The Search For "Blog Mojo" - Shocking Confessions

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE UPS AND DOWNS OF GEEK BLOGGING

Three weeks, four days, 17 hours, 34 minutes, and 15 seconds... is exactly not the amount of time that has passed since my last blog post.

In fact, I don't have any idea how long it has been. So while I am searching for my blog mojo, I'm gonna fill you in on the secrets of my rising and falling site traffic.

When I first started blogging a few years ago, I could not decide what in the wide world to focus on and write about. I had three major topics of interest, and tried to balance them all. I sure thought it worked, but my website traffic said the complete opposite.

I struggled to write every week, with hopes to reach the ever elusive level of 100 visitors per day. I thought it would be an impossible task that would take years to achieve. But I actually hit the goal in May of 2011. That was just the beginning of the excitement...

You see, I got lucky. Right about the time that rumors were flying about the yet-to-be-named Samsung Galaxy S2 from AT&T, I happened to write a story about the "Attain".

That was the rumored name at the time. As luck would have it, I was one of very few writers who wrote articles about the Attain, and I eneded up on page 1 of the Google SERPs for that search term.

I continued to write about the Attain, and I sraped every single bit of information from the web on the details surrounding the specs and the release of the smartphone. My blog traffic started to spike.

By July, I was well into the range of 300 visitors per day and growing. I didn't just write about the rumors surrounding the Attain, I also gave my own opinion and predictions about the release. I hit a bullseye.

During the month of August, leading up to the official release of the naming for the Samsung Galaxy S2, I surpassed 1,000 visitors per day and peaked at 1,350 in one day. This was something that went far and beyond my wildest dreams.

But after the release of the flagship smartphone, while the dust started to settle, so did my site traffic. But I still had a base level of 300 to 500 visitors per day thanks to a handful of informative posts I wrote on various technical topics.

I continued to cover smartphone and gadget news, and caught the eyes of several corporations. I have been given devices from some companies to write about, and I also was blessed to have been contacted by AT&T of St. Louis to review smartphones and tablets. This kept my traffic at a respectable level.

But lo and behold, I had an event that all but killed my website traffic. I had to switch blog site hosting providers from Quansite (of California) to Squarespace. After making the switch, I discovered that my blog site was so big, it was impossible to import all of my old posts.

That meant I was left to start from square one with Squarespace. My traffic took a nose dive as my most popular posts now pulled up "404" errors. But I love the new format of Squarespace and I am not regretting making the switch.

Right now I am suffering from a case of lost "blog mojo", and I am having the hardest time finding my "voice". When I first started blogging, my style was professional and "newsy" sounding. Over time, I started to write with more humor and sarcasm, which is a natural fit for me.

But I still have not found my perfect "voice". Once I do, I think I will successfully rebuild my blog site to its former glory. But in the meantime, I am going to commit to writing about anything on my mind that is related to the tech sector. I might even throw in a few articles that deal with technology and marketing.

So while I continue the search for my mojo, please, I beg you, if you are reading this, encourage me in the comments section and let me know if you like my new "natural" style and tell me what you'd like me to write about.

I hope you enjoyed this shocking confession. And I look forward to your comments!

(Cue the crickets)

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Geek Supreme

Dr. Dre Brings The Serious Bass With Beatbox Portable Player

BEATS BY DR. DRE IN PORTABLE STYLE DROPS THAT BASS

I've had a great week of rocking beats and thunderous bass in my home office, thanks to AT&T St. Louis and the "Beatbox", the latest music playing device that "Beats By Dr. Dre" produces. I haven't had this much portable enjoyment since the days of the tape deck boom boxes.

Way back in 1984, my brother and I saved our money and pooled our resources to buy a Jensen dual tape deck portable boom box that ran on 8 D-cell batteries. It created an instant party wherever we went. Portable music players stayed popular for the next 10 years but seemed to tail off in popularity by the year 2000.

I haven't owned a portable unit myself in at least 10 years. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. But after streaming music from my iPhone 3GS to the Beatbox by Dr. Dre's Beats Audio, I'm ready to pack a portable pounding music box again.

What I love about the Beatbox is the audio quality, and the cleanness and strength of the bass. I don't ever remember getting such a rich, deep, booming bass response out of an equally-sized device. You will get distortion if you crank the volume to ten, but the bass is clean and full when the volume is reasonably set.

Mids and highs are super crisp and clean, and you almost forget you're listening to a portable music device after it has been on for a few song selections. After buying a good pair of Altec Lansing speakers and a subwoofer for my home computer, I have never been able to listen to music from portables. But the Beatbox is the first to raise the bar high enough that it creates acceptable sound.

The only brand that I can seriously compare this unit to would be Bose. Bose has mastered the huge-sound-from-a-small-device design skill, and the Beatbox gets the head-nod of approval to be placed on that same pedalstal for making micro musical magic.

You can stream music to the Beatbox from your smartphone via bluetooth, OR you can dock your iPod Touch or iPhone on the top of the unit and it will automatically pick it up. You have 3 touch buttons on top of the device, and they also interact with your iDevice while docked.

The price tag reflects the quality, at $449 retail. But this is no cheap bottom-shelf Radio Shack portable tape player. This is an audiophile's portable dream. If portablitly, high sound quality, and bluetooth streaming simplicity is what you seek, I recommend the Beatbox.

Check out the video below for my live review!

Carlton Flowers
Bustin' tha Bass

Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" Firmware Upgrade Failure Is Rampant

SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 FIRMWARE UPDATE THROUGH KIES BRICKING PHONES

I own a Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone serviced through AT&T and I recently decided to use the Kies program to run my firmware update for Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich". I ran into major problems, and I would warn anyone to wait it out before updating and possibly bricking their phone.

After downloading the firmware update, Kies connected with my Galaxy S2 and started the process. As soon as it started, I received the error screen depicted above and was redirected to Kies to run the "recovery process".

I made several attemps at running the recovery to no avail. Each time, the recovery process halted and the phone could not connect with the computer. I also tried holding down the power button + volume down button to reboot the phone, but this also did not work.

I called my local AT&T store in Jefferson City Missouri for help, and described the problem. As always, I was greeted with a knowledgeable rep who was very sensitive to my "painful" situation, and he was as polite and helpful as could be.

He stated that there were reports coming in from others having similar results, but they did not have a solution at the store. He advised me that it would be best to call the toll-free technical support line through the corporate office.

I got in touch with the tech support staff through AT&T's toll-free number, and was given equal treatment on the phone. The rep was very apologetic and sensitive to my problem experience, and was as polite and helpful as he could be. After researching and identifying the problem, he referred me to the Samsung technical support center.

I called Samsung directly, and was again surprised to be greeted with a caring, sensitive customer service rep who was apologizing profusely for my trouble. I asked her if this issue was anything I could fix on my own, because I am a gadget nerd.

She stated that the phone would have to be completely re-programmed, and there was nothing that I could do to accomplish that. Furthermore, she stated that a failed attempt on my part could cause irreversable damage and permanently brick the phone.

I was strongly advised to send in the phone to Samsung to allow their technical staff to and re-program and factory reset the phone. They took down my email address and send a printable UPS 2nd-Day Air label, and told me to ship it to them as soon as possible, and that they would ship it back to me at no cost.

I had researched this problem on the internet until the wee hours of the morning, and nothing I tried worked. I was not able to get the Kies program to recognize the phone to resolve the issue and continue the update. It would stay stuck on "connecting", and never end.

Something else that I noticed was that the Kies program would not start the troubleshooting mode where you unconnect the phone and start the process over. When you'd click the "start" button, nothing would happen.

