Database Info

DialPlus - Display Information About Callers/Contacts

Don't know if any of you have played with this little app yet, but I discovered it this morning and I think I'm in love.
http://www.dialplus.net/product/
From the developer:
DialPlus changes the definition of a phone call.
DialPlus enriches the standard phone call experience by automatically and simultaneously providing dynamic, contextually relevant visual information about the called or calling party before the call is answered, during the call and after the call is over. DialPlus makes it easy for users to engage in mobile social networking or to get information about a business they're speaking with, such as directions, menus and reviews.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a nutshell, it will link with any social networking accounts you have to display information about your contacts. It will also use the magics of the intarwebs to display information on business you call. Pretty nifty little add-on.
Hope y'all enjoy.
-John

In Love?
I downloaded. I tried it. I'm not really in love.
Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting idea, but not quite ready for prime time, as they say. I called myself from my work phone, and it never did bring up the browser page for my well known area hospital. It seems to only look at MySpace or Facebook for matches, but didn't find several of my contacts who are in both.
I'm not at all sure I would be in love with this app unless perhaps I had written it or was marketing it?

Okay, okay, maybe not in love. Since discovering it this morning, I have done some tinkering and it's definitely clear that it has quite a few bugs remaining in it. I don't guess I'm ready to make it a part of my daily life, but it will definitely be an interesting project to watch as it matures.

Cry for Google Proprietary Messaging App

I am transition from BB back to android for various reasons, but one thing I will miss is BBM. I think that apple creating their own propreitary messaging platform shows there is definite potential in such a product.
I did some searches and looks like google had something called huddle, then messenger for google+. I am not on google+ so I dont know if thats still around.
Either way I think its time for google to create such an app. I know they have gchat and google voice. But the main draw of BBM (and imessage) I think its focus on messaging: the read and delivered indicators, sending files, seamless integration into the OS. I use both quite often but neither really measure up to BBM's capabilities. With the new OS's JB and ICS (haha new) this might be a sweet add to them.
Honestly even just adding read/delivery indicators to gchat might seem like a great marginal improvement..
Thoughts, or I am just so out of touch that gchat has been improved (in my years absense) to the point thats its way superior to BBM (more than just superior in amount of friends who use it lol).
Thx.

I too went from android to bb then i died and went back to android.
One major drawback of the bb is the apps. App selection is horrible and now that BB is in the hole because of their money issues and the fact that their os is not keeping up with Apple or Google they are probably going to keep declining.
Google+ is great. One major problem is that not everyone uses them. Google+ has Hangout which allows you to video chat with 10 people and txt chat with groups, like Family, My Friends, Coworkers, etc. You dont need a pin, just have them as a friend.
Now, my final Opinion,
BBM is great, you can chat(like AIM back in those days) and stalk with r or unread.
But, keeping a BB as an overall phone is a big negative.
theres a saying like "with great something comes great sacrifices."
It depend on what you choose, yes they all have a chat style thing, but you need to look at the other features that you also need that others dont have.

Thanks for the feedback. I would agree. I do love my bb; its a fantastic phone (ie communications device) unfortunately seems I think I need my phone to be more than a phone (per the culture nowadays). So I look to android. But the bb is superior in email, text, and calling but you are right- no apps really. Plus a bigger screen is oh so tempting.
And as far as the 'r' / 'd' indicators (ie stalking), it would nice to have a messaging app that does at least the delivered indicator. Too many times I wonder if my text has gone through as some people dont get mine sometimes (could be their phone or mine)
I guess my intention with this thread was to see if I am missing anything or raise awareness that goog should make a messaging platform..

GTalk still needs improving.
But only by a few tweaks. It still doesn't allow you to send pictures!
I have to manually upload them to Photobucket, copy the link, go back to GTalk and paste it :what::screwy::sly:

I think theres already a Whatsapp Messenger for Android.

I would love to see a combined Messaging/Google Talk app that allows me to send messages to either phone numbers or email addresses in the same threads. Kind of like Big Fruit's iMessage feature. I want to be able to keep the same conversations going whether I'm on my phone or tablet. I /could/ use Google Voice, but I like keeping my GV number separate from my real number.
Sent from my SGT+7

Malicious News Apps?

I've noticed sometime last year that local news apps developed by LSN Inc. requires hardware control of the phone camera. I suspect those apps actually snap pictures every time the app is opened.
Can the experts here help me validate this suspicion? Is there a way you can inspect for malicious codes in those apps?

