Tablets are quickly becoming an important device for many business owners and managers. While they are useful, there are some drawbacks, especially with Android tablets. The biggest is that many don't have a mobile data connection which means you have to rely on Wi-Fi to be online. Did you know that if you have a mobile device with a data connection, you can share it with your tablet through a process called tethering?

Here is an overview of tethering. It focuses on Android tablets, but this process be applied to almost any Android device.

What exactly is tethering? You've probably seen this term mentioned in marketing collateral or contracts from your mobile provider, or heard users talk about it. In the most basic sense, tethering is sharing one device's Internet or data connection with another. The most common type of tethering you will see is someone using their smartphone's data connection to surf the Internet on their computer or tablet.

When it comes to tethering on Android devices, there are three main options:

• Portable Wi-Fi hotspot - Turns your device into a Wi-Fi router, allowing it to share its data connection with up to five other devices.
• Bluetooth - Shares the device's data connection with one device over Bluetooth.
• USB - Shares the device's data connection with one device, usually a computer.

A word of warning: As you share connections, the speed of the data will be diminished. Some devices are also data hungry, and if you have a set amount of data each month, you will likely use it up. If you go over the amount, you may be in for a bit of a shock when you see your next bill.

Can I tether on my tablet? Technically all Android tablets and devices can share their connection as long as they can connect to mobile data. The ability to tether actually hinges on the provider of the data connection - some allow it, others don't while some will apply extra charges. Before you try to tether any device, you should check with your device's data/mobile provider to ensure tethering is allowed. As a rule of thumb: If you are already paying for a data connection with a set amount of bandwidth (e.g., 2GB a month), tethering is likely ok.

Because many Android tablets don't have a mobile data connection, most users will likely share their smartphone's connection with their tablet. If you have a smartphone with a data plan, tethering will depend on your phone as the tablet just sees an Internet connection.

How do I share my data connection? If you have a smartphone with a data connection and would like to share it with your tablet, you have a couple of options:

For iPhone/iPad (with a data connection) users

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Tap on General followed by Network.
3. Select Personal Hotspot followed by Wi-Fi Password.
4. Set the Wi-Fi password and select Done.
5. Slide the button beside Personal Hotspot from Off to On.
6. On your Android device, open the Wi-Fi settings and look for the network with the iPhone's name. Tap on it and enter the password you set above. It should connect within a few seconds.

For Android users

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Press More under Wireless & Networks (Android 4.2)
3. Tap on Tethering & portable hotspot.
4. Select Set up Wi-Fi hotspot and enter a network name under Network SSID.
5. Enter a password under the Password section and press Save.
6. Select Portable Wi-Fi hotspot and the device will create a wireless network.
7. On your tablet, open the Wi-Fi settings and look for the name you have set in the Network SSID field above. By default it's Android AP.

It would be a good idea to use a password when setting up tethering to ensure that no one will be able to connect to your network without your permission.

If you are looking for more ways to get your Android tablet online or wondering how a tablet can help you, contact us today.

'Note to self: Check with Internet provider about updating connection speed.' How many times have you found yourself making mental notes like these only to forget them by the time you've arrived at the office? Many people find that it helps to write these reminders and notes down. If you have an Android tablet, why not write the note on there? There are some great apps that can help you.

Here's three note apps that different users will find useful:

Google Keep For users who are integrated with Google; using Google Drive, Gmail, etc., Keep is a recently released note app that allows you to create notes and lists. You can also attach voice reminders, pictures and change the color of each note.

What separates this app from others is that it syncs your notes automatically with Google Drive, which means you can access, edit and manage the notes from any system. The mobile app looks great, as it follows Google's new 'clean' look with lots of white space. Notes are added to the main screen as thumbnails with the main content featured in the image. If you use Google's apps, this is a great addition that you will likely find useful. Free on Google Play.

OneNote Mobile If your office uses Microsoft Office, or Office 365, you may have already used OneNote. The mobile version lets you create notes and lists with bullet points, checkboxes, text and pictures. You can sync these notes with your SkyDrive account, or your Office 365 ID - they should both be the same ID - and have access to them on nearly every device including your desktop.

If you use OneNote on your desktop or browser, you will be able to view and open these notes using the mobile app and vice versa. Free for 500 notes on Google Play. If you want to create more than 500 notes, there is an in-app upgrade cost that varies depending on your account.

Evernote If you use multiple mobile and desktop platforms, or aren't picky about an app's integration with existing systems, Evernote should be right up your alley.

Like Google Keep, this app lets you create notes and lists, and also add voice reminders and pictures. The ability to search your notes for keywords is also included, which makes this app useful if you take a large quantity of notes.

