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View Full Version : [Proposal pending] Quick and effective way to change music tracks on the move


Techtertainment
2010-01-15, 18:57
I used My N900 as my main music player; indeed 22gigs of my memory is dedicated to Music.

Prior to this I had an iPod touch and two of the simplest yet great feature that I loved on the device was 1) the ability to change volume without having to wake the player and 2) The ability to change tracks on the standby screen without going into the player.

Currently the N900 has neither of those and I think there is already a brainstorm idea for the 1st feature I mentioned above.

Here is my idea of how the 2nd feature could be implemented on the phone.


Currently when the phone screen is off and the power button is pressed, you get the time, date and the “Wipe to Unlock” bar.

Also if you are listening to a track and the phone is in your pocket with the screen off. When a track comes on that you don’t like you have to either use the slider to switch on the screen or use the Power button then “Wipe to Unlock”.

Although this is no big deal, if you have to do this a number of times during the day it does get very annoying.

How about this:
1) If you are listening to a track and a song comes on that you don’t like.
2) Pressing the power button to reveal the “Wipe to Unlock” bar.
3) Behind it filling the screen will be the Album Art are of the track you are listening to.
4) Below it will be the music controls
5) All in portrait mode for effective 1-hand use.

Now you don’t have to go into the home screen to change tracks with the widgets

Did my best to show in the pic.

grumps312
2010-01-15, 19:04
would be a neat idea, the n900 is my main music player and i agree. Switching songs constantly or frequently sucks on the n900.

jsomby
2010-01-15, 19:06
Or even trying to change volume if display is locked :/

bandora
2010-01-15, 19:06
We do want something like this... But I was saying that we need portrait mode only for media player, and web browser (microB); which is already kind of implemented. and a T9 virtual keyboard support..

This isn't that bad either though.. Kind of weird, but it isn't bad.

MaltedVomit
2010-01-15, 19:26
i like the way my palm pre handled this. it used the button on the mic. on press for play/pause, and a double press for skip to next track. obviously this wouldn't help if you're in headphone mode, but when you are in headset mode its a really nice feature. would this be possible to implement on the N900?

qw3rty
2010-01-15, 19:55
Someone somewhere suggest using long presses on the volume button for skip forward/back. I think that's a great idea, since you wouldn't even have to look at the screen. I would add using the camera key for play/pause.

This would all be in addition to displaying the controls on screen like you suggested.

benjijk
2010-01-15, 19:56
can you guys please check the WH-701 Nokia wired headset and if one of you has this, please let me know if it does what this thread is expecting? I agree, there has to be a UI interface for the same features, but I'm just curious if anyone else here has also used this headset and if it works well with the N900. If it does, I plan to buy it.

What would be cool, is if we pressed the power button, and then there was the slide to unlock button, and maybe a second button saying "walkman mode", which would enable a UI to control music. Well, I don't know, it seems cool in my head.

tissot
2010-01-15, 20:14
My Zune HD got something like this where you got one button on the left side that shows track and all the functions(forward, next song, volume and so on)even if the device is locked. Very handy and works better than my old ipod touch 1G.
N900 will soon be my only MP3 player as i get rid off the Zune HD so hoping to see something like this at some point.

Most important thing would still be portrait mode for media player. I really don't care about portrait in the menus or in the browser(i already did hold my Omnia HD and 5800 mostly in landscape), but at least to me who is most of the time moving when i'm lisening music from MP3 player, having portrait there makes sense to me as i don't need to use two hands for something very simple like selecting new track or whatever.

Wimmert
2010-01-15, 20:24
nokia should make this remote working on the n900 That would be a great improvement.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3816941983_472d5944a1.jpg

Bingley Joe
2010-01-15, 21:27
Someone somewhere suggest using long presses on the volume button for skip forward/back. I think that's a great idea, since you wouldn't even have to look at the screen. I would add using the camera key for play/pause.


This is how my old Sony-Ericsson w810i did it and it was truly a great feature. That would definitely get my vote.

The camera key for play/pause seems like a sensible idea as well (the w810i had a dedicated button).

b666m
2010-01-15, 21:33
there is a program named "Shake2Control".
when activated you can switch and pause songs with one strong shake of the n900. even if the phone is locked.
(don't worry that it reacts on light shakes. you have to put some power in that shake ^^)

chemist
2010-01-15, 22:56
Please create a brainstorm item and read the links in my signature.

Techtertainment
2010-01-16, 00:46
Please create a brainstorm item and read the links in my signature.

can you help me with this please, thanks..

you did say to ask lol

chrisp7
2010-01-16, 15:55
can you help me with this please, thanks..

you did say to ask lol

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=33189...

peio
2010-01-16, 16:43
http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/enhance_lock_screen/
http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/control_music_playback_with_the_camera_key/

qw3rty
2010-01-16, 19:23
Stopping music when headphones are unplugged is already possible thanks to headphoned (http://thpinfo.com/2009/headphoned/). I have been using it and it seems to work great - it's in testing now, so go test it and vote.

Bec
2010-01-17, 09:47
nokia should make this remote working on the n900 That would be a great improvement.

Here is thebrainstorm for remote control headsets:
HEADSET BUTTON INPUT READER (http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/headset_button_input_reader)

MartinNZ
2010-01-17, 10:27
The N900 supports A2DP controls. I bought a pair of Nokia BH-504 Bluetooth headphones along with my N900. They work great for controlling media player functions.

Bec
2010-01-17, 10:30
We meant wired remote control headsets:p

Techtertainment
2010-01-18, 16:25
Brainstorm proposed
I
I
V

http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/enhancing_the_music_player_experience/

gesperon
2010-01-18, 16:33
http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/enhance_lock_screen/
http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/control_music_playback_with_the_camera_key/

I think for the "Enhance lock screen" it would be great if the lock screen was treated like an "extra" desktop... That way you could add whatever you want, including future app/widgets to it the same as in a normal desktop.

Bec
2010-01-25, 12:37
The brainstorm is progressing quite slow: http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/enhance_lock_screen/

Maybe you guys should post your solutions there aswell?

jackie_jagger
2010-04-10, 08:25
If this turns out to actually be implemented...my iPod touch goes into the recycling bin...

just curious, wouldn't this be infringing Apple's patents?

but what ever it is..this idea is simply awesome !!

God_Lx
2010-04-11, 02:02
Using the lockscreen has an aditional desktop sounds okish, but doesn't make much sense since the device is supposed to be locked and I don't want it to accept any clicking/touching stuff...

The easiest way to get what you want working is actually to buy some bluetooth headsets with remote control, i personally use the SE HBH-DS 970 and they work perfectly.

SavageD
2010-04-11, 02:21
I not one that cares about eyecandy persay, I'm all about functionality, that said. Why not simply make the volume buttons skip tracks while song is playing and device is locked. My idea is like this.

When device is locked, screen is off and music is playing:

1) Use volume buttons to skip tracks. One short press would skip/repeat a track. one long press would increase/decrease volume.

2) Two quick presses on volume decrease, would skip to previous track.

3) Use camera button as pause/play button. Long press of camera button would be 'stop'.

This would save developers a lot of hackery and time since its easier to implement.

CraigRobbo
2010-04-12, 12:48
This is how my old Sony-Ericsson w810i did it and it was truly a great feature. That would definitely get my vote.

The camera key for play/pause seems like a sensible idea as well (the w810i had a dedicated button).

Long press on volume keys for me too - i loved this on my old SE