Common Mistakes People Make When Attempting to Fix Their Gadgets

So, by some fluke chance, you cracked the front panel of your gadget. Or perhaps your gadget isn’t working the right way or its operations seem sluggish. Or maybe whenever you turn on your gadget, it turns itself for no reason. Should you try to repair your gadget yourself or just bring it in for repairs?

Unfortunately, many people think that they can fix their broken gadgets by reading through tech repair websites or watching repair guide videos on YouTube. And again, unfortunately, even with the best information and the best intentions of getting something fixed, if you’re not a trained professional technician, you’re only asking for more trouble for your gadget.

Not realizing that some front and back covers are held by more than just screws

Unlike desktops, laptops, and most smartphones wherein you can remove the rear or obvious covers simply by unscrewing them off (with smartphones you simply pop off the rear covers), some gadgets like tablets have difficult front and back covers to remove. This is because aside from the screws, the covers are also held down by adhesive. Some are also held inside by plastic holders aside from the screws. Make a wrong move and you can snap the plastic holders or worse, snap your gadget cover in two. This on top of the potential for electric shocks or cutting your fingers on the broken glass. Let a professional tech company handle your gadgets instead.

Not checking the warranty on the gadget

With many “tech clinics” online, some people think that they can do a DIY job on their busted gadgets to save money. Why not just check if the gadget is still under warranty and bring it in for repairs. Being under warranty means you don’t pay for anything. It’s much easier than trying to repair it yourself and adding more to the damage.

Not even having the right tools

Just because you have a garage full of tools doesn’t mean you can go and attempt repairing your busted gadget. All computer-related and Internet-related gadgets need special tools like special torx screwdrivers, nut driver bits, and case opening tools and only trained professionals usually know how to use these tools. Just because you have a screwdriver, tweezer, and a hair dryer doesn’t make you a professional gadget repairman. This is best left with the professional tech support people who have the proper tools.

Not checking your Wi-Fi password when your Internet is always crawling

It has happened a thousand times before; people buy a Wi-Fi device or router and immediately uses it as soon as they plug it in and sees the green light. This also gives the green light to your neighbors who will obviously pick up your Wi-Fi signal and start using it. Not securing your Wi-Fi or router means that squatters will suck up your bandwidth and your internet speed will slow dramatically. All this because you didn’t secure it in the first place.

In conclusion, we might also add that assuming you got on the right track in identifying the problem, if a replacement part is needed, chances are you don’t know what that is. So in conclusion, it’s safe to say that the first mistake anyone makes in attempting to fix their gadget is THINKING that they can do it. Best if you just call your tech support company for assistance.

5 Windows 10 modern Apps That you Should Definitely Try

The all new modern apps are one of the most improved things about Windows 10. The new modern apps are now improved in terms of design and usability, especially now that they run just like any other windowed desktop application. The main advantage of modern apps is that they look and feel the same no matter what device you are using. Aside from being lightweight, they are isolated from your file system and other important parts of your operating system. And because of these great improvements made, here are some modern apps that you really shouldn't miss.

1. Groove Music (Pre-installed)

Previously known as Xbox Music, Groove is a music service by Microsoft that hopes to compete with other music services like Google Play Music, Apple Music, Spotify, etc. While Groove is a music service, Groove Music serves as the official music player and organizer app. With this app, you can play and organize all your favorite music, whether it is locally stored on your computer or on your OneDrive account. Groove Music has a simple look, with no confusing menus. And as it integrates well with your OneDrive account, you can stream your favorite music on whatever device you want to use.

Since Groove Music is designed around the Groove service, you can have access to millions of songs by purchasing the Groove Music Pass, similar to Spotify or Google Play Music.

2. Photos (Pre-installed)

The Photos app in Windows 10 is now improved and designed to be the central hub for all your pictures. Whenever you preview an image in Windows 10, it is opened via the Photos app (unless you've customized it). The Photos app integrates well with the OneDrive cloud storage and can display all the photos in your cloud, along with the pictures in the local storage. The new Photos app proves to be useful especially if you are using OneDrive to automatically back up all your photos or images in your mobile device.

