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Locale/Tasker

  • 10-08-2010 10:50am
    #1
    Mr Bloat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭


    I bought Tasker the other day and I understand it is very similar to Locale so I'm wondering what uses other people have thought up for either one of these apps.

    I'm currently setting up the following but I haven't tested them properly or in some cases finished off the setup yet:

    - Turn on silent mode between 11PM and 8.15AM unless a call comes from my mother (which would be an emergency call if it came that late), in which case it ups the volume enough to wake me.
    - When bluetooth activates, display a menu which will play random music from my media folder.
    - If the battery level drops too low, turn off wifi, bluetooth and gps (if they are on)
    - I have it set to monitor my gps location and if I'm either at home or in the office then enable wifi but turn it off otherwise. I'm debating the logic of this though, as having gps constantly on will cancel out any battery savings I'll make by having wifi off! It is a cool thing to have running though... :)

    I'm trying to think of other uses for it, the app has loads of settings and variables that could potentially be put to almost any use but I'm trying to think of more.


Comments

  • #2
    Mr E
    Registered Users Posts: 55,450 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    I posted these links on the last tasker thread. Might give you some inspiration. :)
    Must grab this app... seems very cool.

    http://lifehacker.com/5599116/how-to-turn-your-android-phone-into-a-fully+automated-superphone
    http://lifehacker.com/5601133/push-your-automated-android-to-awesome-heights-with-these-tasker-setups


  • #3
    floggg
    Registered Users Posts: 5,820 ✭✭✭floggg


    I currently use Locale.

    I haven't tried Tasker, but am tempted to give it a try. The ability to base conditions on apps (e.g. turn GPS on/off automatically with Maps etc) looks pretty nifty. You can't do it with Locale, unless there's a plug in I'm missing.

    With Locale you can download a plug in which sets it to track location based on phone signal rather than by GPS. It means I can set up location based profiles without seeing serious battery drain.

    If there was something like this for tasker I might jump ship.


  • #4
    Zagato
    Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Zagato


    floggg wrote: »
    With Locale you can download a plug in which sets it to track location based on phone signal rather than by GPS. It means I can set up location based profiles without seeing serious battery drain.

    If there was something like this for tasker I might jump ship.

    You can use network based location, and you can adjust the radius around the spot you pick to improve it's accuracy. I haven't gotten this to work perfectly for me yet, as network location is not that accurate.

    There is a lot more options available within tasker than locale has by itself (it's a bit overwhelming), and I think most locale plugins are compatible.


  • #5
    Otacon
    Registered Users Posts: 6,721 ✭✭✭Otacon


    I have mine set to turn on Silent mode when the phone is face-down so I can easily switch when at work.

    I also normally have the screen brightness reduced to about mid-way or lower. I have set up a task to automatically increase the brightness to full when I open Rockplayer to watch a movie.

    I also have a task that brings up some music apps when I plug in my earphones.

    And I have a task that automatically opens the Camera app when I long-press the camera button on my phone. [For some reason, it doesn't do this by default!]

    That's it so far.


  • #6
    seklly
    Registered Users Posts: 769 ✭✭✭seklly


    I'm using locale at the moment, use the SSID condition to check if i'm within range of my home or work wireless connection at which point it turns on wifi and connects.

    If i plug my headphones in my music app opens up.

    If i open the gallery, screen rotation is turned on to enable landscape viewing.

    When phone is plugged into my car dock along with aux cable into headphone jack my car panel app opens up and gps is turned on.

    Quite impressed with what can be done.


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  • #7
    Zagato
    Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Zagato


    seklly wrote: »
    I'm using locale at the moment, use the SSID condition to check if i'm within range of my home or work wireless connection at which point it turns on wifi and connects.

    I have never done this because I don't really understand how it works. How can your phone recognise the SSID if wifi is off? :confused:
    Or does it just switch on wifi based on location using network/GPS


  • #8
    Mr Bloat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,234 ✭✭✭Mr Bloat


    Zagato wrote: »
    I have never done this because I don't really understand how it works. How can your phone recognise the SSID if wifi is off? :confused:
    Or does it just switch on wifi based on location using network/GPS

    I'm not familiar with Locale but Tasker does regular wifi checks if you enable Wifi Near to check for the named SSID. I presume Locale does the same. Wifi will shut off again if the named SSID isn't found.

