Hi,
First I want to tell you, that I'm from Poland, so You will propably find large numbers of errors in this.
Please, imagine this situation written below:
One day Jaccob was on city centre with their friend. There were no signs of such an accident. Suddenly one of his friends fell to the ground. He hit hardly head and not only lost unconscious, but he stopped to breath. Jacob was panicked. He was remembering sth from first aid course lessons from his school, but he have trouble to do anything. He decided to call emergency - and what? He took his phone and was trying to call, but when he touched the telephone app, the phone freezed, and few seconds later he saw the booting screen. And second was passing. In about a 3 minutes he was able to do call. For luck, someone else called emergency earlier and friend of Jacob was saved by paramedics.
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Click to collapse
It's only a story, not true at all, but some day it can happen.
It's my big petition for all developers of phones and systems: Together - let's create a special mode, to able turn on the phone and make emergency call in shortest time.
For example: a special key sequence that will trigger emergency call menu on any phone and a special menu item in Recovery.
Sorry for my bad English. I believe that You will understand me.
The problem is that special mode or not the phone software has to be operating properly for the phone to make any sort of call - if it fails and has to restart when you want to make a call then you have to wait until the restart is completed - end of story (especially for friend of Jacob)..
Many modern phones already allow an emergency call to a pre-progammed number even if the phone is locked just by holding down a single key.
Jaccob could also have a heart attack when he's trying to make the call - or get hit by lightening - or fall into a sink hole.
Even a "dumb" phone can potentially fail.
What if Jaccob had been playing Angry Birds all day and drained his battery and found out his phone had no charge when he went to place a call ?
What if he dropped the phone and it broke or fell in a puddle ?
My phone reboots in less than 1 minute, it can make an emergency call from the lock screen, and I have never had it freeze. I don't think this is an issue. It's possible, sure (I've had other Android devices freeze - so I'm sure a phone could, too).
I'm not sure how much faster it could really be, even with some kind of stripped-down OS. Android is such a light system already. And who would develop and make sure this emergency OS worked for all phones, and make them compatible with so many ? How would the phone know to trigger it ?
Lots of modern phones don't even have full key-pads any more. The fastest way for me to get to the dialer would be to just hit the wake button and tap the "emergency call" button on the screen. Even if I had to unlock it, I would just put in my pattern and tap once the "phone" app's button. I tried it and even with having to close out of an app I had open, it took me five seconds to do all of that.
Other people have different phones, but all Android phones are fairly similar in those functions from what I know. I think they've done all they can to make it fast and easy to make a phone call in an emergency.
Heck, what if Jaccob was born in the 1920s and he didn't have a cell phone at all ? When I was a kid, cell-phones weren't yet completely common - we had to run inside to make an emergency call, or to the nearest open business or even pay-phone. It's great that cell-phones can connect people in times of need, and I think it's good to see how much they already do even if they're not infallible.
Honestly, in the situation described the "solution" for any day and age would be better CPR and emergency aid classes (although Hollywood movies are doing a decent job with this - they're not always right in their techniques, but people have saved lives because they imitated what they knew from watching CPR performed in countless films). You can't always rely on technology or someone coming to save you. What if they were somewhere with no phone reception to even make an emergency call ? Yes, the technology should be as reliable as possible and make emergency functions accessible, but there is only so much you can do. Electronic devices can and do fail. Systems crash, batteries die.
it already exists, its called 999. but if your phone is switched off or out of battery well then your out of luck. It would be easier to convice everyone to carry a back-up phone than do this kind of mod
Related
Apologies if this question has been asked and answered before, but if so, could someone please redirect me. This is my first time on this forum. I've had my HTC Touch Pro (Raphael) for a couple of months now, and cannot get round the problem that whenever I receive a call, I somehow manage to cut it off before I can get the phone out of my pocket. I have tried several different cases (the current one opens like a book, so doesn't press any of the buttons), but something happens in the process of removing the phone from my pocket, however gently and swiftly I try to do it, which means that all I get is a "missed call" message, even after only one ring. If the phone is on a flat surface, it will ring for a long time, so it's not that setting. This is SO frustrating, especially when you try to see who called you, and it just comes up with "unknown caller".... it's also costing me a lot of money having to phone people back when I do know who they are. Please help somebody. I really like my little phone, but it may well end up being thrown out of a window at this rate! Thank you!
