hi,not used my tab for at least a year and now want to play about with it,what i want to do is go google free as an experiment so looking for good search engine(thinking of brave)a free email app and anything else i may need to get me up and running,just wanna see what the world looks like without google for a change :good:
no one know how to get round this thing called google?and i don't mean apple
I've tried going googless a few times now but always gone back, I've a few paid apps that I couldn't find free alternatives for and you obviously need to login to play store if you want to use them.
The only way to go google free is to flash a custom rom and don't flash gapps. Is that your plan?
When you say search engine and then mention brave I think you're mixing up search engine and web browser.
Brave is great I use it a lot but kiwi browser is my personal favourite good at blocking adverts and thus pretty speedy.
If you did mean search engine then duckduckgo is my goto.
As for email there are loads of free clients, outlook works well and let's you add other email providers.
You'll need an app store unless you're planning on getting everything from apkmirror and updating apps yourself?
Amazon app store is ok and fdroid, there are quite a few others.
I found it lots of fun trying to find free and opensource alternatives for all my apps but ultimately failed.
Related
I'm currently running Google Android on my HTC Touch Vogue thanks to dzo, but I'm wondering, why is the Marketplace not available for other phones yet?
I mean, the OS is pretty well pointless at stock. All you can do is check your email and browse the web (oh right, and make calls too!). It's the applications that make it useful.
Is there any reason in specific that Google decided not to make the Marketplace available to the open-source public?
And on the same matter, if I were to request somone upload .apk's of certain (free) apps from the Marketplace, would that be deemed warez?
I'm dying to get my hands on several apps, including meebo, fBook and Twidroid, all of which are free, but are only available on the Marketplace
It would not be considered wares because they are free apps and games. As far as the market im not sure why its not open to public.
Ok then, would anyone be willing to upload the .apk's of "fbook, "Twidroid" and "meebo"?
Thanks in advance.
If i get a hold of them i will put them in my sig files and let you know, i am searching for them every day and adding them as I get them. meebo added!!
stats555 said:
If i get a hold of them i will put them in my sig files and let you know, i am searching for them every day and adding them as I get them. meebo added!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks stats!
And on the same matter, if I were to request somone upload .apk's of certain (free) apps from the Marketplace, would that be deemed warez?
I'm dying to get my hands on several apps, including meebo, fBook and Twidroid, all of which are free, but are only available on the Marketplace
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an optional feature for apks published to Market to key the apk to the G1 that originally downloaded it. Probably won't be usable until billing is enabled for Market sometime early next year.
try android-dls.com they have .apk's for many apps on te market
I and several other persons (I have read forum posts about) have heard from Google that they will be putting access to the Android Market via the internet.
My comment to them was that if one had to use the phone to get to the market than they were no better than the "i" (insert SUCKS) market.
Their comment back was that they were working on access to the market from a PC via the internet.
So, it is just a matter of time.
Google keeps the applications that interface with their services (Market, GMail, Maps) closed source. As long as you can get the apk's to those applications, you should be able to install them. Google really should add these apps to the android repository so everyone can access them.
I created web site for android free and open source applications just for users like you, who don't have access to the Marketplace for any reason. There is nothing uploaded yet but as soon i finish my other work i will take care of this. If anyone want to upload an app please register. URL is http://andapps.org
NOTE: Administrators and moderators. I know that this is some sort of spam, but i am not doing this for profit. Just one user helping other users. Fell free to remove this link if you want.
Security By Obscurity
The Marketplace client uses restricted API calls to perform some functions (http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/msg/71f14048eec1c8df), also there is no public web interface into the market, so I think Google believe that revealing what the Marketplace client does to access app data from their servers will lead to mashups and third party apps which use the data in ways that Google may not want to support in the future.
Al.
P.S. If you're interested in an alternative feel free to download the AndAppStore client from http://andappstore.com/AndroidPhoneApplications/apps/7661 or just visit http://andappstore.com/. I'd welcome any feedback about either the AndAppStore site or the app.
way to get apps...
There is a program you can download from the market "ASTRO" that allows you to backup things (and apps) to your SD card. Once the app is on the SD card, plug the G1 into your computer and browse (copy, paste, etc) away.
I wouldn't want to suggest that the apps could then be posted, or whatever, but...
--M
It's apparent some carriers are not supporting the Android Market.
For those that don't have access to the Market and want access to apps, have you tried getting SAM (app store) client for your G1 from SlideME.org?
http:/slideme.org/sam2.apk
Anyone in the world can use SAM to safely buy and download with no limitations and without entering any sensitive info such as credit card details from your phone.
