Database Users

Am I the only one that has heard..

that has heard about apps like Pandora can steal your information? I was on virus forum and read this:
"I love Pandora. I really couldn't do without it. But I could do without its sending my demographic information, phone ID, and location to eight trackers across six companies. And Pandora's far from the worst offender, the WSJ shows us.
The Journal's report lays bare much of what we already suspected, or outright knew but didn't bother thinking about: iOS and Android apps are having a field day with your personal info. More than half of the 101 popular apps they tested sent your UDID to companies without your awareness or consent. Nearly as many sent your location, and a handful even sent along demographic info and other personal details to advertisers.
It's a small sample size given the hundreds of thousands of apps out there, but it's hard to imagine that the most prominent names just happen to be the most aberrant. And the list of worst offenders also reads like a roll-call of must haves: Pandora. Angry Birds. Netflix. Shazam. Et tu, Yelp?
And yes, it makes perfect sense that apps that deliver location-based information would need to know your location. But the extra step of passing that on to marketers is something a user should at the very least have knowledge of, and should ideally be able to opt out of. Not everyone enjoys highly targeted ads so much that they're willing to compromise their privacy to have them on their phone.
iOS apps shared more data than Android apps, on the whole—somewhat surprising given the rigidity of the App Store approval process compared to Android's looser environment. And there's really nothing you can do to stop it.
There's something Apple and Google could do, though: create privacy policies. Make it abundantly clear to users what information apps are going to take, who they're going to send it to. And if you're feeling really generous this holiday season, give us a chance to opt out."
am i the only one that is worried or is there no need to worry?

welcome to the future buddy.

Yup, if you don't want anyone else knowing your business, don't own a smartphone or go on the internet. No one's info is safe.
It is the double edged sword of being connected to the rest of the world, the rest of the world is connected to you.

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You should be more concerned with people dumpster-diving your trash.

Seriously I'm more afraid of people stealing my mail then stealing my info on the web.
It's common sense for crying out loud.
Sent from my EVO

People are so concerned with this stuff sometimes. It boggles my mind. What do I care that some company knows what city I'm in.
You know who else knows what city I'm in? Every local shop I go to.
Heck, I used to work for a relatively small company (about a dozen or two locations in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois) and they asked for someone's zip when checking out. This was so they knew where their customer base lived. So if enough people drove from 20 miles away they would know they need to send their ad to more people in that town.
It's not as scary as most think.

ThuR steELinGZZZZ mEYE InTERwebZZZZZZZ

Going Prepaid with Quality Devices at Fair Prices

This thread is going to stay pretty small for now as we're limited, but it seems most of us are being pushed harder and harder by the asenine decisions of major carriers to move towards prepaid. Though some decent plans have come available, the main issue still seems to be extremely high prices as a number of the better devices are still only available directly from those same carriers and generally have a $500 or higher price tag. This thread is to present an easy to view point from which to find available phones that can fully utilize the latest features available. I'm hoping that within the next year this list should grow by quite a bit.
Galaxy Nexus:
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$349, HSPA+
Carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, any GSM carrier
https://play.google.com/store/devic...XZpY2VzX1VTX18xX3Byb21vXzEzNDA1MTg5NjUwMzYiXQ..
Sony:
Xperia Ion:
$449, LTE Capable
Carriers: AT&T
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666458620
Xperia P:
$479
Carriers: Any GSM
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666468414
Xperia U:
$299
Carriers: Any GSM
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666470179
I kept the details to a minimum as all the features can be reviewed through the individual links. If anyone sees any errors or knows of any other devices that should be featured feel free to post them and I will update the OP. Hope everyone finds this helpful.

I don't think this is the purpose of the _Networking_ forum. =P
Anyway, you should see about adding your info to this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1736018

This is where we have carrier discussions and discuss how we connect to those networks. A mod is free to move this as needed but I don't think there's a better place.

CDMA MVNOs that have BYOD:
Sprint MVNOs with BYOD: (Bring your own device) You can get your Sprint phone activated on this prepaid!
Platinumtel.
Verizon MVNOs with BYOD: You can get any 3G Verizon phone activated with this prepaid!
Pageplus.

Xperia miro:
$229
Carrier: Any GSM
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666493191
Xperia tipo
$169
Carrier: Any GSM
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666493215
Xperia tipo dual
$189
Carrier: Any GSM
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666493231
Xperia J:
$279
Carrier: Any GSM
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666515113
Nexus 4:
$349
Carrier: Any GSM
https://play.google.com/store/devic...wNV9uZXh1c1VTXzFfcHJvbW9fMTM1NTYzMDgzMzMzMiJd
Hadn't updated this in a while. There are a few other devices that I'm waiting to see more reviews on before I post anything, but feel free to add anything good you've come across.

