Understanding How Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies Work

Introduction and a Lesson in Scarcity

While once a curiosity of the internet, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are considered by some to be the money of the future. However, over the last several years, Bitcoin has certainly had its ups and downs – literally.

• Bitcoin explained: what is Bitcoin?

Cryptocurrency is an attempt to replace money transactions with a digital medium of exchange using peer-to-peer networking. The first decentralized cryptocurrency, and still the most successful, was Bitcoin, which was created in 2009 by the mysterious developer Satoshi Nakamoto, who subsequently left the project in late 2010.

 Virtual money, real impact

 

The idea is that you use cryptography to control the creation and transfer of money, rather than relying on central authorities.
Since the success of Bitcoin, there have been over 3,000 other virtual currencies introduced with varying degrees of success and popularity such as Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero and Dash. There have even been crowdfunded cryptocurrencies such as Lisk.


Many other cryptocurrencies have just died because of lack of interest, and the simple fact that no one used them. Non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies are collectively known as altcoins and they are more or less based on the same idea of a decentralized digital medium for exchange.


Their success depends on how much ‘cash’ (the total value of transactions) they have sloshing about the peer-to-peer network (i.e. the virtual economy). Since Bitcoin is open source, anyone can develop their own cryptocurrency using the same technology.

A short lesson in scarcity

 

Bitcoins derive their value partly through their scarcity, which is defined by a cryptographic lottery. You can buy Bitcoins on online cryptocurrency exchanges or you can earn them through a process known as ‘mining’.


Bitcoin mining programs compute an encryption function called a hash on a set of random numbers. Coins are awarded to whichever miner happens to compute a number below a certain threshold.
Originally, Bitcoin mining was handled by standard PCs with powerful graphics cards, but as the hash difficulty has increased, the preferred method to mine Bitcoins is to employ a Bitcoin ASIC, a chip that has been designed specifically for this task. However, with the higher value of cryptocurrency – in particular Ethereum – and recent advances in GPU processing power, miners have once again been turning to graphics cards for mining.


This lottery favors those with the biggest and fastest machines, and currently there are about 17 million Bitcoins in circulation. Note that the total number of Bitcoins in (virtual) circulation will never exceed 21 million because of the way the system was designed.


As the Bitcoin network gets bigger, the hash gets more complex, and miners get fewer Bitcoins for their trouble, hence they always need better hardware and higher Bitcoin prices to make it worthwhile.


As a currency, Bitcoin is still a niche market. However, multiple established retailers accept it as payment including Overstock, Expedia, Newegg and the Dish Network.


Since Bitcoins can be spent on the internet without the use of a bank account, they offer a convenient system for anonymous purchases, which also makes it possible to launder money and buy illegal products. Since there is no money stored anywhere, accounts can't be frozen by police or PayPal administrators.

Business Suitability and Bitcoin's Future

Ideal for small transactions?

Bitcoin was once regarded as an ideal system for small electronic payments – so-called micropayments – as it is difficult to transmit small amounts of currency efficiently with existing systems. Credit card fees, also known as swipe fees, can often exceed the value of the purchase, making this costly for retailers. However, Bitcoins increased transaction fees have proved to be a barrier preventing it making inroads into the world of micropayments.


Another problem with Bitcoin is the volatility of its value which exceeds the volatility of other currencies and gold, resulting in huge fluctuations in comparison to the US dollar. In 2013, the value of Bitcoin went from $10 to over $1,000! Because its supply is ultimately limited, prices will need to vary to accommodate shifts in demand, not the other way round. Unlike gold, Bitcoin has no intrinsic value from alternative uses that could anchor its price.

Not fit for business?

As a currency, Bitcoin is not stable enough for most businesses. The value of a Bitcoin fluctuates dramatically and because there are no controls there is nothing to stop money vanishing if the price tanks.



Bitcoin payment processors offer a way of getting around this problem, as they convert the transaction to hard currency almost instantaneously. Many companies want regulation to provide them with some security and protect them from potential big losses on the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin's future

 

There are some signs that governments are starting to look at regulations and this is clearly proving difficult.
All these factors are significant barriers which are diminishing Bitcoin’s chances of becoming a more widespread and popular currency. Bitcoin's market capitalization currently stands at about $74.5 billion (around £55 billion).


Previously, Goldman Sachs has said that it was more plausible that Bitcoin could have a significant impact in terms of its innovation on payments technology, "by forcing existing players to adapt to it or co-opt it."
However, the Goldman Sachs report also said that Bitcoin's ‘biggest hurdle’ will be maintaining its cost advantage in the face of greater regulation, higher operating costs, and competition from entrenched players.