The only thing is that you will not see as many apps as you would on the Market, but with users help & input one day developers will realize that stocking Android Market alone does not do any good for marketing their apps to the international communities. Not to mention that the rest of the world will be hesitant to provide even their shopping habits to google.
So, you could look for apps on SlideME or Cyrket that has all the apps on Market and contact the developer and ask them to get their act together to stock other stores such as SlideME.org for this exact reason. Not everyone has access to the Android Market!!!
Follow apps from http://twitter.com/slideme if you like.
Here is an earlier announcement from SlideME team: http://www.prweb.com/releases/android/slideme/prweb2035414.htm
I am in India. and i was missing buying the apps..but not anymore..There aren't as many apps as on the market but then its just the begining...
thank you.
do we get automatic upgrades etc from you like the market provides- i looked at using slideme but wasnt sure how you would get the free upgrades for apps u have already paid for...i am in australia.
I haven't heard promising things about SlideMe's DRM solution, which appears to constantly contact the Slideme store when normal apps downloaded from Slideme are running, and not just the SlideMe market.
It looks good, and will probably be accepting Paypal. Nice alternative!
So what are developers to do? Well, recently I bashed on the SlideLOCK in a previous post… Though - the more I looked at it, this seems like the best option for developers to protect their applications. Though, hopefully google will remedy this solution and fast. Until then though, strike-one google market.
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Click to collapse
http://strazzere.com/blog/?p=185
The last time I used Slideme it never showed updated or new apps so I had no idea when to look. Has this since been changed?
yeah- i want to know as well if you get automatic updates for each program bought?
We do updates for any downloaded apps. Maybe you have tried an old version of SAM.
Hey all. Lately I've been on a mission to "cut the Google" cord and have now worked my way down to my Nexus 4. I was wondering if anyone else in the Nexus 4 community runs a Google free device.. Maybe we can share our setups and suggestions.. Android for me isn't what it was when I first got involved.. More and more Google seems to want to dig deeper and deeper into tying everything on a phone into their servers.. I'm sorta over it and Google itself at this point with their hamfisting of their apps and services .. I love the OS, not the company.. Hence.. AOSP without Gapps..
My Google free setup right now is the following
ROM: Raskat (without any Gapps or Google Play Services obviously)
I use the following as my software sources.. Main one being 1Mobile Market which is one of the largest (and legal) Play Store alternatives.. Even has Chrome, Maps, Play Services etc if you actually want Google apps. (which would defeat the purpose but they are there)
Amazon App Store
F-Droid
1Mobile Market
Slide Me
Mail: I haven't ditched gmail yet as I have 3 gmail accounts and it's going to be the largest move away from Google and saving it for last. I connect with the AOSP email IMAP client for now though.
Browser: Cleared all my saved bookmarks and passwords off Googles Dashboard and manually create a list of bookmarks saved locally only in AOSP browser. Passwords all saved locally in KeePass
Contacts: I exported my contact list from the Google servers as a Vcard (then deleted them all from Google) and imported it to my contacts app. I keep a backup on a cloud service and locally if I update them.
Maps: I use MapQuest as it doesn't rely on the Google Maps API.
Calendar: is my only missing link right now as most all calender apps I found rely on Google Calenders framework to sync etc.
So far I'm enjoying it. I lost a lot of payware from the Play Store I've bought over the years but I'm learning to live without it. I'm thoroughly enjoying knowing my device is truly Google free at this point.
styckx said:
Hey all. Lately I've been on a mission to "cut the Google" cord and have now worked my way down to my Nexus 4. I was wondering if anyone else in the Nexus 4 community runs a Google free device.. Maybe we can share our setups and suggestions.. Android for me isn't what it was when I first got involved.. More and more Google seems to want to dig deeper and deeper into tying everything on a phone into their servers.. I'm sorta over it and Google itself at this point. I love the OS, not the company..
My Google free setup right now is the following
Raskat (without any Gapps obviously)
I use the following as my software sources.. Main one being 1Mobile Market which is one of the largest (and legal) Play Store alternatives.. Even has Chrome, Maps, Play Services etc if you actually want Google apps. (which would defeat the purpose but they are there)
Amazon App Store
F-Droid
1Mobile Market
Slide Me
Mail: I haven't ditched gmail yet as I have 3 gmail accounts and it's going to be the largest move away from Google and saving it for last. I connect with the AOSP email IMAP client for now though.
Browser: Cleared all my saved bookmarks and passwords off Googles Dashboard and manually create a list of bookmarks saved locally only in AOSP browser. No more syncing.. Passwords all saved locally in KeePass
Contacts: I exported my contact list from the Google servers as a Vcard (then deleted them all from Google) and imported it to my contacts app. I keep a backup on a cloud service and locally if I update them.
Maps: I use MapQuest as it doesn't rely on the Google Maps API.
