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So there are a number of Android-based tablets on the horizon. These are presumably envisioned as intermediate devices to fill a niche between the smartphone and laptop, similar to the iPad. I'm not starting a thread to debate whether this niche exists, or the design of any specific device, but rather on how well Android and its apps can adapt to being used across multiple devices by the same user.
For me, when I try to envision a tablet in my life, I find it difficult to think of things that it could do but my phone (a Nexus One) can't. I think the point is a tablet doesn't really do new things, but it does them slightly better because of a larger screen. The thing is, I will likely want to switch back and forth between my phone and tablet depending on my real-world context, and I will generally want the state of those applications to stay in sync.
Take reading an ebook, for example. I will still want to read on my phone sometimes, when I just have a minute to spare and don't have the tablet with me, but when I sit down to a more lengthy reading session, I want the tablet to remember where I am in the book. This should be automatic. Similarly, any games I play should have my progress saved, and my bookmarks/history/etc should be synced too. The simple fact is, the additional value of a tablet seems so small, that if I have to put up another non-synced device in my life, it won't even be worth bothering. I'll just keep using the smaller screen of my phone.
Now, of course there are already things that DO sync. Email, calendar, contacts, etc. But those are distinct things with custom implementations specific to that type of data. Certainly every app developer could add a web service that syncs their app data, but why make everyone do that individually. Does anyone know of any plans to create a generalized Android app sync solution? (let me know if there's something out there and I missed it) This seems like something google would want to build at the OS level, but I haven't heard of anything like it.
Thoughts?
I just came across this post after running up against this problem in the real world. Just received my Notion Ink Adam and quickly started looking for a solution to sync things like my eBook placement and game save-state between my Nexus One and the tablet. Titanium Media Sync looked promising but as the product description indicates, it is only capable of one-way synchronization. This means you would have to manually run the sync task each time you started using one device or the other. Perhaps something that could be achieved with tasker and some scripting, but that's more management overhead than anyone would want.
I wish I was better at software development cause this is not a solution that could be tackled with the app inventor.
This is going to be a big shakeup for awhile... SugarSync, Dropbox, Bump, Hoccer, Titanium, Listables/BlueMuze (my apps), Amazon cloud sync, Google Books -- there are 100 solutions coming from different directions and for different puposes.
Then there will be video (which is even more insanely competitive) as everyone trys various DRM, cloud hosting and streaming. Then you have the carriers sitting in the middle putting data caps on stuff wondering if they can get a slice of the pie. Roku, SlingBox, Tivo, Boxee, TimeWarner, Viacom, NBC-Comcast, Verizion, Cablevision, ATT, Apple, --- SO MANY companies in this market.
This is partly why I created my apps, so that people could send data without the cloud sync ideology/methodology forced on them. But that's sort of tangential to the conversation, and specific for types of media as you said above.
Anyways, I think the competition will be good mostly. But we'll have to be careful to reward those who dont try to restrict usage arbitrarily. And be sure to punish those that stand in the way.
Also with regards to programming sync oneself, beware that it's one of those things that's deceptively simple sounding until you try and work out the actual code/details of how to do it.
We need this now more than ever!
Any new products out there that can help me synch my Captivate with my Color Nook?
Seraph321 said:
I find it difficult to think of things that it could do but my phone (a Nexus One) can't. Thoughts?
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I can't agree with you more. I came to the same conclusion when I was looking at tablets.
However there are certain things I don't use right now because my battery temp will exceed 103°F when I'm using them (music apps, navigation, etc.) Phone is overclocked to 844 MHz so that obviously plays into the battery life, but if I had a tablet I could use those apps on the tablet to conserve my phone battery; currently my phone battery won't last more than a day :^(
There's also the possibility that because tablets would be more powerful than my MyTouch 3G Slide that I could scale back my phone CPU and use certain things on the tablet.
I'm holding off on tablets right now, I want to see where they go with the capabilities first before I jump on board.
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App
You said "I'm holding off on tablets right now". If you want to get your feet wet on the cheap, pick up a Color Nook of Craigslist. I've bought 2 now for $170 each.
At that price, who cares where the tablet market goes. When something comes along you like better, buy it, and give the Color Nook to someone as a gift.
I'm pretty confident the community will make a tablet more than worth owning. Even without the source code the xoom has been pretty handy. But from the first day of ownership I was wondering why it wasn't built in to have the phone and tab sync up. Even something more basic like chrome to phone for the phone to tab would be nice.
Just thinking out loud mostly.
My favorite tab sync mod,
Grab Google voice and grooveIP and have texts and voice calls come to the tab at the same time as the phone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Great topic! As a developer and Droid X owner, I've been debating about getting a tablet, but my tablet would be an iPad so I can cross-platform develop.
Still, a very valid issue as to iPhone/iPad or Droid/Xoom synching. Haven't given it much thought, but the OP brings up some valid points.
If you have an e-book, grocery list manager and any other number of apps, *physical* synching would be a PITA in my opinion. I think some cloud-based solution like DropBox would be the best solution.
How this gets implemented is surely open to debate.
I haven't tried it yet but there's an app on the market called SyncIt Beta:
https://market.android.com/details?id=jug6ernaut.net.syncit
It's supposed to be able to sync your app data across multiple devices.
