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Greetings everyone.
Ill just start off with asking the question: How many of you give 2nd, 3rd or nth thoughts about using a rooted (or, rooted and ROM'd) phone?
Now, let me explain why I am asking this question.
Earlier this week, my Google account was broken into. The attacker mass-emailed everyone on my contact list a link to a Viagra ad, of all things. It could have been worse, since my contacts and emails were left in-tact. In a furious, chaotic, post-incident rush, I was scrambling in an attempt to figure out how they obtained my password. At the time of this writing, I have come up with nothing. The first thing I thought, naturally, was a worm/trojan/virus on my PC. Several anti-virus / anti-malware / anti-root-kit scans proved to be clean.
So, I turned my sleuthing efforts towards my phone -- a Samsung Captivate, which had been rooted and ROM'd to Captivate 3.04. I had Lookout installed the entire time, and I have been using Cognition ROMs since late December of 2010. In assuming the worst, I nuked my phone, reverted back to stock and re-rooted and re-ROM'd. While rooting my phone, my virus scanner pleasantly informed me that the One Click rooting solution contained an exploit (Lotoor, I believe). Now, I completely understand that its necessary to use these exploits in order to gain access. However, it kinda got me thinking -- what else could be going into the phone that I dont know about?
Note that all ROMs and Rooters were obtained from links available from this website. I did not get them from "shady" locations.
I am realistic about this. I download and install applications from the internet frequently. I put a some faith in my virus scanners / anti-malware applications. This little incident, however, is making me a little more skeptical about what applications I run, as its difficult and time consuming to monitor every application for "phone home" activities.
The bottom line is that I do not want to sound like that I am placing blame on any of the Cognition developers (or any ROM developer). In fact, I am probably going to donate to them because the 3.04 version finally allowed me to use my GPS normally. I honestly feel like I have a smart phone now, as everything works as it should and the phone is alot snappier compared to the stock version. I am saying this even after I tried out the official Samsung Kies Froyo update, which still leaves me hanging for GPS service.
And yes, I completely understand that I could have very well downloaded something on the Android market that was infected. Even though I did not download any of the applications mentioned on the latest hotlist (really, I just dont care about "screaming sexy Japanese girls"), I could have obtained an undiscovered beast. It could also be the case that I have something on my PC that scanners just arent picking up. I may never know.
Where do you all stand on this issue? Do most ROM creators have more than one set of eyes looking at the packages that get deployed, or is that too unpractical?
Thanks in advance!
(P.S. I have searched the forum and looked at the suggested links before posting. I just didnt find anything that quenched my thirst)
nope 10 chars
Mobile security is becoming a concern and should be. Regardless of stock or rooted, there is a risk.
I don't bank on my phone, use my 'real' gmail or put sensitive info on my phone. Mobile is becoming a huge platform to mine information from.
qwertyaas said:
Mobile security is becoming a concern and should be. Regardless of stock or rooted, there is a risk.
I don't bank on my phone, use my 'real' gmail or put sensitive info on my phone. Mobile is becoming a huge platform to mine information from.
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Isn't that the truth? I definitely have not done any mobile banking over mobile, and I don't think that I ever will. Its just scary that the attacker probably could have dug up more information about me in my emails than I care to think about.
I switched over to Google's 2-step verification system, so hopefully that will deter future attempts. Notice how I didnt say "prevent," as I dont think anything can actually stop a determined attacker short of getting rid of the phone and my gmail account. Obviously, if my phone falls into the wrong hands, I could be potentially hosed.
Check this out
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/06/google-flips-android-kill-switch-destroys-a-batch-of-malicious/
cappysw10 said:
Check this out
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/06/google-flips-android-kill-switch-destroys-a-batch-of-malicious/
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Dilli already released a fix for this vulnerability for his 7.0 ROM. Maybe u cud get a similar one on ur custom ROM too.
While your concerns are rational and I await the answers, I believe they are borne out of a false understanding of what happened to you. When a spam e-mail is sent "from" your e-mail account it is not always the case that the attacker has gained access to your machine or your e-mail account. Most e-mail spam is sent via smtp "spoofing" whereby an attacker can make an e-mail look like it is from anyone else. These are done by automated scripts that can find and/or generate random "from" e-mails and then send to other recipients that have been found or randomly generated. If many of your friends received the e-mail, it IS POSSIBLE your computer or account was compromised, or that other friends' accounts have been compromised such that the automated spam bot gained access to a similar address book to yours.
Just wanted to let you know that you may not have been compromised.
Anyway, I too, am interested in the vulnerabilities of these custom ROMS.
sircaper said:
While your concerns are rational and I await the answers, I believe they are borne out of a false understanding of what happened to you. When a spam e-mail is sent "from" your e-mail account it is not always the case that the attacker has gained access to your machine or your e-mail account. Most e-mail spam is sent via smtp "spoofing" whereby an attacker can make an e-mail look like it is from anyone else. These are done by automated scripts that can find and/or generate random "from" e-mails and then send to other recipients that have been found or randomly generated. If many of your friends received the e-mail, it IS POSSIBLE your computer or account was compromised, or that other friends' accounts have been compromised such that the automated spam bot gained access to a similar address book to yours.
Just wanted to let you know that you may not have been compromised.
Anyway, I too, am interested in the vulnerabilities of these custom ROMS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He said the email was sent to every one if his contacts. He was compromised.
That said. Use a secondary junk gmail account if at all possible on your phone. Don't install any app that asks for stupid permissions. Be very leary of any app that wants internet access regardless of who developed it. Android virus scanners are a joke, do not trust them.
P.s. "(really, I just dont care about "screaming sexy Japanese girls")" = blasphemy
whiteguypl said:
He said the email was sent to every one if his contacts. He was compromised.
That said. Use a secondary junk gmail account if at all possible on your phone. Don't install any app that asks for stupid permissions. Be very leary of any app that wants internet access regardless of who developed it. Android virus scanners are a joke, do not trust them.
P.s. "(really, I just dont care about "screaming sexy Japanese girls")" = blasphemy
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Click to collapse
Point taken. I don't disagree, but the odds say no. I figured he was using hyperbole and didn't really validate with every single person in his address book. The majority of spam e-mails are via spoofing.
sircaper said:
While your concerns are rational and I await the answers, I believe they are borne out of a false understanding of what happened to you. When a spam e-mail is sent "from" your e-mail account it is not always the case that the attacker has gained access to your machine or your e-mail account. Most e-mail spam is sent via smtp "spoofing" whereby an attacker can make an e-mail look like it is from anyone else. These are done by automated scripts that can find and/or generate random "from" e-mails and then send to other recipients that have been found or randomly generated. If many of your friends received the e-mail, it IS POSSIBLE your computer or account was compromised, or that other friends' accounts have been compromised such that the automated spam bot gained access to a similar address book to yours.
Just wanted to let you know that you may not have been compromised.
Anyway, I too, am interested in the vulnerabilities of these custom ROMS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input.
As much as I would like to believe it was spoofed (and inherently making me feel better at the same time), I can say with a high degree of certainty that whoever did this had my password. How can I be somewhat sure of this? The "recent activity" list on gmail.com had an entry from a web browser access in Brazil. I do not have a proxy in Brazil, nor have I traveled there in.. well... ever. Also, the recipients' email headers claimed the email originated from gmail.com. Now, you're completely right that this part could have been spoofed, but I am not so sure about the first part. Upon doing some research, I've found that alot of other people who also had their accounts compromised had the same log entries and same origin in the email headers sent to the recipients.
Digression. Anyways, what they did is not as important as how they did it. Even to this day I am not sure. I really dont want to place blame on the ROM, because honestly the Cognition people did a fantastic job with it.
Bottom line is that I was curious as to everyone's security concerns, or lack thereof, when using custom ROMs.
How can you tell if your phone has been infected? What are some of the signs?
Hondo209 said:
How can you tell if your phone has been infected? What are some of the signs?
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Well, I am no expert in this area, but the first place to look would be at an anti-virus, anti-malware application (such as Lookout). However, that probably wont do you any good if the virus/trojan/worm/whatever is still unknown.
Second place you might want to look is at your data usage. Excessive amounts might indicate something is up.
Other than that, maybe one of the sure-fire ways is to see which system files have changed and how. For some reason, a software package like Tripwire comes to mind. Although, I dont know how useful something like that would be on a mobile device.
Someone much more versed in this topic should have some better ideas
EggplantWizard said:
Thanks for the input.
As much as I would like to believe it was spoofed (and inherently making me feel better at the same time), I can say with a high degree of certainty that whoever did this had my password. How can I be somewhat sure of this? The "recent activity" list on gmail.com had an entry from a web browser access in Brazil. I do not have a proxy in Brazil, nor have I traveled there in.. well... ever. Also, the recipients' email headers claimed the email originated from gmail.com. Now, you're completely right that this part could have been spoofed, but I am not so sure about the first part. Upon doing some research, I've found that alot of other people who also had their accounts compromised had the same log entries and same origin in the email headers sent to the recipients.
Digression. Anyways, what they did is not as important as how they did it. Even to this day I am not sure. I really dont want to place blame on the ROM, because honestly the Cognition people did a fantastic job with it.
Bottom line is that I was curious as to everyone's security concerns, or lack thereof, when using custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.. Interesting.... I may take back my argument then!
As far as the concerns? I am also on Cognition 3.04 and up until now, I brushed aside the security issues. I had concerns, but hoped the community was strong enough to expose them. There definitely is an inherent risk downloading files authored by the developers. I know that some of them add in their own signature files just to track the programs and see if they are being altered. I'm not sure what can be done. Maybe you can run the ROM zips through a virus scanner on your pc before installing?
whiteguypl said:
P.s. "(really, I just dont care about "screaming sexy Japanese girls")" = blasphemy
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HA! Now that's just funny.
sircaper said:
I figured he was using hyperbole and didn't really validate with every single person in his address book.
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Well, I didnt validate with *every* single person in my address book, but I talked with a few that I speak with on a daily basis. They all had the same headers originating from gmail.com
Although, I do have to admit that one of the bizarre after-effects of such a compromise is that I have been "reunited" with people I haven't spoken to in a very long time. Take the good with the bad, I suppose.
I agree that security is a concern especially so when one is rooted. There are so many things to take into account. Even using wifi hotspots where hackers can hijack your logged in sessions whether it be Gmail, websites or banking. There are other methods where they can intercept packets with password and account information. For myself, I try and keep antivirus apps like Lookout running and scan often as well as am very cautious as to what hotspots I connect to. It doesnt look like your virus scanner helped you much. However, there may the possibility that you received malware on your PC where you may also be checking gmail from and it spoofed your account using information from there. Its all a guessing game though as there is probably no way to tell how this happened to you. I'd be thankful that it was just an ad that was sent out and nothing more serious came as a result...and change my passwords damn fast (lol)
Oh yeah, I only use wifi networks that I know. I don't log onto public wireless or random networks...
im a happy nexus 7 owner but im wondering how i can protect my nexus private data or even FB or TW from other people, in my phone i use avast so i can "delete" all data by sms, but i cant do this on my nexus, i was thinking use "pattern" or pin unlock screen, but its annoying doing this on every time i want unlock my screen, i was thinking on apps that put password on selected apps, but again maybe this could be annoying, and maybe someone with a little skill can use ADB or uninstall TB and re install and delete "data" from the app who its protecting (im rooted) so im wondering its other way to protect my nexus 7? i guess this are the best but im wondering if its other way that i didint know.
Thanks
Cerberus app
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
ateebtk said:
Cerberus app
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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+1 for Cerberus.
I use it on my nexus 7 and my att Samsung galaxy s ii. It can remotely wipe your device, lock it, track it via GPS even if you don't have GPS on, set off alarms, take pictures and video from the camera, and many other things. It is 110% worth it. I recommend it highly.
patriot720 said:
+1 for Cerberus.
I use it on my nexus 7 and my att Samsung galaxy s ii. It can remotely wipe your device, lock it, track it via GPS even if you don't have GPS on, set off alarms, take pictures and video from the camera, and many other things. It is 110% worth it. I recommend it highly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any noticeable effects on performance and battery life?
Lookout App.
Cerberus is a life saver! When both my Galaxy Nexus and my wallet were stolen in a restaurant I could track my mobile using a friend's phone within 2 mins after noticing the theft. I directed the police to the shop based on Cerberus' tracking and eventually got both my mobile and my wallet back within 15 mins after the call.
The issue with tracking a tablet without 3G is that you will only see it once it's logged into a wireless network rather than on the go. You'd also need to activate a pin which could be deactivated at home by an app like Tasker.
