Tech Living

Blocking Spam Content on Your Android

by Maygen Brockway | Nov 7, 2022 | Family Safety, Tech Living

We all have a love/hate relationship with our cell phones. Not only do they provide entertainment besides communication abilities, but they also open users up to various scammers and hackers. Interestingly enough, we all have strong opinions about Androids or iPhones and which is best. Regardless of which operating system you prefer, it’s important to block any spam content on your devices. Previously, we discussed How To Block Scams, Spams, and Phishing Easily On Your iPhone. Like iOS systems, you can also block spam content on your Android.

Spamming 101

To put it simply, spam is anything users didn’t subscribe to or didn’t authorize on their phones, emails, texts, calls, etc. Spam can come in various forms from phone calls, text messages, emails and internal linking, and more. The most frustrating thing for users is redundancy. If you end up on a political spam list, you bet you’ll be on every political spam list in your area.

Let’s Talk About Spam Calls

If you own a phone, you’re probably getting spam calls at all hours of every day. We’re often unsure how we end up on these call lists, and just about everyone hates answering the call just to tell whomever to put them on the Do Not Call List. Whatever happened to that list anyways? The good news, you can still register your phone numbers and most spammers should cease calls within 31 days of registering.

LEARN: Federal Trade Commission

Nowadays, it seems like you might recognize a number because it has the same or similar area code as your phone or a friend’s phone. That being said, how are these robocalls and spammers able to do that? These companies are taking a service that runs their numbers through multiple agencies, to lower their cost, and increase answers. Each time you answer a call, it proves that your number is legit, therefore increasing the stats on your number and gaining more spam calls. Instead of answering, just register on the Do Not Call List.

TRENDING: Why So Much Spam Calls?

Spam Messages

We all know the drill. You buy something in a store, they ask you if you want to join their rewards program. Not only will it save you money off initially, but forever X-amount you spend, you gain more money off later. For many people, that sounds like an excellent idea, but that one little rewards program has the potential to set your number up for unlimited spam messages. If the actual messages aren’t annoying enough, many spam texters add clickable links ready to infect your phone with malware and viruses. Though scamming and spamming seem never-ending, there are ways to block spam content for good.

DISCOVER: How To Stop Spam Texts

Spam Blocking Apps

Luckily, app creators are focusing on creating software to help smartphone users to stop spam content. For Android users, we highly recommend Bitdefender, as it’s the most reliable antivirus for Android systems. It provides users optimal protection against malware and data-theft activities. It offers the Scam Alert, which allows users to see warnings on suspicious messages and notifications. It has many features that can help block spam and scammers from stealing your information and sensitive data.

RoboKiller is another spam blocking app to make sure you can remove the annoyance of all the spam calls, messages, and content. Google Play shows an average rating of 4.1 stars for Android users, but an impressive number of over 5 million downloads. Despite many decent ratings, users are complaining about voicemail playback features and other bugs that RoboKiller needs to address.

Cellphone companies are also taking a step toward happier phone users through their spam-blocking apps. Verizon provides an optional upgrade for its users called Verizon Call Filter or Call Filter Plus. It provides spam detection and filtering with a visual rating per incoming call. You can see on a meter where the phone number ranks from low spam to high spam risk. Depending on your plan, you can get added features for an additional $2.99 per month for one line or $7.99 per month for three or more lines. T-Moble/Sprint also offers Scam Protection with similar screening options that let its user see a caller ranking of potential fraud.

No matter what, you need to take all technology seriously when you’re deciding to share your sensitive information. Whether it’s your Android, iOS system, or computer, you need to be aware and conscious of the content you’re sending and receiving. Common sense tells us not to open messages and links from people, numbers, and emails we don’t recognize. There are other ways to ensure you’re safe from spam content and hackers when in doubt. Take a look at some of our previous suggestions on keeping you and your family safe.

