Cell Phone

Microsoft removes Kids Corner from Windows 10 Mobile with new Insiders Preview Build

Kids Corner on Windows Phone was a great way to distract the kiddies. By allowing them to use your phone to play games, watch videos, listen to music and use apps that you have vetted in advance,  you were able to go on with your business. And the best part of the feature was that it prevented your offspring from accidentally dialing your boss and calling him 'a dooty-head.' It also prevented Junior from deleting the Henderson contract by accident (no matter where you work, there is always a Henderson contract), and installing a ton of paid apps.

But you might have to learn to actually interact with your children after installing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14367. This build removes Kids Corner from Windows 10 Mobile. This update is coming to insiders subscribed to the fast ring. These insiders get first crack at a new build, but at the risk of receiving buggy software that still needs to be worked on.

Among the long list of of changes coming to Windows 10 Mobile with this new build, is the removal of Kids Corner. Microsoft says that its usage was too low to justify wasting time and money to continue supporting and developing the feature. While not a replacement, Microsoft suggests using Apps Corner to mollify the kiddies. Go to Settings > Accounts > Apps Corner. This feature shares some functionality with Kids Corner. The phone's owner can limit the apps available for others to use, and customize a Start screen for users.

You can check out all of the new changes being made to your Windows 10 Mobile handset with this new Insider Preview Build by clicking on the sourcelink.

Cell Phone

Best smartphones you can buy right now: June 2016

With so many different (yet similar) smartphones from so many brands from across the globe, one may start feeling a bit lost. Which one of those many is the best phone you can buy right now, in June 2016?

June is a great time to buy a new phone: a bunch of brand new devices have recently arrived on the market (yes, the exciting Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are now available in stores, but also the G5 and new iPhone SE!). The new HTC 10 and Huawei P9 are the two most recent newcomers on the market. Basically, we have all important new phones already out with the next batch only coming around September-October, which is plenty of time to wait. Plus, many older devices are getting hugely discounted as the new arrivals come in. There is no definite one-size-fits-all device, though, and that's why we explore all the options, trying to help you narrow down the choice to some outstanding devices that we think won't disappoint you. We're also breaking them down by categories: after all some people prefer a large, phablet-sized device, while others may want a more conventionally-sized pocket sidekick. We don't go into all that much detail (for those details, make sure to read our in-depth reviews), but we do focus on the most important highlights for each phone. With no further ado, here are the best phones you can buy right now.

1) The Apple iPhone 6s is the world's fastest-selling smartphone, and it will certainly break quite a few records in sales. It's an 's' upgrade meaning that it looks almost exactly like last year's iPhone 6, but looks are deceiving: the new iPhone brings two extremely cool and useful new features, 3D Touch and Live Photos. It also comes with a massively improved Apple A9 system chip and recent findings praise Apple for making the best of this new chip and squeezing even more battery life with the 6s. We have also learned that Apple uses a brand new type of storage that is not eMMC or UFS, but a much faster kind of storage that has a lot in common with the super-fast SSD used in full-fledged Macbooks. Put in simple words, the new iPhone has a much faster processor and memory. It also comes with a new, 12-megapixel camera that now is able to capture a more detailed images than before and records video in the trendy 4K resolution, plus it supports new slo-mo options. Add to this the rich iOS ecosystem that continues to secure the best apps and games first, and one starts to understand the huge appeal of the iPhone 6s.

2) The Samsung Galaxy S7 is a 5.1-inch device of style and beauty, inherited from the Galaxy S6: made of two pieces of Gorilla Glass 4 on the back and front, and a sturdy metal frame in the middle. The new thing is that its back is now curved on the side for a more comfortable fit. It's also about the changes under the hood: the Galaxy S7 now brings the latest and most powerful Snapdragon 820 system chip, a larger battery, a microSD card slot for expandable storage, and the very useful water-protection that requires no plugs. Samsung has done some great work on the camera and it's now a 12-megapixel rear shooter, capable of capturing very good looking images in low-light and featuring cool new shooting options like Motion Photo (similar to Apple's Live Photos), Motion Panorama and Hyperlapse. With a great and sharp display, swift performance and a custom Samsung UI that is now sleeker, the phone is a very well-rounded package. We also love the wireless charging option available right out of the box on the Galaxy S7.

