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How many of you have downloaded apps from an app store and thought about where they were coming from? Since you were downloading them from a trusted source, did you read the permissions and what information they were going to access or just skip through? I have personally been guilty of doing this. What you may not have thought about it is that some seemingly harmless apps can access personal information and even infect your cell phone and tablet with malware. Malicious applications that mimic legitimate applications are popping up in all the major play stores.

In a Fox Business article, they found that there were 718,000 malicious Android apps worldwide. Android now has 79.3 percent of the world’s market share in devices which means that there are many people with Android devices that could have downloaded these malicious apps. It’s not only Android devices that are susceptible to attack, just because Apple is known for its tight security, doesn’t mean that iPhones and iPads are off the radar of hackers.

To show the world that not all apps are safe in the Apple app store, a team of computer scientists introduced a “Jekyll” app. It’s an application that passed Apple’s gatekeepers, but once in the app store was able to be updated to include malware. The team at the Georgia Institute of Technology who was responsible for the test said that the Jekyll app can launch a variety of malicious attacks which include sending social media updates, stealing information, taking photos, attacking other apps and even sending text messages and emails. Although this was a test and the malicious app was removed before anyone could download it, it still proves a point that not all apps that you can download from an app store are safe.

How can you tell if you have a malicious app on your phone? Although some Trojan viruses and malware run virtually undetectable on your phone, there are some warning signs that may help you spot if your phone is under attack. If you spot your phone receiving or sending weird text messages, your phone bill having strange charges, international calls on your call log that you didn’t make or you have apps that don’t open properly or work these could be signs you have a virus. Also, if you notice your battery draining more quickly than usual, you may be infected with a malware.

You can prevent malicious apps from accessing your phone by taking a few precautions. Install a mobile antivirus to your device and be careful about the apps you download. Make sure that you are downloading from a trusted source. You should also be reading the permissions when you download apps. If you are downloading an app and you don’t feel comfortable with what they would like to access for your device, don’t download it.

What do you do to keep your device safe? Have you been affected by a malicious app?

About the Author:  Jen Carl is a freelance writer and blogger based out of Raleigh, NC. You can find her sharing her love of technology on the True Wireless blog, where she writes about the latest in wireless news.

As the name of the application suggests, the primary function of 3D Home is virtually the same – it is a mobile home in a 3-Dimensional format. The application has a revolutionary, never seen before screen, which allows the user to customize it, based on their own preference. In addition, it offers a 360 degrees launcher experience. In this review, we will discuss the basic features of 3D Home in short.

The virtual desktop of your phone is immediately transformed into your online home, right after installation. Through this application, you can see your virtual, 3D home’s furniture, walls, TV sets, table, rooms, and even look beyond its roof to see the weather. As the application shows, 3D Home has been optimized for beautiful and smooth effects, which you move around with your finger.

Additionally, 3D Home has 5 built-in customization features: applications, wallpapers, 3D objects, widgets, and shortcuts. Selecting between several features will build you the home of your dreams. Using the interface of this HomeLauncher gives you also quick access to all general tasks, such as messages, phone apps, consoles, contacts, and more). You can arrange the order of each task, just in the way you want it, for easy and fast access.

An incredible zoom feature is also supported for this software. It takes you to the middle of the room, where your home table is situated. You can click on any object of your room and go to an actual application or short-cut of your phone menu, widgets installed, or any 3D addition you have chosen to install using the unique interface of your 3D Home.

For example, pressing the TV set inside your HomeLauncher will automatically take you to your videos. The size and shape of icons and menus is entirely customizable, along with the colors of you home walls. You can choose either a default image for the memory of the application, or put an image of your own.

Moreover, choosing a different theme with this application is also available, therefore you can switch between the themes with ease. You can organize your applications in different folders, based on your particular interests.

This app offers an unbelievable 3D experience. The environment of your mobile device receives the most ground-breaking 3D effects you can think of. You can rotate the walls, the ceilings, the floors, the roof and all rooms of your home will become alive. 3D Home application runs on most modern Android devices, which has versions of 4.0.2 and above and at least 1GB of RAM memory.

Download from Google Play