Database Info

Website to consolidate icons, tweaks, mods, etc. Assistance needed.

I posted this over on PPCGeeks, but I thought I would post here to get more exposure and input. Here is the ppcgeeks thread. http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=53230
Okay, I've brought this up elsewhere, and I guess it's time to create a new thread and get this going. I've seen so many different threads with different tweaks, top icons, TF3D icons, Windows themes, Manilla themes, etc... and I also notice some people try to combine them into one post (which is very difficult, and still results in the addition of other posts/threads).
Anyways, something I've been wanting to see done for a long time is to be able to go to a webpage, pick and choose with pictures what we want on our phone, and download and install them. Rather than having people search to find several thread results, they can just go to one website, and view up to date info.
First example I will use is the top icons for the Touch Pro. I see several threads (3 of which I personally noticed to be predominately popular - http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=49827, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=437307, and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=437420). These threads are very long (one of which with 1,800+ posts). What I would like to do is have people who create icons submit their icons to this website (I don't have a name for it yet), and people can go there to see & download their work. All original work will be credited appropriately, and can also have a "donate" button as such. People can still post their work on the forums, but they can say it's been submitted to "the website", and people can visit "the website" to download.
What I've noticed is some people on the iPhone community have such things as Installer Apps, which is a compilation of various applications ready to be downloaded and installed to the device. This includes games, apps, icons, etc...
What I would like to ask is for some assistance from willing volunteers (you don't have to commit your time, but any help is appreciated). Maybe suggest ideas of what can be incorporated, gather information to be added to the site, etc... I do have a full time job, and I will be doing this on my own personal time as a way to give back to the community I've been a part of for 2 years.
I have some basic HTML skills, and I'm pretty computer savvy, but any help is appreciated. With that, I'll open this thread to any inspirational ideas and discussion.
Thanks, and let's make this a better community for everyone!

here's one for registry tweaks http://triton.homeip.net/RegistryChanger/
it's a start....

check my signature

Thanks to GhettoBSD (from PPCGeeks), I've been able to make additions to his WikiSpace. So far I've made additions to the Themes page. (Of course, all themes are referenced to the original poster, and notified of this submission).
Let me know what everyone thinks. Any feedback is appreciated. Remember, I'm trying to make this very easy for someone to go to the website, and view all available information for their Touch pro (and Diamond). http://ppc-repository.wikispaces.com/TP+Themes
bugsykoosh said:
here's one for registry tweaks http://triton.homeip.net/RegistryChanger/
it's a start....
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Click to collapse
Very cool! I like the way you did it. Now, which regedits are specific (or can be used) with the Touch Pro (and Diamond).
nhvoltagenh said:
check my signature
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I see you've already started something similar! So far those are S2U2 themes & icons?

yes and some wad stuff, also weather icons.
s2u2 is whats the biggest contributor, but the site is only a month old

bugsykoosh said:
here's one for registry tweaks http://triton.homeip.net/RegistryChanger/
it's a start....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That site is awesome but it is over run with spam. I contacted the webmaster with some basic spam-fighting tactics. That site has a REALLY good foundation and is a great idea.
I'm pretty good with websites. I code all my html, php, SQL etc by hand in notepad. My site, http://miiwiichat.com is a chat room site for Nintendo Wii users. The site allows user submissions of articles, reader feedback, admin/mod pages, CAPTCHAs, lots of SPAM deterrent.
I don't have the time to code up a whole site, but I can help out.
@nhvoltagenh - Isn't your website a little ironic? A site dedicated for Windows Mobile graphics with a Apple OSX theme. lol. Don't worry, I like the glassy look and feel of OSX too.

