Tag Archives: iOS

Ah, December 26th. Boxing Day. Christmas is finally over and it’s time to take stock of your gifts. Invariably, many of us receive colorful plastic cards, with a dancing silhouette on it, worth trading for digital things on iTunes. A fine gift and all, but what the heck do you do with it? You don’t buy music (Spotify Premium takes care of that) or movies or TV shows (Netflix!) so that just leaves apps and games to blow a measly $10 gift card on. Believe it or not, there are applications that are worth spending money on, and it’s all the sweeter when you’re not spending your own money.

10000000 ($2.99) and You Must Build A Boat ($2.99)

10000000 is a simple fast-paced match-three game with RPG elements. Your little guy runs through a 16-bit dungeon and into monsters, and you need to match tiles in order to attack, defend, and get items. Easy to pick up yet painfully addictive, 10000000 gives you plenty of replays as you try to ultimately get the ten million points needed to open the door to your freedom. Once you hit that milestone, download the sequel: You Must Build A Boat. The goal is different (you must build a boat) but the gameplay is the same, and with tons of new features and secrets as you build your boat bigger and bigger, recruiting monsters to act as your crew while moving up-river.

Pocket Casts ($3.99)

If you’re tired of the iTunes podcast interface, give Pocket Casts a try. We prefer it for two main features: reverse-chronological sorting (for starting a podcast series at the beginning) and easy downloads for offline listening. Almost everything is customizable, from playback to storage, and convenient features such as intro-skipping, silence-removal, and variable speed lets you get the most pod for your time. We also believe that every app should have at least an option for a retina-pleasing dark theme, and Pocket Casts makes the cut. Some podcasts the iFixYouri crew enjoys:

99% Invisible – Interesting stories about day-to-day designs you don’t generally think about (examples: revolving doors, the NBC chimes, and “Busta Rhymes Island”).
Welcome to Night Vale – Regular updates from the creepiest town in the Southwest. Surreal, often-dark humor in the form of local newscasts from the fictional Night Vale.
Embedded – Investigative journalism for people who like self-contained stories, unlike the months-long yarns of Serial. Each episode stands alone and covers its topic in gripping, explorative fashion.

Djay Pro 2

Algoriddim’s popular app lets you be a pro DJ, allowing playback and mixing of digital audio files with a user interface that tries to simulate the concept of two turntables and a microphone. Works decently well on your phone but you really need an iPad to fully realize its potential. Integrates with Spotify (Premium account required) and features a huge array of effects, waveforms, and sampling capabilities. A lot of professionals use Djay for both composing and live performances, but for such a low cost, it can be just as much fun for a desktop disc-jockey to start mixing their favorite tunes.

News, Software

Android vs iOS: Third-Quarter 2016 Head-to-Head

November 4, 2016 Staff Leave a comment

The results are in, and Google is in the lead. Third-quarter stats put the Android mobile operating system as being present in 87.5% of mobile phones worldwide. That’s almost 9 out of 10 phones. Meanwhile, Apple sold about 5% less phones than it did in the same period last year. We’re fairly certain there’s a good reason for that.

It’s worth noting that this is WORLDWIDE market share. In the US, it’s about 53% Android, 42% iOS. It’s easy to see where Android’s dominance both here and abroad stems from: price. iOS is only featured on iPhones, which don’t feature a “budget” model (unless you count the iPhone SE), while Android appears on phones that cost as little as $20 and as much as $650. This appeal to the lower end of the market gives Android much more appeal in developing markets, especially with import taxes and other tariffs (a brand-new iPhone 7 can easily go for double its US price in other countries). Apple seems content to hold the higher, smaller end of the market pyramid; its entire marketing and image essence revolves around a “luxury” or “elitist” niche. In that respect, 42% of the market is actually great. iOS, and the iPhone itself, is essentially THE top-end phone as far as consumers are concerned. It took quite some time for a challenger to the throne to arise (the Google Pixel) and it’s too soon to tell.

But let’s talk about that 5% drop. While every company wants to do better every year, we think this drop is okay. Yes, it’s true that the 7 didn’t seem to live up to the hype, especially compared to that surrounding the 6S a year prior. However, we’re sure this isn’t a bad sign for Apple.

The period was until the end of September, and a lot of potential buyers were waiting to upgrade to iPhone 7, which was released September 25th. The 6S came out September 16th of last year, so it had two weeks of sales to help bolster numbers.
With the 6S released one year and nine days before, and considering the popularity of that device, one can assume that the majority of buyers were and are still under Apple’s one-year warranty. Why buy a new phone if your current phone is still…new?
October began with the Samsung Note 7 debacle, and many users of those phones switched to iPhone. This most likely gave Apple the boost they needed in October.

So there’s no need to worry about Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, and the rest of the folks in Cupertino. The stock (AAPL) took a small dip at the news but that was part of an ongoing slight downward trend. Google will continue to thrive, as well; the Pixel is selling a lot of units, and new high-end Android phones from LG, LeEco, and Xiaomi will continue to push sales around the world. Well, maybe just the first one. Here at iFixYouri headquarters, we have yet to receive any Xiaomi or LeEco phones for repair, but we’ll just assume that it’s because they’re indestructible. But maybe not. Regardless of what you buy or plan on buying, remember that iFixYouri is here to fix it. Can’t make up your mind? Leave a comment below and we’ll be happy to help out!

Apps, Tablets

Microsoft Mobile Office Applications for iOS and Android

December 31, 2012 Staff Leave a comment

The much-awaited iOS and Android version of Microsoft Office suite may be around the corner. Online reports speculate that the productivity suite may be available on the iOS and Android mobile platforms in the next year.

There may be some strings attached to this though, since it is generally presumed that the iOS and Android apps of the Office suite may not be fully functional, without having to subscribe to Microsoft’s own Office 365 cloud service.

