miércoles, 29 de agosto de 2012

iPad By Davis: “Apple improves UK online shopping experience with live chat and guided tours” plus 19 more

iPad By Davis: “Apple improves UK online shopping experience with live chat and guided tours” plus 19 more


Apple improves UK online shopping experience with live chat and guided tours

Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:28 AM PDT

Apple improves UK online shopping experience with live chat and guided toursApple has upgraded its online Apple Store shopping experience in the UK with the introduction of live online chat, guided tours and product training. The new service has been rolled out for potential iPhone and iPad buyers in the UK to help them make the correct buying decisions.

Now there's a whole new way to get help from the Apple Online Store. When shopping for a new iPad or iPhone, you can get answers to all your questions through a personalised, online guided tour. We can even help set up your new product after you get it.

Visit the iPad or iPhone pages on the Apple Online Store, then click the Ask Now button to see your options for contacting a trained Apple Specialist. You can start your session with a phone call or online chat, then switch to a guided tour. Or click "Have us show you" to go straight to the tour.

The new online service even extends beyond the initial purchase. Once you have bought your iPhone or iPad, you can schedule a free online training session. The training will run through how to setup your device and is done at a pace which allows you to follow along when you have your own device in your hand. The session will cover setting up your email, how to download apps and some handy tips and tricks too.

The new service provided by Apple is another thing that differentiates it from the competition. For those that are concerned that it may just be about upselling, Apple confirms that staff do not work on commission and the only thing Apple cares about is making sure you're completely satisfied with your purchase.

The service does not appear to have gone live in the United States yet but is live in the UK now. If you see it in your country, let know.

Source: Apple Store UK




Facebook Camera for iPhone adds notifications and other improvements

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:56 PM PDT

Following the Facebook app's recent update to 5.0 with major speed improvements, the Facebook Camera for iPhone app has also received a significant amount of features to it's recent update. These features include notifications, better photo management, likes, and comments, and other UI improvements.

The types of notifications supported by Facebook Camera or those for tags, likes, and comments on photos. To view the notifications, simply tap on the News tab to see a list.

In addition to notifications, Facebook Camera now lets you create new albums or add photos to any pre-existing album. You can also add likes and comments on posts that feature more than one photo and "like" individual comments. If a photo features a long caption, you can now scroll through it when viewing the photo in fullscreen. Lastly, names and profile pictures for everyone who liked a photo can be viewed.

None of these new features are groundbreaking, but they certainly address many of the complaints users had about the Facebook Camera app. It's great to see Facebook investing resources in improving the user experience of their iPhone and iPad apps.

What do you think of the update? Now that you can view notifications, add photos to specific albums, and like comments, do you think you'll use Facebook Camera more often?

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MacBreak Weekly 314: It's Made of Cookies

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:04 PM PDT

I jumped on MacBreak Weekly today, as the show was already in progress, to talk about the Apple versus Samsung verdict, iPhone 5 and iPad mini rumors galore, the latest Java security hole, and Retina Macs with hosts Leo Laporte and Andy Ihnatko, and fellow guest Rich Siegel of Bare Bones software, makers of BBEdit, which I use all day, every day, and my main Mac text editor.

Check out the video above, or for more streaming and download options, audio and video, hit the link below.

Show: MacBreak Weekly 314




Cooler Master Elegance Collection Cormo and Afrino cases for iPad review

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:51 PM PDT

To be perfectly honest, when I first saw the Cooler Master Elegance Collection cases for iPad, I wasn't sure I liked the look. They're made of 100% synthetic wool felt reminded me of the art I used to make as a child, or something like a faux-finish. However, the more I used them, the more they grew on me.

That material, the synthetic felt, is not only biodegradable, but also water repellant to keep your precious iPad safe from incidental contact with water. You can't submerge it, of course, but a little rain or a tiny splash won't bother it in the least. It also provides cushioning effect against drops and other minor forms of impact. But there's more.

With the Elegance Collection, Cooler Master has put a lot of thought into the details. The Cormo Sleeve messenger, for example, has a strong, snap closure but also a wonderfully old-world cord wrap as well. It's carefully constructed so as not to block or dampen the speakers, so if you're listening to music, a podcast, or an audiobook, you can still keep your iPad safe and secure in the Cormo Sleeve case. And it's even got a pocket for your iPhone, or for some papers, pens, sunglasses, or other small items.

