My soft keys are only usable by memory in the dark. Aren't they supposed to have some backlight?
Don't think so!
Sorry to say that the manual doesn't mention it (as far as I can see!), and mine certainly don't illuminate! Though, it would be a nice "touch"......
...please excuse [email protected] Touch gag!
Mine definitely doesn't, but I do wish it did.
they don't light up but it's no big deal. not like you can't remember their position for when it's dark.
That's a shocker! There is always the DIY method.
I prefer them not lit.
Would be awful for them to be lit, while watching a movie, for instance.
~~Tito~~ said:
That's a shocker! There is always the DIY method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what's the DIY method?
Do It Youself, you could make a script on the phone to make the key's illuminate when you use them like a phone, then you crack open your phone and add LED's under the buttons and solder them on for power and so the phone can access the LED's.
~~Tito~~ said:
Do It Youself, you could make a script on the phone to make the key's illuminate when you use them like a phone, then you crack open your phone and add LED's under the buttons and solder them on for power and so the phone can access the LED's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is completely unnecessary.
It would be nice if the lights would go on with the screen but go out after a while
But i don't like the idea to screw open my HD
No, they are not. It's another major design fault.
Related
Hi,
Is their a way that the call answer|home|Back|Call End keys can be highlighted in the dark with say a white light?
That would be so cool when using the phone in the dark!
I guess it really depends if there's some kind of light behind the buttons?
samir_d said:
Hi,
I guess it really depends if there's some kind of light behind the buttons?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly!!..and there isn't
This is one of the couple of things that really does my nut in about the HD.
i wish it did. it would have been a SEXY touch to the HD
matthew1471 said:
This is one of the couple of things that really does my nut in about the HD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is so stupid that I think a ten year old child designed it. They are impossible to see in the dark and often I press the wrong one and are almost throwing the phone in the floor in anger
I suspose a skillful "Mod-er" could silkscreen some glow-in-the-dark paint on an adhesive layer (perhaps as simple as scotch tape) and adfix it to the front. Who knows might even be a market for this. I'd pay $4.95 US for it.
abeery said:
I'd pay $4.95 US for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"But not $5.00. $5.00 is too much"
A lot better without any additional lights, imho.
I like reading ebooks in the dark with the phone, and experices with other phones have shown that leds etc are annoying.
solution number one would be a sw controlled led system that could let you decide on/off, intensity, color, animation motive, strobosystem connected to audio output, blinking and blinking speed, for each key independently...
maybe i just exaggerated but what the hell since it's all impossible as the leds aint there i don't see why i shouldnt
crashDebug said:
solution number one would be a sw controlled led system that could let you decide on/off, intensity, color, animation motive, strobosystem connected to audio output, blinking and blinking speed, for each key independently...
maybe i just exaggerated but what the hell since it's all impossible as the leds aint there i don't see why i shouldnt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could probably use available GPIO lines (if any are not used) to control the leds, but modding mobile devices without some kind of blueprints is next to impossible It's unlikely there's enough space inside the HD to house the leds and wiring required for such mod.
just hold your hand below your HD so the light of the screen reflects onto the buttons, simple enough imho
The buttons are overrated. I hardly ever use them. The only one I use is the very left buttin for Voice Command.
And I am able to find the button in complete darkness!!!!
I wish they would be gone in favor of a bigger screen.
HTC wanted to illuminate the hard buttons, but couldn't. The strategy behind the touch hd was to create the first device ever that will totally disallow its user to obtain any useful information whether a call has been missed while he was away from the phone. Moreover, part of the strategy was to *make sure* no matter how much the community will try to correct this situation, that they will stand no chance.
For this, HTC went with a tiny, faint, green led missed-call indicator at the side of the on/off button, and to make sure nobody will be able to program a solution, they had to let go the illuminated hard buttons (since otherwise the community could have programed it to behave like the Diamond, and so it would have been possible to know if you missed a call). It was a compromise for HTC, but the manager of the touch hd product recently was quoted saying that they feel satisfied with this compromise, because they feel that sacrificing hard button illumination was well worth it if the prize is to create the very first device that can be 100% inefficient at showing the missed calls you had while being away from the phone (and no less important: is 100% bulletproof against any attempt of the community to disable this cutting-edge feature).
Noam23 said:
(...)
can be %100 inefficient at showing missed calls without the screen being active.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
99% only!! you forget the LED on the powerbutton?
crashDebug said:
99% only!! you forget the LED on the powerbutton?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it's 99.99999999999999999999999% inefficient, but in this situation (where you'll have to miss several billion calls in order to notice one) I thought it was safe to round it up to 100%.
Surely the simple way forward here would be through the use of quantum technology.
We know that there are no lights behind the buttons, but that doesn't prevent the butons being illuminated, because in another parallel universe some HTC designer might have accidently designed a useful and practical version of the HD (of course, this is where my idea falls down, as it's impossible for any HTC designer to be so forward-thinking).
Anyway, as I'm sure we all know, you don't actually need an object to exist to have an effect in quantum physics - it only needs to exist in theory to effect the time/space continuum.
