"The app stays asleep unless your device moves a long distance."
How will the app know if it has moved a long distance? Wouldn't it have to be on?
No, the app isn't running. The OS itself watches for a cell id change, which takes very, very little extra power to do. Here, this should help:
Quote:
Starting the Significant-Change Location Service
In iOS 4.0 and later, you can use the significant-change location service to receive location events. This service offers a significant power savings and provides accuracy that is good enough for most apps. It uses the device’s cellular radio to determine the user’s location and report changes in that location, allowing the system to manage power usage much more aggressively than it could otherwise. This service is also capable of waking up an app that is currently suspended or not running in order to deliver new location data.
Very simple to check. All a Developer needs to do is set up a dev iPad/iPhone slave it off their dev box, run Wireshark and see what sorts of background threads are running that should not be running, which use CPU/GPU cycles, even WiFi connectivity cycles and they can find out just how these apps are really working.
I don't have it and won't install anything Google, but my co-worker installed it and complained about the battery life later in the day even before complaints came out and he was going by battery life not the Location Services icon. Strange!!
Why do this if the App is not draining the battery?
If any app is on it will be using the battery. "draining" indicates a higher level of usage -- I have no idea whether this is appropriate for Google Now (it certainly seems to be very benign on android devices).
I have uninstalled this app from both my ipad and iphone. I does drain the battery thanks to it constantly checking the location of the device. Google should know better than to do this. The software should only do a location check when the user refreshes the app.
I have uninstalled this app from both my ipad and iphone. I does drain the battery thanks to it constantly checking the location of the device. Google should know better than to do this. The software should only do a location check when the user refreshes the app.
You can easily do this in the app. Both Hoogle and this article tell you exactly how to.
My iPhone has been running hot and draining battery faster than usual lately, and there are no Google apps at all on it. Personally, my suspicion is with Facebook's latest Faces update, and that perhaps while people ran out to install Google's software they also tended to update that at the same time?
In any case, if your iPhone is warm to the touch when you're not playing a game, double-tap the home button, hold down on the icons in the lower bar, and start closing them. In theory iOS is supposed to prevent background apps from abusing the system, but in theory no software has any bugs, too.
My iPhone has been running hot and draining battery faster than usual lately, and there are no Google apps at all on it. Personally, my suspicion is with Facebook's latest Faces update, and that perhaps while people ran out to install Google's software they also tended to update that at the same time?
In any case, if your iPhone is warm to the touch when you're not playing a game, double-tap the home button, hold down on the icons in the lower bar, and start closing them. In theory iOS is supposed to prevent background apps from abusing the system, but in theory no software has any bugs, too.
Of course it's going to drain your battery if you keep using it all day, asking stupid questions comparing it to siri, what app want drain your battery after using all day? People make a big deal out of nothing. I've had this app since it first came out and don't notice any difference in the battery life.
Remember, Google is just using the iOS API that watches for relatively major location changes via cell / hotspot,
Watching for cell id changes is normally virtually free. The phone is constantly talking to a tower anyway, and the OS only has to do something if the id changes.
So there could be a couple of reasons why battery usage might be higher for some people and not others:
1. Your phone is switching between cell sites. This obviously happens if traveling, but it can even occur simply from walking around inside a building. Each time the id changes, the OS must be woken up to restart any location registered apps.
2. Your phone cannot see a cell site, and thus is relying on checking WiFi hotspots, which might use more power, depending on how the OS is written.
3. A combination. Say, a school where some spots have no cell coverage, and the OS must switch modes between cell id and hotspot. This is just a guess though.
Remember, Google is just using the iOS API that watches for relatively major location changes via cell / hotspot, ... This is just a guess though.
Thought you'd throw that last bit in if someone called your BS? So, basically, as usual for you, you're just making stuff up. I think the people guessing that Google is reporting your whereabouts and sending data on your phone back to the hive are more likely correct. Eventually they'll tell us it was inadvertent, then we'll find out everything they've said publicly was, as usual, a brazen lie.
Remember, Google is just using the iOS API that watches for relatively major location changes via cell / hotspot,
Watching for cell id changes is normally virtually free. The phone is constantly talking to a tower anyway, and the OS only has to do something if the id changes.
So there could be a couple of reasons why battery usage might be higher for some people and not others:
1. Your phone is switching between cell sites. This obviously happens if traveling, but it can even occur simply from walking around inside a building. Each time the id changes, the OS must be woken up to restart any location registered apps.
2. Your phone cannot see a cell site, and thus is relying on checking WiFi hotspots, which might use more power, depending on how the OS is written.
3. A combination. Say, a school where some spots have no cell coverage, and the OS must switch modes between cell id and hotspot. This is just a guess though.
While you are technically right I think
In contrast to some other APIs the core location framework isn't very stringent in order not to limit functionality of location based services and GPS apps.
