November 26, 2012

Using parental controls in iTunes and on iOS devices.

If you're sharing a computer in the family and want to use ratings to restrict access to content available through iTunes, choose Preferences from the iTunes menu and then the Parental tab in the resulting panel. You can set ratings restrictions for movies (G, PG, R, and so on), TV shows (TV-Y, TV-12, and so on), apps (4+, 9+, and so on) and more, and you can also turn off access to podcasts, radio, and the iTunes store (but still allow iTunes U access). On iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, restriction control is available on each individual device. Tap Settings, then General, then Restrictions. When you tap Enable Restrictions you'll be asked to set up a Restrictions passcode, which is a different passcode from the one you may have set up to block unauthorized use of the device itself. The Restrictions passcode prevents unauthorized changes to the restrictions you put in place. In addition to the content restrictions you can enable, you can also restrict the ability to install and delete apps, use the camera, and more.

November 5, 2012

The new iBooks puts your whole library on your bookshelf and delivers free updates.

Now with iBooks 3 on devices running iOS 6, iCloud stores every title you've purchased from the iBookstore, no matter which device you bought it on, and displays them all on your bookshelf so you can put any of them on the device you're holding, with a tap. If they're in the collection you're viewing but not on the device you're using, a small cloud icon will appear next to the title, and a tap will download the book. To view all your purchased books at once, tap the Collections button at the top (or Books on iPhone, iPod touch), and then Purchased Books. You can use the Shelf/List buttons to the right of Search to switch to List view and then use the buttons on the bottom to sort the list to help you find what you're looking for. iBooks 3 also supports free updates from publishers, taking advantage of the extra possibilities that digital format offers. Textbook authors and publishers are particularly enthusiastic supporters. (For example, see E.O. Wilson's Life on Earth and Frankenweenie, available for free.) And if you're interested in creating the kind of interactive books that iBooks 3 can offer to readers, get iBooks Author from the Mac App Store for free.