GA's Blog

How to Clean Your Keyboard with Simple Traditional Methods

2015-05-31T08:00:00.000+01:00

The typical keyboard has been found to be so dirty it is sometimes 150 times beyond the recommended bacteria limit, meaning it’s 6 times filthier that your toilet seat. The keyboard is one of the gadgets constantly in use and attracts accidental food, liquid spillage and dust. Since you cannot live without your keyboard, cleaning it is very important if you would like to assure its life and your health.

To clean your keyboard you need a couple of cotton swabs, compressed air can or hand-held type of vacuum cleaner, a screw driver and some Isopropyl alcohol or any alcohol type of cleaning solution. Attempting the following traditional methods will leave your keyboard very clean.

Dell Wireless Keyboard and Mouse KM113, Available on eBay in GA's Shop

Go to GA's eBay Shop

Compressed air method

To clean the keyboard’s outer surface fast easily including the keys sides, use the compressed air can to blow the dust particles out of your keyboard. First, unplug and hold the keyboard in a comfortable horizontal position. Put the compressed air can’s nozzle or the vacuum cleaner’s inside the keyboard keys and start blowing.

Lots of the loose particles within the keyboard will be blown away. The method is very effective if you want to clean dust particles loosely hanging on the keyboard’s surface. However, it might not remove every one of the stubborn dirt attached to the keys.

HP Wireless Classic Keyboard and Mouse LV290, available on eBay in GA's Shop

Go to GA's eBay Shop

Isopropyl dipped cotton swabs method

Ensure your keyboard has been unplugged and all the dust particles have been blown away, perhaps using compressed air. Using the cotton swab dipped in cleaning alcohol or Isopropyl alcohol clean the surface off gently including the keyboard’s sides. Give the keyboard some time to dry.
While the keys’ sides will be clean, including most of the keyboard, chances are lots of dust particles that have penetrated inside the keyboard keys will still be around.

HP Multimedia wired Keyboard and Mouse C2600, available on eBay in GA's Shop

Go to GA's eBay Shop

Keys removal method

This method is perfect if liquids and food crumbs have spilled on your keyboard over a long period of time. Begin by unplugging your keyboard and using a butter knife or screwdriver to pull out the keys gently from their position. After popping out each key at a time, the dust particles will be very clear, including food particles accumulated.
Clean the dirt inside the keys and every key thoroughly prior to re-inserting it. Remember to remove the Space Bar gently since it’s the longest key and improper removal could break it off.

You can also remove every key and clean it prior to inserting; using a soap solution to clean the keys well. Do not scrub the key markings.

Once the keys are clean, let them dry for some time before you insert them back. Simply place each key in its rightful position and press it gently until it has fitted perfectly.

Note: No matter what method you use, remember not to pour any liquid inside the keyboard otherwise you might destroy its unit permanently.

Logitech Wireless Combo Keyboard and Mouse MK220, available on eBay in GA's Shop

Go to GA's eBay Shop

We are going to look at modern keyboard cleaning methods next.

Buy a new keyboard here

Keyboards available by brand:

Dell Wireless Keyboard & Mouse KM113
HP Wireless Keyboard & Mouse LV290
HP Wired Keyboard & Mouse C2600
Logitech Wireless Keyboard & Mouse MK220

Here are the Top Must-Have Apps for Your Smartphone

2015-05-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

Without a doubt an app such as Google Maps, free for both Android and iOS users, is a must-download. However, there are a number of apps you probably don’t know about and very useful for various reasons. Honestly, I didn’t know some exist myself!

NASA app at work: beautiful images of space, planets, galaxies and more!

NASA

Almost every human being is fascinated and enthralled by space and its starry host. This free NASA app for iOS and Android users provide a chance to view great videos and images of captivating space missions of the past including content that’s up to the minute. Sighting opportunities are also available right from the ISS (International Space Station).

National Rail Enquiries

A free app for Android and iOS users only, it’s one of those apps you believe people are really brave enough to use the railway network of Britain without. The app has a neat interface and layout and the information requested is brought in an efficient yet speedy fashion.

Search for LIVE train timetables with National Rail Enquiries app for smartphones

Glympse

A free Blackberry, Windows Phone, Android and iOS app, it allows sharing of location with a couple of people for a limited period of time. The individuals you have shared with can then help with plotting your journey and great to let certain individuals know you are on the way visiting them.

Prey

Chances are you will not always have your Tablet, Smartphone or laptop for whatever reason. Prey, a free app for Android and iOS users allows you to track any of these devices through a control panel accessible on the web. You can then perform a number of actions like erasing sensitive information or activating an alarm.

Vimeo

If you love a collection of highly ingenious origami animation, time lapsed city-scapes to excellent short films, then you will love Vimeo free app for Windows Phone, Android and iOS. Upcoming and ingenious talent is well represented.

Transfer large files to contacts and devices with Infinit app for smartphones

Google Handwriting Input

Sometimes we all want to write letters as if handwriting on paper using a pen. This free app gives you the power to do this. Being a keyboard extension you can input using over 80 languages.

Infinit

Have large files to transfer between different devices? Then this free app is what you need. It allows the transfer of as many files as you want between the Smartphone and PC. The app comes with zero file size limits or the number of files that can be sent. Infinit is also 30 times quicker than transferring through the cloud.

Have you used any of these apps or know of a unique app we probably haven’t heard of before?

Share it with us via comments.

Yes, You can be Eco-friendly and Fashionable!

2015-05-17T08:00:00.000+01:00

In 2014, data by Statistica showed about 27 percent of consumers around the UK are concerned about the Environment. People around the world are waking up to the fact that destroying the environment and hurting Mother Nature is backfiring and causing such climatic calamities as floods, while adding to our already dangerous carbon footprint.

Eco-friendly products today are not just kind to the surroundings, but also economical and safe for both kids and adults. You also don’t have to use products made through harmful products and horrid to the environment. Today there are all manner of products made with environmental friendliness in mind. These include eco-friendly garden bags in a class of their own.

Eco-friendly Garden Bum Bag & Short-handled Multi-pocket Storage Bag

| Buy a Garden Bum Bag (left) | Buy a Short-handled Multi-pocket Bag (right) |

If you are thinking of gifting someone with an item that will be very helpful to them and the environment, think about eco-friendly bags to remind them how important it is to keep the environment clean.

Those who do some gardening know how important it is to go for a bag that can be used for all kinds of purposes. While these handy bags were designed for gardeners originally, they are now making their way into all kinds of places.

It means if a home has all kinds of medical supplies, DIY materials, beauty products and art materials the eco-friendly bag will come in handy. They have all kinds of storage spaces, easy and comfortable to wear and carry. You can use a washing machine or damp cloth to easily clean any of these environmentally friendly garden bags.

100% Eco-friendly long-handled multi-pocket gardening bag made of Canvas, Cotton and Jute

| Buy a long-handled eco-friendly bag |

To look fashionable and put your gardening into perspective, the Long-handled Multi-pocket Garden Bag will help you do that.
If you are always carrying tools around, the Short-handled Garden Bag is a wonderful purchase, particularly its side pockets that can be used for art supplies and as a DIY or gardening bag.

In case your gardening work or any other occupation requires that you remain on your toes, a garden bum bag can ensure you are not bending down all the time to find a tool.

These can be purchased in our brand new eBay Shop, too.

Check out the eco-friendly bags here!

Effective online marketing for businesses - Website basics

2015-02-25T08:00:00.000+00:00

Shall I create or buy a website for my business?

In recent years, the internet has become a major influence on people’s buying decisions and custom habits. Websites became effective marketing and promotion tools for start-up and established businesses alike; for a good website requires little maintenance, yet operates 24/7 and reaches more people than a static (non-moving) local high-street shop.

A website with a good design can help you win and connect with both new, as well as existing customers; while generating additional revenue. And because of lower marketing and selling expenses, profit margins on online sales can be significantly higher.

If the nature of your business does not let you sell online, a well-designed regularly maintained website still can provide added credibility; it can also create free online advertising and business promotion opportunities. That's your chance to make a first connection with your possible future customer, who can quickly become your most trusted brand ambassador if you handle things correctly. So the answer is: Yes, you should create or buy a website.

Here's the good news: getting a website up and running does not need to be expensive or difficult at all but it will surely become time-consuming if you'd like everything free.

Building your own website can save a lot of money, or you think!, but the results might not be what you expected and having a horrible design or a dead website is worse than having none at all.

How to create a website? - The Basics

There are so many things to learn about websites and online marketing, not everything will fit into one lengthy blog post. Let's not jump right into the water without checking its temperature first!

We are not going to show you right now how to build a website in 30 minutes using WordPress, Joomla, Wix or other CMS platforms. Instead, we go through a list of basic notions such as domain-name, web-hosting, website, internet, email; as well as the type of business you have and with what services you are helping your customers currently.

Internet, Web, Browsers and Websites

First, you need to learn the very basics. What is a website? Where is it stored? What is the Internet? And how can a business get online?

