On System Update

As more devices are getting Android 2.2 recently, I have been receiving feedback like "the power strip is no longer responding to the home key". So, here is a solution (it worked for many users)

1. Press home key and let the default home start

2. Long press search key to launch the Power Strip (or use the launcher in you application drawer to start it)

3. Invoke the context menu (click the context button, or long press somewhere outside the strip, or choose "context" in the menu)

4. Select "Application info"

5. Click the "clear default" button on the application info page of your default home app

6. Press the home key again, and you should have the chooser available

Response to Feedback #1

As I said on the moderator page, I'll post responses here routinely.

Here is the first one.

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"An option to hide icon labels. The shortened labels are ugly, and having the option to remove it would be nice."

done in 1.0.6

"Some Widgets are just on/off switches (ex: button toggles flashlight as a 1x1 widget). For these, can the widget bar just activate the toggle instead of popping up the widget?"

it's doable, but will break the current layout. I'll consider this

"my biggest issue is the delay before I can use the strip (I know it's short, buy still!). Anything to reduce delay would be helpful, including option to turn off animation! ;)"

you could reducing the "Double Click Interval" and disabling "Show Last Widget on Start" in 1.1.0

I'll add an option to turn off animation in future

"please keep cache of apps on memory so don't have to reload when user chooses to add another item"

In 1.1.0, adding application launchers to shortcut panel or the strip is simply drag&drop. All the launchers are cached in Power Strip now.

"please let user specify what item we want to be activated by default. for ex, I want the shortcuts box to be visible when I hit Home regardless of what widget was showing last time Power Strip was active!"

will be done

"would love to have option to have bar of active tasks (see Pre Home which I was trying to replace with your app :) )"

you can always long press the HOME key to get a recent tasks list, which is offered by the Android system

--

Again, thank you all for the support :)

Labeling would take a little longer...

So I released 1.1.0 without it. Most changes are described in the previous post.

Please read the updated&simplified Guide in the new version.

Contact me if you got a problem :)

What's around the corner?

Many thanks to @Wysie_Soh, who did an insightful review recently.

Since this update takes me a little longer, I put some previews here to warm it up

What's in the screenshot:

• Shortcuts could be added to the strip (dragged from the panel)
• A check box for "Show last widget on start". By disabling this, you could short the start up time

What's not in the screenshot:

• Long pressing a widget will invoke its context menu
• An "all apps" panel is coming
• Labeling is coming
• Single home key click on your preferred home screen will invoke its default action: like sliding back to the center in Home++. You'll need double home key clicks to start Power Strip there.
• ...

Context Menu

I am living on it. Hope you'll perceive it in the same way.

It's not only about sharing, the "installed app details" shortcut is also really handy. However, the Android 2.2 seems to break the old way of calling it and has me hiding it.

Power Strip goes on Market

Finally, the first version of Power Strip goes on Market.

Future updates will be even more exciting :)

The Power Strip is sure to change the way you use your phone.