How to fix Super Zoom Problem on iOS devices

The answer is simple. Simply use your three fingers to double tap on the screen.

Having accidentally turned on an accessibility option in the settings menu is the cause of the problem. The screen can be zoomed in for one to easily read screen contents. However, we may accidentally zoom in its screen in a way that you can’t navigate and use it that the text and screen contents are actually very large.

To fix it, simply follow the recommendation from its settings menu:

“To zoom, double tap with three fingers.”

Just use that method to zoom in and out.

Wish for the Next Windows operating system

Image via Wikipedia

I wish I could see someday Microsoft would deliver a major release of NEW WINDOWS PLATFORM with entirely different code and runtime environment in which all present viruses, spyware, etc would NEVER run on the new platform because it only understands the new programming language which is based on entirely different programming languages no one ever know except Microsoft and its application and game developers.

A lot of computers and devices are sent to repair shops because of computer glitches and troubles. One main reason is computer threat. I really hate PC viruses, spyware specially its creators. On day, I went to a computer cafe running Windows. I plugged in my flash drive but my folders are mysteriously behaves differently because they have been replaced with application/virus distinguished with a folder icon. So if I open that folder it seems like nothing happened and it functions like a regular folder. The next day on a different computer, a major major problem occurred which resulted in every folder I created being hidden. Even if I click show hidden files even show system files, it reverts back to its original hidden files. My updated anti-virus and anti-spyware programs never solved the problem. My final resort was to reformat my flash drive losing important documents. It’s not Window’s responsibility but mine for not being cautious and insufficient precautionary measures. I knew this would be inevitable to happen. I hope that you would help customers around the globe experiencing similar problems.

There might be three programming languages it could understand instead of the one.

First, the Windows Programming Language which provides absolute access and control of the system. This include the Windows OS itself including its built-in applications. No one can ever take control of its components, not even developers. Therefore, the Windows stays as fast and reliable as it was installed 5 years ago. There might be a major change in file extensions, name and types of folders including its hierarchy and arrangement in the drive especially Windows, system 32, system, and root folder of flash drives which are favorite targets of any virus attacks. These folders might never be seen and known by somebody except windows itself and its creators. No one can trace where they are located on drive even the most intelligent hacker on this planet. Drivers of devices install automatically in seconds and are ready for use without complicated setup process. No need of installation disks. Windows has everything needed to compete the process in seconds automatically. The product just tells its product model and driver repository website, if the PC is connected to the net, it will download necessary drivers including software suites, manuals and tutorials. The user is free to select which one to get. Individual folders and files can by encrypted and protected with different passwords. To encrypt one just enter the master password and one folder password. To decrypt it folder password is only be needed. If one forgets the password, just enter the master password to remove encryption.

Second, Developers’ Progamming Language for Windows which allows developers develop apps and games with limited file access and privileges to files it only needed and supports without sacrificing compatibility. A program will be accepted and executed by the platform if it has acquired genuine approval for public and business use by Microsoft after testing and reviews. The app must me dully licenced for the user before it can be executed. Because of new licensing implementations and runtime codes, experienced app hackers and crackers will have no idea how to hack the new developed app resulting into minimal loss of profit in this era of widespread application and operating system piracy. Thus, developers will have enough funds to improve their softwares which results into better user experience and satisfaction. This will also benefit customers. If apps were bought legally by many users, then, the price of the app will go cheaper and more affordable.

Because approved apps are registered on Microsoft’s extended database, developers just send the new software version to central database. The user will use only once central application for checking for updates for installed applications including critical and optional operating system updates. The user is free to choose which one to update, purchase directly from the developer securely and install without manually downloading several huge installation files from different websites or opening apps one by one regularly to check for updates and new driver versions.

Third, Present Day programming Language which runs apps designed for current and previous operating systems like Win7, Vista, XP, 2000 including apps for beta testing and those apps not yet approved but those apps only runs on a virtual environment and will never create an impact on the system so users can still enjoy their favorite app until duly approved dev app comes without the worry of losing files or reformatted computers. The catch is if approved developer’s version of an app comes out, windows will give the user a grace period to switch into the app designed for new platform before it stops working.

