TidBITS#985/06-Jul-09
=====================
Issue link: <http://db.tidbits.com/issue/985>
We have three main articles for you this week. First, Adam peers at
the new Firefox 3.5 to see how its new features stack up. Second,
Jeff Carlson shares the step-by-step process of how he replaced the
broken screen of his wife's iPhone 3G. And third, Adam introduces
the new TidBITS Commenting System, which makes it easy for readers
to add comments directly to our articles. We also cover Steve Jobs's
return to work and an important update for a number of Garmin GPS
models. Notable software releases this week include PasswordWallet
4.4.7, Cocktail 4.4, PDFpen 4.1.4, iPhoto 8.0.4 Update, Nisus Writer
Pro 1.3, MacSpeech Dictate 1.5.2, Typinator 3.5, and MacBook Air SMC
Firmware Update 1.2.
Articles
Take Control News: 50%-Off Sale Ending 07-Jul-09
Apple: Jobs Back on the Job
Garmin Issues Software Update for Widespread Problem
Introducing the TidBITS Commenting System
Firefox 3.5 Improves Performance, Privacy, and Standards Support
How to Replace a Cracked iPhone 3G Screen
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 06-Jul-09
ExtraBITS for 06-Jul-09
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk for 06-Jul-09
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Take Control News: 50%-Off Sale Ending 07-Jul-09
------------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10399>
It's not uncommon for people to tell us that they've fallen slightly
behind on reading their TidBITS issues, so we wanted to remind
anyone who missed last week's issue that our 50-percent-off sale on
all Take Control ebooks and Macworld Superguides continues through
the end of Tuesday, 07-Jul-09. For more information, see "Take
Control Sale: 50% Off All Ebooks" (2009-06-29).
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/catalog-alpha?cp=CPN90629J4TH&pt=TB985>
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/10382>
Apple: Jobs Back on the Job
---------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10387>
Apple has informed a number of press outlets that CEO Steve Jobs has
returned to work on schedule after his six month medical leave of
absence (see "Steve Jobs Takes Medical Leave Until June,"
2009-01-14). According to spokesperson Katie Cotton, for the time
being he will work several days a week at Apple's Cupertino campus,
and from his home office the remaining days. Apple's COO Tim Cook
has been handling day-to-day operations in Jobs's absence.
<http://www.macworld.com/article/141443/2009/06/job_returns.html>
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/10004>
Jobs's medical leave was, according to him, necessary to deal with
an unspecified hormone imbalance that left him physically gaunt.
More recently, it has come to light that he received a liver
transplant at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute
of Memphis, Tennessee. With Jobs's permission, the hospital
announced that the procedure had taken place, though they did not
specify when it occurred.
<http://methodisthealth.org/methodist/About+Us/Newsroom/News/Steve+Jobs+Receives+Liver+Transplant>
We at TidBITS, though happy to see Jobs make a timely and hopefully
healthy return to Apple, remain distressed at the incessant
nattering over his health. While there's no question that Jobs
brings vision and marketing savvy to Apple, the company's
performance over the last six months shows that he is by no means
indispensable. In that time, Apple posted the company's best
non-holiday-quarter revenue and earnings ever, shipped the iPhone
3GS and iPhone OS 3.0 plus significant updates to the entire Mac
line, and saw its stock rise from under $80 per share to more than
$140 per share. Those are not the actions of a company struggling
with the absence of a charismatic leader.
Garmin Issues Software Update for Widespread Problem
----------------------------------------------------
by Doug McLean <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10386>
Garmin, the GPS device giant, has issued a mandatory update targeted
at correcting a widespread updating bug that renders them either
useless or entirely inoperable. The bug causes affected GPS units to
attempt to update their firmware repeatedly, and then either to shut
down or lose their GPS satellite signal. Affected devices include
the nuvi 7x5 series, nuvi 800 series, nuvi 8x5 series, zumo 660,
GPSMAP 620 and GPSMAP 640.
If you own a Garmin nuvi 7x5 series device that is no longer able to
receive a GPS satellite signal, you may download the firmware update
immediately via Garmin's WebUpdater. Owners of other affected Garmin
devices will be able to access the update in the near future, also
through the WebUpdater. Registered users will receive notification
of the availability of these updates via email.
<http://www8.garmin.com/products/webupdater/howtoinstall.jsp>
On the other hand, if your Garmin nuvi 7x5 series device is no
longer able to power on, a return authorization is required so you
can send the unit back to Garmin for repair under warranty. To
request a return authorization, follow the steps listed on this page
in Garmin's Knowledge Base.
<http://iqc.garmin.com/eCustomer/KODSelfService/request.do?create=kb:garmin&view()=c%7Bdc1fbbc0-6187-11de-69a8-000000000000%7D>
Introducing the TidBITS Commenting System
-----------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10394>
After weeks of discussion, design, and development, Glenn Fleishman
and Jeff Carlson and I are pleased to unveil our new TidBITS
Commenting System (TCS). For many years, we've had the TidBITS Talk
mailing list for discussions of our articles. We've tried to
integrate it more tightly with our articles, but it's difficult to
connect email and a Web-based content management system in a
reliable and coherent fashion that doesn't require constant
intervention.
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/10394#comments>
In the meantime, nearly every other publication and blog has added a
commenting feature. But commenting systems have suffered their own
growing pains, caused largely by the need to deal with spambots and
trolls, and it's become sufficiently onerous to use many commenting
systems that we no longer bother. (Trolls are people who
specifically pick fights to make others respond; they often have no
stake in the opinion they're stating.)
So we thought about what we wanted in a commenting system, and after
many discussions and design tests, we've come up with one that we
quite like. It has worked well in testing and in a quiet rollout
last week, and we'll see how it scales as more people start using
it.
On the TidBITS home page and each of our section pages, each article
summary now displays the number of comments in the metadata line
beneath it, and each full article shows the number of comments at
the top. In either case, clicking the word "Comments" takes you to
the comments section at the bottom of the article.
**Lightweight, Yet Secure** -- Our first goal with the TCS was that it
be easy to use. Twitter has been successful largely because it's so
easy to post tweets. You don't have to worry about writing much or
formatting your text, and your tweet appears immediately. Since
we've put untold hours of work into moderating our TidBITS Talk
discussion list, we wanted a system where posts could appear
immediately, without any intervention on our part. Moderation was
good for stopping spam and keeping discussions on track, but forcing
people to wait hours or days for their posts to appear isn't ideal.
The problem with immediate posting, of course, is comment spam.
Spammers have figured out how to write comment bots that do nothing
but fill up commenting systems with link-filled posts as a way of
attracting a few clicks and gaming search engine rankings. Most
comment systems we saw dealt with this by either requiring users to
type a CAPTCHA for each post or to set up an account before posting.
CAPTCHAs have their place, as do accounts, but for a quick comment,
both were more than we wanted to use for the TCS. (We use CAPTCHAs
if you want to post a tip or send email to a TidBITS author.)
<http://recaptcha.net/captcha.html>
Instead, the first time you comment on an article by clicking the
"Add a comment" link, it asks you for your name and your email
address in addition to your comment. The TCS then generates an email
message to you, asking you to click a link in the message to post
your comment on the site. Clicking the link tells us that the email
address you entered is valid and that it's your address. That gives
us enough confidence to allow your post to appear on the site. It
won't stop trolls, of course, but I'll go into more detail on how we
can deal with that problem shortly.
Confirming via email for each comment would be tedious, so the TCS
also sets a cookie in your Web browser when you click that
confirmation link. Thanks to that cookie, the TCS then knows who you
are and doesn't require confirmation of any subsequent posts, as
long as you use the same browser and don't delete your cookies.
Posting comments becomes even easier, too, because identified users
don't have to enter their names and email addresses in the Post
Comment dialog.
If you post a comment from another computer or another browser, you
must confirm via email again, but as long as you use the same email
address, the TCS will know that you're the same person in multiple
browsers. We have to store your email address in our database for
this to work, but your address isn't displayed in any way, so
there's no worry about it being harvested by spam trawlers. For
information about how we treat private information, see our privacy
policy.
<http://db.tidbits.com/privacy.html>
Maintaining this lightweight identity is important because we give
identified users the ability to edit their own posts. So, let's say
you submit a comment and notice as soon as it's posted that it has a
typo in it. Click the Edit button and you can make a change
instantly and repost your edited comment. The ability to edit your
own posts lasts for 7 days, after which the TCS locks the posts
down.
There's one other neat little trick that Glenn added toward the end.
What if you enter your name incorrectly, or more or less formally
than feels appropriate once you see it on the page? Just click your
name (a subtle yellow highlight appears when you mouse over it) and
enter a new one. Simple and unobtrusive.
