So I got Locale - $10 but worth every penny IMO.

Takes some time to master (and some additional free plug-ins), but I think it solved my issue of wanting it "always on" but conserving power when not actively using.

Set to "sleep" and "wake" by time and/or location. I have a power save condition that turns goes to airplane mode (call this my "fail safe" in case I forget to charge before going to be it will maximize power save so alarm goes off).

Also have it set to turn off GPS and wifi/3g (either/or, I think 3g automatically shuts off if wifi is connected, but roaming wifi can drain the battery) and leave screen on lowest setting when I place it face up on my desk. Will probably add the app that silences phone when placed face down (if the boss comes in you can turn it face down so texts/phone don't interrupt the meeting).

Setting change when I get home. Cool feature is background can change based on location, too, so you can have that "professional" background when you're at the office.

The next goal is to find an app that answers the ringer with a touch of the screen (rather than drag the unlock button). Yeah, thatt's lazy but I paid good money for this thing! Not sure if I have voice dialer on if I can just say "answer phone" but I imagine that would be a battery killer

I just got my taxes back and am in need of a new phone... I've been thinking about getting the Droid but Im still not sure might go phone looking tomorrow.

gut wrote: So I got Locale - $10 but worth every penny IMO.

Takes some time to master (and some additional free plug-ins), but I think it solved my issue of wanting it "always on" but conserving power when not actively using.

Set to "sleep" and "wake" by time and/or location. I have a power save condition that turns goes to airplane mode (call this my "fail safe" in case I forget to charge before going to be it will maximize power save so alarm goes off).

Also have it set to turn off GPS and wifi/3g (either/or, I think 3g automatically shuts off if wifi is connected, but roaming wifi can drain the battery) and leave screen on lowest setting when I place it face up on my desk. Will probably add the app that silences phone when placed face down (if the boss comes in you can turn it face down so texts/phone don't interrupt the meeting).

Setting change when I get home. Cool feature is background can change based on location, too, so you can have that "professional" background when you're at the office.

The next goal is to find an app that answers the ringer with a touch of the screen (rather than drag the unlock button). Yeah, thatt's lazy but I paid good money for this thing! Not sure if I have voice dialer on if I can just say "answer phone" but I imagine that would be a battery killer

haha now see to me, all that configuring you did to have the different modes is a lot harder than just swiping my thumb from left to right across the screen.

Glory Days wrote:

gut wrote: haha now see to me, all that configuring you did to have the different modes is a lot harder than just swiping my thumb from left to right across the screen.

Really about a lot more than that....I prefer certain settings when I'm near a power source that are a battery drain, and I don't want to be bothered to toggle stuff and remember to untoggle. If there's a wifi I frequently connect to, I want it to automatically toggle when I'm in range.

Mainly, I wanted it set-up to vibrate only for messages and phone when I'm at work, and it's something I don't want to have to remember to do. I suppose timeriffic is free and can easily set that up with a toggle or time.

The other cool feature is it enables you to allow emergency calls from family or whoever. So I can silence all notifications when I go to sleep, but if family calls it will turn on the ringer. Also thinking about an add-in that can launch Pandora or MP3's to wake me up.

When you got a high tech phone you gotta take advantage of the features! But you're right, somehow I managed all these years without it. Wouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't so easy to drain the battery in 8-10 hours - again because I'm lazy and really only want to be bothered to charge when I go to bed. Now I get 15 hours or so on a pretty light day of usage with my screen always on - that's with wifi auto disabled on "standby" so I'm not sure what I get if I keep wifi on. Pick my phone up off the table and in a few seconds my wifi and gps turn back on and my screen brightens.

gut wrote: So I got Locale - $10 but worth every penny IMO.

Takes some time to master (and some additional free plug-ins), but I think it solved my issue of wanting it "always on" but conserving power when not actively using.

Set to "sleep" and "wake" by time and/or location. I have a power save condition that turns goes to airplane mode (call this my "fail safe" in case I forget to charge before going to be it will maximize power save so alarm goes off).

Also have it set to turn off GPS and wifi/3g (either/or, I think 3g automatically shuts off if wifi is connected, but roaming wifi can drain the battery) and leave screen on lowest setting when I place it face up on my desk. Will probably add the app that silences phone when placed face down (if the boss comes in you can turn it face down so texts/phone don't interrupt the meeting).

Setting change when I get home. Cool feature is background can change based on location, too, so you can have that "professional" background when you're at the office.

The next goal is to find an app that answers the ringer with a touch of the screen (rather than drag the unlock button). Yeah, thatt's lazy but I paid good money for this thing! Not sure if I have voice dialer on if I can just say "answer phone" but I imagine that would be a battery killer

All of that is awesome. I may have to get Locale.

