5 Simple Ways To Track Your Lost Android Phone

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Today, your smartphone is your personality. It is your digital fingerprint encased in a sleek device and it is in need of as much security as your home. Your private images, bank details, text messages, are all safe in your hands; but the moment they fall into the wrong hands, your world can turn upside down. Therefore, we bring you today, a comprehensive list of things you can do to remotely locate your Android smartphone, in the unfortunate circumstance that it gets stolen or lost.

1) Android Device Manager

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In 2013, Google introduced the Android Device Manager, a brilliant little tool that helps you find your lost device quickly and easily. To make this work, your device must remain connected to your Google account when lost or stolen and location services should be active. Also, the Android Device Manager needs to be activated beforehand. Here’s how you can activate Android Device Manager:

Go to Google Settings in your Android phone > Security > Tick both ‘Remotely locate this device’ and ‘Allow remote lock and erase’.

Voila! You’re done. Now in the unfortunate circumstance that your device is stolen, simply find a computer or laptop connected to the internet, go to the Android Device Manager login page (click here) and login using your Google credentials (the same as those on your phone). Google immediately displays a map of your phones location along with the option to remotely lock your device, erase all data and make the phone ring. In case you are in the vicinity of the location, you can hit ‘ring’ and pinpoint your device. Even if you cannot find a laptop or computer, you can use another Android device and use the Android Device Manager app to locate your device.

2) Lookout

Lookout has been at the forefront of smartphone security for a while now. It works in the same way the Android Device Manager does, though. Just install the app and you can then locate your phone by logging into the Lookout website. The downside is that you have to pay a premium to use all features like remote wipe and lock. It is a good alternative nevertheless.

3) AirDroid

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Another nifty little app is the AirDroid app. Android users can locate, remote wipe, remote lock their device using this app. Users can even remotely capture photos using the device camera to nab the culprit. AirDroid also offers an option to transfer important files from your device and send text messages.

4) Using Google Maps Location History

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You can also use your Android Device’s location history to pinpoint the location of your device. Google Maps saves the device’s location from time to time on its servers and this can be used to locate your device. It is required that your phone be connected to your Google account. Go to the Google maps location history via a computer and select the current day. Hit ‘Show Timestamps’ and look for the device’s last location.

5) Using Dropbox

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If all of the above doesn’t work, an unorthodox way is to use the Dropbox app. To make this work, ‘Camera Uploads’ must be activated within Dropbox. Once this is activated, the app syncs all photos clicked by the camera to your online ‘Camera Uploads’ folder. So every time the thief clicks a photo, you will be able to view it online. If you are really lucky, the thief may turn out to be a selfie freak and you can view their mug shots and nab them. Other times, you have to bring out the Sherlock in you and try to identify the locations the photos were clicked at.

Also if you are a Windows Phone user, this article certainly will make you frown. So why should only the Android guys have the fun? Here’s an article that lists simple steps on How To Find A Lost Windows Phone.

TRACKING OF YOUR WINDOWS

Windows has a pre-installed service, Find My Phone that helps you track your phone. Here, we list those steps to track your lost windows phone.

PLEASE NOTE : TRACKING OF YOUR WINDOWS PHONE CAN ONLY BE POSSIBLE IF YOU HAVE ENABLED THE WINDOWS PHONE TRACKING SERVICE BEFOREHAND

HOW TO ENABLE THE ‘FIND MY PHONE’ SERVICE

• Go to ‘Settings’
• Then select ‘System’
• Then select ‘Find My Phone’

Make sure you select these two options as well:

• Send apps to my phone using Push Notifications
• Save my phone’s location periodically and before the battery runs out make it easier to find

Push Notifications – The windows ‘Find My Phone’ service uses text messages to send apps and commands to your phone. However, selecting this option will enable the push notification service that can be faster than text messages.

Phone Location – As it says, enabling this option will save your phone’s location at regular intervals that can be utilized later to track your phone.

HOW TO USE THE ‘FIND MY PHONE’ SERVICE

Before you start reading ahead, a word of caution – To understand these steps one doesn’t have to be a ROCKET SCIENTIST as this is no ROCKET SCIENCE. THIS IS VERY VERY EASY!!!

