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Category: Hardware

Any posts that pertain to specific hardware, but aren’t being reviewed, can be found under this category.

What to Do If Your Android Phone is Stolen or Lost
Are you a victim of phone theft? Whether you’re worried about the data the phone holds or its value, having your phone stolen is always frustrating. Still, losing your phone doesn’t have to be a terrible experience.

It takes a few seconds for your phone to disappear. You forget it on the store’s counter and the next customer simply puts it in his pocket. Someone bumps into you while you’re walking and lifts it out of your pocket. The examples are limitless, but it’s also possible to find Android phones if you know how to do it.

So, if your phone is missing, you don’t have to panic. There are several options that can get you your phone back.

Prepare yourself

As soon as you buy your new Android phone, prepare for the unfortunate event of someone stealing it or you losing it. I am Frank Thompson, a technology and small business provider of help with business planning for owners. This is what I always tell my clients: People say that it’s better to be early than to be too late. This applies to technology, too. Good tech companies implement methods that will help you recover the phone, but it is your responsibility as a customer to make sure that you can use those options when the time comes.

Here are some tips that will help you prepare yourself for such situations:
- Turn on the fingerprint and passcode authentication. Don’t just rely on face authentication (it can be tricked simply by using your photo).
- Turn on Google’s ‘Find my device’ in your Android device manager to be able to erase and lock the phone as soon as you lose it. Check if this feature is enabled in Security and Location > Find My Device.
- If you’re using a Samsung phone, enable the Samsung’s ‘Find my mobile’ service, too. This is an extra precaution that you should definitely have.
How do I locate my phone?

If you’ve already lost your phone or had it stolen, there are a couple of things you can do on Android to track it.

Use the ‘Find my device’ feature

Most phones have this option enabled, so even if you didn’t do it before it got stolen, odds are that you can still track it. Access this page immediately when you notice that your phone is gone. Once you do, sign in to the Google account that you linked to the phone.

You can access this on your computer or download their app from the Play Store from another device. Once you do it, Google will start locating your phone. Surely, it would have to be online on for this to work. If it’s not, Google will inform you as soon as the phone is online.

As soon as the app or site finds your phone, you can use one of their options: erase the device data, lock it down, or make it play a sound so that you can locate it in your home.

If you choose to secure the device, you can choose the message that will appear on the lock screen. You can also sign out of the account, but continue to locate the phone.

However, if you hope to find the phone, don’t erase the device. This is your very last choice if nothing else works.

Use your smart watch

Many people today have a smart watch that they pair with their phone. If you have your watch but not your phone, you can use it to find it. The watch will look for your phone and tell you about its location. However, if you plan to use the Bluetooth connectivity, this won’t really work unless the thief is nearby or your phone has been lost in a location that’s within the Bluetooth range.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Use Samsung’s Find My Mobile Service

This applies only if you own a Samsung phone. Their special feature for tracking phones can be really helpful if you’ve turned it on. You can use it to locate the phone once it’s lost or stolen. To use this service, visit this website.

Report the phone as stolen

This rarely works, but who knows? The police might be able to find your phone if you report it fast. And if it’s covered by insurance, you definitely need to do this to claim your money.

To report a phone theft, you need the IMEI number. You can find it on the box or in the phone’s settings menu. Write it down as soon as you buy the phone. They’ll also need your phone’s model, version, brand, color, as well as your phone number, chosen mobile network, and some information about the theft such as date and location.

Out of all these things, the IMEI is the most important. Without it, you might never find your phone, but you’re also not entitled to the insurance money.

Image by TeroVesalainen from Pixabay

What to do if you can’t locate your smartphone

Have you tried everything and failed? If you have, there are three things you should do.

Firstly, file an insurance claim and report your smartphone as stolen. This should give you a refund and it will blacklist the device so that no one else can use it. It’s not ideal, but it’s definitely comforting to know that the thief risked it for nothing.

Secondly, you can wipe the data on the Find My Device website. You don’t want the thief to be able to access your phone’s information.

