Comments on: French hacker admits stealing 500,000 euros from Android smartphone users

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:45:59 +0000

Thanks bud!

By: twilightmoon

twilightmoon — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:35:03 +0000

Amen.

By: MBBM

MBBM — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:10:58 +0000

You can do anything in the world to any entity you want if you can PROPERLY HIDE it. It’s like stating that I can be Olympic world records if I’m fast enough, but very few people have the dedication, talent, or the training to become that fast. The point is that it’s very difficult to be good enough to hide these things from Apple. That’s why Apple has three times the apps with 1/10th the number of security flaws.

By: MBBM

MBBM — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:02:53 +0000

That’s because we live high on the Hill in this walled garden. It’s lovely!

By: MBBM

MBBM — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:01:04 +0000

With a tax that high, how can Apple be considered the most expensive product? It’s like saving money by purchasing a car with no brakes.

By: Jersey_Trader

Jersey_Trader — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:52:28 +0000

The guy must get paid by the word. “It appears smartphones that use Google software were the most susceptible, …” is sometimes just called an Android phone. To the people that got suckered in, they call it that Android piece of crap!

By: Sharon Sharalike

Sharon Sharalike — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:46:04 +0000

Good points, Derek. People who follow this stuff online are the very small minority. Everybody knows what an iPhone is, but many many people don’t even know what Android is. They know they have a Samsung Galaxy or whatever brand it is, but that’s it.

By: 3l3c7ro

3l3c7ro — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:39:35 +0000

Well said.

By: KRONOS

KRONOS — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:29:02 +0000

Yeah, and don’t forget iSS or “Chris”. Pretty telling when none of these a-hole fscktard troll are anywhere to be found on this forum when the real truth about Fandroid settlers is revealed!

By: stlentz

stlentz — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:41:59 +0000

Why is this even illegal? People installed his app without knowing what it did or having anyone else check what it did. They deserve what they got. This kid should keep the money.

By: JebusR

JebusR — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:53:00 +0000

Don’t forget Gupta.

By: enzos

enzos — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 02:43:00 +0000

“Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.” ~Albert Einstein

By: bomber

bomber — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 02:29:00 +0000

The problem is that as developer and as user you cannot really do a lot (except not using any third-party applications or not using Android):
applications need to use third-party payment systems since Google Play is not popular among users. But many third-party payment systems use premium SMS and require the right to send or receive SMS messages. This means each application which uses the payment service needs to demand the right for sending and receiving SMS messages from the user, on installation. Since most applications require this right, you have not really a choice as user, either you install it or you cannot use it, and can’t really find out if the app is ok.
Google has started to ban third-party payment systems from Google Play, which is just making it more closed, less interesting for users, makes alternative download places more popular, increasing fragmentation: fragmentation not only by hardware, carrier and OS, but also distribution network and payment service.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:44:49 +0000

Really what’s to prevent a developer in the Apple echo system from being able to do this?

At least with the Apple echo system you can hear the echo.

By: Les Cayes

Les Cayes — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:20:05 +0000

Apple walled garden or Google mine field? Hmm, tough choice!

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:05:40 +0000

I know the sentiment. But its hard to blame someone completely ignorant of the tech and say they deserve it. Frequently they are incredibly grateful to at last comprehend the situation so they can move to the sane side of the street. They act as sheeple as they watch others doing it and they don’t know any better.

But then there are the businesses that force employees to use crap technology. I have a brother who can only use a Android phone to keep in touch with work as that is the only platform they support: STOOOPID! That’s when you point at the company IT doofases and either laugh or spit.

By: Alcancun

Alcancun — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:00:07 +0000

Danilko01…. As an Apple developer I can tell you that Apple’s vetting process would go a long way to prevent this type of thing from happening. In addition, the background information that Apple collects and checks on prospective developers would certainly, in the event something got through, stopped this thief much quicker than the 2+ years it took. Making such activity not really worth it

It would be much better not to speak on an issue you know
nothing about and seem ignorant of an issue…. Than to post a comment and prove it.

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:57:06 +0000

And, despite the wall, the view is a hellofalot better from here!

By: bomber

bomber — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:46:55 +0000

You cannot send a SMS message in background, the only thing an app can do is to open the message dialog.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:44:16 +0000

The developers are registered with Apple and if anything was found to be awry they would be easily “sorted”.

By: RastaMouse

RastaMouse — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:41:02 +0000

or brain science.

By: Amazin1

Amazin1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:23:29 +0000

The people who use Android OS deserve this. Sorry, but I have absolutely no sympathy for people who use a ripped off OS and are not willing to pay for the real thing. They should all be suing Goggle.

By: danilko1

danilko1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:22:08 +0000

Really what’s to prevent a developer in the Apple echo system from being able to do this?

I mean, Apple developers have to self disclose all the capabilities of the app they are trying to publish. During the Apple review process, would they be able to detect all of an apps functions if it were not properly disclosed?

The Camera+ people had a hidden feature which was activated by visiting a URL. Because it was communicated to the public, Apple learned about it, and the app was pulled.

All this is saying is you can still do anything you want, as a developer, if you can properly hide what you are doing.

By: jer

jer — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:21:31 +0000

there’s an app for that. (for android)

By: Alcancun

Alcancun — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:16:34 +0000

Edward , Patrick…. Where are you … Oh … Checking your accounts…Open system means spread em … You get what you pay for .., or in this case what you didn’t pay for …. Security.

By: Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:15:31 +0000

And during haloween, the French sat Treat or Retreat

By: Troy

Troy — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:15:10 +0000

“It appears smartphones that use Google software were the most susceptible” it just “APPEAR” or just android.
Looks like the so called “reporters” wanna make you believe that other OSes were affected so the people believe that all smartphones are insecure.

By: Now, Now...

Now, Now... — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:14:47 +0000

Take it back… It’s Pepe Le Pew!

On a side note: wonder if that guy was ever saying to himself, “Wile E. Coyote: Super Genius!”

By: Now, Now...

Now, Now... — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:10:19 +0000

Le ‘pwned!

By: Rorschach

Rorschach — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:57:43 +0000

What’s French for ‘pwned’?

By: Apple is Always Right

Apple is Always Right — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:56:53 +0000

Robin Hood

By: botvinnik

botvinnik — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:50:00 +0000

or rocket surgery.

By: sodapopdude

sodapopdude — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:48:16 +0000

That’s why I only own Apple products. I like my place in Apple’s walled garden

By: ecrabb

ecrabb — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:47:47 +0000

This is one they KNOW about!

This would be the “Android tax” then, correct?

Pretty darn happy in my walled garden!

By: Downunder

Downunder — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:41:46 +0000

iMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iOS 6, Siri, iTunes, curated apps – why would you settle for less?

It ain’t rocket science.