widgets
Latest
Neato lets you take notes, send messages, and more from your iOS 8 widgets
For writers and business minded users everywhere, the iPhone is as much a note taking tool as it is a phone, web, or email device. The only hitch is having to open an app every time you want to take a note, though thanks to a new iOS 8 widget this everyday task can be done much faster. Neato allows you to write a note and save it to Dropbox or Evernote, send it out as mail, a text, or tweet, without ever opening an app. The widget appears in your Notification Center drop down menu with a simple swipe of your finger. Neato simulates the iOS keyboard for quick typing, and to keep things kosher with the Apple developer regulations for widgets. The only hitch is that learning to type on the smaller than normal keyboard takes a bit of practice. Currently Neato is available a free download from the iTunes store, so grab it now before you have to pony up your hard earned dollars.
Apple reverses decision on widget policy, PCalc in the clear
Yesterday, PCalc developer James Thomson revealed on Twitter that his top-rated app had been hit with a request from Apple asking for its widget functionality to be removed. The reason offered -- that a widget can't be allowed to perform any calculations -- seemed a bit strange, but the odd decision was no less heartbreaking for its developer. Today, it seems that PCalc may be allowed to function as its creator intended. After speaking with an Apple representative, TechCrunch is reporting that calculator widgets will be allowed to remain in the App Store without any changes. It seems that turning a widget into a quick-access calculator wasn't one of the possible uses Apple had dreamt up when it introduced widget functionality, and it seems to have caused a bit of confusion within the App Store review team. Nevertheless, PCalc appears to have been granted a new lease on life, which is great news.
Apple asks PCalc devs to remove app widget due to obscure rule
PCalc is one of the most popular utilities on the App Store, and since it made the move to iOS 8 and added Notification Center widget functionality, it got even better. Apple seemed to agree at first, and even promoted the app on its Featured page. Now, PCalc developer James Thomson has revealed on Twitter that Apple is forcing the removal of the app's widget due to a rule that is either brand new or hasn't been enforced thus far. Apple has told me that Notification Center widgets on iOS cannot perform any calculations, and the current PCalc widget must be removed. - James Thomson (@jamesthomson) October 29, 2014 "Apple has told me that Notification Center widgets on iOS cannot perform any calculations, and the current PCalc widget must be removed," Thomson wrote, adding that making the PCalc widgets perfect for iOS 8 was one of the most challenging parts of the most recent update. Apple later clarified to Thomson that a widget could only be allowed to accept a formula, but not actually perform a calculation. It's one thing for an app to run afoul of an obscure Apple guideline, but it's much less common for that to happen to an app that was not only approved but also promoted by Apple. We'll have to wait and see how this one pans out.
Vidgets has lots of widgets
Vidgets is a handy free iOS app that enables a number of Today screen widgets on your iOS 8 device. When you launch the app, you can choose to add any of 20 different widgets. The app features analog and digital clocks, status of your device (battery, storage, memory usage), and GPS information (analog or digital speedometer, altimeter and digital or analog compass). The app also provides current weather, a forecast, and temperatures for two selected locations, one of which can be your current location. Vidgets offers a Pro version for US$2.99, but I think the free Vidgets are sufficient to get you started. You can customize the colors in the free version. Widgets from third parties are new to iOS 8. Up until now, Apple provided widgets only based on data from Apple apps, but now the feature is wide open and several apps offer widgets available with just a pull-down gesture from the top of the screen. Vidgets is pretty handy, and provides you with some useful info with a simple gesture rather than digging around for similar data buried in a folder on your iOS device somewhere. Vidgets requires iOS 8 or greater, and it is optimized for the iPhpne 5, 6 and 6 Plus. Widgets are an exploding App Store category now that Apple allows them, so keep checking TUAW and we'll try to highlight the best of them.
