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Hi all,
New to Android here. Just got a AT&T Galaxy S II Skyrocket after 4 frustrating years with iPhones.
So far I really like Android, especially that it lets you change what you don't like. I do feel that both devices are unacceptably tethered to their respective corporate landlords - and google is not necessarily better than apple in that respect - but Android lets you change that more readily. For instance myphoneexplorer lets you sync with outlook pretty flawlessly if you don't care to upload your info to google's "cloud", etc.
OK, I'm done ranting now but I do have 2 specific questions:
1. My particular SIISR does not display a visual reminder nor sounds a loud enough alarm when (a) I get a text, or (b) a calendar event comes due. It just makes a ridiculously soft noise that I miss every time I'm not standing in an empty recording studio, and even worse when I pull the phone the screen is dark so I have no idea what the feeble alarm was about. I expect the same level of alert as when I get a call, i.e. the lock screen lights up and I can read / snooze / dismiss as the case may be. This is really pretty amazing that such dirt-basic functionality is not included in the software, at the very least easily enabled in Settings. Am I really expected to turn on the phone and pull down the Notifications curtain to find out what is going on? If there is no workaround this will be a showstopper for me and I'll have no choice but to return the phone.
2. I like the idea of upgrading to a rom like cyanogen when it becomes available for the SIISR, but I am concerned about how at&t cottons up to having rooted and OS-reflashed devices on its network and what they might do about it, and more specifically what happens when updates are pushed down the pipe. What is you guys' real world experience with that?
Thank you for your feedback! I'd really like to stick with my new Android phone!
you go into setting and the sound option. click on volume and make sure it maxed out, then click notification ringtone and you can change the sound.
As for visual reminder its at the top left of the screen. Text shows an envelope and calender alert a different icon.. I use handcent for sms and it works way better than stock program.
Not sure if BLN works on the this model but try it. it will leave your softkeys lit when you have a text.
you can try different lock screens via golocker so that you dont have to unlock your phone to see what the alert was but to actually read the alert or know more than if it was a message or email or phone call you have to unlock it for security reasons as perhaps you get confidential material that not just ANYONE should see.
as for rooted and custom firmware its safe, and prevents stock updates from your provider. as android is opensource you are allowed to customize it.
As to #1, you can change the notification sound both in your email settings and in the phones settings/sounds area. As to it being a dark screen when you go to check it.. thats one of the downsides to this particular model, no notification LED.. there is an app on the android market called NoLED that will put a little picture on the black screen to make up for it. BUT I cannot vouch for whether or not it drains battery (my chief concern), just have to try it out.
#2 I've been on AT&T with a rooted/flashed phone of various models since 2008 and I've never had them notice/say anything. It does void your warranty flashing, but there are ways of getting it back to stock if you do end up needing that. At the moment on this phone I believe you can't get it *perfectly* back to stock, but just have to give the devs here time and it will be available eventually.
*NoLED is on my list of apps to check battery usage, I'll get on it and post again tomorrow
while the forums are a great resource for things, you will get answers faster if you just google (or youtube) things like 'how to change android sms sound'
jacobharasimo said:
Not sure if BLN works on the this model but try it. it will leave your softkeys lit when you have a text.
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Click to collapse
Sounds even better than NoLED.. givin that a try too
sulpher said:
Sounds even better than NoLED.. givin that a try too
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Click to collapse
BLN requires a kernel that supports BLN, its only a matter of time when one of these great devs on here creates one.
Handcent SMS (free in the market) has the option to have your message pop up and remain on your screen until you cancel it. Almost like the iPhone.
As what Jacob said, when you are running a rooted device, you are most likely running a custom Recovery like CWM. Its actually the custom recovery that prevents you from getting the updates Over The Air. HOWEVER, the way the devs work... those new updates will generally be available for you way before your carrier sends it to your device. So rooted or not, you're gonna wanna root it anyway cause you'll end up being one of the few who wont have ICS, or whatever.
cue_32 said:
BLN requires a kernel that supports BLN, its only a matter of time when one of these great devs on here creates one.
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Click to collapse
Da_G supports it - look in the dev forum.
fedupey1 said:
2. I like the idea of upgrading to a rom like cyanogen when it becomes available for the SIISR, but I am concerned about how at&t cottons up to having rooted and OS-reflashed devices on its network and what they might do about it, and more specifically what happens when updates are pushed down the pipe. What is you guys' real world experience with that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like it was said, you won't get updates from AT&T, but why would you want AT&T updates to overwrite your Cyanogen ROM?? When you flash Cyanogen (or any ROM), you follow that ROM and reflash when updates are available. So instead of relying on AT&T for updates, you'll rely on the developer of the ROM for updates. Also, as long as you're not trying to exchange the phone or anything like that, AT&T has no right to tell you how to use your phone. Root it, flash it...throw it against the wall...it's yours. Do what you want. Now, when you try to warranty your wall smashed phone, you better hope you have a stock AT&T ROM on there if it powers up. Every time I've warrantied a phone, it's been dead, so it didn't matter. If it won't turn on, they can't tell what ROM you have, and really, most of those "techs" just want to give you a new phone and get you on your way. Personally, I've never had a problem getting a new phone.
#1 go into sms press settings in there change your SMS ringtone. If you want an iPhone SMS type of visual reminder (bubble alert) download SMS popup from the market tinker the settings to your liking.
I'll suggest every new iPhone to android user to read the phones manual or Google your questions before jumping to conclusion that android doesn't have this and that. Most likely it does. You can customize android how ever You want.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium
Has anyone had experience with the Chinese GO Launcher and the widgets that come with it? They look pretty cool, and it seems they have the functionality I'm missing.
btw I can understand the "read the manual first" comments; I did read the manual and, not unpredictably, it said nothing about functionality that doesn't exit.
