Apple will replace your iPhone 5’s faulty power button for free
If you’ve noticed that your iPhone 5′s sleep/wake button isn’t working reliably, you’re not alone — and you’ll be glad to hear that Apple is doing something about it. The company has started a free program in Canada and the US (worldwide on May 2nd) that will replace buttons on phones made through March 2013. Should you qualify, you’ll get your phone back four to six days after it reaches an Apple repair center; there will be a loaner on hand if you can’t afford to be incommunicado for that long. We’re sure that some would have liked the program to start earlier, but it’s no doubt a relief if you otherwise faced paying for an out-of-warranty repair.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Via: The Loop
Source: Apple
Verizon and Samsung acknowledge Galaxy S5 camera bug, offers device Exchange
Both Samsung and Verizon are acknowledging that there is a camera bug that is floating around the Galaxy S5 that causes a “Warning: Camera Failed” message to appear. Samsung let The Verge know in an official statement that they are aware that a “limited number” of devices are experiencing the issue.
Samsung says that anyone that is having this problematic situation can contact them at 1-888-987-4357 or visit a carrier store for an exchange. Verizon took to Twitter to saying people can contact them at @VZWsupport to resole the issue and that they will replace the device if needed.
We assume that other carriers are following suit since it seems to be a Galaxy S5 issue, not just a Verizon branded issue.
As of right now there isn’t a specif reason for the failure, but once the warning hits your device you are SOL for any photos as it renders the camera useless. If it is a hardware issue that will put Samsung on a pretty slippery slope with no other choice but to keep exchanging devices for ones that you hope will work. If it is a software glitch, then they have a chance to prevent it from costing them and the carriers a lot of money. Since Samsung is one of the remaining OEMs to not release their camera app to the Play Store, a full fledged OTA would be the only solution.
Anyone out there have the “Warning: Camera Failed” message bug ruin their memories?
Source: The Verge via AndroidandMe
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Verizon Galaxy S4 Finally Seeing Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update
If you held off from grabbing a Galaxy S5 and are still rocking your fully functional Galaxy S4, then we have some good news for you. looks like the long wait for Verizon to catch up to the times is finally over. A number of user reports are being confirmed that Android 4.4.2 KitKat is finally making its rounds. We checked in with the Verizon support pages for the Galaxy S4 and came across the PDF for the update.
Along with the few things in the image above, the document outlines a few other important things regarding the update:
THE FOLLOWING CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE:
• Google+ Photos is now Photos
• Play Magazine is now Play Newsstand
• VZ Security is now VZ ProtectTHE FOLLOWING APPS ARE NOW PRE-LOADED:
• ISIS Wallet
• VZ Protect (version 2.0.0)
• Verizon Cloud
• Audible app (version 1.5.4)
THE FOLLOWING ISSUES HAVE BEEN FIXED:
• Shortcut Folders on Home screen
• Contact issue when using messaging and dialer apps
• Backup Assistant Plus contact sync
• Bugs when using KNOX appTHE FOLLOWING IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE:
• Phone book and contact syncing to some Bluetooth car kits
• “Locked up” display and device heating
• Group messaging performance on the messaging app
• Stability and power cycle issues
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Bluetooth audio disconnect when using Music/Navigation app
• ISIS activation issue
• Now supports roaming to Canada (TELUS) network
• Improvements to Accessibility (subtitles) settingsTHE FOLLOWING ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN MADE:
• SMS to Google Hangouts
• Google Printing framework
• Google+ User Location widget has been added
As always, this is going to be a staged roll-out, so many of you might not see it today. You can always head into Settings>About Phone> Software Update to see though. Make sure you have a good 50% or more battery remaining, a solid Wi-Fi connection and some time to kill while it does its thing.
Anyone seeing the update hit their Galaxy S4 today?
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Praying mantises get extra-tiny 3D glasses to test their vision
While 3D video may not be very popular these days, someone’s still wearing 3D glasses — or rather, something. Newcastle University scientists are outfitting praying mantises with very small 3D eyewear to test their depth perception, which is unique in the insect world; most species are limited to 2D. The researchers want to see if the bugs are fooled by the effects of a 3D movie like that you’d see in a theater. If they are, we’ll know that they evolved 3D vision similar to that of humans and monkeys.
