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Apps for Android |OT|

RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Man, I keep installing Dashclock every now and then because people keep raving about how awesome it is, and it seems like it could be really cool, but every time I end up realizing that it's pretty much useless to me. Today I installed it to use it with Dashlight, thinking it would be pretty nifty to have a flashlight shortcut right on my lockscreen, but then it turned out that after pressing the icon you have to enter your unlock pattern for the light to turn on. BAM, useless. I understand that anything that makes you enter an app needs to be protected by your unlock security, but a simple feature like turning the LED on and off would only be useful if it could be done with a single tap, leaving your phone locked. Since it can't, it isn't any more useful than just placing a flashlight icon on my homescreen. I have to enter my unlock pattern either way, it's just a matter of in which order it happens.

Is Dashclock only really useful if you don't use any unlock security? Well, bye bye then, because I would never leave my phone unprotected. I've had a smartphone stolen before, and I'm so happy it was protected by a hard-to-guess unlock pattern.
 
D

dripdripsplash

Member
You could deactivate your unlock pattern. Seems like you're very annoyed by it.

EDIT: Well how stupid am I, I didn't even read the entirety of your post before (trying) being a smartass!

But seriously, turn off that unlock pattern, that thing annoys me immensely and therefore you should not have it activated too.
 
RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Amjad said:
You could deactivate your unlock pattern. Seems like you're very annoyed by it.

EDIT: Well how stupid am I, I didn't even read the entirety of your post before (trying) being a smartass!

But seriously, turn off that unlock pattern, that thing annoys me immensely and therefore you should not have it activated too.
Click to expand...

As I said, I refuse to walk around with my phone completely open to anyone that might happen to get their hands on it. I don't plan on losing it, but it might happen tomorrow anyway. You never know. And I'm not really annoyed by the unlock pattern at all when normally unlocking the phone, I do that so often that it happens without me really having to think about it. It's when it pops up in response to me wanting to do something as simple as turning on the LED from the lock screen that it becomes annoying and completely defeats the purpose of having such a shortcut.

Maybe this is a restriction with how lock screen widgets work - that they simply cannot access phone features without it being unlocked - but if so that doesn't really make much sense. I can take photos with the phone's camera without unlocking it first, I can control music playback right from the lock screen, etc, so why can't I flip the LED on or off? That can hardly be seen as a security-critical feature.

EDIT: Nope, seems like this is specifically a Dashclock limitation. It doesn't allow extensions to do stuff without the phone being unlocked. The stand-alone Dashlight lock screen widget works without unlocking anything. So I guess I'll use that, it would just be more convenient to have it on my main lock screen. Will have to wait for this to be fixed in Dashclock I guess.
 
Z

Zeppu

Member
I had exactly the same complaint because even though I don't have a pattern or pin you still have to do the slide to unlock to launch whatever you tapped on from dashwidget.

Then I realized that, after all, it is a lockscreen widget. The point of lockscreens is to not accidentally do stuff while your phone is in your pocket. Accidentally turning on your torch and leaving it on could burn your LED and screw up your camera.

It's fine if it's in the second lockscreen, I guess.

Technically speaking, it is a rather sensible limitation in the OS. Dashclock itself accepts extensions which launch intents from a third party app, so it has no context of what is going to be done within that app, so just allowing it to be launched could prove to be a security issue.
i.e. Dashclock would have to allow all or no extensions to bypass the lockscreen and that has several implications.

Edit: Actually I don't think that any out of app intents could ever be allowed from a lockscreen widget at all without requiring some form of unlock.
 
Bboy AJ

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
Dash clock is best for displaying information. Not acting on it. That's why I like it and find it useful.
 
RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Zeppu said:
I had exactly the same complaint because even though I don't have a pattern or pin you still have to do the slide to unlock to launch whatever you tapped on from dashwidget.

Then I realized that, after all, it is a lockscreen widget. The point of lockscreens is to not accidentally do stuff while your phone is in your pocket. Accidentally turning on your torch and leaving it on could burn your LED and screw up your camera.

It's fine if it's in the second lockscreen, I guess.

Technically speaking, it is a rather sensible limitation in the OS. Dashclock itself accepts extensions which launch intents from a third party app, so it has no context of what is going to be done within that app, so just allowing it to be launched could prove to be a security issue.
i.e. Dashclock would have to allow all or no extensions to bypass the lockscreen and that has several implications.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, it means Dashclock just isn't very useful to me at all. I'd rather swipe over to my second lockscreen and have a one-tap flashlight widget there than have it on the first lockscreen but having to enter my unlock pattern to use it.

