Time to go back to 2.1?

[rkirmeier]

I am so sick and tired of battery issues in 2.2 because you can't use a task killer. I know everyone says you don't need one but it depends on the software you run. I use an RDP client and IP Cam Viewer which both appear to suck down the battery when running in the background and neither of them provide a way to "exit" the application. I really had having to browse all the way into tasks, scroll to the app, and force quit it! Why the F did google prevent tasks killers? This is so stupid! I can't believe some developers can't figure out a way around this on a rooted ROM...

New challange to developers! Find a way to kill tasks on a rooted ROM, PLEASE!!!

rant over...

 

[Trust]

Why is it Google's fault developers cant write apps properly? backing out of any app should exit that app but the question I have for you is this:

1. Unless the app is using your phone's Internet connection, GPS or CPU why does it matter if it's running? It only drains battery under those conditions.

 

[seraphemz]

when i was on Stock 2.2.. i used task killers.. and got decent battery life.

What do you mean that you CANT use task killers?

 

[Mdorty]

I never used a task killer when I was on stock 2.2, and had even better battery life than 2.1...

I'd usually go to bed around 11pm and have at least 25% left. And that's with four Gmail accounts, one exchange, two pop's updating once an hour, 50+ texts, ~45 minutes of web browsing, and facebook and twitter updating once an hour.

 

[rkirmeier]

Why is it Google's fault developers cant write apps properly? backing out of any app should exit that app but the question I have for you is this:

1. Unless the app is using your phone's Internet connection, GPS or CPU why does it matter if it's running? It only drains battery under those conditions.

Realize that 98% of apps DON'T have an Exit open and if you go to the home screen they run in the back ground...

 

[rkirmeier]

when i was on Stock 2.2.. i used task killers.. and got decent battery life.

What do you mean that you CANT use task killers?

You must be completely clueless! I'll put this in all caps so maybe it sinks in... TASK KILLERS DO NOTHING IN FORYO (2.2)! Google removed the API that allowed developers to kill processes so it is basically impossible unless a developer goes about it another way (via root access) then I suspect it could not be distributed via the Market.

 

[jobryan26]

I am so sick and tired of battery issues in 2.2 because you can't use a task killer. I know everyone says you don't need one but it depends on the software you run. I use an RDP client and IP Cam Viewer which both appear to suck down the battery when running in the background and neither of them provide a way to "exit" the application. I really had having to browse all the way into tasks, scroll to the app, and force quit it! Why the F did google prevent tasks killers? This is so stupid! I can't believe some developers can't figure out a way around this on a rooted ROM...

New challange to developers! Find a way to kill tasks on a rooted ROM, PLEASE!!!

rant over...

Weird because I use both of those apps and I have two camera widgets on one of my screens and I don't have an issue with battery life.

 

[rkirmeier]

I never used a task killer when I was on stock 2.2, and had even better battery life than 2.1...

I'd usually go to bed around 11pm and have at least 25% left. And that's with four Gmail accounts, one exchange, two pop's updating once an hour, 50+ texts, ~45 minutes of web browsing, and facebook and twitter updating once an hour.

I'll admit it's mainly one app that I recently purchased that is killing my battery. It's the IP Cam Viewer and I suspect it continues to stream video in even when it's in the background. It's really BS that the developer didn't provide an EXIT. Regardless I wish a developer would make a task killer using root access to kill apps. One of my favorite add-ons for Android was the task switcher that allowed you see what apps were running and to kill apps but you can no longer kill apps. Having to drill down into settings, appplications, find the app, then hit force quit is BS.

 

[jobryan26]

I am using IP Camera Viewer Lite... Have you tried uninstalling it then reinstalling it?

 

[rkirmeier]

Weird because I use both of those apps and I have two camera widgets on one of my screens and I don't have an issue with battery life.

