Apple Strategy in "Smart Home" Race Threatened by Amazon

Within a few years of launching the Echo speaker system in a bid turn modern homes into smart home Amazon is seen as a driving force in the ‘smart home’ segment. This particular system designed by the Amazon has shown its ease of use technology to the users wherein they can control wide array of gadgets within few commands.

The success achieved by the Amazon is set to get stiff competition not just from the Apple but also from the Google in upcoming future. Amazon has used open-system approach which results in quick development with more number of feature inclusion but Apple on other hand is taking a slower path which stems from its habit of keeping as much control over the technology as possible in order to infuse security and ease of use.

The key household devices which are finding their way in the emergence of the smart home include everything from the lighting system to the refrigerators. Amazon Alexa currently has over 250 devices working on its smart home system and Amazon brings a certain portion of financial incentives to its partners to keep them glued on its system. On other hand Apple’s Homekit has just 100 certified devices at the moment due to strict guidelines set by the Apple in order to ensure security as well as to bring rewards in returns.

Apple Homekit for smart home

In order to be a part of the Apple’s smart home and to be placed in the Apple’s gadget ecosystem manufacturers are required to insert a special chip in their devices. The price of this chip may vary anywhere between 50 cents to $2 as per the volume of the devices they are making at a single go. Apart from this chipset manufacturers will also have to buy certain specific WiFi and Bluetooth networking chips.

Furthermore manufacturers have to send their products to the Apple in order to test their compatibility with its system. This process is lengthy as it takes anywhere around three to five months and even device manufacturers are abstained from publicly stating that they are opting for the Homekit certification.

Amazon has an ‘open’ approach

Amazon has kept Alexa as a spate entity which deals with all the things ‘smart home’. It specifically deal with the smart home companies which happens to write software code and then submits it back to the Amazon for further review. Amazon has laid some simple yet influential steps to acquire the ‘Works with Alexa’ label for their products which will help in boosting sales on its shopping portal.

Startups are required to get their products physically tested by the Amazon before it showcases on the shopping portals. Amazon sacrifices the security portion on its smart home initiative as it can’t guarantee such in the third-party devices. Apple is actively working towards eliminating the security issue on its platform by keeping a strict guideline and policy which will eventually bring an advantage to Apple over Amazon.

Enhance Your iPhone Camera Performance with Great Additional Lenses

If you are crazy about photography on your Smartphone then you must have found that Nokia Lumia 1020 was the best in every manner. It been years since the launch of Nokia’s ultimate Smartphone which offered exceptional camera capabilities. But the launch of Apple iPhone 7 simply turned the game on Nokia by bringing the best camera on any given device still available in the Smartphone segment across the manufacturers, make, build or model. If you wish to take Apple’s iPhone camera capability to the next level then you should certainly try out using some cool additional lens.

Telephoto Lens Adapter

Telephoto Lens Adapter comes at a sweet price of $17 which comprises of all the common kit for your photography needs. The adapter fits on the iPhone like a charm with very tight fitting which removes the chances of slipping out during shooting. There is some major issue with the adapter gripping which tens sway from the phone’s camera each time a users tried to tighten the adapter for better effect and this is basically caused by the friction grip phenomena. It offers splendid images with great clarity and depth but it fails a number of times as the aperture of the phone camera doesn’t matches with adapter.

PNY 4-in-1 LENS KIT

PNY brings a set of magnetic lenses with its 4-in-1 lens kit which can be easily fitted on an iPhone. The fitting technology has been a big let down due to some issues but when it comes to performance it appears as really good optics. Using PNY lenses with Lumia 950XL was certainly a bad choice it failed to fit well enough with Microsoft device to offer an optimal usage experience. PNY suffered from similar issue when used on the Samsung premium handsets like Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. When using with iPhone 7 this additional lens still suffering from fitting issue but a little application of glue resolved it completely. The image quality rendered by the PNY was above satisfactorily level but one has to ensure that the lenses cover the phone’s camera precisely in order to get best shots.

Occoclip

Fitting a set of Occoclip lens right on the iPhone helps in getting a macro, ultra-wide angle and fish eye effects with ease and simplicity. It brings the wide 120 degree views to the users on their iPhone while using the fisheye brings the field of view to exceptional 180 degrees. Both of these features will help in clicking highly detailed and depth full images without much hassle.

Going for the additional lenses isn’t always pocket friendly but it is worth giving out a try if you want to take the iPhone imaging experience to a whole new level. If you are willing to spend more for enhanced camera capabilities on your Apple device then opt for any one of these lenses. In case you aren’t amused by these there are numerous photographic apps in the App Store which can fulfill your needs but not to the great level as lens.

iOS 10: The Best Hidden Features

Apple has unveiled new software known as the iOS10 that comprises of so many hidden features that will enable you to cherish comfortable living from all angels without any complications. Now, your world will be in your grip with the innovative features of this software. Just make this your smart choice and enjoy several benefits. There are 10 most imperative features hidden in this software.

