Hey everyone,
I've always wanted a quick time tracking app that didn't have a bunch of data pushed in my face.
I found writing down on paper was easier than these complicated apps/software. With too much to deal with, select, set, and fill out, before long I've spent a minute or more just telling it what I was about to do. So I decided to try my first attempt at an app for my Xoom -- which then extended to my phone.
I need some testers to try it out and give me some feedback. I recently added support for Android 2.2+ on top of the native support for 3.0 so it can be used on your tablets and now your phones.
All feedback appreciated!
Screenshots
As you can see I set 'Time Tracker App' as my default subject while I was working on it over the last few days; so each entry is titled for quick reference, which you can then click to view and learn more: exact times, a real-time counter, notes, ways to manage the entry, etc.
2.1.2 on my Xoom
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
- Yes that's 7 hours counting in real-time... no limits on big projects
2.1.2 on my Droid X
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UPDATED 5/9
- Attachment updated to newest release 2.1.2
- Added screenshots of Xoom and Phone in action
hi i downloaded your time tracker on my xoom. looks pretty good but have not put in actual use. I was actually looking for an app to do my scheduling.
For example : event | SAT - SUN | breaking down on the timing and items for the event
does that make any sense to you ?
Hey thanks for trying it out and giving some feedback!
What did you have in mind?
I see an idea here for setting up specific entries with predefined start/end times and having the timer count down to the start time. But let me know what you had in mind... you tell me the steps you'd want to take and the outcome of those steps =)
ex.
Click "Make an Event" or "Event", fill out the Subject and Start/End Time, this event is set between those dates. The timer counts down to the event start time, then counts up from there for the length of the event... etc etc!
This way you could add events/tasks/jobs AHEAD of time, rather than when you're sitting there about to start! I've already got the function in the app to do future tasks/events, I just haven't made it public. So the more feedback you can give, the better I can build it out =)
Another thought is having Events act as a group, that you can add timers to the group and then refer back to the group "Weekend Party" to see how all your timers under that group broke down.
I'm rambling... you tell me!
Great concept.
Would you be so kind as to add a couple of screenshots so we know what to expect before downloading?
willverduzco said:
Great concept.
Would you be so kind as to add a couple of screenshots so we know what to expect before downloading?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I appreciate it! I think it's a concept most people could really use -- at least I know I tried a handful of apps, but none of them did ANYTHING simply and actually ended up COMPLICATING things even further.
I put up some pics as requested! The Invoice function is a WIP where I plan on allowing you to add timers to build out invoices quick and easy. At the moment it's a data sheet for you to reference when you bill for the month, but with development going the way it has, that should be up and running relatively soon!
All feedback is welcomed... it's the only way these apps can get better. Something bugging you? Let me know as I can't test for everyone! =)
I am a contractor looking for a more robust time tracking app. I have tried several apps out there. I have not located a developer willing to work with me to get some real improvements to them.
There are several of them who have a great concept and template, just poorly implemented. The whole idea of having a tablet is to make my life easier, not to make me jump thru extra hoops and having to type in specific dates to sort out a weeks freaking work..
I will load it up on my xoom shortly and I am hoping it is a great concept and I am willing to spend the extra time to give you the input you desire
well, im testing this now since you offered it. one thing that got on my nerves was the registration/sign in. this would only be helpful if i can view all my tracks online as well, but i havent found where
the app itself works like charm and right now i didnt find anything that neees improvement. so, well done !
You're head is in the right direction -- the login is meant for keeping your Tracking per account. I'm putting together a web service where you can manage everything from your computer/laptop and not have to do anything but log in! No syncing required, it's all done for you.
So between your tablet, phone, and then computer, it could be pretty nice =) I can streamline the registration and make it a little nicer though! Any thoughts on what could make it better?
Xezuka said:
You're head is in the right direction -- the login is meant for keeping your Tracking per account. I'm putting together a web service where you can manage everything from your computer/laptop and not have to do anything but log in! No syncing required, it's all done for you.
So between your tablet, phone, and then computer, it could be pretty nice =) I can streamline the registration and make it a little nicer though! Any thoughts on what could make it better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just an option to not use it if not needed
but by now i ust like this app...would pay some cents for using it.
Xezuka said:
Thanks I appreciate it! I think it's a concept most people could really use -- at least I know I tried a handful of apps, but none of them did ANYTHING simply and actually ended up COMPLICATING things even further.
I put up some pics as requested! The Invoice function is a WIP where I plan on allowing you to add timers to build out invoices quick and easy. At the moment it's a data sheet for you to reference when you bill for the month, but with development going the way it has, that should be up and running relatively soon!
All feedback is welcomed... it's the only way these apps can get better. Something bugging you? Let me know as I can't test for everyone! =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for adding the screenshots. This app looks absolutely wonderful. I am going to feature this on XDA's front page in the coming days.
PS. Your use of the Fragments API is stellar.
RinTinTigger said:
just an option to not use it if not needed
but by now i ust like this app...would pay some cents for using it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll definitely take this into consideration! With 3g/wifi available nearly 100% of the time I'm using my devices, I began designing it to store the information off the device which allowed me to easily synchronization to your phone and soon a website. But for those that don't need this, it's a great idea that I'll surely look into! Thanks!
willverduzco said:
Thanks for adding the screenshots. This app looks absolutely wonderful. I am going to feature this on XDA's front page in the coming days.
PS. Your use of the Fragments API is stellar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd be honored to see it happen! Being my first Android app I've been hesitant to release it into the wild and potentially watch my baby get slaughtered by the reviews... then again, maybe not
Thanks again for the feedback and if there's anything you need let me know!
other currencies might be coool
also the counter starts at 06:00:00 it shows the right time once you completed. but the start time is weird
I'm thinking it's going to be a matter of correcting the times for outside timezones. What time zone are you in?
If you PM me your username, I can place you under testing and make sure the fixes are working before taking it 100% live =) Thanks for the heads up!
UPDATE: Made a fix for the time being... I'll determine the TimeZone automatically in the future when signing up, but for testing purposes I've included a TimeZone selector under the Settings menu. This does not yet take into account for DST (Daylight Savings Time) although when I fix it up completely it will =) This also could allow someone traveling around the world to be in whatever TimeZone you please without losing your inputted data! Try it out! All your timers should adjust themselves when you change your Offset under Settings! I tested it with someone on the other coast of the US, now I just need someone across the world to try it! =)
Great news for people who are in different time zones.
The ability to put jobs and clients in sub folders is priceless to some....
dekcufi said:
Great news for people who are in different time zones.
The ability to put jobs and clients in sub folders is priceless to some....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree! Do you have any ideas of how you could see this implemented while keeping the streamlined and easy to use interface?
Perhaps a separate tab with 'Folders/Groups' where you can create a 'Folder/Group' and have the ability to set your timers to a specific 'Folder/Group'? That way you could organize your timers accordingly?
Tested the latest build, i can now select a time zone, but still, the counter starts with 06:00:00
weird :/
RinTinTigger said:
Tested the latest build, i can now select a time zone, but still, the counter starts with 06:00:00
weird :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is certainly interesting and something I've been using Memento to do - many things that particular application is used for can become viable applications / packages in their own right.
One question though - why not create a Google spreadsheet within the users account to track data? Admittedly, you will be hosting a fascinating collection of data (not that you would use it like that, although I confess that I would be tempted) and you would rapidly gain a great understanding of application usage amongst your user base (that's a valid thing to do and one many developers would be evnvious of).
I look forward to trying the app on my HD2 Nandroid CM7 and shall report back.
Good luck!
Thank you!
A Great and easy to use app!
Could be usefull for me too.
The design is very nice, but there are a few design bugs. Maybe you should use another set of icons. The menu icons for example seems to be white on white, which makes them hard to understand. When there is no focus on "LogOut" it is just a sheared grey square, only when there is a focus you can see that is shall be an open door.
RinTinTigger said:
Tested the latest build, i can now select a time zone, but still, the counter starts with 06:00:00
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have got the same problem. But it is just the counter. When you complete the timer the time span is calculated correctly.
I also found a little bug with currency. If you just registered and do not change the currency settings (default was Euro at me) then there are dollars shown in the app. And when I changed the setting to euro, pound or yen the currency symbol is not shown correctly.
Countdown Timer
I have fixes in the works! The timer should now be fixed and count accordingly! Please let me know if this is not the case =)
Currency Bug
The currency bug is known and will be fixed within a few hours! You may see it all go away, then return, this is planned!
Thanks for all the feedback guys I appreciate it -- these are all great!
Still needed: a way to start and use the app without singing in, cuz i dont have internet sometimes at the tab and a customer
Related
Ok, this was my first app on the market. Basically it's a window that lets you enter a search term and select a search or just a URL and it will open a browser to that page.
So far I have:
Google
Google Images
Google Maps (Uses Maps app)
Wikipedia
IMDB
Amazon
Ebay
Android Market
(Youtube coming soon)
If you have any other search suggestions, please post them. I will be happy to add them!
Check out the app on the market! I have a free version and a donate version for $1.43 (So I get a buck). It's rated 5/5 so far (I'm quite pleased)
I find myself using this app more than any others
Many have asked for an On Screen Keyboard, and I've been researching it, but I don't really know how to make one. If you have any tips regarding that, that would be awesome.
Anyways, enjoy the app!
UPDATE: Custom searches added.
Very nice, very useful indeed! I have always been a bit annoyed by having to start the browser up and go to the site I want to search and wait for it to download and render before I can perform my search. Can take 10, 15, 30 seconds before I even submit my search. This makes it so much easier!
Great app, man. Thank you!
A suggestion for improvement would be for the users to be able to add "custom" search strings. I frequent a bunch of sites that are too obscure for you to add to your app, so an option for me to add my own search string would be great.
Say I want to add a custom site, like blocket.se (a Swedish classified advertising site) and I know the formatting for a search on that site is http://www.blocket.se/li?q=<search_string>
Now let's replace the string we enter in the text field with an operator, like %s :
http://www.blocket.se/li?q=%s
Which would perform a search of that particular site. When adding a custom site we would need the following dialog.
Name: [____________] <-- Where we enter the name of the custom search
String: [____________] <-- The formatted URL
[Save] [Cancel]
Sorry for unloading this on you, I do realize a feature like this won't just happen by itself, it takes many hours of coding to make it happen. Feel free to tell me to bugger off if it's just not something you feel is right for this app.
Cheers!
No, I actually think that's a fantastic idea. Right now the search drop down is just a static array of names and the urls are hard coded in. Unfortunately, sharedpreferences doesn't support arrays so unlimited custom searches might not work, but I could let users put in 3 or so. I'll get on it over the weekend. Sorry for thinking out loud haha.
And I'm glad you like it
Maybe custom searches would be a good feature just for people with the donate version?
nick_karstedt said:
No, I actually think that's a fantastic idea. Right now the search drop down is just a static array of names and the urls are hard coded in. Unfortunately, sharedpreferences doesn't support arrays so unlimited custom searches might not work, but I could let users put in 3 or so. I'll get on it over the weekend. Sorry for thinking out loud haha.
And I'm glad you like it
Maybe custom searches would be a good feature just for people with the donate version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Three custom ones would be great too, no doubt! Thinking out loud is a great way of giving an idea some structure, and if you in addition to that can bounce an idea off a couple of other people it usually turns out great. A bit of brainstorming.
I would definitely pay a few bucks for custom search strings. Unfortunately I can't access paid apps yet, probably because I'm on a dev phone and in the wrong country. I could drop a few bucks off on your paypal account though, if you have one.
Have you put the free one on the market yet? I don't see it posted, only your paid version. Not that I won't pay for it, I'd just rather check it out before purchasing
I would like to try it out too, and since I don't have a Google Checkout, I can't. I would rather donate by Paypal if you have an account.
The free version is on the market as well (it's a bit older). Just search Go To Url. If you do feel like donating, there's a button on my website(www.nickkarstedt.com) that has a paypal donate button.
Answers.com would be nice as well.
Good thinking.
Ok, just updated the donate version this weekend. I added search history (Works like the browser's history, but is stored seperately. You can disable and clear it).
Now for the big feature: Custom searches.
You can now add and delete as many custom searches as you want. You can even delete the default custom searches (so you can reorder them).
I'm going to add the option to move searches up and down on the list for the next version. Until then, you'd have to delete and add.
Loving it!
The search string is always added to the end of the URL we enter (when we add a custom search)? Nineteen out of twenty times this is not a problem, but on some sites the formatting of the URL is a bit different and the search string is not placed at the end of the URL but rather in the middle of it.
Still, I love this app. Makes searching so much easier when you don't have to wait for websites to load/render.
**Edit: One thing I have noticed is that if you open the app up in portrait mode, select a search in the list and then switch to landscape, you have to select which site to search again (it defaults back to "Go To URL!" mode). Not a big problem, just something I noticed just a minute ago for the first time
Many have asked for an On Screen Keyboard, and I've been researching it, but I don't really know how to make one. If you have any tips regarding that, that would be awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tell them to wait till the next update that is coming out in April. lol
Exactly, we're getting the Cupcake OSK soon. No point in wasting your time on an OSK of your own.
Mikey1022 said:
Tell them to wait till the next update that is coming out in April. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. I really shouldn't try to appeal to whiners... but I need more stars! (And cash! Cash is always nice!)
I notice you're using a generic Windows Run icon for your app. Not sure if you're interested, but I made a dedicated "Go To Url" icon (mostly because it goes better with my theme), which you are free to use should you want to. Either way, here it is.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Awesome! I could use that one for the paid version, looks very spiffy.
Also, I think what I'm going to do now with free/donate versions is just keep the free version a release or two behind the donate version, just so those who pay get it a few days/a week earlier. I don't like the idea of limiting functionality.
Got that free users? You'll get your custom searches and history soon enough.
All I'm working on right now is changing the custom urls to use %s instead of %url% + search term. If you guys have any more suggestions, lets hear em!
Is the "nag screen" asking you to go to the market supposed to show up every time I start the app? It says "THIS MESSAGE WILL ONLY BE DISPLAYED ONCE" but I get it every time I start it. And I alreday have Blocked! installed
Ah! That's what I asked you about in the PM! I updated it on the market, I'll send you a copy of the fixed version since you can't update.
nick_karstedt said:
Ah! That's what I asked you about in the PM! I updated it on the market, I'll send you a copy of the fixed version since you can't update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, lol, I completely misunderstood what you meant. Sorry 'bout that
Marathon
Marathon is an application designed primary to aid runners with their workout. It uses the phones built in GPS receiver to keep track of various statistics such as distance, speed, calories consumed and altitude change. Thanks to the voice announcement feature you'll know your progress without picking your phone out of the pocket. You can also compete against your previous recordings or setting a goal based on time and distance. Even though its primary designed for runners Marathon can be used with all kinds of outdoor activities.
Any suggestions/constructive feedback is welcome . The application is currently translated to: English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian and Swedish.
Key features:
• Records speed, distance, calories consumed, climb/decline, etc.
• Shows charts of speed and altitude change.
• Draws your route on a map.
• Share your results online, on your blog, Twitter or Facebook.
• Earn achievements for your training (Not related to Xbox LIVE achievements).
• Voice announcements with intervals based on either time or distance.
• Pause/resume recordings.
• Ability to cut off your results at the start or end.
• Inexpensive alternative to GPS watch.
• Ability to backup and restore all results.
• Export to kml, gpx and csv.
• Analyze parts of the result.
