Category Archives: iPads

iPads, Student

What to do if your iPad needs to be repaired

These are the things MDS Tech does to prepare your iPad for replacement. During this eLearning season, the process needs to change.

Make sure you take care of these things, if your iPad is operational:

1) Confirm that Notability files are being backed up – in Notability, click the gear icon, bottom left. Select Autobackup, and make sure there’s a checkmark beside Google Drive.if there isn’t check it, login, and let the backups commence.

2) Fire up Google Photos. Make sure your photos and videos are backing up to Drive. Click the “hamburger menu” – the three horizontal lines at the top right.

3) if you have anything else that you’d like to keep – Textilus documents, iMovies, etc – find a way to stash them somewhere. You could send them to Drive, or email them to yourself. Each app has it’s own solution.

Then contact MDS Tech to arrange a time to meet in the ARC. We are working partly on campus and partly from home.

Note that the standard policies apply here – there is a $100 charge for the repairs [which usually cost much more than that]. The business office will send an invoice in due course.


iPads

Basic iPad Advice

Here are some things to check and some things to do to prevent some headaches with your iPad:

Reboot

Do the iPad reboot dance – DON’T just shut it down, you MUST swipe out of all your running apps. THEN shut it down, wait 20 seconds, crank it back up again.

Clear it out

You always need to leave some working room on your device. Running out of space causes quite a few really weird symptoms. CLICK HERE for details on how to check and what to do.

Update your OS

If you have an operating system update pending, that it taking up room on your iPad, AND often the system update fixes bugs and adds new features. PLUG IN YOUR IPAD and the open up Settings –> General –> System Update, and install it.

Faculty, Faculty/Staff, iPads, Student, Students, Video

iMovie: Do you know how?

See the source image

First, some advice:

  • LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION – over 90% of the time you should be shooting in Landscape orientation [a.k.a. SIDEWAYS]. The ONLY time Portrait Orientation is preferred is if 99% of your audience will be looking at the video on their phone, AND they don’t know how or are too lazy to turn their phone sideways.
  • GOOD AUDIO IS IMPORTANT. After all, without it you just created a silent movie. Talk louder than you think, and be aware of all the noise that it around you [try closing your eyes and listening to the sounds around.]
  • PLAN what is going to happen – it will save time. What shots do you want? What sounds? Where? Who is going to be in it?

Here’s a good process to follow when creating a video

  • Shoot your footage.
  • Get too much video – it’s easier to delete extra material than to stretch out material because you don’t have enough.
  • Put the clips in rough order.
  • Add titles.
  • Record your voiceover, if you are going to add one.
    • After recording bump the volume up as much as you can – avoid a lot of red in the waveform, though a bit is usually OK. Your ears will tell you.
  • Watch it 5 times – look for problem spots and fix them.
  • Export the movie and send it on its way. Google Drive is a good place to stash video.

Some Online Help: