Predicting the future of Apple is probably the no. 1 party game in Silicon Valley. The venerable Churchill Club, which has been gathering luminaries to discuss tech in Menlo Park since 1985, has assembled a panel of experts who have some real insight in to the days ahead for the Cupertino company.
This Tuesday, March 4, they’re hosting what will surely be lively and provocative conversation with four Apple authors titled: “Are Apple’s Best Days Ahead?” .
This post is brought to you by RAGE Software, creator of EverWeb.
Remember iWeb, Apple’s website builder for its MobileMe online service, discontinued 2011? When Apple pulled the plug on MobileMe, users had to move their iWeb site over to another host or lose it. Now RAGE Software presents EverWeb, a new website builder meant to replace Apple’s iWeb. EverWeb has a similar interface to make users feel comfortable moving from iWeb to EverWeb. Users can copy and paste text, images and other elements from an iWeb-built site over to EverWeb from their published website. Watch the video and learn more here….
The Winter Olympics are just three days away so of course we’re working on a special edition of Cult of Mac Magazine all about the intersection of the winter games and Apple.
99.997% of us aren’t talented enough to get an invite to Sochi, but we can all take a damn good selfie. So with the spirit of competition upon us, we’re introducing the Cult of Mac Selfie Olympics – a competition to see which of our readers can take the absolute best selfie before the real athletes battle it out in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
This post is brought to you by Trickster.
The Mac’s Finder is great at locating files if you know the file’s name and likeliest folder. But often you don’t, and end up searching through your entire computer to find that one file. Now, Trickster does a fantastic job at keeping track of all the files you’ve been using recently. You won’t ever need to open Finder again on your Mac. With Trickster you can simply drag and drop files exactly where you want them. Trickster gives you quick and easy control over finding your files and documents–just a mouse click away right there in your Menu bar. Read on to see the video and get the special deal here.
The Vegas show floor was packed with options to make your work day a little more fun — whether it’s how you get there with a great computer bag or keeping your iDevice cords out of the way. Or, at the very least, sound better, judging from the number of speakers blaring through the crowd.
Here are Cult of Mac’s picks!
The Cult of Mac crew got its grubby hands — and we do mean grubby! — on hundreds of iPhone cases in Las Vegas this week.
Here are the ones we most wanted to take home.
FLIR One debuted their all-new thermal imaging camera case that gives the iPhone 5 and 5s the power to pick up heat signatures up to 100 meters away from live people, animals, and pretty much anything else around you.
Flir One makes thermal imaging products aimed at professionals but the Flir One case will bring the heat sensor to the everyday consumer. It cost $349, which sounds ridiculously expensive at first, but compared to Flir’s cheapest stand alone model that sells for over a grand, it sounds reasonable.
The detachable case comes with a thermal imaging camera on the back powered by its own battery source with up to four hours of charge. It comes with a custom app featuring different filters to interpret the heat signatures, and can be used for all sorts of household projects like looking for studs behind your wall, checking for water leaks, heat leaks, or even ferreting out a termite infestation. It also doubles as a really cool, really expensive, long-range thermometer.
Flir One says we can look forward to tracking heat with it sometime this spring. — Buster Heine
Think the only serious, affordable quiver of lenses available for iPhone 5/S iPhoneography are the ones from Olloclip? Nope. Wrong.
iZZi Gadgets has actually offered a lens case for the last year or so in the Orbit Pro, a machined alloy case and four-lens — wide-angle, fisheye, telephoto and macro — carousel (it looks like three lenses, but as with Olloclip’s lenses, the wide angle unscrews to become a macro). The obvious difference, besides the alloy case, is that the Orbit Pro keeps all the lenses on the phone and swappable by a simple rotation of the carousel, compared with the Olloclip method of sliding lenses on and off the iPhone. But the Orbit Pro is bulky, suffers from slight vignetting (darkened corners) and carries an eyebrow-furrowing $240 pricetag.
Now iZZi has fixed all that with their new iZZi Slim. They’ve move the lenses closer to the case, eliminating the vignetting; the case is now made of plastic, making it much slimmer and lighter; and the price? $100. Which is less expensive than the $120 of the combined Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens and Quick-Flip case combo. — Eli Milchman
PureGear has a lineup of cases that turn your iPhone into a retro physical game, no app required.
