| True Bee Solutions |  |
Power Alarm is an free anti-theft application for
Android devices (phones and tablets).
It provides a special level of security when charging your
phone in public places (airport, hospital, office, etc.).
When the alarm is activated, if your Android device is
unplugged from its power source, Power Alarm vibrates and sounds an alarm.
The app can also be used to notify you of a power outage.
You would need to be within hearing distance for this to be useful.
View Privacy Policy |
Main ScreenPower Alarm has two alarm states:
The Power Alarm app does not have to be running for the alarm to sound. The alarm will sound even if the Android device is sleeping (screen is off). While sleeping, when the alarm is tripped (power removed), the device will wake up and display the unlock screen. Having an unlock password provides an added level of security. The app displays power connection state (connected or disconnected). The state displays if the device is connected to a computer (USB) or wall outlet (AC). Many Android devices charge at reduced rate (1/2 amp) if connected to a USB source and at a faster rate (2 amps) when connected to AC (wall plug). Power Alarm SMS has three send states:
|
Alarm SoundingWhen the alarm is tripped, the Power Alarm app is shown automatically (after unlock) and displays the 'Silence' button. If you have set a password (in the settings), it must be entered correctly for the alarm to silence. While the alarm is sounding, the device's sound volume is set at max and cannot be lowered or muted. When the alarm ends, the origional volume is restored. While the alarm is sounding, reconnecting power stops the alarm (most likely action by a thief after unsucessfuly trying to lower the volume). The alarm can be enabled while power is not connected and the alarm will not sound (until power is connected and then disconnected). The alarm's enabled state is maintained even if the device is powered off (and rebooted). After reboot, if the alarm was previously activated and power is not connected, the alarm will sound. Note: some phones and versions of Android do not automatically sound the alarm unless power is connected and then disconnected after reboot. |
SettingsThe alarm can optionally (highly suggested) have a 'Password' set so silencing the alarm requires the entry of the password. This password is in addition to the wake up unlock password if present. The alarm has a 'Alarm Sound Start Delay' setting where, when the alarm is triggerd, the phone vibrates, the app is displayed (if unlocked) and the app background flashes and, after the delay time (in seconds), the alarm sounds. If you forgot that the alarm is enabled, this enables you to re-connect power and stop the alarm before it sounds. The alarm has a 'Alarm Duration' setting. When the alram sounds, after the duration (in seconds) the alarm ends without any other action. Other than the sound nuisance, stopping the alarm saves from the battery being drained. There are 4 'Alarm Sounds':
When the alarm is active, an indicator is displayed in the notification at the top of the screen. You will find this feature helpful to remind you that the alarm is active and not trip the alarm yourself. The 'Show Notification' setting can be disabled and the notification will not be displayed to provide additional stealthness. The 'When Pugged In' setting can be disabled and, when the alarm is sounding, the alarm will not silence when power is re-connected. You can adjust the 'Charge Percent Level' setting to a value that triggers the charge complete notification. Note that many phones do not charge to 100% so a value less than 100% is suggested. You can disable the 'Log Activity' setting to not log activity to a file. The log file contains state changes, power charge percent and other details. Clearing the app cache (in Android settings) will delete this file. The (free version) log file is stored at /sdcard/Android/data/ com.tbs.poweralarm/cache/PowerAlarm.txt The Pro version log file is stored at /sdcard/Android/data/ com.tbs.poweralarmpro/cache/PowerAlarm.txt The SMS version log file is stored at /sdcard/Android/data/ com.tbs.poweralarmsms/cache/PowerAlarm.txt |
SettingsThe 'Keep WIFI On' setting can be enabled and the app will keep the WIFI radio on when the device is sleeping. This is not normally needed if you have a cell radio or the device's 'Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep' Setting set to 'Always'. If you don't have this enabled and you are not getting Emails, check the log and look for 'no network connection' messages - turn this setting on and try again. Note: The 'Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep' setting is in 'Wi-Fi', 'Menu', 'Advanced'. Note: this feature is only available in the Power Alarm SMS app.
The 'Send Device Name' setting allows you to uniquely identify this device as the source of the SMS or Email message. If you have more than one device with the Send enabled, this setting helps you know which device had the change in power state. Note: this feature is only available in the Power Alarm SMS app.
The 'Send SMS Message' setting can be enabled and the app will send you a SMS (text) message when power is connected and disconnected. Note: when enabled, the text message is sent even if the alarm is not enabled. Note: you can only use this feature when your Android device has an active cell connection (make phone calls). If your device does not have cell connection (such as some tablets), you can use the 'Send Email' feature (see below). Note: this feature is only available in the Power Alarm SMS app.
The 'Send SMS To' setting holds the phone number that the 'Send SMS Message' sends to. Note that this setting must be set to a valid number for the text message to be sent. After changing the number, we recommend disconnecting the power to make sure it value is correct. Note: this feature is only available in the Power Alarm SMS app.
The 'Send Email' setting can be enabled and the app will send you an email when power is connected and disconnected. Note: when enabled, the email is sent even if the alarm is not enabled. Note: you can only use this feature when your Android device has an active WIFI or Cell Data connection to the Internet. Note: you must enter a valid 'Send Email To', 'Gmail Userid' and Gmail Password' (see below) for this feature to work. Note: this feature is only available in the Power Alarm SMS app. WARNING: we recommend using the 'Send SMS Message' feature instead of the 'Send Email Message' feature because storing your Gmail userid and password in this app's settings exposes a security risk. We do not use these credentials for any other purpose or store them anywhere but inside this app's settings (an Android managed database only accessable by this app unless your device is rooted). We just want you to know the risks. The 'Gmail Userid' setting stores your Gmail account userid. This is used with the 'Send Email' feature for connecting to Gmail to send the email message. Note: this feature is only available in the Power Alarm SMS app.
The 'Gmail Password' setting stores your Gmail account password. This is used with the 'Send Email' feature for connecting to Gmail to send the email message. Note: this feature is only available in the Power Alarm SMS app.
|
Android Permission settings required by Power Alarm:
|
| Power Alarm is an Android application written by Dave Truby.
Please send me an email at android@davetruby.com with any thoughts you have on the application.
Please send me an email should you encounter any force close conditions.
Please provide the phone type and what you were doing when the application forced closed.
See the system requirements. See the version release notes. You can get the free app on the Google Play Store You can get the paid app on the Google Play Store QR Code to Power Alarm in the Android Market  |
System Requirements:
|
Release Notes:
|
Possible future enhancements:
|
FAQ:
|