I've got two kids, ages 6 and 8, and we keep their screen time limited, but they love audiobooks and for the past few years we have bought them cheap mp3 players and loaded audiobooks on them from the library using the Overdrive app on a pc which then syncs the mp3s to the mp3 player. However, Overdrive has been discontinued and is likely to be fully killed off sometime in 2023 (no doubt thanks to pressure from the publishing industry) whereupon the only way to get audiobooks from the library will be through the Libby app, but this of course requires an internet connected device. For obvious reasons I don't want to just give my kids an Android phone with access to Youtube, social media, etc. I have played around with LineageOS to breath fresh life into an old Kindle tablet and various older phones, so I'm thinking perhaps picking up some cheap old Moto phones and loading them up with LineageOS would be an option, but I'd want to strip out some of the functionality and remove the web browser, phone and sms, and basically just have a camera, Libby app, k9 email client, and if possible voice recognition. presumably Libby and k9 mail could be sideloaded. Not sure about voice recognition, but it seems like maybe Gapps pico or microG might offer a way to implement google voice recognition? But is it possible to have voice recognition without having the play store? As far as removing the browser, it appears that LOSdiet should work for that purpose.
Anyone embarked on a similar task?
mgrharry said:
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Anyone embarked on a similar task?
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Why can't you use a guest account?
While I suppose using the Guest feature on a stock Android device might be an option, I'd prefer not to go down that route for a few reasons. First, it seems like it's mostly designed as a temporary option for loaning a phone to a friend, not as a permanent function, and I am afraid it would be easy to accidentally delete all the contents of the guest account which would result in a very unhappy kid. Second, if they know it can do all the things a "real" phone can do and they're just locked out of doing them, that will make them much more prone to nagging us to install random junky games and apps and fiddling around trying to access the main account. I'd prefer if it just wasn't an option at all.
Maybe try it out before you reject it.
Google Family Link
Yes, I have also the combination of google family link and LOS and IF it is working, it is working really great!
On some systems, you need to have two user profiles on the device, as the children account alone would lead to an FRP lock , at least on S4 and S5 neo.
I got it one time working by adding first the parents account and then afterwards adding the children account. In Settings, enable multi user and then add a PIN (or whatever) to prevent access to your account from the one your child is using.
Related
I'm coming from a Nokia 5800. Although the software was buggy as hell, Ovi Suite was still a great piece of software to sync all of my phone's data to a local copy of my PC (as opposed to Google's nosy cloud storage).
Ideally looking for something that could archive my contacts--as well as abilities to create/change/delete on my PC which would then sync with the phone. Also download all SMS's, photos/videos taken, and manage music.
If what I've read is true, google music should take care of this, its supposedly an itunes-like software
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Check out Double Twist. There is PC software and an app. Not sure if it would cover all your needs (ive never used it), but it appears to be a decent itunes clone for not just Android but other devices.
theres an app callled mybackup in the market. it will back everything up to the sdcard, then u can copy backup to pc if this helps.
Since people aren't too familiar with Ovi Suite: I need something like Palm Desktop for Android, and I don't want to pay $40 for CompanionLink.
Dude, you need to learn to love the cloud.
From GMail/GMaps/GVoice/GDocks/GCal/Picassa, I have every email, sms, voicememo, picture, video, call history, transcribed voicemail, task, appointment, map location, contact, document, etc. All from any webbrowser in any location, all damn-near instantly synced with my phone.
...but to answer you question, search for HTC Sync. I think it only works with Sense tho, so you will have to wait and flash the Z firmware once the hackers make the g2 flashable.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Dude, I love the cloud.
But I also love having a local copy on my computers (which I back up regularly and save to my Dropbox). Being able to edit contacts and calendar entries without having to bring up a webpage is huge to me.
Different strokes for different folks I guess.
I live and work on the cloud. I never run any backups. I store nothing locally other than 4TB of pirated moves/tv. Being able to access everything from anywhere even if my house has no electricity is huge to me.
What's so bad about opening up a webpage? Opening outlook or whatever doesn't seem any different to me. Unless I am using my computer as a TV, all I ever need from it is a webbrowser, which is nice since every computer and smartphone in the world has one.
I do program ASP.NET/Win32/other and need that dev environment, but that too is all running on a VirtualPC in the cloud.
Not all of us always have constant data access, nor want to depend on it.
Plus, the difference between a webpage and outlook is MASSIVE.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I know this is a pointless argument, but I am curious if you have ever given gmail with gtalk-desktop in your tray a real chance?
