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Concept multitasking wp7

Hello everyone,
I went recently to a device and more specifically to a wp7 7 omnia,
I created this video concept on the management of a multitasking wp7 keeping the style of the loose tiles without too many effects, such as MS has created a minimalist.
It works like this:
holding down the "back" button for 1-2 seconds, under a bar will appear with your open applications represented with the same tiles, dragging down the application quits, while clicking on it opens the'applicazione selected.
What do you think?

I like the idea of dragging down to close the program

Just very nice concept, yes.

Thats very good!
Multitasking (or should I say 'appswitching') on iOS is, imo, worse than that on Android and winmo.
On iOS, hate how you have to first double click the home button, then hold on one of the background-running apps on the taskbar until it gives you the option to close it. I liked iOS before that implememntation, because the 'taskbar' just easily gets filled up with apps.
On Winmo, once you tap the taskbar drop down menu and the list of background running apps appear, you have an x right next to it already. Alot more efficient.

Nice Concept :] I would like that too

Too much like iOS. I am sure MS can come up with the nicer way.

digger1985 said:
Too much like iOS. I am sure MS can come up with the nicer way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, It is good, it doesn't interrupt your work and it's easy to use.

spippo said:
Hello everyone,
I went recently to a device and more specifically to a wp7 7 omnia,
I created this video concept on the management of a multitasking wp7 keeping the style of the loose tiles without too many effects, such as MS has created a minimalist.
It works like this:
holding down the "back" button for 1-2 seconds, under a bar will appear with your open applications represented with the same tiles, dragging down the application quits, while clicking on it opens the'applicazione selected.
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it would be perfect if M$ do it like This way propose it to Redmond company

hd2leo_fusion said:
it would be perfect if M$ do it like This way propose it to Redmond company
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? M$? 1995 called and want their meme back!!

As someone in the UI design field, non obvious actions are actually bad design. Holding down a button for 2 seconds is not obvious, a simpler more intuitive solution would be to have an arrow (or icon) at the bottom to do the same.
Like the bars at the bottom tho, and the dragging down thing (also non obvious)

pillsburydoughman said:
As someone in the UI design field, non obvious actions are actually bad design. Holding down a button for 2 seconds is not obvious, a simpler more intuitive solution would be to have an arrow (or icon) at the bottom to do the same.
Like the bars at the bottom tho, and the dragging down thing (also non obvious)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so holding down the home button to voice command is also bad design???
You would prefer more icons on screen to do what a hard button can accomplish?

thank you all!
If you give the other suggestions I can make another video concept and maybe send it to Microsoft like an idea! What do you think?

I looks very nice, but the icons are too big.

pillsburydoughman said:
As someone in the UI design field, non obvious actions are actually bad design. Holding down a button for 2 seconds is not obvious, a simpler more intuitive solution would be to have an arrow (or icon) at the bottom to do the same.
Like the bars at the bottom tho, and the dragging down thing (also non obvious)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
holding down the start key for voice controls isn't obvious to users as well...unless they mistakingly do it, or read the booklet! Its fine! Humans are smarter than you think.

Seriously, this is almost exactly how iOS's appswitching works. And it's not a bad thing.
But probably Microsoft wouldn't use that layout for obviously reasons.
Android switcher sux. I would like to see something as easy as iOS. This one is nice, though smaller icons would be better

What a nonsense. Don't forget in WP7 navigation looks like this:
- Open software1
- Navigate to software page1.
- Navigate to software page2.
- Press Win
- Open software2
- Navigate to software page1.
So, after last step, let's assume i switch app to software1, then press back 2 times, and after that if i press back one more time, where i will go?

In Android, if you press 'Back' several times it just takes you to Home launcher. Do the same here.

Good
my congratulations to spippo, this is the first video that I see on a WP7 multitaskink...
I hope that Microsoft may look and begin to think on it!!!!

I love your idea but i think, that multi tasking should look like the Zune HD's pin/history section where you swipe to the right and that pane come up.

Barbbachello said:
I like the idea of dragging down to close the program
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This works in WebOS and Blackberry Tablet OS because those systems use a gesture to "minimize" the application to a card that can be swiped up to be closed. WP7 doesn't do this. Apps are full screen. If I'm in Twitter, 50 results down in my feed; you want me to go all the way to the top so that I can drag the program down to close it? How exactly will I drag this program down to close it? What's wrong with an X in the upper right corner to close it, or simply backing out of it?
I think pre-emptive Multitasking has its usage, especially for stock applications. But I think the need for them in third party applications is limited to some pretty obvious use cases and Microsoft should be uber strict when it comes to allowing applications to do it.
Tombstoning + Push Notifications should be the de facto standard for third party applications, IMO.