Basics on how to change themes

Sounds daft & I'm sure the infos here. I just want to change the theme on my GSM HTC Touch Pro. I know all the software & links are here on this site. It's just there's no 'this software is what you need & this is how you change your theme' info.
Thanks

LOL, ok, google free wm themes, download it and transfer the tsk file to your device. Then simply goto settings/today and select the theme you downloaded... no extra software needed.
try this site, it has THOUSANDS
http://www.portablethemes.com/
Just realised tho, you might be wanting to change you manila theme.... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=470023 there are some themes on here

Thanks for the reply, what exactly in Manila & how do I use it. I've already seen lots of reference to it but don't actually know what it is.
I've uplodaed a few tsk & cab files & selected them in my today them menu but all I get are slight changes like different icon, I've manged to add a different wallpaper, but as soon as the touchflo starts, it's lost.
Getting there
Ta

halo1234 said:
Sounds daft & I'm sure the infos here. I just want to change the theme on my GSM HTC Touch Pro. I know all the software & links are here on this site. It's just there's no 'this software is what you need & this is how you change your theme' info.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh my goodness guys, the test is coming up and I don't know any of the answers. I know all the information to pass the test is in the books. But that would require me to actually read and study.
You guys have already read the books and studied. Can you just give me all the answers to the test, I really can't be bothered to actually read and study myself.
I'm sure the infos here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right all the info is in the Touch Pro Forum.

I understand your point. However this is not an interest or hobby of mine. I'm just a guy who doesn't like how my screen phone looks. Once this is done I may never look at this again. In the 24 hours I have each day I have other things I have to do first & then all the hobbies & interests I have.
I had a look through the first 3-4 pages of this forum & then I tried a few searches. Found a few things, but not enough to fingure it all out.
I've ran out of time for this now really. I might try again when I get some spare time.
Thanks for your help.

search for Replacing/Changing TouchFLO3D skins/themes.

here's some basic help for you, halo (and some commentary)
denco7 said:
Oh my goodness guys, the test is coming up and I don't know any of the answers. I know all the information to pass the test is in the books. But that would require me to actually read and study.
You guys have already read the books and studied. Can you just give me all the answers to the test, I really can't be bothered to actually read and study myself.
You are right all the info is in the Touch Pro Forum.
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This is so right-on... and yet ... at the same time I respect the Original Poster's comment framing:
I understand your point. However this is not an interest or hobby of mine. I'm just a guy who doesn't like how my screen phone looks. Once this is done I may never look at this again. In the 24 hours I have each day I have other things I have to do first & then all the hobbies & interests I have.
I had a look through the first 3-4 pages of this forum & then I tried a few searches. Found a few things, but not enough to fingure it all out.
I've ran out of time for this now really. I might try again when I get some spare time.
Thanks for your help.
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Click to collapse
And because i think it's valid to have people want to utilize great resources here at XDA, yet not have to immerse themselves totally into weeks of XDA Culture in order to do so, I hope this helps the Original Poster. (see Commentary further below my effort to help halo1234)
=================
halo1234: Some Overview Help. It may or may not help your specific request:
1. IF you are running a version of the "TouchFlo" interface as the primary finger-controllable navigation tool,
then here's what you need to know:
