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Hey guys,
First, I want to apologize because I"m about to ask dumb questions. I've spent some time wandering around reading threads and FAQs trying to understand all this, but I'm still fairly lost.
Before i begin, some basic info:
I'm on Sprint, currently on ROM 2.09.651.3
I use ActiveSync to connect to my company's Outlook server to get my work email, calendar, and tasks. However, I sync with my home PC for files and favorites.
I'd like to update to the most recent ROM as i'd like to get the faster web speeds, GPS, and SprintTV if possible.
The only thing I really don't want to lose are my contacts, which I don't have syncing anywhere currently. These are obviously not work contacts...and I don't have Outloook on my home computer....so what are my choices as to how I can backup my contacts? Preferably, a free application.
Lastly, am I understanding correctly that I can download the file from this page:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=402887
and simply follow the instructions on this page:
http://www.htc.com/uploadedFiles/Co...es/Mogule_Detailed_RUU Instructions_R1 _2.pdf
And that's it?
Sorry for the dumb questions. I'm pretty good with technology, but I've never done any updating or tweaking with my phone. Aside from the HTC Home app, it's mostly stock. Any suggestions and help will be appreciated.
I just asked this question last week. What I discovered are 12 different answers from 12 different people. SO I will just tell you what I found.
SPB backup or Resco Backup. Those cost money tho. I prefer the free options.
I just discovered Dashwire. It's an online site that does the backup for your phone. It only does contacts, messages and conversations, call history, media (video and picture), bookmarks, ringtones, voicemail (but not on Sprint), speeddials, and has some social networking involved (including syncing with Twitter).
It seems to have worked great for me. I haven't noticed anything missing since my upgrade.
It doesn't do calendars, but I use the free version of Goosync for that.
if all you want are the contacts, "pim" in the my device folder contains the contact info. To verify, rename, reset, and see if your contacts are still there. As I recall you cant overwrite directly, you need to rename the original and then copy the old file to that location after the wipe.
Sounds like you have the rest figured out already.
Personally I run exchange for everything important, a UC file for my programs, and dont care about texts/etc. I did save my SPB P+ config, which is one of like 5 things I have to do manually on a hard reset (today screen plugins, buttons, contacts on phone suit, and exchange settings are the others.)
I finally posted on Motorola's Forums asking about the suspect APK's with as much info as possible.
See HERE
If they for some reason take it down I will duplicate it here below:
Ok,
We Motorola owners have been silent and I think its time that we was not. Just last year I signed up for the Electrify Beta test for Motorola's 2.3.5 update for the phone. I received an email from Motorola that within 24 hours I would be getting the updated pushed to my device. At the time I got the email (around 9:30 am) I was using a custom ROM (Cyanogen Mod 7) and I proceeded to back up my phone and flash the phone back to Stock 2.3.4. Once I did that, I never got the update pushed to my device. So in turn I posted that question why I never received it on the Forums.
Mark answered it by saying this:
“Wow you've reset your phone 21 times... Whatever for? The reason you can't get the update is because you've factory reset the phone after the update was sent out. I'll reply in the other thread concerning the wifi issue. It's off topic here.
Mark
Support Forums Manager”
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To which I answered that it was really non of his or Motorola’s business how many times I reset my device as for one – its MINE. I also asked what else Motorola was tracking from my device and why we users are not made aware of it. Of course I never got an answer to that post.
To be honest it was a Godsend that I never got the update, because as we all know Motorola relocked the Bootloader and has every intention of never making it unlocked again. However that’s a different issue and not the one at hand here.
Now I get that that I missed the update to 2.3.5 because I was on a custom ROM that is totally not supported by Motorola, and quite frankly this isn’t the issue here.
The issue is that my activity was tracked. When I got the phone and activated it I was not aware of any EULA that would state that Motorola would be tracking its users and activities. There was no such message in the Box, Manual, or on the phone on first boot. If it IS in the manual then it is so far embedded in some clause that it’s criminal that it is in there. However I am pretty sure its not.
So I would put that down to my activity was tracked WITHOUT my consent. Which to me, is a pretty big deal.