The internet is basically a large set of computers connected through wired or wireless networks. It is the network of all computer networks.

The World Wide Web or (the Web or www) only refers to the part of this huge network which is accessible by the public.

The Web contains information and data (various codes) that your Browsers such as Mozilla FireFox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Google Chrome can read and display on your monitor or device.

These data, all the HTML, images and various instructions to your browser or to search engines are stored on huge servers, which serve the Web and are accessible by everyone.

The collection of all these data makes up your website and the process of storing these data on a publicly accessible server is called web hosting.

Web Hosting

Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server owned or leased for use by clients, as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data centre.

Wikipedia.org

It is advisable to choose a local server, which means local to your customers; so they will access data faster. Your clients' distance and yours from your hosting server play an important role in data-transfer speed.

However as for GA Repair, we have chosen a flexible and an easiest-to-manage option: Wix.com

We would love them to have a server based in the UK, but they do not have one yet.

As for maintenance, promotion and marketing they offer useful free and paid mini applications on the Wix App Market;

As for design it is very straight-forward, you can manage your website visually. Absolutely almost anyone can do it and you can even optimise your website for search engines. The Wix Support and Forum helps you get started and going-on with easy to follow steps and manageable clear instructions.

Creating a website is free here, but connecting your domain is not possible unless you purchase a basic premium package.

If you are a business owner, like us, and you'd also like to sell on the internet in an online shop, you can purchase various Wix Premium packages which suit your individual needs and requirements.

If you are a blogger in the UK, choose a blogger website. Blogspot.com and WordPress.com are more for You. They will completely satisfy your blogging needs. However, if you intend to advertise your posts with links on social media fan pages (of course you will do this) it is important to buy your domain name prior to your first posts. Why?

Because if you are using Google+ or Facebook Comments, changing the blog URL will negatively impact upon existing comments.

Domains / Domain Names

While your website data is hosted on a public server, it gets indexed and anyone who knows where you data is stored can see your website. Domain names are like postcodes for websites, so they can be found under a specific address, under a name which is easy to remember and related to your business activities.

When you choose your domain name, make sure they are tightly linked with your business or services and check what similar domains are already taken. You'd like to be as unique as possible.

We, at GA Repair, have bought our domains separately. They were not included in any web-hosting packages. We wanted to be as flexible as possible. You can also check what domain names are available to you, click here.
Andras has decided to go for www.GArepairservices.co.uk

Domain prices vary. You should choose a domain which ends with .co.uk if you are in London, like us. Use hyphens -, if necessary, to make your domain easier on the eye.

Look at the difference: garepairlondonblog.co.uk or garepair-london-blog.co.uk

Apart from helping your customers to read your domains easier, Google will also look for key-words in your domain name.

Recently, it has also become really fashionable to choose a more unique ending like ga-repair.london or ga-repair.website
You can choose similar domains here.

Email

Lots of web-hosting packages are there on the Internet. Each will offer you various deals. However, in this rapidly growing online social scene, it is completely enough if you have a free Google Mail or Yahoo Mail address. We suggest Google mail, but that's only personal preference. Make sure your Gmail address also relays your business image. Choose a suitable account name.

Many spamming, so-called online marketing businesses, are out there, who use Google and Yahoo mail accounts to fish for new customers by sending them unsolicited spam-like email messages about getting them on the first page of Google with "white-label" optimisation techniques, which would totally exclude black-hat spam email marketing; such as the emails they keep sending.

If you choose to create and use a free email account for your business, make sure your email address has credibility, too. Our email is repairservicesGA@gmail.com, which describes the services, GA Andras Gergely, IT network engineer provides: repair services.

Your Business, your Services & your Customers

Are you ready? Now you partly know the basic notions of online marketing and website building. You can think about getting your new domain, creating a free email account and start designing your very own website visually on wix.com, wordpress.com or blogspot.com
You must keep in mind that your are creating something personal for your customers, yet your website design should also relay your public brand image, your best qualities and your business personality.

But how will you design your website? What will you integrate into it?
What will your useful and informative content be?
How will you optimise your website's look or your headings and texts?
What are your next steps?

These are the questions we are going to discuss next Wednesday in our blog. Keep coming back every Wednesday and search for the tag #smallbiz on GA's Blog. We, at GA Repair London, will show you how to optimise your website and get your business online. / #smallbiz Wednesdays /

We can support you with individually-tailored suggestions if you tell us more about your business and your services in the comments. Just let us know how you are getting on with choosing your domain name, web hosting packages or free / paid email addresses.

By the way, if you think we could improve our website or GA's Blog in any way, let us know.

We really do appreciate any help and comments.

We also hope it does not mean that our mailbox will be full of spamming online marketers, who would like to get our website online in no time with white-label marketing solutions for under £60!

This post is the part of #GAsocialmediaproject and #londonbizparty project. Search for the hashtags to get to know more.

Check out the GA Social Media Project

Grow your business every Thursday evening with #londonbizparty on Twitter

#LondonBizParty | So you are a small business owner - How's your social media going?

13 ways of promoting your small business online - GA Social Media Project

Get your business online - The first steps for start-up and established businesses

You are HERE: Effective online marketing for businesses - Website basics

Effective online marketing for businesses - Web-Design, Content & Online Marketing Plan

We can help you more effectively,

if you get in touch and comment on this post.

Advice is free and it can save you time and money.

Get your business online - The first steps for start-up and established businesses

2015-02-18T08:00:00.001+00:00

If you are a start-up business in London, just like us, this article is for you!

If you are an established business without a website, you should also stay on this page.

If you are none of these, you might still be interested in creating and optimising websites; or you might wish to take part in an awesome online project which will get your business on the first page of Google Search with better visibility and greater reach.

Keep on reading and we, at GA Repair, will show you what we've done so far with our website to achieve better rankings and grow our online presence.
Maybe our web-design is not perfect (and each of us has a different taste), but up-to-date it kept bringing us new business leads, who became our customers, then our connections and later on, they turned out to be our loyal friends; our most trusted brand ambassadors.

GA Social Media Project

How did we do it?

This is what we are going to discuss with you in our article series tagged with #GAsocialmediaproject. You can learn about creating design, website building, online marketing, social media, online advertising, as well as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) for small- and medium-sized businesses in London and everywhere else in the world.

The GA social media project is an online marketing initiative of GA Repair Services to help small businesses in London with social media marketing and advertising strategies in order to fully harness the advantages of Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn and alike.

Does #GAsocialmediaproject really work?

It works. Visit Google.co.uk and type: "smartphone repair in North London" in the search box, then hit the Search button.
(Or simply click on this link for the latest search results: smartphone repair in North London)

What did you find? Could you spot GA Repair on the first 1-3 pages?
You could do the same with many of our other key-words and search terms but more importantly you could do the same with your website.

How much did it cost?

Lots of hours, days, weeks and even months. But we wanted a budget-friendly solution. We did not have a huge budget for online marketing and social media advertising.

Luckily, we quickly learnt the how-to's and manuals so now we can help other start-up and established offline businesses to get online or get viral even!

How can you join? What can you do?

Simple. Come back every Wednesday. Read what we have tried and what we suggest. Get in touch, ask, comment, like, share, re-tweet or fave, so simply join the conversation.

Don't miss out on our latest articles,
click to follow GA's Blog.

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Before you would kick-start your online advertising campaigns and create your website, why not introduce yourself and your business to us so we can support you with more tailored advice.

Online and social media marketing are all about networking and connections. Leave a comment.

Check out the GA Social Media Project

Grow your business every Thursday evening with #londonbizparty on Twitter

#LondonBizParty | So you are a small business owner - How's your social media going?

13 ways of promoting your small business online - GA Social Media Project

You are HERE: Get your business online - The first steps for start-up and established businesses

Effective online marketing for businesses - Website basics

Effective online marketing for businesses - Web-Design, Content & Online Marketing Plan

What do you do?

How do you serve your customers?

What problems do you provide solutions to?

Do you have a website?

Share these with us.

Top 3 iPhone Games to Pass Time at Work

2015-02-16T08:00:00.000+00:00

If you work all day like us, you will find these iPhone games really entertaining to play in your breaks at work. Every second Monday GA Repair London browses iTunes to bring you a hand-picked list of iOS apps that we really tried and liked or disliked. Here is a list of this week's iPhone games.

Screenshots of the Underworld Empire game-play: Lt. Fox & John Lieutenants

Top 3 iPhone Games to kill time in your breaks at work this week

Underworld Empire

Underworld Empire has won many awards, amongst these The Best Online Crime Syndication Game; twice in the previous years.

Millions of players chose their allegiances to the four different criminal empires: the diabolical Cartel, the sinister Syndicate, the ruthless Mafia, or the battle-tested Street Gangs.
This Underworld Empire game is a very engaging game once you learned how to play. We would only recommend this if you are the long-term player, a real game-addict type and you would invest time regularly to play.

