Database Develop

Poll: Is AT&T losing you or have they already lost you?

Has AT&T lost your loyalty?
Yes, I have returned my phone
Yes, I plan on returning my phone
Yes, I am switching carriers
Yes, I am returning my phone, but staying with AT&T off contract
No. I am satisfied
No. I am not happy, but I will see what happens
I am here to support this cause
VOTE!

Where's the option for "I'm not going to use my upgrade and will continue off contract until this issue is taken care of."

racrguy said:
Where's the option for "I'm not going to use my upgrade and will continue off contract until this issue is taken care of."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't think of that :/ I guess that falls under supporting the cause for now..

I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. My Vivid is a work phone so I'm stuck on AT&T anyway. I could return it but there is no other phone that I really want. The new LG looks nice but it seems like development sucks for LGs even with an unlocked bootloader.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using XDA App

id rather stay on att cause im not a fan of verizon. att has the same coverage in cincinnati ohio, but verizon cost a little more. my trouble is, which phone should i get on sunday when i return lol

pside15 said:
I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. My Vivid is a work phone so I'm stuck on AT&T anyway. I could return it but there is no other phone that I really want. The new LG looks nice but it seems like development sucks for LGs even with an unlocked bootloader.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My assumption considering the specs the LG is going to have is that it will probably get a decent reception here. At least I would hope. Time will tell.

racrguy said:
Where's the option for "I'm not going to use my upgrade and will continue off contract until this issue is taken care of."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+ for this option. I am waiting on sideline until this issue is resolved. I am happy to keep my aria running latest cm7 nightly.

In spirit, AT&T lost me many years ago. The only reason why I'm still with them is because of my corporate policy and them not allowing me to switch to Verizon.
Believe me, if I could, I would in a heartbeat.

I will continue with AT&T.
Have you called their tech support lately? They fixed my tethering, visual cm and sms provisioning and called back the next day to ensure it was fixed.
CIQ doesn't bother me. This is a work phone. Work already has the right to monitor me. They purchased the phone and pay for the plan.
In general, I am a doer and not a whiner. If it works for me and helps me get things done and doesn't harm me, great!
sent from my HTC Vivid using XDA app premium

malickie said:
My assumption considering the specs the LG is going to have is that it will probably get a decent reception here. At least I would hope. Time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be right. I'll probably give this phone another few weeks though. This is the phone I've wanted since the Holiday was first leaked.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using XDA App

willgill said:
I will continue with AT&T.
Have you called their tech support lately? They fixed my tethering, visual cm and sms provisioning and called back the next day to ensure it was fixed.
CIQ doesn't bother me. This is a work phone. Work already has the right to monitor me. They purchased the phone and pay for the plan.
In general, I am a doer and not a whiner. If it works for me and helps me get things done and doesn't harm me, great!
sent from my HTC Vivid using XDA app premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've got to be kidding me. You're calling us whiners and not doers? Have you even been following this forum at all? Of course we have called tech support!
And this all makes sense now. The reasons you're defending them. "CIQ doesn't bother me." "It works for me and doesn't harm me" You're just selfish. Do you realize how many people are affected by CIQ? Chances are someone you know or even a family member is affected. Your "you agreed to terms" argument doesn't apply here like you tried to use in another thread. CIQ is doing things without our consent or permission! This isn't about just what affects "ME". This is about all of us and how we're being affected. Everyone has a different lifestyle and most of us don't have "work Vivids".
You don't want to participate in what we're trying to do, then don't. Want to stay with AT&T? Cool. But what's the point of trolling here? As long as we know now that you've been exposed as a selfish troll, No one really cares what you have to say.

Reclaim said:
You've got to be kidding me. You're calling us whiners and not doers? Have you even been following this forum at all? Of course we have called tech support!
And this all makes sense now. The reasons you're defending them. "CIQ doesn't bother me." "It works for me and doesn't harm me" You're just selfish. Do you realize how many people are affected by CIQ? Chances are someone you know or even a family member is affected. Your "you agreed to terms" argument doesn't apply here like you tried to use in another thread. CIQ is doing things without our consent or permission! This isn't about just what affects "ME". This is about all of us and how we're being affected. Everyone has a different lifestyle and most of us don't have "work Vivids".
You don't want to participate in what we're trying to do, then don't. Want to stay with AT&T? Cool. But what's the point of trolling here? As long as we know now that you've been exposed as a selfish troll, No one really cares what you have to say.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am participating. It is just another view. I am not some occupy zombie. Talk about selfish...trying to silence another's opinion would be the epitome of selfishness.
Let me know how you have been affected by CIQ. Has something changed in your life. I am guessing not because you didn't know until someone pointed it out.
By "doing" and not whining I mean TRULY make a difference. Instead of flooding corporate sites with noise, help with investigation. Make a case. How does it affect you? What did you agree to? Have you done due diligence and reread your contract?
These things make a difference.
sent from my HTC Vivid using XDA app premium

willgill said:
I am participating. It is just another view. I am not some occupy zombie. Talk about selfish...trying to silence another's opinion would be the epitome of selfishness.
Let me know how you have been affected by CIQ. Has something changed in your life. I am guessing not because you didn't know until someone pointed it out.
By "doing" and not whining I mean TRULY make a difference. Instead of flooding corporate sites with noise, help with investigation. Make a case. How does it affect you? What did you agree to? Have you done due diligence and reread your contract?
These things make a difference.
sent from my HTC Vivid using XDA app premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We helped raise awareness. That's most certainly doing something. I would love to do whatever I could. How is this occupying anything? No one is camping outside AT&T offices trying to protest.
And that's the issue. We HAD to be told that we were being monitored. So before it causes any real damage, it needs to be stopped. Just think if someone figured out that the PSN had an exploit before the the attack went down. We have the opportunity to do things we couldn't in other situations.

