Is there a way to turn it off? WSJ Link
In the case of Google, according to new research by security analyst Samy Kamkar, an HTC Android phone collected its location every few seconds and transmitted the data to Google at least several times an hour. It also transmitted the name, location and signal strength of any nearby Wi-Fi networks, as well as a unique phone identifier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uncheck Settings -> Location -> Use Wireless Networks
Calling it secret is a HUGE exaggeration. By default it is disabled, and when you enable it it pops up a warning that says "are you sure you want to do this, enabling this feature will send your location to google."
Also, sign out of Google Latitude if you ever signed in to it. The entire purpose of that app is to constantly update google with your location so your friends can know where you're at so if you don't want your phone tell google where you are, you should probably not be using this app.
Finally when the browser asks, "This page wants to know your location", say no.
I have that turned off. I'm concerned with tower triangulation data being sent to unauthorized recipients such as Google.
Why do you believe that your phone is still transmitting it's location if you have turned off all of the features that warn you when you turn them on they will transmit your location? The story you linked to does not imply that he had those features turned off.
On the other hand, so long as the cell towers can see your phone, the towers can calculate your position so AT&T can (and does) know where you are, and is free to sell that location to who ever they please. But the only way to disable that is to not own a cell phone of any kind because it is not a function of your phone it is a function of the cell towers.
It is my impression that both Apple and Google use cell tower triangulation and call home over the cellular network. The Apple collected info definitely comes from cell tower triangulation.
My firewall logs do not show any attempts to send data from my home network. They would be blocked as unauthorized. The real question is how can one be certain of what the evil empire is doing to destroy one's privacy?
For apple, there is no way to know. There can be no "secretes" when it comes to android. You don't have to trust google not to transmit your location when you uncheck the box that says don't transmit your location. You can find out exactly under what scenarios the phone will transmit your location by downloading and reading the source code yourself. Or you can just trust that many of the DEV's on this site have read the source code and have not found any "evil" going on.
cypho said:
For apple, there is no way to know. There can be no "secretes" when it comes to android. You don't have to trust google not to transmit your location when you uncheck the box that says don't transmit your location. You can find out exactly under what scenarios the phone will transmit your location by downloading and reading the source code yourself. Or you can just trust that many of the DEV's on this site have read the source code and have not found any "evil" going on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
It's all open source. There's nothing to worry about. That's the magic of Android.
I think this a case of worrying over nothing. What can they do with that data if they have it...improve features and service? LOL
Detectives would sacrifice their first born to have a location history of someone they are investigating. There is no doubt that divorce lawyers would do the same. If that info is stored in a file on the cell phone, they'll get it. Read the stories about the Michigan State Police testing the Cellebrite UFED.
You guys are pretty naive if you think Android being open source has anything to do with this. As long as you're in phone mode and connected to a tower, they can track you. Only airplane mode or turning the phone off will stop this. The problem is not that the phone can do this, but that there are no laws that dictate what can be done with the info and who can have access to it and under what circumstances. We are so quick to adopt these new technologies without knowing or fully understanding how they can expose us. The law does not keep pace with the technology.
The question is who is "They". If the OS is secure the only "they" is the people who own the cell towers. But if the OS is not secure, google, samsung, or someone else could be tracking you.
Unfortunately, the party I trust the least is AT&T and I agree with you that there is nothing anyone can do that would stop them from knowing where you are.
But if it is google, samsung or someone else other than AT&T that you fear, then the discussion does have merrit.
Miami_Son said:
You guys are pretty naive if you think Android being open source has anything to do with this. As long as you're in phone mode and connected to a tower, they can track you. Only airplane mode or turning the phone off will stop this. The problem is not that the phone can do this, but that there are no laws that dictate what can be done with the info and who can have access to it and under what circumstances. We are so quick to adopt these new technologies without knowing or fully understanding how they can expose us. The law does not keep pace with the technology.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cypho said:
The question is who is "They". If the OS is secure the only "they" is the people who own the cell towers. But if the OS is not secure, google, samsung, or someone else could be tracking you.
Unfortunately, the party I trust the least is AT&T and I agree with you that there is nothing anyone can do that would stop them from knowing where you are.
But if it is google, samsung or someone else other than AT&T that you fear, then the discussion does have merrit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T knows and has known where u were even on basic cell phones cos ur phone would be attached to the cell tower it is connected to. So there is no way u can get around from AT&T knowing where u r.
"They" is the evil Google.
ua549 said:
Detectives would sacrifice their first born to have a location history of someone they are investigating. There is no doubt that divorce lawyers would do the same. If that info is stored in a file on the cell phone, they'll get it. Read the stories about the Michigan State Police testing the Cellebrite UFED.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to belittle the privacy concerns but if detectives and divorce lawyers are the first thing that pop into your head you probably have some issues to address.
Seriously though getting your location is nothing new whether it be via cell, credit/debit card purchases, etc., if the police can justify to a judge that they have avalid reason to try and locate you using these means, they most definitely will. Remember though, they are concerned with admissability as well. At least at the local, state, and moat federal levels.
