When iTunes Fails: iTunes Cannot Sync Apps

March 12, 2012

It's been a while now since iOS 5 and the iPhone 4s were released, and I had yet to update my phone because of an array of puzzling issues that seemingly should not happen on an Apple product. First of all, even a simple backup was failing. This was most alarming because one, I was using a Mac Mini, an actual Apple desktop; and two, because I had never had an issue with iTunes on the Mac. This sort of process worked smoothly in the past, and I had no reason to believe the experience would be any different. Unfortunately, this was just the start of a bizarre string of events I encountered as I tried to straighten out the mess.

As you may have guessed, I am the typical 'power user'. I use most of the space available on my iPhone 4, and only generally offload files when absolutely necessary. In this case, I deleted about 1GB of data from my phone before I started the process of backing up and upgrading the OS. Right off the bat, I was greeted by a message stating, 'iTunes cannot sync apps to the iPhone because the apps installed on the iPhone could not be determined.' What the...I had never seen this message before so I started Google-ing. It seems this is a pretty common problem, and most often it's fixed by simply quitting iTunes and restarting it. Sure enough, that part was easy, and my apps were syncing as planned (or at least, so I thought).

Well, halfway through the sync, iTunes comes back and tells me the same thing. But just a second ago it was syncing fine. What kind of cryptic message is this? Either you can determine the apps or you can't...you can't start copying apps and then fail without offering up some additional information. This makes it really tough on the user - figuring out what to do next. At this point, rather than start trying every oddball thing I read in support forums, I decided to watch the sync process closely and try to find out which app was last to sync before crashing the routine. Normally, I'd just update all the apps I have but the app store denies that request, telling me the app requires iOS 5, so here I am, forced to update each app individually. As a power user, this means dozens of apps now that iOS 5 has been around for a few months. Anyway, the last app I saw appear during the sync process was Xfinity Moble, so I went to the app store and updated just that app. I then closed iTunes and restarted, and was greeted with a different message: iTunes found purchases on my phone that were not transferred to my library (really?). Sure, transfer those apps. Well, not so fast, actually.

After all that, the process is crashing again, with the same error, cannot determine apps. So what now? Am I stuck doing this with every application I have on my phone? This is going to take a while. Well, I fired off the the sync again and the next app to fail: Xfinity TV. Wait, what? It was just Xfinity Mobile that was giving me problems before. Now their TV app? Forget this - I am deleting this app and any app that gives me a sync problem from here on out. So I went ahead and deleted the app and here's what I got: The iPhone cannot be synced because there is not enough free space to hold all of the selected items (additional 3.46 GB required). Whoa, seriously Apple? I am trying to backup my phone and you're telling me to clear data off of it so I can copy something to it? This is absurd. Why would I clear data off of my phone in order to back it up? After looking a little more closely at the usage bar at the bottom of iTunes, apparently it determined that I have 5.8GB of 'other' files on my phone, leaving me 3.4GB over capacity. This is just simply not accurate, so I don't know where the program would have determined this math.

After trying to close iTunes and restart it a couple times to get around this issue, I decided to go back to Google to find out if there was an easy fix. One of the first page results was a link to support.apple.com with an article recommending I turn off automatic syncing options. The one thing I felt I did not need to sync at this time was music, so I disabled that. It worked! Finally, I was able to sync the apps and get the backup process to complete. I only had to update an app, delete an app, and disable the music sync. What an aggravating mess.

One thing I did notice after this sync: I ended up with 250MB less storage space than when I started, and now I had no music on the phone. Apparently, when you deselect 'sync music' it disables all the music on your phone. I don't recall seeing a message stating that this would happen if I unchecked that as part of the process. I expect the space freed up and the music deleted, so to see less free space than when I started the sync makes me feel even more uneasy.

In summary, I suppose it wasn't as difficult a process to repair than other software glitches, but Apple could display more helpful error messages when iTunes fails. The lesson learned is: never underestimate the confusion a simple error message can cause.

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What's New in The New iPad 3rd Generation?

March 07, 2012

HD Video? Check! Wait, better than HD Video? Yes, the 'New iPad' actually does do better than current high definition standards (currently 1920x1080 pixels) with a 2048x1536 pixel display utilizing 264 pixels per inch (ppi). That's close to what the 326 ppi that the iPhone 4/4s offers, and double the 132 ppi from the previous generation iPads. What this means for the consumer is better quality videos, sharper, more vivid photos, and text reproduction better than standard print. Combine this with a better camera, quad-core graphics capability and 4G data transfer, and you've about wrapped up the new features of the iPad 3 (er, the new iPad, rather).

