Staying connected and Apple’s humble offer

Last week, my family and I spent some time in Japan for the holidays. But this time, we were fully connected to the internet almost throughout the week.

We availed of a package called Flytpack. This is a small router which uses the cell signal to provide internet access. But unlike the roaming, which may charge per megabyte or expensive daily fees, this company will give you a router which can be shared by as many as eight people enjoying unlimited data.

The router can be availed (with charger) from their Manila office or Cebu office (in Avenir Building near Waterfront Hotel) with deposit. It is smaller than the cell phone, and comes with its own charger.

The advantage is the price. Rates per day can be as low as P260.00 per day in China, Taiwan or India or P280 per day in Japan, or up to P500 for the United States. If you are interested, you can check out their site at www. flytpack.com

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People already suspected this but Apple finally admitted that they have done such a thing with the excuse that it was to counteract problems found in the old lithium-ion batteries.

If you are an Apple user, you might have heard of the terrible snafu that occurred recently. It’s a PR mess. What did they do? If you have an old iPhone or tablet and you upgrade to Apple’s iOS latest patch, it seems that Apple did something to slow the performance of the older units.

People already suspected this but Apple finally admitted that they have done such a thing with the excuse that it was to counteract problems found in the old lithium-ion batteries.

Their explanation: old batteries can’t charge as well, and when it is under too much stress, it unexpectedly shuts down.

Well, people are complaining loudly about it, and there is one good thing that is happening. Apple will release an upgrade that won’t slow your old phone, and second, they also agreed that people have a right to continue using their old units.

They have come up with an offer to replace old iPhone batteries for only $29. This used to be $79, but given the PR nightmare, it was to get some goodwill.

As you may note, most phones you can replace the batteries by yourself, but Apple products have theirs locked down. If your batteries start to deteriorate, the most likely outcome is you will buy a new phone.