Tag Archives: iOS 13

fixed : listen to Dutch-language live radio on Google Home or Nest speakers

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Question :

We have just gotten ourselves a Google Nest Hub in our Kitchen and a Google Home Mini in our living room. From the info in GoogleHome.app it seems like Spotify, YouTube Music and Google Play Music are the only options to play music on it…

…are we overlooking something ?

 

Answer :

The info in GoogleHome.app might be quite confusing, but what you’ve found is the list of music services that are supported by Google Assistant (Google’s voice-assistant that is like Apple’s Siri). For now, “Hey Google” can only voice-control Spotify, YouTube Music and Google Play Music…

But… you can use both the Google Nest Hub‘s and the Google Home Mini‘s speaker as a speaker to stream to using the Chromecast protocol from any app that supports it on your iPhone or iPad… (…and on your iPhone/iPad you can use the “Hey Siri” voice-control)

So, if you stream from your iPhone/iPad, you can use any online radio station’s app that supports Chromecast-ing to ‘listen to the radio’ on your Google Nest Hub or Google Home Mini.

If do not want to be limited to one radio station only, your best option probably is the TuneInRadio.app that you can download from the AppStore. Even though you might feel like you get tricked into buying the payed subscription for TuneIn Radio, you can just skip that, as even the FREE version will get what you want (for free !).

Note : the TuneInRadio.app can stream to both Chromecast-compatible and AirPlay-compatible speakers.

Dutch-language Live Radio stations that can be found in TuneInRadio.app are :

  • Radio 538
  • Radio Veronica
  • Q-Music
  • Sky Radio
  • Radio10 Gold
  • 100% NL
  • SLAM!
  • KINK
  • Arrow Classic Rock
  • ClassicNL
  • NPO FunX
  • NPO 2FM Retro
  • NPO 2FM Soul & Jazz
  • NPO 3FM
  • NPO 3FM Alternative
  • NPO Radio 4 Concerten
  • NPO Radio 5
  • VRT Studio Brussel
  • VRT Klara
  • Q-Music België
  • NRJ België
  • …and a lot of other local, national and international music stations

Just start the TuneInRadio.app on your iPhone/iPad, turn on the live radio station you want to listen to, and click on the Chromecast-icon (rectangle with WiFi-sign in the bottom left corner) or AirPlay-icon (rectangle with the triangle in the bottom) to select the Chromecast or AirPlay speaker you want to stream to.

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

 

fixed : stream video to Google Nest Hub from iPhone/iPad

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Question :

We’ve just gotten ourselves a Google Nest Hub (the Google Home pod with a screen) in our kitchen. Since it has a screen, we would like to watch Netflix and/or live TV on it.

Is that possible ?

 

Answer :

Yes, you can stream video (and live TV) from your iPhone (or iPad) to your Google Nest Hub’s screen as if you were streaming to a Google Chromecast…

But…  even though it uses the Chromecast-isch protocol, the app developers have to add support for streaming to the Google Nest Hub as an extra… most services have already implemented support, but some are still working on it…

International streaming services :

  • Netflix : not yet (for now real Chromecast streaming only)
  • Amazon Prime : not yet (for now real Chromecast streaming only)
  • AppleTV+ : no (no support expected for some time to come as Apple and Google have only recently started to consider more compatibility between Apple’s AirPlay and Google’s Chromecast streaming protocols)
  • Disney+ : yes
  • YouTube : yes
  • Vimeo : yes
  • EyeTV : not yet

Local Dutch streaming services ( video-on-demand/VOD, catch-up TV & live TV ) :

  • ZiggoGo : yes
  • Videoland : yes
  • RTL XL : yes
  • KIJK : yes
  • NOS Play : yes
  • NPO Start : yes
  • Pathé Thuis : yes

To stream video (or live TV) from your iPhone (or iPad) to your Google Nest Home’s screen, the procedure is nearly identical for all services :

