iPhone Cellphone Repairs Cheap

iPhone Screen Replacement - Body Swaps

 Most of you are aware of Pop's long-standing affair with photography, specifically with the creation of art by someone with so little artistic talent in any other medium.

 What only a few of you are aware of is the fact that Pop is also a semi-retired bench technician.

Bench techs (Fixers) are the electronic technicians who troubleshoot and repair the hardware that comes into the shop.

 This means that in the days of the TV shop, when people actually repaired their gadgets and electronics (before the current "everything's disposable" mentality took over), this is the work that I did. 

 As a bench-tech for a TV shop in Brooklyn my day was filled with dead-set televisions, stereos with blown fuses, CB radios that had been hit with spilled coffee, and the occasional house-call to troubleshoot the console that dad kicked when his team lost.

 Electronic devices have of course evolved since then, and while most TV repair shops have faded away, the need to repair the more expensive gadgets is still prevalent. 

 The reason that most Americans don't own an Apple iPhone is the same one that keeps this need alive: The price.
  Averaging $500 and up to buy new, when it becomes damaged you have 2 basic option; Pay the insurance deductible of $150 for a repair or replacement, or pay $200 or more for a used model. So it's easy to understand why those unlucky owners who drop their phone and pick it up to discover a cracked screen have no problem spending less than $100 to have their favorite life-tool back fast.

 With six children, and fourteen grandchildren, I have managed to evolve my technical skills as the family and neighborhood 'fixer' for everything from electronic toys to cellphones and computers.
 This is the reason that I used the term "semi-retired"; I don't repair televisions anymore, but now do everything else.

 Recently, this need for iPhone screen replacements has become a fairly lucrative business for a handful of trained individuals, myself included. Now that replacement parts have gotten a bit easier to get from China, repairs have become a practical option.

 The average cost to replace a broken touch-screen on an iPhone 3 or 4 is $75, which includes a new faceplate, a new screen, and new home button.
 Parts need to be ordered from China on a case-by-case basis, and normally take 5-7 days to arrive. A complete replacement set will cost me $35 for black and white, and about $45 for colors. This is the wholesale price from the same factory that works for Apple.

  Those of you considering saving 75% by simply repairing your cracked/dead screen should know that i offer the same deal as always for personal repairs:
 Double the parts cost. This is both fair and predictable.
  This also applies to 'vanity swaps', wherein the owner has already upgraded, and is planning to sell his old model, but wants to replace the scratched case and screen in order to get top dollar for a "new condition" product.

  This beaks down to the following rates:

•   iPhone 4G/4S Screen replacement: $75 (black or white)
•  iPhone 3G/S Screen replacement: $75(black or white) 
•  iPod Touch (2-4th gen) screen replacement: $60
•  iPhone 3 G/S, iPhone 4 G/S Battery replacement:  $50
•  iPhone 3 G/S Vanity swap (Screen, back cover, professional cleaning): $90
•  iPhone 4G/S Vanity swap (Touch-Screen, back cover, cleaning): $100
•  iPad v.1 or v.2 Screen replacement: $80.
•  iPad v.3 screen replacement: $100.
•  Color screen swap for iPhone 4G/S: $80
•  iPhone 5 screen replacement: $90
•  Mirror plated cover swap, iPhone 4,5: $100    ( ↓ mirror plate shown here ↓ )

colors avail: red, blue, purple, silver, gold

  Most others are asking up to $100 for the labor involved, but I consider $30-40 for about an hour's labor to be more than fair compensation.

 Send me an email to: Pop57@comcast.net and let me know what model you need repaired and the color, and I'll get back to you with the shipping details.

 Allow at least seven days for the return shipment of the repaired phone. In some cases, it can take that long just to get the parts, and I will make the repair as quickly as possible.

