Control-Z on an iPad

Control-z (command-z on a Mac) is one of my favorite things about the computer era. As most of you know, it is the computer command for undo last action. It makes it so it's like the last thing you did never happened, so if you make mistake you can just get rid of it. I make a lot of mistakes, probably more than you do, so I have long loved this whole concept; oft times I wish life had a control-z command.

As you know I have mostly gone all iPad, only using my computer at home. So here's the problem: just as it was with control-f, that there is no control or command key on an iPad. Oh the sorrow!

However, before you through your iPad into the dust bin, just yet let me tell you their is a way (albeit not quite as good) to duplicate this functionality on your iPad.

Warning: the iPad does punish you for making mistakes, this solution can make you look like a fool.

You have to shake your iPad

That's right, shake it. You make a mistake and all you have to do is shake your iPad, and it will go away.

Here's what happens; just click the undo typing (red box) and it will go away. This solution works in most apps that use text input. Quite frankly it is easier to do this on an iPhone or an iPod Touch where you may have already shaken your device in frustration anyway.  On the iPad it's a little more difficult and risky. It can be useful however, just not as useful as control-z.

Fortunately for us, many app developers know the value of the undo command and the have built undo functionality into their apps sans the shaking.  This normally comes in the form of a a little arrow looping backwards (orange arrow).

All the Evernote apps (Evernote, Penultimate, Skitch) have this functionality.  The Adobe Reader app, as well as others contain true undo functions. They also have redo arrows (yellow arrow) which mimics the less commonly used control-y command.

So there you have it, it is not perfect, but when you want to undo on your iPad the best option is to look for the undo arrow and if that is not available to you just shake it. I believe the shake command will work in almost every app.

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How to Make Tracks an Audiobook in iTunes

One of life's most frustrating experiences is when you are happily listening to your music on shuffle and all of the sudden out of your earbud someone starts talking. Then you dig your iPod or iPhone out of your pocket, double click the home button and hit skip; its annoying.

Chances are if this has happened to you its because you've downloaded an audiobook or a talk from a source other than iTunes. The music app simply sees the tracks as MP3s and plays them along with everything else, even if they are marked as the "Books & Spoken" genre, so it shuffles them in with all your songs.

Fortunately there is a simple way to fix this, its just hard to find at first. Normally I don't talk about using a computer directly here, but I only know of a fix for this via iTunes. If you know of a way to do it on iOS please Tweet to @halduauthor.

I just recently got Jon Acuff's book Quitter as a free audiobook on NoiseTrade, so we will use that as an example.

Note that I am using iTunes 11 on a MacBook, but the process is identical on older versions of iTunes or on a PC.

First find all the tracks that belong in your audiobook, this is probably most easily done by typing the book title or author name into the iTunes search bar if you downloaded it from a source like NoiseTrade or Audible.  If you ripped it off a CD hopefully you named the album and author when you did so and it should also work, if not you will have to do some digging.

It should look something like this:

Highlight all the tracks in the audiobook (click on the top one, hold shift, click on the bottom one) then do a right click, and select "Get Info" (red arrow)

You will then be asked if you want to edit multiple tracks at one time, click yes (orange box).

You will see this menu, click on "Options" on the far right (yellow arrow)

It will look like this:

In order to change these tracks into an audio book you want it to look like this:

Change Media Kind to Audiobook, this will force the tracks to show up under the Books tab in iTunes
Say yes to part of compilation.
Say yes to remember position.
Say yes to skip when shuffling (Hurray!)

There you have it, your problem is solved.  Just sync your iPhone, iPod, or iPad with iTunes and you will be good to go. If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comments section below.


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Thoughts on the New iPod Touch 16-gig

Yesterday Apple quietly placed a new product on their website, a new model of the iPod Touch 5th gen. This one has 16-gig of space on it as opposed to the 32-gig which was the previous entry level on the 5th gen. Less storage allowed them to drop the price along with pulling out the rear facing camera and the loop lanyard. Apple also pulled the old 4th gen Touch from their product line, which it had still been offering as the entry level model.

What are my thoughts on the matter?

It's About Time:
Really the 4th gen is a great iPod and the one I still use, but it really should not be being sold new anymore. The technology is really pretty old now and it was time for it to go the way of all the older devices. I'm also happy when something like this happens because it drives down the prices of used electronics.

A Cheaper iPhone?
Many people seem to think that this signals that Apple will unveil a cheaper iPhone, but I disagree. Why? Because by doing this Apple has not made the iPod touch entry cheeper, it has made it more expensive. If by cheaper iPhone people are saying that Apple will release a lower quality iPhone than I definitely say no, what this shows is that if they release a lower cost iPhone it will be at the sacrifice of components.

