Category: news

Apple: Do AirPods work with Android?

 Apple’s AirPods line of true wireless earbuds and headphones is one of the most popular. This means that using AirPods with your iPhone, iPad or Mac is easy; but what if you want to use Apple headphones or earphones with your Android phone? Well, you’ll be happy to know it’s possible — but be warned, you might miss out on some AirPods features, like support for spatial audio and super-fast pairing.

Fortunately, there are some workarounds you can take advantage of, including apps that restore some AirPods features that Android users typically don’t have access to. Here’s everything you need to know about using AirPods with Android.

How to connect AirPods to an Android phone

If you’re using AirPods with your Android phone for the first time, you might be wondering how to pair earbuds or headphones with your device.

AirPods 2019, AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro

First, open your AirPods’ charging case, then open the Bluetooth settings on your Android phone by going to Settings > Connected Devices > Bluetooth. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on. Now press and hold the pairing button on the back of the AirPods case – the LED on the front of the case should flash white. Find your AirPods in the list of Bluetooth accessories and tap Pair. Your AirPods should now be connected to your Android phone.

AirPods Max

The pairing process for AirPods Max is exactly the same as for true wireless AirPods, except you need to press and hold the noise control button on the earphones instead of the pairing button on other AirPods charging cases. This button is on the top of the right earcup, on the side of the headband opposite the Digital Crown. The status light on the bottom of the earcups should flash white, and once the AirPods Max appears in the Bluetooth device list on your Android device, press Pair.

Which AirPods features don’t work with Android?

simple setup

Pairing AirPods with your Mac requires you to go into system settings and manually select AirPods. There’s no workaround to make pairing faster on Android devices – but luckily the process is pretty quick anyway.

Siri

Android devices don’t come with Apple’s voice assistant, so don’t expect to be able to summon Siri with your voice while wearing AirPods. However, you can download an app for free called Assistant Trigger, which lets you squeeze the lever on your AirPods to summon Google Assistant.

Check the battery

When you pair your AirPods with your iPhone, you’ll see an animation showing the battery status of the earbuds or headphones. While this won’t happen on Android, the aforementioned Assistant Trigger app can also display remaining playback time.

auto switch

You can automatically switch your AirPods between different iOS devices – so if you’re listening on your iPhone, all you have to do is start playing music on your iPad to switch to your tablet.

custom control

On iOS devices, you can change the function of double-tapping the AirPods’ touch case—for example, you can set it to skip music to the next track. This is not possible on Android devices.

dialogue enhancement

AirPods Pro can help you hear face-to-face conversations by boosting volume using computational audio and beamforming microphones. Android users won’t be able to use this feature because you need the latest version of iOS or iPadOS to use it.

>>>>>>>>>Apple battery

How to use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook

 I’m sure there’s still one thing you can’t use on Chromebooks: installing Windows or Mac software directly on them. That’s a big hurdle for people considering switching from a traditional Windows laptop or MacBook to a Chromebook. Especially if you want or need to use Microsoft Office, as the desktop version cannot be installed on Chromebooks.

Also, while Chromebooks have access to the Google Play Store and can run millions of Android apps, Chromebooks no longer support Android versions of Microsoft Office, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive. However, when Chromebooks stopped supporting Android apps, another option—and, in my opinion, a better one—replaced them. You can find Microsoft Office 365 PWAs including Outlook and OneDrive that work well on Chromebooks. Find and install them here so you can still use Office on your Chromebook.

Sign in to Office 365

Open a Chrome browser and go to Office.com, the landing page for Microsoft Office 365 Online. You can use any personal email you want for your account, and setting it up is a simple process: enter your email, set a password, verify your email, and prove you’re not a robot.

