Tag: phone

by Incredible Planet Staff

Routing Customer Service Calls Internationally


Business

One of the main stumbling blocks that businesses run into when they decide to expand internationally is routing calls internationally. For some organizations, this can be a breaking point, where a business model may fail under pressure from scaling beyond its means or not anticipating the unforeseen challenges. For savvier businesses, it can be a great opportunity to test how your business does in the global marketplace. One of these “make it or break it” points is communication. More specifically, excellent communication can be traced to how your business routes calls internationally for your customer service department.

In this article, we will take a look at the traditional method of how calls were once routed, and then investigate modern solutions that are changing how customer service calls are routed internationally.

The Traditional Method of How Calls Were Routed Internationally

Before the advent of cloud computing innovations and countries easing communication regulations, making international calls was a complicated affair. Calling internationally began with long-distance operators switching protocols between the caller and the recipient to transfer calls. Dealing with an intermediary of this sort could lead to calls being monitored or limited, especially for countries that were under strict government control. While international direct dialing was introduced in the 1970s, every decade has brought innovations, transferring calls first by cable, radio, satellite, and now with more modern techniques like VoIP, which has made the process much easier and more instantaneous. In fact, the human operator has been replaced with automated services. However, that process still could be troublesome and result in a loss of business from spotty connections that could be lost at any time.

Businesses that dealt with a large volume of calls had to subscribe to expensive plans that catered to international calls, with routing options being limited and sometimes requiring lengthy waiting times while everything synced together. This was a drawback of international call routing then and it could be spotty, especially for mobile tech that was still in its infancy.

Innovations to Routing Calls Internationally

Luckily, technology has caught up to the marketplace’s demand for a reliable solution. That solution, via cloud computing, allows for instantaneous routing to and from anywhere in the world. Service providers, like Global Call Forwarding offer virtual phone number solutions for businesses to route their customer service calls without previous barriers.

Virtual phone numbers are identical to “regular” phone numbers and they are indistinguishable from them. When a caller makes a call to a virtual phone number, that call is routed to another location instantaneously. For instance, a business that subscribes to a virtual phone number in Hong Kong (country code +852) can have calls made to that number forwarded to their dedicated call center in the United States (or wherever the business has its customer service department located). Calls can also be routed through that virtual number in the US to Hong Kong, which shows up on a recipient’s caller ID as a Hong Kong-based number.

This process is known as call forwarding, and it is enabling businesses to take advantage of this new way to make and accept calls.

How Virtual Phone Numbers and Call Forwarding are Changing the Face of International Business

As you may have guessed, there are a number of benefits to having calls forwarded to and from any country instantly.

First, businesses no longer have to establish a physical branch office in a country to begin fielding customer inquiries and orders. With the advent of virtual offices, businesses can forego the rules and regulations that come with setting up a brick and mortar presence. In fact, most customers would prefer to deal with a problem over the phone than in person. This means that actually setting up a physical location can be a detriment to your expansion efforts, as your organization will needlessly spend money that could be funneled elsewhere.

Secondly, virtual phone numbers that route customer service calls immediately can make retrofitting your business remarkably simple. One reason is that virtual phone numbers from most service providers, such as Global Call Forwarding, work with most devices that your business probably already uses to answer and make calls. This significantly reduces the time it takes to integrate new tech into your business model, as you already use it daily to handle your domestic customers.

Third, virtual phone numbers come with a variety of usages and can be coupled with add-ons that can greatly expand how calls are routed and handled. This includes:

 

  • Toll Free Numbers

Service providers of virtual phone numbers can assist businesses with getting low-cost toll free numbers for their international customers that save money and provides a more professional image.

  • SMS Forwarding
  • Outbound Calling

 

Services such as Global Call Forwarding offer outbound calling / VoIP features so you can make calls with your new local or toll free number and have it appear on the caller ID.

 

  • Call Recording

 

You will have the ability to record customer service calls to ensure that communication meets your organization’s standards, as well as compliance with international business standards for industries like finances and banking.

 

  • Time of Day Routing

When your customer base is spread out around the world, it can be problematic to handle their inbound calls efficiently. Time of Day Routing can route calls to various departments of your organization to sync up with time zone differences so your customer service department can provide excellent service at all hours and for all markets.

  • Simultaneous Ringing

Because your business may be dealing with increased call volumes during peak times, some of your staff may be busy assisting other customers. With simultaneous ringing, a call is routed to an available staff member. If this is not an option, the phone call can be routed to another department that may be able to answer the inquiry or redirect a call elsewhere.

