Those quotes above are from some of the most well-respected technical news sites around today. What they were saying was true, but it’s not anymore. With costs for iPhone 5 glass replacements ranging anywhere from $199 for a cheap repair to over $300 for a repair by a quality, trusted repair shop – the idea of fixing a broken iPhone 5 was ludicrous.

What does MarketWatch, BGR and Geek all have in common? They all agree that the cost of parts is why the iPhone 5 costs so much to get it fixed. It’s quite simple really; the OEM screens are sold at a premium, with the number available being low, which causes the repair shops to drive the price up to actually make any profit.

Almost one out of every three iPhone users will damage their phone this year... You read that right, think of how many people you know that have an iPhone. It’s an epidemic, and Repair Shops are beginning to refuse iPhone 5’s for repair because they’re not profitable for them.

What is the point of dropping that much money, when you could go out and practically buy a replacement phone for that? In the ideal world, you could have your cake, and eat it too, but that’s not the case, until now.

Is The Price Right For Repairs?

Look around the web; you’ll still see prices varying wildly, with a lot of the cheaper options being from repair shops that don’t have a solid, credible reputation. The cheapest option available to the public right now is through Apple themselves, who recently announced that they will be repairing iPhone 5 glass for $150 per unit, which is substantially less than the 3^rd party shops.

The problem with going through Apple is the hassle of finding an Apple Store, scheduling an appointment to get the phone in, and then having to wait even longer while they do a full system quality check before fixing the screen. Is the price great? Sure, but it doesn’t make it any more convenient.

Try, Try, Again

Seeing how the Industry was taking such a large hit from the cost of parts with this new generation of phones, the Research and Development Department here at RepairLabs began work on a new, revolutionary process that would completely change the repair business as we know it. To this point, they’ve put over 100 hours into this new process.

Most companies are willing to stand idly by and only replace a handful of iPhone 5 screens each month because of the cost of the parts alone, but we weren’t satisfied with just replacing the part at a huge premium to the customer. Instead, we took the time to learn the ins and outs of the iPhone 5, what makes it such an expensive device to repair, what the common issues were, and how we could work to bring the best service available to you at a more manageable price.

Where We Are Now

It’s with great joy that I bring to you today the news that not only has our R&D Department figured out what is needed to fix the iPhone 5 instead of replace the broken screen, but also a way to do it at a price that our competitors just cannot match.

With our new specially designed RepairLabs process, we’re able to fix your iPhone 5 glass for a fraction of the cost of our competitors, while bringing you the highest quality repair possible, which is what RepairLabs has always been known for.

Our process we call the RepairLabs Ecto-Dynamic System makes it possible for us to bring you iPhone 5 glass repairs for $139, with quality that will rival any Companies replacement screens or repairs.

Please note people that the version of iOS 7 used within this post is the beta developer’s version, and that the final product may differ from what you’re about to see.

Ok for those of you didn’t hear or are living under a rock with poor internet reception, yesterday Apple announced the new iOS 7, among many other things. iOS has been criticized for a long time now for being the same with every “new” iteration. What was Apple’s answer to this? Why to pretty much blow up the look of the operating system and rebuild it.

We here at RepairLabs have gotten our hands on the new beta version of iOS 7, and are here to give you a full rundown of our thoughts and opinions on it up to this point.

The results are mixed, at best. I personally dislike the whole look. It’s like Apple thought to themselves “WWAHD?” or “What would a hipster do?” This was the result. Now for the sake of being fair, I got past my initial disgust of the design and utilized the new features to test out the actual functionality of the new iOS.

iOS 7 Design

From a design standpoint, my feelings are pretty clear. I don’t like the new look at all. The icons all have a bright, colorful vector feel to them that I feel is far too hipster for the phone’s own good. Nothing else really changed when it comes to design for the icons. You still have the standard layout with the app rows and the main functions at the bottom.

The lock screen is one of those interesting changes. It’s essentially identical to its predecessor in how it functions, but it now looks nearly identical to a handful of Android phones.. Very interesting.

When it comes to additions to the design, this is where Apple has made improvements. With the new slide down menus on the top and bottom, which are called the Control Center and the Navigation Center, along with the redesigned unlock screen, we get the feeling that Apple has been watching the competition closely while working on this latest version.

The slide down from the top gives you access to the Navigation Center, which houses your calendar and the stock market widget. I find them to be an odd combination, but having instant access to your calendar is a handy feature.

Sliding the screen from the bottom up gives you the Control Center, much like the top bar of an Android phone. From here you can change your general settings such as WiFi and whatnot, below that is the media player, brightness, and a few of the essential apps; flashlight, (handy) stopwatch, calculator, and camera.

You may have noticed that the search page is now gone. Replacing it is this new frustrating feature where you have to do an angled swipe down to pull down the search. It feels silly and they should have left it be. You know that they say, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

Also note that you can now voice search, much like Android phones.

iOS 7 Functionality

This is where Apple impressed me. The aesthetic changes were an extremely mixed bag, but the functionality changes were across the board positives. The speed to open apps is unrivaled at this point, and the way it pulls you into the app instead of simply opening it is a nice touch.

I felt that in general the phone was a lot more snappy and quick while moving from app to app. The only issue I’ve had functionality wise is that Siri is currently broken. Now I don’t know if this is because of the phone or the update, and am not going to hold it against Apple right this very moment, but it is an issue that is apparent as this time.

iOS 7 Apps

While I’ll show you the difference in design for a lot of the apps, the only two apps that seem to function differently are the camera and the music player.

iTunes Radio – This is the music player that iPhone users have deserved for a long time. It’s clean and simple and runs really well. I love the design of it, and found navigating through it was a breeze.

Camera – The camera is essentially the same, Apple just made a handful of thoughtful additions to it, including the ability to add filters on the fly, like Instagram, but not… Instagram..

iOS 7 New Features

Parallax effects and a new App Cleaning function are really the highlights of the new features at this time. I’m sure as we get further into development Apple will add more new features, including access to Airdrop, which I couldn’t use at this time.

Parallax Effects – Ok, these are silly and unnecessary, but dang-it they look cool! With the parallax, you get the effect of depth with your screen, which is compounded by the fact that the background shifts and skews as you twist and turn the phone, really adding to the depth effect.

App Cleaning – Goodness, I honestly can’t believe it has taken Apple this long to implement a quality app cleaning function. The App Cleaning function that Android and Windows use are extremely intuitive; and the Apple version is no different. Flinging apps up causes them to close-out, helping to conserve your battery life and improve overall performance.

