Microsoft releases update for Transfer my Data app
Transfer my Data has been updated to version 6.1.1.1. There’s no changelog attached to the update on the store listing (boo, Microsoft!), so we’re not entirely sure what’s been included in the release. That said, it’s an update and more updates can only be a good thing.
Microsoft updates OneNote for iOS with OCR and iPad handwriting support
Microsoft has released an update for the company’s OneNote app for iPhone and iPad. The release adds OCR support for images, enabling you to search for text contained within images. But should you be rocking an iPad you’ll have an extra feature to take advantage of. Get the pen ready as handwriting is now supported.
Using a compatible pen for input, it’s possible to turn the iPad into a creative canvas for drawings and natural note taking using OneNote. Simply tap the new draw tab on the ribbon and select pen, marker, or highlighter. From there you’re able to write and doodle to your heart’s content.
The OCR is also a real handy feature. What’s more is you can even copy said text directly from the image, extracting it as editable text for another note. It’s worth noting that Microsoft states the OCR feature works with newly added images, as opposed to existing ones. Images already added to OneNote are expected to be supported soon.
- Free – Download Now
Gun Strike 2 – a little mercenary shoot ’em up action for your Windows Phone
Gun Strike 2 is an action packed Windows Phone game where you play the role of a local mercenary who faces a wide assortment of combat assignments. Game play is along the lines of a robust Hogan’s Alley styled game with your enemies popping out from behind walls, through windows and other areas of cover. While the missions vary in context, the ultimate goal is the same, take the enemy out before they take you out.
Available for low-memory Windows Phones, Gun Strike 2 has plenty of weapons upgrades and mercenary types to unlock. The game has its fair share of challenges and comes across as an enjoyable title for our Windows Phone gaming library.
Alto’s Adventure brings endless snowboarding to iPhone and iPad owners
Alto’s Adventure has just been released on iOS for both the iPhone and iPad. This latest title for the platform brings with it an endless snowboarding adventure as you join Alto and his friends through their native wilderness, neighbouring villages, ancient woodlands, and even long-abandoned ruins.
The game sports fluid physics-based gameplay, procedurally generated terrain (based on real-world snowboarding), and fully dynamic lighting and weather effects. You’ll be cruising through thunderstorms, blizzards, fog and more. Six unique snowboarders are available, each with their own attributes and abilities to set them apart.
With Game Center integration (and iCloud support for fully synchronized play), players are able to compete against one another for the top score position, so you best prepare your trick combos for maximum points. It’s a premium title, meaning there are no in-app purchases or advertisements to get in the way between yourself and the immersive experience.
- $1.99 – Download Now
iOS Help: How to fix a frozen iOS upgrade on iPhone and iPad
Ever begin an over-the-air update on your iPhone or iPad only to find it freezes part of the way through, or turns off and won’t turn on again? That’s exactly the issue one of our iMore forum members recently experienced when upgrading their iPad to iOS 8.1.3:
My iPad is frozen after installing iOS 8.13, how do I fix this? Can’t even reboot my iPad. It has been frozen 24 hours. What do I need to do to use it again?
While this isn’t something that happens frequently, it does happen, and there are some steps you can take to unfreeze your iPhone or iPad and complete your iOS update.
This how-to is part of our iOS Help feature, where every week I try and help you fix the problems you’re having with your iPhones and iPads. If you have a question or need help with something iOS related that you just can’t figure out, I encourage you to drop a question in our iMore forums, no registration required!
1. Try a hard reboot
To do a hard reboot, simply hold down the Home button and Power button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo. Keep holding those two buttons down for at least 30 seconds. If nothing happens, move on to the next step.
2. Plug into a wall outlet
Sometimes plugging into a wall outlet like you were going to charge your iPhone or iPad can trigger it to boot up. Try plugging your device in and leaving it that way. If, after about 15 minutes, your iPhone or iPad is still not responding, move on to the next step.
3. Restore in iTunes
If your iPhone or iPad is properly backed up via iCloud or iTunes, you can try and restore it via iTunes.
