Merry Christmas !! :) :)
So you may be one of the lucky ones who received a new iPhone, iPad or iPod touch from Santa this year. All very exciting, and I thought I would put together a couple of quick tips & tricks to help you set up your new pretty iDevice :)
1. Connect to iTunes & setup your device
This is probably the most important step with your shiny new iDevice. Once you have excitedly ripped off your wrapping paper, run to the nearest computer and download iTunes, if you don’t already have it. iTunes is the crux of all iDevices, and is the software used to transfer your music, movies & apps onto the device. From here you can also sync your Contacts, Calendar & email as well. A must have.
Once iTunes is installed, you need to plug your shiny new iDevice into your computer, using the cable provided, and set it up. You will be asked to register the device using an email address etc. Once that is completed you will be able to sync your media etc. onto it.
2. Upgrade to the latest software
The great thing about Apple is that they offer free software upgrades for their devices, by simply clicking a button in iTunes. Gone of the days of taking your device into a store to upgrade you can simply do it from the comfort of your desk.
To get the latest software on your device, plug it into your computer and start-up iTunes. You will see a screen with an overview of your iDevice, and on the main screen is a button that says check for updates. Click this button, and it will check with the Apple servers to see if there is an update for your iDevice. If you accept and continue, leave it as is, and the device will automatically be updated. Easy as pie :)
A small word of warning though. Some of these updates can be quite large in size (~500MB) so make sure you have enough bandwidth allocated to update.
3. Sign up for a US iTunes account
The iTunes software also includes access to the iTunes store. From here you can buy music, movies and apps amongst a whole bunch of other things. The South African version of this store does not allow you to purchase music or movies, and has a very limited number of apps. To get around this, you can sign up for a US iTunes account, which allows you access to the full version of the store.
To do this, you need to follow this I set up, which shows you how to get an iTunes account.You MUST ensure that you choose a FREE app when setting up the account. Otherwise it will ask you for your credit card details, which will not work as it checks to see if it is an US credit card. NB. FREE app :)
4. Top up your new US iTunes account with some credit
Once you have set it up, you simply top up your account by buying vouchers, using your credit card or EFT from either Evopoints or iTunesUSA.co.za, which are 2 local sites who offer the vouchers. You can also try Maximus Cards who are based overseas. From these sites, you can either buy $10, $15, $25 or $50 vouchers, which allow you top up your account and buy music, movies or apps. Remember to check your balance every so often to ensure you have enough credit to buy the apps you want.
5. Download some awesome apps for your new iDevice.
So now you done all the “dirty” work, and it’s time to get to business. Download some cool apps for your iDevice, and get it rocking. Here are 6 cool of apps I would recommend putting on your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch once you have it all setup, to get you started.
Angry Birds – The biggest selling iPhone game of all time is a must have game that will keep you entertained for HOURS & HOURS. Warning though: It becomes completely addictive & you may get a bit frustrated from time to time :)
– $0.99
– $4.99
Instagram – An awesome FREE photo sharing app, which allows you to take a photo, edit it with some really funky filters, and then post to Facebook, Twitter Flickr etc etc. This is a relatively new app on the app store, but has some really cool filters.
– FREE
WhatsApp – A messaging tool, that allows you to chat to other iPhone, BlackBerry, Android or Nokia phone users,provided the also have WhatsApp installed. This app will save you loads on SMS’s and calls, as it is instant. You can also share photos, locations & contacts. A must have !!
– $0.99
News24 – Another must have to keep up with all the local South African news, sport & weather. And it’s free :)
– FREE
iPad version – FREE
Camera+ – The standard iPhone camera is good, but not great. This is where Camera+ comes in. It allows you change a whole bunch of things, including exposure, focus, zoom etc etc. really and at only $0.99 it’s a steal ;)
– $0.99
FlipBoard – By far THE best iPad app on offer, it allows you to view your Facebook, Twitter, Flickr feed as well as allows you to add a whole host of other news sites like Techcrunch, CNN etc. Once you have all your feeds setup, you simply “flip” through the stories as if it were a magazine. Very very cool :)
– FREE
And that’s it. Hope you enjoy your shiny new iDevice, and be sure to check back regularly for loads of tips and tricks, to make your iDevice that extra special ;)
