Pop Dash - Music Runner by Maximum Play, combines your love of pop music and playing games on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.

Pop Dash - Music Runner dives into the pop-culture world with wild themed levels in this running game. The game is divided into levels - so while you can run endlessly, you are aiming for three stars to achieve by meeting different level objectives on each level.

While playing the game - music plays that you can groove too by pop artists like; Lindsey Stirling, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Jessie J, Wiz Khalifa, Becky G, Echosmith, DVBBS, Art vs Science, MARRS, Jo Li, Betty Who, and more...

The gameplay also combines swiping in all directions and a bit of a Guitar Hero feel with buttons on the road to hit with certain actions - however the buttons don't effect the music.

Playing is limited by energy that re-charges over time. The energy count is 5 (plays). Energy can be re-charged using Crystals - the rarer in-game currency.

Players can purchase, using the in-game coins, different players and costumes. Players can also choose to play as American violinist, dancer, performance artist, singer and composer, Lindsey Stirling!

From the musical pop-culture world themes and graphics, to the layback casual gameplay feel, and the pop background music, Pop Dash - Music Runner is a great game to play for some fun and to just chill too.

Pop Dash - Music Runner is FREE (with in-app purchases available) to download for iOS devices.

> Go to Pop Dash - Music Runner on the iTunes App Store.  

If your iPhone's battery is running low, thanks to a new feature added in iOS 9 called, Low Power Mode, you might just be able to get by until you can find a charger.

When activated, Low Power Mode, helps your iPhone save some battery life by switching off features like; mail fetch, background app refresh, automatic downloads, and some visual effects.

Low Power Mode, when on, is indicated on your iOS home screen by the battery icon appearing as yellow.

You can manually switch on Low Power Mode, or switch it on when prompted by your iPhone when your battery runs down to twenty percent.

To switch on Low Power Mode, open Settings, tap Battery, then toggle on "Low Power Mode". Low Power Mode will automatically switch it's self off when your charge your iPhone back up, or you can toggle the option off from the same setting.

If activated, Low Power Mode could give your iPhone up to an extra three hours of battery life.

A countdown clock on rock band Foo Fighters official website has revealed a surprise free new EP album titled 'Saint Cecilia' for fans to download.

'Saint Cecilia' is a five-track album that was recorded this October at the Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin, Texas as "...a celebration of life and music", and is offered as a free download. This EP is a end-of-tour gift for the fans - but as their tour was cut short by the recent tragic events in Paris, Foo Fighters have paid tribute and offered a link for fans to donate to the victims of the attack.

"Now there is a new, hopeful intention that, even in the smallest way, perhaps these songs can bring a little light into this sometimes dark world. To remind us that music is life, and that hope and healing go hand in hand with song. That much can never be taken away." - Dave Grohl 

The 'Saint Cecilia EP' can be download for free from the Foo Fighters website, or on iTunes, or streamed on Apple Music, and Spotify. Fans can also buy a Vinyl edition (shipping in Feb 2016) which also comes with a downloadable version.


-> Go to Foo Fighters Official Website for more details.

-> 'Saint Cecilia - EP' on iTunes (direct link).

Notifications on your wrist can be very helpful. It's convenient to get the information you need at just a raise of a wrist. But notifications when set up wrong can be anything but useful - they can be annoying! Which is why it's important to take the time to properly set up the Notification settings for your iPhone and Apple Watch.

The type of useful notifications are the things that give you important time relevant information - like; messages, reminders, calendar alerts, phone calls, possibly fitness alerts (if you are really into that) and maybe some social media alerts - like messaging apps.

To adjust Notification settings for your Apple Watch, you'll need to open the 'Apple Watch' app on your iPhone.

Make sure you are on the 'My Watch' page, then tap 'Notifications'. The Apple Watch is normally set to mirror notifications from your iPhone, but if you let slide a lot of notifications (specially from unimportant third-party apps) on your iPhone - you may want to redefine what you let through to your wrist.

