How to recover data off of your microSD card: a valuable lesson in backups
If you have important or sensitive data on the microSD card of your smartphone or tablet, it’s important to make sure that data is backed up immediately. You could store it in the cloud or on another device without paying a dime.
If it’s too late for that, there are still a few things you can do to try and recover the data off of your microSD card. Keep in mind that nothing is a guarantee when a microSD card malfunctions, has physical damage or can’t be read by the computer. It’s quite possible that critical components for the microSD to work have stopped functioning.
Hardware failure
If your smartphone has just started sending you warnings that it cannot read the microSD card, restart your device. A lot of the time a simple restart of your phone will fix the problem. At least, that’s the hope in most scenarios. If it doesn’t, there are other options, but not many.
There’s a small and rare possibility that the contacts on the microSD card are dirty. While this rarely shows results, get a swab or cotton ball damp with Isopropyl alcohol. Take that swab and gently rub the contacts of the microSD card. If that doesn’t work, that’s nearly all you can do to try and fix it at home.
The worst case scenario is that the flash chip went bad on the microSD card. At that point, there’s no way you or professional help can recover the data. Let’s hope that didn’t happen.
The best case scenario is that the controller is damaged or that the controller and flash chip are intact, but something else isn’t functioning properly. There’s still nothing you can do on your own, but if you feel your data was sensitive or important enough, such as photos of your child’s first step or that close friend or family member that passed away, you can seek assistance from a professional. Unfortunately, professional data recovery services aren’t known to be gentle on your budget.
For instance, if you were to ship your shattered iPhone to DriveSavers, a professional data recovery service, it could cost you anywhere between $500 and $1400 to retrieve your data. Rates change for different types of hardware, but that gives you an approximation of what you might be looking at spending.
Luckily, the problem doesn’t always have to deal with hardware failure.
Software Recovery
Aside from hardware issues with the microSD card, sometimes you inadvertently delete data. Luckily, there is a way to recover that data rather easily with Recuva, a data recovery program you can download to your computer. You can get it for free here.
Once it’s finished downloading, grab your microSD card and throw it in a SD card adapter (like this). Then, put that SD card adapter in your computer. Next, load up Recuva. From there, the software should have a wizard to take you step-by-step in recovering your lost files. It’s quite helpful in guiding beginners through the process until they are able to learn how to do it on their own.
One of the awesome things about Recuva is that it’ll let you recover data off of your smartphone, too. It’s extremely helpful for popular devices that don’t sport external storage anymore, such as the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge.
Keep in mind that sometimes Recuva isn’t going to be able to recover every lost file. It has an indicator that will show you how probable the file recovery will be. You can usually try the recovery no matter what, but it won’t always turn out successful. If that doesn’t work, this turns into a hard lesson on backing up your files.
A lesson on backing up files
While these two options will help you get your files back, the best course of action is to never lose your important data again. Backing up your data is a simple way to combat this. It sounds like hard work at first, but there are free or cheap tools available that help you easily backup your data.
We recently put together a comprehensive guide on how to backup your data, whether that be in free cloud solutions, on other devices, and etc. This guide is especially helpful for those that don’t have the luxury of external storage or for those of you that often inadvertently delete data.
To give you a quick summary, backing up to the cloud is important because of the peace of mind it gives you. If you have important data on your smartphone or tablet, whether it be financial documents for your company or a precious photo of your child, you don’t have to worry if your device experiences a fatal crash on the concrete. You’ve already either backed up all that data in the Cloud or another device at home. So, not only can they be easily accessed by you, but when you get that new device, transferring those files over is an easy task.
Obviously it’s hard to keep constantly backing up your devices as you continuously accumulate files. There’s a phenomenal way to automate that process without you having to worry about it at all, besides the initial setup, of course.
Wrap Up
Photo credit: Ben Harrison
After these helpful steps, hopefully you’ll never have to deal with lost data again. It’s difficult to deal with, especially if you have critical files on a lost microSD card. Letting go of those precious moments of your children in their young age isn’t easy. You’ll never get those photos back. That’s why it’s good to make backing up data a habit to get into.
Since we accumulate data so rapidly, I like to create a new backup every few weeks. Depending on how much content you create, you may not need to do that. Making it a habit to create a new backup every few months would be a wise and risk-free decision, though.
Have you lost data on a microSD card before? How did you solve the problem?
Come comment on this article: How to recover data off of your microSD card: a valuable lesson in backups
Android Auto coming to Chevy vehicles this year
Earlier today, General Motors announced their plans to incorporate both Android Auto and CarPlay into their 2016 lineup of Chevrolet cars. Announced last year, we haven’t seen much movement in the market, due to restrictions as well as development. Companies like Toyota have stated that they will not bring compatibility to any of their models due to preferring their own interface with their cars.
If you’ve been looking, surely you’ve found that there are multiple head unit options available through after-market manufacturers such as Pioneer. In regards to car manufacturers who have stated that their new models will come standard with CarPlay or Android Auto head units, it’s been slim-pickings. The 2015 Hyundai Elantra was the first to have Android Auto compatibility with Honda following up after them.
