ANDROID POLICE AND AVAST GALAXY NEXUS GIVEAWAY CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES
1. Eligibility
ANDROIDPOLICE.COM, A CALIFORNIA SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP (referred to herein as “Contest Provider”) IS THE PROVIDER OF THIS CONTEST. THIS CONTEST IS OPEN ONLY TO RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, MEXICO, CHILE, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, ISRAEL, INDIA, FRANCE, BELGIUM, THE UNITED KINGDOM, LUXEMBOURG, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND, SWEDEN, FINLAND, DENMARK, NORWAY, SPAIN, IRELAND, RUSSIA, THE NETHERLANDS, SOUTH KOREA, SOUTH AFRICA, TAIWAN, ITALY, PORTUGAL, SLOVENIA, ESTONIA, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, ROMANIA, SLOVAKIA, MALAYSIA, VIETNAM, THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, CROATIA, THE UKRAINE, POLAND, BULGARIA, AND HUNGARY WHICH ARE OVER THE AGE OF MAJORITY IN THEIR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE ON THE DATE REFERENCED BELOW AS THE START DATE FOR THE CONTEST ("ENTRANTS"). If you are under the legal age of majority in your country of residence, but are (i) over the age of 13 years of age and a resident of the United States of America, or a member country of the European Union other than Spain, or the United Kingdom; (ii) who is least 14 years of age and a resident of Spain, the United Kingdom, or Russia; or (iii) who is at least 15 years of age and is a resident of the Republic of Korea; one of your parents or legal guardians must submit a signed, written statement that they have read, understood and agree to these Contest rules with your entry, and that such agreement constitutes acceptance of these Contest rules on behalf of you and themselves. All applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. There is no cost to enter or win. Offer void where prohibited.
2. Disclaimer
Contest Provider will not be responsible for: (a) any late, lost, or misrouted transmissions or entries; (b) any Contest disruptions, injuries, losses or damages caused by events beyond the control of Contest Provider; or (c) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest.
3. Contest Period
The Contest begins January 2nd, 2012 at 2:00PM Pacific Time and will continue until January 7th, 2012 at 11:59PM Pacific Time (the "Deadline"). All entries must be received before the Deadline to be eligible to win the Prize.
4. Prizes
Ten (10) eligible entrants will be chosen by the Contest Provider at random as “Winners,” and each will receive a “Prize,” one (1) Samsung "Galaxy Nexus" smartphone device, estimated retail value $740. Each winner will be allowed to choose to receive either a Verizon Wireless-compatible Galaxy Nexus, or a global GSM Galaxy Nexus.
The Prize will be provided “as is,” Contest Provider and Prize Provider provide no warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF THE PRIZE ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER.
Shipment of The Prize will be the sole responsibility of Contest Provider. Shipment method and carrier will be selected by Contest Provider. Contest Provider and Prize Provider assume no responsibility for loss of or damage to the prize prior to or during shipment. If the Prize, after shipment, is returned to the Prize Provider as undeliverable or for any other reason, Contest Provider and Prize Provider reserve the right to disqualify the Winner and to designate another Entrant as the Winner.
5. Collection of Information:
The Contest entry requires you to submit a first and last name, email address, and shipping address to meet the Contest’s Eligibility requirements.
If you are a citizen of France and/or any of the other countries whose citizens are eligible for this Contest, and pursuant to French law pertaining to data collection and processing, you are informed that the data collector is AndroidPolice.com, and the data collected will be transferred to the United States of America. Upon request, you will be provided with access to your personal data. To exercise this right, please contact giveaways@androidpolice.com.
The Winner consents to allowing Contest Provider to disclose the following information to Prize Provider for the purpose of awarding the Prize: (1) first and last name, (2) email address, and (3) shipping address. Shipping address must be located in one of the countries or regions listed in the Eligibility section. Failure to provide an address in one of the countries or regions listed in the Eligibility section will result in disqualification from the Contest.
6. General Release of Liability
By entering the Contest, you release the Contest Provider and Prize Provider from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or delivery, misdelivery, acceptance, possession, use of or inability to use the Prize.
7. Affidavit and Release:
As a condition of being awarded the Prize, the Winner will be required to execute and deliver to Contest Provider a signed Affidavit of Eligibility, which includes an acceptance of these Official Rules and a release of liability. The Affidavit of Eligibility may be submitted by email.
8. Contest and Prize Providers:
Contest provided by Android Police. Prizing provided by AVAST Software. Any questions regarding the Contest should be directed via e-mail to Artem Russakovskii at giveaways@androidpolice.com.
