Matt has a really good post today on his customer service experience at the Apple Store in New York City. While I completely understand his frustration, I am not surprised at how this whole thing went down. My sister and C-Note run into the same “appointment necessary” issues (minus Rachel) when they go to their Apple Store in northern New Jersey.

I’ll admit, I’m not always a fan of upstate New York (sometimes, I feel like we’re missing out on events and opportunities people living closer to big cities have), but it’s moments like this I realize the massive difference between personal attention and customer service in a small city, versus a metropolis (I’ve noticed the customer service at stores like Banana Republic, Marshalls, etc. is exponentially better up here).

Anyway, check out his post and decide if you want to join Team Matt or Team Rachel (ha).

Oh, and while you’re over there, notice comment No. 12. After reading that it was all I could do not to “punch” him in the virtual something else. “Ti*s”, really? That’s just one of those words that, to me, screams “I’m either 13-years-old or 43 and living in mom and dad’s basement.” Grrr.

We get to see all sorts of Kickstarter projects here at TUAW. There are the incredibly successful and “why didn’t I think of that” projects like the Pebble e-paper watch (now at well above US$10 million in funding) or the Une Bobine iPhone cable (fully-funded, as discussed on TUAW TV Live). And then there are projects like the Etcher iPad case that might be technologically cool, but impractical as hell.

The Etcher is an iPad case that looks and works like an Etch A Sketch. Sure, there are other Etch A Sketch cases for iPad, but how many of them work just like an Etch A Sketch? You can turn the knobs, which cause a line to be drawn on an app on the iPad. You can save and share your works of art, and then erase the Etcher app screen with a shake of the case.

The Etcher iPad case has been developed by a crack team of tech wizards — Ari Krupnik, who has developed a number of successful iPhone and iPad peripherals; Maarten Dinger, who was on the design team for the Flip camcorder; and Lee Felsenstein, one of the original members of the Homebrew Computer Club in the 1970s and designer of the original Osborne 1.

now, to get to the main point of my post. Yes, this is very cool. Yes, it’s officially licensed by Ohio Art, the folks who make the “real” Etch A Sketch. But is it really practical? The Etcher will apparently sell for about US$45 provided it gets funded. For that amount, you can buy three original Etch A Sketch toys from Amazon and probably have enough change left over to buy a latte. Drop the original on the floor and break it (unlikely, since they seem indestructible), and you just have a mess to clean up — not a broken iPad.

at this early date, the Etcher has about $10,000 of a planned $75,000 goal, with almost a month left to go. And no, I am not going to back this project. how about you?

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While paying for your purchases at your favorite clothing store, the cashier asks if you are interested in saving 20 percent on your purchases for today. ‘Of course’, you think, ‘who would turn down a deal like that?’ you reply that you are interested, and the cashier asks you to fill out an application form for their store credit card. is this a good idea? Before you fill out that form, make sure you know the good and bad sides of getting a department store card.

It is always better to start with the bad news, especially if you think you know all the good news anyway. Store cards tend to have very high annual percentage rates, or APR. these could get as high as 18 or 19 percent, which is significant, especially if you look at the APR you have on your regular credit card. having such a high interest rate can be detrimental if you do not pay off your credit card balance each month, so if you are simply not disciplined enough to do that, a store card is not for you.

Sometimes, a department store will have a store credit card available but do not tell you that it does not have revolving credit. this means that you must pay the balance off each month anyway, and it also means that you do not get credit (pardon the pun) for being a responsible account holder. if the card does not have revolving credit, your credit score will not be impacted positively OR negatively either way, so it is honestly pointless to get the card. if you want to improve your credit score by opening a new line of credit at a store, make sure they have revolving credit, and make sure you are on time about paying.

You may be excited to spend that money on your new line of credit from your favorite store, but be very clear on just how much you are allowed to spend. many stores offer very low credit limits, which makes the card, for all intents and purposes, useless. you should make sure you know what you are getting into before signing your name on the dotted line, because having too many open lines of credit can impact your credit score negatively.

Now, you can learn about the good that comes from store credit cards. as mentioned before, opening a line of credit can help you build your credit score if you are responsible about paying the balance each month. as long as you are very careful about not exceeding your limit or buying more than you can pay in a month, you can absolutely do this to help bump up your credit score.

The most important pro for many shoppers is that you have access to some extra promotions and discounts just by using your card. Knowing about the best deals ahead of time can help you shop more efficiently, and it is quite a thrill to get to the checkout counter and see you are paying much less for much more. Discounts are the major attraction to these cards.

Today’s mobile news roundup features Apple’s stellar financial report, Ericsson’s strong Q1, an ITC ruling win for Motorola Mobility and more.

Apple rocks Q2 as Cook hints on settling patent disputes and no to hybrid

Apple reported stellar financial report for Q2 2012, reporting a net profit of $6 billion.  Combined revenue for iPad and iPhone sales is at $29.2 billion, marking the majority of their total $39.2 billion revenue.

Apple sold 11.8 million iPads this quarter, a 151% increase compared to the same quarter last year.

“The new iPad is on fire. we are selling them as fast as we can make them,” Apple Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said in an earnings call on Tuesday.

After the earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook answered some questions regarding whether they’re planning on joining the band of tablet-laptop hybrid makers and addressing patent lawsuits.

Cook stated that they will not be making an iPad-Mac hybrid, as he believes this would compromise both devices.  They always want users to experience the best of their products.  He also stated that joining two products doesn’t necessarily make it the best product, or a product that consumers would want to buy or use.

“anything can be forced to converge,” Cook stated.  ”But the problem is that products are about trade-offs, and you begin to make trade-offs to the point where what you have left at the end of the day doesn’t please anyone.  You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user.  We’re not going to that party… others might from a defensive point of view.”

As for the patent lawsuits, he would be appearing with Samsung CEO Gee-Sung Choi in the court ordered conference in the hopes of settling their patent dispute, instead of pushing for a full-on trial.  It looks like there might be hope for a settlement as Cook stated he hates litigations and would opt for settlements if possible.

“I’ve always hated litigation, and I continue to hate it,” Cook said.  ”we just want people to invent their own stuff. if we could get into some kind of arrangement where we could be assured that’s the case and a fair settlement of the stuff that’s occurred, I would highly prefer to settle versus battle.”

Ericsson reports strong Q1

Ericsson, the biggest maker of mobile network equipment, reported a profit increase of 8.8 billion kronor, or $1.3 billion, from 4.1 billion kronor last year.  The increase in earnings is attributed to the 7.7 billion kronor they earned when they sold 50% of their stake in Sony Ericsson to Sony.

But the company also suffered some setbacks as sales fell 4% to 51 billion kronor from 53 billion kronor last year, as demand for network equipment using code division multiple access, or CDMA, declined.  Sales of network equipment, which made up 54% of Ericsson’s total sales, fell by 18% to 27.3 billion kronor from 33.2 billion kronor a year earlier.  But sales of outsourcing and network management services and software solutions, which made up 46% of sales, rose by 20%, to 23.6 billion kronor from 19.7 billion kronor.

Motorola wins ITC ruling in case against Microsoft

Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. won a U.S. International Trade Commission judge’s ruling that bolsters its chances of blocking imports of Microsoft’s Xbox gaming system from entering the U.S.

ITC Judge David Shaw stated that Microsoft violated four of five Motorola patents.  This ruling could lead to MoMo blocking imports of Microsoft’s Xbox to the US.  The ruling is still not final as Shaw’s findings are subject to be reviewed by the six-member commission, which has the power to ban imports that infringe U.S. patents.

“Microsoft continues to infringe Motorola Mobility’s patent portfolio, and we remain confident in our position,” said Becki Leonard, a spokeswoman for Motorola Mobility, in an e-mailed statement. “This case was filed in response to Microsoft’s litigate-first patent attack strategy, and we look forward to the full commission’s ruling in August.”

Huawei to make chips

Huawei Technologies, a Chinese handset maker, is looking into making and selling their own mobile chips to keep up with the competitive market.

“in the future, whether it be mobile broadband devices, tablets, or smartphones, Huawei will be able to provide its own core chip solution,” said Huawei executive vice president Eric Xu. “if we cannot make money from smartphones, we can still make money from the chipset offerings.  If we can make money from every smartphone chip, then it will be substantial.”

“Most games on Facebook are built using Adobe Flash and therefore don’t work on the iPad,” Tricia Duryee reports for AllThingsD.

“While Facebook is slowly working out the kinks to bring more games to mobile, there’s a small company in Menlo Park, Calif., that has beat them to it,” Duryee reports. “iSwifter is announcing a new iPad app today called theWorx for Facebook, which gives users the full Facebook experience — social games and all.”

Duryee reports, “iSwifter will host the content on its servers and then stream the games to the user on the iPad with little latency. By taking this approach, users will have access to all games on Facebook without developers having to lift a finger… TheWorx will be free for a short trial period, and then users will pay for additional access. The app will come out later this month or in early June. At that time, iSwifter’s co-founder Rohan Relan said, they will figure out how much they will charge. The iSwifter app currently costs $5.”

Read more in the full article here.

Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is a wireless keyboard, stand and cover for Apple's iPad 2 and the new iPad. The built-in stand props your iPad up at an angle that's ideal for typing, Web surfing and media consumption. The Ultrathin Keyboard Cover also comes with a magnetic clip that attaches to the iPad and turns the keyboard into a protective cover when not in use.

The Ultrathin Keyboard Cover looks great and it's functional. The keyboard's base is made of aluminum with a beautiful matte finish. The top surface is shiny, polished plastic, and the keyboard and keys are “chiclet” style.

when not in use, the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover folds over the iPad’s display with its metallic side facing outwards. The keys are slightly recessed so they don't touch your iPad’s screen when the cover is closed. And magnets automatically put your iPad to "sleep" when the cover is in place. The Ultrathin Keyboard Cover roughly doubles your iPad's thickness.

when you're ready to use the keyboard you simply detach it and place it on a flat table. then you put the iPad into a slot on the keyboard that uses a magnetic fastener to hold the iPad in place.  The magnetic fastener does not work when the iPad is situated vertically, but your tablet still stays in place.

The Ultrathin Keyboard Cover pairs with your iPad via a Bluetooth pairing button, and the on/off switch is located right beside the pairing key. The keyboard's battery is powered via micro USB, and Logitech says it should last six months with two hours of usage per day.

The keyboard's numeric keys and iPad multimedia controls are in a single row, along with a key to bring up the tablet's on-screen keyboard, a “home” button, and various other shortcuts keys. The Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is about the same size as the iPad's on-screen keyboard. I loved the feel of the hard plastic keys, and the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is among the best portable keyboards I’ve used.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover: Conclusion

I don’t really have any significant complaints about the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, beyond the tiny size of the “delete” key. also, the highly-reflective plastic retains fingerprints and smudges, and a lack of rubber "feet" causes dirt to accumulate along the edges of its base after a while.

despite its name, the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is not so much a cover but a highly portable keyboard. you can attach a Smart-Cover-compatible case to your iPad for extra protection, but a soft slipcase for the keyboard and iPad would have been welcome; this keyboard isn't cheap at $99.99, and it can get dinged up rather easily.

overall, I'm a big fan of the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, and its superb design makes it one of the sleeker external keyboards for iPad that I've used.

The high-gloss surface of the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover makes it look good, but it's quick to attract dust and fingerprints.

The slot on the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover comes with a built-in magnetic fastener that helps keep the iPad in place

The "chiclet" keys do not touch the screen of your iPad when the cover is closed thanks to a recessed lip around the keys.

The superb design makes the conjoined keyboard and iPad look like an ultraportable laptop.

The Ultrathin Keyboard Cover affixed to a new iPad.

Politicians are replacing the £429 iPad 2 tablets already claimed on expenses with the latest model, which is priced at up to £659, not including a monthly mobile network subscription.

Last month a commission led by Speaker John Bercow backed a scheme to provide about 350 select committee members with the devices in an attempt to cut the cost of printing and paperwork in Parliament

Other MPs were told they could put the tablet computers on expenses if they give up one of their old pieces of computer kit in return.

Members are currently allocated three taxpayer-funded computers plus two laptops.

But many of the 88 MPs who had already claimed for an iPad on expenses have simply handed the older model back in return for the latest version.

A source said: “Members were told they could only have an iPad if they returned one of the other paid-for pieces of computer kit, but some who had claimed for an iPad 1 or 2 in addition to their other computers have just taken that back, so they get to keep their computers and laptops and now have a brand new toy to use.

“So just a few months after spending tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on the older model, they are splashing out again and this time the cost is even higher.”

The House has also spent £68,750 on security software to secure the iPads on the network.

Tablet … Foreign Secretary William Hague with iPad

Buying an iPad for each of the 650 members of the Commons could rack up a bill of up to £430,000, while a similar move being considered for the 817 members of the House of Lords could top £538,000.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which is in charge of allowances, originally turned down the request for free iPads, but backed down on appeal.

The Commons Commission recommended the “rapid roll-out of suitable mobile tablet hardware” to all 650 MPs.

And it insisted the scheme would save £50,000 on the cost of replacing laptops for other staff.

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Apple normally keeps the price of the iPad and iPhone steady, but dealhunters can find a better deal on the iPad and iPhone is they are willing to wait.

Dealnews monitors deals with a statistical addiction to pricing which allows them to figure out when to expect the first price cut on the iPad and iPhone and when to expect the best deal.

Shoppers who want to save the most money on a new iPad, iPhone or iPod touch will need to wait, and in most cases need to put up with old technology.