Conclusion

The Good – Speedy, Intuitive and finally adding features that the other OS’s have had for a long time now. New iTunes Radio and App Cleaning functions are handy and feel like they should have been introduced a few iterations ago.

The Bad – Vector.. Really, Apple? The feel of the new colors and icons is extremely hipster and may turn off more serious or mature users. I still would like to see widgets instead of just little app bubble icons.

The Ugly – Why is Siri broken?? On top of that the phone runs extremely hot with this new update. We’re not talking thermal meltdown, but rather uncomfortable in the hand after 30-45 minutes of use.

Other Thoughts – I feel that Apple really hasn’t take a huge leap forward with this new “revolutionary” iOS 7 update. Yes, it’s an upgrade on iOS 6, I’m not denying that – BUT where is the features that have become common-place with the competition that Apple still lacks?

The design is silly in my opinion, but the speed and functionality increases make this a worthwhile upgrade. We can only hope that it gets better as it gets closer to release.

How varying are opinions on the new iOS so far? Well check out some thoughts from the RepairLabs staff. And remember, the next time you break your iPhone or need to get your iPad repaired, to think of your friends here at RepairLabs! 

Taylor ~ Lead Repair Technician - It's ugly.. The flat bright colors for the icons just looks flat out stupid. I'm definitely going to Android. 

Jason ~ I.T. Manager - I don't understand why they went away from the old icons, there was nothing wrong with them. The new parallax effects are cool, but the icons are bad. 

Brittany ~ Nobody Knows What Brittany Does - I love it! Granted, I understand why guys who aren't hipsters may not like it, but it's so bright and happy! 

Michelle ~ Graphic Designer - The vector design is really eye-catching, and I like it. It definitely has a hipster feel to it, but I still like iOS 7. 

Overall, Yes, I would recommend upgrading your iPhone to iOS 7 when it becomes available to the public.

In our continuing effort to save the world one repair at a time, RepairLabs has joined forces with The Partnership at DrugFree.org.  We here at RepairLabs are delighted to announce that we will begin raising money to help educate kids and parents about drug abuse prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery, through our Operation HERO Donate-at-Checkout program.

The Partnership at DrugFree.org is a comprehensive resource for parents, teachers, law enforcement, and communities to face and tackle issues of drug abuse.  If you’re a parent this is a must-read website with hundreds of great ideas for how to talk to your kids (at any age) about drugs. They offer strategies for preventing drug use before it ever becomes a problem.  If you are struggling with drug abuse or addiction this website is a place that you can turn to for finding help. If you just want to get involved and help your community to be a better place, this site has comprehensive resources to help you get connected with the right people and organizations that can make a difference in your community.  They also offer resources in Spanish for those who have need of them, so that they’re able to be able to serve all aspects of our communities.

DrugFree and The Hope Share Program

Recently DrugFree.org started a program called “The Hope Share.” This is an interactive forum where teens and parents can share their experiences that involve drug abuse.  Many people don’t seek help because of the stigma associated with drug use.   Many struggling with drug abuse face discrimination and blame.  This program provides a safe space where individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction can share their stories, seek support, and offer support to others.

The Partnership at DrugFree.org has evolved from a late 80s advertising campaign aimed at unselling drugs to the American public to the largest public service campaign in US history.  The DrugFree.org site is an online resource center that features interactive tools and the latest scientific data regarding teen behavior, addiction, and tools.  They promote only methods of treatment and prevention that have proven scientific results, and they use everyday language that teens and parents (not just scientists) can understand to present it. They offer a toll free hotline for help for parents as well at 1-855-DRUGFREE.

The great and good geeks at Repairlabs are honored to be able to use their techie skills and web expertise to promote this mission. All of us have known people who’ve suffered because of drugs.  Many of our friends and families have suffered in silence because of the stigma that’s associated with drug abuse.  We’ve witnessed friends and family who refuse to seek help because of the shame associated with it, and we want to help.

We intend to promote DrugFree.org’s mission with all of our “superpowers:” we’ll blog, tweet, pin, and Facebook their mission with all of our enthusiasm and strength.   We’ll design educational infographics, create a DrugFree.org page on our site, and spread the word every way we can. Most importantly, though, we collect donations for the organization.

Our OpHERO (Help Each Repair Overcome) Program is a donation-at-checkout program where give our customers the option to donate an amount from $1 to $100 to an organization. So with every repair we make, our customers can donate to help overcome drug addictions. And we match every donation 100%. Our mission was to provide an easy and inexpensive way for our customers to give back and to feel like a hero.

Together with DrugFree.org and our customers, we can literally save the life of another person who may have nowhere else to go. If we can help people to know that they’re not alone, and that help is out there, even for the problems and life situations that they’re most ashamed of and afraid to talk about, we will all be superheroes together.

To donate directly to DrugFree, please visit their donations page here.

Well the Xbox launch event has come and gone. We here at RepairLabs got to admit, we were pleasantly surprised. For the past month, everybody has been throwing around rumors and speculation, and frankly, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by the whole process. As much as I love my Xbox 360, my PlayStation 3 has received quite a bit more playtime. Not only because it has a Blu-Ray drive and a lot more quality exclusive titles, but also because it supports 7.1 HD Audio and is free to use online, plus we won't even get into the Red Ring of Death.

When the Xbox launch started up, and Microsoft came out instantly talking about, and showcasing the console, I became extremely interested. First thing’s first, the name of the new Xbox is the Xbox One... I find it a bit confusing and even contradicting. It is, after all, the third Xbox console, but I understand what they’re going for – one console to rule them all! Anyways, from a design perspective, the new console is really going for that HTPC look, which I really dig. Nice clean lines and the look of a glossy and matte black body. Now if it’s made from aluminum, or some form of light metal, I will be completely sold on the design.

With no word on pricing or release date, (Coming Later This Year) the specs are really the biggest thing we have to go off of. Looking at them, I can tell that Microsoft wants to compete with Sony, and the pieces are in place to do so – I’m just not sure if going with DDR3 memory was the best course of action. If you recall, I did a piece awhile back on the differences between GDD3 and GDDR5, and why it’s a worthy investment for console developers.

What it may lack in processing bandwidth via the memory, it will more than make up for with its eight-core CPU – twice as many as what’s in the PlayStation 4. The inclusion of a Blu-Ray Drive, HDMI Out AND In, as well voice and gesture controls made possible by the brand-new Kinect Sensor, and USB 3.0, 4K Video, and Cloud-Based support, Microsoft is really building the Xbox One with the future in mind. At this time, there aren’t many games or tech that can fully utilize eight-cores or 4K video, but when they become industry standards somewhere down the road, the Xbox One will be ready to go, instead of falling behind the times like the Xbox 360 with its measly 512mb of RAM.

