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I was messing around with my conatcts list earlier, and at one point used the jog wheel to move down. instead of moving down contact by contact, a big letter popped up and I could scroll through letters of the alphabet and land on contacts beginning with that letter.
I could not repeat what I had done. I could not scroll through the alphabet anymore.
I checked the wm5 documentation and couldn't find anything on the feature.
Does anyone know what I did to activate it?
gthing,
You can open the contacts and press for about 4-5 seconds the down button...the letters will appear!
With the jog wheel i dont know how to do it.
apnaf, this is the wanted behaviour - but I've got the same problem. The scrolling through the alphabet is not working for me either.
As this is the best way to navigate contacts without stylus (ok, voice recognition not mentioned) I would be very happy if someone has the solution to turn this feature on again.
(And I mean by the down button. Didn't know the jog wheel on the side had this possibility)
When holding down the D-pad, after scrolling through the contacts starting with A and B, from C on you scroll the letters instead of individual contacts. With the scroll wheel this works the same, but since I have for instance 20 contacts starting with A, one turn of the wheel is not enough to scroll through all of them. So, After 1 turn i have to let go of the wheel and turn it again. This is interpreted by the Windows Mobile as you letting go of the D-pad, not wishing to scoll down further. That's why with the scroll wheel you are not likely to see the large letters appear. Only when you have only a few contacts starting with A and B will you be able to scroll to C with 1 single turn and will you see the scroll-by-letters.
I understand what the OP is saying -- mine has done that too -- a few times, but I can't replicate the behavior..
basically, it happened WITHOUT having to use dpad. as soon as i opened contacts, scrolling started by letter when i rolled the job wheel. It would be nice if that were the default mode.
The one time I noticed this is when I accidentally dumped about 800 contact book. The letters popped up immediately upon scrolling downward with the jog wheel. Since I had about 50 contacts starting with A, I wonder if there is not some other thing that triggered it.
Here is exactly how it went:
1. Opened contacts
2. Noticed I had a bunch of crap contacts
3. Thought to myself "oh ****, how am I going to clean this mess up" (there was a long pause here before I did anything - don't know if the pause was important)
4. Scrolled downward, got the letters. Tried again immediately but failed.
Clearly there is something more we don't understand here.
Maybe there is a reg setting somewheres.
Ok.....here is one for the gurus.
A while ago, by accident, I came across what I suspect is a feature in scrolling through Contacts which I could not replicate for the life of me.
Basically, when opening Contacts using the scroll wheel, I somehow managed to get a large icon appearing on the screen & I could then scroll through the individual letters of the alphabet. When I closed Contacts & re-opened it, I couldn't replicate it.
After playing around with it today, I got a step closer but buggered if I can make this feature stick permanently. May be it requires a registry hack.
To see what I mean:
1) Tap Contacts.
2) Scroll up or down until the text field is cleared.
3) Tap Menu -> Options -> Ok.
4) Now scroll up or down.
5) Goto 2
Another user over at Whirlpool Forums found the following method:
"The closest that I can think of is open contacts list, press and hold the down button on the 4 way direction pad, the large alphabet will show up after a second or two. Not very useful to me though..."
What I would like to see is that feature invoked permanently so that I can access Contacts from the Start menu using the scroll wheel & then being able to scroll through the alphabet.
I stumbled across this in the original ROM (shipped with Australian D810) but am currently using 1.23.707.6.
Ideas anyone?
I was wondering if this was possible as well. I hope there is a way to do this because this seems more useful to me when navigating the phone in portrait mode.
maybe its a bug, it happens when you open the contacts app, set focus on the search area, remove and restore focus on the app and press up or down.
this also works:
open contacts app
tap search area
press windows key twice( open and close start menu )
press down or up
I don't think it's a bug!
The way it works on my device is:
Place the focus anywhere in the Contacts list or Select box
Hold the Down or Up direction keys
After 2 screens of scrolling, the Large Letter scroller starts
Release when you reach the letter you want.
It is not a bug. It works on my Wizard, that if I were to press and hold my d-pad (no, I dont' have a wheel) long enough, the big letters will appear. So, in a scroll wheel case, I think probably you will need to scroll it fast enough/long/consistent enough for it to appear?
Apoc said:
set focus on the search area,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Apoc - I think you're onto something there regarding focus.
NeilM said:
I don't think it's a bug!
