Friday, January 27, 2017

So You Dropped Your iPhone in the Toilet, Now What to Do?

iPhone
Apart from few selected phones if your latest Smartphone goes in a pool of water or drops in the toilet then it will bring a panic attack. Sony Z lineup is waterproof and so do Samsung’s elite flagship devices but not every one of those devices. Sadly Apple’s premier Smartphone of iPhone series isn’t even waterproof so problem lies at core is how you could recover the data or get your phone functional again after dropping it in the water accidently. Here are some of the smart ways which can set you in the right direction.

Steps to perform right after the incident

If you had accidently dropped your phone in water then quickly get into action in order to minimize the water damage. Turn off your device and dry it off using towel then pop out the SIM card, memory card and remove the battery. One should not put their Smartphone either in the microwave or under the hairdryer as it will end up in damaging the phone further.

If your phone appears faulty

In case your phone misbehaves or tend to work in an unusual way then you follow these steps. Silica gel is undoubtedly the best drying agent available in the market which can wonders for your Smartphone. Buy or get hold of some packets of silica gel and put it together with your Smartphone in a ziplock bag. Now forget about your device for a day or two in which time all the water in your Smartphone will be sucked up by the silica gel.

If this solution fails to work for you then opt for one of the simplest DIY cleaning or simply take it to your local repair shop to assess the amount of damage and root cause of malfunctioning.

Precautions for Future

One has to be cautious with their phone while using it near water body or resource in future. The best way to secure your device against water is to get a waterproof case which might be a costly affair but it will help you in saving hundreds of dollars in the long run. Online stores are filled a large variety and kinds of waterproof cases across the price points, models and makes to serve your need. Secondly you should develop a habit of baking up all your data regularly on your PC, laptop or Mac or even external hardisk to limit the amount of data loss from such incidents.

If you are an Apple device users then you can recover all your data from the iCloud or iTunes but you have to enable regular cloud based backing up feature to make most this feature. On Android you should start using the Dropbox or Google Photos to back up media content automatically at regular intervals. On the bright side Smartphone makers are giving a push towards waterproof devices in future which means consumers will get to choose more number of water proof devices but at an expensive price point.

Monday, January 23, 2017

Finder for AirPods Removed from App Store


Finder for AirPods
The latest model of the iPhone is causing stir in the present mobile market and rightly so, with its superior features and the brand name of Apple, it is the best phone to have. But iPhone 7 the advanced technical features of the iPhone 7 is not the main reason as to why it is catching everyone’s attention.

It is due to the unique Apples AirPods that is the world’s first small sized and wireless Bluetooth headsets for the iPhone.As much as these small devices cost, the growing concern about them is with how ease they can get lost. You thought put them down somewhere and the next moment you can’t find your 160$ Bluetooth headphone! Surely you don’t want that.

Finder’s for Airpods makes sure that you never lose them! 

Deucks Pty, a developer who has some experience in making gadget finding apps, came up with this excellent idea of creating a tracking app for the AirPods. What this app does is that it measures the Bluetooth signal from either of your lost AirPods and guides you using a “hot” and “cold” tracking system. Just launch the app if one or both of your AirPods go missing and it will get you to the spot where you misplaced your headphones.

The app helps you find your missing AirPod through graphic lines. A thin line means that you are far away from your AirPod while a thick line indicates you are getting closer to it. The app will also give you a visual clue as to how hot you are how cold depending on the signal from your AirPods wireless signature. Made from his own experience, Deucks has prepared this great app after facing the same issue of losing his AirPods the very next day he brought them.

Needless to say, we can be careless at times and loosing something as small as the Airpods is inevitable. Finder’s for airpods makes a good job at protecting your investment.

Does this app work? 

When dealing with any kind of technology there are bound to several factors that can go against it. Since the app uses Bluetooth signals, certain environment factors can cause hindrance to the apps working and slow down the process of connecting to the Bluetooth signature of your lost AirPod.

Another aspect that can act as a limitation to the working of this app is the fact that your lost AirPod needs to be charged to emit the signals. Once the battery levels are depleted, finding your headphones become extremely difficult. Since Bluetooth tracking requires the user to be in close proximity with the other device, finding your lost AirPod becomes effective.

Update on Finder’s for Airpods

As of now, Finder’s for AirPods which was up on the Apple store has been removed by Apple and was deemed inappropriate for the apple store. According to the developer people who have already bought this app can ask for refunds via their iTunes.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Apple MacBooks to Embrace New CPUs


MacBook
Apple has unveiled its new line of Macbook just a few month but they were found lacking in terms of upgrades over their predecessors. Apple is plagued with lack of innovation and motivation towards bringing cutting edge technology and enhanced experience which were highlight for its devices for quite some time.

A number of tech enthusiasts were left distraught with the launch of the Mcabook Pros which weren’t as ‘pro’ as they used to be in the past. One of the trusted the analyst from KGI Securities and Apple Nostradamus named Ming Chi Kuo has suggested last year that Apple will be bringing the touchscreen against the function for its Macbook line. Here are his predictions for this year of Apple’s Macbook lineup.

Apple to make decisive processor update in processors

Apple is set to bring Intel’s new Kaby Lake processors for its upcoming line of 13 and 15 inch MacBook Pro versions. These laptops are expected to launch in the third quarter of 2017 and before it Apple will try to ignite some frenzy among its users by enhancing the RAM power on its 12 inch Macbook range which currently possess 8 GB but it will start featuring the robust 16 GB RAM for more efficient user experience.

Apple is suffering from lack of innovation which was evident from the launch of the iPhone 7 in November. Apple did away with the 3.5 mm jack on its new iPhone in bid to make device sleeker and trendier than ever before but this move simply backfired with lower sales. Similarly the subsequent launch of the updated Macbook line in later months met with criticism both by the consumers and critics.