3. Mail (Pre-installed)

The Mail app is lightweight and features a minimalist design, offering enhanced features from Windows 8. The app lets you add almost any email account and unlike in Windows 8, the new Mail app now supports POP accounts. Some of the best features of the Mail app include, but are not limited to, drag and drop support, touch-friendly user interface, automatic replies, and calendar integration. To describe it in simpler terms, the Mail app is the stripped down version of Outlook.

4. Fresh Paint

Fresh Paint is a free and awesome painting app from Microsoft that can be downloaded from the Windows store. Even though this is an official Microsoft app, this is not installed in Windows 10 by default. With Fresh Paint, you can draw or paint your ideas on a blank canvass. You can also import images and then work on them should you wish to do so, or you can even use the camera to capture a picture and paint it. This app supports various inputs such as mouse, touch, and stylus. In addition, you have the option to print your artwork in high definition. Fresh Paint is perfect for artists, graphic designers, or even those artists at heart.

5. Adobe Photoshop Express

One of the best photo editing software, Adobe Photoshop Express is released by Adobe as a free and lightweight app that can be downloaded from the Windows store. Even though the app doesn't have all the advanced features that can be found in Adobe Photoshop, it has all the basic features like cropping, straightening, color correction, one-touch filters, auto-fix, etc. If you're looking for a software that you can use for simple photo fixes and enhancements, this is the app for you.

Cool Shortcut Tips to Make Your Edge Browsing Experience Easy

The new Microsoft Edge browser for Windows 10 is a total welcome upgrade to the old Internet Explorer. The Edge browser provides various features such as the built-in Cortana and beautiful reading mode that helps the users improve their browsing experience. Here are some great quick shortcuts that you can do with the new Windows 10 browser so that you'll enjoy browsing more.

Ask Cortana

Because of the awesome powers of Cortana, the Edge browser can show you some additional information in a slide-in panel, which means you don't need to leave your current page in order to do a quick search.

To do this, right-click on any term you want more info on, then click Ask Cortana. A Bing search will slide in from the right, which shows you images and other information where available.

Enable Reading Mode

Turning on the Edge's Reading Mode will help you remove distracting ads on an article you're reading. The Reading Mode gets rid of most graphics on a site, and styles the text of your article in an easy-to-read font and layout.

To turn it on, press the book icon at the upper-right area of the screen. Alternatively, you can also press the [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [R] keys. This will make your article now front and center. If you want to turn it off, just press the same icon again.

Open an InPrivate Tab

This feature can be helpful, especially if you share your PC with other people. There are times when you don't want them to know what sites you've visited lately. Browsing in an InPrivate Tab prevents Edge from storing the webpages you've visited in it's history.

If you want to have more browsing privacy, click the three-dotted menu button on the upper-right hand corner of the screen. Next, select the New InPrivate window option; you can also achieve this by using the [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [P] keyboard shortcut.

Bookmark or Favorite a Page

We all have that urge to bookmark a beautiful or interesting page or site so that we can revisit it later on. With Microsoft Edge, all your bookmarks are collated in an easily accessible panel, which helps you find the page you're looking for in no time.

To do this, tap the star icon beside the URL bar on top of the screen or you can press [Ctrl] + [D] on your keyboard. When a dialog screen appears, click the Add button to save the site to your favorites. To view the list of your bookmarks, tap on the three-horizontal line button (beside the star), and then tap on any of your favorite links that you'd like to go back to.

iPad Mini 4 Vs. iPad Mini 3: Is it Really Worth Upgrading?

In the Apple ecosystem, the iPad mini line holds an important spot, especially now that the iPhone Plus is out. It's designed to be a handheld pad with a bigger screen than an iPhone but more maneuverability than an iPad. The new iPad mini 4 is among the less-hyped announcements made from Apple's event that took place last September 9. The iPad mini 4 will serve as a replacement for the iPad mini 3, although the company will continue to sell the iPad mini 2. There's one main question: Is it worthwhile to get the newest iPad mini model?

When the iPad mini 3 hit the market, it included that Touch ID button that reads your fingerprint, bigger storage capacities (64GB and 128GB), and gold shell option. Other than that, it was virtually similar to the previous generation of iPad mini, which Apple is keeping in its lineup. It sports the same size and weight, as well as the same A7 chip with an M7 motion coprocessor.

