Flexilis Mobile Security Beta - Windows Mobile Development and Hacking General

Hey Everyone,
Wanted to tell all of you about a neat app we're developing, called Flexilis.
It's a mobile security suite for Windows Mobile devices, that keeps your device and data safe from loss, theft, hackers, viruses, malware, spam, and more.
We've currently opened signups for our private beta testing, if you're interested in checking it out, just hit up http://beta.flexilis.com and sign up, and feel free to chat about the product here
If anyone has questions or runs into trouble, just shoot us an email at [email protected] and we'll help you out!
-Chris
Community Director,
Flexilis Inc.
[email protected]

Also, if any of you request an invite and it hasnt gotten granted within a day or so, let me know and I'll take care of it.

If you weren't asking for so much personal information, you might actually get people to try your app...

we're actually working on revising that, the reason we ask for the phone number is because it's used to sms you your download link for the software later on in the process, we're in the process of moving that to later on in the process, as well as an explanation of why we ask for it.
Thanks for the feedback!
-Chris
NRGZ28 said:
If you weren't asking for so much personal information, you might actually get people to try your app...
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Click to collapse

Hey man,
nice thing with this soft, that we give the phone number is not so a big problem i think. could you post a little bit infos about the program? Cause on your side there a not many informations.
But i ithink i'll give it a try...

I just have one little question, on you privacy page you write:
When you use the Flexilis Services, our servers automatically record certain information about your usage. These logs may include information such as the IP address, mobile device identification number, phone number, operating system, version information, wireless carrier, web requests, browser type, browser language, referring pages, landing pages, pages viewed, or other usage information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do record the pages we visit?

we're still working on a little bit of a tour/walkthrough area of the software on the front page, as we get closer to public beta, but for now there's nothing there yet. My first post in this thread gives a brief summary of it though. Feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] with any questions!
-Chris

There's nothing in the software that tracks the pages you view or anything, what that refers to is on our end we track what pages users use on the flexilis website the most, much the same way other websites do, to track what pages and content on our site our most popular, etc.
JeckyllHavok said:
I just have one little question, on you privacy page you write:
Why do record the pages we visit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I'm still not sure what your program do, but it certainly doesn't behave the way I expect.
1) Why to require authorization so often?
2) Contrary to the stated phone number is not accepted for authorization. Only email.
3) I don't really know what you mean by "a few minutes", but currently Flexilis is authorizing my phone already for more than two hours. I see no progress bar and I don't understan what's going.
4) I can't stop authorization process.
5) Why the authorization process continues even when I close all connections? Did you invent new method of communication?
6) The program is hidden from task managers and process viewers. What for?
I didn't sniff the traffic but currently behavior of your program reminds more of malware rather than security software.
My conclusion: As I don't understand what your program is doing, I'm not going to test it anymore until additional guidance is provided.
Sorry, if I'm sounding harsh. It's just writing style (tough work, you know )

No worries
1] once it's authorized the first time, it shouldnt have to authorize again, what kind of phone are you authorizing it on? we're making some fixes to the authorization process to make it even simpler that should roll out in the next release.
2] if you're outside of the US, you might need to add your country code and such if that's the case, let me know, or send me an email to [email protected] so we can look into it.
3] per all authorization questions, it'll try til its authorized, again we're fixing this.
4] per the it being hidden from task managers, we've given this some discussion, for right now it's a security feature to try to prevent theives from disabling the software, though we might fix that in the future to have the app visible in there somehow.
As far as being more indepth on all of the features, we are working on a tour of sorts to explain it all before the beta goes public.
Thanks for the feedback!
-Chris
mrcaze said:
I'm still not sure what your program do, but it certainly doesn't behave the way I expect.
1) Why to require authorization so often?
2) Contrary to the stated phone number is not accepted for authorization. Only email.
3) I don't really know what you mean by "a few minutes", but currently Flexilis is authorizing my phone already for more than two hours. I see no progress bar and I don't understan what's going.
4) I can't stop authorization process.
5) Why the authorization process continues even when I close all connections? Did you invent new method of communication?
6) The program is hidden from task managers and process viewers. What for?
I didn't sniff the traffic but currently behavior of your program reminds more of malware rather than security software.
My conclusion: As I don't understand what your program is doing, I'm not going to test it anymore until additional guidance is provided.
Sorry, if I'm sounding harsh. It's just writing style (tough work, you know )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Authorizing a device ... what a hassle. I finally gave up since I couldn't tell if it was doing anything. No more testing for or feedback from me.

fredcatsmommy: sorry it didnt work out for you. hopefully in the future when that's fixed (should be less than a week), we can lure you back, it does some amazing stuff, but we do run into bugs from time to time due to the vast number of windows mobile devices out there, and only having a small test bed of them to work with. Keep your eyes peeled, and we'll have that fixed soon!
fredcatsmommy said:
Authorizing a device ... what a hassle. I finally gave up since I couldn't tell if it was doing anything. No more testing for or feedback from me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I think you need to tell us what the app actually does?
I have read this and your site and still don't know what it does?
Will hold off on trying it till I know.

