Related
If you guys want your phone to be able to use transition effects (very fast and nice) like google had when they were demoing how flash will work, just follow these steps. You will also gain a lot of cool little features like cpu load viewer etc.
First go to the market and download Apps Installer. Then download the files I just uploaded.(unzip)
Copy the files you just downloaded to your root sdcard
Run App installer and Look for Dev tools. Install that. It might as you to allow untrusted applications to run. Click on allow then finish install
Then run the program dev tools
Click on Development Settings
and Change
Windows animation scale to 1x
Transition animation scare to 1x
and light hinting
Exit and play with your phone HAHA!! It beautiful.
You have a couple of extra options as well as Cpu load metter, process display, maximum thread open allow limit etc.
Anyways have fun!
PS. Also added API Demos.
------
The transition effect does not use up any extra juice to run. This app was used by google in order to test speed of builds and also as a quick way to stress when developing.
I would suggest limiting processes to a minimum of 4 or living it on no app process limit.
If you go below three what happens is that when you start certain built in features the phone spawns several process at the same time, and since it is limited it will force close the app you called. for testing purposes 3 or below is fine but not for daily usage.
Immediately destroy applications has an effect of eventually slowing down your phone since the app has to be reloaded at every use instead of "caching" it in memory. We have more than enough memory for android on this phone. Again to keep things lean and fast I would only use 4 for processes as a minimum. (This is personal choice, remember some apps that you might like run in the background and this may shut them down in order to comply with your policy of limiting the apps.
*These apps where extracted from the android SDK and is used by developers and google for testing. Google went the safe route and disabled features
DroidSans has implemented this find into his application, so you can now get this at the Market
how about a little video to show the claimed beauty?
It will take 10 minutes to enable yourself. I would do a video but my coworker has a G1 LOL no video recording!!
Both apps work great. The option to see the graph for the g sensors is fun to play with, and the transitions look pretty sweet.
afbcamaro said:
If you guys want your phone to be able to use transition effects (very fast and nice) like google had when they were demoing how flash will work, just follow these steps. You will also gain a lot of cool little features like cpu load viewer etc.
First go to the market and download Apps Installer. Then download the files I just uploaded.(unzip)
Copy the files you just downloaded to your root sdcard
Run App installer and Look for Dev tools. Install that. It might as you to allow untrusted applications to run. Click on allow then finish install
Then run the program dev tools
Click on Development Settings
and Change
Windows animation scale to 1x
Transition animation scare to 1x
and light hinting
Exit and play with your phone HAHA!! It beautiful.
You have a couple of extra options as well as Cpu load metter, process display, maximum thread open allow limit etc.
Anyways have fun!
PS. Also added API Demos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both of those apps are part of the SDK and can be extracted from the emulator. I was briefly looking at the code to gauge the difficulty of adding custom effects:
Ie, i wanted windows to zoom in and out when switching between applications, and to slide when switching between windows within the same application. More natural that way. I think thats what the iPhone does too. Looks pretty easy to do though.
Precisely, I was playing with the sdk and remembered the dev tool so I adb pulled and it worked beutifull. I am looking at the code too see what can happen
Does this actually improve the performance of the system? Meaning does it making browsing faster or is it just eye candy?
afbcamaro said:
If you guys want your phone to be able to use transition effects (very fast and nice) like google had when they were demoing how flash will work, just follow these steps. You will also gain a lot of cool little features like cpu load viewer etc.
First go to the market and download Apps Installer. Then download the files I just uploaded.(unzip)
Copy the files you just downloaded to your root sdcard
Run App installer and Look for Dev tools. Install that. It might as you to allow untrusted applications to run. Click on allow then finish install
Then run the program dev tools
Click on Development Settings
and Change
Windows animation scale to 1x
Transition animation scare to 1x
and light hinting
Exit and play with your phone HAHA!! It beautiful.
You have a couple of extra options as well as Cpu load metter, process display, maximum thread open allow limit etc.
Anyways have fun!
PS. Also added API Demos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really cool... thanks for the tip
Yay
It works great, thanks for the tutorial.
Doesn't work for me
Installing via the web browser or apps installer fails for me (for the Development.apk)
Message isn't terribly helpful (application install unsuccessful), anyone know of a good place to look in logs to catch what's happening here?
Settings
Applications
Check Unknown Sources
That should take care of the failed install, if not then there is something totally unrelated happening
I set the Transition animation scale to 2x, I like it a bit slower. Those API Demos are pretty cool, I watched the Kube (Rubik's Cube demo in Graphics/OpenGL ES) for a few minutes to see if it would solve itself
Try using the APK installer. It's a Tool in the Market.
Under the development settings what do the other options do? It looks like you can limit the number of apps running or the app close when you exit it.
download
Can some1 upload or email me the zip n .xxx format I'm trying to download it on my g1 but as all you know it doesn't support .zip
My email is xile06 gmail
xile6 said:
Can some1 upload or email me the zip n .xxx format I'm trying to download it on my g1 but as all you know it doesn't support .zip
My email is xile06 gmail
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe you should try extracting it first
duh
I was trying to download the zip from the g1 but the g1 doesn't download .zip my pc doesn' have net right now but thanx for the preson who emailed me the .xxx Great app and thanks again it was uploaded to.
