EPEAT recently announced that Apple's retina MacBook Pro meets their gold standard when it comes to environmental standards. This begs the question of how Apple managed this considering the retina MacBook Pro is the least repairable device many have seen in decades? EPEAT surrendered to Apple and actually changed their standards in order for Apple to qualify.

Back when the retina MacBook Pro was released Apple originally planned on dropping EPEAT certification from some of their product lines, specifically their laptops. After some backlash, Apple re-applied and the retina MacBook Pro has now been certified as "gold" by EPEAT.

EPEAT's old standards would have never have allowed the retina MacBook Pro to pass through. Apple was most likely aware of this, which is why they pulled their certification initially. EPEAT seems to be bending to Apple's needs in order to qualify their devices.

The Retina MacBook Pro—the least repairable, least recyclable computer I have encountered in more than a decade of disassembling electronics—was just verified EPEAT "Gold." This decision demonstrates that the EPEAT standard has been watered down to an alarming degree: proprietary, Apple-invented Pentalobe screwdrivers are now considered "commonly available tools" and a USB thumb drive is an "upgrade."

But what exactly does this mean for consumers and the future of laptops and portable electronics?

It means that standards will be looser and manufacturers don't have to pay so much attention to how they're designing their products. This isn't only bad for the consumer but for the environment as well. If organizations such as EPEAT are willing to bend the rules to appease one manufacturer, it lowers the standards across the board. This means laptops you get in the future may not be as upgradeable as EPEAT says they are. Inserting a thumb drive into a computer does not count as an upgrade by any means and any organization willing to say it is needs to revisit what their priorities are.

iFixIt is urging consumers to e-mail the CEO of EPEAT and/or tweet them if you are dissatisfied with their decision. Hit the link below for EPEAT's contact information and to read more on their decision regarding the retina MacBook Pro's certification.

Source: iFixIt

If you've got an iPhone 4S and you're having issues hearing callers through the earpiece or there is no sound at all, you could have a blown earpiece. If you didn't opt for AppleCare+ and your 1-year warranty is up, a DIY repair isn't too tough and will cost you quite a bit less than a replacement iPhone.

Follow along after the break and we'll walk you through from start to finish.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, neither iMore nor The Pod Drop 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.

Not comfortable with DIY repair? Leave it to the pros

If you aren't comfortable performing a DIY repair on your own, don't. It is possible to cause more damage or run into issues you aren't ready for. In this case, it's probably better to either pay the money for a replacement device from Apple or use a local or mail-in service that will handle the repair and any issues that may arise for you.

The Pod Drop has many locations in the midwest and is a rapidly growing company. You can check for a Pod Drop location near you, mail it in, or use another third party repair service. For more information on mail-in repairs or possible Pod Drop locations near you, you can visit their website.

• Pod Drop locations and mail-in options

If you are comfortable with repairing your own device, put your ninja pants on and keep reading!

What you'll need to DIY replace a blown earpiece

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. You will find links to the specific parts you'll need for this repair in the list below.

• iPhone 4S (any variant)
• Replacement earpiece - Link to part
• #00 Phillips screwdriver - Link to part
• Security screwdriver - Link to part
• Spudger tool - Link to part
• SIM removal tool or paperclip

Video walkthrough

While the video walkthrough adds even more detail, it is meant to be used in correlation with the written steps below. It will show a complete breakdown of the device but smaller steps for each individual repair will be listed with high quality images in the actual guide below.

Power off your iPhone 4S

Before performing any repair you should always power off your device before opening it up.

Remove the back plate

1. Using your security screwdriver, remove the 2 screws on either side of the dock connector port.

2. Set them aside. They are both the exact same size and length so it does not matter if you mix them up. They are interchangeable.
3. Gently slide up the back plate by applying a bit of pressure along the bottom with your thumbs and sliding upwards.

4. Now lift off the back plate and set it aside.

Remove the battery and grounding clip

1. Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the two screws holding the battery in place.

2. These screws are different lengths so make sure you remember which one goes where. The one that is slightly larger is the bottom screw.
3. There is a tiny grounding clip underneath the battery clip where the first screw is located. Use your spudger tool or finger to remove it before prying the clip up. Many times it can go flying if you don't remove it first and then you'll have difficulty locating it so it's best to remove it first.

4. Now use your spudger tool and at the bottom of the battery clip, gently pry upwards so the clip pops up.

5. Move to the edge of the iPhone where the volume buttons are located and use your spudger tool to carefully pry up the battery. It is stuck down with a good amount of adhesive so be careful when prying upwards that you don't bend the battery. This is why I do not use the plastic tab that is provided. It typically rips or bends the battery. If one part is resistant move your pry tool a little further down and gently start prying it up in different places taking care not to come too close to the volume button cables towards the top.

