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I have a great idea. With the problem most brown/bronze G1 users are having with their keyboards in low light situations (see here for more info) I had an idea for an app.
We need an app that controls the keyboard backlight based on ambient lighting. It can use the camera to poll the light level and enable/disable the keyboard backlight accordingly. Ideally, it would be configurable in terms of what levels trigger the backlight off and on.
This would probably cause a small drain on the battery, but would more than likely be counteracted by the savings from the backlight being off when not needed.
And, thinking about it now, it could also control the display backlight level! Darker surroundings=dimmer backlight, and vice versa.
Any thoughts or aspiring developers want to work on this?
Ryan
The problem for me (I have a black G1) is that the keyboard doesn't stay lit up. This is really annoying when the screen is on but the keys go dark.
Ideally, the keys would simply stay backlit anytime the keys are open. Especially when its dark out... the keys going dark can get rather frustrating.
I totally and completely agree with the idea, however I was thinking a little differently.
The ambient light is not always a good tell tale sign of whether or not I can see the keyboard, especially since the camera is facing down when I am typing. I was thinking of a simple keypad shortcut that would turn off the backlighting. It could be reset once you close the keyboard or reset using the shortcut again, or the option of both.
If I had any clue how to do it myself, I would. I am just one of those hopeless G1 users who has to beg for apps.
Thanks.
Keyboard backlight off
I just put a small application in the Android Market that turns the keyboard backlight off. It doesn't even show anything on the screen, so it is easy to use by binding it to a keyboard shortcut with Settings->Applications->Quick launch.
The application is in the Market in Applications->Tools and it's called Dark Keys.
steffann said:
I just put a small application in the Android Market that turns the keyboard backlight off. It doesn't even show anything on the screen, so it is easy to use by binding it to a keyboard shortcut with Settings->Applications->Quick launch.
The application is in the Market in Applications->Tools and it's called Dark Keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey can you fix it to where you're able to enable the backlight again? I'm able to turn the backlight off, but not on again if needed. Any maybe integrate a GUI to let users choose on and off.
steffann said:
I just put a small application in the Android Market that turns the keyboard backlight off. It doesn't even show anything on the screen, so it is easy to use by binding it to a keyboard shortcut with Settings->Applications->Quick launch.
The application is in the Market in Applications->Tools and it's called Dark Keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any way you can give the option to keep it on as well? I have the black g1 and when im texting at night its a pain in the butt when it keeps turning off!!
steffann said:
I just put a small application in the Android Market that turns the keyboard backlight off. It doesn't even show anything on the screen, so it is easy to use by binding it to a keyboard shortcut with Settings->Applications->Quick launch.
The application is in the Market in Applications->Tools and it's called Dark Keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just dl'ed it last night and I love it! Thanks for creating this app. BTW, to reenable the backlight just wait til the other hard keys go out, then move the trackball.. Although it WOULD be nice to do it via keystroke...
Ryan
stats555 said:
Any way you can give the option to keep it on as well? I have the black g1 and when im texting at night its a pain in the butt when it keeps turning off!!
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Click to collapse
thats real easy to do. open up power manager, edit whicher setting you want the keyboard to stay on for (or change them all), goto stay awake > keyboard > enable. now anytime you have the keyboard out, the keys stay on.
tehseano said:
thats real easy to do. open up power manager, edit whicher setting you want the keyboard to stay on for (or change them all), goto stay awake > keyboard > enable. now anytime you have the keyboard out, the keys stay on.
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Click to collapse
Cool thanks never played around with power manager before, thanks for the tip!
New version
FYI: I just released Dark Keys 2.0, which includes most of the suggestions I received from users.
isn't this in the wrong section?
steffann said:
FYI: I just released Dark Keys 2.0, which includes most of the suggestions I received from users.
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Click to collapse
awesome app- i have a black G1 and always hated it how the keyboard light went off, esp. at night. Now with your app i can have it stay on whenever the KB is open.