It's up to the devs to use it's functionality wisely in order to reduce battery drain to a necessary minimum. High frequent tracking with a combination of GPS, cell towers, wifi hotspots is expensive and I think in this case It's simply not necessary.
For Google Now searches a location value, determined once before, or at the time a command is invoked would be enough in my opinion.
You can also e.g. just check whether you are still on the same wifi network, or the device is still approximately in the same area.
You don't have to pull location data again and again. In addition I think that Google Now doesn't need this continuos location tracking to do what the user expects it to do.
It also doesn't need running in the background because it's meant for direct user interaction.
"By default, your app will not run the standard location service as a background process. The standard location service significantly impacts your user’s battery life if left running. Even if the location manager is not sending new locations to the delegate, the standard location service still continuously monitors a user’s location to determine when the distance filter threshold is crossed. Unless the information generated is relevant to a user’s current task, it’s recommended that you disable this service for performance reasons. If you’re doing a simple calculation for search purposes, you should turn off the standard location service as soon as you receive your first location update."
Remember, Google is just using the iOS API that watches for relatively major location changes via cell / hotspot,
Watching for cell id changes is normally virtually free. The phone is constantly talking to a tower anyway, and the OS only has to do something if the id changes.
So there could be a couple of reasons why battery usage might be higher for some people and not others:
1. Your phone is switching between cell sites. This obviously happens if traveling, but it can even occur simply from walking around inside a building. Each time the id changes, the OS must be woken up to restart any location registered apps.
2. Your phone cannot see a cell site, and thus is relying on checking WiFi hotspots, which might use more power, depending on how the OS is written.
3. A combination. Say, a school where some spots have no cell coverage, and the OS must switch modes between cell id and hotspot. This is just a guess though.
An obvious question: does this mean that if you have this on a WiFi only device (an iPad, say), than this functionality is not available? Every time I turn off Wifi (on my LTE device) iOS chides me that this will make location services less accurate, so is there some other hack for WiFi, or you, who are so wise in the ways of science?
An obvious question: does this mean that if you have this on a WiFi only device (an iPad, say), than this functionality is not available? Every time I turn off Wifi (on my LTE device) iOS chides me that this will make location services less accurate, so is there some other hack for WiFi, or you, who are so wise in the ways of science?
FWIW Google Now works just fine on a WiFi only Nexus 7. I'd be fairly surprised if it won't do as well on WiFi only iPads.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by hughjaas
"The app stays asleep unless your device moves a long distance."
How will the app know if it has moved a long distance? Wouldn't it have to be on?
No, the app isn't running. The OS itself watches for a cell id change, which takes very, very little extra power to do. Here, this should help:
Quote:
Starting the Significant-Change Location Service
In iOS 4.0 and later, you can use the significant-change location service to receive location events. This service offers a significant power savings and provides accuracy that is good enough for most apps. It uses the device’s cellular radio to determine the user’s location and report changes in that location, allowing the system to manage power usage much more aggressively than it could otherwise. This service is also capable of waking up an app that is currently suspended or not running in order to deliver new location data.
- Location Awareness Programming - Apple iOS SDK
Often, when people have extra battery usage after installing an app like this, it's because they're playing with or checking it more often.
You forgot to say something nasty about the subject of the post, like you normally do!
Google is evil!
And doomed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by agramonte
Time to put on your tinfoil hat
Why, does it help to keep Google out of my personal data space?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macky the Macky
It knows when you are sleeping; it knows when you are awake,
It knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake...
Excellent advice for the "don't be evil" guys… who are they again?
Quote:
Originally Posted by hill60
Why do this if the App is not draining the battery?
If any app is on it will be using the battery. "draining" indicates a higher level of usage -- I have no idea whether this is appropriate for Google Now (it certainly seems to be very benign on android devices).
Just don't use it, unless you wanted to be tracked.
I have uninstalled this app from both my ipad and iphone. I does drain the battery thanks to it constantly checking the location of the device. Google should know better than to do this. The software should only do a location check when the user refreshes the app.
You can easily do this in the app. Both Hoogle and this article tell you exactly how to.
In any case, if your iPhone is warm to the touch when you're not playing a game, double-tap the home button, hold down on the icons in the lower bar, and start closing them. In theory iOS is supposed to prevent background apps from abusing the system, but in theory no software has any bugs, too.
In any case, if your iPhone is warm to the touch when you're not playing a game, double-tap the home button, hold down on the icons in the lower bar, and start closing them. In theory iOS is supposed to prevent background apps from abusing the system, but in theory no software has any bugs, too.
Of course it's going to drain your battery if you keep using it all day, asking stupid questions comparing it to siri, what app want drain your battery after using all day? People make a big deal out of nothing. I've had this app since it first came out and don't notice any difference in the battery life.
