Related
Having gps is great and all but not being able to get the address for the place i'm looking for isn't. Is there a yellow pages program or something similar, like directory assistant that doesn't require data connection? as in all the information is already stored on the phone.
Google SMS
auto3251 said:
Having gps is great and all but not being able to get the address for the place i'm looking for isn't. Is there a yellow pages program or something similar, like directory assistant that doesn't require data connection? as in all the information is already stored on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's Google Text. Text your request to 466453 (i.e. Google), and you will quickly get an SMS reply with answers or suggestions.
The only way to have the info stored on your own personal phone that I know of would be to have Garmin or TomTom or iGuidance or similar.
cushcalc said:
There's Google Text. Text your request to 466453 (i.e. Google), and you will quickly get an SMS reply with answers or suggestions.
The only way to have the info stored on your own personal phone that I know of would be to have Garmin or TomTom or iGuidance or similar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don't have unlimited text so google text is not good.
tomtom only stores location for like gas stations, restaurants, banks etc... i can't look up for instance the nearest macy's.
auto3251 said:
i don't have unlimited text so google text is not good.
tomtom only stores location for like gas stations, restaurants, banks etc... i can't look up for instance the nearest macy's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd think if you're going to Macy's you could afford 46645 text messages.
illuminarok said:
I'd think if you're going to Macy's you could afford 46645 text messages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
was just using it as an example.
anyone know of any programs? electronic style yellow pages would be nice.
TANSTAAFL
auto3251 said:
was just using it as an example.
anyone know of any programs? electronic style yellow pages would be nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, there are electronic yellow pages! But it involves data, and that means somehow you are going to have to pay for it! Data network is the best way because you are accessing something that is constantly being updated. If you could even find a cheap database to put on your phone storage, it would instantly be out of date if you weren't tying in to a data network.
This is what I'm looking at getting for my XDA now.
I downloaded Google maps which works fine with the WiFi and I can find everything on there like I would on my PC however it wont work with the GPS and the only thing I can do with the GPS is find my current location, which loses its novelty after the one time you actually do it.
There are some talks on various forums of people who have downloaded Google maps onto their phone and saved the maps so they don't have to connect the any data session to gain access, however it seems to be a lot more complicated than it sounds so I'm looking for a more simple way before I decided to give up and use this method.
Look here: http://forum.mgmaps.com/viewtopic.php?t=670&sid=70fb39ede8c9bf8fc9bcdb06e5eb8b57
Ok, so simply put, you want an address book on your phone of all addresses in a certain area, both business and residential.
Even with a SD Card of 2gb+, I doubt you would still have the room to store the information.
You could possibly see if anyone makes custom POI (Points of Interest) for your GPS program. At the very least it might give you the address of some locations and you can find the place you are looking for by deduction.
You could try sync your phone in the morning of your travel, provided you know where you are going that day, cache the information, and clear it on your next update.
Alternatively, you could try any program that downloads a whole website for offline viewing, but like I said, your phone just won't hold that much information (as I am sure you are aware), but you may be able to do this if the area you are interested in is only small, like the size of a town etc.
If I come up with anything that is actual USEFUL, I'll let you know.
Back on my post its been posted here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=351001
I just wanted to share with all of you a fantastic app called Glympse.
It is free and very useful.
It allows you to send a link to a map that tracks your location. You choose how long the link is active for and whether it displays your speed.
So, for example, if you are on your way to a friends and they txt you asking where you are and when you'll arrive... you can send them a link that is only active for 30 min (or how ever long you wish) and they can track you on their computer or smartphone.
This is better then Latitude because it works with all phones, all addresses (email or sms), and is temporary. Check out their website for a better explanation of the app.
I love it... you might too. Give it a shot and support a great dev.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.glympse.android.glympse
http://www.glympse.com
pretty neat, thanks for sharing
Hate to bump up a super old thread however I think this needs some re-hashing on how great this app is.
I've been fighting to find a decent real time GPS tracker for quite a while. Each one I find has some sort of obnoxious limitation that drives me insane. Google Latitude was one of the ones I thought for sure would be a home run, except.. it wasn't. I mean, it works great, don't get me wrong... but it's a little ridiculous that I have ZERO configurable options to enable GPS to run even in the background. Nearly every other app I've used does. Not even the option to have GPS "check in" every 10 minutes? Really?
