Buy a Lumia & Fly - Crazy True Offer! - with Air Asia

Fancy getting a trip just from your smartphone purchase? AirAsia is making this possible with this promo for each

purchase of a Lumia 532 or 535.

The promotion is valid from the 20th March to 30th April, and the purchase will net you 5000 points of AirAsia Big and a return ticket to Singapore, Krabi or Phuket.

All you need to do is follow these simple steps after you’ve purchased your Lumia device, key in your IMEI number, Big Shot ID email (if you haven’t one, register for one) plus some other details and you’re well on your way towards redeeming your ticket.

If this interest you, head over here for more details. Don’t forget to read the full terms and conditions.

Please Click on the Advertisements to support the blog!

Source

My opinion: Buy the Lumia and Keep it Packed, Fly, Return Home, Sell the Lumia and Get Galaxy S6 or HTC M9! 

WhatsApp Voice Calling for iPhone! Simple Steps to Activate the Feature

WhatsApp is gradually rolling out voice-calling to select users as part of its beta testing phase, ahead
of its official launch. But, users of the world's most popular instant messaging app are growing impatient and looking for ways to get the feature working as soon as possible. The voice-calling is largely tested on Android, leaving the iOS device owners wondering when and how to get it on iPhones. To free iOS WhatsApp users from the extended agony, here's a simple guide to get the feature activated on their devices too.

 WhatsApp Voice Calling For iPhone; 4 Simple Steps To Activate The Feature, Jail Break Required
4 Easy Steps To Activate WhatsApp Voice Calling on Jail broken iOS Devices. WhatsApp hasn't started rolling out its voice-calling to iOS-powered devices, but a recent update added the call button sans the calling function alongside other changes. This intensified users' anticipation for the much-awaited feature. Thankfully, iPhone users won't have to wait any longer as a Reddit user Akish Gupta (akishgupta95) found a tweak that will let you use the feature by following a few steps. Note that the steps menioned below will only work on jailbroken iPhones, The Fuse Joplin reported.

How To Activate Voice-Calling On Your iPhone?

Step 1. Download and install WhatsApp beta 2.12.0.1 on your iPhone.

Step 2. Add iMokholes repository to your list of Cydia sources. To do so, launch Cydia after installing WhatsApp and add the repository code "apt.imokhles.com" to Cydia sources.

Step 3. Install WhatsAppCallEnabler by going into the Settings of the app.

Step 4. Contact a friend who has the voice-calling activated and request him/her to make a call to you.

These steps will activate free voice-calling on your iOS WhatsApp app. Note that this method is not approved by Apple or WhatsApp and this article does not promote jailbreaking of your iPhones. Once the feature is fully tested to WhatsApp's satisfaction, users of the messaging app across all platforms will be treated with voice-calling through an OTA update.

Source

WhatsApp Calling Goes Live For Everyone Again

A few weeks ago, WhatsApp's Call feature made a small appearance for a few users, but at the time
almost no one was able to trigger it reliably and keep it activated. The company appears to have flipped a few switches in its servers and the function is confirmed to work for those running version 2.11.528 from the Play Store, or 2.11.531 from WhatsApp's website.
A few users have emailed us reporting getting the function activated over the past hours, more accurately, the trigger that enables the feature has to be the reception of a call from someone who already has it. (Or maybe this terminal trick still works, I'm not sure.) Once that happens, WhatsApp's UI switches (either immediately or after you exit and reopen the app) from just showing chats, to a 3-tab layout with calls, chats, and contacts.

Calls are well integrated in WhatsApp. The dedicated tab shows incoming, outgoing, and missed calls with precise timing. Ongoing calls stay in the notification panel until you hang up while missed calls leave a notification that you can later check out. While on a call, you can activate the loudspeaker or mute the microphone. If you open your text chats with any contact, a call button appears in the action bar, right next to the attach icon and the menu, to make it easier to talk to them. And finally, if you click a contact's avatar, you now get a bigger profile image with the options to message or call them, or view their information.
The call button for all contacts now defaults to a WhatsApp call instead of going through your phone. I can't find a way to trigger a regular network call from the app, which is a bit annoying because you might be in a spotty area or your contact might be offline. (For the record, in this case, the WhatsApp call still rings for a while, no one answers, and then gets disconnected. When the person goes back online, they see it as a missed call.) You'll have to go to your regular Phone app to initiate a network call.

