Related
I know, I know... vijay555 just released a similar application earlier today. It seems we were working on the same thing at the same time. After discussing this with him in his thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=45851
I've decided to go ahead and release my own version as an alternative.
The program can (and probably should!) be mapped to a hardware button using the Buttons control panel applet. I run mine on Button 4(hold) because I never use the voice recorder. This also prevents locking the device unintentionally.
I have also added two minor features to the application that some might find useful. You can optionally put the device to sleep after it is locked (same as pressing the power button) and you can configure a program to run just before the device is locked. This is useful if you have an application that you may want to look at frequently without unlocking the device. (Contacts, Calendar, a full-screen clock application, etc).
Both of these options are set in a control panel applet System->Device Lock.
NOTE: I know some people have use memmaid to register the lock application to run on wake up. If you do this, DO NOT select the suspend device option!! This will result in not being able to wake your device up for more than a few seconds (Wake up the device, your notification tells the device to lock, the lock process suspends the device, You wake up the device, rinse, repeat)
If you do this, all is not lost, just soft reset your device and uncheck the option to suspend in the control panel.
Here's a link to the installer (Requires WM5 PocketPC edition):
http://www.mr2-power.com/downloads/DeviceLock.CAB
You will likely need to soft-reset to see the new Control Panel applet.
*NEW* The latest version does NOT require the Lock Device today item to be loaded!
Enjoy!
-Matt Armstrong
Tried it on a BA and it works but change the default from suspend when locked since the applet doesnt show till after soft-reset. Thanks.
so you're saying make the default behavior NOT to suspend. Someone in another forum also requested the ability to blank the screen rather than suspend. I'll likely add this option in the next couple of days. I can change the default registry entry now though. A new installer should be up in a couple of minutes.
-Matt
Ok, yet another new CAB file has been uploaded. This new version has the option to suspend the device OR just blank the screen. If you blank the screen your programs will continue to run (and consume more power!). To restore the screen just press the power button. I also changed the default behavior after install to JUST lock the phone (not susped or blank). Everything else is the same.
-Matt
P.S. I appreciate all of the feedback very much. Keep it coming!
Thanks for the changes armstrom, ill download and test again. Thanks
Just installed and it works ok.
I have updated the software one final time for the night.
I have eliminated the requirement that the Lock Device today item be loaded. Now you can go unload that item and free up 20 pixels of screen real-estate For some reason this was a biggie to many people :? So it's finally done.
Keep the bug reports coming as you find them.
-Matt
great version. Without the plugin makes it invaluable. Maybe you can make as an option to hook it to the power button to get it to run when you power off? Or we can use vjkey for that
Well, I can add that option. In fact an early revision of the software did have it. I was just having inconsistent results with it on my MDA. For some reason the MDA wasn't firing the wakeup event if I suspend and then resume with just the power button. (press the power to suspend, then press again to resume). If I programmatically suspend the device, then I get the event every time. I can add it back in though if you want to try it on your device. Maybe you'll have better luck?
Edit: I just installed the new version vj's software and it has the same problem as mine. For some reason my phone does fire the wake-up event properly! I'll add the option back in to my software since it seems to work on other people's hardware just fine.
-Matt
Awesome!!
Man this place is great!
Armstrom, both you and VJ are awesome. This was the biggest single thing I've missed since buying my 8125. Since I use Xpress mail and the device wakes up when a message comes in, and if it's in my holster, and a button is gettind pushed, all sorts of weird things would happen.
So I had to always remember to go to Today, scroll down, hit the lock function...grrr.
But no more. I can't believe the terrific amount of support, hard work and resources you guys all contribute to these cool little gadgets.
Thanks again to both of you.
-JMS
If this can be made wot work reliably with power on events it would be awesome.
Thank you for putting these together.
One quick question...
I would love to have the Today screen as my default app to load on a lock action, however I can't find a way to do it. There is no .lnk file to point your Device Lock to.
I tried installing PHM Keys (as there's a Today .lnk in there) but it won't install in WM5.
Any programatic way to invoke/call the Today screen from a shortcut/lnk file so I can point the Device Lock to that file so Today is always showing when I lock my phone.
Thanks again, you guys are great.
-JMS
(Apologies for multiple entries - posting problems)
(Apologies for multiple entries - posting problems)
(Apologies for multiple entries - posting problems)
Great job Matt.
One quick question for ya - I would like to keep Egress running on the today screen when the device is locked. When I choose NOT to suspend the device or blank the screen, the today screen shows but the egress app is not cycling thru the latest news (it sticks on the last before the lock).
Is there any way to keep Egress at least cycling thru the news it d/l before the lock (if not allowing it to continue to update at egress specified times)?
Thanks again!
Thank you
A very useful app!
jkimrey said:
Great job Matt.