^ Shift Faced
I am sorry for bringing back a dead thread, however this is still something i am in looking for. I have a nexus S and a toshiba thrive tablet. As opposed to cloud based or something along those apps, i think an even easier solutions would be a device direct streaming type service so to speak. Have the devices communicate directly with each other over wifi or bluetooth. I mean to be perfectly honest, if i use it on the road, my phone is with me anyway so bluetooth is perfectly acceptable. and when i am at home, both are connected to wifi even if they aren't close enough for bluetooth. That would remedy the need of a cloud based service, and the issue of data privacy. As long as the data gets synced locally to the device, i should be able to break the sync and still continue to operate, then when the 2 devices are reconnected to each other they can just update the changes. I am not a developer, so i apologize if these requests seem monumental. However i was going to make the change to webOS because it natively had support for these features, which were immensely helpful. Until webOS sort of fell off the grid obviously (even though it was never really on it to begin with)
Try "Tablet Talk" the paid app is really worth it, it allows users to communicate from tablet to phones.
It's well worth the money
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Old thread. New Idea.
I came across this thread while searching for a solution to my problem. Thought it appropriate to post here.
Does anyone know of any virtual assistant apps or anything of that sort that will sync with other versions of the app on other devices?
For example, I have two android devices. I want to be able to talk to one and set a reminder at the house, and have the reminder come to a different device i have on me elsewhere.
So far the only way I can come up with to do this is to set a reminder through Google Calendar but was wondering if there was any other less clunky alternatives.
So I have a note ii and a precedent. Here is a list of things id like to do
Sync my note ii audio a2dp out to play ober the precedent
Sync alert and alarm awnsers n dismissals across devices as well as read emails
Power off device remotley [power on?]
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
Questions should be posted in Q&A forums, not Development forums.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81
See rule #15
Thread moved.
I am coming from a DX where TBH modded the NV files to use the stock hotspot application.
I was wondering if there has been any devs taking a look into this...
And by the way I DO NOT want to start a ethics war on tethering or not tethering...
Thank you
There's been threads with lots of useful information (and posts) within the last couple of weeks. You'll probably get more informative answers looking at those then asking people to repeat what they already said.
yareally said:
There's been threads with lots of useful information (and posts) within the last couple of weeks. You'll probably get more informative answers looking at those then asking people to repeat what they already said.
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I have skimmed thru quite a few recent posts regarding tethering and I find none of them useful in answering my question. I see that many of the posts go on to get a smartass remark or two from someone who has not a clue about how to answer the question.
Kinda like what happened in this post.
So I would like a linky or a better answer.
Ohhhh, if you want a smartass answer, I could do far better....
That was only my polite, "look around the knowledge base because it's useful" answer that noobs seem to find insulting anyways.
If I really wanted to be insulting, I would tell you to RTFM . I help plenty of people with legitimate questions, feel free to look at my post history and see for yourself.
But really, I do agree the ways people say it tend to be rather blunt.
However, the overreactions to even sensible replies to search around are also just also just as bad, since there doesn't need to be a new posting always and some people just don't think before they make one and reminding them to do a little search I think helps (if done in a not so overly rude way). My initial post was not a slight against you but a word of advice that people will do what you just said, insult you and give you non-helpful replies.
IDK what kind of solution you are looking for, but there isn't a magical "Verizon will give you free unlimited tethering legitimately without extra cost option if you ask them really nicely" or a "I'll come right over to your house code and compile the most amazing tether app in the world that actually boosts your LTE speed beyond what Verizon gives you and does your homework when it's idle."
Instead of taking the defensive because someone asked if you looked around a little, perhaps clarifying your question in a way that shows that you actually searched (i.e. "I noticed there was this method to tether or that, but I don't really like those options") makes it clear to everyone you gave it an honest shot and also motivates people to want to help you more
It also keeps things on topic so you get the answer you want faster. Just for future reference.
I searched the TB forums and didn't really see anything on the subject. I only found
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1082585
Maybe there's more in the general Android forums, though I didn't find much there either. I could just suck at searching.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1087475&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1074992&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1077029&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1070477&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1064246&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1060549&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1056647&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1054866&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1060701&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1034262&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1007537&highlight=tether
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1030818&highlight=tether
and many more (I stopped on page 6 http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?searchid=74208283&pp=25&page=6)
I recommend using advanced search and "search by post" not by title. You'll get more relevant info that way. If you happen to be an opera mobile or desktop user, you can make a custom search from http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?f=940, by hold pressing on the search bar for that page for mobile or right clicking for the desktop. It will then add it to your other custom searches for easy access
Anyone of the links above mention this?
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...ave-your-data-session-cut-off-with-an-upsale/
ddgarcia05 said:
Anyone of the links above mention this?
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...ave-your-data-session-cut-off-with-an-upsale/
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No, because it's a different phone that was never fully rooted and it's the only phone mentioned, but it's worth talking about since it's the first threat that comes off as more than words (though it could still be regardless). Verizon can tell what you're doing far easier on it than other phones because you don't ever have full control of it on the droidx. If there's any phone that can detect if you're doing unauthorized tethering, it's going to be a phone that's locked down. People who buy moto get what they pay for.