The Best Tools And Hacks To Help Prevent Credit Card Fraud

by Staff | Nov 4, 2022 | Family Safety, Tech Living

In my opinion, one of the most important things you own and use is your credit card. Many people are clueless as to how easy it is for hackers to get your information and make fraudulent charges. It’s no surprise that fraudsters target credit cards more than any other type of payment. And most of these criminals are very clever. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of little hacks and tools you can use to prevent credit card fraud from ever happening to you. Nothing is full-proof. There is no bulletproof method because the nefarious game of credit card hacking seems like it will never end. And it feels like it’s always evolving and innovating. With that said, check out our list of the best tools and hacks to help keep your cards safe.

DISCOVER: Online Scams To Watch Out For

My Favorite Hacks To Prevent Credit Card Fraud

Credit card companies often include many free features and tools to help deal with rampant card and identity theft. It is a high priority for them because if the public loses trust in credit card safety, these companies will have a massive problem on their hands. But these tools range from the ability to lock your card from purchases, thorough monitoring of the dark web, and a slew of other cool things. Aside from what they offer, there are some other hacks you can do that will give you an added level of security when making purchases with your card. Your challenge is to just try one of these this week. Make it a priority to take control of security in this digital world.

Use Your Credit Card Company’s App

This is a no-brainer. And I’m still shocked when I find people who don’t use an app to help manage their credit cards. Yes, you can still go online. Yes, you can still wait for that paper statement to arrive in the mail where you can send a check in each month to pay off your credit card statement. But for real…use your credit card company’s app! Credit card apps can help you track your spending. You can see exactly where you are spending your money and how much you are spending each month. This information can be really helpful in budgeting and making sure you are not overspending. Furthermore, you can get immediate notifications sent to your phone on every transaction.

LEARN MORE: How This OMG Cable Will Hack Your Devices

Credit card apps can also help you stay on top of your payments. You can set up reminders for when your bill is due and track your payment history. This can help you avoid late fees and keep your credit score high. Credit card apps can help you get rewards for using your credit card. Many credit cards offer rewards points for every purchase you make. These points can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, or merchandise. A lot of times, you must have the app to unlock those rewards (or at least redeem them).

Biometrics, Digital Wallets, And Contactless Card

Use biometrics whenever you can. This will most likely require you to use payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay through your smartphone. I almost always use biometrics to pay versus a normal credit card. Biometrics are simply measurements of physical or behavioral characteristics. They can be used to identify individuals and verify their identity. The most common biometrics include fingerprints, iris scans, and facial recognition. Biometrics are becoming increasingly popular as a way to authenticate users (and not just with buying things either), especially in the realm of digital security. That’s because biometrics are unique to each individual and they’re very difficult to fake. Because of this, biometrics offer one of the highest levels of security when buying goods.

Contactless cards are another great feature to help reduce credit card fraud. They can be identified by a logo that looks like the Wi-Fi symbol of radiating waves. It leverages technology where you don’t have to put the card in a POS system.

Card Lock

If your credit card company has this service, enable it right now. Card lock or card freeze lets you essentially “turn off” your credit card to foil would-be thieves, which is particularly helpful if you lose it. Most of the time, you can use the mobile app to activate an On/Off switch for this feature.

Credit Card Alerts And Notifications

We’ve already written a post on why you need to enable notifications on all your credit card transactions. This little tips can prevent a lot of loss IF your credit card does get hacked. Time is of the essence with hackers. If you can identify fraud quickly, you can seriously save your bacon when involved with fraud. Alerts allow you to also stay in the know on what’s happening with your account or any other security news and updates.

Never Store Credit Card Info On Your Phone

Let me explain. Sometimes I’ve seen people take pictures of their credit cards or write down their number with a CVC code in a Notes app on their phone. Big no-no. Just don’t do it. Now…if you wanted to use an app or service like LastPass Password Manager and leverage their secure notes feature…that’s not a bad idea. It’s much safer than just valuable personal information on your phone where it’s not password protected or encrypted.

DISCOVER: Our LastPass Password Manager Review

Only Buy From Websites That Are Secure

This is another no-brainer, but I’ll take this a step further. Don’t ever put your personal information on any form on one of these sites. In fact, I’ll take this even one step further. Don’t even visit sites that aren’t secure. How do you know if a site is secure or not? If you look in the top left of the address bar right before the web URL on almost all browsers, you’ll see a little lock symbol. If you don’t, the site isn’t secure.

Home Assistant Showdown: Amazon Echo Dot vs Google Nest Mini

by Staff | Nov 2, 2022 | Reviews, Smart Home, Tech Living

Are you going to buy a speaker or a smart home automation assistant but finding it difficult to choose between Google Nest Mini and the Amazon Echo Dot? Do you want a voice-activated assistant to help you with your day-to-day tasks? You’re probably wondering if the Google Nest Mini or Amazon Echo Dot is the right device for you and your family. We break down the most important features as we compare these two devices and help you decide which one is best for your needs.

The Features That Matter For Your Smart Home Assistant

Both the Google Mini and Amazon Echo Dot are great devices for families. Not going to lie, we have both in my home. That’s how good both of these are. But which one is better? Let’s compare the features that matter most between these two devices to help you decide which one might be best. We analyzed feature sets like design, utility, sound, technology, and ease of use to help you make the best decision possible.

BOOKMARK THIS: Basic Smart Home Automation Tips

Design

Both of these speakers have slightly different sizes. There are LED lights present in both of them. I do think that the Amazon Echo Dot utilizes their LED lights more efficiently than the Google Mini. Seeing my Amazon Echo Dot with an orange-yellow light for notifications is something I’ve grown accustomed to.

The new version of the Echo Dot has a spherical shape and assists in making it look bigger compared to its counterpart. Furthermore, the Google Nest Mini doesn’t contain a clock option, but still, it utilizes LED dots for communication. It is also worth mentioning that it is available in charcoal, chalk, and sky. To me, colors don’t matter that much because the color doesn’t necessarily add any extra value (at least not significantly), but it’s a design feature worth mentioning.

One thing I want to point out: the build quality is remarkable in the Google Nest Mini as well. I love the compact design of both of these because you can integrate them into your home with one of these wall mounts for the Google Nest Mini or the Amazon Echo Dot. You can easily place them around the house without sacrificing your home décor or just getting in the way (note that you need a plug to use one of these home assistant mounts). And the ultra-compact design (and price for that matter) allows you to create an easy-to-use plus cheap smart home intercom system.

Winner: Tie

Connectivity And Utility

Amazon Echo Dot has a powerful smart home ecosystem. Compared to the Google Nest Mini, it’s a little better because of some cool utility options. Alexa has got a lot of amazing smart features that include things like skill blueprints as well as the whisper mode.

Moreover, Alexa has learned a lot of new stuff and keeps learning daily. I’m impressed at how Amazon strives to make the smart home experience better. It should also be noted that the routines and the reminders of Alexa are much improved than when the technology was first launched. But I want to return to a feature I just mentioned: I love Alexa Skills. Essentially, these are enhancements where you can really amp up the performance and utility of your device. Google does have skills and commands for their home assistant devices, but they just don’t compare in utility and efficacy vs Amazon’s Alexa. In this regard, the Amazon Echo dot is a better option when it comes to connectivity and utility.

Winner: Amazon Echo Dot

DISCOVER: The Best Amazon Alexa Skills

Sound Quality + Technology

Sound matters. Whereas most people aren’t going to use one of these for blasting music, sound quality and the technology behind it are still important for these small home assistants. If you’re looking for a quality small speaker system, the Amazon Echo Dot is the better option. The Echo Dot has a noticeable advantage with sound quality compared to the Google Nest Mini and it’s also more affordable. The Echo Dot uses a combination of Dolby processing and seven microphones to deliver clear, loud, and nuanced sounds. The Google Mini, on the other hand, only has two microphones and doesn’t use any Dolby processing. As a result, the Mini just can’t match the Echo Dot’s sound quality.

In addition, the Echo Dot has a more robust speaker system than the Mini. The Dot has a 2.5-inch woofer and a 0.6-inch tweeter, while the Mini only has a single 1.57-inch full-range driver. The Echo Dot’s superior speaker system ensures that you’ll have great sound quality, no matter what you’re listening to. And it’s not just about music either. I rely on my mini smart home speaker to deliver news, updates, reminders, and a slew of other notifications.