1.  Easiest Way Of Searching Tabs – This version of software allows you to open endless number of tabs simultaneously that too while browsing without leading to any haphazard situation such as keeping track while browsing. You can also rotate your phone the way you want. You can also search new tabs by just going through the search items and Safari filters. 
2.  iPhone A Kind Of A Magnifier – Here is an added benefit of iOS 10 where you can use your phone to view pictures just like magnifiers. You can also opt for Auto-Brightness setting that will enable you to get a magnificent image of the pictures. 
3.  A New Kind Of Stopwatch – Along with the Clock app you can also switch to Stopwatch, where you can also find a new face with much magnificent look consisting of several information. 
4.  Fast Downloading Apps – You can prioritize your apps, as in which one you want to download first. In this way you can organize both uploading and downloading Apps according to your preference. 
5.  Simplest Way To Find Contacts – Apple has launched a feature in iOS 10 where you can easily get in touch with your contacts. You just need to set the default method of communication by just holding on to the blue icon. 
6.  Manage The Storage Music Automatically – Now, saving space on your iOS device won’t be hard as you can automatically manage your music storage that gets downloaded to your device. 
7.  View Mails In One Go – You can view your mailbox by quickly filtering the messages by just a single press on the filter icon that appears on the left side corner of the screen. 
8.  Want To Unsubscribe? No Problem – iOS 10 gives you the opportunity to free yourself from the newsletters that you get very often. By just sending a mail in iOS 10, you can immediately restrict these disturbing emails by just tapping on the Unsubscribe button that appears on the top of the email. 
9.  3D Touch – The 3D Touch in Control Center that appears on the lowest section of app icons helps in invoking different icons. This is one of the best features as for selecting an option you no longer have to go though several options, just one smooth touch will allow you multitasking. 
10.  Take Photo While Listening Music – You must have faced this problem where you had to stop your music player before taking a photo. But, iOS 10 will solve this problem by allowing you to click pictures without turning off your favorite song.

So You Dropped Your iPhone in the Toilet, Now What to Do?

Apart from few selected phones if your latest Smartphone goes in a pool of water or drops in the toilet then it will bring a panic attack. Sony Z lineup is waterproof and so do Samsung’s elite flagship devices but not every one of those devices. Sadly Apple’s premier Smartphone of iPhone series isn’t even waterproof so problem lies at core is how you could recover the data or get your phone functional again after dropping it in the water accidently. Here are some of the smart ways which can set you in the right direction.

Steps to perform right after the incident

If you had accidently dropped your phone in water then quickly get into action in order to minimize the water damage. Turn off your device and dry it off using towel then pop out the SIM card, memory card and remove the battery. One should not put their Smartphone either in the microwave or under the hairdryer as it will end up in damaging the phone further.

If your phone appears faulty

In case your phone misbehaves or tend to work in an unusual way then you follow these steps. Silica gel is undoubtedly the best drying agent available in the market which can wonders for your Smartphone. Buy or get hold of some packets of silica gel and put it together with your Smartphone in a ziplock bag. Now forget about your device for a day or two in which time all the water in your Smartphone will be sucked up by the silica gel.

If this solution fails to work for you then opt for one of the simplest DIY cleaning or simply take it to your local repair shop to assess the amount of damage and root cause of malfunctioning.

Precautions for Future

One has to be cautious with their phone while using it near water body or resource in future. The best way to secure your device against water is to get a waterproof case which might be a costly affair but it will help you in saving hundreds of dollars in the long run. Online stores are filled a large variety and kinds of waterproof cases across the price points, models and makes to serve your need. Secondly you should develop a habit of baking up all your data regularly on your PC, laptop or Mac or even external hardisk to limit the amount of data loss from such incidents.

If you are an Apple device users then you can recover all your data from the iCloud or iTunes but you have to enable regular cloud based backing up feature to make most this feature. On Android you should start using the Dropbox or Google Photos to back up media content automatically at regular intervals. On the bright side Smartphone makers are giving a push towards waterproof devices in future which means consumers will get to choose more number of water proof devices but at an expensive price point.

Finder for AirPods Removed from App Store

The latest model of the iPhone is causing stir in the present mobile market and rightly so, with its superior features and the brand name of Apple, it is the best phone to have. But iPhone 7 the advanced technical features of the iPhone 7 is not the main reason as to why it is catching everyone’s attention.

It is due to the unique Apples AirPods that is the world’s first small sized and wireless Bluetooth headsets for the iPhone.As much as these small devices cost, the growing concern about them is with how ease they can get lost. You thought put them down somewhere and the next moment you can’t find your 160$ Bluetooth headphone! Surely you don’t want that.

Finder’s for Airpods makes sure that you never lose them! 

Deucks Pty, a developer who has some experience in making gadget finding apps, came up with this excellent idea of creating a tracking app for the AirPods. What this app does is that it measures the Bluetooth signal from either of your lost AirPods and guides you using a “hot” and “cold” tracking system. Just launch the app if one or both of your AirPods go missing and it will get you to the spot where you misplaced your headphones.

The app helps you find your missing AirPod through graphic lines. A thin line means that you are far away from your AirPod while a thick line indicates you are getting closer to it. The app will also give you a visual clue as to how hot you are how cold depending on the signal from your AirPods wireless signature. Made from his own experience, Deucks has prepared this great app after facing the same issue of losing his AirPods the very next day he brought them.

Needless to say, we can be careless at times and loosing something as small as the Airpods is inevitable. Finder’s for airpods makes a good job at protecting your investment.

Does this app work? 

When dealing with any kind of technology there are bound to several factors that can go against it. Since the app uses Bluetooth signals, certain environment factors can cause hindrance to the apps working and slow down the process of connecting to the Bluetooth signature of your lost AirPod.

Another aspect that can act as a limitation to the working of this app is the fact that your lost AirPod needs to be charged to emit the signals. Once the battery levels are depleted, finding your headphones become extremely difficult. Since Bluetooth tracking requires the user to be in close proximity with the other device, finding your lost AirPod becomes effective.

Update on Finder’s for Airpods

As of now, Finder’s for AirPods which was up on the Apple store has been removed by Apple and was deemed inappropriate for the apple store. According to the developer people who have already bought this app can ask for refunds via their iTunes.