So my mother-in-law is in from out of town (like really out of town...foreign country) and she will be here for a month helping with child care. I want to get an Android disposable phone that is decent and rootable. Prefer something under $150. After she leaves I'd like to use it as my "vacation" phone should we ever go over seas to visit so GSM supporting all bands would be nice. I know where she comes from I can just buy a SIM card to throw in any compatible band phone. Especially one that can be carrier unlocked.
While here in the US, I've love to load Google Voice and GrooveIP on it and make it a "Wifi phone" which doesn't need carrier access (since it works on my Transformer).
Any advice or suggestions? Am I asking for too much? I saw a few Android disposables for $200+ but a lot were $100-150, but I don't know which one would be best. Don't really care about the provider if it can conform to the things listed above.
Maybe you can try to look on craigslist for a used nexus one or some other gsm used android phone.
I've read today that all Android phones (and others) have Carrier IQ installed in them at the factory to that is capable of transmitting keystrokes, website visits, email and SMS data to the carrier.
My questions is, Can we build a ROM without it? Below is the link referring to the software.
Thanks.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-5...ets-secretly-logging-keystrokes-sms-messages/
With all of your reading you forgot to read the multiple threads in this forum about this.
No our phones don't have it right now so no we can not remove it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
pj1000 said:
I've read today that all Android phones (and others) have Carrier IQ installed in them at the factory to that is capable of transmitting keystrokes, website visits, email and SMS data to the carrier.
My questions is, Can we build a ROM without it? Below is the link referring to the software.
Thanks.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-5...ets-secretly-logging-keystrokes-sms-messages/
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Whoever told you all android phones had it was an idiot. Only some of them do - nearly all Sprint units, only newer AT&T units like the ****rocket and the Gingerbread updates for Infuse do.
(Probably Cappy GB has it and future updates for ours might.)
From what I understand, it doesn't send anything out of phones that have it installed, it just echoes data to the debug console.
Do you really think att needs that software to know your physical location? Does att need that to read your SMS? Know what numbers you dial?
Att could probably easily identify if you tether, or load a custom ROM on your phone. Its a matter of priority, and whether its worth the effort. Everything you do on your phone runs through their services. They know everything.
A program like that may make it easier for them to get the data, but I doubt it gives them any information that they couldn't get themselves if they really wanted it.
I don't see the big deal about it. What do I care if att knows where I am, who I call, and what I text, they already know all that. If att collecting data about how I use my phone leads to a better optimised data network, or better coverage then go for it.
What's next? People upset that google may be reading your Gmail? Or Comcast knowing what you watch on TV? Your credit card company knowing where you shop?
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
quarlow said:
Do you really think att needs that software to know your physical location? Does att need that to read your SMS? Know what numbers you dial?
Att could probably easily identify if you tether, or load a custom ROM on your phone. Its a matter of priority, and whether its worth the effort. Everything you do on your phone runs through their services. They know everything.
A program like that may make it easier for them to get the data, but I doubt it gives them any information that they couldn't get themselves if they really wanted it.
I don't see the big deal about it. What do I care if att knows where I am, who I call, and what I text, they already know all that. If att collecting data about how I use my phone leads to a better optimised data network, or better coverage then go for it.
What's next? People upset that google may be reading your Gmail? Or Comcast knowing what you watch on TV? Your credit card company knowing where you shop?
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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Said like a true lamb... lol
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
borguesian said:
Said like a true lamb... lol
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
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By call means, enlighten me.
How should the system work? How do they deliver your message if they don't know what to send? How do they connect your call if they don't know what you dialed? How do they send you a website without knowing the web address you input? How do they route a call to you if they don't know what towers you are connected to, and where those towers are?
My point is that people are up in arms because att has has access to data that you give them on a daily basis. They need that data to serve you as a customer.
Nothing you do on the internet, or using wireless networks will ever be truly private. The only thing changing here is how the data is collected, not whether the data is collected.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
quarlow said:
By call means, enlighten me.
