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How to move files from Android to computer

There’s a lot of good things to say about how-to articles. They’re simple, practical, and if we follow instructions correctly, they can give us a sense of accomplishment. From basic life skills such as learning how to change a lightbulb or how to fry an egg to more technical topics like learning how to write JavaScript or how to perfect a soufflé, there’s always someone out there who is going to need a how-to article on something.

If you’re that somebody today wondering how to transfer your files from your Android phone to your computer, here is how you do it:

What you need:

  • Your Android phone
  • A computer with a USB port
  • A USB cable

What you need to do:
If you have a Windows computer…

  • Start by plugging your phone into the computer via USB port.
  • Turn on your phone’s screen and unlock the device. At this point, your Android device should only be connected for charging. Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap on USB for charging to view more options.
  • Select Transfer files in the menu that appears.
  • On your computer, search for your Android device on the File Explorer. Click on the icon that represents your phone and you should be directed to your phone’s internal storage.
  • Drag and drop the files or folders into your preferred location, such as the desktop or documents. If you want to save videos and pictures, you can find them in the DCIM folder.
  • Once you are done, right-click your device’s name. Click Eject before unplugging the phone and USB cable.

If you have a Mac…
If you’re using a Mac desktop or laptop, the first thing you need to do is to download Android File Transfer, an official Google app that works on Macs running on OS X 10.5 or later. Afterwards, the process is pretty similar to how it’s done on Android, and you can easily transfer files even without an internet connection.

  • Download and install Android File Transfer on your computer.
  • Plug your device into your Mac USB port with the USB cable.
  • Unlock your phone and swipe down on your screen. Tap on USB for charging to view more options.
  • Select Transfer Files.
  • The application should run automatically on your Mac. You can also open the Mac Finder or Spotlight Search and look for the Android File Transfer on the list of programs. Double click the Android drive icon.
  • Browse the files and folders on your Android device and transfer files to your computer.
  • Once you are done, open the Finder sidebar and find your device under Devices. Click on Eject and unplug the phone and USB cable. You can also go to the desktop and drag your device to the Trash.

And voilà! — you’ve just learned an essential Android skill. Keeping a copy of personal or business data you care about is a task that should not be overlooked, since your valuable information can be wiped out in a matter of seconds due to human error, natural calamity, or unexpected downtime.

Securing a backup of files in your mobile device may be easy peasy, but how do you make all important data in your business devices and computers disaster-proof? Our team can offer regular backup solutions to ensure that your business will be able to weather the storm when it strikes. Call us today to discuss backup options available to your business.

 

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

iPhone video bug crashes Apple devices

2016december2_apple_aApple iOS users beware — there’s a five-second video that can harm your iPhone. In late November, the brief MP4 clip seemed innocent enough. But after iPhone users played the video, their iPhones began to slow down and eventually crash. Details of the iPhone-killing bug are still being investigated, but here’s what we know so far.

What is the video?
As mentioned, the MP4 video initially seems innocuous enough. It portrays a man standing by a bed with the word “honey” across the screen. After one or two minutes of viewing the video, the affected iPhone becomes sluggish. It then freezes and becomes unresponsive, ultimately requiring a reset.

It appears that the bug takes advantage of a flaw within iOS memory management. The corrupted video generates a loop that causes the affected Apple device to use more memory, leading to a temporary crash.

Reports have shown that the MP4 is hosted on a video-sharing site, Miaopai. Since then, the video has been distributed in other social media platforms, online forums, and, more commonly, as a link via iMessage.

Tests have also found that the video effects the latest iOS version (iOS 10.1 and 10.2) all the way to iOS 5. So far, the bug doesn’t seem to affect other non iOS products. But regardless, all users should be careful of the video.

Although this video’s effects may seem worrying, there is a fix to the problems caused by the corrupt clip.

How to perform a hard restart
The only way to recover from the crash is to do perform a hard restart. To do this, you simply have to hold down the power button and home button for a few seconds.

As for the iPhone 7, all you need to do is hold the power button and volume decrease buttons simultaneously to force a reset. In both cases, just hold the buttons until the Apple logo appears, and your device should restart normally.