So this brings me to the meat of this post. A few users have stated there are some suspect apps (Motorola Stock) that are running in the background and require some insane Access Rights.. I will now list them along with the permissions they require (You can see these for yourself on your own phone. Applications > All > and find them on the list.). Some of these are quite the eye opener…
AdService.apk
Network Communication (Full Internet Access)
Phone Calls (ReadPhoneStateand identity)
DataCollection.apk
Your personal Information (Read Contact Data, Read Sensitive Log Data, Read user Defined Dictionary, Write Contact Data)
Services that Cost you Money (Directly Call Phone Numbers, Send SMS Messages)
Your Location (coarse (network-based) location, fine (GPS) location, mock location sources for testing)
Your messages (edit SMS or MMS, Read SMS or MMS, Receive SMS)
Network Communication (control Near Field Communication, Create Bluetooth Connections, Full Internet Access)
Your Accounts (manage the accounts list, use the authentication credentials of an account)
Storage (Modify/delete SD card Contents)
Phone Calls (intercept outgoing calls, read phone state and identity)
hardware Controls (change your audio settings)
System Tools (Bluetooth Administration, change network connectivity, change WiFi State, Change WiMAX State, Change your UI Settings, Modify Global System Settings, Mount and unmount file systems, prevent phone from sleeping, reorder running applications, retrieve running applications, write Access Point Name settings, write Sync Settings)
(Hidden)
Default (Modify battery Statistics, Read Certificates)
Your personal Information (write to user defined dictionary)
network Communication (view network state, view Wi-Fi state, view WiMAX state)
Your Accounts (discover known accounts, read Google service configuration, View configured accounts)
hardware Controls (control vibrator)
System Tools (Automatically start at boot, expand/collapse status bar, kill background processes, measure application storage space, read Home settings and shortcuts, read sync settings, read sync statistics, set wallpaper, write Home settings and shortcuts)
DataCollectorProvider.apk
Your Personal Information (read contact data)
DataCollectorService.apk
Your Personal Information (read contact data)
KpiLogger.apk
Your personal Information (Read Contact Data, Read Sensitive Log Data, Read user Defined Dictionary, Write Contact Data)
Services that Cost you Money (Directly Call Phone Numbers, Send SMS Messages)
Your Location (coarse (network-based) location, fine (GPS) location, mock location sources for testing)
Your messages (edit SMS or MMS, Read SMS or MMS, Receive SMS)
Network Communication (control Near Field Communication, Create Bluetooth Connections, Full Internet Access)
Your Accounts (manage the accounts list, use the authentication credentials of an account)
Storage (Modify/delete SD card Contents)
Phone Calls (intercept outgoing calls, read phone state and identity)
hardware Controls (change your audio settings)
System Tools (Bluetooth Administration, change network connectivity, change WiFi State, Change WiMAX State, Change your UI Settings, Modify Global System Settings, Mount and unmount file systems, prevent phone from sleeping, reorder running applications, retrieve running applications, write Access Point Name settings, write Sync Settings)
(Hidden)
Default (Modify battery Statistics, Read Certificates)
Your personal Information (write to user defined dictionary)
network Communication (view network state, view Wi-Fi state, view WiMAX state)
Your Accounts (discover known accounts, read Google service configuration, View configured accounts)
hardware Controls (control vibrator)
System Tools (Automatically start at boot, expand/collapse status bar, kill background processes, measure application storage space, read Home settings and shortcuts, read sync settings, read sync statistics, set wallpaper, write Home settings and shortcuts)
MasterClearErrorReporter.apk
Your personal Information (Read Contact Data, Read Sensitive Log Data, Read user Defined Dictionary, Write Contact Data)
Services that Cost you Money (Directly Call Phone Numbers, Send SMS Messages)
Your Location (coarse (network-based) location, fine (GPS) location, mock location sources for testing)
Your messages (edit SMS or MMS, Read SMS or MMS, Receive SMS)
Network Communication (control Near Field Communication, Create Bluetooth Connections, Full Internet Access)
Your Accounts (manage the accounts list, use the authentication credentials of an account)
Storage (Modify/delete SD card Contents)
Phone Calls (intercept outgoing calls, read phone state and identity)
hardware Controls (change your audio settings)
System Tools (Bluetooth Administration, change network connectivity, change WiFi State, Change WiMAX State, Change your UI Settings, Modify Global System Settings, Mount and unmount file systems, prevent phone from sleeping, reorder running applications, retrieve running applications, write Access Point Name settings, write Sync Settings)
(Hidden)
Default (Modify battery Statistics, Read Certificates)
Your personal Information (write to user defined dictionary)
network Communication (view network state, view Wi-Fi state, view WiMAX state)
Your Accounts (discover known accounts, read Google service configuration, View configured accounts)
hardware Controls (control vibrator)
System Tools (Automatically start at boot, expand/collapse status bar, kill background processes, measure application storage space, read Home settings and shortcuts, read sync settings, read sync statistics, set wallpaper, write Home settings and shortcuts)
So, to paraphrase Mark….
Wow these Apps need some insane permissions…. WHATEVER FOR??
And aren’t they named well?
I suggest that someone provides FULL DISCLOSURE on what all these apps do. They are NOT required to run the device (if you are rooted you can freeze the processes with no ill effects and can infact remove them) and they most certainly are NOT part of Android’s original OS.. So whatever ARE they for and what ARE they collecting???
