APPLE CARE AND PROTECTION

Every PlayStation Move game and how much you care about them

noreply@blogger.com (DigiWind Global Solutions) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 11:50:00 +0000

Face it: PlayStation Move sure looks a lot like a Wii remote and nunchuk with a light up ball stuck on the end. Does that mean we can expect a steady diet of soul-crushingly dull, Wii-alike baby game collections strictly crafted to appeal to everyone from grandmothers to chimpanzees - except those of us who already play games?

Mostly, yeah. But not entirely. We checked out all the games at Sony's big announcement bash, and a couple actually didn't make us wish for a lesser torture like carving out our eyes with an ice cream scoop or listening to anything Ke$ha says. One game even rocked. Here's what you have to look forward to... and a lot you have to fear.

Above: Totally not a Wii remote and nunchuk.

The ShootA first-person shooting gallery that tasks you with blasting nigh-endless Terminator-meets-anime-style mechs as they leap out from hiding. The title is a reference to the fact that you're actually performing in a movie shoot. Thus, you'll see the occasional photographer or damsel in distress pop up whom you actually don't want to blast squaw in the talk-box. This will also also enable the developers to move you from sci-fi to western to horror settings at will.

How much do you care?
Just a little. It doesn't look super kiddie, and the Matrix-style slow-mo moments (which you trigger by spinning in a circle - your body, not the remote) are good for a laugh. But it's still an on-rails shooter and not remotely - no pun intended - as dynamic as something like House of the Dead or Time Crisis.

Above: Ninja assassins are stealthy. Missile-spewing robots are not.

Sports ChampionsThis one is tough to call. On one hand, we did not buy a PS3 in order to play more realistic table tennis – though to be fair, the way the racquet actually turns properly in your hand when you twist your wrist does feel mostly right, especially when compared to the versions we've suffered through on the pre-Wii Motion Plus Wii.

On the other hand, the gladiator game, in which one Move controller moved your sword and another in your off hand guided your shield, showed a bit of potential. Of course, there's still the whole matter of us needing to physically swing our arms around like a drowning circus clown in order to play. We're okay with looking ridiculous – Rock Band cured us of that forever – but it could get legitimately tiring. If we wanted a workout, don't you think we'd playactual sports?

How much do you care?
Not much, but that could change. The other four events in this title: disc golf, archery, beach volleyball and dodge ball, will obviously play a large part, and we haven't seen them yet.

EyePet
An adorable little critter that you can pet, make dance, and watch charm the pants off anyone within eyeshot. We are scared pretty much to death of EyePet.

How much do you care?
No offense, Gizmo, but... meh. We've written plenty on EyePet already – it's charming and technologically impressive. But how likely are we to opt to spend time giving this little guy a bath instead of squeezing off a few more rounds of SOCOM 4? That's just not going to happen.

Above: For the record, actual cats cost like, ten bucks.

Brunswick Pro BowlingHey, cool. Bowling. There's not a whole lot to say about this one, other than the fact that the one-on-one controls feel better than the Wii Play version ever did. And, should you be a bowling fanatic, know that it models such factors as the wax pattern on the lanes and the velocity of your delivery. If your real-world delivery gives your ball a wicked hook that has you cleaning the gutters, get ready to see it recreated nigh-perfectly onscreen. Chump.

How much do you care?
You? Probably not much at all. But your soccer-mom neighbor might. Sony's made clear it wants to court the Wii's audience, and this is exactly the kind of “better on PS3” evolved port it needs.

Above: Recreates everything but the ill-fitting shirt and the horrifying realization that this is the social highlight of your week.

TV SuperStars
Another title that puts the camera to dubious use, TV SuperStars enables you to sign your name, then captures your face for direct grafting onto your in-game character. Miis and Live avatars? Not needed here.

The concept is that you compete in five TV game shows. Striking poses and getting made up in an America's Top Model-like fashion show, for example, or painting like Bob Ross, competing like American Gladiators, doing repairs in a home improvement show, or burning it up in a cooking show.

How much do you care?
Do you puke at the mention of any game whose title contains the word "party"? If so, you can run or buy Dramamine. However, there's a strong sense of humor running through everything here – for example, the cooking show is hosted by a gangster rapper, and if you do poorly in the home improvement show, you could literally burn the house down. So, as far as party games go, it could be among the best of the best. In other words, you may actually enjoy it a little. You might say it's the best-tasting kind of barf. Or you might not - nobody really says that, do they?