Check out this utility here on XDA. Works great. Unlock the phone by rolling it over. It uses the gravity sensor.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=422871
Many thanks for that. We've installed this thread, although I'm not really clear about what it does. It seems I can now lock and unlock the phone by turning it clockwise and counterclockwise respectively along its axis (in addition to the long press, which is what I usually use to lock the phone).
I tried answering one call whilst it was locked, but couldn't free it up to press the "answer" key until I had turned it several times. Fortunately, the caller was quite patient! Is this just a technique I have to get used to, and will it mean that I get a chance to answer calls before the connection is severed? Sorry to sound so thick, but this is all very new to me.
Sarahah said:
Many thanks for that. We've installed this thread, although I'm not really clear about what it does. It seems I can now lock and unlock the phone by turning it clockwise and counterclockwise respectively along its axis (in addition to the long press, which is what I usually use to lock the phone).
I tried answering one call whilst it was locked, but couldn't free it up to press the "answer" key until I had turned it several times. Fortunately, the caller was quite patient! Is this just a technique I have to get used to, and will it mean that I get a chance to answer calls before the connection is severed? Sorry to sound so thick, but this is all very new to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the settings menu and edit your SensorLock preferences to lock the screen only on an incoming call thus leaving the buttons unlocked.
Maybe the "face down mute" is happening to your calls? Try disabling it.
Um..... how?
answer keys disabler
You the thread below, it disables the onscreen answer buttons while ringing. Helps me getting the phone outta my pocket when ringing
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=425650
Ooooh. Thank you. Sounds like just what I need ... watch this space!
if u want to thrown your htc trough windows, how about if u thrown it to my window bro.
HHumbert said:
Check out this utility here on XDA. Works great. Unlock the phone by rolling it over. It uses the gravity sensor.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=422871
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Click to collapse
Gravity sensor... I ever seen this technology on nokia phone. but until now I'm still amazed by this technology. how this sensor works..
sorry 4 my english cause I'm from asia
Ah Dedy - if I win the lottery I shall come and throw a brand new Touch Pro through your window, I promise! I'm afraid that I'm having far too much fun with this one (despite the problems in my pocket) to part with it just yet though. Hope you have a great Christmas, and maybe Santa will bring you one, you never know!
The chair of my company is paralyzed from the neck down though has enough limited mobility with his arms to manage his wheelchair yoke and an oversized trackball for his computer. Whether in the office, home or wherever, he relies on either his secretary or his handler to call someone for him. He'd like to call people himself with a cell phone that someone leaves on a desk or a table for him without further assistance and wants me to make it happen so I turn to you for ideas (and maybe a registry tweak).
I set him up a few years ago with voice recognition software on his computer and that has worked out very well so I'm thinking MSVC. But the first and hopefully easiest obstacle is how to get the phone, a Touch Pro or Diamond specifically, to default to speakerphone. An earpiece is not the best option because that requires someone to put it on him (and take it off if it's wired) and the battery eventually dies. Any way to do that?
The next hurdle is how to get the phone to initiate whatever command that is the equivalent of pressing the button on an earpiece that triggers MSVC, hangs up and answers incoming calls ideally with the screen off so that the battery doesn't die too quickly or so that the phone doesn't need to be plugged in. So, again, can move his forearm and *maybe* be able to have enough coordination to hit the circular button hard enough to use that though he has no muscle control in his fingers so the pressure would rely on the natural stiffness of his fingers (he uses his thumb to click the large trackball buttons). On the other hand, I could map all the buttons surrounding the circle to do the same thing perhaps. But it would be fantastic if he could trigger the phone by shaking it a little to, again, do the same thing that would be done by pressing a bluetooth earpiece's button.