9. Choice of Law:
The Contest and these Official Rules will be governed, construed and interpreted under the laws of the United States.
10. Miscellaneous:
Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the Contest Provider, which are final and binding in all respects. Contest Provider reserves the right to change these Official Rules at any time, at its discretion, and to suspend or cancel the Contest or any entrant's participation in the Contest should any causes beyond Contest Provider’s control affect the administration, security or proper play of the Contest or Contest Provider otherwise becomes (as determined by its discretion) unable to run the Contest as planned.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
[Nexus New Year's Worldwide Ultimate Giveaway] Win One Of Ten (Yes, Ten) Galaxy Nexuses From AVAST And Android Police
[Review] Avast! Mobile Security For Android
After getting a glimpse of Avast's new mobile security solution a few weeks ago, I just had to dive in and give the app a full review. Avast, the long-awaited marriage of Avast and IT Agents' Theft Aware (see our review), certainly doesn't disappoint. It has an insane number of features, all of which appear to work perfectly, and it sounds like things will only be improving with time.
And did I mention the full-featured, root-enhanced app is completely free with no paid version in sight? As in, even the previously paid (Theft-Aware used to cost 10EUR) features.
Check out this handy feature matrix:
And this video, which provides us with a quick overview of just a few of Avast's capabilities:Avast Mobile Security is stunning not only in terms of functionality, but also in its design and usability. The app's interface is extremely polished, and handles Avast's myriad of features with ease, avoiding a cluttered feeling, and walking users through each feature gently, with full explanations of just what you're getting into. Apps with as long a list of features as Avast often feel too busy, and features sometimes aren't exactly practical. This is not the case with Avast. Each and every feature Avast offers is practical, sensible, and most importantly functional.
My only complaints with Avast are minor and really don't detract from its functionality at all.
If you haven't gotten the picture yet, Avast does just about everything you could ever need a security app to do. That being said, it will be easiest to discuss each feature separately, in order of their appearance.
First up is Avast's Virus Scanner. This feature is what you would expect, scanning apps and memory contents for viruses or other malware. For added convenience, users can schedule scans according to days of the week and specific time frames. The scanner looks through apps and SD card contents, to make sure you're safe from malware. Interestingly, users can schedule virus scans.
Of course, as a lot of us know, most new Android malware is only detected after it does some damage and oftentimes by the time virus definitions are updated, the malware is already long gone from the Market. Therefore, we won't put too much weight on the Virus Scanner - there are features in Avast that are way cooler and more useful.
Next is Avast's Privacy Advisor. This tool tells users which apps have access to which data, essentially organizing installed applications according to individual permissions. Avast includes a short description of each permission, making it easy for users to see exactly what each app can look at. As I'll discuss later, some of these permissions can be blocked using Avast's handy Firewall tool. Considering what a close eye users often keep on app permissions, this feature is extremely handy.
Avast's Application Management tool is a relatively simple task manager, but brings Avast's sleek UI and intuitive functionality to an otherwise run-of-the-mill feature. The App Management tool lists all running apps, and allows users to organize the list by size, memory, CPU usage, and a handful of other categories. When a user selects an app, Avast brings up a screen just like the one found in Android's native app management settings, with the added functionality of Avast's firewall options (more on that later). Adding subtle redundancies like these gives Avast a more cohesive feel, without making things feel cluttered or bogged down with unnecessary elements.
Web Shield is an excessively simple tool, controlled by just one check box, which actively protects users from online threats including phishing websites, malware, etc. This is a great idea, and since it only works with the default Android browser, users of aftermarket browsers, such as Dolphin, Firefox, or Opera, probably won't need to bother with this tool at all.Personally, I have never run into a malware issue while browsing the web, so I'm not exactly sure how often this feature comes into play, but I suppose it's comforting to know that the protection is there.
Avast also features call and SMS filters, meaning users can block incoming (and outgoing) calls and text messages according to contacts, groups, times, and days of the week, making it incredibly easy and intuitive to prevent unwanted messages or calls from being received or transmitted. This doesn't feel so much like a security option, as much as a feature thrown in for convenience. That being said, it's more sophisticated than many of the call/SMS blocker apps out there, functions perfectly, and is – in my opinion – a nice touch.
Remember the Firewall feature I mentioned earlier? Essentially, Avast's Firewall allows users to block certain apps from doing certain things, namely Wi-Fi access, 3G access, and roaming data access. This feature requires root, but can save a lot of data if you've got apps that like to eat up a lot of bandwidth.Firewall features for root users aren't new to Android - in fact, we've been enjoying them ever since DroidWall came to the Market. However, DroidWall doesn't include roaming blocking features, and if you decide to go with Avast anyway for some of its other features, you might as well utilize the Firewall and consolidate several apps into one.