So if we could co-ordinate a mass simultaneous experiment, where we all throw our HDs up into the air, and let them all hit the ground at EXACTLY the same time, we should find that we will have easily removed the problem of non-illuminating buttons for all those partaking of this exercise.
A small side effect of this is that we will also remove the issue of poor video playback, poor call handling, crap Today screen ..........
"Anyway, as I'm sure we all know, you don't actually need an object to exist to have an effect in quantum physics - it only needs to exist in theory to effect the time/space continuum."
Boy this is scary, if your theory is right, we could all be subjects of an quantum physics experiment. What if the HD in fact doesn't exist att all!? have you concidered that? If your theory is right, it could just be a flicker in the time/space continuum. :O what the hell, as long as it's persistant I don't care.
To the more real issues. Honestly, do you guys really don't know where the answer, home, back and hangup-buttons are located?? I had not even thought of the fact that they aren't backlit. Most time I don't use them at all, but I'm pretty sure most user here in fact can point them out in pitch dark if they had to. But I must admit the lack of light underneath them is a little bit odd from a design point of view though.
For the missed call isue, isn't there a way to make the screen backlight flash with very short quite frequent flashes to indicate missed calls? For those who check the phone for missed calls every other minute this could be a good med against hart attack (or atleast blue fingertip from pressing the power-button a million times).
nikki-m said:
A small side effect of this is that we will also remove the issue of poor video playback, poor call handling, crap Today screen ..........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really like those side effects, only problem is that we'll also lose warranty, so if in the distant future something bad will happen to our beloved touch hd, we will not have coverage...
To the more real issues. Honestly, do you guys really don't know where the answer, home, back and hangup-buttons are located?? I had not even thought of the fact that they aren't backlit. Most time I don't use them at all, but I'm pretty sure most user here in fact can point them out in pitch dark if they had to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Impossible !!!, you make it sound as easy as typing on a computer keyboard without looking at the keys... why do you lie to us my dear friend when we all know remembering the location of the 4 keys in the touch hd is orders of magnitude harder ?
Noam23 said:
Impossible !!!, you make it sound as easy as typing on a computer keyboard without looking at the keys... why do you lie to us my dear friend when we all know remembering the location of the 4 keys in the touch hd is orders of magnitude harder ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... you have a point... but in the other hand your statement is pretty contradictory in itself. My computer (a macbook, I'll probably get my ass kicked for saying that) has no backlit keyboard and has something like 80 keys so it sounds pretty weard that it would be easer to learn the location of all of them. or have you written a program that alters the location of the 4 HD-keys so you honestly can say that it's impossible to learn?
I just read yet another review of the Epic where one of the reasons they talked sh!t about the EPIC was because of the bottom buttons don't stay lit the entire time the screen is on. This is a SUPER easy fix.... should anyone want to change this, it will take 10 seconds tops:
Goto settings > sound&display > keyboard timeout and change it to "Same as Screen timeout"
BAM! Problem solved. I almost wish Samsung had done this from the factory as the default. Oh well.
'tuna
thanks! wondering how to fix this !
superbraut said:
thanks! wondering how to fix this !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great! Glad someone could use the info...
Thanks so much, i would have never guessed that as setting for the hardware keyboard would effect the capacitive buttons!
Thanks
Thanks, added to my blog and tips for Epic page I'm just starting on..
http://www.bitshop.com/Tips/SamsungEpic4gbySprint/tabid/132/Default.aspx
Beautifully simple,
Steve
It's seriously stupid that they didn't put a non-lighting image on the front of these. They could have had the stenciled outline of the buttons there so they were visible even when not lit up.
Woot. Nice find spiicy. That just made the Epic a little more Epic
Oooo much appreciated
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Yeah thanks for sure! I also had no idea that these capactive touch buttons would be tied to the keyboard. I had my keyboard timeout set to like 3 seconds, because once I start typing I dont need to see anymore usually. That explains why those buttons wouldnt stay lit for long enough!
Cheers!
glad i found this thread! thanks again.
OMG I can't believe people didn't know this by now...
Forgive My Brevity. To Be Or Not To Be...
yeah i did this the first day i got my epic since i heard so many complaints about it before hand, lls, its funny how people can cry about it and not even look through the settings
Ok, just pointing out this isn't strictly true. Doing as the OP suggests keeps the buttons lit as long as a touch action keeps the screen alive, the button lights will still time-out before the screen for any other actions that keep the screen on. Like e-book readers, video player, games, extended typing in any app, timers, alarm clocks, etc (in cases where touching the screen isn't required).
What's odd is that the buttons aren't tied to either the screen or the keyboard. Since I'm used to where they are now I'd rather just have an option to keep those lights always off.
Battery Usage
Does anyone know how much battery usage the keyboard light consumes?
Someone should make a screen protector with the icons screened onto it.
Geekybiker said:
Someone should make a screen protector with the icons screened onto it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 internets for you. Quick, patent it too.
