iphone rotating - Windows Mobile Development and Hacking General

iphone have a intresting feature, when you rotate your phone, display automatically changes to landscape
Is it somethin to do with hardware? or just a software?
if it can be done from a software is there any softwares for windows mobile out yet?

its hardware...i think it has a thing called Accelerometer

ammadeyy2020 said:
iphone have a intresting feature, when you rotate your phone, display automatically changes to landscape
Is it somethin to do with hardware? or just a software?
if it can be done from a software is there any softwares for windows mobile out yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya. i agree. it is hardware.

There was talk about doing something like this using the camera in most WM devices, but has probably been given up due to processor/battery constraints of having the camera chip detecting constantly.

It is hardware.. but i have thought about it and it is some what possible to do it. I'm not sure which phone you guys are using, but Wizard (and others with slide keyboard) has a magnetic mechanism that is used to detect if the keyboard has been slided out or not. So, I thought that, if you were to able to free enough space, and put a free sliding magnet on it, gravity will made the magnet slide to the position you want when you rotate the phone, and making the screen rotate.
Theoretically workable but.. needs some risky hardware hacking.

im using Asus P525, do u think its possible?

hanmin said:
It is hardware.. but i have thought about it and it is some what possible to do it. I'm not sure which phone you guys are using, but Wizard (and others with slide keyboard) has a magnetic mechanism that is used to detect if the keyboard has been slided out or not. So, I thought that, if you were to able to free enough space, and put a free sliding magnet on it, gravity will made the magnet slide to the position you want when you rotate the phone, and making the screen rotate.
Theoretically workable but.. needs some risky hardware hacking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if there is a little room you can use a mercury(kwik) switch found in a old central heating (in your house) controller

Don't know how comfortable I would be carrying a glass vial full of mercury in my pocket
... would be just as easy to get an accelerometer chip similar to what Apple uses and stick it in there.

skatsev said:
... would be just as easy to get an accelerometer chip similar to what Apple uses and stick it in there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.ecertech.com/

ammadeyy2020 said:
im using Asus P525, do u think its possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you can do that. Need to surgery to your phone.

The best option for most HTC devices is to map a button to the screen rotate option. No, not as cool as the iPhone, but it does work for quickly changing the screen view. The other option, for devices like the touch that don't have very many keys, is to paste a shortcut to screen rotate in the /windows/start menu file. This will allow you to do a screen rotate from the start screen.
I'm sure HTC and others will be incorporating automatic screen positioning to the hardware in the near future. Just be glad the WM devices can do landscape in all applications! The iPhone (currently) can only do lanscape in safari, ipod and youtube. It doesn't work when you are in e-mail, sms, maps or notes.

Related

Would like to use touchscreen AND hard keyboard together!

Does anyone know if and how I can use the touchscreen when the phone is open and I'm using the keyboard?
I like the keyboard, but some functions are not reachable and the touchscreen is disabled when phone is open. Can anyone help please?
Re: Would like to use touchscreen AND hard keyboard together
An alternative to the stick and the touchscreen is a Bluetooth mouse. I have the Think Outside mouse and it is very good. It comes with drivers for Windows Mobile. (And it works very well under Windows XP as well. XP's has built-in HID drivers.)
Practice, Practice, Practice
I put the stylus between my index and middle finger when I'm typing so that I can quickly use it when I need to. The keyboard is missing \ and highlighting, jumping, saying OK, etc. all happen much faster with the stylus. Not a perfect solution but OK.
Re: Practice, Practice, Practice
prestonmcafee said:
I put the stylus between my index and middle finger when I'm typing so that I can quickly use it when I need to. The keyboard is missing \ and highlighting, jumping, saying OK, etc. all happen much faster with the stylus. Not a perfect solution but OK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you confirm that your touchscreen is still working when you've opened your phone and are using the keyboard. My touchscreen isn't working anymore as soon as I open the phone. I'm looking for a way to use both functionalities at the same time!
thanks
Ys
Yes, I can use both, T-Mobile MDA
Re: Would like to use touchscreen AND hard keyboard together
bb26jinx said:
Does anyone know if and how I can use the touchscreen when the phone is open and I'm using the keyboard?
I like the keyboard, but some functions are not reachable and the touchscreen is disabled when phone is open. Can anyone help please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never heard of the touchscreen not working when the keyboard is open. What wizard do you have?