So Motorola, the ball is in your court so to speak, I and a great many others would be really curious on telling us what they are for…
Your move..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a thought on this issue also. maybe a reason you could provide to this **** from Motorola is the fact that these phones have problems out of the box. Random reboots for example. That in itself would be reason enough for me to reset my phone in homes it will go away. Another thing you could point out is that some app developers are using Airpush ads that some people might think are a form of trojan and might also to a reset to try to eliminate them. Bottom line though is you are totally correct and that it's none of their damn business what we do with these phones. Sprint can ***** at us and threaten to void warranties or whatever but Moto has nothing to do with it. I'm curious to know what they respond with. I'm going to post in that forum too
It's funny. Those were the first apps that I had frozen. I have NO problem with my phone since I froze those. It's been about 2 months now and no problems.
My post on that forum rules LOL
Even if they do respond I'll be willing to bet you don't get a straight answer that exposes the truth.
On a side note, are the apps you have listed everything that does the questionable snooping or are there more parts to the puzzle?
I'm a MoPho-er
FernBch said:
Even if they do respond I'll be willing to bet you don't get a straight answer that exposes the truth.
On a side note, are the apps you have listed everything that does the questionable snooping or are there more parts to the puzzle?
I'm a MoPho-er
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I knew how to debug and show what those apps did, I would have more "clout" I guess..
I'm sure there's more in there, but those are obvious (and poorly named) with what they do.
I'm not expecting an answer either, but just sitting idly by saying nothing doesn't achieve anything either. It was worth a shot, and if more people post a response in the original thread, then well... its gonna make it harder for them to ignore it as well.
He posted a reply... Usual PR Snuff and tried to make it look like I was the bad one for breaking an NDA on software that was publicly released two months ago..
I think not, so I replied in kind.... Funny how it took a posting of APK's permissions and concerns about privacy (which was brought up before) for him to garner any response on it...
Lets see if this can carry on...
mistaken, your privacy is important and must be protected, in Europe there are strict legislative on this point, and I hope that clarifies why if the European community discovers that unbeknownst to many users, are read everything that trigger sanctions. I also do not want others to know of my sites visited, etc..
sorry for my English
ZeroManArmy said:
It's funny. Those were the first apps that I had frozen. I have NO problem with my phone since I froze those. It's been about 2 months now and no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of the four has something to do with corp. mail now get an error message. Option to FC every thing working though.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Cythrawl,
Honestly, if I would have known that the Electrify would have been like this, I would have stuck with the Hero S. sometimes...I regret switching from the Hero S to the Electrify.
IBMguy said:
Cythrawl,
Honestly, if I would have known that the Electrify would have been like this, I would have stuck with the Hero S. sometimes...I regret switching from the Hero S to the Electrify.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I had have known too, I would have stuck with the Mesmerize until we get the SGII
Love it when people have no idea!
"We Motorola owners have been silent and I think its time that we was not."
"If I knew how to debug and show what those apps did, I would have more "clout" I guess.. "
I would not worry about Moto, the govenment is watching you right now through your tv.
halfdriven said:
Love it when people have no idea!
"We Motorola owners have been silent and I think its time that we was not."
"If I knew how to debug and show what those apps did, I would have more "clout" I guess.. "
I would not worry about Moto, the govenment is watching you right now through your tv.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seeing I don't have TV (or a TV connected to Cable / Sat / OTA) I doubt that...
Thankyou for your really useful post...
DISCLAIMER
MYSELF, THE GOOD PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM, AND/OR THE DEITY YOU PRAY TO ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU BRICK YOUR PHONE. THERE IS ALWAYS A RISK AND FRANKLY IT IS HIGHER FOR MX2 USERS SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SBF OPTIONS. TO SUM IT UP, IF YOU BRICK YOUR PHONE I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE, YOU AGREE TO THIS IF YOU CONTINUE BELOW!
UPDATES
02/23/2012 - Thanks to jonb42 who pointed out a typo I made on DataCollectorProvider, I had it listed as DataCollectorService. In addition, because I ended up freezing some other things he mentioned I initially didn't list I have now listed them. There is still plenty more one can freeze as an FYI.
02/17/2012 - It was pointed out by someone that freezing Yahoo Contacts will destroy your contacts app. This was certainly the case with 2.3.5 for me, however it so far has NOT done this in 2.3.6. If I remember correctly even in 2.3.5 you could freeze Yahoo Contacts but you also had to freeze a few other apps for your contacts to function. If anyone else does this please feel free to report back on this.
02/17/2012 - Previously I had various apps that required a battery pull marked as such. A budy of mine used the guide and had totally different results as to what applications required a battery pull so I removed said warnings as they seem to be sporadic.
Why are you doing this?
I am making this thread for anyone with the MX2 running 2.3.6 looking for a way to get more performance out of their phone. To be clear this DOES NOT apply to the Droid X2, you fellows have a few custom ROM options which are far easier to implement, unfortunately most Milestone X2's are now at 2.3.6 and don't have said options since most custom ROMs are based on 2.3.4 or 2.3.5.
Prerequisites
Your phone must be rooted.
You SHOULD have CWR (recovery) on your phone and functioning, and have done a backup of your WORKING phone.
