This is a continuation of this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=567870, which covered cracking the original "basic" copy protection of Marketplace.
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I have now cracked the "advanced" copy protection used by Marketplace. As you may know, this is a "better" protection than the original "CAB copy protection" Marketplace offered. This "advanced" protection uses license keys that are verified when you run the application, and given out and controlled by Microsoft.
Several developers are annoyed that Microsoft does not allow us to use our own licensing schemes, and are forced to use "no protection" (the original CAB copy protection) or use Microsoft's scheme which is essentially a single point of failure for all Marketplace protected apps.
This new "advanced" protection was released today by Microsoft, and as far as I know no app available already uses it at the time of this writing.
So I got the code snippets you are supposed to put in your app and it was simply jawdroppingly WTF. While it was not exactly easy to beat, it took me less than two hours to devise a "generic" hack, without modifying any files on the device. (Well hey, at least it's better than the 5 minutes it took for the "basic" protection, right?)
A "generic" hack? Yes, by this I mean that this single hack (actually, running an EXE in the background) will completely bypass the entire code snippet provided by Microsoft that is supposed to check and validate your license code, for all Marketplace apps that use this "advanced" protection.
I will not publish the code that performs this hack, so don't ask. My goal is not to crack Marketplace apps, my goal is to get MS off their ass and allow us to use our own licensing systems, like the good little resellers they're supposed to be. I will tell you that it has to do with runtime patching the crypto API, but that's it. All in all, I don't think it will take long for the warez people to duplicate this hack.
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Some further reasoning about anti-piracy, solutions, etc can be found in post 13 on page 2.
if there are no apps that use it yet, how do u know your hack works?
Because the Marketplace portal provides code ("code snippet") you have to compile in your EXE, and that takes care of the whole licensing thing.
So you look at that source, spot the weak points, devise a hack. Then compile a program using said "code snippet" and try the hack on it.
If developers simply copy/paste the snippet they are given by the Marketplace portal, this hack will work.
Chainfire said:
This is a continuation of this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=567870, which covered cracking the original "basic" copy protection of Marketplace.
---
I have now cracked the "advanced" copy protection used by Marketplace. As you may know, this is a "better" protection than the original "CAB copy protection" Marketplace offered. This "advanced" protection uses license keys that are verified when you run the application, and given out and controlled by Microsoft.
Several developers are annoyed that Microsoft does not allow us to use our own licensing schemes, and are forced to use "no protection" (the original CAB copy protection) or use Microsoft's scheme which is essentially a single point of failure for all Marketplace protected apps.
This new "advanced" protection was released today by Microsoft, and as far as I know no app available already uses it at the time of this writing.
So I got the code snippets you are supposed to put in your app and it was simply jawdroppingly WTF. While it was not exactly easy to beat, it took me less than two hours to devise a "generic" hack, without modifying any files on the device. (Well hey, at least it's better than the 5 minutes it took for the "basic" protection, right?)
A "generic" hack? Yes, by this I mean that this single hack (actually, running an EXE in the background) will completely bypass the entire code snippet provided by Microsoft that is supposed to check and validate your license code, for all Marketplace apps that use this "advanced" protection.
I will not publish the code that performs this hack, so don't ask. My goal is not to crack Marketplace apps, my goal is to get MS off their ass and allow us to use our own licensing systems, like the good little resellers they're supposed to be. I will tell you that it has to do with runtime patching the crypto API, but that's it. All in all, I don't think it will take long for the warez people to duplicate this hack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
amen
hallelujah
hit me now
YEAH
have given the issue some press : http://www.1800pocketpc.com/2009/11/13/marketplace-advanced-copy-protection-cracked-in-less-than-2-hours.html
anti-piracy protection is intended to stop ordinary users from transferring cabs between devices and it is successful at that. there is no protection that will stop apps from being pirated, certainly not for handheld devices. the new advanced protection is adequate and any further techniques are redundant and a waste of time, because no matter how 'strong' they are, they WILL be cracked.
