Transferring contacts from an iPhone to a new Android phone

Getting contacts and music from your old iPhone to sync with your new Android phone is no easy task.

Once your contacts are all loaded into your Google account, they’ll sync automatically with your Android handset, and presto! You’re all set.
But when it comes to actually transferring all your iPhone contacts to Google, well … easier said than done.
While you can add a Google account to your iPhone, there’s no option on the iPhone for syncing your iPhone contacts with Google.
And while there is a tool called Google Sync that’ll let you access your Google contacts on your iPhone, it won’t take the contacts that were already on your iPhone and “import” them into your Google account.
Confused yet? I don’t blame you, but stay with me.
An alternative is to export your iPhone contacts to a single file that you can upload to your Google account.
But how, you ask? Let’s get started!

What to do before installing iOS 6 on your iPhone or iPad

Even if you’re not trading up for the iPhone 5, you can still make your old iPhone (or iPad, for that matter) new again by installing Apple’s iOS 6 software update onto your handset.

Why bother with the upgrade? Well, I can tick off at least seven nifty new features, including turn-by-turn car navigation through the new Maps app, full-screen web surfing, a “do not disturb” mode for calls and alerts, the ability to decline a call with a text message, easier Photo Stream sharing, and more.
A red badge should appear on your iPhone’s (or iPad’s) Settings app once iOS 6 is available to download. After that, all you’ll have to do it tap the “Download and Install” button, and your device will take care of the rest.
That said, there are a few things you should do before updating iOS on your iPhone or iPad to the latest and greatest version, starting with…

1. Update iTunes

Apple recently issued a new version of iTunes to go along with iOS 6, and while there’s nothing earth-shatteringly new about the update, iTunes 10.7 is designed to play nice with iPhones and iPads running the iOS 6 software update.
Given that, it’s probably a good idea to update your copy of iTunes before taking the iOS 6 leap. Here’s how to do it.

For iTunes on a Mac:

• Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, then select Software Update.
• The Mac App Store application on your Mac should open automatically, and it will scan your system for software that needs to be updated. Near the top of the list, you should see an entry for iTunes; just click the Update button.

For iTunes on a PC:

• Open iTunes, click the Help menu, then select Check for Updates.
• After a few seconds, a window should appear prompting you download the new version of iTunes; go ahead and click the “Download iTunes” button.

2. Back up your iPhone/iPad

The process of updating an iPhone or iPad is usually a smooth one, although snafus have been known to happen—particularly last year, with the rocky release of iOS 5.
Indeed, a stalled iPhone/iPad update could freeze your device or corrupt its data, including your photos, contacts, music and apps.
That’s why it’s critical you back up your iDevice before beginning the iOS 6 installation process. Here’s how:

Using iCloud
If you’re using Apple’s free iCloud service on your iPhone or iPad and you have iCloud backups enabled, your device should be backing itself up automatically whenever its locked and connected to a Wi-Fi network.

It’s a good idea to check the date of your most recent iCloud backup before installing iOS 6 on your iPhone or iPad.

Nice, but it’s still a good idea to check the date on your most recent iCloud backup—and if the backup file is more than a few days old, you should probably perform a manual backup before proceeding.

• Tap the Settings icon, then tap iCloud, Storage & Backup.
• Scroll to the bottom of the next screen and check the date of your last backup. Was it more than a day ago? If so, tap the “Back Up Now” button to manually create a new backup file.

Using iTunes
Still syncing your iPad or iPhone with iTunes? If so, iTunes creates a backup of your iDevice with each and every sync, and it’s worth it to perform one last backup before installing iOS 6.

• Connect your iPhone or iPad to iTunes on your desktop using its USB sync cable. Or, if you’re using Wi-Fi to sync your device with iTunes, you should see it already listed in the left column of the iTunes interface.
• Click the “Sync” button on iTunes, sit back and wait; within a few minutes or so, iTunes will have created a new backup of your iPhone or iPad data.

3. Plug your iPhone or iPad into a power source

One thing you definitely don’t want to happen during the iOS 6 update process is have your iPhone or iPad run out of juice midway through the installation; it’s a sure-fire way to corrupt your device’s data, or worse.
With that in mind, make sure to plus your iPhone or iPad into a wall outlet using its power adapter or connect it to a powered USB port on your PC or Mac before you install iOS 6. Better safe than sorry, right?

