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Monday, January 5, 2015

Apple HomeKit powers on with iDevices Switch smart plug

LAS VEGAS -- Until today, we knew the device makers Apple intended to partner with for its HomeKit smart-home initiative, we just didn't know much about what the actual devices would be. Now we know at least one more of them with the announcement of the iDevices Switch smart power plug.

To review, HomeKit represents Apple's effort to build support for smart home devices directly into iOS and into iOS apps. It announced a handful of HomeKit partner companies back in June 2014 at its World Wide Developer Conference Event, but since then the company hasn't communicated much about HomeKit.

Developer notes suggest features like voice control using Siri, the ability to tie device behaviors together via an iOS control screen ("When I unlock the front door, turn on the lights"), as well a way for app makers to tap into various devices. Imagine a Weather.com iOS app triggering your air conditioner to come on when the local temperature hits 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

To enable features like that from your iOS device (iOS 8 or higher, to be specific), you'll need HomeKit-compatible devices. iDevices Switch will be one of the first such products when it ships sometime in the first half of 2015.

The Switch isn't the first smart plug. Belkin, D-Link, and others have sold connected power plugs for years. The premise behind Switch isn't that much different than its predecessors. Thanks to networking capability built into the outlet hardware, you can use your smartphone to control things you plug into the Switch.

In the most basic sense that usually means turning lamps, TVs, small appliances and other devices and gadgets on and off remotely, or putting them on a timer. If you have other smart devices around the house, you can also use the app to set one smart product to trigger behaviors in one or more.

For Switch, it talks to your home network via Wi-Fi, and via Bluetooth can also act as a bridge for other devices that don't have Wi-Fi themselves. Smart door locks, for example, usually run on batteries since hard wiring isn't practical for most residential door designs. To save power, most smart locks use Bluetooth to connect to your phone, and rely on some kind of hub to get out to the larger Internet. Because it incorporates both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, iDevices' Switch can act as that hub. Lock-maker Schlage will have a connected, HomeKit-compatible lock that takes advantage of that feature.

Expect Switch to cost $49.99 when it comes to market later this year (international pricing and availability has not yet been announced but directly converted that's £33 or AU$62). That puts it on competitive ground with other smart power plugs. Switch also has a color-customizable night light built-in, a charming added touch.

Top 4 tech habits you need to break right now

Get some peace of mind by breaking some bad habits and developing some good ones along the way.

It's a brand new year, so why not start it off right by ditching the shackles of old habits and trying some new things to make your tech life easier? We know that old habits die hard and that's why we've also included links to show you how to handle these common practices

1. Using the same passwords for multiple sites

Using the same password on multiple sites is trouble because if any one of those sites is hacked, that information could be used against you in many different places. Yes, it's inconvenient to have multiple passwords if you are relying only on your memory. That's why it's a good idea to give a password manager like LastPass a chance. If you've never tried a password manager, it can store your usernames and passwords for you, it can generate new passwords for you, and is accessible online. Here's our tutorial on how to use LastPass if you're up for a change.

2. Not backing up your photos

I'll never forget the panic of almost losing hundreds of photos of my newborn because I didn't regularly sync my phone to my PC. Nowadays, that is a simple problem to overcome. If your phone is your primary camera (like it is for many), do yourself a favor and download an app that will automatically backup your photos and videos to the cloud.

There are plenty of options out there. If you like Google, you can use either Google+ on iOS or the Photos app on Android to set up auto backup. Dropbox also offers the same functionality if you turn on the camera upload option. If you're an Amazon Prime subscriber, you get unlimited storage of your photos as well with the Amazon Cloud Drive app.

3. Not minding your Facebook settings

It's easy to visit Facebook, see what your friends are up to, and post your own status updates. However, when was the last time you took a look to see what content you were posting and who could see it? Diving into those Facebook settings can seem like a nightmare, but we've got a great article on how to secure your Facebook account that you should take a look at.

