Sunday, April 28, 2013

The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Data Usage on an Android

Monitor Your Data Usage
Before you start trying to reduce your data usage you should first find out how your data is being used by your Android apps.

If you have Android 4.0 (ICS) + you phone has a built in app for this.

Go to  Settings > Data Usage


screenshot_2012-08-05-18-56-50.png


Set the limit to 1.0GB and Set a warning slight below that (750MB) to warning if your getting near to the limit.

Set the Data usage Cycle so It lasts for the Duration of your Goodybag.

The app will also show how much data each app has used.

If you have an phone that only supports an older version of Android. Download 3G Watchdog from Google Play.  



3gwatchdog.jpg



Only Update Apps Over Wifi
Apps are been update all the time and good to have lastest version.

Google Play can automatically update these apps. Unfortunately apps can have a large file size and use of a lot of data to download.

In the Setting of Google Play if you check "Update over Wi-Fi only" then it will only update when you are connected to Wifi and not use your network data.


Picture 39.png


Turn off Auto-Sync
Auto sync is indeed a nice feature of Android but you can save large amounts of data by turning it off. You can also disable background Data activity. Also remember to disable auto sync of few individual apps like Picasa and Facebook to save the bandwidth.

Do have your emails pushed to your phone? Unless you are expecting an important email turn Auto sync off and manual check your emails through out the day.

The Power Save Widget Provides a quick way toggle Auto sync on and off.


Screenshot_2012-10-27-18-18-20.png

 
Widgets
Fancy Widgets that tell you the weather and up date the news look nice and might provide you with useful information but they use data. Does you need to your phone to tell you the weather every 10 mintues? If you have them consider removing them or changing the setting so they update less often


Use Opera Mini Browser
Browsing pages on Opera Mini reduces your data traffic to about 40%. As the browser uses powerful servers to compress data by up to 90% before sending it to your mobile the page are loaded at lightning fast speed and at the same time fight against high data usage.

Screenshot_2012-10-27-18-28-45.png


Install Onavo Extend With Onavo Extend, engage in more app activities, photo sharing, web browsing and more on 3G without breaking your data cap. The app lets you compress your mobile data. It works similar to Opera mini by routing all your data through VPN. This mean not just your browsing is compressed but all your apps are too. The app claims to reduce you data usage by 80% It show how much data has been saved for each app you have used on your phone.

Unfortunately the is app is only available if you have  Andriod 4.0 (ICS) +

Picture 42.png


Block Ads
If you have download and used any free apps you may have noticed that they are ad supported. Unfortunately these use a lot of data as they connect to the Internet to download the ads.

If you have Rooted your phone install AdFree or AdAway
and your phone will not download these ads.


Use a Firewall
You can use a firewall to restrict certain apps to restrict the network. You can achieve this by DroidWall, a nifty and free android firewall, but its only available for if you have rooted phone. You can check a box to select if an app can connect to the network or (3G) or Wifi.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.googlecode.droidwall.free


unnamed.jpg



Reference

Faster surfing, but will data caps be busted?

My Paper, Wednesday, April 24, 2013, Page A6, News, Mobileplan
Source Website: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local-News/Faster-surfing-but-will-data-caps-be-busted-158631
By ADRIAN LIM, adrainl@sph.com.sg, 24/04/2013 on mypaper


Telcos Mobile 3G & 4G speed
PHOTO: Telcos Mobile 3G & 4G speed
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9GA6okYcOHCOx2ZwrQsMd107fOn375tn5LHfTyAJKSrj3DFEqv3ak51pnPFtb-CLSVv2PqHXmDv1nBwAHOqKRW5WgCIZi3fjx1AHrAGXkRkAF1_oGv39PhghNTlMtQJ22C66aFBFp2M/s1600/Faster+surfing,+but+will+data+caps+be+busted.jpg
My Paper, Wednesday, April 24, 2013, Page A6, News, Mobileplan



Online download speeds for SingTel 3G mobile-phone customers are set to double, going up to 42Mbps, at no extra charge, the telco said yesterday.

This makes SingTel the second telco here to offer this faster 3G speed, after StarHub did so last September.

SingTel's 3G users will be progressively upgraded from up to 21Mbps, to the faster speed over the next few months, and will be notified through text messages.

Still, some consumers worry that while mobile download speeds are getting faster, there has largely been no change in the status quo where the caps on how much data they can consume online are concerned.