Xbox One Specifications

• 8 GB of RAM DDR3
• 8 Core CPU
• Blu Ray Drive
• HDMI In/Out
• Voice and Gesture Controls
• Kinect Included
• 500GB HDD
• Cloud Based For Saves And Media
• USB 3.0 Support
• 4k Video Support
• 7.1 Audio Support

Xbox One and the Kinect

Sadly the event lacked much in the way of gameplay for upcoming titles. It did, however give us a rather in-depth look at the new Kinect, and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed, and that’s hard to do!

Now I have a Kinect at home – and like most of you, I never use it. With the new Kinect offering up a sensor that completely blows its predecessor away in every way imaginable, I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Sure, I’ll probably tear it apart and see what makes it tick, but I’m sure before I do that, I’ll yell at my TV and flail my arms like a dummy for a while first.

Seriously, the hand gestures, voice control, responsiveness, and intuitiveness of the entire system makes me excited! I think the redesign of the controller is cool, but the new functionality of the Kinect will make the controller unnecessary when utilizing the system outside of gaming. I only hope that the Kinect sensor doesn’t need to dial itself back in often like the previous iteration does to be at its best.

If you’re like me though, the power and functionality of the system are great, but I want to know what games are going to be like on the system, I want to see Fable 4 and Halo 5 (yeah, right) in action on this baby, but alas we’re going to have to wait until E3 to get a glimpse of some in-game footage. The only true action we got was the Call of Duty: Ghosts world-first footage, which looked brilliant, but doesn’t have the same effect as seeing an Xbox-Exclusive title on the system.

Image courtesy of Wired.com

What did you think of the event? Did Microsoft hit all of the necessary highs and avoid the lows? Personally, I think the only way the event could’ve been better was if there was some Fable 4 footage shown. A few things that I think would've been nice to get more info on is if it'll be able to play used games, and if it requires being online all the time. The announcement by The Verge that it will not be backwards compatible is sad news though. Other than that, they gave us the console, controller, specs, and announced some exciting things like 15 exclusive titles in the works, with eight being entirely new franchises!

The future is looking awfully bright for game consoles, and I can't help but feel that the Xbox One may be leading the pack when it's all said and done. Sony impressed me a few months back, but Microsoft and the Xbox One just took it to a whole new level, especially with their willingness to run through the demonstrations two or three times, showing that it's fully functional, which is key to their entire design.

The Xbox One is set to launch sometime later this year.

Every geek needs a sidekick, and here at RepairLabs we have our own sidekicks: our pets. Just like Shaggy and Scooby, the Lone Ranger and Silver, and Dorothy and Toto, each of us has our own beloved pet, and our own unique superpower. (Okay, we wish we had our own superpowers.  It would probably be more accurate to say we’re marginally skilled at our respective jobs.)  But our critters do manage to make us at least feel like superheroes every day.  When I walk through the door at night, my dog greets me like I have just single-handedly saved the world.

That’s why we here at RepairLabs, are delighted to announce our charitable partnership with Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal shelter and rescue mission.  RepairLabs is proud to include Best Friends in our new donation-at-checkout program: Operation HERO.

Best Friends' Mission

Best Friends Animal Society coordinates efforts across the country to help homeless pets.  They operate nationwide animal initiatives to bring about a future where no adoptable animals are destroyed in shelters. They are pioneers in the no-kill movement.  And they’ve had amazing success: When they began work in the 1980s, every year 17 million animals were euthanized in shelters.  Through continued and concentrated efforts that number has now dropped to 4 million. That’s 13 million animals every year who live and find loving homes, who otherwise would have been destroyed.

13 million.

And they aren’t stopping there.  They intend to reduce the number of destroyed animals to zero. The mission of Best Friends is to bring about a time when there are No More Homeless Pets.  Best Friends also partners with local governments, shelters, and grassroots organizations to end the unnecessary killing of shelter pets. They feature several initiatives including positive pit bull PR programs, anti-puppy mill programs, and trap-neuter-and-return programs for free-roaming cats.  Their Utah facility has grown from a rehabilitation sanctuary to be the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the US.  It began as stepping stone for “problem” pets slated for euthanasia to be rehabbed and placed into forever homes  and has grown into a voice for animals all over the nation.

And we are deeply honored to be able to contribute to their mission.  We have long been a pet-friendly office, with our dogs visiting during the day, and even appearing in Halloween Costumes.  “Our pets really make the office a more relaxed and fun place to be,” says CEO and ‘dad’ to German Shepherd Axis, Sean Hennessy, “They really enrich our office. We are so excited to have the opportunity to give back by working with Best Friends.”

And the pets love to visit the office. (It’s always a fun field trip to go and help mom or dad at the office.) Most of our cats tend to prefer to stay at home, so it’s usually just the dogs who like to come along, but we’ve even had a visit from a bearded dragon! The wee beasties always inject a little humor and unconditional affection into the office.  The point is that we believe that all types of companion creatures deserve the dignity of a loving forever home. We love pet pigs, birds, horses and cats just as much as we love our dogs and lizards.  And Best Friends advocates for all of them.

The Office Crocodile and bumblebee. Can you tell which is which? (Axis and Madison on Halloween)

Best Friends spearheads adoption initiatives, funds educational resources, helps organizations across the country with their spray and neuter programs, and also helps individual animals to be adopted. They’ve even been known to fly an adopted pet to his new home, free of charge.  They provide grants to select organizations that make a significant impact on shelter deaths in their communities.  At the sanctuary each animal is treated with love and attention, and as an individual. Each animal receives top-of-the-line medical care as well; the animals can overcome past traumas and heal as they prepare for a new, forever home. Each animal is loved and cherished like a family pet the minute she comes through the gates.

How To Get Involved With Best Friends

We here at RepairLabs feel truly privileged to help raise funds for an organization that does such great work for pets across the country. You can make a donation to them at checkout if you are purchasing a repair, or you can donate directly to Best Friends here.  We’re honored that we can do something to better the lives of animals. And that really does make us feel like we have superpowers. Remember, we can all make a difference in the lives of our new Best Friends.

Tell me if you’ve ever been in this situation. You’re at work, right in the middle of a business call and bam your phone dies. Has this ever happened to you? Well, even if it hasn’t, it’s happening to plenty of people around the globe on a daily basis.