[Q] New to Android (from iOS)...advice with notifications and status bar

I just got a Samsung S4 (Verizon) because I was tired of Apple's stagnant OS and tiny screens. And I'm a tinkerer, so I'm loving (sort of) the endless ability to change and modify just about everything. And LOVE the big screen (and I have no problem whatsoever putting it in my pocket or using it one-handed...).
I'm encountering a couple of Android frustrations and wondering if anyone can either confirm, "yep, that's how it works", or point me to an app/widget/utility that "fixes" what I'm encountering.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Notifications and status bar: I have to say I'm missing Apple's red badges that easily call attention to new emails, facebook posts, text messages, etc). I understand that on Android, all notifications show up as those little teeny, tiny white icons in the status bar, amongst the sea of other little white icons (wifi, gps, gestures, bluetooth, etc), making it not always obvious at a quick glance what's new.
I understand swiping down gives me the list of all notifications. But strangely, for such a customizable interface, evidently you have little control over the appearance and order of what's there. For instance, the "ongoing" notifications of WiFi connected shows up at the top, which I dont want to know about at all (along with those from other apps that merely announce the app is working, such as Juice Defender). And others follow in a long list with no particular organization or visual distinction.
I have played with the app SuperStatus Bar to reduce the status bar clutter, but it grinds things to a halt and takes over the notification panel without improving it. I've looked for widgets that show email, sms, etc badges but most are ugly (like most of the email widgets that come with the popular email apps like K-9, Aquamail, etc) or don't function consistently (like Notifier Widget for Facebook).
So, any suggestions or apps that help with this? And thanks to all who have read this all the way to the bottom...

Sorry to know your move to Android wasn't too smooth
I'd recommend you try Floating Notifications once it comes out of beta, holds a bit of promise
You'd get notifications from apps you choose as little floating bubbles.
It isn't too smooth now though.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2263987
Apart from that, getting the little wifi icons and bluetooth icons are pretty standard, and if there is a way to remove them, I'm not aware of it.
Also, you could use an app like light flow to make the notification light display a color of your choice based on the notification, it'd let you know exactly what notification you have before you turn the screen on.
I hope I helped

csmiler said:
I hope I helped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your suggestions!
I've been using Notify+ which I like for notifications. The status bar still looks like a mess to me, but I'm sure I'll survive it.
I'm actually starting to get used to the Android way of things and am feeling much better. Loving the bigger screen (Apple is loosing the game in this regard) and the customizability (although this is a double sword when you have some OCD tendencies...).
Sort of wish I'd held out for the Verizon HTC One, rather than the S4. the S4 is great, but I'm finding most of its much-touted whiz-bang features (air gestures and motions) to be gimmicky, buggy, and available in too-few apps).
But all in all, having fun with my new phone!
Thanks again for your suggestions.

disable notification curtain pulldown

The reason I love Android over any other operating system, is probably the same reason many of you do: you can do practically anything with it!
So every single thing I've wanted to do to my phone has either been done and available on google play, or by someone here at xda.
There have only been 2 exceptions:
1) Lock/disable the notification pull down bar
-Even when I "lock" the desktop with a 3rd party launcher, my nephew can still pull down the notifications curtain and
change settings
-I know I can "hide" the notifications bar, and prevent the pull-down. But I wanted to still see the clock, cell strength,
and other items, but not be able to pull down the curtain.
-Surelock was the only app I could find that did this, but it still allowed you to pull the curtain down, and would just
quickly pull it back up (and did a bunch of other things that I didn't want anyway).
2) Shortcut to activate the htc home screen weather animations
-Like many of you I use a 3rd party locker and launcher, which prevents these animations from being used since android
4.0 ICS
-I know some don't like these, but many do, and for those of us that do, how cool would it be to not only show weather
on unlock with a 3rd party launcher, but also have a shortcut that
made your phone show the current weather overtop of any screen you were on ?
Now the 2nd app I'm hoping will be accomplished by someone soon.
But the 1st app was just accomplished by Senior Member: Dr.Alexander_Breen
I saw this link in his signature: "If you want me to develop app for you, contact me!"
So I did, and within only a few hours of sending my request, he responded.
I explained to him what I wanted to accomplish, and within a short amount of time, he did it!
And he made it bullet proof, so that unlike surelock, it would not move at all, and also included a password to enable/disable (preventing my nephew from turning the curtain back on).
So this post is to say thanks to him! He does not make apps for free so there is a cost, but if you are interested in this app please contact him.
And its also to prove once again why android is amazing and the only way to have a phone exactly the way you want it. :victory:

[APP][4.2+] T9 Launcher

Just finished my latest app T9 Launcher, and it shaped up real well so I thought I'd share
Launch apps and contacts with predictive T9 dialing, much faster than your regular launcher and appdrawer.
It also learns your usage patterns thus giving you better results over time.
Check it out on the PlayStore
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.dw.rocketlauncher
Google+ Beta group
https://plus.google.com/communities/115754804024192139851
Got feedback, comments or feature requests? I'd be happy to receive them!
Happy launching
Dag

Did anyone try it yet? Im curious to know if the learning curve is steep, or if you get the dialing right away!
Dag

Does this launcher support cyrillic app names?

Here's what I posted in the Play Store reviews for this launcher:
An option to disable the widget screen and activate the dialer by swiping to it instead of pressing home would be nice (Option to "Home" with "Dialer").
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe even an FAB to launch the dialer would be nice.
Just something that lets me launch it without a home button press.
I went from Smart Launcher to Z Launcher and then Z Launcher to this.
Great work so far.
Orientation changing is important, too. I hope you implement that soon.

It would be much better to make it not a classic launcher, but a standalone start menu, or even a homescreen widget. Will it be possible? I do not want to lose Google Now on the leftmost page.
PS. Why only three columns on apps screen? Are the grids adjustable?

siealex said:
Does this launcher support cyrillic app names?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you get give me examples for the T9 Letters? Then I dont think that would be a problem.
Etc
1:ABC (In cyrillic)
2:...
and so on.
ApertureAndroid said:
Here's what I posted in the Play Store reviews for this launcher:
Maybe even an FAB to launch the dialer would be nice.
Just something that lets me launch it without a home button press.
I went from Smart Launcher to Z Launcher and then Z Launcher to this.
Great work so far.
Orientation changing is important, too. I hope you implement that soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I was thinking of a FAB, but wouldnt that just take up screen space? The home button is a nicer solution in my opinion In the next update I implemented gestures aswell (For swiping the dialpad up), you should try it out.
Im going to look into orientation switching!
siealex said:
It would be much better to make it not a classic launcher, but a standalone start menu, or even a homescreen widget. Will it be possible? I do not want to lose Google Now on the leftmost page.
PS. Why only three columns on apps screen? Are the grids adjustable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I will make it a standalone in the future, now I am concentrated on ironing out the bugs in the launcher version!
I can make the grid adjustable Next update!

wulltd said:
Thanks! I was thinking of a FAB, but wouldnt that just take up screen space? The home button is a nicer solution in my opinion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my phone, even I fill the screen with widgets, it seems like there is enough space for a FAB.
But gesture support seems like a better solution.

wulltd said:
Can you get give me examples for the T9 Letters? Then I dont think that would be a problem.
Etc
1:ABC (In cyrillic)
2:...
and so on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- АБВ
2-ГДЂ
3-ЕЖЗИ
4-ЈКЛЉ
5-МНЊ
6-ОПРС
7-ТЋУ
8-ФХЦ
9-ЧЏШ
These letters are Serbian Cyrillic. And this is not universal because a Cyrillic T9 input doesn't exist (atleast not here in Serbia)

Nice job!UI is awesome!
Sent from my GT-I9195 using XDA Free mobile app

I just uploaded a new version to the store, it should be available to you soon.
There will be custom grid column counts, gestures (Swipe up for dialler, down to hide/open notifications) and more

SDee96 said:
1- АБВ
2-ГДЂ
3-ЕЖЗИ
4-ЈКЛЉ
5-МНЊ
6-ОПРС
7-ТЋУ
8-ФХЦ
9-ЧЏШ
These letters are Serbian Cyrillic. And this is not universal because a Cyrillic T9 input doesn't exist (atleast not here in Serbia)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok added to my todo list Ill try to get it done in the next few days.
Charlie said:
Nice job!UI is awesome!
Sent from my GT-I9195 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man!

wulltd said:
I just uploaded a new version to the store, it should be available to you soon.
There will be custom grid column counts, gestures (Swipe up for dialler, down to hide/open notifications) and more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I finally got the update and tested it. It seems if I try to swipe up on that blank space under my widgets, it does not launch the dialer. I can, however, launch the dialer if I swipe in the widget area (as long as there isn't a scrollable widget there).

