iPod Repair Blog

Chinese Apple fans threw eggs at Apple’s flagship store in Beijing. Reports say that the store resembled the stores in London after the riot. One media practitioner said that the store smeared in egg yolk (and egg white) looked like a crime scene.

It seems that the Chinese won’t take abuse from the Cupertino company especially when they waited all night in below freezing temperatures just to get their hands on the iPhone 4S. Even if the iPhone 5 will be released soon, Asia is still very much excited about the 4S. No one knows if Apple’s popularity in China will decrease because of the incident. As crowds began gathering in Beijing Apple stores the night before the release of the said device, police had to be deployed to these areas to make sure that no untoward incidents happen. However, even if the police were there, the “egging” was still done. The Sanlitun store located in Beijing failed to open as promised making the already very tired Apple fans angry.

One man interviewed by Reuters said that he has been waiting outside since the afternoon the day before only to hear that the store will not open and of course won’t sell any Apple products. The man, a yuppie in his 20s, added that this broke many people’s hearts. According to Apple, the store at Sanlitun did not open because of the large crowd outside. In their statement, Apple added that they were concerned for the safety of their employees and the safety of the people outside.

What really is annoying according to Apple fans in Beijing is that Apple will stop the sale of iPhones in Shanghai and Beijing for the time being but Chinese customers can still buy the smartphone online or at China Unicom. Other stores in Beijing opened though and did not experience a problem. One might say that Sanlitun is an isolated case but this news has made it to international news channels making Apple-haters hate Apple more.

There are a lot of rumors about the iPhone 5 –when it will be released, what specs it will have and all that but one of the most interesting things that caught our attention is that according to reports, the new iPhone will be a sim-less one i.e. it will be the very first worldphone. International Business Times said that the new smartphone from the Cupertino company will have two to three internal antennas. These antennas will have GSM and CDMA compatibility making the iPhone a worldphone. Fans are excited about the new iPhone but more excitement is building especially now that recent developments have been released albeit unofficially. Apple wants to reign supreme in the smartphone market and it seems it will never hand over the crown to the Androids. Apple is beefing up the iPhone 5, sources say.

Apart from being a worldphone which is a wonderful feature especially for those who travel a lot, the smartphone will also sport a range of other improvements.It will of course have the iOS 5.0 –a sign that Apple is not only aiming for hardware upgrades but software upgrades as well. The highly anticipated smartphone will come with an improved notification system, will be armed by a news stand and of course, iMessage.

Sources say that the iMessage addition is for the iPhone 5 to be able to compete with Blackberry Messenger. The said app will also allow iPod Touch and iPad users to talk to one another. This would be much like a free messenger service for Apple users. So aside from it being a wordlphone, users will be able to chat with friends and family for free without much fuss because it will be integrated into the phones SMS and MMS application. This is truly exciting especially now that the release of the new iPhone is near.

The iPhone 5 is expected to sport a better camera and most probably it will be an 8MP one, sources say. This is not really something one would consider as awesome because most of the Androids have 8MP rear cameras especially the high end ones. According to reports, the iPhone 5 will also have a front-facing camera. The said camera will be used for video chatting of course and will prove to be quite useful for those who always make video calls.

Another wonderful news for Apple fans is that the iPhone 5 will probably sport a 3D camera as well since Apple has been filing several patent applications that involves 3D capturing technology. Reports say that Apple has been doing this since March this year. This is an indication, according to these reports, that the device will be able to capture, process, and render images in 3D through the use of a dual camera hardware.

It is also interesting to note that the new iPhone to be released in early 2012 will have the capability of taking photos in Panorama much like the 360 Panorama in the App Store.

Aside from the iPhone 5’s camera, it will also feature a larger screen. This isn’t new if you compare the iPhones to the androids from Samsung but this is definitely a plus for the iPhone series.
Other rumored features include 4G and LTE support, face recognition security, an OLED screen, a sleeker body design rumored to have curved glass like that of the Nexus, extended battery life, scratch proof screen and a shatter proof one as well, flash support and a physical keyboard. According to those privy to the iPhone maker, the iPhone 5 will be a sim-less phone. That being said, the new iPhone will be a world phone because its sim will not be connected to just one country.

GoPro cameras from Woodman Labs are not that expensive but many iPhone 4 owners are buying them because it turns the smartphone into a very reliable substitute for a POV camera. Adventure seekers will love this piece of news because GoPro might already have this in stock. It was noted in early October of 2011 that Woodman Labs is working on ways on how to turn your iPhone into a POV camera. The action case as people from the lab call it is a shockproof case that makes it possible for the iPhone 4 to be mounted through GoPro.

