Author name: Jenny Nicole

stolen-phone
Cell Phone Tracking

How to Access or Wipe Data on Your Lost/Stolen Phone

Last week we decided to do a tutorial for some Smartphone newbies and there was no better way to start it by explaining cloud storage and backup. If you have lost your phone, follow these simple instructions to access or wipe data from that smartphone. When you start your new Phone (iPhone or Android) for the first time, you are asked to setup a backup but because we are so excited to use our cell phone, we ignore it and simply press next, next—setup complete. The process is a bit tacky and time consuming, especially for the iOS devices but if you are patient enough to do it, certainly you will be able to access data from it, whether you will have your device with you or not. But if you think, setting up iCloud is not your piece of cake, there is an easy alternative—XNSPY. With this app, you don’t need to make a new account or enter details for your credit cards, nor will it require you to setup a crazy password (e.g. iCloud password should have one lower case letter, one number and one capital), all you need to do is install XNSPY onto the smartphone that you wish to backup and that’s all. After the installation, the app will automatically create a backup onto the XNSPY’s cloud server. Every time your device connects to the internet, data will upload itself onto the control panel, from where you can retrieve or access your data anytime. You can sign into XNSPY’s control panel from its website. There, you will be required to enter the account details that were emailed to you on the purchase of your subscription. Once inside the control panel, you can access your phone logs data like calls, SMS, emails, internet browsing history, multimedia from the Gallery, calendar entries and even your phonebook. You can also access data from third party apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Viber, Line, Skype and Kik. So let’s now come to the part where you may need to wipe data from your lost/stolen smartphone. If you have setup your Google account or iCloud account, it’s not a really a big deal. For Android devices, you can open ‘Android Device Manager’ from a website or by downloading the app, simply enter your account details and erase data from your lost Android device. But there is one drawback to this method—you can only wipe data from the SD card. So if you have something personal on your external memory card, then use XNSPY to wipe data completely from that SD card. For iOS devices, the procedure is similar to Android devices. If you want to erase data using website, then you will have to go iCloud.com. Enter your Apple ID and password for your iCloud account. Choose the device whose data you wish to erase and you will be done within minutes. You can also download ‘find my iPhone’ app to manage your lost iOS device. Hopefully you found the tutorial easy enough. Do give us your feedback in the comments section.  

Nomophobia: the Separation Anxiety
Tips

How to Overcome Nomophobia: the Separation Anxiety that’s Taking Over Your Life

In the previous blog, we talked about Nomophobia and the extent to which it is affecting people’s lives. So the question arises: is there any way to keep that nomophobia at bay? Especially at a time when we are hyperconnected? Like any other addiction, this smartphone separation anxiety can be treated, too. You just need to understand your situation better. Figuring Out Deeper Links First off, you can take a simple test to find out whether you are nomophobic or not. Go through our previous post to take the test and see if you have the symptoms. Morningside Recovery, an addiction treatment center believes that nomophobia is not a standalone disorder. It is usually linked with a larger issue. This means that individuals that are already suffering from anxiety are more like to be nomophobic. In this case, a smartphone becomes almost like a teddy bear to the individual. A security blanket that they must hold onto at all times. But when they’re constantly checking to see if the battery is full or even taking it to places they aren’t supposed to, that’s where the problem begins. These habits may develop to the point where the individual may not be able to carry simple, everyday tasks. The first step to recovery is finding out more about your condition. After that, it is important to figure out why you are so afraid to be disconnected. So what sorts of treatments can be sought? Here are a few examples. Self Help Methods Begin by finding out as much as you can about your condition. Do a lot of research, read up on every available fact and then take some time to self reflect. Think about why you are so afraid to disconnect. Think of all the thoughts you get when you’re away from your phone and practice keeping them at bay. This might help you if your nomophobia is not too far gone. However, if you feel like you cannot do this on your own, look for different support groups in your area. Support Groups Group therapies are a great way to overcome something like this, especially because when you realize you’re in the same boat as other people, it makes your journey to recovery much easier. Most support groups for nomophobia check off all cell phone at the beginning of the sessions. This becomes your first practice toward starting a healthier lifestyle. More importantly, you can make friends that understand what you’re going through. You can help each other by keeping your recovery in check. You can start off by reading other people’s experiences and realize you’re not alone. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy If you think your nomophobia has truly taken over your life, contact a treatment center. For this condition, they often use cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. This is where you learn to control your thoughts so that you can keep all negative thoughts away. The right treatment will teach you to work on your self-esteem so that you won’t need to hold onto your smartphone any longer. Relaxation Try a few relaxation techniques. These typically consist of yoga, deep breathing, and imagery. These techniques teach you to overcome anxiety and think of things in a better light. It will help you to be at peace and encourage you to take a few minutes out of your life to attain tranquility. Digital Detox The most important thing of all is to practice digital detox. This is something we have talked about at length in the past, but it’s good to have a reminder at times like these. Start practicing digital detox in your household now, especially if you’ve got kids at home. Teach them to unplug for a few hours so they don’t develop unwanted dependencies later on in life. Developing healthy lifestyles while it matters is perhaps more significant than you realize right now. If you or someone you know is nomophobic, get them the help they need. Nomophobia is treatable, and there is always hope to live a happy life.

