I agree no single flagship Android model is blowing the iPhone away in sales, but collectively they are because a new high end Android model is released practically very month or so. Of course it is impossible for Apple to overtake Android domestically or globally when you only release a new iPhone once a year. I doubt Apple really cares nor should they since they are leading in the area that counts, profits. I am not advocating that Apple should change their strategy since I think it is a very good one. Who really cares if 50% or 70% or even 90% of the world uses Android if Apple makes 70% of the actual profits in the smartphone sector.
Apple do need to be careful though about keeping the hardware and software fresh, innovative, adding features, and making sure it will compete well. They have mostly done that so far but consumers are very finicky and it is a lot easier to switch phones than switch computers. A larger screen alone will give them some lebensraum for the next year, but after that they need to stay cutting edge and iOS really needs a big refresh. A revised Spotlight that more closely mimics the one on OS X would be a good start for example.
I think you're being too picky. You bought a cheap phone, you're having an isolated problem, take that with the vendor. Accusing Android as an OS is ludicrous. Have you never heard of iPhones rejecting the SIM card or asking for a SIM when operating on a CDMA network?
It may be a cheap Android phone but it's not a cheap phone. I've bough several cheap £25 dumb phones for relatives that frankly, haven't had a problem like this, despite several years of use.
There's no visible physical problem with the phone, but I concede there may be a problem with a corrupt chip or flash memory within the Android phone, so I shall get it replaced or seen to.
Nevertheless it's odd that it worked fine for several weeks beforehand.
Quote:
As to the malware, thanks for the link, but I wasn't able to find any of the apps on Google Play. With more than 400 000 apps, you can get 2 that are fishy, but the threats are grossly exaggerated.
Did you think Google would just leave them there on the Google Play once they were discovered?
Quote:
If that's such a problem for you, by all means, don't use Android -- just don't expect me to take you seriously. If you are seriously concerned with safety, then following XDA developers and dedicated Android sites is a much wiser thing to do than reading blogs from companies with a financial incentive to spread FUD.
And with that statement you highlight what the Android rooters simply don't comprehend, most people don't have the time or inclination to be searching for answers scrolling through XDA developers and Android sites. They are busy getting on with working, looking after their families and life. But they do want something that's reliable and secure too.
A good example are the electronic payments using debit or credit cards. 99% of people don't want to know about the protocols and details of the interaction between the card, the merchant's machine and the card issuer's computers, these are surprisingly complex. But people want to know that it can be done reliably and securely.
As for FUD, these programs have been out there on Android, no uncertainty there, who knows which other apps are lurking on Google Play for fresh victims?
I think with iOS, you give up a little freedom but delegate the app safety to Apple, they do all the hard work to keep your phone safe.
Just as with the USA, you give up some taxes and make a few sacrifices but you've got the military and government to keep you safe.
Contrast with a country in anarchy like Somalia. You can do what you want there, but so can bad guys, heaven help you if you're outnumbered by baddies with bigger guns than you.
It's because there's a key difference between iOS apps which store contacts on the developer's servers in a misguided attempt to improve the user experience,
and Android apps which not only take your contacts, but hijack your phone to send premium SMS and make premium calls to line their criminal pockets
IMHO the biggest difference is you wish to think an app sending your personal user details such as appointments, contacts, etc tied to your name and UDID to 3rd party servers is basically harmless if it's on Apple's platform but malicious if it occurs on an Android device.
You could be absolutely correct that's it's usually just a mis-guided attempt by some developers to enhance their user experience by gathering contacts, names, numbers, addresses and the like. But if so, why wouldn't most of those "malicious Android apps" that do the exact same thing also be just be the fault of mis-guided developers too, and just as harmless as their iOS counterparts?
Measures have variance, and monthly variations are random unless seen over a longer period of time -- this is assuming the measures themselves have any validity. Three months says very little as it is; but what it does say is iOS lost ground to Android over three months.
The story itself, especially the title, is ridiculous. It's delusional.
Just as with the USA, you give up some taxes and make a few sacrifices but you've got the military and government to keep you safe.