• Live Tracking - Let your friends follow your progress online in (almost) real time.
Screenshots:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Download Premium ($1.49):
Download Free:
Changelog:
http://www.marathon-mobile.net/Info/Changelog
Wow, it looks really good and seems to be very fingerfriendly.
I think it fits well into the Metro style.
Only thing to criticize: The touch input to raise and lower the weight for example (Video min: 1:33) could be done a bit nicer I think.
As example you could do it the same way it's done in the OS.
Here a video (min 7:21): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSoEhHV5BFU
Just one thing: In the beginning and the end you can see that the title of your app is Marahon and not Marathon. Just a little thing to fix
Regards
Sry for my english, hope you understand what I mean.
Looking good!
Although in some places the UI is a bit confusing, such as in the video at 0.26 where you have Goals Goals as the pivot and Open Open, why is this? as its not clear from the video. You also see this again later in the video with Edit Edit and Twitter twitter etc.
Also at 2.13 it's not clear that you can swipe to the right to see Calibration settings as its not hinted in the pivot
Other than that, I think it looks very cool
Dharms
DMAND said:
Looking good!
Although in some places the UI is a bit confusing, such as in the video at 0.26 where you have Goals Goals as the pivot and Open Open, why is this? as its not clear from the video. You also see this again later in the video with Edit Edit and Twitter twitter etc.
Also at 2.13 it's not clear that you can swipe to the right to see Calibration settings as its not hinted in the pivot
Other than that, I think it looks very cool
Dharms
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree with the Goals Goals and Open Open thing. Perhaps the second word can be grayed out shadow in the background isntead of looking like there is more.
Other than that it looks great, definately something I can use this fall when I start walking/jogging outside.
It looks great.
I'm currently using a similar application (RunSat) on WM, which has two features you might want to add. I personally love both of the listed features, so you could consider whether adding them is worth the effort.
Exporting results to excel / a spreadsheat is something I really like (showing three columns: time, speed, average speed. Could consider adding more). If you have multiple times on the same course, you could have column 1 trough 3 for your first, 5 trough 7 for your second, etc. so it's easy to compare your performance.
Another useful feature is auto-pausing the training when you're standing still (very useful if there's a bridge on the course). Not sure if you already support manual pausing, but that obviously can be useful too.
I'm already very familiar with the app I'm currently using, but I might consider switching to your WM6 app. For WP7 I'm pretty sure I'll get yours after seeing your demo!
Good luck with further development, I'm very happy to see another dev preparing for the WP7 launch
freeriders:
The numeric input panel you linked looks really sweet. I'll keep that in mind and see if I can make something similar .
DMAND/cyclical:
Sorry about the "Goals Goals" thing, I should have mentioned that it will not be there in the final release (it's there because I'm temporary using an open source Pivot control which doesn't support single pages, Microsoft will release their own Pivot control before the release. So I'm awaiting theirs before I invest too much time in making a "single page pivot lookalike".)
cPT.cAPSLOCK:
The WM6 app supports exporting to CVS (which you can open in Excel), I would add it to the WP7 app if I knew how to give the user his file . Since there's no traditional fileesystem you can't just save it. But since the WP7 app will be compatible with the webpage (www.marathon-mobile.net) you can always use the "Share" feature to upload the result to the webpage and then save it as kml/gpx/cvs from there.
Manual pausing is already supported, I want to implement auto-pause but I haven't done it yet since I'm not sure how to handle the noice in the GPS-signal in a proper way. But I guess I have to accept that the feature will work in ALMOST all cases.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Cool, I thought that might be the reason , hopefully the offical controls are released soon
What's the point?
I'm not sure there's any point in porting an app like this over to WiPhone7 when it can't run in the background. If you use your phone the app will be frozen, not to mention if you get a call or check a mail. Hopefully people remember to resume it after they're done. I can't even listen to Pandora or .977 or use a navigation app (not that there is one) at the same time, which is when I'd use it.
This app would be better ported to webOS which could actually handle it.
Hello,
I'm agree with freeriders concerning the numeric panel.
What do you use to realize charts ?
Thanks
gaijin1%
I'm a .NET developer and I find the WP7 platform interesting, so I'm porting this app to WP7 . Unfortunately I dont have enough spare time to port it to yet another platform, such as WebOS. Its possible to run under lock screen and as long as you stick to the built in music player you can listen to music while you're out running, and thats enough for me. I do agree that real multitasking would be neat, but this is not the tread to debate WP7 OS design .
Roccc
I'm using Silverlight Toolkit (http://silverlight.codeplex.com/) for charting. It seems to work good, but I haven't received my real device yet, so I can't be sure the performance is OK.
Thanks for the feedback!
Ooije said:
Roccc
I'm using Silverlight Toolkit (http://silverlight.codeplex.com/) for charting. It seems to work good, but I haven't received my real device yet, so I can't be sure the performance is OK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the toolkit
Me too, I haven't received my real device :S
I've released another video, its available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vldm4WVguLk
Unfortunately I haven't had the time to improve the touch controls for numeric inputs (such as weight), but it's still something I want to do . I also plan to move some more buttons down to the application bar and add some more stuff to the map.
Looks great, but i guess you have to think about a good background. I also think there are to much options, so it should be nice if they will be arranged in groups
This is great.
I am planning to get rid of my desire in favour of a new WP7 phone later this month and I have been thinking about ways to track my running activity while waiting for an app to do just that. Glad to see someone is already working on it. I am very much looking forward to give it a try!
gaijin1% said:
I'm not sure there's any point in porting an app like this over to WiPhone7 when it can't run in the background. If you use your phone the app will be frozen, not to mention if you get a call or check a mail. Hopefully people remember to resume it after they're done. I can't even listen to Pandora or .977 or use a navigation app (not that there is one) at the same time, which is when I'd use it.
This app would be better ported to webOS which could actually handle it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't need to run in the background. Just Disable UserIdleDetection mode and some Tombstoning and phone calls will interrupt the app, but it will reload. I use Caliburn.Micro framework for WP7 apps, and it makes it really easy to do. Just be sure to Enable UserIdleDetectionMode when closed or tombstoned. This passes cert and is different from ApplicationIdleDetectionMode, which requires user opt-in.
As promised I've released a free version of the app, a link is available in the first post .
Nice app and get's it done in a very fluid manner. There are a lot of options to customize setup for individuals and such. One feature that would be nice to further add to the customization would be adding the ability to reorder the home screen (smaller items). Like current speed, average speed, decline, etc. For instance, I would like to be able to see (along with the most main items which you nailed..time and distance) calories and average pace when I just glance at my phone. As it is now, I have to swipe a little to see that row of information. My only suggestion is it's great as I said. And thanks a lot.
I've just released another update to the app (2.8). The biggest news is the ability to earn achievements (not xbox live) for your workout. Here's a list of the available achievements: http://www.marathon-mobile.net/Results/Achievements . Hopefully It'll help people get a little extra motivated to work out . Other news in 2.8 is FR/IT/NL/ES/SV voices as well as an auto-pause feature.
kwill: Thanks for the feedback, I've thought about letting the user re-organize the dashboard. But I haven't implemented anything like that yet.
Here's a little preview of the upcoming release: http://www.marathon-mobile.net/Info/Development
It'll enable Marathon to upload your results "live", so friends and family can watch the progress while you are out running . The feature will be available in both the free and premium version of Marathon and I'm targeting a release in early August (The feature is done, but I'm going on a vacation soon. So I'll keep it for a while ).
Version 3.0 is now available. It's been updated to Mango, so it supports fast app switching and 32bit colors.
So I got a message a few weeks ago from a hearing impaired XDA member requesting closed captions. I was at a loss because creating them adds so much work to a limited, time-sensitive production. I offered to send this user the transcripts, and I started adding text to the screen to give textual cues to what is a fast-paced video. It's hard enough for people that can hear. I also thought of having Meltwater include the transcript with the podcast download.
