Database Users

brick HTC hero purpose

Yes. I'm looking for a way to mess up my phone software so I can use my insurance to get a new phone. Is there. An way?

I bricked mine once by flashing a gsm radio.. =(
but if that's what you want, then go ahead!
good luck, sprint isn't that smart. tell them you tried updating my prl and it shut off. that's what i did!

why dont you just say you lost it or throw it in the toilet?

junior5487 said:
why dont you just say you lost it or throw it in the toilet?
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this wouldn't get you a free phone, you'd have to pay a $100 deductible... you should be careful when making posts like this. Some people are really sensitive about cheating the system and will torch you. Having said that, I would flash a gsm radio like the second post said.

bigboidomo said:
Yes. I'm looking for a way to mess up my phone software so I can use my insurance to get a new phone. Is there. An way?
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Click to collapse
if ur paying for insurance then why don't u just brick it the easy way nd drop an actual brick on it... last i checked monthly insurance covered any cause for replacement even neglect

My first inclination is to flame you, because the day before my phone got stolen, Sprint raised their deductable from $50 to $100 because of people doing things like that. It sucked.
But with that said, if you still feel like being "that guy" just flash a gsm radio

looneylu said:
this wouldn't get you a free phone, you'd have to pay a $100 deductible... you should be careful when making posts like this. Some people are really sensitive about cheating the system and will torch you. Having said that, I would flash a gsm radio like the second post said.
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I didn't pay when mine bricked..of course, it was a TOTAL **** move to say i had no idea what happened..

radxcoresteven said:
I didn't pay when mine bricked..of course, it was a TOTAL **** move to say i had no idea what happened..
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i know, that's why i told him to do it your way rather than claiming loss or dropping it down the toilet

ummm...run the RUU then uplug the device as it is flashing? you ever hear of insurance fraud my man?

Why do you need a new phone? If there is a defect, such as dust under the screen or paint chipping, call up customer service. They'll send you another one. If you REALLY needed to brick it, I would flash a Nexus kernel and radio. If you flash BOTH, that's the point of no return.

looneylu said:
i know, that's why i told him to do it your way rather than claiming loss or dropping it down the toilet
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Ohh, i get it now haha

countdown to thread deletions in three

You could use flash_image to overwrite the nand with 0xFF's. Or my personal favorite, nuke it for 2 seconds in the microwave. I happen to be one of few people who has heard what it sounds like to be connected to a phone being nuked. You hear a thud, a couple beeps, a loud buzzing and a click...
Granted that guy took me seriously. But in general you should always try to call customer service or take it to a sprint store and argue for a replacement. If you waste enough of their time they will do it for you without your needing to destroy hardware and raise prices for the rest of us.

Use fresh ruu 1.56 sprint stock and unplugged bfre it finishes...anyways u might get the error 110 like me....

Yea because flashing a gsm radio isnt cheating the system. An insurance claim you pay for which is what he said he didnt say under warranty.

Ok, Im sending my phone in for chipped paint guys... Now tell me..
I run a mac, and am on fresh 2.0d
Before sending it in should I brick it using the GSM radio thing so they dont know im rooted.
Because i don't know how to unroot on a mac.
EDIT: Also on my new phone, can i use my existing nandroid backups?

Just run the stock RUU it does it by itself. It gets rid of root and it also may brick your phone which you dont care. I do not know if it works on mac tho.
http://geekfor.me/news/sprint_ruu_156/

You are the reason people like me have to pay high premiums. Is anyone honest anymore? You guys who do this crap piss me off!

You have high premiums because you have a high cost device. The cost is 100 for high end devices if you had a regular phone it would still be 50.

awrnsmn said:
You are the reason people like me have to pay high premiums. Is anyone honest anymore? You guys who do this crap piss me off!
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Relax brotha everybody does it..one way or the other ..am sure u have done it. Maybe not with cell phones.......
I might get burned for saying this..but its my opinion...

Too many pattern attempts!

