Database Users

[App] New ADW Launcher EX!!!!

Go check out the New adw launcher ex ($3.28)
worth every cent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD5WD-HDagM
Its absolutely amazing, im using it on Darkstone superram 1.5.
screen below.
If you have any questions before you buy, you may ask

bought it yesterday and uninstalled launcher-pro right away.I`m using it wit GIPAQ-MIUI.Boy its blazing fast and its a beauty.

Tried it. Couldnt put my HD2 away. I was kept swiping in the app drawer...........so silky smooth.....

ganjaweed said:
bought it yesterday and uninstalled launcher-pro right away.I`m using it wit GIPAQ-MIUI.Boy its blazing fast and its a beauty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
akbisw said:
Tried it. Couldnt put my HD2 away. I was kept swiping in the app drawer...........so silky smooth.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol same here, i drained my battery playing with the new animations and all that, i uninstalled launcher pro before even trying the new adw

I just can't use anything or even a build that doesn't have the scrolling wheel at the bottom. It's a must have for me.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

This + NAND = nexusS quality experience?
Either way, very nice launcher!

I was hoping there was a demo or a lite version to experience it a little bit... this way I am not sure if I am sold on it - gotta pay $3 to experience - to late for refund then.
we'll see what happens in reviews - so far it looks pretty kewl

Juts download and install applanet, You will get all the latest paid versions for free, This is what I use to "test" programs and if I like them I buy them, If I dont like them or find something wrong with them I bin them.

xunus said:
I guess he mean by "what type of version is this? Does it support HD2 or is it a port?"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
port??
Dude its a Android app. Just boot your HD2 into android and install it.

Hello!
GDE launcher anyone tried? I now use it because I like doing dice table, the animation is spectacular.

looks decent,
features i use the most on launcher pro...
continuous scrolling dock
(dock) swipe up to:
-launch another app (2 actions per icon)
-show 'leap' view
-show notifications
can anyone say if these features are available in this?
many thanks

kam333 said:
looks decent,
features i use the most on launcher pro...
continuous scrolling dock
(dock) swipe up to:
-launch another app (2 actions per icon)
-show 'leap' view
-show notifications
can anyone say if these features are available in this?
many thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i believe it has everything except the dock swipe

Do you know where I can suggest the dev some features ?
Most important for me is : set the default screen to the first one not the centre, put the "1-icon dock" on the right or left and not only in the centre, be able to choose the icons background.
Fantastic job for the rest. Super fast...
Edit : can someone confirm me that ADWNotifier works with this ?

Take care if couldn't be refunded after I tried it. I prefer the miui ui

Sichroteph said:
Take care if couldn't be refunded after I tried it. I prefer the miui ui
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The refund period recently changed to 15 minutes, contrary to the 24h earlier. What kind of person proposed this change, I don't know. This short timespan barely left me with any time to test ADW EX, so I ended up asking a refund because I don't feel like buying a product I'm not sure I like.
In short: it's not the devs fault.

Liking it...
.. but doesnt feel faster to me compared to launcherpro
Yeah sure you can set the homescreen transitions to fly by alot quicker than you can in LP, but overall LP just feels smoother to me.
Apart from that, my currentwidget now hovers between 9-16ma in standby, where my phone was consistant between 6-9ma with LP.
Using HD2ONE 0.3.6

StephanV said:
The refund period recently changed to 15 minutes, contrary to the 24h earlier. What kind of person proposed this change, I don't know. This short timespan barely left me with any time to test ADW EX, so I ended up asking a refund because I don't feel like buying a product I'm not sure I like.
In short: it's not the devs fault.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok thanks. I thought I still had 24h with the older market but i was wrong. 15mn is way too short!

Sichroteph said:
Oh ok thanks. I thought I still had 24h with the older market but i was wrong. 15mn is way too short!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Certainly too short to really try a launcher that looks and acts seemingly like another one. Not enough time to find out any specific nuances that we may like.
In fairness though, I can't see any reason why anyone would change launchers to use this. They all look the same to me, with a few "little" features that hardly make the transition worthwhile.
Not knocking the app itself. Just don't get reinventing the wheel, and then releasing newer versions of it.

johncmolyneux said:
Not knocking the app itself. Just don't get reinventing the wheel, and then releasing newer versions of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha nicely worded.

been using LP for about 3 weeks now, love it, however i just got ADW, been using it for like 30 minutes, and extremely loving it.
The one important thing i noticed:
w/ 7 screens in LP fully packed w/ widgets,folder, apps...when you 'pinch' the screen to view the preview screens it stutters. Like it lags the first time you 'pinch' it, after that initial swipe, it is fine. This got really annoying, especially when coming out of sleep mode.
w/ 7 screens in ADW EX fully packed w/ widgets,folder, apps...when you 'pinch' it is still smooth as silk, coming out of sleep mode as well.
I'm still comparing the two for now, i'll keep you all updated
comparing both w/ DS's SupperRam 1.5

Switched from iPhone 3GS to Atrix....

