Sync music from iTunes to your iPad

A quick iPad tip showing how to sync music to your iPad or remove music that you currently have on your iPad and replaced it with music that you do not have on your iPad but do have in iTunes on my computer.

I know that Apple has tried to make managing media on the iPad a tad bit easier recently but I get asked quite a bit about managing media, particularly music on the iPad. I thank Irene Koehler for giving me this idea. Hopefully it helps someone who doesn't understand about syncing music from iTunes to the iPad. I will be honest, with iTunes 11 I have gotten lost myself a few times.

If you have any question feel free to contact me via Twitter @iCrizzo.
You could also circle me on Google+.

GoodReader - Passcode Lock Folders

This is just a quick tip for GoodReader showing the differences between the different pass code lock settings. If you are using GoodReader to store important files or documents you may want to adjust your pass code settings within the app. GoodReader has quite a few security settings, each of them offering more protection.

Within the GoodReader app you have 2 different settings for pass code locking a folder. If you have really sensitive data stored in a folder you might want to set it up to require a pass code immediately any time the application is opened. This will not require a pass code if you stay in the application only if you leave the application and come back to it. With require pass code immediately turned off you are only required to enter the pass code if the application is completely closed and re-opened.

There are also some encryption settings within GoodReader but they are not encrypted within iCloud. Make sure you read about the syncing through iCloud, you will find the dialog info below the setting to turn encryption on. As always, keeping important information local is always safer than syncing via the cloud.

You can find all my GoodReader tips and tricks here: http://totalipad.com/allaboutgoodreader/

You can download GoodReader for iPad in the App Store for only $4.99: http://goo.gl/l1UK1

GoodReader USB

I previously uploaded a GoodReader USB video about 1 and 1/2 - 2 years ago. The video was uploaded to my old YouTube account so I no longer had access to that video. Anyway, GoodReader USB is a free tool and I find it to be very useful for file management on my iPad.

The one benefit to using GoodReader for files and documents is that your files are local, unlike services like like Dropbox where they are uploaded to the 'cloud' so they can sync between devices. Sure the cloud makes things easier to manage but do you really want to upload important files to a service and trust that your info is kept safe/private? Not that I don't trust Dropbox but somethings are best if kept local only.

Also with GoodReader you can setup passwords for each folder you have in GoodReader that way if someone has access to your iPad then they will not have access to your important files/documents.

GoodReader USB works with your iPad connected to your computer via USB cable or you can also set it up to work over your network and add files wirelessly using the browser on your desktop and your local IP-address. I personally prefer using the USB cable and that is how I use it so that is how I demo GoodReader USB in the video above.

Download GoodReader USB free for both OS X and Windows: http://www.goodreader.com/usb/
More GoodReader: http://totalipad.com/allaboutgoodreader/

If you do not own GoodReader then you can purchase it for your iPad in the App Store for only $4.99:


Did you find this video helpful? Do you have a question or comment? Contact me on Twitter @iCrizzo.

Save money on Google Drive storage on an iPad

A couple of weeks ago I was looking into purchasing more storage for my Google Drive account but the only option was to pay by the month if I wanted to do so. First, I recently purchased a Nexus 4 so that is the main reason I wanted to up my Drive storage. Looking at the "Buy Storage for Drive" you will notice as I mentioned above your only option is to purchase monthly, it is not expensive as it starts out at $2.49 a month which is really cheap if you compare that to the pricing of say Dropbox per month cost. I decided to ask on Google+ if there was a way to pay for a year of Drive storage. Sadly the answer was no. After investigating further I discovered that while $2.49 is cheap, it is also much more expensive than the old pricing of Drive.

Enter Steve Ruge on Google+, he kindly pointed out that in the Google Drive app on the iPad you could still purchase more Drive storage and pay for it for the year via an In-App purchase. Not only could you pay for the year but it will end up saving you $4.98 which is 2 months free if you used the $2.49 a month for 1 year of 25GB storage that is found on the Drive page to purchase more storage.



The odd thing is you cannot do this on an android device. I tried to purchase more via the Drive app on my android phone and it kicks me out the browser and opens the same Drive upgrade page as linked above. Clearly this is a move to get iOS users using Drive on their devices, saving $5 or getting 2 months free is a good start in my opinion. I only wished I could purchase more than 25GB though. It would have been nice to see the 100GB for $50 available as an In-App purchase. I guess Google doesn't like having to give Apple that 30% cut. Another thing to remember is you will not have to add a credit card to Google Wallet by purchasing in the iPad. This is an IAP and the money comes from your Apple account so if you want to try Drive but don't want to give Google your credit card info then there is that!

