Well, the time his here.  The time to update to the new IOS 7 has come and will be released today.  On the East Coast, they say around noon.  Anyway, before updating it’s very important to create a backup of your phone, especially after the errors and problems we experienced when updating to IOS 6.

How to prevent errors?  The short answer is, there isn’t a way to be 100% sure there won’t be any hiccups, however we would recommend doing the following so your update goes as smooth as possible:

1.  Make a backup of your current phone with iTunes (see instructions below)

2. Are all of your apps necessary?  This may be a good time to clean up some of your old apps before upgrading, especially since there is a possibility the app developer needs to update their app because of bugs.

3.  Update all of your apps ahead of time.

Again, insuring you have a backup of your phone is the most critical item to preventing any problems when upgrading.  If you have a backup you can easily revert back if you need to.  One thing to keep in mind when backing up is to also make sure you have the correct items checked off to back up in iTunes.

How to back up your iPhone before installing iOS 7

Your iPhone gets backed up to one of two places: iTunes on your computer or iCloud (in the cloud).  Either way you can create a quick backup before updating to IOS 7.

Back up to iTunes

Step one: Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB cable.

Step two: By default, this will launch iTunes and start the sync process, which includes making a backup. However, if your iPhone isn’t set to auto-sync, continue on to step three.

Step three: Click the Summary button for your iPhone. Then, in the Backups section, click the Back Up Now button. This process might take 30 seconds or several minutes.

Back up to iCloud

Step one: Make sure your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Step two: Tap the Settings icon, then tap iCloud.

Step three: Tap Storage & Backup, then Back Up Now. Again, this might happen quickly, or it could take a while.

That’s it, you should be fine to update your phone or IOS device to IOS 7.  You can update your iPhone by going to settings > general > software update (you should now see a red circle indicating there is an update on the settings icon).

That’s it!  Let us know if you experience any errors or problems throughout your update process.

About iOS 6.1.3 Software Update

This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:

•  Fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the passcode and access the Phone app
•  Improvements to Maps in Japan

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

iOS: How to update your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch article http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4623.

iOS 5 Error 3200 or “internal error” update issues?

It seems many user’s are getting Error 3200 when upgrading their iPhone’s to the new iOS 5 today.  Apple’s server is getting overloaded with customer’s with issues and can’t possibly get to all of the issues yet.  The iOS 5 error 3200 problem is the most common error stating that there is an “internal error”.  Some have tried updating 5-10 times with still no luck.  This reminds me of the problems I had when I tried upgrading my Macbook Pro’s Snow Leopard to Lion.  In my case it was actually some kind of a hardware conflict.  I ended up reverting to Snow Leopard and I’m back to running smooth.  I’m not sure what the fix is to the iOS5 update issue, but we’ll keep you updated in case you are one of the users who experienced this nightmare.

This post was originally going to show screenshots of my own iOS 5 upgrade so if you’re interested, read on!

Problem/Error Free Upgrade to iOS 5 On My iPhone 4

I plugged my phone in and as usual, iTunes popped up and started syncing my iPhone.  After it was synced I clicked on the update button, which prompted me to update my iTunes.  After the update started it backed everything up again, installed the updates, then restarted the phone.  After my phone was restarted it restored it’s original backup.  The whole process took me around 45 to an hour to complete, with no iOS5 errors whatsoever (whew)!  Below are screenshots of the next steps after my update was complete.

Screenshots of the Entire iPhone 4 iOS 5 Update

These steps are quite simple but I thought it would be cool to show you the steps to update iOS5.

Right after I started to use the phone the home screen seemed a lot more crisp.  On the home screen you’ll immediately notice the new newsstand where you can purchase books.  You’ll also notice a new icon in the bottom that used to be called “iPod” and is now labeled “music”.

Not a huge difference, but I notice every little details since I design websites.  The toggle button shave a new and improved glossy appearance.

What’s so different?  My favorite updates have to do with the camera.  It’s easier to access and operate since you can now take pictures by pressing the side volume button rather than tap the screen.  This was a simple solution I was looking for a while ago after tapping the screen and messing up a few good pictures.  I haven’t gone over all of the features yet but I’ll be posting updates here when I come across more features.

Some of the most important updates in my opinion:

Messages with iMessage

Now you can text it up with fellow iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users running iOS 5. Messages with iMessage are unlimited.¹ And secure, too. Talk to all your friends or family at once with group messaging. See who’s reading with delivery and read receipts. And if words aren’t enough, send photos, videos, locations, and contacts.

Reminders

You’ll never miss an important deadline, errand, or grocery item thanks to Reminders. Create lists of things to do that you can check off as you go. Even add due dates and locations — pick up mustard at the store after work, for example. Reminders knows exactly when and where to send you an alert.

