Tip, Tricks and Articles for iPad, iPhone, Mac
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If your iPad is one of the more recent models - an iPad Mini 2 or iPad Air and later models - there is a handy new iOS 9 feature called Slideover,

Slideover allows you to see more than one app on your screen at once, viewing the second app as a 'sidebar' on the right-hand side of the screen.

(Note. This is different to the new 'split screen' feature, which only works on the newest iPads.)

Slideover is handy for the situation where you want to view and perhaps use another app, but want your original app to stay on the screen.

As an example, you might be browsing Safari, hear a 'ding' and want to quickly check the email that just arrived - without having to leave the Safari screen.  

Just swipe from the right-hand edge towards the left to see the Slideover sidebar.  This will show the previous app that you used in slideover mode.

Once you have your 'Slideover' bar visible,  you can 'drag down' that side bar from the top to see a list of other available apps - which will be only apps that can work in this 'slideover' mode.  Tap a different app to view and use it - all while keeping your original screen visible in the background.  

Then, to get rid of your slideover side bar and return to your main app, just slide it closed by swiping to the right.

In some apps, you will need to make sure you swipe from the centre right - as the 'swipe to left from edge of screen' function already exists for swiping between pages in certain apps..  

From Slideover to Split Screen - for really new iPads only

If you do have one of the really new iPads, when you have an app visible in slideover sidebar, you may also be able to slide that app further across to the left to go into 'split screen' mode.

This only works for certain apps that have the 'split screen' capability enabled.

A change that I made recently has made such a big difference to my iPhone's battery life.  The last two nights, my battery was still at over 50% at 8pm, despite normal usage during the day.

Before that, my iPhone which down to about 20% or less by about 7pm each night - which was a pain if I was about to go out for the evening, and needed to rely on my phone having adequate battery.

The 'Low Battery' mode is great and really does make your iPhone's battery last a significant amount of time while in this mode, but I was curious to see if the below articles had any measure of truth.

Over the past week, I saw the articles that alleged that the Facebook app has been a major culprit in drainage my battery due to a bug in the app.  

So, I deleted the App and reverted to using the Facebook website from Safari instead.  

I saved the Facebook web page as a icon on my Home Screen - which made it look like I still have the App on my iPhone, making it very easy to access.

(If you don't know to save a web page as an 'app icon' on your Home Screen, check out this week's iPad and iPhone handy hint, Turning your favourite web page into an 'app' on your Home Screen.)

So, if you too are suffering battery issues and are looking for a quick fix that will (hopefully) make a big difference, try removing the Facebook app and see what happens.

I will let you know if a see a future news item advising that Facebook has fully resolved this issue.

​Updates Sat 31st Oct 2015

Check your Screen Brightness

I have realised since writing the original article above that  I made another change around the same time as deleting the Facebook app.  

I also turned down my screen brightness, which had been at full brightness.  

Check out your own screen brightness in your Control Center (swipe up from below bottom of the screen and adjust the brightness slider (sun symbol).  This might also help to dramatically reduce your battery usage. 

If, after making these changes, you are still trying to work out what's draining your battery, go to Settings -> Battery (a new Settings option in iOS 9) and find out which apps and features are the main culprits.

When my screen brightness was at full tilt, my Home and Lock Screen usage was up around 40%.

Is the News app using battery in "Background"

When I check Settings -> Battery this morning, I was puzzled to see that the new 'News' app was using my battery, showing this usage was 'Background Activity'.  

​This was despite the fact that I had turned off the 'Background App Refresh' feature, to stop any apps working in the background and wasting my data and battery.  (Have you turned off this feature?  

Go to Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh, and turn this off to see if this makes any difference to your battery life.

It seems that when the new News app was added in iOS 9.1, it was installed with the 'Background App Refresh' turned on by default.  How annoying!

So I had to temporarily turn Background App Refresh back on (in Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh), make sure it was specifically turned off for the News app, then turn the main 'switch' back to off - so that NO apps are refreshing in background again, as I had previously specified!

Do you have an iPhone or iPad?   What do you use if for?

If, for example, you are using your iPhone just to make and receive calls and texts, check your mail and perhaps do the occasional web search, you have paid a lot of money for a device that you are very much under-utilising.

You can do so much more!

iTandCoffee wants to help take you to the next level in your use of these devices - opening the door to a whole new world of feeling more organised and empowered.   These small devices really can make a difference, and we can show you how.

Join us in November

Come along to the 'Bring your Busy Life Under Control using your iPad and iPhone' class series at iTandCoffee in November, with several class times available to choose from.  

Empowerment through your technology

We guarantee you will walk  way with a whole new perspective on that small device.

iTandCoffee is for you!  