I used outlook at a job for work and personal for 6 years, then used outlook for work another 5 while using gmail for personal, and for the last 2 I have been gmail only. I always had the newest version on the newest os, but not in the last 2 years.
In outlook I was always sorting and running a search all was always dog slow. I can find anything in gmail as easily as finding any webpage with google. Gmail integrates with google calendar just as well as outlook and they can sync to eachother. Just sayin.
...anyway, did you look in to HTC Sync? Also, you could always run an exchange server at home and sync over the air.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I'd probably choose services that keep the home PC synced with the cloud, keeping a local copy of what GMail etc use. Enough people do that that there are tools for that, and of course your phone syncs easily with the cloud. I think enough Android users drink the Google kool aid that there's not as much interest in syncing directly phone to PC without using the cloud as an intermediary. After years of wired syncing, I'm thrilled to have it work without any work on my part, personally.
But a search did turn up both The Missing Sync for Android and Handset Manager - both look to still be a bit buggy, but maybe they'll do the job or be worth watching.
We need HTC to make HTC Sync for non-Sense phones. Period.
rpmccormick said:
Different strokes for different folks I guess.
I live and work on the cloud. I never run any backups. I store nothing locally other than 4TB of pirated moves/tv. Being able to access everything from anywhere even if my house has no electricity is huge to me.
What's so bad about opening up a webpage? Opening outlook or whatever doesn't seem any different to me. Unless I am using my computer as a TV, all I ever need from it is a webbrowser, which is nice since every computer and smartphone in the world has one.
I do program ASP.NET/Win32/other and need that dev environment, but that too is all running on a VirtualPC in the cloud.
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Totally agree, That's the only way to go, really. When I moved up from my Moto Cliq to the G2 it took all of 5 minutes to get my phone the way I wanted. The hardest part was customizing my icon on the home screen. The data all synced from Google. My list of installed apps was backed up via "App List Backup" and I just re-installed them. Done.
So now that Spring/GV integration seems to be picking up speed, lets talk SIP.
I have multiple situations where I would like to have the choice of using a SIP gateway instead of my phone. (ipod at home, second phone at home, etc.)
Now, many of the how-to's on the internet are focused on purely FREE options. I'm willing to pay a little bit, ($1-$2 a month). Also, many of the how-to's rely on services that don't exist or seem to work, (gizmo5, sipgate, etc, etc).
1. So what CURRENT methods are there for getting an inexpensive SIP gateway to add to my phone list in google voice?
2. Does google have any way to just do the connection strait (without adding a SIP gateway as a phone?
3. Google talk is listed as a phone. What the hell does it do? My google talk app doesn't ring on my phone. There's no google talk app on my ipod. It didn't ring on my computer. What the hell does it do?
Some clear explanations of the options (paths the call can take and the different technologies necessary to make the paths happen), current good services to use, and current, good apps (for various systems Windows, Android, IOS, etc) would be very very helpful. Thanks!
gdbassett said:
So now that Spring/GV integration seems to be picking up speed, lets talk SIP.
I have multiple situations where I would like to have the choice of using a SIP gateway instead of my phone. (ipod at home, second phone at home, etc.)
Now, many of the how-to's on the internet are focused on purely FREE options. I'm willing to pay a little bit, ($1-$2 a month). Also, many of the how-to's rely on services that don't exist or seem to work, (gizmo5, sipgate, etc, etc).
1. So what CURRENT methods are there for getting an inexpensive SIP gateway to add to my phone list in google voice?
2. Does google have any way to just do the connection strait (without adding a SIP gateway as a phone?
3. Google talk is listed as a phone. What the hell does it do? My google talk app doesn't ring on my phone. There's no google talk app on my ipod. It didn't ring on my computer. What the hell does it do?
Some clear explanations of the options (paths the call can take and the different technologies necessary to make the paths happen), current good services to use, and current, good apps (for various systems Windows, Android, IOS, etc) would be very very helpful. Thanks!
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Read HERE.
I think I already answered everything you're questioning about in this new thread in that thread that's only a few days old. Although I also answered your #3, I'll elaborate slightly. The Google Talk call forward option refers ONLY to an open web browser page of Gmail with the Google Voice plugin installed currently. Any more questions, point them in there and I'll be happy to answer you, as I've already tested and use every service you asked about personally.
So, thanks to a combination of dissatisfaction with AT&T and a desire to escape Apple's deathgrip, I've switched to Verizon and bought myself a shiny new Galaxy Nexus. Amazon has informed me that the phone will be in my grubby little paws by tomorrow evening, which is awesome; but now I have to port over everything that I've stored via Apple's methods for the last 4 years, which is less awesome.