**Threaded Discussions** -- Another of our goals with the TCS was that
it be threaded, but again in a lightweight way. Some commenting
systems are entirely flat, which is fine when there are relatively
few comments per article, and where the comments seldom refer to
each other. But once there are a lot of comments and they start
referencing one another (often with manual email-style quoting), it
gets out of hand. Threaded systems are less common, probably because
they're harder to write, and they often suffer from design problems
that make it difficult to group related messages in your head while
reading.
We addressed these concerns in the TCS in several ways. To add a
top-level comment, click the "Add a comment" link at the bottom of
any article. But if you want to reply to a particular comment, click
its Reply button instead, after which your comment will be indented
under its parent and any previous replies; it also has a different
background color.
Jeff's design for this is intentionally minimal. He created two
light background colors that match with the rest of the site color
scheme, and each level of threading uses a different color. So the
top-level comments always use the light purple, the second-level
replies use a light blue, third-level replies go back to the light
purple, and so on. This has the effect of subtly grouping replies to
a particular comment and making it clear when levels are changing
without hitting you over the head with an outline.
Although it's not specifically related to the threading, we also
implemented a 1,000-character limit on comments. The idea is not so
much to prevent people from writing a lot (though it will have that
effect), but to encourage people to keep comments concise and to the
point. Instead of one long comment that addresses an issue in the
article, and responds to several other comments, we'd prefer that
you post a short comment for each topic, replying directly to other
comments as necessary to maintain the structure.
Right now, there's no way to collapse replies into their parent, but
if threads start to grow long enough to need a way to condense them,
we'll look into adding it.
**Preventing Abuse** -- The final design goal with the TCS was to keep
it easy to use without opening ourselves up to comment spam or
trolls. Our abuse-prevention features include:
* The email-based verification for the first time a person posts,
which should stop most spambots.
* An AJAX-intensive interface that will hopefully resist being
controlled through automation.
* Admin-level controls that allow us to edit a comment, delete a
comment, prevent a user from posting new comments, and block a user
(deleting that user's posts) entirely. Although we don't plan to use
a heavy hand, we won't put up with anything that's abusive.
* Email notification for several staff members of the actual comments,
so we can see what's being posted quickly and act on it if need be.
* Automatic disabling of comments on articles older than 30 days,
since few people are likely to see comments on old articles, and it
lessens the risk to our massive article database if something does
break through our safeguards.
* A master switch to turn comments off for the entire site. This is
our "Oh no!" fallback if we see abuse happening and need time to
figure out the best way to stop it technically.
Honestly, though, I believe the main thing that will help keep our
comments clean is the TidBITS audience. I've been distressed by the
behavior I see (and hear my colleagues complain about) at other
sites, but we just don't have those problems with TidBITS Talk and
direct email responses from TidBITS readers. Universally, TidBITS
readers are polite and thoughtful, even when they don't agree with
something we've written.
My hope is, therefore, that by having useful, considered comments by
long-time TidBITS readers setting the tone, people who are new to
TidBITS will respond in kind. And if we see comments that are
abusive or wildly off topic or just plain icky, we'll delete them as
soon as we notice.
**Whither TidBITS Talk?** The release of the TCS raises the question
of what will be happening with our TidBITS Talk mailing list. For
the moment, all will continue as it has, although we're hoping that
the combination of some mail server changes and traffic diverted to
the TCS will allow us to stop moderating posts from subscribed
users. We'd still look at anything from someone who wasn't on the
list, mostly to prevent spam.
We anticipate that TidBITS Talk will remain useful as a place to
have more-involved discussions about topics that are perhaps only
peripherally related to an article, or that are about a topic about
which we haven't yet written an article. As such, we don't have any
plans to change it in the near future, and we'll play it by ear
going forward.
**Future Plans** -- We've already started to keep a list of things we
want to consider adding to the TCS in the future, such as including
comment links in our email issues, optionally informing authors of
comments on their articles, allowing user-level email notifications
of new comments, and some sort of integration with Twitter. We're
not committing to any of these ideas, and we're open to others, so
if you have a particular suggestion, leave a comment!
Firefox 3.5 Improves Performance, Privacy, and Standards Support
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10390>
Mozilla has thrown back the curtains on Firefox 3.5, a significant
update to the most popular Web browser that's independent of
operating system makers. The tagline for the new browser is "Faster,
Safer, Smarter, Better," and in initial testing, its new and
enhanced features indeed appear to improve an already good
experience.
