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Posts in category Fixes

How to charge your iPhone 7 and listen to music at the same time – Belkin Rockstar

How to charge your iPhone 7 and listen to music at the same time – Belkin Rockstar

I am sure many of you were equally as frustrated as myself when you first purchased your iPhone 7 and the headphone jack was MIA.  As soon as the iPhone 7 was announced, Belkin has announced their Rockstar product which was to allow charging, and headphone use, but the timeline was uncertain.


I am happy to share with you, that they have FINALLY released the Belkin RockStar.  It allows lightning charging and headphone use.  Bottom line, it works.  If you are looking to charge your iPhone at the same time while you listen to music, then this is the item for you.

You do need to know that this cord does require you to still use the iPhone 7 3.5 MM jack that comes with the iPhone 7. It is also important to understand that there are some limitation with this cord.  The RockStar delivers power in to your iPhone, and Audio out. It does not support syncing or any other USB data, or similar protocol like Serial or UART. It only supports Lightning Audio. All compatible Lightning Audio headphones are supported. It will only work with: MFi-certified Lightning Audio headphones.

It is better represented visually:

Tutorials

Zik 2.0 Headphones Making Clicking Noises – FIXED

Zik 2.0 Headphones Making Clicking Noises – FIXED

If you get the chance to try out a pair of Parrot Zik 2.0 headphones, you will be equally as eager to get them out of the box and onto your ears.  As soon as I un-boxed them, I plugged them right into the computer.  This is when I heard an awful clicking noise.  I thought for sure I received a defective pair.  I know after spending $400 on a pair of Zik 2.0, I would expect them to NOT be making a clicking noise. After searching online, there was no help in finding a solution.

I decided I must have a defective pair – but, I did something so basic, so simple, that I was kicking my self for not doing it first.  I ASSUMED that the battery was built into these headphones.  I was way wrong, and if I had continued to open the package all the way, I would have seen a battery in the packaging.  I took off the ear pad on the left ear, popped the battery in, and viola, the clicking sound disappeared, and my ‘defective’ headphones are not working as good as new!

I should add, that I am, by no-means, an audiophile but I am very very impressed by the sound of these headphones!

I recommend buying a Parrot Hard Case for Zik Headphones to keep your investment nice and safe, and perhaps a battery backup to boot.

Blog, Tutorials
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FIXED: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Loss of Service and touch ID after Update 8.0.1

FIXED: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Loss of Service and touch ID after Update 8.0.1

If you are one of the unlucky ‘guinea pigs’ that upgraded to 8.0.1 on your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus & your cell service is now broken (along with the Touch-ID), please follow the following steps to get your phone back in working order.  You MUST have access to a PC or Mac for this to work!

  1. Go to ipswdownloader.com and download the iOS IPSW for 8.0 for your respective model.
  2. On a Mac – Go to iTunes and Option-Click “Check for Update” (For Windows users that is ‘shift-click “Check for Update”‘) –
    1. Select the downloaded 8.0 IPSW and update the phone. It will revert back to 8.0 and cell + touchID will work.

You will not need to backup & re-download all your stuff – it works like a normal upgrade works (with exception to this broken update, obviously!).

If you’re getting “this phone isn’t available for this update,” you’ve selected 8.0.1 which is no longer being signed by apple.  Make you you have downloaded 8.0 for your device and you’ll be good to go following the above steps.

Blog, Tutorials
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iOS 7 iMessages Sending Out From My e-Mail Address

iOS 7 iMessages Sending Out From My e-Mail Address

So you’ve just updated your iPhone to the newest version of it’s operating system, iOS7.  All of your friends and family are selling you they are receiving your iMessages from your email address.  Odds are, when you were going through the prompts to start using iOS7, you completely skimmed over all of the prompts it was asking you for.  One of these sections pertained to iMessages, and the ways you can communicate through it.  Fortunately, this is a very easy fix.

