The modern smartphone user has well over 700,000 apps to choose from. One of the most important types of apps is email. If you are an iPhone user, you may be using Apple's Mail, which comes installed on the phone. While it is a solid app, there is one function that causes some confusion - email attachments.

Below is a brief overview of how iPhone's Mail app's attachments work.

How to open an attachment If you get an email with an attachment, open the message and scroll down to the bottom of the message. You will see the name of the attachment along with the file type and size. If you tap on it, your phone should open it in a new window. You can then zoom in/out and scroll around.

Some attachments can be downloaded by tapping and holding on the attachment. After about a second, a pop-up menu will show, and you should be able to select to save it. Instead of saving the attachment, you can also choose to open it using other apps.

Why won't some attachments open? There may be a time where you get an email with an attachment that can't be opened. You will still be able to see it in the email, but you won't be able to tap on it. This is because the Mail app doesn't support all file and document types.

Don't worry if you can't open an attachment as chances are there's an app in the App store that will open it. The easiest thing to do is look at the file type of the attachment, which is usually indicated by a three letter code at the end of the file name. For example, a Word document will be FILENAME.doc or FILENAME.docx. A quick Internet search for something like, 'iPhone app that can open .ddd' will usually return results with an app that can open your file.

Once you download the app, try pressing and holding on the attachment in Mail and selecting Open in... from the pop-up menu. Look for the app you downloaded and tap on it.

How to add an attachment to emails You can add an attachment to an email by pressing and holding on the body section of a new email. A pop-up menu should come up, if you scroll left you should see the Select/Paste option. Tapping on this will allow you to select either a photo, video or message which you can attach to the email. Unfortunately, there isn't much else you can attach, so if you need to attach a document or other file type, you would be better off doing so on your computer.

If you would like to learn more about the iPhone and how it can help you, please contact us today.

Imagine you've been out of town on a business trip for a few days and when you finally get home after a long day of traveling, you reach for your trusty iPhone to check in with the office... only to find that the screen is black. Pressing the Power button does nothing. What do you do? We certainly hope your answer isn't 'throw it against the wall' as there are a number of things that you can try.

Here are four things you can try when your iPhone won't turn on.

1. Charge it with a wall charger One of the main reasons your iPhone won't start is because its battery is dead. Before you deem the battery 'dead', you should check if the phone is on. Press and hold the power button for up to five seconds. Chances are, the phone has just gone to sleep. If this is the case, you should see the unlock screen pop-up after a few seconds.

If it doesn't pop up, your phone is likely dead. All you have to do is plug it in, preferably to a wall charger. Your phone should turn on automatically after a few minutes (up to five). If it doesn't, let it charge for around 15 minutes before trying to turn it on. If it does turn on, it would be a good idea to let it fully charge.

2. It's charged but still won't turn on Like all operating systems, the one on the iPhone will crash from time to time. If it does crash, you shouldn't lose any data unless you were in the middle of downloading or uploading files. These will have to be started again.

If pressing the power button doesn't turn the phone on, you should still plug it in and let it charge for 15 minutes. Then conduct what's called a hard reset:

1. Unplug your device.
2. Press the Home and Power buttons for 10-20 seconds until you see the Apple logo.
3. Let the device run for a minute or so and you should be able to use it again.

It would be a good idea to not do this while the phone is connected to your computer.Your computer may recognize your phone's hard drive and start automatically syncing through iTunes. Doing a hard reset when the device is syncing may result in losing information.

3. A hard reset won't work Another good thing to consider at this stage is switching cords. Chances are someone next to you has another iPhone cable. Borrow it and try the first two steps again. These cables aren't the most damage resistant thing in the world and have been known to wear out or fray at weak points rendering them useless. If you were trying to charge your phone through a wall charger, try again but this time connect it to your computer - make sure it's on.