......and people are right, Moto Blur is a cluster****.
I am not too tech savvy, but not a dummy either.
Suggestions and tips on rooting would be great.
Meanwhile, I will keep digging around this site, I am sure the answers are somewhere here, but there is so much info......

Try "gladroot"
JRSOne said:
......and people are right, Moto Blur is a cluster****.
I am not too tech savvy, but not a dummy either.
Suggestions and tips on rooting would be great.
Meanwhile, I will keep digging around this site, I am sure the answers are somewhere here, but there is so much info......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just rooted my atrix last night with "gladroot". http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=12540398
Before you root, install Motorola driver first. Nobody didn't mention about it until later and it took me for a while to troubleshoot. As long as you read and follow the instructions, it's not difficult.
http://briefmobile.com/motorola-atrix-4g-root

JRSOne said:
I am not too tech savvy, but not a dummy either.
Suggestions and tips on rooting would be great.
Meanwhile, I will keep digging around this site, I am sure the answers are somewhere here, but there is so much info......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't have to dig far!
Rooting for dummies is on the 1st floor! LOL

Thanks a lot, very nice.

3GS -> Atrix
JRSOne said:
......and people are right, Moto Blur is a cluster****.
I am not too tech savvy, but not a dummy either.
Suggestions and tips on rooting would be great.
Meanwhile, I will keep digging around this site, I am sure the answers are somewhere here, but there is so much info......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just made the same switch last week (3GS -> Atrix). Agree that MotoBlur sux and it's also been painful syncing contacts and calendar from my work's Outlook (going through Google isn't an option)
One reason I made the switch was for the less restrictive Android OS. However if you're on version 1.57, it looks like you have to take a few steps backwards to get ahead (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=12540398). Looks like I'll have to set aside some time to play...

JRSOne said:
......and people are right, Moto Blur is a cluster****.
I am not too tech savvy, but not a dummy either.
Suggestions and tips on rooting would be great.
Meanwhile, I will keep digging around this site, I am sure the answers are somewhere here, but there is so much info......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get adw launcher and use titanium backup to freeze blur. Fixes that problem right up. On the other hand, try running gingerblur which has a clean UI and runs quite smooth. It also removes a ton of other bloatware on the phone. Everything except adw launcher requires root of course.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

I don't understand why ppl say "blur sucks"....I like BLUR, it's very useful with all that widgets to have all your Social Networks quickly in one hand.

emandt said:
I don't understand why ppl say "blur sucks"....I like BLUR, it's very useful with all that widgets to have all your Social Networks quickly in one hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blur USED to suck, past tense. It doesn't suck too badly anymore. And I can't see why a new user would say it sucks when they have no experience. This is just a blind statement.
I'm very picky with my launchers and if I could tweak Blur to look better and purge a few things I don't use, it actually wouldn't be very bad at all. But I like that with the other launchers I can personally tweak them precisely to my preference.

bongd said:
Blur USED to suck, past tense. It doesn't suck too badly anymore. And I can't see why a new user would say it sucks when they have no experience. This is just a blind statement.
I'm very picky with my launchers and if I could tweak Blur to look better and purge a few things I don't use, it actually wouldn't be very bad at all. But I like that with the other launchers I can personally tweak them precisely to my preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BLUR sucks.
Exchange 2003 notifications are broken.
Unified Inbox doesn't include GMail. (that's a hurr durr right there)
Duplicate functionality of what already exists (Social Networking, Accounts, Corporate Sync)
I don't mind the homescreen/launcher.

My biggest complaint with blur is simply the lag when switching home screens and bringing up the full list of apps. And that you can't change anything on the dock. And the widgets are ugly. Oh wait...that's pretty much everything that blur does I hate...
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

I am saying it sucks because I am comparing it to my iphone. I can't express how much cleaner, simplier and user friendly the 3GS is compared to blur.
I certainly hope that other Android phones are not this bad.
If I can't find a better OS that works for me, I will simply get an iphone 4. I guess I was spoiled.

JRSOne said:
I am saying it sucks because I am comparing it to my iphone. I can't express how much cleaner, simplier and user friendly the 3GS is compared to blur.
I certainly hope that other Android phones are not this bad.
If I can't find a better OS that works for me, I will simply get an iphone 4. I guess I was spoiled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean the interface that is the exact same for everyone? The iPhone was made to be simpler. It's so everyone can use it. If you like being coddled by Apple, return the Atrix and get your i4.
It's up to you. WebOS is rising, WP7, BBOS (not as popular). Your pick, dude. Like I said, the iOS devices are made so that even a monkey could pick one up and work it like a pro.
If you're not going to take the time to tweak your device to your liking, go with iOS.

