Refurbished Apple iPhone - cool things your iPhone can do you don't know about - buyEtail.com

 

THE iPhone is a bit like the human brain. Only a small part of it is used at any one time. So wouldn't it be great if there was a way to unlock all the secret hidden uses without having to scour the whole internet?

You’re in luck. News.com.au has put together 13 features of the iPhone that can enhance your digital experience and make your busy day a little easier.
Yes, you’re welcome.

Top  uses for the iPhone you probably didn’t know about: 

1. Damn you autocorrect
We’ve all had those embarrassing text messages where we accidentally send a dirty word to our in-laws, or co-workers.

Thankfully there is a solution. If you know there are words you frequently destroy with your fat fingers, you can create a shortcut so that next time you get it wrong, the iPhone will automatically correct it with the right word. Go to your settings and click on “general”, then “keyboard” and type in the intended word, along with the bastardised/abbreviated one.

Pro: Means you can abbreviate long words or phrases you couldn’t be bothered spelling correctly/writing in full and the iPhone will replace them for you.
Con: Requires you to know the words you frequently get wrong. Can be a little time consuming putting together a list.

2. Cover your digital tracks
How many times have you let a friend borrow your phone for a minute or two to check their email? Do you really want them to know what you’ve been looking at? Many people will know to clear their cookies off their computer or install “do not track” software, but this is often overlooked on your smartphone. The option is there – even though Apple isn’t exactly making a big deal about it.

Here’s what you do: Go to “settings”, “Safari” and then switch “private browsing” to “on”. While you’re at it, clear your history, cookies and data by hitting “clear history”, and “clear cookies and data”.

Pro: No more pesky third party applications or websites tracking your every move. And that “personal” website you like to visit will remain your little secret.
Con: You’d better remember all the URLs you like to visit, because Safari will no longer do it for you.

Set up private browsing and never be tracked again. Too lazy to scroll? Create your own gestures. Picture: iPhone hacks.com

3. Delete individual calls from your call history
Paranoid? Don’t want your spouse to know you still keep in touch with your high-school ex? Fear not. We’re here to help.

Hit the “phone” app, tap the “recent” calls icon and simply swipe over the number you want to delete. A red “delete” button will appear. Tap it once and watch the call disappear.

Pro: Keep your call history to yourself.
Con: Abusing the power and forgetting the call will still show up on your phone bill. Use responsibly. 

Delete suspicious calls from the prying eyes of know-it-alls. Picture: Mac Rumours

4. Get a more detailed view of your calendar with the flip of the wrist
If you’re a true member of the digital age, you’ll have your entire life planned out on your phone. Or is that just me? In any case, if the monthly calendar wasn’t enough, you can see a full colour coded weekly view of your appointments by simply turning the phone on its side. Scroll left to view past events. Scroll right to view upcoming events.

Pro: You can stay on top of your appointments and get a colour coded layout of your week.
Con: The landscape view does not actually say which month you’re in, so you’ll need to keep track of the weeks and months as you scroll across.

 

For the control freak in all of us. Turn your camera to the side and get a fully colour coded view. Picture: Ustilitap.com

5. Ringtones are gaudy and vibrate is still too loud. Use the camera flash instead
Ringtones and message alerts are a very personal decision. If you’re a busy minimalist who wants to keep a low profile, this option is for you. Go into “settings” > “accessibility” and then turn “LED flash for alerts” to “on”. This will prompt your phone to turn on the camera flash whenever you receive a message or email when the phone is set to silent.

Pro: You will have a nice visual alert for calls and texts without drawing too much attention to yourself, especially in office environments that use luminous lighting.
Con: You’ll be the most hated person in the movie theatre if you keep your phone out of your pocket or handbag.

6. New vibration is the new sensation
Because just standard vibrate alerts are like SO 2010. The new iPhone operating system lets users create customised vibration patterns. To do so, hit settings, general, accessibility and then switch the “custom vibrations” option to “on”. Return to setting and select “sound” and then “vibrations” to choose from five new vibration patterns, or hit “create new vibration” to create your own. Tap the screen to create a new pattern. Preview the new pattern by hitting play. Once you’re satisfied with it, hit “record”, give it a name and save it.

It will even allow you to assign a different custom vibration to different contacts in your address book. Simply navigate to the contact you want to assign it to, click “edit”, select “vibration” and then select the name of your new vibration, or create a brand new one.

Pro: You’ll know who is calling or messaging based purely on the vibrate alerts.
Con: It would be really annoying if your phone vibrates in a bunch of different ways. It can be time consuming inputting custom vibrate tones for all of your friends.

 

Create your own custom vibrations and assign them to contacts. Tap the top of the screen when you're done scrolling. Picture: iPhone hacks.com

7. Can’t be bothered to scroll up? Tap the status bar
It’s that simple. If you’ve been immersed in a long read or got stuck in a Twitter spiral, don’t risk RSI by scrolling all the way up. Just tap the status bar at the top of your screen and it’ll take you back to the top of the page.

Pro: No more incessant scrolling
Con: Make sure you keep your place on the page. Tap it accidentally and it’s all over.

8. Double tap the shift key for all CAPS
This is an easy but little known feature of the iPhone. But before you can do it, you need to enable it in “settings”. Simply click on “settings”, then “general”, “keyboard” and hit “Enable Caps Lock”.

Pro: No more hitting shift whenever you want to abbreviate a word.
Con: Make sure you tap the shift button again to return to lowercase or risk flaming your friends with all CAPS messages.

 

Here's how to locate the capslock and find extra characters. Picture: MacRumours

9. Need an umlaut? Tap and hold
What if you need to text the name of that IKEA furniture you simply have to have. The umlaut is essential! Never fear, simply hold down the letter you require and wait for an entire world of new characters to open up to you. Choose the extra character you need and Bob’s your uncle.

