[APP]-Light Flow - successive trackball colors - no root - works on gingerbread

I've just upload a new app onto the market specifically for controlling the trackball colors on a nexus one.

Currently it allows you to monitor the following events:
* Missed calls
* New Voice mail ^
* Calendar reminders
* New gmail
* New e-mail
* New SMS
* New MMS
* Low battery
* No signal ^
* Google talk
* Facebook ^
* Twitter ^
* Tweekdeck ^
* Tweetcaster ^
* Twidroid ^
* Skype ^
* Whatsapp ^
* Tapatalk - free, pro and xda developers ^

^ - denotes full version only

It has 2 modes:
Priority - where you choose which notification type you've received is most important to you and the trackball will flash in that color.
Succession - where the trackball will change color and cycle through the colors of the notification types.

You can choose the mode for when the phone is on charge or on battery and the frequency the app will cycle through the notification colors (as the faster the change the more impact it will have on the battery).

The app doesn't run as a permanent service as the battery drain would be too large, so it uses alarm triggers to wake the phone up for less than 0.1 of a second for each cycle change.

I've attached a QR code for the full version of the app below, and I'll add the lite version on the next post.

Here's a link to the lite version.
The differences between the versions are:
Notifications not available for the apps marked with a ^ in the first post and you can only set the succession speed to "very slow" - which takes approx 12 flashes before moving onto the next succession color instead of changing on every flash.

FAQ's.

1: Notification speed "always on" doesn't work
This seems to be a feature of the nexus one trackball. I've put it in here in case the app works on different phone that allow this feature.

2: My other notifications for other apps don't work anymore
The only way to get the successive colors working and for the trackball to stop just turning white has taken some work, but this is a side effect. If there's other apps you would like me to investigate adding, post below.

3: I've installed replacement texting app x and it doesn't seem to work.
I've only tested it on the stock versions of the apps. Let me know if it works with others and I'll see what I can do.

4: The notification light does not go out after I've viewed a message.
Notification lights for SMS/MMS and gmail will only go out when there are no unread messages - as far as I am aware there's no way to capture the clearing of the standard notification icon to trigger clearing the lights from that. Let me know if you know otherwise.

5: Do you support any other languages?
Not yet, but if anybody wants to translate for me, I'll give you the money via paypal to pay for the full version on the market - but no babelfish / google translate dodgy translations - I will check

6: It crashes for me.
Let me know as much as you can here and I'll look into it. I've been running it over the last 3 days without any issues.

7: I've got an app with notifications that I would like integrating, can you do that?
Yes it should be quite easy as long as your app can send a broadcast of when you want the light to light up, and one for when you want it to go off. Send me the details and look into adding it.

8: I enabled SMS, MMS or Calendar reminders then next time I look they are disabled, why is this?
The app checks to see if you've got access to the stock content providers, if it can't get hold of them it will automatically disable them - it's better than a "force close"

9: Do I have to disable stock notifications?
No. Keep them on, at the moment Light Flow only deals with the LED part of the notification.

Changelog

See here: http://rageconsulting.com/page/website/rageconsulting/pageId/1665

Reserved for future use

To anyone who's tried it - is it working ok for you? Is there any particular feature you'd like to see?

Version 1.0.4 released, see change log in post 3 for details.

Version 1.0.6 includes stock calendar reminders.

benjatt said:

Just trialing the lite version today. So far so good, thanks.

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Thanks for the comment. Let me know if you have any problems.

Version 1.0.7 added.
Hopefully HTC Desire & HD functionality will be added soon - most of the code is there in the market version now. I'm just arranging to borrow one for testing!

NexusDro said:

I think I found a bug. If I get a gmail notification on the phone, the LED dims but stays on even after I read the unread email on my desktop.

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I've found this to work on my phone, but it does take some time sometimes as it has to wait for the gmail syncing for android to update it's local cached version of the gmail data. Once it's done this it should update the content provider notification that the app then picks up on. If you find it not switching off after a few mins, let me know and I'll look into it.

Dan2552 said:

Google Talk?

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It's on my TODO list - which keeps growing
I'll probably tackle this one before facebook as I think it will be easier.

NexusDro said:

Downloading it now. Will report results Thanks for the app.

as for facebook notification, the current notification flashes blue already. So i'm quite satisfied.

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Once you've installed the app, you'll get facebook notifications and sounds, but you won't get the facebook blue light. This is due to the app having to take controll of the led's to be able to do the priority and succession leds.

If it doesn't take them over (ie get in first before all other apps) then if a new notification comes in there's no way to take controll again to show all the other notification colors until the user has cleared that notification.

If only there was some way to capture the other apps notifications and notification clearances the app would be soo much simpler to quickly add functionality.