How should the system work? How do they deliver your message if they don't know what to send? How do they connect your call if they don't know what you dialed? How do they send you a website without knowing the web address you input? How do they route a call to you if they don't know what towers you are connected to, and where those towers are?
My point is that people are up in arms because att has has access to data that you give them on a daily basis. They need that data to serve you as a customer.
Nothing you do on the internet, or using wireless networks will ever be truly private. The only thing changing here is how the data is collected, not whether the data is collected.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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+1 quarlow
Very well said.
I can't really post a link but it seems like it has access to more than just your general txt/call/web data
From what I read in an article from Huffingtonpost.com
"The application, which is labeled on Eckhart’s HTC smartphone as "HTC IQ Agent," also logs the URL of websites searched on the phone, even if the user intends to encrypt that data using a URL that begins with "HTTPS," Eckhart said."
and from electronista.com
"The video also shows that the software records keystrokes. It likewise records calls with network strength values, which primarily allows carriers to fix problems but could also be used to intercept data. CarrierIQ is also collecting keystrokes of incompleted calls and even random keystrokes, or more than it needs
When using Wi-Fi, CarrierIQ records website security information, including URL and even passwords sent over the ostensibly secure HTTPS. This doesn't involve Sprint, as it's on Wi-Fi, so it shouldn't be recorded, Holly concludes."
In my opinion, it's one thing to know that a carrier obviously has access to much of this information if and when they should need it for court orders and other legal reasons. It's an entirely other thing though to specifically have software installed and intertwined into the core of the phone that has the potential to feed this information in another manner which obviously isn't explained to the end user.
I don't do anything on my phone that I wouldn't want them to see for very obvious reasons as stated above. But I would like to have at least the 'appearance' that not everything I do is going to be sifted through by AT&T or a 3rd party vendor. This type of software and the relative 'hush-hush' nature of it doesn't give me that feeling. It's like a rogue app just sitting in a dormant state waiting for AT&T or whoever to fire it up and log away.
Ok I'll end the paranoia and I don't think we have a basis to point our finger one way or the other yet, but clearly it's something I think that needs to be clarified and understood better.
Back in the olde timey days when folks just had land lines with which to communicate, the FCC made it illegal for third parties - yes, even carriers - to intercept and disclose conversations of their customers to third parties. Have we come all the way around to "let them use my personal communications as they see fit since they have it anyway?" I never thought I would see relatively sophisticated users, such as several of those contributing here, say "I do nothing wrong so I don't care who uses my data and for what purpose." Yikes.
pj1000 said:
Back in the olde timey days when folks just had land lines with which to communicate, the FCC made it illegal for third parties - yes, even carriers - to intercept and disclose conversations of their customers to third parties. Have we come all the way around to "let them use my personal communications as they see fit since they have it anyway?" I never thought I would see relatively sophisticated users, such as several of those contributing here, say "I do nothing wrong so I don't care who uses my data and for what purpose." Yikes.
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Welcome to the Patriot act.
[Obligatory favorable statement about the Patriot Act]
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
I to agree with the carriers already know EVERYTHING we do. Whether we like it or not, that's how it works. But that takes place on THEIR end.
What I don't like is not knowing if it's secure. Main reason so many people were ticked their iphone were tracking them. Most knew it could be done, but the fact it stored that info on their phone with no encryption what-so-ever.
This is on OUR end now. The more ways to access everything we do, the greater the security risk.
If I get the choice, I'm definitely getting it off my phone. But if they prove it's without doubt secure? I still don't like it, but I'd feel a whole lot better about it. So what's the chance that will happen?
Sent from my páhhōniē
Here if yall want to know about CIQ. Good Read and good information for you to mull over. http://www.xda-developers.com/android/the-storm-is-not-over-yet-lets-talk-about-ciq/ Oh and MOST Devices that have this stupid thing on it that get root the first thing to get disabled is this little gem so I wouldn't worry about it too horribly much. I have seen a dev going around that strictly is going through phones that have it and removing it.
malickie said:
Here if yall want to know about CIQ. Good Read and good information for you to mull over. http://www.xda-developers.com/android/the-storm-is-not-over-yet-lets-talk-about-ciq/ Oh and MOST Devices that have this stupid thing on it that get root the first thing to get disabled is this little gem so I wouldn't worry about it too horribly much. I have seen a dev going around that strictly is going through phones that have it and removing it.