Photos

Touch up photos right on your iPhone — without the help of photo editing software on a computer. Crop, rotate, enhance, and remove red-eye. Then organize your shots into albums, so you know exactly where your favorites are when the next photo-sharing opportunity presents itself.

Camera Enhancements

Here’s a photo op for your photo ops. Now you can access the Camera app right from the Lock screen. Use grid lines and pinch-to-zoom gestures to get your shot just right. Focus with a tap. Then press the volume-up button and take your photo.

With all of the hype about a new model, updated screen size, different glass, different buttons, the iPhone 5 didn’t happen as everyone expected.  In fact, Apple release the second model of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S.  Similar to the second unveiling of the iPhone 3g to 3gs but in a grand fashion with tremendous hype. I guess the answer to our article, “Will the iPhone 5 be a flop” was finally answered.

Should I upgrade from my iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S?

There’s a simple answer to this question in my opinion.  After looking at the new features of the phone, I can’t justify myself paying to upgrade from my iPhone 4.  There are updates to the screen resolution, camera, and video, but other than that it’s not very impressive.  Hopefully the next version of the iPhone is actually an iPhone 5 (completely new model)!

Take a look at the press release and video below to judge the phone for yourself…

Official iPhone 4S Press Release

Apple Launches iPhone 4S, iOS 5 & iCloud

iPhone 4S Features Dual-Core A5 Chip, All New Camera, Full 1080p HD Video Recording & Introduces Siri

CUPERTINO, California—October 4, 2011—Apple® today announced iPhone® 4S, the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. With the launch of iPhone 4S also comes the launch of iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features; and iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work with your iPhone, iPad®, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices.

“iPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together.”

iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 200 new features including Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption and iMessage, a new messaging service that lets you easily send text messages, photos and videos between all iOS 5 users. iOS 5 will also be available as a free software update for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS customers allowing them to experience these amazing new features.*

iPhone 4S also introduces Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Siri understands context allowing you to speak naturally when you ask it questions, for example, if you ask “Will I need an umbrella this weekend?” it understands you are looking for a weather forecast. Siri is also smart about using the personal information you allow it to access, for example, if you tell Siri “Remind me to call Mom when I get home” it can find “Mom” in your address book, or ask Siri “What’s the traffic like around here?” and it can figure out where “here” is based on your current location. Siri helps you make calls, send text messages or email, schedule meetings and reminders, make notes, search the Internet, find local businesses, get directions and more. You can also get answers, find facts and even perform complex calculations just by asking.

iCloud is a breakthrough set of free cloud services, including iTunes® in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.

iPhone 4S includes an all new camera with the most advanced optics of any phone. The 8 megapixel sensor has 60 percent more pixels so you can take amazing high quality photos with more detail than ever. iPhone 4S includes a new custom lens, a larger f/2.4 aperture and an advanced hybrid IR filter that produce sharper, brighter and more accurate images. The Apple-designed image signal processor in the A5 dual-core chip is built for performance, and coupled with the features built into iOS 5, makes the camera one of the fastest on any phone. With iPhone 4S, the Camera app launches much faster and the shot to shot capability is twice as fast, so you’ll never miss another shot.

New features in the Camera and Photos apps give you instant access to the camera right from the lock screen, and you can also use the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo. Optional grid lines help line up your shot and a simple tap locks focus and exposure on one subject; and the new Photos app lets you crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organize your photos into albums right on your device to share them on the go. New iOS 5 features include built-in Twitter integration and iMessage, so you can instantly share your photos via Twitter directly from the Photos app and send photos via iMessage to individuals or groups. And with iCloud’s innovative new Photo Stream service, a photo you take on your iPhone is sent to iCloud and automatically pushed to your iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC. You can even view your Photo Stream album on your Apple TV®.

iPhone 4S can also now record video in full 1080p HD resolution and with the new video image stabilization feature, you can take richer, smoother videos. Other iPhone 4S video camera improvements include increased sensitivity, sharpness and an increased ability to capture video in low light conditions. With the new iMessage service in iOS 5, you can now instantly share videos with family and friends.

iPhone 4S has the same beautifully thin glass and stainless steel design that millions of customers around the world love, while being completely redesigned on the inside. Apple’s dual-core A5 chip delivers up to twice the processing power and up to seven times faster graphics than iPhone 4, all while maintaining incredible battery life—now up to 8 hours of 3G talk time.