Some of the cheapest 4G plans by the telcos - which can hit higher speeds of up to 75Mbps - still offer a data limit of 2GB, despite similar but slower 3G plans also having the same data cap.
PHOTO: Some of the cheapest 4G plans by the telcos - which can hit higher speeds of up to 75Mbps - still offer a data limit of 2GB, despite similar but slower 3G plans also having the same data cap.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxhVUFFFSYhNEQdeoQSrpnfqIEmMGY-G3x0npO3rXIdWCNBzjAyle_UTsWT-AGPMh36-ocXuPmRHp3443UEI20m8_cIwpBOkxsDeHfDa5OM_HkXMCTlAIOuJTBzZCQRK00q_2rbCeY_I/s1600/95424520-09084906.jpg
http://blogs.twincities.com/yourtechweblog/files/2012/03/95424520-09084906.jpg
http://blogs.twincities.com/yourtechweblog/2012/03/page/2/



Some of the cheapest 4G plans by the telcos - which can hit higher speeds of up to 75Mbps - still offer a data limit of 2GB, despite similar but slower 3G plans also having the same data cap.

Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, chief executive of SingTel's consumer division here, also said the telco does not intend to change its data caps for its 3G plans, even after doubling download speeds up to 42Mbps.

Mr Andrew Sumarli, 21, a private-university student, said there is concern that with faster speeds, the data cap could be more easily breached if a user does not keep close tabs.

Busting the limit incurs extra charges, although these are now capped at between $60 and $100 per month.

But Mr Sumarli, who racked up an $80 bill once for exceeding his data cap, is now more conscious, adding that "I have got into the habit now of using Wi-Fi whenever I can, so I don't use up my mobile data".



Monitor Your Data Usage

PHOTO: Monitor Your Data Usage
Before you start trying to reduce your data usage you should first find out how your data is being used by your Android apps. If you have Android 4.0 (ICS) + you phone has a built in app for this.
Go to  Settings > Data Usage
Set the limit to 1.0GB and Set a warning slight below that (750MB) to warning if your getting near to the limit.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8LT9Q5xmInMeXFIbH4iNfuirk2-6MEr3Wc-dx4x3AgYJiti2w1aZ6szrxtW8lda8rK2j4tl75TP-1FLIalhbGIDFOWLCcSg895nqyp1HwqPzXlFEGg9_H3_Ad3LVZ4O88aI7vmkx2kU/s1600/original.jpg
http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/25486i470FB9BC3F963100/image-size/original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1
http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/giffgaff-Top-Tips/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Reducing-Data-Usage-on-an-Android/td-p/6505956



The telcos now also have apps and services to let users monitor their data usage.

Mr Yuen yesterday also said that SingTel has doubled its islandwide street-level 4G speeds up to 150Mbps but devices that can support these speeds will be available only from the second half of the year.

By ADRIAN LIM, adrainl@sph.com.sg, 24/04/2013 on mypaper



HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

 
Progressively: 逐渐地 zhú jiàn de
Caps: 上限 shàng xiàn
keep close tabs: 看紧 kān jǐn
Monitor: 监测 jiān ce



Reference

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Why does a finger activate my iPhone when a pen does not?

My Paper, Friday, April 26, 2013, Page A19, Style, Science and Technology
Source Website:
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Science%2Band%2BTech/Story/A1Story20130426-418490.html
http://www.stomp.com.sg/asklibby/tech9.html
By My Paper, Friday, Apr 26, 2013

 

Finger activate my iPhone when a pen does not.
PHOTO: Finger activate my iPhone when a pen does not.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjejuH4UxQcruN68J8y4OhwSMTmzxdW-XruJTkUo6KE6oE9RzKe9h10wBqFT-ROUqy5-K8XASPXH023n0rB9sPByoKurJCDw0TusbQJC48sXNsNgIkdVNntBodizRjRVdtDVoCMzk30e8/s1600/20130426.091144_iphone-and-finger_myp.jpg
http://www.asiaone.com/A1MEDIA/news/04Apr13/images/20130426.091144_iphone-and-finger_myp.jpg
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Science%2Band%2BTech/Story/A1Story20130426-418490.html



We continue the series in which we feature answers to questions on a wide variety of topics sent by the public to Stomp's Ask Libby section.

This is a collaboration between Stomp and Public Libraries Singapore, whose librarians research and provide answers to these thought-provoking questions.

Send in your questions to stomp@stomp.com.sg

Here is this week's question: Why does a finger activate my iPhone when a pen does not?

Touchscreen devices are triggered by fingers, and not pens, because they work by sensing the conductive properties of your skin.


