Disk speed test Linux

Just recently I was wondering what my quickest disk on my laptop was to store some files. I ran across a nice Linux tool that is worth sharing here: hdparm
Accessible as root (or sudo).

There are many options (just run it without any params to see them), but what I used was:

hdparm -tT /dev/sdb1

with this result:

/dev/sdb1:
 Timing cached reads:   12622 MB in  2.00 seconds = 6315.83 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:  76 MB in  3.05 seconds =  24.92 MB/sec

The above results are from an USB disk, but I also ran it on my internal disks.

For the fun some results.

USB strick
/dev/sdd:
 Timing cached reads:   10842 MB in  2.00 seconds = 5424.47 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:  38 MB in  3.02 seconds =  12.57 MB/sec

USB disk
/dev/sdc1:
 Timing cached reads:   15708 MB in  2.00 seconds = 7860.72 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:  74 MB in  3.02 seconds =  24.47 MB/sec

SATA disk
/dev/sda3:
 Timing cached reads:   13126 MB in  2.00 seconds = 6568.08 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads: 258 MB in  3.01 seconds =  85.83 MB/sec

Android disk size app

Well, here it is. My first Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.disksize

Disk Size

Just a small app that shows you what files on your sd card are present, and the size of the files. This sorted from large to small.
Only two options for now. Top 10, or All files.

The app is developed as a learning project, but when you are learning, you might as well make something useful. So improvements will followa when learning new skills for the Android platform!

Google Hangouts permissions

Half May Google swapped my 'Talk' app to the new 'Hangouts' app. No problems there, completely without any user interaction. Ok, not always desirable, but in this case the app rights were the same as for 'Talk'. 

The next step was to update Hangouts in Google Play. What I noticed was that Hangouts needs more permissions to access my phone than Talk. Looking at the possibilities of Hangouts, not strange. But in my opinion a bit too much. 


Some examples:

• YOUR MESSAGES
• READ YOUR TEXT MESSAGES (SMS OR MMS)
  Allows the app to read SMS messages stored on your device or SIM card. This allows the app to read all SMS messages, regardless of content or confidentiality.
  RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES (SMS)
  Allows the app to receive and process SMS messages. This means the app could monitor or delete messages sent to your device without showing them to you.
  SEND SMS MESSAGES
  Allows the app to send SMS messages. This may result in unexpected charges. Malicious apps may cost you money by sending messages without your confirmation.
  READ INSTANT MESSAGES
  Allows apps to read data from the Google Talk content provider.
  ...
  ...
  YOUR SOCIAL INFORMATION
  

  READ YOUR CONTACTS

  Allows the app to read data about your contacts stored on your device, including the frequency with which you've called, emailed, or communicated in other ways with specific individuals. This permission allows apps to save your contact data, and malicious apps may share contact data without your knowledge.

  
  

  (source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.talk)

  
  

  So if you thought your SMS/MMS messages were relatively (!) private, with this app in time Google really knows you very well. Especially with the Social Information gathering in the last bullet. 

  
  

  In a way I understand why Google would want to collect this information. Reading the article on Tech Crunch about incorporating a SMS service in Hangouts it even makes more sense. 

  
  

  As with tons of other apps, install it as you wish, but keep in mind that the information on your phone is shared with more companies than you probably want to.

  
  

  Well hopefully the app brings me lots of joy in life or else it moves out of my phone again.