Though someone did mention it somewhere in some topic on the thunderbolt forums about the droidx having ways to detect it, but it was just glossed over.
I never used stock hotspot app because I never even try apps with monthly charges. what's the point of checking it out and potentially getting hooked when I'm absolutely certain that I will NOT pay monthly charge for that. I'd rather switch back to T-mobile
with that said, I'm using wifi tether as I write this. it took me a while to configure it because it wouldn't work out of box but it's free and well worth the price!
I've been busy lately and havent kept up with this...so Verizon shut down the free tethering apps, like "wifi tether for root" and others?
Not to throw this thread off topic or anything I just wanted to know how you got the H and # key's confused in the thread title as they are quite far apart. Again, sorry to everyone just kind of a weird mistake.
yareally said:
No, because it's a different phone that was never fully rooted and it's the only phone mentioned, but it's worth talking about since it's the first threat that comes off as more than words (though it could still be regardless). Verizon can tell what you're doing far easier on it than other phones because you don't ever have full control of it on the droidx. If there's any phone that can detect if you're doing unauthorized tethering, it's going to be a phone that's locked down. People who buy moto get what they pay for.
Though someone did mention it somewhere in some topic on the thunderbolt forums about the droidx having ways to detect it, but it was just glossed over.
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Seems the Thunderbolt running gingerbread is the same way, although I reverted back to froyo for the time being so I cannot confirm what this article states.
http://www.droid-life.com/2011/05/3...ireless-tether-asks-that-you-purchase-a-plan/
Doesn't CM7 provide an integrated tethering solution? That should be undetectable to Verizon.
If they are baking something into the gingerbread update to detect tethering apps (pun not intended but welcome), it won't find its way into the CM7 code.
dirtyfingers said:
Seems the Thunderbolt running gingerbread is the same way, although I reverted back to froyo for the time being so I cannot confirm what this article states.
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I doubt anyone on a T-bolt can confirm since we're still getting free hotspot. Unless they are allowing official hotspot use but blocking tethering apps.
I suppose that would make sense if they're trying to get people hooked on the feature.
Yareally thanks for the links. I don't know if you own a xoom but I have yet been able to get the search feature to work in the xda site. Maybe you could find a link for that as well and post it for me.
I am not currently at home with access to my laptop where I have full availability to use the advanced search feature. So thanks again for making these links available in ones easy to find location.
As for the #.. I use thumb keyboard on t#e xoom and it is t#e result of a long press on t#e h key. I think you should be proud if yourself for being able to figure out what I meant to type.
No offence to anyone but some times when you all jump on people asses there may be extenuating circumstances.
Sry for your troubles. But I hope you rest good at night knowing that you have helped one soul find some good info.
The search feature using a web browser or using the application for xda? I've heard the application has lots of issues for anyone period with the search and since many seem to use it, it's probably the reason for lots of duplicate posts. If you mean browsing it on an internet browser, that seems new to me as far as I know.
I've never used it, I just browse using opera mobile (with a link to the thunderbolt forum on my speed dial and the search tied into the search bar next to the url bar).
Opera mobile still has an unresolved issue with LTE being throttled (max of like 150KB/s), but it's not a deal breaker for me at least compared to using the stock browser in terms of getting to where I want to go quickly and its tie-ins to the desktop browser.
No worries about the thread. Internet makes it hard at times to interpret someone's replies anyways since words can be taken many ways, lol.
What's your highest GB (data) usage in a month and has there been any drawbacks? Looking for throttling thresholds, random radio/connectivity drops, or actual examples of other potential risks. Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals of actual rooted tethering (non-paying). Use Wireless Tether.
Sent from my ADR6400L using xda premium
DNak206 said:
Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals of actual rooted tethering (non-paying). Use Wireless Tether.
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So you don't want our input if we're rooted and using free tethering? They would throttle a 20gb/month video watcher the same as a 20gb/month tetherer.
And if I'm wrong in my assumption, then I can tell you my wife uses about 300-550mb per night playing Rift through my OpenGarden tether. Monthly, I would guess it averages about 6300mb usage, not including the random times I allow people to connect while waiting in school lines to pick up kids and at neighborhood parties (my friends are starting to loath AT&T).
XDAThunderbolter said:
So you don't want our input if we're rooted and using free tethering? They would throttle a 20gb/month video watcher the same as a 20gb/month tetherer.
And if I'm wrong in my assumption, then I can tell you my wife uses about 300-550mb per night playing Rift through my OpenGarden tether. Monthly, I would guess it averages about 6300mb usage, not including the random times I allow people to connect while waiting in school lines to pick up kids and at neighborhood parties (my friends are starting to loath AT&T).
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Thanks for allowing me to clarify, at this point, I'll certainly take all the input I can get but recently I started using tether pretty heavily due to photography for my kids sports and also acquiring an ipad. I finished last month with just under 8GB, to the point the MyVerizon both online and in the app still reads as being around 8GB even tho my cycle was supposed to reset 2 days ago. Because I went over 5GB or maybe even 6 or 7 of the 8 total GB I used last month were more than likely in the past week or so, I have a feeling my understanding of throttling is off. I have had my data conectivity be super shotty and in some cases, downloads and uploads are failing entirely.