Above: Yes, you're supposed to look stupid in this game, but you needn't try quite so hard.

Move! PartyRemember the old EyeToy games in which you'd see yourself onscreen and then do something silly like spinning plates or fending off ninja warriors leaping in from offscreen? Move! Party is the logical extension of that premise. You could almost call it an augmented reality game – the power of the PS3 enables you to swat bees, pop porcupine fish, shave cartoon heads, or otherwise interact with the various onscreen goings-on. Our favorite event? Using a handheld fan to help baby birds fly from one branch to the next. Awwww.

How much do you care?
If you're in the US, probably not much. This stuff is cute, but basic - it's like trying to make a Sunday dinner out of nothing but popcorn. However, the EyeToy was a much bigger success in the UK, so there's a strong chance that UK players will find this very compelling. For some reason.

Above: "Move Party!" is actually the working title. But it ain't working for us, we'll tell you that. Zing!

SOCOM 4
A-ha! Now this looks like a game. This is basically what the Wii remote and nunchuk should have been all along – one hand points at what you want to kill, and your reticule follows perfectly. The other hand deals with the remaining details, such as moving you around the battlefield and ducking in and out of cover. It's actually very close to that mouse and keyboard setup PC players are constantly yammering on about, and it's on a system that actually wants you to go online and play with other humans.

The game itself looks legitimately white-hot too. It's a six-day campaign that takes place entirely in Southeast Asia, enabling a legitimate story to be told. Cover plays a huge role, but it's also destructible this time around - we called in an air strike that obliterated the enemy, but also dismantled the cement barricades we were hoping to hide behind as we moved forward. Also, you can use the D-pad and L1 to issue specific orders to two different squads of troops. We don't just mean "go over there" - we're talking about laying down connect-the-dots paths of waypoints for them to follow, and painting targets for them to hose down on the way. Simply put? This looks like some good stuff.

How much do you care?
Let's just say it's the best reason we've seen yet for a motion controller to actually exist on any console. At least, until LucasArts caves and gives us the fully motion-enabled lightsaber dueling game every single living male on Earth has wanted since he was six.

Above: The real and true best reason for this motion thing to happen.

LittleBigPlanet
We didn't actually play this one on the show floor, but we got to see it demoed. It looks to provide a more intimate multiplayer experience, with one player traversing the level as usual and the other using the motion controls to move objects around the environment - moving obstacles out of the way, pulling levers, and so on.

How much do you care?
That depends upon if you're still playing LBP. If you are, this will probably thrill you. But most of us have moved on, and this is unlikely to bring us back.

Above: Cliff Robertson's sullen twin turns a pyramid over with the PlayStation Move. Couldn't do that before... so there's that.

Motion FightersThe second title we watched, but didn't play. This is another one that looks like it has potential, but that we really think we'd rather play while sitting comfortably on the couch and gently twiddling sticks and buttons, rather than swatting at midair like a Tae-bo champion.

How much do you care?
More than you might think. The possibility that this could be deeper than you realize keeps nagging at you, and dreams of demoralizing your buddies by pounding them into paste in kind of real life are bringing a smile to your face. This could work, you think. Maybe.

Above: Punched this sucka so hard, it knocked the color right out his world.

Random Tech demoThis nameless demo simply showed off the controller's ability to act like a flashlight, gun or sword, while also demonstrating the PSEye's ability to put the player onscreen. It's nice proof of concept, but there's really no “game” there just yet. However, a top-down battlefield in which you use the pointer to select your tanks looks promising. This could easily be the controller that makes real-time strategy games work on a console once and for all.

How much do you care?
You don't, really. You just shouted "Show me the money!" and strode away smirking, leaving the crowd wondering what the hell was wrong with you.

So that's it. The ultimate verdict? Sony is fully prepared to do whatever it can to woo current Wii owners over to PlayStation 3. And if a few games that appeal to veteran gamers happen to crop up along the way, they'll probably let you have 'em.

But SOCOM 4 still looks great.

How to fix your broken G4 ibook logic board

noreply@blogger.com (DigiWind Global Solutions) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:31:00 +0000

G4 ibook motherboard fault.

