Settings not reminding me about ios updates and boot up screen question

Question

Through my whole iOS 7 updates, my iPad mini has never told me there's a new update by showing a "1" on the settings icon. It does tell me that I can download a new update when I press software update in general, but what I want is the settings icon to say 1, I'm not a guy that check the settings bar all the time, the way I know that there are updates is I always check the #ios7 on Instagram when I'm bored. So please tell me how to get a one there when there is a new update. Also newer apple devices, like the iPhone 5 and up have a white screen on boot up if your device is white. I would like to know why doesn't it do that to the iPad mini? (2012) I know it has the A5 chip installed like the iPad 2 but where not talking 2011 here. So I would like to know why it isn't white and my iPad mini is white if the answer it, the processor is old, I wouldn't be too impressed. Thanks

Answer 1

That black screen with the scrolling text messages is what is happening while the little gear is normally spinning on the screen. That same text is being written to Log Files, and can be examined later.
It is called "Verbose Mode" and can be invoked for a single boot-up by holding V at Startup. There is a setting that can be semi-permanently made in NVRAM to make it happen Verbose-ly every time, which you have cleared by resetting the NVRAM.
Being an acknowledged wirehead, I like seeing those messages scroll by. Sometimes they are different, or they stop, and they can give me clues about what might be going on at any particular moment. They certainly are messy-looking, though.