To access the upgrade in Drive:

1. Tap the settings gear on the lower left of Drive (next to your email address)


2. Tap Storage


3. Upgrade Your Storage

If you found this helpful then let me know on Twitter or send me a shout out on Google+

How to get videos from GoodReader to your camera roll

A few days I uploaded a video showing you how to download videos onto your iPad using Safari and the GoodReader application. After uploading it to YouTube I had a comment about how to save those videos from the GoodReader application to the iPad, well it can be done but it cannot be done using GoodReader. I am sure the GoodReader developers could easily add the feature to save the videos to your camera roll on your iPad but sadly that option does not exist.

Here is the step by step how-to on getting videos from the GoodReader application to your camera roll or you could just watch the video above. I am assuming you have already downloaded your videos to the GoodReader app? If not see the link below on how to download videos on your iPad.

1. Locate your video in the GoodReader app


2. Press and hold down the video until you see the Manage File window appear on the right side of GoodReader


3. Click on the Open In menu


4. Select - Open in Box


5. The Box app will open and your video will begin importing, after import select your video


6. With your video selected, tap the 3 dot button on the top right


7. Choose "Save to Library"


8. Open your camera roll and you should now see your video saved to your iPad

Now that you have your videos saved to your camera roll you can easily launch any video editing application and make edits to your video then upload them to your favorite supported video hosting site such as Vimeo or YouTube.

 

How to download videos onto your iPad: http://totalipad.com/how-to-download-videos-to-your-ipad/

 

Download Box app free in the App Store: Box for iPhone and iPad - Box, Inc.

iPad update bug fix

This is not really a bug fix so to speak but just something that I happened to notice tonight while trying to update an iPad. The iPad in question was still running iOS 6.0 and in settings it was showing that the update available was 6.1 when actually the latest version of iOS available is 6.1.2.



I wasn't paying attention to the iOS update version number and every time I would try to update I would get the message as shown in the image above that I was not connected to the Internet. I tried to close Settings and relaunch it and it still would not find the updated version of iOS. I made sure to check that I indeed had Internet access and tried to install again, the same message appeared.

The fix to this issue is easy, reboot the iPad. To reboot the iPad just power it off by holding the power button until you see the slide to power off option, after it powers down turn the iPad back on and now open settings. For me it immediately started searching for the latest version of iOS and I was able to install the current version of iOS 6.1.2.

I have never noticed this before, mostly because I always update my devices as soon as an OS update is available. I know I have seen a lot of people on the Apple Forums and Twitter complaining that their iOS devices are not showing the latest update as available and I would be willing to bet they are running into the same problem as I was.

Have an iPad related question or a comment on this? Try me on Twitter @iCrizzo

How to download videos onto your iPad

This is an iPad video tip on how to download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, or any HTML5 video online onto your iPad. I seen a post yesterday on Macstories about a YouTube downloader 'hack' that looked like an interesting way to grab videos. In the article Mr. Viticci mentions that he was using GoodReader with this method of downloading videos. Well GoodReader already has the ability to download movies from sites like YouTube built right into the application, well not built into the app but a way to add a Safari shortcut that works similar to what was written on Macstories.

Who knows how long before this stops working or maybe even Apple will force GoodReader to remove this from the app? I hope not as I use all the time but mostly just for my own videos I have uploaded on YouTube. I have a lot of personal family videos videos that I keep private and sometimes I like to mashup those videos using vjay on my iPad.

Don't own GoodReader on your iPad? You can grab it from the iOS App Store for $4.99:
GoodReader for iPad - Good.iWare Ltd.

Works great on the iPhone as well:
GoodReader for iPhone - Good.iWare Ltd.

(If video will not play you can watch it on YouTube)

Have any other cool GoodReader tips? Let me know on Twitter @iCrizzo.

How to enable AirPlay

Want to mirror your iPad screen onto your television using an AppleTV? This is a quick little iPad tip video showing you how to setup AirPlay on your iPad.

1. Double press your Home Button


2. Swipe from left to right


3. Tap circle with triangle


4. Select AppleTV


5. Turn Mirroring = ON

Disable In App Purchases

A quick video tip on disabling In-App Purchases on your iPad. This is really useful if you have small children who use your iPad and they know your iTunes password. So far I have been lucky with my daughter not actually purchasing anything on my iTunes account. Never hurts to set in-app purchases to off so you don't have to worry about it. You can always turn them back on if you need them enabled.