Without the computer being able to recognize the phone, I could do nothing. But the first 2 attempts at using the recovery mode seemed to work, but the process would fail and the firmware update would be unexpectedly halted. Then it wouldn't work at all.

I'm not sure if it was anything that I did. One thing I noticed was that the Kies program asked that I use the fastest USB connection possible. At first, I was using a regular USB connection. That might have caused the issue. During the first 2 recovery attempts, I was using a USB 2.0 connection. I don't think this was the culprit, however.

If you have not installed the update on your phone because you haven't gotten the "go-ahead" to run and install over the air, I would recommend against using the USB connection through Kies for updating at this point, until this issue has been solved.

It is frustrating and deflating to lose data on your smartphone that hasn't been backed up for a couple of months, but it is a learning experience. However, the outstanding customer support that I received from both AT&T and Samsung has eased the pain of this unfortunate smartphone catastophe.

Carlton Flowers
Appreciative AT&T & Samsung Fan

Nextel Push-To-Talk Punches Out, AT&T Plows In

AT&T PUSH-TO-TALK SERVICE EVENT COMING TO 27 US CITIES IN 2012

Do you remember how popular the "push-to-talk" feature was around 10 or 15 years ago when feature phones ruled the market? If you are a business customer, you quite possibly could could still be using it to this day.

Sadly, Sprint will be shutting down the Nextel network that plays host to goo-gobbles of customers using legacy push-to-talk phones.

Apparently, Sprint is pushing their new Direct Connect push-to-talk phone devices that will run on the regular Sprint network.

All the while, AT&T push-to-talk service is rolling strong, and they will be marketing a new enhanced version with events occurring in 27 cities, including Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri.

AT&T will be knocking out a huge event called the "Field Force Automation Forum" on October 2nd in STL-MO, and October 25th 2012 in KC-MO to introduce the newly enhanced service. Check out the KC event registration page, and the St. Louis event registration page by clicking the links.

Push-to-talk is a convenient and often integral part of business communications, offering a much-needed method of 2-way conversations similar to a walkie talkie radio.

It is heavily used by construction site workers, engineers, police officers, service and repair professionals, event planners, taxi drivers, and more. The big benefit is the ability to talk to a group of people instantly, without waiting for someone to answer.

Carlton Flowers
Communications Collaborator

Rock Your iPod Touch 4th Gen With Mophie Pulse

MOPHIE PULSE TRANSFORMS GAMING LIKE NEVER BEFORE

The Sunnyvale, California company Artificial Muscle Inc., a Bayer MaterialScience company, has created an iPod Touch enhancement that will blow your socks off and vault your gaming experience right through the roof with the Mophie Pulse, a device that you dock your iPod Touch 4th Generation gaming station into.

The Mophie Pulse will instantly turn you on with stereo sound enhancements and amazing vibrational feedback like you've never experienced with its ViviTouch technology. You'll never settle for the boring run-of-the-mill haptic feedback on your games after you get your hands on this device.

The enhanced "rumble feedback" will take you to the next level by providing solid haptic sensations that more accurately resemble a real world experience, unlike the "buzzy" regular vibration that you get with the iPod Touch on its own.

Once you play a game with the Mophie Pulse and then compare the feedback after turning it off, you'll feel like you've lost your sense of feeling. When you set Mophie Pulse in action with games like Tetris, Fruit Ninja, Labyrinth Lite, Sudoku2, Scrabble, Cut the Rope, Monster Pinball, and Doodle Jump, you'll never want to return to your old experience.

For example, a ball rolling across the screen with varying vibrational feedback will give you the impression that the ball is really there maneuvering on your display. Mophie Pulse promises to deliver bone-shaking vibrations and pulse pounding stereo sound that transfers what's happening in your games into what would be considered an "immersive" experience.

They've hit the mark and delivered in this promise. Honestly, I'm surprised that this type of haptic technology has not shown up in more devices by now.

I've never been impressed with the vibrational response in gaming devices like the XBOX 360 or Sony Playstation 3 because the haptics are either "on or off", and without variation in intensity.

By simply varying the amount of vibration in sync with the gaming action, you get a much more realistic effect with the Mophie Pulse.

The Mophie also provides other useful enhancements to an iPod Touch 4th Generation device, like a built in 800mAH Lithium Polymer battery to extend the life of your iPod's battery, plus enhanced stereo speakers that take sound quality to the extreme.

Plus, the Mophie Pulse is a very durable unit with a rubberized soft touch grip that provides extra protection for your investment.

I'll be shooting some videos in the near future to show a live action demonstration of the Mophie Pulse, so keep your eyes peeled and come back soon! Carlton Flowers Gaming Gadget Geek

CHECK OUT THE MOPHIE PULSE AT THE APPLE STORE!

Click the link to the picture to purchase your very own Mophie Pulse right now from the Apple store for only $79! You won't be disappointed!

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Gaming Guru

The HTC One X (AT&T) Is ___ In My Hands

TEST DRIVE OF THE HTC ONE X (AT&T) HAS BEGUN!

I am on day three of test driving the new HTC flagship smartphone called the "One X", and I already have a lot to say about this device. To answer your question, it feels GREAT in my hands!

Right off the bat, out of the box, I was impressed. The One X is super thin. Far more thin than any HTC smartphone I have tested to date. And it "feels" right in my grip. Besides feeling wafer thin, the edges are rounded off and the screen melds into the casing.

The case seems to be made of a polymer composite that has the color built-in. I could be wrong, but it seems an aweful lot similar to the Nokia Lumia 900, other than the edges have a glossy finish.

The power and volume buttons are different than my Samsung Galaxy S2, so that took some getting used to. But they are nicely located on the top and right side of the phone, with the power plug on the left.

Something I noticed that was different on this smartphone than any other was the audio quality. With "Beats Audio" by Dr. Dre, playing music over the internal speaker is much more enjoyable than my Galaxy S2. My phone sounds like music coming from a tin can as compared to the One X, that plays music with a wider and more even frequency response.

Stay tuned for the next post, where I'll tell you the big difference I noticed with the qHD display, as compared to the Super AMOLED Plus display. You might be surprised! Until then, enjoy the video, or jump to Amazon Wireless and get your HTC One X today for only $169.99 on contract!

Carlton Flowers
Smartphone Testerizer

The Nokia Lumia 900 - And My Official Opinion is...

OFFICIAL CZ NOKIA LUMIA 900 SMARTPHONE REVIEW!

Okay folks, this is overdue. I had a 2-week long test period of the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone (AT&T) and ran it through the ringer. Here's my official word on this device, and the Windows Phone Mango platoform!

Despite all of the reviews both positive and negative about this device, I am here to report to you that it gets an overall passing score, and my thoughts about the future of this device and Windows Phone Mango are still as positive as ever before.

First of all, I'll tell you that Windows Phone Mango is a breath of fresh air. It's not the same old mobile platofrm that we have seen for the past 3 years with Android and iOS. It's a "whole-nother" ball of wax. I picked up the phone right out of the box, and was able to understand how to navigate around instantly.

The Windows Phone Mango system on the Nokia Lumia is smooth, efficient, and super-intuitive. I didn't need to pull out the instructions to figure out how to operate the phone. Microsoft did a fantastic job in starting from scratch when they ditched Windows Mobile 6.5 to create the new platform.

Because of the ease of use, I see the Nokia Lumia 900 as an excellent choice for first-time smartphone buyers. I have told more smartphone newbies to look at the Lumia than any other device. It gets completely away from the old way of jamming hundreds of icons on a screen.

Knowing that 50% of the population still does not own a smartphone, I would say that all of the predictions of the Nokia Lumia 900 and Windows Phone Mango making a huge dent in the smartphone market over the next few years is absolutely true. The future of this device looks bright.