Finally, disable the cell phone service. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying huge phone bills if the thief decides to use the phone after stealing it. It’s a strange thing to consider, but it has happened plenty of times.

Conclusion

I hope that these steps help you find your lost or stolen phone. The situation is frustrating and stressful, but if you’re able to locate your phone, that means that you might be able to recover it. Still, remember that you shouldn’t confront the thieves on your own. If you find their location, call the police.

Unfortunately, the tricks above don’t always work. Thieves know their way around these, so you might never get your phone back. That’s why it is smart to get insurance and enable the features above so that you can at least get some refund and be able to erase your personal data.

Author’s Bio

Frank Thompson, a business marketing expect and a financial advisors, has recently decided to share his wisdom with people online. Ever since, his wise words have been published on multiple websites online. With his help and guidance, hundreds of new small businesses have developed a better financial and marketing strategy.
August 1, 2019
How To Access Blocked Websites: All You Need To Know

It can be seriously annoying not being able to access a website because it’s blocked, particularly if you need to get something done urgently.

Yet it can happen so often, public spaces will often deny access to certain websites on their WiFi, including sites such as Facebook, betting sites and other aspects of social media.

However, there are ways around this and if you’re clever enough you can open up the web to whatever you need.

Use a VPN

If you’re looking how to accessed block websites, one of the best places to start is using a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network essentially gives you a secure connection to a different network in the internet, enabling you to access websites that would be otherwise blocked.

What that does is place your IP address somewhere completely different, bypassing the network you’re actually connected to.

This is also great for streaming the likes of Netflix and BBC iPlayer even if you’re not on the correct country. Website namely Top50VPN listed best VPN for streaming that can be used and well-recommended.

Proxy websites are another way around accessing blocked websites and are incredibly easy to use.

There are hundreds of proxy websites out there which will give you unrestricted access to the internet. How this works is the proxy basically camouflages the blocked site allowing you to use them.

Switch your Nnetwork proxy

In many cases, such as in schools or offices, your network may have multiple proxies.

This could mean that while a website might be blocked on one proxy, it may not be on another. Switch them around and you could be given open access to the internet.

It’s relatively easy to switch, all you need to do is head to the connection settings and select the other proxy. It really is that simple.

Use an IP anonymizer

An IP anonymizer will keep you anonymous online and is worth using simply for that. However, if you use one then you can also access blocked websites.

It’s a double win in this case too as you’ll also avoid any tracking on the network as you’re accessing the blocked websites via a piece of kit that will keep you in the shadows.

Use IP over URL

It’s usually the URL which gets blocked on networks so by using the IP instead you may be able to access these blocked sites.

To get the IP of a website, you can use “nslookup” followed by the domain name which will reveal this.

From there just paste the IP address into the browser and it could open up otherwise blocked sites.

April 5, 2018
How to Determine Whether it is Possible to Repair a Dead Hard Drive Yourself

Has your hard drive suddenly died and left you high and dry? If there was nothing important on it then it the easiest option is to just buy a new hard drive, but if you have important information that you don’t want to lose you may be thinking about repairing it.

Unfortunately repairing a dead hard drive is easier said than done, and in some cases it may not even be possible for you to do it yourself.

But before you get to that though, you first need to identify what the problem is – at least roughly.

It is important to note that a ‘dead’ hard drive is one that is completely inoperable. Sometimes hard drives may fail for other reasons such as bad sectors that may make them unable to boot up.

If that is the case you may be able to repair your hard drive using software, and recover information from it by plugging it into a different computer.

However if your hard drive is dead then there could be several causes. The most common are issues involving the motor, disk head, or PCB board.

If the motor or disk head of your hard drive are the issue then you should be aware that repairing it is extremely difficult.

To do so you would have to open up the hard drive and diagnose then fix the problem – which is generally not something that amateurs should attempt.

In most cases if you try to repair a dead hard drive yourself in this way, you’re likely to permanently damage it and lose whatever data is on it for good.

On the other hand if the PCB board is the issue then you may be in a bit of luck as you can buy a replacement PCB board and switch it out relatively easily.

