Tonight's edition of ALMM is about making your Android device a little more minimal.
Due to the growing popularity of Android (I'm looking at you, Verizon), more and more people are buying devices. One of the features of the Android platform is to customize your homescreen with little widgets, internet bookmarks, applications, and the like. And with more and more applications being added to the market, devices feature available number of homescreens in their specification sheets.
However, do we really need SEVEN home screens, cluttered up with tons of applications and giant widgets that are only for show, and ultimately consume battery life in the long run?
The answer is no.
Below are screenshots of my three homescreens on my MyTouch3G Slide. Yes, three.
So let me start with my first screen:
The "Task" Screen
At the top of my screen is my Power Control Widget, which has the ability to turn on/off any major settings, like 2G/3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. It's handy to have because it saves time from going into setting every time you want to turn off GPS after you're through using Google Maps. A lot of different phones have a type of Power Control Widget, with various different customizable settings. Take advantage of that widget, it has the potential of saving you a few precious hours of battery life!
Bottom left hand corner is my Music widget. I use this because I like having music running in the background without having to go directly into the Music application, and you can play/pause/skip any song through this widget. Certain phones have this widget installed, others have alternatives. Also, certain phones [HTC phones, to name a few], have a certain special feature where your phone's lockscreen turns into a music player when you have music playing. If your phone has that, then the widget isn't for you.
Bottom right hand corner is my DailyHoroscope widget. I'm an avid Horoscoper, and I enjoy checking my horoscope every day, regardless whether or not it's correct. This little widget takes up one small space on your homescreen [1x1 to be exact!] and can be customized to automatically direct you to your horoscope sign. You can even customize the colors of the widget, too! Try it out by scanning the QR code using your phone's barcode scanner!
On to my second screen...
The "Default" Screen
I set this screen as my default screen because it has everything I need on it: Clock Widget, and my messages. If you haven't noticed already, my home screen has no notifications bar, which is unusual for an Android device. Well, it's there, it's just hidden, because a cool feature of my Home Application, Zeam Launcher, has fullscreen mode, which spreads things out a few pixels. More appealing to the eyes.
Now you must be thinking, this screen isn't minimal! Ah yes, it isn't typically minimal, since minimal means to have nothing at all. But in Android terms, this is minimal, since there is no clutter, and everything has a purpose.
The top thinking is my clock widget, which is basically an HTC Sense knockoff widget. Dame functions, different name. If I was running Sense as my Home app, then I'd use the associated Sense Clock widget. But currently, I'm using Zeam, so this will have to do. This is widget is from the "Beautiful Widget" set, but it has been directly ripped from the application, and made available through the XDA forums. This was given to me by a friend. There are MANY other HTC Sense-like widgets available through the market, though, so don't be discouraged! I suggest buying "Beautiful Widgets", it's worth the $1.50, and it's customizable in millions of ways! Tons of skins and colors galore! QR Code below:
The next widget beneath that comes from "ChompSMS", a useful little Messaging Replacement Client that has a heck of a lot more options than the stock Messaging application with all Android phones. In my case, it's a great little widget to have because it gives you a little preview as to who sent you the message, and the option to reply, delete, or mark the message as read, all from your homescreen! It's really nifty, and free! You can customize your conversations to look like the iPhone if you desire, or anything else! So many options to choose from within the application! QR Code below:
Finally, my third screen...
My "Social Networking Screen"
I use this screen as my social networking hub, mainly for Facebook and Twitter. Although some might deem this unnecessary, since I have 2 widgets that serve the same potential purpose, I find a way to use both.
First off, I use Tweetdeck as my major updating client for updating my Facebook and my Twitter. One of the coolest things about this app is that you can merge your Facebook Friend Updates and your Twitter updates into one solid application, and you can reply to them as well! If someone sends you something directly from Twitter/Buzz/Facebook/FourSquare, you get a window column, which lets you reply directly from the post! Isn't that nifty? AND, with the September update, you get WIDGETS!
Tweetdeck was originally released as a Desktop client, available for literally every OS available [Windows, OSX, Linux, etc]. As the iPhone grew in popularity, Tweetdeck was then released onto iOS as well. And now, it has finally arrived on ANDROID! WOO! ---HOWEVER. There is a catch--a big one, especially if you are on ATT, or you are running an earlier build of Android. So ATTers and Cupcake/Donut users, listen up:
Tweetdeck, as of October 1st 2010, is in BETA TESTING. It is not yet available on the Android Market yet. The only way to download it is by going to the link below this body of text and signing up for the beta, by which an email will be sent to you, containing the link for download. Sorry ATT users, you might have to wait a little but longer before you can experience the true goodness of Tweetdeck. And Cupcake/Donut users? Go root your phone, and run an Eclair/Froyo rom, then download this awesome app:
http://jew.bz/andtweet
NOTE: IF YOU DON'T KNOW ALREADY, Beta Testing is the event by which you test out a product that is on the road towards a completed, full, release. Yes, there are bugs. And yes, they will be fixed in time. If you don't have the patience to work around the bugs, and use a Beta application to its current fullest potential, then don't bother downloading a Beta app, and find an alternative. That being said, IF you encounter any bugs within Tweetdeck [BETA], let the developers know so that they can fix it asap!
Now, I have the Tweetdeck icon beneath the Tweetdeck widget because AT THIS TIME, I cannot access the Tweetdeck home screen from the widget. I can only start the actual app if I click the icon, then I can get to the app's homescreen.
Beneath that is my handy Twitter widget, which is used JUST IN CASE Tweetdeck doesn't work. I also use the Twitter app to post from my alternate Twitter when things get hairy.
AND THAT'S ALL FOLKS.
In a nutshell, these are my current home screens. And right now, I'm beginning to think that I confused MINIMAL with EFFICIENT. Oh well. I hope this helps, Android users!
Ωπ
