Hasta La Gadget!

This week it’s become apparent that there’s a bit of a bug that’s affecting a select few iPhone 5 users that forums have been calling the “greyed wifi” issue. The issue rises up especially today as iOS 6.1 was released just yesterday without a specific mention of the issue, and though it is possible that Apple has worked on the reported bug, users continue to see it appear. Keeping in mind that there still may be user error in play here, folks, we’ve come across some rather wild fixes to this problem that you’ll have to make happen at your own risk – get ready for oddities!

As The Register notes, two of the stranger fixes have involved heat and/or cooling of the device – and this isn’t the first nor will it be the last time in this post that we warn you: these fixes are done of your own accord, and SlashGear does not assume any responsibility for you destroying or otherwise changing the way your iPhone functions (or stops functioning). That said, you may very well have wi-fi again very soon – have at it!

The first of these fixes includes blasting your iPhone 5 with a hairdryer. You’ll be heating up the area directly below the lens of the camera on the back of the device while you avoid the area on the phone that includes the battery, that being basically the whole right side of the phone. The right side of the phone is in this case the side of the Apple logo with the bite taken out of it. If you heat up your battery, it will expand and break.

This heating fix requires that you heat up the area below the lens on the camera on the back of the device for a while (no time specified) and allow it to cool back down completely before you begin using the device once more. The image you see above is a replica of one posted in the Apple support forums by a user by the name of Ibrahim, showing the yellow area as the area you want to heat (with more caution than you can possibly muster) and the red marking the area you want to avoid completely.

The other major fix for the device is simply wrapping your iPhone in a towel and putting it in the freezer. While there’s a much smaller chance in that case that your device will be busted than it would with the heat, there’s still some caution to be had – don’t expect an immediate fix, and do so at your own risk. This isn’t magic, and physical “fixes” for gadgets are often less helpful than they are full of breaking action.

Sound like a good couple of fixes to you? Both are dangerous enough that you’ll probably want to avoid using them and wait for a real fix from Apple. The major point here is that wifi, while some people end up skipping using it at this point altogether, is still a beast of a component for your modern smart devices, and it’s not going away any time soon – wireless forever!

iPhone 5 “greyed wifi” situation gets wild and wacky fixes is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

iOS 6.1 officially rolled out today, and already it’s been hacked into and jailbroken. Courtesy of Redsn0w, pre-A5 iPhone and iPod Touch devices are now able to jailbreak on iOS 6.1. Granted, it’s a tethered jailbreak, but it’s better than nothing if you really want to update. Furthermore, an untethered jailbreak that will support the iPhone 5 is said to be arriving on February 3.

For the jailbreak that’s out now, only older pre-A5 iOS devices are supported. This includes the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and the 4th-generation iPod Touch. To get jailbroken on iOS 6.1, you’ll need ISPW files of both iOS 6.1 and iOS 6, as well as a copy of Redsn0w, which works on OS X and Windows. From there it’s just a matter of importing the ISPW files and jailbreaking. Direct links to these downloads are available on Redmond Pie‘s website linked below.

After you’re jailbroken, you’ll have to be plugged in to your computer if you ever need to restart your iOS device. Redsn0w has a section in its app that allows you to quickly do this. However, keep in mind that an untethered jailbreak is ready, and it will likely be released on February 3, so we’d recommend waiting just a few days to get the complete package.

An untethered jailbreak for iOS 6 has actually been working for awhile, but since developers didn’t want Apple to quickly patch up the exploit in iOS 6.1, the devs waited until the iOS update was out, which is why we’re hearing about an iOS 6.1 jailbreak all of a sudden. Come Sunday, we’ll hopefully see a complete untethered jailbreak for all devices, something we haven’t seen iOS 5.1.

[via Redmond Pie]

iOS 6.1 tethered jailbreak out now, iPhone 5 support rumored for February 3 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This morning a couple of photos of what appear to be next-generation iPhone parts have been revealed with suggestions of the iPhone 5S and even an iPhone 6 on the way within the year. This set of photos comes from a tipster speaking with NME that they’ve subsequently said has requested that the photos be blurred out. Since these photos of the innards of devices are essentially blurrier already than we’d care to think about, let’s have a look and see what we can see.

