Technology Articles

Article / Updated 03-21-2023

iPad users are a diverse group, and some face visual, motor, or hearing challenges. If you’re one of these folks, you’ll be glad to know that Apple offers some handy accessibility features for your iPad. To make your screen easier to read, you can use the Magnifier app, adjust the brightness, or change the wallpaper. You can also set up the VoiceOver feature to read onscreen elements out loud. Voice Control, Numbers, and Grids are welcome accessibility features to help you navigate more easily. And you can turn on or off a slew of features, including Zoom, Invert Colors, Speak Selection, and Large Type. If hearing is your challenge, you can do the obvious thing and adjust the system volume. The iPad also allows you to use mono audio (useful when you’re wearing headphones) and to set an LED to flash when an alert sounds. Features that help you deal with physical and motor challenges include an AssistiveTouch feature for those who have difficulty using the iPad touchscreen, and Switch Control for working with adaptive accessories. Also included are the Home Button and Call Audio Routing settings, which allow you to adjust how quickly you have to tap the iPad screen to work with features, and whether you can use a headset or speaker to answer calls. The Guided Access feature helps if you have difficulty focusing on one task. It also provides a handy mode for showing presentations of content in settings where you don’t want users to flit off to other apps, as in school or a public kiosk. This article covers some of the accessibility features of iPadOS 16. For more comprehensive coverage, check out the book iPad For Seniors For Dummies, 2023-2024 Edition. How to use the Magnifier app on an iPad The Magnifier app uses your iPad’s camera to help you magnify objects. Magnifier is considered an accessibility feature, but almost everyone needs a magnifier at one time or another. To use Magnifier: Tap the Magnifier app icon to open it. By default, the app resides on the second Home screen. Point your iPad’s camera at the object you want to magnify. Drag the magnification slider (shown in the figure below) to increase or decrease magnification. By default, Magnifier offers an advanced controls pane (see above) with more controls to help customize your experience. You can select which camera to use, adjust brightness and contrast levels, and apply color filters. You can also take freeze frames (to freeze something onscreen momentarily) by tapping the large round button. Freeze frames are not saved to Photos. They disappear into the ether when you close the Magnifier app. Tap the customize controls icon (gear) in the lower left of the advanced controls pane, and then tap Settings in the resulting menu to open the Customize Controls dialog, shown in the figure below. From here, you can determine which controls appear in the advanced controls pane. To remove a control, tap the red circle containing the minus sign (–) found to the left of the control name; then tap the Remove button that appears on the right. To add a control you’ve removed, simply tap the green circle containing the plus sign (+). You can combine magnification with your iPad's portability so that you can reach up to (or behind) an object and magnify something that is not only too small to see otherwise but also out of view entirely. How to set up VoiceOver on an iPad VoiceOver reads the names of screen elements and settings to you, but it also changes the way you provide input to the iPad. In Notes, for example, you can have VoiceOver read the name of the Notes buttons to you, and when you enter notes, it reads words or characters that you’ve entered. It can also tell you whether such features as Auto-Correction are on. VoiceOver is even smarter in iPadOS 16 than in previous incarnations. It includes support for apps and websites that may not have built-in accessibility support. It can read descriptions of images in apps and on the web, and it can identify and speak text it finds in images. To turn on VoiceOver, follow these steps: Tap the Settings icon on the Home screen. In Settings, tap Accessibility. In the Accessibility pane, tap VoiceOver. In the VoiceOver pane, shown in the figure above, tap the VoiceOver switch to turn on this feature (the button becomes green). With VoiceOver on, you must first single-tap to select an item such as a button, which causes VoiceOver to read the name of the button to you. Then you double-tap the button to activate its function. Tap the VoiceOver Practice button to select it and then double-tap the button to open VoiceOver Practice. Practice using gestures (such as pinching or flicking left), and VoiceOver tells you what action each gesture initiates. Tap the Done button and then double-tap the same button to return to the VoiceOver dialog. Tap the Verbosity button once and then double-tap to open its options: Tap the Speak Hints switch and then double-tap the switch to turn the feature on (or off). VoiceOver speaks the name of each tapped item. Tap once and then double-tap the VoiceOver button in the upper-left corner of the Verbosity window to go back to the VoiceOver screen. You can change the language that VoiceOver speaks. In General settings, tap Language & Region, tap iPad Language, and then select another language. However, this action also changes the language used for labels on Home icons and various settings and fields in iPad. Be careful with this setting, lest you choose a language you don’t understand by accident and have a difficult time figuring out how to change it back. If you would like VoiceOver to speak descriptions of images in apps or on the web, swipe up with three fingers to scroll down and then tap and double-tap VoiceOver Recognition, tap and double-tap Image Descriptions, and finally tap and double-tap the Image Descriptions switch to toggle the setting on (green). Don’t ignore the Sensitive Content Output setting in the Image Descriptions page. If the content of an image is something you’d like to keep everyone in the room from hearing, select any option other than Speak. Return to the main VoiceOver screen. If you want VoiceOver to read words or characters to you (for example, in the Notes app), scroll down (use a three-finger swipe to do so), tap and double-tap Typing, and then tap and double-tap Typing Feedback. In the Typing Feedback dialog, tap and then double-tap to select the option you prefer in both the Software Keyboards section and the Hardware Keyboards section. The Words option causes VoiceOver to read words to you but not individual characters you type, such as the dollar sign ($). The