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.  

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!

How to Root a ZTE AWE phone! (Virgin Mobile)

Cydia Impactor rules!

After getting my ZTE AWE,  I’ve been looking for a way to use the tethering feature that can be useful where I am currently located at!   The only problem is that Virgin Mobile (VM) does not let me pay the 15 dollar tethering charge for using it has a wifi hotspotl  According to them, there is no way to enable this.   So I went searching for ways to enable it.  I have gotten closer to making that happen by BREAKING MY WARRANTY.   According to VM, if I root the device, it voids the warranty of the device.   I kind of think this a small ridiculous rule so it is up to you!

The way I did it was a very easy way to download Cydia Impactor to root your device!  It puts the Super USER binaries on your device and allows them to have any thing on it that you want.   

Steps to root phone:

• Install the ZTE AWE software from phone!  You can do this simply by System Settings —> Connect to PC and selecting Install driver!  (Only needs to be done on Windows or Mac OS!)
• Put the Phone on USB Debug :  System Settings —> Developer Options — > USB Debugging
• You will need to click on the USB menu on Cydia Impactor and select the N800 driver.
• Once your do that you can simply drop the SuperSU Binaries
• Install the SuperSU from ChainFire

Once your have done all this you will have ROOT access.   It is up to you what you want to do but I have found that you have several things that can help monitor your phone and speed it up.   In the coming weeks I will tell you about a few of my favorite apps that work to help keep your phone running smooth!

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.

Best Tips and Tricks for your ZTE AWE!

Common questions!

I’ve been getting a few common questions and thought this was a good time to discuss a few of them and help you increase your productivity on your ZTE AWE phone.   Each one of these tips is good to use for your phone to help you make it easier to get what you need to get done with your phone.  This phone is 4.1.2 Android (Jelly Bean).   

TIP 1: Keep your Phone updated

If you haven’t already, you should check to make sure you ZTE AWE is updated in several areas.   You can easily do this by hitting the 3 dashes on the phone that look like a small bar graph.   Then select “System Settings” and scrolling all the way to the bottom of the screen.   You will select “System Updates”.  Once your their you will find 4 options: 

• Update PRL
• Update Profile
• Update ZTE Software
• Update Firmware

Each one these can help you in several areas.  First question people ask me is what is a PRL it is “Preferred Roaming List” and can be very useful to keep your signal strength at highest possible strength for your location.   You should do this from time to time or when you have done a hard reset to get put keep your phone updated to any new cell towers in your area.  

Updating your Profile basically helps you keep your phone validated with the network.   You should occasionally keep it updated to make sure you have the latest codes for your phone to be able to communicate with the cell towers and for you to be able to use their services.   This can be quite useful if your experiences some problems with connectivity problems with your 3g service.

Update ZTE Software is a form of drivers that you need to use to have your phone work with Jelly Bean.   I am sure there are some Cyangen Mods out there that can get around this but I am not really concerned with using a mod right now.  As you know it is another layer to the Android community for them to have some for of ownership of their phones.   Nothing you can do about it but you should keep that updated just in case there is something new you can use with your phone.

Update Firmware can be very useful if your just bought your phone and you wanted the latest version of Android on your phone.   You will get updates from the provider if there is an OTA (Over The Air) update that is available for your device but those aren’t very reliable and thus you can check manually.  Who knows you might someday be able to use the Android 4.3 or 4.4 the Kit Kat Versions!

Tip 2: Multiple Folders and Groups

The nice thing about Jelly Bean and above on the android devices is that you can now have folders on your  home screen and any other menu area you are wanting to put it.   On the ZTE you have 4 spots that you can have a permanent folder.  The Home bar as I call it can be easily used to keep those folders of apps that help you on your phone.   I’ve got a Social Folder with Facebook, Twitter, and any other social app that I want.   I also have several different phone apps that allow me to do stuff like Google Voice.   I even have a games folder so I do have to go back to the home screen to play games that I use offten on my device like Words With Friends.

If you would like to add or remove icons on the bottom bar, just press on the icon shortcut and hold for a second or two and then move it to where ever you wanted to move it to.   If you happen to delete an important shortcut just find them in the apps menu.   That is the Circle with 4 small squares in it!  

TIP 3: Adding a VPN

If your are worried about people spy on you on public or when you use your phone.   You can have a VPN on the phone.   You can use something like VPN4ALL but if your wondering what a VPN is, check out my article on the subject.   If you value your privacy you will want to read both articles to better understand how to use a VPN.   

