Cell phone users are inundated with detailed articles about cell phone security. Techies provide complicated methods to protect against hackers. What about the less savvy? I’ve prepared for you some tips to protect your phone.
Keep Tabs on Your Phone
Millions of people lose their phones every year, with most of them being stolen. In 2014, 2.1 million cell phones were reported stolen. The person who finds your phone can access your information, including name, address, and account information on everything from your bank to Instagram. When you are out in public, keep your phone accessible but out of the way of thieves and pickpockets.
Lock Your Phone
Use a screen lock for your phone. Choices include fingerprint ID, password, pattern lock, PIN, and facial recognition. If your phone is lost or stolen, the person trying to get into your phone will have a much harder time if it’s protected.
Use a Tracking App
Tracking apps are used by users for various reasons including locating family members, especially children. However, they are also important if your phone goes missing. There are many apps that will allow you to do both. Be sure to test it before you need it to find a lost phone.
Avoid Free Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is tempting to users addicted to their phones. However, the services are not secure and can leave you vulnerable to users waiting to steal your information. If you need to use free Wi-Fi, limit what you use while connected to the service. Avoid logging in to any important accounts such as your bank or credit card. When you are finished with whatever you’re doing, log off. Cafes and airports offer Wi-Fi that is generally safe, but take precautions all the same. Never log in to an unknown open network.
Do Not Click That Link
Random texts asking you to click on a link are always suspect. They can allow hackers to access your information or install viruses or malware on your phone. If you receive a random text (too often with a “too good to be true” offer), do not reply. Delete it immediately. You can also use an app to trace unknown callers on your iPhone.
Teach Your Kids Phone Safety
Kids use cell phones more than grown-ups and should be aware of how to protect their phones – and themselves. Teach phone safety as soon as your child gets his first phone.
Update Your Apps
Many phones are equipped with apps to prevent viruses and the installation of spyware and malware. As a result, many users feel safe and forget that the apps need to be updated on a regular basis. New software is released every day, and an outdated phone may not be able to detect and prevent hacking and viruses. Phone updates should be routinely installed to ensure that bugs have been fixed and protections are engaged.
Following these simple tips will help users to stay safe and enjoy their phones as they were meant to be enjoyed.
Image searches are quickly becoming part of everyday life. We use them to look at the latest fashions, find family or friends, or learn the name of a snazzy car we saw on the street. No longer do we have to wonder about anything. Simply snap and upload a picture to one of a dozen image search sites or apps.
How Does it Work?
Most tech savvy people are familiar with image searches. It is a specialized search used to locate digital images. There are several ways to conduct an image search.
- Image meta search – search of digital images based on metadata including keywords, text, etc.
- Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) – the application used colors, shapes, and textures to identify images rather than relying on keywords and text.
In simple terms, an application or website can use algorithms to identify parts of a photograph and relate them to like content online. The system takes the guesswork out of attempting to find a person or item using keywords. For example, if you see a photograph on a website and want to learn more about the item, you can use an image search to get the name, photographer, or other important information. If a dress in a store window catches your eye, you can take a photo and perform a search that will tell you the name of the designer or other stores in your area or online that carry the item. The goal of many image search companies is to allow their users to search items via pictures rather than words, which may result in irrelevant answers.
Uses
Aside from identifying a piece of clothing, image searches can be beneficial for other reasons. Image searches can help you to:
- Locate the source of an image
- Find a higher resolution version of the image
- Get links to web pages where the image appears
- Locate the content creator
- Get more information about the image
- Search identity of persons online
- Find products and services
- Search artwork
- Research travel destinations
Sites
Just as iPhone phone number trace services continue to expand, image search developers continue to create bigger and better search engines to entice users to buy their products. Image search engines have recently enabled extensions to be added to browsers to make searching even easier. One click of a button can net the user information on products all over the Internet. Current extensions include Noobox for Chrome and “Search by Image” for Firefox. Each allows you to right-click on an image and choose between different reverse-image tools.
Some popular sites:
Google Images
Google’s Search by Image allows users to search for images by uploading an image retrieved from a website or by entering an image URL. The system compares the image with billions of other images located in Google’s databases before returning results.
Google Lens
Google has released a new way to search images. The new app for Android and IOS utilizes a powerful search engine to give users information on items around them. Not only does it identify the image, but adds relevant data that might be of interest to the user. This app is similar to Google Goggles.
TinEye
TinEye is a top search engine that specializes in reverse image searches. The user submits an image to the app, and then TinEye creates a “unique and compact digital signature or fingerprint” of the image before matching it to like images.
Pinterest
Pinterest is at the forefront of the image search field. In 2014, it acquired VisualGraph and introduced the ability to conduct image searches on its site. By using reverse image search technology, Pinterest can extract features from fashion items, e.g., pants, shoes, bags, dress, glasses, jewelry, shorts, swimsuits, and offer product recommendations on items that are similar.
eBay
eBay ShopBot uses a reverse image search to locate products by interpreting a user’s uploaded photo.
Yandex
Russia’s answer to Bing’s search engine will often give comprehensive results although they tend to be more similar than exact in identifying items.
Mobile Searches
The best image search engines work well on a desktop or laptop computer, but are often lacking when it comes to mobile devices. The upload feature may be disabled, or the pictures will not upload. There are some image search engine titans who are building search features into apps to make the process less painful. Until then, users may have to try their luck, use the desktop version of the sites or turn on their computers.
Free or Pay?
Many image search engines are free, but there are some that charge a small fee, either to search a specific item or as a monthly membership. Read the fine print before you search to avoid any surprises.