Characters and Words option causes VoiceOver to read both the individual characters as you type them and each word as you complete it. Press the Home button or swipe up from the bottom of the screen (iPad models without a Home button) to return to the Home screen. You can use the Accessibility Shortcut setting to help you more quickly turn the VoiceOver, Zoom, Switch Control, Grayscale, AssistiveTouch, or Invert Colors features on and off. In the Accessibility screen, tap Accessibility Shortcut (near the very bottom of the screen). In the screen that appears, choose what you want three presses of the Home button (or top button, for iPads without a Home button) to activate. Now three presses with a single finger on the Home button or top button (depending on your iPad model) provide you with the option you selected wherever you go in iPad. How to use VoiceOver on an iPad After VoiceOver is turned on (see preceding section), you need to figure out how to use it. I won’t kid you — using it is awkward at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Here are the main onscreen gestures you should know how to use: Tap an item to select it. VoiceOver then speaks its name. Double-tap the selected item. This action activates the item. Flick three fingers. It takes three fingers to scroll around a page with VoiceOver turned on. The first time my iPad locked when using VoiceOver, I had no idea how to unlock it. Luckily, I found the answer by consulting Apple’s support site from a computer. If your iPad has a Home button, just press it to unlock — simple. However, if your iPad doesn’t have a Home button, you need to look at your iPad (for Face ID to recognize you) and then slowly move your finger up from the bottom of the screen until you hear two tones, which indicate that your screen is unlocked. If tapping with two or three fingers is difficult, try tapping with one finger from one hand and one or two from the other. When double- or triple-tapping, you have to perform these gestures as quickly and as precisely as you can for them to work. The table below provides additional gestures to help you use VoiceOver. If you want to use this feature often, I recommend the VoiceOver section of the iPad online User Guide, which goes into great detail about using VoiceOver. You can find the User Guide on Apple Support's iPad Manuals page. Once you're on the iPad Manuals page, just click the model of iPad or the version of iPad OS you have to read its manual. You can also get an Apple Books version of the manual through the Apple Books app in its Book Store. VoiceOver Gestures Gesture Effect Flick right or left Select the next or preceding item Tap with two fingers Stop or continue speaking the current item Flick two fingers up Read everything from the top of the screen Flick two fingers down Read everything from the current position Flick three fingers up or down Scroll one page at a time Flick three fingers right or left Go to the next or preceding page Tap three fingers Speak the scroll status (for example, line 20 of 100) Flick four fingers up or down Go to the first or last element on a page Flick four fingers right or left Go to the next or preceding section (as on a web page) Check out some of the settings for VoiceOver, including a choice for Braille, Language Rotor for making language choices, the ability to navigate images, and a setting to have iPad speak notifications. How to change additional vision settings Several Vision features are simple settings that you can turn on or off after you tap Settings  @@-->  Accessibility: Zoom: The Zoom feature enlarges the contents displayed on the iPad screen when you double-tap the screen with three fingers. The Zoom feature works almost everywhere in iPad: in Photos, on web pages, on your Home screens, in your Mail, in Music, and in Videos. Give it a try! Spoken Content: Options here include the ability to have your iPad speak items you’ve selected or to hear the content of an entire screen and highlight content as it’s spoken. Display & Text Size: Includes such features as Color Filters (aids in case of color blindness) Reduce White Point (helps reduce the intensity of bright colors) Invert Colors (which reverses colors on your screen so that white backgrounds are black and black text is white): Classic Invert inverts all colors, and Smart Invert does not invert colors for items like images, multimedia, and some apps that may use darker color styles. The Invert Colors feature works well in some places and not so well in others. For example, in the Photos application, pictures appear almost as photo negatives (which is a really cool trick to try). Your Home screen image likewise looks a bit strange. And don’t even think of playing a video with this feature turned on! However, if you need help reading text, White on Black can be useful in several apps. Larger Text (under Accessibility  @@-->  Display & Text Size): If having larger text in such apps as Contacts, Mail, and Notes would be helpful to you, you can turn on the Larger Text feature and choose the text size that works best for you. Bold Text (under Accessibility  @@-->  Display & Text Size): Turning on this setting restarts your iPad (after asking you for permission to do so) and then causes text in various apps and in Settings to be bold. Button Shapes (under Accessibility  @@-->  Display & Text Size): This setting applies shapes to buttons so that they’re more easily distinguishable. For an example, check out the Accessibility button near the top of the screen after you enable Button Shapes by toggling its switch on. Turn it back off and notice the difference (shown in the figure below; the button name is underlined). Reduce Transparency (under Accessibility  @@-->  Display & Text Size): This setting helps increase legibility of text by reducing blurring and transparency effects that make up a good deal of the iPad user interface. Increase Contrast (under Accessibility  @@-->  Display & Text Size): Use this setting to set up backgrounds in some areas of the iPad and apps with greater contrast, which should improve visibility. On/Off Labels (under Accessibility  @@-->  Display & Text Size): If you have trouble making out colors and therefore find it hard to tell when a setting is on (green) or off (white), use this setting to add a circle to the right of a setting when it’s off and a white vertical line to a setting when it’s on. Reduce Motion (under Accessibility  @@-->  Motion): Tap this accessibility feature and then tap the on/off switch to turn off the parallax effect, which causes the background of your Home screens to appear to float as you move the iPad around.

