Looking through the threads, it seems there are only two options available for a device similar to the ipod touch: Samsung Galaxy Wifi and Dell Streak 7. Now, the problem with the Samsung is that it is not available in America as far as I can tell. The Dell Streak seems too large for what I want, which is something that I can just leave in my pocket and not care if it gets banged up or not.
The smaller Arcos Gen 8 products seem to be more what I'm looking for: small, cheap android alternatives to an Ipod Touch. Unfortunately, from what I've read, they do not have access to the Android app store, which leaves them without any of Google's products and many other useful things I would want.
This leads me to my other questions about Android in general. What I'm looking to do is treat my Android device exactly as I do my Windows computer, where I can just browse the internet for applications, download whatever I want, and then simply install it to the device.
Is this possible to do on Android? Is it even necessary to have access to the App Store? Can I just go to the application's homepage, download the .apk file, and install it to my device? Do I need root access to be able to do this?
I wouldn't mind having a stripped down Arcos device if I could still get all the applications I want and just use it like I do my computer, but with all the variations on the Android OS I'm not sure if this is possible or not.
I apologize for the mess of questions. I guess what I want is whatever would be the closest
experience to just using my Windows PC on a small, cheap, Ipod Touch-like device.
You can install the apks without the Android Market, but most of them aren't available on the internet in legal ways. On the android market site you can't download the apk nor on any other site (like:appbeain) so you have to look on the developer's site or search a torrent
For you first question Samsung has two alternatives for the ipod, the Galaxy S 4 WiFi and the Galaxy S 5 WiFi. The difference is only in the screen size, the first is 4" which isn't too big (for me). I don't know if they're already available, but I think it worths to wait for them
Sent from my MB525 using XDA Premium App
The Samsung devices looked good but there doesn't seem to be a date for release here (America). The other problem is that I've read quite a bit how Samsung is notoriously bad for providing updates. Since Android is evolving rather quickly with new features being added all the time, receiving timely updates is of utmost importance to me. I guess then I will have no other choice than to root? (Assuming a root is even available and roms can be loaded)
I just wish Google could provide their version of Android on their website to download (it is opensource after all isn't it?) so that when I got my device, I could just replace the out of date Android version with Google's recent build. I don't understand why this couldn't be possible?
The main problem is that the phone's hardwares are different so the manufacturer have to create the apropriate drivers + a few of them has costum launchers like Sense or TouchWiz and these have to be updated too
Sent from my MB525 using XDA Premium App
:good:
Edit: Important: The newer V4 version of LeSec may no longer be usable for non-Chinese speakers. See this post #17 here, also to discuss alternatives
For all you Lenovo users out there,
I wanted to (re-)introduce this application. Because I have the impression that many Lenovo phone users rather quicly move on to migrated ROM's from for example APKHOT/Smileyvvv/Etotalk etc, where this app is cooked out.
You may want to reconsider going back to it, if it will still work on your phone with whatever ROM you have. It is really a very useful utility:
Firstly, it is a virusscanner. Not sure how useful a virusscanner is on Android, and as I want to avoid that discussion in this thread, that is the last I say about it.
It is also anti-spam. You can black- or whitelist SMS and Calls. See screenshots for an impression. Very useful.
Anti-theft is there. Send SMS upon SIM change, or remotely instruct the phone to send location or self-destruct. I suspect, but did not try, the SMS instruction is stored in /system, so a data-wipe will not undo this. But a good hacker will fully flash, so it only protects against noob thieves, like all anti-theft apps.
But those are common functions, readily availible in other apps. But now for the interesting feature:
It has a firewall. If that is the correct name. Or an app-wall. An permission-wall? You know those apps that you download that for some reason want permission to send SMS? Why does it need that? Or why does it want to read my contacts?
Well, you can per-app decide to block a permission. This app does not need to read my contacts. That app does not need to send SMS. And it will show you if an app tried to anyway. How cool is that?
Guest- and Childmode. Hide some apps. After all, we do not want junior to see daddies tripple-X rated apps. Or the wife. Which is why you can also hide certain contact's and call-history entries (wink, wink). It may also apply to banking apps and your bookie, though that is a bit more boring. Oh, and in Child mode the radio turns of as we want to protect junior from radiation...