The Notification settings are divided into Apple apps and third-party-apps. Now just simply go through the list of all your apps and decide whether or not you want that apps notifications to alert you on your Apple Watch.

The other important thing to know is - how to mute notifications. For when you don't want distractions - like when you are in a important meeting, at the cinemas, or maybe on a date - you should put your Apple Watch in Do Not Disturb mode.

To activate Do Not Disturb mode, from your watch face, slide up from the bottom of the screen. On the 'Settings' glance pane, tap the Crescent Moon button - this will switch on Do Not Disturb mode. The settings for Do Not Disturb will mirror your iPhone. You can set repeat calls to alert you or your favorites list. To adjust those settings, go to 'Settings > Do Not Disturb' on your iPhone.  

If you are looking for a charging dock for your Apple Watch - Apple has now released their own official product.

The Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock comes in white and is disc shaped with the charging magnet in the center.

You can lay your Apple Watch down or raise the magnet up to place the watch on its side, which is ideal for Nightstand mode.

The Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock is compatible with the 38 and 42 mm Apple Watch. The Dock is priced at USD$79 and is available on Apple.com.

Google has today released it's YouTube Kids app internationally for certain countries outside the U.S.A. at the moment including; the UK, Ireland and Australia. YouTube Kids launched in the USA nine months ago.

YouTube Kids is a free app, designed for kids aged 5 and under. The app is designed to exclude content that may not be appropriate for a young audience - however YouTube notes that not all videos are manually reviewed.

When setting up at app, parents can choose whether they want to allow search. If you allow search, kids can search through millions of videos on YouTube (with restrictions). With search off, only the videos on the apps home screen and recommendations will be shown. However the security that keeps search off is four written numbers that the apps asks you to type in. So, if your kid can read numbers...  

The app is divided into four sections: Shows, Music, Learning, and Explore. Videos that can be expected on the app are favorites like; Thomas & Friends, Hi-5, Banana's in Pajamas, Sesame Street and more.

Also it's important to note that this app is not advertisement free. YouTube writes that the app "...contains paid ads in order to offer the app for free. Your child may also see videos with commercial content from YouTube creators that are not paid ads."

> View YouTube Kids app on the iTunes App Store. 

Installed a Content Blocker and noticed a website doesn't seem to be working correctly? Content Blockers usually load most sites fine - but as they are 'Content Blockers', some things on the site will be missing - mostly, ads. Content Blockers could break a website.

Luckily, there is a quick way to disable Content Blockers and reload the webpage. To do this, hold down the Reload button in Safari, then two options will appear: "Request Desktop Site" and "Reload Without Content Blockers". Tap the latter to reload the webpage in its entirety.

> Learn how to set up Content Blockers in iOS 9 for iPhone and iPad.

Got videos on your Mac that you want to transfer to your iPhone? Or videos from your iPhone (or iPad) that you want to transfer to your Mac? It's actually very simple to do.

You could connect your iOS device via the Lightning Cable to your Mac computer and use iTunes or Apple's Photos app, but an even better and easier (cordless) way is to use AirDrop.  

To transfer videos via AirDrop and use them on the built-in iOS Photos app  -  you'll need the videos to be .mov, .mp4 or .m4v files.  If you are unsure what file type your video is, on your Mac, check the end of the file name or if it doesn't show, Control + Click and select Get Info. Anything that writes H.264, MPEG-4 or QuickTime should be fine.  

First, make sure you have AirDrop switched on: On iOS, slide up the Control Center panel, tap AirDrop and select either Everyone or Contacts Only (if you have your contact info added). On Mac, open Finder, tap AirDrop on the sidebar, then click "Allow me to be discovered by:" and select again, Everyone or Contacts Only. 

From Mac to iPhone or iPad, all your need to do is select and drag the file in Finder, hover over AirDrop - wait for AirDrop to find your iOS device and then hover-over and release and accept the file transfer on your iOS device, if prompted. 

From iPhone/iPad to Mac, find and select the video in your Camera Roll. Tap the Share button (square with up-pointing arrow) - and wait for your Mac device to be found and show in the AirDrop section - then tap your device and wait for the file to transfer.