Nomophobia
Child Monitoring

Nomophobia – the Smartphone Separation Anxiety Disorder You Need to Know About

Nomophobia is an actual anxiety disorder of the modern urban world. Nomophobia = no mobile phobia. It is quite literally the fear of being without your mobile phone for any length of time. Perhaps calling it a phobia is incorrect. But I suppose everyone reading this blog may have experienced that brief moment of panic when you tap your pockets and find your phone isn’t there. Followed by the unbelievable wave of relief when you finally spot it. So perhaps calling it separation anxiety is more apt. Why Do People Experience Nomophobia? This infographic  lays down a few interesting facts that may help you understand this situation better: http://graphs.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/NOMOPHOBIA.jpg It seems that people these days view their smartphones as an extension of themselves. The fear of being without their phone could be caused by: Panic at having lost a valuable possession if phone is thought to be stolen/lost The anxiety of being disconnected The fear of missing out on social media events The separation anxiety of being without an object one has gotten used to holding onto Nervousness at having no distraction from social interactions Are You Nomophobic? So is there a way to tell if you’re suffering from this physiological anxiety as well? There are a few symptoms through which you can tell if you or someone you know is nomophobic: Repeatedly touching and checking phone, even if only to lock/unlock Decreased cognitive performance in absence of phone Panic attacks on finding phone missing Sleep deprivation from staying up to use phone all night Being constantly distracted from other work because of phone If you ask me, these symptoms probably ring true for most of the people I know. Smartphones have truly become an extension of one’s self. Without them, they feel like part of their identity is missing. However, if being without your device is constantly making you nervous, panicky, and anxious to the point where you can’t function in your ‘regular’ life, that should be a point of concern. Know Your Enemy Because this is a relatively novel concept, it will be a good idea to do as much research on it as you possibly can. This is a modern day dilemma—the fact that we can’t seem to function in our daily lives if our phones are not with us. So, the more you learn about what causes you to have such a deep emotional attachment to your device, the sooner you can keep things under control and get your priorities in order. In the future, we will also be talking about what you can do to combat nomophobia, so stay tuned! In the meantime, take this quiz if you’re too attached at the hip with your smartphone.

