Your Top 10 iOS5 Tips & Tricks!

I know, I know... I'm kind of on the late side. iOS 5 has been out since days ago, and I just started blogging about it. Oh bother... Never mind this. It's now or never!

You know a lot of people just update their iOS5 and ignore all the neat tricks you can do with the iPhone now? I mean, SIRI? Oh that's just one of the many awesome add-on Apple integrated within the iOS.

Fun Tidbits

Love Siri? Go to this website and laugh your bums out: 

http://shitthatsirisays.tumblr.com

There are more to iOS 5 than meets the eyes! I'm definitely impressed at the iPhone 4S, but I'm not getting it. Why? My stupid-darn-contract with AT&T. I still have one more year to go. I'm not alone here, I know there are many of you having the same dilemma. You want it, but you don't want it or can't have it!

RANT (you can skip this if you want!):
Yes, I have the iPhone 4- yes, black. Sadly, the screen cracked a few months ago. No, I'm not proud to say this, but it's due to heat. I left my iPhone in the car for 4 hours on July 4th-- yes while I was busy shopping-- and my car was under the hot burning (you can cook an egg- type of heat) for more than 3 hours. I think an animal can die in there. So, I'm assuming I got this (while I was outside busy shopping):

Have you guys ever got this message on your screen? It would need 100 degrees+ condition to be even remotely close to getting this message on your iPhone, or of course if and when your iPhone is feeling hot after charging, etc...

Okay, I never once can make one of those Apple employees at the store to believe me that the hair-line crack that appeared on my screen is not a possible cause of me being IRRESPONSIBLE and dropping it.  In fact, there is just NO way! My iPhone was sitting on the seat of my car comfortably. It was already cracked when I found it in my car. But what can I say? Truth be told, but no one will believe me. You just can't handle the truth! Warning: Don't put your iPhone in a situation where it will get cooked.


Alright, I'll get back on track. Getting back on iOS 5 topic! The neaty gritty stuff that you can't find on your little manual book (well you can... but you're too lazy to open it) Don't worry!  

-------

I'll give you the short cut: Pictures!

1) Private Browsing! 
Setting > Safari

Go on your porn website! Go to your secret blog! Go check out other chicks/guys on your Safari! 
NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO TELL!
I'm kidding. No seriously, it's private for a reason. But please don't do those things I mentioned above. Sinnnnnnful.

2) Weather by the hour!
Sorry, I actually find this very very helpful. I'd like to see if it will be hot or cold by the time I'll be out. I just want to wear my clothes for the right weather, you know? I don't want to be wearing jeans and boots on a 80 degrees. z0mg.

3) Personalize Your Notifications!
You know how your notifications can be seen on top now? Yeah, you want to see it in the middle or on top, your choice now! You want people to see your text messages on your lock screen? Then put it in the middle as alerts. Otherwise, go by banners. It'll POOF in a matter of seconds. OR NONE. You're some secret spy agent.

4) SWIPE SWIPPPPE! or PINCH!
Did you know? From your camera, you can swipe to see the pictures you've taken- to Album?
Did you know? You PINCH and UNPINCH the screen to ZOOM/UNZOOM?

5) iMessage Colors!
Green - You have to pay! or if you have the SMS plan, then it's free.
Blue - Yay it's free! to iOS5s exclusive members only. Yeah, just like BBM.

6) Crazy Vibration! 
Have you ever wanted to make your vibration cooler than BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ? LOL. Yeah, now you can do it. Go play around with it. It's pretty cool. Apple even gave you PRE-VIBES.
Settings -> General -> Accessibility -> And turn Custom Vibrations -> On
Then:
Settings -> Sounds -> Scroll right to the bottom to Vibration Patterns

7) Wireless Syncing!
Definitely awesome! You don't need to sync using those white cables. Connect with the same Wi-Fi as your computer/mac, voila! Settings -> General -> iTunes WiFi Sync -> Sync Now

8) Twitter!

You don't know how happy I am to see this option being integrated with iPhone! Well, not ecstatic, but happy. This time, you just go to your iPhone Album and click send to Twitter!

