“iPod” collection
Discover essential software tips, hardware reviews, and troubleshooting guides for the Apple iPod series of portable media players. This collection focuses on device synchronization, battery maintenance, and integrating audio hardware into your modern digital home.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →October 14, 2011
iOS 5 Tip: How to Enable the “Smiley” Emoticon or Emoji Keyboard in iOS 5
Here is another great (and fun) feature that is buried deep within iOS 5 for the iPhone and iPad. And, when I showed this to my daughters, they were SO excited about it! We all love emoticons or "smileys" as many people call them. Well, now you can actually activate an "international" keyboard that contains literally a hundred different graphical…
Read more →October 14, 2011
iOS 5 Tip: How to Launch the New Built-in Dictionary on the iPhone or iPad
I keep uncovering lots of little surprises in Apple's new iOS 5 software released this week for the iPhone & iPad. Yesterday, it was the activation of the camera button on the iPhone's lock screen. This one is just as useful and is extremely helpful. Included in the OS is now a full-fledged dictionary (that even looks like the dictionary…
Read more →October 13, 2011
iOS 5 Tip: How To Activate the Camera Button on the Lock Screen on your iPhone
With iOS 5 for the iPhone launching yesterday, there are a flurry of new features that are coming to light. There has been plenty of coverage of these but I thought that I would pick a couple that are particularly cool or helpful and briefly discuss them. One of these is the camera button on the lock screen. Of all of…
Read more →October 5, 2011
R.I.P. Steve Jobs – Your Inspiration Lives On
When Steve Jobs spoke, people listened. When he innovated, markets changed. When he had an idea, it was perfect. And now when he quietly leaves this world, we remember his incredible accomplishments as a leader, visionary and individual. In 2005, Mr. Jobs addressed the graduating class at Stanford University. He knew that his time was limited, but this did not…
Read more →September 2, 2011
“Weird But True” iOS App Educates in a Fun Way
Who doesn't like National Geographic? They have been enriching our lives for over a hundred years with photos and quality content from around the globe. And they have brought this content to children of all ages as well. My daughters got copies of National Geographic Kids at school and have saved them in piles on their desks and bookcases. And…
Read more →August 25, 2011
10 Things Steve Jobs Has Done for Parents
With Steve Jobs announcing that he will be stepping down as CEO of Apple, I took some time to reflect on how Steve and Apple have impacted my life as a parent, specifically, a "High Tech Dad." In my household, Apple products reign. Each of my children use Apple laptops or desktops, and each one has either an iPhone, iPod…
Read more →June 14, 2011
Review of the Perfectly Named Scott E Vest “Expedition” Jacket – An Expedition of 37 Pockets!
37 pockets, that's what the "Expedition" jacket by Scott E Vest ("SeV" for short) has. I almost think that there are more but it could be the hidden conduits and other innovative design elements that were inflating my count. I have sort of a jacket addiction, always looking for that one that will be the one that I go to…
Read more →June 9, 2011
How To Get the UDID/UUID of your iOS Device – Even In A Panic
Most iOS developers know that in order to "activate" your iOS device (e.g., iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) to use the latest beta of iOS 5, you need to have your UDID/UUID officially registered with Apple in their Development center. I learned this the hard way as I had not recorded it and had installed the iOS beta 1 and was…
Read more →June 1, 2011
HighTechDad’s 2011 Father’s Day Gift Guide – Products I Have Reviewed & Like
Father's Day is almost upon us and I wouldn't be doing my part for the Dads out there if I didn't put together a Father's Day Gift Guide. Gifts are obviously very personal in nature so I can't tell you what to get your dad. What I can do, however, is provide some ideas on some things that might make…
Read more →May 4, 2011
‘Twas the Night Before Mother’s Day – A Poem
Mother's Day is just around the corner, and me, being a HighTechDad, wanted to celebrate it in my own techie way. Obviously, I'm a big fan of Apple and the products that they have produced. So I thought that I would write a little twist on "Twas the Night Before Christmas" with a bit of an Apple and Mother's Day…
Read more →May 2, 2011
10 Ways to Use FaceTime with the iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPod Touch or Mac That You Might Not Have Thought Of
If you have a Mac, or an iPhone or now an iPad 2, you probably have heard of FaceTime. This is Apple's foray into video conferencing but with a heavy consumer focus. FaceTime was first launched with the iPhone 4 and the iPod Touch, and then rolled out to the Mac as a beta. Then the Mac version made it…
Read more →April 22, 2011
How To Fix “The Required File Cannot Be Found” Error When Syncing an iPhone or iPod Touch
Every since I had to restore my iPhone 4 from a backup, I have been having a pesky error message popping up each and every time I would sync my iPhone with iTunes on my Mac. It cryptically said "The iPhone [insert your iPhone name here] cannot be synced. The required file cannot be found." Nothing more. No error message…
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