Fitch Ratings came to a similar conclusion and found that Bitcoin stands to lose much of its appeal if Bitcoin companies are forced to deal with the added cost of regulation, rendering the near friction-less Bitcoin network much less cost-effective than it is today.


In 2017, Bitcoin has been on the rise again, with prices per coin hitting $4,500 (£3,300). This has been fuelled by Chinese buying of the cryptocurrency.


It seems that the sheer success of Bitcoin which has seen it leap from being a shadowy entity to an all-star affair overnight has also hurt its long-term viability. It remains to be seen if Bitcoin can move beyond its niche to gain wider acceptance, and for the time being the cryptocurrency remains quite volatile, and a gamble to investors that has been likened to the tech bubble of the 1990s.

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The World's Richest Woman: Billionaire L'Oreal heiress Bettencourt dies aged 94

 

French businesswoman and billionaire Liliane Bettencourt, whose family founded L'Oreal and still owns the largest stake in the cosmetics giant, has died aged 94, her daughter said on Thursday.


Bettencourt, listed by Forbes as the world's richest woman, was the heiress to the beauty and comestics company her father founded just over a century ago as a maker of hair dye.


Her death opens a new phase for L'Oreal, France's fourth-largest listed company, altering the relationship it has with key shareholder Nestle, the Swiss food company.

Bettencourt and her family owned 33 percent of the company. Her daughter Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, who sits on L'Oreal's board along with her own son, said in a statement the family remained committed to the company and its management team.


"My mother left peacefully," Bettencourt-Meyers said, adding that she had died during Wednesday night at her home in Paris.


"I would like to reiterate, on behalf of our family, our entire commitment and loyalty to L'Oreal and to renew my confidence in its President Jean-Paul Agon and his teams worldwide."


In 2011 Agon was appointed chairman and chief executive of L'Oreal, owner of the Lancome and Maybelline beauty and make-up brands and of Garnier shampoos.


Nestle, which owns just over 23 percent of L'Oreal, had agreed with the founding family that the two parties could not increase their stakes during Liliane Bettencourt's lifetime and for at least six months after her death.


The Swiss company has been a major investor since 1974, when Bettencourt entrusted nearly half of her own stake in the firm to Nestle in exchange for a three percent holding in the Swiss company. She made the move out of fear that L'Oreal might be nationalized if the Socialists came to power in France.


Activist hedge fund Third Point recently urged Nestle - which brought in a new chief executive, Mark Schneider, earlier this year - to sell down its stake as part of efforts to improve its performance.


A Nestle spokeswoman on Thursday did not comment on the company's stake, only saying: "It's time to send our sincere condolences to Madame Bettencourt's family."



LEGAL BATTLES


Fascination with Bettencourt's wealth, complex family relations and scandal-tinged life often propelled her into society pages and headlines, though she remained private and rarely gave interviews.


Her net worth was estimated at $39.5 billion earlier this year by Forbes, making her the world's richest woman and among the 20 wealthiest people in the world.


In a testament to the influence L'Oreal came to have in France, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Thursday praised the stability Bettencourt had brought to the company through her ownership and said in a statement he hoped that the firm would maintain its close ties with its home market.


The marriage of the heiress to French politician Andre Bettencourt drew scrutiny when it emerged he had written anti-Semitic tracts at the start of World War Two. And Bettencourt was caught up in high-profile legal feuds almost until the last.


She had been under the guardianship of family members since a court fight, known as the "Bettencourt affair", ended with a ruling in 2011 that she was incapable of looking after her fortune because she suffered from dementia and had been exploited.


The case - brought by her daughter Françoise and which soured relations between the two - centered on Francois-Marie Banier, a celebrity photographer who befriended Bettencourt in the 1980s and received lavish gifts from her, including life insurance policies worth $400 million.


Another strand of the sprawling affair later led to allegations of illegal payments by Bettencourt to members of the French government associated with former president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010. Sarkozy was eventually cleared in the case.


Paris-born Bettencourt joined her father Eugene Schueller's firm as an apprentice at the age of 15, mixing cosmetics and labeling bottles of shampoo.


She inherited the family fortune when her father Eugene Schueller, a chemist, died in 1957, though she delegated the day-to-day management of the firm. A widow since 2007, Bettencourt ceased to sit on L'Oreal's board in 2012.