Calendar: is my only missing link right now as most all calender apps I found rely on Google Calenders framework to sync etc.
So far I'm enjoying it. I lost a lot of payware from the Play Store I've bought over the years but I'm learning to live without it. I'm thoroughly enjoying knowing my device is truly Google free at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I, too, have cut off most of my links to Google. I would like to know if there are any more alternatives out there....
Scheherez said:
I, too, have cut off most of my links to Google. I would like to know if there are any more alternatives out there....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice to see I'm not the only one here so far.. There are a lot of options out there and 100% completely possible to run a 100% completely Google free device.. AOSP is beautiful without Googles apps and Play Services hamfisted into it data mining god knows what. I also don't miss the Play Store and everything and anything having a price tag attached to it regardless of quality.
It's nice looking into the accounts section and not seeing Google or them even being an option.
Another great Maps alternative is OsmAnd Maps and Navigation
Is there also an increased battery life using your phone this way without all the processes running in the background?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Probably but I haven't really focused on that so I can't give any sound feedback. Running your device this way is more of a personal choice to get rid of "big brother Google". I liken it to dumping Ubuntu for pure Debian instead.
Sent from my Nexus 10
I have thought about doing this many times but for me it is all about the ease of the items I use from Google that make my life easier. Also, the play store has me hooked in because I have spent quite a bit on there.
Yeah I'm in the process of doing the same thing. I'll be honest Google wanting to access more and more of my data has gotten to me a little. It's okay for them to manage my mail (I've come too far), but when I get notifications about flight itineraries it goes from being convenient to conveniently creepy. To be frank, I have no doubt that Google is as responsible as any other company is with my information. And given their user base, the occasional slip up is to be expected. But the bottom line is I don't really enjoy a multinational corporation having that much access to my personal data. And no, they're not harvesting all my information and selling it to other companies to spy on me, like some think.
I just feel like they ought to be reined in a bit. And F Google+ and uploading my photos without me having ever asked. Do you, Google. Just do it without me.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
1Mobile Market? Don't they take your information too?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Nope.. I never created an account. it is optional or sign in with your Google account. Nothing to buy there really anyway. Has everything I need that is normally carried on the Play Store. Just the freeware versions.
Sent from my Nexus 10
You mentioned you use the aosp browser. Just so you know, that is a google app, and if you allow it, it will sync to your google account.....just sayin' I personally think firefox would be the first choice if you don't want anything google. It allows firefox account syncing, plugins, etc. And the plugings aren't cheesy like dolphin's. They have real ones like ab+, and all.
AOSP Browser without Google Services Framework will not sync to anything, it can't. It's Impossible. It is a plain as day web browser with local bookmarks being the only thing available. If I go to add an account in settings there isn't an option for Google because nothing Google related is on my build. It's AOSP as AOSP gets.
Sent from my Nexus 10
styckx said:
AOSP Browser without Google Services Framework will not sync to anything, it can't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right....no gapps package. I forgot
hp420 said:
Right....no gapps package. I forgot
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Click to collapse
No problems. This has been fun and not something most actually do so.. It's out of the typical routine of things. :laugh:
Sounds interesting to try cuz I don't understand why android system is always searching for location in app ops although I have all location off
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Do not forget the article on the XDA main page:
Remove the Google from CyanogenMod with Freecygn
I would mostly/only miss Google Maps.
user822 said:
Do not forget the article on the XDA main page:
Remove the Google from CyanogenMod with Freecygn
I would mostly/only miss Google Maps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but. No way..
I refuse to touch Cyanogenmod with someone elses devices let alone my own devices. Cyanogenmod has been dead to me for years.
styckx said:
Thanks but. No way..
I refuse to touch Cyanogenmod with someone elses devices let alone my own devices. Cyanogenmod has been dead to me for years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mind elaborating as to why? Purely curious lol. I personally only do AOSP builds, myself, but I'm interested in why you are so anti-CM? I assume nowadays it has to do with Cyanogenmod, Inc.?
EnMod said:
Mind elaborating as to why? Purely curious lol. I personally only do AOSP builds, myself, but I'm interested in why you are so anti-CM? I assume nowadays it has to do with Cyanogenmod, Inc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you asked and I'll keep it short.
What Cyanogen Inc is now isn't a surprise to many.. Most purist (read: Fans of AOSP) Android users after CM7 saw the direction CM was heading and abandoned ship at ICS/CM9. I've said many times.. Cyanogenmod 7 was the last good Cyanogenmod. Instead of just making a cool AOSP based ROM with features they started trying to make Cyanogenmod a "thing". It all started with that terrible File Manager they shoehorned in and snowballed from there. It's laughable at best to pitch Cyanogenmod on the "AOSP Derived" line that so many still use.. At this point it's like saying the Ford Fusion is derived from the Model T (ok, that's an extreme example but you get my point). Add in everything they did when the Cyanogen Inc company was formed.
