THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW ENDED

Thank you for all of your entries. The winner of the competition is Chris Lee, Congratulations! Sorry to those of you who didn’t win, but we’ll be giving away some more cool prizes soon in our Christmas giveaway!

It’s competition time again here at Tech-Reviews.co.uk! This time we have an Andy Pad Pro Android tablet to giveaway to one lucky reader!

“With additional features over the standard Andy Pad, the Andy Pad Pro features a built-in memory of 16GB which can be expanded up to 32GB with one of our SD cards (soon available as a separate purchase). This memory can be used to keep everything from books, films, music and photos at the tips of your fingers.

The Andy Pad Pro is 18g lighter than the standard Andy Pad and its slim design no problem makes it perfect to slip into a school bag or briefcase. With an additional purchase of an HDMI cable, you’ll be able to play HD videos and films through the Pro onto your television, plus the included headset allows you to listen to videos or music in private.

For the best in gaming the Andy Pad Pro supports 3D vector games, has 5-Point multi-touch and an accelerometer for motion control. The 7 inch SensaTouch screen is also sure to be a benefit when gaming and generally using the Pro: it transforms electronic signals from your fingers into swipes and selections, allowing even the slightest movements to be recognised.

The Andy Pad Pro also features a powerful Wi-Fi chip, to automatically search out available free networks and enable chats, emails and browsing possible on the go. For extra connectivity, the Pro is fitted with Bluetooth technology so you can pair with a range of devices (such as headsets and controllers).

In addition to the front facing camera, a rear facing camera allows you to capture images on the go. A (real-time tested) battery life of up to 6 hours makes the Andy Pad Pro ideal to use during long journeys or commutes.”

Specifications:

• 16GB Memory
• Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
• Two cameras
• 3D Games
• 5-Point Multi-touch

How to enter

To be in with a chance of winning the Andy Pad Pro, just follow the simple instructions below.

1. Share this article on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ using the share bar to the left of this article.
2. Visit the Tech-Reviews Facebook page here and Like it.
3. Visit the Andy Pad Facebook page here and Like it.

And that’s it! Simple!

This competition will end on Friday 18th November at 5PM GMT. The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on Monday 21st November at 9AM on Facebook, Twitter and the website.

Good Luck!

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW ENDED

Thank you for all of your entries, the winner of the competition will be announced on Tuesday 11th October! We’ll be giving away a AndyPad Tablet next!

Click here to view the embedded video.

This giveaway is sponsored by SPECK. A big thanks to them!

Since I joined the Tech-Reviews team I was on 1,800 subscribers and I have shot up to 2,000 in no time, we’ll be doing a competition every time a milestone is met on the Tech-Reviews gadget channel.

So what’s up for grabs? All of this.

There are altogether 8 products are for grabs, but Rhys is also chucking in a pair of Radiopaq Duo headphones too! There will be four winners altogether and each winner will get two items.

How to enter?

At the top of the page you will see the video of me announcing the giveaway, you have to watch this video and do a few things on the page, firstly…

1) You have to subscribe to the channel {click here to subscribe}

2) You then have to Like, Thumbs up and Favourite the video. EASY.

3) You HAVE to comment on which product you want most, and then the second most product you want. (example: 1:Radiopaq Headphones  2:MadCatz T-Shirt)

4) You then have to follow these three people on twitter:

Brandon Saltalamacchia (Me): http://twitter.com/#!/iambrandonuk

Tech-Reviews.co.uk: http://twitter.com/#!/TechReviews_UK

and Speck for sponsoring the Giveaway: http://twitter.com/#!/speckproducts

AND YOUR DONE! Its as easy as that!

The giveaway will end on October the 8th and the winners will be announced on the YouTube channel on the 9th.

A big thanks to Speck for sponsoring the giveaway!

This tutorial is done using a 3GS, however the steps for all iPhone models are pretty much the same.