That said, I moved on, and now have been using Glympse. Super handy, super accurate, and doesn't require a specific kind of email address. Makes it that much more cross-compatible and less of a headache. "Oh, you need a Gmail address, just go register for one quick." None of that.
Overall, it's a must to at least have installed. I find it much easier to just Glympse a family member my location so they know when I'm getting home. Recently I would have had a huge use for this as we got hit with some nasty floods. I was driving for many hours to find other roads that were not closed. It would have been nice to have had this just so family members knew I was still on the move and still on my way home.
Anyway, check it out. I'm a fan.
Hi,
Does anyone know if there's any GPS Tracking software which can send httppost data (or other form of data transfer) to a custom website?
I want it to send the regular gps data, such as Date/Time, Longitude, Latitude, Height, Speed and Heading (or whatever is available).
I can write my own web software in php/mysql - but I haven't got a clue about how to write my own android app.
I don't want any fancy maps displayed, I just want the software to acquire gps fix, and send it at user set intervals (example every 1 minute) to my own custom web application.
I had previously been using software on my old Nokia 5800 which sent it to a 3rd party server and I could import the data via xml (see here: http://madstu.net/tracker/ ) but I haven't found any such solutions for Android yet.
Any help would be appreciated
Stu.
You could probably do this very simply with one service and an activity to set the interval and some status. You should look at some android tutorials and you can probably do it in less than an hour.
thanks, yes this is what I've been learning. I created a hello world app by following a tutorial, but I'm afraid that might just be my limit!
Sent from my Defy using Tapatalk
You can use Run.gps for your job.
You can customize it to send data to custom server. In section 6.2.1 in the manual explains how you do it.
Regards
Thanks, I've been trying this since this morning and it seems to work on and off, I will continue to trial it though until I find something better/simpler
Never heard of run.gps, but I do this exact thing in Tasker. I am a long time user of TrackMe, a Windows Mobile tracking client, however I didn't really use the client that much but I've made extensive use out of the web server that went along with it. Data goes into it from several possible sources, and I have several things that extra data out of it (Google Earth to visualize, even geotagging photographs, etc).
I have a long outstanding "offline mode" that's missing from its functionality, ie: you don't want to upload, or it fails to upload so it stores the data for later and uploads it when it can. I really want to put this in some day, but it's semi-complicated and honestly editing complex tasks on my phone is tedious Otherwise it's fully functional and for me works great. Let me know if you're interested.
Yes I'd be very interested in this, please.
Like you said, the "offline mode" would be awesome too, I'd previously used Viewranger on my old Nokia 5800 which had this offline option and worked well.
Cheers
MadStu said:
Yes I'd be very interested in this, please.
Like you said, the "offline mode" would be awesome too, I'd previously used Viewranger on my old Nokia 5800 which had this offline option and worked well.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using the TrackMe web server? Otherwise, what I have won't be of all that much use.
khaytsus said:
Are you using the TrackMe web server? Otherwise, what I have won't be of all that much use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, But I have my own server. How is the data sent? I can customise my web software to receive whichever variables are sent.
MadStu said:
No, But I have my own server. How is the data sent? I can customise my web software to receive whichever variables are sent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fairly straightforward, API calls.. Not really documented anywhere I'm aware of, but here's an example.. But it could be easier to adapt the Tasker profile rather than your softwae?
/trackme/requests.php?a=upload&u=user&p=password&lat=dd.ddddddd&long=dd.ddddddd&do=2011-02-06%2009:10:00&tn=Tripname_Date&sp=0.0&alt=279.0&ang=0&db=8&comments=Optional%20Comments&bs=98
So while it's not difficult, I'd say if you already have a POST/GET type API there, it's probably easier to adapt the Tasker profiles. If you're still interested, I'll export and sanitize and put 'em here.
Yeah I could just edit to match mine. I'm very interested in your sanitized profile(s) though. I've been playing with it and can't get it to work.