Contrast with a country in anarchy like Somalia. You can do what you want there, but so can bad guys, heaven help you if you're outnumbered by baddies with bigger guns than you.
It is against forum rules to express my true opinion about the example you've given. Let's just say that if you think Somalia is the only alternative to the USA, you need to broaden your horizons.
Measures have variance, and monthly variations are random unless seen over a longer period of time -- this is assuming the measures themselves have any validity. Three months says very little as it is; but what it does say is iOS lost ground to Android over three months.
The story itself, especially the title, is ridiculous. It's delusional.
No, it's not delusional. The spread between iOS and Android shrunk by 0.9% in April - well outside the error limits for the sample size.
It is a very limited time frame and may not mean anything in the long run, but it is certainly not delusional.
Measures have variance, and monthly variations are random unless seen over a longer period of time -- this is assuming the measures themselves have any validity. Three months says very little as it is; but what it does say is iOS lost ground to Android over three months.
The story itself, especially the title, is ridiculous. It's delusional.
You are right, but good luck explaining this to the forum fools. There is zero chance to explain your point to idiots who lack both the mental capacity to understand, and the integrity to admit, what the data means.
You could be absolutely correct that's it's usually just a mis-guided attempt by some developers to enhance their user experience by gathering contacts, names, numbers, addresses and the like. But if so, why wouldn't most of those "malicious Android apps" that do the exact same thing also be just be the fault of mis-guided developers too, and just as harmless as their iOS counterparts?
You're moving the goalposts, I've referred to Android apps which make premium rate calls and send premium SMS texts without your knowledge.
Those are definitely malicious and for the "benefit" of the app creator, unless you find it acceptable for your phone to call premium rate numbers without your knowledge as you watch a film or play a game.
There have been several found on Android,
none within iOS, at least those that aren't jailbroken and received through the official Apple App Store.
It is against forum rules to express my true opinion about the example you've given. Let's just say that if you think Somalia is the only alternative to the USA, you need to broaden your horizons.
It seems you intend to provoke and annoy. I've used the USA and Somalia as examples to illustrate a point primarily as they're two countries which most people recognise.
You've missed the point that within the USA, there are laws and regulations which people are compelled to obey, but in Somalia, an individual is theoretically free to do anything as the government is too weak to impose any rules.
So you have more liberty in Somalia and yet, given the choice, I suspect most people will choose to live in the USA, the walled garden with its rules and regulations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
You are right, but good luck explaining this to the forum fools. There is zero chance to explain your point to idiots who lack both the mental capacity to understand, and the integrity to admit, what the data means.
Your outbursts suggest you lack the capacity to be civil and tolerant, even when people disagree with you.
You're moving the goalposts, I've referred to Android apps which make premium rate calls and send premium SMS texts without your knowledge.
Those are definitely malicious and for the "benefit" of the app creator, unless you find it acceptable for your phone to call premium rate numbers without your knowledge as you watch a film or play a game.
There have been several found on Android,
none within iOS, at least those that aren't jailbroken and received through the official Apple App Store.
You're so hell-bent to convince yourself that there's malware in Android worth noting, but those apps that call or send premium messages are not and never were in Google Play. Obviously it is possible to write such an app for both Android and iOS, but it doesn't mean anyone actually installed it and got scammed.
As I said before, if you're so terrified from the big bad Android, by all means keep using what doesn't scare you.
I agree no single flagship Android model is blowing the iPhone away in sales, but collectively they are because a new high end Android model is released practically very month or so. Of course it is impossible for Apple to overtake Android domestically or globally when you only release a new iPhone once a year. I doubt Apple really cares nor should they since they are leading in the area that counts, profits.
You're moving the goalposts, I've referred to Android apps which make premium rate calls and send premium SMS texts without your knowledge.
Those are definitely malicious and for the "benefit" of the app creator, unless you find it acceptable for your phone to call premium rate numbers without your knowledge as you watch a film or play a game.
There have been several found on Android,
none within iOS, at least those that aren't jailbroken and received through the official Apple App Store.
Excuse me sir but it's you that's got the goalposts on wheels.