Even if a virus is embedded on a file for as long as the content is not modified, the new platform will understand the content which is decoded by a 2nd level programming language but not the code embedded into it in which now, it doesn’t understands. Let alone a windows tool eliminate the code Windows cannot understand while preserving its original content without the need of expensive yearly anti-virus solutions.

Wish list for the Next Microsoft Office

Image via Wikipedia

Feature suggestions:

1. Object recognition and feature prediction system

-predicts what action the user is planning to do next depending on the selected item then suggests and displays object-related tools. (e.g. suggestions tab on ribbon)

-saves time on finding commands

-less clutter

2. Space or bar dedicated to pinned tools, recommended, frequently and recently used commands.

-changes dynamically

-option for auto hide or always show

3. Expand button on command groups instead of open dialog box.

-expands the selected command group sideward while displacing other command groups in the ribbon.

4. Autohide option in ribbon (and backstage too)

-autohides the ribbon to maximize space for documents

-hover over preferred tab (e.g. Home) to pull ribbon in a drawer-like sliding animation similar to activating handwriting pane on widows

-allows seamless jumping from tab to tab using only hover gestures without clicking one by one

-ribbon slides back after use

5. No save button

-autosaves file as user edits without sacrificing performance (note:

My pc lags as autosave starts.)

-OneNote style saving

-edit/changes history is saved along with the file so author can undo mistakes few days ago without affecting in-between changes

6. File encryption system

-adds password to open/modify/copy

-detects logged on/authorized Windows user to bypass password entry

-option for add digital certificates

7. Multiple dictionaries

-allows downloadable dictionary languages support

8. Flexible interface

-option for basic/essentials/advanced/touch screen interface and commands upon start-up

-suits user’s style according to ability (e.g. power user)

-option to select template upon start up

-saves loading time and conserves memory by loading only necessary commands and functions

-autosnap for in-application windows

-redesigned and optimized interface for user friendly touch screen use

9. Improved performance

-support for 64-bit with hyper threading processors

-utilization of graphics card for graphics and font processing

-simple yet intuitive and straightforward interface

10. Accessibility options

-support for third party speech recogntion and text to speech softwares

-white in black interface

-large fonts and icons

Can’t create a free iTunes account? There’s a solution for that!

Image by willc2 via Flickr

Have an iOS device but can’t get apps from its wide variety of 800,000 and counting apps to choose from the App Store?

There’s a solution for that. iTunes requires a credit card for a user to create an iTunes account to buy apps; however, free apps don’t need credit cards for a purchase to be taken place. Around 40% of the apps available in the App Store are free (9to5mac.com). That’s around (several) free apps available. So why not maximize your iOS device with that potential?

But why can’t I create that free account in the first place?

Apple has taken a marketing strategy to encourage users to buy apps from its store. Apple does this by hiding or moving its free account creation somewhere else.

Here’s why it don’t show up:

1. Open iTunes application. If you don’t have iTunes installed, simply visit iTunes download then hit the download button.
2.  Select iTunes Store on the left hand side of the display.
3.  Click Sign In button on the upper right hand side of the display.
4. Select ‘I don’t have an account’.
5. Enter some personal user information then click Next.
6. On the top of the display you see only three payment options namely Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Some may see different.

The fourth or last option which NONE is hidden.

So, how can I make the “None” option show up?

1. Open iTunes application.
2. Select iTunes Store on the left hand side of the display.
3. This time, instead of clicking the Sign Up button, look for the Top Free Apps on the right hand side of the display. If you can’t see it, scroll down to see more.
4. Choose from one of the free apps then click the free button.
5. You will be presented with the Sign Up dialog box.
6. Select ‘I don’t have an account’.
7. Enter some personal user information then click Next.
8. On the top of the display you will now see four payment options namely Visa, MasterCard, and American Express as well as NONE. Some may see different. Choose none.
9. Continue entering some information on the required fields.
10. When done, click Create Account. You have successfully created your iTunes account.