You must have Bloat Freezer or a similar app with the ability to freeze apps. I like Bloat Freezer personally (http://www.bloatfreezer.com/) but many others use Titanium Backup. You can even do it by hand if you like. Regardless thank you to Trey Holland for developing Bloat Freezer.
Explanation of Process
The basis for speeding up your phone by freezing apps is ... well manufactures install a lot of applications that run in the background that you will never, ever, ever use. These said apps eat processor time, RAM, and just in general are annoying to geeks. In the case of Motorola most of these apps are part of "blur", which is part of the "Motorola Experience". By freezing these apps you can return system resources and speed up the phone, or at least it did for me. The down side is YOU CAN BRICK YOUR PHONE ... see above disclaimer!!!.
So how does this work?
Basically, with your program of choice you choose to "freeze" given applications. The thing to remember is these programs (whether it is Bloat Freezer or Titanium Backup) will display ALL running applications on your phone. Some of these applications can, and in fact are ABSOLUTELY necessary for your phone to be useful. If you freeze the wrong application you can literally make your phone useless.
In addition, after freezing some applications your phone will not be usable for a bit until you pull the battery, replace the battery, and power it back on. I personally don't know of a way around this with some apps your phone simply will "freak out" and the battery pull is the only option.
You are wrong about some stuff and I think you are dumb, so there ...
If you know I have something that is inaccurate here, please message me so I can update this HowTo, my goal is to help the community which has been awesome to me. I will accept any feedback that isn't overtly negative.
What I Froze
Ok so this is the list of applications I was able to freeze and still have a functioning phone. As mentioned above I use very few widgets and the like, so it is completely plausible that some of these might wreck some functionality you rely on. Previously I only listed apps that were typically running. I am now listing all apps that I froze. To be blunt, only apps that run on a continuous basis will really affect performance, but I hate stuff being enabled I don't use so this is my complete list.
Accounts Storage
Admin Notifier
AdService
Amazon Kindle
Amazon MP3
Android Live Wallpapers
AtCommandService
Battery & data manage
Battery Manager
Bluetooth Share
BluetoothDun
Bookmarks Widget
Books (x2)
Calendar Service
Certificate Manager Content Provider
com.motorola.* (This means all apps that begin with com.motorola)
Contacts Sync
ContactsData
Corporate Sync Authenticator
Data Collection
Data Collector Service
Data Manager Service
DataCollectorProvider
Desk Home
Device Statistics Services
DLNA
DlnaSystemService
DMService
Downloads
DRM Protected Content Storage
Email
Email Authenticator
Emergency Alerts
Facebook Authenticator
Files (You should have another File Manager if you freeze this, or you may not need a File Manager)
Flicker Authenticator
FM Radio
RMRadioService
FOTA
Global Unplug
Google Backup Transport
Google Partner Setup
Google Search
Help Center
Home (DO NOT DISABLE THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE A REPLACEMENT LAUNCHER)
Home screen tips
InPocket
Kpi Logger Services
LastFM Authenticator
Live Wallpaper Picker
Magic Smoke Wallpapers
Media audio effects
Messages
Messaging
Motorola * (This means all apps that start with Motorola EXCEPT SEE BELOW FOR MOTOROLA SERVICES)
Motorola Services (DO NOT DISABLE THIS IF YOU USE MOTOROLA'S LAUNCHER "HOME")
MS Exchange Service
Music Visualization Wallpapers
My Uploads
Myspace Authenticator
News
News & Weather
OMA Client Provisioning
OMA Download
Orientation Notifier
Orkut Authenticator
Photobucket Authenticator
Picasa Authenticator
Pico TTS
Policy Manager Service (both of these)
Quick Contact
Quickoffice
Rich Clipboard
Rich Location
Setup data encryption
Social * (This means all apps beginning with Social)
Sticky note
Suggestions * (This means all apps beginning with Suggestions or is just Suggestions)
Swype
Task Manager
Tasks
Toggle Widgets
TTS Service
Twitter Authenticator
Universal Inbox
Voice Commands
Voice Search
Weather
Work Contacts
Yahoo Contacts
Yahoo! Mail Authenticator
YouTube
YouTube Authenticator
Credits
I did not come up with the above lists on my own, I reviewed many threads but the following are the two main ones I referenced (please note these don't specifically apply to the MX2):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-972459.html
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1217134
Other Apps
As I mentioned my list above concentrates mostly on apps that were always running, but I have since updated the list to show some I just froze because I didn't want to see them in my apps list. Regardless there are still many more that you could freeze.
Closing
I hope this is useful to someone, I have received an extreme amount of help from many people in this community and want to try and give something back. If you have comments or suggestions please feel free PM me. Good luck to all!
Thanks so much!