Screenshot by Iyaz Akhtar/CNET

4. Running Flash all the time on your laptop

We are all fans of running online video on our computers, but sometimes Flash can cause your computers fans to spin up to try to cool down your PC. You should give up having Flash running all the time. If you're on Google Chrome, try out FlashControl. If you're on Firefox, try out FlashBlock. By default, these plugins will not load Flash content on a page unless you put a site on a whitelist or if you click the Flash item to load it. You'd be surprised how much battery life you can save if you turn off Flash on a number of sites. Be warned that the web might look very different to you at first, but it's definitely worth it. If you want to squeeze more battery life out of your laptop or phones, check out our guide on battery life and how to preserve it.

Josh Miller/CNET

Bonus for Android users: Accepting your phone's default interface.

If you're like the majority of people who use Android smartphones, you may just enjoy all the great apps on your phone. But, did you know that you can change the entire way your phone presents your apps and widgets? Manufacturers like Samsung, HTC and LG all put their spin on Android with their own customizations. However, you can modify your phone by trying any number of launchers. If you've never heard of a launcher, here's everything you need to know about Android launchers. Installing one is as easy as installing any other app and you can always go back to your phone's default if you so choose.

Five ways to delete yourself from the Internet

Finally ready to get off the grid? It's not quite as simple as it should be, but here are a few easy-to-follow steps that should at the very least point you in the right direction.

If you're reading this, it's highly likely that your personal information is available to the public. And while you can never remove yourself completely from the Internet, there are ways to minimize your online footprint. Here are five ways to do so.

Be warned however; removing your information from the Internet as I've laid it out below, may adversely affect your ability to communicate with potential employers.

1. Delete or deactivate your shopping, social network, and Web services accounts.

Social networks include sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn. Shopping accounts include information stored on Amazon, Gap.com, Macys.com and others. And Web services might include cloud storage accounts such as Dropbox and OneDrive.

To get rid of these accounts, go to your account settings and just look for an option to either deactivate, remove, or close your account. Depending on the account, you may find it under Security or Privacy, or something similar.

If you're having trouble with a particular account, try Googling "How to delete", followed by the name of the account you wish to delete. You should be able to find some instruction on how to delete that particular account.

If for some reason can't delete an account, change the info in the account to something other than your actual info. Something fake or completely random.

Using a service like DeleteMe can make removing yourself from the Internet less of a headache.Screenshot by Eric Franklin/CNET

2. Remove yourself from data collection sites.

There are sites out there that collect your information, mostly in order to sell you stuff. They have names like Spokeo, Crunchbase, PeopleFinder, as well as plenty of others.

Now you could search for yourself on these sites and then deal with each site individually to get your name removed. Problem is, the procedure for opting out from each site is different and sometimes involves sending faxes and filling out actual physical paperwork.

An easier way to do it, is to use a service like DeleteMe at Abine.com. For about $130 for a one-year membership, the service will jump through all those monotonous hoops for you. It'll even check back every few months to make sure your name hasn't been re-added to these sites.

3. Remove your info directly from websites.

First, check with your phone company or cell provider to make sure you aren't listed online and have them remove your name if you are.

If you want to remove an old forum post or an old embarrassing blog you wrote back in the day, you'll have to contact the webmaster of those sites individually. You can either look at the About us or Contacts section of the site to find the right person to contact or go to www.whois.com and search for the domain name you wish to contact. There you should find information on who exactly to contact.

Unfortunately, private website operators are under no obligation to remove your posts. So, when contacting these sites be polite and clearly state why you want the post removed. Hopefully they'll actually follow through and remove them.

If they don't, tip number four is a less effective, but still viable, option.

Google's URL removal tool is handy for erasing evidence of past mistakes from the Internet.Screenshot by Eric Franklin/CNET

4. Delete search engine results that return information about you.

This includes sites like Bing, Yahoo, and Google. In fact Google has a URL removal tool that can help you delete specific URLs.

