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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

 

Buzz & Specials For 3/16


Greetings!

So, I did it. I finally took the plunge (no pun intended) and remodeled our kids bathroom. After looking at old linoleum for years and each time thinking to myself, "We really need to update this bathroom" - I completely gutted the space a couple weeks ago and have been on my hands and knees ever since. The thing about home improvement projects is that they have a very typical lifecyle:


Stage 1: Destruction

This is where the fun begins. Your head is full of ideas and you have a sledgehammer in your hands. Your kids stare in awe as you destroy part of your home on purpose and within a very short time, you are staring at an empty room, just waiting for your creative energy to explode all over the place.


Stage 2: The Trip to Home World

Whether you go to Home Depot, Lowes, MondoHome - whatever is in your neck of the woods, chances are, you're going to wind up at some ginourmos warehouse store, wandering the aisles with a glazed look in your eye as you look at all the options for you new, empty space. Typically you have your spouse in tow and quite often any plans you have made about materials goes right out the window when said spouse happens to look at the "special order Italian glass tile" that is at the end of the aisle containing all the rest of the tile that you can take home with you today. Once you spend 20 minutes bringing your spouse back to reality, you load the tile up that you had agreed on previously. Then it's a quick trip around the rest of the building ("The tram to paint town is about to depart!") to pick out paint a new vanity and other sundry items. All in all, expect to spend 2-3 times as long as you think it will take. You will have a headache by the time you leave.


Stage 3: Progress

You plunge in and make a big impact with tile, paint and new fixtures. You are truly Master of your Domain.


Stage 4: The Finishing Touches AKA: Will this never end?!

You're almost done. There's only 30-40 things left on your list, but most of your mistakes are hidden by the overall impact of your superb placement of the bath matt, toothbrush holder and other accessories. As you look around, you start to see all the little things - just one more touch-up of trim paint, oh, one more section of grout to cleanup, one more piece of baseboard that need caulking. You get the idea. It's the home stretch - push hard and you will actually get this thing done. Be forewarned - do NOT fall for the Classic "let's start ANOTHER project" at this time - although enticing, you will only cause yourself (and your spouse) grief if you go down this rabbit hole.

All in all, things when pretty well and most of the flaws in my work are hidden well behind sinks, mirrors and toilets - not bad for the first time.

OK, enough about home improvement. We have some great stuff for you this week! Onward....



FUTURESHOCK

Hello again!

We've just launched TechRestore EDU - a place to find instructional and informational videos. Now you can learn things like how to install a classic macbook LCD, as demonstrated by one of our Apple Certified technicians, how to identify your specific Mac laptop model, or the difference between unibody glass and LCD damage - with much, much more to come!

Check out the TechRestore EDU introduction video and subscribe to our TechRestoreEDU YouTube channel to be notified as soon as new videos are posted!

These DIY videos are direct and detailed, without a minute wasted. Our unique auto fast-forward editing, allows you to see every move the tech makes, without suffering through each little screw removal/replacement in real-time. Watching these videos is also a good way for you to see if you feel confident enough to indulge your inner hacker, and attempt doing your own repair - see what you're in for before you ever pick up a screwdriver!


Desktops & Wallpapers

Now for the goodies...I've re-engineered a classic sci-fi movie poster, to be Mac themed: Invasion Of The Unibody Snatchers! Here we have a Mac desktop image and an iPhone wallpaper image:

Click on the images above to see them full size, then right click and select save, to make them yours.

To install an iPhone wallpaper image:

  1. Click on the image that you like, to see it full size.
  2. Right click on the full-size image and select save.
  3. Add the image to your iPhoto library and sync with your iPhone.
  4. Locate the image on your iPhone, tap , and then tap Use As Wallpaper.

iPad fans will also want to check out the iPad Desktop image featured in last weeks Buzz. It turns your iPhone into a mini iPad (which it basically is anyway, until they release some iPad specific apps).


iPhone App Pick

I just have to share this gem, since I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere. It's a free iPhone game called Alpine Crawler. It's a simple 2D, side-scroller involving a truck and some hills - the aim being to complete the course in time, without rolling your 4x4. As with most good action games, it's all about the amazing real-time physics. Check out the Alpine Crawler web-page or iTMS app store link.

Enjoy!

Brian Northway
Designer/Animator


Buzz Specials

The Buzz coupons are valid through 4/2 at Midnight Pacific Time. You can use the coupons and order via the links, or call 1-888-572-7372 to speak to one of our friendly humans. Coupon codes cannot be combined, but you can use them on separate orders, if you are so inclined.

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Monday, March 15, 2010

 

iPad Digitizer Photos


Here are some photos of the iPad digitizer (the front glass piece that processes the touch input) with protective a film on the front surface. Click on images to see them larger.


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Friday, March 12, 2010

 

iPad Desktop For Your iPhone


iPad pre-orders started today, but why wait to experience the magic?

Download an iPad desktop for your iPhone and turn it into a mini iPad!