Winner: Amazon Echo Dot

Ease of Use

One of the main reasons why the Echo Dot and Google Nest Mini are so popular is because they are very easy to use. Both devices have a simple design. Both have impeccable technology that lends itself to making these devices simple.

Google Nest Mini and the Amazon Echo Dot devices both do a decent job of catching voice commands. Occasionally, if there is slight noise interference, you’ll run into issues, but generally speaking, both are adequate at picking up voice commands. In my opinion, if there’s a difference, the Mini’s voice recognition technology isn’t as accurate as the Echo Dot’s, which can sometimes lead to frustration when trying to give commands. I think that’s due largely in part because the Echo Dot having more microphones AND Amazon’s sound engineers are some of the best in the world. By a slight margin, I’d give the edge to the Echo Dot for those looking for a simple, easy-to-use voice assistant.

LEARN MORE: Best IFTTT Home Security Systems

In terms of smart home integration and syncing these home assistants with another internet of thing devices, both do a phenomenal job. Most smart devices integrate with both Google Assistant and Alexa, so I don’t think either one of these home assistants has an advantage there.

Winner: Narrow Win For Amazon Echo Dot

It Really Comes Down To You

The best option really comes down to you. Before investing in one of these smart home assistants, it is essential to know all the specs and features so you won’t end up buying a useless thing. One of my pet peeves is seeing or hearing of people not using a smart device simply because they “don’t know how” or “it doesn’t work with what we have”. Even more important and on that note, take an inventory of all your smart home devices and get the home assistant that will fit your technology needs. Get one that will augment your smart home ecosystem. If you have devices that mesh better with Alexa, get the Amazon Echo Dot. If you like Google or you have more smart devices that fit with Google Assistant, go that route.

For the record, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a Google-based ecosystem AND an Alexa-based ecosystem either. There are some in my family who love certain things about the Amazon Echo Dot and there are some who like Google Assistant devices better. It doesn’t have to be an either-or situation. In fact, I have both in my home, which does lead to some confusion on my part.

>> Get Your Google Nest Mini Here <<

The Best Travel Routers: What You Need To Know

by Staff | Oct 31, 2022 | Reviews, Tech Living

In this modern age of technology, staying online while traveling is a must for many people. A stable connection while traveling is essential as you might want to check emails, upload media, get directions, check-into hotels, or access sensitive information. Travel routers can help save you money and time while providing a secure and stable internet connection.

Travel routers can easily connect and manage electronic devices while using public Wi-Fi. They can be helpful in various situations: hotels, conference centers, airport lounges, and other places where connections are restricted to limited devices.

How Do Travel Routers Work?

When choosing the best travel router for yourself, it is essential to understand how these routers work. Knowing a travel router’s specifications, security options, bandwidths, etc., will help make that decision easy.

Travel routers work as private hotspots for the available internet connection and create a Wi-Fi network bubble. They provide an internet connection to all the electronic devices you want from a single connection. Good routers are compatible with the latest Wi-Fi standard and provide advanced security encryption. Essentially, a travel router is expected to do the following:

Extend the range of wireless networks which have poor signals
Detects and amplifies weak signals
Create a wireless network to secure the connection
Incorporate a firewall to protect from DDoS threats
Allows multi-device connectivity.

LEARN: When Was The Last Time You Updated Your Router?

What To Look For In A Travel Router?

When the time comes to buy a new travel router, you should give several important characteristics careful thought. According to Forbes, you’ll need to locate a router that satisfies your speed, frequency, and security requirements, which are the most critical factors to look out for in a travel router.

Speed And Frequency

When choosing a travel router, the speed and frequency of the network that it can support is a significant factor. Another factor is network frequency; a dual-band router transmits both a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz signal instead of a single-band router that only generates a 2.4 GHz signal. Double-band routers allow for a faster network, increased range, and more device connections overall.

Security and Protection

Security is a significant concern when using public connections. Travel routers can help eliminate this concern. We suggest choosing a travel router with minimum WPA2 encryption and VPN capabilities.

