Database Info

Android Multitasking

Hey everyone, I'm posting this to gather information about Android Multitasking.
I have used android since i had my G1, I am now on a g2, otherwise known as the HTC HERO.
In my opinion android multitasks beautifully when we talk about speed! It doesn't however manage it's open applications well at all. I mean switching to a application which is open in the background is tough. Pressing and holding the home button gives you a menu to RECENTLY open applications which doesn't conform to what IS open at that very moment. And the task bar notifications dont really give you a full list of all applications open..only apps that support it.
With the iphone really gathering it's bearings, and beginning to multitask [kinda better multitasking management then android imo] Im beginning to waver in my support for android.
I can imagine if holding the home button brought up a card view like webOS, giving you a preview of all the open applications in the background. Or something similar. I mean if HTC sense has a pinch gesture to view home screen in a hard view environment, i don't see what's stopping android from having a more polished and robust multitasking experience.
What are your thoughts on this?

the iphone 4 implementation looks to be exactly what you are complaining about with android. it offers a list of recently used apps. with iphone none of the apps stay running, they have background services that an app can start but the app will close. Android is similar. the ui for an app isnt necessarily running. it will be killed by the os and started again when you ask to see it.
WebOS does actually show you exactly what is running. I havent used a webos device for an extended period of time, but it dies seem their card metaphor is the easiest to understand for users. if your phone is slow just look at the cards you have open and flick some out.
I agree with your point though, i find the android app switcher inadequate. Far too often the app i want to get back to is no longer in the list. i think the iphone will have the same issue unless their list can grow very long.
It'd solve a lot if the android switcher had a button to pull up the app drawer.
Sent from my Nexus One using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

hexix said:
the iphone 4 implementation looks to be exactly what you are complaining about with android. it offers a list of recently used apps. with iphone none of the apps stay running, they have background services that an app can start but the app will close. Android is similar. the ui for an app isnt necessarily running. it will be killed by the os and started again when you ask to see it.
WebOS does actually show you exactly what is running. I havent used a webos device for an extended period of time, but it dies seem their card metaphor is the easiest to understand for users. if your phone is slow just look at the cards you have open and flick some out.
I agree with your point though, i find the android app switcher inadequate. Far too often the app i want to get back to is no longer in the list. i think the iphone will have the same issue unless their list can grow very long.
It'd solve a lot if the android switcher had a button to pull up the app drawer.
Sent from my Nexus One using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I suppose you're right, but i cant help but think the iphone will just be better at it then android.
Other then that. Yes Android really needs to polish it's multi tasking system.
EDIT: Also, I have used WebOS and honestly it's a superior mobile platform to android [imo]. It's community however is not as enriched as the android one and there aren't as many apps available for the palm pre. Palm really screwed themselves over limiting it to one phone...it would have been a strategic move to stop manufacturing phones and start working on EXPENSIVE palm software like webOS

Or maybe you can try AppSwipe!

There's also a nice app (imo) from a user on here, he tried to mimic the webOS cards system, and is doing pretty well until now. No previews yet but its still a nice powerful task manager that views icon in a nice view and has launch on search / camera button press too!
It's called TaskOS!

I've tried both task os and app swipe and still...they are both very unpolished multitasking management systems =/
I hope eventually something will come along.

I came from the Palm Pre before I got my HTC Hero, and multitasking was wayyyy better than Android. In fact, if the Pre wasn't so slow, I would have kept it over the HTC Hero. It took me over a minute to open Google Maps... with nothing else running! (and the keyboard sucked)

hexix said:
It'd solve a lot if the android switcher had a button to pull up the app drawer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dxtop has a second App Drawer that does just that. It works great.

tdusen said:
Dxtop has a second App Drawer that does just that. It works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, that shows background services like home and what not..
Personally I'd like to disable the drawer from showing apps on my ignore list

what would be nice is if you held home then cards poped up like in webos and showed your running apps with a preview pic of the app

blaboy51 said:
what would be nice is if you held home then cards poped up like in webos and showed your running apps with a preview pic of the app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YEah thats something to look forward too.

XxsydenxX said:
YEah thats something to look forward too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but for that to happen google probley would have to add that in there rom in a update hopefuly it'll happen

nice idea. I wish i knew how to make it happen.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=668232

Wow i was just thinking the same thing today, (i used to own a pre) But check out TaskOS in the market guys!!! It's legit, almost exactly the same as cardview on webos except it just shows icons instead of real time view.

