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Hi
Had my HD2 for about 6 months and found it to be a great phone, thanks mainly to this great community and the work done here. There are a couple of things I need that I havent found, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.
First i need something to record work mileage, as i need to keep records for my tax return. I have seen a few things on the web, but nothing thats really 'touch' friendly. It would also be great if it could log the mileage using GPS, rather than entering the start and end mileage every time. Or perhaps there is some other type of GPS software that could do something similar?
Second I could do with something that can control what sound is passed to the hands free ear piece when it is plugged in, and what is sent to the phones speaker. I use the phone as a satnav in the car, and would like the sound from that, as well as notification sounds, output throught the phone speaker as normal, but still have the hands free work during a call. I have no idea if this is possible or not, but it would be useful!
Any ideas much appreciated!
Here's a piece of software I found with a quick search on google, paid app, has an odometer built in but not too sure on the logging aspect of your request
http://www.tchartdev.com/gps_ss.htm
Nomarky said:
First i need something to record work mileage, as i need to keep records for my tax return. I have seen a few things on the web, but nothing thats really 'touch' friendly. It would also be great if it could log the mileage using GPS, rather than entering the start and end mileage every time. Or perhaps there is some other type of GPS software that could do something similar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about http://handheld.softpedia.com/get/GPS/GPS-LOG-16982.shtml?
For recording mileage I use Navigon, it has that function built-in besides the navigation.
You have to enter the start mileage and tap private or business before every trip, but that's the only way to get a correct record.
It logs the driven miles okay.
I'm very happy with it
None of those are quite what I'm looking for, I don't really want to run satnav all the time if I can avoid it. I did find something called Nettmiles (http://www.nettmiles.co.uk/) but the downloads don't work. Has anyone tried this app?
Might give GPS Speed Sentry ago though, looks like it could be quite useful and I don't really like RadarFree
Problems I've got with the Acer A500:
GPS is very weak. I get the best reception with the back of the unit facing the sky but in normal orientation I'm lucky to get 5 sats.
Compass doesn't work, always 90deg off
Digitizer unresponsive 3 times, had to power off each time. Strangely enough, the last time this happened the buttons at the bottom (home, menu, etc) still worked but nothing responded when tapped on the main screen area.
Have to be careful about plugging and unplugging items while the device screen is off. The headset icon is still showing in the tray after having disconnected a cable last night when the screen was off. Have seen problems where external USB devices aren't scanned if the screen is off.
System shut down 1 time after showing a low power notice. I was at 80%. Haven't had this happen again.
Market, Maps, Firefox crash a lot. The latter is probably Mozilla's fault but the core apps shouldn't be this crash-happy.
Bluetooth sharing only shows visible devices and not paired devices. What's the F-ing point of pairing if I have to make a device visible before I can send a file to it?
No media scanner notification. It takes a while to scan external USB media and there's no indication the scanning is going on. The only indication that it's done is when media starts appearing in apps like gallery. On older revs of the OS there is a notice that scanning is ongoing.
Copy/paste annoying. Especially that you can't paste if there's no text in your editor!!! In 2.2 you tap once to bring up the picker/caret (don't know what the google term is) and you tap that to get a popup menu for copy/paste/delete. On the Acer you have to double-tap to select text and only then do you get a menu on the top of the screen. Trouble is, if you have no text in your document you can't paste because there's no text to select!
Can't turn the d**n sound off on the camera.
Have to drill down into the settings turn the "ringer" off to mute the system. Why isn't there a dropdown icon for that?
Some of these are certainly Acer's fault and are related to hardware specific to this device. The UI elements I'm left wondering about. This is the only Gingerbread device I've really used and I can't tell how much is default behavior and how much Acer messed with the OS and borked it.
It's possible I've become spoiled by the devs on XDA. I'm coming from a Vibrant and the dev action is furious with that device. I've regularly upgraded my device with new ROMs on the order of every 2-3 weeks since October and I'm currently using 2.2.1 on my phone.
Given that the bootloader is locked (and encrypted?) I'm thinking dev action isn't going to happen real soon and I'm further thinking about returning this. I hate the idea of doing that because in a lot of ways this is a really nice tablet. It's got the form factor and weight I want. It's responsive. wifi is good enough for my purposes and I can carry it throughout home and work with no connection problems. I've found ways to make it part of my device chain (doc markup, blogging, reading, music playing) and the price was was low enough for me to give it a try. For the most part I like the device.
Trouble is, the bugs are like having someone standing next to you randomly poking you in the ribs. It's not enough to call the police but if he doesn't stop I'm going to punch him in the nose. With the Acer the bugs aren't bad enough for me to throw it out the window but they're getting bad enough that this thing may get returned.
For those in the know, how much of what I've complained about is normal Gingerbread and how much has Acer likely borked?
For reference my kernel is 2.6.36.3-00001-g9b3ce2b and build is Acer_A500_1.104.02_COM_GEN1
michaelh99 said:
Problems I've got with the Acer A500:
GPS is very weak. I get the best reception with the back of the unit facing the sky but in normal orientation I'm lucky to get 5 sats.