Current price points are the same as previous generation models, so there's no 7" model to compete with the Amazon Kindle, or any fire sale prices on the iPad 2 that would make you want to sell your HP TouchPad or BlackBerry PlayBook. iPad 2 is available at Apple.com for $399, and it won't be long before Amazon discounts them as well. If you've got an iPad 2 you're looking to sell, expect the used iPad 2 market to heat up on eBay over the next few weeks. Now is probably the best time to get a well-kept iPad 2 on eBay.

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Black Friday 2011

November 21, 2011

Black Friday is here again, so let's take a minute and go over a few of the deals big-box retailers are offering on this hectic shopping holiday. This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a short-and-sweet summary of what you can potentially buy on Black Friday if you time it out just right, and you've got a bit of luck on your side.

General Black Friday Advice: Try to plan ahead for which stores you'll be visiting during their door-buster hours, and make sure to allow 2-3x the normal travel time between stores due to traffic.

Note: We will update product links as they become available.

Best Buy - Opens Midnight Black Friday

As far as Black Friday bargains go, Best Buy seems to nail it every year. In previous years, we saw the Nintendo Wii (actually in stock), sub-$500 flat panel TVs, and $50 blu ray players. This year there's no shortage of similar bargains, but with 2011 pricing (and we need it in this economy). Best Buy hands out vouchers for their limited merchandise. Also, many Best Buy deals are of very limited quantity, often 10 or less per item, per store, so if you arrive and see 100+ people waiting in line, you're probably not going to get a voucher for your item. When that happens, it's best to just head over to your next destination.

Sharp 42" 1080p Flat Panel Television - $199.99 - Minimum 10 per store: This is by far the best deal of the bunch. A major brand name television, 1080p, and over 40" is a steal at this price. Look for generic TVs at this price-point in 720p on a good day, but this Sharp is a much better buy. To get this TV, look to camp out at a Best Buy overnight, likely needing to arrive before 5PM on Thanksgiving.

Dynex 24" 1080p Flat Panel Television - $79.99 - Minimum 15 per store: A pretty good deal on a 24" TV. This TV would also work well as a monitor, given its size and resolution. This won't be as popular as the 42" Sharp, but expect people who don't get that voucher to look for something like this. To get this one, get to Best Buy around 9PM.

Dynex 55" 1080p Flat Panel Television - $599.99 - Limited to warehouse quantities: It's a lot of real estate for $600, but not something you'll need to line up before the store opens to buy. This may end up being a popular item, however, given its size and Best Buy exclusivity.

Asus Transformer 10.1" Android Tablet - $249.99 - Minimum 10 per store: For those that missed out on the HP Touchpad deal, you won't be disappointed with the App catalog available for Android. Not quite as cheap as the Amazon Kindle Fire or the BlackBerry Playbook, but those are 7" tablets. To get this deal, expect to arrive at Best Buy a few hours before the doors open.

Toshiba Smart Blu Ray Player - $39.99 - Minimum 10 per store: Not as good as the TV, but not a bad deal either. If you've got an Ethernet connection available, you can connect this player to your network at stream Netflix and Pandora. To get this deal, expect to camp out at Best Buy overnight, but you won't have to get there as early as you do for the TV.

3TB Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex USB 3.0 External Drive - $99.99 - Minimum 5 per store: Given the hard drive shortage, this is a heck of a deal on a 3TB hard drive. This will likely sell out fast, so get there early for a voucher on this drive.

99 Cent/$4.99 Blu Ray Sale - Limited to quantities on hand: DVDs include Jarhead, Vantage Point, U-571, Miami Vice, Walk Hard and others. Blu Rays include Pulp Fiction, Jarhead, Office Space, The Crow, Love Happens, Mimic, Leatherheads and more. If you're already lining up for doorbusters at Best Buy, snag a few of these titles as well. There are also many other DVDs under $4 and Blu rays under $8.

Canon Powershot A3300 - $89.99 - Minimum 10 per store: A good price on a point-and-shoot camera. Pair it up with one of the SD cards below to sweeten the deal.

PNY 8GB/16GB Class 10 SD Cards - $12.99/$19.99 - Minimum 10 per store, each: Again, if you're already in Best Buy and you need an SD card, look no further than these high speed PNY cards. Try to get there before the store opens, as you might need a voucher for these.

Walmart - Opens 10PM Thanksgiving

Walmart opens at 10PM on Thanksgiving this year for deals on Toys, then they open up a series of Electronics deals at Midnight, followed by another round at 8AM the following morning. This will certainly alleviate some of the stress that comes from opening the floodgates for all deals at the same time, but it remains to be seen how effective it is at calming the occasionally angry crowds. With that said, there aren't as many quality deals from Walmart this year as there has been in previous years, but still some good buys.

