How do I find my warranty coverage?

At the TechHub, we have people come into the store on an almost daily basis asking if we can find out the length of time they still have on their Apple warranty coverage. Well, we can find out that information for you pretty easily, and after this how-to, so can you. Find out after the break.

Well, the first thing you need to do is to go to https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do. [The steps of how to find your serial number can also be found on the same page.]

You should be greeted with this webpage when you follow the link.

After typing in your serial number, this is the page you should see next.

If you enlarge the photo above, you will see that not only do you see the date that your coverage ends, but it is a one stop shop for everything Apple repair related. You can contact Apple Support, set up a repair and you can also purchase an extended warranty there as well. [Note: If you live in Davis,CA; I recommend contacting our repair shop on campus first. Also, if you are a student/staff/faculty of a higher educational institution, like UC Davis, make sure you get your AppleCare from us with your educational discount.] If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to let us know. Until next time!

That guy way in the back? He was just looking for some diapers for his kid late at night. He picked the wrong night to run out...

I have been watching, listening, and reading all of the great after Thanksgiving sales that will be going on in the consumer electronics market. I have seen numerous amazingly priced items, too good to pass up, and yet I look at them with a cynical, cautious eye.

Have you seen the ads for the 40” LCD TV’s for $248, or the 15” laptop for $198? Have you been enticed by these ridiculously priced goods that seem too good to pass up, and require you line up in the middle of the night, or on Thanksgiving to get them. Well not to bust the happy bubble, but I must be the breaker of shopper’s hearts and give you an idea why these prices are not what they appear.

Let us look at the Wal-Mart deal for the 40” LCD TV at $248. I would love to have a new TV myself, as my old 35” tube TV is starting to have color and clarity issues, yet I will wait for something even better than what is being offered, and I will explain why. First the brand that is advertised, Emerson, does not conjure top-of-the line products, or state-of-the art technology. To the contrary, you will be lucky you can get 2 years out of this product without significant problems. Not that I am guaranteeing it will break, but if I were betting the Craps table I would bet the point. The picture quality is so-so, and the general build lacks any real quality workmanship. Now I can understand if this is your first TV, or you are on a very tight budget, but to protect you from what could happen, I would have to say pass this item up.

The $198 computer! Sounds amazing, well it is not. The computer is a Compaq Presario. Yes it is a name brand, but a name that should be avoided like the Ebola virus. There has been a track record of immeasurable fail of this product over the last 3-4 years. Even though HP owns this company, it is not to the standard of most HP products. The computer is also packed with all sorts of obsolete technology, like an AMD dual-core processor and a whopping 2GB’s of ram. Wow I almost want to get this, so I can use it to prop open my garage door when I take out my garbage.

Yes I have been facetious, and I am probably coming off as a snooty, self-absorbed individual. However, that is furthest from my true reason to bash these and other door busting deals for the after Thanksgiving sales. I am not a technology hound, I do not need everything that is shiny, new, or is the next must have item. Yet I am technologically savvy enough to know what to buy and what not to buy. Not all deals are deals, when you end up having to replace, repair, or cry because nothing else can be done. Keep your money and wait until you can truly afford something that has a better reputation and a better service record.

Just to help you out a little during this Holiday season, if you are going to buy some technology items, a quick guide of what to look for when dropping your hard earned money.

• LCD TV’s should not be purchased with anything less than 120Hz. The refresh rate will enable a much smoother life-like picture than the 60Hz can. Also Xbox and PS3 will look much sharper.
• Go with a reputable name brand, and say no to the “house branded items” when it comes to technology. Yes a $400 60” LCD TV sounds amazing, but have you ever heard of PooDong as a reputable manufacturer?
• Research, research, research. Know what you buy, before you buy it. Know that you had looked into all available resources, and even asked your local electronics dealers what to buy, and surprisingly you will find they will rarely mention the so called deal breakers.
• Never buy a full size computer that has less than 4GB’s of standard RAM. You will be disappointed with the lack of performance. RAM is what generates all power processing needed to run not only the hardware of the machine, but the operating system and any software, or processes you will be running on the machine. Skimp here and you will find an Abacus and note pad will do a better job.
• Get the latest processors available when purchasing a computer. The newer the processor, the longer it will stay compliant and compatible with the newer software and hardware. It will be truly frustrating to find out that a new office program, or gaming software cannot work because your machine is obsolescent as soon as you walked out of the store you purchased it from. *Just a small hint: the Intel i3,i5, i7, and AMD Phenom processors are some of the latest available.
• Don’t be lured into buying on credit cards. The mind plays a terrible trick on you when you pay with imaginary money. You will buy what you can’t afford, or do not need simply because you have the credit to do so. Poor decisions are made and you will buy on impulse rather than true discretionary reasoning.