For example, if someone has posted sensitive information such as a social security number or a bank account number and the webmaster of the site won't remove it, you can at least contact the search engine companies to have it removed from search results.

5. And finally, the last step you'll want to take is to remove your email accounts.

Depending on the type of email account you have, the amount of steps this will take will vary.

You'll have to sign into your account and then find the option to delete or close the account. Some accounts will stay open for a certain amount of time, so if you want to reactivate them you can.

An email address is necessary to complete the previous steps, so make sure this one is your last.

One last thing...

Remember to be patient when going through this process. Don't expect it to be completed in one day. And you may also have to accept that there some things you won't be able permanently delete from the Internet.

3 apps to help you recover from holiday spending

Whether you've been spending on gifts for the holiday season, or you're ready to track your finances more closely for the New Year, these apps can help you out.

During the year it's easy to spend a little money here or there and lose track of the big picture. If you're trying to recuperate from holiday season spending, or just saving for a rainy day, you may want to start tracking your finances a bit more closely. To do this, why not use the help of a mobile app that keeps track of your money, and lets you add the smaller purchases in on your own?

This selection of apps includes choices for users who want to automate their financial tracking, enter transactions manually, or just keep track of details for work. Here's the list:

Level Money

Android (free); iOS (free)

If you want to know how much money you can spend right now, Level Money is the app for you. This app lets you skip manually entering each debit and credit by connecting with your bank accounts and credit cards. When setting up Level Money, you'll be asked to create a PIN to keep your information safe if you misplace your phone. Once you provide a bit of information, you can track your bills, income, and even pick out a savings plan if needed. All of these transactions are graphed out for you, so it's easy to see where your money is going each month.

Spendee

Android (free); iOS ($1.99, £1.49, AU$2.49)

Not interested in connecting your bank accounts and credit cards to a mobile app? Spendee lets you enter all of your credits and debits manually, and offers a host of categories that you can assign to each. To add more categories to select from when entering a transaction, head to Settings >Categories, where you can place a check next to the ones you'd like to use. In this menu you can even adjust the category colors, which makes it even easier to organize your transactions. This app also offers support for recurring transactions, as well as reminders, which are great for paying rent, carinsurance, or your wireless bill. And thankfully, all of your data can be locked behind a four-digit PIN.

Expensify

Android (free); iOS (free)

Do you travel for work, or run your own business? Expensify is geared toward those who have to detail all of their work-related expenses each month. The app supports mileage costs, hourly payment rates, receipt scanning, and also lets you share reports via email. While manual entry is available, the app includes the ability to scan bank or credit card accounts. When you're offline, the app can save your entries until you have a connection again, and once you do, you can back up expenses to a number of cloud storage providers.

Honorable mention goes to Dollarbird (Free on Android, iOS). This app lets you add transactions similar to Spendee, but displays your monthly activity on a calendar. This is a good option if you share a bank account, or just part of the expenses, with another individual. The app lets you share the calendar, and also offers a PIN option to protect your information.

While each app has its strong point, they all serve to help you keep tabs on where you're spending or making the majority of your money each month. For an in-depth look at even more options, check out Sharon Profis' list of tips for money management with Mint.com, or Sarah Mitroff's list of money manager apps. And let us know which app is your favorite below.

Five ways to delete yourself from the Internet

Finally ready to get off the grid? It's not quite as simple as it should be, but here are a few easy-to-follow steps that should at the very least point you in the right direction.

Be warned however; removing your information from the Internet as I've laid it out below, may adversely affect your ability to communicate with potential employers.

1. Delete or deactivate your shopping, social network, and Web services accounts.

If for some reason can't delete an account, change the info in the account to something other than your actual info. Something fake or completely random.

2. Remove yourself from data collection sites.

There are sites out there that collect your information, mostly in order to sell you stuff. They have names like Spokeo, Crunchbase, PeopleFinder, as well as plenty of others.