Compass doesn't work, always 90deg off
Digitizer unresponsive 3 times, had to power off each time. Strangely enough, the last time this happened the buttons at the bottom (home, menu, etc) still worked but nothing responded when tapped on the main screen area.
Have to be careful about plugging and unplugging items while the device screen is off. The headset icon is still showing in the tray after having disconnected a cable last night when the screen was off. Have seen problems where external USB devices aren't scanned if the screen is off.
System shut down 1 time after showing a low power notice. I was at 80%. Haven't had this happen again.
Market, Maps, Firefox crash a lot. The latter is probably Mozilla's fault but the core apps shouldn't be this crash-happy.
Bluetooth sharing only shows visible devices and not paired devices. What's the F-ing point of pairing if I have to make a device visible before I can send a file to it?
No media scanner notification. It takes a while to scan external USB media and there's no indication the scanning is going on. The only indication that it's done is when media starts appearing in apps like gallery. On older revs of the OS there is a notice that scanning is ongoing.
Copy/paste annoying. Especially that you can't paste if there's no text in your editor!!! In 2.2 you tap once to bring up the picker/caret (don't know what the google term is) and you tap that to get a popup menu for copy/paste/delete. On the Acer you have to double-tap to select text and only then do you get a menu on the top of the screen. Trouble is, if you have no text in your document you can't paste because there's no text to select!
Can't turn the d**n sound off on the camera.
Have to drill down into the settings turn the "ringer" off to mute the system. Why isn't there a dropdown icon for that?
Some of these are certainly Acer's fault and are related to hardware specific to this device. The UI elements I'm left wondering about. This is the only Gingerbread device I've really used and I can't tell how much is default behavior and how much Acer messed with the OS and borked it.
It's possible I've become spoiled by the devs on XDA. I'm coming from a Vibrant and the dev action is furious with that device. I've regularly upgraded my device with new ROMs on the order of every 2-3 weeks since October and I'm currently using 2.2.1 on my phone.
Given that the bootloader is locked (and encrypted?) I'm thinking dev action isn't going to happen real soon and I'm further thinking about returning this. I hate the idea of doing that because in a lot of ways this is a really nice tablet. It's got the form factor and weight I want. It's responsive. wifi is good enough for my purposes and I can carry it throughout home and work with no connection problems. I've found ways to make it part of my device chain (doc markup, blogging, reading, music playing) and the price was was low enough for me to give it a try. For the most part I like the device.
Trouble is, the bugs are like having someone standing next to you randomly poking you in the ribs. It's not enough to call the police but if he doesn't stop I'm going to punch him in the nose. With the Acer the bugs aren't bad enough for me to throw it out the window but they're getting bad enough that this thing may get returned.
For those in the know, how much of what I've complained about is normal Gingerbread and how much has Acer likely borked?
For reference my kernel is 2.6.36.3-00001-g9b3ce2b and build is Acer_A500_1.104.02_COM_GEN1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure if you know this or not, but tablets and Honeycomb are pretty new.
rorytmeadows said:
I'm not sure if you know this or not, but tablets and Honeycomb are pretty new.
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Yeah, I'm aware. How does that apply to my questions & issues with the A500?
michaelh99 said:
Yeah, I'm aware. How does that apply to my questions & issues with the A500?
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Click to collapse
Well, I think your thread is misleading. Tablets are new and there are going to be flaws in new products. That's why you don't buy the first new model of a car. But if you're going to, then understand there is always risk.
1. I have had no problems with the GPS.
2. I have had problems with the compass, but nothing unusual for a digital compass.
3. Unresponsiveness happens with pretty much every device. Mine has been unresponsive like 5 times already, but a power down and then up again fixes it beautifully. It's like a nice reminder to clear the system and make it run faster. This doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Acer. It could be Honeycomb.
4. Apps crashing. Happens. I'd think that it's Honeycomb, rather than Acer.
5. I've seen the headset icon on when I didn't have any headphones in. Oh no! Stop the presses! This occurs, sure, but that could be Honeycomb, not Acer. Also, are we sure it's not the music icon?
6. Bluetooth profiles are limited. Sure. But maybe that's a reminder to us all that Bluetooth is awful technology. This one is probably Acer.
7. Copy and paste, although annoying, isn't Acer.
8. Right now, it's not proper to open the bootloader for everyone. Don't hold that against any company.
Most of the things you mentioned really might have to do with Honeycomb rather than Acer. So don't trash the wrong company.
Now given that it's Honeycomb instead, it's new. It will have bugs and problems. Sit and wait or learn the trade and get in there and fix it.
Or wait until a future generation product.
Problems I've got with the Acer A500:
Digitizer unresponsive 3 times, had to power off each time. Strangely enough, the last time this happened the buttons at the bottom (home, menu, etc) still worked but nothing responded when tapped on the main screen area.
