How To Use Old Ipad
Remote for Smart TV
New generation televisions have access to the Web and can be controlled in a variety of ways. One of them is a smartphone.
If you have a dedicated application installed on your phone, you can use the device as a TV remote control. over, such control is much more convenient. Since the smartphone has a keyboard.
The remote control constantly runs out of batteries, and also does not always work if the control is carried out at the wrong angle. Smartphone does not need a sensor in order to perform actions on Smart TV.
5 original ways to use your old smartphone
Due to the fact that each manufacturer seeks to produce improved gadgets, models released 3-4 years ago are losing their relevance. Even good performance does not save them. However, working, but outdated models can and should be used for other purposes, while saving on additional devices for the home.
Home Alarm
An outdated smartphone can serve as a good alarm for your home. When you install certain programs and then configure them, such a device will be no worse than any other alarm (and even write down if necessary).
It is very important that the telephone that acts as an alarm is constantly connected to electricity and the Internet.
The camera can detect motion and start recording as needed. After installing the gadget near the door, it will “observe” and send a signal to the user at the slightest sign of noise, door opening or movement.
Surveillance Camera
It is not at all necessary to buy a surveillance camera or. A baby monitor if you have an old smartphone at home. Depending on the purpose, you can install various applications that turn the phone into a surveillance camera.
The main thing to remember is that the gadget acting as a camera must be constantly charged, and in the absence of the owners for a long time, it must be constantly connected to the network.
Due to the variety of functions and capabilities, the phone can work as a full-fledged surveillance camera with extensive capabilities, such as:
- Recording;
- Picture transmission over the network;
- Saving footage to cloud storage;
- Voice recording or transmission, etc.
Few people know that a smartphone is able to work as a router and distribute Wi-Fi to other devices.
In order to turn your smartphone into a router, you need to find “Modem Mode” in the “Settings” of the phone. In this tab you can make the following connections:
- Wi-Fi hotspot (distribution of only mobile traffic via Wi-Fi).
- USB modem (when connected to a PC).
- Bluetooth modem.
- Access point and pairing setup.
Car gadget
If necessary, the old phone can be used as a navigator, recorder and even an additional alarm.
With a good GPS signal, you can use your phone as a navigator, and with additional settings it can additionally serve as a recorder. Thus, replacing 2 necessary devices in the car at once and saving money on their purchase.
Also, when installing a special application, the smartphone can work as an alarm. It detects vibrations after the door is closed, and can also detect door opening and / or glass breaking.
Traveler’s set
Even without a special holder and other accessories, iPad will not let you get bored on the road. For a child, download more games and cartoons, for yourself. Books and films, or special programs for drawing, for example. Such a multimedia set takes up a minimum of space, and can take many hours. A great way to while away the time at the airport or on a long trip.
Home tracking device
Since many surveillance systems are able to broadcast images online, the old iPad can serve as a convenient monitor. With its help, you can constantly monitor, for example, the order of the house when you are away from it.
Portable media center
Even the very first generation iPad plays music and movies in compatible formats. In addition, there are quite a few streaming programs on the App Store from many online cinemas and music catalogs. Megogo, SoundCloud and the same YouTube, where deposits of films, cartoons and musics are also stored. All this can be viewed from the tablet screen.
Kitchen assistant
There are a number of apps on the App Store for those who love to cook at home. The Big Oven program will share hundreds of thousands of recipes for a wide variety of dishes, and How to Cook Everything will help beginners learn the basics of the culinary art. So that during cooking the tablet remains easily accessible and at the same time does not interfere with work, it is better for it to purchase a special stand, which, in which case, could be washed.
Second monitor
Even if the computing power of the old iPad is no longer in any comparison with its new brothers, it will still do a good job of displaying various data transmitted to its screen from a desktop computer or laptop. To do this, you need the Air Display program: it will extend your desktop to one or more Apple tablets connected wirelessly. over, with Mac and Windows programs that are displayed on the iPad screen, you can work not only with your usual mouse and keyboard, but also with your usual screen touches.
Selection of magazines
Many periodicals have been published in electronic format for many years now. As with books, your entire binder will fit inside a rare iPad that can stay on your coffee table or travel with you.
