Tag: iPhone

A fifth and likely final beta build of iOS 11.4 arrived yesterday for those who are in the Apple Beta program.  The update doesn’t bring any new features to the platform other than what has already been discussed but does bring a few fixes.

The update weighs in at 2.2GB, indicating that this is the full build and is likely a release candidate build.  For those new to beta testing, release candidates are generally the build that a developer wants to release as the general availability (GA) release.  In other words, they feel their work is done and barring a show stopping bug being found, this should be the build everyone sees when 11.4 is released.

An internal memo at Apple has indicated that battery replacements for all eligible devices for the replacement program are now in stock and readily available.  This means that if you are wanting to get your battery replaced in your iPhone, it should be something that can be done when you make a Genius appointment.

When Apple announced (or let it slip) that they were throttling iPhones with older batteries, the outrage was pretty quick and loud.  In response, Apple began offering discounted battery replacements to customers who had batteries that were bumping into the throttling software inside of iOS 11.  Normally that battery replacement is $79 but through the rest of this year, it is $29.

The short of it is, Apple Podcasts are doing well.  The service, which launched way back in 2005 as a part of iTunes, has slowly been building both content and users of the now independent app for iPhone and iOS.  Now, according to a report from Fast Company, the Cupertino company has now seen some 50 billion all time downloads on the service.

In all, there are some 18.5 million podcast episodes available for download in Apple Podcasts with over 100 languages supported in those episodes.  It is a staggering number on the whole and is a proof point that Apple has positioned itself well as being the go-to place to find a podcast on virtually any subject out there.

Today Apple has released a small update to iOS for iPhone and iPad devices.  The update is iOS 11.3.1 and addresses a handful of security flaws found in the mobile platform.  The update is a relatively small at 105MB that should take less than 10 minutes to download and install based on your connectivity.

As for fixes, there are four outlined in the release notes having to do with elevated privileges or malicious code.  First, the Crash Reporter was patched against a memory corruption issue that could allow for elevated privileges to happen.  This error was found by Google Project Zero.

Today’s Deal at Amazon is on the AUKEY 5-port USB Desktop Charger.  This five port USB charger isn’t much larger than a credit card and one of the ports is fully Quick Charge 3.0 compatible.   If you have a device that has this technology, you will benefit from a rapid charge, something most desktop chargers don’t built into them.  Today on Amazon, you can pick one up for $24.99 and it is completely compatible with Android phones as well as your iPhone.

Full disclosure:  This is the desktop USB charger that I use at home.

With this charger from AUKEY, you can charge up to five devices at one.  Each of the USB ports outputs 5v of power and can charge devices at 2.4A, making it compatible with really any smartphone out there.  Four of the ports have the company’s adaptive charging technology to make sure that devices charge at an optimal rate but also protects against surges and overcharges.  The fifth port, noted with an orange insert, is the Quick Charge 3.0 port.

As part of Cyber Monday, AUKEY has rolled out some big discounts on their Amazon storefront on a wide range of PowerBanks.  AUKEY PowerBanks are some of the best external power packs for Android and iPhones out there, offering a lot of power in small packages.  Chances are, there is something for everyone in this sale.

How it works with AUKEY is straightforward.  You find the product on Amazon (links below) and use the provided coupon codes to get the discounted price.  You will enter the coupon code during the checkout process.

AUKEY 20000mAh Portable Charger, Slimline Design Power Bank

This model has three USB ports, one USB-C port and one Lightening port so it will charge any Android or iPhone.  With the 20000mAh battery, you can charge an iPhone 7 nearly seven times and a Galaxy Note8 four times.

The pack is normally $39.99 but you can get it for $32 with the coupon code AUKCM010.  Head here to check it out.

AUKEY 30000mAh USB-C Portable Charger with Quick Charge 3.0

As the name suggests, this PowerBank has a 30000mAh battery and supports USB-C, USB-A and Quick Charge 3.0 on one of the two USB-A ports.  This pack will generally give you an additional charge of your phone over the 20000mAh pack mentioned above but it will certainly charge your non-USB-C devices faster with the QC 3.0 tech.

The pack is normally $59.99 but you can get it for $45 with the coupon code AUKCM012.  Head here to check it out.