How to fix:

  • Go into Settings and Click into the Messages Settings:
    iOS 7 Messages sending from e-mail
  • Scroll down and tap into the ‘Send & Reeceive’ section:
    Send & Receive Settiing iOS7
  • Once you are here, this shows you all of the different ways someone can send you an iMessage.  It also lets you control whom your outgoing iOS7 iMessages will come from.  Whether it’s your e-mail address, or your cell phone number, this is where you’d make that change.
    Choose the correct outgoing setting.
  • Under the ‘Start New Conversations From’ – make sure you select your cell phone number.

There you have it.  I hope you are able to fix your iMessage issue in iOS7 so that it does not send from your e-mail address and sends from your phone number.

 

Blog, Tutorials
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Sony PS3 Problem after update to 4.45 Firmware [FIX]

Sony PS3 Problem after update to 4.45 Firmware [FIX]

If your PS3 is bricked like mine, you can fix it yourself.

You need to boot into safe mode and re-update the firmware.
To access safe mode:

  • Power off the ps3
  • Hold down the ‘power on key’ until the system has powered up & down three times. (Do not release the power key until the third power up)
    1. Touch and hold the Power button (do not remove your finger from the button). You will hear the first beep, meaning the PlayStation 3 is powering on.
    2. Continue to hold the Power button and after about 5 seconds, you will hear a second beep, indicating the video reset.
    3. Continue to hold the Power button and after about another 5 seconds you will hear a third beep and the system will power off (Power light is red).
    4. Lift your finger and again touch and hold the Power button (again, do not remove your finger from the button). As in Step 1, you will hear the first beep, again for the PlayStation 3 to power on.
    5. Continue to hold the Power button and after about 5 seconds, you will hear a second beep for video reset.
    6. Continue to hold the Power button and after about another 5 seconds you will hear a quick double beep. At that point release the Power button. If you succeeded in activating Safe Mode, you will see a message on the screen saying, “Connect the controller using a USB cable and then press the PS button.”
  • In Safe Mode, you will have the following options:
    1. Restart System – Ends safe mode and restarts the PlayStation 3 normally.
    2. Restore Default Settings – Performs the same operations as [Restore Default Settings] on the XMB, and also deletes Sony Entertainment Network account information from the system.
    3. Restore File System – Attempts to repair all areas on the hard disk drive where files can be saved. Corrupted data may be erased if it cannot be recovered.
    4. Rebuild Database – Deletes messages, playlists, changes made on [Information] screens, trimming information for pictures in [Photo], video thumbnails, video playback history and video resume information.
      This operation may take a long time depending on the type and number of data items.
    5. Restore PS3 System – IMPORTANT: All data and settings will be lost by performing this step.
      This will reformat the hard drive on the PlayStation 3, deleting all data and restoring it to as if it just came out of the box. This is the same as [Restore PS3 system] on the XMB.
    6. System Update – Updates the PS3 system software. This can only be done with an update file already saved on external storage media, such as a USB drive.

    Perform the System Update and you should be good to go!

 

Blog
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ComboFix Infected with Sality Virus

ComboFix Infected with Sality Virus

I have taken the following information from the BleepingComputer.com Forum.

Unfortunately it has come to light that the program ComboFix had a file in it that is infected with the Sality virus. The minute we heard about this, the executable was pulled from BleepingComputer.com. Unfortunately there is no control over other sites that may have mirrored ComboFix without permission, so please do not attempt to download it elsewhere.

The developer, sUBs, is currently looking into what happened and whenthere is a full update, I will be sure to let you know. From the limited information that available, it appears that the affected version has been available since approximately 2am EST on January 29th, but it may have been earlier. If this timeframe changes, I will update this topic to let you know. If you have used ComboFix in the last day or so, then you should examine your system for possible infection. If you have used a copy of ComboFix prior to this version, then you should be ok.