The Afrino Folio offers a convenient carry handle and offers full headphone jack access. Once you've secured your iPad inside the rigid plastic frame, you can even roll up the soft, felt cover and use it to like a stand to prop up your iPhone. It only works in landscape mode, unfortunately, and not in portrait, but it does make the Afrino Folio more of a multitasker. There's even a place to store your pen or stylus, though it doesn't feel especially secure to me...

The good

  • Water repellent material
  • Easy access to ports
  • Excellent attention to details

The bad

  • Felt look can take some getting used to
  • Bulky by nature of materials and style

The bottom line

The Cooler Master Elegance Collection cases for iPad, namely the Cormo Sleeve and the Afrino Folio absolutely aren't for everyone. While water and impact resistant, the synthetic wool felt finish alone will probably make many think long and hard before bringing either one of them home. If you do like the folio or messenger look, and enjoy the hipster vibe, the Cooler Master Elegance Collection for iPad is definitely something to consider.

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How to disable Notification Center banners, popups, badges, and sounds on your iPhone and iPad

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 07:06 PM PDT

How to customize Notification Center alerts on your iPhone and iPad

Notification Center alerts you to everything that's happening on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad using a combination of banners, popups, badges, and sounds/vibrations. That's great if it's something really important like an alarm, appointment, or message. But when every app and game on your iPhone starts blinking, beeping, and buzzing at you, and lighting up your Lock screen, notification quickly turns into interruption. When everything is urgent, nothing is. Luckily, Notification Center also lets you turn off those banners, popups, badges, and sounds on an app-by-app basis, so you get to decide what's important enough to get your attention. That's right, serenity -- and sanity! -- can be yours again in just a few simple steps.

Note: iOS 6, coming this September, will feature a new Do Not Disturb mode, allowing you to turn off all notifications for specified periods, like overnight. Until then, however, it's an all-or-nothing switch.

How to disable Lock screen alerts Notification Center

If your iPhone or iPad is sitting the table and an alert comes in, having the Lock screen light up and show it to you can be a great way to make sure you don't miss that important appointment or message. Having your Lock screen light up for every app or game you've installed, however, can be more than annoying. Even if you're not paranoid about battery life, having to look over and visually sort important alerts from unimportant one can be a constant source of interruption. Here's how to turn off the Lock screen alerts you don't need or want.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap iNotifications.
  3. iPhone settings panel
  4. Scroll down to the app you want to disable and tap on it.
  5. iPhone notification center main screen
  6. Scroll down to View in Lock Screen and switch the toggle to Off.
  7. iPhone NC turn off icon badges

That's it. Even if the app gets an alert, it will no longer light up your Lock screen to tell you. Repeat this process with any other apps you want to disable Lock screen alerts for.

How to disable banners and pop-up alerts in Notification Center

Banners roll down from the top of your Home screen to alert you to an incoming notification, and then roll back up again. They're mostly non-interuptive (and would be totally non-interuptive if Apple would stop them covering buttons at the top of the screen!), and fairly unobtrusive. They're great for email, social network messages, game challenges, etc. because if you choose to, you can ignore them and keep on doing what you're doing. Popups are in your face. They're great for alarms and appointments, when you want something to burst onto the screen and stop you from doing anything else until you choose to either act on them, or dismiss them. But what about when you don't want to be bothered by notifications of either type, at all?

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap on Notifications.
  3. iPhone settings panel
  4. Scroll down and tap on the app you want to change or disable.
  5. iPhone notification center main screen
  6. Scroll down to Alert Style and tap on None.
  7. iPhone NC turn off banners and alerts

That's it. You'll no longer see banners or class pop-up alerts for that app. Repeat this process with any other apps you want to disable banners or popups for.

How to disable app icon badges in Notification Center

App icon badges are the little red circles that show up next to any app icon that has notifications waiting for you to view. They're handy for message apps so you can keep track of how many emails, tweets, IMs, etc. you have waiting for you, or todo apps so you can see how many tasks you have left to accomplish. But for apps you don't check regularly, they can add up, and then just sit there, staring at you. And since you can't "mark all as read", if you're the least bit obsessive about keeping your Home screen clean, they can be maddening. In those cases, it's best to just turn badges off completely.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap iNotifications.
  3. iPhone settings panel
  4. Scroll down to the app you want to disable and tap on it.
  5. iPhone notification center main screen
  6. Scroll down to Badge App Icon and switch the toggle to Off.
  7. iPhone NC turn off icon badges

How to disable sounds and vibrations in Notification Center

Nothing is more embarrassing than trying to have a conversation while your iPhone or iPad is beeping, buzzing, or otherwise attracting all the wrong kinds of attention. (Looking at you, Game Center!) Likewise, trying to sleep while your device constantly going off within each shot is not conducive to a good night's rest. For most of us, noise is an incredibly good way to get our attention, but that means we want to be really selective about which apps are allowed to make that noise and get our attention. Regardless the reason, or the app, you do have the option to disable them completely.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap iNotifications.
  3. iPhone settings panel
  4. Scroll down to the app you want to disable and tap on it.
  5. iPhone notification center main screen
  6. Scroll down to Sounds and switch the toggle to Off.
  7. iPhone NC turn off sounds

That specific app will no longer play notification sounds but you'll still receive any alerts or banners as well as badge app icons as long as you have those options enabled.

