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There's an app for that? (Read 220020 times)

sjw

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#375 Re: There's an app for that?
January 10, 2012, 09:21:54 am
The vimeo app for android has just been released. Having waited ages for it, it's only gingerbread or above, which is terrible news for me and my Defy. Sob.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.vimeo.android.videoapp&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS52aW1lby5hbmRyb2lkLnZpZGVvYXBwIl0.

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#376 Re: There's an app for that?
January 10, 2012, 10:14:38 am

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slackline

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#378 Re: There's an app for that?
January 11, 2012, 01:39:47 pm
Had that installed for a while and just started using it,nice, clean and simple.

I await Paul B's app though  :clap2:

Paul B

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#379 Re: There's an app for that?
January 11, 2012, 01:58:40 pm
You'll be waiting until MIT get appinventor running and I get a thesis in, and why bother, its been the lack of interval rest on other timers that I craved (the only thing extra was showing lock positions for encores but its far from necessary).

I used Appinventor which obviously requires a fair amount of background scripts as a simple interval timer came in at around 4.5mb!

I think the inventor in whatever shape or form MIT release it in, would be a very good tool to teach people the logics of coding a problem without actually writing any code. Its novel how they've basically made it error proof; you can fail at getting it to do what you want but you can't get the coding 'wrong' at all.

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#380 Re: There's an app for that?
January 11, 2012, 02:16:15 pm
Meant to ask you more about it but forgot last week!

Had you tried writing code from scratch?  If so how was it? Apps are written in essentially Java aren't they?

Toying with the idea of writing an App interface to the above Where the Fuck Should I go for Drinks and integrating automatic location detection.

Paul B

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#381 Re: There's an app for that?
January 11, 2012, 03:10:45 pm
Meant to ask you more about it but forgot last week!

Had you tried writing code from scratch?  If so how was it? Apps are written in essentially Java aren't they?

I've got no knowledge of Java and a first look left me scratching my head a bit, other more important things to do currently  :wall:.

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#382 Re: There's an app for that?
January 11, 2012, 03:28:53 pm
Might try wasting some time tinkering to see if I can pick things up, never written anything in Java before myself, but its just another language to learn (principles are transferable between programming languages IMO).

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#383 Re: There's an app for that?
January 30, 2012, 11:27:21 am
AdAway an open source alternative to AdFree that has more (n = 3 instead of n = 1) lists of hosts to block and allows you to add your own (if so inclined).

Removed the annoying adds from Angrybirds so far \o/

(You need to have rooted your phone though)

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#384 Re: There's an app for that?
January 30, 2012, 04:55:59 pm
You can remove the ads on angry birds by turning the connection off before you play.

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#385 Re: There's an app for that?
January 30, 2012, 05:05:20 pm
You can remove the ads on angry birds by turning the connection off before you play.

That would work for any application that displays adds as they're requesting banners from servers that exist solely to serve up banners.  Remove the network connection to request the banners and they won't be served up.

The software below works by re-directing these requests to the "local" (i.e. on the phone) loop-back device which has an IP address of 127.0.0.1 and obviously won't return any banners.

Good idea though if you haven't/can't be arsed rooting your phone (although I'd likely forget to turn 3G/WiFi back on afterwards and then wonder why I'm not getting any updates!).

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#386 Re: There's an app for that?
January 30, 2012, 05:15:48 pm
Doubletwist, its great, especially with Airsync.

I'm getting quite fed up with this, they're designing with later versions of Android in mind and every release is making my little Wildfire struggle more and more (whilst also breaking Airsync).

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#387 Re: There's an app for that?
January 31, 2012, 12:51:49 pm
Maybe Airdroid would be a suitable alternative.



And whilst ITV/4/5/etc. drag there heels in releasing 'apps' for Android you can use FilmOn to watch shit on your phone.

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#388 Re: There's an app for that?
February 06, 2012, 09:58:37 pm
I've currently got HTC calendar (with the widget) sync'ing with a shared Google calendar and then a work one too. Unfortunately it seems there's a glitch in either Android or Google Calendar on Froyo and it loses the odd item. This is my main gripe with Android, missing one item renders a calendar fairly useless, you certainly can't rely on it (and no its not just me, it seems widespread).

Does anyone use an alternative, preferably with a large grid style widget too?

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#390 Re: There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 10:10:58 am
For those worried about security Avast! has just got a glowing review on RegHardware.

Going to try it out instead of the Antivirus Free app I've been using to scan applications.

On a related note for those who are concerned about security Google announced the other day that they have been testing automated scanning & testing of market submissions for viruses (which should reduce the need for local antivirus applications to some extent).

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#391 Re: There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 10:16:27 am

Also see Lookout Security & Antivirus

I've been running in since I heard an interview with the authors on some tech podcast or other - seemed very knowledgeable and had good rep.