Touchscreen devices are triggered by fingers and not pens because they work by sensing the conductive properties of your skin. Touchscreens function by converting a user's tactile interactions with a visual display into digital input, communicating the touch's location (e.g., an X coordinate and a Y coordinate).
PHOTO: Touchscreen devices are triggered by fingers and not pens because they work by sensing the conductive properties of your skin. Touchscreens function by converting a user's tactile interactions with a visual display into digital input, communicating the touch's location (e.g., an X coordinate and a Y coordinate).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcvQhqRFSv8QdUAg2OEOKmRJThht5OxVz_5wSDsjk_pQc_XVnkNZFaUSjV7vP9pEbe8JeATJl215MoXIjhz8LfbWMtscmFjnVvjTBZtAHJMRxsstA6qbEQzDdW2ZNSldbKMqZXRpNL6Q/s1600/120307_asklibbyPI.jpg
http://www.stomp.com.sg/asklibby/images/pi/120307_asklibbyPI.jpg
http://www.stomp.com.sg/asklibby/tech9.html



Such devices have capacitive touchscreens, which work by detecting the electrical charge stored in the skin of your finger and responding accordingly.

A capacitive touchscreen panel consists of an insulator, such as glass, coated with a transparent conductor such as indium tin oxide.

As the human body is conductive in nature, contact causes a disturbance in the electrical field on the device.

If no disturbance is detected, as would be the case when the screen comes into contact with something made of plastic or metal, then the device is not activated.

The Berkshire Encyclopedia Of Human-Computer Interaction explains: "Capacitive touchscreens use a single layer of material and detect changes in the amount of electric charge that can be stored to determine where the user is touching.

"Due to their resilience, capacitive touchscreens typically find usage in high-volume or abusive environments."

"Touchscreens function by converting a user's tactile interactions with a visual display into digital input, communicating the touch's location (e.g., an X coordinate and a Y coordinate).

"There are 5 types of touchscreen technology available. The most commonly used versions in consumer electronic devices today are resistive and capacitive touchscreens.

"Resistive touchscreens are composed of two separate layers of conductive material. When a user presses on the upper layer, electricity flows between the two layers, allowing the system to determine the location of the user's finger. Resistive touchscreens are often used in tasks requiring high resolution and are particularly useful if users are wearing gloves.


This pen neatly move data on the iPad and write notes.
PHOTO: This pen neatly move data on the iPad and write notes.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwo3py2dlFllX7WP8jjgklSy2frSsSjvJzft7YmOoLsy3aeBKnzFotSrNwNatpp0yqAX4At2TZrHV3oxrlj9WTpEZ7SEMktbQTZxDW5n_qIi9qhGK6rfg9lig5k8Wlr61gpVGlPbNBqo/s1600/AP12495_s5.jpg
http://www.levenger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/AP12495_s5.jpg
http://www.levenger.com/blog/




Reference

Candy colours? Yes, please!

My Paper, Friday, April 19, 2013, Page A29, Shops, Hairtrends
By Joy Fang, joyfang@sph.com.sg, My Paper, Friday, Apr 19, 2013


ROSE REVIVAL: One of Aveda’s key looks for this spring/summer season takes inspiration from pink hues found inflowers. The colour-waving technique used in the look adds dimension.
PHOTO: ROSE REVIVAL: One of Aveda’s key looks for this spring/summer season takes inspiration from pink hues found inflowers. The colour-waving technique used in the look adds dimension.
By AVEDA
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlrVTOR50nzlGJKCwzubY_tZmeiScWnqlQkuFFDd50xP2g23m86UaR5TnOBhH0bKqvsiv501EXNfyWtAA4c4Myo9mxdJxdW96szhAAYVfx2OonjXosge1y380YPuqwo2voNkLjWBN8mQ/s1600/Purple.jpg
My Paper, Friday, April 19, 2013, Page A29, Shops, Hairtrends



LAST year, it was all about ombre when it came to hair.

Then, celebrities like Khloe Kardashian stepped out with dip-dyed manes. Later, there was a wave of neon hues - think Katy Perry's electric-blue tresses, or Nicki Minaj's ever-changing, shockingly-coloured locks.

Now, the trend for colour has turned romantic and soft.



