Stop incoming iPhone calls from ringing on other iDevices
For the longest time I've shared an Apple ID with my kids, the idea being to keep control of the iTunes account so they couldn't spend millions on apps, music, and movies.But recently we've encountered a weird anomaly: sometimes, when someone calls my iPhone, their iPhones ring at the same time! Likewise, if one of them gets a call (which happens pretty much never -- they're teens), my phone rings.Turns out this isn't an anomaly at all, but rather a "feature" of iOS 8. As I recall, the idea behind it was to allow iPad owners the option of answering calls without having to run for their iPhones, but obviously it's not ideal for anyone sharing an Apple ID with family members.Fortunately, you can turn it off. Here's how:Step 1: Starting with your own iPhone, tap the Settings icon, then scroll down until you find FaceTime.Turn this setting off on all your iDevices.Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNETStep 2: Tap it, then disable iPhone Cellular Calls.Step 3: Repeat the process on every other iDevice that's ringing when it shouldn't be.Presto! Calls will now go only to the phone number that was dialed. At least, that was my outcome. Your mileage may vary, of course, as there are some additional iOS settings that can affect the way calls and apps are shared. (There's at least one Apple discussion thread devoted to this very topic.)I also pinned down the "sometimes" aspect of it: this Continuity/Handoff feature works only when the various devices are in close proximity and connected to Wi-Fi.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Still no Beatles, but Apple adds Lennon
Still no Beatles, but Apple adds Lennon
Apple announced Tuesday that the solo work of John Lennon is now available on The iTunes Store in the DRM-free iTunes Plus format, as part of Apple's agreement with EMI, Lennon's record label. Lennon joins Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as solo artists featured on iTunes, but despite what appeared to be a truce in the bitter battle over the Apple trademarks between the California Mac maker and the famous Apple Records of the Beatles, the two sides have yet to come together.The trademark dispute was settled in February, which makes me wonder why the two parties haven't managed to work out a distribution deal yet. Maybe the Beatles are waiting for a better deal, or a special U2-like themed iPod, or perhaps they are considering testing the digital waters with other services, such as the new gBox venture supported by Apple's good friend Google and directly backed by not-so-good friend Universal.Lennon's not a bad consolation prize, but come on, folks, quit playing mind games. "John would have loved the fact that his music will now be available in a format suited to a new generation of listeners," said Yoko Ono, John's wife and Beatle-wrecker (kidding), in the press release announcing the deal.
Apple announced Tuesday that the solo work of John Lennon is now available on The iTunes Store in the DRM-free iTunes Plus format, as part of Apple's agreement with EMI, Lennon's record label. Lennon joins Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as solo artists featured on iTunes, but despite what appeared to be a truce in the bitter battle over the Apple trademarks between the California Mac maker and the famous Apple Records of the Beatles, the two sides have yet to come together.The trademark dispute was settled in February, which makes me wonder why the two parties haven't managed to work out a distribution deal yet. Maybe the Beatles are waiting for a better deal, or a special U2-like themed iPod, or perhaps they are considering testing the digital waters with other services, such as the new gBox venture supported by Apple's good friend Google and directly backed by not-so-good friend Universal.Lennon's not a bad consolation prize, but come on, folks, quit playing mind games. "John would have loved the fact that his music will now be available in a format suited to a new generation of listeners," said Yoko Ono, John's wife and Beatle-wrecker (kidding), in the press release announcing the deal.
Steve Jobs, Fortune's CEO of the decade
Steve Jobs, Fortune's CEO of the decade
Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has had a helluva decade. Consider that, under his helm, Apple defined the portable music player market with the iPod, has shaken up the mobile industry with the iPhone, rocked the retail music business with iTunes, and re-invented the computing business with OS X in a way that the PC business--with less than 10 percent of market share--is no longer the bread-and-butter of the company. Add to that the brilliant marketing behind Apple and the loyal, almost cult-like following of Apple's fans, and it's no wonder that Fortune Magazine today named him the CEO of the decade. The opening lines of a story written by Fortune editor-at-large Adam Lashinsky (which also includes a nice video segment) explain it nicely: How's this for a gripping corporate story line: Youthful founder gets booted from his company in the 1980s, returns in the 1990s, and in the following decade survives two brushes with death, one securities-law scandal, an also-ran product lineup, and his own often unpleasant demeanor to become the dominant personality in four distinct industries, a billionaire many times over, and CEO of the most valuable company in Silicon Valley. Sound too far-fetched to be true? Perhaps. Yet it happens to be the real-life story of Steve Jobs and his outsize impact on everything he touches.Read more of "Congratulations to Steve Jobs, Fortune's CEO of the decade" at ZDNet's Between the Lines.
Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has had a helluva decade. Consider that, under his helm, Apple defined the portable music player market with the iPod, has shaken up the mobile industry with the iPhone, rocked the retail music business with iTunes, and re-invented the computing business with OS X in a way that the PC business--with less than 10 percent of market share--is no longer the bread-and-butter of the company. Add to that the brilliant marketing behind Apple and the loyal, almost cult-like following of Apple's fans, and it's no wonder that Fortune Magazine today named him the CEO of the decade. The opening lines of a story written by Fortune editor-at-large Adam Lashinsky (which also includes a nice video segment) explain it nicely: How's this for a gripping corporate story line: Youthful founder gets booted from his company in the 1980s, returns in the 1990s, and in the following decade survives two brushes with death, one securities-law scandal, an also-ran product lineup, and his own often unpleasant demeanor to become the dominant personality in four distinct industries, a billionaire many times over, and CEO of the most valuable company in Silicon Valley. Sound too far-fetched to be true? Perhaps. Yet it happens to be the real-life story of Steve Jobs and his outsize impact on everything he touches.Read more of "Congratulations to Steve Jobs, Fortune's CEO of the decade" at ZDNet's Between the Lines.
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