Thanks for all the input so far everyone!
I recently upgraded from the iphone to the Skyrocket, and am loving it. I wasn't sure whether I was going to like it the first few days, but now when I pick up my husband's iphone it seems like a toy compared to the Skyrocket.
I just started using Go Launcher Ex two days ago. It has a lot of slick and useful features. I haven't finished exploring all of the options available, but so far I'm enjoying the themes, locker options, and SMS pro. It's easy to try Go, and you always can uninstall it if you don't like it. I did have to redo my widgets after installing it, but that was actually kind of fun with the new theme I installed.
Not a huge deal but something to keep in mind with GO launcher.. recently noticed with system panel that GO launcher drains battery excessively when the phone is idle (device on but screen off), so i switched to launcher pro which drains FAR less with the screen off. The app is nearly the same as far as functionality, with one or two exceptions that can be added by purchasing the the pro version if you really need them (resizing widgets). I decided it was worth it to use less battery.
*note, im a battery stickler.. I can't stand any extra drain
more then happy to help you out.
fedupey1 said:
Has anyone had experience with the Chinese GO Launcher and the widgets that come with it? They look pretty cool, and it seems they have the functionality I'm missing.
btw I can understand the "read the manual first" comments; I did read the manual and, not unpredictably, it said nothing about functionality that doesn't exit.
Thanks for all the input so far everyone!
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I know switching from the Iphone to Android is a big change. I was so confused for about a week. Anyways, if you want I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about your phone. I use the Go Launcher and Go SMS , I know a lot about them. Anyway just PM me if you'd like.
it has been my experience, because all returned/exchanged phones are sent out for reconditioning, att nor does the manufacturer care what OS modification has been performed on the phone. I returned my cappy at the atrix launch and asked specifically about the issue of "stock" or not, then I handed my serendipity cappy right over. Never heard back from att since and I'm still upgrading phones today without any heat. no worries.
sulpher said:
Not a huge deal but something to keep in mind with GO launcher.. recently noticed with system panel that GO launcher drains battery excessively when the phone is idle (device on but screen off), so i switched to launcher pro which drains FAR less with the screen off. The app is nearly the same as far as functionality, with one or two exceptions that can be added by purchasing the the pro version if you really need them (resizing widgets). I decided it was worth it to use less battery.
*note, im a battery stickler.. I can't stand any extra drain
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Click to collapse
Good to know, thanks for the info. I'm really happy with Go launcher, and in fact have noticed much better battery performance than I had previously with a live wallpaper. But I'll look into launcher pro if the battery performance is a problem in the future.
i can confirm that Go Launcher DRAINS battery very much.....but i still use it i like to functions.
just letting you know
I installed GO Launcher EX, it looks very cool; polished and very usable UI is a massive improvement. I recommend it. Ditto GO Dialer / contacts, a huge improvement over stock. GO calendar widget is OK but not fabulous; it looks good though with the Transparency theme. GO locker was pretty but rather useless, I uninstalled it.
Installed SMS popup, works excellent. I'm happy with it. Who knew I'd get excited over functionality that used to be standard 6 years ago.
Then for my calendar I looked for an iPhone type of visual reminder (bubble alert) that wakes up the phone and displays even when the screen is locked. I only found two:
- Calendar Snooze, of which I am currently running the free version. It does the job, but it's sort of aesthetically challenged.
- The pathetic Nudnik, which I uninstalled immediately. It looks like it was designed by a pre-schooler.
Now I need to resolve my lock screen issue, then I'll be content (it locks up immediately whenever I press Power although I set the delay to 10 mins in Settings).
I think I'll give Cyanogen a whirl if it becomes available for Skyrocket.
Try iPhone Notification.
Not sure if I'll get some reem'ing for asking, but...
I would absolutely love if someone could assist me in obtaining MotoBlur for my Droid Charge...???
I sell phones, and I've loved Motorola Androids the most. I started with the Droid 1, the Droid X, and then the Droid X2. I've sold plenty of Atrix, Atrix 2's, and Photons. I like the extra features that MotoBlur seems to have that others do not...
Such as the App drawer having extra features: Groups, Long-Pressing Apps to get an extra menu of options (such as Uninstall, Share, Add to Group, Add to Home), being able to change your dock icons, and the social apps, status, etc.
I think I'm willing to compensate/donate for this cause. I'm not digging Samsung's boring iPhone appeal....
Any help in this matter is greatly appreciated! Thank you to everyone that has been a great asset to my Android days! XDA has been a great asset for all my knowledge. XDA's been so great... that I've never had to post.. o.o; I've been reading for at least a year now.. ;p
[x] said:
Not sure if I'll get some reem'ing for asking, but...
I would absolutely love if someone could assist me in obtaining MotoBlur for my Droid Charge...???
I sell phones, and I've loved Motorola Androids the most. I started with the Droid 1, the Droid X, and then the Droid X2. I've sold plenty of Atrix, Atrix 2's, and Photons. I like the extra features that MotoBlur seems to have that others do not...
Such as the App drawer having extra features: Groups, Long-Pressing Apps to get an extra menu of options (such as Uninstall, Share, Add to Group, Add to Home), being able to change your dock icons, and the social apps, status, etc.
I think I'm willing to compensate/donate for this cause. I'm not digging Samsung's boring iPhone appeal....