 You can also text your model/color to me at  304.240.7943

JB "Pop" Stran

PS: I can also get factory parts for, and make the repairs to: iPad (gens 1,2,3), iPod Touch (gen 3-4), HTC Inspire, and most popular Android and smart phones.

Copyright JBStran.com

Soldier's Last Request poem

              

 " The soldier stood and faced his God

 Which must always come to pass...

He hoped his shoes were shining

 Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier,  How shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek? 

 To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and Said,"No, Lord, I guess I ain't...

Because those of us who carry guns Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent, Because the streets are kinda rough.

But, I never took a penny That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime When the bills got just too steep,

And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place Among the people here...
They never wanted me around Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much, and if you don't, I'll understand."

There was a silence around the throne where the saints had often trod...

As the soldier waited quietly,  For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now you soldier, Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,

You've done your time in Hell son, and here at last, you will know peace."

God Bless my heroes.

Copyright JBStran.com

Spotting the Humming Moth..?

Interesting Creatures in my bushes: A Humming-Moth?

 

  While admiring the new flowers blooming on a few backyard bushes,  I encountered a rather unique (at least for me) critter flitting about on the tiny white flowers.

 At first glance I was chasing a Hummingbird, but as i got closer I realized it was in fact closer to the moth family:

 

{Click the photos for a better view}

 There were two of them, the most colorful being the one above with the red wings and crimson body.
 They flit about just like a Hummingbird (I've been trying to nail a blue one for weeks, that likes the larger flowers on another bush), and getting close enough is only the first hurdle to a good shot.
  It took me an hour and hundreds of wasted shots to get a decent closeup view:

 As a matter of scale, that branch of flowers is about 14" long and 4" across.
  This means that the elusive creature before you is about 5" long with a 6-8" wingspan...mighty impressive for a moth. 

Honestly, at my age, and having lived decades in the city as well as the last decade in the country, I thought I knew my moths...but this little critter fascinated me.
 ...Still does, to be honest. She's beautiful, and working very hard at either feeding her family on my nectar or pollinating my flowers.

 She had a friend (partner?) with her who was a bit less colorful, but just as interesting:

 

 I'm sure there are a few of you who can instantly ID this interesting creature, and you should feel free to feed your ego on the comment box.

 To be honest, I think I'd enjoy the mystery more than having a label to slap om her.

    How many of you would agree..?

JB.

 

Digital Photography course: Start to Sell

New home study online photography course by Pop:

http://www.udemy.com/digital-photography-from-start-to-sell/

PETA video: Chinese Fur Farm ! ADULTS Only !

WARNING!

 Send the children out of the room.

 This is an extremely graphic PETA video of a Chinese fur farm.

DO NOT Watch this video if the children are in the house!

 

  Having stated this fact as clearly as possible...Every adult should see this video
 (or as much as you can handle) for themselves.
 I guarantee that you will not buy a single piece of fur, or an article of clothing with fur trim, that originated from China...ever again.

 

Here's the PETA link to learn more about this Swiss investigation:
http://features.peta.org/ChineseFurFarms/ 

Want to DO something about it..?
http://www2.peta.org/site/PageServer?pagename=skinned_alive

 The bravest among you should visit the PETA site, if you dare:

http://bit.ly/LPC6hJ 

Copyright JBStudios  ::  JBStran.com

Save Money, Waste Less: Green & Gold!

Waste Feature:  'Green & Gold' Money Saving Tips

 Going a bit greener is easy, especially when it's saving you money!

•   Think you may have a mouse sneaking around in your pantry when the lights go out?   Place a cotton ball with a few drops of peppermint oil in the cabinets and behind the fridge. The smell sends small pests running, but it's completely safe around children and pets.

•   Mildew in the bathroom?   Mix 4 parts Hydrogen Peroxide with 1 part water. Using gloves, apply directly to the mildew and let stand for 5-10 minutes. A quick scrub and rinse removes the mildew and brings back the shine.