How long is the initializing and activating supposed to take?

seriously, the authorizing bugs should have been worked out before releasing a beta here. we cant even tell if its running, authorizing, stealing information from our devices, etc.. I surely hope this is a legit app youre pushing, if so, FIX IT, so we can at least see what it does.
thx

I installed and authorized with no issues what-so-ever... contrary to what everyone else is saying everything seems to work just fine. works great and doesn't seem to take much memory... not a single complaint here!

Advertising your application for beta purposes is usually not a problem. But, it seems you are here more for "recruiting" testers than anything else. Looks like you joined for this purpose only.
My suggestion to you, is to give a little more description on your develpoment. Seems there are too many questions going unanswered here.

jhw549 said:
I installed and authorized with no issues what-so-ever... contrary to what everyone else is saying everything seems to work just fine. works great and doesn't seem to take much memory... not a single complaint here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what device do you have? did you do anything special to get it working?
I have a sprint vogue and installed to main mem and the data conn. is constantly active.

Polargoat said:
what device do you have? did you do anything special to get it working?
I have a sprint vogue and installed to main mem and the data conn. is constantly active.
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Click to collapse
I have an HTC Mobul/Titan using default Rom/Radio with WinMo 6.1
To install it I just did what I would any other and installed it onto internal memory...

Correction: The application works just fine if you don't have push e-mail (aren't connected to a remote exchange server), I have been having problems all day with my push e-mail from mail2web which I use to forward my work e-mail to my phone. I have therefore decided to remove it as I can't afford to have it interfere with work.

Related

Anyone tried the "jailbreak" yet?

has anyone tried this yet...
http://www.chevronwp7.com/post/1679668269/windows-phone-7-unlocker-released#disqus_thread
i did it to mine but now need some 3rd party apps to try.. the hello world app is the only one ive found...
kawgirlval69 said:
has anyone tried this yet...
http://www.chevronwp7.com/post/1679668269/windows-phone-7-unlocker-released#disqus_thread
i did it to mine but now need some 3rd party apps to try.. the hello world app is the only one ive found...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More importantly, anyone else getting a virus hit on the file by the name of WS.Reputation.1?
I posted on this subject in the development thread.
I wasn't sure if this subject belongs here or there.
Now comes an article raising the possibility of the phone being blacklisted on the marketplace when MS detects the unlock has taken place:
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2010/11/25/windows-phone-7-unlocker-released/
Worse than a virus hit. I actually got it. It changed my host file by adding a couple localhost redirects... Every time I clicked on a Google seach result, it would redirect me to some crappy excuse of a search engine. Relatively easy to fix though.
no virus hit and havent encountered the redirect problem... am wondering the same with the blacklist issue but i guess it will be a wait and see as with most unlock/jailbreak issues...
n8huntsman said:
Worse than a virus hit. I actually got it. It changed my host file by adding a couple localhost redirects... Every time I clicked on a Google seach result, it would redirect me to some crappy excuse of a search engine. Relatively easy to fix though.
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Click to collapse
LOL...man, is this typical or what? I can see this Windows Phone business is going to be an uphill struggle every step of every way. Swell.
wildbilll said:
I posted on this subject in the development thread.
I wasn't sure if this subject belongs here or there.
Now comes an article raising the possibility of the phone being blacklisted on the marketplace when MS detects the unlock has taken place:
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2010/11/25/windows-phone-7-unlocker-released/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While MS might know if you unlock your phone to sideload apps I don't think they'll take the step of banning a user completely from the marketplace. Doing so would backfire because there is no way this user is ever going to pay for an app; he'll be forced to look for cracked ones, not something MS would want.
Also from this message, it doesn't seem they are taking this sideloading business too seriously, which is good. Now XDA, please bring on some goodies. I need a File Explorer and a Media Player like free version of old Core Player
rexian said:
While MS might know if you unlock your phone to sideload apps I don't think they'll take the step of banning a user completely from the marketplace. Doing so would backfire because there is no way this user is ever going to pay for an app; he'll be forced to look for cracked ones, not something MS would want.
Also from this message, it doesn't seem they are taking this sideloading business too seriously, which is good. Now XDA, please bring on some goodies. I need a File Explorer and a Media Player like free version of old Core Player
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i THINK THAT WOULD DEPEND ON JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE UNLOCK THEIR PHONES... KILLING A FEW THOUSAND TO SEND A MESSAGE MIGHT JUST BE WHAT MS DOES..

Best "Lost Phone" App?

