Article by Salvador Rodriguez
Los Angeles Times

The iPhone 5 is off to a fast start with great reviews, but that’s not to say it isn’t generating a bevy of consumer complaints.

As with every major Apple product launch, people are going online to point out issues. Some of the problems seem widespread and you may need to consider them, while others are affecting just a portion of new iPhone owners. Whatever the case, here they are.

Scratches

The iPhone 5′s screen appears to be more durable than any iPhone before it, but its back and edges seem less resistant to scratches. Unfortunately for some people, myself included, the iPhone 5 even came out of the box with scuff marks. Be careful about placing it next to keys or sharp objects.

Here’s a video showing how scratchable the back of the iPhone 5 is.

Screen issues

But some issues aren’t just external. Other people are reporting problems with their iPhone 5 screen, including a weird problem in which the screen appears to have an air bubble, which you can see in the video below. Others are saying their iPhone 5 screens flicker or that the light from the screen is leaking out of other parts, such as the gap between the phone and the power button.

Wi-Fi issues

Others on an Apple forum are reporting problems connecting to Wi-Fi networks. In this thread that goes on for more than 30 pages, a number of people complain how their iPhone 5′s won’t find Wi-Fi networks, can only connect for brief periods or run very slowly when they do connect.

Not heavy enough

This is just a silly complaint, not an actual issue, but a surprising number of people are actually complaining that the iPhone 5 is too light. Gizmodo collected a series of tweets from people saying this, and sure enough, if you search “iPhone 5 too light” on Twitter it doesn’t take long to find more people complaining.

“Verdict – I don’t like the way iPhone 5 feels! It’s too light and feels like a toy phone ” tweeted one user.

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If you’re one of the people who is dealing with these issues, don’t be too alarmed.

I brought up the scuff that came on my iPhone 5 to an Apple Store employee the other day and he reminded me that customers can return or exchange their iPhone within 30 days as long as it’s brought back how they got it.

Return policies vary from retailer to retailer, but you should be able to return yours too if you’d like. Even if it’s just because it’s too light.

Perhaps the most advanced, technologically speaking, super hero to hit the screen, Iron Man, returned this summer to continue his quest of saving the world and with it came a bigger desire to learn about “real” iron man suits.

The exoskeleton robotic outfit that was developed for military use has been reborn in a second generation attempt at being the closest suit to a real iron man suit. Released by Raytheon it is faster, stronger and lighter that the previous version but it also uses less than half the power that the first one did and appears to be more resistant to environmental factors as well.

The military faces different logistical problems both out of and in battle; things like repetitive lifting can cause serious orthopedic injuries. The Iron Man suit reduces the exertion and strain on the individual by doing the lifting for them; as well as doing it much faster. One individual in this suit can actually perform the work of two or three soldiers; using these exoskeletons would allow the military to assign personnel to more important strategic tasks.

Raytheon decided to target power consumption by looking for different ways to utilize hydraulic energy in a more efficient manner. This enabled them to add more capabilities while still being able to significantly reduce the consumption of power. The suit itself has a combination of different sensors, actuators, controllers and structures that are powered by a high pressure hydraulic system.

This suit will enable the wearer to lift over 200 lbs. several times in succession and hit through several inches of wood all without becoming tired; yet still be agile enough to climb ramps and stairs, kick soccer balls or even punch speed bags with ease.

It is believed that these types of suits are viable solutions to many issues that the military faces and could be in use within as little as five years.

According to annual sales there has been an increase in the number of people that are making use of personal breathalyzers as a way of testing blood alcohol content (BAC) in themselves, friends and family members. In 2007 the breathalyzer market value was approximately $28.9 million, while in 2009 it was up to $216.3 million.

Although many law enforcement people do question accuracy in these personal breathalyzers and actually discourage using them to make any decisions pertaining to drinking and driving because they are believed to be less sophisticated than those used by police departments and an intoxicated person may not administer the test correctly, others feel it can be very useful in many situations such as parents with a zero tolerance policy pertaining to alcohol consumption with their children.

It is true that alcohol affects everyone differently but by measuring ones BAC it can be a fairly objective way of determining how much alcohol is affecting ones abilities and reflexes. Each year there are a significant number of people that die in alcohol related accidents and the percentages rise when you include first time drinkers or those being exposed to alcohol for the first time such as college freshman who may not be aware of what it feels like to be intoxicated.

Using a personal breathalyzer shows that you value drinking responsibly and by knowing your own limits you will be better able to determine your personal capacity. It can also be a good idea to have a few on hand when you are hosting a party in order to avoid having someone hurt themselves or someone else in an alcohol related accident on the way home.

Many places have already begun using these types of devices such as some bars and even school sponsored events such as dances, where the kids are tested before they are even allowed inside the event and if there is alcohol found at any time during the event everyone gets tested before they are allowed to leave as well.

