Stop Facebook Movie Auto Play

If you are like me then you are fabulous, smart, funny…..oh wait, sorry got a little carried away there for a second.  Okay, back to the task at hand.

As I was saying, If you are like me then when videos on your  news feed start automatically playing as you scroll, then you probably get slightly annoyed.  Not only is this beyond irritating, but if you happen to NOT be on a WiFi network, this will eat into your monthly data allotment.  Not cool.

There is a simple fix to this in the Facebook settings menu.  Locate “Video Auto Play” and select it.  You will then be prompted whether you want to completely disable it or allow only over WiFi.

#WINNING

Samsung Emergency Mode

::Attention Samsung Galaxy Users:: (S5 through current lineup)

Can your cellphone save your life?  You bet it can!  In more ways than you actually realize…

There’s a special feature that most of y’all may not even know exist, and that is EMERGENCY MODE.

You can enable Emergency mode by long-pressing the power button and then choosing “Emergency Mode” or also by going to SETTINGS > SAFETY ASSISTANCE.  When you enable this mode, you will need to include an emergency contact, and this person will be alerted in the event you find yourself in an actual emergency – knock on wood that you don’t, but hey things happen right?

When you activate this feature by tapping your power button three times in a row, you will send an emergency message to your specified contact.  You will also have the option to send pictures and voice recordings to them as well.

Features of Emergency mode are:

• Torch: Use device as a flashlight
• Phone: Make calls
• Internet: Use browser
• Emergency Alarm: Sound an alarm
• Share My Location: Explained in the above paragraphs

If you find yourself stuck in this mode and need to disable it, you can press and hold down the power key on your device and then tap “Emergency mode.”

 

How To Uninstall Android Applications the RIGHT Way

There are several methods that one can take when on a mission to uninstall Candy Crush or any other application that you may want to delete from your existence.

Quick question before we start…
What is the one thing worse than someone who plays Candy Crush?

Answer: Someone who plays Candy Crush with the sound ON. 😀

Special thanks to my muse for that one. You know who you are.

Ok, well anyone who knows me knows I love metaphors, so humor me…

One can think of any application package as a big overstuffed garbage bag. The problem arises when you want to take it out to the curb for clean-up day. Well, you decide to drag it down your steps and across the pavement, and it tears along the way leaving residual trash lining the sidewalk…residual stinky trash that is. YUM, makes me hungry.

Does it get the job done?  Well kinda, but it’s sure as heck the half*ss way to do it. You’re gonna have to go back and pick up everything that was torn from that bag eventually.  Those left over files that get abandoned after an incomplete deletion of a certain application are just like this unwanted litter. You can certainly leave it, but it is going to affect the performance of your device in due time.

What you need to do is carry that trash bag instead of dragging it. This method may involve one or two more taps of your index finger ::OH THE CALAMITY:: but those garbage men (is this ok to say, or am I being politically incorrect?) will be able to retrieve the bag unscathed, thus removing all remnants of a weeks worth of ramen noodle packaging.  Ok, now I’m really hungry.

I’m not going to get all technical on you guys and go into great detail, because unless you actually use a file explorer or plug your phone into a computer, you’re never going to see these left over files. Just take my word that they are there.

Here are a couple of ways that you may be DRAGGING that application trash bag: (BAD)

1. Downloading an application uninstaller app from the Play Store. To each their own, but to me it just seems silly that one would download an app to delete an app. While some may do the job correctly, there is no knowing what exactly you are getting from these, so I would steer clear.
2. Uninstalling the app from its own Google Play Store download page. 
3. Going into the applications list page, selecting the “uninstall” option and then clicking the little minus symbol to your heart’s content.

Now that we got that out-of-the-way, here is what you should be doing. (GOOD)

It involves a couple of simple steps.  You need to go into your Settings and then choose “Applications” or “Application Manager.”  Once on the screen that lists your DOWNLOADED applications, search for the one that you have a personal vendetta against and click on it.  Here is the important part that must be done in this order:

1. Force Stop       2. Clear Cache        3. Clear Data        4. Uninstall

Aaaaaaaand that’s how it’s done.  Repeat said process until you are done with your spring cleaning, and always remember to take out the trash correctly .  Time to make that Ramen…

Why Am I Not Getting Any Text Messages After Switching From iPhone To Android?

