Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Cell Phones For Science: BOINC Now Available For Android

Posted by Soulskill on from the let-your-phone-do-something-more-productive-than-angry-birds dept.

Luyseyal writes "BOINC is now available on Android. Many of you may not know, but the Slashdot Users team makes a decent showing on World Community Grid. WCG supports research on AIDS, schistoma, cancer, clean energy, and more. Now is your chance to put your idle charge cycles to good use. Let's do some science!"

8 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Battery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Like I'm not already fighting to keep my battery last a day? :(

    1. Re:Battery by Saethan · · Score: 5, Informative

      From the app description: 'BOINC computes only when your device is plugged in and charged, so it won't run down your battery'

    2. Re:Battery by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 3, Informative

      out of the box configuration is to not do calculations on battery... but I know we have 20k more battery comments coming.

      Also, it is also set up out of the box so that if the battery gets below 90% it doesn't do calculations at any time. This allow the battery to charge up properly on most devices. Having said that, there are a lot of devices (like the Nexus 7 with four cores) that have problems because the battery drains *EVEN IF* it is on the battery. I have to set mine so that it only uses 2 cores otherwise the thing never charges.

    3. Re:Battery by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 4, Interesting

      aw.. crap... ...redo

        Having said that, there are a lot of devices (like the Nexus 7 with four cores) that have problems because the battery drains *EVEN IF* it is on the charger. I have to set mine so that it only uses 2 cores otherwise the thing never charges.

    4. Re:Battery by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It will burn a hole in your table though.
      Ever noticed how hot smartphones get when left running at full capacity for a while?

      --
      Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
  2. NativeBOINC by SecretSquirrel33 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I have been using the Android port NativeBOINC for quite a while now. Just recently they even added support to my favorite program, Einstein@Home.

  3. The Idle Cycles Fallacy by GameboyRMH · · Score: 5, Informative

    This point gives me a chance to bring up the fallacy of "idle cycles" on modern processors.

    There's no such thing any more. There was in the '90s and earlier when CPUs didn't have the power controls they do today, but nowadays your CPU uses exactly what it needs and anything more you give it to do will use extra energy.

    So be aware that you're not putting any wasted resource to good use with these things. You're just using more resources. And on a phone that's the last thing you need.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    1. Re:The Idle Cycles Fallacy by Luyseyal · · Score: 3, Informative

      Indeed, idle cycles nowadays simply refers to your phone doing all of jack and shit while it's plugged in and recharging all night... apart from checking your email, SMS's, waiting for that phone call, etc.

      It does NOT refer to wasted energy cycles as it did in the past. Yes, it absolutely uses more power than it would if you were just charging (or better, you turned it off completely and charged it then).

      It is an act of donating a few bucks a year to scientific research.
      -l

      --
      Help cure AIDS, cancer, and more. Donate your unused computer time to worldcommunitygrid.org. Join Team Slashdot!