Archive for Most Useful Smartphone Apps

Authy brings simplicity to two-factor authentication

Posted on April 16, 2014 by

The Authy app for iOS & Android provides an easy way to manage all your two-factor authentication accounts.

Two-factor authentication accounts (TFAs) is simply a log-in that requires 2 of the 3 possible authentication mechanisms.

One step is a code such as a password, & the second one is a hardware device such as a dongle or phone. The 3rd would be something’s that’s a part of you & unique, such as fingerprints or your eye that can be recognized by a biometric scanning device.

Google was one of the earliest companies to offer TFA security. If you want, you can implement it with the help of your mobile phone or the Google Authenticator app. When you try to log in, Google sends you an SMS with a code, or the Authenticator app will generate one.

You will therefore only be able to log in if you get this code or token, which can be used only once & expires after you use it or if you don’t use it within a specified period.

This two-factor authentication process ensures that only the person who has the phone is able to access the account. This seems like an especially good idea now is because of the Heartbleed scare. Everyone’s feeling a bit vulnerable & in need of some additional security for their online accounts.

Plenty of services now offer TFA security, but adoption has been slow because it’s a bit of a hassle. There are valid concerns such as what happens if & when you lose the phone, or not able to receive messages on it for some reason.

This is where Authy comes into the picture, as a simple & effective way to manage all your TFA accounts. It will competently handle everything from Gmail & Google Dropbox to Facebook, Amazon, Github, Outlook, Lastpass & other TFA-enabled accounts.

WordPress publishers can use the Authy plug-in to enable two-factor authentication for their blog within minutes.

Authy enables backups to avoid you being locked out of your own accounts in case you lose your phone or upgrade it. Note that Authy needs to use your phone’s camera to scan QRCodes from Gmail, Dropbox & other sites.

The San Francisco, CA-based Authy Inc. was founded in Jan 2012 by Daniel Palacio. The Y Combinator-backed startup has received seed funding, & is also backed by SalesForce.com, Start Fund, CrunchFund, Digital Garage, Data Collective & Box Co-Founder & CEO Aaron Levie.

Click here to download the Authy app on your iOS device.

Click here to download the Authy app on your Android device.

Image Credit: Authy

 

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Fast reading, anyone? Try Spritz

Posted on March 19, 2014 by

How much is your reading speed? It takes me 2-3 days to finish an interesting novel on my e-book reader. If tested I am sure it will be somewhere around 160-180 words per minute. It all about to change now with the help of a new app called Spritz which can help you finish a novel in 80 minutes.

Spritz is a Boston, USA-based startup working on improving reading methods on smartphones, Tablets, desktops & even wearable devices like Google Glass & Galaxy Gear 2 Watch. Spritz works on a technology called ‘Optimal Recognition Point’, which is a point where our human brain highlights the word & on the display that word is marked in red. So while reading, each word is placed in the ORP in that ‘Redicle’, meaning the eyes don’t have to move from word to word as it does in traditional reading.

To put it in simple words it’s like reading a text based gif where all the text is displayed at same location on screen. This definitely helps to boost up the reading speed. Spritz claims to increase the average speed of 250 words per minute to 1000 words per minute. This is 4 times the average speed.

spritzimageThe app was in development since 2012 & now it’s going to be officially launched on the Galaxy Gear 2 & Galaxy S5. With it, users can read without having to scroll, swipe or zoom.  Frank Waldman, the Founder & CEO of Spritz claim that this technology has limitless potential. It can be used to read emails, texts, e-books, social media streams, maps & even web content.

With the initial use of this app, users claimed to read at 600 words per minute which is remarkable. The API for Spritz is in development for Android & will be available for iOS soon. The user doesn’t have to use the app every time, it will automatically start working when the user starts to go through text based Content.

Spritz will be offered in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian & Korean. It is currently available on Galaxy Gear & Galaxy S5. We might soon see this technology on Websites & other Operating Systems.

If you are a developer or you are willing to implement this tech in your app, join the developer program here.

Image Credit: Spritz

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