Pro: Never again will national dialects go ignored.
Con: Your friends may worry you’ve been studying the dictionary too hard. Pedantry for the win!

10. Need faster web browsing? Leave off the www
Your time is precious. We get it. According to iPhone Appstorm.com leaving off the prefix saves about five seconds every time you browse.

Pro: You’ll become a multi-tasking smartphone web browsing pro
Con: You’ll become one of those insufferable people who think they can’t spare five seconds for anything, let alone web browsing. With great power comes great responsibility. 

 

Save yourself five seconds, leave off "www" when you browse the web. Picture: Makeuseof.com

11. Siri knows the meaning of life. And the answer is 42
Unfortunately this one is restricted to iPhone 4S users, but Apple’s new voice activated personal assistant has some pretty witty things to say if you know which questions to ask. So much so that there is already a website dedicated to it called “S..t Siri Says”.

Ask Siri the meaning of life and it will answer “42”. Recite the classic quote from 2001: A Space Odyssey “open the pod bay doors” and she will reply: “I’m sorry [insert name], I can’t do that.” Just like the crazed computer HAL.

Pro: Siri can make you laugh as well as look up phone numbers or directions to the nearest location.
Con: You’ll waste your day away looking for what other cheeky “easter eggs” Apple has hidden within Siri’s mainframe.

12. Send as many pictures as you want by email
Previously, Apple only let users attach five photos per email. This is still kind of true but according to Mac Rumours if you use the copy and paste functions, you can include as many pictures as you like. You can also send pictures to emails using the text message app. Simply type in the email address, include a message, attach a picture and hit send.

Pro: No more email spam.
Con: Your tendency to get carried away is a good way to lose friends and irritate people by not knowing when to call it a day. Also watch your email size. The larger the email, the more data it will chew from your mobile plan.

13. Forget navigating. You don’t play by iPhone’s rules. Create your own custom gestures
Why should you have to swipe and select to get to where you need to go on your phone? By creating custom gestures iPhone will soon be replicating your favourite moves – like scrolling down - with just a tap on the screen.

Navigate to “settings”, “general”, “accessibility” and switch “assistive touch” to “on”.

Select “create new gesture” to record what swipe you want to replicate. Hit “save” and give it a name. Your gesture will now be stored in “favourites”.

So next time you’re about to read a huge essay, instead of all that scrolling you simply retrieve your gesture from “favourites” and tap the screen each time you want to move down.

You can do this for all your favourite moves.

Pro: Your phone will be more intuitive to your needs. Angry Birds fans can create a gesture to play the game for you, simply by creating the same kind of gesture you would to use the sling shot.
Con: It seems like an awful lot of steps to go through just to get your phone to scroll for you, for example.

source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/things-your-iphone-can-do-you-dont-know-about/story-e6freuy9-1226386268175

by Claire Connelly

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished Apple iPad - How to get the most out of your iPad - buyEtail.com

1. Take a screenshot

If you need a screenshot, whether it's to prove your high score in a new game or to send an important chart to the office, taking one is quick and easy. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button (on the top of the iPad, on the right-hand side) and the Home button at the same time. The screenshot will be added to your camera roll.

2. Multi-touch gestures

It won't have escaped your notice that the iPad is a touchscreen device but even those who have mastered swiping, tapping and pinching to zoom often don't know about some of the more complex controls. Turn them on in Settings - General - Multitasking Gestures and then try the following:

- Place four fingers on the screen and swipe upwards to reveal the multitasking bar; swipe down to close it again.

- Swipe left or right with four fingers to switch between apps

- Pinch four fingers together to close the running app and return to the homescreen. Do this very slowly and you can watch the animation as the app fades out and the homescreen fades in. Hours of fun.  Probably. Don’t forget a single-finger swipe up from the bottom reveals frequently used settings and from the top information about today.

3. Typing tricks

There are several ways to make typing easier on your iPad. Here are a few suggestions:

- Caps Lock: sometimes you need to type all in capitals and hitting Shift before each letter is a pain. Don't worry, Caps Lock is easy: make sure the Caps Lock function is turned on in Settings - General - Keyboard, and then double-tap either shift button whenever you are typing to turn on Caps Lock.

- Hidden punctuation: Apostrophes and speech marks can be fiddly on the iPad's virtual keyboard because they are tucked away on a second keyboard. Or so you would think. In fact, there are shortcuts to both on the main keyboard. Just tap and hold the exclamation mark to get an apostrophe and tap and hold the question mark for speech marks.

- Split the keyboard: It can be hard to type on the iPad when you are holding it in your hands. Apple has an option to make this slightly easier by allowing you to split the keyboard into two. Just place two fingers near the centre of the keyboard and drag them apart. The keyboard will split into two, smaller halves - one on each side of the screen - making it easier to hold the iPad in two hands and type with your thumbs.

- Shortcuts: If there are certain phrases, names or other terms that you type frequently, you can create shortcuts for them under Settings - General - Keyboard. Type "omw", for example, and the iPad will enter "on my way".

4. Parental controls

Children love iPads and there are some great apps available for children. However, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to control the things your children are able to do with your iPad. You might not want them to have unrestricted access to the web, for example, and it might be irritating if they delete your favourite apps. You certainly don't want to let them loose in the App Store if they're spending on your credit card. All of those things and more can be set within the Settings - General - Restrictions menu. Once set, the Restrictions settings are pin-protected so that only you can change them.

5. Tap titlebar to return to top

Scrolling all the way up to the top of a long page can be irritating. That's why Apple included a shortcut: just tap on the title bar at the top of the screen to automatically jump to the top. This should work across most apps, except for the odd perverse developer who opts to turn it off, thus condemning users to an irritating time swiping screen after screen. I'm looking at you, The New Yorker app.