Android 2.1 was supposed to be released soon.
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/02/10/motorola-has-an-oopsie-android-2-1-update-for-the-droid-not-rolling-out-this-week/

Man I love that this thread was created. Bought the Droid today and I already love it. Thanks guys for everything you posted definetely has been helpful!

trackandccrunner wrote: Man I love that this thread was created. Bought the Droid today and I already love it. Thanks guys for everything you posted definetely has been helpful!

Glad you made the right choice trackandccrunner!

Yeah I thought of going with the Storm 2 or Env3 but overall I decided to spend the little extra money and get the Droid.

My apps so far:
Locale (and some add-ins) - $10....becoming like crack as I obsessively tweak to maximize battery efficiency.
Weather channel widget (not very sexy, but most utility)
Digital Clock (press it to launch your calendar, contacts or 1 or 2 other options - saves you some desktop space)
News Pro - from Reuters. Easily my favorite news service, but doesn't seem to update frequently enough
Open Home - @$4...A must, gives you 7 desktop screens (plus the 3 original which you can alt to if you want something clean and simple for work)
Pandora widget
Tunewiki widget
YellowBook voice search
Backgrounds - ehhh, 100's of backgrounds
Cab4Me (not sure this really works as well as advertised)
Compass - odds are the only time I would need to use this I will be in an area without cell service!
FindMyDroid - can lock your phone and trace remotely if lost (but then you'll have to pay a few bucks to activate the service)
Missed Call
Newspapers - links to hundreds of newspaper sites. Pretty nice app
Shake Awake - your screen "sleeps" when on a call, move the phone away from your ear to enter a passcode and it automatically wakes your screen
TV.com - links to a bunch of streaming tv shows
Up Sound Down - automatically turns on speakerphone when phone is placed on a flat surface or turned face down
Astro - must have file manager
Shopsavvy
DroidLight - turns your camera flash into a flashlight

Had automatic task killer, but it only works when your phone sleeps and I usually leave my screen on all the time, deleted it because it kept freezing my screen when I'd wake the phone. Uninstalled advanced task killer. I had no trouble with it, supposedly you don't need it but I'm noticed a decent difference in my battery usage without frequently killing stuff. I'm sure someone will incorporate it with a Locale add-in that can trigger it to run automatically (be nice when I set my phone down to go into standby if it would kill all unneccesary apps).

gut wrote: Weather channel
DroidLight - turns your camera flash into a flashlight

Recently added those too. although i dont use the weather channel as a widget. also added aCar, basically tracks your fuel usage and service reminders. i just use it for the fuel usage tracker.

gut wrote: Missed Call

Whats this app?

gut wrote: Shake Awake - your screen "sleeps" when on a call, move the phone away from your ear to enter a passcode and it automatically wakes your screen

doesnt it already do that without having to enter a password?

Glory Days wrote:

gut wrote: Shake Awake - your screen "sleeps" when on a call, move the phone away from your ear to enter a passcode and it automatically wakes your screen

doesnt it already do that without having to enter a password?

Haha, I may have some outdated apps that Google upgraded into their last distribution.

What Shake Awake does is wake the screen and you don't have to unlock it. I haven't paid much attention, but I remember struggling with this once when my screen had shutoff and/or I had to slide the unlock thingy. Don't have to do that with shake awake. Could be because Shake Awake or another application has a cheek guard...maybe that's a default app I don't know.

Missed call is basically what it says. Runs in the background even when the phone is asleep. Alerts you to missed calls (which I don't think the phone logs) and messages. Also increases frequency and length of notification.

I have Weather channel widget on my home screen. Cool feature is you can save multiple locations and then page left to see extended forecast for multiple locations.

yeah i dont have an app for that, i just know when i am talking on the phone my screen goes black when its by my ear. when i take it away to look at it, the screen turns back on with the call screen right there. i looked through the settings just now and couldnt even find a way to control that feature.

the phone logs missed calls(shows up as a red arrow in the call log) and shows them in the notification tab until you clear it even if the phone is in sleep mode. but it doesnt flash the little green light like it does for text messages or voicemail messages. does the app flash the alert light for missed calls?

Glory Days wrote: the phone logs missed calls(shows up as a red arrow in the call log) and shows them in the notification tab until you clear it even if the phone is in sleep mode. but it doesnt flash the little green light like it does for text messages or voicemail messages. does the app flash the alert light for missed calls?

It will has a notification tab icon in the top status bar with that logs missed messages in that drop down list. Also can set frequency of reminders to repeat audible notifications in a variety of intervals. It also has LED notifications, but not sure about that led light you might be referring to when the phone is sleeping. But what it will do is repeat vibrate and sound notifications of missed calls (I think, I almost always leave my screen on so I have no experience with that feature).