Below is a comparison chart between the iPad mini 3 and mini 4.

	Apple iPad Mini 3	Apple iPad Mini 4
Price with Wi-Fi	$399 (16GB) $499 (64GB) $599 (128GB)	$399 (16GB) $499 (64GB) $599 (128GB)
Display Size (inches)	7.9	7.9
Display Resolution (Pixels)	2048x1536	2048x1536
Storage	16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB	16GB, 64GB, 128GB
Processor	A7 + M7 coprocessors	A8 + M8 coprocessors
Weight (Pounds)	0.73	0.73
Dimensions (inches)	7.87 x 5.3 x 0.29	8 x 5.3 x 0.24
Cameras (Front/Back)	1.2MP/5MP	1.2MP/5MP
Wi-Fi	802.11a/b/g/n + MIMO	802.11a/b/g/n/ac + MIMO
Battery Life (Claimed/Tested)	9:10 (tested)	10:00 (claimed)

Just a simple yet important reminder to take note of is that the iPad mini 4 is replacing the mini 3 entirely, which means the latter will be discontinued going forward. For those who are considering to purchase one, the iPad mini 3s will sell out quickly, re-sellers will probably sell them at discounted prices, and then will become very hard to find. So those are some things you need to consider if you're thinking of buying one.

iOS Support

This may not be much of a big deal as some of the hardware specifications for the mini 3 vs. mini 4, but it's still as important to note that the mini 4 will be bundled with iOS 9, whereas you have to download iOS 9 to replace iOS 8 on a mini 3.

So why does this actually matter? It's because iOS features do make Apple products a bit time sensitive. In other words, the mini 3 will no longer support some apps or features of the latest iOS in a couple of years time, while the mini 4 will still be able to offer support for the latest software. In short, if you want to have a mini that will stay in the long run, then you better go for the mini 4.

Verdict

Since almost all features including the pricing is identical between the two mini models, if this is your first time to get an iPad mini, then there's no reason not to get the mini 4. But if you're planning on going for an upgrade, or choosing between the mini and another type of iPad model, it may not be worth the money and effort. The new model's main improvement is the A8 processor, which is clearly a lot faster than the old A7, but the mini 3 is good enough to last for a couple more years with you.

Use Launchpad for OS X to Organize your Apps

Mac's Launchpad allows you to organize and manage your installed applications just as you would on an iOS device. It also enables you to see apps that are currently downloading from the Mac App Store, and you can remove apps if you would like to do so.

How to Use Launchpad

Opening the Launchpad on OS X can be done using its icon on your Dock. If you cannot find it there, you can also launch it from the Applications folder. You may also have a keyboard option that you can use to open Launchpad, depending on which Mac or keyboard you have. For example, if you have a Macbook Pro, you can open up Launchpad by pressing [F4] on your keyboard.

Once Launchpad opens, you'll see a screen similar to an iPad's that will show you all of the apps that are currently installed on your machine. For those who are using a Trackpad to navigate Launchpad and swipe through various screens, just swipe to the left or right using your two fingers. In case you are using a mouse, click and drag left or right in order to change screens.

How to Rearrange Icons

The Springboard/Launchpad's basic concept is that an icon can be rearranged once they're jiggling. In order for you to make an app icon wiggle, simply hold down on one of them until they start wiggling. Then you can start dragging and rearranging the app icons according to your preferred locations. You can rearrange them on the same screen in different order or place them on a different one.

How to Create Folders in Launchpad

Creating a new folder in Launchpad can be done by clicking and holding any of the app icons, and once they start wiggling, drag and drop any icon on top of another. This will cause a new folder to be created. The name of the folder will be automatically set to the category of the two apps that you have grouped together. If you want to rename the folder, just click on it to open the folder, and then click on the title so that you can type in the new name.

Take note that creating folders in Launchpad will not affect the directory structure of your apps in the Applications folder -- so there's no need to worry about that. OS X also allows emojis in file names, so you can include emoji icons in your Launchpad folder names. Doing this enables you to quickly identify folders with the help of these emojis.

How to Delete Apps

Apple provided an option to delete apps from within OS X; however this method has two disadvantages. One, the uninstaller won't work for non-App Store apps, and second, it won't delete application preferences from your system.

