iphone Archives - Page 3 of 16

July 18, 2023July 18, 2023

iCloud Photos Folders

It took a while to sync my iMac Photos library to iCloud. Initially I was concerned that the folders on my iMac weren’t syncing to iCloud, but after the iMac had finished uploading all the photographs in the library, the folders were then created on iCloud. Though my smart albums weren’t synced.

While the iMac was uploading photographs, it wasn’t initially downloading the photographs I had been taking with my iPhone, which was also using iCloud Photos. However, as with the folders, once it had finished uploading, iCloud Photos downloaded the new photographs to the iMac.

Overall I am pleased with moving to iCloud Photos, it does what I want.

July 15, 2023July 18, 2023

iCloud Photos issues

I switched on iCloud Photos after using My Photo Stream for years and it then turned off by Apple.

I have noticed one problem with iCloud Photos and various iOS apps including Instagram and Snapseed.

The issue arises when you access the PhotoStream, there is a noticeable delay in the images appearing in the app.

With Instagram, you have to wait a while and even tap the screen before the images appear. Then the camera feed appears.

It is a similar story with Snapseed.

It also can take a while to swipe through your images with Snapseed.

It is easier to tap Open from device and then browse for the photo you need then.

I don’t know if there is a solution, at the moment it is more annoying than anything else. Initially I thought the Instagram app was broken, rather than thinking it was an issue with iCloud Photos.

July 9, 2023July 18, 2023

Moving to iCloud Photos

I really liked My Photo Stream. It made my blogging and writing workflow so much easier. I would take a photo on my phone and then using My Photo Stream I would be able to use the photo on my iPad or my Mac. So I was quite disappointed that Apple have closed it down.

According to Apple the solution is to move to iCloud Photos.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do that as I knew I would need to upgrade my iCloud+ subscription to the 2TB tier.

So for a week or two I tried doing stuff without My Photo Stream and without using iCloud Photos.

After a while it was apparent that this wasn’t working. So at the beginning of July I upgraded my iCloud+ subscription and on my home iMac I turned on iCloud Photos.

I knew it would take some time to sync my photo library to iCloud as I have over 70,000 photographs in the library.

I did initially have some teething issues, so had to restart the iMac and Photos a few times, but so far it appears to be working as needed.

I also turned iCloud Photos on, on my iPhone to check it was working.

The photographs I take on my iPhone are now available in iCloud Photos on my other devices.

I do quite like the ability to access all my photographs on my iPhone, whereas with My Photo Stream it was only the last 1000 photos.

May 29, 2023

Well it worked this time!

In a recent blog post I talked about the problem I had with my Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter.

I recently connected my iPhone to a Philips TV in a hotel room and attempted to play a TV show from Amazon Prime. The result was a stuttering video which was unwatchable.

I have an Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter. As well as using it for presentations, I also bought it so I could connect my iPhone to a TV so I can watch video from services such as Netflix, iPlayer, and Amazon Prime.

According to the description on the Apple website this is what it does.

Use the Lightning Digital AV Adapter with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector. The Lightning Digital AV Adapter supports mirroring of what is displayed on your device screen — including apps, presentations, websites, slideshows, and more — to your HDMI-equipped TV, display, projector, or other compatible display in up to 1080p HD.

Well for that purpose it does what it says on the tin.

The page also says.

It also outputs video content — movies, TV shows, captured video — to your big screen in up to 1080p HD. Simply attach the Lightning Digital AV Adapter to the Lightning connector on your device and then to your TV or projector via an HDMI cable.

Well yes, that is what it says, my experience is that this experience is less consistent.

So I was a little surprised when staying in a different hotel (same chain as it happens) and connected my iPhone to the Philips TV in the room and watched a programme on Disney+ and it worked just fine and as expected.

Checking back on my last experience, in the other hotel I was trying to play Amazon Prime, I wonder if that was the difference. I didn’t do any testing as I wanted to watch television. Next time I will do some testing.

May 28, 2023July 18, 2023

My Photo Stream will be shut down on 26 July

I received an email from Apple about My Photo Stream closing down.

My Photo Stream is scheduled to be shut down on 26 July, 2023. The photos in My Photo Stream are already stored on at least one of your devices, so as long as you have the device with your originals, you will not lose any photos as part of this process. If a photo you want is not already in your library on a particular iPhone, iPad or Mac, make sure you save it to your library on that device. For more information on this transition and instructions on how to download photos from My Photo Stream, read Information about the My Photo Stream shutdown.