NEVER OCCUR for me
Have to be careful about plugging and unplugging items while the device screen is off. The headset icon is still showing in the tray after having disconnected a cable last night when the screen was off. Have seen problems where external USB devices aren't scanned if the screen is off.
NEVER OCCUR for me
System shut down 1 time after showing a low power notice. I was at 80%. Haven't had this happen again.
NEVER OCCUR for me
Market, Maps, Firefox crash a lot. The latter is probably Mozilla's fault but the core apps shouldn't be this crash-happy.
Just restore to factory default or clear the data in "manage application" can solve the problem
Can't turn the d**n sound off on the camera.
Root the device and remove the sound using root explorer
Have to drill down into the settings turn the "ringer" off to mute the system. Why isn't there a dropdown icon for that?
when you press vol +/-, there is a small icon on the right and you can adjust 3 volume settings
....
Ya, I'm pretty much in the rorytmeadows and ardatdat camp. Considering Acer did very little to their OEM copy, I'd place the blame for a lot of the issues on HC.
The compass is definitely finicky. I've only ever got a solid read when my GPS was tracking - when it's not, the compass is definitely off (using GPS Essentials here which could also be an app issue). If there is a common degree variance, this can be coded in/out. Also, orientation matter - whether you have it in portrait, facing you, landscape facing up... There's a difference and the gyro checks.
I understand where some of you guys are coming from re. new releases having bugs. I can't accept that viewpoint. I paid for this device and while a few bugs are to be expected these days, some of the problems amount to beta level bugs that should have never left the factory.
If there were going to be regular releases of updates I'd feel differently but it seems clear that releases will likely only come from the devs and only after jumping through the hurdles and hoops that Acer has put in their way.
I think the A500 was worth trying but I'm still not sure it's worth keeping.
A BETA bug is something that is consistent (across all testware) and repeatable. Nothing you listed falls near that.
gammaRascal said:
A BETA bug is something that is consistent (across all testware) and repeatable. Nothing you listed falls near that.
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Click to collapse
I think we'll have to agree to disagree. The general level of bugginess shown by the complaints in this forum alone cause me to classify this (and many other android devices) as beta.
With so many people willing to be paying testers, the manufacturers don't have any incentive to behave differently.
michaelh99 said:
I think we'll have to agree to disagree.
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Click to collapse
Ya, but... Nothing you listed is consistent and repeatable... Where exactly is the disagreement?
The general level of bugginess shown by the complaints in this forum alone cause me to classify this (and many other android devices) as beta.
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Click to collapse
I don't see it. Maybe I'm biased *shrug* The majority (not all, of course) complaints or issues with the a500 (be them HW, SW or HC related) on this (and other) forum are sporadic and inconclusive. Not a lot of serious testing happening and a complaint like 'my gps can't see any satellites' doesn't mean a whole lot without more granular info. It doesn't help and it certainly shouldn't be used as part of a rationale. You gotta take those kinds of half-thought out complaints with a grain of salt.
With so many people willing to be paying testers, the manufacturers don't have any incentive to behave differently.
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Click to collapse
I read this all the time - with games mostly, but the argument is the same.
How when a new game is released (pick your poison) you're bound to get a very small, thought vocal, minority who dig their nails into the support section complaining about 'players are paying to be testers' - or - 'their computer should be able to play it' etc. The argument being, 'it's suppose to act the way I want it to act' when in fact, that is never the case. With games, with hardware - software. 'It's suppose to act the way they want it to act' - We're just consumers. We consume. They create, we consume.
Now, I'm not trying to discount the importance of your view (I know it reads like I am but I'm not trying too - just trying to further the discussion). You're obviously having issues with the a500 and far be it for me to make lite of them. I think what is key here is that, for the majority of us, there aren't any of these kinds of issues and that, of the ones you listed, few are consistent and repeatable.
So I chalk it up to one of two things - you got a bum tablet or it's user error.
gammaRascal said:
Ya, but... Nothing you listed is consistent and repeatable... Where exactly is the disagreement?
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Click to collapse
Most of the problems are very repeatable on my machine. In the end, that's the only one I care about and the only one that matters to me.
Not a lot of serious testing happening .. You gotta take those kinds of half-thought out complaints with a grain of salt.
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Click to collapse
You're mistaking brief descriptions for incomplete testing or "thoughts.". I haven't described my testing methodology nor put down all the tests I've done because I'm not game for writing a paper on the subject.
I've been around quite a while and have been in development for decades and done my time in QA. I know how to test. Which is part of the point. I'm not running into these problems while doing things that qualify as something a user shouldn't do and I'm really not interested in helping Acer or Google iron out the bugs in their system.
Hell, I just did a factory reset and without installing any apps I had the Market crash twice while just browsing my paid apps list.
The argument being, 'it's suppose to act the way I want it to act' when in fact, that is never the case. With games, with hardware - software. 'It's suppose to act the way they want it to act' - We're just consumers. We consume. They create, we consume.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, know where you're coming from. My complaint isn't the same.