Slightly if not totally off-topic: A mainstream consumer's view
mnet said:
anti-piracy protection is intended to stop ordinary users from transferring cabs between devices and it is successful at that. there is no protection that will stop apps from being pirated, certainly not for handheld devices. the new advanced protection is adequate and any further techniques are redundant and a waste of time, because no matter how 'strong' they are, they WILL be cracked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you and your premise. Now a quick story.
I consider myself a mainstream consumer... but I have been a member of XDA for, what, i think 4 years, using 2 WM phones, first the T-Mobile MDA, then the Wing (HTC Herald), and I am about to switch to Android with the HTC Hero. I am reasonably savvy about tech, just not a coder. But I've done all the hard SPL, flashing ROMS, using beta software, and supporting developers here with pretty significant donations. I am also a User Experience / Usability designer for web as a profession. THAT'S MY BACKGROUND.
To date, my experience buying WM apps has been universally AWFUL. Whether it was, just recently, Resco Picture Viewer from PocketGear, or WM Defrag from Wizcode, or PocketPlayer from Conduits. I am more than happy to buy excellent software that works, and has a decent UI. But in each case, the process of buying the app and getting it onto my phone has been absurd, and frustrating beyond belief. Each provider makes all sorts of assumptions -- often wrong -- including "you must be downloading this from a PC, so we will download for you an executable that runs on a desktop PC then installs via active sync onto your device."
Whatever the percentage is, doesn't matter: A lot of people, like me, download all my cab files, and purchase apps, on my Mac... and either email myself the .cab file or .zip files, or place my microSD card from my phone into a USB reader. Thus, what a frikkin headache to end up getting PocketPlayer on my phone... but because i didn't download it from a Windows PC, I was screwed.
This stuff is archaic. This past week it has taken 5 days to get Resco Picture Viewer on my phone after purchasing from PocketGear.com . They have a completely retarded transactional process, a terrible UI, broken software in terms of user recognition and resetting username and password, and a completely phone-UNFRIENDLY site, with most sub-level menus not even accessible from browsers like Opera Mobile, Netfront, Iris ... They are dumbass pull downs using god knows what -- flash or javascript, whatever. But fact is: a simple navigation process to access the products on the phone itself can't even be achieved by these clowns -- yet everyone is in overdrive now trying to get their version of "THE" WindowsMobile app store online, while Microsoft stumbles.
The fact is: I would LIKE to see a uniform transaction process which is designed professionally, and supports great usability design, and once I buy the app, quit making me go through absurd backflips just to get access to the cab file. Stop requiring me to use a Windows PC. And stop all the "special OUR way" authentication processes. Because if they were so good, there wouldn't be the kind of problems I have described. I'll even grant anyone who wants to -- to say "well you're just a dumb**** user who doesn't understand their particular process"... I'll grant you that, and my answer would be:
If you plan to sell a lot of apps -- ie, make money via VOLUME transactions vs pricey apps -- a la iphone -- then it makes a hell of a lot of sense to make a uniform system of delivery if you're buying it through an app store, and for god's sake, cut the crap and figure it out. It's not so hard to send an authentication code via email or text message. But it's exactly WRONG to be having 1000 developers using 1000 special "our way" authentication processes, because the odds of 1000 app developers having a great, simple, effective UI and safe authentication system that prevents priacy of their app is pretty low, based on the experiences I have had to date with MAINSTREAM products for WM.
That's my view. But I see a whole lot of clumsiness from the Windows Mobile side of the fence pertaining to this whole new way of monetizing apps. There's a reason apple succeeds in that department -- even with their bloated catalog and draconian approval processes. They understand how to deliver products to consumers -- vs repelling them from a dumbass process, no matter how good that process may be in theory.
quicksite said:
I agree with you and your premise. Now a quick story.
I consider myself a mainstream consumer... but I have been a member of XDA for, what, i think 4 years, using 2 WM phones, first the T-Mobile MDA, then the Wing (HTC Herald), and I am about to switch to Android with the HTC Hero. I am reasonably savvy about tech, just not a coder. But I've done all the hard SPL, flashing ROMS, using beta software, and supporting developers here with pretty significant donations. I am also a User Experience / Usability designer for web as a profession. THAT'S MY BACKGROUND.
