An Open Source Alternative to Verizon's GetItNow?

malachid69 asks: "Is there anyway for us, as open-source developers, to provide a free alternative to the Verizon GetItNow network, some way in which we can share and co-develop software for our phones, and provide a way for them to be emailed/SMSd onto the phones? Basically, is there any way for us to create a SourceForge equivalent to GetItNow?"

"A bit of explanation: Recently, I was trying to find ringtones for my LG cell phone, and was having some difficulties in figuring out how to even get them onto my phone without the cable.

Finally, I contacted Verizon Wireless via email.

My original email: 'How do I provide content *I create* on the GetItNow network AND/OR how do I SMS the content to my own phone?'

Their response was to first explain how to use GetItNow to download ringtones (many of which really suck, none of which are free). They continued with 'You are unable to SMS Get It Now created from any websites to your phone and [we] apologize for any inconvience this might have caused.

To my humor (due to the fact that every application I had downloaded had crashed), they also said: 'Verizon Wireless requires extensive lab and field-testing of the Get It Now applications we choose to offer, to ensure that our customers get the highest-quality applications in the marketplace today. (Emphasis, mine)

In response, I asked: 'How would an open-source developer put applications onto the get-it-now phones without charging customers for use of the program? And, while we are at it, can I only use Brew to write applications for verizon phones, or can I use Java?'

They gave me the link to the GetItNow developer site (click on Developer Zone at the bottom) and said, 'Verizon Wireless does offer SMS downloads of ringtones and graphics through our Vtext.com website.'

As a side question: I would prefer to write my applications in Java instead of Brew (which Verizon GetItNow does NOT support). Has anyone had experience using any of the Brew-in-Java implementations (like the one from IBM)?"

Comments

Fix the bigger problem

[lightspawn]

We need a resource that streamlines this process:

* Users spot the need for software that doesn't yet exist
* People 'vote' (or something) on the importance of these projects, and/or share any relevant information (like an existing project which can do the same thing)
* Groups of coders, documenters, testers etc. form to make these project a reality.

Let's face it - a lot of ideas get lost because the people who happen to think of them don't happen to have the time or the skills to code them.

Re:Fix the bigger problem

[lightspawn]

There is no reason the two systems can't exist together, implementing each other. There is much need for commercial software a hacker with a little time on his hands would never want to tackle; conversely, there are many possible projects which could make the world a slightly better place but can't really become profitable.

certified?

[jeffy124]

first, let me just say that I have never heard of GetItNow, nor use Verizon, but here's my take:

Verizon Wireless requires extensive lab and field-testing of the Get It Now applications we choose to offer, to ensure that our customers get the highest-quality applications in the marketplace today.

That sounds like a "Verizon-certified" thingy. Similar to the Nintendo Seal on old NES games. A way for consumers to know if what they are getting meets some quality standard.

There almost has to be a way around it and develop personal software for GetItNow, much like the volumes upon volumes of games out there without Nintendo's little seal of approval.

Perhaps a better way to present it to VErizon is to ask "Is it possible for me to develop my own little personal application for GetItNow?" rather than linking in open source. Verizon doesn't necessarily need to know that you're trying to come up with some open source stuff.

Re:certified?

[grotgrot]

That sounds like a "Verizon-certified" thingy. Similar to the Nintendo Seal on old NES games.

Brew applications are written in C/C++. The reason for the testing/certification is because they can trivially cause all sorts of damage (remember you can make pointers to anything and trash anything - you don't get an industrial strength operating system in the phone with applications and data suitably protected). Additionally the Brew programming environment is crap. For example the way you find out free space on the EFS (embedded file system) is to write a file, fill up the filesystem, and see how big the file got! [This actually also causes some models to panic, reboot, panic on an infinite cycle] Contrast with J2ME which uses a defined virtual machine which can be proven to be safe.

A way for consumers to know if what they are getting meets some quality standard.

The "quality standard" is it not crashing the phone. The vast majority of the games are pure unadulterated crap. For example there is a XXX game (you know the big action film with Vin Diesel in it). After several screens of copyrights and license agreements, you end up with a clone of Pole Position (that ancient Atari game where you move a blob between parallel blobs that are supposed to be a road going off into the distance). And it is REALLY REALLY bad. In fact most of the games look like they took an entire afternoon to write.

