Table of contents for Issue 107 in iPad & iPhone User

Announced near the start of Apple’s ‘Let us loop you in’ March press event, CareKit is a new software framework that’s designed to help app developers build software focused on medical care. Based on this framework we can expect new software for the iPhone and Apple Watch that enables patients to monitor ongoing medical conditions, track medicine intake and exercise, and share the data with their doctors. What CareKit means for users At first, not much. The clue is the suffix ‘Kit’: like Apple’s HealthKit, CarKit, HomeKit and ResearchKit, CareKit is a platform that app developers will use to build new offerings rather than a product in itself. (‘Kit’ is a abbreviation of software developer kit, or SDK, which is what frameworks like this are called more generally.) As a…

The Night Shift feature in iOS 9.3 lets you adjust the colour temperature of the display, shifting away from blue spectrums of light, in the putative interest of improving sleep. But Apple makes no promises. On its website, Apple notes, “Many studies have shown that exposure to bright blue light in the evening can affect your circadian rhythms and make it harder to fall asleep.” In iOS, the feature is explained with “This may help you get a better night’s sleep.” In fact, this feature likely will have little or no effect on most people. Apple hasn’t misrepresented any of the science, but clinical work done to date doesn’t point a finger right at mobile devices or even larger displays. Night Shift also can’t remove enough blue to make a…

Apple produces premium products, but the latest kit tends to command a high price. It’s true that, if you visit an Apple Store (online or on your high street) to buy an iPhone, you’ll get the support that comes with buying direct from the manufacturer, and you’ll get good advice if you speak to anyone in store. However, you’re not going to get any special discounts or deals on iPhones if you visit an Apple Store Genius. Because of this, many people on a budget consider switching to non-Apple kit, but that’s not the only option. It’s often possible to pick up an older model of Apple’s iPhone with a big discount if you know where to look. Direct from Apple or third-party retailers If you’re not worried about getting…

1. Night Shift The biggest new feature in iOS 9.3 is “Night Shift,” a display mode that warms up your screen so that the iPhone’s stark blue light doesn’t keep you up at night (blue light emissions have been linked to sleep deprivation issues). You can set Night Shift to turn on automatically at sunset if you go into your Settings under Display & Brightness. You can also schedule it to turn on during a specific time and even adjust the warmness of the light. Additionally, you can turn Night Shift on and off with a new icon in the Control Center. You should note that Night Shift doesn’t work if your device is in Low Power Mode. 2. Password-protection in Notes With iOS 9.3, you can keep all your…

Put a child in the same room as an iPad or an iPhone and they will instinctively reach for it. Perhaps it’s the bright colours and the feel of using a touchscreen; the simplicity of the iOS interface also plays a part. But kids love messing with smartphones and tablets. Mobile devices can do a great job entertaining and educating your offspring. But not all apps are created equal. Some are expensive to buy or contain in-app purchases designed to tempt kids. Others aren’t appropriate for youngsters. For this article we’ve trawled the App Store to pick out some of the favourites of our editors and their children for learning, creativity and fun. Babies and toddlers We’ll start with a couple of suggestions for the very youngest age group. These…