Note: Some built-in apps like Mail and Messages, and built-in services like Twitter won't have a disable sounds option in Notification Center, but rather put them under Sounds. (It would be nice if Apple put them all in one place, or even duplicated them in Notification Center for consistency.)




Remains of the Day: No money down

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:30 PM PDT

Remains of the Day: No money down The issues with the Apple Store may go all the way to the top, the next iPhone probably won't drop cash for you, and you've never seen anything like Samsung's latest innovation.


AirPlay direct rumored to be coming to iOS 6, iPhone 5

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:02 PM PDT

AirPlay direct rumored to be coming to iOS 6, iPhone 5

AirPlay currently requires an existing Wi-Fi network in order to stream media or mirror content from an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac to an Apple TV or speaker system. This makes it more cumbersome for non-technical users, and less convenient for temporary situations like guests or traveling. Something like Wi-Fi direct, which would allow device-to-device connections would be a simpler solution. According to Matt Warman of The Telegraph, exactly that kind of "Airplay Direct" feature is in the works for iOS 6 and the iPhone 5:

Sources familiar with the iPhone-maker's plans said that Apple wants to improve the AirPlay wireless music streaming technology, which currently requires Airplay speakers and a WiFi network. The new version will require just speakers or a hifi and an iDevice; the iPhone, iPod or iPad would form its own network to allow a direct connection and music playback.

If Apple does indeed go ahead with an "AirPlay Direct" feature, it seems likely it could use Wi-Fi Direct as its foundation. A Wi-Fi Direct enabled Apple product line raises a lot of interesting prospects beyond AirPlay. AirDrop, or wireless file transfer, will not doubt leap to mind. But direct Wi-Fi sync and many other types of point-to-point data transfers could be possible.

NFC may be off the table for the next iPhone, but with Bluetooth 4.0 already on board, and the possibility of Wi-Fi Direct, both of which might well be more secure than NFC anyway, Apple might not be missing out on much, feature-wise.

The Telegraph




iPad management, security crucial in hospital tablet roll out

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 12:45 PM PDT

iPad management, security crucial in hospital tablet roll out Tablets, especially iPads, have become a way of life at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, which now issues the tablets to incoming medical students.


Leaked training manual shows the do's and don'ts of being an Apple Genius

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Leaked Apple training manual shows the do's and don'ts of a Genius

If you've ever been curious about what it takes to be an Apple Store Genius, a leaked internal training manual may provide some answers for you. Gizmodo got ahold of one of Apple's more recent training manuals, and it explains what Geniuses are taught during their training. It includes everything from how to be empathetic to words you should never say to customers.

Did your computer crash? No, it "stops responding." Never say crash.

What if some Apple software has a bug? Wrong: there's an "issue," "condition," or simply "situation."

You don't "eliminate" a problem—you "reduce" it.

No Apple products are hot—at most they're "warm."

If you've ever worked in retail, none of it will be a big surprise to you. Dealing with customers is dealing with customers, whether they're upset about their Mac, the pants they just bought, or the auto part they want to return. This manual just puts it all in an Apple Genius context. Some of it is no doubt useful in calming panicked customers, considering it's not very often that you see someone freaking out and sobbing hysterically in front of the Genius Bar. Then again, Apple prides themselves on providing over-the-top customer service and perhaps using toned down and understandable terminology creates a better experience.

Hit the link below to check out even more pages and context on what it takes to be an Apple Genius.

Source: Gizmodo




Kindle-exclusive ebooks get lots of business

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:45 AM PDT

Kindle-exclusive ebooks get lots of business Kindle-exclusive books have been purchased, downloaded or borrowed more than 100 million times, Amazon announced Tuesday.


