Lock down apps to prevent kids from bankrupting you - Kindle Fire General

My wife went to the bathroom today and my 6 year old grabbed her Fire and promptly bought $30 worth of videos and apps. So I started looking into options to lock that down since Amazon dropped the ball on that one. The best answer I've found doesn't require root and was already installed on my phone, ZDbox. It's a free download from the Amazon app store and among other tools it has an app lock. You can choose a group of apps to lock down and apply a single pin or password to all of them. You can easily switch an app from protected to unprotected as well. Every time you try to run it you will be prompted for the pin. So far it has not fail to ask for the pin when I run the "dangerous" apps.
http://amzn.to/q4KOtP
Sent from my Kindle Fire

Perfect
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk

Good info to know... I've had others ask about that.
There should be a way to set a password on the purchase option for confirmation just like they do on their web page... but they don't on a device which could be walked away from you.
animez said:
My wife went to the bathroom today and my 6 year old grabbed her Fire and promptly bought $30 worth of videos and apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds better than my 2-1/2 yo grand daughter who followed my daughter into the bathroom and started taking pictures with her iPhone which posted automatically on Facebook...

krelvinaz said:
That sounds better than my 2-1/2 yo grand daughter who followed my daughter into the bathroom and started taking pictures with her iPhone which posted automatically on Facebook...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, that sounds like something my daughter would do.
Sent from my SoaBliss Thunderbolt

krelvinaz said:
Good info to know... I've had others ask about that.
There should be a way to set a password on the purchase option for confirmation just like they do on their web page... but they don't on a device which could be walked away from you.
That sounds better than my 2-1/2 yo grand daughter who followed my daughter into the bathroom and started taking pictures with her iPhone which posted automatically on Facebook...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The app store has some parental controls that you can enable in settings, I haven't really used any of the other amazon apps but I'm surprised they wouldn't have the same thing.

neilrl79 said:
The app store has some parental controls that you can enable in settings, I haven't really used any of the other amazon apps but I'm surprised they wouldn't have the same thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, a bit of an oversight on Amazon's part IMO. I've seen forum posts where people have been told by customer support that Amazon is looking at adding better parental controls to the Fire.
Sent from my SoaBliss Thunderbolt

and nothing to stop someone from just picking up your kindle and buying crap like crazy. Nice protection.

Related

Just bought A nexus one! im pumped!