Smoking in early ages
Child Monitoring, Tips

How to Make Sure Your Child Never Picks Up a Cigarette

Today I’ll be taking to you about smoking and teenagers. Two volatile entities that shouldn’t combine. This may sound to you like a run of the mill conversation, but I think that on a forum like ours, we need to bring it up at least once. Because when we conducted a survey amongst our users to find out why parents are using our parental control app, they told us it was to monitor their children’s substance abuse problems. And cigarettes may lead them to try… more things. So I’m going to talk about the things you should do that will make sure your kid never turns to smoking ever. Which means I’m addressing parents whose kids haven’t starting lighting up just yet. For those parents whose kids have already done the deed, I’ll get to you soon! So what should you include in your parenting regime that will ensure your child never smokes? Let’s take a look. Smoking Isn’t Cool The sooner you instill this mantra onto your children’s mindset, the better it is. You have to condition them into thinking that those that smoke are uncool, and those that don’t are the cool ones. When they grow up, they won’t feel the peer pressure as much because you’ve taught them that turning to narcotics is not a very interesting thing to do. A Bit of Shock Therapy It’s true that terrifying images of smokers might get a gruesome picture of what they’re getting themselves into. But get this. Showing them pictures of tar lined lungs would probably not affect them as much as you would like. Showing them pictures of how smoking has an effect on physical appearance might be a better idea. Shallow as it sounds, your kid has a little bit of vanity in them, too. So when you show them shocking pictures of rotten, yellowed teeth, or wrinkled, spotted skin and a deteriorating health, you’re telling them smoking threatens their physical appeal. What teenager would want that? The Obvious Risk to Health Nuanced parenting tricks are great, but in this case, the classics should work, too. It is imperative that you tell them of the obvious health risks that come with smoking as well. (https://aaronkirman.com) Tell them about the constant throat irritation chronic bronchitis inevitable lung cancer putting those around you at risk with secondhand smoke Take time to go through this manual by CDC for more detail. More importantly, you need to tell them that smoking deteriorates their health in such a way that they’re not able to do the things that they love. Like playing football, or dancing or riding a bike. The Struggle of Addiction Talk to your children about cigarette smoking as a form of addiction. And it’s true—when they pick up that cigarette, they’ll be spending the rest of their lives as an addict. It will affect their quality of life and their ability to make the right decisions. And as the teenage nicotine addict says in his own words, the need to smoke consumes the mind so that you can’t pay attention to anything else. Smoking Sucks, Anyway Taking the precaution to make sure your kids never smoke is so much easier than making them quit. So that’s what your agenda should be. And get this—October is nearly here, which means people are preparing for Stoptober; the official month to stop smoking once and for all. Start training your kids to be non-smokers before we check back in on you this Stoptober. If you do this from the get-go and you’ll make sure they always live a happy life. Because, let’s face it, nicotine is the gateway drug.

Buy Kid Smartphone
Child Monitoring

Here’s When You Should Buy Your Kid Their First Smartphone

I feel like we’ve been talking about Generation Z a lot lately. It makes sense—after all, that lot is arguably just about to begin middle school now. They are the ones that are being born right now. But here’s why I find them most fascinating. They’re the lot that has grown up with the “smart” technology. Depending on what you classify as Gen-Z (there’s never a set time scale for these things, is there?), this lot doesn’t know a time without iPhones. They’ve probably never used a flip phone, either. You know the old culinary saying, “If it grows together, it goes together”? This generation has grown up with smart technology. So the question is… should they go together from the start? If not, then what is the right time for your kids to own their very own smartphone? Is any age ever going to be appropriate for them to be smartphone owners? There’s No Escaping Technology If there is one thing that every parent in 2015 needs to know, it is that there is no escaping technology. Apps are used by doctors, teachers, camp counselors to guide a kid through their development. Schools are increasingly integrating the use of tablets in classrooms. And this has proven to encourage kids to be researchers from an early age. In the same way that parents would send their kids to band club or glee club, ‘App Clubs’ are now emerging, which are helping kids to learn code, basic programming, even build their own apps. You don’t even have to be part of a club to learn that these days. There are now several apps that are teaching kids to code, solve and speak new languages. Here’s what I’m trying to say: when a parent thinks of technology and kids, they only think of the bad stuff. They think of the inappropriate content there is on the internet. They think of teens gone wild. What they also need to realize is that technology also widens the horizons of learning. And denying your child of such an opportunity seems rather unfair. The Transition from Family Phone to Private Phone A toddler knows their way around a tablet and smartphone these days. A toddler—who probably can’t spell or read—can tap their way around their favorite apps and have a good time. So you’ll have to acknowledge that to some degree, your child has always been plugged in. The real question is: when should you get them their very own, personal smartphone? One they can hold onto and call their own and share with nobody. Short answer: before middle school, they can make do with a basic feature phone. As they enter middle school, you could consider getting them their own smartphone. A lot of parents of younger kids have provided cell phones for “emergencies” and the like. If that is the case, a basic cell phone should do. One that they can use to call you and that would be all. After that, the transition to a personal smartphone is your call (pun intended). You know your child best and you understand their maturity level better than anyone else. If you think they can handle their own smartphone responsibly, go ahead with it. If you think not, wait a while and express your concerns to them. Safety Always First Even when you’ve bitten the bullet and gotten them a smartphone, it has got to come with training wheels. This means that while you’ve given them the independence of having their own device, you’ll still need to keep it hooked to a smartphone parental control. This can be just until you’ve made sure that they’re using it in the appropriate manner. But we would strongly suggest you hold onto your monitoring duties for a while longer. Know that while smart technology is a necessary evil of this time, their safety always needs to be first, and you need to be vigilant digital parents. So here it is, middle school is a good enough gauge for when you should buy you kid their first smartphone.