I totally agree on that screen protector idea, even though the second before you even posted some asian probably stole it and already has a patent for it somehow.
All in all though, IDK How much of a battery impact the hardware keyboard would use being on all the time, but to be honest, now that I've had the phone for a week+, I don't really need to know where they are, I already have it memorized. So I just said the hell with it and put my keyboard backlight back to 3 seconds again.
Does anyone find it annoying that the bootom back, home and search keys do not stay lit up?
I've been looking for a setting that would at least allow it to be dimmed but thats been a no go. I just find it hard to find the buttons with no visual cue nor any physical at that, It almost feels as if Im guessing the location.
epidemike said:
Does anyone find it annoying that the bootom back, home and search keys do not stay lit up?
I've been looking for a setting that would at least allow it to be dimmed but thats been a no go. I just find it hard to find the buttons with no visual cue nor any physical at that, It almost feels as if Im guessing the location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine don't stay lit up. But coming from a Samsung Fascinate which also has lighting time-out issues, I just sort of waved my hands at it...
They will light back up once you touch one, so you could just run your finger over the search key since that has the least chance of knocking you out of wherever you are...
I never have problems finding the buttons at night. I actually like that they turn off. Makes the phone look cleaner if your using it in the dark.
KonAitor said:
I never have problems finding the buttons at night. I actually like that they turn off. Makes the phone look cleaner if your using it in the dark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree, I've not had an issue finding them when not lit either. Doesn't bother me at all.
The keys lot staying lit is a Samsung thing. They do the same on the Galaxy S phones like the Epic, Captivate. It was annoying on those phones and yes it is annoying on this phone as well. Yes I agree they should be lit all on the time.
-McMex
They are spaced far enough apart so being lit isn't that big of deal for me but I wouldn't mind seeing them lit.
I like that they aren't lit all the time.
Sorry for my bad english.
So I will start new.
Is it possible to syncron the leds for the buttons with the leds on the display. So both lights goes off and on in the same time!
Also I have problems with the “Send Key” and “End Key”. Often, when I get a inCall I push the sendkey-button (but I have the phone in the trouser pocket)! So any solution to lock the buttons from the phone with the display in same time!
Regards
i dont understand one word in the whole topic
rbadal said:
i dont understand one word in the whole topic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure, but i think he/she wants a SW answer-key, and disable the HW buttons.
Hi, i think he just want to have the keypad on, with the screen.
Isn't it ?
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
He wants the led's of the keypad (send,end,back,home) to turn on and off in unison with the screen, and to disable the send key's function of answering calls.
Dont you guys speak gibberish?
Just playin'
But unfortunately, I know of no way of making either of these things possible.
The led's took the dev's a decent amount of work just to get them working as well as they do now.
And maybe theres an app that disables the send key answer function, but I am unaware of it.
for leds light right. i have for the old winmobile a patch to get the lights syncron with display!
best
mister
So there's a menu entry under the display menu for keypad lighting, but flipping the toggle seems to do nothing and there's no mention in the manual. So is this for non existent backlighting for the capacitive buttons at the bottom?
Been wondering the exact same thing since I got the phone last night!
Waiting on an answer for this lol.
Ogre6473 said:
So there's a menu entry under the display menu for keypad lighting, but flipping the toggle seems to do nothing and there's no mention in the manual. So is this for non existent backlighting for the capacitive buttons at the bottom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
biglilsteve said:
Been wondering the exact same thing since I got the phone last night!
Waiting on an answer for this lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, got it yesterday and at night or dark places for some reason I thought it will automatically light up, but not...
Ok, that makes 4 of us, Lol.... I have NO IDEA what that is for either, and don't see anything different with it on or off?
It may be an unused option for this model but intended for use with the 6gb model that had true capacitive keys. The keys on this model were a last minute addition.
Is it possible to have it work with an update?
Seeing as how the capacitive keys were a last minute addition and the device lacks the hardware to light up, I doubt it.
That is, if that is what the option is even for.
They are painted on, do not light up, there are no lights underneath it to make it light up!
I guess if it is true that other models will be getting the backlit capacitive buttons, then that might make me wait to get another model (hopefully with similar band-support as the NA model) and then trying to unlock the bootloader to get some legit English-based ROM like CM on it.
One can dream, right?
... if not... then these little (but significant) corner cutting issues are going to kill this phone for me unfortunately
Ogre6473 said:
So there's a menu entry under the display menu for keypad lighting, but flipping the toggle seems to do nothing and there's no mention in the manual. So is this for non existent backlighting for the capacitive buttons at the bottom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see this option. Can you share a screenshot?
thegendler said:
I don't see this option. Can you share a screenshot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It went away after an update or two. Turns out it was some old code from the Chinese version which does have backlit buttons.
Ogre6473 said:
It went away after an update or two. Turns out it was some old code from the Chinese version which does have backlit buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm amazed that they even removed them in the first place... If they weren't going to remove the bezel where the buttons were, why would they remove the buttons?
Just an alternative software buttons:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appspot.app58us.backkey