Does anyone know about how long shipping is and is there anything cool i can do to it once i get it or any good apps to download? Thanks
Did you try reading ANY of the numerous threads on this forum that discuss everything you've asked?
hey c'mon, the dude is excited! this isn't an 'iphone' forum, no need to bash him!
i find it fun to 'race' the iphoners in my office with a simple 'google' search...
someone calls out a 'thing' to look up...while they are typing away, you use voice search and BAM, you smoke em.
i know, childish, however, so much fun to stick it to iphoners.
Shipping is 1-2 days and apps are easy to find once you have the phone..
As the previous poster mentioned, I would place my bet for Wednesday.
As for apps.
You can google for some decent lists. 101android ro something.(just google best android apps)
Stuff i will personally recommend.
1) Get Google voice set-up for voicemail. Extremely cool. Text transcriptions definitely give you the jist(but certainly miss some words).
2)Dolphin Browser - Multi touch web browser.
3)TaskKiller - I like the widget for killing apps I want to full close.
4) Ebuddy/Meebo for an instant messenger.
5) Live Scores for sports scores. Only one that seems to be updated quickly.(maybe 30 seconds behind sportsline.com or so)
6)BetterCut - I paid for this(2.99???). It lets you adjust your homescreen short cuts. Download icon packs and use new icons/different words etc.. Makes for cleaner home screens. Free version is Anycut.
7) AContacts - Shows your call log with exact timing. Something i prefer to normal one.
8)Beamreader - PDF viewer.
9)Gdocs - Google docs viewer basically. Useful to view MS office stuff.
10) Ring toggle - very simple ringtone/vibrate toggle thing. I like it.
11) Agend Widget - Best widget to show calendar on home screen
12) Istockmanager - If you use TD Ameritrade this program is amazing. Level 2, trading etc, all real time, charts, the works
13)Tune Wiki - A tad better then installed music player
I spent more time then i expected on this post! Anyways, you can work at setting up your calendar/gdocs/even contacts to some degree all ready through google if you want. They all sync anyways. There are a ton more awesome programs, but those are the ones I have used over the last year or 2 on android(and redownloaded for nexus one)
Congratz, your going to enjoy it! Check out the threads here for the good scoop!
austin8868 said:
Does anyone know about how long shipping is and is there anything cool i can do to it once i get it or any good apps to download? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats...i just got mine last Thursday..
Here is some info about delivery time frame
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=619572
I'm considering replacing my wife with mine. I'm just waiting for the right app to come out ;-)
Though I should have really thought that one out before I named him Sam Google.....
Oh man I'm so pumped too. I ordered mine on Saturday, and spent all day thinking it wouldn't be shipped out today because of the holiday, then got an email at 11:20pm EST saying it has been shipped and will be delivered by 3pm tomorrow (Tuesday). YES!
So yeah, you will probably get it Wednesday.
please we do not need the mail man, see you faint once he comes walking at your door. hehe j/k =) hope you enjoy your phone. it rocks!
Just got it a few hours ago, stayed home from school so i wouldnt miss the fedex guy. haha
wick12345 said:
I'm considering replacing my wife with mine. I'm just waiting for the right app to come out ;-)
Though I should have really thought that one out before I named him Sam Google.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know the phone is pretty cool, but replacing your wife with a nexus is a little extreme.
muncheese said:
I know the phone is pretty cool, but replacing your wife with a nexus is a little extreme.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, U have to admit that the Nexus One is very sexy looking
I'd hit it
wick12345 said:
I'm considering replacing my wife with mine. I'm just waiting for the right app to come out ;-)
Though I should have really thought that one out before I named him Sam Google.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol! Actually that app would rake in millions.. Hmm.. I guess it's time to install the sdk