Assuming you have enabled the service and have lost the phone; follow these simple steps.

• Go to your web browser (Firefox/Mozilla/Safari/ETC) and browse to windowsphone.com
• Sign in with your Microsoft Account

• Go to the ‘My Phone Menu’ and click ‘Find My Phone’

• Voila!!! A map will be displayed pinpointing exactly to your phone’s current location

To get a better view, you can easily zoom-in or zoom-out of the map.

Sometimes, it may so happen that the latest location of the phone is not displayed. In this case, do NOT panic. Just refresh the screen and it should be enough.

WHAT MORE CAN I DO WITH THIS FEATURE?

Ring Your Phone Remotely

Yes, that is possible. It may so happen that you might misplace the phone in your home or office. In such a scenario, this feature acts like a miracle. Just click ring and it will. Also, it doesn’t matter if the phone is set to Vibrating Mode or Silent Mode.

Lock Your Phone Remotely

Just like the ‘Ring’ function, the lock function helps you to Lock the phone. This function displays a custom message on your phone and helps you set a 4-digit PIN that you can use later to unlock your device.

Erase Phone Data Remotely

This is a handy function that helps you erase any confidential data/information that you may have stored in your phone. This is possibly the last gasp option to be used. This will reset the phone to default factory settings.

WHEN DOES THE FEATURE NOT WORK?

The Windows Find My Phone Service though is handy, it has a limitation. The phone needs to be switched on for this feature to work. Obviously this is no magic, this is technology. It will have its limitations. And well, if all you Android and iOS users are having a laugh, the same rule applies for you guys as well :P.

PHOTOGRAPHY TRICKS

5 Lenses You Must Buy If You Are A Wildlife Photographer

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cover image source : ettoday.net

Wildlife photography is one of the most exciting branches of photography. It requires the right temperament, a lot of patience, and the right kind of optics. Today, we shall be discussing the latter. Having a good lens that is suitable for shooting wild animals and birds will make sure you get beautiful, sharp, images. So let’s take a look at some of the best lenses available for wildlife photography.

1) Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR | Rating: 8/10 | Approx. Price: Rs. 36,000

source : amazon.com

The Nikon 70-300mm lens is one of the most versatile zoom lenses available on the market. A range of 70-300mm means that the lens can be used comfortably to capture images of birds as well as wild animals. Though it is recommended that you use the lens with a tripod to reduce camera shake, the lens can be sporadically used without a tripod as well, thanks to its VR (Vibration Reduction) facility. The lens produces sharp images with adequately blurred backgrounds, thus resulting in images with good bokeh.

2) Nikon 70-200 f/2.8G VR II | Rating: 9/10 | Approx Price: Rs. 1,30,000/-

source : nikon.com

The next lens on our list is the costly but excellent Nikon 70-200. This is another lens with multiple uses. Other than being the go to lens for wildlife photography, the lens works beautifully for portraits as well. The lens produces some of the sharpest images we’ve seen, thanks to its nano-coating and second generation VR technology. With its fast autofocus system and range, the lens is the ideal gadget for capturing quick moving animals and birds.

3) Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS Rating: 8/10 Approx Price: Rs. 46,000/-

source : bhphotovideo.com

In case you have a Canon camera, a great lens to have for wildlife photography is the 70-300mm. The long range makes it excellent for shooting birds and wild animals. At longer focal lengths, the added Image Stabilization feature comes into play, thus giving you detailed and sharp images.

4) Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II Rating 9/10 Approx Price: Rs. 4,00,000

source : ephotozine.com

The Canon 500mm L lens is one of the more expensive lenses but it is worth every penny. It deservedly wears the ‘L’ tag, signifying great optics and matching build quality. With a focal length of 500mm, this super-zoom lens is ideal for wildlife shots where the animals are pretty far away. It is one the sharpest zoom lenses from Canon, while also being light for its range. We recommended that the lens be used with a tripod in spite of the added IS II feature.