In the game you can recruit your friends as allies to create the biggest empire, while fighting legendary bosses and their crew. You can even execute other live players while growing your character, buildings and empire. The game play is somewhat complicated at first so it will require time to learn the basics. But it's absolutely rewarding on the long run.

The only disadvantage we found is that Underworld Empire is an online game. Users must be connected to WiFi, 3G or 4G internet in order to play this game so it's not the best option to play while commuting on the Tube. Download this app here:

Underworld Empire - iTunes Preview

Screenshots of the Underworld Empire app: Home screen & Nurse Stacy helping you heal

Moonlight Mahjong Lite

This is one of our favourite apps. If you are already familiar with the Mahjong games from PCs you will really love the new Moonlight Mahjong Lite game. This app is completely free to download and requires no time to learn how to play. Simply find and remove the tile-pairs. Highly addictive!

Moonlight Mahjong is a Mahjong Solitaire in virtual reality 3D, designed specifically for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Intuitive touch control allows you to tilt and turn, zoom in and out to match tiles in 3D.

This free advertising-supported version of Moonlight Mahjong features five complete game modes (the main four, plus 'Lightning Mode'). The full version of Moonlight Mahjong offers a few additional features with no advertisements.

Moonlight Mahjong has been honoured as "The Best Board Game" on the App Store,. We simply love it. Try it.

Moonlight Mahjong Lite - iTunes Preview

Moonlight Mahjong Lite screenshot of game-play in virtual reality 3D

Modern Conflict

Modern Conflict is also simple yet incredibly addictive again. You only need to tap to select units and then tap to send them into battle. Repeat until you win! You’ll keep coming back as it’s so easy to have just one more go!

This is a fun mini-strategy game. It's also very easy to learn to play, plus an interactive tutorial introduces the intuitive and easy controls, while missions gradually increase in difficulty as your abilities and experience increase.

Command tanks and helicopters on the battlefield and use the base level layout to your advantage. Each setting demands a different approach, so use your forces wisely. Powerful bonus abilities include air strikes, reinforcements, communication interception, and many more!

You can find this IOS game's newest version on iTunes, however we recommend to install this older version. We find it much more fun and the controls in the two apps are quite different too. Have a look at it, download it below:

Modern Conflict - iTunes Preview

Modern Conflict: Briefing, Game-play screenshots and Victory screen

What are your favourite iPhone games?
Do you like the ones we selected this week?
Let us know.

Have a great day at work! Take a break and try these apps.

I just got a new smartphone. Shall I buy mobile phone insurance?

2015-02-15T08:00:00.000+00:00

This question is already so well-researched and you can find many links on the internet which focus on the smartphone insurance issue. Yet we receive calls and emails weekly with regards to this problem. So here is a rough idea how most mobile phone insurances work and what you would be expected to pay in case of a claim. We are going to discuss what you need to pay particular attention to and how budget-friendly repairs can be useful in case your smartphone gets accidentally damaged.

A short guide for smartphone insurance

Factory Warranty

The Factory Warranty is a manufacturer’s guarantee to repair your phone or mobile device if something goes wrong with it that isn’t your fault. Of course, restrictions apply, so it’s important to check what is and isn’t covered under the warranty. Check how long it lasts for, especially when you are buying an expensive high-end smartphone or other mobile device.

Factory guarantee is legally binding and it covers your smartphone for a year with the exception of consumable electronics, which include accessories, battery and headphones i.e. small electrical goods that might have shorter life-time due to more frequent use.

This means your newly bought mobile phone is insured for at least a year and the warranty covers any mechanical or software breakdown if it isn't your fault. Rooting, Jailbreaking and unauthorised unlocking will end your warranty. Accidental damage (dropping your phone and smashing the screen) or liquid damage (spilling water or juice on your device) are not covered. They are your fault.

Mobile phone and smartphone insurance

As Factory Warranty does not cover accidental damage, theft, lost or stolen devices and smartphones which have been in contact with liquid; network suppliers and mobile phone insurance companies offer you an Extended Warranty when you buy your new smartphone and you pay for an insurance with it within the first 30 days of purchase. However what is and isn't covered by the insurance is subject to terms of the insurance policy. So always read the small print!

Do not insure old mobile phones which are inexpensive to replace.

Businessmen holding old mobile phones - Do not insure old mobile phones which are inexpensive to replace!

How does smartphone insurance really work?

Most smartphone insurance will be valid for up to 24 months or they last till your contract with the network provider expires. What does it cover? That's the small print.

Make sure you read the small print and look for answers to these specific questions:

Is my smartphone covered for accidental damage?

If you drop your phone and smash the screen, or you accidentally spill juice on your device, will you be covered?

Is my smartphone covered for accidental loss or theft? Are there exceptions?

If you lose your device or you become a victim of pickpocketing, will your smartphone be covered? Some insurance policy says if you left your phone unattended in a public place, the insurance will not cover your loss.

Is there an excess fee when claiming?

Excess fee is a fee that you have to pay when you are making a claim. This usually ranges from £25 up to £100. Check in the small print how much you would pay to make your first or second claims within the 2-year-guarantee.

Up to how much does the insurance cover your phone?

How much they would pay in case of a successful claim.

Does it also cover part of your bill or only the device is insured?

Some insurance policy will cover a part of your phone bills in case of unauthorised calls. It can be pretty useful if you happen to become a victim of theft and the thief has used your phone for calls for especially if this all happens abroad.

How many times can you make a claim during the warranty period?

Most phone insurance policies will allow you to claim up to twice in two years.

The most important thing to remember when you are about to purchase a mobile phone insurance is that it must cover you for the things and accidents you might need in your particular circumstances.
Keeping this in mind, it is possible that you do not even need a smartphone insurance.

No matter how pushy the phone promoting sales staff is, you are not required to buy a phone insurance. If you do not think you need one, just tell them so.

In case the pushy staff succeeded; don't worry, there is a 14 days cooling off period, when you still can step back from the insurance and all money paid will be refunded. Not much can be done after these initial 2 weeks; the insurance contract will legally bind you till its expiration date after the cooling off period.

Smartphone insurance policy in practice

Now we are going to look at your financial investments with regards to the phone insurance and the mobile phone you just purchased.

What have you paid for your smartphone so far? What would you pay if you accidentally broke your iPhone 5 screen in the 6th month or 12th month??

As mobile phone insurance policies can vary greatly, we will look at an average premium insurance and examine how it would work out for you on the long run. A premium insurance's price with most networks ranges from £10 to £15. Let's count with an average: £12.50 a month, which makes £300 in the next two years.

The other factor in our calculation is the current price of the device. A newly purchased iPhone 5 is around £600. As soon as it leaves the shop/factory its value will be considerably reduced by around 20-30% after a year your phone will worth 50% less i.e. during your insurance period you are insuring your phone for £600 while it is actually worth less. Not to mention that if nothing goes wrong, you are wasting another £300 for the insurance only. But you can never be sure enough, so let's look at what happens if you break your iPhone 5 after 6 months of use.

In the 6th month, you drop your smartphone and smash your new iPhone 5's LCD screen. What happens next? You will need to make a claim to receive a replacement device, payment for damage or some insurance companies use repair shops to get these faulty phones fixed usually within 4-7 days. To be able to access any of these services, mobile phone insurance policies set a so-called excess fee to pay in case of any claims. The average amount you will pay is £75 and most likely you will receive a new handset "free" unless the insurance company sends it off to the repair shop.

The average premium insurance however only insures you up to £300, so if you lose your smartphone, you're just better off buying a new one. If the damage, device, repair or anything costs more than £300 you will be required to pay the difference.

Budget-friendly smartphone, computer and laptop repairs in London - GA Repair Services

Budget-friendly smartphone repairs

So you have already spent £375 for a replacement phone. If you lost it, it might be a good call to claim, although you could have just bought a refurbished or used iPhone 5 for a similar price instead.

If it is a simple screen replacement, then oh boy! Budget-friendly iPhone 5 screen replacement prices range between £45 and £75. That's less than the excess fee you pay to claim your insurance.
And remember that you can only claim twice during your insured time-period.

Cheap iPhone screens are not as high quality as the original ones, but it is a budget-friendly solution for a quick replacement and they work perfectly.

Have a look at GA Repair London's budget-friendly prices here.

Shall I buy mobile phone insurance then?

Well, this clearly depends on your individual circumstances. Are you often clumsy? Do you have a long and busy history of lost or stolen mobile phones? Do you accidentally leave your smartphone in the cab's back-seat or on the table in a restaurant sometimes? Perhaps, it happens often-times? If your answer is yes to any of these questions then you might need to consider paying for an insurance.

If your answers are no then you might end up paying for something that you will never use.

The choice is truly yours.

Do you have a mobile phone insurance? Do you have a good story about insurance claims?

Share your thoughts with us.

For useful info, guides, tips and advice, follow this blog every Sunday.

Friends -> Rebooted | What if Friends was filmed in 2015?

