Saturday, July 23, 2011

Keep A Close Watch On Your Android Device With Cirrus Manager [2.2+]


I love my smartphone. I think it’s an absolutely amazing device, and can’t wait to see where smartphone technology goes in three or five years. But there’s just one thing that scares me. What if someone steals it, or I lose it? My life is on that thing. It’s a treasure trove of personal information, with access to all of my contacts, Gmail correspondence, calendar, and even all the files on my Dropbox. Definitely not something I’d like to see fall into the wrong hands! If it ever does, Cirrus Manager will be the first site I turn to.
Like just about every other “find my device” solution (Android Lost and friends), Cirrus Manager is an app-and-website combo. You install the app on your phone and configure it to talk to the website, and then use the website if the need ever arises. I have been testing Cirrus Manager for over a month before writing this post, so the app is already configured on my phone. When someone (hopefully me…) runs the app, the first thing they see is a password prompt:
image
Once you enter the correct password, you get to the main menu:
image
This is not an “all or nothing” proposition. You can select how much control you wish to grant Cirrus Manager over your phone.
image
As you can see, I chose not to manage contacts, messages, and processes via the Web interface. If anyone ever steals my phone, I would be able to tell who they’re calling. More importantly, Cirrus Manager constantly sends location updates to the server, and you can even turn the GPS on remotely for better accuracy.
The security settings are quite comprehensive:
image
I recently got to test the “Lock on SIM change” feature, accidentally. I switched carriers, and upon inserting my new SIM card and booting my phone, Cirrus presented me with a password prompt. I then entered my password (correctly), and it just shut off. No matter how many times I did this, this kept happening. The only way to get it to work was to insert the original SIM, access the app, disable “Lock on SIM change” and then change the SIM. CirrusLabs (the developer) say this should not happen, but that was the case when I tested it.
Still, it was a good example of how effective the locking mechanism can be. I found no way to circumvent the lock when it happened, and I consider myself a fairly skilled Android user. If your device is rooted, someone can always plug it into a PC and use adb shell to uninstall whatever is locking your device – but this is true for all such security solutions (so you can only hope your device doesn’t fall into skilled hands, or that you’re faster than the thief).
The last feature in the main menu, Auto Update Interval, is only available for paid plans (I subscribed to the $3/mo. plan). But even if your device doesn’t auto-update the site, you can always poll it manually. Which brings us to the site itself:
image
In a word: slick. The site runs on Google App Engine, and you get to use your normal Google account to log in. The gorgeous interface is dominated by a side menu that opens as soon as you hover over the strip of icons:
image
The menu is fairly self-explanatory. The two most important features, for me, are geolocating your device and remotely wiping it in case you cannot retrieve it. Let’s look at geolocation first:
image
Yup, this is where I am. You may be wondering why I live in a country that has no streets. This is not an issue specific to Cirrus Manager. The Google Maps API simply does not support all countries and territories, and I’m unlucky enough to be located in such an unsupported country. Clicking the pin icon reveals the latitude and longitude coordinates reported by the device, which you can then search for on Google Maps or any other mapping solution. If you’re in a supported location (North America, for example), you won’t have to go through that extra step.
Another interesting option is visualizing the location history over time. This shows the routes the device made over time as red lines over the map, and while it can be a bit creepy, it’s also very interesting to see how your device has been moving all over town.
Next, let’s look at the “nuclear option”. If someone steals your device and you become convinced you can’t have it back, you really should wipe it remotely. This is what the Wipe Device option looks like:
image
Note the option to wipe the SD card as well. This is a crucial option. If you just wipe your device without wiping the SD card, any would-be thief would still have access to lots of personal information, and possibly complete copies of all of your apps and data (if you useTitanium Backup, which you really should). The SD wipe option is only available for paid plans, though (and is one of the key reasons I chose to pay for the service).

Bottom Line

Cirrus Manager has plenty of other features, including detailed hardware information for your device, SMS control (wipe your device using an SMS if it has no connectivity), and more. The free version is very good, but the paid version is even better. This is the security solution I chose for my own device – definitely recommended.  Let us know in the comments which security app you use to protect your Android phone.

Top 100 Best Android Apps


The 100 Best Android Apps


On this page, you will find the best 100 Android applications for all your needs. 