The PureView retro game case line up comes with three different analog game options: a traditional maze, a circular maze, and another called Undecided that’s kind of like playing Plinko from The Price Is Right, except you’re aiming for Yes or No instead of fat stacks of cash.
Pureview recently added new option for the iPhone 5c as well as some limited black and grey editions for the iPhone 5/5s. Each game case will set you back 30 bucks, but they’re more addicting than Candy Crush, don’t need WiFi and won’t waste your battery. Oh yeah, and they’ll protect your iPhone when you get mad and toss the maze across the room. — Buster Heine
Mophie’s Juice Packs are widely considered to be the best battery cases you can get for the iPhone. They attach via Lightning and give you a backup power reserve for long days when a normal charger isn’t available.
Today at CES, Mophie unveiled its new lineup for battery cases for the iPhone. The Space Pack not only doubles battery life, but it has a pretty cool trick up its sleeve: additional storage.
Available in black and sliver, the Space Pack adds up to 32GB of storage that can be accessed any time the case is on the iPhone. The SSD hard drive inside the case works with Mophie’s free Space app. You can view just about any file type in the app’s browser and create folders to manage your stuff.
If that sounds cool, it’s because the idea is awesome. Not only do you have an extra reserve of battery life, but you can effectively double your iPhone’s storage.
Mophie launched preorders at CES with shipping slated to begin on March 14th. The 16GB model costs $149.95, and the 32GB model costs $179.95. Not cheap, but maybe worth it if you need more battery and storage than your iPhone can offer. — Leander Kahney
Loop Attachment, the company behind the awesome Mummy cases for iOS devices, is at CES in Las Vegas this week showing off its latest product for the iPhone. It’s called the Straitjacket, and it fuses a hard plastic bumper with the silky smooth silicone that Loop Attachment is famous for.
The result is a minimalist case that’s protective without being too big or too bulky. It carries the Mummy’s trademark design, which aims to showcase your iPhone’s beautiful aluminum casing, and it provides complete access to all of your handset’s buttons, ports, and cameras.
The Straitjacket also holds a credit card, so you can slip your favorite piece of plastic in the back and not have to worry about carrying a wallet.
“The Straitjacket represents the next step in the evolution of our design language,” said Christopher Peterson, Chief Creative Officer of Loop Attachment. “The driving design intent of the case was to balance the common conviction for slim, space-saving design with the desire for tasteful expression.”
The Straitjacket will be available to order from Loop Attachment’s online store in late January. Pricing is yet to be confirmed. — Killian Bell
I’m not sure I get the whole camo thing. But it’s everywhere, it’s really popular and people can’t get enough of it. Trucks, iPhone cases, curtains, lingerie — if it exists, it probably comes in camo. (Note: If you need camouflaged lingerie, you’re probably doing it very wrong. Or very right. I’m not entirely sure at this point.)
If you know camo, you’ve heard of Columbus, Georgia-based Realtree, the outfit LifeProof partnered with to camouflage up their uber-popular Fre iPhone 5/s case, which now comes in four Realtree colors: Xtra, Max5, Xtra Green and APC, which is essentially pink. Pink camo.
The Realtree Fre is available for the same price as the non-camo Fre ($90). — Eli Milchman
The simplest solution is always the best. Take external battery packs for your iPhone, which are sometimes hard to use when you’re actually talking on the phone. Either you have to remove your case to snap in a battery case, or you have a long cord dangling to an external pack in your pocket.
MyCharge’s clever Talk & Charge ($100) is a slim external battery pack that works with any and every iPhone case on the market because it doesn’t physically attach to your iPhone; you just hold it against the back of your iPhone while talking, like an electronics sandwich. Simple.
It’s almost the same size and shape as an iPhone 5s or 5c. It boasts a 3000mAh battery (good for more than two full iPhone 5 charges) and a Lightning cable built right in, so you’ll never forget your charging cable again. It’s a nice touch.
In fact, I think all of MyCharge’s wares are thoughtfully designed. The tech is pretty good too. According to the company, they are the fastest chargers on the market. Check out their well-designed charging bricks:
I was impressed with the Hub series of external battery packs (3000-9000mAh, $80-$120), which offer 13 to 40 hours of extra talk time. Each brick has built-in cables for Lightning and micro USB, which tuck away nicely into a slot on the side when not in use. Likewise, AC outlet prongs in the bottom can be pulled out when the brick needs recharging. Altogether, there’s no need for all the extra wires and chargers you need with other other external battery packs. It makes for a neat, compact, all-in-one solution that’s one of the best I’ve seen.
