The Ups and Downs Of The Apple Watch

With the completion of Apple’s “Spring-Forward” keynote bloggers and enthusiasts alike are scrambling to get all of Apple’s announcements out in the wild. We’ve combed through many sources to bring you (in our opinion) the ups and downs of the Apple Watch.

 

Fitness

Many people buy smart watches with fitness in mind. They hope to be able to leave their phone behind because lets face it, it can be a major inconvenience to carry your phone around while your running (you even risk it falling out of your pockets and breaking). For runners they look for music, GPS, and fitness tracking for the most part. Well the Apple Watch falls short kind of short on those accounts. First off the Apple Watch doesn’t have a built in GPS, and since all it’s apps are run on the iPhone (for now) and just sent over via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, you’ll still need to carry your phone around while you work out.

That being said the Apple Watch is great at tracking your workout and reminding you to stay fit. The watch not only keeps track of how many steps you’ve taken each day or how far you ran/biked; it sets up goals for your movements and reminds you to get moving if you’ve been inactive for to long.

Whether your working out indoors or outdoors you can tell the watch what your doing, and it will track your workout with more detailed measurements depending on the activity. At the beginning of each week it will take those measurements and give you a summary of your progress, plus set new “daily move goals” to help encourage you to work out a bit harder than the previous week.

Probably though the feature that is the most significant is Apple’s new ResearchKit platform. This allows you to submit certain data from your workouts to contribute to health research like it has never been before. So even though you may have to carry your phone with you when you run, there is still a lot to love.

Summary

            Pros:

·      Weekly motivational goals

·      Intelligent stat tracking

·      Contributions to healthcare research

            Cons:

·      No GPS

·      Have to bring your phone with you while you run

Software Features

Along with all the fitness tracking and health research contributions, the Apple Watch has some other significant features. There are simple features like being able to take calls on the watch itself, which no current Android watch allows for, plus with its Digital Touch features you’ll be able to interact with friends and loved ones in unique new ways.

Since the Apple Watch doesn’t actually run apps on the watch itself (for now) its ability to stay connected to your phone through Wi-Fi even when out of range of Bluetooth is very significant. This will allow you to still get updates from your phone as well as allow you some control over your phone as well. Apple also included Apple Pay abilities to the watch so that you’ll be able to pay for your Starbucks coffee by rubbing your wrist up against their card readers.

Although these software features are well and good the bulk of its usability will come from the apps. Apple has reported that there will be 30 something apps available from launch, and these range from Instagram to Uber with many more on the way.

Summary

            Pros:

·      Take calls and pay for things

·      Stay connect to your phone through Wi-Fi

·      Decent lineup of launch apps

            Cons:

·      Apps currently not run on watch

·      It might be awkward to pay for things from your writs

Design

If there is one thing Apple is really great at it is design; whether in black, stainless steel, or 18-karat gold the Apple Watch is a real looker, and with that Retina display with sapphire screen (optional) your guaranteed to have all your fitness stats beautifully displayed to you.

The Apple Watch also supports personalization with its wide range of bands, but they will cost you anywhere from $49 USD upwards to $449 USD which is pretty steep. Besides the bands you can also customize its watch face with many pre-loaded designs and customization options, but there is no word yet users will be able to download or purchase new watch faces.

Summary

            Pros:

·      Very beautifully designed

·      Customizable

            Cons:

·      Customization can get pricey (band and watch build material)

·      No word on downloadable watch faces

Battery Life

During the key note Tim Cook promised that the Apple Watch’s battery will last all-day, which others have commented, roughly translates to up to 18 hours of use. That should be more than enough to get most everyone through their day, but they just have to remember to charge their watch along with their phone every night.

This is very similar to many Android Wear devices though. Some people are lucky enough to achieve up to two days on a single change, but that is with low usage.

Summary

            Pros:

·      Full days use

            Cons:

·      Have to change the watch every night

Price

Now to the part that most everyone is most anxious to hear, the price. If you’re wanting to purchase an Apple Watch expect to pay at minimum USD $349. This gets you an entry-level Apple Watch Sport that has a 38mm face, but if you want to bump that 38mm to a 42mm the price increases to USD $399.

Now here is where things start to increase in price. If you want to get the midrange Apple Watch that is build with stainless steel, which Apple says will be customizable with even more watches, the price jumps up to USD $549 for the 38mm model and for the 42mm expect to pay USD $599 with rubber straps. If you want to upgrade that rubber strap to a stainless steel strap you can expect to fork out another USD $499.

If the aforementioned choices don’t tickle your fancy, Apple is releasing an 18-karat gold edition that starts at a measly USD $10,000, but you’ll have to act quickly as Apple is only producing a limited number of these watches so pre-order it as soon as possible.

Galaxy S6 Removable Battery??