One suggestion, and i am not sure it is possible, can you make it so it's a timer thing- say, it would turn off after 1min, 2min, or 3min. etc
***edit**** it seems to be turning it off automatically some times- it is obviously dark keys doing it as the notification keeps coming up......
steffann said:
FYI: I just released Dark Keys 2.0, which includes most of the suggestions I received from users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great application! Thanks!!! Like many others, I hate when the keyboard backlight goes blank on me, and this app keeps the keyboard lit so long as it is extended. This app truly has the "Zen of Android" - just like the old Palm Treo had the "Zen of Palm".
steffann said:
I just put a small application in the Android Market that turns the keyboard backlight off. It doesn't even show anything on the screen, so it is easy to use by binding it to a keyboard shortcut with Settings->Applications->Quick launch.
The application is in the Market in Applications->Tools and it's called Dark Keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GREAT APP! I just added a desktop icon and tap it once to make the keyboard lights stay ON. Or, I can tap it again to turn off the light, but it's ON that I need! Thanks a bunch
oes it stay on these days? last time i tried it it kept turning off the keyboard while i was typing and at other strange times...
MontAlbert said:
oes it stay on these days? last time i tried it it kept turning off the keyboard while i was typing and at other strange times...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, your right. It worked fine until I plugged it in to charge. Next morning it was all BUGGY as it would "auto turn off kb light" when the phone "auto rotates".
I wish someone would write an app that has the option of "keyboard (and home keys for that matter) ALWAYS ON when kb open". Being always ON is so important to me! When the kb light goes off on my BLACK G1, the keyboard is "invisible" unless the screen is off!
l_____l said:
Yep, your right. It worked fine until I plugged it in to charge. Next morning it was all BUGGY as it would "auto turn off kb light" when the phone "auto rotates".
I wish someone would write an app that has the option of "keyboard (and home keys for that matter) ALWAYS ON when kb open". Being always ON is so important to me! When the kb light goes off on my BLACK G1, the keyboard is "invisible" unless the screen is off!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have Power Manager installed? It also manages keyboard on/off so you might have conflicting apps.
cigar3tte said:
Do you have Power Manager installed? It also manages keyboard on/off so you might have conflicting apps.
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Click to collapse
Wow, your right, I do. ...and I just have to edit the stay awake to enabled while keyboard open. I guess if I didn't have power manager, dark keys app would be mandatory to keep lights ON (or off if needed)
Thanks for your help!
Old topic but about the very similar thing....something that popped into my head recently that I do not think anyone has asked about...I searched but couldnt find anything on it...
The led light on the top of the phone (speaker is) can change multiple colors, I definitely assume that the hkb has also LED lights underneath. Catch my drift?
So any good coders out there know if there is any api or functionality possible to alter the HARDWARE keyboard lights to any color like the missing call app??? That would be amazing!!
Thanks
@johnnylicious - yes, wrong section. Should be in the
@steffann - I installed your app (although I want the backlight ON feature I don't really need/want Power Manager) and received a continuous error/force close message. It was all I could do to get Gscript open between force closes... But, I used Gscript to write a logcat output text file (attached).
Please let me know if you can see what the issue was. I would like to use your app.
The haptic feedback on my x7510 has turned itself off somehow. I can't find any control panel or other means to turn this on. Can anybody suggest how to do this.
Thanks!
brucewilsonpa said:
The haptic feedback on my x7510 has turned itself off somehow. I can't find any control panel or other means to turn this on. Can anybody suggest how to do this.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are actually a couple different ways to accomplish this.
1. On the keyboard, lower left, green FN key, then lower right, right arrow key, toggles on/off.
2. If you use HTCHome click on the 5th icon and you will see Sound and Vibration. Vibration is the keyboard setting, on/off.
Great! Thanks! I figured it was something simple.
Appreciate your response.
I just started having this problem...that the keyboard doesn't respond on the TF screen...(i.e. the mouse) nor does typing in a form field work...no response at all...like the keyboard isn't even attached.
Has anyone had this happen?
Is it charging the tablet when docked? USB and sdcards work? If its only the keypad and mouse not working it may have been turned off by pressing the keyboard-off button. Its located at the top near the bluetooth toggle button.