MyCharge claims its products are the fastest-charging battery packs on the market. Not only do they charge your devices faster, they are themselves recharged in less time than competing devices, according to the company.
It’s a combination of using the best components available and having good, smart firmware, said Jim Dara, president of MyCharge. For example, while competing batteries output the same voltage to every device plugged into them, MyCharge’s packs maximize the voltage for each device. So iPads get the maximum 2 amps and charge faster, Dara said.
I couldn’t independently test this, but Dara said the company is very careful to test its claims and tries very hard not to overstate them. I believed him. — Leander Kahney
This post is brought to you by Leawo, creator of Blu-ray Ripper and Tunes Cleaner software.
Having a New Year cleanout this holiday? Thinking of chucking out that old DVD player but still want to watch all your favorite vintage DVD/Blu-ray movies? Then why not convert your collection of movies on plastic optical disks to iOS-compatible video files to watch on your mobile devices?
In this holiday season giveaway, Leawo Software is offering free 1-year licenses and discounted lifetime deals on its Blu-ray-to-mobile converter Blu-ray Ripper Mac as well as its Mac/iOS music library file sorter, so you can brush up your song playlists as well….
Thanks to the rise of the iPhone and iPad, Windows users are switching over the Mac in greater number than ever. If you’ve spent your entire computer life playing in Windows, you’ve probably accumulated quite a few apps in your toolkit that are Windows-only and letting them go during the switch ain’t easy.
For those Mac users that are having trouble letting go, but don’t want to throw down money on a new Windows-license just to use a couple apps, CrossOver 13 for Mac will let you install and run popular Windows software without having to reboot into a separate Windows partition.
In an era where Snapchat and Instagram reign supreme with quick messaging and bite-size snapshots of stories, iPhone users looking for a free platform to share long stories have had to make do with ugly workarounds – like stuffing seven pictures into one tiny Instagram square.
No one has built a really great free iPhone app that allows users to effortlessly create and share long interactive stories. Explory is aiming to break into the category by helping users combine photos, video, text, music and narration to create more meaningful stories to share. But can a free app with limited editing features convince users to ditch their 10-second disappearing messages in favor of longer storytelling? We went hands on with Explory to see. Here’s what we found:
Here’s how to make sure your new iPhone rings true in all the places you take it – these are Cult of Mac’s favorite, top-rated accessories for 2013.
Earskinz are a pair of silicone covers custom-made to fit Apple’s EarPods designed to add grip to the slick surface and to make them stay in your ears. If you don’t have the ideal ear shape that Apple was designing for — and seriously, who does? — these are definitely for you. They also help by shutting out ambient noise for better sound and allowing you to listen at a lower volume.
The EarSkinz not only keep your headset in place, but the slight extra thickness forms a pretty decent seal in my ears, let you walk through busy city streets listening to podcasts and audio books with the sound at a reasonably low level. Both our reviewers can’t imagine using their iPhones without them.
Buy from: EarSkinz
There’s no point in obscuring the beautiful line of your iPhone 5 or 5s with a clunky case: go for the AL13 Ultrathin bumper, a precision-cut aluminum number that shows off the design of device while providing some additional protection. The bumper case comes in a gorgeous metal box, cushioned with black foam, with a design aesthetic that matches the AL13 itself.
The material of the bumper case is metal, transmits vibrations from the iPhone a bit more than other rubber or plastic cases. That’s not a bad thing when it’s in a pocket, but set it on a glass or metal table and you’re going to hear it.
Ultimately, unless you own nothing but glass tables, the AL13 is a delightfully simple, minimalist, elegant design for an iPhone 5 case, and provides just enough protection while allowing the gorgeous design of the iPhone itself to shine forth. While $80 might be a bit on the steep side for many of us, for those to whom design matters, it’s a small price to pay for such a well-crafted and delightfully Apple-like iPhone case.
Buy from: design by m
The Armpocket i30 is perfect for walking, running, hiking, and pretty much any physical activity that requires easy storage of and access to all models of the iPhone 5 (and older versions too!) when pockets aren’t an option. The i30’s storage is generous without being too bulky, providing three separate sections to hold stuff in place via a pocket in front and a strap on the back.
