Your phone is busted, now what? How to get it fixed on a budget

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It’s alarmingly easy to break your smartphone. Drop it and you could end up with a cracked or shattered screen. If it falls in the toilet or you spill a drink on it then it could be lights out. Physical buttons can get stuck, chipped, or just worn out. Well-used headphone jacks might stop recognizing that cable. A scratched or cracked camera lens can spell the end of good photos. A lot can go wrong.

None of these things is cause to throw that smartphone away. There’s a lively trade in broken smartphones and that’s because people in the know about repairs can snap them up for low prices, fix them cheaply, and sell them on for big profits. Even if you are getting rid of your phone, you could make more by fixing it up first than it’s going to cost you to do.
Check your coverage first

If you encounter a defect that you didn’t cause and your smartphone is still under warranty then you may be able to go back to your retailer and get the manufacturer to fix it for free. It’s also possible that you have some form of coverage as part of your home insurance, credit card, or bank account. Some of you will have pulled the trigger on extended warranties or smartphone insurance.

Related: How to pick the best case to protect your device from life’s daily hazards

Take a look and see what the deductible is before you put in a claim. Sometimes the amount you’re expected to pay will actually exceed the cost of repairing it yourself or even going to a good repair service.
Fix it yourself

If you’re out of warranty or the damage isn’t covered then you might think about trying to fix it yourself. Before you begin, be aware that you’re almost certainly going to void your warranty by attempting a self-repair.

You’re almost certainly going to void your warranty by attempting a self-repair.
The golden age of the Internet means that a short video tutorial or a text and photo guide of just about anything you could ever want to know how to do is just a search away. If you’re confident in your abilities, or willing to have a go, then you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a set of instructions to follow.

The best place to go is definitely iFixit where you’ll find an excellent set of step-by-step tutorials with instructions on the exact tools you need. The quality of the repair guides does vary, but there are some really excellent examples, especially for the most popular smartphones on the market.

YouTube is another obvious place to look for tutorial videos you can follow, and you’ll find lots of guides and a very helpful community at XDA Developers forum.
Getting tools and parts

Before you start you will need to secure the correct tools. Some manufacturers deliberately make strange fixings to discourage self-repair. If you don’t use the correct tools there’s a good chance you’re going to end up doing some damage. Make sure that you have a clean workspace with everything you need to do the repair before you start.

Sometimes the iFixit tutorials will include links to buy the necessary parts or tools, though you’ll often get a better deal by shopping around. You can find reliable parts and tools at eTech Parts.

Amazon and eBay have lots of cheap repair kits and parts on offer. You have to be careful about the parts because there are some low cost options that might be shoddy quality. Do a bit of reading about what you need before you start and check the reputations of sellers and the reviews of specific kits and parts before you buy.
A word of warning

It can be tough forcing smartphone components apart. The inside of most smartphones is messy and confusing. Sometimes it will feel like you’re going to break parts if you press any harder and sometimes you will break something. Some smartphones are much easier to take apart and fix than others. Certain repairs are not worth the bother of attempting and there are parts and tools that you simply can’t get at a reasonable price.
how to fix repair your phone

Image courtesy of exopixel/Shutterstock

You can generally find out how difficult it will be by checking the online guides and discussions. Consider the risk that you’ll botch the job, factor in your research, your tools and parts, and the time you are going to spend on it. A lot of people will be more comfortable getting someone else to do it. An experienced repair expert will know where to get the right parts, they’ll have the right tools, and they’ll be able to do the repair quickly and efficiently.
Hire someone or use a service

If you want the job done right it might be better to use a reputable repair service. They can still be cheaper than the deductible on an insurance claim in some cases. They’re also likely to be faster.

There are lots of big name chains that will do in-store repairs while you wait or within the day and you’ll find various online services where you can send your smartphone and get the fixed handset sent back to you within a week.

RadioShack just started offering in-store repairs for smartphones and tablets and they have another service where you drop the phone off in-store and they return it to your door within 72 hours. You’ll also find a repair service via Geek Squad at Best Buy, and there are a number of chains like Cellairis.

Small, independent shops will often give you a better quality of service.
If you’re willing to send your smartphone away then Mission Repair has a fairly good reputation and Jet City Device Repair comes highly recommended. You could also try Cell Phone Repair.

You may not have time to drop into a repair shop, or maybe you don’t want to send your phone away. A service called iCracked offers an interesting alternative where you get a free quote for the repair and then the technician comes and meets you. Some repairs they’ll do on the spot, or if it’s going to take longer then they’ll take your device and return it later.

Most decent places have at least one decent repair shop. Small, independent shops will often give you a better quality of service and a better price than the big chains.

Don’t just focus on the price. Make sure that you ask what warranty is offered with the repair. The longer, the better, as you don’t want to have to pay out again if the repair fails or the fault reoccurs.
Official repairs are best

It’s always worth checking with your retailer, carrier, or manufacturer as well. Generally, if you’re outside the warranty period, they’ll charge the most for repairs and they’ll take the longest, but there are exceptions. You never know until you ask.

Shop around, get quotes, check reviews and reputations, and then make an informed decision. You might just find that your broken smartphone is easier and cheaper to repair than you thought.
Remember privacy

One final word of warning we have to mention concerns your privacy. If you’re going to send your phone away or leave it in the repair shop for a few days then you should really consider making a complete back up and wiping your phone so there’s no private files or sensitive information left. It’s a hassle, but it’s the only way to be sure that someone won’t get their hands on your photos or emails.

Related: Selling your phone or tablet? Here’s how to completely wipe your Android device

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-repair-your-smartphone/#ixzz3eZFG5iHg
Follow us: @digitaltrends on Twitter | digitaltrendsftw on Facebook

Source: www.digitaltrends.com

How to Fix a Physically Broken Hard Drive

If it's an inconvenience when your system crashes, it's a disaster when your hard drive heads south. Usually, that means your data is destroyed and your bits are blasted—unless you backed up, of course. But is your drive really dead, or just mostly dead? We'll show you how you might recover something, but be warned: this information is provided for use at your own risk and should only be used if the data on your drive is not worth the money to invest in professional repair. If the data means anything to you -- if you need it for your work or for legal purposes -- DO NOT USE THIS METHOD. If your the next step is to throw away or otherwise recycle a really dead hard drive, then proceed at your own risk!
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Part 1 of 4: Confirm The Status of Your Drive

1
Verify the failure. Make sure your drive is truly broken by checking things that could cause your drive to not be recognized.

If your drive is making a steady, loud clicking noise, stop and skip to part two. Your drive is dead.

2
Check hardware connections. This is the best place to start, and if found to be the problem, is the fastest, most inexpensive fix you can make!

Make sure power is getting to the computer. If the cat knocked out the plug, or cable is broken, nothing will work.
Open up the computer case. Are the data (IDE or SATA) and power cables firmly in place? Make sure they are seated well, and no pins are bent, broken, or otherwise damaged.

3
Do a visual check. Sometimes, it's not the drive that's dead, but the PC board that controls its operation (on the underside of the drive). If there's a power surge, or a component failure on that board, your drive will stop working, but only because it doesn't know what to do next.

Look for signs of damage—burns or scorch marks. If you see this, you can breathe a little sigh of relief, for it means that is your likely culprit—and often times, this is a problem that can be fixed with relative ease.
If you want to replace the PCB, search on Google for replacement parts for your drive's make and model.
When it arrives, remove the old board (there are five tiny screws to remove—don't lose them!)
Slide out the old drive, and replace it with the new one. Do not touch the metal leads on the new board—static discharge could blow your new board before it ever has a chance to breath new life into your drive. You can ground yourself by either wearing an anti-static wrist band, or by touching something grounded and metal. The inside of your plugged-in computer will usually work.
Slide in the new board, making sure it's seated firmly into the drive, then re-attach the screws.
Reconnect the drive to the computer, then power back up. If it works, congratulations! It's a good idea to back up your data at this point, but you're good to go.
If it doesn't work—keep reading.

Check to see if the drive is being recognized. If everything is plugged in, and nothing appears to have blown up on the controller PCB, check out Windows Disk Management or BIOS, or Mac OS X Disk Utility to determine if your drive is being recognized at all.
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Part 2 of 4: Options for Repair

1
Make a choice: if this data is worth saving, it is worth finding a professional hard-drive recovery company and paying what it takes to get your data back. If you attempt anything at all yourself, chances of recovering any data professionally will be nil.

2
A quick search on Google for "hard drive replacement parts" will lead you in a couple different directions. Replacing parts may work for older hard drives, but usually not for newer ones.

Do it yourself. A favorite method of brave souls is the DIY method, promoted by companies that specialize in providing parts for do-It-yourselves. The idea is that if you simply replace the burned out controller board, your drive will spring back to life.

Truth is, maybe it will! But there's one big caveat: the chips on the controller are, more and more, calibrated for that particular drive, and there's no guarantee a replacement will work. However, this is by far the least-expensive option.