<http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/>
**Faster** -- Firefox 3.5 includes a new JavaScript engine called
TraceMonkey, which is supposed to provide up to twice the
performance of Firefox 3.0, and over ten times the performance of
Firefox 2. (I see hardly any visitors to TidBITS still using Firefox
2.)
<https://wiki.mozilla.org/JavaScript:TraceMonkey>
Although Mozilla provides a chart comparing Firefox 3.5 with Safari
4, results on performance are not included. That leads me to believe
that Safari 4 remains the current speed champ. Nonetheless, Firefox
3.5 does feel notably snappier when working with
JavaScript-intensive sites like Google Docs. Even the TidBITS site
feels faster, which makes sense, given our increasing use of
JavaScript to add features and improve ease-of-use.
Page rendering in general is also faster, thanks to a new version of
the Gecko engine with "speculative parsing" that can load resources
(such as scripts) in parallel with the rest of the page. I wouldn't
trust rendering speed benchmarks, since there are so many real-world
bottlenecks that change the standard user experience, but in my
short usage of Firefox 3.5, it definitely feels faster.
**Safer** -- Security is increasingly important on the Internet, and
Firefox has long had a number of essential security features,
including a pop-up blocker, a constantly updated database of
phishing sites, automated updates to fix vulnerabilities, detailed
site information (click the site's favicon in the address bar), and
more.
<http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/features/#security>
New in Firefox 3.5 is a private browsing mode (Tools > Start Private
Browsing) that avoids recording Web history, form entries and
searches, downloads, passwords, cookies, and cache files (though
bookmarks you create in private browsing mode are retained). Since
it's easy to switch in and out of private browsing mode, there's
little downside to using it when you wish to keep nosy kids from
seeing where you were shopping for birthday presents. (Yeah, I know
what people will really use it for, but this is a family
publication.)
<http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Private+Browsing>
If you forget to turn on private browsing, you can still at least
ask Firefox to forget where you've been. This feature, also new in
Firefox 3.5, is a bit tricky to find. Choose History > Show All
History, and in the Library window that appears, search for the site
you want Firefox to forget. Once you find it, Control-click it and
choose Forget About This Site from the contextual menu that appears.
That site will be erased from your browsing history, though cookies
(and possibly other information, like form entries) remain.
Firefox 3.5 also converts the previous Clear Private Data dialog to
a Clear Recent History dialog (Tools > Clear Recent History), adding
the capability to control the time span over which data will be
deleted, perfect for clearing out what you've been doing on a public
computer for the last few hours.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-07/Clear-Recent-History.png>
**Smarter, Better** -- It's a little hard to know what Mozilla was
getting at with these words, but Firefox 3.5 reportedly improved the
"Awesome Bar" (the address field, into which you can type nearly
anything and get back something useful), the way you can tag
bookmarks, and the extremely helpful session restore capability.
It's unclear exactly what changes were made there. More concrete is
the improvement to Firefox's tabbed browsing. You can now drag a tab
out of a window to create a new window with that tab's contents, a
notable omission in Firefox 3.0.
Firefox 3.5 also introduces location-aware browsing, an optional
feature that allows Firefox to share information about your location
with Web sites. Mozilla is riding on the coattails of Google, which
developed the Geolocation API and submitted it to the W3C standards
consortium. As with iPhone apps, you're asked each time a Web site
requests access to your location so it's not a privacy concern.
<http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/geolocation/>
Geolocation works both by checking your IP address and scanning for
any wireless networks within range of your computer, so its accuracy
will range from a few meters to a few miles (all it knows about me
so far while I use a computer inside my home is that I'm in Ithaca,
NY).
A Web site could request your location from your browser via
JavaScript, but it's unlikely that a Web site would ask for this
when you load a page. More likely, you'll click on a "Find stores"
or "Where am I?" link. Firefox would then display the location
request at the top of the page, much as it asks if you want a
password to be saved.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-07/Location-query.png>
I can't really see location-aware browsing being all that important,
given that when I want location-specific information, I'm usually
using my iPhone somewhere other than at my desk. And even when I'm
travelling with my MacBook, I imagine I'd turn to the iPhone first
for location-specific information. For those without location-savvy
phones, this feature could be useful when you're using a coffee
shop, library, or hotel network in an unfamiliar area.
