Image taken from Sony.com

With Android tablet trailing the Apple iPad, the Sony Xperia Z4 has made up quite some ground on catching up with its rival. The tablet is the successor to the Z2 tablet which left quite a lot to be desired. However, as you will see below as we go through the finer details of a tablet named as the best in the Android camp, it has made a lot of improvements. Sony has also tried to push their latest tablet to rival laptops with a business side to its capabilities. The Sony Xperia Z4 is expected to be available worldwide sometime in June 2015, but some markets will definitely see it a lot earlier. Read on to find out whether there is anything to be excited about. 

Design

The Sony Xperia Z4 is designed to be sleek, light and easy to hold. The design has definitely been upgraded as this iteration of the Sony Xperia tablet is slimmer and lighter. To be more specific, the tablet is 6.1mm thick and 392 grams in the weight department. The back of the tablet is designed with premium material to better compete with Apple’s sleek metallic design. The polycarbonate material used to make the tablets back cover is admittedly a major improvement, offering a better feel and grip.

Display

The tablet comes with a 10.1 inch screen with 2K display supported by the 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution. You will have a great image viewing experience as compared to the 1080p display in its predecessor, the Xperia Z2 Tablet.

Performance

Performance is the main determinant of the value offered by any tablet, the Sony Xperia Z4 included. This tablet does not disappoint with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 Octacore processor handling all your processing needs. This is accompanied by a 3GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage at the bare minimum. This storage can be expanded to 128GB with a micro SD card.  

Camera 

The Sony Xperia Z4 comes with a rear camera and a front facing one as well. The rear camera is nothing to write home about with 8.1MP. It is capable of taking 3264 x 2448 pixel images, but achieving this threshold can be quite challenging. The front facing 5.1MP camera is however more impressive. It has the ability to take wide angel shots for crisp video call quality.

Other Features

Any accessories will connect to the tablet via wireless Bluetooth as there are no connecting ports. On the battery front, Sony states that the 6000mAh battery can last up to 17 straight hours of video watching. 

Image taken from HTC.com

As smartphones become part of our lives, manufacturers are pushing for better performance and designs to get even more consumers to buy their brands. HTC is one of the well-known brands when it comes to premium smartphones designed for the high end market. The HTC One M9 is definitely an upgrade on its predecessor, the M8. It comes with a better design and upgraded internals as well as a far better camera; certainly a case of strengthening on their known strengths. However, for this, consumers will have to part with more cash to own this high performing premium smartphone.  

Design

As the smartphone market grew in terms of competition over the years, more research and development was poured into the design of high performance devices. However, this performance seems to have reached its peak with manufacturers focusing on creating attractive designs; this seen in the HTC One M9. The design is referred to as the “Jewelry Grade” by HTC. Each case is hand-finished by craftsmen for a premium look, something that most buyers in this price range will definitely appreciate. The phone gets an upgrade in the looks department with a one piece metal case being used. The power button shifts to the right hand side of the phone for a more natural way of activating and deactivation the screen.

Display

The HTC One M9 comes with the same 5 inch Super LCD display protected by Gorilla glass. It is a 1080p screen that delivers sharper colors and accurate touchscreen control when compared to its predecessor. This is assisted by the fact that it is rated at 441PPI. HTC does agree that there is no upgrade on this part, explaining that there is no need for higher resolution on a screen this size, and the extra power draw would not be needed.

Performance

Under the hood, the HTC One M9 is powered by a Snapdragon Octacore Qualcomm processor mated to the Adreno 430 GPU, while the RAM is boosted to 3GB. Internal memory is maintained at 32 GB from its predecessor, with 21GB being available to the user. The micro SD slot however, supports an extension up to 128GB. The phone uses Android 5.0 Lollipop.  

Camera

On the camera front the HTC One does get an upgrade; the UltraPixel rear camera on the M8 is transferred to the front for crisp selfies in limited light situations. The rear Camera on the M9 is 20MP, with the Dual LED flash being maintained.

Lastly, the phone comes with a higher capacity battery moving from 2600mAh to 2840mAh. It easily lasts a couple of days on a single charge and remains non-removable. 

Image courtesy of Pcadvisor.co.uk

The Samsung Galaxy S6, the interesting smartphone, is here and from we can see it demonstrates the way of the future for the popular smartphone manufacturer. Samsung have always brought their A-game when it comes to designing highly capable top of the range mobile devices. This is seen in the fact that they are among the most popular with smartphone users. However, the plastic design on their devices has always been a cause for criticism. They however, did decide to continue with it up until the Galaxy S5. For latest iteration, a high quality metallic build has been used to blow the competition right out of the water.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S6 sports the most interesting design that the manufacturer has ever produced, by far. The cheap-looking plastic case has been replaced by a premium metallic case. The front face still bears the characteristic Samsung layout, while the rear side has a redesigned camera and flash with a distinct metallic finish. The headphones jack, Micro USB port and loud speaker have all been moved to the bottom end of the phone. However the micro SD slot users have become used to, is surprisingly missing. This is by far the most comprehensive design change Samsung smartphones have gone through and is thought to indicate their design for the future.  

Specifications

On the performance front, the Galaxy S6 has definitely received some upgrades. The smartphone is powered by a powerful in house Exynos quadcore processor clocking in at 2.1GHz. This is mated to a Mali T760 GPU and 3GB RAM. Users are now treated to one of the most powerful Samsung smartphones. Playing even the most demanding videogames on the phone is seamless. Slowdowns and app crashes have also been dealt a huge blow by this combination. This also shows a departure from the market standard of choosing the Qualcomm Sanpdragon processors, in favor of their in house design. Since there is no micro SD slot, users will have to make the correct choice from the available 32, 64 and 128GB internal memory options.