When you're lucky enough to receive a WhatsApp call from a friend, you can go on enabling the feature by calling your other contacts. If they're running an older version of the app that doesn't support it, you will instantly see a message notifying you of that so you can tell them to update their app before you call them. Now all you have to do is cross your fingers and hope that someone shares the riches with you so you can spread them further.

Source

Xiaomi wants to sell 100 million smartphones this year

Xiaomi sure hopes its parts suppliers will be able to keep up with its growth this year. Lei Jun, the company's CEO (pictured to the left), has announced that Xiaomi plans to sell 80 to 100 million smartphones in 2015.

When you compare this to the "more than 61 million" units that it managed to move last year, it quickly becomes apparent that this mobile device maker won't stop challenging its competitors. Xiaomi's growth so far has been extremely big (especially when you factor in that it still officially operates in only a handful of markets), but the company shows no signs of stopping in 2015.

Hence, Lei Jun's hope that Xiaomi's suppliers will be able to complete the production tasks it's set for them, thus making it easier for eager customers to buy the phones.

All of this was said at Xiaomi's Global Supplier Conference which was held today in China. The smartphone maker's CEO also reiterated how his company makes a lot of efforts to ensure the effective quality control of its wares, always striving to release high quality products.

Source

Amazon's Fire TV Stick finally arrives in the UK - Grab one for just £7

Amazon launched its Fire TV Stick in the US last October, leaving those of us in the UK feeling a little jealous of our stateside cousins. However, we don’t have to wait too much longer to get our hands on the retail giant’s streaming device as Amazon announces it will soon be available on British shores.

• Powerful performance -- 4x the storage and 2x the memory of Chromecast, plus a dual-core processor for fast streaming and smooth performance.

• Massive selection -- Watch what you want, when you want. Tens of thousands of TV episodes and movies, plus millions of songs and hundreds of games.

• Effortless to set up and use -- Simply plug in and start streaming in minutes. Take it from room to room and turn your HDTVs into streaming media centers.

• Free 30-day Prime trial -- Unlimited access to thousands of popular movies and TV episodes including Vikings, Ripper Street and original shows like Transparent.

• No buffering with ASAP -- ASAP learns what Amazon movies and TV episodes you’ll want to watch and buffers them for playback before you hit play.

• Dedicated remote and free mobile app for easy use -- With the Amazon Fire TV Remote (included) or the free app for your Android and iOS phones and tablets, you have all the controls you need to easily search, navigate and play games.

• Connect your small screen to your big screen -- Fire TV Stick lets you fling your favorite apps to your TV to free up your small screen for other uses. Or mirror your phone or tablet to your TV.

• Great for gaming, too -- Play favorite titles like Flappy Birds Family, Toy Story: Smash It!,Monsters University, and more great games.

• Voice search that actually works -- Simply say what you want to watch and start enjoying in seconds with the free app or Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote (sold separately).

The Fire TV Stick is available to preorder today and will begin shipping on April 15. And there’s great news if you’re an Amazon Prime member, or have been toying with the idea of becoming one.

The Fire TV Stick is priced at £35, but Prime members can get it for just £19. And better still, if you’re not currently a Prime subscriber, taking the plunge will allow you to preorder the stick for just £7 (after refund). That’s a huge deal, but you’ll have to act quickly as the offer is only on until 26 March.

Of course, offers aside, the UK prices are -- as ever -- higher than in the US. The Fire TV Stick there launched at $39 (£26) and Prime users could pick it up for just $19 (£12.72).

Amazon touts the following features:

I'm not actually a Prime subscriber, but I have been thinking about it for a while, and this is the deal that's going to push me into finally becoming one.

Source

Mobile Apps That Will Help You Earn Extra Money

1. Nielsen Homescan

This app will pay you to scan your groceries. Crazy, right? Once you sign up to become a Nielsen Homescan family (yep, the same company that tracks TV ratings), the company will send you a free scanner or you can use your smartphone. Every time you go shopping, you simply scan the barcodes on the back of each product and send your data off to Nielsen.

If you want to give it a try, you can fill out the application here: Nielsen Homescan Application (you can’t download this one from the app store; you’ll need to visit their website first).