Retaining Employees
Employee Monitoring

Retaining Employees is the New Hiring Employees

More and more employers are realizing just how important employee retention is in 2015. When good employees start leaving because of miscommunication, mistreatment, or because they don’t see growth opportunities with you, you end up the bigger loser. First of all, you would’ve lost a great resource that is sure to set your work back. And for the other, it is simply bad marketing. People are going to look at you as a company that doesn’t care for their finest. If you can’t look after your star performers, what sort of company does that make you? Bottom line, you need to find a way to rethink employee retention. Here are a few tips to guide you along the way. Keeping Employees of All Generations Happy Right away, you’ve got to understand that Gen X and Gen Y have very different expectations and very different ideas of fulfillment at work. Gen Y are looking for more than just employment to pay the bills—they want a sense of purpose, they want their job to be meaningful in their bigger goals. On the other hand, Gen X are at that point in their lives where they are looking for a workplace that will let them balance a family life. Here is more about how you can retain employee from both generations: Find a way to inspire both generations. Understand what they want from your company. Do they want a long term career? Are they dissatisfied by the work they have? Is it fulfilling enough for them? Finding out what ticks them off and what inspires them is key in retaining them. Devising the Best Employee Retention Strategy Moving onto creating an employee retention strategy. To achieve this, you need to invest in your people. It is as simple as that. You need to be giving them the right coaching to help them grow. Provide the right training to improve their skills. Encourage them to bring in their ideas. Give them clear direction about where you want to take them with the company. Share your strategies. And hopefully, you can build a relationship based on trust that benefits you both. Here is more on employee retention from Ajilon: At the end of the day, employee wellbeing needs to be one of your main priorities as an employer. Employees that are not just happy, but also fulfilled, have a sense of purpose, and can see a future in the company are the employees that will stay.

