Bob, Why do you use Twitter?

Question:  Bob, Why do you use Twitter?

Answer:  Twitter is not about following just your friends and reading about them walking their dog. It's about following the subject matters you are most interested in. If are into Photography, you may want to follow famous photographers, your Camera's manufacturer, popular photography publications, etc. You can also share and connect with others in your field. Twitter allows you to have instant access to the world.

I use Twitter simply because it is the fastest and easiest way to get the latest news and information. I personally follow 80+ people and businesses. This list includes family, friends, celebrities, sports teams, local businesses, tech gurus and tech companies. At anytime during the day or night, I can tap into their world by opening my Twitter app on my iPhone or iPad.

I also share information with my followers by "retweeting" articles that I found interesting or "tweeting" comments about the Giants game or a cool picture I took. Since iOS 5 has Twitter built right into the operating system, I can instantly tweet links and pictures with the tap of a button.

If there is enough interest, we can continue this conversation in one of our classes. Or we can continue this conversation on the blog or on Twitter. Just add a comment below.

By the way (BTW), you can follow me at twitter.com/bobby_og.

@bobby_og

Toward a Better YouTube...

Looking for a less cluttered YouTube experience (ad-free, comment-free, etc.)? Or perhaps you'd like to string together a series of YouTube videos to introduce a new topic to your class?

Check out these 12 Useful YouTube Accessories for Teachers and Students.

How to Upgrade to iOS 5

Hi All! I hope you enjoyed the first class. Below I have posted a video and written instructions on how to upgrade to iOS 5. Watch the video, read the instructions, and please contact me if you have any questions.

Before next class, I would like you to update to iOS 5 so you can take advantage of all the new features iOS 5 has to offer.

Important to Remember:

• You have installed the latest version of iTunes. Click here to access the download page.
• Ensure you have backed up your iPhone or iPad
• Read "5 things to do before you upgrade"

How to Upgrade to iOS 5

Posted by Josh Smith | 10/12/2011 | 70 Comments and 27 Reactions

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Apple’s newest mobile operating system, iOS 5 is available for download today. iOS 5 brings a collection of new features to old iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads.

There are over 200 new iOS 5 features, which will change the way you use your iOS device. If you have an old iPhone, iOS 5 will help you get ready to upgrade to an iPhone 4S, or it will help you get another year of use out of an old phone.

Apple has made the upgrade process pretty straightforward. If you haven’t already done so, you should be sure toprepare your iPhone for iOS 5.

Once you start the iOS 5 upgrade process, you shouldn’t stop. Typically upgrading right when the software is available is slower due to a large number of people updating. If you are updating your iPhone, be sure you can be without it for the duration of the upgrade.

iOS 5 is a free upgrade, and works on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod Touch 3rd generation, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPad and iPad 2.

Prepare for iOS 5

If you haven’t already read, 5 Things to Do Before You Upgrade to iOS 5, I suggest you give the list a quick glance, but we will cover the essential steps below.

iTunes 10.5 - The first thing you need to do is update iTunes. You can do this by choosing Check for Updates in the app, or downloading iTunes 10.5 directly from Apple.

Follow the prompts to update iTunes to the latest version. This should take 5-10 minutes once the file is downloaded.

Backup – Backup your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to your computer. To do this, plug in with a USB cable and allow the device to backup. If it does not automatically backup, you can right click on the device name in the left side of iTunes and choose backup. If moving to a new computer, be sure to transfer purchases to the computer for easy syncing.

How to Update to iOS 5

Now that you are ready, here’s how to upgrade to iOS 5.

1. Click on your device’s name in the iTunes sidebar.

2. This will open up Settings in the right hand area as shown below.

Click Check for Update to Upgrade to iOS 5.

3. Click on the Check for Update button in the middle of your screen.

4. iTunes will now download and upgrade your iPhone to iOS 5. This could take some time. Do not disconnect from your computer or quit iTunes until the iOS 5 upgrade is done.

5. When the update completes your device will restart and you will be prompted to sign in with your Apple ID. You can sync to iTunes to bring back your apps and data if need be.

6. Do not remove your device until your apps have synced back, otherwise you will have to recover lost apps, which is painful.

That’s all you need to do. We’ll be showing off how to use iOS 5 soon, for now, learn how to use the Notification Center in iOS 5.