Other features on the smartphone include a 16MP rear camera and a front facing 5MP camera. The phone runs on the latest Android software, Lollipop. TouchWiz has received a lot of criticism in the past but Samsung chose to stick with it. This time around it gets a much needed trimming down to ensure effortless functionality.  

Disappointingly, the phone comes with a 2550mAh non-removable battery. The battery does not fare any better than the Galaxy S5’s. 

Image Courtesy of Tech In Asia

This article first appear in Tech In Asia

Samsung was still the world’s top smartphone brand in 2014 – though only by a small margin. The Korean tech giant is under assault from Apple’s popular iPhone 6 at the top end of the market and from a veritable militia of new phone makers across Asia at the low-end to mid-range. The latest Samsung Galaxy S6 is putting up a strong fight with its more premium design, but 2015 could still be the year that Samsung’s statue is toppled.

The simple fact is that Samsung is in a precarious position. IDC estimates that about 1.5 billion smartphones will be shipped globally in 2015 – up from 1.3 billion last year. Many of those will go to markets like China and India where homegrown brands – Xiaomi and Micromax, respectively – have recently surpassed Samsung in terms of sales. Even in nations where Samsung still reigns, like Indonesia and Thailand, there are numerous new brands that look like a real threat to the current smartphone king. Those newer phone makers are aiming to get consumers hooked on their own keenly-priced but strongly-specced devices – ones that sell for about half the price of a comparable Samsung phone. Apple has its Mercedes-like brand cachet that helps it pull in wealthier consumers, but Samsung is very vulnerable.

Let’s look at 14 of the strongest new contenders across Asia. To quote a Bob Marley song: If you are a big tree, we are a small axe – sharp and ready, ready to cut you down.

China

1. Xiaomi

Xiaomi, which came out with its first phone in 2011, has expanded beyond China into India and several parts of Southeast Asia, making it a massive regional threat to Samsung, HTC, Huawei, LG, and any other Android-based phone brand. Its next step is into Mexico and South America, which will likely happen later this year. Wherever it expands to next, Xiaomi is aiming to produce and sell 100 million smartphones this year.

What’s Xiaomi’s secret? Its smartphones sell for about half the price of Samsung’s comparable phones, yet the strength and versatility of its Android skin (called MIUI) makes them feel like quality products. Xiaomi keeps costs low by selling the majority of its phones online, and the rest via telco partners. It doesn’t have any stores, but it does have service centers.

The Chinese startup (if it’s not too large for that moniker) has single-handedly brought the price of a strongly-specced phone down from about US$600-$700 to just US$320 – the price of its Xiaomi Mi4.

After starting out with a very minimal product line-up, Xiaomi is now expanding quickly into smart gadgets like the Mi Band fitness tracker, which it sells for just US$15 compared to price-tags of around US$100 for comparable screen-less fitness bands.

Flagship phone: Xiaomi Mi Note has a 5.7-inch 1080p HD screen; Snapdragon 801 processor; 3GB RAM; 13MP rear and 4MP front camera. Price starts at about US$370, but it’s not yet available outside of mainland China. Check out our Mi Note review.

2. OnePlus

OnePlus, China’s newest big-bang phone-maker, burst onto the scene in 2013. Inspired by Xiaomi, it sells only online, and has strong hardware at a satisfyingly low price. Unlike Xiaomi, OnePlus is going global from day one.

The new brand has run into troubles recently after a falling out with CyanogenMod resulted in OnePlus having to come up with its own Android skin, which it calls Oxygen. Now OnePlus must go through a difficult transition to Oxygen whilst trying not to leave customers feeling short-changed by losing the much-loved Cyanogen.

Flagship phone: OnePlus One has a 5.5-inch 1080p HD screen; Snapdragon 801 processor; 3GB RAM; 13MP rear and 5MP front camera. Costs US$299 (16GB) or US$349 (64GB) unlocked. Check out our OnePlus One review.

3. Oppo

Oppo gave birth to the spin-off OnePlus brand, but the parent company is not doing so well as OnePlus in making international headlines. Nonetheless, it’s trying hard with a wide array of strongly-specced phones that are solid – if quirky – alternatives to Samsung’s phones or to the OnePlus One itself.

Oppo is aiming at a variety of fast-growing Southeast Asian markets like Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia as part of a broader push to go global.

Flagship phone: Oppo Find 7 has a 5.5-inch 2K HD screen; 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 chip; 3GB RAM; 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras. Costs US$499 unlocked.

4. Coolpad

Coolpad is actually China’s least cool smartphone brand, but its huge success at the low-end of the market and in the Chinese countryside proves that the bargain basement is a lot more lucrative than you’d imagine. The phones won’t win any design awards and won’t blow your mind, but only 13 percent of Chinese people will buy smartphones that cost over US$330 (that’s the psychologically important RMB 2,000 barrier) so the smartphone-as-a-basic-tool market is not to be ignored.

After tens of millions of sales last year, Coolpad was China’s fifth biggest phone brand in 2014, according to data from IDC.

Coolpad has been an OEM for several telcos around the world (producing stuff like the MetroPCS Quatrro 4G phone for T-Mobile in the US), and that’s still part of its business. But Coolpad wants to stand on its own brand overseas, and it’s targeting Southeast Asia as a first step. However, a security scare last year over a built-in backdoor shows that the company – along with its staid brand – has a lot of hurdles to overcome in expanding beyond China.

Flagship phone: Coolpad Halo has a 7-inch 1080p HD screen; MediaTek processor; 2GB RAM; 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras. Priced at about US$350.

India

5. Micromax

India’s Micromax is not taking the fight from Xiaomi lying down. It’s gradually shaking up the (occasionally unsatisfactory) quality of its hardware and smoothness of its UI. Plus, it has partnered with Google to make a cheap Android One phone, and set up a hipper Yu sub-brand in conjunction with CyanogenMod with online-only sales in order to go after Xiaomi’s younger demographic.

