2011年9月30日星期五

Tab for Google+ Review

Update your circles without jumping through hoops

Social networks are great for keeping up with friends and colleagues, but for heavy users, their clunky web interfaces can be a pain in the mouse. You might think dedicated desktop apps can streamline your socializing, but sometimes, the clients themselves can make things more complex than they ought to be -- especially when all you're really trying to do is post pictures of your hamster riding a skateboard. Tab for Google+ aims for the sweet spot between "limited" and "overly complex" by bringing a slimmed-down web interface to your desktop with a click or keystroke. It's all the Circling and Googley social networking you need without having to open your browser -- at least, in theory.

Tab for Google+ lives in your menu bar. Clicking its icon or using a keyboard shortcut (which is annoyingly uncustomizable and the same as Mail's Send command) makes Tab for Google+ pop up as a floating window with posts from all of your Circles by default. The app uses the Google+ mobile interface, which is the same layout you would see when logging in to the service using Safari on an iPad or iPhone. This reduced view conserves space, but can be resized as needed. Tab for Google+ allows you to view posts and comments, respond to them, +1 them, and jump between any of your Google+ Circles with a simple click. A paid pro version of Tab for Google+ ($0.99) strips out ads and uses the full Google+ web interface in a floating window, and therefore includes Chat.

View and comment on posts from Google+ users right from your menu bar.

Unfortunately, the app often stumbled loading our Circles, especially when posting new messages -- and updating locations was also hit or miss. As a result, we could only reliably post messages as Public, negating the finely grained privacy controls that are Google+'s trademark feature. According to the developer, these issues are frailties of the Google+ mobile interface and are currently being addressed by both Google and Fiplab. So for the time being at least, Tab for Google+ is more of a viewer than a dedicated interface for sharing.

The bottom line. Tab for Google+ is a great idea—the design and easy access from the menu bar are awesome. But until a few problems are ironed out, it's not quite up to the task unless you're looking for a fairly passive social experience.

Review Synopsis

Product: 

Company: 

Fiplab Ltd

Contact: 

Requirements: 

Mac OS 10.6 or later

Positives: 

Unobtrusive floating interface. Easy to access from menu bar.

Negatives: 

Bugs cause issues when posting. Shortcut keys not customizable.

Score: 
2 Weak







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AAPL: Analysts forecasting stratospheric stock price

Yesterday Apple (AAPL) hit an all-time intraday price of $422.86 and currently it is trading around $413. However, those prices seem cheap compared to what almost every analyst thinks AAPL will do in the next twelve months. DailyFinance has a roundup of analyst expectations for Apple's (AAPL) stock price and it appears that the sky is the limit.

Forty-six analysts believe AAPL will hit a mean of $500 in the next twelve months (not much of a stretch since that's only a 20% increase) while some believe the stock could hit as much as $666 a share in the same period. Their estimates are based on many things, including AAPL's EPS (earnings per share) forecast of $27.53 for 2011, and $32.39 for 2012, compared to $15.15 in 2010.

It also doesn't hurt that, as I tweeted a few days ago, this is the second year in the row in which the iPad has no viable competition for the holidays. That means that the iPad will dominate holiday tablet sales again. And this holiday quarter is a much more important quarter to do it in than last year as tablets are hitting the mainstream now and are sure to be popular gifts not just among the tech crowd, but among mom and pop consumers as well. That's to say nothing of the iPhone 5 and rumored, cheaper iPhone 4S. Those three devices, plus the wild popularity of Apple's MacBook Airs will be why Apple owns this holiday season and why I believe the stock is going to hit $500 by January 1st.

I know, I know, what does a blogger know about the stock market? But matter of fact, in 2009 when AAPL was trading at under $200 a share I wrote "I believe that AAPL could hit $300 by the end of 2010 and $400 the year later." I was blasted in the comments for writing that but, as it turns out, I was absolutely right. So this time I'm going to stick with my $500 January 1st target and I think the analysts at the higher end of the spectrum are dead right. AAPL could be trading well into the $600s be the end of next year.

The sky's the limit.