Article / Updated 03-21-2023

Apple’s iPad gets its features from a combination of hardware and its software operating system (called iPadOS; the term is short for iPad operating system). As of this writing, the most current version of the operating system is iPadOS 16. It’s helpful to understand which features the newest iPad models and iPadOS 16 bring to the table (all of which are covered in more detail throughout my book iPad For Seniors For Dummies, 2023-2024 Edition). Models and sizes of the latest iPads The iPad is currently available in various sizes, depending on the version you choose. Here are the five basic sizes, by iPad type (for price and memory capacity information, see the article What To Look for When Buying an iPad): iPad: There are two models of iPad. The ninth-generation model features a touchscreen that measures 10.2 inches diagonally and sports a super-fast 64-bit desktop-class A13 Bionic processor. The tenth-generation model takes the iPad up a notch with a touchscreen that measures 10.9 inches diagonally and boasts an even faster 64-bit desktop-class A14 Bionic processor. iPad Air: The fifth-generation iPad Air employs a touchscreen measuring 10.9 inches diagonally and features a powerful Apple M1 processor. iPad mini: The iPad mini 6’s screen measures 8.3 inches diagonally. This iPad uses a 64-bit A15 Bionic processor to do the behind-the-scenes work. iPad Pro: The two iPad Pro models are the fastest of the bunch. One's screen measures 11 inches diagonally, and the other's is 12.9 inches; they both come with blazing-fast M2 processors, which are the same processors used in many of Apple’s newest Mac desktop and laptop computers. Dimensions of devices are typically shown in the units of measurement commonly used in a region. This means, for example, that the basic tenth-generation iPad is shown on Apple’s U.S. site as being 9.79 inches (248.6 mm) high and 7.07 inches (179.5 mm) wide. In metric-system countries, both dimensions are given, but the order is reversed. When it comes to screen sizes, however, the dimensions are given in inches. Features of the latest iPads In addition to the features of previous iPads, the latest iPad models offer the following. Retina and Liquid Retina displays In addition to screen size, screen resolution has evolved so that Apple’s Retina and Liquid Retina displays, both of which support very high-resolution graphics, now appear across the line. The name derives from the concept that individual pixels on the screen are so small that they can’t be distinguished at normal viewing distance. Apple Pencil Originally designed exclusively for use with iPad Pro models, the Apple Pencil now works with all the latest iPad models. (Be sure to check which version of Apple Pencil will work with your iPad by visiting the Apple Pencil web page. Apple Pencil lets you draw and write on the screen with a familiar pencil-style tool rather than with your finger. The device contains a battery and sophisticated processing powers that make the experience of using it very much like (and sometimes better than) a traditional pencil. Third-party pencils and drawing tools exist, but Apple’s integration of Apple Pencil is remarkably smooth; the product has taken off quickly among graphic artists, illustrators, and designers. As other people have discovered its usability for marking up documents, it is becoming more and more common in business environments. Neural Engine The Neural Engine is a component of the processor in every iPad that focuses on handling specialized tasks related to artificial intelligence, image and speech processing, and more cool things. Touch ID This security feature is included on several iPad models. Sensors in the Home button (ninth-generation iPad) or top button (iPad Air, iPad mini, and tenth-generation iPad) allow you to train the iPad to recognize your fingerprint and grant you access with a finger press. Touch ID also allows you to use the Apple Pay feature to buy items without having to enter your payment information every time. Facial recognition Touch ID is replaced with Face ID on iPad models that don’t have a Home button. Using Face ID and the front-facing camera, your iPad unlocks when it recognizes your face. Barometric sensor On all iPad models, this sensor makes it possible for your iPad to sense air pressure around you. This feature is especially cool when you’re hiking a mountain, where the weather may change as you climb. Perhaps more to the point, the changes in barometric pressure can be sensed on a smaller scale so that elevation can be measured as you move normally. More keyboard options The iPad Pro has a full-size onscreen keyboard. Because the screen has more space, the top of the keyboard can contain extra commands for filling in passwords and using more advanced input techniques. Smart Connector for Smart Keyboard In addition to the onscreen keyboard, you can use a Smart Connector to hook up a Smart Keyboard, an external keyboard that makes getting complex work done much easier. Smart Connector is supported for all iPad models, with the exception of iPad mini. Live photos Using the 3D Touch feature, you can press a photo on the screen to make it play like a short video. The Camera app captures 1.5 seconds on either side of the moment when you capture the photo, so anything moving in the image you photographed, such as water flowing in a stream, seems to move when you press and hold the still photo. The iPadOS 16 update to the operating system adds many features, including (but definitely not limited to) the following: Stage Manager Stage Manager (supported for iPad Air fifth generation, all generations of iPad Pro 11-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch third generation and later) is a new way to switch between apps and their windows on your iPad. Windows for the app you’re working in are in the center of the screen, while other apps’ windows are located on the left side, within easy reach. It’s a game-changer when working with multiple apps at once. Weather I shouldn’t be this excited about a weather app, but I’m not the only long-suffering iPad user who’s ecstatic that Apple has finally seen the light and made their iPhone Weather app available for iPadOS. Good things come to those who wait, I hear. New Mail features iPadOS 16 gives Mail a couple of much-needed new features that enable you to unsend an email and to schedule emails to be sent at a later time. Live text Live text lets you interact with text in images, and now with iPadOS 16, it works with videos, too. For example, you can select text from a paused video and copy it into a document. Or if the text is an address, you can copy it into Maps to find the location. Built-in apps have been updated iPadOS 16 provides performance enhancements and interface upgrades for all the apps that come preinstalled with it, bringing many into the realm of their desktop computer counterparts. Don’t need all the built-in apps? You can remove them from your Home screen. (Note that built-in apps take up very little of your iPhone’s storage space.) When you remove a built-in app from your Home screen, you aren't deleting it — you’re hiding it. And if you change your mind, you can easily add them back to your Home screen by searching for them in the App Store and tapping the Get button. These are but a very few of the improvements made to the latest version of iPadOS. I highly suggest visiting Apples iPadOS 16 web page to find out more.

