Waterproofing Your iPhone: Liquipel Debuts at CES

You know someone who has felt the absolute pain of dropping their phone into a cold, dark, wet place. It doesn’t matter if it’s a deep, dirty puddle on a rainy day, a sudsy kitchen sink, or (horror of horrors) the toilet; when you see your electronic brain and social upkeep device take a swim, your heart falls to your toes.

A unique company is making their presence known today at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with a solution for avoiding the soggy phone blues. For anyone who lives their life on their smart phone, this is a must read.

Liquipel has created the ability to coat every single surface of every electronic (read here water-hating) surface of your phone with a substance that slicks away water before it can do its damage. According to Liquipel their patented substance is invisible to the human eye, nearly undetectable, and will change in no way how you interact with your newly water-mocking phone.

Here’s a video of Liquipel in action, as an iPhone 4S is fully submerged in water while turned on. You’ll be amazed.

Phones treated with Liquipel are not just water resistant – they are water proof. Take them for a swim, or while hanging 10 on your surfboard. Play Angry Birds at the bottom of the pool while seeing how long you can hold your breath.

Phone models currently approved for Liquipel’s water-proofing include iPhone, HTC, Samsung and Motorola. Here’s a complete list.

To get this revolutionary treatment on your phone, you’ll need to send it to Liquipel, and be ready to send $60 their way. For those of you who previously waterlogged your smart phone before your contract period was up, $60 might not be too high a price to pay to protect your new one…

 

iPhone 5 Release Date: Features, Details for New Apple iPhone 5 September Launch

The new iPhone 5 release date is rumored for next month, and Apple fanatics are excited about the upcoming gadget. Will the technology giant really début the new iPhone 5 next month? So far they have kept quiet about their upcoming 6th generation smartphone model.

It looks like the device may be available for preorder soon, since an article at Examiner.com says “rumors seem to indicate that September 12th will be the official day for pre-orders of Apple’s latest smartphone.” The article also says pre-order news has fueled rumors and “speculation that the actual device will be in customers’ hands by September 21st.”

At this time the new iPhone 5 release date is rumored to be announced on the 12th, launch by the 21st, with some providers having the gadget in store by early October. The new iPhone 5 price is expected to be about the same as the 4th and 5th generations models, which started at $200.

Are you waiting on the new iPhone 5 launch? What features are most enticing to you? How much would you pay for the new handset?

Image: Amazon

Best iPhone Apps for Excel

In this article we look at three great apps which allow you to view, edit, create and share Excel documents on your iPhone. We also look at a free alternative that fits the bill so you’ll find a suitable Excel app for iPhone here.

Excel on your iPhone

If you work online, in an office or pretty much anywhere these days then chances are spreadsheets will come into play. Perhaps you even use them for your personal life to create things like budgets or plans. Love or hate Excel, the office world of today needs it.

And that office in your pocket – the iPhone, needs it too. How many times have you been emailed an Excel file and had to wait until you got back to the office to open it? I know I’ve been emailed plenty of reports, invoices, accounts, receipts and budgets. An Excel app for your iPhone that allows you to create, edit and view Excel files is exactly what every worker needs.

MobileFiles Pro

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To view Excel files on your iPhone or iPod Touch I definitely recommend this iPhone Excel app. First of all, it allows you to seamlessly create view, edit and share Excel files easily. It’s not a buggy as alternatives and has a beautiful interface which is something you need for a complicated app on what is a small device, in comparison to a computer’s display.

However, there’s more. This app also allows you to view Word and Powerpoint documents on your iPhone as well as Apple iWork documents, so no matter what format someone sends you a file in, you know you’ll be able to read it on your iPhone.

$9.99 – Well worth it.

QuickOffice

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This app is another example of a great Excel app for your iPhone that will enable you to easily view Excel files on your iPhone. As a testament to its power, and frankly awesomeness, this app has gotten four stars on the App Store with over 3,000 ratings.

This acts as an all in one tool for all your office needs. It’s compatible with all Microsoft Office documents including Excel and also several other programs and online apps such as Google Docs and Box.net.

The new version of this program has full multi-tasking capability and is optimized for the iPhone 4 Retina display.

$9.99 – Again, well worth it.

Mariner Calc

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This is a cheaper alternative to the two options above at almost half the price. Obviously, as less development and time has gone into its production this isn’t quite as powerful as the previous two mentioned. However, this option would suit anyone with an iPhone who doesn’t fit into the ‘power user’ bracket. Simple spreadsheets are easily viewed and edited using this great little app.