Do you use Remote RDP EVERYDAY? I'm guessing not because desktop access to a computer via a phone is nothing special. I use Remote RDP to access a Home Remote application called NetRemote and use it everyday so its always running. I'll admit Remote RDP is not really much of an issue but it seems to have a strange issue every couple days and auto killing it would resolve that. However IP Cam Viewer definitely is problem as I just loaded it 2 nights ago and my battery went from a full day to maybe a half day just like that. Maybe it's my rooted ROM. Been using AC-ROM 2.5... Regardless I would love to have task switcher back with the ability to kill apps I want to close!

 

[rkirmeier]

I am using IP Camera Viewer Lite... Have you tried uninstalling it then reinstalling it?

No, you really thint that could resolve anything? I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, got to do something cause it's killing my battery, really bad!

 

[Trust]

Realize that 98% of apps DON'T have an Exit open and if you go to the home screen they run in the back ground...

From my understanding the Android Operating system qualifies an app as "running" if it has reserved memory for itself (RAM). The Android Operating system has the ability to kill idle apps and recover the memory used if it needs to so worrying about free memory (RAM) isn't a big deal. I've noticed 2.2 handles this memory management WAY better than 2.1

If an app is holding on to memory for itself (in order to quickly load if the user needs it) it does not mean it is draining the battery. Battery drain/consumption takes place when an application is using CPU cycles, using the GPS sensor, using the phone's radio (the talking part) or uploading/downloading data from the internet using the phone's data connection or heck even trying to maintain a connection to the cell tower. Beyond that all those apps sitting there doing nothing dont consume battery. If they did, they would have ALL showed up in the battery usage section of the phone.

-Correct me if any Android engineers in here-

 

[jobryan26]

No, you really thint that could resolve anything? I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, got to do something cause it's killing my battery, really bad!

Have you tried using PhoneMyPC? I use it a lot more than I do RDP and I don't have any issues with it. You can even control another computer remotely while another user is logged on to it. It does require the PhoneMyPC app to be installed on the remote terminals you are trying to connect. It's $9.99 in the market but certainly worth every penny.

 

[Mdorty]

I'll admit it's mainly one app that I recently purchased that is killing my battery. It's the IP Cam Viewer and I suspect it continues to stream video in even when it's in the background. It's really BS that the developer didn't provide an EXIT. Regardless I wish a developer would make a task killer using root access to kill apps. One of my favorite add-ons for Android was the task switcher that allowed you see what apps were running and to kill apps but you can no longer kill apps. Having to drill down into settings, appplications, find the app, then hit force quit is BS.

Yeah...Even if an app is written poorly, I would think android would see it's not something you're using and kill it if it's using that much of the processor/memory/data.

 

[Mdorty]

From my understanding the Android Operating system qualifies an app as "running" if it has reserved memory for itself (RAM). The Android Operating system has the ability to kill idle apps and recover the memory used if it needs to so worrying about free memory (RAM) isn't a big deal. I've noticed 2.2 handles this memory management WAY better than 2.1

If an app is holding on to memory for itself (in order to quickly load if the user needs it) it does not mean it is draining the battery. Battery drain/consumption takes place when an application is using CPU cycles, using the GPS sensor, using the phone's radio (the talking part) or uploading/downloading data from the internet using the phone's data connection or heck even trying to maintain a connection to the cell tower. Beyond that all those apps sitting there doing nothing dont consume battery. If they did, they would have ALL showed up in the battery usage section of the phone.

-Correct me if any Android engineers in here-

From what I understand, you are correct...the RAM uses as much power when it's full as when it's empty.

 

[rkirmeier]

Have you tried using PhoneMyPC? I use it a lot more than I do RDP and I don't have any issues with it. You can even control another computer remotely while another user is logged on to it. It does require the PhoneMyPC app to be installed on the remote terminals you are trying to connect. It's $9.99 in the market but certainly worth every penny.

I don't want to control my PC what I do is run a application the fits full screen. My Vista Home Media PC is hacked allow multiple sessions (like terminal services) so I can run my NetRemote application in another session without disrupting my normal desktop login. The only way to do this is with RDP.