  • Advanced IVR PBX

 

Advanced IVR PBX is a very useful integrated feature of virtual phone numbers. With this feature, a computer system provides a greeting which will efficiently handle incoming calls, along with directing customers to the right department or extension. When prompted, the caller navigates a customized menu through the use of voice commands and the telephone keypad. This feature can include welcome messages, news/ announcements, prompts, call destinations, alternative contact options, and more.

As you can see, international call routing has come a long way in recent years, providing a wealth of options for businesses that want to access global markets. It remains an invaluable service that can bring enhanced communication services to businesses globally.

Author Bio: Tom Senkus is a writer with over fifteen years of experience. Tom frequently covers marketing and advertising concepts across a variety of industries. For more info, visit www.tomsenkuswriter.com


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by James Grills

How Can Alexa Help You Achieve Your Routine Tasks Efficiently?


Technology

Reading news and playing music aren’t the only things Alexa can help us with. In fact, there are several skills this amazing AI Voice Assistant possesses that are still beyond the comprehension of most of us. Some of these skills are like time tracking and translation.

The capabilities of the Amazon voice assistant, Alexa are actually even more than the basic functionalities that one may possibly think of in relation to a voice assistant. As a matter of fact, a bag full of skills that are already in use with Alexa is still waiting to be explored by many of us. In fact, there’s a stunning increase in the number of the Alexa skills development Companies over the years considering the excellent craze for this Voice assistant among the consumers. Eventually, there’s an outstanding proliferation of Alexa skills and the more you understand these skills, the better you use Alexa.

  1. Placing an Order

Placing orders using Alexa is probably the next best thing you can try if you are looking forward to using Alexa for business. You can order a wide variety of items through various ecommerce websites using Alexa. If you are wondering as to what’s the setup going to be like in order to order items using Alexa, it’s pretty simple. What you exactly need to do is link your account to your Amazon Echo via Alexa. Also, you need to set up your associated payment method which isn’t difficult at all.

Some people might just be a bit sceptical about the concept of using Alexa for purchasing. This is mainly because of the security concern of their accounts since, technically, Alexa is supposed to take commands from anyone. However, it’s as safe as one can possibly think of and in fact, Alexa can be configured to a large extent in terms of purchase or payment settings. You can set a password to confirm purchases and each time you want to purchase any item using Alexa, you will need to provide Alexa with that password. It can’t get any safer than this, right?

Tracking the status of your order is ridiculously easy as well and all you need to do is ask Alexa, “where’s my stuff?”

  1. Managing Tasks

What’s the very first tool that crosses your mind when it comes to Task Management or organizing your tasks? For most of us, it’s a calendar wherein you can set events or reminders. However, the real magic begins as you link your calendar with Alexa. You can now know your calendar events anytime using Alexa. Also, you can add events and reminders conveniently by giving voice commands to Alexa.

Using Alexa skills like the calendaring Quick Events skill to add reminders or adding multi-day events to your calendar, you can undoubtedly get things pretty well organized unlike ever before.

Task management is unimaginably easy and enjoyable with Alexa. Whenever you need to add a task to your to-do list on the go, simply speak out the task to Alexa and Alexa will add it right away to your to-do list which you can manage conveniently using the Alexa app.

  1. Texting & Phone calls

Texting is certainly the most common way to stay connected with our friends and colleagues. However, do you ever feel texting is consuming a lot of your time? If you do so, you aren’t really mistaken. In fact, a lot of people feel the same way as you do.

However, using Alexa’s SMS with Molly skill wherein you can speak out your message to Alexa and it will text it to your contacts, you can save a considerable amount of time. For this, you will need to create an SMS with Molly skill account and add your contacts to it.

By default, there’s no way Alexa can make a phone call for you. However, if you still want Alexa to assist you in making phone calls, you can sign up with Phone.com. By doing so, you can have phone calls made to your friends and colleagues by Alexa.

  1. Dictionary Cum Spell Checker

We can’t afford to go wrong with spelling while we write an important email else things can just get pretty embarrassing sometimes, right? However, with Alexa, you are never going to get locked away with any difficult spelling. Each time, you aren’t sure of the spelling of a particular word, don’t waste your valuable time in wondering about and guessing.