HTC Mogul vs HTC Touch - Touchscheen hardware?

Okay,
So I am a power user, and that might be putting it lightly. When it comes to deciding between the Mogul and the Touch, I want the Mogul. Well, I DO want the Touch because its thinner, but I couldn't stand using a touch-screen keyboard with my fingers (or even worse, a stylus). I need a separate keyboard that doesn't take up any screen space while browsing.
What I'm curious about is this: Are the touchscreens on the Mogul and the Touch actually different? Forget dimensions etc., but i mean in terms of the technology, are they the same? If they are the same, then all the current hacks to try to turn the Mogul into a Touch-like phone will eventually (who knows how long) mature enough to work almost identically, is that correct?
madador03 said:
If they are the same, then all the current hacks to try to turn the Mogul into a Touch-like phone will eventually (who knows how long) mature enough to work almost identically, is that correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are indeed the same, last I checked. There was a rumor that the touch would be multi-touch (ala Iphone), but clearly that wasn't true. The term "touch" merely relates to the suite of touch-centric software that actually sits on top of WM.
That's right, there's nothing fancy about the touch that you can't do with the same software. That software, I'd like to add, has already been extracted as .cab files that can be installed on virtually ANY WM5 or WM6 HTC pocket pc.
So, I don't know what this "maturing" is that you're talking about, or why you think it would be "almost" identical... its the same darned thing!!!
The stuff that's being developed currently is to take it beyond the touch, and more like the finger scrolling iPhone interface.
All of the stuff, I'd like to point out again, sits on TOP of Windows Mobile, meaning its just a program that can sometimes get in the way of how WM was actually designed to work.
Sometimes its convenient to have, but in general, I find any of the touch / finger / iphone add ons to be more trouble than their worth, and that goes for the ACTUAL htc touch as well!!
Dishe said:
They are indeed the same, last I checked. There was a rumor that the touch would be multi-touch (ala Iphone), but clearly that wasn't true. The term "touch" merely relates to the suite of touch-centric software that actually sits on top of WM.
That's right, there's nothing fancy about the touch that you can't do with the same software. That software, I'd like to add, has already been extracted as .cab files that can be installed on virtually ANY WM5 or WM6 HTC pocket pc.
So, I don't know what this "maturing" is that you're talking about, or why you think it would be "almost" identical... its the same darned thing!!!
The stuff that's being developed currently is to take it beyond the touch, and more like the finger scrolling iPhone interface.
All of the stuff, I'd like to point out again, sits on TOP of Windows Mobile, meaning its just a program that can sometimes get in the way of how WM was actually designed to work.
Sometimes its convenient to have, but in general, I find any of the touch / finger / iphone add ons to be more trouble than their worth, and that goes for the ACTUAL htc touch as well!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um... please show me where I can download the touchflo interface that works exactly like the touch. All the versions I've gotten require the use of buttons instead of touch, and are extremely buggy. If you you know of a cab that gives the mogul all the touchflo features, by all means let me know...
my suggestion, if you have Sprint...wait
Sprint's versio of the HTC Touch is apparently due out in November. It'll be only a matter of time before someone extracts those cabs and/or creates a new touch-based, CDMA-based rom that can be more easily ported to the mogul.
I for one am interested in the new on screen keyboard interfacethe new touch is supposed to have...
I tried using the other method to get the home-brewed (button-based) touch, but I ran into a few problems and uninstalled.
Quick question.
Does or can wm6 support multi touch hardware?
The touch from sprint will have twice the memory (128mb ram) - i don't know about you guys, but I'm constantly filling up the supposed 64mb realistic 47mb really 17mb after cache/etc of memory that this device has...
-mark
Is the iPhone the only one with a multi-touch interface? What is the next phone that will have it?

[IDEA] Finger Mouse.