Nope..
Wow.
I could never imagine doing this.. I use Google for contact and calendar sync and email, bookmarks etc... even on my Lumia 520.
MameTozhio said:
Wow.
I could never imagine doing this.. I use Google for contact and calendar sync and email, bookmarks etc... even on my Lumia 520.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah.. It's a personal thing. It hit me just how much data Google hoards when I randomly looked at my Google Dashboard one day and saw the Chrome Sync stats. Seeing in pictures just the sheer amount of data they have on me was a "moment". Then I started just piecing everything together about how many sectors of technology they've got their hands in all based around "providing services" over the internet. I just decided that was the end for me. I deleted all my dashboard data, went back to Firefox, deleted my Google+ accounts. I'm just going back to the old school days.. Limiting what is given to companies and lowering my online profile. For now keeping Google just for email and nothing more. It's just not per-say Google.. It's just the current trend of everything "needing" to be online and "synced" in some cloud. I don't need my entire livelihood and trends online.. No one should.. But... That's just my opinion. I can't stay away from everything (I mean I have a Facebook account) but I can do a lot to minimize what is given.
So... I've searched for a similar thread, but I didn't found any so I decided to make a new one.
As I don't want to use any google services on my telephone I had to purge Play Store also. I've searched for alternatives. I came across Fdroid - actually the store I've searched for. The only problem I've faced is there are no proprietary apps. I try to reject using of proprietary software as much as possible, but many of my friends use proprietary chat apps like WhatsApp, Viber etc.
So I've searched a solution to get this proprietary apps without much tricks...just keep it simple. I came across Aptoid - another android store, but I didn't liked the idea behind very well - you can find lots cracked apps etc. and that is not what I am looking for. Second point is - all apps are outdated - so you are missing the new version of the apps and their security and performance fixes. It didn't suited my needs so I decided to purge Aptoide.
So... after a bit of research I founded another two solutions:
APKmirror - it is a website - there is no app for it. So If you want to use it you have to go to the website and download and install .apk manually (you also need to enable Untrusted Sources in your security settings). The website has very nice interface and it looks exactly as a normal appstore. I've bookmarked it and placed it on my homescreen - so it is usable - no pain in the *** at all. The packages seems to be "trusted" as the packet signature is checked with the one of the original developer. All apps are updated - you can even download beta versions (before they hit PlayStore) and if it goes wrong... you can easily downgrade to previous verions - very nice feature. This site is related to Android Police - as it is a good source in my opinion, I think the packages there are trust-able. Is there anyone who has additional info about APKmirror?
APKpure - the second solution I came across. I wasn't able to find any additional information about this source or any review so I really have no idea who is standing behind this project. Anyway... I downloaded several apps and I checked the app signature and it seems fine - every app I checked matched the original signature of the developer. There are also "Trusted" marks same as APKmirror. All of the apps are updated. It looks pretty much like APKmirror - there is no app, just website. You can easily update your applications too so it suit all my needs. Anyway... I would like to get some additional information about it... it seems to me like mirror of PlayStore but... anyone who knows more maybe?
Apkpure has a app that you can download. Just have to watch certain apps such as play games will update to the 038 version when I am completely updated to the 030 version in the play store. Apkmirror describes this on their website when you download certain apps. Just though you should know about the app.
One thing I miss Fromm the Google play store is Google games for backup of games data and achievements. When cyanogen finishes partnership with the social gaming network, play games or whatever it's called, I'll hopefully be able to get away from the Google play store. Course devs would have to enable those servers for achievements etc, which is a long shot. Till then helium is my best friend I guess.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Hello,
I'm looking for a way to unlock my Play Store which is currently locked to Sweden. I hate seeing swedish apps popping up everywhere.
I googled and found some VPN solutions that people report might not work.
Is there a hacked Play Store I could download somewhere and use?
It is tied to your Google account. I wanted some Korean apps so I had to change my address to one there, give a Korean cell number, and wipe data for the play store app.
Maybe you need to do the reverse?
Damn I was hoping that there was an easier solution like a hacked Play Store. I'll see if I can find some 3rd party store apps, better than nothing.
Nebell said:
Damn I was hoping that there was an easier solution like a hacked Play Store. I'll see if I can find some 3rd party store apps, better than nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah as far as I know hacking the app wouldn't help - the restrictions are based on your address in Google Payments.
hello you can try yelp store. give it a try. its not the play store but guess its better that no solution at all.
How about Amazon. Is that region restricted? Amazon has lots of apps on it.