I've developed and app that is a slide show of pictures which each play a sound when you tap them. It's like a picture book for ages 2-4.
The problem is, since android won't let you capture a home button press and essentially disable it, when parents give the phone to their child to play with unattended (brave parent), the child can inadvertenly exit the app and then make calls or otherwise tweak the phone.
There are two other apps that currently have a psuedo fix for this issue. The apps are Toddler Lock and ToddlePhone. I've tried contacting the developers of these apps for some guidance but they haven't been willing to disclose anything, which if fine, but does anyone here have any suggestions?
It looks like both of those other apps are acting like a home screen replacement app. When you enable the "childproof mode" on those apps the user is prompted to chose and app for the action and the choices are "Launcher, LauncherPro, etc." plus the toddler app. You then have to make the toddler app the default and voila, the phone is "locked" and can only be "unlocked" using a key combination or touching the four corners of the screen, etc. when you "unlock" the phone. your normal home screen app default restored. You don't even have to make the toddler app the default the next time you enable the "childproof mode".
I have read that these two apps have problems with Samsung phones and they can cause an an infinite crash-and-restart-loop that requires a factory reset to fix. Obviously this is not the ideal solution to the problem but it looks like the only one availiable at this point.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to implement a "childproof mode"?
Could it run on top of the lock screen
So Do you mean making the app a lock screen replacement? I suppose that could work.
Do you have a suggestion on how to accomplish that?
My biggest actual usability issue with Nexus 7 is the home icons. It's too easy to swipe them during game play, especially annoying when you are trying to keep the kids busy. I'd like a mod with 2 options:
1. Drag it to the top (or the side?)
2. Even better, Make it go away until the table is "sleeped" and restarted.
Is there an simple option/rom that does these 2 simple things without tons of stuff I don't care about (that affect updates, etc)? If not, which mods do you recommend and feel good about that can at least do this?
Thanks
I'm not understanding what you're asking. How can you swipe away home screen icons when you are playing a game that takes up the whole screen? Using an alternate launcher from the market, like Apex launcher, will allow you to lock the desktop so that no changes can be made until you unlock it again.
When I play a full screen game I don't want to have any OS home/etc icons that can be swiped accidently. I just want to have to exit through a menu, or sleep the device (tap the power button) and wake it up again so the icons return (since not all games have an exit feature). Locking my home screen or desktop does me no good when I am in a game. I'll give apex a try, but it looks to me like it doesn't do what I want. I'm satisfied with the stock environment except for the one issue I describe. How many times have you accidently left a game?
easily_confused said:
When I play a full screen game I don't want to have any OS home/etc icons that can be swiped accidently. I just want to have to exit through a menu, or sleep the device (tap the power button) and wake it up again so the icons return (since not all games have an exit feature). Locking my home screen or desktop does me no good when I am in a game. I'll give apex a try, but it looks to me like it doesn't do what I want. I'm satisfied with the stock environment except for the one issue I describe. How many times have you accidently left a game?
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I would say the best way to do what you're trying to do is to flash Paranoid Android or another ROM that offers what is called "expanded desktop mode".
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1800268
Basically "expanded desktop mode" is exactly what you are asking for. When you briefly hold down the power button in Paranoid Android (and this works in any app) a menu pops up that allows you to select "expanded desktop mode" which makes the navigation bar disappear. The navigation bar will reappear when you briefly hold down the power button again and select "expanded desktop mode again".
This feature may be part of other ROMs based on cyanogenmod but I'm not 100% sure. Maybe another member with more knowledge can weigh in on this.
Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 7
I used paranoid android on my htc sensation. It is a cool Rom with a lot of features!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Extended Desktop Mode will certainly do the job. But, I don't really want a major desktop redo (I know, that attitude isn't in the spirit of the great things the developers do here). Is there anyway to just install an extended desktop app?
It doesn't even need to be an extended desktop (the screen space isn't a big issue), Just a disabled home bar would do the trick.
Anyway to make a rom with just that feature? (I have some programming skills) Not sure where to start though. Just trying for a minimalist solution.
Thanks for helping. It's really appreciated. I learn a little more every day about what is happening here.
