Software toggles that dont do what they should
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@sloosecannon regarding the WiFi on Android, what happens if I pull down the top bar and tap the WiFi icon?
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@kt_ said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@sloosecannon regarding the WiFi on Android, what happens if I pull down the top bar and tap the WiFi icon?
The first time, it gives you a notification stating what it says in the full settings menu (something like "Your Wi-Fi may still turn on for location services. For more information, visit Wi-Fi Settings"). After that, it just behaves as a toggle, following the settings defined in that "Scanning Settings" page.
N.B: this is Google Pixel flavored Android. Different OEMs (Samsung) may behave differently.
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@sloosecannon said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@kt_ said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@sloosecannon regarding the WiFi on Android, what happens if I pull down the top bar and tap the WiFi icon?
The first time, it gives you a notification stating what it says in the full settings menu (something like "Your Wi-Fi may still turn on for location services. For more information, visit Wi-Fi Settings"). After that, it just behaves as a toggle, following the settings defined in that "Scanning Settings" page.
N.B: this is Google Pixel flavored Android. Different OEMs (Samsung) may behave differently.
Samsung behaves the same way. I know Samsung gives me the same message every time I turn off data, does Google?
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@kt_ said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@sloosecannon regarding the WiFi on Android, what happens if I pull down the top bar and tap the WiFi icon?
Holy crap, is that TouchWiz on Android 4.2.2??!?!
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@kt_ said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
I’m wondering: how many of you actually turns these off and if you have a valid reason other than tinfoil hat.
I have Bluetooth turned off most of the time because I rarely use it, and when I turn WiFi off it's usually to save battery or to prevent me being connected to random shops' free WiFi that tends to be slower than my 4G
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@jaloopa said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
prevent me being connected to random shops' free WiFi
Why would you have those remembered in the first place? Or do you turn on the “auto connect to random open wifi”
security holefeature?
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@dkf the area I work in has bugger all signal so it's useful to have internet in the Asda there, but others I'd rather use my data. Remembering networks is just by SSID and all asdas are Asda free WiFi
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@tsaukpaetra said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@kt_ said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@sloosecannon regarding the WiFi on Android, what happens if I pull down the top bar and tap the WiFi icon?
Holy crap, is that TouchWiz on Android 4.2.2??!?!
No idea, this is the first eligible result from a GI search for “android top bar menu” or something like that. :)
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A similar thing happens in Android smartphones, which use wifi as part of their location services. Switching wifi off prevents it from connecting to wifi access points, but allows it to continue periodically scanning for access point names to help pinpoint its location.
No, that's a separate setting that uses wifi for location. You can turn that off too.
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@dkf said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Or do you turn on the “auto connect to random open wifi” security hole feature?
There's a setting for that? Cuz I'm not seeing one.
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@erufael said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@dkf said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Or do you turn on the “auto connect to random open wifi” security hole feature?
There's a setting for that? Cuz I'm not seeing one.
Certain carriers (like AT&T) have a "helper" service that auto-connect to "recognized" hotspots.
Windows 10 also does this by default, really annoying when I drive by a Cox AP and my truck goes, "Boing do doing! Want to connect to Cox Free WiFi?"
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@tsaukpaetra All I know is that my LG connects to the first open wifi network it can find (usually WalMart), so I have to remember to turn off WiFi every time I leave the house. I did just find an option for the phone to automatically switch to the cell data network when on a WiFi network with no internet access, so that's a slight improvement.
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@erufael said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@tsaukpaetra All I know is that my LG connects to the first open wifi network it can find (usually WalMart), so I have to remember to turn off WiFi every time I leave the house. I did just find an option for the phone to automatically switch to the cell data network when on a WiFi network with no internet access, so that's a slight improvement.
Yes, that bit is a bit more standard: Androids will try to ping Google for a 204 response and, depending on the result, will conclude you're in a walled garden (Sign in to Wi-Fi prompt), not connected at all (no internet, stay connected? Prompt) or connected (no prompt).
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Vaguely on topic--is there a way to encourage an android phone to disconnect from a WiFi AP that's really out of range? Mine hangs on at home well past the distance where there's a meaningful connection.
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@tsaukpaetra said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@kt_ said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@sloosecannon regarding the WiFi on Android, what happens if I pull down the top bar and tap the WiFi icon?
Holy crap, is that TouchWiz on Android 4.2.2??!?!
It's around that era, although it looked like that for a while.
I've got a device with GB that looks like that
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@benjamin-hall said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Vaguely on topic--is there a way to encourage an android phone to disconnect from a WiFi AP that's really out of range? Mine hangs on at home well past the distance where there's a meaningful connection.
You can flick WiFi off to force it to disconnect. Otherwise... I think there's a way to mess with those settings, but I don't know how...
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@thecpuwizard said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Crew:: "Yes, sir"
Me: "Is there a Doctor, hopefully a cardiologist on board?"
Crew: "What does that have to do with it?"
Me: "He will be needed when I turn my pacemaker off"That's almost as funny as when you go into a store and there's a missing price tag and you say, "hey there's no price tag, that means it's free right!?!???!??!?!?!?" and EVERYBODY BUSTS OUR LAUGHING BECAUSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR IS SO SHARP
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@benjamin-hall said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Vaguely on topic--is there a way to encourage an android phone to disconnect from a WiFi AP that's really out of range? Mine hangs on at home well past the distance where there's a meaningful connection.