4
Hire a professional. This is the ONLY option to get your drive back up and running, or at least have the files on the drive recovered (which is really what you want, in the end).
Turnaround times can be quicker than the DIY method, and success is somewhat more assured, but it comes at a cost, which may be worth it if your data is important.
You can expect to pay two or three times more than the original cost of the drive, so you will have to weigh the value of the money against the value of the data on the drive.
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Part 3 of 4: Do It Yourself

1
Read this first! If your drive made a clicking sound the first time you plugged it in, any time you plug it in again causes loss of data by damaging the magnetic layer on the drive. Do not attempt this self repair if the data is important to you for work or legal reasons. Some of these techniques are "Hail Mary" attempts that will either work or render your drive truly, finally, really dead. This will totally and finally kill any part of data that is not already damaged.

2
Physically test the drive. Hold the drive in one hand and firmly spin it back and forth, listening for any noises as you do so. This may seem like "not doing anything" but actually if anything is loose, you may cause it to break!!! If you can't hear any noises, a likely cause—especially if you have an older drive, or one which ran very hot to the touch—is a seized head bearing or spindle. The following steps can be considered: If you open up the drive you are likely to kill whatever was still able to be saved.

3
Warm it up. Pre-heat a domestic oven at its lowest setting for five minutes or so, then turn it off. Place the drive in the oven for 2-5 mins, until it's warmed up. Please note that warming it up -- whether it has already crashed or not -- can and will make it die.

Remove the drive and repeat the first step. If you still can't hear any noises, go on to the next step. However, if there is a difference, reattach the drive to your computer and listen for spin-up of the drive and normal clicking that indicates head activity. If all seems well so far, try to access the drive, and move your data onto a good drive.
If needed, reheat the device and, whilst holding the drive in one hand, sharply spin and hit the drive on a hard surface. This is drastic of course, but may help free the heads from any binding. If anything was still alive on your hard drive, it will now be totally and finally dead.
Repeat the first step. Can you hear head movement now? If yes, re-attach the drive to your computer, and try accessing the drive.
If you can hear a rhythmic "click" in time with the movement, the chances are that the drive heads are free on their mounts and are not jammed. Check that you don't hear any rattling noises when you rotate the drive gently (back and forth) through 90 degrees. This would indicate loose and disconnected components inside the drive and are beyond the scope or intent of this article.

4
Chill it down. Another option—a controversial one—is freezing the drive. This is a last-ditch effort, and you may only get the drive back long enough to copy off important files, but if all else fails, it's worth a try.

Seal the drive in a zip-lock bag, and remove as much air as possible. Pop the drive into the freezer for a few hours.
Plug the drive back into the computer, and give it a try. If it doesn't work immediately, power down, remove the drive, then smack it on a hard surface such as a table or floor. Re-attach the drive, and try again. If it works, save your files, then toss the drive. If it doesn't, your drive will now be beyond all methods of professional help!!

Source: www.wikihow.com

My desktop or laptop hard drive may be defective, how can I test it?

 

Tips for testing and finding out whether a drive is faulty.

All Seagate and Maxtor-brand SATA, ATA, and SCSI drives for desktop computers and laptop (notebook) computers have built-in error-checking capabilities. Over 30% of all drives returned under warranty to Seagate are in good working order, with no problems found. To save the time and hassle of shipping a drive that may not be defective, please test your drive to see if it really is defective.

The first step to test a drive: Please download and run SeaTools for Windows from the Seatools download page. See a full tutorial in Document ID: 202435.

The tests in Seatools will indicate Pass or Fail. If the drive fails the test, please begin the replacement process at our Warranty Services Page. If the drive fails the test but is out of warranty, you may continue to use it as long as you can, but remember to keep a full backup of your data at all times.

Seatools will test your S.M.A.R.T-compliant SATA, ATA, or SCSI disk drive for media defects, perform a read test and physical head test, and ensure the hard drive is functioning correctly.

If all the tests pass (no trouble found), the problem will be due to a different component in your system.
You can test your drive with CheckDisk. Document ID: 184611 - How to use CheckDisk.
Confirm all settings for hard drive jumpers, cables, and ATA, SATA, or SCSI controllers, as well as the operating system. Consult your host controller (motherboard) documentation or system manufacturer for assistance with SCSI termination or ATA / SATA controller capabilities.

Further notes:

-If the BIOS does not recognize the drive, or the drive does not spin up, Seatools will also be unable to detect the drive.
Here are some very useful tools to begin the troubleshooting process. If the drive becomes detected later, you can then test it using the steps in the article above.

The Serial ATA troubleshooter
Document ID: 168595 - The BIOS does not detect my SATA or ATA hard drive.

-The operating system will not assign a drive letter to a drive that is not formatted and partitioned. If you need help with formatting:

Windows 9x and ME: reference Document ID: 196151
Windows 7 / Vista: reference Document ID: 202291
Macintosh: reference Document ID: 207851

Source: www.knowledge.seagate.com

How to protect your Computer from viruses, without having Antivirus Installed.

Often installing an Antivirus does not protect your computer from viruses. The main reason for this is the fact that Antivirus is not updated regularly. Having an outdated Antivirus is of no use in protecting your PC from Virus Attack. But there are some basic precautions that we all can take to prevent Virus from entering your PC.

90 % of viruses enter our PC through Pen Drives. But this can be prevented even without having an Antivirus. Let's see how it can be done.

1. Open My Computer / Tools / Folder Options / View

2. Turn on Show Hidden Files And Folders. Most of the viruses come as hidden files. So enabling this feature helps to find them.

3. Now when you insert the Pen drive don't open it directly. If you open it by Auto Run or by Double Clicking, our PC will be attacked by the VIRUS if present in the Pen Drive.

4. Now open Start Menu / Search / For Files and Folders.

5. Here in the advance options Check "Search for Hidden Files and Folders".

6. Now select the Pen drive and search for autorun.inf file.

7. If you get one, in most cases it will be an Auto run for VIRUS.

8. Delete it if not Genuine.

9. Now look for all the .exe and .com files.

10. Delete all those suspicious files you get.

11. Remove the pen drive and insert It again.

12. Now the Pen drive is Safe and Free from Viruses.

13. Also 90 % of users use pen drives to transfer pictures, Songs and Movies.

14. Its Better to copy only the needed files from the Pen drive by using above search method.

Hope these tips are useful for you. Thanks with Regards, Team Dreamsoft

Source: www.teamdreamsoft.com

Tips for protecting your computer from viruses

Protecting your computer from viruses and other threats isn't difficult, but you have to be diligent. Here are some actions you can take:

Install an antivirus program. Installing an antivirus program and keeping it up to date can help defend your computer against viruses. Antivirus programs scan for viruses trying to get into your email, operating system, or files. New viruses appear daily, so set your antivirus software to install updates automatically.

Don't open email attachments unless you're expecting them. Many viruses are attached to email messages and will spread as soon as you open the email attachment. It's best not to open any attachment unless it's something you're expecting. For more information, see When to trust an email message.

Keep your computer updated. Microsoft releases security updates that can help protect your computer. Make sure that Windows receives these updates by turning on Windows automatic updating. For more information, see Turn automatic updating on or off.

Use a firewall.‌ Windows Firewall (or any other firewall) can help alert you to suspicious activity if a virus or worm attempts to connect to your computer. It can also block viruses, worms, and hackers from attempting to download potentially harmful programs to your computer.

Use your browser's privacy settings. Being aware of how websites might use your private information is important to help prevent fraud and identity theft. If you're using Internet Explorer, you can adjust your Privacy settings or restore the default settings whenever you want. For details, see Change Internet Explorer 9 privacy settings.

Use a pop-up blocker with your browser. Pop-up windows are small browser windows that appear on top of the website you're viewing. Although most are created by advertisers, they can also contain malicious or unsafe code. A pop-up blocker can prevent some or all of these windows from appearing.

The Pop-up Blocker feature in Internet Explorer is turned on by default. To learn more about changing its settings or turning it on and off, see Change Internet Explorer 9 privacy settings.

Turn on User Account Control (UAC). When changes are going to be made to your computer that require administrator-level permission, UAC notifies you and gives you the opportunity to approve the change. UAC can help keep viruses from making unwanted changes. To learn more about turning on UAC and adjusting the settings, see Turn User Account Control on or off.

Source: windows.microsoft.com

How to Know if Your Computer is Infected with a Virus

We all know computer viruses -- and other kinds of malware -- can cause problems ranging from irritating to catastrophic. Some malware replicates itself until it fills up all available space on your hard drive, turning your computer into a brick. Other kinds corrupt data on your machine or make your computer unstable. A few will even attempt to use your e-mail programs to distribute the malicious code to everyone in your contacts list. And there's always the possibility a cracker -- that's a malicious hacker -- will use malware to get remote access to your computer.

No one wants to own a computer infected with a nasty virus. That's why it's very important to practice safe computing habits and to install reliable anti-virus software. You can avoid most malware just by paying attention and staying away from a few common traps. If your anti-virus software is up to date, you should be in pretty good shape.