Any help in this matter is greatly appreciated! Thank you to everyone that has been a great asset to my Android days! XDA has been a great asset for all my knowledge. XDA's been so great... that I've never had to post.. o.o; I've been reading for at least a year now.. ;p
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you probably won't ever see MotoBlur on this phone. First, it's very hard to port one manufacturer's customized Android user interface over to another phone. But here's why it's even more unlikely with the Charge--we can't get plain old Open-Source Android to run on the Charge yet. The only version of Android that our developer community has ever been able to get running on the Charge is Samsung's TouchWiz. All ROMs to date have been built on Samsung's base and tweaked (removing elements from TouchWiz, adding elements to, other code chages). There are two obstacles holding back further development on this phone: 1) Lack of source code for the 4G LTE Radio Interface Layer, without this new ROMs will not have 4G; 2) Lack of kernel source code sufficient to build working stock-based kernels from source that actually boot. And like I said previously, even if we had a working RIL and were able to build working kernels from source, it would still be very unlikely that anyone would port MotoBlur to run on the Charge (we would however have other ROMs such as CyanogenMod, MIUI, OMGB/OMFGB, and vanilla AOSP, etc.).
From what you've said you want, I think you can get most of that with a replacement launcher (like ADW Launcher EX or GO Launcher) and Android Pro Widgets. My absolute favorite launcher is LauncherPro Plus, but I can't recommend that to you in good faith. The app hasn't been updated in almost two years, there was hardly any Gingerbread troubleshooting done, and there is no ETA on any update at all. Until the dev for LauncherPro Plus gives us a full out update of that app, I won't recommend it (but I love the widgets so much that I can't leave it either).
Hahahahahaha. Oh wait, you're serious? Let me laugh even harder.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using xda premium
Thank you for taking the time up explain everything to me. I nearly appreciate the insight you've given me on my new device.
I've been using Launcher Pro every since my days on the Motorola Droid 1. I immediately paid for the Launcher Pro Plus, and it was practically the only app I paid fire over a year.
However, as you already know, Launcher Pro is outdated and hasn't been updated in a long time. It also has issues every once in a while. Maybe I do too much on my devices.
Do you have any recommendations for the features that I would love?
Mostly the ability to manage my apps from inside the app drawer, such as long-pressing an app in the drawer in order to Share, Uninstall, Add to Home. I also love the Groups you can create inside the app drawer with MotoBlur.
I would appreciate any more insight you have to offer.
KarateExplosion6 said:
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you probably won't ever see MotoBlur on this phone. First, it's very hard to port one manufacturer's customized Android user interface over to another phone. But here's why it's even more unlikely with the Charge--we can't get plain old Open-Source Android to run on the Charge yet. The only version of Android that our developer community has ever been able to get running on the Charge is Samsung's TouchWiz. All ROMs to date have been built on Samsung's base and tweaked (removing elements from TouchWiz, adding elements to, other code chages). There are two obstacles holding back further development on this phone: 1) Lack of source code for the 4G LTE Radio Interface Layer, without this new ROMs will not have 4G; 2) Lack of kernel source code sufficient to build working stock-based kernels from source that actually boot. And like I said previously, even if we had a working RIL and were able to build working kernels from source, it would still be very unlikely that anyone would port MotoBlur to run on the Charge (we would however have other ROMs such as CyanogenMod, MIUI, OMGB/OMFGB, and vanilla AOSP, etc.).
From what you've said you want, I think you can get most of that with a replacement launcher (like ADW Launcher EX or GO Launcher) and Android Pro Widgets. My absolute favorite launcher is LauncherPro Plus, but I can't recommend that to you in good faith. The app hasn't been updated in almost two years, there was hardly any Gingerbread troubleshooting done, and there is no ETA on any update at all. Until the dev for LauncherPro Plus gives us a full out update of that app, I won't recommend it (but I love the widgets so much that I can't leave it either).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
Go Launcher EX is my launcher of choice, and it's free. It combines the best features of LPP and ADW.
[x] said:
It also has issues every once in a while. Maybe I do too much on my devices.
Do you have any recommendations for the features that I would love?
Mostly the ability to manage my apps from inside the app drawer, such as long-pressing an app in the drawer in order to Share, Uninstall, Add to Home. I also love the Groups you can create inside the app drawer with MotoBlur.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My LauncherPro Plus used to have issues too (they pop up more in Gingerbread, unfortunately)... but, I've managed to resolve most of them by running the V6 SuperCharger script and setting my launcher to "bulletproof." I don't, personally, use V6 for anything else but others on the forum do and claim great results on the Charge.
Features? I only use a few. First, I use customized app icons and a customized background for my Dock. I also enable scrolling and carry 3 docks that scroll and loop infinitely. Of the two additional docks, one has Navigation centered and the second has my GF's speed dial centered. Next, I use two 4x4 widgets that take up my entire screen--One is the calendar widget, the other is the Friends widget, which aggregates my Facebook and Twitter feeds chronologically. I have all 3 of my home screens loop infinitely and I use the Flip transition from LauncherPro Plus.
In terms of managing apps from within the app draw, I don't think you can Share or create Groups. But if you long press an app, a trash can appears at the bottom of the app drawer. Drag the app over the trash can and wait, it will say "Drop to uninstall" and you can uninstall right from the app draw. Additionally, if you long press an app and drag it somewhere else (not the trash can) then release, it will add the app to your home screen.
I would like to thank everyone for their input. I loved my Launcher Pro, and I had actually purchased the Plus version two years ago on my Droid 1.
I have decided that Go Launcher EX definitely has more up-to-date features and benefits. I'm currently using the free version, and it has pretty much all the features I was looking for from MotoBlur.
Thanks again!
Sent from my Droid Charge using XDA App
Greetings...
Until today, I’ve been just a reader of the forums and have gotten great information that way. I've finally found something that I really want to contribute on because I want to see it go to the moon and back. That said I apologize for the wall of text. If you're looking for a TL;DR, scroll to the bullets.
