Help Desk: Location Services Not Working (Apple Handheld Devices)

Have you ever been in an Apple situation where your Maps, your Apps and your whole device can't find your location? I have found a solution that doesn't require extensive methods.

The following HELP DESK Article is tested for WI-FI only devices i.e. iPod Touch, iPad 2, the new iPad with Retina Display and iPad Mini

Before anything else, you should start with troubleshooting:

1. Is my device connected to the internet?
2. Is my device's location services turned on?
3. Is my device jailbroken*?
4. Is my device updated?
5. Is my WiFi router on?
6. Is my WiFi set for determining location?

*Jailbroken devices have a different baseband. An update, backup and restore is recommended before proceeding to the next steps. 

Make sure you check all of these settings first before you do the next steps.

If everything has been cleared and is working properly, proceed with these next steps.

1. Perform a Hard Reset on the device. You can do this by simultaneously pressing the Power button and the Home button until the Apple logo appears. 
   
2. Once the normal screen appears (slide to unlock), proceed to Settings
3. From here: Settings>General>Reset>Reset Location and Services>Warnings**>Reset
4. After this one. Reset or Shut Down the device.
   
5. Turn it back on and wait for it to Start up.

If the above steps don't work, try updating and restoring the iPad before resuming the second set of steps. If it still doesn't work, proceed to Apple Care stores.

Some causes of a malfunctioning location services are:

1. WiFi Router problems (please refer to Apple's recommended routers for better functioning)
2. Prolonged use of the device without Shut Downs or Restores.
3. Jailbreaking messes up internal configurations.

Feel free to ask or recommend better solutions if this has not worked for you.

Thank you and Good Day!

xoxo

thejanraphaelbc

Gaming: The Last of Us™ Review

Before I begin, let me just point out that this review will come from a medical perspective. Although we all know that The Last of Us™ is a fictional game, I can't help but overlook it's potential in happening in the real world. Another thing is that not only does it show the emotional levels that might occur in an apocalypse like this one, but it also shows the issues that might arise. What we so call MORALS, will not always justify how we act in a post apocalyptic world.

Post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world. That's the kind of movies and TV Shows we keep seeing nowadays. They all pertain to similar topics, that is, "What are you willing to do to survive?" or "We found a cure, we can save humanity" or another one that is, "We need to move on, we have to find a place where there are people alive." These topics are seen in almost all of those zombie flicks and shows. Yes, we add some drama to spice it up, but it doesn't really tackle the issues we will face, such as, "What is happening to the world?" or "What should I do?" because we are not really in that position. But our dear developers from Naughty Dog had something very different up their sleeve. This time, it addresses the possible MORAL issues that will come in a post-apocalyptic world and this time, you get to play the part.

Help Desk: Laptop vs. Ipad

Ever-since these Tablet PCs got released in the markets, people would often ask "Which should I get? Will I get a new laptop or a new iPad/Tablet?". It often happens that there are lot's of blogs and forums that don't really offer necessary "HELP" to these consumers. Sometimes they only tell people what to buy because for them it's the "HOT" thing to buy and use right now.

"Which one should I get?"

I've been working around computers my entire life and even learned how to use a DOS programming (I'm that old?) and what I can say right now is that in order for us to answer that question, we will have to narrow down the PROs and CONs for each Gadget. I will also not be biased in terms of the specs of devices and would be generalizing terms for iPads, Samsung Galaxy Tab, or other related devices as Tablets.

The TABLET (iPad, iPad mini, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab, Blackberry PlayBook, etc)

The Advantages:

1. Portable, Lightweight, Easy to Carry, Comes in 7", 9" etc.
    The Tablets come in small, weightless packages, no matter how thin or thick it is, it's still small enough to fit in my bag and I can carry it around the mall, to school, to the office, in the plane, without many people noticing that I am actually carrying a Tablet PC in my bag. I can use it anywhere.
2. Touch My Body, Do it on the Screen
     Maybe it's easier maybe it's not but touchscreen actually makes browsing emails hassle free. No more dragging no more mouse-clicking, no more keyboard sounds. Touching just the way I like it.
3. No More Messy Spaghetti tangled cords
     Having a tablet will give you less cords, connections unless you are charging or needing to plug it and Sync. But other than that, who needs a cord when there's Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, etc.?
4. Apps come in all shapes and sizes, but also their Prices.
     Nevermind having to pay for the apps, it's the functionality at the touch of your finger. There's the Apple Store, the Google Play Store or even the Windows Live Store.
5. No WiFi, No Worry because I have 3G.
     Internet needed? you actually don't need to hook up to a WiFi hot spot  You can use your Data connection even on the most remote island (provided there is cellular signal)

The Disadvantages

1. Where's my printer when I need one?
     Having a tablet means everything but you will also need a WiFi capable or Bluetooth capable Printer for this one.
2. The App store can't provide
     Yes, the App store has tons of Apps but it doesn't really give you the document creating essentials and of course Flash is not supported that much (unless you are using Google Devices or Windows devices) so how do you get to watch your streaming sites?
3. A Full pledged document reader but lacks the capabilities of a creator
     Word, Powerpoint, Excel. We may have Apple creating Documents but they don't really support all types of documents.
4. Where are my Drives when I need them?
     USB Ports, CD/DVD/BluRay Burner, LAN, SD Reader, HDMI, most are not available when using a Tablet PC
5. Games are strictly Apps
     Gone are the moments when we hook our Xbox Controller and play our favorite PC Games. All are strictly touch games.
     P.S. Emulating is not really the same
6. Less Storage
     You have a limited storage. You will not be able to expand unless you buy another. Store it on cloud drives you say? It's hard to trust that files are not being monitored.