Improving on the innovative stainless steel external, dual-antenna design of iPhone 4, iPhone 4S is the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to send and receive. iPhone 4S now supports twice the download speed with HSDPA of up to 14.4 Mbps and iPhone 4S is a world phone, so both CDMA and GSM customers can now roam internationally on GSM networks.**

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4S comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the new 64GB model.*** iPhone 4S will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on Friday, October 14 and customers can pre-order their iPhone 4S beginning Friday, October 7. iPhone 4 will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 3GS will be available for free with a two year contract. Siri will be available in beta on iPhone 4S in English (localized for US, UK and Australia), French and German. iOS 5 software will be available on October 12 as a free software update via iTunes 10.5 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch customers.

iPhone 4S will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries by the end of October including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

If you ever lose your iTunes library, you’ll find out that you cannot get your music into your new library because it becomes out of sync.  Here’s an easy solution to get your music from you iPhone or iPod back.

Lifehacker wrote a great article at the beginning of the month called, “How Can I Transfer Music from My iPod or iPhone to My Computer?“.  The tutorial came in handy after my Mac crashed and I lost my iTunes music collection.  I was left with some music on my iPhone, not all of my library but my favorites so I searched for a way to get my MP3’s from my iPhone to my iTunes library.  You’ll find out you can’t do it without downloading a 3rd party app to get them back and many 3rd party applications try to charge you an arm and a leg just to get your music back!  LifeHacker provides an awesome, FREE resource to get the job done without breaking out your wallet.

The tutorial on LifeHacker is geared towards getting your iPhone music to your iTunes on any operating system, however the step where they tell you to drag and drop the music folder didn’t seem to work for me.  I’m not sure if it’s because I upgraded my Macbook to Lion OSX or not, but here’s what I did to transfer my music.  It should work for your iPhone or iPod on any operating system.

Step One: Find Your iPhone’s Music Folder

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you’ll need to download a free program called iExplorer, formerly known as iPhone Explorer,  to find your music folder.

Here are some recent reviews for the program in case you wanted to be sure it’s legit:

by Lou lou, August 14, 2011
I couldn’t download my videos from I phone 4 because they were to long. I found this site through reviews and my god its brilliant. I’m so impressed by it I can’t wait to tell everyone about it. A really big thank you I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to save my videos. So brilliant.
by Ishikawa Ryutaro, September 09, 2011
I am just simply amazed by how simple and effective this program works. There are no catches to it. Just simply plug in your iPhone and it just works! Normally I don’t write reviews but this really deserves it.

Look under User > Media > iTunes_Control > Music in the left sidebar. This is where your music is stored. If you’re on an older iPod, plug it in and start up iTunes. Click on the iPod in the left sidebar and check the box that says “Enable Disk Mode”. Then, open up Windows Explorer and click on the iPod in the sidebar. If you don’t see the iPod_Control folder, go to Organize > Folder and Search Options and hit the View tab. Click the “Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives” radio button and hit OK. You should see a folder called iPod_Control show up, in which you’ll find all your music.

Step Two: Open iTunes

The iPod_Control folder houses all your music, but its in a cryptic and hard-to-understand file structure. This doesn’t matter, since we’re just going to transfer all of it directly into iTunes, and iTunes will sort it out for us. Open up iTunes and head to Edit > Preferences (or, on a Mac, iTunes > Preferences). Click the Advanced tab and make sure both boxes are checked on this page—both to Keep the iTunes Media Folder Organized and to Copy Files to iTunes Media Folder. This will ensure that iTunes copies all that music to your computer and renames all your songs for you.

Step Three: Drag, Drop, and Wait

Here’s where Lifehacker’s method of dragging and dropping didn’t work for me.  You might as well try doing this and if it doesn’t start copying try my alternative below.  Click on “Music” in iTunes’ sidebar, select the “iPod_Control” folder inside iPhone Explorer, and drag the “Music” folder from the right pane into the main iTunes window.

If dragging and dropping doesn’t work, copy the entire folder to your desktop.  Go into iTunes > File > Add to Library and fine the folder on your desktop you just copied.  Your iTunes will import all of the music from your iPhone/iPad!  You can remove the folder on your desktop now because all of the music is already copied to your iTunes library folder.  You can access your mp3 files at any time by browsing through the iTunes library folder if you ever need to use them for something.

Hopefully you enjoyed this FREE way to transfer music from your iPhone or iPod to your iTunes library.  Spread the word if you liked the tutorial and let us know if you run into any problems!

Steve Jobs Pictures Throughout the Years

Steve Jobs Resignation Letter as Apple’s CEO

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

A list of the best Steve Jobs quotes

A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets.

Apple’s market share is bigger than BMW’s or Mercedes’s or Porsche’s in the automotive market. What’s wrong with being BMW or Mercedes?