4. It's truly dead If after trying different cables and charging methods, hard resetting and charging for a couple of hours your device still won't turn on, you have one option left. Go to an Apple store, or reseller. They may be able to get your iPhone working, or at the very least will to confirm the problem.

Sometimes the phones display a USB cord with an arrow pointing to the iTunes icon. This is your iPhone's way of telling you that something has gone wrong with the software and it needs to be plugged into your computer and connected to iTunes. If you see this, you will likely have to reset your phone which means you will lose everything stored on the hard drive. If you have been backing up your phone, however, your data loss will be minimal.

Has your iPhone stopped working? Are you unsure if your backup solutions are enough to keep all of your files safe? Contact us today as we may be able to help.

Apple's devices are popular for their usability. Watch someone who has never used an iPhone before and see how they figure out how to operate it in a matter of minutes. While these are great smartphones and some would say the best, they aren't perfect. One shortfall is that it can be difficult to transfer files from the device to your computer without iTunes. Luckily, there are apps that can help.

Here's two great apps that you can use to make the transferring of files to/from your iPhone onto your computer not only quicker but less taxing too.

Bump This app started out as a way to share contacts with other iPhone users and has since been updated to include transferring files and pictures. A recent update introduced the capability to move files from your computer to your phone and vice versa.

How this process works is you install Bump on your iPhone, open the app and select a file you would like to transfer. On your computer you can navigate to bu.mp and then bump (hit) the spacebar with your phone. A new window will open with a preview of the file, giving you the option to download it, or share it.

If you would like to transfer a file from your PC or Mac to your iPhone, click on Send files to your device on the bu.mp page and select the files to send. They will be automatically sent to your phone and can be accessed by opening the app.

The app is free from the website, and works on both Mac and PC. There is a 20 mb per file size limit, so for larger files you would be better off saving them to a cloud storage app.

Instashare If you have a Mac, Instashare is new app that allows you to simply drag and drop files from your computer to transfer them to your iPhone.

Once you have downloaded the app on both your computer and iPhone, you then find the file on your computer that  you would like to share, drag it to the app icon and let it go. As long as your iPhone is connected to a W-Fi network, the file will be transferred in as little as a few seconds. You can also send files from your iPhone through the app, selecting the file and dragging it onto connected computers. Instashare will take care of the rest.

This app is an easy way to transfer files within the Apple environment while not having to physically connect your device to your computer. It's also free, which could make it an interesting tool for your business. Download it from the website here, or search for it on in the App Store.

There are many other ways to transfer files from your smartphone to your computer, including using cloud storage. What are your favorite ways? Let us know. Or, if you are looking for a more efficient file sharing solution, contact us today.

One of the more annoying things about calling people while they are at the office is that many use an automated switchboard to field calls. While this does cut-down on the number of incoming phone calls, it can be time consuming to put in a number, wait, put in another, wait some more and then finally get an answer. If you have and iPhone, you can get around all that waiting with ease, especially if you know the extension of the number you want to call.

Here's how you can add number extensions to your iPhone contacts:

1. Open Contacts and either press the '+' for a new contact, or select the contact's number you would like to add the extension to and press Edit.
2. Enter the new contact's normal number without the extension under the Mobile, Work or Home field. If you are editing a contact's number, press on the number you would like to edit and tap on the end of the number.
3. Press the '+*#' button located at the bottom-left of the dial pad.
4. Select Wait. You'll notice a ';' at the end of the number.
5. Add the contact's extension. It should look something like this: 123-123-4567;321 (if the contact has a three digit extension).
6. Press Done and the contact's number will be saved or updated.

If the number was entered correctly, you should see a secondary button under the contact information when you call that person. It will say something like Dial-321. Pressing this after the line has engaged will dial the extension and connect you to that person. This is useful if you don't know how long you will have to wait to be able to dial the extension, but you will have to hit the Dial button on your phone to enter the extension.