Hey my samsung vibrant that I just bought off of craigslist says Too many pattern attempts! and it says to unlock, sign in with your google account. I didn't steal this phone but I was wondering how I would get rid of this message.
Thanks
nikmash232

you can't unless you know the google account currently tied to that phone, if all else fails you can always flash it but its gonna be kind of hard

How can I flash it? Thats the only option i have now anyways just wondering how because I can't exactly access anything on the phone. Is there anyway I can access the internal memory so I can put a Update.zip in there

never really tried to flash a secured-screen locked phone but im sure its possible

You would have to flash it using Odin, thats assuming you can get into download mode using the volume keys. Do a search to find Odin images and instructions. If your phone is hardware locked out of download and recovery mode you're SOL.

yeah i can get into recovery mode but havent tried download mode yet...i just saw the tutorial for odin and im downloading hte stuff for it now..university connection sucks.

nikmash232 said:
yeah i can get into recovery mode but havent tried download mode yet...i just saw the tutorial for odin and im downloading hte stuff for it now..university connection sucks.
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well if you can get to recovery just choose the delete data option or whichever it is and reboot and there should be no more lock, but if there is then you would have to use odin...

I would say tether your phone since it would be faster most likely, but you cant lol.

Genesis1791 said:
I would say tether your phone since it would be faster most likely, but you cant lol.
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lol i just really laughed at this

skater4690 said:
well if you can get to recovery just choose the delete data option or whichever it is and reboot and there should be no more lock, but if there is then you would have to use odin...
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yeah i tried the delete data option didnt work out..i guess odin is my last option i hope it works or there goes $240 down the drain

nikmash232 said:
yeah i tried the delete data option didnt work out..i guess odin is my last option i hope it works or there goes $240 down the drain
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It works, I walked someone through the process before and it worked perfectly fine for him so don't worry and this phones practically impossible to brick so don't worry if Odin messes up on you the first time (happens often).

nikmash232 said:
yeah i tried the delete data option didnt work out..i guess odin is my last option i hope it works or there goes $240 down the drain
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ok i have one question... why would you spend $240 on a phone with a password? did you not play with it to see if it worked before you bought it? and odin should work theres no lock on dl mode and heres a tip turn the phone off have the usb plugged into the computer hold the volume buttons then plug the phone in and it should put you strait into dl mode. idk if its volume down or both volume buttons but that should work for you perfectly it does for me everytime

although i only just got my phone 2 days ago myself, i can say, if you flash via odin, it'll fix everything lol
i had a problem with a pink keyboard mod i couldn't get rid of without flashing, it was annoyingly bright
and man, if you're getting this phone for $240, i wouldn't care if it has the password on it, that's a damm good deal, i paid 350 for mine x-x
anyway, on topic, I couldn't find the original OEM firmware to flash, but i saw there was a leaked firmware on the vibrant forums, and I can say that it works perfectly fine, just use the thread that has the download link to the "All in one" package, that includes odin and the instructions are on the thread.
really simple, and takes 5mins, and congratz on a sexy new phone

I have the same problem with my Samsung Vibrant. Were you able to fix it?

Great... another thread helping both those who steal and those who buy stolen Vibrants.

skater4690 said:
well if you can get to recovery just choose the delete data option or whichever it is and reboot and there should be no more lock, but if there is then you would have to use odin...
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Yea, this thread is pretty stupid.
Locks are only an issue for hardware locked devices, and hardly any exist anymore...
Just factory reset the damn thing from the recovery menu and enjoy you phone.
The person you got the phone from probably stole it or found it, anyways, and that's probably why it was sold.

Chalup said:
Great... another thread helping both those who steal and those who buy stolen Vibrants.
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Unless you can prove it, keep your mouth shut.
If he brought the phone, even if it was stolen, he deserves to use it - IMO.

N8ter said:
Unless you can prove it, keep your mouth shut.
If he brought the phone, even if it was stolen, he deserves to use it - IMO.
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I will have to say that the first thought that crossed my mind is that the legitimate owner would not be selling a pattern locked phone. And the law typically doesn't support the view that you deserve to keep stolen goods if you purchased them unknowingly.
I'm not making accusations and not trying to pick a fight. Just putting in my 2 cents on the situational ethics here...

ZX3ZX4 said:
I will have to say that the first thought that crossed my mind is that the legitimate owner would not be selling a pattern locked phone. And the law typically doesn't support the view that you deserve to keep stolen goods if you purchased them unknowingly.
I'm not making accusations and not trying to pick a fight. Just putting in my 2 cents on the situational ethics here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROM developers violate Copyrights and IP laws all the time here, and people like you have no issues with it. So much for ethics.
No sane person will throw a phone away just because they mistakenly purchased a stolen device.
People who don't their stolen phones to be usable can do themselves a favor and go to a CDMA carrier.
The community is here to help, not judge, and the pattern lock bug can happen to any legit owner, so the information garnered from this thread can help those people as well. Don't pollute it.
/end