Instead, you could ask Alexa to spell the word for you which would not only save your time but also, would save you from embarrassment. You can always rest assured of the right spelling with Alexa as it has a built-in dictionary. On top of that, you can add more dictionary based skills such as the Word Lookup skill.

  1. Smart Calculations

Finding the calculator app in times of need can be pretty troublesome and tiresome sometimes especially if we don’t find it within the reach. With Alexa, you can get as much as you would possibly get from a standard calculator. In fact, it keeps you find answers to your mathematical queries such as addition, multiplication, conversion and more.

  1. Translation

There are many situations wherein we might need to translate contents into another language for a better understanding. Getting words or phrases translated is ridiculously convenient with Alexa.

You can either ask Alexa verbally to translate the words and phrases or simply type your commands.  Also, you can ask Alexa to repeat or recite the words and phrases at a slower speed.

  1. Time-Tracking

Productivity involves a serious outlook towards utilizing time in the best possible way as time is limited. However, you can never succeed in increasing your productivity unless you know what all things you are actually spending your time on as well as how much time you usually spend on them.

Using the Work Time Tracker skill, Alexa can help you know the amount of time you spend on various tasks and projects which will certainly help you get more productive.

  1. Cab Booking And Hotel Booking

Using Alexa is certainly going to have a massive impact upon the lives of its users and it will definitely help its users save a great deal of time and effort. Alexa can be directly seen as an unimaginably exceptional productivity tool.

Imagine the amount of time you spend in booking a cab or a hotel room. It usually takes a lot of time in searching for the most appropriate websites to book a cab or a hotel room. Most importantly, typing and filling up the forms is not just tiresome but also, a lot time-consuming. Unlike ever before, you can now conveniently book an Ola cab by simply uttering the command,“Alexa, ask Ola to book a ride.”

With an amazing collaboration of Kayak and Alexa in the recent past, you can book a hotel room anywhere by simply uttering a few words. Supposing you want to have a hotel room booked at Boston, all you need to do is say, “Alexa, ask Kayak to book me a hotel room in Boston.”

  1. Ordering a Pizza

Ordering a Pizza using Alexa’s artificial intelligence is perhaps, the most easiest thing one can ever do. By enabling the Domino’s skill, you can order a Pizza from Domino’s. Of course, you will have to link your account to your Pizza profile. To start with, you may start by saying, “ Alexa, open Domino’s.” You can then place your order. Also, you can conveniently track your order.

These were a few important Alexa skills that can bring about a massive level of productivity in your lives no matter what field of life you belong to. However, Alexa has certainly got more than this and from the users’ point of view; it’s about finding the right mix of the various Alexa skills to make their lives more convenient.

by Incredible Planet Staff

What Will 5G Connectivity Offer to Users?


Technology

When it comes to telecommunication technology, there’s always big talk every time there is a breakthrough on better and more reliable services. While technology has yet to fall under the category of ‘all talk and no show,’ the 5G which many are waiting for simply serves as the icing on the cake. The initial development of 5G technology was undertaken by NASA and M2Mi Corp in April of 2008. Today, we see this technology being deployed by South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics. Let’s take a sneak peek at what it will offer users globally once the technology is introduced on a full scale.

Main Transformations

So what will 5G do for us? Well, to be exact, 5G will deliver an increase in connectivity that’s never been experienced before. Wireless connectivity will see a rise in speed that reaches a mind-numbing 6,400 Mbps. Essentially, this will make downloading an 800 MB movie achievable in the blink of an eye. Websites could feature HD images and videos on their pages where the total size of one webpage could reach 3.2 GB without any page loading issues. Just imagine where this will take online gaming, let it sink in and let your imagination do the rest.

Transcending 4G & Other Variants

When compared with other technologies, 5G stands out through its sheer performance capabilities and figures showing it to be the fastest internet connection. Here are some of the numbers which reflect its staggering probability:

  • Energy efficiencies to increase by 100 times.
  • Data rates will exceed present technologies by 10 to 100 times.
  • Latency for networks will be reduced by 5 to 10 times.
  • The number of connected devices for the service will increase by 10 to 100 times.
  • Increase in traffic capacity in a particular area will jump by 100 times.

