My Chromecast Experience, a Tech review of it!

Suggest Retail Price 35$

Disclaimer: All Links on this post are affiliate links, I believe in this product and fully recommend it to my friends and family.   If you have a problem with these links please do not click on the links!

Chromecast is Amazing!

I got my Google Chromecast from RadioShack, but you can also buy the Chromecast from Best Buy, and Amazon.com (Affiliate Link).  Which is where you could possibly get it cheaper than I did.  I paid the full 35$ for mine because they had it there ready for anyone to buy. You will need a Television W/ HDMI Inputs (Affiliate Link) to be able to use this device and I must say it works really well once you have it configured.  

Some Specs for you:

• Supports Netflix, YouTube, HBO GO, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and Google Play Movies and Music mobile apps as well as select content through Chrome browser, works with recommended modem
• Box includes Chromecast, HDMI extender, USB power cable, and power adapter
• Easy setup: Plug into any HDTV and connect to your home WiFi network
• Works with Android, iOS, Chrome for Mac, and Chrome for Windows
• Stream online video, music to your TV using your smartphone, tablet, or laptop; Available for Windows computers running Windows 7 or higher

Portability is Excellent!

I was able to move the Chromecast from one room to another and not have to worry about setting up the device again.   You can stream movies that you buy from Google Play to the Chromecast and be able to watch it on the big screen.   From even my small cell phone,  I can stream movies to the Chrome cast with ease.  I have been using my Acer 200 10.1 Tablet to stream to the Television.  You can however use any device that has the Chromecast app on it like the IOS and even Chrome.   I could even use my Chromebook to stream whatever I want to the Television.  As long as you have the Chromecast extension and have it setup properly, I see no major problems.

Setting up the Chromecast

The process of setting up the Chromecast on your devices were simple and quite pleasure.   The only hitch that I came in was the downloading of the updates to Chromecast.   That took the most time.   It took me around 10 mins because of my connection to the internet.   If you have a faster connection it could be faster or slower depending on your internet speed.   You can name your chromecast anything you want and yo really do not need an internet conenction to stream to the device.   If your like me downloading movies and then watching them when you get home, this is an excellent option for those who want to watch movies on the big screen.   For 35.00$ (29.99 Right Now) (Amazon Affiliate Link), It was a bargain for me.   You really do not need an internet connection do watch movies you purchase on Google Play store and or Music.   You just need to have the App and the Chromecast device.   I found I made the best purchase possible, for the money!   You really should try it yourself.  

How to restore and backup your Timesheet date on the Android OS!

Timesheet Pro: $2.50Backing it up!

I talked about 3 Different Timesheets but I still recommend TimeSheet Pro from Google Play store.  I’ve had nothing but success but I have had one or two problems along the way with this app.  I wanted to discuss this and possibly help people keep their important time information from being lost.   

Before we begin though there are a few things you need to make sure you have a way to backup your times.  You will need to register for a Dropbox account (Again, I get no money for the link other than the possiblity to get 16gb of space on dropbox).  I have yet to figure out how to use it with Google Drive but I am hoping the maker of the app has it planned in the comming weeks! :) It would be so much easier for me since I already have enough space on my Google Drive to keep it safe!

How to Back it up!

Right Now you will need to have your Dropbox account registered and download the Dropbox app.   You will then need to Authorize Dropbox.  You can get to that by going into your settings menu.   The easiest way I can do it by using the Menu button and then select More and then Settings.   Once their you should then go to the Backup menu and that is menu should look like the picture.   

If you want to have two different backup locations such as the cloud and and external SDcard.   You will need to enter the SDcard location.  It can be several ways like:

/storage/external_SD/(folder)

/mnt/sdcard/_ExternalSD/(folder)

/mnt/sdcard/external_sd/(folder)

/mnt/sdcard/(folder)

These are just a few but if you need help figuring out the name of the location of your SD Card, you can use something like Astro File Manager!  I use this all the time when start using a new phone or tablet.

Now since you have setup both your dropbox and ou sd locations.  You will need to test it out if this is your first time, if not you will just have to go to next step.  

Restoring your Information!

Now since you have setup the dropbox.   You will now need to restore the information that you have lost.   If you did not do this in the first place your data probably wasn’t backup and this will be useless but if you did this in the beginning to prevent that then please continue!

You will need to find the location that you have the newest backup of your data, either the external sd card or Dropbox.  You can use Astro File manager to know which dmp file was created the lastest.   Once you’ve found it, you will need to make a copy of the file.  This way if something while restoring you can still have a copy.   

The dmp file should start of with:

(year)(month)(date)_numbers_numbers.dmp

Even I do not know what the numbers mean but you can find the date that is needed to back up and copy to either the cloud or copy from the cloud.   Once you have made a backup of that file.   You will then need to rename the file to “automatic.dmp” and copy it to the location on the sdcard that you’ve told the program were to backup to.  I found this to be the easiest way.  You can however just use the file that is created but I like to keep it from being deleted or used.  