Clcrawl,
this post has transformed my phone! And it saved me a lot of the legwork to find out which things I could freeze on the Milestone X2. Here's a list of what I had on my phone in case it is helpful for anyone: I am on ACS Alaska carrier so no doubt that's why the difference.
- Blue italics are items on your list that were not on my phone.
- No formatting = froze without having to pull battery & no ill effects so far - watch this space!
- Red = things I have a question about, some of them not on your list...
- Magenta Bold = things I froze that were not on your list
Accounts Storage
Admin Notifier
AdService
AtCommandService
Battery & data manager
Battery Manager
Bluetooth Share
BluetoothDun
Bookmarks Widget
Calendar Service
Certificate Manager Content Provider
com.motorola.android.extdispservice
com.motorola.android.mirrorservice
com.motorola.android.portal
com.motorola.hiddenmenu
com.motorola.atcmd.plugin.epu ?????
com.motorola.phoneaddons
com.motorola.photowidget ?????
com.motorola.spellcheckservice ?????
Contacts Sync
ContactsData
Data Collection
Data Collector Service
Data Manager ServiceDataCollectorService - is this a typo and really DataCollectorProvider???
Desk Home
Device Statistics Services
Downloads
DRM Protected Content Storage
Dinasystemservice ????
DMService ?????
Email
Emergency Alerts
FOTA
Global Unplug
Google Backup Transport
Google Partner Setup
Google Search
Help Center
Home (DO NOT DISABLE THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE A REPLACEMENT LAUNCHER)Home screen tipsInPocket
Kpi Logger Services
Media audio effects
MediaSync ????
Motorola Dock Service ?????
Motorola Indexing Service
Motorola Services (DO NOT DISABLE THIS IF YOU USE MOTOROLA'S LAUNCHER "HOME")
Motorola Storage Monitor
MS Exchange Service
NewsNews & WeatherOMA Client Provisioning
OMA Download
Orientation Notifier
Pico TTS
Orkut authorization
Photobucket authorization
- also froze a bunch of other services I don't use like twitter auth...
Policy Manager Service (both of these)
Quick Contact - I think I use this. Needs research...
Rich Clipboard
Setup data encryption
Social Messaging
Social Messaging Service
Social Networking
Social Sharing
Social Status
Sticky note
Suggestions
Suggestions Core RuleChecker Services
Suggestions Poll Scheduler Service
SwypeTask Manager
Tasks
Toggle Widgets
TTS Service
Voice Commands
Voice Search
Weather
Work Contacts
Yahoo Contacts
Thanks much for the feedback Jonb42. You are correct on the typo on DataCollectorProvider and I will fix that. Very strange you don't have some of the things. The theory previously was all the MX2s had the same SBF, but this would suggest otherwise, unless your provider manually removed some of the stuff. As far as the other things, I think I pretty much froze everything else that you had in blue as well. I may just update the post and show everything I froze. Thanks much again for the feedback.
EDIT: After talking to a budy my color blindness screwed me here, you had most of the stuff I had as well I just didn't look for italics. I forget I am color blind *slaps forehead*
speed decreases
---Update----
Looks like freezing does not do the trick for everything. I still find processes running (com.motorola for instance) that I have frozen (and still appear frozen in TB's list).
Searching for why online I found a list of people renaming these apps to .bak and thus stopping them running for good.
This bring me to the question: what if all this freezing I've been doing without every having to pull the battery has been because the apps were not really being frozen??? Thus this list of freezable apps might not be truly safe!
I am going to start trying the rename apps process but carefully with the above in mind. Someone has written a script to do this automatically but it is for a Droid X2 of course so not quite applicable...
----End of Update----
_________________
When I first froze all these apps I restarted AND pulled my battery for good measure even though my phone hadn't crashed I thought it would make sense to do so.
On startup my phone's performance was amazingly good, I was able to open each app pretty fast (its all relative!) and return to the home screen fast, and I did this with enough apps that I knew I must be forcing some to unload from memory and knew that it was all nice and fast.
However over a bit of time I've noticed that my phone has slowed down again. Does anyone have any idea why this might be so?
Restarting does not seem to help. However, restarting + pulling the battery does help get me back to "snappy".
I'm running SD speed increase, set to 2048, and the supercharger script v8.
- Jon
I wasn't able to remove the Yahoo Authenticator without my Contacts constantly force-closing... I would strongly recommend keeping that one enabled if you value using that app. (Stupid Yahoo.)
I couldn't remove my Messaging app because it is the one way to access all my inboxes. Maybe I should just switch to K-9 Mail, but as it stands I kinda want work e-mail to come through.
Could anyone out there tell me if the S Note that you got with the ICS update - NOT downloaded from S Choice, or from the file that I saw floating around the forum, just the ones that came with ICS automatically - matches the following permissions?