How to use an old ipad
Sometimes it happens that there is an old device lying around at home, not very suitable for normal use today, which was not sold at one time for some reason. Of course, now it will cost a penny, and therefore it makes sense to leave it in the name of good memory or for a collection.
This is exactly what happened to me. In fact, I have quite a few old Apple gadgets. Not that I am a trash collector, but perfectly preserved working devices warm the soul and revive old memories. Okay, let’s put the nostalgic urges aside. I recently stumbled upon my old iPad 2, which was always shifting from place to place while cleaning. I have not used it for a long time, because I have a “bug”. Nevertheless, after making sure that the old device was still working, it was decided to put it in order and see what you can do with it in 2018, other than using it as a cup holder, or in some other way not for its intended purpose.
I used iPad 2 between 2011 and 2016. As it became obsolete, the number of requirements from the device also decreased, because it became less and less pleasant and convenient to work with it. It is clear that regular updates and new chips require much more computing power, and the hardware in the second iPad is far from the most powerful even as of 2011, when it was introduced. There was no particular desire to buy a new iPad, but then they presented the iPad Pro with ultra cool, by the standards of a tablet, speakers and an excellent True Tone screen.
The old iPad was running iOS 9.3.5, which is final for this model. Ipad has 32 gigabytes of memory, which was crammed with old photos, applications and other junk that has not been used for a long time and has been safely forgotten. The first thing that catches your eye is the screen. It’s a paradox, but despite the fact that the old non-retina screen does not stand up to criticism against the background of modern displays, it is quite possible to watch content on it, if you do not include an internal snob and make a concession for age. Yes, there are small bald spots on the backlight, but overall the screen looks good. I was not at all surprised that the device works frankly slow and performs even the most trivial tasks with a creak, but with some applications it was quite a problem. Some programs have long been unavailable for installation, because the 32-bit architecture has long been a rudiment, some suggested installing an old, compatible version, and some did not start at all or crashed at startup. It is simply impossible to work with such a device fully. The decision was made to turn the iPad into a home media player that is used while the main iPad is on charge.
To begin with, a full factory reset was made, with all content deleted. In this case, it is imperative to configure the device as new, without restoring a backup, because iOS often transfers not only user data, but also system junk, errors and other unwanted things due to which they most often reset to factory settings. In the iCloud tab, I turned off all sync options, leaving only “Find iPad”. From the AppStore, I installed just a few applications for viewing: YouTube, VLC, Megogo. The good news is that the iPad 2 on the old iOS handles Apple Music pretty well, albeit in the old interface. At this stage, the system became much easier and faster to work, but still not enough. Next, you need to dig a little in the settings. Animation, updating content in the background and other basic functions of the system heavily load the already weak hardware. The first thing I did was turn off all notifications on the tablet. Everything. They are not needed on a device with such tasks. Since there is practically nothing inside the iPad, and everything that is is placed on one single screen, then in the tab General. Spotlight Search I turned off all the toggle switches. Slightly lower in the tab “Content update” also turn off everything. Thus, the system will not spend extra resources in the background and drain the battery.
Further in the tab Basic. Accessibility. Increase Contrast i turned on “Reducing transparency”, and just below activated “Reducing motion”, which removed the animation and graphic “beauty” of the system. I don’t need them here, but they eat up a lot of resources.
One of the biggest battery evils, even on newer devices, is geolocation. In the tab “Privacy”. “Geolocation Services” turn off the toggle switch. At the same time, “Find iPad” continues to work, although it does not show geolocation. Imessage and FaceTime can be turned off too.
After all the manipulations, it became possible to use the iPad relatively comfortably. The system is still for a long time, but quite sane, it works, plays correctly, the browser loads pages normally.
The old iPad is used as source for playing music, which I connect to my home speakers, as well as for playing from YouTube, watching TV shows and other content that is downloaded to a drive or streamed. Despite the fact that the tablet is used exclusively at home, it still has a 3G module that will allow you to use the Internet outside the home on occasion. The entire article could easily fit into two or three sentences, if not one, but there was a desire to describe the process and share simple ways to bring an old device to life. Yes, this is no longer news, but some people still do not know, or they forget about such things. And if you have such a device in your hands, which is a pity to throw away or you do not want to sell, then why not give it the opportunity to be useful for a little longer ?! And if you are thinking about buying an old Apple device due to lack of funds or for some other reason, then you obviously do not need to do this. You will not get full pleasure from using and all modern functions, because miracles still do not happen after reconfiguring the device. However, it is still surprising to me that after such an amount of time since the device entered the market, after its active use for a certain period of time, it continues to work quite intelligibly. All the same, it is worth giving credit to Apple for their long-term support of their devices. There is hardly a 2011 Android tablet that today can adequately perform even simple but everyday functions.
