The Best Tablets for Kids

Posted on July 30, 2019November 10, 2021 by Gail Eddy in iPad, Technology Tips

Whether it’s time for back-to-school, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday, you may be thinking about a new kid-friendly tablet computer. We don’t have kids, so I won’t be able to personally review any of these. But there are several articles out there that examine the best tablets for kids. Some of the features you need to consider are:

Durability – How careful is your kid? Are they a neatnik or a clutz?
Battery Life – how long will the battery last without plugging it in? How long will it take to recharge?
Storage – Consider photos, emails, and texts
Access to games and apps
Size – Will it easily fit into your child’s backpack? Will it get lost in the couch cushions?
WiFi – How hard will it be to connect to WiFi in different locations?
Price – What’s your budget?
Operating System – Android? iOS? etc.
Ports – Will your child need to plug anything in to the tablet?

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Best Tablets For Kids:

Here are the highlights:

PC Magazine

….likes the Amazon Fire HD ($140) and the iPad ($250) the best, although the Barnes & Noble Nook ($50) ranked pretty high as well. Here’s what they have to say:

Amazon Fire:

“The Fire HD 8’s default model, for $79.99, has 16GB of storage and comes with ads on the lock screen. For $15 you can turn off the ads; for $30 you can upgrade the storage to 32GB. There’s also microSD card support, but if you intend to use Netflix downloads a lot, I strongly suggest getting the 32GB model, as Netflix won’t download files onto a microSD.”

Apple iPad:

“Apple’s sixth-generation iPad is still the best tablet value out there. …. you get a light, high-quality tablet with millions of apps, now with a faster processor and Apple Pencil support. It’s great for content consumption and creative work. But Apple wants to compete with laptops and Chromebooks in schools, and that requires adding expensive accessories that significantly raise the price.”

Tablets for Kids reviewed by LaptopMag

….likes the Amazon Fire Kids Tablet ($130) and the Apple iPad Air ($500):

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition:

“The best tablet for children used to be the Fire 7 Kids Edition, but its new 8-inch sibling just swooped in and stole our attention away. Not only does it offer the same bumper and two-year no-questions-asked warranty as its smaller counterpart, but its battery lasts more than 5 hours longer. It also boasts a brighter screen and more responsive performance.”

Apple iPad Air:

It’s okay to get your kid a refurbished model!

“At half of the price of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the iPad Air ($499) is a much more affordable iOS product for your kids. Its 10.5-inch, 2224 x 1668 is super bright and colorful, so when your child draws on it with the compatible iPad Pencil (1st Gen), their work will really come to life. A couple of other neat features is that it supports Apple’s Smart Keyboard, so you can get your child into typing, and it even has a headphone jack. On top of all of that, it has a wild 11 hours and 54 minutes of battery life.”

Remember:

Most tablets for kids come with usage restrictions. Customize them to meet your child’s needs. Check out settings to customize them for your child. You can also install Screen Time on Apple products. Here’s a recent article about Screen Time.

Please forward this to your friends who have school-aged kids.

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

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Electronic Recycling and Buy Back Programs

Posted on May 20, 2019October 31, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Entertainment, Hard Drive, iPad, iPhone, Laptops, Modems, Printer, Router, SmartPhones, Technology Tips, Tips

UPDATED: 20 May 2019

I received an interesting email the other day from Staples telling me about their recycling program. I always assumed I could walk into any big box store with my old electronics and pay a fee to recycle it. This email told me that I could bring it there for free. That made me start to wonder what other options are out there for our customers, not only to recycle but also, to possibly get a discount on their next purchase. We frequently get calls from folks wondering about electronic recycling. Here’s some helpful info.

If you’re thinking about fixing your older equipment, take a look at this article.

What to do first:

Once you’ve decided to get rid of your older devices, you must remove all of your sensitive data. Delete all of your apps, all of your contacts, your emails, your texts, photos, etc. Many of the Electronic Recycling Programs say that they will do this for you before they sell it to someone else, but why take the chance? (Yes, we can help you with this if you’d like.)

Why do you want to Recycle your Electronic Devices:

Many of the components in our electronic devices are toxic, so it’s really important to make sure they get recycled properly. If you just toss your laptop battery in the trash, many of those toxins will leach right into our water supply!

Electronic Recycling Options:

You have a whole bunch of options for getting rid of your old stuff:

Sell It

Rather than electronic recycling, you can try to sell your old phone, tablet, or computer. (Remove your personal data first!) You could start with eBay or Craig’s List. You can also try buy-back programs at places like Best Buy, Amazon, AT&T, Sprint, Staples, and Apple. You’ll get a little less money for your device, but it’s really easy to do, with much less hassle than finding a buyer, shipping it, etc.

Donate It:

Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. But, first of all, remember to remove your personal data!

Give It Away:

Put the item on your local Facebook page, or post it in your local Freecycle group. But, please make sure that you have removed all of your personal data first!

Recycle it Properly:

If you’re not able to sell your equipment or give it away, bring it to an authorized recycling center. Head over to this website and enter your zip code to find the nearest place to you. This is sponsored by DirecTV, but I took a quick look at the recycling centers in my area. It seems like they take more than just TVs. Expect to pay anywhere from $5-$50 to recycle your equipment.

What to do first – Yes, the very first thing you do!

Before you sell, give away, or donate your equipment, remove your personal data!

(Originally posted on 6 November 2018.)

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

When Should I Turn Off My Computer?

Posted on January 8, 2019December 2, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Apple, Desktop, iMac, iPad, Laptops, Mac's, PC's, Technology Tips, Tips

When I got my first computer, I would turn it off every time I left my office for more than a half hour. A few years later I would turn it off when I left for the day. Now, I’ll turn it off a couple of times a week. Why the change? Have you ever wondered: When Should I Turn Off My Computer? You might wonder how often you need to turn off your machine, or if you even need to turn it off at all!

Here’s what Chris says:

“I really wish Gail would turn her machine off more frequently!”

Do I need to turn off my machine?

The short answer is Yes! When you turn it off the machine will clean itself, reorganize files, empty the trash, install any updates, and generally make itself faster and more efficient for the next time you turn it on. Other reasons to turn your machine off include saving power.

It’s really a balancing act. The process of turning your machine off and back on takes its toll on the mechanics of your computer. But leaving the machine on all the time does the same thing. If you use your machine constantly throughout the day, by all means, leave it on. If you access your machine from a remote location, then you definitely need to keep it on most of the time!

When should I turn off my computer?

Every couple of days save all of your documents, close all of your applications, and turn the machine off. Leave it off overnight, or just for a few minutes.

If you use it for only an hour or two at a time, then you should turn it off when you are done. If you know you won’t use your machine all weekend, you should turn it off.But, if you use your machine all day long, there’s really no need to turn it off every day. Turning your machine off once a week should be sufficient.

Remember, when you turn off your machine, don’t do it with the power button. Use the off button on the screen menu. This allows the machine to shut off gracefully.

General computer health & Well-being:

Some other things you should do for the general health and well-being of your machine are:

Always use a surge protector. These help even out any power spikes so that they don’t damage your machine. We also advise that you use a UPS (Universal Power Supply). This is a battery backup system that protects your equipment from power surges and provides a limited time of battery life. This is helpful when you’re in the middle of working on a project when the power goes out. It gives you enough time to finish up and save everything. (There is an annoying and frequent beep to let you know that you are using battery power.)
During lightning storms, you should turn off AND unplug all of your electronics. Even a surge protector can’t always help protect your equipment if there is a nearby lightning strike.
Uninstall and delete any programs that you are no longer using. Even if you’re not running a program, it may still be processing in the background. This will undermine the efficiency of your machine. (Yes, we can help you with this if you don’t feel comfortable choosing which programs to uninstall.)
Keep your machine clean! Periodically open it up and remove all the dust and pet hair that have accumulated. Dust tends to accumulate on the fan, which is there to keep your machine cool. If too much dust is there, the fan won’t run properly and your machine will overheat. (We can help you with this too!)
Finally, When Should I Turn Off My Computer? At least once a week!