To date, my experience buying WM apps has been universally AWFUL. Whether it was, just recently, Resco Picture Viewer from PocketGear, or WM Defrag from Wizcode, or PocketPlayer from Conduits. I am more than happy to buy excellent software that works, and has a decent UI. But in each case, the process of buying the app and getting it onto my phone has been absurd, and frustrating beyond belief. Each provider makes all sorts of assumptions -- often wrong -- including "you must be downloading this from a PC, so we will download for you an executable that runs on a desktop PC then installs via active sync onto your device."
Whatever the percentage is, doesn't matter: A lot of people, like me, download all my cab files, and purchase apps, on my Mac... and either email myself the .cab file or .zip files, or place my microSD card from my phone into a USB reader. Thus, what a frikkin headache to end up getting PocketPlayer on my phone... but because i didn't download it from a Windows PC, I was screwed.
This stuff is archaic. This past week it has taken 5 days to get Resco Picture Viewer on my phone after purchasing from PocketGear.com . They have a completely retarded transactional process, a terrible UI, broken software in terms of user recognition and resetting username and password, and a completely phone-UNFRIENDLY site, with most sub-level menus not even accessible from browsers like Opera Mobile, Netfront, Iris ... They are dumbass pull downs using god knows what -- flash or javascript, whatever. But fact is: a simple navigation process to access the products on the phone itself can't even be achieved by these clowns -- yet everyone is in overdrive now trying to get their version of "THE" WindowsMobile app store online, while Microsoft stumbles.
The fact is: I would LIKE to see a uniform transaction process which is designed professionally, and supports great usability design, and once I buy the app, quit making me go through absurd backflips just to get access to the cab file. Stop requiring me to use a Windows PC. And stop all the "special OUR way" authentication processes. Because if they were so good, there wouldn't be the kind of problems I have described. I'll even grant anyone who wants to -- to say "well you're just a dumb**** user who doesn't understand their particular process"... I'll grant you that, and my answer would be:
If you plan to sell a lot of apps -- ie, make money via VOLUME transactions vs pricey apps -- a la iphone -- then it makes a hell of a lot of sense to make a uniform system of delivery if you're buying it through an app store, and for god's sake, cut the crap and figure it out. It's not so hard to send an authentication code via email or text message. But it's exactly WRONG to be having 1000 developers using 1000 special "our way" authentication processes, because the odds of 1000 app developers having a great, simple, effective UI and safe authentication system that prevents priacy of their app is pretty low, based on the experiences I have had to date with MAINSTREAM products for WM.
That's my view. But I see a whole lot of clumsiness from the Windows Mobile side of the fence pertaining to this whole new way of monetizing apps. There's a reason apple succeeds in that department -- even with their bloated catalog and draconian approval processes. They understand how to deliver products to consumers -- vs repelling them from a dumbass process, no matter how good that process may be in theory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more!
I'll add one more reason I wrap my head in ductape every time I download/install an app.
Think it's bad with every developer having their own authentication method? How about when each developer has a DIFFERENT authentication scheme for every app they make?
I like a rant - thanks for doing it for me as I agree with you 100%.
The top of my annoyance list (which you did include) are sites selling mobile software which are NOT mobile browser friendly, WTF is that all about?
Big Up, I still don't think anyone else would have done it in two hours.
Hey you warned them didn't you.
Haha Chainfire is there anything you cant do?
More in the Dutch press:
http://tweakers.net/nieuws/63713/nederlander-kraakt-nieuwe-beveiliging-windows-marketplace.html
While I do appreciate the "rant", I think you're missing my point - or perhaps I just don't agree. (Edit: that is in response to this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=4936479&postcount=7)
When I say "use our own licensing schemes", I do not mean codes sent back and forth through websites, screen you have to type stuff in etc. This is exactly not needed because Marketplace is also the delivery mechanism. In other words, the license code can be installed by Marketplace directly without the user ever seeing or hearing about it.
This is partly how the new system works, actually. However, if Microsoft supported license codes you give them things would be more secure (though granted, for a large part by obscurity).