The problem with many armbands that I’ve used over the years is twofold, reviewer Rob LeFebvre notes. If the armband is too small, it only holds an iPhone without a case and nothing else. Two, unless it’s cinched incredibly tight on a bicep, the weight of the phone tends to bounce while running, making the whole concept less than useful. The Armpocket i30 armband is a fantastic little iPhone 5 holder that solves both of these problems.
Buy from: Armpocket Web Store
Screen protectors are the best way to keep your device’s display in great condition, but applying them is a pain in the butt. Enter Tru-Fit which comes with its a film applicator, which is essentially a plastic frame the shape of your iPhone. You place the film inside the frame, then clean your iPhone’s display using the included microfiber cloth.
Unlike other screen protectors, the Tru-Fit also comes with a sticky sheet that you can use on your front of your iPad’s display to ensure you’ve removed any dust and debris, and to prevent anything from settling on it while you’re getting the protector ready. It’s durable, anti-glare and has a terrific grip. The anti-glare version is available for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 4 models – but not for the iPhone c.
If putting together those Lego sets hasn’t left you completely exhausted, the HiRise is the docking station for you.
Twelve South’s HiRise for iPhone and iPad mini, is a combination dock and stand that looks great, is made of solid materials, fits both an iPad and an iPhone at the same time, works with cases, and best of all, will almost definitely work with all future iterations of iPhone and iPad that have a Lightning connector.
It also works with most cases, so you don’t have to dance the on-off fumble every time you need a charge. One caveat: putting it together. While beautifully packaged, the HiRise comes disassembled, like something you’d buy from IKEA. The screws didn’t want to fit, the hexwrenches were so small that they hurt my fingers to use, and even after I put the HiRise together, the two arms were very slightly crooked from one another.
“Once the HiRise is put together, I don’t have a single complaint about it. But I never want to put one together again,” says reviewer John Brownlee.
You’ve got a new iPad, now what?
Sure, with those sleek, lean lines it looks great naked. But once you take it outside your house, it’s a good idea to have some protection, an easy way to prop it up and carry it. And speakers!
Here’s a hand-picked selection of all the iPad accessories Cult of Mac reviewed this year — but only the best ones. These add-ons all received the highest rating, or a full four stars, from our gadget-weary team of reviewers. Shine on!
Screen protectors are the best way to keep your device’s display in great condition, but applying them is a pain in the butt. It’s hard enough ensuring they go down straight, but you also have to worry about trapping dirt, dust, and bubbles beneath them. But not with the Tru-Fit. Inside the packaging is the Tru-Fit Film Applicator, which is essentially a plastic frame the shape of your iPad. You place the film inside the frame, then clean your iPad’s display using the included microfiber cloth.
Unlike other screen protectors, the Tru-Fit also comes with a sticky sheet that you can use on your front of your iPad’s display to ensure you’ve removed any dust and debris, and to prevent anything from settling on it while you’re getting the protector ready. It’s durable, anti-glare and has a terrific grip. Available for the iPad Air, iPad 2/3/4 and iPad Mini.
The Acase for iPad mini is a beautiful case. Its high-quality leather design provides an elegant look while providing your device with protection from head to toe — for only $40. It fits like a glove, and the iPad mini is held securely inside with a leather flap that slips in behind the device.
The build quality is excellent; the stitching is strong and neat, and I have no worries about it falling apart after months of heavy use. Acase has clearly used the best materials and built this thing to last. Reviews editor Charlie Sorrel recommends the “vintage brown” version of the case, which has a soft matte leather finish, over the black and chestnut brown versions. The vintage one gains character with a bit of wear, the other two probably won’t.
If you’re looking for excellent protection for all iPad models (plus most iPhones, too), check out Loop Attachment’s Mummy Case, which swathes your device in oops-proof rubber. What sets it apart from the cheap silicone cases on eBay for a few dollars: a special coating that not only makes it super soft and smooth, but also keeps out dirt and grime.
Reviewer Killian Bell says: “I’ll happily hand my iPad to my kids while it’s in the Mummy Case, safe in the knowledge that if they drop it on the kitchen floor, it’s not going to get damaged.” The Mummy covers a large portion of your iPad’s front bezel, which provides some protection for its display. It should be more than enough to prevent it from getting damaged if it lands flat on its face, but for added peace of mind, you can combine the Mummy with a Smart Cover.
If putting together those Lego sets hasn’t left you completely exhausted, the HiRise is the docking station for you.