But once in a while, computer viruses get beyond our defenses. Maybe our anti-virus software is out of date or has been compromised by a particularly clever bit of code. Perhaps we clicked on a link by accident and activated a virus. Or someone else used our computer and downloaded some malware by mistake.

How do you know if your computer has been hit by a computer virus? If your anti-virus software is robust and up to date, you'll likely receive a message as the application scans your computer. That makes detecting the virus a breeze. But what if your software is out of date or the virus has managed to deactivate the anti-virus program? Are there signs you can watch out for that might indicate a virus?

As a matter of fact, there are several signs that could indicate the presence of malware on your computer. We'll take a closer look on the next page.

Signs of a Computer Virus

Assuming your anti-virus software hasn't alerted you to the presence of a virus, here are some indicators of malware on your computer:

If your computer has become unstable, that's a sign that something's wrong. Some malware messes with important files that keep your computer running properly. That could cause your computer to crash. If your computer crashes when you try to run a specific application or open a particular file, that tells you that something has corrupted the data. It could be malware.

Does your computer seem to run much more slowly than it used to? This could be the result of malware as the malicious code begins to drain your computer's processing resources. If you aren't running a resource-heavy application but your computer is very slow, you might have a computer virus.

Strange messages indicating that you can't access certain drives on your computer are another sign that something is wrong. In a similar vein, applications that won't run or files that won't open may also be the result of infection. Other indicators include hardware (like printers) that no longer respond to commands. While none of these guarantee the presence of a virus, they do suggest that something is wrong with your machine.

If you notice that file sizes are fluctuating even if you aren't accessing those files, that's another sign of a computer virus. And finally, if you access menus and their appearance is odd or distorted, you could be the victim of a malware attack.

It's important to remember that computer viruses are one potential cause of problems like the ones we've listed here, but that they aren't the only cause. If you believe your computer has been infected by a virus, don't panic. Follow the steps we suggest in How To Remove a Computer Virus. You might lose some data in the process but you shouldn't lose everything.

Source: www.electronics.howstuffworks.com

How do you know your android phone has a virus?

It should not surprise the fact that Android Smartphone and tablets has become a prime target for hackers, as they slowly edged out laptops and desktop computers, and became our main means of communication and storage of important information. Cyber-Criminals from all over the world are working hard to find an easy way to ‘ inline ‘ viruses in our Android devices so they can steal our data and to cause us trouble. With its open ecosystem and the opportunity to install untreated applications, android phones are a little more vulnerable to these types of threats than on Apple’s devices.

Is it possible to get a virus on an android phone? Signs your android phone has a virus

The availability of applications that are not installed

You constantly have to monitor what is happening in your list of applications, and to monitor for those who do not know and have not installed on your device. If you find an application in which you are in doubt, you should get rid of it as quickly as possible. Before this, however, turn on your device in airplane mode to stop the virus to send information.

Unusual internet activity

Viruses run in the background and continually send information. Therefore, if you notice unusual internet activity or too rapid exhaustion of the battery, you should immediately take steps to protect your information. To track your internet activity, go to the settings – > data usage. The battery can keep track as you go into settings – > battery or install a third party application for monitoring of the battery as the battery doctor. It will tell you which applications or phone functions of your device’s battery waste.

Delayed operation

Like computers and mobile viruses run in the background and slowing down their work. If you notice that your phone or your tablet suddenly begin to work more slowly and closing all open applications and restarting does not help, it is probably a virus.

How to avoid your android getting a virus?

Viruses are not able to penetrate the Smartphone alone they need assistance. Often it has a user without realizing it. However, following simple rules to reduce the chance of running into trouble in the dozens of times!

Now I will describe them briefly, using both my experience and advice of other people.

First, and most importantly, avoid programs like crack, keygen and any other applications – the main source programs should be Google play therefore if you need a program, start with Google play . Further noting tablets from greed. Crack, serial number and other keygen – favorite incubators for malware.

When you install a program using APK-file if you still decided to take this step, there will be a dialog box with the installation. This is not a license agreement of abstract legal terms. The window describes features that provide smart program. In addition, if screensaver requires sending SMS, calls, and unlimited use of the internet, it is better not to install, no matter what beauty he did not show.

Access to the root folder and the ability to edit them is good and useful, but it can cause permanent damage that is not covered by warranty (it will fly off at the opening of root-access). Furthermore, Android viruses will be much easier to damage the phone.

How do I know if my android has a virus? You may encounter with malicious applications that refuse to be uninstalled. To “get rid of them”, you will need to turn on the gadget in safe mode. If this does not solve the problem, you will have to delete everything that is to reset the factory settings on your Android and start over. If you reach this extreme measure, do not forget to make a backup of your photos and all your important documents.

In addition, do not forget to change the passwords on all your online accounts to which you have access from your Smartphone – Facebook, Twitter, email or bank account, because you do not know what the harmful application stolen from you.

That is why you might want to explore these easy ways to protect your Android from Viruses and hackers. Most android attacks at this point come in the form of malicious applications that are not as noticeable as we wish. Therefore, if you accidentally install malicious applications, there is a way to find out that your security is threatened.

Source: www.cybersecuritycentral.com

Remove virus from Android phone (Pop-up Ads and Adware)

The number of Android apps infected with malware in Google’s Play store nearly quadrupled between 2012 and 2014. Make no mistake about it, there is such a thing as Android malware, cyber criminals create malware-spreading apps in devious attempts to steal personal details and advertisers use it as a marketing channel by bundling pushy ads with apps. In the first case, the users’ mobile security is clearly compromised. In the second one, the ad-app bundle is seldom mentioned, so users who download it unknowingly face a mobile privacy threat.

Can my Android phone get a “virus”?

So what about malware? Should we be worried? The key thing to remember about malware on Android is that you have to actually install the malicious app. Malware writers will use increasingly clever techniques to try and trick you into doing just that.
As malware writers try to earn money for their bad deeds, they continually look for new ways to get their malicious software installed on your devices. The best recommendation is still to think twice before installing untrusted software or clicking on strange-looking links.

Apps designed to personalize people’s Android-based phones are most susceptible to be compromised, as well as entertainment and gaming apps. Some of the most malicious apps in the Google Play store downloaded since 2012 were Wallpaper Dragon Ball, a wallpaper app, and the games Finger Hockey and Subway Surfers Free Tips.
Both Wallpaper Dragon Ball and Finger Hockey, have malware that steals confidential information such as device IDs from infected devices. Subway Surfers Free Tips, meanwhile, uses a Trojan called Air Push to bypass a device’s security settings and subscribe infected phones to premium services

When downloading apps it’s imperative that you only do so from a legitimate app store; that means from companies like Google Playstore, Amazon, Samsung, or another major manufacturer or carrier.
These marketplaces are monitored and scanned for potentially dangerous or fraudulent programs. On occasion, however, malicious apps sometimes slip through the cracks, often disguised as legitimate ones. A fake BBM app recently appeared in the Google Play store and managed to secure more than 100,000 downloads before being removed. The app itself was nothing more than a spamming service.

Pirated or cracked apps are another way that cybercriminals use to infected Android phone with malware. They get legitimate Android application package (APK) file and binding it with a malicious program is a relatively simple process to infect the Android phones. Most pirated or cracked apps usually contain some form of malware so we advise you not to install such apps.
What can an Android “virus” do?

The vast majority of malware on Android is focused on stealing your information, which is obviously a major concern. Perhaps the worst case scenario at the moment is malware that sends SMS messages to premium rate numbers.

Unfortunately, as we mentioned before, malware writers are employing ever more sophisticated techniques to fool you. There are apps that clone legitimate apps to fool you into downloading them and apps that are malware free when you first install them, but download malware through the update system.

As a way to make revenue, advertising companies are getting more and more aggressive by including functionality in their apps to display ads in the notification bar, adding bookmarks, or creating search engine shortcuts to the home screen. These advertising apps can also send off personal data pertaining to your device or account and will often require more permissions to access functionality of your device than the free app you downloaded requires.

The most common Android malicious apps will do at least one of the following:

Collect and send GPS coordinates, contact lists, e-mail addresses etc. to third parties
Send SMSs to premium-rate numbers
Subscribe infected phones to premium services
Record phone conversations and send them to attackers
Take control over the infected phone
Download other malware onto infected phones
“Push notifications ads” delivering alerts to a phone’s notification bar – when the user swipes to pull down the notification bar from the top of the screen, an ad shows up under Notifications.
“Icon ads” inserted onto a phone’s start screen – when the user touches the icon, it usually launches a search engine or a web service.

How to remove viruses from Android phone (Removal Guide)

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove any malicious app from your Android phone. Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.

STEP 1: Uninstall the malicious app from your Android phone
STEP 2: Scan and protect your Android phone from viruses with Avast Free Mobile Security

If your Android smart phone is locked, and you are seeing an “ATTENTION! Your phone has been blocked up for safety reasons” notification from a law enforcement agency (FBI, Australian Federal Police, Metropolitan Police, U.S. Department of Justice) asking you to pay a fine via GreenDot MoneyPak, Ukash or Paysafecard code, then you will need to follow our Remove Police or FBI virus from Android phone (Removal Guide).
STEP 1: Uninstall the malicious app from your Android phone

Android phone will get infected with viruses from a malicious app that is installed on the smartphones. In this first step, we will try to identify and uninstall any malicious app that might be installed on your Android phone.

