Hello all. Fantastic forum and many thanks to all those contributing.
I received my O2 Xda Orbit 2 last week and I'm very pleased with the unit.
I only have two small issues with the device.
The first is more with WM6. As a left hander I would really appreciate being able to place the scroll bars in applications such as IE on the left hand side of the screen so that I don't obscure the screen almost every time I'm reading something. I don't suppose there's much hope of this happening though.
Secondly, I've read with interest the issue regarding the backlight on the keylock screen and I will try the registry tweak to get the backlight to come on at full brightness so that you can see the lock-code keys in daylight.
However, is there any way of making a short cut to adjust the backlight brightness from the 'today' screen? I'm finding that I adjust the backlight brightness for my office/indoors and then when I go outside and use the unit I can barely see the screen and it takes several attempts to get in to the unit and vary the backlight brightness.
It would be lovely if you could say press the central button and then turn the jog wheel clockwise/anti-clockwise to brighten/dim the backlight. Does any bright spark know if there's a means to do this or at least make backlight adjustments simpler?
Same goes for backlight on the Co-pilot software. As it's usually plugged into the car's fag-lighter socket the backlight's on full. Then when you drive at night it blinds you. It would be lovely to be able to press the central button and twirl the wheen to adjust screen brightness. All it actually does is to zoom in/out of the Co-pilot map.
Otherwise, a fantastic unit.
Hello,
First: If you find some software to handle the device easier for left handers please tell me. I'm always interested.
Second: If you install the GPRS Monitor Software (was delivered with my device) it places an slider for backlight on your Today Screen. So you can easily vary the intensity of your backlight.
Maybe not the best solution, but better than nothing.
Hope that helps...
P.S. Do you know a trick to disable the screen, so I can only hear the commandos? (Would be helpful when I go for a walk and get lost in the wood. In most cases I don't have some breadcrumb to mark my way home...)
Hi,
Yes, backlight control isn't all it could be on the orbit2/touch cruise (or any other windows mobile device).
For Copilot if you go into settings / map styles and select "automatic" under day night mode then it does behave better at night.
As for easy control over the backlight - after searching for a few days I noticed that the HTC Home screen that I'd already installed, had a backlight control app on the third tab. Each time you press on the app with your finger it changes the backlight intensity (in 4 stages)
Finally - The bluetooth light was really irritating me whilst the phone was in the car cradle at night. The following link discusses a means of disabling the light.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=365892&highlight=bluetooth+light
Backlight adjustment
Thank you for your replies.
I've been experimenting with the HTC home plugin.
I downloaded the version for WM6 that supposedly correctly the backlight adjustment this morning but have discovered that the backlight function does not work on my Orbit 2. Of course, I may be doing something stupid.
May I ask which version you're using and which works with the Orbit 2?
I've also installed the GPRS monitor software but I can't see anywhere where it displays a backlight slider on the today screen.
Many thanks again.
Lom
Backlight and gprs monitor
Sincere apologies,
I just discovered the backlight slider on the notification icon of the gprs monitor. Not the best solution but something.
Many thanks for the suggestion.
Hi, I wonder if there is a possibility to make the TC adjust backlight automatically? I know there's no light sensor, but can't the front-cam be used as one?
What do you think?
Or am I overseeing an already existing tool for this?
Many thx,
Eric
Same idea provided in "development and hacking" but no response!!
I think it would be a great thing
Unfortunately it doesn't seem to interest many people, both of my postings have so far been ignored... It's a pity, because I think it could be done by some pros inhere.
Dear fellow Raphael-owners,
After browsing and searching the forum I still haven't found a thread or registry edit to turn off that ''rotating'' white light which is often showing up under the click wheel.
Is it possible to turn it off?? And ofcourse how...
Thanks!
you mean the notifaction that you have a message or missed call etc? turn it off in settings under sound and notifications
Most likely means when it's charging, that's when it bothers the hell out of everyone. Answer: I haven't seen one that worked yet, good luck.
Brendo said:
you mean the notifaction that you have a message or missed call etc? turn it off in settings under sound and notifications
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats not what I mean. It is the round light that you see when you're charging
as the other member just said. But you also see it sometimes when its not charging... I really hope there is a registry tweak to turn this off.
yeah it annoy's me to...
It's not only flashing if it';s charged...
