Image: MacWorld
iOS 9.3 Update Makes Hyperlinks Crash Your Phone
If you updated to iOS 9.3, hopefully you’re not having any issues. However, if you’re one of the unlucky ones that gets hit by every bug in Apple’s software, you have my sympathies. A glitch in iOS 9.3 makes iPhones crash when people click on hyperlinks. To make matters worse, iOS 9.2 also suffers from the same glitch, assuming users installed a recent security update.
“I’m trying to remember the number of times I’ve told folks not to immediately upgrade to the new release,” said a user on the Apple Support Forum with the handle ‘nameisunique.’ “Should have been a little more suspect of a new release that’s timed with a somewhat big announcement by Apple.”
There’s a good reason to never download updates on the first day, or even the first month. Wait, patiently, until the bugs are ironed out, then do your upgrading. It’s a great way to avoid these kind of problems, and it’s also a good way to make sure all your favorite apps, games, and other phone fun things are able to work on the new OS upgrade. Time is on your side.
Fun Science Apps For Kids
Education, the pursuit of knowledge, and critical thinking are some of the most important ideals that I strive for, and hopefully will one day be able to teach my kids. Yes, it’s fine to have fun and play, but there’s no reason playtime can’t be educational! I love apps and gadgets that are able to teach in a fun way. That’s why I love this post by Mia Wenjen at Pragmatic Mom. Here’s her list of the best science apps for kids:
-Crazy Machines- Use your imagination and build crazy contraptions
-Toca Doctor- Teaches kids basic anatomy and medical care
-The Elements- A “Harry Potter” style periodic table game
-Weird But True- Interesting factoids from National Geographic
-Coaster Physics- Design and test your own rollercoaster
-Virtual Frog Dissection- Dissection without the smell and the mess
Disinfect Everything
I’ve been sick lately. Scratch that, very sick. My wife caught the flu, which means that a day later, I ended up having the flu, but that day of planning was crucial to our flu survival. I was able to stock up on soup and liquids and get it all bought before I took sick, and we were able to weather the storm and survive somehow. Now we’re facing off with the arduous task of cleaning up after the flu. Disinfect all the things, starting with keyboards, remotes, and smartphones!
Fortunately, Lifehacker has some good tips on disinfecting things, and most of them are pretty simple. For example, use alcohol diluted in a spray bottle on a soft cloth. Pretty simple, right? Well, you’d be surprised what some people pay for flu-killing wipes and the like. I bought some myself, but I know better than to use them for my computers and delicate equipment like that.
Still, these things have to be cleaned, and it’s nice to know that it’s an easy, painless process.
Wordless Wednesday: Sinclair
Via Imgur
Friday Fun Video: Cool Instagram Tips
These are great for anyone who markets on Instagram!
Wordless Wednesday: 2MB
Via Reddit.
Apple's Error 53
If you’ve had your phone worked on by a third party, then you’re not alone. Lots of other people have turned to places other than the Apple Store to get issues fixed, like with the home button where the fingerprint ID is. Apparently, iOS9 doesn’t like third-party repairs, and while the fix itself isn’t a huge issue to normal people, it is to Apple. Users who upgrade to iOS9 are finding themselves the victim of Apple’s Error 53, which completely kills their phones.
The company is so vindictive that they’re willing to brick phones over a simple repair, and it’s not like that can be undone. Once Apple triggers Error 53, the phone is completely dead. All pictures, all contact information, all everything on the phone is immediately trashed and cannot be restored. Essentially, for the unprepared, upgrading your iPhone is a device death sentence if you’ve ever had it worked on by someone not an authorized Apple retailer, and it appears that third parties repairing the phones and those getting phones repaired weren’t ever aware that this might become an issue.
Friday Fun Video: Home Office Desk Ideas
I LOVE the “tape” dispenser! These are some cute accessories for making your home office desk more fun.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Fitbit
One of the most popular presents of the year has to be the Fitbit. Even I got a Fitbit for Christmas this year, and I’m trying to make sense of it, how to use it, all that good stuff. I’ve also seen a lot of other people wearing Fitbits (now that I know what to look for on the wrist). With every new device there’s a bit of a learning curve; I’ve got a lot of questions about my Fitbit that I don’t really have answers for, but there’s help out there. PC World has put together a list of tips for getting the most out of your Fitbit.
I’ve been using my Fitbit to track my steps and the like, and I had no idea that I had to actually set a stride in order to get a proper measurement of just how far I’ve walked and how many steps I’ve actually taken. Likewise, I had no idea that the Fitbit would count calories for me, or work in common with MyFitnessPal. That’s all very helpful stuff to know, and if it would work with, say, my Daily Plate account, that’d be great. As it is, I have a lot of exploring to do with my new Fitbit.