Source Code Revelation

The app's source code is the brainchild of the author and its release therefore remains a low priority objective. Note that the ability to peruse the app's software would not assist in deciphering purloined encrypted messages. It'd still take brute force methodologies to attack a coded string. I will add that it's no secret that the app's Unicode "Box Character" encoding system is only sugar coating and not secure. It would be the 3DES or AES algorithms (with tweaks) from the Java library that provides a measure of data security.  

SMS functionality added in Version 2.0

A new "Send-SMS" button was added to make it easier for sending encrypted text via the Android device's standard text message program. Data contained in Textbox is automatically copied into the form's template. These encrypted messages are displayed in the text message in-box as re-encoded "%-pairs". Logic has been added so that these %-pair strings can be decrypted in the normal manner. Finally, a free version of the AES-engined Cryptxphile has been released: Crypt2phile.   

Cryptxphile Released

Cryptxphile is identical to Cryptophile except that the "encryption engine" has been upgraded in order to give users more data security. The Triple-DES algorithm has been replaced by 128-bit AES that uses a randomly generated "salt" string to provide more protection against brute force attacks. And the user-supplied encryption keys can now be up to 12 characters in length. Sooo, if you believe your secret text data is of "state secret" caliber, then Cryptxphile is your preferred app.   

Tweaked two text strings in app

Two minor adjustments have been performed: First, a new status line message was added when the encryption process completes; and second, an existing User Interface field descriptor was slightly rewritten. These changes in Version 1.7 are released today.

HTC / 'context menu' follow-up

After additional troubleshooting, it appears that HTC devices (at least the Desire series) has an apparent software bug that precludes an app from inserting app-specific list items into an Android 'Edittext' context menu. The only real impact this error has on Cryptophile/Crypt1phile is to prevent a user from displaying the application's help "file". Importantly, the integrity of this app's encryption and decryption algorithm is not affected by this HTC bug.

Context Menu bug inside the HTC???

Evidence is pointing towards a bug inside the HTC smartphone...a bug that stops the app's 3 clickable menu options from being added to an Edittext's context menu (here associated with this app's Textbox field). This error has not been reported or reproducible in any other type of Android platform (so far).

When clicked these missing options individually permit: a help "file" to be displayed; easy erasure of Textbox; and display of the current character count in Textbox. Lack of these peripheral functions on your HTC device in no way impacts the integrity of the app's encryption and decryption algorithms.

Investigation into this problem continues.

Display of Textbox's context menu

The internal construction of Textbox's context menu was modified slightly in order to eliminate display problems in some implementations of the Android operating system. Specifically, the call to "registerForContextMenu" was tweaked in the hopes of eliminating problems in some versions of Android.

Many thanks to one of our astute users, endym, for reporting this error and assisting during troubleshooting/testing. Since I do not own the type of Android device which is plagued by the problem, this help has been invaluable. (endym, can you confirm the problem is now solved on your phone? Thanks.)   I'm crossing my fingers.

Erase user's cipher key when onRestart() performed

For added security, the user's cipher key (if any) will now be cleared out as the app is restarted on the device's screen...after the app had been earlier superseded on the display by a different application. Also, the re-worded status line message "Long-press Textbox to access help file." better indicates that app documentation is a list item in the context menu. This fix in level 1.5.

New status line messages

A couple of the longer status line messages were slightly shortened because the text could not fit on one line for some models of Android devices. This update is released in version 1.4.

Better screen display with hard keyboard

The app's software was upgraded in Version 1.3 in order to improve the screen's layout when a device's hard keyboard is used (in landscape mode). I can't test on every Android-based gadget out there, so if you experience less than ideal screen layouts...let me know!  

Tweaked code to fix a "bug"

When encrypted data was pasted back into Textbox from other apps, sometimes there had been new line (NL) and/or blank characters inserted into the encrypted string. So the decryption/decoding logic had to be adjusted to ignore these irrelevant characters. The fix is applied to version 1.2.

Released to Android Market!

Both Cryptophile (full-functionality, $0.99) and Crypt1phile (restricted functionality, free) have been published in the Android Marketplace. Each has been tagged Version 1.0.

Crypt1phile was created as a test drive platform...for those of you who are wary of parting blindly with 99 pennies. (Heck I don't blame you.) 

If you discover any software problems, issues, or bugs, let me know!!!

I hope you enjoy the awesome "Box Drawing" encoding scheme, and find the ability to export encrypted text useful. Enjoy.

Final App Testing

The Cryptophile app, and its nearly-identical twin Crypt1phile, are undergoing final stress testing...and barring an unforeseen snag, both Android apps will be released the last week of March 2011. More news later as developments warrant.