The key distinguishing feature of this app is that it isn't just for one system. You can install versions on nearly every platform e.g., iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, etc. And your notes will be synced as long as you have an Internet connection. This makes it perfect for the business owner who has a Windows PC in the office, an iPhone and an Android tablet. Free on Google Play.

These are just three potential note apps that you can use on your Android tablet. Do you use other ones? Let us know.

Android tablets have many popular features. That's what makes them so useful to business owners, managers and employees. One of the more important functions is the ability to set a password, pin or slide combination to unlock the device. While this is useful for keeping data secure, it isn't that useful when you forget the password.

If you forget the password or combination to unlock your Android tablet there are a number of steps you can take.

Before you forget your password As you probably know, Android is heavily integrated with Google. When you first turned on your tablet, you were likely asked to sign up for, or link, a Google account to your device. If you didn't you should do so as it will make unlocking your tablet easier if you forget the password or pattern.

You can assign an account by going to Settings and scrolling down to Accounts and selecting Add account. Press on Google and if you already have a Google account tap Existing and enter the relevant information. Pressing New will allow you to sign up for a new account.

Try, try again! If you enter your combination, but just can't remember it, try again another four times. You will be locked out for thirty seconds, then allowed to try again. During the countdown, you should see a button at the bottom of the screen saying Forgot Pattern? Tap this and enter your Google account information - email address and password. When you do, you should be taken into the tablet's password reset screen.

Buttons! On some tablets, there is a 'Safe Mode' that you can boot into. This should boot it into a simplified home screen with no access to apps, but access to settings, where you may be able to reset the screen lock. While this won't work on all devices, it's worth a try.

From the lock screen, press the Power button to get the on/off window. When this pops up, either press and hold the Power off (on the screen), or press and hold the physical button, and it should display an option to boot into safe mode.

On other Androids you may be given an option to Reboot. Try pressing on that for a few seconds and it should bring up the option to reboot into safe mode.

Last ditch effort! If the above tips still don't work, you have one final option: Factory reset.

Conducting a factory reset will completely wipe your tablet's memory, and return it the way it was when it came out of the factory. If your device has a removable memory card, it would be a good idea to turn it off and remove the card before resetting, as there is a chance the files stored on here will also be deleted.

Here's how to execute a factory reset:

1. Turn your tablet off and remove the SD card, if there is one.
2. Press and hold the combinations below until you feel the device vibrate:
   1. Power button + Volume up and down (if there is a physical Home button)
   2. Power button + Volume up + Home button (If there is a physical Home button)

You should either see the droid (green robot) with his stomach plate open, or the Android Recovery screen. If you see the droid, press the volume buttons until you see Recovery mode above his head, and tap the Power button. This should bring you to the Recovery screen.

From here, press volume down until Wipe data/factory reset is highlighted. Press the Power button and it should start the rest sequence.

Another option is to either bring it into the store where you bought it from, and see if they have a way to help, or you could contact us for assistance.

When it comes to choice, most people are of two viewpoints: Less is more, and more is better. These two perspectives can be transferred over to mobile platforms. Those who want less choice could chose Apple devices, while those who want more choice could go with Android. Those who pick Android will have likely heard of the Nexus line and wondered what exactly it is, and why some treat it as so special.

To begin with, devices labeled with Nexus are Google branded phones and tablets made by different manufacturers that often come in different sizes. Below is a brief overview of the different types of Nexus devices, how they differ from other Android devices based on hardware and software, plus how to buy them.

Nexus devices As noted above: Nexus devices carry the Google brand. Flip one over and you will see the Google logo featured prominently on the back. What this means is that in countries like the US and Canada, the device is sold through Google's website. Google does not manufacture these devices, instead relying on companies like Samsung, Asus and LG to produce them.

There are currently three Nexus devices available from the Google store: The Nexus 4 - a 4-inch smartphone made by LG; Nexus 7 - a 7-inch tablet made by Asus; and the Nexus 10 - a 10-inch tablet made by Samsung. You can still find older devices like the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, etc. available from a variety of different cell providers.

Nexus hardware Google views the release of a specific Nexus device as what Android devices should be. This means they have near top-of-the-line components and are often considered high-end when they are released. It's easy to think of the them as the benchmark - hardware wise - for the other Android devices, up to a year after the release.

Because of the large number of manufacturers turning out Android tablets and phones, you can bet that any device, Nexus included, will soon be surpassed by another in a matter of months. However, most tablets are powerful enough that users often don't notice the difference, so there's really no need to worry about bigger and better with the Nexus - at least not for a year or two.