As for.the msp article,there is no evidence they have misused the technology.....yet.
Those weren't the first occupations that I considered. Anyone can purchase forensic electronics and suck up the contents of a handset. A warrant is immaterial. Ask the Michigan State Police. I'm not worried about the legal aspects as much as the illegal ones. The police though are noted for crossing the line of legality, especially at traffic stops.
My concern is protecting my privacy. That's why I use prepaid sims, single use email addresses, proxies and several legal tools to obfuscate my identity. I use anonymous gift cards for non-cash purchases.
You don't have to turn Latitude off to prevent your location being sent to Google. There is an option to enter a location to send. I'll have to dig in to find out where the option is. Using this option you can pick a spot on the map and that is what is sent to Google. As far as Google is concerned i haven't left Mallory Square in Key West for about 6 months!
I don't have Latitude so I didn't consider it.
There are lots of other location aware apps.
I have that feature turned off.
Related
FOUR THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:
FIRST Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
SECOND have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. This saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
THIRD Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.
FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
How many more times is this nonsense going to be peddled around the internet?
Only the fourth one is correct in all the facts.
112 works from any phone, but - use your brain, how would it work if you're not in network coverage?
The other two I'm not even going to dignify with a response!
Sorry if that sounds harsh, but what waste of time and resources (which I've just contributed to!)
66mustang said:
How many more times is this nonsense going to be peddled around the internet?
Only the fourth one is correct in all the facts.
112 works from any phone, but - use your brain, how would it work if you're not in network coverage?...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gota love it when people read haven't you :
mobilemate said:
..... If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He didn't say NO network coverage, he said YOUR network.
That said, the car unlocking sounds a bit BS to me
50% hidden battery power is crazy too. There'd have to be another battery half as big inside.
The car unlocking part DOES actually work; I've tried it. It very much depends on the phone at either end though.
FloatingFatMan said:
The car unlocking part DOES actually work; I've tried it. It very much depends on the phone at either end though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it doesn't. You can't transmit radio frequencies over a voice line. You could no more do it with a sink plunger than with your mobile phone.
The short code for the extra battery life is just one that changes the audio compression, and, I'm lead to believe, increases battery use.
mobilemate said:
FOUR THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:
FIRST Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
SECOND have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. This saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
THIRD Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.
FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaaha, what a moron.
mobilemate said:
FIRST Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it, but SWAT arrived in under 5 minutes.
mobilemate said:
SECOND have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. This saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now people think my friend is slow, since he is trying to unlock his cell phone with a remote.
mobilemate said:
THIRD Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone just blew up!
mobilemate said:
FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait....if it's stolen, should I call the thief and ask them to dial the number and give me the digits?
Even #4 is a lie, my mom's phone just got stolen and I asked AT&T about an IMEI lock, they said if the person tries to get an unlock code it won't be allowed and if they register that handset as theirs it won't be allowed... But that's as far as it goes.
These features are not real??
have you tried them ever?
technocraft said:
These features are not real??
have you tried them ever?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh my days.... do people actually READ a thread before posting or do they like just posting for the sake of it.
And by the way, number one (emergency) is definetley true. It even works if you have a screen pin lock .. Windows even tells you
"Emergency phone calls can be made"
Black93300ZX said:
Even #4 is a lie, my mom's phone just got stolen and I asked AT&T about an IMEI lock, they said if the person tries to get an unlock code it won't be allowed and if they register that handset as theirs it won't be allowed... But that's as far as it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your phone is stolen should be able to get the IMEI blacklisted via your carrier. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mobile_Equipment_Identity#Blacklist_of_stolen_devices
Ta
Dave
Unlocked my car
I used my house phone line and called my ATT Tilt and was unable to both lock and unlock my 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse over the phone using my keys = that was way cool. So before you condemn this post you should try it out.
Yeah, but this definitely works: By dialling 0800-OPENCAN, I opened a tin of cat food with my TouchPro. You might need to use a different dialling prefix if you're in a country beginning with a D, U or an R.
The amount of ignorance in this thread is amazing.
What's with all the people saying: you can do this, you can't do this, and stating them as facts when they clearly don't know what they are talking about?
Don't make assumption people.
Also, just because something does (or does not work) in one part of the world that doesn't mean it will be the same for the rest of the world.
#3 is actually correct for certain mobiles. I had a nokia which this worked with. Basically the code set the phone to use a different audio codec, which in turn reduced quality but had the advantage of draining less power.
So although it doesn't add extra power to your mobile, it does increase the duration
Chillin said:
The amount of ignorance in this thread is amazing.
What's with all the people saying: you can do this, you can't do this, and stating them as facts when they clearly don't know what they are talking about?
Don't make assumption people.
Also, just because something does (or does not work) in one part of the world that doesn't mean it will be the same for the rest of the world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your saying that people should keep there opinions to themselves?
Whats ignorant about trial and error and posting results...Ignorance from questioning what would seem to be outrageous, fallible claims!?
