Lollipop headaches

[Kharl]

i am not one of those guys that are stuck in old tech.. i am always promoting the forward movement...
but i MEAN FORWARD movement not a backward disguised movement! lime many todays updates are!

with forward movement i mean more efficient things... if its going to do the same, it is acceptable ONLY if is done with less if it is going to do more it is acceptable only if is done with the same (with little exception) thats the key that promotes the evolution)

lollipop... this time... despite its bold tendency in its appearance... (which i dont like it.... )

lets thatt with the first (locked) screen

with kitkat (a nexus 7 2013)
you turn on the device and the keypad for the password was there.. you just had to enter the password and hit enter... the device is usable in 3 steps! "turn on - password - enter"

NOW it needs 4 steps... what was the benefits with this? where did the simplicity go?
now you need to turn on the device, SWIPE up to get the keypad, eter the key and then hit enter...

now that i am talking abotu the first locked screen... talking about security... why would i want to show my face in the locke screen? how do i turn off to show my face in the locked screen ? (it shows the user accoutn picture, which is my face, to everybody while being locked.... why?)

the same with the settings with kit kat with a two step procedure i could turn on off BT wifi rotation lock bla bl bvla... now i have to swip... swipe again... and then to choose what i want.... why?

 

[bjacks12]

i am not one of those guys that are stuck in old tech.. i am always promoting the forward movement...
but i MEAN FORWARD movement not a backward disguised movement! lime many todays updates are!

with forward movement i mean more efficient things... if its going to do the same, it is acceptable ONLY if is done with less if it is going to do more it is acceptable only if is done with the same (with little exception) thats the key that promotes the evolution)

lollipop... this time... despite its bold tendency in its appearance... (which i dont like it.... )

lets thatt with the first (locked) screen

with kitkat (a nexus 7 2013)
you turn on the device and the keypad for the password was there.. you just had to enter the password and hit enter... the device is usable in 3 steps! "turn on - password - enter"

NOW it needs 4 steps... what was the benefits with this? where did the simplicity go?
now you need to turn on the device, SWIPE up to get the keypad, eter the key and then hit enter...

now that i am talking abotu the first locked screen... talking about security... why would i want to show my face in the locke screen? how do i turn off to show my face in the locked screen ? (it shows the user accoutn picture, which is my face, to everybody while being locked.... why?)

the same with the settings with kit kat with a two step procedure i could turn on off BT wifi rotation lock bla bl bvla... now i have to swip... swipe again... and then to choose what i want.... why?

#firstworldproblems

Seriously? One additional swipe is a traumatic event? Granted, I do think it would be wise for them to maybe get rid of the enter button, like on iOS or on Windows 8(at least for PC). Just type your code and it automatically lets you in.

But to be honest, the new lock screen is my favorite feature. I like the notifications right there. I have it set up so that if I'm connected to certain bluetooth devices, or I'm at my house, or it sees my face(which is becoming much better by the way) I don't even have to do anything at all. It's amazing!

You can go into your user account settings and get rid of your profile picture if you're that paranoid.

 

[Kharl]

one aditional swipe gesture...
ok, is not that traumatic... but then why?
and it would be just AMAZING if it would be like iOS in that aspec, just the key and thats it! that would be great

and no, i definitely dont want my face in a locked device, not being paranoid, just not being that open to the public, which is the opposite, which i could call everyone else careless about it but i didnt call them

 

[bjacks12]

Another option is to download a third party lockscreen. There should be plenty of them. Widgetlocker is one, but the developer doesn't really update it much, so I don't know how well it works in Lollipop.

 

[Thatdad]

With all the issues on looks hopefully Xposed Framework will get some headway. We'll see with time.

I'm just waiting for cyanogenmod to start their update to 12 so I can use whatever theme I want.

 

[Kharl]

and now i am testing the battery whioch google says the use of the battery is more efficient... lets see

i have a very simple yet effective test...

i un plug it from chrgert before going to bed and then i nte how much is by the morning (of course under the same circunstances....)

with my phone... it is between2and 3% less, and with the table with kitkat was between 1 and 2%
(of course, with a very fine selection of well reviewed (by me) appss)

it is 1045pm lets see hwo will it be for tomorrow...