Samsung's new S6 is loaded with new features, but many fans have been upset by the new unibody design Samsung is adopting for the new flagship phone. The reason for this is that buyers won't be able to remove the back cover and thus the battery from the phone, or at least that is what we originally though. A user from XDA Developers has released the manual for Samsung's Galaxy S6, and within this manual are directions for removing the battery, if you are willing to take the risk (and void your warranty). In the instruction manual a disclaimer warns you that, "These instructions are only for your service provider or an authorized repair agent." Needless to say that should you attempt to remove your future S6's battery and damage it, the damages will not be covered by your warranty.

For those of us who say fie to disclaimers and warning Samsung's instructions read as follows:

(You will need a screwdriver to remove the battery)

·       Remove the SIM card tray from the device before starting battery removal

·       Remove the back cover

 

·       Loosen and remove the screws that line the perimeter of the device

 

·       Remove the circuit board

·       Disconnect the battery connector

·       Remove the battery

This isn’t the sort of “quick swap while on the go” you’d be able to perform while having dinner one night after work, but here is the whole manual if you would like to take a look at the rest of it. The manual also sheds some light on some cool features that the S6 will have, like the ability to take VR compatible photos.

iPhone 6S Rumor Roundup

Many new rumors have been popping up around Apple’s future iPhone 6s, and we’ve taken the time to round them up for you. The latest rumor reported by AppleInsider from a “person familiar with Apple’s future product plans” states that the new 6S will include 2gigs of RAM doubling the amount from the 1gig of RAM that has been the norm since the iPhone 5, which was launched back in 2012.

The additional gig of RAM will allow background tasks and tabs in Safari to be open for longer without any need of reloading or refreshing. We think this additional gig of RAM will go a long way in the new 6S because if Apple has shown us anything, it’s that they are extremely proficient at optimizing all their hardware and software. But there is a big chance we may see a boost to battery drain with the memory addition, since memory constantly consumes power. We will have to see if Apple decides to increase the battery size to combat this additional drain.

The next rumor also comes from AppleInsider’s reported Apple insider shared with them Apple’s plan to ship its next-gen handsets with Apple SIMs pre-installed. For those of you who don’t know Apple SIM which was debut on the iPad Air 2, allows users to sign up for a mobile data plan from any carrier directly from the Settings app without a long-term contract. Users are also able to switch providers at anytime, and all this comes straight out of the box. As awesome as this news may or may not be, expect it to shake up the industry a bit. Many carriers had come together to force Apple to scrap similar plans in the past, but with the huge success of Apple’s iPhone 6, carries are likely to have a lot less power in resisting this change.

Next up we will talk about the reported “Force Touch” which was also shared by AppleInsider. This feature may or may not make it into the 6S, but this feature, which is already planned for the Apple Watch, will give the iPhone 6S' digitizer the ability to distinguish between a tap and a deep press on the display through tiny electrodes. Giving the iPhone the ability to distinguish between two different types of touches will allow iOS to presumably present users with a wider array of options and controls. We will have to wait for the Apple Watch to see if the “most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch” (Apple’s statement not ours) is all that it is reported to be.

The last rumor we will mention is that apparently Apple’s next-gen iPhones will not include a dual lens camerasystem capable of taking DSLR quality images. This rumor first came about from the typically reliable John Gruber this past November.

Do you think these rumors are just realistic enough to become a reality for the 6S, and what kind of impact do you think features such as Apple SIM or Force Touch will change the mobile industry? We definitely think Apple SIM can change the way carriers do business in the mobile market, but whether or not Force Touch will be revolutionary we will have to wait for the Apple Watch to find out.

Are You Ready to Buy Apple Watch?

The first week of March will be an excited time for dedicated gadget fans. As MWC 2015 is drawing near, the purported HTC One M9 and the next Galaxy flagship Galaxy S6 claimed to be released in the big event. What’s more, Apple has sent out invitations for the March 9 event, with the tagline “Spring Forward”. They are likely to roll out the long-rumored Apple Watch. Even though we have already known a lot about it, according to Tim Cook, the timepiece will be available in April. Let us show you some features first.  

As an iPhone companion, Apple watch will be able to deliver notifications in a subtle, non-intrusive way, so that you can choose when and how to lift your arm to response. If you want to communicate with your close friends, it’s a quick way by just lifting your arm and speaking to the watch. Even special taps and drawings can be sent to show how you are feeling about them. The heart rate measurements for workout has been achieved in many wearable gadgets, but most of them are not functioned as good as what they advertised. The heart rate senor in the Apple watch comes with improved measurement. Also, the latest iOS has been optimized to compatible with Apple Watch. According to Tim Cook in a recent interview, the Apple Watch is water-resistant, so that you can take it anywhere even in the shower.

One thing for sure, the upcoming wearable gadget will surprise us, so question is that are you ready to buy theApple Watch?   

What’s The Cause of LCD Light Leakage?

Light leakage is a pretty common issue after repairing an LCD screen assembly by yourself. However, the issue can be caused by two different situations. Depending on the problem it must be handled one way or another.