Microsoft Mobile Office Applications

From a Verge report citing unnamed sources, the yet to be released Office apps may only provide their users with the option to view their Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents. Each user may have to subscribe to the Microsoft Office 365 service, in order to edit his or her documents on the go.

Though the Verge report did not state or include a price for the subscription, a Microsoft Office Home Premium product’s 365 subscription generally costs $99.99 per annum for five user licenses. The mobile version of the subscription may, however, not cost as much as this.

App Release Date

According to the Verge report, the iOS version of Microsoft Office may be released towards the end of February or in early March 2013, while the Android version may be released in the month of May 2013.

The first date correlates with some earlier online reports on the release of the mobile Office apps. This includes a Czech Republic Microsoft product manager revealing a release date of March 2013 for the apps, and a published photo by The Daily, supposedly claiming to be a photograph of the mobile Office application running on an iPad, both of which were refuted and/or denied by Microsoft.

Mobile Office Launch

There were some predictions, too, that Microsoft would launch a mobile Office product at its SharePoint conference in Las Vegas, based on the assumption that Microsoft may want to position its mobile Office app as an enterprise product.

Presently Android and iOS users may use Microsoft OneNote app for note-taking but will have to rely on other third party apps like QuickOffice and Documents To Go, to read and edit their Office documents.

As great as apps are for our day-today operations, having a smartphone or other device that is out of commission due to unforeseen accidents such as a cracked screen or water damage may render such a tool useless. If your device is in need of repair, seeking out a professional such as iFixYouri can be a solid recourse.

News

The Best Free Web Browsers for iOS

December 30, 2012 Staff Leave a comment

Those looking for a free alternative iOS web browser will find that there are a number of options to choose from. Because installing and uninstalling programs on an iPhone or iPad can be complicated, a person will want to find the best free web browser for iOS the first time around. Following is some good advice on how to go about doing this. Below are the best free web browsers for iOS.

What is Are the Best Free Web Browser for iOS?

There are some excellent free iOS browsers on the market. Some are better than others but it is hard to pinpoint which one is actually the best. The fact is that a browser that is ideal for one person may not be ideal for another. A lot depends on an individual’s online browsing habits.

Opera Mini Web Browser

This particular browser may not be as feature rich as some other free iOS web browsers, but it is one of the best options around. The reason for this is the fact that Opera Mini Web Browser compresses all information before sending it to the browser, thus providing a person with a very fast connection. Individuals who browse the web at all times will most likely want to use this browser, which can be downloaded at opera.com/mobile/download/

Google Chrome

A person who wants a simple, easy to use browser will find that Google Chrome is generally the best option. This browser is especially ideal for individuals who use Chrome for a desktop and/or laptop computer. Chrome has a sync mechanism that allows a person to sign in and see all of his or her bookmarks, no matter where or when they were made. Stackable tabs and Incognito Mode are just two of the many features that tens of millions of iOS Chrome users have found to be extremely helpful.

Webroot SecureWeb Browser

Anyone who does online shopping and/or banking on his or her iPhone will want to use Webroot SecureWeb Browser, as it is the most secure iOS browser option available. It provides total security, automatically blocks malicious websites, has tabs that allow for quick browsing and will sort out website search results according to which sites are the safest to open.

Choosing a Web Browser for iOS

Choosing an iOS browser is not easy, as there are many good options to choose from. A person who does not want to use the default browser should consider the options noted above and see which one would work best for him or her. Those who have problems installing or running the browser can turn to ifixyouri.com for help. The company is readily available and has the experience and expertise needed to sort out problems or glitches that may arise when installing or running a new iOS browser on an iPhone or iPad.

Apps

LocalScope And Other iOS Apps For Your Local Search

December 22, 2012 Staff Leave a comment

Since the dawn of the smartphone, our world has become smaller and considerably more accessible. Through the aid of local search apps, getting a bearing on one’s location and what of interest may surround them is as easy as a simple click. It almost makes you wonder, how did we survive prior to such a convenience?

While browsing through a list of iOS apps, I came across a local search tool called LocalScope. Though a lot of people already use Google Maps (which is now available for iOS) for their local search, and the Apple Map (powered by Yelp), after reviewing LocalScope (review available below) however, I decided to also search for some other apps that may help you in finding what you want, near your location.

Apps For Your Local Search

Unfortunately, the Android version of these apps is currently unavailable.

AirYell

A free app that provides you with a listing and green car icons you can use to get turn-by-turn directions.

AirYell is like a personal Yellow Pages, where you can add a search term or speak it out, to get a list of results for your area. You may also get some listings too by touching some of the icons at the bottom of the app interface. AirYell provides some information about its listings and maps to view their locations, and it also provides turn-by-turn navigation features with voice.

Where To?

An app with an appealing interface and lots of categories (cost – $2.99).

From the Where To? interface, you may choose a common search item which will then be displayed in a list, on a map or through augmented reality (this will cost you an additional 99 cents). Where To? has a massive list of alphabetized services you can quickly get to. The augmented reality feature in the app allows you to see all the places that are in some specific directions within your area, though the extra you may have to pay to use the feature may be a turn-off.

LocalScope

An app that uses social data from popular social networks, along with GPS, to provide you with some information and details about what is near your location. You may search through a lot of social networks and other reference sites with it (cost $1.99).

With LocalScope, you will get some listings, photos, tweets, history, and a lot more through the Search or Discover buttons in its app interface. It is a great choice for finding what you want and discovering other new places too.

To enjoy these apps properly, you’ll need a GPS that is working. Unfortunately, it is one of the features that seems to fail for many iPhone users. If you are experiencing this problem or any other technical issue, you can send your phone to professional repair specialists at iFixYouri.

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