Article / Updated 03-21-2023

The most obvious differences among iPad models (several models are shown below) are their size and weight, with the Pro being biggest, followed by iPad Air, then iPad, and finally the smallest, iPad mini. All models come in a variety of colors to suit everyone’s taste. All models come either with Wi-Fi only (so you access a Wi-Fi network for Internet access) or with Wi-Fi + Cellular for connecting to the Internet through Wi-Fi or a cellular network (as your cellphone does). The iPad models also differ in available memory and price based on that memory (prices are accurate as of this writing and are subject to change): iPad Pro 11-inch: Wi-Fi models come in 128GB for $799, 256GB for $899, 512GB for $1,099, 1TB for $1,499, and 2TB for $1,899; Wi-Fi + Cellular models of each memory configuration cost $200 more than their Wi-Fi–only counterparts. iPad Pro 12.9-inch: Wi-Fi models come in 128GB for $1,099, 256GB for $1,199, 512GB for $1,399, 1TB for $1,799, and 2TB for $2,199; Wi-Fi + Cellular models of each memory configuration cost $200 more than their Wi-Fi–only counterparts. iPad Air: Wi-Fi models come in 64GB for $599 and 256GB for $749; Wi-Fi + Cellular models come in 64GB for $749 and 256GB for $899. iPad (ninth generation): Wi-Fi models come in 64GB for $329 and 256GB for $479; Wi-Fi + Cellular models come in 64GB for $459 and 256GB for $609. iPad (tenth generation): Wi-Fi models come in 64GB for $449 and 256GB for $599; Wi-Fi + Cellular models come in 64GB for $599 and 256GB for $749. iPad mini: The Wi-Fi model comes in 64GB for $499 and 256GB for $649, and the Wi-Fi + Cellular model comes in 64GB for $649 and 256GB for $799. Finally, the iPad models vary in screen quality and resolution, camera quality, and so on. Logically, the bigger the iPad, the bigger the price and (usually) the higher the quality. How much storage do you want? Storage is a measure of how much information — for example, movies, photos, and software applications (apps) — you can store on a computing device. Storage can also affect your iPad’s performance when handling such tasks as streaming favorite TV shows from the web or downloading music. Streaming refers to playing video or music content from the web (or from other devices) rather than playing a file stored on your iPad. You can enjoy a lot of material online without ever storing its full content on your iPad. Your storage options with the various iPad models range from 64 gigabytes (GB) to 2 terabytes (TB), which is equivalent to 2,000GB. You must choose the right amount of storage because you can’t open up the device and add more components as you typically can with a desktop computer. However, Apple has thoughtfully provided iCloud, a service you can use to store content on the Internet. How much storage is enough for your iPad? Here’s a guideline: If you regularly work with large media files, such as movies or TV shows, you might need 512GB or higher. For example, if you shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second, that will take roughly 1GB of storage space for every two-and-a-half minutes of footage. In light of this fact, at least 1TB of storage may be more appealing if you shoot a lot of video. If you like lots of media, such as movies or TV shows, you may need at least 256GB. For most people who manage a reasonable number of photos, download some music, and watch heavy-duty media, such as movies online, 128GB is probably sufficient. If you simply want to check email, browse the web, and write short notes to yourself, 64GB is likely plenty. Do you know how big a gigabyte (GB) is? Consider this: Just about any computer you buy today comes with a minimum of 256GB of storage. Computers have to tackle larger tasks than iPads, so that number makes sense. The iPad, which uses a technology called flash storage for storing data, is meant (to a great extent) to help you experience online media and email; it doesn’t have to store much because it pulls lots of content from the Internet. In the world of storage, 64GB for any kind of storage is puny if you keep lots of content (such as audio, video, and photos) on the device. Using the iPad with a computer and Internet Although you can use your iPad on its own without any Internet or Wi-Fi access and without a computer to pair it with, it's easier if you have Internet access and a computer that you can (occasionally) use with your iPad. Basic Internet access for your iPad You need to be able to connect to the Internet to take advantage of most iPad features. If you have an Apple ID, you can have an iCloud account, Apple’s online storage service, to store and share content online, and you can use a computer to download photos, music, or applications from non-Apple online sources (such as stores, sharing sites, or your local library) and transfer them to your iPad through a process called syncing. You can also use a computer or iCloud to register your iPad the first time you start it, although you can have the folks at the Apple Store handle registration for you if you have an Apple Store nearby. If you don’t have a store nearby, visit this Apple Help page for assistance. You can set up your iPad without an Internet connection and without going to an Apple Store: The best way to find out more information is to contact Apple Support through an Internet connection on another device, or at a public library or Internet cafe. You can use your iPad without owning a computer and just use public Wi-Fi hotspots to go online (or a cellular connection, if you have such a model). To go online using a Wi-Fi–only iPad and to use many of its built-in features at home, however, you need to have a home Wi-Fi network available. Pair your iPad with a computer For syncing with a computer, Apple’s iPad User Guide recommends that you have: A Mac or PC with a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port and one of these operating systems: macOS version 10.11.6 (El Capitan) or newer Windows 10 or newer iTunes 12.8 or newer on a Mac running macOS El Capitan (10.11.6) through macOS Mojave (10.14.6), Finder on Mac’s running macOS Catalina (10.15) and newer, and iTunes 12.12 or newer on a PC, available at the iTunes Store or via the Microsoft Store An Apple ID Internet access An iCloud account Apple has set up its iTunes software and the iCloud service to give you two ways to manage content for your iPad — including movies, music, or photos you’ve downloaded — and to specify how to sync your calendar and contact information. There are a lot of tech terms to absorb here (iCloud, iTunes, syncing, and so on). My book iPad For Seniors For Dummies, 2023-2024 Edition covers all of these things. Wi-Fi Only or Wi-Fi + Cellular? You use Wi-Fi to connect to a wireless network at home or at other places, such as an Internet cafe, a library, a grocery store, or any public transportation that offers Wi-Fi. This type of network uses short-range radio to connect to the Internet; its range is reasonably limited, so if you leave home or walk out of the coffee shop, you can’t use it anymore. (These limitations may change, however, as towns install community-wide Wi-Fi networks.) Cellular technologies allow an iPad to connect to the Internet via a widespread cellular network. You use it in much the same way that you make calls from just about anywhere with your cellphone. A Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad costs more than the basic Wi-Fi–only model, but it also includes GPS (Global Positioning System) service, which pinpoints your location so that you can get more accurate location information and driving directions. Also, to use your cellular network in the United States, you must pay a monthly fee. The good news is that no carrier requires a long-term contract, which you probably had to have when you bought your cellphone and its service plan. You can pay for a connection during the month you visit your grandkids or friends, for example, and get rid of it when you arrive home. Features, data allowance (which relates to accessing email or downloading items from the Internet, for example), and prices vary by carrier and could change at any time, so visit each carrier’s website to see what it offers. Note that if you intend to stream videos (watch them on your iPad from the Internet), you can eat through your data plan allowance quickly. How do you choose? If you want to wander around the woods or town — or take long drives with your iPad continually connected to the Internet to get step-by-step navigation info from the Maps app — get Wi-Fi + Cellular and pay the additional costs. Don’t bother with cellular if you’ll use your iPad mainly at home or via a Wi-Fi hotspot (a location where Wi-Fi access to the Internet is available, such as a local coffee shop or bookstore). You can find lots of hotspots at libraries, restaurants, hotels, airports, and other locations. If you have a Wi-Fi–only iPad, you can use the hotspot feature on a smartphone, which allows the iPad to use your phone’s cellular connection to go online if you have a data-use plan that supports hotspot use with your phone service carrier. Check out the features of your phone to turn on the hotspot feature.

