At the 32nd annual edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival, smartphones were more prevalent than had ever been the case, previously, at our Festival, the iPhone seemingly the smartphone of choice.
One could see the occasional Blackberry, a few Android-based Samsung phones were in evidence, but no Windows 8-based Nokia Luminas (actually, a great phone). Yes, it was the Apple iPhone in all of its platinum glory — and version 5, at that — the so-called ‘smartphone for dummies’ (they’re so easy to use, seamless in their operation, VanRamblings employing an iPhone 5 as our means of social communication) that held sway at VIFF.
Social media, and twitter use in particular, was up, way up (how else to discover, in real time, the VIFF winners this past Friday night — a big thank you to the Globe and Mail’s Marsha Lederman), VIFF patrons plugged into the news online prior to the unspooling of VIFF cinematic splendour, text messaged their friends — and moreso than in previous years, kindly observed the instruction of those VIFF staff introducing films to “shut off your smartphones, so as not to disturb your neighbours”). All to the good.
Just prior to the start of VIFF 2013, Apple introduced a near revolutionary change to the iPhone: the introduction of the iOS 7 operating system, a transformation of functionality and process greater than any that has occurred since Apple first introduced the iPhone into the market, in 2007.
Apple has decided to do away with its skeumorphic app design, the “traditional” look employed in the design of Apple’s mobile apps — a design which mimicked “real world” objects — as it moves away from the three-dimensional candy-coated icons with which iPhone / iPad users had become familiar, in favour of flattened icons and a more minimalist design, the “new” flat design of iOS 7 closer to the new industry stand in the mobile market, a style employed by Google on all its Android-based phones.
In fact, the “new” iOS 7 — featuring uncluttered interfaces, and the deliberate use of white space — ought to make use of the iPhone and iPad faster and more intuitive (and more likely than not, prolong battery life). Apple is getting rid of the bloat attendant in the skeumorphic graphical user interface. Of course, a major change of design such as that undertaken in iOS 7 involves something of a learning curve, and an adjustment for users, and as we noticed at the Festival, many iPhone owners were struggling with their adjustment to iOS 7 (whereas, VanRamblings loves the new, almost poetically slippery, Apple operating system).
During the run of the Festival, VanRamblings had promised to publish an introductory column on iOS 7, directing readers towards a few tips, tricks and innovative changes that are incorporated into iOS 7, replete with links galore, a complete explanation on the nature of iOS 7’s innovation.
Today, we’ll go some way to fulfilling that commitment.
19+ Tips, Tricks & Innovations iPhone/iOS 7 Users Ought to Know

As above, in this post we’ll commence our exploration of iOS 7, with the 19+ new and innovative features that will be of most interest to iPhone users. In addition, here’s a link to an article on iOS 7 battery saving tips, and another link on how to resolve petty iOS 7 annoyances. We intend that this article will help iPhone / iPad users ease their adjustment to iOS 7.
1. Disable the activation lock code on iOS7
A built-in security feature, not necessarily new to iOS 7, but definitely more annoying, is the default setting that insists iPhone / iPad users establish a passcode for entry into the Apple device. Most users employ the passcode lock for their iPhones, but if you pretty much use your iPad as a stay-at-home device, with very little or no sensitive information stored on your tablet, you’ll want to disable iOS 7’s activation lock code. Here’s how:
Settings > General > Passcode Lock - Turn Passcode Off
2. Silence Is Golden: Blocking Calls / Texts in iOS 7
Users can now block calls, which is a great way to avoid unwanted contacts. Just go to a contact’s entry and scroll down to the bottom and select “Block this Caller” to block a certain number or contact. Tapping this “button” will prevent the person from being able to call you, send you text messages, or reach you over FaceTime, as well. A handy new innovation.
3. Undelete e-mails
If you accidentally deleted an email, simply shake your phone to undo it.
4. Settings: make iOS 7 easier on the eye
We like the new interface, but it isn’t for everyone. If you have problems with your sight or just want to make iOS 7 more legible, you’ll find some useful settings in Settings > General > Accessibility. You can make all system text bold, increase the size of text in apps that support Apple’s Dynamic Type, scale down motion effects such as the parallax effect, or invert the colours to make iOS 7 look like a 1980s electro-pop album cover.
5. Disabling the Parallax Effect, and Why
Are you, as an iOS 7 user, experiencing vertigo, headaches or nausea while using the recently-launched iOS 7? Surely, most users won’t have a problem with iOS 7’s latest innovation, but reports are already coming in that the new parallax effect in the homescreen (making the background move as if it’s far behind the icons) is making some people experience a similar feeling to having car-sickness.
Although the effect of the moving background is quite cool, there’s no doubt that if it’s going to cause users some discomfort while using their iPhones and iPads, they’d gladly do away with it. And thankfully, there is a way to disable the iOS 7 parallax effect! You just have to follow these simple steps to disable parallax in iOS 7, simply navigate to …
Settings > General > Accessibility, and turn the “Reduce Motion” option on.
One simple setting and you can use iOS 7 Gravol-free!
6. Apps: Automatic Updates
With iOS 7, users can now update apps automatically, a great new functionality for those with a decent data plan. Control this function either way by going to …
Settings > iTunes > App Store, and slide the Updates option under Automatic Downloads.
7. Swipe Down For Search
Gone are the days of having to swipe or tap your way to iOS’ dedicated search page. You can now access Spotlight search from anywhere on the homescreen. Just swipe down in the middle of the screen to quickly search across your device’s apps, e-mails, and contacts — but curiously, it seems that Apple has removed Spotlight’s ability to search the web. We’re pretty sure we never actually used that now missing functional capability, but this is the Internet so we’re supposed to complain now that it’s gone.
8. Siri: now reads your e-mails, and much, much more
Siri makes light work of not only listing e-mails in your inbox, but also reading them out to you. Hold down the Home button and say, “Read my e-mails” and Siri will give you sender, time and date sent, and the subject of each in turn. When asked if you want Siri to read out your mail, just say “Yes”. Or you could simply say, “Siri, read my last three e-mails”, and voilà, that’s what Siri will do.
And, Siri does even more. If you have your hands really full, you can ask Siri to access apps and features in your iDevice such as Settings.
One of the new changes to Siri that came along with a host of technical upgrades is the chance to switch between a male and female voice for your digital assistant. If you’re interested in trying out a different voice behind the same info, go to the Settings app, and then navigate to General > Siri > Voice Gender, and tap on whichever gender you’d prefer.
9. iOS 7’s Control Center: Swipe Up For Toggles