It will still need a bit of technical expertise and you’ll have to make sure that the replacement board that you buy is compatible with your hard drive – but it is at least a possibility.

The only caveat is that there it is difficult to know beforehand whether the PCB board is the issue. Normally if there are scorch marks near the PCB board then it is likely to be the problem, but they aren’t always present.

As such your best bet will be to just try replacing it anyway – and see if it works.

As you may be starting to realize, as much as it may sound like a good idea to repair a hard drive yourself – there is a lot involved in actually attempting to do so.

If you really want to be sure of salvaging the data on your hard drive it is always best to take it to a professional who has both the tools and the expertise for the job.

However if you’re feeling adventurous and would like to give it a go for yourself, at least you now know how to determine whether or not that is possible.

December 18, 2017
New Releases – What To Expect From Your Next Smartphone

Remember when you got your first smartphone? The excitement of unboxing it, the mild irritation of needing to charge it, the first, typo-laden, text that we sent as we got used to the keyboard layout?

Yes, smartphones changed our lives in a heartbeat, and taught us all the word “app” into the bargain. The future was here!

As we round the corner towards 2018, we’re all over that initial excitement. No new smartphone can really come close to the great leap forward that came with the first generation, so we need to be more discerning with our purchases.

With some of the latest releases verging on costing an average month’s salary, which recent and forthcoming releases are worth moving up to from your current phone?

Apple’s iPhone 8

By far the market leaders, Apple are innovating again– the iPhone 8, recently released, has a veritable feast of delights. As with previous iterations, it’s big on innovation, with the home button replaced by a touch-sensitive digital version.

Also, as Lucky Nugget Casino note, the phone can be charged wirelessly from greater range than rival releases. Its speedy processor, too, makes it one of the most reactive phones on the market.

Samsung’s Galaxy S9

Not much is known for sure about the next Galaxy, except that it could be here a lot earlier than expected, with rumours swirling that it will be on sale by February 2018.

“Slow” and “fast” are the key words as far as features go; the super slo-mo video capability will allow for 1,000 frames a second, while the superfast processor will allow for downloading HD movies in ten seconds.

Google’s Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL

Google boldly hope that their new Pixel phone will persuade even iPhone fans to break with their brand loyalty, and they’re throwing a lot at it to make that more likely.

They’ve overhauled the camera for much sharper pics. The six-inch XL display is incredibly detailed whether you’re viewing those pics or watching a movie – and the Active Edge squeezable frame lets you launch Google Assistant wordlessly.

Huawei’s Mate 10/Mate 10 Pro

As Chinese tech becomes more and more competitive, their leading smartphone brand may not be the name on everyone’s lips– but they keep launching reliable, good-value phones.

That’s actually damning the Mate 10 with faint praise; its SmartScreen function allows two apps to run side-by-side in the same display without lagging, which is no small feat. A twenty-minute charge is enough to see you through a day, too, which is revolutionary if you’re an iPhone user.

HTC’s U12

Many smartphone connoisseurs see HTC as consistently the best of the bunch, with phones that deliver innovative function, reliability, and ease of use without compromise.

The U12, which will be with us in May, is set to be every bit as good. An eye-popping 96% screen-to-body ratio is the least of it; they’ve managed to work a fingerprint scanner and powerful speakers into the screen.

It’s going to be later to market than its rivals, but with a Snapdragon 845 processor and beautiful design, it may be worth the wait.

October 24, 2017
The Samsung Galaxy 8 Plus Features We’re Really Excited About

The trend with gadgets nowadays is sleek and high-quality visuals. People are not just looking for practicality anymore, they want something that looks stylish and offers the high definition experience too.

This is why Apple and Samsung have been releasing “Plus” variants in their line. It is not just to prolong the current model’s buzz but to produce something that a number of customers are looking for.

For that reason, bigger screens and elegant designs are being released in flagship lines, and one top contender is the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus which you can soon get at Harvey Norman or any tech shop you frequent.

There are a lot of smartphones that will be rolled out this year, apart from Apple and Samsung, of course. If you are currently looking into replacing the one you have now, you will need a guide to help you narrow down your list.