One quick question for ya - I would like to keep Egress running on the today screen when the device is locked. When I choose NOT to suspend the device or blank the screen, the today screen shows but the egress app is not cycling thru the latest news (it sticks on the last before the lock).
Is there any way to keep Egress at least cycling thru the news it d/l before the lock (if not allowing it to continue to update at egress specified times)?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really not sure how to solve that issue. I've never use the application you're talking about. Perhaps it is detecting the device being locked and not updating itself? I'm really not sure.
-Matt
Matt,
I think it must have something to do with the phone being in locked mode. I've found that when the phone is locked, the screen will go black after a couple seconds for both the lock on the today screen as well as when using a hardware button thru your application.
When I use the today screen app, after tapping the screen when black, it will display the today screen with the cycling headlines.
When I use your lock app, however, and tap to get the screen back, it doesn't cycle. If I hold down the power button and then turn it back on after being locked by your app, however, it does cycle.
Not a huge deal, just found it interesting...Wonder what would be different between the included today screen lock and your lock app that would cause this?
Thanks again!
armstrom said:
jkimrey said:
Great job Matt.
One quick question for ya - I would like to keep Egress running on the today screen when the device is locked. When I choose NOT to suspend the device or blank the screen, the today screen shows but the egress app is not cycling thru the latest news (it sticks on the last before the lock).
Is there any way to keep Egress at least cycling thru the news it d/l before the lock (if not allowing it to continue to update at egress specified times)?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really not sure how to solve that issue. I've never use the application you're talking about. Perhaps it is detecting the device being locked and not updating itself? I'm really not sure.
-Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I have added the option to lock the device on wake-up. Note: I have not been able to test this because my device does not properly send wake-up notifications. If someone could give this a try and let me know if it works I would appreciate it.
I have also added command line options to override the configuration specified in the control panel applet. The options are as follows:
-o:* Overrides the lock options and takes a number 0-2.
0 = Lock Only
1 = Lock then Suspend
2 = Lock then Blank Screen
-r:* Overrides the application to run after locking. This must have Quotes around it. Specifying -r:"" will prevent the default application from running.
Here are some examples:
Blank the screen and run the calculator.
DeviceLock.exe -o:2 -r:"\Windows\calc.exe"
Just lock and don't run anything
DeviceLock.exe -o:0 -r:""
You do not need these command line options if you just want the device lock to always follow what you have specified in the applet. These are only to optionally override the specified behavior. Some people on another board expressed the desire to have the device lock in two different ways depending on what they were doing. This is the way
Again, please let me know if the lock on wake functionality works or not
The cab is in the usual place.
-Matt
Here are some examples:
DeviceLock.exe -o:2
I have been searching around the internet looking for a program that will lock the touch screen while talking on the phone and give you a lock icon when not using the phone that can be unlocked by hitting the icon again. Is there a program out there like this? Also these forums have been great and a ton of help in getting my new HTC-PPC6800 running like a champ!
prefer is the program intergrated in my HTC tabs. Hope you all know something I don't!
just hit the power button on the side of the phone, or you can lock it with the lock in today. just go to start, today, lock.
Psionfenix said:
just hit the power button on the side of the phone, or you can lock it with the lock in today. just go to start, today, lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Today lock is ok but when you click to unlock it you go to another screen and confirm your unlock. Also it would be more convenient if it was a part of the HTC homeplug in tab.
search for "onlock"
new slide2lock version works good. just put a shortcut to it on your screen. with one tap it's locked.
Slide2Unlock
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=353008
Source Code Finally Posted...
Sorry it took so long to post the source. I haven't been monitoring this thread for some time due to other time demands. A recent email reminded me that I promised to release the source, so here ya go...
Release 6 Notes Below...
About a week ago, I was looking for an app that would lock my wizard when it came out of suspend. I use a bluetooth headset for all my calls, so I rarely remove my phone from its carrier. However, while talking, I tend to move around and frequently the hang-up button would be pressed resulting in a disconnect.
Frustrated, I looked at a few apps. I really like the "Slide to Unlock" feature in the iPhone-like app S2U. It more or less suited my needs. However, my bluetooth headset wouldn't work with S2U installed.
Thus I set about writing an app that would "lock" the phone whenever it came out of suspend mode. The result is the app, LockDown, attached to this post. Once run, LockDown sits in the background waiting for "resume" event. At this time, it locks all keys and prevents any stylus events save one - a "Slide right to unlock" slider control. As with S2U, once the thumb tab is slid all the way to the right, the keys are unlocked and the unit once again responds to the stylus. Also note that LockDown only takes up 5k of memory.