Qualcomm and Verizon will lose this game. People expect much more, and will vote with their money. Here is by far the best explanation of just how dismal it is.

You're out of luck...

[Flat Feet Pete]

I looked at this after my gf chose a verizon phone for me (I'm quite happy with pay as you go, I like being in touch but have no desire to shoot the sh*t for hours).

Basically you have to join the program, pay qualcomm to unlock your phone and then pay around $1000 per phone to have your app tested.

They're unlikely to let you in because people are paying $$'s for games that are poorer than open source equivalents. The $$'s go to subsidise the cost of handsets.

I got discouraged, but feel free to poke around the brew websites + user forums for more info. As much as it screws homebrew development brew seems fairly popular (read profitable).

There are a few sites around

[steve.m]

TryMicroDevNet which is a developer orientated site for J2ME, but only provides links to the authors web site for listed apps. (and you have to be a member..)

Another one is Midlet.org, but I've been mailing the site admin for 2 months trying to get a J2ME RSS reader I wrote posted on the site, with no reply. The downloads look like they were last updated on Jan 23rd and there is a fairly lively forum.
You can download via wap at http://midlet.org/wap

Re:There are a few sites around

[Suppafly]

That's all well and good except the poster is asking about verizon phones which do not and cannot run java apps.

Brew is the only was short of possibly assembler to make an app for a verizon phone, and you have to pay to have the brew apps signed so that they will even run once you copy them to the phone.

GAGIN, BALpatches, PST and HowardForums

[morgue-ann]

GAGIN is "get around Get It Now" and is a copy of Qualcomm's AppLoader for BREW (distributed without permission of course) with a binary patcher to let it do more than load BREW apps.

It let me see files, but not download or upload them to my 1monthold Motorola T720c.

BALpatches are other binary patches to AppLoader.

If you get the "update" for Motorola TrueSync 3.1, you can install it without having an earlier version (again, in violation of the EULA) and use a $16 USB or serial cable to syncronize Outlook or PalmDesktop to your phone. It also comes with USB drivers (for Windows of course) to handle the USB-to-serial (I think the T720 just has a Prolific chip or integrated IP to handle USB) and let you use the phone as a modem.

PST is a Motorola app for messing with all sorts of really deep, nasty stuff in your phone. The guy who distributes it (google beavermjr) supplies a patch, but that didn't come down right for me, so I don't know what it does. PST comes with a large collection of USB drivers, so I assume the app isn't talking to the phone with a set of AT-command extensions.

HowardForums have a lot of frustrated Verizon subscribers discussing how to use the capabilities their phones already come with without paying VZW $more.

I have a Windows COM port "interposer" that watches traffic & colors in the display window according to direction. It would be good for reverse-engineering the protocol for implementation in open source. I'll post the name when I find it again.

lg vx 6000

[Anonymous Coward]

Verizon's premire camera phone, the LG VX 6000 is hackable. When you press [MENU] it will give u a selection of options. Press 0 and a service code message will popup. The code is "0000000". A new menu opens up, which is full of cool features from FCC tests to changing ur phones call priority on the network. There is also a section for brew, where u can change the IP adddres of where Get It Now connects to. Use this if u want to upload games to ur phone for free.

Re:lg vx 6000

[Anonymous Coward]

This also works for the LG VX 4400. I just tried it and it works. Cheers!

Re:lg vx 6000

[mkop]

It also works on a lg vx 4500 if any one cares

Re:you don't get on to the real web from verizons

[foidulus]

They do this in Japan. I have a phone that I bought for about $60, they have an over the air provisioning service, but they also allow you to load custom apps just by visiting a URL. They prevent piracy by refusing to allow you to access content on the phone(it's probably possible, but most people just don't bother with it)
Meanwhile Verizon doesn't allow you to run custom apps on the hardware you bought.
Now I gotta go back and use their crappy service again, really blows!

Re:you don't get on to the real web from verizons

[madcow_ucsb]

The problem is that verizon cripples most of their phones such that you cannot download files via the web. Additionally, verizon phones don't speak j2me, they speak Brew. Brew apps require an expensive proprietary SDK and then can only officially be installed via their GetItNow interface (i.e. Verizon gets to bill you a few bucks per download).