2. "Manila" is the name of the interface system that HTC (phone maker) introduced which allowed the bottom-of-the-screen left-to-right finger-slider navigation system. That term, Manila, is synonymous with "TouchFLO 2D" ... and it took days for me to finally "get" that linkage. Later, HTC introduced what they considered a "new & improved" navigation system called "TouchFLO 3D" ... but many people here at XDA consider that its added eye-candy and transition effects were no real added-value. Thus most people here prefer the "TouchFLO 2D" navigation theme.
The prior "favorite naivgation scheme" was called "HTC Home" -- and one can debate their personal preference. I consider TouchFLO 2D to be miles beyond "HTC Home" in terms of a user-friendly navigation system and interface.
3. How to modify a "TouchFLO 2D" interface: M2DC utility
This has actually been made super easy thanks to the work of an XDA-developer who created a customization tool called "M2DC" -- which stands for Manilla TouchFLO 2D Customizer. It consolidates about 100 controllable factors for modifying themes:
Background images, tab systems and icon systems, font colors and sizes and faces, many other things.
SEARCH here for "M2DC" and you will quickly find it. DOwnload it and install it. Once you have M2DC installed (AND YOU SHOULD DONATE GENEROUSLY TO THE SOFTWARE AUTHOR OF THIS GREAT UTILITY!), then it creates a THEME folder. And various designers of themes here at XDA have used the author's file-format which packs all the elements for a particular theme change into an .m2dt file (m2d theme)
4. Find some themes you like, prefer:
XDA user KidnamedAlbert has a consolidated thread here at XDA which does nothing except show people's themes they have created and have made available to you to download for installation onot your phone, IF you are running one of the "TouchFLO 2D" Roms. Here. People who design themes package them in one of two ways: (a) as an .m2dt file which can be dropped into the M2D2 "Themes" folder on your device... or (b) as a .zip file which has all the graphic pieces for that theme, along with an .xml file which composes all these elements into a theme. I suggest you use (a).
5. Launch the M2DC utility; find the theme file you just inserted into its theme folder. Then follow the wizards "next steps" of the M2DC utility. NOTE: it is highly recommended that you find the bottom tab of that utlitity called "Backup" or "Restore" (i cant recall which). There you can Backup all the custom settings and files you have adjusted, and M2DC saves them for later restoration.
6. Top-bar and bottom-bar of the screen:
These are, generally, separate elements from the whole "TouchFLO" or Manila theme. You can search for these separately on this site. Search for .tsk files .These control the color scheme and gradient-quality of the top and bottom bars on the screen. After you find ones you want to try, then the way you implement these is:
(a) copy, or place, the .tsk file(s) you want to try into the \Windows folder of your device. Use "File Explorer" for this, to show the directory structure of the files on your phone.
(b) then, to access and switch between those .tsk themes, go to: Start > Settings > Personal > and find the "Today" icon. "Today" is the setting you will be changing. You'll now see in the left-hand box on that page the names of all the .tsk files you just loaded into the Windows directory of your phone. Now you select the one you want to try, click "OK" at the top-right of the screen, and in a second or two, the top-bar and bottom-bar will change. If you like, keep it. if not, try another.
7. Now, all I ask from you is this:
Tell me: Did these instructions help you. Or not. It's okay if the answer is "they did not". I just want to know, so please reply either way. Thanks and good luck.
=================
My Commentary re the Complexity of This Site's information design:
The truth is, XDA comprises an incredible, 2nd-to-none, knowledge base and dedicated developer community, and yet, because of those 2 things, the site is so sprawling and dense that even with using SEARCH and reading Sticky Threads and following links to HOW-TO's, and Newbie Guides, it takes weeks sometimes, just to assemble and/or decode some basic answers. That's a sign that even with the flexible & powerful hierarchical structure of prob the best forum software out there (vBulletin), nevertheless, there is a baseline INFORMATION DESIGN PROBLEM here.
It's not an easy solve by any means. But just for the record, I am taking on that task, since my area of professional specialty is Information Architectire and Customer Usability.
/qs