If you want a nice way to switch apps without the stupid home key crap just install advanced task killer and switch the default click option to switch too instead of select/unselect. Its one swipe down for the notifications, one click on atk, and one more click on the app you want. Its not as good as webOS but its the best method I can find for now. I also leave a shortcut to atk on my home screen.

there is also MultiTask Manager. Once again not as good as WebOS card view but its more like an Iphone multitask thing. I think I like TaskOS the best. Well I'm not allowed to post links because of new member thing so just look it up.

It wouldn't be hard if you can get live preview's of the application windows.
I've been searching google for "android sdk live preview" and the like for a while though and its not looking good

can the current state of multi-tasking allows, for example, one uses the phone with the speaker while trying to look up some info/or do something with another application(eg, look up notes that you have written down from an application)?
cheers

[Q] App Switching Gestures?

After using iOS's beta gestures and QNX/WebOS's card switching.. I'm of the opinion that Honeycomb badly needs a way to quickly switch between apps, vs tapping, scrolling and tapping.
Are there any mods/launchers/whatever that enables a quick way to jump between apps?
Thanks.

Pressing the recent apps button is one... but I'm guessing your looking for something else. ;-)
Here's some options:
"Power Strip: Multitasking Dock" (app in market that I had on my phone a while back)
SwipePad seems to be more what you're looking for though. It's in the market: https://market.android.com/details?id=mobi.conduction.swipepad.android&feature=search_result
Edit: I digress, SwipePad does not seem to support the Transformer for some reason.

Try Wave Launcher... it works for the TF, but is a paid app unlike SwipePad.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mobilemerit.wavelauncher&feature=related_apps

Thanks guys, I'll check them out when I get home.
To help clarify, I'm looking for a way to switch between applications with gestures vs tapping the recent apps list (which, I find organizes apps oddly at times).
On iOS 5 (and in 4.3 beta) there are 4 finger swipes to switch between apps. I have this enabled on my jailbroken iPad and it works wonderfully well.
QNX you swipe from the bezel (can't really be pulled off on the TF, but its an example) to switch easily between apps.
WebOS you swipe up and switch apps.
Ideally, I'd love to see the iOS method as a possibility, it's incredibly quick and smooth. It's about as fast as alt+tab/cmd+tab program switching on desktops. The HC recent apps list is nice visually, but I don't feel like it's a very quick solution.
Anyways, don't take any of this as complaining, I'm just wondering what's out there, and thanks again for the suggestions, I'll check them out.

i was able to get swipepad working on my transformer. I pulled the apk from my phone and sideloaded it on my tablet. It's not optimized for Honeycomb so it doesn't use the entire screen but it worked well without any FCs. Even the Tasking and MorePad addons worked well. Addons available to purchase from market.

Dorkington said:
After using iOS's beta gestures and QNX/WebOS's card switching.. I'm of the opinion that Honeycomb badly needs a way to quickly switch between apps, vs tapping, scrolling and tapping.
Are there any mods/launchers/whatever that enables a quick way to jump between apps?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i know exactly what ur talking about and unfortunately, none of the apps mentioned do this. they are just like little shortcuts to the app switcher just wrapped around in different UIs. it wont do what u want it to do. im looking for a gesture app that overlays the whole screen and can use 5 fingers to swipe to another app or something of that sort. none of these apps do this.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

TSF Shell 3D Instructions (Unofficial)

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.

