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pjp
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Joined: 16 Apr 2002
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Location: Colorado
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 Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:58 pm Post subject: Login req'd for Android Mkt? Wow. |
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Sucks balls.
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notageek
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 78
Location: Bangalore, India
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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What? You don't have a Gmail account? That you need syncing?
If the answer is yes, you wouldn't even notice.
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pjp
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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Why should I be tracked just to download an app?
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notageek
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 78
Location: Bangalore, India
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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That just pales in comparison to what the Apps actually do. For instance, Google Apps have access to your contact list on the phone and can read who you called when and check on what SMS you sent.
Welcome to the ultimate marketing tool, called Android.
Edit:
So when you're downloading apps, check for the following:
If it is a free app, does it have an ad banner?
What all app permissions it is asking? For instance some apps don't need access to contact list, yet these apps ask for your permission (during install) to see contact list. (Some file managers for example.)
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sikpuppy
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Joined: 12 Jun 2012
Posts: 23
Location: Central Coast, NSW
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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| I recently wanted to re-login to YouTube after not using it for a while, that now requires a gmail account. I just wanted to quickly upload a vid, but I thought signing up and buggerising around would take too long. I decided that I could live without it for now. Bit of a pain in the bottom :/ |
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b0nafide
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 138
Location: ~/
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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Ever since getting charged $50/MB by my cell phone provider (who indicated that I was using their services more than 1440 minutes per day on my bill), I have happily firewalled every single application on it and canceled my data plan as well. The idea that these companies are trying to make even more money data-mining plays nicely into my world view of CEOs tossing what few morals they may have left in favor of maximizing profits.
Oh, and the $7/month charge for numerical (not names) call display just went up to $8/month. Apparently, allowing a computer to receive ten digits that are already transferred across their network... just got ~15% more difficult?
Sure... right...  |
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pjp
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Joined: 16 Apr 2002
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Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:35 am Post subject: |
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| notageek wrote: | | Welcome to the ultimate marketing tool, called Android. |
Yeah. I knew they were going to prop up their ad business, I just didn't expect it to be that embedded. Before spending any sgnificant amount of money on an upgrade, I'll have to put Android through its paces, then investigate the iPhone.
| notageek wrote: | So when you're downloading apps, check for the following:
If it is a free app, does it have an ad banner?
What all app permissions it is asking? For instance some apps don't need access to contact list, yet these apps ask for your permission (during install) to see contact list. (Some file managers for example.) |
Yeah, thanks for the reminder. Do they typically work if you say no?
@sikpuppy: I can accept a login to upload. Though a temporary upload w/o login would be nice.
| b0nafide wrote: | | Apparently, allowing a computer to receive ten digits that are already transferred across their network... just got ~15% more difficult? |
What carrier does that?
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notageek
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 78
Location: Bangalore, India
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:07 am Post subject: |
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| pjp wrote: | | Yeah, thanks for the reminder. Do they typically work if you say no? |
No they don't. They won't install but thankfully you'll find another app, which does the same thing (file manager for instance). Use the alternate one.
Also this thread could be useful in getting recommendations for firewalls for your phone. The one's I found, need access to your contact details. (They say the app doesn't actually read your contacts but ... )
As far as future update is concerned, hold on till BlackBerry releases BB 10 devices into the market. I saw some of the keynotes and found it impressive. BlackBerry phones have better hardware and are well made and since they're on a closed platform, they're not tools of marketing.
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pjp
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:36 am Post subject: |
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I didn't figure they'd work, but thought I'd ask anyway :)
I'm probably going to set up a fake account for the market. we'll see what it does.
I don't hold out much hope for RIM, unfortunately. That, and I'm on an unlimited 4G plan for $30/mo (only 100 minutes voice, which is fine for me... a little overage is still way cheaper). Much more than that per month just isn't worth it to me.
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BoneKracker
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Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Posts: 1486
Location: U.S.A.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:51 am Post subject: |
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| b0nafide wrote: | Ever since getting charged $50/MB by my cell phone provider (who indicated that I was using their services more than 1440 minutes per day on my bill), I have happily firewalled every single application on it and canceled my data plan as well. The idea that these companies are trying to make even more money data-mining plays nicely into my world view of CEOs tossing what few morals they may have left in favor of maximizing profits.
Oh, and the $7/month charge for numerical (not names) call display just went up to $8/month. Apparently, allowing a computer to receive ten digits that are already transferred across their network... just got ~15% more difficult?
Sure... right... |
You're the sucker who signed up for that service. If you think they breached the contract, sue them. If not, just hit yourself over head with a salami a few times.
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Oldthinkers unbellyfeel INGSOC.
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b0nafide
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Joined: 17 Feb 2008
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Location: ~/
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| pjp wrote: | | b0nafide wrote: | | Apparently, allowing a computer to receive ten digits that are already transferred across their network... just got ~15% more difficult? |
What carrier does that? |
Bell in Canada...
| BoneKracker wrote: | | You're the sucker who signed up for that service. If you think they breached the contract, sue them. If not, just hit yourself over head with a salami a few times. |
Yeah, choice is very limited when you're in the middle of nowhere. I'm sure I could get a better deal somewhere a little closer to society.
In some places, Wind Mobile is taking customers away from the three-headed foul-smelling troll that is the Bell, Telus, Rogers monopoly. |
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BoneKracker
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:54 am Post subject: |
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Or maybe you don't really need a mobile data plan at all? Maybe just a plain old cell phone is enough. Maybe a tablet connected to free wireless (and your own at home) is adequate for your other related needs.
