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2.1 and Location

D

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On 1.5, there were three check boxes in the locations menu in settings. I think they were:

Use wireless networks
Use network (I assume this is cell network)
Use GPS

I had the first two checked and GPS turned off.

On 2.1, the first and last (wireless networks / gps) have check boxes but the middle one does not. When I click the middle on, I have a yes / no option. But, when I turn GPS off, it turns the middle option off and I get the location symbol on the notification bar with a line through it. If I turn the middle option on, it checks the GPS also. It seems the "use network" and "use gps" have to both be on or both be off.

So I guess you cannot have use wireless networks / use network turned on and GPS turned off??? Can anyone confirm this is how it is supposed to work. Thanks.
 
Not sure, but I think your battery life should be fine with GPS turned on running 2.1, so long as you don't have any apps running that use GPS. I think with 2.1 it just runs in the background and only draws a significant amount of power if you run an app that uses it, like maps or nav.
 
Taterus Maximus said:
Not sure, but I think your battery life should be fine with GPS turned on running 2.1, so long as you don't have any apps running that use GPS. I think with 2.1 it just runs in the background and only draws a significant amount of power if you run an app that uses it, like maps or nav.
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Thanks. The main reason I had GPS turned off when I had 1.5 was I can't get a GPS signal in my office building. So, if I bring up Google Maps to search for something, it tries to find the GPS when it really doesn't need to. So I got in the habit of toggling on the GPS only when I knew I needed it to navigate. I will have to see how it acts tomorrow while I am in the office building. I don't want it draining the battery trying to search for a GPS signal when I know it can't lock on to one.
 
regression said:
Thanks. The main reason I had GPS turned off when I had 1.5 was I can't get a GPS signal in my office building. So, if I bring up Google Maps to search for something, it tries to find the GPS when it really doesn't need to. So I got in the habit of toggling on the GPS only when I knew I needed it to navigate. I will have to see how it acts tomorrow while I am in the office building. I don't want it draining the battery trying to search for a GPS signal when I know it can't lock on to one.
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I noticed the same gps issue and i too worry about it searching for a signal when in a building. The droid eris update does not do this on my girlfriends phone.
 
kjw002 said:
I noticed the same gps issue and i too worry about it searching for a signal when in a building. The droid eris update does not do this on my girlfriends phone.
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Well, I am at work and opened Google Maps. The GPS icon shows up on the notification bar and it shows it is searching for signal.... So I guess if you want to conserve battery, you have to only have "use wireless networks" checked and leave the others unchecked. Or, I suppose you could turn it all off.

That is too bad, I liked having the first two options (wireless network / cell network) turned on and GPS off. Oh well...
 
Another thing to watch out for.... If you have the GPS location turned on in settings and go to google.com in the browser (I am using the stock browser), the GPS turns on.

You probably wouldn't notice this because the notification bar is hidden. However, I went to bookmarks and that shows the notification bar. And sure enough, there is the GPS icon attempting (without success because I am in my office building) to lock on to the sats....

Just wanted to let people know, as this could be a battery drainer and you not know it is going on.
 
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