 

[Thatdad]

and now i am testing the battery whioch google says the use of the battery is more efficient... lets see

i have a very simple yet effective test...

i un plug it from chrgert before going to bed and then i nte how much is by the morning (of course under the same circunstances....)

with my phone... it is between2and 3% less, and with the table with kitkat was between 1 and 2%
(of course, with a very fine selection of well reviewed (by me) appss)

it is 1045pm lets see hwo will it be for tomorrow...

Looking forward to your results, this is the feature I've been looking forward to the most.

 

[Kharl]

well...
battery test results looks fine (i had the false impression that lollipop would use more(at least while idle))

for 850am, the battery in both devices (my phone [not lollipop, and my tablet, lollipop) were 99% after 9h20m.

 

[Kharl]

the auto rotate of the screen is slow many times it has something like a app open, a video or some other not so heavy app.... it rotates... not like before, smooth and natural in the movement

 

[codesplice]

@Kharl, have you played with the Smart Unlock features? These provide a great balance of security vs. convenience. For instance, my Nexus 4 automatically disables the pattern lock when it's connected to my Pebble watch or my car's head unit, and also when it's within a defined location (Home). If I happen to lose my phone while I'm out and about I can be comfortable knowing that no one else will be able to access it, but I don't have to be nagged by an unlock prompt when it's in my hand.

Also, you can swipe down with two fingers to pull down the Quick Settings/Toggles bit of the notification pane in one movement. Alternatively, you can triple-tap the status bar to do the same. (By the way, KitKat still required the same number of inputs to adjust the Quick Settings/Toggles: (1) swipe down and (2) tap the Settings icon (or use the two-finger swipe), and (3) tap the appropriate toggle.)

@bjacks12, keep in mind that requiring the use of the "Enter" key actually improves security. Hitting Enter with the incorrect PIN/Passcode counts as a failed login attempt; too many failed logins (5 within a minute I think? not really sure) and the device gets further locked down, requiring the Google account password to unlock. Without requiring Enter, the system would never log a failed attempt.

 

[Kharl]

Hi codesplice!

(if not into the mod of reading all my stuff [i know i write too much... lol], refer to my reply next to this, it is a simplified version without my examples and comments)

Yes i played with the smart unlock, and it does not help me, neither i have the other accessories to fully use it.
Now a day industries is guiding the market to make the devices more dependable one of each other... they already want everything in the cloud, to have all our info passing thru other's computer, i understand the basic info but NOT ALL. its uncomfortable and insecure and the privacy goes to trash when i have to sync my device with my computer through the internet, thtas crazy and more crazy is that people are getting use to it more and more each day, i am not agaisnt that, but i have a powerful capable device in hand and i am in front of my powerful and capable desktop pc (i mention powerful and capable because the excuse of yesterday was the hardware limitation and the speed of the sync, but internet sync will NEVER be faster and more reliable than direct connection) in front, i should be able to make a direct connection between them an to sync AND the internet sync AS AN OPTION. who have use Palm OS device knows what i am talking about, and that palm Sync method was the ONLY think that kept palm up so many years, otherwise would have disappeared earlier....

going bac to the subject... today davices ARE designed to be other devices dependable and internet dependable, which involve third parts! todays internet services are reliable... but it STILL out of your control.
you may think i am and old guy (because people use to assume old people are always are agaisn new changes...) iam not old, and i am not against changes, i am against changes that change the natural way of the things (ergonomic, simplicity, naturality) toward complication, there are things that CANT be made simpler... (like an automatic transmission, an airplane's sophisticated avionic... the way they are so complicated is because THERE IS NO OTHER SIMPLER WAY KNOWN to doit simpler...,) but things that have been mastered and later is changed JUST to innovate and to stay in the market with fancy sparkling (but mostly nonfunctional) changes... they spend huge amount of psychology to sell us the IDEA that THAT new way is the natural evolution...


sorry for the "essay" i just wanted to leave that clear because i know some would not understand me and i already have been called paranoid, i have nothing against who called me paranoid.. because i recognize i could fit in that adjective... but due the job i do... i must kep my mind straight open and clean of industries imposed standard... in other way i cant be a industrial-market-social drived vane.

