Comparing iOS 6 and iOS 7

       "Here is an interesting side by side comparison of various features between iOS 6 and iOS 7. If you haven't upgraded yet, this look may help you decide. If you've already upgraded, do you miss what you had, or like the new look better?

       "All things considered, I like the new look better," Jim Hamm concludes. 

Comparing iOS7 to iOS6

        Sent from his iPad,  Jim Hamm sends this link:  "Here is a comparison of the icons in iOS 7 vs iOS 6, which we're using now. I'm not impressed with the change. The new icons seem washed out to me. I don't really see any improvement or any reason for the change. I guess Apple felt like they should do something if they are upgrading the iOS. What do you think of the new icons?"

How to Update to iOS 6

        John Carter gives directions, "iOS 6.1.2 update is available. How should you proceed? This notice is going out to a large group of people, and you may get this notice more than once. If you do not own an iOS device, you may disregard this notice.

        "First, how often do you perform a backup of your iOS device (iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone)? Did you know that you can backup your iOS device either by connecting it directly to your computer, or by Wi-Fi if you have the option set in iTunes to do a sync with the device over Wi-Fi? For the iPhone and iPod Touch, you can also set an option to automatically sync the device when the device is connected to the computer (this option is not available for the iPad)."

        Here's John's next suggestion, "Backing up an iOS device can be done to either a Cloud storage or to your computer using iTunes. Most devices can exceed the free 5GB storage of any Cloud storage, so it's probably best to backup to your computer."

        And, now for a caution, "Also, before doing a backup or an update, do an update of iTunes, sync your device, and then perform a backup followed by the update. You should also then perform another backup after the update is complete. The before update is necessary in case something goes wrong with the update process and you need to restore and start over again.

        "When you connect your iOS device to your computer, iTunes may automatically start up. If it doesn't, you'll have to manually start iTunes. When iTunes starts, you may get a notice that an update for the device is available. If you haven't done a device backup since the last time you made any changes to the content of the device, you should cancel the update, perform a sync, then perform a backup, and then do the update followed by another backup".

        Pay attention to John's warning, "If you find that when doing an update using iTunes that the downloaded file is corrupt (the update is approximately 1GB, and a file this large may not be properly handled), rather than perform the update using iTunes, try the update from the device itself (Settings -> General -> Software Update). One setting in 'Disk Utility' may be the culprit of a corrupt download. That setting is 'Verify Checksums' (open Disk Utility -> Preferences and uncheck that option). 

        "Even with this option unchecked, the large file might still be corrupt. Another possible cause of a corrupt download is some firewall setting in the Internet modem (unproven). If that happens, then it is really necessary to perform the update from the device itself. To do that, disconnect the device from the computer, power-cycle the device, and then go into Settings -> General -> Software Update. You may even find that the download goes much faster when updating from the device."

        Now, a call for patience!  John says, "In all, it may take several minutes to do all these steps, so your patience is necessary.

        "Following this procedure will ensure that your device will be updated properly and your content will not be lost."

        And, in closing John reviews it: 

1. Update iTunes.
2. Sync your device to iTunes.
3. Backup your device.
4. Perform the update either from iTunes or from the device.
5. Backup your device again.      (Got it? Thanks to John Carter!) 

Problem Solving & Learning More

        Three articles caught Jim Hamm's attention, and each deserve at least a quick look.  Even if you're not particularly interested in the topic, it might be interesting to note the links on these sites. The first two are from MakeUseOf, and it has links to How To & Tips, Cheats & Guides, Geeky Fun. The third is from the latest Macworld that shows links to What's Hot, Reviews, How-To and Creative.
        "If you were a Mobile Me user, you might have additional storage on iCloud. Take a look at this.
        "Here's an article describing the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web. For most of us, we probably don't care about the difference, we just appreciate that it all works.
        "If  you've upgraded to iOS 6 and are experiencing some problems, here's an article with some tips that might help."         

Too Soon for Passbook?

        "Here is an article commenting on how the new iOS 6 app 'Passbook' is half-baked at this point. As you read through the article one wonders if anyone at Apple even tried this app before releasing it? Not a smooth move by Apple -- somewhat similar, apparently, to the maps app they just released, which is getting a lot of flack in the blogs."
        Jim Hamm closes with,  "Apple seems to be rushing some apps to market before they've been thoroughly tested."   

Upgrading to iOS 6

        "If (or when) you upgrade to iOS 6 in your iPad or iPhone, here is a summary of what's new in the settings," writes Jim Hamm.

App Store Doesn't Require Password

        This interesting tidbit about iOS 6 for iPads and iPhones comes to us from Jim Hamm.  See the article here about downloading free apps without needing a password. He sends it via Zite, a free personalized magazine iPad app.