New MultiWindow/MultiTask Concept

Hey guys,
First, I really have no clue in which section I should post this, so I just took the General Section. Please move it, if there is a better one =)
Now what I want to talk about:
Multitask is a huge topic on Android devices, and there are several approaches how to handle this best. MultiWindow, Halo and QSlide/SlideAside are the most popular ones in this list to mention.
However, I think this feature is not perfect yet, so I just made a MultiWindow/MultiTask concept for myself.
I don't really think that this is possible to make. But, if there would be a crazy dev who wants to develope this further and create such a feature, I would really kiss his feet
So let's begin:
First, I would consider the Galaxy S4 as the best device for such an App. You will see later why. (Btw, Someone here who knows the mail address of Samsung? Then I could suggest them my concept^^)
What we start with is a simple picture of a running app (don't kill me for the pics, I just made them in Paint.net. But nevertheless I tried to make it good enough to understand what I am talking about.)
Here we are inside the Facebook App with S-Multi (that's how I just called it) enabled. There would be some kind of button/hotspot on the right bottom corner of the screen. If you type it once, a list with S-Multi supported Apps will open
Now you have the option to just select one App (it would open in a normal fullscreen Popup that is like Halo), or you can drag and drop it in one of four slots, or you can multiselect two up to four apps (hold buttons). As you can imagine, this means you can run maximum four apps at the same time. and that would basically looks like that:
Now you have your mainapp on the top and three other running apps on the bottom. To have the mainapp alone on the screen, just swype over the three apps on the bottom from left to right to hide them (and the other way round to show them again.)
With the Minibar (the three bottom apps) open, you have several possibilities.
1. If you type one of the slots once, it will open as a floating window (resizable, free movable)
2. If you type one slot twice, this app will open in fullwindow (minibar hidden)
3. You can drag and drop the slots to whichever position you want it (mainapp or three bottomslots)
4. If you hover you finger over one slot, a preview will popup. That would need Airview Support (Galaxy S4) Alternatively for devices without Airview you could hold the slot for a preview
Now let's begin to make it real multitask. If you have one App in S-Multi in Fullscreen, just hover (hold) your finger over (on) the hotspot to show a preview of all your apps currently opened in S-Multi:
Hover with your finger to the app you want to select while in this view (I will not mention the hold option any longer, but this is still present because it probably won't be able to include airview in a non Samsung app that soon, you know why)
However, this is not the mainidea of the Multitask. here you can generally see which app is in which slot without opening the minibar.
But the main feature would make use of the gesture sensor. And as I know there are several apps that bring these gestures to many non Samsung devices, it would be possible to make use of it.
So if you have Facebook opened in the midslot (which is actually the bottomslot) and whatsapp in the right slot, just swype from right to left over the sensor and the apps will switch. If Facebook is in the upperslot and whatsapp in the bottomslot just swype from the the button to the top direction:
Keep in mind that the apps would hold there slot positions. That means, if Facebook is in the top slot, Whatsapp in the bottom one and another app in the left one, if you would swype down from the other app to whatsapp, you don't get back to the app by swyping up, because then you would get into Facebook. The next pic shows better what I mean:
That's basically the Multitask.
(As an additional Samsung Feature, there could be also the possibility to open two apps aside as in normal multiwindow)
But, it could be more than that: A notification tool.
So if you recieve a notification by any app, a chathead could open and the hotspot of S-Multi would blink:
Now there a several possibilities:
a. Swype from right to left over the hotspot and choose the blinking slot (that's where the app will be open) S-Multi would make a chronic to restore the app that was in that slot once you close the app that caused the notification
b. Touch the chathead directly to open the app in a popup
c. Hover over the hotspot and then choose the blinking slot to open it in fullscreen.
Soo, that would be my concept for a cool Multitask feature =) It would make use of airview and airgesture in a much more sensible way then it currently does on the s4. And at least the airgesture is possible on more than just samsung devices. And I don't think that four running apps is to much. Current devices have 2gb ram, and i never saw my s4 use more than 1,3 of it. And at the end of this year and next year there will be devices with 3gb ram or even 4gb, so I think a better multitasking is a must be now.
So it would be cool if you tell me what you think about my idea and maybe give suggestions to make it better. I personally like it, but maybe it is totally bull**** and I just don't see it at the moment. However, I am not a dev and I will never be able to create stuff like that, but maybe it can be a proposal for one of the talented devs around here =).
A nice day to all of you
xPr0.
Edit: Btw, sorry for writing swipe with an y all the time -.-* I just recognized that it must be an i. Very embarrassing :X

That's a good idea, but I think that actually exist some apps that do the same things you said.
I support your idea!
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FelixMG said:
That's a good idea, but I think that actually exist some apps that do the same things you said.
I support your idea!
Sent from my GT-I8150 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, indeed, there are some apps that do parts of this. There are some apps with floating windows, but with very few (and not really usable apps), and there are some notification apps. And there is an app called "Portal", that comes really near to what Halo on Paranoid does, but here too, there are just few apps supported.
This is the general problem. All these apps that are non-native (not made from the phone company, no official feature) are inevitably restricted. At least, they need root to convey an intimation of what would be possible if the devs would know the source codes. That's why I don't think Airview or Multiwindow will that soon part of non-native apps, unless a very very brilliant dev can crack them. Or unless the companies will make their source codes open source, but why should they do so, as this would affect their profit in a bad way if everyone can use their features to build new apps.