Flipboard Is 2 Years Old: 20 Million Users & Other Crazy Numbers

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:30 AM PDT

Flipboard

Flipboard, the superb iPad news magazine, turned two this summer. The app's publishers have announced this birthday and shared some of the major accomplishments they've worked on over the last year:

This summer, we celebrated our second birthday. Just the last year alone makes our bones hurt: we launched iPhone and smartphone editions; debuted features like Cover Stories, audio and shopping; added seven new social networks; forged partnerships with publishers like The New York Times, and localized into eight languages.

They also shared some crazy numbers for Flipboard at 2 years old. As you can see in the infographic above, these impressive numbers include:

  • 20 million Fliboard users
  • 3 billion flips (roughly equivalent to a page view) per month
  • 1 new user 'born' every second
  • 1.5 million daily users

Flipboard has been a fixture on my iPad home screen ever since I first tried it, and was one of our picks for Best iPad Apps of 2011. I'm very proud that iPad Insight is featured in their Science & Tech section. Here's hoping for many happy returns for the app


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Mac classics: Twenty one years later, still using Photoshop

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT

Mac classics: Twenty one years later, still using Photoshop Glenn Fleishman reflects on his long history with the Mac's most famous image editor and why he still uses it today.


FreshBooks launches iPhone app

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:55 AM PDT

FreshBooks launches iPhone app Cloud-based accounting service FreshBooks today launches an iPhone app that recreates the invoicing and expense tracking features available on desktop browsers.


TechHive: What comes next in Apple-Samsung

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:30 AM PDT

TechHive: What comes next in Apple-Samsung The battle is far from over: Samsung is appealing, Apple wants to ban sales of specific Samsung devices in the U.S., and a much bigger battle could be brewing between Apple and Google. Here's what to look for in the coming days.


Lexmark exiting inkjet printer business, to lay off 1700

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:20 AM PDT

Lexmark exiting inkjet printer business, to lay off 1700 Lexmark International has exited the inkjet printer business and is laying off 1700 people as part of a restructuring plan to improve profitability.


Yahoo hires former Amazon executive Kathy Savitt as new CMO

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:45 AM PDT

Yahoo hires former Amazon executive Kathy Savitt as new CMO Yahoo said Tuesday that Kathy Savitt, former founder and CEO of social commerce company Lockerz, is joining the ailing Internet company as chief marketing officer.


Trillian instant messenger app gets updated to version 2.0, now includes iPad support

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:50 AM PDT

Trillian gets updated to version 2.0, now includes native iPad support

Cerulean Studios has just released version 2.0 of their popular instant messaging app Trillian. The biggest addition is native iPad support. Trillian has been re-written to take advantage of the iPad's screen real estate by not only making things bigger but by making the app more functional and tailored for use on an iPad.

Even though iMessage has gained some traction and become a fast replacement for some people in regards to instant messaging, IM still has its place due to cross-platform collaboration. Trillian has long been a large contender considering it combines all your instant messaging networks into one easy to use streamline client.

Cerulean Studios could have easily added iPad support by scaling everything up but they chose not to in favor of creating a better experience for iPad users:

Trillian 2.0 features a beautiful new interface designed exclusively for your iPad. Because Trillian's primary element is a collection of small chat bubbles, simply "making things bigger" felt awkward to us; worse, large windows with small text snippets sometimes required a slight turn of the head while reading. Our solution keeps chat windows sanely sized and uses the rest of the screen for tabs, swiping, and in-app notifications!

The overall user interface has also been updated as well as other security enhancements. You can head on over to the App Store now to check it out.

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How to replace the battery in an iPhone 4S

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:54 AM PDT

How to replace the battery in an iPhone 4S

If the battery life in your iPhone 4S is getting worse and worse, or it just won't hold a charge, you can easily perform a DIY replacement. This can help you get lots more life out of your device and prevent having to buy a new iPhone before you absolutely have to. If you're soon to be out of warranty or otherwise not covered for exchange or replacement, or if you're just a DIY type who wants to learn more about the inner workings of your iPhone, we've got you covered.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, neither iMore nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It's also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don't feel comfortable opening your device, don't. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What you'll need to DIY replace an iPhone 4S battery

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs. You will find links to the specific parts you'll need for this repair in the list below.

Power off your iPhone 4S

iPhone 4S slide to power off

Before performing any repair you should always power off your device before opening it up.