Blushing beauty: Goldwell's Beautify looks include this one, which bravely blends soft-pink shades with blonde and mint-blue hue.
PHOTO: Blushing beauty: Goldwell's Beautify looks include this one, which bravely blends soft-pink shades with blonde and mint-blue hue.
Photo by Goldwell
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXc_5o6vqGPCaHXOWPFnMfVkXKbyQYFQVLAGOA4vd6BZQyieov3CPA5WlNwK18UP70u6Pj0jQVmXLR_PlAwJyHquUh0oYzFO5V_Eh5JvibtUY-4TwYj4m4ggECxWb7CktzBfpvGJAgII/s1600/Purple+Hair+Colour.jpg
My Paper, Friday, April 19, 2013, Page A29, Shops, Hairtrends

 

Think Kelly Osbourne, with her lilac locks, or Ellie Goulding, with her dusty-pink hair.


Kelly Osbourne with her lilac locks
PHOTO: Kelly Osbourne with her lilac locks
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvI4TPv-Jz7BPAD74H6o4GyAAVMEZCzpz-PCizt7BoWygJUbMAIUddnz39uE7zXQ00tRAh5M4433hBAFzMdMjoInZ8u5akt38-A8Tl71pqlFfAuadTma6QQTgImY-L-Ukzjo2HjA0HRk/s1600/o-KELLY-OSBOURNE-570-11.jpg
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/913849/thumbs/o-KELLY-OSBOURNE-570.jpg?6
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/21/kelly-osbourne-weight-loss-secrets_n_2343957.html



Mr Eugene Ong, artistic director of hair salon Urbanhair Ginrich at Tangs Orchard, said he has seen a 20 per cent rise in requests for unusual colours, such as rosy pink, compared to two years ago.

"Many Singaporeans today are more daring when it comes to colour," he said.

Why? Well, many are now more well-travelled, and they draw inspiration from fashion runways, he said.



Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding
PHOTO: Ellie Goulding
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhjkBnRfQemhlCd4YhMsKBQabgq5YMC_tdD-2eMgT8L97bEJ2R_UZt7G_frCBuMlEddSoV7nUdu4RSwU90qMGz7LvZBYdzWsGzboizYYXH3USMJIRbncLMRCfThRocOjB0wIO-75lqqU/s1600/Ellie+Goulding+Anything+Could+Happen.png

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjSzKQqyEN7OzVW4N26J2uQQlOoMj0mStibswnw0bX_8J0nD1dK_rFsBwyUwXZP3VIqZExRnJ63Pry5h669XlheZAVzW4MZ1SA0zf7iBXhhpKDd3DR8ohJEoZXKt2RvFciLKdNDYytf8/s1600/Ellie+Goulding+Anything+Could+Happen-1.png
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/81451615/Ellie+Goulding+Anything+Could+Happen.png
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/81465819/Ellie+Goulding+PNG.png
http://vmuzike.net/author/ellie_goulding/galary/13



And this year, nature-inspired looks mean that though the colour choice is still bold, the trend for shades is on the softer side of things.

For those who hesitate to go for a full head of coloured locks, fear not: Salons have new techniques that allow you to get the look, in subtler ways.

Mr Ong's salon uses the Aveda Full Spectrum Deep line, which has stylists create customisable colour for each client.



Khloe Kardashian
PHOTO: Khloe Kardashian
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7XmGYkbxOev7NCwAJpzpgWBpG4TrrGTPtbRi0LhGufHhrxjiiAYqK9biXf-xuRNr7UCdvJhy_ecPfmImcIveY0PmzaFp8V11yqIzT9fJXcqn1nfsECLxnQjgtHj_r2tgHQSbyDR-NiAw/s1600/Khloe-Kardashian-Peoples-Choice-Awards-2011-0106112.jpg
http://cdn1.khloekcdn.celebuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Khloe-Kardashian-Peoples-Choice-Awards-2011-0106112.jpg
http://khloekardashian.celebuzz.com/enlargedimage?postid=105402&parent=104561



And the American line's new highighting techniques, such as colour waving, mimics natural light and shadow in hair and blends different shades. For instance, blending peach and copper shades creates something "subtly interesting, but wearable", said Mr Ong.

So, you can get soft-pink highlights, blended, say, into blonde. Even black or brunette hair can be broken up with soft pieces of pink to create a great textured look, said Mr Ian Michael Black, Aveda's global artistic director for hair colour.



Khloe Kardashian
PHOTO: Khloe Kardashian
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFe7zy6cWzmpRhOIU7pR503qyQL9vuBh7QFviyEsZpiyLKVVCOVR9R5Kvrifwxy76JNfjkuT8kWHg27TSiOkZ-LUzzS9cOg-TvFV6Ut7RGhRpD-U2YbvTIJQMuGYH_mC2Q9ZEVipBufY/s1600/Khloe-Kardashian-Lace-Cocktail-Dress-By-Kardashian-Kollection-In-Miami-1-1.jpg
http://cdn2.khloekcdn.celebuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Khloe-Kardashian-Lace-Cocktail-Dress-By-Kardashian-Kollection-In-Miami-1.jpg
http://khloekardashian.celebuzz.com/camera-ready-in-kardashian-kollection-10-2012/khloe-kardashian-makes-a-market-stop-2



He said: "Any woman can pull off this season's trend. Hair colour is about confidence, and wearing it with pride."