Some authors will not care and simply not use it all, for example with the cheap apps it may not be worth their while. Others may wish to track license key usage, so that if suddenly 10.000 users start using the same key instead of the 1 who bought it, that key can be disabled, etc. Some may want the app to call home, some will not. Imagine that developers that do employ such anti-piracy measures will write their own verification / communication code, this beats the single point of failure we currently have. The crackers are back to having to crack each app independently and even then have a much lower chance of success.
Marketplace is the perfect opportunity to implement such a system that does provide some piracy security for the authors while for once it does not unnecessarily annoy the user.
To make the obligatory bad car analogy that fails in many ways, take you car keys. Everyone thinks it's normal to have a car key, so people can't just take your car. Of course, in line with some of the arguments against anti-piracy measures, car keys aren't really that useful, as there's always a brick - the universal key, and a car thief that really wants your car will get it. (You also lock the doors on your house, right?)
Now, the current situation is pretty much that everyone has the same car key. How useful is a car key in that situation? They way I see it (and I'm sure I'm not alone in that), is more like the actual car key situation. Some car keys are laser etched, or have something RFID-like in them and a receive in the car, or simply use different shapes, etc. That's a lot more useful than everyone having the same car key.
Sure, no matter what you do, eventually things will get cracked and it is a cat and mouse game. One of the reasons this is easily doable is because of the open nature and the very few restrictions of Windows Mobile. This is a good thing. No developer in their right mind would want to get to a restrictive system like is the case on the iPhone or other mobile OS's. That is not the point. That doesn't mean anti-piracy measures are useless though, far from it. The longer you can keep a release from being warez'd, the less you lose.
There are two arguments I hear coming back in various places by various people:
(1) If the normal users can't just copy it, then that is enough (even MS says this)
(2) Piracy works as advertising, you get more eventual sales, etc. etc
Both of these, are from my own experience, completely untrue. The thing is if one person cracks it, it usually spreads on those warez sites pretty quickly.
The big thing here is, the average user is apparently tech-savvy enough to search the warez sites first before buying, and that is just how it is:
We have played the game with that one warez site, monitoring sales when (apparent) cracks were listed and when they weren't (they do remove releases on request). This made a 30-50% difference in sales (with the number being highest during the weekends, and lowest during weekdays). For me that is enough data to know that both (1) and (2) are complete nonsense in the case of mobile apps. No matter all the pretty reasons and perhaps seemingly logical reasons you may come up with for (1) and (2), the numbers don't lie.
So, how would you like to get a 30-50% paycut? It's not like us developers are getting rich here, you know. Can we be blamed for trying to prevent this?
Now, here we have the chance to implement a system that is completely transparent for the user and can be made reasonably safe (and updatable), an obvious win-win situation for everyone involved except the warez people. Why exactly shouldn't we be aiming for this?
What is also painfully apparent here, as Microsoft themselves claim reason (1), that they have no idea what they are talking about.
i am no programmer so excuse my ignorance but doesnt everything eventually get cracked. Is there any mobile platform which hasnt a non cracked market place or sites where you can download paid apps for free?
Well done Chainfire
Hello Chainfire,
I am the webmaster of the Tamoggemon Content network, and just covered you:
http://tamsppc.tamoggemon.com/2009/11/13/advanced-marketplace-drm-broken/
http://tamswms.tamoggemon.com/2009/11/13/advanced-marketplace-drm-broken/
Furthermore, an email went out to MSFT asking for a statement. but this is not the reason why I registered here (!!!) - I am instead here to vent a bit being a Symbian dev myself.
While I fully understand your frustration, I think that allowing every developer to run his own DRM is not gonna do the store good. The reason is that the store was made to make purchasing apps simple - and by allowing everyone to run his own DRM I dont see much of a venue to do this anymore.
Whenever some kind of backend gets involved, there is a single point of failure - the only trhing I can think off now would be a very complet system based on servers.
Or, of course, platform security like on S60. But trust me - we wont want that!
Thanks! However, if you read my other post carefully you'd see it wouldn't make any difference to the ease of using the store (it wouldn't make any difference for the user at all), just to a part of the backend. And of course, each DRM system has a single point of failure, but the difference is in my case there is a point of failure per app, while in the current case it's a single point of failure for everything. There is no perfect solution, but there are better solutions than the current one.
