Can files etc. be received from the network to the SPV?

[Guest tom]

Hi all,

I'm curious about the capabilities of the SPV with regards to receiving files from the phone network.

I seem to have got the idea from somewhere that Orange can update your phone's ROM remotely. Does this mean that they could stick other stuff on the phone without you having to do anything?

Cheers,

Tom.

[Guest spacemonkey]

They can update the ROM if you use Orange Update.

However they can send you SIM updates and perhaps security updates (not software patches) at any time.

[Guest tom]

Don't the SIM updates have to be done via SMS messages?

OK, so I think I'm being stupid here... the SMS message contains the data and some jiggery pokery that tells the phone to do whatever with the attached data, such as updating the SIM card?

[Guest spacemonkey]

correct. They also use SMS's to tell your phone that you have voicemail waiting on the network... Those ones contain the message and some stuff to make the phone not display the sms in your inbox.

The security updates (which is things like adding certificates to your phone) are through some Microsoft thing called Push Router thingy or something. Don't know exactly how this works and given the delays in kicking off a developer program I imagine that Orange doesn't know how this works either because that is it's main purpose.

[Guest tom]

Ah, OK, that makes sense, thanks :-)

One last question, though... does this mean that it'd be possible to, for example, have, I don't know, new game levels automagically sent to your phone by Orange?

[Guest spacemonkey]

Porbably not. It is possible that you could get new game levels off Orange through Orange update or direct from the game manufacturer through GPRS.

Both these things are possible but a game manufacturer or Orange would actually have to want to do it.

[Guest tom]

Hrm, interesting. I wonder what the data limit is for the SMS method of receiving data...

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

Surely the new levels (officially) would have to be digitally signed as well. Don't know how appealing that would be to software developers.

[Guest tom]

Why would they? Surely an application can read a binary file without an issue... I mean, it's a bit of a waste of space if all your photos on the phone have to be signed, isn't it :-)

[Guest spacemonkey]

Levels wouldn't need digital signing, they would be data files read by the app.

For instance, if someone wrote a Gameboy emulator the exe would be signed but all the roms would just be files on your phone, like pictures are.

The only way you would need signing for extra levels would be if you embedded the levels within the EXE itself and I personally would recommend that no developer did that ever.

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

Ah yes sorry, i was envisioning it more as a .exe/.cab installer, didnt think about putting the _actual_ files themselves directly onto the phone :/

I'll try to concentrate more in future :/

[Guest spacemonkey]

Oh, right... spose if you cabbed them you'd need to sign the cab.

I'd go for either get the user to copy them on by hand or build the app with a gprs tool that downloads new levels.