As an active participant, you earn gift points which you can redeem for different types of merchandise. You can choose electronics, jewelry, household items, and even toys for the kids. The longer you stay on the panel, the more opportunity you have to earn points towards prizes. You also receive entries for the panel’s many sweepstakes. Prizes include money, vacations, and brand new vehicles.

2. i-Say Mobile

This i-Say mobile app is one of the only legitimate paid survey apps out there. It’s actually a part of the Ipsos company, which might be a name you’re familiar with because they do a lot of the polling you see during presidential races.

I’ve heard some of the top-end surveys can pay up to $95, but those are rare and can take awhile to complete. Most surveys pay a buck or two and only take 10-15 minutes. Also, the i-Say app rewards you with points which can then be redeemed for Paypal or gift cards to Amazon, iTunes, etc. (example: 1000 points can be redeemed for $10 Paypal). Use the link above to fill out an application and then they’ll send you a link to download the app.

3. Ibotta

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite apps. The Ibotta app will pay you cash to take a picture of your receipts.

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up for a free account with Ibotta (just need a name & email address).

2. Download the mobile app and then click on the “Rebates” section.

3. From here, you should see dozens of different rebates you can take advantage of. For example, right now the app is offering me 50 cents if I upload a picture of a receipt showing that I bought milk. And there’s another rebate for $10 if I upload a picture of a Best Buy receipt.

Now, you obviously don’t want to go out and buy a bunch of stuff you don’t need, but I think you’ll find tons of rebates for things you are already buying. Plus, you can stack regular coupons on top of the rebate, meaning some of you savvy shoppers will be able to get free stuff.

4. Media Research Panel

Media Research Panel is a smartphone app that helps media companies better understand how consumers use, view and share TV, social, digital and mobile media. Their app “measures activities conducted on a device, such as sharing, viewing, clicking, chatting, downloading and more. The app also listens for TV shows, and, using technology of Gracenote, Inc., identifies which TV shows was captured.”

If you install their app, they’ll pay you $5/month per device. And you can install the app on up to 3 devices. Plus they’ll send you a $5 bonus after the 12th week. (Totals $185/year)

Here’s how to do it:

1. Sign up at MediaInsidersPanel.com (you can’t download this one from the app store)

2. Install and activate the MI Mobile app onto your device(s).

3. Watch your e-mail for important information and instructions on next steps. Also, at no time is a member’s personally identifiable information ever shared or released publicly, nor will they ever interact with you via social media.

Here are the devices that they support: Android™ smartphones and tablets that run Android version 4.0 or greater, and are not rooted. They also accept the Kindle Fire HD, but not the first generation Kindle Fire. iPhone®5, iPad®, iPad mini®, and iPod touch® devices that run iOS version 5.0 or greater. ***You’ve got be a US resident, 13 years or older, and have a valid email address.

5. Field Agent

The Field Agent app will pay you to complete small tasks around town for their clients. The tasks are pretty simple: scanning barcodes with your iPhone, checking prices at your local grocery store and conducting field surveys.

Payouts vary and depend on the job and area that you are in. For example, as I write, a job is posted in Mission Viejo, California is looking for an agent to take 4 separate photos of products in the toothbrush section of the local Target. This particular gig pays 9 dollars.

And in Brooklyn, New York, a field agent can jump in to a local Toys “R” Us store, snap a shot of the $19.99 & under video game display and zip out a healthy $5.50 richer.

Remember though: you’re in this to make money; don’t bust out the plastic when you see a new Xbox 360 game nearby that you’ve been itching to buy. Field Agent job payouts typically vary between 2-8 bucks (payable through PayPal). Most of the jobs only take 5 minutes, so the real time involved is with driving to each location. Still with travel time and gas, you could easily make $10-$20/hour completing mini-jobs.

6. InboxDollars

InboxDollars has been around since practically the beginning of the internet, but they just came out with a pretty cool mobile app that will pay you to search the web, play games, and take surveys.

The app is totally free to download. Plus, they give you a free $5 just to signup.

Once you’ve accumulated $30 earnings (it’s possible to do this in only a couple of hours), you can request payment via check. It does take about 2 weeks to get the check, but I’ve successfully cashed out five different times now.

7. Receipt Hog

RecieptHog is very similar to Ibotta. You take a picture of your receipts and the “hog” rewards you with points that you can redeem for Paypal or Amazon gift cards.