I want it to behave the way it used to
My UI complains stem from behavior that was present in 2.2x and is very different but harder to use in 3.x. They futzed with the UI for no good reason IMO.
So I chalk it up to one of two things - you got a bum tablet or it's user error.
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Click to collapse
Well, it's not user error
I've just factory reset the thing and I'm going to spend a few hours using just the apps I can't live without and leave off the questionable utilities that might be destabilizing the system (widgetlocker, stuff like that) and see where that gets me.
So far it's not good though. 2 market crashes with a stock system.
All very fair and understandable. I've had my share of freezes/lockups and FC. There is no doubt that updates are needed. I'm just not convinced the majority of the issues are Acer related, but rather, Honeycomb related.
Hey Michael do us a favor and return it. I am having none of the issues you have listed with mine with the exception of some FC apps, but I attribute this to the apps not being optimized for HC since the tablet specific apps work perfect.
Sounds like you got a bum tablet, so you have 3 options. 1) keep it and keep complaining and hope you or another dev can fix your problems. 2) exchange it for a new 3) return it and wait a year or so til HC is more stable and out of this "beta" phase.
Sent from my Droid using XDA Premium App
michaelg1030 said:
Hey Michael do us a favor and return it.
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Click to collapse
Do you a favor? In other words, stfu?
BTW michaelh99, I appreciate the fact that you're not flying off half-cocked and taking anything I (or others) have said out of context. It's important for mature and focused discussion to stay calm and proactive - with the goal being, resolution - not argument.
If bugs were completely out of technology before it was released to the public then we wouldn't have technology.
gammaRascal said:
BTW michaelh99, I appreciate the fact that you're not flying off half-cocked and taking anything I (or others) have said out of context. It's important for mature and focused discussion to stay calm and proactive - with the goal being, resolution - not argument.
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Click to collapse
Thanks.
I'm not really expecting people to supply resolutions to the problems I've seen. It looks like most of them are problems with the first release. Some could be due to my personal usage patterns (apps I have installed) but others are clearly out of box bugs.
It may be that I need to bite the bullet and get a larger version of my phone (Samsung), which I've been very happy with. Like many people I wanted to pay as little as I could. May be that I went too low for my expectations.
rorytmeadows said:
If bugs were completely out of technology before it was released to the public then we wouldn't have technology.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I can crash the market by browsing my paid apps after having done a factory reset and without having installed anything I would say they haven't met the minimum necessary to release the device.
The market is a core component of the system. If that's unstable, the whole device is suspect.
Why did you start this thread knowing that no matter what good things are said about the tablet, nothing would change your mind. If you are not happy with the device then return it and go on. The majority of the owners here are very satisfied with both the hardware and software of the Acer. I don't think anyone was expecting HC to run as smooth as apple os and if these were your expectations then you will never be happy for the time being.
Again, I'm assuming you started this thread hoping someone would agree with you, but the fact is that most of us do not. Your problems are way out of the ordinary and for all intended purposes unacceptable in this device. So again, return it. Your not doing yourself any service by keeping a faulty product.
Sent from my Droid using XDA Premium App
Good point michaelg1030.
michaelh99 said:
If I can crash the market by browsing my paid apps after having done a factory reset and without having installed anything I would say they haven't met the minimum necessary to release the device.
The market is a core component of the system. If that's unstable, the whole device is suspect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
michaelh99 have you considered posting a bug report to Google? For what it's worth, it may at least bring the issues you're having to their attention. It's placating but it can't hurt.
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/list
So I am really angry at Android now, with all the issues and difficulties it is getting me through. Although visually and practically I still prefer it to iOS, there are some really annoying issues with it, that concern battery life/stability.
So there are apps that prevent your phone from sleeping, either leaves speaker on, or other BS. I have to close them every time I stop using the phone, to avoid a really stupid issue I had today. I recharged the phone 100% in the morning, later that day I went to check e-mails, sent a couple sms etc. and then I played this game called Pou, I left it running, the screen was off, but I didn't close it. Ended up with empty battery in 3 Hours.
This is ****ing ridiculous, what kind of smartphone is that, if it can't understand that I'm not playing games when the screen is off.
Is there at least a faster way to close all open apps, other than swiping from left to right 20 times every time you stop using the phone?!?!
What apps are causing the issue?
You're blaming the OS for the behavior of an app made by a bad developer. The vast majority of applications will not do that. iOS avoids that by limiting the cases in which an app is allowed to run in the background. You can argue that it's a superior solution for the end user, but it limits the ability for an app to actually do anything in the background.
Many custom ROMs build in a "kill all" button in the recent apps view. It's really not necessary though. You've identified an application that has this issue, so just make sure to kill that one app when you're done with it. Again, most applications won't have that problem.
raptir said:
You're blaming the OS for the behavior of an app made by a bad developer. The vast majority of applications will not do that. iOS avoids that by limiting the cases in which an app is allowed to run in the background. You can argue that it's a superior solution for the end user, but it limits the ability for an app to actually do anything in the background.