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

I think we’re having fun. I think our customers really like our products. And we’re always trying to do better.

I want to put a ding in the universe.

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.

It is piracy, not overt online music stores, which is our main competitor.

It took us three years to build the NeXT computer. If we’d given customers what they said they wanted, we’d have built a computer they’d have been happy with a year after we spoke to them – not something they’d want now.

Pretty much, Apple and Dell are the only ones in this industry making money. They make it by being Wal-Mart. We make it by innovation.

Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.

The people who are doing the work are the moving force behind the Macintosh. My job is to create a space for them, to clear out the rest of the organization and keep it at bay.

To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires a lot of disciplines.

You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.

Which one of these Steve Job quotes is your favorite?

Yesterday I got a glimpse at the influence smartphones have had in our lives up to this point, and their role in the future of our children.

My wife and I were having lunch with some friends yesterday and between our two families, there were six kids total (my wife and I have 4, our friends have 2).  The youngest of the six is 3 years old and the oldest is 11 years old.

Church had just let out about an hour earlier and everyone was hungry.  So our restaurant of choice was Shanes Rib Shack in Athens, Georgia.

The food was excellent, as always, and we occupied a back corner of the restaurant.  When their’s ten people total, to include six kids, you need some room to spread out, so the sprawling tablets in the corner were perfect.

So after we ate, we were just sitting back and hanging out trying to have a conversation.  And of course, as typical kids are, they get rambunctious just sitting at a table after you eat.  The little one is starting to climb all over the adults, and the older ones are trying to find ways to amuse themselves.

Between the six kids, there were only a couple of iPod Touches and one iPhone.  This was perfect for the ones who had the devices, but not so much for the kids who didn’t.

Pretty soon the kids who didn’t have any any devices to play on were asking the adults to borrow their smartphones.  Between the adults there were three iPhones and one Android smartphone (that was mine, I traded in my iPhone for an Galaxy S).

And then it happened, I got a glimpse into the impact of mobile phones not only in our lives right now, but the role mobile phones will play in the future.  All six kids had a smartphone and were playing games.  From the three year old to the 11 year old, every kid was holding a smartphone and intently engaged staring at their screens.

The adults were thinking, “wow… look at that.  All six kids lost in the world of a smartphone.”

It’s moments like this that Apple and Google would get excited about because here you have young kids actively engaged in smartphones.  This means, the future of smartphones are bright.  And even for today, regardless of age, smartphones are in high demand and have some utility in people’s lives.

If you thought fake Apple products were only a problem in China, then think again.  Apple recently pursued two stores in the New York City that were selling fake iPhone and iPad accessories, among other knock off Apple products.

The two stores named in court documents are Apple Story and Fun Zone, both located in the Flushing, New York area.

Court documents relating to Apple’s investigation of the two stores were sealed until warrants were issued.  The filing shows that Apple sent representatives into fake Apple stores in order to buy iPod, iPhone, and iPad cases and also iPhone headsets on “multiple occasions over several weeks.

The investigation that followed revealed counterfeit Apple products that were carrying Apple’s logo and were packaged in a way that was “nearly an exact duplicate” of Apple’s products.

“Defendants are trading on and receiving the benefit of the goodwill Apple has established in the Apple trademarks through considerable labor and expense over many years,” Apple said in the complaint.

According to AppleInsider, “On July 27, Apple executed several ex parte seizure warrants — allowing the company to seize the items — that swept up goods from both stores that bore the Apple logo,” the report wrote. U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto has also granted a request for a preliminary injunction against sales of the knock-off goods at the two stores.

If you own an iOS device (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad) then you can now download the Skype Wi-Fi app and get access to over 1 million Wi-Fi networks around the world.  Regardless of where you are, and what degree of access the Wi-Fi network may carry, with Skype Wi-Fi you are in.

Pricing for the new Skype Wi-Fi starts at 6 cents per minute of data access, and there’s no limit to the amount of data you can consume with your iDevice.  Simply launch the app, login to Skype, tap the “Go Online” button, and surf away.

For those who own the iPhone or iPad, Skype is reporting that your device must be running iOS 4.1 or above.

And to get you excited and engaged with the new Skype Wi-Fi service, Skype is offering up to 60 minutes of free Skype Wi-Fi between midnight August 20th and 11:5pm August 21st (BST).

Features of the new Skype Wi-Fi app:

• Reduce your data roaming costs when you’re abroad:
• Use Skype WiFi to connect to WiFi hotspots at hotels, airports, train stations, bars and restaurants – available at over 1 million hotspots worldwide.
• Just one tap to connect – then browse the internet, check email, use Skype, check Facebook, update Twitter, upload photos, download music or ebooks.
• Only pay for the time you’re connected – there are no limits on the amount of data you can upload or download.