- Your personal information
add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owner's knowledge, read Browser's history and bookmarks, read calendar events plus confidential information, read contact data, read user defined dictionary, write Browser’s history and bookmarks, write contact data
- Services that cost you money
directly call phone numbers, send SMS messages
- Your location
coarse (network-based) location, fine (GPS) location
- Your messages
edit SMS or MMS, read SMS or MMS, receive SMS or MMS
- Network communication
control NFC, create Bluetooth connections, full internet access
- Your accounts
acts an account authenticator, manage the accounts list, use the authentication credentials of an account
- Storage
modify/delete USE storage contents
- Hardware controls
change your audio settings, record audio, take pictures and videos
- System Tools
allow Wi-Fi Multicast reception, bluetooth administration, change network connectivity, change WIF state, change WIMAX state, change your UI settings, delete all application cache data, disable keylock, format external storage, modify global system settings, mount and unmount filesystems, prevent phone from sleeping, retrieve running applications, write sync settings.
Why I want to know, if you're interested:
I didn't get S Note with my ICS update (SGH-i717R - Canadian, Rogers), and after a song and dance with support, was told by one agent/one email support to download it from the S Choice app store ... and by one call agent that I should stay away from it because it's not from Samsung and possibly malware.. Since S Note was supposed to come with the update, and only My Story needed additional downloading, I was a little wary.
My misgivings started with the bad grammar in the description, the different developer from the My Story app, and finally, the giant pile of permissions it wants. I've tried a slew of things to get S Note/Premium Suite to initialize, and am now at either reflashing the update, which I'd like to avoid since the phone works fine and I don't know what the hell I'm doing, or mailing it in “to the lab,” which I'd like to avoid because apparently not all of Samsung knows what it's doing either, judging by some of the answers I got. So I'd like to just do a comparison to see if the original S Note that comes with ICS also has these permissions. If it does, then I'm just going with the S Choice one and stop trying other things.
Thank you for any help!
Anyone? I know it's a bit of an oddball question, but..? (Unless nobody got it with ICS, which wouldn't surprise me, either.)
Matches what i have... I dont think its anything bad. Samsung proabably wants snote to have full functionality. Insert contacts and be able to call them from the app, geo tag your location etc... Look at the permissions of facebook... They are not that different.
Sent from my Samsung-I717
IMM76D.UCLF6+FJMOD-BUILD2
Stampaufaz said:
Matches what i have... I dont think its anything bad. Samsung proabably wants snote to have full functionality. Insert contacts and be able to call them from the app, geo tag your location etc... Look at the permissions of facebook... They are not that different.
Sent from my Samsung-I717
IMM76D.UCLF6+FJMOD-BUILD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fantastic - thanks! I was mostly put off by the description of the app "this application is S note can make own note." doesn't exactly scream "I am legit software put out by Samsung, download me!" But if it's pretty much what the original has, then I'm fine.
Again, thanks!
Was going to download and try this app from the Google store but have issues with privacy concerns:
This app has access to these permissions:
Your accounts
read Google service configuration
find accounts on the device
use accounts on the device
Your location
approximate location (network-based)
precise location (GPS and network-based)
Your messages
read your text messages (SMS or MMS)
receive text messages (SMS)
access mail information
Network communication
full network access
view network connections
view Wi-Fi connections
Your personal information
read calendar events plus confidential information
Phone calls
directly call phone numbers
read phone status and identity
Storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
Your applications information
retrieve running apps
Your social information
read your contacts
read call log
System tools
read Home settings and shortcuts
write Home settings and shortcuts
test access to protected storage
Affects battery
control vibration
Status bar
expand/collapse status bar
Wallpaper
set wallpaper
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Why does this app need to access so much of my personal information?
Yearoftherat said:
Was going to download and try this app from the Google store but have issues with privacy concerns:
Why does this app need to access so much of my personal information?
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Hi,
As you know, Themer helps increase the user experience by providing valuable information straight onto your homescreen.
This includes:
1. Displaying how many unread emails/SMS/missed calls you have. (Your messages
read your text messages (SMS or MMS)
receive text messages (SMS)
access mail information))
2. Displaying your map coordinates on a map image. (Your location
approximate location (network-based)
precise location (GPS and network-based))
3. A built-in dialer app that can display your recent contact as well as allow you to call a number directly from your homescreen. (Phone calls
directly call phone numbers
read phone status and identity) (Your social information
read your contacts
read call log)
4. Display agenda information. (Your personal information
read calendar events plus confidential information)
As you can see, it's all for display purposes. If you look at other widgets on the Play Store that perform the same activities, they will also require these permissions. It just so happens that Themer has all of these features built into one app. Hope this helps clarify the matter.
Thanks for the clarification. Looking forward to trying out the app!
I have the same concerns, beginning with the need to login before using any themes. (The explanation given in the faq seems too lame for me). Looks like a terrific app but possibly not for those who worry about privacy. I'm personally too scared to try it.
One option to explore is using this app with xprivacy installed which allows one to restrict unneeded permissions. Maybe a firewall might help?