So, 1) how can I get a WinMo phone always to default to speaker and 2) can he take advantage of the accelerometer of the Touch Pro (or Diamond, whichever) to map a soft jiggle (the phone would otherwise be stationary on a flat surface or fully off) to trigger MSVC? I guess he doesn't need to be able to hang up and incoming calls could be set to automatically answer so if those two functions are out of reach that's not a dealbreaker. And leaving the phone on in order to take advantage of the screen for touching, though less desirable, is also an option as his handler can plug the phone in. Or do any other approaches come to mind?
I grately appreciate it.
Doug
Thought I'd take a shot at a possibility. Since you have his PC voice enabled, what about using something like Pocket Controller? I don't know if it can be voice controlled, but it might be worth exploring something like that.
it might be a drain on the battery but maybe something like having a script that runs msvc once a minute so if he need to call someone just wait and then say what he needs to say. or get him an oqo with data and set him up on skype and use dragon speaking software
get a bluetooth for car like : http://direct.motorola.com/ens/carkits/learn-IHF1000.html
install Cyberon Voice Commander on your phone for voice dial. you can answer and dial with one button and voice cammand.
Hmm.. how about windows Vista's built-in voice recognition software? although it takes little time, I did manage to make it do everything I wanted to do without my touching anything.
How about using My Mobiler to control it from his pc
http://freewareppc.com/utilities/mymobiler.shtml
Sorry to post such an unconstructive reply, but what use is a touch-heavy-reliant phone like Diamond or same-thing-but-with-HW-keyboard like Touch Pro to a quadriplegic?
In my humble opinion you should get a BT handsfree with a proper full-time-phone like Nokia or Sony ericsson.
Again sorry for actually not helping much with your problem. But still, my opinion stays the same as mentioned above. Both the telephones are more reliable on functional hands then others.
Thanks!
Wow these are all very good and equally appreciated suggestions! Feels like I've got enough to start googling and hopefully help this guy out. I am truly grateful for the time you all took to respond. I'll post if I have success or problems...
You people are fantastic.
Doug
The phone interface totally sux! Is there anything better out there? When I get a call I have to drag the thing over to answer. This is very hard to do with 1 hand. Also half the time the screen goes black and I have to unlock it or whatever. Is there any way to just tap to answer?
Making calls is 10 times worse, you have to unlock the phone, find the phone app, open your contacts, tap your contact, tap make call, and then tap call!! It’s like I have to type a freaking paragraph just to make a call! Is there any way to just press one button to open the phone and then press 1 button to speed dial??
Also I turned on Google Voice to make all my calls. It nice and I know how to turn that off, but now all my incoming calls it says "incoming call from so-and-so... Press 1 to accept" so I have to tape the dial pad, and then tap 1, adding 2 more taps just to answer a freaking call! How do I turn that off?
I love everything else about this PDA, but the phone sux! Please help...
---signed, frustrated
P.S. I think I used less key strokes typing all this than I need to to make a call! lol
Any chance they will improve this interface in v2.2??
Very constructive. And I see it’s your 11th post. It’s not a matter of being impatient. It’s a matter of missing calls because its nearly impossible to do while driving, walking a dog with a leash in one hand, caring groceries, almost every real life situation that keeps you from using both hands on your phone. And as I described it’s a lot more than the 1 swipe.
If you don’t agree with me you don’t need to reply but I find the swipe open to be unacceptable and I'm asking if there is another interface out there that is just a tap open. Or a way to map a hard key to answer the freaking phone!
I'm sitting here at my work phone calling myself over and over to "practice" answering with the swipe. I can do it with one hand but it’s a pain in the ass and just thoroughly a really, really bad design. There has to be an app or mod or something that does away with this.
I just saw the new "Rule the air" Droid commercial. Cool commercial... Notice the one thing they didn’t show anyone doing? Getting or making a call!!!