Twelve South’s HiRise for iPhone and iPad mini, is a combination dock and stand that looks great, is made of solid materials, fits both an iPad and an iPhone at the same time, works with cases, and best of all, will almost definitely work with all future iterations of iPhone and iPad that have a Lightning connector.
It also works with most cases, so you don’t have to dance the on-off fumble every time you need a charge. One caveat: putting it together. While beautifully packaged, the HiRise comes disassembled, like something you’d buy from IKEA. The screws didn’t want to fit, the hexwrenches were so small that they hurt my fingers to use, and even after I put the HiRise together, the two arms were very slightly crooked from one another.
“Once the HiRise is put together, I don’t have a single complaint about it. But I never want to put one together again,” says reviewer John Brownlee.
Your iPad can double as a music maker — if you grab a decent speaker. To get some serious sound from your device, check out the UE Boom by Ultimate Ears/Logitech.
“Where this intensity comes in handy is outside,” says reviewer Rob LeFebvre. “I’ve used the UE Boom in my yard, on my bike, and in my car and it’s loud and lovely in every location. I was able to provide music for a smaller outdoor BBQ just the other day with only the Boom as our speaker of choice.”
The fact that up to eight Bluetooth devices can pair with the UE Boom at one time is yet another killer feature, as it let several of the BBQ guests play their favorite tunes through the device, without ever having to re-pair between users. I let my iPhone 5, iPad mini, and Macbook Air all pair with the UE Boom so I can send audio from any one of these devices at a moment’s notice, without having to re-pair or mess with configurations.
It’s not the cheapest of speakers – coming in at a pricey $171 – but it may be the only one you’ll ever need.
Buy from: Amazon ($171.99)
The Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard K811 was so nice we reviewed it twice. Both Killian and Charlie found it the best keyboard they’d ever used – whether it was for stay-at-home or cafe-airport-train use. It’s lightweight, reliable, has a great feel.
And it works across iDevices, so you can connect it to whatever you need to type with while on the go. Charlie says, “Buy it. There’s almost no way you’ll be disappointed. Quite the opposite in fact: you’ll look forward to using it.”
Buy from: Logitech
This post is brought to you by Digiarty Software, creator of MacX DVD Ripper Pro.
Got a long trip to see the folks this holiday season, or gonna be spending a few days stuck inside the house? So why not rip some festive movies to your mobile device for watching on the plane, in the bus, or in the family log cabin in the middle of nowhere?
From now till December 31st, Digiarty Software is giving away free its MacX DVD Ripper 1000 copies per day in a holiday giveaway. Find out how to win here….
If you’re looking to upgrade your Mac with a high-capacity solid-state drive (SSD), this 1-Terabyte Samsung EVO-Series SSD on Amazon is a great deal. Normally $849.99, it’s just $514.99 and free shipping.
Giveaway: Win an iPad Air & 5 Deals of Your Choice from Inky Deals!
By entering this contest, automatically receive a pack of premium resources worth $55 for free. It comes from the Inky Deals best seller Full Design Library: $3,860 worth of Premium Resources for Only $49.
Written by Greg Keonig, product designer and publisher of Atomic Delights.
As a product designer, one of my favorite parts about any new Apple product launch is the inevitable “How it’s made” video. The Mac Pro incarnation did not disappoint.
What makes Apple fascinating is not that they are using some wiz-bang alien technologies to make things – even here in Portland, Oregon, all the technologies Apple shows in this video are in-practice across numerous local factories. What makes Apple unique is that they perform their manufacturing with remarkable precision and on a scale that is simply astonishing, using techniques typically reserved for the aerospace or medical device industries.
This post is brought to you by Digiarty, creator of MacX DVD Ripper Pro.
Gonna watch some scary movies this Halloween? This week, leading multimedia software designer Digiarty is giving away for free its ultimate DVD ripper for Mac, MacX DVD Ripper Pro. You can rip all your horror DVDs to just about any file format for OS X and play your video nasties on any mobile device such as iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, Apple TV, or Android. And the MacX DVD Ripper Pro can rip all the latest encrypted and copy-protected DVDs as easily as a ghost can walk through a wall! This great offer lasts till November 4 — read on for details….
This is Cult of Mac’s exclusive column written by an actual Apple retail store genius. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.
Answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to newsATcultofmac.com with “genius” in the subject line.
This week we cover the perks of being an Apple Store Genius – as far as discounts are concerned – as well what to do if you have a jailbroken device that needs repair and the most facepalm-worthy moments from behind the bar.