3. Remove your info directly from websites.

First, check with your phone company or cell provider to make sure you aren't listed online and have them remove your name if you are.

If they don't, tip number four is a less effective, but still viable, option.

4. Delete search engine results that return information about you.

This includes sites like Bing, Yahoo, and Google. In fact Google has a URL removal tool that can help you delete specific URLs.

5. And finally, the last step you'll want to take is to remove your email accounts.

Depending on the type of email account you have, the amount of steps this will take will vary.

You'll have to sign into your account and then find the option to delete or close the account. Some accounts will stay open for a certain amount of time, so if you want to reactivate them you can.

An email address is necessary to complete the previous steps, so make sure this one is your last.

One last thing...

How to know where not to fly your drone

It's easier than ever to get your hands on a ready-to-fly quadcopter to send buzzing around the skies. But there are definitely some guidelines you'll want to follow before taking off.

Editors' note: What follows is not legal advice. Please contact officials in your area or consult an attorney for laws, rules and regulations for where you plan to fly.

The current furor about drones and what you should and shouldn't be allowed to do with them is another case of technology being ahead of laws and regulations (not unlike the controversy over 3D-printed firearms).

Spurred by concerns about privacy and public safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated an awareness campaign, including a new site, Know Before You Fly. That's in advance of more concrete consumer drone legislation expected from the agency by the end 2015. At the moment, however, current regulations for where and under what conditions you can recreationally fly radio-controlled drones -- quadcopters, multirotors, flying cameras, unmanned aircraft systems or vehicles (UAS or UAV) or whatever you want to call them -- are a bit confusing.

So before you take your new toy out for spin in the park, here's what you need to know. And this goes for everything for recreational use: from palm-size toys that can be flown around your living room to large multirotor aerial photography and videography models that can carry dSLRs.

The basics

The FAA claims responsibility for the safety of US airspace from the ground up. For RC hobbyists (read: noncommercial pilots), the FAA safety guidelines limit recreational use of model aircraft to below 400 feet, within sight of the operator and more than 5 miles away from airports and air traffic without prior FAA notification. These guidelines fall in line with the National Model Aircraft Safety Code of theAcademy of Model Aeronautics (AMA).

Other no-fly zones include military bases and national parks. Though some models, such as DJI's Phantom 2, use GPS to help avoid flying too close to an airport, in general you're on your own in following these guidelines. Custom map developer Mapbox created a Don't Fly Drones Here map for the US if you're curious about the area where you plan to fly. DJI has a global No Fly Zones map.

How to use Google Drive on Android, iOS

Google Drive for both Android and iOS has matured quite a bit since its release. Here's some advice on getting started with the app.

Editors' Note: This article was originally published April 24, 2012, and has been updated to reflect the numerous updates, changes and additions to Google Drive since then.

Since its launch in early 2012, the Google Drive app has seen many changes. When it originally launched it replaced the Google Docs app, didn't allow you to actually edit documents on iOS, but allowed for creating and editing Google Docs files within the Android app. Now it better serves as a hub for accessing the various types of files you store within Google Drive.

The basics

The main screen of Google Drive provides a few options for navigating your files. You will have quick access to files in your Drive, any documents that have been shared with you, any files or folders you have starred, recently opened or edited as well as any files you have downloaded for offline access.

When you first launch the app, you'll find a list of your folders and files stored in Google Drive. The default thumbnail view (pictured on the left above) can be changed to a list view (middle) by tapping on the list icon in the top menu bar.

Naturally, tapping on an item will open it. Tapping on the "i" icon, however, will open the details screen (pictured right) for the respective file or folder. On this screen you can view who has access, when changes were made, who made them and other important details. Additionally, you will find options for sharing, moving, deleting, renaming, starring (for quick access) and for files the option to download it to your device for offline access.