Apple's iOS 8 supports widgets in Notification Center
It's been a long time coming, but Apple is finally adding support for widgets to iOS. On stage at its Worldwide Developers Conference, the company's Senior VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, revealed that devs can now start building widgets within the Notification Center on iOS 8. Unlike Google's take on widgets with Android, Apple's equivalent won't have them living on the home screen of your smartphone or tablet. Instead, iOS widgets will share the drop-down hub with app notifications. Still, there's a lot of potential here, as it's going to let those of you with an iOS device have more interactivity and quick access to your favorite applications. iOS 8 will be available this fall.
Do you want widgets in iOS?
Of all the differences between iOS and its competitors, the lack of widget functionality on Apple's mobile OS is one of the decisions that often polarizes user opinions. If widgets were to be introduced to the iPhone and iPad, it's of course unclear how it would potentially look, but Jay Machalani has whipped up some pretty striking concepts of the idea. He calls his fictional iOS widgets the iOS "Block" and has created a video showcasing how the feature would look in action. You can read all about his idea on his website, but an important question remains: do you even want widgets on your iDevice? From weather and reminders to iMessage and music, there's a lot of potential to turn your iOS home screen into a living, breathing command center, but -- and this is a big "but" -- iOS has thrived without it for a long, long time. So I put the question to you, if Apple were to embrace an idea like this, would you welcome it with open arms, or pretend it doesn't exist? %Poll-88332%
Status Board updated with bugfixes, performance improvements
Panic's well-received Status Board app has been updated to version 1.1, and as you might imagine, it's mostly a bugfix update. The biggest issue fixed was probably a bug with sending standard video out, but that should be all taken care of according to Panic (sending HD video out still requires an in-app purchase). The Calendar List panel also deals with resizing much better, and there are now options for either Celsius or Farenheit listings for each Weather panel you have showing. If you're enjoying Status Board, you may also want to check out our five surprising uses for the app, or take a look at some of the other widgets users have been putting together for the service. Status Board is wonderfully designed, but the app itself is really just a container. It's up to you to fill it up with whatever you'd like to be updated about. If you haven't gotten Status Board for your iPad yet, you can grab it from the App Store for US$9.99. That's a premium price, but Panic clearly put a lot of work into this one-of-a-kind utility.
Action Launcher Pro version 1.5 puts Android widgets just a swipe away (video)
Android launchers cross our desks every so often but only a handful catch our eye. Action Launcher Pro is the latest to strike our fancy thanks to its quick and compact widget solution dubbed Shutters. With the freshly added feature, users can open up widgets by simply giving app icons a vertical swipe. Version 1.5 also packs a number of improvements, including support for 10-inch tablets and increased stability. Devices running Android 4.0.3 or newer will be able to take the launcher for a spin, but Shutters is a Jelly Bean-only affair thanks to API limitations. Head past the break to catch the software in action, or click the second source link to pick it up for $3.99.
Google Now updated with support for widgets, added information sources
Google already tipped its hand on this one, but those looking for some widgets with their Google Now can get their fix today with the latest update to the Google Search app for Android. In addition to letting you add a Now widget to either your home screen or lock screen, the update also adds ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and movie passes from Fandango (including a reminder for when you need to leave for the movie), as well as real estate listings from Zillow.
Evernote for Android gets new offline notebooks, widgets and more
Evernote has already revamped a few of its offerings this month, and it's now brought some changes to its Android app as well. That includes new offline notebooks for premium subscribers that'll let you download multiple notebooks in one shot, a pared down note editor toolbar, retooled Action Bars for Android tablets and a new resizable Grid Widget for your homescreen. Not surprisingly, Evernote also says that the update includes a slew of other fixes and tweaks that promise to make the app "faster and more reliable," and it's promising that there's still "lots more to come." You can find the updated app in the Google Play store at the link below.
Chameleon Android launcher hits version 1.1, adds support for native widgets
It's not every day that we cover launchers of any kind, but when we heard the Kickstarter-funded Chameleon had been updated to version 1.1, we thought those of you who have supported the project since its early days would be happy to hear the news. And while the refresh itself doesn't bring many changes, it does include the long-awaited support for stock Android widgets -- not to mention a few welcomed improvements to the current Twitter, Google Calendar and YouTube homescreen-living apparatuses. Naturally, these will go hand to hand with those tweaks announced less than a month ago in version 1.0 of the tablet launcher. There's a video courtesy of Chameleon situated down below -- in case you're interested in seeing what all the fuss is about before you download the Android commodities.