A couple of days ago, I wrote about a rumor from Kodawarsian, a Japanese website, that Apple has scheduled a media event for Wednesday, September 7th to announce a new line of iPods and perhaps even the iPhone 5.

But according to LoopInsight.com, these rumors are absolutely not true.  They have their own sources who have confirmed that Apple will not be holding  an event on September 7th, which also means no iPhone 5 announcement on that date.

The one company who is more frustrated than anybody about the seemingly long delay of the iPhone 5 release is Verizon.  Verizon is already experiencing a slow down in iPhone sales.  And recently blamed Apple, and their delay of the next iPhone release, for their lack luster iPhone sales.

Fake Apple stores are apparently flourishing in China, much the iPhone black market has been flourishing there since 2007.  Reuters is reporting that authorities in China’s southwestern city of Kunming have identified another 22 unauthorized Apple retailers weeks after a fake of the company’s store in the city sparked an international storm.

The fake Apple stores in China reportedly sell genuine Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices.  Employees wear the custom blue t-shirts.  And in some cases, as it was reported when the first fake Apple store was revealed, some employees actually believe they work for Apple.

According to Reuters,  in July, inspections of around 300 shops in Kunming were carried out after a blog post by an American living in the city exposed a near-flawless fake Apple Store where even the staff were convinced they were working for the California-based iPhone and iPad maker.

Chinese law protects trademarks and prohibits companies from copying the “look and feel” of other companies’ stores.

Kodawarsian, a Japanese website, is reporting that Apple has scheduled a media event for Wednesday, September 7th to announce a new line of iPods and perhaps (unconfirmed) the long awaited iPhone 5.

Again, nothing is confirmed that the Apple iPhone 5 will be announced at the iPod event in September, but rumors up to this point have suggested that the iPhone 5 will be released around the September – October time frame.

via PCWorld

I wrote a couple of days ago about a suspected fake Apple store that popped up in Kunming, China. The fake Apple store was decked out in all the standard Apple garb.  The employees were wearing blue shirts.  Everyone was happy and smiling.  And there were even Apple devices laying out on to play with such as the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

But what was out of line, according to the initial whistle blower, was the paint on the walls was chipped, the Apple store sign out front actually said “Apple Store” – when any true Apple fan knows that Apple would never do such a thing; Apple simply puts out a sign with the Apple logo and no text.

Apparently all the publicity has taken an effect in China, and it is now reported that China officials will be moving in to close down the fake Apple store.  And from the initial reports, there was reportedly at least three fake Apple stores in Kunming, China.

Here’s a news video covering the fake Apple store story:

I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight!  I find myself frantically scurrying through YouTube in search of videos showing iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads exploding.  It’s interesting what I’m coming up with here, so let’s dive right in to this weird phase of mine.

Here’s an iPod Touch that suddenly explodes with steam & smoke.  The question is, is this video real of fake?

You watch it and let me know what you think…

iPod Touch exploding with steam & smoke

But when I read about these fake Apple stores, man… this was the icing on the cake for me, and now gives me a totally new concept and perception of the country of China.

The Apple store (or I should say counterfeit Apple store) was exposed by a U.S. blogger (her blog is called Birdabroad) living in Kunming in Southwest China.  The blogger noticed what appeared to be an Apple store, complete with Apple’s trademark, wide open interior, and even blue shirted staff.  And amazingly, the store also had Apple products to play around with such as iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches.

But the more the blogger looked around, the more things started to look suspicious.  Things like unprofessional paint job on the walls, employees wearing name tags without names on them, the Apple store sign at the front actually had the worlds “Apple Store” on it – Apple never puts text on the sign, they just have their Apple logo.

And some deeper research showed, according to Apple’s website, that China only has Apple stores in Beijing and Shanghai.

After the blogger left the first counterfeit Apple store, she proceeded to find two more stores just like, all in the same neighborhood.

Here’s the photos she shot of the fake Apple stores in Kunming, China:

via Birdabroad

You might be surprised at exactly how much Apple is earning from app sales.  Apple just announced last week that the 200 million iOS users have downloaded 15 billion apps.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster commented on this today stating that the average price of an app in the App Store is $1.44, or which Apple nets $0.18 after deducting the cost for credit card fees and server cost.

According to Munster, Apple has generated $538 million from app sales, and has spent $246 million on server fees.

This brings in a total net profit of just $292 million for Apple.