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=a3245178fceffeadd2db6fb9a8902bda
thanx for the preson who emailed me the .xxx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was me
Thanks! The phone feels a lot more fluid between switching screens.
xile6 said:
I was trying to download the zip from the g1 but the g1 doesn't download .zip my pc doesn' have net right now but thanx for the preson who emailed me the .xxx Great app and thanks again it was uploaded to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh, sorry about that.
Great find btw. Using the animation, cpu, and process list but can anyone tell me whats the X.XX / X.XX / X.XX on the top of the process list for ?
This is incubus26jc's thread, just posting it here for exposure.
incubus26jc said:
Alright guys, I finally found a Java App that will actually control your phone from your pc. This is not complicated. Thanks to acid256 for this open source project.
If your looking to do screenshots, use the java screenshot program in this thread
Features
- Mouse and keyboard control FOR ROOTED DEVICES ONLY
- Landscape mode (right click)
- Video recording
- Basic file browser
INSTRUCTIONS
Download Android sdk. Place android-sdk-windows folder on root of your C:\
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
Download(skip login) and install JRE(JDK) 6
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/widget/jdk6.jsp
Download the attached java file, unzip it, and just run it.
Place it anywhere you want. It doesnt have to be in the sdk folder like the screenshot program.
Make sure your phone is plugged in for a minute or two.
If you cant get it to control, run the automount app or dual mount sd widget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn that is sweet! Will try it when I get home from work
Thank you for posting about this. Just gave it a shot, and it works pretty well. It's a bit laggy, but definitely gets the job done. I needed this in order to respond to texts without looking like I'm responding to texts, and for that this works very well.
Thanks for posting this. I might have to give this a try.
Good for if your phone is in someone else's hands. :-O
Just tested it out.
Found a couple problems-
-It's a little slow
-If you have the phone set up with the kickstand, and it turns the orientation side ways, it does the same on the computer. So then everything is sideways.
-If the phone is Asleep, it wont wake it up
Besides those few problems, it's great!
Can't wait to see what this will be like in the coming weeks as the dev. gets the bugs worked out!
Yes very slow but I like it. Awesome owkr.
Cool beans, thanks
i was hoping this was similar to MyMoblier for WinMo. being able to remotely control (or at least view) a device is rather handy for support folks.
has anyone seen something more like mymobiler for winmo that will work on android?
Works good but it needs more responsiveness in the mouse clicking. I can drag but I cant click very well. I press menu and go to Wallpaper. But I cant press Wallpaper.
Excellent program for people who want to text in privacy at work.
Awesome, this could be quite useful
i'm having absolutely no luck with this. granted, i'm using adb wireless to try and manipulate it, but i'm rooted, and it should still work. getting absolutely no control at all. none. i can see the screen, and can rotate my view of it, but i can't do squat through the phone.
i'm rooted, btw.
Below is a post I made for the Vibrant. Being that our phones are so similar, I thought you guys may be able to benefit too.
Please note though, this is for the Vibrant and there may be very big differences that I am NOT aware of. Hope this helps some of you!
ROOT TOPICS
HOW TO ROOT
justadude had a great post on how to root. Please read his post. Rooting takes maybe 2 minutes. This does void your warranty - but so much is gained from having Root! I currently do not feel the need to explain all the benefits. If you found XDA, you must be fairly smart person. Enjoy!
* Alternate Method *
XDA user TGA_Gunnman has again made another great thread. This time he has created a program to make root even simpler than downloading a file, renaming it and going to the stock recovery... yeap, the one click Root (and now an unroot too). Please see his thread here, and thank him for his work.
Got Root? YOU NEED A RECOVERY!
Big props to XDA user Koush for his amazing Rom Manager App, and the work he put into getting us such an easy & safe recovery. Everyone who has rooted their Vibrant should get his app (STRONGLY encourage the Premium Version). In short, this lets you create system backups for those "oops" moments. It also gives you a directory of ROMs for easy downloading and flashing. Yeah, it is that cool. Please see his post for instructions. After successfully installing, be sure a make a Nandroid Backup of your system before flashing any rom's. Please note that the Premium is a key that unlocks functionality in the free version, so you will need both if you are willing to help Koush out.
Free:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Premium ($3.99):
HOW TO MAKE A NANDROID BACKUP *ALWAYS BACKUP BEFORE YOU FLASH A NEW ROM
1 - Open Rom Manager
2 - Click on Flash Clockwork Recovery (you can skip this if you have already flashed the recovery before)
3 - Click on "Reboot Into Recovery"
4 - At the prompt, click "ok" to reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery
5 - If this is your first time, you may be at the stock recovery on the Vibrant. Thats normal. Click on "reinstall packages" (ALSO: Volume up and down navigate, and power is used to select an item).
6 - Now, you are at ClockworkMod's Recovery. Scroll down (volume down), to "Nandroid" and select it (power button).
7 - Click on Backup. It will run it's course.
8 - Voi'la, you now have something you can always fall back on in case you F up. Thank Koush and all the testers.
HOW TO RESTORE A BACKUP
Follow the steps from above, but select "Restore" instead. They will be sorted by date YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.
DID YOU F'UP AND NEED TO GET BACK TO STOCK?
Well, thanks to XDA User justanothercrowd we have a Nandroid Backup to get you back to how the Vibrant shipped (and rooted of course). Hopefully you don't need it, but thank him after reading his post just in case you do!