SHA256 Hashes of known affected versions are:


4524611a78ddd40afa7e13238da230302786c546d1f824e6e7dea480a5d55333
e5341c3c32a9726a2d3dd1ac0b90f13d896581ab8707dd0a17431df061a2a71d
4524611a78ddd40afa7e13238da230302786c546d1f824e6e7dea480a5d55333
e95f77fd437b16312fbd66a02fed8b179968a7615c1bd3cd3b2fd86879b4bbc8

In the meantime, it is important for those who may have used ComboFix recently and are concerned they are infected to get the help they need. As the Sality infection has been around for a while, almost all antivirus vendors will have detected it and blocked it when you ran ComboFix. Unfortunately, not everyone has up-to-date virus definitions or uses an AV program, so it is important to examine your system if you have used CF since 2am EST.

The steps you should take to make sure your computer is not infected are:

All of these tools should be able to detect and remove Sality from your computer. Sality is also able to spread through mapped network drives and shares. If you share any folders on your network, you should perform the above steps on those computers as well.

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How to install Dell v715w AIO printer on Mac OSx 10.7.4 Lion

How to install Dell v715w AIO printer on Mac OSx 10.7.4 Lion

I had a client who was having issues installing the Dell v715w All in One printer on Mac OSx 10.7.4 Lion.

Dell doesn’t actually manufacture their own printers, they have Lexmark make them, and they slap their name on them.  Needless to say, Dell doesn’t announce that to many people, and those having a hard time getting their printers to work tend to find themselves at at dead end.  In order to use the Dell v715w AIO you need to download and use lexmark pro700 driver from here and download also need Gutenprint for Mac OS X.

Install the Gutenprint first, then install the lexmark pro700 driver, and you should able to print to the Dell v715w AIO from your Mac.

Tutorials
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Bose Sounddock III (3) to work only with iPhone 5

Bose Sounddock III (3) to work only with iPhone 5

A source from Bose has confirmed that the newest SoundDock, the SoundDock III, will only support the iPhone 5 and will launch within a week or so from today, November 28th, 2012.  I had previously discussed alternative solutions to make the iPhone 5 play on the Bose SoundDock II.

The new Sounddock III (3) will charge and play music from the iPhone 5 through its speakers, as many people have been anxious for.  We weren’t sure if it was going to be called the SoundLink III / SoundDock III or if it would support Bluetooth, but we now know that it is going to be called the Bose SoundDock III and will not support Bluetooth Playback.

If you were waiting for the newest generation SoundDock to use on your iPhone 4 or 4S, unfortunately, the newest SoundDock III will only support the iPhone 5.

What if I have an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4s, will that work on the new SoundDock III?

For families that own an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S, I would recommend purchasing the Bose® SoundLink® Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II – Nylon, as it supports Bluetooth playback, which can be used on all Apple Devices, Samsung Galaxy S3, and all phones that support Bluetooth Speakers. It will also work to play music from your Computer, provided it has Bluetooth capabilities.  It is also a portable Bose speaker that features a battery that will last for up to 8 hours of playback.  It can be used outside at BBQ’s and you can play music to it from your phone in your pocket.

Check the following link for the best prices on the SoundLink II on Amazon:

 

Blog, Bose
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New Bose Dock That Will Natively Charge iPhone 5

New Bose Dock That Will Natively Charge iPhone 5

Update 11/28/12: Bose SoundDock III

As per a phone conversation I had with a representative working for Bose’s Sale Department, Bose will be coming out with a new Sounddock or Soundlink that will have a charge and play for the iPhone 5.  Currently, it is still up in the air if you can use Apple’s Lightning to 30-pin adapter to play music from your iPhone 5 – the most updated information I have received is that it only charges the iPhone 5, but doesn’t play music.

There is still solutions you can use if you can’t wait and need to play music through your iPhone 5 and Bose system.