I'm looking for a replacement for Mobile Defense since they seem to have discontinued their product. What's the best FREE app that will locate your phone, blast the ringer, remote wipe, etc...?
Thanks!
....
Lookout is a good app, if u set it up properly u wont even know its there yet, it does its job pretty well, no probs since mt4g came out, its free, but they recently added "premium" services, witch are really just to lock ur phone throught the site, ,, U can backup, locate, an keep virus free, for free though, you just cant lock it from online,.. also i doubt its a battery drainer, i still havent noticed any xtra battery loss
Thanks for the info. I'm looking to be able to remote wipe and remote lock and track the phone as well for free. Mobile Defense does all this but I don't think they're developing anymore and I heard there were issues with it on Froyo...
Lookout Mobile Security
Yea but Lookout charges you for the features I want...
Legaleye3000 said:
Yea but Lookout charges you for the features I want...
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Click to collapse
sometimes everything is not free. And sometimes you get what you pay for.
True, but if Mobile Defense offers all of those for free, someone else must also. I remember seeing an app that had everything for free, I just don't remember what the other app was.....
I saw this Lost Phone app. Haven't used it but it is free:
http://www.appbrain.com/app/lost-phone/com.gadgetprojects.lostphone
Wavesecure is the best!!!!!!!
When u autolock it sounds an alarm.....and when a different sim is inserted it sends text messages to numbers that u list in ur buddy list....doesn't let the person do a master reset
*Sent from my Tmobile MT4G*
When it comes to goofy apps and misc apps; free is always nice. But when it comes to security, I never compromise. Free or not, you get what you pay for.
I use the Premium version of Lookout. I used the free version for a long time and the jump was worth it.
There will always be someone who wants everything for free. Well...some things AREN'T. Get over it. Deal with it. That's the way it is.
If you want something bad enough and no-one makes it, why don't you be the first then?! Go develop a free security app that does everything you want then give it away to the rest of us who aren't complaining...
JM2C
Prey
The app you're looking for is called Prey. The company's website is PreyProject.com. I tried posting links but I can't because I'm a new user.
Legaleye3000 said:
I'm looking for a replacement for Mobile Defense since they seem to have discontinued their product. What's the best FREE app that will locate your phone, blast the ringer, remote wipe, etc...?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify, Mobile Defense has not discontinued anything as I am still happily using their product. They have simply closed their open beta period (and it has been closed for quite awhile, 6 month or so). If you got in before it closed and simply had to swap phones, they have links on their website to re-download the client as long as you have a login.
You can no longer find them via the Market due to having closed their open beta period.
Please post questions in Q&A section.
chimatt said:
The app you're looking for is called Prey. The company's website is PreyProject.com. I tried posting links but I can't because I'm a new user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several threads in the MT4G area about 'lost phone' style apps. Even though you sometimes get what you pay for, I'd rather not pay the $20-$30 per year for the ability to lock and fine my phone (as both Wavesecure and Lookout would seem to require) unless there's really no other alternative.
After reading through the recommendations in all of these threads, Prey actually looks like it might be the best in terms of offering the most features in the free version. I'd be interested in hearing more of other people's thoughts and experiences in using these apps (with consideration of their respective prices).
For now, I'm going to download Prey and I'll report back later with my thoughts.
Trip report on Prey:
So I got Prey installed on both Mytouch 4G's on my account and tried it out. The free version of the app lets you specify your phone as 'lost' via a user-defined SMS, and this worked every time. Upon sending the SMS to put the phone in 'lost' mode, you can also have the app perform several actions on the phone, including sounding an alarm, displaying a user-defined alert message, and locking the phone (with the stock android locking mechanism, but a Prey specific unlock password). These actions can be modified from he Prey website control panel (even after phone is in lost mode), and are performed a frequency of between 10 and 40 minutes while the phone remains lost. You also receive an e-mail alert when your phone is put into 'lost' mode. Prey also has the option to put itself into lost mode if the sim card is replaced.
Regarding everything above, Prey seems to work great. A couple things to be aware of though: when the alarm sounds on your phone, it starts at the loudest volume but can be reduced in volume to zero with the rocker on the side of your phone even when locked. If it sounds again after the specified interval, it starts out at the loudest volume, but again can be reduced. Also, if you opt to lock your phone, then the user-defined alert message won't be displayed until the correct unlock password is entered on the device. Thus, you can't both lock your phone and display a message to the person who has it. The developers indicated that a future version of Prey may allow for an alert message to be displayed first, with a keypress then sending the phone to the lock screen. This would be a significant improvement imo, since it would be nice to display contact information for someone who may have innocently found your phone while at the same time protecting your privacy by having the phone locked down.
[[[EDIT: This paragraph no longer applies. As reported in my post (below), the developers have now fixed this problem, but I'm leaving this paragraph here as part of my original review. "Prey currently fails on the MT4G when it comes to generating reports in order to track the activities and location of your lost phone. The reports are supposed to be generated at the same frequency as the actions above (10 to 40 minute intervals) when in 'lost' mode, with the free version allowing you to have up to 10 reports on file before the newest report will replace the oldest one. However, after trying every possible setting I could think of on both the Prey side and phone side, I could never get these reports to generate on a consistent basis (success on <10% of attempts). I contacted the developers about this and other questions/concerns, and they were friendly and helpful with trying to resolve the issue. Apparently they haven't had any problems like this on their test device, but again, the reports are not reliable for the MT4G."]]]
In summary, Prey works great for being able to lock down your phone via SMS if it's lost or stolen, with an optional alert message and alarm sound. It currently does not [EDIT: DOES...the problem was fixed] work in terms of helping you find the location of your lost or stolen phone via gps/wifi, etc.
Note: Lookout does offer the ability to locate your device in the free version of that app, but does not allow wipe or lock without purchasing the premium app. Thus, perhaps using Lookout in conjunction with Prey allows the free version of each of these apps to compliment one another.
Edit: The developers of Prey continue to be very friendly and responsive. They contacted me to let me know that they are continuing to work on resolving the problem with generating reports. I'll report back when the issue is resolved.
Thanks to me if you found this review helpful : )
Update: The developers of Prey did some debugging and were able to find the problem that was keeping the location reports from being consistently generated. I tested out a fixed version on both of my Mytouch 4Gs and it now seems to be working perfectly.