So what exactly is it people find so great about Dashclock, given that it doesn't actually let you do anything from the lockscreen? Is it just that it lets them get an overview of new e-mails, etc, without unlocking the phone? Well, I guess I just don't quite see the value in that. I can already see that I do have new e-mails, text messages, etc., in the status bar. Yeah, Dashclock can tell me how many of them there are, but eh.

I'm not trying to be negative about Dashclock for the hell of it, I'm just really struggling to see much point with it.
 
Bboy AJ

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
JordanLMiller said:
I'm spreading the word: best itunes remote for android is RETUNE. Get it.
Click to expand...
Very cool. Needs Apple TV support, though. Is that even possible? I'm tired of using the remote to spell out words letter by letter.
 
Z

Zeppu

Member
RoadHazard said:
Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, it means Dashclock just isn't very useful to me at all. I'd rather swipe over to my second lockscreen and have a one-tap flashlight widget there than have it on the first lockscreen but having to enter my unlock pattern to use it.

So what exactly is it people find so great about Dashclock, given that it doesn't actually let you do anything from the lockscreen? Is it just that it lets them get an overview of new e-mails, etc, without unlocking the phone? Well, I guess I just don't quite see the value in that. I can already see that I do have new messages in the status bar, and beyond that I don't really want to expose what they actually are right on my lockscreen.
Click to expand...

Next alarm, next calendar event, weather, etc...

The sort of shit you'd have on regular homescreens, on the lockscreen.
 
RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Zeppu said:
Next alarm, next calendar event, weather, etc...

The sort of shit you'd have on regular homescreens, on the lockscreen.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess I just don't feel the need to have that info right on the lockscreen (except for next alarm, which the stock clock widget already does). I only on occasion care what the weather is right now (I can just look out the window to check that, save for the exact temperature), and when I do Google Now is never far away. As for next appointment, maybe if my calendar was jam-packed with appointments that would be useful, but it rarely is. And even if it was, would I want all of that on display right on my lockscreen? Those are details I'd want to keep protected, I think. And I guess that means Dashclock really isn't for me, but for people who don't feel the need to guard their personal information very well.
 
Z

Zeppu

Member
RoadHazard said:
Yeah, I guess I just don't feel the need to have that info right on the lockscreen (except for next alarm, which the stock clock widget already does). Maybe if my calendar was jam-packed with appointments, but it rarely is. And even if it was, would I want all of that on display right on my lockscreen? Those are details I'd want to keep protected. And I guess that means Dashclock really isn't for me, but for people who don't feel the need to guard their personal information very well.
Click to expand...

Yep, but at least I think you can understand the appeal. Honestly I wouldn't care if anyone found out when I have haircut appointments and drinks with friends. Not that anyone ever needs to use my phone or wouldn't be able to see that info splattered all over my phone anyway if they were to unlock it, which they could since I use the slide unlock mechanism.
 
RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Zeppu said:
Yep, but at least I think you can understand the appeal. Honestly I wouldn't care if anyone found out when I have haircut appointments and drinks with friends. Not that anyone ever needs to use my phone or wouldn't be able to see that info splattered all over my phone anyway if they were to unlock it, which they could since I use the slide unlock mechanism.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can see the appeal and the potential, which is why I keep reinstalling it hoping that it will suddenly reveal itself to be as awesome as many seem to think it is. But that just never happens for me. I want to see its awesomeness, but I can't.
 
B

Blackhead

Redarse
If you feel frustrated with the password protection you should try one of those apps like Unlock with WiFi. It should cut down on the times you have to enter the passcode while still keeping some measure of security.

Alright, Is anybody else observing that Lightflow crashes on each new email after installing the GMail update? Ugh the updat isnt worth a broken lightflow, I'd like to downgrade
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
I've been using Evernote for a while, but I really dislike its desktop client user-interface. Been looking for an alternative, found Memonic, which looked perfect for my needs, but it won't run on my phone :(

Galaxy Note 2 running Android 4.1.2, the app crashes on startup. In the reviews on Google Play someone says the same thing happens on the GS3. Could it be the app is incompatible with Jelly Bean? Is there a way to get around that?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.memonic.mobile
 
davidnic

davidnic

Member
Pandora

Pandora is free, personalized radio that plays music and comedy you'll love. Just start with the name of one of your favorite artists, songs, comedians, or composers and Pandora will create a custom station that plays similar tracks. Pandora features hundreds of music and comedy genre stations ranging from Dubstep to Smooth Jazz to Power Workout.
In the car, at the gym, on the train – listen wherever and whenever you're in the mood for great music. Create up to 100 stations so you can easily switch between favorites.
Click to expand...