    I have been playing with this a bit now, the more I delve into it, the more impressed I become. I can't believe it cost less than a fiver!

    At the moment I have profiles for:
    - Silent mode at night
    - Power saving if the battery drops too low
    - Display brightness at full for certain apps
    - Wifi on if it detects I'm in the office or at home (using cell tower checks, not GPS)
    - And my favourite one, If I active the Car Home app (obviously in the car...) it turns bluetooth on, keyguard and wifi off and it activates two profiles, one which auto replies to any text with a stock message saying I'm driving and the other one speaks out the text of the message just recieved. I'm amazed at how well it actually works!


  • #9
    TheDoc
    Registered Users Posts: 23,128 ✭✭✭✭TheDoc


    Using locale myself and more then happy, dont have many settings but nice to know i can

    The changing modes due to gps location is something I'm particularly happy bout


  • #10
    seklly
    Registered Users Posts: 769 ✭✭✭seklly


    Zagato wrote: »
    I have never done this because I don't really understand how it works. How can your phone recognise the SSID if wifi is off? :confused:
    Or does it just switch on wifi based on location using network/GPS

    I'm not fully sure how it works but can confirm that it does! For my home profile that SSID condition is the only condition on the profile and it detects the wifi and then switches from data to wifi.


  • #11
    Mr E
    Registered Users Posts: 55,450 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    It probably cycles the wifi setting every so often to see if there are any new SSIDs in the area. The same way it probably cycles GPS for location based tasks.

    I have the WiFi set up based on my home SSID, so it definitely works. WiFi is definitely off now since I left home this morning. Very clever.


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  • #12
    S.M.B.
    Registered Users Posts: 9,350 ✭✭✭S.M.B.


    Has anyone got Tasker to enable/disable Mobile Data Transfer.

    I'm having trouble with it at the moment. Only got Tasker last night and my first attempt at a profile was to have Mobile Transfer turn on (if wi-fi is not turned on) when cabbage is launched.


  • #13
    Mr E
    Registered Users Posts: 55,450 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    I think you need to have APNdroid installed (at least that's what tasker told me when when I tried to set up a task to disable mobile data).


  • #14
    S.M.B.
    Registered Users Posts: 9,350 ✭✭✭S.M.B.


    Tried that and somehow managed to feck up my APN settings at the same time. I'm just after getting data access back after an hour of messing around trying to solve the problem.

    Don't think it works for the Desire. Wasn't working for me anyway.


  • #15
    Vokes
    Registered Users Posts: 5,836 ✭✭✭Vokes


    Have been trying out a similar app called LocationBot recently. I only have 3 profiles defined so far - Work, Home (Day), Home (Night) - and it seems to be doing the trick in prolonging the battery. I'm using the mobile network rather than GPS to ascertain the location which seems to be the better choice.

    One option the app doesn't appear to have (which looks like Tasker has) is the ability to turn on / off Mobile Data.


  • #16
    Zagato
    Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Zagato


    For some reason APNdroid changes you APN settings. It worked well for switching off the mobile data but didn't always switch it on for me, so I uninstalled and reset my APNs to default. I have a Hero. I thought it was probably a network compatibility thing rather than the phone.


  • #17
    S.M.B.
    Registered Users Posts: 9,350 ✭✭✭S.M.B.


    Well I tried it with my Desire on O2 UK and it wouldn't work (the widget itself and not just the local plugin).

    Going to see if I can use juice defender in a similar way.

    At the moment all I've got is a reminder flashing up to remind me to have data turned on. :(


  • #18
    shgavman
    Registered Users Posts: 60 ✭✭shgavman


    S.M.B. wrote: »
    Has anyone got Tasker to enable/disable Mobile Data Transfer.

    I'm having trouble with it at the moment. Only got Tasker last night and my first attempt at a profile was to have Mobile Transfer turn on (if wi-fi is not turned on) when cabbage is launched.

    Did you ever get this working SMB? I'm looking to switch mobile data on if the phone receives a text with a keyword in it (if the phone's lost/stolen).


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