Some of you that use Etotalk or APKHOT ROMS may have noticed the notification area buttons to these last two that were dead because this app was missing.
We could of course worry about whether this app in itself is not a spy, reporting everything you do to the Chinese government. But you may not be aware that this is true for *any* Chinese clone you buy. Typically those clonemakers do not release the kernel or framework source, so such a spy would be in there, not in a de-installable app. And if you are really worried about it, make sure you get a phone where you can install CyanogenMod compiled from source.
Personally, I doubt either Lenovo or China is interested in me, and if they do it means they have a Infinitesimals bigger datastore to clog their machinery before they find something on people like Liu Xiaobo or Tenzin Gyatso, which is actually a good thing. But I suspect the app is simply without such sinister intentions.
Anyway, attached is the version I got from my phone. From a Lenovo A750 ICS 4.0.3 S306. But I suspect it works with any phone that uses the Lenovo Framework, so any Lenovo ICS phone that has a not too heavily modded ROM. It did also work on the ICS 4.0.3 Lenovo P700 ROW S113 (Rest Of World edition) edition.
I provide update.zip installers for MT6575 and MT6577 (because I know their partition table). It probably also works on Lenovo Framework phones based on MT6573/MT7513 or even MSM7227/MSM7527, maybe even GB ones. But then you need to take the two *.apk files from inside the zip file, and copy them manually into /system/app, as the update.zip installer will not work for that.
But do try, and please report back if it does or does not work on your phone/rom. There is also an uninstall package. Oh, and you are messing with /system, so as always, at your own risk, ensure you can always flash back a working ROM or have a Nandroid backup before you experiment.
Your zip didn't work on my A789, which is using the apkhot based rom available on forum.china-iphone.ru. After extracting the apk files, copying to /system/app and manually setting permissions, it's working like a charm.
Thanks, I really missed it. On the most recent cooked roms, I miss many things available on the Lenovo official ones, like the fm transmitter, or the butterfly-like widget on the default home screen. Some cookers tend to leave out any non standard apps without even taking some time to know what they do. Not all Chinese apps are rubbish or impossible to understand, and Lenovo is a serious company.
Ok, here you have the FM radio and transmitter of the A789, but it probably does not work, as it is Odex'ed.
And I uploaded seperate installers for MT6575 and MT6577
Also, on your APKHOT, please confirm it actually blocks permissions and blacklists SMS. I am not sure how much the APKHOT deviates from the Lenovo Framework, so merely being able to install and configure may be too soon to tell.
PS: why not try my factory-cleaned A789 ROM? It comes with all those apps by default, and I now have 3 positive feedback.
Come to think of it, why did I take this security app from A750, when A789 is newer....
Edit: Because they are both the same version. In fact the LeSec has not changed since Dec 2010, according to the internal dex binary.
I have tested call blocking and it works, but it isn't so important, since call blocking is a built in feature of the Mediatek framework. You can block calls from any contact you have on your Google account just out of the box, and it works great. I've tested older phones which used older Mediatek chipsets and that feature has been part of the Mediatek framework since MT6573.
The FM transmitter won't work that way, since it is odexed. But it doesn't work deodexed, either. I've just got a deodexed version of the app, thanks to a friend from another forum, and it doesn't work very well. It works, but I had to stick the phone to the antenna on my radio in order to hear something. People I've talked to say that the transmitter works great on the stock Lenovo roms, so maybe it's just some incompatibility with the apkhot roms.
The only reason I'm not using your rom (which I have downloaded) is that I wanted to setup the phone in Spanish, and the rom I'm currently using is the only one I've found which contains that language. Just a quick question: is there any noticable performance increase on the s227 based roms? If so, I don't care using the phone in English, since I just want the most feature rich rom.
Thinking it twice, I've remembered another reason. One of the things I like most about the apkhot rom I'm using is that the external sdcard is mounted on /sdcard and not /mnt/sdcard2, which avoids problems with many apps. I tried one of the newest apkhot roms, based on s227, and none of the tricks to exchange /sdcard and /mnt/sdcard2 worked with it.
