At Home with Tech

April 22, 2018

How Parents Can Take Control of Notifications on the Family iPad

If your children are starting to read iMessages on your iPad or iPhone that aren’t meant for them, it’s probably time to change the settings in your device. Here’s how…

So, my almost eight-year-old is playing Minecraft on my iPad in the living room, and he turns to me and says, “Mommy is writing me a message!”

“What?!”

I’m a little alarmed, because even though my wife wasn’t at home, she never uses electronic communications with our son and certainly not using something like Minecraft.
(You can probably guess that I’ve been thinking a lot lately about who he will be interacting with when he eventually engages in multiplayer video games online.)

I jump over to take a look.

Phew.

It’s a simple text message banner that popped up at the top of the iPad screen from my wife to me about camp plans for our second grader this summer.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the Minecraft platform.

The Early Taste of a Texting Stream
My wife referenced our son’s name in the text, which is why he mistakenly thought it was written to him.

Yes, he can read now, but he got confused by the style of my wife’s texting banter with me.
(Plus, it’s probably one of the first texts that he’s encountered.)

So, this wasn’t really a problem other than an iMessage to my iPhone also showing up on my linked iPad that my son happened to be using.

Ironically that feature is supposed to be a nice iOS bonus provided by Apple.
But it was clearly time to turn the option off on my iPad.

Our son doesn’t need to be privy to the Lester family texting stream…
(Well, at least… not yet!)

How to Turn Off Pop-Up Text Banners
Using iOS 11.3 –

Tap the ‘Settings’ gear icon
Tap ‘Notifications’
Tap ‘Show Previews’
You’ll probably find that it’s defaulted to ‘Always’
Tap and change to ‘Never’

But that’s not all you have to do…

There is No Global ‘Off’ Switch
I decided to visit the Apple Store in Grand Central Terminal to gather a little more advice.

An Apple Genius told me that you also have to individually turn off each app from proactively trying to send you banner notifications on your device.
(He mentioned that detail to me several times. I imagine I’m not the only one who might be confused by the extra step.)

To ‘completely’ halt your iMessage banners…
While in Notifications, go down your list of apps until you find ‘Messages.’

Tap ‘Messages’
In ‘Allow Notifications,’ slide the little circle to the ‘off’ position

And that will finally get the job done!

Now, you’ve got to repeat this step for your other apps…

There are a few other settings to consider if you want to be a little less draconian about muffling your iPad or iPhone, but I was satisfied with hobbling my iPad to keep my young Padawan away from the constant buzz of the Net. My iPhone was providing that Borg-like public service to me quite sufficiently, thank you very much.
(I know I’m mixing my science fiction metaphors.)

But then I began to think about my own experience with my iPhone’s many chatty apps…

Less is More
After considering the issue for a moment, I decided that I was, in fact, being interrupted by way too many banners from apps wanting to share ‘critical’ news.

Perhaps I should take a few minutes to review all of them and silence the ones I didn’t want to hear from all of the time.

And that’s exactly what I did!

Of course, I kept ‘Messages’ fully activated, but I did turn off ‘Repeat Alerts’ from ‘Once’ to ‘Never.’
(I usually get it the first time.)

You Can’t Hide Your Child from the Connected World Forever
Now, I find that my iPhone is a little less ‘disruptive.’

My iPad shares nothing from the outside world with my son.

And I fully acknowledge that this is only the beginning.
It’s a long journey ahead for me and my boy.
(I know that as a parent, I can’t keep the ‘off switch’ activated forever…)

My son has asked for multiplayer mode in Minecraft for his 8th birthday… so he can play remotely with his friends.

To be continued…

April 15, 2018

A Kid’s View from the Top of the Empire State Building

It’s hard not be inspired by this view from 102 stories up. But not all inspired visions can become reality…

My wife and I took our second grader to visit the Empire State Building last week. The iconic 1931 structure was once the tallest in the world and is now not even in the top 25 (it’s 28th). And it’s only the third tallest building in New York City, behind One World Trade Center and 432 Park Avenue. But like anything as classic and classy as this landmark, The Empire State Building is not going out of style anytime soon.