N8ter said:
Unless you can prove it, keep your mouth shut.
If he brought the phone, even if it was stolen, he deserves to use it - IMO.
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Click to collapse
"keep your mouth shut"? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Wow this forum really is becoming a cesspool of vermin. Idiots. Thieves. And idiots defending the thieves.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Found SGS 2 laying on Road

While there r so many threads here telling they lost their sexy phone , well i just got one . found laying on side of the road ( it is nice leather case so phone is in same condition )
Having evil ideas about the phone.
So tell me guys what to do.......
Btw i have already one

vikas776 said:
While there r so many threads here telling they lost their sexy phone , well i just got one . found laying on side of the road ( it is nice leather case so phone is in same condition )
Having evil ideas about the phone.
So tell me guys what to do.......
Btw i have already one
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Click to collapse
Try and trace the owner or hand it in would be a good start.

Trace the owner, and if you cannot find them, hand it in to the nearest police station to where you found it.
Alternatively contact the carrier who can trace the sim number or mobile number of the phone and find the owner.

keep it, if you drop yours you have a spare one ,
unless the owner calls the phone. than you can give it back >.>

If you dont hand it in you will probably find the IMEI gets blocked by the carrier when it gets reported missing, so wont be of much use as a phone anyway.

Hand it in, if it was your phone I am sure you would wish for the same.

shouldn't be too hard to trace the owner, so do it.

If you can turn WiFi and gps on and leave the phone powered on (Samsung dive) else turn it in.

Step 1: Check the call log and call one of the numbers the person dials often. That's sure to be a friend/family member of the person.
Step 2: Tell them you found the phone and let them put you in touch with the owner.
Step 3: Return the phone to its rightful owner.
Step 4: Enjoy the boost in Karma.

The owner uses Samsung Dive and is tracking you right now. It's a guy, he's 6'4," 250lbs, and read this thread on XDA. Now what are you going to do

I don't understand the question. Is that just me?
There's only 1 thing to do, and that's ring someone (as suggested above) and return it to its rightful owner.
Edit: Alternatively, check the email address of the owner and get in touch with them that way.

BarryH_GEG said:
The owner uses Samsung Dive and is tracking you right now. It's a guy, he's 6'4," 250lbs, and read this thread on XDA. Now what are you going to do
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give me the phone and ill deal with this guy

What ever you do, never hand it to the police. it will end with them. This should be the last option If all the others don't work. Better it ends with the rightful owner as first option or you as last but one option.
What would you do if you found 5000 dollars on the floor? Hand it to the police? If you can't trace it, they can't.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

a67543210 said:
What ever you do, never hand it to the police. it will end with them. This should be the last option If all the others don't work. Better it ends with the rightful owner as first option or you as last but one option.
What would you do if you found 5000 dollars on the floor? Hand it to the police? If you can't trace it, they can't.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
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i agree..
Handing it over to the cops should be your last option.

if u do anything but hand it in or try to find the owner you are a common thief.....why even ask the question,

Not really...
OrionCarl said:
if u do anything but hand it in or try to find the owner you are a common thief.....why even ask the question,
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I dont think you can call the guy a thief, he found the phone, did not steal it from anybody.
Now morally, thats a different matter.
I would try and trace the rightfull owner and return his phone.
ATB

OrionCarl said:
if u do anything but hand it in or try to find the owner you are a common thief.....why even ask the question,
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el.motar said:
I dont think you can call the guy a thief, he found the phone, did not steal it from anybody.
Now morally, thats a different matter.
I would try and trace the rightfull owner and return his phone.
ATB
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I agree with OrionCarl in this case. Just because you find something doesn't mean it doesn't belong to someone else. Keeping it when you know that it does is the equivalent of stealing it.

Cool story bro!

if you can access the phone check for a HOME number, alternatively check the phones own number and contact the provider and report it...

soraxd said:
pshhhh 1. change that imei and use it as a spare
2. sell it overseas where it wont be imei locked
3. sell it to mee!! i want to buy this phone for someone, and i wont use it as a phone, only as a wifi toy
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Click to collapse
or sell it back to the person who lost it....

[Q] Fired employee pattern locked his phone, need the data

We fired an employee yesterday, and when he returned his phone we discovered that it is pattern-locked. I need to get around the lock to see if he has any important company data stored on his phone...
Is there any way to do this on the Shift?