Exchange Server - Security policy

I'm finding a lot of threads about changing from pin/password to pattern unlock, but not having any luck in completely disabling the security feature BS...
Is it possible to completely eliminate the password lock required by my exchange server? I have tried lockpicker and no lock, neither of which worked.
I would like to keep syncing but am not going to deal with this unlocking all the time (they JUST started enforcing it)...any help would be appreciated.
BTW, running Calkulin's EViO 2 v 1.7 (sense, so HTC mail)
Nope, this is tightly integrated down to the OS in order to pass MS requirements, and it reports the control level back to exchange so it can make sure it's in compliance with their mobile device policy.
In theory you can make an app that proxies the API and lies about what the phone can do ... but it wont be done with a simple APK/market app ... it's integration goes much deeper.
Honestly your best best: this is clearly a new policy. complain repeatedly to your IT staff. You're probably not the only one upset ... and noise will result in policy change ... because reality: IT staff hate dealing with people. They want to deal with servers.
Option 2: if you have a buddy on the exchange team he can put you on the same policy he undoubtedly created for himself and his team, that's 10x as lenient so he can mess with his little pet projects he plays with on the side.
Justin.G11 said:
Nope, this is tightly integrated down to the OS in order to pass MS requirements, and it reports the control level back to exchange so it can make sure it's in compliance with their mobile device policy.
In theory you can make an app that proxies the API and lies about what the phone can do ... but it wont be done with a simple APK/market app ... it's integration goes much deeper.
Honestly your best best: this is clearly a new policy. complain repeatedly to your IT staff. You're probably not the only one upset ... and noise will result in policy change ... because reality: IT staff hate dealing with people. They want to deal with servers.
Option 2: if you have a buddy on the exchange team he can put you on the same policy he undoubtedly created for himself and his team, that's 10x as lenient so he can mess with his little pet projects he plays with on the side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks...I figured it wouldn't be that easy but I had to ask.
Justin.G11 said:
Honestly your best best: this is clearly a new policy. complain repeatedly to your IT staff. You're probably not the only one upset ... and noise will result in policy change ... because reality: IT staff hate dealing with people. They want to deal with servers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get complaints all the time about policies. 99.999% of the time, the policies are created/approved by steering committees, the legal department or executive management. There is usually nothing IT can do about it as the policies are put into place for legal reasons or company security.
Additionally, if IT departments are not compliant in company policies there could be legal ramifications if the company has to comply with certain government guidelines.
And IT staff don't hate dealing with people...it sounds like your work environment is not like others.
Check out this thread to see if it does what you are looking for.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=775007
They modified the actual email.apk app to remove the security requirement that was hardcoded in it.
It was taken from CM7 which is AOSP, so I cannot say whether or not it will work on sense.
EDIT: After searching some more, droidforums has a modified email.apk file that you can install, that you use instead of the HTC mail, which tricks your exchange server into thinking that you have your security enabeled.
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/dr...onal-froyo-bypass-exchange-server-policy.html
Just download the zip, and extract the apk from it, then place the apk on your SDCard and install it just like a regular app.
Khilbron said:
Check out this thread to see if it does what you are looking for.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=775007
They modified the actual email.apk app to remove the security requirement that was hardcoded in it.
It was taken from CM7 which is AOSP, so I cannot say whether or not it will work on sense.
EDIT: After searching some more, droidforums has a modified email.apk file that you can install, that you use instead of the HTC mail, which tricks your exchange server into thinking that you have your security enabeled.
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/dr...onal-froyo-bypass-exchange-server-policy.html
Just download the zip, and extract the apk from it, then place the apk on your SDCard and install it just like a regular app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will look into that. Thank you very much!
I ended up using the modified email.apk from CM7...works like a charm!!! The Droid forums version kept coming up with security errors. THANKS AGAIN Khilbron!!!
awenthol said:
I ended up using the modified email.apk from CM7...works like a charm!!! The Droid forums version kept coming up with security errors. THANKS AGAIN Khilbron!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please post a link to the one you used?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Justin.G11 said:
Nope, this is tightly integrated down to the OS in order to pass MS requirements, and it reports the control level back to exchange so it can make sure it's in compliance with their mobile device policy.
In theory you can make an app that proxies the API and lies about what the phone can do ... but it wont be done with a simple APK/market app ... it's integration goes much deeper.
Honestly your best best: this is clearly a new policy. complain repeatedly to your IT staff. You're probably not the only one upset ... and noise will result in policy change ... because reality: IT staff hate dealing with people. They want to deal with servers.
Option 2: if you have a buddy on the exchange team he can put you on the same policy he undoubtedly created for himself and his team, that's 10x as lenient so he can mess with his little pet projects he plays with on the side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes..this reply really isn't correct. There have been some sqlite modifications that can be made or using the mail.apk from this link (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=775007) works perfect, even with the new CM7-RC2
Bypassing Exchange security
I had this same issue with my work email. My way of bypassing it and still using the stock Mail app is by installing widgetlocker. Unfortunately the newest version does not bypass your encryption, but the older version before the most recent update does. Also it allows you to fully customize your lockscreen and add widgets and what have you. All in all pretty cool app.
widgetlocker.teslacoilsw.com/general/widgetlocker-1-2-9/
(unfortunately because i have never posted before i cannot post links so pm if the link does not work)
Amazing! So you guys have a device in your pocket that has complete access to your work mail server (something you don't own), and you apparently don't care if that falls into the wrong hands?
I don't want to get preachy but this is serious stuff:
1. Are you aware of the damage that can fall on an organization, its IP and reputation if a hacker/spammer has access to a mail account?
2. Your company's mail server is an assett of the company. Gaining access and leaving it unlocked is like borrowing something from work and leaving it on the street.
I understand that IT policies are annoying to the end user, but they are there for good reason.
Would you leave the company vehicle unlocked because it is annoying to get the key out? No.
Oh, and by the way, you can be held directly liable for damages for disabling/ hacking around policies. I have seen employees get fired for it.
Sent from my device.
ramiss said:
Amazing! So you guys have a device in your pocket that has complete access to your work mail server (something you don't own), and you apparently don't care if that falls into the wrong hands?
I don't want to get preachy but this is serious stuff:
1. Are you aware of the damage that can fall on an organization, its IP and reputation if a hacker/spammer has access to a mail account?
2. Your company's mail server is an assett of the company. Gaining access and leaving it unlocked is like borrowing something from work and leaving it on the street.
I understand that IT policies are annoying to the end user, but they are there for good reason.
Would you leave the company vehicle unlocked because it is annoying to get the key out? No.
Oh, and by the way, you can be held directly liable for damages for disabling/ hacking around policies. I have seen employees get fired for it.
Sent from my device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue I have is with the idea that the company gets to dictate how my entire device functions. Your points are valid, but why not just require a password on the email app, not on the whole phone? Why do I have to consent to allowing them to order a full device wipe, instead of just a wipe of the company data?
bkrodgers said:
The issue I have is with the idea that the company gets to dictate how my entire device functions. Your points are valid, but why not just require a password on the email app, not on the whole phone? Why do I have to consent to allowing them to order a full device wipe, instead of just a wipe of the company data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are some good points and questions:
If you just locked the mail app then the app would need to encrypt/decrypt all data, which would make it MUCH slower. However, the main reason is that the app lock approach is much more hackable..one simple example would be to load a proxy on the phone to intercept communication before it could be encrypted.
The idea behind the device lock is that it happens on a deeper level and is the most secure answer.
The question about having a choice with your device is actually a simple one to answer...if you don't agree with the work policy then don't use your personal device for work email.
The other thing is that, besides not having a choice, the forced answer is beneficial for everyone....if I lose my device then I definitely don't want strangers crank calling my family or getting personal info. I have read about some horrible stories.
The real question is...If your phone is lost why would you NOT want it to be secure and erased asap??
Sent from my "locked" device.
ramiss said:
Those are some good points and questions:
If you just locked the mail app then the app would need to encrypt/decrypt all data, which would make it MUCH slower. However, the main reason is that the app lock approach is much more hackable..one simple example would be to load a proxy on the phone to intercept communication before it could be encrypted.
The idea behind the device lock is that it happens on a deeper level and is the most secure answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and no. There are approaches that are easier if you aren't securing the whole device, but that doesn't mean it can't still be hacked.
The question about having a choice with your device is actually a simple one to answer...if you don't agree with the work policy then don't use your personal device for work email.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Overall I agree with that, although I think at a company that offers mobile email, there's a sort of "peer pressure" to use it. Not to say that's a good reason. I'd imagine that it'd be hard for a company to actually require you to use mobile email on your personal device -- if your job truly requires it, I'd think they'd have to provide you a device if you don't have a compatible device or aren't willing to use it that way. So yes, you're probably right that you have the choice. It doesn't mean that we can't complain though.
The other thing is that, besides not having a choice, the forced answer is beneficial for everyone....if I lose my device then I definitely don't want strangers crank calling my family or getting personal info. I have read about some horrible stories.
The real question is...If your phone is lost why would you NOT want it to be secure and erased asap??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's really lost forever, yes. But what if:
- The exchange admin sends the wipe command to the wrong phone. ("Hi, I'm John Smith and I've lost my phone.")
- The "wipe after X invalid passcode" policy is enabled. A friend or a kid picks up the phone and tries to play with it. Whoops.
- Something else goes wrong...bottom line is that the company should have no right to wipe anything other than their own data.
I understand the need for locking the device...I really do. But, if someone does happen to find my phone (knock on wood but HIGHLY, HIGHLY unlikely, as I've never even almost forgotten any phone, anywhere, ever) they aren't going to find ANYTHING of value in my emails. I'm pretty low on the totem pole.
If I had sensitive data on my phone...no questions asked, I would keep it p-word locked.
matt2053 said:
Can you please post a link to the one you used?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=775007
awenthol said:
I understand the need for locking the device...I really do. But, if someone does happen to find my phone (knock on wood but HIGHLY, HIGHLY unlikely, as I've never even almost forgotten any phone, anywhere, ever) they aren't going to find ANYTHING of value in my emails. I'm pretty low on the totem pole.
If I had sensitive data on my phone...no questions asked, I would keep it p-word locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your Exchange Admin (or you depending on the version of Exchange you're using) has the ability to remotely wipe your device in the event it gets stolen/lost.
Could anyone give a brief possible explanation of why I can connect to my exchange server easily using Touchdown, but not using the Android integrated Exchange Account Sync?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Just found this thread as I've encountered the same issue on a HTC Sensation, just setup Exchange ActiveSync, and bam, have to set up the PIN lock on the phone.
However I've noticed that once you've done it, you can then go into Settings, Security and change the timeout before it locks up to 1 hour (I think that is dependent on your company setting). Mine was defaulting to every time the screen locked, but changing it to 1 hour I find I hardly ever have to unlock the phone now apart from first thing in the morning as I tend to use it regularly through the day.

