Capitol Macintosh

June 1, 11 AM - 3 PM, Davenport Lansing Campus, 220 E. Kalamazoo, Lansing.  Visit lansing.mitn.org for additional information.

Cell phones, computers, monitors, TV’s under 32″, software batteries, keyboards, cables and computer accessories are accepted.

This event is for individual and consumer e-waste only.  No waste from companies or organizations.

If you bought an iMac between October 2009 and July 2011, you may have received an email from Apple about a failing hard drive. Some of the 1TB Seagate hard drives sold in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs during this time may fail.
If your hard drive is covered by this program, you can have it replaced with a new one, free of charge*, here at Capitol Macintosh. We are an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP), and can replace affected hard drives.

This program ends on April 12, 2013 or 3 years after the original purchase date of your iMac; which ever is later.

*Data migration or transfer is not covered by Apple under this program, so please make sure to back up your hard drive before you bring in your Mac. If you prefer, we can handle the data migration for you for $47.50.

Click here to submit your serial number

Your hard drive does not have to be failing already. 
If your hard drive is covered by this replacement program call us, we’ll verify it qualifies, order the replacement hard drive.   The replacement drives are free, but please note that data transfer (different than migration) is not covered by Apple, and will be charged at $95/hour if you need us to transfer your data. The hard drive replacement program is good for three years from the original purchase date of your iMac, or until April 12th, 2013 - whichever date is later.

If you believe you have paid for a repair or replacement due to this issue, contact Apple regarding a refund.

When you call tech support for a particular product, your goal is probably to talk to an official representative of the company that makes that product. Don’t “Google” for their number as you’ll no doubt get some “support” place overseas that wants your money (or worse information from your computer). Type in the web address of the support site you’re looking for and get the number (good luck) from there. Click this link to read more about fake support.

We get a lot of questions about the vulnerability of Macs. This site also has a great article that explains what a virus is (and isn’t) what worms are and what a Trojan is.

Summary: So you got a new iPad (or iPhone) as a holiday gift huh? Here’s some things that you should do right now to keep your new gadget safe.

Enable Find My iPad immediately
Find My iPad used to be a paid service but it’s now free and allows you to locate your iPad (or iPhone) on a map when it’s lost - or more likely, misplaced in your house.  First, you need to log into your iCloud account or create a new one in Settings > iCloud > Account. Then flip the slider for Find My iPhone in the same area of the Settings app to ON. When panic strikes use a web brower to log into iCloud.com and click the icon for Find My iPhone.  Find My iPhone helped one of our employees lcote their phone that has fallen out of their pocket.
There’s another critical step you should perform after enabling Find My iPad/iPhone:
•    Settings > General > Restrictions > Enable Restrictions (enter your passcode)
•    Then scroll to Privacy > Location Services and touch Don’t Allow Changes

If you don’t take this step, a savvy thief that takes your phone before the auto-lock engages can simply turn off Find My iPhone just as fast as you activated it. When Don’t Allow Changes is enabled, the Find My iPad section of Settings > iCloud is greyed out and it can’t be switched off.
Keep your iPad in a case
The iPad is a thin piece of aluminum and glass that is very expensive and one drop could be fatal. I know that some people hate to cloak their beautiful Apple devices in a case, but if you take your device out of the house, it could save you an expensive ($200+) repair.
Disable ad tracking in iOS 6
While we’re on the topic of ad tracking, there’s another place that Apple hides a little ad tracking switch. On your iPad or iPhone, navigate to Settings > General > About > Advertising (third from the bottom) and flip “Limit Ad Tracking” to ON. Not exactly intuitive. More information about the setting is available by clicking on the tiny Learn More link at the bottom of the screen.

Turn on Passcode Lock and Auto-Lock

If you leave your iPad in a taxi or on an airplane, anyone can pick it up and look through your email, contacts and photos — and that’s probably the least of your worries. A simple way to avoid unnecessary data exposure is with a Passcode Lock. You can enable it in Settings > General > Passcode Lock. A Passcode Lock is useless if a thief grabs your iPad while it’s awake. So I also recommend enabling Auto-Lock which times out your iPad after a defined period of inactivity.

Opt out of interest-based ads from the iAd network
iAd, Apple’s mobile advertising platform, displays relevant ads on your iPad based on your interests. If you do not want to receive these ads (or rather, don’t like advertisers tracking your interests) you can opt out by accessing http://oo.apple.com/ from Mobile Safari on your iPad or iPhone while logged into your iTunes account. More information can be found in this Apple knowlegebased article

Have you ever wanted an iPhone case that would protect your iPhone from anything life could throw at you? Meet the LifeProof case, your iPhone’s new best friend.

The LifeProof case is waterproof, shockproof, dirt-proof, and snow-proof, while still maintaining a slim fit that won’t add extra bulk to your pockets or purse. Unlike many cases, the LifeProof has an integrated screen shield that still upholds the iPhone’s touch-sensitivity.

What we find to be most impressive, however, is that this super sturdy gadget is entirely waterproof, allowing you to use it in the rain, snow, and yes, even the pool! Perfect for underwater photography or video recording, this case can be submerged in up to six feet of water.  Additionally, the LifeProof case will keep your phone safe in the event of drops, bumps, and falls from a height up to 6 feet.

With all of these incredible perks, the LifeProof case still allows sound from your phone to pass through it perfectly, making it easy to make phone calls, listen to music, and use apps.  An adapter is included with the case allowing any user to plug in standard headphones, and even enables under water use!  LifeProof for iPhone 4/4s available now at Capitol Macintosh.