1. What was your greatest facepalm moment with a customer?
I hear some pretty interesting stories from people about what happened to their broken product. Recently, someone told me their iPad got thrown from a hotel roof in Las Vegas. I would have liked to hear the rest of that story. He took responsibility for the damage and I let him know his options. The stories that make me facepalm are the ones people make up about their damaged device. While it’s pretty obvious when someone is lying, I can’t just call them out on it.
I had a customer who came in recently irate because his iPhone would not power on. His story was that he woke up one morning and the screen was black and wouldn’t power on. After trying to connect the iPhone to power, I noticed a rice grain in the lightning port (urban legend has it that this household staple can “dry” your waterlogged device) and then saw the liquid contact indicator was tripped. I asked if the iPhone had been damaged by liquid and he insisted nothing happened. Opening the device, it was clear it had been submerged in liquid and I was able to show photos of the corrosion. He insisted it was our fault and we should replace it under the warranty. *facepalm* (We didn’t replace it.)
2. Do you check to see if a phone is jailbroken before you give warranty services — even if it is something as simple as replacing broken headphones? How do you check?
We really aren’t seeing too many jailbroken iPhones these days. If I determine a device is jailbroken, it voids the warranty. However, with some issues there really isn’t a way to tell if a device is jailbroken. If the device won’t power on for whatever reason or users restore it with iTunes and then bring it in for service there’s really no way to tell.
3. What kind of discounts do you get?
I get a personal discount on Apple products and a smaller discount for family and friends with some limitations. We receive varied discounts on third-party products. Every three years we can also buy a Mac for $500 off or an iPhone (device only) or iPad for $250 off including our personal discount. There are also the perks of Apple’s software and many third-party software discounts or freebies. 50 Gigabytes of free iCloud space makes it a little easier to say yes to backing up my iOS devices on iCloud. I wish I used the discounts more often, but when I do I save big.
GMIC – Silicon Valley’s largest mobile internet conference – is about to get underway in just a few short weeks. Over 10,000 developers, executives, entrepreneurs and investors from all over the world will descend on San Francisco’s Moscone Center on October 21-23 to talk about all the latest changes in mobile. Attendees will get to listen to speakers from Facebook, Qualcomm, Y-Combinator, PopCap, and many more, as well as party as hard as some Silicon Valley nerds can muster.
To hype up the conference GMIC hooked us up with two Golden Tickets (valued at $599) which we can’t wait to send to two lucky readers. But first, we just launched our awesome Cult of Mac Magazine in Newsstand a few weeks ago and would much rather promote it instead, so here’s how to enter our contest to win one of the GMIC tickets:
This is Cult of Mac’s exclusive column written by an actual Apple retail store genius. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.
Answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to newsATcultofmac.com with “genius” in the subject line.
Gold iPhone 5s units have been in low supply, but our Genius dishes tips on how to swap a space gray 5s for gold one, along with what it’s like to work at the Apple Store and how to get iLife for iOS free, even if you haven’t bought a new iDevice in years.
This article first appeared in Cult of Mac Magazine.
This is the Cult of Mac’s exclusive column written by an actual Apple retail store genius. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.
Answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to news AT cultofmac.com with “genius” in the subject line.
1. How much do you get paid, what hours do you work and how much continual study is required?
I get paid about $14 an hour. Pay ranges anywhere from $10-$20 an hour in the retail stores depending on position, hours, and performance. I work about 30 hours a week because I am part-time, usually on the shy side so I can keep my part-time status. My hours vary but they always fit my personal schedule because each employee submits their hours of availability and is scheduled accordingly, after approval.
As far as training goes, Apple actively trains its workforce. We are trained before we begin the job to deliver superior service and we are trained on new systems, products and software as they become available. If you are looking to advance, Apple will help train you to be ready for any future positions. I was surprised by the non-technical nature of training when I started at Apple. Most of the training I received was customer-service oriented and the technical training I needed for the job was either previous experience or was gained as I encountered issues and sought out a solution.
2. The modem of my TV cable company sits next to my TV. My new iMac is on the upper floor where I receive half the speed using a Wi-Fi connection.
To boost my Wi-Fi signal to the upper floor, do I need to buy two Apple extreme products? One connected to the router of my cable company using ethernet? And the other as a repeater via Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi signal issues can be pretty complex. Performance will vary greatly depending on your network configuration and type as well as your household size. The simple answer is no, you do not need two AirPort Extremes.
