Google has posted some handy tips on getting the most out of the Google Maps app for the iPhone. For instance, did you know that you could zoom in and out of maps with just one finger? (double-tap an area, hold second tap and move your finger up/down). Or how you can enable compass mode (to orient yourself) by tapping on the My Location button (bottom left) twice? If you’re still fairly new to the fantastic Gmaps – you have downloaded it already, right? – check out the list of useful tips below.

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Post tags: google, Google Maps, News, Tips n Tricks

By now, you’ve likely already downloaded the recently released (and excellent) Google Maps app on your iPhone and made it your primary navigation tool. Unfortunately though, there’s no way to make it your default maps app without jailbreaking. But what if there was a way to make it so that Siri will give directions to a location using Google Maps? JailbreakNation discovered that by adding “via transit” to the end of your Siri command, a go-between “Routing Apps” page will appear and allow you to select desired navigation apps. For example, you can say “Give me directions to [destination] via transit“, or “Take me to the closest [POI] via transit“. Voilà. You can then select Google Maps and choose from one of the suggested routes. It’s not a perfect integration, but at least it’s there if you’d like to use both Siri and Gmaps. Check out the demo video below.

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Post tags: Google Maps, News, Siri, Tips n Tricks

Readability’s bookmarket lets you change font size, themes and margins

The iPad mini is a fantastic 7.9-inch tablet, though there’s no denying that there’s plenty of room for improvement when it comes the display. Factor in the smaller screen and only 163 PPI (pixels per inch), browsing the web on the mini with Safari can at times be trying. The easiest way of course is to simply double tab or pinch-and-zoom into any webpage, or better yet, tap the Reader button located in the url bar once the page has completely loaded, which then strips out everything save for the text, with the option to increase/decrease font size. But for those who like to tinker and tweak, there are other options out there that can get the job done too. More specifically, they’re bookmarklets that you can easily “install” on your mini (or any iDevice for that matter); one works very much like iOS’ Reader functionality, the other lets you change the font size right from the bookmarks toolbar.

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Post tags: iPad Mini, Readability, Tips, Tips n Tricks, Tutorials

As I mentioned in my review of the iPhone 5, battery life was certainly a concern during the first several days of use. The battery drained at an alarming rate of 1% every 3-4 minutes with just basic web browsing (3G on, LTE off), and during the first 2 days, my phone would lose 20-30% overnight while on standby. With my iPhone 4, it would drain no more than 1 or 2% throughout the night. Not surprisingly, after searching online for similar cases, I soon found that many iPhone 5 users were also experiencing poor battery performance. Furthermore, those who upgraded to iOS 6 with their iPhone 3GS/4/4S were also finding that they weren’t getting nearly as much juice out of their phones. Not wanting to exchange my iPhone 5 a second time unless I really had to (i.e defective battery), I tried a number of “fixes” in hopes of rectifying the issue. Thankfully, they seem to be working and I’m starting to see some improvements.

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Post tags: iPhone 5, iPhone 5 battery life, News, Tips, Tips n Tricks

One of the questions asked most often when it comes to multitasking on the iPhone/iPad is “Do I need to manually kill apps in the background to improve performance?”. And you’ve surely heard people telling you:  yes you do, and no you don’t need to. So which is it? Well, developer Frasier Spiers aims to put this to rest as he explains on his blog why killing apps in the multitasking bar isn’t necessary.

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Post tags: iOS, iOS Multitasking, iPhone Multitasking, News

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Post tags: Calibre, Dropbox, ebooks, Featured, iCloud, iPad, Tips, Tips n Tricks, Tutorials

When smartphones first came out, it was pretty rare for them to get a virus. But hackers simply needed some time to catch up with the rapidly growing platform. Unfortunately, now they have caught up, smartphone users can be susceptible to attacks if they’re not careful. The sad news for Android users is that their phones are considerably more at risk to viruses than iPhones. That said, iPhones certainly aren’t exempt from malware. The idea that hackers can’t infiltrate Apple products was disproved years ago. So, how do you protect your smartphone from viruses that could put your private and precious data in the wrong hands? Here are five suggestions to help protect your phone from harm:

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Post tags: antivirus, iPhone virus, smartphone viruses

© louis for TouchMyApps, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Featured, iOS 5, Tips, Tips and Tricks, Tips n Tricks, Tutorials

The war is on! Thanks to the relentless efforts of the Dev-Team, along with the help of ion1c, an independent security expert, the jailbreaking tools for iOS 4.3.1 was recently released. And in our guide today I’m going to help you set free your iPhone 3GS/4, iPod Touch 3G (except 8Gb)/4G and iPad.

Please note, iPad 2 is not supported! Also, I won’t be going into the details of creating custom firmware (for those upgrading a locked phone that need to preserve the old baseband).

So, if you’re looking for a straight-up jailbreak, let’s dive in!

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Read the rest of The JBnator Diaries – Jailbreaking your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with iOS 4.3.1/4.3.2 via redsn0w [Tutorial]

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Post tags: iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, Jailbreak, JBnator Diaries, redsn0w

Several iOS games with IAPs in Top Grossing chart

In-App Purchases (IAP) on the iDevice is nothing new, but it was given significant news coverage earlier this month when an 8 year old unknowingly spent $1,400 in real money buying Smurfberries — used to speed up the growth of the virtual crops and village — in the popular game Smurfs’ Village. Aside from parents not being aware of the potential costs that can accompany such “free” farming-type games, the 15 minute login window that Apple has implemented has made inadvertent (or unauthorized) IAPs more rampant. What this means is that once the password has been entered on the device when an app is downloaded, iOS won’t prompt the user for another login during this time frame, be it for downloading new Apps or IAPs.

So until Apple decides to change their policy or even enforce a login for each IAP, what can you do to prevent your children or nieces/nephews from racking up the bill? We’ll show you below in a few simple steps how you can disable In-App Purchases on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.

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Post tags: IAPs, In-App Purchases, Smurfs' Village, Tips, Tips and Tricks, Tips n Tricks, Tutorials

Photo Transfer	Pic Transfer	WiFi Photo

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We all know that you can transfer a picture or video between a Mac or PC with an iPhone or iPad by just plugging the device into iTunes and syncing. Other options are to do so using e-mail or even MMS. Oh… but that’s so 2007! Surely there’s an app for that?

In fact there are several. Photo Transfer, Pic Transfer and WiFi Photo are great examples and can come in really handy when you want the flexibility to select and transfer multiple items at once. Let’s take a look and see why they’re so useful.

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Post tags: Photo Transfer, Photography, Pic Transfer, Tutorials, WiFi Photo

The evolution and complication of devices is really starting to part the seas from those who know what they’re doing, to those who can do things, to those who think they can do it, but prove that they can’t. It can definitely be a daunting, intimidating task to repair your device, whether it is an iPod needing a new battery, or a bruised and battered iPhone. Organization, paired with some skill and know-how, is the key to properly fixing any device.

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Post tags: DIY, iPhone repair, Tutorials, Verizon iPhone 4