Android Device Manager

[analog_kidd]

Has anyone seen the new Android Device Manager web site on Google? I just discovered it this morning, and I'm not so sure how I feel about it. I didn't have to do anything to set it up, other than associate my Galaxy S3 with my gmail account way back when I first bought the phone.

 

Anyway, the website https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager knew all about my phone and could tell me exactly where it (and I) was. It has a ring my phone button, which is nice if you have lost the phone somewhere in your house. It will ring it at the loudest volume, regardless of if you have it on silent or vibrate.

 

If you install the app, you can even remotely lock the screen and wipe the device, I do like that. 

 

What freaks me out about this whole thing is just how easy it is to locate people. What if I forget to log out of a public computer and the next person comes along and can track me? If its that easy for me, then who else (Big Brother) is tracking me, and why?  :tinfoil:

 

I guess this could be a good way to keep up with your kid's whereabouts.

 

What do you all think?

[Guest nra37922]

The 'what if's are endless'. 

 

GOOGLE is quickly becoming more powerful than the NSA....

[vontar]

it has been known for years now that if they want, they can remote into most phones, turn on mic and camera with out the user even knowing anything about it.

Organized crime, err people of interest started removing the batteries from their phones when not in use.

Edited September 29, 2013 by vontar

[TripleDigitRide]

I'm fairly certain this feature only works while your GPS is turned on. Unless I am using the GPS for some reason, I always keep it turned off.

[Joseg]

I'm fairly certain this feature only works while your GPS is turned on. Unless I am using the GPS for some reason, I always keep it turned off.

 

negative. I just rang my phone. and it nows where it is to the letter.

[TripleDigitRide]

negative. I just rang my phone. and it nows where it is to the letter.

I'm trying to use it, but it's only been able to find my location while the GPS is on. When I turn it off, it's telling me that my phone cannot be located. When it can, it knows which end of the house I'm in.

[tnguy]

Looks like the location is probably based on the cell tower or possibly nearby wifi access points, not GPS.

[TripleDigitRide]

It does ring my phone while GPS is off. Edited September 30, 2013 by TripleDigitRide

[Murgatroy]

It rings my phone without GPS being on.

[TripleDigitRide]

It rings my phone without GPS being on.

Can it locate your phone on the map while GPS is turned off?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I turn off gps, cell tower triangulation, and wifi locating. But since google designed the system, no doubt they could get around all that and silently turn it on.

Google is dead to me, but it is either apple or google os, and both companies are evil.

When I got the motorola android phone, there were not many good winders phones around, but I liked the old winders phone and I'd trust MS over apple or google. MS is evil as well, just not quite as evil as apple and google. If there is a good winders phone available next time, will go thataway.

[Murgatroy]

Can it locate your phone on the map while GPS is turned off?

It shows me a big blue circle, saying 'accurate to 2074 meters' or something of that nature.

[TripleDigitRide]

It shows me a big blue circle, saying 'accurate to 2074 meters' or something of that nature.

Mine said accurate to 12 meters. That's with the GPS turned on.

[tnguy]

I turn off gps, cell tower triangulation, and wifi locating. But since google designed the system, no doubt they could get around all that and silently turn it on.

Google is dead to me, but it is either apple or google os, and both companies are evil.

When I got the motorola android phone, there were not many good winders phones around, but I liked the old winders phone and I'd trust MS over apple or google. MS is evil as well, just not quite as evil as apple and google. If there is a good winders phone available next time, will go thataway.

 

It is pretty bad. It means that if someone can guess your password, they can find your location. Potentially, that could be very bad for all sorts of people.It also means that Google can obtain your location any time they feel like it at their own initiation. This should have required confirmation or enabling on the phone first.

 

I'm going to be looking in to what people have discovered about how this works and how it can be blocked (I can think of a few methods offhand, all of them require a level of technical knowledge).

 

Mine said accurate to 3000ft at first which is why I thought cell tower but then it dropped really low. Possibly that could be done with wifi triangulation but at this stage, who knows?

 

There are supposed to be some real open-source phones on the horizon but Ubuntu are starting to look like they may head down that same path with their built-in advertising.

Edited September 30, 2013 by tnguy

[tnguy]

This page

 

http://www.stopcellphonetracking.com/google-helps-find-your-stolen-android-device/

 

seems to indicate that you can disable the location feature but I've been through the settings on my phone and that is not an option.

Edited September 30, 2013 by tnguy

[tnguy]

This looks promising...

 

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2013/08/app-ops-androids-hidden-permission.html

 

Not compatible with my device :(

Edited September 30, 2013 by tnguy

[Guest TankerHC]

Just for s&g last week I checked in. The son of a gun posted that I was in the memorial Hospital cafe. Doesn't surprise me though. Even back when we first started using PLLGRS and only 3 satellites were available, WHEN they were available, it could bring us to a 10 digit grid coordinance and was 100% accurate. Getting to that grid by following the plugger was an entirely different story.

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