Until they kick me off my unlimited plan I will stay loyal. This whole Vivid situation was perfect timing in my mind. Was able to get the phone for $25 no contract so I kept it a few weeks waiting out the locked bootloader issue. Seeing that it may take awhile I sold the Vivid for $300 and bought a Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ and couldn't be happier.

Everyone, step back. OP, don't ask for opinions then complain you don't like some of those opinions. WillGill, that's pretty rude calling folks trying to do something "whiners". Which is what you did.
I believe it's important for people to shout it out when Big Brother starts to over reach. I appreciate the efforts of many here to expose and Kill CarrierIQ.
We live in a society that is becoming increasingly corrupt. Congress has made many forms of bribery completely legal, so that they can try and pretend that they're still the good guys. For the first time in history, Congress has been completely bought and paid for by those wishing to bend the system to their own selfish concerns. At the same time, the Internet has made it possible--for the first time in history--for the masses to become fully informed and fight this attack on our society.
The occupy movement is a good example of people coming together to fight terrible changes in our society, and this movement is fueled by information available on the Internet. Unfortunately, Occupy has failed miserably. If they've done anything, they've helped those people they're trying to fight. It's really too bad, they could have had a major impact had they targeted those people that actually could change the system--Congress.
We no longer hold politicians accountable for their corruption and the damage they've done to the system. We blindly accept whatever they've got to say, as long as they support a few pet causes we hold dear. Liberals--by and large--support Democrats, regardless of how huge the bribes they take are. Look at Nancy Pelosi: almost universally adored among the liberals and yet crooked beyond belief. Oh, that's right, she's not crooked. Congress has made it legal for her to accept bribes so large that they're unprecedented in history. And don't be smug conservatives, the Republicans are no better. Both sides are laughing all the way to the bank, whilst we cling to a few small issues that we feel differentiates liberals and conservatives.
As you rail against CarrierIQ, please don't forget who's sitting back and doing nothing even though they're vested with the responsibility to defend our privacy and our freedom. It's time we held congress's feet to the fire, regardless if we consider ourselves liberal or conservative.When you vote, look past whether a candidate is liberal or conservative. If they're honest, it will all work itself out. Cry out for candidates who are honest, who will fight CarrierIQ and every such intrusion into our lives. Don't accept corruption.

Nakel, you may have missed my point. All this ranting and raving without fact checking and knowing legal rights is just whining. Instead, I recommend true action.
Occupiers, by definition, are just taking up space. They change nothing other than kill park grass, leave filth, not to mention the rapes, drug deaths and deficating on cop cars. And no... I'm not making that up. Google it. That's the wrong message.
Actually what I see missing is personal responsibility.
Expect only what you pay for but feel free to negotiate more.
Know what your rights, not what you feel is "right".
Know your facts before you speak. (Like 85% of millionaires didn't inherit it)
Contribute to a true difference, not a scene.
My apologies for getting a bit OT. I would just like to be a voice of caution. Let's be sure we know if and who the dragon is before trying to vanquish it.

willgill said:
Nakel, you may have missed my point. All this ranting and raving without fact checking and knowing legal rights is just whining. Instead, I recommend true action.
Occupiers, by definition, are just taking up space. They change nothing other than kill park grass, leave filth, not to mention the rapes, drug deaths and deficating on cop cars. And no... I'm not making that up. Google it. That's the wrong message.
Actually what I see missing is personal responsibility.
Expect only what you pay for but feel free to negotiate more.
Know what your rights, not what you feel is "right".
Know your facts before you speak. (Like 85% of millionaires didn't inherit it)
Contribute to a true difference, not a scene.
My apologies for getting a bit OT. I would just like to be a voice of caution. Let's be sure we know if and who the dragon is before trying to vanquish it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am with you, willgill, though I have no desire to argue or reason with "grab your pitchforks and torches" mob. I do find it curious however, that this mob's anger is rather selective. They get all worked up over CIQ yet say absolutely nothing about legalized rape that is SMS fees. They worry about a cell phone watching their every step while they are already being watched and tracked, EVERYWHERE. Your ISP already monitors your web traffic. Your bank already monitors your transactions. Your supermarket, gas station, restaurant already watch you like a hawk. Your cable and satellite provides and TV networks already watch you watching TV. Every time you input a pin code in ATM, click on TV remote, write an email - you are being watched and recorded.
So relax and sleep well tonight, my fellow xda'ers. Big Brother is not only watching you; he's also watching over you. If you wish to stick with your fears and superstitions, be my guest, but please do wear a tinfoil hat while you're outside, so I can identify and avoid you.