So, you decided to come over to the dark side…

We are glad to have you.  Not only have you taken the grand leap of switching operating systems, but now you are unfortunately second guessing your decision due to the sheer frustration resulting from not receiving all of your text messages.  Do not fret, because once we put a digital band-aid onto your SMS blunder, you will be back on track.

Explaining said “digital band-aid” as referenced above…

You may have noticed (of course you have, that’s why you are here) that you are not receiving any text messages from any of your friends/colleagues that have iPhones, because they are being sent as iMessages.  iMessage is Apple’s proprietary messaging technology that sends messages over data, and when an iPhone sends an iMessage, it goes through Apple’s servers and then gets delivered to the intended device.

Problems arise when an iPhone tries to send an iMessage to a non-iOS phone.  One fix is to contact every person who owns an iPhone and is texting you and tell them to turn off iMessage from Settings > Messages > iMessage, but do you really want to have to do this?  I think not.

• The best way to avoid this problem from the get go is to go into your phone’s settings and disable iMessage BEFORE you switch phones — otherwise other iPhones will continue delivering messages to your iMessage account and not to your actual phone.  You can test this before making the switch by making sure texts are coming in GREEN and not BLUE.  This is not always possible.  For example, lets say you forgot to do so before you traded your phone in, or it just broke and there is no way for you to power on your device to do that.. (you are obviously here, because you’re probably in this boat)

• You need to completely shut down iMessage and have your phone number disconnected from every piece of Apple Software that you own including iCloud.  FYI iCloud can actually take up to 45 days to clear their servers of your phone number. Those dirty scoundrels!

This fix has worked for many:

1. Reset your Apple ID password, and make sure to NOT log back in on your devices.
2. Send a text to 48369 with the word STOP

Some other things you can try are if you have your old iOS device and it is turned on and connected to your WiFi in your home (if iMessage is turned on) texts will be delivered to this device and not make it to your new Android one.  Step #1 in the fix above addresses this problem as well.

It may take up to 12 hours before you start receiving these intended texts from iPhone users on your new Android device.

If there are a select few people who you must absolutely receive texts from before having the time to do the previous steps, call them and tell them to delete any prior conversations that they have with you in their phone.  Also, you can tell them to delete you as a contact and then re-add you.  Also when sending a message the sender can hit the little i next to the message and then select send as SMS.  These steps will most likely not be necessary if you do steps #1 and #2 above, but are a good remedy in the meantime.

Apple has since created a help page, which also has a lot of useful information that can help get you back to your texting frenzy.

Has anyone noticed any other major problems when making the switch from iPhone to Android or vice versa?  Please feel free to comment below.

 

Where Are the Water Damage Indicators On My Phone?

Photo originally from harvestcellular.net

Summer is just around the corner, and do you know what that means…Significantly more water-damaged mobile phones.

This is going to be a cliffs notes version of dealing with water damage.

First off, if you get your phone wet, the first thing you need to do is to act as quickly as possible.  If you are lucky, your phone may still be salvageable.  Sometimes, this may mean to literally take the back off of your phone (may not be applicable to your device) and take the battery out if it is removable as well as any other removable parts (SIM/SD).  Wipe off the battery and the device, and if your liquid indicators have not been touched by the water, make sure to avoid wiping any moisture onto them, because it is quite possible that if those indicators remain unscathed, “it didn’t happen.”  Just sayin’  Next, try to blow out any moisture from your ports and speakers.  By this I do not mean with a blow dryer, because chances are you may not have one on you.  You literally need to feverishly reenact your 6th birthday party.  Those candles didn’t know what hit them did they?  And remember…

DO NOT TURN YOUR DEVICE ON

NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO SEE IF IT IS WORKING.