Creation of Brand New Ecosystem

If the facts above about 5G technology isn’t enough then you’ll just have to wait until the technology finally takes effect around the globe. 5G is much more advanced than the one we experience today. The following is a glimpse at what users will get once 5G technology becomes mainstream:

  • Cellular devices will receive 4K streaming services.
  • Maps will offer augmented reality elements.
  • Remote areas will be capable of receiving e-learning through the use of augmented reality applications.
  • Technicians and repairmen will be able to provide better assistance through enhanced virtual reality software.
  • warehouses will become highly automated with little to no human activity required to manage them.
  • Further developments and integration with IOT will create Smart Cities. These will feature connected homes and offices which are all managed through the exceptional networking tools offered by 5G.

Change in Lifestyles & Humanities

The distribution of 5G networks on large scale will dramatically alter the way we interact with technology. There will be a gradual change where the world will become more adept with new and improved gadgets. Here are some of the most popular assumptions being tossed around so far:

  • Emergency first aid for an injury will be administered by medical drones and drone ambulances which will reach even the most remote locations.
  • Medical equipment in hospitals will feature smart cabinets for storage of items, syringes, and smart med-beds with various new and advanced features.
  • Cloud networking will enable robotic nurses to manage the daily needs of patients through complete control and monitoring.
  • Traffic signals and vehicles will be integrated with virtual and augmented reality elements for better management that will reduce rush hour traffic jams.
  • Each manufactured product on the planet will have its entire value chain tracked from beginning to end, removing all discrepancies in between.

Though progress is being made on a daily basis to achieve 5G networking as quickly as possible, major telecommunication companies in the U.S. still proclaim that it’s underway. The expected date on the induction of 5G technology for the general public is around 2020. We certainly wish this could be sooner than later, but only time will tell what will happen when this hits worldwide.

by Varsha Shinde

Top 5 WordPress Push Notification Plugins for Web and Mobile in 2018


Technology

Over the past few years push notifications have proved to be a great marketing means for myriads of businesses. WordPress Push notifications plugins are appearing more effective to boost visitor engagement and drive more frequent traffic on the WordPress sites.

As of now we are well acquainted with the remarkable business benefits of WordPress push notifications plugins, as we all have discussed lots about it. Due to these enormous benefits, more and more online businesses have started to embrace the trend of integrating WordPress notifications plugin with their WordPress site, and the year 2017 is the best witness of it.

No doubt, in 2018 also, there will be a profusion of such sites and the WordPress notification plugins as well. Thus it’s going to be confusing to choose an appropriate WordPress notification plugin amongst this profusion. Here in this blog, we have listed out some most excellent WordPress push notifications plugins for mobile app and websites, to diminish your confusion.

Check Out The List:

PushCrew

PushCrew is one of the best push notifications plugins that you can add to WordPress with a simple plugin. PushCrew has the least number of supported devices. At present, it supports Chrome on desktop and Android and Firefox on desktop only.

Supporting this small set of devices, PushCrew offers certain best features like:

  • Scheduling: With this, you can schedule your notifications in order to send them at a particular time in the future.
  • Segment Creator: It is a tool that helps you to divide your visitors using custom conditions.
  • CTA buttons: This allows you to display a couple of CTA buttons in your push notifications.
  • Expiry Notifications: It will help you to ensure that your subscribers don’t get a notification when the deal has already finished.
  • RSS support: This allows you to automatically notify subscribers of the latest posts the moment you publish them.

PushCrew offers a free package that includes unlimited notifications for around 2,000 subscribers with a few feature limits. For more than these numbers, you will have to select from plans starting at $18 for a month.

ePush

ePush is a push notification service plugin for WordPress websites, blogs, and all sorts of the business websites. It is a complete push notification system that supports all type of devices, like mobile phone, desktops, and even the tablets. Among all the WordPress push notification plugins mentioned above, ePush is one that comes with several remarkable business benefits.

Some Preeminent Features Incorporated In Epush:

  • Customized Notifications: Permits you to create a unique and personalized notification for every user or group.
  • Multi-lingual: You can optimize and send notifications in any major language.
  • Unlimited Subscribers: Allows sending push notifications to as many users as you desire.
  • Tailor-made Segments: Set your own attributes for specific visitors and send customized push notifications to them.

You can get a free trial of ePush and afterward can choose a precise package suitable to your business model, starting from $19 per subscription.

OneSignal

OneSignal is a standalone and best push notification service that conveniently integrates with WordPress. OneSignal’s supports chrome on desktop and Android, Safari on Mac OS X and Firefox on desktop only. With OneSignal you will obtain the Safari notifications, however, miss out mobile Firefox notifications.

