We’ve all been there before — taking multiple photos from different angles just to make sure you get the best shot possible (even though most of them aren’t worth sharing). Or taking a hundred selfies with a hundred different faces only to just post one on Instagram. And if you’ve really gotten into phone photography after reading our iPhone 12 camera blog, you probably have a camera roll full of test shots that you’ll never edit or upload. And remember adding that one “friend” into your contacts but then never messaging them? So what should you do with all of those photos and contacts you no longer need?

In this blog, we’ll cover a couple of reasons why you should consider sorting through your old photos and contacts. After all, 2021 could be your year of productivity and efficiency (check out our 2 cents on that topic)!

How Should You Clean Out Your Photos and Contacts?

1. Organization

If you’re anything like us, your phone’s camera roll is probably anything but organized. And you probably don’t want to waste a ton of space on photos and videos you will never use or upload to social media. But with our tips in hand, you’ll have an organized camera roll before you know it!

For your first step in the organization process, we recommend creating albums for your photos and categorizing them that way. You can organize by timeline, by people, by events, or any category you want! That way, the next time you’re looking for a specific photo, it will be at the tip of your fingers.

And if you’re overwhelmed by the mass of photos in your camera roll, you can select photos in bulk and transfer them to a specific album as well. It’s quick and organized!

2. Save on the Cloud

Not quite sure if you’re ready to part with all of those photos just yet? Upload them to the Cloud! This option is for iPhone users only, of course, but it allows you to store your images elsewhere and free up some space on your phone in the process. As long as you have internet access, you’ll be able to transfer your photos from your phone to the Cloud.

3. Delete, Delete!

This is the not-so-fun part — we know. But just remember that the best part of a moment captured in a photo is the moment itself. Just think about how many duplicate, blurry, and screenshotted images are just sitting on your phone! Delete any photos that just don’t stand out to you, because that probably means you’ll never use them for anything. And in the end, decluttering will feel good — trust us.

4. Establish a “Cleaning Out Routine”

Get into the habit of cleaning out your photos by setting a weekly or monthly reminder to do so. Or you could even set a weekly reminder to organize them and a monthly reminder to delete the ones you no longer need/want!

Don’t put it off any longer; now that you have the tips and tricks to sort through your phone’s photos and contacts, go ahead and go for it! And if you need any assistance along the way, don’t hesitate to give iCare Repair a call.

Need to boost your productivity this year, but you’re not sure what tools to start with? We understand! There are seemingly endless productivity apps available, with almost all of them offering you the latest and greatest tools. If you’re already struggling with getting all of your work done, you definitely don’t have time to sift through each and every productivity app and find one that suits you.

Luckily, in this blog, we will cover what we consider to be some of the best workplace productivity apps out there! We’ll discuss the benefits of each app so you can quickly and efficiently decide which app(s) will assist you the most.

1. Slack

Function: Slack is a communication and messaging tool that allows both in-office teams and global, remote teams to communicate, collaborate, share files, and more all in one place. Slack is a wonderful alternative to emails because it allows real-time responses and conversations. If you’re looking for a productivity app that will bring your team together and produce successful outcomes more efficiently, then Slack is the way to go!

Benefits: Perhaps the largest benefit Slack offers is streamlined, simplified lines of communication. It offers three basic communication features: open channels (visible to everyone), private channels (visible to select team members), and direct messages (visible to one coworker). Another benefit is Slack’s ability to easily integrate with other apps (Google Drive, MailChimp, the list goes on). When you keep everything in sync with Slack, it becomes a one-stop platform for all of your productivity, communication, and sharing needs. You can also drop and share all kinds of files within your Slack conversations (images, PDFs, Word Docs, Google Docs, etc.).

Mobile vs. PC: Slack has released updated versions of both its desktop and mobile apps this year, and the apps complement each other quite well. The mobile app is simple, organized, and easy to navigate. It can also be downloaded on both iPhones and Androids. Like the desktop app, it offers a “Mentions & reactions” screen, where users can quickly find Slack messages that mention them and/or reactions to their messages.

2. Airtable

Function: Airtable is a platform that allows you and your team to create and share databases. You don’t have to be a database expert to use it, either! Other than creating databases, the platform also lets you store, organize, and collaborate/communicate on tasks within the database. 

Benefits: Airtable is a lot like a spreadsheet, except simpler and more user-friendly. With Airtable, you can organize a large amount of information as well as the relationships between that information, which means you can better categorize your information as well. Additionally, Airtable has an Import feature, which allows you to upload existing data from other apps. The true beauty of Airtable lies in its flexibility—it will adapt to whatever organizational tasks you need it to.

Mobile vs. PC: Airtable’s mobile app has a few functionality limits. For example, you cannot create new fields in mobile; you can only view existing fields. You also can’t create or view Forms or Apps in mobile. That being said, navigating Airtable is equally as simple in mobile as it is in desktop.

3. Microsoft Teams

Function: Microsoft Teams is another collaboration platform that offers chat channels, document storage and sharing, online meetings and video calling, and more. These features make it quite similar to Slack, except Microsoft Teams is free with Microsoft365 and Office365.