6. Once you've gotten the battery pulled out of the iPhone 4S we can move on to inserting the replacement battery.

Remove the top logic board shields

1. Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the four screws that hold the top silver shield in place and the one screw that holds the small black shield in place.

2. Now use your spudger or pry tool to gently lift the silver shield out of the iPhone.

3. Use your spudger or pry tool to lift the black shield out of the iPhone.

4. Set both shields aside and make sure your screws are organized for reassembly later.

Unclip the top logic board cables & remove the rear-facing camera

Using your spudger or pry tool carefully disconnect all the cables at the top of the logic board. There are seven cables total. One of the cables lies underneath the bottom most cable so you'll need to disconnect the cable over it before folding it back and revealing the shorter cable underneath.

Once you unclip the seven cables, you can lift the rear-facing camera directly out of the iPhone. It was only connected by one cable.

Disconnect the dock connector

1. Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver remove the shield that is covering the dock connector cable towards the middle left of the iPhone. Remember which screw came from where as they are different sizes. Gently lift the shield out of the iPhone and set it aside.

2. Take your spudger tool and gently pry up the dock connector cable and peel it back as shown below. Perform this step with caution as there is adhesive on the underside of the cable. Take care not to rip the cable by pulling up to quickly.

3. Leave the cable in this position and move on to the next section.

Pry up the Wi-Fi antenna

1. Using your spudger toolcarefully pry up the round connection for the cellular antenna. It should come up easily so pry up gently.

2. You'll notice that it is wrapped around a metal clip. Gently unwrap it so it's sticking upwards and leave it in this position.

Remove the SIM card and tray

Using a SIM removal tool or a bent paper clip, eject the SIM tray and set it, and the SIM card aside.

Remove the logic board

1. Remove the three #00 Phillips screws at the top, middle, and bottom left of the logic board with your #00 Phillips screwdriver. The top screw has a piece of tape over it you'll need to peel back. After removing it you'll also notice a gold grounding clip underneath it. Make sure you don't lose it as you'll need it for reassembly.

2. There are two more screws holding the logic board in place and you'll need to remove them with your flat head screwdriver. They are located at the top right and bottom of the logic board.
3. Now you should be able to lift the logic board out of the iPhone. Use the area that the rear-facing camera was located and the bottom of the logic board to lift it straight out.

Remove the bad earpiece assembly

1. Carefully use your pry tool to pull up the earpiece assembly from the midframe. It is held in with a foam type of adhesive.

2. Once you've removed the earpiece assembly we can work on installing the replacement.

Install the new earpiece assembly

1. The new earpiece assembly should come with adhesive and foam already installed. Just peel the backing off of the adhesive.
2. Place the earpiece assembly carefully into the iPhone making sure you're placing it the correct way so the prongs are pointing in the right direction.
3. Gently push down on the earpiece to make sure that the adhesive has attached on the underside.

Reassemble your iPhone 4S

To reassemble your iPhone 4S, you can either follow all these directions in exact reverse order or view our reassembly video guide above which will walk you through how to reassemble it from screen to turning it back on and testing it. For an earpiece replacement you'll need to watch the video from about 5:30 to the end.

And ...done!

Once you've finished reassembling your iPhone 4S you can go ahead and push the power button to turn it on. If all went well your iPhone should boot up and show the Apple logo. Unlock your iPhone and place a test call to make sure the earpiece is now functioning correctly.

Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions and questions to ally@imore.com. If you had issues performing this repair, our DIY and mod forums are a great place to start. If you still can't find an answer, you can contact me at the e-mail address above.

To inquire about mail-in repairs through The Pod Drop, you can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly!

Additional resources:

• How to replace the battery in an iPhone 4S
• How to replace the rear-facing camera in an iPhone 4S
• Even more DIY guides and repair walkthroughs

While Starbucks was fairly quick to roll out iPhone 5 and Passbook support in the U.S., their Canadian and UK apps languished in 2:3, non-Passbook purgatory... until today. Sort of. Starbucks has begun to update internationally, and they're ready to single-pull their way to iPhone-purchased specialty beverages both north of the border and across the pond. But still not in 16:9 iPhone format. Here's the official word, straight from the Starbucks blog:

We're thrilled to announce support for Passbook in Canada and the UK with our most recent Starbucks app update for customers running iOS 6 on their iPhone or iPod Touch. As a My Starbucks Rewards member you're likely already familiar with mobile payment, tracking your My Starbucks Rewards account and the additional features our app provides, and now, as you've been asking, you can now use our app to add your Starbucks Card to Passbook on your iPhone.

Passbook is great, but the lack of 16:9 support is puzzling/disappointing (puzzlepointing?). Anyway, he Passbook part works fine, so get the app, fill it up, then race Samsung to your favorite local barista, tap, scan, and sip. I'm heading out now for a quenti venti latte. What are you drinking?