• Baked-on mess in the microwave?  Place a small bowl of ½ cup white distilled Vinegar & ½ cup water in the microwave and bring mixture to a rolling boil.  Splatters will loosen and are easy to wipe away.               The acid in Vinegar cuts through grease and germs while it kills bacteria and mold, making Vinegar the ideal inexpensive and non-toxic wonder cleaner!

• Want to spend less time scrubbing the bathroom?  Simple as flipping a switch.  Turning on the bathroom fan after a shower or bath will slow the growth of mold, mildew, and fungus...and simply closing the toilet lid before flushing can keep millions of germs off your floors and walls!

• Speaking of scrubbing the bathroom:  Place a spray bottle in the shower, filled with equal parts water and Rubbing Alcohol, along with a small squeegee.  After a shower, spray the walls and door and squeegee the away the moisture...and the soap scum problem!  

    § Copyright HealthySelfCures.com

HealThySelfCures.com: Waste feature: Saving Money = Making More Money!

HealThySelfCures.com: Waste feature: Saving Money = Making More Money!: Waste Management feature: lead in   Anyone who knows me personally can tell you that my primary 'pet peeves' is waste.  In any form, mak...

Model and Team Release: Download, Copy, and Print

      MartinsburgPhotos.com  Model Release 

photographer:  J.B. Stran 

THE ARTIST RETAINS ALL RIGHTS: 

 The Model agrees that the Artist has all rights to images

and sound recordings, for perpetuity unless explicitly noted in this Agreement. 

  The Model acknowledges and agrees that the Artist is not liable for any further consideration or accounting, and further claims for any reason.

DURATION OF AGREEMENT:

The Model acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement is binding on all heirs and assigns. The Model acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement is irrevocable, worldwide and perpetual, and will be governed by the laws of The State of West Virginia, excluding the law of conflicts.

This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties to this release and the terms of this Agreement are contractual and not a mere recital.

 This Agreement will be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of The State of West Virginia and/or state of photo-shoot location.

____________________________________________  date: __________

Signature of Model (over 18) or

Model's Name (print):

IF THE MODEL IS UNDER THE LEGAL AGE OF MAJORITY:

 I am the parent or legal guardian of the minor above named as the Model, and I have legal

authority to execute this Agreement on the Model's behalf. 

 I have read and fully understood the contents of this Agreement, and consent to the said use of images and sound recordings based on the contents of this Agreement.

 SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED in the presence of (coach):

__________________________________________   date    __________

Signature of Parent

Parent or Guardian (print name)

Player's jersey number:                  Team Name: 

--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --

 This form must be completed in full at least 24 hours prior to any photo session.

Teams must provide a completed copy of this form for each participating player.

 Players without a signed consent form will be automatically excluded from the photo-shoot. There will be NO exceptions to this policy.

   Digital copies can be submitted via email to:  Pop57@comcast.net

HealThySelfCures.com: The Heart Attack Signs That Women Ignore

HealThySelfCures.com: The Heart Attack Signs That Women Ignore: Women's Health: The (Often Overlooked) Signs of A Heart Attack   Conventional wisdom has it that heart attacks come out of the blue.  We...

APPC and Social Marketing for Photographers

Social Marketing for Photographers

& the American Professional Photographers Council

  The APPC was formed in Baltimore, Maryland in the Spring of 1977 and as of this post, they are boasting just over eleven thousand members worldwide.
 Photographers of all nationalities may claim membership for the networking, support, and marketing possibilities.
 The marketing aspect is today's prime focus, Social Marketing in particular.

 As an artist you no doubt make every attempt to keep people buzzing about your work.
 However, the explosion of social networking websites like Facebook has opened new marketing doors that earlier APPC members couldn't even imagine.

 Your portfolio is displayed on your website, and you tweet regularly about new work...so, how many actual sales has this translated into?
 Posting fresh pictures to your new Facebook page has gotten lots of "Likes" and "Great work!" comments...so why is your shopping cart software getting rusty?

