Category Archives: iCloud
Google Drive triples free storage to 15 GB
We were just talking about how Amazon is competing with Apple and other cloud services by offering 5 GB of storage for free. Now, that turns out to be old news, because today Google announced that free storage spanning several Google services like Gmail, Google+ and Google Drive is now going to come in the extra large economy size — a whopping 15 GB.
Google says the changes will be rolling out over the next several weeks to all customers. All that space is shared, so if you are just using Google Drive Photo (for example), that 15 GB is shared with any other Google services that require storage. Still, 15 GB is a very competitive number since Apple and Amazon give you 5 GB with iCloud and Amazon Cloud Drive respectively, and Dropbox provides a measly 2 GB free. A similar service from MediaFire offers 10 GB of free storage, but the free tier includes ads. All the services allow you to get more storage for an additional fee. It will be interesting to see if Apple and other services respond to Google’s challenge or stand pat.
Parenting Tip: Using Find My iPhone to locate a misplaced iOS device
We’ve read countless stories about Find My iPhone and how it has helped police recover a stolen iOS device. The service is great for this type of field work, but did you know that Find My iPhone can help you find an iOS device that’s been misplaced around your house?
If you are a parent of little ones, you undoubtedly have experienced that frustrating moment when you need to leave for an appointment and can’t find your iPhone. You remember placing your phone on your desk, but it’s now missing because your tot has snatched it and casually tossed it aside. You try to interrogate your little one to find out where he or she left your iPhone, but all they do is point to their cup or the potty.
Documents by Readdle comes to the iPhone
Readdle is rolling out another version of its Documents app today. This latest version brings the popular document management app to the iPhone, expanding it beyond its iPad roots. Just like its iPad predecessor, the Documents version for the iPhone is a fast document viewer that includes both a media player and file manager.
The now universal app will let users store and view all the common file formats including PDF files, Office documents and photos. There’s an online component that’ll let you sync with common cloud services like Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, any WebDAV and iCloud. You can also browse and download files from the Web via built-in browser.
Apple’s iMessage encryption thwarts government investigations
The encryption used by Apple’s iMessage service is hindering federal drug enforcement agency investigations, says a report in CNET. CNET obtained an internal Drug Enforcement Administration document that details the problem faced by agents who are tracking suspects using non-traditional communication methods.
According to the document, the end-to-end encryption used by iMessage makes it “impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices,” even when there is a court order authorizing the electronic wiretap. This problem was discovered when agents noticed that messages sent from one iPhone to another iPhone via iMessage were not being captured during a surveillance.
Securing your iOS device for your children, Part 3: removing apps, limiting social features and other safety options
There has been a string of high-profile cases where children have racked up thousands of dollars in credit card charges through in-app purchases. In these cases and others like them, the iOS devices used by the children have not been properly locked down by the parents.
In the first post of the series, we walked you through setting up a child-safe iTunes account and in part two we took a tour of parental controls (restrictions). In part three below, we put the finishing touches on your iOS device by removing stray accounts, deleting apps and turning off social features. Before you hand over an iOS device to your child, use this final checklist to clean up any leftover adult settings.