The view from so high up was magical for our son. He was blown away by how small everything below appeared. He proclaimed that the buildings looked like toys, the cars were like raisons, and the people seemed like ants or crumbs.

As a parent, witnessing a moment of pure awe in your child… it’s amazing, right? This experience is all about expanding a point of view, both figuratively and literally. It’s like superfood for the imagination.

And as it turned out, I had my own magical ‘aha’ moment as well.

The Airship Port that Never Was
We visited the 86th floor observation deck as well as the circular 102nd floor… which was actually designed to be part of a mooring mast for dirigibles.

Dirigibles?!

The idea of walking down portable stairs 1,250 feet in the air onto the 103rd floor of this building and then being whisked down in an elevator to the heart of Manhattan seems positively fantastic.

But the mast section was never used as an airship port.
And why not?

Because the plan was more fantasy than fantastic…
The winds were too strong around the Empire State Building at that height to allow for a stable and safe mooring connection. And I imagine there really wasn’t that much time to work the problem, since airships went out of style for commercial passenger travel after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937.

The Fix of an Alternate Reality
After doing a little Googling, I discovered that the dirigible mooring station plan was flawed from the start and never fully researched. The design upgrade for the building with the 200-foot spire was a last-minute addition and probably more about unseating the Chrysler Building as the world’s tallest at the time. The few dirigible mooring attempts to dock at the new Empire State Building proved the absurdity of the idea, although there was one successful 3-minute test in 1931. But that was the only instance…

Still, how cool would it have been if the airship port had actually worked out? In another reality, flying airships as a standard transportation system might have quickly kicked in (assuming the Hindenburg had a better day).

And I’m not the only one who has enjoyed imagining alternate realities for the Empire State Building.. Science fiction film and TV writers have also had fun including zeppelins in their New York City visions. For example…

“Fringe,” Season 2, Episode 16 – “Peter” (2010)

“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” (2004)

Enjoying a Small Dose of RetroFuturism
The future promise of airships seemed so romantic and elegant… though in the end… not so practical or safe. Still, it’s fun to imagine.

And while my almost eight-year-old son marveled at the actual view from high up, I considered a ‘retrofuturistic’ glimpse populated by sleek zeppelins.

The promise of any radical technological innovation always carries its own level of inspirational force. Of course, sometimes that effort can’t live up to the limits of reality.

Because as you know, in the end… buildings as blimp airports ultimately went out of style due to the proliferation of commercially viable flying cars back in 1967.

Wait… whoops!
Confusing my alternate realities again!

Delay Your Return to the Ground Floor
It was time to take the elevator down from the clouds and back to reality.

We passed through the gift shop.
(Unavoidable)

My son chose his mini Empire State Building souvenir.

And I cherished my own gift…
I was an inspired kid… on top of the world.

April 8, 2018

How to Prep the Shot for your Next Video Call

Your smartphone suddenly comes to life. It’s an incoming FaceTime request! Are you really ready for your close up?

Remember that innovative ‘PicturePhone’ room on Space Station V from “2001: A Space Odyssey?” Well, it wasn’t long until that crazy sci-fi videophone idea actually became a reality, but you certainly didn’t see many landline videophones in homes over the following decades.

The concept took it’s time gaining wide acceptance. And it required now mainstream computer and mobile apps like FaceTime and Skype to help the general population break through the video barrier on phone calls.

It’s such an obvious ‘upgrade’ to be able to see someone too, and where the bandwidth allows, it feels like many people today freely use their video-calling apps.
(If they’re not texting each other instead)

But let’s face it… lots of other folks still aren’t that excited to be surprised by a sudden video chat request.

And why is that?

