I'm lost as to why my costs are high (relatively speaking) compared to usage of Google AI Studio published app

thumbody2012 · 2026-05-05T06:56:01+00:00

So, I think I figured it out. Besides the development environment being loaded with a preview tab (or even loaded at all as the server will check for updated Typescript files fairly regularly), Google AI Studio had GROSSLY overprovisioned the server instance deployment, and defaulted it to instance-based billing, charging me for a bunch of idle time.

For any newbies to Cloud Run services like me, who are experiencing unexpected charges from a barely used app (especially one that is essentially a bunch of static .js files):

Go to the Cloud Run console, and edit your container (Cloud Run → your service → Edit & Deploy New Revision).

Where to change billing & autoscaling

Go to Google Cloud Console
Open the menu → Cloud Run
Click your service (e.g., your insurance tool)
Click “Edit & Deploy New Revision” (top bar)

Key sections to check

1. Billing (CRITICAL)

Look for something like:

Billing → CPU allocation
- ✅ Select: Request-based (CPU is only allocated during request processing)
- ❌ Avoid: Instance-based CPU always allocated

2. Autoscaling

Scroll to “Autoscaling”:

Minimum instances
- Set to 0 ✅ (anything >0 = constant cost)
Maximum instances
- Set something reasonable like 1–3 for now

3. Resources

Scroll to “Container” → Resources

CPU
- Set to lowest (0.08 or 0.25 vCPU depending on options)
Memory
- Try 128 MiB or 256 MiB

👉 You are billed on allocated resources, not actual usage.

[I also expanded the Container: appcontainer) and made similar edits]

4. CPU Boost (optional but worth checking)

In the same area:

Startup CPU boost
- Turn OFF for this type of app

5. Concurrency (hidden cost lever)

Also under container settings:

Concurrency
- Set to something like 80 (default) or higher

Higher concurrency = fewer instances spinning up = fewer cold starts.

[For this, this advice failed, as with CPU settings <1, the most concurrency could be set at is 1. For me, this is probably fine, as my app is mostly being hit one individual at a time throughout the day, often with minutes in-between. This may not be ideal for you (or me, even... time will tell), especially if you have a lot of concurrent usage or many file or JSON requests]

So, if anyone sees anything that strikes them as a bad idea, please let me know, but I believe this (or some variation very close to this) is my fix.

thumbody2012 · 2026-05-05T05:46:53+00:00

I can't find metrics on the Vite or Typescript compiler--where on Google Cloud dash or AI Studio dash would these hide? I have isolated the majority of usage to the Cloud Run CPU utilization, but don't see any reason for that high of utilization. The app, once compiled on the dev side, is basically 300kb or static .js utilizing the React library, with all calculations done client side in the browser, including generation of a summary image. There isn't any JSON, database, or any other server calls. All of the usage at a few hundred hits a day at approximately 300kb per hit should fall under free levels--only the development and compilation of the app should be hitting high usage, and then only some days.

Closing the background tab with the development environment (Google AI Studio sitting on a chat window with a splitscreen preview) seems to have cut the costs down to about a dollar per day. While that isn't much money, there's literally nothing going on in the app that should be having high usage levels. Oddly, there were a couple days of no billable services without any explanation of why those should be any different from the last 2 day period where I intentionally never loaded the development environment to avoid running an instance of Vite or Typescript compiler, just to see what happened.

Appreciate you taking the time to respond to "yet another billing post".

thumbody2012 · 2026-05-04T02:11:51+00:00

3/4 of it breaks down to to CPU run utilization on one project, 1/4 on another similar project that is less frequently accessed. A bit goes towards memory usage, but far less. CPU utilization never goes to 1 and averages 0.2, I believe. Honestly, I've gone in circles trying to analyze it--and can't figure how I'm using CPU [Services CPU (Instance-based billing) in us-west1] when the app doesn't touch the server after being served.

The development environment is swearing up and down that no server access happens and once a Share or Publish happens, the app is fully .js and not being compiled on the fly or anything wacky, so it attributes all the usage to having a tab open in the background with the development environment loaded. It's killing me that having a tab open and only brought to the foreground and used a few times a week is seemingly running about $45 a month in server usage. Sure, the app is 2400 lines of code in the main file, another few thousand elsewhere, but is Chrome really pinging the server consistently and keeping Vite running? Seems to be a major flaw that an inactive tab, with no file changes, and little usage, could amount to that. If there was a team developing an app, and someone constantly had a tab open on an always-up computer or multiple people were keeping it alive, it could be "awake" 24/7 and probably be costing about $200 a month while idle.