I'll reply to that in the A789 thread, as we seem to deviate from the security app.
cybermaus said:
Edit: Because they are both the same version. In fact the LeSec has not changed since Dec 2010, according to the internal dex binary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember there was an update of that app on my A750 with your ROM. Now with apkhot I installed that package posted above and I have the older / original version. But there is no update offered...
That was probably on the S148 Gingerbread ROM. That one has an older version. I know, because I messed up trying to install it, as I had that older GB version and the new ICS one both in my Titanium backup. Also, the Dec 2010 date is probably false, I just got OTA ROW_S114, and it too had all files timestamed to Dec 2010. But I am certain the LeSec from S306 and S227 are the same, the binary compared identical. Official version is V3.5.1.3.5.2.0041 and the update button tells me there is no newer.
Every so often it does update the virus/blacklist signatures, but that is not the app itself. Current virus signature 2012.09.14 Current harasment (blacklist) 2012.07.11
But if you find a newer one, please do let me know.
I've been trying LeSec further and it works, but I found a problem I wasn't able to fix, so, until I found a solution, I've freezed it with Titanium Backup. The problem is that I'm using Go SMS Pro, instead of the default messaging app, since I need to write SMS in Spanish and the default app doesn't support Spanish characters like accents, etc. Go SMS Pro works, but every time I send an SMS, LeSec thinks an unauthorized app is trying to send an SMS in the background, and shows a popup to let you decide whether to allow it or not. I haven't found a way to disable that, and it's a bit annoying having to click two buttons everytime I want to send a message.
Its probably a silly question, but you did go into LeSec->ChargeShield-SMS and ensure that your app was allowed to send SMS in background?
Probably for reasons of 'likely form of attack' the SMS apps are (unlike other permissions) by default in a 'Warning' setting, but if the warning does not come to the foreground on your phone, it may simply not work.
Also, rather than freezing LeSec completely, you could go into ChargeShield, and simply turn of the ChargeShield.
cybermaus said:
That was probably on the S148 Gingerbread ROM. That one has an older version. I know, because I messed up trying to install it, as I had that older GB version and the new ICS one both in my Titanium backup. Also, the Dec 2010 date is probably false, I just got OTA ROW_S114, and it too had all files timestamed to Dec 2010. But I am certain the LeSec from S306 and S227 are the same, the binary compared identical. Official version is V3.5.1.3.5.2.0041 and the update button tells me there is no newer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I used the S148 just some days and updated to your S306 V1.2 and simply stayed there, because it works very well. After some time it offered me an update and the user interface changed a bit with that update. The way how you set privacy on app level and so on. The update button itsself never worked for me either.
Sadly, backup never worked on that rom. I found that out as I wanted to try apkhot. To be honest, I didn't try on apkhot, yet.
A few minutes ago, I was offered a 4.1.4 version and installed it. Now it's purely chinese
Maybe I have to reboot the phone for english...
From the design it is a version newer than the version I wrote about...
leFloyd said:
A few minutes ago, I was offered a 4.1.4 version and installed it. Now it's purely chinese
Maybe I have to reboot the phone for english...
From the design it is a version newer than the version I wrote about...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, before you put the old one back, safe this one for me will ya.
cybermaus said:
Well, before you put the old one back, safe this one for me will ya.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want the old one back - I want this one to be english
How do I save it? Any idea where it has downloaded it's update? This was done within the app...
Well, it would have simply replaced the two apk's in the /system/app folder.
So look for:
LenovoSafeCenter.apk
LenovoSageWidget.apk
or something similar, it could have changed its name, or added a 3rd component.
Got the files?
Sent from my Lenovo A750 using xda app-developers app
Well, it seems that Lenove Security (LeSec for short, and LenovoSafeCenter officially) is becoming less usuable. As mentioned above, it is fully Chinese, no Engrish anywere.
I had a look at the new V4 of it, even decompiled it. Not only 100% Chinese, but is hardcoded in the app, there are no resource xml files that we could translate. A big pity.
Also, there is one app (Waze, a social car navigation app) that in the latest version is incompatible with LeSec. Though it is at this moment the only incompatibility I ran into, it is also a pity.
