Mobile Defense Blog

Description

This tutorial outlines the necessary steps required to install Mobile Defense as a system application. When Mobile Defense is installed as a system application it can auto-enable your location providers (both Wireless and GPS) as needed. This is especially helpful if your device has been lost or stolen, and one or both providers is currently disabled. By following the steps below, you'll also discover that Mobile Defense cannot be uninstalled.

As far as application updates go, nothing changes. You will still receive notifications when updates are available and have the ability to update via the Market as needed.

Disclaimer: This tutorial is intended for advanced Android users only and should be performed at your own risk. We recommend doing a full backup of your phone using Nandroid prior to performing this tutorial.

Prerequisites

• Must have Android Debug Bridge (adb) installed

• Must have ROOT access or at a minimum be able to use 'su' via adb

Install Instructions

Note, the following steps are provided to work for the broadest number of users. We realize that some steps may not necessarily be required for some users depending on their setup; however, these additional steps should not have a negative effect.

Step 1: Uninstall current version of Mobile Defense if you have it installed.

Step 2: Download the latest Mobile Defense APK file.

Step 3: Open command prompt or terminal window and start a remote shell.

Step 4: Switch to the root user.

Step 5: Remount the system partition as read-write.

Step 6: Change permissions on the system app directory so that you can add new APKs.

Step 7: Exit from root (Step 4).

Step 8: Exit out of the remote shell.

Step 9: Finally, install Mobile Defense as a system application. Make sure your path for the APK file is correct. The example below assumes you are in the directory where you downloaded the APK in Step 2.

Congratulations! If you made it through all of the steps above, Mobile Defense should now be installed as a system application.

Cleanup Instructions

Step 10: Open command prompt or terminal window and start a remote shell.

Step 11: Switch to the root user.

Step 12: Remount the system partition as read-write.

Step 13: Change permissions on the system app directory back to default.

Step 14: Exit from root (Step 11).

Step 15: Exit out of the remote shell.

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What's in this release:

• [BUG FIX] Force close on reboot when data connection is unavailable.
• [BUG FIX] App data can be cleared on system app install.
• [FEATURE] Improved consistency of location accuracy.

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What's in this release:

• Fixed intermittent connectivity bug on Nexus One
• Fixed SIM change notification issue
• Increased website responsiveness

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What's in this release:

• Fixed bug causing force close after updating to 1.2.2

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What's in this release:

• Fixed bug where lights turned on when SMS was received
• Increased remote connection timeout to 5mins
• Fixed bug where alert settings were not always pulled down correctly
• Added PIN to recovery alert per user feedback
• Security token SMS is now auto deleted per user feedback
• Patched bug affecting CDMA users missing phone data
• Fixed bug where alert was unavailable to Motorola CLIQ users
• Patched minor website bugs and addressed a few usability issues

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What's in this release:

• Fixed caching issue
• Patched activity feed bug

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During our upgrade last night Amazon expereienced a power outage that affected some of our production servers. The problem has been resolved; however, we were forced to restore a snapshot of our database as of 12:03am ET. A small handful of users who registered after midnight will need to create new accounts. We have individually reached out to these users to ensure their phones are protected moving forward. Sorry for inconvenience, please let us know if we missed anyone.

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What's in this release:

• CDMA support (Verizon, Sprint, and we are testing Cellular South)
• Reintroduced AT&T access on the Market
• Removed forward-lock from the apk
• New improve user interface
• Users can now protect up to 5 phones per account
• Simultaneously track multiple phones
• Send location details via email
• View location history
• Improved location provider detection
• Improved registration and activation emails
• Auto enable GPS and prevent uninstall for system app installs
• Ability to delete stored location data
• Ability to close account
• Reduced battery drain during tracking
• Fixed security token bug for old AT&T Blue users
• Fixed minor registration and update bugs

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