Long story short... All my problems would be resolved if I had an easy way to kill a couple apps when I wanted to. It really can't be that hard for a developer to write something that would work on a rooted ROM but I suspect there is no interest cause there would be no $$ in this as it would not be supported by google ads or by the market.

 

[jobryan26]

From my understanding the Android Operating system qualifies an app as "running" if it has reserved memory for itself (RAM). The Android Operating system has the ability to kill idle apps and recover the memory used if it needs to so worrying about free memory (RAM) isn't a big deal. I've noticed 2.2 handles this memory management WAY better than 2.1

If an app is holding on to memory for itself (in order to quickly load if the user needs it) it does not mean it is draining the battery. Battery drain/consumption takes place when an application is using CPU cycles, using the GPS sensor, using the phone's radio (the talking part) or uploading/downloading data from the internet using the phone's data connection or heck even trying to maintain a connection to the cell tower. Beyond that all those apps sitting there doing nothing dont consume battery. If they did, they would have ALL showed up in the battery usage section of the phone.

-Correct me if any Android engineers in here-

You are correct. Example of what happens if someone sends you a you a video link in your email.
1. You get notification that you've got mail so you open your email and click on the Youtube link.
2. Your email is suspended and stored in memory (in theory the same as putting a computer in hibernate mode or sleep mode) this allows 100% of the processor to handle opening the browser and directing you to the site where the video is. Once there you then click the video to play it.
3. Your email and now your browser are both suspended (using NO processor cycles) this allows again 100% of the processor to focus on opening up the Youtube players and play the video.

If you continue opening apps this same process just continues and as memory starts to run low Android will automatically free up the amount of memory needed to run the apps requested. Android also learns your most common used apps and stores them in memory (again, using NO processor cycles) so they are ready when you go to use them. This reduces battery life and startup time of the application. I hope this helps.

 

[Mdorty]

I don't want to control my PC what I do is run a application the fits full screen. My Vista Home Media PC is hacked allow multiple sessions (like terminal services) so I can run my NetRemote application in another session without disrupting my normal desktop login. The only way to do this is with RDP.

Long story short... All my problems would be resolved if I had an easy way to kill a couple apps when I wanted to. It really can't be that hard for a developer to write something that would work on a rooted ROM but I suspect there is no interest cause there would be no $$ in this as it would not be supported by google ads or by the market.

Apps available for rooted only phones already exist on the market. I'm assuming you're not rooted?

Btw, you can long press on one of your home screens, go to shortcuts>settings>manage applications and it will create a shortcut to the stock 'task killer' (running apps).

 

[jobryan26]

I don't want to control my PC what I do is run a application the fits full screen. My Vista Home Media PC is hacked allow multiple sessions (like terminal services) so I can run my NetRemote application in another session without disrupting my normal desktop login. The only way to do this is with RDP.

Long story short... All my problems would be resolved if I had an easy way to kill a couple apps when I wanted to. It really can't be that hard for a developer to write something that would work on a rooted ROM but I suspect there is no interest cause there would be no $$ in this as it would not be supported by google ads or by the market.

One of the problems you are going to have is.. you can kill the service but Android is going to re-launch the app again for the reasons I mentioned in Trust's post. All of the tv's at my house are on Win7 MCE's while my Media Server has YawCam which serves up to IP Camera Viewer Lite. I am familiar with the hack you are talking about and unfortunately I have never been able to get the hack to work on any of my MCE's..I just remote into mine and do whatever I need to do. lol

 

[rkirmeier]

Apps available for rooted only phones already exist on the market. I'm assuming you're not rooted?

Btw, you can long press on one of your home screens, go to shortcuts>settings>manage applications and it will create a shortcut to the stock 'task killer' (running apps).

I'm rooted, running AC-ROM-Froyo 2.5. Thanks for the tip on the shortcut. Makes the process a little less painfull to kill and app...