Disclaimer: This author owns shares in AAPL. Opinions in this post are those of the author only and should not be considered as investment advice.

AAPL: Analysts forecasting stratospheric stock price originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook F8 Brings Timeline, Verbs, Music and Video Content

Facebook Timeline

Not crazy about the changes made to Facebook this week? As it turns out, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at the company's F8 event on Thursday to unveil the company's new direction, which includes a new way to display your life and plenty of music and video content yet to come.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage today at the company's F8 event following a rousing parody by Saturday Night Live cast member Andy Samberg -- right down to the hoodie, sandals and mannerisms. (Didn't anyone tell them we've seen this joke before… at an Apple keynote?) While you would think that the social network had exhausted its arsenal of changes for the week after the new Subscribe button and Friends list revisions, those appear to be just the appetizer for the main entrée yet to come.

"Since the beginning of Facebook, your profile has been the place where you tell your story," explains The Facebook Blog. "People use it to share everything from the small stuff, like their thoughts on an article, to the most important events of their lives, like the photos of their wedding or the birth of their child."

Needless to say, a user's profile has evolved over time and soon, you'll see the biggest change to date with Timeline, with Facebook claims will "tell your story" by focusing on three specific areas: Your stories, your apps and a new way to express who you are, all going back to the time you were born.

Mark Zuckerberg at F8

"It's the heart of your Facebook experience, completely re-thought from the ground up," Zuckerberg explains of the new design, which the CEO claims has been keeping the company busy all year. (No wonder there's still no native iPad app…)

Where the original Facebook profile design focused on the last few moments in your life (and the 2008 update extended that to the last 15 minutes), Timeline aims to show it all, from birth to the present. Explaining that Timeline was a major design challenge, Zuckerberg showed off the new look at F8 using his own profile, which now appears in a more grid-like layout, presenting only the key moments as you go backward in time.

Timeline also features Reports, a method for compiling your profile data every month or every year as a summary of everything you've ever done on Facebook. Timeline will display properly on mobile devices in a condensed view, and new look will roll out over the next couple of months. "We wanted to design a place that feels like your home," Zuckerberg concluded.

Needless to say, Facebook didn't stop there, adding "verbs" to your status updates so users can "express themselves in new ways." For example, you can now post when you've done something after the fact, rather than at the exact moment you're doing it. But fear not, verbs are considered a "lightweight" part of your stream and will appear on the side of your homepage rather than cluttering up your news feed.

Facebook has also overhauled its OpenGraph protocol, opening the doors for developers to include the feature in their own apps with a focus on the Timeline first and discovering new things through your Facebook friends -- which leads into the final segment of the F8 event.

Spotify hearts Facebook

As widely rumored, Facebook has now teamed with Spotify for the "real-time serendipity" feature, allowing you to share music with friends and even listen along at the same time they do. The feature isn't exclusive to Spotify, and Facebook is partnering with other content providers as well, including Rdio, MOG, Rhapsody and others.

"You'll now start seeing new music posts and play buttons all over your newsfeeds," Spotify explains on their blog. "Hit a play button and the music starts. Right there."

Last but not least, the recent controversy with Netflix didn't keep that company's CEO, Reed Hastings, from popping in at the close of the F8 keynote to say hello and comment on how his company (as well as Hulu Plus) will soon be able to stream video content to the new Timeline feature -- but oddly, not quite yet in the United States.

That's right -- Netflixers in Canada and Latin America will actually get first crack at enjoying their content in Facebook before we colonials do, apparently due to some kind of bizarre privacy law currently due for revision in Congress, according to This Is My Next. Weird, right? Of course, you'll need the new Timeline in order to get that integration anyway, so keep your eyes peeled for those changes.

Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Images courtesy of Facebook and BGR)

 








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Gmail's web app adds multiple accounts, mobile signature

I do have my Gmail account connected to my iPhone's Mail app through IMAP, but occasionally there are still times (mostly when searching my archived mail) that I need to use the mobile Safari web app version of the popular mail service. So it's good to hear that Google is still updating that feature. Just recently, Google has added the option to use multiple accounts through the web app. You can even set up URLs for each account to use and set up a special mobile signature to use specifically when you send mail from the mobile web app.