Your post #42 linked to an article concerning Android malware and how they collected contact info. My posts referencing and linking the same problems on iOS were answers to that. Rather than acknowledge that iOS has the same problem of developers not following established rules and neither appstore sometimes being aware of it you've now veered off into apps that as a rule couldn't be loaded if users didn't override/jailbreak their devices to change the default security settings.
With 15 billion official Google Play downloads, reporting on a few hundred thousand deceptive downloads demonstrates only the tiniest of chances that any user who keeps to the official Google appstore will download one. It's as much a non-issue (for now) as wi-fi worries on iPads. Not that many users are really affected.
You are right, but good luck explaining this to the forum fools. There is zero chance to explain your point to idiots who lack both the mental capacity to understand, and the integrity to admit, what the data means.
Yet you are the only one who made an ad homenim attack.
Whom did I attack specifically?
There were at least three people in this thread that directly demonstrated lack of understanding of basic statistics concepts. Did I name any of them?
Or do people who've realized they've spoken with their rear end suddenly feel defensive?
The title of the article is total crap, nobody can draw conclusions based on the fluctuations of 0.2%, and most notably comScore didn't. AI published another flame-bait article, don't wonder why discussion gets heated.
There were at least three people in this thread that directly demonstrated lack of understanding of basic statistics concepts. Did I name any of them?
Or do people who've realized they've spoken with their rear end suddenly feel defensive?
The title of the article is total crap, nobody can draw conclusions based on the fluctuations of 0.2%, and most notably comScore didn't. AI published another flame-bait article, don't wonder why discussion gets heated.
You attacked everyone on this Forum. Personally, I'd remove you long before I'd remove myself.
What makes you think that I would suggest "that comparing a bargain Android-based smartphone against the bargain iOS smartphone is unfair"? I have never done that and I was the one pointing out that one should compare equally expensive devices to begin with.
Malware is NOT an issue at all to the normal user. Nobody on the street talks about malware, there are no regular posts on the most vibrant Android forums that talk about everything else. Security application companies are only trying to justify their existence by magnifying minor occasional threats.
If I may use an analogy, malware threats are much like crime in the cities. Sure there is crime in the big cities, but it is by no means deterrent for people who want to live where things are happening, and I don't see everyone running helter skelter for some quiet province. If you aren't afraid to experience new things, all you need to do is stay out of sketchy neighborhoods at night.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
I think you're being too picky. You bought a cheap phone, you're having an isolated problem, take that with the vendor. Accusing Android as an OS is ludicrous. Have you never heard of iPhones rejecting the SIM card or asking for a SIM when operating on a CDMA network?
As to the malware, thanks for the link, but I wasn't able to find any of the apps on Google Play. With more than 400 000 apps, you can get 2 that are fishy, but the threats are grossly exaggerated. If that's such a problem for you, by all means, don't use Android -- just don't expect me to take you seriously. If you are seriously concerned with safety, then following XDA developers and dedicated Android sites is a much wiser thing to do than reading blogs from companies with a financial incentive to spread FUD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
Apple's Appstore has suffered from the same "malware" problem of apps stealing contact info behind the scenes, and their's is a curated market so less of an excuse for it to happen. Any iOS, Android, WinMo or whatever app that harvests contact info, location, calendar events, etc without notice to the user is considered malware by the security companies. For some reason it's seldom referred to as malware when it's an iOS app, but always considered malicious if it's in an Android app. Any reason they should be thought of/referred to any differently if they do the same things?
"...According to Sunnyvale, Calif., security firm Juniper Networks known instances of Android-related malware -- "virtually all" involving apps - have jumped steadily month by month from 400 in June 2011 to 15,507 in February 2012...
"..San Francisco-based Lookout Mobile Security reported In August 2011, that "an estimated half-million to one million people were affected by Android malware in the first half of 2011..."
"...Trend Micro of Japan, which has U.S. headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. - identified "more than 1,000 malicious Android apps" last year, 90 percent of them on Google's site and noted that the number of bad apps grew last year at 60 percent per month. Trend Micro has estimated the total this year "will grow to more than 120,000."
code.google.com/p/android/issues Demonstrates 582 reported defects and enhancements for the keyword “security”
“There has been a rash of premium SMS toll fraud apps in the last few months that have primarily targeted users in Europe. These apps have often purported to be downloaders for well-known third party software (often freely available software such as Opera Mobile), and have primarily been found on file sharing sites and alternative markets.”