If you have setup the paths the right way and copy the files to the right directory you will see something like this when you click restore on your phone or tablet.   Each time you need to restore, you should follow these directions that way it makes it so much easier and simplier.  If you decided to use the automatic.dmp file, you will have a selection to select the automatic file.   Either way, once your restored your back to where you have left off.  

If I have helped you with this app please consider sharing it and also use my Amazon link whenever you want to buy something from Amazon.  This helps me keep doing the things I love.  A small commission is given to me everytime you use this link to buy products or services from Amazon and you pay nothing more for using it!

My ZTE Awe got dumped in a water hole!

The experience that I know!

I have done this many times with phones just like the HTC Inspire, it was another one that got wet!  You just have to know what to do as soon as it gets wet to prevent any damage!  It isn’t anything new but someone people just do not think about this until it is too late.   As for me, I learned that if you can take the power source out of the phone, it stands a much better chance of surviving then when you do nothing and then the wiring gets fried.

What to do if it does get soaked!

I will be glad to lead you through how I saved my ZTE Awe phone and kept it from getting fried.   How I dried it and how you can do it without using Rice.   

1. Once your phone gets wet, your first response is to always pull the battery, if you can!   I am sure not everyone thinks about these kinds of things but once you remove electricity from the equation, you stand a much greater chance at saving the electronic device!
2. After that, you should get as much of the water off the phone as necessary without breaking the phone.  I just flung it around with my hand a few times.   
3. I also took the back off and left the back uncovered.   This will help the phone dry quicker and easier.   You may see water spots in the screen if you leave the back on.   It has to be able to dry the inside of the phone also.
4. I used a Hair dryer, If you used this technique remember the phone should not get to hot.   You best bet is to keep it in your hand as you blow air any place on or in the phone you can without causing damage.   If the phone get hot in your hands it is time to let the phone cool off.   This way you will not damage the phone.   BATTERY MUST BE REMOVED before doing this and after this for an hour!
5. I then would use the hair dryer every day over the next week to help dry the screen off and get those water droplets to go away from the screen.   You can continue to do this as long as you like as long as you do not get the phone extremely hot and you do not have the battery in the phone as you use the hair dryer on the phone!

Now since I got the phone dry I no longer have WIFI or Blue tooth capabilities, and I am seriously thinking about buying a new phone but something that will allow me to make a portable hotspot with laptop and tablet.  The only one that looks to be promising for Virgin Mobile, is the Samsung Galaxy S2 (Amazon Affiliate Link).   Which I might just buy that myself and use that for my internet at home.

I am sure it was the phone getting wet that caused the wifi and blue tooth to be broken, at least it seems to be the problem.   So I want to hear from the community about the Samasung Galaxy S2 and how has it been with Virgin Mobile US?  Let me know by leaving a comment,

Three Timesheet Apps for the Android! (Friday's Pick's)

TimeSheet ( Free ) or ( Pro: 2.50$ )

This is one Application that I have been and still use for my Android ZTE AWE and Kyocera Rise Phones.  I don’t know about the rest of you but I did try the Free version and was really impressed with it.   So I upgraded to the Pro version to help support the developer and also because you get more stuff with the paid version.   

The nice thing about this app is that I can keep track of all my hours and also keep it backed up on Dropbox (I get no money for this link but when I refer enough people, I get up got 16 gb of space!  So please go sign up and help me get the maximum!) or to the SD Card.   So at least I have two ways to do this plus it has a great automatic backup feature to help keep your hours from getting lost!  It keeps track of expenses and travel if your one to be getting paid traveling.   So you can know by the end of the week how much you made and also some other great tools to help you make sure you are short on your next check.

Timesheet - Time Tracker  (Free)

I do not like to do free apps but my friend from work showed me this one and swears to it.   I’ve played around with it and it seems to be a very easy and you really don’t have a lot to fill out.   It can be very useful if all you need to do is track your hours and nothing else.   You can also backup to Dropbox (I get no money for this link but when I refer enough people, I get up got 16 gb of space!  So please go sign up and help me get the maximum!) or a Micro SD card if you wish, so your times will be saved in the cloud!

I personally like the TimeSheet Pro that I paid for because It allows me to enter so much more information and keep track of so much more.

Time Recorder (Free)

I admit, I haven’t played around with this one but it looks promising for two reasons.   You can split tasks and also have more than one option to backup this to.   You have Dropbox (I get no money for this link but when I refer enough people, I get up got 16 gb of space!  So please go sign up and help me get the maximum!)and/OR Google Drive that you can use to keep your time from going missing.   The only problem I see with this is you need plugins that need to be installed to use these two backup features.   It was something the developer, I suspect, couldn’t intra grate with the app very easily.   So that is why I didn’t install this one because of to many plugins that come along with this free version.

I still recommend Timesheet Pro, which is what I use all the time and has worked really well for my needs working as a contractor.   It does what I need to keep track of my time.   Know of a good app that does just this and want to tell people about it.   Leave a comment and tell people your experience with an Time recording app!