Attention all Android fans - This is Important

We really need to rally and get Google to fix some major issues with the Android OS. If Android is going to be truly universal and be able to compete, and beat Apple, it needs to at least be able to do what it can do. Please read: http://claar.org/blog/?p=180 and call, email, post, blog, whatever you can to get Googles attention on these issues.
And thank you for your support.
P.S. Pass this url on to every android user you can.
http://claar.org/blog/?p=180
Sent from my ADR6300, not my wife's iPad...
You have a legitimate argument but those items you listed are never performed by me. =[ Sorry. Everything I need done, works. =]
[ Sent from an LG Optimus V ]
Android still has a way to go before being all things to all people. It has the potential though so i'm sure we'll see improvements in the areas where it's currently weak.
Nice write up though. I hope these issues are resolved for you soon.
Write your congressman. Attend your local PTA meeting.
Don't gey me wrong, I love my Android phone, just saying that Google is missing the boat on the Enterprise side of things. Used to have an iPod touch that worked flawlessly on our corporate intranet, can't say the same for my dinc. As the workforce continues to become more mobile, they'll be carrying iPads instead of Xooms or Galaxy tabs.
Sent from my ADR6300, not my wife's iPad.
are there really people who use android's and ipad's/iphone's for work???
o-o?
id rater use a PC or laptop. but yha.
think all the company's want to be cool?
i cant go suport this.because my android does what it needs to do.
remember. smartphones and tablets aren't pc's,so they shouldn't do the work of a pc.
ghost010 said:
are there really people who use android's and ipad's/iphone's for work???
o-o?
id rater use a PC or laptop. but yha.
think all the company's want to be cool?
i cant go suport this.because my android does what it needs to do.
remember. smartphones and tablets aren't pc's,so they shouldn't do the work of a pc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why shouldnt they? Why should they have limitations. I say the more capabilities the better!
Universally, I don't understand Googles LACK of contact and attention to it's customers. Like most people are aware that e-mailing google is a complete WASTE OF TIME. I'd love to meet someone who has yet to actually get a meaningful response from google. I understand that they are a HUGE company and can easily get overwhelmed by emails, but the complete lack of response in general is UNACCEPTABLE. Why do they act this way, ESPECIALLY to their customers? Eitherway, they should respond in some way to all emails, understandable for free products, but for PAYING customers like us Android users, should get a response.
Google is worse than Sprint when it comes to response. I don't get it or understand.
I'm an IT Director for a medium sized medical manufacturing company and I've been testing ipads as a laptop alternative for our salesforce, and I have to say, I would be absolutely pissed if I had to use an ipad(or any tablet for that matter) for work.
Don't get me wrong. They work. But do you want to do all your work on them? HELL NO.
I have a remote desktop app on my mytouch 4g and I use it every now and then when I need to fix something or get onto the server for any reason. That doesn't mean I'm going to ditch my computer because my phone is capable of doing something my laptop does. Tablets, smartphones, mobile devices in general...they should be used to supplement computers, not replace them.
And as far as google 'not listening to their customers', you obviously haven't been on any sort of development team before. Especially not one that had any sort of fast progress. I don't know if you've noticed, but chip manufacturers have released dual core mobile cpu's. So google can either work on your vpn problem and appease a small number of enterprise users(people who will actually use a vpn on their phones), or they can concentrate on optimizing their code so it will work well with the next generation of hardware. They're obviously going to concentrate their manpower(or womanpower) on development for next-gen hardware. If the support ticket exists, they'll work on it. But there are thousands of them, and people need to realize that just because it's important to you specifically, doesn't mean it's an important problem. VPN access doesn't effect the overall functionality of the os during normal use, so it's going be put on the back burner, that doesn't mean it won't be fixed.
And whoever said go to pta meetings, PTA = parent teachers association. Good luck getting heard there.
While on the subject of fixes, I'm more concerned about linked market data and being able to transfer purchases to different accounts. I.E. switching from a google apps account to a gmail account. Also, the 'master account' crap. There should be a way to change which login you use to connect to gtalk and the market without having to reset your device to factory. That just sucks.
LOL, I used to get those "wake-up" calls from the 3rd shift platform operators. I got my butt out of bed, got on my PC and fixed the problem or marked it "next day" and fixed it when I got to work.
I can't see using a phone's screen size to debug a couple hundred lines of JCL or batch COBOL program Not to mention, I was usually talking to the operator at the same time I needed to see something on the PC; very hard to do with a phone.
Can it connect to Microsoft's pptp? Yes - http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/smartphones/connect-to-a-pptp-vpn-from-your-android-phone/2145
problem 1. You can connect to a proxy (unless i'm not understanding your complaint) There's Proxy options under the settings menu.
Problem 2. I've noticed this but apparently some 3rd party browsers can do it.
Problem 3. Not sure about this one, but i connect to many different networks (public, domestic and at uni) and have never had a problem like this.
What you're saying is that you have various problems that the vast majority of people will never experience and you are wondering why Google aren't dropping everything to fix it immediately? These problems (to me at least) seem incredibly minor.