Always be careful
Even though it’s easy enough to fix, it’s probably best to avoid the crash bug altogether. Soon, Apple will introduce a new security patch for this vulnerability, but until the update is released, you should avoid clicking on suspicious MP4 video links no matter what platform you use.

And this is the same for other videos, URLs, photos, emails, and websites you encounter on the web. When it comes to traversing online worlds, it’s imperative to develop a critical mindset for everything you see in the internet. While this particular bug only slows down your Apple device, you might not be so lucky the next time you unwittingly click on an unknown iMessage link or email attachment.

If there’s any lesson we can learn here, it’s that you can’t be complacent no matter how secure Apple platforms may be. Want to protect your Apple device from future security incidents like these? Contact us today, and we’ll provide you with sound advice and security solutions to nip these problems in the bud.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Put your iTunes Library on an Android Phone

AndroidPhone_Jan1_AIf you’re one of the many people who decided to make the switch from Apple to Android over the holiday season you’re probably wondering just what you need to do in order to get your iTunes Library on your new phone. We won’t lie, the process isn’t straightforward, but you don’t need to be a computer science major to figure it out either. Here are a few different ways you can finally enjoy all your music on your Android phone.

One of the concerns former Apple users have when they make the switch to Android is the fear of losing all the music they currently have stored in their iTunes library. Most people have hundreds if not thousands of songs currently saved on their iPhone or iPod. Sure there are music streaming services available, but these cannot entirely replace your music library.

However, there are several methods you can use to put the songs saved in your iTunes Library onto your Android phone. These aren’t the easiest methods in the world but with a little gumption you can soon be able to enjoy your favorite songs from your iTunes account on any Android phone.

Drag and Drop

The most straightforward method of moving music involves a task you’re probably already familiar with, dragging and dropping files. Alternatively, you can also copy and paste them, the choice is yours.

Start by connecting your Android phone to your laptop. From there, you will need to create a new folder on your Android phone from your laptop where you will place your music and open it up. Once that is completed, you should then open iTunes and highlight the songs you want to move. From there you can either drag and drop the files directly into the newly created folder on your Android phone, or select copy and then paste them into the folder. The results will be the same either way and your music will transfer over to your phone. Remember, if your laptop is a Mac you will need the Android File Transfer app available from Android in order to do this.

Apple Music

Apple Music recently made its way to Android and in addition to the streaming music service you are also able to access the songs you have purchased through iTunes. When you open up the Apple Music app you should be able to see your playlists from your iTunes Library show up when you go to My Music > My Playlists. There are two things you will want to take note of when considering Apple Music for Android. First, it is $10 a month to subscribe to the service and use the app. Second, the app is still new and Apple has not quite worked out all the kinks just yet according to reports.

Google Play Music

If you don’t need the physical files on your phone and are happy having access to your music via the cloud, then Google Play Music is a solution you might want to consider. For starters, it comes pre-loaded on all Android phones so the first step is already taken care of for you. You’ll need to download the Google Music Play app on your laptop (it’s compatible with both Mac and PC), and then connect it to your iTunes library which will help you during the setup process. You can store up to 20,000 songs on your Google cloud at any given time which should be enough space for most people.

The downside of Google Play Music is that you’ll need to be connected to the Internet in order to have access to your music, which means this solution isn’t ideal if you’re on a plane for a long time or in another scenario where Internet access isn’t readily available.

If you’re thinking about switching from iOS to Android phones for your business then why not give our experts a call. We can help make sure your transition a smooth one.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

6 important iPad gestures

iPad_March24_AOne of the biggest, and arguably most useful, hardware trends is touch. It seems like almost every piece of new tech, from computers to tablets, and even to fridges or car navigation, comes with touch screens. The main way to interact with the majority of these devices is through the gesture, and if you have an iPad there are a number of important gestures you should know about.

Every new iPad, and many of the older ones, run the latest version of iOS – Apple’s mobile operating system. For those running iOS 7, gestures are the main way you interact with your device. While it may look weird to people who don’t use them, waving your hands around, spreading your fingers, and even pinching are normal to you!