LockDown has been tested on TNT.1933 (WM6) for the Wizard. It's compiled as a PPC 2003 app, so in theory it should also work on WM5 and any PPC 2003 devices. I've tested it with my Visual Studio WM5 and PPC emulators, and it worked fine. However, it couldn't test it on the real deals.
It's a new app. While I'm not experiencing any problems, please consider it beta for now. As such, don't wire it up as an auto-start link until you've run with it awhile and are certain it works as advertised. For now, I suggest just copying it to your \windows folder and linking to it there. If you have any problems, please report them, and I'll address them ASAP.
Release 6 Notes
The slider bug was fixed.
The Message option was fixed.
Application Invocation
Lockdown [-lock] [-close]
With the -lock parameter, the application starts in lock mode.
With the -close parameter, the application is removed from memory (if running).
Registry Options in Folder \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Lockdown\Slider
Position (DWORD, 0):
If set to 0, the slider is centered.
If > 0, the slider is positioned X pixels below the "Top Taskbar".
If < 0, the slider is positioned X pixels above the "Bottom Taskbar".
Padding (DWORD, 2):
Pixel offsets for slider arrow from the left and right edges of the slider window.
Message (String, "Slide right to unlock.")
The text message displayed in the slider window.
TextColor (DWORD, 00FFFFFF hex):
Color of slider message. Note that the HEX color format is 00BBGGRR where BB is blue, GG is green, and RR is red.
FontPoint (DWORD, 16):
The font size of the slider message.
PenColor (DWORD, 00F04050 hex):
Color of the slider arrow.
BackgroundColor (DWORD, 00CCCCCC hex):
Color of the slider background.
WidthMultiplier (String, .92):
Must be a floating point value. Multiply this value with the lesser value of the desktop height or width (in pixels) to determine the slider width.
For example: If the desktop display is 240 by 320 and the WidthMultiplier is 0.9, the slider width is 216 (240 X .9) pixels.
HeightMultiplier (String, .22):
Must be a floating point value. Multiply this value with the lesser value of the desktop height or width (in pixels) to determine the slider height.
TabWidthMultiplier (String, 1.5):
Must be a floating point value. Multiply this value with the calculated slider height to determine the width of the slider arrow.
Note that the height of the arrow is always equal to the height of the slider.
EnableAnswer (DWORD, 1):
If set to 1, the answer button is enabled during an incoming call period (while the phone is ringing).
If set to 0, the answer button is always disabled.
EnableIgnore (DWORD, 1):
If set to 1, the ignore button is enabled during an incoming call period (while the phone is ringing).
If set to 0, the ignore button is always disabled.
After the installation, only the Position key will be present in the registry. I figure that most users will only tweak this value.
To modify the other parameters, add the appropriate keys with the defined types as shown in parenthesis. The default values are also listed in the parenthesis.
If you decide to tweak these parameters, please remove any shortcut to Lockdown from the StartUp folder. While I've taken steps to prevent "bad" values in these parameters, I still suggest this precaution.
Please note that Lockdown must be terminated and restarted before any changes to registry settings take effect.
As always, if you have any issues, please let me know.
W James
Very Great app...im sure many will find it useful
Does not work on my CDMA Touch
Tried it out but does not run on my CDMA touch.
It work for me on Hermes With schaps wm6 Ver 4.30
thanks.
WJames said:
Greets.
About a week ago, I was looking for an app that would lock my wizard when it came out of suspend. I use a bluetooth headset for all my calls, so I rarely remove my phone from its carrier. However, while talking, I tend to move around and frequently the hang-up button would be pressed resulting in a disconnect.
Frustrated, I looked at a few apps. I really like the "Slide to Unlock" feature in the iPhone-like app S2U. It more or less suited my needs. However, my bluetooth headset wouldn't work with S2U installed.
Thus I set about writing an app that would "lock" the phone whenever it came out of suspend mode. The result is the app, LockDown, attached to this post. Once run, LockDown sits in the background waiting for "resume" event. At this time, it locks all keys and prevents any stylus events save one - a "Slide right to unlock" slider control. As with S2U, once the thumb tab is slid all the way to the right, the keys are unlocked and the unit once again responds to the stylus. Also note that LockDown only takes up 5k of memory.
LockDown has been tested on TNT.1933 (WM6) for the Wizard. It's compiled as a PPC 2003 app, so in theory it should also work on WM5 and any PPC 2003 devices. I've tested it with my Visual Studio WM5 and PPC emulators, and it worked fine. However, it couldn't test it on the real deals.
It's a new app. While I'm not experiencing any problems, please consider it beta for now. As such, don't wire it up as an auto-start link until you've run with it awhile and are certain it works as advertised. For now, I suggest just copying it to your \windows folder and linking to it there. If you have any problems, please report them, and I'll address them ASAP.