Even More Tips and Tricks for the ZTE AWE!

It’s that Time again!

I’ve had several people say they liked some of my tips for the Zte AWE and asked me for more.   So I thought we should do another quick segment for those who just can’t wait to long!  Some of these tips are great for people who use Virgin Mobile so it will probably work for most to all Virgin Mobile US smart phones!

Tip #4  Airplane Mode is your Friend!

Unlock Phone —> PRESS and HOLD power button for 2 seconds —> Airplane Mode

Or

On Main Screen —> Press the Three Bars —> System Settings —> Airplane Mode

I’ve had those time when You need to just turn on airplane mode to help conserve battery power.   You really don’t know how much battery power is used when your cell phone gets very little signal in an area.   It uses more battery power to keep that connection with the cell tower.   So it is best just to turn off the signal, until you get to a better reception area.   It might be important for your to keep it on but it isn’t life threatening for me! It is also quite useful to turn on airplane mode when your charging your phone.   I found this tip out somewhere else on the internet but it is a really good tip.   It charges my phone faster.   So it works really well when your in a hurry to quickly charge your phone.

Tip #5 Turn off Connections Optimizer

Main Screen —> Three Bars —> System Settings —> Mobile Networks —>   Connections Optimizer —>  Uncheck Connections Optimizer

I’ve had so much bad experiences with this little Virgin Mobile US and Sprint Network extra that I suspect this is a way for them to have to worry about us using to much of their data networks and hoping we use our own way to keep from using theirs.   I also have noticed this will speed up the reduction of my battery power a little and thus I just disable it from the get go.   I don’t even worry about it because it just worries me about privacy issues and I will not tolerate my privacy be abused.

Tip #6  Tell Google to Do Not Track you!

When you setup your phone this seems to be something Google does to help make the ads more likely to be clicked by you and it is what they call interest-based ads, but are being tracked by Google and 3rd party partner apps.   So I always turn this off when ever I get a Phone with Ice Cream Sandwich or Above (4.0 +).   It is a new feature that they have been adding to their operating systems that I just do not like and thus I turn it off.

Main Screen —> Three Bars —> Google —> Ads

 

You will need to Opt out of the Interested-Based Ads by checking the little check mark.   I do not understand why this should be an opt instead of a opt out.   I am not pleased with Google over this little idea of opting everyone in instead of being automatically being opted out.   This should be the first thing that comes up when you start using your new phone.     You should also generate a new random ID that way the advertisers can’t keep tracking your old id and you privacy is being protected.

Main Screen —> Three Bars —> Google —> Search —> Accounts & Privacy

Another area where I protect my privacy is by turning off commute sharing, Web History and also tell Google to do not keep my web history in their system.  I also turn of personal Results because they have to keep track of your information to make it relevant to you and thus somewhere some how, something is keeping records and thus I tell Google I do not want to be recorded.

On a side note, If your using Google Now this will not affect you but if your not then you can Turn off Google Now easily by going to the search settings and turning it off.   It is the first thing you see when you get into the search menu and this will help you protect your privacy.   I use Google Now but I use it with limits that I set by doing those two things whenever I get a new phone.

My Problems with Virgin Mobile and the ZTE AWE!

Virgin Mobile likes to mislead people!

When I was researching this phone, I saw this on their website and thought well it looks to be promising and that I could pay the extra 15$ and be able to teether my phone to my laptop whenever I needed to.  Even though, I am simply am enjoying this new phone of mine.   The idea that they made me believe that I could easily without effort pay them to allow me to teether my phone is simply absurd.   I shouldn’t have to circumvent the new security feature in Android 4.1.2 which  Google decided to break tethering and prevent people from using those so called teether apps.   I have yet to find one that will work.

Calling all Geeks!

I’m going to have to probably root the phone and install a Cyanogen mod on it to be able to use the tethering option on the phone.   I would however like to keep it the way it is.   Rooting the AWE be to much trouble for me right now.   Since I am mainly using a Chrome Book and have yet to install a Linux Distro to the machine.   I’d have to do that first before I could even root the device and you know how that is!

Does Anyone know of an app that will do that without having to break the warranty of the phone as Virgin Mobile told me over the phone?   I would break the warranty if I rooted the phone.   LOL That was a laugh.   If you know of an app in the Google App store please leave a comment and help everyone out who might have the same problem!   

How Cryptolocker (Ransomware) gets installed and how to remove it!

Cryptolocker Virus!

I have been watching what has been going on in the past few days and thought it was high time I tell you about this nasty little worm or virus! It has been many months since I have talked about this and I wanted to help you understand how you might of been infected. If you have been infected and want to remove it, you can easily remove it by using Malwarebytes Pro, Which is a sponsor of my blog. The Malwarebytes Blog has some interesting stuff about what this bug really does to your files and what it encrypts!