Starting at 10PM Thanksgiving, in store:

Wii Console $100, PS3 and Xbox360 $200, Kinect bundle $100, Video Game Software starting at $10/title, DVDs starting at $2, Blu rays starting at $5, $5 Bratz and Barbie Dolls, $36 Office Chair and $3 for a Rival Waffle Maker. Also, there's a $7 30 piece Rubbermaid storage set, Pyrex cooking and storage set for $20, a Hamilton Beach stand mixer, Black and Decker Triple Slow Cooker or Ninja Frozen Treat Maker for $19, and other Black and Decker small appliances (blender, griddle, or coffee maker) under $10. Although they have a large assortment of kids clothing on sale, I'd wait until later in the day if you plan to bring the kids with you to size them up.

Starting at 12AM Midnight, Black Friday, in store:

40" Emerson LCD TV - $248: Not as sweet as the Best Buy 42" Sharp, but still a good deal on a large screen TV.

32" Emerson LCD TV - $188: Decent price on a 32" 720p TV. Expect these to sell out quickly.

HP AMD Dual Core Laptop - $248: Decent performance and reasonable specifications for the price. Expect these to sell out as well.

RCA WiFi Streaming Media Player - $39.99: These will probably sell out as well. Netflix, Pandora and Hulu Plus compatibility make this a desirable item for any entertainment center, especially those without a direct cable connection.

Samsung 51" Plasma 720p TV - $498: Although not a 1080p unit, this is still a good price on a brand-name plasma.

Kodak C1450 Digital Camera - $49: Cheap point-and-shoot camera is great for kids. Add the $5 Sandisk 4GB memory card for storage.

Compaq AMD Dual Core Laptop - $198: Not quite as powerful as the $248 HP, this unit will handle general computing tasks well. Expect it to sell out fast.

Starting at 8AM Black Friday, in store:

Samsung 43" 720p Plasma TV - $398: A decent price on a 40+" HDTV.

PSP-3000 Core System - $100: We've seen this price at some online vendors over the last few weeks, but here you can grab it and go.

Goodyear Tires starting at $59: Call ahead to make sure your vehicle's tire size is included in the sale.

Target - Opens Midnight Black Friday

Like Walmart, Target tends to have a lot of Black Friday door-busters, and there are a few good deals for those who are willing to fight the crowds. If you do head to Target over Walmart, make sure to look for a few things, including:

Westinghouse 46" 1080p HDTV - $298: Not Best Buy nor Walmart comparable, but still a decent price nonetheless.

Nikon L105 Digital Camera - $100: Half the normal price for a quality, zoom point-and-shoot camera.

Element 40" 1080p HDTV - $265: Again, not as good as other deals on HDTVs but worthy of mention.

Acer 10.1" Netbook - $157: Probably the best deal at Target considering it has Windows 7 Starter and a 250GB Hard Drive.

Many movies are on sale, some starting as low as $2. Head there early for the best selection.

Other deals worthy of mention: 16 Piece Corelle Dinnerware Set $18, Car Care Gift Sets $15, Dyson DC24 $279.

JCPenney - Opens 4AM Black Friday

There's no better place to get small appliances on Black Friday other than JCPenney. Every year they put out a good amount of each deal, so we've found that even a couple hours after opening, they've got a few left of something on the list. Get there early for the best selection and remember many prices include a mail-in rebate. We have not had issues receiving our rebate checks in a timely manner, but keep that in mind when looking at the final prices listed in the store. Although their Black Friday ad is huge, it includes a lot of clothing deals and we don't recommend you shop clothing on Black Friday morning. Stop in early to get small appliances and return before noon for clothing.

Some notable deals are: $15 for a Single Serve Blender, Hand Mixer, Chrome 2-Slice Toaster or Wine Opener. $10 for a Doughnut Maker, Griddle, Coffee Maker, Slow Cooker, 4-Slice Toaster, or Waffle Maker. $30 for a Deep Fryer, $8 for a 1.5qt Slow Cooker, or $49 for a Meat Slicer. $70 for the Cuisinart Grind-and-Brew Coffee Maker is also a decent deal.

Other deals from JCPenney include a $20 Faberware Knife Set, 18pc Pyrex Storage Set for $15, or $19 for a Lock-and-Lock Storage Set. Many Jewelry deals are also available, including 25% off the entire stock on top of other existing sale prices.

Sears - Opens 4AM Black Friday

Like JCPenney, Sears is a good place to pick up small ticket items on Black Friday. Although they also run large appliance deals, we find that these items are often replaced on an as-needed basis, so Black Friday may not be the ideal time to shop for a new washer and dryer. For those in the market for tools, Sears is always a hit. However, given their pricing on electronics, it seems unlikely customers will be lining up for those door-busters.

Some deals of note: $35 Magic Bullet Express, $20 Triple Slow Cooker or Triple Buffet Server, $10 Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker or Black and Decker Iron, $18 Four-Slice Toaster Oven, and $60 for the Cuisinart Grind-and-Brew (beats JCPenney by $10).