As I’m sure you are well aware, there have been quite a few solid guides and how-to videos made over the past couple years that go into the general questions as to why your phone is always dead, and things you can do to help prevent the battery from draining so quickly. (Close some apps people) That’s all fine and dandy, and most definitely not the reason we are here today.

Today RepairLabs is going to present the technical reasoning behind your phone always being dead. We’re going to cover the different types of batteries on the market today and how they compare, then we’ll have a throw down between three of the hottest phones on the market, with each one having a specific role to play in the testing of the batteries held within. Last but not least we’ll talk about the future of batteries; what’s out there, what’s the next logical step, things of that nature.

Strap yourselves in, because you’re about to get a crash course in phone batteries!

Lithium What?

Most of you probably don’t know what type of battery is in your phone. Perhaps you know the mAh of it, (that’s milliamps per hour) but don’t actually know what type of battery you have. Don’t worry; it’s not relevant knowledge to a large percentage of people. But for those of you who have wondered into my little slice of Tech paradise, you’re about to get the deluxe package when it comes to batteries.

What types of batteries are prevalent on the market today?

There are truly only two options when it comes to batteries in your phone today. Lithium-Ion and Lithium-Polymer.

Lithium-Ion: Li-Ion batteries are the most commonly found type of battery in phones today. They’re older technology than Li-Po batteries, but have also proven themselves to be reliable. Though they may be phased out eventually -- the fact that we’re able to stretch them up to 3,500mAh at this point in time, while still being slim enough to fit in a phone gives credence to the fact that Li-Ion isn’t going down without a fight.

Li-Ion offers the most convenient product to cell phone manufacturers, with its average 5-10% self-[i]discharge rate a month, and components that are environmentally safe. It also doesn’t hurt that they are readily available, and lighter than equivalent batteries.

If these batteries are so great, then why is my phone always dead is what most of you are probably thinking. This is because there are some caveats to Li-Ion batteries, mainly being that the [ii]cell capacity diminishes with use, causing the battery to hold less and less of a charge. This is made even worse when you factor in high [iii]charge levels and elevated temperatures, both of which cause hastened degradation of the battery.

They are also flammable, which is most definitely a con for any product that you hold near your face.

http://repairlabs.com

Key Interior Difference Between Li-Ion & Li-Po - “The primary difference is that the lithium-salt electrolyte is not held in an organic solvent but in a solid polymer composite such as polyethylene or polyacrylonitrile”  Wikipedia - Lithium-Polymer Batteries

Lithium-Polymer: Li-Po is the younger, more advanced brother to Li-Ion batteries. In theory they are nearly identical in design, as can be seen in the diagram above, but there are some key differences between the two.

For starters, the Li-Po offers a more predictable self-discharge rate, which also happens to be lower than that offered on the Li-Ion batteries in general, clocking in at 5% a month. They also are more adaptable than Li-Ion, offering up the ability to use them in a wide variety of packing and shapes. And I can’t forget to mention that they are more reliable and rugged than the Li-Ion they hope to fully phase-out.

The downside to the Li-Po is that it holds less of a charge than that offered on your standard Li-Ion battery. This reason alone is why they haven’t fully phased out the Li-Ion. Though the technology used is newer and more advanced, it just doesn’t offer the power necessary to reliably power these crazy big devices hitting the market today in its current form.

One of the biggest backers of Li-Po batteries is Apple, including the Li-Po in each iPhone dating back to the iPhone 4. Though the mAh (1440mAh on the iPhone 5) numbers are far below that of the competition, we still see the power necessary to competently power the device for a full day of usage. That may lead you to believe that the battery is indeed in a position to compete with the Li-Ion, but the numbers can be misleading. Though the specs on the iPhone 5 are similar to that of the competition – the biggest deciding factor in battery drain is pixel density and resolution. The pixel density and resolution on the iPhone clock in at 640x1136, giving us a pixel density of 326ppi across its 4” screen. This here is a huge difference from what you get from the Android offerings, which come in at 1280x720 or 1920x1080, stretched across 4.7”+ displays.

Putting the Phone Batteries to the Test

Now that you’ve heard about the types of batteries we utilize on a daily basis, let’s get into something a bit more useful to those of you who are visual learners. Below you will find a video that I put together showcasing three of the most popular phones on the market; the Verizon exclusive Droid DNA, the iPhone 5, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

Each phone is popular for different reasons, and each one has its faults. One thing that sets them all apart though is the battery within. For the Droid DNA you have a 2020mAh Li-Ion battery, while the iPhone 5 has the previously mentioned 1440mAh Li-Po battery. Bringing up the rear of the pack is the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with its massive 3100mAh Li-Ion battery.

As you can tell, the Note 2’s battery is loaded with power, but is running on the older Li-Ion technology. Will this make a difference when going head-to-head with the iPhone 5’s newer but smaller 1440mAh Li-Po battery? Spec-wise the Droid DNA is the one most set up to fail, and that’s thanks to the design choices made by HTC. They took a beautiful 5” 1080p display, with a quad-core processor and 2 GB’s of RAM and stuck it in into a casing that houses a measly 2020mAh Li-Ion battery. Why HTC wouldn’t spend the extra $$ needed to go with either a 2020mAh Li-Po or a more powerful Li-Ion, I don’t know.

Droid DNA

• 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.0 inches (~441 ppi pixel density)
• Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait
• 2 GB RAM
• Adreno 320 GPU
• Lithium-Ion 2020mAh Battery

iPhone 5

• 640 x 1136 pixels, 4.0 inches (~326 ppi pixel density)
• Dual-core 1.2 GHz
• 1 GB RAM
• PowerVR SGX 543MP3 (triple-core graphics)
• Lithium-Polymer 1440mAh Battery

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

• 720 x 1280 pixels, 5.5 inches (~267 ppi pixel density)
• Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9
• 2 GB RAM
• Mali-400MP GPU
• Lithium-Ion 3100mAh Battery

Without further ado, let’s get to the video showcasing each phone running the RepairLabs video on loop until they die a horrible death.. You know, by running out of battery life. The test is to simulate a full-day of usage in the span of a few minutes once sped up. Obviously to record actually utilizing the phone all day would be unfeasible, so I went with the next best thing. Will the small Li-Po be able to keep pace with the big and bigger dogs?

Let’s find out!