2015-02-13T14:00:00.000+00:00

The well-known American TV series, Friends, was celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2014

Chris Hardwick and his Nerdist.com crew have been playing with the idea of re-filming Friends in 2015. In this modern world of technology where no one takes a step without having an iPad, iPod, smartphone or mobile phone; the well-known series, Friends, would be very different. Unfortunately lots of us spend more time online, on chat or on a call than offline with friends. That's the new era of technology. So how would it work out in Friends: Rebooted 2015? Watch it for yourself!

Friends: Rebooted 2015

Imagine what it would be like if the American series, Friends, was released in 2015...

That's exactly it!

13 ways of promoting your small business online - GA Social Media Project

2015-02-11T08:00:00.000+00:00

The GA social media project is an online marketing initiative of GA Repair Services to help small businesses in London with social media strategies in order to fully harness the advantages of Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn and alike. In simple words we are discussing well-researched topics from the internet focusing on online marketing, social media marketing, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and web design then we'll share what strategies we applied and what our findings are.

We LOVE online marketing - GA Repair London

12 +1 ways of promoting start-up and established businesses online

This blog post is based on the 14 ways to promote a new fashion label online written by Leon Bailey Green and published on www.drapersonline.com website. Here at GA Repair London we took the courage to contribute, re-vamp and update his list of free advertising tools and tips. This blog article is the first post of our article-series and provides a more hands-on explanation of marketing a small business online. Check out our recommendations below.

For any start-up or established businesses online marketing should be an integrated part of their overall marketing strategy. In this article-series, we will go through a list of useful tips, hints and tools that small business owners can use to promote their brands on the internet. In this post, let’s look at the list of various tools first and we will dwell on the details in later chapters.

Here are 13 things every new or established business can do to advertise itself online:

1. Create a website

Yes. It comes well-before anything else. You can’t market your business and services online with success unless you have a website set up. This is a must.

2. Get Hi-Res images / Press section

Make sure you got some quality photos to advertise with and upload some high resolution images to the press section of your website if you have one.

3. Contact bloggers

Take the time and check out some blogs and bloggers who write about similar companies and products like the ones you want to sell and offer. Engage with their posts on their websites, contact them and pitch them so they might just want to blog about you and your business. You can even send them samples, so they can see and try your promoted things.

4. Comment on and Create topics in forums

First thing’s first, DO NOT SPAM. Paste your URL links into the specified fields on your profile. Follow the forum’s guidelines and try to join in the conversation. Express your views on your favourite topics, blog articles and forum posts.

5. Twitter, Facebook, Google+ & Linked In

This actually is straight-forward. Create and set up a social media account with these four online networks. You can look for and choose many others too. These four networks are the largest ones.

6. Create a blog post

With or without help, the other most essential tool to advertise your business is creating related content and information about your business, products and services. You can either guest-blog or publish your articles through your own website making sure links pointing to it are well-distributed in emails and on social media pages.

Hi Resolution Press and Advertising Image - Susana Kantor Make-up Artist (Image credits in the footer)

7. Organise an Event / Business Networking

Do business networking. Engage in conversations with your clients and get to know your future customers. Listen to your competitors views. Promote your small business offline, too. Online editors/bloggers/writers live offline too. Go to events, speak to them. They might just feature you.

8. Coupons & Vouchers

No snobs allowed here. If you’re retailing, consider creating a coupon code for your online store, and posting it to websites. Again, no spamming– only post to websites actively seeking user generated submissions. Offer discounts for buyers. Coupons can vastly increase your online traffic if they’re implemented well.

9. Email footer

Attach your logo and website link to your signatures in your emails or create a simple email footer. How many emails do you send a day? Lots of opportunities to promote your website are lying there.

10. Video on YouTube, Vube & Vine

If you got the charisma you, make a video and upload it to YouTube and other video channels. A good video content can reach up to 500% more of the targeted audience if advertised well.

11. Competitions

Go, give something away, just do it. Magazine websites and bloggers are always looking for prizes to give out to their loyal readers.

12. Get help with advertising & social media

If you are not an advertising consultant or an Online Guru, then it's best to search for help with social media and online marketing. Before you would decide to spend a small fortune on useless Facebook likes or you'd buy auto-robot followers on Twitter, it's advisable to talk to other businesses and professionals who have already tried a couple of ways and strategies.

Do not buy likes or followers ever. Do not spend on Facebook Ads or Twitter Marketing yet. Do not activate Google AdWords yet. First ask around and get to know how it worked out for others.

20 Different Social Media Icons: Plain and with Gradient Effect

+1 Come back weekly and Follow #GAsocialmediaproject

Weekly, we publish a blog post about social media management and online marketing for small businesses in London on this page. Easy-to-follow tips, hands-on help with growing your social media audience and guides to online marketing essentials are the main focus of these articles. Come back and read our posts weekly; search for #GAsocialmediaproject, follow our blog or our accounts on social media; get in touch, like, share, comment, interact or just say hi to us,

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

How can you join? What can you do?

Simple. Come back every Wednesday. Read what we have tried and what we suggest. Get in touch, ask, comment, like, share, re-tweet or fave, so simply join the conversation.

Don't miss out on our latest articles,
click to follow GA's Blog.

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Check out the GA Social Media Project

Grow your business every Thursday evening with #londonbizparty on Twitter

#LondonBizParty | So you are a small business owner - How's your social media going?

You are HERE: 13 ways of promoting your small business online - GA Social Media Project

Get your business online - The first steps for start-up and established businesses

Effective online marketing for businesses - Website basics

Effective online marketing for businesses - Web-Design, Content & Online Marketing Plan

Next week we are discussing web design, hosting and domain options.

What is your experience? What do you recommend for a start-up business? What is your website like? How did you create one?

Image credits:

Photos: David Meyer & KM Photozone

Make-up: Susana Kantor MUA

Hair: Anoushka A Romanenkova

Model: Marina Poplavskaja

Stylist assistant: Joseph Jay

Top 3 Useful iPhone Apps for Everyday-living

2015-02-09T08:00:00.001+00:00

In this ever busy metropolis, in London where we work, commute and sleep all around the clock, one might find it difficult to sort out simple everyday things that other times he or she would solve in no time. Every second Monday we, at GA Repair London, pick three really handy iPhone apps that can make your everyday life a lot easier. This week's collection of iOS applications follows here:

Top 3 iPhone apps that make your everyday life easier in London

London Bus Buddy

It might have happened to you too that you over-slept on the bus in London after an unforgettable party night with your friends. Well, it used to happen to us all the time until we finally found the solution on iTunes: the London Bus Buddy app.

The best functionality of this application is that it can "wake" you when you are getting closer to the desired bus stop, so you won't ever over-sleep again and travel on the bus till it terminates. Trust us, it saves you so much time if you don't have to travel back home from the other side of London after a long night out!

The London Bus Buddy app was originally designed for tourists and Londoners to be able to keep up with the changes of the London Bus network. If you often struggle using buses then this is the application for you! With more than 100,000 downloads, this comprehensive iPhone app includes information on all 19,000+ stops that TFL maintains, but the best features are yet to come:

The LBB app has built in Countdown (powered by Transport for London), which allows you to see when your next bus is coming. You can also set an alarm to go off X minutes before your bus arrives. This feature is great if you want to pop in for a coffee or sandwich before catching the next night bus home.

A snooze alarm will tell you when you're close to your destination. This is the feature we mentioned above. It also works in the background though special configuration is needed for iOS 5 to allow notifications.

Apart from these, LBB includes Journey Planning, Closest Bus Stop Allocating, All Bus Route Displaying functions, static timetables and the option to favourite routes for easy access when you're offline.

Additionally, it completely integrates with both the Maps app on your iPhone and/or the Google Maps app if it's available on your iOS.

The best of its features is that all of this is FREE! The only disadvantage we found is that the app uses Location Services so the continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. So it's a "No-Go" if your battery is already dying! Download it from here:

London Bus Buddy - iTunes Review

London Bus Buddy iOS app screenshots: GPS Alarm and Static Timetable functions

Shazam

We chose this app because the radio, music channel or YouTube is always on while we are working. We can't live without music literally. Does it ever happen to you that you hear a track that you'd really like to get but you don't know its Title or the Artist? The Shazam app will sort this.

Shazam is the best way to identify music around you. Tap the Shazam button to instantly identify, explore, buy and share the tracks you've been just listening to.

Indeed, you can turn on Auto Shazam and the app will keep finding music and TV even when you leave the app as it runs in the background.

This app is free to download and you can use Shazam as much as you like – it’s unlimited though it comes with ads. Check it out here:

Shazam IOS app - iTunes Review

Shazam iPhone app screenshots: Shazam at work & My Tags functions

CalenMob

The CalenMob app is a very useful calendar and appointments book. When we downloaded this application we have already been searching for a good calendar iOS software which could completely sync with Google Calendar. Unfortunately it seems Google is a bit selfish and has forgotten about the iOS device owners this instance.

CalenMob is a native Google Calendar app with intuitive design. It inherits the simple and clean look of Google web calendar and makes it more accessible, responsive and reliable on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. It can also be used with no Internet connection. All changes will be synced back to your Google account the next time you connected.