All these new devices are fantastic PDAs with a really bad phone function slapped on top...
BTW with an 2.2 Froyo official release or rom, when the call comes up theres no need to unlock or swipe, just a click of a button.
What are you running 2.1, 2.01/0 or 2.2? Why don't you try finding an app on the store or searching here? You never know....
So I literally called myself 10 times and practiced answering the phone with one hand. Then I went out to bars and got actual calls and it was like impossible to answer them. That drag thing is just ridicules!! You have to drag it all the way across the screen!! Cany they at least meet me half way?? Even with 2 hands it’s hard to answer!!
Come on, you guys all know this is true. This design is just awful!
I understand why they did it, so when you get a call while it’s in your pocket it doesn’t tap against something and answer when you don’t know it… but it’s just terrible!! And like I said making calls is even worse. It’s like a ton of taps so there is no way to make a call while driving.
The Bluetooth headset would help but we all know anyone that actually uses that looks like a total D-bag..
So here is my solution… Someone will make a killing on this and it will make a mockery of the Android phone interface at the same time. We need a little, lightweight Bluetooth dumb phone that has physical answer and hang-up buttons as well as the full number pad that you can assign speed dials too like a NORMAL F-ING PHONE!! If this was out there on the market I would pay $100 easy for! Leave your brilliant PDA that sucks as a phone in your pocket and use the Bluetooth handset to actually make and take calls like a normal human!!
1. how tiny are your hands that you can't slide the bar down with your thumb?
2. i think there's an app called dialer one that will open a keypad where you can see all your contacts and spell their names out with the numberpad to make it easier
Just because some of you don't have the same issues as the OP doesn't give any of us the right to respond in this manner.
The OP has been called dumb, amateur, told he shouldn't have a smartphone; and the list goes on.
I personally have the EVO; there's not a damn thing wrong with my hands and I come from a very long time of smartphones. MORE times than I can count, I'm swiping the screen and not a damned thing is moving. By the time it unlocks, the caller is gone.
So until you have the same problem, some of you might want to get your head out the clouds and stop replying like these *smart* phones are perfect and the people using them are too dumb to know what they're doing.
On HTC phones with Sense you simply press a button to answer. No swiping. I'm surprised there's no app out there to do this on other Android phones.
Just cleaned this thread. All deleted posts are in violation of rule 2.
Please be aware of the rules before posting. Nothing constructive to say; then don't post!
WB
gtg465x said:
On HTC phones with Sense you simply press a button to answer. No swiping. I'm surprised there's no app out there to do this on other Android phones.
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Click to collapse
I have to slide to answer my phone if it's locked before I get a call. I prefer the swipe because I don't want to accidentally answer a call while the phone is in my pocket. That said, I would recommend the op check out the app I mentioned or root his phone and find a sense based rom
there are apps for this kind of problem search market and google
gtg465x said:
On HTC phones with Sense you simply press a button to answer. No swiping. I'm surprised there's no app out there to do this on other Android phones.
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Click to collapse
Do not be surprised, because there is an app to achieve this. It is called ed's Droid Tools.
I've used Gesture Search (by Google) since it was released on the Market for finding and calling and/or texting my contacts. Put it on your home screen, then when you want to call somebody, open Gesture Search then write their first initial with your finger (or thumb) then touch the phone icon to call or the message icon to text. Works well for me. Never tried it driving, but then again, I'm one of those guys who yells at idiots who drive and talk on their cell at the same time (it's illegal here).
The standard Droid UI doesn't have a skin, so you get the basic Android dialer. While I don't think the slide-to-answer is all that bad, I'm also coming from a Blackberry Storm, which was wicked-terrible when it came to doing... well anything, so I don't complain much about the stock android experience. One thing Android is good for though, is allowing UI replacement apps (ala Dialer One) so poke around the Market and I'm sure you can find something that changes the answer experience for you.