Played with this on the weekend and found some new bands very useful for me.
 
RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Greyface said:
If you feel frustrated with the password protection you should try one of those apps like Unlock with WiFi. It should cut down on the times you have to enter the passcode while still keeping some measure of security.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've thought about using something like that. Not sure I would feel completely at ease leaving such a security-critical feature in the hands of a 3rd party app though. But maybe that's just me being a tad paranoid.

The Faceless Master said:
Minuum KB

looks interesting
Click to expand...

That does look pretty clever, unlike most "innovative" keyboards which are pretty much just useless gimmicks.
 
J

Jotamide

Unconfirmed Member
Is Sleep as Android the best app of its kind? I'm on the verge of buying it but if there's a free alternative I'll take it.
 
moojito

moojito

Member
Jotamide said:
Is Sleep as Android the best app of its kind? I'm on the verge of buying it but if there's a free alternative I'll take it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's really good. It gets updates all the time, too. First app I bought for my android!

The galaxy s3 comes with the same functionality built in, but I've never tried it.
 
Bboy AJ

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
Yeah. What's up with us still using the keyboard layout? It's familiar but not designed for smartphones. Great idea.
 
C

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
What's the best free photo gallery app for Android? The stock app on my S2 is overall fine, my only gripe is that I can't select what folders to display, so the app stuffs my gallery with all the cover art from my music folders, which really isn't needed. Are there any other good alternatives that let you select what folders/pics to display?
 
A

Akito

Member
Combichristoffersen said:
What's the best free photo gallery app for Android? The stock app on my S2 is overall fine, my only gripe is that I can't select what folders to display, so the app stuffs my gallery with all the cover art from my music folders, which really isn't needed. Are there any other good alternatives that let you select what folders/pics to display?
Click to expand...
I use QuickPic and it's capable of doing that. You can also set hidden folders and make them invisible/visible at will.
 
V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Just installed the official March Madness app. I guess it was pay before, but it is free this year. I'll post how it goes.
 
F

fluffydelusions

Member
Made this because I needed something like it and didn't much care for the available apps. This is just a early version but it works. Going to add more features soonish.

Days Until is a light weight, clean, and functional app that displays days left until a specified event along with sending you a reminder. You can also add photos to events as well as backup & restore all entries in the database.

zFvYa_qP2y1asqgA6YncEycmGriCvTKp3w7FIpTJJorEzZtYvzJJQLlfOqUPzaRTXJo
iOqtm588StqupT6KCtMWcuGdiV2Wp1M5zMu8n3bFGkYMA2ZUYqHUJ8KDPurq3CKwV0s
pVUcBHPEZ7SbGHVlpYiGWKyEch8CBcWMoRztIeR4j5TyvsRWqPVia0KU7OD9VMuggP8


https://play.google.com/store/apps/...9tLmZsdWZmeWRlbHVzaW9ucy5hcHAuZGF5c3VudGlsIl0.
 
K

kaskade

Member
fluffydelusions said:
Made this because I needed something like it and didn't much care for the available apps. This is just a early version but it works. Going to add more features soonish.

Days Until is a light weight, clean, and functional app that displays days left until a specified event along with sending you a reminder. You can also add photos to events as well as backup & restore all entries in the database.

zFvYa_qP2y1asqgA6YncEycmGriCvTKp3w7FIpTJJorEzZtYvzJJQLlfOqUPzaRTXJo
iOqtm588StqupT6KCtMWcuGdiV2Wp1M5zMu8n3bFGkYMA2ZUYqHUJ8KDPurq3CKwV0s
pVUcBHPEZ7SbGHVlpYiGWKyEch8CBcWMoRztIeR4j5TyvsRWqPVia0KU7OD9VMuggP8


https://play.google.com/store/apps/...9tLmZsdWZmeWRlbHVzaW9ucy5hcHAuZGF5c3VudGlsIl0.
Click to expand...
Looks really nice. Not sure if this is OT for here but how is it programming for android? I've been brushing up back on my coding and might like to try making an app at some point.
 
RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
kaskade said:
Looks really nice. Not sure if this is OT for here but how is it programming for android? I've been brushing up back on my coding and might like to try making an app at some point.
Click to expand...