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How to Hide Text Previews for All Apps Notification on the Apple's iOS 11 Lock Screen

iOS 11 has introduced a simple blanket solution for those who want to hide text previews for all of their apps at one time, bringing about a quick remedy for anyone concerned about privacy on iPhone and iPad. In previous iterations of iOS, you could only toggle the "Show Preview" notification setting on or off for select apps, and the feature was largely exclusive to a few of Apple's own first-party apps, like Messages.



With iOS 11, that option has extended to individual third-party apps, and Apple has now introduced an overarching "Show Previews" toggle for all apps installed on your iOS device.

Hiding Text Previews for All Apps on the iOS Lock Screen

 

 

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap "Notifications."
3. Tap "Show Previews."
4. Tap "When Unlocked."

With this setting turned on, every app that you have notifications enabled for will appear on the Lock Screen, but without the actual content of the notification displayed. You can quickly make that content appear with a simple press (but not tap) of your finger on Home Button to activate Touch ID, unlocking your device and confirming it's you who wants to read the various messages.


If you choose "Never" in the same area of Show Preview settings, these notification previews won't show notification content even when the iPhone or iPad is unlocked.



 

 Preview notifications hidden (left), and then shown after the iPhone is unlocked (right)


The same options are also available for each individual app, allowing for more granular control over your notification privacy settings in iOS 11. If you don't want the same setting for all of your apps, visit Settings > Notifications > scroll to the desired app > and then scroll to the bottom of the app's notification page to find Show Preview settings for that specific app.

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How to Stop Mobile Phone Hacking

Smartphone users spend on average three hours every day doing non-voice activities on their devices, and in this time they need to be protected.

Mobile phones have become a prime target for hackers and ‘phishers’, attempting to access your private information.
Emails, social media, software updates, apps and open public Wi-Fi are all easy ways for hackers to breach your security but are also easy to prevent.
Here are a few tips to help prevent against an attack on your handheld device.

1. Firstly, review your phone

 

Android or iPhone, spyware could be anywhere, even in plain sight. Search through your apps and delete those you don’t recognise or haven’t used in a while.


Revoking access to apps for components such as the camera or microphone is also an option that helps prevent the app from collecting personal information.


Don’t use an alternative file cleaner app, they advertise faster performance but more often than not clog your device. Instead delete apps and files manually.


In addition, you might want to check the credibility of the browser you are currently using as many won’t encrypt user search queries, allowing tracking, collecting geolocation data, and leaving any sensitive information entered unprotected.

2. Secure your email

 

 

 

In the age of the smartphone email has remained the main form of communication, with most of us being found ceaselessly ‘on the grid’ or ‘plugged in’.


‘Phishing’ - the action of masquerading as another to gain sensitive information - is still the mobile hacker’s most frequent and effective tool. A scam varying from modest local bank to illustrious Nigerian Prince, it is very easy to get caught out, but also very easy to prevent.


To prevent such attacks don’t open any attachments or web links unless you are sure of its legitimacy. A two-factor authentication is advised, further reducing the risk of a breach.


And remember that authorised companies should never ask for you to complete an embedded form or offer direct links to free downloads away from their own website.


‘Spear phishing’ - where a hacker targets you personally via a fake social network account - can also be prevented by contacting and validating the friend through another means of communication before giving away any personal information.

3. Don't be caught out by false software updates

 

 

Touch-screen devices come with the risk of being liable to one-tap ads. These ads can contain dangerous malware or even harmless adware/freeware that increase our vulnerability to fake software updates.


Don’t be caught out by a false software update by only downloading updates directly from official sites. iOS support recommends we keep our devices up-to-date as hackers tend to target older tech.


This is easily achievable for both Android and iPhone by turning on auto-update in ‘settings.’ Due to this, we need never manually update our devices and won’t fall risk to a fake software update.


You should also consider a mobile antivirus, here is everything you need to know about mobile antivirus.

4. Monitor the apps on your phone

 

With the app store ever increasing, so too is the likelihood downloading an app that can be potentially damaging.


When aiming to download an app look up its details online. Check the author, when it was last updated, and its reviews; all can give clues as to the legitimacy of the application.


Always install any app from the official store, and limit the number of how many you use.
Remember to keep your apps up-to-date, especially those used for messaging and banking.


Both Apple and Google recommend we do not save our passwords for these important applications, as it makes security redundant if a hacker were to access our phone.