HOW TO UN-ROOT *ie, sending your phone in for warranty work
The following code can be keyed in Terminal Emulator (could also be done in ADB or deleting the files using Root Explorer). If you do use Terminal, change the keyboard to the stock Android KB prior to opening Terminal. Apparently the backspace on swype does not work in Terminal. Each line should be entered separately. bahnburner gave the instructions in this thread, which you should review first.
su
rm -r /system/app/Superuser.apk
rm -r /system/xbin/busybox
rm -r /system/bin/su
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
* Alternate Method *
TGA_Gunnman in this thread created a one click root/unroot program. Thank him for his effort.
THINGS TO DO WITH ROOT
CONTROL YOUR STARTUP (PLUS MORE)
There are many apps in the Market for this function, I only know and use Autostarts (found here). The developer has been very receptive to feedback and informative. This app does a lot, but this is what I suggest.
Download it. Install it. GO TO MENU > SETTINGS > APPLICATIONS > (can't recall the next menu name at the moment) AND ENABLE USB DEBUGGING (it will not work otherwise). Open Autostarts.
It will scan the system and put all the apps that are used for MANY different tasks the phone does. I then go to the options and hide all of the system apps (no point in messing with those). After that, simply control what market/3rd party apps should be running given the task identified by Startup. You will be surprised what apps appear, for no good reason. Of course Android will eventually kill these when needed, but why have them open in the first place (this is better than a task killer if you ask me). Obviously if you are sending a text message you do not want to disable an app like handcent, so use common sense here. Any questions or issues, I would suggest emailing the developer or posting a question in the App section (perhaps there is already a designated Startup thread to ask this question, hint hint).
Autostarts (Approx $1):
RESTORE SETTINGS AFTER WIPING YOUR PHONE *If changing from one ROM to another, be courteous, and wipe.
XDA user SykesAT reminded me that Titanium Backup is a great app for restoring after wiping your system. I do not use it, so I asked him to do a small write up. He obliged, and here it is:
Backup Your Apps and System setting with Titanium Backup
It can backup/restore:
* All the applications you have installed, including protected ones,
* All the data and settings of these applications,
* Most (or all) of your phone's settings and data. (incl. SMS, bookmarks, call log, calendar, launcher, WiFi, etc)
* Market links when restoring apps.
* NOTE: It will not backup the system applications from your ROM. Only their settings will be backed up.
Titanium Backup is available from the market (free version only) or you can DL from the dev's site. There is a premium (donate) version with more features. Please see the Dev's site for more details, instructions and FAQs. Here is a link to his site!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium Backup:
DELETE THE BLOAT!
Download Root Explorer (i'm not associated with) and go to System/App to remove a lot of the bloatware that came on the phone. I strongly encourage researching what can & can NOT be removed. ALWAYS make a backup. Here is a good thread about removing the bloat. Remember, I am not responsible. It will be some time before we have a custom ROM that removes this crap for us.
TAKE SCREEN SHOTS!
If you have root, the easiest way is to download shootme or drocap2 from the market. You can also use the Android SDK, but I'm going to keep is basic here. Once you have your pic, upload it for all of the community to see!
Shootme:
DISABLE ADS WITHIN APPS!
Download AdFree from the market... check for updates and voi'la, most, if not all apps should be ad-free.
AdFree:
HOW TO TETHER
Download Barnacle from the Market (consider the donate version). Then visit Lovellkid's thread for more instructions.
Donate Version ($1.99):
Free Version:
CAMERA / VIDEO SECTION
HOW DO YOU ZOOM IN?
XDA user antonio91282 pointed out that you can zoom in by pressing the volume rocker while using the camera. It goes from 1-4x.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RECODING VIDEO TO SD VS. INTERNAL MEMORY
XDA user wphend00 asked (By creating two separate threads!, tiss tiss) if there were differences between recording video to the SD vs. Internal memory. I thought it was a great question, so I did a very quick test. Disclaimer, I'm certain others can do a better job. Here is my post with links to the videos so you can see for yourself. Here is a link to the entire thread so you can see discussion about it, if any.
APP TOPICS
USE GOOGLE GESTURE FOR QUICKNESS
XDA user os2baba pointed out using Google Gesture to search the phone (everything, apps, contacts, music, etc.). It's a great app where you make gestures with your finger and it isolates your search results based off the letter/number you enter. Highly recommend trying it.
Google Gesture:
WHERE ARE APPS LOCATED?
System Apps:
system/app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Market Apps:
data/app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Market Apps (Private):
data/app-private
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Downloaded Apps (using browser):
sdcard/download
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
* If you download an app using the browser, you can use Root Explorer to move the app to data/app so the apps are stored on the 1.9GB partition the system uses. Once moved you can click on it to install it. My personal preference.
TRY A HOME REPLACEMENT (ADW or LauncherPro)
Go to the market and download either - both are free. ADW has more customization, but I like the look and feel of LP more. If you don't like it, uninstall and go back to TW. Gravis86 started a good thread debating which is better, located here.
ADW:
LP:
This my LP setup on my Vibrant. Notice the docks (these are also scrollable & there are 5 per each desktop screen you have). The Live Wallpaper is Aquarium.
XDA user afive720 had a nice post on how to revert back to TouchWiz (without uninstalling). You can read the thread here for more information.
WHAT WEATHER APP IS THAT?
It is Beautiful Widgets, found here.
WANT TO USE ALLSHARE: PC > PHONE AND VICE/VERSA?
I found this thread to be extremely helpful. I ended up using Windows Media Player and it was too easy. Great app.
XDA User BritCrit has also given some really good information in this thread you may also want to review.
