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Options for Android by aitan · 2012-02-14 07:20 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application?

Instead of creating your own browser as other people have suggested, you can use an existing app: Kiosk Browser HC, and for a little price (after all you won't pay that so that shouldn't be a worry) there's an improved version: Kiosk Browser SE.

According to the version of the OS and if you can root the tablets or not, that might be all that you need, but if there's some other requirement then check SureLock Kiosk Lockdown

Re:DNS Hijacking by Flaming+Troll+Shill · 2012-02-14 02:40 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application?

I use .Kids Place; it only allows apps that I allow to run to be run without a 4-digit PIN to unlock. You could load it with video & allow only the video player. Everything else is blocked.

It's a pretty simple app, I suspect someone could write a kiosk app in a few hours.

I find it disappointing that "Ask Slashdot" questions can be solved in 30 seconds on Google.

Re:DNS Hijacking by Flaming+Troll+Shill · 2012-02-14 02:40 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application?

I use .Kids Place; it only allows apps that I allow to run to be run without a 4-digit PIN to unlock. You could load it with video & allow only the video player. Everything else is blocked.

It's a pretty simple app, I suspect someone could write a kiosk app in a few hours.

I find it disappointing that "Ask Slashdot" questions can be solved in 30 seconds on Google.

Re:DNS Hijacking by Flaming+Troll+Shill · 2012-02-14 02:40 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application?

I use .Kids Place; it only allows apps that I allow to run to be run without a 4-digit PIN to unlock. You could load it with video & allow only the video player. Everything else is blocked.

It's a pretty simple app, I suspect someone could write a kiosk app in a few hours.

I find it disappointing that "Ask Slashdot" questions can be solved in 30 seconds on Google.

Re:DNS Hijacking by Flaming+Troll+Shill · 2012-02-14 02:40 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application?

I use .Kids Place; it only allows apps that I allow to run to be run without a 4-digit PIN to unlock. You could load it with video & allow only the video player. Everything else is blocked.

It's a pretty simple app, I suspect someone could write a kiosk app in a few hours.

I find it disappointing that "Ask Slashdot" questions can be solved in 30 seconds on Google.

Re:DNS Hijacking by Flaming+Troll+Shill · 2012-02-14 02:40 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application?

I use .Kids Place; it only allows apps that I allow to run to be run without a 4-digit PIN to unlock. You could load it with video & allow only the video player. Everything else is blocked.

It's a pretty simple app, I suspect someone could write a kiosk app in a few hours.

I find it disappointing that "Ask Slashdot" questions can be solved in 30 seconds on Google.

If it's an Android device.... by ScaredyCat · 2012-02-13 22:21 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application?

You could take a look at my app, Kiosk Browser SE ( https://market.android.com/details?id=it.automated.android.kiosk.se&feature=search_result ). Kiosk Browser SE will allow you to lock your Android tablet to a specific web site or group of sites preventing end users from escaping to the underlying operating system. You can develop your user interface using HTML, Javascript and CSS – You can even use WebKit based CSS transformations and animations. It also has the ability to load sties from local storage so you don't need to have a network connection. It can be configured via standard Android settings screens or, for larger roll outs, via an xml file stored on the device - this allows you to configure one device in the way you want and then generate the xml file to be copied to other devices. Sorry for the self-pimpage... ScaredyCat

Smart Lock by GodsMoon · 2012-02-13 15:21 · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application?

I have written some software called Smart Lock Enterprise that locks down Android devices to just one or a few (white list) apps. It works great on tablets and is in several production environments. You can find the consumer version at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.nightshadelabs.smartlock.pro.free and you can contact me about a business version at david [at] nightshadelabs.com

No other platform has a style guide? by TheSkepticalOptimist · 2012-02-12 12:03 · Score: 4, Informative · on Why Microsoft Developers Need a Style Guide

https://developer.apple.com/library/IOs/#documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG/Introduction/Introduction.html
https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AppleHIGuidelines/Intro/Intro.html
http://developer.android.com/design/index.html
http://developer.gnome.org/hig-book/
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/36511/index.jsp?name=UI+Guidelines+-+BlackBerry+SmartphonesBlackBerry+Smartphones7.1&language=English&userType=21&category=BlackBerry+UI+Guidelines&subCategory=
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/27299/index.jsp?name=UI+Guidelines+-+BlackBerry+PlayBook+TabletBlackBerry+PlayBook+Tablet1.0&language=English&userType=21&category=BlackBerry+UI+Guidelines&subCategory=
http://wiki.eclipse.org/User_Interface_Guidelines ...