Depending on your household size, you may be able setup one Airport Extreme next to your TV and it might just work for the whole house as it usually performs better than your typical cable company-issued wireless router. Another option would be to continue with your current setup and extend your wireless network upstairs using an Airport express. This relays the signal from your router downstairs and boosts it to reach your devices upstairs. It’s a pretty simple setup for both when using the AirPort utility on your iMac.
If you really want to get two devices to have a speedy connection anywhere in the home, get yourself an Extreme downstairs and extend the network upstairs with the Express.
3. I have AppleCare+ and want to get my iPhone 5 replaced so I can resell it for more money, but it doesn’t have any major problems nor a broken screen.
Will Apple replace it for me for $49 if it’s not really broken?
You need a damaged iPhone for a replacement. The protection plan is for accidental damage. If Apple can repair it they will, rather than replacing it, even if the customer wants the replacement. It’s up to Apple to determine whether it’s covered by the AppleCare Terms and Conditions. If it can be repaired, they are supposed to just put a new display on. So if you want a whole new iPhone 5, it has to be damaged beyond repair or suffer from water damage. It also has to be accidental — so don’t tell them you put it in water if you just want a replacement.
Just about any way you slice it, those new iPhone sales are pure gold for Apple. The Cupertino company moved 9 million iPhone 5s and 5cs over the weekend in the 11 countries around the globe where it dazzled buyers.
We thought it’d be interesting to track the number of iPhones sold compared to the ratio of countries it was available in for that first, breakout weekend.
And it turns out Apple is definitely still in the money. For example, the iPhone 3G launched in 22 countries but sold one million phones over the first three days. Its sales-to-availability ratio is about 450,000 per country, that’s about half amount compared to the new iPhone. The iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 were available in seven and nine countries, respectively, but their sales hover around the same ratio at about 550,000 per country. (Clearly, China’s inclusion for the first time in the launch helped move a few units, despite the underwhelming launch event.) Apple started releasing first-weekend sales info with the 3G model.
Compare that to another fun metric: it took 74 days to sell the first one million first-gen iPhones: appetite for new Apple products seems to only increase with time.
This is the Cult of Mac’s exclusive column written by an actual Apple retail store genius. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.
Answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to with genius in the subject line.
With iPhone 5 warranties about to expire for early adopters, our Genius runs through the litany of legitimate issues you can use to get your iPhone replaced for free. We also dive into whether it’s better to be upfront about water damage and switching colors when the Genius Bar replaces your device.
1. My iPhone 5 warranty is about to expire. How can I get my device replaced for free so I have a new iPhone from the warranty of the old one?
Like any piece of advanced tech, the iPhone certainly has its faults and manufacturing defects, even if they are somewhat rare.
Hardware defects are the easiest way to go
One of the biggest problems we have to swap iPhones for is the sleep/wake button. That button often gives out or gets jammed and becomes unresponsive. If that happens we swap the device. Same thing for the volume buttons. The home button isn’t as common a replacement. We may be able to do a modular repair to replace the flex assembly that goes to your home button. Often times that fixes it, but if it doesn’t we’ll swap it out.
Essentially, hardware defects are the easiest way to go. Camera defects come up frequently too, with issues like spots or lines on the sensor and shutter fails being the most common issue. We don’t have a camera replacement for the iPhone 5, so if you have any of those issues, definitely bring it in. There have also been issues with the iPhone 5’s metal enclosure getting bent out shape. As long as the screen isn’t cracked and the bend or morphing is noticeable, your warranty covers that as well.
Getting an iPhone replaced under warranty for a software issue is a bit trickier. Most software issues that people see will not lead to an iPhone replacement. Before you come to the Genius Bar you’ll be reminded to try rebooting your iPhone and restore from a backup. Those two quick steps usually do fix most software issues. Some software issues – like maybe your WiFi has gone out – can get you a replacement iPhone as long as the Genius can observe and verify the issue.
The good thing about taking your iPhone 5 in for those issues: it won’t cost you anything and extends your warranty for another 90 days. After two replacements we have to ask a manager for permission to replace an iPhone, even if it’s a legitimate reason. Most of the time managers are cool and will just tell us to go ahead and swap it, but the two-replacement policy is supposed to act as a safeguard from people who try to milk Apple for an infinite number of replacement iPhones.