USE AWESOME DROP TO MOVE FILES IF NO CABLES
If you are ever in a bind, or just being lazy you can use this app to move files from a PC to your phone. No hastle, no account setup and it is free. Just go to this site: http://labs.dashwire.com/drop and then enter the 4 digit code when you open the app on your phone. Drag whatever files to the browser on your PC, and voilà, it will instantly start showing up on your phone.
REDUCE A PICTURES SIZE BEFORE SHARING IT?
PaulO'Brien tweeted about an app, Image Shrink Lite, that lets you adjust the size and then select the method you want to share (twitter, messenger, gmail, etc). I mention this only because a lot of people get frustrated when they take a pic and try and send it out, but gmail hangs on it (and it eventually ends up a draft email) because it is too large. Resize the pics before you email them and you will not have this Fail.
Image Shrink Lite:
NEED HELP WITH METAMORPH?
Stericson is a master, and his thread is the tell-all on MetaMorph. Basically, this app allows you to customize the color/look of almost everything on your phone. It seems above my level, but those who use it, love it. You can view it here. I would caution using it unless comfortable.
MetaMorph Donate ($1):
Free:
VIBRANT TOPICS
STOP THE BOOTUP / SHUTDOWN AUDIO NOTIFICATIONS!
This thread has it covered: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731059
I deleted these two files using Root Explorer (referenced below) and can attest it works perfectly.
Thanks to XDA Member PhilSlater I know that the File locations are:
Bootup: system/etc/PowerOn.wav
Shutdown: system/media/audio/ui/Shutdown_128.ogg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BUTTONS - Tap vs. Long Press (LP) Taken from www.androidcentral.com:
Home: Returns to the main home screen. If at the home screen, another tap gives a preview of all home screens.
(LP) = See your most recently used apps (GREAT for multitasking).
Back: Takes you back a level in an app, or back a page in a browser, etc.
(LP) = In your browser, quickly access bookmarks, history and most-visited sites. Thanks, Snapdragon0503!
Menu: Tap this for additional options in an application, or from the home screens.
(LP) = Make the keyboard appear.
Search: Brings up the search function. Could be search within an app, Google search, or universal search of contacts, bookmarks, apps, etc. that are in the phone.
(LP) = Launches voice search.
WANT A NEW LOOK? CHANGE YOUR FONT!
In settings, go to sound and display. Change the "Font Style" is like 8th from the bottom. There are a few freebies, and about 50 for a dollar in the market. I changed my system to helvetica, and I was amazed at the level it changed the phone. If you already have some free fonts you downloaded from the market, I believe you can move these .apk files to this directory to make them appear under Sound and Display:
data/apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(It is where Helvetica appeared once I downloaded and installed it).
XDA user RandyN added some input with this post, and I tend to agree. Though I love helvetica
XDA User nick_karstedt also pointed out there is an app that also does this called Type Fresh. I'm going to stick with the OS settings, but this looks like a good option for a lot of people. Thanks for the suggestion.
CHANGE THE DOCK BUTTONS ON TOUCHWIZ!
Open the app drawer, menu, edit, change to customizable. With the app drawer open now, press menu and edit again. You can now replace the two app docks in the middle (dialer and app drawer can't be replaced).
DELETE APPS FROM THE LAUNCHER OF TOUCHWIZ
Open the launcher, menu > view type, change to customizable. Now press Menu again and select Edit. All of the non-system apps will have a red subtraction logo. Thanks to XDA user erikrios and his post for this gem!
QUICKLY ADJUST YOUR BRIGHTNESS
Move your finger left to right across the notification bar. You probably need to cut off auto-brightness though. thanks to soklean (neat!)
NEED TO COPY AND PASTE?
If at a site, and you need to copy some text... click Menu > Select Text > Drag your finger over the text you need to copy. When you release your finger, the selected text is copied to your clipboard. Long press and paste when ready. I agree this is not perfect, but some of us may not even know you could do it. Froyo is coming soon, and with it the ability to easily copy/paste within gmail.
HOW TO CONTROL + F USING THE ANDROID BROWSER
I Very often use Control + F when browsing sites on a PC. Android makes this very easy when using their browser as well. Simply press Menu when in the browser, go to More, then select "Find on Page." You can then enter the keyword you are looking for and use the directional arrows (to the left of the word) to move from one entry to the next. Awesome.
CHANGE THE HAPTIC VIBRATION INTENSITY
Love this feature. I often find haptic feedback is too much. To adjust the intensity, from the home screen: Menu > Settings > Sound and Display > Vibration Intensity. As you slide the bar it gives you an idea of the intensity. Great addition.
TAP CONTACT IMAGE FOR MORE OPTIONS
XDA user jkang29 reminded me of another thing I took for granted. When you are in Contacts, click on the image of the contact for MANY options on how to contact/share with that particular contact. Thanks jkang29!
WANT TO DISABLE SD CARD NOTIFICATIONS?
I do not see the point in hearing this chime. To cut off the sound, from the home screen: Menu > Settings > Sound and Display > SD Card Notifications. You can uncheck this and never hear that sound again.
CONTACTS / DIALER TOPICS
EDIT YOUR CONTACTS (ON YOUR PC FIRST)
If you are new to Android, the first time you logged in it was probably amazing (and frustrating) when you saw ALL of your google contacts sync with your phone. Here are my thoughts, I hope it helps. First things you need to know, google does not allow you to stop the auto-adding of the random people you email to be added to your contacts. Of course, those randoms are now likely showing up in your contact list (hence the frustrating part). Here is how I fixed it:
*please note, if you hide all contacts who do not have a phone number (see below) you can likely skip this, but I included for those who REALLY want to clean up their contacts*
1 - Login to gmail on your PC. Click on "Contacts" on the left border.