The way it works on my device is:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Irrespective of how you open Contacts & where the focus is, pressing & holding the up or down key on the direction pad will bring up the alphabet icon after 1 - 2 secs. My aim is to wholly & soley use the scroll wheel to open & search Contacts using the alphabet icon without touching the directional keypad whatsoever - only the scroll wheel.
hanmin said:
It is not a bug. It works on my Wizard, that if I were to press and hold my d-pad (no, I dont' have a wheel)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May not be a bug on the Wizard, but potentially is on the Trinity/D810 utilizing the scroll wheel.
Apoc's comment re: focus had me perform some more testing & managed to get a step closer. Depending on how you close Contacts will determine whether you can open Contacts & scroll (using the wheel) through the alphabet successfully.
It seems that Contacts needs to be running in the background as a "running program" & is achieved by closing it using the side "OK" button after having put the focus in the search field using the scroll wheel. Will also work tapping the X to close unless you have configured X to actually close running programs.
To start off:-
1) Press side ok button to open Start menu.
2) Scroll to Contacts & depress.
3) Scroll up to set focus in search field.
4) Press side ok to close Contacts (actually closes as a running program).
5) Press side ok to open Start menu.
6) Scroll to Contacts & depress.
7) Now scroll through alphabet - Woohoo!
8) Scroll back to search field to set focus.
9) Goto 4
As long as Contacts runs in the background as a running program I can replicate this repeatedly, but once its closed fully, it seems that focus is returned to the first entry in Contacts rather than the search field hence preventing me from scrolling the alphabet when re-opening.
So, is this a bug or an inelegantly implemented feature?
[Edit] Perhaps a registry hack could set the focus on the search field rather than the first entry in the list. If that is at all possible & works then it definitely becomes a handy feature.
This is not a bug, its a function of windows mobile. It works the same way that an iPod does.
jlagden said:
This is not a bug, its a function of windows mobile. It works the same way that an iPod does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you not mean that it is a WM function that could be improved? The way I see it, depending on the method used to open Contacts depends whether one sees it as a function or not.
Unfortunately I don't have an iPod to compare with.
thunderbird1 said:
Do you not mean that it is a WM function that could be improved? The way I see it, depending on the method used to open Contacts depends whether one sees it as a function or not.
Unfortunately I don't have an iPod to compare with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what more would you want it to do? it saves you time scrolling from a to z.
jlagden said:
what more would you want it to do? it saves you time scrolling from a to z.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What saves time? Either I'm missing the point or you have mis-interpreted mine.
you can also use your keyboard and select the arrow up / down key for a few seconds to trigger the alphabet search (big letters).
andason said:
you can also use your keyboard and select the arrow up / down key for a few seconds to trigger the alphabet search (big letters).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers for that, but I've already noted that in my earlier posts.
thunderbird1 said:
What saves time? Either I'm missing the point or you have mis-interpreted mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are suggesting that it is a function that could be improved, but I don't see what gain you would get. This function is also present in an old WM2003 device that I have, so it clearly isn’t new.
If you want it to initiate instantly when you use the scroll wheel, you are only going to jump to the first contact in each alphabetical section. This is great if you only have one contact per alphabet letter, but if like most people you have multiple contacts in each section you will still have to do an additional scroll to select the contact.
The time saving is due to the jumping quickly to each alphabet section.
Have tried searching through the threads and have not found anything - apologies if already covered, but:
HERM200 vanilla, nothing peculiar installed, for the last while whenever I use IE, it will start cycling through all the Messaging Inboxes for a number of times before it stops. Extremely annoying and frustrating, not to mention slow. Have no idea why, assume that somehow IE is triggering messaging... Any help much appreciated.
NewVisitor
When you launch IE are you using the button at the top of the device? If so, sounds like you may also be pressing the Mail button that is on the left side of the top buttons, and maybe it's getting stuck, cause when you're in messaging, pressing that button scrolls through inboxes like you describe.
I currently have over 200 contacts and I notice the smartdial search is getting slow and I have to wait 1-2sec before pressing another key (as soon as no contacts are found its quite fast).
Is there a way to force a delay so that:
wait 200milisec. if no other key was pressed, search the contacts as usual. if other key is pressed, print it and reset the timer.
This would allow me to write the number or initials fast and then wait a few seconds for the search instead of waiting a few seconds for each button I press.
paulo_andre said:
I currently have over 200 contacts and I notice the smartdial search is getting slow and I have to wait 1-2sec before pressing another key (as soon as no contacts are found its quite fast).
Is there a way to force a delay so that:
wait 200milisec. if no other key was pressed, search the contacts as usual. if other key is pressed, print it and reset the timer.
