Sync

iTunes 12.4.3, which squashes a playlist syncing bug, is now available

After seeding fourth betas of iOS 10, macOS Sierra, tvOS 10, watchOS 3 and Xcode 8 earlier this morning, Apple has managed to push a minor iTunes update to users. iTunes 12.4.3, which fixes an issue with playlist syncing, is now available through the Mac App Store's Updates tab. In addition to iTunes 12.4.3 and new OS beta releases, a revamped Remote app for the Apple TV with support for Siri voice input, Game Mode and other perks has released on the App Store for everyone to use.

Spotting the signs of a fake Apple Lightning cable

Whenever you buy a new iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, it'll come with a Lightning to USB cable that you will use to charge and sync your device. On the other hand, you have to be careful when you buy these cables separately, especially online, because you could end up with a counterfeit cable.

A counterfeit is a cable that tries to look just like Apple's OEM Lightning to USB cable, even though it isn't. Using these cables could have an adverse effect on your device, so we'll show you how to spot the differences between a counterfeit and genuine Lightning to USB cable in this piece.

How to sync an iPhone with multiple iTunes libraries

Apple does not allow an iPhone to be synced with multiple iTunes libraries, presumably because users would simply share songs with each other and lower already declining music sales on the iTunes Store. When you sync an iPhone with another Mac or PC, a warning pops up on iTunes that an iPhone can only be synced with one library at a time.

If you proceed to sync your iPhone with the secondary computer, the contents of that iTunes library will automatically replace whatever media you had on your device in the first place. On a side note, that doesn't include things like contacts, calendars or settings. Those are safe, but any songs or videos are not. Fortunately, there is a solution for how to use an iPhone with more than one iTunes library. The method is explained in detail ahead… 

Bug in iCloud web portal hints at future Bookmarks support

It's been discovered today that an error on Apple's iCloud web portal displays a "Coming Soon" message for iCloud Bookmarks, suggesting that the feature may soon be available on the website. This would allow users to remotely access their bookmarks using virtually any browser.

The page, which you can see in the screenshot above, appears briefly when visiting this URL from your computer. It was originally accessed by installing the Chrome extension for the iCloud Control Panel for Windows on a PC, and so far, no one is quite sure what to make of it...

That syncing feeling: why don’t iPad and iPhone versions of the same game share game progress often enough?

Games are fun. Judging by both the paid-for and free app charts in the App Store, they're also extremely popular. A look at the top-grossing apps on the iPad shows that 9 of the top 10 (in the UK store) are games. The odd one out is a newspaper, oddly enough. If you look outside the top 10 list, the trend continues throughout the chart.

With gaming clearly so popular on the iPad, and indeed the iPhone, developers are rightly beginning to throw considerable resources at creating some truly impressive iOS games. The likes of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Oceanhorn are effectively console or handheld games that run on a smartphone or tablet. Both are a far cry from the games we used to play on our mobile devices. Does anyone remember Snake on the Nokia phones of old? Ahh, fond memories indeed.

For all the increased attention that game development on iOS has received over the last couple of years, and with both big names and smaller independent developers bringing some excellent titles to the platform, there is still something lacking. We're being treated to games that look absolutely stunning on the latest hardware and voice acting as well as story building have both improved dramatically of late, but there's one issue remaining. One that's become all too apparent to me as I've started playing games on an iPad mini (with Retina display, of course) as well as my iPhone. That issue is syncing.

The syncing of game progress, to be precise...

Keep your contacts up to date with Sync.Me

Families are always moving. Friends are always getting new jobs. Everyone’s lives are changing so often that it is hard to keep track. Now that mobile phones are so common, it is much easier to get in touch, but also much more difficult to stay in touch.

Sync.Me is an app that automatically syncs with your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ accounts so you will always know your brother’s new address, your co-worker’s new job title, and your high school friend’s new last name…

Griffin unveils new MultiDock capable of syncing and charging up to 10 devices

Developers, teachers, and essentially anyone else with multiple USB devices will be happy to hear that Griffin has just unveiled a new version of its MultiDock. The redesigned charging station looks great, and can charge and sync up to 10 devices at once.

Griffin says that it collaborated with former Apple designer Thomas Meyerhoffer to build the second-generation MultiDock, which is both lighter and more attractive than its predecessor. It's also now compatible with several smartphone and tablet models...

Apple enables direct Google Contacts sync in iOS 7

Google last September killed native sync for Contacts and Calendars on iOS devices. The announcement was part of Google's phasing out of Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync protocol in favor of CardDAV and CalDAV, which represent HTTP-based WebDAV client/server protocols for contact and calendar items, respectively.

Now, Apple actually adopted CalDAV and CardDAV with the release of iOS 4 nearly three years ago, but setting up Google Contacts sync on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices via CardDAV was anything but hassle-free.

With iOS 7, Apple appears to have implemented native Google Contacts sync. I'm guessing the feature works behind-the-scenes via CardDAV because it requires no setup and acts as a true two-way sync. It works like a charm, really, let me show you how...

Facebook friends disappearing from iOS Contacts? It’s a new feature!

If you've ever used Facebook integration in iOS 6, you may have noticed iOS lets you grant the Contact app access your Facebook account in Settings > Facebook. Enabling this feature creates a new 'Facebook' group in Contacts which contains entries for all of the people you're friends with on Facebook. According to a thread over at Apple's support forums, a number of people are experiencing an issue where some of the entries are dissapearing from the Facebook group in iOS Contacts.

If you have noticed similar symptoms, don't panic - it's a feature rather than a bug...