Install Office 365 PWAs

After you sign in to Office 365 in Chrome, the installation icon will appear in the upper right corner of the address bar. It looks like a computer monitor with a down arrow. Click on it and it will pop up a prompt to install Office 365. Also, if you only want one application, like Word or Outlook, the same installation options will appear in the address bar when you point your browser to a specific application. Installation is quick and takes only a few moments; a window opens that looks exactly like the online version of Office 365. It’s essentially a browser window, but with the functionality of the Microsoft Office mobile app.

ready to work

Because PWAs behave like installed software, you can do things like pin them to the taskbar, get notifications, work offline, and easily resize. The rest of the experience is the same as using the web version. Now, if you’re missing the look, feel, and tools of desktop software after using PWAs, you still can’t install them directly on your Chromebook. However, you have other options for running Windows software on your Chromebook.

>>>>>>>>Laptop battery

How to install MacOS apps that Apple doesn’t want you to install

 We all know that Apple takes privacy and protection very seriously, and that always includes keeping malware and viruses out of MacOS desktops and laptops. Installing apps from Apple’s own Mac App Store is one way to minimize risk, but not everything you might want is available there. It’s also easy to install software downloaded directly from one of Apple’s “identified” developers (as its term is called), though there’s also a settings menu to turn the feature off and on.

But you may come across an app that Apple doesn’t think is from an identified developer, and you want to install on your Mac. This is where it gets tricky. MacOS comes with a feature called Gatekeeper. It helps protect your Mac from applications that can adversely affect system stability. Gatekeeper verifies downloaded applications before allowing them to run. By default, if you try to install an application that Gatekeeper does not recognize, it will not install.

Before MacOS Monterrey, there used to be an option in settings that would let you bypass Gatekeeper and install unrecognized apps. In addition to allowing apps from the App Store and Identified Developers, the third option is Anywhere, which is exactly what it means. But since MacOS Monterrey, the Anywhere option is gone. You can still do this, but it requires a few unobvious extra steps. Let’s take a look below!

Start by opening System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General. Click the lock icon at the bottom left of the page (it reads: “Click the lock to make changes”). You must enter your system password. If not already checked, check the boxes that say App Store and identify the developer.

Now, if you install a downloaded application (usually a .dmg file) and get a message: “[This program] cannot be opened because the developer could not be verified”, this is what you do. Go back to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General. You will now see a new option on the page asking if you want to open the app anyway. Click that and you should be good to go. It is worth noting that please be careful to install any unverified software on your computer!

>>>>>>>>>Apple battery

Thanks for reading, hope it helps!

If you need to replace the battery of your device, this battery store will be a good choice: www.batteryforpc.co.uk

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra is missing something important?

 Samsung’s new Galaxy S22 Ultra features a number of tweaks to its predecessor, most notably the addition of the S-Pen stylus from the now-discontinued Galaxy Note line. While the Ultra versions of the flagship Galaxy S series have been focused on bringing cutting-edge camera tech to the table, the S22 Ultra doesn’t seem to have any major camera upgrades.

Key camera specs for the S22 Ultra include a 108-megapixel primary sensor, along with 10x optical zoom and support for 8K video. They’re also the same as we had on the S20 Ultra from the previous year. Rumors of the S22 Ultra hint at a 200-megapixel sensor for better magnification quality, as well as an innovative continuous zoom lens instead of switching between fixed zoom lenses. So where are they?

The S22 Ultra and S21 Ultra have the same image sensor size and the same lens aperture—both of which can take sharper, brighter photos, along with improved dynamic range and better low-light images. Instead, the promised Night Mode improvements appear to be coming entirely on the software side through “upgraded AI algorithms” and pixel binning, which combines nine pixels into one larger pixel to better capture light. Sure, this might make night shots look a little sharper, but it’s not a feature that’s going to make the hearts of Instagrammers and other mobile enthusiasts.

Other new camera upgrades are said to include better portrait mode AI and the ability to automatically zoom in and out on video to keep all your friends in the scene. Again, this is not a revolution in mobile photography.