4. Be patient

Whenever there’s a major new iOS update available for download, a stampede of eager iPhone and iPad users tends to slow Apple’s servers to a crawl—and when that happens, downloads that normally take minutes could take an hour or more.

Relax: you’re not the only one staring impatiently at the “Preparing Update” message.

Also, the actual installation process may take a good 30 minutes-plus, after the initial download. And if you find yourself staring impatiently at a seemingly endless “Preparing Update…” message while iOS 6 is busy installing itself on your iPhone or iPad, relax—you’re not the only one. (For the record, it took about half an hour for my iPhone 4 to move past the “Preparing Update” step.)
All told, it took nearly an hour and a half to update my iPhone to iOS 6, so make sure to set aside at least that much time before taking the plunge yourself.
My advice: be patient if the iOS 6 download and installation process takes longer than expected—and whatever you do, don’t interrupt it in mid-stream.
And if you’re willing to live with iOS 5 for a little while longer, consider waiting a day or so before pulling the trigger on iOS 6.

Bonus tip

You can check for the iOS 6 update manually on your iPhone or iPad by tapping Settings, General, Software Update.

How to zip back to the top of a web page on iPhone

You just finished scrolling down a lengthy New York Times story on the iPhone, and you want to go back to the beginning to see the photo again—but you’re dreading the prospect of having to flick, flick, and flick all the way back to the top of the page.

Well, try this: Just tap the status bar at the very top of the iPhone display, right where the reception bars, the clock, and the battery life indicator sit.

Zip! The iPhone’s mobile Safari browser will send the page flying back to the beginning, in no time flat.

Android games apps worth downloading: Zagat, Devil’s Attorney, Future Mayhem

Here are three great Android apps with which to end the week. Zagat just released its new, official app which has been rebuilt from the ground up. The company is part of Google these days. Devi’s Attorney is a fun and satirical turn-based strategy game where you play as a self-interested attorney with very few morals and no sense of justice. Finally, we’ve got Future Mayhem, a futuristic arcade-style side-scrolling shoot ‘em up that’s sure to help pass the time this weekend.

Zagat (Free)

 
What’s it about? The famous and respected food and restaurant guide has a brand new Android app and it looks tasty.

What’s cool? Whereas it once was a pay-for service, since Google took over, Zagat is 100 percent free for everyone. You can browse over 30,000 restaurants worldwide with trusted reviews and ratings. There are many filters so you can narrow down your search and reserve a table via the app. Zagat is optimized for 7- and 10-inch tablets, too.

Who is it for? People who like to dine out will be happy to see the service available for all, and Zagat covers all kinds of tastes. You do need a Google+ ID to use the app, though, which might be a bummer for some users. Interestingly enough, if you purchased the old app by Handmark, Zagat will send you a free $15.95 guide of your choice as compensation.

What’s it like? Savored extends the features of Zagat in some ways, giving you big discounts on tables at nearby restaurants if you can go that night. Other restaurant recommendations (and bookings) are available from apps like OpenTable, or you can try local favorites Yelp and Urbanspoon.

Devil’s Attorney ($3.00)

 
What’s it about? Devil’s Attorney is an interesting strategy game where you need to make sure all your criminal clients get off scot-free.

What’s cool? Justice isn’t in defence attorney Max McCann’s playbook. He’s high on charm but low on moral fiber. The more clients he frees, the more money he makes to buy furniture and accessories for his apartment, as well as unlocking advanced courtroom skills and boosting his ego along the way.

Who is it for? There’s some strategic thinking required to get the best out of Devil’s Attorney. There are 58 cases to complete, three neighborhoods to explore, and nine devious prosecutors to outwit.

What’s it like? I can’t recall too many courtroom-based games in Google Play, so Devil’s Attorney certainly has that going for it. It’s humorous and entertaining, but it doesn’t play much like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the only other legal-themed game I can think of.

Future Mayhem ($0.99)

 
What’s it about? Future Mayhem is a side-scrolling old-school shoot ‘em up set in the very distant future.

What’s cool? It’s 2842. Organized crime is in the hands of four gangs who control the large cities from their underground bases. As an enforcer for one of these gangs, your territory is being encroached so you need to take action immediately. Play as either a punk, ninja, cyborg or soldier and run and gun your way past enemies, sentry guns and mines.