Google isn’t finding the malware… Security researchers are… “Google responded to reports from Lookout and others by pulling these apps from the Market.”
The fake Instagram website contains text in Russian and distributes an Android Trojan horse that, once installed, sends SMS messages to premium-rate numbers without the phone owner's authorization, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, in a blog post on Wednesday.
Clearly there are serious concerns about malware on Google Android.
Malware which masquerades as legitimate apps and can root devices, quietly intercept phone calls and send SMS messages is not equivalent to purposely installing social media apps that download contact information. Could Apple do more? Yes, but the two situations are virtually diametrically opposed.
Google Bouncer is not a sufficient solution thus Google Play (formerly Android Market) is not a safe haven for user downloads.
Comments
I agree no single flagship Android model is blowing the iPhone away in sales, but collectively they are because a new high end Android model is released practically very month or so. Of course it is impossible for Apple to overtake Android domestically or globally when you only release a new iPhone once a year. I doubt Apple really cares nor should they since they are leading in the area that counts, profits. I am not advocating that Apple should change their strategy since I think it is a very good one. Who really cares if 50% or 70% or even 90% of the world uses Android if Apple makes 70% of the actual profits in the smartphone sector.
Apple do need to be careful though about keeping the hardware and software fresh, innovative, adding features, and making sure it will compete well. They have mostly done that so far but consumers are very finicky and it is a lot easier to switch phones than switch computers. A larger screen alone will give them some lebensraum for the next year, but after that they need to stay cutting edge and iOS really needs a big refresh. A revised Spotlight that more closely mimics the one on OS X would be a good start for example.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
I think you're being too picky. You bought a cheap phone, you're having an isolated problem, take that with the vendor. Accusing Android as an OS is ludicrous. Have you never heard of iPhones rejecting the SIM card or asking for a SIM when operating on a CDMA network?
It may be a cheap Android phone but it's not a cheap phone. I've bough several cheap £25 dumb phones for relatives that frankly, haven't had a problem like this, despite several years of use.
There's no visible physical problem with the phone, but I concede there may be a problem with a corrupt chip or flash memory within the Android phone, so I shall get it replaced or seen to.
Nevertheless it's odd that it worked fine for several weeks beforehand.
Quote:
As to the malware, thanks for the link, but I wasn't able to find any of the apps on Google Play. With more than 400 000 apps, you can get 2 that are fishy, but the threats are grossly exaggerated.
Did you think Google would just leave them there on the Google Play once they were discovered?
Quote:
If that's such a problem for you, by all means, don't use Android -- just don't expect me to take you seriously. If you are seriously concerned with safety, then following XDA developers and dedicated Android sites is a much wiser thing to do than reading blogs from companies with a financial incentive to spread FUD.
And with that statement you highlight what the Android rooters simply don't comprehend, most people don't have the time or inclination to be searching for answers scrolling through XDA developers and Android sites. They are busy getting on with working, looking after their families and life. But they do want something that's reliable and secure too.
A good example are the electronic payments using debit or credit cards. 99% of people don't want to know about the protocols and details of the interaction between the card, the merchant's machine and the card issuer's computers, these are surprisingly complex. But people want to know that it can be done reliably and securely.
As for FUD, these programs have been out there on Android, no uncertainty there, who knows which other apps are lurking on Google Play for fresh victims?
I think with iOS, you give up a little freedom but delegate the app safety to Apple, they do all the hard work to keep your phone safe.
Just as with the USA, you give up some taxes and make a few sacrifices but you've got the military and government to keep you safe.