I suggest you also use Avast to scan for malware and as second protection which could survive a factory reset but not a new rom.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Yeah I'm testing thanks I will check seems kind of better than avast, not sure if this app will survive to factory reset, custom recovery should have password or something xD the bad it's nexus 7 doesn't had 3g u.u oh well thanks all
Enviado desde mi HTC One X
zen kun said:
i was thinking use "pattern" or pin unlock screen, but its annoying doing this on every time i want unlock my screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Protection is sometimes not convenient, but if you don't have a code lock your device is wide open to whom ever picks it up.
Pattern or Pin Lock
When I am out, I use a pattern lock on all devices. If I am home for the weekend, I turn it off however it is turned back on before I leave the house.
Cerberus
I use this on my Nexus and it works good. You do need to have a WiFi connection which limits it greatly since I never allow my device to connect to a public WiFi... but with the lock out, 5 tries and the device locks.
Backups
While the data is fairly secure, losing the data and even perhaps more important the time and effort setting up the device in the first place, means that using a good backup and having that available OFF the device so that if it is lost/stolen/destroyed, I can simply re-root and then restore and have it back to where I was when the backup was made. I do full backups every Sun.. and other occasionally when I make big changes.
Two Factor Authentication
When Possible, use 2-Factor authentication. If you not using it, you should look into it.
Check out the app Android Lost on the play store.
It securely links with your gmail account and does not do any polling to servers so it saves your battery.
When you lose your phone it allows you to do many many things such as activate an alarm, track using gps or wifi, take a picture with the front or rear camera, wipe the phone or lock it and many more features. All remotely.
Best part is its free and has a minimal footprint on device.
Check it out!
Run L1ke H3LL said:
Check out the app Android Lost on the play store.
It securely links with your gmail account and does not do any polling to servers so it saves your battery.
When you lose your phone it allows you to do many many things such as activate an alarm, track using gps or wifi, take a picture with the front or rear camera, wipe the phone or lock it and many more features. All remotely.
Best part is its free and has a minimal footprint on device.
Check it out!
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Click to collapse
The Nexus 7 is not a phone, so it doesn't by default it doesn't have SMS, it by itself has no 3G/4G communications. The only way you can talk to it is via WiFi.
I use Android Lost on all my phones... but since my phone uses the same same gmail account, it can't control the Nexus, hence the use of Cerberus.
is cerberus better than where's my droid?
krelvinaz said:
The Nexus 7 is not a phone, so it doesn't by default it doesn't have SMS, it by itself has no 3G/4G communications. The only way you can talk to it is via WiFi.
I use Android Lost on all my phones... but since my phone uses the same same gmail account, it can't control the Nexus, hence the use of Cerberus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use my Nexus tethered to my phone so it uses WiFi. I suppose if I lost it would still connect to the WiFi networks in my area and I could locate it by those methods. My cable company provides public WiFi which is ubiquitous so 90% of the time if I'm not tethered I have data.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
hoponpop said:
is cerberus better than where's my droid?
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Click to collapse
Much better.
---------- Post added at 12:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:10 AM ----------
nyijedi said:
Any noticeable effects on performance and battery life?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None at all.
If u really want to protect ur data, I suggest don't root the device and encrypt the entire tablet. Then set up a PIN to unlock. Security often means you have to give up some convenience at times but the reward is satisfying.
Also like some one already suggested use 2-factor auth for FB and make sure u deprovision the tablet account when u find it lost or stolen.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I use seek droid for my phones, but purchased cerberus with my gift moolah and am happy with its performance and have also installed it on my Acer a500. The Developer is active with the community and has beta releases that fix some of the JB bugs.
So how secure is the Cerberus site? What's the dev's credentials in IT security? Is he just some dude with an app?
In signing up for this, you're putting the ability to remote-wipe/track/spy your online life into some dude's hands. You're paying him 3 bucks and hope he can keep it secure. Can he? In mitigating one risk (device theft), you're incurring a new risk of having your device remote wiped, or being spied upon, if the site gets hacked. Good trade-off?
With a one-time fee of $3, I don't see that much incentive for the dev to continuously maintain security, assuming he even has the expertise. It's his hobby, not his livelihood.
From a cursory inspection of the Cerberus site and its support forum, I don't see the word "security" or "2-factor authentication" anywhere.