Drive by download

Some would say it is coming from emails but I suspect it will get much worse before it gets better. If they are making money they will probably start advertising that you have a virus and when you click on the image you will be taken over to actually have the virus or worm as some would call it. It all started when scammers started infecting systems and doing the defederpageblock and others like that. They found they could actually make money by scaring people into paying. I even tried to help people by offering some great Antivirus And Antimalware tools to help fight off this types of infections.

So how are some ways to get infected? The basic ways are simple opening email links if you don’t know the sender. This is the most common approach by any scammer or spammer because you can’t really see where that link is going or even if they are trying to use a script.

Social Media is the next biggest way that you might get infected by clicking links in Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and sites like that. You have to be careful but most of the time you can expand the URL by using a service like LongURL. I sometimes use this to find out where a shortened bitly link or twitter link is going to take me.

Googling or Searching is the next way an attacker would install this type of software on your system. They would just use scripts, known vulnerabilities, to force install or silent install this type of software in your system and if you were using something like NoScript you would be much safer than if you didn’t!

Installing untrusted software can lead to you getting infected by this virus and others if you think you have to have a piece of software for something then please do not use your Windows Admin account to install this on. You should try to see what others are saying about a particular software or application. It isn’t always going to be fool proof but it will at least slow it down.

Now these are a few ways you could get infected if you were trying to get infected with this nasty virus. Which case you would be paying 300 US dollars or 2 bitcoins which is how they want to keep getting paid. So if you don’t want to find your pictures, and important data encrypted, please put them on a recordable dvd and put them up! This would be one step to help fight this little problem.

I havent’ heard if it has infected any Apple, Android, or Linux Operating systems it looks to be primarily Windows Systems. I can assure you it will happen to these other OS in the coming months so don’t think you aren’t immune to this and other malwares or viruses. With Android having exploits in the wild you can bet they will targeted soon to encrypted your contact list and your pictures. This would be my next bet!

Android Vulnerabilities and Exploits in the Wild!

Time to Do what?

When I was researching this on the web I didn’t expect to find so much stuff, but I do think IOS has more vulnerabilities then Android but it isn’t as bad as Apple IOS problems!

I am not going to talk about all of them but just a few that have peaked my interest!

The ‘Master Key’ Exploit

A simple but yet easy way to fool your Operating System and gain more access than it should.  The name doesn’t mean they actually have the master key to your device.   It is using what all Android devices use in the APK.  The MANIFEST.MF, which if done right, will have two more copies in the APK (Zip file).   When the Android OS installs this APK it will use the the last MANIFEST.MF and thus it can gain more access than you once thought.   Be able to communicate with a server  or copy your contacts.   I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that 3rd party apps are dangerous now and I will not use anything but Google or Maybe even Amazon US app store!  

The ‘Webview’ JAVA Exploit

If you don’t use JAVA you will need to consider disabling it in Android.  While this one is a little more trickier and harder to avoid if you use Java, you best bet is to install Dolphine Browser, FireFox, and/or Chrome.   Then install a java an Addon or and Extension that does not allow Java to be used unless you specify.   This exploit can send SMS, or send out emails from you to spam your friends and family.   So this is one that you must start worrying about to a point.

The ‘Scarevertising’ Exploit

This last one I have seen become very prevalent and thus you should be on the lookout for this!   They claim in either a push notification or in some kind of inside application banner that basically tries to scare you into thinking you have a virus.   I’m not sure which advertising networks are being used but you can bet this will be a constant problem.   Some rules of thumb are install only from the Google App Store and never install any third party apps, which some call side along install.  

If your worried and you want to protect your Android Device, here are a few free applications that will help and hopefully keep you safe:

• Avg Security — They have several different types and even a paid app type so it is up to you!
• Sopho’s Free Anti-virus and Security App — I haven’t played around with this one but I do trust Sopho’s when it comes to Antivirus and Malware removal so they can be a great asset!
• Eset Mobile Security and Anti-Virus App — This is another one that I trust because of who they are.

The last thing I can say is there are more than 100 different anti virus apps out there but it all depends on the end user (you) to know and trust vendors who are reputable and you can trust.   If you don’t know the Anti virus Company than maybe they shouldn’t be used.   I do hope I have helped you find what your looking for and we will discuss more in the future on Android Exploits!

Google Stores only for Google Glass

Since the beginning of this year we have been hearing a lot of news and rumors regarding Google’s new device Google Glass. Recently we have been hearing that Google will be opening their new stores just to sell one product and that is Google Glass. The stores are touted to not only sell the Glass but also customize each one according to user’s needs. Experts will be there to guide users how to set-up and use this portable device.

And the above speculation can be corroborated as Google recently recruited 40 advisers who will help guide the developers who bought Explorer version of Google Glass last year at Google I/O developer conference. And let’s not forget those 8000 people in “IfIHadGlass” contest who won the Google Glass specs, they would also be needing help in properly using the Glass.