That may sound like the same thing, but it isn't. Cheap quality is like a Samsung Galaxy where they make it out of plastic that will crack if you look at it sideways. Sacrificing components is what Apple has always done with the iPod touch. They've always lowered the price by saying were going to give you an older processor, or leave out the microphone, or leave off the camera, or offer less memory to give you a lower price. Which makes sense considering most people are buying these for kids.

So What Does This Mean?
Nobody can really say before WWDC but I think that Rob on Today In iOS, made a good guess when he said this may mean that iOS 7 will require the A5 processor that comes in the 5th gen iPod touch. While this would make me very sad because I would hate not to be able to update my iPod, it does seem like a likely explanation.

Another explanation could be that Apple is preparing to launch a new product, like an iWatch that would not be able to connect with a 4th gen bluetooth or processor, or that they are just going to limit it like they did Siri in which case they would need to stop offering products that wouldn't work with it.

It could also be that Apple was just running out of the 4th gen components and did not want to keep producing them when they could just lower the price point of the 5th gen. I think this is the most likely reason. The 4th gen has been around for a long time in terms of Apple products and as good as it is it was time for it to be picked off the Apple tree.

Well those are my thoughts. Let me know yours, Tweet to @halduauthor.
I guess we'll find out more next week. Here's looking forward to WWDC.


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Review: BYU App

While the app I review here is specific to BYU and is most useful to BYU students and faculty, it would also be very useful to a visitor to BYU for a camp or conference.

Name: BYU
Price: Free
Stars: 4
Type: Education, Information

Probably the best thing BYU's IT department has done over the course of my time at school has been to develop this app. The BYU website has always been cumbersome and annoying, the app is more than just a "go to website" type of app, but it does make many of the features of the website a lot more accessible.

This app does so much, and it is always having new features added. It was getting to the point that it had almost to much and you could not find what you wanted, but now they have added the feature to just choose what items you want to appear on your list when you open the app.

It does a lot so I will just go over the ones I have saved to my list here:

• Library - this one gives younth option to search the library for books or materials, but more important than that it gives you instant access to study room reservations, before this it was a huge hassle to get to a study room reserved now it is relatively simple.
•  Map My Classes - does exactly what it says, using your BYU ID it will find the location of all of your classes and show them to you on map. Great for the first day of the semester.
• Campus Cameras - while a little creep, this app gives you access to BYU's time lapsed cameras in places you might want to check out lines, like the testing center, the bookstore, and Brigham's Square.
• Calendars -- lets you access all of the university calendars you use to have to navigate through the website to do. This can let you see who is coming to speak at devotional, when the basketball team is playing, and what is playing at the HFAC.
• Vending -- if you have ever showed up at the vending machine and been disappointed all the Fat Boy sandwiches were gone then this is for you, it lets you see where the vending machines are on campus, what they have in stock and how much they cost. Freshman dream come true.
• My ID card -- I don't lose or forget my ID card, but I keep this option on my list just incase, the app can produce a digital version of your ID card that will allow you to enter the testing center, use your meal plan, and other ID relate activities.
• GPA Calculator -- one of my absolute favorites, this function use to buried on BYU's website behind like a thousand pages, now it is right here on the app and I can "what if" to my heart's content.

Well I have barely scratched the surface of what is offered in this app. There are a lot more features to use depending on your campus needs. I highly recommend this app to anyone attending or visiting BYU.

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How to connect a bluetooth keyboard to an iPad

If you decide you want to go all iPad either completely or just for your mobile needs, there are many reasons you might need to use a bluetooth keyboard. Here are a few:

• You may not like the lack of tactile feedback you get from the onscreen keyboard.
• You may have too much typing to do to be comfortably handled by the onscreen keyboard.
• You may want to be able to view the whole screen instead of having half of it covered up by the onscreen keyboard.
• You may want to make use of arrow keys, media controls, number pad, or other key options not offered by the onscreen keyboard.
• You may prefer to type in the dvorak lay out, an option only offered on the iPad via bluetooth keyboards. 

What ever your reason you may have encountered some trouble setting up your bluetooth keyboard because the instructions that come with them are often cryptic at best. Fortunately the process is actually quite simple.


1.Turn bluetooth on on your iPad from the settings page (red arrow)

2. Turn bluetooth on on your keyboard, generally you do this by switching on the power and then pressing a button with the bluetooth symbol on it.
3.The keyboard should start blinking an LED if it has one and then appear in the list of devices on your on your iPad screen. Simply tap it (orange arrow)


4. You will then receive a notification box on your iPad telling you to enter a pairing code on the keyboard. (yellow arrow) simply enter this via the number keys and press enter.