So what's the best way to do this? I will be rooting the GN almost literally right out of the box, and while I haven't had a Android phone before, I have a Nook Color that I've used to run (via uSD) Nookie Froyo, CM7, and a pre-alpha of ICS/CM9, all of which I've synced with added GApps at least once. My primary Google account (I have two) has almost no contacts, so if at all possible, I'd prefer to overwrite that entirely with my Apple/iPhone contacts. And although I know it's highly unlikely, if there's a way to copy over SMS/MMS history I would be in heaven. I'd also like to copy as much of my music, pics, and videos (~25GB total) out of iTunes and iPhoto as I can, although if there's a way to sync Android with either, that'd be swell.
FWIW, I have both a Mac and a Win7 box, so I can use either or both for any of these processes.
zombieflanders said:
So, thanks to a combination of dissatisfaction with AT&T and a desire to escape Apple's deathgrip, I've switched to Verizon and bought myself a shiny new Galaxy Nexus. Amazon has informed me that the phone will be in my grubby little paws by tomorrow evening, which is awesome; but now I have to port over everything that I've stored via Apple's methods for the last 4 years, which is less awesome.
So what's the best way to do this? I will be rooting the GN almost literally right out of the box, and while I haven't had a Android phone before, I have a Nook Color that I've used to run (via uSD) Nookie Froyo, CM7, and a pre-alpha of ICS/CM9, all of which I've synced with added GApps at least once. My primary Google account (I have two) has almost no contacts, so if at all possible, I'd prefer to overwrite that entirely with my Apple/iPhone contacts. And although I know it's highly unlikely, if there's a way to copy over SMS/MMS history I would be in heaven. I'd also like to copy as much of my music, pics, and videos (~25GB total) out of iTunes and iPhoto as I can, although if there's a way to sync Android with either, that'd be swell.
FWIW, I have both a Mac and a Win7 box, so I can use either or both for any of these processes.
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In iTunes you can specify a Google account to sync with. See here. You'll have to pull your other data off and sync it with the phone through MTP using your Windows 7 machine or the Android File Transfer utility on the Mac.
You might want to take a look at using Picasa Web and Google Music for your music and pictures. Works for myself.
Just follow these instructions to setup google contact sync on the iPhone:
http://support.google.com/mobile/bin/answer.py?hl=en&topic=14252&answer=138740
When you activate your Nexus and put in your gmail information, you will automagically have your contacts.
Okay, synced and merged the Google contacts in 5 minutes flat. Thanks for the help, I think I'm looking good there. I am worried about things being overwritten by Facebook integration (which almost happened to my mom when she went from an iPhone 3G to a Bionic), but is that not a concern with the GN/ICS? And if I copied over all the contact info from my primary Google account to my secondary account, would it avoid dupes?
As for the music, I've been a member of Google Music since the beta, but the last time it synced with iTunes things got a little messed up (i.e., incorrect tags/ID3, missing artwork, etc). Could I blow my GM library away and start anew without running into storage or bandwidth issues? And could I set it up so that every time it syncs with iTunes it downloads a copy to the phone, or at least notifies me?
Thanks for the help, sorry if it's too many questions.
ETA: And here's another. Does this method/app(s) for SMS/MMS backup seem legit? I would love it if this worked too, since that would take care of the last of my major concerns.
This is recurring in all phones I've had for at least a year now. Once again...And it is just now that I am once again getting upset at Google Play Services making itself a device admin daily on startup so it can update its app daily. So it can weasel into the browser and log my account and store cookies and track and etc etc etc.
If I do not lose my phone, then it should stop activating the find my device. If I lock my screen, then it should stop activating itself as an administrator. If it was just to find the device, then it should stop putting itself as an account in my browser.
The Google Play Services can no longer be reverted. It has turned the phone into just another chunk of Google Garbage.
It's a critical part of android. What is it you are trying to achieve by locking it down?
James.Miller said:
It's a critical part of android. What is it you are trying to achieve by locking it down?
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site storage in browser. I believe it is s carrier config or carrier settings. I have ridden myself of it by disabling carrier configs on other phones but here I can't disable carrier system apps.
I play with it off on some phones, and of course on rooted phones. It is irremovable here now. I had it removed during the first few days on my new A70 but now can't get it off noway no how.
The carrier configs and other things from carrier are a real problem. Carriers (used to) push settings they deem appropriate at regular intervals on an old phone I had. Their settings push included things like turning on location, and worse. all kinds of settings would get changed. Google calls these in its "partner" app. It's all tied together. There are credit agencies certs, and security companies in the system app.