The first situation is light leaking from the four corners of the LCD screen, just like in the picture shown above. This kind of issue is caused by an assembly error. The polaroid film positioned between the touch screen andLCD screen wasn't  placed correctly. However, it can't be corrected by hand. If you want to fix this issue, you'd better make a visit to your local repair shop, because special tools and skills are need in order to separate the polaroid from LCD screen. We recommend the repair community test the functionality of LCD screens before installation to avoid such issues.

 

The second situation is light leaking from the bottom of the LCD screen only. This kind of issue is caused by an assembly error as well. But the issue only happens when you are reassembling your phone. Contrary to the first situation, as the issue is caused by you and not the defective parts, you can solve it by hand. The problem is light leaking from the navigation bar, so just cover the light carefully. First, you'll need to tear down your phone again, and you can see how we tore down the HTC One. Then you will need to find the navigation light flex cable and correct the navigation lighting at the bottom of the LCD screen. What you need to do is to dip a little bit of Super X 8008 adhesive and apply it to the navigation bar, HTC One light guide and the 4 corners around the LCD. Make sure that the LCD screen press fits to avoid arising. There is one more thing you need to pay attention to. You must be careful when you are applying the adhesive for has a really strong stickiness.

HTC One M9 VS M8, Is It Upgradeable?

Finally the HTC One M9 is official released after the endless leaks over the past few weeks. What HTC One fans may ask are: 1. What features does the M9 have? 2. Is it necessary to upgrade to the M9 from M8? Well, check out the chart below before I answer these two questions for you.

	HTC One M9	HTC One M8	Same Specs
Dimension	144.6   x 69.7 x 9.6 mm (5.69   x 2.74 x 0.38 in)	146.4   x 70.6 x 9.4 mm (5.76   x 2.78 x 0.37 in)
Weight	157 g	160   g
SIM	Nano SIM	Nano   SIM	Yes
Screen Size	5.0   inches	5.0   inches	Yes
Display	Super   LCD3 capacitive touch screen	Super   LCD3 capacitive touch screen	Yes
Protection	Corning   Gorilla Glass 4	Corning   Gorilla Glass 3
Resolution	1080   x 1920 pixels	1080   x 1920 pixels	Yes
Body Material	Aluminum	Aluminum	Yes
OS	Android   OS, v5.0.x (Lollipop)	Android   OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810	Qualcomm   MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801
CPU	Quad-core   1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57	Quad-core   2.3 GHz (US/EMEA)/ 2.5 GHz (Asia, China) Krait 400
ROM	32   GB	16   GB, 32 GB
RAM	3   GB	2   GB
Expandable Storage	Up   to 128 GB	Up   to 128 GB	Yes
Front Camera	HTC   UltraPixel™, BSI sensor, f/2.0, 26.8mm lens, 1080p video recording	5   MP, 1080p@30fps, HDR
Back Camera	20MP with sapphire cover lens, auto-focus,   BSI sensor, f/2.2, 27.8mm lens, 4K video recording	Dual   4 MP, 2688х1520 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
Battery	2840   mAh battery	2600   mAh battery
Color	Gunmetal   Gray, Amber Gold, Silver/Rose gold, Gold/Pink	Gunmetal   Gray, Amber Gold, Glacial Silver

The HTC One M9 features a 5-inch Super LCD3 capacitive touch screen protected by the latest generation of Corning Glass – Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Installed with the newest Android OS 5.0 Lollipop, the M9 sports a Snapdragon 810 chipset. The most significant feature of the M9 is the 20 MP back camera and Ultra Pixel front camera.

From the specs and design, we can see that the HTC One M9 didn’t change too much compared with the M8. Is it necessary to upgrade? It depends, if you’re enthusiastic about getting the latest technology, you may try the HTC One M9.

How to Solve iPhone 5S Ear Speaker Problems

How to Solve iPhone 5S Ear Speaker Problems

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have just finished replacing defective part in your iPhone 5S, but when you power it on you get no sound from the earpiece? It's a very common problem in the DIY repair community, and luckily, the problem can be easily solved after finding the cause. So here we tell you how to find and solve the problem.

 

First, front camera check.

If the front facing camera can't be opened, then its flex cable maybe damaged, you'll need to replace it. Why is this step first? Because the iPhone 5S' earpiece is connected to the front facing camera's flex cable, and if the flex cable is damaged, we won't be able to properly test the earpiece.

Second, earpiece connection check.

If you can carefully open the front facing camera, then you can reassemble its flex cable and reconnect the earpiece to the flex cable correctly. Why do we need to reassemble the parts? Because we need to exclude the possibility of an assembly error.

If after following all these steps your iPhone 5S' earpiece still doesn't work, then one thing for certain, you need to replace your ear speaker. Replacing the ear speaker should solve the issue, but if not, you'd better make a visit to your local repair shop to have it checked out.