We all (or most of us anyway) know that TSF Shell 3D was released a couple days ago and the buzz is slowly growing. Anyone who has read the Market description of this launcher pretty much knows that it's straight from Google Translate. By no means am I bashing the developers for this. Hell, I purchased it the day after purchasing SPB Shell. So I more than support their work.
However, as I stated, the Market description is pretty terrible. As far as I can tell, the TSFUI website is down, and there really isn't a one-stop-shop to find out what features you just spent $16.80 on (more on price later).
So, hopefully the wonderful users of XDA can come up with an unofficial guide which can be added to as we stumble across features. Everything I've found has been in random article comments, very few forum posts, and personal experience. At any rate, I'll list what I've been able to confirm and hopefully we can go from there?
TSF Shell - Unofficial User Guide [WIP]
Disclaimer: This guide is based on personal experience. I have no connection to the developer of TSF Shell. All claims regarding working/broken, supported/unsupported features are strictly based upon my experience using a rooted, stock rom Motorola Milestone X. If you see something incorrect, please let me know and I will correct it immediately.
The Switch Button
The switch button is used to switch between your 4 personalized pages as well as the App Drawer or App Page.
You can tap the Switch Button to show a preview of your screens. Simply tap any screen to switch to it.
A slightly quicker way to use the switch button is to tap and hold it, and then drag your finger to the desired screen.
Tapping and holding an icon from any Personalized Page and dragging it to the Switch Button will also show the screen preview, allowing you to quickly move the icon to a different screen.
The App Drawer
The App Drawer or App Page can be accessed by tapping the Switch Button and then tapping the far left page.
The App Drawer uses a horizontal paginated scroll effect. As of yet, there is no way to switch to a vertical scroll.
There are 6 different scroll animations to choose from. You can switch the animation style on the fly by tapping the small tab in the upper left (just below the first row of apps).
Double tapping an app in the App Drawer will put a green check mark on it. This can be done to several apps at a time. Click and hold any of the apps you've pre-selected and the screen preview will appear, allowing you to move several apps to the same screen at once. When you drop them on the preferred screen, they will automatically arrange nicely into a grid. You can resize and move this grid to your liking. Tap anywhere off the grid or tap the circular arrow (refresh-looking symbol?) in the upper right.
When a new app is installed, it will have a fire animation on it until it is launched for the first time. On my phone (Milestone X), the fire is only animated while scrolling and is static while not scrolling. I'm unclear whether this is intended or a bug.
Personalized Pages
Personalized pages are fairly similar to the standard screens we are used to with Android. One major difference, however, is swiping them does not switch screens. It draws a lasso instead.
This lasso can be used to select multiple icons. When you complete a full circle with the lasso, a menu will pop up. This menu allows you to Arrange, Multi-Choice (like double-tapping in the App Drawer), Create a Folder, or Delete. There is a fifth option called "Gather", this feature is unavailable thus far. There is also a '?' in the center of the option menu which appears to do nothing. The lasso tool cannot select widgets.
All normal widgets can be placed on the Personalized pages as usual. Long press, or Menu > Add. Both of these methods allow you to change wallpaper as well. **Note** Live Wallpaper is apparently not supported currently.
Personalized pages do not have a defined grid, so the only way to align your asia neatly is to lasso them and use the arrangement option.
Personalized pages also allow you to place apps at any angle using multi-touch. Press and hold the app and turn it with the other finger.
The Side Bar
By default, the tab that activates the Side Bar is located on the middle left of the screen.
The Side Bar has 3 available tabs, they are as follows:
Smilie Face - I assume the Smilie Face implies favorites? Basically you can drag and drop apps in and out of this tab for fast access.
Settings Cog - This tab contains all TSF Shell specific widgets. You will NOT find these widgets (yet, anyway) through Menu > Add > Widgets or through Long Press > Widgets.
Thumb Tack - I'll call this the "Decorations Tab" because, as far as I can tell, there are three items listed here. A cloud, a ghost, and a pumpkin. Each of these can be places on any Personalized page. You can not tap through them, so placing them completely over an app or widget will require you to move them before being able to use the app or widget from that location. These "Decorations" don't appear to be animated and don't appear to serve any purpose other than "Hey guys, check this out!” I would imagine these will be elaborated on in the future?
Finally, if you tap and hold any of the above listed tabs, you can change their order around, as well as drag the whole side bar tab. You can move the side bar tab vertically anywhere between the bottom of the notification bar and the top of the Switch Button.
The Price:
One tiny rant on that... please stop complaining about the cost of this launcher, people. I don't see anyone crying over the $200 "Diamond Widget" app that does literally nothing but prove you have $200 to blow. Or, worse yet, that you have only $200 to your name and you've now blown it all accidentally The developers put a lot into this and it shows. Appreciate it or use the plethora of free launchers available.
Personalised pages also don't have a defined grid, so you might wanna add that.
Also, long press an icon, and use multitouch to rotate it freely for even more control on your pages.
some of the feature that were demo in their website wasnt implemented in this release,so what happen and is it worth??
from the ARC
lenny_kano said:
Personalised pages also don't have a defined grid, so you might wanna add that.
Also, long press an icon, and use multitouch to rotate it freely for even more control on your pages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, thank you! I completely forgot to add that.
Rashid,
I'm confident the developer will release the missing features as they can. Admittedly, I have little to base my confidence on, but they have released several updates already. If that continues, I'm sure the features will too.