The difference with this app is that you don’t have to shop anywhere specific, or buy anythings specific. You can take a picture of any of your receipts and the app will reward you with points. I like the fact that I earn points for shopping anywhere, but I also find that it takes me a lot longer to cash out with this app in comparison to Ibotta.

8. Bookscouter

The Bookscouter app is really useful when you want to sell your old books that are just collecting dust on the shelf. You scan your book’s barcode with a smartphone and Bookscouter will let you compare the payout of 20+ different buyback companies.

Once you’ve found the buyback company offering the most cash, you just fill out a little information about where you want your payment sent and prepare the books to be shipped. Most of the buyback companies offer prepaid shipping labels too, so there aren’t any costs associated with this.

9. Mobee

Have you ever tried mystery shopping? The Mobee app will pay you to go undercover in your local stores and rate the level of customer service and cleanliness, among other things.

Most of you know that I’ve done quite a bit of mystery shopping, so I was pretty excited to find this app. I found it really easy to use and the shops went pretty quickly, but I wasn’t too impressed with the payment amounts. For example, there was a Subway mystery shop in my area that was paying $8. That’s not a huge amount for a mystery shop, plus I had to buy a sandwich during the shop that wasn’t reimbursed. Regardless, it was like getting a free lunch, so I’ll take it!

10. SlideJoy – 11. ScreenPay

Both SlideJoy and ScreenPay operate on the same principal – download their app and they will serve ads on your smartphone’s lock screen. For this, you get paid a monthly stipend.

The SlideJoy app doesn’t specify how much you earn (it’s based off how often you look at your phone), but the ScreenPay app will pay you a flat fee of $3 a month, plus they’ll give you $1 just for signup up. These are both Android apps, so they won’t work on your iPhone or Blackberry.

Source

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Goes on Sale as Surface Pro 4 Rumors Heat Up

Save up to $150 on Surface Pro 3 

Microsoft has been wheeling and dealing its Surface Pro 3 tablets at reduced prices recently, and you have to wonder why the company doesn't just go ahead and permanently lower the cost. Regardless, Surface Pro 3 tablets are again on sale with savings of up to $150 off retail. The timing of the sale comes as reports of the Surface Pro 4 being an iPad Pro killer start to emerge.

First let's talk about the Surface 3 Pro pricing. The entry level model is the only one that isn't being offered up at a discount -- it's still priced at $799 for a Core i3 4020Y processor and 64 GB of storage. Here's how the rest shake out:

Surface Pro 3 w/ Core i5 4300U (1.9GHz to 2.9GHz) and 128GB SSD: $899, down from $999 (save $100)

Surface Pro 3 w/ Core i5 4300U (1.9GHz to 2.9GHz) and 256GB SSD: $1,149, down from $1,299 (save $150)

Surface Pro 3 w/ Core i7 4650U (1.7GHz to 3.3GHz) and 256GB SSD: $1,399, down from $1,549 (save $150)

Surface Pro 3 2/ Core i7 4650U (1.7Ghz to 3.3GHz ) and 512GB SSD: $1,799, down from $1,949 (save $150)

Microsoft is also offering a free sleeve valued at $40 with the purchase of a Surface Pro 3. There are 14 different designs to choose from. And for an additional $130, you can add a Surface Pro Type Cover.

You'll find the Surface Pro 3 deals at the Microsoft Store.

Surface Pro 4 Rumor

As to the Surface Pro 4, The Fuse Joplin claims there are multiple rumors suggesting the tablet will launch in July. Citing the various rumors, TFJ says there will be two versions -- one with a 1.1GHz dual-core processor and one with a 2.4GHz CPU, both of which are mobile Intel chips.

There are also rumors saying the two versions will feature different sized displays, one with a 12-inch panel and the other with a 14-inch display. Interestingly, both are said to run at 2160x1440, so the screen real estate will effectively be the same, assuming the information is accurate.

It's said the Surface Pro 4 will have a better webcam than the 480p one found on the new Macbook. Other untold features will supposedly also give the Surface Pro 4 a leg up against the rumored iPad Pro.

Source

iPocket Drive is a USB flash drive for the iPhone

Want some extra storage for your iPhone? The iPocket Drive is a portable USB flash drive that connects to your iPhone's Lightning port to provide more room for movies, music, photos, games, apps and more.