Slender Man Stabbing Case
Child Monitoring

Update on Slender Man Stabbing Case: Both Girls to be Tried as Adults

A while ago, a chilling news story made the news. The case has since been dubbed the Slender Man Stabbing. You can read more about it here, but this is the short version: A couple of 12 year old girls plotted and attempted to murder their (also) 12 year old friend. All to impress the fictitious internet urban legend, Slender Man. They did so by luring their friend out into the middle of the woods, then continued to stab her 19 times, leaving her to nearly bleed to death. Their victim was found by a cyclist who happened to be passing by. This is one of those cases where young kids were horribly misinformed by the internet. They believed the Slender Man to be real, and internet horror stories somehow translated into their heads as violence. And eventually lead them to attempted murder. Update: Wisconsin Judge New Ruling It has now been decided that the two 12 year girls should be charged in adult court. They are facing charges for an attempt for first-degree murder. Representatives of the girls, who have previously pleaded mental illness, have been trying for them to be charged for second-degree murder. But after a month long deliberation, Michael Bohren, Judge of the Waukesha Country Circuit has decided that these girls should be tried as adults instead of in juvenile court. Right now, the girls are looking at around 65 years in prison each. Rethinking Impact of Internet on Young Minds We can never downplay how impactful young minds are. They are easily influenced by everything they read on the internet. And there is a lot of sensationalized content on here. These two young girls believed the Slender Man was real and that if they did not offer him a “sacrifice”, he could come after them. Or so they have said in court. In any case, this horrible event should be yet another lesson to parents to monitoring internet activities of their kids even more carefully. We always think that the worst that could happen with a child left unattended on the internet is that they’ll come across inappropriate content. Get a mean comment here and there. But the internet—if not proper monitored—has the potential for way bigger disasters. Who could have thought that an internet urban legend would someday motivate 12 year olds to attempt murder? A Greater Parenting Responsibility At the end of the day, you will always be responsible for your kids. You are responsible to teach them the right things and guide them about what they hear, read and watch on their smartphones and tablets. The internet cannot be their only teacher. You need to guide how they internalize everything. Because there are lots of great things on the internet, too. Lots of things that will help them learn and grow. But then there is also stuff that is sensationalized and can be interpreted the wrong way. Such as fictional horror stories about a dark creature in a suit.

Star Bucks paying for college education?
Social Media

Starbucks to Pay for their Employees 4-Year College Education

Here is an exciting news in the parenting realm, especially if you are figuring out how to give your kids a good education. Starbucks will now send all its employees to college for free. This program was only open to juniors and seniors. But a recent development has prompted them to go all the way, all 4 years. Seems unbelievable, doesn’t it? But here’s the story, and it’s all true. The Brains Behind the Plan Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks has teamed up with Dr. Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University for a project that seems almost too good to be true. A full tuition reimbursement for all employees? You better believe it. The two creative brains discuss the motive behind such an initiative in this video: The Stats This program started with one simple question. Is a college degree still part of the American dream? The stats that Starbucks has collected will make anyone ask the same. On college tuition: College tuition has increased 80% in the past decade—twice the inflation of housing or healthcare. On college turnover: Less than 50% college students finish their degree. And on student debt: Student loan debt is at $1.2 trillion—way more than credit card debt. Corporations Take Responsibility Given all these facts, the two men felt that it was time that they stopped relying on their government to make things better for their people. They’re going to make the change themselves. And critics and reporters everywhere have recognized this motive. A Barista’s Life Changes A lot of baristas at Starbucks are students who couldn’t pay for college anymore. Abraham, for example wanted to study to become a music teacher but couldn’t when the tuition became more than he could afford. And now, things are looking up for him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9_BKHzgV6c You Can Do This, Too It is amazing how many lives Starbucks is going to change with this college plan. And what’s even more amazing is that a company that sells coffee has taken the initiative that the government should have taken in the first place. But what this has proved is that you don’t need to be employed by Washington to do something meaningful. But you don’t have to be a corporation either. No matter how small your business, you too can make a significant contribution to this world. And that’s what social innovation is all about. It doesn’t have to be as extensive, either. I talk about managing startups from time to time, and I realize that each business has its own bandwidth. A small business could help out its employees in many capacities, too. For example, those who employ high school students can take steps to make sure that the kids stay in school. And they can use employee monitoring app to help them along. A project as simple as this would reduce the high school drop-out rate. If this video doesn’t inspire you to do something, I don’t know what will. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9_BKHzgV6c What do you think of Starbucks’ new plan? Do you think it is workable or too good to be true? Have you ever done something to add to social wellness? Let me know in the comments below!  