So just like everyone else, we will talk about why the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus should be on top of your list of smartphones to consider buying this year.

6.2-inch display

Obviously, one of the first things we need to talk about is the display. The Galaxy S8 Plus dons a 6.2-inch display and is also narrower than the Apple iPhone 7 Plus which has a 5.5-inch display.

This makes the S8 offer more of a high definition display than other smartphones available on the market. Of course, until Apply unboxes the iPhone 8. But for now, this is your best bet in terms of high rate display.

Gorilla Glass 5

You have probably watched a lot of videos testing the smartphone’s damage proof capabilities, people flinging their phones on walls, dipping them in water and so on.

The Apple phone is made of glass in front and metal on the back. The Galaxy S8 Plus, however, is made of Gorilla Glass 5 at the front and back, and this increases the protection on your smartphone against drops from up to a height of 5 feet or maybe more.

Bluetooth 5.0

The first phones that will support the Bluetooth 5.0 are the Galaxy S8 and Plus flagships. The Bluetooth 5.0 is, in one word, awesome. It offers twice the speed, four times the range, and eight times the broadcasting capacity.

Think of this way, once you have your Galaxy S8 Plus, you can connect two Bluetooth headphones all at once. Additionally, it offers low energy functionality and can coexist with other wireless technologies.

Bixby

The Samsung counterpart of Apple’s Siri is the intelligent digital assistant called Bixby. Right now, people are saying that it is more powerful than Siri and has three main parts. Bixby Voice will enable you to trigger the voice-powered digital assistant by calling or pressing a button.

Bixby Vision can see through the built-in camera and can identify objects and make a search. Lastly, Bixby Home will give you access to various information when you swipe right from the home screen like the weather.

Wireless charging

Something that is also making everyone giddy is the wireless charging capabilities. You might think that plugging a charger into a wall is not going to be as frustrating, but it actually is, especially if you need your phone for something urgent.

So the slap on a battery pack that will be offered by the Samsung line will get the “plugging in the right cord” out of the way. Rumours say that iPhone 8 would have the wireless charging feature, too, but was scrapped.

We will have to wait until the launch of the iPhone 8, but it seems the Samsung line has made improvements on it.

There only a couple of days until the Samsung Galaxy 8 will be released and we are already looking forward to getting our hands on it!

April 23, 2017
6 Reasons Why Expandable Memory on a Smartphone is a Good Thing

Cloud storage seems like a popular, convenient, and cheap way to store and access your files from anywhere. Many popular smartphones don’t come equipped with expandable memory, so questioning cloud storage isn’t an option.

Find out why expandable memory can be a preferred alternative to cloud storage and why you may want to consider a smartphone with this ability for your next purchase.

1. No monthly fees

Similar to many popular internet services today, storing files in the cloud comes with a monthly fee. While that fee may stand at only $10 a month, the costs add up quickly when considering your other monthly bills and subscriptions.

Many will argue that expandable memory is more expensive and harder to access, but when purchasing a micro SD card, you pay a one-time fee and can easily switch the card for use among your devices.

2. Access to files from anywhere — even without Wi-Fi connectivity

Let’s say you have a long flight or are driving through an underdeveloped area. You open up your mobile device to play your favorite tracks, but you don’t have internet access, and your music is stored in the cloud.

It looks like you’ll be marching to the beat of your own drum.

With expandable memory options, you have the power to reach all your media files, even in remote areas where Wi-Fi and mobile data services can’t be reached.

Having this feature will save you much of the frustration that comes from not being able to access your files when you need them the most.

3. No privacy leaks

While you may not be a highly publicized personality with sensitive data, you — as we all do — probably have some private files you’d rather keep to yourself.

Storing your data on the internet makes it more vulnerable to being leaked to the public, a situation that can easily be eliminated by implementing expandable memory use. Making the simple decision to store information physically, rather than digitally, adds an extra cushion of protection to your private life.

4. Easily expandable

Some cloud users might argue that micro SD cards don’t offer enough storage space. However, cards come in a variety of storage sizes, and if you run out of space, purchasing an extra card is cheap and easy.