Not only does it mean you can carry more stuff around with you, it also lets you easily transfer files from your iPhone to your computer without starting up iTunes or fiddling around with iCloud. (So your nude photos should also be safe.)

It basically adds the same features a microSD card would.

It's a little bigger than most memory cards, but that's a small price to pay for added convenience. It also works with the iPod Touch and iPad, as long as they have a Lightning port.

You can also stream films and music from it without having to sync to iTunes, which has to be a good thing. And it charges your device when it's plugged into a USB port.

As well as providing extra storage space, it's handy for backing up your data without relying on iCloud.


It comes in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB sizes, with prices starting at $65 (£42).

Apple locks down its devices, but from the reaction it seems there's plenty of demand for  expandable storage: at time of writing it had raised just shy of $120,000 with 11 days still remaining in the campaign. Apple is currently being sued over the amount of space iOS 8 takes up on its devices, so this could be a godsend for peeved users.

Source

Layout from Instagram, combine multiple photos

A new app that lets you easily combine multiple photos into a single image. It’s fun, it’s simple and it gives you a new way to flex your creativity.

When you open Layout, it is automatically shown to you a previews of custom layouts as you choose photos from your camera roll. To make it easier to find the photos you want, Layout also added a Faces option that shows you all the photos in your camera roll that feature people.

From there, you have complete artistic control. Drag and drop photos to rearrange them, pinch to zoom or pull the sides of each photo to adjust its size and get your layout just right. Then flip and rotate your photos to create cool arrangements and mirror effects.

For spontaneous moments, Layout also added Photo Booth. Tap it to start a countdown and capture photos that you’ll instantly see in a layout.

From imagining mirrored landscapes to sharing multiple moments from an entire adventure, Layout  seen these kinds of visual storytelling happening on Instagram and Layout was inspired by it. With Layout, it’s easier than ever to unlock your creativity.

Source

HTC One M9 for Windows in the works, claims leak

An HTC One M9 for Windows should be happening this year, according to a recent @upleaks leak, which claims that the “Hima”, believed to be the 2015 Android flagship from Taiwan, will have a Windows twin. This would be something similar to what HTC did last year, with the HTC One M8, and the HTC One M8 for Windows.

While the consensus is that the 2015 Android flagship will make an MWC appearance at the March 1 HTC event, the leak claims that the Windows counterpart will not show up in Barcelona. That is also something we can believe, as the One M8 for Windows was announced in August of last year. Additionally, just like the 2014 Windows Phone, the HTC One M9 for Windows (tentative name) will probably be a US-only device, probably like the Verizon exclusive on the One M8 for Windows, which later made it to T-Mobile.

If this turns out to be true (and there are solid chances for it to happen), the HTC One M9 for Windows will likely run the new Windows 10 phone. At the moment, HTC didn’t officially announce anything regarding a possible Windows 10 phone update for the HTC One M8 for Windows.

Source

Galaxy S6 Owners Can Remove Most Pre-Installed Apps

Android OEMs are always criticized of putting too much bloatware on their devices which ends up costing performance. Samsung has often taken heat from customers for this. It changed gears with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Both smartphones come with a relatively bloat-free iteration of TouchWiz and most of the pre-installed apps can be deleted or disabled by users at any time.

As part of a deal between Samsung and Microsoft the company’s new smartphones come pre-loaded with a few apps from Redmond which include OneDrive, OneNote and Skype.
Apps from Google include YouTube, Google+, Google, Play Music, Play Games, Gmail, Drive, Photos, Hangouts and a few others.

Some of Samsung’s own apps are free to make it to the chopping block. These include the native Calculator app, S Voice and S Health.

Multiple screenshots posted on XDA forums show that Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 owners will be able to delete these apps whenever they feel like it. It is no doubt interesting to see that Samsung hasn’t even spared its own apps like S Health and S Voice from such a potential outcome.

This will allow them to free up more space on the device, which doesn't have microSD support to begin with, and further cut down on the number of useless apps imposed on them.

Source

G Cloud Backup the Easiest & BEST App backing up your Android device

The easiest Android Backup app that secures your contacts, call logs messages, music, videos, family photos, and other personal (irreplaceable) data to secure, cloud-based servers for Free. So you don’t have to ever worry about theft and/or accidental damage (e.g. dropping your phone). 2 simple steps to setup your backup and you are done. G Cloud will automatically backup your data without any intervention.

