NEWS APPS FEATURE HOW-TO
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iPhone SWIPE
NEWS • REVIEWS • TIPS
Welcome
mag
A note from the editor You may have heard that Apple has announced the dates for its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) for June this year. While it’s focused on building developer relationships, in reality, it’s a gigantic press conference for Tim Cook to announce all of the goodies that the rest of us really care about. Many say this is the year Apple must announce the iWatch. This concept is debatable, but the appearance of a smartwatch would sure give an extra boost to the iPhone as it continues to battle Samsung for the smartphone crown. However, rumors are a pain to decipher. Luckily, this issue includes a bumper feature all about what we can expect from an iWatch – and the possibilities are endless, and exciting. But speculation aside, read on to our how-to section and you can find out exactly how to go about resetting and restoring your iPhone and when you do and don’t need to. Elsewhere, we’ve rated the best adventure and strategy games available, alongside standalone reviews of the well-hyped Monument Valley, and the movie tie-in to Captain America: Winter Soldier.
Enjoy the issue! Andy Price Editor
Meet the team
Contributors Steve Jarratt Craig Grannell Joe White iOS, iPhone, iPad, AirPlay, AirPrint, iTunes, Safari, iCloud, iMessage, and any other trademark is a trademark of Apple inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. v are for illustrative purposes only and all prices are correct at the time of publishing.
NEWS
Image © Martin Hajek
Apple TV incoming More evidence suggests so
T
here’s been more evidence that an updated Apple TV will be released very soon, but it has surfaced in the most unlikely of places. Following the possible merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable (TWC) in the US, a filing with the FCC has explained that their union is needed due to increasing competition. The statement reads: “Apple tablets are viewing platforms for cable services even while Apple offers an online video service, Apple TV, and explores development of an Apple settop box.” Whether Comcast or TWC have any insider information is up for debate but it was rumored that Apple were looking to sign content deals with TWC and this merger may have delayed the talks.
Image © Martin Hajek
The above concept imagines a future Apple TV design
An ongoing court case between Apple and Samsung has also thrown up some interesting ideas about a future Apple TV. Originally found by The Verge, emails sent by Steve Jobs in 2010 hint at Apple TV 2 and a ‘magic wand’. This could be a similar idea to the Nintendo Wii controller that allows you to point at the screen instead of having to press buttons to navigate menus. The email also includes hints at being able to install apps and a web browser. It seems Apple has been planning on adding apps to the Apple TV for quite a while but hasn’t quite found the right way to do so.
An excerpt of the email
If an updated Apple TV is to be released, expect it to be announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, known as WWDC, taking place between June 2–6.
Image © Todd Hamilton
Circuit boards arrive Gearing up for production
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he rumors of a wearable Apple device continue to gather pace. According to DigiTimes, three suppliers have delivered flexible printed circuit boards to Apple HQ in Cupertino, California. These would be used as the internals of an ‘iWatch’ device, says the report. The device would offer health and fitness functionality as well as being able to display notifications from certain apps on your wrist.
Supply and demand DigiTimes added that Zhen Ding will be the main supplier of these circuit boards with a supposed $100 million investment due from Apple to ramp up production and meet demand in time for a rumored launch in the second-half of 2014. The wearables sector is set to explode this year with research firm Canalys predicting that a total 17 million wearable bands could be sold in 2014 alone. Apple will face competition from the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the positively received Pebble smartwatch, which has sold over 400,000 units so far. Check out this issues’ feature to see what we think the iWatch may eventually become.
The Pebble Steel is a new, stylish version of the Pebble
APPS
Q
uests and brainpower are the order of the day in this selection of amazing games for your iPhone. Games often have a reputation for being brainless arcade fodder, but there’s a rich history of adventuring in gaming too. From the earliest days of home videogames, virtual worlds have existed for you to explore – and they’ve become increasingly elaborate as technology’s evolved. Whereas once you had to imagine your surroundings, largely through being offered succinct text-based descriptions of your whereabouts, today’s adventure titles can be truly immersive multimedia experiences. The same is also true for strategy titles. A few decades back, a digital recreation of chess or backgammon might have wowed, but iOS strategy games are far more ambitious; they retain the kind of depth that enables you to hone your skills and dream up new strategies, but also boast intuitive, modern interfaces and cutting-edge aesthetics. This selection, then, will be perfect for anyone who likes their games to be more thoughtful than most; however, we’ve also paid close attention to the iPhone itself, ensuring each of our choices is perfect for mobile play, whether that’s a quick five-minute session or for the long-haul during an evening in a comfy chair, fending off knights, giant, slimy blobs, and the horror-filled snowscapes of a Scandinavian nightmare.
Superbrothers: Sword & Swocery EP Price: $4.99/£2.99 Version: 1.11 Size: 169 MB
A
dventure games are often based around a very strict kind of logic and a framework of carefully defined puzzles that can stifle and suffocate. By contrast, Sword & Sworcery seems more a game about discovery. That’s not to say there aren’t puzzles within – there are – but this title is more about genuine exploration. You interact with the environment, take your time (indeed, the game actively encourages you to take breaks and reflect) and advance at your own pace.
