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Is there a widget or something to customize my homescreen? Seeing how on android and BB phones they have a super notification panel that displays Facebook notifications and instant messages the user recieves, I'm just wondering if there a way to do this on my Maple's homescreen. Is there a program out yet that makes this possible? A homescreen plug-in, widget, anything! I know this isnt so much to expect so im wondering if something like this exists! Thanks in advance
it really depends on what you want to do exactly. to start off, you can customize the homescreen with CHome Configurator. If you want to go further, you can install a custom ROM such as those proposed on this forum.
Are they able to sync with your social networking sites? I never seen a custom rom that can do this. All im saying is that most android phones and blackberrys can do this and winmo still hasnt implemented it. Which is why I was wondering if there was a plugin or widget that could do this.
Aricrj said:
Are they able to sync with your social networking sites? I never seen a custom rom that can do this. All im saying is that most android phones and blackberrys can do this and winmo still hasnt implemented it. Which is why I was wondering if there was a plugin or widget that could do this.
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there is a facebook app available on the windows marketplace, but i don't know how the notifications are implemented in there since i don't use it. you should just try it out, but as for notifications, don't expect it to be better than android, after all it's win mo...
Aricrj said:
Are they able to sync with your social networking sites? I never seen a custom rom that can do this. All im saying is that most android phones and blackberrys can do this and winmo still hasnt implemented it. Which is why I was wondering if there was a plugin or widget that could do this.
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Yes and no. It can be done if you edit your xml files. Any static information can be displayed.. even Facebook and Twitter. I have my twitter displayed in one of my panels on my home screen (its done via rss feed) and it updates once every 15 minutes. CHome Config will do most of the work for you but you will have to tweek it. You could also create a widget (there are tutorials for widgets online.. google is your friend here) a widget is just a web page in effect, compressed into a small package that PIE an open and display. You could also use Mortscripts to pull the info you want and display it.
There are options, you just have to educate yourself on them. WinMo has always been a "do it yourself" OS, I like it because of that.
Hi.
I am looking for a good looking RSS reader widget to aggregate all my RSS feeds.
I was hoping for something like the "friends" widget which aggregate all your social networking but for custom RSS feeds.
Anyone know of anything?
Thanks
I like NewsRoom. http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-trileet-android-newsroom-qiAt.aspx
NewsRoom is excellent, I also use it, but it doesn't really offer what the OP is asking for.
Since it'll add a notification of new content though it may be good enough for him (personally I prefer it that way, more space for other widgets). I guess the way it aggregates new content when you 'swipe up', arranged by provider or publication time, is quite close to what the OP is describing though...
I use default one.
Simple and can merge all my gmail subscripted rss
Try AtomaRSS!
Minimal reader.
erklat said:
Minimal reader.
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+1
great widget that looks nice too
Ok so ive been playing with my X10 constantly since I got it (not going over well with the misus) and more specifically timescape and mediascape. Especially considering all the hype around these apps prior to the release of the phone. I have come to the conclusion that......basically, they could be better, as im sure others here would agree.
Ive posed questions here before but I think its time, if others agree, to centralize our gripes and concerns about these two, potentially awsome apps here in this thread.
Obviously the lack of complete integration between timescape and facebook is one ie click on an update tile and instead of the FB app opening it directs you through the browser..
One more for me in TS is that I had envisioned one tile for each contact, and in that tile would be all the corresponding timescape stuff like phone calls, FB, twitter blah, blah, blah. Instead you get a new tile for every individual thing that contact does.....kinda messy imo.
Also I think that SE could really take it to the next level with a lot more detail. How?? Well, say that they made it kinda of like you main contact app. You tap on a contact in then not only do you get their number address etc....you also get their FB, Twitter, link to google maps to bring up directions to their address, picasa photo links etc...
I just feel that the apps have sooo much potential but that they are falling short. Unless of course you can do all that stuff and im just not smart enough to figure it out.......entirely possible.
No it's not you, they just need tighter integration with apps like facebook & twitter.
The tiles look cool and all, but I think that I would rather have more information available at a glace then the fancy animation. That should improve performace too.
And more services would be nice rather than just facebook and twitter, since i dont use facebook anymore, maybe something like a RSS reader integration.
Plus shortened urls need to be accessable right from timescape, which is driving me crazy right now!
What do you guys think fancy or more effecient?