Adding a VPN is easy, just hit the menu key (3 Bars) and then select:

System Settings  —-> More —-> VPN —-> Add VPN

There are sever different options to setting up a VPN on the ZTE AWE but I recommend the L2TP/IPSec PSK or the IPSec Xauth PSK ones.   They may not be NSA backdoor but I can’t be 100% sure about that.   I do not recommend at all to use the PTPP for VPN because that is not the best idea for keeping people out!

More to Come!

It seems this will be a good one to come back to in the coming weeks.   I will post even more tips and tricks in the coming weeks and if you haven’t subscribed to my RSS Feed or my Email list.  If you don’t you might miss a valuable tip or trick for your ZTE AWE or some other device that I’ve talked about in the past!

The SQRL and the One Time Login (OTL).

VPN4ALL : Use Coupon code “savenow15” and get 15% off the lifetime of your account!Secured QRL Codes!

You probably are wondering about this.   I heard it from Steve Gibson and he calls it “squirrel” Code.  It basically helps those who are worried about security and privacy.   I just didn’t want to forget to talk about this myself.  Ever since I heard the podcast entitled “SQRL Episode 424”,  my mind has been trying to get a handle of the whole thing. 

What most people don’t know and haven’t yet figure out is how useful a QR Code is.   I did not think of this solution and would of laughed if I did.  It is really simple, but yet from what I have heard and understand it could be a game changer in the next few months.  I just have a few things that I must be fixed and standardized.   I wanted to share them with you and maybe in the same instants help the community with this problem.

One Time Login “OTL”

Since we are basically logging in every time we use a different QR Code we are only allowing one instance of the login for each time we use a SQRL login.  Thus we will need to limit the time and when we can use that one QR to login.   We also must figure out how we will deal with collision logins.  This is where the site or server sends out the same securely generated long random number to two different users.   This could happen if say we were using this on like Facebook or Twitter.   It is unlikely but possible, unless we disallow it to only be used once and then we get into the ridiculousness of even longer random numbers.   The only thing I can come up with is using the date and time to create the cryptographic challenge.   This would change the it from any two different users from getting the same challenge and thus we would avoid the collision of logins.  

Pretty Good Privacy

The next problem is which encryption key would we want to associate with the smartphone.   I personally think PGP is a good one to start off with and maybe even create the public key that is needed to accomplish this.   The Smartphone in question could be linked in some way to a server with our public key PGP.   I am unsure as to how well this will work but it would allow us to share that key whenever needed.   It may not work but I am thinking we should only use Open Source encryption and thus this is one of the many options.

If the Smartphone is stolen?

This is where PGP can be very useful, we could Revoke the key and tell everyone else this is is no longer trusted and thus we prevent illegal logins to our services.   I’ve heard people do with PGP and thus it should be really easy to implement in SQRL but again, I am not a designer or even ever created things like this so I thought we should at least throw that out and see what people say about it.

Needs to be Available Everyone

It needs to be available on IOS, Android, and even Windows systems.   When this happens it will make it that much easier for this to succeed. 

As you can see I have  these small questions that need to be answer and I even saw some others which I will gladly link to to better help those who may want to explore more into this realm that Steve has started.  

• SQRL (Steve’s Site)
• SQRL Reddit Comments (Comprehensive to say the least)
• SQRL Drupal Development (Nothing yet but a Squirrel)

What do you have to say about this and are you curious to see this happen or do you think this will even work.  I may have missed something or do not fully understand it but at least I am wanting this to succeed.   What is your thoughts on this?

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 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

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

Balancing Act between Technology and Lifestyle!

Technology is a Balance!

It isn't everyday that you hear people say that they have to balance work, family, and Technology.   Technology has never been in demand like it has today.    Everyone can say they do it really easily but it isn't always that simple or some would just stretch the truth.   Truth be told no one ever thought it would be this difficult to keep up with technology and keep themselves involved with their kids and work. 

Human Error!

Human error is always going to be a problem because no one can do the job a 100% that being said we have seen in the past where Human error can cause data lose.  That though isn't as big as keeping your data safe from those bad guys that would love to find out all that personal information from your tablet or computer.   Some would say that Facebook has problems too, and I would tend to agree but it isn't the end all to keeping your information safe from Identity Thefts.

Protecting your Data!

I am sure most people will say that it is impossible, I tend to agree but we can at least make it harder for someone to get that data that they want to use against you or just to see what you've been up.   Here are a few things you can do to make it that much harder for someone to get that information!