The developers purchasing the Google Glass will go through a process of personalization and customization where Glass would be customized to ease the use of device for developers. At the same time they will be taught how to use the Glass and set it up. All this would be done with the hope that developers will add up to the Google Glass experience as they will later develop apps for the device. Some apps have already been developed for instance there is one that allows you to upload videos to your YouTube channels.

As for now nothing official has been announced but we anticipate that Google Glass will be merged with the larger Google retail operation that will not only sell the Glass but also include Nexus franchise selling phones and tablets as well. Contrary to this, judging by amount of attention each Glass sale would require, perhaps opening a separate store for Google Glass in not a bad idea at all.

Fahad Majidi is a Paid Contributor for the Paulstechtalk.com website.  Any views of his is his own and not of the website.   Any Links in this article are affiliate links to products mentioned to help support paying for the contributor.

Google Play Store revenues skyrocketing, a staggering 90% increase over last year’s first quarter

There is just no stopping for android. The revenues Google Play generated by Google Play are sky-rocketing. According to the research firms Google has  seen 90% increase in Google Play Store revenues compared t o the first quarter of the last year, now that is huge!

And the reason behind such a big leap in terms of revenue is the mass production of android devices around the world along with some of the idiosyncrasies of the Asian users. As the things are going for android the researcher and analysts believe that Google Play will catch up with Apple’s App Store somewhere around in 2016. According to the chief analyst at Canalys Adam Dam it would take android almost three to four years to get at par with the Apple’s App Store in terms of revenue. Android might be getting increase in the revenues at a faster pace but Apple’s App Store had a head start and that made all the difference.

Android might have gotten a 90% increase but if we look at the overall stats of the first quarter, there is no one near the share of App Store. In the first three months from January to March the app industry made total revenue $2.2 billion. Out of this $2.2 billion the almighty App Store accounted for $1.48 billion holding upto almost 74% of the total app revenue. When it comes to revenues apps certainly form the crux of overall profits.

Now coming to the downloads, the number of downloads made by Android and Apple users may vary depending on different researches. But one thing is for sure android’s downloads are quickly catching up to that of Apple’s or even exceeded it according to some other researches.

One of the key markets of android devices, not only android but also other smartphones, lies in countries such as Japan and South Korea where people mostly go for card and fantasy based apps. South Korea is considered to be the hub of smartphones where almost 80% of people own one. So making such fantasy based apps and card games really paid off for Android’s first quarter staggering augmentation in the revenues.

Let’s see what holds for Google’s little green mascot in the second quarter as it continues to grow bigger and better, forming into a phantom that looms over Apple.

Fahad Majidi is a Paid Contributor for the Paulstechtalk.com website.  Any views of his is his own and not of the website.   Any Links in this article are affiliate links to products mentioned to help support paying for the contributor.

I dropped my Acer A200 on Purpose and I'll tell you why!

I was in the electronic department!

Your probably would never drop your Acer Tablet A200 on the floor purposing to prove a point.  Most people don’t know how Durable the Acer Tablet is and how easily it recovers from drops and falls.   I must admit the tablet did have a Cover on it [Poetic(TM) Stand Leather Case with Angle Adjustable with HandStrap].  The lady was surprised but what she did not know.   I had a great insurance plan for my tablet if it breaks ,however she wasn’t told that.

That was a Bold Move!

I simply believe this Acer Tablet is way better than any Ipad and I like to prove it to people around my community.   I however know what people will say.   Sooner or later you will drop it enough to damage it and I’d have to say your right.  It isn’t unbreakable but built tough and I know how useful this tablet is.  

The End of the Story!

I am sure you probably wondering why I wanted to share this story.   In the end, I helped the lady find a tablet that is best suited for her 3 to 5 year sons.  It however is probably going to be stuck in her mind about this Acer Tablet and my blog.  I happened to tell her about it.  I wanted to reach and find out what happened to that tablet you bought your kids and find out how it is doing?  If your reading this, Let me know and tell me what you think of that tablet!  In the end, I still recommend The Acer A200 Tablet to anyone who wants a cheap durable tablet for your self or your family member.!

Paul Sylvester

HTC One, the one that can change the tide for HTC

HTC has been going through dire times and with the release of HTC One the company is hoping to get things right. Only few months ago the company was deemed to be one of the biggest Android success stories but now it is struggling to make its ends meet and make some profits. HTC One seems to be the only protagonist left in the HTC lineup that can change the tide for the company as the people behind this smartphone has given there all in producing this phone.

As they say desperate times call for desperate measures, HTC pulled together some of its finest engineers and came up with the device that is capable of even competing against upcoming juggernaut Samsung Galaxy S4.

While making this phone HTC focused on few of the primary areas which include sound, camera, screen and most importantly design. HTC One is probably the one of the most aesthetically designed phones in the franchise; body all aluminum with big and bright 4.7 inch screen and sound as loud and clear as can be. In terms of design HTC took a bit of risk, deviating from the norm, by putting up a new UltraPixel camera with 4.3 megapixel sensor which serves as catalyst for better low light performance.