JRSOne said:
I am saying it sucks because I am comparing it to my iphone. I can't express how much cleaner, simplier and user friendly the 3GS is compared to blur.
I certainly hope that other Android phones are not this bad.
If I can't find a better OS that works for me, I will simply get an iphone 4. I guess I was spoiled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. The other androids are not that bad. The original froyo has a cleaner and faster approach than motoblur. Motoblur by far is the worst UI-skin you can possibly have.

peacekeeper05 said:
Yep. The other androids are not that bad. The original froyo has a cleaner and faster approach than motoblur. Motoblur by far is the worst UI-skin you can possibly have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever tried TouchWiz? the iPhone wanna-be? Sense is decent, but Blur is one of the closest manufacture's skins to Vanilla Android.
Also, your opinion on Blur is your own. Many people love and use Blur, and many people do not. Just because you say it's the worst, does not make it so.
I advise you to try out all the other different interfaces, and tell me Blur is the complete and total worst you have ever tried.

What about the newer blur on the droid x?
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

PixoNova said:
Have you ever tried TouchWiz? the iPhone wanna-be? Sense is decent, but Blur is one of the closest manufacture's skins to Vanilla Android.
Also, your opinion on Blur is your own. Many people love and use Blur, and many people do not. Just because you say it's the worst, does not make it so.
I advise you to try out all the other different interfaces, and tell me Blur is the complete and total worst you have ever tried.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. It was obviously an opinion. I did not in any way said im representing the whole android community duh.
I have tried touchwiz, sense and the LG UI already. And of course i've also tried the original android stock UI.

I kinda want to know what people doesn't like on motoblur. The panels? You can empty all of them and end up with 7 panels on witch you can put whatever icons, shorcuts, widgets (and so on) you like. I'm coming from sense but I can customize the motoblur to look just as good. Don't feel like using launcher pro and already uninstalled regina 3D and adw. I woulg probably give a spb a try if they would have a trial.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

JRSOne said:
I am saying it sucks because I am comparing it to my iphone. I can't express how much cleaner, simplier and user friendly the 3GS is compared to blur.
I certainly hope that other Android phones are not this bad.
If I can't find a better OS that works for me, I will simply get an iphone 4. I guess I was spoiled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also coming from an iPhone, and here are some things I think are superior on the Atrix (and Android) to the iPhone (and iOS):
1. Non-intrusive notifications! I hated how on the iPhone, notifications pop up as dialogs that have to be closed. Sometimes you're doing something important, and you get a text message which pops up right in the middle of the screen. Irritating! I like how you can slide down the top bar when you want and it shows you your notifications.
2. Notification LED. It's great to be able to tell that you have messages or a missed call without having to turn on the screen.
3. Four hardware buttons instead of just one. After you've used the phone awhile, you'll realize how useful a back button and a menu button can be. You have to switch back to home less than you do with an iPhone. Also, hold down your home button and shortcuts to your last 8 used apps will appear.
4. Every application must advertise what features of your phone it has access to in the Manage Applications settings pages. So if an app can read and write to your contact data, it says so in the settings. On the iPhone, you have to rely on Apple to make sure all apps are doing what they're supposed to. Worse, if you get apps from Cydia, well then you're completely on your own.
5. You have 15 minutes to get a refund if you buy something from the Android Market. That's a pretty short time if you have to download a big application, but better that than no refunds at all.
6. Having the option to use an external micro-SD card is pretty nice.
7. Unlike the iPhone, the home screen and the app drawer are two separate things. It's nice to have widgets to customize your home screens.
8. For obvious reasons, Android versions of Google applications tend to have more features on Android than on the iPhone. For example, Maps has that cool 3D compass view, instead of the regular "up is North" top-down view. It also has a Street View add-on which is pretty neat and works quite well.
9. GPS seems faster and more precise on my Atrix than on my iPhone (and my friend's iPhone 4). I've heard others say the opposite with respect to the iPhone 4, so maybe it depends on where in the world you are.
10. For Bell users (ATT users have to pay I think?), Mobile wifi hotspot works great. I've tried tethering my Macbook Pro to the phone via wifi, and it works really well.
11. There's a basic data counter built in, which shows you how much data you're using, and by which apps.
12. There's a pretty decent Battery Manager built in, which shows very clearly what percentage of your used battery was used by each phone function, or application.
13. It comes with Swype as an alternate input system to the virtual keyboard, but you're free to install other 3rd party input methods if you like (there are quite a few).
Well, I don't know if I missed anything, but for the most part, these are the things that impressed me the most after using the Atrix for a couple weeks. I'm very happy I moved to the Atrix, but that's not to say that I hate the iPhone. I still like it, it has a very polished feel and the best screen in the business. And after all, it was the breakthrough smart phone when it first came out. There are just a few things that I think they really need to improve (notifications!).

slimslim said:
I kinda want to know what people doesn't like on motoblur.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I liked some of the features of Motoblur, like having the Manage Applications settings right in the menu of your homescreens. Very useful. Some of the widgets are nice too. My major complaint is that Motoblur is so choppy when scrolling around! That's unacceptable for a high-end phone, in my opinion.