We can obviously all speculate on whether they can see Wireless Tether (cheated, not paying) and such, but the usage doesn't lie. Hoping to speak to other users that actually use it heavily and their experiences as for how throttling works and if they experience any other subtle things to be aware of, that's all. Way more long winded than it needed to be, my bad on the novel.
I cleared 25 gig last month. No signs of throttling so far as I can tell.
Damn, 25GB, no ****... what are you streaming/tethering if I may ask, an xbox360/ps3?
DNak206 said:
Damn, 25GB, no ****... what are you streaming/tethering if I may ask, an xbox360/ps3?
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I watched about 5 seasons of "The X Files", a movie or 2, and some "Breaking Bad".
the most i've done is nearly 20GB and that's with 3G. never got anything from verizon in regards to usage.
once 4G is available here i'm probably going to do a hell of a lot more then that and we'll see then.
i have 4g and ive used 5 gb in one day downloading a game and no throttling (rooted using wireless tether). to clarify "throttling" is when they slow down your internet because your using it too much. this happens regardless of whether or not your paying to tether because they do it for just the data you use on your phone as well, but sometimes it takes a while for them to catch it or they never even do. they cant tell that your using wireless tether specifically, but they can tell your using a lot of data so they will throttle you. if your worried about them charging you for going over your data limit, just remove the tethering feature and use wireless tether. then if you go over just tell them it was all on your phone and theres no way they can prove you wrong since according to them you cant be tethering since your not paying them for there services. thank god for rooting though eh?
DNak206 said:
Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals of actual rooted tethering (non-paying). Use Wireless Tether.
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Please state your question in complete sentences using proper English.
mike.s said:
Please state your question in complete sentences using proper English.
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Wrote that from my phone dip**** and that wasn't a question, the larger question was addressed earlier in the thread.
DNak206 said:
Wrote that from my phone dip**** and that wasn't a question, the larger question was addressed earlier in the thread.
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no need to start a war by cursing (it's also against xda rules). Your sentence did not make sense (with or without shortened words). I recommend a better keyboard like swiftkey or swype if your current one is too hard to use. It just makes it harder to help when one has to guess what you are saying.
well they are doing something,as soon as I hit 20gigs full brakes down to 3g speed on 4g network,that was about 8 says ago,and now this morning gettin 15+ down in sioux falls
Sent from my ADR6400L using xda premium
yareally said:
no need to start a war by cursing (it's also against xda rules). Your sentence did not make sense (with or without shortened words). I recommend a better keyboard like swiftkey or swype if your current one is too hard to use. It just makes it harder to help when one has to guess what you are saying.
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Reading the sentence again:
"Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals of actual rooted tethering (non-paying). Use Wireless Tether."
Please only actual use cases (are you familiar w/ this term?, not USE as in to-use something, use-CASES.. examples, specifics, I think you missed how I intended that. No typos there but definitely could've been worded better.)
Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals (self explanatory? Referring to people that are actually tethering in the same fashion, not someone that wants to paste in language from our agreements or can technically confirm Verizon can't see/prove our usage, but from other users actually doing what I'm doing.)
Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals of actual rooted tethering (non-paying). Use Wireless Tether." (this one need explaining too? see above re: hypotheticals)
Given, the sentence wasn't written well but in seeing some of this Sam guys other posts, he apparently gets off by jumping in and offering majority of times criticism over actual substance to be helpful.
DNak206 said:
Reading the sentence again:
"Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals of actual rooted tethering (non-paying). Use Wireless Tether."
Please only actual use cases (are you familiar w/ this term?, not USE as in to-use something, use-CASES.. examples, specifics, I think you missed how I intended that. No typos there but definitely could've been worded better.)
Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals (self explanatory? Referring to people that are actually tethering in the same fashion, not someone that wants to paste in language from our agreements or can technically confirm Verizon can't see/prove our usage, but from other users actually doing what I'm doing.)
Please only actual use cases not hypotheticals of actual rooted tethering (non-paying). Use Wireless Tether." (this one need explaining too? see above re: hypotheticals)
Given, the sentence wasn't written well but in seeing some of this Sam guys other posts, he apparently gets off by jumping in and offering majority of times criticism over actual substance to be helpful.
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Lol, calm down dude . I do agree with you that the other guy reminds me of the old guy in a neighborhood that screams at kids to very off his lawn. Sometimes he posts useful stuff, but mostly just angry stuff.
All good man, I'm calm. If I could just tether and feel "safe" about it (getting there, but still not 150% like I'd PREFER to be) and wish this headset mic worked..
Other than that, about to take off work and enjoy my 5 day!
so i take it we shouldnt use our phones to download PS3 games?
no idea if my input is pertinent, but here it is
Rooted/nonpaying, 28gb. was mostly from dual streaming MLG Anaheim starcraft last month. Did not experience any slowing down or notice.
squeakyl said:
no idea if my input is pertinent, but here it is
Rooted/nonpaying, 28gb. was mostly from dual streaming MLG Anaheim starcraft last month. Did not experience any slowing down or notice.
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i use it a lot for Left 4 Dead 1 & 2. damn games are still addicting.