 The first part of the answer lies in the total number of your page's "Fans", and the second half of the answer lies in how you handle those loyal few who have managed to hang around without UN-liking your page, or simply blocking your pleas for attention from their newsfeed.

   Surely some may not like the sound of this, but: Your art is your product.
 Lofty ideals aside, you must sell your product in order to create more product.

 The sale of any product relies on a basic marketing formula, which has been watered down over the last few decades by thousands of professional salesmen, to the following over-simplified truism: It's A Numbers Game.
 In effect, the rule states that you must present your product to no less than one hundred times your expected buyers.
...or as many salesmen like to present it:
 You will hear 99 NOs for every YES...on a good day.

 Art is a specialty product, and a 1% 'Buy-ratio' is a decent rate of return (ROI*) on your marketing investment, whether that investment is in the form of labor, facebook time, or fees paid to a professional marketing firm.
 *(ROI=Return On Investment, an important budgeting term for marketers. Tweeting to 80 people for six months and receiving no sales, is a horrible[0%] ROI.)

 So, How to get those elusive sales?
The first step is to build your exclusive audience, and to then grow that number into a respectable group of potential buyers.
 Your Facebook fanpage is an excellent forum from which you can announce your talents to the world, and the social-networking equivalent to the "exclusive email marketing lists" of the 90s, and the "Three Keys" are the same;
  Rule #1. Grow Your Audience.
  Rule #2. Market Sparingly.
  Rule #3. Grow Your Audience.

  I can hear you grumbling already..."How the he!! do I find time to be my own PR department when I barely find time to brush & floss as it is!?
 - You knew I had a point to make...and here it is-

  Our old friend (and founding member) J.B. "Pop" Stran of Martinsburg Photography is, among many things, an online marketing professional.
 He was best known in the 90s as "the Grandfather of affiliate marketing" because of his role in creating and developing what is known today as the "online dating" service.

 Pop is still around, and while pursuing his life-long love of all things photographic he has also been active and current in the concepts of social marketing.
 Pop has also been the driving force behind many APPC members' social-networking sales successes.

Here's the link:    http://www.martinsburgphotos.com/#!faq

  You'll notice that Pop has graciously agreed to offer his professional "hands-off" photographer's social marketing program to all members at the APPC-Special price of Less than $20...with another 40% discount for the monthly plan!!

 *As an example:  Pop's Martinsburg Photos site is on Facebook, and at the time of this posting had just over 1,500 REAL Fans...not too shabby for a one-year-old fanpage.
 **Real fans, as opposed to the fake bot "likes" that most fly-by-night fan-sellers offer.

We at the APPC put our new facebook fanpage into Pop's hands, and the results were even more amazing: Our 3 DAY Old fanpage has just over 800 Fans! and Growing!!

 Forget the hype.    You're too intelligent to be fooled by extra punctuation, right?
  Trust instead your own reason and logic; because the results are real, easily proven, and they speak for themselves.
 Need a bit more evidence?
  Pop also has Five more fanpages on facebook;  None is older than one year...and none has less than 500 Fans...How many do you have?
    > Pop's 2nd page: Secret Cures (950 fans)
   > Pop's 3rd page: BigAssGrafix (870 fans)
  > Pop's 4th page: PopsGifts  (550 fans)
 > Pop's 5th page: JBStran   (1,100 fans)

 When Pop markets (rarely) to his fans (5,000 and growing daily), people buy.
 ...because It's A Numbers Game...and Pop knows how to play like a pro.
  Ready to put a Pro in YOUR corner for less than twenty bucks a month?

http://www.martinsburgphotos.com/#!faq

Copyright
    JBStran.com
    PopsGifts.com
    HealThySelfCures.com
    MartinsburgPhotos.com

How to Make Money with Your Photographs Home-study

 Pop's Home Study Course on Making Money with your photographs is online and fully active!

