Mat's blog

On phones which use google’s android OS, there’s a little checkbox buried in the settings menu, “Use only 2G networks” which turns off 3G. I use this all the time because of the huge impact 3G has on battery life; however, it’s really annoying to keep having to go into the menu, switch it on, then go back and switch it off again when I’m done using the internet (especially on my sluggish T-Mobile Pulse).

I had the idea of creating my own app which would switch on 3G for a set amount of time only. By integrating this with the fantastic Locale application it would also be possible to automatically trigger this by shaking the phone or something cool like that. I had it all planned out, except for one minor detail: how to actually toggle the setting. You’d think this would be pretty simple, seeing as plenty of other useful settings are exposed through the API, but no, the fascists at google do not allow it!

So now, when I am left helpless and alone as my anthropomorphised battery breathes it’s final breath, I will remember this day with a tear in my eye, and I will never forgive the murderers who cruelly condemned this poor innocent battery to death. So much for “don’t be evil”.