Wow, there's already a thread for my app. =)

I'll spend my reply on answering some of the questions on this thread.

(1) What is being measured, and how?

As it has already been pointed out, the data is collected with lshal. The daemon listens for the OS to report that the values have changed (there's a DBUS signal when HAL updates the values), and records the new values and current time. So the raw data it collects is a group of points. The graph in the GUI is created by simply connecting the points with straight lines.

Now, everyone who knows something about scientific data visualization also knows that simply connecting the dots is just plain wrong, as it makes the visualization to suggest that we would know something about what has been happening in between the observations. I know that too, but it just makes for a nicer graph. =) And for the most of the time, if the data collection is continuously running, the actual values are not that much off, and the connected line gives an ok estimation.

However, when the data collection is not active (e.g. phone off), connecting the dots from that time might suggest that we can also record accurate data from a power down period. Obviously, there is no data being recorded when the device is not powered, it just looks like that in the graph. In a future version of the app (likely the next one) this effect will be fixed by not drawing the graph for periods when the daemon has not been running.

As you might expect, a 3rd party application like this shouldn't be relied to give 100% accurate measurements. So don't depend your (battery) life solely on this app.

If someone cares about the raw data, it is being stored in an sqlite db in /home/user/.config/battery-eye/ . If you know your SQL, the schema should be simple enough to work with.

(2) Does it shorten my battery life to I use the app?

In short, yes. Everything you run on a battery powered device will consume power from the battery.

However, the background data collection is designed to use minimal amount of resources (it only wakes up on DBUS signals and an infrequent timer event (60min) and does nothing else than record the current battery levels). In practise, I haven't noticed any difference in my battery life.

Naturally, if you use the app's GUI a lot (I like scrolling the graph back and forth a lot ;-) ), that will naturally have an effect.

(3) My battery doesn't charge to 100%?

Don't blame me, the program just reads the values from HAL as they are. If HAL says 97 percent, then that's what gets recorded and eventually displayed.

(4) My graphs look strange?

Yes, sometimes they do, especially the voltage graph. It seems that the OS updates the battery values more frequently when the device is actively used, and not at all when the device is completely idle. The voltage graph illustrates this effect quite well (first a straight 6~8hr line when I'm sleeping, and then a tight zigzag when I start to read my e-mails and slasdot in the morning).

At some point, I might try to figure out if there's a way to force the OS to update the values in HAL, without consuming too much battery. That might improve graphing accuracy from long idle periods.

(5) It seems that there are features missing?

Yes, it's still under development. I myself don't consider it ready.

BTW, the usual pre-extras disclaimer apply for battery-eye:

It's still in extras-testing, it may screw up your device!

It actually does this. ;-)

Hi juise,

as I said before, big thanks go to you for making this application. I am very much interested in the further development and will be glad to test

Best regards,
Corwin

I'll say the same as Corwin, i would be glad to help test it out, i just got my n900 a few days ago (sweden + 3 =loss)

my disclamier would be the fact that i have no idea around the xterminal or linux system at this point in time (first time using a linux OS is on the phone tbh) but if i could do anything to help the advance of this great app i will

And also i'm hoping in on the reporting as of today.

Regards.

More likely this bug if it's only 1-2%. Can easily fix with "killall tonegend" or "killall pulseaudio" but it's a drag to have to check for this each time you take a call and care about battery life.

Fixed in next firmware apparently.

i have this app installed but no time yet for experimenting. i'll post an update too shortly, maybe with my regular and massive use.

I have made some things since yestersday:
i switched from dual to gsm
i removed the weather tool from the desktop
i uninsalled some things ...
I disabled gps

So yes , like in the picture i will add, you can see , with musik it last now longer ...

But what is wonderng me , from 24:00 to 6:00 i turned OFF the WIFI with some extra tool and turned on the OFLINE mode. SO , why !!! he still looses so much energy in 6 hours ??? If i would draw that line , the battary will be empty in 3 days DOING nothing ... i just cant understand it. I turned everything off , the only thing was on is the alarmclock ... so why would a mobile phone, while doing nothing get empty in 3 Days !!!

so here is a screenshot i made in battery eye.



The time is what i realy did , you can see it nor 100 % on this picture
1) The battary was full, WIFI OFF and OFFLINE MODE
2)´Alarm, serving 10 m
3)Musik about 30 m nothing else
4) Tunrned OFFLINE MODE OFF and switched to WIFi in the school , used it in the lesson to goole things
5) turned wife off
6) Musik ...
7) Just turned on wifi , and internet , and musik ,and some windows ...

razialo, to make things clear. You charged N900 and plugged it off from charger 24:00?

An it looks like it discharged itself 5% in 6 hours so it would make from 95% to 5% in about 4 and half days.

.edit
So it looks like now that
http://europe.nokia.com/find-product...specifications
Is BS for some people. We should have more data for this.

..edit
Maybe you should check mAh not percentage.

yes . i plugged it off from the charger at 24:00 ...

yes 4 days ok ; but some people sad here on fotum , their battary lasts a week ... so i hoped to get same results -.-

278 max stand-by ... that are 11 days ... and i was in the offline mod -.- so 4 days real and 11 in the tech specs ... hmmm -.-