he was talking about the Touch Pro.. that is not M2D.. but TF3D
for M2D i've written a guide in the guides thread in the Q&A section..

nir36 said:
he was talking about the Touch Pro.. that is not M2D.. but TF3D
for M2D i've written a guide in the guides thread in the Q&A section..
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Excellent stuff you've assembled & written. I really value those kinds of guides. Thanks. So i guess the answer to my #7 will be: nope, sorry, i am not using M2D... hah hah, well i had a good time wasting my time writing it up!

No not a waste of time. I read through your post & becasue you spent some time & effort on my post & decided to try again. So 2, 4 & 6 were useful, plus a few other links. Evetually I found some easy .cab files that worked without a problem from the Rapheal section & it's all working fine now.
If you hadnt bothered to respond I wouldn't of had another go, so it was worth it for me! Your right this forum is by far the largest I've useds & with so many variants of product & methods it's easy to get lost. My issue was that I new what I needed, but didn't know why or how.
Thanks
Peter

halo1234 said:
No not a waste of time. I read through your post & becasue you spent some time & effort on my post & decided to try again. So 2, 4 & 6 were useful, plus a few other links. Evetually I found some easy .cab files that worked without a problem from the Rapheal section & it's all working fine now.
If you hadnt bothered to respond I wouldn't of had another go, so it was worth it for me! Your right this forum is by far the largest I've useds & with so many variants of product & methods it's easy to get lost. My issue was that I new what I needed, but didn't know why or how.
Thanks
Peter
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Hey I am really glad you got some value from it. And that you found a solution overall for your Raphael. I'll tell you the OTHER value from it: I hadn't even known of nir36's outstanding GUIDES til he referenced them here. So there are multiple outcomes from asking questions. And I could spot that in your case you weren't the more typical "I need this now, i don't have time to look, so could someone just email me the answer?" user who parachutes into XDA-Developers forum land and expects to be handheld for their specific request.
There's a continuum here of what new users ask for -- and thus I think it would be way more realistic for some veteran members here to sometimes see new user questions from the ground level of someone coming into this land of knowledge and, as you sort of said, not even knowing how to frame the question, since the density of information is sometimes impenetrable, and just frame it out for a new user, vs just the standard reply to read read read read read.
As an information designer, I have never ever understood the impulse of some early-adopter people who have had to dig dig dig and read read read to finally pioneer the understandings and piece-together solutions to complex questions, to then want others who follow to work as hard at it as they did. My philosophy is build a better gateway to the knowledge storage, vs chastising people for using the wrong entrance.
For sure it's a 2-way street, and there are hundreds-a-day justifiable reasons for frustrations from knowledge-holders seeing the level of laziness and entitlement coming from the OTHER end of the new user spectrum. They give human beings a bad name
P.S. -- people hate my philosophy comments on a tech-board. I know. I don't try to be verbose, but I know it drives some people batty. In which case, sorry !

hah, i actually like these.

Non-market .apk file database proposal

Hello everyone. I've a sort of proposal for the developers here, but before I get into that let me first briefly introduce myself:
I'm a communication designer for print, user interface, and illustration that completely advocates everything Android. I've been lurking the Dream development forums here for quite some time, trying to keep up-to-date with the latest ROMs, apps, etc., etc and I fully appreciate everything that goes on here and the endeavors that you devs put yourself through. Amazing stuff, really.
One thing I've noticed is that there are a slew of third-party / beta apps all over these boards, and other places on the internet as well. More often than not, I find myself scouring the cloud just to find a link for these non-market apps, and I usually get referred to them via some obscure site through another site. Despite getting the .apk file or ROM in the end, the process can get to be a bit tedious; especially for incoming users and those new to the Android platform.
My proposal is this: A website with a simple and clean user interface that has direct and succinct navigation with the purpose of consolidating and listing third-party / beta non-market applications into an easy access database. This website database would link these applications and have them be easily downloaded and installed via the Android browser, without having to mount the device.
I've actually come up with a fully-functional concept site, did the branding and everything for it, and also registered a short domain name for quick access while on your G1 or whatever Android device.
Navigate to: http://anda.pk to see what I had in mind, and how the overall layout/concept of the site would work.
I uploaded several .apk files I had backed up as examples for you to see how the database section would function. I also took into account the resolution of most Android phones and made the .apk application database section fit perfectly in the Android browser when in portrait mode right when you the load the site to ensure the best possible user experience when installing these third party apps. When you scroll to the right, you'll see info on what the site is about, and in the footer there are links to the FAQ, the about section, contact, etc.
I had also noted in the about link in the footer that the applications hosted on the download section are in no way accredited to the site, and that credit goes to their rightful developers. My being a communication designer has had the idea of peer collaboration engrained, and as such I give credit it where credit is due.
That said, I hope you guys here and the developers collaborate with me on on this site, possibly help contribute apks, and agree to them being hosted. If anything, I do hope you just embrace the concept, which originally was just going to be a reference for myself and my friends whom I've turned away from the iPhone, S60, and WinMo in favor of Android. I figured since I know the Android community is only going to get bigger, this website concept of mine could be a decent resource to have bookmarked.
Appreciate you reading this wall of text! Do hope to hear some feedback, so let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
Cheers.

I think this is a fabulous idea...automated version control would go over very well -- i.e. yum update
you should post up bits that you need help with and have folks contact you.
also..I love the logo!
question: do you propose a rating system or a review prior to listing type of approach or something new to keep this resource trustworthy?

Been following this on SA and twitter and it's a great idea.
Having the devs here on board would be a fantastic way to get something solid on the go. It's the kind of thing that can really help android become more hackable and useable for the average user...and it just make things easier for the rest of us.