JuiceDefender
Tweaks device settings for maximum battery life.
Llama – Location Profiles
A handy automation utility, less versatile than Tasker, but free.
Sanity
Filters calls, announces callers via audio, records calls, and can even automatically answer calls.
Silent Time Pro
Silences the phone according to a weekly schedule, in case you find Tasker too complex. $1.99
Tasker
The ultimate automation utility — some people buy an Android device just to use it. UK£3.99


chompSMS
An alternative SMS application with its own optional SMS service for cheaper rates
GMail Label Notifier
Lets you know when any one of your labels receives new email. Customize notifications per-label. UK£0.50
Go SMS Pro
A fancy replacement for the built-in SMS utility, with theme support.
imo.im
An IM client for Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, MSN, ICQ/AIM, Yahoo, Jabber, Myspace. Woah.
Skype
It’s bloated, it’s quirky, but it’s Skype. Absolutely essential for long-distance calls.
SMS Popup
If you don’t use Go SMS Pro, install SMS Popup to instantly see new SMSes.


AnkiDroid flashcards
Memorize information efficiently while on the go with Anki’s smart algorithm.
Kindle
A fantastic reading experience. Stays in sync with your “real” Kindle.
Kobo
If Kindle isn’t your cup of tea, try this alternative reader.
TED Air
Provides a way to watch TED talks on your device. Get smarter on the go.
Wapedia
Wikipedia’s mobile website is good. Wapedia is better. Also supports other wikis.
WolframAlpha
Amaze your friends with crazy facts and figures. How much sodium is in a banana? $1.99


Beautiful Widgets
Check out the weather or the time in style with these huge, gorgeous widgets. €1.99
Embiggen
Display short messages in huge, full-screen text that can be clearly read from meters away.
Pattern Wallpapers
A collection of beautiful, soothing pattern wallpapers. They say there are over a million of them.
WeatherBug
Check out the weather everywhere in the world in excruciating detail, synoptic maps and all.
WP Clock
A huge, in-your-face, live wallpaper with the time, date, battery and Wi-Fi network. €0.77


Alchemy
Drag and drop elements to create surprising combinations. Hunter + mouse = cat.
Angry Birds
Needs no introduction. All levels for free. Get Angry Birds Rio too, teach those pigs a lesson.
Bubble Break
Pop those bubbles! Supports multiple color schemes, has color-blind mode.
Chalk Ball Lite
Draw chalk lines to keep the ball from falling off the screen and bounce it onto other balls.
Flood-It
A color-based puzzle/strategy game that’s color-blind friendly, too.
Fruit Ninja
An arcade game with fancy graphics and lots of juice splashing on the screen. AU$1.19
Game Dev Story
Grow your game company into an empire. Kept me fascinated for over a week. ¥230 (about $2.85)
Jet Car Stunts Lite
A brilliant use of Spartan graphics to create an action-packed racer.
Kongregate Arcade
Access Kongregate’s addictive casual games on your Android device.
Roll It
A brain-twisting puzzle in three dimensions.
Wordfeud Free
A minimalistic take on Scrabble. Supports random boards, too.
Words with Friends Free
Play Scrabble with your iOS-toting friends. Has its quirks, but has improved immensely.


Endomondo
Social sports training. Compete against your friends, get real-time feedback.
Gentle Alarm
The best alarm clock money can buy, at least for Android. €1.99
Libra – Weight Manager
Log your weight. An essential part of my morning routine. Syncs with DailyBurn and Withings.
My Tracks
Uses the GPS to plot your whereabouts on a map. Great for jogging and hiking.
Petometer
Track your walks with your dog — time, distance, pace, and route.
RunKeeper
Fantastic guided fitness training, with a powerful website. Not just for running.


ADWLauncher EX
One of Android’s classic launchers, with hundreds of themes. A must-try. €2.30
Gesture Search
Draw letters on the screen, and it finds the app you want to launch. By Google.
GO Launcher EX
Launcher of choice. Feature-packed, yet still lean.
LauncherPro
Another must-try launcher, lean yet popular.
SwipePad
Launch your favorite apps in a flash, from any app. Transformed my Android experience — a must-have.
Wave Launcher
Similar to SwipePad but with a different look. Supports fewer apps. $1.99


doubleTwist Player
Sync your Android device with iTunes. Requires free Windows/Mac companion app.
PlayerPro
A powerful, skinnable audio player with advanced filtering capabilities. Pricey. €3.49
Shazam
Competes with SoundHound. Tries to figure out what music is playing in the background.
Slacker Radio
Unlimited, free, customizable radio. US-only.
SoundHound
Identify any song playing in the background. A direct competitor to Shazam.
Winamp
The classic audio player for llama lovers comes to Android. Free and awesome.


