The Mac Security Blog warns that a new phishing scam in circulation that tries to trick users into updating their Apple ID billing information, in hopes of stealing it for nefarious purposes.

A vast phishing attack has broken out, beginning on or around Christmas day, with e-mails being sent with the subject "Apple update your Billing Information." These well-crafted e-mails could fool many new Apple users, especially those who may have found an iPhone, iPod or iMac under their Christmas tree, and set up accounts with the iTunes Store or the Mac App Store for the first time. The messages claim to come from "appleid@id.apple.com."

The email looks pretty legitimate, but upon hovering over the link you’ll notice it points to an obviously fake Apple website asking you to enter your Apple ID credentials, and it’s all downhill from there.

As always, never click on links in an email — type them in yourself in a browser. When you get phishing emails, mark as spam and wash your hands of the worry. Done and done.

Source: The Mac Security Blog via CNET

Missed a compelling piece of iPhone news, a great review, or a killer how-to? We’re not collecting absolutely everything in iPhone here — you can hit up TiPb.com/iPhone and TiPb.com/iPad for that! — but we’re carefully picking what we think is the best of the last 7 days and presenting it here for your review.

And hey! — these double as show notes for our iPhone and iPad Live! podcast tonight at 6pm PT/9pm ET. So join us at TiPb.com/live and follow along!

iPhone

• Rumor: Completely redesigned iPhone coming in fall of 2012
• U.S. Department of Transportation refuses to accept NTSB ban on smartphones in cars

iPad

• Rumor: iPad 3 coming on Steve Jobs' Birthday

Apple Television

• Rumor: 32 and 37-inch Apple Television coming in late 2012

News

• Steve Jobs to receive special Grammy award for revolutionizing music industry

DIY and Jailbreak

• iOS 5.0.1 untethered jailbreak now available for original iPad, iPhone 4, older models
• Daily Tip: How to untethered jailbreak original iPad, iPhone 4, and older devices on iOS 5.0.1 with redsn0w 0.9.10b1
• Top 5 things TiPb wants from jailbreak in 2012
• Weekly Mod: How to replace the rear camera in an iPhone 4 (GSM/CDMA)

Apps

• TiPb’s most used apps of 2011
• Use Siri dictation on your Mac with Air Dictate for iPhone 4S
• Action Movie FX brings Hollywood style special effects to your home videos
• iMame arcade emulator yanked from the App Store
• Top 5 iPhone and iPad apps for electronics shoppers

Accessories

• Poll: What kind of case do you prefer for your iPhone?
• Review + Giveaway: Case-Mate Barely There Brushed Aluminum case for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4

PhotoCalendar HD: Are you looking for a perfect iPhone wallpaper. Whats better than set a calendar photo of your family and friends?

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad – App Store link

Curio: There's only one way out of the mental asylum, and it's not going to be easy. Help Ron Templeton III blaze his path to freedom, but make sure he takes his pills, or else you'll lose your mind!

• $0.99 for iPhone – App Store link

MyiStory: Your story of a day, a week, a life. Record your story day by day in words, pictures, videos, audio and music.

• $0.99 for iPhone and iPad – App Store link

CheckIn+ HD: Brought to you by the developer of IM+, a check-in app and deal locator with augmented reality for iPad! Supports Foursquare and Facebook Places.

• $1.99 for iPad – App Store link

Vegas Party Stops: A Las Vegas App that guides you as you party up and down the Las Vegas Strip! This app is like having a good friend telling you which lounges are cool, what clubs are hot, what drinks are recommended and much more.

• $1.99 for iPhone – App Store link

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

So to get it out of the way, while I’m running iOS 5 on my iPad I’m still running iOS 4 on my iPhone. I need my jailbreak, the iOS 5 untethered jailbreak just went live yesterday, and I haven’t had time to update yet. That’s why many of my apps, and a couple of my most-used apps of 2011, other than Mail, Safari, etc. are mainly jailbreak apps. Oh, and games!

LockInfo

The original Notification Center, it’s still way more useful and not only lets me keep track of everything but lets me quickly preview messages so I can stay on top of things during my typically hectic days.