I think Mediascape should be split into two or three different apps, music and videos/photos or all three separate. Can't really see the need for the "Mediascape start" with music. I want artists when I start it!
As for Timescape, well, yeah... Less flashy and more useful. Not being able to comment or like Facebook statuses is really limiting. That's why I don't use it at all!
Sadly right now Timescape serves very little purpose (if any), that's why most of us never even open it. I'll apologize right now for the length of this message...
TIMESCAPE NEEDS:
RSS feeds
Capability to read ENTIRE message not just a small portion (seriously wtf SE??)
Ability to reply, like, comment, tweet, call, sms, etc. all within Timescape
Option to choose which app Timescape opens i.e. dedicated FB app/Twitter client
YouTube integration, like subscriptions etc.
Ability to add ANY social network you may use or even XDA forums!! woot woot! (I guess that would be tapatalk?)
Better filtering options for facebook:
-I do not want status updates on my phone from 500 people I don't care about
(and don't say it's our own fault for adding that many people on facebook, there's lots of people we interact with on a daily/weekly basis, and then the majority of others we use facebook to just keep in touch with)
-Why only status updates and not messages, replies, likes, comments too??
-Facebook events (parties, birthdays, etc)
Integrate all a contact's activity in facebook (or respective spline) into ONE tile, maybe open up a large tile to display all (threaded) sms messages from contact
More options for widget! Size, filtering options, minor functions like scrolling tiles and sliding between splines. Right now it's just a shortcut for Timescape. And while you're at it add the missing Mediascape widget too...faack
Calendar and Task integration into dedicated splines
(maybe it's just Android but wow...compared to my blackberry something seriously needs to be done here for both)
Last but not least...integrate my F*%&ING contact photos!! Does it not seem like this is a standard feature of the X10 in all advertising campaigns?!
from my twitter @SonyEricssonNA and @SEAnswers:
Why doesn't the X10 integrate phone contacts' facebook profile pictures into the phone?? Such an obvious missing feature
SEAnswers @rvictorg I believe that is a feature implemented in Android 2.0 OS. Let me check and get back to you.
SonyEricssonNA @rvictorg it does in TimeScape so you should see your contacts fb pics in the spline, if you link the tile with a contact, it should sync.
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They're right, it SHOULD sync. That was nearly a month ago, I sent them both back messages and haven't got a response from either. And yes, this is not nearly important as the other missing features, it'd just be nice if the phone natively did it without a 3rd party app like syncmypix.
ok so a little long MAYBE, BUT after all, this is the highest end device they make and the way carriers and SE have been advertising it a lot of those features should have been standard, Timescape is supposed integrate everything in your life into one glorious app no?? I just hope someone from SE reads XDA and can implement some of them. Peace.
+100. I support everything rvictorg wrote.
SE came up with a great idea in timescape but it's really limited. i find myself just really not using the app at all because while i can view the updates of my friends, i can't reply to them with timescape. i really wish they made an app like gravity where you can view and basically have almost all the functions of both twitter and facebook. i guess SE can cop out and say that they never intended for all those functions to be integrated with timescape and if that's the case, fail.
Ive got to agree with you guys 100%. I find myself opening timescape up from time to time now just in the hopes that i missed something that might make it better. Of course each time im left feeling a little more disappointed than the last.
I really like the ideas that rvictorg posted, no worries about the length of that post as its actually SE's fault that it took that much space to write out all the problems.
Anyway, i hope SE's promise that with the coming updates to TS and MS its users will gain a "richer" experience, is actually true cause for now im just not even going to use it anymore.
TS / MS is only good to use and watch. User features seem bad! donating money to fix user features of TS / MS
Okay, the Daily Briefing app is very very good, but it's really stupid that You can't add your own feeds to it. Would anyone be interested in either modding Daily Briefing or making a new app, or is there perhaps already a good RSS reader out there?
there are two RSS readers- RSS World which is free & allows adding your own feeds but you cannot search for feeds. you can manually add the feed address which is cumbersome. Also if you have feeds from a lot of sites, they will all be mixed up together.say for example you have selected feeds from Sites A, B & C. so the first three feeds maybe from A, then a few from B, then maybe again from A, then C, then B again..etc. it would have been helpful if there were scrollable pages to the left & right so that feeds from different sites would show up on different screens.
There is also a paid reader named Q-RSS but i cannot tell you about it as i have not bought it.