Plus, many smartphones and tablets support expandable memory options, so you won’t have to feel limited when making a purchase.

5. Freedom of choice

Purchasing a smartphone with the option to expand beyond the internal memory provided is always the best choice. If you use cloud storage as a home for your files, you shouldn’t eliminate devices with expandable options from your wish list or dismiss the benefits that physical storage provides.

Being able to make choices over ways you use your devices is great, but when you purchase devices that allow for internal or cloud storage only, you give up the option to make choices.

Purchasing a mobile device, such as the new Galaxy S7, will give you the choice to store your files using expandable memory options or online storage services.

An added benefit when making this choice is that you can always have a double storage space for your information for added protection.

6. More memory, less to remember

Many of us live through hectic schedules; some days we wish we had expandable memory for ourselves. Having an expandable memory feature on your mobile device, however, can help free up some space in your mind.

Eliminating monthly fees not only helps your wallet, but also allows you to not worry about remembering to make those payments again. Missing payments can add unwanted fees and harm your credit.

You’ll also never have to remember a password when working with micro SD cards. Who needs another password to remember?

Whether you want to have added security attached to your files, one less monthly subscription to worry about, or the freedom to access your files in areas where they were once inaccessible, having expandable memory is the best option to simplify your life.

When purchasing your next device, be sure to choose smart and select a device that supports expandable memory options.

October 7, 2016
All You Need to Know About Solid-State Drives!
Solid-state drives or SSDs have become a lot more common in recent years, thanks to improvements in technology and rising market demands. Despite being better than hard disk drives or HDDs, many manufacturers and consumers prefer HDDs over SSDs.

If you are in two minds about buying an SSD, you’ve come to the right place! This post has all you need to know about SSDs, so read on and decide for yourself if they are worth your money.

What are solid-state drives?

A solid-state drive is a storage device that stores data persistently using integrated circuit assemblies as memory. An SSD carries out the same functions as that of an HDD, but in a more efficient and direct manner.

How Solid State Drives different from Hard disk drives?

Hard disk drives have been the traditional form of computer storage for years, making them relatively ancient technology. They use magnetism to store data on stacked platters that spin around a central axis, called a spindle. Information is read from and written to the HDD via a read/write head that is positioned above the spinning platters.

On the other hand, SSDs use flash memory to store data. They have no moving parts; instead of using read/write heads and platters, SSDs have interconnected integrated circuits with an interface connector.

What makes solid-state drives better than hard disk drives?

Solid-state drives have several advantages over hard disk drives as detailed below.
- Speed: The spinning platters and read/write heads in HDDs make the process time-consuming and mechanical. Data transfer in SSDs is quicker,particularly during small block transfers for transaction processing.
- Latency: Data transfer in HDDs is sequential, which means that the read/write heads must ‘seek’ appropriate points on the platters to execute operations. This seek time can contribute to latency. Conversely, data transfer in SSDs is random access and physical location of data is irrelevant, thus reducing latency and contributing to overall speed.
- Fragmentation: HDDs can suffer from fragmentation when large files are stored scattered around the platters. This can affect read/write algorithms, requiring HDDs to be defragmented periodically. In SSDs, drive performance is not affected by fragmentation, making them faster and eliminating the need for defragmenting.
- Failure Rate: Failure rates for both drives are almost similar, but SSDs fare better than HDDs- mean time between failures in the former is 2 million hours as compared to 1.5 million hours in the latter.
- Vibration and Noise: The spinning platters and read/write heads can cause HDDs to vibrate and emit whirring and clicking noises. SSDs are virtually noiseless as they are non-mechanical.
- Heat Generation: HDDs use more electricity owing to moving parts, thereby generating more heat. As SSDs don’t have moving parts, they consume less power and generate comparatively less heat.
- Durability: The moving parts in HDDs make them vulnerable to damage from sudden jerks, falls, and temperature extremes. SSDs are more durable even when the device is operating. For demanding applications and harsh environments, consider purchasing a drive from an industrial & military SSD manufacturer.
- Reliability: The rapid movement of platters and read/write heads in HDDs can cause head crashes in the event of electronic or power failures, physical shocks or vibration, wear and tear, corrosion, or poor manufacturing. SSDs are more reliable than HDDs as there’s no risk of mechanical failure.
August 31, 2016
Go Big: Larger Tablets for Bigger Jobs
Is it time to upgrade your tablet? If it’s more than a couple of years old, you probably should. You’ve missed out on a lot of advances in display definition, better processors, and higher RAM that could make your tablet experience a lot smoother and more productive.