But getting back to the operating system, there are a few things that I absolutely love. First and foremost, the Live Tiles.

Everything you need to get to that you frequently use is located right on the home screen. And you can create a tile shortcut to your favorite things, even people. And what I also love is how all of the social media communities are combined into "news events". Rather than checking Twitter, Facebook and other sites, you get the latest "news" as a notification.

Something else that I found extremely useful with the Nokia Lumia is how messaging is aggregated. Instead of jumping back and forth between SMS messages and Facebook messages, for example, they all show up as generic "new messages" on the home screen. This saved me a ton of time. I was able to keep closer contact with all of my friends this way.

Some people prefer SMS, while others heavily use Twitter or Facebook. The Nokia Lumia 900 only looks at "current messages" rather than individual apps. That way, I can chat with everyone using their preferred method while only gazing at my home screen.

Accessing programs is a snap. If you swipe to the right, you see a verticle listing of all your apps and features, similar to what you get by clicking the "Start" button on Windows 7 with a PC. This was a big plus for me, since I am an avid PC user.

But the Lumia 900 is not just for Windows enthusiast. I'm starting to see more and more Apple iPhone users make the switch. As a matter of fact, one of the reps at my local AT&T store switched from owning an iPhone for 3 years to a Nokia Lumia 900, and she said she'll never switch back.

A big plus with the Lumia 900 is the solid build of the phone. It's a heavier and more solid-feeling smartphone than my Samsung Galaxy S2, but it's far more durable than a fragile iPhone 4S. The Lumia was built with a solid polycarbon composite body, and Gorilla glass for the display. It will survive drops, and the body of the phone is resistant to scratches because the color is built into the material.

The size of the display is 4.3" in diagonal measurement. That's the perfect size for people who dont' want a gargantuan "phablet", but also strain to read on the tiny 3.5" iPhone display. The resolution is 800x480 pixels, and while some gadget reporters complain about this, the average smartphone user will not have a single complaint about it. It looks great for multimedia and pictures, and doesn't have a lot of overkill.

Something else that many gadget geek reporters complained about is the single core 1.4GHz Qualcomm cpu. I don't understand the complaiing about this. The software written for the Lumia 900 is not "multi-threading", so it doesn't make a difference that it's not a dual core or quad core cpu. Speed-wise, I challenge any user to notice a real difference. It cuts through apps and functions with ease, and the majority of users won't tell a bit of difference as compared to other high-end smartphones.

The cameras on the phone don't just cut the mustard, they actually perform quite well. You have a Carl Zeiss branded lens on the rear 8Mp camera with 3X zoom plus a dual-LED flash, and it takes extremely high quality photos and video. The front facing camera is plenty good for video chatting at 1Mp, and is extremely clear.

I was impressed that I had no problems running apps and multitasking with the 512mb of RAM. Most smartphones are packing a standard 1Gb of RAM, but this does not seem to slow down the Lumia 900. It has more of a standard internal memory capacity at 16Gb for storing pictures, multimedia content, and files.

I don't know if it was just my excitement about the phone, or possibly that listening to music was a richer, fuller experience than other smartphones that I have tested. I seemed to have less trouble connecting to streaming music services, and using the music and video player was quite smooth.

Surfing the net with the Nokia Lumia 900 was also a thrill when running on a 4G LTE service area in St. Louis, but the HSPA+ 4G connectivity was also impressive. My download speed tests had the Lumia competing right in the ballpark of other devices.

Making phone calls with the Lumia was as I would expect it to be, and the sound quality when using the earpiece was fairly rich and robust. I'm picky about how a smartphone "feels" when smashed up to my ear, and I didn't seem to have any discomfort when having long conversations.

Last but not least, the battery life of the Lumia 900 impressed me. I noticed that the phone would stay charged when leaving it on in standby mode much longer than my Android device. I would put it on par or better than the battery life of the iPhone 4S. Battery drain is a real issue with high-end smartphones, but there's no worry here.

At the end of my test period, I was truly sad to see this phone go. When I first got the phone, my Galaxy S2 had experienced a malfunction and would not charge. I was forced to use the Lumia 900 fully. It was a big plus that picking up the new system was as easy as it was.

I could go on and on and bore you with more technical details, but I think the people who would consider buying this smartphone just need to know that the Windows Phone Mango system is truly a different experience, and the Nokia Lumia 900 was truly a "fun" smartphone to use.

I give it an overall resounding passing grade, and I would recommend this device first and foremost to new smartphone users. But anyone else who is looking for a change of pace should definitely give it a test drive, because I believe that Microsoft will only be offering more and more apps as developers start to give Windows Phone Mango more attention.

If you have a Nokia Lumia 900, I would love to hear your thoughts on whether or not you're going to stick with the Microsoft platform! Until then, I better bring this post to a close, because this is the longest article I have written about a new smartphone!

Carlton Flowers
Nokia/Mango Fanboy

GET THE NOKIA LUMIA 900 FOR $49 ON AMAZON WIRELESS!

You can own the Nokia Lumia 900 for as low as $49 with a 2-year contract from AT&T through Amazon Wireless! Enjoy the intuitive Windows Phone Mango operating environment with all of the hardware features you expect with a smartphone like 4G LTE internet connectivity, a Carl Zeiss 8Mp camera, front-facing camera for video chatting, 16Mb of internal memory storage, SD card expandabilty, and more! Get it now while the special lasts!

Introducing The Microsoft Surface Tablet!

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES NEW SURFACE TABLET ARRIVAL!

Well folks, all of the anticipation and rumor-mongering is over... Microsoft has officially announced the Surface, their very first branded tablet device!

The Surface Tablet will introduce Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, and it appears to be a large 16x9 display tablet that comes with a kickstand and an industry-first folding case that comes with two types of keyboards that flip over like a book, or snap right on as an external component.

The "Touch Keyboard" is only 3mm thick, and snaps right onto the device. You can also get a "Type Keyboard" that is 5mm thick and features fully embossed keys that you can actually press down.

You get a 10.6" display made from Gorilla Glass II, and what they are calling the "VaporMG" case that is solid and durable. The thickness of the overall tablet is only 9.3mm deep. The Windows 8 "Metro UI" operating system is said to be very intuitive and easy to pick up, similar to Windows Phone Mango.

They are touting this tablet to be a potential replacement of a regular desktop PC, or a laptop. With the unobtrusive keyboard covers, I could see this device replacing my current laptop computer, but I would still want the muscle of a desktop for heavy duty computing.

Something else worth mentioning, the covers are magnetic (similar to the iPad cover) and they are multitouch. Plus, the kickstand action is easily employed to prop up the Surface for use on a desktop.

This is an ARM-based NVIDIA chip tablet that has the hardware features that I would expect coming from a non-Apple device, like an SD card slot, standard USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output, 32Gb or 64Gb of storage, and a 31.5Wh battery. Initial reports say that it is super slick, fast, and super-responsive to gestures.

But the biggest most exciting non-Apple feature in my opinion is the inclusion of a pressure sensitive stylus. It is said to be a "digital ink" stylus. I'm not sure what that means at this point, but it obviously indicates a greater-than-normal capability than that of traditional styluses.

My prediction on price is probably half of what this device will be sold for. Rather than a middle-of-the-road tablet, it looks like Microsoft is swinging for the fences in producting a fully capable computing device that will rival the funtionality of an iPad.

That's about all I have gathered information-wise at this point, and we'll keep you posted as more details come in. I might have to start saving up some money and put the Surface tablet on my Christmas wish list!