Best Time to By an iPad

The best time to buy an iPad is 12 months after release, when savings hit $139. the price is dropping so dramatically by this point because a new iPad has been released, but that means good deals for users that don’t need the latest model.

Patient shoppers can score $40 off the iPad by waiting 2 months after release. These iPad deals typically pop up at online retailers such as MacMall or small chains like MicroCenter.

Best Time to Buy an iPhone

The iPhone rarely goes on sale, so it’s not surprising that the best deals arrive just two months after release and top off at $31 in savings. Waiting $11 days after release nets savvy shoppers $11 in savings.

When it comes to iPhone deals, there really are no good deals to wait for. in my experience, any discounts on the latest model are short-lived and in short supply. over the course of a two-year contract, $11 to $1 doesn’t matter.

Focus on finding app deals, accessories on sale and a better cell phone plan instead.

Best Time to Buy an iPod Touch

The iPod Touch is an incredibly popular gadget for users who want a smartphone, but don’t want a data plan. the  best deal on the iPod Touch comes 14 months after release, when shoppers will see deals with up to $83 off, likely as part of a gift card or Black Friday bundle. 8-days after release shoppers can save $6 by purchasing the new model on Amazon and other third-party retailers.

Check out the Best time to Buy an iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Infographic from Dealnews for more details.

How long are you willing to wait for a good deal?

Yesterday we brought you news that iOS hacker pod2g had gotten an untethered jailbreak of iOS 5.1 working on his third generation iPad. in his tweet yesterday, he said that after a little more work, he would test it on the recently released iOS 5.1.1 to make sure that the same exploits would work.

Today, it seems that that test was successful, and that pod2g’s jailbreak works equally well on iOS 5.1.1. Here’s his tweet from earlier this morning:

So, that’s one major question from yesterday answered: the iOS 5.1 jailbreak works on iOS 5.1.1, meaning that when the public tool is released, jailbreakers will be able to update their version of iOS to the latest version, rather than trying to jump through hoops to upgrade only to iOS 5.1. the second major question following yesterday’s announcement, though, is when the jailbreak will be ready for public use. It turns out that there’s still a bit of waiting left to do for that. Pod2g tweeted yesterday that a “nice, user friendly” jailbreak tool is still “some weeks away,” and that he would not be releasing a beta version of the tool earlier than that:

So there you have it. iOS 5.1.1 has been jailbroken, and a public jailbreak tool is coming, you just have to hang on a few more weeks. unfortunately, however, a hacker’s work is never done. With WWDC 2012 just a month away, there’s a fair chance we’ll be seeing iOS 6 soon.

In the meantime, while we wait for the jailbreak tool for iOS 5.1.1 to be ready, here’s a video pod2g posted of the untethered jailbreak of iOS 5.1 in action.

You can download free iPhone song from many different places, and this will surely be something you will want to do. Most Iphone owners have no idea this is even possible, so read on to find out how it’s done.

The iPhone is becoming a media legend already, due its super versatile capability to handle multimedia files. following on from Apple’s outrageously successful iPod, the iPhone has added a new dimension in user friendliness, combining a highly specified multimedia center with a cell phone.

Before you can download free iPhone song, you will need some basic hardware. You will need a computer, but not necessarily the latest fully specified super powerful job. all we are doing here is downloading small audio files and transferring them, so any computer built in recent times should be up to the job. Even your internet connection doesn’t have to be anything great, as the files are not listened to while you are downloading. Broadband will allow to build up your music collection a lot faster, but dial up connections will still get the job done.

The biggest problem in trying to download free iPhone song is to find a source for the material. Here, someone who does not know what they are doing can get themselves into a lot of trouble. there are sites called P2P (Peer to Peer) sites, which allow users to download files for free. These sites are illegal, and law enforcement is getting better at catching people who use them. do not take the risk, it just isn’t worth it. This is far from the only danger. because the files are provided by unknown people, they can be basically anything. Many times someone spreading a virus will call their file by the name of something in great demand, even though it is nothing like that, just to get the virus onto peoples’ computers.

Avoid these sites altogether. there is a very good alternative, in the reputable sites that charge a very small joining fee, and then provide unlimited downloads. These sites make a small charge so they can legitimately offer the latest releases, and maintain equipment good enough to offer super fast clean downloads. if you are a serious music fan, and will want to build up a library of songs over the coming weeks, then you will find a site like this offers outstanding value for money, when you compare it with the price of buying a lot of CDs. Over the long term, you will certainly find one of these sites the best place to download free iPhone song.

So there you are, that’s how it’s done. Check out the links below to find out where the free songs come from.