Tablets are also a lot lighter and thinner, with tons of apps and features and can even measure up to a laptop at 15.6 inches in display size. Bigger tablets can be better, and not much heavier than a smaller device, but still loads lighter than a laptop.

Size Matters

Working consistently on a small screen and mini keyboard can be annoying, so if you’re doing a lot more work with your tablet, it’s worth it to upgrade both in terms of display and functionality. Larger format screens start at 10 inches and can exceed the size of laptop displays.

The most popular sizes are the newer and pricier 12 inch models or the more affordable 10 inch models like the Nook Galaxy Tab 4 by Samsung. Depending on what you use a tablet for – a multimedia device, gaming, graphic design, or as a laptop replacement – you’ll want to consider the specifications carefully.

Very often a tablet that you think is a great deal may not have good resolution, or a more up-to-date processor, or enough RAM to do what you want it to do.

Shop for Right, Not Cheap

Tablets are a fast growing segment of the world market. As people need to bring the internet with them, and in a more easily usable form than a laptop, tablets users worldwide are estimated by eMarketer to pass the 1 billion mark this year.

Tablets have a lot going for them, including portability, ease of use, and a variety of applications available via sources such as iTunes for iPads, Google Store for Android devices. Shopping for a cheap tablet risks getting locked into older versions of operating systems without as much functionality, or getting stuck with outdated hardware.

If you want a useful tablet that you’ll still be using two years from now, getting a newer model is critical. Here’s a few of the things you’ll need to look for.
- Operating System: Android has just released version 6 of its operating system called Marshmallow, and iOS for Apple devices is on version 9. Windows operating systems are also available, but you should look for them to be running at least Windows 8 and not Windows RT, which is becoming quickly obsolete. Windows RT does not support Microsoft legacy software, and apps are thin on the ground at the Windows Store. There are also some tablets coming to market with the Chrome OS from Google, with all the apps you can find for Android. At the moment, Statista notes that Android is the most popular OS across all devices, with 66 percent of the global market share.
- CPU: The GHz doesn’t always tell you the whole story since the number of cores also factors in. You’ll find dual core, quad-core, octo-ore, and even multiple processors, depending on the model and manufacturer. In general, the higher the GHZ, the better. You’ll find Apple with their own proprietary chips, but some of the most popular processors are Intel Atoms and I-series, NVIDIA Tegra, Snapdragon, and Exynos.
- RAM: You’ll find that tablets running Windows usually have the most RAM, generally because they are running the full Windows OS in either version 8 or 10. More lightweight OS tablets from Chrome, Android, and Apple have 2GB to 3GB. The more RAM you have and the better your processor, the more smoothly your tablet will run, with less hanging and crashing.
- Display: Most tablets now offer way better than 1080P, with resolutions typically in the 2560×1600 range. Also check out the PPI (Pixels Per Inch) number.
The adoption of tablets is one of the fastest growing demographics, with 45 percent of Americans owning and using a tablet as of the recent Pew Research survey. A tablet fills a lot of the niches once taken up by portable DVD players, full-sized laptops, MP3 players, and GPS devices. You may end up consolidating a lot of your extraneous devices into a tablet with additional peripherals such as a Bluetooth keyboard, stylus, speakers, and headset.

With cloud-based applications, you will find that everything from gaming to homework is portable in a way that’s not possible with a laptop, and more usable than a smaller format tablet or smartphone. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, you should be able to get some great deals on newer models with just a point and click – or a swipe and tap.
November 27, 2015