If they aren’t, things get interesting. That suggests that there’s a different approach to depth perception that could translate to simpler algorithms for 3D-sensing robots. It’s too soon to know how the mantis study will play out, so there’s no guarantee that it will lead to a biological or technological breakthrough. Think of it this way, though — if nothing else, Newcastle will have the world’s hippest-looking invertebrates on its hands.
Via: Huffington Post
Source: Newcastle University
This DIY synthesizer cost $70 to build and it sounds amazing
What could you build with a budget of $70? For George Gleixner, it’s a homemade battery-powered synthesizer. One that’s constructed using a circuit bent a children’s Hing Hon EK-001 squarewave keyboard no less. What’s circuit bending you ask? Well, Reed Gazala pioneered the process back in the mid-90s which modifies (read: bends) the original circuits of keyboards, drum machines and even children’s toys to create new sounds that vary from its original use. Each year at Moogfest, as an homage to founder Bob Moog, there’s a circuit bending competition in which entrants hack together their instruments for a shot at maker glory. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the larger festival attracts electronic music’s finest, like Kraftwerk and Dan Deacon, that could end up peeking the goods too. This time around, Mr. Gleixner took the top prize and we caught up with him to see the inner workings of his creation.
As we’ve already mentioned, the unit primarily driven by a Hing Hon EK-001 kids keyboard that was hacked to serve up some quite tasty synth sounds. A wood and plexiglass shell, shaped kind of like a classic Moog instrument, houses the whole thing. That all-important front panel not only packs controls for pitch and two types of distortion, but both also have their own theremins for gesture-controlled sounds. There’s even a hexagonal keyboard layout based on the harmonic table made out of thumb tacks. As if all of that wasn’t enough, the final bill came in under the $70 budget and the instruments runs on four AA batteries — fulfilling the contest requirements. Don’t worry, we’ve got a brief rundown of the tech straight from the builder just below.
Filed under: Misc
Android now lets you search for hotels and restaurants you can actually afford
So far, Android search hasn’t been very discriminating when it comes to hotels and restaurants; finding a posh eatery one block away is no use if you can’t afford it. Google is about to provide relief to wallets everywhere, though, as it just updated the mobile search app to include filters à la Foursquare or Yelp. Ask for a place to eat or stay and you can narrow the results by price range, cuisine style, rating and hours. The upgraded search only works in the US at the moment, but it should eventually be a boon to anyone who’s looking for a cheap bite or a late-night crash pad.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google+
Transcend Debuts JetDrive SSD Upgrade Kits Up To 960GB for MacBook Air, Retina Macbook Pro
Transcend has introduced new JetDrive SSD upgrade kits designed for the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with Retina display. The upgrade kits offer up to 960GB of internal storage capacity and come with both installation tools and instructions.
JetDrive kits also ship with an aluminum USB 3.0 enclosure, which allows upgraders to reuse their original SSD, and all kits include a five year warranty.
Stop shuffling around your files and fretting about storage space. Transcend’s JetDrive SSD upgrade kits offer up to 960GB of storage capacity. Upgrading your Mac to a JetDrive SSD ensures you’ll have plenty of space for all your favorite music, videos, and photos.
The JetDrive SSDs are able to take advantage of JetDrive Toolbox monitoring software, which keeps track of the health of the drive and enables TRIM support for optimum write speeds and SSD life. JetDrive SSDs also have maximum read speeds of 495MB/s and maximum write speeds of 495MB/s.
The company has three separate products for early MacBook Airs, mid–2012 MacBook Airs, and mid-2012 Retina Macbook Pros, in multiple capacities. While mid–2012 MacBook Airs and Retina MacBook Pros can be upgraded with 240, 480, or 960 GB of storage space, earlier MacBook Airs (late 2010 and mid–2011) are limited to 240 or 480 GB. Transcend’s JetDrive kits are not PCIe and are not compatible with the most recently released 2013 MacBook Airs and Retina MacBook Pros.
Transcend’s JetDrives can be found on Amazon.com, with prices ranging from $190 for the lower end upgrade to $600 for the higher end upgrade. Ordering information and specific links can be accessed on Transcend’s website, but the 960 GB SSDs have yet to make their way to Amazon.
Nike CEO ‘Excited’ About Future of Fitness Partnership with Apple
Late last week, it was revealed that Nike is scaling back its FuelBand hardware effort to focus on the software side of its fitness tracking ecosystem, sparking speculation of a potential partnership with Apple focused around the iWatch or other Apple hardware.