Micromax already has traction on its side. It’s now India’s top smartphone brand, says a report by Canalys, after surpassing Samsung towards the end of 2014. IDC disputes this and says that Samsung is still ahead, so we’ll have to wait a while for a second confirmation on that.

Micromax started its overseas expansion in 2013 by venturing into Russia and Romania, two developing markets that it reckons have a strong desire for more affordable smartphones. But with Russia on the rocks, it’d be wiser to spend this year focusing on the huge potential of its home market.

Flagship phone: Micromax Canvas Gold A300 has a 5.5-inch 1080p HD screen; 2GHz MediaTek chip; 2GB RAM; 16MP rear and 5MP front cameras. It’s priced at US$260

6. Karbonn

Karbonn is also gearing itself up for the monumental battle ahead. It has followed Micromax in creating an Android One phone for around US$100. Karbonn is a bit smaller than Micromax, but both are growing strongly in line with India’s big shift to smartphones from dumbphones.

Flagship phone: Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus has a 5-inch 1080p HD screen; 1.7 GHz MediaTek chip; 2GB RAM; 16MP rear and 8MP front cameras. The price tag is US$160.

7. Xolo

Though smaller than its two compatriot rivals, Xolo is also keen for a slice of India’s low-end to mid-range smartphone market. However, the prices are not as tempting as those of its local rivals.

Flagship phone: Xolo Q3000 has a 5.7-inch 1080p HD screen; 1.5GHz MediaTek processor; 2GB RAM; 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras. It costs US$240.

Indonesia

8. Smartfren

Smartfren is different from the others in this list in that it’s a mobile telco company. It’s pushing forward Indonesia’s shift to Android with its own competitively-priced smartphones.

However, in our experience the cheap components can lead to a laggy and sub-par experience on Smarfren’s phones, so the brand has a way to go before it can challenge the likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus.

Flagship phone: Smartfren Andromax V3s has a 4-inch 720p HD screen; 1.2 GHz Snapdragon; 1GB RAM; 8MP rear and 2MP front cameras. Costs US$155.

9. Himax

Indonesia’s Himax (not to be confused with the Taiwanese chip-maker of the same name) might have learned something from the upstart Chinese brands and is making stronger phones than compatriot rivals like Smartfren and the increasingly clueless Cyrus. Not only are the specs stronger, but Himax is offering lower prices than other Indonesian phone brands and coming up with better looking software too.

Flagship phone: Himax Polymer X has a 5.5-inch 720p HD screen; Snapdragon 615 processor; 2GB RAM; 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras. Launch pending, so no price revealed yet.

10. Mito

Mito sells tablets, feature phones, and smartphones. It’s based in Indonesia but it also operates in India. 80 percent of its sales are low-end, feature phone devices. It sold about two to three million devices in 2013, so it’s not going to sell that many smartphones, but it’s still one to watch as its ratio of smartphone sales increases.

Mito has also ripped off Oppo’s rotating camera for a couple of its flagship phones.

Flagship phone: Mito Fantasy Selfie 2 A18 has a 4.7-inch 720p HD screen; 1.3GHz MediaTek chip; 1GB RAM; 8MP camera that rotates to front or rear. Costs US$110.

Philippines

11. Cherry Mobile

The Philippines has faster smartphone market growth than the likes of Indonesia and Vietnam, making it a country to watch right now. Indeed, the Philippines recently surpassed Vietnam to become Southeast Asia’s third biggest smartphone market.

Cherry Mobile outsold Samsung in the country in both 2013 and 2014, according to the latest data from IDC. The report says Cherry cornered 21.9 percent of the Philippine market in terms of volume of smartphones shipped in 2014, while Samsung’s share declined further to 13.3 percent.

Android One rolled into the Philippines in February, with Cherry Mobile joining MyPhone in making budget phones specced to Google’s guidelines.

Cherry has a ridiculously large and confusing product range that currently runs to 38 separate smartphone models.

Flagship phone: Cherry Cosmos One Plus has a 5.5-inch 1080p screen; 2GHz MediaTek; 3GB RAM; 14MP rear and 8MP front cameras. Priced at US$320.

12. MyPhone

MyPhone is the Philippines’ second largest homegrown phone brand. It’s placed third in the country in terms of smartphone shipments, behind second-placed Samsung.

Flagship phone: MyPhone Infinity has a 5-inch 1080p HD screen; 1.7GHz MediaTek chip; 2GB RAM; 16MP rear and 8MP front cameras. It’s costs US$295.

Thailand

13. I-Mobile

As with several new smartphone brands, Thailand’s I-Mobile is slowly transitioning from being a cloner of other companies’ feature phones to a maker of its own Android devices.

Its IQ range of phones packs in a commendable amount of camera for less that 300 bucks, which is a good idea for a country that’s so crazy about Instagram. However, its flagship phone, the IQ X Ken, is overpriced for what it offers.

Flagship phone: I-Mobile IQ X KEN has a 5-inch 1080p HD screen; 2.2GHz Qualcomm chip; 2GB RAM; 13MP rear camera and a meager 1.3MP front camera. Priced at US$520.

Pakistan

14. QMobile

QMobile is the largest homegrown smartphone maker in Pakistan, cranking out a mix of feature phones, smartphones, and tablets. The company started relatively recently – in 2009.

At the moment, QMobile has a mind-boggling 82 smartphone models listed on its homepage.

Flagship phone: QMobile Z8 has a 5-inch 720p HD screen; 1.2Ghz MediaTek chip; 2GB RAM; 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras. It costs US$200.
Samsung has a lot more to worry about besides those. This is far from an exhaustive list, and there are more grass-roots smartphone makers out there across Asia.

