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Beluga and Alternatives For Android and iOS

Discussion in 'GENERAL Wireless Discussion' started by charlyee, Jan 20, 2011.

  1. charlyee

    charlyee Ultimate Insanity
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    Anyone try Beluga?

    Anyone interested in forming a "pod"?


    Thank much :)
     
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    #1 charlyee, Jan 20, 2011
  2. Yankees368

    Yankees368 Compulsive Signal Checker
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    Re: Beluga

    This seems to work pretty well. Former BBM users, JOIN US!
     
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    #2 Yankees368, Jan 20, 2011
  3. Gamer03

    Gamer03 Technology Aficionado
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    Re: Beluga

    Thanks for the invite. This program seems to work well. :D
     
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    #3 Gamer03, Jan 20, 2011
  4. M in LA

    M in LA Mobile 28 Years Plus
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    Re: Beluga

    Thanks for the invite, Charlyee, and I have a concern. When reviewing what permissions the program requests to access, there are a lot of personal things it has access to that seem a little too intrusive (probably the same as the FB for Android app, though I don't remember what it asked permission for, as it's been a while since I downloaded it). Anything I should be concerned about? Thanks.
     
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    #4 M in LA, Jan 20, 2011
  5. charlyee

    charlyee Ultimate Insanity
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    Re: Beluga

    I don't recall it asking for any permissions that were out of the ordinary or that other apps didn't ask for. Sorry Mike, I don't know what to tell you.

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.1-update1; en-us; SonyEricssonX10a Build/2.0.2.A.0.24) AppleWebKit/530.17 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/530.17
     
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    #5 charlyee, Jan 20, 2011
  6. Gamer03

    Gamer03 Technology Aficionado
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    Re: Beluga

    According to AndroidZoom, here are the permissions that it asks for (bold is what this permission means):


    * android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION

    Allows an application to access fine (e.g., GPS) location

    * android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE

    Allows applications to access information about networks

    * android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE

    Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks

    * android.permission.CAMERA

    Required to be able to access the camera device

    * android.permission.GET_ACCOUNTS

    Allows access to the list of accounts in the Accounts Service

    * android.permission.INTERNET

    Allows applications to open network sockets.

    * android.permission.READ_CONTACTS

    Allows an application to read the user's contacts data.

    * android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE

    Allows read only access to phone state.

    * android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED

    Allows an application to receive the ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED that is broadcast after the system finishes booting.

    * android.permission.VIBRATE

    Allows access to the vibrator mode on the phone

    * android.permission.WAKE_LOCK

    Allows using PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming

    * android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

    Allows an application to write to external storage

    * com.belugapods.beluga.permission.C2D_MESSAGE

    I assume allow the application to post a message to the web/Android app version of the program, although I may be wrong.

    * com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE

    I assume allow the application to receive messages and possibly alerts on your Android Phone.


    A full list of Manifest Permissions for Android devices can be found at the following link:

    Manifest.permission | Android Developers


    The Beluga app asks for basic information that is normal, and will not compromise your device.
     
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    #6 Gamer03, Jan 20, 2011
    1 person likes this.
  7. M in LA

    M in LA Mobile 28 Years Plus
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    Re: Beluga

    It's OK Charlyee. I rarely download apps like this, and the longer I've had the phone, the more I understand it, so the permissions it asks for are likely the same for FB and other apps I downloaded on day 1 but seemed more than what I've seen for recent downloads. I just wanted to get yours and others opinions on this before I download it. It's just my cautious nature... :)

    Thanks Erik for the detailed permissions explanation.
     
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    #7 M in LA, Jan 20, 2011
  8. Gamer03

    Gamer03 Technology Aficionado
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    Re: Beluga

    Your welcome, Mike. I actually just found that link a little while ago. I posted the link in the Official ANDROID Questions & Answers Thread sticky.
     
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    #8 Gamer03, Jan 20, 2011
  9. budney

    budney Resident Headbanger
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    Re: Beluga

    I will be joining as soon as my MyTouch Fender gets the Froyo update. Waiting for the OTA or for someone to post it.
     
    #9 budney, Jan 20, 2011
  10. charlyee

    charlyee Ultimate Insanity
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    Re: Beluga For Android and iOS

    It is working rather well so far. There has been two upgrades for the Android users already, takes some of my BBM withdrawl off. :cool:
     
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    #10 charlyee, Jan 21, 2011
  11. our3rotts

    our3rotts An Iowa Gurl...
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    Re: Beluga For Android and iOS

    So my friends who don't have iphones or droids can access it via a browser?
    Does everyone have to have a beluga account, and are invites rare, like socialscope or Google Voice were?
     
