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Josh Centers

Josh Centers

Josh Centers is the managing editor of TidBITS, as well as the author of Take Control of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, Take Control of Notes, Take Control of Apple Home Automation, and Take Control of Apple TV, and co-author of Take Control of Preview. He's also a contributor to The Prepared and USA TODAY.

Josh Centers 1 comment

Farewell iPad 2; Welcome Back, iPad 4

At long last, we bid a fond adieu to the iPad 2, and say hello again to the fourth-generation iPad, which returns as Apple’s introductory model. But is it a good deal?

Josh Centers 14 comments

FunBITS: Paprika Recipe Manager for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Want to become a better cook or maintain a healthy diet? Paprika is a fantastic kitchen solution for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Josh Centers 2 comments

The Upstart that Dares to Challenge Google

John Paul Titlow, writing for Fast Company, takes a look inside DuckDuckGo, the fledgling search engine with a focus on privacy. New users are flocking to the site after the intelligence leaks that began last year. However, even with its fast growth, it receives only about 4 million searches per day, three orders of magnitude less than Google’s 5.9 billion.

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Why Apple Keeps Turning on Your Bluetooth

It seems that every recent iOS update turns Bluetooth back on if you had previously disabled it. Why would Apple do this? Kashmir Hill of Forbes proposes that the answer has something to do with iBeacons.

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The Rise and Fall of Flappy Bird

The iOS game Flappy Bird rose from App Store obscurity to become an overnight sensation. Then creator Dong Nguyen just as quickly decided to remove it from the App Store. Rolling Stone’s David Kushner traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam to track down Nguyen and ask him why.

Josh Centers 5 comments

Keeping Up with the Snoops 4: When the Going Gets Weird…

It’s time once again to catch up on the flood of news coming from the intelligence community. Josh Centers takes you on a journey involving UFOs, an advice columnist for spies, an epic battle between the CIA and the Senate, and a preview of his upcoming Macworld/iWorld panel.

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Why I Was Banned from WATCH ABC and Hulu

After being accused of using an anonymous proxy, Josh Centers was locked out of WATCH ABC and Hulu. Here’s how he beat a bad rap, and what it could mean for the future of TV.

Josh Centers 3 comments

Apple TV 6.1 and Remote 4.2 Bring Welcome Interface Improvements

The latest Apple TV update makes it easier to hide apps, and an update to Remote adds controls for iTunes Radio and purchased iTunes content. Josh Centers, author of “Take Control of Apple TV,” has the details.

Josh Centers 1 comment

FunBITS: Ridiculous Fishing for iPhone and iPad

Ridiculous Fishing is an award-winning game that puts a whole new spin on fishing, adding chainsaws, machine guns, and bowling balls to the popular outdoor pastime.

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Control Your Mac and iPad with a Pebble Smartwatch

Joseph Schmitt, taking a cue from Federico Viticci of MacStories, has figured out a way to control a Mac with a Pebble smartwatch. Combining Keyboard Maestro for the Mac with Command-C for iPad, Schmitt demonstrates opening his frontmost Safari tab on his iPad. He has also figured out how to use his Pebble to pause or resume Backblaze backups, restart iTunes, and restart Hazel.

Josh Centers 4 comments

Gmail for iOS Enables Background Refresh, Saves Sanity

Tired of waiting to see your mail in Gmail for iOS? The latest version of the app gets rid of the wait times in iOS 7.

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Joe Kissell Takes Control of Apple Mail on MacVoices

Joe Kissell joins MacVoices host Chuck Joiner to discuss his latest book, “Take Control of Apple Mail.” Joe explains why he sticks with Apple Mail, why he left Gmail, and offers tips for managing your own email.

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Jeff Carlson on the Road to Macworld

At this year’s Macworld/iWorld in San Francisco, our own Jeff Carlson will be giving a presentation and hosting two conference sessions on photography. He chats with Chuck Joiner of the MacVoices podcast about them and gives a preview of what he’ll cover, including topics related to his “Take Control of Your Digital Photos on a Mac.”

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Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer Announces Retirement

Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, has decided to retire at the end of September 2014. He started at Apple in 1996, and has been CFO for ten of those years, as Apple’s annual revenue grew from $8 billion to $171 billion. He will be succeeded by Luca Maestri, Apple’s vice president of finance and corporate controller, who joined the company in March 2013 and has been responsible for most of Apple’s financial functions since. Previously, Maestri served as CFO for both Nokia Siemens Networks and Xerox.

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Apple Begins Rolling Out CarPlay

Apple has announced the rollout of its promised new feature, iOS in the Car, now dubbed CarPlay. The first manufacturers on board are Honda, Hyundai, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari, with BMW, Ford, General Motors, Jaguar, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota slated to debut CarPlay-capable cars in the future. Compatible apps so far include Maps, Phone, Messages, Music, Podcasts, Beats Music, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and Stitcher. You’ll need a new CarPlay-enabled vehicle, as well as an iPhone 5, 5c, or 5s.