Remove the back plate

  1. Using your security screwdriver, remove the 2 screws on either side of the dock connector port.
  2. iPhone 4S dock connector screws
  3. Set them aside. They are both the exact same size and length so it does not matter if you mix them up. They are interchangeable.
  4. Gently slide up the back plate by applying a bit of pressure along the bottom with your thumbs and sliding upwards.
  5. iPhone 4S remove back plate
  6. Now lift off the back plate and set it aside.
  7. iPhone 4S back removal

Remove the battery and grounding clip

  1. Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the two screws holding the battery in place.
  2. iPhone 4S top battery screwiPhone 4S bottom battery screw
  3. These screws are different lengths so make sure you remember which one goes where. The one that is slightly larger is the bottom screw.
  4. There is a tiny grounding clip underneath the battery clip where the first screw is located. Use your spudger tool or finger to remove it before prying the clip up. Many times it can go flying if you don't remove it first and then you'll have difficulty locating it so it's best to remove it first.
  5. iPhone 4S grounding clip removaliPhone 4S grounding clip
  6. Now use your spudger tool and at the bottom of the battery clip, gently pry upwards so the clip pops up.
  7. iPhone 4S battery clip
  8. Move to the edge of the iPhone where the volume buttons are located and use your spudger tool to carefully pry up the battery. It is stuck down with a good amount of adhesive so be careful when prying upwards that you don't bend the battery. This is why I do not use the plastic tab that is provided. It typically rips or bends the battery. If one part is resistant move your pry tool a little further down and gently start prying it up in different places taking care not to come too close to the volume button cables towards the top.
  9. iPhone 4S battery removal
  10. Once you've gotten the battery pulled out of the iPhone 4S we can move on to inserting the replacement battery.

Replace the battery and grounding clip

  1. Pay attention to how the cable is bent on your old battery and if the new one is not crimped in the same fashion put the folds in it before inserting it into the iPhone 4S.
  2. iPhone 4S battery cable
  3. Line up the grounding clip you removed previously over the screw hole before snapping down the battery.
  4. iPhone 4S grounding clip position
  5. Snap down the battery in place to the logic board and then position the battery and press down firmly to make sure the adhesive sticks.
  6. Replace the two screws you removed in a prior step starting with the top one using your #00 Phillips screwdriver. Make sure the grounding clip stays positioned. Use your other hand to hold it straight while you replace the top screw if you need to.
  7. iPhone 4S top battery screw
  8. Now replace the bottom screw.
  9. iPhone 4S bottom battery screw

Replace the back plate

  1. To replace the back plate line up the hinges around the edges. It should fall right into place. There will be a gap at the bottom.
  2. iPhone 4S remove back plate
  3. Using slight pressure slide the cover down into place with your thumbs. If there is resistance make sure the hinges are lined up correctly and don't force it down and you can easily snap the hinge if it's caught up on something.
  4. Once the back cover is securely in place and flush with the antenna band, replace the two screws on either side of the dock connector using your security screwdriver.iPhone 4S dock connector screws

And ...done!

iPhone 4S power up

Now that your iPhone 4S is completely put back together you can turn it back on. If the phone doesn't come on, try plugging it into a wall charger and see if the charging icon comes up. It's quite possible the battery may be dead and needs to be charged before use.

It's a good idea to run the battery completely down before plugging it into a charger if it wasn't run down already. After it dies, charge it completely before pulling it off the charger again. You can do this a few times to condition the battery. While many say this may not be needed with batteries anymore, I have found it to make the battery meter read more accurately over time. You can actually do this at any time if you feel your battery is not displaying a charge accurately.

Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally@imore.com.

For questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, you can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly!

Additional resources:




Deputy Editor Dawg Update – Conehead

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:26 AM PDT

Conehead

Apologies for another off topic post, but after all the kind words I received yesterday about my big pal the Deputy Editor Dawg I thought I'd offer a short update on his status.

His surgery went very well and the vet says he's strong as an ox. They removed a good-sized chunk of a ball from his intestine successfully. Running after a ball is his big obsession in life (outside of his editing duties of course) but he has never been one for chewing them up at all – so I'm convinced this was an accident when he was just savoring a ball he'd chased down.

He was pretty beat up when he came home after surgery yesterday evening – groggy and with eyes full of pain, which is always so tough to see. He was creaky and strained and not enjoying movement at all, especially with the horrible cone on to prevent him licking his patched up areas. The vet said he would be much, much better today – and sure enough this morning he woke up with a far more lively attitude and a wonderful shine back in his eyes.

He's got a few days of very light food intake and two weeks of bed rest ahead of him and then, barring any complications, he should be back to his big,strong self.

Thanks so much to all of you who had kind words about him yesterday!


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Samsung to fight Apple's effort to ban sales of its smartphones

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:15 AM PDT

Samsung to fight Apple's effort to ban sales of its smartphones Samsung said Tuesday it will "take all necessary measures" to keep its products on sale in the U.S.


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