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Good article...
Oh yea here is a link that I found over in the HTC Vivid section just in case CIQ ever does hit our device I would assume the same thing could be done to remove it from the SGSII....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1370541
@Kadin
Yea good article although a bit scary when you see all this thing does.
quarlow said:
Do you really think att needs that software to know your physical location? Does att need that to read your SMS? Know what numbers you dial?
Att could probably easily identify if you tether, or load a custom ROM on your phone. Its a matter of priority, and whether its worth the effort. Everything you do on your phone runs through their services. They know everything.
A program like that may make it easier for them to get the data, but I doubt it gives them any information that they couldn't get themselves if they really wanted it.
I don't see the big deal about it. What do I care if att knows where I am, who I call, and what I text, they already know all that. If att collecting data about how I use my phone leads to a better optimised data network, or better coverage then go for it.
What's next? People upset that google may be reading your Gmail? Or Comcast knowing what you watch on TV? Your credit card company knowing where you shop?
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the carrier can do all this already then you have to wonder why they have to put something like Carrier IQ on our phones.
So I've been hearing a lot of good things about this ROM for us vibrant users.
Nonetheless, there is yet to confirm if the 911 issue is resolved? does anyone know and/or can confirm?
I am really surprised why people would even bother taking the risk of moving around with the 911 functionality.
I'm an old fart, 58 today, and lived most of my life before 911 existed. It no big deal to me. I have my local police and fire departments numbers on my phone and the same for where my elderly mother lives as I can't get her any help with 911 anyway. I don't see any more need than that. But that's me.
Thanks for the reply.
But I was wondering what about students, working professionals who tend to work away from their area (students studying in different cities) and for individuals who are travelling. You never know when an emergency strikes (kinda like the reason it was defined in the first place)
Sincerely,
alh.titan said:
Thanks for the reply.
But I was wondering what about students, working professionals who tend to work away from their area (students studying in different cities) and for individuals who are travelling. You never know when an emergency strikes (kinda like the reason it was defined in the first place)
Sincerely,
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You should check the developers section for the threads about 911, this has been discussed already, it comes down to not having official samsung source code, everything that the devs have acomplish so far has been thru reverse engineering (very amazing btw) but with out time/money/equipment the devs cant do much.
I was running build 14, tried build 15 and had real trouble with it, recommend trying 14 first or waiting for 16. Haven't tried 911.
E911 has indeed been fixed in CM7.
http://review.cyanogenmod.com/#change,11492
As long as the CM9 build doesn't have a custom libaudio for Vibrant, it should work. But, caveat emptor, as always with ROMs.
bobshute said:
I'm an old fart, 58 today, and lived most of my life before 911 existed. It no big deal to me. I have my local police and fire departments numbers on my phone and the same for where my elderly mother lives as I can't get her any help with 911 anyway. I don't see any more need than that. But that's me.
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So someone who lived most of their lives before seat belts were invented should be able to say that they aren't worried that their car doesn't have seat belts because they were alive for many years before seat belts came out? New safety technology is always going to be coming out. When the next thing comes out every person on the planet will have lived most of their lives before it existed but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be using it.
Having the local police and fire department phone numbers in your phone are not a replacement to 911.
- 911 calls can be made on wireless networks that you are not a subscriber of. You're out of service on T-Mobile, but you can pick up a signal from some small company. They aren't going to allow you to call a standard number but you can call 911. If you have an old phone with no SIM card, you can't call the fire department but you can call 911.
- Your location is sent when you call 911. If you just call the police department, they will not know where you are. Because you are calling from a cell phone you could literally be anywhere. This may not seem important but there are many times when the caller is unsure of his location or is unable to communicate his location to the operator.
