Tag Archives: iOS

fixed : Time Capsule shuts down almost immediately after startup

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Question :

I have a 1st generation Time Capsule that always used to work fine, but recently it shuts down almost only seconds after I turn it on.

How can I solve this ?

 

Answer :

Most of the time, this problem can be solved rather easily.

The cause could be a broken HardDrive inside your Time Capsule (if that’s the case, go here to see instructions on how to replace the HD), but most of the time this specific problem turns out to be an overheated (and therefore broken) power unit.

Even though this type of Time Capsule is marked obsolete by Apple, it will still function in your current WiFi network and can still be configured using the current AirPort Utility app version 6 and newer.

The main problem is probably not going to be to replace the power unit, but finding a new power unit. You might find one on Amazon, but since it will probably be a secondhand item, your will probably have more luck searching for an “A1254 power unit” on eBay, AliExpress or Google Shopping

When you have found a new (secondhand) A1254 power unit, you can build it into your A1254 “1st generation” Time Capsule this way :

  • put the Time Capsule upside-down and use a hairdryer to heat up the rubber base plate and loosen it’s glue (if you don’t do this, you will probably rupture the base plate when you try to take it off)
  • then follow the iFixit manual for replacing the power unit and make sure not to skip the important comment at Step 2 : “The two screws in the top center of this picture should not be removed at this time. They are locating pins on the hard drive.”
  • after taking out the broken power unit and putting in the new (secondhand) power unit in, put your Time Capsule back together doing the iFixit steps in reverse order
  • after plugging the Time Capsule into the power, you can reinstall it into your WiFi network using the AirPort Utility app on your Mac (or on your iPhone/iPad)

That’s it 😉

enjoy !

fixed : upgrade broken HD in old Time Capsule

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Question :

My 1st generation Time Capsule always used to work fine, but now the internal HardDisk is broken.

Can I replace the HardDisk easily ?

 

Answer :

Yes you can.

In the ‘old’ flat Time Capsule (like the A1254 “1st generation” Time Capsule), the HardDrive is rather easy to replace. And even though Apple has marked this TimeCapsule ‘obsolete’ it is still able to preform properly and it can be maintained using the current AirPort Utility version 6 and newer.

To do so, follow these steps :

  • get yourself a new HardDisk, preferably a low-energy HD like the Western Digital WD Green 2TB or 3TB (get it on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de) ; these low-energy HDs are especially suited not only because of their low power consumption, but also because of their ability to stay cool during operation since these old TimeCapsules tend to overheat when a regular HD is installed
  • then, place the TimeCapsule upside-down and warm up the rubber bottom plate with a hairdryer to loosen the glue (if you don’t do this, it is nearly impossible to get the rubber bottom plate of without rupturing it)
  • then follow the steps as outlined in this manual by iFixit and be sure to read the important note at Step 2 : “The two screws in the top center of this picture should not be removed at this time. They are locating pins on the hard drive.”
  • then replace the HD and rebuild your TimeCapsule doing the MacFixit steps in revers direction
  • when done, plug your Time Capsule into the power and access it using the AirPort Utility app on your Mac (or iPhone/iPad)
  • in the AirPort Utility app, select the TimeCapsule’s icon and click Edit
  • in the window that opens, go to Disks, then click Erase Disk
  • when that’s done, your new Time Capsule’s HD is ready for use

That’s it 😉

enjoy !

fixed : “Your iPad could not be activated”/”Activation server temporarily unavailable”-error

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Question :

After my iPad tried to update to iOS 9.3.x (this also goes for iOS 11.2.x) last night, I had to re-enter my AppleID and now I’m getting a blank page with only this error message :

“Your iPad could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPadto iTunes to activated it or try again in couple of minutes.”

But even if I wait a couple of minutes or even an hour, and try again, I get stuck with this same message…

How can I fix this ?