There's also the ability to set up vacation messages for the account, so even while you're out on vacation, you can turn on an "away-from-keyboard" notice. That way Janice from accounting doesn't wonder why you're not responding to her emails about that unpaid invoice.

The additions aren't huge; they're mostly standard features that are just new to this version of the service. There are still quite a few reasons to pull up the web version of Gmail, and an update like this makes things easier for those times. Despite all of its issues, I would still recommend hooking up your Gmail to the iPhone's mail app, but having the web service to use when you want is very helpful.

[via App Advice]

Gmail's web app adds multiple accounts, mobile signature originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011年9月29日星期四

Acer: Ultrabooks will eat iPad’s lunch… Next year


Acer's brand spanking new MacBook Air challenger: The Ultrabook Aspire S3.

Acer vice president Scott Lin is drumming up Ultrabooks, low-powered, ultra-thin and ultra-portable Windows PCs akin to the MacBook Air based on Intel's latest chips and reference designs. Lin estimated that Ultrabooks will account for nearly one-third (30 percent) of the worldwide consumer notebook shipments by the end of next year. Moreover, tablet PCs, of which iPad accounts for approximately two-thirds of shipments, will be the first products to be impacted, he claims. DigiTimes has the story:

Lin pointed out that tablet PCs are mainly emphasizing light and thin features as well as entertainment capabilities, and once notebooks are capable of achieving the same features, while still maintaining battery longevity, consumer's purchasing behavior will reverse as consumers would rather choose a machine that can satisfy their demand for both entertainment and work, instead of carrying a tablet PC and a notebook around.

He concludes by saying we'll turn our attention back to notebooks at the expense of tablets in 2012. We're not so sure about this. First Utrabooks are either pricier than the Air (due to Intel's stubbornness and expensive chips) or they offer fewer features than Apple's ultra-portable.

The story also references a JPMorgan Asia study asserting a 25 percent drop in iPad manufacturing output for the fourth quarter which has been however quickly debunked by JPMorgan themselves. Most importantly, notebooks – even the ultra-thin ones – and tablets cater to totally different needs and usage scenarios: The former are for serious work, the latter are for entertainment, web activities and media consumption. Also…

iPad 3 is expected early next year. It'll no doubt be yet another high-profile launch for Apple that is bound to re-new the excitement for tablets and quite possibly spark an upgrade cycle. Let's not forget the ever-growing array of upcoming Android tablets that will run Nvidia's powerful quad-core chips and Google's Android Honeycomb software. With that in mind, it is OK for Lin to try generate some excitement for his company's Ultrabook computers. In addition to Acer, other PC vendors are also scrambling to compete with Apple's MacBook Air with Ultrabooks, including Asustek, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung and Hewlett-Packard.







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Infographic illustrates 10 years of the iPod (Updated)

The 10th anniversary of the iPod's announcement isn't until October 22, but the folks at Most Wanted (part of VoucherCodes.co.uk) came up with a celebratory infographic that was just too good to pass up. It depicts an illustrated history of the iPod since that happy day in 2001, and is reprinted with permission in its entirety here. Enjoy this trip down memory lane!

Update: Obviously there was never a 1st-gen iPod touch with the capacities shown here. The touch started with 8 and 16 GB editions and later added a 32 GB model.

Source: VoucherCodes.co.uk

Infographic illustrates 10 years of the iPod (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harman Kardon's MS 150 speaker dock supports multiple devices, $600 pricetag (video)

Some folks get along just dandy with an iPod and a speaker dock, but if you need a rig that'll handle more sources, Harman Kardon hopes to have you covered with MS 150 -- which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Zeppelin Mini. This stereo system comes loaded with an iPhone dock, CD drive and FM tuner, along with a flood of digital and analog auxiliary connections not limited to its headphone jacks and subwoofer output. It's even sporting an LCD display so you'll know whats pumping out of its 30 watt drivers. The MS 150 is available now from Harman Kardon, but all of its functionality will cost you -- it's priced at a whopping $600. Hey, at least it comes with a remote. You'll find full details in the PR and video demo below.