Many custom ROMs build in a "kill all" button in the recent apps view. It's really not necessary though. You've identified an application that has this issue, so just make sure to kill that one app when you're done with it. Again, most applications won't have that problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. I had just read a lot of silly things and ur comment relaxed me a bit. Blame a PHONE because some apps keep the phone awake... this is crazy, people should have a bit of experience before posting in this forum with so much arrogance.
This might help...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmvCpR45LKA
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
badboy47 said:
This might help...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmvCpR45LKA
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That helped me so many times till I understood it....
The place to go, to get a definitive understanding of wakelocks is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1179809&highlight=betterbatterystats
This is the thread for BetterBatteryStats, which is really all you need to troubleshoot why your device doesn't sleep enough.
Also, look at Greenify, which hibernates the apps you tell it to, a pretty unique trick.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155737&highlight=greenify
And as a last suggestion (frowned on by the purists at the betterbatterystats thread, but I find it really useful) use DS Battery Saver Pro, which will switch off wifi and reconnect every 10 minutes, amongst other tricks.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2030696&highlight=ds+battery+saver
As an aside, I hear that iOS7 has impressed its user base with all sorts of hidden options which stop the phone resting, so maybe it's just a question of complexity . The good news is that, especially with the knowledge that is shared in betterbatterystats, it won't take you long to troubleshoot what your problems are, and the other 2 apps which will resolve your issues are pretty straightforward to use.
There are free versions I recall in the first post of these threads, I use the Pro version of DS Battery Saver since I prefer to configure my own profile.
Thank you everyone for replies.
I have not rooted the phone, so Greenify is no option for me, not really up to going through all rooting and ROM installing process in order to maybe succeed in solving the issue.
Specifically talking apps that leave speaker ON (It keeps hissing) and keeps phone awake, if you do not close them are following : Asphalt 8, Need For Speed Most Wanted.
The thing is I am not sure who to blame really, yes there are many apps that work normally and don't cause these issues, but then again why is the keeping the phone awake allowed in the first place, downloaded apps that would need to work that way should need special permissions. I understand there might be apps that want to keep ON/playing something after you have quit them, but if that's the case, then user should be able to deny certain permissions to prevent this from happening. The OS is complex enough, why not give even more options then or just this one at least.
Not sure how other people manage with this problem, I can't find anyone mentioning anything about Asphalt 8 and Android having this problem, people just deal with that they have battery draining to 0% in 5 hours? I know many people with smartphones 75% barely ever closes any programs from multitasker, most of them are iPhone users though. But how do they manage to live with their phone if they have this. I did manage to find people complaining about Pou draining battery, solution was to just uninstall the app, ridiculous.
I can't be the only one having these issues.
Well, the Android "style guide" has the back button as the exit function, so instead of leaving it running in the background, you may want to try backing all the way out.
It's been about a year since I played Asphalt (6 I think it was), but I vaguely remember it had an exit button which explicitly closed down the app.
Could be worth trying that. All the same, install the free xda edition of BetterBatteryStats (in the first post I think) and then look at the partial wakelocks, you'll quickly see what is stopping the phone sleeping.
paul c said:
Well, the Android "style guide" has the back button as the exit function, so instead of leaving it running in the background, you may want to try backing all the way out.
It's been about a year since I played Asphalt (6 I think it was), but I vaguely remember it had an exit button which explicitly closed down the app.
Could be worth trying that. All the same, install the free xda edition of BetterBatteryStats (in the first post I think) and then look at the partial wakelocks, you'll quickly see what is stopping the phone sleeping.
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Click to collapse
It really is like that, this fixes a small part of this issue! If you exit the game using the back button, the application closes the resource, but leaves it available at the multi task panel.
But, when I had iPhone, I could play the game, lock the screen, go home, for example, and continue where I left off, no battery drainage or anything. Only when you fill up the RAM memory it stops least recent processes.
Often it is very annoying to tap multiple times the back button (Sometimes even on screen you have to press quit multiple times (Quit current game & quit menu)) until you get to exit the application. And you can't continue where you left off, if you do that.
What the most bothers me about this is if I suddenly have something urgent and I don't turn off the application, my phone could drain a heavy amount of battery percentage till I remember to close them or check something on the phone/continue where I left off.
raptir said:
You're blaming the OS for the behavior of an app made by a bad developer. The vast majority of applications will not do that. iOS avoids that by limiting the cases in which an app is allowed to run in the background. You can argue that it's a superior solution for the end user, but it limits the ability for an app to actually do anything in the background.