Article / Updated 03-16-2023

Giving people a chance to fly without all the time, money, and risk that goes into actual piloting makes flight-simulator video games such a fun and rewarding experience. Microsoft Flight Simulator is currently the best of its kind for casual players and hardcore enthusiasts alike. Currently, you can purchase three different versions of Flight Simulator: the Standard, Deluxe, and Premium Deluxe editions. Differences among editions include the number and type of available airports and aircraft, and of course, the price. Even the Standard version of Flight Simulator includes around 37,000 airports! Other good news is that the game is largely the same across platforms (PC and Xbox series), so you won’t compromise the experience when it comes to choosing the platform you want to play on. What platforms can you use to play Microsoft Flight Simulator? Flight Simulator originally debuted as a PC-only title when it first released in August 2020. It also received a special virtual-reality version in December 2020, the first time any flight simulator had done so. Though it remained a PC exclusive title for some time, on July 27, 2021, Flight Simulator debuted on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The game likely won’t be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, or Nintendo Switch in the near future, given that it’s a Microsoft-owned property. So, if you’re interested in playing, you need to have a PC or Xbox series platform. Here are a couple of thoughts for your platform choice: On an Xbox: You may find that picking up an Xbox console (if you don’t already have one) makes playing the game simpler. Flight Simulator is highly playable on Xbox consoles and may be more accessible for those who aren’t comfortable configuring PC games and software. On a PC: Flight Simulator can be quite demanding on computers that don’t have pricey gaming equipment. On the other hand, you can expect awesome graphics if you play on a gaming PC that has the latest and greatest graphic card and processor. Which version should you buy? Each version of Flight Simulator differs in scope of content, such as airplanes and airports. The versions (depicted below) are priced in tiers, and depending on the experience you want from the game, you can expect more or less content based on how much you’re willing to pay. Hey, becoming a pilot isn’t cheap! Here’s a quick reference guide to what each version contains: Standard Edition: The base version of the game. It comes with 20 different planes and 30 enhanced airports, and it retails for $59.99 (USD, 2023). Deluxe Edition: This version of the game comes with everything in the Standard Edition, plus five additional enhanced airports and five additional airplanes. It retails for $89.99 (USD, 2023). The enhanced airports included are: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Netherlands) Cairo International Airport (Egypt) Cape Town International Airport (South Africa) O’Hare International Airport (USA) Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (Spain) The additional airplanes included are: Diamond Aircraft DA40-TDI Diamond Aircraft DV20 Textron Aviation Inc. Beechcraft Baron G58 Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 152 Aerobat Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 172 Skyhawk Premium Deluxe Edition: This version of the game comes with everything that the Deluxe Edition includes, as well as five more enhanced airports and another five airplanes. It retails for $119.99 (USD, 2023). The enhanced airports included are: Denver International Airport (USA) Dubai International Airport (UAE) Frankfurt Airport (Germany) Heathrow Airport (UK) San Francisco International Airport (USA) The additional planes included are: Boeing Company 787-10 Dreamliner Cirrus Aircraft SR22 Pipistrel Virus SW 121 Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna Citation Longitude Zlin Aviation Shock Ultra If you decide that you want to upgrade to the Deluxe or Premium Deluxe editions later on, you just have to pay the difference on the platform of your choice. You can download the additional content you were missing to the installation you already have. No pressure! Wait, what are enhanced airports? Don’t confuse the small number of enhanced airports in the different versions of the game with the total number of airports that you can fly out of (around 37,000). More enhanced airports come with the Deluxe and Premium Deluxe versions, which means you get adapted constructions of airports (for example, Chicago O’Hare) that are more true-to-life than what they’d normally be in-game. Game designers handcraft an enhanced airport from the ground up to look exactly like the locations in question; the standard, procedurally generated airports aren’t nearly as detailed. So, if you have a soft spot in your heart for the San Francisco International Airport, you might want to pick up the version of the game that includes its enhanced version so that you can see it just like it looks in your mind’s eye. The enhanced airports may end up making it a much more exciting game to jump into — and you want to get the most out of your money, of course! What do you need to get started? Depending on which version of Flight Simulator you plan on playing, the answer to what you need varies. For the most part, whether you’re playing on PC, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S, you need only a copy of the game, your platform of choice, and some type of input. Your input can be a mouse and keyboard, game controller (I recommend an Xbox controller if you have one), or flight stick. Obviously, you can find a wide variety of all these things. But if you want to use a controller, you can simply use the Xbox gamepad that comes with your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S by default. Otherwise, you need your sense of adventure and a little patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day. You can’t earn your fictional pilot’s license in a day, either. You have a lot to learn, but don’t get discouraged. As with all things, practice makes perfect, and the more time you spend learning to fly, the more you retain. The more you retain, the better you perform. The better you perform, the more you want to fly. And then, before you know it, you might want to try your luck behind the controls of a real plane! You might want to; not me. I’m still a little too terrified. Heights are not my thing.

