Froyo compatible wide release published to market

the final myLock release is now known as myLock utilities.

I compiled my final build of the froyo optimized basic functionality and the beta tested phone tools functionality to work together in the new utilities app package. it has updated against the 1.4 build we had in the market before froyo launched.

this means idle lock, toggle plugin, and advanced/hide lockscreen modes are fully defunct in all market builds except the pre-froyo donate package, still up for 99 cents. froyo donate build remains and includes the beta advanced mode as well for 1.99.

https://market.android.com/details?id=i4nc4mp.myLock

I've done this so that the froyo compatible skip lockscreen is now openly available rather than closed in the donate package beta. after months of experience with it on my own device and feedback to ensure no critical bugs or failures occurred besides occasional unlock lag, I'm satisfied that this is the best quick unlock possible in froyo and beyond and it is worth opening it up.

that said, development is now fully on hold indefinitely. look for a possible myLock for iOS in cydia.

Froyo update notes

Update 7/5/10--- Due to the changes in froyo that close security holes in the lockscreen that had allowed apps to toggle off security or close the lockscreen from a transparent window, there is no telling what more will be done that further destroys the capability of interacting with the lockscreen via SDK apps. There has been talk of deprecation of the pre-2.0 keyguard interaction API, among other details that have come down directly from the android developers.

Though with the release of eclair things seemed to be getting better and better for lockscreen apps, the android development team has continued to refuse to implement much-needed enhancements to the lockscreen interaction methods and instead with android 2.2 are reducing their usefulness and versatility for use within SDK just to fit internal (Google) app functionality needs.

myLock will not progress any further until the android team chooses to finish the missing componenents that will allow smooth lockscreen substitution and security/power mediation. They are deliberately avoiding doing so and treating what's been implemented as an internal tool to help the phone and alarm/dock apps have more features.

myLock for eclair, release 1.5, is the final official release. It will include idle lock (one of the main things we lost in the update to 2.2). In the market it will be available for $0.99. You'll still be able to download any older version built on 2.0 for free on the project page.

Until android team decides it is worth it to finish the unimplemented elements of lockscreen substitution, I am done trying to force it to work and troubleshooting the nuances that occur with the various cases of lockscreen control. I don't have any new features planned, having lost plenty of features that took a long time to stabilize.

What this means is that I will not be officially supporting myLock on Froyo. I will make the test build that I've been running on the leaked droid 2.2 available to my donators via the market donate package.

Please contact me if you manually donated prior to our launch in the market and I will send you the apk and keep you on the list for updates. I'd like to put the root-version alpha in your hands first as soon as it is available. I am not sure how soon I might begin work on this root version but it will likely be sooner than android decides to bring lockscreen substitution to the SDK properly.

Read about it at the official issue report we opened when the 2.2 sdk was first released- Android team has no plans to provide the tools yet needed to allow lockscreen superseding windows to return control to the lockscreen or unlock when needed

Projects back on hold

Due to a change in schedule again there may not be updates for the app for a while.

I'm releasing the unfinished advanced mode 1.4 version into market. It functions for any key wake, and requires home or back key to exit the myLock non-secure lockscreen. Power instant unlocks as usual.

The next updates were to add full button customization and update the widget lockscreen to provide the advanced operating mode.

Everything else we wanted to achieve is live, more or less. The phone tools app will be released shortly with only the phone lock due to some inconsistencies we have discovered with the answer prompt workarounds. I may leave answer prompt in with warning that it experiences interference from music apps.

Update ----
Advanced mode is now more finished, allowing any key to unlock after wakeup.
Phone tools also updated with a new method thanks to fellow open source dev Tedd.
This is it for updates for awhile other than if any critical bugs turn up.

update 1.4 under construction

New features:

3 modes:

-Skip lockscreen: Simplest auto unlock

-Hide lockscreen: Wallpaper display during auto unlock

-Disable lockscreen: Every key unlocks

Widget status display - Try this out in the 1.4 test build

More streamlining and enhancement to setup process to make it less restrictive and more clear which options can be changed while myLock is running.

Separate to this the phone mod will be released as a standalone app. Setup answering calls via buttons of choice or onscreen touch button, and enable call touchscreen guard to prevent face dialing if the prox sensor doesn't agree with you.

All about addons

myLock will continue to be free and 100% open source. I take pride in maintaining code that others can learn from. I just code what people want, there is no reason not to share the knowledge of how we accomplished everything in the great android open source platform.

For most of the special features people have been requesting that go beyond skipping/replacing the lockscreen into more ways to customize and control this, I have decided to release addons. This is so the free, simple nature of the essential myLock functionality is preserved without bombarding the average user with extra settings.

Addons are great also because I can attach donation incentives to them. Most of the addons are very simple lightweight functionalities. Thus far we have created the toggle addon and the idle lock addon. Right now, Locale integration is only a part of the toggle but we intend for every addon to allow Locale conditions to start or stop any of the settings. These are available in the market for 99 cents.

Once I have completed the additional planned addons (the next one will be for Call customization - call answer prompt with on screen button or answering the call via side key of choice, and the option to have a lockscreen up during calls), there will also be a myLock plus for 5 dollars in the market. This is to allow donations right on the market. The plus version includes all addon functionality and free updates for life to all additional addon utilities. They will always be released as part of plus as well as individually.

Widget Lockscreen beta 1.1 (r2)

It's not perfect but it's pretty damn great.

See ----(setup accessed from app drawer, menu key is open)

See some more -- the original myLock vision, nearly accomplished - get Executive Assistant widget for converged event preview.

Get

Widget Setup screen now a working alpha

With this setup screen, you choose the widgets you want. You undo if you don't like the most recently added one. You bask in the glory of widgets in their natural habitat.

http://mylockforandroid.googlecode.com/files/customLock_.apk

fire it up and then launch customLock if you want glory.

I am merging this in to custom lockscreen 1.0 to replace the music button area in the custom lockscreen with your widgets per how they have been added in the setup screen. when you are in the setup screen you'll see the clock also, this setup screen is how it was during all pre-alpha code building