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    #11 our3rotts, Jan 21, 2011
  12. charlyee

    charlyee Ultimate Insanity
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    Yes they can but if they sign in with their phone number they will get the chats as text message and get swamped.

    You have to sign up for Beluga with an email /phone number and create a password.

    We have a WA pod, if you want to join to try it out, PM me your email.

    Hope that helped.

    Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.1-update1; en-us; SonyEricssonX10a Build/2.0.2.A.0.24) AppleWebKit/530.17 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/530.17
     
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    #12 charlyee, Jan 21, 2011
  13. M in LA

    M in LA Mobile 28 Years Plus
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    #13 M in LA, Mar 2, 2011
  14. charlyee

    charlyee Ultimate Insanity
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    Re: Beluga For Android and iOS

    Seems like after Facebook took over Beluga, it started having annoying problems, the most common being double, triple posts and taking a very long time to post.

    So in our eternal quest to find the perfect cross OS, BBM alternative, we moved on to Whatsapp. It took some time getting used to since it is phone number based so all the members of the group needed to have everyone in their contact list. The rest of it seemed to be much better than Beluga.

    As the members of the group all started getting Tablets, there was interest to use an app that would work from the tablet as well or at least had a web version. Whatsapp didn't do either.

    So we tried LiveProfile, which didn't either and we moved on to KIK Messenger. This was a little strange, it did have a web version but what was posted from one didn't show up from the other, so went back to Whatsapp.

    Along came Google Plus we were fortunate to get our whole group in it. Android has a really nice app for it complete with a widget and apparently there is an iOS app already submitted for approval. The Android app works on Tablets as will the iOS app. In the meantime, the web version works quite well.

    As you know, it is still in beta and many things need to be worked out but it does have great potential, so we are staying put at least for now.
     
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    #14 charlyee, Jul 14, 2011
  15. AnthroMatt

    AnthroMatt Big Meanie
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    Re: Beluga For Android and iOS

    I never liked Beluga, so I was glad to use WhatsApp. I still think that is my favorite...but I don't have a tablet and have no plans to get one any time soon, so the shortcomings mentioned above didn't impact me. :)

    Not sure how I am liking Google+ so far. I definitely haven't spent as much time messing around with it as I need to in order to figure it out. It would definitely help me for there to be an iOS app available. I use Google Apps to host email for my personal domain, but Google+ only works with @gmail addresses, so that means I have to either use two browsers (annoying) or repeatedly log into and out of my Google Apps acct in order to log in with my gmail address to use Google+ (super annoying).

    So I haven't really explored Google+ all that much yet, as for now, it isn't a very convenient option.
     
    #15 AnthroMatt, Jul 15, 2011
  16. charlyee

    charlyee Ultimate Insanity
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    Re: Beluga For Android and iOS

    The iPhone app is now available.


    Google+ app for iPhone now available -- Engadget
     
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    #16 charlyee, Jul 19, 2011
  17. AnthroMatt

    AnthroMatt Big Meanie
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    I can't find it. I am in the middle of nowhere doing a survey though so my coverage is lousy.
     
    #17 AnthroMatt, Jul 19, 2011
  18. bobolito

    bobolito Diamond Senior Member
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    Beluga? Isn't that a scooter from the 80's?

    [​IMG]
     
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    #18 bobolito, Jul 22, 2011
  19. charlyee

    charlyee Ultimate Insanity
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    Lol, and I was thinking caviar. ;)

    Well, it looks like we made sort of a full circle. We are now using FB Messenger, which ofcourse is "Born again Beluga". For some reason the Android app works better than the iOS app and the Android app has had 2 or 3 updates making it better yet.

    Anyone interested in joining our "exclusive group", please PM me. :D


    EDIT: just got the first update for iOS.
     
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    #19 charlyee, Aug 15, 2011
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2011
  20. charlyee

    charlyee Ultimate Insanity
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    In our continuing quest for finding the perfect Cross OS BBM alternative, we have now moved on to Group Me. So far so good, it works on tablets as well but doesn't sync until the next post. As a bonus there is a WP 7 app for it as well as a web app or via text messaging for Palm OS etc.

    As always, if anyone is interested in joining our group, please PM me.
     
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    #20 charlyee, Oct 4, 2011
    2 people like this.
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