HTC One really stands out in terms of design. The device is all aluminum which gives it a sleek and smooth look. Despite being a big device the phone’s curved back allows it to sit comfortably in hand and makes it easy to use. Only 9.3mm around the corners or 0.37 inches thin, the device weighs only 5.04 ounces or 143 g.

Clad in aluminum plates, HTC One comes in two color silver and black.  On the back of the device are two small stripes which are used to augment the signal strength.

On the front the phone has two speaker grills, one on the top and other at the bottom, ready to blow your ears away with new and improved sound experience. One new thing that you will notice, apart from the overall design, that the button layout has been altered. Instead of regular three buttons you now have two with HTC logo in the middle. The only thing we are missing here is the multitasking button which is now accessible by double tapping on the home key, hold it long enough and Google fires up. The only problem you might face is when stretching for the back button on the left.

HTC One surely packs a punch; with 4.7 inch large super LCD 3 display the phone offer some eye popping colors having a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels. The screen is tremendously sharp with a color density of 468ppi.

Same goes for the colors, sharp and vivid blacks, reds and greens and as far as the viewing angels go; we must say they are pretty amazing. But everything is not perfect, while the screen has sharp colors it does have one drawback.

One thing that serves as a little bit of shortcoming for the display is the HTC One’s brightness. When compared to iPhone 5, you will find HTC One with a little dimmer display. One may find it difficult to use on direct sunlight but you will used to it as the time goes by.

Fahad Majidi is a Paid Contributor for the Paulstechtalk.com website.  Any views of his is his own and not of the website.   Any Links in this article are affiliate links to products mentioned to help support paying for the contributor.

How to Tether your Kyocera Rise by Virgin Mobile

It was never Going to be easy!

When I bought this Virgin Mobile Kyocera Rise, I knew they would try to prevent me.  That was one of the reason, I like to have an Unlocked Phone.  I’m went searching through the internet to find the answers to my question.   Some of the common questions, I got where:

Hidden mobile data charges: ethical or not?

Virgin mobile and tethering -charges ?

As you can see these were old post but they did provde me with some very interesting questions about the data usage of tethering and who will be at fault.

The Options!

I am going to give you a few options as to where to look to find the best possible way to tehter your phone to Laptop or Tablet.   I’ve found one or two ways to do it so far and I’ll be more than glad to give you the information that you are seeking for.  Before I begin though:

Information Therein are as IS, The Author will not be held responsible for anything resulting with these applications and services.  You have been warned!

 Some of the Common Applications that I have tried and worked are:

• Easy Tether CE (Lite) — This one works just as great if you intend to use it as an USB connection only.  I had no problems with surfing the web with this app just as long as I kept it hooked up via USB.  Mobile Stream has several different paid apps that allow you to do so much more.  I am impressed with this one!
• WiFi Tether for Root Users — I’ve used this on my HTC Inspire so I know this work on other phones but you would have to root your Kyocera Rise to use this App, although free it would probably void your warranty on your phone!

You can search for other Tethering Apps and try them as you see feet.   I just want to provide you with a few ideas on how to use what your already paying for that data plan.  When I find more I’ll be sure to let you know but for right now these are the ones that I’ve used to tether with success.  

Paul Sylvester

More Rumors Unfold for the Samsung Galaxy S4

With the announcement of the release of Samsung Galaxy S4 comes a bunch of rumors as well. What folds now primarily pertains to the screen of the device. According the rumors surging around Samsung Galaxy S4 will be equipped with floating touch technology. Floating touch technology allows you to interact with the device by hovering your finger above the screen. It works with the help of electrical field created by our finger which is then detected with the help of a sensor, pretty much similar to what you have seen in Samsung Galaxy Note II where you use S pen to interact with notifications and emails. Same goes for the Sony’s low end phone Xperia Sola.

Previously the device had AMOLED display but now the S4 is rumored to have Green PHOLED. So, what’s the difference? In AMOLED screen the green and blue OLEDs were fluorescent where red OLEDs were phosphorescent. But now the S4 is touted to be equipped with green and red OLEDs with phosphorescent materials and fluorescent materials for the blue ones. It does not augment the picture quality or so but it does aids in the power efficiency of the device, almost 25% more power efficient.

It is also believed that Samsung is preparing two prototypes of S4. One with the LCD display and runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor whereas the other one is said to have an AMOLED display and uses Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor. As for now there is no clue whether Samsung will sell both of the devices or drop any of the two before its introduction next week in New York.

And lastly, the device will run on Jelly Bean Android 4.2.1 at the time of its launch but will be upgraded to 4.2.2 as soon as the update hits in the same month.

Fahad Majidi is a Paid Contributor for the Paulstechtalk.com website.  Any views of his is his own and not of the website.   Any Links in this article are affiliate links to products mentioned to help support paying for the contributor.

Why companies don't consider Security and how to decode a Barcode!