If I were a hardcore gamer, I would swear by using a landline with an ethernet cable. I haven't really gamed on consoles lately, but I think networks like xbox live do some equalizing so those with exceptional pings can't one up those that don't so much.
yareally said:
If I were a hardcore gamer, I would swear by using a landline with an ethernet cable. I haven't really gamed on consoles lately, but I think networks like xbox live do some equalizing so those with exceptional pings can't one up those that don't so much.
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i dont have internet at home nor am i home much(just to sleep). when i do use my computer(laptop) its usually at the library. the wifi there is unbareably slow and loses signal often so i use pdanet with my TB.
i do all sorts of downloading with it as well as gaming.
its a pretty nice laptop at least. then again, for $1,600 it has to be.
Since we know the main reason Google did Android was the same as all their other free products - collect more info from users, can the built in VPN settings be trusted? It just seems to me that the only reason Google would be "kind" enough to build in a system to defeat the reason they built Android in the first place would be if they wanted a way to offer "security" with a back door for themselves??? i.e. Maybe all traffic goes through Google before being sent to VPN??
Or maybe a simple question is can Google still see your traffic or get the info they want if you use the built in VPN settings (with a VPN service of course)?
Would using an OpenVPN app be more secure than the standard settings?
Thanks and I'll apologize in advance if this is a stupid question!
Remove the tinfoil hat for a second and listen:
Even if the traffic from the VPN were to be sent to Google, they would only receive the encrypted traffic!
Erm, yeah, that is, if no other part of the VPN framework is sending the encryption key to Google servers -in an encrypted form so as to not be so easily detectable by sniffing the traffic...
Heck, the FBI and the NSA do it with e-mail (google-search "carnivore program" and "Echelon communications interception", you'll find plenty of info on these -surprisingly not well known- topics) and truckloads of other communication forms, why would Google mind ?
You're absolutely right to be wary -especially if you live in the USA, where the "Patriot Acts" 1 and 2 give practically free-hands to the government to wiretap everything they want, in the interest of "national security" (or so they say. Most times though, it's used for more 'impure' intentions), and sometimes forward the collected info to big corporations who can make big money out of it. That's how Boeing practically stole a multibillion $ contract right under the nose of Airbus : the NSA tipped them off after they intercepted emails and faxes emitted by Airbus about the bid, and told Boeing to slightly -just enough- increase their own bid, and voilà... (but they never acknowledge anything by saying "we intercepted comms that said they'll bid so much or so much", nope, it's way more sneaky than this : it goes like "about this contract, we think that it would be a good idea to slightly increase your bid, by say a million or two", never mentioning any wiretapping -and of course the people who benefit from the info are way too glad to think about spoiling the ambiance by asking embarassing questions. "you don't look a gift horse in the mouth", after all...
If you really wanna have a (mostly) relaxed mindset about this, I see only one reliable solution : code your very own VPN app, and keep it to yourself, forever and ever, so it can't be reverse-engineered by no one (and even this is no 100% guarantee, you're never safe from anything in this sorry world)..
That being said, I'm not entirely convinced Google created Android just for gathering info from its sheepish users.. There probably is some of that, sure -althoug, to be a Android user requires way more technical knowledge and curiosity about the device you're using (that is, if you wanna use it at 100% of its capabilities) than the "average frustrated Windows chump".. And this kind of user is way more liable to uncover the "conspiracy", sooner and easier than just a WinMo or iOS user.. It's kind of like sawing the branch you're sitting on..
And if this happened -Google being discovered spying upon the communications of Android users- they'd probably be in biiiig trouble, probably more than what makes it worth trying it. Just look at Apple when it got known that every iPhone has a hidden memory area that stores the GPS coordinates of your every move and periodically uploads them to Apple servers. Jobs managed to dodge the bullet by publicly explaining that it was meant to enhance the algorithms that will be used by future GPS chips, but who the hell believes that ? For one thing, Apple never manufactured GPS chips, and probably never will, mostly because building a chip-foundry factory costs a huge wad of dough (just ask Intel how much they're spending to upgrade their infrastructures each time they reduce the die-sizes by a few nanometers, the amounts are hard to believe when you're making about 15$ an hour like me..), and also because there are already too many competitors out there -most of which are better than Apple at designing quality hardware.. It's probably no mystery if Apple prefers using 3rd-party hardware than making their own : it's cheaper, easier, and at least if you get some f-ed up hardware, you can just blame it on the corporation who sold it to you instead of having to make an embarassing and very public mea-culpa (at this point, the words "HTC", "eMMC" and "Samsung-made chips" are popping into my mind.. Is anyone else feeling those symptoms ? ^^). And it would be way harder -if not downright impossible- for Google to find a believable and reasonable explanation for such a mischief (I think it's even called a felony at this level.. But I'm no yankee, can't be 100% sure about this detail -and right now I'm too lazy to Google it up and find out.. xD).
But then again, who can be 100% sure ? It's always wise to be wary, and always be prepared for every contingency, as far as is humanly possible
I personally think that if Google created Android it's probably more because they wanted to thwart Microsoft from ever gaining complete monopoly of the mobile OS market, like they did with Windows and the PC OS market -which they mercilessly dominate by every means possible, even those that are borderline illegal sometimes, if the outcome makes it very worth the risk..