Article / Updated 03-15-2023

To successfully fly in Microsoft Flight Simulator, you need to know how to use the various instruments included in your cockpit. At first, getting to know and understand each instrument may seem confusing. But, with a little time and guidance, you can discover what every instrument does, as well as how to read it during flight. The instruments in Flight Simulator can tell you how fast you’re going (airspeed), how high up you are (altitude), and other vital information you need to know, such as the direction you’re flying (your current heading). Flight Simulator has two primary types of cockpits that you can become acquainted with: An analog cockpit relies on analog instruments that appear as dials and gauges and rely on mechanical measurements to display information. You need to know how to read the various needles and indicators that relay these measurements. A glass cockpit relies on multiple electronic panels to sift through and display important information to you digitally during flight. This means you’ll get a direct readout rather than you having to interpret analog dials and gauges. Reading analog instruments Many of the planes in Flight Simulator have analog cockpits, especially the older planes. In fact, many of the planes that you fly during the game’s tutorial lessons rely on analog instruments for vital information such as heading, altitude, and so on. For that reason alone, you need to know how to read analog instruments early on in your career with Flight Simulator. However, some planes are hybrids with a combination of analog and digital systems. For example, the Cessna 172 includes a digital radio and navigation system but uses analog gauges for nearly everything else. Coming to terms with the instruments in your aircraft is about identifying each panel — where it is and what it does. Although a cockpit may look daunting at first, knowing the basics of each instrument (position and function) can make your flights easier in the long run. Overall, the exact layout, functionality, and appearance of instruments may vary depending on your aircraft. However, several fundamental instrument types are in each cockpit, so get acquainted with them. For this example, I present the cockpit of a Cessna 152, as shown below. The callouts in the figure above correspond with some of the instruments in this list: Airspeed indicator: Displays your airspeed (how fast you’re traveling), measured in knots (which is one nautical mile per hour). Pay special attention to this instrument during flight because aircraft are very sensitive to speed. For example, unlike cars, which will just stop in one place if you run out of speed, an airplane will drop like a rock. This situation is obviously bad for the pilot. The white lines on the airspeed indicator signal that you can extend the flaps at those speeds. Remember that the higher the speed, the lower the tilt (using the rudders to pivot the plane up or down). The green line marks the speed range in which you can safely tilt the rudders at their full range of movement. The yellow range means you’re quickly approaching the limit of the plane’s structural strength. Attitude indicator: Shows the current orientation of the plane in space. You make use of this instrument when you have to fly based on your instruments to ensure your angle of approach does not exceed recommendations. The brown portion in this indicator signifies the ground, and the blue part indicates the sky. Altimeter: Shows you the current ceiling (meaning the maximum density altitude an aircraft can reach) in feet or meters. Keep in mind that the altimeter measures the elevation of your craft Above Sea Level (ASL). Just because you’re on the ground doesn’t mean that you have an altimeter value of zero. When your craft is on the ground, the altimeter shows a value of anywhere from a few hundred feet to several thousand feet, depending on the elevation above sea level of the airport you’re currently visiting. Before takeoff, tune the altimeter to the barometric pressure at the airport’s location. Throttle RPM meter: Shows you the current revolutions per minute (RPMs) of the plane’s engine. Flaps control: Controls the flaps on the rear of the wings. Essentially, you can adjust these mechanisms to provide more load-bearing force — allowing the plane to take off from a shorter distance — or keep the plane airborne at a low speed. Additionally, flaps may be used to slow down the plane. Fuel Mixture control: Regulates how much fuel is injected into the engine. You need to reduce or increase the ratio of fuel to air being injected, depending on the altitude and density of the air that you’re flying through. Throttle: The throttle is pretty self-explanatory; it’s essentially your gas pedal. It controls the amount of fuel and air that is being injected into the engine. The more open the throttle, the more power the engine produces. Unlike cars, which have a gearbox to transfer power to the wheels, airplanes are direct drive, which means an increase in throttle always manifests as a higher RPM. Pitch Trim: By far one of the most important mechanisms in the cockpit. When set correctly, it allows the plane to fly without the pilot having to continuously hold the steering bar (also called the yoke). You may need to make adjustments to the pitch trim (which maneuvers the aircraft elevators) constantly throughout the flight in order to maintain altitude or a steady climb or decent. Vertical Speed indicator: Showcases the current speed of ascent or descent. It measures your plane’s speed in feet per minute. This instrument never sticks rigidly in one place; expect it to fluctuate. When landing or ascending, the standard rate of speed on this instrument varies from plane to plane. Current Heading: Shows the aircraft’s current heading course throughout the flight. The heading is essentially the direction that the aircraft is traveling relative to the magnetic north. The cardinal headings include: North at 360 or 0 degrees East at 90 degrees South at 180 degrees West at 270 degrees The Current Heading indicator itself gets input from a gyroscope, so you can expect it to show the wrong direction when not calibrated properly. Unfortunately, it becomes misaligned by itself often, and you need to calibrate it throughout your flight by resetting it every 10 to 15 minutes and ensuring it lines up with your compass. Parking brake: The parking brake is exactly what it sounds like. Use it at every takeoff and taxi situation to avoid any issues with air traffic control. Remember, when your aircraft’s engine is on, it generates thrust, even at idle. If you don’t make sure your parking brake is on, you may look down to hit a switch and find you’re rolling along.