Isn't annoying when you are trying to download an app for your iPhone or iPad from the App Store and you get prompted to enter your password?! Well, did you know you can actually switch off this requirement for free app downloads?! But there is a small catch. To make this option show, you have to switch off 'Use Touch ID for iTunes & App Store'. So it's convenient if you are downloading mostly free apps.

How to download free apps without needing to enter your password on the iOS App Store:

1. Open 'Settings'.

2. Tap 'Touch ID & Passcode'.

3. Under the heading 'Use Touch ID For', switch off 'iTunes & App Store'.

4. Now back to Settings, tap, 'iTunes & App Store'.

5. Then tap 'Password Settings'.

6. Now, under the heading 'Free Downloads', switch off 'Require Password'.

   VS

The iPad Pro pre-orders begins on November 11th and Apple CEO Tim Cook was recently interviewed by The Telegraph and mentioned that he believes "...the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people." and "...why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?" Yes, why?

I agree that many things people do on computers these days can indeed be done on a iPad or even iPhone. But to basically say 'why would you want a PC anymore' might be a little too much, or is it? I hope Cook realizes that Apple sells Macbook's and the iMac. I'm not sure if everyone at Apple would be happy saying Mac computers are only for a few.

To me it sounds like Tim Cook isn't sure what can't be done on a iPad, that people still use computers for. Is there anything? Lets find out. I did a little thinking and research to find what people still use their laptops or desktop computers for and here are the tops answers or complaints.


No native USB / Flash Drive / External Hard-Drive / HDMI or CD/DVD Drive support. 
Yes Apple may have cloud based alternatives, but a work-around is not a solution. You can buy a plug to connect a USB device - but there isn't a USB port on the iPad or a plug that comes with the iPad - and who knows if the thing you want to connect will even work.


Can't view websites that use Flash.
I agree that the web should get rid of Adobe's Flash player and a lot of sites have stopped using Flash, but not all.


That program you use on a PC or Mac that isn't available on iOS.
Not all computer programs have a iOS version.


No full Printer and Scanner support. 


No on device storage of over 128GB. 


No File System - like on a Mac or PC.
However in iOS 9 Apple has added the ability to show the iCloud file system on your home screen.


Convenience.  
Some things are still just quicker or easier to do on a Computer.


Multitasking with multiple windows - not the same. 
Yeah, in iOS 9 you can use side-by-side multitasking, but it's not quite the same 'easy' experience like on a Mac.


No Xcode / Develop Programs. 
Here's a thought, what if you wrote those apps on a iOS device? Then I guess your not part of the 'many, many people.'


Professional Video Editing.
There are many video editing apps on iOS and there is Apple's iMovie - but if you're looking for a more professional app - you're probably still sticking with your Mac.


No Full Support for third-party web browsers.
Apple has Safari and has added Content Blockers in iOS 9, however if you use Mozilla's Firefox or Google Chrome - you won't experience their full potential on iOS with there many Extensions.


And I sure there is many, many more things that the iPad can't do, that you can do on a Desktop or Notebook computer. Let us know in the comments what you do on a Computer that you can't do on a iPad!

iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard accessory. 

Apple has announced today that its new iPad Pro will be available for order on November 11th and will be shipping out later in the week. 

The iPad Pro will be available in over 40 countries including; Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, France, US, UK,  Japan, China, and many more. 

�The early response to iPad Pro from app developers and our customers has been incredible, and we�re excited to get iPad Pro into the hands of customers around the world this week,� said Philip Schiller, Apple�s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. �iPad Pro is the most powerful iPad we�ve ever made, giving users the ability to be even more creative and more productive with the epic 12.9-inch Retina display, powerful 64-bit A9X chip and groundbreaking Apple Pencil and new Smart Keyboard. We can�t wait to see what they do with iPad Pro.�

The iPad Pro price begins at USD$799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi model. Comes in Silver, Gold and Space-Gray. The Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard accessories will be available for USD$99 and USD$169 for the latter. 

