usefullness of android keys - Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello, how useful it is to have Android keys on the external keyboard?

hajime_android said:
Hello, how useful it is to have Android keys on the external keyboard?
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Do you want to control music playing in the background without switching out of the app you're in?
Do you need to immediately jump to email, internet, or your calendar frequently?

Yes for both questions.
For Q1, I think most external keyboards such as the Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 has volume up and down keys. What is the difference between these volume-control keys and specific Android volume-control keys?

hajime_android said:
What is the difference between these volume-control keys and specific Android volume-control keys?
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I don't know, but I'd guess nothing.

Shaderach said:
I don't know, but I'd guess nothing.
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Nothing is the correct answer, but they do allow you to adjust volume, brightness etc without taking your fingers off the keyboard.

But I think most keyboards (for Mac, for Windows) also allow us to adjust the volume and brightness. So, having an Android keyboard does not make a difference except activating email, calendar, web browser? As the tablet will be placed in a very close distance, one could also use the touch screen to activate them. Can I assign special functions to some keys of non-Android keyboard such as the Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810? That could be very useful.

hajime_android said:
So, having an Android keyboard does not make a difference except activating email, calendar, web browser? As the tablet will be placed in a very close distance, one could also use the touch screen to activate them.
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Not the same. With the hotkeys no matter what you're doing or what app you're using you can open internet, mail, or calendar in ONE button press. Without the hotkeys you need to switch out of your app, swipe to the icon, and hit it. That's three presses minimum. It doesn't sound like a big difference but it is and you'll get used to using them (and annoyed without them) quickly.

So, it is better to get an Android keyboard with Android function keys?

hajime_android said:
But I think most keyboards (for Mac, for Windows) also allow us to adjust the volume and brightness. So, having an Android keyboard does not make a difference except activating email, calendar, web browser? As the tablet will be placed in a very close distance, one could also use the touch screen to activate them. Can I assign special functions to some keys of non-Android keyboard such as the Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810? That could be very useful.
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Shaderach said:
Not the same. With the hotkeys no matter what you're doing or what app you're using you can open internet, mail, or calendar in ONE button press. Without the hotkeys you need to switch out of your app, swipe to the icon, and hit it. That's three presses minimum. It doesn't sound like a big difference but it is and you'll get used to using them (and annoyed without them) quickly.
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Shaderach said:
Do you want to control music playing in the background without switching out of the app you're in?
Do you need to immediately jump to email, internet, or your calendar frequently?
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Click to collapse
hajime_android said:
Yes for both questions.
For Q1, I think most external keyboards such as the Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 has volume up and down keys. What is the difference between these volume-control keys and specific Android volume-control keys?
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External keyboard helper answers any and all questions. Lets you assign hotkeys for android functions and apps and configure them to your preference with hotkeys being activated by hitting control or s ok mething similar. So no a android specific one isnt necessarily better unless you dont want to set something up at all. Which I doubt since your here on xda. I have mine set so key combos open certain apps and one opens up my multiwindow launcher allowing me to launch any app ive added to it as a floating window. Very useful when using a mouse and keyboard
Sent from my SCH-I605 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Related

