Database Info

[Q] Why No Dock Notifications from Third Parties?

Why is it that none of the third party applications use dock notifications?
For instance, I really like GO SMS, but when I have it in my dock, I don't get notifications of new messages.
The same is is a lot of other apps, like K-9, and even Google Voice doesn't have them (which is totally inconsistent with the rest of their apps, like Phone and GMail).
Is there a technical issue with showing notifications in the Dock, or is it that developers just don't think about it.
I personally hate the notification bar, which often gets cluttered, has randomly looking icons popping up, and is too small. So I finally decided to hide it, and I am much happier with the look of my screen now
It'd be great if we could have the option of In-Dock Notifications.
ADW Notifier is absolutely great, and I LOVE IT!, but it covers only a handful of apps (although in Chuck Norriz Mode it works with GO SMS, but not with Google Voice).

MacGuy2006 said:
Why is it that none of the third party applications use dock notifications?
For instance, I really like GO SMS, but when I have it in my dock, I don't get notifications of new messages.
The same is is a lot of other apps, like K-9, and even Google Voice doesn't have them (which is totally inconsistent with the rest of their apps, like Phone and GMail).
Is there a technical issue with showing notifications in the Dock, or is it that developers just don't think about it.
I personally hate the notification bar, which often gets cluttered, has randomly looking icons popping up, and is too small. So I finally decided to hide it, and I am much happier with the look of my screen now
It'd be great if we could have the option of In-Dock Notifications.
ADW Notifier is absolutely great, and I LOVE IT!, but it covers only a handful of apps (although in Chuck Norriz Mode it works with GO SMS, but not with Google Voice).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume you're referring to adw dock notifications. The reason most apps do not have them is because the developers have to specifically add adw notification support. Not everyone uses adw and not every developer knows/cares about adw notifications

I use launcherpro and I have dock notifications. Its not just adw. But LP and adw together make up most of the launchers on the phones out there. So I would say this was a valid question.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

matt_stang said:
I assume you're referring to adw dock notifications. The reason most apps do not have them is because the developers have to specifically add adw notification support. Not everyone uses adw and not every developer knows/cares about adw notifications
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure this is the reason -- I just downloaded the Phone.com app (the VOIP service I use) and it shows a notification counter bubble on the icon whenever I receive a voicemail on Phone.com.
Just like Google's own Phone app, which shows bubble notifications while in the dock.
I am starting to think that most developers are simply ignoring this, and not implementing on icon notifications.
Which is a real bummer, because virtually everyone I have mentioned this to, notes that this is the one feature which prevents them from using third-party email or text apps.
LauncherPro does notifications only for the stock Google apps, AFAIK, and that's why I stopped using it (and I stopped using Go Launcher for the same reason). ADW Launcher EX with ADW Notifier is the only one which offers the ability to have on-icon notifications for third party apps. Please correct me if I am wrong.

BTW, after I uninstalled and reinstalled ADW Notifier after my Nexus S upgraded to 2.3.2, now my Google Voice icon in the Dock is popping a notification bubble when I get a voice mail.
It is not a counter bubble, but only a question mark bubble, but it's still a notification
I have turned on Chuck Norriz Mode and included Google Voice in the whitelist.
I really wish developers would start including on-icon notifications natively....

[Q] Any decent bookmarks widget for Chrome?

I've used APW Widgets for the past year. For the most part the widgets are straight-forward and easy to customize. I use the APW widgets for bookmarks, calendar, contacts, Facebook and Twitter. Most of them work fine. Nothing fancy, just basic functionality.
As has been well-documented on the APW Play Store page, though, several times Google has updated Chrome in a way that "breaks" APW bookmark widget for Chrome. Before the Chrome update -- Chrome bookmarks appear as either thumbnails or a list in the APW widget. They are properly sorted and easy to search. After the Chrome update -- blank. No widgets for Chrome. This has happened at least twice that I know of, including right now.
This is inconvenient but hey, I'll just use a different widget for Chrome bookmarks. Not so fast. ASAIK there ISN'T one, or at least there isn't a good one. Google's bookmark widget for Chrome is shockingly bad. Ugly, inconsistent, poorly conceived. Every other Chrome bookmarks widget I've found is either ridiculously labor-intensive (add each bookmark manually!) or so poorly designed as to make them non-functional (such as pulling all of your Chrome bookmarks out of folders and making one long unsorted list of hundreds of bookmarks).
Ideally the APW widget dev would update his stuff. If not that then surely there must be ONE decent bookmark app for Chrome bookmarks. Just give me the ability to place a widget on a screen, resize it as I see fit, give me the ability to sync with my main Chrome bookmarks and show them sorted the way they are. Seems crazy that this is so hard to find.