You can automate this further by replacing the semicolon (;) with a comma (,). The comma tells the switchboard to pause, and then enter the number after the comma. This will often connect you directly to the person without having to press an extra button. The number should look something like this: 123-123-4567,321

If you use an iPhone for your business communication and call clients who are behind switchboards this is a nifty time-saving feature. For more information on how the iPhone can help power your business, please contact us today.

One of the most important tools of a modern marketing plan is social media. With the various platforms leveraged correctly, social media could be the best way to expand your brand and gain vital exposure. Pinterest, the newest major social network which all about sharing images, has recently had its layout overhauled and new features introduced. Businesses can really benefit from these enhancements.

Here's a brief overview of the new features introduced with Pinterest's recent layout changes.

How to get the new layout

Before you can use these features, it would be a good idea to upgrade to the new layout. While, like other social media services, this will be happening automatically over time. Unlike other platforms, the new layout is available for all users to switch to when they feel ready, however when you switch to the new layout, you will not be able to go back to the old one. Here's how you can switch:

1. Log in to Pinterest.
2. Hover your mouse over your profile/business name at the top-right of your profile.
3. Click Switch to the New Look.
4. Select Get it Now. Note: If you press this, you likely won't be able to switch back to the old layout.
5. Press Okay from the Welcome to your new look! pop-up window.

When the new layout loads, you'll notice that the pins are bigger, the category button has been moved to the left side of the profile beside the Search bar. You'll also notice that the comment button has been moved from the pins, you can access it by clicking on the image. On top of cosmetic changes, two useful functions that businesses will find beneficial.

Discovery

Now, when you look at an individual pin (click on the image), you will notice a number of changes.

• You can see all pins on the same board.
• You'll also see pins from the same website. For example if you pin something from a restaurant, you'll now see similar pins from the same website.
• Most importantly, you'll now be able to see what other people have pinned along with the same image.

This will make it easier for users to discover what other people are pinning. For your business this means potentially higher exposure. Think of this as something similar to the way Facebook works: If a person likes you, the chances of this like showing on their friend's profile, and that friend visiting your Page is higher. It's kind of like easy brand exposure.

Analytics

Arguably the most useful feature added recently is Pinterest Analytics, which allows you to see if your pins are being clicked on or shared, and the general success of your activities. This will go a long way in helping you determine the overall success of your Pinterest oriented efforts.

The main caveat with this is that your profile/business's website needs to be verified and connected with your profile. If you have an unofficial Pinterest account, you can change it to a business one by:

1. Logging into your Pinterest account and going to business.pinterest.com.
2. Pressing Convert your existing account and choose your type of business.
3. Entering the relevant account information like the name of your business, address and website.
4. Agreeing to the new Terms of Service.

If you would like to have a new username or account simply go to http://business.pinterest.com/ and press Join as a Business. You will be asked to set your account information, username, etc. You will need to verify your account which will involve you having to download a file and upload it to the server that hosts your website. We, or your web hoster can help you with that.

After your account is verified, you will notice that if you hover your mouse over your account name a drop-down list should pop up with Analytics being about half way down. Click on that to be taken to the section.

This section will display a bunch of graphs including:

• The number of daily pins and pinners on your site.
• The number of re-pins you have done.
• How many times your content has been repinned.
• The number of clicks and website visits.
• The most clicked and repinned pins.
• The number of times your pins have been seen.

Overall, Analytics is a useful tool that will give you a clear picture of what is working and what isn't. If you pinned a picture of a dog and noticed that it got zero pins while another got hundreds, it may be a good idea to create/look for more similar content.

If you are looking to integrate Pinterest into your business's social media strategy or would like or learn more about how to use the service, please contact us today.

 

The USB port is arguably one of the most important components of the computer. You plug in your keyboard, mouse, printers and now smartphone charging cords. Regardless of the model you have, the main way you connect to the computer is through a USB cord of some kind. If you have an iPhone, you likely use the 30-pin cord, (unless you have a brand new iPhone 5), and likely carry one around, as the iPhone usually needs to be charged throughout the day. The good news is that there's a new gadget that aims to get rid of the cord altogether.