5. Be safe on public Wi-Fi

 

 

 

Public Wi-Fi has become one of the most common ways hackers attempt to gain access to your details, or even remotely control your device. The easy way to prevent this is to not use public Wi-Fi at all, but there are also other methods to reduce the risk.


You should also invest in a VPN (virtual private network). By encrypting the user's information, it allows for a secure connection and transaction within a public network. Here are some of the best VPNs.


However, the most effective form of prevention is to turn off Wi-Fi when making personal transactions from a public place.

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Fastest-Growing Information Technology Firm on 2017 PROFIT 500 For Second Consecutive Year

 
 

BURLINGTON, ON, Sept. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - Canadian Business and PROFIT ranked Secure Sense as the fastest-growing information technology firm for the second year and No. 20 on the 29th annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies. Published in the October issue of Maclean's magazine and at CanadianBusiness.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their five-year revenue growth.


Secure Sense placed on the 2017 PROFIT 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 3,044%.


"It is never easy to earn a spot on the PROFIT 500, but this year's applicant pool was the most competitive yet," says Deborah Aarts, PROFIT 500 program managers. "This year's winners demonstrate the resilience, innovation and sheer management smarts it takes to build a thriving business today. Canada—and the world—needs more entrepreneurial success stories like these."


"To be recognized as the Fastest-Growing IT firm for the second year is a huge accomplishment for our team," says Kerri Tomaino, Director of Sales. "It's an honour to have placed on this coveted publication, and we congratulate each of the honorees on their success as well. We have a remarkable team, all working towards a customer-driven service and are excited for what's in store for the future of IT."


About the PROFIT 500



For 29 years, the PROFIT 500 has been Canada's most respectable and influential ranking of entrepreneurial achievement. Developed by PROFIT and now published in Maclean's magazine and at CanadianBusiness.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian companies on five-year revenue growth. For more information on the ranking visit PROFIT500.com or CanadianBusiness.com.


About Canadian Business 




Founded in 1928, Canadian Business is the longest-serving and most-trusted business publication in the country. It is the country's premier media brand for executives and senior 5 business leaders. It fuels the success of Canada's business elite with a focus on the things that matter most: leadership, innovation, business strategy and management tactics. Learn more at CanadianBusiness.com.


About Secure Sense:



Secure Sense is a solutions provider specializing in network and security services and product implementation. We offer managed services and a range of professional services, allowing us to deliver custom solutions. We've drawn on our skills and knowledge to establish a philosophy wherein clients are provided with the value and ROI from IT expenditures.

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The Benefits of Blogging

It has been almost twenty years when blogging started.


Now there are 150 million blogs with a new blog coming up in every two seconds.




The blogosphere has evolved much.

Now, there are all kinds of blogs including business, fashion, entertainment, lifestyle, among others.


‘Blogging’ has hit it Big.


However, in the beginning, blogs used to be glorified online journals. There was a lack of professionalism and money making wasn’t the goal.


Now, people go on to blog for many different reasons.

The best thing about blogging is that it welcomes everyone.

It’s easy, cheap, and available to everyone.


There’s a big personal and professional growth potential in blogging.
Still, there are lots of people who do not appreciate or understand the benefits of blogging.
So, if you are one of those who are bewildered about blogging, here’s a post just for you guys.



Herein, I list out the benefits of blogging.
 

Benefits of Blogging

So, let’s get started and see the benefits you can avail from blogging.

1. It is free (or affordable)

 

The best thing about blogging is the fact that anyone can start a blog for free. You can choose to self-host a blog, which is affordable for everyone out there. Moreover, the cost of a hosting package and a domain name is less than a movie ticket.


With less than $40 a year (Self hosted Blog), you can have your blog up and running in just 15 minutes. For building a proper blog all you require is to devote some time each day. If you have some more interesting persons with you who are ready to blog about a certain thing, then you can easily create a major blog without spending much time.

2. Blogging is Easy

 

Yes. It’s another big plus with blogging. It is really-really easy. In fact, anyone can choose to blog. The hardest part is setting it up. However, once you are through with it, blogging becomes quite intriguing. Moreover, if you are working with WordPress, you don’t have to deal with technical aspects, HTML, or website creation.


You just have to customize your blog, adding themes and plugins, and go on to write content. Once you get familiar with the environment, you will know exactly what to do.

3. Google Loves Blogs

 

You will be delighted to know that Google loves blogs. Once your blog is up and live, Google will crawl your blog posts and pages, and it will be listed on Google search. It means you will receive additional visitors for your blog from the search engines. The new people to your blog can become your friends, future business partners, or even customers.