Chameleon Launcher for Tablets v1.0 available on Google Play for $10 (video)
After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign (twice) and a month or so beta period, the highly anticipated Chameleon launcher is finally available for Android tablets. In case you were at your summer home and out of reach, check out our Insert Coin post concerning this home screen replacement that promises a dynamic environment, capable of responding to its user's location, connection or time of day. Its claim to fame are some slick HTML5-powered widgets, and the developer API site has also been updated to help third party sources become a part of the action. Even at 1.0 there are still some rough edges and the team's blog post mentions problems with the Gmail, Google+ and calendar widgets as known issues. Pre-orderers and Kickstarter backers can keep the beta app they've been using as it will continue to be updated and tied to their Google Play profiles, while those who were or are still on the fence should check out a video preview embedded after the break. If you opt to buy, it's in the store ready to roll on tablets running 3.2 and above for $10.26.
Smartype puts screen in your keyboard so you can see and type while you type and see
Marrying a keyboard and an LCD is not exactly revolutionary any more. Art Lebedev has been doing it since at least 2008. But those devices have always been aimed at power users and gamers, not your average Joe. Smartype, from KeyView, doesn't display custom buttons for World of Warcraft of alter the fonts you see for languages that don't use the Latin alphabet. Instead, its primary purpose is to display exactly what you're typing. The screen along the top of the tiny deck allows users that aren't proficient touch typers to see what they're pecking out, without looking back and forth between the keyboard and their monitor. There are also a handful of apps that pop up notifications for email or display the current weather. The goal is to bring the interactive app revolution that has made our phones "smart" to the rather staid world of the keyboard. For now the Smartype is only available in Israel, but the company is working on international availability. For more, check out the video after the break. [Thanks, Ilya]
Mountain Lion 101: Dashboard changes
Apple introduced the Dashboard and Widgets with OS X 10.4 Tiger. Mountain Lion introduces the first big update it's seen in a long time. Here's what's new. Apple has changed the process of adding a widget to your Dashboard. To begin, click the "+" in the lower left-hand corner, as usual. Now, a grid of available widgets appears instead of the widget bar that used to slide in from the bottom of the screen. Click any widget to install it and return to the Dashboard screen. Removing widgets is also new. To remove a third-party widget from widget selection screen, either click the "-" in the lower left-hand corner or click and hold on any widget icon in the grid. They'll start to "jiggle" and those available for deletion will present a small "x" in the upper right-hand corner. Sound familiar? To remove an active widget from your Dashboard and send it back to the selection screen, either hover over that widget and press Option or hit the "-" while viewing the running widgets.
Yahoo shows off Beyond Gold Olympics app for its connected HDTVs
While NBC has already shown off its official Olympics apps for mobile devices, Yahoo is readying an onscreen companion app for connected TVs built on its widgets. While smart TV platforms and boxes are practically everywhere, Yahoo's is built into HDTVs from several manufacturers, and the app is available for TVs from Sony, Vizio, Samsung and Toshiba. It gives users access to Yahoo Sports coverage with video, news and analysis including daily updates on the games and a real-time medal count. If you have a TV with the Yahoo Connected TV store, it should be just a few clicks of the remote away, and content updates are scheduled to start coming in early next week. We're still waiting to see the second screen action we previewed at CES put to use, but maybe this event is just the reminder the world needed that this is on more TVs than Google's effort and actually exists unlike the often-rumored Apple HDTV.
