Develop Bugs

[App] Root Call Blocker needs testing

Hello guys, im the developer of Root Call Blocker, an advanced call and SMS blocking app for rooted phones.
The app's home is here at XDA:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1051274
We have had multiple reports that blocking is not working sometimes on American phones, so we need some nice people to do some testing.
You can use the Groups function of the Lite version to do the testing - it gives you almost everything youd want from the app anyway.
Please post comments here, but also use the "Write to us" dialog in settings.

ill test it can u send me the apk to [email protected]

Whoa there, lets start by reading the op shall we?

Is this like Mr. Blocker? I use my phone for around 80% of ps3 gaming. and I like forwarding everything to voicemail and Google voice messaging does this have that option
Sent from my ADR6350 using XDA Premium App

REDSCARFACE1 said:
Is this like Mr. Blocker? I use my phone for around 80% of ps3 gaming. and I like forwarding everything to voicemail and Google voice messaging does this have that option
Sent from my ADR6350 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good question. I am curios as well. Also .... off topic.... how are you using your phone for ps3 gaming?
Sent from my Droid Incredible 2

Voicemail is a carrier, not phone-based service. If you use VM, then VM is what you get when you use the appropriate reject method.
But I'm curious why you would ask me instead of trying it yourself.

ruvort said:
Good question. I am curios as well. Also .... off topic.... how are you using your phone for ps3 gaming?
Sent from my Droid Incredible 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pdanet is what I use for Xbox360 gaming
Sent from my DINC2 in Yuma, AZ

Back to topic please

This is great!

Enjoy... and remember, an update is always just around the corner! If you have problems, use "Write to us" in Settings! Dont be shy!

Could you guys please test the following behavior for me:
1. How the app behaves when a blocked number attempts to connect during call waiting
2. How a blocked caller is handled when "Dont answer" is set as the reject method and you are currently on the phone and have not enabled blocked call vibrate notifications within the app itself
Dont forget to send logs with descriptions as well

Come on people, i really need some feedback on this!

Im not kidding people - testing is what its all about!

Me, and my girlfriend both use it. The only problem I've had, is it lets picture messages through. Other than that, it works great.
Sent from my DInc 2

It doesn't let them through. It has nothing to do with them at all!

Lol - this is a great bit of software, worth the money!

It blocks messages too? So I would say it does.
Sent from my DInc 2

It blocks sms and calls.

Anything to report?

Whats with 1.7.1? Any issues?

[ARTICLE] Possible reason for battery drain in-app ads

http://gizmodo.com/5894572/in+app-ads-are-destroying-your-battery-life
In-app ads possibly draining more battery with location pinging ads even if apps are not currently active. If true, are there certain countermeasures to prevent this? I have Juice Defender Ultimate but I can't really tell if it does anything measurable when it comes to managing apps.

Download rom toolbox pro and use the ad blocker to block all ads. Mine blocked over 50,000 attempts in 1 day!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

Does Toolbox Pro have any advantages over Adfree?

Adfree always let ads through for me. And plus rom toolbox is absolutely everything in one app...root explorer..app manager(just like titanium backup)..font changer...rom manager..and you can theme your rom with it, change boot animation etc.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium

Towle said:
Adfree always let ads through for me. And plus rom toolbox is absolutely everything in one app...root explorer..app manager(just like titanium backup)..font changer...rom manager..and you can theme your rom with it, change boot animation etc.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, Rom Toolbox is the way to go

And then the carriers complain about lack of spectrum and want to charge you more for data? Effing ponderous.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA

been noticing the updated xda app does this... i see it eatting little bits of cpu hours after ive been using it.
Sent from my SGH-T989

Wow ROM toolbox is the bomb...thx guys for the suggestion!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA

Towle said:
Download rom toolbox pro and use the ad blocker to block all ads. Mine blocked over 50,000 attempts in 1 day!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. How do you know how many you've blocked per day?

mettleh3d said:
Cool. How do you know how many you've blocked per day?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It says in rom toolbox under the ad blocker settings.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

Towle said:
It says in rom toolbox under the ad blocker settings.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Under Total URLs blocked?
Edit: Those of you using Rom Toolbox are seeing much improved battery results?
if so, Great tool thanks guys!