Also, let’s not forget that there are some major rivals in the Android space too. Lenovo and Huawei are chasing Xiaomi and Samsung hard in China and a number of other markets. And there are plenty more, well-established brands keen to be the top shipper of Android smartphones, like LG, HTC, Motorola, to name but three.

Which of our selection look like the biggest threats? Let us know in the comments.

“In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish”

According to Forbes, over 40% of the companies that were at the top of the Fortune 500 in 2000 were no longer there in 2010. 

Are you fast?

With newer and better laptops available for sale, more and more people are now turning to new acquisitions over sticking with aging or broken ones. Newer computers come with the latest hardware upgrades and a wider variety of features to enhance productivity and performance. This attracts users who are looking for the best experience with computers. More people choose to buy a new one rather than engage laptop repair services. With this in mind, most people will have an older laptop lying around unused. You can be able to repurpose this computer and use some of the main parts to create functional accessories to add to your new computer. Below we will look at how to turn an old laptop screen into a stand-alone monitor.

To get this done you will have to be comfortable with opening up the old laptop and getting all the parts you need, this will definitely void any warranty you have. Another important consideration to keep in mind is that you need to be well versed on how to handle computer motherboards and circuit boards to avoid damaging them. Static electricity handling safety knowledge also plays an important role in this do-it-yourself project as well.

Now with all that said, let’s get working on that new extra LCD monitor from your old laptop screen.

The first thing you will need to do is remove the top cover of your old laptop so as to disassemble it and remove the screen. This requires a lot of care as touching anything you are not supposed to means you damage the entire system or some vital components. It might also result into cases of electrocution as well. Once the laptop cover has been removed, disconnect the screen from the rest of the computer carefully.

Get the model number from the laptop’s screen as you will need it when you go out shopping for the Controller Board and its power supply unit. Some people can be able to build their own controller board from scratch but if you can’t just buy from a computer supplies store or online.  

Connect the controller board to the old laptop monitor ensuring that the pins are connected in the correct format (Facing down). If you get this wrong you risk damaging the controller or the monitor or both so take your time and ensure everything is done correctly.

Connect your set up to the power supply unit, then to your other computer or any other device you wish to use it on. When you are done switch it on and test it out. 

Mistakes can happen with anyone. However careful you have been with your iPhone, it may fall and develop cracks on its own. For those who are geeky enough, may be interested in replacing your own screen, you can follow this tutorial. Otherwise you can reach our iPhone Repair Services and we can help you at very affordable prices.

Tools Required: Black/White Screen, Suction Cup, 5-point security screwdriver, standard #000 Phillips screwdriver, razor blade, prying tool, spudger tool

Procedures:

• Switch off your iPhone.
• Look at the dock connector. You can see two screws that hold the screen together on each side of it. Remove these with the 5-point screw and keep them somewhere safe.
• Place the suction cup slightly above the home button and move it by an inch. Be careful not to pull it off completely just yet. If the screen is cracked beyond redemption, you may not be able to remove it with a suction cup. Use a razor blade and spudger tool instead.
• You can see that the touch ID cable is holding the screen to the phone. You will want to remove the metal sheet covering it with the spudger tool.
• Disconnect the cable completely and keep the metal shield somewhere safe for reattaching.
• Move the screen a little more to uncover four screws that hold the shield of the display. You have to remove these screws and keep them somewhere safe. Also put away the shield that you just detached.
• Above the battery and towards the right of it there are three cables you will need to detach. Detach the ones to the extreme right first as the third one sits below them.
• At this point, you will see that the display and earpiece shields and earpiece assembly are still on the old screen. So the next few steps involve removing them. Look at the eight screws holding the earpiece assembly. Take them off and keep them safe.
• Now lift off  the back of the display shield.
• You can now see the earpiece shield and easily lift it.
• The earpiece assembly is also just beneath it. It should come off as well.
• Remove the front facing camera and sensor cable now. The noise cancelling mic should be removed carefully.
• The rest of the parts are attached with a simple adhesive and should be easy to remove.
• Next remove the home button shield by using screw drivers and a pry.
• Transfer all the components to the new screen. For this simply join in the parts you removed in the reverse order.
• Finally reattach the three cables to the logic board.
• The logic board screws and plastic clips follow.
• n the last step, simple replace the dock connector screws and restart your phone once you are sure you have followed the steps correctly and successfully reassembled the phone.

With these easy DIY steps, you can save up on a hundred dollar on replacing your iPhone 5 screen. Follow them to save up on this money to use it on some more complicated repairs if the need arises.

Your iPhone may be fully protected with a screen guard and case, but it is still prone to accidents. If the worst happens, you may have to fix a broken screen when your product is not covered by Apple’s insurance. Fortunately, there is an inexpensive DIY that can help you replace the screen with the help of a few inexpensive tools. Before going through this method, remember that you will have to open up your phone by yourself. So you may actually lose its warranty. With some variations, the same method can be used for an iPhone4S and other variants as well. If you are not confident with DIY repair, you can contact our iPhone repair specialist to fix it for you at an affordable rate.

Things you will need: Screwdrivers, spludger tool, razor blade, prying tool, replacement kit, etc.