I agree, that is a good idea.
But I've read in a german article, that CM had a ready multi tasking feature for their roms, which has been forbidden from Google. The reason was that Samsung wanted to be the only one with that feature.
In my opinion, the Samsung MultiWindow feature ist a good thing, but if Google combines it with the Apple like switching of Tasks, its really Good.
There is an App called GMD Gesturecontrol, which makes it possible to switch between Apps like you do it on iPads...

artoni said:
I agree, that is a good idea.
But I've read in a german article, that CM had a ready multi tasking feature for their roms, which has been forbidden from Google. The reason was that Samsung wanted to be the only one with that feature.
In my opinion, the Samsung MultiWindow feature ist a good thing, but if Google combines it with the Apple like switching of Tasks, its really Good.
There is an App called GMD Gesturecontrol, which makes it possible to switch between Apps like you do it on iPads...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, honestly, I don't think that Samsung's Multiwindow is that practical on Mobile Devices. It's just good on tablets. And there it is much more variable with the dual view and the cascade view.
Edit: I just tested the GMD Gesturecontrol app, but this app proves what made me think it's better to use the gestures sensor. It is much too complicated to use 4 fingers to swype. I just laughed when I heard SlideAside on G2 uses 3 fingers, now theres an app with 4 to 5 finger gestures. lol

xPr0metheus said:
Well, honestly, I don't think that Samsung's Multiwindow is that practical on Mobile Devices. It's just good on tablets. And there it is much more variable with the dual view and the cascade view.
Edit: I just tested the GMD Gesturecontrol app, but this app proves what made me think it's better to use the gestures sensor. It is much too complicated to use 4 fingers to swype. I just laughed when I heard SlideAside on G2 uses 3 fingers, now theres an app with 4 to 5 finger gestures. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, 4 fingers is too complicated. Also, there is an app (I forgot the name, sorry) that use proximity sensor to do some actions, like, swipe your hands left, without touch the phone, and an app will be open.
It's for free and XDA made an article talking about this app.
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FelixMG said:
Yes, 4 fingers is too complicated. Also, there is an app (I forgot the name, sorry) that use proximity sensor to do some actions, like, swipe your hands left, without touch the phone, and an app will be open.
It's for free and XDA made an article talking about this app.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ones I know are Hovering Controls and Air Gesture Control.
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It's exactly those I've thought.. They're pretty cool. :thumbup:
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xPr0metheus said:
Well, honestly, I don't think that Samsung's Multiwindow is that practical on Mobile Devices. It's just good on tablets. And there it is much more variable with the dual view and the cascade view.
Edit: I just tested the GMD Gesturecontrol app, but this app proves what made me think it's better to use the gestures sensor. It is much too complicated to use 4 fingers to swype. I just laughed when I heard SlideAside on G2 uses 3 fingers, now theres an app with 4 to 5 finger gestures. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can change the gestures in GMD, that u can control it with one finger. Just need to get into settings....
There are many apps that can be usefull with Multiwindows. While you navigate in the car, you can simultaneously choose the music you want to play. Or browse in twitter while you have whatsapp open. In my opinion its practical, if you have a large screen, maybe 4,8"+

artoni said:
You can change the gestures in GMD, that u can control it with one finger. Just need to get into settings....
There are many apps that can be usefull with Multiwindows. While you navigate in the car, you can simultaneously choose the music you want to play. Or browse in twitter while you have whatsapp open. In my opinion its practical, if you have a large screen, maybe 4,8"+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, sorry. My last post sounded a little too much like hating.
But in fact i love multi window (only cool additional feature would be to be able to open one app twice in mw) and i am so impressed by the gmd app. So please don't understand me wrong
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Q: App Categories Widget Similar to Aviate

