The Android thread

If you root your phone you can back up anything and everything. I have rooted it and use NAND backup to make essentially a ghost image of it.
 
There is almost no review for the Market, that's what makes it better and worse than the Appstore.

It?s standard operating procedure to have this control (Amazon has it with the Kindle, Apple has it with the iPhone), and whenever the capability has been used, it?s because of security or legal concerns. In the case of today?s removal by Google, they removed two apps because they both posed threats to users? data. As the vast, vast majority of users of the phone don?t even know how to check what an app is actually doing, it?s unlikely that the end user would have ever figured this out. What I?m getting at here is that Google?s looking out for its customers here. No software can ever be 100% secure, and Google knows that it needs to protect users in order to protect its interests. Google isn?t an evil company, people ? they have morals, and stick to them ? something that?s not all that common in the corporate world. We?re talking about the company who pulled out of China, a 1.-something billion person market, because China wanted them to restrict search results and they wouldn?t do it on moral principle.

Others have complained that they just don?t like it because they?re worried about losing an app they paid for or an app that was installed unofficially. As for losing an app you paid for ? if history is any precedent here (and it should be), I?d imagine they would, just like Amazon did when they removed a book from users? Kindles. And the threat of them remotely removing apps you?ve installed unofficially ? I just can?t really see that happening. Google is big on collecting user data, yes ? but I doubt they?re sitting there keeping track of every app you use on your phone. I?m guessing they?re looking at the official list when they remove apps.
I?m not naive ? I know that at the end of the day, Google is a corporation, which means it exists to make money and increase shareholder wealth ? but at the same time, their slogan is ?Don?t be evil.?

Creating an app that's malicious is going against the policies you signed up for and this kind of control is welcomed by me. If it spreads to what Apple does on a fairly frequent basis, I'll start looking at alternatives, but until Google moves from playing sheriff to something more sinister, there's no reason for alarm. I just hope it stays this way, because I like it here.
 
thedguy said:
If you root your phone you can back up anything and everything. I have rooted it and use NAND backup to make essentially a ghost image of it.
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound like a very good design, despite my hate for the iTunes, Apple did do one brilliant thing and that was iPhone backing itself up on every sync.

@IceBone,

Don't feel like quoting your entire post and rather then respond myself I will point you to this http://www.cracked.com/article_18540_5-reasons-you-should-be-scared-google.html Yes it's mostly a comedy site but they make valid points no less.

While I get that they are looking out for users, apps need to be reviewed before being put into the official store that has potential to impact millions of customers. While Apple takes it to an extreme on one end, Google takes it to an extreme on the other. I agree that there shouldn't be any "moral" reason to refuse an app, like sexual content or "duplication of existing functionality" but to make sure that the app does what it says it does is definitely something that needs to be done BEFORE allowing millions of people access to it. Remember these are phones we are talking about, so automatically tech IQ is expected to be much lower than for even computers.
 
Last edited:
prizrak said:
That doesn't sound like a very good design, despite my hate for the iTunes, Apple did do one brilliant thing and that was iPhone backing itself up on every sync.

@IceBone,

Don't feel like quoting your entire post and rather then respond myself I will point you to this http://www.cracked.com/article_18540_5-reasons-you-should-be-scared-google.html Yes it's mostly a comedy site but they make valid points no less.

While I get that they are looking out for users, apps need to be reviewed before being put into the official store that has potential to impact millions of customers. While Apple takes it to an extreme on one end, Google takes it to an extreme on the other. I agree that there shouldn't be any "moral" reason to refuse an app, like sexual content or "duplication of existing functionality" but to make sure that the app does what it says it does is definitely something that needs to be done BEFORE allowing millions of people access to it. Remember these are phones we are talking about, so automatically tech IQ is expected to be much lower than for even computers.
Click to expand...

depends on what you want backed up. Apps you buy/download have their info saved to your google account so if you screw it up you can just redownload them. Contacts also get backed up automatically to google accounts or when you sync your phone. What I was referring to was an exact IMAGE of the phone. I.e you wipe the phone completely, run the nand backup app and EVERYTHING on your phone is identical to that backup down to the exact way the widgets were setup.
 
I agree that the apps should be checked, but Google wanted to avoid the heat that Apple is getting from its Appstore policies by keeping it really Old West. I'd prefer if there were checks that would enable Google to nip malicious apps like this in the bud.
 
Any one else using the swype beta? I kind of like it, it's defiantly much better than shapewriter, but there is still a learning curve.
 
smib said:
Any one else using the swype beta? I kind of like it, it's defiantly much better than shapewriter, but there is still a learning curve.
Click to expand...