• $7.99 – Web link

Infinidock

Apple’s stock 4 apps in the dock simply aren’t enough for me. I want more and Infinidock provides for just that. Thanks to Infinidock, I can only keep Mail, Safari and Phone at the ready, but App Store and iTunes Store, and many, more more as well. (Yes, I download a lot of apps and music, but I can use the excuse that it’s my job!). Just add all you want and scroll away!

• Cydia Link

Twitter for iPhone

I don’t use Twitter that much, so even though Twitter for iPhone went through a major change recently, it’s still my go to Twitter app. It lets me see my replies and write my tweets and that’s pretty much all I need. (Though I do find Tweetbot adorable!)

• Free – App Store link

Chuzzle

I love strategy games and while I still played Plants vs. Zombies and Field Runners last year, Chuzzle has been my main addiction of late. It’s cute, it’s easy to get into and out of if you only have a short amount of time, and it’s by Popcap so how can you go wrong?

• $2.99 – App Store link

Netflix

I have a digital antenna and Windows Media Center PVR for most of my day-to-day television viewing, but for pretty much everything else I use Netflix on the Apple TV. It has great old shows like Damages and the original X-Men cartoon. If you have young kids, Netflix is hours of entertainment, especially if you put it on their iPod touches!

• Free with subscription – App Store link

British Prime Minister David Cameron has commissioned an iPad app that he hopes will enable him to become more efficient whilst dealing with day to day government business. App developers from inside Mr Cameron's Cabinet Office are designing the application.

The software will allow the Prime Minister to see the latest NHS waiting-list figures, crime statistics, unemployment numbers and a wide variety of other data at a glance. The idea for the app came from a trip by advisers to the US.

David Cameron already uses an iPad to access real time news information from Twitter and Google as well as newspapers and radio programmes. The new Whitehall app should be available for use by March 2012.

Source: The Telegraph, Photo: Flickr

For the third time in almost as many weeks, Verizon seems to be having data network issues. We haven’t gotten that many reports from iPhone users this time, but our sibling site Android Central is certainly hearing all about not hearing it now.

You know the drill — if you’re rocking a Verizon iPhone or Verizon iPad, let us know how you’re data is working. If it’s not working, let us know where you are, when it stopped, and when it starts up again.

Like Rene, my most-used apps of 2011 are probably the built in iPhone and iPad Safari browser, Mail app, and Reminders, Calendars, etc. via Siri. That’s just the nature of the job. But since I’m TiPb’s resident app editor, I also get to spend time with an incredible amount and array of App Store apps. Here are the ones I spent the most of my time with this year.

Starbucks

I love Starbucks and spend way too much money on $3 to $4 drinks. The Starbucks app further inhibits my addiction and has been one of my favorite apps since its release. Being able to reload my card with a touch of a button and pay for my drinks with a scan of my iPhone is almost too much awesomeness for me to handle.

• Free – App Store link

Tweetbot

There are many great Twitter applications out there, but Tweetbot always comes out on top as my favorite. I’m a huge fan the smart gestures like triple click to reply and swiping to the right to view conversations. I also thoroughly enjoy the sounds & animations that hold true to Tapbots’ style.

• $2.99 – App Store link

iMovie

I have a 16 months daughter whom I get gigabytes worth of video footage of every couple months. iMovie is such a great app for creating nicely edited movies to share on YouTube and ultimately on my blog. iMovie is by no means a fancy editor, but it’s a breeze to get quick, simple edits completed and runs fantastically on an iPhone 4S and iPad 2.

• $4.99 – App Store link

Instagram

Instagram is by far my favorite way to share photos. The filters are great, but I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite feature of Instagram – the social integration is. Instead of editing a photo and sharing it to the networks of my choice, Instagram has it’s own platform where I can share my photos and view other people’s photos and leave comments and ‘likes’. And because I still want to share my photos to Facebook and Twitter, it’s nice that I can do that at the same time with no extra effort.

• Free – App Store link

WordPress

I use WordPress for my blog and the WordPress app is perfect for blogging on the go. Often times I just want to throw up a quick photo of my daughter, and the WordPress app makes this super fast and easy. This year, WordPress finally added the functionality to choose pixel width/height of uploaded photos, and it was this feature that turned the WordPress app into one of my most-used apps.