To install: after adding the photo to your iPhoto library and syncing with your iPhone, simply locate the image on your iPhone, tap , and then tap Use As Wallpaper.

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

 

iPhone App Magnets


iPhone apps are now available for your fridge!

Need a place to hang pizza coupons, in your kitchen? There's an app for that.

Without the frame of the iPhone to put them in context, these magnets are a little esoteric. Still, these iconic...uh....icons are sure go get a smile from any iPhone user and, at $13, they make a great gift for fellow Mac/iPhone enthusiasts.

Check 'em out at Jailbreak Toys.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

 

iPhoria Defined



-noun
psychology

iPhoria is a mental/emotional state defined as a sense of great elation experienced by new iPhone users.[1] Technically, iPhoria is an affect,[2] but the term is often colloquially used to define emotion as an intense state of transcendent happiness combined with an overwhelming urge to download apps.

New iPhone owners, who experience iPhoria, will commonly say things like "wow, did you know that you can do [some amazing thing] on an iPhone?" or "look at this cool app that I found," to which any experienced iPhone user might reply "dude, I've been using that for months."

iPhoria
is a temporary condition which, over a period of several weeks, will transform into a state known as omniPhonence, where users are instantly aware of all new apps, status updates and news, due to the 24/7 internet connection on their iPhone.


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Wednesday, March 03, 2010

 

Sharing Apps Between iPhones


Did you know that you can share iPhone apps with up to five other users (under the same Fairplay DRM license as music and video)? With some apps, like GPS navigation, costing $80 or more, this could save you quite a bit, but even the cheaper apps add up quick. Here's how you can let your family member, friend or significant other legally use the apps that you've already bought, in four easy steps.


Step 1: Authorize Computer

Log the other person out of their iTunes Music Store (iTMS) account and log in using your account.

Step 2: Re-Download
In iTunes, go to the app store and click the Buy App button for an application that you've already purchased. iTunes knows that you already paid for this and just lets you re-download it without charging again. The app will then begin to download.


Step 3: Switch iTMS Users

Once the download is complete, it shows in the Applications section of iTunes. You can now log out of your iTunes Store account and log the other user back in.


Step 4: Sync & Play
Plug the other users iPhone in now and sync. Once synced, it shows on the other iPhone, ready to be used.


Ideally, you and your friend would do this on each others computers, on a reglar basis, to ensure that you both have the benefit of the other's purchases.

via All Forces


You can also share apps without ever connecting to a computer like this:
  1. Launch the App Store, on your iPhone.
  2. Log out of your iTunes account.
  3. Log in as the other user.
  4. "Purchase" an app that the other user has already bought.
You will be told that you have already purchased the item and asked if you still want to download.

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Friday, February 26, 2010

 

Buzz & Specials For 2/26


Greetings!

Man I love this stuff. February has just flown by, with tons of repairs keeping our Techs busy and record numbers of Restored MacBooks and MacBook Pros keeping our shipping department hustling. We posted a new video a couple of weeks ago, showing everyone what our Restored systems look like and we've seen laptop sales take off dramatically since the video was released. We thought that you would enjoy seeing some samples of our systems before your purchase and we are thrilled to have the video so well received.

If you're in the market for a refurbished MacBook or MacBook Pro, here's the video for your viewing pleasure.


Self-Install Mac Parts

We also released our new Self-Install section for Mac laptop LCD screens on our website during the past week and we are beginning to ship LCD screens to DIY'ers throughout the country. Look for a video next week that will highlight this new service and provide some guidance on how to choose the right screen along with lots of other info about this new product line. We've been selling iPod, iPhone and PSP parts for some time now and adding the Mac laptop parts to our website has been a much heard request from our customers.



FUTURESHOCK

Hello my fellow Mac & iPhone enthusiasts!

I've got a some fun stuff for you today. First off is our new iPhone wallpaper downloads. Vacation photos and snapshots of the kids are nice but, sometimes, you want to dress up your iPhone - whether for style, your own enjoyment, or both. Here are some photos that you probably haven't had the opportunity to snap yourself:



My favorite, and the one that's sure to earn you some serious geek cred, is this photo of the inner workings of the iPhone. This isn't just a snapshot of an iPhone logic-board, it's an image of exactly what you would see, if your iPhone screen were invisible - reproduced at actual size! The effect of having this as your wallpaper image is equivalent to Superman-style "x-ray" vision, revealing every major chip, the sim card slot up top, even the tiny motor on the right side which generates the vibrating alert. What better way is there to appreciate the wonder of this advanced technology than by peering in to it's intricate innards? And all without ever dissecting your precious electronic companion.

To install any of the iPhone wallpaper images above:

  1. Click on the image that you like, to see it full size.

  2. Right click on the full-size image and select save.

  3. Add the image to your iPhoto library and sync with your iPhone.

  4. Locate the image on your iPhone, tap , and then tap Use As Wallpaper.

Enjoy!