6. Find text on a page

On a computer CTRL+F is a handy way to find a word or phrase on the page you're reading or in a document. You can do the same thing on an iPad too. Type the word or phrase you are looking for into the search box in the top and if it appears on the page then you will see an 'On This Page' section in the search results. Tap that to see the word highlighted on the page.

7. Conserve battery life

The iPad has pretty impressive battery life: but turning down the brightness (found in the Settings menu) will help, as will switching off 3G, or even going to Airplane mode completely when you don't need any connectivity. If you do need to stay connected, try fetching data less frequently (see Settings: Mail, Contacts and Calendars).

8. Airplay mirroring

One of the best features of the iPad is the ability to mirror the display to a television using AirPlay. You'll need an Apple TV connected to your television for this to work but assuming you have one of those, this is a handy trick for sharing photos with the family or just showing everyone that hilarious video of a skateboarding cat. Here's how it works: first, open the iPad's multitasking menu by swiping upwards with four fingers or double-tapping the home button, then swipe left. You'll see a range of player controls and, if your iPad is on the same WiFi network as an Apple TV, you'll see the AirPlay logo - a rectangle with a black triangle over the bottom edge. Tap that to mirror your screen.

9. Fast app switching

If you have followed the tips above then you will have seen this by now. Switching apps quickly is very easy. It's not necessary to close one app and then scroll through your apps to find the one you want. Just open the iPad's multitasking menu by swiping upwards with four fingers or double-tapping the home button. You'll see all of your recently opened apps. Scroll right and you'll see even more. Just tap the one you want to switch quickly. This is especially useful if you want to copy-and-paste between one app and another. Swipe one up to quite it.

10. Copy/Paste

This is a tremendously useful feature. If you need to copy text between, say, a document and an email, just tap and hold on the text you want to copy. The word you have tapped will be highlighted and you'll see a bar with a blue circle on it at each end of the word. Drag these bars to select the text you want and then tap 'copy'. Then go to the app you want to paste the text into, tap and hold and then hit 'paste'.

11. Access your home computer

This one costs a little money, but by downloading iTeleport, it means you can access your home computer from anywhere in the world through your iPad.

Control downloads, play music to the empty house to make potential burglars think you are home, email yourself files from your desktop.

The possibilities are endless, provided you leave the computer switched on of course.

12. Zoom

Want to see something close up, then this feature might be for you.

This feature sits in the accessibility folder under general settings. when turned on, double tap on the screen with three fingers to zoom into a spot.

To navigate around while zoomed in, drag three fingers around the screen.

And if things still are not magnified enough, then double tap again while zoomed in with three fingers before dragging them up or down. This will zoom you right in and out of the action.

13. Shake to undo

Made a mistake when typing and wish there was a handy undo button just like on your desktop word processor. Actually there is, but you have to get physical.

Simply pick up your iPad, hold it tightly and give it a rigorous shake. A box will flash up on the screen asking if you would like to undo the typing you have just inputted.

14. Triple click the home button

While most people know that a double click of the home button will bring up the multitasking bar, allowing you to access apps that are open, few will know about triple click.

Hidden in the accessibility menu in general setting, there is an option to turn on triple click.

You can then chose to activate a number of features when the round button at the bottom of the screen is pressed three times in quick succession.

These include the ability to invert the colours on the screen or to zoom. The iPad's VoiceOver function, which helps people with visual difficulties navigate around the screen, can also be activated in this way.

15. Find my iPad

Are you one of those forgetful people who leaves your portable technology lying around in rooms and then forgets where you put it? Then this feature is for you.

Turn it on in the iCloud settings and next time your iPad vanishes from the face of the Earth, log in to the iCloud on your nearest computer or phone with your iTunes details.

You can then ask your iPad to display a message telling any potential finder how to return it to you.

You can ask the iPad to play a sound that overrides any volume and mute settings. Have you found it yet?

There it is, buried under that stack of newspapers

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/10535026/How-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-iPad-15-top-tips.html

by Matt Warman, Richard Gray and Shane Richmond

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished iPhone 5 - Protect, power, and style your new iPhone 5S with these cases buyEtail.com

If you want to keep that shiny new iPhone looking pristine and sexy, then you need to grab yourself some decent protection. Whether you want something to match Apple’s stylish flagship design, something to safeguard it from accidents, or something to show off your personality, we’ve got you covered in this iPhone 5/5S case roundup. When it comes to accessories, the iPhone line has always inspired some imaginative entries, and the latest release is no exception. We’ve got unbreakable iPhone cases, gorgeous iPhone cases, retro iPhone cases – in short, we have an iPhone 5S case to suit everyone.

The majority of cases and covers that were designed for the iPhone 5 will fit the iPhone 5S as well because the two devices have exactly the same dimensions. You might run into trouble with the new dual-LED flash if the cut-out on the back of your case isn’t big enough – make sure you check on how well it fits on a 5S before you buy; user reviews often help.

LifeProof iPhone 5S Nuud Case ($90)

It’s tough to find a fully protective case that guards against drops, shocks, and even full submersion, but doesn’t add ridiculous bulk or restrict your use of the iPhone 5S. The Nuud case is designed to do just that. You’ll find that the touchscreen and the Touch ID feature work with the case on. There are also built-in buttons, and you can get full access to ports through covers that can be opened. It does muffle the microphone slightly, and it makes actions like opening the control center by swiping up from the bottom more difficult to pull off.

Mophie Space Pack ($150)

A CES 2014 award winner, this clever case from Mophie offers an extended battery rated at 1,700mAh and an extra 16GB or 32GB (add $30) of storage. Using the Mophie Space app you can back up your photos at the touch of a button, or store any other files you want in the case, freeing up space on your iPhone 5S. You can also plug it into your computer and drag and drop files as though it was a standard drive. Combine that with up to 100 percent extra battery life from the fully charged case and it’s a must-have. Check out our Mophie Space Pack review to learn more. It comes out in March.