Dude this (post) is some skeptical bull**** to begin with. To not question these claims validity of these would be against all this community stands for... (IE check out every other bat**** post..)
Ps tried the battery thing with the tilt ;;;command not supported
sdlopez83 said:
So your saying that people should keep there opinions to themselves?
Whats ignorant about trial and error and posting results...Ignorance from questioning what would seem to be outrageous, fallible claims!?
Dude this (post) is some skeptical bull**** to begin with. To not question these claims validity of these would be against all this community stands for... (IE check out every other bat**** post..)
Ps tried the battery thing with the tilt ;;;command not supported
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No no, everything should always be questioned. I am refering to the people that are posting their guesses and their opinions as fact.
They should not be saying you can or can't do this or that. They should be saying I think you can or can't do this or that. Then at least other people will know to look into it to verify their guesses not and to not just accept it because someone else is pretending he/she knows what they are talking about.
rb14 said:
Yeah, but this definitely works: By dialling 0800-OPENCAN, I opened a tin of cat food with my TouchPro. You might need to use a different dialling prefix if you're in a country beginning with a D, U or an R.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL too funny
mobilemate said:
FOUR THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:
FIRST Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
SECOND have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. This saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
THIRD Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.
FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just tried num 3 and it does not work... it says "Command not supported"
Hey, I have a of course "hacked" g1. I was living in another state that had T-Mobile service and recently moved to an area completely gray on their service map, and had my service disconnected. My phone can still roam off at&t towers, funny thing is, with service deactivated I can still access the internet, chat on IM programs, check my gmail. Is this a common occurence?
I just find it odd that I can do all of these things without a paid service.
Im on FlexPay and I didnt pay last months bill because I didnt have any money from my job....and still havent paid this month....and well I still have internet access via Edge and 3G.
So at least I know I'm not the only one. Rather interesting to say the least. Anyone know why this might be happening?
I don't know about T-Mobile, but I did a few years with Nextel (pre Sprint). I think the billing systems are similar though (It's provided to the carrier as a package from a software provider). Anyway..
The billing system is completely separate from the systems that your phone actually talks to. Changes are made in the billing system (such as cancellation, suspension of service). A message is sent over to the other systems, and you get a response back - Complete, Pending, Error .. etc. An error would supposedly get flagged for technicians to handle, but not always.. We sometimes would have customers calling in after weeks to find out why something hadn't been added or removed, and it would be because of an old error in the provisioning. Very possible that something similar has happened to you guys. May last months, may go away in 5 more min.. No way to tell.
Wow, that wound up longer than I expected. Sorry.
While a new member, I've been following the community a bit and have flashed my Captivate successfully several times.
It started acting weird earlier this week (lagging and shutting itself off) so I decided to re-flash it and re-apply SRE with all the goodies it brings.
Since my last flash, the phone works fine (calls, messaging, and Internet) except for one problem - the Android Market.
I can access the market but am unable to download anything. I've tried many different solutions, ROM's (JF2, JH2, and JH3), 3G/WiFi, internal settings, clearing the Market cache, Dalvik cache, etc., using Market Access and going outside of AT&T's allowed applications, all to no avail. It's the same whether I attempt to download after a fresh flash or after applying SRE. I've also tried Unleash the Beast.
Finally I decided to call AT&T to find out if there was a problem somewhere on their end.
Here's the weird thing:
The IMEI I have on the sticker under my battery is that of a Captivate and matches what they have on record. The representative I spoke to told me that the IMEI I have in my phone's menu is an iPhone IMEI.
With all that being said, I have two questions:
1) How did this happen?
2) How can I fix it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
FrstdOne said:
While a new member, I've been following the community a bit and have flashed my Captivate successfully several times.
It started acting weird earlier this week (lagging and shutting itself off) so I decided to re-flash it and re-apply SRE with all the goodies it brings.
Since my last flash, the phone works fine (calls, messaging, and Internet) except for one problem - the Android Market.
I can access the market but am unable to download anything. I've tried many different solutions, ROM's (JF2, JH2, and JH3), 3G/WiFi, internal settings, clearing the Market cache, Dalvik cache, etc., using Market Access and going outside of AT&T's allowed applications, all to no avail. It's the same whether I attempt to download after a fresh flash or after applying SRE. I've also tried Unleash the Beast.
Finally I decided to call AT&T to find out if there was a problem somewhere on their end.
Here's the weird thing:
The IMEI I have on the sticker under my battery is that of a Captivate and matches what they have on record. The representative I spoke to told me that the IMEI I have in my phone's menu is an iPhone IMEI.
With all that being said, I have two questions:
1) How did this happen?
2) How can I fix it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does your imei start with?
madjsp said:
What does your imei start with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one in the software starts with 004999
The one on the sticker starts with 351863
Iphone imei starts with 011. That rep doesnt know what hes doingp
did you ask them to update youe imei number? would likly fix it, could have just been an accident, from what i have read about 10% of imei number are not unique so somehting could have gotten messed up server side
vinunleaded182 said:
Iphone imei starts with 011. That rep doesnt know what hes doingp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also a quick google of the 0049 imei shows that there are several iphones with that imei
The rep who I've been working with is off today but she said she'd call me tomorrow. I'll ask her to update the number and hopefully she can.