Source: Starbucks blog

According to a leaked product list, Apple may launch as many as 24 iPad models, including the new iPad mini at their just-announced October 23 event next week. If accurate, that would likely include storage, color, and radio variants, which is fairly typical for any new Apple product. 9to5Mac scored the list:

With the three storage capacities, four models, and lastly two colors denoted by "A" and "B" (likely black and white), Apple will launch 24 new iPad models. Apple will also be selling 10 packs of iPad minis to education for a discount, according to the SKUs.

It is possible that at least two of the models represent an updated iPad 3 iMore first reported months ago. If that is the case, this would indicate that the updated iPad 3 would have a single LTE version that, in the US, works on both Verizon and AT&T, as well as internationally.

In other words, take this as possible confirmation that everything is proceeding on time, and as usual.

In addtion to the iPad mini and updated iPad 3, Apple is expected to announce new Macs as well. We'll find out for sure in just 7 days...

Source: 9to5Mac

We've already seen the iPod touch 5 torn down so it's only fair that the iPod Nano 7 get the same treatment. Since the iPod nano is quite bit larger than its predecessor, it makes repairability a little more economical and realistic, but not by much. iFixIt once again did the deed:

With a plastic opening tool in hand, we probed the depths of the Nano's compact design. Good news: the Nano's case can be opened with a standard Phillips #00 screwdriver and a little prying from a plastic opening tool. Unfortunately, the Nano's battery, Lightning connector, button cable, and headphone jack are all soldered to the logic board. To top that off, the battery is also adhered to the back of the assembly, which will make the battery difficult to replace when it fails (as batteries inevitably do).

The good news is that the new iPod nano's casing can be pulled open with only a #00 Phillips screwdriver and a plastic pry tool. The bad news is that a lot of components are soldered straight to the logic board including the Lightning connector, headphone jack, and Home button cable.

Anyone who has ever taken apart an iOS device before knows that the Home button is typically the first thing to give out due to excessive use. It wouldn't make these kinds of repairs cost effective considering the iPod nano is only priced at $149. A shattered screen, however, is definitely replaceable.

When it comes to a batteries, however, since they'resoldered in, it probably won't be economical for most users to replace it themselves. The current cost for AppleCare customers after the first year is $59 plus shipping and tax which probably will remain the same. We aren't yet sure what Apple will charge for a replacement battery in the new iPod nano if you're out of warranty.

Overall, iFixIt gave the 7th gen iPod nano a repairability score of 5 which is at least higher than the new 5th generation iPod touch which only received a score of 3 out of 10. Ouch.

To check out the entire teardown, hit the link below. Also make sure you enter our iPod touch and iPod nano giveaway for your chance to win one straight from iMore!

Source & image credit: iFixIt

Apple has begun sending out invitations to select members of the media for their upcoming October 23 special event, widely considered to be focused on the iPad and Macs. Jim Dalrymple of The Loop has the details:

Apple on Tuesday announced a special event to be held on October 23, 2012 in San Jose. The event is scheduled to take place at 10:00 am PT.

The invitations read "We've got a little more to show you". Nice. In addition to the iPad mini, and perhaps an updated iPad 3 with Lightning cable and international LTE, we should also be seeing the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro as well as new iMacs and Mac minis. We should also see the final version of iTunes 11, and perhaps a bump to iOS 6 to support the new devices.

Less than a week away.

Source: The Loop

With iOS 6, Siri has gained the ability to launch apps for you. that means the days of scouring through endless Home screens digging, into countless folders, or giving up and hitting Spotlight search are over. Now, as long as you know the app's name and you have it installed on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, Siri will do all the work for you.

1. Press and hold down the Home button on your iPhone or iPad to activate Siri.

2. Tell Siri to "Open Facebook." or "Launch Safari."

3. If you didn't say the complete name, or if Siri finds more than one match, it will present you with a list of matching apps.

4. Either say the complete name or tap the proper app.
5. Wait for Siri to launch you app.

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Apple is continuing with its expansion of the iCloud web app which now has the added ability to share reminders with others. Last month Apple added Notes and Reminders to the web app but missed out the ability to share reminders; that has now been added and you can share reminders with other iCloud users very easily.

Apple has already provided this functionality to Mountain Lion users on its Mac platform via the built in Reminders app but if you are a Windows user you haven't been able to do this until now. Strangely enough, the ability to share Reminders is also missing from iOS 6; maybe that will come with the next update.

The ability to set up shared reminders could be a handy feature for many so its inclusion in the iCloud web app is certainly a welcome addition. Could you see yourself using shared Reminders?

Source: iCloud.com

Found an interesting article you want to share with iMore? Have a burning question about that feature you just can't figure out? There is ALWAYS more happening just a click away in the forums. You can always head over and join in the conversation, search for answers, or lend your expertise to other members of our community. You check out some of the threads below:

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