Contrast with a country in anarchy like Somalia. You can do what you want there, but so can bad guys, heaven help you if you're outnumbered by baddies with bigger guns than you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiA
It's because there's a key difference between iOS apps which store contacts on the developer's servers in a misguided attempt to improve the user experience,
and Android apps which not only take your contacts, but hijack your phone to send premium SMS and make premium calls to line their criminal pockets
IMHO the biggest difference is you wish to think an app sending your personal user details such as appointments, contacts, etc tied to your name and UDID to 3rd party servers is basically harmless if it's on Apple's platform but malicious if it occurs on an Android device.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704694004576020083703574602.html
You could be absolutely correct that's it's usually just a mis-guided attempt by some developers to enhance their user experience by gathering contacts, names, numbers, addresses and the like. But if so, why wouldn't most of those "malicious Android apps" that do the exact same thing also be just be the fault of mis-guided developers too, and just as harmless as their iOS counterparts?
Ignore the story, read the chart.
Measures have variance, and monthly variations are random unless seen over a longer period of time -- this is assuming the measures themselves have any validity. Three months says very little as it is; but what it does say is iOS lost ground to Android over three months.
The story itself, especially the title, is ridiculous. It's delusional.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ChiA
...
Just as with the USA, you give up some taxes and make a few sacrifices but you've got the military and government to keep you safe.
Contrast with a country in anarchy like Somalia. You can do what you want there, but so can bad guys, heaven help you if you're outnumbered by baddies with bigger guns than you.
It is against forum rules to express my true opinion about the example you've given. Let's just say that if you think Somalia is the only alternative to the USA, you need to broaden your horizons.
No, it's not delusional. The spread between iOS and Android shrunk by 0.9% in April - well outside the error limits for the sample size.
It is a very limited time frame and may not mean anything in the long run, but it is certainly not delusional.
Quote:
Originally Posted by waldobushman
Ignore the story, read the chart.
Measures have variance, and monthly variations are random unless seen over a longer period of time -- this is assuming the measures themselves have any validity. Three months says very little as it is; but what it does say is iOS lost ground to Android over three months.
The story itself, especially the title, is ridiculous. It's delusional.
You are right, but good luck explaining this to the forum fools. There is zero chance to explain your point to idiots who lack both the mental capacity to understand, and the integrity to admit, what the data means.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
You could be absolutely correct that's it's usually just a mis-guided attempt by some developers to enhance their user experience by gathering contacts, names, numbers, addresses and the like. But if so, why wouldn't most of those "malicious Android apps" that do the exact same thing also be just be the fault of mis-guided developers too, and just as harmless as their iOS counterparts?
You're moving the goalposts, I've referred to Android apps which make premium rate calls and send premium SMS texts without your knowledge.
Those are definitely malicious and for the "benefit" of the app creator, unless you find it acceptable for your phone to call premium rate numbers without your knowledge as you watch a film or play a game.
There have been several found on Android,
none within iOS, at least those that aren't jailbroken and received through the official Apple App Store.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
It is against forum rules to express my true opinion about the example you've given. Let's just say that if you think Somalia is the only alternative to the USA, you need to broaden your horizons.
It seems you intend to provoke and annoy. I've used the USA and Somalia as examples to illustrate a point primarily as they're two countries which most people recognise.
You've missed the point that within the USA, there are laws and regulations which people are compelled to obey, but in Somalia, an individual is theoretically free to do anything as the government is too weak to impose any rules.
So you have more liberty in Somalia and yet, given the choice, I suspect most people will choose to live in the USA, the walled garden with its rules and regulations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
You are right, but good luck explaining this to the forum fools. There is zero chance to explain your point to idiots who lack both the mental capacity to understand, and the integrity to admit, what the data means.
Your outbursts suggest you lack the capacity to be civil and tolerant, even when people disagree with you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiA
You're moving the goalposts, I've referred to Android apps which make premium rate calls and send premium SMS texts without your knowledge.
Those are definitely malicious and for the "benefit" of the app creator, unless you find it acceptable for your phone to call premium rate numbers without your knowledge as you watch a film or play a game.
There have been several found on Android,
none within iOS, at least those that aren't jailbroken and received through the official Apple App Store.
You're so hell-bent to convince yourself that there's malware in Android worth noting, but those apps that call or send premium messages are not and never were in Google Play. Obviously it is possible to write such an app for both Android and iOS, but it doesn't mean anyone actually installed it and got scammed.