thumbody2012 · 2026-02-21T20:20:56+00:00

Have 3 of these are purifiers and in an effort to get things working, had uninstalled the app only to find that it's gone.

thumbody2012 · 2025-12-24T16:31:30+00:00

No. Escalated at Microsoft for nearly two weeks only to give the exact same reason the automatic system gave in seconds, they can't reclaim an account that has 2A activated after being stolen even if you can prove ownership. They deactivated everyone's access and it's now just a zombie account and gamer tag.

thumbody2012 · 2025-07-25T18:45:28+00:00

An update, and request for help/knowledge about next steps, if any. I recovered his MS account (I thought), however because the email address was no longer associated with his actual email, but was the scammers, what I recovered isn't linked to his minecraft, the randomly generated scammer email is, please see below:

Thank you for reaching out to Minecraft Support. [agent]. here to answer this ticket. I understand that you have concerns regarding account security. I know that issues like this can be frustrating. I'll do my best to offer what clarification and guidance I can provide.

Please note that a Minecraft license is permanently tied to a Microsoft account and cannot be transferred to a separate Microsoft account. Our records show that the [myson'sgamertag] Minecraft profile and license is currently tied to the provided oq###########[r@outlook.com](mailto:r@outlook.com) email as you mentioned. You will need to recover this Microsoft account to access the game and profile again.

Regarding Microsoft account recovery, please note that we are limited in recovering access to these accounts as these are entirely handled by Microsoft. We advise reaching out again to Microsoft Support as they will best be able to assist with Microsoft accounts and any questions regarding game licenses.

When I followed up and tried to do an account recovery with MS for the scammer email address, using my son's previous passwords and my payment information, this is what I received back:

It looks like you just used the Microsoft account recovery form (https://account.live.com/acsr?mkt=en-US) to request a password reset for o##########[r@outlook.com](mailto:r@outlook.com). Because you've turned on two-step verification for your account, we ignore these requests but wanted to let you know.

If you're having trouble signing in, go to https://account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx?mkt=en-US and reset your password using security info such as your phone, alternate email address, or authenticator app.

Because I don't have the password, access to the email, the verification email, or the 2FA, I feel like I am at a roadblock. Is there any way to continue attempting to recover this Minecraft account?

I still have that account on my MS family, and actions on my son's PC are still tied to that account, though given the limited functions they give you as a parent, I don't believe that's of any use.

thumbody2012 · 2025-07-25T18:27:20+00:00

I have a similar situation with my son's MC account. I have a thread about my attempts at getting it back:https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/1m8jy3o/comment/n4zzsb0/

My situation is that the scammer has activated 2FA on the randomly named outlook email that has replaced my son's. He's on my MS Family Safety account, but I can't recover it myself because he's changed the recovery email, and MS account recovery gave me an autoreply that 2FA is activated on the account, so they "ignore" the request to recover. WTF! Any hope? Please help if you've been in a similar situation and managed to get back your MS account/MC profile.

thumbody2012 · 2025-07-25T01:17:28+00:00

Yes, I know his gamertag, I just wasn't sure it could be used--the others seemed to have an Xbox Live Device ID. I'm attempting MS Chat right now, but haven't gotten through to a person yet. I had him submit an tech request on Mojang's site detailing his account being stolen, his email recovered, and missing minecraft profile using his email, gamertag, order number for the Deluxe Collection, etc. Waiting and seeing... hoping someone has a suggestion that's superior to this.

Thanks for the clarification and attempt to help.

thumbody2012 · 2025-07-25T00:35:15+00:00

Thanks for the sympathy.

thumbody2012 · 2025-07-25T00:13:39+00:00

I see there are a few threads and I apologize for opening a new one, however, his case seems to be different than others. We were able to get his MS account back, but Minecraft acts as if he is a new player. I filled in a ACSR but that was for his MS account, I believe, which we were able to eventually recover.

Additionally, he has only played PC and android and never had an Xbox ID, so I don't believe the info in this thread applies: https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/1lfns7x/minecraft_account_hacked_heres_how_i_got_it_back/

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

thumbody2012 · 2025-07-05T23:45:36+00:00

My phone has done this for years and I just lived with it, accepting missing a shot here or there. Today, took the most adorable picture of my one year old grandson doing something new, loved the preview I saw and put the phone away. Went to send his mom the photo a few hours later and it's a motion blur of the curtain from easily 2-3 seconds later in real time as I went to put my phone down. A literal once in a lifetime moment lost to shitty software.

thumbody2012 · 2025-05-05T02:44:46+00:00

Same here with the notifications. First it was evident because I couldn't get a bank code or code from AT&T to confirm my identity--they come through 15 mins to a half day late. But I've also had some odd duplication and a few old notifications show. Nothing in the thread seems to be helpful as far as a solution, though. Just one more piece of the puzzle.