Procedure:

• Back up your data and remove the SIM.
• Switch off your phone before assembling it.
• Use a pentalobe screwdriver to remove the two screws at the back.
• Take off the back cover.
• Now you need to remove the battery connect and disconnect it from the motherboard. There is a tiny connector here. Take it off carefully and keep it safe for reassembly.
• The plastic connector for the battery should now be pulled out carefully.
• Now remove screws that hold the metal connector together. You have to remember the positions of these screws for when you reassemble the phone.
• Next remove the rear camera and docking connector one by one, noting what attachment go where.
• Next you have to remove the white peel near the battery pull button.
• After removing the metal shield from the headphone jack, you should also be able to remove the motherboard.
• In the same way, remove the speaker and vibration equipment.
• You will now have to remove the glass panel which is secured by 10 screws.
• Once you remove these screws, you have to use a thin metal plate to remove the glass panel. You must follow this step with extreme precaution if the glass screen is too damaged.
• While removing the screen, you also have to thread the two cables involved through the metal frame.
• If there is a plastic support screen for the display, you will need to take it off as well.
• Now assemble the new undamaged screen you have purchased.
• Now work in the reverse order to reassemble your iPhone4. Start with the speaker setup, then the motherboard, rear camera, other motherboard shields, battery and finally the back covered you removed previously 
  

Sometimes, iPhone battery needs to be replaced. If you do not know if it is time to replace the battery, look for signs such as abnormal heating up during usage and charging, extra time to charge, speedy discharge, and other battery related malfunctions. If you have decided to replace the battery on your own, you need a couple of things to get ready for self-installation. Get a suction cup, a pentalobe screwdriver, a #000 screwdriver, a razor blade, a pryer, an opening tool, etc. Then follow these simple instructions to replace your battery seamlessly. A note of caution, if you are not sure about how to do it correctly, you can contact our iPhone repair services and we can help you with the battery replacement. Here are the steps to change it on your own.

• Power off your phone to avoid any short circuits.
• Look at the bottom of the phone to find two screws. Remove them with the pentalobe screwdriver and keep them safe for later.
• Use a suction cup to pull the screen halfway up. There is a shield under it that holds cables in place. You can also try this using a razor blade if your hands are steady. This will save you the discomfort of using a suction cup if you are new to the technique.
• Remove the three screws on this shield with the #000 screwdriver and keep them safe for later when you reassemble the phone.
• Use the spudger to remove the three cables underneath. Usually, the third one comes off once you have undone the other two.
• Next you can see two screws to the right of the battery. You need to release them as well as the battery connector.
• Remove the damaged old battery carefully. Since it is bound by adhesive underneath, you may need an opening tool.
• Put the new battery in place. Secure it well.
• Adjust the connector and the battery shield. Use the same #000 screwdriver you used when disassembling the phone.
• Reattach the three cables you previously pried open.
• Replace the display screen and the three screws that you had set aside. Do this carefully by adjusting the small screws in position first before tightening them.
• Place the display in place. Be careful with its positioning and angle.
• Replace the first two screws that you had removed with a pentalobe screw driver.
• Test the battery to make sure it is working. If it still shows the same signs of fast discharge, warming up or delayed charging, the problem might be elsewhere.
• Take the phone to a professional if the battery behaves the same way as the previous one.

Following these steps, you will be able to replace the battery of your beloved iPhone5 in no time. If not for this method, you would have to ship your phone for servicing and wait for it to come back. Seeing how integral phones have become to lives today, this DIY method is really a boon for iPhone lovers who cannot part with their phones even for a day.

iPhones are classy, but the same cannot be said about their batteries. And as with any battery, the iPhone battery too may simply go dead when its charging cycles have been exhausted. You are lucky if your phone is still under warranty when this happens. If not, you do not have to worry as long as you can follow this simple self-tutorial to replace your iPhone6 battery. If you like to tinker with geek stuff, you can simply follow this tutorial and get the battery replaced in a matter of a few minutes. Here are the steps to do the same. However, if you are not comfortable with the tutorial, you can go ahead and contact our iPhone repairs specialist and we can fix it for you.

1. Switch off your phone.
2. At the bottom of the phone, you will find two screws that can be unscrewed with a pentalobe screw driver easily. Keep these screws aside for reassembly.
3. Use a suction cup to lift up the home panel (the screen above the home button).
4. Use a plastic prick around the edges to remove the panel. 
5. Remember that you should not lift the screen anymore than 60 degrees. Hold the screen in place once you do so.
6. Next remove the mount screws.
7. At this point, you will be able to see where the screen connectors are and detach them with no extra effort.
8. You can now see the battery cover held by two screws. Remove this assembly and remove the metal cover too.
9. Now you can disconnect the battery connector with a prick.
10. The battery is held in place with glue. Behind the phone, the rear casing has a lot of thickened glue, which you need to loosen up with a blow dryer. Do not use anything else for this purpose as it may damage your phone.
11. Now you can remove the battery with a sharp edge object such as a smart card. Do this carefully without disturbing other connectors and glue.
12. Press a new battery in this socket. You can secure it with double tape too.
13. Reverse the procedure for disassembly to reconnect all parts.
14. Power on your phone.

Your phone should now be ready to use. Although it is extremely easy to operate on your own, you should avoid it if you are not comfortable with the handling of minute connectors and screws. Instead, you can take the help of professionals who can do it for you as quickly as possible and at a reasonable price.

 

Data stored in various digital storage devices can be lost in the event of natural disasters that leave computer systems damaged, human-inflicted damage, damage due to computer viruses among other causes. Data recovery is an essential function that can be conducted by data recovery professionals or as a do-it-yourself project for minor issues. Data is usually stored in different devices making the recovery processes differ from each other. It is also important to remember that since the storage media can be damaged in different ways, the data recovery process will also vary. With the high adoption of phones and tablet, now data recovery are required not only in laptops or desktops, but also in mobile devices. Below we will look at different types of data recovery as dictated by the type of damage suffered by the storage media.

Data Recovery for Software Issues

Data loss due to software malfunction can be caused by malicious software, problems with the storage media’s formatting or accidental formatting among others. These issues do not actually cause the data in the storage media to be totally deleted but cause the data to become invisible and may be lost if overwritten. Once this occurs, the user has two options. They can take the hard drive to a data recovery specialist or use available data recovery tools.