Sounds good to me.
thelilliandivide said:
the applications hosted on the download section are in no way accredited to the site
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Click to collapse
Credit and accreditation are different things. To be accredited is to be given credentials or official approval. I think you meant "credited".

Sounds like a GREAT idea.
My opinion: The color scheme hurts. Love the logo.

i like the logo and the idea. I think the site should be more mobile friendly, or even better, an application for android that can work like the official market. I could help with that part if an application is going to be built.

camalot said:
i like the logo and the idea. I think the site should be more mobile friendly, or even better, an application for android that can work like the official market. I could help with that part if an application is going to be built.
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Click to collapse
i second that.. it should also have update checks if possible

I was going to complain that I didn't like your site layout, but in portrait mode you only see the left side which lists the apps. I like it.
One thing you might have to be leary of is dealing with apps that are considered warez unless your going to spend the time to verify every app that is uploaded or there has to a method in place.
As well there should be some kind of version control in place. You know what works on 1.1 and what works on 1.5. Obviously almost everybody within the next few weeks/months should be on 1.5, but will all the older apps run on 1.5 or does it really matter or does anybody care? The downloader will care.

CBowley said:
Sounds like a GREAT idea.
My opinion: The color scheme hurts. Love the logo.
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Click to collapse
Seconded. The text is much too light. A darker charcoal shade would be much better.
If the site gets an apk wrapper (a la FBook) version checking would be rather easy. Set up the directory tree something like this /downloads/WiFiTether/1.2.3.apk and just have the apk compare filenames. If the file names don't match, it needs to install the update.
EDIT: Now following your progress on twitter.

Some solid input. I'll play around with the color scheme and make some changes later this evening once I get back from class. And I actually do plan on making a mobile wrapper eventually, but as it stands as far as the concept layout goes, the site is best used when in portrait mode for easiest functionality. The rest of the site is to be considered supplemental. I do however, have a lot of things I eventually want to integrate; application tags, search, possibility of user uploaded apk files, etc. But for right now, I'm trying to keep the general site as simple as possible to make the workload on my end less stressful (graduating in 2 weeks).
bahnburner said:
If the site gets an apk wrapper (a la FBook) version checking would be rather easy. Set up the directory tree something like this /downloads/WiFiTether/1.2.3.apk and just have the apk compare filenames. If the file names don't match, it needs to install the update.
EDIT: Now following your progress on twitter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did not know how that version checker worked. Thanks. I'll re-work the apk directory scheme akin to that later tonight for when I do eventually get the wrapper up.

thelilliandivide said:
Did not know how that version checker worked. Thanks. I'll re-work the apk directory scheme akin to that later tonight for when I do eventually get the wrapper up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not necessarily how most version checks work, but that's the simplest method I could think of, and probably one of the easiest to implement.

alapapa said:
I think this is a fabulous idea...automated version control would go over very well -- i.e. yum update
you should post up bits that you need help with and have folks contact you.
also..I love the logo!
question: do you propose a rating system or a review prior to listing type of approach or something new to keep this resource trustworthy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! And I feel I might need some help in the future as far as implementing the features that I want to get working. But I'm not quite sure I understand your question. Are you referring to how I choose which applications get posted onto the site?

i'm a graphic designer and web designer, i'll throw in a helping hand if you want, pm me or whatever.
(think about an android based layout to bring it to the phone like Cough*cydia*cough

very cool and much needed
Xda-dev is great, but there is alot of stuff thats not on the market and they have shown to bow down to the tmobs pressure(ie: tether app) so another place to get apps would be great, and your weppage is beautiful and looks like it would be very finger friendly on the g1, but there is a basic model in linux of repositories(which is about what ur doing) and a simple app to d/l them maybe somebody could just make a market.apk with a modded addy, depending on how much is known about the market and its inner workings... it would be nice to do it as it has been always done....but as I stated above your webdesign is very nice and would work well in the native browser(im heading there now on my g1)
bhang

not a bad idea. I think this is great for all verified apps that are pulled from market...