Yeah, its hilarious an unusual that Microsoft publishes a design guide for their OS because obviously the author didn't spend 5 minutes on Google...

Re:Arm based laptops and Redmond Linux by DeathFromSomewhere · 2012-02-10 08:18 · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Details Windows 8 for ARM

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-seeking-open-source-expert-to-help-put-linux-on-azure/11741
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.microsoft.office.onenote&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5taWNyb3NvZnQub2ZmaWNlLm9uZW5vdGUiXQ..

Wow! Would like to share what you are smoking with the rest of us?

Android has an OOM killer by tepples · 2012-02-10 03:39 · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Details Windows 8 for ARM

Except for you'll still havehave the 256MB+ hulking-gorilla of a kernel

I thought WinRT had been made smaller than that.

Oh yeah, and we've disabled being able to close programs.

Why should one need to close a program instead of relying on an OOM killer like Android's? First, processes with no visible windows and no "services" (background tasks that have registered themselves to handle requests from other apps or the system) go. Then those with services go.

Re:One hand? Pfft! How about one finger? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-09 14:29 · Score: 0 · on Engelbart's Keyboard Available For Touchscreens

It exists, for Android, at least.

Re:Very frustrating by metalmaster · 2012-02-07 15:39 · Score: 2 · on 4G Phones Are Really Fast — At Draining Batteries

Unfortunately the HTC Thunderbolt, one of the first attempts at a 4G handset in the US, is plagued with battery issues. A quick Google search shows that it's not just you. There are also many things you can do to try to extend the battery life such as using a resource manager like JuiceDefender that aggressively manages your radios and display options when not in use. You can also use the phone's built-in power saving mode which can be found in your phone's settings menu. This will perform the same task in a less aggressive manner.

I used Verizon's other 4G-launch handset, the Samsung Droid Charge, and regularly got about a day and a half out of the battery. I could stretch to 2 days orso with less use. After using the JuiceDefender app I was able to get a solid 3 days. However, this was a different handset from a different manufacturer YMMV.

Occupy Fragmentation by Superken7 · 2012-02-07 08:14 · Score: 4, Interesting · on Google Releases Chrome For Android Beta

Android users who are able to run Chrome Beta (that is, who are running ICS) are literally the 1%, according to Google's platform pie charts:
http://developer.android.com/resources/dashboard/platform-versions.html

I prefer that they exploit the full power of their latest and greatest, but it's sad that only a mere 1% can access the latest and greatest :( (as of today, I'm sure this will change very quickly)

Re:Who cares? by Vairon · 2012-02-07 06:59 · Score: 1 · on First Run of Raspberry Pi Boards To Be Completed Feb 20th

Just because your (and my) phone hardware manufacturer put some closed source pieces of code on our android OS based phones does not mean Android, the google project, is closed source. It's very much open source. Download it here: http://source.android.com/source/downloading.html

What do you mean when you say it's not open source?

Re:Bizarro World by MikeBabcock · 2012-02-06 03:45 · Score: 1 · on Windows Phone 8 Detailed, Uses Windows 8 Kernel

Note, from http://developer.android.com/sdk/ndk/overview.html:

If you write native code, your applications are still packaged into an .apk file and they still run inside of a virtual machine on the device. The fundamental Android application model does not change.

Re:Avast runs fine thanks... by ewanm89 · 2012-02-06 01:49 · Score: 1 · on Symantec Identifies Android Trojans That Mutate With Every Download

https://market.android.com/search?q=antivirus&c=apps -- 1000+ results says otherwise. I think all the major antivirus vendors have an android version now. Finally usually it's not just antivirus but antitheft and firewall too.

Re:Missing the point? by bobbutts · 2012-02-05 06:42 · Score: 2 · on iOS Vs. Android: Which Has the Crashiest Apps?

Volume+ https://market.android.com/details?id=com.FREE.android.lvh

Re:When will they add... by scdeimos · 2012-02-04 09:59 · Score: 1 · on Google Starts Scanning Android Apps

2. Users start blocking ad servers

You know there are a bunch of proxy servers available for Android, right? Including Privoxy. It's optional on Android just like it is on every other OS because, right or wrong, people blocking advertising are definitely in the minority.

Re:Scan for quality? by Merk42 · 2012-02-03 03:15 · Score: 1, Funny · on Google Starts Scanning Android Apps

why would so many people use an "awful" app?

Maybe they want to read the Something Awful Forums

Linux games have been having a lot of success... by Dennis+Sheil · 2012-02-01 05:51 · Score: 1 · on Linux Game Publishing CEO Resigns

...on smartphones and tablets, particularly Android and its derivatives.