Ipad as a monitor
We have already used iPad to remotely access the desktop of the computer. Now I will tell you how to use iPad as an additional computer monitor. There are several programs in the App Store that solve this problem with varying degrees of success. We will focus on the Air Display program.
Firstly, you can rejoice at all those who do not recognize the English language in any form and always hope for a Russian version of the program! Here, the connection instructions are not even required from me. Everything is perfectly described in the program:
If you read what is written in the screenshots above, you may have noticed the ease of installation. In fact, everything turned out as simple as described. over, the setup is easy for both Mac OS and Windows. Yes, the program works for both operating systems. We put a big fat plus here!
The setting itself looks easy to describe very briefly. Download the file:
Also, do not forget to install the Air Display client for iPad (link at the beginning of the article);)
We reboot the computer and run the program on the iPad. We also turn on the server (all according to the instructions in the program. No my own initiative)
And it’s done. We see the desktop of our computer on the iPad! Ipad configured as a second monitor:
My own impressions. I don’t know for what purposes it is possible to use the iPad as a monitor in practice, but the opportunity comes to mind to work on a computer, and to take out some kind of monitoring on the iPad. For example, at my former job I could monitor the server load in this way, but I was just given a second monitor. Ipad is still a luxury.
The picture on the iPad came out pretty sharp, but only in a static position. If I started just moving the windows, then the image blurred for a split second and stabilized again. Therefore, the film in good resolution on the iPad as a monitor so look if it works out, then with distortion.
Maybe you know how to use iPad as a second monitor for practical purposes?
Conclusion: Air Display is an easily customizable good program. If someone finds a practical use for it, then honor and praise.
Program type: Programs up to 100 megabytes, Programs over 100 rubles, Utilities (all programs by category for iPad)
App Store Size: 14.3 Mb
App language: English Russian
Developer / Publisher: Avatron Software, Inc.
The program is universal for iPhone and iPad
Whited00r 7 Firmware
In addition to the “native” updates of the operating system, which are regularly supplied by Apple for their devices, there are customized iOS 7 firmware for iPad 1. Such updates are developed by enthusiastic hackers and are usually released later than the next official version.
Developers take as a basis the standard version of the OS for an outdated gadget and supplement it with everything that is possible from the design and functionality of the newer iOS, while maintaining the stability of the device. In particular, for the iPad 1, they took the penultimate original iOS 4 firmware, “changed” it in the manner of the “seven” and called it WhiteD00r 7. But after installing the custom firmware, the 4th version of iOS will actually remain on your iPad.
Preparing ipad 1
First, make sure your iPad is running a clean version 4 from Apple. If you have a jailbreak firmware, then first flash the device to standard iOS 4 using the instructions. If you have doubts about the originality of your OS or difficulties with updating, it is better not to experiment with custom firmware.
If there are no problems, then in the next step of preparing iPad 1 for iOS 7 firmware, create a backup using iCloud.
Then find the Redsn0w utility on the Internet and install it on your personal computer. Also download the archive of the WhiteD00r 7 firmware itself and extract the files from it. And at the end of the preparation, check if you have iTunes, and if not, install the latest version of the program.
What’s interesting about the “seven”
What has Apple developers added to iOS 7 that everyone wants so badly? First of all, this is a fundamentally new minimalist design, well, and a couple of hundred functions. Among the latter, they especially highlight the improved multitasking and the appearance of a control point that opens with a swipe from the bottom up and allows you to turn on / off airplane mode, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, adjust the volume, adjust the brightness and perform many other actions.
Unfortunately, you cannot install the full-fledged 7th version of iOS on iPad 1, but there is a hacky workaround to get its design and functional gadgets. Don’t worry, you can start using pretty much everything too.