Intriguing commentary and food for thought.
"IF" CIQ is logging your SMS, would the same people incensed by that also be livid if their cell company couldn't retrieve their texts logs for evidence in a court case?
I've seen several court cases where text message records were admitted as evidence. So people want texts archived if it benefits them but on the other hand NOT recorded?
sent from my HTC Vivid using XDA app premium

US Estate Laws for a Canadian; long-lost bio father died

OK, I know this is kinda weird, but I live mostly on XDA these days, so thought I'd ask here in OT.
And I see the forum doesn't want me to ask a question in a non Q&A forum, but I see a "Boxers or Briefs ?" question, and this is supposed to be an OT forum, so...
I'm looking for tips or references to websites or lawyers etc.
I check the Social Security Death Index on the net every so often, and just found out my "estranged, biological" father died in November.
No need for consolations as I never knew him. I showed up on his doorstep 11 years ago to meet him for the first time. And he's a jerk for never even bothering to write to me once.
I believe he had some assets, but likely not too, too much in the grand scheme of things. Likely less than a house is worth. Perhaps.
But for all I know, he may have had a will, or there was next to nothing left. I'm sure I can find plenty of local (Canada) lawyers ready to take hundreds of dollars an hour from me, but if anyone has any tips or references to websites or whatever I'm open to suggestions. I'm happy to learn things on my own, but my app and lots of other things need my time too.
For reference, I think he likely died in or near Arizona but most of his assets may have been with a Bank of America branch in the LA, California area. I had some very helpful telephone contact with Bank of America in the past, so I guess I'll call them tomorrow. And he was a veteran of WW II.
And my situation could be complicated by the facts that I was born in the US, and lived there my first year of life, but have been in Canada since then and now have both citizenships.
I hate that the US and the IRS likely still sees me as a potentially taxpaying American. I gave up over a grand worth of with-holding taxes once to avoid getting involved with the IRS. But perhaps this will force my hand...
Any thoughts welcome. No condolences please, other than any mild commiserations offered for the millions of us who were raised in the challenging circumstances of a single parent house-hold.

I would call the SSA or maybe consult a lawyer. (actually, DEFINITELY consult a lawyer) I know you don't wanna do that but estate/inheritance law, is well....extremely complicated.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

i seriously doubt you'll get anything worthwhile
specially when he didn't even give a damn about contacting you
in the even he did make a step bro or sis over there, chances are all whatever little is left has gone to them, If any
remember, you are dealing wit US of A, the IRS are like vultures whenever there's a death, and no will or immediate US of A family member to take care of his business
a chunk of it would probably have gone to taxes and collectors if he had any outstanding debt, the house if any might possibly still be on a mortgage and has landed on default to the bank, heck it might have even been double mortgaged considering how the cost of living is in the US of A
also any medical fees would have probably also come out of it
dude, you have a hard up hill battle to fight to get anything worthwhile back.
good luck on your endeavours

Babydoll25 said:
I would call the SSA or maybe consult a lawyer. (actually, DEFINITELY consult a lawyer) I know you don't wanna do that but estate/inheritance law, is well....extremely complicated.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
Yeah, I hadn't thought of the Social Security Administration. I'm not sure exactly what they could do for me though.
Today I sent some questions to the Veterans Administration via their web form.
I also had a nice 12 minute chat with somebody in the Bank of America "estate" department, or whatever they call it. They will be sending me some sort of package, perhaps once they figure out what happened with his account.
Yeah, I know the advice is always to get or ask a lawyer. But I'm happy to get the ball rolling myself. I don't need somebody charging me $200+ an hour for making simple phone calls or emails.
As I say, there might have been a will and I'm not a beneficiary, or there may be no assets left to claim, which could easily mean $1,000 spent on a lawyer for nothing, and I can't afford that. But I'll see what I can find out from a lawyer or 2 before I sign any lawyer contract.

AllGamer said:
i seriously doubt you'll get anything worthwhile
...
in the even he did make a step bro or sis over there, chances are all whatever little is left has gone to them, If any
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, yes, I doubt it too, but I figure it's worth it to spend at least a bit of time trying to find out. In the event of a step-sibling and no will, I presume I should be entitled to a share, but that could require a legal fight, and I don't think I'd start such a fight, unless the assets were worth it and I had a good chance.
I think he didn't own any property, he rented and physical assets were likely a few old cars. But that 68 Camaro he had at one point was worth a few bucks...
Yeah, medical fees, but as a WW II veteran I'd guess he had VA coverage, but I don't know how that works.
AllGamer said:
dude, you have a hard up hill battle to fight to get anything worthwhile back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I likely won't start any fight, but I'm not going to ignore the possibility that I might have a few hundred grand (at most I'm sure) coming to me. He was a "penny pincher" and many such people can have a surprising amount tucked away.

Boss is taking my tools at work to give to someone else... what should I say or do?

I am a hardware support technician at my job. My boss wants to take the tablet (an iPad) I need to support the products and applications we create and give it to someone else in the company that needs it to demo our applications and hardware. I don't care about the tablet, as I care about needing it for custom application and product training, diagnostics, application and functionality testing. The problem, even though his budget paid for the item, is that I can't do my job without it and he now gets to give me grief for not being able to do my job regardless of his taking the equipment away. If these applications were written for Windows, I couldn't care less, but they were specifically written for the iPad (Android will come in phase 3 of the project), and specifically work with Apple's proprietary Bluetooth protocols.
He claims that he can't afford to purchase more equipment, and doesn't take the heat when I can't do my job which is suppose to reflect upon him when I cannot. I need to be able to argue the point to prevent him from doing this and would like some ideas. I have always had to be careful what to say to him because he has gone to his boss and used him as muscle to come into my office and try to intimidate me into compliance in the past. And though I'm working on leaving this company, I still need to do my job, keep the peace, and manage things as effectively as possible untl that times comes. Can't pay for life without a job, and they're too hard to come by these days.
Looking for advice.
Standupdad
PS Not on XDA, but I'm going to post this on a couple of other sites where I am a member as it is very important to me. So please excuse me if you see this somewhere else, or I delay in getting back to post replies. Newborns, painting the house, Boy Scouts, chasing a two year old that unlocks the front door and darts out to the neighbors, naked, and too much to list here, I may be somewhat slow to respond.