Ditto SeekDroid or any similar app.
e.mote said:
So how secure is the Cerberus site? What's the dev's credentials in IT security? Is he just some dude with an app?
In signing up for this, you're putting the ability to remote-wipe/track/spy your online life into some dude's hands. You're paying him 3 bucks and hope he can keep it secure. Can he? In mitigating one risk (device theft), you're incurring a new risk of having your device remote wiped, or being spied upon, if the site gets hacked. Good trade-off?
With a one-time fee of $3, I don't see that much incentive for the dev to continuously maintain security, assuming he even has the expertise. It's his hobby, not his livelihood.
From a cursory inspection of the Cerberus site and its support forum, I don't see the word "security" or "2-factor authentication" anywhere.
Ditto SeekDroid or any similar app.
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Have to somewhat agree with the sentiment here.. that said, I'm presently using the Cerberus demo on my N7 and it appears quit good.... would prefer this to have been a mainstream vendor product ....
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Seek droid, and I think I only paid $.99
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
They have some really good reviews on their web site. And from very qualified sources,check it out. I just installed Cerberus and tested out great.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
>They have some really good reviews on their web site. And from very qualified sources,check it out. I just installed Cerberus and tested out great.
Yes, very qualified. Hahah.
Here's a "review" maybe you should read. It's by Cerberus itself (emphasis added). Welcome to spyware.
https://www.cerberusapp.com/privacy.php
THE INFORMATION LSDROID COLLECTS
REGISTRATION INFORMATION: You provide to LSDroid certain personally-identifiable information (such as device ID number, wireless operator / operator, your name, email address, etc.) when choosing to subscribe to the LSDroid Services.
LOCATION INFORMATION: To provide the LSDroid Services, we derive location information from your wireless operator, certain third-party service providers, or directly from the mobile device that you used to register with the LSDroid Services. This location tracking of your mobile device may occur even when the LSDroid Services mobile application is not actively open and running, but your location is being securely transmitted and logged in accordance with your privacy and opt-in settings.
COOKIES, PERSISTENT FILE INFORMATION: When you use the LSDroid Services, we may send one or more cookies (small text files containing a string of alphanumeric characters) to your computer. LSDroid may use both session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie disappears after you close your browser. A persistent cookie remains after you close your web browser and may be used by us during your subsequent visits to the LSDroid Web site. Persistent cookies set by the LSDroid Web site can be removed. Please review your web browser "Help" file to learn the proper way to modify your cookie settings.
LOG FILE INFORMATION: When you use the LSDroid Services, our servers automatically record certain information about your usage from your mobile device and web browser. These server securely logs may include information such as a mobile device identification number and device identifier, web requests, Internet Protocol ("IP") address, browser type, browser language, referring / exit pages and URLs, platform type, number of clicks, domain names, landing pages, pages viewed and the order of those pages, features used in the LSDroid mobile application, the amount of time spent on particular web pages, the dates and times of your requests, and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser.
So, there have been a ton of complaints about the facebook app on windows phone 8. Am I missing something? Why would anyone put an app on thier WP8 phone, when the People Hub ties all that together? I don't even have a facebook app installed, because everything I need to do is done from the hub.I can post an update, check in, see my notifications, whats new specific to my stuff or my friends that I have grouped exclusive.
So what am I missing?
Nothing. Some people are not used to having working things out of the box, so they just download apps to replace what the system already does.
My point exactly. I would even go much more further, I would ban all FB, Twitter... apps from the market since they r not needed at all. Instead, I would want some RDP apps for free, also some good database apps etc...
Good! I thought it was just me! Thanks guys.
Sent from my wicked sexy HTC 8X windows phone using Board Express
There is quite some functionality in the Apps though that is not available in the Hub. It's conversation views in Twitter or Groups in Facebook. If you use those Features you can't rely on the People Hub alone.
StevieBallz said:
There is quite some functionality in the Apps though that is not available in the Hub. It's conversation views in Twitter or Groups in Facebook. If you use those Features you can't rely on the People Hub alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Groups in facebook? Isn't that the same as Groups in the stock app? I don't do twitter, so cant answer to that. But still have found more functionality as well as easier interface when using the stock app on the phone.
I think OP has to look at things way wider. Maybe you just treat your phone more personal...