GoPro offers the world’s most versatile cameras. These cameras are waterproof, shockproof and are of course great for adventures. The brand offers professional cameras, the most well-known of which is the HD Hero.

According to the blogosphere, the action case has built in shock pads to protect your iPhone 4S. The material is a polycarbonate plastic but it is not waterproof according to makers Bajza and Ozawa. The two said in an interview however that they are working on a fully submersible case for the iPhone 4. This is very good development especially for a smartphone that is deemed to be quite fragile and this means that GoPro is going the extra mile to make the case a good buy for iPhone 4S users.

Analysts say however that this is a bad time for GoPro to be selling such an accessory because of the imminent release of the iPhone 5 next year. Many are hopeful though that this piece of product is a good thing for the millions of iPhone 4S users allover the globe because they no longer have to buy a separate camera for their adventures. If you would like to get a professional helmet camera however, the GoPro HD Hero camera is a good choice.

Don’t tell the kids this but have you noticed that your iPhone can fit right into your toaster slot? This is of course not advisable but it does fit nicely in there because of the size and the shape of the infamous smartphone. For those who have always wanted to try and see if their iPhones fit like a pop tart inside the toaster, you can finally get an iPhone dock that looks like one. The TOAST! Speaker dock from Gavio looks like your usual shiny metal toaster but it is actually a docking system for your smartphone i.e. your iPhone for that matter. You won’t be able to toast pop tarts or bread here though so leave that task to your original toaster. The dock also has a built-in Li-Ion battery making it possible for you to not plug in the system at all.

If you are fond of iPhone accessories and furniture that looks like an iPhone or something that looks like a product from the Cupertino-based technology giant, you might want to take a look at the iTable. We are sorry to inform you though that this table is not made by Apple but was rather designed and made by Kyle Buckner Designs. This also serves as a giant docking system for your iPhone and of course functions as a table too.Looking like a stack of giant iPhone 4S’s, the iTable got a smooth, black surface as well as rails that look like the sides of the famous smartphone. And since this is an electronic device, the table has cupholders too to make sure that the owners do not put sweaty cups on top of the table.

Completely handcrafted, the iTable offers high fidelity sound and touch-sensitive controls. If you want to see a video of the iTable you may take a look at it here. We do not know how much this costs though but since it is handcrafted, we think it probably costs a lot.

A bit of bad news reached the Cupertino-based company Apple when it lost in a trademark dispute in the People’s Republic of China. This problem offshore started with Proview’s Taiwanese subsidiary selling the iPad and IPAD trademarks to a UK-based company called IP Applications which the latter later on sold to Apple. This happened back in the early 2000.

It has been reported that IP Applications sold the name to Apple to the tune of $55, 000. Although this did not pose as a problem before, it might pose as a problem next year when the Cupertino-based company launches the third generation tablet PC –the iPad 3 among other products that the company is rumored to bring to the market. It will be a problem in the coming years too.

While publications are busying themselves with reports on when the iPad 3 will come out and what its features will be, the development offshore is likely causing distress at the Apple headquarters.

According to the verdict of the Shenzhen Municipal Intermediate People’s Court in China, Proview is the company that can legally use the trademark in the Asian country. A possible solution is for Apple to think of a new name for its tablet PC range if it still wants to take advantage of the Chinese market. Regarding taking advantage of that market, Apple will definitely do something just to sell the third generation iPad in the said country, analysts say. Profit after all is the bottom line. With this news, Apple might be coming up with a new name for the tablet PC right about now and might even market it as a limited edition type of gadget because it is under a different name. Whatever happens though, Apple loyalists will find a way to buy the iPad 3.

Rumors on when the iPad 3 will be ready for consumers have been circulating allover the web keeping Apple fans excited. Although the rumors are undeniably a PR stunt from Apple, it is also undeniable that many people from the world over would like to know when they will finally get their hands on the new iPad. Reports say that some of the spare parts for the iPad 3 have already been delivered to Apple while the touch modules are set to be delivered by December. There is no official word from Apple just yet but reliable sources now know that the iPad 3 will be launched early 2012.

Fans of the iPad are relieved that there will not be an iPad 2S. Analysts say that if Apple releases a 2S, it will definitely cause quite a stir and the company would have to deal with a number of disgruntled would-be buyers. According to sources, Apple got millions of displays from Samsung, LG and Sharp along with a few other parts from different companies. LG reportedly got a $1.1 billion deal with Apple for the shipments this month and the next few months.