Nexus software Where the Nexus models excel is software. Google's Android OS is now in it's eleventh version, yet most users are still using devices with versions from 2011 and 2012. This fragmentation happens largely because manufacturers apply their own OS layout that needs to be updated when Google releases a new version of Android. This can take months.

Nexus machines receive OS updates a few days to a month after Google releases them. This means that for at least two years they will be running the latest version. These devices also don't have custom layouts, so you get a 'pure' Android experience, or as Google calls it 'Vanilla Android'.

In other words, if you want a device that runs the latest and greatest software and OS, Nexus is the way to go.

Buying a Nexus As Nexus devices are considered high-end, you might think that the devices come with a high-end cost too. That's not 100% true though. For example, the Nexus 7 tablet is sold at cost (USD$199 for the 8GB version). In comparison, the iPad Mini starts at over USD$300. In general, Nexus devices retail at an affordable cost for the intended market. If you are looking for a high-end Android tablet, the Nexus is one of the best value devices on the market.

That being said, if you have a set budget, and aren't worried about a device running the latest and greatest version of Android, you shouldn't feel pressured to get a Nexus. There are many Android devices out there that could meet your needs and budget. Not to mention that almost all apps on the Google Play store will run on a large variety of devices, so you can still access the same apps.

If you have your heart set on a Nexus then check out the Nexus store. For those who can't access this, many big electronics stores also offer the devices, often at the same price as the Google store. To learn more about Android and your business, why not give us a shout? We'll be happy to sit down and have a chat.

One of the biggest tech trends from 2012 was the growth of tablets and more specifically, Android tablets. It's a pretty sure thing that this trend will continue in 2013 as more tablets and mobile devices in general are purchased. With the increase in mobile devices the idea of advertising to users through mobile advertising has become feasible for companies of any size. The issue is finding a company that can help you reach your intended audience.

One of the easiest ways to get in on the mobile advertising boom is through the use of mobile ad networks. There are over 150 available, serving more than 10 different niches. This will likely grow exponentially over the next few years as the demand for mobile marketing and the number of mobile devices continue to grow.

Sure, mobile advertising is the next big thing, but how do I figure out A. who the companies offering services are, and B. what companies offer what services? To help answer this question, mobyaffialiates has recently posted an infographic/map of which companies offer which form of mobile ad services.

This is an interesting infographic because you can click on the names of the companies to be taken to an overview of what each company does and the regions/areas they work in. It's definitely worth a look if your company is interested in launching a mobile advertising campaign. Some companies even offer ad development, so this could be your key to a successful campaign.

With the increasing number of Android tablets in use, it may be time to look into a more unique, (for now), form of advertising. If you'd like to learn more about mobile advertising, please contact us, as we may have a solution for you.

Digital technology has advanced at an astounding pace; we now have computers that fit into a small device we can hold in our hands. Looking at this, it's kind of a shame to realize that we still rely on cords to charge devices and transfer data. If you have an Android tablet, there's an app that lets you send files from your PC to your tablet without a cord.

To wirelessly share files from your PC to your Android tablet without a cord, you can use the ES File Explorer File Management - available for free on the Google Play Store. This app does a lot more than allow you to share files from your PC, in fact it's main purpose is to access and maintain files on an Android device. There is a feature of this app which allows users to access files shared on their computer of a LAN - Local Area Network.

Here's how you can set this up: Note: The following steps are for computers running Windows 7.

Set up both devices

1. Download and install the app on your Android tablet. It can be downloaded from here.
2. Start the app on your device and go through the overview and brief tutorial.
3. Navigate to the folder on your computer you would like to share with your device. You can also create a new folder on the desktop for files you want to access on your device.
4. Right-click on the folder and select Add a network location.
5. Click Next and a screen will display your computer's IP address which you can jot down. If your computer is the only one on the network, there's no need to do this, but if you have more than one, it's a good idea to write this address down. It should look something like 192.168.1.107 - the IP will differ, depending on the network.
6. Set a Username and Password when you're given the option. Then click Finish. Note, if you don't set a username and password, anyone connected to the network will be able to access the folder.

Connect your Android device

1. Connect your Android device to the same Wi-Fi network the computer is connected to.
2. Select LAN in ES File Explorer on your Android device. It can be found by pressing the downward pointing blue arrow in the top-left side of the app.
3. Press Search on the app. It will search and display a list of devices currently connected to the LAN.
4. Tap the computer icon with the IP address that matches the one you jotted down above.
5. Enter the username and password you established earlier and select Connect.

