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Some Serious Android Questions

Hello All,

My friend is planning on getting an Android phone. This will be his first Android phone as he mostly sticks with one platform for a long long time.

His current phone is an old palm device.

He's very serious about security and has a few other questions as well, which i am gonna write down below. I am not as experienced in this stuff, so I hope some of your could help. Thanks.

Security
When you lock out the handset, what happens to the raw data? Is the data overwritten or is only the file system wiped?

Right now my handset keeps the files that I don't use all of the time in an encrypted format. If I need to access a client file, I have to enter a password that decrypts the file. It takes some time, but this way if I loose my handset in a taxi it's only my cash that's gone & not my credibility as a professional. If I choose to remotely wipe my handset, random data is entered across the entire memory device, not only the file system, making most data recovery tools irrelevant.

Automated calling card apps
1) I buy a calling card from 7-11 to make long distance calls (not a SIM)
2) I put the phone number & password into my handset
3) When I dial a non-Hong Kong number it calls the calling card number instead & puts in the password for me
This saves me a wack of dough, especially when calling to China.
Would this work on Android?

Calendars
Are the calendars color coded? (Stupid Q, but iPhone can't do it)
ex) Work = Red, Personal = Blue

Syncing
If I sync through the cloud is the data all raw? Can anyone just look through my contacts up as easy as they can look through my email? I've found a way to avoid the cloud with contacts, but I'd use the Cloud if all the data is encrypted on each end.

Password Management
I've been using an encrypted password manager for years now. I have a desktop client and a handset client that sync across the cable. Any changes on one are reflected in the other, but it be locked up and secure.

Hope some professional Android users here could help answer some of these questions.

Thanks.

 
Are the calendars color coded? (Stupid Q, but iPhone can't do it)
ex) Work = Red, Personal = Blue

Depends on what kind of android phone you get. Some will have the stock calendar color coded. But if not, its just a few seconds away to go to the Market and download a color coded calendar.

If I sync through the cloud is the data all raw? Can anyone just look through my contacts up as easy as they can look through my email? I've found a way to avoid the cloud with contacts, but I'd use the Cloud if all the data is encrypted on each end.

I dont think its encrypted, but nobody can look at it but you.
 
If you're worried about somebody getting a hold of your data if you loose your phone then you could look at one of the remote wipe apps. At least I think there are apps that will wipe your data.
 
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