James.Miller said:
It's a critical part of android. What is it you are trying to achieve by locking it down?
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I may sell the phone if I can't use it on internet without continued police insults on my humanity. I'm sick of it all. Been taking abuse for years. Only useful as a gaming and music player.
In my experience, once you have confirmed to your own recognition that they are behind the curtain of the device, talking to you invisibly thru the back door in the comments sections of the internet, then the phone is no good.
I believe that screenshots of their android back-doored comments, -- along with proof in pictures or recordings that they have been speaking in narrative to you that way -- should be grounds for money back from the phone company for the device. The device is faulty then beyond the shadow of a doubt and worthless and irreparable. Money back should be the rule for hacked devices.
comments, recommendations...or other festures being hacked. I have had apps hacked, I have had voice recognition dictation hacked. etc. I don't remember a list of features of android I've stopped using because of insult hacks. The predictive words on the keypads, and auto correct, used to be a favorite exploit they'd use to deliver cracked commentaries against my humanity...
All features and apps I no longer use. And how many people would never pick up on how these devices are being used against them.
I think the phones should be peogrammed to avoid cached dns results, and to randomize the dns it uses. The apps such as YouTube should never return to an open session or use a cache. These devices are fast enough and simple LTE/4G is fast enough to load fresh sessions from sites from new lookup services.
if Google needs to have Find My Device in Android to serve customers who are afraid their devices will be stolen by non professional phone thieves or lost, then they should sell different versions for those who don't want a system admin like Google which gets its money from data theft and spamming.
The persistent settings in the browser for its default site bothers me. I got rid of it on my Oreo running phone. Took awhile, but I finally got rid of it on one phone by deleting all browser data. It comes back when the browser restarts on internet tho, and persists again like a foul barnacle. Used to be able to get rid of it.
Here it's seen it camoflages itself if I change the default search page, but it still persists
Hello everyone,
I'm used to the LineageOS on my previous phone and now I've upgraded recently to this phone but I feel my personal info too much available to Google and MI system apps and I don't want that, thats why I went to LineageOS on my previous phone but, like others custom firmwares, it have several bugs which limits the potential of the phone.
Even not using an google account I can feel my life is being spied because a few things happen:
- if someone calls me, a friend or whatever, and its not in my contacts list it asks me if its spam. For what? To send the info somewhere using the internet connection and warns others if its spam? If it reads my contacts for this it can read those for anything, like copy my whole contacts list which I'm not comfortable with and I'm not able to control. I'm afraid that later if i use the regular browser to access Gmail for instance, I'm afraid the OS is prepared to warn google that all the info that' I've shared so far belongs to that particular Google account and that phone IMEI is also used but that account. I'm crazy? Maybe, but all this is possible and I want to make it impossible.
- If i do not allow Google services from accessing my text messages APP (built-in app) i keep getting a warning from the system that something it will not go OK if I do not turn on that access from Google services. Why the hell should google services needs to access my texts? My first phone, 20 years ago, could send SMS without google, why the hell google needs to see my texts now?
The list continues but I'm not willing to loose the nice things this OS have too, but for me personal info is too valuable and I dont want to give away any information from my contacts list, SMS texts, the places I visit, my tastes and so on, all this is my personal life and no one needs to know about it, not even just for statistics. Some people on my contacts list doesn't use Android and dont want the personal phone number stored somewhere and connected to me somehow, not that Im a criminal or something like but all this combined together its like a personal "Facebook" for Google and MI to use, they know who are the persons who I connect with, who are near me at a certain period of the day, where I usually do shopping, well, all my life is being stored somewhere, and I want to end this.
Is there a way to keep the current OS and block every outgoing info coming from the phone? I've made some research and i come to this so far
- AFwall can be a solution, but how good it is?
- Removing google services is not an option using ADB, the OS will not work
- Disable google services is not working. The system keeps turning it on automatically
Please give me your feedbacks with your experiences about this security issue, I think several people feels the same way, and how did you managed a work around to this keeping the original OS.
PS: For now I didnt unlock the bootloader, but I will if the solution goes that way.
Thank you everyone
Tomalamix
Living in the age of Google, one cannot use phone & Internet without your info being collected for ad purposes or whatsoever.
Ad purposes i can live with that,. what I cant live with is my personal data being stored by a 3rd party company besides my cell operator
Ive been watching the Anti-Gapps group but it seems discontinued i guess, i think this is a task fitted for them