Thanks
After some more playing I've done it
Thanks for letting me know about this. Works well and I've got to start automatically when I open up the awesome MM Tracker app
I've put off getting a smartphone as long as possible, but did enough research that I think the Triumph on Virgin's $35 plan with Google voice is a smart way to go. I still have some questions about this new OS, programs, and environment, and really like the smart people on this forum, and hope you won't mind a few questions.
-What’s the best VOIP app for working with Google Voice? I've come across GrooVe IP, but would like reassurance whether it's the best option. I'd like to make calls over wifi, but I'd also like to know whether Virgin Mobile's 3g coverage is fast enough for voip (generally...). I wouldn't want to do this routinely as I'd be afraid they'd throttle me. But I would like someone who knows to share their opinion.
-How do I find out my wifi signal strength? 3G strength? GPS strength? Or even just where I can learn what the icons on the top bar stand for, and what their range is? There must be a good app for this, and I'd love a recommendation.
-If I wanted the option, how (specifically) would I switch from making a voip/data plan outgoing call to the regular phone cell plan? Would Android be smart enough to do this automatically without a wifi signal? Or would I need to change a setting in Google Voice? Any thoughts most appreciated.
-How do I find what apps are running (in background?)? Percentage of system resources, and how to kill them? I’m guessing there are apps for that. Does Android kill a process when you return to home screen? What are some of the general rules?
-I have a mac. I’m guessing most of the programs that let you manage files, root the phone, install Cyanogen mods, etc, are PC based. I found Android File Transfer, but am not clear on it's limits. Are there better options? What will the AFT program be good for? [Emulating PC’s is a pain I would rather avoid, but I have been thinking of running virtual box to donate some processing time to the Large Hadron Collider, so I might be able to run some of these PC programs]. Any advice most welcome.
-Any skins or options to turn the google apps into light text on dark background? (I'm aware of and have used the option in Gmail). I hate black text on white background. I'm kooky that way.
This Android phone is good looking, the plan costs much less than a thousand a year (which I refuse to pay), and I LOVE the Google voice options to turn your text and calls into computer files which you can archive as you wish. The Google voice activation / text / search is far superior to iAnything, voip/wifi is the balls, and I think a lot people who've been holding off from getting a smartphone will jump on this combo, and this thread may help them. Many thanks...
dcnblues said:
-How do I find out my wifi signal strength? 3G strength? GPS strength? Or even just where I can learn what the icons on the top bar stand for, and what their range is? There must be a good app for this, and I'd love a recommendation.
-How do I find what apps are running (in background?)? Percentage of system resources, and how to kill them? I’m guessing there are apps for that. Does Android kill a process when you return to home screen? What are some of the general rules?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With respect to these questions, I'm not an expert, but I'll provide a list of programs I use.
For WiFi signal strength, I'd recommend Wifi Analyzer from the Market. For 3G strength, I'd recommend Cellumap. For GPS Strength, GPS Status + Toolbox or GPS Test.
The manual for the phone can be found on either the VMUSA or Motorola web site. It will explain some of the icons. Although when using the phone, I often see stuff not explained in the manual.
For examining the phone's processes, I recommend SystemPanel from the Market (paid for version has history), and/or Android Status.
There are people that tell you NOT to kill anything on the Android OS manually. I use 1Tap Cleaner and Advanced Task Killer from the market if I see the phone behaving a bit sluggish. Android OS loads stuff in memory readying it for future use. How it does so (intelligently) I don't know. I see stuff being partially loaded I never use. I have never had a problem using either program.
YMMV
GrooveIP works great over 3g...I dunno how much we will be able to use it once they start capping data..bastards
dcnblues said:
-What’s the best VOIP app for working with Google Voice? I've come across GrooVe IP, but would like reassurance whether it's the best option. I'd like to make calls over wifi, but I'd also like to know whether Virgin Mobile's 3g coverage is fast enough for voip (generally...). I wouldn't want to do this routinely as I'd be afraid they'd throttle me. But I would like someone who knows to share their opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GrooVe IP is actually the only thing i've bothered to use because it worked well enough, I havn't put it to test over 3g... In the future, you can root the phone and update it to sprint PRL (Their towers instead of VMU) - People have reported up to like 6-900kbps doing this... I would suggest to not factor this last suggestion in yet as you won't be extremely comfortable with your first smart phone being messed with (But a possibility nonetheless)
dcnblues said:
-How do I find out my wifi signal strength? 3G strength? GPS strength? Or even just where I can learn what the icons on the top bar stand for, and what their range is? There must be a good app for this, and I'd love a recommendation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i will back the suggestion of wifi analyzer, it will map out locations of wifi/cellular tower, it gave me beef on another phone that ran @ 600mhz but this one is 1000mhz.