1)Facebook app can allow me lend my friend/families the phone and he can have a quick look at his facebook. (more social)
2)Facebook allow me to take control of another account I own( not saying about pages though, not sure WP8 facebook app can allow users to manage the page we owned)
3)respond to friend request.
4)As for myself, I have subscribe to many funny pages and news ones, the endless timeline give me look at what I have missed unlike the facebook/twitter integration,it does limits certain number of news/tweets and we can't scroll down after that.
I think these are the things you missing, might be more when compare to facebook apps on other platform since facebook app on wp has lesser feature.
sylau90 said:
I think OP has to look at things way wider. Maybe you just treat your phone more personal...
1)Facebook app can allow me lend my friend/families the phone and he can have a quick look at his facebook. (more social)
2)Facebook allow me to take control of another account I own( not saying about pages though, not sure WP8 facebook app can allow users to manage the page we owned)
3)respond to friend request.
4)As for myself, I have subscribe to many funny pages and news ones, the endless timeline give me look at what I have missed unlike the facebook/twitter integration,it does limits certain number of news/tweets and we can't scroll down after that.
I think these are the things you missing, might be more when compare to facebook apps on other platform since facebook app on wp has lesser feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, my friends are goofballs. If I let them have access to my phone, I get crazy posts on FB, and my profile picture suddenly changes to a crotch picture. So, no one gets to screw with my phone except the better half (and now Jr thanks to Kids Corner). But then again, I do the same to them!
And I don't have more than 1 facebook account, but I see where you can add accounts, so maybe someone who has two accounts can try to add an account under thier different one? Might allow it, although, I think it would merge the two, which could become confusing.
And I have not noticed friend requests, so will have to see if I get one recently and see how that works.
I see where your coming from, guess since I am not a power user I don't utilize all the capabilities that FB has, nor the native / 3rd party app.
Thanks for clarifying, FINALLY some one did! Thanks!
Groups are not the same as WP Groups (well, something similar exists with the lists Feature but that's an entirely different Topic).
Facebook Groups can have members and have there own pin wall, calendar, etc. You can use them e.g. to bundle all the Information on a certain Topic like e.g. when you are part of a certain Club. To my knowledge I can't Access those from the People Hub.
I'm only using two of them but those pretty frequentlly. There are other Features not used by everyone but rather important to others that are not available in the People Hub.
Thanks for the info!
Sent from my wicked sexy HTC 8X windows phone using Board Express
It's missing a lot of the interaction you'd get from the website or a third-party app, for instance:
The messaging app does not pick up Facebook message threads, for one (Just chats).
You can't edit your own status updates.
You can't friend/unfriend people.
The Facebook People Hub is meant more for getting the basic info on people that you have on your contacts list and to keep them in the loop on you. That's it. I think these limitations are by design.
Good evening gentlemen,
Thanks for taking a look at my problem.
Basically I need something like DeskSMS for Android but for my windows phone (Nokia Lumia 820). The reason is the mother of my son (ex) is being a pain in the ass and "doesn't have an email" but I need to be able to record and send communications and be able to save them. Also thumbing my phone for hours trying to type out an email (via SMS texts) is a huge pain in the ass.
The solution would be a nice little app like DeskSMS or whatever else... instead of fighting her I could just type things out fast with that and after a few texts I'm sure she'd come around to my way of thinking without having to debate it (i.e. texts are not for formal conversations).
So... now I've let you into my strange little world perhaps you could help me? How to send texts from a browser (through my Windows phone)... any suggestions? I'm open to solutions!
Many mobile operators used to (and possibly still do) allow you to send email to an address that's something like <phonenumber>@<carriername>.com or similar. Not elegant, and I'm not sure how well it handles larger messages, but it used to work.
Otherwise, you may be in a bit of difficulty... I believe third-party WP8 apps are not permitted to send SMS directly (because of the risk of malware texting premium services, one of several popular tactics for Android malware). It's quaint and antiquated, but does she have fax? Otherwise, there's always the option of recorded telephone calls, though those can be a pain to transcribe.
TYVM
GoodDayToDie said:
Many mobile operators used to (and possibly still do) allow you to send email to an address that's something like <phonenumber>@<carriername>.com or similar. Not elegant, and I'm not sure how well it handles larger messages, but it used to work.