Factory wipe would get rid of anything on his phone, try sliding the keyboard open to wake the phone, I know sometimes that got around the pattern lock back on my moment, never used the pattern lock on this phone, sorry.
Sent from my PG06100 using XDA App

ovalprocess said:
We fired an employee yesterday, and when he returned his phone we discovered that it is pattern-locked. I need to get around the lock to see if he has any important company data stored on his phone...
Is there any way to do this on the Shift?
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Click to collapse
Well first off, any important data would be stored on the SD card.
Doing a factory wipe would wipe what is on the phone, not the SD card. Nothing would really be on the phone though unless you want to dig around in his text messages.

Actually, I DO want to dig around in his text messages. I work for an IT consulting firm, and I need to know if he was communicating to clients via text.

ovalprocess said:
Actually, I DO want to dig around in his text messages. I work for an IT consulting firm, and I need to know if he was communicating to clients via text.
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You might have to contact Sprint for a record of those. I don't know of any way to get around the pattern lock.

If he enabled USB debugging, you will be able to get at a lot of stuff with adb... including the text message database.

ovalprocess said:
We fired an employee yesterday, and when he returned his phone we discovered that it is pattern-locked. I need to get around the lock to see if he has any important company data stored on his phone...
Is there any way to do this on the Shift?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ovalprocess said:
Actually, I DO want to dig around in his text messages. I work for an IT consulting firm, and I need to know if he was communicating to clients via text.
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Click to collapse
Just call the guy you fired and ask him for the password. Sounds to me like the simple and adult solution. Who cares if his feeling are hurt or it will be awkward, its like turning in the office keys when you leave.

+1 Could've been a simple oversight on his part.

ovalprocess said:
Actually, I DO want to dig around in his text messages. I work for an IT consulting firm, and I need to know if he was communicating to clients via text.
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Kind of seems ironic that he can't break the code since he works for an IT firm.

lvpre said:
Kind of seems ironic that he can't break the code since he works for an IT firm.
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Totally ironic. Try ADB?

lvpre said:
Kind of seems ironic that he can't break the code since he works for an IT firm.
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Not really, information technology != software security
That's like saying it's ironic that a mechanical engineer can't make his own electronic circuit board

c00ller said:
Not really, information technology != software security
That's like saying it's ironic that a mechanical engineer can't make his own electronic circuit board
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No, it actually is ironic and also hilarious.
It's more like a mechanic that doesn't know how to rebuild a transmission.
--Sysadmin/IT professional/Tech Support professional of 10+ years.
edit: Then again, it's not a bad question, but you have to admit it's a bit ironic.
riggsandroid said:
Just call the guy you fired and ask him for the password. Sounds to me like the simple and adult solution. Who cares if his feeling are hurt or it will be awkward, its like turning in the office keys when you leave.
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This times a million.

VICODAN said:
No, it actually is ironic and also hilarious.
It's more like a mechanic that doesn't know how to rebuild a transmission.
--Sysadmin/IT professional/Tech Support professional of 10+ years.
edit: Then again, it's not a bad question, but you have to admit it's a bit ironic.
This times a million.
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Actually, judging how many combinations you can do with the pattern lock, it would take a quite while to figure out the right combination since there's literally thousands of doable combinations that have to be done manually (afaik) not automated by a script. It isn't ironic at all. Why waste the time? I wouldn't want to bang my head against a wall when the solution is a simple phone call away. And I've been doing IT as long as you have.

cosine83 said:
Actually, judging how many combinations you can do with the pattern lock, it would take a quite while to figure out the right combination since there's literally thousands of doable combinations that have to be done manually (afaik) not automated by a script. It isn't ironic at all. Why waste the time? I wouldn't want to bang my head against a wall when the solution is a simple phone call away. And I've been doing IT as long as you have.
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I wasn't talking about the validity of the question at all. It's a great question.. since nobody seems to know the answer I would just suggest taking out the battery and seeing if you can boot into recovery and mounting it via USB if USB debugging is enabled and/or messing with ADB on the phone..
Also, why is this company giving their employees Android phones and not Blackberries? Blackberries can be controlled via BES. Maybe it's just a husband trying to hack his wife's phone?

VICODAN said:
I wasn't talking about the validity of the question at all. It's a great question.. since nobody seems to know the answer I would just suggest taking out the battery and seeing if you can boot into recovery and mounting it via USB if USB debugging is enabled and/or messing with ADB on the phone..
Also, why is this company giving their employees Android phones and not Blackberries? Blackberries can be controlled via BES. Maybe it's just a husband trying to hack his wife's phone?
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My last job was using Droid Incredibles. Android phones can be controlled via Exchange ActiveSync security policies. I personally did it at my last job to **** with this guy that was an annoying asshole. Made it so he had to enter his AD password whenever he wanted to unlock his phone and I'd data wipe his phone weekly. He'd ask me about it and I'd tell him it's security policy. I had him convinced that everyone was having the same thing done when they weren't.