Is it possible to upgrade iPad 1 to iOS 7
Many owners of the first generation “apple” tablet are interested in what version of the operating system they can update it to. It should be understood that this device is already 6 years old and initially it worked on the basis of iOS 3.2. However, you can officially install 4th and even 5th iOS on iPad 1. But starting with the 6th version, things are a little more complicated, since the iPad 1 processor no longer meets its system requirements. Nevertheless, users want to use the “goodies” of newer OS on their well-deserved device and often ask how to update iPad 1 to iOS 7, not to mention the “six”.
Installing the firmware
Now that you have everything you need ready, proceed with the installation:
- Connect your tablet to your computer.
- Then launch iTunes or wait for the program to start on its own.
- Wait for iTunes to detect your device as shown in the screenshot below.
- Click on the icon with the image of the device in the upper left corner and make sure again that the iPad is running the original iOS 4.
- In the current window, click on the “Restore iPad” button, but before that, hold down the “Shift” key if you are a Windows user, or “Alt” if you are a Mac OS (OS X).
- In the explorer window that opens, specify the path to the file with the.Ipsw extension, which you saved earlier in the folder with the WhiteD00r 7 firmware, and click “Open”.
- Wait approximately 15 minutes for the recovery process to complete.
After successfully installing the firmware, the device will reboot, and you will see a nice design of iOS 7 on its screen.
As it turned out, reflashing iPad 1 is not that difficult, but now you can safely start enjoying all the advantages of a custom system, while performing the actions you are used to. Continue to enjoy great sound, watching movies and reading books on your familiar gadget in the new style from iOS 7.
Installing Air Display server on a computer and client software on iPad
In this example, the server will be installed on a Windows 7 PC. The installation is straightforward. The only thing you need to do is to approve the installation of display drivers as requested by Avatron Software and reboot after the drivers are installed.
While the computer is rebooting, install yourself applications on the iPad. If this is the first time you run it, it will offer you instructions for connecting to your computer. If you are already familiar with the application, just leave it open and switch back to your computer in order to launch the Air Display application already on it.
In theory, everything should go smoothly. But if you still get an error message, you will need to switch the DNS server of your host from the default settings (of your provider) to publicly available Open DNS or Google DNS servers. If there was no error message, it’s time to start connecting iPad to your computer.
Right-click on the Air Display icon in order to get to the context menu. In addition to the standard menu items, you should see your iPad’s name.
If you do not see the tablet on the network, then you need to check all the connections again and whether you are connected to the correct network. If the device is shown on the network, then just click on it.
As soon as you click on it with the mouse on the computer, the connection icon should start blinking on the tablet itself. After that, your desktop should start flashing and switch from Aero Theme to Basic.
If you’re working on a single monitor, the iPad’s screen should be on the right side by default. If you are working with multiple monitors, the tablet screen will be on the right side of the first monitor. If you are working with two monitors, and the one on the left is # 1 and the one on the right is # 2, then the new iPad screen will sit right in the middle between them. If your machine has three monitors, then the iPad monitor will be between the leftmost and middle.
But you can easily choose the location for the additional monitor yourself. To do this, right-click again on the Air Display icon, select Display Arrangemen in order to move the monitor to the location you specified.
After you have configured the location of your additional monitor, you can use it as intended.
How to use iPad as a second monitor on Mac and PC
The iPad is quite functional, many people use it in combination with a keyboard as a netbook when traveling, as an e-reader, play station, etc. Etc. In addition to all of the above, there is another opportunity to test the iPad and squeeze as much out of it as possible. It copes pretty well with the role of an additional monitor and connects not only to a Mac, but also to a PC.
Such a small monitor can be a good haven for your instant messengers, color palette when working with Photoshop, interface for applications and other useful widgets.
In order to turn your iPad into a secondary monitor, you will need:
1. Ipad.
2. Computer with MacOSX or Windows.
3. Wi-Fi network.
4. App for iPad Air Display (costs 9.99 in the App Store).
5. Air Display application for computer (free).
If you are unable to connect to Wi-Fi, you can use the Ad-Hoc connection between iPad and computer.
Taking advantage of the additional benefits of Air Display
In addition to simply using the iPad as a second monitor, the app has some additional really useful features.