PixoNova said:
the iOS devices are made so that even a monkey could pick one up and work it like a pro.
If you're not going to take the time to tweak your device to your liking, go with iOS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 this is the reason why people think that iphone its a ladies phone. its easy to use, no customizable and very locked device, like you say XD even a monkey can work on it like a pro

[Q] 4x5 Desktop Mod on ROMs other than Gingeritis?

I'm just curious why other developers haven't picked up on this seemingly game changing feature. The 4x5 Desktop Mod. I feel spoiled.
I was messing around, installing ROMs over the weekend (just doing a monthly shuffle to see what's out there) and I came back to Gingeritis solely because of the 4x5 Desktop Workspace mod. There really is SO much good work being done right now, it's insane and there were a lot of features/themes I really liked on other ROMs. In the end though, it was just too tough to go back to the 4x4 desktop.
I'm asking from a 100% laymans standpoint... is this a difficult thing to incorporate into a ROM? Has it been done before and people didn't like it? I'm just curious to hear what you guys think...
The extra space for me is great on two accounts... the most obvious... the extra space. The less obvious is that it allows me to space out my icons with a little bit more style revealing more of my wallpaper. OCD, maybe. But awesome none-the-less.

shoot2scre said:
I'm just curious why other developers haven't picked up on this seemingly game changing feature. The 4x5 Desktop Mod. I feel spoiled.
I was messing around, installing ROMs over the weekend (just doing a monthly shuffle to see what's out there) and I came back to Gingeritis solely because of the 4x5 Desktop Workspace mod. There really is SO much good work being done right now, it's insane and there were a lot of features/themes I really liked on other ROMs. In the end though, it was just too tough to go back to the 4x4 desktop.
I'm asking from a 100% laymans standpoint... is this a difficult thing to incorporate into a ROM? Has it been done before and people didn't like it? I'm just curious to hear what you guys think...
The extra space for me is great on two accounts... the most obvious... the extra space. The less obvious is that it allows me to space out my icons with a little bit more style revealing more of my wallpaper. OCD, maybe. But awesome none-the-less.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Far from easy... It has been making me its ***** since I started... All of the Widgets need to modified, Rosie needs to be modified, etc. Chingy has a magic wand ya know ....
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

I don't run Gingeritis so what exactly is this "4x5 Desktop Mod" because solely from the name it sounds like a feature launchers have had for a while which provides the ability to change the rowXcolumn dimensions of the homescreens.
Maybe that isn't it and feel free to correct me as I'm actually curious what this feature is that users love so if it isn't that aspect.

DroidTh3ory said:
Far from easy... It has been making me its ***** since I started... All of the Widgets need to modified, Rosie needs to be modified, etc. Chingy has a magic wand ya know ....
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Makes a lot of sense actually. I loved your ROM btw. Anytime I run through 4 or 5 Roms in a weekend I always am shocked at just how good all our developers are. Keep it up... if you get something going with the 4x5 desktop I'd be the first in line to install and test-drive it!!
EDIT: Just realized you're from Troy. I live in Royal Oak... basically on the border of Troy, Clawson, Birmingham and Royal Oak.

Absolute_Zero said:
I don't run Gingeritis so what exactly is this "4x5 Desktop Mod" because solely from the name it sounds like a feature launchers have had for a while which provides the ability to change the rowXcolumn dimensions of the homescreens.
Maybe that isn't it and feel free to correct me as I'm actually curious what this feature is that users love so if it isn't that aspect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what we are talking about. It gives you more room on your home screens and app draw.

Shawn haz root said:
That's exactly what we are talking about. It gives you more room on your home screens and app draw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, ok, I was just wondering why people stay on a certain rom for it if launchers like ADW and LP have done it for a long time. There must be something else I'm missing.

Absolute_Zero said:
I don't run Gingeritis so what exactly is this "4x5 Desktop Mod" because solely from the name it sounds like a feature launchers have had for a while which provides the ability to change the rowXcolumn dimensions of the homescreens.
Maybe that isn't it and feel free to correct me as I'm actually curious what this feature is that users love so if it isn't that aspect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's exactly what it sounds like and I believe you are understanding properly.
It formats the desktop workspace to be 4 columns and 5 rows. Just adds an extra row to your standard desktop.

Absolute_Zero said:
Hmm, ok, I was just wondering why people stay on a certain rom for it if launchers like ADW and LP have done it for a long time. There must be something else I'm missing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to use ADW on my OG Droid. I've really enjoyed Sense so I haven't switched back over.
I don't believe I can use the Sense widgets (people, weather, etc) if I'm using ADW which is why I've stuck with my Rom of choice.

Wowowow... This thread is locked and I'll sort through it once I get home. Jeez people, play nice for a change.

[Q] How can I make the Nexus 7 super-easy to use?

