Tag Archives: Apple

Apple related information will be tagged here. This will include Apple information about the iPhone, iPad, iPod, MacBook, Apple TV. Including news, product details, repair information, review.

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Android Jelly Bean vs. iOS6

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Two years ago, there really was not any question about what operating system was best for smartphones – Apple clearly led the pack. Today, though, real competition has emerged in the form of Android’s Jelly Bean OS. This robust new operating system finally offers a real challenge to Apple’s domination, and one that begs a simple question: which operating system is best? The answer, as is so common in the tech world, is harder to answer than it may seem.

Android Jelly Bean

The great news about Jelly Bean is that it is the best version of Android’s OS yet. If you are using any Android device that is equipped with the OS, you are in for a treat – this version is more stable than ever, and it actually packs in a few features that are miles ahead of its competition. Jelly Bean is fairly easy to use, runs quickly and is full of delightful customization options that can really give a power-user his or her ideal phone.

Customization

Unfortunately, that customization comes at a price. Compared to i0S 6, the interface is still a bit unintuitive. The OS is also short on some of the bells and whistles with which iOS users may have been familiar, and the fact that the operating system has to function across multiple devices instead of a single class of devices means that it may not perform as well as its closed-system counterpart.

iOS 6

iOS 6

It is very difficult to say anything bad about Apple iOS 6 – after all, the company is known for creating user-friendly interfaces. In fact, this iteration might be one of the best yet, relatively free of major bugs and most of the problems that have befallen the older versions of the system. It is still slick and easy to use, the perfect system for any new smartphone user.

Of course, savvy smartphone users will quickly see the faults in this iteration of Apple’s OS. While it might be easy to pick on the Maps app for being universally panned, it is a symptom of a bigger problem – Apple’s closed system. If you are a fan of customization or playing around in the technological sandbox, this really is not the system for you. This may or may not be a turn-off to some, but it is something that should be kept in mind.

Which OS is Really Better?

In the end it’s not clear which OS between Android Jelly Bean vs. iOS6 is the best , it depends on how you use your phone. If you want the system that is most simple and easiest to use, Apple is the winner. If you prefer something that is robust and easy to customize, you should go with Android.

In either case, phones that user either system are susceptible to accidental damage.  Don’t get too excited or frustrated by your new operating system, or you may mishandle your device.  In the event that you need repairs, you also have options, but there is a clear winner in terms of results:  iFixYouri.  Find out why.

 

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Warranty Options for the iPhone 5

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For those with a warranty on their iPhone 5 that doesn’t have extensive coverage, or a warranty that has expired, or no warranty at all, getting repairs from iFixYouri will help the smartphone owner save high repair costs, or save the device from joining a pile of e-waste.

In addition to the benefits of reduced repair costs, a good warranty can offer piece of mind.   Therefore, it is important to get the best warranty and protection plan for an iPhone 5 that provides coverage for repairs, breakage, and also replacement if it is stolen or lost. Here are a few of the best plans available today. Here are some warranty options for the iPhone 5.

AppleCare+

This plan costs $99 for two years, and coverage includes support and hardware issues. The plan is quite popular and available from retailers and directly from Apple as well. The recently updated version of the plan includes two damage claims due to accidents. This means your phone will be replaced if it is broken due to any reason for a fee of $49.

The AppleCare+ plan can be purchased within 30 days of purchase of the iPhone 5. However, when you do not purchase the plan along with a new phone, it will require inspection and an appointment at the Genius Bar.  This plan does not cover theft or loss; hence, it is not a comprehensive protection plan.

SquareTrade

The plans from SquareTrade are similar to Apple’s extended warranty plans for the iPhone 5. This plan costs $99 for two years, and $129 for three years. If you sell your iPhone 5 in that period, you can transfer the plan to the new user. The plan includes four replacements or repairs, and there is a same-day service option. Coverage is for any kind of damage, and claims require a deductible of $50. You can also pay for repairs out of pocket at the Apple Store and have it reimbursed; however, the plan does not cover theft or loss.

Protect your Bubble

This plan costs $143.99 for a one-time annual fee, and $7.99 per month if you prefer monthly payments. Apart from repairs and replacement, it also covers theft and loss; however, there is $100 deductible.

The best value of an iPhone 5 warranty seems to be plans from AppleCare+ and SquareTrade; however, if you need theft and loss coverage, Protect your Bubble is a good option. Remember that the third option is to not get a warranty at all — iPhone 5 repairs are often much cheaper if you get them yourself!

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The e-Waste Mountain Grows Bigger

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Just because a product is in good working order, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the owner still wants to use it. Manufacturers use that theory to convince buyers to replace certain electrical and computerized goods. Our culture is permeated with consumerism and new gadgets are introduced all of the time to keep abreast of fashion. People want the latest electronic goods that combine style and convenience, not nearly enough people invest in electronics repairs when they should. While this does keep the economy moving with supply and demand, the e-waste generated from this non-sustainable practice is overwhelming.