W James
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi WJames,
any screenshots of your app? it sounds very usefull, but how does it look
like?
today plugin s2u
it was a dream cam true if was a today plugin, to the left...lock, to the right ...unlock, but in the today,
I use my standard windows lock today plugin, without the lock buttons, so when i touch any buttom , the backlight goes on (to see the clock and appointments in one clic).
today plugin s2u is the rigth way.
great work
red.schumi said:
hi WJames,
any screenshots of your app? it sounds very usefull, but how does it look
like?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as he said...it sits behind the screen..and waits for the resume event
Here's a screen shot as per request. It's very plain jane. I wasn't looking for the beauty of something like S2U. I merely wanted a functional app that didn't take up much real estate (5kb).
Once it's gone through the paces and looks to be bug-free, I'll release the code and you can tweak to meet your needs.
It gives a black screen with white text in the center of screen saying "Slide right to unlock." There is a box with a plain white slider. You cannot see your today screen.
edit: Sorry, had the page open while I tested it and did not notice your reply before posting.
is it me or do we really need another "slide to unlock" app to mimic the iphone. There's already S2U Pro & S2U2.
What's funny, is that yeah these are cool but are they really needed? If you setup the device button lock correctly, then what's the point of a S2U app? All it does is add one more step to getting to your today page....
smittyofdhs said:
is it me or do we really need another "slide to unlock" app to mimic the iphone. There's already S2U Pro & S2U2.
What's funny, is that yeah these are cool but are they really needed? If you setup the device button lock correctly, then what's the point of a S2U app? All it does is add one more step to getting to your today page....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each his own, but i run S2U2 because it allows me to operate my phone via bluetooth while the buttons are locked. The builtin lock doesn't let me do that.
perasite said:
To each his own, but i run S2U2 because it allows me to operate my phone via bluetooth while the buttons are locked. The builtin lock doesn't let me do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, never had that problem with bulit-in lock. Yes, to each their own. I've installed/uninstalled S2U2 soooo many times. I love the app but end up finding that it serves me no real purpose (other then eye candy) and it gets uninstalled. New version comes out, installed for a about 3-4 hours, then uninstalled again.
Very Nice...can i Request something?
Hi
Thanks for the nice application
very small, problem free so far (on Eten M700 with WM6) & useful
Can i have 3 requests please:
1- can you make the slider spring back to the left if it was accidentaly moved to the right, right now it stays half way & i think if you make it spring back it will be more safe as a lock & it will look better too
2- can you make the slider button wider (double) so i can catch it with my fat fingers
3- can you add an icon, so i may put it in my today launcher list & it would look better than the plain white square, something like a lock or key or a hand can do.
I also noticed that sometimes as i come out of the suspend mode, the slider is either late to appear (1-2 sec) & may remain unresponsive for two or three trys to slide it to right (stays in place)
Once started i couldn't figure how to get rid of it & seems that only way is to soft reset to go back to normal wake up without locking
Hope these comments help..thanks again for nice work
smittyofdhs said:
is it me or do we really need another "slide to unlock" app to mimic the iphone. There's already S2U Pro & S2U2.
What's funny, is that yeah these are cool but are they really needed? If you setup the device button lock correctly, then what's the point of a S2U app? All it does is add one more step to getting to your today page....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those apps you mentioned take a ****load of memory and add to battery drain because of all the animations and graphics. His is a simple slide function that sips memory and battery life. Very useful IMO. Sliding is good cuz I find unlocking the WM way to be annoying. I have to touch an icon to lock. Then to unlock, I have to press two buttons. With sliding, it locks automatically and unlocking is accompished in one simple motion.
You're right that there's already enough S2U programs.
I also think S2U2 is an awesome balance between beauty and speed/mem cost. For people who have only tried S2U, you really need to change to S2U2... WAY faster and stable!
In most cases, yes S2U isn't that necessary, as it's similar an extra step to get to your today page, but I need it because:
1) My alarms don't wake if the phone is on standby, so I put it onto S2U2 mode when I sleep
2) My audio manager doesn't go to the next song if the phone is on standby, so I have to lock my phone while listening using S2U2
I question how good it'll be to have Slide 2 Lock as a today plugin, since I don't need some extra waste of space. What I do is set the gesture right-to-left (using FTouchFlo) to execute S2U2 so when I slide right to left, it opens S2U2, then sliding left to right, unlocks it. Love it!
smittyofdhs said:
is it me or do we really need another "slide to unlock" app to mimic the iphone. There's already S2U Pro & S2U2.
What's funny, is that yeah these are cool but are they really needed? If you setup the device button lock correctly, then what's the point of a S2U app? All it does is add one more step to getting to your today page....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate to say it, but that's not quite true. If you setup the lock all buttons, sure you won't accidentally turn it on, but if you get a phone call, it doesn't just power right off (at least my 6700 doesn't) - it can and has made phone calls like that...