  • make sure the Google Nest Hub is ON
  • make sure the Google Nest Hub is on the same WiFi network as your iPhone (or iPad) – you can check this in the GoogleHome.app on your iPhone (or iPad)
  • turn on the streaming video service’s app on your iPhone (or iPad)
  • start the video you would like to stream
  • click on the Chromecast-icon (rectangular icon with the WiFi-sign over the bottom left corner) that is displayed (somewhere on the screen, usually at the bottom, top or side – depending on the app’s layout)
  • from the popup-list select the Google Nest Hub (which you have given a name like “Kitchen Display” in GoogleHome.app)
  • and start watching on your Google Nest Hub

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

 

fixed : how to safely block caller without calling the untrustworthy number

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Question :

Over the past few days I’ve had several incoming phone calls from an unknown phone number. Since my iPhone warned me that these were from Algeria (the actual phone number started with +213…) and I don’t know anyone who currently is in Algeria, I did not answer any of these calls as I was expecting them to be fraudulent scams…

Now, I want to block this phone number from ever calling me again…

How do I do that safely ?

 

Answer :

By ‘safely’, you probably mean ‘without running the risk of accidentally calling this number’ right ?

To safely block a caller, this is the procedure :

  1. switch on Flight Mode
  2. block the caller
  3. delete the call from the recent calls list
  4. switch off Flight Mode

Since it isn’t clear from your question if you want to block a caller from calling you over regular mobile network (a.k.a. cellular) or from Whatsapp or from any other audio-calling app, I will outline the exact procedure for cellular (GSM) and Whatsapp-audio below.

Here’s how to safely bock a caller  from cellular (GSM) calls :

  • put your iPhone in Flight Mode
    • swipe down from the top right corner of the screen
    • in the window that opens, click on the Airplane-icon
    • now the Airplane-icon will turn orange and the icons for cellular (GSM), Bluetooth and WiFi will dim (grey out)
    • now your iPhone is in Flight mode
  • then, open the Phone.app (the green icon with the old-fashioned telephone hand-piece in it)
  • in the next window, click on “Recents” (in the bottom row, with the clock-icon)
  • in the “Recents” list, find the untrustworthy caller and click on the info-icon at the far right of it (the blue circle outline with the letter “i” in it)
  • in the next window, scroll down completely
  • there, click on “Block this Caller”
  • then, click on “< Recents” top right to return to the Recents list
  • in the “Recents” list, click “Edit” (top right)
  • now find the untrustworthy caller and click on the red “No Entry” icon that has appeared in front of it (far left of the phone number)
  • then, click “Done” (top right)
  • then, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get back to the main screen
  • then, switch Flight Mode off
    • swipe down from the top right corner of the screen
    • in the window that opens, click on the orange Airplane-icon
    • now the Airplane-icon will turn gray and the icons for cellular (GSM), Bluetooth and WiFi will switch on (turn blue or green)
    • now Flight Mode is turned off

And here’s how to safely block a caller from Whatsapp calls :

  • put your iPhone in Flight Mode
    • swipe down from the top right corner of the screen
    • in the window that opens, click on the Airplane-icon
    • now the Airplane-icon will turn orange and the icons for cellular (GSM), Bluetooth and WiFi will dim (grey out)
    • now your iPhone is in Flight mode
  • then, open the Whatsapp.app (the green icon with the old-fashioned telephone hand-piece in a cartoon speech balloon)
  • in the next window, click on “Calls” (in the bottom row, with the telephone hand-piece icon)
  • in the “Calls” list, find the untrustworthy caller and click on the info-icon at the far right of it (the blue circle outline with the letter “i” in it)
  • in the next window, scroll down completely
  • there, click on “Block Contact”
  • then, click on “< Calls” top right to return to the Recents list
  • in the “Calls” list, click “Edit” (top left)
  • now find the untrustworthy caller and click on the red “No Entry” icon that has appeared in front of it (far left of the phone number)
  • then, click “Done” (top left)
  • then, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get back to the main screen
  • then, switch Flight Mode off
    • swipe down from the top right corner of the screen
    • in the window that opens, click on the orange Airplane-icon
    • now the Airplane-icon will turn gray and the icons for cellular (GSM), Bluetooth and WiFi will switch on (turn blue or green)
    • now Flight Mode is turned off

As mentioned, the procedure is similar for all voice-audio calling apps.

