CyanogenMod adds new account feature to rival Android Device Manager
As time goes on, it seems that the CyanogenMod team is continually adding more and more custom features to its popular custom ROM offering. Along with the standard tweaks, file manager, Apollo music player, and CM updater, the CM team is now adding a new feature (actually more of a service) to the ROM with many of the same features of Android Device Manager.
The service, a CyanogenMod Account, is designed to allow you to “access additional features to complement your CM installation.” Currently, the account will allow you to locate a misplaced CM device using GPS, as well as securely wipe all date from the device including the SD card if it is lost for good. Again, this is much like Device Manager, but since I haven’t been able to get Google’s Device Manager working with my CM installation, I’m hoping the custom tailored option will work better.
While there are several other options for lost device location and cleaning, the CM team makes it clear that their focus will be on security, noting that they cannot use the service to track or wipe a device. Other companies may have ulterior motives, while the CM team claims to be keeping everything out in the open. Still, the feature will be optional for those who don’t want to use it, and currently isn’t in the nightly builds. It will probably be added in about a week, though users can sign up for accounts already.
The features of the new CyanogenMod account may seem sparse right now, but it will soon be integrated with secure SMS, and the team will be ” additional functionality to the CM Account page over time.” To me, this sounds like the service could morph into something like AirDroid, an impressive remote device management tool. Something like this would be a great feature for the ROM, as it could potentially be integrated seamlessly with the system as well as secure.
Though all the features so far mentioned are already available through other means, it is still a good thing for the CyanogenMod team to be working on adding integrated features to their software. Perhaps this offering won’t be better than what is already on the market, or perhaps CyanogenMod will begin to morph into an entire software collection to further enhance the Android experience. Either way, if the CM team thinks it can implement these features in a better way, there’s no reason not to give it a try.
[CyanogenMod]
