Daily Tip: How to set the camera flash as an LED indicator for new messages

Just switch over to iPhone from BlackBerry or Android and wondering how to get an LED notification for new messages? While it’s not quite the same things, with iOS 5 on the iPhone 4S or iPhone 4, you can take advantage of your camera flash as an indicator. If you find yourself missing messages due to not hearing the sounds, or would rather skip the noises and just see a light, check out a few simple steps to get yourself going.

Just like that you can now take advantage of utilizing your LED from your camera as a message indicator for new incoming messages. Luckily you can easily switch the options off and on easily while on the go, so if you want to turn it off at any point you can without an issue.

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Apple Q4 2011 by the numbers

Apple held their Q4 2011 conference call today and announced many numbers pertaining to revenue, profit, sales, and more.

I think it’s safe to say that Apple is doing just fine.

A Case for the 3.5-inch Screen

Recent reports following the unveiling of the iPhone 4S were very critical of Apple’s decision not to increase the size of the iPhone 4S screen, which will remain at 3.5 inches, similar to that of the iPhone 4. Critics are quick to point out that this could leave the iPhone severely disadvantaged against rival smart phones such as the Galaxy S2 and the upcoming Nexus Prime. The former is already making headlines for the amazing technology that is packed underneath its shell but more importantly, it is able to proudly market itself as a smart phone that has a screen that is almost an entire inch (4.27 inches) larger than the iPhone. However, the question remains, does bigger always mean better. Perhaps bigger is better but only to a certain extent and in the case of smart phones, may be not so much.

 

The Samsung Galaxy S2, while featuring a larger screen is somewhat clumsy to handle with one hand. If you want to feel confident handling it, you need to use both your hands. Moreover, it does not exactly fit in your pocket easily. This problem is not entirely isolated to Samsung, a variety of other manufacturers like HTC and LG are also churning out smart phones with “monster screens”. If this trend continues anymore, then the lines between smaller tablet computers and smart phones will be blurred further. Certainly, it is easier to read with larger screens but we must remember that smart phones should emphasize on mobility as well as functionality: striking a delicate balance between the two.

Apple’s decision to stick with a 3.5-inch screen was a good idea but unfortunately, it is almost certain that it would increase the size of the screen when it unveils the iPhone 5. The ideal size should be within 4 inches. Anything larger becomes difficult to handle and hence the “mobility” factor of the phone decreases. Perhaps, manufactures will start limiting the size of the screens once tablet computers like the iPad become mature enough to appear as an essential gadget. The wider acceptance of tablet computers may reduce the temptation and allure of larger screens. For now, the best short-term solution may involve increasing the standard size of our pockets.

The Sleep Manager App Review

In a digital world, it seems like the only commodity that seems to decrease over time is sleep and how much one can achieve on a standard day. Thanks to a wide range of gadgets and technology, it seems impossible to get a good night’s sleep. In fact, we even prepare ourselves for an interrupted sleep by taking our smart phones to bed with us. Sleep itself cannot be underrated; most experts agree that an average adult needs around 9 hours of sleep every day in order to function properly. A low amount of sleep can contribute to fatigue and stress, which can ruin your entire day. Now, however, thanks to Zeo, the Sleep manager app helps monitor your sleep almost like a professional sleep lab.

 

The app is connected to a headset that measures a variety of factors including brain activity, eye movement, and other signals in like, deep and REM sleep. These measurements are generally the type taken taken at a professional sleep lab but are finally available to average consumers. The band transmits the signals via Bluetooth to the iPhone or iPad. Once the measurements have been taken, the data is sent to Zeo, which uses the information to improve the person’s REM sleep. In addition, the app syncs with other apps such as RunKeeper and Daily Burn. The former is an application that monitors your running while the latter monitors your nutrition intake. Since, exercise and nutrition matter a lot with regards to sleep, this integration improves the effectiveness of the app.

Now do not get ready to cancel your appointment with a professional sleep lab just yet because according to Zeo the Sleep Manager app is still slightly less accurate than a professional sleep lab, which is probably 7/8th as accurate as a full sleep lab. On a side note, it is interesting to note the expanding role of smart phones, especially that of the iPhone in the zone of personal health and nutrition.

Has Samsung Found a Silver Bullet in its War Against Apple?

Apple and Samsung have been at each other’s throats recently, fighting it out in numerous countries including Germany, Australia, Netherlands and the US. While the courtroom battles are ugly and analysts are already pondering the wider effects of this battle on the competition between iOS and Android devices, no one can deny that so far Apple has had the legal advantage. It has successfully prevented the rival Galaxy Tab from going on sale in Germany, Netherlands and Australia. In addition, it is gearing up for more battles against Samsung, HTC and other Android makers. Samsung has not stayed quiet, in fact has already led the initiative to try to ban the sale of the iPhone in various countries including France and Italy. However, now it may seem like that it has found a silver bullet against Apple, according to a Gert Frølund, a Danish Professor.

Prof. Frølund claims that Apple’s so-called revolutionary antenna, which intelligently switches between two antennas to send and receive signals, infringes one of Samsung’s patents. He stated that he and his colleagues had developed the antenna back in 2007 and then sold the patent to Samsung. He further pointed out that it would be incredibly difficult for Apple to design such an antenna without infringing on another company’s patents. If this is true, then it could lead to some ugly courtroom drama and may even help Samsung prevent the sale of the iPhone 4S in certain countries (despite the fact that it is one of the major component suppliers of the iPhone), or it could use this as leverage to force Apple from backing away from key legal battles.

 For now, Samsung states that there is no way to know for sure if Apple has infringed its patents. It can only verify this once it dismantles the iPhone 4S and takes a good look at what’s under the hood. Unlike Samsung, which has multiple smart phones on the market right now, Apple depends more heavily on its annual iPhone, so if this allegation of patent infringement turns out to be true, the resulting drama could be very interesting not just for the two companies involved but for the wider iOS and Android communities as well.

iPhone 4S Hit By Yellow Screen Problem

Some purchases of a brand, shiny, new iPhone 4S have found that the screen of their new phone has a distinctly yellow tint, prompting this discussion thread in the Apple Support Forums. Early reports indicate it’s happening mostly with black models, too.

While certainly visually problematic, if you’ve encountered this with your phone, don’t worry. From what I understand, this yellow tint is due to the glue in the screen not being fully cured, and over the course of two weeks or so, it should alter to a more neutral hue. If at that point it hasn’t, you can always take it back.

If your iPhone 4S has this problem, let us know about it in the comments section.

[via 9to5Mac]

Apple Q4 Results Break Records, Still Misses Mark

Apple has just announced its earnings for Q4 2011 (that’s up until the end of September), and with a quarterly revenue of $28.27 billion and quarterly net profit of $6.62 billion, that’s the highest September quarter revenue and profit ever.  This time last year, it was $20.34 billion and $4.31 billion respectively, and this shows in the incredible 54% growth in earnings.

So why has AAPL dropped in after hours trading? Because they didn’t quite hit what Wall Street was hoping, so they suffered a $27 (6.4%) drop after closing.

The problem was mostly in iPhones. While up 21% from a year ago with 17.07 million sales, this was less of an increase than in previous quarters as many people opted to wait for the iPhone 4S rather than buy the iPhone 4.

Apple also sold 11.12 million iPads (up 166% from last year), 4.89 million Macs (up 26%) and 6.62 million iPods (down 27%).

For Q1 2012, Apple’s CFO Peter Oppenheimer said “looking ahead to the first fiscal quarter of 2012, which will span 14 weeks rather than 13, we expect revenue of about $37 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $9.30.”