Hide Private Calls and Texts from Nosy People on Your Android Phone

It's hard to keep things private these days, especially on our smartphones. Even children as young as two know how to navigate through a smartphone. Privacy has become a privilege you need to hang on to as much as you can. So to avoid others from snooping into your recent contacts and messages, check out Shady Contacts.

Shady Contact is a free Android app that aims to keep sensitive call logs and text messages concealed from prying eyes. It helps you to keep specific contacts off of your phone’s call logs and messages by putting their calls and texts in a separate area.

Shady Contact has a PIN or pattern unlock feature and can be configured to self destruct, taking all data with it if the wrong code is entered a set number of times.

To learn more about how to hide private calls and text messages from nosy people using Shady Contact, check out the steps below:

Hide Private Calls and Texts from Nosy People Using Shady Contact on Your Android Phone

First, download and install Shady Contact from the Google Play Store free of charge.

Once you have installed Shady Contact, set up a custom pattern or PIN code lock to protect the contents of the app.

You will then be taken to the Calls section where you can start adding the contacts you want to hide. You can also hide any phone number on the list. Once a number or contact is included, all information sent or received from said number or contact will be stored inside the app and not in Android's stocks app. To do that, swipe twice to the right to bring up Contacts, then tap Add Contact to begin selecting the contacts whose calls and messages you would like to hide from prying eyes.

You can also hide the Shady Contact's app icon from your phone, so others will not know that you have it installed.

You can access the app by dialing ***123456###.

7 Ways to Help Keep Your Windows Phone Secure

Almost everyone owns a smartphone. People have become very attached to their smartphones that they are rarely without them. They keep them within arm’s reach, sleep next to them, and even use them when in the bathroom. What most people don't realize is that smartphones are a snooper's best friend. The features that make smartphones smart are the same reasons why the modern day smartphone is a private citizen's worst privacy nightmare. Just think about the information you have on your smartphone: email addresses, phone numbers, calendar appointments, photos, videos, possibly saved passwords, and financial information. Furthermore, smartphones can be used to continually track your location to monitor your whereabouts.

In spite of this, we can take some measures to ensure that our smartphones remain secure. If your phone is not secure and it got lost or stolen, your personal information, including your photos, passwords, banking information, and emails could be used to steal your money, or worst — your identity.

A Windows Phone is secured by design. Some of its security features are enabled by default. But, there are still a number of things you can do to help keep your personal information and your Windows Phone secure. Here are a few you can try:

Assign a Password or PIN Code on Your Phone

Setting up a password on your phone's lock screen is possibly one of the basic security measures you can employ to prevent unauthorized access to your phone. It might be a pain to constantly type a PIN or password every time you want to use your phone, but losing your phone without the protection of a password could lead to a far greater headache.

To set up a password or a PIN on your phone, go to the App list, tap Settings, and then tap Lock screen. Turn on Password, and then enter your preferred password in the New password and Confirm password boxes. Tap Done to save your changes.

Set Up a PIN on Your SIM Card

Setting up a SIM card PIN will prevent other people from making unauthorized phone calls with your phone. To set up a PIN on your SIM card, tap the Windows icon on the Start screen. Tap Phone > More > Settings. Turn on SIM security, and then enter the PIN for your SIM by doing one of the following:

• If you are setting up a PIN for your SIM for the first time, enter "1234" and then tap Enter. 1234 is the default PIN for most SIMs. If the default PIN did not work, contact your mobile carrier for the correct default PIN.
• If you have already set up a PIN on your SIM card, even if it was on another phone, enter your PIN, and then tap Enter. You will then receive a message saying "SIM PIN enabled."

Set Up a Wallet PIN

A Wallet PIN is a numeric password that you can assign to your Wallet. When combined with the lock screen password, it can provide an extra layer of protection and prevent unauthorized purchases in the Windows Phone Store and unwanted NFC payments.

To set up a Wallet PIN, go to the App list, tap Wallet > More > Settings+PIN. Turn on Wallet PIN, then enter and confirm your PIN code, and then tap Done.

You can also check the Use Wallet PIN to protect music, app, and in-app purchases box if you want to require this PIN when purchasing in the Windows Phone Store.