And as for the S2U/2 - they use quite a bit more memory than this. A 5k program use is great, although I won't use it because I like the clock on s2u2.
Great App
This is all I ever really wanted. Just a very simple slide unlock. simple.
Excellent.
thanks.
This simple slide to unlock app is perfect for my needs...Thanks!
The point here is WJames created an application for his own use and shared it with everybody. If someone think that it is not req. they might not use it. Anyway thanks for the nice little app.
Thanks! Great small app. Would be fantastic with a simple white clock above the lock bar though, so we could check the time on the phone without unlocking it. Thanks a bunch!
Summary:
A method of executing the device lock/unlock features of Windows Mobile by using the gestures available in FTouchFlo v1.4.1.
Here's a sample video of it in action courtesy of kidnamedAlbert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjPxHroy9VU
Current Status:
I've got the basics working on my device right now, and it works quite well. Beta version is now available, where I offer a choice of install methods. Since many users already have FTouchFlo and some version of the "true" HTC Cube application with my TFloCubeCtrl, then all that is needed for this is an update to version 1.2.0 of TFloControl, and an adjustment to the FTouchFlo config file. I also have a stand-alone cab installer for just FTouchFlo and the "slide 2 lock/unlock" capability. Note: there's no cube involved in this one!
Where is it?!
*NEW* CAB installer for TFloControl + FTouchFlo + config for "Slide to Lock/Unlock" with a left-right gesture now available here: http://rapidshare.com/files/128559842/TFloControl_v1.2.0___FTouchFlo_v1.4.1.cab
Be sure to check the install/usage notes in Post #4
If you've already got FTouchFlo v1.4.1 installed, and an HTC Cube using TFloCubeCtrl, then you can just download the new TFloControl.exe and FTouchFlo.config files from the attachments, and follow the directions in Post #4
What's Next?
Currently, configuration of TFloCubeCtrl is through command-line params fed by FTouchFlo. I think this could be made better, and possibly there should be a configuration app ... since all of my FTouchFlo gestures just map to calling TFloCubeCtrl anymore, which nowadays does so much more than just control the HTC Cube!
I'm currently talking with efrost about the possibility of turning TFloCubeCtrl and it's functionality into a plug-in for the newer FTouchSL application.
I wonder what other sorts of features I could build into it as additional parameters. So far I have:
Lock
{no params} - execute the device lock
home - return to the Today screen and then lock
suspend - lock, and then suspend the device
Unlock
{no params} - unlock the device
<milliseconds> - amount of delay between the simulating the left softkey, and clicking the unlock button. I added this in case different devices needed different amounts of lag time based on processor speed. 50ms seems to work quite well on my Kaiser.
Donations:
If you like what I've done, then please ... feel free to donate to me. It definitely helps in keeping me motivated to add new features and answer questions. However, if you find this function useful, you should also consider a donation to efrost ... because without FTouchFlo v1.4.1, this little project would not exist.
Props:
efrost - for making FTouchFlo!
Matt Armstrong - creator of DeviceLock, where I first saw that the unlock process could be automated
wacky.banana - for pointing out the "bug" that clued me in that unlock was possible via FTouchFlo
kidnamedAlbert - for making a video of it in action
Background
While working on a project to bring full HTC Cube finger control to non-Touch devices, I developed an application to work hand-in-hand with efrost's FTouchFlo application. In addition to being able to control the HTC Cube, I also added a few system control functions that you could map to FTouchFlo gestures. One such system control function was the ability to engage the standard device lock, with additional options for returning the display to the home screen, and also for suspending the device. I soon realized that this was a slick was to lock your device, by just sliding your finger across the screen left-to-right. However, this then still left me with the rather lame way of unlocking the device, pressing the left softkey, and then clicking on a button on the screen. I became further annoyed when attempting to unlock the screen in bright sunlight, where it's next to impossible to find the button on the screen (at least for me!).
Where is this going?
One day, I had a small revelation. Someone had previously reported a "bug" with TFloCubeCtrl, whereby you could open up the cube, even when the device was locked. I subsequently added some code to ensure that all functions were disabled if it detected that the device was locked. But while it was reported as a bug ... the indication here was that TFloCubeCtrl would receive calls from FTouchFlo even when the device was locked. I suddenly realized that this meant that I could also add functionality to TFloCubeCtrl to unlock the device, by automating the unlock procedure.
So, does it work?
In fact ... it works just the way I had hoped. Now, with the device on, but locked with the standard WinMo device lock functionality, I can swipe my finger left-to-right, and the device becomes unlocked. You don't even see the unlock screen (on my Kaiser anyway), as it's dismissed so quickly due to the automated unlock.