As far as whether or not it's worth it? I believe so. It's the only launcher that was brave enough to throw out the standard feel of android and completely change it.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
Watched the video on the market and seriously the most feature packed launcher I've seen and incredibly smooth. If I ever am ready to pay 15+ on a launcher it would definitely be this one. Im using the stock launcher on my bionic at the moment and im satisfied.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
if they are going to have a page for apps instead of an app drawer then really should let you "hide" apps...i currently use go launcher and it is essential as i have a lot of system apps that i do not want something accidentally clicking or opening and changing something....also a lot of addons that ive downloaded show up in the app drawer or in this case app page and it leads to a lot of clutter
is it a nice launcher? yes, definitely...gorgeous animations and extremely fluid...but for $17 it better have everything the free ones have and some (which it does not) the features it does have are nice and pretty...but they are more luxury then necessities..go launcher, adw have a bunch of essentials that this launcher does not have...this launcher completely cripples artistic creativity (due to its lacking features)
Scott,
I totally get where people are coming from with the price... To am extent.
However, in the grand scheme of things, this is a launcher that took a lot of time and excellent coding. Lets not forget you can use it on all your future androids as well.
Jdiddy,
I also agree on the app page. App hiding isn't that important to me personally, but I get why it can be for some. Also, it's just a tad inconvenient. I can honestly say
I'm not sure why I perceive it as inconvenient... It's not like it takes long to access.
Aside from that, I do miss my dock. I can't seem to find a convenient place to put my dialer.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
doberman16 said:
Scott,
I totally get where people are coming from with the price... To am extent.
However, in the grand scheme of things, this is a launcher that took a lot of time and excellent coding. Lets not forget you can use it on all your future androids as well.
Jdiddy,
I also agree on the app page. App hiding isn't that important to me personally, but I get why it can be for some. Also, it's just a tad inconvenient. I can honestly say
I'm not sure why I perceive it as inconvenient... It's not like it takes long to access.
Aside from that, I do miss my dock. I can't seem to find a convenient place to put my dialer.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its convenient because we arent used to an app page...normally we press the button and have the ability to back out back to the homescreen..the app page forces to to switch between and choose which screen to go to after...its quite annoying...an app drawer is a lot easier
and the lack of a dockbar is a no no...i, as well as everyone else, have grown accustomed to a dockbar as even the stock launcher incorporates one...phone, contacts, texts need to be accessible from any page or else you have to have multiple clicks to perform simple tasks
IF and WHEN they incorporate the other basic stuff..dockbar, app drawer, grid size, # of pages...this launcher will be up there with the best
having an android is all about customization and using this launcher takes that away...its like having a glorified iphone...in terms of what your screen looks like
Nice collection of instructions; thanks for this. I hadn't realized that the tabs could be moved!
I've played a bit with creating a false "dock" at the bottom of each page to allow me to always have quick access to the Phone, Google Voice, Gmail, and Chrome apps. Seems to be a fair compromise so far.
codesplice said:
Nice collection of instructions; thanks for this. I hadn't realized that the tabs could be moved!
I've played a bit with creating a false "dock" at the bottom of each page to allow me to always have quick access to the Phone, Google Voice, Gmail, and Chrome apps. Seems to be a fair compromise so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is the obvious work around...however, at this point -all launchers have it (especially for a $17 launcher) a dock seems like a pretty basic feature
Jdiddy,
The thing is... If this were iOS you'd be stuck. On Androids, we can provide feedback to the developer and, dare I say it, actually be listened to! The launcher is new, but from my perspective, the devs are listening.
Easier said than done, but if they incorporate a few more features, no other launcher competes. The fact that they have decided to say "To hell with the standard, lets be innovative." Is huge. I mean... Seriously, other launchers are nice, but come on. They're all same **** different day. They come up with slightly different ways to do it, but never far enough off the beaten path to really drop jaws.
Code, thank you! Glad I could help. Good idea with the pseudo dock. I might try that. I'm just the type of person that likes everything aligned and there really isn't a way to do that. At the same time, I enjoy the option to place things wherever you want. If a snap to grid feature were added... It'd be perfection.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
Jdiddy, I don't disagree at all. Lets again not forget the fact that this launcher is not written in stone. Smart devs, which I believe the TSF devs are, will listen. If they don't... I'm out $17... I've spent way more on way less useful things in my lifetime.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
I keep seeing folks lamenting "oh, it doesn't do this that Launcher X does". So what? It does plenty of things that other launchers can't touch! It wasn't meant to be just another clone of the stock Android launcher (like ADW, LauncherPro, Apex, Nova, Trebuchet...). TSF Shell is revolutionary, a way to interact with your Android device that is completely new and breaks from tradition. It's fantastic to have the option of a launcher that is truly different from all the others.
did i state my comments in a negative way? i was just stating what they needed to add..and giving reasons as to why its important...im commenting on the state of the launcher as it stands right now and nothing else...i said it crippled customization...which is the truth..i didnt blast their product or say their work was shoddy..its called constructive criticism
and yes, this launcher does things that others dont...but the KEY is that it limits customization...im not asking for bells and whistles to be taken from other launchers...its great that this launcher is unique...but im not about to trade convenience for a few cool animations..tell me that the app page is more convenient then a drawer and tell me that not having a dockbar is a good idea...didnt think so..thats all im saying..if they add all the customization options and had everything they have in their demo video then i can understand the hefty price tag
that was my entire point.
also..my perspective is of someone that creates a lot of artistic homescreens in the http://mycolorscreen.com mold
so to me grid size, icons, # of pages all that stuff is crucial...and after seeing the stuff this launcher has to offer...if they added those things, it would be incredible
Jdiddy,
Perfect response. I don't think anyone took your comment negatively... I didn't at least. Does it have took for improvement? Absolutely! Does it have the capability to meet our expectations? Yes! The only question is whether the devs respond to their paying customers in the way that they should.