Use the Find My Phone Service

Find My Phone is Windows Phone's own built-in version of Apple's Find My iPhone and Android's Android Device Manager. Find My Phone can ring and lock your phone, show its location on a map, or erase its information if it is stolen. You can even send a short message containing your contact information that will appear on your phone's lock screen in case someone found your lost phone. To know more, click here.

Set Up Kid's Corner

Kid's Corner is a safe place for your children to play with the games, apps, music, and videos added there, while restricting them from accessing your phone settings and making any changes. To set up Kid's Corner, go to the App list, tap Settings > kid's corner. Select the Apps, Games, Music, and Videos you want to add, and then tap Done.

Regularly Back Up Your Data

Make sure to back up your phone settings, photos, videos, text messages, and contacts to cloud. It’s a good thing Windows Phone has a feature that allows you to automatically back up your important phone settings and data to cloud in case something untoward happens to your phone.

To turn on apps and settings back up, go to the App list, tap Settings > Backup > Apps + settings. Turn on Settings backup and App backup. You can also back up your text and chat messages by turning on Text message backup and Chat backup.

To auto upload your photos and videos to cloud, go to App list, tap Settings > Backup > Photos + videos.

Keep Your Phone Updated

Like any device, your Windows Phone will work better when it is running the latest Windows software update as well as the manufacturer update, if there's any. That is why it is recommended to download and install any update available for you.

To automatically download updates, go to the App list, tap Settings > Phone update, and then check the Automatically download updates if my data settings allow it box.

Samsung Galaxy S4: The Brightest Star in the Galaxy

Source: http://www.samsung.com

Samsung, the South Korean champion in the Android high-end smartphone has launched the Galaxy S4 , which is already taking the market by storm next to Apple’s iPhone 5S. By itself, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is enjoying some technical accolades, but is not the run-away winner Samsung is counting on.

Samsung is the brand that has singlehandedly challenged the big names in the landscape of global smartphones. It has had a far-reaching impact on big brands by forcing them to think and rethink their product and marketing strategies.

Apple is in for a tough fight with Samsung, having HTC, Sony, Nokia, and Blackberry trying to nip at the heels or play catch-up with Samsung.

In spite of its shortcomings, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is an intriguing product. The one change that most people were expecting and were disappointed in was in the body design of the S4. It’s hard to distinguish between the S3 and the S4, making the S4 almost like an S3 rebrand. The most common long-standing complaint is the ‘plastic-feel’ of the S4.

The full HD AMOLED screen has become the signature mark for the Galaxy S4. It works to the advantage of the consumer with its improved screen resolution. The body is smaller and thinner as compared to the S3. At 5 inches, the phone certainly has a longer display surface as compared to competitors like the Sony Xperia. In fact, the resolution hardly gets distorted thanks to the pan-viewing angle technology.

The 1.6GHz processor with a 2GB RAM is a decent combination. Though the HTC One and Sony Xperia have faster processors, the Galaxy S4’s processor gets the job done with the jellybean Android OS. Samsung is good at packing small innovations with high impact in its technology. One new technology is its being able to track the eyeball movement of the user and pauses the videos on gaze. The Internet browsing experience has also taken up a couple of notches.

The 2,600mAh battery powering the Galaxy S4 supports the device positively. The 13MPa camera works well to its favor, but the front camera is somewhat a disappointment. The internal and external memory was never a concern for any Galaxy model.

Having set the benchmark high with the Galaxy S3, what eventually came out with the S4 was a little dismal showing from a phone that was set to revolutionize the smartphone market and drive other fringe brands out of the competition. Instead, the S4 has provided the competition an opportunity to strike back hard and dent its market share.

Ever since its launching, no known major issues have plagued the Samsung Galaxy S4. Minor issues like enabling the USB mass storage is easily done and can be readily searched on the Internet from legitimate computer technical support companies and websites.

With the high standard of the Galaxy S3 and customer’s expectation needing to be surpassed, it has been rumored that Samsung will do so with the rumored soon-to-be-launched Galaxy S5. But, as they say, that is another story.