[ad_1]
Many default settings buried in our technologies cause us to share vast amounts of data with tech companies. In the last column I looked at how to close those.
But not all default settings will do rogue things with our data. There are some that need to be enabled or disabled to make our devices more enjoyable to use.
For one, the new iPhones come with a fancy camera that lets you shoot crystal-clear videos in ultra-high “4K” resolution – but many people probably aren’t using their cameras to their full potential because by default, the phone is set to record videos in low resolution.
Televisions are another example. Many modern TVs come with Motion smoothing turned on to make videos look like they’re playing at a higher frame rate, which is supposed to make fast-moving images look more detailed. But in many applications, especially when you watch movies, it creates a soap opera effect that many seem fake. It’s the setting on the TV that many tech-inclined people immediately turn off.
Our consumer electronics are among the most expensive home purchases, so it’s worth checking and changing the default settings to get the most out of them. This is what I and other tech writers change to make our phones, computers, and TVs work better.
Apple iPhones
Apple iPhones include various settings that are turned off by default and need to be enabled to make the device more usable and take better photos.
Unlock iPhone with mask on. While mask orders have been lifted in many places, many people still wear them, especially at home, to feel safe. One of the great things about using the iPhone was that you had to punch in a passcode instead of using a face ID when wearing a mask. The latest versions of Apple’s iOS now allow iPhone users to unlock the device without removing their mask. go to Settings → Face ID and passcode → Face ID with mask And turn on this setting (green).
Shoot 4K video. Go to the iPhone camera to record video in high quality Settings → Camera → Record video And select 4K option. (I choose “4K at 30fps” because it works well when uploading videos to social media apps and websites like YouTube.) The downside is that 4K recordings clog up the phone’s digital storage even further. But if you paid for that fancy camera, why not use it?
Activate the camera grid. In digital photography, photographers use different composition techniques to make photos more beautiful. The iPhone’s camera has a setting to display a grid to help document shots. go to Settings → Camera → Grid And turn this setting on.
Android phones
Android phones include controls that can be activated or modified to make the screen look better and make the phone easier to use.
Change the color profile of the display. Many Android phones have large, bright screens, but their colors can look washed out or too blue. Android Police tech blog editor Ryan Hager says that he typically disables the default color profile every time he sets up a new Android phone. Instructions vary from phone to phone. For Samsung phones, go to Settings → Display → Screen mode → Natural. For Pixel phones, go to Settings → Display → Colors → Natural.
Edit shortcuts. On Android phones, you can customize the “Quick Settings” menu for the shortcuts you use most often. Swipe down from the smartphone screen and swipe down again. If you tap the icon that looks like a pencil, for example, you can choose to add tiles that let you enable hotspotting to share the phone’s cellular connection with a computer.
Activate the camera grid. Similar to the iPhone, some Android phones can display a grid to make photo composition easier. On Pixel phones, open the Camera app, swipe down from the top of the screen, tap the gear icon, and then go to . Grid type → 3×3.
Mac computers
On Macs, it’s important for Apple users to adjust settings to get work done, avoid distractions, and get things done faster. This includes turning off some features of the door by default and turning on some hidden features.
Activate the shortcut to show the desktop. It can be tedious to shuffle and move around windows just to find a file on the desktop. The first thing I do on any Mac is open a shortcut that instantly hides all windows to reveal the desktop. go to System Preferences → Task Control → Show Desktop and select a keyboard key to trigger the shortcut. (I use the fn key on my MacBook keyboard.)
Turn off notifications for distracting apps like Messages. In this age of endless video calls, you certainly don’t want text messages flooding your screen and making noise while you’re in a meeting. Turn off those notifications permanently. go to System Preferences → Notifications and Attention → Messages → Allow Notifications and change the setting to Off (greyed out). Turn off notifications for any noisy apps in this menu.
Add a Bluetooth icon to the menu bar. Most of us use Bluetooth accessories like wireless headphones and mice, so it helps to quickly access the Bluetooth menu to easily connect and disconnect these devices on Mac. go to System Preferences → Bluetooth → Show Bluetooth in the menu bar And check the box. This will display a Bluetooth icon in the upper-right corner of the screen, where you can quickly connect and disconnect headphones and other wireless accessories.
Windows computers
Like Macs, Windows computers, by default, bombard us with a lot of notifications, but the most annoying thing is the many veins and bumps that go off when something goes wrong. Wirecutter editor Kimber Streams, who reviews laptops, covers all of these frustrations.
Turn off notifications. go to Settings → System → Notifications. To disable all notifications, uncheck all the boxes and turn off all the buttons.
Turn off system sounds. go to Settings → System → Sound → More sound settings → Sounds → Sound plan: No soundsAnd then hit Apply.
TV
Almost every TV comes with default settings that are optimized to display the best picture.
With any TV, it’s important to adjust the color, brightness, and contrast to suit your space. There is no universal set of steps as the best settings for all TVs and living rooms are different. But there are helpful TV tuning tools to make this easier, including my go-to tool, The Wonderful World of Disney, Blu-ray Disc, and helpful videos on adjusting TV settings.
By far the most important step in any TV, however, is smoothing out motion blur. Steps vary with all TVs, so do a web search on disabling for your model. On my LG TV, I went to All Settings → Pictures → Picture Mode Settings → Picture Options → TruMotion → Off.
[ad_2]
Source link
