Best App Sequels

From Mario Brothers to World of Warcraft, I've tackled my fair share of games in my day. It tickles me that now I can play a game on my hand-held device from anywhere, whether I am early for an appointment or waiting to pick up the kids from school. A few of my favorites have recently released sequels, so I was eager to check them out.

Angry Birds Star Wars 2 ($.99): Angry Birds, published by Rovio, was one of the first games I downloaded on my phone, and our super-nerd family jumped at the chance to play the Star Wars version. One beef I had about the original was the challenge of duplicating a move: I could shoot a bird once and make a perfect shot, but try again and I could never get the trajectory right. Angry Birds Star Wars eliminated this with projected trajectories shown with a dotted line, eliminating most of the guessing and frustration and making for a nicer game play, in my opinion.

Where the first version of ABSW let you play all your favorite characters from Episodes IV, V and VI, ABSW2 revolves around Episodes I, II and III. Jar-Jar Binks is, ironically, one of the most enjoyable characters to play. You can also play as Qui Gon, Obi Won and Yoda; each has their own special moves. There's even an opportunity to "join the Pork Side of the Force" and fire pigs at the birds: definitely a fun twist on previous versions.

This time around the game is compatible with optional “Telepod” toys. Buy a small plastic Chewbacca “pod,” for example, put it up to your mobile device and Chewbacca will appear in game. A cool but potentially costly addition to gameplay. Otherwise, prompts for in-app purchases can be annoying and much of the content is a re-hash from what you've already seen throughout the Angry Birds sequels. Still, if you're a fan of Star Wars and Angry Birds, it's worthwhile.


Plants vs. Zombies 2 (Free): I played Plants vs. Zombies a few years ago on the X-Box 360 and was completely addicted, so I was eager to check out the sequel. Currently only available for iOS, the Android version is due out soon. It's challenging to see the whole field of play on an iPhone so if you have an iPad opt for the tablet version.

The object of the game is the same as the original: protect your space against swaths of attacking zombies by planting defensive and offensive plants in front of them. PopCap gets it right again with the sequel, with new plants and new challenges. You begin defending your home in the suburbs, but you're quickly whisked off to Ancient Egypt, Pirate Seas and the Wild West themes. The zombie onslaught is slow, but you can get overwhelmed quickly, and that's definitely part of the fun and intensity of the game. Can you kill them all before they eat their way through? Spend your earned coins on new powers to take down lots of zombies at once, or in-app purchase some crazy-fun plants and abilities. You don't need to spend cash if you play your earned-coins smartly. All-in-all, a great sequel to a great game.

Where's My Water? 2 (Free): If you missed “Where's My Water?” you really should check it out. Published by Disney Mobile (read: safe for the younger crowd), Water follows the mis-adventures of a loveable alligator named Swampy who just wants to take a shower. Your goal? Clear a path through the dirt from a big pool of water to the end of his pipe so he can achieve his shower-bliss. You're challenged with obstacles along the way like walls that block your path, sections of moss that suck away your water and giant chasms where water is simply lost. Get as much water to Swampy as you can to win, and try to collect all the rubber duckies along the way for extra points.

The sequel offers over 100 new challenges and the same puzzle-style gameplay of the original. I was excited to try it, but I found myself quickly exasperated with the game model. The "free to play" mode gets you through the first few levels, but then you're required to wait before you can play again, or pay a $0.99 fee to "refill your energy," and the wait times can be as long as an hour. My recommendation? Download the original if you haven't played it already, and if you can't get enough of Swampy play “Where's My Water? 2” with plenty of patience.

 

Mobile Malware Explodes in 2013

Mobile Malware Gains Ground in 2013

The numbers are out: McAfee's report on viruses in the first quarter of the year shows mobile malware, which exploded last year, is showing no signs of stopping. Smartphones, which just recently outnumbered “dumb phones” worldwide are increasingly becoming the targets of the same sorts of viruses and malware that we've worried about on our computers for years. McAfee, a large security firm owned by Intel, reports that 28% of all malicious smartphone software has appeared in the first quarter of 2013. The year previous saw a huge spike in which the rest of the 50,000 programs emerged, although some estimates claim there are up to a million mobile viruses at the time of this writing.


