Database Info

Bye bye skyfire browser......

MobileRoyal reports that the server-based browser, Skyfire, has now stopped offering service to clients connecting from countries other than UK, USA and Canada.
Users from other countries encounter the following notice when trying to connect
Read more

orb3000 said:
MobileRoyal reports that the server-based browser, Skyfire, has now stopped offering service to clients connecting from countries other than UK, USA and Canada.
Users from other countries encounter the following notice when trying to connect
Read more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone actually mentioned that the other day in the thread below. It was suggested that it might be possible to sidestep the issue by replacing skyfire's "prefs" file with one from a user country that isn't being blacklisted. I posted my prefs file there for anybody who wants to give it a shot.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=711661

NEver got the big deal with Skyfire. Sure its cool but other browsers are better and even more compatible. I have hulu streaming adds on one. Can't get it to skip over the adds to the video's but it loads up the first add and plays it great. So I think another month or two and we'll have working hulu.

Close thread please
sirphunkee said:
Someone actually mentioned that the other day in the thread below. It was suggested that it might be possible to sidestep the issue by replacing skyfire's "prefs" file with one from a user country that isn't being blacklisted. I posted my prefs file there for anybody who wants to give it a shot.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=711661
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that sirphunkee
I guess this thread can be closed now

[Resolved] [UPDATE 3] Why isnt my Twitter Working, what does it mean & what can I do? [See Here]

[UPDATE 3] Why isnt my Twitter Working, what does it mean & what can I do? [See Here]
Ok guys,
Many of you have or are finding out (depending on how much of a twit-a-holic you are) that you are having problems accessing twitter on various clients, inc HTC Peep, Motweets etc.
Sites around the web were getting splashed with a mysterious dialog Tuesday, thanks to a change in the way Twitter handles user authentication.
It states that a username and password are being requested by Twitter, with the unhelpful message, “Twitter API.” The same dialog has been spotted on ReadWriteWeb and even on Twitter’s own website.
In addition, users of some Twitter apps, including Twitter’s own Tweetie and BlackBerry apps, Tweetdeck and Twitterrific and HTC Peep have complained of Twitter login problems.
In the case of the website dialog, entering your username and password doesn’t do anything useful, and won’t make the dialog box go away. Indeed, it will often reappear several times during a session.
The cause of the troubl is a change in the way Twitter handles user authentication for remote sites and programs. Instead of giving a Facebook app your Twitter username and password, for instance, Twitter now requires the app use a protocol known as OAuth to hand you off to Twitter’s website. Once you’ve authorized Twitter to share your information with the other site or app, it hands a token back to that app, and the two can share information with each other.
The new, OAuth-based method is more secure and ultimately more reliable (for instance, you don’t have to update every Twitter app you use whenever you change your Twitter password).
However, now that Twitter has switched, programs and sites using the old authentication method are not working properly.
That includes websites using Twitter widgets with older code. These widgets, which embed the latest tweets from specific Twitter users, appear to rely on the old authentication method.
The solution should be simply to upgrade if possible. If you have old widget code on your website, go to Twitter.com and get a new widget embed code. Similarly, if you’re using a Twitter app that’s having login problems, the solution is almost certainly to upgrade to the latest version. Twitterrific’s developers, for instance, have spent the day urging the app’s many users to upgrade. Developers have known about the authentication switch for months now, and most have been able to release updated versions of their software that works properly with the new OAuth system.
People using HTC Peep have been getting the error message "incorrect username or password" whilst trying to post or update, which is even more frustrating when some other apps on the iphone for example work perfectly well.
This is what Twitter blog has to say : http://blog.twitter.com/2010/08/twitter-applications-and-oauth.html
Cool smart phone tweeted this today as word finally gets around : http://www.coolsmartphone.com/news6158.html
So, when will HTC be releasing a hotfix for Peep? Answer is I dont honestly know. Lots of people inc myself have been asking HTC exactly this but they arent giving anything away at the moment, but updates will be posted here.
If you guys hear anything, please feel free to post your info here.
Remember, try and be patient, HTC have only had 8 months to sort this out.........
Cheers.