I found a YouTube video which really inspired me to roll up my sleeves and dig deep into using my new Note 8.0 in a far more exhaustive fashion.
This led me to consider, there are tons of YT vids which I might never find that could give any one of us some tidbit of info allowing us to get the most out of the device and apps.
[yt]yKYsYUNFFkg[/yt]
[yt]Zja4z9MJ3Qw[/yt]
[yt]MY1jgctLkMM[/yt]
The above video reminded me of when taking my upper division & grad math courses. Along the way I encountered a prof who required us all to buy a box of colored pencils...we all looked at each other like he was bat-crap bozo...well turned out when dealing with pages of complex differential equations that using different colored chalk on the board allowed the prof to cover vastly more in a lecture...so he wanted us to mimic that in our note taking...at them who knew? That really was something unheard of, colored pencils were the tools of....the liberal arts fer goodness sakes, right? hehehehe...
So I see how Note device brings that ability to an electronic notebook. The link above shows a med student who uses a similar technique with a few twists.
So I dunno maybe we can share interesting uses or tips on usage here, not like there are other forums with the breadth of information as we have here, right. So lets do it here is anyone is interested.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD
I use my Note II and 8 to sketch for leisure or professional. The S Note syncs all of the files with the Samsung cloud system. Just keep backing them up with the pc from time to time as these can somethings have errors as what has happened with my Note II.
It's nice to keep up with electronically keeping notes, but take all the precaution of backing them up regularly.
rooted stock Galaxy Note 8 GT-N5100
Sure, what do you want to know? Lol!
I use my phone mostly for drawing, sometimes for gaming, watching media, and as a document reader, oh and tons of web browsing, texting, and sometimes as an actual phone.
I use the spen gmd gesture control to allow gestures to turn on/off wifi, to launch a few different applications, and to run a couple tasker tasks. I have chrome set to desktop only mode.
I use tasker a lot for non note2 specific things, such as killing chrome and loading opera mini when not connected to wifi when i want to browse the internet (to avoid lots of data use), synchronizing data from snote+drawing programs+wallpapers to my dropbox account, and silencing my phone automatically when in class. I do like the app i found in the playstore that recalibrates the s pen (its called reset spen).
Dunno what else, i backup my phone a lot? Lol!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
so do you have any useful Youtube videos share??
I'm still at the point of setting mine up & learning how to use the " S-Apps".
I did discover something tonight, these ''smart" cases while nice do NOT disable the HOME button when case closed. So when You press on case over HOME button if it flexes enough the device will turn on. So much for "smartness" I guess. I would have thought when flap with magnets is closed the screen word not power on if the button is somehow pressed. They need to punish that developer I suppose.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
Did you know that it's possible to config your Box or Dropbox or whatever cloud backup soyou get local copies of the *. snb file in internal memory (internal SD card). the external SD card & your cloud backup options all at the same time?
You just need to setup the local & remote folders & update/ sync links. It then happens pretty much automatically as the changes propagate your setup. It is pretty nifty & actually works well. I now have multiple fresh backups as well as near instant sync between my devices.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
brecklundin said:
so do you have any useful Youtube videos share??
I'm still at the point of setting mine up & learning how to use the " S-Apps".
I did discover something tonight, these ''smart" cases while nice do NOT disable the HOME button when case closed. So when You press on case over HOME button if it flexes enough the device will turn on. So much for "smartness" I guess. I would have thought when flap with magnets is closed the screen word not power on if the button is somehow pressed. They need to punish that developer I suppose.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Smart Screen Off Lite app for this problem. It makes use of the proximity sensor to turn off the screen even when the home button is accidentally pressed. I don't use those covers with magnets as they disrupt the S Pen and turn off the screen while I flip the cover at the back!
rooted stock Galaxy Note 8 GT-N5100
TheNeighbor101 said:
I use Smart Screen Off Lite app for this problem. It makes use of the proximity sensor to turn off the screen even when the home button is accidentally pressed. I don't use those covers with magnets as they disrupt the S Pen and turn off the screen while I flip the cover at the back!
rooted stock Galaxy Note 8 GT-N5100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip. Ian guessing this is a reason to have that elastic strap to hold the front closed. I might just disable the "smart open" if I can. It already sterns on when I grab the pen anyway and I never use it w/o s-pen.