Avast's Anti-Theft functionality (the real meat of any security app, in my opinion) is almost as sophisticated as you'd expect after using the rest of Avast's features. If you're already familiar with Theft Aware, you'll recognize it immediately, albeit rebranded and much prettier.The anti-theft protection is divided into two sections – basic settings and advanced settings.
Basic settings essentially allows users to enter their name, choose a password (for use when accessing the app itself), and remote control options (which is basically a list of "friend" numbers which can control your device via SMS in case of loss or theft). The more practical aspects of Avast's protection are in the advanced settings, however.Avast has included many features in their anti-theft protection that I've been looking for in other apps for a while – namely, users can force a data connection (if rooted), and save Avast's settings in case of a data wipe.First off, Avast offers a ton of options for when your device falls into the wrong hands. Users can set a variety of "protection behaviors" which will be triggered upon SIM card change, or when the device is marked as "lost." These include some fairly standard features like lock and siren, but Avast has added some new (and refreshing features) including forced data connection, and the ability to deny a thief access to USB debugging, program manager, and phone settings, which honestly seem a lot more practical than the basic protection behaviors found in other apps.Anti-Theft's advanced settings menu includes an option to check for updates, which could be confusing. However, it's there because Anti-Theft, in fact, is a separate module (you can uninstall Avast and keep just Anti-Theft if you want), and updates to it are delivered independently of the main app. Theft Aware users will recognize this behavior from the good old days, as the TA Market app was just an installer. An extra handy feature, when installing updates, is the immediate option to install to root, essentially making Avast a system app and preventing it from being deleted or uninstalled. As you may remember from previous security reviews, this is a highly sought-after feature which certainly inspires confidence in an anti-theft solution.The one (and only) complaint I have with Avast's anti-theft protection is that it relies solely on SMS commands, and has no online interface at the moment. That being said, Avast demoed the online interface to Artem privately in Prague, and assured us that it will be added in "early 2012," so the already sophisticated protection will soon be even closer to perfection.Overall, Avast is an incredibly strong contender among mobile security apps. The fact that it's free is a huge plus, and serves as the icing on the cake. All of Avast's features seem to work perfectly, and are simply polished, intuitive, and well thought-out.
Besides the fact that we don't (yet) have an online interface to control Avast, I have just one other minor complaint, which is that Avast asks for my PIN way too often, even asking me to re-enter the pass code while navigating within the app. I suppose in the end this adds a marginal amount of security, but when using the app, it can be a pain.
The main settings menu also allows users to set options related to automatic software updates. At first, I was confused about them, but Avast clarified that they're actually not software updates but rather virus definition updates, and the wording will be refined in a future update.
Again, these are only very minor complaints. I honestly can't find much to complain about in terms of functionality or user experience, meaning this app is truly a winner. How does it stack up to other security apps? I think Avast is close to being beyond comparison, really. Avast is probably the most well-rounded security app I've used yet, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Considering it's completely free, I would definitely recommend clicking through the Market link below and start protecting your device with one of the most comprehensive, complete, and functional apps you'll ever see.
[Update x2: Modern Combat 3 On Sale Today] Gameloft Bringing In The New Year With A Bang, All Games Will Be On Sale For $0.99 In The Android Market 12/29 - 1/5
If your new year's resolution is to kill more time playing games on your Android device (that's mine, anyway), then Gameloft is all ready to give you the hookup beginning on December 29th, when all of their games will be dropped down to mere $0.99 in the Market. The one exclusion to this deal is Modern Combat 3 - it will, however, go on sale for one day (though they didn't mention the price).
Gameloft has some pretty killer games, including titles like Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, N.O.V.A. 2 HD, 9MM HD, Order & Chaos Online, and more.
This deal will begin on Thursday, December 29th and run until January 5th, 2012.
Update 1/2: Modern Combat 3 is now $0.99,
Update 12/29: The deal is now live in the Market, hit the widgets below to buy!
Modern Warfare 2: Black Pegasus
[Quick Look] Network Monitor Mini Is A Small, Unobtrusive App That Monitors Bandwidth In Real-Time
There are many reasons why you may need to keep an eye on what's going with your bandwidth at any given moment, especially while on a cell network. Perhaps you need to monitor a download that's going on in the background, or maybe you just need to make sure that no apps are hogging data without permission. Whatever the reason, if you've been searching for an easy to way to address this issue, we've found the solution: Network Monitor Mini.