Unfortunately, while I'm pretty much a noob to all this, I've found that I still know more than most of the people on the AT&T side and the rep I've been working with is the most knowledgeable of the group.
Did you go from an iphone to the samsung if so, it could be a translation issue on atts side which means the billing system never updated the imei to the switch because it errored out on the billing side happend all the time when i use to be a switch tech for att simple to fix just need to file a ticket with a certain department but can be a pain if the rep is new.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I thought the phone read its IMEI number from its own hardware. This thread implies that something on the network is telling the phone what its IMEI Number should be.
I know there are a lot of Ebay phones with bogus stickers - the stickers have one SN/EMEI number, but the phone internally says another.
Where did you get your phone?
I've never owned an iPhone and I purchased the Captivate from a corporate store, not from an authorized reseller or ebay.
wait cant this be useful if we can change the imei to a vibrant one we can get money off of data or would most of you feel bad for doing that (one good thing about that though for 10 dollars we get unlimited data)
labbu63 said:
wait cant this be useful if we can change the imei to a vibrant one we can get money off of data or would most of you feel bad for doing that (one good thing about that though for 10 dollars we get unlimited data)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You gotta pay to play. If you don't want to pay smartphone fees, don't get a smartphone. I'm sure we'd all like a break on price, but when it comes down to it, we can't get one, so we make do.
And unless the modmyi forum was wrong, that's illegal.
yeah i know but im just saying if someone isnt scared to go to jail
If the IMEI shows as 004999010640000, you might check out this thread. Good luck.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=777288
PS: you might want to look at this specific post in that thread.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8060884&postcount=33
BigJayDogg3 said:
You gotta pay to play. If you don't want to pay smartphone fees, don't get a smartphone. I'm sure we'd all like a break on price, but when it comes down to it, we can't get one, so we make do.
And unless the modmyi forum was wrong, that's illegal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually i was just looking at the library of congress's recent ruling on the DMCA and their new excemptions and read this
"
(3) Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.
"
sounds like to me that changing the imei is legal as long as the only reason you are doing it is to connect to a network that you are already authorized to use
xatrekak said:
actually i was just looking at the library of congress's recent ruling on the DMCA and their new excemptions and read this
"
(3) Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.
"
sounds like to me that changing the imei is legal as long as the only reason you are doing it is to connect to a network that you are already authorized to use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Changing The imei is illegal and has nothing to do with the DMCA. changing The imei is fraud like changing a car's vin number.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
alphadog00 i was wondering that, you wouldn't happen to be able to point out to me which law that is contained in, i have heard it was illegal like a million times but havn't seen the law yet. but i have always liked reading the actual laws that make the things i want to illegal
how do you know its illegal the DMCA was changed and said it was legal so until you find something that says its illegal we will never know
labbu63 said:
how do you know its illegal the DMCA was changed and said it was legal so until you find something that says its illegal we will never know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are confusing unlocking with changing your IMEI. It is legal to unlock and hack, it is not legal to change the phone's network id.
xatrekak said:
alphadog00 i was wondering that, you wouldn't happen to be able to point out to me which law that is contained in, i have heard it was illegal like a million times but havn't seen the law yet. but i have always liked reading the actual laws that make the things i want to illegal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't point to you an exact law, but cloning phones has been considered fraudulent for years and people have been prosecuted. In changing the IMEI number, you are in essence cloning a phone - it may not exist yet, but it could. So once a new phone is made with the new EMEI number you created, you have created fraud.
After doing some research - this is the section of federal code that is used to prosecute cell phone cloners:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00001029----000-.html
U.S. Code: TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 47 > § 1029
§ 1029. Fraud and related activity in connection with access *devices
You may not get arrested for changing your IMEI (not one person anyway) but at some point the carrier will probably just black list your device or your account.
Changing the IMEI or ESN basically makes your device a counterfeit access device. Some debate that if they own 3 phones they should be able to let them all share one IMEI if only one is active at a time.
Personally, I can see no valid reason to change your IMEI - swapping sim cards is easy enough.
I WAS an owner of a Nexus 5, very beloved to me because it was a gift for an achievement. Anyway, I use public transport almost everyday to get to places. Today while I was on my way to the university, I was targeted by a pickpocket who took away my phone
After a couple of minutes of running around and searching for the pickpocket I remembered the new "Find My Phone" feature Google launched recently. So I soon got into my account on a laptop and Googled "Find my Phone". Unfortunately, the thief had already switched it off and Google cannot locate it because its offline and switched off.
Now not only am I angry on the thief and myself, but I am also angry on Google. We've had Android Device Manager lying around for years and it already has Device Administrator permissions, yet it cannot switch on GPS, notify about SIM changes nor can it report the last known location of the phone. Its like the sheer existence of Android Device Manager is a waste.