2 - Notice you have "My Contacts" (the good) and you have "All Contacts" below that (the bad).
3 - go to the "search contacts" search bar and just enter one SPACE and then press enter.
4 - The middle column will now have your contacts sorted by THE GOOD (My contacts) on top and then THE BAD (All Contacts) below that. You may have more tiers, but I am keeping it simple for illustration.
5 - Scroll all the way down to the bad list. Review the names. Some may be legit people you just have not added to your My Contacts list yet.
6 - If you have a hard time recalling who someone is, google has included a "show conversation" link. This shows any previous email exchanges so you can decide to either delete or add them.
7 - Work through this list. I would suggest deleting them as you go, but not adding them to your My Contacts list until the very end (to prevent from having to do step 3 over and over).
8 - Okay, great. Lets assume you got rid of all the clutter. NOW, go to your My Contacts.... the far right panel should have a box that says "Find Duplicates". If you have any, fix them... no reason to have several entries for the same person.
9 - Now just review the My Contacts list and make any edits or format changes. I am Type A, so you could only imagine how clean your Android Contact list is about to appear.
Great, enough with the PC. Go to your Vibrant. Chances are it is already synching up with the changes you made.
The phone came with a bunch of #s stored on the Phone and SIM stock, I could care less about these. If you agree:
1 - Open Contacts. Press menu, go to "Display Options"
2 - Uncheck Phone and SIM (others may not agree, I just dont see the point), leaving Google as the only one checked.
Alright, almost there now. As it is, you have removed a LOT of clutter, but you may still have a ton of contacts. That is because, by default the Contacts app shows All contacts, even if they do not have a phone number. Now again, this is a personal choice.... but if I need to call someone, I would rather not have to deal with people listed who I do not have a phone number for. Also, if I am emailing them, I am using gmail, not Contacts (so again, not needed). IF you agree:
1 - Open Contacts, Press Menu and go to "Display Options"
2 - The top will say something to the affect of, check here if you only want to show contacts with phones.... Click it. Then click Done.
3 - Bam, your Contacts may not be perfect (like mine), but I bet they look a ton better. I tried to point out there is a lot of personal preferences, so please take this with a grain of salt. I like things clean.
FIND YOUR CONTACTS FASTER!
TouchWiz has a lot of cool tricks. One of my favorites is in the Contacts app. When you load the app, you will notice the far right has the alphabet running top to bottom. Good news, by simply pressing on the letter you will automatically jump down, instantly. I much prefer this to the old Android where you had to grab a silver bar and scroll down. Good job Samsung.
SMART DIALER!
Samsung even included a smart dialer. Pull up your dialer and just start typing the number out. It filters down your contacts as you type each new digit. Likely, after the area code and first 1 or 2 digits after should be enough. There will be a drop down on the right and a number above it (the # of possible contacts based off what you input). Just press the contact, and the press CALL, genius. Seriously should be on all android phones.
KEYBOARD TOPICS
TRY A NEW KEYBOARD!
Our phones came with Swype, Samsung's KB and the default Android KB. All are very good in their own right. You will find you prefer one over the other (or maybe many of the alternatives in the market). To switch... simply long press anywhere that you would normally input text (a text message or the search widget). "input method" will pop up, click on this. Now choose the KB you want to try out. If one is not showing up, go to Menu > Settings > Locale and Text and make sure its there/checked.
NEED A TRACKBALL?
In swype, move from the "swype tips" button to the "sym" key. Voila, directional buttons appear + other goodies (see pic).
MISC. GUIDES
HOW TO MOUNT PHONE TO PC
One of the most basic things I have overlooked. XDA user DaMaDo reminded me Android does not auto-mount like some other phones on the market. I am so accustomed to this, I neglected it. Precisely the things I want you to help remind me of. When most of us connect the phone, the USB drivers are automatic. If not there is a guide below to assist. For now, let's assume all is well on the first connection of the Vibrant to the PC. When you connect you will likely get a popup on the PC about installing drivers, great. Please use the cable that came with the phone! I had an error with another cable (nexus one's I believe).
Pause a bit. Alright, seems like nothing is happening right? Okay, go to the phone's notification bar and pull it down. You will see USB Connected. Click on this. You have a pretty little pop up window. Click on "Mount."
Shortly after, your computer should pop up automatically TWO devices, the "/SDCARD" (Internal Memory) and "SDCARD/SD" (SD Card). If not, go to My Computer and find the drives you just mounted to the PC.
NEPHRON'S GUIDE FOR ADB, etc (taken from the G1 forums)
This guide helped me a ton. I realize some things may be diffrent, but I could not think of a better starting point. Please read this thread.
CONVERT VIDEO FILES ON YOUR PC FOR YOUR PHONE
XDA user TGA_Gunnman did an excellent job putting a thread together for how to convert videos using HandBrake (get it here) and then moving them to your phone. I have a 2 year old. One thing I do a lot of is take video of my girl and share them with people. Perhaps you just want to share a prank video... regardless, this is the thread to get you on point. Be sure and thank him if his how to helped you!
HOW TO PROPERLY INSTALL A NEW SD CARD
XDA user techspy posted this question and I had recently done it so I responded with how I did it. Again, like always, I'm certain there are people on here who know how to do this better/easier, but this works and is nothing difficult. Here is my post with instructions, and here is the thread for discussion.
