Rogue Android app said to be wiping G1 user data
By Darren Murph 
posted Jan 26th 2009 10:54AM
posted Jan 26th 2009 10:54AM
posted Jan 26th 2009 10:54AM
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OPEN SOURCE RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love the oppenness and the possibilities of android!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love open source too, but there needs to be testing done by someone before publishing this application. That would suck if all your contacts were deleted.
This is the price of true Open Source. Don't download apps that you haven't at least read the comments on. Treat it as a computer. You wouldn't download Oogly Boogly software without researching a little on it first (at least you shouldn't)...
Android has a built in system for conveniently reporting software like this. Hopefully it will be removed soon.
I agree that you cant have a true open source platform without allowing this to happen. I think the problem is that because people see the app on the Android Market, they assume that it is ok to install (as if Google is approving the app).
Unfortunately its probably a bad move to review every app on the market because that opens the floodgates towards the controlling practices that Apple is doing with their app store. It might also be hard to distinguish between a person who wrote buggy software and one who wrote malicious software. I think the best solution is to have a warning for users when downloading apps.
I think the overlying issue here has less to do with "open source" and more to do with "open market". Distribution of software - legal or otherwise - has nothing to do with the open-ness of the code. It has everything to do with regulation (or lack thereof) of the market.
How many people would be up in arms if this were on the iPhone? This is the exact reason there is an approval process. I love open source as much as the next guy, but, can you really trust the WHOLE community to have stellar apps and not some junk software that messes with your phone.?
I await your flames.
No flames from me. I agree, but i hate it when there are apps or games in the app store that freeze up the iphone when you load them. Annoying none the less, but at least those apps dont destroy your files. Some sort of approval by google should be necessary, especially if the android market is gonna grow like its supposed to.
Where's G1toG2.exe when we need it!
And people still question Apple's requirement to certify. Tsk, Tsk, kiddies.
Imperfect? Yes. Necessary? Abso-fucking-lutely!
Sheep
^Fleas. Adam has 'em.
Full disclosure: I own no Apple products.
Idiot.
I've been running this app since i got my g1 a month ago and i haven't lost any data. Of course i still deleted it after reading this, but i have a feeling it's not as malicious as it's being made out to be.
It could be poor programming. Deleting things that it doesn't know that are important. Basically, don't get a "Cell Phone Cleaner" like there's a CCleaner for PC, because obviously, both are very different platforms and operate differently.
Since people keep bringing up the "necessity" of the Apple approval process, I would like to at least point out that while testing and approval can be "a good thing," having a completely closed system of doing so is not "a good thing." Apple has been known to reject apps without explanation, take 6+ weeks without any feedback to small developers (I'm still waiting on iKeepass), and is most likely silently killing apps that will compete with their future plans. Oh, and I'm addicted to the iTunes App Store anyway. I'm certainly not sticking it to the man.
lulz, iKeepAss
Umm, if its clearing the information doesn't that mean its doing what it should and freeing up memory? Just a thought....
I'll bet that clearing off all your information does make your G1 run faster. Program works fine... ;-)
SoftRAM 95, anyone?
(wiki it, kids)
Funny I can download an app like this but I still can't download a damn ZIP file. I have a zip program... get with it Android.
ps its still a good phone.
There is an app called Download Crutch that lets you download any file type through your browser.
It is illogical to think that a program that takes up memory can manage your memory more efficiently than the kernel itself.
Its like saying you are vegan or something, then, wear a fake mink coat. Doesn't make sense. Ask your friends.
This IS malicious. Wipped out my APN settings and after an hour on the phone with tmo CC had to resort to a hard reset to pretty much use my phone again.
What about an "open approval process", where there is a "beta store" and people use the apps... if they are good...then they get moved to the public market.