That may mean we need to find an alternative:
For now, these two has shown up:
LBE : Somehow, I think LBE is actually the company that makes Lenovo LeSec. Or at least, there logo is shown in the about menu of LeSec as part of the "in cooperation with" mentions. Maybe the reason why the free LeSec is limiting itself?
Anyway, I am trying out LBE at the moment, to see how it works.
pDroid : pDroid looks promising. Specifically, they are promising ICS support, but right now, only GB, so one to keep an eye on, but not availible to us just yet.
Permissions Denied : A Paid app. But if it works well, it may be worth it. Not looked at it yet.
So, LBE seems to work well. It does not have the hiding of apps for 'child mode' and 'privacy mode'. Nor does it have the 'anti-theft' or 'virus-scan' but it does the permissions thing well.
I tested, it nicely prompted/blocked permissions. And to be honest, using a slight more clear interface. If it is permissions, which was indeed what I was after, LBE seems to do the job. I also like I can block internet use separate for 3G and Wireless. Very useful.
One problem though: Waze is failing in the same way as with LeSec. Even if I make it a 'trusted' app. It seems the latest version of Waze simply does not like to be looked at too closely.
anti theft
I cannot input number In anti theft . for ex if I write +35989xxxxx I need two more digits but it does not allow it. If I write in national format 0899.... I have to write more digits than the phone number has. Any solution?
As mentioned, while I started enthusiastic about LeSec, it is now focussing too much on China alone. Not as good internationally.
Try using one of the other anti-theft solutions.
Hi Folks
Feeling too happy to report that even GB users can get a glimpse of what Hangout 2.0 performs on android 4.4 KITKAT!!
First of all let me announce the device I've tested it on. Mine is a Dell Streak running GB 2.3.3 Traveller's DSC ROM.
How I did it:
1. I have my phone rooted
2. Renamed existing hangout apk so that if in case i need a backup. Mine was in /data/app folder
3. Moved and renamed attached hangouts 2 apk as "com.google.android.talk-2.apk" (without quotes) - don't know if this a useless step?
4. changed permission of the renamed apk to rw-r--r--
5. Cleared dalvik cache
6. Opened the app and enabled SMS on the prompt and allowed it to collect all existing SMS messages
7. Voila! everythings works so far.
Features:
1. SMS integration
2. More fluid (in my opinion)
3. Online/offline notifier
4. Still exploring the differences
5. Will check if this can be integrated into the ROM itself or not by getting rid of MMS.apk
Need your feedbacks and press thanks if it works for you too. :victory:
Link: here u go! My dropbox shared URL
Came to know that video chat in hangout wasn't working with only the steps above. to fix
1. Download the libvideochat_jni.so
2. Move to system/lib
3. Change permission to rw-r--r--
4. Try video calling. Should work now!
5. Let me know
*NEW ADDITION*
HOLO themed black version (via- makers of Ultima ROM) of the same 2.0.012 version here
IMP: Please do NOT update hangout or else you will lose SMS functionality.
Successful, tha nks
This worked just fine on my Samsung Proclaim with 2.3.4. I had just been trying to sideload the new 2.0 yesterday, and it wouldn't work and I was afraid I might be getting screwed here in the near future. I use google voice extensively, and with the recent announcement that google would be dropping xmpp support for voice, I can tell that it a sign of much greater hangouts/talk integration and I'm a little concerned that my numerous pieces of older hardware are going to be left out in the dust. So, I had tried to sideload the new one yesterday, and it wouldn't work, but following your prescribed steps, it's working just fine now.
ammujee said:
3. Moved and renamed attached hangouts 2 apk as "com.google.android.talk-2.apk" (without quotes) - don't know if this a useless step?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This step shouldn't be necessary if embedding it in /system. Hangouts.apk works just as well. Like I mentioned in my ROM thread, I'll have to try this out. If I like the change, then I'll update Traveller DSC.
Have you attempted this with any of the other KitKat apps?
Works for me by just installing it and not pushing it as a system app. Android 2.3.7
Sent From My Phone?
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Have you attempted this with any of the other KitKat apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did with few more like launcher, email but no luck. It gives parsing error.
