LeeryDroid
Lurker
Hello to all,
I have been using an iPhone for over a year and want to get away from Apple’s constant screwing over of the public by insisting that certain iOS’ will work on versions of phones they damn well know it won’t. Case in point: iOS 4.X on a 3G. (I also know some 3Gs owners getting screwed by iOS5!) This has led me to consider a Droid phone. I have chosen one, the Atrix 2 and have begun looking into the apps available and OS potential issues. While looking at available apps in the Android Marketplace I saw some antivirus apps. This made me worry somewhat and led me to do more research.
I see also that apps have “permissions”. For the life of me, I cannot understand why in the world an app like “Arcade Ball” by Gravek would need to access to my phone calls! I can understand the internet use to some degree but would prefer it didn’t have that either. And the inability to be able to block this app from doing that really puts me off. I have been a dedicated windows user since my first PC and have come to loathe Apple to death. However, it is difficult to fight the fact that Apple OS does block things like a virus and/or malware. I see no reason whatsoever for a gaming app to need access to my phone calls and or contact lists. I know apps like “Words with Friends” wants to know my Facebook contacts but sorry, no dice! So I’ve logged into it with a dummy name so it can’t have access. The key factor here is I had the control to allow it or not.
While it is nice to know what the app is doing, the inability to deny the app permissions I deem unnecessary is a paramount concern to me, one big enough to stop my Droid phone purchase altogether! If I don’t want the app to access the internet for leader boards or what not, that should be my call, not the app’s! I have read about not downloading apps like the aforementioned Arcade Ball but I’m really not looking forward to having to become a Droid phone guru just to avoid issues. I’ve played that role with MS Window’s much too long and it does get tiring. To me, it starts to seem like I have to be a mechanic to trust someone to fix my car, a lawyer to get legal advice, a doctor to know what is wrong when I don’t feel well and so on. It’s just not the way it should be. No one should have to become an expert in any field just to get the correct answer to a question or enjoy a product they own.
So, after the long winded explanation comes the question: Is there indeed an app, or some way, that lets a Droid owner stop apps from doing things (like accessing contacts, internet or phone call usage) that he or she prefer the app not do or have access to?
Many thanks in advance for all the help.
I have been using an iPhone for over a year and want to get away from Apple’s constant screwing over of the public by insisting that certain iOS’ will work on versions of phones they damn well know it won’t. Case in point: iOS 4.X on a 3G. (I also know some 3Gs owners getting screwed by iOS5!) This has led me to consider a Droid phone. I have chosen one, the Atrix 2 and have begun looking into the apps available and OS potential issues. While looking at available apps in the Android Marketplace I saw some antivirus apps. This made me worry somewhat and led me to do more research.
I see also that apps have “permissions”. For the life of me, I cannot understand why in the world an app like “Arcade Ball” by Gravek would need to access to my phone calls! I can understand the internet use to some degree but would prefer it didn’t have that either. And the inability to be able to block this app from doing that really puts me off. I have been a dedicated windows user since my first PC and have come to loathe Apple to death. However, it is difficult to fight the fact that Apple OS does block things like a virus and/or malware. I see no reason whatsoever for a gaming app to need access to my phone calls and or contact lists. I know apps like “Words with Friends” wants to know my Facebook contacts but sorry, no dice! So I’ve logged into it with a dummy name so it can’t have access. The key factor here is I had the control to allow it or not.
While it is nice to know what the app is doing, the inability to deny the app permissions I deem unnecessary is a paramount concern to me, one big enough to stop my Droid phone purchase altogether! If I don’t want the app to access the internet for leader boards or what not, that should be my call, not the app’s! I have read about not downloading apps like the aforementioned Arcade Ball but I’m really not looking forward to having to become a Droid phone guru just to avoid issues. I’ve played that role with MS Window’s much too long and it does get tiring. To me, it starts to seem like I have to be a mechanic to trust someone to fix my car, a lawyer to get legal advice, a doctor to know what is wrong when I don’t feel well and so on. It’s just not the way it should be. No one should have to become an expert in any field just to get the correct answer to a question or enjoy a product they own.
So, after the long winded explanation comes the question: Is there indeed an app, or some way, that lets a Droid owner stop apps from doing things (like accessing contacts, internet or phone call usage) that he or she prefer the app not do or have access to?
Many thanks in advance for all the help.