The Goldwell brand, which can be found only in professional salons, has come up with inspiring new looks for the season. Its Beautify collection, by its Color Zoom creative team from Australia, Taiwan and Britain, offers candy- coloured shades, and tones of royal purples and turquoise.



Katy Perry, natural, girly look with pale pink lipglossed lips, a slick of mascara and delicately lined eyes.

PHOTO: Katy Perry, natural, girly look with pale pink lipglossed lips, a slick of mascara and delicately lined eyes.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCbQEPqNlKPpEjtAC5bvvuWh9rMj5Pz9wQwiAvrq-LTVX7k1vtwYZTHG7TXqB_C_aw522D7_bIs_S_ItkZqFqlFe4Gx8AstZd4qCtBxpFl1KmsPyNlCMWoivblIQa3WkmLRqy8f9xZRA/s1600/kp18.png
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8UzCbozI_-DZZF9zreU5X3HqeMgbLKA4m1uA9RVVhGMc8_Rg26lkgMjC2FYmmOoCu4zC20CAnDfUMT_evczoH1_rlo4-IliZ3th1-2vdUKMehcTRbp9o1iig6cwGxdP_UC62d8R8-_Bu/s640/kp18.png
http://iamfabulicious.blogspot.sg/2012/06/katy-perrys-wide-awake-video-looks.html



But those unconventional colours are mixed in with more moderate shades, like earthy browns. Austrian hairstylist Mario Krankl, a Goldwell Color Zoom Global Master, noted that Asians are embracing loud colours, but in light shades.

He said: "In this region, people are trendy and are always fashion-forward... You will be surprised to see a significant number with light colours, such as blonde, with soft pastel shades that create a beautiful watercolour effect."



Katy Perry
PHOTO: Katy Perry
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPJuUfugwiYgLR1q7rxqbrj9nS7ELy9lcUdMUMLj2kUBZMpMYaM73HFPnzbzddoQB5NpS70Xah-jI0xWWS43-0Qz77jq7cWwVaRh2TvLf_OWVAspy30W50yqy6kv74VlHBDD1peM0wNY/s1600/katy-perry-wildammo-19-1.jpg
http://cdn.sourcefednews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/katy-perry-wildammo-19.jpg
http://sourcefednews.com/sexy-katy-perrys-birthday-gallery/katy-perry-wildammo-19/




HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn


Rosy: 玫瑰色 méi guí sè
New techniques: 新技术 xīn jì shù
Blends: 混合 hùn hé
Fashion-forward: 时尚前沿 shí shàng qián yán



Reference

Discontinued Reception

Source Website: 


Discontinued Reception

The DRx (Discontinued Reception) controls the deep-sleep/wakeup cycle of the mobile phones.

Discontinued Reception


Figure 1: Discontinued Reception
DRXn where n = {2, 3, ..., 9}. DRX7 is the most common selected by the service providers. The receiver active ON time is less than 6 milliseconds for GSM and depending on signal processors can be between 1 msec and 20 msec for WCDMA. Smaller DRx cycle reduces standby battery life. Longer DRx cycle results in longer time before cell phone first ring with more ring back cycles to call originator.

During the deep sleep mode the system clock is off.

For GSM
n = DRx cycle = n * (15*8*51)/26 milliseconds

eg.:
DRx2 = 2 * (15*8*51)/26 = 470.769 msec
DRx3 = 706.154 msec
DRx4 = 941.538 msec
DRx5 = 1.176923 seconds (commonly used for GSM systems)
DRx6 = 1.412308 seconds
DRx7 = 1.647.692 seconds
DRx8 = 1.883077 seconds
DRx9 = 2.118462 seconds


For WCDMA k = DRx cycle=>  DRx(k) = 2k * 0.01 seconds
eg.:
K= 2 =
22 * 0.01 = 40 mses
K= 3 = 80 msec
K= 4 = 160 msec
K= 5 = 320 msec
K= 6 = 640 msec
K= 7 = 1.28 seconds (commonly used for WCDMA systems)
K= 8 = 2.56 seconds
K= 9 = 5.12seconds



Reference