I really liked My Photo Stream. It made my blogging and writing workflow so much easier. I would take a photo on my phone and then using My Photo Stream I would be able to use the photo on my iPad or my Mac.

Sometimes I would load photographs from my Canon DSLR onto my iMac, then be able to use those photographs on my MacBook.

Now according to Apple the solution is to move to iCloud Photos.

Moving forward, iCloud Photos is the best way to keep the photos and videos you take up to date across all your devices and safely stored in iCloud.

The main reason I’ve not done this before, is partly as My Photo Stream worked, and I would need to upgrade to iCloud+ and with the number of photos in my library, I would probably need the 2TB upgrade.

Well I have until the 26th June.

As part of this transition, new photo uploads to My Photo Stream from your devices will be stopped on 26 June.

May 3, 2023May 29, 2023

Trying to work out why it doesn’t work

According to the description on the Apple website this is what it does.

Well for that purpose it does what it says on the tin.

The page also says.

Well yes, that is what it says, my experience is that this experience is less consistent.

I recently connected my iPhone to a Philips TV in a hotel room and attempted to play a TV show from Amazon Prime. The result was a stuttering video which was unwatchable.

I remembered though that a few weeks back I had done something similar, but with a Sony TV and that had worked fine.

I did check online for a solution, others had experienced the same problem. The solution offered though was to use AirPlay. Great if you have that set up (which I do at home with an Apple TV). However I don’t have that setup when travelling to different hotels.

So the end result is, if it doesn’t work, I am watching video on the 6” screen on my iPhone rather than the 50” TV screen in the hotel room.

February 20, 2023

Hiding the time

Might be just me but I quite like how the iPhone hides the time on my Lock Screen using my photographs.

Here is the full screengrab.

Though sometimes it is too good at hiding the time.

February 14, 2023February 14, 2023

Digital Cameras are back baby…

Meerkat at Bristol Zoo. — Meerkat at Bristol Zoo taken with a Sony DCR-PC110E

According to a BBC report, digital cameras back in fashion after online revival.

Digital cameras from the early 2000s are becoming must-have gadgets for many young people because of a burgeoning trend online. And in the past 12 months, videos with the hashtag #digitalcamera have amassed more than 220 million views on TikTok.

…and to think I still consider this *new* technology!

One of my favourite photographs, which was taken with a Sony Cybershot Digital Camera in 2004.

My first digital camera was HP PhotoSmart digital camera, this 0.3MP camera used proprietary memory cards, didn’t have a LCD on the back, went through batteries real fast and as for picture quality, well it left a lot to be desired, though outside shots weren’t too bad!

Houses of Parliament taken with the HP Photosmart

There is no way to view pictures on the camera, so you needed to upload them to a computer first.

Since then I used various digital cameras, including other HP PhotoSmart cameras. I then moved over to Sony Cybershot cameras, and I had about three of them. I still have one that I use now and again, though I seem to have lost the card reader for Sony’s proprietary Memory Sticks which the cameras used.

I also had a Canon EOS 300D for a while and I did think it took some really good photographs.

Hand sculpture — Sculpture taken with a Canon EOS 300D

I bought a Canon EOS 400D back in 2007 and I still use on a regular basis today.

It’s not very good in low light conditions, this is when I use my iPhone instead. Today I take nearly all my photographs using an iPhone.

Spanish coastline panorama taken with an iPhone 13

I am thinking though of getting a replacement for my EOS 400D

December 2, 2022

Roaming in Berlin

This week I travelled to Berlin for a conference. I had issues with roaming when I went to Spain in the summer, it took an online chat (or two) to get that sorted. It wasn’t easy at first when I was in Dublin in September, but that sorted itself out relatively quickly. So I did wonder what would happen when I arrived in Berlin.

Well no issues whatsoever. As soon as I turned off airplane mode, I connected to a network and I could make calls and use the internet.

Though I have an unlimited data contract with Three they do stipulate a 12GB fair use allowance when roaming. I wasn’t too concerned as I knew I wouldn’t be streaming or downloading large files.

I was also able to connect to eduroam (wifi) at the conference, so that saved me some data.

September 29, 2022September 30, 2022

Used Apple Pay in a shop

Though it was July 2015 when Apple Pay was introduced in the UK, I have never actually used it until August this year! I bought some parking on my phone and used Apple Pay to pay for it.

It was only today that I actually used Apple Pay at a till! I paid for some shopping using the system at one of those “unexpected item in the bagging area” machine.

I know I should know this, but it was quite a seamless experience. I did have to double tap, which I didn’t think I would need to do.

Well done that now, do I need to do it again? Probably not.