To uninstall the malicious app from your Android device, go to the Settings menu, then click on Apps or Application manager (this may differ depending on your device).

This will bring up a list of installed apps, including the malicious app. In our case the malicious app is “BaDoink” however this will most likely be different in your case. If you cannot find the malicious app, we advise you to uninstall all the recently installed apps.

Touch the app you’d like to uninstall.This won’t start the app, but will open up the program’s App Info screen, then click on “Uninstall” button:

A confirmation dialog should be displayed for the malicious app, click on “OK” to remove the malicious app from your Android phone.

Reboot your Android phone

STEP 2: Scan and protect your Android phone from viruses with Avast Free Mobile Security

As you have seen cyber criminals have started targeting Android users for malware, and we do expect that in the months to come the number of infections will grow. In this final step, we will scan your Android phone for malware with Avast Free Mobile Security, and provide a real-time protection from future malware attacks.

You can download Avast Free Mobile Security from the below link:
AVAST FREE MOBILE SECURITY DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download Avast Free Mobile Security)
Click on the “Install” button, and when the app permissions will be displayed click on “Accept” install Avast Free Mobile Security on your Android phone.
[Image: Install Avast Mobile Security on your Android phone][Image: Accept the app permissions]
Avast Free Mobile Security will be installed on your phone, this will only take a few seconds.
[Image: Avast Mobile Security on Android phone]
Avast Free Mobile Security will automatically update its virus definition database, and then will start to scan your Android phone for malware and malicious apps.
[Image: Avast Mobile Security scanning for Android viruses]
The scan may take a few minutes depending on how many apps you have installed, and if any malicious app are detected, Avast Free Mobile Security will automatically remove them from your Android phone.
[Image: Avast Free Mobile Security scan results]
Your Android phone should now be free of viruses, and most importantly Avast Free Mobile Security will protect your Android phone from future infections.
[Image: Avast Mobile Security protecting Android phone]

Below you can read a few quick tips to help you keep your Android smartphone free of malware.

Always research the publisher of the app. What other apps does it offer? Do any of them look a bit shady? If so, you should probably stay away.
Read online reviews. Android Market reviews may not always be truthful. Check around to see what reputable Websites are saying about the app before you hit the download button.
Always check app permissions. Whenever you download or update an app, you get a list of permissions for it. An alarm clock app, for instance, probably shouldn’t need to look through your contacts. The general rule of thumb: If an app is asking for more than what it needs to do its job, you should skip it.
Avoid directly installing Android Package files(APKs). When Angry Birds first came to Android, you could get it only through a third-party. This is called “sideloading,” or installing apps using an .APK file. Although Angry Birds wasn’t malware, in general it is highly advisable not to download and install .APK files that you randomly come across. Most of the time you won’t know what the file contains until you install it–and by then it’s too late.
Install an antivirus on your phone (we have installed Avast Free Mobile Security). Although many people still think that antivirus scanners on phones are useless, maybe outbreaks such as this one will change minds.

Source: www.malwaretips.com

How Do I Know if My Android Phone Has a Virus?

It never fails: hackers and virus writers will find a way into whatever is the next technological “It” device to come along. If fun can be had or a profit can be made, then viruses will be created to target the devices. Smartphones have been around long enough to become the target of viruses and other malware, and Android phones are the most likely target.

Symptoms of smartphone viruses are quite similar to those for computers. Luckily, software developers are right behind the viruses, and there are software programs to detect and remove viruses from your Android smartphone.

What are the symptoms of a virus?

Viruses leave tell-tale symptoms on smartphones just like they do for computers. A big one for both forms of technology is a significant slow-down in the operations of the device. A smartphone will get slower and slower as you add pictures, music, and apps, but a virus will likely be a much more obvious slow-down.

Your smartphone may also seem to be possessed. Settings will change, new apps might be added, or your phone goes to sites seemingly all on its own; in fact, it is the virus or malware that is making all of the changes. Your smartphone might also make new beeps, dings, or chimes that usually don’t sound like any of the other alert signals you have set.

What are the dangers of a virus?

Having a virus on your Android smartphone is dangerous for a number of reasons. First, some viruses are aimed at causing problems for the user. Viruses can cripple or completely disable the usability of apps or the phone altogether.

Even more troubling, viruses can also be used to steal your personal information or rack up charges on your cell phone bill, according to an article on AARP.com. Viruses might record keystrokes, go through your phone and apps for personal information, or buy expensive apps or services that you won’t notice until you get your cell phone bill.

How did my Android phone get a virus in the first place?

The bulk of viruses get onto your smartphone from infected downloads. According to the AARP article, Google, the owner of Android, does not inspect the apps uploaded for sale on the Android Marketplace; anyone can upload a seemingly innocent app with a harmful virus.

Google will remove known threats, but it can’t check every single app for malware. According to a Los Angeles Times article, Google took actions to remove apps that carried the Droid Dream virus from the Android Marketplace in 2011, going so far as to remove it remotely from users’ devices.

Furthermore, there are third-party app stores; those apps can also harbor viruses. Really, anything that is downloaded has the potential to harbor malware.

Most viruses are written for Android phones because they have the largest share of the smartphone market. Additionally, the Android operating system is open, according to The Open Handset Alliance. This allows apps to have access to every aspect of the phone, if so designed.

It also means that a virus in an app can also have broad access to every aspect of an Android smartphone as well as everything the smartphone can do; manufacturers add some protections to the phone for this reason, but some people remove them in a process called ‘rooting.’

What can I do to detect and remove a virus?

Thankfully, there are programs for Android phones and other smartphones that can help you to scan your phone for viruses, detect viruses in downloads, and to remove viruses. Of course software is available; there is money to be made! However, it’s no different from any other threat and responding security option scenario. There are free options as well. Your best bet in choosing one is to research reviews and compare the capabilities of the various programs to find the one that fits your needs.

Further safeguards include reviewing the permissions any app is asking you to approve, according to AARP. Questionable permissions are one clue; why would an app need access to your contact list or the ability to send text messages?

Also, you should be careful about what you download, just as with computer downloads. Third-party site downloads are much more likely to have malicious add-ons; again, research reviews to see if anyone else has experienced virus troubles. Keep in mind that virus creators will modify innocent apps created by others by adding a virus; they then upload the tainted app, according to AARP.

Other tips include trying to avoid using unsecured wireless access, such as a public Wi-Fi signal. Criminals can detect your smartphone’s signal and intercept it to see your activity. Save banking and credit card related work for a secured network.

Furthermore, the experts at CIO.com —a group providing insight and analysis for IT professionals—advise that users never ‘root’ their Android phones, which removes those protections added by manufacturers in order to let the user access different apps.

Source: www.recoverysoftware.com

VB.NET Tutorial and source code

VB.NET is an update to Visual Basic that targets Microsofts .NET Framework. VB.NET has a lot of similarities to Visual Basic but also some differences. VB.NET is an object-oriented language, which supports the abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism features. It is the most productive tool for rapidly creating a wide range of Windows, Web, Mobile, and Office applications built on the .NET Framework.
.Net Framework

The Visual Basic language is designed to be human readable and accessible to everyone from novice programmers to advanced system architects. All of this is built on top of the .NET Framework, which guarantees that programs written in Visual Basic run with unsurpassed scalability and reliability. The .NET Framework provides VB.Net programmers with the ability to create fully object oriented programs (OOPs), just like the ones created using Java, C# or C++. Also programs written in VB.Net will interoperate seamlessly with programs written in any other .NET languages such as Visual C#, Visual J#, or Visual C++.
Visual Studio

Many programmers says VB.Nets ease of use as the key to its success. Using VB.NET, you can create a wide variety of applications, such as a Console Applications, that displays its output in an MS-DOS-like window, Windows Applications that often displays a form-based interface, Web Applications, Web Services, Mobile Applications etc. I hope this site will help you to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to develop various types of applications in VB.NET in a simplified manner rather than in a complex way.