Buy a replacement iPhone 3GS screen glass and tools

eBay is your best bet, I got my kit for just £5.50 which includes the screen glass, adhesive pads and all the tools you need to carry out this tutorial. Just make sure you check the sellers feedback for people who have also bought the kit, there are some bad replica screen glass’ available.

How to fix your iPhone 3GS cracked screen

1. Remove the two screws from the bottom of your iPhone. These are located next to the dock connector, remove these with a mini Philips screwdriver and make sure you put them in a safe place. Labelling which screws are for what is a good idea.
   
2. Lift the iPhone screen away.  Using the plunger you got with your kit, place it just above the home button and carefully try and lift the screen out from the casing, you may need to use a tool to prise it out from the sides, but be careful doing this as you can damage the seal.
   If your kit doesn’t contain a plunger, put a mini screwdriver or other tool between the screen and rubber and try to lift it out. This method is not recommended, as it’s very easy to damage the rubber seal.
   
3. Lift the screen back from the iPhone casing, be careful, as it’ll still be attached.
   
4. Disconnect the cables. There are three cables to disconnect from the iPhone itself; these are numbered 1,2 and 3 (number 3 is hidden below number 2). Number 1 and 2 cables are easy to remove, simply lift them out from their connectors using the wedge tool.
   
5. Be careful removing number 3. Number 3 is a little more difficult to remove and you can damage your iPhone if done incorrectly. It’s clamped into place, in order to remove it you need to release this clamp. To do this, slide the wedging tool or another plastic apparatus underneath the cream-coloured clamp and flip it up 90 degrees. This is the clamp released. Be sure to flick the clamp back down to prevent it from getting damaged while we replace the iPhone screen.
   
6. Remove 6 Screws. Three of the screws are located on one of the metal frames sides, two on the other side and one is located in the top right.

   

   
   

7. Prise the LCD screen out from the frame. Once the screws are removed you can use a wedge tool or small screwdriver between the LCD and glass frame to separate them.
   
8. Remove the cracked and broken iPhone screen glass. This is probably the toughest part of the tutorial, removing the glass. I would recommend using gloves for this step unless you want small shards of glass in your hands. Best way to remove the glass is to forcefully push it out or smash it even more with a screwdriver so it’s easier.
   
9. Clean the iPhone frame up. Make sure you remove ALL the left over adhesive residue and pieces of glass from the frame. A heat gun can help with this, but be careful not to melt the plastic frame.
10. Apply your new iPhone screen glass. With your kit you should have some double sided tape cut to size or adhesive, carefully apply this to the frame making sure you don’t cover any of the sensors or buttons. Reapply the new screen glass to this, pushing down to ensure it is located perfectly and is secure, give it a couple of minutes to set if using adhesive.Reassemble the iPhone. In the methods we took it apart, do these in the reverse order.
    • Attach LCD frame back to glass frame, secure with 6 screws.
    • Lift the clamp and slide number 3 cable back in, reapply clamp. This can be tricky, straighten out the cable by pushing down on it with a wedging tool while holding number 1 and 2 cables with your thumb and then slide it into position.
    • Reconnect number 2 and number 1 cables. This is simple, you just need to push down on them so they slot into their connectors.
    • Put the screen back onto the phone. Insert the screen from the top (where the screen is connected) and close it at the bottom. It should fit comfortably; now push down to make sure its in position.
    • Secure the two remaining screws in the bottom.

    

11. Job Done! Well done on replacing your iPhone 3GS smashed screen, now that you’ve probably saved about a £100, go buy yourself a pint!
    

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW ENDED

Thank you for all of your entries, the winner of the competition is Toby Wainwright! We’ll be giving away a AndyPad Tablet next!

Once again we’ve got another great competition for you lucky readers,this time we’re giving away a Cyborg R.A.T 7 Gaming Mouse (Albino Edition) – courtesy of Mad Catz.

To enter the competition its simple, just answer this very simple question:

How many paw scratches does the Mad Catz logo have?