3) HTC needed a savior and while we don't know whether the HTC 10 will be the one, we already know one thing: it's a damn good phone. With a solid all-around construction, a well-crafted (a bit heavy, though) aluminum body and a clean and fast build of Android, it checks nearly all the marks. What you should really ask, though, is has HTC managed to improve the camera? Luckily, yes! The new, 12-megapixel shooter on the HTC 10 is of a similar caliber to the best phone cameras out there - fast and taking good-looking pictures.

4)

The LG G5 is a radical new step for LG: it's a bold move with a modular design that has the bottom part of the phone come off, so you can easily and quickly swap batteries, or use other modules like a camera grip and high-fidelity audio addition with a better DAC. The 5.3" G5 also features a brand new metal design and a quite rare dual-camera back system with the secondary rear camera used for taking wide-angle shots that you are probably used to seeing from a GoPro.
 
On the inside, the LG G5 is a beast powered by the Snapdragon 820 system chip, the latest and most powerful by Qualcomm. It sports the new LG custom UI on top of Android with a new visual style (but it features rather dull-looking teal color accents). While not the best looking phone around, if you like the tricks that it can pull, the G5 is a fun phone to have with no major setbacks.
 
5)
Huawei might not be a household name in the States, but it's worth learning more about: the company had phenomenal growth last year, finishing as the world's third-largest phone maker behind giants like Samsung and Apple.
 
The P9 is its most important phone for 2016, carrying flagship status and offering an innovative dual rear camera setup. It also features sleek metal design and huge aspirations. But there are a couple of downsides as well: most notably, the custom Huawei interface on top of Android is a polarizing feat that many will find hard to get used to. Then, the camera has a few gimmicks up its sleeve like the Leica brand (it's questionable whether Leica had much of an involvement with the lens here) and simulation of super wide-aperture, f/1.1 lens, but in reality those tricks are no replacement for great camera quality and the P9 is a step below this year's best cameraphones. Still, if you're in the search for a great regular-sized smartphone, the P9 has the performance and good looks to fit the bill. It's also much more affordable than the Samsungs and Apples of this world.
Cell Phone

Report: Samsung making changes to TouchWiz in China and Korea, removing the app drawer and more

In China and in Korea, Samsung is testing a new look for its UX including a revised TouchWiz. The redesign will be available in those countries through the "New Note UX" for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 through the Galaxy Beta Program. After hitting the Galaxy Note 5 in those aforementioned markets, the changes will supposedly rollout to recently launched Samsung devices by August. What's different? The shape of all icons have been changed to a rounded-square design. Changes are found in other areas like the Settings menu and in the Storage screen. A major change is the removal of the app drawer, something that Google is rumored to be doing with the launch of Android N. Instead of using the app drawer, apps will be found on a series of consecutive home pages. It is not known whether Samsung plans to allow users to add an App drawer as an option. That might be the case because using one seems to be a matter of personal and regional preference. Some reports say that in parts of Asia, where the UX redesign will rollout first, users would prefer not to have an app drawer on their phone. There is a rumor circulating that says Samsung will include the new UX (sans the App drawer) with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. What is unknown is whether this would be done globally or just in the same Asian countries receiving the Note 5 redesign.

Cell Phone

HTC 10 Challenge: The Best Built Smartphone?

The HTC 10 is certainly a contender for the best built smartphone award. It features an aluminum unibody construction, with a pronounced chamfered edge that stretches around all four sides. The front of the device features an improved screen-to-body ratio as it ditches the obtrusive HTC banner in favor of capacitive touch navigation buttons and a fingerprint sensor. What we don't see are the iconic front-facing stereo speakers. They've been replaced with a front-facing tweeter and bottom-facing speaker for producing deep bass sounds. Do you think the HTC 10 is the best built smartphone of all time?
Cell Phone

Top 6 Solutions to itunes Error 53 on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

Facing iTunes error 53 on iPhone 6 or 6 Plus? Here are 6 ways to fix error 53 from iTunes. iTunes to date remains one of the great media players ever invented. The program is simple and easy to understand. With it, you can download and listen to music on your device seamlessly.

That said, it is not free of errors, and one major problems faced by iTunes users is the "error 53" which can appear while the program is running or during the iPhone restoring / updating process.