I remembered YouTube playing with auto-generated captions using voice recognition over a year ago, but I hadn't noticed the red "CC" button they used to have, so I figured they ditched the project. I checked again this morning, and I was wrong. In fact, it's really improved. All you need is a document file of the transcript. Using voice recognition, YouTube aims to match the text to the audio.
Now, I'm sure it'll be off, especially when we include so many ad-libbed bits that aren't in the transcript, but the closer it is to what is said, the better. But that's a small sacrifice to make in order to have synced closed captions. So let's commit to providing a transcript for each video as best we can. Keep the video file and text file named the same on the FTP.
Then, svetius, once the video is uploaded to Youtube, go to My Videos and click captions.
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Then select Add New Captions or Transcript
Then choose the text file, select "Transcript File", name the output caption file whatever you want, and press upload.
And you're done! Is that doable, everyone? Svetius, if you'd like, I'll send you a transcript and we'll see how it works.
azrienoch said:
So I got a message a few weeks ago from a hearing impaired XDA member requesting closed captions. I was at a loss because creating them adds so much work to a limited, time-sensitive production. I offered to send this user the transcripts, and I started adding text to the screen to give textual cues to what is a fast-paced video. It's hard enough for people that can hear. I also thought of having Meltwater include the transcript with the podcast download.
I remembered YouTube playing with auto-generated captions using voice recognition over a year ago, but I hadn't noticed the red "CC" button they used to have, so I figured they ditched the project. I checked again this morning, and I was wrong. In fact, it's really improved. All you need is a document file of the transcript. Using voice recognition, YouTube aims to match the text to the audio.
Now, I'm sure it'll be off, especially when we include so many ad-libbed bits that aren't in the transcript, but the closer it is to what is said, the better. But that's a small sacrifice to make in order to have synced closed captions. So let's commit to providing a transcript for each video as best we can. Keep the video file and text file named the same on the FTP.
Then, svetius, once the video is uploaded to Youtube, go to My Videos and click captions.
Then select Add New Captions or Transcript
Then choose the text file, select "Transcript File", name the output caption file whatever you want, and press upload.
And you're done! Is that doable, everyone? Svetius, if you'd like, I'll send you a transcript and we'll see how it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, I can do that. Send me the stuffs!
Okay, put the transcript .txt of the 4 February episode in my folder on the FTP to see how well it works. Didn't put in ALL of the stutters and restarts, so we'll see how YouTube handles them.
Excellent!
Once you have a video posted let me know and I'll see what the options are for the podcast, even if it is just a link to the transcript perhaps.
Amen. Thank you all!
Thank you guys for helping out! We appreciate it a lot!
I've seen a site use Amazon's mechanical turks to do this type of HIT:
Just something I wanted to throw in there if you wanted to create more accurate captions than youTube's auto-caption feature.
(can't post the link since haven't posted 8 more more but you can google it)
Hi azrienoch,
Do the latest videos have Closed Captions on?
If so any way they can be linked to the podcast, the software I use for pulling the video/audio off youTube only produces the mp4/3 files, the CC are not included?
Podcast is up to date once more. As always, love the latest shows.
Closed captions? Awesome!
No, I don't think they're up yet, but when they are, there's gotta be some way to get it to you. I know you can download them if it's your account the video is on, but there's gotta be a way to download them on the net.
azrienoch said:
No, I don't think they're up yet, but when they are, there's gotta be some way to get it to you. I know you can download them if it's your account the video is on, but there's gotta be a way to download them on the net.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I can pull it from a dropbox public account if the file is made available and named with the youtube id. As for what I do with it except embed it in the html view, I'm not sure you can download more than one file with a podcast item at a time.
UPDATE just found this:
http://video.google.com/timedtext?hl=en&v=tp1ovS-by0s&lang=en
v=YOUTUBEID
So can get it directly, in theory...again not sure how to best to fit it in the podcast format.
...status, pls?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
I don't watch the videos from youtube, so are the close captions available on the videos? If so can see if I can get the files from the stream possibly, will then work out what best to do with them as part of the podcast.
Azrienoch --
I finally saw your post just now, and cant believe its been sitting around since July! I may have been the member who whined and *****ed and moaned about having to try to lipread you with that distracting shiny sparkly hoop that nearly comes down to your top lip!
But the bottom line was about accessibility and perfecting your reach to the market.. (10 or 20 years from now, all the senior citizen hackers in their 80's will be losing their hearing so they will need some help, especially since its the baby boom generation about to hit the "speak up, grandpa cant hear you" era...)
Anyway - I TOTALLY TOTALLY understand that you are speaking in your own tongue - your own way, your own sense of communication and it makes for lively telly, no problem with that!
I really appreciate all the effort of you and Svetius and all. I just like to be able to enjoy a little video now and then and I am also trying to help Hulu and HBOGo get its **** together.
I do not really want to burden...or think a non-profit outfit should be liable for making any expense or at expense of time to do this (http://www.coataccess.org/node/9890)-- but I really believe that technology can fill this communication gap -- its obscene how the speech recognition industry is basically hiding its true potential at the expense of profit... there is no open source code from Dragon or Nuance of the past 20 years, but I have hopes for the next few years because of LumenVox and its move towards open source collaboration with the MIT Media Lab (i saw some cool stuffs there!) so, someone needs to grab that and get it out of the market because it would totally save so much time and effort and destroy the communication gap...
Dont forget that one BYPRODUCT of closed captioning is... search function!! People were making captioning for one purpose -- so the deaf can watch television... then someone figured out they dont need to manually input search tags or keywords into a database for purposes of searching for videos... they can just simply use the same captions that were created purely for accessibility! so in the end people will realize that there is inherently a true and priceless value in the transcribed, captioned, subtitled and written word.
The Mozilla Project also runs a consortium of open source code http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Speech_Technology/
Ive been learning how to "read" the Beta captions on Youtube (its all about context...of the topic) and its improving -anyway I saved some screenshots and made an album to show some funny automated captions... picasa http://goo.gl/xQw6m and since its about XDA TV i made a little private video of same... http://youtu.be/vQdvexY6OUI I hope Sassy doesnt mind! Shes great!
Oh and my favorite --- captioning not only helps the deaf... it helps solve literacy problems... according to the CIA 16.7% of all the billions on this planet cannot read or write. 7 billion people on this earth... thats 1 Billion illiterates. That is reading is FUNdamental!
Thanks again. Lets just stay on the cutting edge...
androidcues said:
Azrienoch --
I finally saw your post just now, and cant believe its been sitting around since July! I may have been the member who whined and *****ed and moaned about having to try to lipread you with that distracting shiny sparkly hoop that nearly comes down to your top lip!
But the bottom line was about accessibility and perfecting your reach to the market.. (10 or 20 years from now, all the senior citizen hackers in their 80's will be losing their hearing so they will need some help, especially since its the baby boom generation about to hit the "speak up, grandpa cant hear you" era...)
Anyway - I TOTALLY TOTALLY understand that you are speaking in your own tongue - your own way, your own sense of communication and it makes for lively telly, no problem with that!
I really appreciate all the effort of you and Svetius and all. I just like to be able to enjoy a little video now and then and I am also trying to help Hulu and HBOGo get its **** together.
I do not really want to burden...or think a non-profit outfit should be liable for making any expense or at expense of time to do this (http://www.coataccess.org/node/9890)-- but I really believe that technology can fill this communication gap -- its obscene how the speech recognition industry is basically hiding its true potential at the expense of profit... there is no open source code from Dragon or Nuance of the past 20 years, but I have hopes for the next few years because of LumenVox and its move towards open source collaboration with the MIT Media Lab (i saw some cool stuffs there!) so, someone needs to grab that and get it out of the market because it would totally save so much time and effort and destroy the communication gap...