Microsoft .Net Framework Tutorials

What is Microsoft .Net Framework
what are the functions of microsoft .net framework?
Common Language Runtime in .Net Framework
How to Common Language Runtime
What is .Net Framework Class Library
What is Common Language Specification
What is Common Type System
What is Microsoft Intermediate Language
What is Portable Executable (PE) File Format
What is Microsoft Just In Time Compiler
How to Managed Code - Microsoft .Net Framework
What is .Net Framework Metadata
what is .Net Framework Assembly
What is Assembly Manifest
What is Global Assembly Cache
What is a .Net Satellite Assembly?
What are the contents of an Assembly?
How to Private Assembly and Shared Assembly
What is Microsoft .Net Strong Name
What is .Net Namespaces
What is Application Domain
What is Code Access Security
What is Garbage Collection
.Net Threads


VB.NET Language Basics Tutorials

VB.NET data types
VB.NET Implicit conversion and Explicit Conversion
VB.NET Access Specifiers
VB.NET Exceptions
VB.NET Option Explicit
VB.NET Option Strict
VB.NET On Error
How to find date difference in VB.NET
How to CultureInfo in VB.NET


VB.NET Program Flow Control Tutorials

How to use IF ELSE END IF in VB.NET
How to use FOR NEXT loop in vb.net
How to use FOR EACH loop in VB.NET
How to use vb.net While End While loop
How to use Enum in vb.net


VB.Net Graphical User Interface

Visual Studio IDE
How to Create a vb.net Windows Forms Application
Label Control
Button Control
TextBox Control
ComboBox Control
ListBox Control
Checked ListBox Control
RadioButton Control
CheckBox Control
PictureBox Control
ProgressBar Control
ScrollBars Control
DateTimePicker Control
Treeview Control
ListView Control
Menu Control
MDI Form
Color Dialog Box
Font Dialog Box
OpenFile Dialog Box
Print Dialog Box
KeyPress event in VB.NET
How to create Dynamic Controls in VB.NET ?
How do i keep a form on top of others
Timer Control - VB.Net


VB.NET Collections Tutorials

How to use VB.NET ArrayList
How to use VB.NET HashTable
How to use VB.NET Stack
How to use VB.NET Queue
How to use VB.NET Arrays
How to use VB.NET Dyanamic Arrays
How to use VB.NET NameValueCollection
How to use VB.NET List
VB.Net Dictionary example


VB.NET String Tutorials

How to vb.net String Length()
How to vb.net String Insert()
How to vb.net String IndexOf()
How to vb.net String Format()
How to vb.net String Equals()
How to vb.net String CopyTo()
How to vb.net String Copy()
How to vb.net String Contains()
How to vb.net String Compare()
How to vb.net String Clone()
How to vb.net String Chars()
How to vb.net String substring()
How to vb.net String Split()
How to vb.net String EndsWith()
How to vb.net String Concat()
How to VB.NET String Null


VB.NET Files Tutorials

How to VB.NET Directory operations
How to VB.NET File operations
How to VB.NET FileStream
How to VB.NET TextReader
How to VB.NET Simple TextReader
How to VB.NET TextWriter
How to VB.NET BinaryReader
How to VB.NET BinaryWriter
How to convert xps file to bmp file
How to VB.Net Path Class
How to create PDF files in vb.net
How to convert text file to pdf
Write database to PDF file


VB.Net Excel Automation

How to create an Excel file in VB.NET
How to open or read an existing Excel file in VB.NET
How to read an Excel file using VB.Net
Add new worksheet in Excel file - VB.Net
Delete worksheet from an excel file - VB.Net
How to Format Excel Page in VB.NET
How to insert a Picture in Excel through programing on VB.NET
How to insert a background Picture in Excel through VB.NET
How to create a Chart in Excel in VB.NET
How to export a Chart in Excel as Picture file from VB.NET
How to Excel Chart in VB.NET Picture Box
How to Excel DataBar in VB.NET
How to Excel Data Validation Input Message
Read and Import Excel File into DataSet or DataTable in vb.net
How to insert cell data in an Excel file using OLEDB
How to update cell data in an Excel file using OLEDB
How to export from database to excel
How to export from DataGridView to excel


VB.NET Crystal Reports Tutorials

Sample Database and tables for Crystal Reports tutorials
Step by Step help for creating a simple Crystal Reports in VB.NET
VB.NET Crystal Reports from multiple tables
VB.NET Crystal Reports String parameter
VB.NET Crystal Reports Integer parameter
VB.NET Crystal Reports Date parameter
VB.NET Crystal Report Load Dynamically
VB.NET Crystal Reports Formula Fields
VB.NET Crystal Reports Summary Fields
VB.NET Crystal Reports Export to PDF
VB.NET Crystal Reports Export to Excel
Email a Crystal Reports from VB.NET
Crystal Reports Without Database
Crystal Report from SQL Query String
Dynamic Crystal Reports from SQL Query String
Crystal Reports from XML File
Create a Subreport in Crystal Reports
Create a Subreport in Crystal Reports with Link
How to deploy Crystal Reports on Clinet Machine
How to create Crystal Reports installer using Merge Modules


VB.NET Communications Tutorial

How to send email from VB.NET
VB.NET Send email using CDOSYS
How to find IP Address of Host
How to read a URL Content
VB.NET Socket Programming
VB.NET Server Socket Program
VB.NET Client Socket Program
VB.NET MultiThreaded Socket Programming
VB.NET MultiThreaded Server Socket Programming
VB.NET MultiThreaded Client Socket Programming
VB.NET Chat Server Program
VB.NET Chat Server
VB.NET Chat Client
VB.NET Email Attachment
How to VB.Net Web Browser


VB.NET ADO.NET Tutorial

ADO.NET Architecture Help and Tutorial
Advantages of ADO.Net over ADO
Connected and Disconnected Data Access Architecture
ADO.NET ConnectionStrings
ADO.NET Data Providers


ADO.NET Data Providers Tutorial

ADO.NET Connection Object
ADO.NET SQL Server Connection
ADO.NET OLEDB Connection
ADO.NET ODBC Connection
ADO.NET Command
ADO.NET ExecuteNonQuery in SqlCommand Object
ADO.NET ExecuteNonQuery in OleDbCommand Object
ADO.NET ExecuteScalar in SqlCommand Object
ADO.NET ExecuteScalar in OleDbCommand Object
ADO.NET ExecuteReader in SqlCommand Object
ADO.NET ExecuteReader in OleDbCommand Object
How to ADO.NET DataReader
How to ADO.NET SqlDataReader
How to ADO.NET OleDbDataReader
How to Multiple Result Sets in ADO.NET
Getting Schema Informations from SqlDataReader
Getting Schema Informations from OleDbDataReader
What is DataAdapter
What is SqlDataAdapter
What is OleDbDataAdapter
Vb.NET ExecuteReader and ExecuteNonQuery


VB.NET ADO.NET Dataset Tutorial

What is ADO.NET Dataset
How to Dataset with Sql Server
How to Dataset with OLEDB Data Source
Search Tables in a Dataset Sql Server
Search Tables in a Dataset OLEDB Data Source
Dataset table row count in SQL Server
Dataset table row count - OLEDB Data Source
How to find column definition - Sql Server
How to find column definition - OLEDB Data Source
How to create DataSet without Databse
How to multiple tables in Dataset - Sql Server
How to multiple tables in Dataset - OLEDB Data Source
How to add relations between tables in a Dataset
How to merge tables in a Dataset - Sql Server
How to merge tables in a Dataset - OLEDB Data Source
How to populate a combo box from a dataset in VB.Net , binding combobox with enum values , binding combobox with dictionary values
how many tables exist in a database - VB.NET


ADO.NET DataAdapter and Dataset

Dataadapter with dataset - sql sever
Dataadapter with dataset - OLEDB Data Source
Dataadapter SelectCommand - Sql Server
Dataadapter SelectCommand - OLEDB Data Source
Dataadapter InsertCommand - Sql Server
Dataadapter InsertCommand - OLEDB Data Source
Dataadapter UpdateCommand - Sql Server
Dataadapter UpdateCommand - OLEDB Data Source
Dataadapter DeleteCommand - Sql Server
Dataadapter DeleteCommand - OLEDB Data Source
Dataadapter with CommandBuilder - Sql Server
Dataadapter with CommandBuilder - OLEDB
Dataadapter with DataGridView - Sql Server
Dataadapter with DataGridView - OLEDB


VB.NET ADO.NET DataView Tutorial

How to create a DataView
How to Sort DataView
How to Filter DataView
How to Find a rows in DataView
How to add new rows in DataView
How to update rows in DataView
How to delete rows in DataView
How to create a new DataTable from DataView


VB.NET Remoting Tutorial

.Net Remoting Architecture
VB.Net Remoting Application
VB.Net Remotable Type
VB.Net Remote Listener Application
VB.Net Remote Client Application
Compiling and Running Remote Application
VB.NET Remoting Configurations
VB.NET Remoting Activation
VB.NET Remoting Channel
VB.NET Remoting Formatters


VB.NET XML Tutorial

How to XML in VB.NET
How to create an XML file in VB.NET
How to open and read XML file in VB.NET , XmlReader in VB.Net , XmlTextReader in VB.Net
How to create an XML file in VB.NET using Dataset
How to open and read an XML file in VB.NET using Dataset
How to create an XML file from SQL in VB.NET
How to search in an XML file
How to filter data in an XML file
How to insert data from xml to database
How to create an Excel file from XML
How to create an XML file from Excel
How to xml to DataGridView
How to create a TreevView from XML
How to create Crystal Reports from XML
How to serialization in xml
How to serialize a .Net Object to XML
How to de-serialize from an XML file to .Net Object


VB.NET DataGridView Tutorial

VB.NET DataGridView binding - Sql Server
DataGridView binding - OLEDB in VB.NET
DataGridView Sorting/Filtering in VB.NET
DataGridView adding rows and columns in VB.NET
DataGridView hiding rows and columns in VB.NET
DataGridView ReadOnly rows and columns in VB.NET
Adding Button to DataGridView in VB.NET
Adding CheckBox to DataGridView in VB.NET
Adding ComboBox to DataGridView in VB.NET
Adding Image to DataGridView in VB.NET
Adding ViewLink to DataGridView in VB.NET
How to Paging in DataGridView
How to Formatting in DataGridView
How to DataGridView Template
How to DataGridView Printing
How to Export datagridview to Excel
How to Import data from Excel to DataGridView
Database operations in DatagridView
Delete row from datagridview by Right click
DataGridView Autocomplete TextBox in VB.Net



Source: www.vb.net-informations.com/

Facebook opens first Africa office

 

Facebook announced Monday it had opened its first African office in Johannesburg as part of its efforts "to help people and businesses connect" on the continent.