I know you'd blame me for not having a third-party app to track my lost phone (I used to have an amazing and free app called Theftie which was pulled down by Google for an unknown reason) , but that's not the point. Why doesn't Google have a way to find and retrieve my android phone just like Apple has features to find lost iDevices. Why cant Android Device Manager turn on location and track a device even when it is locked. Why cant it prevent illegitimate flashing of devices?
Now I have ended up with no phone and I am left with no money (I've spent all my student budget money on college fee and to fund my final year project) and no phone (let alone smartphone). So the only way to get a new phone is to either do some kind of achievement or wait for two more months and those two months will like living in the Stone age.
Anyway, I request you android fans to help me send a message to Google, all OEMs and developers of custom recoveries, third-pary apps etc. We need a solution to prevent our phone from being stolen and in case it gets stolen, we want a way to retrieve our lost phones. We request all of you genius developers to work on securing not only our data but also our devices.
TL;DR: Had my phone pick-pocketed and the thief switched off the phone. Tried locating the phone using Android Device Manager and "Find My Phone" on Google. No use because the phone is neither online nor is it switched ON. Requesting Google and devs to come up with solutions to safeguard devices
Obviously it's of no use to Nexus 5 users, but Google has addressed these problems with Android Device Protection that came with 5.1
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. Believe me I know that panic,disbelief,frantically going through your pockets, as it dawns it's gone. I took out all trace apps on this because they are useless as you know.
Sent from my Nexus 5
Blacklist it....
Have the carrier "Blacklist" the imei then the pickpocket can not use it other than just parts... He/She may have just turned the phone off, keep on trying, they may try to turn it on to attempt to flash it.... you might also see where it is or has been if your "location history" was set to be "on" look in your google account "dashboard" its down the page a bit "location history"
crachel said:
Obviously it's of no use to Nexus 5 users, but Google has addressed these problems with Android Device Protection that came with 5.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google has become more and more like a regular OEM these past couple updates in regards to holding out on features for no reason at all other than to generate sales on a new device.
Really sorry to your lost, and get a iphone next time
Downloaded Cerberus
dr.eXntriK said:
Unfortunately, the thief had already switched it off and Google cannot locate it because its offline and switched off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me get this straight. You're mad at Google because they don't have the ability to locate your phone that is turned off? Apple can't do that. No manufacturer can do that. It is impossible. The phone is off. Radios, GPS, data, sim. All of that requires power to function.
If it's turned off, there obviously is no way to track it.
In Cerberus, you can disable the ability to turn off the phone while it is locked, as well as quick settings while locked (no airplane mode). This way, the thief has to stay online. It all works without root.
I´m sorry for your loss but you cannot blame Google or LG or anybody else for the lost phone. Let me guess, you´re one of the guys who puts his phone, wallet or other valuable items in his back pocket ? This is a invitation for every scumbag to snatch it...
I use Cerberus and even this App is not 100% safe if the thief knows how to get rid of it. On the other hand, Cerberus can send you a Email with the new SIM details but in order to function properly, your device needs to be rooted.
Better luck next time. I see people on a regular basis who don´t seem to care about losing their stuff.
I like that cerberus can hide itself from the Apps menu. A careless thief might not be aware the app is loaded and running, and taking a SNAPSHOT of his face
Remote wipe is a nice last resort option.
call your carrier or service provider to block your IMEI No or file a police report about stolen phone with IMEI and they will track it when ever thief put any SIM card in it this is the best way to get your phone back provided police & service provider helps you ( there is very thin chance of it )
At least in Germany, the police won´t do anything to track down a stolen phone. You can fill a report but this will only waste your time. There is one exception where the police MIGHT track a stolen phone: You have to be assaulted by the thief and let him beat the living cr*p out of you before he runs away with your phone, wallet etc...
Gorgtech said:
At least in Germany, the police won´t do anything to track down a stolen phone. You can fill a report but this will only waste your time. There is one exception where the police MIGHT track a stolen phone: You have to be assaulted by the thief and let him beat the living cr*p out of you before he runs away with your phone, wallet etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then just get a friend to punch you in the face and thats it... Like in 25th hour lol
This is why I use cataclysm which blocks the power off, reboot, etc menu when secure.
Although if the thief is knowledgeable of holding power for 30 seconds it will reboot but still, not easy to turn off.
jb91 said:
If it's turned off, there obviously is no way to track it.
In Cerberus, you can disable the ability to turn off the phone while it is locked, as well as quick settings while locked (no airplane mode). This way, the thief has to stay online. It all works without root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and if you hold down the power button for 8 (10) seconds? it turns off anyways. hardware level bypass of the software.
Gorgtech said:
I´m sorry for your loss but you cannot blame Google or LG or anybody else for the lost phone. Let me guess, you´re one of the guys who puts his phone, wallet or other valuable items in his back pocket ? This is a invitation for every scumbag to snatch it...
I use Cerberus and even this App is not 100% safe if the thief knows how to get rid of it. On the other hand, Cerberus can send you a Email with the new SIM details but in order to function properly, your device needs to be rooted.