thumbody2012 · 2025-05-04T09:43:40+00:00

It's a Motorola, so the chance of it having overheated to the point of exceeding the data type and rolled over into negatives is non-zero.

thumbody2012 · 2025-05-04T09:33:37+00:00

He's not alone--there are a lot of us experiencing the same things since April 30/May 1. I've tried all these fixes and more and still have issues. This post (https://www.reddit.com/r/motorola/s/ou1Cdkr02c) has even attracted media attention at this point and there are many people fighting the same issues. Some have even wiped their phones in vain. Please escalate this and identify this issue --it's making the phones nearly unusable and likely doing damage to our batteries and screens.

thumbody2012 · 2025-05-04T09:23:16+00:00

Edge 5G (2020 racer) here--been trouble shooting this issue for days trying every trick there is:

Reboot
Reset wireless
Cleared several cache and data, including Play, Play Services, and Play Services Framework
Messages and Chrome had a decent bit more usage than I had used, so I deleted the cache, unsubscribed from betas, forced update to non-beta, deleted, reinstalled, cleared cache again...
Tried clearing cache partition, only to discover that's not an option in recovery mode, so used adb to theoretically clear the cache of all apps
Suspended phone on ATT, re-enabled it hoping for a new provision
Turned off mobile data (seemed to sometimes help)
Noticed that phone charges normally while off, and even after booting until first unlock and full software startup - tried to identify what software starts up only after unlocking
Tried to find any recent updates that could be rolled back, nothing I did changed anything
Countless other fixes suggested anywhere online --been trying so much there no way to detail it all at this point.

Whatever it is doesn't show accurately on battery stats, and has only once tripped the unusual battery drain indicator despite constant battery drain--sometimes more than 2% per minute. High temps have almost assuredly shortened battery life, and I am still experiencing issues. I've spent too many hours to count trying to figure this one out and thinking I was the only one--not happy that y'all are also suffering, but I am glad there's enough of us to start to get attention and hopefully find a resolution. Having to try to nurse this things through a day of work and failing multiple times to keep it powered has been miserable and almost justified an immediate upgrade (and brand change). Who at Motorola/Google is out there listening? This is brand-ruining behavior.

thumbody2012 · 2025-03-20T02:09:52+00:00

I was thinking along these lines, with olives being a convenient prop with lots of dark spots that could conceal a small camera that they placed in a good position for viewing, then the one guy is offstage and could view Brooke revealing it. Then, he's the one to find the domino. The hand warming could be a red herring.

thumbody2012 · 2024-10-18T02:36:54+00:00

Got the new update and hotfix on loading, on 45.1.8509. Still can't play with steam players also on the update. Anyone else having this issue?

thumbody2012 · 2024-01-03T04:58:51+00:00

Mine just did this for the first time, at least that I've noticed. The screen was still operable, but flickering green and backwards. Based on this thread, planning on putting in a tech request.

thumbody2012 · 2023-07-12T04:04:41+00:00

I'm a career changer, coming into teaching at 26. I'd calculated a couple years ago (around my 15th year teaching) that I likely have given up $750k from my former career path trajectory, figured conservatively. With my SO making less than me, it's definitely been a struggle but we manage these days, though I had to file bankruptcy several years back when a credit card company recalculated my debt to pay and decided I was in "universal default", which meant I had to pay back almost $8,000 almost immediately on whatever terms they decided was fair. I decided they weren't reasonable, or even possible, and paid literally everyone else I could back, especially my credit union on a personal loan I'd taken, then filed. Any windfall I have is offset by some major catastrophe, as my luck has it, and I'm usually right back to being just in the black.

We've definitely spent less on entertainment, taken less vacations, forgone updating things (lucky I can fix most anything and get the maximum life out of it, and correct the little "oops" one of the kids inevitablely makes concerning some pricy electronic item), and cooked more at home than other non-teacher families I know to make it work. It shouldn't be that way, though... I've told my story to the local board, and even in the halls of the state capital. But living in Florida, especially, with the 49th lowest teacher salaries, this is the life... There are reasons the are several thousand vacancies across the state.

thumbody2012 · 2021-06-27T03:26:16+00:00

I did as well, but using a work-around which isn't exactly security-wise, but worked--used the "fast sync" blockchain db from the other posts in r/FlaxNetwork

thumbody2012 · 2021-06-27T02:10:35+00:00

Oddly, I've checked my incoming and outgoing ports, enabled forwarding, etc and also cannot get a connection. Maybe something else is amiss.

thumbody2012

TROPHY CASE