Blogging is believed to be the best way for maintaining a unique presence in the search engines. Do you know what the two things which Web crawlers normally look for are? First, an ample amount of updated text and second, plenty of links! You required maintaining your online presence, and by fulfilling both these necessities, you can easily come in the eyes of web surfers without much difficulty.

4. Blogging Makes You A Better Person

 

Believe it or not, the fact is that blogging makes you a better person. Why? Let me elaborate it a little more. Writing blog posts sharpens your writing skills as well as communication skills. You start learning new things. Your whole focus is to present the information in an interesting and easy way that is liked and loved by your audience.


You begin to share what you know, learned, and experienced. When your readers recognize your efforts, it’s an overwhelming feeling. You take up the responsibility and build upon your expertise. Furthermore, there are employers who look for such employees that have blogs and write openly about their life and opinion. Blogs help to position you as a formidable figure that has made its mark in the public arena.

5. Blogging Helps Other People

Blogging provides the opportunity to help other people. In fact, blogs prove to be a platform wherein you can spread your information and knowledge with other people. In that case, every single blog helps other people in their way.


For example, let’s say you blog out “mother care” wherein you share information about raising children. Your ideas, solutions, and information can be helpful for women who are looking for advice on raising children.


When they read your blog posts, they get information about issues about children, how to deal with kids, how to raise children, and stuff like that. It is certainly very satisfying when you get emails saying, “Thanks for furnishing such valuable information. It has helped me a lot.” It’s very heart-warming, and you hold the feeling close to your heart.

6. You can make Money with Blogging

 

There are a lot of people who are making tons of money by just blogging. So, it is possible to monetize your blog. However, it’s not an instant phenomenon. It takes time. Once you have garnered enough readers, you start making money.


With time, your traffic number increases and so does your income. It all starts with having a blog. And there are various ways by which you can monetize your blog. You can place Adsense Ads, write paid reviews, sell products, offer a service, and much more.


Blogging is not just about earning few hundred dollars. In fact, many people earn their living from blogs. There are many multimillion Dollar bloggers. It’s all up to you where you want to take your blog regarding monetization. The sky is the limit for you when you choose to blog.

7. It Helps Establish Authority

Blogging is a way to create helpful content for your target customers. In the course of doing so, you establish yourself as an authority in their eyes. People come to your blog looking for answers and to solve their specific problems. When they find useful content on your blog, they begin to trust your opinion.


For example, you may have come up with an unbiased, clear and comprehensive review about a software product. By going through your post, the readers get to know the ins and outs of the product.


They make a decision trusting your opinion. When the decision is in their favor, they begin to value your opinion. They come to your blog, again and again, hoping that you will provide good solutions and valuable information.


They see you as an expert. All these factors help to establish your authority. Although it’s a fluffy metric, still you can see the results in terms of traffic increase, leads, and sales that come pouring in when you are recognized as an expert and authority on your subject.

8. Blogging Helps to Drive Traffic

 

Every new blog post means one more indexed page on your website. It opens an opportunity for you to show up in search engines and drive traffic to your website in organic search. It shows that your website is active and there is new content for readers.


Moreover, every blog post gives an opportunity to people to share your content on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. It helps to expose your business to a new set of audience that may not know you yet.


In fact, your blog content keeps your social media presence going. Your blog content strengthens your social reach, and you can drive new website visitors by using social channels. So, Blogs closely work with search engines and social channels to drive new traffic to your website.

9. Learn In-Demand Skills

Blogging provides you an opportunity to learn In-Demand Skills. While you may not be an expert in Computers when you take on blogging, you can certainly acquire new skills while you make progress in blogging.


Blogging platforms such as WordPress have made it easier to advance in your computer skills. It has an easy learning curve, and you learn various aspects of blogging simply by experimenting and practicing it.


Moreover, most people get hands-on experience in web design, HTML, and CSS, content marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing while they continue their efforts in blogging. It is always good when you know how to do things yourself rather than to hire somebody each time. While blogging, you learn to enjoy working with computers and sharpen your computer skills.

10. Collect Emails

Emails are still the most reliable way to communicate online. In fact, Blogging provides an opportunity to collect emails of your target audience. You can collect emails by offering free products or services. For example, you can offer a free e-book in exchange for the email address of your readers.


Once you have their emails, you can establish a direct connection with your readers. You can drive their attention for something that you find will benefit your readers, or you can choose to inform about your business or blog.