It needs to be completely dry to prevent any electrical shorts from occurring.  If people actually did the above steps correctly in addition to leaving their devices alone for a day or so (this includes charging as well), and not let their impatience get the best of them, they would not have to resort to activating their mom’s old LG Revere to use whist waiting for an insurance replacement.  Disclaimer: I have nothing against the LG Revere = ) Tis’ only a comedic reference.

By the way, if you have some time to spare, then read about one of my personal experiences with water damage, I’m sure you’ll get a good laugh.  I promise.

Then, there’s also putting it in rice.  I have mixed feelings on this, as it does help to extract any moisture within the device a lot faster, please make sure to remove any grains before handing your precious phone over to a store rep and sticking to your story of  “Oh I don’t know what happened” when they ask you if you had pilaf for dinner recently.  They know.  Evidence can be damning.  If you must do it, this may be a better option.

Now, if you are planning on pleading the 5th and sticking to your story, you will need to know whether or not your liquid indicators will pass the test.  For an android phone, you can usually find it under the battery.  If your battery is not removable, all you have to do is perform a google search to find the location. There are far too many to list here in this post.

There are 2 types of indicators that are used

1. Plain white colored ones that turn red/pink

2. White ones with red patterns.  (Many people see the pattern below and assume that is shows damage, but that is not true.  (When these stickers are exposed to water the pattern will bleed).

FYI, Blackberry batteries also have liquid indicators on them, so if your phone indicators pass the test, one may benefit from losing your battery for the time being.

If you do a quick search for your specific device’s liquid indicator, I have heard through the grapevine that you can find replacement stickers online for very cheap.

Over the years, the iPhone’s liquid indicators have migrated.  The 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S have indicators placed in both the headphone jack and on the bottom of the dock-connector housing/charging port. The iPhone 5 (and all current models) feature a single water damage indicator on the inside of the nano SIM card slot, which is located on the right side of the phone.  It definitely helps to use a flashlight to see them clearly.

Remember, if any of these indicators show liquid damage, the device will NOT be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.

Well, I hope that if you are reading this and have not experienced dropping your phone in the toilet quite just yet, should it occur, you now posses the knowledge to act hastily and save it from an untimely watery demise.  On the contrary, if you have found yourself on the not-so-lucky flip side, there was still some pretty valuable information expressed.  Do you not agree?  ::wink wink::

Photo originally from osxdaily.com

 

Google Now Can Remember Where You Parked Your Car

If you are like me, you probably have lost your car on more than one occassion in a mall parking lot.  From experience, I can tell you that this is not fun at all.  Let’s throw in some rain and/or snow to the mix, and it’s even more miserable.  Admit it, you dread the systematic approach of walking down each and every isle until you find it.  Can you believe, I’ve even resorted to calling someone to drive me around the parking lot in its pursuit?  Truth.  Well, Google Now can be your parking savior.  I bet the person I called to help me find my car probably wishes I knew about this sooner. Oh well, you live and learn.

A few steps before trying it:

1. Make sure you have the latest version.  This feature will require (at least) Google Search Version 3.4.  If you are not sure how to find out which version you have, all you have to do is open the Google Search app and find the menu button, select “Help and feedback,” then look at the numbers listed.

2. You need to tell the app that you drive.  The Google Now cards will only show if the app thinks that you drive.  There is one way to make sure that it does.  To do so, when launching the Google Search app, you can tap the customize button (looks like a magic wand) and pick the option “Everything Else.”  Then you must click on,” How do you usually get around?”  You should select “Driving.”

3.   Begin Driving.  Google will use the device’s GPS  (so your location must be turned on in order for this feature to work) and accelerometer sensors to distinguish driving from other types of movement.  Shortly after parking your vehicle, a Google Now card should display with a map showing your approximate location.  When the card appears, you can expand the map by clicking on it. If you happen to accidentally swipe the card away, you will have a few moments to get it back by pressing the undo button, so you better act fast!  Also, Google will not keep track of your location overnight (yet).

Locations may not be exact, which is why this is not a replacement for your brain.  When possible, try to pay an inkling of attention, but then again who am I to talk = )  I’m actually writing this post right now while wandering aimlessly trying to find my car… jk.