With Launchpad, you can delete an application by simply clicking and holding an app icon until it starts to wiggle. Then, click on the X icon in the upper-left corner of the icon you wish to delete. OS X will ask for your confirmation if you wish to proceed with the action, and then just respond by clicking on Delete to permanently remove the application from your Mac.

A Tech Expert Guide to Maintaining and Organizing Your Gadgets

We all know that gadgets now rule the Internet today because of mobility. While it’s still nice to own a personal computer at home or at the office, it’s not a great idea to lug around a large PC, with monitors and all. But whether you’re a techie geek with all the latest gadgets to improve your work or a non-techie who happens to know at least the basics of using gadgets, the common denominator for everyone using gadgets is being able to maintain them and keeping them organized.

Maintaining and keeping your gadgets in mint condition is not hard work and the benefit here is getting them to work as long as possible and in tip-top shape.

General maintenance for smartphones and tablets

Protect the LCD screen with a screen protector, whether it’s the film type stuck on the LCD’s glass or liquid that is wiped onto the surface. Keeping your gadget’s glass scratch-free is the first step to maintaining its life. It is unfortunate that the better the technology, the bigger the screen, which is now the vulnerable Achilles’ heel of any mobile gadget. Protect the gadget with a protective folio casing. A jelly case is handy against the impact of bumping around in your bag, while most folio casings protect the device from any impact and keep its LCD from being scratched.

General maintenance for laptops

Wipe and brush your laptop weekly. Wipe the laptop’s lid, bottom area, and its LCD. Brush the keyboard with a laptop brush. Nothing is uglier than a dirty and unkempt laptop. As a practice, never use flash drives and memory cards other than those you use with your camera, phone and other devices. This prevents viruses being passed on to your laptop. If you really need to copy from other devices directly to your laptop, make sure your antivirus and malware programs are all updated and running.

Take care of the batteries

Your devices run on their batteries. It is very important that you use the battery carefully so that they have a longer life. It is recommended that you refrain from draining out the entire power before charging. Charge up when the battery signals that it is low on power. It’s very practical to invest in a mobile phone emergency battery and a spare battery pack for tablets if your work requires you to be on the move most of the time.

Don’t leave gadgets in the car

Heat is bad for all kinds of tech devices. A closed car becomes hot even on a cloudy day. The oven-like environment will play havoc on any gadget that is left in a car. In connection with this, since direct sunlight can damage devices, always use your gadgets indoors or at least in the shade when outdoors. Don’t use your smartphone or tablet when walking under the sun.

Keep your gadget cords organized

All gadgets have cords to charge them no matter how advanced gadgets have become. No one has yet to invent a cordless mobile device because cords go well with the wall sockets. Owning just 3 or 4 gadgets can leave a clutter of cords on any surface. If you need all your gadgets on a work table, use a box with dividers to keep all the cords separated from each other. It’s better if the box has holes at the back for each cord if you need to charge a gadget. If you don’t want to use a box, you can use plastic bread bag tags for each cord and slip them over the cord near the plug.

Smart Recycling Ideas for Your Android Devices

With several generations of gadgets have gone by over the the past few years, there's no doubt some of you have an old gadget that no longer gets attention and is just picking up dust on your drawer. But despite of this, you're still hanging on to it. Sure, it may have a sentimental value attached to it but the problem is, you're not quite sure on what to use it for.

So, here are some bright recycling ideas that you can do with your old Android device. Check out the list below and you may get an idea or two that you will truly find useful and enjoyable at the same time.

Kitchen Assistant

With a combination of Google Tasks and a cheap stand, a spare or old Android phone or tablet can become your ideal kitchen assistant. How? You can create a shopping list on Google Tasks, synchronize it with your other devices, and then take it with you shopping. Then in the kitchen, get rid of the hassle of having your cookbook stand on a balance or ruining the pages with ingredients. You can now cook food to perfection by using your device's built-in timer, so nothing gets burnt or overcooked.

You can check out apps like Food Network in the Kitchen and BigOven for starters. And since it's touchscreen, it's easy to keep clean, too.