It is recommended that, if you have no idea what you are dealing with or stand to lose vital data, take the drive to a data recovery specialist as they are better equipped to getting the data back with minimal risk as compared to using unreliable free data recovery tools and skills.

Data Recover for Hardware Malfunction

If your hard disk is dying or gets any physical damage during use, it is best to take it to a qualified data recovery specialist. Data recovery specialists usually have the necessary skills and tools to get the drive working again and retrieve the data within before it fails forever. Physical damage repair requires dedicated tools and a higher level of skills to get done. 

For instance, to replace some of the parts on the hard disk that might have failed, it is necessary to dismantle the drive in a controlled environment which is dust free. Such facilities are only available to specialists whose only work revolves around data recovery.

These two represent the two main data recovery types as per the type of damage resulting in data loss. As a rule of thumb, data recovery specialists are always your best bet in getting all your data back intact. 

If you still have your old computer, and it still runs smoothly, you can easily convert it into a backup storage unit for all the data on your new computer. This is a great idea especially when you are looking to save cash on purchasing a new backup hard drive. Since the entire process is quite and easy you can get it done on your own and eliminate the need for hiring a professional to come in and get your computer backup system working. Follow the simple steps outlined below and turn your old computer into a network backup. This article applies for PC user. For smartphones, you can rely on Google cloud or iCloud backups.

The guide below applies to Windows users.

First up, we will copy your old files from the old computer to the new computer. On your new computer begin by clicking on the Start button. After this go to Control Panel and then proceed to choose Network and Internet.

Move on to open the Network and Sharing Center and then Change Advanced Sharing Settings.

To copy all the folders you need from your old computer to your new computer, turn on Public Sharing and then collect all the files and folders you are looking to copy to your new computer from your old computer and place them in the new computer’s Public folder. When using windows 7, the public folder access is always visible and a click away making it quite and easy to complete.

Once all the useful files and folders have been transferred to the new computer from the old computer go on and delete all the files and folders left in the old computer and don’t forget to empty the recycle bin as well.

Move back to your new computer and create a backup image of the entire system on the old computer. This is achieved by opening the Start menu and then Control panel. From the System and Security options, choose Backup your Computer and then select Create a System Image.

At this point, you specify the hard disk to use as a backup from the hard disk drop down menu. Here select your old computer’s hard disk.

Click next on the following window which confirms you are backing up your C: drive.

On the following window click on Start Backup and you will see the process begin.

Once the backup process is complete after a couple of hours depending on your drive’s size and system speed, check whether the backup was successful, and you are done. 

This article first appeared on Business Insider on 12 September 2014

«Steve Jobs Headshot 2010-CROP» av Matthew Yohe. Lisensiert under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - 

The launch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus —  and the latter’s massive 5.5 inch screen — appear to prove that Apple founder Steve Jobs was completely wrong when he said in 2010 that “no one” would want to buy a phone with a big screen.

And while this sort of hindsight wisdom feels a little bit tawdry, it actually cuts to the heart of what is driving the $276 billion smartphone market right now: screen size.

Apple launched its new phone with 4.7 and 5.5 inch screens for a reason: Rival companies, particularly Samsung, have spent the last two years building a market in a space that Apple ignored — the market for people who want big, bright screens that are great for consuming media and doing work.

To recap: Jobs launched iPhone and its initial updates with a 3.5 inch screen. When the iPhone 4 ran into trouble because it appeared to drop calls when users held it the “wrong” way, Jobs held a press conference. He was asked, why not just make the phone bigger, so that the antenna might have more space within the device and thus get better reception?

He replied that he disliked the new crop of bigger phones from Samsung et al. “You can’t get your hand around it,” he said, “no one’s going to buy that.” He also derided big phones as “Hummers.”

By 2013, however, executives within Apple began to realize that Jobs was completely wrong. Internal documents from that time show that iPhone sales growth was slowing, even though the market as a whole was growing. All the growth was in the sub $300, price range, and among phones with screens bigger than 4 inches. “Consumers want what we don’t have,” was the title of one slide in the documents.

Another document showed that Apple’s own customers placed the small screen size of the iPhone 5, 5C and 5S among their top complaints about the devices. iPhone’s small screen size was actually a liability for Apple, not — as Jobs argued three years earlier — an advantage.

(The leading big screen devices in this market were, of course, Samsung’s Galaxy S and Note phones, with their 5-inch-plus screens. The Note 4 now comes in a 5.7 inch size. It’s an interesting exercise to ask Note owners how they like their big screens and whether they’d ever consider going back to an iPhone-sized 4 inch model. You will find the answer is always “no” — consumers love big screens.)

So it is notable that both the new iPhone 6 models are big-screen phones, 4.7 and 5.5 inches.

There is no “iPhone 6 Mini,” giving people the option of a Jobsian 3.5 inch screen.

Samsung poured scorn on Jobs in a piece of marketing fluff released to counter the iPhone 6 launch. It produced this graphic, which actually misquotes Jobs as saying “No one is going to buy a big phone.“

And while kicking a dead man is not the classiest move, it does underline one of the strangest things about Jobs’ big-screen error. The reason the iPhone became a huge hit at its launch in 2007, with a 3.5 inch screen, is because that screen at the time was itself one of the biggest displays on the market.

Consumers were used to candy bar phones from Nokia, on which the majority of the device was given over to the keypad and the screen had room for little more than a name and a number. BlackBerry was still huge at the time, and one of the reasons that was so was because it had a screen that was a little larger than a Nokia candy bar, and you could type emails onto it.

The original iPhone provided even more real estate than that, and let people consume real media and apps.

In hindsight, it’s not weird that Jobs might have been wrong about consumer preference for screen sizes in the four years following his death. Rather, it’s weird that he didn’t understand that the iPhone’s (relatively) big screen size was actually driving its popularity while he was alive.