Thanks timmy,
Great idea

Update
Ok guys a breif update from HTC & Twitter :
htc We know that Peep/Friend Stream are not working for some, and we apologize. Please bear with us while our developers are investigating.
about 12 hours ago via HootSuite
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
htc Twitter is on the case! They are working on a fix for multiple mobile apps. Peep/Friend Stream should be back soon! http://ht.ly/2yiEq
about 7 hours ago via HootSuite
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From Twitter - Updates on the status of the Twitter service.
Powered by Tumblr Sep
1st Wed
Log-in issues for users of some mobile clients 11 hours ago
Users using certain Twitter clients are unable to Log in.
These clients include
- HTC Peep
- Moto BLUR
- Nokia Twitter apps
- Samsung devices (except for phones running Android OS)
- Huawei phones
We are working to resolve this issue.
Update at 7:30PM: This issue has been resolved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
timmymarsh >> no guys Peep is not fixed yet! about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So all in all, some progress is being made especially now that HTC have finally "come out" so to speak.
If anyones Peep is now working, please let us know
Greetz,
Tim.

UPDATE 2
Got this email from twitter today as im sure many of you did too..........
Hi @timmymarsh,
Over the coming weeks, we will be making two important updates that will impact how you interact with Twitter applications. We are sending this notice to all Twitter users to make sure you are aware of these changes.
What are applications?
There are over 250,000 applications built using the Twitter API. To use most applications, you first authorize the application to access your Twitter account, after which you can use it to read and post Tweets, discover new users and more. Applications come in many varieties, including desktop applications like TweetDeck, Seesmic, or EchoFon, websites such as TweetMeme, fflick, or Topsy, or mobile applications such as Twitter for iPhone, Twitter for Blackberry, or Foursquare.
Update 1: New authorization rules for applications
Starting August 31, all applications will be required to use “OAuth” to access your Twitter account.
What's OAuth?
OAuth is a technology that enables applications to access Twitter on your behalf with your approval without asking you directly for your password.
Desktop and mobile applications may still ask for your password once, but after that request, they are required to use OAuth in order to access your timeline or allow you to tweet.
What does this mean for me?
Applications are no longer allowed to store your password.
If you change your password, the applications will continue to work.
Some applications you have been using may require you to reauthorize them or may stop functioning at the time of this change.
All applications you have authorized will be listed at http://twitter.com/settings/connections.
You can revoke access to any application at any time from the list.
Update 2: t.co URL wrapping
In the coming weeks, we will be expanding the roll-out of our link wrapping service t.co, which wraps links in Tweets with a new, simplified link. Wrapped links are displayed in a way that is easier to read, with the actual domain and part of the URL showing, so that you know what you are clicking on. When you click on a wrapped link, your request will pass through the Twitter service to check if the destination site is known to contain malware, and we then will forward you on to the destination URL. All of that should happen in an instant.
You will start seeing these links on certain accounts that have opted-in to the service; we expect to roll this out to all users by the end of the year. When this happens, all links shared on Twitter.com or third-party apps will be wrapped with a t.co URL.
What does this mean for me?
A really long link such as http://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Happiness-Profits-Passion-Purpose/dp/0446563048 might be wrapped as http://t.co/DRo0trj for display on SMS, but it could be displayed to web or application users as amazon.com/Delivering- or as the whole URL or page title.
You will start seeing links in a way that removes the obscurity of shortened links and lets you know where each link will take you.
When you click on these links from Twitter.com or a Twitter application, Twitter will log that click. We hope to use this data to provide better and more relevant content to you over time.
Thanks for reading this important update. Come and check what's new at http://twitter.com.
Thanks,
The Twitter Team
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now call me old fashioned, but they could have really sent this out a while ago rather than after the horse has bolted?
Greetz.