Lastly, if you only want a good news widget, the AP Mobile widget is very good.
btw, if daily briefing can be modded, then it should be modded. since it is a widget, it should not be very difficult.
Try the Pulse News Reader app. You can add feeds from a huge directory or search, comes with awesome default ones. widget only shows one per widget but when you click it, it full screens and has a very nice UI. Google reader incorporation too, so just add em there and import, wa-la.
Appbrain link
But I do like the idea of the OP, I don't use the Daily briefing app. because of this.
bdemartino said:
Try the Pulse News Reader app. You can add feeds from a huge directory or search, comes with awesome default ones. widget only shows one per widget but when you click it, it full screens and has a very nice UI. Google reader incorporation too, so just add em there and import, wa-la.
Appbrain link
But I do like the idea of the OP, I don't use the Daily briefing app. because of this.
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You're in the wrong section dude, this is Bada not Android
Here’s the gist of a thread I started @ WPCentral that I wanted to bring over to XDA to get an additional perspective.(Let's be honest...XDA is a bit cooler than WP Central good )
How about allowing for users to create 2 custom Hubs? The Custom Hub would have two panes – the default being a notifications list, and the second being a list of all the apps added to that hub.
How about allowing Kids Korner to be a Hub where parents can add in apps and other educational stuff for the kids to look at (then at the bottom of Kid’s corner, put a menu option that allows the parents to put in a password to get into the rest of the phone)?
How about expanding the Lenses idea to give third party apps the option to pick one key feature of their app that gets integrated into a Hub?
How about tighter integration between Hubs? For example taking the option of in the phone dialer to hit the phonebook icon and get sent to the People Hub and using it this way…if I’m in the Calendar Hub and make a reminder note to meet with someone, or to call someone, that note shows up under that person’s name in the People Hub. If I want to edit that, when I am in the people hub I hit that note which sends me back to the Calendar to change it.
These are just some thoughts I had on how MSFT could flesh WP8 out and give it an edge. I think RIM is trying to do that in its BlackBerry 10 Blackberry Hub, but MSFT has more resources in WP8 to make things more seamless and less cluttered.
Here’s the link to the original thread:
http://forums.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-8/220854-hubs-over-folders-lenses-improve-core-apps.html
But I’d love to get feedback here on XDA.
HMm not so sure this is really worth it. Besides, to integrate an app with a specific hub is a specific job the developer needs to do. In order to integrate with the music+video hub, for instance, you need to do specific thing. Same goes for people/photo/whatever hub.
Having a custom hub is very difficult for the apps to integrate properly with it and sloopy developers might actually ruin the entire experience with poor integration.
While i see where you are going with this (notification center), the need is really not that big.
The kids corner is a completely different thing and is not similar to a hub in any way.
EDIT: the news/notification thing in the hub is something the apps do, and not the hub itself. The hub just centralizes them in a ... hub. In order for the hub to know what to centralize and from who, the apps must call specific APIs.
mcosmin222 said:
HMm not so sure this is really worth it. Besides, to integrate an app with a specific hub is a specific job the developer needs to do. In order to integrate with the music+video hub, for instance, you need to do specific thing. Same goes for people/photo/whatever hub.
Having a custom hub is very difficult for the apps to integrate properly with it and sloopy developers might actually ruin the entire experience with poor integration.
While i see where you are going with this (notification center), the need is really not that big.
The kids corner is a completely different thing and is not similar to a hub in any way.
EDIT: the news/notification thing in the hub is something the apps do, and not the hub itself. The hub just centralizes them in a ... hub. In order for the hub to know what to centralize and from who, the apps must call specific APIs.
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Ok. I think I follow along with you comment.
But MSFT does have these some of these elements in play in the OS itself, so why not use them more effectively? I know Apple has a more stringent control of apps that get approved before going in the app store, so could MSFT enforce these add-ons?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Microsoft regularlly provides the Options and in my experience developers will use them by themselves, simply because it increases the usability of their Apps a lot more than it adds required effort. It's rather a problem how to implement this in a way that does prevent a badly written App from affecting the system's Performance and stability.
That especially gets a Problem when Apps are allowed to surface data somewhere as could be seen by the problems Skype originally caused with the People Hub Integration.
I'm pretty sure Microsoft will add more Integration Points into the System with the next API update - let's just wait and see.