MISC. QUESTIONS
WHAT ARE THOSE FUNKY BARCODES?
These are QR Codes. Download Barcode Scanner from the market. Scan any of these codes I linked. You will be sent to the app in the market. Download, enjoy.
NOTICE LAG?
I do not encourage this, but some will want to play with it. There is a great thread on tweaks that can be done to speed up the Galaxy. I personally will wait for either an update or a custom ROM. Others users have reported a Factory Reset has helped. Again, updates are coming soon as well as custom ROMs.
DOUBLE NOTIFICATIONS?
If you are using a 3rd party app, you may be getting double notifications. For example, I use Handcent for texting (you should try it). First thing you need to do is open the stock Messanger app, go menu > Settings and disable notifications. This is basic, but sometimes it's easy to overlook.
SHOULD I USE A TASK KILLER?
Absolutely not. You have the best OS and one of the best spec'd phones ever. You would be doing more harm than good. If you do have one, uninstall, reboot and let me know what you think!
In addition, even Google at Google I/O 2010 addressed app developers and asked them to no longer include "quit" or "close" as options within their apps. I think Andronica (another great android site) summed it up well with their article, found here.
XDA user iunlock created a thread with some good debate based off this sticky. You can read all the thoughts by clicking here. In short, the overwhelming majority agreed and some have commented on seeing an increase in performance after deleting their task killers. Awesome job guys.
HOW TO DO A FACTORY RESET!
Rarely should you need to do this (I've never done one), but if you want to, simply press menu and go to settings. Scroll down to Privacy. In there is the option to perform a Factory Reset.
NEED HELP INSTALLING THE DRIVERS ON YOUR PC?
TGAGunnMan started a great thread with links for the drivers. You can view it here.
THREE (3) LIGHTS/SENSORS - SURE THERE IS NO LCD?
Yeap. I asked myself when I noticed there were 3 items. Two are used for the proximity sensor, the other is the light sensor.
Big props to XDA user gravis86 for answering my query so fast, see his post here.
Wow! Nice compilation! The only thing I know that doesn't work properly with the Captivate is method 2 of the lag fix in the link given under the lag section.
Other than that, this is great! Thanks man!
^ yeah, I'm not a fan of those lag fixes... tried to convey that in my post. I just switched to LauncherPro and use Autostarts.... my phone flies.
Hope this helps you guys. Never really thought that some of you guys were not checking the Vibrant threads (like I was not reading the Captivate ones).
Someone please feel free to take ownership of this and make it more suitable to the Captivate. Just want to help... if someone does use it, would appreciate at least a name drop
nice work on that and thanks for the qr codes for those programs, a lot of useful stuff that I didn't know about
Awesome post
Thanks s15274n!!
Thank you ever so much for the the Swype arrow keys tip. That was the biggest problem I've had with the Captivate. The brightness control through the notification bar was also a big help. Sometimes its the simple things that make your day.
This needs to be stickied immediately. Phenomenal thread. Nice work.
Nice compliation! I second the sticky vote.
To me, TouchWiz is the single biggest lag producer on the phone. I've gone LauncherPro and never looked back.
Yep, I used this thread before, great stuff indeed ..thanks!
Awesome, awesome post. Thanks TC!
thanks a ton for this thread, and *facepalms* for me not thinking to check out the Vibrant forums also....
Doesn't look like this thread really got much attention like it did on the Vibrant. I am not going to maintain this one like i do the Vibrant.... feel free to check there periodically (OR, have someone maintain this one as a sticky).
AppInventor is basically an online resource for making Android apps. However, to make them you don't need to write codes mostly, making this easier for people like me, who dream about actually being a dev.AppInventor, although is a great resource, but got lost in the forums .
The quality of app is really just dependant on the amount of time you are you wiling to spend on it, and how much time you have taken to understand the AppInventor program itself.
There are many apps that can be made from this, ranging to just info apps, to ones that provide links, and others that actually turn out to be mathematical games. Again, it is just up to the amount of time you decide to spend on the app itself, so don't expect your app to be something utterly brilliant the first time.
This can be used as a learning process. The basic logic behind any app development can be found in here.
So here are my first two attempts.
The first one is basically an app that provides me links.
'Indian Restaurants Guide'
This was my first attempt, so please bear my 'noobness'
The app basically provides buttons, which, when pressed lead the person to a website I built. I did not make it a a major thing, trying to draw traffic to the website, rather the website was built for the app. The app, and the website, both are low in content.
https://market.android.com/details?id=appinventor.ai_hateem_ha.glasgowcurrys&feature=search_result
'Neha Sharma Bollywood Actress'
This is my Second attempt
Basically, this app is a bit more complex, and a lot more logic was used.
The app is about an actress, and it gives some more info about her, and also provides links to her facebook and twitter profiles.
Further, it has also links which open up in the youtube application as trailers of her movies.
https://market.android.com/details?id=appinventor.ai_hateem_ha.trial&feature=search_result
The second app, if you notice was a bit more complex, and I had to make use of the Blocks Editor (a tool provided that helps you create the logic) much more. Also, I had to dig deep into the online resources about the app itself, to make sure that nothing in the design and the blocks went wrong. You get better at stuff as you go along, and I think this will be same.