Be like "hey boss i need the equipment and its gotten pretty hard to do and there's some stuff that ain't fully developed and can cause some damage." I say you work harder and prove to him you can do the job and need the equipment at all times.
ya'll wish me luck
SNATCH AND RUN YO!

ask him when you can expect it back.
Try buying your own? <--------- Last resort

If their department paid for it then they get to have it when they want it. That is how every company I have ever worked at operates. If it is really essential and your job cannot be done without it, then you should tell your boss that and get your department to purchase one. In writing of course, no verbals on this type of stuff.

Tell him you need his advice and ask him how to do your job effectively without it. He either tells you how, in which case you've not got anything to complain about, or he admits that you can't. Either way you win.

ross231 said:
ask him when you can expect it back.
Try buying your own? <--------- Last resort
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will be 2 to 3 weeks. As for buying one, don't have the extra $$$
mf2112 said:
If their department paid for it then they get to have it when they want it. That is how every company I have ever worked at operates. If it is really essential and your job cannot be done without it, then you should tell your boss that and get your department to purchase one. In writing of course, no verbals on this type of stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, they can do what they want, but it counts against my productivity and he doesn't care.
Archer said:
Tell him you need his advice and ask him how to do your job effectively without it. He either tells you how, in which case you've not got anything to complain about, or he admits that you can't. Either way you win.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will be asking him this in my initial email to him tomorrow so that I can have a documented response.

OTA Update Gives more Bloatware

47MB and gave me yellow pages as well as lookout. I already use lookout but WTF ATT? Bloatware was already a problem but you're actually shoving more down my throat?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Free mobile app

abraxo said:
47MB and gave me yellow pages as well as lookout. I already use lookout but WTF ATT? Bloatware was already a problem but you're actually shoving more down my throat?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.androidcentral.com/updat...ls-more-apps-you-whether-you-want-them-or-not
Yup just got my update before I read this SCREW YOU AT&T

I haven't updated any firmware or security policies. I'm perfectly fine staying as is

The two apps can be disabled, so no biggie to me. There does seems to be at least one bug fix. My recent apps button was a little wonky. It is fixed now.

I hope there isnt something in the update that further prevents root being achieved. If you go to att website there is no way to prevent update either.
http://www.att.com/esupport/softwareUpdateArticle.jsp?sid=KB424084&cv=820#fbid=Vm6VYAFaBld

I just updated. Can someone who hasn't post their about device screen with the kernel and baseband and build info?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

mobilehavoc said:
I just updated. Can someone who hasn't post their about device screen with the kernel and baseband and build info?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go.

Thanks. New kernel, baseband and build. Took 5 seconds to disable the apps. Happy camper
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 05:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:26 PM ----------
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

AT&T marketing Geniuses....not!
More apps to disable because AT&T must think it's funny to push bloatware OTA and label it as an update. Seriously what are they thinking?
Is there actually some marketing strategist that is so out of touch with the real world as to think that people want this crap?
It boggles the mind really that senior leadership and marketing does not troll XDA for ideas that would actually help them succeed in product management.
The 1st carrier to the gate with a device that comes with nothing but vanilla android, is not boot locked, or in any other way hindered for root would (I predict) gain a 10% market share inside of 30 days. Business 101....cater to the majority ESPECIALLY when no one else is. fu***** idiots!!! Do they not realize that we all may enjoy different apps, but that is what the app marketplace is for? Some my even want At&t's apps ( lol ) but they need to put them on the play store and let people choose. You know...democracy and all that. Maybe they think that their apps give them a leg up on their competition? Really? Seriously? An app is going to make the difference of someone choosing AT&T S5 over Verizon S5? OMG please tell me they are not stupid. (I'm long winded and redundant due to hoping De La Vega is reading this btw) Evidently they need things spelled out. I certainly hope he realizes that most normal people make carrier decisions based on price of service, coverage, speed of 4G, etc. You know; that business 101 thing again. Hey Mr. Vega; how many people do you have writing code for AT&T apps? What are you spending on that? What are you paying that marketing jack ass that told you to hire people to write code for AT&T specific apps and bloatware? I hope you get where I'm going here. My God man, take a breath, sit back, clear your mind of all the hype and confusion of the bubble your in and look at this thing from the outside. Get back to the basics and provide a product and service that people want. We dont want or need to have to take the lessor of the evils (context of who has less bloat if we want a new device). Dont believe me? Attempt to find 0.1% of your customers that just has to have one of your bundled apps. Let me know how that goes for you. In the mean time the other 99.9% of us will only be getting more frustrated.
At any rate here is some contact info for At&t. I suggest we flood them with emails and try to get directly to "ATTN. Randall L. Stephenson, Ralph De La Vega"
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/ATT
https://twitter.com/ATTCustomerCare