Please forward this to your colleagues who ALWAYS leave their machine running.

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

Screen Time – How much time do I spend playing games on my phone?!

Posted on October 23, 2018November 6, 2020 by Gail Eddy in iPad, iPhone, Smartphone Apps, SmartPhones, Tips

Several months ago, I checked out the beta version of the newest Operating System for my iPhone. (Check out my blog on the subject.) I did this primarily because I had heard about Screen Time, a new app that helps you track the amount of time you are spending on your Apple devices. I only signed up for the trial on my iPad because, if they were to release a beta OS that crashed the system, I didn’t want to be without my phone.

Although Screen Time says "Gail's iPhone", it's really data from both my phone and tablet. — Although Screen Time says “Gail’s iPhone,” it has combined actual data from both my phone and my tablet.

Well, now that they’ve fully tested the software and released it to the public, I’ve installed it on my phone and updated my tablet. (By the way, I’m using iOS 12.0.1 on my iPhone and 12.1 on the iPad.) So, now there’s no getting around it. I spend a LOT of time on my devices, playing games, and checking social media. But, I’m also happy to see that I actually do spend more time reading, researching, and other productive activities. (Check out the Screen Time gray bar.)

What do the different colors mean?

There are several different colors on the Screen Time app that indicates where you are spending your time. The first several colors are where you are spending the most time. For me, dark blue indicates the time I spend playing games, light blue indicates Social Media, Orange is Health & Fitness, and the grey bar on Screen Time generally indicates “Other.”

When I did a quick search on Google to find out what all the different colors mean, I was surprised at how many people searched for the “Screentime grey bar” and “What does the Screentime gray bar mean?” It seems to always indicate “OTHER” and not the top three categories.

I also played around with it a little. Yesterday I opened the Kindle app on my phone and left it up for several hours. Sure enough, the “Information & Reading” category turned dark blue.

Screen Time tells me how often I…

The App also tells me how many times I pick up my phone (54 times a day) and how many notifications I get (71 per day).

How to install Screen Time:

Screen Time is easy to activate and use once you’ve upgraded to the newest iOS. Go to Settings, and scroll down about one screen until you see Screen Time. Click on Screen Time, then “Turn on Screen Time.” Read the introduction, then click on “Continue.” Next, it will ask if this phone is yours or for a child. It will allow you to set up a downtime for the phone, time limits for specific apps, and other permissions. (You may also notice that I have a VPN activated on my phone. Here’s my blog about that subject.)

If you found this helpful, please forward it to your friends!

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INFORMATION ABOUT GEEK FOR HIRE, INC.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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How to Use your iPhone’s Health App

Posted on July 18, 2017August 2, 2017 by Gail Eddy in Apple, Entertainment Apps, iPad, iPhone, Tips

It’s true. You can now use your iPhone’s Health App (and equipment connected to your iPhone) to track many of your body’s functions. For example you can track your heart rate, the Oxygen saturation in your bloodstream, or the number of steps you walk. If you have the iWatch, it can also track how far you swim, how long you stand, and other activities.

Activity

The iPhone’s Health App will automatically track your steps, flights of stairs climbed, and how many miles you’ve walked, but you do need to always have your phone with you in order for the data to be accurate. If you synch your iWatch with your iPhone, you have access to additional data that is much more accurate.

Mindfulness

There are a number of apps that you can connect to your iPhone’s Health App to help you meditate and practice mindfulness.

Calm: Calm has a few options available for free. Most of the meditations require a monthly, annual, or lifetime subscription. Calm also has bedtime stories to calm you down and help you to get a more restful nights sleep. Calm is rated 5 stars with 1482 reviews.
10% Happier – Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: 10% Happier also has a few meditations available for free, with an option to purchase a monthly or annual subscription. It also has a meditation to help you wind down for sleeping. 10% Happier is rate 5 stars with 676 reviews.
Headspace: Guided Meditation: Like the other two apps, Headspace requires a paid subscription to gain access to most of the meditations. It is rated 5 stars with 592 reviews.

