How to Track or Locate Your Lost Phone with Android Device Manager

Losing your smart phone can be a big problem. Phone these days is not only a mobile device that can be used for various tasks, but it is also used to store various types of information, such as contacts, messages, credit card numbers, passwords, and other valuable infos, and therefore, losing such an important device can be a real big problem.

If you’ve lost your Android phone, don’t panic because Google has released a new service called Android Device Manager which will help you to locate your phone even if you haven’t installed a tracking app before it was lost.

The best thing about it is that you don’t need to install an app to be able to track your devices. The only requirement is that your lost device is connected to your Google account, GPS services enabled and connected to the internet.

How to locate your lost phone using Android Device Manager

First, visit www.google.com/android/devicemanager on your computer web browser and log in with your Google account. You may get a prompt asking you for permission to allow Android Device Manager to use location data. Click on the “Accept” button to continue.

Then a map will pop up with some information about your device. If you already have a device with GPS/location services turned ON then it should automatically appear on the map otherwise it will report that the location is unavailable. So it is a good time to head into your device’s location settings and make sure your GPS services are enabled. GPS doesn’t drain your battery unless it’s actively being used, so it wouldn’t hurt to leave it on for good.

In addition to tracking your phone location, the Android Device Manager also allows you to ring a lost phone, remotely lock the device, and erase all your data.

Select the ‘Ring’ option, and your device rings at maximum volume, even if it’s set to vibrate or silent. This is particularly helpful if you’ve lost it somewhere in the house.

Clicking on ‘Lock’ option will bring up a dialogue box that lets you remotely create a new password for the lock screen while the ‘Erase’ allow you to wipe all data from your device and return it to factory settings.

If you are sure that you can’t get your phone back and you have sensitive information on it, then the Erase option function will come in handy. After you click Erase, a pop up will prompt you to confirm the action and tell you that the procedure will erase all of the data from your device and reset it. If you confirm the erase, the device erases itself and reboots. Once your device has been wiped, you will no longer be able to access it from Android Device Manager. Also keep in mind that a remote factory reset may not wipe external SD memory cards.

To be able to use the Lock and Erase functions, you’ll need to enable Android Device Manageron your Android device. (If your device is already missing, then it is too late). To activate it, go to the Settings -> Security -> Device Administrators. From there, check the checkbox next toAndroid Device Manager. You’ll be prompted with the following screen. Tap Activate, and you’re all set.

Android Device Manager won’t work for devices that are powered off, but actions you initiate while the device is turned off will be performed as soon as the device is back online.

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Turn Your Android Phone Into a Gaming Console With PhoneJoy Play

With the advancements in smartphone technology, more and more complex games initially designed for PC and consoles have been ported to the mobile platforms.

There are thousands of great games available on Android platform, including action games, adventure games, MMORPG games, racing games, shooting games, etc, but playing those games with onscreen buttons isn’t much fun.

If you are an avid smartphone gamer and looking for an easy and convenient way to play games on your smartphone, then Phonejoy Play is the best solution for you.

PhoneJoy Play is a wireless gamepad that allows you to clamp smartphones of all sizes running Android and iOS into the controller, turning your phone into a portable console for great gaming on the go.

The PhoneJoy controller features a start button, a D-Pad, two analog sticks, four action buttons, four shoulder buttons and back buttons. The smartphone is placed between the two controller halves and the phone is secured in place with a sprung ratchet mechanism. Depending on the game you are playing, you may have your smartphone held in a horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait) position. The controller can be extended to fit smartphones and related devices up to 153 mm (6 inches) wide, and 14 mm (0.5 inch) thick.

When attached to a smartphone, it looks something like the Sony Playstation Vita and other similar portable gaming consoles.

This mobile gaming controller does not need to be hooked up to a smartphone to work, however. It can also be used as a standalone handheld controller. So, it can also work with iPad or an Android tablet, giving mobile gamers greater flexibility and more than one control option when playing mobile games.

Another great thing about the PhoneJoy controller is that it can also be used as a standalone controller for PCs running Windows, OS X, or Linux.

How it works

PhoneJoy Play controller makes use of Bluetooth to connect to desired devices. For Android (requires Android 2.1 and up), all you need to do is just turn ON the PhoneJoy controller and activate Bluetooth on your device, then launch the PhoneJoy app, which you can download for free from Google Play Store. The app will guide you through the necessary steps of pairing your controller with your Android device. It also provides a list of mobile games that are compatible with the controller. Currently, there are over 400 games on Android and IOS support the PhoneJoy controller.

Once paired, you can still use the user interface and touchscreen as normal, but when you get into a game, the controller will send the appropriate inputs to any app that is well coded.

You can also download this app before you buy, so you can look through the catalogue and decide if the controller is for you.

The PhoneJoy is now available for $79.9 in the US direct from PhoneJoy or through Amazon. The package includes:

• Phonejoy Bluetooth Game Controller
• microUSB charging cable
• 3.5mm Audio Adapter
• microUSB Power Adapter
• Soft Pouch
• Quick-start Guide
• Environmentally friendly packaging

The gamepad is also available in PRO package for $89.9 at Amazon which bundles a hard case and a small kickstand for your tablet if you want to use the controller in standalone mode.