If you can write Java, you can write an Android app. Pretty much. And Java is just used for the behavior in a typical app, the interface is all XML, so that's even easier. There are pretty great tutorials on the dev site, you'll be up and running in no time if you have some previous programming experience.
 
F

fluffydelusions

Member
RoadHazard said:
If you can write Java, you can write an Android app. Pretty much. And Java is just used for the behavior in a typical app, the interface is all XML, so that's even easier. There are pretty great tutorials on the dev site, you'll be up and running in no time if you have some previous programming experience.
Click to expand...

Yes pretty much this. I took a couple courses of Java in school but that is it. Mostly learned from reading dev tutorials online, though I did have a bit of programming/*nix experience beforehand so it helped.
 
V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
kaskade said:
Looks really nice. Not sure if this is OT for here but how is it programming for android? I've been brushing up back on my coding and might like to try making an app at some point.
Click to expand...

Linux.com is currently running a program android for beginners series you should check out! Let me find the link.
 
V

vdlow

Member
kaskade said:
Looks really nice. Not sure if this is OT for here but how is it programming for android? I've been brushing up back on my coding and might like to try making an app at some point.
Click to expand...

It's how the people above me said. If you want to learn more, I'd recommend you to read the official Google documentation and vogella.com (the tutorials there are amazing).
 
The Faceless Master

The Faceless Master

Member
fluffydelusions said:
Made this because I needed something like it and didn't much care for the available apps. This is just a early version but it works. Going to add more features soonish.

Days Until is a light weight, clean, and functional app that displays days left until a specified event along with sending you a reminder. You can also add photos to events as well as backup & restore all entries in the database.

https://lh6.ggpht.com/zFvYa_qP2y1asqgA6YncEycmGriCvTKp3w7FIpTJJorEzZtYvzJJQLlfOqUPzaRTXJo https://lh4.ggpht.com/iOqtm588StqupT6KCtMWcuGdiV2Wp1M5zMu8n3bFGkYMA2ZUYqHUJ8KDPurq3CKwV0s https://lh6.ggpht.com/pVUcBHPEZ7SbGHVlpYiGWKyEch8CBcWMoRztIeR4j5TyvsRWqPVia0KU7OD9VMuggP8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...9tLmZsdWZmeWRlbHVzaW9ucy5hcHAuZGF5c3VudGlsIl0.
Click to expand...

does it have a widget?
 
S

ScOULaris

Member
New App Alert!

Fitnotes is a beautiful, simple workout tracker that has a lot of potential to quickly become the best fitness logging app for Android IMO.

zUPCDS9PDELmYK5fMP34deMLutM2ByZCARhWpPFaJMhIIfcSfxLgT70uXTnSLgO62y8
K8HtVmPkp-1MWs4fEdjGOVut3dPFZJF0vE3R6LYDqzKsLq_gCw_5-JsiPy4lE9AyMoY6
F0VKyXLAsOTh020ystVabTpuBcyEmDVpef3ogK4ZgnmXmPl0edys0Dr4H3uuEz3vig


It's very basic right now, as this is the initial release, but it's already very functional and easy on the eyes. Apps like JEFit and Fitocracy are great, but they are simply too bloated and cumbersome for me to use when I'm simply trying to keep track of my lift numbers in the gym. Fitnotes is the first workout tracking app that might replace my trusty notepad/Excel spreadsheet method.

Since this is the first release, it still needs few additions before it's feature-complete. Here are some features that the dev plans on implementing soon:

- Notes fields
- Configurable routines (you currently have to input each exercise as you do it)
- Histograms and graphs to show progress on lifts

So if anyone else here has been looking for a clean, effective workout logging app, I highly recommend giving Fitnotes a try.

Notes:
- You can switch to LBS by going to Settings and selecting "Imperial."
- You can see your history for a given lift by selecting it and then swiping from right to left on the "new set" screen.
 
S

Shambles

Member
Holy crap Airdroid is amazing. It's the first piece of software that gives me 'this is the future' feeling. At the basic level it's just something that lets you transfers files between a PC and your phone over wifi but it's setup more like an operating system than a file manager so you can organize photos, music, apps, message history etc. It makes it feel like your phone is your computer. Give tech another 5-10 years and everyones phone will be their PC and you'll just connect to dumb terminals with it like this.

It's free for now, I get the impression that it will develop a business model at some point and start charging for it but it's great to check out now if you haven't.

Edit: Uggghhhhhhh if it didn't use quicktime for video playback it would be perfect. Why would you do that?!
 
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