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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.
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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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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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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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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.
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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...
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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!
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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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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.
Since i use vegan tab and have all the soft buttons on the screen at all time (home, menu, back) is there anyway to disable the capacative ones so that i dont actually hit them while holding the tab?
bump ^^^ anyone??? robeet?
I asked something like that earlier, but no one responded. There's a thread under Themes and Apps about Settings Catcher. Maybe a concept like that could be used, in the opposite way (assign invalid activities), to essentially make the keys do nothing?
Jim
This is definitely possible to do.
Use Root Explorer to go to /system/usr/keylayout. I am guessing it's the file gpio-keys.kl in that directory.
For a guide as to how this works, check out this link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=695936
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm guessing you can map those keys to something like ENDCALL that doesn't have a meaningful activity associated it with it on our tablets. Or maybe there's a null activity or something like that.
You'll have to experiment a bit. I haven't tried any of this yet myself.
hmmm, pull out the device back and unclip it?
Seriously though, I'm not certain. Possibly it's linked to the file /usr/keylayout/tegra-kbc.kl. So you might be able to REM out some of these and it could actually disable the tactile buttons.
How would you get out of a full screen app that hides the status bar?
WickedStyx said:
How would you get out of a full screen app that hides the status bar?
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thanks, was thinking the same lol
WickedStyx said:
How would you get out of a full screen app that hides the status bar?
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pmcnano said:
thanks, was thinking the same lol
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Yeah i didnt think of that. damn... its just annoying when im in the browser or something and i hit it by accident
I was hoping to find an app/hack that would let me set the duration of a soft key press required to register as a stroke. It would then be easy to make a widget to turn the delay on and off for times when you know you will be more prone to bump the buttons.
TheMongol said:
I was hoping to find an app/hack that would let me set the duration of a soft key press required to register as a stroke. It would then be easy to make a widget to turn the delay on and off for times when you know you will be more prone to bump the buttons.
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Click to collapse
I'm bumping this to see if anyone has any ideas on the above or disabling them completely. I (or one of my kids) *always* bump one of the capacitive buttons while using the gtab. It is frustrating, infuriating even, when you're in the middle of something and BAM, you have to start over.
TIA!
If you could get rid of the buttons you can just use button savior. I'm using the zeam launcher in fullscreen and barely ever touch the buttons on the side now
wordweaver27 said:
I'm bumping this to see if anyone has any ideas on the above or disabling them completely. I (or one of my kids) *always* bump one of the capacitive buttons while using the gtab. It is frustrating, infuriating even, when you're in the middle of something and BAM, you have to start over.
TIA!
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Click to collapse
I use 'Button Remapper' to map the hard buttons to 'focus' which effectively disables them. I then use 'Buttton Savior' to provide on-screen buttons.
Works well and ends the frustration of the buttons not being back-lit or accidently hitting them when holding the tablet.
Thank you! I think that will do the trick. Do you use the galaxy tab version?
ETA: just searched the market from my Droid and saw a third vanilla version of button remapper. I will go with the assumption that its this one.
Sent from my Droid using XDA App
Was curious if any of you guys were working on, or know of a program that can act as a back button or menu button, on screen. My home row keys are taking a beating, and normally cause to much hand adjustment to use them.
Just a thought.
I was thinking maybe swype like actions for the back button, etc...
I've tried button saviour, but didn't like it too much.
Thanks for reading and replying.
"Softkeys for root users" might be what you're looking for.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Download Button Savior from the Market. Alot more friendly to the eyes and a heck of a lot easier to use than Softkeys. I use it on my Nook as well.
tried softkeys, wow, that is a difficult program to use, but looks great.
I will have to go back to button savior I guess, and make it work.
Thanks for the replies.
Hope this helps you.
lion766 said:
tried softkeys, wow, that is a difficult program to use, but looks great.
I will have to go back to button savior I guess, and make it work.
Thanks for the replies.
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Its not hard to use. Its hard to configure properly.
When you install, hit the home button and choose softkeys as your default home. This will allow softkeys to intercept the home button call.
Then, in softkeys, program it so one push gives softkeys and 2 pushes gives you "home" (<--- specify which home app that you want softkeys to call upon double click)
I also put the back and menu buttons (on my Nook Color) in the notifications area to have easy access to them those as well.
Thanks! I just noticed I had a pm, and this is apparently where all the posts, I followed, made apparently get moved to!
I thought I was crazy.
How can I do this with out rooting or modification
Is there a App
Can't do this without rooting, you'll need a kernel with backlight dimmer.
Is there any way to actually *disable* the buttons themselves, and not just the backlight?
I really want to convert my Nexus S to a "pure" ICS device with the onscreen buttons only. The problem with simply disabling the backlight is that you still get accidental touches yanking you back to the homescreen at the worst times!
damn I just want galaxy nexus look there has to be a way
People say screen filter works but doesn't shut of the
Back light I heard people say a app called tasker works
But I haven't try it
So is this possible!!!!
pkilla said:
So is this possible!!!!
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Don't see why remapping the keys incorrectly, essentially making them not function, isn't possible. The file(s) to edit should be in /system/usr. Try a Google search on "Nexus S remap."
Sent from my Nexus S
You can do as ragnarok said and remap the keys incorrectly (or not at all). Then if you have a kernel which enables backlgiht dimmer (BLD) you can set the delay to 0 and effectively have the always off.
I've noticed that it does flash SOMETIMES even with this setting, but thats because i'd be using them to navigate since i'm not using the onscreen buttons.
Is there any way to set the fingerprint button to behave like a capacitive button? I really just want to dab my finger on it and not have to depress, like the other two keys. I know the scanner registers contact but that click press it's really annoying when I just want the "desktop" etc. I think it would do wonders for the buttons longevity too... This may seem like a minor thing but it would really make the make the whole user interaction thing more standard. Having to big press one of three buttons is odd..
You can get a lot of apps that add "soft buttons" to your screen for things like Home. One that jumps to mind is called Button Savior.
That was my way of saying that, no, I don't think you can use that button without actually "clicking" it.
You could try the app called swype home button, just swype up from the screen just above it and itll take you home.
I completely agree with your desire here OP. Coming from an LG optimus G, I find myself gently tapping the button hoping for home.
As an alternative, I'd recommend the pie launcher app in the play store. No root required unless you want menu button functionality. Makes for a nice, easy to reach one handed set of on screen buttons that are only there when you need them, and you can use it as an app launcher too.
pisanty said:
Is there any way to set the fingerprint button to behave like a capacitive button? I really just want to dab my finger on it and not have to depress, like the other two keys. I know the scanner registers contact but that click press it's really annoying when I just want the "desktop" etc. I think it would do wonders for the buttons longevity too... This may seem like a minor thing but it would really make the make the whole user interaction thing more standard. Having to big press one of three buttons is odd..
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Click to collapse
There has to be a way to do it because of the fingerprint sensor. I'm sure custom kernels soon will have this feature.
Bump any new ideas here?