Many of the basic features you would expect are included. You don’t have to convert the Excel files before using them with this app (as you do with some other alternatives) and it includes support for charts and objects within multi-page Excel documents.

$4.99 – Not a hefty price for this app.

How to Activate iPhone 4

Unarguably, the best smart phone to have been launched in recent times, the Apple iPhone 4 is truly a phenomenal product by Apple Computers. If you are planning to buy the new Apple iPhone 4G, it is essential that you know how to activate it.

How do you activate an iPhone 4 without a SIM card? First of all, you need to know that you cannot activate the iPhone 4G, if you do not have an AT&T SIM card, with a subscription plan. That is because AT&T is the default service provider for the iPhone in USA, currently. The activation is also tied in with the AT&T subscription. For those who are curious about activating the iPhone 4 without SIM, know that it is not possible currently, unless you have a factory unlocked phone.

So, after you buy an iPhone, you will need to get an AT&T subscription SIM card to begin with activation. Without iTunes, iPhone activation is not possible. You need the iTunes to get the phone activated as the whole process has been made to be iTunes centric.

How to Activate iPhone 4G?

For activating the iPhone 4, you will firstly need the latest version of Apple iTunes installed on your computer. You can download the application directly from the Apple computers website, if you don’t have it. As already mentioned, get an AT&T subscription, with the kind of call and texting plan you need. Get the SIM card and install it into your iPhone. You can also use an existing subscription with AT&T to activate the iPhone. Without installing the SIM card inside, the activation process won’t run. So get the SIM installed inside and switch on the iPhone. The screen will say ‘Connect to iTunes’.

Switch on your computer and get the iTunes application running. To transfer data and activate your iPhone 4G, you will need to use the USB cable (that comes with the device) to connect it with your computer. The moment you make the connection, iTunes will recognize the iPhone 4 connected with your computer and the activation process will begin.

You will be shown the terms and conditions page, which you must agree with, to move ahead. You will be asked for the Apple ID and password next, which you use to purchase music on the iTunes store. If you don’t have one, create an account and enter the required information to go ahead with activation.

Next, your personal details and billing details will be displayed, which you must check and save to move ahead. With that the activation will be complete and your iPhone 4 will restart automatically. Then you can go ahead and configure the iPhone for use.

You will get a confirmation about activation from AT&T, if it’s a new subscription. This concludes the procedure for iPhone 4 activation. If you are wondering how long does it take to activate iPhone 4, know that it is just a few minutes. This sets you free to use all the wide range of iPhone applications.

Dropped iPhone in Water

If you dropped your iPhone in water, you need to act fast. Like all other smartphones and mobile phones out there, the Apple iPhone is also not immune to the effects of water once it has entered the internals of the device. Water is the single biggest enemy of all electronic gadgets, and the fact of the matter is that once a device has fallen in water, it is nearly impossible to get it back to ideal working condition.

The worst case scenario is that the phone will not work properly ever again, and you will have to replace it entirely. You can try repairing the device and this will mean you will have to spend a fair amount of time and resources with the hope that it will function again. Sadly, this is not the case in most situations, and the parts of your iPhone, especially your screen, will face irreparable damage.

How to Fix iPhone after Dropping it in Water?

There is no tried and tested formula for fixing an Apple iPhone that has fallen into water. What you need to do is open up the phone entirely and lay it out to dry in the sun or in front of a heater. The sooner you do this the better the chances of the phone starting up again, so you must not waste any time at all. Take out the micro-SIM card and any other peripherals that you may have attached to the iPhone. Place them all on a towel or on any cloth, and lay them out to dry and hope for the best. Blow dry the parts for better results.

The battery of the iPhone is the part that will suffer the most damage, but unfortunately, you cannot remove this battery from the device. This is something Apple Inc. has made impossible for the device, so you have no chance to do this. If you are lucky, the phone will start and function as normal after a few hours. In case this does not happen you will have to give the iPhone to an Apple repair center, and they will then take days and charge you a big fee for attempting to repair the device. In some cases they will suggest replacing the battery but there are no guarantees that this will work, since no one can know the extent of the damage suffered by the internal circuitry. There are not many ways to save a wet cell phone and fix it, so you have to make do with whatever tips you can get.

Another solution that some people suggest is to wrap the iPhone in a cloth and place it in a bag of rice for about 2 days. This will suck the moisture out from the inside. You must change the rice after about 12 hours, and there are many people who have dropped their iPhone in water, for whom this method has proven effective. Under any circumstances, do not turn on the iPhone as soon as you remove it from the water. This will cause the phone to short circuit since water and electricity do not go together. There is a small chance that the device may work properly after you dry it out effectively, but if you choose to turn it on immediately there is absolutely no hope for its survival.