Mozilla also put a lot of effort into Firefox's support for modern
Web standards. Firefox 3.5 now supports downloadable fonts, HTML 5's
audio and video elements, the HTML 5 offline resource spec,
drag-and-drop within and between Web sites, CSS media queries for
media-dependent style sheets, multi-threading for speeding up Web
applications, and more. As usual, these improvements won't mean much
until they're adopted by Web developers for sites you use, and such
changes tend to happen slowly because of the large number of people
who don't (or can't) upgrade from old browsers.
<https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Firefox_3.5_for_developers>
**Comparing with Safari 4** -- Since I'm using a Mac, Mozilla's site
showed me a comparison of Firefox 3.5 and Safari 4, rather than
Firefox 3.5 and Internet Explorer 8. It acknowledges that Safari 4
does an excellent job with modern Web standards, but then gives
Firefox the nod in speed of response to security vulnerabilities,
number of add-ons, and adaptive capabilities.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-07/Firefox-vs-Safari.png>
That seems fair: security updates to Firefox do appear more quickly
than updates to Safari; Firefox does have far more add-ons that
extend its functionality; and Firefox's "Awesome Bar" really is far
better than Safari's "Smart Address Field," simply because you can
enter anything in Firefox's address field and it will do something
intelligent (display bookmarks or recently visited sites, go
directly to the correct site, or run a Google search). In contrast,
typing in Safari 4's address field can access only your bookmarks
and history, and only those by URL, rather than by name or content.
Although I appreciate Safari 4's speed, I stayed with Firefox 3.0
and am now happy to use 3.5. For my purposes, Firefox's "Awesome
Bar" (I just can't bring myself to type those words outside of
quotes) is the key differentiating factor. Being a writer, I think
in words and I direct them through my fingers on the keyboard, so
it's important to me to be able to navigate the Web via text. Also
important to me is Firefox's capability to restore sessions
automatically after relaunching. Safari offers a History > Reopen
All Windows From Last Session command, but I don't want to have to
remember to do that after every restart.
I recommend you take a look at Firefox 3.5. If nothing else, it's
good to have multiple Web browsers around when dealing with badly
coded sites. I also like using multiple browsers when testing how
Web pages render and how a site behaves when I'm logged in versus
when not.
But here's one suggestion. The main drawback that kept me from
switching among browsers in the past was my bookmarks - I don't use
a lot, but I rely heavily on those I do have. There's a free utility
called Xmarks (previously known as Foxmarks) that backs up and
synchronizes your bookmarks between Firefox and Safari (it also
works with Internet Explorer). Thanks to Xmarks, I can be certain
that Firefox and Safari always have exactly the same set of
bookmarks across all my Macs, which makes it easy to use any browser
at any time. Although Xmarks doesn't claim compatibility with
Firefox 3.5 or Safari 4 yet, I was able to install it for Safari 4
on my MacBook and use it to sync bookmarks back and forth with
Firefox 3.5. Your mileage may vary until Xmarks announces official
support.
<http://www.xmarks.com/>
Firefox 3.5 for Mac OS X requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later. Note that
a number of add-ons will be disabled by the update; in the past,
add-on developers have responded quickly with updates. It's a 17.6
MB download.
How to Replace a Cracked iPhone 3G Screen
-----------------------------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10389>
Since having a child last year, my wife and I often find ourselves
confirming that gravity does, in fact, continue to function well.
Our toddler trips, sits down abruptly, and drops things from all
heights as one would expect from someone still figuring out how her
body is working.
You can see where this is going.
One day recently, my daughter reached for something shiny and swiped
the corner of my wife's iPhone 3G, spinning it off the table and
onto one of its corners against the floor. The top portion of the
glass screen fractured, but the phone was still usable. To keep
glass shards out of my wife's ear when using the phone, I
immediately applied an Artwizz ScratchStopper, a plastic film
designed to protect the iPhone's screen.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_cracked.jpg>
<http://artwizz.com/317+M52087573ab0.html>
Next, I researched the options. Although the phone was still under
its original warranty, according to Apple's iPhone Service FAQ the
"Limited Warranty for iPhone excludes coverage for damage resulting
from accident, disassembly, unauthorized service and unauthorized
modifications." The other Apple option was to get Out-of-Warranty
service, which costs $199 and results in a replacement (refurbished
or new) iPhone. (According to Jim Dalrymple at The Loop, Apple is
now offering screen-replacement services _onsite_ at Apple retail
stores, which also costs $199, since it would be a non-warranty
repair. That means the repair can be done without having to send it
in or be given a replacement.) We could have also bought a new
iPhone 3GS, but since this iPhone 3G wasn't yet a year old, it
didn't qualify for AT&T's least-expensive pricing.