I didn't know that there was a "keyboard off" button; just the "touchpad" button. I did, however, toggle that too just to see if that made a difference...
I did a factory reset and that fixed it....but bummer...now having to reset all app info....yuk...
Sometimes I'd like to use the on-screen keyboard while the tablet is docked (use thumb keyboard and would like to access the text shortcuts). Anyone know how to do this? Don't see anything in settings, but maybe I'm missing something, or maybe there's a hack. Help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I would also like that feature
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app
When in a text field with the tablet docked. tap the little keyboard icon in the notification bar next to the dock icon, and turn Use Physical keyboard off. Then the onscreen keyboard will come up. However you will still be able to use the physical keyboard, but the onscreen keyboard will pop up.
hollywould said:
When in a text field with the tablet docked. tap the little keyboard icon in the notification bar next to the dock icon, and turn Use Physical keyboard off. Then the onscreen keyboard will come up. However you will still be able to use the physical keyboard, but the onscreen keyboard will pop up.
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Click to collapse
Can't believe I missed that. Thanks a ton!!!
Does anyone know how to force the TF700 display to rotate while docked?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...S5jb2luc29mdC5hbmRyb2lkLm9yaWVudGNvbnRyb2wiXQ..
Okay. Now, (actually related), how can I force the soft keyboard to display...while the hardware keyboard is still docked?
Change the input method, I believe. I'm currently updating to 10.4.4.20, but I have mine in the dock all the time, so I'll double check in a few minutes.
Thank you.
I did try to change the input method and even turning off the physical keyboard on the slider switch (input method switch.) For one thing, turning off the physical keyboard doesn't seem to do anything, that is, the keyboard works just fine even if it is "switched off".
I don't care whether the physical keyboard is on or off. I just need to use the soft keyboard. If I'm using the tablet in portrait mode (forced), while docked, then I would need to use the soft keyboard or else learn to type sideways...rather...on a keyboard that is sideways to my orientation since I am using the tablet in portrait. (whew!)
Does that make sense?
For keeping the landscape mode while at the dock, I use the app "ultimate rotation control" together with tasker. Their collaboration allows my TF700 (and previously TF201) to do it automatically. The trick is detecting if there is a power coming in, as the dock mostly will charge the pad.
And to let the on-screen keyboard stay appearing, you can try Keyboard Manager. I use this app to automatically switch to my international keyboard, but you can set it following your goal there. For this app, you will need root access.
Good luck trying.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app
edrodata said:
Thank you.
I did try to change the input method and even turning off the physical keyboard on the slider switch (input method switch.) For one thing, turning off the physical keyboard doesn't seem to do anything, that is, the keyboard works just fine even if it is "switched off".
I don't care whether the physical keyboard is on or off. I just need to use the soft keyboard. If I'm using the tablet in portrait mode (forced), while docked, then I would need to use the soft keyboard or else learn to type sideways...rather...on a keyboard that is sideways to my orientation since I am using the tablet in portrait. (whew!)
Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is how I did it on mine and it works fine.
Settings->Language & Input -> default- switch off "Hardware physical keyboard.
Now open some thing and try to type you should see the softkeyboard popup. If you download "screen orientation" app. After installed, you will see a little icon on your notification, you will have the option to switch to portrait mode with portrait keyboard layout.
I tried turning off the physical keyboard again and this time the soft keyboard popped right up. It works!
Thank you! Just what I needed!
I use this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.fameit.rotate
for rotation control, since it provides both global and per-app settings. That really rocks!
MartyHulskemper said:
I use this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.fameit.rotate
for rotation control, since it provides both global and per-app settings. That really rocks!
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Click to collapse
I have this downloaded, and my TF201 still overrides it when the dock is plugged in. Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong?
matthelm said:
I have this downloaded, and my TF201 still overrides it when the dock is plugged in. Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this one, work well with dock, called screen orientation control : https://play.google.com/store/apps/...GwsMSwxLDEsImpwLmVmbG93LnV0aWwucm90YXRpb24iXQ.. and the nice thing is it's in the notification for fast access.
buhohitr said:
Try this one, work well with dock, called screen orientation control : https://play.google.com/store/apps/...GwsMSwxLDEsImpwLmVmbG93LnV0aWwucm90YXRpb24iXQ.. and the nice thing is it's in the notification for fast access.