5. You are now paired if it says "Connected" next to the keyboard in the device list (green box)
There you have it your keyboard is now connected and ready to use.

Quick Tip: did you know you can also connect a bluetooth keyboard to your iPhone or iPod Touch? The process is the same as for an iPad.

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Stop liking your bad self, and live better

I'd like to talk about something that is really important: IDENTITY. Each of us has an identity that is made up of every little bit about us, like strands of twine that make a rope. Just look at your ID(entity) card, preferably a driver's license like this one.

This card identifies you by physical description. And chances are you also build part of you personal identity on your physical description. For example I weave part of my identity out of being: a white person, a short person, a blue eyed person, a skinny person, a left-handed person, a male person, all based on my physical identity.

You probably also build your identity based on other common factors like religion, social/economic status, hometown, profession, family background and structure, etc. All those things you are asked on every survey you have ever taken. But you also base it on what you think about yourself and what others have identified about you.

The problem is that often something that is negative about us will be repeated over and over until we take that in and make it part of our identity, even though it really is not. And as soon as you make that little negative thread part of you identity cord you start to like it, even if you say you don't. So you say something like this: "Well I hate it, but I'm just a lazy person, that's just the way I am."

NO! That is not JUST THE WAY YOU ARE. But be honest, you like it, cuz you think it is part of you. If you are ever going to become better you have to get rid of this notion, whatever it is, that negative aspects are part of you. It is really hard to do this, because if you choose to give one up, especially one that you have believed is a part of you for a long time, it will hurt, it will hurt a lot. Like the man in The Great Divorce who rips the lizard off his shoulder it will feel as though a part of you has died, but the truth is a parasite eating off your soul has died, not you.

See, the problem with negative threads is that they disintegrate, because they are not part of you, when things get difficult they disappear and you are left with a frayed and nearly broken cord of identity that cannot support you.

So stop liking your bad self. If it is something that is holding you back than it is not really part of you.  Just like the dross was never part of the gold, but the gold thought it was. Believe me, when you come out on the other side you will still be you, just a better and purer form of you, and that is a good thing.


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Goal Apps: Accomplishing

The entire point of goals is to accomplish them, obviously, that's why you set them. Just as the iPad and iPhone could be useful in writing down, tracking, and communicating goals, it can also be helpful in the accomplishment of some goals.

The goals it can help with are many, the reason is that there is app for almost everything.

Lets just take a look at a few of the things I'm working on. One of my goals has to do with writing this blog, and what do you know the iPad helps me accomplish this goal with several apps:

• Blogger
• Posts 
• Cooliris
• Skitch
• Diptic 

And there are others as well. All of these apps help me accomplish my goals with the blog.


Now, blogging is something of an extreme example, of course it is a goal that is aided by the iPad. But other goals not so directly related to the internet can be as well. For example I have a goal of in the physical aspect of my life to work out everyday. This goal is tied specifically to the Gorilla workout app. The app gives me a new workout to do everyday, that helps me to accomplish my goal. I have done a full review of the app here.

Another area where a lot of people, including me, have goals is finances. In this case the goals are called a budget. This is an area where the portability of the iPad or iPhone can really be helpful. You can track your expenses as soon as they happen. There are a lot of budget apps out there, the one I use is called ExpenSense. It is fairly simple a straight forward for tracking budgets and accounts. There are a lot of other options for financial goals including apps from most investment firms and banks to track your accounts through their website.

An important area to set goals in is knowledge. We should constantly be learning. One of the best ways to do that is to read. One of my part time jobs is as a digital reading specialist, so I have a real interest in this type of goal on an iPad. The iPad can be very helpful in this regard because it is with you a lot of the time so you can take advantage of short moments to read a little of an ebook.

Here are some reading apps worth looking into:

• iBooks (Apples own ebook reader)
• Kindle (great if you also read on kindle, your books will sync across)
• Adobe Reader (my full review here)

Another aspect of reading can be spiritual, if you are religious chances are there are a plethora of apps for your religion. I am a Mormon and these are a few of the apps that help me with my spiritual goals:

• Gospel Library (allows you to download all the scriptures and Sunday School manuals)
• Bible Gateway (Lets you read from hundreds of bible translations and do side-by-side comparison)
• Ensign (The LDS church's official magazine)
• LDS Memory (Helps you memorize key scripture passages)

The possibilities for apps that could help you with your goals a endless. If you have a goal chances are that there is app that can help you in some way. And you really should have a goal, several in fact.

Let me know what you goal is and if you have an app that helps you or if you are looking for one. Tweet to @halduauthor  or leave a comment below.

Here's the summarygram.


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That's it for the goal apps posts, I hope they've been helpful to you. Now go set some goals and remember, live better.