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Oldthinkers unbellyfeel INGSOC.
-- Headline of a document on Winston Smith's terminal in his cubicle at the Ministry of Truth, seen briefly in the background in one scene of the movie rendition of Nineteen Eighty-Four. |
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Muso
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Joined: 22 Oct 2002
Posts: 655
Location: The Holy city of Honolulu
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 7:06 am Post subject: |
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| b0nafide wrote: | | in the middle of nowhere. |
Saskatchewan?
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pjp
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Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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| BoneKracker wrote: | | Maybe a tablet connected to free wireless |
Short of it being offered for customers at a place of business, I've not seen any.
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lolgov. 'cause where we're going, you don't have civil liberties.
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energyman76b
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Joined: 26 Mar 2003
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Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Muso wrote: | | b0nafide wrote: | | in the middle of nowhere. |
Saskatchewan? |
Quebec
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Libertardian denial of reality is wholly unimpressive and unconvincing, and simply serves to demonstrate what a bunch of delusional fools they all are.
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Boris27
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Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 562
Location: Almelo, The Netherlands
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| b0nafide wrote: | Ever since getting charged $50/MB by my cell phone provider (who indicated that I was using their services more than 1440 minutes per day on my bill), I have happily firewalled every single application on it and canceled my data plan as well. The idea that these companies are trying to make even more money data-mining plays nicely into my world view of CEOs tossing what few morals they may have left in favor of maximizing profits.
Oh, and the $7/month charge for numerical (not names) call display just went up to $8/month. Apparently, allowing a computer to receive ten digits that are already transferred across their network... just got ~15% more difficult?
Sure... right... |
Can't you take them to court over that? I mean, if their billing system thinks there are more than 1440 minutes in a day, what else did they get wrong?
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b0nafide
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 138
Location: ~/
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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| energyman76b wrote: | | Muso wrote: | | b0nafide wrote: | | in the middle of nowhere. |
Saskatchewan? |
Quebec |
Close, tucked away in the mountains of BC.
| Boris27 wrote: | | Can't you take them to court over that? I mean, if their billing system thinks there are more than 1440 minutes in a day, what else did they get wrong? |
Right, the issue at hand would probably be whether the 'quirk' in their billing system is a mistake or on purpose. While it certainly seems to me that somebody is laughing all the way to the bank at the expense of their mostly ignorant customers, perhaps they just hired somebody really incompetent...
As Moore said, the cost of sending 10 numbers with an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years.... oh wait... |
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Tasslehoff
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Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 100
Location: BC Canada
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| Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 5:56 am Post subject: |
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| I myself am tucked away in the mountains of BC. We get hosed pretty hard on cellphone plans. Koodo is mine, at least it doesnt have a contract |
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nomilieu
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Joined: 22 Nov 2011
Posts: 24
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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| pjp wrote: | I didn't figure they'd work, but thought I'd ask anyway 
I'm probably going to set up a fake account for the market. we'll see what it does. |
You can download the apps directly through a browser (if you can find them), but that's similar to downloading random Windows programs (i.e., not necessarily a good idea). It would avoid the Google store though.
As for permissions, with a rooted phone, you can deny whatever permissions you want on an app-by-app basis.
Certain apps will work just fine, others will complain that they are missing permissions (but work otherwise), while still others will outright crash (Facebook, for example).
So, if you don't want to give an app your contacts, just deny that feature and see if it still works. If not, get a different app.
You can also spoof your GPS location and such as that. I haven't looked into it, but it would be really sweet if you could spoof your contact list as well. |
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notageek
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 78
Location: Bangalore, India
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think it is generally good idea to download apps because this looks like those freeware/shareware boom of the 90s in the PC space, where you didn't know what you were installing.
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nomilieu
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Joined: 22 Nov 2011
Posts: 24
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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| notageek wrote: | | I don't think it is generally good idea to download apps because this looks like those freeware/shareware boom of the 90s in the PC space, where you didn't know what you were installing. |
Which is why I mentioned it could be a bad idea, although obviously possible.
I generally only use well-known apps. The only one not gotten from the store is for wi-fi tethering (other than junk I've written myself). |
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notageek
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Joined: 05 Jun 2008
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Location: Bangalore, India
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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I wasn't disagreeing with you.
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danomac
l33t
Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 810
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Tasslehoff wrote: | | I myself am tucked away in the mountains of BC. We get hosed pretty hard on cellphone plans. Koodo is mine, at least it doesnt have a contract |
Yeah, no kidding.
Prices are slowly coming down now thanks to some new entry cell providers. Even though these are only available in the lower mainland everyone see cheaper prices as a result. My phone bill went from $130 a month to $90 a month cause I phoned and complained. 
I'm actually east of vancouver and they've got one of the new starts here. $48 a month, unlimited data and voice in canada, and voicemail. Almost half what I pay now.
pjp, all these "app stores" and "markets" and whatnot require you to log in. Some of the permissions the free apps want are scary. |
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pjp
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Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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| danomac wrote: | | pjp, all these "app stores" and "markets" and whatnot require you to log in. |
Pretty scary / disturbing IMO.
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danomac
l33t
Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 810
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:52 am Post subject: |
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| pjp wrote: | | danomac wrote: | | pjp, all these "app stores" and "markets" and whatnot require you to log in. |
Pretty scary / disturbing IMO. |
Eh, I dunno. There's apps that are a one-time fee. It associates with your gmail account so if you get a new device you don't have to pay for it again. |
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