The office will be headed by Nunu Ntshingila, a former executive at the advertising agency Ogilvy.

"This office will support the significant growth in businesses and people using Facebook," said a statement from the world's biggest social network, which has some 1.4 billion active users worldwide including 120 million in Africa.

"We are inspired by the incredible ways people and businesses in Africa use Facebook to connect," said Nicola Mendelsohn, regional vice president for Facebook.

"Africa is important to Facebook, and this office is a key part of our strategy to expand our investment and presence across (the region). Facebook is already a central part of people's lives in Africa, and with more than a billion people in Africa, we want to do more to help people and businesses connect."

Facebook said more than 80 percent of people in African access the social network from their mobile phones.

"Mobile is not a trend; it's the fastest development in communications we've ever seen," Mendelsohn said.

"This couldn't be more true in Africa -- where so many people are mobile-only. This new office is a significant milestone for Facebook and our teams want to partner with businesses across the continent."

Facebook will initially focus on in sub-Saharan countries including Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa and will also offer support for Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

"Facebook will partner with governments, telecom operators, agencies and other stakeholders to deliver localized solutions to advertisers and users continent-wide," the statement said.

Source: www.news.yahoo.com

BlackBerry will launch a curved slider phone later in 2015

After launching the Leap, BlackBerry's handset supremo, Ron Louks, has confirmed that the Canadian phone maker will release three more devices in 2015. Oh, and he pulled one stunner of a prototype from his pocket as well.

He described the device as being one with "a dual curve, all touch display with a keyboard" – a smartphone that looks a lot like the Dell Venue Pro and the Palm Pre, albeit longer.

But it is the Galaxy S6 Edge that appears to be its inspiration and we wonder whether Samsung, which has strengthened its relationship with BlackBerry recently, didn't throw in a couple of hardware bonuses as well.

Innovative device

John Chen, BlackBerry's CEO, referred to the phone as "the slide" and confirmed that it would be released later this year before saying that it was "mechanically very innovative".

Other than that new BlackBerry "Curve", two other products will be launched, one of them being a high-end (read expensive) handset produced in partnership with car manufacturer Porsche.

Expensive smartphones, it seems, are good business as Chen also revealed that one BlackBerry smartphone sold out in less than 30 minutes at retailer Selfridges.

Source: www.techradar.com

WiFi Hotspot Software For Windows 8.1/8/7/PC/Laptop

Here I found 2 best WiFi hotspot software for Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, PC and Laptop. So check out the best WiFi hotspot software. WiFi hotspot is very useful for home and business users because you can access internet on all of your devices like smartphones, tablets and other PC by using a WiFi hotspot. There are many ways to create wifi hotspot in Windows like command prompt, etc. But there are many software available in the market that helps you to create a WiFi hotspot in Windows system. Here I’m showing you 2 most popular and good WiFi hotspot software that most of Windows users are using it. So check this out best WiFi hotspot software.

1. Connectify Hotspot PRO

Connectify Hotspot PRO is one of the most popular WiFi hotspot software that’s widely used in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, PC and laptops. You can easily turn your PC into WiFi hotspot and share your 2G, 3G and 4G internet to all of your devices. Connectify Hotspot PRO helps you to boost your WiFi to any devices. Connectify Hotspot PRO is a paid software so you need to buy it once. Connectify Hotspot PRO is not free to use. So for free WiFi hotspot software, check second option.





Connectify Hotspot PRO software for Windows 8.1/8/7/PC/laptop

2. MyPublicWiFi

MyPublicWiFi is a second best WiFi hotspot software for PC and laptop. You can easily turn your PC into WiFi access point and share your Internet with your smartphones, tablets and other laptops. The good news is, MyPublicWiFi is a free to use. So you can free to create a WiFi hotspot in your PC and laptop. MyPublicWiFi working in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 32-bit/64-bit.

Source: www.wiknix.com

Samsung Galaxy S7 NOT Coming In Second Half 2015

Samsung is prepping a new processor core architecture for the Galaxy S7

Yes, we know, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 EDGE only just came out, but this is the way the mobile industry works, it's the same for Samsung, Apple, LG, everyone. The simple fact of the matter is that developing and manufacturing smartphones takes a lot of time and advanced planning, which means that the Galaxy S7 was already being planned before the Galaxy S6 was even released.

And with the way the rumour mill is these days there's a vast network of sources and infiltrators embedded in the whole development, supply, and manufacturing network - meaning we find out pretty quickly when something is being worked on. By now this means pretty much as soon as (if not before) a new model comes out, rumours of its successor are already circulating.

The last we heard a mention of the Galaxy S7 was in relation to Samsung developing its own CPU core for use inside its next flagship. According to that information, plans are afoot at the company’s Korean HQ to develop its very own custom processor core, meaning no more stock ARM Cortex CPU cores.

But we'll come back to that in a bit.

The most recent bit of info from the rumour mill came from Digitimes and Korean news source Newsis, the latter of which claimed to have heard from its insider sources that Samsung has plans to launch the Galaxy S7 during the second half of 2015, rather than waiting until early 2016 as many expected.

But according to a subsequent statement from Samsung itself, that's all a load of complete gumpf, hokum, twaddle, or whatever you like to call it.

A Samsung marketing spokesperson explained to MobileBurn:

"The company remains committed to launching products in pre-determined launch windows, which includes the S series."

Or in other words, it's sticking to a 12 monthly cycle with an early year launch, probably at MWC like last time, so look out for MWC 2016 in late February/early March.

Still, as we said at the start of the article, you can rest assured there is definitely a Galaxy S7 in the works, it just won't come until 2016.

What about that processor architecture rumour?

Apple has been doing something similar for a while developing its own Cyclone processor cores. Ditto Qualcomm with its Krait and upcoming KRYO setup. The benefits of such an approach are myriad; firms have more control over APIs, performance, functionality and efficiency.

A move such as this was always on the cards. Samsung has been investing heavily in its chip-making arm, so it stands to reason the company would want to begin developing its own, bespoke custom processor core just like its now arch-rival Qualcomm.

“Samsung is almost ready to finally release its own processing core next year,” reports Phone Arena, “perhaps in time for the Galaxy S7.

Samsung's System LSI Division has been working on a proprietary 64-bit core for four years and will no longer be using the default ARM Cortex designs, according to a reports from Korea.

“The current Exynos 7420 in the Galaxy S6 is plenty powerful, but still, in its single-core performance, it is no match for the proprietary Apple A8 chipset, despite the latter being clocked at much slower speeds,” the report added.

Qualcomm is set to debut its new KRYO core later on this year. At the time of writing there is no solid information about the roadmap for Samsung’s solution, save for the nod to its inclusion inside 2016’s Galaxy S7.

According to a report from April 27, more details have emerged regarding Samsung's custom "Mongoose" cores. The word comes via KitGuru, which has identified some interesting titbits in ARM' latest developer toolset for ARM core architecture, allegedly as well as containing support for ARM A17 and A72 cores, it also supports a "Samsung Exynos M1" core, aka "Mongoose". Not a great deal is known about the core architecture other than allegations that it is a Heterogeneous Sytem Architecture.

Source: www.knowyourmobile.com

Will It Be The iPhone 6s or The iPhone 7 in 2015? THAT Is The Question...

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are only a few months old, but reports are now flying in about Apple’s next-generation iPhones

The Apple iPhone. Everyone knows what it is, the brand is huge and for many the very word "iPhone" is synonymous with smartphone. It was the first touchscreen phone design to truly capture the public imagination and introduce the world to the wonders of what a truckload of apps can do for your daily life. For a long time now, the iPhone has been a pretty dominant force in the mobile market to say the very least.

To say that it utterly rules the space, however, would be disingenuous. There are other forces at play and they have only become stronger and more prominent over time. Apple's rivals, such as Samsung, LG, HTC, and Sony, have really stepped up their game, offering increasingly appealing flagship products. Many of these have in fact been good enough to tempt former Apple fans away from the joys of iOS and into the wild open territory of Google's Android platform.

