[gypsymoth]

I have been reading a bit about the Pandigital Novel Android Hack on various web sites and here. And I understand that the volume button is assigned the "menu" and the "back" functionality. Based on what I read, people's biggest complaint is that there is no "home" button.So I have a question/idea regarding this "home" button, but let me give you some background on how my question came along . . .I've ran Android 1.6, 2.1, and 2.2 on my HTC Touch (Verizon XV6900) SmartPhone for a few month now and it works pretty good. This device has the following button mappingower -> Wake Up / KeyboardCamera -> Back / HomeTalk -> CallEnd -> Sleep / Power-offVolume -> VolumeThis page shows how the button are activated in detail:Google Android Button Functions on HTC Touch .Verizon XV6900. Vogue.The point is that the "back" functionality is one button press, while the "home" functionality is holding down the button for two seconds.Now, couldn't the Pandigital Novel button hack be modified so that the volume slider function as "back" when you slide it and let go. And then function as "home" when you hold it down for two seconds? Was there technical difficulties with this idea?Chieh

 

[clockworx]

Sounds good, get on it. Let us know if there are any technical difficulties!

 

[HaTaX]

Yup, looked at the key handling code, but really it's not at the top of an already long list.

I'm sure that's something that will be added in eventually.

 

[gypsymoth]

[quote name='clockworx;40352]Sounds good' date=' get on it. Let us know if there are any technical difficulties![/QUOTE'] I wouldn't mind that. Unfortunately, I don't have a Pandigital Novel.Chieh

 

[gypsymoth]

Currently, how do you exit an activity and get to the home screen? Do you just keep pushing back until you are out? So in the Android browser, let say you visited 10 web pages, do you push back 10 times to exit the browser?Chieh

 

[clockworx]

Yes. The built in browser has a an exit button, technically, so there's not much need. But with a stock browser, yes, you would.People who find themselves doing it often probably install the software that adds a home button to the notification bar.

 

[gortyargen]

People who find themselves doing it often probably install the software that adds a home button to the notification bar.

Anyone able to point me in the direction of that, please. Sounds like a winner. Also are there any nice wee volume control widget thingys that could be installed in the notification bar?Thanks, every little tweak helps

 

[ibulucea]

If it helps at all, the "hold" functionality for the BACK button (aka "volume down") is already implemented as the only way to exit the Skyfire browser on the PDN. While in Skyfire, one press of the button works as "back", while holding the button pops up a screen that gives you the choice of exiting the browser.

 

[geebekazoo]

[quote name='gortyargen;41165]Anyone able to point me in the direction of that' date=' please. Sounds like a winner. Also are there any nice wee volume control widget thingys that could be installed in the notification bar?Thanks, every little tweak helps [/QUOTE'] You need to install BarControl, SmartBar and HomeSwitcher. BarControl will allow you to add apps and widgets onto the notification bar. So you can put an icon for HomeSwitcher up there. SmartBar improves the total functionality of the notification bar, making it like a taskbar with built-in ways to control volume, wi-fi and lots of other stuff. You can get them all from the site in my sig...

 

[gortyargen]

Thanks. Off to plunder your site right now

 

[gortyargen]

Done... now have home and volume widget thingys. Nice. The PDN really is becoming the little train that could. Now where's the feckin source code so the wizards here can right the wrongs?

 

[NovelIdea]

I use the Soft Home App, Soft Home v0.1 Application for Android | Tools

 

[aludal]

NovelIdea, could you describe your novel idea? Err... that soft Home, that is. I mean, how does it deal with orientation problem?TIA

 

[jalandar2]

Essentially it allows you to pull down the notification bar and have a clickable shortcut to return to the home screen without closing the current app. As far as I know, there is no orientation problem with doing that.

 

[NovelIdea]

[quote name='aludal;41565]NovelIdea' date=' could you describe your novel idea? Err... that soft Home, that is. I mean, how does it deal with orientation problem?[/QUOTE'] Silly me, as this thread is named "Home Functionality on Padigital Novel", I thought suggesting a soft home key would be of use. I am using the Panda Home which gives me 3 orientations, excluding power plug down. I have had no major problems with display orientation after upgrading from the original firmware.