OneSignal possesses a list of great features like:

  • A/B testing: This is quite a unique one. It lets you conduct split tests to find out the high performing messages ahead of sending them to all subscribers.
  • Scheduling: helps you to schedule your push notifications to send them at right time in future.
  • Automatic Notifications: Based on set criterion you can send reminders. For instance, if someone has visited your site over the last few days or whether or not you’ve published a new post.
  • Segments: Segment and target your visitors based on various user attributes.

OneSignal is absolutely free of cost with no limits, though there are some indefinite premium plans.

PushEngage

PushEngage is another standalone push notification service for both web and mobile push notifications. Though, it provides a dedicated WordPress plugin that simplifies the integration of push notification functionality to WordPress.

PushEngage facilitates you to send notifications to both mobile and desktop versions of Firefox,   Chrome and Samsung Internet Browser.

Moreover, PushEngage comes with a number of effectual features like:    

  • Geotargeting: Allows you to send notifications to the visitors according to their specific geo-locations.
  • RSS to Notification: Immediately alert users with RSS feed whenever you publish new posts.
  • Automatic Responders: Lets you send push notifications related to customer’s actions with marketing automation for email.
  • Segmentation: Easily segment your audience according to the URL from which they received browser notifications in order that you can send them posts that probably they will like.
  • Customized Cart Abandonment Notifications: Especially useful if you’re having an online store on WordPress.
  • CTA buttons: You can include one or more call to action buttons.

With PushEngage you can send up to 120 notifications to about 2,500 subscribers at free of cost. For more, you’ll have to choose other plans starting from $25 per month.

PushAssist

PushAssist is another standalone push notification service that offers a dedicated WordPress plugin to simplify the setup process. PushAssist supports Chrome on desktop and Android, Safari on Mac OS X and Firefox on both desktop and Android.

PushAssist consists of a number of useful features like:

  • Scheduling: Lets you schedule notifications for particular dates and times.
  • Segmentation: You can segment users based on their interests, location, and other data.
  • Personalization: Allows you to send personalized messages, but needs some setup as well.

PushAssist offers a free plan supporting up to 3,000 subscribers with limitless notifications. Paid packages start from $9 per month.

Conclusion

There are the most helpful and easy to integrate WordPress push notifications plugins that you must try out for your WordPress site. When it comes to choosing a precise one among the all, we suggest you to first determine your exact requirements and according to them make your wise selection. If further, you have any doubt about getting the Best Push Notification Service for your precious WordPress site, just contact us we will guide you with exact solutions.

by Incredible Planet Staff

4 Things to Know About Your Phone’s IMEI Number


Technology

Most mobile phone users have never heard about their international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number, let alone considered what it means and what it does. Every big-ticket electronic gadget has some kind of identifier that sets it apart from all others like it, so in that way, the IMEI on a mobile device serves a function similar to the VIN on a vehicle. There’s no way to erase or obscure an IMEI number, and knowing it is essential in case you misplace or lose your phone, someone steals it, or you buy a used or refurbished device.

It’s Like Your Social Security Number

Your phone’s IMEI number functions in much the same way as a person’s Social Security number. Your personal SSN helps to prove that you are who you say you are. You’re issued a number at birth, and it sticks with you throughout your entire life. That’s true for your smartphone’s IMEI number as well.

Any mobile device that’s capable of connecting to a network has an IMEI number. It can reveal a world of information about your phone, even if you lose it or if someone steals the device from you. That’s critical, given that tens of millions of iPhones, for example, go out into the world every year a new phone debuts. They all look alike, and they function in the same way. A unique way to identify and differentiate each mobile device from all the rest is more than necessary.

It’s Easy to Find

You shouldn’t have to search all over your phone or tablet to find its IMEI number. The easiest method of discovering the number is to pull up your phone and keypad, then punch in *#06# and hit “Call” or “Send.” The phone’s number should automatically show up on the screen.

On both Android and iOS devices, you can also discover the IMEI number in the settings. On iOS devices, try Settings > General > About. The IMEI is one of the numbers displayed. For most Android devices, you can go into Settings > About Phone > Status.

The number usually appears beneath the battery of a device, too. However, since removing the battery is tricky for most phones and tablets, it’s better to save this as a last-ditch effort. If you saved the box your device came in, then the IMEI number should appear somewhere on the packaging, too.

Safety First

Where did your phone come from initially? Are you confident of its origins? Did you buy it used or refurbished? There’s nothing wrong with that, but because you have a way to identify the device, you can take the time to ensure it hasn’t been blocked on your network and confirm that you can use it with your current carrier. For example, you can use T-Mobile’s IMEI checker to find out if everything’s copacetic with your phone. Once you confirm that it is, you will have access to the carrier’s 4G LTE network and all the benefits that come with it.