However, after today’s announcement from General Motors and Chevrolet, this just may be the kick-start that Android Auto and CarPlay need in the manufacturing marketplace. Now there will be two different options for select vehicles. Anyone looking to get a new Chevy, will have the option for either the 7-inch or 8-inch MyLink displays. As with most things nowadays, there’s always a catch. So here it is. CarPlay will be available for any cars with either the 7 or 8 inch MyLink screen, while Android Auto will only be supported with the 7 inch MyLink screen. There are plans to move support for the 8-inch model, later this year.
The Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, and Chevy Volt will be the first vehicles available with Android Auto. As for the rest of the models that will be bringing these two head-unit interfaces, here is a list of what was announced today:
- Spark
- Cruze
- Malibu
- Camaro
- Camaro Convertible
- Silverado
- Silverado HD
- Impala
- Corvette
- Corvette Convertible
As for when exactly you will be able to get your hands on one of these new cars? Chevy is expected to roll out the Chevy Cruze on June 24th, so that’s a little less than a month away before you can be driving a great car with a great head unit system already installed.
Let us know what you think about the expected rollout of CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility from GM and Chevy in the comments below. Are you excited? Were you holding off on getting a car until this came to fruition? I’m sure that number is quite miniscule, but hey, I’m sure somebody thought about it. Right?
The post Android Auto coming to Chevy vehicles this year appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Office Lens for Android is ready to scan your documents
Need to quickly capture that taxi receipt, or the notes from a meeting? You can now pull out your Android phone to do it. After several weeks of testing, Microsoft has released the finished version of Office Lens for Google-powered devices. As a recap, Office Lens’ party trick is its ability to scan all kinds of documents (even at less-than-ideal angles) and translate them into usable files on OneDrive and OneNote — it’ll even make text searchable. The complete Lens app should work on a wide range of devices, so you’ll definitely want to swing by Google Play if you’re eager to give this scanner a spin.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: Android Central
Source: Google Play, Office Blogs
Oculus Rift and a VR-ready PC will cost $1,500, CEO says
The Oculus Rift is prepared to melt your perceived reality in early 2016 — if you have the proper PC. If not, a new, Rift-ready PC plus the headset itself should cost around $1,500, Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe said today at the Re/code conference. “We are looking at an all-in price, if you have to go out and actually need to buy a new computer and you’re going to buy the Rift… at most you should be in that $1,500 range,” he said (via Re/code). He didn’t provide a standalone price for the Rift, but Oculus has already divulged its recommended PC specs and they’re fairly hefty.
Oculus Chief Architect Atman Binstock said earlier in May that these specs will apply to the lifespan of the Rift and that the price of such a powerful rig should drop over time. Iribe echoed that idea today, noting that he’d like to see the total price dip below $1,000. Previous Rift development kits — that’s just the headset, no PC — have been priced around $350.
Now we have two ballpark figures for the Oculus Rift: A vague “Q1 2016″ release window and an even more nebulous “$1,500 or cheaper” price point. One day we’ll get a straight answer out of you, Oculus. One day.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Facebook
Source: Re/code
Jawbone sues Fitbit for ‘plundering’ product information
Jawbone is suing its archrival, Fitbit, for “systematically plundering” confidential information. According to the complaint, Fitbit recruiters attempted to poach almost one-third of Jawbone’s staff. Some of those employees left the company, but not before downloading “critical trade secrets” including business plans and product details. The accusation comes right on the heels of Fitbit’s decision to go public. The company, which sold 10.9 million wearable devices last year, filed for an IPO of up to $100 million earlier this month.
According to the document filed with California State Court today, Jawbone quotes an unnamed recruiter who said: “Fitbit’s objective is to decimate Jawbone.” The complaint also mentions a former employee, who continued to work for Jawbone for about a week even after she was hired by Fitbit. The complaint states that she downloaded a “playbook” that outlines the plans for the company’s future products. Another employee handed in a two weeks notice, without disclosing that he would be joining the company’s biggest competitor. He is said to have forwarded confidential information to his private email in direct violation of the company’s corporate policy.
Even though the world of wearable health trackers has been booming, Jawbone’s financial state has been under scrutiny off late. As per the lawsuit, they’re now seeking financial damages and looking to prevent their former employees from using the information that they’re accused of walking away with.
Source: The New York Times
Apple is fixing a bug that crashes your iPhone with a text message
Beware if you have any jokester friends with iOS devices — they might just have a way to ruin your day if you have any iOS gadgets of your own. Apple has confirmed that it’s fixing a recently discovered bug that crashes iPhones and other iOS 8 hardware the moment you get a carefully crafted set of Unicode characters in iMessage and other communication apps with notification previews. It’s not clear when that fix will be available, but the only existing safeguard is to turn off those previews. Otherwise, you may have to bend over backwards to make sure that those rogue messages don’t cause further chaos. While this isn’t the biggest iOS glitch we’ve seen lately, it’s definitely the most annoying.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
All of your feline fantasies come true in ‘Catlateral Damage’
Life would be so much easier as a cat. Few humans recognize the potential for feline bliss better than Chris Chung, the creator of Catlateral Damage, a first-person cat simulator. As a kitty locked up in a house full of annoying human things, your goal is to knock down as many objects as possible, including books, lamps, groceries, toys and plants. After exploding in popularity in early 2014 and raising $62,000 on Kickstarter, Catlateral Damage is out today on Steam for a launch price of $9.
