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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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!
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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.
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!
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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 think I use the recent apps button more than any other button on the screen or the dock. Does anyone know if there is a short cut for that button built in to the dock? Maybe a key combo or something? I love how easy it is to switch between apps with that button, but I sometimes wish I didn't have to tap the bottom of the screen to do so.
Does anone know of a keyboard shortcut to do this?
As far as I can see, there is no such thing. This and the lack of accidental touch filtering on the trackpad are the only negatives that I've found in the dock.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
wynand32 said:
...the lack of accidental touch filtering on the trackpad are the only negatives that I've found in the dock.
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Click to collapse
The "function" key to disable the touchpad works wonders.
Have you guys tried holding down the home key on the keyboard?
Yes. No dice.
FN+ Home? Maybe shoot an email to asus and see if it's something they will add, or is super hidden.
(I'm just throwing things out there I don't have one, lol)
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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Can't believe I missed that. Thanks a ton!!!
Hello there,
Just trying to figure out if there is a button on the keyboard dock that wakes up the screen. I seem to have pressed every key on it but haven't had any luck.
Is pushing the power button on the tablet the only way to wake the screen? Is there a setting I am missing that will let me wake it from the keyboard as well? Thanks!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app
Under power saving or battery settings, there's the option to select "Wake screen on keyboard press" (or something. Can't check atm, my battery is empty.) Check that.
ShadowLea said:
Under power saving or battery settings, there's the option to select "Wake screen on keyboard press" (or something. Can't check atm, my battery is empty.) Check that.
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Click to collapse
Ah, just found it under power management. Hmm, says that it takes more power to use this feature. I'm wondering how much that will drain my battery by having this feature enabled. Didn't realize it would use more power just to enable this.
Thanks!
z33tec said:
Ah, just found it under power management. Hmm, says that it takes more power to use this feature. I'm wondering how much that will drain my battery by having this feature enabled. Didn't realize it would use more power just to enable this.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It takes more power because your keyboard needs to stay "awake" all the time to get ready when you hit the key to turn the screen back on.
z33tec said:
Hello there,
Just trying to figure out if there is a button on the keyboard dock that wakes up the screen. I seem to have pressed every key on it but haven't had any luck.
Is pushing the power button on the tablet the only way to wake the screen? Is there a setting I am missing that will let me wake it from the keyboard as well? Thanks!
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
All I do is fold the screen and then pull it up again, this way I never have to use the power button.