Help Finding those Important Lost Items

KiiTag is a new product that provides "smart" tags to attach to important items.  These tags can be located via BlueTooth from your smart phone/tablet.  They are physical tags that can be moved from one item to another as the need arises. Tags cost about $20 each, but could be worth it to find items that are really impotant to you.

To learn more:

Article from USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2014/11/01/new-tech-products/18027365/


Webpage of the Manufacturer (lifensoul):
http://lifensoul.com/blue-kiitag.html

New Android Version 5.0 "Lollipop"

The latest version of Android OS is about to be released.  It apparently has a different user interface and will appear first on the Google Nexus tablets and will roll out to other devices over the next few months.

To learn more, check out this article from USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/10/30/android-lollipop-first-look/18162395/

Or...this webpage at Android.com
http://www.android.com/versions/lollipop-5-0/

or...this one from TheVerge  (12 best new features of Lollipop):
http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/28/7082875/12-best-new-features-android-lollipop-nexus

Lock your Android apps and more

Droid Protector:    Droid Protector allows you to set per-app restrictions to keep nosy people out. You can also enable a fake "crash" dialog for a specific app if someone tries to access it without authorization. This app will also allow you to hide certain photographs or videos from prying eyes, which is a particularly handy feature that complements the other features so well, you'd wonder why other apps don't already do both.

Learn more here

All-In-One Tool Box app looks good

I installed an app that was new to me, the All-In-One Tool Box.  It helps one manage their Android device, by providing 29 tools as shown below.  Worth checking it out, since its free.  Here is what it can do....

★ Clean out junk files:
Created in a simple method of seeing what's taking up storage and reclaiming lost memory via smart and safe cleaning.
* Delete SMS & Call logs
* Erase browsing history
* Remove Temp files
* Clean SD card
* Sweep out Apk leftover
* Eliminate cache files

★ Speedup system performance: 
Shut down unnecessary running apps to free up memory to keep Android devices at optimal performance and potentially extend battery life
* One-tap boost
* Kill unessential tasks
* Speed-up boot

★ Privacy protection: 
Provide access for you to erase your personal data and browsing traces to keep the privacy information from revealing. Pass-word service will lock the things you don’t want to share with others
* App locker
* Browsing trace erasing
* Call or SMS logs deleting

★ APP and File management: 
Check what’s on Android and provide a list of options for you to control files at your own will.
* Uninstall system app
* App to SD card
* Batch installer/uninstaller
* Zip and unzip
* Backup and restore

★ Plenty of additional tools: 
29+ system tools available in All-In-One Toolbox, all essential for your ease and wonderful Android experience
* Auto task plug-in: cache and junk file clean, silent mode, airplane mode and wifi management at set intervals automatically
* Compass plug-in: give you the directions when you are lost
* Flashlight: light up your surroundings when it’s dark
* QR and Barcode Scanner: quick scanning and collecting info you need
* Game Booster: boost games to give you more fun
* Android sensor box: show you all available sensors on your Android
* Quick settings: offer easy access to the
* Volume settings: provide one-click volume setup

Here is the link to the Google Play Store page covering this app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=imoblife.toolbox.full&hl=en

Kill Switch coming ...

from a USA Today article (full link below):  "Google and Microsoft will add kill switches to the next versions of their cell phone operating systems, according to San Francisco district attorney George Gascón.  The move is seen as a major step towards making smart phones and other easily-stolen devices such as tablets less of a theft risk...."

This will allow a user to disable their stolen phone and erase data (if they wish)...making the phone not worth hardly anything.  If the phone is recovered, it can be reloaded by the rightful owner.

here is the full article:  USA Today Article

KiIndle android app improves speech function

The new Adnroid Kindle app now makes it much easier to switch between reading and being read to (speech function).  Here is an article that explains it all.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/06/10/kindle-android-app-gets-audible-integration-provides-option-easily-switch-reading-listening/

Change in the Google Play Store

The new version of Google PlayStore has reduced the amount of detail that you see for permissions the desired application requires.  This could cause us to download and install an app that needs permissions that we don't want to grant.  So...here is a link to an article that explains the situation and shows you how to see the permissions detail before downloadin/installing a new app from the PlayStore.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/06/10/simplified-permissions-ui-in-the-play-store-could-allow-malicious-developers-to-silently-add-permissions/