Carlton Flowers
Exposing The Surface

Why You Shouldn't Buy Your Samsung Galaxy S3 From Sprint

SPRINT CUSTOMERS BUYING A GALAXY S3? SWITCH TO AT&T

If your heart is set on buying the monumental Samsung Galaxy S3 superphone and you are a Sprint customer, I have a bit of advice for you before you spend your money and lock into a contract: SWITCH TO AT&T.

That's pretty blunt advice. And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash or be overly critical of Sprint. Nor am I just "promoting" AT&T. But it's for your own good, and it's due to the hardware that is built into the new Galaxy S3.

Here's the deal...

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has an LTE 4G radio built in. Sprint does not carry any 4G LTE service. Their version of 4G is "WiMax". It's a completely different standard on its own separate hardware network.

WiMax service is going the way of the dinosaur, and that is why many smartphone manufacturers are getting away from it. Samsung has decided not to invest in equipping the Sprint version of the SGS3 with a WiMax radio.

If you do choose to get a Galaxy S3 from Sprint, just understand that you won't be able to run it on their WiMax network. As a matter of fact, you won't even get to run it on the enhanced HSPA+ 4G network (the 2nd-generation of 3G service) like you can through AT&T and T-Mobile.

With your new Sprint SGS3, the best you will get is "EVDO" 3G service on the CDMA network. If you don't know what that means, all you need to know is that it old, slow, and outdated. EVDO 3G is slower than regular GSM 3G service, and it is far slower than HSPA+ "4G" service.

This all might sound confusing, sure enough. But to make it simple, you have 2 types of 4G service with AT&T: They are HSPA+ 4G, and LTE 4G. HSPA+ is the enhanced 3G network which has been enabled to run at tremendously higher speeds than that of standard 3G. 4G LTE is a completely new hardware network that is absolutly mind-boggling blazing fast in download speeds.

So if you are putting your money down on a Galaxy S3 from Sprint, you better understand that you are buying into a network that is basically two generations old when compared to AT&T, Verizon, or even T-Mobile.

If you are patient and you just love Sprint as a provider, you'll eventually get 4G LTE service. But it could be a while before you see it. They do plan on rolling out several major cities this year, but the majority of customers will not see LTE 4G service for a year or two.

And now you know the ressssst, of the story!

Carlton Flowers
Good Day!

PRE-ORDER YOUR GALAXY S3 NOW FROM AMAZON WIRELESS FOR $189!

Get your Samsung Galaxy S3 through Amazon Wireless today on pre-order for only $189! Enjoy all of the benefits of this outrageously amazing superphone featuring a whopping 4.8" Super AMOLED Plus display, a rock-solid Gorilla Glass II screen that is resistant to cracks and breakage, full 1080p HD viewing, Face Unlock facial recognition, blazing fast 4G LTE download speeds on the AT&T Wireless network, Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system, and so much more! Click the link or the thumbnail now to jump to Amazon Wireless and be one of the first to own one of the most cutting-edge smartphones on the market today!

The Big Microsoft Announcement: Will It Be An iPad-Killing Tablet?

MICROSOFT SET TO UNVIEL MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT

Rumors are flying and excitement is running high concerning a major announcement coming from Microsoft Corporation on Monday, June 18th 2012. Could this be the unveiling of the first iPad killer? Nobody knows... but here are my thougts!

First of all, I'm still salty that Microsoft dropped the ball and never released the Courrier tablet back in 2010. It was a double-screen folding book tablet that had a stylus.

Everyone knows that I'm a huge fan of the stylus with mobile devices. The Courrier would have been a first of its kind concept that was different from the iPad or any other tablet. But I don't think this new device will be similar to the Courrier.

My prediction is that this will in fact be more of a traditional tablet device, but something that will be ground-breaking with the new Windows 8 operating system and live tiles concept. If anyone can make an iPad killer, it would be the Microsoft Corporation. But I don't see them taking on the iPad market head-on.

With the recent news of Google developing their flagship Nexus Tablet device that boasts a possible super-low entry level price for a "quality" tablet, I think the lower-end market is more ripe for the picking. I'm not of the opinion that people are looking for another $600 to $800 tablet device other than an iPad.

I see Microsoft hitting the tech sector with something more in the mid $300 price range that will turn heads and draw people away from the Amazon Kindle Fire, the B&N Nook Tablet, and the upcoming Google Nexus Tablet. But this device will possibly have features that would motivate people to spend the extra dough to get their hands on this new gadget.

It makes sense to me that Microsoft would create a device that builds on the Windows Phone Mango platform, which could quite possibly be Windows 8. This would fit perfectly within their current offerings, and fill the gap where they don't have a presence.

We know that Microsoft does not actually manufacture their own hardware, as is the case with the XBOX gaming system that rules the roost in the gaming industry. So could this possibly mean that Microsoft could team up with Nokia again, makers of the flagship Windows Phone Mango smartphone? I think yes.

Nokia is off to a slow start with the Nokia Lumia 900. Partnering again with Microsoft on producing a new Windows 8 (or Windows "RT") tablet would certainly give the company a much needed boost. And with rumors still swirling around a possible buyout of the Nokia corporation for $8.8 billion, I'd say that the Redmond tech giant wouldn't be thinking of partnering with anyone else to build such a device.

We will keep our eyes on the horizon and see what unfurls by Monday, and follow it all the way to the end. At this point, I think Microsoft Corporation knows that they can't flop out a dud and miss out on this late opportunity to finally put a dent in the solid tablet market that is owned by the Great Fruit Dictatorship.

Carlton Flowers
Windows Watcher

The Google Nexus Tablet - Let's Talk Specs!

RUMORS POINT TO AN AMAZING ASUS ANDROID DEVICE

Time to go into depth with the latest rumors of what specs we ex-spec-t to see on the Google Nexus Tablet that Asus will be cranking out late this month! At $149, this could be a steal if even half of this pans out.

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best, because this could end up being the number one value for an Android tablet on the market.

The challenge to making this device is creating something of quality (as they are claiming) and keeping the price down to a minimum. That's no easy task. So we have to keep that in mind as we look at the rumored specs.

Here's what we might have...

7" Tablet Display

The 7" size is the perfect size for a tablet in my opinion. Plus, its a cheaper build. The resolution on the Google Nexus Tablet should be in the 1024x600 to 1280x728 range. That's plenty enough for high quality multimedia content without going nuts and creating something along the lines of a Retina display. It is supposed to be similar to what was used in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, which nails the good quality/low cost target.

Under The Hood

Look for a dual core 1GHz CPU to power the Nexus Tablet. It's good enough for current technology and the average user, and doesn't carry the price tag of a quad core processor. It should be plenty enough to push apps and support multitasking without a problem.

The GPU is rumored to be a PowerVR SGX540. That comes in exactly at average. It was the top GPU about 2 years ago, and was featured on the original Samsung Galaxy S tablet. That's enough to push 1080p HD video. This would be the perfect happy medium between price and functionality.

I'm betting on 1Gb of RAM, even though the up-and-coming tablets will be pushing 2Gb as the new standard. But for an entry-level fuctional tablet with a super low price, you don't need it. Storage-wise, my best wild guess would be 8Gb of flash memory for apps, music, videos, PDFs, and other file types stored to the device.

Internet Connectivity

4G LTE radios are all the rage. But it's not necessary for this device. Look for basic WiFi capability, and no 3G/4G wireless radios to be built in. With the ability to stream data service from a smartphone and the availability of free wireless hotspots, WiFi is the choice to keep the price at rock-bottom levels. Most people who are focused on price (like me) will not worry about 3G/4G service anyway. That way, there's no fuss over 2-year contracts or monthly premiums to make this a self-sustained internet device.

Operating System

Some people are floating out rumors that the Nexus Tablet will feature the upcoming Android 5.0 "Jelly Bean" operating system. I don't totally buy that notion. Actually, Android 4.1 is code named "Jelly Bean", and I'm thinking this is what we will see.