Then there’s the computationally primitive multi-cloud problem. Apple introduced the ProRaw feature on the iPhone 12 Pro, which enables the phone to combine multiple exposures into a single DNG raw file. This gives you the better dynamic range you get from the merged image, but with the editing flexibility of DNG raw files.

Confusingly, this raw shot is only available when using the dedicated Expert Raw app, which you have to download separately from the Samsung Galaxy Store. On the iPhone, you can simply tap the button that says “raw” in the main camera to open ProRaw, making it easy to improve image quality when taking quick shots.

All of this means that, on paper at least, the S22 Ultra’s camera setup seems disappointingly similar to the phone’s last two generations. The biggest upgrades come on the cheaper end, with the base S22 and S22 Plus getting more camera boosts than their predecessors. But the Ultra is a flagship, so it needs to push the boundaries further and give people reason to be excited compared to the competition.

With both Apple and Google struggling to push the incredible images on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro, Samsung needs to step up its offerings this time around. Instead, its tired camera specs make it hard to get excited about this phone, or see it as an upgrade over previous generations.

>>>>>>>>>>>Samsung battery

4 Windows 11 tips and tricks to help you maximize your computer’s battery life

 If you’ve ever left your computer charger aside, you know the sense of hopelessness that sweeps you over when you watch its battery drain. If you’re watching a movie or even using an application that requires a lot of processing power, your battery probably won’t last long. But it’s even worse if your computer’s battery runs out while you’re working and haven’t had a chance to save. There are many reasons why your battery might drain quickly, but if you’re using Windows 11, Microsoft’s new operating system has several settings you can configure to help prolong battery life.

Here are some tips and tricks to help extend the battery life of your Windows 11 computer. Let’s take a look below!

Prevent apps from refreshing in the background

Apps on your computer run in the background and continue to work even when you’re not actively using them. However, you don’t always need to refresh apps, especially when the battery is low, which is why you can stop them from doing so:

1. Open the Settings app and go to System.

2. Click Power & Battery.

3. Click on now under battery (you must unplug it).

When enabled, certain notifications and background activities will be suspended to help preserve battery life.

There are also some settings you can use to improve battery saver: you can change the battery percentage when battery saver is enabled, and reduce screen brightness when battery saver is in use.

Decrease the refresh rate of the monitor

The refresh rate is how often the image on the screen is refreshed per second: the higher the refresh rate, the smoother the action on the screen. For example, if you’re playing a video game, you want the highest possible refresh rate. Unfortunately for your battery, a higher refresh rate also means more power. If you don’t need a high refresh rate, you can lower it to help save battery:

1. Open the Settings app and click System.

2. Next, go to Display, then Advanced Display.

3. Finally, change the number displayed next to “Choose a refresh rate.”

Depending on your laptop or desktop, you may see different default refresh rate numbers. If you only have one refresh rate option, unfortunately you can’t lower it.

Also, it’s important to note that if you lower the refresh rate, it will affect your computer’s performance. In some cases, this can make it more difficult to perform routine tasks.

Use a dark background or theme

If your Windows 11 computer has an OLED display, it can take advantage of dark backgrounds or themes to help extend battery life. Unlike older LCD/LED displays, each pixel on an OLED display emits light individually, which means if the background is black, those pixels won’t light up and use battery.

1. Open the Settings app and click Personalize.

2. At the top of the page, select a dark theme.

There are some dark themes to choose from. Each of them will dim your background and all the windows and certain apps you can use in Windows 11. If you already have a personalized dark background, you can go to Settings > Personalization > Colors > choose your mode and choose Dark from the options that appear.

Decrease lock screen timeout

The longer the screen is on, the more energy it uses, which is why you might want to quickly turn it off when you’re away from your computer, whether it’s a few minutes or an hour. The operation is as follows:

1. Open Settings and go to System.

2. Next, click Power & Battery.

Below Power, you’ll find settings for turning off the display after a certain amount of inactivity. You can change the minutes from whatever default you have to a lower number such as 1 or 2 minutes. However, you should only change the battery power settings for the times when you need to save battery the most.