Activate your account

9. Go to your email client or website where you have entered your email address during the account creation.
10. Enter your log-in information.
11. Open your inbox and locate the email Apple has sent you. If you can’t find that email, it is either that email has not arrived yet or it was moved to the spam folder.
11. Open that verification email.
12. Simply click on the verification link found in the email. You will be redirected to another site.
13. On that site, enter your log-in information you have just entered during the registration process then click Verify.
14. You will be redirected to iTunes.
15. Log-in to iTunes if you are not logged in yet.

And you’re done.

With your new account, you now have access to 120,000 free apps available through the App Store. Just choose the app you like then click the Free button. iTunes will automatically download the app for you and is ready for syncing for your device.

What if I would like to buy an app?

If you find any app you would like to pay for, just enter your payment method in the Account Settings. It is found by clicking your email address on the upper right hand of the iTunes Store window.

How to use Genius Playlist and Genius Mixes on iTunes

Image via Wikipedia

Want to have a personal DJ even without a professional DJ around? Just turn on iTunes Genius music service in your Mac or PC, and carry it anywhere with your iPad, iPhone or iPod. Genius service actually searches songs in your music library that actually sound great together.

To get started:

1. Open iTunes application. If you don’t have iTunes installed, simply visit iTunes download then hit the download button.
2. On the left sidebar, click Genius. You need an internet connection for it to work.
3. Next, click Turn On Genius button.
4. Sign in with your Apple or iTunes account. If you don’t have an iTunes account, go to the App Store, click Sign in on the upper right portion, then select I don’t have an account. Follow instructions afterwards.
5. Accept the Terms and Conditions if you agree then click next.
6.  iTunes will now gather music information from your library and send it into Apple’s servers. When analysis is complete, Apple will send back your Genius results into your computer.
7. Click Done.

To use Genius Mixes:

1. Click Genius Mixes on the left hand side of the window.
2. From there you will see your songs grouped together into different categories. Genius Mixes are based on genre, artists and others to create a list of songs that go great together. It is the best way to hear the songs you haven’t discovered.
3. To hear a Genius Mix, hover your mouse cursor over the Genius Mix you want then click the play button. The album art of the current song is displayed in it.
4. To play another song, click the next or back button on the Genius Mix panel itself or on the upper right controls.
5. To play another Genius Mix, simply click the play button of another Genius Mix.
6. To stop playing, click the Stop button.

To use Genius Playlist:

1. Go to the song you like best and right-click. You may click the Genius button at the top (beside song name of the playing song) or at the bottom (lower left corner of the screen).
2.  Select Create Genius Playlist.
3. The generated playlist will appear. You can select how many will appear in a playlist using a drop down menu on the upper right corner of the screen. You may refresh the list.
4. To save a playlist, click Save. The program will save the playlist based from the song you have selected upon. The playlist will appear just below Genius Mixes.

You can create as many Genius playlists as you want. Genius Playlist will work like your regular playlists.

To rename a Genius Playlist:

1. Click the playlist you want to rename then enter the name you want for it to be.
2. Press enter button or click anywhere.

To sync Genius Mixes with your iPad, iPhone or iPod:

1. Connect your device to your Mac or PC.
2.  Sync songs with your iTunes Library. Your Genius Playlist as well as Genius Mixes will be synced into your device. This will also enable your devices to create Genius Playlists on the go even you are away from your computer.

Note:

• Genius will not work if you selected “Manually manage music and videos” from your device summary tab.
• Only Genius Mixes will be synced on the 3rd and 4th generation iPod shuffle.

-from Apple Ads, videos and manuals

Why do we get less formatted capacity than expected?

Image via Wikipedia

The answer is simple. The “lost space” is reserved for the file system as well as the device’s operating system/device information if it exists.