Try them out and see which one works best for you. You may find that you don’t even need to sign up for a paid subscription

Nutrition

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any great apps to track your food intake. The iPhone’s Health app does allow you to manually enter data which is very easy to do. If you take vitamin supplements, you can also enter the amount of Vitamin A, B, etc., that you are consuming. Don’t forget to drink lots of water every day!

Sleep

Getting a good nights sleep is very important to your overall health. And collecting sleep data is the first step in understanding how your productivity is impacted by your sleep. I looked at several different sleep apps, but only Sleep Cycle seems like it will work well:

Sleep Cycle doesn’t require that you place the phone under your pillow. Instead it uses the microphone on your iPhone to track your sleep sounds to determine when you are sleeping and how deeply. It even records you when you snore! Sleep Cycle is rated 5 stars with 1340 reviews

Have you learned more about tracking your health with your iPhone? If you found this helpful, please forward it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet. I’ll try that next! Prime is normally $99/year, but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission if you sign up.)

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How to download a PDF to your Kindle

Posted on July 11, 2017August 2, 2017 by Gail Eddy in iPad, iPhone, Tips

Wondering how to download a PDF to your Kindle? I have an ancient, first edition Kindle. My brother gave it to me years ago and I have had endless hours of reading pleasure with it. As technology has changed and Kindles have gotten better, I’ve stuck with my original version, primarily because I’ve downloaded the Kindle app onto my iPhone and iPad. Once you log in to your Amazon account, you’ve got access to everything in your Kindle library!

I love real books; the smell of a book that’s been on the shelf for a year and I’m re-reading for the fourth time, the feel of them in my hands, the weight on my chest when I’ve fallen asleep reading, and the cool bookmarks I find and use. But there’s something very convenient about the Kindle. I can carry a couple of tomes on a trip without the additional storage issues.

Another thing I like about the Kindle is that I frequently see free PDFs available to download. Sure it’s nice to have a free book, but if I didn’t have an easy way to read it, I’d pass. It took a while, but I’ve finally figured out how to download a PDF to my Kindle account and can read them there.

(FYI, Hay House frequently has Books from top authors available for free to download a PDF. You do have to sign up for their newsletter, and the free books are only available for a short time. You can also do a search for free books to download to find more.)

Email to Download a PDF:

To upload one of those PDFs to your Kindle account, you’ll need to know your Kindle email. That’s usually easy to find. Log onto your Amazon account, look under your devices, and you should see your Kindle email there. In my case, my Kindle email is my login id followed by “@kindle.com”
Once you know your Kindle address, you can email those PDF’s to that Kindle address. Then when you open your Kindle or Kindle app the next time, you’ll be able to read the book!
Know that Amazon does have a small charge for this service. The last time I uploaded four good size books, I was charged $0.90 for all four.

Transfer to Download a PDF:

You can also transfer the PDF file to your Kindle. You would do this by connecting your Kindle to your computer with the Kindle USB charging cable.
Once the Kindle is connected, locate the Kindle folder using “Finder” or under “Computer”. It might show up as an external memory or hard drive.
Once you know where the Kindle folder is, head over to where you have saved the PDF. I always save mine in the “My eBooks” folder. Highlight the file and copy. Head back to the Kindle folder and paste the file in the Kindle folder under “Documents”.
Once the file is copied onto the Kindle, you’ll be able to access it on your Kindle or on the Kindle app from your Smartphone or Tablet. Remember to click the button to safely disconnect the Kindle!

Now all you have to do is find a quiet time to sit down with your new book!