To be honest, I'd be perfectly happy with Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" which isn't even available on my Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone at this point. So anything above Android 2.3.5 "Gingerbread" will be a real tasty treat (pun intended).

Arrival In Stores

Most sources are stating June 27th to 29th will be the announcement time, when the Google I/O developer's event is scheduled to take place in San Franscisco. This is when they will break out the news for the new Android operating system "Jelly Bean". That would be the perfect time to have an official news release.

But that doesn't mean it will hit stores at that time. I would look for a late summer release of the device, but not too late. We all know how fast new Android devices are released to market, nothing like the once-a-year format of the big fruit company.

So there you have it. My official rumored specs for the Google Nexus Tablet. I could still be first in line for this... unless Microsoft steals my attention with their special news announcement on Monday! Stay tuned for more details!

Carlton Flowers
Tablet Fence-Sitter

Why The Google Nexus Tablet Will Slay My Wallet

THE AUS-MADE GOOGLE NEXUS TABLET HAS ME AT "HELLO"

If you know me by now, you know that I'm not convinced of spending my hard earned money on a tablet device. To me, there just isn't enough utility to justify the cost. But with the pricing of the newest up-and-coming Android tablet, my mindset just changed...

Enter the Google Nexus Tablet made by Asus, which will be hitting stores at the end of June, 2012! With a possible price tag of $149, the cost of this tablet just dropped below my "minimum usefulness per dollar spent" bottom line.

Up until now, I have not been able to come up with one single use that would push the cost of a tablet above the level of "need". It's an over-priced entertainment device.

Right now, I can get by. I use my Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone extensively, and I also have an HP laptop that I use in addition to my monster home computer. So a tablet just wouldn't be a good investment.

Tablets have always intrigued me, but the price tag leaves little to be desired. When the first iPad was released, I was mesmerized. But not enough to blow $599 on something that might not get daily use.

Overall prices have fallen quite a bit since Android tablets have entered the market, but I still can't say that I would part with my money to get one. I almost opted for the Kindle Fire at $199, but I want a raw Android device and not something that is geared towards consuming Amazon's content.

But for $149, you might see me in line waiting to purchase the Google Nexus Tablet made by trusted manufacturer Asus. Plus Google promises that this tablet won't just be a cheap alternative, but something of the highest quality. I tend to believe their promise.

For that price, I can finally say that the utility would be above the vanity level. And I truly believe that there will be a lot of utility plus entertainment value with this Asus device. Since I use my smartphone to read a lot, I would find great use out of a 7" display to read articles on Pulse News, and on my favorite blog sites.

With the extra screen real estate, I could also see myself using this tablet to manipulate several of my business spreadsheets. I would be more inclined to use the tablet for my daily budget activities rather than pulling out and booting up my laptop.

On my next post, we'll talk about the specs that are rumored for the Galaxy Nexus Tablet, and why this device could be the best gadget deal of the summer!

Carlton Flowers
Google Gadget Geek

iPhone 3GS Stuck On Apple Logo During Bootup - My Findings

IPHONE STUCK ON BOOT SCREEN? HERE'S WHAT I FOUND...

I recently did a repair on an iPhone 3GS that took nearly 3 weeks to figure out. When I thought I was finished, the iPhone would stay stuck on the Apple logo boot screen and would not budge. This is what I discovered during this repair.

First off, we started with an iPhone 3GS that had a cracked screen. It belonged to a friend of mine, and resulted from dropping to a hard surface. An attempt was made to replace the screen, but to no avail.

I took the phone home to the man cave, and tore it down. The first thing I noticed was that the digitizer cable plug (labeled #2) was not securely snapped into the motherboard. This is a common problem in iPhone screen repairs. When the plug is not securely seated into the board, it will not work.

The reason the plug didn't fit is due to the fact that it was a replacement digitizer for an iPhone 3G, not a 3GS. Plug #2 is not the same on these devices. But the difference is so minute, it's not totally obvious when you go to installing the new digitizer.

I replaced the replacement screen with a correct screen, one made for a 3GS. The cable plug snapped right in, and I reassembled the phone. But I ran into the problem of the iPhone staying stuck on the boot screen that displays the Apple logo.

After sitting for 5 minutes, you get the winding clock animated icon, and nothing happens after that. I did some research, and found that a solution would be a device reset from connecting to a computer (with iTunes).

I was lucky enough to load iOS 5.1 (it formerly had iOS 4) and reload the entire iPhone. But it still had problems staying stuck on the boot screen. Nowhere on the web did I find any more advice on this issue. So I decided to tear the phone down again.

I discovered the problem. My thought was that there was still a problem with one of the cable plugs. As it turns out, plug #1 that slides into the slot on the board, the one that connects the LCD, was not secure. During the failed attempt to install the wrong digitizer, the housing around this plug was chipped away.

I carefully reinstalled this cable, lowered the clamp lever, and then reconnected plugs #2 and #3. After putting all the pieces together, I found immediate success. iOS5.1 was installed and running, and there was no delay in the Apple logo boot screen at all.

If you're having similar problems with the stuck Apple logo screen, a device reset from a computer is required. You need to wipe it fully and start from scratch. But any more difficulty in booting the device is probably due to a loose or damaged cable connector.

I'm surprised that there isn't more information on this issue out on the web. I hope people suffering from this issue find my post helpful. It's quite a frustrating problem to figure out.

I'd like to hear from any fellow iPhone-fixing geeks if they've run into this and discovered the same root problems that I have. Share your experiences in the comments section!

Carlton Flowers
iPhone Hack

Smartphone Warranties - Are They Worth The Extra Cost?

iFUBAR SERIES - MY ADVICE ON BUYING IPHONE WARRANTIES

In today's iFUBAR series, we're gonna discuss a topic that I have completely flip-flopped on since my original stance. It's an important consideration for current and prospective iPhone owners.

I have long been an advocate for passing on extended warranties with electronics purchases. The reason? It's almost pure profit for the seller (the store, not the manufacturer).

Back in 1990 when I graduated from college and started my first engineering job, I discovered the "extended warranty option" when I went out on my first shopping spree to furnish my appartment.

I was very proud to buy a home CD player (the old kind that measured 2' by 1' that stacked on top of your stereo receiver) for about $100. But when I went to check out, I was offered an "extended warranty" for $20.

I turned it down based on the fact that the CD player should be dependable enough to last without an extra extended in-store warranty, and if the manufacturer couldn't stand behind their quality, I shouldn't buy it in the first place.

For the next 20 years, my advice has always been against buying extended warranties on electronics because they go straight to the pockets of the retailers. Often times, manufacturers would still directly cover a defective device if you dealt with them directly.

But in this day and age of the amazing iPhone, my mindset has most recently changed. When you're buying a $700 pocket computer, you are risking a whole lot more of your hard earned cash than what I was putting at risk with that first CD player I purchased.

It's a great thing that Apple covers defects with their phones when they are sold with pre-existing problems. But the problem is, the phones are so fragile that googles more are broken by the consumers than the number that are sold with factory defects.

When you buy expensive stereo components for your house, you're not going to pack them around in your back pocket, sit on them, and crack them. When is the last time you carried your 52" plasma TV with you every where you go?

Your iPhone 4S that you currently carry everywhere you go costs about the same as a decent-sized flat screen LCD/LED/Plasma TV. Its easy portability means you are at constant risk of breaking it.

Therefore, unless you don't mind burning $700 in the blink of an eye, you better take extra means to protect your investment.

You can get a warranty that will cover your stupid clumsy mistakes and foul-ups for about $100, plus a $50 deductible. They'll let you tear up your iPhone any way you want 2 times within your 2-year contract.