Continue reading Harman Kardon's MS 150 speaker dock supports multiple devices, $600 pricetag (video)

Harman Kardon's MS 150 speaker dock supports multiple devices, $600 pricetag (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gadget Guy, Mac News  |  sourceHarman Kardon  | Email this | Comments





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Sharp's Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan

Just a few days after unveiling the waterproof IS13SH, Sharp has come out with yet another beastly submersible, known as the Aquos Phone 102SH. Juiced by a 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU, this Gingerbread-coated handset boasts a 4.5-inch glasses-free 3D display with 720 x 1280 resolution, along with 1GB of RAM and a 32GB microSDHC card. The device also packs a 12 megapixel CMOS sensor and supports DLNA, infrared connections, e-wallet functionality and your standard 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities. No word yet on price, but Japanese carrier SoftBank will begin selling the 102SH in early December. Scurry past the break for more information in the full and translated PR.

Continue reading Sharp's Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan

Sharp's Aquos Phone 102SH brings 3D qHD display, 12 megapixel CMOS sensor to Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epson Megaplex MG-850HD Projector is ready for your iPhone, iPad

Epson has an HD projector that was designed with Apple customers in mind. The MegaPlex MG-850-HD has all the bells and whistles you would normally see on a mid-range projector including HD 720P support, a brightness of 2800 lumens and built-in speakers, but it's the projector's connectivity options that make it interesting.

This particular model has a dedicated dock that's compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. This dock makes it easy for you to take the contents of your iOS device and display it on a 40-inch screen. The projector will even charge your iOS device when you have it docked. If you have a Mac or a PC, you can use the on-board USB port to connect your device to the projector as well. These connectivity options are convenient but they will cost you. The Epson MG-850HD lists for a pricey $799.

Epson Megaplex MG-850HD Projector is ready for your iPhone, iPad originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video)

Dell Streak Pro 101DL. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Clumsy naming aside, this power-laden handset's just been officially outed by Japanese carrier Softbank, where'll it bow sometime next January. So, what sort of mobile media tour de force can you look forward to early next year? Try a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED Plus display vividly showcasing a skinned version of the now ubiquitous Android 2.3, all running atop a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 processor. There's also the usual array of WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and dual cameras on board (1.3 megapixel front-facing / 8 megapixel rear), with planned support for Dell's SyncUp cloud storage in the works. Of course, the phone delivers up to 14Mbps down via the network's WCDMA 2100MHz frequency, but you globe-trotting folk can always take advantage of the included quad-band GSM / WCDMA radios. As with all things pre-released, certain specs can still change before the ringing in of our new year. Let's just keep our toes crossed that one of those potential alterations is a frozen mobile OS dessert. Get a gander of the coming soon gadget in the videos after the break.

[Thanks, Babak]

Continue reading Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video)

Softbank takes Dell Streak Pro 101DL by the hand, plans January 2012 coming out party (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Capacitive touch brush stylus made from conductive thread

Artist Margarita Benitez really wanted a Nomad Brush for her iPad but didn't have the cash for the actual thing, so she did the next best: she made one herself. Using an old brush handle and some conductive thread, she was able to assemble a working brush, and says it works better than expected. Her entry at Instructables has all of the instructions if you want to give one a shot yourself.

I would say that if I tried one myself, I'd probably go with a different brush handle -- hers is a little thin for my tastes, though each artist probably has their own preference about what kind of brush you'd need (and it might just depend on the project as well). She also had to use a metal holder for the brush head and holds the brush with her fingers touching it, in order to send the capacitive charge down into the screen itself. I bet there's a way to improve on that, though, either by using a metal brush handle completely, or by running a strip of metal up and down the side of the brush.

Either way, Benitez' result looks great. If you do jump in and put one together, be sure to send pictures to us on the tipline so we can see yours in action!