It does exactly what it says on the tin. You can view events and the calendar in multiple ways (days, weeks, months, years, etc) it synchronises real-time but it also works fine offline.

Its advanced reminder system will never let you forget your next appointment, just like Google Calendar, CalenMob allows you to set reminders via push notifications, SMS or email for all events.

This application is the comprehensive mobile calendar app solution. We've been searching on iTunes for days to find a Google Calendar substitute. CalenMob works perfectly. And to tell you the truth, we have stopped using Google Calendar, we only use it support the CalenMob app. Have a look at it here:

CalenMob iPhone app - iTunes Review

CalenMob iOS calendar application screenshots: Start-up page & and Calendar Month view

Did you also find these apps useful?

What are the apps that you'd recommend to have on any iPhone?

Enjoy your day and leave a +1 for us :-)

So you are a small business owner - How's your social media going?

2015-01-30T08:00:00.000+00:00

#londonbizparty | #GAsocialmediaproject | #irishbizparty

A free and fun way to grow your London-based small business on Twitter.com

Let's grow our small businesses together on Twitter.com

Welcome dear fellow small business owner in London,

You have invested lots of energy into advertising and getting your clients on-board. Now you are getting recognised for the quality services you provide locally in your area of expertise. It's high time to get your business online and reach an audience with an unslakable thirst to drink in your every word.

So... How's your social media marketing going?

Maybe you already have a professionally designed website, but you might think it to yourself: "I will only deal with online marketing, SEO, web-design and online presence later on."

So you set up your social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook, maybe you even go further to create a Linked-In Company page, a Google+ business page, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and you already got lost... So many social media platforms. Do you feel that you are unable to keep up with all what's going on? Probably...

Then you get over your first shock and get ready to give it your best shot, you log in on Twitter.com. After finely designing your page headers, you upload your business logo, paste in your marketing message in the relevant bio sections and you are all set for your first engaging social media post. Wasn't it easy so far? No, it was not that easy.

Then you publish your first 10 posts. And what happens? Nothing. So you try another way. You posted your next 20 posts by now. And what's happened? Nothing.

Hardly you received any new followers. No engagements, apart from some of your peers retweeting your messages to support you. Other than that it seems no one cares. And the bitter fact is that no one really cares.

Why no one wants to follow me? Is my business interesting enough?

Of course, you are interesting, but you don't have much experience in how Twitter really works. It's not all about the quantity. You don't need to buy fake followers. You don't have to pay for useless Re tweets and Favourites. Instead, try to engage in meaningful conversations with your fellow small business owners.

What can you do to engage your Twitter Followers?

Get online next Thursday evening and introduce your business using #londonbizparty

#irishbizparty - Free Online Marketing Support for Small Businesses

Have you heard of the @irishbizparty social media project?

#Irishbizparty was created by Samantha Kelly on a Wednesday evening. Sam was having a particularly demanding week so she decided that she would try to create a bit of positivity and thought that surely she was not the only one coming across the same difficulties in Twitter marketing.

She simply asked the question on Twitter if there were any small businesses who needed help promoting themselves and asked them to tweet what they did using the hashtag #irishbizparty and she told them to tell her what they do and that she would retweet it for them.

Sam got a lot of replies and this continued for a while until it started to get really busy.

The results were amazing and soon there were over thirty businesses all active and the great thing was they all followed each other and re-tweeted each other’s business!

So that is really how it started and she decided to do it every Wednesday night after that.

It has since grown rapidly into hundreds and #irishbizparty trends regularly on Wednesdays and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon!

#londonbizparty & the #GAsocialmediaproject

We, at GA Repair London decided to take on the challenge and create a magical stir online the same way, of course, with the support of the original creator of this fantastic online business networking opportunity.

How do I get involved in #GAsocialmediaproject ?

The #GAsocialmediaproject is GA Repair's own online marketing project which aims to help other small businesses in London, particularly in the Wembley and Haringey, North London areas with easy online networking and free social media advertising opportunities.

The project is all about helping SMEs who have limited budget for online advertising and are struggling with social media management. All you have to do is to follow our advice and guides, then retweet our posts hash-tagged with #GAsocialmediaproject so other small businesses can do the same and we can grow our online community together.

Follow @LondonBizParty on Twitter.com

How do I get involved in #londonbizparty ?

Now here's @LondonBizParty

Just search for the hashtag #londonbizparty on Twitter and take part in the conversation by using that hashtag in your tweets. We are most active every Thursday evening from 9-11pm.

The attending businesses spend the evening networking in their pyjamas get to reach a national (and often an international) audience and grow their twitter following and brand awareness. Just follow the hashtag to see all of the networking taking place.

How can you join? What can you do?

Simple. Come back every Wednesday. Read what we have tried and what we suggest. Get in touch, ask, comment, like, share, re-tweet or fave, so simply join the conversation.

Don't miss out on our latest articles,
click to follow GA's Blog.

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Check out the GA Social Media Project

Grow your business every Thursday evening with #londonbizparty on Twitter

You are HERE: #LondonBizParty | So you are a small business owner - How's your social media going?

13 ways of promoting your small business online - GA Social Media Project

Get your business online - The first steps for start-up and established businesses

Effective online marketing for businesses - Website basics

Leave your Twitter @handle in the comments

for a new follower!

Grow your business every Thursday evening with #londonbizparty on Twitter

2015-01-29T18:00:00.000+00:00

Grow your London-based business on Twitter.com - Use #londonbizparty

What is #londonbizparty?

#londonbizparty is part of the #GAsocialmediaproject, which aims to assist London-based small businesses with popular online networking and free social media advertising opportunities.

This online networking event takes place every Thursday evening between 9pm and 11pm.

Grow your London-based business' online presence on Twitter.com.

Join the conversation.

How does it work?

It is very simple. Log in on Twitter.com on Thursday evenings just before 9pm and watch all the magical networking and social media engagement happening.

Use #londonbizparty hashtag to introduce your business, products or services to other London-based SMEs.

Re-tweet and favourite some posts using this hashtag. Engage and converse with other like-minded professionals and small business owners in London.

Free social media and advertising support for London-based small businesses - Tweet #londonbizparty

Why is #londonbizparty an amazing networking opportunity?

#londonbizparty is not our idea originally. Have you heard of the #irishbizparty?

#Irishbizparty was started on Wednesday night when Samantha Kelly was having a particularly demanding week and she decided that she would try to create a bit of positivity and thought that surely she was not the only one coming across the same problems while trying to grow her business online with the help of Twitter and similar social media platforms.

She asked the question on Twitter if there were any businesses who needed help promoting themselves and asked them to tweet what they did using the hashtag #irishbizparty so she could re-tweet it for them.

She has received lots of replies and small businesses started to join in the conversation to promote and engage with each other's businesses.

This started with only 30 businesses taking part initially. It has since grown rapidly into hundreds and #irishbizparty trends regularly on Wednesdays and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon!

Let's create #londonbizparty together and help one another with Twitter promotion, free advertising and social media engagement. After all not the number of followers that matter, but the quality of information and engaging conversations blooming into amazing networking opportunities.

You can find out more about @irishbizparty on Twitter and on the irishbizparty.org website.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION - MAKE THE TWITTER MAGIC HAPPEN #londonbizparty

How do I get involved in #londonbizparty ?

Just search for the hashtag #londonbizparty on Twitter, introduce your business and take part in the conversation by using that hashtag in your tweets. We are most active every Thursday evening from 9-11pm.

The attending businesses spend the evening networking in their pyjamas get to reach a national (and often an international) audience and grow their twitter following and brand awareness. Just follow the hashtag to see all of the networking taking place.

Tune in the conversation on Twitter every Thursday evening

#londonbizparty

Leave your Twitter @handle in the comments

to gain a new follower!

Google+

How can you join? What can you do?

Simple. Come back every Wednesday. Read what we have tried and what we suggest. Get in touch, ask, comment, like, share, re-tweet or fave, so simply join the conversation.

Don't miss out on our latest articles,
click to follow GA's Blog.

Powered by Google FeedBurner

Check out the GA Social Media Project

You are HERE: Grow your business every Thursday evening with #londonbizparty on Twitter

#LondonBizParty | So you are a small business owner - How's your social media going?

13 ways of promoting your small business online - GA Social Media Project

Get your business online - The first steps for start-up and established businesses

Effective online marketing for businesses - Website basics

Tips to choose the best laptop in your price range

2015-01-19T08:00:00.000+00:00

As a freelance copywriter reviewing gadgets and electronic equipment, all I need is a word processing kind of software. Spending too much money for my requirements isn’t a good idea, as it’s been proven with my current laptop.

I just bought this laptop last year, and guess what! It looks so outdated both in looks and performance that I am even ashamed to carry it around.

Oh, boy, I spent a whole year’s savings on it, and now, I am forced to go shopping for the latest one.