• Encrypting your Data -- You can do this from several different ways.   It just depends on how you want to proceed.  If your an Android user you have several options to encrypt your device.  I won't go into much detail on how because each device is a little different but you know where you can start!
• Password Manager -- This has been something that I tell people every time I see someone's account being hacked.   If you don't have a strong password than you can't possibly keep people from gaining access.   I suggest using Lastpass and even tell people to invest in Yubikey also!
• Back up your data -- It isn't easy but it is Essential to keep your data backed up because you never really know what will happen and you should always try to keep at least three or four different backup options.   This way if one fails you have a redundancy to help you keep your data from getting lost!

How to Balance Life with Technology!

Here is something you probably are very interested in learning.   I only have one rule when it comes to this and it is something that I have to work at each and every day.   I have come to the conclusion to set time limits on when I use my computer and when I am using technology.   I will not use it all the time and I will not miss being with my kids.   I am sure you have the same problem as me and that is why you were looking for this answer but it isn't like it will help you because it is all about discipline and you only gain that by doing this every day in school, work, or home.  One tip that I can help you with this is, set a limit and slowing each week or day take a minute off until you get to that limit.   It will be a slow process but it will be a rewarding one at the end.

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!

Which Tablet is right for your Business? Part Two

Size and weight Counts!

So In the Previous Entry we talked about the differences in tablets themselves.   I hate leaving it alone, so we are going to pick up where we left off!  Some questions that we first must ask and then answer are:

• What will it be used for?
• Will it be carried around a lot?
• Do you need Internet?
• Storage Space?
• Accessories with it!
• Battery Power?

Even though these seems like a few questions that are not important, may actually be important.   You could need internet for emailing people or just to take orders.   So it isn’t like you should ignore these or others.   Each question helps you determine which Tablet is best suited for your needs and which one maybe more or less expensive depending on how you intend to use it!

Do research!

If your like me you may have found this blog because you were doing your research but it doesn’t mean it ends here.   You will want to learn everything from wherever you can.   For example, did you know the Ipad can’t have an external SD card and thus might not be the best for your situation.   

I will tell you that each Tablet comes with it’s unique personalities and you will have to treat each one differently.    

The difference between an Ipad and the Acer A200 that I bought is quite simple, The Acer can have an Micro SD card and has an USB input so you can do multiple things to it compared to the Ipad which is limited to only a few things and can’t be easily upgrade with memory or size.  Although, probably has great speed and reliability, it however isn’t as important to me as which one actually you need.

Got Internet?

This is one of those really important questions because you have so many things that you might need.   I remember one time when I needed to get online to look up a solution for a problem at a friends house. He didn’t have wireless only wired and he only had one system that I was working on at the time.   I learned the hard way to always have a Mifi card on me in case that happens again.  Although you could also Tether to your Cell phone like I did but then you will still need to worry about charges to your account unless you already have it setup for just that.

If you did get a tablet how would you use it on the internet what are the cost to tethering it or buying a Mifi card for just that.   You got to make sure the expenses aren’t going to hurt your chances of making money and how to recoup your need for the internet.

I know this is a lot to think about, but remember which ever tablet you decide on will have to last you for a year or two.   It also might be a good idea  to get insurance on it [Affiliate Link] in case you break it or a customer’s kids break it!

Which Tablet is right for your Business? Part One!

Ipad, Windows, or Android?

I was asked this question recently and I really was struck dumb by the question.   When people ask what the difference in tablets are and why one cost 800$ and others cost 100$ to 200$?   I'd never really understood why some people haven't gotten the idea that all tablets are the basically the same.   No tablet that I know of will ever be perfect and be the ruler of all other tablets.   It just isn't that simple and thus it will be something that is more of a personal decision and maybe even a price decision.   Just because you can afford to pay for an Ipad doesn't mean you should buy one, and just because you have the money to buy an Android doesn't mean you shouldn't wait and do you research.  

The Ipad!

Even though I know some of you will say the Ipad is the best and no one can beat them.   I'd have to say that is your opinion but I am not here to debate opinions but to talk about what the Ipad is and what it  can do.   

The IPAD is an Apple Product and is all proprietary hardware and software to Apple.   It has been said that it is the fastest and most stable Operating System out there and that it is just a notch above Windows.   I think the reason people say that is that it is always going to be hard to ruin a closed product like that with software that hasn't been tested or allowed on the operating system.   They might seem good but they worry me about security and how they believe they are secure by being obscured with the Tablet Code and Tablet Hardware.  You might not find an application that is available for your business with an Ipad but then again you might have to figure out how to do it without Apple's permission or help.

