In Depth: How the iPhone 6S could control your home

Posted on by Brad Ward
In Depth: How the iPhone 6S could control your home

Introduction to HomeKit

It seemed as if Apple was taking over the household with its Macs, iPhones, iPads and the Apple TV, but now the Cupertino company wants to control your smart home.

That may happen starting with the iPhone 6S in September with its still vague HomeKit intentions. It wasn't a big focus at June's WWDC, but the company did add iOS 9 support for motorized window shades and new sensor classes, like motion and carbon-monoxide detectors.

Modest as they may seem, these impressive additions all work toward making your home more efficient. It could rival Google's convenient and energy-efficient Nest innovations.

Will the iPhone 6S be the central hub for your smart home? Apple is clearly pushing its software in that direction from everything that we have seen so far.

What is HomeKit?

Home automation is in a state of chaos, requiring an individual application for each smart home component you buy. Apple aims to simplify this through the HomeKit framework, which was originally thought to be built into iOS 8, but now we won't see it until iOS 9 launches this fall alongside the iPhone 6S.

Apple created the HomeKit framework so that any smart home device from any manufacturer could be understood without the need for an individual application for each component you buy. Not only that, but HomeKit also takes advantage of Siri, allowing you to control your home with just your device and your voice.

In layman's terms, HomeKit brings all smart home components under a single umbrella over its traditional, cluttered mess. This allows for simple, efficient, and easy access to all of your smart home products. In the words of Nest, home automation "focuses on the little things so you can focus on the big things."

HomeKit

How is HomeKit being improved in iOS 9?

HomeKit is receiving some very nice improvements in iOS 9, all of which Apple introduced during WWDC 2015 in early June. There is now support for motorized window shades, along with the aforementioned new sensor classes, such as motion and carbon-monoxide detectors, to name a couple.

Another extremely useful addition is the compatibility with home security systems, which could mean that it will support popular services like ADT, Alarm Relay, Vivint, etc. There are also looming reports that Google and Apple could get into the home security business.

When it lands this autumn, iOS 9 will now let you securely access your home via iCloud, whether that be on your iPhone or Apple Watch (as of watchOS 2.0, which should launch this fall alongside or not long after iOS 9 hits devices).

The iPhone 6S could control your home

For the mobile world, smart homes are the next big thing, and many companies are jumping on this train, with Google even going as far as purchasing home automation company Nest early last year. That said, Apple needs to stay competitive in this field, and HomeKit is its weapon to do just that.

Nest

HomeKit will obviously be available on any device running iOS 9 or watchOS 2.0, but the coming iPhone 6S, thanks to iOS 9, will be able to easily control your home through Wi-Fi, and for some devices, maybe even Bluetooth. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of problems to solve before that becomes a full reality. At this point, manufacturers need to make their smart home devices compatible with HomeKit. While many are jumping on board, more well-known smart home companies may not agree, such as Nest, due to being a competitor in the field.

Despite that, the iPhone 6S, combined with the powers of HomeKit, will be able to power our houses in new ways through Wi-Fi technology. The iPhone 6S will no doubt act as the remote for everything, whether it be as setting scheduled thermostat settings to something as simple as turning on your TV. If HomeKit provides a good interface for the iPhone 6S to access all of this tech, home automation will have a big player in the field.

The iPhone 6S also has the potential to control the home through Bluetooth technology. This is purely speculation, but if Apple can make transferring files efficient, easy, and seamlessly through AirDrop and other technologies, there's no doubt they'll be able to take Bluetooth to a new level to offer seamless home automation. Imagine being able to shut your lights off or transfer files to your Apple TV through a two-step process. The technology is there, and Apple can easily implement it in the iPhone 6S.

That said, the iPhone 6S has the potential to control your home. There's no doubt about this, however, compatible smart home components just aren't available to the public yet. There's also the aspect that many could be paranoid about smart home technologies due to just how new of a technology it is.

Potential HomeKit problems for iPhone 6S

HomeKit

HomeKit is rather useful, but as of right now, it's really only appealing to technology enthusiasts. It'll take some time for the everyday person to accept the idea, as is the case with almost any new technology. Back when the Internet was in its infancy, it took awhile to catch on, and so did smartphones. It's difficult to say, but many people are paranoid, and we're just not ready to accept home automation from a cultural standpoint.