 

The message that you see when this error appears is the following:

"The iPhone "iPhone" could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (53).

As visible in the following thread, the user was trying to update his iPhone 6 Plus to iOS 8 or iOS 9, when the error 53 appeared in iTunes. In a few cases, when the iPhone is being updated and the iTunes error 53 appears, the device may become bricked.

To avoid this from happening, here are 6 things you can do to get rid of this error.

#1: Wipe the registry clean

This is a possible solution to Fix iTunes Error 53 on iPhone 6 or 6S. The registry can be cleaned and this is a pretty useful action to take every time you install or install some programs. It also helps in speeding up your PC. It is a simple endeavor and pretty beneficial. You can do it with Clean Registry on Mac or Clean Registry on Windows. After that, just restart your PC and try to restore your device again.

#2: Wipe clean junk files

There are ample cache and log files accumulated by each operating system after some time. If you don’t periodically clean out this junk, your iTunes software can become extremely slow or display the "Unknown error 53" message, which may be due to an overburdened hard drive or file conflicts. As a result, you need to clean junk files on Mac or clean junk files on Windows. Then you need to relaunch iTunes and try to restore the device (You should now fix the error 53).

#3: Do Windows updates

Microsoft works hard to improve system files that could be resulting in the 53 error. Update your Windows version with the latest service pack and other releases, which can remove system errors and improve performance. You can do this by clicking the Start button, typing “update” in the search box and pressing Enter. After that, choose “Install Updates” from the update box.

#4: Do PC drivers updates

Outdated or damaged device drivers can also be the cause of iTunes error 53. The drivers can stop working altogether for several reasons. Therefore, you need to update the device drivers to fix iTunes error 53 issue.

Mac users can choose iTunes from the iTunes Menu and look for Updates.

Windows users can choose Help from the menu bar and check for Updates.

#5: Reinstall iTunes

On your PC you can reinstall iTunes with easy. Just go to Add or Remove Programs -> Uninstall iTunes. Now download the latest iTunes version and install it again. Restart your PC and try again. This may help you to fix error 53 from iTunes.

#6: Restore your iPhone with the Original Touch ID button

Did you replaced the display or the touch id button on your iPhone? The touch id is directly connected with the motherboard and if you replace the Touch ID button you will get a error 53 when you try to restore your device via iTunes. How to fix error 53 now? Just use the old (original) touch id button and try to restore your device.

Update: Extra tip to fix iTunes error 53 iPhone 6 / 6S

The possible problem for Unknown Error 53 is the incorrect screw placement in the screen replacement process. There are totally four screws that hold the touchscreen connectors and the LCD. If you place the longest screw in a wrong hole, it can damage one of the layers of the mother board. There's no way to fix it. You can visit Apple Retail Store to replace it under warranty.

Other way to fix iTunes error 53 is to change the IC from your old home touch ID button. You need to remove it from the old (original) touch id and put it to the new home button. You need to have some tech skills to do that.

By following these steps, you can fix error 53 iPhone 6 / iPhone 6S and enjoy your device again.

Cell Phone

Apple Will Use OLED Displays for iPhones Beginning in 2018

 

According to their claims, the Nikkei corporation has already previously made its intent known to its suppliers, and therefore in accordance with this intent, the LG Display has been progressively augmenting in capacity ever since. It has been revealed quite recently that LG appears to have plans to open up a new factory in Korea, with a net value of (up to) approximately 4.2 billion dollars; however, as far as we know there appears to be no clear indication as to whether this potential new factory would be specifically aimed towards the iPhone, or possibly even Apple in general.

Presently, there exists only one product within all of the Apple range that incorporates the OLED technology in its hardware, and that is the Apple Watch. And, as we know, as of today LG remains the sole provider of displays for this product.

It has been implied by Nikkei that quite possibly Samsung may be joining them, mainly due to the fact the latter company has much more experience and is generally more reliable when it comes to manufacturing OLED displays as mass production, but also because there is some very real concern that LG might very well not be able to meet Apple's demands in terms of production and supply. Already, in the past, Samsung has provided Apple with parts for various different products and models, among there LCDs.