Windows Tablets!

Now this is something that should be easily understandable, if you have a Windows Machine at home then you will understand that a Windows Tablet is a smaller and more compact version of Windows for the desktop.   You can't do everything on the tablet like you could on a home machine or laptop but you can do a lot more than you will ever think.  

Windows have Viruses and so does Windows Tablets!   I'm sure I have that one all to often, and I could argue the point but I will say this much every system you use can and most likely at one time or other has had a virus or has been infected so it really doesn't make much since to worry about it.

A windows can do just as much as an Ipad but may be different in that respect.   You can install almost anything you want and decide how you may or may not want to use it.   With that being said, you may not be able to view movies or shows streaming from the web.   Some Windows Tablet's aren't designed to do that.   Microsoft is trying to protect you that way by not allowing you to do that.  Some windows tablets actually can have and use USB out puts, unlike Ipads.   You probably can't do as much with the Ipad that you can do with an Windows Tablet or an Android Tablet!

Android Tablets!

So we are down to the Android Tablets, which include the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire.   Even though the Kindle Fire doesn't have the same face as the Nexus 7 under the hood it is the same.   They all are using what is called the Android Operating System and thus isn't as wildly secretive.   Anyone who wants to can produce an App for the Android marketplace.

With that being said, you do have to be a little more careful of which app to install and read the comments and reviews of people who have installed that app on their device.   You may find some apps that do some strange things to make money.   After all, most app's in the marketplace are free and thus the companies who make those apps are wanting to make money.

You will find that the Android Tablets are much cheaper and you can do almost anything you want with the tablet in reguards to Moding it or installing what you want.   It is considered an open source system so every person who makes the app or even helps with the Operating System can change it to help make it more secure.

Well this is the first Part of a Mini discussion.  This first part was to help you understand and get an idea of all this.   I will be posting the second part of this sometime in the coming days to weeks but I had to start with the basics.

Paul Sylvester

Chinese Market Over-ruled by Android, iOS Faces Adversaries

Android has certainly become predominantly the operating system with the largest market share. Informa Telecoms, an analytic firm, presented us with much bigger and clearer picture. According to their report the only OS that stands out in the overwhelming competition in China is Android, accounting for two third of all the handsets sold so far in 2012. One out of every three Android devices that was sold in 2012 was sold in China, certainly a big hub of Android lovers.

But to be more specific, out of all the Android devices sold in China 41 percent were the ones that did not run on authentic Android rather had the imitation of the Google’s original operating system. So if we right them off China still holds 20 percent share of all the Android devices sold in 2012 which is pretty impressive.

Statistically speaking, Android holds 85 percent of the market share in China and still growing where as Apple’s iPhone accounts for only 5 percent of the market share and Windows Phone a minimal of 1 percent. Although, the release of iPhone 5 last week in the country was very much promising, selling over 2 million units in the first of week of its release and setting a milestone of best launch of all time of Apple’s smartphone in China. Apple was not only able to establish the pre-ordering process but is now also available on two carriers for the first time.

If Apple is to increase its market share in China it needs to come forth with TD-LTE because the only reason China Mobile, world’s largest carrier, has not been successful in selling iPhone is because of its 3G network. We anticipate iPhone based on TD-LTE to be offered by China Mobile in 2013. And as for Microsoft’s Windows phone, Informa anticipates that its market share will be double to 2 percent in 2013.

As for the US, Informa believes that Apple needs to come up with a better iOS otherwise it will face further decline in its market share because it is not meeting the standards that other high end Android devices are offering. The principal analyst Malik Saadi at Informa Telecoms anticipates that next year around 50 percent of the handsets sold in US will be Android based devices. The report also depicts that Apple might have to go for margin cuts in order to sustain its market share because the even the most diehard fan is realizing that Apple needs to upgrade its iOS. Inform forecasts that in 2013 Apple will be able to sell almost 34 million units which a million less than this year’s sale. Whereas Windows Phone will be accounting for 6.5 percent of the US market as Nokia and HTC are augmenting their marketing strategies and they are also in close relationship with US carriers.

According to an estimate by Informa Android will account for 50 percent of the global market by 2015. But 2016 Android market domination is anticipated to be decline because of other operating systems in the market specifically Windows Phone.

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.