DISCOVER: The One Device I Love For My Home Network

Which Are The Best Travel Routers?

When choosing a travel router, many choices are available in the market, each offering a diverse range of functionality and benefits. Following are what I would consider being the best choices when it comes to travel routers. Although these routers are great for travel, I personally travel with my Firewalla Purple. It’s a fantastic travel companion for technology. It’s compact, easy to travel with, has built-in Wi-Fi (so I get that protection on the go), and I can still monitor all of my devices with parental controls.

LEARN MORE: The Firewalla Purple Review

TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router

Among travel routers, TP-Link’s AC750 (TL-WR902AC) is one of the fastest travel routers available in the market. It is portable and cost-effective and has a low price of only $39.99. Its small size makes it portable enough to carry around in your pocket.

It offers dual-band Wi-Fi performance and can be used as a bridge to link a wired device to a wireless network by utilizing its built-in Ethernet connector. It can also work as a range extender, a private Wi-Fi hotspot, or even a router to build a wireless network.

Its key features include:

Speeds up to 433Mbps (5GHz)
USB port power source
Portable
Multiple modes for different scenarios
Will support HD streaming on all your devices

TP-Link AC750 User Reviews

This product has a 4-star rating out of 5 on Amazon. More than 15.5K reviews are what generate this rating. Based on customer ratings by feature, ease of use (4.3), versatility (4.2), and easy to install (4.0) are the most important features customers love about the TP-Link AC750. Those ratings are slightly better than Anker’s with each feature rating respectively.

GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 (Mango) Portable Mini Travel VPN Router

The GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 is one of the more affordable travel routers. Though its functionality makes it a router more suited for beginners hoping to try out the technology, it still boasts many features that are a must in a travel router.

You get two 100 Mbps Ethernet ports for sharing a wired network, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi support, and support for WPA2 and WPA3. Additionally, privacy is a big focus as it has VPN capabilities and built-in support for Cloudflare’s DNS over TLS.

Another fantastic feature is connecting a smartphone with tethering capabilities using the router’s USB 2 port.

Some of its features are:

Tethering
Dual Ethernet ports
OpenVPN client pre-installed
Small and super light
Enhanced security protocols and data encryption
Speeds up to 300Mbps

GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 User Reviews

This product has a 4.2 rating out of 5 on Amazon. More than 8.9K reviews are what generate this rating. Based on customer ratings by feature, value for money (4.3), versatility (4.2), and user interface (4.1) are the most important features customers love about the GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2. That rating is slightly better than the TP-Link unit.

GL.iNet GL-MT1300 (Beryl) VPN Gigabit Wireless Router

The GL-MT1300 from GL.iNet is a great travel router for veterans that know how to utilize a travel router’s features to their maximum. It provides up to 867Mbps on the 5 GHz channel and 400Mbps on the 2.4Ghz channel. It has capabilities like WPA3, making it an excellent router for traveling and at-home usage.

My Favorite Google Routines

by Dale Meredith | Oct 21, 2022 | Smart Home, Tech Living

Are you looking for ways to make your life easier? Maybe you want a better way to make your smart devices help you create the smart home that works for you. Google has a host of great tools and features that can help. And one of our favorites is Routines. With Routines, you can create custom commands that run multiple actions with a single voice command. This can save you time and hassle in the morning, during your commute, or when you’re winding down for bed.

If you’re not using Google Routines right now, you’re doing the whole smart home automation thing wrong. In this guide, we’ll show you all of the best Google Routines. We’ll walk through some of our favorite routines. Whether you’re looking to get organized, stay in the know on news and weather, or just want an easier way to do things around the house, check out these fun and effective Google Routines ideas.

