LOCATE MY LOST ANDROID DEVICE: ANDROID DEVICE MANAGER

If you lost your Android device it’s not only about the burden of having to replace the phone. Your privacy and security are at risk. Your phone can reveal tons of information about you and those who are close to you.

Here we will discuss about measures we can take to recover your lost Android device. You have three options.

1.  Android device manager 
2. Using Google Map
3. Using apps like AirDroid

Like AirDroid there is a number of phone recovery or anti-theft apps are available on the Google Play Store.

If you haven’t installed any phone recovery app before it lost still there are a few ways to remote control and track your phone.

Android Device Manager:

If your device is running on Android 2.2 or above you can use Android Device Manager to find your device. You also will need to be signed into your Google Account.

How to use the Android Device Manager

First of all you will have to make sure that the Android Device Manager is enabled as a device administrator. You can do it by going to Settings >> Security and Screen Lock >> Device Administrators on your Android device. If your devices menus are different, then use your user manual to find it and select the box that says “Android Device Manager.” Well done it’s over.

Now, update the location settings of your device. Actually, GPS is not necessary to locate your device, if enabled it will make the readings more accurate so enable GPS services. Please don’t worry about the battery it will drain your battery only when it’s actively being used.

Now, select the “Google Settings” App and select Android Device Manager from the list and select the boxes named “Remotely locate this device” and “Allow remote lock and factory reset.” Done, you have enabled the Android Device Manager.

Go to https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager the Android Device Manager has very simple and user friendly dashboard. Using it you can:

1        Locate your device: You can see the location of your Android device on the map with the name of the place and also the time it was last used and located. You can spot out the exact location by zooming in.

2        You can ring your device: This feature will be useful when your phone is misplaced in your own home or office. You are trying to ring your phone from another phone to find it, but it is silent or vibrate mode this will help you. Ring your device using Android Device Manager; it will ring for 5 minutes at the highest volume.

3        Lock your device: Lockup your device remotely will be helpful if you wish to lock your Android device; therefore, no one will access your sensitive private information. You can click on the Lock button of Android Device Manager to lock your device. The device manager will ask you to enter a new password twice and the device will be locked.

4        Erase Device: Using this option you can factory reset your device. This will erase all your content and settings from your device. After the reset you will not be able to track your device using Android Device Manager. Erase Device may not erase your personal data on external SD cards.

For using the above said options:

Your device must be connected with your Google account and must have access to the internet.

How to use Google Maps to find a lost phone:

If you want to use Google Maps to find your phone, then location Reporting and Location History of your device should be activated. You can do this using the Google Settings app on your device. The Location History feature of Google Maps is not intended find out a lost device, but you can use it to locate your phone.

Simply, go to the Google Maps Location History and select the current date on the calendar. Then click on “Show timestamps” and scroll down to find out the latest timestamp, then click on to see the last available location. Google Maps location history is less accurate since it uses cell tower IDs and Wi-Fi location detection to collect location data.

To use this method:

 Your device should be connected with your Google account and must have access to the internet.

Using third party apps like AirDroid, Lookout, etc.

Using one of the third party apps is another alternative. These apps offers features like lock, locate, wipe, sound the alarm and take photos of whoever tries to unlock the device etc.

Unfortunately these apps are all paid ones and you do have to pay for a premium subscription if you want to use advanced features like remotely lock and wipe the device, take the picture of the person who try to unlock the device etc.

Important: If you think that your device has been stolen then the first thing you should do is to contact police for help.

50 Google Tips and Tricks: Interesting Tricks and Tips to save time

Hundreds of millions of folks round the globe use Google Search to hunt out data on something and everything. There are quite a ton of hidden secrets and options of Google are waiting to be discovered.

Google.com

Do you apprehend that you can use Google not just for looking out content on the web? Actually, you'll be able to use Google for doing several things such as calculating, converting, comparing foods, obtaining necessary information and you can even play with it. You simply have to type some straightforward commands as a search and you're done. Have some fun together with your favourite search engine! If you wish you can share this post with your friends on Facebook or twitter.

1 Google Gravity

Do you like free falling of things? Then type 'Google gravity' on Google Search box and then click 'I'm feeling lucky', See the magic.

2 “Do a Barrel Roll”

This is a funny trick done by Google that many folks don't seem to be familiar with. You'll be able to make Google roll on end by typing in the phrase “do a barrel roll” into the search box and press enter your Google page roll around within the screen.

3  Track Package

If you do an electronic purchase via eBay or alternative websites, and you are tracking it via websites, then this feature is for you. Simply enter any package tracking no into Google to see precisely wherever it is. So, there’s no need to be log into the United States Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx website!

4  Track Your Flight

Do you like to track a particular flight, by merely using your pc or mobile device and Google? Simply enter the required airline and flight number into Google's search box and instantly see the arrival and departure times right within the results. So, you'll be able to keep up-to-date with any flight timings while not having to perpetually check the airline's web site. This may help you to know the timings of any flight.