That's the same reason why Google Glass hasn't hit the ground running: people look at it and think it's weird. I remember listening to an episode of the Vergecast where Joshua Topolsky, Chris Ziegler, and David Pierce discussed walking around New York City with Google's wearable. He received many interesting remarks, one of which was "can you see through my clothes with that thing on your head?" People are paranoid, and that probably has a lot to deal with the lack of public excitement around wearables, smart home automation, and other technologies.

There's also the aspect that consumers don't see a need for smart home components yet. They don't see how it will truly benefit their lives. We all know how smartphones have benefited us: we can send emails faster, schedule and track things more efficiently and complete tasks on the go. Smart homes are beneficial: they can automatically alert authorities in the case of a fire or break-in and change your thermostat from work, for starters. However, consumers have yet to decide whether they may "need" this simplifying technology, at least not yet.

So yes, HomeKit is useful, and with it, the iPhone 6S will be able to easily control our homes. But again, it won't be a widely used feature – at least initially – because the public is wary of adapting to these new technologies yet.

How will HomeKit work with the iPhone 6S?

As of this writing, there's no confirmation, but many expect Apple will offer an official app called Home alongside the 6S to control all of your HomeKit devices. However, other rumors indicate that HomeKit will be exclusively operated through Siri.

Again, there's no indication in any official capacity, but you will allegedly be able to create visual representations of rooms with the Home app. This will allow you to easily organize your HomeKit devices for more efficient remote operation. It'll be interesting to see how this works, especially if Apple decides against a central application and has HomeKit operated exclusively through the company's voice assistant.

Either way, we're not entirely sure what Apple's plan of action is, and we likely won't hear anything in an official capacity until we're closer to launch day. Regardless, it's already clear that the iPhone 6S and HomeKit have the potential to change how you interact with your home, specifically your living room.

The war for your living room

There are a lot of companies fighting for your living room, whether it be Microsoft with the Xbox One, Sony with the PS4, Google with the Android TV, or even Apple with its Apple TV and possibly a coming refresh this fall. The living room is largely unclaimed space, as far as technology goes. And Apple wants to be at the center of that with its Apple TV.

While there are some rumors that Apple will release a Home app to control your smart home technologies, other rumors say that the Apple TV will be the central hub for your smart home. That's not to say it will replace the iPhone 6S as the gateway to your automated products, as the handset will easily be the go-to device while you're away or moving about your home. After all, what do you always have next to you? Your smartphone.

With the iPhone 6S, you will not only be able to access your home entertainment, but also be able to adjust your thermostat, turn your lights on or off, monitor your home via smart security cameras, and so on. Apple's goal to winning your living room is to make it not only as convenient as possible, but also to be the place for on-demand entertainment: that's the primary goal of taking over your living room.

All of the hardware and software is available to do this, and more is being added every day – we're just waiting on Apple to release the iPhone 6S. Paired with iOS 9's HomeKit, the iPhone 6S will be the gateway to all of your smart home tech.

The only problem is that Apple is already seeing fierce competition in this regard. Amazon's already offering the Amazon Echo, convenient grocery services like Amazon Fresh and the Dash buttons, and living room entertainment through Amazon Fire TV.

Remember, smart home technology is still in its infancy, and is expanding at a rapid rate, but it might not be the next big step. The next big leap could be completely based around convenience, as Amazon seems to think, not flashy gadgets.

Either way, the smart home is here, and while the iPhone 6S may not be able to control our entire home, it can control your living room really well. And, for right now, that seems to be all that matters to big players in the tech industry.

What about your entire home?

In 2015, creating an entirely automated home is difficult, particularly because of how many industries your home falls into: groceries, cookware, appliances, entertainment, the home office, books, the bedroom and so on. It's an extremely difficult undertaking, something that all the big tech firms are working on. And Apple's staking its claim for the home through HomeKit in the iPhone 6S.

Any company that comes out with a smart home product can make it HomeKit-compatible, thus bringing it into Apple's ecosystem. So, while you may not be able to control your entire home in 2015 with the iPhone 6S, Apple is just waiting on smart home companies to provide those products.