Hi,
How to have a finger mouse like omnia on Diamon or Touch Pro?
Lele.
i would like to see that on diamond as well as u do !!
I had the Samsung Epix which is the Omnia with a hard-keyboard.
The fingermouse was AWESOME for navigating the OS. After a while you learn to "double-fist" it. I would use one thumb to work the optical sensor while the pointer-finger on my other hand for scroll-flicking, some clicking, press-n-hold menu, and close button.
Being able to use 2 hands really helps alot especially since our screens can not take multiple screen inputs at once. Cool thing is that the touchpad is multitouch capable.
player911 said:
I had the Samsung Epix which is the Omnia with a hard-keyboard.
The fingermouse was AWESOME for navigating the OS. After a while you learn to "double-fist" it. I would use one thumb to work the optical sensor while the pointer-finger on my other hand for scroll-flicking, some clicking, press-n-hold menu, and close button.
Being able to use 2 hands really helps alot especially since our screens can not take multiple screen inputs at once. Cool thing is that the touchpad is multitouch capable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know! I wish someone would make the touchpad a mouse. Or allow us to use it in games or something.
There is a piece of mouse software floating around.. Have tried it but cannot remember the name...
Google might be your friend.
How was the mouse software you tried?
theirs "fake mouse" i think it's called, it's free but personally not very good
the one i use and love is "VirtuaMouse" you can adjust the size of the curser to extra small so it is amazing in remote desktop
you can probably find a "trial" if you look around
otherwise just check their site and i think they have an official one there

Could we multi touch like this idea for the android ?

This Article
http://lukehutch.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/get-multi-touch-support-on-your-t-mobile-g1-today/
outlines an approach to multi touch on the adroid
if it's possible to re-write the touch drivers it might be possible on the hd
it works along the lines that it can work out the size of the circle the multi touch (2 fingers)
defines... thus it's radius and hence the releative distance.
so maybe pinch could be implemented
Gary
Doubt it, the G1 has the same screen type as the iPhone, the touch HD doesnt. Personally i much prefer the gesture and double tap the HD uses because its a one handed operation, multi touch is 2 handed or requires the phone to be placed on a surface. Its VERY over rated.
The HD uses a resistive touch screen, which makes multi-touch impossible sadly - it does give the screen the advantage of being able to be used with a stylus however - which you can't do with the iPhone or G1.
There are some gestures, such as zooming which lends quite well to multi-touch support, but I don't really miss them. I'm on the same boat as rovex in that area - it's a nice idea, but over rated.
garyjmobey said:
This Article
http://lukehutch.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/get-multi-touch-support-on-your-t-mobile-g1-today/
outlines an approach to multi touch on the adroid
if it's possible to re-write the touch drivers it might be possible on the hd
it works along the lines that it can work out the size of the circle the multi touch (2 fingers)
defines... thus it's radius and hence the releative distance.
so maybe pinch could be implemented
Gary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not true multitouch, it's a dirty hack. I think it could be possible to develop applications using hack of this sort, but is there any real use of it besides a demo that shows this hack?
dwaradzyn said:
It is not true multitouch, it's a dirty hack. I think it could be possible to develop applications using hack of this sort, but is there any real use of it besides a demo that shows this hack?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Provided that it is properly released in some sort of broader API package, it can be useful.
However I don't think that's going to happen, unless MS itself puts it in WM6.5 or even 7 (maybe as part of a "WM DirectX"?).
But imagine - WM applications that can run on both resistive and capacitive screens in a similar way.. Now that would be nice!

will the lack of stylus be an issue?