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How is a Coffee Shop Like a Sickbed? 8 Things You Need to Set Up a Great Virtual Office

Posted on May 2, 2017June 10, 2017 by Gail Eddy in eMail, Facebook, iPad, Router, Technology Tips

Never have I been so happy that I already have a virtual office set up as I have been for the past few months. Last year I traveled several times to the East Coast while my kids hiked the Appalachian Trail. Because of my virtual office set up, I was able to manage our business wherever I was. Recently though, I’ve had a much greater need for a virtual setup.

In the past three months, I’ve had two surgeries. A total knee replacement in February, and my other knee in April. When you can’t get around, and spend most of your time resting and healing, it’s good to have tried and true technology at your bedside.

Virtual Office Requirements:

WIFI:

You must have fast WiFi. A minimum of 12mbps is recommended. Remember that you may have to upgrade your router in order to provide the actual speed that is being flowed from your ISP to your devices. Good routers have low latency and can support many simultaneous users. Cheap routers tend to support only one user at a time. Chris recommends this Linksys router.

Tablet

Sometimes a laptop is just too heavy! My iPad has been perfect for internet research, sending email, and keeping the Geek For Hire calendar up-to-date. And it’s great for watching AmazonPrime movies and keeping up with Facebook.

Cell Phone:

Well, that kind of goes without saying!

Charging Cords

Make sure you are able to easily reach your charging cords. You may need to add a power strip right next to your bed to easily charge your phone and other equipment.

Optional:

Laptop:

Sure, you can get a lot of business accomplished with just your Smartphone and tablet. But sometimes, you just need your laptop to do certain tasks. For example, Quickbooks won’t let me enter all the detail I’d like on their mobile app. I need to login to Quickbooks from my laptop to do that.

TV:

Entertainment value. Pure and simple.

Headphones:

Sometimes when you’re stuck in bed, it’s hard to sleep when other people are sleeping and you don’t want to disturb them in the middle of the night. Having a good pair of headphones keeps the volume down when you’re watching Speed at 3am. Here’s my recent blog about Bluetooth headphones.

External Keyboard for Tablet:

Typing on a tablet can be cumbersome. The hands – so big. The keyboard – so small. The mistakes – so many! Get yourself a Bluetooth keyboard and typing will be much easier. The newer ones have back-lighting which makes it easier to type when the lights are dimmed.

Speech to Text Software:

Sometimes you just can’t type. (Two of my friends have recently had shoulder surgery.) Many of our customers have used Dragon Naturally Speaking to get their thought down without typing. Keep in mind that it does take a bit to customize the software to your voice.

Remember, it’s better to plan ahead and get your virtual office technology in line before you need it!

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iCloud – Valued Apple Feature or not?

Posted on June 21, 2016September 4, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Apple, Cloud, Data Backup, iCloud, iMac, iPad, iPhone

iCloud

We’ve been getting a lot of questions about Apple’s iCloud recently. iCloud is something many of us have been using for years. But are you sure how to best take advantage of it?

If you have multiple devices – an iPhone, iPad, and iMac, for example, you can listen to your music whether you’re at home, a coffee shop, in your car, or on a trip.

If you don’t have an Apple computer, you can still access some of the iCloud features from your Windows computer. Head over to www.iCloud.com and sign in with your user ID and password. Some of the features available at the website include Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Photos. Access to your music is not available here.

The “Find My iPhone” feature is available at the iCloud website. Take a minute now to sign in. Navigate around the site briefly, but especially take a look at the “Find my iPhone” feature so that if you do lose your phone, you’ll know how to use it. (Make sure any folks in your family who are challenged in the area of knowing where their possessions are, have this feature turned on!)

When you sign in to the iCloud, your user ID is probably your email. If you’ve forgotten your password, it’s relatively easy to reset it. Remember that the password for your iCloud account is different from the security passcode you may have set up to access your iPhone or your iPad. If you have set them up to be the same, please change one of them now!

Another feature I’ve just learned about on the iCloud is the ability to share photos with other people. When you click on the “Photos” icon, your pictures appear. At the bottom of the screen there are three buttons – Photos, Share, and Albums. Your Photos shows all the pictures you’ve taken from a given point in time organized by date. Albums arrange your photos by different categories like Selfies, Panoramas, Videos, and Screenshots.