This would allow me to write the number or initials fast and then wait a few seconds for the search instead of waiting a few seconds for each button I press.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With that many contacts, I'd recommend voice dialing them. Use your phone's built-in recorder. It's not magical or anything, but it's adequate, and much faster than typing half the phone number in by hand, and you're one button click from activating it. Just be sure to use a consistent method for recording, such as "first name, last name" for all your dials, and as long as you know the name, you've got it licked.
the problem is with these many contacts I don't remember the name, I have to start typing what I remember and then choose from the list. And usually what I remember is similar to 5-6 contacts so I can't use voice dialing
What about a scrolling directory, like PocketCM?
again, that would be fine if I remembered the first name, but sometimes I remember the first, other times the middle, even others the last... I really need a full search like the native smardial but that search should only be made after I stop typing and not after every key
Good luck, then. Sorry.
Actually, pocketCM DOES allow you to search by first name, last name (probably middle name too), or phone number. Try it and see if it's any faster. It might be, since it caches all contacts, and doesn't have to connect to outlook's database. Caching also has a downside - it will take some time when you start the program before you see any contacts. But when you keep the program running in the background and don't close it, only minimize, it's not a big problem.
To start searching, bring up the pocketCM's dialpad (phone button in default skin), and start typing.
I tried it and it's actually slower than the native smartdial. This because I have to write the name in the keyboard instead of just using the phone buttons to enter text.
paulo_andre said:
I tried it and it's actually slower than the native smartdial. This because I have to write the name in the keyboard instead of just using the phone buttons to enter text.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're in PocketCM, you can click the phone icon to call up a dial pad. Start entering the desired number, and the directory will start narrowing the list of numbers that match until you have the one you want.
You really should give this program a chance, instead of dismissing it without actually using it as it was intended (which is to have many ways to get to the desired phone number as quickly as possible). Your patience will be rewarded.
Just thought I'd share this one I found.
If you hold down the "home" button for about a second you get an easy task switcher to any app that was running in the background. It's faster than hitting back till you get to the menu or getting to the menu and then finding the app you are after .
Sliding your finger across the notification window just as it drops down changes the brightness of the screen.
Any others that people have found?
You can add shortcuts to phone numbers and messages on the home screen by holding your finger down and selecting shortcuts on the home screen somewhere. This also appears to work with a lot of apps, like kindle shortcuts to a specific book.
All android phones do this, Holding the Home button is a standard android way to "Switch fast" between apps
A few things I found out reading the SGS forum here:
1. You can control the brightness by sliding your finger left to right when pulling down the notification bar. Just keep your finger on the edge of the pull down window.
2. You can have the SGS announce the title/artist of a song from the Music player by pressing and holding the Up Volume button while a song is playing.
3. You can "lock screen" while watching video by pressing Power Button while a video is playing. This is great at preventing unintended clicks while holding the phone watching a video.
tenshi888 said:
A few things I found out reading the SGS forum here:
1. You can control the brightness by sliding your finger left to right when pulling down the notification bar. Just keep your finger on the edge of the pull down window.
2. You can have the SGS announce the title/artist of a song from the Music player by pressing and holding the Up Volume button while a song is playing.
3. You can "lock screen" while watching video by pressing Power Button while a video is playing. This is great at preventing unintended clicks while holding the phone watching a video.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know the third one, but didn't know the first two. Thank you tenshi, for sharing.
However, I don't quite understand how exactly you can change the brightness in the day you described, cos I can't seem to do it.
Also, I got the feeling that to effect number 2, there is a monthly subscription that I need to pay to Optus. They gave me a 7 day free trial before continuing, and I did not continue.
eaglesteve, for #1, make sure auto-brightness is off in your display settings, now when you slide the notification bar panel down try sliding your finger left to right and you'll notice the display brightness change.
for #2, I don't think its connected to your provider as it doesn't even need a data connection to work, it's just using text to speech. You might have to enable or download it the first time.
eaglesteve said:
I know the third one, but didn't know the first two. Thank you tenshi, for sharing.
However, I don't quite understand how exactly you can change the brightness in the day you described, cos I can't seem to do it.
