Hi Paul, Paul Keinanen wrote:> On Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:53:22 -0700, D Yuniskis > <not.going.to.be@seen.com> wrote: > >> E.g., if your cell phone told you that "listening to music (MP3's)" >> is costing you W minutes of talk time per minute of music "consumed" >> or X minutes of standby time *and* you currently only have Y/Z minutes >> of talk/standby time ON RESERVE, then you could better manage your >> phone usage -- ESPECIALLY IF RECHARGING IS NOT PRESENTLY AN OPTION! > > What figure are you going to report to the user in this example ? > The time remaining at minimum cellular transmitter power ? > The time remaining at maximum cellular transmitter power ? > The time remaining at most recent phone contact transmitter power ?I don't think actual numbers are as important as something that gives the user a way to modify his behavior to *meaningfully* alter those results. Even a range of figures is informative if the user can see how changes in his behavior affect them. We, as users, *want* to use these devices. More than we *need* to use them. But, without meaningful feedback on the consequences of our usage patterns, we have no way of ensuring the device's availability when we *really* "need" it. For example, when I travel, I carry one or two portable GPS's with me (a "large screen" unit that acts as an electronic map and a smaller "pocket size" for walking/hiking). It's fun to turn them on *while* flying -- both to get an idea as to where you currently are located (since you can rarely identify landmarks from 35,000 feet!), how soon you will "arrive" as well as the novelty factor: "current speed 550 MPH" However, I have to balance my desire to "play" with them (flights are boring; I only carry one book on the plane and that will typically only occupy me for 3 hours before "FINI") with my need for them to be operational when I touch down! What is the cost for me to use them in flight? Does blanking the screen save me anything? How much? Will I have enough battery left when I land to reach my ultimate destination? If I can see how my behavior drives that reserve time up or down, then I can make a value judgement on the worth of "playing" with them instead of reading *another* book, etc.> After all, a user movement of less than one meter would make all > alternatives viable. Of course, telling the worst case time could > require using the full handset transmitter power, while the marketing > department would expect you to tell the time available, when climbing > the cellular tower :-).<grin> Marketing would want to sell a small cable to let the user connect directly to the tower! :> I suspect using the phone as an MP3 player (with screen NOT blanked) is a sizable fraction of "typical" power usage "as a phone" (screen blanked). Dunno. I never use any of my cell phones *as* phones! :>
Instrumenting for power managment
Started by ●October 5, 2010
Reply by ●October 5, 20102010-10-05
Reply by ●October 5, 20102010-10-05
In article <i8gduh$mu0$1@speranza.aioe.org>, not.going.to.be@seen.com says...> Hi Paul, > > Paul Keinanen wrote: > > On Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:53:22 -0700, D Yuniskis > > <not.going.to.be@seen.com> wrote: > > > >> E.g., if your cell phone told you that "listening to music (MP3's)" > >> is costing you W minutes of talk time per minute of music "consumed" > >> or X minutes of standby time *and* you currently only have Y/Z minutes > >> of talk/standby time ON RESERVE, then you could better manage your > >> phone usage -- ESPECIALLY IF RECHARGING IS NOT PRESENTLY AN OPTION! > > > > What figure are you going to report to the user in this example ? > > The time remaining at minimum cellular transmitter power ? > > The time remaining at maximum cellular transmitter power ? > > The time remaining at most recent phone contact transmitter power ? > > I don't think actual numbers are as important as something that > gives the user a way to modify his behavior to *meaningfully* > alter those results. Even a range of figures is informative if > the user can see how changes in his behavior affect them. > > We, as users, *want* to use these devices. More than we *need* > to use them. But, without meaningful feedback on the consequences > of our usage patterns, we have no way of ensuring the device's > availability when we *really* "need" it. > > For example, when I travel, I carry one or two portable GPS's > with me (a "large screen" unit that acts as an electronic map > and a smaller "pocket size" for walking/hiking). It's fun > to turn them on *while* flying -- both to get an idea as to where > you currently are located (since you can rarely identify > landmarks from 35,000 feet!), how soon you will "arrive" as well > as the novelty factor: "current speed 550 MPH" > > However, I have to balance my desire to "play" with them > (flights are boring; I only carry one book on the plane and > that will typically only occupy me for 3 hours before "FINI") > with my need for them to be operational when I touch down! >We have some of the same interests---although with slightly different goals. On a recent cruise from Ketchikan AK to Bellingham WA, I often had 3 GPS units running: a Garmin GPS76C, an IPAD, and a custom-built logger that saved positions only once per minute. (On an 8-knot trawler yacht, that's often enough for a good cruise track.) The GPS76C would last about 10 hours on 2 AA alkaline cells. The IPAD lasted more than 8 hours on a charge, while displaying the position on Navionics nautical charts. The custom logger lasted about a week on 4 D Cells. It is the last system that I need to optimize---but the 60mA as the GPS gets lock is a limiting factor.> What is the cost for me to use them in flight? Does blanking > the screen save me anything? How much? Will I have enough > battery left when I land to reach my ultimate destination? > If I can see how my behavior drives that reserve time up or > down, then I can make a value judgement on the worth of > "playing" with them instead of reading *another* book, etc.Get yourself one of the e-book readers that will download free books from your local library. I got one of the Kobo readers for about $130. It will last several weeks on a charge and hold enough books for many months of reading.> > > After all, a user movement of less than one meter would make all > > alternatives viable. Of course, telling the worst case time could > > require using the full handset transmitter power, while the marketing > > department would expect you to tell the time available, when climbing > > the cellular tower :-). > > <grin> Marketing would want to sell a small cable to let the user > connect directly to the tower! :> > > I suspect using the phone as an MP3 player (with screen NOT > blanked) is a sizable fraction of "typical" power usage > "as a phone" (screen blanked). Dunno. I never use any of my > cell phones *as* phones! :> >I exchange text messages with the kids and make about 2 calls a month. I've got an SD card of music on the phone, but haven't yet gotten headphones with the smaller jack. Just sitting idle at home (1/4mi from a cell tower), the phone needs charging about once every 10 days. Mark Borgerson