dcnblues said:
-If I wanted the option, how (specifically) would I switch from making a voip/data plan outgoing call to the regular phone cell plan? Would Android be smart enough to do this automatically without a wifi signal? Or would I need to change a setting in Google Voice? Any thoughts most appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With grooveip and google voice it will ask you on all outbound calls after you press dial: Would you like to make this call with.... A) non-Google Voice B) Google Voice (same story w/ sending an sms except it will ask when you create the sms because google voice has it's own sms application, keep in mind w/ gvoice you can forward calls to your google chat account (and that's what makes grooveip ring instead of forwarding the call to your cellular number[i think])
dcnblues said:
-How do I find what apps are running (in background?)? Percentage of system resources, and how to kill them? I’m guessing there are apps for that. Does Android kill a process when you return to home screen? What are some of the general rules?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are tons of application managers and task killers, I recommend to ignore all of them.... Someone brought a Samsung Prevail(Boost mobile Galaxy) into work the other day(Radioshack) - Anytime they killed tasks their touchscreen went out till reboot.... Android is supposed to self manage tasks and processes... realistically you just have to make sure not to leave your bluetooth wifi and gps on all the time... Also taking the screen brightness down a fuzz from max will help batt life tremendously... Android will suspend a process and kill an activity when you return to homescreen.... What I mean by that is that if you're in the browser and you hit home then you go back to the browser, you're on the same page still... but likely not to have any of your text still there if you were in an input field.... (This is probably an inaccurate example due to programmers being able to add a save activity state [this is something that when you for example hit back or hold the home button down to switch applications will store your current information, so when you're editing the text field it will save that data, THEN kill the activity/suspend it so that when you return it is still there, but the process is not draining the battery down at the moment.])
One of androids key attributes is the quick application switching via holding down the home button but some applications like pandora will run 'ongoing' so that you can multitask, while others will suspend so that you can save battery.... Kind of as a rule of thumb, unless it is monitoring or actively outputting it will be suspended.... so apps like pandora and wifi tethering continue to function when you switch applications because tehy'er ongoing whereas a note editor application would suspend itself untill it's brought back to focus because how are you going to type without it forefront?
dcnblues said:
-I have a mac. I’m guessing most of the programs that let you manage files, root the phone, install Cyanogen mods, etc, are PC based. I found Android File Transfer, but am not clear on it's limits. Are there better options? What will the AFT program be good for? [Emulating PC’s is a pain I would rather avoid, but I have been thinking of running virtual box to donate some processing time to the Large Hadron Collider, so I might be able to run some of these PC programs].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off nice LHC Mac joke I take it we're running the server edition cause hey, more is never enough.
I honestly can't tell you much from the mac POV other than that it would hopefully work the same as the linux instructions but i kind of expect version/dependency differences... to be fair this triumph is rootable by application ran on the phone (Which you can GMail to yourself and download as attatchment, bluetooth, wifi shared folder, usb mounting, or download directly to the phone..) The custom recovery is installed via drag and drop on USB Removable Disc so it's not nearly as bad as some of the other phones would be,
dcnblues said:
-Any skins or options to turn the google apps into light text on dark background? (I'm aware of and have used the option in Gmail). I hate black text on white background. I'm kooky that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feel free to, they exist, I would however suggest against them... I walk to work a lot and it's a pain in the ass to read those emails when you have the sun on the screen; granted everything is harder this was damn near impossible... Nonetheless check for the black apps listed in xda/android/themes and apps... I'll link soon. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1206774
dcnblues said:
This Android phone is good looking, the plan costs much less than a thousand a year (which I refuse to pay), and I LOVE the Google voice options to turn your text and calls into computer files which you can archive as you wish. The Google voice activation / text / search is far superior to iAnything, voip/wifi is the balls, and I think a lot people who've been holding off from getting a smartphone will jump on this combo, and this thread may help them. Many thanks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to point out that with the GVoice extension/app for google chrome
you can continue your SMS conversations that way... I recieved one of the CR48s and this has been AWESOME for me.