 

You can download the latest version from the Google Play Store or find the APK here .

 

FoxFi Tethering App Stopped Working After Android 4.3 Update

After updating my Galaxy Note 2…

I know what you’re thinking…

“Damn! She writes a tech blog and is STILL rockin’ the Note 2! Aren’t they on the 3 already, and the 4 is but a shiny sparkle in Phablet lovers’ eyes everywhere?!”

Why, yes…yes I am still PROUDLY using it.  It’s still pretty damn awesome minus the need for a new screen protector and a missing S-Pen, which is the result of one too many Jaeger Bombs a couple of months back.

Anyways, I am getting sidetracked here.  The point of this post is that not too long ago, I upgraded my software to the latest 4.3 version, and my FoxFi tethering app stopped working.  I got some error message about needing to contact my provider to subscribe to this feature.

I do not have AT&T, but I found this image online of someone who apparently had the same problem, and my sick humor finds it absolutely hilarious.  If you are a returning reader, then you probably will too.  It definitely looks like something I would do.

Well, apparently in the latest OS patch, my tethering had been blocked.  My heart literally sank when I tried to connect to my FREE mobile hotspot.  I mean, what the heck is the point of still being a guest at the Unlimited Data party extravaganza and not being able to tether to your heart’s content.  You would have thought my dog died or something judging by my reaction, and rightfully so.

So, what did I do when this happened – I trolled the internet for someone like me who writes posts on how to fix these sorts of things.  Just like you are doing now reading this, I sat there for 20 minutes clicking links on a search to make this  ::insert expletive here::  then  ::insert compound supporting expletive here::  work again.

Here’s the fix for it.  Note, it may involve a couple different steps.

1. Make sure you update FoxFi to the latest version.  You can do this from the Google Play Store.  If you uninstall the app and reinstall it, this also accomplishes the same task, because it will automatically update to the latest version.

2.  Launch the app and check the box to activate WiFi hotspot.

3. You will need to install a certificate in order to use the app.

 4. You can name it whatever you want.  As you can see from the image below, I was not very original.

5. Then, you will have to check the box next to “I trust this application.”  If you’re working through trust issues presently, you may have a little trouble with this step.  Just book an extra therapy session this week and you’ll be fine.  Trust me – no pun intended.

6. You will then get a message telling you to beware that after the next update to Android KitKat 4.4, you may be…how can I put this nicely…S.O.L.  So, you may want to ignore any future software update notifications.  This is not fact, but just a disclaimer from the developers, as they do not accept any responsibility for this and give subscribers a fair warning.

 

P.S. You will be required to password protect your phone either by pattern or pin in order for this app to work.

Android 4.3 Auto Complete Isn’t Working

Photo from http://officialandroid.blogspot.com

Remember when we actually had to memorize people’s phone numbers?  It wasn’t really thaaaaaat long ago you know.  Of course, we don’t really need to do that anymore, because our Smart Phones do that for us, right?  Well, in short, the answer is yes; however occasionally settings can become reset and leave you scratching your head when pick up your device to text or call someone and your “Smart” Phone isn’t acting so smart anymore.

Do not fret. We will have this little dilemma fixed in no time and have you back to doing more important things with your spare time…like building LEGO® sculptures into replicas of your favorite jersey Shore fist-pumping establishment.    = )

“So what happened?” you may be wondering.  A lot of people don’t realize that when you hit that little button to agree to your software update, your phone’s settings get set back to factory defaults MOST of the time (with all your important stuff still kept intact).  If you’ve recently updated to the latest Android Jelly Bean version 4.3 and have noticed things aren’t quite right, this is most likely the reason why.  This auto complete feature is not enabled by default.

4 Steps to Happiness

1. Open your PHONE application, like you are going to make a phone call.  I know you will be able to find this relatively easy.