I could email them myself, but lets be realistic. They're flooded as it is. My email would get lost in the mix and I completely understand that. The key here is to be the squeaky wheel... Because that's the one that gets oiled first.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
When install new app, icon of this app will be on fire, but not animated for now. Music widget allso will appear in nice music preview mode when swipe over it. And one bug - when using lasso function to select icons and release screen, then choose arrange icon function, the last selected app will run automatically.
Nice launcher, very fast with great potential, but it's only born before 3 days , will be improved.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using xda premium
Vallcho,
The fire animation shows up only while scrolling. I some this is a bug.
The lasso function you are talking about is the multi select. And, yes, it does open the last app you selected. I'd assume this will be fixed.
Edit: I noticed that double tapping in the screen preview makes the screens jump in an odd way. Could be a bug, could be a broken feature.
Also, I somehow was able to get the lasso to appear in the app page. Again, could be a bug or intended. Let me know if you see the same and how you got it to happen. Haven't been able to replicate it intentionally.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
I will say one thing, this launcher is the single most unique launcher available for android. I challenge anyone to give an example of something with as much creativity. There all either stock launcher clones, or clones of other OS's like windows phone.
That said, its far from perfect, but looking at a lot of apps on the market, the price vs effort/originality ratio is better with this then any other launcher available , so I very much look forward to what they can do in the future.
Very well said, Lenny. The thing we need to keep in mind is that it's a new launcher. It's innovative, and it's about time. If the devs need time to release everything... Give it to them. It will pan out.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
doberman16 said:
Very well said, Lenny. The thing we need to keep in mind is that it's a new launcher. It's innovative, and it's about time. If the devs need time to release everything... Give it to them. It will pan out.
Sent from my Milestone X using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as they don't abandon it. Its a great idea if they support it and keep it up.
Don't let it go the way of uber music. Great start, **** commitment and follow through. Innovative is a very good way of putting it. First original idea I've seen on the market for a long time.
And no offence to other launchers devs , there's amazing work going on in terms of feature adding and bug fixing, but the innovation is low to nonexistant.
Anyone using chameleon launcher on their infinity?
Looks like another great launcher for tablets...
http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/18/chameleon-launcher-1.0-google-play/
whats so great about it?
Tried it.
Uninstalled it.
I prefer Apex launcher. Chameleon has some nice ideas but it's still buggy and not ready for release imo. It costs $10 too which is a mistake.
Basically, the main feature is that you can set it up so that your default "home" screen automatically changes depending on where you are, what time it is, etc... But really, other than that, I'm not so sure what people (including myself - I'm a "backer") were so excited about. Besides being able to set your default home screen depending on certain conditions, it really doesn't add much to the launcher experience...
I personally can't remember why it was supposed to be so great!
I un-installed it as well, mainly because you can only use widgets provided by the app - you lose access to all standard Android widgets, which makes it unusable in my opinion.
That being said, it would be nice if Nova, Apex, etc added the ability to automatically change your home screen depending on certain conditions - I think that is a cool feature...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
I am a backer, too. I am disappointed, too.
Switching things like chameleon does is really nothing special. It is still just one screen. So, i can set my apex launcher screens to reflect what chameleon tries to do very easily. The only thing is that i have to swipe. To be honest, this is not exactly true either, cause almost everything can be done with Tasker.
So yeah. I still hope chameleon starts getting better, but it has to be real quick or all the interest is going to float away and another app will go down the drain like many others.
I backed it too... it costed 10$ . But after few days i uninstalled it. Lack of Widgets , very Slow , lack of user defined wallpapers etc .
They are still in Beta i guss and they are updating the app almost everyday . Hope they come up with more nich Widgets etc soon.
thanks all for the replies!!! was trying to see if it warranted the ten dollar price
like i use a different homescreen when im in my vehicle (media oriented),but right now i just swipe right to get to it
swipe left to go back to my regular homescreen
chameleon key feature is simply to "auto-swipe" ?
At first I was disappointed, 1.0 has changed my opinion its stable and looks amazing. I was the first to complain with the beta releases now with the widget api released things good get interesting. @Apex launcher pro on my tf700t.....too buggy
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda premium
Svashtar said:
I am a backer, too. I am disappointed, too.
Switching things like chameleon does is really nothing special. It is still just one screen. So, i can set my apex launcher screens to reflect what chameleon tries to do very easily. The only thing is that i have to swipe. To be honest, this is not exactly true either, cause almost everything can be done with Tasker.
So yeah. I still hope chameleon starts getting better, but it has to be real quick or all the interest is going to float away and another app will go down the drain like many others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kickstarter backer here and I'm a little disappointed now that they have issued Ver. 1.0. There's no calendar widget, you can only place so many apps in the dock, the dock is huge and not adjustable, no pre-built Android widgets so any thing you've already paid for is wasted, and it doesn't do news feed images very well.
But the biggest disapointment is the lack of a calendar widget! That should have been a fundamental basic widget from the start. It's not so it won't be my launcher of choice untill that get's fixed.
SayWhat10 said:
thanks all for the replies!!! was trying to see if it warranted the ten dollar price
like i use a different homescreen when im in my vehicle (media oriented),but right now i just swipe right to get to it
swipe left to go back to my regular homescreen
chameleon key feature is simply to "auto-swipe" ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's one key feature, but I would say the bigger draw is the aesthetic polish it brings. That's one of the reasons they won't let normal android widgets be used, as it clashes with the look of Chameleon. Give it time for more widgets to get made (especially with the API now available to developers) before deciding if it's a success or failure. IMO with 3 or 4 more of the widgets I need, I would easily use it as my day to day launcher.
whoah....cant use regular widgets? only widgets you can use are chameleon widgets?
SayWhat10 said:
whoah....cant use regular widgets? only widgets you can use are chameleon widgets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. If you care to learn html5 you can make your own Chameleon widgets, and in the future they will add the ability to use widgets other users create. Until then, you only have the official chameleon ones to choose from. No standard Android widgets are usable in Chameleon though.