Official Apple iPhone 5S case ($40)

Apple’s official case for the iPhone 5S is made from premium leather. There’s a microfiber lining on the inside, and the leather covers all your buttons. It feels expensive and it will safeguard your iPhone from scratches and dings. The case is available in brown, beige, black, yellow, blue, or red. It also has an impressively svelte form factor, and sports an Apple logo on the back.

TYLT Energi Sliding Power Case ($100)

We can all use a bit of extra power when we’re on the go and this battery case provides up to nine hours of additional talk time for your iPhone 5 or 5S. Considering it’s packing a 2500mAh battery, it manages to add minimal bulk, and it has a surprisingly slim design. There’s an interior protective case which you can slide in and out of the main battery case with ease. You’ll get a black one and a contrasting color option, so you can take your pick. The battery case also has an LED light to indicate charge and it comes with a power cable that also allows you to sync without removing the case. This is a well-designed bit of kit.

source:  http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-iphone-5-cases/#!biX2hi

by Simon Hill

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished Xbox - Xbox One review Year One: So far, so good - buyEtail.com

The Xbox One, Microsoft's one console to rule it all. Video games, TV, music and movies, everything you do in the living room short of sitting down.

It's a plan of great ambition, and possibly fractured focus. Is Microsoft taking on too much with one system?

That was the general reaction at E3 2013 when the Xbox One's cable TV integration and always on Kinect were revealed, all for a price tag that turned out to be $100 heavier than the PlayStation 4's. Sony went on to arguably win the show with some excellent counter-programming.

On November 22 the Xbox One pushed through the bad buzz with a launch lineup padded with installments from familiar franchises. Games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, Dead Rising 3, Assassins Creed: Black Flag IV and NBA 2K14 made sure the early adopters lined up at midnight would have something to play.

The real question is this: can the Xbox One overcome the mixed messaging, the now-canned 24-hour online dependence and the other potholes that had it stumbling out of the gate, and allowed Sony to win E3 2013 with some sharp counter-programming?

And can it live up to the legacy of the Xbox 360? For long stretches of the last console generation, the Xbox was king. While the Wii was everywhere, and millions of gamers and AV enthusiasts eventually picked up a PlayStation 3, for a while there the phrase "let's play some Xbox" was almost interchangeable with "let's play some video games."

It was the console that brought Xbox Live into maturity, setting the standard for the online experience on a gaming console. It taught couch gamers to tolerate the tech support look of a headset in exchange for voice communication, and that you get what you pay for: a year of Xbox Live Gold might have cost as much as a game, but the service was more robust than Sony's PSN.

We've recently seen Microsoft's master plan at E3 2014. More exclusives are trickling in like Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Forza Horizon 2, but we've yet to see a definitive reason to buy Microsoft over Sony in this console generation.

But updates are coming fast and furious. By this time next month users should have the ability to remotely start downloads on their Xbox Ones and real name sharing should be completely functional.

The Xbox One wants to be everything to everyone. Games, movies and music, its lofty ambition is to put all your entertainment in one box.

Does Xbox One truly make you master and commander of the living room, or is it all more trouble than it's worth? Allow us to break it down.

We liked

The Xbox One had the stronger launch lineup. We had a blast mulching hordes of zombies in Dead Rising 3. Ryse, on the other hand, was an excellent showcase for the system's graphical prowess. Forza Motorsport 5 is a visual feast with plenty of depth and pairs nicely with the Game DVR feature. In reality, both systems have a similar crop of third-party offerings, but the One's exclusive games feel more distinct and original.

Kinect is great for simple commands. Saving gameplay footage, quickly pausing a movie, answering a Skype call, all these features work smoothly and make for a convenient and fun interface. Kinect is also surprisingly good at hearing you over the TV.

Xbox One's gameplay video sharing is less locked down than the PS4's. Xbox One doesn't keep a running video archive like PS4, but it does grant you a lot more freedom with your footage. You can upload right to Skydrive, then download the an MP4 of the clip and do whatever you like with it. The PS4's sharing is limited to the PSN or Facebook, with no actual access to the file.

It's the best place to see TV alongside streaming media. Being able to perform a Bing search for a show and see when it will be on next as well as the places to rent or buy it is fantastic. While the Xbox One's media integration isn't perfect, there's no other system that brings this kind of service to your TV.

The interface is fast and customizable. The system comes out of standby in less than thirty seconds, and menus move as fast as you can manipulate them. We also loved the convenience of Pins, which let you keep almost anything just a click away.

source: http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/gaming/games-consoles/xbox-one-1153153/review#articleContent

by Nick Pino

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished Sony Playstation - PlayStation 4 is a fantastic next-gen console that's homing in on a must-have game - buyEtail

A lot has changed for the PS4 since its release back in November. We've recently updated this review to include information about the PS4's 1.7, 1.71 and 1.72 firmware updates. Original review by Alex Roth.

The battle for the living room isn't a cold war any longer. Sony's PlayStation 4 has gone thermonuclear, launching on store shelves9

Housing some of the most powerful hardware ever to sit before a television, Sony's new console is two sleek slabs of industrial design fused together for one purpose: living room dominance.

Since it was first announced at E3 2013, the PS4 has been in hot contention with Microsoft's Xbox One. When its rival stumbled with a now-reversed "always online" policy that had gamers fretting, Sony jumped at the chance to win hearts and minds and rack up pre-orders.

Manufacturer messaging aside, both systems have the same goal: to become your sole source for movies, music, TV and gaming. After a hefty day one patch, the PlayStation 4 will be begging for you to pack it to the gills with streaming media apps and any of its twenty-two launch titles, which range from mega-budget AAA titles to download-only indie darlings.