Otherwise, you may be in a bit of difficulty... I believe third-party WP8 apps are not permitted to send SMS directly (because of the risk of malware texting premium services, one of several popular tactics for Android malware). It's quaint and antiquated, but does she have fax? Otherwise, there's always the option of recorded telephone calls, though those can be a pain to transcribe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some good thinking here especially about emailing her to her phone using <phonenumber>@<carriername>.com which I'll have a look into. I think she uses an iPhone too so seems ludicrous that she doesn't use her email (I don't know but guess you probably have to have one to have an apple account).
As you have guessed though I was hoping for something slick and polished and didn't realise third-party WP8 apps aren't permitted to send SMS directly. Thank you for helping me.
Frustrating really because I don't feel it's reasonable to demand she use a form of communication if she doesn't want to (this is hypothetical I think she must use email! maybe she really doesn't... she never was very tech... who doesn't use email?). I guess I'll have to think about writing an old fashioned letter maybe... god? has it come to this!
EDIT - just noticed I could email a conversation from whatsapp so maybe that's the answer.
Hi everyone, just got my N3 last night and I am pretty excited about it.
I am a long time Mac Rumors member and my past phones have been ...... JB 3g, JB 3gs, JB 4, JB 4s
I am very upset with the tiny screens on my iphones and I refuse to wait another year for the 6 to come out.
So now I am a 1st time Android user and what to really check out the Android scene.
What are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away? (different keyboards, apps, etc)
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
edit: does Google Play offer any rebates/coupons/freebies for newly purchased devices?
Hey I would use smart switch to get your things from iPhone to your new phone but that is after you have it activated
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
XiphoneUzer said:
Hi everyone, just got my N3 last night and I am pretty excited about it.
I am a long time Mac Rumors member and my past phones have been ...... JB 3g, JB 3gs, JB 4, JB 4s
I am very upset with the tiny screens on my iphones and I refuse to wait another year for the 6 to come out.
So now I am a 1st time Android user and what to really check out the Android scene.
My N3 arrived Wednesday evening, and it's STILL not activated, (and its killing me).
The reason being, I wanna know if there is anything I should do BEFORE I call ATT and activate it.
(I do NOT want to close any windows, so is there is anything you folks recommend I do before I activate it)?
Once activated, what are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away?
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
edit: does Google Play offer any rebates/coupons/freebies for newly purchased devices?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by call ATT and activate it? All you have to do is put your SIM card in and it is ready to go with a few account setups. After that it is up to you except for rooting and modding. Cant be done right now without voiding your warranty.
First thing you do is scratch off the att emblem since they locked the bootloader
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
XiphoneUzer said:
Once activated, what are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away?
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
XiphoneUzer said:
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the keyboard, i prefer the google keyboard over the samsung one. It provides functionality similar to the iphone and is easy to switch between the iphone and android if you use them both in daily life.
As for apps, here is a small list of apps i like to have on all of my devices.
GOOGLE CHROME. Its much better than the built in browser and is able to synchronize with my desktop browsers favorites, etc.
Skype: Perfect for if you are travelling over seas at all with your device.
Google Hangouts: A good replacement for the built in SMS app.
Facebook & Twitter: If you need an explanation, you shouldn't be useing these apps.
Battery Doctor by KS Mobile: Simple app, but is helpful to save battery life and know exactly how much you have left.
Google Music: I have most of my library stored on google so it makes my life easy to have this.
Google Books: The book equivalent of my music library. Syncronizes what i have read across devices and browsers.
Kindle for Android: For the ebooks you buy on amazon.
Google Keep: Great for taking quick notes and having them on all your devices.
Dropbox: Great cloud file storage. Comes with free storage and you can pay to get more.
Google Drive: Google version of dropbox.
MX Player: This video player will play any video format you throw at it.
Google Maps: A must have for all smartphone users.
Zedge: While its quality has gone down a fair bit from what it once was, its still a great place to find ringtones and notification sounds for your android device.
GPS Status: Great for calibrating your devices sensors and ensuring that it works properly.
Now for the ROOT ONLY apps.
Titanium backup
SuperSU
Triangle Away
Hopefully this is a useful list to get you started. I have all these plus many more installed on my devices, and I find I use them all fairly regularly.
djdelusional said:
Skype: Perfect for if you are travelling over seas at all with your device.
