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Category: Apple Devices

iOS 5 Beta 5: The Future of the iPhone
by LaptopMD+ Posted August 10, 2011 in Apple Devices, Newsletter, TechBuzz, Tips for Devices
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Well, it’s almost time to go back to school and it looks like lucky students who’ve waited patiently may well just get their hands on the iPhone 5 before getting back to class. With the release of iOS 5 Beta 5, it looks like Apple is closer than ever to releasing the new generation of iPhone. If you’ll remember, the hold-up with iOS5 was the major reason for Apple to deviate from their typical summer release schedule for the new iPhone 5. So what’s going on with the 5th iPhone? Let’s see if we can’t break it down a little bit:

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apple, iOS 5, iPad 2, iPhone 5
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Apple Announces White iPhone 4 (finally)…
by LaptopMD+ Posted April 28, 2011 in Apple Devices
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… but LaptopMD has been offering white iPhone 4 conversion services for the past 6 months and will continue to do so with the same parts that Apple uses.

Today, Apple announced that the long-awaited White iPhone 4 is now available to consumers wishing to experience the latest in iPhone fashion trends. The White iPhone is equally priced with its black predecessor and now Apple offers the customers the ability to choose the color of their iPhone – black or white.

LaptopMD continues to offer white iPhone 4 conversion to customers wishing to save money for the iPhone 5 which is rumored to come out later this year, possibly in September 2011 or even earlier.

Was the wait worth the release of the White iPhone 4 or will you be holding your breath until September when the iPhone 5 will hopefully be released?
iphone 4, iPhone 5, white iphone, white iphone conversion
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The Elusive iPhone 5
by LaptopMD+ Posted April 7, 2011 in Apple Devices, TechBuzz
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Image from http://www.todaysiphone.com/

The blogosphere and news media have been abuzz recently with news that Apple may not meet its traditional product release dates for the iPhone 5 and the accompanying iOS 5, which is their mobile operating system. Several theories are abound as to why Apple may be switching up their usually structured release schedule ranging from supply problems in Japan to time constraints of their supposedly feature ladened updates to a shift in product release strategy. As a consumer waiting anxiously for the new iPhone I can tell you that being given a date range of somewhere between April and October (the last time frame to adequately take advantage of the holiday shopping season) is maddening.

The delays aside, the wait will probably be well worth it but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep from dreaming of its features. AppleInsider, a leading Apple news blog, has been reporting that iOS 5 will most likely feature a free cloud storage and sharing service and more integrated voice commands, among other as of yet unknown features.

I think the wait will be worth it, for sure, but we want to know what you think: Will the extended wait for the new iPhone releases be worth it or will the Android OS maintain its current edge? Vote now in our very unscientific facebook poll or leave your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
Apple iphone, iPhone 5
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iPhones Controling Times Square: The Hoax, the Hax, and the Underwhelming Truth
by LaptopMD+ Posted March 23, 2011 in Apple Devices, TechBuzz
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The Recruit, a middling spy thriller with little going for it besides Al Pacino, hinged around a mostly ignored plot point that was alternately ignored or made into the focus that blinded moviegoers to all other plot devices going on: Colin Farrell invented a piece of software that would give him the ability to stream content from his laptop to any screen or device around him. It was a fascinating idea, and at the time a couple of people on the burgeoning device-hacking/maker scene spent countless hours with some limited success creating devices to do just that. CarWhisperer was probably the most well-known, widespread, and widely covered success, though there were other far more shady projects going on simultaneously. Read More
Apple iphone
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iPad2: You’ll Still Buy It, You Just Won’t Know Why
by LaptopMD+ Posted March 15, 2011 in Apple Devices, Buying Guides, TechBuzz
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It seems fitting that on Pi day (March 14th, or 3/14: named for the irrational number π which loosely translates to 3.14159 and goes on forever from there), the geekiest unofficial holiday of the year, we are taking a look at the iPad 2, the least geeky gadget ever made. Released 3 days ago on March 11th, the iPad 2 is…well, the 2nd iteration of the iPad, and that pretty much tells you everything you need to know. I’m sure there will be people who decry this lack of enthusiasm, but and wax eloquently about how the few, subtle changes Apple made render this a new device, the deus ex machina of tablets, infinitely superior to everything that came before (See this review in the NYT for an example). These are probably the people still clutching their Newtons and praising the devices as strokes of genius ahead of their time. But enough of that, let’s see what’s in store for millions of consumers who rush to pick one of these up.

