Post your most useful apps for Vibrant

[yummytyson]

Ok going to try and explain this again.... TASK KILLER APPS are not only not needed but do more harm than good and use more battery than the tasks they actually kill... Please try and think in linux terms not windows terms... Linux based systems only use what they need when they need it and when you close an app it is frozen and no longer in memory just a place holder to resume from not the actual app..... where as task killers are ALWAYS on because they wait for something to cycle and kill it before it has a chance preventing the system from running its cycles which is more likely to cause issues than allowing your system to run.... Task killers are IMMENSELY useful for windows based systems because EVERYTHING is just sitting and eating memory.... but they are USELESS on linux systems because of the way the systems run...

Thanks. What battery saving tips do you have?

 

[rocketragz]

Thanks. What battery saving tips do you have?

Turn auto and power save off. Set display to min and on browser too.

Juice defender seems alright.

Minimum widget and sync use. I actually disabled calendar and contact sync within gmail.only have my gmail synced.

 

[Ogmodon]

Scanner Radio. It lets you listen to local police radios. If nothing else it's entertaining as anything. But if I hook it up via Bluetooth, in conjunction with the radar detector I have in my car... Pretty nice setup if you like to get to places ummm... Quickly?

Just installed this and it does not appear to be real time, am I missing something here? Just wanted to dbl check before I purchase the key. It seems to play for about 60 seconds and then nothing.

EDIT:
NVM it just seems that my location is just really boring and quite at this time. Switched to LAPD and it was non stop.

 

[SamsungVibrant]

Ok going to try and explain this again.... TASK KILLER APPS are not only not needed but do more harm than good and use more battery than the tasks they actually kill... Please try and think in linux terms not windows terms... Linux based systems only use what they need when they need it and when you close an app it is frozen and no longer in memory just a place holder to resume from not the actual app..... where as task killers are ALWAYS on because they wait for something to cycle and kill it before it has a chance preventing the system from running its cycles which is more likely to cause issues than allowing your system to run.... Task killers are IMMENSELY useful for windows based systems because EVERYTHING is just sitting and eating memory.... but they are USELESS on linux systems because of the way the systems run...

I have a question. I'm still debating this whole Advanced Task Killer Issue. I just find one contradiction in your explanation.

So you said, once you close an app, it is frozen, and no longer in memory, just a place holder. This is the nature of linux you said.

Yet, Advanced Task Killer itself is an App yet it is always On? So this is an exception to the Frozen Linux app rule? So If Advanced Task Killer is always on, and is an exception to your frozen rule, doesn't that also mean that other apps could also be an exception to the frozen rule, meaning other apps could also be constantly on in the background under linux.

Then in that case, having 1 app, namely Advanced Task Killer always on, to police other "always" on apps is a good thing. Unless the argument is that ALL aps are frozen, with the 1 exception of Advanced task killer being always on. Then that would be a bias, why would linux allow ATK to alway stay on, but freeze other applications?

 

[noonehereyet]

I have a question. I'm still debating this whole Advanced Task Killer Issue. I just find one contradiction in your explanation.

So you said, once you close an app, it is frozen, and no longer in memory, just a place holder. This is the nature of linux you said.

Yet, Advanced Task Killer itself is an App yet it is always On? So this is an exception to the Frozen Linux app rule? So If Advanced Task Killer is always on, and is an exception to your frozen rule, doesn't that also mean that other apps could also be an exception to the frozen rule, meaning other apps could also be constantly on in the background under linux.

Then in that case, having 1 app, namely Advanced Task Killer always on, to police other "always" on apps is a good thing. Unless the argument is that ALL aps are frozen, with the 1 exception of Advanced task killer being always on. Then that would be a bias, why would linux allow ATK to alway stay on, but freeze other applications?

Core apps are always on by nature but they cycle they do not run constantly as for advanced task killer it MUST always run in order to kill any app that starts before it can run... look you don't have to take my word for it just look up how linux works... and its not linux or android allowing it as its not part of the core software its an app... the developers code it to run....

 

[SamsungVibrant]

Core apps are always on by nature but they cycle they do not run constantly as for advanced task killer it MUST always run in order to kill any app that starts before it can run... look you don't have to take my word for it just look up how linux works... and its not linux or android allowing it as its not part of the core software its an app... the developers code it to run....

Oh i'm not in favor or against ATK, i'm just trying to figure this out for myself. I have it on my phone, maybe I'll uninstall it.

 

[noonehereyet]

Oh i'm not in favor or against ATK, i'm just trying to figure this out for myself. I have it on my phone, maybe I'll uninstall it.

No worries... I've been trying to explain that for almost 2 years now to most people... problem is like 85% of people run windows desktops and think in terms of how windows runs and android is linux and unless you understand linux you will be confused... the function and abilities and customizations are so far beyond windows that if you use linux you'd honestly be amazed....

 

[masterotaku]

Linux systems employ LRU policies to determine application activity the same as modern Windows (post Win NT3.x) systems do.

