Widget-based LED Flashlight App on the Market

[eclipsed4utoo]

You asked for it, you got it. There is now a widget-based flashlight app on the market. It uses the camera's flash LEDs. Apps --> Tools --> Just In.

FREE FOR 3 DAYS!!

It's called MotoTorch LED.

1. Uses both a widget and a normal application to turn on the LEDs.
2. The widget icon will change depending on whether the LEDs are on or not.
3. The application will allow you to configure whether you want the screen to dim or not.
4. The application will allow you to use the LEDs as a strobe light.
5. The application will allow you to use the LEDs as a MORSE CODE sender, implementing the international Morse protocol.

To install the widget, Long Press on an open space on a HOME screen, choose "Widgets", then choose "MotoTorch LED".

Use the Barcode Scanner application to scan the barcode below.

 

[drpull]

Yeah i noticed that as well. Just posted something in the other flashlight thread about it. The MotoTorch is pretty sweet! Just press the little torch icon (cool touch) and bingo, the LED's are blazing. Another touch, they're off. Screen fades quickly... very nice... very convenient. Got my buck.

 

[galt]

Saw this thread.
Paid for it and downloaded it.
Looked for it for five minutes on my computer. Even though it showed downloaded and installed, there was no icon in my apps page for it nor on my home page anywwhere. When I called it up via the notifications screen or later via AM, it showed as installed, but the "Open" button was grayed out so the only option was to "Return and Refund". Thats what I did.

Even more interesting, even though I listed reason for return as "DOes not work", the refund confirmation came theu as "Other".

Let me know if you get it working. I smell a rat.

 

[rawness]

Saw this thread.
Paid for it and downloaded it.
Looked for it for five minutes on my computer. Even though it showed downloaded and installed, there was no icon in my apps page for it nor on my home page anywwhere. When I called it up via the notifications screen or later via AM, it showed as installed, but the "Open" button was grayed out so the only option was to "Return and Refund". Thats what I did.

Even more interesting, even though I listed reason for return as "DOes not work", the refund confirmation came theu as "Other".

Let me know if you get it working. I smell a rat.

It's a widget, so it wouldn't be with your apps. To put a widget on your desktop, long press an empty space and choose widgets.

The beauty of a widget is there's no app to open...just tap the widget, light comes on, tap it again light goes off.

 

[drpull]

Works perfectly for me.

 

[galt]

Okay, so its a secret app? I don't understand why a widget is better than a simple icon, especially when installing it is not obvious. I guess you want to force me to put this on my home screen somewhere, rather than just use it when I need it? As an icon, I can choose whether to put it on hoime screen or not. WHat is the benefit of a widget?

I may install it again, we shall see.

 

[eclipsed4utoo]

You have to do a Long Press on an open area of one of your HOME screens. A screen will popup up, choose "Widgets". You will see the app there.

These instructions have been added in the description of the app on the market.

 

[eclipsed4utoo]

Okay, so its a secret app? I don't understand why a widget is better than a simple icon, especially when installing it is not obvious. I guess you want to force me to put this on my home screen somewhere, rather than just use it when I need it? As an icon, I can choose whether to put it on hoime screen or not. WHat is the benefit of a widget?

I may install it again, we shall see.

Think of a widget as an application without a user interface. The widget can update itself in the background without explicit interaction from the user.

Clicking a widget will run code just as if you clicked a button on a screen.

The widget was made to only take up 1 space on a HOME screen.

 

[drpull]

The other app that uses the LEDs as a flashlight is called, not surprisingly, LED Flashlight. That one is strictly an application at this point i think... but may have been moving towards becoming a widget as well.

I suppose its a matter of taste, really. If you didnt think you'd use it that often, it would be as simple as long-touching the homescreen, picking the widget and pressing it... then dragging it to the trash when done. The widget is still in the phone though, waiting to be used again. Thats about the same effort as opening the apps folder, scrolling, clicking the app, clicking the on button, closing the app.

Most people can spare a spot on the three home panes for a flashlight widget tho.

 

[galt]

Install instructions are definitely appropriate. But I still would like to understand why a widget? My home screen is already full, swiping left or swiping up is no different. It seems to a widget is LESS than an icon in this particular app. Running all the time and updating in background is meaningless. WHy would an app need an interface other than an "Off" button ?

 

[drpull]

Sounds like LED Flashlight is the way to go for you. Either that or throw out some of your home screen junk. You cant possibly use all that stuff! haha.

 

[rawness]

Install instructions are definitely appropriate. But I still would like to understand why a widget? My home screen is already full, swiping left or swiping up is no different. And I remember reading that widgets are bigger than icons, giving up even more scarce screen real estate.

Why? Because others have been clamoring for a widget. I've listed one advantage to widget: one click on/off...no need to open a program. Widgests can come in many sizes, this particular widget is NOT bigger than other icons.

If you prefer an app, get LED flashlight.

 

[Deleted User]

Works great!

And why would you want to open an APP to enable it instead of clicking a widget? The widget icon is the same size with less actions needed to enable/disable.

 

[eclipsed4utoo]

Install instructions are definitely appropriate. But I still would like to understand why a widget? My home screen is already full, swiping left or swiping up is no different. It seems to a widget is LESS than an icon in this particular app. Running all the time and updating in background is meaningless.