The cost of a breathalyzer can be anywhere from about $4.00 for a single use disposable model to $300.00 for a good high end digital type of device, which many consider either way to be money well spent.

So, you have all of these digital photos, video’s and music on your hard drive but now you really want to be able to enjoy all of it on your TV and stereo in the living room; well if you have a network connection and any of the game consoles like PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, you may have everything you need to enjoy streaming digital media. Each one of them is capable of streaming a wide variety of photo, video and audio formats from the PC to the TV using your home network. However, if you are not a gamer there are some products that will fit the bill.

Sonos digital music system (bundle 130) – it is a 2 room wireless audio system that can be expanded for up to 32 rooms. The wireless remote uses an iPod style scroll and has a very easy installation process. It has audio input that allows you to access 3^rd party audio sources and will stream the same audio to all rooms or different music to every room.

Apple TV (40 GB) – this allows you access to both premium and free media content that includes TV shows, movie rentals, photos, podcasts, music and YouTube videos. Works with both Windows and Mac, has a great sleek design and a good user interface with a simple setup and provides smooth streaming.

Roku Soundbridge M1000/M1001 – a network receiver with a sleek design, big front panel display and has great compatibility with all digital files including those purchased from online sites and premium subscription services (includes DRM WMA files). Has both analog and digital output that allows you to connect to any speaker or stereo system and works with any Ethernet or wireless home network. Both the setup and the user interface are simple and it streams from both Mac and Windows.

The Sony VGF-WA1 – this is a very reliable wireless audio stream with a lithium battery providing 4 hours of life; includes an auxiliary mini-jack for external sources and digital audio output.

MVIX MX-760HD – great file compatibility, room for internal hard drive and a DVI output capable of us to 1080p. It has 2 USB ports, Dolby soundtracks and both wireless and Ethernet networking.

So, if you love gadgets and want some excellent streaming video then any one of these should be more than adequate.

Let’s face it, everyone loves gadgets. They come in many different shapes, sizes and uses, but the one thing they have in common is their novelty. While it is not known exactly how the word came about there are several theories on the subject. 

One such theory is that Rudyard Kipling invented the word sometime in 1904, citing the phrase “Steam gadgets always take him that way” that appears in his book titled Traffics and Discoveries. But evidence suggests that he may have actually picked up the word during a journey to India.

Another theory is that it comes from a gentleman in France by the name of Gadget who was connected with the building of the Statue of Liberty which was a gift to the United States from France in 1886. It has been said that he sold small bronze copies of the statue in New York, with his name printed on the bottom of each one; however this is false.

However, the word gadget is actually associated with the construction of the statue because the business that was responsible for creating the outer copper portion of the statue was called Gaget, Gauthier & Cie and there were small versions but they did not have the name Gadget stamped on them. But, other than the company being associated with it, there is no evidence that he was indeed responsible for creating the word.

The person who actually made the word known was writer Robert Brown in his book “Spunyarn and Spindrift: A sailor boy’s log of a voyage out and home in a China tea clipper” written in 1886 where the boy describes words used by sailors when they forget the name of something.

Most prefer to think of it as a hand-waving phrase or term for something that one has temporarily forgotten the name of; similar to a doohickey or thingamajig. Wherever it came from it sure has become a popular term.

If you are looking for garden design ideas you have more options than just driving around neighborhoods or looking at magazines you also have the choice of checking out online landscape designs. The most professional and detailed choice for online landscape designs seems to be landscape design drawings, they can be anything from simple garden design ideas to a complex complete renovation; in both instances you would get a done to scale drawing. This means that either you or a contractor would have to perform measurements on everything to ensure an easy installation.

You will also be likely asked to provide pictures of the property and home together along with a survey; some of the online landscape design companies will take measurements of the property and house in lieu of a survey. For garden design ideas you will need to provide them with some idea of what you want; for instance, if you are looking for a complete design or foundation plants, a patio, an arbor or simply a walkway around a garden.

The online landscape designs normally will include an estimate and agreement for you to sign, professional grade drawings, a list of any type of paving material that may be needed, additional notes on the drawings that they feel are necessary, a lighting design if appropriate, where the drainage areas should be and a complete plant list that has not just the name of the plants, but the size and quantity that you will need to create the design.

There are also 3D online landscape designs which are pretty amazing since often times people can have some difficulty actually seeing a design. The 3D design will include not just the landscape design done in three dimensional form it will also have the actual architecture of your home. This means that you will actually be able to see a better picture of what the final results will look like.

Most of the online landscape designs come from a program called Sketchup for their 3D renderings; the Cad drawing is entered into the software program and it transforms even the simplest of garden design ideas into beautiful, highly detailed, full color 3 dimensional drawings. This produces a lifelike illustration that becomes available to you in a PDF format or if you prefer they can also transfer the images to a CD or DVD and have it sent to you.