The third image you’re seeing in the tri-part photo is a superimposed component from an iPhone 5, this showing how similar the other bits are to it. The two new parts are also supposed to be coming to the next iPhone or iPhones, each of them a loudspeaker ready to be housed near the bottom of the device. It’s also been tipped by NME that their source has eyes on a third part meant for yet another model iPhone, this one being (perhaps) the iPhone+ or iPhone Math – but we’ll be downing some salt squares with that tip without a doubt.

The information surrounding these components it scant, with the supplier only suggesting that they’ve gotten their hands on Apple-bound bits and pieces. What we’re seeing here is something that’s exciting only because of the ever-so-slight but telling differences between these and past Apple components, these suggesting a new device or a new setup in the near future. At the moment we’ve not gotten solid information on any physical changes to the next-generation versions of the iPhone or iPad, so this is just about as close as we’re going to get until someone tosses a full device out the back door – and good luck on that.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see additional leaks and tips surrounding Apple’s next-generation handheld devices. We’re currently sold on the idea that there will be another iPhone release this year, but as far as what it’ll be, be it an iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, or monstrous iPhone+, it’s anybody’s guess. Let us know what you’re thinking!

[via Apple Insider]

iPhone 6 and 5S parts appear in leaked photos is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week Apple’s Tim Cook made no effort to hide his excitement over the success Apple has had over its first fiscal quarter of 2013, letting investors know that it’s largely because of the products of 2012 that this good time for the company is driven into the future. Back when Cook promised us big things in 2012 early last year, we saw new iterations of essentially every product Apple had on the market, along with a couple new ones to boot. Cook’s affirmation here at the beginning of 2013 could very well mean big things for the company through the next 12 months as far as production goes – just as long as the supply chain Apple relies on doesn’t get in the way.

Two points were spoken of more than once in the earnings call this week, one of them the fact that this was a record-breaking quarter for Apple in the amount of mobile devices they sold (running iOS) and the overall revenue they generated. The other was the notion that they’d have sold much, much more if they had the supply chain support they needed, especially in regards to the iMac and the iPad mini. Besides dismissing supply chain rumors, Cook also spoke about how well Apple was doing, and how prolific they are right this minute (and into the future).

“Apple is in one of the most prolific periods of innovation in its history. We rely on the same spirit and drive that brought the original Mac and other revolutionary products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad into the world.” – Tim Cook

Over the past year, Apple has released two new iPads (one of them the iPad mini), refreshed iMacs, Retina MacBook Pros, and the iPhone 5, not to mention new versions of both of their operating systems (mobile and desktop) as well as their full family of in-house developed apps. Apple continues to sell an increasing number of devices each year, so we must (in a basic way, at least) assume that they’re going to continue to push the envelope using their current blueprint for success.

We may very well see revised versions of everything all over again, with upgrades to the internals of every product that sold monumentally well last year and refreshes of the products that didn’t. The iPhone will likely stay the same size, as will most of the products you see on the shelves today – this year’s boosts will more than likely be included in the casings of 2012. The technology will improve and change in 2013 for Apple, the industrial design may well stay largely the same.

Then if we keep seeing Apple succeed with devices that sell extremely well (like we have for many moons), what’s to stop them from continuing their upward climb? The manufacturers that are responsible for creating the hardware that makes up the products Apple designs and sells. If Apple continues down the path they’re on now, they very well may be set to start diving into their own manufacturing as some of their top competitors do – and it may be the best way for them to continue rocketing forward past 2013. As it stands, the cards are turning as we speak.

After Apple’s 2012, a “prolific” 2013 could shake the industry is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Yesterday we highlighted an umbrella that had a grip in its handle that allows the owner to use an umbrella and their smartphone at the same time because we thought it was both a cool and silly concept. We can imagine using the umbrella on a regular basis when using your phone and shielding yourself from rain are equally important.

Today, we stumbled onto an iPhone case that should be considered a necessity if you value both your addiction to your iPhone and your addiction to having a drink readily available at all times. The UpperCup iPhone case has a pop-out cup holder that will allow you to keep your cup of coffee within reach at all times when you need your caffeine fix while texting your friends.

UpperCup is currently seeking funds to become an actual product on Indiegogo, $25,000 to be exact. If you think you need the UpperCup in your life, you can snag one for your iPhone 4/4S for $25, while the iPhone 5 case will cost $30. If the project reaches its goal, UpperCups are expected to be delivered by April 2013.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Red Nokia Lumia 822 Offers Valentine’s Day Gift Options, Verizon Samsung Ativ Odyssey Arrives,