Google Hangouts: A good replacement for the built in SMS app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I prefer Hangouts to Skype because Hangouts features free video multi-chat.
But I use Google Voice for SMS because it provides free unlimited texting. Hangouts insists on using the phone's native number rather than your Google Voice number, so you have to pay extra for a text plan or for individual messages.
Doesn't anyone else have any advice for a first time Android user?
XiphoneUzer said:
Doesn't anyone else have any advice for a first time Android user?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your new to android I'd stay away from root for a while.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk 4
XiphoneUzer said:
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel like for every-day typical phone use cases, there aren't that many gaps that stand out as needing to be filled by a third party app. You'll probably need a new music player, the defaults are crapola - but I can't be much help here; I keep my music as folders full of MP3 files (like God intended!) and play with Music Folder Player, and shun the dirty S&M ("sync and manage") apps.
There's a big list of stuff that I did when I first got the phone to get it to where I'm happy with it, but all of this was root required stuff. There are apps that come pre-loaded on android devices and can't be removed or disabled without root. Also, customizing stuff that can't be customized without root. I couldn't abide by some of the not-changable-without-root defaults. Getting rid of the "screen turns on so you can unlock it when you hit the home key" behavior is probably the most glaring example for me; my ass* was unlocking it constantly - but coming from iPhone, you probably view that as the Right Thing for home button to do.
I think most people use a custom keyboard. Swiftkey and Swype are the most popular. The phone comes with Swype, but it's an ancient version with limited support for changing the dictionary, you want the newest one.
I use Hangouts for gchat, but not for SMS. I actually prefer default app for SMS..
Settings:
Pull down status bar, long press on wifi, WiFi -> menu -> advanced settings, uncheck auto connect to AT&T hotspots (unless they don't suck where you are. Around here, they often don't have internet behind them, and just break your connectivity for the 30 seconds or so it takes for the phone to connect to them, determine that the wifi is no good, and fall back to 4G. At least this phone does that; Original note would just sit there like a fool trying to use non-functional wifi... I've also yet to find a hotspot that performs better than the 4G does. But I live in a city, so the situation may be different elsewhere).
Pull down status bar, long press on GPS. Uncheck "Use wireless networks" - on newer versions of android, this drains battery while idle; the damned thing wakes the phone periodically to check the networks around it - if the phone is nearly idle, this can halve battery life (!!!)
Pull down status bar, swipe to the left along the options at the top (woah, did you know you could do that?), tap multiwindow to enable multiwindow (this was a headline feature for the note 3, but comes disabled by default). If I long-press back button, that makes the multiwindow tab hide or unhide (once it's enabled), but I don't remember if I had to do something to get this behavior.
General must-have things:
AppOps Starter (to kill permissions from apps that request permissions you don't want to give them)
Battery Monitor Widget (gives you a realtime readout of battery usage)
ES File Explorer
If you want to pretty-ize clock + weather widgets:
DigiClock
Eye in Sky
If you work in IT or have need of these (if you aren't sure what these mean, you don't need them ):
ConnectBot (telnet/ssh client)
AndFTP (ftp/sftp client, supports scp if you pay)
RDP Client (remote desktop and VNC client)
FEAT VPN (OpenVPN client)
Hacker's Keyboard (you'll tear your hair out trying to use swype/swiftkey for terminal sessions or RDP)
If you want to root the phone:
Root it, then immediately install titanium backup and "freeze" AT&T software update, so it won't update your phone (breaking root) while you're not looking
Titanium Backup - freeze all the useless bloatware that AT&T and Samsung included (there's a list of what apps you can freeze here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmzC8GFarItSdGpOZzBfWlR4MC03aDMyZ1BDUFNqU0E - not my work)
Root Explorer
Pen Window Manager for adding apps to the pen window feature
Xposed Framework
Wanam - general huge amount of customization, including selecting apps for multiwindow.
Keyboard Manager (almost a necessity if you use ConnectBot/RDP frequently - keyboards designed for messaging and such are garbage for doing administration of non-phone systems, while hacker's keyboard is garbage for messaging and everyday phone stuff)
Terminal Emulator (gives you a command prompt on phone. Doesn't require root, but there are very few use cases for terminal on android that don't also need root)
*Well, I keep it in my front pocket, so technically it wasn't my /ass/ unlocking the phone....