Why suspicious?
sp_1st_timer said:
I've noticed sometime last year that local news apps developed by LSN Inc. requires hardware control of the phone camera. I suspect those apps actually snap pictures every time the app is opened.
Can the experts here help me validate this suspicion? Is there a way you can inspect for malicious codes in those apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Permission to use the camera is explicity requested. It probably supports a feature for the user to send pictures/videos back to the news station.
LSN Mobile has a legitimate looking website, including names of the officers
http://www.lsnmobile.com/about_us/our_team.html
... as well names/numbers/email for key contact personnel and physical address of the business:
http://www.lsnmobile.com/contact_us.html
Can I ask what makes you suspicious about these Apps?

Not sure if I should post a paranoid parrot meme, or a conspiracy keanu meme.

First, I can't find in the apps where a user can actually use the camera feature. And when opening the apps, it gives a completely black screen for several seconds before getting to the main interface. It makes me think it snaps an image during the black screen delay.
Why require permission to access the camera when there is no user accessible feature that requires it?

To GermainZ - I have seen you on the Tasker forum and always considered you a knowledgeable and helpful guy. Give this guy a break - he's just asking a question.
sp_1st_timer said:
First, I can't find in the apps where a user can actually use the camera feature. And when opening the apps, it gives a completely black screen for several seconds before getting to the main interface. It makes me think it snaps an image during the black screen delay.
Why require permission to access the camera when there is no user accessible feature that requires it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The software from LSN gets a clean bill of health from mobilesecurity.com
http://appview.mobilesecurity.com/search?q=LSN
I downloaded the Local TV station LSN program to check it out, and I agree with you there is no accessible feature within the software to use the camera within the program that I looked at. Perhaps a capability for users to send pictures/videos is left over from a previous version or reserved for a future version. Perhaps it is a feature built into the general program that needs to be activated by the specific local TV station. At any rate, given the very wide use of this software by a seemingly-legitimate company, I personally wouldn't have a high level of concern about it. Also,perhaps it will help you to know that it can only take pictures when the program is running, not all the time.
There is a feature in the program where you can contact the developer... you might want to try that out to see if they have an explanation that satisfies you (and post any results back here if you do). There is certainly nothing wrong with a cautious and questioning attitude when it comes to permissions.

These posts make my day.
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using xda app-developers app

Electric Pete,
Thanks for not ridiculing my question. Yes, I presume it could only take pictures when the app is on. The are people who likes reading the news or checking the weather forecast while in the bathroom or as they come out of the bathroom. It's up to your imagination.
I'm not sure they would care to answer my question, because when I pointed this out in my user review of the app, my review is made invisible to the public. I actually waited for several days to see if my review would eventually become visible, but never. My reviews on other apps are visible.
If they are not guilty, they should not suppress my "wrong suspicion".

If the review you mentioned is on Google Play, I don't think the developer has any capability to supress that. Google runs the show there.
I do see your point about privacy. Reading the permissions and questioning the ones that don't make sense is good practice in my opinion.

electricpete1 said:
If the review you mentioned is on Google Play, I don't think the developer has any capability to supress that. Google runs the show there...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is interesting. Why would Google suppress my review which can be considered laughable (as indicated by some reactions in this thread).
Anyways, thank you for giving time replying to this thread. If only I got the knowledge to inspect program codes of these apps...
By the way, the local news here where I live switched to different app provider. They listened to my concern.

Bottom line is, you could decompile the apk, edit the manifest and remove the camera permission (you could also check the output; or try a tool that decompiles an apk to java code, which will be much clearer, but it's still in beta if I'm not mistaken).
Monitoring the logcat/using the "ps" shell command might also reveal something useful, but I'm not if taking pics within an app starts a separate camera process ps would show.
Also, the logcat probably won't show anything useful, tho (the same thing applies; and if the app is malicious, it won't output anything malicious-related to the logcat).
Still think it's paranoid, tho. Why not contact the devs?

[Video] New concept of mobile phone UI (perhaps new OS or luancher?)