[via Make]

Capacitive touch brush stylus made from conductive thread originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Physical Mockup of 'iPhone 5' with Tapered Design

Although hope for the redesigned iPhone 5 seen through third-party case designs is waning as evidence continues to stack up for the "iPhone 4S" design and no sign of the larger, tapered iPhone 5, that hasn't halted interest in the iPhone 5 design.


And while we took a stab at some renderings of a potential iPhone 5 based on the case designs, benm.at has now taken things a significant step further and created a physical mockup of the device.
Based on CAD designs, hardware components, several leaked hints, cases and recent, believable mockups we created a three-dimensional computer model. This virtual model was then used to build a very detailed, true prototype that you can hold in your own two hands.

The process to create this prototype is the same that's used to create the iPad. The back was machined from a sold block of aluminium, which was later treated with glass pearls to get the same slightly rough touch that we already know from the iPad.
The mockup offers an excellent view of what the rumored iPhone 5 design might look like, and while the actual device may not be making an appearance next week, it is possible that the design may have been from a prototype that Apple could be working toward for a future generation of the iPhone.




Left to right: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, "iPhone 5" mockup



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Apple issues update to fix flickering with 24" Cinema Display and Thunderbolt (Updated)

Update: It appears that Apple has removed the firmware download from their support site. As pointed out by David in the comments below, this update was likely not intended for public release just yet, as it was posted to the discussion thread by a customer who is apparently working with AppleCare to resolve the issue on her display. Remember, official updates from Apple will appear in Software Update.

Buyers of the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display who connected the device to Thunderbolt-equipped Macs were dismayed to find that the screen exhibited a flickering problem. The issue first came to light in February after the first Thunderbolt Mac, the early 2011 MacBook Pro, was released. Now AppleInsider is reporting Apple has released a firmware update to resolve the flickering issue.

The update notes state that the fix will only install when the display is connected to a Mac with the Thunderbolt interconnect, and that the update may not resolve the flickering issue if a Mini DisplayPort extender cable is used. There's also a warning to users to disconnect non-essential USB and FireWire devices while installing the firmware update, and to use only an Apple keyboard and mouse during the installation. The update is 926 KB in size, and works with Mac OS X 10.6.8 and later.

The 24-inch LED Cinema Display has been discontinued and replaced with the 27-inch Thunderbolt Display. The new display includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera, high-quality audio speakers, and support for Gigabit Ethernet and FireWire 800; it can also be daisy-chained to another identical display and other Thunderbolt-equipped devices.

Apple issues update to fix flickering with 24" Cinema Display and Thunderbolt (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple vs. Samsung is about ecosystems, not tablets or patents


Apple has made its concerns official. The iPhone maker fears Samsung tablet will lure consumers away from the powerful iTunes ecosystem. Apple's been successfully leveraging iTunes to tie people to the platform through app and entertainment content sales.

The heated Apple vs. Samsung legal battle over who's copying who is really about the ecosystem rather than the hardware or the patents. That's the gist of today's hearing before the Federal Court in Sydney related to an Apple-requested ban on sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia. According to Smh.com.au, lawyers for Apple argued that the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 could take away iPad 2 sales so quickly that buyers may be "seduced" from the iOS platform.

It's all about the apps and the broader ecosystem, Apple's legal team told Justice Annabelle Bennett, arguing the Galaxy Tab 10.1 "is vastly the one that is going to be targeting the iPad 2″. IDC numbers released today suggest that that tablet shipments to Australia and New Zealand doubled sequentially in the June quarter, which the research firm attributed to an influx of Android tablets recently released into those markets.

Apple's lawyers then resorted to the "fire hose" metaphor to make their case:

This is going to be launched on the market with the velocity of a fire hose and it is going to just come in and take away iPad 2 sales so quickly that by the time we get to final hearing the full impact of the patent infringement will be to the detriment of Apple and to the benefit of Samsung.

And this bit about the battle of ecosystems:

They'll then be Android people and the investment in the apps that they make to purchase on their Galaxy Tab will be something they can't use on an Apple product.