The Power of Video
There’s always been a certain anonymity to voice-only calls. Nobody knows where you are, what you’re doing or what you’re wearing… or not wearing.

You can also multitask while on a voice-only call.
…or so I’m told.
😉

Now, you add video into the equation, and BAM… you’re right there in front of someone!

On the upside, mobile video calls can bring the caller right into your surroundings… If you’re walking in a parade or waiting on line at a ski lift, those types of environments can provide rich texture to what you’re up to in that moment. It’s the ‘location’ bonus that makes your video chat that much more interesting.

A Video Chat Isn’t Always a Random Moment
But when you’re at home and those FaceTime tones chime, you may have to scramble to put together an acceptable ‘visual presentation.’

So I think you need a plan for how to appropriately prepare, especially if it’s for business…

No, you don’t need to build a little TV studio set in your living room that you’d run to.
(Like Kramer did on “Seinfeld”)

But it wouldn’t hurt to take a few ‘reasonable’ steps in that direction…

Choose Your Shot
You should definitely decide and test what your ‘shot’ is going to be.
You don’t want to look like you’re in your own hostage video. Nor do you want to reveal that basket of unfolded underwear and socks waiting for your attention.

Think about your background. You may have to stage a few of the items and remove some of the clutter.

Using a desktop computer or even a laptop for your camera probably won’t give you the flexibility you’ll need to create your desired shot. That’s why a more portable device is the way to go, if you have that choice.

But holding a smartphone or tablet in front of your face for a half hour or more is logistically challenging.
(Plus, your unstable shot will likely make the viewer seasick!)

To create a more stable shot, you can certainly pile up a bunch of books for a good height and position for your propped-up device.
(I’ve done it.)

However, that definitely falls into the category of ‘wonky,’ and it’s never perfect.

There’s got to be a better way to more easily mount your smartphone or tablet into an exact position to get the ‘perfect’ shot.

Well, of course there is…

Lock Your Shot with a Flexible Mount
There are a variety of gooseneck smartphone/tablet mounts on the market which will solve the problem. You simply grip and tighten the gooseneck’s base to the edge of your table or desk. And then you move the gooseneck into the exact height and position you need.
(A little higher is usually better for the angle towards your face)

And… voilà! Your hands-free solution is in place!

I decided to go with the Mingo Gooseneck Tablet Holder and Desk Mount for $26.99 on Amazon.

It provides three different mounts that screw onto the end of the gooseneck. Those options will keep you covered for both smartphone and tablet use.

The Mingo is a little more expensive than the competition, but the reviews suggest it’s more durable over time. I also like that its 28.7” gooseneck is longer than most of the choices. That makes it easier to pull it into the perfect position on your desk.

Give Your Face Some Light
You’ll also want to find a little soft lighting to help remove any harsh shadows on your face. One option is to simply position yourself in front of a window.
(As long as you’re not in direct sunlight)

If that doesn’t work with the angle of your planned shot, you can hang a portable light in front of your face. A really inexpensive solution is to use a round, hanging paper lantern.

This 17 ¾” diameter shade made by Ikea is a good choice.
It sells on Amazon for $16.99.

Then, you attach the shade to a bulb mount and power cord.
This one on Amazon costs $9.99. It’s 20 feet long and sports an on/off switch.

It’s a really simple solution, and it’s actually used as a remarkable lighting hack by some professional TV and video lighting gaffers I’ve worked with.

Look at the Camera!
And now that we’ve come this far to create a professional-looking shot, there’s one more thing…

Always focus your eyes on your device’s camera dot… not at your own image. Otherwise, you’ll always appear to be looking somewhere else as opposed to the person you’re video chatting with!

And that just becomes annoying.

Your Smartphone Should Give You the Best Shot Possible
So, the next time you need to do an important FaceTime or Skype session with someone on the Kubrickian ‘Space Station V’ or perhaps with a business contact in a more terrestrial location, now you’ll be prepared to look your best…
Hands-free!

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