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Rumor Roundup: iPhone 5

There are many people who are looking forward to the new iPhone 5. With a new Apple product on the look out, rumors are spreading like wildfire. One of the first rumors is that the new iPhone 5 will be made of metal, instead of the aluminosilicate glass used in the iPhone 4. Using metal for the back of the iPhone 5, added to the stainless steel band on the iPhone 4 would make the iPhone 5 completely metal based. Making the new iPhone 5 have a metal back would be much better than using the aluminosilicate glass for the back. The metal is more durable then the glass and wouldn’t shatter. The glass back would also add more weight to the phone and had stress-fracture issue due to sliding cases for the iPhone 4. With a metal back, the new iPhone 5 will be more durable and resilient. It would be similar to how Apple makes its Mac computers with a metal unibody. The metal would be thinner than the glass, so you can have a lighter feel to it. The iPhone 5 is most likely to follow the iPhone 4’s design and continue to have a flat back. There have been some iPhone 5 cases that were leaked to confirm this design.

There have also been some rumors that the screen will be 4 inches instead of 3.5 inches. The camera may also improve from a 5-megapixel to an 8-megapixel. Some other rumors are that the iPhone 5 will most likely be available in white, which is highly probably. The iPad 2 has dual-core A5 chips, so the iPhone 5 should also have it. One rumor that is very interesting is that the iPhone 5 will have NFC Technology, or near field communication technology. The iPhone 5 will use NFC to make your iPhone 5 act like a credit card. With all these rumors going around, you have to wonder, which rumors are true and which are false. You have to wait until the iPhone 5 launches to find out, which is rumored to be near June — September.

Feel free to leave questions or comments.

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Tags Apple, dual-core A5 chips, iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 5, mac, NFC

Average Joe's Tips

How To: Restart Finder

You might be asking yourself why do I need to quit Finder? Well a reason that you might need to quit Finder is becasue you are trasfering a file or downloading a file and it freezes, so instead of shutting down your computer you can restart Finder. Restarting Finder is easy and there are multiple ways to do it. The first way to restart Finder is to force quit it by clicking Command + Option + Escape. The second way to restart Finder is by typing “killall Finder” into your terminal. This kills Finder which will then relaunch. Usually when you quit finder it will relaunch by itself, but not always, so if it dosen’t just type in “open /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app.” For those of you who may be new to Macs Finder is essentially Windows Explorer for the Mac. It allows you to manage files, disks, networks, and applications.

Stay connected at my new twitter handle to stay updated 24/7 @TRMGaveragejoes and @realmacgenius

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section.

Tags average joes tips, Finder, Finder Basics, how to, Quit in Finder, Restart Finder, Terminal Commands, What is finder

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How To Mod an iPad 2 Case

The Smart Cover for the iPad 2 is by far more advanced than the original iPad Case with its slim design, magnets, and an auto sleep mode. It’s crazy that the cover for the iPad 2 is as much a marvel as the device itself. I’m actually surprised Apple didn’t brand it with its logo. Yet the one area where the iPad Case beats the Smart Cover is in providing full protection for the iPad. The Smart Cover lacks a back. It’s easy to see why this is so, and until a third party vendor comes up with something, your options are limited.

However, with a second cover and an X-Acto knife, you can have the best of both worlds. The TPU Thermoplastic Polyurethane Resin Skin Cover from Hand Held Items is a flexible, yet protective back cover. It’s advertised as a special type of material that won’t crack. That property can be used to combine it with the Smart Cover. Once you have the TPU cover, place it on your iPad 2. Mark on it where the magnets of the Smart Cover will attach to the iPad’s left side. Then, using the X-Acto knife, cut out the marked lines. The top hole will be the easier of the two, since for some reason, there is already a hole there. Snap the Smart Cover on and check how it fits. Adjust as necessary.