Anderson2 said:
I have the same concerns, beginning with the need to login before using any themes. (The explanation given in the faq seems too lame for me). Looks like a terrific app but possibly not for those who worry about privacy. I'm personally too scared to try it.
One option to explore is using this app with xprivacy installed which allows one to restrict unneeded permissions. Maybe a firewall might help?
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Hi Anderson2,
That FAQ actually sums it up quite well. The login feature creates a security barrier for us, which even though is not the most advanced way of preventing intrusions into our theming servers, it does a good job in finding people who are trying to tamper with our systems. That and of course sending users email updates of new features if they request it.
When exactly do you need login? Just to download themes? After the download can one log out? I don't like the idea that you have access to my emails, texts, and any files your widgets access. That is what concerns me.
I don't know enough about themer because I'm afraid to use it, but I believe your zooper widget doesn't require login. (Does it?) Can you explain how they differ in the need for protection?
I have to say that I share those concerns. Why do you force users to login with their Google or Facebook accounts? I do not understand why this should be a better securitry barrier than the login data from mycolorscreen.com? I would not even give away my login data to someone I know, so why should I give away this data to someone I do not know at all???
Well said.
+1
shibadoo said:
I have to say that I share those concerns. Why do you force users to login with their Google or Facebook accounts? I do not understand why this should be a better securitry barrier than the login data from mycolorscreen.com? I would not even give away my login data to someone I know, so why should I give away this data to someone I do not know at all???
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Yet you log in to this forum and use it.
The explanations have been given. It's to ensure you are who you say you are when you access their servers to download the themes.
As for all the other access, Themer provides a lot of different information as explained (you DID read what he posted, correct?) GPS position, weather, etc. All of this is based on location, etc, as well as if you want unread email counts, etc. It's all there in Themer given you everything all rolled into one app, rather than having to download each piece separately. If you don't like it, don't use it. Thousands upon thousands of users are using it without any issues. I definitely like to protect my privacy, but this app is the least of your worries about privacy.
There are many other problems that could result if they didn't want you to verify who you say you are. Do you want someone to hack their servers and then you download a hacked theme that could result in even more privacy issues for you?
In the end, if you don't want to use it, don't. Nobody is forcing you to use it and they have every right to protect their investments as well. There are plenty of other apps out there you can use that can provide the same type of experience. Usually, the themes are not housed in a server so you can download them from elsewhere, but unless you're getting them from Google Play, then who is to say how safe those are? Many 3rd-party app stores are NOT the safest as they do not follow Google's security policy. At least with Themer, it's in the Google Play market and has had to go through Google's scrutiny.
A few weeks ago, the app was erroneously flagged as something that could steal your information. Google came back later and stated it was an error on their part and verified that the app is safe and it will not steal your information.
I've used it for months and nothing bad has happened to me.
There are many other ways for hackers to get your PI and this is the least of your worries.
vulcanvillalta said:
As an American, and therefore afraid of everything, I personally vote to not give out so much information. But on the other hand, IF someone wanted to get all of your information, they could probably do it without your consent. I would probably stay away from it, though. Just to "try" to be safe.
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Once Facebook introduces its anonymous login feature, our developers will implement the feature into Themer
iBolski said:
Yet you log in to this forum and use it.
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Yes, I do use this forum, but of course I do not log in with my Google account. There would be no reason to do so - same goes for Themer. I would have no problem if Themer would ask for my login data from mycolorscreen.
iBolski said:
The explanations have been given. It's to ensure you are who you say you are when you access their servers to download the themes.
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You think you know who I am because I enter some data that nobody ever controls? I could simply enter some Google account data I created only for Themer. But honestly, this is too much effort for me only the check if I like an app.
iBolski said:
As for all the other access, Themer provides a lot of different information as explained (you DID read what he posted, correct?) GPS position, weather, etc. All of this is based on location, etc, as well as if you want unread email counts, etc. It's all there in Themer given you everything all rolled into one app, rather than having to download each piece separately. If you don't like it, don't use it. Thousands upon thousands of users are using it without any issues. I definitely like to protect my privacy, but this app is the least of your worries about privacy.
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What exactly has GPS and weather to do with my Google Account data? I do not share GPS data with Google, so I would not with Themer as well. And for a weather forecast I would simply type in 5 numbers - my zip code. This is exactly what I do right now.
iBolski said:
There are many other problems that could result if they didn't want you to verify who you say you are. Do you want someone to hack their servers and then you download a hacked theme that could result in even more privacy issues for you?
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And because the people at Themer have may account data, nobody can hack their servers? So the solution to all hacked servers worldwide is so simple? Just giving them Google account data?
iBolski said:
In the end, if you don't want to use it, don't. Nobody is forcing you to use it and they have every right to protect their investments as well. There are plenty of other apps out there you can use that can provide the same type of experience. Usually, the themes are not housed in a server so you can download them from elsewhere, but unless you're getting them from Google Play, then who is to say how safe those are? Many 3rd-party app stores are NOT the safest as they do not follow Google's security policy. At least with Themer, it's in the Google Play market and has had to go through Google's scrutiny.