How can I make the Nexus 7 super-easy to use?
I have an elderly relative who has never used any Android device, or much technology at all to be honest besides old feature phones and television boxes, and we shall soon be purchasing her a Google Nexus 7. We settled on this idea after noticing that the 8GB Nexus 7 model is only £159 GBP, which isn't much more than the Kindle Touch and also offers a slightly larger screen. I am looking to make the experience personal and also easy for her.
Since I am going to use a custom launcher to prevent access to the app menu and simplify the user experience by showing her only the apps she will need to use (preventing access to the settings will prevent her accidentally deleting things), I am looking for a widget which will allow me to add my own custom text set to a custom size to the home screen. With this, I'll separate up the few apps she plans on using. Any recommendations for such an application?
Since this person does not have full function of a second arm, are there any applications which make one-handed operation easier on the tablet's 7 inch display?
Is there a widget which will allow me to add "picture frames" to the home screen? I could put some pictures of the family in these, which will add a nice personal touch.
Are there any keyboards which are good for one-handed use? Please do not say Swype.

Any suggestions to any of my issues I face? Also, any general app recommendations are welcome, but keep in mind who this tablet is for when making suggestions. For example, no messenger apps.

No ideas to any of those applications/features I'm looking to implement?

Twenty minutes before the first bump and between the first and second - get a bit of patience! People aren't lurking on forums waiting to jump on your every post...
1. Yes - Minimalistic Text and others
3. Yes - search Play store for "picture widget"
4. Why not Swype? What makes it unsuitable (that'll make it easier for others to make suggestions.

Swype probably requires two-handing on a device this big.
Honestly, any keyboard that works well with one hand, will also reconfigure so much that you'll essentially have to relearn it.
Messagease and 8pen are good with one hand, but they obviously don't look anything like qwerty. And one-hand typing is really only feasible with phones anyway.
Best bet is just to use voice recognition and hope it really is as up to snuff.

You're probably not going to like my answer, but I tried this (also with a person who had use of only one arm) and it didn't work. I mounted it to a table on a movable arm to make it easy to use.
Beyond the shaking hands and weak eyes, the biggest problem is understanding the UI. To you and I it's not complicated, but we grew up with computers. That's not any sort of judgment; the guy was capable of using a windows XP computer (very very slowly), it's just that switching to a new IU is much more confusing to the older brain than for a younger brain. They just don't have the filters to pick out the important information from the screen quickly, and every step requires conscious thought. This can be very tiring for an older person, and--at least in my experience--older people don't have a lot of tolerance for frustration.
I don't want you to be discouraged by this; I spent weeks on this (and several hundred dollars) and ended up getting him a small laptop on which I installed a simplification program that allowed only basic email and internet. But your relative may be more savvy, have better coordination, or just more interest in making it work. Here's what I'd suggest:
1) "minimalist text" can be customized to put static text on the screen. You'll have to play with it a bit.
2) There's no applications I can think of that make it easier, but I'd suggest giving her some system to mount it where she can both see and reach it. Have her sit as she would when she wanted to use it (chair, table, bed) and figure out how she can use it with her arm resting on something.
3) I think the picture frames widget is included in stock android. I'd strongly suggest against using anything other than a solid-colored background though. Again, it's difficult for an older brain to parse large amounts of information, and older eyes to see past the contrasts. I'm sure there's some way to have a rotating photo widget on some part of the screen in the market though.
4) Swiftkey. It's a bit advanced, but has one major advantage: predictive text. She can enter a few letters and the software will come up with a few words. Often it will get the intended word within a few letters, which can save a lot of inputs. That said, I think the stock android keyboard in JB has this functionality too, so you might hold off and try that.
A few other suggestions:
1) Get a launcher that can be cut down to just one screen. ADW EX does this. And get rid of the elastic screens (allows it to stay static). You said you already have a custom launcher in mind; which one were you thinking of?
2) When AOKP gets their hands on this, they'll allow you to add and change buttons to the notification bar. Get rid of the long-presses, maybe even get rid of everything but the home and back button.
3) Forget the speech recognition stuff. Old voices are not easy to understand for anyone, much less a computer, and convincing an older person to speak slowly and annunciate is not easy. Also, the first time it doesn't work you'll have a very frustrated relative to deal with...
4) Keep it simple. The first time you show her how to use it pick one thing (probably email or video chat) and show her how to do just that. If you take just one suggestion from me it's this. Add something next time, once she gets how to do email or video chat (test her first). Seriously, everyone will end up happier as a result.
OK, good luck! Hope it works better for you than it did for me!

I would say, a very simple background. No live wallpapers. A Big clock widget,
Get her a Bluetooth Keyboard, there is no sense in trying to force an older person to use a touch screen, that requires near perfect fingers. A normal keyboard is something she most likely has seen and used before. So it will feel normal.
A Widget for changing volume. Something with like a large Plus and Minus sign, and a big percent so she can easily see how loud it is.