5) Tamron 18-270mm Di II Rating: 7/10 Approx. Price: Rs 22,000/-

source : ormsdirect.com

If you’re looking for an affordable zoom lens that is versatile, then this lens is one of your ideal options. Much cheaper than other zoom lenses, the Tamron 18-270 is a nifty little lens than can be used for wildlife photography, as well as regular shots. The lens is quite small for its range, hence easy to carry and convenient to use. It is fast as well as quiet, thus making it ideal for bird photography. The quite autofocus lets you capture birds without distracting them. If you are on a low budget but want to make the most of your passion, then this lens is for you.

8 New Features Of Google’s Latest Sweet Delight – Android Marshmallow

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Google conducted an event a few days ago to put more light on its latest Android iteration, the tastefully named Android Marshmallow. Though some of the basic features have been out for some time now, Google explained in detail the new features that make the new update exciting. So let’s have a look at the eight new features that have been added to Android Marshmallow.

1. App Permissions

Source: officialandroid.blogspot.in

Taking a leaf out of iOS’s book, Android has overhauled the way in which apps access the hardware as well as the software features of your Android device. For example, when you open the sound recorder, the app will promptly ask you for permission to use the mic. These prompts wouldn’t just come up when you open the app for the first time; the app would, in fact, prompt you whenever you use a certain feature within an app. This new method gives the user a whole lot of control over how their apps function.

2. New Cut Copy Paste Method.

Source: buffercode.in

Previous iterations of Android featured a tab of buttons on top of the screen whenever a user wanted to cut, copy or paste text on the screen. But the buttons featured images that were confusing at times and required some getting used to. Google decided to overcome this obstacle and have now introduced an Apple style pop up with the words cut, copy and paste, whenever a user holds down text. The pop up appears just above the text. This feature makes editing text a whole lot easier.

3. Chrome Custom Tabs

Source: slashgear.com

Looks like Google decided to go the Apple way for the third time. While using most of our apps, we are bound to come across links and when we click these links in Android, it launches either Chrome or another browser of our choice. Well not anymore. Like what Apple did with Safari. Google has gone ahead with Chrome Custom Tabs, a new Chrome page that opens up right on top of an app whenever a link is accessed. Thus, you are still within the app because the Chrome app is not launched separately. This integration of Chrome into apps will lead to a smoother internet experience.

4. Improved fingerprint support.

Source: officialandroid.blogspot.in

Fingerprint authentication in Android was limited to the lock screen. Now a fingerprint scan can be used to purchase items in Android Play and in other apps as well.

5. Better Link Identification.

Source: youtube.com

This new feature is another improvement over the links that are displayed in apps. In current Android versions, a click on the links pops out a window that lets us select the app to launch the link in. Android Marshmallow is designed to understand links better. So, now if you click a Twitter or YouTube link, Android will directly launch the Twitter or YouTube apps respectively, bypassing the pop up window. A much better way to use links, I must say.

6. New app drawer

Source: androidpit.info

Android Marshmallow features an all new app drawer that has white background which has now replaced the faded wallpaper seen previously. The new app drawer also scrolls vertically instead of horizontally.

7. Longer Battery Life

Source: financialexpress.com

In a bid to give the battery life of your device a significant boost, Android Marshmallow introduced ‘Doze’ feature. When the device is in a rested state, Doze recognises and automatically puts your android device to an almost off-state. This remarkably increases the standby battery life of your android device. And don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that you will miss any call, alarm or notification; Doze will take care of it.

8. Contextual Assistance

Source: pastemagazine.com

Now on Tap is Android Marshmallow’s most standout feature that makes it all more interesting. This predictive digital assistant anticipates what information you need in a particular moment. Suppose your friend sends an email about meeting you at some restaurant. Simply tap and hold on the home button and ‘Now on Tap’ will provide you with the map and other relevant information. It even suggests a calendar entry, so you don’t miss out anything and plan things better.

With so many interesting features to look out for, Android’s sweet delight – Marshmallow has become one of the most talked about Android additions. If you wish to get your hands to it, simply invest in a Nexus device.