The amount of time that the iPhone spent in water is also important. If it was just for a few seconds, then these methods have a higher chance of succeeding. In fact, any amount of time under a minute can prove to be substantially less damaging. If the iPhone has been underwater for a longer time though, the chances of its survival are significantly lowered. Till some time ago, Apple would not entertain a water damaged iPhone for replacement since this nullified the warranty. But now you can approach Apple and they will provide you with a refurbished iPhone for $199 as a replacement. The warranty of this new device will only be 90 days, but this is a much better option than buying a new uncontracted iPhone. Apple also has a smart way of detecting if an iPhone has undergone water damage, thanks to 4 sensors inside that turn pink if they have come into contact with water. So lying to them about water damage is not going to get you anywhere.

If you are facing problems of no sound or dark screen even after trying out all these methods, then you just need to hand it over to a repair shop and hope for the best. The cost will be substantial, but this is unavoidable. For the future, be extra careful with your iPhone and keep it away from water bodies and buckets and tubs the best you can. You can even consider using a waterproof iPhone case to save it from damage in the future.

iPhone 5 Already in Production, Release Date Nears – Says Report

Queensland, Australia (PRWEB) August 13, 2012

Reports have come out stating that the latest iPhone is already in the works. This is according to Macotakara, a Japanese blog, which boasts of an excellent reputation when it comes to predicting the launch dates of Apple devices.

According to the blog, reliable sources have confirmed that the iPhone 5 is already in production in China. Speculations have been going the rounds that this new generation iPhone will be launched for an autumn release by September – two months after the start of production.

And although the giant tech company has not confirmed the rumours yet, many speculations have come out stating that the newest iPhone version will have an aluminium back panel with a partial glass cover. There are also claims that the next generation iPhone will have a larger screen compared to the older iPhone 4S – 4-inch Retina display, and an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Apple enthusiasts are expecting more rumours to come out until the iPhone 5 is finally released. In fact, just recently, an alleged photo of the new iPhone has been leaked over the Internet, which confirms its longer screen, if the pictures were indeed real. With the speculated release date less than a month away, the mobile industry, particularly the mobile app market, eagerly awaits for this latest Apple product, as this will most probably bring a huge impact on their businesses.

Apple has officially announced in March this year that the App Store has hit the 25 billion mark for app downloads, since it first started in July 2008.

According to a recent Xyologic App Download statistics, the total app download for iPhone devices in Australia has reached almost 8 million, with 34 million downloaded apps in June this year. The average download per user is 83, which is a significant increase of 61% from the average download per user of 51 in 2010.

Craig Aitken, Owner and Director of mobile app development company SmarterApps said, “Mobile apps are in high demand, and we want to keep up with this trend. We always make sure that we are prepared for any upcoming products from all mobile companies, especially Apple devices – as we know that one way or another, it will affect our market and our clients.”

He added, “Mobile app developers who wish to point their business in the right direction should tap into this trend – cutting edge iPhone app development is a must, as Apple has a huge market share in the mobile industry.”

Smarter Apps is a leading mobile app developer from Australia that provides app programming & creation services for iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad. The company also provides app development services for Android and Blackberry devices.

Do you have an app idea in mind? SmarterApps could develop that app for you, call them today at # or visit their website at smarterapps.com

How to Use an iPhone Tracking App to Keep Track of Your Kids

If you’re a parent looking for a low cost (but highly effective) way to keep track of your kids, then you should consider an iPhone tracking app.

As you probably are aware, the iPhone is the hottest cell phone on the market today. The latest iPhone 4 sold millions in the first week, further cementing its place as the most sought after cell phone. Since the iPhone is a very popular device, it’s obviously the desire of most kids today. This means parents can use this as a tool to monitor and track their kids by installing an iPhone tracking application that will report the location of their children at any time.

The way tracking apps work, is soon after installation, they begin to report GPS coordinates at certain intervals (which usually you can adjust) or they will enable you to “request” the location of the iPhone user. Results are usually sent to an account that you set up at time of purchase. This enables you to then log in using any internet connected device and view the tracking data.

The cool thing is that these tracking apps will show display the GPS location on a map (usually Google Maps), which means you can zoom in, zoom out, get driving direction, and even use Google’s Street View option to get a 360 degree view of the area. There is truly no better tracking option out there.