bailey37821 said:
More apps to disable because AT&T must think it's funny to push bloatware OTA and label it as an update. Seriously what are they thinking?
Is there actually some marketing strategist that is so out of touch with the real world as to think that people want this crap?
It boggles the mind really that senior leadership and marketing does not troll XDA for ideas that would actually help them succeed in product management.
The 1st carrier to the gate with a device that comes with nothing but vanilla android, is not boot locked, or in any other way hindered for root would (I predict) gain a 10% market share inside of 30 days. Business 101....cater to the majority ESPECIALLY when no one else is. fu***** idiots!!!
At any rate here is some contact info for At&t. I suggest we flood them with emails and try to get directly to "ATTN. Randall L. Stephenson, Ralph De La Vega"
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/ATT
https://twitter.com/ATTCustomerCare
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realize the people on XDA are the minority right? We're definitely not the general population. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

mobilehavoc said:
You do realize the people on XDA are the minority right? We're definitely not the general population. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True in the literal sense that "people on XDA". I beg to differ though in that the general majority people would not want things shoved down their throat. All people want choice over the carriers take it or leave it attitude. In addition more and more people are becoming aware of what used to be only "for geeks". My 68 year old father for instance is fully aware of the advantages of having less apps taking up more storage and/or running in the background eating up ram and battery life when he has no need for most of them. The statement "if I wanted them loaded and running I should be able to choose that for myself" or something along those lines is growing among even the "non techies". And lets face it; I would bet that most people on XDA are the defacto come to people in their families for advice on all things electronic. Therefore even a minority can have a large effect on the majority.
BTW, I have no bubble to burst. My age, maturity, and I.Q. puts me well beyond trivial things like that.

mobilehavoc said:
You do realize the people on XDA are the minority right? We're definitely not the general population. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. Any company that followed the wishes/preferences of those on XDA would be out of business soon.

GeorgeP said:
Exactly. Any company that followed the wishes/preferences of those on XDA would be out of business soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As above. Your looking at the small picture. Those wishes and preferences are not only those of XDA.
It's almost laughable that you are saying that a company that eliminates bloatware and possibly gives an opportunity for root would be out of business soon.
A very small example would be the fact that people are flocking to a carrier with substantially less coverage and reliability (T-Mo) because of wifi calling. A feature that AT&T and Verizon eliminated for seemingly no reason. Why? because a handful of people out of 10's of thousands might only use the device for free wifi calls versus buying service from them? How many people are going to buy a high end device averaging 650.00 to do that with? So your telling me that if AT&T released an update tomorrow that allowed easy rooting or at least got rid of bloatware and turned on wifi calling, that people would not flock to AT&T? Big picture...

bailey37821 said:
As above. Your looking at the small picture. Those wishes and preferences are not only those of XDA.
It's almost laughable that you are saying that a company that eliminates bloatware and possibly gives an opportunity for root would be out of business soon.
A very small example would be the fact that people are flocking to a carrier with substantially less coverage and reliability (T-Mo) because of wifi calling. A feature that AT&T and Verizon eliminated for seemingly no reason. Why? because a handful of people out of 10's of thousands might only use the device for free wifi calls versus buying service from them? How many people are going to buy a high end device averaging 650.00 to do that with? So your telling me that if AT&T released an update tomorrow that allowed easy rooting or at least got rid of bloatware and turned on wifi calling, that people would not flock to AT&T? Big picture...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OnePlus One is the closest thing to an XDA dream phone. Let's see how well it does.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

mobilehavoc said:
OnePlus One is the closest thing to an XDA dream phone. Let's see how well it does.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a few out actually. The biggest issue is they are all pay retail upfront. I am specifically speaking to the fact of major carriers increasing their market share / customer base and customer loyalty through standard channels and current business practices and plans offered.
But i'll bite anyway. Lets look at Oppo. A Chinese company started on a shoe string budget and prayer mostly. I don't have the time or the room to fully explain all the numbers, but suffice it to say that if they were in America they would have set or broke dozens of records concerning initial interest, market share versus time in market, profitability, units sold, % increase in sales versus time, net worth versus initial valuation, etc, etc...
And that was for full price units from an unknown Chinese company in a market full of unknown Chinese companies that all have a low initial trust rating. Multiply their numbers X 1000 for a trusted US carrier to do anything similar with a hot trusted device
---------- Post added at 08:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 PM ----------
PS
Where do you think the one plus came from. That would be from the former VP of OPPO of course. He saw those numbers for the N1 and the Find and knew you don't have to be a marketing guru to see the obvious. He left a lot of money and an incredible future with Oppo to help bring out the one plus.