Apple aim towards moving to new processors and to enhance RAM on Macbook is an effort towards improving the battery life of its computing devices. Apple might even go for a 32GB RAM based Macbook as per Kuo in 2017 which will be designed to woo core art professionals who requires more processing power for photo, video and audio editing.

Kuo is reliable for Apple products predictions

Apple Macbook range is highly sought out item among the users for its incredible specification, amazing design and portability factor. It is widely popular among the creative professionals who are willing to shell out extra dollars in order to get high performing device. Macbook poor battery life was becoming a concern for heavy duty users and Apple is expected to take significant steps towards improving upon it by using new processors and enhanced RAM. It is getting stiff competition from rivals who are churning out value for money and affordable computing devices in quick succession.

Kuo is a reliable Apple products predictor and over the years he had quite a number of correct prediction regarding launches, features, specifications and much more. In 2016 he correctly predicted the redesign of the Apple Macbook Pro, the launch of Apple Watch 2 along with GPS functionality as well as the release of the smaller version of iPhone in 2016.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Apple iPhone 8 To Have All Glass Front and Back, Stainless Steel Frame?


iPhone 8
After being snubbed by the fans and critics with lackluster launch of the iPhone 7 which offered a minor upgrade over the iPhone 6s. Apple has decided to do away with ‘S’ model release this year and it is gearing up to launch iPhone 8 during the third quarter of 2017. Rumors mills are working overtime to come up with new insights into the iPhone 8 and this time it points towards a steel frame centre with all glass based rear and front for upcoming device. This means that Apple will do away with the aluminum frame which was seen on its last range of iPhones.

Going with ‘Steel’

This isn’t the first time Apple is going to use steel in the iPhone and it was last seen in the Apple iPhone 4S models. Since then Apple has opted for the aluminum finish for its iPhone range. In another rumor it was confirmed that one of the Apple’s manufacturing partner named Jabil is secretly working on the device body which will have two reinforced glass panels. The steel frame will be utilized to hold the two pieces of glass panels together.

Apple is also being criticized for not offering enough innovation on the table when compared to its rivals after the demise of Jobs. Though Apple has brought Airpods which is a wireless earphones but it doesn’t ranks high in terms of innovation. The subsequent release of the iPhone models are also not so great in terms of innovation when Sony, Samsung and some of the Chinese rivals are bring new hype worthy devices from their stable. Apple is decisively looking for ways of cutting through the competition and brings innovation back in the play by throwing everything in the development of the iPhone 8.

Next generation iPhone 8 to be bold

The new iPhone 8 is expected to sport a new bold design language along with a bezel less OLED display. Samsung will be providing the OLED display panels for this new phone which will render extremely stunning, crisp and beautiful resolution to the users. Apple generates a major portion of its revenue from the sales of iPhone devices. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S were highly successful device from Apple in recent years in terms of number of shipments. iPhone 7 failed to generate enthusiasm and with its slow sales Apple has decided to completely overhaul the design for iPhone 8.

Some of media reports suggests that Apple will be bringing a larger device this time around apart from its usual offering in 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch Plus models. Since the size will be larger so would be the price for the device. With iPhone 7 Apple ditched the 3.5 mm headphone jack and compensated it with Airpods- awireless earphone- which has to be bought separately. Secondly Apple is still fine tuning the performance of the Airpods resulting in missing the Christmas and New Year sales season. Rumors also suggests a sleeker design with invisible home button and wireless charging capability.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Apple Working with Carl Zeiss on AR Glasses to Debut in 2018

Zeiss

Apple might not be present at CES revealing its next line up of devices but a rumor has emerged from tech world which has excited a number of fans and critics. Apple is secretly working with Zeiss as per the insider news offered by an unnamed employee. Apple is developing a working pair of augmented reality or a mixed reality glass which is expected to make its debut in 2018.

This particular employee further pointed out that Zeiss has made its booth right in the middle of the AR section even though it doesn’t have AR, VR or mixed reality optics to showcase at the event. Now it is been widely speculated that Zeiss was gearing up to unveil the so called AR glasses with Apple during an event but the cat is out of the bag now.

This is not the first time Zeiss has done something for VR segment

Zeiss is already developing special optics for the VR One Plus. This special optic is designed to turn any kind of smartphone into a Virtual or augmented reality system. One Plus isn’t the only one to offer high quality VR headsets to the consumer Microsoft, Samsung, Google and a number of other companies has also emerged in this field with their own dedicated devices.

This rumor generated by the Zeiss employee however gives rise to the speculation Apple is trying to build its own dedicated hardware which will help it in reigning as a supreme leader in the VR/AR market in future. This tie in is a smart step on part of Apple to focus on core development not just VR devices but carefully integrating with it three different operating system namely iOS, Macbook OS and Apple TV OS.

Apple tryst with AR isn’t new

In November 2016, a noted analyst has made a prediction that Apple is actively working on a holistic AR solution. It was rumored that Apple is creating this as a standalone system which will take around to turn into reality in next one to two years.

Till now it isn’t clear what Apple is working in the field of AR. Augmented reality has become a craze with the successful launch of Pokemon Go game on the Android platform which showcases one of the possibility of AR. Apple move in the AR technology can be seen as a calculated way of improving and enhancing the user experience on the iOS and Apple TV OS devices.

Even Apple CEO has confirmed Apple tryst with the AR development as it is evident from the way Apple is quietly enhancing the internal AR team by making strategic hiring and essential segment purchases. Quite recently Apple has acquired ‘Faceshift’ (Motion capture specialist), ‘Perceptio’ (machine learning and computer vision startup, Flyby Media and Metaio (a German AR firm). Apple is working with these to increase the potential development of its transparent displays, AR Maps, VR headsets for iPhone and much more.