Apple Offers Oh-Sh*t Insurance for the iPhone; You Can Get the Same No Matter What Your Gadget [Warranties]

Apple's updated its extended AppleCare warranty to include accidental damage insurance, which is fantastic for those prone to dropping, slamming, or otherwise breaking their phones due to unkind physics. You can get that same protection for any gadget you have, even if it isn't made by Apple. Here's how.

Apple's new plan is a bit more expensive than the old AppleCare, now costing $100 instead of $69. The aptly-named AppleCare+ still covers your device for two years, but covers up to two incidents of accidental damage. If you break your phone, you just pay Apple $50 and they'll fix it up for you. $50 may not be free, but it's certainly better than buying a new device.

However, if you have a non-Apple gadget and you want the same coverage, we recommend checking out SquareTrade. SquareTrade aims to replace your manufacturer's extended warranty with a better, cheaper option: for $125, they'll cover normal use issues, drops, spills, and even full immersion in water for two years. Like AppleCare+, you'll need to pay $50 for any necessary repairs, but again—it's a heck of a lot better than buying a new phone out-of-contract. The only downside to SquareTrade, it seems, is that it doesn't cover loss or theft, which some manufacturer warranties do.

Both AppleCare+ And SquareTrade are great options for those that are a bit more accident prone. If you rarely break your gadgets, you might consider creating your own "extended warranty" fund yourself. Whenever you have a chance to buy an extended warranty, take that money and put it in your home warranty fund instead—then, if and when the time comes that you have to replace a gadget, you'll have money set aside in your fund from all your other gadgets, and you don't have to give all that money away.

Have you got a better service or homegrown trick for dealing with "oh-sh*t" damage? Let us know about it in the comments.

You can contact Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.
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T-Mobile's Bobsled Now Offers Free Unlimited Calling from Your Browser, Android, and iPhone [Video]

By Melanie Pinola Oct 11, 2011 6:30 AM 7,265 7

Web/Android/iOS: T-Mobile's free VoIP app Bobsled debuted back in April as a way to make free calls via Facebook Chat, but now that Skype is offering that functionality, Bobsled has expanded to offer free calling to US, Canada, and Puerto Rico from a web browser.

Similar to other VoIP apps, all you need is an Internet connection to make calls to mobile or landline phones through your desktop browser, after installing the plugin. Facebook friend calling and voicemail pinning to your friends' walls are still features included.

It looks like the mobile apps, however, currently only support dialing your Facebook contacts, although you can make Bobsled to Bobsled calls with other Android or iOS users.

The service seems particularly useful if you're traveling and only have a Wi-Fi connection on your laptop (and also because Google Voice's free calling through Gmail may be free only until the end of 2011).

Bobsled | on iTunes App Store | on Android Market

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Facebook for iPad Offers Full Screen Games, AirPlay-Compatible HD Video, and More [Ipad Downloads]

By Adam Dachis Oct 10, 2011 2:00 PM 18,837 15

Although we've known of its existence for months, the Facebook iPad app has finally debuted in the iTunes App Store and is available now as a free download. It brings the Facebook experience to a bigger screen, offering a better experience for viewing photos, playing games, and more.

As you can see from Facebook's premature announcement (the app didn't quite make it into the App Store as early as they advertised), the app isn't much different from the iPhone version but simply designed for the iPad's bigger screen. The new interface includes a navigation bar on the left side of the screen, much like Apple's own Mail app, which makes getting around much easier. The most exciting new feature of the app, however, is the option to play full screen games. Facebook also added HD video with AirPlay support, so you can stream virtually any video posted to Facebook to your AppleTV (or other AirPlay-compatible device).

While not a revolutionary app by any means, if you love (or even just like) Facebook and have an iPad it's pretty much an obligatory download.

Facebook for iPad | iTunes App Store via Mashable

You can follow Adam Dachis, the author of this post, on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.  Twitter's the best way to contact him, too. Related Stories