Remote Wipe Stolen a500

Hey guys and gals,
Tonight my a500 was stolen. I work in sales and use it to look things on the net for customers (like price comparisons, etc) and use it for the website and lots of other business-type things (as well as lots of personal pics etc).
But, unfortunately when my back was turned, someone swiped it...!!!! argh:angry:
I had the newest release of jellybean on it from the forums here on xda, but had no remote wipe app installed (never even crossed my mind to do it). Therefore, I'm wondering if the is any remote wipe abilities in jellybean or if there was an app by chance that i had installed that would have this feature hidden (like onavo or norton utilities... reading now).
If anyone can help that would be amazing! Changed all my passwords, etc. So, I should be fine there. thanks guys
k
kylereid said:
Hey guys and gals,
Tonight my a500 was stolen. I work in sales and use it to look things on the net for customers (like price comparisons, etc) and use it for the website and lots of other business-type things (as well as lots of personal pics etc).
But, unfortunately when my back was turned, someone swiped it...!!!! argh:angry:
I had the newest release of jellybean on it from the forums here on xda, but had no remote wipe app installed (never even crossed my mind to do it). Therefore, I'm wondering if the is any remote wipe abilities in jellybean or if there was an app by chance that i had installed that would have this feature hidden (like onavo or norton utilities... reading now).
If anyone can help that would be amazing! Changed all my passwords, etc. So, I should be fine there. thanks guys
k
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry mate. Not a lot you can do about it at this time.
Just cherish the thought of what's going to happen when he decides jb is too buggy, and tries to install a different rom. :laugh:
I suppose a new user will be posting all kinds of questions here at xda in the near future!
Still sorry to hear it got pinched. I know the feeling.
MD
thanks man. thought i was buggered lol. I left a facebook update that i hope shows up on the notifications in the tablet and make the culprit feel guilty. maybe it'll show up in the morning at work... fingers crossed. made me look at getting a wipe app for the old phone now, went with seekdroid. seems legit. any other suggestions?
kylereid said:
thanks man. thought i was buggered lol. I left a facebook update that i hope shows up on the notifications in the tablet and make the culprit feel guilty. maybe it'll show up in the morning at work... fingers crossed. made me look at getting a wipe app for the old phone now, went with seekdroid. seems legit. any other suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I don't have a lot of faith in those types of apps. They usually only work if an idiot steals it. Over here, pinching phones and tabs is big business, and usually done by pro's. They're quick to dump the device to another agent, who runs a stock full rom on it, clones the IMEI number from a good device , then dumps it to one of the umpteen million fly by night resellers. They (moscow govt) talked about cracking down on multiple PH number/IMEI combinations, then quickly realized over half the devices in Russia would stop working! Including their own!
Best thing to do, never let it out of your sight. Get a new device, like I did my phone, and the pain goes away.
But then again, maybe your culprit is a true idiot, and will post fotos to your facebook account!!!!!
MD
WAS YOU SIGNED INTO GOOGLE maps? latitude?
if so go to google.maps and click location history u can now see where your a500 is!!!!
good luck and hope you kick his ass:good:
i have "prey" software installed on all my devices for such problem
Did you try that Plan B yet or is that just over advertised junk?
Moscow Desire said:
Well, I don't have a lot of faith in those types of apps. They usually only work if an idiot steals it. Over here, pinching phones and tabs is big business, and usually done by pro's. They're quick to dump the device to another agent, who runs a stock full rom on it, clones the IMEI number from a good device , then dumps it to one of the umpteen million fly by night resellers. They (moscow govt) talked about cracking down on multiple PH number/IMEI combinations, then quickly realized over half the devices in Russia would stop working! Including their own!
Best thing to do, never let it out of your sight. Get a new device, like I did my phone, and the pain goes away.
But then again, maybe your culprit is a true idiot, and will post fotos to your facebook account!!!!!
MD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The last person to steal one of my phones was a true idiot. This happened at my school and good thing I'm done with school. I was in class and had my phone charging and I had it out because I trusted most everyone in the room and would known who would have taken it.
So he asked if it was my phone and about a minute later he leaves the room. I noticed it was gone and others around me saw him take it. (Not obvious at all)
So I had the Vipre Mobile Security beta installed so I immediately logged into the web interface to activate GPS tracking and set off the alarm. Except when I logged in the service hadn't communicated when the app/phone in over a month so it was useless.
Over the period of the next 24 hours he had used the phone to take photos, delete everything on my sdcard, spam my YouTube feed with countless videos, and make voice calls to their own friends and family. So I looked on my carrier's account management and found all these numbers. Between the school staff and police it was possible to track the calls back to his identity. I got my phone back the next day...without the case and screen protector, sucks that they kept that.
So the lesson is make sure you have good, working anti theft solutions with cascading failsafes.
The next app I installed after ditching Vipre was Avast. This was a good solution with some flaws. Avast was one of the first Play Store security apps to utilize root access. Because of root in addition to setting as a device administrator it was also installed as a system service and app. This made it persistent and harder to remove.
