iOS 9 Public Beta 1 available now

iPhone ProvisionApple have just released the public beta of iOS 9 for those of you who just can’t wait until the official release. Unlike the developer beta of iOS 9, the public beta means you do not have to have an Apple developer account.. What’s more, you get the update over the air, and all future updates in the same way going forward. Signing up to the public beta program is pretty straight forward, once you’ve signed up all you have to do is download a provisioning profile on your iPhone, reboot then check for updates!

Obviously as this is a beta, is wise to try and avoid installing it on your primary hand set. Before you do so, its also wise to take a full backup of your device and it’s contents. Just incase you decide to roll back from the installation.

Once you’ve got your full backup, head over to beta.apple.com/profile on your iPhone. Once signed in with your iCloud credentials you’ll be presented with a ‘Download Profile’ button. Tap on this, accept the terms and conditions, and then follow the on screen instructions.

If you decide to roll back from iOS 9 all you need to do is connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or, put it in recovery mode, and restore it to the backup you made before biting the bullet… You made a backup.. Right?? If not, you can use an iPSW from iOS 8 you can grab the relevant files from http://www.ipswdownloader.com

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Test out pre release (beta) OS X sofware

BETA Seed

BETA SeedIf you love being on the bleeding edge of technology, and don’t mind risking your machines stability, you can register for Apple’s Beta Seed program. Previously Apple used to restrict access to its Beta software to only registered Apple Developers. (Costing £99 a year)

However, they recently changed tac and they are now inviting all users in. You can register using the link below:
OS X Beta Seed Program – AppleSeed

It’s worth noting that these beta’s shouldn’t (really) be installed on your production machines, and you should ensure you have a backup prior to installing.

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LogMeIn Rescue Beta gets a big thumbs up!

I’d only heard roumers about it, read blog posts and seen ‘spy’ shots of it. Until today! We received  our official invitation to test the all new LogMeIn Rescue Beta today.

We have used LogMeIn Rescue to support our countless number of mobile workforces handheld devices for some years now. In fact it was one of our success stories we bagged whilst at the Service Desk and Support show back in 2009.

LogMeIn Rescue is a web-based mobile remote support solution supporting the major mobile OS’s along with PC and Mac OS’s. Providing an easy to use powerful remote support solution which wouldn’t (and doesn’t) look out-of-place in support centres the world over!

Since we started using LogMeIn Rescue in 2009, it was clear to see that LogMeIn’s R&D where heavily investing time in developing their product. With regular Beta invites adding useful features and supporting new OS’s regularly.

However, the latest Beta really is something else! Up until now the LogMeIn Rescue technician console has been governed by your machines web browser. Which although the web console has never been lacking in features, sometimes the browser seemed to somehow hold back its performance. This, Im pleased to report now appears to be a thing of the past!

One of the Beta’s biggest features is the introduction of a desktop based support client. Offering all the features of the online client and more besides.

The first thing that my colleagues commented on, was the fact they no longer have to logon each time they want to connect to a user. The desktop client automatically remembers the username and password and logs straight in. Now this may seem like a simple thing, but when you are sharing client licences like us, logging in and out all the time can often be a pain!

But wait!…. ‘Hold the Phone’ (whilst I connect on and reconfigure it)… The iOS and Android device configuration facility has received an overhaul. To introduce some pretty powerful features.

The ability to configure key components on iPhone’s is soon going to become invaluable:-

  • APN – Push new APN settings to both iOS and Android devices
  • WiFi – Push new WiFi settings to both iOS and Android devices
  • WebClips – Install new shortcuts on iOS devices that can connect direct to your help desk, knowledge bas or chat portal
  • Permissions – Push device permissions to iOS devices, providing the ability to restrict access to certain applications
  • Passcode – Push passcode enforcement to iOS devices
What’s more.. The features list doesn’t end there, there’s far too many to list in this blog post – so why not head over to the Beta’s homepage and check out the full list!
One things for sure, LogMeIn Rescue really has secured it’s spot on my ‘Tool Belt’ – Well done LogMeIn, I am looking forward to your next unavailing and invite to Beta test..

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BETA testers wanted – Windows Mobile Users only

Hello

If you are a follower of mine on Facebook or Twitter you will have seen my posts about my RAPId SMS application. Well, stage one of development is nearing completetion, and I nowneed people willing to BETA test the application.

If you are interested you are going to need:
A Windows PC (XPVista)
A Windows Mobile Device
Windows Mobile Device CenterActiveSync

If you would like to be considered for the trial, please contact me using one of the methods on my ‘Contact Me‘ page, once done I will sign you up as a member on MikeSel.info and send you a download link to install the application.

Once installed you will be able to send text messages via your phone directly through ActiveSync from your PC!

Interested? Get in touch!

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Review: Microsoft My Phone

Microsoft My PhoneMicrosoft have recently opened up their ‘mobile cloud’ service to BETA testers. Microsoft My Phone is basically a sync service for the items on your phone. However, where this one differs is it stores items such as your contacts, calendar, tasks, text messages, photos, videos, music and documents all in one password protected online location.

The service syncs with Windows Mobile devices using a small sync client. The sync client works a little like ActiveSync in such a way that in can either be set up on a schedule or sync’s can be performed manually. Allowing you 200.00 MB’s worth of online storage space, all linked to your Windows Live account.

There are some downsides to the solution. Especially if you already sync with an exchange server. This unfortunatly prevents you from syncing your calendar, contacts, and tasks etc with the service. You can however continue to sync the other items on your phone.

I can see the service being used as a backup in case of lost or stolen phones, or simply as a way to easily access the documents stored on your phone in situations where you are unable to connect your phone to a PC. Like in a cyber cafe perhaps?

One of the benefits of this service over some of the others, is it’s ability to backup files stored on a storage card!

You can find more information about Microsoft My Phone over at it’s official website http://myphone.microsoft.com

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