sorry again for being so long

going back (again) to the subject...
i am ok with the hit of enter when password is entered, IT WOULD be nicer... if would be like iOS... but i understand what you explainec and i can deal with that.

i use to handle devices very agile, so i require a fast and responsive devices, i am making a call, with ONE button i change to speakerphone so i can continue talking while i turn on the wifi or the bt or to enable the bt to give some guidance or info to who i am talking with... thats with my phone which have kitkat, the settings, bt gps and mother settings are ONE swipe of distance, but with lollipop requires more finger movements!

thats ONE of the reason windows CE/mobile was well behind PalmOS in that part, palm OS was quick, fast intuitive and agile... pocket pc were more desktop pc oriented which is a FAIL in a portable device, example in many pocket pc to take a note requires you to turn on the device, going to menu, open the note, write, hit save...
in palm, you just hit oen button, and forget to save,every word you type is automatically save, thats because the manufacturer assume you are stand up in a crowded bus writing a note and needs a device as fast and agile as possible.... THAT was the difference!, and thats where lollipop is getting into the opposite, and i heard even in radio and cnet that thats many people complain.. lollipop is cute and nice but it is screwing up things already mastered in previous versions....

 

[Kharl]

This version of my answer is the above answer but simplified and without my comments and examples:

yes i have played with the smart unlock, but it doesn't work for me, because it requires more devices which i dont have right now and i dont like because i feel uncomfortable having the device with radio frequencies on (the nfc) not for radiation paranoids... but for battery issue and i really thing it doesnt worth the battery impact.

the swipe dow with two fingers help me to ease the issue, it would be better like it was before, but the two finger swipe is nice (i didn't know that, thank you!)

regarding the [enter] key when entering the pwr... i agree with you, would be nicer if would be necessary but i think it worth the extra security measure it triggers when entered wrong...

 

[codesplice]

@Kharl,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you - holidays and all.

You do make some fair points.

I totally get your inability to use the Smart Unlock function with a trusted bluetooth device - and it would be a bit silly (in my opinion, at least) to purchase a BT device just to be able to use Smart Unlock. You do, however, have two other options for using Smart Unlock: You can teach it to unlock when it detects your face (which works much better than it did previously, btw, and only as a supplement to your existing security, not as a replacement), or you can define a trusted location (your home, for instance) where it will always remain unlocked. I'm all for security, but I also like to be able to find a balance between security and ease of use. I think Smart Unlock makes a great case for that.

As for the rest of the UI redesigns in Lollipop, I can't really help.

 

[bjacks12]

@Kharl,

and it would be a bit silly (in my opinion, at least) to purchase a BT device just to be able to use Smart Unlock.

Ouch. I did that the day before they announced Trusted Places. To top it off, the damn thing won't arrive until Dec 31(got a great deal from a Chinese retailer on Amazon).

But then I broke my skullcandy earbuds this weekend...so I guess the bluetooth headset will be a welcome arrival.

 

[codesplice]

Ouch. I did that the day before they announced Trusted Places. To top it off, the damn thing won't arrive until Dec 31(got a great deal from a Chinese retailer on Amazon).

But then I broke my skullcandy earbuds this weekend...so I guess the bluetooth headset will be a welcome arrival.

Even so, bluetooth headset makes a lot more sense to me than something like the Motorola Skip, which exists solely for unlocking your device based on BT proximity.

 

[Kharl]

@Kharl,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you - holidays and all.

You do make some fair points.

I totally get your inability to use the Smart Unlock function with a trusted bluetooth device - and it would be a bit silly (in my opinion, at least) to purchase a BT device just to be able to use Smart Unlock. You do, however, have two other options for using Smart Unlock: You can teach it to unlock when it detects your face (which works much better than it did previously, btw, and only as a supplement to your existing security, not as a replacement), or you can define a trusted location (your home, for instance) where it will always remain unlocked. I'm all for security, but I also like to be able to find a balance between security and ease of use. I think Smart Unlock makes a great case for that.