Please don't think that you are too 'basic' in your iPad/iPhone use to come along.  You will find that everyone else who attends iTandCoffee classes feels just like you do.

Our classes are relaxed, patient, and social.  And, to make our evening sessions even more relaxing, feel free to bring along some wine if you would like sip a glass of wine while you learn!   Glasses are provided!

Book Now!

Visit the web page for more information and to book.  

Don't put it off any longer!

This email just appeared in my inbox, and was not marked as spam.  

I knew straight away that it was a fake, because the email address to which it was sent is not one that I use for any accounts, but also because I don't actually have an account with Simply Energy!

It looked quite legitimate though, so I thought it worth showing and warning about it, just in case anyone else receives a similar email.  

This one has been around for a while - the sender is either trying to scam some money out of you or suggest that they download a dangerous attachment that may contain a virus.   An ACCC warning about this scam is included at the bottom of this article.

​Once again, never click a link or attachment in emails such as these. 

How often do you find that, when working on your Mac, you want to view two separate windows or apps side by side.  

So, you have dragged and resized your windows to achieve this.  

Under OSX 10.11 El Capitan, this is made so much easier - with a new feature called 'split view'.

Find out more about this feature in this Handy Hint for iTandCoffee Club members.  

This tip includes a video of this new feature in action, recorded as I created this article.

• Discovering 'split view' feature of El Capitan

If you are not yet a member of the iTandCoffee Club, membership costs only $30 per year and gives you access to the following.

• The extensive library of iTandCoffee Tips, Tricks and Handy Hints (like this one above)
• Videos of classes
• Slideshows of classes
• Free guides
• Half price and free sessions, as offered from time to time

Join today - more details here.

Many of you will already have turned off this tricky new setting in iOS 9, one that can use large amounts of your mobile data unexpectedly.  

For those of you who have updated more recently, please read this recent iTandCoffee article to make sure you are not caught out.

• Don't let iOS 9 blow your data limit!  A new feature you MUST turn off. 

This new feature has been the cause of much discussion in the press.  Apparently, some US Apple device owners have decided to sue Apple over this (see below article)!

I do agree that it is very poor that Apple's iOS 9 upgrade turned this feature on - it really should have been an option that was off, and only turned on by those that have copious amounts of mobile data (and I'm not one of them!).

This is something that iTandCoffee deals with on a regular basis - clients who have been downloaded the product MacKeeper - thinking it would help keep their Mac clear of virus and unnecessary files - and have then suffered problems with their Mac.

If you are such a person, read the below articles to find out how to get rid of this hard-to-remove and invasive product and why you should remove it.

As promised by Apple in September, the new Apple TV has now been released for pre-order, but is significantly more expensive than the older mode (rrp $109).

The new Apple TV has two versions: 32GB for $269 and 64GB for $349.

If you order today, you will receive your product between 04/11/2015 and 05/11/2015 (free delivery).  Here's the link if you are keen to order.

​I will check it out, and let you know what I think as soon possible.

I meet so many women who tell me that they are SO keen to come to an iTandCoffee class, but life is so busy that they never seem to get a chance to do this.

Well, an iTandCoffee two-class series has been especially designed for busy working women and busy mums.  (Of course, anyone is welcome - students will benefit from this great class series.)

It is called 'Bring your Busy Life Under Control using your iPad and iPhone'.

Now I know it's hard to find 2 hours free in your busy week, and especially hard to find this twice in two weeks.  

So we are suggesting a few options for dates/times for this class series in November, so that you can pick and choose which sessions your come to.

For example, you can come to the morning session for Part 1, and one of the evening sessions for Part 2.  Or you can just come to one part if you can't fit in two sessions at the moment.

For any evening classes at iTandCoffee, we transform into iTandWine (as well as iTandCoffee) for those who like to relax a bit with an evening wine (BYO unfortunately, as we don't have a license!).  

Here are the upcoming class dates and times*:

• Morning: Thursdays 12th and 19th November, 10am-12pm
• Evening iTandWine:  Thursdays 5th and 12th November, 7:30pm-9:30pm
• Evening iTandWine:  Fridays 13th and 20th November, 7:30pm-9:30pm​

Click/tap on the below button for more information or to book.  We hope to see lots of you at these upcoming classes - we know you will love them, and go away feeling so EMPOWERED!

* Please note that we need at last 4 people to proceed with the class at the advertised price.  If we receive less than 3 advance bookings, the class may need to be cancelled or rescheduled.

More information about the Bring your Busy Life Under Control classes

The 'Bring your Busy Life Under Control' classes cover all sorts of amazing tips for how you can use your i-Devices - especially your iPhone - to help you in your day to day life, by