In addition to simply extending your desktop, you can duplicate it. To switch to “mirror” mode, you need to right-click on the application icon, select Options, and then Mirror Mode.
Also, do not forget about the iPad touchscreen, which continues to function as usual. This means that any application that will be moved to the tablet like a second screen can be controlled by touch.
In the end, you can drag and drop various questionnaires and other forms onto it and fill them out using the on-screen keyboard. For example, you work on a computer and would like your client to fill out the required electronic form. To do this, you just need to drag it to iPad and hand it to it. While he fills it out, you can finish your job.
How to use your iPad as a second monitor for your computer. Ideal: Sidecar on macOS Catalina
Sidecar is arguably the best option for turning your iPad into a second display. So if you have a Mac and iPad and they are no more than three or four years old, we assure you, this is exactly the tandem that you will immediately want to try out as soon as you learn about this possibility. (If your devices are older, skip to the next section).
Connecting iPad as a Second Display via Sidecar
- To use iPad as a second display, connect it to your Mac via USB, or turn on wireless networking (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff);
Attention! While Sidecar can be used wirelessly, you should connect your iPad to your Mac using the iPad’s USB charging cable to keep your iPad from running out of power.
- Also, don’t forget to sign in with your Apple ID on both devices;
- Click the AirPlay icon in the menu bar on your Mac, then choose an iPad connection option. Or use Sidecar’s settings to establish a connection;
- The iPad will now be an extension of the Mac screen. You can move windows to it, and also use it as a normal display;
- To duplicate the contents of your Mac screen, return to the AirPlay menu as a blue rectangle while using Sidecar. Select a screen mirroring option. It’s a great way to share your Mac screen content with others;
- To end your Sidecar session, return to the AirPlay menu and select the option to disconnect the device. Or click the Disconnect button in the iPad sidebar.
We make a second monitor out of the iPad: instructions
Two monitors are better than one for some tasks, and with macOS Catalina you can turn your iPad into a second display with just a few clicks thanks to a feature called Sidecar. But Sidecar is limited to certain versions of Mac computers and iPads, which is very annoying for users of Windows machines.
Luckily for techies, there is a cluster of third-party apps that can turn your iPad into a second screen for Windows PCs, older Macs, and even Android tablets.
Fallback Cross-Platform Option: Splashtop Wired XDisplay
If your Mac or iPad is not supported by Sidecar functionality or you are a Windows, Android user, then Splashtop Wired XDisplay is the third-party application that can help turn your tablet into a second monitor connected to your PC. True, the application only works when connected via USB, and this is not the most thought-out option in terms of smooth operation and the absence of errors, but it can be purchased for not very big money (do not be fooled by the fact that the application has a “Free” postscript, this only speaks the program has a trial period, up to 10 minutes per session).
Splashtop Wired XDisplay consists of two components: a part that installs on a PC (old Mac) that will run in the background and a second part for an iPad or Android application that installs on a tablet.
After installing all the components of the app on your desktop and tablet, make sure to connect your tablet to your computer with a USB cable, and then launch the XDisplay app on your iPad or Android tablet. It will connect to your computer and a blank desktop will appear on the tablet.
Now you can rearrange open windows on the tablet and vice versa, expose auxiliary graphics, or just start a movie or turn on YouTube on the tablet screen without clogging the main PC screen.
Of course, for ease of use, purchase a tablet stand. It is inconvenient to work with it horizontally.
Cover: SHUTTERSTOCK / MS_PICS_AND_MORE
WHITSON GORDON for PCMag
Protect it with a durable case
The likelihood of your child getting stumped with some nefarious online character or buying ten thousand dollars worth of in-app purchases is virtually nonexistent compared to the chances of them dropping the iPad and damaging it. Before we even dive into the limitations of the software, it’s important to wrap the iPad neatly and tightly so that a fall on the kitchen floor doesn’t turn the screen into a sad spider web of broken glass.
If you have very young children, we highly recommend the Speck iGuy range of iPad cases, which come in a wide variety of colors and range in price from 12 to 30. They are very well packed, have large side handles for a comfortable grip, and a large base even allows you to stand freely.