Weak Security is NO security!

I am working with a company of late that few months and I must say their security is weak to say the least. They use Barcodes to establish who they are and what jobs they are doing.   It seems kinda simplistic to some but to me they are just asking for problems.   Now a days, 90% of people who work have access to some kind of smart phone, whether it be Android or IOS each one has their unique problems but I am not here to talk about their problems but to point out that each one can literally scan a barcode and decode it in a matter of minutes!

How to decode a Barcode!

If your looking to decode a barcode for Android, I can help.  Here are a few that I've found to work really well with any and all barcodes you might have a need for!

• Google Goggles -- This app for the Android is so interesting, I have installed on my phone just to see what would the world be like if we had those on Google Glasses which I suspect is coming soon!
• Barcode Scanner  by ZXing Team -- This is a good little app for those of you who just want to see what the code is and so forth.   It can does 1d, 2d, and QR Codes.   This is also a really useful app for those of you who want to see what the barcode at work really says about you!
• Barcode Scanner by TACOTY CN -- Another one that does basically what others do and it can decode any barcode that you might have to see what it really says about you.   
• Scan by Scan, Inc -- Here is a good tool for reading barcodes.   I really can't say much more than this because they are do basically the same thing 1d, 2d, and QR Codes.   Works really well though!
• ClearImage Free Online Barcode Reader / Decoder -- Although this isn't a app for Android it can be very useful for anyone who has a camera and would like to decode a barcode this way.   No need for a smart phone, just a camera will do that can take digital pictures.

The Problem!

The company I am contracted with thinks this is convenient and probably even thinks no one will abuse this.   I hate to think of who might use this to gain personal information about another worker or even get them fired.   It isn't hard to imagine that someone may go so far as use someone else's barcode just to get them in trouble.   So why use barcodes in business?  This is a constant problem that needs to be fixed ASAP for any business that does this might want to consider changing over to something a little more secure.   In the coming weeks, I'll probably talk about this in more detail but until I fix the problems with this company I can't go into much more detail.   

Paul Sylvester

Why You should Avoid Kiloo Games and uninstall them!

The Story So far!

Recently I found an application that one of the permissions is "Retrieve Running Programs".   I thought this was something of a hoax or even a little strange.   So I wondered what are those Android App Permissions anyways and why would they require this.  I found this great information on a forum website. 

Retrieve running applications
Hardware controls
URI: android.permission.GET_TASKS
Risk: MEDIUM-HIGH
Protection level: DANGEROUS

Official Description
Allows an application to get information about the currently or recently running tasks: a thumbnail representation of the tasks, what activities are running in it, etc.

Details
This permission is of moderate importance. It will allow an application to find out what other applications are running on your phone. While not a danger in and of itself, it would be a useful tool for someone trying to steal your data. Typical legitimate applications that require this permission include: task killers and battery history widgets. Other than that however, most apps should not need this permission.

<Via Androidforums>

So then I sent an email to Kiloo Games asking why this was needed for the game.   Here is their response:

Kiloo Support (Kiloo)

Mar 04 12:21 (CET)

Hi,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Subway Surfers needs that information to make sure no notifications pop-up when you're in other apps.

Best Regards,

Kiloo Support 

Now I find this very interesting and a little percular.  It doesn't sound like this is what it supposed.   If you read what Android Forums said then you would know we've given Subway Surfer permission to snoop on us and they can do what ever they want with that information because we AGREED to it.  

Many Users don't care about this!

While I am not sure who actually care about this.  I am really concerned with my security and privacy.  I don't think any application in their right mind would want to put this permission on any Application.   I think until people start asking questions or removing these applications they will keep doing this so they can build data on what people do when they aren't playing the games they built.   You really want them to get your bank information or for that matter your passwords to other games or applications.

I am asking for a boycott of these types of programs to tell developers we don't want our information to be public and they need to respect this.   If you have this installed on your android device it is best to remove it ASAP and contact them to tell them why you removed their game.   Until we do this they will not listen to us and respect our privacy!

Paul Sylvester

Why Tablets are Booming! [Informational Graphic]

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Tablet's being used in Jobs!

As I was going to make this post up, I had a really good experience with what the Informational Graphic depicts.   As you can see there is a lot going on.  I thought we would at least break this down a little and hopefully make you understand just how they are being used.   If anything we can discuss some of the aspects from some of my previous posts as points to this new booming lifestyle people are taking up.

Mobile Productivity is on the Rise!

Although this isn't hard to believe that people are looking to buy Tabelts for business purposes.  Actually they have started to ask me in my local area which tablet is right for my business.  I have on occassion even helped them consult with them on this very aspect.  So I do know a thing or two about tablets.  I do not know everything about them but I can pretty much help you find the right one for what you may need it for.

Tablets are being used by Youths!