>>>>>>>Laptop’s battery

Thanks for reading, hope it helps!

Friendly reminder: If you need to replace the battery, this battery store will be a good choice:www.batteryforpc.co.uk

Apple: A small iPhone update pushed out to fix a security flaw

 A new iOS and iPadOS update has been released that fixes a security flaw, suggesting it could be a big one that users should patch as soon as possible. Apple has hastily rolled out a pair of iPhone and iPad software updates to fix security flaws that may have been exploited by bad actors.

The iOS 15.3.1 and iPadOS 15.3.1 updates fix only one issue, which is unusual since Apple typically bundles multiple bug and bug fixes into each update. This suggests that the flaw is serious enough that Apple rushes to fix it.

In fact, the updated support page says “Apple is aware of reports that this issue may have been actively exploited,” a rare confirmation from the company that the vulnerability is not only theoretical, but may have been exploited.

If this rush to update iPhones and iPads to fix security flaws sounds familiar, it’s because Apple did just that with iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 a few weeks ago. As far as we know, this new security update addresses different vulnerabilities than previous patches were supposed to fix.

As with all Apple software updates, these security patches are free and available for all modern devices that can download iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. These are iPhone 6s and later, and iPod Touch (7th generation) and iPad Pro (all models) for iOS, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and for iPadOS Newer iPad mini 4 and later.

Updating a compatible iPhone or iPad is easy: just open the Settings app and go to General > Software Update.

>>>>>>>>Apple battery

Garmin Introduces Fenix ​​7 with Touch and Color AMOLED Epix

 Garmin finally sees fit to update its top-of-the-line Fenix ​​smartwatch, with the new Fenix ​​7 series, and a return to the full-color display Epix smartwatch first introduced in 2015. The Fenix ​​line represents some of the most powerful and highly regarded multisport smartwatches on the market, offering the company’s best GPS timing technology for serious athletes who value function, durability and longevity. Let’s take a look below!

Garmin Fenix ​​7S, 7 and 7X

Like the previous generation, in addition to the basic finish options, the Fenix ​​7 series is divided into three case sizes: the 42mm Fenix ​​7S, the 47mm Fenix ​​7, and the sizeable 51mm Fenix ​​7X.

While both the Fenix ​​7S and 7 are available in base and solar charging supported versions, the 7X comes standard with supplemental solar charging; and all three models are also available in a premium sapphire solar variant, which includes solar charging, a titanium case, and a tempered sapphire crystal cover glass.

On the hardware side, Garmin has implemented touchscreen functionality across the entire range. Don’t worry though, Fenix ​​purists, the lineup still features a series of five physical buttons that users can choose from depending on the situation when it comes to the most convenient means of user interaction. Support for “all major satellite systems” remains, however, the L5 frequency range of GPS has also been added to “improve accuracy in challenging GPS environments”.

Fenix ​​7X owners will also find an integrated LED array that supports flashlight functionality as well as running mode support that alternates between white and red with the wearer’s running rhythm; used to make the wearer easier for nearby people to see and A means of indicating direction.

As for the software, in addition to the existing feature set that includes Garmin Pay, Spotify/Amazon Music/Deezer playback, sleep monitoring, and activity tracking, the new real-time stamina tool can notify wearers of stamina and if they’re running a track that tracks overwork during activity risk, and support for wrist downloads from the Connect IQ Store over WiFi without the need for a phone.

Another big highlight of the Fenix ​​range is battery life, the base standard 7S gets 11 days in smartwatch mode and 37 hours in GPS mode (plus 3 days or 9 hours respectively if you opt for the solar model). Fenix ​​7 promises 18 days in smartwatch mode or 57 hours in GPS mode. While the 7X hits 28 days or 89 hours in smartwatch or GPS mode, respectively, solar charging adds 9 days or 33 hours, respectively.