Conclusion

There are a lot of devices out there to help further the smart home movement, but many of them aren't even close to official availability. There are also some points that need to be defined regarding home automation. For instance, what does a smart home look like? And after answering that as an industry, products need to be made to reflect that answer.

In the end, smart home technology is here, and it should work wonderfully with the iPhone 6S, but Apple and its rivals could be jumping the gun here.

What do you think about the iPhone 6S and HomeKit? Could you imagine yourself purchasing a few HomeKit devices to see just how well it works? Better yet, could you imagine actively using smart home tech in your home?










Explained: How to remotely access your Mac or PC from an iPhone or iPad

Posted on by Brad Ward
Explained: How to remotely access your Mac or PC from an iPhone or iPad

How to remotely access

We live in such a fast-paced world that it's sometimes difficult to take our computers with us. That's part of the reason why mobile devices are so popular: We can do all of the necessary computer functions just as easy and more efficiently on a 4- to 10-inch device.

However, there are moments when you need to remotely access your Mac or PC (or that of a client), whether it be to grab a file you forgot to upload to the cloud or something as simple as changing configurations around during your lunch break. It can be quite difficult to grab those resources while you're on the go, but fortunately there are ways to access a computer remotely without needing to go back home or to the office.

Remote desktop applications save you that trouble, allowing you to access important files and data on your computer from your iPhone or iPad. There's little setup involved, and it takes the pressure off if you happen to forget that important proposal on your computer before a lunch meeting or need to remotely access a client's computer to fix a bug in their system.

In some cases, these problems can be handled by uploading files to the cloud in advance, but that isn't much help if you really do need to remote into a Mac or PC. That said, here are a few ways to access your computer remotely with your iPhone or iPad, whether it be for professional or personal use.

GoToAssist

Developed by Citrix, GoToAssist is a great remote desktop application for IT professionals who need to access client or co-worker computers. If you're on the go or even at home, the software works wonderfully on the iPhone and iPad. It does cost a subscription fee on a monthly or yearly basis, but you can sign-up for a 30-day trial to take it for a spin before subscribing.

Citrix GoToAssist

To begin setting it up, head over to GoToAssist.com, fill out the form for the 30-day trial, and select "Start My Free 30-day Trial." After that, get on your iPhone or iPad, head into the App Store, search for "GoToAssist," and begin downloading the "GoToAssist (Remote Support)" app. It should only take a couple of seconds to download, based on your connection speed.

Citrix GoToAssist

Open the app, and fill out your GoToAssist log-in details that you entered when you signed up for the 30-day trial. Select "Log In." Next, tap the "Settings" icon in the navigation panel on the far right corner of the screen. Go through and enable and disable features to fit your needs. In my case, I added a longer Inactivity Timeout and turned off "Uninstall Customer," as many of my clients are recurring customers. Once you're finished, tap "Attended Support" on the far left bottom corner of the screen.

Tap the "Start a Support Session" button in the middle of the screen. It will then take a couple of seconds to begin creating the support session. Next, tell your customer to go to FastSupport.com and give them the key GoToAssist generated for you. After they enter the key, it will take them through the installation wizard to get GoToAssist set up on their computer. This could take a few minutes depending on your client's internet connection.

Citrix GoToAssist

Once everything is set up, GoToAssist will ask for your client's permission for screen sharing, and if they agree, you now have access to their computer. You can begin fixing any problems your customer needs resolved.

Keep in mind that GoToAssist will only work on Windows and Mac. Linux, Chrome OS, and other systems aren't supported. Also, you and your client will need to run Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari. Unfortunately, Google Chrome isn't listed as a supported browser on Citrix's website.

GoToAssist isn't just for customers, though. I've personally found that it works well for fixing problems on a friend or family member's computer. Only, it's a rather expensive to keep that up for charity work. This is where some great free solutions come in for personal use.

GoToMyPC

As a quick note, GoToMyPC works similarly to GoToAssist, however, it's for your own personal use, whether you need remote access to your work computer at the office or access to your personal computer at home. You can't use it to access a friend's or family's machine, as it's for your personal files exclusively. Unfortunately, it's not a free service, but the price per month is significantly lower than GoToAssist.