Be one of the 3M+ users who trust G Cloud to protect their Android with ease

Recommended by Android central
“The app itself is so incredibly simple to use, with a very simple user interface. But, you'd be foolish to let that temper opinions. G Cloud Backup has a pretty extensive feature 
list.” 

Recommended by CNet“You won't find many other backup solutions as complete and adroit as G Cloud Backup.”

Please note that this app requires the privileges to backup and restore your SMS, call logs, system settings, calendar and to locate your lost device, we do not erase your data off your phone, send messages or locate your device without your consent. Disabling these options will also disable the use of its privilege, please review our data privacy for more info.

FEATURES:

Cloud Gallery: Your life memories in a Timeline 

Locate your lost android on a map and so much more! 

Backup Messages (SMS), contacts, call logs, documents, settings, photos, videos and music

Start with 1 GB free and earn up to 10 GB easily

Access your messages, call logs, download contacts, share music, videos and view photos from the web: http://www.gcloudbackup.com

Protect the App with a passcode

Upgrade to unlimited storage for only $1.99/mo.

Protect more than one device

Secure data transfer (Secure Socket Layer) and storing (256-AES)

Backs up to the secure and reliable Amazon AWS cloud storage

Backs up every version of all files

Backup External SD cards

Restore/Migrate to a new device with a tap

Backs up every version of all files

Advanced options to change daily schedule,

disable automatic schedule, backup over 3G,

and more

New Apple TV will reportedly debut in June with an App Store and Siri

Apple once again rumored to revamp Apple TV, this time for WWDC in June.

The specs are pretty much the same as previous reports — a modern chipset, an App Store, HomeKit, and Siri. Which makes sense given the last update was March, 2012 and Apple has updated a lot of their core technologies since then. John Paczkowski, writing for BuzzFeed:

As for the new Apple TV box itself, expect an updated design and new innards: the company's latest A8 system-on-chip — or a variant of it: a dramatic increase in on-board storage to accommodate app downloads — well beyond the 8GB in the current device; and an improved operating system that will support Siri voice control Apple TV, and enable it remotely for a selection of Homekit-enabled home automation devices.
It's all in line with what Rene wrote earlier this week on the future of Apple TV. (Though there's no indication "Apple TV Direct" has gotten any traction.)

Apple has been reported to be making some big moves in TV recently. The company will be the exclusive launch partner of HBO Now, the standalone streaming service from HBO, and they have been said to be working on their own subscription TV service to debut this fall.

Android 5.1 OTA Surfaces for Moto X 2014

An over-the-air update of Android 5.1 has been captured for the Motorola Moto X 2014. Alongside the major Android revision, Motorola fixed a bunch of bigger and smaller bugs discovered since the 5.0 release. To flash the update, you need to be on stock recovery!

iOS 9, 10 musts!

1.) Better Maps
Since Apple introduced its own Maps in iOS 6 in 2012, nothing much has changed with the app itself. Sure, the data in the app has gotten (arguably) better and more accurate, but the app itself still lacks a ton of basic features (and more advanced ones), especially when you compare it to the leading champ: Google Maps.

Data improvements aside, I hope Maps in iOS 9 will finally bring public transport directions and indoor mapping. Public transport is a no-brainer (I mean, why doesn’t Apple just buy and integrate the awesome CityMapper app yet?). And indoor maps are becoming more practical now especially since the iPhone 6 has a barometer that can tell what altitude you are at. This sensor would allow Maps to know which floor of a building you were on and present the appropriate floor’s map.


2.) Passcode-Protect Any App
Any app developer can code a passcode screen into their app which locks others out of it if they don’t know your pin. This is handy because it allows you to lend your device to people and still restrict access to certain apps (like your financial apps). But many developers don’t add passcode capabilities to their apps (nor Touch ID support). We’d love it in iOS 9 if you could go to a new screen in Settings and toggle passcode/Touch ID login on or off for any app on your iOS device.


3.) The Ability To Merge Apple IDs
This isn’t a feature specific to iOS 9, although it would benefit every iOS user. When Apple introduced Apple ID’s over 15 years ago they started out as membership IDs for people paying for their iTools and .Mac services. However, when the iTunes Store came into being in 2003, Apple started using Apple ID’s for that. Then for the App Store as well.