The narrator helpfully gives you a scare.
This is a beautiful, mesmerizing experience. The delicate pixel art throughout is a delight, imbuing Sword & Sworcery with character, but never letting it forget that it’s a videogame. On completing a task, music swells and animations reward your efforts, before the title sweeps you to the next portion of your journey. Only occasionally does Sword & Sworcery slip, some misplaced humor and tonal aspects threatening to puncture the profound and affecting narrative on display elsewhere.
Say “aaahhh”.
From start to finish, this is an adventure in the truest sense of the word. The quest is prone to getting a little, or rather, considerably abstract – like when you enter dreams, or free woodland spirits using music, but in forcing you to interact directly with, and savor your surroundings, the game becomes indispensable. Sword & Sorcery is as much art as it is quest.
Contemplation and beauty are the cornerstones of Swords & Sworcery
Wonderfully evocative Rewards exploration Combat sometimes pointless Tone is often uneven DOWNLOAD
Kingdom Rush Frontiers Price: $2.99/£1.99 Version: 1.4.1 Size: 246 MB
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efense games have long been popular on iOS, presumably because the touchscreen lends itself nicely to wave-based games where you plonk down defensive structures in an attempt to fend off heavily armed hordes.
Yo ho ho and a bottle of death.
Initially, Kingdom Rush seems quite gentle, and the first few mobs are easily dealt with by using a handful of soldiers and archers. But pretty soon, you’re trying to figure out how to deal with ravenous animals, huge flying wasps, giants that forge new paths by slashing their way through dense woodland, and enemies that can command the dead.
110 coins to upgrade our archers? They must have a good agent!
Fortunately, at roughly the same pace Kingdom Rush Frontiers unleashes new enemies for you to defeat, it unlocks new towers, as well as new powers for a roaming ‘hero’. Unlike your static towers, he can patrol each level’s pathways, dishing out death to whoever’s unlucky enough to get in the way.
As you progress, new defensive units are unlocked.
But even on the easiest of difficulty levels, this game offers a stern challenge, and you’ll frequently find yourself restarting a level and rethinking your entire strategy based on which enemies will show up in later waves. Excessive difficulty at times is probably the sole failing of this game, because it’s otherwise an engrossing tower defense title. Packed full of character and easily best-inclass on the iPhone. Great feel and character Plenty of units and enemies Gets tough pretty quickly Levels can be lengthy DOWNLOAD
FEATURE
iWatching What’s Apple working on? The iWatch is coming. And even though Apple has yet to admit to working on any such project, the idea is so ingrained in the public psyche that if the mythical device doesn’t appear, Apple’s stock – and reputation – would likely take a significant hit. Apple hasn’t even used the ‘i’ word yet, but Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, has at least stated their interest in wearable technology. At the D11 conference in 2011, Cook himself suggested that wearables are “incredibly interesting,” and could be a “profound area” if done right. “I see it as a very important branch of the tree,” he said. “I think the iPhone pushed us forward fast and the tablet accelerated it. I think wearables could be another branch.”
Tim Cook talked about wearables at the D11 conference in 2011
Indeed, with the iPhone in its eighth year, Apple desperately needs a new product line, and the focus on multidevice integration that goes hand in hand with wearable tech could see the iPhone given its own brand new lease of life. Though how big wearables will be is still out for debate. “There are lots of gadgets in this space right now,” Cook said, “but there’s nothing great out there. None of them are going to convince a kid that hasn’t worn glasses or a band to wear one. At least I haven’t seen it. There are a lot of problems to solve in this space… It’s an area that’s ripe for exploration. Lots of companies will play in this space.”
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear was met with a lukewarm response
No kidding: the market is likely to get saturated pretty quick. The Pebble smartwatch has now sold over 400,000 units – not bad for a Kickstarter project. Samsung quickly entered the fray with its disappointing Galaxy Gear, but you can be sure that’s not the end of the Korean company’s efforts. And as well as Google Glass, its head-mounted display, Google also recently announced Android Wear, an OS for smartwatches. “We’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with mobile technology,” commented Google’s Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome & Apps, Sundar Pichai. “That’s why we’re so excited about wearables – they understand the context of the world around you, and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with just a glance or a spoken word.”
LG are set to release their version of a smart watch
The reveal of Android Wear was promptly followed by product announcements from Motorola and LG. It would be easy to dismiss these early entrants as just piling on the bandwagon, but LG’s G Watch and the Moto 360 aren’t just clunky metoo devices: they actually look really good. Apple doesn’t have a monopoly on quality designers, and the longer it waits, the higher Apple’s competitors will raise their game.