When we buy a data device (a USB Flash drive for example), we expect that it can hold as much data as the design data capacity printed on its label and packaging. After some time upon opening its packaging, we get disappointed that it can’t hold as much data as we expect them to be. In the end, we might have regretted that we might have bought another one.

What formatted capacity will I get from buying a 2GB storage device?

From my experience, buying a 2GB USB Flash Drive won’t give you a full 2.00 GB of free storage, but instead, will give you 1.86GB worth of data storage when formatted with System 32 file system. Some of us might thinking that the manufacturers might be tricking by not giving us a device our money is worth for; however, most of us accept this fact and mind nothing about it.

Is it possible to get that full capacity?

If you think getting that full capacity is possible, its possible. However, it will be just a plain unallocated space and will be unusable by any system. Moreover, it’s useless unless it is formatted.

Therefore, manufacturers are deceiving me?

Nope. No company has ever sold a data storage device that has exactly the same formatted capacity as the printed capacity on its label and packaging. If they do, they might be deceiving you. Most data storage manufacturers actually ship their products and devices with exactly the same number of bytes present on their device as indicated on its label and packaging. Manufacturers know and accept the fact that its actual formatted capacity is less than what is advertised. Here is a description Apple indicated on its iPhone website:

** 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.

I understand, what will they do with that missing space?

As what is said in the beginning of this article, here are the following reasons why that “missing space” is reserved.

A. It is reserved for file system that device is formatted with.

A file system use indexes where they store information where your files and folders are located in a disk or drive. It also serves like a card catalog inside a library. You use it to locate books and information easily by going directly into its designated shelf and location. If you remove the card catalogs or computer-catalogs inside a library, you will have difficulty in finding a particular book by manually looking at every book present in a library. Plus, it’s a time-consuming behavior. Same applies to a disk without a file system or catalog system.

B. It is also where some manufacturer and device information is stored.

Some of its stored data include the manufacturer name, product type, kind, model, part number, serial number, hardware id, and a lot more. Windows and any other operating systems use this information to determine which device drivers and services are to be launched. Once a communication between your device and the computer is established, you can read, write, modify any of its contents and format it. Manufacturers also use this information for verification that their software designed for that device will work perfectly with your device. If any of these information is not present or read properly. Windows will report a “USB device not recognized.” error message.

C. Is is where the device operating system, system files and reserved space are stored.

If your device is designed primarily for storing data only and nothing else, most probably is that it doesn’t a reserved operating systems. These data storage devices include some USB Flash Disk, CD, DVD, BD, Hard disk, SSD, memory cards, memory sticks and picture cards but they still possess other reasons above. Data storage devices that come with an operating system include mobile phones, portable media players and other gadgets. So, having an 8 GB capacity iPod Touch will leave you with 6.5 GB remaining free space while having a 32 or 64 GB of it will leave you 29 and 59 GB of free space respectively because iOS is reserved has reserved some space besides reasons above. Manufacturers store data in this location because it is secure and cannot be deleted or modified easily in case the user formats or erases the disk.

D. Other manufacturer reasons

Some manufacturers have other reasons why they reserve some of your disk’s capacity. One reason is for recovery space partition. You will not see that recovery partition appearing in your Explorer or Finder window because the manufacturer don’t want you to make changes into it. Even it does not show up, it occupies your hard drive capacity. This recovery partition is very essential especially when something goes wrong with your computer. You can make a fresh install of your operating system from it or use it to restore it to its out-of-the-box factory default.

These are my ideas and opinions on why we don't get a full formatted capacity
from our devices. If there's something wrong with it, please feel free to leave
a comment anonymously.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard Gallery

This gallery contains 56 photos.

Check out this snapshot tour from  a 13″ Macbook Pro notebook with Mac OS X Snow Leopard before checking Apple’s new Mac OS Lion. Simply click on an image to magnify and navigate. *Thanks to kind support from Digital Hub.