Or how would you isolate them from the computer?
Decompilation is impossible or very hard.
And StreetView Grabber doesn't have any competition.
Is there any way to prove that the apps here are safe?
Re: Is there any way to prove that the apps here are safe?
Even after 14 years of refinement, it is still possible to have your application harmed by a Windows® professional level operating system.
Of course the same is true for Microsoft's subsequent releases, especially the mistake known as Vista, and there is an increasing chance of harm to your apps running the newer versions without supplemental system protection programs.
There is no way to actually prove that apps are safe, but if you use XP or 7 in conjunction with a decent AV and browser script blocker, then you should have a greater sense of comfort about the application's protection and smooth operation.
Of course the same is true for Microsoft's subsequent releases, especially the mistake known as Vista, and there is an increasing chance of harm to your apps running the newer versions without supplemental system protection programs.
There is no way to actually prove that apps are safe, but if you use XP or 7 in conjunction with a decent AV and browser script blocker, then you should have a greater sense of comfort about the application's protection and smooth operation.
Keep it BASIC.
Re: Is there any way to prove that the apps here are safe?
The point is... The app shouldn't grab Street View as main effect and secretly modify any data on HDD, SSD, SD cards, USB-Sticks as side-effect.
But I don't have the source code of StreetView Grabber and I have no skills of reverse engineering.
But I don't have the source code of StreetView Grabber and I have no skills of reverse engineering.
Re: Is there any way to prove that the apps here are safe?
There's no guarantee with any program you use, even from big companies.
Considering Olby (the developer of StreetView Grabber) has been on the forum so long, is making an awful lot of his information public (domain name details, IPs etc.) and that there's a limited market for his exe then I would highly doubt that he would be using as a way of stealing information from users on this forum.
Your only way of guaranteeing this would be to approach him in PM and ask him if he could release the source code to you. Maybe he would be willing if you were to sign an NDA or offer him some monetary compensation for his time and effort. Or you could spend more money and give the EXE to someone who has the ability to decompile it and give you a report into what every single bit does.
All that being said, as the program has been up there since 2012 and there have been no reports of it connecting to websites other than googlemaps then I would put more weight into it being totally fine, but that is your call to make at the end of the day.
Considering Olby (the developer of StreetView Grabber) has been on the forum so long, is making an awful lot of his information public (domain name details, IPs etc.) and that there's a limited market for his exe then I would highly doubt that he would be using as a way of stealing information from users on this forum.
Your only way of guaranteeing this would be to approach him in PM and ask him if he could release the source code to you. Maybe he would be willing if you were to sign an NDA or offer him some monetary compensation for his time and effort. Or you could spend more money and give the EXE to someone who has the ability to decompile it and give you a report into what every single bit does.
All that being said, as the program has been up there since 2012 and there have been no reports of it connecting to websites other than googlemaps then I would put more weight into it being totally fine, but that is your call to make at the end of the day.
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StarBootics
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Re: Is there any way to prove that the apps here are safe?
This why I prefer to have the source code instead of the compiled program. When the source code are available and you compile it your self it's very unlikely that the source code contain any armful code in it. Unless the source code in question is a malware (virus, worms, trojan, ...).Ftor wrote:The point is... The app shouldn't grab Street View as main effect and secretly modify any data on HDD, SSD, SD cards, USB-Sticks as side-effect.
But I don't have the source code of StreetView Grabber and I have no skills of reverse engineering.
And even if the source code is available there is no guarantees that the compiled program is safe because a different source code can be used to create the program.
Best regards
StarBootics
The Stone Age did not end due to a shortage of stones !
Re: Is there any way to prove that the apps here are safe?
The main concern is unwanted changing of data on anything but CD-R, DVD±R or BD-R which can't be modified because of obvious hardware reason (not software reason). Sandboxie and BufferZone Pro are there. But the best option would be getting source code and searching there for any dangerous parts (or decompilation which is in my opinion very hard task but has the advantage of being independent from Olby).
Well, two options are thinkable. Thank you.
Well, two options are thinkable. Thank you.