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Appl, Apple Devices, iPad, iPad2
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AirPhone No 4: Counterfeit iPhone Spotted
by LaptopMD+ Posted March 11, 2011 in Apple Devices, Buying Guides, Tips for Devices
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This is NOT a real iPhone

It used to be fake Oakley sunglasses, or Foakleys as they were commonly called. Then came the knock-off Louis Vouiton, Prada, and Coach bags. Now, we at LaptopMD+ have captured the next level of counterfeits being peddled on Craigslist, Ebay, and in shady shops along Canal St.: The counterfeit iPhone4.

It’s not a new problem by any means. In fact since the very first iPhone came out, eBay has had their work cut out for them trying to single out and shut down counterfeit operations. Those early fakes were obvious, and anyone who received one knew right away that what they paid for was not an authentic Apple product. But the counterfeiters, many working with factories in China, many employing the same people that were former employees of the very factories that Apple itself uses to make iPhone components, have learned and improved. We recently had a counterfeit iPhone 4 cross our desks, and even our techs had difficulty telling it apart from the real thing on first sight.

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counterfeit technology, fakes, iPhone4
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…and Just In Time, Too!
by LaptopMD+ Posted February 1, 2011 in Apple Devices, TechBuzz
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Because people needed more reasons to jump ship from AT&T to Verizon once the iPhone4 hits their shelves, a new lawsuit alleges that AT&T might have been overstating data use by customers…by as much as 300%.

The suit, filed Jan. 27th by Patrick Hendricks, an iPhone owner on AT&T’s low-tier data plan, claims that Hendricks and his attorneys used an independent consultant to accurately asses data transfer on AT&Ts network and compared it to the data transfer recorded on the wireless carriers statement, reaching the conclusion that most data transfers were overstated by 7-14%, and in some cases going as high as 300%.

This is a huge deal since ATT discontinued their unlimited data plans last June and switched to a capped, tiered system, with hefty penalties for going over your monthly cap by so much as one kilobyte.

With Verizon offering true unlimited data plans, and with this lawsuit and rumors that ATT is offering people the option to switch back to the true unlimited data plan, this could be the final straw that sends the undecided iPhone owners and prospective owners running away from ATT and into VZWs arms.
AT&T, iphone, verizon iPhone
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The Verizon iPhone Revisited: Survey Says…Maybe
by LaptopMD+ Posted January 14, 2011 in Apple Devices, Buying Guides, TechBuzz, Tips for Devices
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Well, while everyone is still in a frenzy over the announcement Tuesday that Verizon is finally getting the iPhone, we thought we’d take a look at the benefits of getting one.Prompted by Gizmodo taking the lead on questioning the wisdom of running out on February 10th to snatch up one of the Verizon iPhones, we decided to look into it a little further, and here’s what we found:

The biggest two drawbacks that have been circulating and percolating on the ‘net is that the iPhone 4 is already almost a year old, and will be old and dated by the time that Apple gives their routine annual announcement of a new, improved, super-sexy and desirable iPhone in early June, only 5 months after Verizon gets iPhones into customers’ hands. The other point of contention is the choice of the CDMA chipset, infamous in phone-tech circles for not allowing data and voice packets through at the same time. Put simply, you can’t call someone and check your email simultaneously. Both of these arguments sound valid, except they aren’t. Not completely, anyway.