• Free – App Store link

We’re doing a special combined edition of iPhone and iPad Live tonight, and following it up with a special edition of ZENandTECH, so clear your schedule, pour a spicy drink, get your snacks lined up, and show up to chat!

And yes, we’ll be announcing the winner of our 2011 iOS Dream Device giveaway! So make sure you’re there!

Time: 9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am GMT.

Place: http://www.tipb.com/live

If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to discuss, just leave them in the comments then come be part of the show!

(And yes, you can watch from iPhone via Ustream Viewer app (here’s how) — just search for “mobilenations” and iPad (we recommend Duet Browser.)

While jailbreaking already provides tons of functionality, there’s still room for improvement and expansion in 2012. Last year I did a list of jailbreak concepts Apple should implement and low and behold, they implemented quite a few of them. But that’s part of the game. Part of what spurs more innovation is creativity and pushing boundaries. And at the end of the day it’s really the user base that is the most useful when it comes to helping developers out. They can’t create it if they don’t know we want it. So this is our list of the top 5 things we’d like to see jailbreak accomplish in 2012.

A jailbreak for A5 devices

We already know pod2g is working on this. While we will most likely get one in 2012, I’m not excluding it as one of the biggest wants for many users. We just received an untethered jailbreak for A4 and older devices. Hopefully a jailbreak for the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S aren’t that far behind. While an untethered version would be epic win, I’d take a tethered version for starters.

Cydia updates

While Cydia is probably one of the most used apps on my iOS devices, it can become rather frustrating at times. Saurik made some updates to Cydia in 2011 but nothing to get too excited about. Cydia could use a facelift and some speed enhancements.

While it may not be at the top of saurik’s list right now, I know Cydia is frustrating for many users on a day to day basis. Not to mention the organization of packages is rather daunting for many new jailbreakers. They have no idea where to start or what apps they should be downloading. Sure, they can always come to TiPb but for those not familiar, how about adding a jailbreak starter pack in Cydia? I know several new users revert back to stock quickly out of confusion and frustration.

I’d like to see Cydia step up its game to show users what jailbreak is all about. It isn’t about pirating apps and installing illegal software at all. It’s about enhancing and customizing your experience.

More iPad compatible apps and tweaks

While there is support for jailbroken iPads, it’s very minimal. I’d really like to see that change. As of right now, I really can’t find a good reason to jailbreak my iPad. A lot of this could have to do with the lack of support for current iPad 2 users. Jailbreak developers may not want to put the time and effort into supporting the low number of jailbroken iPads.

Hopefully a jailbreak for A5 devices will create more interest in jailbreaking the iPad. Even though there are a few good reasons to jailbreak the iPad, I’d like to find a reason I can not live without. I’d like to have a reason or find a jailbreak application compelling enough to make me not want to live without my iPad being jailbroken.

If I’m missing out on some to die for jailbreak utilities for iPad, please let me know. I’ve yet to find them.

More support updates from developers

After iOS 4 was released, Cydia was plagued with tons of apps and utilities that were never updated to support it. Even though jailbreak tool after jailbreak tool was released supporting almost every device on the market, tools were left to collect dust. Some of them were actually very useful utilities that I really missed using after updating. Things like changing keyboard styles were little tweaks that were left untouched for months.

Some developers are extremely good about updating their tools. Others are not. Where that happens, I’d really like to see new jailbreak developers step up and come out with new solutions. Heck, just improve upon someone else’s idea. It seemed as if the jailbreak community was left with a ton of tools that were left in limbo. A package may work, it may not, it may just crash your springboard. I’d like to see less of this.

Maybe this is something that needs to come bundled with updates to Cydia. This is another reason jailbreak may be off-putting to some new users. They download tweaks that aren’t compatible with their devices and when it isn’t stable, they restore and never give jailbreak another chance. We need to avoid experiences like this as developers.

A more unified jailbreak process

This one may be asking a bit too much but heck, I’ll throw it out there. While redsn0w and tools like it are pretty user friendly to begin with, there are tons of tools out there and that’s confusing to new users. What tool do they use? Is one not compatible with their device? Programs like ipswDownloader aim to make it easier for beginners, but a lot of beginners won’t know what an IPSW is let alone what the tool does, where to find it, or know why they need it.