Top iPad Stories (September 24 - September 30)

This week some last thoughts on an iPad mini, report problems with iOS 6 Apple Maps, TSA agent gets busted stealing iPad and how successful are magazines in the iBook store? As always my usual links to some development articles, my tip, app and review of the week and my awesome bonus link.

Top iPad Stories:

How to report problems in iOS 6’s Maps
Is the iPad a Game Changer?
Idle iPad Mini Thought
Impaktor for iPhone / iPad
MultiTouch for Sketchup via iPad
Apple and the iPad
Free ebooks on how to use iOS for iPhone and iPad
“iCloud Backup”
Future magazine digital editions on Apple devices have passed 5 million
ABC News Tracks Missing iPad To Florida Home of TSA Officer
Get Podcasts Back In The Music App

Developement:

Building advanced RSS reader with iOS6
Adding custom warning messages in Xcode
Source Code Pro
How do we get people to understand programming?

Review of the Week:

Aerosphere Sleeve for iPad by Cygnett

Tip of the Week:

Enable “Kid Mode” on iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch with Guided Access in iOS

App of the Week:

Jasmine - YouTube client for iPad

Bonus:

Steve Jobs on Intel Stickers

[divider]

Follow me on Twitter @iCrizzo
Follow Total iPad on Twitter @totalipad

Episode 29 of the Total iPad podcast - Have a listen.

Shared Photo Stream

With iOS 6 Apple introduced a new feature that not only works well in OS X but also terrific in iOS for the iPad and iPhone. On the iPad side of things shared Photo Stream works great in the Photos app that comes preinstalled on the iPad. Shared Photo Stream is a great way to share your photos with a private album for your family and friends. If you don’t want a private album you can also create a web album for public sharing, just remember it is public and anybody with the link can view the photos if you set it up as public.

Setting up a shared Photo Stream on the iPad is very easy to do. Oddly though you can only use the Photos app to actually create a new Photo Stream album. For some odd reason Apple decided not to add the functionality to iPhoto on the iPad which leaves me totally baffled. I can use iPhoto on the iPad to view my albums, I can also edit the photos in the album but I cannot add anything to the album from the app nor can I create a new shared Photo Stream album. I am not sure why Apple would cripple their most powerful photo app on the iPad? To add insult to injury you can actually create albums to share to Facebook and Flickr which really leaves me more baffled. Not sure what Apple is aiming to accomplish here but it is a head scratcher.

To set up a new shared album to share you will need to do the following:

• Open the Photos app


• In Photos view, tap the edit button on the top right


• Tap on each photo, you will see a blue checkmark appear on your photos


• After selecting each photo, tap the Share button on the top left


• Choose Photo stream


• Choose New Photo Stream


• Name your Photo Stream, Add email recipients, choose Public or not


• Tap Next


• Type a comment for your Photo Stream if you like, if not tap Post on the top right

That is it, you have now created a shared Photo Stream that is either available publicly or if private to those you have invited to view the photos. If you invite someone who is on iOS or OS X they will get a notification on their iPad, iPhone or Mac if they are using the latest versions of the OS (iOS 6 and Mountain Lion). Also others can leave comments or ‘Like’ the photo by tapping the smiley face icon.

Another cool aspect for OS X users is the fact that if you are using Photo Stream with either Aperture or iPhoto the updates to the albums shared by others happen seamlessly. You will get a nice notification in Mountain Lion that will open up either Aperture or iPhoto depending what you are using for Photo Stream. You can easily add new photos in the application to your own Photo Stream album.

A few downsides to Photo Stream are the fact you cannot add your own photos to a Photo Stream created by someone else. I am sure that feature will be added in the near future. As well as the ability to use iPhoto on the iPad and iPhone to create Photo Streams. Shared Photo Streams that are set to private can only be viewed in apps that have access to iCloud such as Photos app or iPhoto, private Photo Streams do not work on iCloud.com, they will also show up in Aperture or iPhoto on OS X depending which app you are using for Photo Stream.

This is probably my favorite feature of iOS 6 and I am glad to have something to finally replace my MobileMe Gallery. Check out my public Total iPad Photo Stream. Have you tried shared Photo Stream? Do you plan on using shared Photo Stream? If so please let me know via Twitter.

For more information about Photo Stream please visit Apple.com.

How to enable or disable Black on White on your iPad

Just a quick iPad tip video on how to enable or disable Black on White on your iPad.