11. Customer Feedback

Another major benefit of blogging is that it includes the facility of customer feedback process. With the help of feedback process, you can clearly understand whether there is any loophole associated with the quality of your product or not.


If yes, then you can easily search out for the ways to enhance it. Positive feedback will surely motivate you to give better and better results. Here, also there is no role of the phone bill, customer service arguments, etc.

12. Blogging Allows Exchange Of Information

If your company blog is fairly of good size, then it will surely allow amiable, rapid exchange of information, views, and ideas within the members of your company.


If with God grace you are acquiring a big company then it will be quite convenient for the people in separate offices to post a question and getting a response to it in an instant fashion.


What will it do if you have some of the offices abroad?


It can also be very fruitful if you have offices in different nations. There is no question of getting affected with the telephone costs and a large number of employees with similar kind of question or problem can get an immediate response to it.

13. Stay Updated and Knowledgeable in your Field

 

Starting a blog puts lots of responsibility on your shoulders. You have to make sure that you provide all the latest, best, and updated information to your readers. It means that you have to keep searching for new information and share that information with your readers.


In a way, blogging is an incentive for keeping up to the date on all the latest things that happen in your chosen niche. You have to come out with new content on a regular basis, and so you have to keep yourself updated on all the trends and latest events that happen in your industry. So, blogging makes you knowledgeable in your field.

14. Sell a Product

 

Blogs have tremendous potential for making a great virtual store. Many bloggers have found success selling everything from ebooks to membership sites. You can come up with an in-depth review of products and provide details, features, and benefits.


You can have an image gallery of the products that you propose to sell on your blog. You can add users’ testimonials, and incentivize your selling with discounts and freebies. When you offer products that interest your audience, they are likely to take a note of it and go on to buy the products listed on your blogs. You can sell someone else products and services with the help of affiliate marketing.

15. Market Your Business

 

Blogs are the best way to grow subscribers, leads, and ultimately revenue. A static corporate website fails to achieve these goals.


By creating blog content, you open doors for growing your website’s authority, traffic, and online rankings. Blogs help to gain the much needed online visibility which is so essential for marketing your business.


The Final Word


Although I have listed many benefits of blogging, I still feel that blogging provides a much wider scope than what has been mentioned in this post. That said, it’s the best way of advancing your online presence. Lastly, I hope that the post helps you to gain confidence in blogging so that you can put your best foot forward and give your best in blogging.

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27 Apple iOS 11 Tips and Tricks: know How to Navigate Apple’s Latest Update With Ease

 


Apple’s iOS 11 mobile operating system introduces a ton of new features, with far more custom options to tailor the experience to your needs. But updating to a new version can be anxiety-inducing.


We’re here to make the adjustment far easier with some useful iOS 11 tips and tricks. If you want to check it out for yourself, here’s how to download iOS 11.

Save storage with new camera formats

To help save storage, you can save your photos under HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) and HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) by going to Settings > Camera > Formats and check off High Efficiency. For photos, HEIF offers twice the compression effectiveness of JPEG and can still be shared. For video, your footage will use HEVC for the high-resolution 4K video the iPhone shoots in. Under both formats, you’ll be able to free up storage without sacrificing the quality of your photos and videos. Your images automatically save as HEIC and movies as an HEVC .mov file. But if you choose to stay on the Most Compatible camera format option, your images will save as JPGs and movies as h.264 .mov file. To learn more about both formats, read our HEIF and HEVC guide.

 

Using the Apple Pay Cash Card

 

 

With the Apple Pay Cash Card, you can send transactions between you and family or friends through iMessage. The feature can be opened within the iMessage window manually via the App drawer, but it will also come up through QuickType suggestions based on the context of the conversation. By tapping on the Apple Pay icon, you can set the dollar amount you’re requesting or paying. After approving it with Touch ID, or Face ID when you get the iPhone X, the money arrives on your cash card instantly in the Wallet app. The feature isn’t currently available on iOS 11, but will be released in an update later this Fall.

 

How to use the Files app

 

Brenda Stolyar / Digital Trends

With the Files app, you have one location to browse, organize, and search files stored in iCloud Drive, your iPad, Mac, and third-party cloud services such as Google Drive. The interface resembles Finder on the Mac, and lets you arrange your files in different folders and subfolders for easy access across your Apple devices. On the app, you’ll have the option to create a folder, name it, and then add anything you’d like from documents to photos. You can also sort them by name, date, size, and tags for extra organization. Other features include marking up and sharing PDFs or images stored within the folders. Check out our deep dive of the new Files app for more.