See more details at Apple.com 

A new feature added into iOS 9, finally, is upper and lowercase keyboards! Now on your iPhone or iPad, before you type, you can actually see what the letter will look like - and have a clear indication of if you have the shift-key on or not.

While showing upper and lowercase keys is a great feature, there are some of you out there that may not like all the flickering of the keys - or maybe you just prefer the letters to stay static - like a computers physical keyboard ...or a type writer.

If you don't like the changing of upper and lowercase keys in iOS 9, here's how to switch off the feature:

How To Turn Off Showing Lowercase Keys on iPhone & iPad in iOS 9: 

1. Open the 'Settings' app. 

2. Tap 'General'. 

3. Tap 'Accessibility'. 

4. Tap 'Keyboard'.

5. Switch off option 'Show Lowercase Keys'. 

Australians, free television networks are making watching your favorite shows easier and more convenient for you. We now have more content online than ever before and if you have an iPhone, iPad, or computer, it's never been easier to catch up on TV in your own time. 

All major Australian television networks have iOS apps available. The Seven Network has Plus7, Channel 9 has 9jumpin, Network Ten has Tenplay, there is also SBS On Demand, ABC iview and ABC KIDS iview. 

But how do all these apps really perform? Are they worthy of even being on your iOS device? Will you have a great experience? And can I steam the video to my Apple TV? These are the main questions that I'll be answering in these reviews. 

Reviewing these apps, I'll be looking to for the following criteria: picture and sound quality. General features and user interface. The catalog of available shows to watch. How advertising effects the watch-ability and if the app supports AirPlay streaming to a Apple TV. 

Also note, these reviews are based on playback on a iPhone 6 and streaming to a 2014 Apple TV (not the newest one). These networks also have websites available where you can access many, if not all, of the same features. 

Plus7

Picture and sound quality: Picture was ok, clear, but far from a HD clear image. Sound was ok for watching on a iPhone or iPad. 

Noteworthy Feature: Plus7 has recently added new live streaming of their three main channels to the app. You can live stream Channel 7, 7two, and 7mate. 

Show catalog: 7Plus features heaps of there shows, including: A Touch of Frost, Beach Cops, Better Homes and Gardens, Blindspot, Castle, Grimm, Heroes Reborn, Home and Away, How to Get Away with Murder, The Blacklist, The Chase, and many more... 

Ads: Yes. The 'hour long' episode that I watched featured seven commercial breaks. Commercial breaks featured multiple ads.  

AirPlay support?: No. 

9Jumpin

Picture and sound quality: Quality improves based on your internet connection. Picture and sound was very good on mobile. 

Noteworthy Features: View shows previews, read up on the show and characters, and view Twitter feeds. *on selected shows.  

Show catalog: 9jumpin features many shows from there three main channels, including: 60 Minutes, Arrow, The Bachelor, The Big Bang Theory, Celebrity Apprentice, A Current Affair, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Hot Seat, Survivor, and more... 

Ads: Yes. The 'half hour show' featured four commercial breaks. Commercial breaks feature multiple ads. 

AirPlay support?: Yes. No button on the app, however you can switch on AirPlay to your Apple TV on through the iOS Control Panel. Streaming quality was very clear once it adjusted to your connections speed - this happens after every commercial break, as well. One problem however, if my iPhone's screen switched off, the video paused. Ad volume was also inconsistent. 

Tenplay

Picture and sound quality: Picture frequently was blurring and low quality on mobile. Sound was clear and fine for mobile. Picture quality on the Apple TV app varies. Maybe based on show, but sometimes was very low quality and hard to watch. Most shows were blurry and nowhere near even DVD quality.  

Noteworthy Features: With the MyTV feature, if you sign up, you can add favorite shows, create a watchlist's and episode playlists. Your can also set reminders. 

Show catalog: shows featured on Tenplay include: TBL Families, Homeland, Scream Queens, Have You Been Paying Attention, Limitless, Madam Secretary, Empire, Hawaii Five-O, Supernatural, Family Feud, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and more.   