If jailbreak developers could come together to make a great tool that accommodates all users, I think the jailbreak community would see a great benefit and many more users. I see tons of people in my office every day that bricked their device or jailbroke it with an incorrect tool. I also see people that searched and researched jailbreak online, became overwhelmed, and would rather come and pay me to do it correctly than mess something up themselves. I know there are tons of other users out there that are put off by the overwhelming amount of information and tools out there. Working together to find a way to make the process more streamlined would be time spent that would pay off in the long run.

Bottom line

I think my overall outlook on jailbreak is this – people buy Apple devices because of the experience and the ease of use. If jailbreak complicates things too much, they’ll stray away. Of course there will always be power users and ninjas that will put in the time to make it work. But the bottom line is that most iOS users just want their device to work and work well. If jailbreak developers can find ways to make the process and overall experience better, I think they’d see a lot more users willing to give it a try or a second runaround.

What do you guys want to see jailbreak developers aiming for in the coming year? Let us know!

My most-used apps of 2011 are probably the built in iPhone and iPad Safari browser, Mail client, and anything and everything Siri can now easily and instantly manage for me like Reminders, Calendars, Alarms, etc. But that’s mundane, boring, and way too Spock for a list like this. So if I take the defaults off the table and focus only on the App Store fare, here’s what I spent most of my time with this year.

Tweetbot

I use Twitter a lot. I try every new client that comes out and I use several at a time for different things. I read a lot in Twitterriffic due to the unified timeline. I still occasionally compose in Birdhouse for things I’m mulling but haven’t completed yet. I love just scrolling through Twittelator Neue for the sheer eye candy of it. Instagram is also good for sharing pics to Twitter. But for most of the year I stuck with Twitter for iPhone for my heavy lifting — checking @mentions and quickly firing off replies. Recently, when Twitter remodeled for what I can only imagine is the new, Britney Spears-following user, I remodeled as well — to Tweetbot. While it looks significantly different from Loren Brichter’s Tweetie, the original basis for Twitter for iPhone, Tweetbot works in a similar enough way that’s it become my go-to Twitter app.

Netflix

I’ve always watched a ton of TV. I leave it on while I work as background noise, and if there’s anything that competes with gadgets for my geek love, it’s story — characters through conflict coming to conclusion. Like many others, I cut my cable TV off this year and went all in on apps. I use Air Video to watch almost everything I already have on my hard-drive, automagically transcoding it on the fly and beaming it over AirPlay to my Apple TV. I use a bunch of Canadian TV network apps for watching new shows, namely Global, CTV, and Citytv. Despite their inexplicable spiral into business insanity this year, however, I’ve been watching more and more Netflix. It’s older stuff, but it’s a lot of stuff, with no annoying ads, and a lot of complete seasons of shows. In addition to re-watching the best of Buffy and Angel, I’ve plowed through Mad Men, The Unit, and a bunch of other great shows.

Instacast

I don’t listen to as many podcasts as I used to. The more time I spend writing the less time I have to read, and now the more time I spend producing and hosting podcasts means the less time I have to listen and watch them. That’s not entirely a bad thing; several of the shows I used to listen have grown to the point where they now seem a tad out of touch with the subjects I enjoyed, or the personalities have somehow decided that interrupting with lame jokes is more important than letting the interesting, informed guest actually finish a sentence. (And yeah, I’m as guilty of all that as the next podcaster — we often find most annoying in others the traits that we find most annoying in ourselves). But I do have to keep track of all the Mobile Nations shows and make sure all the feeds have the right episodes, all the downloads are working, all the art is showing up, etc. etc. and when I do have time to listen to something like Hypercritical or The Sci-Fi Cast, I use Instacast and now Instacast HD

Reeder

Twitter has replaced a lot of what I used to use RSS for — finding interesting stuff to read and post about — but it hasn’t replaced everything. I still check RSS daily. I’ll use The Early Edition when I want to sip latte and skim the news, or Flipboard when I want to check out a social stream of news. For churning through a ton of feeds, however, Reeder for iPhone and Reeder for iPad are still my workhorses. They sync with Google Reader quickly and the interfaces are nearly frictionless. Anything that’s super-interesting gets mailed off or saved to [Instapaper], and I get back to work.