Try Google AppInventor Now
http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/learn/setup/
Tutorials
https://sites.google.com/site/appinventorresources/home/tutorial-topics
'Publish Your App on Android Market'
Taking, it to the next step.
If you want to publish your apps on the Android market, you need to make an Android market publishing account.
The cost is 25$, but if you are even an amateur 'dev', this might be worth it.
With AppInventor, you can not think about generating revenue from the apps you make, unless they are exceptional.
However, once you make an account by going to
www.market.android.com/publish
you can start posting apps on the market.
All apps made on the AppInventor will need to be signed before you can put them on. However, before signing you might want to consider changing your app icon, because the one that comes from AppInventor is just the default one, and I expect you would want to add some personal touch.
Here are the steps on putting your own icon on the app.
[EDIT]
These steps below are not necessary now. In the Appinventor window, when you select Screen1 it will give you the option to set the icon for the app.
The steps below are here, if that does not work out or you are just trying to change the icon of any app.
1)- Get your finished .apk file and rename it from '.apk' to '.zip'
2)- Browse into the now '.zip' file (use any means you like 7zip, windows explorer, etc)
3)- In the first directory of your app you will see a folder called 'res', which will contain the image file.
Now I have tried replacing the file, but somehow it does not work, so select the 'res' folder and delete it.
4)- Make a new folder in the '.zip' folder called 'res'. Then make a subfolder 'drawable'
5)- Find your icon image that you want to put it.
The icon needs to be a 48x48 image in '.png' format.
I used Microsoft Paint on Windows 7 to resize my image to that size and then save as a '.png' file.
You can use that, or if on XP use the default image resizing tool called 'MS PowerToy'
Or you can use this program to resize the images
http://imageresizer.codeplex.com/releases/view/30247
6)- Place the image file in res\drawable\'your image file'.png
7)- Now re-name the image file to 'ya'
8)- Then rename the '.zip' file back to'.apk'
If you can't do it on your computer, send the file to your mobile, and use Astro to rename.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.metago.astro&feature=search_result
9)- This bit's maybe an easier bit, signing your app.
Since there is no easy way to sign an app, I used this program which signs the app with your details.
http://amerkashi.wordpress.com/2011...version-of-app-inventor-apk-to-google-market/
Watch the video about this program, and all will be clear.
10)- After this get the '.apk' created which says 'zipaligned'
Goto your Android market dev account, and upload the '.apk'
Complete the steps, provide Screenshots, and another Icon. This time the icon
has a bigger size. 512x512. Use any way to Resize your image. Then make your '.apk' Active, and Publish your app.
Sounds maybe a bit complicated, but can be done easily if the steps are followed.*
Please leave your feedback concerning your experience with this program, also, please post any links to apps that you make using this.
*I have done all this on Windows 7, so the steps you need to take to complete the procedure might be different on a Mac.
Reserved (ONE)
Reserved (TWO)
Bump.........
Cool. Good info. I may give it a try sometime. Thanks
Sent from my King's Alliance Evo running 4G data
Wow, this looks like a real easy way to get into making some apps. Thanks for posting this, I'm going to give it a try.
Thanks, hateem, this is a really good intro to the service. I wish I'd had it when I started!
FYI, AppInventor is one of those Google Labs projects that's been canned. It's still open and there seems to still be some question as to whether they're actually going to shutter it or move it elsewhere and open source it. No, I'm not trolling, I've been an AI user since shortly after it was launched and have been following the discussions over at its Google Group.
I made an account about a year ago, but did not start using it till now.
I did hear some news about it being dropped off by Google, but I don't think that has happened yet, or will anytime soon.
Bump........
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
New way added, to set the app icon.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Cool thanks, i guess this is why there are a million horrible apps in the market lol
The number of apps made by appinventor on the market are low, due to the payment needed for a market account.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Bump........
New SAT app coming soon. This will be a major advancement from the Restaurant app, and will hopefully contain a tinydb.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Now I just need a decent idea!
Im thinkin of making an app which lets you take a snapshot and then edit it quickly, maybe u cud beat me to it?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Is this Easy to use?
PMGRANDS said:
Is this Easy to use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is easier, in the sense that actual app development is exremely complicated. Parts of this (the really complicated apps which make use of webdb) are not easy to grasp, However, most of it is quite straight forward. Plus there are a lot of tutorial videos on this. Just search on youtube, and don't feel like you don't know anything after seeing a really complicated one cause that's really as hard as it gets.
Starters should really begin with Purr and paintpot app, and then maybe move on to making a twitter application and so on.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Just made a quickn simple photo editing app, and a SAT guide using this, will be updating main post soon with links to them.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
App inventor can be frustrating at times due to some of its limitations, but all in all, its pretty good. I have seen that once MIT gets app inventor back from Google soon they have big plans to help it take off even more.
I have an app on the market too, its in beta, its free, and i havent really been working on it for very long. almost 1000 downloads in 2 weeks, so im happy.
Its a RPGish game, with barcode scanning, online battles, npc battles, items, leveling up, etc. Made a network with usernames/passwords, etc. App inventor can be pretty awesome if you use it to its potential.
Heres the link: Market Link
If anyone ever needs help with AI, email me at [email protected], I'd be glad to help.
Hi everyone. Im one of the developers of SwitchMe, and app that allows multiple secure logins into separate installations of android on a single device. The pr is after the break.