Remote Webcam

Turn your Android device into a handy IP-based webcam with the help of a neat free app called IP Webcam from Google play. The app lets you connect the device from another Android device or any network computer using a browser or via Skype. It supports audio and a host of smart features such as streaming to VLC.

So if you're looking for a cheap Wi-Fi IP camera and happened to have an old Android phone or tablet, this will do the trick.

Video Camera

Though there's a slim chance that you would consider using an old Android device as a spare camera, but that doesn't mean that it can't be used as a decent video camera. The moving image, being lower resolution, is a lot more forgiving when it comes to poor quality sensors and lenses, while even aging devices can provide 720p HD encoding.

So, provided that you load it with a suitable SD card, you now have a device that can capture hours of video.

Wireless keyboard or mouse

If in case your keyboard or mouse suddenly stops working, you can use your old Android device as an input device with the help of RemoteDroid. Neither input will be as accommodating as its desktop counterpart, but it will do until you can order or purchase a new replacement for your defective computer accessory.

Digital photo frame

Do you know that your old Android device has better screen quality than most digital photo frames that you can see in the market today? Another benefit of using your old Android tablet as a digital photo frame is that you can connect it to your Cloud account so that it will have access to more photos. You can check out and download the Dayframe app to transform your device into a cool digital photo frame.

E-reader

You can always use your current device as an e-reader, however, it can take too much of its battery especially if you're an avid reader. Using your old Android device as a permanent e-reader will wipe off your battery worries on your current device. Depending on your reader app preference and whether you sidelook books, you may not even need a Wi-Fi connection for your device.

For e-reader apps, you may consider checking out apps like Google Play Books, Amazon Kindle app, and Aldiko.

Desk Clock and Weather Station

We all know that an Android device can offer more than just an ordinary desk clock. You can personalize its background and make it animated, show multiple clocks, and inbox status. If you want to transform your old Android device into an awesome desk clock and weather station, check out Dock Clock Plus to make it happen.

Apple Music vs. Spotify: A Quick Face Off

Spotify is no doubt the king of streaming music these days. This claim is supported by a reported user base of 20 million subscribers -- plus an additional 55 million listeners of its free, ad-based service. Now, that Apple Music has just recently entered the scene, the only question that comes to mind is that will the reigning champion in streaming music will still be able to hold its title.

When it was first unveiled by Apple during the 2015 WWDC, Apple Music seems to appear as the biggest threat for Spotify in the current streaming marketplace. Why? Because Apple Music has all the characteristics of a powerhouse music streaming client -- with a 24-hour, live radio broadcast, personally curated playlists, and access to the entire iTunes music catalog. So, to give us a closer look as to what the two music streaming giants can and cannot do, below is a quick run-through of their similarities and differences.

Founded	Jan. 2014 as Beats Music;acquired by Apple in May 2014 for $3B; relaunched June 2015.	October 2008, Stolkholm
Cost	Free radio (Beats 1 and other stations) or $9.99 per month	Free ad-supported streaming and radio or $9.99 per month ($4.99 for students)
Family plan	$14.99 per month for six family members (shared via iCloud Family Sharing)	$4.98 (50 percent off) for each additional family member account
Trial with full functionality	3 months free	3 months for $0.99
Requires new mobile app	Nope—it's in the Music app when you update to iOS 8.4	Yes
How many countries	100 at launch	58 + many territories
iTunes integration	Full integration of iTunes songs and playlists, including songs on iTunes Match ($24.99 per year) and songs in iCloud	Use third-party tools to convert iTunes playlists to Spotify; desktop Spotify can pull in local files
Number of users	TBD; Beats Music only had 111,000	75 million+ users, 20 million+ subscribers
Number of music tracks	30 million+	30 million+
Internet radio playlist curation	Humans (plus live Beats 1 Internet radio)	Algorithms
Number of skips for free	TBD, but limited	Five per hour
Sound Quality (free)	256Kbps	96Kbps
Sound Quality (Premium)	256Kbps	160Kbps or 320Kbps
Platforms	Mac, iOS, Windows at launch: Apple TV and Android to come	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Roku, TiVo, Samsung Smart TVs, Linux, PlayStation, the Web, and more
Podcasts	No (Apple has a separate app for that)	Yes
Videos	Music videos, clips uploaded by artists	Yes