Fixing what is perhaps one of iOS’ most glaring, long-lasting omissions, iOS 7 puts one-click access to things like Airplane mode and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth toggles just one swipe away, instead of hiding them in Settings.
To get to the new Control Panel, just swipe up from the bottom of the screen anywhere you might be. You’ll get buttons for Airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, Orientation lock, and sliders for brightness and media control. Oh, and there’s a readily accessible flashlight — much used in recent days by VanRamblings, as we searched for our cap after the end of VIFF films — available to you, as well. The Control Panel is also accessible from the lockscreen.
10. Flashlight as notification
Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > scroll down and tap “LED Flash for Alerts”.

Continue reading VIFF 2013: Apple’s iOS 7, Transformative New Functionality →

Near Field Communication is coming to your smart phone this fall.
What does that mean to you?
Among other things, NFC-enabled devices (think smart phones or tablets) will enable the user to make mobile payments (have a look at the VISA video below), replace your passport, with one swipe open your home, car or hotel door, allow you to buy your theatre tickets online, replace the bracelet you have to wear when you go to the hospital, demystify your prescriptions when you’re at the pharmacy — and all that’s just for a start.

So, VISA is about to create and implement an effective, secure digital wallet service that’ll make all the above payment innovations real, set to arrive in a digital device near you at some point this autumn.
VISA’s idea is to let you store your VISA accounts, non-VISA accounts and even online payment services like PayPal into one digital wallet.
This way, you can pay for goods online with this do-everything wallet, with one account rather than various cards and different accounts allowing you, of course, to customize which cards you want, thereby simplifying how you pay for the goods you purchase.
Google has also announced a digital wallet, arriving first on Android phones, but due to expand onto all smart phones later this autumn.

A chip inside new Android phones — for now, only one model has it — will allow shoppers to wave their devices in front of a reader to pay for clothes and food at the mall or grocery.
Responding to privacy issues, Google said it will not have access to users’ financial information or purchase history.
Google’s electronic wallet will launch over the summer, with trials beginning in American cities on either coast. Users will need to download the Google Wallet application to begin using the service. Security will be paramount: Google said the chip cannot be accessed by passersby or by malicious software applications designed to steal information.
Users will need a PIN to access the app, and financial data will be stored on a tamper-resistant chip isolated from the phone’s hardware and software. At the point of purchase, the transmitter sends a unique, dynamic account number to verify the transaction.
“At the end of the day, it’s the same as a card,” says MasterCard spokeswoman Joanne Trout. “If there are fraudulent purchases, customers have zero liability.”
The success of MasterCard’s PayPass system — which allows shoppers to simply tap their cards on a reader rather than swipe — shows there is demand for “contactless” payments.
“There will be demand for this technology as long as there are enough retailers and enough phones,” Google announced upon introduction of the digital wallet concept.

For the past month, VanRamblings has volunteered four hours a week at Free Geek Vancouver …

“a nonprofit community organization that reduces the environmental impact of waste electronics by reusing and recycling donated technology … (which also acts as) a place for people to share technology, and to work together to build healthier, more empowered communities …“

Through community engagement Free Geek provides education, job skills training, Internet access and free or low cost computers to the public.
The impetus for travelling down to Free Geek, initially — aside from meeting co-founder Ifny Lachance, with whom we’d made contact while working on various political campaigns this past fall — occurred as a consequence of VanRamblings’ desire to both volunteer with a worthwhile non-profit providing service to the community, as well as to transform 24 hours of work at Free Geek into a PC (Pentium 4, 60GB hard drive, 1GB RAM, 64MB graphics card) that we could donate ourselves to a deserving social agency.
As Ifny points out in this video …

“If you commit to 24 hours of volunteer time with Free Geek, you earn a free computer. We also provide computers to non-profits; we have a Hardware Grant Foundation for organizations that are serving the community … they can fulfill their mandate more effectively if they have not only the equipment that they need, but they don’t have to scramble for money to buy brand new computers.”

Free Geek supports free and open source technology, including Ubuntu, a community developed, Linux-based operating system that supplies all the applications you need — a web browser (Firefox), presentation, document and spreadsheet software (OpenOffice), instant messaging and much more.
Soon, we will have earned a free computer through our volunteer work — disassembling computers, picking up old computer equipment from schools across the city, receiving shipments, packing e-waste for responsible recycling, testing equipment and building computers — with Free Geek.
Even though we at VanRamblings consider ourselves techies, there’s a surprising amount of information we weren’t aware of — what a wonderful learning experience, then, that we’ve had at Free Geek this past month. If you’re in the market for a computer and money’s tight, or if you’re looking for a worthwhile, educational volunteer opportunity, Free Geek is the place for you. Or, if all you’re looking for is a ‘new‘ computer, for only $100 you can pick up a custom built PC from Free Geek’s computer thrift store.