 

Answer :

Apple Support has a tutorial on how to fix this, but a lot of times that doesn’t work :

If you can’t activate your iPad 2 (GSM model) after you update to iOS 9.3

If you can’t figure out how to do that, or you’ve tried and it doesn’t work for you, try this :

  • if you have an iPad with a GSM SIM-card installed, make sure you have the SIM’s 4-digit PIN-code at hand, then pop the SIM-card out using a bended paperclip or the official tool that’s comes with every iPhone and every SIM-card enabled iPad
  • then, on your Mac, go to Apple-icon (top-left in the menu bar) –> system Preferences –> iCloud
  • in the window that opens, see what eMail-address is listed under your name ; make sure to remember that eMail-address : this is your iCloud-account name (which might be different from your AppleID or iTunes Store-account name)
  • then click on “Account Details” and type the password that is connected to your iCloud-account name
  • if a new window opens, remember this password and close the window
  • if you get an error message that your password is incorrect, make sure you find the password and try again (you can try several times, but if you get a warning that you have only a limited amount of attempts remaining, stop immediately !! and skip this step)
  • now return to your iPad and do a reset by pressing the Home-button (physical button below the screen) and the Power-button (physical button on the right edge or top edge) simultaneously until the screen goes black and the white Apple logo appears
  • now, proceed though the following screens as you normally would until you are asked to enter your Account Name : there you should enter the eMail-address that is your iCloud-account name and the corresponding password
  • if this works, don’t forget to put the Sim-card back into your iPad and you’re done
  • if you happen to run into the Activation Server error page again before you get to the page where you should enter your Account Name, do this :
    • open the AppStore-app on your Mac
    • make sure you have installed all official Apple updates (especially iTunes)
    • connect your iPad directly (so without USB-hubs) to your Mac using the iPad-to-USB-cable
    • on your Mac, open iTunes
    • then do the reset on you iPad agian, simultaneously pressing the Home- and Power-buttons until the Apple logo appears
    • now iTunes (on your Mac) should detect your iPad
    • if it doesn’t, try the reset again
    • if it does, see if you can go trough all setup screen on your iPad
    • if you are unable to do so, go to iTunes on your Mac
    • if a message appears you need to unlock your iPad, type the screen unlock code on your iPad
    • if a “Trust this iPad ?” message appears on your Mac, click “Trust”
    • if a “Trust this Mac ?” message appears on your iPad, click “Trust”
    • now you see a small button with an iPad on it next to the Music/Films/etc.-pulldown menu ; click on it
    • in the next window, you should now be able to initiate the iOS-update of your iPad from your computer
    • then wait for the update to complete
  • afterwards, do not forget to put the SIM-card back into your iPad

Good luck & enjoy 😉

test : best sleep tracker next to AppleWatch ?

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Question :

My AppleWatch is great. The only thing it doesn’t do, since you need to charge it every night, is sleep tracking.

Which sleep tracker would you recommend next to an AppleWatch ?

 

Answer :

If the only thing you really need is sleep tracking, I would still recommend an armband-like device. Armband-like sleep tracking devices are easier to carry around if you go on a business trip or holiday, they don’t require you to lie nearly still in your bed and they’re far less expensive than the other sleep tracking devices available. The only reason not to use an armband-like sleep tracking device is if you need extremely in-depth sleep tracking because of medical reasons.

Since you already own an AppleWatch and an iPhone (or iPad) to run the Watch-app on, you also have the iOS Health-app, so there isn’t any need for more than an extremely basic display on your sleep tracking armband device. Keep in mind that you don’t need a display while you’re sleeping, you can’t even use it during sleep…

Based on this observation, you’re best option is to choose the most basic and most affordable armband-like sleep tracker you can find. I’ve been testing these 2 side by side for a while now :

Xaiomi MiBand 1S : about €20 : buy it on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de

Jawbone UP Move : about €15 : buy it on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de

As an alternative, you might also consider the “upgraded versions” :

Xaiomi MiBand 2 : about €35  : buy it on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de

Jawbone UP2 : about €40 : buy it on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de

Jawbone UP3 : about €55 : buy it on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de

Fitbit Flex 2 : about €85 : buy it on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de

But, in the end, if it’s mainly for sleep tracking, these “upgraded versions” are quite a bit more expensive, but still, keep in mind that they are only different in features that have no added value for you since you already have an AppleWatch.