Scheduled to release in December 2012, the Charge Card, (no, it's not a new fangled credit card), is a device that will replace the somewhat unwieldy iPhone charging cable. The concept behind the gadget is to replace the charging cable with something you can fit in your wallet.

The Charge Card is a credit card sized charging device which is .1 inches thick and made of a hard plastic. In the middle is a rubber USB connector that pops out and is compatible with any USB port. On the opposite end is a small 30-pin connector - the standard connector used by Apple. The 30-pin connector will work with the iPhone 4s and older; the iPad 3 and older; and any iPod. It is compatible with the new iPhone 5, iPads and iPods if you have the adapter.

How it works is you pop out the flexible USB connector, plug it into a USB port on a computer, TV, airplane seat, etc. and plug the other end into your iDevice. While it isn't a battery, it does allow you to leave the cords at home, and USB ports being pretty much everywhere these days, you can charge your device whenever you need to.

What is interesting about this is that the project was crowdfunded through Kickstarter, meaning people think it's a good enough idea to invest in it. You can learn more about the project here, and if you'd like to learn more about using the iPhone in the office, give us a shout, we'd be happy to chat with you.

In the modern world of smartphones, there are really only two players: Android and iPhone. One is an open, almost sandbox system that allows users to do pretty much anything they want. The other is a safe, walled environment where everything runs like clockwork and looks great while doing it. With the recent release of the iPhone 5, some Android users are ready to make the switch, but may be worried about leaving behind all their important stuff.

If you are contemplating jumping the Android ship for the good-ship Apple, here’s how you can do so.

Move those Contacts Android is Google, Google is Android. This means that you're contacts are most likely deeply ingrained in the Googleplex, aka your Google/Gmail account. If they aren’t, they live on your Android device’s internal memory.

The easiest way to migrate your Contacts over from your Android device to your iPhone is by syncing your Contacts with your Google Account.

1. On your Android device go to Settings followed by Accounts and select Google.
2. Tap on the Google account you would like to sync your Contacts/Calendar/Notifications with, and ensure there is a check-mark beside what you would like to sync.
3. Press Sync Now, and sit back and wait.
4. When it’s finished, you can go to Google Contacts to edit view your Contacts.

After your Contacts have synced with your Google account:

1. Turn on your iPhone and press Settings followed by: Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
2. Tap Add Account and select Microsoft Exchange. It may seem odd to select something with Microsoft for a Google service, but, this is how Google pushes emails to your iPhone. The added benefit to this is it allows your iPhone to sync with your Google account.
3. In the related fields put in your full Gmail address and password. Leave the Domain field blank as it’s only used if you have a Microsoft Exchange account.
4. Tap Server and enter: m.google.com and go to the next screen.
5. Select what you would like to sync; most pick Contacts, Calendar and Mail. Feel free to pick all of them if you want everything. Tap Accept and your iPhone will do the rest.

Move important media If you’re like most smartphone users, you probably have a wealth of important media on your phone, and would like to transfer it over. You have a few different options at your disposal to ensure this happens.

The first option is to manually transfer it by plugging your Android phone into your computer using a USB cable and physically copying the files off your device’s hard drive onto your computer. After that, plug in your iPhone and sync via iTunes, selecting what files to sync.

The second option is to sync your pictures and videos with Google. Follow the above instructions for your Contacts, and also ensure that Instant Upload has a checkmark beside it. Your photos and videos will be uploaded to Google+ and also viewable on Picassa. They can then be accessed by the related apps on your iPhone.

The third option is to use a mutual-third-party cloud app like Dropbox. When you install Dropbox on your Android, you will be asked if you want to sync your photos and movies. Agree to the terms and your photos will be uploaded. Just be sure to be connected to Wi-Fi, as it will be quite bandwidth intensive. After your files are synced, install Dropbox on your iPhone and all your pictures will be available.