Honestly: If I knew the answer I wouldn't tell you. Bypassing someone's security is not the kind of information you should be able to get from XDA.
^ Shift Faced

Sounds more like a jealous boyfriend wants to look at his girls texts.
You gotta admit, it sounds plausible....

I know how to accomplish this, and it is actually quite simple, but I would never share this with some a***ole employer that wants to spy on their employees.

cloverdale said:
I know how to accomplish this, and it is actually quite simple, but I would never share this with some a***ole employer that wants to spy on their employees.
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Then why waste the time to post here and talk **** to some guy who might be actually telling the truth and needs to get work info off that phone?
Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk

e240 said:
Then why waste the time to post here and talk **** to some guy who might be actually telling the truth and needs to get work info off that phone?
Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk
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You don't think the whole story is fishy? The way I see it, he has two obvious options:
1. Call the employee. Ask for the pattern.
2. If he refuses, call the cops.
The fact that he is not doing either of these indicates that he does not have a legitimate reason for wanting the info.
^ Shift Faced

[Q] Changing IMEI of the Nexus 4

My brand new Nexus 4 got stolen within a week of buying it while traveling in Bombay. I was hoping to get it back after lodging a police complaint and they assured me it will get traced using the IMEI number. But recently I have came across many newspaper articles saying that the IMEI number can be changed using software's from the internet.
If such is the case, aren't the IMEI numbers useless in the first place?
The new IMEI number doesn't make the phone unstable or make it share its IMEI number with any other phone?
Can phones with changed IMEI numbers be used with regular mobile networks?
Modern technology isnt making this impossible?
Can someone well versed in these issues answer these questions?
Thanks

I'm pretty sure changing the IMEI number would be illegal.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Devhux said:
I'm pretty sure changing the IMEI number would be illegal.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
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So is stealing the device in the first place! The thief won`t care for that. As discussions about changing Imei numbers are not allowed on XDA that doesn`t mean there isn`t some dark app/software around to change the Imei though.

Is illegal and you would have to have some sort of access to be able to change it
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

there are many softwares avb thru which the IMEI can be changed. But adding extra digits to the IMEI number or having two phones with the same IMEI number not make the phone useless? can the telephone companies not read these type of phones?

In India the success rate of phones getting recovered is merely 2%. There are many shops in seedy places where thieves can get the phones wiped or get the IMEI changed. Manufacturers need to come up with better solutions to prevent theft or make the phone unusable once stolen. If they expect people to buy such expensive phones, it wouldnt hurt them to make them more secure and in turn safe guarding our costly indulgence.

vaibhav414 said:
In India the success rate of phones getting recovered is merely 2%. There are many shops in seedy places where thieves can get the phones wiped or get the IMEI changed. Manufacturers need to come up with better solutions to prevent theft or make the phone unusable once stolen. If they expect people to buy such expensive phones, it wouldnt hurt them to make them more secure and in turn safe guarding our costly indulgence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure it's possible for them to make the phone trackable as long as the phone has charge. Eg, a small chip that is ALWAYS on to enable 24/7 GPS tracking.
Although that's nice, people would complain about privacy. They would say the manufacturers are tracking them and soon there will be some illuminati or political war going on with the manufacturer.
Is it possible? Very likely.
Will people like it? Yes and No.

exb0 said:
I'm sure it's possible for them to make the phone trackable as long as the phone has charge. Eg, a small chip that is ALWAYS on to enable 24/7 GPS tracking.
Although that's nice, people would complain about privacy. They would say the manufacturers are tracking them and soon there will be some illuminati or political war going on with the manufacturer.
Is it possible? Very likely.
Will people like it? Yes and No.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a good idea. and Privacy-shrivacy! People who make a big deal about privacy should pay everyone who loses their phone and then cant track it.
Also, manufacturers have done away with a tiny slot that you could used to tie a cord around. I feel tying your phone to your trousers is the only way not to lose your phone in India. We are packed like sardines here when we use the public transport and thats the only way to secure your phone.

