Occasionally I leave my phone laying around or let other people play with it, but it's getting very tedious having to lock it all the time. Anyone up for creating a app that will let me lock certain portions/apps on the phone (ie. SMS, gallery, etc.) using the built in finger print scanner?
I will second this. I recall reading that Moto was going to release the APIs for the print scanner. That should make it considerably easier.
just a bump, I know all you great minds out there are capable of this and want this too =)
+1
+1 yes, yes, yes a needed app
Yes, yes, YES! I've been thinking about requesting something like this for a while now!
I emailed the developer of Widget Locker since he seems to be fiddling with the Finger Print Scanner on the Atrix to see if he's interested in making a separate app for this. I wouldn't mind paying something like $1 for it.
How can we get this thread more attention from developers on XDA?
Keep the thread bumped, add some other keywords such a biometric scanner, fingerprints, fingerprint scanner, etc. (I myself didn't find this when searching), post the same on other forums, that's all you can do really!
PiTT said:
I emailed the developer of Widget Locker since he seems to be fiddling with the Finger Print Scanner on the Atrix to see if he's interested in making a separate app for this.
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And here I am! (Sorry for taking some time to get back to this)
What I'm doing from WidgetLocker is piggy backing on the system security, so I don't interface with the fingerprint scanner directly. However I have looked into this as it could be interesting for WidgetLocker to be able to use in more ways, and potentially another separate app like discussed here.
I've seen the other thread about the password keeper and this one about an app-lock type thing. The issue with a password keeper is that the passwords should be stored encrypted, otherwise if someone stole your phone they'd just need to root if (if it's not already) and they'd be able to get all your password. But encrypting the passwords with a key that's stored somewhere is really just adding a few extra steps, they're not truly protected. Normally they'd be encrypted with your password, and only decryptable with you typing the password again. But I don't think this could be done for the fingerprint scanner due to what information is available (And how the fingerprint information is stored on disk). I could be wrong however.
As for the app-locker thing, there are also security issues here, but I think app-lockers are more used as a deterrent than as real security. To lock out your friend rather than a thief. But there's a fair amount of non-fingerprint related work to be done for this kind of app as well.
If I do end up doing anything with it I'll post back.
I said this in the development section when it was released lol. So....+1 and good idea!
Atrix4G Rooted!
[email protected] said:
And here I am! (Sorry for taking some time to get back to this)
What I'm doing from WidgetLocker is piggy backing on the system security, so I don't interface with the fingerprint scanner directly. However I have looked into this as it could be interesting for WidgetLocker to be able to use in more ways, and potentially another separate app like discussed here.
I've seen the other thread about the password keeper and this one about an app-lock type thing. The issue with a password keeper is that the passwords should be stored encrypted, otherwise if someone stole your phone they'd just need to root if (if it's not already) and they'd be able to get all your password. But encrypting the passwords with a key that's stored somewhere is really just adding a few extra steps, they're not truly protected. Normally they'd be encrypted with your password, and only decryptable with you typing the password again. But I don't think this could be done for the fingerprint scanner due to what information is available (And how the fingerprint information is stored on disk). I could be wrong however.
As for the app-locker thing, there are also security issues here, but I think app-lockers are more used as a deterrent than as real security. To lock out your friend rather than a thief. But there's a fair amount of non-fingerprint related work to be done for this kind of app as well.
If I do end up doing anything with it I'll post back.
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Click to collapse
my reasoning behind this type of app as you said isn't for REAL security from a thief, more of a deterrent from people around me....such as a nosy friend or girlfriend =)
"such as a nosy"
Well, of course cell phones have had a way to prevent that for what, 20+ years now? You leave it locked, except for "emergency and speed dial" or other restricted calling. No reason that someone has to borrow my cell phone (and deprive me of my phone!) while they're doing whatever with it.
I don't have any guilt about saying "Sure, you can make a call. But I need my phone with me."
PiTT said:
my reasoning behind this type of app as you said isn't for REAL security from a thief, more of a deterrent from people around me....such as a nosy friend or girlfriend =)
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Well, if you have a friend that would invade your privacy then they are not your friend. And if you have a girlfriend that doesn't trust you enough to respect your privacy then dump her. You can't have a relationship without trust.
There are already apps that let you lock particular applications. I hand my phone over to my 4-year-old all the time so she can play Fruit Ninja, so I keep my work email locked down. I guess it would be kind of cool if the app locking software took advantage of the Atrix's fingerprint scanner.
live4nyy said:
Well, if you have a friend that would invade your privacy then they are not your friend. And if you have a girlfriend that doesn't trust you enough to respect your privacy then dump her. You can't have a relationship without trust.