The iPhone (at launch) was the biggest screen on the market. Jobs didn’t seem to see that as the key.

Fynd provides Laptop, Desktop, Smartphone, Network setup & repair service in Singapore. Our services include laptop, desktop repair, data recovery, setup & maintenance of your IT infrastructures and also 24/7 onsite IT support services.

When it comes to watching TV today, there is a wide variety of channels from which to stream content. You don’t have to rely on traditional satellite or cable TV streaming channels anymore with the available internet TV devices competing to offer users next generation entertainment experience. You can enjoy Youtube on your TV without having to plug in a laptop with wires all over the place to your TV. Use can use an Internet TV device. With high speed data transfer now a common feature of the available internet access channels, streaming on demand HD quality videos is faster and better than relying on other methods. There is also a wider selection of video and movie streaming sites available today further growing the variety in the field of internet TV. Below we will look at some of the best internet TV devices you can find on the market today.

Apple TV

Apple produces great iPhone, and they are also branching into internet TV business. Apple’s internet streaming Apple TV is one of the best in this field even as time catches on. This device not only offers users the chance to stream content from the internet with HD quality enabled but also offers users the ability to stream content from their existing libraries. The device allows users to stream previously purchased content in their Apple devices as well as use them to control it.

Roku 3

As the first internet TV streaming device the Roku has had time to perfect its initial attempts. It now offers content from more internet TV content providers for an even wider offering. It also comes with earphones for wireless sound transmission when users don’t want to turn up the volume on their TVs too high.

Google Nexus Player 

This device comes with Gaming capabilities on top of the internet TV streaming capabilities. It supports voice activated search and setting personal recommendations as well. However, it lacks an Ethernet connection and it is hoped that improvements are on the way to bring it closer to the rest of its competitors.

Amazon Fire 

This is one of the best devices in the internet TV game. The device streams content from your Amazon Prime account as well as other internet TV content sites such as Netflix and Hulu Plus. For avid gamers, the device comes with an optional controller that can be used in playing mobile games as well.

Gaming Consoles

This is definitely the age of versatility and video game consoles have not been left behind. Although more expensive than dedicated internet TV streaming devices, video game consoles such as the PS3 and PS4, Microsoft’s X-box and Nintendo’s Wii U and Wii U Plus, let you play your favorite games as well as stream internet TV content. 

When it comes to gaming, then only the most powerful computers can be able to offer the best user experience in terms of quality graphics and high speed processing. To enjoy these two qualities means using power draining graphics cards and high speed processors. Sure, the thought of a crystal clear display when playing your favorite game which does not slow down or completely shut down in the middle of gameplay is important, but energy bills are also another important factor to keep in mind given their rising trends.  

If you have been on the market for a high performance computer for gaming but just don’t know what to look for, the tips below will give you a better idea when you go out shopping next time.

The Power Supply  

The power supply unit usually bears the load of converting the power from your socket to a usable current by the computer components. This is a tough job and using a low quality unit will lead to low efficiency and high power draw. You must therefore ensure that the power supply used on your gaming computer satisfies the 80 Plus standard. This standard means that the unit produces less heat and its efficiency rating far exceeds the 80% mark.

The Graphics Card 

This is the main component of a gaming computer. It is also responsible for consuming the largest amount of power as well. When shopping for a complete gaming computer or collecting the necessary parts to put your own computer together, make sure that you buy the most efficient card for use. This means getting one that is practical for your needs as getting a stronger one draws more power without increasing display quality. NVIDIA products are known to be quite efficient as compared to other brands.  

The Processor 

This is another highly important component in your gaming computer. It also draws a lot of power as well. When shopping for processors or complete gaming computers, make sure that you get the latest processors. The latest processors are more efficient. It is also interesting to note that dual core processors are more efficient but will be slower than a lower efficiency quad core processor. Here it is all about weighing your options with regard to what you need. A top level gamer will sacrifice efficiency for performance as that is a necessity in high level gaming. 

Go Mobile

Another consideration for reduce energy consumption is to play mobile phones games instead of computer games. Mobile phone games are fun and mobile devices are not as demanding in terms of energy consumptions. There are many great games available at the App Store and Google Play store. Most importantly, you can play both at home and also when you are on the go, carrying your game with you.

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do”

Technological advancements have been sped up over the last few years, and the growth of the available variety in wearable technology is evident of this. It is no longer about computers or smartphones, but many things has become or will be smart device, More and more devices are being designed for use when worn on the human body to provide impressive health monitoring, and linkage with other tech devices for convenient operation at all times. Below we will look at some interesting wearable tech devices that you may be interested in.

 

Jawbone Up24 

This is a compact piece of wearable technology designed to provide the user with a simple and convenient way of monitoring their fitness. The device keeps track of the wearer’s fitness by counting steps, calories and monitoring their sleep. Although it does not come with a screen to display all of these stats, it links up to both Android and iPhone phones via Bluetooth. Its app is easy and clever to use.

Samsung Gear VR

This is a great virtual reality device designed for the Samsung Note 4. The Gear VR uses the Note 4 as its screen as well as the engine. Among the best things about this device is the great sense of immersion it creates. It is already available for sale and although the apps and games available for use are not too many or too detailed it’s still a great device to experience virtual reality with.

Mediatek 361 GPS Shoe 

Although this shoe is only going on sale in China, it provides a way of keeping tabs on your young children’s whereabouts. The shoes come equipped with a Mediatek processor and a GPS chip that sends signals to your smartphone. It also comes with an app that gives the user more options on how to use the shoes.

Fitbit Charge HR

When it comes to wearable tech for fitness purposes, the Fitbit Charge is among the pioneers in fitness. The latest addition to their line is the Fitbit Charge HR which offers heart rate monitoring to the list of previously monitored fitness aspects and synchronizes with your phone. It however comes with a small OLED screen that can be very hard to see at times.  