 

9) Photo Editing & New Album

You know one of those days when you realized... all of my pics are so cluttered! Yep, I feel that way. This is by far the greatest organization on iPhone for pictures! duh.
Editing: Just go to the picture and click the edit. 

10) Camera Shortcut from Lockscreen!

DOUBLE TAP YOUR HOME BUTTON. Click and you got the picture!





Lastly, I love the notification center. I love it with a passion. It looks very professional! :)

Play around with your iOS 5! 
You'll never know what you might find! 

Let me know if you guys have any questions.

Pictures are all taken from their rightful owners and none of them are mine. Thank you!

konayukiss.blogspot.com

 

All About Japan! Guide to the Virtual Learning!

Cheers to Japan! 

Since I know a lot of people who are into the Japanese cultures, anime, manga, and all other aspects of Japanese, I would like to make a contribution by posting an all-out blog about Japan-- how, when, where, and what. Also, since I'm part Japanese myself, I'd like to definitely help others out there who are also mix bloods like me, and have lost touch with their "Japanese"-ness. Hello!   

Free Travel to Japan?!

Here we go:

First, I'd like to go ahead and share the news about the possibility of YOU going to Japan. Yes, YOU. One of my friend shared this news via Facebook, and caught my attention, which in turn made me want to share this with you. According to Danny Choo's Blog, "the Japanese ministry of tourism is going to invite 10,000 foreigners to Japan - and pay for your travel." Apparently, after the earthquake, travels to Japan have been decreasing, and they would love for you to come back and experience Japan in its entirety-- with a new perspective and mindset. Wouldn't you love to participate in this matter? Here's the scoop. Go to Danny Choo's blog and participate in their survey, and follow their news blog. The application has not started, but keep on a look out on the Japanese Tourism website: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng for any news and updates. This is Danny Choo's blog about the Japan Free Travel: DannyChoo.com. Go ahead and check out his blog too! I'm pretty sure, it will entertain you as it has for me. 

Here's a snippet of what he posted on his blog:

"Applications will be done through the internets and folks will be invited during 2012. Applicants need to submit their travel plans for when they are in Japan and if the government thinks that you truly intend to visit (and not overstay as an illegal immigrant) then they will pay for your return ticket.
The Japanese governments strategy for this plan is that they expect travelers to blog and use social media to spread the word about their experience in Japan which should hopefully lead to more folks visiting Japan.
The amount of foreigners visiting Japan since the earthquake and nuclear accident has decreased a ton - some prefectures like Yamagata have experienced up to 80% drop in overseas visitors.
The Japanese government is spending 1.1 billion yen on this project."

Pretty cool, yeah? Now go check it out. See, plan, and share this to others, so they might also have a chance!

Beginners, Newbies, Learners 

As I have said this before, I am also a Japanese beginner. I don't know much about its language, much less about the Japanese culture --- not 100%. For those of you who are not fortunate enough to learn Japanese in your high school, university, etc. here are some of the best compilation of sites in which I find very helpful to increase your knowledge in Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. No, what about grammar? Oh yes, for English speakers, this will be a tough one, because their grammar styles are not similar to how English is spoken. You'll understand why when you see it. I'm not an expert myself, so please do not rely solely on the websites I recommend. There are hundreds of great websites out there for beginners Japanese learners. Use your Google search engine! :)

Websites

1. http://www.jlpt.jp/e/
2. http://nihongoichiban.com/
3. http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/index.html
4. http://www.tanos.co.uk/jlpt/aboutjlpt/
• Go to the left menus and select your level.
5. http://www.jlptstudy.com/

Here are explanations: N1-N5 are the levels of proficiency you are in. If you believe that you have SOME levels of practice in Japanese, go to N2-- N1 is literally for basic hiragana or for those of you who want to review your knowledge. If you have a strong foundation in reading and understanding Hiragana/Katakana, go to N3/N4/N5. It depends on your level. Try them out; if they're too hard, go a level lower. I believe that if you really want to learn and can put your mindset into something, you will achieve it. Just like learning Japanese, no matter how old you are, you are still capable of learning. Don't give up, ok? Oh, there are tons of "print outs" available for you to practice writing. The answer to learning is in practice.