Dont forget that one BYPRODUCT of closed captioning is... search function!! People were making captioning for one purpose -- so the deaf can watch television... then someone figured out they dont need to manually input search tags or keywords into a database for purposes of searching for videos... they can just simply use the same captions that were created purely for accessibility! so in the end people will realize that there is inherently a true and priceless value in the transcribed, captioned, subtitled and written word.
The Mozilla Project also runs a consortium of open source code http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Speech_Technology/
Ive been learning how to "read" the Beta captions on Youtube (its all about context...of the topic) and its improving -anyway I saved some screenshots and made an album to show some funny automated captions... picasa http://goo.gl/xQw6m and since its about XDA TV i made a little private video of same... http://youtu.be/vQdvexY6OUI I hope Sassy doesnt mind! Shes great!
Oh and my favorite --- captioning not only helps the deaf... it helps solve literacy problems... according to the CIA 16.7% of all the billions on this planet cannot read or write. 7 billion people on this earth... thats 1 Billion illiterates. That is reading is FUNdamental!
Thanks again. Lets just stay on the cutting edge...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think CLOSED CAPTIONING should be used for all things TV and media alike. It is not fair that people with hearing loss or deafness should have to struggle to enjoy watching video media of any kind without understanding what is being said. I think it is a good idea to incorporate CLOSED CAPTIONING so that anyone who watches the videos will not be held back from enjoying it and being informed. Technology today allows us to do that and I hope that a CC feature becomes available sooner than later. YouTube is already trying out a captioning service but it is not that good and I hope we continue to advance so that the we can bridge the gap between those who can hear and those who need assistance such as CC. It should be the goal that no one is left out when watching media that requires hearing because you reach a wider base of people and attract more business.
I totally agree with both of you, technology should be a enabler of content to those with sight and/or hearing difficulties, not a barrier. The hardware is more than capable, it is down to people designing it in.
To go slightly off-topic, I recently saw a Braille keyboard implementation for tablets, something which had not occurred to me, but highly useful for those who would otherwise need to pay a lot of money for one. I started looking at Braille displays and it is serious money (even a single line display) for something which would make a huge difference to someone, technology should be able to provide solutions at better prices (i.e. Kindle for the blind).
I hope that Google gets the Android Open Accessory function they've been talking about since this could potentially allow for low cost custom devices for a range of needs.
I think quite often this is not considered enough when things are being designed, such as the freeview standards, it wouldn't have taken much to adapt the red button service to also include a "signing overlay" like they have for late night repeats, so they could be available all the time (and taken off if not required). While they are at it they could have also included censor codes in the sound-track so bad language etc can be filtered if required.
Anyway, back to topic. I don't view youtube directly (due to access issues of when I am able to view content) but I'm working on automated extracting of content (able to grab the videos and create the podcast). My initial look at the CC stuff on youtube suggested the data is accessible, so potentially it could be used if it was there.
I guess the view should be that anything is better than nothing, so even if the transcript isn't redone after recording/editing it will still provide a means to test with and hopefully some assistance for some. A perfect transcript and CC would probably be time consuming, but even if a quick dump of the prompter file would be enough for testing with.
So..what do we need?
1. Support of people who want this (an idea of users who would want this would help drive it's development - this would probably include non-native english persons - that includes american's who can't understand Queens/Brummy Engish and vice-a-versa)
2. Test video(s) with CC (ideally an Xda one) - don't have to be fully done, but something would be useful (also would help the authors get into the habit of including them hopefully).
3. Information about current methods other broadcasters, podcasts etc implement CC delivery (in-particular I'm interested if there is a standard way to include CC files as additional enclosures on RSS feeds).
4. Application support:
a) NathanPC's XdaTv apps would be an ideal place for support.
b) I am hopeful that the excellent Android podcast/RSS reader application BeyondPod could include such support if a standard way of delivering caption content is determined, as the developer there is very proactive with meeting the needs of users.
On Item 3: So far not found many examples of it being done.
My current thinking on RSS is that it doesn't officially (although heard some feeds do this) support multiple enclosures, so for best support it may need to be created as a secondary feed (not all readers will allow download of more than one enclosure per an item). This would then create the issue of putting the videos back with the subtitles, this would be harder to support automatically unless all media is put in the same directory (I don't think this is common).
So far the options as I see it are:
a) One feed for videos and a separate one for subtitle files, would probably require the user to copy the files into the same directory afterwards (video & subtitle file should would as long as the reader uses the name from the feed when downloaded).
b) Single feed with multiple enclosures, breaks the standard, and not many readers will download more than one file per an item.
c) Single feed with duplicated items (one for video and one for subtitle), makes handling items a pain as additional items are added in the feed.
Here's an interesting service, which perhaps could be put into use:
http://dotsub.com/tutorials
How's the progress on this? I just learned about XDA TV, and if you guys put this into action, I'd be all over the videos.
Name: Power Planner
This is a student homework planner for Windows Phone 7. I created it since there were no good homework apps on WP7 and I needed one, and I'm sure everyone else would love to use it too!
Power Planner has a unique feature where it automatically schedules reminders for you. At the end of your day (10 minutes after your last class), Power Planner sends you a reminder telling you what items you have due for tomorrow. Also, if you don't finish an assignment before it is due, Power Planner will remind you an hour before that class, telling you that you have incomplete items.
The app also has an excellent interface that makes adding assignments super fast. When adding homework assignments, you can simply press the "return" button on the keyboard to jump to the next box on the page. Also, Power Planner remembers your last selected class and due date, so you can quickly add multiple things to the same class faster than any other app.
And Power Planner now has an advanced grading system that allows you to use custom grade and GPA scales, weighted grades, classes with credits, etc!
And Power Planner has the best live tile! You can see when your next items are due without even opening the app!!
Tell me what you think of the demo video, and if you have any features you would like to see added to the app, list them here!
Source: This thread
Download: http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=46a9c430-f253-4043-99c6-bc600335e9de
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Price: Free or $1.99 (paid version has a few extra features, but free trial is fully functional and is ad-free)
Will this be able to add the assignments as events in your calander? Specifically google calandar? I use that for most of my classes, and if it could integrate with that, then this app would be amazing!
uncled1023 said:
Will this be able to add the assignments as events in your calander? Specifically google calandar? I use that for most of my classes, and if it could integrate with that, then this app would be amazing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have to look into adding that. How exactly do you want them to be added to a calendar?
Homework assignments really dont have a certain time and duration... Just like your general to-do list doesn't have those things. Would you want it to add your assignments to the to-do section of Google? Or for it to generate actual calendar appointments??
ace10134 said:
I'll have to look into adding that. How exactly do you want them to be added to a calendar?
Homework assignments really dont have a certain time and duration... Just like your general to-do list doesn't have those things. Would you want it to add your assignments to the to-do section of Google? Or for it to generate actual calendar appointments??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would love for it to add like a 1 hour time slot appointment at the time its due. Or have an option that if you pick a due time as well as date, it will add it as an appointment for that time, or as a todo for that date.
uncled1023 said:
I would love for it to add like a 1 hour time slot appointment at the time its due. Or have an option that if you pick a due time as well as date, it will add it as an appointment for that time, or as a todo for that date.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like it's really simple to use the Google Calendar API. I'll definitely try it out. If I ever add it, I'll be sure to post here telling you I did!
EDIT: Hmm, I don't think the Calendar API works with Silverlight... so that could be tough to add in. I don't have the skills right now to figure that out (hell I'm just starting to learn Java, it's my freshman year at college hah). Maybe in the future.
Looks like a nice app. Waiting for it to hit marketplace.
chaitanya91845 said:
Looks like a nice app. Waiting for it to hit marketplace.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It just hit the marketplace! http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=46a9c430-f253-4043-99c6-bc600335e9de
Unfortunately, I noticed a few bugs right after I submitted it 5 days ago.... so I already fixed them but the update won't be live until probably 12/16.