Using ES to transfer/view files After you have connected, you can tap on the icon again and you will be able to see the folder(s) you selected to share. To copy a file from your computer to your device:

1. Tap and hold the file for a second or two to get a list of options.
2. Press Copy to copy the file.
3. Navigate to /sdcard/ - by flicking to the left/right on your device.
4. Select the folder where you would like to place the file, and press and hold for a second until the menu comes up.
5. Press Paste.

If you want to move a file from your Android tablet to your computer, you can navigate to it's location on the /sdcard/ section, then press and hold to select Copy and navigate to the LAN section. Select the folder, long-pressing on it and finally pick Paste.

There are many different apps out there that can help you integrate your Android tablet to your office. If you do choose to follow this method you should be aware that it may not be the most secure way to transfer files. It would be a good idea to contact us before you try this at the office, as we may have a solution for you that could make things even easier.

When teaching English as a Second Language, the easiest way to teach students new vocabulary and synonyms is through the use of a mind map. The main word is put in the center of the page and linked to other similar words, so students can see the relationships. Mind maps can also be used to help you come up with ideas or map business relations and are a very versatile tool. You can extend this versatility by digitizing them through the use of apps for Android tablets.

Here are five apps for Android tablets that will help you with your mind mapping.

Connected Mind Connected Mind, USD$3.00 on the Google Play store, is a full function mind mapping app that allows you to create maps using your finger to draw and edit branches and nodes. Each branch is randomly assigned different colors (which you can change) to help keep your map organized, and with 27 shapes you can create some pretty complex maps.

The good thing about this app is all maps are stored in the cloud and linked to your Google account. This means you can access the maps on any Android device, or even on Chrome with a Chrome extension. You can also share the map, as an image, to other apps like Gmail, WhatsApp, Google Drive, etc.

Mindjet for Android This app is the Android version of the popular PC based mind mapping program Mindjet. With this app, you can create professional looking mind maps quickly and easily. At the bottom of the screen is a customization toolbar that allows you to customize category nodes, branches and sub categories to your heart’s content. Any mind map created on your tablet will sync with mindjet’s browser or computer based versions; you can take your mind maps anywhere.

As an added bonus, the app syncs with Dropbox and if you have the full version, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, Apple Mail and Yammer. The downside of this app is you do have to subscribe to use it. A Web based subscription is USD$15 a month, while the full version is USD$30 a month. The app on the Google Play store is free, but you will be asked to subscribe after 30 days.

Mindomo Mindomo is an app that’s quite similar to Mindjet in that it’s easy to use to create professional looking mind maps. While it offers many of the same features, it also adds collaboration if you sign up for the paid subscription, giving you the ability to work on mind maps while offline. You can also embed images directly from your phone into the mind maps, with maps and images being synced to other versions when you’re connected to the Internet.

Mindomo has four pricing options: Free, which gives you three maps a month, Premium, Professional and Team. The cost for the three paid programs is USD$6.00, USD$15 and USD$29 a month, respectively. The Professional and Team versions give you the ability to collaborate with up to five guests and five users for the Team version.

iMindMap HD If you have a creative streak in you, or love brilliant looking mind maps, this is the app for you. Backed by ThinkBuzan (the company started by Tony Buzan, the inventor of modern mind maps) you can create mind maps worthy of framing, while also storing them on ThinkBuzan’s cloud storage service. There’s more to this app than it being really, really, ridiculously good looking though. You can draw your own branches, embed Web links and pictures directly from your camera, open email attachments and export your maps as images. It also has a built in function that will help ensure a neat and tidy map.

You can have up to five maps on the free version, but can subscribe to ThinkBuzan Cloud for USD$20.99 for one year.

Simple Mind If you are looking for a low-cost (USD$5.00), easy to use app, this is a great choice. You can create, edit and reorganize maps and that’s about it. The maps you produce look simple compared to some the other apps produce. While this may be a downer to some, simple mind maps often look great, and if done correctly, can look super professional.

If you’re interested in using mind mapping apps in your company, or for your Android device, please contact us, we can help you set up an app that will meet your needs.

Android, Google’s mobile operating system, is a popular OS installed on a staggering number of devices. Most Android users prefer its openness and the ability to customize nearly every feature. This openness does come at a price however and criminals are seemingly able to get malware onto the tablets and phones far more easily than with other mobile OSs. This has been made evident recently.

In late June 2012, the mobile version of Firefox was released on the Google Play store. Some enterprising hackers have taken advantage of this and posted apps on a Russian website that are actually malware.

These apps are a form of the Boxer malware app. Boxer is an app that can be downloaded and installed on Android devices. When downloaded and opened, it will bring up a Rules page - the page that tells you what permissions the app needs to run - and asks you to accept it. This page contains one extra rule in small print: it gives the app permission to send and accept SMSs from paid services.