The issue with avast was since the app was in /system and not /data it would have to be completely reconfigured after flashing each nightly update. Sometimes I'd forget and then it wouldn't work. It claimed to support the CM backup script except it was designed for CM7 and CM9 uses a different type of backup.
The other issue with avast was there was no web interface. You could only send commands through SMS.
Since I got my Nexus I bought Cerberus anti theft its perfect. It has system app support. Instead of a user setup it apparently registers the device ID or SIM or something and loads the user account from the cloud server. So all I do is add the apk to the CM backup list and it auto configures when installed. I can use SMS control or the website. I can monitor and control pretty much the entire phone and it takes a front camera photo on invalid pass code.
I check weekly to ensure its still running and it hasn't failed once.
As a failsafe I also have the first screen splash modded to my contact info in case of loss. Its encrypted so if anything maybe only a boot loader update could remove it.
chismay said:
WAS YOU SIGNED INTO GOOGLE maps? latitude?
if so go to google.maps and click location history u can now see where your a500 is!!!!
good luck and hope you kick his ass:good:
i have "prey" software installed on all my devices for such problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that only works if you accept all the tracking disclaimers to enable location history and not many people have history turned on.
I guess the lesson is you can't let your guard down for even a second. One time I let a friend sync their iPod touch on my computer since they didn't have a PC and they ended up snatching my classic monochrome iPod. I'm still upset to this day since they didn't take my old iPod touch instead. That just proves the first gen iPod touch is so bad people won't even steal it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
KemikalElite said:
I think that only works if you accept all the tracking disclaimers to enable location history and not many people have history turned on.
I guess the lesson is you can't let your guard down for even a second. One time I let a friend sync their iPod touch on my computer since they didn't have a PC and they ended up snatching my classic monochrome iPod. I'm still upset to this day since they didn't take my old iPod touch instead. That just proves the first gen iPod touch is so bad people won't even steal it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh yea def' just thought for pot-luck ,
it is a pitty when you let someone come into your house as a friendly gesture only to find them stealing from you,... ive had my fair share and also a fair share of miss-understandings thereafter because of a newly aquired paranoia..... but i think its 100% justified.
If you download the lookout app and install it, if you ever lose your tablet, on the lookout website you can see where it is, (if GPS was enabled when lost) you can also do a remote wipe, and a remote siren, make it put off an alarm remotely.
Its a good app to have just in case, but doesn't help if the app was not installed before being lost or stolen.
Sent from my A500 using xda app-developers app
lifeofcoding said:
If you download the lookout app and install it, if you ever lose your tablet, on the lookout website you can see where it is, (if GPS was enabled when lost) you can also do a remote wipe, and a remote siren, make it put off an alarm remotely.
Its a good app to have just in case, but doesn't help if the app was not installed before being lost or stolen.
Sent from my A500 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah sound like the prey app too , i can also send a popup message to the tab screen, be near the location displayed on the map and then activate a "S-SCARING" siren lol
also one good thing is prey uses the location services through wifi as well as gps, tells you the address of the current and last wifi hotspots logged into
so if it says currently "wii hotspot mcdonalds fast food , thief street. lol go to the mcdonalds and set off the alarms,...clearly see your tablet...and a jackass who need a beating. :highfive::highfive::highfive::highfive:
chismay said:
WAS YOU SIGNED INTO GOOGLE maps? latitude?
if so go to google.maps and click location history u can now see where your a500 is!!!!
good luck and hope you kick his ass:good:
i have "prey" software installed on all my devices for such problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey man, great idea! no luck...
and thanks guys for al of the advice! still no luck with the tab i think the worst part of it is was that i was really getting to love it. like the development here, especially with jb!, is fantastic. and i was a kickstarter supporter for chameleon and now seeing the new updates really puts salt on the wound. lol. in the next month i'll need another tablet, so im debating on finding another 2nd hand one for the price of a nexus 7, or just getting the 7. only thing is though, is the size....
thanks again.
I'm assuming you've looked into "Plan B" on the Android market, right? It automatically installs from the market on your tablet, and broadcasts location immediately on install. Not sure how accurate or helpful it is, but if you haven't tried it yet... you probably should.
The other option is to put out some Wanted To Buy ads...
gfinockio said:
I'm assuming you've looked into "Plan B" on the Android market, right? It automatically installs from the market on your tablet, and broadcasts location immediately on install. Not sure how accurate or helpful it is, but if you haven't tried it yet... you probably should.
The other option is to put out some Wanted To Buy ads...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i already changed the passwords, i wasn't aware of Plan B. great idea though! i tried it anyways lol.
and yeah ive been scouring kijiji and craigslist like a fiend