Memory card and battery at GA Laptop Repair, London

Well, here are a few important hints I learned from Techies when shopping for a Laptop:

Purpose:

the most important part of a purchase is the purpose. What do you want to use the laptop for? Is the laptop a home-, business-, travel- or gaming-laptop? Different uses of the laptop require different strength and allow specific weaknesses in build, design, durability and performance. As I am a student myself, I will tell you what a student like me should have in a laptop suitable for a student’s purposes.

Memory:

A 4GB RAM memory has become the very basic requirement, RAM is your laptop’s short term memory and the bigger the size of RAM the better it is. For basic requirements and needs like I have or a student has 4 GB should work, though a real good configuration would be an 8 GB RAM. Also, the disk space should be a minimum of 500 GB, as we need to save data, information, CVs, photos and documents, etc.

Memory card at GA Repair in North London (Wembley & Haringey)

Processors:

A processor helps your work progress fast and easy. The higher the speed of the processor, your laptop delivers the work faster. Quad-core processors have become the minimum requirement for a laptop with decent functionality. Although we have to note that manufacturers in general don’t build better than a quad-core processor into a laptop as it greatly affects the battery life and the overall heat-release of the laptop.

Battery:

The advantage with laptops is that they are portable, mobile and can be carried around; as such you may not have power sockets wherever you go. Hence, battery life plays a very important role. Battery back-up of 7-8 hours is considered real good, though, for a basic configuration, 5-6 hours of back-up is also good.

Laptop battery at GA Repair London

Display:

The minimum screen size, measured diagonally for an average configuration laptop is 15 inches. As a student, or a professional who uses laptop only part-time, you can still get a decent laptop within a budget of around £500 with the above given configuration.

Storage & Hard-drive:

As technology evolves and improves every passing day, it gets difficult for us to strike a balance amongst the perfect products: the equipment that fulfills our needs; keeps up with latest technology and design aesthetics; and our financial constraints. It becomes extremely important to get the best out of your investment, as the life of these mean machines is getting shorter and shorter as technology advances.

If you need advice on how to choose your laptops, tablets or mobile phones, consult a professional before making your purchase.

GA Repair Services offers free help, assistance and quotes. Contact us in our London offices; visit our website’s contact page to leave a message.

Check out how many other ways you can get in touch with GA Repair, London.

How to Get Your Laptop Battery an Extended Lifetime

2015-01-16T08:00:00.000+00:00

Are you a travelling businessman, a sales executive or a self employed professional that needs to work on the go, stay connected to the business contacts, prospects, and your family at the same time?

Laptops are for you then, but does your laptop frequently run out of power, rendering you a not-so-social being? :-)

How to improve your laptop battery's lifetime

Here are a few tips on better usage of battery for an extended life

Charge the battery enough: Your battery needs enough power stored into it, so it can give you a maximum back up of 5-6 hours. So keep the battery charged, until it shows 100% charged. If you are forced to charge the battery frequently for back up or not getting enough back up, consider replacing the battery. Always go for a Lithium battery for better performance and better life span.

Set the appropriate power option: Change your laptop settings to optimize the power usage, reduce the time limit for the laptop to go-to sleep, when you are not around and using it.

Use Bigger RAM: Using RAM to run programs requires less power than taking the information from the hard disk memory. It is always advisable to have at least 2GB of RAM.

Clean the Battery Components: At least once in two months or so, remove the battery and clean the components , may be with alcohol, this makes sure that the transfer of power between laptop , and battery is smooth.

Turn-off Accessories & features not in use: Services such as Bluetooth, Wi-fi are better disabled when not in use. Also, do not set maximum brightness for screen display as it consumes too much power.

Avoid Surfaces that heat –up: Do not use Pillows, etc as base for laptops while working, as they heat up and consume more power. Rather use cooling pads as surface for laptop.

The desktop computers lacked mobility factor being bulky, and the need to connect different components’ to be functional rendered them immovable. Most importantly they needed to be plugged into the wall socket for power supply.

The greatest advantage with laptops is that you can work even on the go, as it has power stored within the battery fitted inside. Hence it becomes extremely important to ensure your battery has enough power stored into it. Also, ensure proper maintenance and efficient use, so your battery performs better and has an extended life span.

Memory card and laptop battery with GA Repair business cards

Tips to Salvage your Water Damaged Laptops and Phones

2015-01-12T13:14:00.000+00:00

Oh Boy, that video was actually meant to make you laugh and bring some smiles on your face, say Cheez! Or say Geez?!

Still not laughing, has that video made you pensive? Well, to be honest, it does kind of scares me too! As I frequently fear similar accidents and damages to my most possessed equipment laptop, Tablet, Android Phone.

Though, it is difficult to prevent and avoid our loved ones (toddlers to pets) manhandling our equipment, causing potential damages to them.

Never place your laptop or device near liquid or a bathtub full of water!

Here are a few tips on salvaging your gadgets from liquid damage

Curiosity kills the cat; yes it does and did to me. As soon as I emerged out of the swimming pool, I was pushed into on a company outing; I tried repeatedly to turn the phone on curiously to see if everything with it was fine. Switching on the phone immediately only severs the damage.

It is highly recommended that the power supply, cords, battery be removed immediately, as water conducts electricity it may cause short-circuit.Once you remove the battery, also detach other parts that can be detached such as SIM cards, SD Memory Cards as well as keyboard, etc. and attempt to dry them well.

Remove all cords and battery to avoid getting electrocuted

Make sure every single drop of water is dried. You can use a dry towel or compressed air by can. It's better than your mouth for this purpose.

Dry it out, use a dry towel, preferably paper towel, not a fluffy one

Wait at least 24 hours to power on and restart the equipment.

Don't try to switch it on for at least 24 hours!

If it still doesn’t start after waiting, drying for 24 hours, there may still be water inside the equipment, in which case, it is highly recommended that you take it to an expert service centre. GA Repair London can help you liquid damaged mobile phones and laptops. Get in touch.

In case of severe water damage, just call GA Repair: 07842 316225

Difficulties with water damaged device repair

The advice any one can give you is to prevent than repent and go for repair. Still, to err is human and we keep making those mistakes dropping the phone in the toilet or spilling water on the laptop is common.

Though some of these incidents actually make us laugh at our own stupidity, we might be in for some serious trouble. As these equipment contain very valuable, precious and sensitive information and data, and losing them is a huge risk.

Well, the painful visit to the street corner technician with our dead equipment is our only option, yet there is no guarantee of longevity to the equipment. They may expand the life span for a short duration, so you can recover your valuable data or postpone a sudden expenditure, but it is rare that a liquid damaged mobile phone will fully operate even if all the faulty parts have been replaced. Why is that?

When water or liquid gets inside your equipment, it causes damage which cannot be seen right away. The motherboard and other parts essential for operation might get corroded.

Even if we replace the corroded parts, as these devices comprise of lots of tiny parts, there's a 90% chance that other parts have been affected by the liquid damage and the electrical technician will not see these at the time of repair.

What are the implications?

Avoid placing your device close to any type of liquid. If accidents happen - they will - take your device to the repair centre close to you, but be aware that the fixed equipment will only function fully temporary. It can take up to 12 weeks for the corrosion to appear but perhaps it will never appear at all. You can't be completely sure about that.

Be prepared to fully replace your device. Get a new one or buy a refurbished version of your old equipment. This will help you with copying back all your data to your smartphone or laptop.

If you have more concerns, get in touch with GA Repair, London.

Have an accident free weekend.

GA Laptop & Mobile phone Repair Services in North London (Wembley & Haringey)

Are you getting your message across? - The Top 5 Messaging Apps

2015-01-09T08:00:00.000+00:00

You must have felt impatient, and nervous waiting for a reply to your email, forget snail mail. After all, communication - exchanging messages- has to be instant to be useful, relevant and effective, especially in this fast-paced world.

The Top 6 Messenger Applications

From post-cards to telegraphs, and the most recent messaging tools like emails & SMS; you always had new tools to fulfill your growing instant needs. Now is the turn-age of smartness! From smart cities to smartphones, everything is getting smart. To cater for your growing smart demands many tools and applications (apps) have flooded the market! Here is a sneak peak at some of the features of the best messaging apps:

The 600 million users worldwide stand testimony to the popularity of this mobile App. It is a platform friendly or a cross platform App, meaning it works absolutely fine with Android, iOS, Windows, Symbian & Blackberry platforms. Also, it is multi-lingual.

You can use this service free for the first year, and from the second year on, you need to subscribe by paying a small fee of US$ 0.99. This is applicable to all smartphones, irrespective of the platform they work on.

WhatsApp logo

Download from here: WhatsApp

Viber

Launched in the year 2010 for iPhones initially, but today the App is available for all platforms, such as Windows Phones, Android, Symbian and Blackberry. It works on 3G/4G and Wi-Fi networks, as well. There are about 100 million active users, out of the 280 million users registered worldwide.

Calls between Viber members are absolutely free, but if you call a landline or a Smartphone that doesn’t have Viber installed, then you will be charged a nominal fee, with their service called Viber Out.