The full hearing pertaining on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (which won't affect other Samsung tablets) is expected later this year and Justice Bennett is expected to rule on a temporary injunction next week. Per today's report by Bloomberg, Steve Jobs personally "initiated contact" with Samsung higher-ups last year in an effort to resolve the brewing legal dispute. "Samsung is an important supplier with whom we have a deep relationship. We wanted to give them a chance to do the right thing", Apple's patent attorney and senior director Richard Lutton told Federal Court in Sydney today responding to a question by his Samsung peer David Catterns. Separately, Monday and Tuesday saw the first round of hearings over Samsung's accusations that the iPad and iPhone infringe on Samsung's wireless patents. The Korean conglomerate is pressing to stop sales of iPhone and iPad in The Netherlands, seeking to institute a 2.4 percent royalty fee for every patent Apple allegedly infringed on. Meanwhile, back in the United States carriers Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA sided with Samsung, fearing the legal spat between the two consumer electronics powerhouses may result in fewer numbers of 4G smartphones ahead of the all-important holiday shopping season. Some clarity on all this madness here.

Cross-posted on 9to5Google.com.







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How to get your old iPhone ready for the kids

Thinking about getting a new iPhone  and not sure what to do with the old one? Why not give it to the kids? Basically, what you're really doing is turning the iPhone into an iPod touch that's kid-friendly, which is a great way to put old tech to constructive use.

Resetting the iPhone

Whenever you hand over an iPhone to someone else, it's always a good idea to remove all data from the device and reset it back to its original state. There are two ways to reset your iPhone. The first is to restore your iPhone through iTunes. I've found that resetting the iPhone from the General Settings menu on the device itself is much faster, and cleaner. But before you perform this operation, be absolutely sure that you have synced and backed up your device one last time to ensure that you have everything from your iPhone that you want to keep. Once you've done that, here's how to erase the iPhone's content:

  1. Launch the Settings app on the iPhone.
  2. From General, select Reset (its at the bottom of the list).
  3. Click on Erase All Content and Settings.
  4. Click on Erase iPhone and confirm.

This will return the iPhone back to its initial state. At this point you'll need to activate your iPhone again by connecting it to iTunes (once iOS 5 arrives, you can skip this step). Be sure not to restore the iPhone when you connect it to iTunes again for the first time. Once activated, your iPhone will be initialized for use by its new user.

Reset iPhone

Which Apple ID to sync with iTunes

You can most certainly use one iTunes account on all of your iOS devices if you like. This will allow you to install all of the games and apps you've already purchased onto your child's device without having to re-purchase them. Then you can set up a separate mail account on the device specifically for your child. You may want to consider setting up a specific MobileMe account to for the device so you can find the iPhone, should they lose it. They probably will lose it, after all.

MobileMe Account Setup

Control App Store spending

Keeping tabs on the in-app purchase habits of your kids on an iOS device can be challenging if you don't know how.  There are several different ways one can manage their family's iTunes spending, like creating a an iTunes account without a credit card or establishing iTunes allowances through Apple's gift card program. The most effective way is by controlling things directly on the device.  By enabling Restrictions, you can stop rampant spending before it starts.

  1. In your device's Settings app, go to General > Restrictions.
  2. Tap "Enable Restrictions" and enter a passcode. Write it down somewhere so you won't forget.
  3. Disable the options you're concerned about and adjust the content settings to your needs (e.g. turn off "iTunes," "Installing Apps" and "In-App Purchases").

iPhone Restrictions

Get a rugged case

For younger kids, I would recommend getting a protective case like the OtterBox Defender ($49.99) or the OtterBox Impact ($19.99). Don't expect them to be bullet proof, but OtterBox has a good reputation and does offer a high level of protection. A good alternative to the OtterBox is Ballistic's Hard Core ($29.99) case.

New iPhone Case

Stock it with fun apps

The iPod touch is the new Gameboy, plus a whole lot more. I've found that loading up the iPhone with a ton of games and educational titles will provide your kids hours of discovery. Plan on adding apps every so often to keep things interesting. Consider create a specialized folder of "New" apps so your kids can immediately check out your latest addition, or a "Favorites" for perennially popular titles.

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