DISCOVER: Smart Home Automation Ideas You’ll Love

Google Routines 101

Before we get in too deeply on these, let me explain what a Google Routine is in the first place. Some of you reading this might be thinking, ‘What the heck is a Google Routine?’ They’re actually a pretty easy concept to understand. They’re even easier to implement as well. Straight from the Google website, it says, “A routine is a series of actions you want your devices to take automatically when prompted by voice command or through the Google Home app. You can speak the command through a Nest speaker or display (Nest Audio, Nest Mini, or Nest Hub Max ) or even your phone.” I’ll add to that by saying that it’s simply a set of actions you want smart devices in your home to do based on criteria that you personalize. You need other smart devices (and a Google Assistant) to be able to work together to perform these routines. For example, when I walk through the front door I could say, “Hey Google, I’m home.” From there, the lights in my living room turn on, the TV turns on to ESPN, and the smart thermostat temperature gets set to 73. Pretty cool, right? Here’s why a function like Google Routines is so important, it’s because it allows you to really control the tech in your life instead of the tech controlling you.

And here’s the extra bonus with Routines, you don’t have to be at home to do them. For example, if you aren’t home and you can’t remember if you locked up the home, you can tell your Android phone (or using the Google Assistant app) “Hey Google, secure my home” and all the actions assigned to that Routine will deploy: locked doors, Ring camera armed, thermostat set at 68, flood lights turned on, and the garage door closes (if left open). And it doesn’t have to be voice-activated either. If I’m on vacation, I can set this Routine to deploy every night at 9 PM.

Some Of The Best Google Routines

There are seriously thousands upon thousands of permutations you can employ with Google Routines. As long as the device connects with Google Assistant, you’re good to go. I’ve seen some really interesting Google automation and routines. Some I think are fun to say or fun to imagine, but I’m all about practicality.

LEARN MORE: Best IFTTT Home Security Systems

Good Morning

I personally use “Okay Google, Good Morning” almost every day. It’s a schedule routine that operates as a functional or informational alarm clock. If I wake up before the scheduled alarm goes, I have to manually say the words. For this routine, my speaker has a set volume (louder than when it’s at night), reports the upcoming weather for the day, gives me the news (from the source I want), tells me what I have on my calendar, reads to me my reminders, and takes my phone off silent. Boom…with one extensive routine, I’m hitting the ground running and ready for my day.

A couple of neat things you can do with a good morning routine if you have the technology is to open or close your curtains or you could have shades open or close. You can also have your coffee start to be made the minute you wake up as well.

Secure The Batcave

I’ve mentioned this one before. It aligns with this idea of mixing home automation devices in your life to really make tech work for you. I simply say, “Hey Google, Secure the Batcave.” Then all my doors lock (you need smart locks ____I personally have Kwikset SmartCode 916 deadbolt on all my exterior doors, including the door leading to the garage ), my Ring camera is armed, my smart floodlights are enabled, all the lights in my house are turned down, and the temperature is set at a cool 70 degrees by my smart thermostat.

I’m Going Downstairs

I have a personal den. It’s where I like to hangout. Sometimes I work there. Sometimes to get away. When I go downstairs, I can say, “Hey Google, I’m going downstairs.” My den lights get turned on to a specified brightness. I have a set of string LED lights that turn on. My TV turns on to my favorite streaming channel. And a portable fan turns on. I’ve thought about having an air freshener or air purified turn on, but don’t know yet if that’s taking this overboard 😉

I’m Getting Ready For Bed

This is one I didn’t think I’d use that much, but I’m finding that I love it more and more. I find I use it about 30 minutes to an hour before my head hits the pillow. I’ve also found new tweaks to add to this routine as well. I’ll say, “Hey Google, I’m Getting Ready For Bed.” From here, all the smart lights in my home drop 30% brightness. My bedroom fan turns on at low speed (I like fresh air when I sleep). And each of my kids gets a notification that they need to get ready for bed.

Movie Time

When we watch movies, this one is fun. I can say, “Hey Google, It’s movie time!” The lights in our living room get turned off, (if I had them) the smart blinds could close, the TV turns on to Netflix (or your favorite streaming channel), and we’re ready to watch our favorite flix.

Vacation Mode

This is another go-to favorite. When engaged, my Phillips Hue lights (color versions) will light up and flicker in my bedroom and living room with various colors during the night until about 1 am. From the outside it looks like someone is literally watching TV (I could have the TV turned on as well in this Routine as well, but I like the way the Phillips Hue lights work). Then at various times during the night different lights will come on and off making it look like someone is up and moving around. This is a clever Google Routine trick, but it’s effective.

