sweeterskins.net - themes and news about Sweeter Home » Android (General)

Keep your Android phone running quick

Lemon — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:38:37 +0000

While we wait for the public beta of everyone’s soon-to-be favourite home replacement, let’s look at ways to speed up your phone. A lot of people experience lag when using Android, so here’s a few tips for keeping your phone light weight and zippy fast. (These are more for G1, Magic users etc – not so much for Droid and newer phones with those kick-ass processors.)

Sweeter Home: Remove all icons and widgets from your stock home screen. The app Home Switcher makes changing between homes nice and simple.

Backup then delete your SMS/MMS messages, often. Use SMS Backup or something similar to backup your SMS. Delete all threads. Do this every 1 or 2 weeks.

Be careful with wallpaper filesize. The reason the android default wallpaper app puts horrible looking compression on your wallpaper is to keep the file size down. If you use a background app (like the excellent Wallpaper Set and Save) make sure your source files aren’t too big. Anything under 100KB should be ok.

Those apps you don’t use? Delete ‘em. Keep your app drawer trim. That app you downloaded last month and thought it was cool but haven’t used since? Get rid of it. A particular app may be killing your battery usage or CPU also, so trial and error removing certain apps to see if your phone gets faster once it’s been removed.

Those widgets you don’t use? Delete ‘em. Clock widgets are a particularly bad offender, often running in the background even if they’re not active. Only keep widgets installed that you actually run.

Change update frequencies. Lengthen the time periods for RSS apps, Twitter apps, weather apps etc to update. No brainer.

Use a task killer. you shouldn’t have to rely on this too heavily, but it’s handy once in a while. There are oodles of recommended free and paid task managers.

Restart your phone. You should have done this with your dumb phone every few months anyway. try it every 1 or 2 weeks with Android.

Off site

Lemon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:58:59 +0000

I have some video coming soon to show off a new feature in Sweeter Home, so stay tuned. In the meantime here’s a few new places you (there’s a lot of new Droid owners visiting) can get more of your Android fix:

News, opinion and more…
http://androidandme.com/
http://www.androidguys.com/
http://androinica.com/

Applications
http://www.androidzoom.com/
http://www.androlib.com/
http://www.droidweek.com/
http://www.androidnetworkawards.com/

Community
http://forums.androidandme.com/
http://androidcommunity.com/forums/

How could I not post this?

Lemon — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:14:22 +0000

Ok, I generally try and stay away from iPhone vs Android stuff. I think the differences are obvious and the comparisons redundant. But I feel compelled to share this if only because the premise looks so ridiculous once it’s presented.

I present to you: 20 iPhone Homescreens.

Now please compare that with:

Now chuckle discreetly.

(via @Radix999)

Support CyanogenRom!

Lemon — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:06:00 +0000

I can’t be arsed explaining all this situation (not because I’m lazy, just busy at work) but please read about the cease and desist that Google sent Cyanogen here and here.

Use your web skillz here, and please take the time to download, rate and comment on this app (it’s only 50kb).

OMG PAID APPS LOL!!!!!!1

Lemon — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:50:00 +0000

Pardon my lack of posts the last few days. Been flat out at work and today PAID APPS just hit Australia, so I’ve been playing Jewellust and Abduction! Also just got word that I should be able to get my hands on an HTC Magic really soon (sonner than I thought), and it’s cheaper than I thought!!!

Cancelled my plans for the Rosie ripoff since the ‘official’ ports are out at XDA.

Have a Blackberry theme half done, but to be honest I think Sweeter Home needs widgets to really be able to pull that one off. If you really want it though, just scream at me in the comments and I’ll drop it. I can still do a Rosie fake too, since flashing that ROM is apparently pretty tough, so if you want it then REALLY scream in the comments.

PS – don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @sweeterskins

Android Firefox Persona

Lemon — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:10:00 +0000

Just knocked up a super quick Android Persona for Firefox. Install Personas here. Grab the skin here. (Named it my own name instead of the persona name! Idiot!)