Brian Northway
Designer/Animator



Buzz Specials

The coupons here are valid through 3/12 at Midnight Pacific Time. You can use the coupons and order via the links, or call 1-888-572-7372 to speak to one of our friendly humans. Coupon codes cannot be combined, but you can use them on separate orders, if you are so inclined.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

 

TechRestore At The Olympics


If you're in Vancouver, for the Winter Olympics, be sure to stop by TechRestore's free internet cafe, in Yaletown. There's no coffee, but we supply the laptops, so you can check your email, upload photos to FaceBook and see our stop-motion disassembly videos in Blue-Ray quality, on a huge HDTV!

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iPad Pad notebook


It's finally here - TechRestore has the cheapest iPads on the planet!

Ok, it's actually an iPad Pad notebook, that we designed to look like an iPad, but just look at what you get for $9.99...


Unlike the real iPad, this one is compatible with all conventional, wireless writing utensils (eg. pens, pencils, markers), weighs only a fraction of Apple's iPad!
  • Always has a wireless signal (see indicator bars)
  • No monthly data service contract required
  • 50x less expensive than an Apple iPad
  • Never needs recharging
  • 100% Recyclable
Check out the iPad Pad product page, where you can buy one, print one for free or just watch the iPad video spoof.

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Friday, February 12, 2010

 

Buzz & Specials For 2/12


Greetings!

If you are living on the East Coast and you've been buried in snow this week - our thoughts are with you! I won't tell you that I was wearing shorts out here in California just a few days ago, since I know that would drive you insane. I spoke to one of our customers this morning who lost power in their home from last Friday through Tuesday, then a power surge took out his MacBook and he dropped his iPhone in the toilet due to it being so dark- and this was on a good day. Hopefully things are getting better out there for you now that there's a break in the weather. To take your mind of your snow troubles, let's move on to discuss something that's on the minds of most American's these days, yes, your correct, I'm referring to the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby.

If you have a kid in Cub Scouts, you will know just how "important" this event is each year. If you don't have a little kid that you can live vicariously through, let me give you some background. In early December, each Scout is handed a little box with a chunk of wood (pine, of course), four nails (axles) and four plastic wheels. By the end of January, the goal is to turn that block of wood into a screaming fast, 5 ounce work of art to compete with the 54 other Cub Scouts in your pack. For our Pack, the Pinewood Derby weekend consists of two events, the actual Cub Scout race that takes place on a Saturday, and a Parent/Sibling race the night before that is for fun and to pre-test the track to be sure it's ready for the serious racing the next day.

This year, Ethan our 8-year old Wolf scout decided he wanted to make a Skateboard shaped car and Skylar, our 6th grader, wanted to build a Twilight, New Moon car for the sibling race. With our ideas in hand, we set off for the bandsaw, drill press and dremel to see what we could create. After cutting out the wood, we had to then decide how to get space for the weights we would need to add to get the car as close to (but not over) 5 ounces. Both cars spent some time on the drill press, having holes punched deep inside of them to slide round weights into. Then it was on to sanding, primer, paint and decals. But, before I forget, while we worked on the body, we also treated our nail "axles" by spinning them in the drill press and filing off any burrs, boring out the plastic wheels and sanding down the outer surface of the wheels to remove any rough spots. Then, all the wheels went into a bag full of graphite, where they spent the next couple of weeks on the kitchen counter, being turned over and over each time a little kid walked by (this was one of their most important jobs). By the time we were ready to put the wheels on the car, the graphite had complete coated each wheel, turning them from black to silver-gray and making them incredible slick, and hopefully just as fast.

So, as a recap, here's where we started...

...and here's how they looked when we were done:

So, pretty pictures are one thing. How'd the kids do in the race? I'm happy to report that Skylar's New Moon car took 3rd place in the Sibling race and Ethan's Skateboard took 6th place out of 54 cars on race day. We had a great time making the cars, with the entire family getting involved. Just one more thing that makes Scouting with your kids such a rewarding activity.

Alright, back to the tech stuff!



Laptop Parts

Let's chat for a few minutes about Self-Repair. We have had requests for years to sell our laptop parts outright, and I'm pleased to announce that we have begun to do just that. Over the next few weeks, you'll see more and more parts begin to populate our website for those of you that wish to perform a laptop repair yourself.You'll see our complete inventory of LCD screens coming online during the next week and for those of you that are handy with a screw driver or if you have a local technician you want to have do your repair, we think you'll love our pricing. Stay tuned for more information as we develop this new product line.

You can find our LCD screen listings here.

Now, some news from Brian and then onward to the the deals!

Shannon Jean
Founder


FUTURESHOCK

Hello again!

Here's my latest screensaver: eight iPads performing a synchronized, nocturnal dance - lit by colorful sprites who weave kaleidoscopic designs on the ground!

Preview & Download Page

Enjoy and have a wonderful Valentines weekend! <3

Brian Northway
Designer/Animator



Buzz Specials

The coupons listed here are valid through 2/26 at Midnight Pacific Time. You can use the coupons and order via the links, or call 1-888-572-7372 to speak to one of our friendly humans. Coupon codes cannot be combined, but you can use them on multiple orders if you are so inclined.

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