ToolKit for EverQuest Smartphone app (Now on iPhone and android)

[bunglusu]

Hello project 1999 community
About 4 years ago I made an smartphone app for players to use called 'Toolkit for EverQuest'. This past month, we have had a MAJOR version update! Now also for Iphones

Features:
-maps
-quest lists
-recipies
-auction tracker
-social wall and much more

Screenshot 1 (http://s10.postimg.org/l7qqkivyh/Screenshot_2015_05_28_16_41_24.png)
Screenshot 2 (http://s13.postimg.org/sijpygjlz/Screenshot_2015_05_28_16_41_36.png)
Screenshot 3 (http://s22.postimg.org/9r1cflh0x/Screenshot_2015_05_28_16_41_52.png)

We have had almost 8k downloads on Google play, with great reviews

After much hard work, i am happy to announce that the app is FINALLY available for iPhones.

Apple app store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toolkit-for-everquest/id830414965?ls=1&mt=8)
Google play for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n162566109)

Thank you EverQuest community for being so active on the app. Any suggestions for next version is welcome

[Harris]

pretty cool

[Tewaz]

bump

[Stepper]

Not digging those permissions on Android. No install for me.

[Kanded]

Not digging those permissions on Android. No install for me.

Yeah, same here. Was actually looking forward to being able to stay in full screen instead of windowed with the info you could get on that app. But yeah, I'm too paranoid for that.

[bunglusu]

Yeah, same here. Was actually looking forward to being able to stay in full screen instead of windowed with the info you could get on that app. But yeah, I'm too paranoid for that.

There have been about 8k downloads on android, and in 4 years not a single complaint about permissions. i wouldnt worry too much about it. read the reviews

[bunglusu]

Not digging those permissions on Android. No install for me.

read reviews.

[Daywolf]

Not digging those permissions on Android. No install for me.

Identity


find accounts on the device


Calendar


read calendar events plus confidential information
add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners' knowledge


Contacts


find accounts on the device

Location


approximate location (network-based)
precise location (GPS and network-based)


Photos/Media/Files


read the contents of your USB storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage


Storage


read the contents of your USB storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage


Camera


take pictures and videos


Other


receive data from Internet
view network connections
run at startup
prevent device from sleeping
control vibration
full network access
control flashlight


----------------------------

I gotta admit, I think that's one of the longest permission lists I've ever seen :D

[bunglusu]

Identity


find accounts on the device


Calendar


read calendar events plus confidential information
add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners' knowledge


Contacts


find accounts on the device

Location


approximate location (network-based)
precise location (GPS and network-based)


Photos/Media/Files


read the contents of your USB storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage


Storage


read the contents of your USB storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage


Camera


take pictures and videos


Other


receive data from Internet
view network connections
run at startup
prevent device from sleeping
control vibration
full network access
control flashlight


----------------------------

I gotta admit, I think that's one of the longest permission lists I've ever seen :D

Same kind of permissions as instragram, gmail, tinder, facebook, etc etc etc. Apple wouldnt approve malicious software, neither would android.

[Daywolf]

Same kind of permissions as instragram, gmail, tinder, facebook, etc etc etc. Apple wouldnt approve malicious software, neither would android.I'm not claiming it's malicious, still a heavy list nonetheless for an app which could externally be susceptible to an attack. As for the ones you mentioned, yeah I don't have/use those. Well apart from gmail as you can't get rid of it, apart from disabling it. Gmail is a nice little security risk (http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/hackers-have-92-success-rate-hacking-gmail-android-0157050/).

[Swish]

Same kind of permissions as instragram, gmail, tinder, facebook, etc etc etc. Apple wouldnt approve malicious software, neither would android.

Why do you need people's locations? If you don't (and you don't), why not take that shit out?

[mev]

Apple wouldnt approve malicious software, neither would android.

Apple and Google provide very little scrutiny on malicious software that goes into their app stores. A security researcher once submitted an app with hooks into it to see what kind of testing Apple folks did before it got approved, and they found that the app was tested for about a minute, IIRC. Doing any sort of rigorous security analysis would likely take months, even if Apple and Google could hire enough security people to analyze all of the apps that are submitted (which they can't).

