Wi-Fi

Using your iPhone to diagnose your car’s check engine light

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

All the do-it-yourself mechanics out there love being able to troubleshoot their own check engine light (CEL) to see what's going on under the hood of their own cars. Typically, doing so requires an expensive OBD II scanner tool that plugs into the OBD II port underneath the dash.

But, with an app on your iPhone and a tiny accessory that plugs into the OBD II port, you could save some money and you'll still have access to a lot of the information the scan tool would give you. In fact, because of how advanced your iPhone is, you may even get more information than a lot of the scan tools will offer.

In this review, we'll be taking a look at the LELink Bluetooth Low Energy OBD II car diagnostic tool, which can be had for about $35 on Amazon, as well as the $9.99 OBD Fusion app, which can be had from the iOS App Store.

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How to fix Ethernet problems after a recent Mac security update

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated February 7, 2017

As my colleague Christian reported on Saturday, some Mac models have been plagued by non-working Ethernet ports after installing a new security update outed by Apple. Although a lot of modern Macs don't even have an Ethernet port, many models still carry it and many people still love using a wired internet connection because it's faster, more reliable, and more secure than a wireless network.

The security update, known as "031-51913 Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data 3.28.1," reportedly blacklists the Broadcom BCM5701 driver used by the Ethernet port that comes standard on many Mac machines.

Fortunately, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for anyone experiencing issues with their Ethernet ports after installing this security update. Apple has issued a support document on Sunday that notes how to fix the problem. In this tutorial, we'll go over the steps to fix the problem yourself.

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This jailbreak app for iOS shows all your Wi-Fi network passwords

Anthony Bouchard ∙ February 13, 2016

Most of you probably use a Wi-Fi network on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and some of them may even require a password to gain access to.

Have you ever been in a predicament where you've needed to use someone's Wi-Fi network and they wouldn't tell you the password for it to your face, but they had no problem typing it in for you so you could use the network without knowing what the password was? Or, have you just plain forgotten the password to one of your most-used networks when you have a new machine or device you want to use to connect to it?

If you've been in either of these situations, then a new jailbreak app called Wifi Passwords List, which is a free download from Cydia's BigBoss repository, could be of use to you. It'll show you the password of any secured Wi-Fi network you've ever used on your iOS device.

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iPhone 7 could feature ultra-fast Li-Fi wireless technology, iOS code indicates

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 19, 2016

You can now put a new kind of ultra-fast wireless networking technology on your list of potential hardware advances that might be in tow for Apple's 'iPhone 7' refresh later this year.

As first spotted by Twitter user Chase Fromm, code strings in iOS indicate that Apple could be experimenting with an ultra-fast, light-based wireless data technology, dubbed Li-Fi.

In modulating visible light in a manner that is imperceptible to the human eye, Li-Fi promises a theoretical throughput capacity of up to 224 gigabits per second versus up to just a few gigabits per second for the current-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard.

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Apple releases OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan update

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 4, 2018

Following an extensive testing, Apple on Tuesday released OS X 10.11.2 (build number 15C50), the second major update to El Capitan, for public consumption. In addition to improving the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, OS X 10.11.2 improves iCloud Photo Sharing for Live Photos, as well as the reliability of Wi-Fi networking, Handoff and AirDrop.

Moreover, the software update includes fixes for Bluetooth devices disconnecting on a whim, the Mail app deleting messages in an offline Exchange account and problems with importing photos from an iPhone to a Mac using a USB cable.

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iOS 9.2 beta 2 brings AT&T Wi-Fi Calling to the Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

The latest beta version of what would become the second major update to iOS 9, which was seeded to developers yesterday, enables Wi-Fi Calling through AT&T on your Mac, 9to5Mac discovered.

While Wi-Fi Calling allows you to place a phone call in an area with little or no cellular coverage, bringing AT&T Wi-Fi Calling to the Mac and other devices you own lets you make and receive phone calls on your Mac (or iPad or iPod touch, for that matter) without needing to be on the same network, or even in the same area, as your iPhone.

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iOS 9’s Wi-Fi Assist, fully explained and demystified

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 12, 2015

Wi-Fi Assist, a new feature in iOS 9, was initially met with some skepticism as Apple did a lousy job detailing how it works beyond stating that Wi-Fi Assist automatically uses cellular data when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor.

“With Wi-Fi Assist, you can stay connected to the Internet even if you have a poor Wi-Fi connection,” the iPhone maker said somewhat critically.

However, inexperienced users might encounter some unwanted effects when using their devices in areas with low Wi-Fi signal because Wi-Fi Assist will activate their carrier's mobile data network and therefore possibly lead to increased data consumption and unwanted overage fees on the wireless bill.

Here's what Apple is saying how Wi-Fi exactly works.

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New in watchOS 2: status icon when Apple Watch is connected to known Wi-Fi on its own

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 7, 2015

Joining a bunch of status indicator icons at the top of the Apple Watch screen is a handy new icon displayed when the device is on a known Wi-Fi network without the paired iPhone present.

Before watchOS 2, the wearable used to indicate that it's lost connection with its paired iPhone but would not distinguish whether it's remained connected to a known Wi-Fi network on its own.

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If iOS 9 is gobbling up all your mobile data, you should turn Wi-Fi Assist off

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2015

iOS 9 includes a new feature designed to optimize network performance by automatically switching to a mobile data network if a poor Wi-Fi signal is detected or Wi-Fi responds painfully too slow. It's called Wi-Fi Assist and comes enabled by default on iPhones and cellular iPads running iOS 9 or iOS 9.0.1.

As first noted by Quartz, some iPhone owners with poor Wi-Fi reception are seeing dramatic increases in their mobile data usage after updating to iOS 9.

For example, some folks are reporting a jump from one to as much as seven gigabytes since updating to iOS 9. To avoid unwanted overage fees on your wireless bill, disable Wi-Fi Assist with just a few taps, here's how.

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Portal for iOS: wireless file transfers from your computer to iPhone made easy

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 26, 2015

Portal, an Android app that launched earlier this summer, is now available on your iPhone free of charge in the App Store.

Created by a company called Pushbullet which makes a namesake cross-platform notification mirroring utility, Portal for iPhone uses QR codes and takes advantage of peer-to-peer connectivity to transfer very large files and folders between your devices in a snap.

With Portal, you can transfer files from your computer to an iOS device via a simple interface that can be accessed through any web browser. The app lets you transfer as many files as you’d like and imposes no file size limits.

Here's a quick review of Portal based on my brief hands-on time with the app.

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