I use it on Windows Mobile, it's awesome
 
thedguy said:
depends on what you want backed up. Apps you buy/download have their info saved to your google account so if you screw it up you can just redownload them. Contacts also get backed up automatically to google accounts or when you sync your phone. What I was referring to was an exact IMAGE of the phone. I.e you wipe the phone completely, run the nand backup app and EVERYTHING on your phone is identical to that backup down to the exact way the widgets were setup.
Click to expand...
I guess there is an area that Android needs to improve on. One of the best features of iDevices is that I can just press "restore" button and get all my settings (including ringtones) and apps (including saves from games) back on the phone.
 
Right now I'm in a holding pattern. I really want to see what WP7 has to offer this fall...but I'm feeling the pull of all these sweet android phones. Droid X looks incredible, and I found out that VZW is doing like AT&T and allowing anyone who's contract expires in 2010 to make a upgrade. My issue: My contract expires in 2011! :(

I wonder if I can butter them up a bit by calling a bit closer to release date and basically begging and/or pleading to be let into this...XD
 
Froyo officially coming this week on the Nexus One via an OTA update:

http://googlenexusoneboard.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-android-22-software-update-for.html


Monday, June 28, 2010
New Android 2.2 Software Update for Nexus One phones

Starting today, Nexus One users will begin to receive the Android 2.2 (codenamed Froyo) over-the-air software update on their phones. This update provides some great new features including support for making your handset a portable hotspot and support for Adobe Flash within the browser. For a complete list of everything we?ve included in Android 2.2, please see the Android 2.2 Platform Highlights.

In order to access the update, you will receive a message on your phone's notification bar. Just download the update, wait for it to install, and you should be all set. This update will be rolled out gradually to phones - and most users will receive the notification by the end of the week . We hope you enjoy these new features.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
:( Girlfriend is having issues with her HTC Incredible, it's freezing up when taking pictures and is eating through the battery like nothing (I got her the 1500mah one and its lasting less than the 1300mah one). Looks like there may be some sort of a loop running at all times. Looks like its gonna have to go back to VZ for replacement. Kinda wishing it had something like iTunes to do a restore right now :/

EDIT:
Anyone know if Google has any plans on creating a "gTunes", which would have ability to browse the marketplace? Having to use it on the phone all the time is a bit annoying and also makes it difficult to check if there are alternatives for current apps I'm using. Don't wanna be taking g/f's phone all the time I decide to look up an app.
 
Last edited:
There is a factory defaults option in Settings if that's what you're looking for. But I would get a task manager app and see if anything suspicious is running.
 
prizrak said:
EDIT:
Anyone know if Google has any plans on creating a "gTunes", which would have ability to browse the marketplace? Having to use it on the phone all the time is a bit annoying and also makes it difficult to check if there are alternatives for current apps I'm using. Don't wanna be taking g/f's phone all the time I decide to look up an app.
Click to expand...
DoubleTwist is what you're looking for.
 
[video=youtube;FL7yD-0pqZg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg&feature=player_embedded#at=118[/video]
NSFW and obviously biased, but I thought it was funny. :lol:
 
prizrak said:
EDIT:
Anyone know if Google has any plans on creating a "gTunes", which would have ability to browse the marketplace? Having to use it on the phone all the time is a bit annoying and also makes it difficult to check if there are alternatives for current apps I'm using. Don't wanna be taking g/f's phone all the time I decide to look up an app.
Click to expand...

http://www.android.com/market

You cannot search, but you can browse the various categories.


There is also http://www.androlib.com/ that is more complete, and let you search, but somehow it gives a content encoding error in firefox. Works in IE though.
 
Last edited:
I'll have to try at home then...
 
thevictor390 said:
There is a factory defaults option in Settings if that's what you're looking for. But I would get a task manager app and see if anything suspicious is running.
Click to expand...

She has task manager, nothing out of the ordinary seems to be running.
DoubleTwist is what you're looking for.
Click to expand...
Thanks, looks pretty interesting.
http://www.android.com/market

You cannot search, but you can browse the various categories.
Click to expand...
Pretty much my beef with it.
There is also http://www.androlib.com/ that is more complete, and let you search, but somehow it gives a content encoding error in firefox. Works in IE though.
Click to expand...
There's also Cyrket, which is (in the same way as Androlib) pretty much simply a web-frontend to the Android Market. Androlib has more neat features, but Cyrket is cleaner
Click to expand...
Thanks d00ds :)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top