IMG_20110401_084011 — iPad 2 with Smart Cover and TPU case

The beauty about this mod is that the Smart Cover’s functionality is not imposed upon at all. It still folds nicely for propping the iPad 2 and will put it to sleep when placed across the screen. The iPad 2’s slim design is not compromised at all with a bulky case. The only downside is that you might need to pull the Smart Cover’s edge slightly to make it perfectly line up with the iPad 2’s side (though that might not be the case with some fine tuning). For those wanting to mod the TPU even further, a standard hole punch tool will provide a nice opening for the iPad 2’s mic on top.

The TPU comes in a variety of colors, though it looks like clear and a couple of other varieties are out of stock as of the publishing of this article. For $5.99, the price can’t be beat.

Take fully protecting your iPad 2 into your own hands.

Special thanks to Lorie Lee for the idea.

Tags Apple, iPad 2, Smart Cover

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How To Buy A Mac: The Real Mac Genius Guide

Post author By Joe
Post date April 1, 2011
No Comments on How To Buy A Mac: The Real Mac Genius Guide

So you’ve decided you’re either going to buy a Mac for the first time, or you want to upgrade to a newer one. Good show! But believe it or not, there’s actually an art to it. Following just three steps will help you find the Mac that’s right for you without any buyer’s remorse later.

1. Set a purpose

It’s one thing to want a Mac. It’s another to want it for a specific reason. You’ll most likely spend more money than if you bought a PC, so you want to make sure you’re meeting a specific need. What will you want to do with it?

If you’re looking at doing heavy duty tasks such as graphic design, movie editing, or audio mixing, then the MacBook Pro or Mac Pro can definitely handle your needs. The iLife suite alone is a great answer to why you’d want to buy a Mac. If you’re looking for a computer for more casual use, then there’s a range of options from the MacBook to the iMac. Road warrior? MacBook Air.

And what good is the hardware without the software to complement it? Make sure to check out which software you need, especially if you’re going to an Apple Store. I don’t think I’ve been to one yet that wasn’t always crowded. Your first concern should be an office suite. The two main options are iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) or Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). There’s something to be said for going with all Apple software, considering how well they work together. Also, they can open Microsoft files and save as them. However, if you mainly work in a PC environment, Microsoft Office would be the way to go.

2. Do your homework

Please promise me you won’t be one of those people who buys a computer, only to learn that there’s a newer model the following week. Here’s a tip: OS X 10.7 Lion is just around the corner. You can catch a sneak peek at it in our previous article. Basically, wait until the summer.

Checking the different Mac sites should help you get an idea of what to expect. Sites like Cult of Mac, Apple Insider, Mac Rumors, and us of course can give you a fair idea of what might be up and coming. The best approach is to get a broad view of the news, considering that sometimes Apple will intentionally release false information, or sometimes someone will post something just to be stupid.

You can also try to look at the trends of previous Apple product releases. New iPhones come out in June, new iPods in September, but the notebooks and desktops aren’t so easy to predict. A general rule is that Apple will release revisions to a model each every eight to twelve months. In August, Apple tends to do their iPod promotion for students and teachers. Show that you’re with an educational institution when you buy your Mac, and get a free iPod Touch.

3. Don’t buy AppleCare

Never buying a warranty is a good rule of life. AppleCare is no exception. Here’s the deal: dropping a computer and water are the two main causes of damage. AppleCare covers neither. It gives you 90 days of phone support and a one year limited warranty for hardware.

Phone support is okay, but the Genius on the other end of the line is just looking at a slightly more advanced Apple KBase. There are also plenty of discussion boards out there for free. As for the hardware, definitely keep an eye on your computer for the first year. Follow up immediately if you see any signs for concern. If you can make it past the first year, chances are you’re good. AppleCare just extends the phone and hardware support to three years. It does not add three years. You have to buy it when you buy your Mac.

Take time when evaluating whether or not to buy a Mac, and what options would it open for you. It is a great investment that will last you for the long haul. You’ll be getting a great piece of equipment with software designed to be comfortable for the user. Following these three steps will put you on the right path to the right Mac.

Buyer’s remorse be gone!

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