1Password

Whether it’s on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Windows, whenever I’m setting up new a device or computer — which I do often — the first thing I do is log into iCloud, then install Dropbox, then install 1Password, and then I’m pretty much done. 1Password hooks into Dropbox to keep all my logins, credit cards, accounts, and other information secure yet easily accessible. It also generates super-strong passwords when I need them. I have to keep track of so many accounts that there’s just no way I’d be able to do it without 1Password. Once that’s done, I’ll get Screens, Skype, and my other go-to utilities up and running.

Fortune is reporting that Apple has completed the required steps necessary to bring the iPhone 4S to mainland China by January 23rd.

the People’s Daily, the official news organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, reports that a device with the same model number as the iPhone 4S (A1431) passed the final hurdle, obtaining its China Compulsory Certification on Dec. 21. That gives Apple plenty of time to get the iPhone in the hands of retailers before the Chinese New Year, the biggest shopping event on China’s calendar. It falls this year on Jan. 23.

This is big news for Apple given the size of the Chinese mobile market. According to statistical analysis by mobiThinking, China currently leads worldwide mobile growth with over 5.3 billion subscribers, and Apple would do well in further extending their reach by getting a hand in that cookie jar.

Source: Fortune, mobiThinking

Hello everyone and welcome to TiPb's weekly celebrity iPhone and iPad sightings roundup! Time to take a little break from your daily routine and relax with some gossip from the world of the rich and famous. What do all of these celebrities have in common? They all were spotted with an iPhone or iPad, of course. Check out a ton of pictures after the break, and if you spot a celebrity rocking an iPhone or iPad, drop us a note at news@tipb.com so we can include them in the next roundup, next week!

Please note: Some pictures may from time-to-time be NSFW (Not Safe For Work) so use discretion when viewing.

Seal takes an iPhone break from the slopes with wife Heidi Klum.

 

Paris Hilton goes brunette instead of her usual blonde. Her iPhone has a black and yellow case.

 

Minka Kelly arrives at LAX with her iPad in a white case.

 

Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal runs errands in Brooklyn.

 

Kate Hudson clutches her iPhone close.

 

Hugh Jackman has a muffin in one hand and his iPad (in a bright green case) in the other.

 

Drew Barrymore chats on her iPhone while strolling with boyfriend Will Kopelman.

 

Courteney Cox finishes some last minute Christmas shopping in Malibu.

 

Brenda Song has a terribly happy poncho on, and a “best friends” case on her iPhone. I wonder who has the matching one?

 

Ashley Tisdale has a fun case on her iPhone.

 

Amanda Seyfried has her hands full while out walking her dog.

Full review of HP’s never announced, never released, 7-inch TouchPad Go, the webOS-powered iPad competitor that could have been

Derek Kessler of our newly renamed sibling site, webOS Nation, has got his snarky, geeky hands on the krayt dragon of the gadget world, and done up a complete and proper TouchPad Go review.

For those joining our webOS tragedy already in progress, while HP allowed the 9.7-inch TouchPad to stay on the market for dozens of days before canceling it, they didn’t even allow the 7-inch TouchPad Go to enter the market. Could it have done better than RIM’s 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook? Could it have made Amazon’s 7-inch Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble’s 7-inch Nook Tablet seem inelegant by contrast?

Sadly, because of HP’s stupefying lack of testicular fortitude and mobile tenacity, we’ll never know. But, bittersweetly, Derek can offer us a glimpse:

The TouchPad Go is not a bad tablet. But it's also not a great tablet. Like the standard TouchPad, it's a good tablet. Better than okay, but also not mind-blowingly awesome. By virtue of its size it changes how you use it, but not in any fundamental manner. It sought to fill a void in the webOS tablet market, seeking the customer that wants something smaller than the ten-inch tablet but doesn't want to compromise in the process. While any tablet comes with compromises, the TouchPad Go's compromises (at least over the original TouchPad) are only directly related to its size.

Check out the full review: webOS Nation

For today only, the TiPb Store has the Qmadix Snap-On Cover w/ Holster for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 on sale for only $13.95!. Get them before they’re gone!

Get the Qmadix Snap-On Cover w/ Holster for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 now!

9to5 Mac has word that Facebook for iPad will be getting the new Timeline feature in late January.