Same kind of permissions as instragram, gmail, tinder, facebook, etc etc etc.

1. Google and Facebook are large, and a lot of people use their apps, so there is a high degree of certainty that their apps aren't malicious. With only 8k users, if you were doing something malicious, they might never notice.

2. Those apps actually have a reason for using a lot of permissions (eg, Google Now integration, integration between Gmail and Calendar, photo attachments, etc). Since your app serves static content, there is no need for any of those permissions except for network communication (to pull data from the wiki and p99auctions). That also likely means it wouldn't be too difficult for you to tighten up the permissions if you wanted security and privacy minded individuals to use your app.

[bunglusu]

Why do you need people's locations? If you don't (and you don't), why not take that shit out?

The GPS feature is if someone wants to tag their location, while posting a screenshot. (no different than yelp check in). If you are too paranoid to download app, that is fine, i am not holding a gun to your head. There are thousands of registered users who have not had a single issue with app.

i simply made this app, as a toolkit for people who play everquest. nothing more nothing less.

[Baler]

I simply will never install an app with those kinds of required permissions.
Find a way to achieve your goal while I can keep my peace at mind.

Why do you need permissions for the camera, location, calendar, identity?
access to photo/media/files makes sense for images or what not.

But the others ones are outrageous.
also I saw this android app before this thread. I saw the required permissions I pushed cancel immediately.
Then mumbled to myself about how so many apps have too many questionable required permissions.

10k < 100k < 1m

[elwing]

luckily, I've an OnePlus 2 and I can out of the box, remove such permissions on any application.
haven't used that app really much yet since the upgrade, but it seems fine without location, camera, calendar access...

[Daywolf]

i simply made this app, as a toolkit for people who play everquest. nothing more nothing less.
Yeah well I play EQ here, so I just gotta say something about it. Most of my installed apps are a few [select] permissions and some with none (and yes I have/use a commercial Android compiler), while others disabled to run unless I say so. I hate that it's a Linux based system w/o Linux based hardened security. I am "paranoid", paranoid I tell you, and if you knew what I/O know you would be too! hah

[NarcolepticLTD]

what is this app doing that a few simple book marks on the right resources will give you anyways? Is it simply a menu to p99auctions data and wiki data?

[gildor]

That is precisely what it is Narco, I go to chrome on my phone and load up 2 tabs of p99auctions and p99 wiki...life is good

[Kellas]

I find myself checking this app once an hour or so. Its like a Facebook type chat system about p99. Very helpful and friendly community. Thank you for all your hard work to offer us this amazing free app.

[Qtip]

Downloaded the app. Very, very cool having everything eq related in one place with easy access.

[Swish]

I find myself checking this app once an hour or so. Its like a Facebook type chat system about p99. Very helpful and friendly community. Thank you for all your hard work to offer us this amazing free app.

Kellas
Decaying Skeleton


Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1

:o

[Jalico]

While i am a pretty paranoid person, it just isnt a concern of mine regarding this app..... everyone is so worried about their personal life being online but then immediately check facebook all day and fill out their forms to even their address....... this app isnt anywhere close to that.

obviously im biased cause i use it but ive seen the hard work that the admins are putting in to it to improve not only the functionality but also the content. if people have suggestions that they want added, put it out there and it will at least be attempted by the devs.

as for being something you can use in your browser, sure, you can look all the stuff up you want.... but is that why we play the game? just to lvl up so you can be a 60 character? the community on the application is extremely helpful for new players as well as old.... its almost a sub community within the community. need gear? itll probably come free or discounted, need to buy something or find something? everyone keeps an eye out for the item(s).

even if youre selling something, people can post on there and use it as an offline (from EQ) tool to sell their wares.

if youre truly that worried about what this app will do to your phone or other device, install a firewall and limit the permissions to the app. i promise you its not harming anything though.

i can understand security conscious people and do like seeing it as a security professional but i havent seen any issues with this app and im looking at a year of use now about.

last thing i will say is im sure this being one of my first posts is worriesome for a few but its only cause i use the app more than i do the forums here. i check these about once a week or 2 and the app im able to check daily.

tl;dr its not malicious, its always improving, and a great way to get back into the game or help others progress through

[jolanar]

Don't see a point in like 75% of those permissions, especially when all it is is just a bunch of glorified bookmarks to the p99 wiki.

