Last Friday was a total rotten day at work. Do not pass go do not collect $200 rotten. I was home and it was about 7:30 in the evening and I wanted to go get Culver’s for dinner. As I’m driving to Culver’s sun roof open and XM radio turned up high—trying to forget my awful day, I saw a family stranded on the side of the road. They car had broken down. I immediately felt a prompting to do a u-turn and go and see who I could help.
The dad, named John, was from Eastern Europe, Croatia I think and he had a thick accent. He said he was the head chef at a restaurant in Neenah. His car ran out of gas and he and his wife and 2 kids were on their way to the grocery store. I was able to help him get gas and on their way very quickly.
After that, the worries of my Friday was washed away.
What a blessing it was not to ask for answers to a prayer, but to possibly BE AN ANSWER!
Hey kids, for today’s TommyLog Tech, I need to start with a story. It takes place about 4 years ago…
The place is downtown Chicago. I was there attending a print related convention and it was almost dinner time. I was walking around Michigan Avenue and had just stopped to take a panoramic picture with my brand new iPhone 4 that I had purchased 3 days prior. So imagine this- I had just taken the picture and was sending an email to my oldest kids:
Dear Kids,
I Love Yo…
…and some kid snatched the phone out of my hand and ran. All I could see was the red on the bottoms of his sneakers… and that’s it. A few nice bystanders took off after him, but that was the last time I ever saw my beloved iPhone 4.
So many things run though your mind as you chase after your $600 technology investment, least of which was “oh no–my personal information… when was my last backup?”
Here it is 4 years later, I have a new DROID Turbo by Motorola and I want o give you my top 4 tips to keep your phone and data safe when disaster strikes.
TIP#1 – Screen Lock. Always use the screen lock feature. The DROID Turbo has the ability to set a numerical code, an alphanumeric password, you can set a pattern or you can use your face recognition. I found the facial recognition to be sketchy at best and rarely recognized the face of yours truly. Few things are worse than getting locked out of your own devise.
TIP#2 – Backup. In this day and age there is absolutely zero excuse for not having your data backed up. Cloud storage is plentiful and the process is super easy to implement. Just set it and forget it. Verizon Cloud backup, which I have talked about before, is super easy to set up and with a More Everything plan you get 25GB of storage.
TIP#3 – Remote Lock & Wipe. The new DROID Turbo has deep integration with Android Device Manager, which allows you to access certain functions on the phone from any web browser. During the setup and install of the Turbo, you get asked if you want to enable built in protection functionality. You should answer YES! If you answered NO, simply go to Settings > Security and Screen Lock > Device Administrators and select a devise administrator. This will allow you to remotely lock and wipe your phone from a web browser.
TIP#4 – Insurance. Having all your data backed up is one thing, but not having a phone to put that data on is another. After my iPhone was stolen, and because I was under contact, replacing it cost full retail value– OUCH! Verizon has insurance plans that cover lost, stolen, and even damaged phone. You can get more info from Verizon Wireless here. https://totalmobileprotection.verizonwireless.com/public/all-products
So there you have it, my 4 top tips to protect yourself before disaster strikes. Take it from me, I’ve been there, done that, and I even have a t-shirt. It really rots to have a prized possession loaded with personal data taken from your bare hands, but had I followed all these tips, I promise you, a lot less tears would have been shed.
For more information on how to get your very own DROID TURBO by Motorola, Here’s a link http://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/droid-turbo/
Verizon Wireless More Everything Plan http://www.verizonwireless.com/landingpages/more-everything/
DISCLAIMER — I’m one of the cool kids who has been asked to play with and test technology for Verizon. They asked me to test and share my thoughts. All my words are original and my own.
Last weekend I was in Chicago with my friends from Verizon. While there I learned of a program called HopeLine to help victims of domestic violence. Through HopeLine, you can help prevent domestic violence by donating no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories in any condition from any service provider at any Verizon Store or by mail.
It’s just super easy. Go to www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline print the postage-paid label, toss your phone into a padded envelope and seal it. Boom! Done!
No more phones in the landfill. Be green and help others in need all at the same time. A total WIN WIN.
2.4 million+ phones recycled in an environmentally sound way
180,000+ refurbished phones donated to domestic violence shelters
543 million+ minutes of wireless service donated to domestic violence victims and survivors
298 million+ text messages loaded on HopeLine phones
THAT’S HUGE!!
To help and join the cause go to www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline for more information.
[DISCLAIMER — I’m one of the cool kids who has been asked to play with and test technology for Verizon. They asked me test and share my thoughts. All my words are original and my own.]
When my good friends at Verizon asked me to test the new Belkin WeMo Switch, I was more than happy to do so.
This thing is just dead simple to use. Follow a few simple instructions and you ar ready to go in under 10 min flat. Well mine took a bit longer as I had firmware to update, but my mileage may not be typical.
Anyone looking to add a bit of home automation to your life, this is a super easy way to get started.
[DISCLAIMER — I’m one of the cool kids who has been asked to play with and test technology for Verizon. They asked me to do a blog posting. All my words are original and my own.]
I’m proud to be engaged in a great cause this holiday season and to be assisting Hickory Farms as they support No Kid Hungry.
Hickory Farms has been a proud supporter of No Kid Hungry, an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. To date, the combined support of Hickory Farms and their customers has raised more than $2.5 million for this cause. For this holiday season, we’re taking it a step further.
Their goal is to raise $700,000, which will provide access to approximately 7 million meals for children in the U.S. who struggle with hunger. It’s their 7 Million Meals Mission.
Please join me in helping make sure that no kid goes hungry this year by following this link taking an active role in the process. http://www.nokidhungry.org/ To see more about how Hickory Farms is helping, please visit http://www.hickoryfarms.com/no-kid-hungry.html
-Tommy
[DISCLAIMER – I know a gal who works for No Kid Hungry who hooked me up getting some free stuff from Hickory Farms and asked me to do a blog posting. All my words are original and my own.]
Last weekend I was in Chicago with my friends from Verizon. While there I learned of a program called HopeLine to help victims of domestic violence. Through HopeLine, you can help prevent domestic violence by donating no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories in any condition from any service provider at any Verizon Store or by mail.