Change Log for Shaker 1.0.1 (Beta)

Version 1.0.1 (Beta) of Shaker for Android is about to be released. It is a minor release. Here are the changes:

• Improved pocket detection to prevent unwanted shakes
• Changed text and layout
• Beta testing agreement
• Additional shakers for ending existing calls or ignoring incoming calls

In the next version, I hope to allow for the option to disable the lock screen upon waking up and also a shaker to turn the screen off. Other general future improvements should include better shake detection, improved battery usage, and support for other devices besides the Droid.

Let me know if there is anything else that you would like to see included.

Tips for using Shaker app

I thought I would share some tips for different ways you might like to use the Shaker app. When holding the phone in your right hand, it is much easier to shake the phone to the left, and vice versa for your left hand. Therefore, it might be useful to set up a couple of shakers for a single function so that you can easily shake it to invoke that function no matter which hand you are holding the phone with. I found this worked well for waking up the phone.

You can also modify the priority of each shaker. When you shake the phone in a particular direction, there might be multiple functions that can be invoked. The app will only invoke the function with the highest set priority. You can change the priority of a shaker by pressing on it in the shaker list, then clicking the Change Priority button, and then long pressing on the shaker to either increase or decrease the priority.

If you notice any other useful tips, post them in the comments.

Shaker 1.0 (Beta) Released for Android

This is my first post here for Wise Apps Development to announce the release of my very first application. The Shaker app is for the Android OS, currently for version 2.0.1 and higher. The app allows users to set up a series of "shakers" in order to perform various functions on the Android device by shaking it in different directions.

I started out adding functions that I found to be helpful in using my Droid. For example, from the first time I used my phone, I found the placement of the power button a bit awkward to press every time I wanted to wake up the phone. That was the starting point - make the phone wake up by shaking it.

I also realized that the music player was very difficult to use due to the phone being touch screen. Whenever I wanted to pause the music, for example, I had to awkwardly press the power button to wake up the phone, enter my passcode to unlock the phone, pull down the notification window shade, open the music player, and then press pause. The music widget made it a little better, but still not where I thought it needed to be. Sometimes I would listen to music at work and would get a phone call on my office line. Forget about pausing the music because the call would have gone to voicemail by the time I did that. So the Shaker app will now pause my music, as well as resume, and it will skip forward or back a song, with a simple shake of the device.

The last function I included in this release is a shaker to answer the phone when a call is coming in. I also found answering phone calls awkward to do with one hand, and it was that much worse if it were winter and I was wearing gloves.

My hope is that this app will make Android phones more usable for people out there. I'm very excited about the Android platform and equally excited to hopefully be contributing towards making it better. I will continue to add more functions to the app, so let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to see included.

Also, it is important to note that the app is still in Beta testing. I have only been able to test on the Droid so far, so it would be awesome if people can send me their feedback when using this on other devices, particularly the Nexus One and some of the newer devices coming out over the next couple of months. One thing I am curious about is the direction of the shakes detected on other devices. On the Droid, the directions were all opposite of what I expected, so I wonder how differently it will behave on other devices. If I manage to make a few bucks off this, I will invest in some developer phones and will also try to make this compatible with older versions of the OS as well. Please send me your feedback!