Why I Love Google Routines

There are so many things to love about Google Routines! They are one of the most important factors in making your home truly smart. First of all, they make it super easy to manage your day-to-day tasks and make your tech work for you. With just a simple voice command or a click, you can create and edit your routines, schedule reminders, turn a light on or off, lock doors, enable your security cameras, set goals, and a slew of other amazing combinations. Plus, the Google Home interface is extremely user-friendly and the features are constantly updated. But perhaps my favorite thing about Routines is that they help me stay in control of the tech in my home and allow me to leverage what smart devices are really intended to do.

BOOKMARK THIS: Basic Smart Home Automation Tips

Yes, it’s cool to be able to turn lights on or off with a simple prompt. But to say, “Hey Google, I’m stressed,” followed by my lights being dimmed, a relaxing tune then being played from my smart speaker, followed by my doors being locked, and outside cameras turned on is the key to unlocking the “smart” in our tech.

A Review Of iBi: The Smart Photo Manager We’ve Been Waiting For?

by Staff | Oct 14, 2022 | Reviews, Tech Living

While the benefits of cloud computing are undeniable, there are also some drawbacks. It’s no hidden secret that Facebook and Google utilize user data for marketing and other purposes, and new data breaches occur each year.

Developers at SanDisk designed iBi for people who aren’t comfortable with the concept of storing their photographs and movies on the cloud. When you add a wireless device the size of a beer can to your home network, the files are stored. The iBi, on the other hand, is more than just a backup device. You may share files with your “inner circle” and others, along with the option to like and comment, using iOS, Android, and Mac applications. Casting films to Apple TV, Fire TV, and Chromecast and syncing material from social media are just a few of the other features of this device.

iBi Set-Up

Before you start the setup process, make sure you’re near your Wifi router and have a good internet speed. The set-up is quite simple. Let the app do the work for you by downloading the application and creating an account. You can use cloud storage by importing your images from your phone, and we recommend using auto-import. Since I usually have a portable hard drive with me, we connected it to the app and imported all our images. It worked flawlessly.

Features

According to SanDisk, you may store more than 250,000 photographs or over 100 hours of HD video on the 1TB of storage in the current iBi version. Additionally, there is a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex CPU and 1GB DDR3L RAM. Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth Low Energy are both supported by the gadget. I love the fact that you can stream from iBi to your TV with Roku, Google Chromecast, Fire TV, and many more. Here are a handful of other features worth mentioning:

You only need one device. If you want to invite family members, friends, or whomever to share images/videos, you will only need one device.
You can invite as many people to your iBi inner circle (as of right now, there are no limits). As far as sharing those videos and images, you can also share as many photos and videos to as many people
Here’s the secret: it’s not really “cloud storage” per se. Your photos and videos are all stored on the smart photo manager hardware device.
The app is free. No premium service. No monthly subscription. No monthly fees. Easy to download and extremely easy to use.

BUY: Buy Your iBi Smart Photo Manager Now!

We alluded to it above about sharing with your inner circle. There are several ways to share files with the iBi. Everything you post on iBi is accessible only to you and secured by login and password; therefore, it’s crucial to keep this in mind when using the service. The next step is to decide which files or photos you want to share with your family members.

“Inner circle” has been made for your closest family and friends. Ideally, this group should only include those who live in your house and have access to your Wi-Fi. You can place restrictions on what users can do (because you don’t want others you invite to invite others ~ that would be almost impossible to manage). You can, however, add anyone you choose to this list. These individuals receive an iBi login and access your device’s storage for films and images. As the owner of the iBi, you cannot view these files directly. However, the iBi owner can remove members of their inner circle (and their data) at any moment.