Timeline was supposed to come to the iPad in December, but the release has been pushed back due to last minute bugs found during advanced testing. Facebook is now planning to launch the update between mid-January and late January.

Facebook recently updated their iPhone app to include the new Timeline profile layout, but the iPad app was noticeably lacking in that respect.

The Timeline feature is said to work very well on the iPad’s larger, multi-touch screen, and will be a “fusion of the web and iPhone/iPod touch version”. I’m personally looking forward to this, and it couldn’t come any quicker.

Source: 9to5Mac

Hit-or-miss rumor site Digitimes has additional speculation from “industry sources” that Apple may be looking to Foxconn to assemble orders of their upcoming Siri-powered Apple Television.

Following sources’ claims that Samsung Electronics and Sharp will manufacture chips and displays, respectively, for the so-called Apple “iTV,” others have suggested that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) have the potential to win orders for Apple’s smart TV.

The “sources” also added to conjecture that Apple is planning to release the Apple Television in late 2012, which may debut in 32 and 37-inch form.

Source: Digitimes

Argentina has blocked the sale of iPhone and BlackBerry devices in a move that is intended to boost its ailing economy. The ban is part of a selective consumer electronics ban aimed at slowing inflation and balancing its own pesos currency against the U.S. dollar.

The new ban is an extension of the Argentina Ministry Industry’s March 2011 decision to eliminate the automatic import license of certain smartphones, forcing Apple and RIM to wait 60 to 180 days for Customs Authority approval to sell their devices.

If Apple wants to continue selling devices in Argentina, it must build its own manufacturing plant or at least partner with a local company who can offer manufacturing to Apple. Other manufacturers like Motorola, Nokia and Samsung have already moved part of their manufacturing to Argentina after the government passed Internal Revenue Law which nearly doubled tax levies for certain imported devices.

Source: Apple Insider

 

There are hundreds of thousands of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps for just about everything — so how come the one you need, the one you know just has to be there, is so hard to find? Enter TiPb’s new weekly feature where staff and readers alike sort through the App Store and help you find just the right App for That. This week, @llofte (yes, that’s me!) asks:

What app is it that I see people use with Instagram to make a collage/storyboard of more than one photo?

To see what was suggested to me, follow along after the break!

Diptic [$0.99 - App Store link] is an iPhone and iPad app for creating simple collages of your photos. The templates are designed in the shape of a square, so Diptic is commonly used in conjunction with Instagram [Free - App Store link]. In fact, Diptic has Instagram as an export option, making sharing to the photo social networking app a breeze.

Diptic comes with 21 standard layouts and is equipped with a frame slider that allows you to customize the dimensions of the inner frames. You can also adjust the colors of the borders and give them rounded corners. In addition to Instagram, you can send your collages to Camera+, Filterstorm, Dropbox, Evernote, GoodReader, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Posterous, or Tumblr.

Anyone else have any App for That suggestions for me? Let me — and all of us — know in the comments.

Having trouble finding what you need in the app store? Send us an email to news@tipb.com and let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll do our best to find you just the right App for That!

YouTube Link

Replacing the rear camera in your GSM or CDMA iPhone 4 isn’t a very difficult DIY repair, as long as you have the right tools and parts. We’ll walk you through step by step and show you how to get your camera back into working order in no time. While the GSM and CDMA variants are slightly different, the guide will work for both. So grab your tools and your sad iPhone 4 and follow along!

Disclaimer: As with any repair, TiPb nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It's also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don't feel comfortable opening your device, don't. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What you need for a DIY iPhone 4 rear camera repair

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• GSM or CDMA iPhone 4
• #00 Phillips screwdriver
• Pry tool or spudger
• Security screwdriver (only if your iPhone has 5-point security screws in the dock connector)

Power off your iPhone 4

Before performing any repair, always power off your device before removing any screws or parts.

Remove the back of your iPhone

1. First remove the bottom 2 dock connector screws in your iPhone 4. Use either your #00 screwdriver or the five point depending on whether or not your iPhone 4 has security screws in the dock connector. Almost all newer devices will have security screws.

2. To remove the back simply slide the back upwards and lift it off gently.
3. Set the back and 2 dock connector screws aside.