Built to Not Last

Frequently building new models of devices creates a lot of electronic waste, but people who lust after the latest technology typically don’t take that into consideration. The latest iPhone is sleeker and more powerful and utilizes a different type of port – why keep the previous version?

This level of consumerism worries environmentalists, who know that many of the hundreds of thousands of earlier models, and all the accompanying accessories, just end up in landfills.  Electronic waste can have serious effects: electronic equipment contains dangerous and toxic metals and chemicals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium.  In addition to harming the environment, when the poisons seep into soil, people and animals are affected.

While there are often opportunities for residents of cities to recycle their electronic waste, millions of electronic devices like computers, TVs and cell phones join the rest of the garbage, perhaps due to convenience, or perhaps due to ignorance.

Is Your Old Smartphone Headed to the Trash?

When a useful electronic item, like a laptop or cell phone, becomes damaged, an easy solution is to throw it away and buy a new one.  Many people don’t consider that it is not only cheaper, but better for the environment, if the item was repaired, instead.  If you find yourself in this situation, where you have a device that is no longer working or even doesn’t look as pretty as it did when you first bought it, send it to us at iFixYouri — it’ll be like buying your item again, brand new.

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Apple’s Latest Offering, the iPad Mini

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ipad-mini-ifixyouriThe Apple iPad is the result of years of experimenting with touch screen technology and smaller being better. Apple is now poised to introduce a device even smaller and, hopefully, even better: the iPad Mini. This is the newest version of the iconic Apple tablet device.

What is the iPad Mini?

The iPad mini is a smaller, thinner and lighter device designed for the on-the-go businessperson and people who need a lightweight internet device that can do everything the iPad can do. The concept has been around for some time and it appears that Apple has resolved issues with screen resolutions and touchability.

The iPad Nano, as it has also been called, is Apple’s answer to the smaller table devices that have been marketed by Amazon in the form of the Kindle and Google with its Nexus Tablet. The Nano delivers all the quality of Apple with numerous available apps in a smaller, lighter and narrower package.

The Mini Timeline

Although no specific launch date has been given for the miniature version of the iPad it is assumed that production has begun at the suppliers in China (where the leaked design photos came from).  A release date in late 2012 is not out of the question!  Apple, as always, is keeping the specifics secret.  Check out some of the rumors here.

The Specifics

  • Touch Screen capabilities (of course!)
  • Lower pricing than the iPad
  • Slim and trim case with a high resolution screen
  • Screen size less than 8 inches
  • Able to utilize all  Apple  iPad apps
  • 8 GB of internal storage
Whether the iPad mini’s electronics are wildly different or very similar to the iPad, one thing is for sure:  the device will be susceptible to the same damage.  When you do get your newest member of the iPad family, and it gets dropped in water or stops working for any reason, you can trust that iFixYouri will be able to repair your iPad mini.
Apps

Gambling Apps Coming to a Smartphone Near You

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gambling apps ifixyouri

In the near future, people will be gambling on their phones, winning or losing money with a few simple swipes of their finger. Big Fish Games, a company based in Seattle, is releasing a gambling app in the UK, where such actions are legal.

Potential For Big Bucks

It is estimated nearly 50 billion dollars will be gambled on mobile devices by the year 2015. This means companies want to get on the action and are eager to design applications that let consumer do just that.

Chris Chriffin, CEO of Betable, a partner company with Big Fish Games, says this is a huge opportunity for game developers. However, Big Fish is certainly not the only company on the market.

Zynga, the biggest maker of social games, plans to release real money gambling applications before 2013 is over.

Legal Issues

Betting money over the internet is illegal in many states in the US. That certainly will not stop everybody, however, and some states may relax restrictions. California, Nevada, and New Jersey are thinking about making it legal.

App Producers and Apple

Despite the lucrative opportunity, Apple is not getting any money from the sale of gambling apps. Apple would prefer to not worry about being part of a potentially illegal gambling operation.

Thousands of players already play for fake money on their phones. When real money becomes available, many of them will be among the first to buy gambling apps. Paul Thelen, CEO of Big Fish, says the opportunity for profit in the near future may be very large indeed.

See this page for more info.

If you do get involved in gambling apps, and in a heated moment, throw your iPhone to the ground, you’ll need to get it fixed so you can win the money back.  There’s always another day.  Or Gamblers Anonymous.

Tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab is Banned in US

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Now that the dust has mostly settled in the legal battle between Apple and Samsung, let’s explore one of the issues of copyright regarding the Samsung Galaxy Tab that was at the center of the debate.  Both the mobile phone giants tried their best to win this legal battle through depositions and court witnesses, which proved to be a difficult dilemma for Samsung.

Galaxy Tab and iPad Design Issues

Designer Testimony

According to Jin Soo Kim, the industrial designer who worked on the design of Galaxy Tab 10.1, the work for the Samsung tablet was started in October, 2009. He also presented an email dated 2006, which clearly shows that the work on the Tab was underway in 2006.