An iPhone-tracking application means no more worrying if your kids are in school or when they don’t pick up their phone when you try to call them. With this type of app, you’ll always have a way to find out “exactly” where they are at any given time.

One thing to point out is that not all of these apps are created equal. Tracking applications will fall into two categories. The first one being ‘visible’ and the second one being ‘hidden’ to the user. What this means that before you purchase an iPhone-tracking app to track your kids, decide if you want them to know you are tracking them, or if you’d rather not tell them. In most cases, the visible tracking apps are sold within the App store, whereas the ‘hidden’ iPhone tracking apps are sold outside the App store.

The best way to decide if you should purchase a visible or hidden app is to ask yourself how your children will react if you tell them that you have installed an app on their phone to track them in case of an emergency. My guess is that if you make it a condition of having the iPhone, most kids won’t care. However, if you feel your older children will not like the though of mom and dad knowing where they go, then definitely go with the hidden tracking applications.

Regardless of your decision, using an iPhone tracking app is the best way to keep track of your kids, and that means more “peace of mind” for you and your spouse.

The 10 Best Apps for Education

Free education apps are hard to find, but this article has ten of the best for use on your iPhone or iPod touch. Learning has never been more fun or convenient.

Mobile Learning Opportunities

More and more schools see mobile learning technology as one of the best ways to integrate technology into the classroom. They are flexible, portable and cost efficient answers to modern learning needs.

However, many parents and students already have mobile learning devices like an iPhone, or iPod touch at home. This list has ten of the best apps for education to help you make the most of your learning opportunities.

The 10 Best Apps for Education

Dictionary.com: This app is a must have application for students of all ages. It incorporates a dictionary, thesaurus and a word of the day feature. Students can have the words pronounced out loud to them, and examples of how to use the words in a sentence correctly are also included. Are you wondering where a word came from? The word origins feature will tell you just what you need to know. Dictionary.com is one of the favorite apps of Language teachers, so why not add this free, versatile tool to your iPhone today.

World Wiki: Master international relations with this demographic goldmine. World Wiki collates information from over 200 countries from Wikipedia, and organizes them into useful categories like capital cities, currencies, flags, governments, populations and even national anthems. In the ever changing world that we live in, you can be sure to keep up to date with the very latest developments by using this handy app.

Evernote: This app can help students take notes and organize web media easily. You can take a photo, a screenshot, a typed note or save a web page and Evernote will save it, index it and make it searchable for when you need it most. In short it lets you learn on the go, and keep track of the most interesting notes and media that students might need for a class project or presentation. Best of all, it works on PCs, Macs and other portable devices, so the content you save on one is available to view on all the rest. When used well, this is easily one of the best apps for education users.

Google Earth: You might already have this great mapping tool on your home computer, but you can be assured that the iPhone app is just as useful and just as easy to use. It makes great use of Apple’s multi-touch by letting you zoom with a pinch, and navigate with a swipe. You can even tilt the world by tilting your iPhone. The Google Earth app is clearly among the best apps for education. It is also a popular app with Social Studies teachers because of the interactivity it offers their students.

Miss Spell’s Class: This useful spelling app comes from the creators of Dictionary.com. Hold your own spelling bees and have students challenge their parents, siblings or peers as they cycle through the database of words to decide if they are spelled correctly or not. Points are awarded for speed and accuracy. The database contains over 10,000 words, so you will not tire of this educational app any time soon.

Free Educational iPhone Applications

TED: Tech savvy teens will find that there is plenty in this free app to satisfy their innate curiosity. The TED app gives you access to the TED talks. These are a collection of presentations by some of the world’s brightest minds and they give a glimpse into the future of technology, science, business, design and more. Each inspiring talk is no more than 15 minutes in length, and is usually engaging enough to capture even the shortest of attention spans.

Stanza: This award-winning e-reader app is one of the best educational iPhone applications because it offers a wealth of options for reading. For instance, you have access to over 100, 000 books in the Lexcycle Online Library. Text colors, line spacing, font sizes, and orientation can all be customized to improve your viewing experience. There is also a free desktop app will move any existing ebooks or documents you own to you iPhone or iPod touch with ease. With Stanza, you need never be caught without something to read.