Signs of the time Cupertino might still be pleading ignorance, but the evidence for an iWatch has reached ‘smoking gun’ levels. Only recently, it was reported that Apple had been approaching Swiss watchmakers to form a strategic partnership, in exchange for their expertise in design and metallurgy. But whatever form the device takes, it looks increasingly like it’s as much of a health and fitness tracker as a time and social media monitor. In fact, analysts have suggested the devices could be subsidized by health insurers.
This concept from Todd Hamilton combines the hardware of the Nike+ FuelBand with Apple’s software
In the last few months Apple has hired at least four employees from medical research companies, including Nancy Dougherty from Sano Intelligence, whose CV includes a heart rate and respiratory monitor and a sensorequipped patch that observes glucose levels and kidney function. The other employees all have similar biomedical and technology backgrounds – and we suspect they’re not working in Apple’s on-site sickbay.
Jay Blahnik previously worked with Nike to make their Nike+ scheme
Further indications of the device’s fitness credentials came in December of last year, when a group of highranking Apple execs met with prominent members of the US Food and Drug Administration. The subject of the meeting was marked in the FDA’s public calendar as ‘Mobile Medical Applications.’ Then, just recently, an Apple patent for ‘Wrist Pedometer Step Detection’ surfaced, which uses algorithms to accurately identify walking or running movement, as opposed to the user just waving their arms about. And as if that wasn’t convincing enough, Apple is supposedly including an app called Healthbook in iOS 8. It’s a program that could track things like weight, heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and so on. With 74 percent of Americans deemed overweight (and 66 million technically obese), Apple may well be on to something here. A device that can tell the time AND save your life? We can see the TV ads already.
What Healthbook may look like according to 9to5Mac
HOW-TO
Reset and Restore Back to the start
I
f your iPhone seems to be playing up or you need to get something back that you accidentally deleted then you will need to reset and restore your device to an earlier state.
Check your backup Before you start - make sure that you create a backup. The easiest way to do this is through iCloud. To check it’s enabled, open the Settings app, select iCloud, followed by Storage & Backup. Here you’ll want to make sure iCloud Backup is turned on, then take a look at when the last backup was at the bottom of the screen. If backup was not enabled previously then you won’t be able to retrieve any deleted items unless you’ve backed up to iTunes on a computer, as described below. If you don’t use iCloud or have a device that’s not compatible with Apple’s storage solution then you’ll have to create a backup using iTunes on your computer. To do this, connect to your computer using the USB cable and then open iTunes. Click on your device name in the top right and check the Summary page. Here you will see the Backups section, which tells you when the last backup was created. If no backup is listed then click Back Up Now. When you reset, it will only restore items which are currently on the device - unfortunately you won’t be able to get back any recently deleted items.
Use iTunes on a computer to create a backup of your device Once a backup is created using one of the above methods, you’ll want to reset your device. Open the Settings app, select General, then Reset. From here you want to hit Erase All Content and Settings. If you have set a passcode, you’ll need to enter this to continue. Once you have, the device will wipe everything - a progress bar will let you know how it’s going.
If you use a passcode then you’ll need to enter it before you can start resetting your device
Setup process Once this is complete, it will enter setup mode, just like a new device. During this process you’ll be asked if you want to restore the device. If you’re using iCloud, select the Restore from iCloud option followed by your choice of backup. If using iTunes, select Restore from iTunes and then choose a backup from your computer screen. This will then restore settings, apps, and deleted items on to your device. Note that this may take some time, so make sure you’ve a bit of free time before you begin the process of restoring your phone.
If you restore from iCloud then you’ll need to wait for the apps to download
Recovery Mode If you’ve forgotten your passcode then you’ll need to enter Recovery Mode. Before you start, make sure your computer is running the latest version of iTunes. To check, open iTunes and select the iTunes drop down menu, followed by Check for Updates on a Mac, or Help on a Windows machine, followed by Check for Updates. This tells you if you’re up to date and if not, how to download and update iTunes.
You can now enter Recovery Mode. Start by turning off your iPhone completely by pressing the Sleep/ Wake button until the ‘slide to power off’ message appears. Confirm by sliding to power off. Once it has shut down, press and hold the Home button and connect the phone to your computer using your USB cable. iTunes will then pop up with a message stating that the phone is in Recovery mode and you must use iTunes to restore. You can give your thumbs a rest and let go of the Home button now too. Now, click the Restore iPhone option and hit confirm. If you were not using the latest version of iOS, then be aware that it will also update to this.
You will then have to wait for the download process to finish and then the setup process will begin. During this you can decide to restore from a backup, or if you’re worried something was wrong with your previous setup, then choose to setup as a new device. Once it’s been set up, you can open the Settings app, select iCloud and sign in to your account. This will transfer contacts, notes, and other items from iCloud back to your device.
All re-set Now your device has been reset you’ll be able to use it as normal again. This is a time-consuming task but it’s one that’s worth undertaking before undertaking a lengthy trip to an Apple Store, or throwing your phone at a wall in frustration, no matter how tempting that may be.
iPhone SWIPE
NEWS • REVIEWS • TIPS
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