Viber logo

Download from here: Viber

Facebook Messenger

With this App you can chat with Facebook friends on your Mobile phone, as well as on the website. Like in any other Messaging Apps, using this App enables you to share photos and to share your location at your discretion. The App comes with video call, chat, file sending and image attaching facilities.

This App is available for Android, iOS, Windows and Blackberry OS platforms. Facebook Messenger is a free App, but limited to your friends and acquaintances.

Facebook Messenger logo

Download from here: Facebook Messenger

Skype

Now owned by Microsoft, Skype is the undisputed leader of VOIP providers across the globe. It is platform independent, it work on almost all the platforms available today such as Windows, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, Linux, iOS and Windows Phones.

Skype, though known to be a freemium VOIP client, it has to be noted that only calls between Skype members are free. If you have to call a landline or a mobile number which is not linked to Skype yet, you have to subscribe by paying comparatively low fees than what you pay for such services in the domestic market. For example, you can call worldwide for a nominal fee of US$ 13.99 a month.

Skype logo

Download from here: Skype

BlackBerry Messenger & Google Hangouts

Although our title says Top 5, we could not decide which Messenger Application should stand in our 5th place in the five best and most popular messaging apps. Hence we shared the fifth place between two major and up-coming applications: the BlackBerry Messenger and GooglePlus Hangouts. So instead of the Top 5 messaging apps, here are two more sharing our 5th place, making them Top 6 best instant messenger applications altoghether.

BlackBerry Messenger

Blackberry’s instant messaging and video phone services are available for Blackberry, iOS, Android and Windows Phones, too.

It is a free to download App, and if you do not have access to internet through 3G/4G or Wi-Fi, your suppliers' normal data transfer charges apply.

BlackBerry Messenger logo

Download from here: BlackBerry Messenger

Google+ Hangouts

Google is continuously growing. So we cannot ignore its great Messenger App: Google+ Hangouts from Google is another instant messaging platform, with the usual options from video chat to file sending and photo sharing. It is available for Mac iOS, Windows Phones and Linux.

Although calls to US / Canada are free, for other international destinations there is a nominal fee to pay.

Google+ Hangouts logo

Download from here: GooglePlus Hangouts

Conclusion

With so many options, it is difficult to make a decision and choose the only one which will suit you in most situations. We could not decide which one should be used or ignored either. To make our repair services easy and accessible to our customers, we installed all the Top 6 in our list.

If you’d like to check out all of these apps, find their download links below:

Viber

Facebook Messenger

Skype

BlackBerry Messenger

Google+ Hangouts

If you have any computer problems, broken phone screen issues, damaged smartphones or laptops with computer virus, you can reach GA Repair Services in London through any of them.

Feel free to get in touch through any of the above messaging apps.

Please, find our contact details below:

WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger:

+447842 316 225

Skype:

GA-Repair-Services

G+ Hangouts:

GA Repair Services

BBM: 7C7BEBA7

www.GArepairservices.co.uk

Smartphone, computer & laptop repair

in North London (Wembley & Haringey)

GA mobile phone and laptop repair in London - ads

2015-01-05T08:00:00.000+00:00

A new online social media campaign has been launched by GA Repair Services and in the series of funny ads one can see the cutest frog ever standing in the rain.

The ad campaign says: "we know how inconvenient it can get when you phone is not working as expected" and the little frog is sitting on a branch and holding a piece of leaf which protects him from getting wet.

Check out the advertising image of GA mobile phone and laptop Repair Services, London.

GA Repair London Online Ads

Server network planning and set-up for small businesses in North London

2014-11-25T18:37:00.001+00:00

One of our most recommended service the sBITS (Small Business IT Support) includes server & network planning, building, installation and set-up followed by on-going IT support, on-location repair and regular data back-up services for small and medium-size businesses located in North London.

GA Repair London logo

Can you print from any of your device at work?

Do you need an efficient and continuously running computer network?

Would you like to to set-up a small computer network of 5 or 10 desktops in your office?

Are you fed up with the growing costs of maintaining your server and network?

Are you looking to manage the maintenance of your existing computer networks?

GA Repair can help you.
Check out our website and get in touch here.

Don't miss the chance to see our cool 3D Logo Animation!

2014-10-21T01:09:00.002+01:00

3D Logo Animation video Snapshot by GA Repair London

Watch GA Repair London's 3D animated logo video on YouTube.com

If you'd like similar videos for your business, get in touch. Prices start from as little as 14.99£ Contact: GA Laptop & Smartphone Repair London 07842 316 225 Joseph repairservicesGA@gmail.com GA Smartphone Repair London website

This Haunted Halloween Show off your Phreakos!

2014-10-17T13:31:00.000+01:00

Who says that Halloween is only for the kids?

In October 2014 GA Repair London organised a vote-for-the-best Haunted Halloween photo-contest. Show off your Phreako!

Having fun at the Haunted Halloween best costume & photo contest.

GA Repair London launched the Haunted Halloween contest on 16th October and the aim is to involve as many of you as possible, so in two weeks we can create a large group of people who are not afraid to show off their Halloween freak-sides and their Phreakos.

The very popular American Horror Story TV-series inspired the campaign creators. The AHS team, that runs its #WeAreAllFreaks campaign, recently broadcast Season Four’s first episodes. This season focuses on the differences amongst individuals, judging others, stereotyping and many other negative traits of mankind while pointing out that these differences make us better together. However, being a horror series, these subtle things sometimes get depicted in a gruesome way.

This short playful promo video is a spooky invitation to You. Join in the fun!

What you get - apart from the free gifts and discounts?

Vote for the best, spookiest or funniest Halloween costumes or just simply support your friends to win.

Be the judge of this hilarious Haunted Halloween photo competition. All the judges receive 20% off the mobile phone, laptop and smartphone repair costs in all November.

Moreover, upload a photo of yourself wearing Halloween make-up, a spooky mask or a funny costume and win the contest. You can take home a £25 app store Gift Card on the night of All Hallows’ Eve.

Show off your Halloween freak or simply Vote for the Best.

Join and vote for your friends and check out our Haunted Halloween Phreakos!

*Definition of Phreakos / Phreakos means: Freak Photos

Fight Virus: Protect your Data and Privacy

2014-10-01T14:25:00.000+01:00

Malware protection

Virus protection software has been created in order to protect a user’s computer against virus attacks such as Trojan horse, worms and other harmful software code which has the ability to crash a computer. Virus protection software’s also known as anti-virus software which helps you to remove any harmful virus code which has already entered your computer system.

How to fight against Computer Viruses?

Difference between a virus, worm and a Trojan horse

Though a virus, worm and a Trojan horse are all malicious code which can harm your computer, they are not the same in context.

Virus

A computer virus is almost similar to a human virus. It can attach itself to a computer file or any software program which will ultimately get transferred to other computers when the particular file transfer takes place. When the virus reaches a new computer system through a program or file, it infects more files in its new destination.

Worm

Worms have the capability to cause more harm to a computer system as it can be spread from one system to another even without any human action. The alarming factor about a worm is that it can multiply in the system within a short span. While a virus is sent only as a single entity from computer to computer, a worm has the ability to send thousands of copies which can prove to be fatal to the infected system.

Trojan horse

A Trojan horse is the most harmful type of code, because it initially appears to be a safe software program but ends up causing irreversible damage to the infected computer system. In this way, users are deceived into opening these infected files. As with viruses, a Trojan horse also varies in its severity.

How to protect your computer system from malware and virus attacks

It is very important to protect your computer system from all types of malicious code such as virus, worms and Trojan horse. This is because these codes have the ability to cause immense damage to your system by deleting important files, compromising confidential information, preventing a system from booting etc.

Download reliable anti-virus protection software

The first step towards virus protection is to download and install effective anti-virus software. These programs frequently check the computer system for any malicious files and remove them immediately before it is able to cause any damage to the system.

Be careful when opening suspicious links and emails

Malicious programs are usually transferred through email messages from computer to computer. Never open links or mails from sources which cannot be trusted.

Block pop-up messages in your browser

Pop-up messages appear on top of a web browser. These messages can also contain harmful code. Use a pop-up blocker to prevent the appearance of pop-ups.

Use a firewall

A firewall can be very useful in informing the user whenever a suspicious activity or a threat is seen to the computer system. Once the user receives an alert, he/she can take the necessary actions for protecting the system.

Sometimes, your system gets so old and out-dated that even the most effective malware removal software can let your computer get infested by malware. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to take your computer to your local engineer and get some friendly and professional help with virus removal.

Here, at GA Computer Repair London, we can also help you with malware and virus removals and to keep your data safe from malicious software attacks.

The most interesting facts about computer viruses

Free virus removal services included with every repair we undertake till the end of 2015.

Indeed, you can easily win free virus removal services now, click here to take part in our monthly Gift Raffle draw.

Good luck and keep your computer safe from virus attacks.

Convenient Door-to-Door & On-Location Repair service available in London

2014-09-30T14:09:00.000+01:00

Is your computer cleaned and updated regularly?