Pros Of The iBi Smart Photo Manager

It’s easy to see that iBi is both a backup and a sharing device for images and movies. Specifically, the “automatic backup” option has been a breeze to set up, use, and enjoy. Because it automatically backs up everything in the Photo app. I love that I can rest easy knowing that our files are safe with iBi. I’ve NEVER had an issue being able to access my photos or video. Even though there are several ways to share photographs and videos, you still need to address some issues if you don’t have an internet connection. That’s the key. I’ve read some reviews where people are mad because they can’t access their media. That’s mostly on them because they might be somewhere where they have no connection either through the internet or cellular data.

SanDisk deserves credit for keeping the iBi app design simple. They have a lot of years behind data storage and that’s probably a major impetus behind their simplicity. In addition, the app’s search tool allows you to look for material by date, location, and keyword, which is helpful, even though the built-in AI doesn’t know the difference between dogs and cats yet. It’s really simple, but I expect the search AI to get better.

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Cons of the iBi Smart Photo Manager

There is nothing wrong or problematic with iBi. The setup is one of the simplest things I’ve encountered. In terms of social integration, iBi might use some work. The synchronization difficulties might be a concern for some. But paying attention to the instructions and even diving online and checking out a few tutorials will help any hurdles in that department.

With that said, it’s still a bit clunky. For example, you can use the iBi app and online interface on your mobile device to connect to Facebook. Yes, it’s functional. The back and forth, on the other hand, the back and forth is disorienting and may confuse certain people. A future software upgrade may be required to make the procedure more efficient. The workaround for this is to download the photo to your device and share it through your phone’s default photo app.

As one of the most important reasons not to utilize third-party picture and video solutions on Apple or Android devices, synchronization and backup can be confusing terms. iBi is a backup device, not a sync tool. When you erase data from the primary source, your backup will retain it. Having a secondary backup system like the iBi demands some rethinking for someone who prefers order over chaos regarding photo and video preservation. Prepare yourself for going all-in with an iBi gadget or not if you buy one.

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So who should take iBi into account? iBi is a wonderful alternative for truly safeguarding your most priceless memories to escape the cloud. However, you’ll also need to select how to back up your other data. And if you don’t back it up, create your own personal framework for organizing photos in the app interface.

iBi User Reviews

This product has a 4-star rating out of 5 on Amazon. Nearly 1.4K reviews are generating this rating and after our recent analysis of these reviews, almost all of them are from verified purchases And even though Verified purchases aren’t the end-all-be-all of reviews, they do matter. Based on customer ratings by feature, easy to install (5.0), value for money (4.2), easy to use (4.0), and storage capacity (3.8) are the most important features customers love about the iBi photo manager. I’ve now personally recommended this product to half a dozen family and friends. One time the product came back defective out of the box. With the help of contacting iBi and then Amazon, we got the product completely replaced at no charge. In talking with Tech Support for iBi, I was pretty impressed with their genuine level of professionalism and care.

A Smart Alternative To Google Photos

For the record, I love Google Photos. It is a great way to store and share your photos, but it has its drawbacks. For one thing, it can be difficult to find the photos you’re looking for, especially if you didn’t create folders and think ahead with your asset organization. IBI photo manager can help you organize your photos so you can find them easily. IBI photo manager can also help you edit and share your photos. I love the user access functionality with IBI and think their app OS interface is easy to use. You can even use IBI photo manager to create slideshows and collages. The nice thing about the IBI photo manager is you pay once and that’s it. If you run into storage issues with Google Photos and need more space, you’re going to be paying an extra monthly fee. You might be surprised at how much IBI photo manager can improve your photo-sharing and photo-storing experience.

Do You Really Need A Smart Photo Manager?

If you’re like most people, your photo and video collection is a hot mess. Your smartphone is full of random images and videos that you’ve taken over the years, and your computer’s hard drive is probably cluttered with even more memories. I feel your pain. So do you really need a smart photo manager to help you organize all of those memories?

The truth is a smart photo manager can be a huge help when it comes to sorting, storing, and sharing your photos and videos. With a smart photo manager like the iBi, you can quickly and easily tag your images so that you can find them later. The organization of your personal media is super slick. It will save you a ton of time! You can also create albums and slideshows, store your photos and videos in the cloud, and share them with family and friends.