In Tools, look for: $40 Diehard Battery Charger, 40% off all Router Bits, $100 Craftsman Table Saw w/Stand, $100 for a 200-pc Mechanics Tool Set, $15 Sheet-pad Sander, $60 Craftsman Nextec Multi-tool, $18 LED Worklight, or $80 for a Craftsman 3-gal Air Compressor.

In Appliances: $580 (each) for a Kenmore Elite Washer or Steam Dryer, $700 for a Kenmore 25cf Side-by-Side refrigerator, $300 Dyson DC24.

Kohl's - Opens Midnight Black Friday

Another seemingly endless ad comes from Kohl's, but this time the big deal is $15 of KohlsCash for every $50 spent. So, by stacking that offer with some of the deals in their ad, a stop a Kohl's wouldn't be a bad idea. If you're not in the market for electronics and can pass up Best Buy and Walmart, Kohl's might be the stop for you. Note: Many small appliances include a mail-in rebate.

Some deals we noticed: 50% off all Nerf, 50% off all Hot Wheels, $45 for a Shark Steam Mop, $13 AR for a Food Processor, Hand Blender, Deep Fryer, Blender or Toaster Oven, $30 Faberware Cutlery, $18 Pet Bed, 55% off Candles and Decor, 60% off Holiday Gift Wrap, 55% off Frames, 60% off Memory Foam Mattress Toppers and Pillows, $10 Memory Foam Bath Mat, 50-60% off all Handbags, and a slew of other clothing deals.

Kmart - Opens 5AM Black Friday

Opening an hour after other big-box retailers does provide for an interesting scenario for door-buster shoppers. If you are one of the first shoppers at JCPenney or Sears, you may be able to get your items and head over to Kmart shortly before opening. Although not the bargain-laced ad found at Best Buy and Walmart, there are a few deals worth checking out.

Some items worthy of note: $20 Cutlery Sets, $15 Cool-Touch Griddle, $70 Pressure Washer, $70 Wheeled Battery Charger, $30 Radar Detector, $30 Screenhouse, $40 Auto Battery Charger, Mountain Bikes as low as $60, $30 Queen Air Bed, 70% off all Fine Jewelry, $20 Corelle Livingware 16pc Dinnerware Set, $170 Microfiber Recliner, and $20 Area Rugs.

Lowe's - Opens 5AM Black Friday

Big-box retailer Lowe's has a few deals if you're in the market for specific items. Deals include: $69 Table Saw or Miter Saw, $29 Shop-Vac 14 Gallon Wet-Dry Vac, Whirlpool Washer/Dryer Pair for $698, $59 Air Compressor/Nailer Combo, $40 Black and Decker 20v Lithium Ion Cordless Drill, $50 Skil 30pc Router Bit Set, $39 Waring Professional Convection Toaster Oven, $30 Three Piece Lamp Set, and many other sub-$10 small appliances and hand tools.

Modell's Sporting Goods - Opens 5AM Black Friday

Look for a coupon in the flyer for 33% off any one item. Also, some Nike and Adidas apparel is marked down 50%, along with 70% off Reebok jackets and shoes starting at $20.

Office Depot - Opens 6AM Black Friday

Laptops starting at $299, B1G1 Sony Headphones,  8GB Flash Drive $9, Seagate 2TB FreeAgent GoFlex External Hard Drive $80, D-Link Wireless N Router $20, Lexar 16GB Flash Drive $16, Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 $50, Samsung Mono Wireless Laser Printer $40, HP Color Laserjet $150, $20 Realspace Laptop Cart.

Free After Rebate Software: McAfee Internet Security, Quickbooks Online Simple Start, Print Artist Platinum 24, Digital PC for TV 2, System Mechanic Professional, Photo Impact Pro 13, MoviePlus X5, Web Plus.

OfficeMax - Opens 5AM Black Friday

Laptops starting at $299, 4GB Flash Drive $5, Brother Fax Machine $10, D-Link Wireless-N Router $20, Seagate 2TB GoFlex Hard Drive $75, HP Photosmart Printer $100, B1G1 OfficeMax Ink, Epson EX3210 Projector plus Screen $350, HP 4x6 Glossy Paper 100pk $1, Samsung Wireless Color Laser $80, 20pk Batteries $0.01 After Rewards.

Staples - Opens 6AM Black Friday

Laptops starting at $299, HP Photo Paper 50pk Free AR, Norton Internet Security Free AR, Staples 100pk CD-R $5 AR, Sandisk 4GB SD $6, SanDisk Cruzer 8GB Flash Drive $8/16GB $13, Omnitech 11-Sheet Shredder $20, Staples Executive Chair $40, HP Photosmart Printer $50, APC 650VA Battery Backup $40, 2x $30 iTunes Gift Cards $50, and a HP 1080p Widescreen Monitor w/HDMI for $130.

We'll add to this list as Black Friday store ads become available, and as we find deals through other channels. Thanks for reading!

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