The production line for the new iPad will probably start on January but will go on full-scale a month later. It is safe to say that consumers might be able to see, touch and smell (or taste even) the iPad 3 by March of 2012. Now that word is out on when the iPad 3 is expected to be in the market, many fans are now contemplating not to buy the iPad 2 and just wait for Apple’s newest iPad. One has to remember though that these reports have not yet been confirmed by the technology giant and may not even reach the market by March next year.

If you haven’t heard, Barnes & Noble just came out with their response to Kindle. The beefier Nook is an award winning tablet and may be a better choice, analysts say. But as more and more tablets are out in the market, consumers are left confused.

Amazon’s Kindle however was just released and the tablet PC has now made its way into the hands of tablet fans. Whatever your opinion is regarding these tablets, Robert Cernansky in his article “Amazon Kindle Fire Vs Apple iPad Vs Android – A Tablet Choice for Everyone” said that Amazon’s Kindle Fire is a, “real threat to the sovereignty of the iPad.” This may be true but this bout will be decided by consumers. With so many Apple fanatics abound, it is difficult to say whether which tablet will win this year’s round. One however has to establish which tablet PC works best and which one will work best for you.

If you go to the Barnes & Noble store, you will find that the bookstore is selling Nook Simple Touch which according to CNT in June that it is the best e-ink reader. Nook Color on the other hand was dubbed by msnbc.com as the “best value in the tablet world” i.e. during its heyday. Barnes & Noble’s newest Nook is making quite a buzz in the World Wide Web. A wonderful device for HD entertainment, the Nook tablet sold at $249 is definitely a good buy. Amazon’s Kindle Fire on the other hand is putting up quite a fight. Since it is relatively more popular than the Nook Tablet, it might get more sales, analysts say. However, it is still too early to tell but many wonder what consumer reports say about the newest tablets in town. And another question is, is whether iPad will be sailing through this as smoothly as Apple expects.

The patience of Apple fans is waning, reports say but there is still quite a dedicated community of consumers that are filing in Apple stores just to get their hands on the iPhone 4S. Apple is happy about this of course but the sad news is that the popularity of the iPhone 4S may be the very reason why the release date of the highly anticipated iPhone 5 will be delayed.

Tech blogs report that the demand of the Siri-toting new iPhone is still at its peak and will definitely prolong the release of the iPhone 5. The stopgap solution i.e. the iPhone 4S even though quite popular around the world is still being bombarded by critics particularly its battery issues. Complaints about the new iPhone have reached its peak too –much like the cues in Apple stores. There is some good news regarding the battery issue though because Apple just released a fix on Thursday last week so that iPhone 4S users will no longer complain about their batteries not lasting through an entire day. The update can now be downloaded from iTunes or through the internet.

Consumers have not yet lost hope for the iPhone series though but if Apple keeps on delaying the release of the iPhone 5 analysts say, consumers might not take it lightly and just switch to iPhone’s beefier competitors. According to the rumor mill, there are many frustrated calls being made to the Apple headquarters regarding the release date of the iPhone 5 but one cannot blame the technology giant because as long as there is a high demand for their newly launched iPhone, they will keep on delaying the arrival of the iPhone 5 even if it is ready for action. After all, Apple has nothing to gain if they release it soon.

Apple fans are jumping ship because of the battery problems of the iPhone 4S and its striking similarity to the standard Apple iPhone 4. Although this similarity was expected, many fans are still very disappointed, reports say.

With the news of an iPad 2S functioning as a stopgap for the iPad 3, many are now thinking that this might be the end of the gadgets giant especially now that the competition are releasing beefier gadgets. However, everything is much better with an Apple, so they say so it is basically consumers who will be holding the cards. Will Apple remain no.1 in the heart of consumers? A lot of rumor mongering is going on but to be fair, no one is sure what will happen next. It will depend solely on how Apple will play the game. One thing is for sure though, the competition is playing ball and they can’t be stopped.

Former Apple fans are now thinking of buying an Android instead of getting another Apple iPhone though. It was widely circulated that buyers of the 4S jumped ship from competitors BlackBerry and the Androids but analysts say that there might be a turn around in the very near future since the new smartphones from Samsung are making waves.

With the newly released S2 Skyrocket following the Nexus, some are thinking that these phones might do better performance-wise as compared to any Apple iPhone. One thing is certain though, the batteries of these smartphones last longer than that of the 4S. Rumors say that Apple will be releasing the iPhone 5 soon but this will depend on the frenzy going on with the 4S because as long as many people are still salivating for the said  smartphone, Apple will have no reason to hasten production for the iPhone 5 –the gadget that they promised their users months ago.