Go to the Mad Catz website if you need help.

Entry Requirements

• Become a fan of TechReviewsUK and UKMadCatz on Facebook
• Follow TechReviews_UK and MadCatzUK on Twitter
• Reply with your answer in our Community Forum (registration is free and quick)

The winner will be picked at random on 30th September 2011 5:30pm GMT.

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW ENDED

Thank you for all of your entries, the winner of the competition is Chris_Woodgate! We’ll be giving away a AndyPad Tablet next!

Win a Toshiba Satellite C660-125 Laptop!

We haven’t had a competition or giveaway here at Tech-Reviews for quite some time now but just for all of you dedicated readers out there, we have an amazing Toshiba Satellite laptop to give away, which has been supplied by the generous folks over at Argos. All you need to do is answer the simple question below for your chance to win the Toshiba Satellite C660-125 Intel 320GB 15.6 Inch Laptop.

Now as some of you might now, Windows 7 was the successor of Windows Vista and featured many new tweaks and improvements over Windows Vista. Windows 7 was eventually released to manufacturers on July 22nd 2009, but what we want to know is:

When was Windows 7 officially released to the public?

How to enter:

1. Follow @Argos_Online on Twitter
2. Follow @TechReviews_UK on Twitter
3. Retweet this Tweet to your friends.
4. Tweet your answers to us @TechReviews_UK

This competition is open worldwide and is open to all ages.

The competition will end on the 25th September at 5pm GMT. The winner will be announced on Twitter and here on the website on the 26th at 9am GMT.

For more information on the prize check out this page on Argos, and while you’re there, take a look at their wide range of netbooks!

Good Luck!

- The first feature that has been the most well received is the new Notifications Center. Accessible via a quick swipe down gesture on the status bar, the Notifications Center drops down to reveal an aesthetically pleasing UI to display your latest notifications as well as weather and stocks information (if you so choose). All of the notification options can be changed by opening “settings > notifications” and then changing the settings to what ever you feel looks best.

- iCloud was the last announcement at the WWDC keynote and possibly the most suprising, in terms of it’s wide range of features and cost, absolutely FREE!  iCloud integrates itself into your applications to allow any iOS device to communicate with the cloud, sending and receiving data; this includes contacts, photos, apps you’ve downloaded as well as the cloud remembering your save data for games. And the best part is that it is all done wirelessly.If you’ve taken your iPhone on holiday and have captured loads of photos of your family and friends, as soon as you pick up your iPad or Mac (available when OSX Lion is released) you can view the photos you’ve taken by visiting the PhotoStream section of your photos / iPhoto application.As well as iCloud being free to all iOS 5 devices, you receive 5GB of online storage which stores your mail, documents, Camera Roll, account information, settings, and other app data which means that any of your purchased music, apps or books don’t count towards the 5GB limit.

- It seems that social networking has been one of the main “selling points” of iOS 5 with it’s deep integration of Twitter. Within the Settings app, you have the ability to sign into your Twitter account which means that from apps such as the Photos app, Safari, Maps and others, you can tweet straight from your current open app by using the popup tweet box which appears.

If you want a take a closer look at a couple of other applications, then you can watch the video below and if you have any thoughts or comments about iOS 5 then you can leave a comment in the comments section below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s a few simple steps to get your iPad back to it’s default factory settings, ie exactly what it looked liked (software wise obviously, this process won’t remove scratches or dents from your device…) when you bought it new.

1. You’re first going to want to make sure that your device actually needs to be reset as this process will erase all settings and content from your device which is irriversable. Therefore, please make sure you backup any important files via iTunes or if you’ve jailbroken your device you can create a backup of those apps and settings by following this guide here.

2. You’ll need to navigate to the settings applications and then click on the “Reset” option at the bottom which will then display the various reset options available to you.