Benefits: Because of its integration with Office365, Microsoft Teams makes it incredibly easy to collaborate on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. You can create the document in Microsoft Teams rather than having to open up a separate app. Another excellent feature is the user’s ability to follow channels that they are interested in/a participant in and hide whatever channels they do not what to see. This makes Microsoft Teams more customizable than other collaboration platforms.

Mobile vs. PC: With Microsoft Teams, you can stay connected anytime and anywhere by using the mobile smartphone app. With the app, you not only have access to all of your conversations and documents, but you can also respond to channels and join meetings as you would via desktop, PC, or laptop web browser.

There are many other productivity apps out there, of course. But we believe our top three choices will improve your overall workflow, help you get more done, and keep you self-motivated to accomplish more!

Move over, Superman, because we’ve found a metal stronger than steel and titanium – Liquidmorphium. And the Turing Phone is made of exactly this metal. Not only that, but the phone is also extraordinarily waterproof. (Drop it in water and shake it off.) Plus, it’s designed with heavy encryptions to secure your apps and your private data. Unbreakable and unhackable – what else could you ask for, right?

The 5.5-inch, Android 5.1 smartphone will come in three models: Pharaoh, Cardinal, and Beowulf. Besides the snappy Snapdragon processor and 16GB storage, you’ll love its 13MP rear camera and 8MP on the front for your sweet selfies.

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Of course, the Turing Phone is not perfect

No matter how good it sounds, the Turing Phone is still missing some important components like a USB port and a headphone jack. It does have a proprietary jack and Bluetooth.

It is not yet clear how the battery life will last, but we can expect something really good to come out in eight months. According to Turing Robotics Industries CEO Syl Chao, we can expect something that will “change the world”. There are also plans to build something like a robot butler “that will serve your day-to-day needs”, as they work on their own artificial consciousness machine.

So much buzz is building around the Turing Phone but the ultimate test will be in the hands of the consumers. Will all the hype just run flat when the phone comes out on sale?

Ready to buy a Turing Phone?

Pre-orders start on July 31, with prices from $610 for a 16GB model and are available unlocked. Check out http://www.turingphone.com to learn more about this bad-ass phone![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

[fusion_text]It happens to everybody at least once in their lifetime. You forget your phone in your pocket and drop it accidentally in the toilet. Or you suddenly develop butterfingers and crack your phone screen. There are many ways to mishandle even a sweet new iPhone 6 Plus suited with an Otterbox casing. So in the unfortunate event that you did, what’s the next step?

Fix the problem.

Simple issues like a busted camera or a shattered screen can still be repaired by yourself or by a technician. (If you can’t do it, then that’s what we’re here for.) There are many DIY guides and video tutorials to help you out, and many replacement parts for all kinds of cell phones are for sale online too.

Just keep in mind: Don’t buy low-quality parts or you may end up making the problem so much worse that you may not even be able to sell it. And also, your warranty and insurance may become void if you try to fix your own phone.

Get an early upgrade.

Depending on your carrier, you can be eligible for an early upgrade for anywhere from 30 days to 24 months after signing up. Just return your current device and they will waive your remaining repayments for the phone. Then sign up for an upgrade plan and receive a brand new device.

Just keep in mind: You may need to pay extra fees on top of your plan. These extra fees are like monthly payments for the new phone but are included in your phone bill.

Get a trade-in or sell your broken phone.

If your phone is not repairable, don’t despair because you can still sell it to us here at iCare Repair. No matter the condition, you can still exchange it for a few bucks especially if it’s still a popular model. Or, trade it in and get a new replacement phone.

Just keep in mind: Prices are never consistent and depends on demand. As a general rule, the best time to sell an old phone is before the release of a new model. Check out our automatic quote online and see how much your phone is worth.

Insure your next phone.

An insurance is absolutely worth it if it is a high-end smartphone that costs more than $600, or if you have an active lifestyle, which increases the chances of breaking your phone. Most carriers and third-party insurance companies offer phone insurance and will foot your bill if your phone stops working, gets damaged, or is lost or stolen.

Just keep in mind: Like any other insurance, there are high deductibles and a cap on the number of claims you can make. The cost of a screen replacement on an iPhone 6 may turn out to be cheaper than a year’s worth of insurance.[/fusion_text]

Smartphone users have always griped about the pricey monthly costs of their carriers. But this will now be a thing of the past because of the new data plan from Republic Wireless.

Introducing the Republic Refund Plan! The idea is simple: Pay what you use; get paid back for what you don’t. So how does it work? Start with the $10 base plan for unlimited talk and text. Next, add cell data depending on how much you expect to use. You can choose between $7.50 for 500MB of data, $15 for 1GB, $30 for 2 GB, and $45 for 3GB.

If you don’t spend the allotted data, you get refunded $1.50 per 100MB of unused data. Let’s say you picked the 1GB tier and only used 800MB. Instead of $25, you would pay only $22. According to Republic’s test run last April, the participants typically saved $5 per month.

Will the Refund Plan work for me?

The plan works best for people who use less than 3GB per month of data. So if you are regularly connected to WiFi or just do basic emails, then you can definitely save money with the Refund Plan. To keep track of your data usage, check it via the Republic Wireless app. You can also use this app to purchase more data.