Youtube: RealTime UI - New Phone Interface Concept
Hey! So I made a video that shows what I feel like the future of mobile devices and phones should be. Perhaps this can be made into a new launcher or a special version of android... Essentially it merges Android notifications with iPhone spotlight and some webOS elements. I hope to get feedback on this idea so knowing xda, I am pretty sure I will get many great responses here.
Let me know what you think! Would love to hear from you guys! Thanks!
*Also feel free to share and repost!

First, almost all your ideas can become reality developing a new Launcher, but it'll require a lot of very hard work, since you'll need to develop the launcher and the clients for the social nets.
However, merge the Android notifications with your concept will be an impossible task for a Launcher. You can hide the status bar, but you can't manage the notifications (in an easy way, you only are allowed to delete your own notifications, you can't delete the notifications that other apps puts on the status bar).
Overall, you have an atractive idea for many users (although not for me, I don't need social nets on my phone hahaha).
Best regards.

RoberGalarga said:
First, almost all your ideas can become reality developing a new Launcher, but it'll require a lot of very hard work, since you'll need to develop the launcher and the clients for the social nets.
However, merge the Android notifications with your concept will be an impossible task for a Launcher. You can hide the status bar, but you can't manage the notifications (in an easy way, you only are allowed to delete your own notifications, you can't delete the notifications that other apps puts on the status bar).
Overall, you have an atractive idea for many users (although not for me, I don't need social nets on my phone hahaha).
Best regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Perhaps a whole new OS would be the best solution.

Maybe modifying some system files, not the entire SO (as a beginning... )

RoberGalarga said:
Maybe modifying some system files, not the entire SO (as a beginning... )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha true that! Wonder if making a custom ROM with all this would be in the realm of possibility..perhaps someone would have some insight!

It does seem like a great idea, but perhaps targetting only those who primarily use their phones socially... I, personally, don't really use even the basic social apps on my phone (perhaps only whatsApp, and twitter when I'm reeaaally bored ). It seems to me, that you are gonna target a community that goes social network crazy on their phones (half the girls in my school )

[Q] JAVA/PHP: Should I build an APP or a Website?

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum. Been thinking of joining for a while but my current issue has been the push I needed to join. I have looked high and low for the answer but to be completely honest I am not entirely sure what to look for. Not sure what my question is. I have also looked around this forum for a a good little while stopping on this thread to ask my question. I hope it's the right place to start. I will try to ask this in a way that is understandable and relevant. In your answer please take into consideration that I am new-ish to Android Development. =) (I can do the basics, Root, hack, crack, etc,.) I know enough though I think to follow your answerer and understand it.
** Question: For my Project should I go with a full Android App, go with a website that can be viewed on a mobile phone, or should I build the back-end on a web server and have an android app that delivers the front-end? (Front-end being the login, the styling of the pages, where the interaction between users take place, etc,. ) I'll elaborate on my question below. **
Alright. I started building a website. Conceptual anyway. I have been designing it on paper, white board, Photoshop etc,. The website is going to be a social site of sorts. Unique in it's own way. At first I was going to do just a website. Then I realized as my creation grew that I wanted it to be an App. Then decided, due to all the back-end server programming and functionality required, I would most likely have to build it as a website or web application. To give a brief summery of the site. There will be a login system with profiles, instant messaging. video chats, group chats, ability to play simple games like cards, chess, and more. I will also need to be able to control sessions. Write new session information on the fly based on certain actions the users take.
My problem, I think, is that i'm not sure the most efficient or effective way to go about doing this. If it was going to be on a computer I would write it up in PHP and obviously display the site with HTML/CSS. The display part I think is where I am at a loss. At least one of my issues. Since I would like for this to be an app for Android I may need a new way to display the 'site' if that's what It will even be called once it's an app. If I'm going to shoot for it to be on mobile phones then I'm thinking I can get the cosmetics looking good as well as using it to my advantage. I prefer the 'app-like-interface' rather than scroll with mouse and click on the page as if it were a website. ( 'app-like-interface': I am referring to buttons, and menus, and a overall 'pretty' interface. touch screen etc,.)
So should I write it as a website in it's entirety and just display it as a mobile site?
Should I completely trash the idea of doing this for mobile phones?
Should I (if it's possible) write everything on the back-end with PHP but create an app with java to display the styling and build the interface?
Or should I do something else entirely that I've not mentioned?
My apologies if this question was a bit to long. Tried to be thorough. Thanks so much in advance as well. This answer is something I need before I can even consider continuing. Thanks!
Az Tek