Freepoc

A bug fix update for our personal finance software for Android devices. Here is the changelog:

* Fixed bug when pressing back key in Import/Export menu
* Improved detection of Dropbox directory (would lead to app crashing on some devices)
* Fixed problem with Set Directory routine (would lead to app crashing on some devices)

You’ve probably read articles in the media about phishing scams, malware, hacking and other bad things which can happen when using PC or mobile software. So we wanted to take a moment to talk about the security of our personal finance software Jabp4 for PC/Mac/Linux and JabpLite4 for Android.

The first thing to say is that both our applications were designed to work completely offline. Neither app connects directly to the internet and so neither is able to download or to upload any of your data. There are now many other personal finance programs which do connect to third-party websites, either their own servers or various financial institutions. While this is for legitimate reasons (eg. synchronising your data across multiple devices or importing data from your bank), it does require that you trust those applications 100 percent. You trust not only that they aren’t misusing your data but also that the sensitive information that they store on your behalf is properly protected. We’ve all read about various high profile and serious data leaks, so this is not a trivial concern.  As we said, with our apps all your data stays on your device and doesn’t get shared with any third-party.

There is one small qualification to the preceding statements. We do offer the ability to backup and transfer data between Jabp4 and JabpLite4 via Dropbox. This is completely optional and is disabled by default. Why did we decide to use Dropbox, rather than building our own sync/transfer functions? Two reasons. Firstly, Dropbox is rather good at synchronisation – it is their core business. Secondly, you’d probably be happier with your data sitting on Dropbox’s servers than on Freepoc’s servers! Again, no backups to Dropbox happen unless you explicitly turn on this feature in the Preferences settings.  If you do turn on this feature, all uploads and downloads are done using the Dropbox app itself, completely separate from either Jabp4 or JabpLite4.

Now a few words about how your data are protected on your devices. We recommend that you set a password when using both Jabp4 and JabpLite4. If you do set a password, then your data are encrypted when using Jabp4 on a PC, Mac or Linux. The data are not accessible without the password, so don’t forget it! Even if you sent your data files to Freepoc, we would have no way to access or retrieve your data. On Android, your data are held in a secure sandbox that’s not accessible except via the JabpLite4 app with a password. So again, don’t forget the password! A recently-added feature on our Android app also allows fingerprint authentication to be used.

When using the Backup Data option in either app, the backup data are stored password-protected but not encrypted. For additional security, you can turn on encryption in the Preferences settings. Once again, if your backup file is encrypted and you forget your password, not even Freepoc developers can restore your data.

In summary: 

1. Jabp4 and JabpLite4 have no ability to connect to the internet.
2. If you trust Dropbox, Jabp4 and JabpLite4 can use the Dropbox app for synchronisation and backup. This is turned off by default.
3. Jabp4 and JabpLite4 data files are securely protected on your devices, provided you set a password.
4. For additional security, you can also encrypt backup files in both apps using the Preferences settings.

(Note: we will be adding this text to the distribution zips for both applications)

The main feature in this release is the addition of fingerprint authentication as an alternative to using a password. There are also improvements to Google Pay processing plus various other small enhancements. Here is the changelog:

* Added fingerprint authentication for supported phones. Can be turned on or off in the Password option.
* New Preference: ask before processing standing orders
* Added extra keyboard controls: pressing ‘h’ for home screen, ‘v’ for Switch Views menu
* Pressing a number key (1 thru 9) now goes to that numbered account in Account & Transaction views
* Pending Transactions option in Quick Start menu now includes pending standing orders
* Changed Google Pay processing to handle transfers and fixed bug with split transactions
* App no longer crashes if a Google Pay transaction is declined
* Google Pay Helper now posts a notification when processing a Google Pay transaction
* Changed Android Wear (Wear OS) processing to handle transfers and fixed bug with split transactions

Some small enhancements for our desktop personal finance program. Here is the changelog:

* New Preference: ask before processing standing orders
* Using menu key on keyboard now brings up a popup or canvas menu in the main views
* Fixed bug when navigating to a Transaction View from the home screen by pressing a number key
* Pressing ‘v’ in main views now goes to Switch Views menu
* Pending Transactions option in Quick Start menu now includes pending standing orders
* Changed Alexa processing to handle transfers and fixed bug with split transactions

Welcome to the new Freepoc website! After some months where Freepoc was unavailable due to a protracted server change, we’re very pleased to be back. Here you’ll find download links to our legacy EPOC software plus our current personal finance software for PC/Mac/Linux and Android. There’s some details about the origins of Freepoc in the About section as well as links to the original Freepoc developers where available. Lastly, a record of all our activity dating back to 2003 is in the Archive section. Thanks for coming, feel free to wander around.