I've been contacted by a handful of big WM devs by now who are of somewhat the same opinion.
microsoft.... when it comes to security, they are clueless as usual.
only apple is worse.
I find they windows-7 VPN and "encryption" funny , is there anybody that would trust it ? - even if it was not for the backdoors ?
Just wondering, is anyone else having problems accessing the windows marketplace from the phone? I was able to download a couple of apps yesterday after I installed a custom ROM (TPC Pro Series V3.2), but today I get a message saying there is an update, it installs the update but then I get the following message:
"Windows Marketplace for Mobile cannot connect right now. Try again later."
Is this because of the custom ROM and the latest update to the marketplace, or is this something other people are experiencing?
Remember the days when purchased mp3s were DRM protected and some companies like Sony even put rootkits on music CDs? Did that stop piracy?
Hopefully Microsoft will not repeat these mistakes... There is no need for any further 'protection' for marketplace apps. If a developer isn't satisfied with this mechanism then he/she doesn't have to publish their apps on the marketplace. There's no point in having a centralized app store if every developer uses his/her own licensing scheme.
Hello.,
does anybody know if there is a program for the android similar to teh phone creeper for wm6.5
the phone creeper allow easthdropping on phones, phone calls phone locating and so many other features as posted here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=527423
so ......
does this mean, nobody knows or there is no such software?
Im wondering the same thing
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
What does "easthdropping" mean?
By the way the MIUI Phone.apk is able to geo-localize the calls, even if it works in China only (AFAIK)
I'm the developer for the phone creeper and will be launching the android version very soon, however it will be very different. The problem with and hurdle for creating the same functionality on android devices is that (at least that i'm aware) there is no way to completely hide an SMS message from phones. You can instantly read it and delete it as with windows mobile, however there will still be an sms arrived alert in the status bar.
To get around this hurdle i've created a website with a database and webpage front end that will allow for all communications to happen with a combo of SQL and Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM). This will allow for a small footprint quick silent communications. However this also means I need to support a website and database.
This basically adds a large level of complexity and creates various pluses and minuses for everybody. The program will still be free as it has always been, however some of the features and those who want to have viewing and controlling capabilities through the web will be charged a slim fee.
The program will still be completely functional and useful without paying a dime but hopefully enough people will want the extra goodies to pay for the web hosting.
As I said it's mostly complete now and hopefully I'll have a release published here shortly and allow for free web viewing trial also.
chetstriker said:
I'm the developer for the phone creeper and will be launching the android version very soon, however it will be very different. The problem with and hurdle for creating the same functionality on android devices is that (at least that i'm aware) there is no way to completely hide an SMS message from phones. You can instantly read it and delete it as with windows mobile, however there will still be an sms arrived alert in the status bar.
To get around this hurdle i've created a website with a database and webpage front end that will allow for all communications to happen with a combo of SQL and Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM). This will allow for a small footprint quick silent communications. However this also means I need to support a website and database.
This basically adds a large level of complexity and creates various pluses and minuses for everybody. The program will still be free as it has always been, however some of the features and those who want to have viewing and controlling capabilities through the web will be charged a slim fee.
The program will still be completely functional and useful without paying a dime but hopefully enough people will want the extra goodies to pay for the web hosting.
As I said it's mostly complete now and hopefully I'll have a release published here shortly and allow for free web viewing trial also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is great news, let me know if you need testers
also can we have links to the site,
i'm a web designer and php programmer, i can give you feedback if you need
smartechno said:
this is great news, let me know if you need testers
also can we have links to the site,
i'm a web designer and php programmer, i can give you feedback if you need
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be wonderful, I usually only create desktop and mobile applications. I don't have that great of an artistic eye and have rarely created any web sites. Currently I'm also using PHP for the website and will probably have to switch from godaddy hosting since they seem VERY slow at hosting any web pages containing scripts.
Maybe you can help me figure out why the logo seems to get cut off in IE6 (looks fine in other browsers.) it appears that displaying the bars are cutting it off since if I disable them it looks fine.
The link is xxxxxx Mod Edit: Link removed.
Whow, talking about privacy and espionage here
In general, Software like this is greatly coded, and requires alot of skill.