Brad387 said:
How can I make the Nexus 7 super-easy to use?
I have an elderly relative who has never used any Android device, or much technology at all to be honest besides old feature phones and television boxes, and we shall soon be purchasing her a Google Nexus 7. We settled on this idea after noticing that the 8GB Nexus 7 model is only £159 GBP, which isn't much more than the Kindle Touch and also offers a slightly larger screen. I am looking to make the experience personal and also easy for her.
Since I am going to use a custom launcher to prevent access to the app menu and simplify the user experience by showing her only the apps she will need to use (preventing access to the settings will prevent her accidentally deleting things), I am looking for a widget which will allow me to add my own custom text set to a custom size to the home screen. With this, I'll separate up the few apps she plans on using. Any recommendations for such an application?
Since this person does not have full function of a second arm, are there any applications which make one-handed operation easier on the tablet's 7 inch display?
Is there a widget which will allow me to add "picture frames" to the home screen? I could put some pictures of the family in these, which will add a nice personal touch.
Are there any keyboards which are good for one-handed use? Please do not say Swype.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brad387 said:
Any suggestions to any of my issues I face? Also, any general app recommendations are welcome, but keep in mind who this tablet is for when making suggestions. For example, no messenger apps.
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Brad387 said:
No ideas to any of those applications/features I'm looking to implement?
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Click to collapse
lol man, RELAX. Bumping your thread like that is terrible forum etiquette.

I'd refer to your own thread that you opened not long before this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1757848
Aps at startup
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

This might dumb the phone by a lot but: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=name.kunes.android.launcher.activity&hl=en
Here's a photo widget app that people seem to like though : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thinkjava.androidphotowidgetfree
If you can wait for further development.. flashing MIUI seems to attract a lot of newer android users due to the similarities with iOS. If not you can always get the MIUI style launcher.

Thanks. I will likely use Nova Launcher to keep the amount of screens to a minimum.

darkamikaze said:
This might dumb the phone by a lot but: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=name.kunes.android.launcher.activity&hl=en
Here's a photo widget app that people seem to like though : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thinkjava.androidphotowidgetfree
If you can wait for further development.. flashing MIUI seems to attract a lot of newer android users due to the similarities with iOS. If not you can always get the MIUI style launcher.
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Click to collapse
Yuck. No thank you on miui. I hate the unorganized nature of having every icon on the home screen. App drawer please.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

blackhand1001 said:
Yuck. No thank you on miui. I hate the unorganized nature of having every icon on the home screen. App drawer please.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Fascinating. But this isn't for you; it's for an older person.
OP, the folks pointing out that it's bad forum etiquette to create multiple threads and bump them are right. And considering the time folks put into answering your question, it wouldn't hurt to respond and click the "thanks" button.

thebobp said:
Swype probably requires two-handing on a device this big.
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I don't understand how you would use Swype with two hands even if you wanted to. Swyping requires one continuous swipe with one finger across all of the letters that spell out your word, and besides the actual act of swyping, I don't understand how using it would be any different from using one finger to type on a non-Swype keyboard.

blackhand1001 said:
Yuck. No thank you on miui. I hate the unorganized nature of having every icon on the home screen. App drawer please.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Sorry that you don't know much about MIUI. It's the easiest ROM that I have used and now have it on my Infuse and Nook Color.
I am 66yo and like very simple and clean screens that are easy to use. The attached s/s's are from a 7" Nook Color screen.
1. Home screen.
2. Favorites expanded
3. 2nd Page....only have 2 pages...show all my apps in folders...no app drawer.
4. Reading folder opened
EDIT: You can set up as many or as few folders as you need and name them anything you choose.

dparrothead1 said:
Sorry that you don't know much about MIUI. It's the easiest ROM that I have used and now have it on my Infuse and Nook Color.
I am 66yo and like very simple and clean screens that are easy to use. The attached s/s's are from a 7" Nook Color screen.
1. Home screen.
2. Favorites expanded
3. 2nd Page....only have 2 pages...show all my apps in folders...no app drawer.
4. Reading folder opened
EDIT: You can set up as many or as few folders as you need and name them anything you choose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used miui on several devices. I just find it clunky. I like having an alphabetically sorted app drawer.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I'm working on the same issue for my mom, who just turned 86.
I downloaded Minimalistic Text for her, but I had assumed it would be simple to set up - it isn't.
Am I correct that it's very limited as to what it can display? It appears to be able to display the time, date, temp, and then a few other things not important to your typical 86 year old, such as battery level, cpu speed, etc.
I had hoped I would be able to have it launch apps, so I could for instance, have it show "Email", Facebook", etc.
Older people have difficulty remembering the names of apps sometimes. "K9" for instance, would not mean email to my mom.
Something that would allow you to make app icons larger might help. But I had high hopes for Minimalist Text!
Btw, we did a four way hangout with her yesterday. She has beginning Alzheimer's, but she loves technology!
Edit: I see in the OP's other thread someone mentioned Simple Text . Can that be used on a stock N7? Must I use a different launcher?

ANY way to use camera from pin-lockscreen??