 You don't need special equipment or college classes...but some specialized training will make the difference between Trying and Succeeding.

http://www.udemy.com/how-to-make-money-with-photography/

•   Dirt Cheap professional training.
•  Study at your own pace.
•  Earn while you learn!
•  Each class is taught by a professional in the field.

http://www.udemy.com/how-to-make-money-with-photography/

Sunday Car Flip 4/2/12 Foxcroft Ave

 This past Sunday night at about 11:30 pm as I was leaving the Martinsburg Mall, heard a wicked crash in the parking lot in front of Buffalo Wildwings...and just happened to have my camera in the trunk.

 

 There are a lot of presumptive speculations flying around on our Facebook page about these pics, ranging from unkind to outright accusatory...and I would at this time like to set the record as straight as I can:
 This young man was not the victim of dangerous game-play on the wet lot.
 According to his family, he was instead the victim of a vehicle defect while waiting to pick up his dad from the night shift, when his brand new 2012 car went berserk, accelerating suddenly and at the same time losing the ability to steer.

 Yeah, I know...but that's the story and I'm passing it on to you.

JB.

25 Photo-Illustrated Reminders to Help You Find Happiness

25 Photo-Illustrated Reminders to Help You Find Happiness

Fix Your Busted Lens With a Jar of Peanut Butter

With this imaginative fix, you can watch your camera fall to the earth with slightly less trepidation, secure in the knowledge that a trip to the grocery store and some everyday tools could make everything OK.
When Casey Neistat broke the rim on his DSLR lens, he didn't bitch and moan. He got crafty and devised a solution using the lid of an ordinary peanut butter jar. It looks like this fix might be dependent on the type of lens you have. With Canon glass, for example, you can't simply unscrew and remove the plastic rim as Casey does in his video.
Nevertheless, the ethos here is commendable. Next time life gives you lemons, get all MacGyver on those lemons!

Pop's Free Photography Course: Make Money with your Camera

Pop's Udemy Professional Photography Course is FREE for a very limited time!

Comprising seven (7) lessons, the entire course is downloadable for easy future reference.
 Each lesson is blocked into separate e-books, and converted into PDF format so that everyone can read the lessons at their leisure with the free Adobe reader that you likely already have on your computer...You can get a free updated copy of the reader at Adobe.com

 http://www.udemy.com/how-to-make-money-with-photography/

 *The retail value of this course is $250.
This 7-day promo will end on 03/01/2012
 This course will convert to "Paid Only" at that time.
The projected price of the course will start at $49...future updates may force an increase in the course price.

How to Make Money with Your Photographs course

RIP Whitney Houston

  It's Time to say goodbye to one of the greatest female voices to grace our lives in many years.

  RIP Whitney Houston.





(CNN) -- Legendary pop singer Whitney Houston has died at age 48, representative Kristen Foster said Saturday night.
The cause and location of her death was not immediately known.
According to her official website, Houston, who struggled with addiction problems over the years, sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos over her career.
Houston was set to appear in this year's "Sparkle," a remake of the 1976 hit, which was loosely based on the story of The Supremes. It was her first movie role since 1996's "The Preacher's Wife."
Her body of work includes seven straight Billboard No. 1 hits in the 1980s, including "Saving All My Love for You," "Greatest Love of All" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go." Billboard puts her soundtrack to the movie "The Bodyguard" as one of the top 10 biggest-selling albums of all time. She also starred in the film.

Budoir Photography Trend Heating Up

Boudoir photography trend heats up Valentine's Day

Women are embracing boudoir photography — posing for professional photos wearing next to nothing — and are giving the photos as gifts to their Valentine, husband or fiance.

  Women are embracing boudoir photos as a red-hot gift for their Valentine.
The trend of boudoir photography has women getting all dolled up for a professional photo session wearing next to nothing — and it's catching on in Oklahoma.
 Several dedicated boudoir studios have opened recently, lending credibility to the industry, and many self-employed photographers now offer boudoir as a service.