I decided to give Aviate a try yesterday, and I really liked the concept, but it was a little too rigid for me. So I spent some time last night playing around with different widgets and Nova features to incorporate the parts of Aviate that I appreciate into my current setup.
One concept I really appreciate is the categories idea. The screen to the right of my default home screen has long been a collection of folders that kind of function the same way.
With Nova's option to turn off padding, you can essentially turn a screen into a full-page widget, and I was wondering if anyone has ever come across a widget that works like the categories page on Aviate.
I would like to be able to put my most frequently used apps along the left edge, so they are visible and one-tap accessible, and then be able to expand to see the apps I don't use as frequently. And I would like to be able to scroll through the categories.
Any suggestions or recommendations? If I had any knowledge about building apps, I would try to throw one together. Alas, I lack such knowledge. If anyone else is feeling inspired, I would be happy to chip in to support their efforts.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

ejchis said:
snip
most frequently used apps along the left edge, so they are visible and one-tap accessible, and then be able to expand to see the apps I don't use as frequently. And I would like to be able to scroll through the categories
/snip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
apart from the "scrolling through the categories" it sounds like you are a prime candidate for Action Launcher... :victory:
One of the key features with AL is that you can set folders so that a single tap opens the "primary app", and an upwards swipe starting on that icon opens the folder. So you can have a folder called "Social", for example, where a single tap opens Facebook, but a swipe gives you the folder with Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
You can also set widgets in place of the folder; i.e. an icon for Chrome, where a swipe opens the Bookmarks widget
This even works with the dock!
I've been using Action Launcher on my Nexus 10 and Nexus 5 since it came out (and Aviate on my Nexus 5 since beta) and I've simplified everything down to one home screen with the Dock having icons as described above for games, social, internet, media, photos

chaosdefinesorder said:
apart from the "scrolling through the categories" it sounds like you are a prime candidate for Action Launcher... :victory:
One of the key features with AL is that you can set folders so that a single tap opens the "primary app", and an upwards swipe starting on that icon opens the folder. So you can have a folder called "Social", for example, where a single tap opens Facebook, but a swipe gives you the folder with Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
You can also set widgets in place of the folder; i.e. an icon for Chrome, where a swipe opens the Bookmarks widget
This even works with the dock!
I've been using Action Launcher on my Nexus 10 and Nexus 5 since it came out (and Aviate on my Nexus 5 since beta) and I've simplified everything down to one home screen with the Dock having icons as described above for games, social, internet, media, photos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really appreciate the thorough response. I'll have to check this out tonight when I have some time to play around with it. I'll report back on how it goes. Thanks.
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I'm running through Action Launcher now. This is a very different approach, and I like that. The one area where I think it falls short is in aesthetics. It doesn't look very refined to me. I'll keep experimenting with it for now, but I'm hoping someone has an idea for a widget I can just stick on my right screen.
Sent from my Nexus 7 2013 using Tapatalk

ejchis said:
I'm running through Action Launcher now. This is a very different approach, and I like that. The one area where I think it falls short is in aesthetics. It doesn't look very refined to me. I'll keep experimenting with it for now, but I'm hoping someone has an idea for a widget I can just stick on my right screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's certainly a lot "fresher" than the more established brands due to being significantly newer. Things are likely to pick up again soon as the developer has time to work on updates again now.
One thing you can do with the "Pro" version that might be contributing to your aesthetics opinion is hide the little white square indicators on the icons... certainly makes a big difference in my opinion! I definitely prefer the alphabetically indexed single-scroll list in the app drawer once I got used to it!

chaosdefinesorder said:
It's certainly a lot "fresher" than the more established brands due to being significantly newer. Things are likely to pick up again soon as the developer has time to work on updates again now.
One thing you can do with the "Pro" version that might be contributing to your aesthetics opinion is hide the little white square indicators on the icons... certainly makes a big difference in my opinion! I definitely prefer the alphabetically indexed single-scroll list in the app drawer once I got used to it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I'm going to keep it on my devices and continue tinkering. I'll keep an eye on updates and development too. I appreciate the recommendation. Sometimes when the approach is different from everything else out there, it takes a few days to adjust to it.
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ejchis said:
Well I'm going to keep it on my devices and continue tinkering. I'll keep an eye on updates and development too. I appreciate the recommendation. Sometimes when the approach is different from everything else out there, it takes a few days to adjust to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely! I used to have about 4 different homescreens for various collections and widgets but after getting used to AL I've slimmed it down to one single screen with zero loss of function thanks to shutters and covers
The fact that you can access the app menu (left side) and "quick page" (right side) from any other app or launcher is also pretty useful (again once you get used to it)