GoToMyPC only supports Windows and Mac machines. Similar to GoToAssist, you can try it out free for 30 days by signing up on GoToMyPC.com. You can grab the mobile app by heading into the App Store, searching "GoToMyPC" and downloading "GoToMyPC (Remote Desktop)" by Citrix. Again, it works virtually the same as GoToAssist, just without the need for a client to download the software and give you permission for screen sharing.

TeamViewer

As far as free services go, TeamViewer is an excellent solution to your personal remote desktop needs. While there is a charge for businesses, it's free for personal use, no strings attached.

TeamViewer

TeamViewer is a lot quicker to set up than GoToAssist. Simply head over to TeamViewer.com, select "Download" in the navigation panel, and start downloading the software for your chosen operating system. TeamViewer not only works with Windows and Mac, but with various Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, Debian, RedHat, etc.

Once it's downloaded, go through the setup wizard. After the installation process is complete, it's time to start the setup process on your iPhone or iPad. Open the App Store, search for "TeamViewer," and download "TeamViewer: Remote Control."

Once that's finished, open the application on your desktop so that you can get the ID and password to enter in your iPhone or iPad. Once you have it, enter the TeamViewer ID when the app prompts you to on your iPhone or iPad. After that, it will begin connecting. Once it requests it, enter the password that TeamViewer generated for you on your computer. Press "Accept."

You should now be connected to your computer via your iPhone or iPad. Congratulations!

Honorable Mentions

There are a lot of other options out there for remote desktop applications. Microsoft offers Microsoft Remote Desktop while Google has Chrome Remote Desktop. Both allow you to securely access your computers from any of your iOS devices.

LogMeIn, Parallels 2X, and SplashTop 2 are all good solutions, too. I would encourage you to search for a remote desktop application that works for you. GoToAssist and TeamViewer are my favorites, as they fit well within my needs.

However, your needs may be different, so it's best to do some shopping around when it comes to remote desktop software.

Conclusion

Remote desktop software comes in handy, especially if you on the go a lot. You can easily lighten your load by setting up remote desktop software in advance and leaving your Mac or PC at home. You'll virtually have the same access to your computer on your iPhone or iPad as long as you have internet access.

Of course, there are times where remote desktop software just won't fit the bill. If you're a designer or software engineer, for example, having your laptop or computer with you is just a fact of life. Fortunately, most of us don't need that immediate access to our systems, making remote desktop applications a great solution.

What remote desktop software do you use on your iPhone or iPad to connect your computer at home or the office?










How to backup your iPhone and iPad to save your iOS data

Posted on by Brad Ward
How to backup your iPhone and iPad to save your iOS data

How to backup your iPhone and iPad

Data loss is a fact of life - you drop your phone, it hits the ground, shatters to pieces, and chances are you lost the majority of your data on the device. Thankfully, we have services like iCloud that automatically backup your data, making it easily retrievable in the case of a shattered or damaged smartphone.

Unfortunately, it isn't the best solution for backing up data, particularly because Apple just isn't the best when it comes to cloud services. Security is a big concern with iCloud, and if you ever want to get more storage, it's quite pricey compared to competitors. The company also gives you a mere 5GB of cloud storage that it's hardly possible to backup all of the pertinent data on your iOS device, especially if you have a large photo library full of special moments you want to keep.

That said, there are plenty of other ways to make sure your data is safe by backing up your files across a few free services. The first step is, of course, making sure you have a backup of your device on your PC or MacBook.

iTunes

iOS backup how to

To get started, plug your iPhone into your computer and open up iTunes. From there, select File > Devices > Transfer Purchases. This will save all of the content you've purchased via the App Store or iTunes Store on your computer. Wait for iTunes to finish transferring your purchases, and then select File > Devices > Backup. iTunes will begin backing up your device. Depending on how much data you're backing up, this could take some time.

After it's finished, make sure it was a successful backup by heading into iTunes Preferences > Devices. You should see all of your backups with your device name and the date and time the process finished.

iOS backup how to

Now you have a backup on your computer that you can always revert back to in the event of data loss. However, it's good to make sure that you have a copy or two of this backup sitting in the cloud somewhere. You never know when your computer could fail you, too.

Drive

Google Drive is a great place to backup a lot of content, mainly because of the 15GB of free storage you get with your Google account. That's more than enough to handle important documents along with a robust photo library.