Better luck next time. I see people on a regular basis who don´t seem to care about losing their stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope I keep it safely in my front pocket with my hands in the pocket. But here, the public buses are so overloaded that you cant stand with your hands in your pockets.
The thief found this to be the best opportunity and slipped the phone out of my pocket.
jineshpatel30 said:
call your carrier or service provider to block your IMEI No or file a police report about stolen phone with IMEI and they will track it when ever thief put any SIM card in it this is the best way to get your phone back provided police & service provider helps you ( there is very thin chance of it )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm this sounds like a very good idea. Blocking the IMEI itself. I did lodge a complaint with the police, so I am going to raise a request to block the IMEI as well. But will I be able to unblock it IFFFF I ever get my phone back?
dr.eXntriK said:
Hmmm this sounds like a very good idea. Blocking the IMEI itself. I did lodge a complaint with the police, so I am going to raise a request to block the IMEI as well. But will I be able to unblock it IFFFF I ever get my phone back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yah you will IF YOU OFFICIALLY FILE COMPLAIN to police.. when they track your phone..but i think there will be some legal process u need to follow for claiming it back
If you already lodge a complaint then talk to them freely about blocking & unblocking..they will give you proper details.
---------- Post added at 06:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:08 PM ----------
Gorgtech said:
At least in Germany, the police won´t do anything to track down a stolen phone. You can fill a report but this will only waste your time. There is one exception where the police MIGHT track a stolen phone: You have to be assaulted by the thief and let him beat the living cr*p out of you before he runs away with your phone, wallet etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same case in India also but it's still worth to try...and it's best way to recover if you got lucky with police
I hate it that in lollipop one can enable airplane mode while the device is locked.
Also, the power menu is accessible.
This basically makes the tracker useless.
Enviado do meu Nexus 5
I need a strategy for a Note 9 Snapdragon w/Oreo on Verizon that can be safe from being Pie bombed by terrorist countries such as Google and Verizon, and becoming a POW in the Samsung Qualcomm prison like so many others. Has anyone found a way to successfully defend against their cyber attacks?
Google started the war by invading applications with a policy change that disabled our call history recorded by Automatic Call Recorder that us, and many others, use to track time, and take notes for projects, by not allowing it to read from our address books. We retaliated by side-loading the previous APK and set up a defense perimeter by turning off all automatic application updates. However, they also make nightly raids on our businesses by dropping Pie bombs and locked boot loaders to prevent us from recording our calls to stop and cripple our industries to bring us to our knees. Some have said, while sifting through the rubble after being Pie bombed, that they could still record some calls, if they were not Wi-Fi calls. However, even if true, Wi-Fi calling is often used when Wi-Fi is available, always used by Google Voice, and happens any time you are connected via Wi-Fi and out of range of the towers, such as flights, cruises, and when visiting foreign countries.
It has not escaped my attention that Google applications read our address books when we get a call, displays call history, and like all Trojans, tries to store our address book and personal information on their server. However, Automatic Call Recorder may not read the address book even locally, nor may other apps. There is obviously a two tier justice system. However, as we have seen, it takes time to bring these deep state actors to justice. As Allies, we need to work together to defeat these forces of evil.
Let me know if you have found a way to defend against their Pie bombs, and still retain your stylus. Otherwise my options are to carry a Note 4 with KitKat in the US and two phones when I travel, or give up a stylus, drop Samsung, and buy a phone I don't want to defend myself against the Pie virus, and their next terror weapon, Quirks. Yeah, I know I'll get attacked by their attorneys for leaking the name of their next version of Android, but it's no more Mr. Nice Guy. History has proven that appeasement ends up making the eventual and unavoidable confrontation with evil far more costly every time.
Insincerely,
IT_Architect
That just appears to be a very wordy way of saying you dislike certain features of Android 9 Pie.
Need a Note 9 Snapdragon w/Oreo on Verizon that won't be Pie bombed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's a question of if anyone has found away to prevent Pie from being forced upon them, which disables widely-needed functionality that they depend on, and not even being able to root the phone to get around it, like they can do with other phones, that don't have another desirable feature, a stylus. The rest is a little humor to brighten up people's day.
I'm running Android 9 on my Note 9, and it's great!
Seek professional mental help.
IT_Architect said:
I need a strategy for a Note 9 Snapdragon w/Oreo on Verizon that can be safe from being Pie bombed by terrorist countries such as Google and Verizon, and becoming a POW in the Samsung Qualcomm prison like so many others. Has anyone found a way to successfully defend against their cyber attacks?
Google started the war by invading applications with a policy change that disabled our call history recorded by Automatic Call Recorder that us, and many others, use to track time, and take notes for projects, by not allowing it to read from our address books. We retaliated by side-loading the previous APK and set up a defense perimeter by turning off all automatic application updates. However, they also make nightly raids on our businesses by dropping Pie bombs and locked boot loaders to prevent us from recording our calls to stop and cripple our industries to bring us to our knees. Some have said, while sifting through the rubble after being Pie bombed, that they could still record some calls, if they were not Wi-Fi calls. However, even if true, Wi-Fi calling is often used when Wi-Fi is available, always used by Google Voice, and happens any time you are connected via Wi-Fi and out of range of the towers, such as flights, cruises, and when visiting foreign countries.