Lacy Hammack, owner of Adoralee Photography in Norman. She shoots boudoir photography, which is especially popular at Valentine's Day. STEVE SISNEY - THE OKLAHOMAN

Lacy Hammack, who owns Adoralee Photography in Norman, says the busiest time of year is Christmas through Valentine's Day. In addition to holiday gifts, many of her clients throughout the year are celebrating anniversaries or are engaged and plan on giving the photos as a groom's gift.
Afterward, many of the women say the experience boosted their self-confidence, Hammack says.
“It's really about being glamorous and giving the regular, everyday woman that professional magazine shoot and making them look good without airbrushing,” she said.
Hammack is a self-taught photographer who began shooting boudoir in California for military wives who wanted something special to send to their deployed husbands. When she moved to Oklahoma in 2009, it still felt taboo here.

Read more: http://newsok.com/boudoir-photography-trend-heats-up-valentines-day/article/3647275#ixzz1lrySZPLW

Deer Hunters, Gays, and Dads: LCD

I'm prepared and willing to piss off a few thousand neighbors today by spewing all over their personal religion: Deer Hunting.
  After a lifetime of passing on the Golden Rule and similar social guidelines that originated in the Bible, I was transplanted here to West Virginia from Baltimore as a veteran & grandfather and was immediately appalled by the mindless acceptance of deer hunting as a locally-normal activity.

  Is there anyone here who doesn't get that hunting is a penis competition?
There is not a single moment of  honest "sport" in punching holes into an animal who is more docile than your Beagle, and whose only crime was being thirsty enough to walk to the stream for a drink.
  ...and where is the sport in 'hunting' for an animal that walks in front of traffic?

 Need I touch on the grotesque stories of drunken hunters who actually Rape their prey as it lays on the ground dying?  I think not, but your local DNR can confirm it.

My gun is bigger than your gun. Yep, it really is that simple.  This is the statement made to fellow hunters, to all women, and to the mistakenly-labeled "lesser" animals being hunted.
  The only sane humans who are so obviously obsessed with their genitalia are Toddlers.

     Many of my neighbors argue that hunting is a "tradition" for them and they are simply doing as they were taught, and passing a family tradition on to the next generations.
    That's easy enough to see, even for an outsider looking in. I respect tradition.
 
  A great many equally-popular local family traditions are being passed on as we speak; Incest, spousal abuse, child abuse and neglect, alcoholism, and drunk driving, just to name a few.

  Men are pulled into hunting for a variety of personal reasons, the most prominent of them being the need to prove to his peers that he is not gay, a rather intense motivating factor in any public school.
 Most fall into it for the same reason that so many listen to country music:
 1: A geographic anomaly.
 2: Because someone (Dad) made them feel that they had no choice ("Be a Man!"), and for those lucky enough to slide past Dad's influence with the illusion that they had made their own choices, there was always high school waiting to pick up the slack in pressure.

 So, the LCD* seems to be insecurity...which brings us right back to the penis issue, doesn't it?

 *LCD= Lowest Common Denominator, a term us old-schoolers were required to learn way back before schools began watering-down education to insure that every child will pass and thus maximize federal funding.

 Copyright, JBStran.com

The Facebook Bed: Slumbering for Social Networking Fanatics

The Facebook Bed: Slumbering for Social Networking Fanatics

SLR Simulator: Cool New Gadget Alert

Cool New Gadget Page Alert:

Amateur photographers will have a blast playing with this new toy, and learn a few 'through the lens' tricks from the comfort of their favorite chair.
Professionals will get a kick out of putting it through the paces...

Flickr 2011: The Year in Photos

Flickr 2011: The Year in Photos

The 10 Most Popular Photos on Twitter This Week [PICS]

The 10 Most Popular Photos on Twitter This Week [PICS]