If your computer won’t recognize your device, unplug it and hold down the Home button. While holding down on it, plug it back in and iTunes should kick it into recovery mode.
If you didn’t back up, but you were signed into iCloud, your mail, contacts, calendars, and bookmarks, should still sync back and your music, apps, books, movies, and other iTunes purchases should be re-downloadable. Photos can be hit or miss depending on whether or not you’re using iCloud Photo Library or Photo Stream.
If you can’t get your iPhone or iPad in recovery mode and your computer won’t recognize it, continue on.
4. Visit an Apple Store or call 1-800-MY-APPLE
If none of the above steps work for you, it may be time to try Apple. If you live close to an Apple retail store, simply make a Genius Bar appointment by selecting your store. If you don’t live close to an Apple Store, give 1-800-MY-APPLE a call instead.
IFTTT launches new Do Camera, Do Button, and Do Note for the iPhone
IFTTT (If This, Then That) has just launched three new apps for the iPhone and iPad, the Do Camera, Do Button and Do Note. These apps offer users a way to connect to a number of different online services via custom created conditional statements, or “recipes”.
Each of these new IFTTT apps allows the use of up to three of these custom recipes at one time. For example, launching the Do Camera app could allow users to do the following after loading each recipe:
- Upload photos to a specific Facebook album in one tap
- Send your parents family-friendly pics over Gmail
- Quickly snap receipts and important documents to Evernote
The Do Button app can be used with recipes to perform tasks like:
- Quickly set your Nest Thermostat to 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- Keep track of your time and location in a Google Drive spreadsheet
- Turn on or off your Philips Hue lights with a tap
Finally, the Do Note app will allow users to add features like:
- Swiftly create events in Google Calendar
- Save short notes in Evernote on the fly
- Share a tweet on Twitter with just one tap
In addition, the main IFTTT app now has a new name: “IF”. The company stated, “This rebranding kicks off an evolution for IFTTT from a company with a single service into a company with multiple products: Do and IF, with more on the way.”
- IFTTT Do Camera – Free Download now
- IFTTT Do Note – Free Download now
- IFTTT Do Button – Free Download now
- IF By IFTTT – Free Download now
Save over 50% on this hybrid case with kickstand for Galaxy Note 3
This Galaxy Note 3 hybrid case provides serious protection against drops and scratches while sporting a built-in kickstand that can be used for watching movies and more. The inner-most layer is made of a shock absorbing silicone that sits underneath a thick plastic exterior. Get yours today for only $6.95
LG G Flex 2 launching on Sprint in March, pre-orders commence tomorrow
Sprint today announced that the LG G Flex 2 will be arriving on the carrier for a March 13 launch, with pre-orders kicking off on February 20. As previously covered, Sprint will hold exclusivity over the Volcano Red variant. AT&T is also expected to carry the smartphone this year.
BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 rollout has officially begun
Now the REAL waiting begins.
It has begun. Yes, after many rumors, speculation and confirmation at the BlackBerry Classic event of a February launch, the rollout of BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 is now official according to BlackBerry and will be available to customers around the world starting today in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific for the entire line of smartphones running BlackBerry 10. This announcement is mostly significant for older BlackBerry 10 smartphones as this is the first major update since OS 10.2.1 last year.
Quick comparison: The Dell XPS 13 versus the MacBook Pro with Retina Display
How does Dell’s new darling stack up next to Apple’s MacBook Pro?
With the brand new XPS 13, Dell has already launched one of the year’s very best Ultrabooks. Right from the day it launched back at CES, inevitable comparisons have been drawn between it and the Apple MacBook Air. Not least because it’s taken on Apple at its own game and for many, come out on top.
But, the XPS 13 isn’t just a MacBook Air class Ultrabook. The lower spec models, perhaps, but when you ramp up the specs, the top end models are a direct competitor to the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro.
So, how does the XPS 13 stack up against the MacBook Pro? Let’s take a look.