As far as voip services, I have found using 3g too slow. That said I do recommend sipdroid. It will setup a pbx account for you using your google voice number. Upon connecting to wifi, sipdroid will start running allowing you to make and receive calls.
Sent from my MOTWX435KT using XDA App
Thanks guys for the very useful help. I'm kind of burned out on all the research, and kind of bummed that this red-hot, billion dollar business seems to be run by such morons. SO many unnecessary complications to offering consumers simple, workable products and services.
This has been a great help.
bigvandal said:
GrooveIP works great over 3g...I dunno how much we will be able to use it once they start capping data..bastards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually kind of grateful to Virgin Mobile for the $35 dollar plan. I can communicate via voice to text, for a fair price, so until I have a real problem, I'm not going to call them bastards. Until I have a problem, of course...
I do hate the BS in advertising 'unlimited' plans, but having them smirking in their headquarters as they say to themselves 'but we didn't say at what rate...'
On the other hand, people downloading movies over cell frequencies aren't exactly providing solutions to the problem either...
rubbachicken said:
GrooVe IP is actually the only thing i've bothered to use because it worked well enough, I havn't put it to test over 3g... In the future, you can root the phone and update it to sprint PRL (Their towers instead of VMU) - People have reported up to like 6-900kbps doing this... I would suggest to not factor this last suggestion in yet as you won't be extremely comfortable with your first smart phone being messed with (But a possibility nonetheless)...Android is supposed to self manage tasks and processes... realistically you just have to make sure not to leave your bluetooth wifi and gps on all the time... Also taking the screen brightness down a fuzz from max will help batt life tremendously... Android will suspend a process and kill an activity when you return to homescreen....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, thanks very much. For this and all the information. Colossally useful.
Groove IP is actually having a problem today due to some change in the Google servers. Hope it's resolved soon as I'd like to get this running.
Quick confirm: Triumph is LCD and not AMOLED, Correct?
Hi,
I've discovered the description of "Signal Private Messenger" app, but I don't know what thinking about it.
Its description seem's to indicate that you can communicate voice and text securely end to end with your smartphone, and that it's open source.
What is really securely ? I don't know and "I want to know"
Thanks in advance for your answers.
Hi, The short answer is Yes. Signal is by Open Whisper Systems & runs on iOS and Android. You can use it as a regular SMS/MMS app; as well as encrypted SMS/MMS/phone calls. To activate the encryption you need to exchange keys with the person you want to message.
Hope this helps!
equi_design said:
Hi, The short answer is Yes. Signal is by Open Whisper Systems & runs on iOS and Android. You can use it as a regular SMS/MMS app; as well as encrypted SMS/MMS/phone calls. To activate the encryption you need to exchange keys with the person you want to message.
Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for your answer.
Your answer is a good summary of the app's features.
But what are you thinking about the word "securely" ?
Is it a dream or a reality ?
The app's editor highlights testimonies from known people who use it. Is it sufficient to trust this app ?
Has someone in this forum examined the code of this app ?
Nothing is completely secure.
In my opinion, & from my use, Signal is more secure than a normal messengering app - but less secure than a talk in real life.