Many custom ROMs build in a "kill all" button in the recent apps view. It's really not necessary though. You've identified an application that has this issue, so just make sure to kill that one app when you're done with it. Again, most applications won't have that problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
luiseteyo said:
+1. I had just read a lot of silly things and ur comment relaxed me a bit. Blame a PHONE because some apps keep the phone awake... this is crazy, people should have a bit of experience before posting in this forum with so much arrogance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guys, this isn't the only issue with the OS. I had bad battery drainage from Wi-Fi & mobile network location setting also. I have various Google app problems, also with drainage, freezing and lag with Google Chrome, Google+ keeping phone awake. I would consider that as a property of Android OS, because the software was already installed when I got the phone. Chrome is the default and only internet browser in the beginning and it should work properly.
So I am not sure who to blame, maybe the developers can't find a workaround from the problem, because the OS is not behaving correctly, and I don't think that it's inappropriate to blame also the OS, since even the default apps and settings have problems same as some apps do.
I have used Chrome daily since it was first released for Android and have never had any real issues with it. Occasionally it will give me a problem where I need to restart the app but that's probably about once a week. Google+ should only keep the phone awake if you have it set to upload your photos automatically, and even then there's a setting to force it to only do the uploads when on the charger.
I think the key issue is that you're used to an OS that does not involve any thought from the user. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's a distinctly different approach from Android. Apps are allowed to run when the phone is asleep because that can provide additional functionality. I'm sure you wouldn't complain if Pandora was playing music and thus running when the phone was asleep. And that would hit your battery hard. iOS only allows applications to run under very specific conditions, thus limiting what they can do but making sure you don't end up with any "runaway" applications. Android puts the responsibility on the developer to make their app handle battery life well and on the user to make sure they're using decent applications.
Things like the mobile network and WiFi location are used by Google Now to provide location-based data. If you would rather have the improved battery life, turn Google Now off. Some of us would rather have the functionality, but you have the option to disable it.
Keep in mind also that the Nexus 4 just doesn't get as good battery life as the iPhone 4 or newer.
raptir said:
I have used Chrome daily since it was first released for Android and have never had any real issues with it. Occasionally it will give me a problem where I need to restart the app but that's probably about once a week. Google+ should only keep the phone awake if you have it set to upload your photos automatically, and even then there's a setting to force it to only do the uploads when on the charger.
I think the key issue is that you're used to an OS that does not involve any thought from the user. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's a distinctly different approach from Android. Apps are allowed to run when the phone is asleep because that can provide additional functionality. I'm sure you wouldn't complain if Pandora was playing music and thus running when the phone was asleep. And that would hit your battery hard. iOS only allows applications to run under very specific conditions, thus limiting what they can do but making sure you don't end up with any "runaway" applications. Android puts the responsibility on the developer to make their app handle battery life well and on the user to make sure they're using decent applications.
Things like the mobile network and WiFi location are used by Google Now to provide location-based data. If you would rather have the improved battery life, turn Google Now off. Some of us would rather have the functionality, but you have the option to disable it.
Keep in mind also that the Nexus 4 just doesn't get as good battery life as the iPhone 4 or newer.
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I have never had a OS that I am fully satisfied with, that is normal, but I am always very aware for issues, always scanning for issues, I really hate that about myself, I am a perfectionist, I will not calm down until I get everything just the way I think it should be... So that makes up very difficult relations with any software I use, too bad for me.
Android apps do have more functionality, more freedom than iOS, and I very much appreciate that. BUT if that functionality results in 90% to 0% in 3 hours, when you forget to turn off 1 app after using it... please, I feel like it's a duty to take care of my smartphone, close app after you are done or the phone will die, and you will be left without a phone for the entire day.
I don't like that instability when you can make 1 thing wrong and it all goes to pieces, not when there are people using other phones with almost the same functionality and no problems like that.
No matter who I have to blame this on, I have this issue and it is because of Android & because of the developer of the app.
It's very sad, I really want Android to be more stable with this
Yukicore said:
It's very sad, I really want Android to be more stable with this
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There are hundred millions of Android users, we don't all gets wakelocks. I don't have this problem and my phone is stable. Once you are using Android, you are no longer special and pampered in a walled garden like iOS users.
If you have battery drain due to Google services, see here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2385843
I suggest doing a factory reset and not install crap apps like anything by Gameloft, just play them on Apple devices. If you gets a wakelock, make a shortcut on your desktop to Apps and check on what apps are running in the background, one of the app in the list could be the issue.
I know you don't want to root, but I suggest do it anyway and install Greenify, hibernate any apps you don't want autostarting when you boot up the phone. Watch out for apps that both runs in the background and ask for too many permissions. I know there is an app that limit the maximum app that can run in the background, but I don't know the name, you can set it in the phone's Developer mode, but it doesn't persist on reboot.
Maybe the difference is like moving from an automatic car (iOS) to a manual (Android).
At least before "multitasking" arrived to iOS, an app no longer in the foreground was effectively exited. Android's memory management is much more complex than that, and apps are kept in memory until a new app requires the RAM being held by a previous one.
There is a clear advantage to this since apps "reopen" instantly, but if you're not careful there could be continued drain from apps still open but not in the foreground.
Incidentally - I don't follow Apple closely - iOS7 has been slated by users for the scenario you describe, I believe!