Youtube purchases?

logged into youtube for the first time since using my Nexus 4, and it shows that i have 3 new purchases today. I have not made these purchases and can not find any charges on my credit card (that i use for online stuff) or my Wallet account. anyone else see this?
I know this is a stab in the dark, but worth a shot.
well, i found them, loks like my phone automatically snagged them in an update somewhere...
odd but free.
found in the play store order info screen along with some books and music...
Looks like they're doing what they did with the N7 I guess. N7 owners got transformers and some other junk like that for free.
I don't like the idea that the phone can do things like that without my permission. I mean if it can make purcases (that are free) what's to keep the same thing from happening for items that are not free?
donec said:
I don't like the idea that the phone can do things like that without my permission. I mean if it can make purcases (that are free) what's to keep the same thing from happening for items that are not free?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, they're just gifts from Google. Items that are automatically added to your account when you register a new Nexus device. The device didn't make any "purchases"--it didn't go out into the store and press buttons behind your back--these are just things that Google gifted into your account, and that's just how these gifts show up in your account, as so-called free "purchases" (they gotta show up somehow, right?).
Thread moved to Q&A
Sent from my Nocturnalized One XL using Forum Runner
donec said:
I don't like the idea that the phone can do things like that without my permission. I mean if it can make purcases (that are free) what's to keep the same thing from happening for items that are not free?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't be able to make purchases without your permission if you tighten your tin foil hat.
mlemonds said:
logged into youtube for the first time since using my Nexus 4, and it shows that i have 3 new purchases today. I have not made these purchases and can not find any charges on my credit card (that i use for online stuff) or my Wallet account. anyone else see this?
I know this is a stab in the dark, but worth a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you access your purchases on your nexus 4 in the youtube app ?
The way I did it was on the computer access the purchases then move those purchases to Favorites, then in the app, click on your profile then it should be there but only thing is that it says unsupported playback or something. What can I do to watch them on my phone?
Sent from my Nexus 4

Are KFHDX used?

I just got the 7inch one, and it look brand new in the box shrink-wrap. But when I open the Silk browser, it automatically sent me to amazon. The weird thing is, when I check the Most Visited tab, it show me Amazon, Bing, Facebook, Yahoo and Wikipedia. I'm confused. I haven't gone anywhere except for Amazon by default. Did people at amazon use the device before they ship them out?
mine came that way to, most likely it was tested at the factory for quality control... just like a new car, they never came with zero miles on the odometer, they do get test driven a little.
someone0 said:
I just got the 7inch one, and it look brand new in the box shrink-wrap. But when I open the Silk browser, it automatically sent me to amazon. The weird thing is, when I check the Most Visited tab, it show me Amazon, Bing, Facebook, Yahoo and Wikipedia. I'm confused. I haven't gone anywhere except for Amazon by default. Did people at amazon use the device before they ship them out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, your tablet was not used previously. They always come with those. It's Amazon guessing at what most people like and putting it in "Most Visited". That has happened on all of the previous Kindle Fires.
Sent from my Kindle Fire HD 7 using xda app-developers app
Amazon probably even get money for pre-populating the browser history like that.
Hahaha!!!
GhostNGoblins91 said:
Of course not. Who would actually use Bing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. I needed a giggle this morning!