Have a question, comment or tip for me? Try me on Twitter @iCrizzo

Turn off Archiving in Gmail on the iPad

A quick iPad tip or actually it is an iOS tip as this same tip applies to the iPhone and iPod Touch as well. If you do not want to archive your deleted emails in Gmail using the Mail.app on your iOS device. To disable archiving you will need to do the following:

1. Open Settings >


2. Mail, Contact, Calendars >


3. Select your Gmail account >


4. Archiving = OFF

 

Have a question or comment? Try me on Twitter.

iPad File Sharing

This is a just a quick tip on how to use File Sharing on the iPad via iTunes.  "How do I share files from my iPad or to the iPad?" - I see this question asked a lot on Twitter and on the Apple.com support boards.

 

File Sharing:

1. Connect your iPad to your Mac or Windows PC


2. Open iTunes


3. Select your iPad in the left panel


4. Select Apps in the top menu


5. Scroll down to the 'File Sharing' area


6. Select your App


7. Drag and drop your document or file (to or from)


8. If you are dragging to the iPad, tap sync

 

You can share any type of file to the iPad, just remember not all applications will support all file types. A great example would be iMovie, you can easily import your videos to iMovie but the video file needs to be the correct file format or iMovie will not recognize it.

 

If you have any questions feel free to ask me on Twitter @totalipad

I also have a Facebook page:  Total iPad

Email multiple photos on your iPad

A quick tip on how to email multiple photos from your iPad. You can email up to 5 images on your iPad in the mail application.

How to:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPad


2. Select your album


3. Tap the share icon


4. Select your photos (up to 5)


5. Tap Share


6. Select email

How to block adult sites on the iPad

A quick tip on blocking adult content from Safari on your iPad. There are no settings to actually do this in Safari on the iPad it has to be done via your router on your home network.


More info about Parental Controls
Setup OpenDNS


[box type='notice']Notice - This will only work when you are on your home network. Using cellular data or a different WiFi source will disable these restrictions[/box]

Export GarageBand files to edit on Mac

Are you creating music with GarageBand on your iPad but would like to edit them in GarageBand or Logic on your Mac? You can easily accomplish this by following these simple steps below.

On the iPad:
Open GarageBand on your iPad >
Tap the edit button >
Tap on your song(s) that you want to edit >
Tap the share icon "rectangle with arrow busting out" >
Select share song via iTunes >
Choose format GarageBand.

On your Mac:
Connect your iPad (or iPhone or iPod Touch) to your Mac >
Open iTunes >
Select your iPad in the left panel >
Select Apps in the top menu in iTunes >
Scroll down to the File Sharing section >
Select the GarageBand app icon >
Click on your saved file >
Tap Save To >
Choose a location computer and click Open.

Now you can open your saved GarageBand file in either GarageBand or Logic on your Mac.

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Have an awesome tip, need help with something iPad related? Try me on Twitter @totalipad

How to change your Game Center nickname

Are you unhappy with your current Game Center nickname? Why not change it? In this video I will show you the very easy process of chaining your Game Center nickname.


Be sure to follow me on Twitter @totalipad

Saving Battery life on iPad (3)

Not much has changed in the iPad as far as saving battery life, these tips have been around a while and apply to most all iOS devices.

* Turn off the Bluetooth when you are not using it.
* Turn off push email, if you don't need push select "manually".
* Turn down the screen brightness, especially with the Retina display, this will help a ton, I keep mine on 50% and disable auto-brightness.
* Limit the apps that use location services, if they do not need location services disable it within the app.
* Limit the apps that use notifications, Twitter is a killer for this, but other apps as well.
* Turn on your iPad’s auto-lock.

All these settings can be adjusted within the "Settings" app you will find on your iPad's home screen (default). I have noticed that the iPad (3) battery drains at a tad faster rate than the iPad 2, it also takes quite a bit longer to charge as the battery is much larger.


If you have another tip you feel should be added to this list, send me a message on Twitter @totalipad

Ripping DVDs to your iPad

Ripping your DVD movies onto your Mac, iPhone or iPad has never been easier. For me Ripit makes this all possible. RipIt is a paid application for your Mac, RipIt cost $24.95 but you can try it first before buying. The trial version will give you 10 DVD rips before deciding to purchase. Take my word for it, no need for the trial go ahead and buy it. I have tried quite a few other DVD ripping applications on the Mac and there are some other great apps but RipIt is the easiest to use. After installing RipIt, it is a 3 step process to rip the movies and get them onto your iPad:

• Insert DVD


• Press Compress button


• Sync video to your iPad

RipIt Quick Start Guide
RipIt Help Center

[box type='notice']It is not illegal for you to backup your DVD collection for personal use.[/box]

HandBrake