Garmin Epix (Gen 2)

While the Fenix ​​series already features a color transflective MIP display, similar to the original Epix, the new second-gen model has a 1.3-inch full-color always-on AMOLED touch panel. Set in a 47mm round housing. Unlike the Fenix ​​7, this new Epix is ​​available as a standard or sapphire model, with a choice of leather straps.

The standard model features a polycarbonate and stainless steel body, while the Sapphire Edition ups the ante by swapping stainless steel for titanium and protecting the display with sapphire crystal instead of Gorilla Glass DX, just like the regular edition.

Features aren’t all that different from the Fenix ​​7, including features like Garmin Pay and music playback from services like Spotify. With the change in display technology, Garmin still promises up to 16 days in smartwatch mode and 42 hours in GPS mode.

>>>>>>>>>Garmin battery

How to Update Your iPhone Apps in iOS 15

 Updating apps on your iPhone or iPad is a quick and easy way to get new features, play new levels, or fix bugs and security issues in the apps you use. But you may not even know if an update is available for your app or how to update your app – unless you know where to look.

Updating your apps was even easier before the release of iOS 13 in September 2019. All you have to do is open the App Store, click the Updates tab, pull down to refresh the list and click Update All. This is the process that all iPhone users have followed since the App Store launched in 2008, and you can still use it if you have an older Apple device that isn’t compatible with anything after iOS 12.

When you update your iPhone app in iOS 15, you won’t find the Updates tab. With the release of iOS 13, Apple filled that space with its Apple Arcade gaming subscription service. Even without a separate update tab, the process of updating apps is just as quick and easy, but it’s hidden.

Where to Find Hidden iPhone App Updates

1. Open the app store.

2. Click the profile icon in the upper right corner.

3. Scroll down to the Available Updates section, where you can find any app updates that you can install. You can still use pull-to-refresh to force your device to look for updates.

If you have updates, you can update them individually or hit the “Update All” button and call it a day. The ability to remove apps from the update list is also somewhat hidden. If you want to delete an app, swipe left.

>>>>>>>>>iPhone battery

Thanks for reading, hope it helps!

Friendly reminder: If you need to replace the battery, this battery store will be a good choice:www.batteryforpc.co.uk

Microsoft Surface Go 4: What you want to know so far

 Tablets with detachable keyboards were the originals of the Surface line, but it wasn’t until 2018 that Microsoft 2-in-1s really became affordable. That’s when the first Surface Go came out, making it one of the cheapest devices to run a full version of Windows. While the Surface Go 3 was one of Microsoft’s less exciting releases last year, that’s continued for the next two iterations. Aside from the processor upgrade, out-of-the-box Windows 11 is the only change to be aware of. Here’s everything you need to know about the Surface Go 4 in the early stages. Let’s have a look!

When will the Surface Go 4 be released?

Microsoft usually doesn’t reveal anything about a new product until it’s officially released. But so far, without any other release date rumors, our best guesses come from previous generations:

Surface Go 3 – October 2021

Surface Go 2 – May 2020

Surface Go – August 2018

The Surface Go doesn’t seem to have a regular update cycle yet, so it’s hard to predict when the next model will arrive. However, Microsoft typically launches new hardware in late spring and early fall.

What specs and new features will Surface Go 4 have?

Surface Go 4 isn’t expected to launch until late 2022 at the earliest. We will almost certainly see a change. The Go 3 came out just a few months before Intel showed off its 12th-generation mobile CPUs at CES. This makes it very likely that the Go 4 will be powered by an Alder Lake processor – its new hybrid architecture suggests we’ll see performance and power efficiency benefits.

The latter should help extend battery life, boosting Microsoft‘s claims of up to 11 hours on a single charge. However, the battery drained much faster in our review tests, so expect the 28Wh capacity to increase as well.