What about my apps? As you may well know, Apple has a ton of apps available for you to download, most at a fairly decent cost. The good news is, almost all popular Android apps are also available for iPhone. The bad news is, you will likely have to pay to re-download them. You could try contacting customer services at the app developers and asking if they will drop the charge for buying an app you already own, but don’t get your hopes up.

This should cover the majority of your migration, so have fun and enjoy your new iPhone. If you have any questions, please contact us, we are here to help.

Chances are high that you already take great steps to ensure that your network and systems are secure from threats. But, do you take the same steps to ensure that your accounts like email, social media, bank, etc. are also secure? The weakest link of these accounts is the password, and that's exactly where most hackers strike. Is your password secure?

If you want to minimize the chances of your password being hacked, here are five things you should NOT do.

1. Don't pick short passwords

While short passwords are easier to remember, they are also easier and quicker to hack. The most common way to hack passwords is by using brute force: Developing a list of every possible password, then trying this list with a username.

Using a mid-range computer like the one many have on their desk, with a normal Internet connection, you can develop a list of all potential passwords astonishingly quickly. For example it would take 11.9 seconds to generate a list of all possible passwords using five lowercase characters (a,b,c,d,etc.) only. It will take about 2.15 hours to develop a list of all possible passwords using five of any computer character. Once a hacker has the list, they just have to try every potential password with your user name.

On the other hand, a list of all 8 character passwords with at least one special character (!,@,%,etc.) and one capital letter would take this computer 2.14 centuries to develop. In other words, the longer the password, the harder it will be to hack. That being said, longer passwords aren't impossible to hack, they just take more time. So, most hackers will usually go after the shorter passwords first.

2. Don't use the same password

The way most hackers work is that they assume users have the same password for different accounts. If they can get one password, it's as simple as looking through that account's information for any related accounts and trying the original password with the other accounts. If one of these happens to be your email where you have kept bank information, you will likely see your bank account drained.

It's therefore important to use a different password for every online account. They key here is to try and use a password that's as different as possible. Don't just add a number or character onto the end of a word. If you have trouble remembering all of your passwords, try using a password manager like LastPass.

3. Don't use words from the dictionary or all numbers

This article published last year on ZDnet highlights the 25 most popular passwords. Notice that more than 15 contain words from the dictionary, and most of the rest are strings of common numbers. To have a secure password, most security experts agree that you should not use words from the dictionary or number combinations that are beside each other (e.g., 1234).

4. Don't use standard number substitutions

Some users have passwords where they replace letters with a number that looks similar, for example: h31lo (hello). Most new password hacking tools actually have combinations like this built in and will try a normal word, followed by replacing letters with similar numbers. It’s best to avoid this.

5. Don't use available information as a password

What we mean by this is using information that can be easily found on the Internet. For example, doing a quick search for your name will likely return your email address and social media profiles. If you have pictures of your kids, spouse, pets, family, their dates of birth, etc. on your Facebook profile and have put their names in captions, it's possible for a hacker to see this (assuming the pictures are shared with the public).

You can bet that they will try these names as your password. You would be surprised with the amount of personal information on the web. We suggest searching for yourself using your email address(s), social media profile names, etc. and seeing what information can be found. If your passwords are close to what you find, it would be a good idea to change them immediately.

There are numerous things you can do to minimize the chance that your passwords are stolen and accounts hacked.

 

Smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone have become a large part of business, with managers of companies of all sizes employing smartphones in numerous capacities, including keeping in touch with the office while away. Apple’s response to this has been to introduce iCloud, a cloud based backup solution to help minimize the loss of important info. There is one issue with this service however, many users notice that their iPhone runs considerably slower when iCloud is in use.

Here’s how to optimize iCloud to ensure your iPhone runs quicker.