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The sheer glee she has torturing the phones is infectious. Plus she makes XDA a much prettier place.
Bummer Spigen confined with me the will not be offering a tempered glass protector for our Note 8.0's. I've checked with a couple other mfg's and all have been noncommittal or failed to respond.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
If we talk about why we bought the Note 8.0 or the most important daily use mine is for daily reports @ work. I can jot down notes all day long and then email them to my boss as a PDF or rewrite using split screen using HWR conversion to text. It that were all mine did the $$ would be well spent. See I'm HORRIBLE at keeping those reports flowing. Not anymore.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
brecklundin said:
If we talk about why we bought the Note 8.0 or the most important daily use mine is for daily reports @ work. I can jot down notes all day long and then email them to my boss as a PDF or rewrite using split screen using HWR conversion to text. It that were all mine did the $$ would be well spent. See I'm HORRIBLE at keeping those reports flowing. Not anymore.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
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Click to collapse
Brecklundin, what apps do you use to jot your notes down ? How many pages a note do you annotate.
Thanks,
LD
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
TheNeighbor101 said:
I use Smart Screen Off Lite app for this problem. It makes use of the proximity sensor to turn off the screen even when the home button is accidentally pressed. I don't use those covers with magnets as they disrupt the S Pen and turn off the screen while I flip the cover at the back!
rooted stock Galaxy Note 8 GT-N5100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's another option - disable the home button altogether. Here's a 'how to' YouTube video:
Disable Home Button
exibm said:
Here's another option - disable the home button altogether. Here's a 'how to' YouTube video:
Disable Home Button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd rather not disable the home button. I do use it a lot. I disabled the capacitive buttons for about a week so that the would be no more accidental back button presses while on landscape position. It had proven to be more of a hassle with activating stuff on screen than without those capacitive buttons.
I want to use the home button. I like using it to conventionally switch to different apps. It's more pointless disabling it.
rooted stock Galaxy Note 8 GT-N5100
TheNeighbor101 said:
I'd rather not disable the home button. I do use it a lot. I disabled the capacitive buttons for about a week so that the would be no more accidental back button presses while on landscape position. It had proven to be more of a hassle with activating stuff on screen than without those capacitive buttons.
I want to use the home button. I like using it to conventionally switch to different apps. It's more pointless disabling it.
rooted stock Galaxy Note 8 GT-N5100
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I hear ya - I think the home button is useful too. The modification I posted above only disables the 'wake up' function of the home button - you can still use it for navigation once your GN8 is awake.
exibm said:
I hear ya - I think the home button is useful too. The modification I posted above only disables the 'wake up' function of the home button - you can still use it for navigation once your GN8 is awake.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still need the home button as it is. It's because I have no way to turn on the Note 8 with my Hidden Note 8 concept:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2254176
I wake it up with the home key.
rooted stock Galaxy Note 8 GT-N5100
Hello guys, recently got the G2 after my Nexus 4 drunkenly got a bit smashed up and I love it, however one thing is winding me up. You can swipe from the home button to either launch google now or quick memo, except every now and then the phone seems to lose the ability to do this. I have got in the habit of swiping from the home button to quickly get into google now so its annoying when it doesn't do anything, not even bring up the ring and the two shortcuts.
Any ideas why this might happen and ways to fix it other than rebooting?
Greetings people !
I have just installed Bell TV on my nexus player ... unfortunatly, those mo*******ers start the app in portrait ... navigation is pretty chaotic but I can't get the app to switch to landscape mode, like on my Nexus 7 tablet ...
Any ideas ? :victory::highfive::crying:
I don't have a Bell TV subscription anymore to test with but I doubt that much has changed since the last time you asked about this app on the Nexus Player.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-player/help/providers-tv-app-np-t3090840
"You can use an app like Ultimate Rotation Control or Set Rotation to keep it locked in landscape mode but either way, even after you log in and select a channel, there's no way to display the video in full screen mode so you'll only be able to see a small box of video in the corner of the screen. It's just not practical to use."