Root [CDMA] Some interesting tips/tricks I want to share.

[jerofld]

A couple of you saw how I recommended LBE Privacy Guard to keep your phone from being hijacked by apps (including malicious ones).

Today, though, I'm going to recommend another app. AutoStarts. This one is a paid app, though. But this is what it does for you: It disables apps from autostarting whenever they want. This increases boot times, as well as loading times for certain things. Like, you'd be surprised how much Google Maps is primed into the background. If you don't use Maps all that often, but often enough where you don't want to freeze / defrost it whenever you use it, this is the tool for you.

There's also a secondary benefit. Do you hate it when you install an app and it has like 20 widgets? My example will be Jorte: (Click Show to see)

Spoiler

Yeah, that's annoying, isn't it? Well, this is what it looks like for me:

Spoiler

Yeah, much better. How do you do that? With Autostarts, you can disable the "Widget Updating" for the widget sizes you don't care about. Like so:

Spoiler

Then reboot and they won't show up anymore. You actually have to reboot before any of the changes in Autostarts takes effect, IIRC.

And I'm sure you could use an alternative version to Autostarts that does the same thing. There may be a free alternative, but I bought Autostarts about a year ago because there were no good alternatives.

 

[jerofld]

As for LBE Privacy Guard, it can do a lot of things, too. Like deny permissions to apps. Don't like Facebook accessing your Contact list and your location? You can deny it (and it won't be able to turn on the GPS radio, either). You can block apps from accessing the internet or logging your IMEI (your phone's identification number). You can prevent apps from sending SMS or checking call logs. You like Pandora, but you don't ever want it to access your contacts for whatever reason it wants to? Done.

Between LBE and http://androidforums.com/android-ap...ps-avoid-viruses-guide-those-new-android.html, I don't see the need for apps like Lookout. Plus I have far more control over my device.

 

[DonB]

Great write up, thanks, the only reason I use Lookout is for the phone tracker, as the HTC one does not work half the time. So I have everything disabled except for the tracker.

 

[ovrrdrive]

You can also edit the start up list with system tuner pro. I believe the free version allows this as well as the paid app. Its a great program to have. I didn't mind paying for it at all. You can control everything from overclocking to app backups like titanium backup does.

 

[jerofld]

Great write up, thanks, the only reason I use Lookout is for the phone tracker, as the HTC one does not work half the time. So I have everything disabled except for the tracker.

I can understand that. But my phone is usually in my hand or near by to where I am not afraid that I'll lose it. It's my car stereo, alarm clock, entertainment device, text messaging server, and every once in a while, a cell phone. I meant that bit about Lookout as an Anti-malware app.

You can also edit the start up list with system tuner pro. I believe the free version allows this as well as the paid app. Its a great program to have. I didn't mind paying for it at all. You can control everything from overclocking to app backups like titanium backup does.

Very nice, I'm going to check that app out. I've seen it, but didn't really look at it too much to see what it actually does. Looks like it consolidates quite a number of apps in one.

 

[ovrrdrive]

With the paid version you get better widgets and a few other things. I use the free version of it on my son's and wife's phones and don't really miss anything.

I'll attach a screenie of the menu so you can get an idea of what all it does.

 

[ocnbrze]

this sounds too much like task killers to me. i think that android does a pretty good job at monitoring its resources. i never use task killers and i have never run into any issues.

does this app really effect performance that much?

 

[DonB]

Well I play golf and one day I lost my phone on the course while I was on vacation in the Carolina's, so you could imagine the panic, finally found it where I never thought it would be, so for me it is worth it, LOL

I can understand that. But my phone is usually in my hand or near by to where I am not afraid that I'll lose it. It's my car stereo, alarm clock, entertainment device, text messaging server, and every once in a while, a cell phone. I meant that bit about Lookout as an Anti-malware app.



Very nice, I'm going to check that app out. I've seen it, but didn't really look at it too much to see what it actually does. Looks like it consolidates quite a number of apps in one.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Saying System Tuner Pro is too much like a task killer is like saying you can add numbers on a computer. It will do that, but it's far, far more than that.

If you don't want to kill tasks then don't. Don't use the built in task killer in android either though...

It's a great program.

 

[jerofld]

From playing with system tuner, it's a bit of Titanium Backup Pro + SetCPU + Terminal Emulator + Advanced Task Killer + logcat + monitoring software.

Sure, the task killer portion would be useless to most of us. But I can see the strength of all of the other aspects. Especially when testing a new ROM or kernel. It'd help isolate funkyness. The filtered logcat alone makes it worth installing.

But outside of that filtered logcat (which I'm sure there are other apps that can do it, too) and the great CPU monitors, if you wanted to, or already have, most of those apps I listed above, you can get the same effect without this app.

But if I was new to rooting and didn't know what I was doing, I'd definitely pick up this app. Considering it costs the same amount as TB pro and it does the same thing. Plus it can work in place of SetCPU, etc. Or you just want a all-in-one wonder app.

 

[ocnbrze]

lol. ok guys i will have to check this out then.

 

[ovrrdrive]

But if I was new to rooting and didn't know what I was doing, I'd definitely pick up this app.

I think I just got slammed... lol

 

[jerofld]

I think I just got slammed... lol

In your face!

Spoiler

LOL, no J/K. I meant it as "if I was new to rooting and didn't have all the rooted apps I already have, I'd definitely pick this up".

 

[ovrrdrive]

I know... It just sounded funny the way it was.

Well, if you don't know shit about rooting you could probably use it...

 

[jerofld]

I know... It just sounded funny the way it was.

Well, if you don't know shit about rooting you could probably use it...

Quite the opposite. After playing with it for a bit, I'd say it's not as user friendly as the other apps. It's just combined.