Question about the sensor of touch pro

As i know that touch pro is not only can be touched on the screen but also the hard button area ( home, back, call, hang up buttons)
How can i use that feature
Which software that i need to install or how can i active it
Thank for reading my topic
What do you want exactly? Do you want to remap hardware buttons?
the hardware buttons are enabled by default. you don't have to 'activate' them.
No! My point is how can i use the sensor of hardware button ^^
Well,did you mean to use the capacitive surface of those sensors,not the buttons itself? And what exactly do you want? Please explain.
google for "G-scroll"
TomasNM said:
Well,did you mean to use the capacitive surface of those sensors,not the buttons itself? And what exactly do you want? Please explain.
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My point is
Instead of pushing down the 4 hard buttons (call, back, home, hang off) i just need to touch it on the surface?
You can buy gscroll (mobilesrc.com), but unless you can get the 1.x series, I'd pass. The 2.x series is buggy as hell, and it seems like development has stopped. There are some free apps you can find around here as well. I'm thinking Dredscroll is one, and there was another app called Butler (I think, lol) that allowed you to use it as a launcher with gestures on the area. Gscroll lets you swipe to scroll (it's good for reading ebooks, when it's working) as well as to launch things, but it has the annoying habit of going on smoking breaks.
As I know HTC testing software,I can say,it could not be a problem to create an app of this kind,but...
- Do we have SDK for it(I didin't searched for it yet)?
- Currently I don't know,how to send keyboard hooks to the system
- I cannot prevent/disable default keyboard hooks
So that means,I am not able to solve your puzzle. Sorry.
That was my honest opinion...
I don't think he's asking about the Vibrant-Scroll Wheel, I think he's talking about the Optical Track, itself.
[As the Home, Back, Answer, & End Call buttons require you to actually PUSH them down.]
You know, the "OK/Enter" button. When you place you finger on it [NOT PRESS IT], by default, it lights up the Bottom Hardware Keys, as well as brightens the screen.
If it's not working for you, I recommend Backing up your Important Information with either SPB Backup or Microsoft MyPhone, and flashing a New ROM. There are certain Drivers that control the Optical Track. What they are, however, is beyond me.

[Q] activator for android?

anyone know of an app like the iphone's activator app (from cydia)
for those that don't know, it allows you to set to open different app/functions with different combinations of button presses, e.g a double press of the home button in the lock screen might turn the light on, a long press of the home button at the lock screen might open the camera.. It's fully customizable.
The basic function I after is to quickly get up the camera app with out having to unlock the phone (I use the pattern lock)
has anyone used activator for iphone?? what do people think of its capabilities?
Hold home button.
The only thing that comes to mind is Tasker. Im not sure if it will do the things you want, but it might be able to.
Tasker: https://market.android.com/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm&feature=search_result
brat81 said:
Hold home button.
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for what???
mdonova33 said:
The only thing that comes to mind is Tasker. Im not sure if it will do the things you want, but it might be able to.
Tasker: https://market.android.com/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm&feature=search_result
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Thanks, it seems like it can do a lot of things.. I'll have to work out how it works now
no luck
I have been trying to recreate Activator's functionality with Tasker since I switched to Android (2 years ago). I think Android just doesn't function similarly enough to get the same functionality. Activator & Glovepod (no touch music control) are the only things I miss about iOS. Tasker has so many awesome features though that I would never consider switching back.
GMD Gesture Control + Tasker replicates and even improves upon Activator. Bad part? They have a total cost of $11, but there are free trials for both.
Gesture Control works best on tablets though..
Sent from my Acer Iconia Tab A500

[Q] Keyboard Dock Functionality

Hey all,
So I just recently bought the keyboard dock (a little late to the game I know ) and I was wondering if I could add some functionality to it.
First am I able to change what apps open with the function keys? Mainly I want to change the browser button so that it opens Chrome Beta instead of the stock browser.
Also can I add keyboard shortcuts in various apps? Specifically is there any way I can add cntrl+T or cntrl+F etc to Chrome Beta?
Finally, when I lock my screen using the lock function key I cannot turn the screen back on without reach up and clicking the button on the tablet. Is there a button on the keyboard that does this? Does it not work in ICS?
That's about all I can think of right now. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
rdubs628 said:
Hey all,
So I just recently bought the keyboard dock (a little late to the game I know ) and I was wondering if I could add some functionality to it.
First am I able to change what apps open with the function keys? Mainly I want to change the browser button so that it opens Chrome Beta instead of the stock browser.
Also can I add keyboard shortcuts in various apps? Specifically is there any way I can add cntrl+T or cntrl+F etc to Chrome Beta?
Finally, when I lock my screen using the lock function key I cannot turn the screen back on without reach up and clicking the button on the tablet. Is there a button on the keyboard that does this? Does it not work in ICS?
That's about all I can think of right now. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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I don't know the answers on all your questions yet.
You can bring your tablet to life by swiping your finger over the touchpad, then press the home button to unlock.
Don't think there is a function to attach buttons to self-defined apps for now, anybody: correct me when i'm wrong.
See here for the browser button issue. As far as remapping other keys, that's dependent upon each application.
And if the TF101 w/ ICS is anything like the TF201, there should be a setting for dock power saving. If it's enabled, then the tablet won't wake up to key presses on the dock.
agentdr8 said:
See here for the browser button issue. As far as remapping other keys, that's dependent upon each application.
And if the TF101 w/ ICS is anything like the TF201, there should be a setting for dock power saving. If it's enabled, then the tablet won't wake up to key presses on the dock.
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Thanks for this! I was wondering how to do this. I just recently gave out trying to figure it out since the key press is one inch away from my screen icon LOL. I have to say, Google needs to replace the stock browser with Chrome in future Android versions. What an improvement!!
Nice bike in your avatar. Here's my track monster after I mangled my old racebike.
GP450