But on the other hand, if you use this App to watch / control somebody elses phone, is really awkward... I would be scared to know that a program like this exists and could be activated silently on my phone...
Just my 2 cents, but respect to the one who is able to program such a tool!
how about totalcare?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=835603
badai said:
how about totalcare?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=835603
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
totalcare is a nice project, but the main differences are:
OverVi3w can be controlled via a webpage or sms.
Overvi3w has many more features
Overvi3w is actually stealthy, unless something is different about totalcare since last time i'd seen it. The message may be instantly deleted, however when you look at the sms history it would still show that it arrived even if you couldn't open it. although you still could see the command and from who is sent.
Overvi3w allows the phone to be controlled from ANY other phone or from the web console. It still uses a password for protection during sms control and to use the web interface it requires the imei (gsm phones) or meid (cdma phones) for extra security.
Anyway, I should be accepting alpha users later this week.
wow it's already have a name. OverVi3w. can't wait. total care just doesn't work on both my phone (gingerbread and froyo).
your phone creeper really great. works even after flashing new rom.
you misspell register on your website.
badai said:
you misspell register on your website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.. how embarrassing for me.
I've created a new thread on XDA for anyone interested in becoming an Alpha tester.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=14113648#post14113648
The predecessor to phone creeper on windows mobile 5 or 6 years ago
Hi you asked foraan phond creeper program for win mobile 3.5 look for phone creeper or espionage suite .cab and if that cant be found look up phone leash for android and if nothing there is appealing look up blooover.cab its a java thing and works well with winmobile and theres newer **** for other platforms.
chetstriker said:
I'm the developer for the phone creeper and will be launching the android version very soon, however it will be very different. The problem with and hurdle for creating the same functionality on android devices is that (at least that i'm aware) there is no way to completely hide an SMS message from phones. You can instantly read it and delete it as with windows mobile, however there will still be an sms arrived alert in the status bar.
To get around this hurdle i've created a website with a database and webpage front end that will allow for all communications to happen with a combo of SQL and Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM). This will allow for a small footprint quick silent communications. However this also means I need to support a website and database.
This basically adds a large level of complexity and creates various pluses and minuses for everybody. The program will still be free as it has always been, however some of the features and those who want to have viewing and controlling capabilities through the web will be charged a slim fee.
The program will still be completely functional and useful without paying a dime but hopefully enough people will want the extra goodies to pay for the web hosting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
chetstriker said:
As I said it's mostly complete now and hopefully I'll have a release published here shortly and allow for free web viewing trial also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would be happy to donate and help out where do i go to donate and how long do you think until the program is ready.
where do i go to donate
MOD ACTION:
Thread closed since it violates Rule 16 just like the linked thread in the OP which has also been closed.
@cindyloulou
Do you realise that this is a 12 year old thread with the last post in 2014? And please do not create multiple posts within a short time, instead edit your previous post if you need to add some info.
Okay, first, I do not know where I should put this thread, it is for the HD2 specifically, but might one day be useful for other devices.
So, I have an idea, I would like to create an app store for Windows Mobile, specifically Windows Mobile 6.5, NOT Windows Phone, NOT Windows Phone 8/10, NOT Android, NOT Ubuntu or Meego or Firefox OS.
This app store would be updated, it would contain apps that are compatible with WM6.5, also, you would be able to select your device resolution, and get apps that work with your resolution, it could have a tweaks section, so any tweaks could be installed with just a few clicks.
Also, developers would be able to submit their own apps, and people should be able to submit older apps that work on WM 6.5.
So, what do you guys think, would you support such a project.
P.S. What would you think about me trying to get a HTML5 render engine running on WM6.5, so it could use some new mobile-web apps?
P.P.S. Recently, someone with an Android phone, was able to de-solder the NAND chip(with some equipment), and upgrade the internal flash storage, does anyone think this would be possible with the HD2?, maybe we could get 4GB of internal flash instead of 1GB?
Not bad idea.
My company done more basic idea with a repository of apps with description for our WM6.5 users.
Was some quality software for WM, when compare to junk apps you get on android it really night & day, shame Microsoft didn't see potential & develop it more back in late 2000's as it was far better code than android & was the birth of the smart phone & many parts of it copied by iphone & android .