Cell Phone Tracking

3 Times Cell Phone Trackers Have Saved Lives

It is quite weird for me to think that we are digitalizing even the littlest aspects of our life. Our parents are quick to point out all that’s wrong with it (and they are not entirely wrong), but if you ask me, this is more beneficial to us than we realize right now. Mobile apps are doing much, much more than simply allowing us to hail a cab, or chose a place to eat, or find the perfect place to shop. They are also saving lives. Here are three times of when technology has truly proved to be lifesaving and the lessons you need to take away from those experiences. You never know when they’ll help you and your family, too! Kidnapped Yakima Girl Found Saved By a Phone Call A 15-year-old girl from Yakima, Washington made headlines for her quick wit and instant use of tech. The young girl was cornered by three men who captured her, shoved her inside the trunk of their car and drove away. But the 15-year-old was clever enough to, amidst a situation where most would be fazed, take her phone out and dial 911. She described what had happened all the sounds she could hear at the time to the dispatcher. Within 2 hours, the police were able to find her and bring her back home. So what is the lesson to be learnt from the Yakima girl? First off, all parents need to take their kid’s security seriously. Secondly, with the right apps, situations like these can be avoided. Your mobile tracker will let you Know their real time locations Record their surroundings GPS Tracker Solves Another Kidnapping Case In a similar case to the Yakima girl’s kidnapping, a 911 dispatcher receive a rather distressing call of a woman screaming and crying that she had been kidnapped. There was no other information (whereabouts, place of incident etc.) that the dispatcher received from this call. However, they were quick enough to track her GPS location from this phone call, and this is what eventually resulted in her finding. So what is the lesson to be learnt from this incident? It is not just the overly cautious that track their family members now. Family tracking is absolutely necessary in times like these. Parents can easily: Mark specific places Know their location history Utah Mom Saves Son Using Facebook A mom from Utah embodied everything we value in a digital parent. She was going through her son’s Facebook page, and she obviously knew what to look for, because she found disturbing messages that other students had left him. Some of which includes death threats claiming that they would shoot him at school. The mom did not take this lightly at all and went straight to the authorities. Her fears were confirmed when indeed weapons were found with the suspected students around the school. The mother took social media conversations seriously, and it paid off. So what is the lesson to be learnt from Utah Mom? Every parent needs to track their kid’s social media profiles very closely, especially if they are teenagers. With the right app, you should be able to Read their Facebook messages Read their WhatsApp conversations So yes, it is true that our lives are going digital. But at the end of the day, the digitalization is helping us. Yes, it is funny when there is an app for every inconsequential thing in the world. But you never know how it can help you in the long run. What do you do to ensure your family’s safety when they are away?

Imperfections with New Dolls
Social Media

#ToyLikeMe Campaign Celebrates Imperfections with New Dolls

Kids want to stand out and blend in the crowd at the same time. Which is why they find it so difficult to cope with their imperfections. It is completely understandable. They’ve been brought up around very specific ideas of perfection with their Barbie dolls and their pop stars. So when what they see on the television does not match up to what they see in the mirror, their immediate thought is that there is something wrong with them. But the Toy Like Me Campaign taps in on something more than self-esteem issues that the “perfect toy” creates. They’re calling out the toy industry for excluding kids with disabilities. No Barbie or Ken has even come with a wheelchair, or a cane, or a hearing aid, or anything that will imply that the plastic figure of perfection has any form of impediment at all. Which leaves behind children with such disabilities to believe that they are not normal. That they’re not like other kids. The toys that they hold do not represent them at all. What an effort like this is working toward is to promote greater diversity in the toy box.  Makies, the company behind this project want kids to be able to relate to the toys they play with. In the past, the white Barbie with the blonde hair and the blue eyes became the epitome of perfection, leaving behind children of color to feel like they’re on the other side of normal. Thus, toys became another vehicle for a conversation on race relations and since there, there has been an effort (however slim) to create Barbies that come in varying skin tones. The Toy Like Me Campaign is not about race. It is about making global toy companies realize that they have been making money by excluding a big group of kids. There is no doll out there that portrays disability in positive light. Another great thing about the Toy Like Me Campaign is that these dolls are custom design for the kids. They choose what the dolls look like and how the disability needs to be represented. What’s next for Makies? Inviting other big toy companies out to play.

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