<http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/service/faq/#warranty4>
<http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/07/02/apple-retail-stores-can-now-replace-broken-iphone-screens/>
Instead, I turned to the
do-it-yourself-and-risk-destroying-the-whole-thing approach. A few
minutes of searching Google led me to 3G Cracked Glass.com. Site
owner Tim Dupree has put together links to companies other than
Apple who can do the repair and where to get parts yourself, as well
as a tutorial video on making the repair. Although the video lacks
narration (which Dupree notes will be added later), I found it
helpful to watch someone disassemble the iPhone. For about $80 and
four hours of my time (working slowly and deliberately), I
successfully fixed the screen myself.
<http://3gcrackedglass.com/>
(If you're reading this article on the Web, click any image to view
a larger version.)
**The Parts** -- I purchased the iPhone 3G Digitizer and Front Glass
with Adhesive Kit from Mission Repair for $59. Taking this route is
more advanced than ordering a $119 kit that includes the digitizer,
glass, and frame. In hindsight, the latter would have made for a
much easier repair, but I was trying to do it myself without
spending a lot of money. I had resigned myself to the likelihood
that if I messed up and damaged the iPhone, I'd be paying $199 to
replace it, so I wanted to reduce the cost of learning my
limitations to $59.
<http://www.missionrepair.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=822-4033&Click=15003>
I also bought a case opener tool from AX Micro Solutions
(Directfix.com) for $3.99. Yes, it's just a molded piece of plastic,
and I also ended up paying $3.99 for shipping, and it's silly that I
had to go to a second merchant to get the part. However, I don't
have a lot of tools, and the thought of using a bare X-Acto knife to
pry open the iPhone didn't sound like a great idea. Within a week or
so, I had the tools in hand.
<http://www.gethightech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=XX1521&Category_Code=IPHONE>
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_replacement.jpg>
I also assembled the other tools I'd need: the SIM removal tool that
came with the iPhone, or a small paperclip; a small Phillips
screwdriver; a pair of tweezers; a cup to hold the incredibly tiny
screws; and a small knife (more on that later). The screwdriver
turned out to be a sticking point, because none of mine were small
enough. You need a size #000 Phillips head (the middle one in the
photo below). I ended up purchasing one at Amazon for about $6 with
free Amazon Prime shipping, because not even my local Radio Shack
carried one that small.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_screwdrivers.jpg>
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T9QZ1K?tidbitselectro00>
Performing the screen replacement isn't particularly difficult, as
long as you're patient and comfortable working with small
electronics. Also keep in mind that doing so voids your warranty and
introduces the possibility that you could damage other components if
you're not careful.
That said, here are the steps to replace a damaged screen on an
iPhone 3G. Although I suspect that the steps are similar for an
iPhone 3GS, I haven't opened mine, so I can't be sure. I've included
photos where appropriate, but I also highly recommend that you watch
the video at 3G Cracked Glass as you go along. You can find several
other videos on YouTube, too.
**Open the Case** -- Turn off the iPhone's power and pull out the SIM
card from the top of the device. Next, remove the two screws on the
bottom, located on each side of the dock connector.
The iPhone is tightly built, so simply prying it open seems almost
impossible. Furthermore, the case doesn't come apart at the seam
separating the metal frame and the plastic back. Instead, press the
edge of the pry tool into the seam just below the Home button.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_prytool.jpg>
Gently pry the screen up, but don't pull it off entirely yet,
because three cables connect the screen to the lower section.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_pry_screen.jpg>
Using the pry tool or your fingers (if your fingers are small
enough), remove connectors 1 and 2; for me, connector 1 lifted off
by itself as I pulled the screen up, and connector 2 popped up when
I placed the pry tool under its lip and gave it a little twist.
Number 3 is actually a ribbon that's anchored by a connector on the
base. To disconnect it, use the pry tool to flip up the white latch
and then pull the ribbon out. Set the base aside.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_connectors.jpg>
**Remove the LCD Assembly** -- Next you need to separate the screen
frame from the LCD assembly. Using tweezers, pull off the black
strips of tape on the left and right edges of the frame.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_tape.jpg>
That exposes five screws for you to remove. One other screw is
located at the top of the LCD assembly near the connecting cables.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_lastscrew.jpg>
Use the pry tool to _gently_ - so as not to damage it - remove the
LCD assembly from the glass; it lifts slightly and then slides out.