It is flashing every X minutes....
I hope anybody has an answer...
Perhaps it's part of the ICI
lol.. bug the hell out of me too..
but some ppl think its cool
I've never seen the rotating light unless I'm charging or have a missed call/sms, etc. (which you can affect by changing your sounds and notifications settings).
So are you saying that you get the charging-style rotating circular light *randomly*?
As for disabling, the general concensus seems to be that it's not a registry entry and that the Smart Device LED API does not affect it. I have a feeling that it is a part of one of the boot-strap procs and in that case a file patch would be necessary. Haven't looked into it, tho. Just an unintelligent guess.
Does it do it with TouchFlo turned off? If it does, then it's part of the ICI
my original complaint - in an earlier threat that i had started - was that the rotating light, on when charging, is a bad thing in a dark room... i turn the phone face down but that stops mute on flip - - so i would like to have the light NOT on when charging
everything else about the light is manageable via notifications - just not the charging indicator
Hi,
I recently bought a HTC Touch HD, and I think that the "shutdown-screen-when-you-answer-a-call" function of phones like Diamonds, Touch Pro and HD is the dumbest way to prevent accidental presses on the touch screen.
Our devices have a light sensor, that could be used to switch off the screen if the phone is near the ear (like the phone using an "i" word ) and keep it on when you answer with loudspeaker for example.
The "problem" with this function is that when you're already in a "no-light" environment, the screen lock function doesn't work.
To resolve this issue, I think we could use the G-Sensor. Indeed, if the place has no light, then, the phone cannot detect the proximity of a ear. But when you put the phone next to the ear, you hold it a the vertical...
To make it short, the app should do :
Do nothing in normal use.
When a call arrives :
- it monitors the ambient light
If there's light :
- when you answer the call, if there's light then no more (you stick the phone next to the ear), it switches off the screen and continue to monitor.
- while in call, if there's light again (you want to see some info on the screen for example), it switches on the screen and continue to monitor.
- and so on until you end the call
If there's no light :
- when you answer the call, but let it at the horizontal (you let it on the desk for example), it does nothing
- if you take the phone on the vertical position (you stick the phone next to the ear), it switches the screen off.
- if the phone, during a call, goes from vertical to horizontal of horizontal to vertical, the screen is switches on/of
- and so on until you end the call
Obviously, you could replace the "switch on/off screen" with "lock/unlock screen".
What do you think about ?
UPDATE :
After playing a bit with the HD, it appears that HTC DOES use the light sensor for turning the screen off during a call.
Let's do a test :
In a place with plenty light :
- put your mobile with the face up
- call a number (always face up) : the screen will not be switched off until the light sensor detects a loss of luminosity or a timeout set in the registry.
So, my conclusion is that HTC already use the light sensor to switch the screen off during a call, but they do it in an absurd way :
- they poll the sensor just to shut down the screen, not to switch it on.
- once the screen has been switched off, they do not longer poll at all.
Do you think it could be a way to "hack" their system to do what we want to do ?
no one has an opinion on this idea ? if there's nobody that want / have the time to develop a soft, I understand, but at least please, give me just your opinion
I agree with your idea for such an application. I must admit that I am very used to just pushing the power button when I answer a call (from Polaris use) to ensure I am not going into other programmes as I rub the phone against my ear. On the other hand I am trying to get used to the Touch HD's modern automatic method but I can't help not feeling relaxed that it has worked and keep trying to look at the screen in the corner of my eye to see if it did go off or not.
If it does not come now I am sure there will be such an app very soon just as you describe especially as all the latest models now have it.
i'd use the half of it that doesn't require the G-sensor as i don't have a diamond or HD...
but i'm certainly sick and tired of my ear operating my touch screen while i'm speaking.
I've written a prototype to do exactly what you are talking about although the one crucial part I am missing is the lock code. Every example or suggestion for locking the screen is very hacky and never feels like a good approach. If anyone has a good solution for locking the screen (especially in managed code) I would be happy to complete what I have started and release it with source so it could be improved upon.
So far, the best locking utility I have seen is PocketShield although I'm not sure what approach was used for locking in that case. It almost feels like a form that captures all windows events but I'm not sure exactly.
fireweed said:
I've written a prototype to do exactly what you are talking about although the one crucial part I am missing is the lock code. Every example or suggestion for locking the screen is very hacky and never feels like a good approach. If anyone has a good solution for locking the screen (especially in managed code) I would be happy to complete what I have started and release it with source so it could be improved upon.