2. Why won’t the Genius Bar let me change the color of my iPhone when I get it replaced under AppleCare+?
Essentially, we don’t allow it in order to benefit our customers and make sure that inventory flows through the channels in the most efficient way possible.
When you buy a black iPhone, Apple keeps track of how many models it has sold in each color and plans out how many it will need to supply for replacements at the Apple Store. It’s a complicated process to get all the Apple Stores stocked with the right amount of iPhones in the various configurations, even though Apple makes it look easy.
Allowing customers to change colors at random would add an extra element of variation to Apple’s supply chain and could result in supply shortages. And then customers who actually need a device swap in their original color would get screwed over. So, sorry, you’re stuck with your original color choice. Choose wisely.
3. My 30-day-old MacBook Pro had a little accident involving water on the ride home. The screen isn’t working, but it will output video to an external monitor. What’s my best bet when approaching the Genius Bar – pretending I don’t know what happened, or fessing up?
Honesty is the best policy right? The Apple Geniuses are going to find out one way or another that your MacBook is water damaged. It’s better for them to find out from you right away, so fess up to it, but ask them what the best options are.
The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple
Ask them what was damaged and what repairs can be done. Sometimes – especially in your case where you purchased it very recently – they may be able to talk to a manager to help you out, so it’s good start off on the right foot.
The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple. Because the company wants to represent itself well and get great customer satisfaction scores, a manager might give you a break and only make you pay a partial amount of the repair, or even hook you up with a free repair.
If you are one of those people who have an iPhone or iPod for your telephony and music needs while out the house but still stubbornly keep a Windows desktop comp at home, perhaps for historical reasons or work purposes, you will most likely be missing out on a pile of great and super-convenient auto-syncing / streaming compatibilities of all your files, pics, videos, and so on that are the joy of Mac fans who use all Apple products.
Now, Korean tech company ConversDigital launches a new updated version of mconnect player free, which allows users to access media services and digital content anywhere, with any device, and “make connected digital media ubiquitous.”
This is the very first column for Cult of Mac written by an actual Apple retail store genius. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.
Answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to [email protected] with “genius” in the subject line.
To start this off, we asked the Genius, “What are the top 3 questions you get asked at work at the Apple Store?”
Here they are:
1. When is the new iPhone/iPad/Mac coming out?
We’re not allowed to divulge anything about upcoming products, or address rumors. If we even talk about rumors with customers we could lose our jobs. When a customer asks if I know when a new product is coming out, my response is simply, “We don’t know when it’s coming out. We find out when everyone else does, when it’s announced.”
But don’t you really know?
No. We all read the same rumors as you do, but Apple’s not going to tell employees at the Apple Store when stuff is coming out because how many of us would leak it? We would instantly tell our friends and ruin Apple’s marketing plans, so they won’t tell us until the day Apple announces it publicly.
2. Do I have to make an appointment? Can’t I just come in?
Company policy is that yes, we can accept walk-in appointments. But truly, can we? Not always. Some days we have a full day of open reservations for customers to fill in as scheduling allows. Other days you might have to come back a couple hours later for an open reservation.
The Genius Bar is a lot like a car dealership service center. You can’t just drive up to Toyota and ask for your Camry to be serviced without an appointment. Most of the time you need an appointment for those things because there’s a limited number of technicians.
Bottom line, the easiest way to get into the Apple Store Genius Bar is to make an appointment. Go onto the website or use the Apple Store app and you can get seen right away instead of waiting for hours if you just come by.
3. Am I really getting a NEW iPhone when I pay $49 for Apple to replace a broken iPhone covered by AppleCare+?
My line is that, yes, it is a new iPhone, but Apple terms and conditions state that “Apple may use parts or products that are new or equivalent to new in reliability and performance,” meaning the iPhone you’re getting is really “reconditioned,” not straight from the factory like it is when you buy a brand new iPhone.
We’re told to say that they aren’t “refurbished” because they’ve been totally gutted down to the frame. Apple’s stance is that they really are brand new devices, in the sense that they get a new enclosure, display, and innards, but there are a lot of parts that have been recycled from old iPhones, like the metal frame and some other parts.
We know they’re just rebuilding them. I’ve seen some that had a screw missing, others with a bad display, but it’s only been a small percentage. I’ve seen reconditioned iPhones that lasted twice as long as a new iPhone, so they’re not necessarily worse.
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