What is iCloud? Before optimizing iCloud it’s important to know what exactly iCloud is and how it works. iCloud is Apple’s cloud syncing solution. It’s main purpose is to keep your device’s important information in sync with your Mac, PC and other Apple devices. It works by uploading information like your contacts, installed apps, email, photos, bookmarks and calendars to Apple’s servers, which then make your information available to any device with iCloud installed on it, including your computer. The main purpose of this app is to back up and sync data across multiple devices, not store your data.

Every iPhone owner who has an up-to-date iPhone can sign up for the service and receives 5GB of space for their needs. By default, iCloud constantly syncs in the background without the user noticing. The only problem is syncing can slow your iPhone to a crawl.

Optimize iCloud for iPhone speed If you have iCloud set up and have noticed that your iPhone is slowing down we recommend three different ways to speed it up.

• Set iCloud to only sync when connected to WiFi. Chances are high that you have a data plan for your iPhone. When you set up iCloud, the default setting is to sync even while connected to a data network. This means iCloud is always syncing, using valuable system resources and data. You can set it to only sync when connected to WiFi by going to Settings, selecting Store and scrolling to the bottom and turning Use Cellular Data to Off. This will cause your Internet to slow down slightly however.
• Turn off iCloud sync. You can also disable iCloud until you want to sync. Go to Settings and select iCloud and turn everything to Off. When you add a new contact, or would like to sync something, you can go back to the iCloud and turn on what you want to sync. Another option is to turn it on when you go to sleep at night, then turn it off again when you wake up.
• Select what to sync. With iCloud, you’re in control as to what is synced and backed up. If you take a lot of pictures or are an avid media and app user you’ll find that your iPhone is constantly updating. You can go to iCloud in Settings and turn off non-essential apps and backups. When you need to back up your media, do so by connecting your phone to the computer and using iTunes to transfer your files onto your computer.

iCloud is a great way to back up your phone’s important information, but you shouldn’t rely on it. The optimal solution is to back up your phone using a cloud backup like iCloud as well as backing up your phone on your computer. If you’re interested in learning more about iCloud or other mobile backup solutions, please contact us.

No matter where you are in the world, nearly every person has a mobile phone. One of the most popular is the iPhone. Sit in a coffee shop, or anywhere for that matter, for a few minutes and it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will see at least one iPhone. Watch longer, and someone will eventually drop one. When they do, chances are high that the screen will crack and need to be replaced. The question is how do you replace the screen?

If your iPhone’s screen cracks, chips, scratches or breaks there are four things you can do to:

Keep using it Some people that have a slightly damaged screen find that their iPhone is still perfectly functional and will continue to use it. If your screen is slightly scratched but the phone’s still working then, why not continue using it? Better yet, if the scratch comes with a funny story, it could be a great icebreaker.

DIY replacement An option for those who love to take things apart, or whose iPhone is off warranty, is the DIY screen replacement. You can order screens and related screwdrivers (needed for disassembly) online for around $100 and $15 respectively.

Be aware that this is an advanced method that should only be undertaken if your iPhone is past warranty and you’re comfortable working with small parts. For a full step-by-step guide on the process, please refer to cnet. Be warned that you attempt this process at your own risk, and we can’t be held responsible for any damage to your iPhone.

Send it back to Apple If your iPhone is still under warranty please don’t attempt to replace the screen yourself, as you will void any and all associated warranties. You should just send it back to Apple or to an Apple service center to fix. If there’s an Apple store with a Genius bar in your area you can make an appointment and take it there.

Buy a new one If you’d rather not do any of this, you can also wait for a new iPhone to be released and buy a new one. If you purchased your phone through your mobile provider, you may be eligible for an upgrade when the new iPhone comes out, so be sure to contact them and ask.

To minimize potential damage to your iPhone, we recommend purchasing a screen protector - a thin film that covers the iPhone’s screen and protects it from scratches. You could also buy a case for the iPhone, preferably one that sticks up over the screen a tiny bit. This way if you drop the phone screen down the case will hit first. If you have any questions about the screen replacement process please contact us.