As I said before, if you're so terrified from the big bad Android, by all means keep using what doesn't scare you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwmac
I agree no single flagship Android model is blowing the iPhone away in sales, but collectively they are because a new high end Android model is released practically very month or so. Of course it is impossible for Apple to overtake Android domestically or globally when you only release a new iPhone once a year. I doubt Apple really cares nor should they since they are leading in the area that counts, profits.
And consumer satisfaction, year after year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiA
You're moving the goalposts, I've referred to Android apps which make premium rate calls and send premium SMS texts without your knowledge.
Those are definitely malicious and for the "benefit" of the app creator, unless you find it acceptable for your phone to call premium rate numbers without your knowledge as you watch a film or play a game.
There have been several found on Android,
none within iOS, at least those that aren't jailbroken and received through the official Apple App Store.
Excuse me sir but it's you that's got the goalposts on wheels.
Your post #42 linked to an article concerning Android malware and how they collected contact info. My posts referencing and linking the same problems on iOS were answers to that. Rather than acknowledge that iOS has the same problem of developers not following established rules and neither appstore sometimes being aware of it you've now veered off into apps that as a rule couldn't be loaded if users didn't override/jailbreak their devices to change the default security settings.
With 15 billion official Google Play downloads, reporting on a few hundred thousand deceptive downloads demonstrates only the tiniest of chances that any user who keeps to the official Google appstore will download one. It's as much a non-issue (for now) as wi-fi worries on iPads. Not that many users are really affected.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
You are right, but good luck explaining this to the forum fools. There is zero chance to explain your point to idiots who lack both the mental capacity to understand, and the integrity to admit, what the data means.
F#ck off!
Quote:
Originally Posted by island hermit
F#ck off!
Reported.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
Reported.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaa....
Yet you are the only one who made an ad homenim attack.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Yet you are the only one who made an ad homenim attack.
Whom did I attack specifically?
There were at least three people in this thread that directly demonstrated lack of understanding of basic statistics concepts. Did I name any of them?
Or do people who've realized they've spoken with their rear end suddenly feel defensive?
The title of the article is total crap, nobody can draw conclusions based on the fluctuations of 0.2%, and most notably comScore didn't. AI published another flame-bait article, don't wonder why discussion gets heated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
Whom did I attack specifically?
There were at least three people in this thread that directly demonstrated lack of understanding of basic statistics concepts. Did I name any of them?
Or do people who've realized they've spoken with their rear end suddenly feel defensive?
The title of the article is total crap, nobody can draw conclusions based on the fluctuations of 0.2%, and most notably comScore didn't. AI published another flame-bait article, don't wonder why discussion gets heated.
You attacked everyone on this Forum. Personally, I'd remove you long before I'd remove myself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
What makes you think that I would suggest "that comparing a bargain Android-based smartphone against the bargain iOS smartphone is unfair"? I have never done that and I was the one pointing out that one should compare equally expensive devices to begin with.
Malware is NOT an issue at all to the normal user. Nobody on the street talks about malware, there are no regular posts on the most vibrant Android forums that talk about everything else. Security application companies are only trying to justify their existence by magnifying minor occasional threats.
If I may use an analogy, malware threats are much like crime in the cities. Sure there is crime in the big cities, but it is by no means deterrent for people who want to live where things are happening, and I don't see everyone running helter skelter for some quiet province. If you aren't afraid to experience new things, all you need to do is stay out of sketchy neighborhoods at night.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDoppio
I think you're being too picky. You bought a cheap phone, you're having an isolated problem, take that with the vendor. Accusing Android as an OS is ludicrous. Have you never heard of iPhones rejecting the SIM card or asking for a SIM when operating on a CDMA network?