The major bug is that the homework tip will keep on appearing, even though the user has already seen it. For now, you could make it disappear by adding a homework item, and then before closing the app, edit the homework item, and then the app should remember that you saw the tip! It's an issue with me forgetting to put the SaveChangesToDatabase after the user clicked OK to the tip... very simple fix.
If you come across that bug (or the bug where in the Add Notes section, if you multitask and return to the page, it becomes unusable), please don't rate the app down cause of them... because they're fixed! Thanks and I'm looking forward to your feedback!
New version will also bring the ability to set custom reminders for exam items! (paid version).
why don't you just provide the same version XAP here? This will help XDA community users to test the bugs in new version as well
withwindows said:
why don't you just provide the same version XAP here? This will help XDA community users to test the bugs in new version as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you can do the trial/paid thing with an XAP.
drumercalzone09 said:
I don't think you can do the trial/paid thing with an XAP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. Otherwise I would be fine with providing the XAP
Version 2.0 coming in a week!
I'll be releasing an update that should hit the marketplace in about a week, adding tons of new features!
Live Tile showing how many items are overdue, due today, or do tomorrow, or none
Splash screen
Extremely advanced grade/GPA system
Contextual "+" add button
And more!
The grading system will allow you to enter individual grades (like Test 1, Test 2, homework 1, etc) for each class. Then it will calculate your current grade. WP7 doesn't really have any apps that do this, so Power Planner is basically the first!
It also calculates your cumulative GPA.
The grade/GPA system is extremely customizable and accepts everything from honors/AP classes, custom grade scales, weighted grades, classes with credits, classes with no credits, classes with 0 credits, grade scales with the letter "E" instead of "F", etc!
The grading system is exclusive to the paid version though, since that took a TON of work to add. The live tile, however, is available to everyone.
Look forward to an update in about a week! And tell your friends about Power Planner if they have a Windows Phone, thanks!
I'm sure some kids are going to get killed by their teacher because they use their phone in class Thanks though
seiferflo said:
I'm sure some kids are going to get killed by their teacher because they use their phone in class Thanks though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol yeah, some teachers are lame like that
i just got it and reviewed lol. everything is really nice. in college i have never had a problem using my phone in class. this app hopefully will help cuz i do well on exams, homework on the other hand is my downfall. 5*
chrisizzle492 said:
i just got it and reviewed lol. everything is really nice. in college i have never had a problem using my phone in class. this app hopefully will help cuz i do well on exams, homework on the other hand is my downfall. 5*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I'm glad you find it useful and that you'll be taking advantage of the office hours/website feature. That's one of my favorites, since I usually throw away the class syllabus and can never find office hours lol.
Enjoy! If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions, you can find my email address in Power Planner's settings -> About page.
Update 2.0
Version 2.0 just hit the marketplace! New features include Live Tile, grading/GPA system, contextual "+" button for classes/exams, and more!
awesome app. to bad im not in school. how bout a a version for work
I bought this app. It's great, good job. One question, how does backup work in the new update? I was just checking it out, and i have to sign in to hotmail. Does it backup to Skydrive? Just wondering before i start entering passwords.
benjammin said:
I bought this app. It's great, good job. One question, how does backup work in the new update? I was just checking it out, and i have to sign in to hotmail. Does it backup to Skydrive? Just wondering before i start entering passwords.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sweet I'm glad you got the update already!
Backup uses Skydrive. When you enter your password and email, you're giving it directly to Microsoft and it never sees me. That's how the Skydrive API works. I also never see your backed up data, it's all stored on your Skydrive account.
Once you backup, you can go to your SkyDrive and you'll see your data in a folder called IsolatedDataStorage. You can actually open the text documents in there and view the raw data if you would like!
ace10134 said:
Sweet I'm glad you got the update already!
Backup uses Skydrive. When you enter your password and email, you're giving it directly to Microsoft and it never sees me. That's how the Skydrive API works. I also never see your backed up data, it's all stored on your Skydrive account.
Once you backup, you can go to your SkyDrive and you'll see your data in a folder called IsolatedDataStorage. You can actually open the text documents in there and view the raw data if you would like!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a good idea. I really want to develop for windows phone 7, but i have zero imagination or creativity haha.
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Note: This version of the app has hit its token limit, for more info on my plans and its future, check out this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=56228193&postcount=553
Hello guys! From the creators of Sliding Messaging Pro, I would like to announce one of our new projects: Talon for Twitter!
This one, along with klinkdawg's EvolveSMS are the two brand new apps that we have been creating the past few months. They are full of polish, features, and beautiful design and KitKat style! Both of these apps are availible on the Google Play store today, but lets get to know Talon a little first
Talon for Twitter - Google Play Store
-----------------------------------------------------
Play Store Description:
Get fully immersed in your Twitter with this beautiful, feature PACKED Twitter client with a design that actually makes sense!
Created with Android 4.4 (KitKat) in mind. Includes full screen layouts, stunning animations and more! Of course that doesn't mean earlier versions of android get left out! The only thing that wasn't able to be recreated in Android 4.3 and below was the transparent navigation and status bars... Sorry! It just isn't possible
Beautiful, up-to-date layouts, designs, and neat animations isn't the only thing Talon has going for it though! The list of features is enormous as well, doing everything you could ever want from a Twitter app right off the bat. Even though it is new, I have added every single major and minor Twitter feature that I think is absolutely essential plus a ton that most people wouldn't even think of. Here is a pretty comprehensive list of its features:
Twitter features:
- Live streaming support
- Support for 2 accounts
- View your timelines (main, mentions, direct messages, links, and pictures)
- View retweets, favorites, Local and world trending, user profiles, Twitter lists, and more
- Favorite users
- Search Twitter
- Delete, favorite, retweet, quote, and reply to statuses
- view replies to statuses
- Update your profile picture, banner, location, and user description
- block, follow, and add users to lists
- search for your friends to tweet at
- Attach pictures to your tweets
- Attach locations to your tweets
- And the list goes on
Customization features:
- Extremely powerful developer theme engine (Read the second post )
- Choose between either "Talon" or "Hangouts" layouts
- Choose from 3 beautiful base themes (light, dark, and pitch black)
- Custom text sizes
- Night mode
- Auto-Refresh options
- Custom notification settings
- And many other goodies in there as well!
App Features:
- "Talon Pull" to be always listening for interactions (mentions, retweets, favorites, new followers, and direct messages)
- Expandable, actionable, and dynamic notification system
- Full app popup
- Full emoji support
- View in-line Twitter and Instagram pictures
- View in-line YouTube thumbnails
- Native YouTube player
- In-app browser
- Complete landscape and tablet modes
- Advance to new pages in a "windowed" viewing mode
- Never leave your timeline with in-line replies, favorites, and retweets
- Actionable toast bar so you always know where you are and can jump to the top
- Hiding action bar
- "Do not disturb" mode
- Widget for main timeline
- DashClock Extension
- Draft system for unsent/failed tweets
- Google style pull to refresh for quick refreshing
- Save tweet pictures
- Share content with other apps, to and from Talon
You will never go back to your old Twitter client again!
Enjoy Talon and don't hesitate to contact me with questions, requests, or bugs!
Thanks!
Contact me (Luke Klinker):
Email: [email protected]
My Twitter: @lukeklinker
Talon's Twitter: @TalonAndroid
Google+ Beta Page
Emojis
Here are two different emoji plugins for you to choose from, choose whichever suits you best, install it and never worry about it again!
Sliding Emoji Keyboard - Android
Sliding Emoji Keyboard - iOS
Permissions Explained:
- Write to Storage: Saves pictures to your SD card and writes them into the cache.
- Read from Storage: Used when backing up settings.