Apple Watch

The smart watch is the latest addition to the vast collection of wearable tech, and Apple Watch is one of the main contenders in this field. One of the latest devices to be launched, it not only comes with the ability to make and receive calls but also includes fitness software and access to hundreds of apps under its compact and stylish build. 

iPhone 6 and iPhone6 Plus are stylish phones that can be even more beautified with sleek and stylish cases without compromising on all the functions of the phones. However, it is not always possible to have your phone covered and protected with a new case. A new phone or a phone with damaged cover may fall prey to the evil of screen damage. This is even more risky with the new designs since they are sleek and have an aluminium body that is difficult to grip. The easiest way to protect your phone is to buy Apple’s Leather Case. If you have not received it from the manufacturer, you need to protect the phone till you have bought it. If your phone has fallen despite all these precautions, here is how you can recover it from the damage.

With this article are the steps you can follow to repair your phone screen, If you think that the process is too difficult for you to carry out, or you fear damaging your phone, you can choose our iPhone Repair Service to do it for you. We make sure to replace your screen in a way that it appears brand new once done up. Our service has proved a boon for many iPhone users,

If you still want to try out replacing the screen by yourself, here is how you can do it.

You Will Need: A pair of tweezers, a case opener, screw drivers, suction cup device, transparent adhesive

Procedure:

1.     Switch off your phone to prevent short circuits.

2.     Cover the screen with adhesive to prevent more breakage. Exclude this step if the damage is minor.

3.     Remove the whole front assembly with the suction cup.

4.     Remove the 5 screws on the metal body and open the case.

5.     Disconnect all the connectors: the digitizer flex cable, LCD display flex cable, front camera and home button flex cable.

6.     Remove the three buttons holding the home button.

7.     Slowly remove the home button by pulling aside the home button flex cable with tweezers.

8.     Remove the 3 screws on the metal cover of the ear speaker.

9.     Take out the home button retaining bracket, ear speakers and front camera.

10.  Remove the 7 screws of the LCD plate.

11.  Move the cable of the LCD aside with tweezers.

12.  Place the new screen in position of the old screen.

13.  Assemble the phone and switch it on.

Replacing the screen is an easy task, once you have all the tools at hand. Go ahead and do it to make that phone of yours look like you bought it only yesterday. Make sure the screen you replace it with is the same size. For iPhone 6 lus it should be 5.5 inches.

iPad mini is a great alternative for iPad Air. If you travel often and would like to carry an iPad with you but have only a limited space in your bag, you can carry an iPad mini. The latest version of iPad mini today is iPad mini 3. It is smaller than iPad Air, it has a body dimension of 200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm. It only weights 331g and has a screen size of 7.9 inches. It is pretty handy to carry around to read books, check emails and play games while you are on the go. Mobility do comes with a risk of damages due to accidents. Do get a good casing to prevent drops or knocks that resulting you needing to do iPad repair.

iPad mini 3 supports GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO and LTW network. It was launched on October 2014. The sim card size is Nano-SIM (or Apple SIM if you are in the UK). It comes with a fingerprint sensor or touch ID as well. iPad mini 3 has a similar display technology with iPad and iPhones, which is LED-backlit IPC LCD capacitive touchscreen, boasting 16 million colors. It supports a screen resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels, at approximately 324 pixel per density. It allow multi touch and also has oleophobic coating. 

iPad mini runs iOS 8 and upgradeable to the latest iOS, and running on Apple A7 chipset. It has a dual core CPU at 1.3 GHz speed. It comes with a graphical processing unit PowerVR G6430. It is not a dual core, but a quad core GPU. iPad mini 3 comes with RAM of 1 GB and storage choice f 16GB, 64 GB or 128 GB. It comes with great camera, 5 mega pixel primary camera and a 1.2 Mega pixel secondary camera. Both comes with HDR functionality.

As for communications, it comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and USB. It comes with sensors such as accelerometer, gyrometer and compass. IPad mini has a non-removable battery, LiPo 6470 mAh (24.3 Wh), with up to 10 hours of multimedia. As with all other current batch of iPad and iPhone, the choice of colours are Space Gray, silver and Gold.

Many of us have actually deleted files accidentally or unknowingly in the past. This results in a massive panic if the deleted files are vital. If you do find yourself in such a situation, it is important to avoid panicking and start looking for the best way to recover the deleted files. In most cases, the files can be recovered easily without any hassle; whereas in some cases the files are lost forever. However before giving up always keep an open mind and make sure that all recovery avenues have been exhausted before losing your mind. Below we will look at different ways of recovering deleted files.  

First and foremost once you discover that you have accidentally deleted a file, look for the files in the Recycle Bin. When files are deleted on a Windows computer, they are relocated to the Recycle Bin for the time being before the user empties. This is the easiest way to recover deleted files. However, if the files are not in this location leave the computer and don’t access the drive where the data was previously stored again.

To recover files that have been deleted completely from the computer by emptying the Recycle Bin you will need the help of data recovery software. There are numerous brands of data recovery software available today with many being available for free. In this case, you will need to get portable software. This means that the software can be ran from the storage media it is contained in as opposed to installing it on the computer you wish to restore data in. This is because if you install anything on the computer you run the risk of overwriting the data to be recovered.  

Run the data recovery software to identify the files that can be recovered or specify the file you want recovered. The software will then scan the drive specified for the deleted files and provide you with a list or the specific file if found. It is important to note that this method can be used to recover deleted data on flash drives as well.

If all the above options fail and you are still interested in recovering the lost data, this can be done by taking the computer or drive to a data recovery expert. There are numerous data recovery companies around today given the regularity of storage media fails and accidental deletion. These are better equipped to help you get your data back especially given that the drive is still healthy.