bailey37821 said:
More apps to disable because AT&T must think it's funny to push bloatware OTA and label it as an update. Seriously what are they thinking?
Is there actually some marketing strategist that is so out of touch with the real world as to think that people want this crap?
It boggles the mind really that senior leadership and marketing does not troll XDA for ideas that would actually help them succeed in product management.
The 1st carrier to the gate with a device that comes with nothing but vanilla android, is not boot locked, or in any other way hindered for root would (I predict) gain a 10% market share inside of 30 days. Business 101....cater to the majority ESPECIALLY when no one else is. fu***** idiots!!! Do they not realize that we all may enjoy different apps, but that is what the app marketplace is for? Some my even want At&t's apps ( lol ) but they need to put them on the play store and let people choose. You know...democracy and all that. Maybe they think that their apps give them a leg up on their competition? Really? Seriously? An app is going to make the difference of someone choosing AT&T S5 over Verizon S5? OMG please tell me they are not stupid. (I'm long winded and redundant due to hoping De La Vega is reading this btw) Evidently they need things spelled out. I certainly hope he realizes that most normal people make carrier decisions based on price of service, coverage, speed of 4G, etc. You know; that business 101 thing again. Hey Mr. Vega; how many people do you have writing code for AT&T apps? What are you spending on that? What are you paying that marketing jack ass that told you to hire people to write code for AT&T specific apps and bloatware? I hope you get where I'm going here. My God man, take a breath, sit back, clear your mind of all the hype and confusion of the bubble your in and look at this thing from the outside. Get back to the basics and provide a product and service that people want. We dont want or need to have to take the lessor of the evils (context of who has less bloat if we want a new device). Dont believe me? Attempt to find 0.1% of your customers that just has to have one of your bundled apps. Let me know how that goes for you. In the mean time the other 99.9% of us will only be getting more frustrated.
At any rate here is some contact info for At&t. I suggest we flood them with emails and try to get directly to "ATTN. Randall L. Stephenson, Ralph De La Vega"
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/ATT
https://twitter.com/ATTCustomerCare
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Haha wow. Not even sure where to start. For one it's a numbers game, throw the apps out there and maybe %10 will use it, maybe even %1. That's still more people putting money in their pocket than previously. Most of the users don't care about bloatware, if anything they view it as ATT offering them more than they got originally and at most a minor annoyance. So long as it doesn't brick their device they don't care, at most they just won't use it. The idea that "if you want it then find it on the market, and then choose ours over the competition" is just silly, why leave it to chance when you can increase your odds by putting your app on their phone directly in their face? %99.9 of users are frustrated by the addition of more bloatware or are infuriated by having it at all? we all know that's not even close to true, I've never heard a friend complain that the update to their phone added more apps. If you really think any of the higher-ups are reading your rant you're delusional. Go ahead and spam them, and again if you really think that goes directly to their inbox, you're delusional. Sure it will be addressed by someone, but it won't be any of the higher ups your trying to contact. Do you really think they're tech savvy enough to even know what you're talking about? They're put in place because they know how to manage multi-billion dollar companies, not because they know the ins and outs of a cell phone.
bailey37821 said:
True in the literal sense that "people on XDA". I beg to differ though in that the general majority people would not want things shoved down their throat. All people want choice over the carriers take it or leave it attitude. In addition more and more people are becoming aware of what used to be only "for geeks". My 68 year old father for instance is fully aware of the advantages of having less apps taking up more storage and/or running in the background eating up ram and battery life when he has no need for most of them. The statement "if I wanted them loaded and running I should be able to choose that for myself" or something along those lines is growing among even the "non techies". And lets face it; I would bet that most people on XDA are the defacto come to people in their families for advice on all things electronic. Therefore even a minority can have a large effect on the majority.
BTW, I have no bubble to burst. My age, maturity, and I.Q. puts me well beyond trivial things like that.
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Click to collapse
"shoved down their throats" is a bit of an exaggeration. They load the app on the phones, it's not like it cripples the device or stops the device from functioning unless you use it. The S5 is still a rockstar even with the bloat. I do concur that most of us here are probably the people that relatives/family go to for phone advice. However guarantee neither of my parents or any relative for that matter would care about a phone having bloatware. They want a phone that will serve a purpose and maybe they can play some games on it.
bailey37821 said:
As above. Your looking at the small picture. Those wishes and preferences are not only those of XDA.
It's almost laughable that you are saying that a company that eliminates bloatware and possibly gives an opportunity for root would be out of business soon.
A very small example would be the fact that people are flocking to a carrier with substantially less coverage and reliability (T-Mo) because of wifi calling. A feature that AT&T and Verizon eliminated for seemingly no reason. Why? because a handful of people out of 10's of thousands might only use the device for free wifi calls versus buying service from them? How many people are going to buy a high end device averaging 650.00 to do that with? So your telling me that if AT&T released an update tomorrow that allowed easy rooting or at least got rid of bloatware and turned on wifi calling, that people would not flock to AT&T? Big picture...
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They are protecting their assets. The more options you have to use a competing service the more money they lose. reduce the ability to use the competitor and you rid yourself of that chance.
That all being said I am not a fan of bloatware, at all. Nor am I agreeing with their tactics. But step into reality. They want to maximize profits and get their users to use their apps so it can be billed to them.
I do have another theory for how much the phones are locked down these days. If anyone has followed the news; they're trying to head off phone thefts, they've spiraled out of control. Easiest way to prevent someone from stealing a phone? make sure that even if it is stolen, it can't be used anywhere because it's locked down like fort knox (pun sort of intended )
Sorry for any feathers i've ruffled.

To get back on track this update has made the phone smoother and have noticed no lag where there used to be lag before. Battery life seems better too so far.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

No OTA method (so far)
mobilehavoc said:
To get back on track this update has made the phone smoother and have noticed no lag where there used to be lag before. Battery life seems better too so far.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I read the AT&T update page- what i can offer. I didn't accept the last weeks security certificate and I've been going into Running apps and stopping the AT&T OTA update process on any reboot(it doesn't seem to auto-restart) and I have not gotten any alerts or been pushed the OTA since.
I'll update if this changes.

Updated and lost my s health data. All my steps lost ?

I never get any alerts and i agree to security certificates. Also i did not update yet just want to if we can revert back with Odin or if can use Kies to get back ?