I really like this idea. Go for it.
Just one (stupid) remark about the logo... it's like it has a big nose and a :-| expression... sorry

apetit said:
I really like this idea. Go for it.
Just one (stupid) remark about the logo... it's like it has a big nose and a :-| expression... sorry
Click to expand...
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Haha, I just noticed that actually. Now it's all I see. But yeah, I'm hoping to have a few more apps to upload by the end of next week. Revisions to the site are imminent once I get out of this last class.

I love the idea. One bookmark to check up on all the good non-market apps will be much easier than having several bookmarked threads.
Some applications may benefit from having tags such as [beta], [stable], [experimental], [contains-ads], etc.
As others have mentioned once/if user uploads are implemented an app approval system will be crucial to keep the spam at bay. I can see this really taking off.

im a supporter

zgmf-x322a said:
im a supporter
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+1 this sounds like a great idea, there was something like this for apps for the dash,mda & sda.

I need something new to do..

Anybody have any ideas?

Hey trib,
How about broadening your reach by using that creative, artistic flair to make themes or skins for QVGA devices? It may be fun and if you can find a niche in that market you can work your way into the other screen sizes as well. You have good roms already, you could create different new looks to keep them fresh since they are stable enough to use over long periods without re-flashing.
Another idea, just create icon sets for devices. Any creative idea like these could land you a lot of compliments, or better yet, donations, from those that like to freshen up their phone a bit without having to re-flash. On that note, have you figured out a way to skin the WP7 blocks that open the hubs? I have seen many screen shots, real and fake, that show a background image within the weather, calendar, etc, blocks on the main screen. I am still using your Trib7 rom and I really don't mind the HTC green that I have going now but was curious if you or another developer has figured out a way to alter the hub look without an additional 20 lines of code to do so.
Anyway, glad to see your new job isn't keeping you from xda. Good luck with whatever you decide to create.

nice topic, i got it
nice topic, i got it.

When I have some time, I think this sounds like a great idea. Thanks.

[REQ] Showing the day of the week on WM 6.5 taskbar & also on cclock panel

Hi,
This is the first time for me to post a Request, and since my Samsung Intrepid isn't on the list below, I'm posting here. I hope it's not out of order, if it is, then Admin please do not delete, but just move it to the appropriate place and email me as to new location.
I'm running Titanium, and one thing I've been looking for high and low, on this and other forums, is an app that allows me to put the day of the week, in addition to time & date on the taskbar.
Haven't found one yet, which is surprising. Anyone know of one that'd work on Titanium WM 6.5, or can create one?
I'd also like to be able to put the day of the week on the cclock panel on the Today screen, or else have a separate panel that shows time, date, day of week.
Now, I know you can alter the .cpr file, BUT unfortunately I'm not a developer, and don't know what to put in the Titanium xxxx.cpr's at the various resolutions. Also, I'm rather nervous about experimenting here, since these files are in the ROM, and if I screw up my phone in the process, my warranty may be voided.
So, to make a long story short, I'd just like to be able to install another panel, or whatever, something like a Titanium plugin, like notifications, that I can install/uninstall w/o touching the ROM.
Again, I'm rather surprised there isn't anything like these apps to place the day of the week on the taskbar & Today screen. And leave it to MSFT to leave something like this out, ESP since they had it for the previous WM OS's. 8(
Well, that's why I'm posting here. The Xda forum is an invaluable resource, and I've learned a lot lurking and reading thru some of the incredibly long threads.
Any help for my 2 requests would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

No response?
I'm surprised there isn't any response or interest.
Well, I found battclock, Zuinige's excellent program, to take care of the day on
the taskbar, but nothing for on the Titanium Today screen.
There is canalog clock, but it's way too big fot my blackberry sized screen on my wm samsung intrepid.
I was hoping someone would have some suggestions, or maybe develop a cclock panel alternative not as huge as canalog, or digital like cclock with thday and date thrown in.
I found coding suggestions for modifying the titanium.cpr, but they're all different and 2 are for the Hero, so that's a deadend.
I know there are a lot of developers on this board; I'm just surprised no one's come up with an "enhanced" cclock.
Anyway, just a request, if anyone'd care to help. Thanks