Article / Updated 03-15-2023

Like real-world flying, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has a seemingly never-ending bag of tricks. Despite being an incredibly realistic sim, don’t forget that Flight Simulator is also a game — and there are always secrets and hints in games. These tips can make hopping into the cockpit and exploring the virtual world a little easier for beginners — and maybe even a bit more fun, too! Even a seasoned Flight Simulator veteran might find these tricks worth retaining, especially if you plan to play the game for many moons to come. For more information related to these tips, check out my book Microsoft Flight Simulator For Dummies. Start in midair Did you know you can completely skip the takeoff sequence? It's true, and you may prefer starting in midair if you want to (initially) avoid what can be a lengthy learning experience. To start your flights already in midair, follow these steps: Go to the World Map. Left-click or press A anywhere on the World Map that isn't an airport. Choose the Set As Departure option from the pop-up menu shown in the figure below. Press the Fly button in the lower right of the screen to start your flight. When you complete these steps, you can begin your journey at around 1,500 feet in the air. Find animals quickly How do you find animals so that you can get up close and personal? You can actually seek them out in a very simple way, and it only takes a few seconds. Follow these steps to get all the animal experiences you crave: Go to the World Map. Type the word "fauna" in the search bar (found on the left side of the screen) and click the Search icon. Click to choose your next destination from the list of locations that feature animals. After you start your flight and you’re on your way to the chosen destination, access the Pause menu by pressing Escape or the Menu button. Click the Assistance tab. Click the Navigation menu and find the Fauna Markers option. Click to toggle on the option. Markers appear on the map to show where you can find animals along your route. You need to decide which animals you want to find, but with Fauna Markers turned on, this decision becomes less of a headache. Refuel your aircraft anywhere In Flight Simulator, you can refuel while flying without missing a beat. You just need to change your keybindings (options that are tied to a specific input device key or key combination), but that change doesn't take very long. Just follow these steps: Access the Pause Menu and click the Controls tab. In the Controls Options window that appears (see below), choose the input type that you’re using. You can choose from Keyboard, Mouse, or Controller. Scroll down the resulting list of options and select the Repair and Refuel keybinding option. If you don’t want to scroll, you can type Repair and Refuel in the search bar in the left column of the Controls Options window, as shown in the figure below. Choose a key on your input device to which you want to bind the Repair and Refuel option. Press escape or the Menu button to exit the Pause menu screen. After you follow the preceding steps, you should still be in midair. You can press the key you just selected to instantly repair any issues with your aircraft that might be plaguing you at present, as well as receive an automatic refueling. You don't need to do anything special after that. Your gas gauge should be full once more! Turn off satellite overlay You can toggle on an instrument flight rules (IFR) view that may mitigate potential issues with locating landmarks. When you use IFR view, you get a plain gray map that makes it a lot easier to see things like distance between points at a glance. To turn on IFR view in the World Map, follow these steps: From the main screen open the World Map. Choose the Open Filters option that appears in the shortcut bar in the lower part of your screen. A window appears, as shown below, where you can scroll through filter options. Click the arrows to the left and right of the Background Map option to toggle the IFR option to replace Satellite. After following the preceding steps, you should have a better, more granular view of the Earth below. Explore outside the plane Did you know you can leave the plane in midair to look at the world around you? No, you aren't physically exiting the plane. But using a feature called Active Pause, you can take a look at your surroundings without having to land. Active Pause stops your plane right where it is, and you can explore your aircraft's cockpit, immediate surroundings in the air, or the entire world around you. Here's how to turn on Active Pause: Press Escape or the Menu button to go to the Pause menu, click on options, and click on the Assistance menu, which is shown in the figure below. Look for the Play/Pause icon on the toolbar that appears when you hover the mouse near the top of your screen. This icon represents a toggle for Active Pause. Click the Play/Pause icon to activate the Active Pause play mode. Toggling on the Active Pause mode activates a drone that you can maneuver using the standard aircraft controls on the keyboard or controller. You can explore to your heart's content without ruining your flight. And you don't even have to stop playing to do it! Explore the streets You may be playing a flight sim, but you still have plenty of ways to interact with the world around you. The same drone that allows you to exit the cockpit and travel around the world (during an Active Pause; see the preceding section) enables you to travel down to the streets and have a look around. It may take a bit of doing because your plane is fairly high up in the sky, but you absolutely can take your drone down to the streets (see below). Speed up your flight You can speed up the game's sim rate (the rate at which your flight proceeds along its route) in order to reach your destination more quickly. You can also fly to your endpoint more slowly if you want. You can adjust the sim rate up and down at your leisure. Follow these steps to adjust your game's sim rate if you’re playing on a PC: Press the R key on your keyboard. Hold the CTRL key and press either the plus (+) key or the minus (–) key on the number pad. As I’m sure you can guess, pressing + speeds up the sim rate and pressing – slows it down. Follow these steps to set your sim rate if you’re playing on a console: Press Escape or the Menu button to go to the Pause menu, select Options, and select Controls Options. From the Controls Options screen, as shown below, you need to assign a button for the sim rate. Type the search term sim rate in the search box on the left side of the Controls Options window, and then click the Search icon. Click to select the Sim Rate option. When prompted, choose a key or console button when prompted that you want to bind to your Sim Rate option. After following the preceding steps, you can adjust the sim rate on your console easily: Slow down: Press your chosen button and the left trigger. Speed up: Press your chosen button and the right trigger. By adjusting your sim rate, you can take those cross-country (or across-the-globe) flights in record time. Fast travel to flight phases If you don't care much for the lengthy cruise phase of a flight, you might opt to skip it entirely. You can do that. Instead of actively flying through the entire trip, you can fast travel to a phase that's more appealing to you. To use the Travel To option, just follow these steps: Press Escape or the Menu button to open your Pause menu. Click the Travel To button (which looks similar to a fast-forward button, as noted the figure below) to reveal your Travel To options. The Travel To window that appears lists the phases of your flight plan that you can choose from. The figure below shows Cruise, Descent, Approach, Final, and Taxi. Select the phase to which you want to fast travel. After you make your selection, your game skips to that phase. Hate taking off or cruising? Use this trick to skip past all of it! Customize your pilot avatar You're more than just your plane in Flight Simulator. You have a pilot avatar, too! You might not see your avatar much while playing the game (your view is as the avatar in the cockpit), but you do have a character that represents you. Plus, you can change what your avatar looks like. To customize your pilot avatar, follow these steps: Press Escape or the Menu button to open the Pause menu. Click Options and then General. In the General Options window that appears, click the Misc tab on the left. Under Pilot Avatar Settings, repeatedly click the forward or backward arrow beside the Pilot Avatar to scroll through your options. You can choose from 24 different pilot models. Find the one that suits you. The models appear on the right side of the General Options window, as shown below. When you find the avatar that matches your mood today, select it by making your choices and leaving the Misc menu. Now you can have a pilot that (hopefully) better represents you in the virtual world! Change your ATC call sign You can actually change your call sign, or title, that the air traffic control team uses to identify and address you over the radio. Follow these steps to customize your call sign: Press Escape or the Menu button to go to the Pause menu. Select the correct option to go to the World Map. Choose ATC Options by clicking on your airplane in the upper left part of the screen, then select Customization from the menu on the left column. In the text box next to Call Sign (see below), type in your desired call sign. For example, perhaps you’d like to be known as 8675309. Choose a fun call sign, but don't be naughty. The game doesn’t recognize profanity, so keep it G-rated (or you may be banned from online play). Save your choice by leaving the menu and return to your game. After you complete the preceding steps, ATC calls you by your desired call sign.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2023