Creating, editing

The Google Drive app for Android was recently updated with the Material Design language, complete with a floating "New" button and fun animations. Tapping on the circular, red button will bring up a prompt. The options for creating a new document include uploading a file from your device, scanning a document, creating a folder and lastly, creating a Docs, Sheets or Slides document. The iOS app is sure to receive the same design treatment, but in the mean time you can tap on the "+" in the upper-right hand corner to create a new document.

The last three options require the respective app to be installed on your device. Be sure to install Docs (Android | iOS), Sheets (Android | iOS) and Slides (Android | iOS) on your device. Should you try to create a document without the accompanying app installed, Google Drive will prompt you to install it before continuing.

Viewing documents without the above apps installed is still possible, though your editing options will be limited.

When selecting upload, you are able to browse and upload any type of file to your Drive account directly from your device. It's important to note -- on Android installing a file manager, such as Astro File Manager, is required to browse all files stored on your device. By default you can access images, videos, audio, and downloads. iOS users are restricted to videos and images only.

Keep in mind if you want to place the new item in a specific folder, you will need to navigate to that folder in the app before you upload or create it. Otherwise the new file uploaded item will be placed in the root directory of your Google Drive account.

Menu and settings

Slide out the menu from the left side of the screen, where you can then switch accounts or view files that are shared with you (categorized as "Incoming"), recently accessed, starred or downloaded, as well as those you've uploaded from your device.

Scrolling down the menu's list on an Android, you'll find an option to view the apps settings along with the current amount of Drive space you're using with each account. Within the settings for the Google Drive app, you can set the amount of data you will want the app to cache, topping out at 250MB. You can also enable or disable encryption of offline documents as well as set your device to only upload or update files over Wi-Fi in an effort to help save your mobile data plan.

iOS users will need to tap on the Settings icon, located next to the username at the top of the menu. There you can find storage allotments, and the option to set a security code to grant access to the app. Lacking in iOS is the ability to cache items or restrict uploads to Wi-Fi only.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Apple HomeKit powers on with iDevices Switch smart plug

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Top 4 tech habits you need to break right now

Get some peace of mind by breaking some bad habits and developing some good ones along the way.

1. Using the same passwords for multiple sites

2. Not backing up your photos

3. Not minding your Facebook settings

Screenshot by Iyaz Akhtar/CNET

4. Running Flash all the time on your laptop

Josh Miller/CNET

Bonus for Android users: Accepting your phone's default interface.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Five ways to delete yourself from the Internet

Finally ready to get off the grid? It's not quite as simple as it should be, but here are a few easy-to-follow steps that should at the very least point you in the right direction.

1. Delete or deactivate your shopping, social network, and Web services accounts.

2. Remove yourself from data collection sites.

3. Remove your info directly from websites.

4. Delete search engine results that return information about you.

5. And finally, the last step you'll want to take is to remove your email accounts.

One last thing...

3 apps to help you recover from holiday spending

Whether you've been spending on gifts for the holiday season, or you're ready to track your finances more closely for the New Year, these apps can help you out.

Level Money

Spendee

Expensify

Five ways to delete yourself from the Internet

Finally ready to get off the grid? It's not quite as simple as it should be, but here are a few easy-to-follow steps that should at the very least point you in the right direction.

1. Delete or deactivate your shopping, social network, and Web services accounts.

2. Remove yourself from data collection sites.

3. Remove your info directly from websites.

4. Delete search engine results that return information about you.

5. And finally, the last step you'll want to take is to remove your email accounts.

One last thing...

Sunday, December 28, 2014

How to know where not to fly your drone

It's easier than ever to get your hands on a ready-to-fly quadcopter to send buzzing around the skies. But there are definitely some guidelines you'll want to follow before taking off.

The basics

How to use Google Drive on Android, iOS

Google Drive for both Android and iOS has matured quite a bit since its release. Here's some advice on getting started with the app.

The basics

Creating, editing

Menu and settings

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