Reasons to choose the MiBand 1S over the UP Move (or the other way around) :

Xaiomi MiBand 1S – the pros :

  • automatically detects whether you are sleeping or not
  • USB-rechargeable battery ; one charge last at least one month
  • good quality armband ; no traces of wear and tear even after extensive use
  • very nice iOS MiFit-app
  • can be worn all day
  • minimalistic design
  • can take over activity tracking and (manual !) heart rate measuring when you’re not wearing your AppleWatch

Xaiomi MiBand 1S – the cons :

  • maybe not as waterproof as claimed ; probably water-resistant or splash-proof at the most, but suitable for showering (maybe not for swimming)
  • quality of individual devices differs, some may only last for a month or so
  • reset includes strange ‘put it in the fridge’ procedure
  • if something doesn’t work there’s hardly any feedback to what’s wrong
  • no way to directly use it as input device for iOS Health-app ; the MiFit-app is always needed
  • will irritate the skin when worn tightly (which is needed for heart rate measuring, but which you don’t need since you have an AppleWatch)

Jawbone UP Move – the pros :

  • easily exchangeable CR2032 cell battery ; will last up to 6 months per battery
  • very good iOS UP-app includes interactive coaching (sleep coaching also)
  • can be worn nearly all day (not for swimming or showering)
  • simple reset option (just take out the battery)
  • can take over activity tracking when you’re not wearing your AppleWatch (not heart rate measuring)

Jawbone UP Move – the cons :

  • switching to sleep tracking must be done manually
  • quality of the bracelet strap is dubious ; tends to break unrepairable after a few months
  • splash-proof only (not for showering)
  • design is slightly bulky compared to minimalistic armbands
  • no way to directly use it as input device for iOS Health-app ; the MiFit-app is always needed

CONCLUDING :

Both the Xaiomi MiBand 1S and the Jawbone UP Move are great choices ar sleep trackers next to your AppleWatch. Personally, I slightly prefer the MiBand 1S because of the fact that it automatically switches to sleep tracking when you fall asleep.

Note :

There is a reason that both the newer Jawbone UP3 and the Fitbit Flex 2 have nearly the same design as the older MiBand 1S : this design is the ‘near perfect’ design for such a simple armband device. In my opinion, the only reason to prefer the Fitbit Flex 2 over the MiBand 1S is the fact that is is very well suited for swimming… but it’s up to you to decide if that’s worth the extreme price difference, especially if you already own an AppleWatch.

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fixed : battery status of my AppleWatch

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Question :

On my iPhone and iPad I can always see the battery status, but on my new AppleWatch I can’t…

What’s the easiest way to see my AppleWatch’s battery status ?

 

Answer :

The easiest way of knowing your AppleWatch’s battery status is this :

  • tilt your arm to wake your AppleWatch from sleep
  • then slide upward from the bottom of the watch face (screen)
  • on the underwater screen that comes up, the battery status is top left (in a percentage notation)

That’s it

And if that is still too many clicks away for you, you can also go into the Watch-app on your iPhone and choose an alternative watch face (the “Utility” watch face for instance) and set “Battery” for the left or the right display corner. Now if you set that watch face as your new watch face, you’ll have your battery status on screen all the time.

enjoy 😉

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fixed : iOS app cannot be moved or deleted – is instead renamed “Home”

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Question :

I installed the iOS-app called “FaceApp” on my iPhone a few days ago, and now suddenly it’s on a screen-page I don’t want it on. The way I normally use to move it to another screen-page doesn’t work however : if I hold the icon for a long time, the icon’s doesn’t start shaking and no X-label does appear either.

I managed to get the shaking icons and the X-labels in the end by just holding my finger on another app a little longer… but now, the “FaceApp” doesn’t want to move either when I put my finger on it…

I finally managed to move it by moving another app in front of it, but I still can’t get it to another screen-page…

So, I tried to delete the app by clicking on it’s X-badge, that seemed to work at first, but the “FaceApp”-icon immediately reappeared, only the name has now changed to “Home”, and there is no X-badge on it… so I still can’t delete it…

What is wrong ? What can I do ?

 

Answer :

Don’t worry.

  • First, exit the ‘shaky mode’ by clicking on the (physical) MENU-button (the front one, just below the screen
  • Then, open the AppStore.app
  • Click on “Updates”
  • Then click on “Purchases”
  • There, you’ll see that the “FaceApp” is listed, but with the “cloud&arrow”-icon next to it (so the “redownload from the AppStore-cloud”)
  • Then, click on the “cloud&arrow”-icon to reinstall the app
  • Exit the AppStore.app
  • On the main screen-pages you’ll now see that the name of the app has changed back from “Home” to “FaceApp”
  • Now, click&hold the FaceApp-icon until all icons start shaking and you’ll see that the X-badge will also appear on the FaceApp-icon
  • Then, click on the X-badge and the FaceApp.app will be deleted from your iPhone, or move the FaceApp.app to the place you want to have it on your screen-pages

That’s it – enjoy !

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