And why should I care?
Well, I like it because it works well for me, and solves some of the annoyances I've had in the past. Specifically, I like the HTC Home screen ... as I'm used to it's layout, and it has everything there I need. So I like to be able to lock the device with a quick action, and have it revert to the home screen upon locking. And thanks to FTouchFlo, a left-right swipe anywhere on the screen will work (no trying to hit a specific icon). Then, to unlock, just the same swipe again is all it takes. It's a simple action, and can be done anywhere on the screen as long as it's a complete swipe across the screen ... so you don't even need to look at the screen to unlock the device. And best of all, it all works *with* the standard device lock functionality ... so even if you lock with a different method (device lock on today screen), you can still "slide to unlock". Incoming calls work the same as before ... and PIN code input should also still function normally (initial tests have shown this to be true!)
Here are some thoughts I've come up with on possible features:
Specify an X,Y to simulate a mouse click after the Today screen is shown. (In order to ensure a particular tab is also displayed)
Specify a particular application to be displayed before locking, instead of the Today screen
Vibrate when the device is unlocked (DeviceLock offered this when "easy unlock" was enabled)
Specify a particular application to be displayed after unlocking
Installation / Usage Notes
General Usage Warnings -
This app requires FTouchFlo. As such, installing this will subject your device to known FTouchFlo "issues"
Once FTouchFlo is running, it cannot be stopped without a soft reset
While FTouchFlo is running, the Transcriber SIP and Screen Alignment utility cannot be used
Some programs that are "finger friendly" themselves do not work well with FTouchFlo, and should be added to the Exclusions list in FTouchFlo.config. Some common known apps are already in the list.
After a soft reset, you must manually start FTouchFlo before you can "Slide to Lock/Unlock". Alternatively, you can create a shortcut to FTouchFlo in your StartUp folder.
CAB Install Method -
Install the CAB file on your Windows Mobile device
Be sure to install to the Device (not a storage card)
Run FTouchFlo, found under Start->Programs
Perform a left-right slide gesture to lock the device
Perform the same left-right slide gesture again to unlock the device
Enjoy
File Install Method (Advanced Users Only) -
Use this method if you already have FTouchFlo installed, and/or if you have an HTC Cube install already on your device using TFloCubeCtrl
Copy TFloControl.exe into a \Program Files\TFloControl folder
Update your FTouchFlo.config file to reflect something similar to my sample
TFloControl is the new name for the app, replacing the old TFloCubeCtrl (it does more than control the cube!)
Morning Kona. I see you have decided to go public on this, which is great!
A couple of points from me:
One of the things you are going to have to watch out for , as you develop this tool, is getting the tool to work in a consistent and predictable manner with the inbuilt WM6 pin lock facility.
Because I am security conscious, I have pin lock initialise itself half an hour after locking the device either with device lock or Slide-To-Unlock (S2U2). When using S2U2 I have found that if a call comes in after pin lock is engaged, trying to answer the call can cause unpredictable results ranging from the call being successfully answered, to S2U2 to being presented with the pin lock keyboard to unlock the device before the call can be taken, to the call being dropped altogether.
This behaviour became such a pain that I dropped S2U2 altogether in order to get a consistent method of answering calls when the device is locked in this way, ie with device lock and pin lock in operation. I note this is an area you have not tested yet, hence me advising caution here.
Another point from me: I am assuming that your lock will not work unless a version of Ftouchflo is installed? If yes does that mean that people like me who have given up on Ftouchflo and the Cube will not be able to use your tool?
Final point; early days yet but have you thought of integrating your tool with the organic lock invented by someone on here?
Hope you find these points helpful. More than happy to undertake some testing for you if you let me know what is required, etc.
Cheers
WB
will this be a lot like the unlocking mechanism from wm 7 in which you have to slide a certain way so the device unlocks. A bit confused as far as function though. I am glad you are starting a new project...
I can not say how much i'm interested in such software, even though i dont pin lock my device, but i really like to lock it cause it many times make a call or opens and drains the battery without any need..
any way .. i'm waiting .. and i believe it's gonna be great
cheers
WB,
Thanks for the input. So far ... here's what I can tell you:
wacky.banana said:
One of the things you are going to have to watch out for , as you develop this tool, is getting the tool to work in a consistent and predictable manner with the inbuilt WM6 pin lock facility.
Because I am security conscious, I have pin lock initialise itself half an hour after locking the device either with device lock or Slide-To-Unlock (S2U2). When using S2U2 I have found that if a call comes in after pin lock is engaged, trying to answer the call can cause unpredictable results ranging from the call being successfully answered, to S2U2 to being presented with the pin lock keyboard to unlock the device before the call can be taken, to the call being dropped altogether.