Does ROM Toolbox also block web browser ads?
I have Adaway but it doesn't always block everything.

demonwind said:
Does ROM Toolbox also block web browser ads?
I have Adaway but it doesn't always block everything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the few days I've been using it, it blocks most. Wish it blocked ads in angry birds
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA

i just wanted to point out this comment by jordo_99 to that article...
jordo_99 said:
Since there seem to be people trying to inform everyone else about how this works I'm just going to explain it to you all...
1) ad blockers will block the ad request from being sent out to the internet...there is still a line of code from the app saying "buahaha, show these asshats my ad" but AdFree is all like "I pity the foo who has to look at ads. Access DENIED!"
2) Such "ad requests" are put out infrequently----meaning infrequently to a computer...so probably every few minutes or however often the ad would change...some apps will only show 1 ad per launch...some cycle regularly so it's always different. Regardless a few lines of code requesting an ad is very insigificant.
3) because the request is denied by the ad blocker (and preventing the phone from initiating a data signal) your battery usage is negligible at best...the few lines of code per minute that are being parsed and then denied are as insignificant and a few blades of grass on your lawn as far as your phone is concerned.
4) The display on any phone is what uses the most battery life...then radio/GPS signals...no exceptions. If your phone is in a locked state then ad requests are disabled. This is how Android OS works.
5) If you're on your phone NOT using a data connection is the only time when this is applicable...and that's IF you do NOT have an ad blocker (which is the majority of phones). Even then...the data signal caused by the ad request is insignificant to the battery cost of the screen.
6) The article itself even mentions that the "energy required" is only comparing ad requests to the rest of the apps commands...it's not comparing this to the OS energy use or display or radio signals...etc. If you aren't familiar with how much battery use a single app uses then you should know that at best these ad requests are going to be less than 4% at a very generous estimation.
7) This Mario guy should probably read the article he's summarizing before he actually posts about it
Considering all of the following...you have to be a non-rooted, non-AdFree (or other ad blocking app) user that is using the phone without any other app using a data connection for this to even be applicable...I'd say that's going to be a very small majority of people. I don't see many people being rooted and having AdFree installed to counter this...but I would be very surprised if someone is on their phone without using a data signal for enough of their usage to even make this worth mentioning.
****Cliff Notes****
ad requests are only a very small percentage of your battery use...This Mario guy didn't even read the article before posting his completely mis-leading title. The 70% estimation is comparing the energy of the ad request vs the application's battery use...which is very small. Additionally, your radio signals (the reason this figure is so high) are likely to be in use already and therefore not affected anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

funeralthirst said:
i just wanted to point out this comment by jordo_99 to that article...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. I'm noticing signficantly less drain on idle and during app usage. My Data Manager tells you there's always some data transfer occuring during idle. And anytime a 4G signal is pinged for anything the battery takes a nosedive. Any opportunity to prevent a needless data connection (on 4G) is a good one.

mettleh3d said:
I disagree. I'm noticing signficantly less drain on idle and during app usage. My Data Manager tells you there's always some data transfer occuring during idle. And anytime a 4G signal is pinged for anything the battery takes a nosedive. Any opportunity to prevent a needless data connection (on 4G) is a good one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but does it tell you where that data request is originating? more likely it's push for gmail or something like that than an ad in an app when the screen is locked...
during app usage, sure blocking the ads will reduce radio usage and thus power, but nothing noticeable... especially compared to the screen. on idle, that's all placebo.

If any radio is being used, it will use power. If you can stop unwanted radio use, your battery will last longer. Basically if you put your phone in airplane mode, and all your radios are off, your battery will last much longer. If alot of ad requests were made, like 50000 it would impact battery.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA

funeralthirst said:
i just wanted to point out this comment by jordo_99 to that article...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you summarise what jordo_99 has said? I dont really understand..

Jesus, this is like 1 year old news...

[Q] Mobile AntiVirus - Is it recomended?

Morning,
I've been toying with the idea of installing an Anti Virus solution on to my phone but have a couple of questions.
Is it necessary? I know that most of the AV apps come with nice features like tracking and remote wipe but was wondering how big the threat of mobile malware actually is.
Will it prevent my device from going into 'Deep Sleep' and have a negative impact on battery life?
It is possible that I am going to install Vipre Mobile Security as we use a lot of GFI products at work. Do any of you have experience with this app?
Cheers in advance.

