Launcher Pro - ridiculous amount of permissions...

[blackvyper]

LOL Blackvyper and his parade for ADW once again.


LP has been has been nothing but great lately. Yeah when i first got it months ago, it was unstable at times but the dev has put in some hard work and its shown. Notification counters and customization sold me on the app.

Thanks.. it's nice to be remembered. I just suggest the best apps for people who don't really know what to choose. Take a look at my other suggestions as well. There's nothing wrong with using LP if you want the best of what's left

 

[Daft Punk]

thanks.. It's nice to be remembered. I just suggest the best apps for people who don't really know what to choose. Take a look at my other suggestions as well. There's nothing wrong with using lp if you want the best of what's left :d

once again your opinion. Not fact.

 

[spottyelephant]

Wow. This doesn't even make sense. "I trust a corporation that is no doubt cashing in on every piece of information they get from my phone - legitimately or not - but this developer? No, screw that guy man. He's shady."

I personally couldn't care less. I've got nothing to hide, and being paranoid is a waste of time and unnecessary stress. If the developer of a Launcher (whichever it may be) wants to know what I'm looking for on Google, by all means go for it. Not like it's not being tracked by someone else anyways.

Chill out dude. You're being watched 24/7 anyways.

Ahem. Care to revise your position given what's in the news today!?

 

[Podivin]

That's a trifle vague, what's in the news?

 

[wuthton]

That's a trifle vague, what's in the news?

Think he is probably referring to this

http://m.gizmodo.com/5599435/over-1m-android-users-details-were-compromised-thanks-to-a-malicious-app

edit, I have just reread the article and it is seemingly not as bad as first reported, but the point has been made.

A reasonably popular wallpaper app has been scraping personal usage and contact data and sending it to China.

Usually I am in the "have nothing to hide" camp but this has comprised people's phones to a surprisingly deep level, a level infact that they could easily have your checkout password and god knows what else.

 

[Roze]

Think he is probably referring to this

Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide

edit, I have just reread the article and it is seemingly not as bad as first reported, but the point has been made.

A reasonably popular wallpaper app has been scraping personal usage and contact data and sending it to China.

Usually I am in the "have nothing to hide" camp but this has comprised people's phones to a surprisingly deep level, a level infact that they could easily have your checkout password and god knows what else.

Well from the Phandroid site, it seems that it's a bit overblown to that yes some of your info are being sent to China (ewwww) but it's not like EVERYTHING is being sent (good grief):

MyLookout chimed in with us to clarify some details that other outlets have been reporting. Specifically, the app does collect data from your phone, but only the device

 

[GlitchZero]

Ahem. Care to revise your position given what's in the news today!?

Not at all. I still think you're being overly paranoid. Download Lookout if this bugs you that much.

I, on the other hand, will continue to use good applications to their full extent, because someone, somewhere already has all my 'sensitive information' 10 times over. What's another 1?

 

[Szadzik]

I, on the other hand, will continue to use good applications to their full extent, because someone, somewhere already has all my 'sensitive information' 10 times over. What's another 1?

Could not agree more.

 

[TonyXL]

The problem with LP is the android.permission.INTERNET.

It's fine that the app can read your Gmail, contacts, SMS, calendar, etc. But it has the capability to send it over the internet back to the developer in Argentina.

The dev states the internet is only used to active the "Plus" features. But what if he suddenly falls on hard times? He could push out an update that quietly scans your Gmail for passwords/financial info and sends it back to him in Argentina.

Now the odds of that happening are very slim, but best security practices would dictate that no android app that can read that much of your data should have android.permission.INTERNET.

 

[Szadzik]

The problem with LP is the android.permission.INTERNET.

It's fine that the app can read your Gmail, contacts, SMS, calendar, etc. But it has the capability to send it over the internet back to the developer in Argentina.

The dev states the internet is only used to active the "Plus" features. But what if he suddenly falls on hard times? He could push out an update that quietly scans your Gmail for passwords/financial info and sends it back to him in Argentina.

Now the odds of that happening are very slim, but best security practices would dictate that no android app that can read that much of your data should have android.permission.INTERNET.

That is why I do not keep any sensitive info on my main GMail account. I forward it to a secondary one and delete from the main one.

 

[ari-free]

I will admit that a buddy just got his first Android, and he refuses to install apps because of the permissions it asks.

He said Apple protected it's iPhone users by screening all apps, but nobody is screening Android apps.
...

I ask if it would be better to hide these permissions so it won't scare noobs away, but I do prefer to let users know what all they are installing.

You can't trust one company to thoroughly screen every one of tens of thousands of apps. And if you jailbreak in order to go to Cydia like all the 'cool' people do...
The permission system is the closest thing we have to open transparency of every app and it should be a feature for every OS. However, Android needs more user friendly descriptions than android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE for example.

 

[spiz]

I love it when people try to pass their opinions as facts. If you like ADW better than LP, good for you. If you prefer LP over ADW, again, good for you. The great thing about Android is that we get to choose what we do and don't like.

ADW literally has nothing over Launcher Pro and vice versa. It's all about personal preference.

 

[ferretkeeper]

It's the
Services that cost you money - directly call phone numbers
that puzzles me.
Anyone know anything about that?

Just got an Orange San Francisco (ZTE Blade) after i dropped my Samsung Omnia down a drain and I've been using an old Nokia 5210. It does calls and SMS fine and quicker but I can't take it out in public.

 

[Nighthawk4]

I use Launcher Pro Plus.

Seems pretty good to me

 

[Bob Maxey]

I will admit that a buddy just got his first Android, and he refuses to install apps because of the permissions it asks.

He said Apple protected it's iPhone users by screening all apps, but nobody is screening Android apps.

I told him he will be missing out on a lot of great apps.

Many on here including me link to Appbrain, but Androlib is the original online library and it includes the permissions for apps. AndroLib LINK

For example, ChompSMS requests:



I ask if it would be better to hide these permissions so it won't scare noobs away, but I do prefer to let users know what all they are installing.

Times have certainly changed.

Not too long ago, security was all the rage. Be afraid, be very afraid and never give access to our stuff.

There is no way in hell a PC application would be welcomed if it had the access and control a typical Android Application has. We are being asked by the Android community to trust in them and no worries, please. Security experts told us about the bad things some bad applications can do and scared us a bit too much.

I can see a time when some app, welcomed by the masses, recommended by one and all, and written by a scammer that is a bit too clever for his own good, does something bad.

I simply decided to trust others, install the apps I need, avoid sending sensitive information via my phone and absolutely no banking apps or other financial transactions. Sometimes, I think I wasted my money on my Zio because I am a tad too careful and yes, bothered by the access I give to some applications.

Bob Maxey

 

[kevin@teslacoilsw]

It's the
Services that cost you money - directly call phone numbers
that puzzles me.
Anyone know anything about that?

This is for the Direct Dial shortcut from the standard Android Contacts app.

It's kind of annoying the way Android implemented this as a shortcut rather than a widget. It's a shortcut built into the system, but in order to use it the Launcher must have the "Services that cost you money - directly call phone numbers" permission.

(I get this question about WidgetLocker often)