Cut the Rope is 99 cents with at least half a million downloads. There are two unknown factors - how many returns were there (downside) and how many over 500k are they (upside). So they've made around $500,000 on this app.

GTA III on Android - 4.99 and over 100,000 downloads - another $500,000 in revenue. And a lot of the graphics and engine code was already written.

I had a chat with one of the Big Mountain Snowboarding developers ($2.99 times 5000+ is $15,000, plus an ad-based Android version with over 500,000 users) who told me that over 85% of the C++ and OpenGL code from their iPhone version could be reused in their Android version. Companies with an existing C++/OpenGL code base don't have to re-invent the wheel to get on Android.

Fruit Ninja : $1.26 * 500,000+ = $630,000. Doodle Jump: $0.99 * 500,000+ = $500,000. Madden NFL 12: $4.99 * 100,000+ = $500,000. And so on. Then there's the money games make on their free, ad-based versions. As I said, many of these games have existing C++/OpenGL code on another platform, so the half million in sales, plus more in ads, that they've made thus far, is money they made just for the port. Which also helps keeping you in the game if some competitors want to take these established games on in this newer platform.

Android is a Linux kernel, with the rest of its code open source. Tim Bird and others recently started an effort to bring the Android developers and Linux closer together, so hopefully that will bear fruit.

Linux games have been having a lot of success... by Dennis+Sheil · 2012-02-01 05:51 · Score: 1 · on Linux Game Publishing CEO Resigns

...on smartphones and tablets, particularly Android and its derivatives.

Cut the Rope is 99 cents with at least half a million downloads. There are two unknown factors - how many returns were there (downside) and how many over 500k are they (upside). So they've made around $500,000 on this app.

GTA III on Android - 4.99 and over 100,000 downloads - another $500,000 in revenue. And a lot of the graphics and engine code was already written.

I had a chat with one of the Big Mountain Snowboarding developers ($2.99 times 5000+ is $15,000, plus an ad-based Android version with over 500,000 users) who told me that over 85% of the C++ and OpenGL code from their iPhone version could be reused in their Android version. Companies with an existing C++/OpenGL code base don't have to re-invent the wheel to get on Android.

Fruit Ninja : $1.26 * 500,000+ = $630,000. Doodle Jump: $0.99 * 500,000+ = $500,000. Madden NFL 12: $4.99 * 100,000+ = $500,000. And so on. Then there's the money games make on their free, ad-based versions. As I said, many of these games have existing C++/OpenGL code on another platform, so the half million in sales, plus more in ads, that they've made thus far, is money they made just for the port. Which also helps keeping you in the game if some competitors want to take these established games on in this newer platform.

Android is a Linux kernel, with the rest of its code open source. Tim Bird and others recently started an effort to bring the Android developers and Linux closer together, so hopefully that will bear fruit.

Re:If Beethoven is alive today ... by dave420 · 2012-02-01 05:15 · Score: 3 · on Angry Birds Boss Credits Piracy For Popularity Boost

It doesn't, though. No GPS, just course network-base location (for their ads, no doubt), phone info for personalisation. So yes, they're using it for the adverts that make the game free to have. Don't want it? Don't click "install".

Another Reason to Use GPL Software vs Android by LuxuryYacht · 2012-02-01 04:42 · Score: 1, Interesting · on ITC Throws Out B&N Antitrust Claims Against MS

Didn't people see this coming? Google chose Apache 2.0 for their reasons and goals for Android

http://source.android.com/source/licenses.html

"We've simply decided that ASL2.0 is the right license for our goals."

The tablet bubble is already bursting but maybe bodhilinux or similar will be used for some future consumer applicances to avoid these probelms?
http://bodhilinux.com/

Solution for rooted android devices by Rexdude · 2012-01-29 17:11 · Score: 1 · on Defending Your Cellphone Against Malware

Install Droidwall, a powerful FOSS IP tables firewall. Use the whitelist feature to only allow network access to apps that need them to function.

Next, use an ad blocking hosts file. Either manually update /system/etc/hosts, or use AdAway, which will auto update your hosts file with ad server entries and is also FOSS.

Third, get LBE Privacy Guard. This monitors permission usage and lets you override the defaults (something which I believe is baked into CyanogenMod) on a per app basis by alerting you whenever an app tries to access the internet, or your phonebook, IMEI or other personal information.

With these three set up, I really don't have to worry either about ads on the phone platform or of any app accessing the net or doing things behind my back.