This behavior became such a pain that I dropped S2U2 altogether in order to get a consistent method of answering calls when the device is locked in this way, ie with device lock and pin lock in operation. I note this is an area you have not tested yet, hence me advising caution here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since what I've done here is devise a way to use gestures as a way to interact with the standard built-in Windows Mobile locking mechanism, we should be OK here. My initial tests are indicating that everything functions predictably when PIN locking is enabled. My unlock gesture works when the PIN is not yet enabled. And once the PIN screen appears, the unlock gesture basically doesn't do much ... and you have to enter the PIN to access the phone. Incoming calls are unaffected, as the standard WinMo "Incoming Call" screen appears, and a SoftKey press will still answer without requiring an unlock. This is where people's desire for functionality is probably going to differ.
wacky.banana said:
Another point from me: I am assuming that your lock will not work unless a version of Ftouchflo is installed? If yes does that mean that people like me who have given up on Ftouchflo and the Cube will not be able to use your tool?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ... and no. FTouchFlo is currently required, as this project is intentionally a solution to work with FTouchFlo. However, the cube is not a requirement ... it doesn't even have to be installed.
wacky.banana said:
Final point; early days yet but have you thought of integrating your tool with the organic lock invented by someone on here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have downloaded Organic Lock, and will test it out. My initial thoughts ... are that it should integrate quite well with what I've done here, since it's designed to work with the built-in WinMo device locking. I'll post my results when I get to test it out.
domineus said:
will this be a lot like the unlocking mechanism from wm 7 in which you have to slide a certain way so the device unlocks. A bit confused as far as function though. I am glad you are starting a new project...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps ... I honestly haven't seen what WM7 is offering. In a nutshell, what I've done here will allow you to use any of FTouchFlo's gestures to lock/unlock your device using the built-in WM6 device lock. Current FTouchFlo gestures are up-down, down-up, left-right, and right-left. You basically sweep your finger across the entire length of the screen in one continuous motion. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I get it to recognize my gestures about 95% of the time these days.
solomhamada said:
I can not say how much i'm interested in such software, even though i dont pin lock my device, but i really like to lock it cause it many times make a call or opens and drains the battery without any need..
any way .. i'm waiting .. and i believe it's gonna be great
cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I currently don't really use the PIN lock feature myself ... but your scenario of the phone accidentally waking up and doing things unintentionally is a big reason I started using the device lock to lock my phone. But when I got annoyed with the unlock procedure, I wrote the "slide to unlock" part, which is really useful (to me). This is really more of a convenience feature that a real security measure. But it makes the device lock/unlock very easy to use. I just put it on my wife's phone, because her phone kept calling people while it was in her purse!
Slide to Answer
I just had a thought ... and tested it out. You can actually "Slide to Answer" as well, when a phone call comes in.
As is true with unlock, the softkey method still works ... however, if the device is currently locked, and a phone call comes in ... if you perform the unlock gesture, TFloCubeCtrl will try to initiate the unlock by pressing the left softkey, which in turn answers the call! It's really a side-effect in this case ... but it works! Interesting ... but it would probably be more useful if I could disable the on-screen buttons, and require either a hardware keypress, or the slide gesture.
Kona_Mtbkr said:
..... It takes a bit of getting used to, but I get it to recognize my gestures about 95% of the time these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Kona,
Thanks for the comprehensive response to my points. The tool looks more promising every time I hear from you.
To the point about 95% accuracy this isn't too bad and, from my experience, probably on a par with S2U2. When I was playing with TouchFlo in the early days I found you could increase the consistency of the gestures by changing the sensitivity response or whatever it was called.
When are you expecting to have a beta version of the tool out for testing then?
Cheers
WB
wacky.banana said:
Hey Kona,
Thanks for the comprehensive response to my points. The tool looks more promising every time I hear from you.
To the point about 95% accuracy this isn't too bad and, from my experience, probably on a par with S2U2. When I was playing with TouchFlo in the early days I found you could increase the consistency of the gestures by changing the sensitivity response or whatever it was called.
When are you expecting to have a beta version of the tool out for testing then?
Cheers
WB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ... changing the sensitivity settings was key for really making FTouchFlo useful. It's a balancing act between the pressure sensitivity, and the gesture delay ... which controls how long FTouchFlo waits before deciding that you're not actually doing a gesture, so it forwards the input on to the OS. It makes it a bit trickier to try to use scrollbars or to do other dragging operations (like selecting multiple items) when FTouchFlo is in use. Not sure if FTouchSL has improved on any of these items.
As for release ... we'll see how the weekend goes. It'll be easier for me to post the new app, and a sample config for those who already have FTouchFlo and an HTC Cube install with TFloCubeCtrl. But I know that isn't going to cut it ... so I'll put a "fresh install" cab together as well.