Set the LCD assembly aside.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_pry_lcd.jpg>
**Separate the Glass** -- The hardest part of the entire replacement
process is pulling the screen frame from the glass. The two sections
are held together by adhesive, and initially appear to be just one
fused part. (This step is confusing in the 3G Cracked Glass video,
because the narration is not yet in place.)
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_frame_lcd.jpg>
I slid a knife edge into the space behind the rubber seal where I
originally pried the case apart. (An X-Acto knife will work, but I
used a tiny Swiss Army knife.) Once I got some purchase, I gently
twisted the knife blade to separate the pieces. Some tutorials on
the Internet suggest using a hair dryer to heat and soften the
adhesive, but I didn't need to try that approach.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_pryframe.jpg>
Due to the broken glass, the screen did not separate from the frame
in one clean piece. I had to pick apart the top section to remove
it. However, the adhesive is applied in sheets, so if you can get
the knife edge under the adhesive layer, the broken glass may come
up together like peeling a hard-boiled egg.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_glassremoval2.jpg>
Once the glass and frame are separated, remove any remaining
adhesive from the frame.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2009-06/iphonescreen_glassremoval.jpg>
**Attach the New Screen** -- With the old screen removed, it's time to
start rebuilding the iPhone. The new adhesive is double-sided, so
apply it to the top and bottom sections of the frame and then remove
the backing.
Insert the new screen into the new frame, making sure to pass the
connecting cables on the replacement screen through the frame's
opening. Oh, and don't forget to peel away the clear plastic that
protects the inside of the screen.
Lastly, carefully press the new screen into place against the
adhesive so you get a tight fit.
**Reassemble the iPhone** -- After the replacement screen is attached
to the frame, reverse the steps above for reassembling the phone:
slide the LCD assembly into place, replace the screws, reconnect the
cables, and seat the screen assembly into the iPhone's body. Pay
attention when reconnecting the cables: at one point I must have
nudged connector 4, because the Home button didn't work when I put
everything back together. Opening the iPhone again to fasten the
connector was much easier the second time around, however.
My wife's iPhone 3G now looks as good as new, and I didn't have to
fall back on my alternate plan of paying Apple for a replacement. I
hope I don't have to put my new screen-fixing skills to work again,
but if gravity should assert itself, I'll be ready.
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 06-Jul-09
---------------------------------------------------------
by Doug McLean <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10388>
PasswordWallet 4.4.7 from Selznick Scientific Software is a minor
update to the longstanding password management utility. Changes
include enhanced VoiceOver support for visually impaired users,
compatibility with Palm Pre HTML exporting, the capability to share
passwords between records, the closing of helper apps upon quitting
PasswordWallet, and auto-typing support for JIS keyboards. The
company has also released Password Wallet 4.4.7 for the iPhone with
a number of new features and usability tweaks. ($20, free update,
5.1 MB)
<http://www.selznick.com/products/passwordwallet/>
Cocktail 4.4 from Maintain is a substantial update to the general
purpose maintenance utility. The update adds the capability to reset
Access Control lists and home directory permissions, greater
control over Time Machine's backup intervals and settings, improved
support for additional network interfaces, compatibility with Safari
4, and the capability to disable Safari 4's Web page previews.
