Mobile Security Tips to Follow

This will be the first in a series of articles about mobile phone security. This first article deals with Internet security in general, and the follow-up articles will be on specific security apps for Andorid and iOS devices. Even if you follow just a few of these tips, you will go a long way in safeguarding your information, both personal and financial.

1. Don’t Lose Your Phone

Or, if you do, make sure that your phone is password protected. And just to be clear, a password like 1234 or 0000 is not really a password. This is basically a default code, so try to be a little more creative when choosing a code.

If you go into your General settings on your iPhone, for instance, under Passcode Lock, you can also select to have all data wiped from your phone if after 10 tries the right password is not entered. Of course, this means that a code should not be so difficult that even you have a hard time remembering it.

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Kinectimals Show iOS Some Love

Kinectimals, the virtual interactive pet simulator from Microsoft has been released for iOS devices. The game was a favorite on Microsoft’s Xbox console and originally used the popular Kinect add-on to interact with on-screen animals. The iOS version of Kinectimals, which is available for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, now uses touch-based controls. The new control scheme is at once more personal and intuitive and gives a genuine sense of connection and immersion.

At the start of Kinectimals, you are presented with an option to choose one of five pet types: African Lion and Leopard, Royal Bengal Tiger, Cheetah, and Black Panther. The game has multiple save slots so you can choose to pick one or all five animals if you like, saving each choice separately. There is also an unlockable animal that you get as an option after completing various tasks and achievements.

The gameplay consists of two “modes.” You can play with your animal in a non-competitive setting, or you can participate in games. There are a number of challenges that initially function as a tutorial, but the difficulty increases over time. Completing challenges will enable you to level-up your pet and will earn you money and rewards. You use money earned to purchase food and other items for your animal. The games in Kinectimals are increasingly competitive in nature. You gain experience for high scores and can advance through 20 levels.

Kinectimals is a visually-appealing game, the graphics being among the best for any iOS title. The soundtrack is light and child-like, but it suits the game well. The game AI is adaptive and makes for some pleasant surprises. Ignore your pet, for example, and it will try to entice you to play in various cute ways. The title has high production values and has a certain slickness about it. Though a bit light in depth, the game is a joy to play; anyone who enjoys this genre will want to pick it up.

Coming in at about 178 MB, Kinectimals is not a lightweight title, and those with space concerns will need to consider the size of the download when deciding whether or not to pick up this title. Another thing to keep in mind is that the game makes use of location tracking. It does prominently state, however, that your information will not be shared. Location tracking can be disabled under Settings. You can also simply deny the initial request when it is presented to you at the start of the game.

Kinectimals is available now for $2.99 at the App store.