Apple

How To Recalibrate iPhone Home Button To Make It More Responsive

December 24, 2012 by Avinash Leave a Comment

The iPhone is a great device. It is a always a winner due to its build quality and reliability. But sometimes, the Home button on the iPhone can just behave a little funky, a little laggy, a bit unresponsive. I have experienced this issue on my iPhone 4S couple of times and I am sure it is an issue in other models as well.

Most of the times, these issues are caused by software, unless you’ve dropped your iPhone in water! And a simple Internet research confirmed that a re-calibration is usually all that’s needed to fix most issues with the iPhone’s Home button. Follow these simple steps below which will hopefully leave you with a more responsive, happy home button.

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Steps:

Open a stock app (like Weather, Stocks or any app that came part of your iPhone)
While the app is opened, press and hold your power button (located at the top of the device) until “slide to power off” appears and release
Press and hold your Home button until the “slide to power off” goes away, and the app force quits back to home screen.

Your iPhone’s Home button should now be more responsive, as it has been recalibrated. I realize this is a known trick that’s been floating around for some time, but I just used it myself personally for the first time and I got good results. What about you?

You Don’t Need a Case For iPhone 5 Or You May [Videos]

September 23, 2012 by Avinash Leave a Comment

I am using a crystal case for my iPhone 4S. But, do you actually require a case for your amazing small device? Well, there is a small excuse for this fragile black glass on the back of iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S devices. But, there is no excuse anymore for buying a case for iPhone 5 because it is made by aluminium. She can’t break herself. There is no point of screen scratches for this amazingly beautiful device.

I know you won’t believe me! But following videos from YouTube reveal some interesting surprising results.

And finally, folks at iFixit have done a good job with their unique test in the following video. This one has somewhat different results compared to above videos.

Before running these tests on your device (I know you won’t!), I would advice you to not treat this gorgeous device like a piece of trash and if you do, obviously it’ll get scratched, dented or something other. Decide yourself! Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

iPhone 5 Unboxing And Comparison [Pictures]

September 23, 2012 by Avinash Leave a Comment

With the Apple iPhone 5 unleashed on Friday, I got a chance to get a closer look of this amazingly beautiful device. The first noticeable change to the iPhone 5 when compared to iPhone 4S is its light weight. It’s not the same phone in slightly different packaging. And, most importantly, it’s still very recognizably the most popular smartphone in the world. More technical specifications at the official website over here.

Here are some of the unboxing and comparison pictures of iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S at the end with iPhone 5 on the left.

Yahoo Employees Getting Free Smartphones Including iPhone 5

September 16, 2012 by Avinash Leave a Comment

The former Google executive, Yahoo’s new CEO Marissa Mayer just sent out a memo to all its full-time and part-time employees in the US of getting free smartphones including iPhone 5. This is part of the new program at Yahoo calling “Yahoo! Smart Phones, Smart Fun!”. The company is also going to pay the employees data and phone bills.

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According to Business Insider, Yahoo employees have the option of choosing the phones from Apple, Samsung, Nokia and HTC. The list of smartphones include iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, HTC One X, HTC EVO 4G LTE, or Nokia Lumia 920. These are the top phones on the market today and they will be replacing the BlackBerries that Yahoo employees were given up until this point.

Recently, according to GeekWire, Microsoft employees are also getting free Surface tablets and Windows Phone 8 devices. These kind of benefits will certainly boost morale among employees with motivated workforce.

Below is the memo. Marissa was famous for her use of Apple’s iPhone, even within the walls of Google. Clearly, Yahoo will be buying lot of iPhone 5 devices via this fantastic program.

We have a very exciting update to share with you today – we are announcing Yahoo! Smart Phones, Smart Fun! As of today, Yahoo is moving off of blackberries as our corporate phones and on to smartphones in 22 countries. A few weeks ago, we said that we would look into smartphone penetration rates globally and take those rates into account when deciding on corporate phones. Ideally, we’d like our employees to have devices similar to our users, so we can think and work as the majority of our users do.

Moving forward, we’ll offer you a choice of devices as well as provide monthly plans for the data and phone.