Update
First of all, if you havent been on twitter see the below posted yesterday :
*coolsmartphone HTC Peep - The bird is back: In the last few minutes it seems that HTC Peep is starting to… http://goo.gl/fb/oDsxC
about 10 hours ago via Google
*coolsmartphone Yes, this Tweet is from HTC Peep. It's back baby !
about 10 hours ago via HTC Peep
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Click to collapse
*HTC Just in time for your weekend adventures, Peep and Friend Stream are up and running! Thanks to @Twitter, and to you all for your patience
about 9 hours ago via HootSuite
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@htc Any chance of hotfixing Sense 2.5 for Windows Mobile, so it can download tweets?
about 7 hours ago via web in reply to htc
*JVH3_XDA @htc The twitter tab still does not work on the Tilt 2 with the new ROM on your website. Did anyone try testing that?
about 8 hours ago via web in reply to htc
*orb3000 HTC Sense semi-working I can post but when try to update status same result: account forbidden...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*wmexperts HTC Peeps are back up http://bit.ly/dgU9Dd
about 6 hours ago via twitterfeed
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Click to collapse
timmymarsh @twitterapi @htc peep for Htc HD2 still does not work even after SR & clearing cache..account forbidden! Please test b4 saying it's fixed?!
about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to twitterapi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
timmymarsh @htc @twitter i can post on htc peep but cannot receive any tweets, after sending or trying to update get error account forbidden, helps?
about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to htc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so thats whats been happening.....
What does it mean? It appears that Peep is working for some but mostly not on windows mobile, confirmed on tilt2 and hd2......you can post a tweet but peep does not update or download any tweets "account forbidden". I have tried clearing the cache and soft resetting all have no effect.
So, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but peep on windows appears still to be mostly broken.
Please post your experiences here stating the client you use and device
Greetz.

HTC Sence Friends Twitter is back online! (for me)
He There,
After 2 days.. this morning HTC Sence Twitter on my HD2/Android is back alive and kicking!
On the WM rom it's not working!
Good info, thanks for that!
Grtz,

Same here on my Leo: Android yes, WM no...

not working
hi!!! my htc hd2 peep is still not working, unable to write or read!!! .... "acount forbiden"
hhheeeeelllllllppp

Still not working for me, ive searched for solutions but as i read here no any solution yet for HD2 EU/UK with HTCpeep?!

Im afraid there is nothing we can do apart from putting pressure on @HTC and @twitter (or @twitterapi) so by all means get tweating......

Guys, sorry no good news to report here. Gonna try emailing HTC again and twitter, cant hurt to keep chasing daily huh
When they get fed up of the constant comms they might do something about it!

timmymarsh said:
Guys, sorry no good news to report here. Gonna try emailing HTC again and twitter, cant hurt to keep chasing daily huh
When they get fed up of the constant comms they might do something about it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been doing the same and I'll keep sending emails to HTC Support and also writing to @htc. I hope this help making HTC fix the Peep problem that we are having on WM Sense.

OK, guys give us the email addresses to spam with our discontent !!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE
Guys,
Heard on twitter that the fix for win sense htc peep will be with us before Sunday.
Also had this back from HTC Support this morning :
Dear TIm Marsh,
Its coming. Wont be long, sorry for the delay.
To send a reply to this message or let me know I have successfully answered your question log in to our ContactUs site using your email address and your ticket number 10xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Sincerely,
Jason
HTC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So all we can do is wait and fingers crossed that it happens.
Greetz.

ElaineD said:
OK, guys give us the email addresses to spam with our discontent !!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try here: http://www.htc.com/www/CS_Mail.aspx.

Lol guys, i didnt say spam htc, i said hassle them, completely different
Lets wait until Sunday, then take things from there ok?
Greetz.