5  Klingon Search

If you’re an enormous fan of Star Trek, try Google’s custom Klingon search. If you’re a frenzied trekky, then you'll be able to expertise the Klingon language in Google’s Klingon Search which is able to add a pleasant Klingon bit to your search engine, and it is a fun using the Klingon translator and lexicon. It’ll even correct your grammar!

6 Recreate Your Gmail Address

One of the features of Gmail is that it doesn't acknowledge dots in its system, therefore you'll be able to produce multiple email addresses by merely adding a dot (.) anyplace in your Gmail username. And also, any email sent to username@gmail.com and u.s.e.r.n.a.m.e@gmail.com can have to be compelled to finish within the same email mailbox.

7  Searching using ~

Using a Tilde (~) with a search term can bring you results with connected search terms, by adding a tilde mark with the search term, Google can include the connected terms, similar words, or synonyms that you just weren't conscious of or maybe forgot. This improves your results page and may facilitate you to realize precisely what you’re searching for.

8  Use Google as a Proxy

If you are attempting to go to a websites at your workplace, and you're stopped from visiting these websites as a result of you are blocked to go to them simply type "cache:WEBSITENAME.com" into the search box and hit enter. Now, you can avoid the block.

9 Google BeatBox

If you would like to get pleasure from some singing by Google Translator, writing a random string of letters into Google Translator, then touch the listen icon can prompt Google to beatbox no matter what you wrote down. Give it a try by copy pasting “pv Ku Klux Klan pkkk pvpvpv ppkk pddd  bschk bschk pv zk pv bschk pv pv pv bschk bschk bschk kkkkkkkkkk bschk bsch” into Google Translate.

10  Gmail Use

If you use the Gmail very often for communication, then this feature could appear simple, however it should even be terribly effective one. If you merely need to reply to a selected section of text somebody sent you, simply highlight that space before click the reply button. This may add solely the chosen section to the quoted text and leave the remainder out of your reply!

11  Google Earth flight simulator

You can fly round the globe in Google Earth. There is a flight simulation feature in it. Visit Google Earth, press CTRL + altitude + A (Command + choice + A for Mac), select your air craft and fly. Do you want to fly an F16. Then do it using the flight simulator.

12  Chat With Aliens

The Mars Feature on Google Earth 5 permits users to explore the surface of the Red Planet. Simply enter “Meliza” into the search box and you'll be able to “chat” with an alien. Actually, it is a chat bot, however, it’s funny chatting with an alien.

13 Search the Faces

Search for a face. If you're searching for an individual then don’t simply type their name, add "&imgtype=face" it will narrow your search results to those with pictures of faces or simply click search tools, hit "Type", and choose the "Face" choice to narrow your results.

14 Browse the Books

Google Book Search permits you to thumb through the pages of classic books. It is a chance to see if you will like a book before you purchase it.

15  Type Zerg rush and play with Google’s o’s

16. Voice search: Just click the icon of microphone and you can do a vocal search

17      If you type a minus before a search key word, Google will exclude that word from the search result.

18      related:URL = lists pages that are associated with the URL you have entered.

19      link:URL = lists all the other web pages that links to the specified URL.

20      allinurl:WORDS = shows the pages which has all search terms within the URL.

21      site:domain.com “search term = only display the results from the given web address. Eg: "site:wikipedia.org Cricket"

22      inurl:WORD = This is will behave like allinurl, but filters the uniform resource locator based on the first term entered by you.

23      intitle:WORD = This will behave like allintitle, but just for successive word.

24      allintitle:WORD = this only shows the results with the search terms in title.

25      info:URL = Actually, this is only an equivalent of entering the URL directly to the search box. This will show you the pages containing the URL, backlinks, etc.

26      cache:URL = Using this you can see the Google cached version of the URL you have entered.

27      filetype:SOMEFILETYPE = can limit searches to the entered file type only. If you wish to search only on file type PDF, key in "filetype: pdf" and the search term.

28      -filetype:SOMEFILETYPE = This is just the opposite to the above said search.

29      allinlinks: = searches solely inside links, not text or title

30      allintext: = searches solely inside text of pages, however not within the links or page title

31      “Word” OR “Phrase” = search precise word or phrase

32      WordA OR WordB = look for either the word A or B

33      WordA -WordB = displays results containing word A and filter results containing word B

34      WordA +WordB = results contain each Word A and Word B

35      ~WORD -WORD = search only for the synonyms of the word

36      Convert units. If you wish to convert currency, distance, temperature, etc from one unit to another unit. Simply enter sentences like this “1km is how many miles “you will get the answer straight-away.

37      Image search. If you want to find an image, key in your search word, then select the image search option of google. You will get related images as result.

38      Use "view:timeline" followed your topic you will get the time line of the subject.

39      Calculate with Google. Key in any mathematical expressions to the Google search box you will get the answer as search result. Type in "3*5" and press enter you will get the solution "15.

40      If you want to search inside a specific type of websites only. For example, government sites which has a .gov in the URL or educational sites with .edu. Simply type "site:edu" or for a government website, "site:gov" you will get results solely from sites with those net addresses.