However, this definitely isn’t looking at the bigger picture.  As a result of the apps, both paid and free, Apple has generated billions of dollars in revenue from the sales of iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches.

via BI

September could be shaping up to be one of the biggest months of new releases from Apple in the history of the company.  We’ve been reporting about a possible iPhone 5 and iPad HD release hitting in September, and now a 3G iPod Touch could accompany them.

What advantage does an a 3G iPod Touch present?

For one thing, it would be a dramatic boost to mobile phone carriers due to the 3G data plans that would need to be purchased.

But for Apple, a 3G iPod Touch, along with the Apple iPhone 5 and the other previous versions of the iPhone, could help it compete with the myriad of Android devices that are flooding the market.

via BGR

Apple just released iOS 5 Beta 2 for developers.  One of the hot topics around this release is wireless syncing.

This means, no more having to plug your iPhone in to your computer or laptop to sync it up with iTunes – wireless syncing takes care of it for you.

For those who desire to free themselves completely from their PC can actually start backing up your iPhone, iPod, or iPad to the cloud through iCloud services.

More to come on iOS 5 Beta 2.

Developers can download iOS 56 Beta 2 here.

According to a customer care rep for AT&T, the iPhone 5 (if that’s in fact what it will be called), will not be released in the typical June or July time frame. According to an iPhone customer who contacted AT&T about his upgrade eligibility, the AT&T rep is quoted as responding to his request with:

Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future. Unfortunately, we have not been given a release time for the new phone. We will release this information on our website when it is available to us.

It is now become a common theme online that Apple is now expected to announce the new iPhone 5, and perhaps even an iPhone 5 Pro, at its yearly iPod event that’s been typically held in September.

via CultofMac

A lot of the buzz thus far circulating around the iPhone 5 has been the NFC capabilities to take mobile payments.  This has been based on previously released info that Apple was looking to hire  a near field communications (NFC) expert to help develop the payment integration into the iPhone.

New info out today shows that with the iPhone 5, we might actually see a standard version of the iPhone 5 and an iPhone 5 Pro, and that the phones will be released in the fall (perhaps September at Apple’s iPod event).

According to iphonedownloadblog, who released the info today:

Our source says that Apple is ordering components of similar function, but some of them are the very best of what you can get right now.

While the rest of the ordered components are just the standard versions, Apple is also ordering better quality components of the same function. Our source says that both types of components wouldn’t go in one device together, which makes him believe Apple is up to something with a ‘pro’ version.

Imagine walking into Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint, and simply walking up to the counter and asking for a free iPad or a free Android smartphone.

Or imagine the day, which I believe whole heartedly is coming sooner rather than later, when you go to Amazon.com and request one of those free Kindle devices.

I predict that within 5 years, devices like the iPad, iPhone, Android smartphones, and the Kindle, and a whole army of other devices that have yet to invented, are going to be offered 100% free of charge and 100% subsidized by advertising.

Look at the new “ad supported Kindle” that is currently in prototype.  It is expected to launch next month (May) for 25% less than the current ad free Kindle.

That means you’ll be able to purchase the new ad supported Kindle for only $114, as opposed to the $139 ad free device.

But this is just the initial launch of the ad supported device.

What is Amazon finds that a whole army of new customers are coming to Amazon.com and a whole new source of revenue is being facilitated?

Wouldn’t it make sense then to just open up the flood gates to the Kindle and just offer it for free?

And if it’s working for the Kindle, why wouldn’t the same business model work for Apple (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), and Google (Android smartphones, Android tablets)?

My prediction…  within 5 years we’ll have free devices on the market that are 100% subsidized by ads.

Mark your calendars!

In my view, this also opens up a whole new realm of market possibilities.

Just think of the demand for advertiser relationships and sales, the gadgets and devices themselves, and the number of consumers that are holding these gadgets.

With the ease of data access – currently 3G and 4G connectivity and WiFi – these devices could deliver a constant stream of deals to people who are out and about shopping around their towns.

And if you are the device manufacturer, or the online ecommerce site that is delivering these ads, forget about just breaking even.

What would local advertisers be willing to pay if they knew they could be displaying their ads to customers who are currently around town shopping?  It would be a pretty big premium, in my opinion.

I realize this is a bit of old news. But I was watching CNBC this morning and saw a commercial for a Buick and in the commercial, the owner was in his office (who knows how far away), and he started his car for his daughter from his Android smartphone.  This was done using the OnStar MyLink app which is available via any Android or iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) device and can be used on any 2011 GM vehicle.

Check it out:

Hulu has leaked, in a very nonchalant fashion, information on their website indicating that the Hulu Plus service will be coming to select Android OS 2.2 (Froyo version) handsets.  Currently, Hulu Plus is available on the Apple trio of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.  This currently iOS offering comes complete with content rendered in 720p HD, and can stream over both WiFi and 3G. Exactly what Android devices will be included in the Hulu Plus release is yet unknown.  But if you have a device running Android’s Froyo OS, I’m quite sure you’ll be able to stream Hulu Plus.

via Android Community

Last night I was talking with programmers from India with my iPhone via Skype.

