ios

iOS 5 Newsstand is one small, small step for digital magazines

I've been reading magazines on my iPad for months. I didn't need iOS 5 to do it. I keep these apps--The New Yorker, Wired--in a separate folder on my iPad, called Reading. With iOS 5, that's no longer the case. A new baked-in app (or, rather, a type of smart folder) called Newsstand has now absorbed these apps into an iBooks-like wooden bookshelf.

Newsstand was one of the iOS 5 features that I'd been long awaiting, because I dreamed it would be a way of integrating books, periodicals, and all reading material into one destination. Alas, that's not the case here. Instead of being slotted into iBooks, Newsstand is a separate app. This means two icons to manage instead of one.

Also, I hoped that Newsstand would become a digital way of discovering not just magazines, newspapers, and journals, but a means of browsing covers and headlines from current issues. I browse real newsstands on the corner of 28th and Park, or at a bookstore, and based on what I see, I actually might buy an issue. A football preview came out this month? A cover story on a dinosaur discovery? Sure, I'll bite.

Newsstand on the iPad does none of this.… Read more

How to get started with iOS 5's Newsstand

Newsstand, one of the new features of iOS 5, might not be much more than a filter for the App Store and a permanent folder that groups magazine and newspaper apps, but it's still a welcome addition, particularly for the iPad. Not only does Newsstand group your magazines and newspaper apps in one attractively designed folder, but it also promises automatic downloads of new issues for your subscriptions.

I love the iPad as a magazine reader, maybe even more than I love Super Stickman Golf. I've synced my magazine subscriptions to The New Yorker and Sports Illustrated and enjoy reading issues on the iPad for the digital extras and for the fact that it saves me from having to hunt around my house for the current issues. Newsstand is still a work in progress, but here's a quick overview on how it works. … Read more

What iOS 5 brings to iPad

When the folks at Apple showed off iOS 4.2 for iPad last year, they kept hammering on the idea that the software update was like having a whole new iPad.

They introduced multitasking, AirPrint, Folders, AirPlay, Game Center, and e-mail threading, but in all honesty, it didn't change the way I used the iPad in any significant way.

With iOS 5, Apple cut back on the hyperbole (a little) and just delivered a great new OS that genuinely opens up new ways to use the iPad and reinforces the ties between complementary Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPod … Read more

Apple updates iWork for iOS, iMovie, others

Following today's release of iOS 5, Apple has also updated several of its own apps to include support for iOS 5. Apps include Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for iOS, iMovie, Find My iPhone, and Remote.

Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for iOS now include enhancements for use with Apple's iCloud syncing service. Now, users can automatically keep their documents and presentations synced between all their devices using iCloud. Users can also download their iOS documents to their Mac or PC via the iWork section of iCloud.

iMovie, now at version 1.2.2, not only provides support for the … Read more

Apple TV gets AirPlay mirroring, Photo Stream, NHL, and WSJ

The biggest updates from iOS 5 are for the iPhone and iPad, but the Apple TV also received a few improvements this afternoon.

As expected, the latest update adds AirPlay mirroring, which streams exactly what's on your iPad or iPhone's screen directly to your Apple TV. Apple's new cloud photo storage service, Photo Stream, was another addition, along with support for streaming video services from the NHL and The Wall Street Journal. (Movie trailers were also listed as an update, but we're pretty sure they've been there all along.)

While none of those services are a major addition for Apple's streaming video box, don't forget that iTunes Match is right around the corner with a "late October" release date.… Read more

iOS 5 upgraders reporting installation hiccups

Despite getting off to a smooth start, some users are experiencing problems upgrading to Apple's latest version of iOS.

Numerous users on Twitter and Apple's support forums are now reporting issues downloading the new version of the iOS software. The Next Web notes that most users with problems are getting a 3200 error, with the message that an "internal error" occurred, and that the upgrade process has been canceled as a result.

Other users--including at least one CNET editor--have run into problems after successfully downloading the update, with iTunes spitting out an error message as the … Read more

Facebook essentials

At long last, Facebook as a universal app is finally here and if you're an iPhone or iPad user looking to browse the popular social site, the app is better than ever. On the iPad specifically, it might be the best platform for browsing the site available.

Now a universal app for both iPhone and iPad, Facebook offers a fun and fast way to browse through friends' pages, statuses, photos, and more. The interface is fairly sparse, but makes it easy to get exactly where you want to go on the site quickly. Across the top you have a … Read more

How to change font in Notes app on iOS

At one point, the iOS Notes app had one font, and one font only. There was no option for users to customize the look and feel of the app. This eventually changed, giving users three different fonts to chose from.

Changing the font for the Notes app on iOS is a very simple process.

Open the Settings app on your iOS device. Scroll down until you come across the Notes option, and tap on it. Choose your font.

It doesn't get much easier than that.

One more tip regarding the Notes app: if you had multiple accounts set up … Read more

How to get the Apple logo icon on iOS

If you are on Twitter, you most likely read about the death of Steve Jobs in the numerous tweets that seemed to take over the service for hours. You may have also noticed, or have even taken part in, sending a tweet with nothing more than an Apple logo icon, as a miniature tribute to the greatest visionary of our time.

Read on to find out how to get the Apple logo icon on your iOS device, as well as some other special characters that iOS and Emoji don't provide. … Read more