41      "definition: word" Type definition and the particular word, you will get the definition of the word you have entered.

42.     Search "what time is it" and the location you will get the standard time. If you type “what time is it in India” Google will show you Indian Standard Time.

43      You can refine your search results by clicking the "Show Options" and selecting the option you wanted.

Google Books

If you employ these tricks in real life you can save the time you may spent in libraries searching for some references or classic books.

44.     Google Books offers full text search for thousands of books, if you want to find something on a classic book. Google books will help you. You can search it in Google books.

45.     Using the "About this book" book option of Google Books you can get useful data like the table of contents, connected books, and a map of places mentioned within the book.

46.     You can use the Magazines option within the Advanced Book Search to find data from magazines.

47.     You can create a personalised library in Google Books by simply clicking "Add to my shared library".

48.     Google has a Google Books journal keep track of it for recent updates in Google Books.

49.     Find books in a library. Every book in Google Books has a link to find the book in a library. It will tell you exactly where to look at the library to find the book.

50.     You can access several text books through Google Books.

Android Tips and Tricks

Some useful android tips and tricks for android user who has a version greater than Gingerbread.

Google Maps in 3D: If you are using the latest version of Google Maps, just tilt the map by sliding two fingers vertically up/down the screen, and just rotate it from 12 and 6 o’clock to 3 and 9.

Text or talk: If you're getting a call on your android phone you can swipe up to reply with a default text message "I'm busy right now. I will call you later." If you are a busy person this will trick will be handy for you. If you wish you can change the default message in the phone's app's Settings area to something you like.

Launch your camera without unlocking the screen: Using this trick you can launch your camera from the lock screen. Just don’t sliding the ring towards the center of the screen, just tap and hold the camera icon on the bottom right of your Android device and drag it to the ring and then let go to launch the camera.

Easy text copy/paste: If you want to copy paste something from a web page, long press some text, drag the handles around to select the text you want to copy, and then press anywhere in the selected region then simply long press where you want to paste the text and select paste. But if you are in Gmail >> go to Menu >> More >> Select Text.

Speed dial: If you are calling someone very often then there's an easy way just create a speed dial for them on your Android Smartphone. Just tap and hold anywhere on your Android homescreen wallpaper and select Shortcuts from the list of options. Then, touch Direct Dial and select the contact from your contacts list. Simply touching this Direct Dial icon you can call that person. If you select the Direct Message option instead of Direct Dial option you can use this tool for one-touch texting.

Voice commands: Simply press the microphone icon next to the search box on the home screen and give orders to your phone. Like “send text to Joe, Happy birthday”, "call Hudson", “navigate to Washington DC”, or "listen to Mamma Mia".

G mail app short cuts: Here are some short cuts for those who use Gmail on an Android Smartphones: If you are inside of a message, touch the R key to reply to the message. If you tap on F, then you can forward it. If you want to reply everyone in the To: and Cc: field simply tap A or Y to archive the mail. If you are in the inbox view then compose a new email by tapping Menu + C. In the inbox view you can Refresh your Gmail inbox with Menu + U.

Turn a Gallery stack into a slideshow: If you are in Gallery, when you are looking at a stack of photos, place 2 fingers on the stack and unfold them. The stack will spreads out and the pictures travel from one finger to the opposite and that will create a moving slideshow.

Reduce your data consumption: If you want to reduce your data usage you can launch Flash on-demand. After selecting this option no flash content will load automatically. You can load Flash content by tapping it.

Go to the Settings of the web browser>>select Advanced >> tap to change the Enable Flash and Plug-Ins tab from "Always On" to "On demand" or "Off."

 Use your Android device as a Wi-Fi hotspot: Go to Settings > >Wireless & Networks > >Tethering & Portable Hotspot.

 Dictate your messages and mails: The voice-to-text dictation feature in Android is useful tool which can save you so much time. To use this feature just tap the microphone icon to the left of the spacebar while inside of a text or email, then start talking. You can see the words typed out as you speak, if you want punctuation please say it "comma,' "period" and "question mark."

Take you screen shots: You can take screen shots of your device by simply pressing the power and volume-down buttons at the same time. You'll hear a sound and the screen will flash white. The image of your screen will be saved in your photo gallery.

Read it later: If your device has an Android version of ICS or later you can save web page to read at a later time without out the help of any other third party apps. If you like to read something interesting on a web page and you are busy now, then save it for later reading offline. Tap the menu tab >> "Save for offline reading", it will be saved on your device unlike bookmarking you can read it offline.

Visual Clue: If you are in a scrollable list and you reach the end of the list it shows an orange hue which means you can’t scroll any more.

Clean up the mess: If your pages are littered with multiple app icons and you want to reorganize apps. You can press and hold on an app icon, drag it onto another one and it will create a folder with both of them in it. Now, you can tap and hold on to rename the folder as you like. Example, Video apps, social apps, Music apps, etc.

Source Google