The results are exactly what I predicted they would be. Coming in at four hours, the Droid DNA finally saw itself to the afterlife. An hour later and we see the iPhone 5 finally crash out. In a position to either succeed, or crash and burn, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was most definitely the phone hardest to predict. With that huge battery, I expected it to last the longest, but you also have to factor in the lighting needed to properly light such a large display. In the end, it didn’t matter, with the Note 2 going for a whole nine hours! Surprisingly if you watch the screens once the warning battery indicator pops up, we see that both the iPhone 5 and Droid DNA last roughly one hour before completely shutting down, while the Galaxy Note 2 goes for an additional two hours after we get the low battery warning screen.

The test proved exactly what it is I was trying to show you guys. Even though the Li-Ion is older tech, size does indeed still matter when it comes to phone batteries, but only to a certain extent. The Li-Po showed that even though it was almost 600mAh weaker than the Li-Ion in the Droid DNA, it could outpace it. You can’t do a direct apples-to-apples comparison due to the massive screen differences, but you still get the idea here.

Another thing to keep in mind is that these phones last four, five, and nine hours respectively – but if you used the phones daily for another year and ran this test again, you would be lucky to get even 75% of the performance you got from them when they were brand new, luckily if your battery ever gets to the point where it doesn't hold enough of a charge to get you through the day, we here at RepairLabs can swap the crummy old battery out for a shiny new battery.

The diagram above showcases how the ions inside your battery slowly but surely lose their ability to hold a quality charge. This is why with all phone batteries, they eventually need replaced. The constant charging, discharging, and usage are what cause the breakdown inside the phone. At this point, there is no way to get around this with liquid-based batteries in the state they’re currently in.

What Does The Future Hold?

Alright so now that you’re a bit more comfortable with where we sit right now when it comes to batteries, let’s move into where we’re headed.

Li-Ion and Li-Po can only carry us so far. Eventually here soon we’re going to have to mix up what it is that we use, then we’ll have to either advance the technologies that we use, or start utilizing something completely new.

Updating Preexisting Liquid-Batteries

This is where some of the brightest minds in the field are hard at work. Some of the most feasible ideas that have been floated around include enhancing preexisting batteries with silicone nanoparticles as well as using new types of conversion alloys – both of which could dramatically improve the viability of Li-Ion and Li-Po batteries.

There have even been recent developments regarding Lithium-Ion batteries by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These new batteries have the power density to charge your phone 1000x faster than standard batteries, the only issue is that what the battery offers in power density, it lacks in energy density, so until they make more progress on these inventive new Lithium-Ion batteries, I will have to hold them off the list of the most promising – for now.

Even if we extend the life of current batteries another four or five years, we’re eventually going to need new types of batteries to further the advancement of smartphones. When it comes to future options, there are two that truly stick out in mind as being extremely strong options; Lithium Sulfide based batteries and Solid-State batteries. There are some less exciting options like Lithium-Air and Lithium-Imide batteries, but until there is better information on them, I don’t feel them relevant enough to be included in this section.

Future Options For Batteries

Lithium-Sulfide is one of the many options that have presented itself as a solid alternative to the Li-Ion and Li-Po batteries we use now.  Li-S not only offers a higher energy density than Li-Ion, but also has reduced production costs due to using sulfur.

Though Li-S batteries are a definite option that we could explore sometime in the near future, like say 2014, there isn’t enough data on the capabilities of Li-S to think that it is the logical next step in batteries. As it stands right now, the engineers who are working on this are still dealing with the fact that sulfur on its own isn’t conductive, which is a massive issue in a product that relies 100% on conductivity!

Solid-State Batteries are definitely the brightest option when it comes to future batteries. Instead of being liquid-based like the batteries on the market these days, Solid-State batteries offer us batteries that are solid inside, much like what you would find inside a solid-state drive for the PC.

Though engineers would love to have these solid-state batteries in our phones right now due to their greatly increased life cycle over legacy batteries, plus they also happen to be safer with a better energy density to that of other options. The reason that we don’t have these already is because of the massive cost of production, with the price soaring up to as high as a $1,500 for a single phone battery.

Engineers are also still trying to work out a solution to their sensitivity to low temperatures. Recently I spoke with Professor Kevin S. Jones from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Florida, about this very subject; this is what he had to say.

”I do believe solid-state batteries have tremendous potential but there are significant research challenges that need to be addressed. Because you replace the liquid electrolyte with a solid that is much thinner you can achieve a significant weight saving, as well as being much safer. However it remains a challenge to develop an inexpensive manufacturing method that overcomes the challenges of joining solid layers together. In addition, there is a new class of materials called conversion alloys that are being explored for liquid batteries. These materials have the potential to significantly increase the capacity of liquid batteries. Research is necessary to prove if these materials will work with solid state batteries. So the potential is there to revolutionize the cell phone battery, but we have work to do before it becomes a reality.” 

Professor Jones statement holds true to what I’ve been saying all along. There is still potential for liquid-based batteries, but the future is moving more and more towards solid-state batteries. For those of you who have not read his excellent piece on the state of solid-state batteries, I highly recommend it.

The End to a Long Journey

What a ride. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried. Had epiphanies, revelations and probably even a few eye-opening moments.. Ok, perhaps we didn’t quite cover that wide of a spectrum, but we did take a long look at where we’re at with batteries and where we hope to be as soon as possible.

The Li-Ion and Li-Po batteries we use today still prove to be viable options for the time being, but as was made apparent in the time lapse, the more powerful the phone, the less amount of time you will have to enjoy it without a charger. Sure, you can carry around a charger with you, have one at your desk, house, and in your car, but that’s not the point. Phones are portable devices – attaching cables to them defeats the entire purpose of a portable phone.

Though the near future is a bit cloudy on what we’ll do next, with there being a few interesting options floating around. None of them are ready for primetime, that much is apparent, but possibly by mid-2014 we can begin phasing out the old and start ushering in the new.

The future begins to look much brighter 2014+ thanks to the advancements we’ll be making in solid-state technology. As soon as it becomes viable from a price-standpoint, I have no doubt all of the major phone manufacturer’s will begin to use them in their newest devices. (Can anyone say iPhone 9?)

As it stands right now, the degradation rate on batteries is sitting at a manageable but unacceptable one to two years. (If you’re really lucky) With newer and better technologies, hopefully we can extrapolate that number into the double digits, making the need to buy new phone batteries or even phones less of necessity and more of a commodity.