kccasey said:
Universally, I don't understand Googles LACK of contact and attention to it's customers. Like most people are aware that e-mailing google is a complete WASTE OF TIME. I'd love to meet someone who has yet to actually get a meaningful response from google. I understand that they are a HUGE company and can easily get overwhelmed by emails, but the complete lack of response in general is UNACCEPTABLE. Why do they act this way, ESPECIALLY to their customers? Eitherway, they should respond in some way to all emails, understandable for free products, but for PAYING customers like us Android users, should get a response.
Google is worse than Sprint when it comes to response. I don't get it or understand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because they already have your money, therefor they could care less. And they will continue to get your money, his money, her money etc because they make a product and provide a service that we all have come to rely on. They've got the hook set, you can't break free and they can let us dangle as long as they want.
But maybe the combination of google, samsung, and verizon has destroyed my outlook.
Samsung Fascinate
Frankenclean 2.8
EB16-ish Voodoo Kernel
Mob87's Honeycomb theme
Sent from XDA Premium App
I think many of these issues will take a long long time to see resolved.
You need to consider what motivates google RE Android. Hint: It is not paying customers.
Thing is, normal market forces are not at work in the Android space. This is
my BIGGEST issue with Android.
@andmiller
You don't think your needs are most important ones, do you? There are many, many things to do, not only these mentioned by you.
For me your "This is Important" bugs are minor. Actually I didn't know about them to this time. I care much more about NDK APIs, performance and UI improvements and this is exactly what Google does.
Also there is one good reason to focus on new APIs, standard libraries, developer tools, etc.: Google is only one who can improve them and sooner is better. They could fix bugs at any time, they could also port them to older versions of OS. But if they add new API, it will take some time for developers to use it, because new API won't be supported by most of devices. So it's much better to work on a new features first and fix minor bugs later.
BobPaul said:
I think many of these issues will take a long long time to see resolved.
You need to consider what motivates google RE Android. Hint: It is not paying customers.
Thing is, normal market forces are not at work in the Android space. This is
my BIGGEST issue with Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have got that completely backwards. Iphone is not normal market space. Each manufacturer running android os have to set themselves apart from each other, hence skinning the os. If customers demand, need it, it will get fixed or innovated.
Apple controls all, What they say goes. Example: no flash, theming....
Amazon drops their android app store on tues. Why, market forces.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
hey dude most of those issuses were fix sort of well i wouldnt say fix because google came out with a whole new O.S. most of ur issuses hav been resolved in the honeycomb os and greater but u dont need a fix u need a app that can handle what u need
> Can it connect to Microsoft's pptp? Yes - http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/sma...oid-phone/2145
No, or at least, not for several hundred people at least, some who have even provided logs of both sides of the conversation. Some bug comments are from companies, representing complaints from their customer base, so it is probably more. I could write an article that shows how to do it, too, but that doesn't mean that I've tested all combinations. If the author's VPN was not encrypted, he wouldn't have seen the problem, and--since his connection worked, and there's that encryption checkbox--he might have just assumed it worked. He might have even tried it: You can connect with encryption, you just can't stay connected for any length of time.
> problem 1. You can connect to a proxy (unless i'm not understanding your complaint) There's Proxy options under the settings menu.
I can manually set a proxy, although there are reports that this is not a standard part of android, but a value-add by the phone mfr. A third-party program could perhaps recognize which WAP I connect to and set values accordingly, but only if I want everything to go through the proxy, and not just some things. That would have worked at HP, but my ulterior motive is to proxy a specific blocked port so that I can pop my email to my wifi tab. OK, I'll admit, my actual reason isn't a compelling case for Google! ;-)
> Problem 2. I've noticed this but apparently some 3rd party browsers can do it.
I'm not surprised that some clever programmer patched around the breakage, but it needs to be solved generally. Really, this and VPN are the most important issues for me.
> Problem 3. Not sure about this one, but i connect to many different networks (public, domestic and at uni) and have never had a problem like this.
You have never had a problem like this that you know of! Most folks have been bitten by this when the run into a place with short leases, and only find out--if they do--by accident, since most places don't check for violators.
Other comments
For the person who asserted that these are fixed in the latest release, that doesn't appear to be the case, according to the bug reports.
Are there really people who use their portable device for work? Not if it is android-based! (I know, cheap shot, but--for many of us--a true statement).
I have a galaxy tab. With working VPN and ssh, I could login and do a simple database change "echo blah blah blah|mysql", restart a job, whatever. I'm not going to write a couple of thousand lines of code, but I might look at a couple of thousand lines of a log file! Instead, I have to fire up the PC, which means I have to be around the PC, and I'd rather have the freedom of mobility.