If you have ANY questions about any of the websites I mentioned above, please let me know. I may be able to help you navigate through the sites to help with your needs.

On mobile, on particular the iPhone, I have a couple of suggestions. Do not pay for an app you do not know anything about. I have a couple of free ones that deserve a 5-star, and the quality reached beyond what you probably can receive from a paid app. No, I do not go against app developers who want to charge for their apps, I'm just saying that there are good ones out there, and they are free. However, if you do believe that you know an app that is great, and you paid for it, great! Share with us!

Apps

1. J Phrases
• I feel like this app is very comprehensive on their Japanese basics. They give you study cards, lessons, and quizzes to get you geared up for your daily Japanese learning. On top of that, they cover the hiragana, katakana, kanji, grammar, and all other necessities to get you started (they also give in a little kick on some of the slangs and idioms native Japanese people use, so you might sound smarter and not so much like a foreigner when you go to Japan, hehe). Forget those basic "learn Japanese in 1 day" books, you've got this app that will do the trick! On top of that, it's good for your iPhone and iPad! Check out their website: Kotobainc.com
• If you like it, support their full version; It's ad-less!
2. Learn 日本語
• This is probably one of my favorite "books" to read for getting you in touch with some basic grammar. I do have SOME Japanese background in reading H/K/Kanji, but I need grammar help still. Try it out! They cover the "writing system" (which is also helpful if you need help with the basics), Basic Grammar, Essential Grammar, Special Expressions, and Advanced Topics. Oh boy oh boy! They're free too! They give comprehensive details like a textbook, but in an app form. Great, huh? Homepage link: here.
3. Nihongo Up (Game)
• This is basically a game that you do if you feel like reading Japanese basics are just not enough. Go play some games (shooting, fill-in-the-blanks, etc) to get your knowledge tested. Not bad for a review. Homepage link: here
4. JA lite
• Yes, this is a lite version. It's already very helpful, by itself being a lite version. This will suffice by itself- until you're done.
5. Kotoba
• This is by far the most important app that you can find. The dictionary! And most of all, it's free! The best "paid"-like app that you need to have if you plan to learn and understand Japanese.

Here's to more apps listed by reddit: link

Know this, there is not one good app that will satisfy your every needs. If you want convenience from the touch of your hands, you will need multiple apps to get started. All of the apps I've mentioned above are not sufficient by itself. You need practice, which websites will provide with the most extensive exercises to get you writing and writing and writing. Japanese is not something that you can learn in an instance-- so learning "Japanese in ONE day" is a bogus. There's just no way, unless you're some incredible, crazy, genius. Which I believe you are :D So now, get going!


Alright! I hope you guys can somehow benefit in one way or another! It's been a pleasure to share this news with you. Oh, the Japanese free tour also has been announced by Yahoo! and Telegraph, so it's definitely not fake. Trust me, I'm as giddy up as you are to have learned about this news! I wish I can get chosen, because I'd definitely would loveeeee to go to Japan to visit & tour-about! Hope you and I can get chosen! Stay tuned!

konayukiss.blogspot.com

Photo credit: http://4dwallpaper.com

RIP Steve Jobs

www.apple.com

  I find this video to be a sufficing tool to introduce and end Steve Job's legacy.

If you guys haven't heard, Steve Jobs died today on October 5th, 2011. He was a legendary, and a visionary man who have changed the world with his passion. Apple homepage is now dedicated to commemorating him: http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/

Here are my favorite quotes from Steve Jobs, and I hope they may change your perspective in life.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." - Steve Jobs. 

"You can't connect the dots looking forward you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path." - Steve Jobs

 Here is one of my favorite speech from Steve Jobs at the Stanford Commencement:

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

You are truly a wonderful, and a remarkable visionary man. You have changed the world with your passion, and made a difference in the lives of many people who have looked up to you. Thank you, and I hope that many people may realize that Steve Jobs have lived up to his life by living to the fullest and enjoying what he loved to do.