I wish you the best for the Holiday season, and I hope whatever electronics you purchase, bring you many years of enjoyment. Happy Holidays!

In this episode of UC Davis TechTalk, Mike Adams takes a look at the events that the UC Davis Stores – TechHub took part in during the Fall 2011 quarter. Also, we take a look at the winners of our “Moving on Up and In at UC Davis” 2011 Facebook photo contest.

You have questions, we have answers!

Want to splice in some footage you took from Photo Booth into your movie project in iMovie? It couldn’t be simpler. Find out how after the break.

Follow these simple steps:

• Open Photo Booth.
• Find the footage you want to import on the bottom row of displayed thumbnails.
• Click and drag the thumbnail to your desktop. Doing so will copy the footage to the desktop.
• Continue doing so until you have all the Photo Booth footage you are looking for.
• Open iMovie.
• Either create or use an existing iMovie “Event”. Drag the footage from the desktop to the iMovie “Event” and it will auto import.
• Smile, because you are now done.

That’s all she wrote. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to let us know. Until next time!

These items are carried by one TechHub employee on a daily basis. What is not shown though? The camera used to take this photo...

I have been in the technology business for over 20 years now and as my hair has grayed, and I have become less tolerant to change, I realize I am not a great supporter of this “tech” age. With devices such as Kindles, iPhones, iPads, and Android based smartphones; I have yet to find something that makes me say my life will be simplified with these devices.

I started out many years ago working for the “Good Guys”; an electronics retailer of TV’s, home stereos, car audio, and personal electronics. My job started out as a “CSR” which was a customer service representative for that company. I had seen in my first 4 years with that company, how much people started to become more dependent to their electronics. When I moved to sales, I started to use this attitude to electronics, to my benefit. I was a commissioned salesperson, whose sole lively hood was determined on how much I sold, and not whether they needed it, or not. My personal goal of a monthly check let me become the “sales troll” we all avoid at major electronics and retail chains. I wanted more money, and I didn’t care how they (the consumer) were going to pay for it, or if they could really afford it. [Now that I work non-commission at the TechHub though, I don’t have to shove these things down your throat. All I care about is whether you might actually need that electronic gizmo or not…and I use the word might very strongly.] This was my life, and this was what created my current animosity towards today’s “Tech Lifestyle”.

Going to a movie and watching something I paid $9+ and have a bunch of ad placements in it. Not only is it annoying, but they lead me to believe society has moved into an “Orwellian” lifestyle of corporate manipulation of the masses. I am not against Capitalism, in as much as I am against the overt marketing to people who have not learned how to keep a checkbook balanced. I hate watching a movie showing Ben Affleck, or Angelina Jolie pounding away on a Macbook Pro, knowing all too well it is creating a desire for something a lot of people do not need or cannot afford. Product placement has been increasing for many years, and I know it was happening back when I was a kid, but it is so much more of a presence, that I believe movies of the future will just be stories written around a product rather than a character.

Do I use technology myself? The answer is yes. I have a TV, a computer, cordless phone, basically the standard fare. I do own an iPod and, I do listen to it almost daily, but my life will not be destroyed if one of these items might fail. My personal lifestyle has been simplified, do what you can afford, with what you have. As my own electronics fail, I will replace with what I can afford and can adequately do its function. No standing in long lines for a stupid release on a piece of electronics for me, I would rather take a nap.