Love windows
Love windows
i am also fooled by android
power user any thing u want to do go with windows mobile
Droid9 said:
The phone interface totally sux! Is there anything better out there? When I get a call I have to drag the thing over to answer. This is very hard to do with 1 hand. Also half the time the screen goes black and I have to unlock it or whatever. Is there any way to just tap to answer?
Making calls is 10 times worse, you have to unlock the phone, find the phone app, open your contacts, tap your contact, tap make call, and then tap call!! It’s like I have to type a freaking paragraph just to make a call! Is there any way to just press one button to open the phone and then press 1 button to speed dial??
Also I turned on Google Voice to make all my calls. It nice and I know how to turn that off, but now all my incoming calls it says "incoming call from so-and-so... Press 1 to accept" so I have to tape the dial pad, and then tap 1, adding 2 more taps just to answer a freaking call! How do I turn that off?
I love everything else about this PDA, but the phone sux! Please help...
---signed, frustrated
P.S. I think I used less key strokes typing all this than I need to to make a call! lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey dude
to help you out with your dialing problem all you have to do is put the phone/contacts app on your homescreen. the way you described calling the contact is the same way you'd have to do it on almost every other phone so don't act like its a huge task.
organize your homescreens to your preference so that it could make your life easier.
also you can add people to your favorites list so you dont have to scroll through your whole contact list.
as for answering calls, its not that bad. you just gotta hold that green button and slide your finger over. I don't understand how that's difficult or why you'd need practice
phone doesn't suck at all bud
Hi There,
I was thinking of getting one of those because most of my calling during driving...
do you advice me to do so? i mean is the hardware bad? or it is just a matter of waiting for sometime to get an update solving all these problems?
Thank you in advance.
**My last thread got closed, should've read the rules, here goes a second try.**
One day when I was jogging, a little girl that looked scared and confused approached me. She couldn't find her mother and she asked if she could use my phone to call her. I thought to myself 'Sure, I'm helpful.' When I was waiting for her to finish her phone call, I noticed that she was swiping her finger on the screen. I was thinking to myself, 'Why does she need to scroll during a phone call?' I took my phone back and lo and behold, she was going through my pictures. I reprimanded her, telling her that she shouldn't be going through other's phones like that. I felt real bad that I had to take my phone back before she could find her mother, but what else was I supposed to do? It's not like there's an app that can do that.
That's when Avanos was born.
It's a simple phone dialer that locks the user in it so that no other app can be opened, fullscreen so that the notification bar cannot be accessed, It even closes the long home press automatically. It operates just like the built in dialer. After the person hangs up, it opens a password prompt that unlocks the phone and makes it go back to normal when the correct password is entered. I honestly think this is a revolution in Android. It can be helpful to coaches when kids that don't have phones need to call their parents, nice people who gives their phone out to others frequently, or as an everyday emergency phone.
So tell me what you guys think; I need the feedback.
Here's a link if you want to try it out, I don't know if it works for rooted phones. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mshaw.avanos8.lite
I searched and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, but here's some background:
-My wife and I have a one year old that likes to hold phones, slam them on tables, toss them, etc.
-My phone recently cracked and we don't want hers to do the same.
-We have some old spare phones of various makes and models.
What I am wondering is, I know when you boot up a disconnected phone in the US, it can still make emergency calls and obviously I don't want my toddler bothering EMS. Do you know of a way to root/jailbreak (we have both androids and iPhones available for this) and completely remove the emergency call function? Or, simply, do you know if airplane mode supercedes emergency call? I don't really want to test call my local EMS. His face lights up (pun not intended, but we'll go with it) when he can make the screen come on, but he is surprisingly good at messing with settings unintentionally. He frequently puts my mother-in-law's iPhone on do not disturb, which is why I'm not certain I want to bank on airplane mode, if there's a more sure option.
You can use Package Disabler or a adb edit to disable emergency mode.
A phone isn't suitable playtoy for a 1yo Get them a interactive childproof toy that lights up.