Both Missed Call and Shake Awake were pretty highly recommended apps. I suppose the latter may be outdated with the last software update, but I don't believe so.

What I meant by "enter a passcode" is that when on a call, when you move the phone away from your ear it will be ready to access to launch an app or enter a conference call passcode. One click for the keypad and you're set. You don't have to unlock the phone.

gut wrote: It will has a notification tab icon in the top status bar with that logs missed messages in that drop down list. Also can set frequency of reminders to repeat audible notifications in a variety of intervals. It also has LED notifications, but not sure about that led light you might be referring to when the phone is sleeping. But what it will do is repeat vibrate and sound notifications of missed calls (I think, I almost always leave my screen on so I have no experience with that feature).

haha ok i am just confused because for the most part that sounds a lot like what my phone has done since the day i bought it.

Glory Days wrote:
haha ok i am just confused because for the most part that sounds a lot like what my phone has done since the day i bought it.

I don't know. It's free, give it a shot. Obviously being so popular it clearly does something a lot of people want that Android doesn't do. I think because you can customize the led color and it gives REPEAT notifications., including audible and vibrate (I don't think droid offers vibrate notifications for SMS and missed calls).

I have the Home++ app...does the same thing as the home app mentioned above..gives you more screens...plus..it puts a bar on the bottom of the phone with the phone, contacts, internet, plus it has a built in 'task killer' in that bar as well..so I can get rid of those icons on the screen.

Androlib Wallpapers

Apps Organizer - organize all your apps into folders and such.

Barcode Scanner - scan barcodes and get reviews, prices.

DirecTV - Channel lineup & control my DVR

MountUSB - Lets you mount/unmount your phone to the computer with the press of a button.

Ringdroid - Ringtones

Speed Test - lets u see what your phones download/upload speeds are

Zedge - Wallpaper & Ringtones App

GoChiefs wrote: I have the Home++ app...does the same thing as the home app mentioned above..gives you more screens...plus..it puts a bar on the bottom of the phone with the phone, contacts, internet, plus it has a built in 'task killer' in that bar as well..so I can get rid of those icons on the screen.

Androlib Wallpapers

Apps Organizer - organize all your apps into folders and such.

Barcode Scanner - scan barcodes and get reviews, prices.

DirecTV - Channel lineup & control my DVR

MountUSB - Lets you mount/unmount your phone to the computer with the press of a button.

Ringdroid - Ringtones

Speed Test - lets u see what your phones download/upload speeds are

Zedge - Wallpaper & Ringtones App

Some interesting ones I'll have to try.

I had looked for Home++ before I bought Open Home but didn't see it (doh!). Sounds like it does a few things I'm looking for. Plus, Open Home seems to force close too much for my liking. No big deal, just kind of annoying.

Here's a pretty cool thread...screenshots of other Droid owners desktops...gives you an idea of things you can do.

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-general-discussions/717-screenshots-peoples-droid-desktops.html

2.1 will be coming "soon"

What's so special about 2.1?

it gives you pinch to zoom in the web browser among some other things. I honestly dont get the hype over pinch to zoom but some people love it.

gport_tennis wrote: it gives you pinch to zoom in the web browser among some other things. I honestly dont get the hype over pinch to zoom but some people love it.

Played around with it some on google maps. Couldn't get the hang of it. I find the double tap to be pretty convenient and work well. And the Dolphin browser already has pinch to zoom, but haven't installed yet.

2.1 has 5 home screens instead of 3, so maybe I'll ditch Open Home ($$$ down the drain!) for the standard or give Home++ a shot. Open Home seems to lag a bit and force closes quite a bit.

I think there's a new clock and some other aesthetic features with 2.1, too. Hopefully they'll have the fully integrated Google weather/news widget.

Highly recommend home++...it gives you up to 7 screens. I haven't had a single issue with force closing..and like I said in another post..I like the fact that I don't have to have a damn button on my desktop for phones, contacts, internet, etc. Be sure you sure home++...I had a hard time finding it b/c I only put one + in the search bar. Lol

GoChiefs wrote: Highly recommend home++...it gives you up to 7 screens. I haven't had a single issue with force closing..and like I said in another post..I like the fact that I don't have to have a damn button on my desktop for phones, contacts, internet, etc. Be sure you sure home++...I had a hard time finding it b/c I only put one + in the search bar. Lol

I'm going to give it a shot if 2.1 doesn't come out in the next few days. Another perturburance of Open Home is the default little phone button stickied to each page brings up the call log INSTEAD of the dialer. That's just dumb - it should either launch the dialer or your contacts.

Some of these apps really need a longer return policy because forced closes aren't always immediately apparent.

Looking for a clock that can launch both the alarm clock setting and calendar - such an ingenious, yet simple, concept. Saw one that has it, but didn't like the look. Have digital clock but it only launches the calendar.