exb0 said:
I'm sure it's possible for them to make the phone trackable as long as the phone has charge. Eg, a small chip that is ALWAYS on to enable 24/7 GPS tracking.
Although that's nice, people would complain about privacy. They would say the manufacturers are tracking them and soon there will be some illuminati or political war going on with the manufacturer.
Is it possible? Very likely.
Will people like it? Yes and No.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't be surprised if they're already doing that, atleast American carrier locked phones. But then it would be detected by engineers by examining the motherboard? Although it's not necessary with network and software capability like Carrier IQ and Prism.

vaibhav414 said:
Thats a good idea. and Privacy-shrivacy! People who make a big deal about privacy should pay everyone who loses their phone and then cant track it.
Also, manufacturers have done away with a tiny slot that you could used to tie a cord around. I feel tying your phone to your trousers is the only way not to lose your phone in India. We are packed like sardines here when we use the public transport and thats the only way to secure your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty annoyed by people who keep whining about privacy as well. Germany is probably the worst worldwide right now when it comes to such people. Like a while back, when they all complained about Google Streetview and set them back via lawsuits and politics several times. Now it was only passed when people were able so request their houses(!) to be pixelated. I mean srsly, it's not like it's their faces or licence plates, it's just some outer walls, every one can see when driving by themselves! Anyway, that's why there isn't much Streetview going on here right now (Google probably got tired of it). And it's just one of many annoying examples.
But back to topic: I think Google is doing some good first steps in the anti-theft and recovery direction with the Device manager. Now it just has to work for me...

vaibhav414 said:
Thats a good idea. and Privacy-shrivacy! People who make a big deal about privacy should pay everyone who loses their phone and then cant track it.
Also, manufacturers have done away with a tiny slot that you could used to tie a cord around. I feel tying your phone to your trousers is the only way not to lose your phone in India. We are packed like sardines here when we use the public transport and thats the only way to secure your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. I actually don't like "big brother" tracking me down.
So what if you can track it? I might be able to track it down to a condo, so how are you gonna know who took the phone?
I doubt the police would make a raid JUST FOR A PHONE.
Yes I know, I've been to India. Yep, I agree on this one. I do want a strap.
eksasol said:
Wouldn't be surprised if they're already doing that, atleast American carrier locked phones. But then it would be detected by engineers by examining the motherboard? Although it's not necessary with network and software capability like Carrier IQ and Prism.
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Click to collapse
If they were, engineers would see it.
No, with software it's easily wipeable. If the nexus 4 came with a tracking app named TRACK (for an example) , I can just take the phone, wipe it and install cyanogenmod on it. There you go, the app "TRACK" will be gone. Software side would be useless. If i'm not mistaken cerberus suffers from the same problem. It's a software. I'm sure you can wipe it.
Bottom line is, unless manufacturers make a HARDWARE that lets you track it, there's no full proof way of tracking it. Even then, it's hard to convict someone of stealing your phone.
In case you're thinking that I don't understand your pain of losing a nexus 4, trust me when I say I do. I lost my nexus 4 IN SCHOOL about 2 weeks go.

exb0 said:
Nope. I actually don't like "big brother" tracking me down.
So what if you can track it? I might be able to track it down to a condo, so how are you gonna know who took the phone?
I doubt the police would make a raid JUST FOR A PHONE.
Yes I know, I've been to India. Yep, I agree on this one. I do want a strap.
If they were, engineers would see it.
No, with software it's easily wipeable. If the nexus 4 came with a tracking app named TRACK (for an example) , I can just take the phone, wipe it and install cyanogenmod on it. There you go, the app "TRACK" will be gone. Software side would be useless. If i'm not mistaken cerberus suffers from the same problem. It's a software. I'm sure you can wipe it.
Bottom line is, unless manufacturers make a HARDWARE that lets you track it, there's no full proof way of tracking it. Even then, it's hard to convict someone of stealing your phone.
In case you're thinking that I don't understand your pain of losing a nexus 4, trust me when I say I do. I lost my nexus 4 IN SCHOOL about 2 weeks go.
Click to expand...
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The point is to make stealing phones difficult. If the police raid a couple of times, the thieves would think that its useless stealing phones, since they get tracked and would discourage them from this practice. Till the someone found an IMEI loophole, im guessing phone theft would be on decline too. For eg: Modern cars. Since the chip installed in the Key. Car theft has gone down considerably.
Also, were not really upset upon losing your Nexus 4? What steps did you take to get it back, if at all?
I was hoping mine would get recovered eventually. But i have lost all hope.
I wish the thief gets slow roasted in hell.