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8 Best Free Apps for Your Android Wear Device

The long-awaited Android Wear is finally here with a wide range of wearable devices running the new platform. While the devices were just launched two months ago, but a number of Android app developers have been updated their apps with Android Wear support.

These apps range from ones that improve personal productivity to something more personable, allowing you to track your spending and manage your money. Now, let’s see some of the bestfree apps for Google’s Android Wear.

1. Wear Mini Launcher
   Wear Mini Launcher is the first Launcher app for Android Wear. It displays an app drawer with all the apps installed on your smartwatch that lets you quickly launch apps by simply tapping the respective icons. If you have a lot of apps installed, this can make it easier for you to find the app you’re looking for.
   To use the app, you need to install it on your smartphone. While the smartwatch is still connected with your phone, open the app on your smartwatch to launch the app grid for the first time. Swiping right to the top left side of your smartwatch will open the app drawer where you will be able to see all the apps that are installed in your wearable.

2. IFTTT
   IFTTT, short for If This Then That, is one of the best Android Wear apps available in the market today. The app allows you to set rules to perform a specific function if an event happens. For example, you can tell it to send your phone a text message when you receive an email from your significant other, or automatically uploading photos to Dropbox that you post to Instagram. Of course, there are dozens of other things you can do with it which is what makes it so powerful.

3. Wear Aware – Phone Finder
   Wear Aware – Phone Finder is a very useful tool for your Android wear watch that can help you locate your phone when it’s out of sight.
   With Phone Finder, your smartwatch will start vibrating and buzzing on your wrist when you’ve accidentally left your phone behind. It also allows you to activate an alarm on the phone so you can locate it easier. It’s great for those times when you’ve lost it and do not remember where you put it.

4. RunKeeper – GPS Track Run Walk
   By default, Android Wear has integrated step-counting support but Runkeeper takes that a step further by offering more detailed stats. It provides at-a-glance run tracking info right on your wrist – the travel distances and detailed progress and stats during and after the run.
   You can also start tracking a run with just a voice action, and even see the calories you’ve burned.
   
5. Evernote for Android Wear
   Evernote is a powerful note-taking app that’s now compatible with Android Wear devices. With Evernote for Android Wear, you can create a note with simple voice commands or view a note from your watch.
   You can also check off to-dos by tapping your smartwatch, as well as add new checklists by speaking the to-do name. You can even search for a specific note right on your watch using voice commands, and you get automatic alerts on your watch when you set a calendar event in Evernote.

6. Level Money
   Level Money is a personal finance app that can help small business owners track their spending and manage their money. The app shows you your last transaction as well as how much spendable money you have left in your budget.
   You can also set a daily spending limit which you update every time you make a purchase. This will helps you stick to a strict budget.
   To get started, just link your bank account or credit cards to the Android smartphone app. The app will automatically track your income, savings and recurring bills, then show you your “spendable” cash, so you know how much you can buy that month, week or day. Level Money also links to Android Wear devices so you can view your spendable balance and transaction right from your wrist.

7. Lyft
   Lyft is an awesome app that lets people call for a ride from their Android phone, and now from the watch. With this app, you can get a cab to one of your saved locations without having to use your phone. Just simply ask the app to ‘call me a car’ and a Lyft driver will be on your way. The app will send you notification about timing and approaching drivers. If you’re looking for a quick ride, then this might be helpful to you.
   However, this service is currently only available in most major U.S. cities (check the full list here). So if you are living outside the US then this is not the right app for you.

8. Duolingo
   Duolingo is the best app to learn a new language, and the app is now compatible with Android Wear. It will help Android Wear’s user to recognize if the words are pronounced properly and help you improve your language skills.
   This app uses voice, multiple choice and text translation in order to help users learn new languages in small and interactive lessons. It’s totally free and contains numerous exercises for each course. Duolingo currently offers courses for 31 languages including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portuguese. For anyone who wants to learn a new language, Duolingo is the best free app to download on your android wear watch.

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Facebook Messenger Updated with Voice Message Support for Android Wear

After WhatsApp released a beta version for Android to support Android Wear devices, Facebook has also pushed an update to its Messenger app for Android that adds support forAndroid Wear.

The update brings support for voice messages directly from an Android Wear smartwatch, so that you can immediately respond to your friend’s message by talking to the watch. And if a voice message isn’t feasible at the moment, the messenger app also lets users send a “thumbs up” or “like” response to any message on the app.

Earlier the app only displayed phone’s notifications, but now you can read, like as well as reply to messages on Facebook with this app.

Since the Android Wear uses swipes to switch between the features inside an app, you can just swipe to access voice messages, like with a big thumbs-up symbol and more. You can also mute conversations right from the smartwatch’s notifications bar.

The updated Facebook Messenger app is now available on the Google Play Store.