Camera360
A very powerful camera app with built-in effects.
Little Photo
Add funky effects to your photographs. Insanely popular and free.
FxCamera
A free (ad-supported) camera application with several effects.
picplz
Take photos, apply effects, share them online.
Retro Camera
Emulates several old cameras, funky graphics and all.


Astrid Task
A to-do list manager that syncs with Google Tasks and Producteev.com.
Barcode Scanner
Makes sense of those square squiggles everybody’s pointing their phones at.
Call Log Calendar Free
Saves calls and SMSes on to Google Calendar, optionally with location info. Great for billing clients.
Catch Notes
A fast notes application for text, voice, images and locations. Syncs with catch.com.
Dropbox
The official app. Doesn’t support continuous sync, but allows access to your files when you need it.
DropSpace
Uploads files from SD onto Dropbox whenever they change. Backup to the cloud.
Epistle
A minimalistic notes app that instantly syncs with Dropbox.
Evernote
The do-it-all notes application. If you use Evernote on Windows/Mac, this is a must-have.
Flick Note
A full-featured notes app with real-time Simplenote sync, tags, and more.
Google Docs
The official client from Google. Edit your Docs on the go.
ShopSavvy Barcode Scanner
Scan barcodes on store products and compare prices on the go.
Springpad
Gives Evernote a run for its money. Has a Web-based client too.
Taskos
A powerful to-do list manager with Google Tasks sync, customized categories, repeating tasks, and more.
Waze
A crowd-sourced GPS app, aware of traffic conditions. For drivers only (not pedestrians).


App Protector Pro
Selectively block access to certain applications. Can toggle locking as needed. $1.99
Cirrus Manager
Locate, manage and wipe your device if it’s ever stolen. Monthly subscription.
KeePassDroid
If you use KeePass on the PC, this is a must-have. Manage your passwords with absolute security.
Lookout Mobile Security
Scan for malware and manage your device remotely.
No Lock
The simplest way to toggle your device’s lock-screen. Widget included.
SeekDroid
Find your device if it’s ever stolen. $0.99


GetGlue
A social recommendation engine for books, movies, and more. Available on the Web too.
HootSuite
A single app for Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare. The mobile companion for HootSuite.com
Seesmic
Supports multiple Twitter accounts, as well as Facebook and Buzz. Features fast shortcuts.
TweetDeck
Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Buzz in one intense social feed.
Twidroyd
A fast Twitter client with a live preview mode for links.
Plume
A Twitter client with a multi-column mode for tablets and extra-shiny graphics.
WhatsApp Messenger
A messenger application, like SMS but without SMSes.
Twicca
A beautiful, minimalistic Twitter client. Multiple accounts are “experimental”.

Amazon Appstore
An alternative Market; US-only, sadly.
AppBrain App Market
An alternative Market with a smart recommendation engine.
Elixir
Outputs every conceivable bit of information about your device hardware.
File Expert
A powerful file manager with a built-in FTP/HTTP server, SMB client and more.
ROM Manager
Download ROMs and flash your device seamlessly. Requires root access.
SlideIT Soft Keyboard
A fantastic sliding keyboard, supports Colemak, Hebrew, and many other layouts.
Stats Free
Monitors and saves SMS, call and data usage so you don’t exceed your plan.
Swype
A sexy sliding keyboard. Currently still in beta.
Titanium Backup
The must-have backup utility. Saved me numerous times. Rooted devices only.
Widgetsoid2.x
A powerful widget engine for creating beautiful, useful toggle widgets.

Andricious (Delicious)
Manage your Delicious bookmarks on the go. Supports Yahoo! And Delicious accounts.
Dolphin Browser HD
An alternative browser with a dedicated following.
Miren Browser
A fast, effective browser. Lean and quick to load.
Pulse News
A beautiful news reader, can sync with Google reader. A joy to use.
Read It Later Free
Mark things to read later on the PC, read them with this app while on the go.






best android apps
Disclaimer: All applications listed were thoroughly reviewed. MakeUseOf is not responsible for any damage and/or data loss
that might result from use of any of the above mentioned applications.

Receive all updates via Facebook. Just Click the Like Button Below

?

You can also receive Free Email Updates:

Powered By Techystuff