2. Click the MENU soft key. Love how this key lights up!!

3.  Choose Settings.  You should be able to see either some version of “settings” or “call settings” displayed.

4. Now here’s the mucho, mucho most important part.  Mike sure Dialpad Auto Complete is enabled.

♥ This SHOULD fix the issue when populating contacts in your phone and texting apps.  If you are still having problems in the texting app, you can try and see if there is a similar setting there.  Unfortunately, I do not have a device updated to the latest Jelly Bean version out, so I can not test it.

I’m still waiting for this push to roll out for my beloved Galaxy Note 2, and I will be posting about what to expect as far as changes go with this new OS release…for those of you wondering if you should hit that little update button or not.  You can in fact, defer till the cows come home, but eventually resistance becomes futile.

 

I Should Have Worn Matching Socks.

It’s 6:25 PM, and I’m sitting in a hospital bed, slightly cold but very happy that I have my “phablet” with me to help pass the time.

I’ve been feeling like general crappola the last couple of weeks, and then today I felt so incredibly sick that I had to leave work and come straight here for a barrage of tests.  I’d post a pic of my IV, but I wouldn’t want to chase away my squeamish readers.

Getting back to the socks…

As I sit here, I can’t help but think, “So this is why my mom always told me to wear matching socks and to never leave the house without underwear.”  At least I got the latter part right. Plus, the socks are at least in the same color family (See Photo Above) A yin and yang if you will.

Lesson learned.

In related news, I should probably tie my humor and boredom into something tech related.  So how’s this for you…

There’s a cool app called Patient Journal available from the iTunes Store.

(Yes folks, hell hath frozen over…I am posting about something non-Android related.)  Maybe I hit my head too.

This app just might make your next hospital stay a tad more comfortable and maybe even safer.  One benefit is that it’s a great way to keep track of all medication given and procedures performed.

Now, I shall go and peruse the Google Play Store to find its Android equivalent.

Gosh it’s cold in here. Brrrrrr!

P.S. I had some hospital selfies that I was tempted to post, but I didn’t want to make BuzzFeed’s next “Worst Types of Selfies” list.

Related articles

• sock matching algorithm (cs.stackexchange.com)

APPSEC USA 2013

A couple of days ago I received some pretty awesome news – I will be attending OWASP’s APPSEC USA 2013 conference at the Grand Marriott Marquis in Times Square New York November 18th-21st.  I was invited and given a very expensive ticket to this exclusive event, and I couldnt’ be more thankful. (Thanks Bobby!!!)

::Happy Dance:: <—Once I get my Youtube channel up and running I will link to this said “Happy Dance.”

So what is APPSEC you wonder?  I thought you’d never ask…Although, this may be a snoozefest for those of you whom google did not direct here through a search.

AppSec USA is a world-class software security conference for technologists, auditors, risk managers, and entrepreneurs, gathering the world’s top practitioner, to share the latest research and practices, in the high energy atmosphere – Taken Verbatim from their site.

In other words, it’s a conference where super geeks like me get to learn application security, which encompasses the measures taken during a web-based application’s life-cycle to prevent exceptions in its security policy.  The purpose of these measures is to ultimately expose and thus prevent flaws in the design, development, deployment, upgrade and maintenance of the application itself.

Oh and did I mention there’s also a group hack?! Pinch me now.

Anyways, I am in no way qualified to probably be in the same room as 90% of the attendees that will probably be at this conference, but would I miss an opportunity like this?  Heck to the no!  I will be one very small fish in one very large pond, but I can’t wait to be that small fish.  Small fish are cute anyways.

 

 

 

Related articles

• Speaking at OWASP AppSec 2013 (danielmiessler.com)
• AppSensor at AppSec USA in New York (clerkendweller.com)
• OWASP Foundation: New York Times CTO; Senior Executives from HP, Oracle, Bloomberg LP Among Confirmed Speakers For AppSec USA (darkreading.com)
• Common Web Application Security Vulnerabilities (compsecurityconcepts.wordpress.com)
• Vulnerable Web Applications For Learning Security skills (sheshananda4u.wordpress.com)
• Vulnerable Web Applications For Learning Security skills (infoseclearner.wordpress.com)