If you're like me, a clutz who is hard on smartphones, this is a no-brainer of an investment. I managed to break both of my iPhones (a 3GS and a 4) and did not have either one under a warranty to cover my own stupidity.

My bottom line advice to you is that if ya gotta own that slick little iPhone 4S (or a 4, or even a 3GS), get the extended replacement warranty. It's only about 15% more than the value of the phone.

You'll be glad you did if the unfortunate day comes that your iPhone becomes iFUBAR.

Carlton Flowers
iFUBAR Advisor

Android Facebook App Update Lets You Get Social More With Video!

FACEBOOK FOR ANDROID ALLOWS VIDEO WALL POSTING

I'm a huge Facebook user, and one thing I love to do is posting video messages on other people's walls. It's a great way to give a personal message and stay in touch. But you couldn't do that from your smartphone, until now!

The most recent Facebook Android update that rolled out last week comes with some new video tweaks. You used to only be able to post videos to your own wall using your smartphone. You could only post pictures to other friends' walls.

Now you can drop a direct video message to your friends straight from your smartphone. I think this will revolutionize the way Facebook will be used, because it promotes more multimedia use. Rather than typing boring messages on your friend's wall, they can see all of your emotional expressions with a video.

Posting video content to Facebook can be quite the promotional tool when you are a public speaker, singer, comedian, or politica figurehead. Now that you can share video messages directly, you'll be able to have a greater impact on others.

Previously, I would use my desktop computer and the Flash video app to post video messages on the walls of my friends. But the app is very buggy, and sometimes you would have to record multiple times just to get the video to take. That gets quite annoying.

But with the Android Facebook app, I have had zero problems or bugs when posting videos to my friends walls. Plus, the quality of the video is much higher than that of using a USB webcam to create your message.

The audio is rich and full when creating a video using my Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone. I was not expecting it to be this good. You can choose the resolution of the video from your phone, but I'm not sure if Facebook truncates the size by decreasing the resolution on the server side.

Whatever the case, this is something I have been waiting over a year to see on Facebook for Android. Let the video messaging begin!

Carlton Flowers
Avid Video Facebooker Extreme

Samsung Galaxy S3 Due To Hit The Scene In June

THE US CARRIERS SET TO RELEASE THE GALAXY S3

Hot new rumors are swirling about a June 20th 2012 release of the epic new flagship phone, the Samsung Galaxy S3 on all carriers!

AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint have all confirmed the eventual landing of the new Galaxy superphone, and it's looking highly likely that we will see it hit the carrier stores this summer. The colors of white, blue, and gray have been kicked around, and it will definitely feature a fully redesigned form factor.

One big change that I had originally not suspected to come to fruition is the addition of a physical home button. It looks like the single home button and 2 soft buttons on the left and right are actually going to appear on the phone. I think this will be a welcomed addition that will add to the simple functionality of the phone.

In the previous generation, the Samsung Galaxy S2 and also with the Galaxy Skyrocket, the European versions featured a physical home button while the US versions had the standard 4 Android soft buttons. Now we will see a unified design for worldwide release.

I'm excited about the new 4.8" diagonal screen form factor and thinner design. This should mean that the "bigger is better" design is here to stay with top flight Android smartphones. As the demand for multimedia content increases due to widespread 4G LTE service, it only makes sense.

We still don't know for sure if Samsung will release the Galaxy S3 ahead of the upcomming iPhone 5, but knowing that the next iPhone will also feature a new form factor and bigger screen, you can guarantee that they will not be in a rush to release it early in the summer.

With the rapid growth of the Android market, it might not make a difference. There are enough people in the US that have firmly committed to the Android platform that I don't believe you'll have many ship-jumpers switching from Android to Apple. Both platforms will have a huge level of success, and there's plenty of room in the market for mega growth.

Right now, 50% of the population of this country packs a smartphone. But there is still a significant number of people who have yet to make the transformation from "feature phone" to smartphone. This pool of people might be large enough to even allow the Windows Phone Mango platform to make a serious splash, but at this point I truly believe that Apple's iOS and Android handsets will reap the greatest reward.

We'll be watching for more details as they become more solid. But there's enough exciting information about the Samsung Galaxy S3 superphone to all but guarantee that this will be my next early upgrade in October of 2012!

Carlton Flowers
Galaxy Watcher

iPhone Backlight Repair - The Ugly Truth

iFUBAR SERIES: WHY IPHONE BACKLIGHT COIL REPAIR IS A FARSE

December 13, 2018 Update

I wrote this article back in June of 2012, and it remains as the most popular post on my blog site to date. Every month, it continues to pull more traffic than any post I’ve written on my blog site. I’m amazed at how this issue remains, so I have decided to update the article and continue to provide more information about the topic.

The original issue was centered around the scam of eBay suppliers selling backlight replacement coils on the iPhone 4, despite the fact that the repair is nearly impossible for the average person to perform, in addition to the fact that the repair would eventually fail even when performed by a skilled technician.

The issue popped up again with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, and continues to remain an issue for that generation model. The 6S design caused two problems: First, the blowing of the backlight coil when improperly installing a new screen, and second, its tendency to blow the coil when exposed to water damage.

When installing a new LCD assembly on the iPhone 6S/Plus, inexperienced techs often blow the backlight coil by shorting out the circuit when pressing on the LCD connector plug into the board’s port. This is due to the exposed metal connector coming into contact with the pins surrounding the backlight coil, which is placed right underneath the edge of the connector plate. It’s a common mishap that many installers unfortunately stumble upon.

Also, the exposed pins on the backlight coil would equally short out when exposed to moisture trapped inside the phone after being submerged in water, or from the evaporation and/or migration of water inside the phone after being exposed. It’s an issue that has caused a tremendous amount of frustration among iPhone 6S/Plus owners.

Fortunately, this design flaw was addressed in future models and the instances of backlight coils burning out was nearly eliminated on the iPhone 7 model. But there is still apparently a large amount of iPhone 6S/Plus models in use, and that is probably why this post continues to draw so much attention.

My advice to anyone experiencing this problem with a 6S model is to have a certified IC repair shop perform the repair rather than attempting to do this on their own. I have only found a handful of IC board level repair outfits that can successfully do this service, and they are located in Florida, Texas, and New York City. The repair will usually cost anywhere from $25 to $50, and it requires sending the phone off through the mail for the repair, and having it returned to the owner.

I would exercise caution when selecting a repair shop, and only chose those who have an eBay rating of 98% or higher with lots of experience to perform the repair. There are lots of shops claiming to have the ability to do IC board level repairs, but it is extremely important to chose one that has proof of experience.

If you have had a good or bad experience with this repair issue, post your comments below, and I will keep this article updated with any developments as long as it continues getting a large amount of attention.

I’m truly grateful for all of the traffic and comments made to this post. I look forward to keeping you posted with developments, and please take a moment to check out this intriguing program that will help to support the continuation of the blog if you are an avid iPhone photographer! The original post follows below after my affiliate banner. Thanks again!

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ORIGINAL POST FROM JUNE, 2012

This is the first of a series of iFUBAR (fouled up beyond all repair) articles that I will be writing, covering all of the pesky iDevices that I have tangled with during the past year.

There are so many things that make after-market iDevice repair folks want to bang their heads up against the wall, I felt like a series was in order. My goal is to educate and warn people of some of the issues they will face before spending piles of cash on fragile Apple devices.

So let's get on with our first topic of discussion, the iPhone dim screen problem!

I actually hate to post this follow up to my previous article on the iPhone dim screen issue, but someone needs to blow the whistle. I have uncovered the ugly truth about repairing iPhones with damaged backlight coils and/or backlight IC chips.