HTC is holding some sort of meet up party in London on the 15th (new phone launch maybe?)...Perhaps all in London should go and throw their phones on them with a note saying "Peep This" if it isn't fixed by Sunday
LINK

hi!! let's hope it ends this week!!! wíll it update automaticly???!!!!
greetings!!!!

timmymarsh said:
Lol guys, i didnt say spam htc, i said hassle them, completely different
Lets wait until Sunday, then take things from there ok?
Greetz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was teasing....

Ill believe it when i see it! why don't they post something somewhere that all twitter users can see, you know like their own TWITTER account?!!! why the hell have one if you're not going to use it to keep your customers informed!

Gmail users: Make Google fix the contact picture quality issue

Hello folks,
since all other threads concerning this topic are either outdated or are about trying to fix this problem by themselves I've decided to open a new one.
The problem mentioned above should be well known to almost any android user who uses Gmail to manage and sync their contacts.
Because Google ignored earlier requests I'm trying to spread this one single request as far as possible. If enough Gmail users read and star this thread Google has to react in any way.
Link to Google-Discussion
Link to direct suggestion of features for Gmail<-- German, but don't hesitate to like the feature suggestion there too!
If you are registered in another major forum please share the link so we reach as many frustrated users as possible.
Regards,
rabbit

Voted.
In fact i've added my support to many threads like this on the Google Forums over the last year, as have hundreds of other users. I find it utterly baffling how after all this time, Google still haven't addressed this issue.

If Google were to increase the contact picture size even by merely 10 pixels, they would need massive amount of additional server space.
I'm not saying it's not doable, just not as simple as we'd like to think.
iR¡[email protected]!* via Tapatalk

Actually I thought of that point too, but I made a quick calculation.
I am able to get a decent picture quality (JPEG,256x256px,8bit,quality 65) at under 15kb per picture.
Now imagine you are having 1000 contacts, it would be around 15MB of data just for the pictures. And now take into consideration that any Gmail user already has over 7,6GB(!) of free storage. Would anybody miss 15 or even 50MB?
But all this has already been written in the request thread

thanksd xzss

Come on people, just 22 people within 1.5 days starred this issue. We need more than that!

New link in OP! Please follow it and click the like button on the page it redirects you to!

bump bump...............................

Really annoying google
And bump
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

We need to put some pressure on Google to fix the Low resolution contact images that are synced with using GMail.
Please +1 the following post: https://plus.google.com/109941711245...ts/PwRx3SHNbjR and try to get #AndroidLowResContactPics trending.
(and for reference: http://productforums.google.com/foru...il/MIt6-tdZZPk)
Tell your friends

still no solution for this problem...?

still nothing....

any other solution?????

For info, the problem is now solved. Google fixed it.
I just updated my pictures contacts via the website (I guess it also work directly on the phone), and pics are now in correct resolutions!

Tips about a good customer support

No matter if the app is free or paid, as a developer you want to offer a good support to the end users. Why? Because as long as they are happy they will continue to use your app and they will recommend it to others. So it is in your best interest to do your best and resolve issues that customers are reporting, implement requested features and solve as many bugs as possible.
To that end, you must ensure you provide easy to access means of communication between you as a developer and the end users. There are many ways you can achieve that and I will list a few I am using and the more you can provide the better so we can put together a list:
Create an email address or use one you already have (I prefer the former) and provide links on Google Play and inside the app. It is nice if you add an accessible menu item that says (Suggestions/Bug report/Support/Etc) that will start an intent chooser for sending emails to this email address
Use forums (XDA ) and post your app and frequently visit and answer suggestions/questions. There are a lot of helpful users there that will test the app and discover bugs, suggest new features and it is very good if you can keep the thread hot so you keep the interest up. Users like feedback and makes them feel important (which they are) so try to answer as many posts as possible even though you don't have a solution to the problem yet
Get social! Social networking is very helpful these days both for spreading the word about your app but also for customer support. Create profiles for the app on all major social networks (Facebook, Google +, Twitter, etc) and try to get as many users as possible. Post as many updates as possible and keep the users informed about changes to the app, answer to their comments and implement suggestions
Prioritization - build yourself a TODO list with priorities: for each update try to solve major bugs first that are heavily reported or that are causing big problems. Always find some room for improvements and user suggestions. Then fix small bugs and try to improve UI.
Localization is an important part of today's apps. Try to support as many languages as possible making easy for the users to understand the app and to better communicate their findings
Use the publish console to check for crash reports. Many users use this feature and send crash reports along with the stack trace and it is very helpful to keep track of major crashes and identify the root cause
Please reply with more tips so we can create a big list for everyone