Units: Given the sheer number of metric and imperial measurements, you can be forgiven for not remembering them all. Thankfully, this is where Units comes in handy. Units can convert area, currency, temperatures, length, speed, weight, power, volume and more. There is even a small built in ruler for quick measurements on the go. So, whether you are doing Math, Economics or Science, this useful app will have something to offer everyone.

iFlashcards Free: Flashcards are a favorite study tool of students the world over. This app lets you create an unlimited number of flashcards on your iPhone and iPod Touch, or on the internet so that you can download them to your Apple device. You can customize card size, colors and questions easily, and there are 4 test modes to make sure you have all the facts you need. The ability to tag cards means that you can test yourself on all the ‘vocab’ or ‘science’ cards by filtering through all the collections you have. There are few educational iPhone applications that are more useful than this one.

Math Drills Lite: If there is one thing that Elementary and Middle School Math teachers agree on, it is the need for a mastery of basic Math facts. The ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide, are the crucial foundations of success in Math. This app is aimed at improving these essential skills. Usefully, it has explanations of ways to solve each problem like number lines, groups of blocks or the nine times table on your fingers. There are also simple algebraic problems with missing signs to add to equations. Download this today and see why it is one of the top 10 iPod touch apps that are used in the Math classroom.

These educational iPhone applications represent some of the best learning apps that you can find. Parents and students with tips on which they like or don’t and how they like to use them, or other educational apps at the App Store they want to recommend, are encouraged to post a comment below.

iPhone 5 Release Date Rumors vs Samsung Galaxy S3 Reviews: Android Smartphone More Popular Than Apple

Will the iPhone 5 release date be overshadowed by the Samsung Galaxy S3? Rumors have suggested the 6th generation Apple mobile device will be a hot item for Q4 2012, but some reviews say the Android Galaxy S3 is likely to leave the Apple gadget in the dust. Will iPhone lovers switch to Android after all?

A recent article says of the Galaxy S3:

“Reviewers have praised the Samsung Galaxy S3 as the best phone on the market, outclassing its competitors – and even beating the iPhone at its own game.”

If the new Samsung Android handset has already outdone the iPhone 4S, which was just released in October, what chance is there for the iPhone 5 release date? Rumors have suggested the 6th generation Apple smartphone will hit the market this Fall, but will the consumer electronics giant be able to tweak the iOS 6 smartphone enough to outshine its Android competition?

Which handset do you think will come out on top for 2012? Will the iPhone 5 release date be a success? Or will Android smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S3, steal the limelight?

Best free apps for your iPhone

iPhones wouldn’t be complete without an array of apps to make life that little bit easier, however some of the best ones cost money. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel, as some of the best apps out there are free! Here’s a list of some of the best apps you can plunder the App Store for without those seemingly inconspicuous £0.69p payments getting out of hand.

5. Runkeeper

Everyone has, at some point in their lives, the desire to take up jogging; perhaps this is due to the massive pressure put on people to look good these days. That’s exactly what Runkeeper is for; it delivers the prospect of Nike+ but for free, which is great because no-one wastes money when they inevitably decide that jogging requires far too much effort. As for the app itself, it uses the GPS in the phone to track your jogging and cycling routes, and indicates to you how many calories you’ve burnt off.

4. Stanza

Stanza offers an alternative to Apple’s bookstore and the Amazon Kindle, turning an iPhone (or iPad) into a sufficient and easy to use book reader. Sure, some of the newest popular releases are a bit pricey, but Stanza draws from several databases such as Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks and Random House’s to offer you an extensive collection of free books. The interface is easy to use -merely swipe your finger to change page, you can change the font to one of 24 selections, making Stanza’s interface one of the best out there for reading.

3. The Radio

This app is simple, but it does what it does exceptionally well, it turns your iPhone into a DAB radio that has over 300 of the UK’s popular radio stations to choose from, streaming them live and in great sound quality. The interface is simplicity at its finest, you simply scroll through the stations until you find the one you want and then wait for it to play. It also has an alarm feature, which means you can wake up to some actual music rather than one of the iPhone’s annoying tones.

2. Shazam

Ever heard a song that you really liked, but can’t for the life of you remember what song it was, or who sings it. Shazam is a magic little app that somehow manages to find out what song you’re listening to. Just hold the phone near to whatever it is that’s playing the elusive song and it’ll tell you. Now you no longer have to spend days annoyed at your brain’s inefficiency to remember things, although sometimes Shazam will leave you frustrated too, it’s still worth it.

1. Find My iPhone

What use are amazing free apps if your phone isn’t glued to your hand, if you leave it somewhere, lose it, or it gets pilfered from you (those evil robbers) you’ll be able to find it using this useful App. And then when you relocate it and are reunited with your magical phone you can get back to downloading free apps. Of course, you can phone and text people as well, but who wants to do that. That arguably makes this the most useful app of them all.