There are ways to install brew apps via a data cable, but you still need a generated license file from Qualcomm for the thing to run. Getting this file runs upwards of $1000.

This actually reminded me that I had called and bitched to the Verizon Wireless executive offices and talked to a VP there who *assured me* that a program was in the works to upload these progs and ringtones, etc. for free via the data cable. A good year ago. Damn, wish I wrote her name down...

Oh well. I'm thinking I'll switch to T-Mobile anyway. The data rates on VZW are just ridiculous and they're far and away the worst when it comes to BS like this.

too bad

[exhilaration]

I can install anything I want on my Nokia 3650 on T-Mobile - which was free after rebate when I got it, but now you'll get paid $50 after rebate.

Carriers like Verizon and Sprint do their best to limit what you can do with your phone. They think that earning pennies by selling crappy applications and ringtones is of greater value than keeping their customers happy.

Nokia also provides enormous support to software developers. You can download free IDE's and SDK's from their website. Pick your favorite language - C++, Java, OPL, VisualBasic, and soon Python. Nokia puts no restrictions on what you can do with YOUR phone. WHY? Because they know that they're in the business of selling phones, not software.

Re:too bad

[gl4ss]

it certainly is a 'nokia' thing.

might have something to do that here in Finland you can't sell packages that have a phone+gsm subscription(rationale is that it becomes too hard for the customer to evaluate the REAL price of the phone when the price is tied into a monthly subscription and complicated fees). also ther newer(series60) phones would be pretty much reduced to useless crap if there weren't the huge number of 3rd party apps available.

besides, this way there has been an enermous number of companies that have done apps and games for their phones, as it is very easy to start doing.

Re:too bad

[Oliver Wendell Jones]

See my earlier posting about how Sprint allows us to download pretty much anything we want to our phones with only a "Nontrusted source - Accept? Yes/No" screen standing in the way.

Sure, Sprint sells stuff on their site and probably makes a lot of money that way (I get a $5 per month free credit towards Sprint downloads as part of my package) but I get 99% of my apps, games, ringers, etc. from the free websites.

Sprint PCS

[CE@UIC]

Sprint PCS offers what you're looking for. Let me rephrase that, they let you do what you're looking to do. Basically, they use J2ME which you can download the SDK for (free) and then download to your phone. Verizon uses Brew which doesn't let you do that, they require you to go through them.
With Sprint you can roll your own apps and download them from the web if you have your MIME types set correctly. Google for it, you should find all the info you need.

Motorola T720

[filenabber]

I just got a T720 with Cingular about a month ago. I did some research online and found out how to put anything I want on the phone - Java games, Java apps, ringtones, and images. (http://www.howardforums.com has lots of good links/info). I can even put my own Java programs on there too (I'm a Java developer). I can put them on my phone directly with a cheap USB cable I got on ebay (50 cents plus shipping) and some software I downloaded (PST).

So far, I'm very happy with the T720 - the only negative is it takes about 30 seconds for the phone to boot up - other than that it's been great.

Brian

Re:certified? usually yes

[Oliver Wendell Jones]

I use Sprint PCS and there are numerous free download sites where I can download free games, applications, ringtones, etc.

When I try to download from any site other than Sprint, I get a message on my phone letting me know this is untrusted content and Sprint is not responsible for it's behavior and a Yes/No check box to proceed or cancel the download.

Other than that one extra step, there isn't much difference between an open source download (like the Mobile Mule program that lets you remotely monitor your eMule file sharing on your desktop) and the closed source software that Sprint sells (leases?) on their website.

Check http://www.3guploads.com as one great site (it's free contrary to the numerous "please donate here" links you find all over the site) that has tons of free stuff to choose from.

I have unlimited PCS Vision (wireless internet) on my account, otherwise I could be charged per KB of downloads.

Verizon realized that people want things like ringtones, games, etc. and set up their system so that all content has to go through them and their GetItNow gateway, so they can collect a 'toll' on everything you download to your phone.

Is it ethical? Questionable. Is it legal? Probably.

This is yet another reason why you should do your research and compare other vendors before you decide.

Re:Vtext.com?

[Muad'Dave]

I've found that if you use phone_number@vzwpix.com you can attach jpegs up to about 30k. Oddly, if you send a .MID file with the "JPG" extension, you can detach and then rename it. There's now you get your ringtones!