Curtis Taylor, "RepairGenius" Blogger

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Check of the difference between the two renderings. Notice how much more detail the GDDR5 provides. Original image from http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/300/images/222280/title/300-movie-publicity-still-photo

As we RepairLabs geeks were snooping around and stalking the PlayStation website, we stumbled on a rather interesting tidbit of information, which may have massive consequences for the newest version of the PlayStation, the PS4.  Among many upgrades and changes since the release of the PS3, we noticed the addition of “GDDR5 8GB” in the Memory Specs.

What is GDDR5?

GDDR stands for Graphics Double Data Rate, a type of high performance graphics card memory. This has 32 times the amount of GDDR (graphics capacity) as the PS3, which weighs in with 256 MB GDDR3.  GDDR5 performs at 8-bit wide data buffer that will allow for 20% more processing capabilities compared to GDDR3.

So? Let’s put this in perspective:

Alienware Aurora  is considered one of the best computers on the market right now for gaming; many designate it as the industry standard for computing--and it only has 4GB of GDDR5. The PlayStation 4 will have double that amount. This means that the PlayStation will be able to process double the memory as the current top-notch gaming computer on the market.

GDDR5 will be able to process such graphics like no other RAM out on the market today. If you haven’t seen the image on the PS4 of the blue balls dropping in check it out here, at 10 seconds in, to get an idea of the massive processing capacity required to animate each ball individually. Most power does come from the onboard GPU made by AMD. The GPU makes the balls, and the RAM  (or GDDR5) makes them move. So let’s put that in perspective: if one of those balls is 1MB then that means the PS4 at the same time can process 8000 Blue balls at the same time. Insane. Take a sec and think about that. In the “World of Mario” we were used to having only 1 or 2 flame balls at a time shooting at us.

And the GDDR5 8GB is advanced. Like years ahead of its time. (Remember, the PS3 has stayed relevant and useful for 8 years now. That’s millennia in tech years.) It is safe to say that you won’t be able to go to Best Buy and buy a computer with that amount of memory for a couple of years. The reason for this is because there is no need for that amount of memory--unless you’re gonna have some crazy processes to perform, such as the games that will be released in a few years.  The PS3 has been around since 2006—and that console provided around 8 to 9 years of solid performance. This newest version has to be similarly 8-9 years advanced to provide an equivalent experience.

So, what GDDR5 means to the 3D world?

GDDR5 will enhance 3D appearance on games, and will enable even more complex functionalities to evolve as graphics evolve. The 3D experience right now with PS3 is very minimal and doesn’t look 3D, like movies and other 3D  interfaces out there. But now with the 8GB of GDDR5 Ps4 will have much better details, allowing for a terrific 3D experience unlike anything else yet to be seen. No games on the market right now can even come close to touching the memory capabilities of GDDR5.

All of this indicates that we are in for gaming and technological advances beyond our wildest dreams. Anything a graphic artist can imagine can be rendered digitally, and beautifully, at a level of detail never previously imagined. The GDDR5 is just one aspect of the new PlayStation gaming console, but it could be the game changer.

by Curtis Taylor, Tech Expert, Freelance Writer.

The new iWatch should have a continuous wrap-around display and work like a snap bracelet.

The Internets have been abuzz recently with chatter of a possible Apple iWatch.  Misleading pictures abound of a wristwatch-like monstrosity resembling an all-screen iPod Nano attached to a velco strap. Sometimes, for fun, artists portray this as a round traditional wristwatch with iOS apps. However, here at RepairLabs, we think Apple has something much, much cooler in store for us.

We’re talking early 90s cool. Perhaps you’ve seen the patent filing from Apple as reported by PatentlyApple, where the iWatch will work just like a snap bracelet.  That’s right, the era that brought us Ace of Base and Right Said Fred just keeps on giving.  And Apple has adopted one of the coolest trends of the early 90s: the snap bracelet. We’ve created our own rendering of the awesome cool that, if we’re good, will descend on us like so many Pogs. (Remember those?)

Based on the patent filing, here’s what we think the new iWatch will feature.

• The device will have a bi-stable spring, meaning just like the snap bracelet, it will live in two states: rigid flat, and curved (to fit a wrist). It will bend and flex just like a snap bracelet. It will utilize flexible glass to make this work.
• The screen will be a continuous display, circular. (This is trickier than it seems at first glance. How will Apple know the size of an individual’s wrist? We think the device will have a male and female end with a sensor that detects the amount of overlap.)

Here’s a list of our best guesses for the features of the iWatch:

• The iWatch won’t charge the traditional way. It just doesn’t make sense for the device to have something as unwieldy as a charging port with all of the recent technological advances. The watch could charge from kinetic energy (your own motion), or may have the new solar touch panel charge that Apple has recently received a patent on.  Or it could charge remotely with a plate or mat that could be put anywhere around your house.
• The LCD screen will have the touch feature.
• The device will likely will have no buttons, but would be awakened by the onboard gyrometer. The gyrometer will also be able to tell witch way your hand is facing so it will always show a correct display – even at weird angles.
• The iWatch will connect to your iPhone iPod or iPad via Bluetooth. It will feature two-way transmission.

The 90s gave us lots of cultural and technological gifts (the Internet itself, anybody? The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?) It’s fitting we should borrow from those awesome concepts to create more awesome. So until the iWatch finally comes out, we’ll be digging out our old snap bracelets and pretending that they’re touch screen wonders of a future day. And slapping them on unsuspecting coworkers.

Based on patent filings, this is how we assume the sizing mechanism and continuous screen will work.

by Curtis Taylor, Tech Expert, Freelance Writer.

Here at RepairLabs, we like to lean back and take stock of everything that we do throughout the year and our analysis of tech innovations has abounded.. We thought there would be no better time than the last day of the year to remember the most influential tech events of the year, and to think about what they may mean for us next year. Here is the list of our top 10 favorite  tech events of the year.

10.) Apple Breaks the Mold with the iPhone 5: Tech Innovation.

Apple abandons their near-religious devotion to the 4-inch iPhone screen format in favor of a 5-inch screen. Apple chose to go with totally expanded device (pictured on the right) rather than just expanding the screen.  Ahhhhhh real –estate.

What this means for 2013: With Apple finally willing to innovate again, rather than rigidly sticking to a (now) arbitrary design, we can expect great changes to come: NFC chips, wireless charging, waterproofing, and better cameras could all be in the works.

9.) The Second Screen Experience Emerges, Read: the Will U. Tech changes again.

