21
Mar
unnamed

Full!screen Enables Full Screen Apps Without Losing Navigation And Notifications (Root Only)

Posted by in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Okay, so this app isn't "new" in the traditional sense of the word, but it's kind of new and very cool. Full!screen lets you hide the system navigation bar and notification area on your Android phone or tablet so you can use that space for apps and games in full screen mode. It's not just crashing your system UI, though. Full!screen places minimalist replacement buttons tucked away in the corners.

1 2

3 4

Full!screen has a ton of settings that allow you control every aspect of your device's navigation behavior. You can use swipe gestures, pop-out pie menus, and long-presses to access different functions.

16
Jun
Motorola Slider

Unannounced Motorola Device On Sprint Leaked: Features QWERTY Slider, ICS, And On-Screen Buttons

Posted by in News, Sprint

It seems Motorola is having a tough time keeping its upcoming releases under wraps. First, a press shot of the Dinara (believed to be the Atrix 3) was leaked, and now somebody grabbed a shot of an unannounced Motorola device heading to Sprint.

Similar to the Dinara leak, the device seems to be running a fairly light version of Motorola's custom skin. While some icons are changed it appears that the Android 4.0 launcher remains mostly intact. Also similar to the Dinara is the presence of on-screen buttons. But this unnamed phone's biggest differentiator is a sliding, 5-row QWERTY keyboard.

13
Sep
honeycomb_screen_01

Editorial: Why On-Screen Virtual Buttons In Android Ice Cream Sandwich Will Be Great

Posted by in Android OS, Editorials, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0
Last Updated: June 29th, 2012

Ice Cream Sandwich will be the first phone version of Android to support virtual buttons. It seems like a lot of people don’t "get" the whole idea behind them. If used correctly, virtual buttons will be way better than the painted on Back/Home/Menu/Search we have now. So I figured I would lay out the benefits for everyone and hopefully start a nice discussion.

For starters, virtual buttons are much better UI

  • They can change orientation with the phone so they are always in the same place.
  • Situational buttons (like Menu and Search) can disappear when they are unusable. You’ll no longer have to guess if Menu will do something.