It has not escaped my attention that Google applications read our address books when we get a call, displays call history, and like all Trojans, tries to store our address book and personal information on their server. However, Automatic Call Recorder may not read the address book even locally, nor may other apps. There is obviously a two tier justice system. However, as we have seen, it takes time to bring these deep state actors to justice. As Allies, we need to work together to defeat these forces of evil.
Let me know if you have found a way to defend against their Pie bombs, and still retain your stylus. Otherwise my options are to carry a Note 4 with KitKat in the US and two phones when I travel, or give up a stylus, drop Samsung, and buy a phone I don't want to defend myself against the Pie virus, and their next terror weapon, Quirks. Yeah, I know I'll get attacked by their attorneys for leaking the name of their next version of Android, but it's no more Mr. Nice Guy. History has proven that appeasement ends up making the eventual and unavoidable confrontation with evil far more costly every time.
Insincerely,
IT_Architect
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Install Adhell 3 you can freeze system apps! So there is no way you can get Pie bombed!
N1NJATH3ORY said:
Install Adhell 3 you can freeze system apps! So there is no way you can get Pie bombed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks tons for your reply. I saw reference to Adhell 3 on another thread, as well as packagedisabler, and adb. I'm more confident that I don't need to give up on the Note series and stylus.
My next thoughts go toward whether to buy the USA unlocked or Verizon model. The "USA Unlocked" bands, according to TechWalls, seem to be a superset of Verizon's, and doesn't have the permanently installed software from Verizon, of which Message+ is the only one we use AFAIK. OTOH, I've heard of issues with Wi-Fi calling and band aggregation on the Verizon network if one doesn't use Verizon's phones, that some say can be worked around by flashing. We don't foresee a reason to leave Verizon but the extra FDD LTE B14, B30, B71, and TDD LTE B46, could prove useful, especially B71. I would be interested in your perspectives on this decision.
Thanks again!
N1NJATH3ORY said:
Install Adhell 3 you can freeze system apps! So there is no way you can get Pie bombed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, as there is no way to generate a new key any longer unless for SEAP partners, Adhell3 should not be considered as an option.
raul6 said:
Unfortunately, as there is no way to generate a new key any longer unless for SEAP partners, Adhell3 should not be considered as an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a method that still works?
IT_Architect said:
Is there a method that still works?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, adb route or using package disabler app
For what it's worth, I've successfully disabled the update on several unlocked devices using ADB. However, Verizon's version has a different update system and managed to force the update after 2 months of disabling Software Update and System Updates. Maybe someone can shed light on all the apps that need to be disabled on the Verizon version to prevent the update.
raul6 said:
Yes, adb route or using package disabler app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks tons! I needed to know that.
Guyinlaca said:
For what it's worth, I've successfully disabled the update on several unlocked devices using ADB. However, Verizon's version has a different update system and managed to force the update after 2 months of disabling Software Update and System Updates. Maybe someone can shed light on all the apps that need to be disabled on the Verizon version to prevent the update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will need a solid solution for that. That would be a catastrophe for us and business and customers who are asking us. Call recordings are extensively used by IT, Attorneys, and CPAs to record and invoice their time, and for engineers discussing projects so they don't have to keep interfering with the conversation to write things down. The send them so none of the content or tone of the conversations are lost. For property managers, they get calls all the time for things that need to be fixed, and they simply send the file to the guy that is doing the fixing so nothing gets lost. It needs to be automatic. When a conversation starts, you don't know before it starts if it needs to be recorded. It's even good for just people wanting to bring another family member up to speed about a conversation instead of trying to remember everything. Going from Oreo to Pie blows up critical business processes.
If we don't find a solid solution, we will replace Note 3s with Note 4s, KitKat, and root, and share a couple iPhones for out of country assignments. For customers, it will be the iPhone if Android can't bring them anything useful that the iPhone doesn't.
IT_Architect said:
Thanks tons! I needed to know that.
I will need a solid solution for that. That would be a catastrophe for us and business and customers who are asking us. Call recordings are extensively used by IT, Attorneys, and CPAs to record and invoice their time, and for engineers discussing projects so they don't have to keep interfering with the conversation to write things down. The send them so none of the content or tone of the conversations are lost. For property managers, they get calls all the time for things that need to be fixed, and they simply send the file to the guy that is doing the fixing so nothing gets lost. It needs to be automatic. When a conversation starts, you don't know before it starts if it needs to be recorded. It's even good for just people wanting to bring another family member up to speed about a conversation instead of trying to remember everything. Going from Oreo to Pie blows up critical business processes.
If we don't find a solid solution, we will replace Note 3s with Note 4s, KitKat, and root, and share a couple iPhones for out of country assignments. For customers, it will be the iPhone if Android can't bring them anything useful that the iPhone doesn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash the pie cp(modem) file or any other version update CP file and you wont have to worry about Pie update ever. The update server will just classify your device as being on the latest update no matter what version of Oreo you're on.