Doing it as a widget was chosen because people were asking for it. Makes it much easier to deal with.

My Widget explanation was about widgets in general and why they have their place. This widget does not do any updating in the background.

 

[eclipsed4utoo]

Hilarious. Somebody gave the app a 1-star because THEY didn't know how to add a widget to their HOME screen.

Why didn't they send an email(from the DROID by clicking on the contact email address)?

 

[galt]

Okay I will check out LED flashlight. I managed programmers for 20 years, and I know when they are not listening. My guess is that LED flashlight requires an extra "ON" button click after starting the program, since you seem to dwell on the "one-click" nature of a widget. Is that unique to Android or Java, that programs can't just start working immediately (turn on the light) without some kind of user action after its started? All this app needs is an off button, and maybe not even that since I can use "backup" to get out of it like every other app.

And it seems to me that later on when my phone has problems, every installed widget is a potential extra set of problems to be considered. There are advantages to having apps that are NOT running all the time. Just look at all the neurotics here who obsess about Task Killers.

'Nuff said. Good luck with your widget.

 

[hingli168]

Great Widget! I can finally replace my heavy LED flashlight from my key chain with this.

 

[drpull]

Okay I will check out LED flashlight. I managed programmers for 20 years, and I know when they are not listening. My guess is that LED flashlight requires an extra "ON" button click after starting the program, since you seem to dwell on the "one-click" nature of a widget. Is that unique to Android or Java, that programs can't just start working immediately (turn on the light) without some kind of user action after its started? All this app needs is an off button, and maybe not even that since I can use "backup" to get out of it like every other app.

And it seems to me that later on when my phone has problems, every installed widget is a potential extra set of problems to be considered. There are advantages to having apps that are NOT running all the time. Just look at all the neurotics here who obsess about Task Killers.

'Nuff said. Good luck with your widget.

Ironically, you'll probably have to "task kill" LED Flashlight... since its an app. I've "activated" the torch about a hundred times today and its not in the app list... you know... since its a widget and not an app.

Not sure what you mean by the app needing an off button. The icon is both an ON and OFF button. Touch it... if the LEDs are off, they turn on... if they're on, they turn off. Presto!

 

[eclipsed4utoo]

Okay I will check out LED flashlight. I managed programmers for 20 years, and I know when they are not listening. My guess is that LED flashlight requires an extra "ON" button click after starting the program, since you seem to dwell on the "one-click" nature of a widget. Is that unique to Android or Java, that programs can't just start working immediately (turn on the light) without some kind of user action after its started? All this app needs is an off button, and maybe not even that since I can use "backup" to get out of it like every other app.

And it seems to me that later on when my phone has problems, every installed widget is a potential extra set of problems to be considered. There are advantages to having apps that are NOT running all the time. Just look at all the neurotics here who obsess about Task Killers.

'Nuff said. Good luck with your widget.

Not listening? Check out the other LED flashlight thread. You will see numerous people ask for it to be a widget.

I don't know how else to explain this, but THIS WIDGET does not "run all the time". A widget CAN run all the time if the developer chooses to make it do that(like the Weather widget, Twitter widget, Facebook widget), but this one does not.

If you have a problem with widgets in general, then I suggest you make your own thread about it and continue your conversation there.

 

[galt]

Well you were right. I like LED flashlight just fine. Thanks for the heads-up about it.

 

[sublimnl]

geesh, for someone who has managed programmers for 20 years you really fail to grasp the simple concept of a widget and why it would be useful.

 

[rawness]

I don't know how else to explain this, but THIS WIDGET does not "run all the time". A widget CAN run all the time if the developer chooses to make it do that(like the Weather widget, Twitter widget, Facebook widget), but this one does not.

That's good to KNOW, but I have a question about this. If I use this in conjuction with ShopSavvy's barcode scanner, after it scans the light is automatically turned off (which is good, imo). However, I think your widget thinks it is still on (when I tap the widget it'll say "flash is off"), does this mean that unless I turn it off then the widget is still running (even with the flash off)? If so, is there a way to keep the small "flash is on" on the screen whenever the flash is on (even if it only appears on the home screen; not over other apps that I'm running)?

 

[drpull]

Completely clueless, obviously. Glad i dont work for him... whoa.

 

[drpull]

I think that the LED Flashlight application suffers from the same lack of knowledge about the state of the LED lights. That is, if you take a picture when the LED Flashlight app is running, the light goes off and the app doesnt know even though the app is still running!

Widgets are made with certain "callback" periods where they are set to update their information every X amount of time... this is how clock widgets work, etc. I'm assuming that this Torch widget just fires a process that says "if the LED's are off or on, turn the LED's on or off" and thats it... there's no app running at all... its done... the LED's are on until further notice. Then when the Torch widget is hit again it does the same thing as above.

As to why it cant see that the LEDs are off after a camera function... sounds like a little bug. *shrug*

 

[rawness]

^^^^

hmm, So if I read that right then what you're saying is that when I tap the widget, it runs a script to tell the light to to turn on, and while it's on it's not running. It only runs again when I tap it to turn it off. If that's the case, then I'm not concerned about this "bug" at all.

Well as long as the command to turn off the light when it is already off isn't problematic.