 

How to access your notifications

 

In iOS 11, the notification center and the lock screen have fused. Instead of having to swipe down to another notification screen after unlocking your phone, simply swipe down to reveal your lock screen, and all your notifications will appear separated by day. You can clear or view them by swiping the notification to the left, and you can also open each one by swiping fully to the right. Tapping and holding via 3D Touch will let you interact with the notification, such as sending a reply to an iMessage. In this new notification center, you can access your camera by swiping to the left, and the Today view by swiping to the right (just like the lock screen).

 

How to type to Siri

 

With iOS 11, you can now type out your questions or commands to Siri. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Siri and toggle on Type to Siri. After tapping Done, Siri will pull up the results for you automatically. You can also adjust voice settings to “Control with Ring Switch” which will signal for Siri to show text but not speak responses when your ringer is off — however, it will still beep when called on.

 

How to customize your Control Center

 

The Control Center in iOS 11 has been completely redesigned and is now more customizable. To customize the Control Center, go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls. Tap the plus signs in the “More Controls” section to add the items you’d like to include. You can also reorganize the order they appear by holding down the symbol on the right and dragging the controls to your preferred spot. You can use 3D touch to adjust controls like sound, brightness, and the flashlight.

 

How to easily turn on Low Power Mode

 

 

 

 

Low power mode is nothing new to iOS 11 — neither is having low battery — but in the past, turning it on it required you to go to your Settings and tap on the Low Power Mode tab. Now, you can add it to the customized Control Center and easily turn it on or off by tapping on the low battery icon. If you’re always running out of power, check out our iPhone battery saving tips.

 

How to screen record

 

In the past, recording screen activity on your iPhone required a third party app. Now, you can screen record straight through the built-in feature. You’ll have to add it to your Control Center by going to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls. Once it’s added, pull up the Control Center and tap on the screen record icon which will turn red to indicate it’s on — you’ll also see a blue banner when you exit the Control Center and start using your phone to signal that it’s recording. To record audio as well, the record icon will give you the option via 3D touch to turn the microphone on. Once you’re finished, you can either tap on the banner or the icon in the Control Center to stop recording. The videos will automatically save to your Camera Roll.

 

How to scan documents

 

The Notes app in iOS 11 now has a feature to scan your documents. To scan a document, click the plus sign on the bottom of the screen and tap “Scan Documents.” The camera will snap a photo of the document and add it to your notes. You can also edit the color scheme with options like black and white, color, and grayscale.

How to turn on “Do Not Disturb While Driving

 

In an effort to reduce car accidents caused by distracted driving and improve safety on the road, “Do Not Disturb While Driving” kicks in once your iPhone senses the acceleration of a vehicle. It will mute all text messages, phone calls, and notifications, and there’s an option to respond to text messages with an automatic reply notifying friends and family that you’re currently behind the wheel. You can switch between turning it on manually — which can also be added to the Control Center for easy access — or automatically when connected to the Bluetooth in your car. If you want to unlock your device while driving, you have to tap on the option that says “I’m Not Driving” to gain access to your phone.

 

How to auto-answer calls

 

 

Under Accessibility > Call Audio Routing, you can choose “Auto-Answer Calls” to answer phone calls automatically after a specific amount of time. After turning on the feature, you’ll be asked to enter the amount of time you’d like to pass before the call is answered.

How to turn on persistent banners

 

Unlike temporary banner notifications that disappear automatically, you now have the option of setting persistent banners instead. The notification will stay at the top of the screen until you’re ready to get to it, or you can swipe up to dismiss it. However, it will disappear if you exit an app, press the home button, or enable Siri. To change your banner settings, go to Settings > Notifications > Messages, toggle on Show as Banners and tap Persistent.

 

How to edit and save screenshots 

 

After taking a screenshot, you’ll see it appear as a thumbnail in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. Holding down on the photo brings you to a menu of options to share it, via text message, email, or social media. You can also markup the screenshots with a variety of different coloring tools. They’ll no longer save automatically to your camera roll, but clicking on the thumbnail gives you the option to save the screenshot or delete it. If you don’t tap on the thumbnail, the photo will automatically save to your photo album.