Also, I got the feeling that to effect number 2, there is a monthly subscription that I need to pay to Optus. They gave me a 7 day free trial before continuing, and I did not continue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tenshi888 said:
eaglesteve, for #1, make sure auto-brightness is off in your display settings, now when you slide the notification bar panel down try sliding your finger left to right and you'll notice the display brightness change.
for #2, I don't think its connected to your provider as it doesn't even need a data connection to work, it's just using text to speech. You might have to enable or download it the first time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My auto-brightness is already off, but I still can't seem to change the brightness when sliding from left to right or right to left while pulling down the notification curtain. Any other clue?
For 2, you're right, once I downloaded the voice synthesising software from the market place, it works. I need to make sure the music player is in the foreground for this to work, right?
spenceee said:
If you hold down the "home" button for about a second you get an easy task switcher to any app that was running in the background. It's faster than hitting back till you get to the menu or getting to the menu and then finding the app you are after .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically it's a "most recently used" list rather than a list of apps running in the background. For example if you have just exited a navigation app, or killed an app from a process manager, it will still appear in this list.
Interesting thread.
I just want to add some "shortcuts" I discovered myself using the Galaxy (maybe they aren't so hidden. I am a lousy user, don't like to read manuals. So maybe they are very obvious )
Close pull down window/curtain, close desktop layer folders and close keyboard by tapping back key
Access to the bookmark button and address bar in the brower by tapping the menu button (no need to scroll all the way up)
Open soft D-Pad by tap-and-hold the "?123" key on the standard Samsung Keyboard
Quick and reliable GPS reception by editing the ntp server in the gps.conf file
Someone I only just learnt...
Pressing and holding the power button performs a reset. (Keep pressing it after you get the shut down/mute/airplane options and the phone will suddenly restart. Have to keep the button pressed for 5 secs atleast).
dagrim1 said:
Someone I only just learnt...
Pressing and holding the power button performs a reset. (Keep pressing it after you get the shut down/mute/airplane options and the phone will suddenly restart. Have to keep the button pressed for 5 secs atleast).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cool
holding menu key for about a second brings up google search.Im sure its probably a feature of all android phones and probably in the manual but im new to android and dont read manuals much.
If you´re in "contacts"
slide to the right for an instant call or slide to the left for messaging the contact
mazurson said:
If you´re in "contacts"
slide to the right for an instant call or slide to the left for messaging the contact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cool, this is handy when you're driving
i usually double tap the contact, but if your car goes over a bump or pot hole, then the 2nd tap is missed, and wont work.
mazurson said:
If you´re in "contacts"
slide to the right for an instant call or slide to the left for messaging the contact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SWEET, this is a great way to dial and text people from contacts
Thx for the info
1. Browsing in the Gallery
When browsing your large list of photo's in the 'Gallery', click the icon on the right to group them into date taken ~ makes browsing much more manageable.
2. Locking the Camera
If you wish to leave the camera on but worried you may accidentally touch the scrren/controls you can lock the camera.
Once you have the camera set up how you want it, simply briefly press the Power button. You will then see a white padlock appear on screen. Now you can hold the camera and phone how you like until you are ready to shoot.... When ready again briefly press the Power button, the padlock disappears and you can take your shoot/video.
sammy555 said:
holding menu key for about a second brings up google search.Im sure its probably a feature of all android phones and probably in the manual but im new to android and dont read manuals much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, it's samsung's replacement for the search button that's a Google requirement. They don't have a button for it, so they assigned long-press menu for search, whereas on the Nexus One, it'll make force the soft-'board to come up.
yes it works...
eaglesteve said:
My auto-brightness is already off, but I still can't seem to change the brightness when sliding from left to right or right to left while pulling down the notification curtain. Any other clue?
For 2, you're right, once I downloaded the voice synthesising software from the market place, it works. I need to make sure the music player is in the foreground for this to work, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At first it didn't worked for me also, because I understand bad.
Not pulling down. Go to the upper of the screen, press till the botton of the dropdown curtain appears, but don't slide it down. Once that appears the BAR move left or right your finger, and it will adjust.
pafh99 said:
At first it didn't worked for me also, because I understand bad.
Not pulling down. Go to the upper of the screen, press till the botton of the dropdown curtain appears, but don't slide it down. Once that appears the BAR move left or right your finger, and it will adjust.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah yes, I got it to work too. The trick is not to pull it down but just to make the curtain barely appear before you slide.
Thanks for your excellent explanation.
sammy555 said:
cool
holding menu key for about a second brings up google search.Im sure its probably a feature of all android phones and probably in the manual but im new to android and dont read manuals much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, didn't know this one. Very useful and now I can get rid of the google search bar on the desktop too
when receiving a call press the volume down button to mute th ringer
old but cool