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Click to collapse
Same thing, as soon as I plug in the dock, the screen goes upside down.
matthelm said:
Same thing, as soon as I plug in the dock, the screen goes upside down.
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Click to collapse
You should plug the dock in, screen should be in landscape mode, now download and install the app. Once done, there're 3 settings, Off= auto rotation, landsacape=landscape and portrait=portrait. now with the dock attached and if you want to go into portrait mode, first turn your device first then enable portrait mode. (if you don't do this in the order, it's going to be backward/upsidedown)
buhohitr said:
You should plug the dock in, screen should be in landscape mode, now download and install the app. Once done, there're 3 settings, Off= auto rotation, landsacape=landscape and portrait=portrait. now with the dock attached and if you want to go into portrait mode, first turn your device first then enable portrait mode. (if you don't do this in the order, it's going to be backward/upsidedown)
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Click to collapse
Hmmmm. I don't think that works the way I want it to. Reading upside down is hard (unit upside down, dock installed), reading sideways is impossible (unit upside down, text sideways, dock installed)! I'm not wanting portrait mode, I want reversed landscape. Reversed landscape seems to be the only mode that is disabled?!?!?!?
If possible, please provide screen shots, the app is working fine for everyone....
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda premium
buhohitr said:
If possible, please provide screen shots, the app is working fine for everyone....
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I gave up, and just tied the dock to the bottom of the tablet. No need for any software that way, just didn't want to do that, because the connections isn't that sturdy. I was very careful with the pressure, and I think it'll be OK.
Wow, the ethernet connection (even going thru the USB) is WAY faster than the wireless!
sorry for coming in this late in the thread after my first response, but Rotate provides any rotation mode I can think of (including Reverse Landscape, Reverse Portrait, etc.)
As for the Transformer line still overriding the app: yes, they *seem* to. However, setting the per-app setting (available on Pro), you can have any app rotate any way you want. I use Mantano in portrait mode while on the train commute, holding the TF700 like a book with the screen on the right, and if I want to read in bed lying on my side, I enable Reverse Portrait while on my right side, and keep it Portrait when on my left (hope that made sense a bit).
Oh, and EDIT: Rotate provides ALL rotation options in a quickmenu right from the notification tray icon.
Experiencing Same Problem
MartyHulskemper said:
sorry for coming in this late in the thread after my first response, but Rotate provides any rotation mode I can think of (including Reverse Landscape, Reverse Portrait, etc.)
As for the Transformer line still overriding the app: yes, they *seem* to. However, setting the per-app setting (available on Pro), you can have any app rotate any way you want. I use Mantano in portrait mode while on the train commute, holding the TF700 like a book with the screen on the right, and if I want to read in bed lying on my side, I enable Reverse Portrait while on my right side, and keep it Portrait when on my left (hope that made sense a bit).
Oh, and EDIT: Rotate provides ALL rotation options in a quickmenu right from the notification tray icon.
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Click to collapse
I cannot find an app which will allow "reverse landscape" when my TF700 is docked.
I have tried:
"Ultimate Rotation Control" the best of the group, and even has a dock override function -- unfortunately that feature does work for me while docked.
"Screen Orientation Control" also does not override when docked.
"Screen Rotation Control" same, no dice when docked.
"Rotation Anywhere" doesn't have a reverse landscape mode.
"Rotation Lock Adaptive" no good for me either.
I have not tried:
"Orientation Control" I would certainly spring for the $1.49 if there were anyone who could confirm that it can do "reverse landscape" when docked.
My desired functionality is actually for HDMI out. I have a projector which I would like to ceiling mount, but cannot invert its own image. Thus, I'm trying to find a way to flip the image of the HDMI out.
Any advice on "Orientation Control" or to flip the HDMI out video signal much appreciated!
Thanks.