Kona,
Good idea putting an all-in-1 cab together for an easy install otherwise all you will get is a thousand questions on how to install the app and what other linked apps are required. Probably a major distraction if what you really want to know is how the user experience is progresing.
Re the sensitivity compromise, have you had a chat with Efrost as to where his latest version of Ftouchflo is now at, from a technical perspective?
This thread is now on my auto notify list, ready for your next move.
All the best.
WB
im completely interested but does this have a transparent background on the home screen like the original windows unlock screen?
if so, this if EXACTLY what im looking for.
a lock on wakeup feature would be great too.
thanks,
wacky.banana said:
Kona,
Re the sensitivity compromise, have you had a chat with Efrost as to where his latest version of Ftouchflo is now at, from a technical perspective?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have contacted him through PM here ... and asked about the plugin architecture for FTouchSL, to see if he'd let me rebuild my TFloCtrl app as a plugin. He seemed to be receptive to the idea ... but I haven't heard much from him since. I'm pretty sure the free version of FTouchFlo isn't going to progress past v1.4.1 ... as all efforts are now on FTouchSL. It's only like $15, so I'll probably buy a copy at some point. efrost deserves our support! Of course, I was hoping he'd give me a license for developing my plugins against, and then I could buy a copy for my wife!
I need to get a bit more insight into his plugin architecture too, however. I'm not completely sure that everything that I've done so far with TFloCtrl will work in his plugin architecture. We'll have to see.
sounds lije it will be awesome...when developed of course. i am really into being able to lock my device easily and be something i can unlock without much thought or having to look at the keyboard whilst i enter an alpha-numeric code. kinda biometrics like without the fingerprint scanner. thanks for the info and i am waiting for more news.
kidnamedAlbert said:
im completely interested but does this have a transparent background on the home screen like the original windows unlock screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, in fact, TFloCtrl has no background ... or window at all. It's more of a windowless process, that sets the display to the Today screen, locks the device, and exits. You're left at the Today screen with a locked device. Hmm, that gives me an idea for a feature, bridging between another app I'm working on. An option to also simulate a click on the Today screen, to ensure a particular tab is selected upon locking.
kidnamedAlbert said:
if so, this if EXACTLY what im looking for.
a lock on wakeup feature would be great too.
thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, to put in a lock on wakeup feature would require a whole separate application. At that point, I'd almost be rebuilding armstrong's DeviceLock. You should take a look at this, as I was running it for a while for just that feature. It should work just fine with my app, because he is also using the normal built-in lock functionality. He also had an "easy unlock" feature that only required the softkey press ... but it was too "easy" for me. The swipe gesture is much less likely to occur accidentally, but still can be completed without even looking at the screen! That's the biggest benefit in my mind.
Daremo_23 said:
sounds lije it will be awesome...when developed of course. i am really into being able to lock my device easily and be something i can unlock without much thought or having to look at the keyboard whilst i enter an alpha-numeric code. kinda biometrics like without the fingerprint scanner. thanks for the info and i am waiting for more news.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"biometrics without the scanning" ... that's a pretty good way to describe it
I think it nice, because it offers the protection from accidental button/screen presses of the device lock, but with easier unlocking ... as you said, not having to look at the screen. But in addition, I'm also hoping it'll pair well with Organic Lock, to offer the additional security that people like WB are looking for.
And as far as "developed" goes ... it's already working on my device! I'm just thinking about what features to include for a Beta 1 release ... and also I need to invest the time to put together the installation ... or else the thread will fill with "how to install?" postings. I learned my lesson last time with the TFloCubeCtrl thread.
Just an idea, stolen from the Android platform.
You could make the unlock gesture user-customizable. Maybe there could be an interface in the settings for users to "draw" their unlock gesture and practice on it. Then, if someone wants security without a password, he can use a complex gesture.
edit: That was a horrible explanation, haha, you'll get the point from this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arXolJrLVEg
Hi
Looked at S2U2 for a day or so. I have read the file son thier site but cannot figure this out.
What I want is to be able to press a key and invoke the lock like you can with any conventional phone. With S2U2 it seems you have to go to programs, and launch S2U2. Can it not be assigned to one of the 4 quick keys ?
Also can anyone explain the setting "lock when the device wakes up" ? Why would you want to lock the
device when it wakes up ? also "Lock when screen is blank" ? not sure what that means, afaics, my HD screen has never been blank.
thanks for any help
gt
lock when device wakes up is the best option.
kidnamedAlbert said:
lock when device wakes up is the best option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi kidnamedAlbert
What exactly does this option mean, I find it very confusing. Surely when "device wakes up", I (the user) has done something to wake it up, so therefore I want to use it - not lock it. This option confuses me or Am I missing something here?