I really need a few people to check into some issues people on some roms have been experiencing. There are some warnings involved:
- testers must perform a full nandroid backup before using the app, it is not our responsibility if you start getting boot loops or whatnot
- if you report results or bugs, please use the "Write to us" function in the app whenever possible, and always describe the issue in the header of the logs you send
- if you post here, bes sure to include your device type and rom
- if you have apps installed on sd, be sure to mention that as well
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SwitchMe is a unique application for root users that allows you to log in and out of multiple installations of Android just as you would on a desktop computer.
The technology behind SwitchMe saves all of your applications and data, protects it and stores it as a file in memory. You can then log out of an
account and log into a fresh installation of Android or another account with its own unique content.
You may create as many profiles as the memory is capable of holding. Some of these may require very little free memory because they contain few apps,
others will be larger as they contain many applications and lots of cache and data.
Why is this functionality useful?
Privacy - the most obvious benefit is that you can securely share one device among multiple users, which gives you privacy and peace of mind.
Testing - if you are a developer, you can use profiles as clean sandboxes to test your applications and their interaction with the system.
Gaming – with multiple installations of Android on a single device, you can now play online MMOs as different characters.
Speed - the games your kids play slow down your tablet, but with SwitchMe you can easily create profiles without games or instant messengers.
Battery life - when the battery is low but there are important emails or documents to edit later, switch to a profile which only contains these essentials.
These of course are only suggestions - there are plenty of other uses for the functionality SwitchMe offers.
Market link:
https://market.android.com/details?id=fahrbot.apps.switchme
The Lite version allows the creation of two profiles, enough to test on.
Screens:
will this allow me to switch between ROMs, like a ROM manager?
No. It creates multiple installs of your base rom. There is an app called boot manager, but it will never support the fire...
ftgg99 said:
No. It creates multiple installs of your base rom. There is an app called boot manager, but it will never support the fire...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah. Was hoping it was like Boot Manager. Damn.
Switchme seems to work as desired. I'm the only one using my fire tho so there isn't much need for it. Come to to think of it, it would keep people out of my account when its being passed around at my buddies house lol.
Why do you say boot manager will never have support on the kindle fire?
Considering their progress over the last year and a half - 6! new devices - it will take forever.
SwitchMe 1.2 has been rolled out and now includes a lockscreen replacement:
1.2
Added lock screen for logging in and out
More stable Fast switch implementation
Reworked UI colors
Now, its very important that we get some feedback on how this big new feature works, so please read up on it in the help and post your thoughts!
1.2.2 - HOTFIX 2
Reworked widget on qHD+ displays
Fixed widget text on HC and ICS
Fast switch improved on older devices
Dont forget to send LOGS WITH DESCRIPTIONS when you have issues!
RECREATE your problem, then send the logs via WRITE TO US!
Anything to report?
ftgg99 said:
Anything to report?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a few ideas that should put this app to good use I've been meaning play with it for a while now. Going to be kinda busy during the week but I'll try to post any questions/issues if I come across any. If I don't get to it during the week, I will defiantly spend some time using it on the weekend
Thanks, i look forward to some feedback - for a developer good feedback in forums is much better than "doesnt work - 1 star" type reviews on the market.
1.4.3.7
Fixed device specific switch screen crashes and issues
Fixed UI bug in switch screen preferences
If anyohe had problems with superuser before, this should fix them. Please let me know if that is the case, its important we get some feedback here!
Anything to report regarding yesterday's release?
I couldn't get wifi to connect last week (only time i had to try it) I'll give it another go tonight. I did have a question about storage, if i have a game installed on my main profile and install it on a second profile, is the apk then located in 2 locations? The kindle fire is very limited on storage with no option of expandable storage
foxdog66 said:
I couldn't get wifi to connect last week (only time i had to try it) I'll give it another go tonight. I did have a question about storage, if i have a game installed on my main profile and install it on a second profile, is the apk then located in 2 locations? The kindle fire is very limited on storage with no option of expandable storage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the apk will be used twice.
By the way we released a new app today some of you might also find useful, you can find it here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538222
PLEASE CHECK IT OUT AND BE KIND
Touch Blocker Beta - a simple but useful app that makes holding and using your device easier
There are two basic functions:
- create dead zones where touches do not register
- filter the screen when reading in low light
We are already in a relatively stable Beta release - whats left now is adding new features and making it all look pretty. You can follow this process at the thread here.
Please be sure to write suggestions - we are looking forward to engaging the community and building a useful and nifty application that many will enjoy!
Market link
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fahrbot.apps.touchblocker
Screens
Debugging
If you experience issues, the best way to help is by reproducing them and then clicking "write to us" - be sure to include a description of your error or we may not read the logs.
Hello, I just came across this thread and had to say something, I love your Switchme app. Me and my wife both use my fire and it was driving me crazy not being able to customize it how I wanted. Then I found your app in the market and was ecstatic to try it. It worked like a dream! Your latest update just added that little touch that made it sol worth it. Thank you so much for this function and smooth integration.
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire using CM9
matthewcb4 said:
Hello, I just came across this thread and had to say something, I love your Switchme app. Me and my wife both use my fire and it was driving me crazy not being able to customize it how I wanted. Then I found your app in the market and was ecstatic to try it. It worked like a dream! Your latest update just added that little touch that made it sol worth it. Thank you so much for this function and smooth integration.
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire using CM9
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why thank you! The best way to show your appreciation is to leave a review on the market - good reviews help us add improvements faster!
1.5.3.1
Fixed issue with lock on boot
Fixed some rare crashes on lock screen
Fixed MIPS and X86 Key compatibility