Change Log for Shaker 1.1.5

This release has a fix to allow the app to work on phones running Froyo (Android 2.2) as well as some minor UI tweaks.

Shaker not working on Froyo (UPDATE: Fix coming soon)

I've just updated my Droid to Android 2.2 and the shaker app has stopped working.  I am looking into this and hope to have a resolution soon.  If anyone else is having issues, or not having issues, please respond in the comments... thanks!

[Update] I have a fix coming for Froyo in the next couple of days... stay tuned.

Change Log for Shaker 1.1.4

This release has a minor fix to correct an issue seen on phones running Android 2.2.

Change Log for Shaker 1.1.3

Bug Fix: this release corrects a bug where the app was keeping the phone active when the screen was off under certain conditions where it should not have been.

Change Log for Shaker 1.1.2

Just released a new update for the Shaker app.  I am taking it out of Beta status as well.  Just some small changes in this one.

• Added menu option to stop and exit the app. This will kill all services and running processes related to the shaker app. Launching the app again will start everything back up.
• Added menu option to disable all shakers at one time.
• Added menu option to enable all shakers at one time.

I noticed someone wrote in the comments within the the market that they wanted to stop or kill the app so it is not always running, which makes a lot of sense.  I added this ability to stop and exit the application through the main menu, as well as the ability to enable or disable all shakers at one time.  To enable or disable selected shakers only, continue to do it the way it was done previously... long press on the shaker and select "Enable/Disable" from the context menu.

Managing Battery Use with Shaker

This only applies to users who have set up shakers to work when the 'Screen is Off'.  For example, this would include the functionality to wake the phone up (i.e. 'Turn Screen On'). If there are no shakers defined for this scenario, then there should not be any battery issues and you can disregard the rest of this post.

For users who have shakers set up to work when the screen is off, Shaker version 1.1.1 and up should provide a significant improvement in battery life depending on how the phone is used. Basically, if the phone is in a pocket, purse, or even face down on a surface, the app will allow the phone to go into its low power state when the screen is off, without impacting the functionality of the Shaker app. As long as the phone is allowed to go into its low power state, which is its normal behavior, there should be minimal impact on the battery from this app.

It is using the proximity sensor on the phone to determine when the device is in a pocket, etc. So, when the phone screen is close to any object at all with the screen off, shakes will not be detected. This same sensor is used by the phone to turn off the screen when you bring it close to your face while on a phone call.

There are a couple of caveats:
1) The option on the settings screen to 'Disable in Pocket' must be checked.
2) I have noticed that sometimes the proximity sensor does not do well in detecting proximity when laying flat on a hard or reflective surface. So, if you put the device face down on a desk, for example, there is a chance it will not actually detect it. It seems to work better when the device is face down on something slightly more malleable, like a piece of paper, a couch cushion, or something else that is not as hard and flat as a desk. This may vary from phone to phone depending on the sensor that is being used and how well that sensor is working.

As always, please let me know what you think, whether it is positive or negative, and especially as it pertains to battery use on your device.

Change Log for Shaker 1.1.1 (Beta)

I will release version 1.1.1 of the Shaker app this evening. The primary change in this release is related to battery improvements. It should be a fairly significant improvement for many users. This will likely be the last major revision to deal with battery issues until Google changes how they allow apps to use the hardware sensors in the various devices.

I will be posting a separate entry shortly on how to best manage Shaker's use of the battery.