Saturday, January 26, 2013

"Plan B" to avoid Google Music messing with my audio files

After being fustrated by Google Music Android app not honoring .nomedia, I finally found a great way to avoid the problem.  It turns out that Google Music can't recognize files that stores 2 levels deeps.  So you if have a folder /MyStuff and put mp3 files in it, Google Music will pick it up and index it in its catalog.  But if you put the mp3 files in /MyStuff/SuperAwesome, then Google Music will ignore it.  So all I need to do from my now is move my audio files in folders at least 2 levels deep.

.Nomedia not work with Google Music

Still not happy that Google Music app on Android does NOT honor .nomedia file.  Damn you Google.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Time to speed up my Galaxy Nexus by uninstalling bunch of apps

The user expert  of my Galaxy Nexus is once again slow to a point that I can't tolererant, and it's time to do something about it.

The biggest reason why it's getting slow is because there are quite a lot of process running at the back for NO GOOD REASON.  I understand that in order to prove me updated information, some apps will kick off some process at the back once in a while, and I understand that.  However, I can't tolerate apps that keep staying at the background all the time and yet:

- Without option to choose whether to stop to service and STAY STOPPED until I choose otherwise
- Before even use it once

So here's the list I uninstalled from my device.  Notice that they are not all bad apps.  It's just that I personally don't use them enough to justify having them keep running at the backrgound for no good reasons:

Android application that runs that background for (to me) no good reasons:
- PhotoWonder
- Amazon AppStore
- PhotoWonder
- DoubleTwist
- SugarSync
- Spotify
- Office Suite
- Dropbox
- Nook
- WeChat
- musiXmatch
- WongXin (Alibaba)

So now they are gone, let me see if my Galaxy Nexus experience gets any better.

Ultimately, I really should just rooted my phone so that I can use "Freeze" tools to keep services from starting.  But it will involve wiping out all data on my phone.  So ... well ... someday I will root my phone.  Someday.