Why is my iOS in my OS X?

One of the biggest changes in the Mac operating system, in regards to the update to Lion, is the new feature Launchpad. With OS X 10.7 Lion, Apple fuses both their robust and incredibly reliable OS X with their insanely popular and easy to use iOS. With Launchpad, you get the instant launch functionality of iOS in the OS X environment, and you are able to navigate it just like you would on your iPhone. It is also customizable, just like on your iPhone, but now you don’t have to do it in your iTunes account (pre-iOS 5). We will show you some tips right after the break.

In order to navigate through the Launchpad, you do it just like you would from your iPhone. Using your touchpad, or your Magic Mouse if you are on an iMac, just cycle through the pages (if you have multiple) by swiping your two fingers side-by-side from left to right…or vice-versa. Then all you have to do is click on the app you want to launch and you are set.

Ways to customize your Launchpad:

• Rearrange app icons: Click and drag the icon to the new location you choose.
• Remove app: Click and hold the app icon until it starts to shake. Then release your mouse button and move the cursor to the “X” on the corner of the icon. Click on that and your app will be removed. When done, hit your “Escape” button to stop the icons shaking.
• Change the page your app is on: If you have multiple pages of apps in the Launchpad, and you want to move one from the back toward the front, all you have to do is click on the icon and hold it. While doing so, just drag the icon to the left (if you are moving from back to front) or to the right (if moving from the front to the back). Then just drop the icon where you would like it to be on that page.
• Create a folder: Just drag one icon on top of another. It will create the folder you can name.
• Add an app to a folder: Again, just drag the app to the folder to drop it into.
• Rearrange apps in a folder: Click on the folder to drop down the apps inside. Then click on your app and move it around inside that folder to where you want it. Then let go.
• Rename your folder: Click on the folder, then click the name of it. Change to what you would like.
• Remove an app from the folder: Click on the folder, click and hold on the app. Move it from the folder to the main Launchpad page and drop where you would like it to appear.
• Add an app to your Dock: Drag the app icon to the dock itself. Should pop in it.

Avoiding having to do this more often.

The “Let’s Talk iPhone” event has now come and gone. With it, we have the new iOS on the horizon, and new iPods and the iPhone 4S are now ready for public consumption (well, on October 12th and 14th respectively). So I figured it was a great time to take a look at how to extend the battery life of your iPod or your iPhone…and who better than Apple to tell us how to do so?

Extend the battery life of your iPod: http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipods.html

Extend the battery life of your iPhone: http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html

Why would you purchase your Mac or PC at the UC Davis Bookstore TechHub? Mike Adams explains how your shopping impacts the University.

Moving on up and in at UC Davis Photo Contest

Dorm move-in weekend (9/17/11-9/18/11) at Davis is an exciting, nerve-wracking, life changing time. Many folks can be found who have just graduated from high school and are leaving the nest for the very first time. So it is time for “Moving on up and in at UC Davis” with the UC Davis Store TechHub.

Capture your memories of moving in at UC Davis and share them with us! Dorm move-in does not need to be a chaotic time, have some fun with it and show it off. Just like the last contest, the top 5 photos with the most “likes” will move on to round 2 and will be voted on during the Student Activities Faire on 10/12/11. The one that receives the most votes during the Faire will win and Acer netbook (see below for a full list of prizes). So remember, have some fun and make sure you snap a couple of photos while you and your roommate are lugging around those heavy boxes…

Rules:

1. In order to enter, you must “like” the UC Davis Store TechHub Facebook page (which can be found at www.facebook.com/ucdtechhu​b)
2. Between 9/17/2011 and 9/29/2011, upload your Dorm Move-in photo to the TechHub Facebook wall.
1. Original photos will be accepted only, no plagiarism.
2. You are only allowed one entry, so make sure that it is the one you really want before uploading.
3. Pictures must be directly uploaded to the wall, photos that are linked will not be considered.
4. No nudity, drug/alcohol use, or questionable material please.
5. Any photos uploaded before 9/17/2011 and after 9/29/2011 will not be considered. Actual voting on the TechHub Facebook wall will end at 9:00 AM Pacific Time on 9/30/2011. Any additional votes after this time on the Facebook TechHub page will not be counted. The top 5 will be announced shortly after.
6. Current UC Davis Store employees are not eligible to enter.
3. When you upload your photo, give a brief explanation of your move-in experience.
4. The fans of the UC Davis TechHub page will then be able to vote on the photos. How does this happen? Votes will be tallied by the number of “likes” on each photo.
5. At the end of the voting period (9:00 AM PST on 9/30/2011), the votes will be calculated and the top 5 photos will then be placed on display at the UC Davis Student Activities Fair at the UC Davis Stores’ booth (10/12/2011).
6. During the Activities Fair, visitors to the UC Davis Stores’ booth will be allowed to vote on their favorite photo.
7. Once a winner is picked, they will be notified.
8. Prizes:
• 1st Prize: Acer Netbook
• 2nd Prize: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3
• 3rd Prize: $25 Gift Card to Applebee’s
9. By submitting your photo to our contest, you are agreeing to allow the UC Davis Store to use them in any further marketing/promotional material.
10. Facebook in no way, shape or form endorses this contest.

Yeah, this is from Windows, but you get the idea...

Lately, many folks on the Internet have been speculating that Apple is heading toward a diskless world. With the recent release of the new Mac Mini (which lacks an optical drive) and the fact that OS X 10.7 is available ONLY on the Mac App Store, it is not hard to see why people are thinking this, and you can count me as one of those folks as well. But the real question is, “Is this a good thing”?

Apple has been heading in this direction for a while now it seems. They have not updated their “SuperDrives” in years and when asked about upgrading the SuperDrive to Blu-Ray back in a 2008 keynote, Steve had some not so nice remarks about the tech. “Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt. It’s great to watch the movies, but the licensing of the tech is so complex, we’re waiting till things settle down and Blu-ray takes off in the marketplace.” While Blu-ray is taking off as far as movies and console video games are concerned, it has been 3 years since that speech, and no one is using Blu-ray as a medium for the PC. Instead, cloud technology has been taking off since that time and it looks like that is where Apple is heading instead.

So what are the cons of not having disks? Well, for one, you don’t feel like you really own the media/software you buy when you buy it through iTunes (well, at least I don’t). I am old school, I like to have the physical copy. What if something goes wrong and you need to re-install/re-load whatever it is? Apple seems to have figured that out with “Internet Recovery” (a way of reinstalling OS X 10.7 on a blank hard drive through the Internet without having the disks), but what if you don’t have Internet access? Hard to believe in this day and age, but it is a reality that people still use dial-up or have no Internet at all. Want to watch that movie? Well, you can buy it through iTunes, stream it through Netflix, etc. Wait, you already own it on DVD and you don’t want to have to pay for something that you already own? That’s crazy talk! Well, you can purchase an external DVD player that hooks up to your USB port, but doesn’t that defeat the purpose at that point?

For all the cons, there are some pretty darn compelling pros too. Lighter, sleeker, smaller laptops for one. Without having to have the SuperDrive jammed into a machine, we could all be looking at MacBook Air thin MacBook Pros in the future. Another one would have to be the loss of the actual physical copy. I know, just a moment ago I was saying that I like to have the physical copy of the CD. While that is true, they do nothing but clutter up my apartment. I have boxes and bins full of music and computer CDs. My living room wall is LINED with DVDs. Everywhere you look they are there. With Apple opening up their server farm for iCloud, they may have solved the problem of storage and recovery worries.

For the movie lover who likes to throw their DVD in the computer, I have no argument against. That is truly going to be a loss. In a recent review of the Mac Mini on Engadget, the reviewer noted how the machine wanted so badly wanted to be an all-in-one media center, but takes a HUGE step back because of the lack of an optical drive. “But imagining how stellar this bundle of joy could have been with a Blu-ray drive (or any drive) is an impossible vision to shake.” In the end, whether you like the decision or not, it looks like there will be interesting times at Apple in the near future.