Google's apps offer all sorts of wonderful location-based features, for which the phone inevitably needs to know its location. Coarse location (via triangulation of radio towers) is not a problem, but "fine" requires the GPS to be used, and that does drain the battery.
So you need to consider whether you want all that location based stuff from Google.
Wifi is also a big drain, and that is why I get my phone to switch on every 10 minutes via DS Battery Saver. The upside is that the phone sleeps regularly, but the downside is that Whatsapp messages etc don't arrive immediately.
As you can see, Android offers you the ability to choose to be uber-connected/always on, or to have a better battery consumption. Since each individual is different, you can choose what is important to you.
I just had that drain second time happening. I don't remember how I left that stupid game, but I ended up with 2% battery and phone turned off.
I think I exited using the back button. What the hell.
Pou is known to kill your battery.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-4/253092-media-server-draining-my-battery.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130606043957AA9Tq7N
Since it's a virtual pet game the developer probably did not code it to close when you hit the Back button, so you need to kill it through Recent Apps. Or just uninstall it.
raptir said:
Pou is known to kill your battery.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-4/253092-media-server-draining-my-battery.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130606043957AA9Tq7N
Since it's a virtual pet game the developer probably did not code it to close when you hit the Back button, so you need to kill it through Recent Apps. Or just uninstall it.
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This is bad... Now it is developers fault, but why on earth should Android OS allow this kind of behavior on any app... This is not a simple background service, this was running fully when the screen was off. 2-4 hours is the screen on time averagely I get, 3.5 hours without screen on, it's damn fast draining.
Yukicore said:
This is bad... Now it is developers fault, but why on earth should Android OS allow this kind of behavior on any app... This is not a simple background service, this was running fully when the screen was off. 2-4 hours is the screen on time averagely I get, 3.5 hours without screen on, it's damn fast draining.
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We've already been through this. You're fine with your phone's music player running in the background when the screen is off, right? It's the exact same behavior, just that Pou uses more resources and has no reason to be running. Apple puts heavy restrictions on what an app can do in the background (playing music being one of the only exceptions). Google leaves it up to the developer and user to manage it.
If you think that is a problem with the OS, I really recommend you go back to the iPhone. Not being mean or anything, but you clearly either do not understand the differences in philosophy between the two operating systems or you understand it and prefer the iOS way.
raptir said:
We've already been through this. You're fine with your phone's music player running in the background when the screen is off, right? It's the exact same behavior, just that Pou uses more resources and has no reason to be running. Apple puts heavy restrictions on what an app can do in the background (playing music being one of the only exceptions). Google leaves it up to the developer and user to manage it.
If you think that is a problem with the OS, I really recommend you go back to the iPhone. Not being mean or anything, but you clearly either do not understand the differences in philosophy between the two operating systems or you understand it and prefer the iOS way.
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You said that user and developer can manage resources of apps, how can a user manage them? Can I fix this specific problem myself somehow?
Here where I work I was loaned a Nexus 10 for some experimenting and installing apps that would be used by other employees out in the field. I'm not a developer, or for that matter, very familiar with android and it's capabilities. As a followup, I don't know why I was chosen as the tablet guy.
Why I'm here, though, is because 2 weeks ago the tablet disappeared from my desk. A colleague thinks another department wanted to do some work with it, but if that was the case I'd like to think they would have let us know by now. I found on the local craigslist a tablet that could be the same one. Low price, and just a couple days after it disappeared.
Said colleague thinks that if the tablet was ever turned on and connects to the internet, that it would check in and we could track the location. I'm not sure that's the case. If it was, though, could someone turn it off? If they didn't know the password, is there a way to wipe the tablet anyway? And finally, is there a way to spoof the serial number so any attempts to recover/identify it would fail.
So, I just realized how this could look like I was trying to do those things myself. If that's a concern, just answer in a way that could answer my questions without letting me or anyone know how do those things.
I don't know about serial spoofing, but whoever has the account password MIGHT be able to access it on Android Device Manager, if you enabled that before it went missing. Without that or some other anti-theft app you've PREVIOUSLY launched (an app won't run until you manually fun it for the first time), I think you may be boned
I've been under the impression that my office is a pretty safe and secure place. I regularly leave thousands of dollars of camera equipment in the open without a second thought, so a $400 tablet seems like an unusual thing to disappear. With that said, I didn't even think to install any sort of tracking or security app. If anything turns up, I'll post about it here.
mattslote said:
I've been under the impression that my office is a pretty safe and secure place. I regularly leave thousands of dollars of camera equipment in the open without a second thought, so a $400 tablet seems like an unusual thing to disappear. With that said, I didn't even think to install any sort of tracking or security app. If anything turns up, I'll post about it here.
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You may be out of luck, sadly, then. The most yoau can do is change the linked Google account's password.