Reply by ●October 6, 20102010-10-06
Hi Mark, Mark Borgerson wrote:>> For example, when I travel, I carry one or two portable GPS's >> with me (a "large screen" unit that acts as an electronic map >> and a smaller "pocket size" for walking/hiking). It's fun >> to turn them on *while* flying -- both to get an idea as to where >> you currently are located (since you can rarely identify >> landmarks from 35,000 feet!), how soon you will "arrive" as well >> as the novelty factor: "current speed 550 MPH" >> >> However, I have to balance my desire to "play" with them >> (flights are boring; I only carry one book on the plane and >> that will typically only occupy me for 3 hours before "FINI") >> with my need for them to be operational when I touch down! > > We have some of the same interests---although with slightly > different goals. On a recent cruise from Ketchikan AK to > Bellingham WA, I often had 3 GPS units running: a Garmin > GPS76C, an IPAD, and a custom-built logger that saved positions > only once per minute. (On an 8-knot trawler yacht, that's often > enough for a good cruise track.) The GPS76C would last about > 10 hours on 2 AA alkaline cells. The IPAD lasted more than > 8 hours on a charge, while displaying the position on > Navionics nautical charts. The custom logger lasted about a > week on 4 D Cells. It is the last system that I need to > optimize---but the 60mA as the GPS gets lock is a limiting > factor.My point is that you aren't given any/enough information (by the device or its manufacturer) to intelligently manage your usage of those devices. *And*, if you really *need* them (which is the case with many of the devices that I "use" -- when not in use, they sit, ignored, in a desk drawer), you don't want to take the *risk* of experimenting! Sort of like wondering where "empty" ACTUALLY is on your car's gas gauge... I'm too lazy to throw a gallon of gas in a can in the trunk and "drive it dry" just to satisfy my curiosity :>>> What is the cost for me to use them in flight? Does blanking >> the screen save me anything? How much? Will I have enough >> battery left when I land to reach my ultimate destination? >> If I can see how my behavior drives that reserve time up or >> down, then I can make a value judgement on the worth of >> "playing" with them instead of reading *another* book, etc. > > Get yourself one of the e-book readers that will download free > books from your local library. I got one of the Kobo readers > for about $130. It will last several weeks on a charge and > hold enough books for many months of reading.I have never been able to get accustomed to reading anything "of length" in any form other than paper -- much to my dismay. :< Nowadays with the 1,000 page datasheets for many devices, this is *really* frustrating as I end up going through a ream of paper *just* so I can take the sheets into another room and *thumb* through them. I have cognitive problems *listening* to read text so that option is also "out". Means I am pretty much stuck with paper (which, I suspect, will be around at least as long as *I* am likely to live! :> ) Thankfully, my music listening hasn't clinged (clung?) to *vinyl*! :> Besides, after three hours of reading, I want to do something *else* -- not read Yet Another Book :-/ (Next trip I'll load some movies onto a PDA or PSP and keep that as a distraction)>>> After all, a user movement of less than one meter would make all >>> alternatives viable. Of course, telling the worst case time could >>> require using the full handset transmitter power, while the marketing >>> department would expect you to tell the time available, when climbing >>> the cellular tower :-). >> <grin> Marketing would want to sell a small cable to let the user >> connect directly to the tower! :> >> >> I suspect using the phone as an MP3 player (with screen NOT >> blanked) is a sizable fraction of "typical" power usage >> "as a phone" (screen blanked). Dunno. I never use any of my >> cell phones *as* phones! :> > > I exchange text messages with the kids and make about 2 calls a month.I dislike the telephone, in general (i.e., don't even answer the land line at home), prefering email, instead. At one point, I thought about this philosophically and came to the realization that The Phone exists for the convenience of the *caller* (this is incredibly obvious once you think about it) often at the INconvenience of the "callee". (i.e., just because *you* want to talk to me *now* doesn't mean *I* want to talk to *you* now! ;-) Email is far more egalitarian. I write when *I* want to; you reply when *you* want to! (it also has the wonderful side-effect of documenting conversations)> I've got an SD card of music on the phone, but haven't yet gotten > headphones with the smaller jack. Just sitting idle at home (1/4mi > from a cell tower), the phone needs charging about once every 10 days.I use mine primarily as a tiny WiFi "terminal". Screen is a bit too small to be useful -- I prefer a 4" screen for *real* utility -- but the tradeoff of overall size is a win in many cases (I'm always afraid of sitting on my PDA and cracking the screen whereas the phone fits nicely in a *front* pocket). I have an assortment of MP3/media players that I rotate through on a regular basis depending on my needs, etc. E.g., on daily walks, I've taken to carrying a little Sony "Network Walkman" (no idea where they came up with that name) as it is relatively small, robust and easily operated "without eyes" (except, of course, for the clock :-/ ). I recently inherited a Zune but can't see a real use for something that holds more than one movie (as does my 60G iPod-w-video). All are more useful as examples of user interfaces -- what's good vs. what's bad (hint: iPod sucks!)