Before we move on to actually replacing the camera. You may want to make sure your back plate is not the culprit if your camera is producing bad images. Check and make sure neither the inside or outside of the lens cover is scratches or cloudy. If it is, try taking a picture with your back cover removed. If the pictures turn out fine, you’ll just need to replace your iPhone 4 back cover. If your images are still blurry or the camera does not function at all, you’ll need to continue on to replace the actual rear camera component.

Remove the battery

1. To remove the battery you'll need to remove the #00 screw holding the battery clip in place. Remove this screw located to the bottom left of the battery.

2. The metal clip on the battery is what clips the battery to the logic board. You'll need to pop this clip up with your plastic pry tool. Simply stick the end of your pry tool underneath the clip and gently pull upwards until it unfastens from the logic board.

3. To remove the battery, I do not recommend using the plastic pull tab. There is quite a bit of adhesive underneath the battery and the tab will normally just rip off or you can bend the battery. Instead, run your pry tool along the right side of the battery and break the adhesive that way. Once the battery is free from the adhesive, you can pull the battery out of the phone. There are no other connectors holding it in.

4. GSM iPhone 4 users will notice a tiny grounding clip sitting underneath where you unscrewed the battery. Set this aside for replacement during reassembly. This is a grounding clip for your antenna. Make sure you put it back in place before reconnecting your battery. CDMA users will not see this as it is in a different location.

Remove the top logic board shield

1. There are 5 screws holding the logic board shield in place. Depending on whether you have a CDMA or GSM iPhone 4, your shield will look different. The process is the same though. Simply remove the 5 screws holding it in place. Just be sure to remember which holes they came out of as the screws are different sizes. I always keep them in order of how they came out.

2. Next you’ll need to remove the shield. Both models have a tiny clip built into the shield holding it in place. (Refer to the photo above.) Pop it up with your pry tool and you should be able to slide the shield up fairly easily. Just take care not to bend it or break off a clip. The Verizon variant seats into the logic board with two tiny notches underneath the camera connection. When reassembling, just line up the two notches on the shield and it will slide into place easily. For the AT&T model, just make sure the clip in the photo above is the first part you insert and it will line up nicely again.

Replace the rear camera

1. There is only one connector holding the camera to the logic board. Simply remove this cable in the picture above using your pry tool. Gently lift upwards and it will pop right off.

2. Next gently lift the camera out of the device. You’ll notice there is a tiny tab that is seated underneath the LCD and digitizer cables to the right.

3. To insert the new camera, start by sliding the tabbed part underneath the two cables and then push down gently to seat the camera. Try not to touch the lens at all.

4. Re-fasten the cable to the logic board.

And …done!

That’s it! All you’ll need to do now is reassemble your device in the reverse order and you’ll be taking pictures again in no time.

Have you done this repair yourself? Let us know how it went! Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@tipb.com or leave a comment in our brand new Mod and DIY Repair Forum!

For repair questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter or e-mail us directly!

The Cregle iPen promises to become the first ever active stylus available for the iPad. The project has just received Kickstarter funding blowing its required $35,000 goal with pledges totalling a massive $162,000. The iPen is totally different to any iPad stylus available today.

The Cregle iPen transforms the iPad into a content creation device, not just a content consumption device. iPen is the first active digitizer stylus that allows you to write with precision directly on the iPad. Unlike the passive digitizer used in the typical iPad stylus, iPen writes like a real pen with accurate positioning and palm rejection features that passive products simply cannot achieve. With the Cregle iPen's active digitizer, the attached receiver picks up the iPen's signal and its precise position as it hovers above the screen. This crucial advantage allows iPen to actively transmit 60 samples per second to pinpoint the pen's exact location.

The iPen has now received funding and should go into production early next year. In order to use the iPen, apps will need to include code to support it. Some apps have already decided to support iPen such as PDF-Notes, Procreate, Ghost Writer notes and a few others. We expect this to increase dramatically especially as the iPen will be under Apple's own MFi (Made for iPad) program. The iPen should retail for around $89 when it eventually hits store shelves.

Cregle is also working on iPen 2 which promises to support pressure sensitive features. This would allow a user to alter the thickness of lines by pressing harder or softer on the screen with the iPen; now that would be a huge development should it prove possible.

Source: Kickstarter