The PlayStation 4 is already seven months old, but is still short on AAA titles. Like the Xbox One, it came out of the gate with some solid multiplatform releases, mostly uprezzed last gen titles like Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, NBA 2K14 and Battlefield 4. As far as exclusives go, though, it really only has Killzone: Shadow Fall and Infamous: Second Son to brag about.

In an ideal world, every gamer would get to have both. The two consoles would share shelf space in living rooms worldwide, cats and dogs would frolic together, Apple and Android fans would laugh off their differences and everyone would have grown up with a pony.

The reality is that neither machine is cheap, and they're both vying for the same spot in your entertainment center, your heart and your hard-earned dollars. Even if you plan to eventually buy both, essential questions remain: what can the PS4 do that the new Xbox cannot, and vice versa? For the long and short of Sony's new system, read on, dear gamer, read on.

Design

One look at the PS4 and you know you're seeing Sony hardware. It's slim, sleek and jet black, roughly the size of a second generation PS3. The full measurements are 275 x 53 x 305 mm. It's a bit more compact than an Xbox One, which is longer and taller at 274 x 79 x 333 mm.

The PS4 is 6.1 lbs, about two MacBook Airs heavy. In a feat of engineering worth tipping your hat to, Sony has tucked the PS4's power supply inside the system, leaving no external power brick to trip over. Microsoft's system has held onto its power adapter, and weighs just a little bit more, tipping the scales at 7 lbs.

On its face is a slit of a mouth, a slot loading Blu-Ray disc drive free from the jutting and breakable disc tray of the Xbox 360. To its right are two powered USB 3.0 ports, which can charge your DualShock 4 controllers when the system is turned off, a feature the PS3 sorely lacked.

Sony claims that the PS4's overall performance is ten times that of the PS3. In an official FAQ, Sony also stated that the PS4's hard drive can be removed with a little tinkering, and can be replaced with a larger drive, or a solid-state drive for better performance. Sony says these do it yourself upgrades will not void the system's warranty.

With the PlayStation 4, Sony opened the door to the next generation of console gaming and put forth a serious challenge to Microsoft's Xbox One.

It's packed the system with future proof specs, improved the controller, lined up tons of great developer support and undercut the competition

We won't beat around the bush: it's a great machine. But is it worth diving into now, or should you wait for a that new Uncharted? Lets break it down.

We liked

Gaming on the PS4 is fantastic. The graphics are a big step up from last-gen consoles. It's not only the visuals, though, the performance of this machine is off the charts. There's hardly thirty seconds of loading time between the dozen launch titles we tested, and multiplayer sessions can get massive, like the 64 player showdowns on Battlefield 4.

The interface is fast too. Everything is speedy and responsive right from minute one, and the interface is full of clever design choices that speed things up. Games begin to install the second you pop in the disc, firmware updates download while the system is on standby and game patches do too if you have PS Plus.

The DualShock 4 controller is a significant upgrade. The most bothersome aspects of the DualShock 3 have been addressed, resulting in a comfortable controller that's more functional for games of all genres. The touchpad, while currently underused, is well built and nicely placed, the light bar makes player identification simple and the system can finally charge a controller while it's off or in standby.

PS Vita Remote Play works well over WiFi. Using it on a different network or 3G is a no-go, but being able to play Knack in bed or Killzone when someone else is using the TV was reliable and lag free over our home WiFi, plus a lot of fun.

The system looks great and has no power brick. On a purely aesthetic level, the PS4 is very cool. The asymmetrical design is striking, even if it makes it difficult to get at the rear ports, and it's also a restrained size. It makes you wonder how the Xbox One could be so massive and still have a power brick.

source: http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/gaming/games-consoles/sony-ps4-1131803/review#articleContent

by Nick Pino

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished Sony Playstations - Best Playstation Game - buyEtail

After years of changes both minor and major, the Assassin's Creed series had begun to feel in a rut. (For example: We'd had Assassin's Creed II on this list since its inception.) Finally this year, with the pirate-themed Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the series has taken a major and unequivocal step forward. It doesn't lose all of the series' bad habits—hello follow missions—but it improves many longstanding problems with better stealth, easier-to-navigate cities, and sidequests that actually feel like they help make your character more powerful. Best of all, it adds naval combat and a vast Caribbean overworld that make the game feel like, in the words of Luke Plunkett, "Wind Waker for grown-ups."

A Good Match For: Pirate fans; history buffs; anyone who's ever wanted to pull up alongside a British frigate, grab a rope and swing from one deck to the other before fighting your way up the deck to take on the captain. So basically, anyone who's ever wanted to be a pirate.

Not a Good Match For: Those who demand precision controls. The on-foot controls in Black Flag are probably the best of the series, but they're still a far cry from where a third-person stealth/platformer should be. It's time for a crouch button, Ubisoft.

source: http://kotaku.com/the-12-best-games-for-the-playstation-3-5877932

by Kotaku Staff

http://www.buyetail.com

Refurbished Microsoft Xbox - 6 Reasons to Buy the Xbox One Now, 6 Reasons Not To - buyEtail.com

The console barons must have a sadistic streak to launch with winter knocking and temperatures plummeting (I know, get out your violins and play me a song — I live in Michigan). If you’re a northerner like me and stood in line to pluck an Xbox One from its hidey-stack in some midnight-retailer’s backroom last night, I was up watching the launch events and wishing you an abundance of warmth.

With the Xbox One’s arrival (my review is here), the companies who made us wait seven or eight years for new hardware — take a bow with Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony — are finished marching their armies onto the field. It’s a very pretty field, for those that care about stuff like “procedural generation” and “ray-tracing with parametric surfaces” and four-figure resolutions that end in ‘p’, and like most launches, there’s not much else to care about at this point.