($14.95, 1.9 MB)
<http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/>
PDFpen 4.1.4 and PDFpenPro 4.1.4 from SmileOnMyMac are the latest
versions of the company's PDF editing utilities. Both version
updates have improved performance speeds for larger PDF documents
and added an OCR AppleScript document property that enables users to
write scripts for paperless workflows. Unspecified minor features
and bug fixes are also included. ($49.95/$99.95, free updates, 12
MB/12.2 MB)
<http://www.smileonmymac.com/PDFpen/>
<http://www.smileonmymac.com/PDFpenPro/>
iPhoto 8.0.4 Update from Apple addresses an infrequent crashing bug
related to photos imported into a previous version of the
application. The update also fixes some incorrectly labeled names in
the Places feature. The update is recommended for all users of
iPhoto '09 and is available for download via Software Update or from
the Apple Support Downloads page. (Free update, 102.27 MB)
<http://support.apple.com/downloads/iPhoto_8_0_4_Update>
Nisus Writer Pro 1.3 from Nisus Software is a fairly major update to
the increasingly powerful word processor. New features include a new
Document Manager, a style library, a selection history that enables
users to skip to previous editing spots, the capability to make any
menu into a toolbar item, additions to the Nisus Macro Language, and
the capability to attach an active document to a Mail or Entourage
email message. For more detail on the huge number of other changes
and bug fixes, see Nisus Writer Pro's release notes. ($79 new, free
update, 118 MB)
<http://nisus.com/pro/>
<http://nisus.com/pro/releasenotes.php>
MacSpeech Dictate 1.5.2 from MacSpeech is a minor maintenance update
for the speech recognition utility. The update mainly improves
compatibility for Safari 4 by enabling versioned commands to appear
for newer versions of the same application. ($199 new, free update)
<http://www.macspeech.com/>
Typinator 3.5 from Ergonis Software is a significant update to the
auto-typing and auto-correcting utility, focusing on under-the-hood
enhancements. Changes include a new expansion technique that
increases replacement speed and improves compatibility with other
applications (it requires Mac OS X 10.5.5 or later). Also new is
improved cursor positioning speed, support for custom user sounds,
and a handful of bug fixes, including one that would cause the
program to freeze under Mac OS X 10.4.x. A full list of changes can
be found on Ergonis's Web site. (19.99 euros new, free update for
purchases within 2 years, 2.7 MB)
<http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/>
<http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/history.html>
MacBook Air SMC Firmware Update 1.2 from Apple "adds compatibility
for the latest service replacement batteries." SMC stands for System
Management Controller, a micro-controller located on the logic board
that's responsible for the computer's power functions. To install
the update, follow the instructions in the updater application that
automatically launches after the installer has closed
(/Application/Utilities/MacBook Air SMC Firmware Update.app). (Free,
623 KB)
<http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/firmware_hardware/macbookairsmcfirmwareupdate12.html>
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2368>
ExtraBITS for 06-Jul-09
-----------------------
by TidBITS Staff <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10397>
**Apple Patching Serious SMS Vulnerability on iPhone** -- Security
researcher Charlie Miller has discovered a way to attack and control
an iPhone using only SMS messages. Don't worry, the details aren't
public yet, and Apple should have a patch soon. (Posted 2009-07-03)
<http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20090702/tc_pcworld/applepatchingserioussmsvulnerabilityoniphone>
**Apple Provides MacBooks to Maine Students** -- Ars Technica is
reporting on Apple's deal with Maine's Learning Technology
Initiative to provide every middle- and high-schooler in the state
with a MacBook. The arrangement is rooted in the success of an
earlier initiative that gave every 7th and 8th grader in Maine an
iBook. Apple will provide 64,000 MacBooks (adding to the 37,000
already in circulation), educational software, professional
development for educators, and tech support for $100 million over
four years. (Posted 2009-07-02)
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/07/maine-negotiates-to-gives-macbooks-to-all-712-graders.ars>
**iPhone Recording Studio** -- What's a touring band to do when
they've got a new song, but nowhere to record it? Use the iPhone!
The Loop is reporting on pop band The 88 using an iPhone to record a
new track while touring with the B-52s. The 88 mainly relied on Four
Track, a $9.99 app that emulates a four track recorder with
impressive results. The song, "Love is the Thing," is available on
iTunes. (Posted 2009-07-01)
<http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/06/30/the-88s-new-single-recorded-entirely-on-the-iphone/>
<http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=321285228&s=143441>
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk for 06-Jul-09
----------------------------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[email protected]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10398>
**Why AT&T Has a Lock on the iPhone** -- Glenn Fleishman's article on
why you won't see an iPhone on Verizon (or other networks in the
United States) generates discussion of data capacity, coverage area,
and hardware. (17 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2736>
**Persistent Safari problem - unable to enter text in form fields** --
Incompatible add-ons for Safari 4 may be the cause of someone not
being able to enter text into fields. (2 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2737>
**iPhone Spyware** -- The way Apple has set up iPhone applications and
the App Store makes it hard to believe a spyware app exists (unless
your iPhone is jailbroken). However, a known vulnerability in SMS
messaging does present an opportunity for attack. (9 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2740>
**3GS Upgrade Madness** -- A reader shares his infuriating story about
trying to upgrade two iPhone 3G phones. (12 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2741>
**Which Mac would be the closest equivalent to the iPhone 3GS?** -- Is
the iPhone 3GS akin to a PowerBook G4 in processing power? (4
messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2742>
**New in-article TidBITS commenting system** -- TidBITS Talk readers
wonder how the comments will impact the mailing list. (Why yes, this
is a summary description of a discussion thread about a commenting
system!) (13 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/2745>
$$
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