Last night I got one of those cheap Chinese smartwatches for $40 locally. (Amazon seems to have some for $20 at amzn.to/2qpSftK) Yeah I know, I know, but I work at a job that is anal about cell phones (a major gripe of mine the way places can be that way) and I need to know if my child's ride at school doesn't show up or if school lets out early due to a power outage etc, if that happens then I HAVE to pause what I'm doing and make a call or two to make pickup arrangements or else it's a legal issue of child abandonment. Such may only happen 2-3 times an entire school year, but it has happened a few times--my mother-in-law's battery was dead and she was running late, or she couldn't find her keys etc--in such cases I had to track down someone locally and get them to step-in, last minute.
Thus, I need a smartwatch which can relay calls which have come in so I can see them and it also needs to push SMS messages and let me reply to them, that way without even pulling my phone out of my pocket I will know if this has occurred (and can quickly reply to SMS) but I can otherwise keep my phone in my pocket knowing beyond any shadow of a doubt that if a call or SMS has come in, this watch WILL pick it up and I WILL be able to reply to them.
This watch I got, it is fine with relaying phone calls and it even relayed the audio from a YouTube video I was watching on the phone itself, but it WILL NOT WORK with relaying SMS. At first it did, such requires installing a "BT Notifier" on the phone (which is the best?) but even then it was hit or miss, and then it just stopped. I've done EVERYTHING in terms of different BT Notifier apps, I even scanned the "OCR Code" or whatever to point to the BT Notifier specific to that model (it appears to be a GT08 type, with the "fan" style of icons, menu/phone on the bottom left and names/text on the right, this YouTube video Ksy0pd-12BI shows one like it), I set that app up--no matter, IT WILL NOT push SMS to this smartwatch, no way/no how.
Is this a common occurrence with such smartwatches? Is this a case of that I'm going to have to just accept this model CANNOT handle SMS no matter what and get something else, vs being able to actually fix this? One model I had read good things about in an article (BIT and 2lTVoxg) called the OUMAX Bluetooth Smart Watch S6 for around $50, this model looked like a good one because it downplays "fitness" features I do not at all need and instead stresses pushing smartphone notifications and being able to replay to them, which is what I DO need. I started to get it on Amazon but then it would've required several days to get here and I need something up & running quickly but without spending $250. Maybe I should've just gotten that and waited?
Tips in general?
If anyone has any tips please do reply, I am only say this because I have an update but that doesn't mean I am not still looking for help.
I've somehow got it working just fine, no timing out of connectivity or any such thing. I had saved the downloaded BT Notifier .apk file from the app it referenced in the barcode I scanned, and I tried again but this time I disabled an app I've used on the phone for a long time--NoLED, which displays a moving dot on the LCD when notifications arrive, making it unnecessary to "wake up" the phone to see missed calls etc. I've used that app for forever, it's a long-time staple of mine, but I wondered if it was possibly interfering with this process.
I'm not sure if that is the case, but since disabling it (but also turning the watch off and letting it charge to full overnight) it's working great today. I possibly could get beyond that eventually but for now I'll take it, I mean having a smartwatch does somewhat make it less necessary anyway. The only issue now--the band, it won't attach and it's apparently a permanent part of the watch's structure, not easily swapped out. I'm not sure how I'll get around that, maybe stitching another watch band on top of it using a sewing kit?
Ultimate Fix: Watch-Specific App/Disable/Install 3rd Party
I'm somewhat disappointed in the lack of replies. Is this because this watch is now perhaps an older model, or what is the reason?
In any case, I now have the ultimate fix.
It's 3 things:
(1) Install the watch-specific app by scanning the QR code and "sideloading" the app
(2) "Force Stop" this app in Google settings but DO NOT uninstall it, leave it installed.
(3) Install the 3rd party app by "Shenznen Fan Yun Technology Co, Ltd" (green background, white circle with exclamation point) then under the "Accessibility" enable the second "BT Notifications" entry, leave the 1st one at OFF
When I got this watch, the first thing I did was download that 3rd party app, it worked some but not consistently, then it totally stopped. I then stumbled across the QR code in the watch, scanned it, installed that app, and that worked--but that app was FULL of adware, constantly bugging me to install this app or that, launching a new tab and page in my Chrome browser, and just being a total pain. I was glad the watch worked, but hated that behavior--so much I disabled the app, figuring I'd just have to re-enable it when the watch was being used.
On a hunch, eager to try again, with the watch-specific app still disabled, I downloaded the 3rd party "Shenznen Fan Yun Technology Co, Ltd" app and, just totally guessing, under "accessibility" enabled the 2nd entry (both entries have identical names so you can't tell which is which), but didn't uninstall the watch-specific app only because I figured that I would end up having to revert back to it anyway.
To my surprise, this has worked. It seems to require me turning the watch off and connecting through the watch initially, but however I get a connection and the SMS message log on the phone populates on the watch, at that point it is stable and reliable from that point on. I had it running today all-day and was receiving texts and the inbox was coming up reliably.
I hope this helps somebody. (Note: this watch is still being sold as eBay item #381686066028.)