Who is it for? The game has a cool sci-fi cartoon art style and should appeal to fans of blast-em ups and shooting games. The enemies are randomized each time you play, there are three difficulty levels and three weapon categories, too. Also, once you pay your $0.99, you get the full game with no in-app purchases necessary.

What’s it like? Future Mayhem resembles a few other titles in Google Play like Frankie Pain or Cartoon Wars: Gunner+.

Download the Appolicious Android app

10 of the Best iPhone Apps for Creating To-Do Lists

In today’s hectic world, managing all of the tasks that you’re responsible for each day can be a daunting prospect. Keeping track of your professional and personal duties requires something a bit more comprehensive than the pen-and-paper lists and sticky notes of days gone by. Fortunately, Apple’s wildly popular iPhone and the App Store offer a variety of interactive options for keeping up with all of the items on your to-do list. These 10 apps keep the time-sensitive tasks in your life at the tips of your fingers, and help to make them more manageable.

1. 2Do: Tasks Done in Style – Highly rated by App Store users, featured on the BBC, and the winner of several awards, this $9.99 app is well worth its relatively steep price tag. Sync your tasks with Dropbox, iCloud Reminders and Yahoo! Calendar, just to name a few. Siri will also add reminders for you through iCloud sync, allowing you to manage and edit your tasks in a multitude of ways.
2. List Master – The beauty of this $7.99 app lies in the user’s ability to customize lists almost endlessly. Featured in Apple’s New & Noteworthy Apps, List Master is just as useful for simple tasks like grocery lists as it is complex ones like vacation planning and scheduling activities. You choose the number of columns, and are then given the options of building lists within lists, customizing font sizes and row heights and synching your lists with multiple devices.
3. To-Do List Pro – At $0.99, To-Do List Pro is a heavy hitter that won’t deal your wallet a blow. There are several graphing options that allow you to track your progress on any given task, a searchable database, and customizable alerts that ensure you never miss a time-sensitive task. Categorize your lists to keep personal and professional tasks separate, and share them via email in .CSV format.
4. eTo-Do – This well-designed app has a beautiful user interface, and also offers users the option of sorting to-do list items into a “Someday” list, making it useful for planning future events and keeping long-term goals in mind, as well as managing the more pressing tasks of your day-to-day life. There’s a function for recurring tasks, several sorting and filtering options, and a priority level setting to help ensure that your most important tasks are displayed above less urgent ones.
5. reQall – This free app not only allows you to save and manage your to-do lists, but also to capture ideas as you have them via voice or text for sorting into those lists later. The Here and Now feature lets you know what pending tasks you have attached to your current location. You will have to have either a free or paid reQall account to use the app, and a Pro account does allow you to access more advanced features.
6. Today To-Do: Clever Task Management – Rather than relying upon a rigid task structure, Today To-Do’s self-described “Zen-like” approach to building lists allows you to sort each pending item in the way that best suits your working and thinking style. Each morning, you start with an empty list, but you are still able to access those from previous days.
7. Home&Work Lite – The free version of Home&Work is supported by advertising, but allows you to upgrade within the app if you feel so inclined. Divide the tasks on your to-do lists into “personal,” “home,” “business,” “school” and “project” for easy compartmentalization of your responsibilities. This app is designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible, without a wealth of options that are superfluous to some users.
8. ListPro – Ultimate List Making Tool Kit – If you’re a dedicated list-maker, the variety of options and powerful tools offered by this $4.99 app are sure to tickle your fancy. ListPro offers more than 40 templates that are fully customizable, and the ability to build your more elaborate to-do lists on a desktop version that transfers seamlessly to your iPhone.
9. ToodleDo – Ranked in the top 30 paid iPad apps of all time by Apple, and compatible with both iPad and iPhone, this $2.99 app is flexible and customizable, while still managing to be user-friendly. Use it alone or sync with the popular Toodledo.com web-based task manager.
10. Errands To-Do List – Free in the App Store and universally supported by the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, Errands is an easy-to-use task manager that allows you to set reminders, customize your folders, and organize tasks in whatever manner works best for you. Premium users also have the option of syncing their Errands lists on multiple iOS devices.

These valuable to-do list and task manager apps can help you streamline your approach to completing your daily responsibilities and boost your productivity, freeing up more time to spend with your loved ones at the end of the day.