Ads: Yes. Four commercial breaks on the 'half hour show'. Commercial breaks feature multiple ads. Volume is inconsistent, with some ads being much louder than the TV show.   

AirPlay support?: Tenplay wins in Apple TV support, because they are the only app at the moment that actually is featured as an official app on the Apple TV itself. No need to stream from your iPhone or iPad, you can watch whatever is available right from the Apple TV. 

> Continue to Part 2 

Part two of my Australian TV network apps on iOS review. These reviews are looking for the following criteria: picture and sound quality. General features and user interface. The catalog of available shows to watch. How advertising effects the watch-ability and if the app supports AirPlay streaming to a Apple TV. 

Note: These reviews are based on playback on a iPhone 6 and streaming to a 2014 Apple TV (not the newest one). These networks also have websites available where you can access many, if not all, of the same features. 

(Click to view Part 1)  

Part 2 of Aussie TV App For iOS: 

SBS On Demand

Notable Problems: Firstly, videos play with the iPhone's status bar overlaying. Great that I can see the time and my battery level - but this is annoying. Video sometimes failed to even begin - though it's funny - the advertisement played fine. And I say advertisement and not 'advertisements' because the same one played over and over. App is not even readjusted for larger iPhone screens and is still just enlarged to fit. 

Picture and sound quality: Just watchable. Video has poor frame rate and pixel banding issues. Could do with a much higher Bit Rate.  

Show catalog: Some on the shows available to watch are: American Ninja Warrior, South Park, Letters & Numbers, Ali G: Remixed, Australia with Simon Reeve, Awaken, Bref, Dateline, Fargo, Maison Close, If You Are The One, a lot of documentaries, and many more...  

Ads: Yes. Run through out the program. 

AirPlay support?: Sort of. I want to say "no". No button on the apps screen, however you can switch it on in the iOS Control Panel. When the iPhone screen sleeps, sometimes so did the playing video. Video also has a hard time resuming playback position after an ad plays and often stay in an endless crashed loop of not loading anything. Video would not even close when 'Done' was pressed. You no what - just don't even attempt to AirPlay video from this app.  

ABC iview

Picture and sound quality: Sound was good for iPhone or iPad. Picture quality adjusts with your internet connection, however the best I experienced looked just 'okay' on iPhone and could of been much better. The picture isn't high quality 'sharp' and there was definitely pixel banding in areas. The low picture quality is much more noticeable on iPad or when AirPlayed to a TV screen.    

Noteworthy Features: You can browse content by channel. Choose shows from ABC, or ABC 2, ABC 3, ABC Kids, News, Arts, and ABC Presents. 

Show catalog: A wide variety of shows are on the ABC networks, but to name a few: Doctor Who, Making Families Happy, Catalyst, Four Corners, Antiques Roadshow, The Beautiful Lie, The Next Step, Camp Lakebottom, Numb Chucks, Play School, and many more... 

Ads: In the couple of programs I watched, there was no advertisements. 

AirPlay support?: Yes! You can AirPlay the video to an Apple TV. 

ABC KIDS iview 

A dedicated app just for kids, ABC KIDS iview app opened with volume that was not controlled by my iPhone's volume level. All sounds in this app (except playing video) do this. Really annoying. 


Based on the security of the Settings, I assume this app is intended for kids who cant read numbers yet. 

Picture and sound quality: Sound is fine, picture on the other hand is pretty low quality in my experience. It's 'okay' on iPhone and even streamed to a Apple TV, but it's not very sharp. 

Noteworthy Features: The app features a grid of shows to choose from. Tap a show to bring up available videos. Parents can also set a timer to lock the screen. 

Show catalog: Among the list are: Hey Duggee, 64 Zoo Lane, Bananas in Pajamas, Big Block SingSong, Bob the Builder, Dinosaur Train, dirtgirlworld, Emma!, Fireman Sam, and more...  

Ads: None that I saw. 

AirPlay support?: Yes! You can AirPlay the video to an Apple TV. 

Thanks for reading, be sure to share if you liked these reviews!