Mister B said:
Not bad idea.
My company done more basic idea with a repository of apps with description for our WM6.5 users.
Was some quality software for WM, when compare to junk apps you get on android it really night & day, shame Microsoft didn't see potential & develop it more back in late 2000's as it was far better code than android & was the birth of the smart phone & many parts of it copied by iphone & android .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, do you think that it would be feasible to make an app store, like this? And what do you think would be a good name for an app store?
I could easily set up a website, however, I do not know how hard it would be to make an installable cab for it.
I could have a basic website, set-up in just a few minutes(without SQL server, which would be needed for an app store).
The main problem though, is getting permission from app developers to put their old apps on the app store, some of the companies don't even exist anymore. And we would need to get NEW developers to make apps and put them in the app store.
You not likely get much support for new apps as just such minority of WM6.x.x devices in use .
Problem 2 is like you say most old apps dropped by developers, many recent apps I got hold of are technically warez but that only way get them & activate them as devs dropped them & purchase option from websites. IM+ was example of this, I wanted purchase a licence but they dropped WM & wouldn't help me out so I had do work around making it a non expiring trial using mortscript to launch app .
If you do any sort of app store and want worthwhile apps then it not going be possible do it 100% legal unfortunately.
Our work web repository is not exactly legal but it keeps WM6 alive & we got about 30 WM6 users who happy
Personally I would do just a good designed web repository with app sections & details & downloads linked to account logins.
If you can build a software app to act as store it would be good, building cab is the easy part .
Mister B said:
You not likely get much support for new apps as just such minority of WM6.x.x devices in use .
Problem 2 is like you say most old apps dropped by developers, many recent apps I got hold of are technically warez but that only way get them & activate them as devs dropped them & purchase option from websites. IM+ was example of this, I wanted purchase a licence but they dropped WM & wouldn't help me out so I had do work around making it a non expiring trial using mortscript to launch app .
If you do any sort of app store and want worthwhile apps then it not going be possible do it 100% legal unfortunately.
Our work web repository is not exactly legal but it keeps WM6 alive & we got about 30 WM6 users who happy
Personally I would do just a good designed web repository with app sections & details & downloads linked to account logins.
If you can build a software app to act as store it would be good, building cab is the easy part .
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So, it looks like, my website host will not work then, I just made a new account with them too(it is free tho ), my web host says ABSOLUTELY NO warez , however there is this site called "umnet", they have a lot of stuff for lots of devices, including Windows Mobile CAB's. It is not very easy to browse umnet, and there is a lot of garbage, and it is not very easy to sort out what you DO want from what you DONT want. Back on-topic, if I am to make a app-store, I will need to find another host, or something like that.
P.S Is your work app repository, publicly available, or no?
No it on our own server & requires account.
Mister B said:
No it on our own server & requires account.
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Okay, too bad.
Now, about the app store, I have identified all of the main challenges:
1. Getting a server and/or host.
2. Getting all of the apps.
3. Getting permission from developers to put their paid/non-distributable apps on the server.
4. Setting up a search/description system(will probably be SQL based).
5. Getting the .CAB set up.
6. Getting people to use it.
I have an idea for, convincing developers to make new software for WM6.5, a development fund/bounty. Right now, many people who were once WM6.5 die-hards have stopped developing programs for WM6.5, maybe we can get some new developers, AND get some old developers back, by giving them an incentive to develop for WM6.5. This could be a bitcoin fund/bounty, when a developer wants to make an app, he/she can ask for some bitcoins from the bounty and that could help fund development if his/her app.
Also, ROM's, many ROM's are inactive, my next idea is to, create new ROM's with WEH builds, they will have ALL of the same features and apps and drivers, and versions(6.5.5, the best), but be based on WEH, because WEH has some new under-the-hood stuff like newer security standards, WiFi encryption standards, etc...
Possibly, we could even create new/improved drivers, via reverse engineering or something like that, AND possibly, dig up enough information to implement some of the features of Photon(what WM7 was supposed to be as of 2008), like an unofficial WM7(NOT WP7).