Still, even in the face of stiff competition, the iPhone attracts a lot of attention, with millions of eager fans rabidly anticipating each and every launch taking place pretty much every September like clockwork. The frenzy is assisted of course by an increasingly detailed and mostly accurate rumour mill, propped up by a complex network of analysts, contacts and sources inside the Asian supply and manufacturing network that produces pretty much every major smart device.

The competition really has reached fever pitch over the late 2014-to-mid-2015 launch schedule. Apple saw public demand for a re-designed iPhone flagship with faster performance, better camera capabilities, but most crucially of all; a larger display panel. Not only did it meet the demand for an enlarged flagship with the iPhone 6, but it also finally decided to cater to the increasingly popular phablet market with the iPhone 6 Plus - these are two of the biggest smartphones Apple has ever produced following years of sticking to a size that has now become associated with the "Mini" or "Compact" sector of the market.

Then Samsung, HTC, and most recently LG, have all hit back with their own revamped flagship devices. HTC aimed a bit too low and has offered something too similar to last year's model to capture consumer enthusiasm. Samsung and LG, on the other hand, really did come out swinging with some extremely capable hardware and a couple of fantastic new-look designs.

NO MORE BENDGATE!?
Everybody remembers the stories about iPhone 6 Plus units bending. Hell, it even got its own nickname in the form of “bendgate”… However, new reports are now claiming that in order to combat this ever happening again Apple will use super strong metals for its next generation iPhones.

Catcher Technologies CEO chairman Allen Horng, during a media briefing after the company’s shareholders’ meeting, hinted that newer, stronger materials would be used to create the chassis of Apple’s next iPhones.

“Horng said that in the first five months of the year,” notes BGR, “Catcher’s sales were up 64.05% from last year, but revenue this quarter will be flat compared to the second quarter. Furthermore, he added that sales in the fourth quarter will pick up significantly due to major orders from big smartphone clients. In other words, Catcher’s revenue and outlook closely mirror Apple’s iPhone sales cycle.”

If there's one thing you can say about the mobile market it's that it never really stands still. Now we're in June, halfway through the year, and closer to the launch of the next iPhone in September than the previous launch (which still seems very fresh) the same time last year.

Like all other major manufacturers, Apple operates on a tight schedule. There's always a successor model in the works, and the next iPhone, be it iPhone 6s or iPhone 7, will have certainly been under development for a while now. The firm does sometimes switch things up a bit, but for now we've every reason to believe it'll stick to the same pattern and launch another set of iPhones in September 2015.

We've also now seen Apple host its WWDC 2015 conference where the new build of iOS; iOS 9, has been showcased, along with a bunch of new features. The time between now and September is a chance for developers to create new content, find bugs and offer feedback, so that Apple can get iOS 9 well and truly polished for the next iPhone's arrival.

Did Apple Just LEAK The iPhone 6c!?
Naturally the rumour mill has already churned into action and there's a lot of information flying around about what we can expect to see this Autumn. It'll be interesting to see what Apple does next though, historically after big landmark launches the next generation is incremental (think iPhone 5 to iPhone 5S - the "S" series is always the lesser advancement).

iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 Release Date
Apple’s iPhone 6s and, we presume, iPhone 6s Plus will go on sale in the UK on September 25, according to a leaked email seen by Mobile News.

According to the source, the “new iPhone” as it is referred to in the memo will go on pre-order on September 18, with a release date pegged for September 25.

“Vodafone has told internal staff the next Apple iPhone handset will be released on September 25,” said the report. “In an email to staff seen by Mobile News, the operator outlined pre-launch information, including that the operator will begin taking pre-orders for the device from September 18.”

The name of the handset was not revealed, however. The handset was simply referred to as “the new iPhone”, meaning it could be either the iPhone 6s or, as some reports have suggested, the iPhone 7.

Upgrades are expected to include the “biggest camera jump ever”, according to blogger John Gruber, who describes a "weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR quality imagery.”.

Wireless charging, or some kind of Apple-style wireless charging, is expected. Ditto for Force Touch Glass on the display. The handsets will apparently run on Apple’s new, Samsung-made A9 chipset will is shaping up to be a 14nm setup and should deliver some rather insane processing grunt, especially if combined with more RAM.

Sources close to Apple have confirmed the iPhone 6s/iPhone 7 will look pretty much identical to the iPhone 6, according to 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman. One of the key differences Apple is apparently keen to push is the inclusion of Force Touch.

“To go with the new hardware, Apple has designed iOS 9 to be Force Touch-ready and is working to let developers integrate Force Touch into App Store apps. Force Touch on the iPhone will be used to clear up some control space across the system, and potentially replace some long press-and-hold button interactions,” noted Gurman’s report.

iPhone 6s/iPhone 7 users will be able to use Force Touch Maps to drop new pins inside Maps, inside media players for pressure-sensitive scrolling, and inside the Calendar application for adding new events, as well as across iOS 9 for quickly looking up word definitions.

EVERYTHING You Need To Know About iOS 8 & OS X Yosemite
As part of our iPhone coverage we’ve put together a bunch of user guides about iOS and OS X Yosemite and how they work together, as well as some of their respective unique features. Both updates feature a HELL of a lot of new features, tweaks and optimisations so finding your way around them can be a smidge daunting –– hence the user guides.

You can check them out in their entirety below. Also, we will be adding to each of them on a weekly basis in order to bring you fullest possible view of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.

Eminent Apple Analyst Predicts 11 Key Features of iPhone 6s/iPhone 7
The Ultimate Guide To The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus –– iOS 8 Explored and Detailed
The Ultimate Guide To OS X Yosemite –– EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Apple's HUGE New Update
With the next 12 months more or less secure for Apple, we turn to what's next in store for the biggest smartphone maker in the world. And of course, we already know, it'll be up to its usual tricks in September 2015. The company has established a habit of launching one or two handsets every year, and they're always planned well in advance, so we knew at least an iPhone 6S was coming and it's not too surprising the rumours have started already –– truth be told, if anything they're a little late, as we were already hearing about the iPhone 6 before the iPhone 5S even launched. What's interesting, however, is we're also hearing talk of an iPhone 7.

As it stands at present there are two schools of thought about Apple’s plans for its iPhone line in 2015: on the one hand there’s the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and this would fit in with the company’s previous tick-tock style upgrade process, whereby BIG changes are saved for tick-cycles and smaller, incremental tweaks for tock-cycles. However, there are plenty of rumours about Apple ditching this approach entirely and moving straight to the iPhone 7. And the reason is pretty much what you’d expect: Apple is worried people are getting wise to its ways and is concerned too many users would wait for the iPhone 7 should the 6s launch in 2015, a potential scenario that could hurt growth for the year.

And this is NOT something Apple will want. Not after the successes of 2015.

So, without further ado, let's have a look at what the rumour mill says Apple has in store for us in 2015, shall we?

Apple Oracle Ming-Chi Kuo Spills The Beans
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has become something of a legend in the mobile tech industry. The man's extensive network of insider contacts within the Asian production and supply network means he has produced some of the most accurate predictions for pretty much every Apple device ever released. In other words, when he speaks, it pays to listen.

The latest truths to come from his lips have been reported by UDN and Tech News, and reveal that once again Apple will launch two iPhones in 2015. These are a 4.7in iPhone 6s and a 5.5in iPhone 6s Plus, with both entering volume production in the middle of August.

“For starters, the new iPhone 6s will come with Force Touch-ready displays, meaning that an extra layer of sensors have to be placed on the display so the devices can tell the difference between standard and firm touches,” reports BGR. “KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo says the new phones will be 0.2mm thicker than the iPhone 6 because of that Force Touch display, according to Japanese Apple fan blog Macotakara.”

Alleged features include a speedier Apple A9 processor with 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM, an upgraded 12MP camera module and a rose gold colour option. The phones will also feature Apple's Force Touch pressure-sensitive gesture control input just like the Apple Watch. Touch ID is also getting a revamped fingerprint scanner to make it even quicker.

On top of all this, it's claimed Apple will be putting a lot of effort into its build quality and manufacturing to prevent another Bendgate or similar. The iPhone 6s Plus will also have improved Sapphire Glass displays to make them even more robust.

"Apple typically rolls out a major upgrade to its iPhone lineup every other year, and then fills in the gap with a more incremental upgrade during the in-between years. So the iPhone 5 came out in 2012, followed by the iPhone 5S in 2013 and theiPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2015. The "S" models usually enhance the processor and a few other components and add one or two new features but not much more. However, Apple continues to face tough competition from the likes of Samsung's Galaxy S series and Android phones in general, which often sport major upgrades on an annual basis. Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus regained lost market share and customers by offering bigger screens. But if Apple wants to continue that trend, then the iPhone 6S needs to be more than just an incremental upgrade, which could happen, according to Kuo's crystal ball," reports CNET.

An iPhone 6c Too?
Well this is unexpected. For several months now we've been seeing a trickle of information about the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7, expected for launch towards the end of 2015, however, it now seems Apple may have a third handset in development –– a successor to the plastic iPhone 5c!