That’s it !

Now the caller has been blocked from sending new messages, and you can no longer accidentally call back.

enjoy 😉

fixed : iPad mini 2 screen glass shattered

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Question :

My son slipped on the stairs this weekend and his iPad mini (2nd generation) fell down the stairs… the cover prevented any damage to the iPad itself, but the screen is completely shattered since it hit a staircase pole head-on…

The iPad mini 2 is still working properly, but the screen is no longer use-able…

What solution do you suggest ?

 

Answer :

The first thing to do is cover the broken screen with broad transparent tape, in overlapping lanes, to make sure you will not lose any glass pieces and keep your fingers and face safe when you use it.

Then, go to your local AppleStore or Apple Repair Center and ask them to check your iPad to get a price quote on the repair costs. If your iPad is still okay and only the screen has to be replaced, a repair at the AppleStore will probably cost you ca. €210, for that you will get a “remanufactured” unit of exactly the same specs as your original iPad, so an “Apple refurbished” / “factory refurbished” iPad mini 2 with a 6 month warranty.

Even from Apple’s point of view, that’s not a top deal, as they will try to talk you into buying a new iPad, iPad mini or iPad Pro, since the iPad mini 2 is quite outdated by today’s standards : it can run iOS 12, but not the latest iPadOS 13 (nor iOS 13).

So Apple is somewhat right : if this is your primary iPad, buy a new iPad or get yourself a 2nd-hand iPad that can run iPadOS 13.

And if it’s just a secondary iPad : fix it yourself.

If your screen is not completely shattered and the cracks in the screen are not blocking your view, they’re just hazardous to your fingers : buy a glass screen protector and put that over the original screen (after removing the transparent tape).

You can get glass screen protectors at various (online) shops, be sure to get tempered glass like Gorilla Glass or Panzer Glass.

This is one of the options available on Amazon :

Ailun Tempered Glass H9 Screen Protector for iPad mini 1/2/3 – 2 pack [buy on Amazon US] [buy on Amazon UK] [buy on Amazon DE]

However, if the cracks in your screen are preventing you from joyfully using your iPad mini 2 that is not your primary iPad, go and try to replace the screen yourself :

that’s it !

good luck & enjoy 😉

NOTE : to make sure you will not run into this problem again, you might consider a (semi) military grade protection case for your iPad mini 2 : Supcase Beetle Defence Case with integrated Display Protector for iPad mini 1&2 [buy on Amazon US] [Buy on Amazon UK] [Buy on Amazon DE] …for a relatively old iPad these are quite expensive cases, so it just depends on how, how often and for how long you will use your iPad mini 2 to decide if that’s a good investment…

 

tip : quickly typ numbers and non-alphanumeric signs on iPad

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TIP :

there is a quick way to typ numbers (and other SHIFT-accessable digits) on iPad in iOS12 and iPadOS :

when the on-screen keyboard is visible, just swipe-down (pull-down) on the on-screen key to get it’s SHIFT-version

e.g. : if you swipe down the 3-key, you will typ the #-sign, and if you swipe-down the 7-key, you will typ the &-sign

enjoy 😉

 

fixed : delete apps in iOS13

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Question :

I’ve just upgraded my iPhone to iOS13, but I can’t figure out how to delete apps that I no longer need on my iPhone…

How do I do that ?

 

Answer :

To delete apps in iOS13, do this :

  • tap & hold the app’s icon until a popup menu appears
  • choose “rearrange apps”
  • now the X-signs will appear atop all app-icons, and all app-icons will start shaking (just like you were used to)
  • tap the X-sign atop the icon of the app that you want to delete
  • when the icon disappears, tap the “Done”-button top right

That’s it !

enjoy 😉