As for making usage of some of those Integration Points mandatory. I don't believe that to be a good idea. I also don't believe that it is necessary. Developers regularly complain that they can't integrate somewhere so I really believe that if they were allowed to do it they would do it by themselves. This is also necessary because the Integration regularly involves the Transfer of data to the invoked App (Images, Files, etc.)
Stevie, I think what you've said is fair. I suppose MSFT could just use their own apps like Photosynth and Skype as a way to sure more seamless integration instead of making that a mandatory process for all devs.
Do people even see the need for such integration in the platform going forward?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
In general I believe that it can make for a more fluid experience if there are well done Integration points. Camera Lenses or the Image editing capabilities are a great example for this. Another is the possibility to have an App specific contact store (like Skype does it now).
What I believe would greatly improve the concept would be Message Integration into the Messaging Hub and the ability to create an app specific calendar store that is also availble inside the Standard calendar App.
Also nice would be the possibility to register Apps for all filetypes. Currently you can only consume files inside your App that are not assigned to System Apps (e.g. MP3 or JPEG Images).
So in short: yes, those integrations can greatly improve the workflow and I'd love to see Microsoft in the end deliver on the promise of Hubs they gave when introducing them. When you want to do something with Images, open the Image Hub. If you want to message someone open the Messaging Hub, etc.
If it were up to me, here’s how I’d organize the Hubs in WP8. I’d love to hear other’s thoughts:
Store: Same. Just better Secondary links from the all the other Hubs. This and People Hub should be the two primary Hubs where all other Hubs have shortcut links to.
Photos: Same. Shortcut Links to Store, People, Search, Content Manager
Music and Videos. Same. Shortcuts to Store, People, Search, Content manager
Games: Same. Better shortcut links to Store. Also links to People, Search, Content manager
Productivity: Office + Calendar + Note Apps + Voice Personal Assistants here (allow Tell Me to be an app where you can add commands to it).
- 3rd party apps list include: any note, calendar, language, Office Assistant Apps.
- Secondary shortcuts to People (especially Rooms), Content Manager, Wallet, Store
Content Manager: Skydrive and a page showing list of downloaded content here...not a full file manager where you can move stuff around on the phone itself, but a general downloads folder.
- 3rd part apps include Box and other upload apps
- Secondary Hub links – Photos, Music + Videos, Office
People: You manage contacts and social media here.
- Me Tile: Notifications...and have the option to reply to an individual tweet or FB post or Skype message from a listed contact here.
- 3rd party apps include: All social media apps
- Secondary shortcuts: all the other hubs.
Messaging: Emails, SMS, Skype IM is here.
- 3rd party apps include all IM apps, FB messenger, shortcut to Skype.
- Shortcuts to People, Store, Phone
Navigation: All Maps and Transit apps here.
- Some of Local Scout functionality here (also accessible in the Search Hub).
- Secondary Shortcuts to Search, People, Store.
Search: Same, except adding one more page to list search related apps.
- Secondary short cuts to Navigation, People, Store, Content Manager
Phone: Skype (calling features, video chat) and Dialer are primary options here. Other apps that tap into this Hub (or get listed here) are 3rd party Video Apps
- Secondary shortcuts to People, Messaging.
Wallet: Holds Credit Cards and Financial Apps
- Secondary shortcuts to Search, Store, Productivity (in particular – calendar), People
Corporate: Same. Allow Corporate IT to do their thing. Better links to the Productivity, Office
Custom Hubs: Users are allowed to create only two. A two pane look – default page with app related notifications and a second page with the app list.
It is still a hybrid mix of hubs and apps – if you don’t want to use a Hub, don’t use it.
Sent from my Lumia 810 using Board Express
My head hurts. It is just too complicated.
This implementation can go wrong in soooooooooooooooo many ways, it will be a wonder if a developer manages to get it right for every scenario.
I believe you're making it more complicated than it needs to be and a lot of what you are talking about is already there. I don't need an explicit link to go from Calendar to people. If I open an appointment and swipe to attendants I can tap on any of them to be taken to their contacts page inside the people Hub (as it should be).
It's a good idea to have those kinds of shortcuts around that are contextually aware but adding a load of Buttons to jump somewhere else is mainly getting the UI cluttered or getting confusing/annoying.
Some of those connections you mention are already there - e.g. Store in Music/Videos.
What actually would be a nice idea is to allow productivity Apps to tie into the Office Hub similarily to how it works with imaging Apps in the Pictures Hub.