Microsoft advises nuking Windows Gadgets after security hole discovery, we mourn our stock widgets
Whether you see Windows Vista and Windows 7 Gadgets as handy tools or a blight upon a pristine desktop, you might want to shut them off for safety's sake. Mickey Shkatov and Toby Kohlenberg have found that the desktop widgets' web-based code have flaws that would allow malicious Gadgets, or even hijacked legitimate Gadgets, to compromise a PC without having to go through the usual avenues of attack. Microsoft's short-term answer to the vulnerability is a drastic one, though: a stopgap patch disables Gadgets entirely, leaving just a barren desktop in its wake. There's no word on a Gadget-friendly solution arriving before Kohlenberg and Shkatov present at the Black Hat Conference on July 26th, but we suspect Microsoft's ultimate answer is to move everyone to Windows 8, where Gadgets aren't even an option. We understand the importance of preventing breaches, of course -- we're just disappointed that we'll have to forgo miniature stock tickers and weather forecasts a little sooner than expected.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean home screen revealed, automatically accommodates your apps and widgets
It's a pain manually moving apps and widgets on Android screens, ain't it? Well, at Google I/O 2012, the folks in Mountain View have just given us some Jelly Bean salve to soothe that irritation. The latest Android OS automatically arranges onscreen icons around any new widgets or apps you choose to insert. Not only that, but you can also remove any unwanted apps and widgets with a simple swipe up and off the home screen to delete them. A welcome Android addition, to be sure, but it begs the question, when will us non-Nexus owners get to enjoy it? Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
Redditor got 'a little carried away' and made this Android Metroid gauge
We've all had those days, when we sit down, say to ourselves, "Hey, self. We're going to create something amazing today," and then we spend hours browsing the Internet or playing Borderlands, and most decidedly not making anything amazing that day.Redditor telekinetic overcame this rite of procrastination (while Reddit was right there the whole time) and created this Super Metroid battery gauge for his Android phone, viewable to the left. Telekinetic modded various widgets and programs, such as the ADW Launcher EX and the Ultimate Custom Clock Widget, hacking his way through to reveal this final, super product.Telekinetic is talking with excited developers on his Reddit post about making this gauge a gettable thing for the larger Android audience, and there is a tutorial on its creation in a separate post.As telekinetic puts it, he "got a little carried away," but as we see it, he got carried away just enough. Carry on, telekinetic. Carry on.
Vizio reveals $3,499 price for its 58-inch ultrawidescreen HDTV
We were told at CES last month to expect Vizio's ultrawidescreen LCDs would hit the market sooner rather than later, now we know how it will fit into our budgets, even if we're not sure how the aspect ratio will fit in our living rooms. Similar to the way its first Theater 3D TVs popped up last year, the XVT 3D CinemaWide product page reveals a 58-inch model (50- and 71-inchers are also planned) sporting its trademark 21:9 aspect ratio (compared to a traditional HDTV's 16:9) and 2560x1080 resolution will start at $3,499. It also has an array of specs, measuring the 120Hz Edge LED lit screen at 56.7-inches wide by 29-inches high and 1.8-inches deep. Just as we saw when they were first announced at CES 2011, Vizio upscales Blu-ray and other wider-than-widescreen sources to fill the screen without those black bars we've become accustomed to. If you're watching standard HD programming, the extra space alongside can accommodate tiles for Yahoo! Widgets pulling information from the internet without blocking the picture at all. Check our gallery below for a better look and a demo video after the break, we'll keep an ear to the ground to find out when and where these displays might hit the market first. Update: Vizio tells USA Today to expect this set to launch ahead of March Madness -- the better to manage our completely-useless-by-the-Sweet-16-because-Gonzaga-won-again brackets on. [Thanks, chilipalm]
Yahoo! Connected TV setups draw web, TV closer in 2012 with mobile apps, IntoNow
While Google moves and Apple rumors have attracted most internet TV hype, Yahoo has been busy moving units, racking up 8 million widget TVs in the market and over a million active users every month. The broadcast interactivity it demonstrated at least year's show is already live on the 2011 lineup of Sony Bravias and will launch on the 2012 models soon, with access to trivia, interactive ads and the like. Last year we were also shown an iPad remote, which the company promises to deliver alongside apps for iPhone and Android devices in the first quarter of this year that can launch apps, control them and enter text. Finally, this year we'll also see the fruits of its IntoNow purchase, as the technology will be plugged into Yahoo's backend and allow sets to pull in relevant internet content alongside whatever is being watched. Hang on for our hands-on impressions and more details, and check out the press release after the break.