Here's what generally happens...

You drop your iphone in water, turn it on, and there's no backlight. The screen is jet black. The only way you can see the icons on the screen is if you hold it in bright light. Or, you drop the phone and shatter the screen, and upon replacing the digiitizer/LCD assembly, the phone has no backlight.

What happens when you turn on your screen and you see no shining brightness? You have a backlight coil or backlight IC chip that is burned out.

The actual damage done to the phone isn't the culprit. What happens is, you damage the motherboard, and the ensuing short surges the coil/chip and burns it out.

The coil is what regulates the lighting of the LCD panel. When the coil goes, you get no light. The same is true when the backlight IC chip goes out.

The coil is about the size of a grain of rice, and the IC chip is the size of a baby's pinky fingernail. They have to be removed from the board, and new ones soldered in to restore lighting to your iPhone.

THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT IPHONE BACKLIGHT COIL REPAIR

I uncovered the real story surrounding iPhone backlight repair when I offered to help a young friend of mine with his shattered iPhone 4. When I disassembled the phone and installed the new LCD/digitizer panel, I noticed everything worked with the exception of a lit up display. I never would have realized the phone was even functional had it not been for the charging alert sound that fires off when you plug in the data cable.

I searched and searched for articles covering this issue, and finally found information that pointed me in the direction of a faulty coil. Some sites claimed that the coil was the sole issue, and other sites claimed that the backlight IC chip would also potentially be damaged if the coil had sustained damage.

Next, I searched for advice on making a possible repair. I found a few articles that talked about replacing the actual coil and IC chip. I then discovered several sellers on eBay offering replacement coil and IC chips for around $15 to $30. They all made claims that the repair was reasonably doable if you had the right equipment.

In order to remove and reinstall a coil and IC chip, you need a hot air soldering station or an infrared rework station to set a very specific temperature to prevent damage to the iPhone's circuit board. Some claimed that you don't need a soldering stencil to make the install, while others claimed you do.

I decided to look into buying the equipment needed to perform this repair, because no local shop offered such a service. All I needed to do was to find a good repair video or step-by-step instructions on doing the actual repair.

But what raised a red flag for me was when I noticed that the replacement coil/IC sellers on eBay had no suggestions for repair videos on the net. One even assured me that I would find several on YouTube, yet I found nothing of the sort.

My suspicion grew when I noticed that none of these sellers were performing the actual repair service, but only selling the replacement parts. So I did more digging before purchasing the repair equipment.

I finally made contact with an iPhone repair service shop in Springfield, Missouri that mentioned repairing iPhone 3GS coils on their website. After the discussion that ensued, all of my suspicions were confirmed.

The gentleman who I spoke with told me that they charge $100 to replace coils on iPhones, and that no warranty or guarnatee was offered. The reason was that most iPhone replacement coils burn out within a few days of installation. In fact, 2/3rds of the replacements go out within a month of the repair.

The reason this does not work is because it isn't the coil that is malfunctioning. A short circuit on the board causes a surge to the coil that burns it out. So if you replace the coil and you don't fix the short on the circuit board, the new coil will eventually (if not immediately) burn out.

THE ONLY "SAFE" SOLUTIONS TO THE DIM SCREEN ISSUE

It's sad that there are so many scam artists on eBay and Amazon collecting the money of unsuspecting hard working individuals who think they can install replacement coils and IC chips. But until enough people get writing and reporting about this issue, it will probably persist.

There's really only a couple of ways that you can safely remedy the dim screen of an iPhone without completely risking losing all of your investment. That's either replacing and installing a brand-new circuit board, or installing a used board from a broken iPhone.

The sad news is that the integrated circuit board inside an iPhone isn't cheap. It's the most expensive component inside the phone. It has all of the memory, the CPU, the graphics adapter, the backlight coil and IC chip, and more. Everything that makes the iPhone an iPhone is on the circuit board.

To buy a new motherboard (or sometimes called "logic board") for an iPhone 4/4S on eBay, you can plan on digging out $150 to $200 from your pocket. If you're lucky, you might find a used "certified working" logic board for around $100 to $150.

Elsewise, you can take your chances on buying a broken iPhone 4 and plucking out the logic board, but broken iPhones with good backlight coils will cost as much as the logic board alone.

By the time you add up the cost of purchasing a replacement logic board, paying someone the labor to have it installed, and possibly replacing a broken or shattered display, you could spend upwards of $300 or more to get your iPhone 4/4S functional again.

But beware of what you buy. For some reason, there are sellers on eBay who are pushing bare iPhone logic boards for $20 to $30. Upon first glance, it looks like you're getting a steal-of-a-deal buy, until you realize that there are no chips on the board whatsoever.

What in the world can a person do with a bare iPhone 4/4S circuit board? I have no idea. Even if you were gutsy enough to attempt installing all of the components onto a bare iPhone circuit board, you'd have to get special soldering stencils for all the chips, and have some serious IC soldering skills to pull it off.

THE "TOUGH-TO-SWALLOW" IPHONE REALIZATIONS

Here comes the hard truth... the facts that you must understand and accept when it comes to buying and owning  iPhones of any model. If you're thinking about buying an iPhone for the first time, here's what you need to understand!

The iPhone Is A Handheld Computer

Just because you only paid $200 for that iPhone with your 2-year contract doesn't mean you can replace it for $200 if you lose it, break it, or destroy it. What you are holding in your hands is a $700 handheld computer.

That little device has more technology packed into it than what most super computers could boast just 10 years ago. It is a highly functional technologically advanced work of wonderment, not a $200 phone with cute little icons.

If you're not protecting that iPhone 4/4S with a full insurance plan, you had better be wrapping it up in a big fat ugly 1' thick Otterbox case. Okay... maybe the Otterbox isn't really a foot thick, but it might as well be.

Why Apple creates such a fantastic but fragile device that has to be put in big blocky brick-like case to prevent shattering the screen is byeond me. But buyer beware, you better protect your investment or you'll be crying all the way to the bank when you drop it from the slightest height to a hard surface.

Cracked Screen Repair = Potential Further Damage When Reassembled

Just because your iPhone worked after you shattered the screen doesn't mean that it will work after you have it taken apart to install a new LCD/digitizer.

When you drop that precious piece of equipment down to a hard surface and you shatter the screen, there's a good chance that you damaged your logic board. If you're lucky, the logic board survived without any internal damage.

But there's a chance that the micro-sized wires, connectors, and soldering on the circuit board could be cracked or pulled apart or short-circuited due to the shock of the drop. The only thing keeping the phone working is the fact that it hasn't been disassembled.

When you take that poor broken iPhone apart, the force the tightly packed components in the case may no longer keep a broken circuit wire or connector touching and conducting electricity across the crack. Once you get the phone put back together, you could have the ugly surprise of a non-functional smartphone or certain components not working correctly.

A Burned Out Backlight Coil/IC Chip = iFUBAR Disaster

So your iPhone screen is completely dim, and you need a new backlight coil? Well forget fixing it. It's fouled up beyond all repair. Either replace the logic board, or throw the thing in the nearest trash receptacle.

Think you'll get a nice price for your FUBAR'd iPhone 4 or 4S on eBay with no backlight? Think again... it's worthless. There's practically zero demand for used iPhones with burned out backlight coils, because salvagers know better than to try to make use out of a damaged IC board inside of an iPhone.

If you own an iPhone, you better not ever think about risking dropping it in water or getting it wet. If you do, and you short out your backlight coil, you just sacrificed a $700 device.

CONCLUSION

iPhones are fantastic, highly advanced smartphone devices. I owned an iPhone 3GS, and an iPhone 4 myself (I have converted to Samsung Android products). But they are extremely fragile, breakable, and FUBAR-able.