Instability can arise on either platform, but usually for different reasons due to different design paradigms. For instance windows doesn't support reentrant code for libraries due to legacy constraints, so it's virtual memory paging strategy (and all modern operating systems virtualize all memory, not talking about swap files here) is a bit more complex. Be that as it may I agree that task killing isn't entirely the problem or the solution either. It can be a solution for some, but only because it's taking a hammer to fix a more subtle problem.

Battery issues in my experience are always due to sleep issues and not memory resident issues, and this is down to poor coding and not following the SDK guidelines. These issues occur on all smartphone platforms that do not go through a centralized vetting process (i.e. everyone except Apple, and even Apple misses the occasional snafu).

Very few desktop linux users actually install tons of repository apps outside of tested and known repositories. Those who do, such as me when I was building custom firewall and media center distros can attest to the nightmare of instability linux can be when your tweaking things to your hearts content so that OTHERS won't have to suffer. And I don't mention it as a damning statement towards google or the Market. It's merely the symptom of explosive growth.

In a nutshell this is merely a part of the growing pains of an explosively popular OS, but one best solved with paying attention to battery use stats in the OS and via other monitoring apps.

 

[noonehereyet]

Linux systems employ LRU policies to determine application activity the same as modern Windows (post Win NT3.x) systems do.

Instability can arise on either platform, but usually for different reasons due to different design paradigms. For instance windows doesn't support reentrant code for libraries due to legacy constraints, so it's virtual memory paging strategy (and all modern operating systems virtualize all memory, not talking about swap files here) is a bit more complex. Be that as it may I agree that task killing isn't entirely the problem or the solution either. It can be a solution for some, but only because it's taking a hammer to fix a more subtle problem.

Battery issues in my experience are always due to sleep issues and not memory resident issues, and this is down to poor coding and not following the SDK guidelines. These issues occur on all smartphone platforms that do not go through a centralized vetting process (i.e. everyone except Apple, and even Apple misses the occasional snafu).

Very few desktop linux users actually install tons of repository apps outside of tested and known repositories. Those who do, such as me when I was building custom firewall and media center distros can attest to the nightmare of instability linux can be when your tweaking things to your hearts content so that OTHERS won't have to suffer. And I don't mention it as a damning statement towards google or the Market. It's merely the symptom of explosive growth.

In a nutshell this is merely a part of the growing pains of an explosively popular OS, but one best solved with paying attention to battery use stats in the OS and via other monitoring apps.

If you've seriously gone and built your own firewall or rebuilt firestarter please pm me as I've been contemplating doing the same myself and would like to hear what you've done and how it turned out before I do it...

 

[ewilts]

Battery Status Pro - Only reason I use this is so that I can see the % of my battery life.

Install AnyCut and then create a shortcut to Battery Info on one of your home screens. The info is already built into your phone - you just need the right shortcut.

 

[ds baruuuuu]

GMOTE is my most fav app, leave my computer on at home, and stream any of my 200GB of music to my phone over 3g.. who needs pandora. it even does some videos depending on file type

 

[BrianH12]

I like the barcode scanner from zxing so if i find an app online i can just scan it's barcode off the screen and the phone find and downloads if for me. My most fun app so far.

 

[yummytyson]

GMOTE is my most fav app, leave my computer on at home, and stream any of my 200GB of music to my phone over 3g.. who needs pandora. it even does some videos depending on file type

+1. gmote is great.

 

[DKYang]

GMOTE is my most fav app, leave my computer on at home, and stream any of my 200GB of music to my phone over 3g.. who needs pandora. it even does some videos depending on file type

After using Gmote all this time, I didn't realize this could be done. Thought orb was the only way. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[happy0506]

- +1 on juice defender - shuts off and turns on things like gps, wifi, etc... when your screen is blacked out t osave batter power. gets me an extra hour or two in battery life each day.

- if you have serious battery issues, also get the paid version of power manager. it allows you to step down your screen brightness and what services you have active based on how much battery life you have left.

- quick settings - love how it puts so many common settings in one screen. volume controls for all your different ringers and notifications, screen brightness, turn off/on bluetooth, wifi, gps,apn, and even has battery indicator and flashlight.

- calwidget - see my calendar in a widget that takes up a whole screen to see multiple days of appointments. also has smaller widget configurations. also has the ability to have multiple cal widgets displaying different calendars. once screen is my calendar and on another screen is my wife's (shared via google). so making plans is easier when i know what she is doing. (or to know when i'm a free man!!

- docs pics - can sync and post widgets of google documents. also, pictures from your gallery on your desktop

 

[Dalepa]

Speedtest.net. To show just how bad 3G is most of the time
Gps test. To show that the gps on the vibrant has a a major problem
Jorte calendar and task with sync with google calendar
No lock. Hate having to click a button and swipe
Pandora.
Battery graph. To watch the battery drain overtime

Wants
Working wireless tether

 

[galaxyS]

i installed some task manager app earlier on my phone.. i noticed after installing it, the "back" button of my phone became weak and unresponsive for some reason.. so i had to uninstall the app as it was not really necessary, besides the phone came stock with similar feature.. i made a shortcut for "running services" function and simply just stop whatever apps i didnt want working.. works fine with me.. and the back button is fine again..

 

[galaxyS]

my useful app is TWITTER! LOL

seriously..