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#392 There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 10:22:56 am
Anybody found an anti virus for iStuff?
Or is it still considered unnecessary?

Now this pad is replacing my laptop for most applications, I'm starting to wonder about this...

Edit.. I've tried searching the app store...

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#393 Re: There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 10:28:30 am

Apple apps are heavily vetted before reaching the App Store so the chances of malware getting onto your device are minimal. As slackers has posted above Google are now (at last!) following suit with the Android Market.

I'm not sure if the usual risks apply across mobile platforms as apply to desktop platforms, e.g. don't open unknown attachments, etc

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#394 Re: There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 10:36:01 am
Wouldn't know where to start for iOS I'm afraid.

Should point out that due to the architecture of having root administrator account and then user accounts (albeit hidden) you're phones aren't going to get infected and turned into Zombie bot-nets in the way M$-Win computers can be, this 'sandboxing' helps prevent malicious apps doing anything that bad (so opening unknown attachments isn't a problem).  My concern is that I'm a bit lazy when reading permissions that apps will use so conceivably you could install something that tries to send texts to a premium number without you realising it for example,

Personally I'd avoid ever installing cracked apps from 3rd party sites.

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#395 There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 10:53:45 am
Ta!

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#396 Re: There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 12:17:54 pm
For those worried about security Avast! has just got a glowing review on RegHardware.
This is a really good app though the update servers seem to be struggling to keep up with demand at the minute.

If you're rooted then it contains a nice firewall that prevents network access on an app by app basis, much easier than using adfree etc to block ads.

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#397 Re: There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 08:55:54 pm
Hi.....n00b here.

I've got a new phone recently. HTC ChaCha on 02.

I got the phone mostly to get on a cheaper contract, and partly so I can check the weather when I'm on a multi-day trip climbing to make the best crag decisions. Checking email to see if anyone has replied about climbing, and using Googlemaps to find crags also useful.

I am a grumpy luddite and utterly disinterested in mobile phone culture and social networking culture. I don't have the faintest fucking idea about apps and all that bollox.

I've downloaded one app to be able to remap that juvenile cuntshit Facebook button which was the main thing putting me off the phone.

What I want to know is:

1. How can I get rid of all the other apps that came with the phone?? Obviously I didn't want a phone full of bollox but it appears I had no choice. I just want a simple way to clear out that shite as there doesn't seem to be an obvious delete function.

2. There are a few sites I'd use on the move.....errrrr......GoogleMaps, AA Routefinder, Cuntbook, ummm that's probably it. Is there any advantage to trying to get an app for those things rather than just bookmarking the site??

3. Is there anything I should get that would be genuinely useful? I can think of a compass app, maybe. Errr. Hmmm??

Thanks,
Fiend x

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#398 Re: There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 10:17:44 pm
It probably depends on how much messing about you want to do.

I don't know anything about your phone but I suspect you want to look at:

- installing some sort of custom ROM (3rd party/manufacturer's debranded)

and/or

- rooting the phone

Installing a custom rom is basically just changing the firmware. Third party organisations like CyanogenMod make their own ROMs but you can often find "official" ROMs from the manufacturer that are debranded, i.e. have all the mobile carrier specific stuff stripped out.  I did the latter with my SGS2 then just manually deleted all the manufacturer bloat afterwards by rooting it but then I quite like Touchwiz.

Rooting is basically just giving yourself full admin rights to the phone so you can go in and modify/delete/etc system files that normally you would be protected from doing. This is handy for deleting apps you'll never use.

N.B. Doing either of the above will probably void your warranty but Android is really well set up for such activities and you'd be unlucky if you couldn't just replace the original carrier branded ROM back onto your phone if you ever have the need to call on your warranty.

One place to start looking might be here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1045

Unfortunately the fact that the Chacha forum seems to be under "Legacy & Low Activity Devices" doesn't fill me with much hope that you're going to have a huge amount of options.


Is there any advantage to trying to get an app for those things rather than just bookmarking the site??
Yes. A dedicated app usually does a much better job of presenting and interfacing with a given site than trying to use it in a mobile browser.

The only app I would recommend apart from the obvious ones is to have a look at Tapatalk which makes reading this site (and many other forums) on the move about 500% more pleasant than using a browser.

I suspect slack--line will be along tomorrow to do a much better job of explaining all this...

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#399 Re: There's an app for that?
February 07, 2012, 11:00:14 pm
Hmmm I sort of understand that.

I've just spent 30 minutes trying to find a way to disable the screenlock without having to download an app.

I get the impression that some phones are set up to be a complete bag of shite that stops the users doing anything remotely useful to customise it and therefore require all sorts of apps or other dicking around to get it into a sensible state that it should have been supplied as in the first place  :spank:

 

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