I hate Google Support

I would like to complain about my current struggle with Google (since I have no one here to complain to. So I wrote Google a message and said I have a number of purchased programs that give me a download 403 error when i try to download them (geocaching, root explorer, titanium pro, gps status and toolbox pro etc.) and can they help me fix the issue. So they send me a canned response that says that I cannot install the programs because they are from a different userid of mine. So I respond and say that i have both user id's added as accounts on my phone so thats not it. So I get a canned response back that tells me there process of how apps are bought and how they are good forever and how you can install them on any devices. So I respond again telling them this is a download issue that I need help with. So I get another canned response that says during these issues you should try to wipe data on the play store and download manager. So I think, ok, this makes sense. I try that and nothing happens. So I respond again and tell them It didn't do anything but I have tried this on at least 6 different devices and it happens on all of them. So I get another canned response that says during issues like this you should delete your account and re-add it and if that doesnt work then wipe your phone to factory reset and try again. Now I am getting pissed. So I respond again and tell them that I just told them that it happens on many devices not just this device and I included a screenshot of the error this time and suggest maybe its having an issue looking up if i bought it and could they reset it so i could buy it again and see if that works. I get another canned response that says, it sounds like you are having issues with these apps, You should contact the developer so they can explain any issues that you dont understand on how their software works. NOW, each one of their responses comes with atleast a page of "We are sorry, we know this is frustrating, blah blah blah" with more detail on how to find the developers address etc." So I have this mile long email trail that's all canned bull sh!t I realize. So I responded again and told them to quit sending me canned responses and to read my damn issue so you can address it. I told them they should be working with the developer, not me, because this is their issue. Well - Stay tuned for there next canned response. I am going to blow a gasket if its another one that addressess nothing.
Has anyone else had a 403 download error in the playstore that they know how to fix?
Tried selecting the correct account before attempting to install?
JulianPaoloThiry said:
Tried selecting the correct account before attempting to install?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that makes sense. is there a place to choose which account?
Where it shows the account name on the left side.
JulianPaoloThiry said:
Where it shows the account name on the left side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG dude, you just fixed my problem that i have been having for a year. I should know to ask xda before i ask google....stupid stupid stupid me..
Thanks Bro.
jbeitel said:
I hate Google Support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's your first mistake - you assume they care down to the individual customer level. We (humans) all exist as a necessary evil that Google's dependent on because we are the plebes who own the wallets which we open after clicking links that make money by selling advertising to the companies we buy from. If they could by-pass us and connect our wallets directly to advertisers they would. Google's taken away ActiveSync support, created a holy war in the YouTube community to push G+, created another furor by linking G+ to Gmail so anyone on G+ can e-mail anyone they can find on G+. There are tons more but you get the idea that "customer first" isn't exactly their manta. If you want to see their customer support in action look at the Nexus hardware forums. Google's support is byzantine. Your only hope of getting "real" support for s/w from Google is if you happen to stumble upon a s/w issue that intrigues them Or if you unmask a newsworthy security hole.
"Don't be Evil" has long been trumped by the need to keep revenue and margin high to keep the stock high to please both shareholders and Google'rs who's fortunes rise and fall by the value of that very same stock.
Google's an oligopoly now and not benevolent or our friends.
BarryH_GEG said:
Here's your first mistake - you assume they care down to the individual customer level. We (humans) all exist as a necessary evil that Google's dependent on because we are the plebes who own the wallets which we open after clicking links that make money by selling advertising to the companies we buy from. If they could by-pass us and connect our wallets directly to advertisers they would. Google's taken away ActiveSync support, created a holy war in the YouTube community to push G+, created another furor by linking G+ to Gmail so anyone on G+ can e-mail anyone they can find on G+. There are tons more but you get the idea that "customer first" isn't exactly their manta. If you want to see their customer support in action look at the Nexus hardware forums. Google's support is byzantine. Your only hope of getting "real" support for s/w from Google is if you happen to stumble upon a s/w issue that intrigues them Or if you unmask a newsworthy security hole.
"Don't be Evil" has long been trumped by the need to keep revenue and margin high to keep the stock high to please both shareholders and Google'rs who's fortunes rise and fall by the value of that very same stock.
Google's an oligopoly now and not benevolent or our friends.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
couldn't have said it any better. They just tricked me because the first couple canned responses sounds personal, until i started seeing a pattern and then all out ignorance.
I got the final end all be all response from google
"It appears from the apps that you are having a problem with that your device is rooted. Because of the complexity of rooted devices, we are not able to support you".
So I told them xda told me how to fix in in 5 mins. c*ck suckers.

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