The first step is to download the Google Drive application for Windows or Mac. Since I'm primarily a Windows user at the moment, I'm using the Windows version, but it shouldn't be too hard to follow along if you're a Mac user.

iOS backup how to

The second step is to run Google Drive. You don't need your phone plugged in since iTunes already backed up all of your files. It'll ask you to sign-in and then run you through a fairly short setup wizard. Follow the steps, and click "Done" once you're finished. Google Drive should now be on your computer and the Google Drive folder it created will automatically open via your native file explorer.

iOS backup how to

Google Drive isn't your traditional backup service, but it works just as well, mainly because of how simple it is to sync files. In your file explorer, head on over to:

Users/Username/AppData/Roaming/Apple Computer/MobileSync/Backup

Find your latest backup, right click it, press copy, select your Google Drive folder, and press paste. Your backup should now be uploading to Drive, and depending on internet speed and how big the backup file is, this could take some time. For Mac users, you'll want to go to:

Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

Then just copy and paste the backup folder in your Google Drive folder, as instructed above. However, it could be a bit more complicated finding your backup. To get specifics on either Windows or Mac, open up iTunes and head on over to iTunes Preferences > Devices. Either Control click or right click the backup you want, and click Show in Folder or Finder. It should take you to the exact location where your backup is.

Keep in mind that if you ever lose the backup on your computer, you can download your extra copy from Google Drive, but you'll need to make sure to put it in the exact same file location you got it from.

Dropbox and iCloud

Google Drive is a great option for those who need a lot of free storage, but if you aren't a heavy power user, Dropbox and iCloud are great places to keep your data. With Dropbox you only get 2GB of free storage for signing up, but setup is very similar to Google Drive since the two services work much the same.

Head on over to Dropbox.com, sign-up for an account, and download the correct version for your operating system. It'll take you through the setup wizard, and once you're done, just like you did above, you can copy your backups and paste them in the Dropbox folder, putting it in the cloud.

Dropbox certainly isn't for the power user, but it's a great place to keep a third backup if something were to ever happen to your other two options.

And of course, even though iCloud isn't the best for keeping your device backed up, it's always good to have turned on, as it makes setting up a new device or restoring apps after a reset a seamless process. I just wouldn't put all of my faith in it to alone to house pertinent files. It's good to make sure you have various copies across services.

To make sure you're set up with iCloud, unlock your device, head into Settings > iCloud, and ensure all of the apps, documents and data you want in the cloud are actively being backed up. For some apps, such as Notes and Mail, you'll need to create a free @icloud.com email address.

Hardware

If you're really paranoid about losing data, even after you've put backups in the cloud, you can always go the traditional route and put backups on hardware, such as external hard drives and USB thumb drives.

It works virtually the same way as putting your data on the cloud. Only, instead of pasting the backup in your Google Drive or Dropbox folder, you'll need to find your external hardware device in your file explorer and paste it in there.

Preventive Measures

It's very rare that software bugs out and messes up your data, at least as far as integrated devices go. Most data loss actually happens due to hardware failure, human error, or people dropping their devices on the ground, shattering them. You can almost never avoid hardware failure, but there are ways to make sure your devices are protected against accidents.

Apple's devices can be slippery, particularly with the company's latest rounded designs. That said, it's always best to have a case around your phone, and if you're worried about making sure your device stays "stylish," there are some great cases out there for iPhones and iPads.

As a rule of thumb, it's good to make sure your devices aren't around water. If you're out on a boat this summer, throw your iPhone in a ziploc baggy and leave the tablet at home and enjoy the weather.

If all else fails, there are ways to recover your data, but it's a lengthy process and requires a team of professionals. Not only that, it's also quite pricey.

Most of the time, data recovery company DriveSavers can recover your data if your device is broken. They have one of the highest success rates in the industry and a quick turnaround time. Again, DriveSavers is quite pricey, but if you need some very sensitive data off of your iPhone or iPad, it might just be worth it to grab an estimate and make sure your files are backed up in various places next time.

Conclusion

These days, data is massively important in our lives:we might be carrying around sensitive financial documents for businesses on our devices or it could be a timeless photo of your child in his or her infancy.

How to backup iPhone

Either way, our data is just as important to us as physical items are, and they should be put away safely on the shelf, or in this case, in the cloud.

What are some ways you keep your data safely backed up?