Google and Microsoft just can't stand each other (just like Microsoft and SCO-Unix couldn't stand each other back in the heroic days.. Actually, Microsoft has had many a foe along the way, IBM is counting among those too -but MS finally managed to kill off their offspring OS/2. It wouldn't die by itself so they had to kill it.. But they only managed to do so because they were more determined on taking it out of the OS scene than IBM was determined on defending it.. ), and they just will do anything that is in their respective grasp to piss off one another -with varying success..
And I gotta admit that they did a pretty good job out of it, all things considered : the Unix open-source community benefits from one more interesting project (even if the sources for every new Android release are often very long to come out. But then, the GNU public licence only states that you have to release the source code with your app if you're reusing some GNU-licensed code, it never mentions any deadlines, or that it has to be released together with the compiled binary), and Microsoft is held back from completely winning a juicy prize, which makes their new CEO Steve Ballmer mad with rage -which is hilariously funny to me (I can't get enough of seeing this fatass enraged. Too bad Bill Gates retired, it'd probably have been equally as funny -if not more- to see him enraged, with Ballmer towering over him by his side and trying to make himself as small as a mouse so he could escape by a crack in the nearest wall, the "angry dwarf and the 'not-too-bright-but-very-bulky' giant". In the movies that's always a winning combo)..
Snakeforhire said:
Erm, yeah, that is, if no other part of the VPN framework is sending the encryption key to Google servers -in an encrypted form so as to not be so easily detectable by sniffing the traffic...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you want to follow that road, what's telling you that the VPN clients around aren't sending that very same key to law enforcement agencies?
The answer is simple, it would be a huge, gigantic ****up, as you said!
read the rest of my post, I address this issue a few lines down.
@Alcap12 I don't generally consider myself to be part of the tin foil hat club. But I am older and have learned (the hard way) the difference between regrets and mistakes - mistakes you can fix. I think there is going to be a whole **** load of young folks who are going to regret not taking their privacy a little more seriously in a few years.
Thanks for the reply SnakeforHire.
I understand the man-in-the-middle type of attack and if you're using an ssl vpn the only thing the middleman sees is encrypted traffic. But Google isn't in the middle they own the starting point. So is it possible: A user sends some data, Android phones home with the metadata, and then Android encrypts the data and sends it to the vpn server? Tons of the apps on the market are tracking you - heck the Dolphin browser just got busted doing it right here on XDA so why not Android itself??
I'm thinking a packet sniffer would tell us the answer. I'm also thinking if I've thought of this one of the professionals here on XDA has too and has checked it out already. At least I'm hoping so. I just posted this thread in the hopes of finding out for sure.
you're assuming the filtered-out data would be sent over to the eavesdropper in an unencrypted form, otherwise the packet sniffer would just see meaningless garbage..
And I kinda doubt that anyone willing to go to such lengths to spy on others would be so foolish as to forget to add encryption to his upload framework.
Well, it seems to be a very good and informative question. I use VPN service and i don' think that google can trace out your traffic though the traffic from the local ISP transmit through a sound means which is absolutely encrypted and protected so there won't be any chance for anyone to look into you data and traffic...
i use the service of hidemyass and i can say that its is the best iphone vpn. I have been searching around the web for several aspects related to vpn and my research concluded that through vpn no data can be traced..All what google or anyone else will receive is the encrypted data like [email protected]#$^^&*. So impossible for anyone to see it
Since the arrival of latest Android Phones, we have been seeing people searching for the most reliable and trustworthy Android VPN Providers. It has not been easy for anyone of us, searching for VPN provider that can support our latest Android Phones settings. In fact this has not been easy for us to compile this entire list of Android VPN Providers.
Setting up commercial VPN on Android 3.0 or older versions is a piece of cake nothing to worry about. You just have to tap here and there on your New Android Phone and you are connected.
Before providing you with the step by step process, I would again mention the ‘disclaimer’ that this blog-post is not for the experts or techies, but this is for those who are new to VPN or android and want to setup their VPN accounts for the first time on their Android Phones.
Let’s cut the crap and start with the tutorial, I will first tell you how to setup a simple PPTP VPN connection on your Android Phone.
Go to your Phone settings.
Tap on Wireless Controls and then VPN Settings.
Click ‘Add VPN’ and you are Half way through J
Tap on “Add PPTP VPN”. Do not worry about others, we will let you know about the other protocols as well.
Add your “VPN Name”. It can be your name, you can even name it “I Do not need VPN”
Now the so-called difficult part arrives, entering the Server Name. Server Name can only be entered, if you have a VPN account, or you have setup your own VPN. If you do not have both, please do not try this, you will not get anything
Server name is being provided by the VPN Provider, it will be like “usa.bestvpnservice.com”.
You can enable the encryption here. (If VPN still does not work, try again after disabling it)
Do not worry about DNS Search Domains until or unless you are planning to use Internal DNS Server, if yes enter them here.
Save the Settings and You are all set with your New VPN Connection on your Android Honeycomb.