While it has been speculated in recent times that, due to the limited production capabilities of LG, Apple may in fact find themselves in the position of being forced to offer both OLED phones and LCD phones; however, for those familiar with the company's track record (particularly their fondness for wide ranging consistency among their product range and models), this possibility does seem somewhat unlikely, if past experience is any indication. As an example regarding this point, let's take a look a the iPhone 6s and 6s plus models: these are two very similar but slightly different products; they incorporate different screen sizes and different degrees of image resolution. But even having these significant differences, we find that both models do share in principal all their underlying technology and, in fact, do produce very similar results in terms of user experience and application.

As we all know, OLED panels possess the quality of being extremely flexible, and owing to its inherent characteristics as a material it can be said rather confidently that OLED panels do perform in a much superior manner when compared to those made of LCD. This is true both in terms of the devices power performance, as well as regarding the visual quality provided. Even though there is a very real possibility that some parts or elements of the hardware, along with some of its functionality, may indeed deteriorate to some extent with time (this is what we could call "normal tear and wear", as applied to mobile electronics), Apple are indeed committed to tackling these issues and have already announced that they're in talks with both the display suppliers, as well as the producers of their manufacturing equipment. The current goal of these talks is to deal with these potential and I or probable future issues, and try to establish ways to counteract their possible adverse effects. According to Apple themselves, the company and their suppliers are determined to find effective solutions to this problem and implement them strategically during next year, approximately.

We had the chance earlier this year to hear the declarations of Ming-Chi Kuo, who is a KGl Securities analyst. According to Mr. Kuo, the OLED technology that is now being implemented and utilized is very unlikely to appear in new iPhone units, at least until the year 2019, at the very earliest. This statement, while not an official communication on the behalf of the company itself, does indeed give some indication as to the scale and nature of Apple's timeline when it comes to actually incorporating this new technology in their upcoming products and models. And this is by no means due to a lack of interest or commitment on the company's part; in fact, accoring to the very same declarations, it appears that several very significant companies have still ongoing large investments in LCD manufacturing. This includes businesses such as Foxconn, according to Mr.Kuo.

Cell Phone

Quick Fix: iPhone 6s Plus Screen Flickering Problem

If you're among the numerous people who bought an iPhone 6s Plus in the past three months, you may have found that your iPhone 6s Plus screen keeps flickering while you're converting between different apps, using 3D Touch or attempting to search something with Spotlight.

The explanation for this is that your iPhone 6s Plus is forced to drop frames when it is dealing with graphically intensive computations and has to freeze before it succeeds to pass the bottleneck. According to Apple's design, the iPhone 6s Plus interface is rendered at 1242-x-2208-pixels and then downscaled down to 1080p.

It does so by using hardware that downscales the image that is projected onto your iPhone 6s Plus screen at a system level, integrating it into the inner mechanics of the iPhone 6s Plus.

Theoretically, there should be absolutely no reason the iPhone 6s Plus screen flickers and freezes at times, but the best guess as to why this happens is because of poor software optimization by Apple, despite designing the iPhone 6s Plus to use a hardware based downscaling algorithm.

Thankfully, there is an easy way to fix the iPhone 6s Plus frame drop issues as long as you're willing to make a compromise. By going to Settings -> General -> Accessibility -> Increase Contrast -> Reduce Transparency, and turning Reduce Transparency on, you'll be able to make your iPhone 6s Plus as buttery smooth as a regular iPhone 6s.

The Reduce Transparency option lightens the graphical workload that your iPhone 6s Plus has to deal with by removing some of the transparent aesthetic features Apple has put into iOS 9. Spotlight, for example, has a grey background with Reduce Transparency turned on instead a murky image of your home screen wallpaper.

As long as that isn't a deal breaker, this fix will at least help you keep your sanity until Apple finally gets around to fixing this issue. You may have to wait until the iPhone 7 however. The iPhone 6 Plus had the same problem.

If you're wondering why Apple even bothers to render the iPhone 6s Plus at a higher resolution, it's to help developers. The original iPhone was based on a 163-ppi screen, while newer retina displays, in iPhones such as the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 6s are exactly twice, at 326-ppi. That means developers only had to scale their assets by a factor of two to keep developing.

The iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus however, are rendered at three times 163-ppi, which comes out to 489-ppi. Unfortunately, the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus only have a pixel density of 401-ppi.

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