What’s In A Name…

As for naming a product or service, there is no such thing as an exact science. When Tyfish launched I wasn’t sure if the company name was suitable to be the name of the service. By all accounts however, I’m told constantly that Tyfish is a very cool name.

The problem is that the service name is ‘Safe & Secure’ but most people only remember ‘Tyfish’. As relevant as ‘Safe & Secure’ seems to be, I get the feeling that it just doesn’t resonate.

That being said, I’d like to solicit your input to come up with something a little more catchy. If you think you can come up with a better name I invite you to share your thoughts and tell us what you think would be a fitting brand name. If we choose your ‘catchy name’, we’ll send you a shiny new Tyfish tee.

Gone in 60 Seconds

Yet another Sprint commercial that gives some insight into what’s up in our mobile society entitled “What’s Happening Now”. Pay close attention to the 42 second mark. Enjoy!

Backup Without Security – Huh?

Whether we admit it or not, we tend to think of backup as a chore that you have to perform in spite of the obvious benefits of being able to replace lost data. By now, most people are used to the idea of backing up your Mac or PC, but the mobile phone experience is much more dynamic and spontaneous, so the last thing we think about losing our mobile information.

Let’s face it – back up is becoming a necessary evil. Like the saying goes “you can’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone.” The same goes for our mobile data. It’s probably the most overlooked security risk that we deal with on a daily basis.

Those of us who appreciate the value backing things up have most likely gone through the experience of losing data that was not backed up and wished that we had acted when we had the opportunity. For those that have been through the fire – congrats, you’re halfway there.

For all of the reasons that you bother to back up your information in the first place, you may be missing one thing. Backup allows you to recover your pictures, ringtones, videos, and contacts that were lost, but what about all that and more that’s still on the phone and open to whoever can see it?

If you haven’t already, you better start thinking of your mobile phone as a “mobile wallet/purse” with stuff that you don’t want to expose to the public. Did you ever think of how easy it is to post your pictures and videos on the internet? Or find out who your friends, family and customers are? And if your into mobile banking, have a favorites list or keep stuff on an SD card you could literally become a victim of ID theft.

I’ll cover more on security in future posts under the tag “security”.

Protecting Your Mobile Information

Mobile phones have become the most ubiquitous electronic consumer device in the world with about 3 billion units in activation (262 million in the U.S.) We depend on them not only to make voice calls but also to get news and information, exchange messages, store personal data and, entertain.

At one time or another we have all lost our keys, loose change, sunglasses, etc., but how would you feel if you lost your mobile phone? Analysts say that nearly one in every five mobile phones are lost, stolen or, damaged each year. And, although your mobile carrier may offer insurance which will replace a phone for a small monthly fee plus a deductible, the mobile data is still exposed to the world.  With the growth of smartphones and PDAs, it’s reasonable to assume that to most owners the mobile information is exponentially more important than the device itself.

Last week, we introduced a new and unique service that protects the information stored on Palm, Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones. By downloading and installing a small application on the phone, owners of these phones can now backup and restore the information whenever they want and, secure the phone remotely from a web account if were ever lost or stolen. Tyfish is not a substitute for synchronizing your data with your computer. Instead, it offers a secure and convenient way to remotely store your contacts, calendar, tasks, pictures, audio files, and videos online and offsite.

Tyfish users can also remotely lock their phone from their web account if it were to become lost or stolen. Worst case – if it were unlikely that the phone were to be returned, a delete command could be sent to the phone that would wipe the important data from the mobile device and avoid the risk of it being compromised or misused. Last but not least, if the phone happens to be in silent mode while missing, you can send a remote command that will make the phone shout repeatedly at the highest volume level.

Sprint Launches “Crime Deterrent”

This has got to be the best way to fight identity theft using mobile technology close up!

Tags: Media