[Teako]

The fact that /most/ of the people hyping this app as being safe have less than 5 posts lifetime is also a MAJOR turn off to it.

Remove the permissions, and any feature that may attempt to force them. Make them optional, or do not include them. Nobody's going to give you full control over their phone permissions so they can basically run a mobile version of the wiki and ahungry.

[Jalico]

So if i post more on these forums, it makes my comments more legit? i get it now......

if you read what i wrote, i understood that my minimal posts on the forum site was obviously going to give people like you worry that i'm just coming on to promote it. my point was, I dont post on these forums because i have another outlet for questions and whatnot...... i don't need to post here because i have the toolkit. all i was saying.

it's no matter to me if you don't want to use it, i'm just here to let people know its not intrusive as you guys are implying.

[Millburn]

:o

Dude was sitting on that account for 6 years just to promote this app! You really got him good there Swish!

[heartbrand]

Downloaded this app and within an hour my credit card had been used for strange purchases online. Not saying it was the app but....

[bunglusu]

Downloaded this app and within an hour my credit card had been used for strange purchases online. Not saying it was the app but....

You just made a very serious and false accusation! I dont take kindly to this.
I will post the coding to public. Dont falsely lynch me.

[Jimjam]

There have been about 8k downloads on android, and in 4 years not a single complaint about permissions. i wouldnt worry too much about it. read the reviews

I'm sure I remember seeing a p1999 app posted before and that one had a lot of complaints about permissions. Obviously there must be another app out there if yours didn't get any complaints.

[bunglusu]

I'm sure I remember seeing a p1999 app posted before and that one had a lot of complaints about permissions. Obviously there must be another app out there if yours didn't get any complaints.

The app used to be called "everquest classic"

but i had to change it for legal reasons, in order to get approved on the apple app store, hence name change. If you look at history of my posts, i was the one who made it

[Ordrek]

If you want to sell the idea you have been given helpful feedback to do so. Resisting those reasonable requests makes the whole thing questionable.

[Halfelfbard]

F this app, the permissions are bogus as hell.

[Jimjam]

If you want to sell the idea you have been given helpful feedback to do so. Resisting those reasonable requests makes the whole thing questionable.

I think that was the consensus of the conversation on this forum last time.

The app used to be called "everquest classic"

but i had to change it for legal reasons, in order to get approved on the apple app store, hence name change. If you look at history of my posts, i was the one who made it

Ah, well good to see you are still working on your app. Did you make any progress on cutting down on unnecessary permissions? It seems like you might be able to widen your customer base a little further if you do. It seems p99ers have a slightly suspicious nature to their characters.

[Daywolf]

It seems p99ers have a slightly suspicious nature to their characters.I just consider it realistic. The fact of the matter is that many network gamers in which spend their time playing difficult/classic mmo's (e.g eq, uo, eve, ao etc.) are often more technically literate than the general population at large of which walk into street lights zombified by their smarter-than-you phones. In some such game communities, IT in general is the most common profession among the gamers.

And I don't say zombie lightly, people have become gullible, trusting of everything. Some outright app scams reach into the millions of downloads before Google finally pulls the app as a scam and refunds customers over initial purchases. And as well many free apps are just out there to get everything it can on you and sell it for a price, and the users agree to it unwittingly. Apps like john mcafee's dcentral 1 for android can help, but ultimately it's up to the user to protect themselves through research and awareness.

[Splade]

Sounds like a nice app... but I'm with everyone here. Why all of the permissions? The developer can't even give us a straight answer

[Izmael]

Sounds like a nice app... but I'm with everyone here. Why all of the permissions? The developer can't even give us a straight answer

If the app requires such a huge list of intrusive permissions but the dev can't really quickly and convincingly explain why they are NEEDED, I wouldn't touch this app (or any app from this editor) with a 10 feet long pole.

[tristantio]

He said he was going to post the source years ago, and says it again now. Source or gtfo!