There is a design problem with the logic board in some Macintosh G4 ibooks. It seems to appear after a year or more in some machines. After being on for a few minutes, they get a blank black screen, the fan turns on, and the computer freezes. You might think it is a problem with the display but it’s actually a problem with one of the chips on the main motherboard. This article describes the problem and how to fix it.

What models are affected?

After doing this survey which involved over 300 faulty g4 ibooks it appears all ibook models are susceptible to this problem. Thankfully the power books don’t have the problem. In fact the powerbooks from this era are a great design, the 15 inch Aluminium powerbookfrom this era is one of my all time favourite macs – I still have one.

The original 2003 ibook G4′s (800/933/1Ghz) have the fault. The “Early 2004″ (1Ghz) models up until Oct 2004 have the same motherboard.

The 60G (1.2Ghz) “Early 2004″ model and all the “Late 2004″ model ibooks (1.2Ghz/1.33Ghz) and Mid 2005 (1.33 and 1.42Ghz) have built in airport extreme which means a different logic board – but they still have the fault! Even models with the new logic boards are affected.

What is the fault?

The fault consists of one of the chips heating up and cooling down each time the computer is turned on and off, so that eventually a small stress crack appears on one of the pins of the IC. This means the display goes blank and the computer freezes. If you press the plastic case of the ibook in just the right place, it can put enough pressure on the chip so that the pin makes contact and the computer will power up again.

The Danish Consumer Complaints Board did some investigations and confirmed the fault. Here’s a report in the form of a pdf document with close up pictures of the fault here:

Here is a photo from the paper. You can see the thin black line below the lead which is a crack in the solder.

My ibook is indeed just as the article describes it. The little chip gets hot, and if I press my finger on the chip, it works! Take my finger off, it stops working!
I rang Apple Australia and they don’t acknowledge that the problem exists. They have officially ‘never heard of it’.

The repair:

You need a fine tipped soldering iron to heat up the top few pins of the chip one by one and resolder it to the logic board. Press the chip down while you apply a very clean and fine soldering iron tip to each pin.

This is a very complicated ‘how to’ a bit outside the scope of many people but it may be interesting to some. Don’t attempt this one unless you have had lots of soldering experience – or you are ready to say goodbye to your G4 ibook if something goes wrong!
Here are some pictures:

The G4 ibook with the bottom case off. The offending chip is circled.

Here is a closeup of where I have soldered the legs of the chip. You can see the base of the top pins are shinier and a little fatter from the new soldering. I soldered the top 3 or 4 pins on each side, but it’s only the top 2 pins that the fault occurs with as they are the main power pins. I applied a little more solder to the joint as well, that’s why it looks a bit lumpy.

The IC:

As pointed out in the discussions below, once your ibook is fixed, or if your G4 iBook has not yet developed the fault, you might want to take out $10 worth of insurance by buying this little app. Then you can set the temperature that your fan turns on a little lower to keep the ibook cooler.

How the Apple Tablet (iPad) Could Transform the Way Patients Experience Healthcare

noreply@blogger.com (DigiWind Global Solutions) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:32:00 +0000

As the debut of the iPad fast approaches, speculation about it is reaching a fevered pitch. Scanning the thousands of articles written about the iPad’s potential, one may walk away thinking that Steve Jobs has just cured cancer, ended global warming, and established peace in the Middle East. Some people are even calling Apple’s latest creation the “Jesus tablet.” While the iPad probably falls somewhere short of some of those lofty projections, it has already done what Apple seems to do best – transformed the way we look at an existing market, in this case mobile computing and the tablet. We’ve talked previously about how the iPhone paved the way for the iPad in healthcare. Again, Apple’s entry into this market has signaled a huge shift in the way users will interact with the tablet and, through it, their environment. This new user interface has a great deal of potential to change the way physicians deliver care. But perhaps more importantly, it could also have profound impacts on the way patients experience healthcare.

Innovative therapies

Over the past decade, there have been a number of examples of novel technologies being used either therapeutically for sick patients or in preventative care. For example, there have been numerous trials, with more success in the pediatric population, that use text messaging to remind patients to take their medications. When the iPhone transformed the user interface for the smartphone, therapies centered on that platform also emerged – autism and major depressionare two conditions with iPhone apps that are therapeutic in nature. Enter the iPad. With a more advanced touchscreen, a high-quality webcam, and perhaps even 3d graphics, the possibilities become far more rich.