Nike CEO Mark Parker appeared on CNBC earlier today, and while he would not directly address specific plans with respect to Apple, he did note that Apple is a longtime partner and that he is “excited about where that relationship will go forward.”
Parker: [Y]ou’re going to continue to see us commit to this area, to focus on expanding the reach. Today, we have about 30 million FuelBand users. We’re hoping to push that to over 100 million. We have partners that we work with…obviously the most visible partner we have is Apple. We’ve been working with them for a long time. And we’re excited about where that relationship will go forward.
CNBC’s Sara Eisen: Well, can you give us a hint? Are we going to expect some sort of collaborative device coming out? Nike and Apple?
Parker: I can’t really say that. There’s been a lot of speculation, which I understand. I will just say the relationship between Nike and Apple will continue. And I am personally, as we all are at Nike, very excited about what’s to come.
Parker went on to discuss how Nike is going to focus on the software side of the wearable fitness device market going forward, integrating it into some of of Nike’s products as well as those of partners. With those partnerships, Nike is seeking to further its primary goal of expanding the overall Fuel ecosystem to as many people as possible.
Speculation of a Nike-Apple partnership is natural given the long history between the two companies, highlighted by the Nike+iPod initiative to bring pedometer and other fitness tracking to Apple devices. Apple CEO Tim Cook has served on Nike’s board of directors for nearly a decade, and he is frequently seen wearing a Nike FuelBand.
Spotify Approaching 10M Paying Users, Revenue May Soon Surpass iTunes in Europe [iOS Blog]
Streaming music service Spotify is growing in the UK and soon may overtake iTunes as Europe’s biggest digital music service, reports Music Week, which spoke to Spotify’s European head of media relations Kevin Brown [Via The Guardian].
Spotify’s growth in the UK is quickly accelerating with the service adding more than 1 million active users in the past four months, claims Brown. Many of these new customers are lucrative subscribers who are paying for the premium service instead of listening to the ad-supported, free version. Brown attributes this growth to Spotify’s partnerships with Vodafone and the Sunday Times.
“Some of our partners are saying Spotify is now generating more revenue each month across Continental Europe than iTunes,” Spotify’s head of label relations in Europe, Kevin Brown, told industry site Music Week.
“Given that download sales are declining and Spotify is growing rapidly, particularly in the UK, it is only a matter of time before Spotify is bigger than iTunes across Europe as a whole.”
Spotify last year had 24 million active users and 6 million paying users worldwide, but the company has not updated those figures to reflect this recent increase. Brown believes the company is close to surpassing 10 million paying users, and many believe the company is waiting for this milestone to announce updated membership numbers.
In the U.S., iTunes is the market leader for digital music downloads and iTunes Radio is number three for streaming music. In the streaming market, iTunes Radio holds an 8 percent market share, with Spotify holding 6 percent. The pair trail iHeartRadio (9 percent) and market leader Pandora, which dominates with 31 percent market share.
In an effort to standardize the experience across platforms, Spotify recently updated its iOS app with a darker theme as well as new fonts and icons that match the web and desktop versions. All platforms also received a new personalized Your Music section and an updated Browse feature.
StackSocial Offers 9 Apps in ‘Name Your Own Price’ Mac Bundle and MacBook Air in Giveaway [Mac Blog]
StackSocial launched its fifth ‘Name Your Own Price’ Mac Bundle earlier this week that offers up to nine apps and an online iOS development course for purchase with 10% of all sales going to charity.
There are two apps and an online iOS development course that all buyers receive:
MacX Mobile Video Converter ($50)
PDF Converter Pro for Mac ($80)
Projects in iOS E-learning Course ($147)
If a buyer pays more than the current average price shown on StackSocial’s sales page for the bundle ($8.00 at the time of this post), the buyer will receive all nine apps offered which includes the three items listed above plus the following apps:
RapidWeaver 5 ($79)
Tune Up ($50)
CrossOver 13 ($60)
Disk Drill Pro 2.0 ($99)
Voila ($30)
Snapheal Pro ($40)
mSecure for Mac ($20)
The total retail value of the entire bundle is $807. To encourage higher purchase prices, StackSocial is giving away an 11-inch MacBook Air in a random drawing with entries earned by taking a position on the price leaderboard at any time during the sale. At the time of this post, the person in the top position on the leaderboard paid $94 for the bundle.
The bundle will be on sale until May 7.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner of StackSocial.
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