So far, the best locking utility I have seen is PocketShield although I'm not sure what approach was used for locking in that case. It almost feels like a form that captures all windows events but I'm not sure exactly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe the simpliest way to "protect" the screen is to switch it off. I suppose it must be some API to do that ?
Concerning the "locking", I think the simpliest way is to put on focus an empty window (transparent if it can be ).
I'm really happy to know that you're working on an app like that
lpaso said:
Hi,
I recently bought a HTC Touch HD, and I think that the "shutdown-screen-when-you-answer-a-call" function of phones like Diamonds, Touch Pro and HD is the dumbest way to prevent accidental presses on the touch screen.
Our devices have a light sensor, that could be used to switch off the screen if the phone is near the ear (like the phone using an "i" word ) and keep it on when you answer with loudspeaker for example.
The "problem" with this function is that when you're already in a "no-light" environment, the screen lock function doesn't work.
To resolve this issue, I think we could use the G-Sensor. Indeed, if the place has no light, then, the phone cannot detect the proximity of a ear. But when you put the phone next to the ear, you hold it a the vertical...
To make it short, the app should do :
Do nothing in normal use.
When a call arrives :
- it monitors the ambient light
If there's light :
- when you answer the call, if there's light then no more (you stick the phone next to the ear), it switches off the screen and continue to monitor.
- while in call, if there's light again (you want to see some info on the screen for example), it switches on the screen and continue to monitor.
- and so on until you end the call
If there's no light :
- when you answer the call, but let it at the horizontal (you let it on the desk for example), it does nothing
- if you take the phone on the vertical position (you stick the phone next to the ear), it switches the screen off.
- if the phone, during a call, goes from vertical to horizontal of horizontal to vertical, the screen is switches on/of
- and so on until you end the call
Indeed, you could replace the "switch on/off screen" with "lock/unlock screen".
What do you think about ?
I searched the forum for an existing app that could do this, but I didn't find anything.
If there's already an app that do this stuff, I'm truely sorry for this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm looking for this.. If you find a solution send me a PM, I will do the same
Thanks!
We need this app, how does the iphone acheive this?
I think the 'easiest' way to make this app would be to keep the phone doing what it does currently (put the phone on standby when answering a call) then have the light sensor take the phone out of standby when it receives light, (taking it away from your ear)?
Obviously if its dark then we would have to use the power butten as we currently do now or have the Gsensor do it with a twisting motion (vertical to horizontal).
If anyone has an idea how to program this i'm willing to help in any way, the current systems seems so crude on such tech devices!
DB
lpaso said:
Hi,
I searched the forum for an existing app that could do this, but I didn't find anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There a program, that can help you. Not full, but it can switch off screen, using g-sensor. However its using not vertical aligment of the phone. There are using changing orientation of the phone to decide when phone near the ear.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2622590&postcount=45
I have always wondered why our WM phones don't do what the iphone does...
For the SE Xperia X1, the light sensor is right near the earpiece (along with the little front facing camera), so it would go to virtually 100% darkness when near the ear. I would presume unless you are using the phone also in 100% darkness (which should be pretty rare I would guess) then it would work like the iphone.
I have also been quite annoyed by the fact that after a phonecall, sometimes I found i'm in a note taking program or weather program or something else. It just seems dumb, considering our phone HAVE these lightsensors?!
I think it's a fantastic idea to solve a VERY FRUSTRATING PROBLEM
lpaso said:
no one has an opinion on this idea ? if there's nobody that want / have the time to develop a soft, I understand, but at least please, give me just your opinion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would rank myself this way:
Not a newbie who's just gotten a touchscreen phone and is now discovering the quirks when holding screen to ear,
and not a developer,
but a power-user. I have installed all sorts of XDA-developed features/enhancements for my phone.
But now I have 4 years experience -- starting with the T-Mobile MDA, and its successor, the T-Mobile WING. And despite all of the advancements expected in that time, STILL, I inadvertently end a call, or put it on hold accidentally, ALL THE TIME. Between that and trying to retrieve the phone from my pocket just to answer the damn ringing phone, I would say I have, on the average, a 20% success rate -- and 80% of the time the call is disrupted. And at least once a day my ohone, in my pocket, even when using s2u2, manages to REDIAL my latest conversation, so mcuh so that all my friends say "why don;t you get rid of that phone. It does all these whiz bang things but still can't reliably manage a basic phone call.