I was super hyped about it so I backed it on KS. Then I tried it and uninstalled it... nuff said...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app
Chameleon will definitely get better with further releases and more widgets added.
Like someone before me said, for me too, the polished and beautiful design is an added value of this launcher, nothing else (at least currently).
Calendar, Google+ and Music widgets are coming in near future. Custom widgets from users are coming, too, eventually. (i am hoping for beter gmail, email widgets etc...which can easily be done by others, not necessarily by teknision).
But, as i said before, they will have to act quickly - hype is on, but as with anything else it can get cold very quickly, too.
Svashtar said:
Chameleon will definitely get better with further releases and more widgets added.
Like someone before me said, for me too, the polished and beautiful design is an added value of this launcher, nothing else (at least currently).
Calendar, Google+ and Music widgets are coming in near future. Custom widgets from users are coming, too, eventually. (i am hoping for beter gmail, email widgets etc...which can easily be done by others, not necessarily by teknision).
But, as i said before, they will have to act quickly - hype is on, but as with anything else it can get cold very quickly, too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just found this I like the look of it but does it have bookmark and email widgets?
Another kickstarter backer here. I also uninstalled it. It supports my gmail and news. I don't use Twitter or Facebook so it's fairly useless to me. Maybe widgets that appeal more to me are yet to come but not using it now.
as many people are customizing there phones, i thought the launcher is the first screen that people always see, and they seem to provise the most customizable attributes. i am curious and on the search for the most versitile lancher out there and what they can do.
i know there is a post your homescreen thread out there and there is quite a few responses and nice pics, but not all list their lancher preferences or apps they used to get those.
posting screenshots and tools you used would be great
super simple laucher pro, but not done yet
Haven't had much success with it but sslauncher is pretty customizable. Really though most of the launchers give you roughly the same features.
Looking through the post your home screen threads many use apex, adw, or launcher pro. They let you replace homescreen icons with custom ones.
Uccw is a popular clock and weather widget but us rough to figure out.
Those are the main 2 I would say. A good place to start anyway.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app
You can surely find plenty of launcher reviews, if you search.
Some require Android 4.0.. I haven't looked at those.
Among remaining it seems frequent mentions are ADW, Go Launcher, Launcher Plus, Holo
I haven't done a lot of comparison. I tried Holo launcher first and have mostly stuck with it. It does what I want, and I'm not interested in spending a ton of time comparing and setting up launchers.
I did try ADW later. It has more options but also more complicated interface so I stick with Holo. (I may change in the future...maybe if I learn about something big that I'm missing during this thread)
Attached are screenshots.
The first one highlights something I like about Holo (only the pro version) - you can put any widget into the dock area at the bottom.
So the first two icons on the left of the dock are Tasker toggle widgets in there for Wifi and Data. The color changes when the status changes (grey for off, green or red for on depending on what parameter). They are controlled manually or by Tasker which changes status based on location. Then in the center/right of the dock, I have Elixir widgets displaying battery level, MB free, number of applications running. Clicking on these widgets launches handy menus - the memory free sends you to settings/applications, the running applications lists running applications with option to switch to any running application... I use this often to make sure I have closed out all the applications I've used recently (may not be required but makes me feel better).
The 2nd screen highlights easily resizable widgets - I use them heavily for lists on my homescreen. I have 9 screens available, so plenty of room to have many lists on homescreen and move them around. Also of course I can change which note is displayed in a given position or get rid of a note from home screen and it remains (stored in Color Note).
Also I like the gestures. For me swipe down laucnhes a Tasker tasj to turn the screen off (save wear and tear on my power button). Swipe up launches a Tasker task for brightness control... if no response in 7 seconds it sets to max brightness (handy when you're in bright sun). There are several other gestures available to be assigned to whatever you want (applications or shortcuts)
That's not all the features, just a few that I like. I suspect most or all of above features are available in other launchers. And I suspect most of the others have more than Holo. I like Holo for simplicity and good useful tools. Not what you asked for... just throwing in my opinion.
Like any launcher, Holo has a few non-optimum features that are discussed in the Holo thread. There is only one that bugs me a little but I learned to cope. The main screens and three dock screens move independently of course. When you press home button with main screen not in home position, both the dock and main screen jump to their home position. But if you press home button with the main screen at home position and dock in non-home position, the dock does not jump to home position. Not a big deal since it's not hard to manage scrolling within 3 dock screens, but I'd like home to take me to home on main/dock screens regardless of where I started.
electricpete1 said:
You can surely find plenty of launcher reviews, if you search.
Some require Android 4.0.. I haven't looked at those.
Among remaining it seems frequent mentions are ADW, Go Launcher, Launcher Plus, Holo
I haven't done a lot of comparison. I tried Holo launcher first and have mostly stuck with it. It does what I want, and I'm not interested in spending a ton of time comparing and setting up launchers.
I did try ADW later. It has more options but also more complicated interface so I stick with Holo. (I may change in the future...maybe if I learn about something big that I'm missing during this thread)
Attached are screenshots.
The first one highlights something I like about Holo (only the pro version) - you can put any widget into the dock area at the bottom.
So the first two icons on the left of the dock are Tasker toggle widgets in there for Wifi and Data. The color changes when the status changes (grey for off, green or red for on depending on what parameter). They are controlled manually or by Tasker which changes status based on location. Then in the center/right of the dock, I have Elixir widgets displaying battery level, MB free, number of applications running. Clicking on these widgets launches handy menus - the memory free sends you to settings/applications, the running applications lists running applications with option to switch to any running application... I use this often to make sure I have closed out all the applications I've used recently (may not be required but makes me feel better).