Email is the number 1 way people ( from my experience ) contact the developer to ask questions, recommendations, etc. What I did in addition to all the things in the op was create a cheap 5 page website with Godaddy website tonight its like $100 bucks a year or something. They also auto optimize your site for mobile viewing!Then made a contact us page, were users can choose a reason for contacting us. This works really well and you can set up an auto responder to send them a message letting them know you got the email.
I always try to answer emails immediately (during business hours) but always within 24 hours. Having a great customer service program even if your a solo dev like I am will translate into 5 star ratings based solely on customer service!
Have a lax customer service program and you will see the negative 1 or 2 star ratings pop up again based solely on customer service. It shouldn't take anyone more than say 48 hours to re connect with someone and at least start the process of answering their concern.
You can see the contact us page here
Good policy will turn into good reviews and good downloads!
:good:

I've put a feedback page in all my apps.
You don't even need to create a new email address. Just use your personal email address and create an alias. That way it looks formal on the outside but messages go to same inbox as your personal one, only have to check one inbox everyday.

HMMMMMM!
FIRST OF ALLL EMAIL AND AFTER THAT XDA POSTS.........:victory:

email or the message box is very important. But it's also important to reply to their questions promptly.

Free Customer Service SDK
Replying promptly to customers is essentially the first step towards good customer service. If you are an iOS app developer, looking to impress your customers with excellent customer support, try out Freshdesk's Mobihelp SDK ( [freshdesk.com/mobihelp) you can snap-in to your app and start communicating with your customers from right within your app. I'm sure it will be of great help in your customer service efforts!

Thanks for the tips! Just a question: I have got one Crash report in google play console very early, but since then nothing. I have put email in the game and on the play store. But nobody used it. I do not have many installs, but I wonder what is the usual percentage of people who actually report bugs?

kulisgames said:
Thanks for the tips! Just a question: I have got one Crash report in google play console very early, but since then nothing. I have put email in the game and on the play store. But nobody used it. I do not have many installs, but I wonder what is the usual percentage of people who actually report bugs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my experience, if the app is something people desperately need (e.g. utility) or want (e.g. game) but it isn't working quite as they expected, they will be vocal. Not hearing anything from users is usually a warning sign that nobody was too excited about the app in the first place, or that not that many people downloaded the app in the first place.