Just use Odin to flash the CP file for your device. Only takes a few seconds.
Jammol said:
Flash the pie cp(modem) file or any other version update CP file and you wont have to worry about Pie update ever. The update server will just classify your device as being on the latest update no matter what version of Oreo you're on. Just use Odin to flash the CP file for your device. Only takes a few seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may buy a one and try that. I'm thinking about buying the Verizon phone because I don't want trouble with Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE, aggregation, etc. Does it matter if I buy the Verizon or the US Unlocked?
Thanks!
IT_Architect said:
I may buy a one and try that. I'm thinking about buying the Verizon phone because I don't want trouble with Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE, aggregation, etc. Does it matter if I buy the Verizon or the US Unlocked?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't matter. They are all the same exact device. Only difference is software.
Jammol said:
It doesn't matter. They are all the same exact device. Only difference is software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts are about two things:
1. Will Verizon discriminate because the IMEI was not sold by Verizon? I see threads about Verizon not being allowed on, or not having access to VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, band aggregation, etc.
2. The attraction of the US Unlocked version is it has a superset of Verizon's bands and comes with the following bands that the Verizon version does not:
3G CDMA Diversity: BC0(800), BC1(1900), BC10(800)
4G FDD LTE: B14(700), B30(2300), B71 (600MHz)
4G TDD LTE: B46(5200)
I'm not sure how Verizon treats Unlocked Phones and WiFi Calling.
I can tell you that we have three U.S. Unlocked phones on AT&T and Oreo... WiFi Calling is not available on any of them (i.e. options to turn WiFi Calling on/off is not available/exposed in menus). I think some people have installed an AT&T ROM on their Unlocked Phones and WiFi Calling became available, along with AT&T bloat though
JohnNadeau said:
I'm not sure how Verizon treats Unlocked Phones and WiFi Calling. I can tell you that we have three U.S. Unlocked phones on AT&T and Oreo... WiFi Calling is not available on any of them (i.e. options to turn WiFi Calling on/off is not available/exposed in menus). I think some people have installed an AT&T ROM on their Unlocked Phones and WiFi Calling became available, along with AT&T bloat though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, there we go! Those are exactly the kind of traps I'm concerned about, and historically have been an issue. Then I would like to submit the following objectives and plan to accomplish these objectives to scrutiny by the group:
Objectives:
1. Guarantee the ability to be accepted on the Verizon network.
2. Preserve Oreo in order to be able to do normal call recording.
3. Insure access to the network features VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, and band aggregation
4. Be able to successfully replace the Verizon SIM with and use the SIM of a foreign carrier when I travel abroad.
Plan:
A. Buy a Verizon-branded Note 9 phone with Oreo to ensure the IMEI is accepted with no hassles and the firmware already installed with the proven ability to access to all features of the Verizon network such as VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, and band aggregation.
B. Flash the Verizon version of the Pie cp(modem) file to disable updates to Pie. (I assume that in order to not mess up the plan, I need to use the Verizon Pie cp(modem) file, rather than the US Unlocked Pie cp(modem) file that supports a superset of the Verizon's bands?)
C. Install Package Disabler Pro+ for an additional layer of protection against a Pie upgrade.
Thanks!
IT_Architect said:
Ah, there we go! Those are exactly the kind of traps I'm concerned about, and historically have been an issue. Then I would like to submit the following objectives and plan to accomplish these objectives to scrutiny by the group:
Objectives:
1. Guarantee the ability to be accepted on the Verizon network.
2. Preserve Oreo in order to be able to do normal call recording.
3. Insure access to the network features VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, and band aggregation
4. Be able to successfully replace the Verizon SIM with and use the SIM of a foreign carrier when I travel abroad.
Plan:
A. Buy a Verizon-branded Note 9 phone with Oreo to ensure the IMEI is accepted with no hassles and the firmware already installed with the proven ability to access to all features of the Verizon network such as VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, and band aggregation.
B. Flash the Verizon version of the Pie cp(modem) file to disable updates to Pie. (I assume that in order to not mess up the plan, I need to use the Verizon Pie cp(modem) file, rather than the US Unlocked Pie cp(modem) file that supports a superset of the Verizon's bands?)
C. Install Package Disabler Pro+ for an additional layer of protection against a Pie upgrade.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like a good plan!
I'll be interested in your results.
raul6 said:
Unfortunately, as there is no way to generate a new key any longer unless for SEAP partners, Adhell3 should not be considered as an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh man that sucks bigtime! it's like Samsung want's us to root our phones! and trip knox! My key is going to expire real soon
N1NJATH3ORY said:
Unfortunately, as there is no way to generate a new key any longer unless for SEAP partners, Adhell3 should not be considered as an option....
Ahh man that sucks bigtime! it's like Samsung want's us to root our phones! and trip knox! My key is going to expire real soon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We appreciate your optimism. It means after your key expires, you can't use it, nor can you root the newer Samsung phones.