More recently, reports from the oft-unreliable DigiTimes are now claiming Apple will release three handsets in 2015 in the form of the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6s Plus and –– this is where it gets interesting –– the iPhone 6c, which is rumoured to be a cheaper option with a 4in display aimed at picking up where the original iPhone 5c left off.

“Industry sources are reportedly referring to Apple's supposed next-generation 4-inch device as the iPhone 6C,” says Apple Insider, “a take on the low-end, polycarbonate-bodied iPhone 5c that debuted in 2013. As an entry-level product, the 6C is rumoured to run on current generation A8 system-on-chip silicon, while the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones will run an unannounced A9 chip.”

This is kind of understandable, though, as the iPhone 5c did prove very popular with a lot of users; you see the colourful handsets everywhere when walking around London. A lot this boils down to people liking the colour options, as it gives their iPhone something of an individual look –– you don’t see that many blue ones for instance, although pink and white seem to be very popular.

Following the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the iPhone 5c was not axed, as many presumed it would be, but was instead relegated to a replacement for the iPhone 5 as the base model in Apple's catalogue.

According to the rumour mill (DigiTimes), Apple is planning a 4in display size for its next plastic fantastic iPhone, together with NFC and TouchID, meaning it is getting the functionality of its more premium brethren.

“Industry sources are reportedly referring to Apple's supposed next-generation 4-inch device as the iPhone 6C,” says Apple Insider, “a take on the low-end, polycarbonate-bodied iPhone 5c that debuted in 2013. As an entry-level product, the 6C is rumoured to run on current generation A8 system-on-chip silicon, while the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones will run an unannounced A9 chip.”




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A handset said to be the iPhone 6c has apparently been accidentally leaked online by Apple. The handset in question looks A LOT like the iPhone 5c, as you can see above. The only real difference we can see is that THIS handset features TouchID, a feature sorely missing from the iPhone 5c.

The case for the iPhone 6c is strong, even if just from a financial perspective; Apple sold 24 million units of the iPhone 5c, a HUGE amount of devices considering this handset has been consistently labelled a failure –– can you imagine the HTC One M8 Mini selling in that volume!? Nope, neither can we.

iPhone 7 Display
Apple’s next iPhone will adopt a new type of display technology called Force Touch. Apple developed this display technology for its Apple Watch but is said to be keen on bringing it to future iPhones, starting with 2015’s models. Apple’s new MacBook uses the technology in its touchpad and can, according to Apple, differentiate between a light, soft and heavy touch - different levels of pressure can be assigned to different functions, so essentially this gives more options than the conventional tap and long press options. The advent of this type of technology inside the iPhone could completely change the way millions of people interact with the device on a daily basis.

According to information from Economic Daily News (Taiwan), Apple has plans for a "3D touch technology" utilising touch sensors from Avago Tech (a company Nintendo used for the Wii consoles).

The translation is a little fuzzy, but the report indicates that Apple owns a patent which can "simultaneously identify multiple fingerprint recognition technology panels," plus there's mention of "gesture control technology."

It's implied that Apple may be trying to do away with the Home key and transferring its functions into the display surround - just like the Apple Watch. The only thing this doesn't solve is the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, but Apple already has a patent in place for putting fingerprint scanners underneath the display glass.

As for other details about the new iPhones — we'll see two new models again, according to the Wall Street Journal — Apple won't change the display sizes, while the resolution will stay “similar” –– meaning 1080p panels, not QHD.

iPhone 7 Camera: Major Updates Planned
A report from Phone Arena, citing sources in Apple's supply chain, points to a series of key updates to Apple’s camera technology. The iPhone 6 setup was impressive, but what Apple has in store for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 looks to seriously up the ante, as you can see from the below extract.

"What will eventually be new, though, is a thoroughly redesigned camera module, with dual lens design, perhaps similar to the HTC One (M8) or Huawei's Honor 6 Plus units, a shot at a "zoom function," and sensor capable of soaking in more light. An optical zoom part is hard to believe, despite phones like the ZenFone Zoom that were just revealed at the CES expo, since it will require protruding lens. There are some periscope-style optical zoom designs, but the bodies of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are so thin, we doubt Apple can fit anything like that inside. On the other hand, there are lossless zoom options, and alternative approaches to optical zoom, though we don't know how close these are to mass production. We'll see whether this pans out at all."

There is cause for concern, however, as reports from Asia suggest Apple may keep the same 8MP sensor inside its upcoming new iPhone release. “Analyst Jeff Pu recently discussed the financial situation of Largan Precision Co. – Apple’s major camera lens supplier. Pu forecasts that, this year, Largan faces limited growth because the industry is transiting to higher-res cameras too slowly,” reports G For Games. “As for the iPhone 6S, Jeff Pu speculates that because the smartphone will not push a larger than 8 MP camera to the market, Largan Precision Co. will have a difficult time increasing its stock price in H2 2015.”

Apple has apparently bought Israeli imaging firm LinX, a company which builds small, phone-sized camera units that can deliver DLSR-like image quality. According to the WSJ, neither Apple nor LinX is confirming the buyout, though Apple did give its usual response that it sometimes acquire small companies and is not compelled to let the public know.

“It's not clear how and when Apple will incorporate LinX's technology into its devices,” reports MacRumors, “but it's possible we could see these types of camera improvements as soon as this year. Rumors have suggested Apple is looking into a major camera boost for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, with new technology that could produce SLR quality images, and LinX's multi-aperture lens systems could potentially accomplish that feat.”

iPhone 7 Specs: A9 Chipset & 2GB of RAM
Samsung semiconductor head Kim Ki-nam has now confirmed Samsung will be providing 14-nanometer processors to Apple for use inside its 2015 iPhones and iPads. Ki-nam confirmed this victory would have a HUGE affect on Samsung's bottom line in 2015. Samsung's technological progress with its 14-nanometer process, an area it has invested heavily in, swung the pendulum away from TSMC and back in of favour of Samsung.

“The balance of power has shifted back to Samsung,” reports RE/Code, “thanks to its advanced fabrication technology. That same advantage is said to be putting pressure on Qualcomm, which has been the biggest maker of chips in high-end phones. Owing in part to its own manufacturing edge, Samsung is expected to use its Exynos processors in forthcoming handsets instead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810, which is made in TSMC’s factories.”

Samsung has invested a HUGE sum on money into its display and semiconductor businesses, a reported sum of $21.4 billion. All of this was done to ensure Samsung remains in growth and profitable for 2015/16 and beyond. Dr. Kinam Kim, president and general manager of the semiconductor business of Samsung, told press Samsung’s profits would improve dramatically in 2015 with the addition of Apple’s 14nm A9 chipset for its upcoming iPhone 7.

“Samsung LSI hasn’t directly confirmed Apple as its 14nm customer. But the company sounded confident about 14nm FinFET ramp in the second half of this year during its Q4 2014 earnings call,” said Strategy Analytics analyst Sravan Kundojjala. “Samsung LSI is looking to regain share in applications processors with the help of 14nm FinFET chips after seeing a steady share decline in its AP shipments over the past few years.”

A report via Apple Insider cites an anonymous “person familiar with Apple's future product plans, who has provided reliable information in the past.” The source alleges that Apple’s iPhone 6s will ship with 2GB of RAM onboard. Of course we’ve heard similar talk ahead of the last few iPhone launches and it hasn’t come to pass. As Apple Insider points out; the iPhone has stuck with 1GB of RAM since the iPhone 5 launched in 2012.

“System-in-Package (SiP) modules similar to what’s inside the Apple Watch will also be found in the iPhone 6s, with local suppliers supposed to start iPhone 6s SiP production this month,” reports BGR. “The internal S1 System-in-Package (SiP), which contains most of the components needed to make the Watch tick, is one of the most interesting things about Apple’s wearable device. The S1 includes a custom ARM processor, RAM, storage, NFC radio controller, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module, touchscreen controllers and other components.”

But this isn’t all –– the package is also encased inside resin, meaning it is fully protected from water and the like. Analysts believe this level of integration could help Apple improve the iPhone 6s’ battery life over last year’s model without using a bigger battery cell. The iPhone 6 Plus already has an impressive battery life, so it’d be very interesting to see just how much this kind of development made to its overall performance.




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iPhone 7: BIG TouchID Updates Planned
Apple will radically update its TouchID mechanism aboard the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI Securities, projects that Touch ID module shipments will grow 12.4 percent this year to 262 million total, reports Apple Insider.


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The new module will apparently “offer a better and safer Apple Pay user experience by reducing reading errors.” Kuo reckons companies in Apple’s supply-chain will begin ramping up for production during Q2 2015 ahead of Apple’s usual late-Q3 launch and release pattern.

“Though Apple has filed patents for the integration of Touch ID and touch panel, this isn't likely to bear fruit near term as complex algorithms and sapphire cover lens are also required,” Kuo added “We therefore don't see any impact on supply chain momentum.”

Source: www.knowyourmobile.com