The smartphone choices that we are including in the program are:

* Apple iPhone 5
* Android:
– Samsung Galaxy S3
– HTC One X
– HTC EVO 4G LTE
* Windows Phone 8:
– Nokia Lumia 920

We’re getting started right away and taking orders starting now

Steve Jobs Restore To Life To Take Over iPhone 5 Keynote [Video]

September 15, 2012 by Avinash Leave a Comment

Sometimes I wonder how much time people got for this so called creativity (or sh*t)? Check out this hilarious animated video in which Steve Jobs restore to life to take over iPhone 5 keynote.

This song which was written by Andy Ochiltree and directed by Aaron Simpson is going viral on YouTube. The best part is when Steve shouts “Whatcha gonna do – buy the Galaxy? (broken sound)” at 2:44 segment.

Enjoy the video after glancing at the lyrics!

COOK: Before I introduce the iFhone 5, I’d just like to say . . .
COOK: Steve Jobs built this company.
COOK: He’s the reason we’re here today
COOK: and we see the effects of his legacy in everything we do.
COOK: But not anymore! (laughs) Now begins the era of COOK.
COOK: Apple’s mine, you hear me? ALL MINE!
COOK: Huh?! Steve?! How the hell…
JOBS: WHAT? You thought if Tupac could come back from the dead STEVE JOBS couldn’t figure it out?! PLEASE.

I’m back, bitches!
The man with the plan!
Mac Daddy, even as a hologram {He’s back}
It’s been awhile, but it’s worth the wait
Cause I got the OS that makes ya salivate

Y’all been waitin’, debatin’ and speculatin’ no patience
You peepin’ mock-ups and chock-ups and mentally masterbatin’
I been in heaven, (angelic choir sound “Ahhhh”)
Workin’ on the specs
Choosin’ the hotness I’m gonna drop on ya next

My designs so tasty they edible
Even Jesus Christ like
JESUS: Jesus! You’re incredible!

COOK: But Steve, you don’t handle design.

COOK: That’s Jonathan Ive. It’s a bald-faced lie!

No one likes you – so shut up, Cook!
Or I’ll beat yo skinny ass with my new MacBook
I’m sick of your whinin’ and stichin’ always complainin’ and bitchin’
Someone get this hack Cook out of my kitchen!

Now get ready for some monumental cash flows
Cause Cinco gonna blow your mind, fo sho!

CHORUS (x2):
iFhone 5!
I’m Mac Daddy – dead or alive!
So just buy, and don’t ask why
You know you’re gonna get an –
iFhone 5!

3Gizzle! That sh*t was a huge success
Then I sold a butt-load of the 3GizzleS
Number four, ‘nother score, jaws hittin’ the floor,
Y’all acted like you never seen a phone before

I was rich bitch, didn’t give a f*ck
Swan divin’ into gold like Scrooge Mcduck
San Francisco ridin’ all up on my jock
Got more California Love than my boy Tupac {Changes}
But then the word hit the street –
My hardware was obsolete

CHORUS:
iFhone 5!
I’m Mac Daddy – dead or alive!
So just buy, and don’t ask why
You know you’re gonna get an –
iFhone 5!

And now, the real star of the show
The future of talk — iFhone cincooooo!

FANBOY: “Bullsh**! It’s the same phone as before!
JOBS: Not true! It’s got a new power cord.

We switched the dock up arbitrarily,
So I hope you like buyin’ new accessories.
See the new design- yeah it’s out-of-control
We went nuts and switched it up from black to charcoal {Say what?}

Plus the screen’s two millimeters taller
That’s gotta be worth at least four hundred dollars

FANBOY: “You did all the cool stuff with iFhone 4!”

But ya still gonna buy it for the app store
Whatcha gonna do – buy the Galaxy?
You’ll still line up for iFhone eighty-three!

Cause Apple got the sh*t y’all crave. {Y’all crave}
I teabag Bill Gates from beyond the grave!