The way that we interact with technology is changing, now we’re more likely than ever to be multi-tasking and using multiple screens.  We’ll watch TV and surf the web, or play a game on our smartphone and keep one eye on social media on a tablet as well. Enter new devices such as the Wii U, a tablet/remote control to augment what’s happening on our screens. This  screen device can be used as a controller or as a supplementary piece, think DVD on TV, except all the extra info is on your Will U.

What this means for 2013: Your tablet is gonna become the supplementary device to your TV.  Conan’s doing it already with Team Coco for the iPhone, and there are just going to be more and more shows, movies and games jumping on the bandwagon. Expect a mild case of information overload around June.

8.) Lytro Camera Innovation, Will Change the Way your Mobile Takes Photos

So what is a light field camera? Lytro is.  And? It lets you focus anywhere, even after the picture has been taken. It’s essentially a camera that focuses on everything.  Word is that Toshiba is now developing a lens with this capacity that’s approaching being able to fit into the slim profile of the iPhone. So between Toshiba and Apple, Lytro may be able to put this technology into your smartphone.  Though the technology is not perfect just yet, it has endless potential to change the way we photograph with our phones.

What this means for 2013: Expect the camera phone competition to get HOT. Really really hot. And the democratization of photography: everybody will be able to take beautiful photos, with just your phone.

7.) Square Makes It Possible for Anyone to Accept Credit Card Payments.

How about a nifty little attachment for your iPhone or iPad that allows you to accept credit cards? How about doing business anywhere you can get a WiFi signal or cellular connection? Though introduced in 2010, the Square card reader has grown in 2012 and allowed businesses to take their credit card payments anywhere. And it’s not just for craft fairs any more. Think food trucks and mobile diagnostic centers, just to name a couple.  Square brings payments to the common folk with a 2.75% charge per swipe with no additional fees or prohibitive overhead in costs or setup.  Business owners can simply sign up and the Square Reader is free.

What this means for 2013: Maybe your barber will come to you, or you can have your Thin Mints the second the Girl Scouts come around, if their Scout Mom happens to have a Square reader on her phone.  Square giftcards are also up and coming in the future, along with Square Wallet,  an app which purports to replace and upgrade your traditional physical wallet, cash, and credit card system.

6.)Microsoft Debuts the Surface—the Next Game Changer?

The Microsoft Surface was what the world was waiting for: a PC/ Windows compatible tablet. It also fused the purposes of the laptop computer (mostly work) and the touch tablet (mostly play) into one neat, clicky, keyboardy, kickstandy little package.   Offering  a competitive price point, size, weight, portability, hard drives, keyboard AND touch screens,  and Wifi connectivity, it seems to beautifully marry purposes of the ultrabook and the tablet.

What this means for 2013:  Though the Surface’s OS, Windows 8, has debuted to much criticism, expect this device to only grow in popularty as it will feature full Office functionality.  Business travelers, rejoice!

5.) Instagram and Facebook Decide to Drive off the Cliff—Together.

image from http://www.techzek.com/facebook-acquires-instagram-for-1b-cash-stocks/

Just like Thelma and Louise.  We guess they’ve never heard the expression “Dance with the one one that brought you,” because both organizations seem to be forgetting the root cause of their success: their users.  Both have disregarded the needs and wants of their users in favor of seemingly endless tweaks and policy changes designed to enhance profitability. We have no beef with making a profit (we all aspire to be profitable) – but not at the expense of the users.  Every little tweak seems to a little piece of the joy out of using the thing and adds to the complexity of life. Take FB’s IPO and Timeline updates, and Instagram’s disasterously bad (in the PR world at least) acquisition by Facebook: neither designed to enhance user experience.

What to expect in 2013: Users are a fickle bunch, who won’t fail to punish hubris in companies.  We wouldn’t be surprised if the new MySpace experienced a resurgence, along with social aggregator services that blend all of your profiles into one feed.  Also Facebook might just shock us all and revolutionize web advertising and develop its own  Pandora-like add free subscription option.  What we hope this means: social will pivot back to focusing on the users and take a tip or two from Twitter, who manages not to ruin the user experience with ads, and still runs promoted stories.

4.) SOPA and PIPA are stopped.

image from (http://pocketfullofapps.com/2012/01/18/sopa-and-pocketfullofapps.html)

By angry kids with internet connections, and Vendetta masks.  And hundreds of legit site owners who took their sites dark in protest.   SOPA,  Stop Online Piracy Act, and PIPA, Protect IP Act, would have served to censor the internet, under vague pretenses of preventing intellectual theft.

The public spoke out, and refused to allow media companies to use legislation to cudgel their way out of what really amounts to a business model problem, that can be addressed through innovations like Spotify and Netflix. Though hardly innocuous, Anonymous does use their network to preserve online freedom, and the bills are stopped, for now.

What this means for 2013: With acts such as these being stopped, and innovations like the $40 Aakash tablet, information becomes more free. Affordable tablets being air- dropped over no-no zones like North Korea and Kenya in much the same way as the  Allied Berlin chocolate bar drop. Education expands exponentially, people solve their own problems, and the world becomes a better place. Censorship is dying. Also: You can’t beat the Geeks. Ever.

3.) 7-inch Tablets Take Over.

Steve Jobs (the apotheosis of geek and ultimate arbiter of things tech, in the eyes of many) was wrong.  He believed that the 7-inch tablet size was the red-headed step child of the tablet market, too small to be really useful, and too large to be really portable. However with the advent of the Kindle Fire, the Nexus 7, and now, in the absence of Jobs, the iPad mini, this sizing format has experienced a remarkable boom.  Portability plus phenomenal pixel displays plus affordability make these the personal devices to have.

What this means for 2013: Everybody and their grandma is going to have one of these cute little tablets, in a pocket, a purse, or on the plane, and companies will find more and more uses for them.  Expect to be able to use tablets for anything you can dream up.

2.) 3D Printers Become a Real Thing.

Gone are the days of Star Trek Replicators (“Tea, Earl Grey, hot”) being sheer science fiction. Though a 3D printer can’t make you a cup of tea from thin air (YET), they can carve objects from Styrofoam and plastics.  The products are usually smaller than a breadbox, but they’re only limited by your imagination and by your 3D computer modeling skills.  Commonly printed items now include jewelry, sculpture and even working  guns (though they tend to only be good for a few shots, dangerous and inaccurate.)  Heck, now you can even build your own 3D printer out of Leggos.

What this means for 2013: your imagination is the only limit. Do-it-yourselfers will reign supreme, and will be making startups, innovations, and all the money, IF they can keep the lawyers out of their hair.

1.)    NASA Lands the Rover on Mars.

