Monthly Archives: August 2013

iPad Shortcuts and Tips

28th August 2013
  • Apple released their first iPad in 2010 and since then they have sold more than 67 million units of the first, second and third generation models. What makes owning an iPad more favourable than owning a laptop computer? They are much easier to transport making them the ideal device for those who are always on the go, and there are a number of shortcuts that can help make life easier:

    • Typing Shortcuts – There are a variety of typing shortcuts designed to make things easier while typing a document:

    • Automatic spelling corrector function – there’s no need to type apostrophes, eg type ‘wont’ and it will auto-correct to ‘won’t’ etc.
    • At the end of a sentence simply tap space bar twice and the iPad will automatically input a full stop, space, and start the next word with a capital letter.
    • To place an accent above a letter simply tap and hold the letter on the keyboard then select the accent.
    • Instead of flicking from alpha to numerical keyboard to add punctuation just press and hold the ‘123’ key, and without lifting your finger off the screen slide over to the key you want and let go. Your punctuation will be inserted and the keyboard will revert back to alpha.
    • If you can’t find the right shortcut that you need, iPad lets you create your own shortcut via the settings menu under keyboard settings.

    Open Safari links in a new page – Rather than just tapping a link, press and hold it then select ‘open in new page’. There’s an icon at the top of the browser that looks like 2 boxes overlapping, pressing this icon will show you all of the pages that are currently open and give you the option to close them.

    Mute the volume quickly – The iPad doesn’t actually have a mute option, but by pressing and holding the ‘volume down’ button you can drop the volume down to zero in 2 seconds.

    Tap a word to look up the definition – When reading an article on the web, if you come across a word and you’re unsure of the meaning, just tap and hold the word until a magnifying glass pops up, lift your finger and a menu will pop up giving you the option to copy to clipboard or define the text.

    Put extra apps on the dock – The iPad dock has 4 apps as standard, but you can actually fit 6 there. To do this simply press and hold the app you want until it wiggles, then drag and drop it onto the dock to make sure your most used apps are easily accessible.

    Download the iPad User Guide – The official iPad User Guide is available as a free eBook in the app store. With 153 pages packed full of useful tips and help to get the best out of your iPad.

    The Importance of iPad Security

    12th August 2013

     An iPad could set you back around £400 to £700 so it’s something that you’ll want to look after and get the best from it. Here are a few tips to help you keep you iPad safe and secure from various threats:

    • Don’t leave it unattended – Hopefully this one should be common sense; if you leave your iPad unattended you leave it open to theft. Your iPad contains a lot of your personal information which could easily be compromised if left unattended. If left lying around the device could get damaged, knocked off the table or worktop, and trodden on.
    • Keep it covered – Use a screen protect to prevent scratches and dents and also keep the screen clean. It’s also worth investing in a silicone cover too as these improve your grip on the iPad, reducing the risk of dropping it; and if you do drop it, the cover provides some protection against damage.
    • Install updates regularly – It’s advisable to install updates when they pop up rather than clicking ‘install later’. Apple issue regular software updates that fix various bugs and glitches and improve battery life etc so make sure you keep up to date.
    • Prevent unauthorised access – It’s advisable to set up your iPad so that it automatically locks itself after a predefined period of inactivity and will require a specific pass-code to unlock. For added security ensure you restrict the amount of people who know the code and change it regularly.
    • Encrypt your data – The iPad offers a 256 bit AES encoding procedure. This is a hardware-based encryption which is turned on by default and cannot be disabled by users. However it’s recommended that you also use another form of encryption for maximum security.
    • Back up your data – With any computer device there is always the chance of technical failure as well as loss or theft of the device so it’s vital to backup your important data. Regularly.
    • Use a secure Wifi connection – The iPad’s unique selling point has always been its portability. You can connect to the internet via Wifi almost anywhere these days. However it’s highly advisable to connect to a trusted, secure network to ensure that any data you send is not intercepted. Try to turn off Wifi and Bluetooth when not in use; this will prolong your battery life and stop your iPad from attempting to connect to any unsecured networks.