But the Xbox One is more than just a horsepower showcase, so the buy-or-don’t arguments are a little trickier. Last week we walked through a few reasons to buy or not buy Sony’s games-focused PlayStation 4. This week, let’s do the Xbox One version.

Starting with the pros:

Three words (or two and a number): Forza Motorsport 5.

I’m not a race sim guy, but I’m smitten with Forza 5, though not for the reasons you’d guess, e.g. hundreds of gorgeous cars bolting around photorealistic courses at 1080p and 60 frames per second. You see, Turn 10′s snuck a little A.I.-related feature into the game it calls Drivatars. Before you stick your finger down your throat — and yes, that is a corny portmanteau — hear me out.

Drivatars are computer-controlled racers that learn to drive based on how you or your friends drive. After they’ve assimilated your driving quirks, they’ll head off to Xbox-land and race on your behalf in friends’ races (and vice versa in yours). As I wrote in my impressions piece: “Drivatar behavior isn’t anything like as generalized or random as I worried it might be; it’s discernibly specific, repeatable (just restart a race to see this) and in that sense, crucially, predictable. Scrutinize these behaviors, whether during a race or outside one (in replay mode) and you’re suddenly formulating how to approach each Drivatar tactically, how to use other cars in a hairpin turn (or coming out of one), exploiting a Drivatar’s quirks and miscalculations.”

You’re committed to cable/satellite TV.

And, crucial corollary here, you want to control your TV box with your voice and never have to switch inputs again, all your content harmonized by a single media-juggling master appliance (that happens to include a slot-loading Blu-ray player). The Xbox One is a cable/satellite signal vacuum: plug your TV box’s HDMI cable in (it has to be HDMI — RF won’t do) and presto, your provider’s been assimilated by a glorified IR blaster. The best part? The ease and speed with which the Xbox One’s Windows 8-style interface multitasks, swinging from game to TV show to browser and back effortlessly.

SmartGlass second-screen gaming.

No one’s said much about this Wii U GamePad-like feature, perhaps because it’s more intrepid than most realize: a few of the Xbox One’s launch games lack essential features when played standalone on the console. If you want to see those features, say metrics like where you’re at in a game’s collectible hunt, you’ll have to add a second screen: an iOS or Android or Windows RT/8 device running Microsoft’s free SmartGlass app.

The downside is that these games aren’t really standalone games (and Microsoft’s not making this clear, which is a problem); the upside, if you buy the second screen argument, is that you’ll actually use that second screen, accessing crucial information simultaneous to playing a game.

You want the Star Trek version of next-gen.

Microsoft sold a lot of first-gen Kinects to whimsy-struck buyers, but the novelty motion-tracking sensor fell off gamers’ radars in recent years, grabbing media attention more for eccentric Windows-side hacks like battling Jedi-bots or playing dress-up with yourself.

Kinect for Xbox One is a different animal: a more responsive, broadly integrated, deterministic animal. If you want to leave your TV remote parked in a drawer and speak your way through the whole interface, Forza 5 to Doctor Who, this finally does that. Not perfectly, mind you, but reliably enough to make it faster in virtually all circumstances than reaching for something with buttons.

You love Windows 8′s Metro interface.

Welcome to your tile-driven Windows future, a melange of colorful, orthogonal slabs that slide around like one of those picture-block puzzles. If you’re a Windows 8 or RT fan, you’ll be right at home here.

You’re certain consoles have a future.

You like tablets, and smartphones, and maybe even own one. But you’re not convinced tablets and smartphones will ever surpass set-top machines for sheer oomph — that, and you see this all as complementary, mobile and stationary devices living in peace and harmony.

And now the cons:

You hate Windows 8′s Metro interface.

Do you prefer OS X or Windows? iOS or Android? Interfaces matter — they’re not just cosmetic overlays you shrug past as you might have when the trickiest part about loading a game in a console involved blowing across its connector pins. The Xbox One’s Metro interface is a busy, busy beast, littered with squares and rectangles and its own unique modus operandi for getting around.

It’s also a secretive beast, hiding things you might otherwise expect to have access to, say how much free space your 500GB hard drive has remaining (obscured, says Microsoft, to streamline your experience, i.e. don’t worry, be happy…until the low-space klaxons start going off). If you want old-school visibility into every facet of the Xbox One’s architecture, or can’t stand Metro, this one could be a deal-breaker.

You don’t care about cable/satellite TV.

Hello cord-cutters, the Xbox One’s TV-watching features are utterly meaningless to you. Yes, Netflix and Hulu Plus and Amazon are present and accounted for, but that selling point — plugging an HDMI cable/satellite box into the Xbox One and driving everything monolithically — has precisely zero cachet if you’re not set up for TV (or you’re using an RF-only TV box).

Forza 5 aside, there’s no must-have game here.

I might buy an Xbox One on Forza 5‘s merits alone, but nothing else leaps out here, including what I’ve played ofRyse: Son of Rome (not bad, but not great), Crimson Dragon (terrible controls) and Dead Rising 3 (again, not bad, but not great). You could almost make an argument for Killer Instinct, but then you’d have to be pretty into Killer Instinct to drop $500 for that alone.

If you’re thinking multi-platform, there’s Assassin’s Creed IV, hands-down the strongest launch lineup game on both consoles, and the respective sports titles, but they’re available for the Xbox 360 and PS3, too, and nothing I’ve heard about the next-gen version upticks in parameters like physics or A.I. come anywhere near must-have buy status.

$500 is $500.

For this, you could buy a new iPad Air, or pamper yourself at a posh bed and breakfast, or pick up a PlayStation 4 plus a game or two, or just bank the money for a rainy day. When all’s said and done, your outlay for games and accessories is probably going to approach $600 or $700 with the Xbox One, which is pricey business in this age of powerful computing for cheap.