- Location: Used for trends and attaching locations to tweets.
- Network Communication: Obviously have to be able to interact with Twitter
- Network State: Used so the user can toggle background sync to only over WiFi.
- Run at Startup: Re-schedules the background refreshes.
- Keep Awake: Used for background refreshes and waking the screen.
- Vibrate: Used for the notifications.
Credits:
- Jacob Klinker: to many things to list! Tons of ideas, support, and inspiration
- Aaron Klinker: Icon Design
- Other open-source libraries and resources used can be found under the 'Get Help' section in settings.
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Screenshots:
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Closing Comments:
I have worked really hard to bring you guys a great experience right from the start this time and it really shows, from the login screen to the timelines, you will be fully satisfied with the design, execution and finesse that Talon brings to your phone. It isn't going to take months to get up to speed like Sliding Messaging did. I have designed this to be efficient, fast, and just work, right from the start. I learned a ton from that app and Talon goes to show just how much.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do, sound off in the comments with question, concerns, suggestion, or whatever else you feel like saying about the app!
One more thing to say before I leave you here, please remember that this is XDA, and you are all expected to be a little bit different Android users, if you are having a force close or something, I would like you to be able to post a logcat of it. If you are wondering about why I did something the way I did, then I will probably explain it to you in a programming sense instead of how I would to a normal user on the Google+ beta page or something, because that makes much more sense to me, is easier on me, and you should be able to understand it a little bit better... Just keep that in mind and stay on topic please
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
1.) Push Notifications
I am just going to say this now, before anyone asks: Push notifications will not be coming to Talon unless something changes with the Twitter APIs. I have created "Talon Pull" with is simply an always on, listening/streaming service that will receive new tweets from Twitter whenever your Twitter handle is included. To read more about this option, look at the "Talon Pull" section below the "Reasons" section.
Reasons
This will be the more technical part of this post, if you don't want to read and understand it, then you will have to just accept my answer from above. If you don't accept that I know what I am talking about... Then by all means, read on, I will try to keep it as simple as possible.
To access Twitter, they have provided us with the REST APIs (currently version 1.1). These APIs allow developers to communicate with Twitter in real time by just submitting requests to get data from the network. They make it relatively simple - if you know what your doing - to obtain the data that they allow you to get and store, but there are plenty of limitations to these APIs, which make sense: Twitter is a completely free service and make their money off of advertisements. They want people to use their official Twitter products (such as the web or their own Android app) to access their services because they are able to place advertisements in them and that is the only way they make money. So they just aren't going to make some things available for 3rd party developers.
One of those things is their push notification system. As I said before, they allow us to access their services with these REST APIs, but they also have a Streaming API available so that a 3rd party service, such as this one, could be "always connected". Sounds great right? Maybe, maybe not. More testing probably needs to go into it, because it is very new in Talon. For the past few weeks though, I can say that it doesn't seem to take up much more battery than sycning on an intervol does. So try it and let me know. I have done the best I can to optimize this service, but if you want to know more about it, read below in the "Talon Pull" section
What these streaming APIs should be used for is a server side interaction that would then connect to GCM (Google Cloud Messaging) and send push notifications from there. I would love to say I am working on something like this, but it isn't possible for a developer like me. I don't have the time, resources, or knowledge to set up a complex server like this. The knowledge I could get, but I am a 20 year old kid, working off of this 1 MB/sec internet connection while being a full time college student at the University of Iowa. I wouldn't be able to handle the upkeep of the system like this or the traffic. I just don't have the backend necessary for this type of thing, and there aren't many developers who do. So push notifications from the server side? Way out of the question.
That leaves only one thing to do: wait. Maybe Twitter will open up some kind of push notification service to it's developers, but I wouldn't count on that. The ideal thing for them to do would be to set up their own GCM server for us to communicate with, but I don't see that as being likely at all because of the advertising. That would take away one of the main draws for their app, leaving it with almost nothing that 3rd party developers can't do. For now though, "Talon Pull" seems to be working well and I would encourage you all to try it out. Battery seems to be fine, the one drawback is that you must be connected to a datasource right when the interaction happens or it won't be saved or shown.
Talon Pull - My solution/workaround
As I said before, this is NOT push notifications. Push notifications are sent to your device to notify you from some kind of server. They aren't always on, and only turn on when your device receives the info from the web service.
Talon Pull on the other hand, uses Twitter's Streaming API to just create an "always on" service to be constantly listening for and streaming tweets that contain your Twitter Handle. The way this works is that you are signed in with your API keys after you turn on the option to enable Talon Pull. I then just create this "listener" that Twitter's servers will send new tweets to. Luckily, they will take care of most of the filtering of those tweets on their end, to reduce the load as much as possible on your device (because before the filtering, it literally will receive every single public tweet that is happening. It was amazing when I first flipped and saw the tweets flowing over my log haha). So we filter it down to as few of tweets actually reaching your device as possible, then I start broadcasting the notifications when you receive the new ones.
Overall, it is a relatively simple process, the problem with it though, you have probably already realized, you have to be constantly connected with a data service or the app won't know when to receive the new tweets. Obviously that is the part that is going to end up taking the battery (if it does), not "bloated" or "un-optimized" code as some of you I sure believed. So far though, through my testing, it doesn't seem to have a very big impact on battery overall, but I suppose that it potentially could if you are using Twitter that much more than I do.
If there was a better way, I wish I could find it. I think that this is the method that most 3rd party services use to send you those fake "push notifications". So there ya have it, hope you learned something. It works well and it is the only way to get a lot of information like who favorited or retweeted your statuses
Conclusion
Thanks for the read, if you made it all the way, hope that gives you an idea as to why push notifications just aren't even an option at this point and what my solution to that problem has been, even if it is not ideal. It works, and it seems to be working quite well for me.
So just know: "Talon Pull" isn't quite the same as push notifications, but it is as close as you are going to get and is working better for me than I would have ever imagined. Enjoy!
2.) Translucency
Why aren’t my status bar and navigation bar translucent like in all of the screenshots?!?
This is an Android 4.4 KitKat feature only. Get a new phone/ROM if you want it.
3.) Theming Support and Limitations
We have created a pretty powerful theme engine for Talon and EvolveSMS this time around, but it isn't without its limitations.
The main app color will always be orange. Don't ask to change it. That isn't something I can theme dynamically or read from an add on package, themers can change the orange glow on the in-line buttons (favorite, retweet, and send), but that is as much as your are going to get with that one.
4.) Viewing users who "retweet" and "favorite" your statuses
This is another thing that isn't going to happen at this point. It isn't possible to get the user ID's or their names with the current version of the API's.
Maybe Twitter will open this up in the future, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.For now, the best you will get is the numbers on them
The only way to get this information is through the use of "Talon Pull" and the Streaming API's. When you get a retweet or favorite, it will be put in the interactions drawer on the right side of any activities with drawers.The only way to get this information is through the use of "Talon Pull" and the Streaming API's. When you get a retweet or favorite, it will be put in the interactions drawer on the right side of any activities with drawers.
5.) Clearing the Cache
If you know much about caching in Android, then you may wonder why in the world I would want to clear it every time you switch themes.
The answer is pretty simple: to vastly improve the performance and the smooth scrolling in the app, I save the profile pictures according to the current theme's style, whether that is circle (like the "Talon" layout) or square (like the "Hangouts" layout). This preference is also available to themers in the add-on themes.
By caching them directly as circles, it alleviates the need to do it on the fly which could consume quite a bit of processing power on older phones and would just be a complete waste to render them like that every time.
You may think it is a hassle, but you would be thanking me if you knew the difference it makes.
You can also view the current cache size and clear it manually from "Advanced Settings".