In the developer options, there's a setting called Aggressive Wi-Fi Handoff or something similar. Enabling may or may not help your case.
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@sumireko said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@benjamin-hall said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Vaguely on topic--is there a way to encourage an android phone to disconnect from a WiFi AP that's really out of range? Mine hangs on at home well past the distance where there's a meaningful connection.
In the developer options, there's a setting called Aggressive Wi-Fi Handoff or something similar. Enabling may or may not help your case.
Thanks! I'll try it.
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@tsaukpaetra said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Yes, that bit is a bit more standard: Androids will try to ping Google for a 204 response and, depending on the result, will conclude you're in a walled garden (Sign in to Wi-Fi prompt), not connected at all (no internet, stay connected? Prompt) or connected (no prompt).
I've observed that my Android won't update the default route to be over the wifi until after the connectivity check and any captive login signin process is done. This is pretty useful when I'm walking past trains with free wifi that needs a login; I don't want the service at that point (as it is only going to be available for a few seconds), and it turning up doesn't force me to lose connectivity to the (normal) apps that I'm using at that time.
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@blakeyrat said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@thecpuwizard said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Crew:: "Yes, sir"
Me: "Is there a Doctor, hopefully a cardiologist on board?"
Crew: "What does that have to do with it?"
Me: "He will be needed when I turn my pacemaker off"That's almost as funny as when you go into a store and there's a missing price tag and you say, "hey there's no price tag, that means it's free right!?!???!??!?!?!?" and EVERYBODY BUSTS OUR LAUGHING BECAUSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR IS SO SHARP
No, it's actually a completely valid criticism. "Turn your devices off because magical interference" is utter crap. It has been known to be utter crap since at least the 1980s. If there were any validity whatsoever to it, some terrorist in the last 16 years would have used a laptop to bring down a plane. But that hasn't happened, because it's not real.
They actually studied this a few years back and once again found that it was utter crap. The conclusion they reached was something along the lines of: "if you filled a 747 up completely with nothing but iPads, and they were all turned on, the effect on the plane's navigational systems would still be negligible."
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@masonwheeler The only times when a mobile device is really radio-noisy are when it is connecting to a network completely from scratch, such as after you switch off airplane mode. Once it is connected, it really tries to cut the power it uses simply because that boosts battery life. (The handoff between cell towers isn't anything like as noisy either, though it is still not something you want happening a lot when someone's cruising in a jet.) I suspect that the real good reasons for getting people to stow laptops and stop fiddling with phones during takeoff and landing is that it means if there is an accident, there won't be so many heavy objects flying around and the passengers will be paying attention to the crew, all of which seems a sensible thing to me.
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@dkf said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
I suspect that the real good reasons for getting people to stow laptops and stop fiddling with phones during takeoff and landing is that it means if there is an accident, there won't be so many heavy objects flying around and the passengers will be paying attention to the crew, all of which seems a sensible thing to me.
That sounds reasonable enough until you realize they're perfectly fine with a hardcover copy of The Way Of Kings...
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@masonwheeler said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
No, it's actually a completely valid criticism.
Yes but it's a shitty joke.
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@blakeyrat said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Yes but it's a s****y joke.
Nearly every joke depends on some aspect of the person receiving the joke [think of all the software jokes tat are s***y when listened to by someone outside the field]. In the case of this particular one, there were a number of levels intended - at least one of which has been picked up on, and at least one of which I have seen no mention....
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@thecpuwizard said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
the software jokes tat are s***y
Is your mom looking over your shoulder right now or something?
@thecpuwizard said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
In the case of this particular one, there were a number of levels intended - at least one of which has been picked up on, and at least one of which I have seen no mention....
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@heterodox said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@thecpuwizard said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
the software jokes tat are s***y
Is your mom looking over your shoulder right now or something?
Did you notice he also asterisk’d the one in quoted text? Which was originally by Blakey, who has never asterisk’d anything, AFAIR.
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@benjamin-hall said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
@sumireko said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
In the developer options, there's a setting called Aggressive Wi-Fi Handoff or something similar. Enabling may or may not help your case.
Thanks! I'll try it.
FYI: what this apparently does is artificially downrate the strength of Wifi networks when deciding if the system prefer cellular data. See here (SO). (I read about this a few weeks ago, when there was a bug related to this setting that caused excessive use of cellular data, even when in range of a Wifi.)
Might want to watch the data use for a few days if you turn it on, especially if you have a flaky Wifi signal normally.
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@thecpuwizard said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
In the case of this particular one, there were a number of levels intended - at least one of which has been picked up on, and at least one of which I have seen no mention....
Oh right, for a second I forgot you were the World's Smartest Supergenius and always operated 2 dozen levels above all of us mere mortals.
But it was still a shitty joke.
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@blakeyrat said in Software toggles that dont do what they should:
Oh right, for a second I forgot you were the World's Smartest Supergenius and always operated 2 dozen levels above all of us mere mortals.
Speaking for myself, I claim to be Smarter Than The Average Bear, and yet today I feel like operating from a coffee shop rather than the office. Or better yet, a bar.