Remember, Google is just using the iOS API that watches for relatively major location changes via cell / hotspot,
Watching for cell id changes is normally virtually free. The phone is constantly talking to a tower anyway, and the OS only has to do something if the id changes.
So there could be a couple of reasons why battery usage might be higher for some people and not others:
1. Your phone is switching between cell sites. This obviously happens if traveling, but it can even occur simply from walking around inside a building. Each time the id changes, the OS must be woken up to restart any location registered apps.
2. Your phone cannot see a cell site, and thus is relying on checking WiFi hotspots, which might use more power, depending on how the OS is written.
3. A combination. Say, a school where some spots have no cell coverage, and the OS must switch modes between cell id and hotspot. This is just a guess though.
Thought you'd throw that last bit in if someone called your BS? So, basically, as usual for you, you're just making stuff up. I think the people guessing that Google is reporting your whereabouts and sending data on your phone back to the hive are more likely correct. Eventually they'll tell us it was inadvertent, then we'll find out everything they've said publicly was, as usual, a brazen lie.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KDarling
Remember, Google is just using the iOS API that watches for relatively major location changes via cell / hotspot,
Watching for cell id changes is normally virtually free. The phone is constantly talking to a tower anyway, and the OS only has to do something if the id changes.
So there could be a couple of reasons why battery usage might be higher for some people and not others:
1. Your phone is switching between cell sites. This obviously happens if traveling, but it can even occur simply from walking around inside a building. Each time the id changes, the OS must be woken up to restart any location registered apps.
2. Your phone cannot see a cell site, and thus is relying on checking WiFi hotspots, which might use more power, depending on how the OS is written.
3. A combination. Say, a school where some spots have no cell coverage, and the OS must switch modes between cell id and hotspot. This is just a guess though.
While you are technically right I think
In contrast to some other APIs the core location framework isn't very stringent in order not to limit functionality of location based services and GPS apps.
It's up to the devs to use it's functionality wisely in order to reduce battery drain to a necessary minimum. High frequent tracking with a combination of GPS, cell towers, wifi hotspots is expensive and I think in this case It's simply not necessary.
For Google Now searches a location value, determined once before, or at the time a command is invoked would be enough in my opinion.
You can also e.g. just check whether you are still on the same wifi network, or the device is still approximately in the same area.
You don't have to pull location data again and again. In addition I think that Google Now doesn't need this continuos location tracking to do what the user expects it to do.
It also doesn't need running in the background because it's meant for direct user interaction.
Some well put explanation from Shawn Welch: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1830485&seqNum=2
"By default, your app will not run the standard location service as a background process. The standard location service significantly impacts your user’s battery life if left running. Even if the location manager is not sending new locations to the delegate, the standard location service still continuously monitors a user’s location to determine when the distance filter threshold is crossed. Unless the information generated is relevant to a user’s current task, it’s recommended that you disable this service for performance reasons. If you’re doing a simple calculation for search purposes, you should turn off the standard location service as soon as you receive your first location update."
I'm sure there's some space for improvement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KDarling
Remember, Google is just using the iOS API that watches for relatively major location changes via cell / hotspot,
Watching for cell id changes is normally virtually free. The phone is constantly talking to a tower anyway, and the OS only has to do something if the id changes.
So there could be a couple of reasons why battery usage might be higher for some people and not others:
1. Your phone is switching between cell sites. This obviously happens if traveling, but it can even occur simply from walking around inside a building. Each time the id changes, the OS must be woken up to restart any location registered apps.
2. Your phone cannot see a cell site, and thus is relying on checking WiFi hotspots, which might use more power, depending on how the OS is written.
3. A combination. Say, a school where some spots have no cell coverage, and the OS must switch modes between cell id and hotspot. This is just a guess though.
An obvious question: does this mean that if you have this on a WiFi only device (an iPad, say), than this functionality is not available? Every time I turn off Wifi (on my LTE device) iOS chides me that this will make location services less accurate, so is there some other hack for WiFi, or you, who are so wise in the ways of science?
Quote:
Originally Posted by igriv
An obvious question: does this mean that if you have this on a WiFi only device (an iPad, say), than this functionality is not available? Every time I turn off Wifi (on my LTE device) iOS chides me that this will make location services less accurate, so is there some other hack for WiFi, or you, who are so wise in the ways of science?
FWIW Google Now works just fine on a WiFi only Nexus 7. I'd be fairly surprised if it won't do as well on WiFi only iPads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
FWIW Google Now works just fine on a WiFi only Nexus 7. I'd be fairly surprised if it won't do as well on WiFi only iPads.
The WiFi only Nexus 7s have GPS receivers. The WiFi only iPads do not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stike vomit
The WiFi only Nexus 7s have GPS receivers. The WiFi only iPads do not.
Oh...
you're right. I hadn't noted that before. Thanks!