[APP] Prox: Control of The Force :) A new way to command your phone...

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SemperGumbee

Senior Member
Nov 2, 2010
66
15
Hello all! I had a thread but it was locked because it was a paid app. Now, there is a free one to check out. It's called Prox Lite and it has just been added to the Android market.

Prox makes use of the phone's proximity sensor and accelerometer to initiate an action. Prox figures out what orientation you are holding the phone and then activates that action when you swipe your hand across the proximity sensor. Prox Lite has 4 actions:

*Flat - Emulate home button
*Toward - Expand and contract notification panel
*Left - Launch phone dialer
*Right - Launch browser (google.com)


All you have to do is turn on the service through the app and then tilt the phone in the direction you are trying to activate the action for and then pass your hand over the proximity sensor and it will activate the action for that direction.

You can amaze your friends, and feel like a Jedi. Imagine the look on your friend's faces when you do things without even touching the phone itself. Just to ease your mind, Prox is disabled when the screen is off and when you are in a call. Normal proximity sensor usage is preserved during these situations to you don't have to worry about Prox doing things when you don't want it to :)

Here are some thoughts about the app :)

Gizmodo best apps (June 10th)
Lifehacker App of the Day
Droid-Life App of the Day
Addictive Tips Post
Make Use Of Post

Here is a video of it in action (Pro version) if the description I have provided doesn't really make any sense :p Be sure to follow me on Twitter: @SemperGumbee for updates and support.


Here is another video made by one of our own members here at XDA. Thanks patrick848!


He also wrote a little write up here if you want to check it out.

And, here is a link to the android market

Download Prox Lite from Android Market

Download Prox Lite from GetJar

If you have an issue where it doesn't show up in the market or it says that your device is incompatible, I have made Prox Lite available to XDA peeps via direct apk. If your device will allow install from the market, please use the link above, otherwise, click here to download the apk directly. Downloading from the market allows for easier tracking so I would appreciate it if you would download it from there :) This is for the members that cannot find the version because of certain software...

P.S. Some users are having trouble with making this work properly. If you are having issues with the left and right actions, try just a slight tilt and then a swipe. Refer to the video for an example of this. Also, different phones have different proximity sensors and some of them just happen to work better than others. Give it a try to see what you think and don't forget to leave a rating in the market. I hope you enjoy this app :)
 
Last edited:

SemperGumbee

Senior Member
Nov 2, 2010
66
15
Reserved for Wants, Updates, and Changes to the OP...

UPDATES
* Direct apk download added to OP (7-29-2011)
* App added to GetJar (8-2-2011)
* Added ability to disable constant notification
* Added other apps page...

WANTS
*More intuitive orientations

Let me know what else to add here :)
 
Last edited:

Dungeon47

Senior Member
Oct 2, 2010
1,868
573
The Mountains
OnePlus 6T
OnePlus 7 Pro
This is really cool. My biggest concern right now, having only just tried it for a few minutes, is potential battery drain. If it doesn't end up being too bad, i may consider trying the full version. It would be nice to be able to hide the notification bar icon, but the full version may already have that.
 
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SemperGumbee

Senior Member
Nov 2, 2010
66
15
Battery drain is really not all that bad. The listeners are unregistered when the screen goes off. During normal phone use during the beta a few months ago, Prox was only using around 3 - 4 % battery during a normal day. But alas, this depends entirely on how much you actually use the phone itself. If your screen is on for the better part of the day, then drain will occur. But under normal use, it really isn't that bad. Thanks for the feedback :)
 

SemperGumbee

Senior Member
Nov 2, 2010
66
15
fun idea, i'm going to have to try it even though i probably won't use it regularly.

Yeah. I was originally going to put it into the Productivity category on the market, but I think it's more of a novelty than an actual productive applications. It's just cool to show people. There are some things in the paid version that can be put to actual use though. There is a Timer mode that activates an action based on how long you cover the sensor. It could be useful in a car dock or a cradle at home.
 

Dungeon47

Senior Member
Oct 2, 2010
1,868
573
The Mountains
OnePlus 6T
OnePlus 7 Pro
I picked up the pro version. So far it's pretty solid. Battery drain is pretty much non-existent, maybe 2% with a lot of screen time.

Some things I would like to see:

Tasker integration (this would be the best addition by far).
A combination of the Timed and normal types so you could hold over the sensor longer for a different option.
Being able to hide the icon in notifications.
Media button options like Previous Track, Play/Pause, Next Track.
Simulating a long-press of the search button to bring up Voice Actions.
Profiles that automatically change based on what app you're in.

Thanks for making this, I've been using it a lot today, and it has already become habit. Keeps my screen cleaner, too.
 

SemperGumbee

Senior Member
Nov 2, 2010
66
15
I picked up the pro version. So far it's pretty solid. Battery drain is pretty much non-existent, maybe 2% with a lot of screen time.

Some things I would like to see:

Tasker integration (this would be the best addition by far).
A combination of the Timed and normal types so you could hold over the sensor longer for a different option.
Being able to hide the icon in notifications.
Media button options like Previous Track, Play/Pause, Next Track.
Simulating a long-press of the search button to bring up Voice Actions.
Profiles that automatically change based on what app you're in.

Thanks for making this, I've been using it a lot today, and it has already become habit. Keeps my screen cleaner, too.