- 911 calls are automatically routed/transferred to the correct answering point. If you're out of town, you don't want to call your hometown fire department. Calling 911 assures you will always be connect to the correct people.
There are also other advantages but I don't really understand them well enough to explain them, but I do know that they provide many advantages over simply dialing the police department. There is a reason that the government has many laws regarding the 911 system and how it interacts with cell phones; there are many important advantages of the E911 system.
Hey Everyone,
I'm going to France/UK for a month in about 3 weeks
But I would still like to get in contact with my family here in the states. I was wondering if anyone knew the best way to get service while outside of the country.
Would it be cheaper to get a sim card there and plop it into my phone or call ATT and tell them I'm traveling and that I need service there.
Lastly, if I go the sim card route, do I need to do anything to be able to use the card or do I drop it in and it works?
Thanks again!
Firstly, congratulations and I hope you have an amazing time. Last summer I went to Greece, Italy, and France so what I did was turn off my data (just the toggle in settings) and used the wifi over there for apps that let you call or text others who have the same app. At&t also has a messaging plan where you get 100 texts for like ten dollars or so I think but you can't double up -_- for some reason. Don't buy any At&t overseas data plans, they will charge you an arm and a leg.
But any ways, if you know you are going to populated parts of the country where you'll get wifi, then you should be good with that to talk to friends/family here for a really good portion of the day. (many cafes and such offer free wifi but hotels, you'll have to pay but it's super minimal- equivalent to about three dollars on average for your stay there)
Again, wishing you the best of luck.
3 possible options outside of using ATT
first call att and see if they unlock your phone for you - if not use cellularunlock (~$25) to get the unlock code, once overseas, buy a local sim and use that
if wifi is available use that - first sign up for google voice then install grooveIP and log in with your google voice account - you can not make wifi based phone calls (caveat - not sure if groove ip enabled yet in Uk or france)
use Skype - sign up for thier very cheap monthly subscriptions, and use that when in wifi range
jluu1286 said:
Hey Everyone,
I'm going to France/UK for a month in about 3 weeks
But I would still like to get in contact with my family here in the states. I was wondering if anyone knew the best way to get service while outside of the country.
Would it be cheaper to get a sim card there and plop it into my phone or call ATT and tell them I'm traveling and that I need service there.
Lastly, if I go the sim card route, do I need to do anything to be able to use the card or do I drop it in and it works?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the replies guys!
I think from the look of things I'll get my phone unlocked and just get a sim card there.
I'm going to hope that there is a ton of free wi fi so I can call the family back home but I also need service to keep in contact in towns while I'm there.
Also, will unlocking the phone affect anything? Because I'm currently rooted and running TheUnofficial.
Nope. Unlocking a phone lets you use carriers overseas. Has nothing to do with os.
-Once you go NOTE, you'd say 4 inches a Joke
-iOS = inspiring Outdated Software
Hey there,
Nowadays lots of things there, you can contact your family very easy and free services. There's lots of application on the phone, you can contact through Skype, WhatsApp, IMO and there is lots of apps are available. You can easily video call with these apps. You only need a good internet connection which you can easily find in the UK. Happy journey
Thanks!
Basically I've got a friend in Canada with an iPhone she doesn't want to get Google voice and I know I could text her from mine but I'm fairly certain if she texts back it'll cost her extra money? Correct me if I'm wrong.
So I'm curious if it's possible for me to get a Canadian number in America on Google voice and use that to text her so that she doesn't get any extra fees. Unless of course I can text her from my American one and not have an issue. I'd like to be able to use this Canadian Google voice on my phone without having any issues. I did some Google searching but couldn't find an answer.
Any help would be great
I'm also fine with buying a Canadian phone number for 99 cents a month. But I would need to be able to use it on my Samsung s3 simultaneously with my US number
Hi Neverendingxsin:
No, you cannot set up a Canadian phone number on your Google Voice account.
There was a period of time last month when you could but now, you no longer can. Those people who did set up a Canadian number, like me, found that it stopped working sometime this month.
I am working on a solution to your 'texting problem' and will get back to you here.
Rob.