COOK: Hallelujah Steve! You’ve shown me the light!
COOK: It’s your Apple, and I’m just taking a bite

It’s cool, Cook — I got a turtleneck for you
Now let’s tell these people what they need to do

CHORUS (x2):
iFhone 5!
I’m Mac Daddy – dead or alive!
So just buy, and don’t ask why
You know you’re gonna get an –
iFhone 5!
—–

Apple Wants To Kill These Samsung Products In Patent Case

August 27, 2012 by Avinash 1 Comment

That was fast! With the jury just completed last Friday with a decisive victory in a lawsuit against Samsung, Apple wasted no time in filing a case identifying which Samsung products to have banned in the U.S. Most of these devices that Apple wants to kill in patent case are no longer available in the US.

The eight Samsung devices that Apple wants to ban are:

1. Galaxy S 4G
2. Galaxy S2 AT&T
3. Galaxy S2 Skyrocket
4. Galaxy S2 T-Mobile
5. Galaxy S2 Epic 4G
6. Galaxy S Showcase
7. Droid Charge
8. Galaxy Prevail

Separately, Bloomberg reports that Apple is seeking a ban on the cellular version of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. Notably, this is the tablet that the U.S.-based jury believed did not infringe Apple’s patents.

Finally, this is the basic story of the Apple vs Samsung patent case with image credit to AllThingsD:

Why You Won’t Pay $0.99 For Apps, But Will Spend $7.15 For Coffee

August 21, 2012 by Avinash Leave a Comment

We say this again and again – I am sure many of you who download apps from Apple App Store or Google Play or any other platform must have thought about it. Why should I pay 99 cents for this app? Is it really worth? But at the same time, when you visit your favorite coffee shop (Starbucks?) for a $7.15 coffee, you won’t think much about it. Why?

Designer and software developer, Josh Lehman did a fantastic analysis on why people won’t pay $0.99 for apps, but will spend $7.15 for coffee.

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The post author asks everyone to stop using the analysis that many of us (and developers) continue to worry about their apps being not sold out even for small price tags. The main argument in this post titled – “Stop Using The Cup of Coffee vs. $0.99 App Analogy”, Josh presents is that Starbucks is a known thing with a trustworthy experience to its customers.

I know I’ll like my cup of coffee. It will fully meet my expectations…It’s an experience I can fully trust will be pretty much the same each time. There’s no gamble here…I know what I’m getting for $4 and I’m getting that same experience every time I hit the drive thru.

Now in contrast with an app, your$0.99 app purchase will be completely different, each and every time you purchase it. The $0.99 you spend in no way guarantees you the app or the experience you crave.

I already have 30 games on my phone, some of them very good. Do I need another one? I don’t play the 30 I have. The experience I’m going to get from adding one more game is not trustable. I’m assured of nothing. Last week I bought a game for 99 cents and it was terrible. I played it once, for 15 seconds. I could be shoving $1 straight down the toilet again for all I know.

Later in the post, he mentions that there is no free cup of coffee at Starbucks. People would most likely stop paying for that coffee fairly quickly and pick up the free coffee habit. So, instead of complaining about apps being not sold or about cheapness of average human, developers need to concentrate on the reality. Make great apps with unique experience which are useful to daily life.

Just do what Starbucks does:
Build an app experience that’s unique and doesn’t feel “easily replicated”
Provide something the user sees as valuable to their daily life
Package it such that it shows off its craftsmanship
Find creative ways to profit off of a “free” version (Starbucks doesn’t do this…. yet)
Quit complaining about money wasted on cups of coffee

Surely this will be a win-win situation for developers who are making valuable apps. What are you thoughts on this app analogy?

Bonus: Here is a comic on how a common person feel about buying apps –

[Comic Credit]

Where to Sell Your iPhone 4S for Good Deal

August 17, 2012 by Avinash 1 Comment

The next generation iPhone (to be called as ‘New iPhone’ or ‘iPhone 5’ ?) which is going to arrive next month somewhere around September 12 is a real game changer for Apple. If you are one of those Apple fan boys who eagerly wait and purchase new devices by standing in those long lines or even if you are not an Apple fan but waiting to purchase a killer smartphone, you should really wait for this biggie! And if you already own iPhone 4S which is almost one year old device, now is the time to sell it. The question everyone asks, where to sell your iPhone 4S for good deal?