How to get rid of ads "special offers " on the lock screen no root no PC

Pretty sure I found a way they will work a lot of the time
Step 1. Go into the help app
Step 2 click on contact via email (they reply fast)
Step 3 click on problems with lock screen /notifications
Step 4 click on seeing notifications
Step 5 use this text in the describe the problem " I would like to disable the intrusive ads on the lockscreen at get in the way of seeing my wallpaper."
And then they will most likely disable special offers after that
Wrong. I got sick of the ads to the point I paid the $15. But what for? They don't let me uninstall the 'Special Offers' App after paying. If I had to guess, I would say they don't even turn the ads off and they just place wallpapers over the top of them. I totally had forgotten about this until I saw your post. I will be calling hem or emailing them to ask them to remove the app altogether or refund me my $15.
DragonFire1024 said:
Wrong. I got sick of the ads to the point I paid the $15. But what for? They don't let me uninstall the 'Special Offers' App after paying. If I had to guess, I would say they don't even turn the ads off and they just place wallpapers over the top of them. I totally had forgotten about this until I saw your post. I will be calling hem or emailing them to ask them to remove the app altogether or refund me my $15.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why is the previous poster "wrong"? Understand you are fussed about the app remaining after paying $15 USD but most folks are simply happy to see the ads disappear even if downloads still occur in the background. To each his own - there is no "wrong" or "right".
Davey126 said:
Why is the previous poster "wrong"? Understand you are fussed about the app remaining after paying $15 USD but most folks are simply happy to see the ads disappear even if downloads still occur in the background. To each his own - there is no "wrong" or "right".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. I could've used better words. I can understand how most would be happy with that, but most don't understand or even know it still runs in the background or wherever. I just feel like it's a scam is all.
i just wanted to say thank you, this method worked perfectly! Saves me $15
Worked for me.
Just registered to say thanks! Worked for me.
My Fire 7 screen died. I have a Fire 8 on the way. I'm going to ask if they'll transfer my 'ransom' payment from my 7 to the 8...given I only paid to have the ads removed less than two weeks or so ago.
Wow, something similar in german worked. And I got a reply within 15min at 10pm today, on a public holiday, wow
But the reply states that it is a 'one time exception from their policy' to remove the ads. As long as you only have that one device, it's ok.
JobSup said:
Wow, something similar in german worked. And I got a reply within 15min at 10pm today, on a public holiday, wow
But the reply states that it is a 'one time exception from their policy' to remove the ads. As long as you only have that one device, it's ok.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you send me what you wrote in German? I'm currently living in Germany now but my german is ****ty.
Attempted this and this is the email I recieved
charlesefc said:
Attempted this and this is the email I recieved
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you use the same text I did?
It worked ! Sent your email before I went to sleep and their answer was there when I woke up:
I'm sorry for the inconvenience you've had with the ads on the screen of your Fire tablet.
As you requested, I have disabled Special Offers on your Fire.
Please understand that by unsubscribing, you'd have been charged $15.00 for the price difference between the device with and the device without Special Offers. *******But I made an exception and waived off the charge and unsubscribed the special offers on your Fire tablet.
Please turn wireless on, and the next time you connect your device wirelessly, it will complete the process of unsubscribing from Special Offers.
If you've further queries, please let us know so that we can help you in every possible way.
Please visit the following link to provide the information we requested:
I hope this helps! We look forward to seeing you again soon.
We'd appreciate your feedback. Please use the links below to tell us about your experience today.
Best regards,
My Fire 7 screen died so I got a Fire HD 8, used from Amazon direct for $51. Here is what I saved: Apparently when you unsubscribe from 'Special Offers' by paying the fee, it applies to new tablets as well. I didn't ask if they could apply the payment from my Fire 7, it was automatic. So -$15 there. Amazon technicians are either too busy or don't care. I was checking storage when I noticed it had storage on the SD card...well it doesn't come with a card. So -$15 again because I got a free card (retail about $13-15). In the end, a brand new Fire HD 8 is about $70. I pad $25 after the savings. Not bad at all.
I tried this, except I told them the ads were inappropriate. It worked and my ads were removed in just a few minutes.
williambright80 said:
Did you use the same text I did?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
williambright80 said:
Pretty sure I found a way they will work a lot of the time
Step 1. Go into the help app
Step 2 click on contact via email (they reply fast)
Step 3 click on problems with lock screen /notifications
Step 4 click on seeing notifications
Step 5 use this text in the describe the problem " I would like to disable the intrusive ads on the lockscreen at get in the way of seeing my wallpaper."
And then they will most likely disable special offers after that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sent them a message almost word for word and they sent me instructions to unsubscribe with 1-click...
Thanks so much! I literally sat there for about two minutes and then I turned my kindle on and saw that there were no more ads. Then I typed in my PIN and saw that my Special Offers app was uninstalled!!!
It Worked!!
Just registered to say thanks to William I copied and pasted your reason and within ten minutes lock screen ads are gone and so is the offers app!! Thanks a ton man!!
I can't believe it actually works

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