Well. I do like this launcher. It has rooms for improvement.
What I like.
1. Its fast.
2. The kind of launcher that I want.
3. Its beautiful. <-- This is important.
4. The app section and contact section. Really nice.
What I don't like
1. There's no setting to hide certain apps. <This does not mean Porn. It means Paypal and other banking apps.
2. I don't like pressing home button activate the dialer. I prefer to press home button just to go to home so I can see my widget. And no toggling either between Home and dialer. I prefer to use swipe up to call the dialer part. While I don't like this now, I may learn to like this.
4. Too little room for widgets, or home screen.
5. No shorcut dialling?
Suggestion:
1. Take a look at MiHome Launcher from Xiaomi, its my current launcher. Its a standard launcher with built in T9 app dialer. Swipe up from any screen to bring the dialler. No contact dialer like yours though. Seems like it was taken down from Play Store recently though. I use it because I like the launcher. Swipe up with two finger brings up the access to hidden apps (with password to access them as well).
2. If you want to keep 1 home screen, maybe make it scrollable? I have Gmail, calendar, Keep, and prayer time widget. I certainly would not like to go to those app just to see some current information.
3. Maybe the option of increasing the home screen?
4. The Home button situation. This is one of the core in your app. So, you got to polish the usage of this. I can also say, the user should learn to adapt to this new operation.
5. Maybe you can add dialing shortcut?
I guess lack of room for widget is weighting on me to use this launcher by default. If you look at my attachment, the wifi shorcut is something I use lots of times. I have four home screen, 1 for Keep, 1 for Gmail, 1 for calendar and prayer time and the main one, that includes my wife contact widget, and wifi shorcut.

ApertureAndroid said:
I finally got the update and tested it. It seems if I try to swipe up on that blank space under my widgets, it does not launch the dialer. I can, however, launch the dialer if I swipe in the widget area (as long as there isn't a scrollable widget there).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah I see.. Does your device have physical buttons, not a nav bar?
I just found an error that adds padding to the bottom of the views (dialer, widgetscreen) to compensate for a navbar that doesnt exist. Ill try to fix that.

zemega said:
Well. I do like this launcher. It has rooms for improvement....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback, Ill try to adress your points in the coming version(s).
Hidden apps: On the todo list but not currently a priority. Two finger swipe up to show sounds like a good idea.
I have speed dialing a bit higher on the list (Long pressing a dialbutton for a chosen app/contact)
And I am thinking of ways to add more widget space.. Scrolling might be a solution to this. I am also thinking about vertical paging. I do not however want to add more screens to the left or right, I think that will clutter the experience. What do you think?
Home button situation: I think that the home button to open the dialpad ads to the speed of the launcher. The back button does what you describe. I know that its not like other launchers but I dont want it to be just another launcher
And I added a Home-toggle-preference to the Settings menu on another users request, your welcome to try it out.
I try to represent two end states with the buttons, so that a stressed user can button mash to get to what they want;
Home: End state is dialpad, Search
Back: End state is widgets, Start
And really, I appreciate your feedback. I hope you will stick around for a few versions to come I have set of the weekend to adress bugs and users concerns.

wulltd said:
Thanks for the feedback, Ill try to adress your points in the coming version(s).
And I am thinking of ways to add more widget space.. Scrolling might be a solution to this. I am also thinking about vertical paging. I do not however want to add more screens to the left or right, I think that will clutter the experience. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I vote for vertical pages. That is something new. I agree adding them horizontally is not a good idea. Scrolling down and up isn't intuitive for me. Bonus if you can make the vertical page a loop, like some Samsung phone, I really like the loop mechanism.
I don't have any concern other than widget space. And the learning part is really cool.

1- АБВ
2-ГДЂ
3-ЕЖЗИ
4-ЈКЛЉ
5-МНЊ
6-ОПРС
7-ТЋУ
8-ФХЦ
9-ЧЏШ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's Serbian cyrillics, the Russian T9 layout is slightly different.
1 .,;:!? (no letters)
2 АБВГ
3 ДЕЁЖЗ
4 ИЙКЛ
5 МНОП
6 РСТУ
7 ФХЦЧ
8 ШЩЪЫ
9 ЬЭЮЯ
PS, you can find all T9 layouts in TouchPal.
---------- Post added at 02:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 PM ----------
PPS, the launcher must support at least two layouts simultaneously, e. g. English and Russian, the second layout must be selectable in options.