Now, comes the connecting part. Go to your VPN Settings and there you will get your added VPN connection. Tap to connect it and enter your Username and Password, which you will get after paying your VPN Provider. You will see a small Key like icon on the Top, which means you are now safe, secure and anonymous in the digital world. You can disconnect your VPN by going to the same area with VPN settings and tapping on your connected VPN Connection.
I hope it will helpful for you to configure settings on your Android. Currently i am Using my Ipad its more easy as compare to Android.
To see Ipad VPN and its seetings:
bestvpnservice.com/blog/how-to-connect-to-a-vpn-on-ipad-2
I know we are all android fans, but I thought this was an interesting read. I know this is just a rumor, but it may have some credence. Microsoft is trying to defend mobile user privacy. Verizon is saying no, they would rather share your info to advertisers.. Makes me wonder about that last update....
Microsoft vs Verizon
Another article
I've come to the conclusion that the only way to minimize invasion of privacy is to not use electronics technology. Credit cards, cell phones and computers give thieves the opportunity to steal. I can't live without these so I opt out when it's convenient to do so and live with the risk otherwise. We don't really have much choice. The alternative would be too time consuming.
I wonder what others think.
Sent from my HTC Incredible 4G on Verizon's periodically blazing fast and mostly reliable 4G LTE network using xda-developers app
Nyobie said:
I've come to the conclusion that the only way to minimize invasion of privacy is to not use electronics technology. Credit cards, cell phones and computers give thieves the opportunity to steal. I can't live without these so I opt out when it's convenient to do so and live with the risk otherwise. We don't really have much choice. The alternative would be too time consuming.
I wonder what others think.
Sent from my HTC Incredible 4G on Verizon's periodically blazing fast and mostly reliable 4G LTE network using xda-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with that. I buy stuff on line, too. I used to be concerned, but haven't had a problem (yet).
Sent from my Fireball using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2
Knock on wood.
Sent from my HTC Incredible 4G on Verizon's periodically blazing fast and mostly reliable 4G LTE network using xda-developers app
Nyobie said:
I wonder what others think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone who has ever entered information on the internet has left a digital fingerprint of one form or fashion. Companies keep all records for years, so if you bought something online, they still have record of it. Using a cell phone, law enforcement agencies can petition the company for which towers you were connected to during a given time, and if you have GPS enabled, that information as well, and use it against you whether you are guilty or not. Every text message, its contents, every phone call, and more is tracked and stored by your company for years, despite claims by the company to the contrary. I know a guy who had text messages subpoenaed by the court from over a year before used in his child custody case, despite the company saying it only saved them for a week. With smartphones, any app you download with the right permissions can steal all of your data, or utilize a known exploit and do it without the right permissions. There are apps which can prevent certain apps from performing functions you don't want them to, like access the internet or your GPS, but that's assuming it obeys the normal rules.
I've been working with computers for over 20 years and know the risk that revealing personal information can pose. I change my passwords every couple months, and for some sites, change my username on occasion. Every website you visit is tracked and stored by your ISP, and every download you make, including torrents, is tracked. I don't enter credit card data online, I'll pay someone the cash and get them to make purchases for me with their card if I need something. I don't reveal my real name or much personal information about myself, other than basic things like that I work and have kids. Your IP address is stored by almost every website you visit, and if you allow cookies you are being tracked by multiple websites across your entire internet experience until you delete them. All this may sound extreme, and it is, but it's all true. Now, is it really that bad? If you're not smart about it, yeah, it can be. I can name over a dozen people I know that had some form of identity theft or credit card fraud in the last year alone, some due to sheer stupidity, others due to bad luck.
Now, whose spyware is worse, Microsoft or Verizon? Microsoft forces you to make a new account when you have a new installation of Windows, generally leaving the default Administrator account created but disabled, unless you're savvy enough to enable the default Administrator account during installation and use that one as your primary account, thereby leaving the computer open to anyone with a Windows boot CD able to take over your computer with admin rights. While not technically spyware, it's a dumbass move. Verizon stores everything you do, every website you visit, every text you send, and then lies to you about it. Still, not technically spyware, but shady to say the least. Microsoft can remotely access any computer with Windows on it, even if you have it disabled, and now Verizon can access our phone, even if we don't want them to. Both claim they wouldn't use this without our consent, but how do we really know? Once again, bleak, but true.
So, you want to use the internet, but don't want your information stolen or used against you. How do you minimize personal information on the internet? Don't use your real name, don't use your credit card to make purchases, use a proxy server logged into another proxy server to prevent website tracking, don't text or instant message any information you don't want police to see, use the default administrator account on Windows with a password, preferably a 12+ character password with capital letters and symbols. Don't use the same username across many websites, alternate difficult to crack passwords and change them out on a semi-regular basis. Never store passwords on your computer! That's one of the biggest problems I've seen. Perform full-drive encryption on your hard drive, turn your computer off when not in use. Don't leave webcams plugged in when you're not using them, and just don't be stupid.