Take children with cancer – these kids can be hospitalized for weeks at a time and, due to the chemotherapy, stuck largely in isolation for most of that time. An app that utilizes the webcam to connect kids while playing a fun and interactive game together would provide a far richer interaction than a networked gaming console. Or consider the numerous elderly patients who succumb to delirium while in the hospital largely because, on top of being sick, life in the hospital, void of sunlight and normal sleep-wake patterns, gets so disorienting. Consider an app that, much like the mentally challenging games on the Nintendo DS, helps older patients stay a little more active during the day and perhaps ward of delirium. Will the iPad cure cancer or, for that matter, anything? No. But what it will do is provide some interesting and creative adjuncts to standard therapy that could make the patient’s quality of life a little better.

Improved patient-provider communication

In the ever growing iPhone app store, educational apps are among the most numerous. One of the biggest reasons why is because the interface allows user to interact with the material in a number of different ways. Take the Blausen Human Atlas or Pocket Heart – both of these apps allow the user to interact with anatomy in an incredibly rich way. With much more powerful graphics capabilities, these kinds of apps can certainly be taken to another level.

Consider a patient going into surgery. Today, explanation of the surgery is restricted to some form of charades by the surgeon and 2d radiology images. An app that allows 3d reconstructions of a patient’s scans to be pulled onto the iPad and manipulated would allow for a far better explanation, improving patient-physician communication. Or how about the diabetic patients or the heart failure patients? These poor folks are often subjected to hours of mind-numbing “educational” videos in the hospital – iPad apps could bring an element of interactivity that allows patients to engage with material that is critical to their health. Finally, consider the stroke patient. There are rumors that the iPad’s camera will be sufficiently sensitive to allow facial recognition. Perhaps then it could also be used to detect facial, or for that matter limb and trunk, motion with apps designed for post-stroke rehabilitation therapy. In a “game” format, individual goals outside of professional physical therapy could help empower the patient as they fight to recover.

The key opportunity that the iPad offers here is not just another platform to convey information, but a way to make it fun and engaging. While the iPad won’t replace a good physician taking the time to talk to a patient, it could certainly augment the patient-provider relationship in a fun and engaging way.

These are just a few ways that the iPad could transform the way a patient understands their illness and interacts with their healthcare providers. Among the most elusive goals in medicine is helping patients understand complex diseases and empower them to manage these conditions. Nothing will ever replace a strong patient-provider relationship, a personal support network, and evidence-based therapies based on a thorough scientific foundation. But the iPad could herald the introduction of innovative adjuncts that help patients take control of their own health and improve their quality of life.

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch: The Lightest Notebook Solution

noreply@blogger.com (DigiWind Global Solutions) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

An ultra-thin and light notebook that can last for almost 8 hours and guarantees high efficiency and fast processing. Apple has a unique style in combining fast performance with modern design. The one and only drawback in Apple's products is their high price, although you always “get what you pay for”.

I PHONE PRICE DETAIL

noreply@blogger.com (DigiWind Global Solutions) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:32:00 +0000

Price

$199

16GB

$299

32GB

$99

8GB

Display

High-resolution Retina display
960-by-640 resolution
326 ppi
Multi-Touch

480-by-320 resolution
163 ppi
Multi-Touch

Video Calling

FaceTime

Camera

5 megapixels
LED flash
Backside illumination sensor
Autofocus
Tap to focus

Front camera with VGA resolution

3 megapixels
Autofocus
Tap to focus

Video
Recording

HD video recording
Tap to focus while recording
LED light

VGA video recording
Tap to focus while recording

High
Technology

Multi-Touch
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
7.2-Mbps HSDPA
5.8-Mbps HSUPA
GPS
Accelerometer
Three-axis gyro
Apple A4 processor
Dual-mic noise suppression

Multi-Touch
802.11b/g Wi-Fi
7.2-Mbps HSDPA
GPS
Accelerometer

Battery life

Talk time:
Up to 7 hours on 3G;
up to 14 hours on 2G
Standby time:
Up to 300 hours
Internet use:
Up to 6 hours on 3G;
up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
Audio playback:
Up to 40 hours
Video playback:
Up to 10 hours

Learn more about iPhone 4

Talk time:
Up to 5 hours on 3G;
up to 12 hours on 2G
Standby time:
Up to 300 hours
Internet use:
Up to 5 hours on 3G;
up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi
Audio playback:
Up to 30 hours
Video playback:
Up to 10 hours

Learn more about iPhone 3GS

apple batteries

noreply@blogger.com (DigiWind Global Solutions) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:12:00 +0000

With a little bit of care, you can maximize the battery life (i.e. the time your battery will run before it must be recharged) and lifespan of your notebook's battery. Most importantly, use your Apple notebook in its comfort zone for temperature (See “Notebook Temperate Zone”). Don’t leave it locked in a hot trunk during the summer.