iPads cost a pretty penny, especially if you have a Wi-Fi + Cellular model. This is why you should know how to take care of your iPad, troubleshoot any problems it might have, and get Apple support for iPads.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-09-2023

All blogs start in the same way: A person picks a blogging application, creates a blog, and publishes a post online. What happens then depends on each individual blogger. This Cheat Sheet supplements the information provided in Blogging All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition and helps you find resources and tools to make your blog a unique place that allows you to reach your goals.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-08-2023

If you're new to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, you have much to learn. Having an entire simulated world available for flying may be overwhelming for budding pilots, but checking out this Cheat Sheet can help you find a path forward. These tips will help you get started, choose the right airplane, understand autopilot controls, and earn your wings in no time.

Article / Updated 03-01-2023

A Raspberry Pi (sometimes just called a Pi for short) is a very small computer. Raspberry Pi is a popular alternative to Arduino, BASIC Stamp, and other types of microcontrollers and is the ideal computer for people who love to make their own gadgets. Physically, a Raspberry Pi resembles an Arduino or a BASIC Stamp. However, the Raspberry Pi is much more than a microcontroller; it is a full-blown computer system, implemented on a single small card. In fact, a Raspberry Pi has most of the features commonly found on a desktop or laptop computer. Yet, besides its small size, a Raspberry Pi has other features not commonly found on a desktop, such as the ability to directly control digital I/O pins. Thus, you can use a Raspberry Pi with external devices such as LEDs, push buttons, potentiometers, various types of sensors, and servo or stepper motors. It contains most of the components found in a traditional desktop computer, but all squeezed onto a small board about the size of a deck of playing cards. The newest version of the Raspberry Pi, called the Raspberry Pi 3, is pictured here. This version of the Raspberry Pi includes all of the following packed onto the board: CPU: A quad-core 64-bit ARM Corex-A53 microprocessor running at 1.2GHz. RAM: 1GB. USB ports: Four standard-size USB 2.0 ports mounted on the board. These ports can be used to connect any USB device, including a keyboard, a mouse, or a flash drive. Video: A built-in graphics processor that can support 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080). HDMI: A full-size HDMI connector is mounted on the board to connect a video monitor. Display serial interface (DSI): A display interface designed to connect to small LCDs via a 15-pin ribbon cable. MicroSDHC card: The MicroSDHC card acts as the computer's disk drive. The operating system (Linux) is installed on the MicroSD card, along with any other software you want to use. Ethernet networking: A built-in RJ-45 connector for networking. 802.11n wireless network: A built-in wireless network connection. The antenna is actually built into the board itself, so no external antenna is needed. Bluetooth: Built-in Bluetooth networking for wireless devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and headphones. Camera serial interface (CSI): A special interface designed to connect to a camera device via a 15-pin ribbon cable. Audio: A 3.5mm audio jack for sound applications. Power: The Raspberry Pi is powered by a 5 V supply connected to the board via a micro-USB connection, the same type used by most smartphone rechargers. GPIO header: The most interesting thing about the Raspberry Pi from an electronic enthusiast's perspective is the 40-pin GPIO header, which provides access to a variety of features, including 26 general-purpose input-output (GPIO) pins. These pins work the same as the digital I/O pins found on Arduino and BASIC Stamp microprocessors, and can be accessed via programs that you write for the Raspberry Pi. You can use these GPIO pins as output pins to connect to devices such as LEDs, servo or stepper motors, and so on. Or, you can use them as input pins to read input from external switches, potentiometers, or other types of sensors. Unlike the digital I/O pins found on Arduino or BASIC Stamp microprocessors, the Raspberry Pi GPIO pins work at a voltage level of 3.3 V rather than 5 V to indicate HIGH signals. You'll need to adjust your circuits accordingly to deal with the smaller input and output voltage levels. In particular, if you apply a 5 V input to GPIO input pin, you run the risk of damaging your Raspberry Pi.