How to delete or turn on offload apps

 

 

 

The Offload feature removes apps you barely use when storage is low, but still keeps all the data and documents on your device. You’ll see the deleted apps as gray icons on the home screen, and you can reinstall them by simply tapping on the icon. You can activate the feature so that it works automatically in the background by going to Settings > General > iTunes & App Store and turning on Offload Unused Apps, or choose to use it on individual apps.

How to zoom out using one hand on Maps

 

Instead of having to use two fingers, you can now zoom out by double-tapping and holding down on the Apple Maps app. If you’re holding your device with one hand, you can use your thumb to slide up or down across the screen which will zoom out your view on the map. The app also includes indoor maps for places such as shopping centers or airports, and for the outdoors you’ll now have lane guidance to show you which lane you should be in while driving — which helps you to avoid missing your exit.

How to clear out storage

 

If you want to clean out your storage to make room for more data, iPhone Storage — reached via Settings > General > iPhone Storage — gives you recommendations to get rid of things like your recently deleted photos or old text message conversations. For texts, you can also enable auto delete to remove messages and attachments sent and received over one year ago.

 

How to activate Emergency SOS

 

Even though Emergency SOS is already activated on your iPhone, you can also enable the “Auto Call” feature. This will call emergency services when you press the power button rapidly five times. It will also disable Touch ID temporarily until you enter the passcode. It won’t start dialing right away, but gives you the option to call. You can find it under your settings when tapping on the Emergency SOS tab.

 

How to turn off your device without using the power button

 

Instead of holding down the power button to turn off your device, go to Settings > General > Shut Down. You’ll be prompted to “slide to power off;” do so and your device will shut down. If your power button is broken, you can turn the device back on by connecting it to your computer or a charger using a Lightning cable.

How to create PDFs in Safari

 

While using the Safari web browser, tap on the share icon at the bottom of your screen and select the “Markup as PDF” option. You can add annotations to the PDF and send it out via email and text, or save it to your iCloud Drive.

How to change tracks using AirPods

 

With iOS 11, you can skip to the next track by double tapping on the AirPod earpiece and double tap on the other one to go back to the previous track. You can even customize which earpiece applies to the next or previous tracks. Go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap on your AirPods from the list of devices, and toggle on “Automatic Ear Detection.”

How to activate the one-handed keyboard

 

This is one of the most important iOS 11 tips and tricks if you struggle to type one-handed. If you want to type using one hand, iOS 11 lets you switch between keyboard modes. Switch to the one-handed keyboard by holding down the globe or emoji icon and select the right-handed or left-handed keyboards from the menu. It will scrunch the keyboard to one side of the screen, making it easier to reach all the keys while typing.

How to tap and drag apps on the home screen

 

 

 

 

With the newly re-designed App Store in iOS 11, you might find yourself downloading way more apps than your home screen can keep track of. You can move multiple apps at once by holding down one app and tapping the additional apps you’d like to move to create a stack. You can move them freely around the home screen or add them to a folder.

How to use new Live Photo features

 

 

The new features for Live Photos include Loop, which repeatedly plays the Live Photo; Bounce, which picks the best start and end points to play the Live Photo forward and in reverse; and Long Exposure, which blends all the frames of the Live Photo together. All three of these features can be accessed by swiping up on a Live Photo, and finding the camera effects in a carousel gallery. You can also change the default photo of the Live Photo when in edit mode by scrolling through the frames. After selecting the exact frame you want to use as the preview photo, click Make Key Photo.

 

How to switch between camera filters

 

 

 

Instead of a grid layout covering the entire screen, the camera filters are in a slider view format now, allowing you to switch between them while still in regular camera mode.

How to scan QR codes

 

This feature will already be turned on after downloading iOS 11, but you can toggle it on or off by going to Settings > Camera. You can connect to Wi-Fi by scanning QR codes on routers, use them to add contacts, expand adverts, and more.

How to hide photos

 

If you’re wondering how to hide photos on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll be glad to know that the option is still there in iOS 11. If there’s a photo you don’t want anyone to see on your device, you can select the “Hide” option to move it from the camera roll to a new album titled “Hidden.” Once it’s in this album, you’ll no longer see it in your regular camera roll.

How to turn on Smart Invert

 

There’s no actual “Dark Mode” feature, but iOS 11 does have a “Smart Invert” option. You can access it by going to Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Invert Colors and toggling on “Smart Invert.” This will reverse the colors except on images, media, and some apps that already use dark colors.
For iPad users, iOS 11 packs new features like multitasking along with drag and drop. For a more in-depth look, check out our iPad Pro tips and tricks.

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