Network Monitor Mini is one of the simplest, yet most useful apps we've ever used - it displays both upload and download speeds on the screen at all times. it sounds like it could be obtrusive, but it's so minimal, you barely notice it's there (unless you look directly at it, of course).
See it there? It's up in the top right corner - just a small, convenient little monitor. Of course, it doesn't have to be in the top right corner - you have the option of placing it in any of the four corners. It also has four color choices, including white, green, blue, and yellow; there is even an option to change the transparency of the background.
Like I said, it's just an extremely handy app to have installed. It's small, easy to use, provides a decent amount of customization, and, best of all, it's free. Hit the widget to grab it for yourself.
Koush Does It Again: ClockworkMod Tether Alpha Circumvents Carrier Restrictions And Brings USB Tethering Without Root Access
At one point, tethering was a simple process - installing a program from the Android Market would enable the feature and you were good to go. Of course, carriers didn't like this, because instead of paying them an extra $30(ish) a month to use their hotspot service, you were gaining access to the feature for free. So they had many tethering apps pulled from the Market. Not only that, but many carriers put a block directly on devices that disallowed the use of common tethering apps.
Now, you can find "tethering" gracing many of the reasons to root your Android device articles across the net. But what about users who only want to tether and aren't confortable with rooting (or otherwise have no desire to gain root access)? Enter a new app from Koush, the mind behind some of the most important apps on Android, like ClockworkMod Recovery and ROM Manager. This new app, called ClockworkMod Tether, will allow users to bypass carrier tethering restrictions without root access.
This is a USB tethering solution and also requires a virtual network adapter to be installed on any computer (it's Mac, Windows, and Linux compatible) in which tethering will be used (also provided by Koush). At the current time, ClockworkMod Tether is still in its alpha stages, and as a result, Koush is asking for user feedback on the apps ease of setup and use, as well as how well it functioned during use.
If you're ready to give it a shot, head over to this Google+ posting to grab the download and give it a shot!
[Images via Addictive Tips]
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Can TiKL Work Between an Android & a BlackBerry Phone?
TiKL is a free app available for smart devices such as Android phones that allows your phone to function like a walkie talkie with push-to-talk technology. The application adds a button to contacts in your phone list or Facebook friends which can initiate one-on-one or group voice sessions. You can also use TiKL for chat or text messaging sessions with your contacts.
While TiKL is compatible with a variety of Android devices and the iPhone, there is no version available for BlackBerry phones, despite the fact that BlackBerry devices are capable of using apps. Therefore, anyone in your network who uses a BlackBerry will be excluded from conversations using TiKL. However, if you're using Android or an iOS device, you can use TiKL across devices and carriers.
While TiKL does not work between Android and BlackBerry devices, you may consider the app Loudtalks. Loudtalks is compatible with the BlackBerry OS as well as Android and PCs with the Windows operating system. As of the time of publication, Loudtalks is the only cross-operating system compatible push-to-talk app. In the future, you may also be able to use the app TalkBox, which is currently only available for Android and iPhone, on your BlackBerry.
Push-to-talk solutions like TiKL that offer texting, voice and other communications that may not require minutes or text messaging units on your plan. However, they do use data, whether that is network data from your cellular provider or data from a local wireless area connection or WLAN. If you do not have unlimited data, you should track your usage with TiKL or other Internet-enabled apps.
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How to Know If Someone Hacks Into Your Android Phone
Watch what information your new apps request. The eSecurity Planet website reports that in 2011, 28 percent of Android apps wanted your phone's GPS location and 7.5 percent accessed stored contact information. Your apps have to request permission before accessing the data, so if you can't think of a reason a new app needs the information, don't authorize your Android to share.
2Check your bill. Some viruses, rather than stealing data, play tricks, such as directing your Android to send masses of texts to expensive premium numbers. If you notice your texting minutes and costs suddenly spike upward for no good reason, that's a warning sign you've been hacked.
3Install protective programs to sweep your phone and detect malware. There are several free programs on the market and more on the way, though because your Android has limited storage space, using the programs may slow down your device.
Some hackers have created malware that looks exactly like an Android antivirus program. Only download such security programs from a reliable source.
To protect against hackers, apply basic IT security principles when using your Android. Log off websites when you finish visiting them; be careful about visiting questionable websites or opening suspicious email; and require PINs or passwords to access sensitive data.
Read Next: Copyright © 1999-2012 Demand Media, Inc.Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.