3. This is where you have a few final chances to work out exactly which option is best for you. Do you want to just delete all of your settings? or perhaps just the network settings? We’re going to be using both the “Reset All Settings” and the “Erase all Content and Settings” options today, using both will make sure that everything has been reset and nothing has slipped though. You are prompted with two “Are you sure?” pop ups, we went ahead and just clicked yes.

After you’ve confirmed that you understand that all of your data will be erased, the ipad will turn off. When it comes back on, you’ll see the same Apple loading screen you see when you update or restore your device. During this time it is just completing the request to erase all settings/content which only takes a few minutes at the longest for those of you with many applications and a lot of media content.

4. Once the process is complete, you’ll be shown the connect to iTunes screen (just like you were when you first turned it on). All you need to do now is open up iTunes on your Mac or PC and select the option you’d like. For this guide we’ll be setting it up as a new iPad.

5. Finally, once the iPad has finished doing it’s thing, you’ll see the lockscreen with the default wallpaper. And once it’s unlocked, you’re back to default factory settings! Not too difficult but if you get stuck on any step, be sure to leave a comment below and both us and other readers will try out best to help.

We now also have our own YouTube channel (Click here to visit our channel) which we’ll be uploading various tutorials and guides to. We have a few videos at the moment but not a great deal so if you have any video suggestions please leave them below as well

Introduction

Back in July this year we tested the CoolIT watercooling kit using a heavily overclocked AMD 7750+ BE. It’s performance really surprised us with it absolutely caning the other coolers in question. However, processors have quickly moved on since July and we’ve got the likes of the Intel Core i7 and recent i5 dominating the market. For this reason, we thought some i5 testing using our trusty CoolIT Domino was in order. Let’s see if the performance from the Domino still survives in this day and age…

*From the release date of the Intel Core i5, CoolIT now includes an i5 clip with all new purchases of the Domino.

Test Computer

The main specifications of our i5 test system are as follows:

To achieve the overclock of 3999.6Mhz we adjusted the CPU voltage to 1.44v and increased the Bus speed from 130 to 190. Below is a CPU-Z screenshot so you can see the settings for yourself.

Although the CoolIT Domino has three running modes (Quiet, Performance and Full), we stuck with just the ‘Quiet’ and ‘Full’ modes as the ‘Performance’ mode is basically the middle of the two. ‘Quiet’ mode entails the radiator fan operating at an RPM between 1100-2500 whilst ‘Full’ mode has the fan operating at 2900. The extra RPM allows more cool air to be forced through the radiator’s fins thus quicker cooling the water. However, this obviously means the fan is much noisier, whereas in Quiet mode it’s pretty much silent – like a watercooling kit should be.

Anyway, hop to the next page and see the results…

For high end publishing, the Pro version of the software comes with plug-ins for QuarkXPress and Adobe Design.

Here are some of the key features of ‘personal-edition’ of the software:

1. Easy Use Interface
2. Wide Range of Quality Fonts
3. Productivity and Compatibility
4. Optimized for high-end Desktop Publishing
5. Customizable
6. Comparison Chart

The mathematic equations created in MathMagic can be exported straight into Microsoft Word or Mac’s ‘Pages’ and a number of other word processing suites simply by drag and dropping. Their website is very useful and even includes a very informative 10-miniute video explaining the software and documenting tasks which can be carried out.

Upon starting up the software, it prompts you to enter a serial key (which you get after purchasing the software). Once registered the main program opens up for you to fulfil your needed task.

Although the program looks and feels rather complicated, after a short time spent playing around with it, it becomes entirely natural and difficult equations can easily be created.

For more information about the software and to watch a 10-minute video, visit this site.

During game play (BF2) I could see a slight improvement in my playing and accuracy because the grips do help you to grip your mouse more which reduces slipping and accidental movements during gaming.

Also, because of the texture of the grips, a lot of friction is produced so even if it’s been a hot summer’s day and you fancy a quick game of COD4 or BF2, sweaty hands are not a problem for these grips. Overall they improve your accuracy and mouse skills significantly more than a mouse without any grips.