Archive for: UI
Despite rumors claiming Sense UI 3.0 would have some sort of backwards compatibility with more powerful, older hardware, HTC has officially come forward and said that any such statements are inherently false. A recent tweet on the company’s twitter account dishes the grim details:
…due to Sense’s hardware requirements, only our newest devices (Flyer, EVO 3D, Sensation) will be able to support it.
While it isn’t necessarily surprising given the added eye candy, it is disappointing nonetheless. It appears that HTC’s newer 1.5GHz single-core processor is the bare minimum. Of course, overclocking some previous-gen hardware could net speeds relatively close…
However, when there’s a will, there’s XDA to provide a way. Look for Sense UI 3.0 to start popping up on older hardware (unofficially of course) in the not too distant future.
Update
Clarification: aspects of the latest HTC Sense won’t work on some previous devices. We are working to incorporate other aspects that will.
Perhaps it won’t be so bad stickin’ around with an older HTC device after all…
Fans of HTC’s popular Sense UI skin that currently lays atop countless Android devices spanning the globe will no doubt be pleased to know a revamp is on the horizon. Debuting on the HTC EVO 3D, the new HTC Sense will feature tweaked lockscreen allowing more customization from a stock device than ever before. Other enhancements to the new Sense UI also include refinements in navigation allowing less clicks to get to the users’ desired app or service.
As of writing, the EVO 3D does not have a specific confirmed release date, though “this summer” is the everyone’s best (and obvious) guess.
We here at GS thought it was a bold, yet welcome move when we saw Toyota release an official Toyota Scion theme for distribution in the Cydia App Store. Apple on the other hand wasn’t too thrilled. In a forum post detailed over at ModMyi, forum owner and repo admin Kyle Matthews claims to have been contacted by Toyota’s advertising agency “Velti”. The story is that Apple contacted the ad agency more or less demanding the ad be removed from circulation as well as the theme. After a couple of phone calls the deed was done and the Toyota Scion theme is no more.
Perhaps someone should tip Apple off to the fact that it is 100% legal to jailbreak and make use of Cydia…
- December 15, 2010 8:49 am
Since the Windows Phone 7 release several weeks back, HTC has been a rather low key player in a market they normal grab by the horns. One area in particular that HTC has left relatively untouched so far is their Sense UI apps and services on Windows Phone 7. But today, HTC is bringing some much needed, albeit small improvements to their Windows Phone 7 offerings.
Most notably, the latest HTC Hub update brings live weather tiles. It’s a simple but big improvement as it allows WP7 users to check the weather without having to actually open the app. And since Microsoft is all about “getting back to your life” with WP7, such an update from HTC is well warranted.
Pick up the update in the HTC section of Windows Marketplace starting today.
While RIM has been criticized many times in the past for their aging UI and OS in the modern era with such competitors as webOS, Android, and iOS, a new acquisition could spell success for the Canadian-based company. David Yach, Chief Technology Officer at RIM announced today via the company’s BlackBerry Blog that RIM is acquiring Swedish UI designer TAT The Astonishing Tribe. If you haven’t already seen some of TAT’s phenomenal UI work, take a few minutes to check out some examples on their site. You’ll quickly realize how much of a saving grace this is for RIM.
Hopefully, the underpinnings of QNX combined with some slick pixels from TAT blend well on the upcoming PlayBook tablet. Because if they do, RIM could instantly launch themselves back to the forefront of smartphone innovation with both a powerful OS and a good looking one to boot powering their entire line of devices.
I’m sure Apple has spent countless man-hours determining a suitable Mission Control UI. Such staple features of a new OS update aren’t taken without immense consideration for a number of varying factors. In Apple’s case, the Mission Control we saw shown off was certainly graphically pleasing to the eye. But it could be so much more.
While I’m generally not a huge fan of the 3D fanaticism that’s currently enveloping the tech market, this 3D-ified Mission Control designed by Zach Forrester is actually pretty unique. As website Beautiful Pixels points out, it may look good now, but how well will it scale to Apple’s assortment of devices and screens?
Given the needed resources and delay in actually switching (due to waiting for transitions and such), I wonder how useful a 3D Mission Control would actually be. Although, if there’s anyone who could pull off a risky UI decision, Apple would be one of my first picks.
What do you guys think: To 3D or not to 3D?
- September 14, 2010 9:06 pm
TweetDeck for Android is hands down one of the best looking Twitter clients for the platform. I’ve got a thing for dark, matte, simple UI’s. To that effect, TweetDeck for Android tickles me fancily. But for some, it may not be dark enough. If you haven’t got the want or the ability to theme TweetDeck yourself, the fine folks at WJD Designs do.
Those rockin’ a Samsung device will find that this TweetDeck theme closely resembles the Touch Wiz interface with it’s generous helping of blue hues. Personally, I prefer the stock TweetDeck color scheme a bit more. The dark greys and blacks are slick. I’m not to take credit away from the designers though. It’s just not my cup of tea. But therein lies one of the strengths of Android — if you don’t like it, change it.
Get to it: Download “TweetDark” from WJD Designs.
The big Android news tonight is not of any one piece of hardware coming to light, but instead a glimpse at the software the G2 will be running. The big drama behind the Froyo build for the HTC G2 is that so far, Sense UI isn’t mentioned anywhere in the ROM’s internal files structure. As you all may know, HTC hasn’t let an Android device slip from their grasp without their custom skin wrapped nicely around Android’s more delicate parts in quite a while. So to see the G2 without Sense is pretty surprising.
Zapote21 has put together the wallpaper you see above, showing the G2′s ROM’s inner workings. On top of that, the master of the evening has gotten the ROM up and running on his own device and has confirmed it’s stock Android — no Sense. Perhaps HTC is witholding Sense from these final few test builds before release. That’s really all I’ve got, and honestly, it’s pretty weak.
The only disappointing part I can think of off the top of my head is that the G2 won’t ship with Android 3.0 has was rumored often in the past. Still, for an HTC-powered sliding-QWERTY Android device on T-Mobile, it’s not bad at all. Of course, with 1.5GHz and dual-core phones on the near horizon, is it really worth jumping in now? In the meantime, head on over to AndroidGuys and pick up the more refine download feature the G2′s Froyo ROM for your hacking pleasure…
Yeah, HTC, Samsung, and Motorola may think their custom Android skins are too hot to trot, but real Android junkies know the hottest babe is a natural one. On that same note, every time a new superpowered Android device is released and subsequently associated with some custom skin, a little bit of me dies. By know you all know the deal — custom skins slow down the overall experience with lag and delay crucial updates.
Thankfully the Android development scene is becoming increasingly active and we devoted Android users have options. Exhibit A: XDA-Devs have managed to pump out a stock (read: no ugly skin in sight) Android 2.1 ROM for the T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant. That’s of course phenomenal news for Vibrant owners. Though the new fangled look isn’t without some cons, namely a MIA data connection and simliar no go on the camera front. But rest assured dear geek that the lead developer working on this ROM, Eugene373, is still chugging away. There isn’t a timeline for a full, bug-free release at the time of writing, but I’d guess another few weeks before it gets all ironed out.
Either way, this is really good news and should give those looking to remove custom skins from other devices a bit of new hope. Whataya think — Any Vibrant owners eager to rip TouchWiz off their devices? One thing’s for sure: that stock Android UI should certainly make the Hummingbird-powered device fly…