Came from Iphone where you can use camera even from a passcode-locked lockscreen. All the answers on the net require a NON-passcode locked lockscreen to get to the camera.
Are there any ways around this?
Thanks

Settings>My Device>Lock Screen
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337

starmanj said:
Came from Iphone where you can use camera even from a passcode-locked lockscreen. All the answers on the net require a NON-passcode locked lockscreen to get to the camera.
Are there any ways around this?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is a limitation from Touchwiz. I don't have CM on my phone atm to confirm, but I know that the lockscreen Pin lock behavior is different on the Nexus 7. Meaning the key difference is the fact that on my Nexus 7 I can still use other widgets (Google Now or HD Widgets) on the Pin lock, whereas SGS4 TW does not allow that...

Nope. Wrong. Try adding a passcode and then try adding a camera widget.
JChespirito24 said:
Settings>My Device>Lock Screen
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
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nakedninja42 said:
I think this is a limitation from Touchwiz. I don't have CM on my phone atm to confirm, but I know that the lockscreen Pin lock behavior is different on the Nexus 7. Meaning the key difference is the fact that on my Nexus 7 I can still use other widgets (Google Now or HD Widgets) on the Pin lock, whereas SGS4 TW does not allow that...
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This is correct.... Just tested this on PAC ROM and I could access the camera and other lock screen widgets with both a pattern and pin lock

Right, but is there a ROM or tool to make this work on a Galaxy S4? captivatingtab did you try this on your tab or S4? Also I don't use Touchwiz, I use Nova, which still has this limitation-- so I think it's the ATT Samsung ROM.
It amazes me that ATT/Samsung/Google could put out a ROM that (at least for me) is so buggy and misses key features. Don't want to get into the host of bugs I've found, just trying to get to camera quickly...

starmanj said:
Right, but is there a ROM or tool to make this work on a Galaxy S4? captivatingtab did you try this on your tab or S4? Also I don't use Touchwiz, I use Nova, which still has this limitation-- so I think it's the ATT Samsung ROM.
It amazes me that ATT/Samsung/Google could put out a ROM that (at least for me) is so buggy and misses key features. Don't want to get into the host of bugs I've found, just trying to get to camera quickly...
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It is the problem with Touchwiz, no matter what custom launcher you run, Lockscreen is still controlled by Touchwiz. Nova(or any other launcher) only replaces the default Touch wiz launchers Touchwiz Home or Easy Launcher, so you are still using Touchwiz with Nova installed, just not the launcher it provides.
This is a Touchwiz problem, having used an HTC One you can access 4 different apps including the Camera from the lock screen as your dock is visible on the lock screen.
If you flash a AOSP rom this problem will most likely go away.

starmanj said:
Came from Iphone where you can use camera even from a passcode-locked lockscreen. All the answers on the net require a NON-passcode locked lockscreen to get to the camera.
Are there any ways around this?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an alternative lock screen app called LockerPro in the Play store does what you ask, as well a providing lock screen notifications. I think you may still need to enter your PIN before accessing the camera if the timeout has expired, but its still a shortcut. There is a free version called LockerPro Lite that you can try out.

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Sorry you are right, this thread belongs in Q&A.
I tried lockerpro, it doesn't work unless you enter pin as well. Thanks for information, looks like Touchwiz is way behind times-- Iphone has had this for a while, and even before it was on IOS there were Cydia apps that could do this. I'm astonished Android can't do this.
So I guess I have to throw out the AT&T ROM to get rid of Touchwiz?

I have to agree with the OP. I came from an iPhone, and I actually like touchwiz. But not having the ability to use lockscreen widgets with security options is pretty ridiculous.
It should be the users choice to have certain functions available without a password/lock. I understand Samsung attempted to make the device more secure and prevent "uninformed" users from making mistakes; but It should be our choice what we put out there. IMHO.
I not a developer by far, and a long-time lurker of XDA, I wish I had the ability to change Touchwiz to include this.

starmanj said:
Thanks for information, looks like Touchwiz is way behind times-- Iphone has had this for a while, and even before it was on IOS there were Cydia apps that could do this. I'm astonished Android can't do this.
So I guess I have to throw out the AT&T ROM to get rid of Touchwiz?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lets clear some things up...
First and foremost, Touchwiz is the name of the User Interface that we see. Its not an application, it is not a launcher (Nova) or anything, just the User Interface. With that said, Touchwiz features are the extra gimmicks added to the phone like Air View and whatnot. This is the ROM given by Samsung as stock, it has nothing to do with Android itself. So comparing Apple to Oranges (Samsung) is different than comparing iOS to Android (which you are not doing).
So "being behind on times" has nothing to do with Android itself. If you were to load a AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROM is it the same? Running AOSP on the phone is a different experience than running Touchwiz. It is closer to the Nexus stock experience than using Samsung stock ROM and is what Google wants as Android. So if you want to compare Android and state that your astonished it doesn't do something, then test it on AOSP based ROM and see if Android could do it.
As it has been confirmed anyways that what you want can be done running an AOSP ROM...
captivatingtab said:
This is correct.... Just tested this on PAC ROM and I could access the camera and other lock screen widgets with both a pattern and pin lock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

nakedninja42 you are absolutely correct, thanks. I should say that I'm astonished that Samsung wouldn't offer this on their ROM.
Having said that, and maybe off-topic, my conclusion in moving from Apple to Android is Google allows far too much modification from the manufacturers and carriers to ensure a consistently good experience. Perhaps that's the nature of its open-source approach, but man has it been a massive pain trying to get a quality experience. Bluetooth problems, terrible lag, inconsistent application of UI rules, terrible battery drain-- in exchange for a more open environment (which, yes, is very important to me). Jury is out, I'm still trying to find a good working environment, not giving up yet.