As for the rest of the UI redesigns in Lollipop, I can't really help.

dont worry, its ok,
i am already thankful you helped me to clarify all this
i think i cant take advantage of the smart unlock at all, its methods.. i dont like it and i cant use it... due my lifestyle....
i feel reeeeally unconfortable with a device registering my face.... (i dont even use the fingerprint in my fingerprint reader enabled devices because simply i dont want the system to store my fingerprint data...)
it doesnt matter how safe is stored in the device.. if the device gets connection with internet CAN be subtracted and moved to a another location to decipher.. i work in the are and i know how eeasy is... my job is precisely helping people and companies to be protected... sorry that changed my mind... lol)
leaving my security paranoid (sorry i earn my daily food doing that lol) behind... face unlock woudlnt work in dark places

and with the trusted location.. that same... that involve having the gps enabled all the time.... and a device continuously registering my location.... the comodity it offfer doest worth that battery consumption neither the data collection... sometimes the basics are always the best and the safest...

i reeeealy prefer manually entering a password... i am not asking lollipop to go back, just to let the option for basic password entrance without fancy methods other than turning on the device and the keypad there awaiting you to enter the key..
easy, quick safe and efficient, that way... you can invest in what really matters...

 

[Kharl]

i wne to take some photos with my nexus 7

and i notice some white flashes in the screen after i update to lollipop... what is that?

allso i had pending to ask for the troubleshooting slow and framy youtube playback in opera beta and opera (normal) for tablet

in kitkat it used to work flawlessly, quickly and almost instantly (and way better than the youtube app)

 

[Kharl]

More headaches...
Real racing and gtracing, with graphics at full... It moves bad, like a modern game in an old computer, and it didnt do it!

Today i was recording hd video, and it is not fluent

What a big forwar step...

 

[lunatic59]

Good morning Kharl, sorry if I missed it, but how exactly did you update to Lollipop from Kit Kat? If you received the OTA and updated directly, you might find a factory reset will clear up a good deal of your performance issues. Lollipop uses ART (Android Run Time) instead of the old Dalvik RT. The OTA almost certainly will leave little bits and pieces of the old system behind, which aren't supposed to cause issues, but often do.

With these major updates, I've always flashed the factory images to start with the cleanest install possible.

 

[Kharl]

Good morning Kharl, sorry if I missed it, but how exactly did you update to Lollipop from Kit Kat? If you received the OTA and updated directly, you might find a factory reset will clear up a good deal of your performance issues. Lollipop uses ART (Android Run Time) instead of the old Dalvik RT. The OTA almost certainly will leave little bits and pieces of the old system behind, which aren't supposed to cause issues, but often do.

With these major updates, I've always flashed the factory images to start with the cleanest install possible.

Good morning to you too!
Yes i updated by absystem notification i received in my upper bar, (i guess thats OTA right?)
So, you recommend me a factory reset (which i should have performed just right after the update to kee things the freshes possible... ) Thats it?

And... Does it have the same benefits if i do it now (everal weeks of use after update)..

There is one litte issue...
I am abroad. I have an amazingly fast internet connection where i am.... I coud have all my apps installed in less than an hour.... But about my data, and my personal files, what do you recomendme?, taking into account i am abroad and i depend a lot of my data there.

Thank you

 

[lunatic59]

A factory reset will clear certain settings and or data from the phone, but it *shouldn't* touch user files like photos, music, etc. That said, back them up.

I've found the easiest way to get back to a familiar configuration quickly is to use a custom launcher (I use Apex, but there are plenty of others ... Nova is pretty popular as well.)

Here's the process. First make sure you let Google "backup" your apps and settings. It will store phone settings but not app settings. And, it doesn't really backup your apps but keeps a list of installed apps linked to your Google Account. Also make sure Automatic restore is checked. This is under menu>settings>backup & reset. If these weren't checked previously, give it some time to sync. I really don't know if it's immediate or not, but 24 hours would be reasonable. The fact that you are abroad (which country?) the play store might be confused about restoring your apps and settings. You'll have to decide if this is important enough for you to try now or wait until you are home.