If I see a crash on Google Play I assume that the same crash occured for 10 others who didn't bother reporting it. So I try to fix it ASAP.
You could use Google Analytics to report crashes without user prompt.
Regardless of the above, it sounds like you have a general marketing challange which is much more critical than that crash report, so you should investigate marketing and promotions in general.
kulisgames said:
Thanks for the tips! Just a question: I have got one Crash report in google play console very early, but since then nothing. I have put email in the game and on the play store. But nobody used it. I do not have many installs, but I wonder what is the usual percentage of people who actually report bugs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Bad reviews on google play
slackydroid said:
No matter if the app is free or paid, as a developer you want to offer a good support to the end users. Why? Because as long as they are happy they will continue to use your app and they will recommend it to others. So it is in your best interest to do your best and resolve issues that customers are reporting, implement requested features and solve as many bugs as possible.
To that end, you must ensure you provide easy to access means of communication between you as a developer and the end users. There are many ways you can achieve that and I will list a few I am using and the more you can provide the better so we can put together a list:
Create an email address or use one you already have (I prefer the former) and provide links on Google Play and inside the app. It is nice if you add an accessible menu item that says (Suggestions/Bug report/Support/Etc) that will start an intent chooser for sending emails to this email address
Use forums (XDA ) and post your app and frequently visit and answer suggestions/questions. There are a lot of helpful users there that will test the app and discover bugs, suggest new features and it is very good if you can keep the thread hot so you keep the interest up. Users like feedback and makes them feel important (which they are) so try to answer as many posts as possible even though you don't have a solution to the problem yet
Get social! Social networking is very helpful these days both for spreading the word about your app but also for customer support. Create profiles for the app on all major social networks (Facebook, Google +, Twitter, etc) and try to get as many users as possible. Post as many updates as possible and keep the users informed about changes to the app, answer to their comments and implement suggestions
Prioritization - build yourself a TODO list with priorities: for each update try to solve major bugs first that are heavily reported or that are causing big problems. Always find some room for improvements and user suggestions. Then fix small bugs and try to improve UI.
Localization is an important part of today's apps. Try to support as many languages as possible making easy for the users to understand the app and to better communicate their findings
Use the publish console to check for crash reports. Many users use this feature and send crash reports along with the stack trace and it is very helpful to keep track of major crashes and identify the root cause
Please reply with more tips so we can create a big list for everyone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
how can we deal with bad reviews on google play, reviews that comes from pepole that didn't understand the meaning of the app?
Thanks.

If you're looking for app support best practices, contact a big startup like Buffer or Squarespace and see how they respond to your question. Notice the friendly tone of voice, the detailed answers they try to give you, and the call for action at the end of every support ticket - whether it's to try and recreate the event that caused the bug or read a FAQ section. Do that a dozen times and you'll learn more about 'proper' support than any how-to article can teach you.

dimnikolov said:
If you're looking for app support best practices, contact a big startup like Buffer or Squarespace and see how they respond to your question. Notice the friendly tone of voice, the detailed answers they try to give you, and the call for action at the end of every support ticket - whether it's to try and recreate the event that caused the bug or read a FAQ section. Do that a dozen times and you'll learn more about 'proper' support than any how-to article can teach you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep makes sense in my experience - personalise as much as possible and reflect the tone of voice of your app. Users will really appreciate it. Stay social.

Why not have some kind of in-app help?
Having a suggestions/feedback menu item seems to be the common thread here to provide good customer support.
But wondering - why not some kind of in app help itself? Sort of a Whatsapp inside the app? I feel email being a separate channel breaks the context - help within the app itself and in context would be so much easier for the end user.
Thoughts?

I know it is an old thread but there are SDKs that help you integrate a support chat right within the app. I have seen zomato use one of these.

Thank you for a list!

[Completed] stopping SMS link preloading

The person who had my number before me was apparently bad at even attempting to manage privacy, I get spam calls and texts for them pretty regularly. I had one scammer in particular get so angry with me that he hung up on me after 20 minutes of hassling me. Whatever group he worked with proceeded to harass me with over 100 calls in the next three days. It's gone back to a more "normal" level of spam but, lately, I'm getting shortlinks to payday loan sites.
I know how to report the SMS to my carrier, the FTC, and the FCC. I can report the shortlink to the shortening service and it immediately gets taken down.
The problem is that my phone has already "followed" the link and it shows up as a click. I can tell because the info page for the shortlink always shows a click from Chrome on Android.
I don't know whether to pin this on the SMS app or the phone itself. I'm using Messenger and I'd prefer not to switch but I suppose I'm willing if it's the only option.
I'm using a Nexus 5X with stock Android.

hello,
Welcome to XDA.
Try posting your question in the forum linked below.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help
The experts there may be able to help. Good luck.