MyAnswers: Migrating your data from an Apple iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 4.

The following MyAnswers solution 2391 is now available:

How I migrated all my data and settings from and Apple iPhone 3GS to an Apple iPhone 4 including an upgrade to iOS 7.

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Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au/myanswers/
(An Online Connections service.)

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Apple iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 expected to be released on the 15th of October.

If you or someone you know are thinking about a new Apple iPad, perhaps now is a good time to procrastinate. The new iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 is expected to be announced on the 15th of October and that could mean availability before the end of October.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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Experience with Apple's new iOS 7 operating system

I have to admit I'm not a fan of updating for updating sake, and the technology providers seem to only change things for what appears to be making more sales. But let's face it, whilst we are all adverse to change, we all like experiencing new things. Life can get pretty boring doing the same old thing. So perhaps it isn't all just about sales, but also keeping customers satisfied by providing something new.

The first feeling you get is much of the fresh design isn't felt to be needed, but hey, it's Apple's choice so let's go with it. The interface does feel cleaner and crisper. I did prefer the old calculator layout to the new design. Now I'm forced to go into landscape mode to use the memory options. Not sure if I like the select scroll when setting an event in the calendar either. The scrolling wheels felt they made more sense. I found it difficult to work out which entry I was trying to select, but I'll get used to it.

The following are some of the iOS 7 issues I've had. Nothing major really, just largely different.

Photos
After upgrading the camera roll showed no images. Went out of the camera roll and in again and the images appeared. It may also have simply taken time.

Safari
Displaying the options at the bottom wasn't obvious. Press right on the bottom edge and the options appear. Similar for the top options.

Safari search field
Initially couldn't find the search. Press on the address area at the top and search appears.

How to close an app
Double pressing the home button shows recent apps. Holding down the app and the x no longer apps. Now double press the home button to display running apps. Then slide up the preview screen for the app. This actually makes closing an app faster.

Deleting a single email
Previously you'd swipe right for the Delete button to appear. Now you swipe left for the Trash option to appear.

Photos
Previously when I'd open photos they'd appear full screen. Now there is additional information above and below. To display the photo to take up the full screen press on the image.

Maps
One of the problems with Apple maps is when you zoom in the street names don't get bigger and it is often to hard for me to read the street name. Double tapping with three fingers zooms the screen to make things larger. Double tap three fingers and drag to make even larger. That now works for me.

Email
I noticed unsent items in outbox. The problem was after the restore passwords aren't restored. (I did a migration from and older 3GS iphone to the 4 before the upgrade). Using the built-in send email facility for forwarding articles appeared to work but left the emails in the outbox. There was no indication a password was required. When I sent a new email I was prompted for the SMTP password. That email was sent but the others stayed in the outbox. I had to resend each email individually.

Lock screen
Sometimes I find the lock screen doesn't unlock when I slide it across. I then notice the lock screen hasn't moved entirely off the screen. When I nudge it a bit more the home screen then displays.

Nothing in the list above is major and you'll quickly adjust to the new operating system. I do like how Safari displays the list of open pages; much easier to close pages. Sliding up from the bottom to show regularly used features is handy as well. I often use flight mode when using an app with ads so I know none of my mobile data is being used. Many little annoyances because of changes that don't add to my life but consume a little more time, but nothing I won't get used to.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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The IV Sale program is now available on JustLocal free of charge.

Recently I used the IV Sale program to assist a person who wanted to collate and document their art collection and make the list of art available on the internet for others to see. In the past I've used a version of the IV Sale software to promote my own excess items. I decided to fix a few bugs and release the IV Sale program for others to use. The program is totally free and enables you to collate your list of items (complete with pictures) and then to make the list available on the internet.

A hidden gem in Google's Drive program enables you to use a Google Drive folder as a website. This feature has been utilised by the IV Sale program. You simply enter your items in the IV Sale program, view the web page, and your web page displaying your list of items is automatically updated to the internet.

Now you can keep your list of excess items conveniently located on your computer, update the list when desired and your items will be visible to others with no extra work on your part. How handy is that.

Visit www.IVSale.com.au and download the IV Sale program. You can also find the IV Sale program on JustLocal (www.JustLocal.com.au).

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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Online Connections has now deregistered from GST.

After quite a while of flip-flopping, I've decided to deregister Online Connections from GST. Effective from the 17th of September I will no longer be charging GST.

When GST was introduced the effect was to take my hourly rate and then add 10%. For large businesses this made no difference as they could claim back the GST, but for smaller businesses who weren't registered for GST, and for home users who could not claim the GST back, this simply meant quite a significant price increase with no real benefit.

One thing recently stood out in my mind which ate at me. One person said they wouldn't deregister from GST. They get to claim back GST on their expenses and the customer pays the GST so it doesn't matter. It is the 'customer pays GST so it doesn't matter' that bothered me. I once worked for a chartered accounting firm and as expected from accountants, they'd look for every way to minimise their expenses, but if a client had to pay for something, cost was no issue. The cost was not borne by the chartered accounting firm, but was passed onto the client so there was little incentive to reduce client costs. I've seen the same behaviour across a number of organisations which call themselves professionals such as real estate agents and doctors and I don't personally think it is right.

My approach is simple. I try to do the best I can by my clients. If I can reduce a cost for a client I will. Businesses registered for GST will be no worse off because I'll have simply reduce my rate by the GST amount. Those business not registered for GST and home users will now benefit from the reduced rate. The only real loser in the situation is myself as I can no longer claim back the GST portion of expenses. I can live with the increased cost.

Please bear with me as I update the parts of my online presence and in-house systems to reflect the removal of GST. All consulting activities and JustLocal will have reduced prices. The Australian dictionary products are low priced products and the prices won't change. This does mean an effective increase for those who could claim GST, but that should not overly effect many people.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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Set as Home Page option added to the Search Australia page.

Yesterday one user of Search Australia said another person had removed Search Australia as their home page. Search Australia was very useful to them because they found it very easy to locate catch-up TV. For catch-up TV, all they needed to do was to enter TV 7, TV 9, TV 10, or TV SBS into Search Australia and they'd go direct to the catch-up TV page for the respective TV station.

I decided rather than write out instructions and send them to the person, to make it easier for everyone I'd add a 'Set as Home Page' link to the Search Australia page. Now all a person has to do is to click on the link, select the option to set the home page, click OK and Search Australia is set as their home page. This only works for Internet Explorer, but since I recommend Internet Explorer as the default browser for clients, this is usually sufficient. If you have another browser, unfortunately you'll have to manually set Search Australia as your home page in the browser settings.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

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MyAnswers: Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender - blocked using spamcop

The following MyAnswers solution 2390 is now available:

An email I sent to a new client bounced with a subject of 'Undelivered Mail Return to Sender' message. The body of the email provided the message: "<user's email address>: host vscan.hotkey.net.au[202.138.0.45] said: 554 5.7.1    Service unavailable; Client host [69.93.66.94] blocked using bl.spamcop.net; Blocked - see    http ://www.spamcop.net/bl.shtml?69.93.66.94 (in reply to RCPT TO command). I explain what I do to get around this situation when this happens.

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Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au/myanswers/
(An Online Connections service.)

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