ISIS Mobile Payment System Confirmed for GSII

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With T-Mobile announcing a software update for the Galaxy S II that includes “ISIS” details, the internet is abuzz with what exactly T-Mobile was updating. Thankfully, Bloomberg seems to have the answer with a report that ISIS’ CEO says to expect a September launch in two test markets. In fact, the two test markets, Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah are the very same markets we discovered as T-Mobile’s own test markets back at the end of July.
In T-Mobile’s case, they plan on allowing customers to download applications and content and utilizing Near Field Communication (NFC) in more ways than one:
The mobile payments concept is compelling, and T-Mobile is participating in the Isis joint venture to make that a reality. But NFC can simplify much more than purchases. Let’s take a look at three exciting opportunities for NFC — beyond mobile payments.
•Your wallet. With Isis, you won’t have to carry around a physical credit card, but there’s a lot more in your wallet that can possibly move onto your phone with the introduction and adoption of secure NFC services — things such as reward cards, membership cards and even your personal ID. It also can become a compelling way for merchants to share offers and discounts.
•Your key for access and content. With NFC, your phone has the potential to replace your keys and your tickets, and NFC tags can let you access and download rich content.
•Your command center. NFC has the potential to automate common tasks and commands. For example, imagine getting into your car at the end of the day, and, with a simple tap, your phone knows to bring up a traffic map and send a quick text message to your family members letting them know you’re on your way
When it comes to devices, Mastercard has already given their blessing to T-Mobile on three devices, the HTC Amaze 4G, Samsung Galaxy S III and Samsung Galaxy S II. We expect more approval down the road, especially given that the Blackberry 9900 and Galaxy S Blaze 4G each include NFC capability.
With three national carriers behind ISIS, we have high hopes that it will succeed where Google Wallet is currently struggling to keep its head above water. NFC may very well be a major part of our mobile future, and it’s now up to Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile to try and prove that.

Samsung Note 10.1 enters the Queen's UK Royal Collection!!!

Here's a little number I spotted on the BBC web site last night that seems to have slipped the attention of many!
Here's what it says:
The Queen will add the first tablet computer to the Royal Collection when she is presented with a "digital time-capsule" later. The touchscreen device will provide access to videos, photographs and text submitted by participants who have recounted memories from the past 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. 150 gigabytes of data was collected, that is more than can be stored on Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1, so it has been limited to 60 selected entries.
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These were picked by a panel of judges including the director general of The Royal Photographic Society and the Royal Librarian. Organisers have pledged that the complete library of 80,000 entries will remain available online to all "in perpetuity". It has been called the Diamond (re)Collection.
More than 37,000 people from 66 countries took part in the project, including Olympic "blade runner" athlete Oscar Pistorius and Prince Harry, as well as less famous people. Volunteers were able to submit their memories via a website and app. The most popular occasion turned out to be 2011's Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton which was described by more than 200 people.
Picks uploaded to the tablet computer include:
A former student of Alan Turing remembering the computer pioneer's achievements before his death in 1954.
A teenager delivering a rap about his memories of 2011's London riots.
The BBC presenter George Alagiah telling how he and his family moved from Sri Lanka to Ghana in 1961, before he came to the UK.
"The digital nature of the project required a digital device to present to Her Majesty, and The Queen will be able to press 'play' on the tablet before watching a video of some of the best Jubilee time-capsule entries," said Danny Sriskandarajah, director of the Royal Commonwealth Society charity.
The organisation said it had at one point considered using an Apple iPad, but ultimately opted for Samung's tablet after discussing the project with both firms. The device will be stored at Windsor Castle as part of the Royal Collection. It already includes other digital products - such as PCs and DVDs - as well as art, furniture and other memorabilia spread across 13 residences. It is held in trust by the Sovereign for her successors and the nation.
Source - BBC News

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1990832

Whoops! Apologies - that will teach me!

Behold the Queen holding note !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

samir_a said:
Behold the Queen holding note !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks like she got the elusive 13" version

11 Months With Ogury

I updated my apps with Ogury's SDK and went live on 20th August 2014. I posted my initial thoughts about the Ad network after a month here after a month of use and successful payment.
Several changes have happened overtime.
You can sign up and integrate their SDK quickly, no waiting time, you require the jar file of only about 374KB 2 lines of main code.
It might be important to point out that thier SDK will make your app run in the background, this is OK for those of you whose apps already do that but it might annoy users who update and find this "addition".
A specific ad is shown only once to a specific user and not any more times to prevent spamming. This user will not see any ads more than once.
I received my first payment via paypal within couple of days after my first month but have since then received payments via Bank Transfer and these come on a NET30 basis. The Minimum Payout is $50. At the end of the month you are sent an email detailing the amount you have earned and are required to send an Invoice of that sum to them for them to issue the payment, I find this rather cumbersome but what do you expect from a British Company (just kidding).
The support is BRILLIANT, you are assigned an account manager who you can communicate to easily and is at your beck and call, in my experience, mine has been very responsive on all issues and answering my questions.
They are GooglePlay complaint.
Fill Rate varies dramatically, some months are bad and others are great as you'll see below.
I run the SDK alongside my admob, the ads appear when the user opens the app, the ads are interstitial or Video, my apps use admob for banners and Interstitials between activities.
Ofcourse all this talk is nothing without results. Below you can compare my earnings for both Admob and Ogury in the last 11 months, You can see I've earned more with Ogury despite the revenues lacking consistency, some months are bad, others are good, last December I made $950 with Ogury, my highest ever with a single ad network.
Admob
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Ogury
For a better understanding of my traffic and Average Usage Times over the 11 months, here's data from my Google Analytics Account showing Use ranking by Country.
Conclusion: I've made roughly more with Ogury than Admob, only recently has the Euro lost value to the Dollar so don't base on current Forex Exchange Rates for comparison. I Do suggest you give Ogury a shot.

Help with integration
Hey @ paulasiimwe,
I am trying to integrate the Ogury iOS SDK and was getting stuck with setting the bannerView frame to be attached to my view hierarchy.
By any chance, could you possibly help me out?
Thanks in advance for your time and help!