A 500 GB storage ceiling sounds a little cramped in 2013.

Sony lets you upgrade the PS4′s hard drive at leisure, just as it did the PS3′s. Being able to upgrade your storage space is a big deal. Your PC lets you. Valve’s Steam Machines will let you. But the Xbox One won’t let you, or ifiFixit has this right, it will, but you’ll void your warranty doing so. The Xbox One may support external storage through its USB ports down the road, but that’s just speculation: at launch, you’re stuck with 500 GB.

You see consoles as dinosaurs in the shadow of mobile’s killer asteroid.

The day may be coming when annually (and sometimes semi-annually) refreshed tablets and mobile phones catch up to static set-tops (or outright bypass them). That, and there’s gaming in the cloud to consider, say someone figures out how to stream games and video with pristine fidelity, no compression and zero meaningful latency, at which point devices become dumb terminals — cheap portals into a mainframe-like universe of content.

(MORE: Watch TIME’s behind the scenes coverage of the Xbox One Launch Event)

source: http://techland.time.com/2013/11/22/6-reasons-to-buy-the-xbox-one-now-6-reasons-not-to/

by Matt Peckham

Refurbished Sony Playstations - What should I buy for a gaming console - buyEtail.com

There are many factors to consider when shopping for a next generation console and finding the right one for you could be a little tricky, even for an experienced gamer.  This review will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each system and make recommendations depending on your interests and budget. 

HARDWARE

Let's start with Hardware.  The Nintendo Wii hardware specifics are not strongly publicized, probably because they are not very impressive.  In fact, the Wii hardware is almost identical to the Gamecube hardware of old.  The Xbox 360 Premium hardware includes a 20 GB hard drive and High Definition (HD) support.  The 360 is much more powerful than the Wii but still not nearly as powerful as the Playstation 3 which includes a 60 GB hard drive as well as HD support.  There are plenty of specific numbers that measure the power of the three machines, but I won't go into detail about them here.  What I will tell you is what the differences in hardware are going to mean to you as a gamer. 

Most importantly, better hardware means better pictures.  The 360 has some very sharp images and the PS3 images are also extremely crisp and lifelike.  Both require an HD television (HDTV) to really get the most out of the picture.  The Wii does not support HDTV and has a much weaker hard drive.  This means the pictures will not be much better than the Gamecube or PS2 and maybe not even be as good as the original Xbox.  Another thing to consider about hardware is the loading time for games between levels and starting up new games.  The better the hardware, the shorter your waiting time will be.  Finally, the better the hardware, the more complex artificial intelligence the system will be able to support.  This means that computer allies and opponents in the games will act more quickly and with more intelligence during gameplay.

CONTROLLERS

The next issue to consider are the controllers for the systems.  Both the PS3 and the 360 have very similar controllers to previous consoles.  There have been little changes except that the wireless controllers are becoming much more popular.  The Wii has taken drastic measures in terms of their controller and this is where the Wii really shines.  The Wii controller looks much like a television remote and is motion sensitive.  Instead of controlling the gameplay with dual analog sticks, buttons, and triggers, players will wave, point, and swing the controller to control what's happening on screen.  Nintendo hopes to attract people who have little or no previous video game experience, by producing a controller that is simple, intuitive, and easy to use.  At the same time, veteran gamers will find plenty to enjoy with the Wii-mote controls.

ONLINE PLAY

Online gaming is a very important issue to compare when choosing which system is right for you.  Xbox live requires a $50 fee for an annual membership that allows you to connect with players around the world.  The PS3 doesn't require a fee which is a major advantage.  The Wii online service will be free as well, but very few Wii games support online play.  

BACKWARD COMPATIBLE

Backwards compatitibility is on the minds of many gamers who already have a library of games from previous consoles.  Backwards compatibility means that a new system will be able to play games from an old system.  The PS3 will be fully compatible with PS1 and PS2 games.  The 360 is backwards compatible with most Xbox games, however, you must first download an emulator for each game before you can play.  The Wii will be fully compatible with all Gamecube games.  Additionally, the Wii allows users to download classic games from older Nintendo consoles for a small price ranging from five to ten dollars.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Each console has unique strengths that come into play when deciding which system to buy.  Because the 360 has been out the longest, it has the largest selection of tried and true games.  Also, because was released a year earlier than the Wii and PS3, you can find 360 systems and games with much more significant discounts than other next-gen consoles here on eBay.  The PS3 and 360 both have the ability to play DVD's unlike the Wii which is important for many people.  Additionally, the PS3 will play Blu-Ray DVD's which have a much more crisp image than standard DVD's.  The Wii comes pre-packaged with Wii sports which includes five different sports games. 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Review and recommendations:  The 360 and PS3 are primarily for experienced, serious gamers.  The games tend to be geared towards adult audiences, as do the price tags.  The Wii is better suited for young or first time players and is much more affordable.  However, there are many features of the Wii that will appeal to veteran gamers.  If you don't have the ability to connect to the internet you will miss a lot of the experience the PS3 and 360 have to offer through their vast online communities.  Likewise if you don't have an HDTV, you will not be tapping into the full potential of a PS3 or 360 system.  If you fall into both of the previous categories I would recommend the Wii.  If you are on a budget, but have access to HDTV and the internet, the 360 is a good choice.  You'll have a variety of games to choose from and secondhand prices are much lower for the 360 than the other two systems.  If this is your first video game console, you ought to start out with the Wii.  Even if you are an experienced gamer and want to try something new, the Wii is a great fit.  If you have already amassed a huge collection of games that you are very fond of, stick with the same system in the next generation because you'll be able to play your old games on the new system. 