On August 5, 2012 NASA did the impossible and safely landed an exploration vehicle, the Curiosity, on Mars to cheers of triumph at Mission Control.  Despite budget slashes, and Space Shuttle retirements, NASA still managed to triumph over adversity and innovate a one-in-a-million safe landing on a planet millions of miles away from our own.  It would have taken a person over a year to get to the Red Planet, and once there, ostensibly, he would have no way to return.  But our virtual presence there has already even uncovered evidence of organic matter.

What this means for 2013: things are going to start happening virtually. Patients will be able to make a virtual visit to their doctor’s office, Skyping with the doc, or IMing him photos of that spider bite.  Unmanned vehicles and even tiny drones will be taking care of our recon for us.  We’ll send image-transmitting submarines into heretofore unknown depths of the oceans! We may finally get that elusive photo of Bigfoot!  More people will work from home!  The possibilities are endless.

So what have we garnered from all of these events combined for 2012? The internet, and the way we use it is changing. The more personally we can use our devices, the more we can connect with others, and the more we can learn.  The more we share and learn, the greater the trend of democratization around the globe.  We can reach heights never before imagined, through collaboration, as we did with Rover. Then we can tweet about it sarcastically!  2012 was one heckuva year for tech events and innovations, and 2013 is likely to send our heads spinning even more.

Also. Higgs boson was pretty cool.

by Curtis Taylor, Tech Expert, Freelance Writer.

There are great tech gifts out there for every type of person you can imagine.  Here at RepairLabs.com, we thought we’d make out a list of our favorites for your approval just in time for Cyber Monday. If you're sick of the same old gift ideas, you've come to the right place. Everybody knows an iPad mini or a Nexus 7 tablet would be an awesome gift. But sometimes that's just not the right gift, the perfect gift, the magical rainbow unicorn of gifts.  Actually a tablet is a pretty personal choice. Instead give them a tech gift that they're certain to love, no matter what type of person they are. Here's where you can get your creative juices revving:  you’ll find gifts from $8.00 - $800, and something that certain to tickle the techie fancy of someone you love. We’re sure you’ll find an idea that you love.

Dad:

• If the car doesn’t have luggage racks, this is an ingenious solution. Inflatables! Now dad can haul nearly anything up top.  Universal roof rack $89.99. Buy it here.

• Help dad relax and perfect his swing with this handy gadget Golf Swing Analysis Tool: $129.99  Buy it here.

Mom

• A gorgeous Kaleidoscope necklace to remind her just how beautiful she makes your world. $ 145

• Eye Vac, just sweep the crumbs in its direction and it sucks them right up.  $99 Buy it here.

• Towel warmer for her spa day, or to warm the kids’ hats, mittens and gloves:  $89.99

Boyfriend:

• Smartphone controlled tankbot for his cubicle; he’ll entertain his office buddies for hours.  Buy it here  for  $24.99

Girlfriend

• USB Swarovski Heart Necklace. $75 She needs to look good, brag about what you got her AND have extra storage at a moment’s notice --or at Gizmodiva $41

Teen

• Girl or guy, they’ll be the coolest teen around if they bring the tunes: portable bluetooth speaker  $179.99. Buy it here.

Kid

• Bike wheel lights, graphics synthesizer, generates thousands of changing colors and patterns. Kids will ADORE this gizmo. And extra safety and visibility for parents’ peace of mind. A perfect tech gift! $50

New Parents

• This stroller folds itself. FOLDS ITSELF. It also is lighted and charges your iPhone. Is there a tech gift new parents could love any more?  Oragami Stroller http://www.4moms.com/origami  $849.99

Baby

• HTML for Babies book. Get ‘em coding early!  http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/eacc/#tabs  $9.99

Gentleman

• The gentleman must always travel in style.  Roll up travel charger $49

Geek

• Get them the ultimate recharge station, the Kaynex Sydnee Smart Charging Station $149. It holds everything.

Potterhead

• Team Edward? Team Jacob. We think not. For only $25, try this fantastic sweatshirt instead.

Hipster

• It’s instant! It’s digital! It’s awwwesome!  $159. Your own personal hipster WILL want this instant digital camera.

It Girl

• For the girl who has everything? Give her something no one else has. Custom Cemented iPhone Jewels in Subtle Sparkle.  $103 US dollars, but she’s gotta send in her phone across the pond, for this perfect tech gift. http://www.crystalskins.co.uk/atelier.html

Motorhead

• The easy answer  when your favorite gearhead and motor-er gets a flat: Slime Safety Spair:$38 this special sealant will get them safely to somewhere they can replace a flat tire, in only 7 minutes!

Caffeine Junkie

• 8 Bit Heat sensitive pixel heart mug. $11.49 http://www.perpetualkid.com/heat-sensitive-pixel-heart-mug.aspx . So flippin’ cute!

Prepper/outdoorsman/Camper:

• Whether he’s getting ready for the zombie apocalypse, or just likes to keep his device with him out in the wild, this kinetic device charger: http://www.npowerpeg.com/ is the perfect find. $199.95

Health Nut :

• They need to blend up their smoothie on the run? This blender actually attaches to the bottle, so they can grab and go.  My Blend Bottle Blender.  http://www.oster.com/myblend/  $29.99

Foodie

• Save time and energy measuring and weighing with this little doodad. Digital Spoon Measure - the  link to buy is  at the bottom - $25.85

Pet

• Let your lil sweetie get a cool drink whenever he wants with a Doggie water fountain: $79.50. It senses when your pet comes up to it, so he can always have fresh water. Really great for labs who love to drink from the hose!

Jock

• Jawbone UP activity tracking wristband. Works with your smartphone to track sleep cycles and activity levels and goals 129.99 https://jawbone.com/up

Belieber

• Heart iPhone earbud splitter. Because where there’s one Belieber there is always another.  And they need to be able to share the beats too. $18

Designer/Artist

• Wacom Inkling, an actual pen that digitally records her doodling for easy import. Learn about it here http://www.wacom.com/en/creative/products/mobile/inkling  buy it here $199

Gamer

• For all of the retro joy of 8bit games! A guaranteed hit.  iPhone Joystick  $13.49

Mr./Miss OCD

• Neatdesk  $349.88 Scans business cards, receipts and full sized sheets of paper, and then instantly organizes them! SWEET.

*All prices are accurate at the time of publishing, but we can’t guarantee that they won’t change. Good Luck, and Happy Shopping for great tech gifts that they will LOVE!

by Curtis Taylor, Tech Expert, Freelance Writer.