The most common form of mobile viruses is the age-old Trojan Horse virus. This virus pretends to be another sort of software and coaxes the user into installing it. After being installed, it spreads throughout the system and locks down many of the phone functions, essentially turning the phone into a zombie under the control of the hacker. The zombie phone will then send out text messages to infect its next targets. For instance in South Korea, a widely-spread virus poses as a coupon app for a coffee shop and then takes control of the user's phone.

There are a number of security products for smartphones on the market. One such app is AVG's Antivirus for Android http://www.avg.com/us-en/antivirus-for-android. It will also help you locate your device in the event that it's lost or stolen. It's only available for Android, which is also the only system that runs a high risk of infection. However, some research shows that mobile antivirus programs aren't nearly as effective as their PC counterparts, due to the way antiviruses access the phone's system http://www.informationweek.com/security/antivirus/does-mobile-antivirus-software-really-pr/240008673.

The best antivirus for iPhones running iOS is Lookout Mobile Security, which is available for free. While there are fewer viruses on iPhones, Lookout also notifies you of connections to unsecured networks and allows you to track your phone if it's lost.

So how do you tell if you have a piece of this mobile malware? The warning signs are largely the same as on PCs: applications will start to slow down and strange things will start happening. Make sure you've installed an anti-virus first, but if it's gotten past that, you may be out of luck. Call a phone repair company or use a service like Sugar Sync to back up your personal files from your phone and follow your provider's instructions to reformat and reinstall your Android phone.

For now, the best way to keep your smartphone free of mobile malware relies on vigilance from you. Make sure not to download any apps that you didn't go looking for. If it comes to you, it's probably too good to be true! Make sure to only download from authorized sources. And as always, don't give your passwords to anyone you don't trust. If it looks sketchy, it almost certainly is! If you think you may have been the victim of mobile malware, call a smartphone repair company that can salvage your data and restore your phone.

Waterproof your Phone and Other Gadgets this Summer

Waterproof your Phone & Gadgets

It's finally the summer and it's time to spend less time indoors and more time soaking up sun. Whether you have a pool or head to the lake to get your fill of vitamin D, everyone spends more time outdoors in the summer. And most of us will end up bringing at least a few gadgets with us, like our cell phones. But while the beach is a relaxing place for us humans, our phones don't react to well to sand, water, or heat - common ingredients for summer fun. Fortunately they're not too hard to protect. We've gathered a few ways to summer-proof your devices here.

An essential part of summer is heat, and it's only getting hotter. Unfortunately your cell phone doesn't react to heat too well. Overheated phones will shut off, and running your phone for too long at a high temperature will permanently damage its battery. Make sure not to leave your phone in a hot car, and pay attention to how hot it is when you're using it. If you don't need to use your phone for a bit and it's getting hot, just turn it off and let it cool down. Also, charging your phone only at night will keep it cool and save energy.

For physical damage, consider buying a protective case for your phone. For a bit of money (around $100), consider the OtterBox armor series. If you're a professional device-dropper or if you just spend a lot of time in dangerous situations, this case can protect your phone underwater and can protect it being dropped onto concrete.

If you're not too worried about water, but you want to protect your laptop or tablet from the bumps and drops of everyday use, the Just Air Cushion https://www.justaircases.com/ provides a lightweight and inexpensive ($30) way to protect your devices from unfortunate falls.

No matter where you're going this summer, make sure to install tracking software on your phone. With all the beach parties, vacations, and other outings over the summer, there's a lot of opportunity for your phone to get lost. Prey http://preyproject.com is a free app for your phone that allows you to track your phone if it's lost.