Google authenticator – Securing your Google accounts and your favorite Linux

May 26, 2012 2 Comments

Google authenticator is a Google project implementing TFA (Two Factor Authentication). TFA is a way (as the name suggests) to authenticate with two factors. When you authenticate to GMail with only a username and password, that’s called a one factor authentication (the password). If your password has been compromised, anyone who knows your password can gain access to your GMail account, accessing all your private data there.

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Android your (my) way

May 25, 2012 3 Comments

During my work I was requested by my boss to create a cellular site survey application for Android.
The requirements were simple: display the cell id, location area code, signal level, network type (2G/3G), a ping button and a lock on 2G/3G buttons.

Android has an internal application (you can call it technician code, or whatever) that gives you all of that stuff, but is not user-friendly.
You can see it on your own, simply dial “*#*#4636#*#*” on your Android phone, then navigate to “Phone information”.

Basically, my goal is to get the same app, but with a simpler, more user-friendly interface. I don’t need a lot of stuff in there on my application.

The radio information stuff (signal, cid, lac, network type) are simple. They’re exposed through the API for easy query. The 2G/3G lock with a single button click is the tricky part.

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