If you are interested in security, please check out this XDA subforum; http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/security
And read up here: www.eff.org
Hm, nice to see a discussion going on. Have just heard Snowden recommend the app so I thought I'd check it out. BUT, there is a but ... I intentionally blocked the app from any internet usage whatsoever with AFWall+ donate. I've set up my AFW to show a toast whenever it blocks an app trying to use the internet so that I know which apps try to use the net in the background without my permission or intention. To my surprise my AFW blocks Signal all the time when I use Signal. And I mean ALL the time. How does this make sense? Why would a privacy app try to connect to the internet constantly? I've not got WiFi calling and I've not even enabled it in Signal's settings. Am I missing something here or is there sth wrong with the app? It's making me feel that it is constantly trying to leak data and that's why it attempts to use the internet. Good thing I have a robust thing on board such as AFWall... best firewall out there.
jonathansmith said:
Hm, nice to see a discussion going on. Have just heard Snowden recommend the app so I thought I'd check it out. BUT, there is a but ... I intentionally blocked the app from any internet usage whatsoever with AFWall+ donate. I've set up my AFW to show a toast whenever it blocks an app trying to use the internet so that I know which apps try to use the net in the background without my permission or intention. To my surprise my AFW blocks Signal all the time when I use Signal. And I mean ALL the time. How does this make sense? Why would a privacy app try to connect to the internet constantly? I've not got WiFi calling and I've not even enabled it in Signal's settings. Am I missing something here or is there sth wrong with the app? It's making me feel that it is constantly trying to leak data and that's why it attempts to use the internet. Good thing I have a robust thing on board such as AFWall... best firewall out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's encrypted, end to end. It's not leaking anything. The code is opensource, you can go and review the code and build it yourself.
If you're blocking it from accessing the internet, then it's going to try again, probably because it can see that there is a network connection live.
@jonathansmith
Thanks for your detailed feedback.
It will be nice if someone in this forum could analyze the code of this open source app.
As for me, I am unfortunately not competent.
Were you able to identify with AFW the site the app was trying to connect ?
dtective said:
It's encrypted, end to end. It's not leaking anything. The code is opensource, you can go and review the code and build it yourself. If you're blocking it from accessing the internet, then it's going to try again, probably because it can see that there is a network connection live.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, that's exactly what I don't get. Why would it attempt to establish a connection. Ofc I'm blocking it. I'm blocking tons of others apps as well, but unlike Signal (and a few other suspicious apps) the other apps do not try to establish a connection.
As I said, when you block an app from accessing the net with AFWall you can tell AFWall to give you a toast showing you when every signle time when AFWall blocks a certain app trying to access the net. So, with 99% of my AFWall-blocked apps I don't get this toast, meaning that those apps don't even attempt to access the net (but better stay safe and have em blocked.) With some tricky apps though, AFwall shows that toast msg indicating that it successfully blocks a certain app from accessing the net. That's what I don't get - why would Signal be set up in a way that it would attempt to access the net. Prolly WiFi calling or sth but I'd rather use it for now only as a default SMS client.
Yes, you are right. Signal can see that there is a network connection live and that's why it constantly tries to connect to it. Just wish Signal would get it once and for all that it is blocked for good and stop trying to access the net.
If anyone knows which Services, Broadcast Receivers, or Activities from Signal should be disabled (using MyAndroidTools for example) please do share which ones they are so I can disable them and thus prevent Signal from constantly trying to establish a connection. The toast msg from AFW does become annoying when it is every second second
---------- Post added at 11:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:33 AM ----------
iwanttoknow said:
Were you able to identify with AFW the site the app was trying to connect ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe gotta look into the log of AFW. The toast msg only shows the ip address which Signal ties to connect but AFwall prevents it form doing. But that's not the prob for me. Doesn't matter too much what it tries to access cos I know AFWall is good enough at preventing that. Just want to stop Signal from trying to access whatever it is trying to access! Will let you know if I figure it out!
---------- Post added at 12:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:39 AM ----------
equi_design said:
Nothing is completely secure.
And read up here: www.eff.org
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that. Nothing is, indeed! And thanks for reminding me about eff ... here's a good one - https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere @iwanttoknow check it out!
And here's a bit of a follow-up. Managed to catch the toast. Not sure if it is always the same ip that AFW blocks, but will try to pay attention. A reverse search reveals that the geo location of the ip is some place in Washington, US.
https://imgur.com/a/5fhIf
As I understood it
(And I could be wrong I left signal years ago when it was text secure)
Signal does NOT use sms to send messages
That functionality of the app was dropped a while back
It uses internet only to transmit encrypted messages
And it uses its own message server to host your messages.
It seems like decent software
I abandoned it because it uses your personal phone number as your identifier..