My suggestions:
- Allow hide apps in drawer
- Ability to add shortcuts to desktop.
- When contact has no avatar set, Android uses placeholder - white letter on color background for it. When adding such avatarless contacts to Google Now Launcher or Nova they use this placeholder, maybe you can also make contacts page to use it?
- Lock desktop option, so widgets can't be moved/deleted
- I would also like to suggest redesigning of window that appears when longpress on app... It looks too cluttered and not material at all. More like something from early ICS era
+1 for vertical scrolling of center screen!
So far it's very unique I'm curious what direction it will take.

Here is some features you can add to make your launcher even better :good:
-Disable swipe down from anywhere to toggle notification bar.(toggle only if i swype down the not bar)
-Show contacts only from gmail or phone.Now there are contacts from G+
-Home button goes to HOMe and not in the dialer.
-My phone is in usa language and the number are in 123-456-7890 format.So dialpad dont find them.
EDIT: I cant find my stock dialer app in the app tab!
EDIT2: I added a widget clock( i have samsung with stock kitkat rom) and i cant delete it.When i press it, the screen for widget and wallpaper appears.

wulltd said:
Ah I see.. Does your device have physical buttons, not a nav bar?
I just found an error that adds padding to the bottom of the views (dialer, widgetscreen) to compensate for a navbar that doesnt exist. Ill try to fix that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, yeah. I have my nav bar disabled. When I enable it, the launcher looks fine.
I found a bug that will probably confuse a lot of users.
If you go to the Applications tab and press the home button, the dialer pops up. Press home again and it'll switch to the Home tab, but with the dialer still open (and the same application list as the Applications tab has). Pressing home a third time hides the dialer finally ("Home button toggles dialpad" is on).
There is no difference between the Home tab and Applications tab when the dialer is open.
Swiping up and down gets awkward, too, because it also scrolls widgets and the application drawer.
I think, if you still want to use home button to launch the dialer, it should switch to the Applications tab and then launch the dialer. Also, having the dialer open automatically when swiping to the Applications tab would be nice. As well as removing and reorganizing tabs (I want to remove the Home tab, since I don't use widgets).
Here's a video of the home button action bug.
http://1drv.ms/14J1FAa
Also, it seems that the scroll up and ripple animation lags when the dialer is called up on the Home tab, but not when it's called up in the Applications tab (Probably because it doesn't need to scroll up before rippling there). Just one more reason to switch the Home button behavior to launch the dialer in the Applications tab instead of the Home tab.
Sorry if this post seems like it's all over the place, I'm just exited about this launcher. It's so close to becoming perfect.

Small apps

Im considering upgrading my Z5C, but I see f.ex small apps are missing, and Im so depended on them in my everyday life. I´ll really miss all of them, but I think the hardest one to let go of would be the Notes. The possibility to wuick open a note and write, and then safe it so it stays in the notification bar. I need to make To dos and reminder notes all the time at work and private life so need to have have easy access plus have them "in my face" for reminding me (no, dont want a widget on the main home screen since I want and need that cleaned from stress, haha, and swipe for home screen arnt in my face enough as when its in the Notification bar with the Small app Notes.).
So, Im woundering if anyone think Small apps will come back? Or know of any good apps to replace my Small app need?

Groofy85 said:
Im considering upgrading my Z5C, but I see f.ex small apps are missing, and Im so depended on them in my everyday life. I´ll really miss all of them, but I think the hardest one to let go of would be the Notes. The possibility to wuick open a note and write, and then safe it so it stays in the notification bar. I need to make To dos and reminder notes all the time at work and private life so need to have have easy access plus have them "in my face" for reminding me (no, dont want a widget on the main home screen since I want and need that cleaned from stress, haha, and swipe for home screen arnt in my face enough as when its in the Notification bar with the Small app Notes.).
So, Im woundering if anyone think Small apps will come back? Or know of any good apps to replace my Small app need?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish they could come back.
Actually the only replacement that I know is to open two apps on the screen which is possible on the new xperias.
Good luck

yes , I believe that the multiwondows option is way better than the small apps .