The Surface Go 2 increases the display from 10 inches to 10.5 inches without changing the overall footprint of the device, but it’s the only design change we’ve seen. Thinner bezels would allow Microsoft to fit an 11-inch display here, but it might be reluctant to make a budget device look as good as a premium Surface Pro.

That’s why we’re also unlikely to see the Go 4 move to a 120Hz display, although if we do see a price hike, 90Hz is a possibility. Either way, the 1920×1080 PixelSense (LCD) display probably won’t change — it’s detailed enough for most people buying a Surface Go.

The business version of Surface Go 3 has optional support for 4G LTE. That’s likely to stay the same for the Go 4, with the Surface Pro 9 more likely to move to 5G.

One of our main gripes with the Go 3 is its lack of ports. There’s only one USB-C, one microSD, and Surface Connect for charging. It would be nice to see at least one more USB-C port (possibly supporting Thunderbolt 4), as well as USB-A and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This may add thickness to the device, but it will be a worthwhile tradeoff.

>>>>>>>>>>Microsoft battery

How to Drag and Drop Files, Photos, Links and Text in Your iPhone Apps – Use This Hidden iPhone Feature

 The drag-and-drop feature on iOS 15 allows you to quickly send a link via text message or add a photo attachment to an email. With drag-and-drop on iPhone, you can move seamlessly between apps to quickly upload photos, send links, share files, and more. In seconds, you can quickly drag a dozen photos to text or drop a link into an email. We’ll show you everything you can do with the new drag and drop functionality on iOS 15. Let’s have a look!

How to Drag and Drop Photos and Videos on iPhone

The first way to use drag and drop on iOS is to move images from one app to another. This feature now works with any app that allows you to press an image to share. Below we’ll show you how to drag and drop from the native photos app.

1. Open the Photos app.

2. In grid view, hold your finger on the photo or video until the quick action menu appears, then move your finger around so that it floats below your finger.

3. If you want to add more photos to share, tap any other photo or video with another finger and these photos or videos will be automatically added to another photo under your finger.

4. Use another finger to leave the app and navigate to where you want to place the photo or video.

5. If you can put it there, you’ll see a green plus sign in the corner of the photo or video.

6. Lift your finger to drop photos and videos.

For example, you can drag a photo into the Mail app to add it as an attachment, or into the Messages app to quickly send it via text.

How to Drag and Drop Files on iPhone

Files that exist in the Files app can also be dragged out of Files and into other apps, like Messages or Mail to share the file, or even to another file manager if you want to share the file server application you are trying to upload a file. Methods as below:

1. Open the Files app.

2. In the icon or list view, press your finger down on the file until the quick action menu appears, then move your finger around without lifting your finger to make the file follow your finger.

3. Use another finger to leave the Files app and go to another app.

4. Wait until you see a green plus sign, which means you can put it there, then lift your finger to release the file.

If you’re already in the Files app, this is a faster way to share files via text or email.

How to Drag and Drop Links on iPhone

Like Photos, you can drag and drop links from apps like Safari, Calendar, and more. Likewise, you must be able to press the link and make the quick action menu appear to be able to drag and drop it. Here’s how to do it from Safari.

1. Open the Safari app.

2. Press your finger on any link until the quick action menu appears, then move your finger so that the link floats under your finger.

3. Leave the app with another finger and lift your finger to place it elsewhere (only if you see the green plus sign).

You can put links in other apps such as Messages, Mail, Notes or any number of social media apps.

How to Drag and Drop Text on iPhone

Finally, you can optionally drag any highlighted text into another app.

1. First, find the text you want to drag and drop.

2. Then use your finger to highlight the text as if you were going to copy it.

3. Then press and hold the selection and move your finger without lifting it until the text follows your finger.

4. Leave this app with another finger and put it somewhere else.

You can indeed drag and drop text on iOS, although copy and paste might be a better option.

>>>>>>>>>>>>iPhone battery