Your New Notebook

Be sure to fully charge your portable when you plug it in for the first time, and then run Software Update to ensure you have the latest software. Apple periodically releases updates that may improve battery performance.

Long-Term Storage

If you don’t plan on using your notebook for more than six months, Apple recommends that you store the battery with a 50% charge. If you store a battery when it’s fully discharged, it could fall into a deep discharge state, which renders it incapable of holding any charge. Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may experience some loss of battery capacity, meaning it will have a shorter life. Be sure to store your notebook and battery at the proper temperature. (See “Notebook Temperate Zone.”

Optimal Setting

You can choose to use your Apple notebook in a way that maximizes its battery life.

Energy: The Energy Saver control panel offers several settings that determine power levels for your PowerBook. Your portable knows when it’s plugged in, and runs accordingly. When on battery power, it will dim the screen and use other components sparingly. If you change this setting to maximize performance, your battery will drain more quickly.
Brightness: Dim the screen to the lowest comfortable level to achieve maximum battery life. For instance, when watching a DVD on an airplane, you may not need full brightness if all the lights are off.

AirPort Wireless: AirPort consumes power, even if you are not using its features to connect to a network. You can turn it off in its control panel to save power.
Bluetooth Wireless: Likewise, you can turn off Bluetooth to maximize your battery life, as it also consumes power when not in use.
Applications and peripherals: Disconnect peripherals and quit applications not in use. Eject CDs and DVDs if not currently accessing them

AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac or Apple Display

noreply@blogger.com (DigiWind Global Solutions) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:16:00 +0000

USA Complimentary Support

What is complimentary support?

Complimentary hardware support provides telephone support for basic setup, installation, assembly, and connectivity. See the support-related materials included with your Apple product for more information.

Complimentary software support provides telephone support for installation, launch, or reinstallation (not including data recovery) when your hardware configuration meets the minimum system requirements for the software. See the support-related materials included with your Apple product for more information.

How much complimentary support do I get?

Most Apple software and hardware products include unlimited complimentary support incidents within the first 90 days of product ownership. See the support-related materials included with your Apple product for more information.

Customers who purchase an iPod receive one complimentary support incident, which must be used within the first 90 days of product ownership.

Customers who purchased their iPhone 3G after November 20, 2008 will receive 90 days of unlimited complimentary support incidents from Apple. Customers who purchased the first generation iPhone or iPhone 3G before November 20, 2008 will continue to receive up to 2 years of technical support while the iPhone is subscribed to AT&T's wireless service. Online iPhone technical support will continue to be available

How does Apple define “support incident?”

Apple defines a support incident as a specific, discrete issue that can be addressed by isolating its origin to a single cause. Apple, in its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes a support incident. A support incident has reached resolution when the customer receives one of the following:

Information that resolves the issue
Information on how to obtain a software solution that will resolve the issue
Notice that the issue is caused by a known, unresolved issue or an incompatibility issue with the supported product
Information that identifies the issue as being resolved by upgrading to a newer release of the supported product
Notice that the issue has been identified as a hardware equipment issue
Information that isolates issue to a third-party product, not supported by Apple

Learn how to contact Apple for support and service.

MacBook Hard Drives

Store more music, photos, videos and files with a new hard drive upgrade. If your current hard drive is slow or clicking, a new hard drive upgrade can restore functionality to your laptop. All MyService hard drives are new and carry full manufacturer's warranties.

Includes installation of the new drive and transfer of your data. If your current drive is failing, a new operating system is installed. Data recovery options are available.
Your old hard drive is returned to you. read more

Snow Leopard Upgrades
Upgrade your Mac to Snow Leopard while your new hard drive is being installed. The single user upgrade (from 10.5) is $29 and we'll migrate your data at no charge. Select the upgrade after adding a hard drive to your cart.