And it will not work with out a phone number..
Which for me is just crazy as every government in the world and most phone companies are selling /tracking your "meta" data based on your smart phone and it's phone number.
Think of it as any other encrypted internet message system
But it uses your phone number as an identifier...
Everyone gets my pubic email address now for communication.
Cops, government, hospital, work, stores,etc
It's the 21st century. Why use a phone number for anything anymore?
nutpants said:
As I understood it
(And I could be wrong I left signal years ago when it was text secure)
Signal does NOT use sms to send messages
That functionality of the app was dropped a while back
It uses internet only to transmit encrypted messages
And it uses its own message server to host your messages.
It seems like decent software
I abandoned it because it uses your personal phone number as your identifier..
And it will not work with out a phone number..
Which for me is just crazy as every government in the world and most phone companies are selling /tracking your "meta" data based on your smart phone and it's phone number.
Think of it as any other encrypted internet message system
But it uses your phone number as an identifier...
Everyone gets my pubic email address now for communication.
Cops, government, hospital, work, stores,etc
It's the 21st century. Why use a phone number for anything anymore?
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You have to go back in time when the app was called Textsecure and it provided end to end encryption for SMS. The app was available on F-Droid until someone discovered that plain text sms were saved unencrypted on device. After that, the dev temporarily closed the source and also demanded that the app be removed from F-Droid, because in his view distribution on F-droid was "insecure." Well, that hole was fixed and the following versions worked pretty well. About the same, time, the dev started to be bothered by TSA every time he travelled by air. Then, within a few subsequent releases, google binaries and internet permission were included. Then, the app started to crash if internet service was restricted. In addition, you could only get the app from Googleplay, which means, you must have Gapps and Google Services Framework, which has total control over the phone and regularly "phones" home (obviously not your home). GSF can get your outgoing text before encryption and incoming text after.. Despite all of the above, one could still compile the app and use it without GSF. Then suddenly, the dev announced that he would no longer support encrypted SMS. About that time, he started receiving literally millions of $ from a US government's backed foundation. In addition, he was offered a lucrative contract to do encryption for What's UP, which later became Facebook. Quite a change after being harassed in airports So, encrypted sms were dropped and the app turned into an internet messenger. You must register with your phone number; your data goes through Google servers and Whisper System's servers. And by the way, neither the Signal servers nor Redphone servers are open source. You can't use the app unless you have Gapps and GSF and if you use the app, you are known to Whisper Systems, Google and all 3-letter agencies...
This is not the first time I am posting on Textsecure/Signal, just do a search on XDA and F-Droid forums and you will find more info with links. I would stay away from anything coming out of Whisper Systems. Use Silence, which is a fork of Textsecure with encrypted SMS. For over-the-internet services, use Conversations.
And by the way, never use an app where everything: encryption, encryption method, registration, servers are in the hands of one entity, which won't allow you to use other servers...
nutpants said:
As I understood it ...
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You might be right but for normal unencrypted messages Signal uses simple SMS. Have tried it and without any WiFi or data it simply sends a msg as an SMS. So far so good but u might have a point. I'm yet to test with someone who also has the app installed and see how encrypted msgs are transferred. I'd imagine it NOT to be over the internet, but then again you might have a point? Why? Because as I said I've blocked Signal with AFWall and I get a toast showing that Signal CONSTANTLY tries to connect to the internet when there is currently a live connection to the internet, be it Data or Wifi. So yeah, you might be right, but I need to test it out. In the meantime someone who has already done this would do us a favour by telling us how it works.
Using my personal phone number as identifier does not sound cool indeed. If you are right about this: 'It uses internet only to transmit encrypted messages. And it uses its own message server to host your message' then I guess I'm ok with using the net for transmitting encr. msg since they are encrypted with E2EE. As to where the msgs are hosted. I guess I'm better off having them stored at Signal's server than at Verizon's cos from Verizon they end up DIRECTLY to the government. I guess with nuff persuasion and money though they'd also end up there from Signal. It's the way of the world, isn't it? Also, as I mentioned in my last post, the IP which Signal constantly tries to connect to is in Washington. That's already fishy enough .... very fishy!
optimumpro said:
Use Silence, which is a fork of Textsecure with encrypted SMS. For over-the-internet services, use Conversations.
