Today, I silently released Smart Taskbar 2 on Playstore.

To get it: [Playstore link]

Youtube Video:

Youtube video

I  am planning to formal release on Playstore with this version. So if there is no serious issue found in this version, I think I will publish it officially on Playstore by the weekend. In this version, I added some decoration in main UI with new graphics along with a lot of bug fixes.

[Download]

I immediately found some bugs in update 4. And they are quite easy to occur and quite serious. So I have to make new update today. Other than bug fixes, I also fixed long click vibration logic to make it more reasonable. I also brought back the classic square trigger icon with HD quality this time. I feel quite impressed after seeing all graphics upgrading to HD quality. The screenshot doesn’t show the difference a lot. But you will see the difference once you install ST2 on your phone and see with your eyes.

[Download]

This version is a release candidate version. As I mentioned earlier, I will leave UI graphics work after first official release for main setting window. However, I still made some minor tweaks on main window to make it less eye sore in this version.

I added an animated tutorial section and throw in two more trigger icon styles, iPhone accessitive touch style and STB2 logo style. I will continue throw in more and more styles before final release. I also plan to let user choose his/her favourite icons as trigger icon later.

[Download

I added one more major feature in this version that is ability to add folder onto quick launch spot. So you can virtually break the 10 items quick launch item limit with combination of folder item. Also, I finally got icons for sort button on float window panel. Again, there are many bug fixes in this release too.

[Download]

I made some minor changes in this version to make it more complete now. But the most obvious addition and the most important one is swiper trigger in both sides. Other than that, its all bug fix and minor addition.

[Download]

Before you install the APK, I hope you can read below message completely to fully understand what you will get in this APK because it is not fully finished . It is important to know what are the problems before you try it and thanks for trying out the first beta preview. I will constantly update my app from now on for any new update I make until it is fully finished.

Today, I finally finished all functions that were planned to show up in the first official release of ST V2. So I think it is a good time to start public beta to hear your feedback before I official launch it. I’d like to fine tune the App a bit before official launch. In addition, I haven’t finished the UI in main window part. So please don’t be shocked to find it very engineer style looking because they are actually wireframe that I left intentionally for my designer to work on her graphics. Since it is a complete code rewrite, so I am actually kind of nervous on its stability even though I haven’t seen any so far.

Generally, the App still has two parts, the floating window part and the main App window part. The floating window part is all complete except the sort order icon located at the top bar area. Rest of them are the final look that you will see in my final delivery unless it is truly awful to see in most people’s eyes. The main window part is all complete only in features but zero completion in UI. But I think I can finish the UI in two weeks.

[What's new in V2]
(1) You can drag and drop to assign item to labels and quick launch by gesture. But you need to long press and choose ‘Move’ to enter edit mode first.
(2) There are 3 types of sort filter to choose from, by installation time, by usage frequency, and by default.
(3) You can now create folder by moving one item on top of the other item in editor mode. So far no limit in number of items in folder. But I will very likely to limit it to 12 in final delivery.
(4) Trigger icon can now free float
(5) Trigger icon can auto dim
(6) Tablet optimized
(7) Label reorder is now gesture driven
(8) Uses even less RAM than V1
(9) Many small features that are very hard or not too interesting to point out.

[Features that I will add after official launch]
(1) Able to assign folder, widget to quick launch
(2) Able to drag and drop folder to other folder
(3) A way to discover/organize newly install app
(4) …. waiting for your input

[Download link]

[Screens]

Thanks for the contribution from XDA member rajiv’s. He made a beautiful set of WinRT style theme for Button Savior. Actually I got this set of theme from him a month ago but I forgot to put it in during my last update. My apology to him and to everyone.

In my last announcement in Smart Taskbar 1.2.12, I said it would be the last update for Smart Taskbar V1. But during the development of V2, I finally discovered the root cause of a very very old problem that occurred since even in the first release of Smart Taskbar dated 3 years ago. That is the dreaded bug of losing ability to enter on textfield when switching apps with Smart Taskbar. So basically this is the only issue thats covered in this release.

I am now updating maybe the last update for Smart Taskbar V1 today. The development of Smart Taskbar V2 is near its end. I will first release a public preview on Playstore in maybe end of March for bug and issue solving. I have delayed the project from my previous promised deadline of end of 2012 to end of Jan, and then Feb… and finally March due to increasing complexity in my design. And I was too stupid to started the project by completely rewriting the code instead of improving from old one that I have spent nearly 2 years on. Now I finally understand what agile methodology is in software development. My next project after Smart Taskbar V2 will be Button Savior V2 and I will not make same kind of mistake again. I will start from old code and improve daily and slowly.

Back to the topic. Smart Taskbar V1.2.12 includes following bug fixes

(1) Fixed widget viewer layout problem
(2) Fixed direct call failure in newer devices