If you installed these apps via Google Play Store, you should disable auto updates for these apps. If you installed them via F-Droid, you should be safe. Auto update has been disabled for these...
Simple Mobile Tools, a developer known for its suite of free and open source Android apps, has recently been in the spotlight following a Reddit user's discovery that the “website” field on some of the developer's Google Play Store apps now redirects to ZipoApps' website. ZipoApps, an Israeli company, has a track record of acquiring popular apps and incorporating ads and trackers for monetization purposes, and several Google Play Store pages for Simple Mobile apps are already marked with the “Contains ads” warning.
If you installed these apps via Google Play Store, you should disable auto updates for these apps.
The code has been forked by the second largest contributer and can be found in the following GitHub organization: https://github.com/FossifyOrg The names of the forked apps have not been decided...
The code has been forked by the second largest contributer and can be found in the following GitHub organization: https://github.com/FossifyOrg
As others said this is pretty bad development but hopefully the apps will remain available in current form outside google play. What I actually don't get is what is the purpose behind this move by...
As others said this is pretty bad development but hopefully the apps will remain available in current form outside google play.
What I actually don't get is what is the purpose behind this move by the acquiring company.
They are probably betting on inertia but the whole point to these that they are simple programs that do one(or a very closely grouped together) thing and without any distractions(also that they are grouped under single umbrella enabling easy discovery). Adding monetization will simply transform these into another generic app. I don't see an average user that specifically sought out the current version of the tools just ignoring ads, trackers and whatnot else.
Or maybe they just want to kill them but still, users who sought them out seem more likely than average user to just get the continuation outside play.
Yeah, I downloaded from F-droid, but I uninstalled completely just the same. I don't want to waste my time trying to outmaneuver a company I no longer trust. Done that before, it's never worth it...
Yeah, I downloaded from F-droid, but I uninstalled completely just the same. I don't want to waste my time trying to outmaneuver a company I no longer trust. Done that before, it's never worth it in the end.
That sucks. Good thing I've always found the Simple Mobile suite to be pretty ugly, I suppose. Here are my recommendations for anyone looking for alternatives: Calculator: Google's Calculator or...
That sucks. Good thing I've always found the Simple Mobile suite to be pretty ugly, I suppose.
Here are my recommendations for anyone looking for alternatives:
Thanks for sharing this @petrichor! I had no idea Google made/offered a separate photo gallery from their Google Photos! Not so sure that i will use it...Kind of the reason i was using Simple...
Thanks for sharing this @petrichor!
I had no idea Google made/offered a separate photo gallery from their Google Photos! Not so sure that i will use it...Kind of the reason i was using Simple Mobile Tools was to avoid using Google stuff...but, hey I asked for options, and now i have other options. Thanks again! :-)
Crap, I had paid for the pro versions of Gallery and Calendar...Not because the apps were the world's most awesome solution to everything under the sun, but because i was trying to support the...
Crap, I had paid for the pro versions of Gallery and Calendar...Not because the apps were the world's most awesome solution to everything under the sun, but because i was trying to support the developer at least through the most minuscule of costs. (I would have easily paid much more sinvce the apps bring tangigle value, and since i thought i was paying a person/small business, and not some heartless large enterprise)...But, dang it! Now, i have to look for alternatives.
According to the blog shared above by another user, one of the contributors is forking the code on github. There’s also probably older releases of the app over there.
According to the blog shared above by another user, one of the contributors is forking the code on github. There’s also probably older releases of the app over there.
Yeah, thanks, I saw that...but just wondered if there wasn't maybe a different alternative. Nothing against the person who is forking this...i just figured, well, there must be something else out...
Yeah, thanks, I saw that...but just wondered if there wasn't maybe a different alternative. Nothing against the person who is forking this...i just figured, well, there must be something else out there....right? :-)
In addition to the noted fork (https://github.com/FossifyOrg), are there any other alternatives - in particular an alt. to Gallery and Calendar - that folks can suggest?
In addition to the noted fork (https://github.com/FossifyOrg), are there any other alternatives - in particular an alt. to Gallery and Calendar - that folks can suggest?
If you installed these apps via Google Play Store, you should disable auto updates for these apps.
If you installed them via F-Droid, you should be safe. Auto update has been disabled for these apps.
Affected:
Thanks for the heads-up, I only have a few of these installed on a quest 2 through fdroid so I guess I should be fine for now.
The code has been forked by the second largest contributer and can be found in the following GitHub organization:
https://github.com/FossifyOrg
The names of the forked apps have not been decided yet. There's an ongoing vote here:
https://github.com/orgs/FossifyOrg/discussions/54
Great blog post and properly sourced. You should have posted this on Tildes.
As others said this is pretty bad development but hopefully the apps will remain available in current form outside google play.
What I actually don't get is what is the purpose behind this move by the acquiring company.
They are probably betting on inertia but the whole point to these that they are simple programs that do one(or a very closely grouped together) thing and without any distractions(also that they are grouped under single umbrella enabling easy discovery). Adding monetization will simply transform these into another generic app. I don't see an average user that specifically sought out the current version of the tools just ignoring ads, trackers and whatnot else.
Or maybe they just want to kill them but still, users who sought them out seem more likely than average user to just get the continuation outside play.
wow, that sucks. Thank you for posting. I've been using a bunch of these for years.
If you installed them via Google Play Store, you should disable auto updates for these apps. I have also edited this information in my main post.
Yeah, I downloaded from F-droid, but I uninstalled completely just the same. I don't want to waste my time trying to outmaneuver a company I no longer trust. Done that before, it's never worth it in the end.
That sucks. Good thing I've always found the Simple Mobile suite to be pretty ugly, I suppose.
Here are my recommendations for anyone looking for alternatives:
(cc. @mxuribe)
Thanks for sharing this @petrichor!
I had no idea Google made/offered a separate photo gallery from their Google Photos! Not so sure that i will use it...Kind of the reason i was using Simple Mobile Tools was to avoid using Google stuff...but, hey I asked for options, and now i have other options. Thanks again! :-)
Thanks for the headsup. Did hear about this a while but this confirms it. Anyone still using the pro versions of the apps?
Crap, I had paid for the pro versions of Gallery and Calendar...Not because the apps were the world's most awesome solution to everything under the sun, but because i was trying to support the developer at least through the most minuscule of costs. (I would have easily paid much more sinvce the apps bring tangigle value, and since i thought i was paying a person/small business, and not some heartless large enterprise)...But, dang it! Now, i have to look for alternatives.
According to the blog shared above by another user, one of the contributors is forking the code on github. There’s also probably older releases of the app over there.
Yeah, thanks, I saw that...but just wondered if there wasn't maybe a different alternative. Nothing against the person who is forking this...i just figured, well, there must be something else out there....right? :-)
I was using Simple Gallery on my old phone, I recently moved to a new device though and I suppose I'll be just using the stock Google Photos for now.
Great that you mention this. I had already seen a video about it but everyone needs to hear this.
A Linux Youtube channel named Brodie Robertson
I mean, I'm about as excited for Wayland so I don't mind
Fair enough
In addition to the noted fork (https://github.com/FossifyOrg), are there any other alternatives - in particular an alt. to Gallery and Calendar - that folks can suggest?
The gallery app is available on F-Droid as Fossify Gallery. The others apps haven't been released there yet.