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How about apps like 'Wire' and 'Wickr - Top Secret Messenger'? Are they any good? Will give Silence and Conversations a try! 10x for bringing them up.
unknown404 said:
How about apps like 'Wire' and 'Wickr - Top Secret Messenger'? Are they any good? Will give Silence and Conversations a try! 10x for bringing them up.
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Wickr is not open source. So, for me it is out of the question. Wire sounds good, although they say they can terminate your account at any time. Also, they say the company is based in Switzerland, but the location for dispute resolution is San Francisco. They also say they can require you to download/upgrade the app, which means that if you want to stay on older version, they won't let you...
Again, I am against models where everything is concentrated in the same hands...
optimumpro said:
Wickr is not open source. So, for me it is out of the question. Wire sounds good, although they say they can terminate your account at any time. Also, they say the company is based in Switzerland, but the location for dispute resolution is San Francisco. They also say they can require you to download/upgrade the app, which means that if you want to stay on older version, they won't let you...
Again, I am against models where everything is concentrated in the same hands...
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I guess I'm ok with Wickr's being closed source (but then again what do I know ... the discussion about open vs closed source goes both ways so more opinions are welcome). Just don't get why I made an account there and now trying to log back in I'm told the credential are wrong. Weird!
Hi,
In my first post, I was asking your opinions about "Signal Private Messenger" app.
Thanks all for your answers.
In your answers, I have discovered the names of Silence and Conversations apps.
Which level of confidence for them and why ?
iwanttoknow said:
Hi,
In my first post, I was asking your opinions about "Signal Private Messenger" app.
Thanks all for your answers.
In your answers, I have discovered the names of Silence and Conversations apps.
Which level of confidence for them and why ?
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I'll be happy to hear more opinions as well but as optimumpro said, Silence really seems solid and offers E2EE, which is what I need. Have tested it with other users and seems good so far. Can't say anything about Conversations cos I've not used it yet. I read good stuff about Wickr as well, but yeah ... closed source deters many.
unknown404 said:
I'll be happy to hear more opinions as well but as optimumpro said, Silence really seems solid and offers E2EE, which is what I need. Have tested it with other users and seems good so far. Can't say anything about Conversations cos I've not used it yet. I read good stuff about Wickr as well, but yeah ... closed source deters many.
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Both Conversations and Silence are open source, unlike Signal, which contains prebuilt binaries and jar files. Also, neither Conversations nor Silence forces you to register or use their servers, which Signal does.
optimumpro said:
Both Conversations and Silence are open source, unlike Signal, which contains prebuilt binaries and jar files. Also, neither Conversations nor Silence forces you to register or use their servers, which Signal does.
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That I do second and that I do like!
Hi,
After reading some articles, I discovered that it was "easy" to assure End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for our communications. I share my understanding here, knowing that it's well known by experts in the domain. So thank you for being kind to me.
In fact, there is a difficulty for communicating parties who wanted to communicate without anyone spying their voice or written messages. They have to use cryptographic protocols relying on a shared secret. But how to share a secret on unsecure communication channels ?
It's "easy", due to the Diffie-Hellman cryptographic protocol which permits to do that. There are a lot of explanations about it on the Net. But it could be defeated by the man-in-the-middle attack (MITM). To counter this attack, you have "simply" to sign the shared secret with asymetric keys (with your secret key to sign the shared secret, and with your public key permitting to the other part verify it). If you are interested, see more explanations on the Net about asymetric cryptographic protocols.
I sincerely hope that I didn't say too much nonsense.
Silence app is based on Diffie-Hellman protocol, like other apps in the domain.
In summary, after reading your answers to my initial post :
- Silence app permits to exchange SMS/MMS, using E2EE.
- Conversations app is an instant messaging (IM) client for Android, using E2EE.
Signal Private Menssenger is an E2EE IM and voice calling app.
I have noted what has been written about Signal Private Menssenger in this thread, so is there a "less intrusive" E2EE voice calling app, in the same way as Silence ?
Thanks for your participation.