Lookout Mobile Security - App Review

App: Lookout Mobile Security

Cost: Free/Premium Version $2.99 month

Where ever there is electronics there will be someone to hack it, steal it, or infect it.  Cell phones are no different.  Lookout Mobile Security has your back.  Combining three features in one, its a powerhouse of security.

1. Anti Virus/Malware Protection

Updated regularly Lookout Mobile Security scans all incoming installs for the latest Malware and Spyware.  This feature is automatic so there is no need to relaunch the app when you find something new.  It takes only a few extra seconds and could save you countless hours restoring your phone.

2. Phone Locator
If you've ever lost, misplaced, or had your phone stolen this is the app for you.  With it's built in locator, Lookout Mobile Security can use your on board GPS to identify the exact location of your phone.  Simply log on to mylookout.com from any computer and select the "Locate Button".  I found this feature to be accurate within 10-15feet.  You can also set off an alarm , lock the phone to protect it from prying eyes, or if you decide your data is just too important for anyone to see it can also remotely wipe the entire phone.

3. Data Backup
In my previous post  "Preparing for an Android update" I covered backing up your data in preparation for an Android update.  This is another great tool to give you that peace of mind.  The free version allows for Contacts and Call history backup.  Upgrading to the Premium version also allows for Photo backups as well.  This is all automatic and typically is updated once a day.  Should your phone go missing and is never recovered, you can add a new phone to your account, and transfer all of you contacts and pictures to your new phone.

Lookout Mobile Security - Closing thoughts
Overall this is a great app to have and takes very little thought to keep your data backed up and secure.  With the ability to restore the data to a new phone it makes replacing/upgrading a breeze. I highly recommend it for any Android user.

Virgin Mobile's LG Optimus V Review

LG Optimus V
The newest in the Virgin Mobile lineup is the LG Optimus V.  Running Android 2.2 out of the box this little guy has some speed to it.  It features a dedicated 200mhz graphics chip, a 600mhz processor, and a 3.2" capacitive touch screen.   Overall experience using the Optimus is pleasant with smooth scrolling and fairly fast load times.  Lacking a physical keyboard it's thinner than it's Samsung counter part at Virgin Mobile, but makes up for the lack of keyboard with it's Swype on screen keyboard.  It features a 3.2MP camera that I found lags slightly behind the Samsung Intercepts.  In low light conditions most photos came out black when only dark on the Intercept.  Images also seemed overly sharp on the Optimus but had more color.  Gaming was pleasent with high frame rates and quick response times.  Testing the speaker I found it to get a tinny sound if set to maximum and wasn't as loud as the Intercept.  The LG Optimus also lacks the optical track pad of it's counterpart, thus making it more difficult to correct mistakes when typing.  Overall I highly recommend the LG Optimus for the average user or hard core Android gamer.   If you are a die hard texter, music aficionado, or amateur photographer, I recommend checking out the Intercept.

Pros

• Dedicated graphics chip makes gaming a whole lot smoother
• Slim design
• Swype on screen keyboard
• Android 2.2
  
• High resloution screen
• 2GB microSD card with adapter to make it a standard size SD card
• Access to the Android Market

Cons

• No physical keyboard
• Poor low light photos
• Weak speaker (I found cranking it all the way up gave you a tinny sound and really wasn't that loud)
• No optical pad(When editing text you must switch keyboards to the arrow keys which is a pain)

Virgin Mobile's Samsung Intercept Update Delayed Again

On a rather unfortunate choice of days Virgin Mobile has announce the further delay of the Android 2.2 update for the Samsung Intercept.  Stated by Virgin Mobiles Customer Care on Twitter "Due to some issues encountered during testing the update has been rescheduled to be released further in the month."  And confirmed by Virgin Mobile USA on Facebook.  Could this be one of the biggest April fools jokes known to man?  My guess is no.  We can all hope that the final release of the update will be trouble free thanks to the additional time taken to fix the errors.

Preparing for an Android Update

With the Android 2.2 update just around the corner for Virgin Mobile USA customers, I thought I would cover a few essentials to make the transition as smooth as possible.  Many of us have heard the horror stories of updates gone bad, phone numbers lost, text messages gone, apps missing, but did you know there are steps you can take to prevent them?  .  Taking a second to prepare could save you hours on the phone with tech support.

1. Let Google store your contacts.

Many people are used to storing contacts on their phone, but allowing Google to store them for you will not only make an update easier but a complete phone change as well.

2. Backup your phone with software.  

Apps like "My Back Up Pro" and "Titanium Backup" will backup user data to prevent loosing everything.  Lookout Mobile Security combines data backup with antivirus protection for overall security.

3. Manually backup you contacts.

Never hurts to be too careful.  So doing a manual backup of your contacts should be your last line of defense.  Contacts can be exported to your SD card for later retrieval.

4. Power up 

When the update arrives, make sure the phone is plugged in.  Doing so will prevent the battery from draining before the update is finished.  Failure in the middle of an update could have disastrous effects.