Monthly Archives: February 2012

Ugh! Replacement iPhone 4 has yellow display problem


Refurbished iPhone 4 (left) with yellow display

Apple replaced my iPhone 4 yesterday because of a malfunctioning select button. The replacement device is a refurbished iPhone 4. Unfortunately, it has the yellow display problem that many people complained about when the iPhone 4 was first released. I apparently have one of those that was returned. You can see the yellow display problem in the photo above.

The refurbished iPhone 4 I was given also has what appears to be an older model number, MC319LL, compared to the phone on the left (still running iOS 4.x) which is a model MC610LL.

I’m going to make another appointment at the Genius Bar to have this phone replaced.

Apple Genius Bar appointments not conducted at the “bar” anymore

I learned something today when I took my iPhone 4 (flaky home button) to the Apple Genius Bar today. Meeting for appointments no longer take place at the “bar” itself. This was, at least, the case for my iPhone. We just stood in on the store floor while the Genius (Sean) diagnosed my problem, determined that the device was still covered by an extended Apple Care warranty, and went to get a replacement device (refurbished iPhone 4).

FYI to CNN: Here’s why Kindles are not sought after on the secondary market

CNN’s breathless story about how the iPad is doing better on the secondary market (resale) than Amazon’s Kindle makes me wonder if no on there considered the obvious reasons:

  1. Kindle prices drop with each new model (including subsidized models)
  2. Kindle prices have been so low starting with the third generation (summer/fall 2010) that there it makes more sense to buy a new model with better features at the same or lower price.

Hence, little or no resale value.

iPad retains value longer than Kindle, research finds (CNN)

List of best tower defense type games for iPhone? Really???

I received a PR news blast email that says APPSPIRE.me released a list of the Top 10 Tower Defense Apps for iPhone. The infographic covers 10 mobile apps that are tower defense games, and ranks them based on creativity, ingenuity, and popularity.

APPSPIRE.me Releases Best Tower Defense Apps Inforgraphic

I looked at the list and only recognized one title: FieldRunners. Missing from the list? Oh, just a little game named Plants vs. Zombies and number of other titles.

You can look at the list (click the image above to see the full-size infographic) and decide for yourself if you think it has merit. As for me? Not so much.

Microsoft OneNote for Android available. Nice app. But, here’s why I had to remove it

Microsoft released an Android version of its once groundbreaking notetaking app.

OneNote Mobile for Android is now available worldwide

This app is available for free in the Android Market. It sync with Microsoft’s free SkyDrive cloud storage service too (refer to my BYTE article to learn more about SkyDrive). This lets you sync between devices without the need for a PC in between.

As nice as it is, I had to uninstall the app. Here’s why…
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