The Powerful Laptop (Operating in Lion OSX, Windows PC, etc.)

The Advantages:

1. The Complete Non-Desktop Package
     Of course you will have to look at the specs to know what a best laptop is but narrowing it down, It must have USB ports (3.0), DVD/Bluray Burner/Player, WiFi and Bluetooth (what laptop doesn't have this?), LAN, HDMI Port/s, SD Card Readers, a good Screen that has a good VideoCard for your HD Movies and Games, the Gaming Chips, built in webcam, Audio ports, multi-touch trackpads and many more. giving you a desktop on the go. Maybe you could choose a touch screen PC, too.
2. OS Doesn't matter as long as programs Run
     Whichever you prefer, The Microsoft Office or the Mac Office, It can read, write, create, decode, process documents faster and all in one. They maybe more expensive than  Apps but has much more capabilities. You're not limited to Adobe Flash data, because it can read everything and even create Flash data of your own. Browsers won't fail you anymore and you have a variety to choose from.
3. No Limited Memory
     You Have your gb/tb External HDD, you have your USB Flash drives, you have your MicroSD Cards. Expand your built in memory by buying upgrades.
4. Connect all your devices
     Face it. No device may work limitless unless you have a PC to sync its contents. Even with the Tablets, Smartphones, DSLRs, you will need a laptop.
5. Faster Everything
     Processors, Internet, Programs, everything works 3x faster or even more. And your movies, no matter what you say, it's faster and clearer on the big screen. 1080p Baby!

The Disadvantages

1. Spaghetti, and It's Not Even Edible
     All those cords get tangled up unless you do something about it. And there's the fact that all my external HDD have different cables, so much for minimum working space
2. Are You Carrying a Slab of Rock?
     Laptops are just heavy (unless you opt for a notebook minus all the drives) and let's face it, It's like carrying the stones that Moses was carrying. Then you have to bring your charger, your external drives, your mouse, your cords. I feel like a weightlifter.
3. OMG, There are no available Hotspots!
     Emergency email sending or other emergency tweets, posts can't be done without a WiFi (unless you add another device such as a broadband stick or a MiFi)
4. How do I install This?
     It's really not as easy as Purchase this App and voila, it's magically installed, no, you have to buy a software, plug it in, install it, choose from the menu and stuff, then something goes terribly wrong and I have to re-install or reboot.

Now we see what the fuzz is all about. But, I'm sure of one thing. It's better to have multiple devices than none at all. The world we are living in is very fast paced and technological. We have to cope otherwise the kids start saying that we live in the ancient times. And it's really nice to have these things because we prepare ourselves for the future.

Conclusion:

Laptop or Tablet

If I were to choose, given my opinion, A tablet can never replace a laptop because the laptop has everything. And I'm gamer, I play my games for the Long Run. It will still be up to you to choose. But given the circumstances  I will tell you something, I have an iPad, a Tablet (Alcatel), a Laptop (Acer Aspire), a Smartphone (Samsung), a Mobile phone (Nokia) so really, It's better to have more than one than to have nothing at all.

Enjoy your shopping,

xoxo thejanraphaelbc

The Next Generation Pokemon

And the news are out! But before I head on to the big news of Pokemon, let's have a little recap of what is in the Pokemon world so far.

1. We have the generation V Pokemon, having a grand total of 649 Pokedex entries, including the 15+ Pokemon with different formes, a lot of Pokemon with multiple evolution types and the babies and legendaries that everyone knows about.
2. We have 5 (canonical) regions of Pokemon which are Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova
3. We have the WiFi battles, GTS, Dreamworld as added bonus to the recent Pokemon Games
4. Stories are getting much more interesting and dramatic
5. Badges are looking more and more awesome per region
6. I was wondering when the Ruby and Sapphire remake will be announced.
7. Who could forget, Ash's Pikachu still loses considering he's been to 5 different regions already :)

We have gone through the Pokemon world as it moves on and now, we meet the Generation 6 Pokemon Starters. This news was announced yesterday (01/08/13) via Nintendo Direct all over the world. Let's meet the next Genaration:

And of-course, we have these new wonderful trailers to show:

The game titles are Pokemon X and Pokemon Y respectively. This game will be released solely for the Nintendo 3DS system and will feature full 3D experience of the Pokemon. No more of those 2D stuff with 3D backgrounds, we get to enjoy these games at their full 3D glory. These games will hit the stores October of this year. Beyond that, we can't wait for more announcements. Let's hope that these games turn out better than our dear Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 which are already awesome.

and with that, I'm out. Keep checking out my blog for more Pokemon announcements and more game stuff. Stay happy and Happy 2013!

P.S.

I really hate the frog looking thing but I really love that fox ;)

xoxo thejanraphaelbc

Finals! Pokémon World Championships (決勝! ポケモンワールドチャンピオンシップス) - Pokemon B2W2 Super Music Complete