Im glad that you're liking it! A lot of the things you have mentioned have already been pointed out to me and I am thinking which ones will actually be possible. Some of the things will require root access. But I have a summer job atm (10 1/2 hour days) so I am not really tinkering with it right now. When I get back into school mode, you can pretty much expect to see some if not all of this added to the pro version. I appreciate the feedback and be on the lookout to some awesome future updates :)

P.S. please leave a comment and rating in the market :)
 

GigiAUT

Senior Member
Sep 16, 2010
214
12
Do you have it on any other markets? AndroidPIT, SlideME or anything similar where I can buy it with a paypal account?

For some reason the Android Market site says it's only compatible with my Wildfire and not my Desire HD :S
 

SemperGumbee

Senior Member
Nov 2, 2010
66
15
Do you have it on any other markets? AndroidPIT, SlideME or anything similar where I can buy it with a paypal account?

For some reason the Android Market site says it's only compatible with my Wildfire and not my Desire HD :S

It is not currently on any other market but the Android Market. I may add it to some of the ones you have mentioned but it may be a bit before it gets there.

My portal says that it should show up as compatible for the Desire HD. I see that you are running MIUI so that may be the reason for it not showing up. Some custom ROMs and leaked builds of Android cause this and I have no reason why. :(
 

Emalasto

Senior Member
Dec 3, 2010
158
13
Cincinnati
this is app is so awesome! :) the lite version works perfectly on my samsung vibrant running simply honey 4.0 revolution 2.3.4. im seriously amazed by how well it works. Good job man! im definitely getting the pro version! :D
 

raznalab

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2008
114
24
I just bought the pro version, setup my loadouts and all I can say is awesome!

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
 

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  • 11
    Hello all! I had a thread but it was locked because it was a paid app. Now, there is a free one to check out. It's called Prox Lite and it has just been added to the Android market.

    Prox makes use of the phone's proximity sensor and accelerometer to initiate an action. Prox figures out what orientation you are holding the phone and then activates that action when you swipe your hand across the proximity sensor. Prox Lite has 4 actions:

    *Flat - Emulate home button
    *Toward - Expand and contract notification panel
    *Left - Launch phone dialer
    *Right - Launch browser (google.com)


    All you have to do is turn on the service through the app and then tilt the phone in the direction you are trying to activate the action for and then pass your hand over the proximity sensor and it will activate the action for that direction.

    You can amaze your friends, and feel like a Jedi. Imagine the look on your friend's faces when you do things without even touching the phone itself. Just to ease your mind, Prox is disabled when the screen is off and when you are in a call. Normal proximity sensor usage is preserved during these situations to you don't have to worry about Prox doing things when you don't want it to :)

    Here are some thoughts about the app :)

    Gizmodo best apps (June 10th)
    Lifehacker App of the Day
    Droid-Life App of the Day
    Addictive Tips Post
    Make Use Of Post

    Here is a video of it in action (Pro version) if the description I have provided doesn't really make any sense :p Be sure to follow me on Twitter: @SemperGumbee for updates and support.


    Here is another video made by one of our own members here at XDA. Thanks patrick848!


    He also wrote a little write up here if you want to check it out.

    And, here is a link to the android market

    Download Prox Lite from Android Market

    Download Prox Lite from GetJar

    If you have an issue where it doesn't show up in the market or it says that your device is incompatible, I have made Prox Lite available to XDA peeps via direct apk. If your device will allow install from the market, please use the link above, otherwise, click here to download the apk directly. Downloading from the market allows for easier tracking so I would appreciate it if you would download it from there :) This is for the members that cannot find the version because of certain software...

    P.S. Some users are having trouble with making this work properly. If you are having issues with the left and right actions, try just a slight tilt and then a swipe. Refer to the video for an example of this. Also, different phones have different proximity sensors and some of them just happen to work better than others. Give it a try to see what you think and don't forget to leave a rating in the market. I hope you enjoy this app :)
    1
    This is really cool. My biggest concern right now, having only just tried it for a few minutes, is potential battery drain. If it doesn't end up being too bad, i may consider trying the full version. It would be nice to be able to hide the notification bar icon, but the full version may already have that.
    1
    running 2.3.4 miui on my hd2 and market also says that it's not available for my phone. can't you share the liet apk here on xda? would like to try this out.

    Not anywhere near a computer right now, but yes, I will update the OP when I get home. Be on the lookout...
    1
    I've also bought the pro version and I really like it :)

    But I've just updated my Galaxy S II to Android 2.3.4 (I9100XXKG3) and Prox Pro fc's after a restore. I also can't find it in the market.

    Does anyone have a solution?

    Have you tried clearing the data from the app?
    1
    I've been using Prox since early June. Let me just say, first off, that this developer is one of the best hands-on, dedicated developers I've had the pleasure of dealing with.

    When Prox was first released, I was unable to get it on my Evo4g due to market incompatibility issues. SemperGumbee did everything he could to get me the apk for Lite. I used it for one day, and was ready to buy the full version as soon as I could.

    The dev worked on the XML tags so I could get the full version from the market, and I've been thrilled with it ever since.

    This is, hands down, one of the coolest and most useful moment-to-moment apps I've ever seen. After setting the delay on the sensor, it works perfect (the instant operation is a bit too touchy).

    In short, if you've ever wanted to be a Jedi, this is as close as you'll come (short of a homemade lightsaber). The full version is SO worth the money. I can do everything from turn off my screen to launch Facebook with a simple twist of one hand and a swipe of the other.

    SemperGumbee, congrats on making it to the XDA frontpage. You deserve it, sir.

    P.S. Can't wait for the updates. Icing on an already delicious cake. :+)