Some of the other stuff you mention is also there. Cloud Storage applications can integrate themselves into the system for automated Uploads similarily to SkyDrive but currently limited to Pictures so it can definitely be improved upon.
TellMe is also extensible to allow Apps to tie into it and use voice command functionality. Audible would be one App that takes advantage of this. It doesn't really make sense for all Apps though. E.g. a picture taking App will require the ViewFinder etc. so it would not benefit that much from Voice Control (and it is quite a hazzle to implement this - especially if the App is getting localized in several languages).
As for search - if there would be something like a search charm on Windows 8 it should tie into the Bing App which already has a permanent shortcut in the search button.
I guess your idea would be to allow people to jump easily from Hub to Hub without going to the Homescreen. Having Links for this in every other Hub just isn't the way to go there. A possibility would be to add all the Hubs at the bottom of the Task Switcher Screen. So you would long press on the back button and would get the Thumbnails of running Apps and at the bottom the icons for People, Calendar, Messaging, Pictures, Music/Video and Office. I'm not sure if that would be an improvement over just going via the Home screen though.
So in short: more integration of Apps into the OS: yes, more context aware integration of Apps with each other: yes, adding loads of shortcuts: no
StevieBallz said:
I believe you're making it more complicated than it needs to be and a lot of what you are talking about is already there. I don't need an explicit link to go from Calendar to people. If I open an appointment and swipe to attendants I can tap on any of them to be taken to their contacts page inside the people Hub (as it should be).
It's a good idea to have those kinds of shortcuts around that are contextually aware but adding a load of Buttons to jump somewhere else is mainly getting the UI cluttered or getting confusing/annoying.
Some of those connections you mention are already there - e.g. Store in Music/Videos.
What actually would be a nice idea is to allow productivity Apps to tie into the Office Hub similarily to how it works with imaging Apps in the Pictures Hub.
Some of the other stuff you mention is also there. Cloud Storage applications can integrate themselves into the system for automated Uploads similarily to SkyDrive but currently limited to Pictures so it can definitely be improved upon.
TellMe is also extensible to allow Apps to tie into it and use voice command functionality. Audible would be one App that takes advantage of this. It doesn't really make sense for all Apps though. E.g. a picture taking App will require the ViewFinder etc. so it would not benefit that much from Voice Control (and it is quite a hazzle to implement this - especially if the App is getting localized in several languages).
As for search - if there would be something like a search charm on Windows 8 it should tie into the Bing App which already has a permanent shortcut in the search button.
I guess your idea would be to allow people to jump easily from Hub to Hub without going to the Homescreen. Having Links for this in every other Hub just isn't the way to go there. A possibility would be to add all the Hubs at the bottom of the Task Switcher Screen. So you would long press on the back button and would get the Thumbnails of running Apps and at the bottom the icons for People, Calendar, Messaging, Pictures, Music/Video and Office. I'm not sure if that would be an improvement over just going via the Home screen though.
So in short: more integration of Apps into the OS: yes, more context aware integration of Apps with each other: yes, adding loads of shortcuts: no
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Stevie, I like much of your suggestions. The goal here isn't to clutter the OS - if it were up to me I would use the contextual menus and a few other existing options in the OS to facilitate moving from Hub to Hub instead of adding extra buttons.
Based on how the OS is, there may not be a need to have list of all the hubs at the bottom. The goal is to jump from certain Hubs to each other based on "common user tasks that would involve multiple Hubs or steps that can be reduced". Now if you want to do things the current way, fine. More I think some would welcome more intuition.
I was just trying to describe a smoother way to leverage the existing strengths of the OS and to see where MSFT could make the quickest improvements. No question, the OS is smooth but if they build out these extensions, you can have an improved user experience. My apologies if my explanation was convoluted.
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Should MSFT eventually push an all Hub version of WP8?
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What do you mean by "All Hub"? The Hubs are a thematic grouping but I guess we will always have certain use cases that don't exactlly lend themselves to being integrated into one of those Hubs so putting everything into the Hubs probably isn't the best idea. Giving developers the integration points to integrate their data into the Hubs if it is suitable should be the priority.
I agree. Apps are mostly isolated programs running on their own. If apps could talk to each other more easily we can have more interesting behaviors and abilities that no other mobile os has. For quality control, just give the user a on off switch for each app just like the background task.