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk 2
NRG001 said:
Works for me by just installing it and not pushing it as a system app. Android 2.3.7
Sent From My Phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about video calling? Does it work without pushing the .lib file?
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk 2
What about the gallery app? Does it give you the parsing error?
Yes, gallery also gives parsing error.
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk 2
ammujee said:
How about video calling? Does it work without pushing the .lib file?
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know i just install it because it can be used now as sms app. And no one i know uses hangouts sadly they use other messaging app like wechat etc.
Sent From My Phone?
If you don't have to add that file, you might want to check to see if your ROM already includes it.
On a side note, the KitKat version of Hangouts is apparently available on the Play Store, but only for ICS and up.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
If you don't have to add that file, you might want to check to see if your ROM already includes it.
On a side note, the KitKat version of Hangouts is apparently available on the Play Store, but only for ICS and up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The newest one released yesterday will install on Gingerbread phones. However, SMS has been removed for folks below 4.0. The previous version pulled from the Nexus 5 did put Hangouts SMS on Gingerbread.
One thing the portal article doesn't mention is that Google does version checking on its files. If the API version isn't sufficient what is downloaded is an older version that would work at the given API version. Case in point is Gmail. The current version is 4.6, as my ICS tablet will attest. However on a Gingerbread device, a freshly delivered version from the Play Store will be version 2.3.6.
In the case of Hangouts, the version being downloaded to Gingerbread devices is version 1.1 build 12 or something similar. Only ICS and up will get Hangouts 2.0. So to summarize, it's not that certain features are being disabled (as this thread can attest to) it's that Google is sending an older version of the app to the device.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
One thing the portal article doesn't mention is that Google does version checking on its files. If the API version isn't sufficient what is downloaded is an older version that would work at the given API version. Case in point is Gmail. The current version is 4.6, as my ICS tablet will attest. However on a Gingerbread device, a freshly delivered version from the Play Store will be version 2.3.6.
In the case of Hangouts, the version being downloaded to Gingerbread devices is version 1.1 build 12 or something similar. Only ICS and up will get Hangouts 2.0. So to summarize, it's not that certain features are being disabled (as this thread can attest to) it's that Google is sending an older version of the app to the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's kind of silly really, since the 2.0 version works fine on my Gingerbread ROM. Sending texts, receiving texts, pictures, video etc. Even the holo style settings menus work. Nothing appears badly broken, but from time to time it might force close.
The API support is within the APK, because otherwise it wouldn't allow you to install it. So if google strip that away then they're doing it simply to get people to update to a newer version of Android.
The file here is 2.0.012 (884159-30). The version Play Store will install is 1.2.018 (849105-30).
In one respect it isn't all that silly. Gingerbread is a few years old now and Google wants to focus on Android 4.x. I actually can understand that. What I would like to see, but never will, is Dell going back and making a KitKat ROM for the Streak, especially knowing KitKat will work on the Streak.
I can understand that they'd like people to upgrade, but blocking a feature for no good reason is silly. The 2.0 version clearly works. Yes theres the force close that happens 2% of the time, but that's going to be a bug in the code and not an API issue, because if it were API related it wouldn't even run or it'd force close every single time.
Of course I'm due for an upgrade anyway, and I probably will soon, but it still would of been nice to see google officially support the 2.0 version on Gingerbread.
Hey it works bt always show the number.... I mean showing the number insted showing the name which I save in my phone or sim card
Sent from my MT11i using xda premium
Yes, that is a known issue even for Nexus 5 owners. An application bug probably to be fixed in next few versions. For now few people have found changing their contacts to international format helpful (like for Indian nos changing it from 022xxxxxxxx to +9122xxxxxxxx). It didn't work for many but there is no harm in trying for now. Do make sure to force sync contacts and then switch off your phone and switch back on.
Let us know if it helps!
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk 2
Hey man, can you see if the latest Hangouts update with messaging will work on Gingerbread? I'm certain it won't, but maybe you can give it a shot again.
I checked all later versions but those don't work with SMS support. May be @theos0o can help us by enabling SMS support for all devices as he did for FB messenger.
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for at least checking. I'm sure many of us appreciate it.