De-Google-ing my Note 9

Hi guys. I'm starting this thread in hopes of sparking a conversation and a concerted effort to rid ourselves as users from the clutches of Google and other big tech companies. I am sick and tired of Google tracking me and attempting to force feed me ads on a daily send constant basis. Then selling my info to other companies such as Facebook. So, I have started down the path of decluttering (De-Google-ing) my device(s). I am primarily interested in securing my device as much as possible and protecting my privacy.
So far, I have reformatted my entire device to factory default settings installed and using F-Droid (FOSS) for all my apps. I use Yandex as my search engine (I am often to suggestions and recommendations) in the "private browser" app. I use Aurora instead of Google Play store, New Pipe for YouTube-ing, Frost for Facebookingand SlimSocial for Twitter. I have stopped using Google keyboard and any other Google apps. I have abandoned gmail and replaced it with proton mail instead. So far, no ads and as far as I can tell, no tracking. I have also installed a VPN and am using it religiously—Cyber Ghost, a $99 for 3 years subscription with support up to 8 devices.
However, I am still very much connected to Samsung for I am not privy as to whether or not Samsung is as sinister as Google and Facebook.
Again, I am open to all suggestions, corrections and recommendations. Thank you and I hope to engage with you all.

leave it up to them yandex russians to protect your privacy.
but seriously. the most dangerous thing you can do is acctualy think that the steps you take are really making your life private.
vpns just channel the traffic to an other end point and does the queries for you then sends the data encrypted to you.
the queries are still made on the www. account info and all things you store or access online is still accessible by the www. vpn companies just fool you into thinking that the data being relayed to you is the only weak link. plus the free ones mine your data.
best thing you can do is not use social media. its made to invade your privacy. its designed to fool you into giving as much of your personal life info as possible and sell your habits to add companies so they can in turn send you quatered adds.
the minute you use the internet you void your privacy regardless of how you think the measures you take are working or effective. and what are you going to do about the 100 and 1000's of companies being hacked and their data mined and sold every month? you cant do anything about that. plus its much better for hackers to get their info from a big company because you get much more than just 1 dude that does his banking online and chat every now and then.there is no money to be made from 1 individual.
if you think people are specifically after you, you are gravely being fooled by the vpn ad campaigns that have been poping up everywhere about "privacy".( they must hide the fact that they also get hacked very well.its just that the media hasint picked up on it yet)
anyways who want to waste time on an end user/device?
when again you just need to hack equifax like a few years back and you get the motherload instead.
all in all I've abandoned the thought of real privacy. its futile.( even abstinents dosen't work because companies and governments don't secure customer data correctly. and unfortunately if you are born, you must be branded and labeled and filed away.)
live your life. just know that what ever you do you can't escape big brother and your data from being leaked by the big companies that say that it is secured with them.
the whole infrastructure relies on them companies and the habits we have been embraining ourselves and our children with is the problem.. we live our lives intertwined with the services and devices that we take for granted and have clicked next next next through polices and consent forms for over 25 years now whithout even giving it a second though. we're in over our heads now and it is a little late to back out. this was al dine by design and all voluntarily. its crazy how marketing is evil.
a cabin in the woods is the easiest and most secure thing one can do. anything shy of that is a waste of time and a false feeling of privacy.
anyways I'm going around in circles now.
one thing for sure is that the criminals we think that we need cover from are not who we think they are.
they are the FCC dealing with big telcos, they are the big media giants spewing false information and fabricates facts. they are in our governments in the highest ranks pushing hidden agendas and most of all they are the big social media platforms remodeling our society each day under our noses at our expense.
but hey this is not new. the internet police is just tring to make you think it is and spend 9.99$ a month for a vpn lol
good luck.

I just stopped using as many Google apps as I can and switched over to MS Office apps and use Samsung services where I can too...

bober10113 said:
leave it up to them yandex russians to protect your privacy.
but seriously. the most dangerous thing you can do is acctualy think that the steps you take are really making your life private.
vpns just channel the traffic to an other end point and does the queries for you then sends the data encrypted to you.
the queries are still made on the www. account info and all things you store or access online is still accessible by the www. vpn companies just fool you into thinking that the data being relayed to you is the only weak link. plus the free ones mine your data.
best thing you can do is not use social media. its made to invade your privacy. its designed to fool you into giving as much of your personal life info as possible and sell your habits to add companies so they can in turn send you quatered adds.
the minute you use the internet you void your privacy regardless of how you think the measures you take are working or effective. and what are you going to do about the 100 and 1000's of companies being hacked and their data mined and sold every month? you cant do anything about that. plus its much better for hackers to get their info from a big company because you get much more than just 1 dude that does his banking online and chat every now and then.there is no money to be made from 1 individual.
if you think people are specifically after you, you are gravely being fooled by the vpn ad campaigns that have been poping up everywhere about "privacy".( they must hide the fact that they also get hacked very well.its just that the media hasint picked up on it yet)
anyways who want to waste time on an end user/device?
when again you just need to hack equifax like a few years back and you get the motherload instead.
all in all I've abandoned the thought of real privacy. its futile.( even abstinents dosen't work because companies and governments don't secure customer data correctly. and unfortunately if you are born, you must be branded and labeled and filed away.)
live your life. just know that what ever you do you can't escape big brother and your data from being leaked by the big companies that say that it is secured with them.
the whole infrascturuce relies on them companies and the habits we have been embraining ourselves and our children with is the problem.. we live our lives intertwined with the services and devices that we take for granted and have clicked next next next through polices and consent forms for over 25 years now whithout even giving it a second though. we're in over our heads now and it is a little late to back out. this was al dine by design and all voluntarily. its crazy how marketing is evil.
a cabin in the woods is the easiest and most secure thing one can do. anything shy of that is a waste of time and a false feeling of privacy.
anyways I'm going around in circles now.
one thing for sure is that the criminals we think that we need cover from are not who we think they are.
they are the FCC dealing with big telcos, they are the big media giants spewing false information and fabricates facts. they are in our governments in the highest ranks pushing hidden agendas and most of all they are the big social media platforms remodeling our society each day under our noses at our expense.
but hey this is not new. the internet police is just tring to make you think it is and spend 9.99$ a month for a vpn lol
good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oy vey! Thank you very much for yor contribution. It is very much appreciated and I see what you are saying.