The problem is over the last 15 years many people accumulated more than one Apple ID, leading them to make some purchases under one and some purchases under another. Needless to say, having one digital ID is best and leads to a lot less confusion, so here’s hoping this year is finally the year Apple allows users to merge their Apple ID’s into one.


4.) Default 3rd-party Apps
People have been asking for this since day one. Maybe iOS 9 is when we’ll finally get it? I happen to be a big fan of Mail, Calendar, and Safari, but I know there are plenty of people who think other third party apps handle those services better. The ability in iOS 9 to select a default 3rd-party app, replacing the standard iOS one would be a huge boon to users. Honestly, out of all the wish list features, I think this is the least likely...but then again no one thought Apple would ever add support for third-party keyboards.


5.) Hide Pre-installed Apps
Apple, I’ll never use the Tips or Podcast app. If you insist I can’t delete them from my device, at least let me be able to hide them from the home screen without stuffing them in a folder marked “Useless”. ‘Nuff said.


6.) Make Sharing NOT Suck 
Sharing stuff on Android is brilliant. It doesn’t matter what application you’re in, you can share pretty much everything with every contact and application on your phone. Say you’re looking at something in Facebook and want to share it with a WhatsApp contact. On Android this is simple. On iOS you have to jump through about four hoops to do it –– and this just isn’t good enough.

Fingers crossed Apple will sort this out in iOS 9. Sharing media and content with applications and your contacts is an intrinsic component of user experience, and Apple has been getting away with a sub-par solution for way too long. I want to dictate what applications can share content with each other, not Apple.

7.) An iCloud Drive App
iCloud Drive was a big feature of both iOS 8 and OS X 10.10. With it Apple attempted to make its cloud file management solutions better. And they actually accomplished this on OS X, because the Mac operating system allows you to browse a default iCloud Drive folder in the Finder where you can browse and manage your iCloud Drive files just like any other files in any other folder on your Mac.

But on iOS you’re still limited to navigating these files only inside apps that support iCloud Drive. We’d love to see a dedicated iCloud Drive file manager app in iOS 9. Hint: Apple, just copy the Dropbox app.

8.) Weather App for iPad
The Weather app for iPhone introduced in iOS 7 is one of the most gorgeous weather apps ever made. But why the heck isn’t it available on the iPad? Those beautiful weather animations would look amazing on the iPad's bigger display. Here’s hoping iOS 9 give us the Weather app for iPad.


9.) Multi-user support
This is a holdover from our iOS 8 wish list. A feature long requested for iOS--particularly on the iPad--is multi-user support. The way this would work is that iOS would allow users to create multiple accounts on a single device. A user could log in with their pin, password, or Touch ID fingerprint and their iOS device would then be fully customised to their last-used settings: everything from app layout to wallpapers to email accounts.

This is arguably a feature more appropriate for the iPad as often times families or couples share one iPad between then. Also, iPads are frequently shared in work environments. Multiple user accounts for the iPad in these environments would mean secure sharing between people without the risk of anyone else seeing your private information.

As for the iPhone...multiple user accounts could also be enabled, but since our phones are such personal devices it’s not clear how many people actually share their phones with others to begin with.

10.) Customisable Control Center
Another holdover from our iOS 8 Wishlist: Control Centre was perhaps the best feature included in iOS 7. With a swipe up from the bottom of any screen users could finally quickly toggle Airplane mode, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and rotation lock on or off.

Users also finally got quick access to music controls and shortcut icons to Flashlight, Timer, Calculator, and Camera. What would be great, however, is if Apple would allow users to customise these four shortcut buttons. For example, I don't use the Timer that much, so I’d love to replace its shortcut button in Control Centre with a button for Calendar, an app I use a lot.

So those are the items on our iOS 9 wish list; what’s yours? Let us know in the comments!

Source

BBM Protected Support Comes to Android, Features Enterprise-Level Security

With security on the top of many minds, BlackBerry is introducing iOS and Android support for BBM Protected, its encrypted service for enterprise-level messaging. 

As explained by BlackBerry, “BBM Protected offers an enterprise-grade secure instant messaging service with all the features of a consumer IM app, the hardening of on-premise security together with the convenience of a cloud service. All messages are encrypted using keys generated by the communicating mobile devices themselves.

While many small businesses may not need access to BBM Protected, if you feel your employer is important enough to follow stricter protocols for communication between employees, then check it out.

Source