Thread: [Under consideration] 3G Throttler (Battery Saver)
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chrisp7 is offline chrisp7
2009-11-20 , 01:31
Posts: 515 | Thanked: 193 times | Joined on Oct 2009
#20
Originally Posted by ysss View Post
Well, the 'problem' with 3G activation is that it's not instant (Probably from 5 to 15 seconds, depending on operator, signal ccondition, etc). So, the earlier the trigger can happen before you're 'ready' to use it, the better

I know voice activation can be really geeky, awkward and unnatural, but it's one of the conceptually 'neat' way to trigger the device without having to handle the device and wait it out in front of you.

PS: Yes, you can just say "Heck, it's only a 15 second wait." and shower this discussion with morality/behaviorist judgements I'll just preempt that with a figurative sidestep as we're trying to find better ways to enhance Maemo and the N900 compared to other platforms.
Voice interaction or using certain sensors are all well and good but the surest way of getting what you want when you want is when an application is opened by the user - the programming should be pretty easy too. Also Im not sure how using a sensor would speed up the connection process. If you wanted to activate 3g using voice activation, you would say "3g" (as an example), then you would have to wait for the connection to connect then open the browser. How does it in reality 'pre cache' the 3g? If you were to make it so that 3g turned on when out of idle - i suspect the constant switching of 2g/3g would increase battery life. (Unless of course you didnt check your phone much). Maybe this could be an option to turn on/off in the programme?

I get that it may take some time to connect but personally Id take that 'negative' to increase the battery life.

The one downside I can see is as this is a multitasking device you'd want to leave the browser windows open. A timer that switches off 3g after a preset time of low data usage would be required to negate this issue. Would it be hard to 'identify' this state using an application? Does anyone know?

If this is indeed possible the programme would have to work like this:

2g data connection default (for background services/agps/widgets)
if firefox (a user specified app) opens - turn on 3g
if data usage is low - revert to 2g connection
if firefox is open and data connection becomes high - switch on 3g

The crux of the problem is identifying 'high data' Id assume a widget or push service works in 'bursts' of data? The programme might perhaps have to identify a period of say 3 seconds sustained data access - identify this as 'high data use' and turn on 3G. This would be important as you dont want a constant flicking on and off of 2g/3g.

Am I making sense? (Im rather tired!)

So we would have 2 branches in the 'road' - 1. data monitor of high/low data (as well as 2g default, 3g on when user specified programmes open) or 2. absolute - if a specified high data programme is open, 3g is permanently on, if closed, its turned off.

Which is the preferable? (If option 1 is even possible!)

Imagine if this application increased battery life by say 20%, Im sure people would buy it.
Last edited by chrisp7; 2009-11-20 at 01:49.