As to the malware, thanks for the link, but I wasn't able to find any of the apps on Google Play. With more than 400 000 apps, you can get 2 that are fishy, but the threats are grossly exaggerated. If that's such a problem for you, by all means, don't use Android -- just don't expect me to take you seriously. If you are seriously concerned with safety, then following XDA developers and dedicated Android sites is a much wiser thing to do than reading blogs from companies with a financial incentive to spread FUD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
Apple's Appstore has suffered from the same "malware" problem of apps stealing contact info behind the scenes, and their's is a curated market so less of an excuse for it to happen. Any iOS, Android, WinMo or whatever app that harvests contact info, location, calendar events, etc without notice to the user is considered malware by the security companies. For some reason it's seldom referred to as malware when it's an iOS app, but always considered malicious if it's in an Android app. Any reason they should be thought of/referred to any differently if they do the same things?
http://dcurt.is/stealing-your-address-book
http://iphone.pandaapp.com/news/02152012/181804808.shtml
"...According to Sunnyvale, Calif., security firm Juniper Networks known instances of Android-related malware -- "virtually all" involving apps - have jumped steadily month by month from 400 in June 2011 to 15,507 in February 2012...
"..San Francisco-based Lookout Mobile Security reported In August 2011, that "an estimated half-million to one million people were affected by Android malware in the first half of 2011..."
"...Trend Micro of Japan, which has U.S. headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. - identified "more than 1,000 malicious Android apps" last year, 90 percent of them on Google's site and noted that the number of bad apps grew last year at 60 percent per month. Trend Micro has estimated the total this year "will grow to more than 120,000."
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_20182226/android-apps-targeted-by-malware?source=rss_viewed.
Search “malware” on androidforums.com
The result is “About 6,430 results”
Search “malware” on androidcentral.com
The result is “About 4,420 results”
code.google.com/p/android/issues Demonstrates 582 reported defects and enhancements for the keyword “security”
“There has been a rash of premium SMS toll fraud apps in the last few months that have primarily targeted users in Europe. These apps have often purported to be downloaders for well-known third party software (often freely available software such as Opera Mobile), and have primarily been found on file sharing sites and alternative markets.”
Google isn’t finding the malware… Security researchers are… “Google responded to reports from Lookout and others by pulling these apps from the Market.”
http://blog.mylookout.com/blog/2011/12/11/european-premium-sms-fraud/
22 SMS Malware Apps Reach Android Market, Removed by Goole
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/22_sms_malware_apps_reach_android_market_removed_b.php
A firm has been fined £50,000 after Trojan versions of popular Android apps secretly sent expensive SMS messages to premium rate numbers.
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/05/24/angry-birds-malware-fine/
The fake Instagram website contains text in Russian and distributes an Android Trojan horse that, once installed, sends SMS messages to premium-rate numbers without the phone owner's authorization, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, in a blog post on Wednesday.
http://www.cio.com/article/704599/Android_Malware_Writers_Exploit_Instagram_Craze_to_Distribute_SMS_Trojan_Horse
New Android Malware Hides as Google+ App, Answers Calls for You
http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/15/new-android-malware-hides-as-google-app-answers-calls-for-you/
New Android Malware Can Remotely Root Phones
http://www.bgr.com/2012/04/05/new-android-malware-can-remotely-root-phones/
idtheftprotect: Google Bouncer isn’t working – over 15 AV and free SMS apps being offered by the same developer “thasnimola.”
http://t.co/lwLhAaay #NQMobile
idtheftprotect: Google Bouncer isn’t working – over 15 AV and free SMS apps being offered by the same developer “thasnimola”. http://t.co/lwLhAaay #NQMobile
New Android malware spreads via Facebook, bypasses Google Bouncer.
http://www.slashgear.com/new-android-malware-spreads-via-facebook-bypasses-google-bouncer-24215202/
Researchers Say They Snuck Malware App Past Google's 'Bouncer' Android Market Scanner.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/05/23/researchers-say-they-snuck-malware-app-past-googles-bouncer-android-market-scanner/
Clearly there are serious concerns about malware on Google Android.
Malware which masquerades as legitimate apps and can root devices, quietly intercept phone calls and send SMS messages is not equivalent to purposely installing social media apps that download contact information. Could Apple do more? Yes, but the two situations are virtually diametrically opposed.
Google Bouncer is not a sufficient solution thus Google Play (formerly Android Market) is not a safe haven for user downloads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by island hermit
You attacked everyone on this Forum. Personally, I'd remove you long before I'd remove myself.
No, I only attacked the forum fools. Any forum member who isn't a fool is excluded.