This was much before the scheduled unveiling of iPad 1 and iPad 2, which took place in January 2010 and 2011 respectively. Kim further added to his testimony that the major goal of Samsung was to get the largest screen on a fairly smaller piece of hardware.

Total Denial of Guilt

Kim acknowledged the fact that there were certain amendments and design changes done to the Galaxy tablet. He also clarified that it was done only keeping competitive factors in mind, while there were no intentions to replicate the iPad’s design. Kim denied allegations that he attempted to copy the design of Apple products at any point in time during the designing process of the Galaxy Tab.

Kim also did not acknowledge rumors claiming that Google had sent an email to Samsung asking the phone manufacturer to change its designs of the Galaxy phone series. The email from Google actually referred to the design issues relating to the original Galaxy Tab, which apparently never made it to the consumer market.

The Outcome

In the end, Judge Lucy Koh handed Applean injunction against Samsung selling their Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the US, agreeing that the device infringes on several of Apple’s iPad patents.

Since you won’t be able to buy a new one anytime soon, if you already own the Galaxy Tab and need repairs, contact iFixYouri for experienced technicians.

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An Overview of OS X Mountain Lion

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mountain-lion-osx-ifixyouriApple has kept true to its word and delivered a new OS X known as Mountain Lion. If the previous version of Lion did not meet your expectations, the new OS X is a different breed. To start with, the new OS X borrows a lot from Lion. This means that the new version feels quite familiar in terms of performance and features.

To ensure a smooth transition from Lion to Mountain Lion, the new OS X makes compatibility a breeze. By now, most developers have had time to fine tune and smooth out any app compatibility hitches.

Features

Notifications

One of the newest features in the new OS X is notifications. They make handling alerts from the apps running on your machine easy. Instead of a segmented, jumbled mess, it is all now a pretty streamlined operation. Built-in apps now include Twitter and Facebook as well. In addition, the notification center works well with Chrome and Safari. If you have a Gmail message, an alert will show up on your notification center.

To install unsigned apps, you will have to circumvent the new Gatekeeper feature. However, you can easily tweak the default setting that blocks unsigned apps. For developers, certification will set you back $99 a year for a developer account.

Cloud integration

Another new feature that you will notice quickly is the Documents in the Cloud feature. With this feature, everything from Preview to TextEdit gets OS integration. This means that your files reside within the app environment and in the cloud.

Apps

Some of the apps that have made a transition from Lion to this new version include Messages, Notes, and Reminders. Messages now replaces the iChat app that seemed to have stability issues — and it’s about time, even my old iPhone has these apps.

Airplay is a new feature that you cannot miss. You can now route live web events to your TV via Apple TV. There is no doubt that the new Mountain Lion is a big forward leap.

New Macs are shipped with Mountain Lion installed, or you can upgrade to the new OSX version.  The cheaper route would be to simply upgrade instead of buying a new system, but if your current desktop or laptop needs repairs, iFixYouri can help and save you money.

News

Apple Buys Rights to Use Fingerprint Scanner Technology

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iphone-fingerprint-ifixyouriApple has recently purchased AuthenTec, a biometrics security company, for $356 million or $7 per share. Within that purchase, Apple has received the rights to use hardware and software technology and has received the rights to the patents for its 2D fingerprint scanner, according to the SEC filing.

How Apple Plans to Use the Technology

There is plenty of speculation as to what Apple will do with the technology it garners by its purchase of AuthenTec. Perhaps the fingerprint technology will make it onto the next versions of the iPhone or iPad.

In addition to the fingerprint scanner technology, AuthenTec is well-known for its NFC (Near Field Communications) smart sensor. One rumor that had been circulating since the early part of 2011 was that Apple would add these capabilities to the iPhone 5, but it didn’t materialize.  Perhaps it will become available to the iPhone or iPad in the future.

In the meantime, if you’re holding out for a future generation that will include the new technology, and want to keep your current device, remember you can simply get your iPhone or iPad fixed if it fails in the interim.

When the Deal Began and Why

Before Apple decided to buy the company, AuthenTec had been trying to sell licenses for its, as yet unspecified, technology. It had approached several consumer electronics companies, but was unsuccessful in selling the licenses.

Many companies seem to have been unreceptive due to the pricing on the technology. Apple had expressed interest in buying the licenses, but negotiations fell through sometime in early 2012.

At that point, Apple considered another option, purchasing the company and everything that went with that purchase. Apple’s argument for the pricing was that it had a unique set-up to offer. Unlike other companies, which have several different platforms, Apple has a one-platform company set-up. This means there are less challenges in applying the technology AuthenTec has created.

Though it is unclear which technology Apple wanted most from this purchase, the fingerprint scanner or the NFC scanner, Apple insisted on a quick purchase. Is your next iPhone going to a) unlock via fingerprinting? or b) automatically communicate with nearby phones? Or is it something else entirely — what do you think?