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Folks at Gizmodo have compiled a good list where you can sell your iPhone 4S for best deal. Follow the link for detailed explanation.

eBay for $350 to $400

Amazon for $120 to $415

RadioShack for $73 to $250

Craigslist for $200 or more

Gazelle, InstantSale, Buy My Tronics, Next Worth – all these for around $90 to $365

Would you consider upgrading your device for the next upcoming iPhone? If you plan to sell, where and how would you do? Let us know in the comments section below.

Shame on Siri – Google Brings Enhanced Voice Search To iPhones And iPads

August 8, 2012 by Avinash Leave a Comment

In an official blog post, Google announced today that it’s adding its enhanced voice powered search to its ‘Search App’ for the iPhone and iPad. This update will include enhanced voice functionality which is similar to Google Now feature that’s already available for Jelly Bean users. This feature proved to give some prominent results in Android devices and now Google is bringing this feature to iPhones and iPads to kill Siri.

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Google Now is more similar to Siri but with more enhanced features and much better. The results are found to be more accurate and better in Google Now compared to Siri as it uses Google results when there is no information available for your search queries, unlike Siri’s dependency on Wolfram Alpha and few other third party services.

Within the next couple of days, Google will roll out an update that lets you search mapping info, songs, information about people and places, as well as perform mathematical calculations.

According to the post,

Often the most natural way to ask a question is by asking aloud. So we’ve combined our speech recognition expertise, understanding of language and the Knowledge Graph so that Voice Search can better interpret your questions and sometimes speak the answers back as full sentences. This has been available on Android for a few weeks and people love it. It’ll soon be available on your iPhone or iPad (iOS version 4.2+).

When Google announced this feature for Android in the past, tech enthusiasts already compared these two virtual assistants and found that Google has done good job with this new search. Here is a sample comparison example Techno Buffalo has done in the past –

As you can see in the video, Google’s voice assistant has done good job on Android and now we’ll have to wait and see how well it performs on iPhones and iPads. When Google brings its stellar voice search to Apple’s devices in a few days, it’s going to make Siri look like the dumpy beta product Apple claims it is. Shame on Siri?

Additionally, its already confirmed that there will be no stock YouTube and Google Maps apps from iOS 6 and this clearly shows the tech giants’ hatred. These moves Apple and Google make can be seen as direct outcomes of the bad blood Steve Jobs of when he spoke about Android. Go giants!

Take a look of the upcoming update below:

Are you excited about the possibilities this coming update will enable on your iOS devices?

Media Sources Confirm iPhone 5 Launch Event for September 12

July 30, 2012 by Avinash Leave a Comment

Majority of tech media sources confirm that Apple will hold an event on September 12 at which the company will likely unveil the new iPhone, probably called as iPhone 5.

iCosmoGeek usually don’t exaggerate on the iPhone or iPad mini release rumors or concept devices that usually happen in Apple fan boys cosmos. But, this one seems to be legitimate and we covered this news item as this happens to be Apple’s game changing device that could be a problem for Android.

Before AllThingsD media, iMore was first to report that the company has scheduled a special event for Wednesday, September 12 with the release of new iPhone to follow 9 days later on Friday, September 21. According to the report, iMore also mentioned that there will be a new iPad mini as well as iPod nano along with iPhone 5.

With these two accurate sources, adding on the event confirmation dates, The Verge also confirmed on this release. According to iMore –

As for hardware, we’re still hearing the iPad mini will be exactly like the 9.7-inch iPad, only scaled down to 7.x-inches. We originally heard Apple had a few iPhone 5 prototypes, including 3.5-inch and 4-inch versions, but recent reports and parts leaks make it look like the 4-inch, 16:9 screen version is what Apple’s going with. We’ve also consistently heard all new iOS devices will have the new, smaller Dock connector iMore learned about back in February, which along with the nano-SIM and rumored in-cell display should leave lots of room for the LTE radio we learned about earlier in the year, and the bigger battery to go along with it.