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App Name: Golden Retriever
Summary:
Golden Retriever is a must have app for all BlackBerry users.
This app allows users to remotely control their BlackBerry 10 device using commands sent via email messages. This is particularly useful when the user may not have the device in their possession yet they need to interact with it. There are several occasions when this might happen.
An example is when the user has to lend their device to a friend or family for a period of time. In the meantime, the user would still like to know if there are any messages that came for them, or would still like to access some files that are stored in the device file system but since they do not have their device, they are currently out of reach. With this app, the user can simply send commands to the device to fetch this information even while they do not physically have access to the device.
Another example of a use case is if the user loses their phone, or misplaces it somewhere but they are in urgent need of their messages and some files stored in the file system. They might also want to actually track down where their phone is by using additional means outside of BlackBerry Protect. For example, they might want to hear the background noise around where the phone is currently to help narrow down where the phone may have been placed.
All of this and more can be done using Golden Retriever. When active, the app simply monitors a user's specified email inbox for issued commands. When the user is away from the phone, they can simply log into their email address from their laptop or desktop, and send an email command to this email address that the app is monitoring to fetch the information from the device they are looking for.
To issue a command, the user needs to email the target email address with the subject line: "golden" (without quotes).
In the body of the message, the user needs to specify the command they want to issue. Here are some of the commands that are available (keep in mind future updates will continually bring more and more features):
Commands:
help: Returns the available list of commands with examples.
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battery: Returns the current battery level and the temperature in degrees Celsius.
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calendar: Does a query for calendar events that match the command arguments. For example, to find all events in the device calendar that contain the word 'Doctor', use the following command:
calendar Doctor
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contact: Does a query for a contact's details (specified in the command arguments) from the device address book. For example, to find all contacts in the device address book that contain the name 'Yunis', use the following command:
contact Yunis
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get: Fetches one or more files from the device's file system or media card. Wildcards are supported. For example, to fetch all image files on the device that start with 'Apple', use the following command:
get Apple*.jpg
To fetch all text files that contain the word 'Yunis', use the following command:
get *Yunis*.txt
There may be cases where your query is too broad, and matches too many files. For example, a query like:
get A*.txt
can produce a really large result. In that case the app will return you a list of all the files that matched the query. You should then instead specify the exact file that you are looking for.
To fetch a very specific file, provide the full path to the file as an argument. For example, to fetch the file named 'abdul khaliq.txt' located in the documents folder of the device's SD card, use the following command:
get /accounts/1000/removable/sdcard/documents/abdul khaliq.txt
To fetch the file 'abdul khaliq.txt' that is located in the documents folder of the device's local storage, use the following command instead:
get /accounts/1000/shared/documents/abdul khaliq.txt
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location: Fetches the current location of the device reverse geocoded as well as in latitude/longitude coordinates.
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mic: Records audio from the device's microphone and sends it back. You can customize how long the device should record for by specifying an argument in terms of seconds. For example to record 15 seconds of audio, use the following command:
mic 15
If no argument is specified after the *mic* command, the default value of 10 seconds is used.
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unread: Fetches all the unread SMS messages that are on the device.
Once the user sends the email to the target address with the command in the body and "golden" as the subject, the app will process the command and reply back to the email with the response.
To turn off monitoring your inbox, simply close the app. To activate it again, just reopen the app, it's that simple!
Features:
- Native Cascades app implementation with smooth transitions, animations, and incorporation of Flow UI.
- Security restrictions: Ability to whitelist only specific users to send commands, or anyone to send commands.
- Many different commands available: get, contact, battery, help, mic, unread (and more coming)
- Spy tools: Remotely turn on/off microphone and get live feed.
- Detailed step by step instructions with images to make learning curve as easy as possible.
- Built-in bug reporter to contact development team as soon as possible for bugs and new feature requests.
- Commands can be sent from anywhere as long as the device has access to the mailbox. This means no additional installation of any other software or plugins is necessary!
- Graphics optimized for both all-touch and physical keyboard devices.
- Permission validation: App recognizes when permissions may be turned off and is stable not to misbehave, but rather it will warn the user.
Permissions Explanation (this app requires several permissions and here is why):
- Calendar: App uses this to process the 'calendar' commands to let you access your calendar events remotely.
- Contacts: App uses this to process the 'contact' query commands to let you access your contact details remotely.
- Email/PIN Messages: App uses this to monitor your target inbox to actually listen for command messages and reply to them with the requested data.
- GPS Location/Location: App uses this to process the 'location' commands to let you access your device's location remotely.
- Microphone: App uses this to process the 'mic' commands to let you access your device's microphone to record audio remotely.
- Shared Files: App uses this to process the 'get' commands to let you access your files and media remotely.
- Text Messages: App uses this to process the 'unread sms' commands to let you access your unread SMS messages remotely.
Price:
$1.99 (for a limited time, then going to $3.99)
BlackBerry World Link:
BlackBerry World - Golden Retriever
Bug-report/Feature Request/Support link:
https://code.google.com/p/golden-retriever/
Video Tutorial:
Guess what? v2.0 version of this app is now headless! Also the app received some new features and bug-fixes!
Full Change log:
https://code.google.com/p/golden-ret...wiki/ChangeLog
Bug reports and feature requests:
https://code.google.com/p/golden-retriever/issues/list
Video tutorial:
Last edited by canadainc; 01-21-14 at 07:40 PM.
09-04-13 04:54 PM - Golden Retriever v2.5.0.0 submitted to BlackBerry World:
Change log: https://code.google.com/p/golden-ret...wiki/ChangeLog
* Issue 15 Integrate Canada Inc logging framework
* Issue 16 Feature Request: Change device profile
* Issue 27 Feature Request: Email Accounts Sync
* Issue 30 Implement ExpandableSample in HelpPage for each command
* Issue 33 Implement BBM Channel link
* Issue 36 Feature Request: Alarm: Vibrate/Ring device
* Issue 38 Use a custom dialog for the login screen
* Issue 40 Prompt user to set whitelist by default
* Issue 42 Battery Saving: Make the command be part of the subject line
* Issue 44 Add icons for all toasts
* Issue 45 Replace toggle setting pair with checkbox
* Issue 46 App can get into a cycle if user sends command from one email address to the same one
* Issue 48 Prompt user to see video tutorial
* Issue 49 User is able to enter empty subject line in settings
* Issue 50 Password field needs to be the primary input route when it is visible
* Issue 51 Implement test mode
* Issue 52 Feature Request: Set Master Volume
* Issue 53 Add Clear Logs action
* Issue 54 Scroll list to the top when a new command arrives
* Issue 55 Show placeholder when lists are empty
* Issue 56 Whitelist pane was not showing the address in lowercase when it was being added
* Issue 57 Periodically poll log file so that it does not become too large
* Issue 58 "Clear All" action in whitelist pane should be disabled when the list is empty
* Issue 59 Add Email action in the whitelist pane should support keyboard shortcuts
* Issue 61 Read help command response right from the Help documentation
* Issue 62 Whitelist input prompt is capitalizing first letter
* Issue 63 Help command does not show up properly in the Logs pane
04-19-14 02:09 AM
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Golden Retriever: Remotely control and interact with your BlackBerry 10 device from anywhere!
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