If you're in the market for a new iPhone, you need to realize that the cost of owning one of these devices is not the purchase price that comes with a 2-year contract agreement. There are a few other things you better consider that factor into your overall cost. They are as follows:

• Otterbox case - $40 to $75

• Good screen protectors - $10 to $20

• Insurance and/or Replacement Plan - $60 one time fee to $9.99 per month

• Data/voice/text plan cost - $69 to $199 per month

If you have taken these things into consideration, you might be ready to own an iPhone. But now you know the ugly truth about what happens when you break or water damage an iPhone without insurance. Be educated and empowered!

Do you have an iPhone 3GS/4/4S repair story to tell? I'd love to hear about it! Also, please share your repair tips if you are a seasoned veteran. We'll see you in the comments section!

Carlton Flowers

iFUBAR Specialist

The Dreaded Dim Screen - iPhone 4 Backlight Coil Repair Issues

REPLACING BACKLIGHT COIL & IC CHIP ON IPHONE 4

So you've dropped your iPhone 4 and shattered the screen, or you've accidentally submerged it in liquid, and you go to have it repaired.

You have the screen replaced and/or the battery, and you find out that the phone turns on but has no brightness on the screen. You've just entered the "No-Backlight Twilight Zone!"

Here's the deal... when you shatter the dispay, there's a chance that you can damage the component that controls screen brightness and the backlight when you get it put back together.

Having water damage is an even greater cause for burning out the screen's brightness function. Either way, there's only one way to fix that problem, and it involves replacing chips on the IC board (integrated ciruiut board).

There are two compnents that control the backlighting on your iPhone. They are the Backlight IC chip, and the Backlight Coil (see diagram). The backlight IC chis is about the size of a large grain of rice, and the coil is a miniature Cheerio that isn't much bigger.

Usually, it's just the backlight coil that is out and needing replacement. But sometimes, the backlight IC chip can also sustain damage and need replacement.

Replacing these two components involves desoldering. You can't use a regular soldering iron, either. You've got to have one with temperature control, preferably one that uses hot air. If you heat up the IC board beyond what it can withstand, you'll ruin it. A damaged IC board = buying a new phone.

There are lots of people selling replacement backlight IC chips and backlight coils on eBay and Amazon, and there are a few discussions going on at www.ifixit.com on this topic. But I have yet to find one single video or guide that shows a technitian successfully performing this repair.

This might be due to the difficulty of the repair. Either there aren't many people out there who can do this because it is harder than what is described by the parts sellers, or the few people who can actually do this are protecting their market by not sharing any information on how they have accomplished this.

If you have come across a video showing the replacement of the backlight coil and IC chip, share it on this thread. I would love to see this actually being done.

As of the time of this article, I have not found a single after-market Apple/iPhone repair shop that offers backlight coil replacement in the State of Missouri. Knowing how common this problem is, I'm thinking someone could corner the market and make quite a bit of steady income if they figure this out.

This just reinforces my less-than-positive view of the iPhone 4 construction. It's an ultra-fragile device that is prone to breaking, and the burned-out backlight issue seems to run rampant. Maybe we will see some type of improvement on the iPhone 5 that will guard against these issues.

Are you an expert with the backlight coil replacement process? Please chime in!

Carlton Flowers
iPhone Breaker/Fixer

Best Android Phone Deals - Samsung Galaxy S2 Price Drop!

AMAZON WIRELESS DROPS PRICE ON GALAXY S2 PHONE

By now you know that the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartpone is one of my favorite Android devices, and it's one that all of the members of my family own. I purchased my own Galaxy S2 the month it was released, and I also purchased two additional S2's for my college "kids".

My wife has a Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket, which was released only a month after I purchased my Galaxy S2 smartphones. But the SGS2 is still a great deal, especially with the price dropping action going on at Amazon Wireless!

You'll get 16 gigabytes of storage, a gorgeous 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus display, a fantastic 8Mp rear camera, a 1.3Mp front-facing camera, HD video capability, fast HSPA+ 4G download speeds on the AT&T Network, and a whole lot more with this steal of a deal smartphone.

Go check out the Galaxy S2 right now on the Amazon Wireless store if you are in the market for a great smartphone at an extremely low price. I will always keep you posted when great deals break over on Amazon when it comes to the best Android devices on the market. Enjoy!

Carlton Flowers
Android Watchdog

GET THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 NOW FOR AS LOW AS $19.99 ON AMAZON!

Best Android Phones of 2012 - The Big Phat Note

LOOKING BACK AT THE PRE-RELEASE OF THE GIANT GALAXY NOTE

So... continuing on my series of writing about the best deals on Android smartphones, I want to reel back and re-post one of the lost blog articles that I wrote before the gigantic Samsung Galaxy Note hit the market.

Let's take a look back at what my thoughts were, and then we'll hit the fast forward and talk more about the Galaxy Note and what has become a surprising success of a device!

Here's the "Blast From The Past" post for your enjoyment!

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE SET TO LAUNCH IN FEBRUARY ON AT&T NETWORK

The Samsung Galaxy Note is back in the news! Samsung is set to launch the tremendously-sized tablet/smartphone hybrid on February 19th, 2012 via AT&T. If you have $300 to spare and a hankering for a Texas-sized display, your day is coming!

Bloggers and tech writers are calling devices of this type the "phablet", which is a ridiculous yet catching-sounding nickname for this prototype. The Galaxy Note certainly isn't the first phablet to hit the market, but may very well be the first successful device to enter the high tech mobile market.

In the past, we saw the Dell Streak 5 do a big fat belly flop when it entered the world of smartphones, and it fizzled just as fast as it entered. But Samsung's Galaxy Note has taken a different approach to the phablet concept, and they've added a pile of features that we have not seen in the past.

The Galaxy Note will sport a whopping 5.3" Super AMOLED 1280x800 display and it will be packing a 4G LTE radio. But there's something unique that the Note will include that others have not. The Galaxy Note will attempt bringing back the stylus.

We haven't seen styluses since the days of the Palm Treo. Unlike the stylus-packing "somewhat smart" phones of the past, the Note will have a capacitive screen just like the regular line of Galaxy S devices.

You'll be able to operate the phone with your fat little fingers, and you'll also be able to make much more accurate delineations with the stylus, dubbed the "S Pen".

The S Pen will take you to new levels of functionality. You can make hand written notes on web pages and documents, convert handwriting into standard text, and even take screen shots on the fly. This is something we have never seen in a smartphone, and what I believe to be the biggest missing feature of all the tablets on the market including the iPad.

The Galaxy Note is not packing the latest processing power, however, as it will only feature a dual core 1.0GHz cpu. Honestly, I don't think this is going to cause any lagging or other serious issues with operation, but I sure would have liked to see the 1.5GHz Exynos processor in this device for what they are charging.

Nonetheless, it's going to be a versatile gadget that will stand out in the crowded Android smartphone market. If I wasn't on month number 3 of my current upgrade, and if I had $300 burning a hole in my pocket, I would probably be the first in line to buy the Note.

It would be perfect for the engineer type that I am. Is the Galaxy Note in your crosshairs? Do you think $300 is a fair price for a monstrous phablet? Sound off and let me know what you think!

Carlton Flowers
Phabulous Phablet Watcher

GET THE GALAXY NOTE NOW AT AMAZON WIRELESS!

Take advantage of the price drop on the Galaxy Note! The price has come down to $189 at the Amazon Wireless store when signing up for a 2-year contract! Get all the details on this fantastic "Phablet" by clicking the link above or the picture to the left, and grab yours while the special is still on!