Personally, I work on a PC and I rarely disassemble it. I don't know much about hardware and I'm more of a "dumb user" when it comes to personal computers. But I know how to use professional software and I find my ways in social media, too.

My computer has started to produce much noise lately and, I take it, this is due to dust and neglect. Though I use this PC every day and I clean its screen, speakers and other peripherals regularly, the parts inside my computer are rarely cleaned and refreshed. It has been cleaned ages ago and by now I feel a growing pressure to get it done professionally.

I work with GA Repair, but I deal with ads, management and the "soft" side of the business. Luckily, Andras is here to help me with this.

How about you? Do you clean the parts, like fans, inside your computer regularly? Do you have someone taking care of this?

Personal computers, especially older ones, are quite big in volume so it's difficult to send them by post. If you don't have a car to drive to the nearest repair centre, you can either take it by cab or public transport, alternatively you can call a computer technician to your home. This is kind of convenient, but if you are similar to me, then you won't like strangers working around the house. We all need our privacy uninterrupted when possible.

If your PC doesn't get routinely checked and cleaned, dust will cause over-heating, noise and other physical or hardware problems to your computer.

Can you hear the noise the fan makes? It's time for a health-check.

So here's the solution. Book a door to door service with GA Repair in London. This is the most convenient service available around North London.

Click here to book a the most convenient door-to-door repair service in North London.

Every weekday 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm and weekends 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm, GA Repair runs a door to door service, which includes driving to your address provided, picking up your PC and returning it back to you at a convenient appointment.

The Pick-up and On-location fee is £15 in London (within 15 miles) and an additional £1 fee applies for every mile commenced outside our fifteen-mile Pick-up zone. Repair and parts' costs are not included.

Can you imagine a more convenient way of getting your PC repaired or regularly cleaned and health-checked?

Andras comes to your chosen address, picks up the computer, laptop or phone and brings it back to you at a convenient time (within service hours) in cleaned state and working condition.

He will not stick around for the repair and your PC will reach you in 48 hours from the pick up time. Quick, friendly and reliable service which runs its trial period now.

Additional free services & Our monthly Gift Raffle draw.

Halloween is coming soon and GA Repair offers free malware removal (or factory reset if preferred) with every computer & laptop repair to its newsletter subscribers.

Indeed, every month you can win free virus removal service if you are subscribed to GA Repair.

To subscribe, simply click here and earn multiple chance to win by following us in social media.

GA Laptop & Smartphone Repair Services in London

Protect your Mobile Phone from Viruses and Malware

2014-09-29T18:12:00.000+01:00

What is a Mobile Phone Virus?

A mobile phone virus is a vicious software program code, just like a computer virus precisely designed and adapted for the mobile phone environment and has been produced to spread from one exposed device to another.

Illustration: Mobile phone virus detected on smartphone

The numbers of mobile malware and worms are invariably on the rise. It has become an alarming menace to the wireless phones and PDA networks. It has become increasingly burdensome to ensure the safety and security against electronic attacks.

Mobile devices are mostly afflicted by the following types of malevolent software programs:

Trojan, a malicious program only gets activated through user interaction and once it is activated it affects and damages the device badly by tainting several other applications or the phone itself.
Worm, transmitted through SMS or MMS and it doesn’t need any user interaction to get activated. This program emulates itself endlessly and spread to other devices.
Spyware, typically malicious as it spreads user’s personal or sensitive data without user’s assent or approval.

Some of the malicious programs are called Cabir, Ikee, Gingermaster, Duts, DroidKungfu, Skulls and unfortunately there are many others.

How to avoid problems regarding viruses and protect your phone against malware?

The best way to protect your device is not to click or accept any unknown messages that you are not fully aware of. Apart from that, you can maintain several things to diminish the chances of actually installing a virus:

Download a reliable antivirus application in your Smartphone.
Once you download an antivirus application, remember to scan your mobile often.
If your phone has Bluetooth functionality, make sure that the Bluetooth functionality is switched to either “Hidden” or “Invisible” mode until and unless you explicitly need it to be visible.
You can make your device password protected, as this helps to prevent the use of data stored in your phone.
You should download any content from a trusted or a well-known source to be on the safer side.
The antivirus application of your phone should be kept updated all the time.
If your computer or laptop is virus infected, don’t connect your phone to it or share anything until and unless you’re sure that the system is safe.

Here, at GA Repair London, we can also help you with malware and virus removals and to keep your data safe from malicious software attacks. Our virus removal services are inclusive with all repairs till the end of 2015.

Indeed, you can easily win free virus removal services now, click here to take part in our Gift Raffle game.

Good luck and keep your mobile phone safe from virus attacks.

Malware - The Enemy of your Computer in Disguise

2014-09-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

Malware - the enemy of your computer in disguise poster

Malware is a term used for software designed basically to gather information or damage someone’s computer without their knowledge. In short malware is the abbreviation used for the term ‘malicious software’.

Generally, it is the mind that has created the software and not the features that make a software malware. The reason behind the creation of the malware, with a new one popping up almost daily, is to make money fast, which is an offence in the cyber world and attracts punishments (both in monetary penalties, as well as sentences to be spent in prison.)

Malware Dangers

Though all malware are dangerous as they damage your PC, but there are some special types of malware that are extensively dangerous. Some of the viruses are known to be malicious and they have the ability to delete a file and at times the entire drive, like the ‘Overwriting viruses. On the other hand the ‘Ransom-ware Trojan’, not only encrypts the data on your file, but the culprit actually asks for ransom from the distressed victim in return of the decryption key.

Symptoms to Confirm a Virus Attack on your Computer

Generally, your computer starts misbehaving. Advertisement pop-ups will keep disrupting, your settings change on their own and you cannot re-set them, your web browser has components you did not install or your PC is running extremely slow and crashes a lot.

Act Fast

If you feel your PC is misbehaving or something is wrong and you did not do that, than you should take action. Launch your Windows Task Manager, go to Process Tab and check for any new/unwanted file (you did not install). If any pop-up pops warning you or asking for credit card details for any software, your PC is infested.

Do not go to your old anti-virus and begin checking your PC, by now understand it has failed in keeping malware out, so don’t bother using them. Take it to the nearest Computer repair expert to find a solution. Use your Windows Safe Mode, it protects your PC from most of the malware out there.

In order to keep your laptop and data safe from viruses, it is highly recommended that you take your device for regular laptop health check-ups. Malware removal services usually include a comprehensive laptop-health assessment, which means not only we check your laptop’s system-health but we also check the physical parts of your computer and clean it thoroughly from dust and pollution. This will make your laptop run faster, heat up slower and provides a greater lifetime to the physical parts of the laptop.

Indeed, you can easily win free virus removal services now, click here to take part in our Gift Raffle draw game.

Good luck and keep your laptop safe from malware attacks.

Enter for a chance to win free gifts and repair services every month!

Tips for Internet Security and your Safety

2014-09-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

Has your computer, laptop or tablet slowed down in performance?

Do you see any vital information missing from your storage disks on these equipments?

Or you often get irritating pop-ads on your screen from nowhere?

Well, it is time to act and act fast. You may have to consider taking your equipment to the nearest computer repair expert to cleanse it of the virus that has sneaked into it.

Enter for a chance to win gifts and free services every month!

Main sources of virus attacks:

A virus can be transmitted to your computer via many sources such as:

Email Attachments

These are the most common sources, and also the easy sources; some time back I received an email- with an attachment -that looked tempting enough to open, when I did open it, there was nothing in it. Few days later, I started getting complaints from my friends about the spam emails they were getting from my email id. It was then I realized that attachment contained a Virus.

TIP: beware of such emails, especially with attachments, never open any email with attachments form unknown sources.

Hacked or Cracked Software (pirate versions)

Such software, obviously is illegal, and is offered by mean people who have wrong motives. When you download or purchase such software for a low cost or free, it harms your computer.

TIP: Always download, purchase genuine software from reliable sources.

Downloads from the Internet

Internet is a great source of information; There are many files, downloads available which help disseminate and share information for public at large. This poses a great threat as most of these files may contain virus in various forms such as malware, spyware, etc that harm your computer.

TIP: Have a reliable, trustworthy anti-Virus software Installed so such stealth virus sneaks can be avoided.

Virus is actually a piece of code written for the purpose of intruding your computer without your knowledge, with the intention of controlling your device remotely. These programs sneak into your computer when you install legit software. Sometimes you get warning and notifications, though not all the time.

In order to keep your laptop and data safe from viruses, it is highly recommended that you book your laptop for regular device health-check-ups. Malware removal services usually include a comprehensive laptop-health assessment, which means not only we check your laptop’s system-health but we also check the physical parts of your computer and clean it thoroughly from dust and pollution. This will make your laptop run faster, heat up slower and provides a greater lifetime to the physical parts of the laptop.

Indeed, you can easily win free virus removal services now, click here to take part in our Gift Raffle competition.

Good luck and keep your laptop safe from malware attacks.