This isn't really a surprise on my part because my niece and nephews are all using 7" tablets right now and they are only 11 years old.  So that part I bet isn't really going to surprise anyone.   I even have a few good gaming apps for the android OS if your wondering.  I really can't say much else about this because I don't really have a lot more to say about this graphic.   It however is quite showing just how much demand there is for tablets in the workplace.  Please feel free and share this with your friends and family.

Paul Sylvester

Reviewing the Kyocera Rise by Virgin Mobile!

What about the HTC Inspire 4G!

I recently had to buy a new phone.   My HTC inspire got broken, sad to say but it does happen.   You know when you have to replace a  phone because of the screen glass is broken, kind of thing you don’t like to see happen.   It does though no matter how hard you try, it will happen eventually on most phones. Thank Good for the Worth Ave Group insurance coverage for Cell Phones, if i didn’t have that it would of been a pain to get this Cell phone.

A lot under the Hood!

There is a lot going on under that hood and I won’t go into much detail about this because I don’t want to bore you with details but what I will tell you is this:

• Google Movies & TV — You can watch any show you own on Google with this little device.   So you can always keep up with shows or movies while on the Go!   I do suggest downloading them whenever possible using WIFI but it is still good to have while on the road!
• Netflix — Although most phones do this it has the screen size to actually do a decent enough job of watching it through it!
• Android 4.0 — I got mine with Android 4.0 but it had to be upgraded in firmware.   That is ok, it still is a nice phone!

The Kyocera Rise From Virgin Mobile is in fact a very good Phone.   I got signal where the HTC never did, although this is a 3G phone, it is still can go a lot more places.   I suspect it is because of the Sprint Network but it is only a guess.

I could go on and on about this phone but in all truth if you aren’t convinced now to buy it then you will never buy it.   I simply love this phone and it is going to be my main phone for quite a while until I can get enough money for even better phone maybe a Samsung Galaxy S3 or S2 from Virgin Mobile or Sprint, now that would be Sweet!

Paul Sylvester

How Facebook can interfere with your life and How to Disconnect from Facebook!

Facebook is so Popular!

When Facebook started in 2005, it wasn't really a big deal.   No one knew what it would be today.  You probably didn't even know about Facebook until two or three years ago.  I would even guess that you were pressured into getting an Facebook account.   Even though you should worry about your Facebook Security Settings, this isn't going be about that.   It however is going to be talking about how to Disconnect from Facebook!

Why Would I want to do that?

There will be some of you who will probably ask this one question and I could give you several answers but there is only one real answer.   Productivity!  Disconnecting from Facebook will make you more productive in anything you do and will keep your attention on what needs to be done.

The Extreme case!

You can delete your account and be totally disconnected from Facebook but that is the worse case scenario and I will not recommend that to anyone even my friends or family.  Although I've heard this happen it isn't the best choice for some of you who like to keep in touch with family members and share photos with.

Disconnect me Please!

This is a services and a plugin that helps block Facebook and others such social sites.   It will help you speed up your browsing and keep your privacy safe so I highly recommend Disconnect.me which was also talked about on Security Now.

Remove all Facebook Apps!

If you have a smartphone and a tablet, this is something that is a must if you want to keep from being interrupted and slowing down your productivity.   By removing these apps from all your devices, you will not get the urge to go check Facebook or have those notifications coming to you.

Finally Check Facebook Once a Day!

If your like me you will undoubtedly want to keep your account and thus you will want to at least check it once a day.   I suggest either morning or night depending on your work or sleep schedule to go online through the web and see what is going on.   I would however say the less you spend on Facebook the easier it is to keep from wanting to be connected with it.   So get on check and get off.   Don't spend to long on their exploring and playing games.    Remember why you did all this and you will be far better off then when you started.

Paul Sylvester

How to Change DNS on a Acer A200 / A500 Tablet!

Fix paging times!

So I have a little problem that I thought would be a good topic to discuss and teach others how to do just in case it happens to to you.   I recently started have page load times slow down and didn’t understand why until I changed the DNS settings on my Acer Tablet!   Seems that it can be kind of tricky to find this out on the web.   

Problems with some DNS Providers!

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Having seen this from time to time, I know that any DNS Provider can have really bad network lag and thus impact your browsing the internet.   You can solve that by changing the DNS to a faster network.  The Problem I’ve been having is not knowing how to do it until recently.  You can change the DNS in your router but that won’t help you if you decide to visit a Hotspot or a Free Wifi.   

The Fix!

If your like me, you may need to do this a couple times to get the hang of it but it is quite simple once you understand how.

Go into your Wireless settings and look for the wifi connection your on or using at the time and just do a Long press until you get a screen that ask if you want to forget the network or modify the network.

Once you click Modify the network, you half way there.   Check the Show Advance Options and change the DHCP to a Static IP.    Once you’ve done that you will see DNS 1 and DNS 2 settings.   I suggest changing them to the OpenDNS Servers : 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. Although this is simply a suggestion you can any DNS Provider you can think to do the job!

Hope this helps, I will have more tips and tricks later on but this one was something that I thought you might want to know right now!