When the user hits Accept, an SMS will be sent to a number ending in 2855, 3855, 7151, or 8151 and the user is taken to a webpage to download the actual app, with a message saying the app has been activated.

What sets the Firefox version apart from other versions is that it doesn’t ask the user for permission to install or show the rules page. It installs and sends the SMS to the above numbers without the user knowing. The other difference is that this version sends the user to Google’s search page not the download page for the real app.

The interesting thing about Boxer malware is that it has appeared a number of times posing as different popular apps, suggesting there could be a trend developing. We highly recommend that you only download apps from approved sites like Google Play, and always look at the publisher of the app before downloading. If you have any questions regarding the security of your Android device, please contact us.

Among the biggest technological trends of this past year are devices that are always connected to the Internet. Thanks to their convenience, these 'always on' devices look set to increase in popularity. The downside to this is that your accounts could be at risk of increased security threats. In an effort to curb this, tech giants have been introducing two-step verification. Microsoft is the most recent company to announce this, so it's early days and you may be wondering what exactly it is.

Below is an overview of the two-step verification system Microsoft has recently implemented.

What is it? If you use any of Microsoft's products, you likely have a Microsoft Account. This account is what you use to access SkyDrive, Outlook, Skype, Office or even the Xbox. The whole idea of this is that you have one account for all of Microsoft's products and services.

While this is great (you only have to remember one username and password), it can be a security issue. If a hacker gets into your account, they could have access to all of your personal information. Microsoft realizes this and has recently introduced two-step verification, a new Microsoft Account feature that beefs up your account's security.

Two-step verification is a feature that will ask you additional questions when you try to log in to your Microsoft Account. For example, you may be asked to enter a PIN or phrase that is sent to your phone. If you have used your credit card at the Microsoft Store, or on an Xbox in the past year, you have likely seen this feature in action. Now, Microsoft has extended it to your account.

This new feature is not mandatory for your Microsoft Account, so you have to sign up for it. But It is a good idea to consider enabling this function on your account, especially if you have sensitive information stored online. While this won't make your account 100% hack proof, it will drastically cut down the chance of a hacker gaining access.

How to set up two-step verification Microsoft has made it really easy to enable this security measure. You can do so by:

1. Going to https://account.live.com/proofs/Manage and logging into your Microsoft Account.
2. Selecting your phone number and Text from the drop down menu and pressing Next on the window that opens to receive a text message with a code. If you don't see this option, you should be taken directly to they account management screen
3. Entering the code you get on your mobile device and pressing Submit.
4. Clicking on Security Info under Overview.
5. Selecting Set up two-step verification followed by Next.
6. Picking from how you would like to receive verification codes (Authenticator app, Phone, or another email account). We recommend the app, which you can download onto your mobile device.
7. Following the instructions on the screen and entering the code that is sent your the option you selected above, and pressing Next.

Your account should now have two-step verification. The next time you log in, you will be asked to verify the login using the option your selected. For example, if you selected a text message, you will receive a text on your phone with a code.

If you would like to learn more about your Microsoft Account and security measures you can take to, please contact us today.

If you have an Android tablet, it’s probably safe to say you use it on a regular basis, maybe even for business. As tablets become more powerful and cheaper, more businesses will integrate them into daily operations, some may even go so far as to do away with the desktop. This is already starting to happen, and as with any device, you should be backing it up.

Here’s three different methods you can use to backup your Android tablet.

Method 1: built-in backup If your tablet is running Android OS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), you can backup tablet settings and application data to Google’s servers by opening Settings, scrolling down toPersonal and selecting Backup & reset. If you can’t find Personal, open Settings and scroll down to Privacy. In both windows, select Backup my data. Your data will be stored on Google’s servers and if you select Automatic Restore, your tablet will automatically restore data when you instruct it to do so e.g., during a factory reset.

Method 2: use a third party app For many, the built-in backup is enough, but, there are some users who want a more robust option, or would prefer to backup their data onto a hard drive. To do so, you can use a third party app like MyBackup Pro, which allows you to backup both applications and data. The data is stored on your tablets SD card, or on a server. When you need to restore your device, reinstall the application and press Restore. This option is also referred to as local backup.

Method 3: cloud backup If you’re not too picky about your applications, but are more worried about documents you could back them up using a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox. These services sync with your tablet and will store important documents in the cloud, giving you access regardless of the device you’re using. To use these apps, first install them and then go to Settings followed by Accounts and sync. Tap the program name to be given upload options.

It’s recommended to, at the very least, use method 1. For maximum effectiveness, use a combination of all three. If you’re unsure of which method you should be using for the Android tablets in your company, please contact us, we can help.