To share photos, click on “New Shared Album”. Give it a title, and select who to share it with by entering their emails. Once the structure is set up, you can then add photos to the album.

If you need help setting up your iCloud properly, check out Apple’s Help pages or the Genius Bar at the Apple store.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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Backing Up Your Data and The Cloud

Posted on May 31, 2016March 23, 2018 by Gail Eddy in backup, Cloud, Data Backup, Dropbox, Hard Drive, iPad, iPhone

It’s time again for my reminder about backing up your data! For many people, when you travel, your laptop could get banged up at the airport or in the camper. For others, summer is the season for extreme weather. It could be fires or floods or tornadoes or hurricanes, but there is always the chance that your home could be damaged, and your computer as well.

That’s why it is so important to make sure your data back up is current. The most convenient way to keep your data backed up is to use one of the Cloud backup services. I’ve had many people ask what “the Cloud” is and how it might affect them. The Cloud is a term used to describe using another company’s servers to store your data or to provide off-site computing.

Here’s a better definition from wiki:

Cloud computing, also known as on-the-line computing, is a kind of Internet-based computing that provides shared processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand. It is a model for enabling ubiquitous, on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services), which can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort. Cloud computing and storage solutions provide users and enterprises with various capabilities to store and process their data in third-party data centers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

There are a many companies that provide cloud storage. I’ve been using Dropbox for a number of years and like the simplicity of it. (Disclaimer: if you use that link to sign up for backing up your data, you’ll get 500 mb for free, and I’ll receive 1g as a thank you from Dropbox.) https://db.tt/0ZRkMXZ

I like Dropbox for a number of reasons:

It will automatically upload a file to the cloud every time I make a change to it.
I’ve set it up so that it uploads photos I take on my phone to my account.
I can open files on my iPhone and iPad when I’m away from my computer.
Dropbox stores data for several weeks. If I get a bad virus, I can ask them to restore my data to a particular date.

All of this enthusiasm about cloud storage for backups aside, it’s also important to keep a physical copy of your data. About once a month, I backup my data to an external hard drive. Chris has set me up with the Seagate Backup 2TB Portable External Hard Drive which is convenient and easy to use.

If you need help backing up your data, let us know!

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Top 10 Ways to Use Siri

Posted on December 29, 2015December 2, 2019 by Gail Eddy in iPad, iPhone, Siri, Tips

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays. With New Years Eve just around the corner, I’m giving this post another go! Happy New Year everyone!

I’ve had a number of friends tell me recently that Siri is worthless and never gets anything right. “And besides,” they say, “I can just do it faster myself than asking Siri!”

Granted, Siri had her challenges when she was first rolled out, and many of them remain. But if you just ask her to do simple tasks, she’ll generally get them right.

Here are ten things I frequently use Siri for:

Call people: For example, ask Siri to call your Mom. (If you haven’t set up relationships within your contact settings, here’s an article that teaches you how to do that.)
Email people
Text people: I especially like this feature. I will dictate the message to Siri and she’ll type and send it.
Set timers and alarms Just be aware that Siri sometimes hears “60” as “16”. I will instead ask for a timer for “61 minutes”.
Check on the weather
Show most recently received email
Search emails: You can find emails with specific text in them or emails from a specific person
Find out the time and weather in another city: Don’t forget, these are two separate questions!
1. Siri, what time is it in London?
2. Siri, show me the weather forecast in London.
Search for a local business When you ‘re looking for a specific business, ask Siri to look it up for you. She’ll generally respond with a map and all of their contact information.
Open an application on your phone: Simply ask Siri to open the map application or the FitBit application, etc.
Tell you a bedtime story:

Siri still has her flaws, but if you know what they are and can work around them, she’ll serve you well. (In a limited capacity!)

How do you use Siri? Let us know if the comments below!

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