My most recent experiment was to call someone, then when they answered, press the s2U2 key to lock the phone screen. Only I came to find out from A_C that this is no good: S2u2 does not have recognition that you're ending the call, thus, since it's in lock-mode, the "END CALL" or Hang-Up hard key does not work.
So by all means, I would even pay for an app that once and for all handles the baseline problems of simply making a phone call. Thanks for making this request.
fireweed, have you contacted A_C, author of s2u2 ?
There may just be perfect synergy between the two of you. His "best of breed" screen-lock app is widely used -- and other developers, like supbro, for example, author of iDialer, have collaborated on small code-bits from A_C to solve some integration problems.
If for any reason you are unfamiliar with A_C, go to his website: www.ac-s2.com -- where his apps are explained, and all link back to XDA.
He's even managed to make the screen lock work, yet, have it selectively overridden when you insert headphone jack -- such that his s2p (slide to play) app opens and allows you to switch music tracks etc while otherwise the screen and buttons are all fully locked...
fireweed said:
I've written a prototype to do exactly what you are talking about although the one crucial part I am missing is the lock code. Every example or suggestion for locking the screen is very hacky and never feels like a good approach. If anyone has a good solution for locking the screen (especially in managed code) I would be happy to complete what I have started and release it with source so it could be improved upon.
So far, the best locking utility I have seen is PocketShield although I'm not sure what approach was used for locking in that case. It almost feels like a form that captures all windows events but I'm not sure exactly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
After playing a bit with the HD, it appears that HTC DOES use the light sensor for turning the screen off during a call.
Let's do a test :
In a place with plenty light :
- put your mobile with the face up
- call a number (always face up) : the screen will not be switched off until the light sensor detects a loss of luminosity or the timeout set in the registry expires.
So, my conclusion is that HTC already use the light sensor to switch the screen off during a call, but they do it in an absurd way :
- they poll the sensor just to shut down the screen, not to switch it on.
- once the screen has been switched off, they do not longer poll at all.
Do you think it could be a way to "hack" their system to do what we want to do ?
I think HTC does not only switch off the display but goes to standby (phone works independent if you didn't know yet). Your idea is a lot different in terms of programming.
I don't know if it goes to standby : when the screen is switched off during a call, a press on any button switch it on again. In the registry, the key controlling the timeout before the screen is shut off is named "LightSensorToScreenOff" so I think it is just switching off the screen...
lpaso said:
I don't know if it goes to standby : when the screen is switched off during a call, a press on any button switch it on again. In the registry, the key controlling the timeout before the screen is shut off is named "LightSensorToScreenOff" so I think it is just switching off the screen...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if thats the case, its HALF of what the iphone does... it turns off the screen based on the light sensor going dark suddenly (next to ear) but then fails to turn the screen back on after you move the phone away from your ear...
Anyone know how to enable this?
Interested in having this feature too. Isn't it possible to have the G-Sensor determine when the phone is vertical and shut the screen and then when it is lying flat to turn the screen back on again. Believe that the Iphone does it this way, not with the light sensor.
Hmm... I never had my ear 'navigating' my phone during in-call before....
I never allowed the screen to touch my face anyway, and the speaker is facing the ear canal, when I receive or make calls...
But i do understand that s2u2 can do what you guys might need, it locks the screen during in call.
Hennyb said:
Interested in having this feature too. Isn't it possible to have the G-Sensor determine when the phone is vertical and shut the screen and then when it is lying flat to turn the screen back on again. Believe that the Iphone does it this way, not with the light sensor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the Iphone has something called proximity sensor, which senses the distance from the ear to the phone, hence when the phone rest on the outer ear, the phone screen shut off.
Or am I wrong?
Section9 said:
I think the Iphone has something called proximity sensor, which senses the distance from the ear to the phone, hence when the phone rest on the outer ear, the phone screen shut off.
Or am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you're right. It uses an iR sensor to know if there's something near the phone.