Finally, it's important to be patient.  The longer you wait, the better deal you'll get on your system and games.  The longer you wait, the better selection you will have available in terms of game variety.  The longer you wait, the less chance you have of purchasing a system with bugs, defects, or problems of any kind.  Fortunately, it's hard to make the wrong choice.  All three systems of the next generation are amazing and if you aren't happy with the one you buy for any reason, you'll be able to sell it on ebay for about what you paid for it (if not more).

source: http://www.ebay.com/gds/Should-You-Buy-a-Sony-PS3-Nintendo-Wii-or-Xbox-360-/10000000002358846/g.html

http://www.buyetail.com

Apple iPhone 5s Refurbished - Disable auto app updates; manually update at your convenience - buyEtail

Disable auto app updates; manually update at your convenience

iOS 7 will now update your apps and music in the background. If you're connected to Wi-Fi networks (or the cellular network), your apps will remain up to date without bugging you. But this consumes data and power, and should be restricted for when you're free to plug in your iPhone to charge.

Tap the Settings icon, scroll down to iTunes & App Store and turn off the Updates and Appssettings. Another quick power (and data) saving tip: You can allow updates when you're on Wi-Fi only by deselecting Use Cellular Data at the same time.

Image: ZDNet

source: http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-improve-your-iphones-battery-life-updated-for-ios7_p4-7000014902/#photo

by Zack Whittakar

http://www.buyetail.com

Apple iPhone 5s Refurbished - Limit apps from churning up data, power in the background - buyEtail

Limit apps from churning up data, power in the background

You can now limit which dormant apps download data, and therefore consume power, in the background. For instance, while it may be useful for a mapping app to provide you with up-to-the-minute turn-by-turn directions on the road, you may not want other apps, such as the Stocks app, to update if you're not particularly interested in the financial market.

To change this setting, tap through to Settings > General > Background App Refresh, then deselect apps that you do not want to update in the background when they're not in use.

Image: ZDNet

source: http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-improve-your-iphones-battery-life-updated-for-ios7_p3-7000014902/#photo

by Zack Whittaker

http://www.buyetail.com

Apple iPhone 5 Refurbished - Saving you Battery Life - buyEtail.com

Making the most out of your iPhone's battery (updated for iOS 7)

AirDrop is now available for iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c devices running iOS 7, allowing you to share files and photos with friends and colleagues over the air when they are in close proximity. But its use can take a heavy toll on your battery, particularly when AirDrop is in "discoverable" mode.

Simply swipe up from your home screen to bring up the Control Center, then tap AirDrop. SelectOff when you're not using it.

Image: ZDNet

source: http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-improve-your-iphones-battery-life-updated-for-ios7-7000014902/
by Zack Whittakar

http://www.buyetail.com

Buy Refurbished Apple iPad and iPhones - Happy 4th of July - buyEtail.com

Happy 4th July

Refurbished Apple iPad - iPad apps for back to school - buyEtail.com

If you are a student with an iPad or are about to send one back to school these apps will go a long way to help keep on top of things once the school year starts. There are apps that help keep track of a busy class schedule and help prevent assignments from falling through the cracks.

There is an app that can replace those expensive graphing calculators, and another that makes learning elements a thing of joy. One of the apps helps get rid of big, heavy textbooks and put them right inside the iPad.

Some of the apps are free and most just a few bucks so no breaking the bank.

Quick Graph+: Your Scientific Graphing Calculator

This app puts a full graphing calculator inside the iPad. It has an equation editor that makes it as easy as can be to get the information in the calculator and then solve them with full 2D and 3D graphing.

Commonly used equations can be stored for retrieval and graphics can be saved to the photo library on the iPad.

From the developer:

Features:

- Unlimited graphs.

- VGA Output.

- 2D - 3D equation plotting.

- Library for commonly used equations.

- Wireframe and solid visualization.

- Support for cartesian, polar, cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems.

- Pinch to zoom.

- Drag to rotate - move.

- Swipe to delete equations from the equation list.

- Shake to reset view to original state, or to clear entry fields.

- Double tap to change visualization modes.

- Enhanced 2D mode for great hi-res graphics.

- Adaptive 2D algorithms.

- Enhanced 3D mode with better graphics.

- In-app email so you can share graphics and equations.

- Save to photo library.

- Copy to clipboard.

- Enhanced equation visualization.

- Hyperbolic and Inverse functions.

- Special functions such as Min, Max, if.

- Interactive expression evaluation.

- Implicit graphs and inequalities.

- 2D tracing.

- 2D independent axis scaling.

- Labels and notes for library entries

- Roots and Intersections

- Value Table

- Turn graphs on/off.

The Elements: A Visual Exploration

Every student has to study the periodic table at some point, and The Elements is a fantastic way to do so. The table is presented in an animated fashion that presents lots of information about each element when tapped.

This app is one of the best on the iPad and shouldn't be missed.

From the publisher:

Go to each element's second page and you find a fascinating story about the element, surrounded by carefully photographed objects representing it. Every one of these objects, well over 500 in total, is a freely rotatable, live object that you can examine from all sides and pinch zoom to see in unprecedented detail.

Touch the element name at the top of the page and you can see that element’s name in over a dozen different languages. Choose one and you’ll find that the entire book, stories, captions and all, switches to that language: The Elements includes both the full English original text and over a dozen full translations.

Pinch-zoom or tap any object to bring it up full screen, where you can split into a pair of stereo 3D images. Using inexpensive 3D glasses you can see all 500 objects pop off the screen in 3D, and you can spin the objects, in 3D, with the touch of a finger. You can’t get much more virtually real than that.

Price: $13.99

source: http://www.zdnet.com/10-ipad-apps-for-back-to-school_p3-7000019295/#photo

by James Kendrick

http://www.buyetail.com