In our society, it's really difficult to not use electronics, and eventually something about yourself is going to come out. When you've been working with computers and their users as long as I have, it's hard not to have seen so many horror stories which spawned this post. Most people aren't going to have a problem which requires all that, but I've taken a largely preemptive stance toward privacy on the internet. If I Google my name, I get a few references in family tree websites, which don't really uniquely identify me, and am mentioned in a couple posts on a few websites, like a company I used to work for which hasn't updated its site in years but keeps paying for web services. While this type of severe privacy isn't necessary for most people, I've never had a single account hacked, never been a victim of identity theft/fraud, and still manage to enjoy myself on the internet. Sure, a Facebook with my real name and a picture of me wouldn't be the end of the world, but I just don't need that to continue enjoying myself. Randomly-named Facebook with a few close friends and family and a picture of the sunset from the beach in California I took last summer while on vacation with my kids are enough.
Sorry this rant has gone on so long. I just have strong opinions due to scenarios I've seen first-hand, and don't want that to happen to me. I guess I'm a privacy freak. lol. It's all your fault, Nyobie, you opened up a can of worms!
IceDragon59 said:
Anyone who has ever entered information on the internet has left a digital fingerprint of one form or fashion. Companies keep all records for years, so if you bought something online, they still have record of it. Using a cell phone, law enforcement agencies can petition the company for which towers you were connected to during a given time, and if you have GPS enabled, that information as well, and use it against you whether you are guilty or not. Every text message, its contents, every phone call, and more is tracked and stored by your company for years, despite claims by the company to the contrary. I know a guy who had text messages subpoenaed by the court from over a year before used in his child custody case, despite the company saying it only saved them for a week. With smartphones, any app you download with the right permissions can steal all of your data, or utilize a known exploit and do it without the right permissions. There are apps which can prevent certain apps from performing functions you don't want them to, like access the internet or your GPS, but that's assuming it obeys the normal rules.
I've been working with computers for over 20 years and know the risk that revealing personal information can pose. I change my passwords every couple months, and for some sites, change my username on occasion. Every website you visit is tracked and stored by your ISP, and every download you make, including torrents, is tracked. I don't enter credit card data online, I'll pay someone the cash and get them to make purchases for me with their card if I need something. I don't reveal my real name or much personal information about myself, other than basic things like that I work and have kids. Your IP address is stored by almost every website you visit, and if you allow cookies you are being tracked by multiple websites across your entire internet experience until you delete them. All this may sound extreme, and it is, but it's all true. Now, is it really that bad? If you're not smart about it, yeah, it can be. I can name over a dozen people I know that had some form of identity theft or credit card fraud in the last year alone, some due to sheer stupidity, others due to bad luck.
Now, whose spyware is worse, Microsoft or Verizon? Microsoft forces you to make a new account when you have a new installation of Windows, generally leaving the default Administrator account created but disabled, unless you're savvy enough to enable the default Administrator account during installation and use that one as your primary account, thereby leaving the computer open to anyone with a Windows boot CD able to take over your computer with admin rights. While not technically spyware, it's a dumbass move. Verizon stores everything you do, every website you visit, every text you send, and then lies to you about it. Still, not technically spyware, but shady to say the least. Microsoft can remotely access any computer with Windows on it, even if you have it disabled, and now Verizon can access our phone, even if we don't want them to. Both claim they wouldn't use this without our consent, but how do we really know? Once again, bleak, but true.
So, you want to use the internet, but don't want your information stolen or used against you. How do you minimize personal information on the internet? Don't use your real name, don't use your credit card to make purchases, use a proxy server logged into another proxy server to prevent website tracking, don't text or instant message any information you don't want police to see, use the default administrator account on Windows with a password, preferably a 12+ character password with capital letters and symbols. Don't use the same username across many websites, alternate difficult to crack passwords and change them out on a semi-regular basis. Never store passwords on your computer! That's one of the biggest problems I've seen. Perform full-drive encryption on your hard drive, turn your computer off when not in use. Don't leave webcams plugged in when you're not using them, and just don't be stupid.
In our society, it's really difficult to not use electronics, and eventually something about yourself is going to come out. When you've been working with computers and their users as long as I have, it's hard not to have seen so many horror stories which spawned this post. Most people aren't going to have a problem which requires all that, but I've taken a largely preemptive stance toward privacy on the internet. If I Google my name, I get a few references in family tree websites, which don't really uniquely identify me, and am mentioned in a couple posts on a few websites, like a company I used to work for which hasn't updated its site in years but keeps paying for web services. While this type of severe privacy isn't necessary for most people, I've never had a single account hacked, never been a victim of identity theft/fraud, and still manage to enjoy myself on the internet. Sure, a Facebook with my real name and a picture of me wouldn't be the end of the world, but I just don't need that to continue enjoying myself. Randomly-named Facebook with a few close friends and family and a picture of the sunset from the beach in California I took last summer while on vacation with my kids are enough.
Sorry this rant has gone on so long. I just have strong opinions due to scenarios I've seen first-hand, and don't want that to happen to me. I guess I'm a privacy freak. lol. It's all your fault, Nyobie, you opened up a can of worms!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
amen
You can now use TOR on your phone. Search for it in google play, or better yet, download the APK online without letting google know. I'm pretty sure root access gives you much more control as well. It will be the first addition to my new unlocked phone. We are living in an age where privacy is almost nonexistent. Entire personal lives are at our finger tips... Call me paranoid, but I just don't like being spied on or tracked. Proxify yourself. Use TOR + widecap. Learn how the internet operates. You never know who is watching..