...when the screen is on? It's quite annoying to search the keys in dark.
i absolutely agree..........m also searching for such tweak.
intresting tweak !....i'm hope someone could solve !
what would be even better is to use the ambient sensor to turn on the backlight whenever the phone is picked up (using the accelerometer)
Yes this annoys me too is really hard to see the keys in the dark more so when the screen is lit up!
here4info said:
what would be even better is to use the ambient sensor to turn on the backlight whenever the phone is picked up (using the accelerometer)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a good idea, but a little complicated...
Anything using motion just wouldn't be the best, since a lot of people put unit into a pocket, bag etc. Which is means the HD2 is usually moving as a result of walking etc. You might get away with sensing VERTICAL movement, but that is assuming the accelerometer can detect VERTICAL movement and it potentialy could be triggerd by normal movement in a pocket, bag etc. as well.
You might be able to use the proximity sensor with the accelerometer to do this. It wouldn't be perfect, but may work enough for most.
The simplest thing would be to enable the backlight to automaticaly stay 'on' when the device is activated (I don't need light to do this). Add to this a time feature that says only activate if after 6:00pm and before 6:00am. This means it wouldn't activate during daylight, unless you told it too. You would also need to add the feature to 'always' activate as some like to keep it simple or routinely visit dark places.
perhaps get it to light up when input is detected on the capacitive touch screen. that way it wouldn't get activated in a pocket or case. haven't a clue how to implement it but hey.
I really don't see an issue with wanting the keys lit when the screen's on. That sounds like a perfect solution to me. I think using sensors is overkill.
Interested in this tweak too...
Or use (light + proximity) sensor.
so no ideas then huh? i will have a root around through the registry settings to see if there is anything we can use for this..
i will have a root around the registry see if there is anything we can use
waaaaaaay too many "over complicated" solutions to this prob in this thread regarding using sensors etc ... you basically just need to stop the lights from sleeping while the phone is unlocked and on ! so if the screen back light is on the buttons should be too !!!!!!!!
yea thats what i was going to look for...
i.e. if screen is on.. turn the buttons on!!!
bump ! bump bump !
hahahah i was about to do the same
bump! it's a must !
bump from me too!
I am sure this could be done by a small registry change...but the mystery is as to which registry entry to look at!
Found a way to do this programmetically, I'll make a small test app for this tonight. Check back in like 8-9 hours, my boss won't like it if I do it during work time
NetRipper said:
Found a way to do this programmetically, I'll make a small test app for this tonight. Check back in like 8-9 hours, my boss won't like it if I do it during work time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is it you've found? Is there a dll that can control the button lights?
Hi,
I've been searching the world, the interwebs and on this forum... but nothing seems to come close to what i actually (need) want for my HTC Hero, Since i find myself blind at night it can be challenging to avoid obstacles at night and i have to either turn on the light or use my phone with a "hey look! my phone is a flashlight / tourch" app that uses my screen by turning it bright white (witch hurts my eyes, wakes my GF and drains my battery).
One night i realized that my indicator led (at that time green) was enough light to successfully navigate the dark bedroom at night, without waking my partner... but allas it only showed up when it was done charging and still plugged into the adapter / computer, unfortunately many a usb cable do not reach beyond 1 meter. and i was again forced to use the "hey look! my phone is a flashlight / tourch" app witch got me into a lot of trouble again...
of course i tried the look my phone is a flashlight white screen apps but they tend drain the battery real quick and anoy my partner.
in short... i'm looking for an flashlight app that uses my indicator led instead of my screen or the non-existent camera flash LED.
can anyone here point me in the right direction or make an app like this one
I would be very grateful
Cheers
R.
I am unsure if you can control a hardware LED. I will look into it.
thx that would be awesome, thanks in advance
So yeah, screen flashlight apps let you control the brightness, and the one I used long ago, also lets you control the size of the area, color, etc....
that might be so but the screen flashlight is imho anoying and i would prefer to use the green LED
bstijl said:
[...]
in short... i'm looking for an flashlight app that uses my indicator led instead of my screen or the non-existent camera flash LED.
[...]
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you can only control it when you are rooted and it is very device dependent how this is done. But yes it can be done... Basically it comes down to finding the right files in the /sys directory that are controlling the led(-s) and output something to it (usually a 1 or 255) to switch it on. (Maybe this is some info that other developers can use).