Now the fun begins ... Copy whatever you want to keep on your phone to a folder on a PC. Backup your text messages if you want to keep them (I use SMS backup and restore. It's pretty simple and easy to use.) Backup any email messages stored only on the phone. I don't do this as all my email accounts (way too many ) are IMAP. And ... backup your launcher settings to a file. Copy those to the PC too.

Perform a factory reset. You can either use the phone menu or perform a hard reset with stock recovery. Register it using the same Google account. Make sure it's connected to Wifi and log into the play store once to accept the terms. Now go for coffee. Google is going to push back all your apps and *some* settings. Depending on what you had installed on the old phone, it could take a while. It should be done by the third donut. Setup any email accounts again, restore your SMS messages and email and then restore your launcher settings. Finally, copy all your data and media from your old phone to the new one. There will be things that will need to be tweaked, but you should be as close to the old setup as you can get.

 

[codesplice]

It should be done by the third donut.

You mean "box of donuts", right?

 

[lunatic59]

Remind me never to share my donuts with you ... I couldn't afford it.

 

[Kharl]

A factory reset will clear certain settings and or data from the phone, but it *shouldn't* touch user files like photos, music, etc. That said, back them up.

I've found the easiest way to get back to a familiar configuration quickly is to use a custom launcher (I use Apex, but there are plenty of others ... Nova is pretty popular as well.)

Here's the process. First make sure you let Google "backup" your apps and settings. It will store phone settings but not app settings. And, it doesn't really backup your apps but keeps a list of installed apps linked to your Google Account. Also make sure Automatic restore is checked. This is under menu>settings>backup & reset. If these weren't checked previously, give it some time to sync. I really don't know if it's immediate or not, but 24 hours would be reasonable. The fact that you are abroad (which country?) the play store might be confused about restoring your apps and settings. You'll have to decide if this is important enough for you to try now or wait until you are home.

Now the fun begins ... Copy whatever you want to keep on your phone to a folder on a PC. Backup your text messages if you want to keep them (I use SMS backup and restore. It's pretty simple and easy to use.) Backup any email messages stored only on the phone. I don't do this as all my email accounts (way too many ) are IMAP. And ... backup your launcher settings to a file. Copy those to the PC too.

Perform a factory reset. You can either use the phone menu or perform a hard reset with stock recovery. Register it using the same Google account. Make sure it's connected to Wifi and log into the play store once to accept the terms. Now go for coffee. Google is going to push back all your apps and *some* settings. Depending on what you had installed on the old phone, it could take a while. It should be done by the third donut. Setup any email accounts again, restore your SMS messages and email and then restore your launcher settings. Finally, copy all your data and media from your old phone to the new one. There will be things that will need to be tweaked, but you should be as close to the old setup as you can get.

Yes i recognize and i remember, after i updated to lollipop i just continue using it, i never have done a factory reset, because the device never gave me a single problem since i purchase it)
, i have some experience in computers (windows) and repaired OS never will be better than a freshly isntalled one (if circumstances permits it).

But are you sure a factory reset will help to solve those roughness?
because i dont remember if i told you that not only games that use to run super fluent like gtracing and realracing, now run like if it were an underpowered device, camera mainly video looks no smooth and i thought that was only the preview, i was abroad for Xmas and all my vids were taken with my nexus, and now that i am in home i have the unpleasant surprise that ALL the videos run like if it were taken at 15fps (i dont know the word, my english fail me there) but well.. the opposite of smooth (in video talk), i mean not only looks frammy in the preview it also recordes it frammy. it is terrible, if i woruld new it i woudl have record all the vacations with my 1280x720 phone that would have taken a way beautiful video.

factory reset would solve that?

 

[codesplice]

I can't 100% guarantee that a Factory Reset will solve all of your issues - but it is quite likely that it would help with a lot of them. As has been mentioned, forcing the device to start from a clean slate, as it were, instead of continuing with old and possibly scattered/corrupted data should have a noticeable impact for performance and stability.

Additionally, and almost as importantly, a Factory Reset provides a solid "known good" starting point for troubleshooting any other issues. It can be incredibly difficult for us to troubleshoot a device that we can't see (let alone touch), so knowing exactly where it's coming from makes things quite a bit easier on our end.