AndroidUser00110001 said:
I just stopped using as many Google apps as I can and switched over to MS Office apps and use Samsung services where I can too...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How has this been working out for you? What are your thoughts on Samsung's and Microsoft privacy policies etc?

Nonetheless, what are some good and viable alternatives to Google and optimally "securing" one's device (taking everything bober10113 has said).

michel5891 said:
How has this been working out for you? What are your thoughts on Samsung's and Microsoft privacy policies etc?
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Click to collapse
Like the other poster said, I gave up on worrying about privacy. I made the switch for other reasons and privacy was down on the list...
I just do not like what Goolge has been doing lately, especially blocking ad blockers soon in Chrome so I switched to MS Edge on Android and the Chromium version of Edge for desktop and the rest of the apps just followed through. I am seeing how the switch works for myself and if all goes well I will switch back to MS for the small company I work for.
I gave up on Gmail, Google Drive and all their office apps so far and I stopped using Nexus/Pixel phones for the first time in 10 years. I started with the S9+ which I enjoyed for a couple of months and then got a Note9 during a holiday special and now I cannot wait for the Note10.
Privacy is what it is nowadays... We should all own our data and if we choose to let be used as companies are doing now then we should get a slice of all the money being made but I doubt it will ever get to be something like that.

michel5891 said:
How has this been working out for you? What are your thoughts on Samsung's and Microsoft privacy policies etc?
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Click to collapse
I wouldn't think that they are any better than Google's. Majority of the companies out there that are international had to adhere to the EU rules of privacy, so a lot of them have adopted those standards. NOT ALL OF THEM. That's why all of a sudden you are getting new agreements from all the major companies that touch each section of land on the world.
I still don't trust any of them even to that point.
This is morbid. I have been thinking a lot more about death, debt, privacy and such, and I have come to the conclusion that I honestly don't care about my own anymore because it has been stolen, including my wife's. Future children though, I worry about them because you don't even have to mention their name on the internet and somehow every major company knows about them.
Ever had a conversation with someone without actually looking something up on the web, and then a day or two later Google and other ads start showing things concerning what you were talking about to someone in person? Yeah, it has happened to me numerous times now I can't even count anymore.

Jammol said:
Ever had a conversation with someone without actually looking something up on the web, and then a day or two later Google and other ads start showing things concerning what you were talking about to someone in person? Yeah, it has happened to me numerous times now I can't even count anymore.
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Click to collapse
YES!!! I noticed this a few months ago. My wife and I were talking about some random subject and BAM there it was in my Google discovery feed.
I mentioned that to her and she thought I was crazy until it happened again.
My friend was over last week, he mentioned something about a car he is fixing up and once again in my Google feed...
*EDIT*
I am not going to go as far as saying they are listening because my wife did say she looked up what we were talking about later on that day on her phone so I am guessing it is more GPS based then Google listening to give them the benefit of doubt for now. I need to ask my friend if he searched anything while here...

You want to De-Google your phone? Sell it and don't get an Android phone. Don't get an iPhone, either. In fact, get one of those huge car phones from the 80s. I can't add really anything that hasn't been said, other than some slight humor, but again, if you want privacy, stay off the internet.

AndroidUser00110001 said:
YES!!! I noticed this a few months ago. My wife and I were talking about some random subject and BAM there it was in my Google discovery feed.
I mentioned that to her and she thought I was crazy until it happened again.
My friend was over last week, he mentioned something about a car he is fixing up and once again in my Google feed...
*EDIT*
I am not going to go as far as saying they are listening because my wife did say she looked up what we were talking about later on that day on her phone so I am guessing it is more GPS based then Google listening to give them the benefit of doubt for now. I need to ask my friend if he searched anything while here...
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Click to collapse
This is what I'm trying to prevent. Exactly the same thing had happened to me. We were simply discussing an AC unit; never looked it up or mentioned the name of it and the exact make and model in the room we were in showed up.

michel5891 said:
This is what I'm trying to prevent. Exactly the same thing had happened to me. We were simply discussing an AC unit; never looked it up or mentioned the name of it and the exact make and model in the room we were in showed up.
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Click to collapse
Yeah it's super duper creepy. Funny thing is since I refreshed my Note 9 up to PIE, I haven't given assistant or google search any permission to use my microphone and I don't even have them setup!

this might help:
https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/6030020?co=GENIE.Platform=Android&hl=en
turn voice activity off. also check your history to see if it has any recording...