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lol, I second this... She's obviously insecure.
And why are we assuming that it's the girlfriend that's untrustworthy? PiTT (no offense, all due respect) is the one with dirty little secrets on his phone.
aquariumdrinker said:
And why are we assuming that it's the girlfriend that's untrustworthy? PiTT (no offense, all due respect) is the one with dirty little secrets on his phone.
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Thanks =)
you guys are missing the point, it was just an example. Now back to the topic at hand.
I would love to be able to lock my phone using the finger print swype. This can't be to hard, could it?
jange said:
I would love to be able to lock my phone using the finger print swype. This can't be to hard, could it?
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I don't understand what you are asking here. If you're going to be swiping your finger over the sensor to lock it, wouldn't it be just as simple to just press the button? If you have the sensor lock enabled, it will be locked with access only being granted to your finger swipe.
GEESH!
Clearly some people on this thread don't understand what's going on here. So let me break it down....
It's not about "it's not a real friend if they invade your privacy".
It's not about "why not just lock the phone itself".
Maybe you have a family member, girlfriend, wife, or CHILD you want to be allowed to use your phone. This requires unlocking the phone itself.
Buuuut, you don't want them snooping in your email or for the dense folks who don't get it, you don't want a CHILD deleting your messages accidentally, replying inadvertently to a co-worker via email etc.
Or let's be real, you don't want your GF or wife to see the chic you've been bangin's nude photo in your phone.
So you want to FINGERPRINT LOCK specific apps, like TEXT, EMAIL, SKYPE, TANGO, FRING, ETC! That way your "guest" can use your phone, but can't use any other apps without your finger!
GEESH!
I'd really like to see phones with Windows-like login profiles. So I can have my profile, ADMIN, and my wife can have hers GUEST.
Anyway...I second/triple/quadruple the idea of a fingerprint reader app lock. Right now I use AppProtector, and I'm looking into a new app called simply LOCK or (App) Lock.
"Clearly some people on this thread don't understand what's going on here. So let me break it down....
........you don't want your GF or wife to see the chic you've been bangin's nude photo in your phone."
*grin* The premise of your post made me laugh hard.
On a real note, I think this kind of application would be awesome. I too use appprotector, and I used to use the fingerprint scanner, but it just became bothersome to use everytime I locked my phone and had to unlock it. I don't have anything to hide on my phone, but I do lock my "SU" folder that contains all of my root tools. I have a 12 yo at home, and she could very easily mess something up without knowing it. I think the idea of locking certains apps with the fingerprint scanner is a fantastic idea, and I'd be willing to pay a few bucks for it for sure.
Actually, a whole utility for the fingerprint scanner on the Atrix that allowed you to do multiple things with it would be great.
Like was posted previously, it would be nice to have guest accounts (for wife and child etc), and with a fingerprint swipe, they wouldn't even have to login..swipe and go.
I am having some SERIOUS difficulties in lifting these Colornote app files BACK to some readable form after I was forced to do a restore of my phone. It's causing me TOO MUCH STRESS. Someone recommended your blog and that you might be able to help with this.
This problem has been DOGGING me for awhile now. Obviously, I can only spend so much time troubleshooting this on my own limited time because I have to work often and dedicate my precious time on other things. I know it's Proprietary software. But I simply REFUSE to believe that someone out there couldn't put this in a readable format; either on PC or back on my phone where they originated. There's someone out there that could look at this and say, "Piece of cake, here's what you do....". No one has said that so far though.
The makers could though, but they either don't know or refuse to help me. I also contacted them on their Facebook page, only to have them ignore me completely (which is really infuriating). I DO KNOW that others experienced this same problem that im having in the past.
I was forced to do a master reset on my phone and basically the files are not going back to where they originated from (The Colornote App). As you can see per the image I attached here, the files are STILL ON THE PHONE, but this stupid Colornote is not locating them or something! It says that it's "Unable to find application to perform this action" when I try to access the files. It's really bizarre. So these files are basically stuck in limbo. The file types are in 2 forms: IDX and DAT. I contacted Samsung and they they were absolutely worthless for any type of support and said they couldn't help because it's a 3rd party app. Same thing with Verizon.
If there's anyone that can please help me out with either transferring/resurrecting these files in a readable form, I would so greatly appreciate it!