The 2nd screen highlights easily resizable widgets - I use them heavily for lists on my homescreen. I have 9 screens available, so plenty of room to have many lists on homescreen and move them around. Also of course I can change which note is displayed in a given position or get rid of a note from home screen and it remains (stored in Color Note).
Also I like the gestures. For me swipe down laucnhes a Tasker tasj to turn the screen off (save wear and tear on my power button). Swipe up launches a Tasker task for brightness control... if no response in 7 seconds it sets to max brightness (handy when you're in bright sun). There are several other gestures available to be assigned to whatever you want (applications or shortcuts)
That's not all the features, just a few that I like. I suspect most or all of above features are available in other launchers. And I suspect most of the others have more than Holo. I like Holo for simplicity and good useful tools. Not what you asked for... just throwing in my opinion.
Like any launcher, Holo has a few non-optimum features that are discussed in the Holo thread. There is only one that bugs me a little but I learned to cope. The main screens and three dock screens move independently of course. When you press home button with main screen not in home position, both the dock and main screen jump to their home position. But if you press home button with the main screen at home position and dock in non-home position, the dock does not jump to home position. Not a big deal since it's not hard to manage scrolling within 3 dock screens, but I'd like home to take me to home on main/dock screens regardless of where I started.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow, that was one lenghtly response.
i am not really on a search for a launcher, i have done that. i know how to do my homework. i was basically creating a social type of environment for those who really love their Infuse and fully exploit all the freedom we have in customizing.
the other thread, again, has a lot of great pics and i am really like liking some of the more simplified screens. however, most do not post the tools they used.
i have just discovered the SS launcher yesterday and it is pretty unique. still trying to figure it out. another one i found intresting was FullScreen launcher and of course, i still need to dive into that one too.
captemo said:
wow, that was one lenghtly response.
i am not really on a search for a launcher, i have done that. i know how to do my homework. i was basically creating a social type of environment for those who really love their Infuse and fully exploit all the freedom we have in customizing.
the other thread, again, has a lot of great pics and i am really like liking some of the more simplified screens. however, most do not post the tools they used.
i have just discovered the SS launcher yesterday and it is pretty unique. still trying to figure it out. another one i found intresting was FullScreen launcher and of course, i still need to dive into that one too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I misunderstood.
Hopefully you didn’t view my post as being in conflict with your goal of social post (would that make me anti-social )
Launchers are of interest to me, but maybe for a different reason than for you. I have only done a litle exploring them but have been using Holo for a few weeks.. It strikes me that changing launchers has a big impact on our experience, but we don’t discuss that very much on these forums, even though chaning launchers is much eaiser and less risky than changing Roms. I guess maybe that’s because Roms are Infuse-specific and launchers aren’t.
I did think my setup is unorthodox having lots of things indicated on the bottom dock. By the way, my Data icon shows not only data on/off but also how many MB used this month (91.2MB in the first screenshot)... it’s updated daily by Tasker sending an SMS to AT&T requesting data usage and putting the value from the AT&T response into my widget label. Putting Tasker widgets like that into the dock seems pretty useful/versatile to me. I just don’t know if the other launchers allow the same approach. Lots of ROMs have similar stuff up in the notification area but I don't really like that as they tend to be small and also a busy notification area makes it harder to recognize new stuff popping up there.
electricpete1 said:
Sorry I misunderstood.
Hopefully you didn’t view my post as being in conflict with your goal of social post (would that make me anti-social )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not anti social, you responded in the first place. i was trying not to sound as if i was being a ****. i understand the reaponse though. there are way to many people who wont even look at the previous post, and ask a question that was just addressed. so many questions would be answered if they just did some reading. instead they are pissing off developers who then decide to leave our device.
with all the Jellybean work being done, which is amazing, however JB is pretty much JB. not a lot of individualism. with everything working so good, there is not a lot of movement on the threads. so i have gone back to gingerbread and contiuing my quest for the ultimate set up.
i love the idea od swapping my icons for text, and simple text is pretty easy to work. i would love some vertical text though. i am running the JW8 v2 version of Saurom and like it pretty good. pretty fast. trying to find everything else to complete the package.
i would say most customizeable would be go launcher but i hold tru to ftl launcher pro, basically becuz of the cube scrolling effect for your apps
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using xda premium
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using xda premium
I would use launcher8 its smooth and nice, look for it on the play store
Ive used Go Launcher, ADW and Holo in the past. I used Go launcher extensively on my Infuse and my Gio since it was so customizable but after playing around with other phones using more recent versions of android I felt it was too resource hungry. Holo I used for a bit for that ICS look but found it lacked a few options when compared to Go. But I actually DLed it recently and the experience is now closer to true ICS and reminds me a lot of Trebuchet and its simplicity. Currently Im using Trebuchet since putting my infuse on a CM10.1 ROM and I really like it. Very smooth and simple.
I used GoLauncher for a long time, but have used Nova for almost 4 months now, and I love it! Very customizable and easy to save and reload between flashes
I personally love Apex pro mycolorscreen.com has customization guides that use mostly apex you'd be amazed.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2
I use nova and like it a lot!
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I have tried them all my friend. GO, ADW, Holo, Apex, Nova, Are all pretty close in the number of options. I used Go forever because of the folder system in the app drawer. Unfortunately it didnt seem to behave very well with all the ROMs I started flashing (thanks Faux.) Now I use the HoloHD+ and will likely continue to do so ...until the KLP hits me.
Just started using sslauncher and i have to say this is by far one of the most customizable launchers if ever used although there is a learning curve
Slim SON
Ss launcher gives pretty new styles of launcher.
You might want to try this launcher.
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Nova
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Nova + rom control.
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