while the gigantic 4.3" helps in making everything finger (or even foot) friendly, its still a windows mobile device. and many of the apps require some precision are written to be used with a stylus. i cant imagine using "Pocket Artist" or copy and pasting text using my finger on a WM device.
You guys think that this will be a problem with this device.
it's not a problem on the iphone, why should it be a problem on a device with a bigger screen? I don't remember ever using the stylus on my HD...never needed it. I don't expect I'll need it on this device either
twisted-pixel said:
it's not a problem on the iphone, why should it be a problem on a device with a bigger screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because iPhone applications are written on the assumption that they are being used on an iPhone without a stylus. Plenty of Windows Mobile apps are written on the assumption that you are using a stylus; this includes a number of utilities built into the operating system.
I used the Leo ROM on my Xperia X1 and can say as long as you stay inside windows (or said different inside the shipped software) you won't get any problems, its very finger friendly and I never went down to an old wm 6 skin. concerns are only there if you want to use some 3rd party software. there might be a problem with finger usage like said above or somewhere else as they don't have to be finger optimized.
Personally - I think it will be fine. Also with later revisions of WM6.5 and then hopefully WM7 I think the phone will get easier IF there are any issues. The issues will only occur when you come out of the HTC Sense layer anyway, which won't be that often.
I thought HTC patented the capacitive stylus?
Lack of stylus will not be a issue at all with that huge screen...I think. We see when its in our hands. Hope it will be very soon
I'm using a TyTN II and almost never dig out the stylus. Over time I moved to apps that were finger friendly. And with the current design trends, I'm guessing even more apps will become available that don't require a stylus.
-Bob-
12aon said:
I thought HTC patented the capacitive stylus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
afaik yes but on no pics can you find where it is placed i think and then they will probably release it with a largish price tag like the car dock...
All of you who are using resistive screens with LEO ROM, your impressions are worthless (regarding how the LEO ROM will behave on the real HD2) because resistive screens are more accurate than capacitive screens, even if you use just your finger (not to mention you can still use fingernail with resistive).
HTC said that since the LEO has capacitive screen, it can not operate well without the new MANILA, and for that reason, they said that they didn't give an option to disable MANILA, and went even further to say that if some programer will try to disable it, they did everything they could in order for him to find it "very challenging".
Noam23 said:
All of you who are using resistive screens with LEO ROM, your impressions are worthless (regarding how the LEO ROM will behave on the real HD2) because resistive screens are more accurate than capacitive screens, even if you use just your finger (not to mention you can still use fingernail with resistive).
HTC said that since the LEO has capacitive screen, it can not operate well without the new MANILA, and for that reason, they said that they didn't give an option to disable MANILA, and went even further to say that if some programer will try to disable it, they did everything they could in order for him to find it "very challenging".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What makes you say this? There have been plenty off leo roms out that seem to leave that function intact
Noam23 said:
All of you who are using resistive screens with LEO ROM, your impressions are worthless (regarding how the LEO ROM will behave on the real HD2) because resistive screens are more accurate than capacitive screens, even if you use just your finger (not to mention you can still use fingernail with resistive).
HTC said that since the LEO has capacitive screen, it can not operate well without the new MANILA, and for that reason, they said that they didn't give an option to disable MANILA, and went even further to say that if some programer will try to disable it, they did everything they could in order for him to find it "very challenging".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't use my Touch Diamond's stylus, and the Touch Diamond has a much smaller screen so I think the huge screen of the HD2, coupled with the capacitive touch sensivity, should be fine.
And if that second bit is true, I'm surprised because that means they went to the trouble of making it easy to disable TouchFLO 3D and TouchFLO on older devices...
And if that second bit is true, I'm surprised because that means they went to the trouble of making it easy to disable TouchFLO 3D and TouchFLO on older devices...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, because the TouchFLO 3D and TouchFLO were sold on devices with *resistive* screens, these devices can handle Windows Mobile screens without any trouble. The HD2 on the other hand has the capacitive screen, and HTC knows that operating the WM UI with such device is going to be a problem, such a problem that no one even believe capacitive will reach WM before version 7.0, yet HTC came with the MANILA 2.5 solution, so I can very much understand them when they say they don't want you to defeat MANILA 2.5.
O2 are offering me this phone as an upgrade. I need a decent keyboard and am loathed to part with my TP2!
Does anyone have any experience of using any of the screen "keyboards" for emails etc? If so, can it really replace the hardware keyboard?
May be a silly question, I don`t know much about different screen types but cant you just use another stylus instead of your finger? I always have a pen/stylus in my pocket at work and never use the provided stylus with my HD
kjt57 said:
May be a silly question, I don`t know much about different screen types but cant you just use another stylus instead of your finger? I always have a pen/stylus in my pocket at work and never use the provided stylus with my HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need a special kind of stylus for capacitive screens.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CAPACITIV...ries_MobilePhoneBatteries?hash=item2ea897a251
Noam23 said:
All of you who are using resistive screens with LEO ROM, your impressions are worthless (regarding how the LEO ROM will behave on the real HD2) because resistive screens are more accurate than capacitive screens, even if you use just your finger (not to mention you can still use fingernail with resistive).
HTC said that since the LEO has capacitive screen, it can not operate well without the new MANILA, and for that reason, they said that they didn't give an option to disable MANILA, and went even further to say that if some programer will try to disable it, they did everything they could in order for him to find it "very challenging".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very interesting information Noam23. Being able to use a phone effectively with your finger most of the time when you have to use your finger all of the time is not acceptable to me.
I also have the same issue mentioned in your other post where I would want to turn off Manila/HTC-Sense. The fact that they've tried to prevent this proves how unusable WM6.5 is on a capacitive screen.
Oh well, that's just saved me a lot of money!
Can't help but think everyone is being a little binary here
The UI is the launch pad for the device ... It will be possible to disable TouchFlo3D. HTC were probably saying this to detract people from the ever present concerns with exposure to the native OS UI.
All the other apps you use on the device have their own UI. Once launched, it is almost (back to that in a moment) irrelevant what the OS UI is. The concern will be if those desktop class apps we love on WM in spite of WM itself are not easy to use on the HD2.
I don't see many apps I have that will be a problem ... infact, the only ones would be Resco Explorer, utilities like SKtools, data entry tools like Softmaker Office and PhatNotes (although I'll probably be ok with the on screen keyboard given the capacitive touch and size of display ... and for laptop 'replacement' use, I'll use the BT Stowaway keyboard and mouse) and drawing tools .... which some I'm sure want .... I personally (and therefore subjective) have never used them ... so it isn't an issue for me.
It is true to say that PI and Flexmail could do with more focus on touch ... and given the iPhone apps Alex was working on (I'm a little out of date) ... I'm sure that will come soon.
Also .. I'm not sure if it waning enthusiasm or a change of focus ... but having used PI extensively for years ... when using Mobile Shell 3 and things like PocketBreeze, I realised I rarely went to PI any more .... With FlexMail ... it is a superb product ... but it always had problems with storage ... and after the WM client supported HTML ... it was less needed ... with TF3D ... again ... makes it even easier ... so PI will remain for micro text month view and tasks ... FM will remain for when I need to do complex searches of mail (a real weakness of the native clients on all phones), but I will rarely touch them in normal daily use.
So ... although I resisted the 'hype' around capacitive ... and thought a stylus would always be needed .... in practice ... I'd like to get an HTC capacitive stylus if it ever makes it off the drawing board ... but I doubt I'll really need one.
I used to always want the keyboard ... but after having 4 TyTNs and 3 TyTNIIs respectively before I got one that didn't have some keyboard or mech / ribbon issue .... and the TP2 that had the loose mech issue ... I finally decided I wanted to simplify all mechanical bits ... so I'm looking forward to the HD2. I like others think the 5 buttons + the rocker will allow aebutton+ control where needed in older games.
And the benefit to the Capacitive screen for me will be a smoother more responsive touch (I'm not commenting of accuracy ... because no one that hasn't used it can really comment ... and they certainly can't comment on what it maybe like if and when the HTC Stylus comes out ... if it does) .... and it should also be less reflective ... and therefore clearer in different light conditions ... and it will have a harder surface ... which will (to me) feel better.
So in summary ... given TF3D or MS3.5 will cover most of the OS UI requirements ... as well as the front end to native apps which are touch optimised and most of the big apps I will use will be fine with their own UI ... I think the HD2 with it's display and external simplicity has hit the market at the right time and will in practise be more than fine for everyone happy with a device this size that doesn't need drawing apps on day one.
I also suspect that the internal 512M + a good fast 16 or 32 GB MicroSDHC will more than meet the requirements of the WM7 1 chassis .... and in a year or 18 months ... when I have itchy feet .... I will get a ROM from XDA .... that will rejuvinate the machine ... I can't say this for certain ... and no one at present can say it will or won't be a possibility ...
Mine is on order for Clove ... it is genuinely the first time I've been excited about a WM device since the TyTNII was announced ...
Moandal said:
Very interesting information Noam23. Being able to use a phone effectively with your finger most of the time when you have to use your finger all of the time is not acceptable to me.
I also have the same issue mentioned in your other post where I would want to turn off Manila/HTC-Sense. The fact that they've tried to prevent this proves how unusable WM6.5 is on a capacitive screen.
Oh well, that's just saved me a lot of money!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you should try it before drawing any conclusions?
Really interested in seeing how Opera performs on the HD2 and whether or not clicking links is difficult.
It's easy to tap small links on the iphone, why should it be difficult on the HD2? All this "it won't be possible to use because of the capacitive screen" debate is just FUD, IMO.

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