JimmyEatFood said:
Morning,
I've been toying with the idea of installing an Anti Virus solution on to my phone but have a couple of questions.
Is it necessary? I know that most of the AV apps come with nice features like tracking and remote wipe but was wondering how big the threat of mobile malware actually is.
Will it prevent my device from going into 'Deep Sleep' and have a negative impact on battery life?
It is possible that I am going to install Vipre Mobile Security as we use a lot of GFI products at work. Do any of you have experience with this app?
Cheers in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) No it's not. Just install apps from the official google market and none of the chinese/russian ones and look at the permissions each app uses. Unless you are installing "big busty blonde" style apps you should be fine.
2)Most AV/Malware products have a negative effect on a phones performance and battery. Don't bother, just use your common sense instead.

animaleyes76 said:
1) No it's not. Just install apps from the official google market and none of the chinese/russian ones and look at the permissions each app uses. Unless you are installing "big busty blonde" style apps you should be fine.
2)Most AV/Malware products have a negative affect on a phones performance and battery. Don't bother, just use your common sense instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to agree here as well. Do not bother with AV apps mate..Just use common sense on what you flash or install on your phone. Simple as that

I have never used Anti Virus on any of my phones and I've never had any problems.

Cheers lads. I was reading an article about Android Malware which prompted me to look into AV. Don't think I'll bother now though
Any recommendations for an app to locate and remote wipe the device if it is lost?
Sent as my GF gets angry at me for playing with my HTC One X....again.

Cerberus is excellent, does everything.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

animaleyes76 said:
[...] Unless you are installing "big busty blonde" style apps you should be fine. [...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn!

JimmyEatFood said:
Cheers lads. I was reading an article about Android Malware which prompted me to look into AV. Don't think I'll bother now though
Any recommendations for an app to locate and remote wipe the device if it is lost?
Sent as my GF gets angry at me for playing with my HTC One X....again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suggest try AndroidLost I have tried most of the features like taking pictures, recording and GPS, it integrates nicely with your Google account and best of all its for FREE
I am yet to try its SMS capabilities and Sim notifications
http://www.androidlost.com

Cheers guys. I will look into the free app as I am a tight fisted Yorkshireman.
Sent as my GF gets angry at me for playing with my HTC One X....again.

I use free version of lookout. It don't cause any battery drains and is set to scan any new app get installed on the phone. You can also manual scan the whole phone.

You can install Avast Anti-Virus from the google play store, and if the phone has root access you can install Avast onto the ROM.
Once it has been installed you can set up theft aware for SMS text commands to remote wipe, lock etc.
The reason why the install it to the ROM is because if someone was going to factory reset through the bootloader or even from the settings menu the Avast will still be install but it will be disguised as another app (Which you can name) and they will not know that it is there.
Hope this was helpful.

Av only good for one thing and that's the tracking if its lost/stolen
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

check out Kaspersky, I think it still comes with life time updates, it might not be necessary today but it's a good deal and might get useful in future...

JimmyEatFood said:
Cheers lads. I was reading an article about Android Malware which prompted me to look into AV. Don't think I'll bother now though
Any recommendations for an app to locate and remote wipe the device if it is lost?
Sent as my GF gets angry at me for playing with my HTC One X....again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although not free, PhoneLocator Pro is the best I've seen,
It hides from your app drawer, adds un-installation security, takes an automatic photo of your thief and sends it you, along with his call log, also blocks the phone if the thief changes sim card, along with all the GPS tracking services that it emails you - you also get a web user interface too, aswell as the usual text commands.
Its good stuff, developer is very responsive and eager to add more features all the time too.
However, due to the way HTC have implemented multi-tasking, their pre-installed task manager app will kill it, along with anything else you may have running such as battery saving apps, antivirus, etc etc
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

Help With Security Solution

I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LBE (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?

Mrktmind said:
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because phone security is generally easy to manage. Most apps make a good name for themselves. And many people check the security of an app as soon as it were to hit the Play Store. It doesn't mean we are young it means that we aren't dumb and know how modern technology works.

hrffd said:
Because phone security is generally easy to manage. Most apps make a good name for themselves. And many people check the security of an app as soon as it were to hit the Play Store. It doesn't mean we are young it means that we aren't dumb and know how modern technology works.[/QUOTE
I highly doubt that anyone on XDA, regardless of age, is dumb. I do believe, however, that there are quite a few younger members who could be a bit naive due to a lack of experience. Younger folks tend to take most things at face value. Just because something is free monetarily doesn't mean it isn't costing you something. Just because an app is on Play Store doesn't mean it is "secure" - especially since the Play Store (as well as Android, Google, et.al.) operate on the same business model as the apps!
Just a random example - Why would Angry Birds need my Sim Card Serial number to operate properly? Why would it need to know the phone numbers of all my incoming calls? Answer - it doesn't - in fact it doesn't need ANY of the permissions it asks for to operate properly. So why does it ask for these permissions? Answer - it is data mining your phone.
Ok, so I think most XDA members are aware of WHAT these apps are doing. My original question is WHY don't more people seem to care?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Mrktmind said:
I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LMB (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe MIUI is also a viable option for this, no? You can set app permission on a "per-app" basis with MIUI security I believe.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

I tried this app a while back and it basically does what you want but it got annoying https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite
I don't use these because I am very selective about what goes on my phone.