[Q] Messaging and Email Keys

Is there a way to change the apps associated with the email and messaging keys on the slide-out keyboard? I have other apps set to run as default (GoSMS and Gmail) but the keys still open the stock apps.
Hardware app keys
thatoneblonde said:
Is there a way to change the apps associated with the email and messaging keys on the slide-out keyboard? I have other apps set to run as default (GoSMS and Gmail) but the keys still open the stock apps.
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Are you on stock? or at least have root?
The keypad unlike the onscreen keypad gets special treatment. All the buttons for a phone are mashed together into a set of numbers which can be keypads, functions, and miscellaneous things, anything not the screen. Unfortunately keypads seem to not be well supported. On the phone a text file
/system/usr/keylayout/sec_keypad.kl
sets each key to do one of a short list of possible things. It would be easy to disable the mail and txtmsg key, but I'm not sure if possible to easily add other options.
With root the file can be pulled to computer and edited, with CM10 at least a few things can be changed, mostly the search key
Settings->System->Hardware keys
I personally have just learned to live with the stock messenger, since it seems to be directly started from several places, (keypad, intents, probably something else too?)

[Feature Request] Swap volume keys in landscape orientation

In portrait mode, up button makes sense for increase volume, but when you turn the device counterclockwise, right button should increase instead.
This is actually a feature in some ROMs and Gravity Box (an xposed module for system level changes) and works great in every app except for MX Player. I suppose the app is reading the hardware keys directly.
Please either read the hardware volume keys like other apps, or include the option in settings.
Thanks!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
I thing it is not necessary.
Volume can be easily adjusted simply by swiping up&down on the right side of the screen.
But, we will take a note at your request & will forward the same to developer.
Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk
I agree that the on screen controls are way more useful and intuitive, and it seems like according the volume keys to the orientation would be something left up to the kernel or the ROM?
Logic_ said:
I agree that the on screen controls are way more useful and intuitive, and it seems like according the volume keys to the orientation would be something left up to the kernel or the ROM?
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Yes as I said it works in other apps, just not MX Player. It must not be reading the key inputs from the system, instead reading the hardware keys directly. Sorry I don't have enough knowledge of Android to provide more information except for the behaviour.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
xenyz said:
Yes as I said it works in other apps, just not MX Player. It must not be reading the key inputs from the system, instead reading the hardware keys directly. Sorry I don't have enough knowledge of Android to provide more information except for the behaviour.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
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That would likely be the case, for the developer to ensure cross-android-version compatibility. The app technically is still officially supporting android 2.3.2 gingerbread!
xenyz said:
Yes as I said it works in other apps, just not MX Player. It must not be reading the key inputs from the system, instead reading the hardware keys directly. Sorry I don't have enough knowledge of Android to provide more information except for the behaviour.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
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I think not everyone will like this feature. Most of the people will like to have the standard volume keys. It's better to adhere to the universal standards. Else, It will make confusion among different application.
Maybe I have not understood you correctly, but I am using MX on Nexus player and badly want to have the possibility to change volume by pressing Up/Down button.
As could not do it on tv
I like standard volume keys.
The requester is just saying that, if the device is rotated (generally counter clockwise) such that in landscape you have the volume rocker on the top, it would make sense to have the feature to reverse the direction of the volume controls, to have Vol+ on the right button.

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