It Can Track Stolen Devices

Are you bummed about a lost or stolen smartphone? These days, smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets are among the most frequently stolen items. People often lose, misplace, or forget their devices as well. Finding a device may seem like a lost cause, but the IMEI number offers a way to track your phone.

With your IMEI number in hand, call your provider. The provider can typically block that particular number, which prevents anyone else from jailbreaking the phone and attempting to use it on your network. Some providers also contact other carriers and request that they place a block on your IMEI number, too. Even law enforcement officials can use the number to recover stolen phones.

Knowing what you know now, why don’t you take a minute to pull up the IMEI numbers on all of your devices? It’s one of the first things you should do when you buy a new phone, too. Have you ever lost your phone? Perhaps having the IMEI number could have helped minimize related losses.

by Incredible Planet Staff

Three Ways to Use your Smartphone More Safely


Technology

You only need look along a train platform in any modern city to see just how attached (quite literally) we have all become to our smartphones. In some parts of the world, smartphone use has come close to actual ubiquity. Taking the UK as an example, 96% of 16-24 year olds now own a smartphone.

After putting aside the well-trodden debates about whether smartphones and social media are proving detrimental to “real” human relationships, it’s hard to deny that the devices offer us fantastic functionality that makes life easier. Thanks to GPS, navigating around a new place is simplicity itself; high resolution cameras make it easy to capture and share memories; and widespread Internet connectivity means constant access to knowledge.

However, it’s not all good news. Smartphones can sometimes prove almost too clever for their own good, creating situations that can potentially compromise the privacy and security of the user. Some of these needless risks are easily avoided, but smartphones are not necessarily set up by default to work in the safest way.

This article discusses three ways in which you can easily make your smartphone a little safer:

1.   Look at the permissions you are allowing to your apps.

Often, when you set up a new app on your phone, it will ask for certain permissions when you first launch it. These permissions can range from camera and microphone access (for a messaging app, for example), to access to your location (perhaps for an app concerned with navigation).

Frequently, however, the permissions an app requests are way out of step with the minimum permissions they really need to work. Why does a social network need access to your microphone if you’re not going to make voice calls? And why does an app that identifies music need to know your location?

In many cases, the app developer offers an (often spurious) reason to need such permissions in return for certain functionality. However, it’s usually possible to run apps without giving away such unfettered access to your phone’s features. It makes no sense to give a whole raft of apps permission to listen to what you’re doing or know where you are – so try to allow these things only by exception, and not as a rule.

2.   Exercise caution with public Wi-Fi.

Everyone loves free Wi-Fi! Access to decent Internet connectivity in hotels and cafés is seen as a must nowadays, and everyone is quick to take advantage of their nearest hotspot. This is particularly relevant during international travel where data roaming charges can still prove prohibitive.

However, free Wi-Fi can sometimes come with a sting in the tail. The problem is that it’s alarmingly easy to hack other people on free Wi-Fi networks. It’s quite straightforward for a hacker to sit on another table or in another hotel room, making a sneaky note of such information as your bank password or Facebook login.

If you frequently use free Wi-Fi on your phone, it’s well worth considering subscribing to an inexpensive virtual private network (VPN) service, which, when activated, will encrypt your online communications. You will find a wide range of services for iPhones and Android devices. Once you have subscribed a Vpn service it is also good how efective the service is, by tunning a Leak Test as Anonymster explains here. If you choose not to use a VPN, it’s best to ensure that you don’t do anything remotely private on your smartphone when you’re on public Wi-Fi – but with a VPN, you’re much more protected.

3.   Ensure you have a backup regime.

The smartphones we all carry around are essentially very compact but fully-featured computers. They often hold a huge amount of information, including (for many of us) vast libraries of precious photos and videos.

Unfortunately, phones are easily lost, and memories can be lost with them if there’s no backup regime in place. It’s easy to use services such as Dropbox and iCloud to ensure data is kept safe, but statistics suggest that plenty of people don’t get around to it, and risk losing irreplaceable records of special moments. This is despite a third of people already having experience of losing data on a mobile device.

Smartphones can be life-enhancing gadgets, but it’s important to harness their power appropriately. These tips should help you gain a little more control over these tiny but sophisticated devices.