“I’m extremely surprised by the positive reception it’s been getting, especially considering that this is my first game and that it’s kind of a weird concept,” Chung says. “The biggest surprise might have been our Kickstarter and how many people wanted to put their cat in the game. We had to increase the number of tiers due to high demand, which was awesome.”
Chung created Catlateral Damage in August 2013 during the 7DFPS game jam, a weeklong program designed to reinvigorate the first-person shooter genre. Chung wasn’t about to make a military-style shooter — he wanted to play with perspective in his entry, and he found inspiration in his childhood cat, Nippy. Plus, he says, “I had a suspicion that the internet might love cats as much as I do.”
By July 2014, Chung had raised $20,000 more than he’d asked for on Kickstarter and Catlateral Damage was approved on Steam Greenlight. He was also the first developer to join a new “indie incubator” program run by Slam Bolt Scrappers studio Fire Hose Games. In the indie accelerator system, Chung received marketing, development, and financial support from Fire Hose — he was able to leave his job in QA and focus on Catlateral development full-time. Chung says that working with Fire Hose has been “amazing.”
“I really don’t think this game would have been successful without the support I’ve received from Fire Hose,” he says in an email. “They did a tremendous job helping with the Kickstarter, and when it came to development and marketing I know that they really multiplied my efforts. Of course we’ve had disagreements from time to time but I always had final say, so it was never a big deal. Plus, we play a lot of Smash Bros. at the office, which is purrfect for me.”
Chung’s success story reads like the checklists of many indie developers today: a game jam, Kickstarter, Steam Greenlight (or Early Access) and plenty of help from the community. And, of course, cats.
Pebble Time’s regular pre-orders start on June 22nd
If you missed out on Pebble Time’s crowdfunding campaign and won’t get one of the early units shipping today, you now have a date to mark on your calendar: Pebble has revealed that it’s going to start regular pre-orders for the color smartwatch on June 22nd. That’ll leave you waiting quite a while before you can even buy the $199 wearable, but you’ll at least get a more polished device for your trouble. Pebble is promising an update that lets iPhone users dictate replies to Gmail messages, so you’ll have one less reason to pull your handset out of your pocket.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Source: Pebble
Apple Watch Shown Charging Through 6-Pin Diagnostic Port in New Video [iOS Blog]
Earlier this month, the team behind the battery-boosting “Reserve Strap” for the Apple Watch suggested it was possible to use the hidden 6-pin diagnostic port in the Apple Watch to charge the device, and today they’ve backed up their claims with a video demonstration.
In the video, an Apple Watch charging on a standard inductive charger is depicted next to one said to be charged through a power supply connected to the 6-pin port on the device. The watch being charged through the port charges slightly faster than the watch on an inductive charger, reaching a 95 percent charge at the same point the other watch reaches a 90 percent charge.
The team behind the Reserve Strap for the Apple Watch plans to use the port to create a band with a backup battery inside, allowing the Apple Watch to be charged while it’s on the wrist. The product is still in the early stages of development, but it’s available for pre-order for $250 from the company’s website.
The Reserve Strap is not currently certified under Apple’s recently released accessory program for the Apple Watch, which will allow manufacturers and accessory makers to create approved third-party bands for the device. Apple has outlined a specific set of rules for Apple Watch bands, preventing them from blocking any sensors on the device, but its guidelines do not mention bands that access the 6-pin port. For that reason, Apple’s position on Reserve Strap’s use of the 6-pin port is unclear.
Apple has not confirmed what purpose the 6-pin port serves, but speculation has suggested it is used by the company for diagnostic purposes. Apple may also be using the port internally for charging, as detailed in documents covering the function of its in-store Apple Watch displays.
It is not known if Apple has plans to expand the usage of the 6-pin port in the future, but TechCrunch has hypothesized that the port could eventually be used for “smart band” accessories to bring additional functionality to the Apple Watch.
Android Auto is coming to 14 new 2016 Chevrolet models later this year
As more and more automobile manufacturers have been announcing their newest Android Auto-equipped vehicles, it’s becoming easier than ever to find the right connected vehicle for you. If you’ve been thinking of purchasing a car with Android Auto built-in, Chevrolet may be a good option for you. The car company has just announced that 14 of its 2016 model year cars will come equipped with Android Auto. The list of supported cars include the 2016 Chevy Cruze, Malibu, Camaro, Silverado, Impala, Volt, Suburban, Colorado and Tahoe lines.
More about Android Auto
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The car company is also making Android Auto in these vehicles available wherever Android Auto is supported, which means this news isn’t just for the U.S. folks out there. All of these vehicles will either ship with or receive an update containing the system in the future. And remember that there’s now backwards compatibility here, so you’ll have to purchase a 2016 model if you want Android Auto built in.
If you’re not too keen on Chevrolet vehicles, Hyundai just recently announced that its 2015 Sonata will come with Android Auto as well.
AIVAnet 