starmanj said:
nakedninja42 you are absolutely correct, thanks. I should say that I'm astonished that Samsung wouldn't offer this on their ROM.
Having said that, and maybe off-topic, my conclusion in moving from Apple to Android is Google allows far too much modification from the manufacturers and carriers to ensure a consistently good experience. Perhaps that's the nature of its open-source approach, but man has it been a massive pain trying to get a quality experience. Bluetooth problems, terrible lag, inconsistent application of UI rules, terrible battery drain-- in exchange for a more open environment (which, yes, is very important to me). Jury is out, I'm still trying to find a good working environment, not giving up yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But as the consumer you have the choice on what you buy. If you want something that has X set of features you can buy it (Nexus for example), if you want other features you buy a different phone. This is not unlike buying a car - most cars (these days) have Bluetooth, but the implementations vary greatly.
You bought a phone with Android, and most stores let you compare dozens of models side by side. If Camera on the lock screen is a requirement, it is easy to test drive to find one that supports this.
My phone is rooted and stock - it has no lag and works fantastically well with superior battery life to any smartphone i have owned. Touchwiz is not perfect, but neither is stock android IMO.
Yes, this is off topic, but the point is that if you want only one way to do something, and only one way, then Apple is for you. I recommend iphones to the technically challenged and older people - they can't get lost. The home button is always there and bails them out from any screen. And I can always help them get to settings and menus are 100% consistent. These people don't want widgets and don't want to do any customization, they want simple consistent experience. Android gives choices and that may mean that one phone has a feature that another phone does not. But then there are 3rd party apps that usually step in to fix things.
Widget locker may let you put the camera on the lockscreen - has anyone tried that?

starmanj said:
Came from Iphone where you can use camera even from a passcode-locked lockscreen. All the answers on the net require a NON-passcode locked lockscreen to get to the camera.
Are there any ways around this?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kjay's framework allows it. You'll need to be on a BMEA ROM to use iy though.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=42350844
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

starmanj said:
nakedninja42 you are absolutely correct, thanks. I should say that I'm astonished that Samsung wouldn't offer this on their ROM.
Having said that, and maybe off-topic, my conclusion in moving from Apple to Android is Google allows far too much modification from the manufacturers and carriers to ensure a consistently good experience. Perhaps that's the nature of its open-source approach, but man has it been a massive pain trying to get a quality experience. Bluetooth problems, terrible lag, inconsistent application of UI rules, terrible battery drain-- in exchange for a more open environment (which, yes, is very important to me). Jury is out, I'm still trying to find a good working environment, not giving up yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The nature of the game... Open-Source...
I haven't had any battery drains... in fact when I go to bed at night, I have ~50% left with the same usage I had on the S3 @ 10%. GoldenEye ROM solved all my other qualms with TouchWiz. I did find it annoying that I cannot use my widgets on the lockscreen that I removed my pattern/pin lock. I generally prefer running AOSP ROMs like CyanogenMOD, but I am waiting for the release of the Google SGS4 to see if the stability improves.

Yes I am waiting for the Google S4 ROM as well. I have CM on all my HP Touchpads so am a bit leary of quality of the device drivers for S4 at this point. The official Google version will fix that.

Theoretically, couldn't someone just find the files for the lockscreen and edit the code to allow it? I mean, it's like natively there already - right?
I haven't tried any custom ROMs, in fact i am pretty close to what the OP is describing, coming from an iPhone and having the learning experience. But I am really bummed I can't do it. lol

So bottom line is there any ROM that will allow the use of camera shortcuts or lockscreen widgets while having a secure lockscreen?

blackguy101 said:
So bottom line is there any ROM that will allow the use of camera shortcuts or lockscreen widgets while having a secure lockscreen?
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TW no, AOSP yes.
---------- Post added at 01:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 PM ----------
shadowfiber said:
Theoretically, couldn't someone just find the files for the lockscreen and edit the code to allow it? I mean, it's like natively there already - right?
I haven't tried any custom ROMs, in fact i am pretty close to what the OP is describing, coming from an iPhone and having the learning experience. But I am really bummed I can't do it. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theoretically, yes. I am interested in this myself. I started programming a year ago and haven't had time to learn the ends and outs for Android to try yet. I am hoping someone with greater talents might be able to do it...