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Yes, I do not use it. This is the consequence.
iBolski said:
There are many other ways for hackers to get your PI and this is the least of your worries.
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So what should be my worries if it is not giving away voluntarily my Google account data to someone I do not know???
And you forgot something: I know at least 5 people that use their Android phones without a Google account, and they also do not use Facebook. Believe it or not: these people do really exist, and they even survive without a Google and a Facebook account.
So for me there is no credible information why the people at themer need my Google account data, and why this should protect them from being hacked. Or why my Google Account data should be safer than my mycolorscreen account data. This is why I will not use themer and would not recommend it to others.
shibadoo said:
Yes, I do use this forum, but of course I do not log in with my Google account. There would be no reason to do so - same goes for Themer. I would have no problem if Themer would ask for my login data from mycolorscreen.
You think you know who I am because I enter some data that nobody ever controls? I could simply enter some Google account data I created only for Themer. But honestly, this is too much effort for me only the check if I like an app.
What exactly has GPS and weather to do with my Google Account data? I do not share GPS data with Google, so I would not with Themer as well. And for a weather forecast I would simply type in 5 numbers - my zip code. This is exactly what I do right now.
And because the people at Themer have may account data, nobody can hack their servers? So the solution to all hacked servers worldwide is so simple? Just giving them Google account data?
Yes, I do not use it. This is the consequence.
So what should be my worries if it is not giving away voluntarily my Google account data to someone I do not know???
And you forgot something: I know at least 5 people that use their Android phones without a Google account, and they also do not use Facebook. Believe it or not: these people do really exist, and they even survive without a Google and a Facebook account.
So for me there is no credible information why the people at themer need my Google account data, and why this should protect them from being hacked. Or why my Google Account data should be safer than my mycolorscreen account data. This is why I will not use themer and would not recommend it to others.
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You describe me exactly. I don't use my Google account to login anywhere, don't use Facebook, have phone GPS and location turned off, only enter zip code for weather, turn off sync everywhere, use a firewall, xprivacy, etc. - - and Google only thinks it has my info.
Everyone I know who is not a teenager or addicted to Facebook does the same.
vulcanvillalta said:
If you use fake names etc and are vague about your location, no, google doesnt have your name. But what about your IP address. They can tell that your pseudonym is performing functions from the specific location you are in. You might not GIVE them your name or address, but with the IP address linking you to a specific internet connection, they certainly can figure out who you are and where you are, if they want to.
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Which is why I don't want to help other sites identify me by giving them my Google login. Not everyone has Google capabilities.
The points made in defense of keeping your personal information private (and not using your Google login for Themer) are valid and understood.
However, Themer is not designed for that type of mindset.
Themer is designed for the overall market - the vast majority if you will - not for privacy advocates.
It's simply a tool that allows the general Android user base (the FB'ers, Google +'ers, i.e. Socialites) to easily login to an app designed to make their phones look cool. Most of the functionality of the Themes are far more invasive than your Google login anyway (GPS coordinates, access to text/email notifications, call logs, etc) so I really don't see the point of wildly waving your arms around saying "privacy breach! privacy breach!"
Don't use it. Cool. I'm OK with that. I'm sure they are too. But why complain about it? What is the goal? Surely you cannot think they will redesign the app for you.
So really, you're just posting on XDA to aggravate the devs. I mean, what launcher doesn't have access to all of your info? It's like complaining that a specific model of car has a license plate that can be used to identify you. Guess what? All cars do. Take the bus bro
Anderson2 said:
Which is why I don't want to help other sites identify me by giving them my Google login. Not everyone has Google capabilities.
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But your phone can still identify you. You are still logged into the internet via your carrier's internet and they can definitely get who you are on the phone.
You might as well just stay off the internet completely then.
And, if you're going to stay off the internet, then why have a smart phone? You're already identified out there through your carrier. If they breach your carrier account, they have all sorts of information right then and there, more so than Google would have. Think about it. Your billing address, etc.
Don't think for a minute that your carrier is completely safe. Even Verizon has had breaches.
vulcanvillalta said:
Like I said above, IF PEOPLE WANT YOUR INFORMATION, THEY CAN GET IT. There are nasty identity thieves out there that can find all of your information SOOOO easily. So easily. So whether or not you use an app or make a phonecall or whatever, you can still be traced and you can still be monitored and your information can still be acquired. I'm not trying to be a downer, but you can either accept that you are at the mercy of whoever wants to stalk you, or you can spend the rest of your life worrying and trying to protect yourself from something you literally have no control of.
IMHO, if you can use the app and it would benefit you, you might as well enjoy it.
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Not sure why you quoted me bro, I'm on the same page you are.
IT need to display some information about your phone