The clarity via Skype was impressive both with me talking (there wasn’t any echos) and on me hearing them talk (the sound came through perfectly.

Even more of a test was the fact that I was talking with two programmers who had me on a conference call (they had me on speaker) – and throughout the entire conversation there wasn’t any delays or lack of clarity while talking.

Needless to say, I’m now a big fan of the Skype iPhone app.

Which leads me to think that the Skype app can also be installed on an iPad and iPod Touch.

Since the iPad and iPod Touch are “app” capable, all you need to do is install the Skype app and start making calls – that’s my theory anyway.

I don’t have an iPad or an iPod Touch so I haven’t tested it out yet, but I known plenty of people who have both and I will be testing this out probably by the end of today.

If you have an iPad or iPod Touch, go ahead and install Skype and give me a call.

My Skype is “listyourdeals” (without quotes of course).

Hit me via Skype from an iPad or an iPod Touch.

Starbucks has just updated all of their stores here in the U.S. with a new payment system that allows you to pay for your coffee by swiping your iPhone.

Starbucks announced on Wednesday that all 6800 stores here in the U.S., and the 1,000 stores within Target, are set to allow customers to pay for their coffee by swiping their mobile phones.

No longer do you need to fumble around for a credit card or cash – you can now simply pull out your iPhone, which you probably have in your hand already anyways, hold it up to the cashier and pay for your tall half-skinny half-1 percent extra hot split quad shot (two shots decaf, two shots regular) latte with whip… wow – that was painful!

According to the NYTimes, owners of BlackBerrys, iPhones or iPod Touches can use them to pay by downloading the free Starbucks Card app and holding their phones in front of a scanner at Starbucks cash registers. There is no Starbucks app for Android phones, although the company said it was working on one. The money is subtracted from their Starbucks account, which they can load with credit cards or, on iPhones, with PayPal funds.

Back in June, Apple tooks steps to fight the jailbreaking of their devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) by enabling a jailbreak detection API.

This nasty little API would actually shut down a device that was detected as being “jailbroken”.

What is Jailbreak you ask?

It’s basically when someone goes into the device (say an iPhone) and  removes Apple’s lock on the operating system.

Once a device is jailbroken, then any software, apps, and even other operating systems such as Android, can be ran on the iPhone.

Of course, Apple wouldn’t want this because it strips the exclusivity that Apple has on the device – keeping everything with Apple’s world.

Apple disables its jailbreak detection API

In the latest iOS 4.2 software update, reports are out that Apple has now disabled their jailbreak detection API.

Which also means that jailbreaking an Apple device will now proceed unhindered.

Someone asked, via Twitter of course, the following question:

Are there any sites/newsletters that notify you of Apple TV movie specials? For example, a list of movies that are $1 this week..?

I’m making an assumption here (which might not be good…) that the designated location for renting movies on your Apple TV would be iTunes (someone tell me if I’m wrong please).

So I went to iTunes > movies > $.99 cent rentals.

There’s a lot of different categories to browse through, but let me at least try to satisfy the question above by listing the currently featured movies that are only $.99 cents for your Apple TV.

Oh yeah, you can only get the HD movies on an Apple TV and they are actually $1.99 to rent… but I digress.

Here’s the current featured $1 movie rentals for Apple TV (actually you can only get them on a movie enabled device like your iPad, iPhone, iPod classic, iPod nano with video and iPod touch models):

Time Bandits

Mona Lisa (1986)

Withnail and I

The Long Good Friday

Drugstore Cowboy

Meet Bill

Bella

Glengarry Glen Ross

Dirty Love

Wristcutters: A Love Story

Apple has just released their newest update for their iOS devices (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) called 4.2. The features in the 4.2 update are multitasking, folders and Game Center. Another feature with the newest update is the “Find My Phone” feature that allows you to find your lost iPhone or iPad and even shoot a message to the device. Your device will show up on a map giving you the exact location.

With “Find My Phone” you can lock your device remotely and even completely erase your device.

The “Find My Phone” feature is now free with all MobileMe users.

Here’s the complete news release from Apple:

CUPERTINO, California—November 22, 2010—Apple® today announced that iOS 4.2, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, is available today for download for iPad, iPhone® and iPod touch®. iOS 4.2 brings over 100 new features from iOS 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2 to iPad including Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay® and AirPrint.

“iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Once again, the iPad with iOS 4.2 will define the target that other tablets will aspire to, but very few, if any, will ever be able to hit.”

iPad users can now run their favorite apps and switch between them instantly, while preserving iPad’s legendary battery life. Users can organize their apps with drag-and-drop simplicity using Folders, and Mail now features a Unified Inbox, fast inbox switching and a threaded message view.

Game Center allows iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users to challenge and play friends or be matched automatically with new opponents, showcase their scores and achievements, and discover new games their friends are playing.

AirPlay is a new feature for streaming music, video and photos wirelessly from iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to Apple TV®, transforming Apple TV into a great accessory for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. iOS users also will be able to use AirPort Express® and AirPlay to stream wirelessly to any stereo or powered speakers, or directly to AirPlay-enabled speakers coming to market in the months ahead.

AirPrint is a next-generation Wi-Fi print architecture that dramatically simplifies printing by completely eliminating printer drivers. A selection of AirPrint enabled printers including the HP Photosmart, HP LaserJet Pro and HP Officejet will be the first to support printing direct from iOS devices. iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users can simply tap to print their documents or photos wirelessly to any printer that supports AirPrint.

The Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) feature is now free to use without a MobileMe℠ subscription and helps you locate your missing device.* The Find My iPhone app is a free download on the App Store℠ and lets users easily locate a missing device on a map and have it display a message or play a sound. Users can even remotely lock or wipe data from a lost device to protect privacy.

Other new features that iOS 4.2 brings to the iPad include: the ability to rent TV episodes directly to iPad using the iTunes® App with a 30 day viewing window and a 48 hour session window once playback is started; the ability to easily find and highlight specific words and phrases on web pages in Safari®; enhanced enterprise support so businesses can take advantage of stronger security features, new device management capabilities and improved enterprise integration; industry-leading accessibility enhancements; and support for 25 additional languages, including Korean, Portuguese and Traditional Chinese.

The revolutionary iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. You can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, using the innovative Multi-Touch user interface. iPad weighs just 1.5 pounds, making it easy to carry and use anywhere.

Today, customers have downloaded more than seven billion apps from the groundbreaking App Store and more than 300,000 apps are available to consumers in 90 countries, with more than 40,000 native iPad apps. Over 125 million iOS users around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

Availability
The iOS 4.2 update is available today to download to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch by syncing the device with iTunes 10.1. iOS 4.2 is compatible with iPad, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, second and third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB) and new iPod touch. Some features may not be available on all products. For example, Multitasking requires iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB) or later.

*The free Find My iPhone feature is available for iPhone 4, iPad or new iPod touch (4th generation).

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Press Contacts:
Teresa Brewer
Apple
tbrewer@apple.com
(408) 974-6851

Natalie Kerris
Apple
nat@apple.com
(408) 974-6877

If you own a Mac 10.6 Snow Leopard, or an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch running iOS 3.0 or above, then at 10:00 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST) go to this URL to watch Apple’s conference via livestreaming:

www.apple.com/uk

Apple is hosting another one of their exciting conferences today where they will make major announcements about current and future product developments. Apple has decided to live stream the conference today, which is cool thing. But the live stream will only be available to compatible iOS devices and Macs running 10.4 Snow Leapard. The live event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. PDT today. And for those of you with a PC, I’m sure you’ll be able to find some hacked up version of the live stream somewhere on the web.

Apple compatible devices for the live stream:

• OX 10.6 Mac running Safari
• iPhone running iOS 3.0
• iPod touch running iOS 3.0
• iPad

Here’s Apple’s official announcement of the live streaming event:

Apple to Provide Live Video Streaming of Today’s Event

What: Live video stream of Apple’s October 20 event

When: Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 10:00 a.m. PDT

Where: www.apple.com/uk

Live Video Streaming

Apple® will broadcast its October 20 event online using Apple’s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards. Viewing requires either a Mac® running Safari® on Mac OS® X version 10.6 Snow Leopard®, an iPhone® or iPod touch® running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad. The live broadcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT on October 20, 2010 at www.apple.com/uk.

This broadcast is the property of Apple and is protected by US copyright law and international treaties. Any reproduction or distribution is strictly prohibited without prior written approval from Apple. Please contact Apple Public Relations with any questions.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

via CrunchGear

For those of you that are trying to find some new, innovative ways to use your iPhone, iPad, or your new and improved iPod Touch, then you might just be in business. Coming by the end of this month in the United States (October 2010), is the first ever remote controlled massage chair. And when I say “remote controlled” what I mean is controlled from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

Pretty cool new way to use your fancy new iPad huh?

So who’s running out to pick up this high tech massage chair?

Here’s a video just in case you want a peak: