Anne Boleyn and perhaps the two princes of Edward the IV, my earbuds were lost among the ancient grounds.

But that wasn’t the only thing I lost. My new LiveScribe 3 smartpen also lost an integral part of its assembly. On the top of the pen, covering the charging port, was, and I do mean was, a cap that included a stylus tip. At some point, while removing or returning the smart pen to my Pacsafe Metro shoulder bag, which I wore for many of the outings with the LiveScribe 3 smartpen tucked into a pen slot, the cap flipped off the top of the pen and out into the streets of London. Although the fault is mine for not better watching or protecting the small cap, some of the blame runs to the design.

When I review anything, I look at the number of parts. The more parts, the more likely something is going to be lost. If not lost, then more time is required to care for the pieces. To check and double check, to overtly protect, to coddle and care for. Anything with parts that easily dislodge, or that don’t include yet another part, (like a case,) that will protect the loose parts, isn’t designed as well as it could be.

The moral of the story of lost tiny things:

For manufacturers and designers: avoid too many parts, even if they do offer incremental revenue from replacement. When you do include small, easily removed parts, include something that helps the owner protect them.

For owners: if you own a device with tiny parts, or something that is small, then go out of your way to take care of them, even if it means taking a bit more time to do so.

Last week I posted up a review on the Blumoo bluetooth entertainment system controller, a CES gadget for which I was eagerly awaiting release. This week, yet another cool accessory product seen at CES is now on Kickstarter (with a much slicker design, IMO.)

The Lunecase uses EM radiation to provide power to an embedded logic chip and diodes (embedded in the case back) to quietly notify you with a blinking icon when an SMS or call is being received. It also offers a layer of protection, as it is after all still a case, albeit a darn awesome one! For a pledge of just $39 or more, you can get one of these unique cases for your iPhone 5, so head over to Kickstarter to give your support while there is still time (cases will ship August 2014)!

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HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and it works by capturing three different exposures of the same image and then combining them into a single image. This can be really helpful when your subject includes a large range of lights and darks and you want the details in the darker parts of the photo to be visible without overexposing the lighter sections.

HDR is probably most useful for taking photos of landscapes and lowlit or backlit subjects. Since it takes longer for the iPhone's camera to process an HDR photo, it's best to turn HDR off when taking shots of moving subjects.

You can select the HDR mode your prefer in the top menu bar of your iPhone's Camera app. Choose HDR On or HDR Off if you want to control whether to take a photo in HDR or not, or HDR Auto if you want to let the iPhone's camera determine whether HDR is appropriate. 

If you want to be able to compare the differences between your HDR and non-HDR images, go to Settings>Photos & Camera and toggle Keep Normal Photo on before you start taking photos. The HDR and non-HDR versions will both be saved to your cameral roll.

Unfortunately, the iPhone's HDR mode is kind of weak. The HDR image and the normal image below are not only nowhere near as beautiful as the professional photo at the top of this post, you can hardly see the difference between them beyond a slightly lighter hallway:

Normal

HDR

Hopefully Apple will improve this really useful feature in the future; but in the meantime, if you often find yourself taking pictures that would benefit from using HDR, consider getting an HDR app. True HDR ($1.99), Pro HDR ($1.99), and vividHDR ($1.99) are the three HDR apps that I have seen recommended the most (although only vividHDR has been updated recently.) Feel free to chime in in the comments with your own HDR app recommendations.

Apple released iOS 7.1.1 last week, and you'd be well advised to download it to your devices. You can do so over the air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Or you can connect your device to your computer and do the update via the iTunes software. The update fixes important security issues as well as bugs. Most importantly for iPhone 5s owners, it reportedly helps to make Touch ID faster and more accurate. According to a detailed explanation on Cult of Mac, accuracy would decay over time. Quoting a Reddit user, the post explains how the update improves Touch ID: "With iOS 7.1.1 Apple now takes multiple scans of each position you place finger at setup instead of a single one and uses algorithms to predict potential errors that could arise in the future." In the past, if you didn't get a good scan during setup, it would later cause problems. The increased accuracy of the update results in a faster response because the phone needs to make fewer calculations while unlocking the phone.

According to an overview of the changes in 7.1.1 in International Business Times, the update also fixes issue with Bluetooth keyboards when VoiceOver is enabled. However, there have been mixed reports regarding whether the update fixes the problem of battery drain that cropped up with the arrival of 7.1. Some users report the problem fixed, but many say the problem remains. If you're experiencing battery drain on your iPhone, you might want to try a fix that worked for a friend of mine. He simply did a "hard reset" of his device by holding down the sleep/wake button and the Home button at the same time. 

Is Apple competing with itself?

They have done it before, but this time they have really gotten my attention.

TUAW just posted an article doing a side by side comparison of the just released 11" MacBook Air and a top of the line iPad. The MacBook Air is cheaper.

This is the first time I can remember an Apple laptop selling for under $1000.

Apple says this new MacBook Air battery lasts up to 9 hours. Its 128 flash memory will give you "instant on" and be one of the fastest laptops on the market and it weighs a mere 2.38 lbs.

Here is the side by side table that shows the stats.

I got rid of my laptop the day I got my iPad, two days after they were released and haven't looked back...until now.

There have been enough times that I wanted a keyboard for my iPad Air that I ended up buying a Bluetooth keyboard cover from Logitech and I love it. But if I add up all the accessories I have purchased for my iPad, I am very close to the $899 of the MacBook Air.

The cellular iPad still has the leg up by being able to connect to the web anytime from almost anywhere. But MacBook Air, has the core i5 or i7 processor as well as a higher end graphics processor.

Apple, why do you do this to me? I am never going to leave my iPad relationship, but you've got me looking at a possible new family member.