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Android Wear: What Can The Google’s Smartwatch OS Do?

What is Android Wear?

Android Wear is a version of Google’s Android operating system designed for wearable devices, such as smartwatches. Google has partnered with several device makers like Sony, Samsung, LG, Asus, HTC, and Motorola to create Android Wear-based watches. It’s also teamed up with companies such as Intel and Qualcomm for the chip technology.

The first phase of Android Wear launch devices includes LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live, and Motorola Moto 360, and the world’s first two Android Wear watches, the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live, have already been revealed at the Google I/O 2014 and can be ordered via the Google play store or through Amazon.

What can Android Wear do?

The aim of Android Wear is to change the way users interact with wearable devices by bringing relevant information as well as notifications to wearer. As an operating system that is wearable, it makes suggestions to the user based on the current time, factoring in geographical information with the data, making the experience much more context-sensitive.

Android wear includes “Google Now” functionality for performing searches and issuing commands. you can simply say “OK Google” to ask quick questions. You can then get quick responses in the form of informational cards. You can get sports scores and schedules, check the weather, see the time in other time zones, translate words or phrases, get calories counts, check stocks, convert between units, and many more. For more details about instructions for each task, see the Android wear help page here.

In addition to that, Android Wear will help you monitor your fitness and health, as you can get fitness reminders and summaries as well as utilizing your favorite sports apps. Android Wearwill also let users access and control other devices such as music players, phones and TVs on your wrist.

Developers interested in developing for Android Wear compatibility can sign up to participate in a developer preview that is already available at developer.android.com/wear.

Below is a developer video detailing Android Wear and its basic functionality.

How does Android Wear work?

To use the Android wear device, you need to pair it with a phone or tablet running Android 4.3 or higher. More information about how to pair Android wear watch with your phone is availablehere.

Once that’s done, visit your phone settings and give your watch permission to access yournotifications. After you’ve allowed access, everything that shows up on your phone will shows up on your watch. You can also set different actions for different voice commands using settings in the Android Wear app.

Android Wear: Google’s Next Big Thing

There are lots of possibilities for wearable tech. At the moment it’s only found on smartwatches but over the coming years we’ll start to see it turn up on other wearable technology, like clips, pendants, and maybe even Google Glass.

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Two Simple Methods to Factory Reset Your Android Wear Watch

There are many different reasons why you might want to factory reset your Android Wearsmartwatch. For example, you might want to sell the watch and make sure all your personal data is removed from the device beforehand or just feeling like a fresh start or free up space. Whatever the reasons, you can easily restore your Android Wear watch to its out-of-box state. Here are two simple methods to perform a factory reset on an Android Wear device.

Please note that performing this action will erase all data stored on your smartwatch such as notifications and cards, fitness data, third-party apps, system settings and preferences. However, the smartphone counterpart will be unaffected. After the reset you’ll need to re-pair the watch with your smartphone again.

Method #1: Reset with Touch Display

1. Tap your watch’s screen to turn it on.
2. Tap again on the background and you’ll see a white screen with a red “G”.
3. Tap anywhere on the screen and a menu will show up
4. Scroll down until you see “Settings” option and tap on it.
5. Now, scroll down and select “Reset device.”
6. Confirm you want to reset your Android Wear watch by tapping the check icon.

After confirming the reset, the device will power off and perform a factory reset.

Method #2: Reset with Voice Commands

1. From the home screen, say “Ok Google”.
2. At next screen, say “Settings”.
3. Then scroll down until you see “Reset device” and tap on it.
4. Confirm your choice and wait for your Android wear to revert to factory settings.

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How to Play .VOB Video File On Android

VOB is a file extension that mostly found on DVD disks. A VOB extension can contain anything from audio and video to subtitle and menu information. Unfortunately, it is a kind of file format that are not supported by the default Android video player.

To be able to play .VOB files, you need to install a third-party video player, which can play various formats including .VOB format, in your Android device. One of the best Android video player apps to play .VOB file is Wondershare Player. Wondershare player is a free media player that lets you play video and audio files in all popular media file format like AVI, FLV, MKV, WMV, VOB, MOV, RM, RMVB, ASF, MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, M2TS, F4V, 3GP, and more.

It also supports subtitles embedded video files, such as .SSA, .SMI, .SRT, .SUB, .MPL, .PSB, and .TXT.

How to Play .VOB Video File on Android using Wondershare Player

1. Download and install Wondershare player app on your Android phone or tablet
2. Once installed, launch the app
3. On the Local menu, tap on the ‘three horizontal lines’ that are placed at the top left corner of the screen and then tap on ‘Gear’ icon to open the settings menu.

4. In the Settings menu, tap on ‘Decoding Mode’ option.

5. Now, you’ll see a number of file formats which are supported by Wondershare player. Find ‘VOB’ format and tap on it and then check the ‘Auto’ option. Done!

Now, Wondershare Player will start supporting .VOB video files in your Android phone and you can start playing the video file without any interruption.

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