A Quick Summary of those solutions:

  • Wireless Bluetooth Music Receiver Adapter for Bose Sounddock – This is a receiver that uses Bluetooth technology to connect to your iPhone or any other Bluetooth capable device and is placed into the Bose Sounddock.  If you are having a party, you can control the tunes in your Sounddock from the phone in your pocket.
  • SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II – If you have never purchased a Sounddock in the past, and are looking for a solution NOW, this is for you.  It combines Bluetooth Technology and Bose Speakers.  This is a Mobile Bose Sound System, meaning you can take it anywhere with you.  With Battery Power that can last for up to eight hours, this is perfect for a Tail Gate, BBQ, or anywhere you want to listen to your tunes.  When the battery is dead, it takes about 2-3 hours to charge to 100%.  Even when Bose launches their newest dock, this will still be a comparable alternative, if not, more favorable.
Blog, Bose
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Other User account is the only option on Log in Screen in Windows Vista – Solution

Other User account is the only option on Log in Screen in Windows Vista – Solution

I had a client this week who was having issues getting into their Windows Vista installation, mainly, they were only given the option to Log into Windows Vista Home Professional with ‘Other User’.  Problem is, they never created ‘Other User’, nor did they have any idea what the password could have been for ‘Other User’.  Poking around Google yielded nothing but unanswered questions. I dug deeper, and retraced my clients steps in coming to the error they were receiving.

The Process:

The problem started with them receiving the error message:

File : \Windows\system32\config\system
Status: 0xc000014c
Info: Windows failed to load because the system registry file is missing or corrupt.

With a few searches around Google, restoring the registry to a time before it was corrupted can be done by doing a system restore through a Windows Vista Install CD or a Vista Boot Disk.  Since Most Manufacturers don’t ship new computers with the actual cd, and only put a Recovery partition onto the Hard drive, it may be hard to accomplish this task.  However, if you are able to boot into the Selective Startup (tapping F8 at computer startup), there should be a way to get into the Recovery Partition.

Once in the Recovery Partition, you should be able to do a system restore to your latest back up point.  However, make sure you choose the correct windows installation from the list of OS installations.

The problem that my client had, was that they were unaware of this option.  Instead they consulted Google and found Neosmart.net and their Vista Recovery Discs.  While these discs are a GREAT tool, they must be used with caution.  The Vista Recovery Disc is a bootable Recovery Utility.  My client, unfortunately, (incorrectly) used the Boot Repair utility found on the disc, and when they restarted after performing the ‘boot repair’, they were greeted with the Vista Login Screen, but it was only showing ‘Other User’ as an option.  This is where I received a phone call from them, and they needed help.

Issues at Hand:

When I first sat down at the computer, I immediately tried booting into Safe Mode, but nothing was coming up.  This was very intriguing to me since we have the following two symptoms;

  1. Can’t access Safe mode after a Corrupt Boot Repair
  2. Can not boot into Safe Mode or Selective Startup
  3. Cant turn off the Computer without pressing the power button on the tower (no power options are displayed at the Windows Login screen where ‘Other User’ is shown)

I booted into the Vista Repair Discs that my client had purchased and downloaded from NeoSmart.net and immediately knew what had happened.

When going into the Start up repair on the NeoSmart discs, it brought up two instances of Windows Vista.  My client had chose the wrong Instance/partition and it adjusted the MBR (master boot record) to boot into the Recovery Partition that was installed onto the machie by the Vendor.  This was the reason for ‘Other User’ popping up on the Login Screen.  This was also the reason why the Safe Mode options were coming up.

The Fix

I happened to have original Vista Home Premium Installation Discs and I inserted the disc into the CD-ROM drive and booted into that disc.

  1. Once you boot into the disc, you are greeted with Vista’s Installation Menu:
  2. You need to click onto the ‘Repair your computer’ option.
  3. The next option that comes up will show System Recovery Options, where you need to select your correct installation of Windows from the list. Click next after you choose your Installation.
  4. It will attempt to repair your boot, in my case, it detected the boot problem, and told me to restart for the changes to take effect.  If you click cancel while it is Automatically trying to fix your problem, you just have to click Startup Repair from this menu:

Once my computer restarted, the correct Windows Login Screen appeared with my clients User Account front and center.  Problem Solved.

 

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