Apps Traps - How Safe Are The Applications You Download?

When downloading applications on your smart phone, have you ever checked the permissions you are giving to the provider of the (sometimes"free") applications?

Here are descriptions of some of the permissions found on applications:

Phone Calls
Read phone state and identity. Allows access to phone features and can determine the number that the call is connected to.
Question: How many people are aware that their information is exposed when they call a friend who has given this permission?
Directly call phone numbers. Allows the application to call phone numbers without your intervention.
Question: When did you last check your phone bill for unexpected calls? You may be paying for someone else's phone calls...

Hardware Controls
Take pictures
Allows an application at any time to take pictures with the camera and collect images the camera is seeing.
Record audio
Allows application to access the audio record path.
Question: How much sensitive and private information is being exposed to prying eyes and ears without people being aware of this? One application with this permission has over 50 Million downloads. Are phones allowed within secure locations? Are they checked for downloaded apps?

Modify/delete SD card contents
Allows an application to change and remove information on your SD card
Question: What information is being accessed, modified or deleted?

Your personal information
Allows an application to add or modify calendar events, read all contact address data stored on your phone and send your data to other people
Question: What can someone do with this data-mining goldmine? With access to calendars - advance knowledge on planned events and the ability to change the dates?

Network communication
Allows an application full internet access.
Question: Is there a legitimate reason why this application needs full internet access?

Your location
Allows an application to determine where you are.
Question: What can someone do with this information? They know where you are and where you are not. Who would like to know this and could benefit from this knowledge?

Your accounts
Allows an application to request authentication tokens, get a list of accounts known by the phone, add and remove accounts and deleting their password.

Question: How many people experience a "glitch" with accessing their accounts and do not realize their accounts may have been accessed by an outsider? One application with this permission has over 5 Million downloads...

Conclusion
A lot of sensitive information is exposed to third parties by giving permissions while downloading applications. There are many applications that do require certain permissions (for example a program like Outlook will need to be able to access personal information and make changes to contact addresses), but others do not (why would a flashlight application need permission to take pictures?). Do not download any applications without checking the permissions you give and without checking if there is a legitimate reason for the permissions requested. It's better to be safe than sorry...

If you enjoyed this article, I would like to invite you to our free Prosperity Mentor Newsletter - filled with articles, inspirational quotes, book and website reviews. Our mission is to bring prosperity to people and to change lives one at a time. Please visit our website at http://prosperitymentorllc.com/

View the original article here

Some Useful Educational Applications on the iPhone

The iPhone is a modern technological marvel, no doubt, but it is most often used for entertainment purposes instead of focusing on other useful areas which the device was designed for. You may not be aware but there are many useful iPhone apps related to education. Students as well as adults can benefit from these educational apps by increasing their knowledge.

History: Maps of the World

This is one application which comes in handy in both history and geography classes. It is a free application which features a historical map of the world. You can browse through maps of the various continents at different points in the course of history. Up-to-date maps can be viewed along with their current boundaries.

Redshift

Redshift happens to be a delightful astronomy app that has garnered rave reviews from users. An extremely engaging application, it offers a new perspective on the field of astronomy through an improved understanding of the night sky. Both the minor and major planetary bodies are depicted in accurate detail along with constellations and stars. 3D models are used to render regions nearby the galaxy. You can explore stars which happen to be 3000 light years away using the application. The Follow Sky mode allows you to use the position sensors and the compass to identify stars and planets in real-time.

Cram

Need help studying for an upcoming exam? Cram is an application designed specifically for this purpose. It allows users to come up with their own flash-card-based study guides and multiple-choice quizzes. The app even provides you with random answer choices to ensure that memorizing the correct option is useless. Students are able to access their tests online using the sync feature on the iPhone. The app also allows you to share your test with your friends. The only drawback is the considerable high cost of $4.99.

The Elements for iPhone 4

A comprehensive eBook app that enables you to grasp the deeper concepts behind the various elements constituting the world, the Elements for iPhone 4 helps you understand the Periodic Table in a new perspective. Detailed interactive images of the different elements are available which move and rotate as per touch. The application presents all the up-to-date information of the elements in an interesting manner. Students of all age groups can learn something useful from this app.

iStudiez Pro

Students who have trouble coming up with a precise academic schedule can use this application which allows them to keep track of their syllabus, project deadlines, lectures, extracurricular activities, homework and lab schedules. Both parents and teachers are able to closely monitor their wards' academic performance through this application. This is one of the most popular educational apps because of its ease-of-use. This is not a free application so you need to pay $2.99 in order to avail this app. But considering the numerous advantages of this app, the price is more than justified.

Mathematical Formulas

This is an essential app for every student who aspired to be good at math. It serves as a useful studying tool by allowing you to access difficult math equations very fast. All formulas are grouped by the app according to the topic. You can find anything math-related in this app from trigonometry to algebra. Users get to view all the formulas associated with a particular entry by clicking on that particular option. However, complex mathematical formulas are not included in the app.

Ruhita Chouhan is a gadget geek and she loves to write about the various aspects of different gadgets. Visit http://www.mostlyiphone.com/ for some excellent gadget news.

View the original article here

Advantages of Using Mobile Health Applications

There have been many improvements in technology that are aimed at helping healthcare providers offer better services to their patients and clients. Such developments include the availability of mobile health applications that enable the healthcare professionals to access real time information on their patients, hospital news as well as be able to pass information across departments. With such information instantly available, operations in the hospitals that use these mobile health applications run more smoothly and efficiently.

With the medical application tools, hospitals are able to have well organized information management systems. All the necessary information is readily available to relevant personnel. A doctor treating a patient needs not delay treatment as he/she waits for the file to be brought in from registry, or for lab results. All this information is readily available through mobile health applications so treatment can proceed promptly. Information from the treatment rooms, wards, labs, pharmacy, and billing department is integrated to ensure that operations run smoothly. The medical applications minimize movements and phone calls between different departments whenever information is needed.

With the mobile health application tools, hospital administrators are able to monitor all the operations at the hospital more easily since they will have instant information on the latest developments in various departments. They can also send out various forms of hospital communication more efficiently with these applications.

Private clinics can also make use of the mobile health applications to run operations smoothly. These applications can be used to manage registration, appointments, treatment plans, and referrals so that the information is readily available whenever it is needed.

Pharmaceutical companies and health insurance providers have not been left behind in the use of mobile health applications in their service delivery. Through these applications, they are able to send out information to their clients about new products and services. They also provide regular updates on existing products and services. Clients can easily access such information through their mobile devices.

With the mobile health applications, members of the public can access helpful medical information in the form of medical ebooks, pharmaceutical guides, treatment options, and so on. The healthcare organizations can choose to provide such information in the many different forms available through the medical application tools.

Helpful medical information is also available on various websites that one can access quickly from just about any location by using their mobile devices. Travelers and people who are far from a medical facility can get medical help instantly through their mobile devices. The use of these applications is increasing as people realize the convenience they bring and their life-saving potential.

In case you want to start using the mobile health applications for your healthcare organization, there are firms that specialize in developing custom applications for interested clients. This means that you can have mobile health applications that are tailored to suit the kind of products or services that you want to avail to your clients and patients. You can find good health applications developers by searching on the Internet and reading about the customer reviews concerning their services.

Melissa Tafts is the author of this article on mHealth.
Find more information on Medical apps here

View the original article here