6.) Battery Consumption
If you use Talon a lot throughout the day, it is going to take up battery, simple as that. I find that on a 30 min refresh intervol for the different timelines and manually going in and browsing/updating throughout the day, it takes about 4-5% of my battery. I would say this is pretty normal because there are days that Google+ takes up to 10% with just casual browsing.
If that isn't acceptable for you though, then there are a few things you can do to reduce battery consumption:
1.) Turn down the refresh interval on the timelines. This is the big one. It is those background services that are going to drain your battery.
2.) Turn off "Refresh on Startup".
3.) Turn off "Talon Pull" and "Live Streaming"
4.) Don't have it sync the second account's mentions
And if all else fails... Get off Twitter and do something productive for awhile =D haha any app that accesses the internet and refreshes as much as a Twitter client is inherently going to use more battery in the background. There are ways to reduce it, but not always ways around it!
7.) Custom ROMs Immersive Mode
My custom ROM has "Immersive Mode" and Talon doesn't seem to play nice with it! What's up with that?!
The way that immersive mode works in your ROMs currently isn't so hot unfortunately. There is a reason Google didn't put it into the whole system because app developers would have problems implementing the "translucency" with conflicting system stuff.
Not to fret to much though, I was able to get things working smoothly with it in Talon. The problem was that my ListView's are expanded through the different system bars. This can be a big problem if you try to switch to "Immersive" in the middle of doing something in the app. You will notice the margins get all wanky on the top and the bottom of your lists.
It can be easily solve though by just restarting the app by swiping it out of your recent apps screen. Sorry, but that is the best I am going to be able to do here, Translucent bars an "Immersive Mode" just weren't meant to work together.
Theming in Talon
Theming in Talon for Twitter
Real quick, before you get to far into the content, I want to let all you developers know about one of, if not the standout feature of Talon and EvolveSMS: one incredibly powerful theme engine.
Along with these apps, me and Jacob have completely redesigned and rethought our old "Theme Engine" from Sliding Messaging! Although the Sliding Messaging one was cool and great for the average user to customize, it was slow, cluttered, limited, and just bad design from a developer perspective. This won't be an issue with these apps though. We remade everything about it to bring you the ultimate themeing and customization experience, without the bloat and slowdowns. You won't be disappointed when you see what it can do!
All this theme engine takes is a little bit of knowledge about layouts and resources in Android, along with the Android SDK to compile and distribute your package as an APK, then you can make both of these apps into literally ANYTHING you want. We are able to read the layouts, drawables, and some of the colors directly from your compiled package and place them in our apps! Sweet huh, you thought this kind of design your own thing was only for homescreens
And the best part: it is completely free and you can easily share these themes with anyone when you are done by just sending the APK or putting it on the Google Play Store!
For more info on these and to start making Talon really your own, check out these links:
1.) Talon Theming Example/Walkthrough on GitHub
2.) Google+ Community Theming Section - A great place to share so anyone can see and use your themes, not just XDA users
3.) Google+ Theming Post
gonna try it out soon
Amazing Twitter app, absolutely loving it so far. It is just stunning, and kudos to going with transparent navbar instead of immersive, it looks fantastic and doesn't require a gesutre to get to.
Yeah, I completely agree that transparent is the way to go over immersive on something like this, it takes more work, but definitely with it!
Why do you only support for 2 accounts? It's just a question!
Pac-Man said:
Why do you only support for 2 accounts? It's just a question!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, a little embarrassing, but because the logic behind coding more than that gets way complex... haha
klinkdawg24 said:
Well, a little embarrassing, but because the logic behind coding more than that gets way complex... haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry! But I hope you'll add multiaccount. There're a lot of people that love it
Anyway it's a good app with a perfect design. My sincerelly congratulations!
Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk
Will love to try it, I paid for falcon and then it got free
Hoping for xda version
Maybe I'm just stupid.. How do you pull up replies to others tweets? Beautiful app btw... Love it...
wow this app looks beautiful, would love to try it, unfortunately, i dont have a credit card and can't purchase from google play. Will there be a free or xda version coming soon? if not is there any way for me to try this out? signed up for the beta as well
I got the app a couple of hours ago and it's amazing.
Just a few things..
Where did the Talon Pull notifications go when they are received? I have to manually to update the timeline anyway.
You have to pull down for too long in order to update. You should adjust it
You should definitely implement threaded DMs, that would be pretty cool
Great app btw,
donwhall70 said:
Maybe I'm just stupid.. How do you pull up replies to others tweets? Beautiful app btw... Love it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
right now, you can only look backwards at tweets, looking forward will come when i figure it out haha
alkspo said:
wow this app looks beautiful, would love to try it, unfortunately, i dont have a credit card and can't purchase from google play. Will there be a free or xda version coming soon? if not is there any way for me to try this out? signed up for the beta as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, because of the token limit, this app is going to be paid, I thought about an XDA version with different tokens, but that would just go against Twitters rules still
Kage0x said:
I got the app a couple of hours ago and it's amazing.
Just a few things..
Where did the Talon Pull notifications go when they are received? I have to manually to update the timeline anyway.
You have to pull down for too long in order to update. You should adjust it
You should definitely implement threaded DMs, that would be pretty cool
Great app btw,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.) They go to the interactions drawer on the right, make sure you are on the newest version and it will work better (1.01)
2.) i changed it for the version im releasing now
3.) yeah the dm's have a lot of work i know!
Version 1.05
(up in ~2 hours)
Well, day one is coming to a close and i have added some nice stuff for all of you
There was an update earlier that solved some issues with the Talon Pull service not working and tweets being saved twice in some places. That was version 1.01.
Changelog for 1.05:
Correctly mute retweets
- Higher quality images on timeline
- Dismiss all on interactions drawer
- In-app browser is now optional
- Lowered swipe length for Pull to Refresh
- Option to display both screenname and name on timeline tweets
- Open app from clicking icon on widget
- Finished German translation
- Fixed contact images on layout change
- Attempted fixes for Play Store crash reports
I hopefully got the force closes that were reported today taken care of. Although there weren't many, which makes me happy
Let me know how this version works for all of you!
hi mate
the last update is wonderful
it fix almost every complain ppl have.... BUT.....
PLEASE and i repeat PLEASE don't use the same way of plume to manage DM
the DM must be in threaded conversations, with the ability to delete entire threads, just like a normal "sms" application does, and just like tweetbot does.
please fix the dm section and this could be the real deal for android users.
faremoney said:
hi mate
the last update is wonderful
it fix almost every complain ppl have.... BUT.....
PLEASE and i repeat PLEASE don't use the same way of plume to manage DM
the DM must be in threaded conversations, with the ability to delete entire threads, just like a normal "sms" application does, and just like tweetbot does.
please fix the dm section and this could be the real deal for android users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DMs will get a big rewrite, but I have a few other things I need to do first
klinkdawg24 said:
DMs will get a big rewrite, but I have a few other things I need to do first
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very nice app. I only have two "issues" Local Trends is displaying trendings from another country. The same happened to me with Falcon Pro so, I guess you both use same location service. It would be nice to have an option to select trends manually for people who is living in another country and wanna know what is happenning in their "home"
The other issue I found is that I think data loading is faster in other Twitter clients especially with timeline refresh
OK, this gets better and better.
The pull to refresh is better than before, but it still needs some improvement. Take a look at how the one from the gmail app behaves. That one is perfect. But this is just a minor issue, so it's not a big deal
Regarding the DM issue, could you at least change the order in which they are displayed, or at least give us the opportunity to do so? It's kinda weird to have the old ones first. But it really depends on long will it take to rewrite the whole thing, if you're going to do it
Also, I really think mentions notifications from the Talon Pull should go directly into the mentions tab instead of the additional drawer, but maybe that's just me
awesome. perhaps the only competitor falсon. you can do that display images if given a direct link to it? (everywhere)
view who retweet/favorite. display real-time, I mean like 20:14, but not 14 minutes ago. thx, man.