Thanks Luke!
Not very familiar with MIUI ROM's will have to look into them.

someguyatx said:
I tried this app a while back and it basically does what you want but it got annoying https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite
I don't use these because I am very selective about what goes on my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this is the app I listed above - just had the initials wrong! :silly: It is a lot like pdroid but, like you, it scares me.

I have my own small business and run most of it from my phone, in the beginning I used the standard flip phone then graduated on to a touch pro 2 with Windows Mobile 6.5 as I began to accumulate massive amounts of data on my Windows Mobile phone, for some reason I still felt secure in the applications like ActiveSync that I was in control of my data.... A year ago last October I upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy s2.. this was my first real experience with Google's Android operating system. in the first few minutes of using the new phone I could see how deeply the hooks were being placed to data mine my information. I resisted at first but then came to realize if I wanted all the bells and whistles Google was offering I had to play the game... I use the security program mentioned above... maybe they should have an app were you sign a consent of exactly which data you would like to keep on your phone and not share with other people. then when you visit the play store apps that request more of your private data than you're willing to share won't show up? I would like to have an open sourced built firewall that monitors traffic, letting me choose the permissions per app as I see fit.

Mrktmind said:
Thanks Luke!
Not very familiar with MIUI ROM's will have to look into them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've ran both Adhvanlt's and Lens's JB MIUI Roms, and they're both amazing! The standard MIUI launcher feels a bit like the iphone, and there is no app drawer, but that's easily fixed by downloading [insert favorite launcher here] if you don't care for it. There's hundreds of options for customization. They are literally the most customizable ROMs you'll ever run; All of this on top of the fact that it has the security features I believe you are after baked right in to it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Looked at two MIUI ROM's for the E4GT. Both of them have issues with Google Voice. I need Google Voice.
I am also going to try +AF (Droidwall fork) firewall tonight to see if it will work on FK23. It apparently has issues with some ICS/JB ROM's. That will at least give some protection from apps that don't need network access at all. But for apps that need network access to do their intended job it's useless. Just read last night that the developer has added profiles to +AF - that should be really cool.
I guess I'm spoiled a bit with Pdroid - it works so well and is very detailed.
Thanks for all the replies! Other suggestions, ideas, thoughts, opinions welcomed!

Mrktmind said:
I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LBE (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an app developer, I can tell you that there are some shady apps, but if you download from good devs, the permissions are *usually* necessary. Here's some examples that people question the most:
Access to contacts... Assuming it's not a contact or sms app, if any app has a "share" feature needs this permission.
Access to sd card... Any app that saves anything or lets you change a background needs this.
Read phone state... So the app can properly call the "onpause" method when a call comes in.
Access to location... Assuming it's not a location app or game like ingress or zombies!Run!, you'll typically see this on free apps that have ads. Ads allow developers to get paid for their work while keeping the app free. They don't have access to the ad data, though. They just put in the api and the ad company handles the rest.
On top of that, large organizations will seek phone specific permissions like sim card numbers for analytics.
Google makes most of its money from ads, so it reads your usage to better target ads. Google also uses location data to improve location services like maps.
If you're worried about security, don't download a random app that only has 100+ downloads. If an app has 50000+ downloads, you can rest assured that it's already been vetted.
Also if you're downloading pirated apps, you're just a moron who is opening up his world to who knows who. Many (not all) pirated apps have added data mining code.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] - Which Ad blocker to use

Wondering which ad blocker works best blocking the adds.
So far my research came up with
AdFree
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bigtincan.android.adfree
and
AdAway
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.adaway&hl=en
just wondering if anyone have had experience using either?

I've used AdAway for a few months and it works great. Disabled the notifications in Jelly Bean and it just does its thing in the background, which is exactly what I'm looking for.

none.
ads are there to support... i don't know.. the dev? which is supplying you the app for free?
p.s.: if you don't agree with this, then i'm sure you will find your answer. like the one by the previous poster.

bk201doesntexist said:
none.
ads are there to support... i don't know.. the dev? which is supplying you the app for free?
p.s.: if you don't agree with this, then i'm sure you will find your answer. like the one by the previous poster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree to a point. The other point is that these developers get money per click, and I don't intend on clicking them anyways sooooo...
The other reason I use an adblocker is for ads on websites. This site is the worst offender. Try navigating it from a mobile device with all those awful popups with the super small X.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

AdAway is the best one imo.