Thoughts on Tiles Clock for Gear 2

I tried the "Tiles Clock" app on my Gear 2 this morning. Since my Gear Manager doesn't offer reviews (the ability to read or create them) for some reason on my Galaxy S4 mini, I'm jotting down some thoughts here as I paid for this app.
I like the look of the app, the time/date and having 4 launchers. Battery taking up 1/4 of the screen seems overkill when it's not touch-able. I'd prefer the battery icon to be smaller and the launchers to be larger. My gear 2 battery is never below about 75% during the day so while it's nice to know, it's just not that critical to me personally. The battery icon or % could fit in the upper right, still look good, and leave room for more launchers (or space the existing 4 out more evenly), but that's just one opinion.
Speaking of launchers, I can only choose a subset of apps for the launchers: Calendar, Contacts, Dialer, Email, Exercise, Gallery, Heart Rate, Messages, Music Player, Notifications, Pedometer, Sleep, Stopwatch, Timer, Voice Memo, and Weather. I can't choose Camera, nor can I choose any of my installed 3rd party apps. I like the camera to be a touch shortcut and I'd like to be able to launch a 3rd party app from the home screen. This is a bit of a dealbreaker for me.
The configuration has an awkward issue: once you double-tap a shortcut icon to change the shortcut, there's no way to back out of the menu with a down swipe; your home screen is stuck on this app selection until you pick one, and you can't swipe up and down the list, you have to use up and down arrows to make your selection. If I double-tap one of the home screen icons by mistake, I'm stuck until I first remember which launcher icon I had there, and second, navigate down to it and re-select it.
Tile backgrounds can only be selected from the Gear Gallery, not from wallpapers. I'll have to figure out how to get my favorite background image into the Gear Gallery in order to use it here.
Overall, a nice looking watch face and I like the idea but I think the implementation needs a bit of work to be more user-friendly.

Google Now widget... missing?

Just unboxed my Pixel.... wow it is fast...
but... my homescreen setup involves having a large Google Now widget front and centre.... but when i went to add it, the widget isn't there....
i've seen some articles about how the now widget was missing from some other phones that were trying out the Pixel launcher? Apparently the google search strip shows transparent google now style notifications - but not seen any yet...
i know all the info is on the screen to the left of the homescreen... but i want to see it all on my homescreen
anyone seen / found it?

Okay. Pixel launcher just updated on my handset and now the Google Now widget is back.
<Panic over>

Question can you remove Google agenda from home screen

Is it possible to remove the Google Agenda from the top of your home screen.
I've got a wheather app with the same time and date right under it.

I think you can remove almost everything but the calendar.
Alternatively you can use pixel launcher mods (root) to change top widget

You can remove the calendar but not the day and date. It's really annoying as it takes up a large invisible box at the top that is out of bounds for widgets. (No, I don't want to use other launchers)

benzwirs said:
Is it possible to remove the Google Agenda from the top of your home screen.
I've got a wheather app with the same time and date right under it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately not. Lawnchair and Nova are two very popular third party launchers that let you pretty much customize every aspect of your home screen.

For me on almost every phone I have used in the last several years it's Nova Prime. I prefer to use native apps when I can. I only use 3rd party apps when the native system cannot do what I want. I would like to use the Google Launcher but for me it is bad! Far too restrictive. If I could remove that hideous search bar I would give it another try but until Google relents I will stick with Nova.

I'm in the same boat as you! Pretty much had Nova on all my Androids since it came out. I recently just returned to the Pixel lineup after trying to give Apple another chance and am happy with the stock launcher for now. I have no doubts that will change in a month but this phone is so big compared to my old iphone 13 pro that some space being taken up with the search bar and date/weather doesn't bother me yet haha. I do wish Google would at least let you move that unsightly bar. I want a real dock back

Nova launcher works nicely, you can do whatever you like, so I removed the Agenda + date and gave the Google search bar a different place.
But I miss the Google page when you swipe left. on the stock / Pixel launcher and I can not find it the widget.
What is it, the Google page ?

Given that you can make other third part options like Nova look literally identical to Google's launcher should you wish, I'm a bit baffled why anyone would insist on using the default launcher given its (apparently annoying) limitations.

benzwirs said:
Nova launcher works nicely, you can do whatever you like, so I removed the Agenda + date and gave the Google search bar a different place.
But I miss the Google page when you swipe left. on the stock / Pixel launcher and I can not find it the widget.
What is it, the Google page ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem. Missing those daily News.
Edit
Figured it out.
Just install nova google companion
Works awesome.

benzwirs said:
Nova launcher works nicely, you can do whatever you like, so I removed the Agenda + date and gave the Google search bar a different place.
But I miss the Google page when you swipe left. on the stock / Pixel launcher and I can not find it the widget.
What is it, the Google page ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the Nova Google Companion app installed? I know it hasn't been updated in a while but as far as I know it still works.

Thanks guys, it still works.
Very happy.