For older kids who might be upset to see a giant Gumby-style case on their iPad, we still recommend using a sturdy, albeit less obviously kid-friendly case. The Pepkoo case only costs 16 and offers the same protection as the iGuy without the big cartoonish outline.
Regardless of which case you are using, there are several design considerations to keep in mind. Either way, you should have at least a very thick cushioning material around the corners of the iPad, as well as a thick lip around the front. The case with these two characteristics is of great importance to ensure that the angle or screen-oriented drop on the kitchen tile does not destroy the screen.
Commit them in one guided access app
The most restrictive thing you can do on iPad. It is to block the child in one application. This trick is best for very young children, when you want them to have zero access to the iPad, other than the one app you’ve chosen for them. This way you can block them in the game, PBS app, or any other app. Without you to unlock the iPad, launch the app, and then lock them in it, they can’t use it (and once they use it, without you to unlock the restriction, they can’t switch to another app).
To do this, you need to enable guided access, which can be done in “Settings” “General” “Accessibility” “Guided access”.
In the Guided Access menu, enable Guided Access to access additional settings.
Here you can (and should) set a password and, if necessary, time limits. If you do not set these options here, you will be prompted to set them each time you enable Guided Access. By enabling this setting, you can enable Guided Access for any application at any time by quickly pressing the Home button three times in a row. The iPad will be locked in this application until you press the Home button three times again and then enter the password.
Enable restrictions for using multiple apps
If access to the guide is too limited (even young children quickly learn to love more than one app), take the next step. Restrict access to things you don’t want to touch, such as the Settings menu or the Safari web browser, and allow access to things they can use.
To do this, go to “Settings” “General” “Restrictions” and click “Enable restrictions”. Set a password for the Restrictions settings to continue.
With a password set, you can switch between different settings, including, as shown below, Safari (to turn off web access), Siri (to turn off voice search), FaceTime, iTunes Store, and more.
You can also restrict app installs, uninstalls, and in-app purchases. However, you cannot restrict access to any application. Apple suggests that if you have an app that you want to restrict access to (say, a game that is not age-appropriate), you simply uninstall the app. We hope that in a future update we will be able to restrict certain installed applications. For more information on restrictions, check out our guide here.
Turn on volume limiting
We put the tablet in a soft case to protect the tablet, so now let’s take a little care of protecting the child from the tablet in turn. Kids often use headphones on their tablets because let’s face it: who wants to listen to Thomas the Tank Engine in the background? Unfortunately, this means children can easily turn up the volume to a level that could damage hearing in the background, even if we don’t notice.
We’ve talked a lot about the subject here at How-To Geek, including arguing that all kids should use volume-limited headphones. Even if you don’t have dedicated headphones, you can still limit the volume on iOS. You can find the desired setting in the “Settings” “Music” “Volume limit”; For more information, check out our guide on software volume limiting in the iOS settings menu.
Old equipment. The best equipment for children
Think of old hardware as the handy tool of the digital age. Just like you don’t give them brand new clothes to play in the mud (you give them their older brother’s old clothes), you don’t give your toddler a brand new tablet (unless it might be a super cheap Amazon Fire). Tablet). Old tablets. These are ideal because you’ve already used them (and replaced), they’ve depreciated, and if your child is using your old iPad in some way, you haven’t lost much.
One big benefit, however, is that the iPad. Is essentially a widely open portal to the wider internet (and the world), so you can’t just pitch it a little and hope for the best. You must make adjustments according to their age, ability, and safety. So let’s see how you can take your old iPad and with a kid-friendly case and some free software tweaks make it the perfect kid’s tablet.
A quick note before we proceed: feel free to choose which of the following tips and tweaks you use. Depending on your child’s age and what they’re doing on iPad, some of the tips just won’t apply. We have arranged the tips roughly according to the age of the child, the earliest of them are most applicable to the youngest children, and the latest. Most suitable for older children.
Wipe your tablet to start over
You don’t have to wipe your tablet before giving it to your kids, but it’s much faster than the fuss of uninstalling apps, clearing stories, deleting photos, and more, which we recommend. Installing things fresh makes things simple. As always, be sure to back up any data (such as personal photos) from your device before proceeding.
You can find the reset settings on iPad under Settings General Reset. Select “Reset All Settings” to start over. For more information about erasing your iPad check out our guide on the subject.