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Apple iphone 4, iphone 4, verizon iPhone, verizon phone
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iPhone 4 for Verizon Wireless is here!
by LaptopMD+ Posted January 11, 2011 in Apple Devices, Buying Guides, TechBuzz
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After years of speculation and rumors, Verizon Wireless(VZW) COO Lowel McAdams joined his CEO Dan Mead and Apple COO Tim Cook on stage at the Lincoln Center Tuesday morning to announce that the wait is finally over. The iPhone 4 for Verizon is real, and it will be falling into customers’s hands as early as Feb. 3rd for existing VZW (Feb. 10th for the rest of us).

The gathered captains of industry spoke at length about Verizon’s network upgrades and planned changes, but it was obvious everyone only cared about one thing: What is the Verizon iPhone 4 going to be like?

Well, for starters, and much to the disappointment of millions, the phone is based around the CDMA chip-set. The chip, which is being phased out by Verizon for the new LTE 4G standard, is notorious for not allowing data and voice to be used simultaneously. That means if you’re using your phone as a navigation device and a call comes through, you’re temporarily out of luck and either have to wing it until your call ends or pull over lest you drive off a cliff.

On the plus side, not only is the CDMA issue scheduled to be corrected later this spring, but the Verizon iPhone has built-in mobile wi-fi capability. That means you’ll be able to use the phone as a portable hot-spot for up to 5 devices, something AT&T is doing their hardest to prevent on their devices. You also get access to Verizon’s unlimited data plan. It’s slightly pricier than AT&Ts plan, but doesn’t cap data transfer at 2 gigabytes per month.

The last major news is that Verizon is still not releasing the white iPhone 4, and remains mum on the exact date that it will be available, saying only that it will come out “later this spring”. Lucky for you, I happen to know a great place that will take your plain, boring, black iPhone4 and turn it white. So until Apple get’s moving on that, stop by and we’ll give your new Verizon iPhone4 a makeover before any of your friends get one.
Apple iphone, Apple iphone 4, iphone 4, iPhone4, verizon iPhone
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Have you ever wanted to accept Visa/Mastercard? There’s an App for that.
by LaptopMD+ Posted October 8, 2010 in Apple Devices, TechBuzz
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Have you ever split a meal with a friend? Or maybe taken a taxi somewhere with a buddy? Unless you’re agoraphobic or just REALLY unlikeable, I’m going to assume you have. You’ve also probably experienced that awkward moment when neither of you really have enough cash to divide the check evenly so one person pays more and you’re left with that uncomfortable ‘IOU’ feeling.

Well, not anymore! Who wants to owe money to a friend when you can just Square Up? That’s right folks, there’s a app for that. Square Up allows anyone with an iOS or Andriod OS device (iPhone, iPad, Droids, HTCs, Samsung Galaxy, LG Ally, etc.) to accept credit card payments from anywhere. Not enough cash? Accept Visa!

Square Up is still a relatively new company started by one of the co-founders of the popular social media engine Twitter. With a (free) device that plugs into your smartphone’s headphone jack, you can swipe a friend’s credit card and charge up to $1000 a month and receive it right away! Sure the credit card companies will still take a cut (2.75% + $0.15 per transaction) but it’s a lot simpler than a typical agreement a company would have to enter into.

However, the company is facing a few obstacles – the biggest of which is convincing people that this is OKAY. With the digital age still in its youth, there’s a lot of worry about identity theft and credit card fraud out there. Let’s say you buy a pair of Yankee’s tickets from someone on Craigslist. Are you going to feel comfortable when he asks you to swipe your credit card to pay? Exactly.

Still, Square Up seems to be approaching consumers in the right light. They understand that promoting the trustworthiness of their product should be their first and primary concern. Nevertheless, they have a long way to go if they really want this app to take off. Read more about what Square Up is doing from the NY Times. Or go to SquareUp.com and sign up to get started!
Android Devices, Apple iphone, cell, Smartphone Apps, smartphones
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