iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

You either love them or hate them. Some educators feel like using QR codes are unnecessary; why not just give kids a shortened URL? Last year, I asked my high school students what they thought about QR codes as a way to access information in my Library Learning Commons. Responses varied slightly, but the general consensus was:

“Nah. We don’t use them.”

“They’re lame, Sorry Miss.”

Then came the iOS 11 update about a month ago. This update turned the iphone camera into a QR code scanner.

The iPhone and iPad now include native QR code reading built directly into the camera app, allowing you to scan QR codes quickly using an iOS device and without having to download any third party software.

There are mixed reports that updating to iOS 11 has slowed down some iPhone and iPad hardware, or that performance of tasks like opening and interacting with apps is slower after installing iOS 11. If your iPhone or iPad feels slow after installing iOS 11, then you might want to try a few of the tricks we have outlined in this tutorial to speed up your device again.

In iOS 11, users can now share their iCloud space with family members.

You think you know iOS? Not until you master all of the under-the-hood goodies in the latest on your

Apple's newest operating system for iPhones and iPads, iOS 11, is finally available. The update is packed with features, but only a handful of those features will really change the way you use your iPhone.

Here are 13 of the most useful new features in iOS 11:

There's something different about iOS 11 -- and whether or not it's a good thing is up for debate.

Ever since its debut, way back in iOS 7, Control Center has included convenient Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles. Tap one, the feature turns off. Tap again, it's back on.

In iOS 11, those same toggles are there, but they function differently: Instead of actually turning off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios, they simply disconnect you from devices and networks. The radios stay on.

As you may know, Apple’s recent release of iOS 11 has brought to life an entire realm of augmented reality possibilities with their new ARKit.  With one click, Apple instantly made the world’s largest Augmented Reality platform by empowering the millions of iOS devices on earth to leverage this incredible technology.

Enter AR Measurekit….

Using Apple’s AR framework and the nothing more than the camera sensor in your iPhone or iPad,  the FREE MeasureKit  App can measure just about anything without hunting down a ruler or tape measure. However, unlike a ruler, MeasureKit provides precise dimensions not just for height and width, but also measurements of distance, angle, trajectory, level, square, and more.

So this got me thinking….could I use this for measuring jump lengths? While it might seem like a novel idea, it would have immediate use cases in a couple of common areas.

The iOS 11 wallpapers include multiple abstract colors, a few shots of planet Earth and the moon, six flowers against colorful gradient backgrounds, and a sure to be popular series of seven retro Apple logo inspired wallpapers featuring the classic six colors from the old rainbow Apple logo.

You're likely more than a little curious about what's new in Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 11.

We plan on walking you through how to use the new features in iOS 11 starting now, adding more as we get closer to its official release later this year.

Q. I just upgraded my iPad to iOS 11, and while I liked dragging my favorites into the little bar of apps across the bottom of the screen, the bar itself doesn’t stay there consistently. Why?

iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra bring new features to several apps, and some of the biggest changes have been made to the Notes app. Along with a new Document Scanning feature outlined in a prior how to (iOS only), the Notes app also includes support for pinning and tables.

It’s been a decade since we first saw the iPhone and iOS. Apple has never included a “user exposed” file system on iPhone or iPad. Each app would have its own sandboxed storage system. With iOS 11, that’s changing.

Planning on installing iOS 11 onto your iPhone or iPad when it becomes available on September 19? Then take a few moments to prepare your device for the iOS 11 update!

This walkthrough will detail checking proper device compatibility, performing some simple house keeping and maintenance on an iPhone or iPad, backing up the device, and finally, installing iOS 11.

Apple's newest operating system for iPhones and iPads, iOS 11, finally launches this month. We'll learn the official release date for iOS 11 at Apple's big event on September 12; Apple calls its newest iOS "a giant step for iPhone" and "a monumental leap for iPad."

Here are 13 things everyone will love in the next big iPhone and iPad update:

You know how on your Mac you always drag stuff to the desktop as a kind of temporary holding spot? You might be gathering together some photos, or just keeping a PDF until you work out where to put it, or until you have emailed it and can delete the original. That kind of thing isn’t possible in iOS, because a) there is no real concept of files, at least not in the Mac way, and b) there’s no desktop. But that’s about to change in iOS 11. The new Files app takes care of a), and thirdparty apps like The Shelf will be able to take to role of the desktop.