Android Phone - wi-fi connect to a printer

09.21.14: I am noticing the smartphone is taking over from the PC in many ways.
My PC hard drive broke a few days ago and it has not impacted me, as I can use my smartphone to do most things I used to depend on my PC for.

I am not concerned with lost data, as all my files are duplicated on a USB hard drive I can attach to any PC. 
I Found a good replacement hard drive (under $75 total) at Tiger Direct and restored my operating system from DVDs.

During the time I couldn't access my PC, I needed to print documents I received via email..
One of the many things a smartphone can do is connect to your printer the same way your PC wi-fi connects.

The Android Play Store has printer apps for most manufacturers.

We have a Brother printer (ink is least expensive for Brother printers) and there is a printer app iPrint and Scan that easily prints and scans via my smartphone.

The print functions allow for printing anything from your smartphone such as emails, files or documents, pictures, etc.

While it is no easier than printing from your PC, it may be more convenient at times.

I prefer it, as it means I don't need to turn on my PC just to print a document.

The scan function allows you to scan on your printer and place the result on your smartphone.

It could also be done via your PC and sending yourself an email.

Scanning can also be done via android scanner apps but taking a picture is quicker. However, adjusting a picture may be more cumbersome than adjusting an image produced by the scanner.




Let me know if you use a particularly useful android app and I will include it in my blog.

PC taking long to start up?

14.03.03: Is your PC taking longer to start up? This assumes you turn it off to conserve energy each time not using...

If it taking longer, there is a way to reduce this time by using a Startup Mgr app to delay the start of specific apps that start automatically.

For the non-techies out there, there is a free app (Advanced SystemCare) that has a lot of easy-to-use very helpful apps.

Here is how to use the Startup Manager.

Select the Toolbox on the main screen.

Select Startup Manager, under Optimize.

Look at each item here and, if you know one that doesn't need to start when you turn your PC on, click on  the down-carrot beside Enable to Delay or Disable it.
if you do either, the item will appear in a separate list at the bottom of the screen. You can easily change the action at any time. 

This pic lists some items I have delayed at startup.








If you would like some help deciding which items to delay, let me know.

Android Phone - How to Encrypt your phone

02.17.14: It is not worth the effort on a smartphone.
Luckily, I had only encrypted the main phone and could easily (20 mins) decrypt.

My problems with using encryption were slow response and extra password effort.

Just be sure to use a very strong password and don't store anything on your phone you haven't backed up.

p.s. never store anything on your phone or computer you wouldn't want shown on Facebook. 

02.06.14: Ever wondered if you should encrypt your phone to ensure absolute confidentiality?

I have considered it for some time, especially with the Edward Snowden leak concerning the NSA breaking into worldwide Internet systems and scooping up metadata (only metadata, right?).

So I decided to hide everything I could think of, just to make it more difficult for gov'ts to snoop!

Some recent legal rulings have suggested that encryption can protect against warantless searches ... not that any gov't official would want to search my phone ... but in case there is a mistaken identity...
As strange as it may sound,
a Canadian court has ruled that phones can be searched without a warrant as long as they are not encrypted.
Surprise, a California Supreme Court has also ruled that police officers can lawfully search YOUR cell phone without a warrant if it’s taken from you during arrest – but they would require a warrant if it was encrypted. 

If you would like to do it, here are the very simple steps.

My smartphone is slightly slower after encryption but not a problem.

Warning: You will need to factory reset your phone to undo the encryption.

The battery must be at least 80% before the encryption will start. 
Also, it could take up to an hour to complete the encryption so you should have your phone plugged in during the process.
Also, you must be using Password or PIN or the encryption will not start.

Warning: Whatever screen lock type you choose will be used for starting the device and getting past your lock screen. Be sure to use a complex password or PIN but ensure it is easy to enter.

Select a strong password. Otherwise it defeats the purpose of encryption all together. 

Now you are ready to start the encryption.

1. Open the app drawer
2. Tap Settings 
3. Tap Security
4. Tap Encrypt device

Let me know if you have any problem encrypting your smartphone.

Android Phone - how to recover lost files from an sdcard

14:01.26: Have you lost some files (pics, etc) from your smartphone's micro SDcard?

This has happened to me a few times. I had thought it was  because i had copied some grandchildren pics (taken with my DSLR) onto my micro SDcard to show friends.

Luckily, i back up my smartphone data regularly to my PC and didn't lose anything.

Connect your smartphone to your PC's USB port and check to see if the micro SDcard is visible with your PC's File Explorer.
If it is, click on it then click on Card and then you should see a LOST.DIR folder.
Open the folder and see if there are any files within. Mine has 588 files ... files i cannot see on my smartphone now. 

This site shows you if you can recover the lost files. But using the app will cost you a few $s. So just use it to identify lost files.

I suggest copying the files from your PC instead, as it is faster (if you had them backed up) and then delete the LOST.DIR folder.

If you can't copy all the lost files from your PC, but the above app showed all the lost files, call me for the actual recovery steps.

Call me, if you want some help.

Internet Wi-Fi Password

14.01.05: Your home access to the Internet is via a modem. 
In addition, there is another piece of hardware called a router which is the Internet wi-fi controller (from the modem to your computers and smartphones). 

Some service providers have moved to one piece of hardware to manage the modem and the router.

Regardless, there is still a requirement to manage and ensure security (who can access your gateway to the Internet).

Back in December 2011, I described the security aspects of the router. 

I outlined which method should be used ... but didn't show you how to set the wi-fi password on your router.

When people visit your home, they may ask to use your wi-fi while in your home ... and here is what to do if you have forgotten the password. 

1. Using your browser, enter the IP address 192.168.1.0 in the address line (or 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1). This address allows access to your router setup pages. If it doesn't work, let me know the make of your router and I can find it for you.

2. when the router pages appear in the browser, go to the Wireless Security menu item and click on the Submit button (leaving the password blank). 

3. This should take you to the security screen where you will see similar to the 2nd pic above. Your existing password should be visibly and/or you should be able to change it easily. Choose an eight characters/letters combination that would be difficult to guess. 

While on this security screen, check to ensure WPA2 is being used for authentication and AES is used for encryption. These are best (most secure) available.