One of the greatest plus points about gestures is that when used properly, they make it simpler to interact with your device; speeding up your overall productivity. So, if you are looking to increase productivity while using your device, you should know and practice different gestures. Here are six of the most important:

1. Swipe one finger from the top

If you place your finger on the top bezel (above the viewable area of the screen) and swipe down onto the screen you will open, or slide down, the notifications center. From here you can action notifications. When you are finished slide up from the bottom of the screen to close the notifications.

2. Swipe one finger from the bottom

If you place your finger on the bezel (below the viewable area of the screen) and swipe up onto the screen you should bring up the Control Center where you can control the important settings on your iPad. To close simply swipe down.

3. Swipe one finger down

Place your finger anywhere on the viewable area of the screen and swipe down. This will open up the Search bar where you can search for almost anything on your iPad, including apps, emails, music, and more. To close this bar, simply tap the home button, or tap anywhere on the screen other than where the keyboard or search bar are.

4. Swipe four fingers up

If you place four fingers anywhere on the screen you will bring up thumbnails that represent the apps that you have open. If you swipe up on a thumbnail, you will close the app.

5. Swipe four fingers left or right

With apps open, you can place four fingers on the screen and swipe to the left or right. This will switch to other open apps. You can swipe the opposite direction with your fingers to go back to another app, if you sweep to the left again, you should bring up a list of recently used apps.

6. Grab with five fingers

If you are in an app and want to quickly get to the homescreen place all five fingers on the screen and pinch them together. This will shrink the app into your home screen. You can open it again by swiping four fingers up and selecting it.

If you are looking to learn more about using your iPad in your business, contact us today to see how we can help.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

How to recover a forgotten Apple ID

iPad_Feb24_AAlmost every Apple device bought is linked to an Apple ID. It is with this account that you can purchase apps, download updates, and even back up accounts and recover devices. This ID, or account, is vitally important and it is worthwhile making a concerted effort to remember it. If you do happen to forget it then you could encounter some problems.

What is an Apple ID?

Your Apple ID is how Apple identifies you. It is what you use to access and download apps on iTunes, enable iCloud, purchase from the Apple Store, and even book appointments with Apple Store representatives and tech support.

When you first set up a new Apple device, say an iPad, you are asked to sign up for an Apple ID. As with most other online accounts, you will set a password and the usual recovery questions to ensure that you can gain access to the account should you forget your password, something that happens to the best of us.

What do I do if I forgot my Apple ID password?

If you remember your Apple ID but can’t remember the password you have two options. The first works if you have access to the email address you’ve linked your Apple ID with.

  1. Go to the Apple ID website on your iPad.
  2. Click Reset your password, enter your Apple ID and click Next.
  3. Select Email authentication followed by Next.

Check your email and there should be a message from Apple with instructions on how to reset your password.

The second option you have available is to reset your password by answering the security questions you created when you setup your account.

  1. Go to the Apple ID website on your iPad.
  2. Click Reset your password, enter your Apple ID and click Next.
  3. Select Answer security questions and click Next.
  4. Setting the birthday you used for the account and clicking Next.
  5. Answer the security questions you picked when you set the account up.

If you answer these successfully, you should be able to reset your password and access your AppleID again.

How to recover your Apple ID if you’ve forgotten your email address and questions

If you are not able to remember your recovery email address, password or security questions it may feel a little hopeless, but fear not, there is a way that might work.

  1. Go to the Apple ID Support page and select the Start your support request online link for your country.
  2. Click on Forgotten Apple ID security questions and follow the onscreen prompts.
  3. When you get to the next screen select either of the two options. Schedule a Call will allow you to pick a time for an Apple tech to call you, while Call Apple Support Later will allow you to enter your information and call Apple at some future point.

When you do talk to an Apple representative they will ask you questions about your account and personal information you provided when you first signed up for your ID. In many instances, the representative will be able to unlock your account or reset your password. Another option is to schedule a time to go into an Apple store or retailer for an appointment to see if they can help.

Looking to learn more about using your iPad, contact us today to see how we can help.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
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