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WM6 Easter Eggs - WM6 Features (search terms)
This is a list of new and little known features in WM6.
Please add any I miss to this thread and I will try to put them in this post (with credit of course)
1. Typing on the keyboard on the today screen will automatically bring up the phone with matching contacts. Certain phone skins do not support this and you will just get a text box with scroll bars covering half the screen but nothing in it. If this happens switch your phone app with the Tweak app (varies depending on who’s WM6 you are running)
2. From Messaging (Outlook, SMS, MMS, [POP/IMAP? not tested] ) if you start typing it will search through your messages for whatever you type. Hold “H” for a list of shortcuts. I think the shortcut keys mean hold that letter.
3. Under calendar; If you create a new appointment and decide you don’t want it, you can now pres menu and cancel (cancel was not in wm5)
4. When typing in WiFi keys (WPA, WEP, whatever) you can actually see what you are typing instead of just ******.
5. The new feature I found that I love is if you go into the options for the calendar you can now set it to start in Month view (or whatever view you prefer). I couldn't stand the fact that WM5 kept reverting back to agenda!
(Thanks chymmylt!)
6. The camera finally keeps adjustments like contrast and sharpness saved.
Previously if you soft reset or power off and on the phone, these settings would always revert back to the defaults.
(Thanks abubasim!)
7. In Contacts, when you edit a contact you now have 'File As' useful if you want Forename Surname instead of the default Surname, Forename
(Thanks nbedford! [I installed the "File As" plugin and never noticed that it the ability to change it was built in =)] )
8. In Outlook, if you [Reply All] by default it copies your own email address into the recipient list, so you receive your own mails, even if you auto-save them already in Sent Folder. I found that extremely annoying because with every [Reply All] I had to manually remove my email address before sending.
You can avoid this easily:
1. Programs -> ActiveSync
2. Menu -> Options
3. Select the E-mail information type and tap Settings
4. Tap Advanced
5. Enter the e-mail address you want to remove when replying to all senders in My e-mail addresses
(Thanks aublumberg, This applys to WM5 also but not to many people know this one.)
Let me know if this is a waste of space, and if not, lets keep this thread on topic and point out all the fun reasons to use WM6.
Later, Lew
thanks. couple those i didnt know about.
not quite "easter eggs" though are they
thanks for sharing this information
i found the firts two points very usefull, and (correct me if i'am wrong) due to the lack of a propper wm6 manual i think this thread comes quite handy
The new feature I found that I love is if you go into the options for the calendar you can now set it to start in Month view (or whatever view you prefer). I couldn't stand the fact that WM5 kept reverting back to agenda!
The camera finally keeps adjustments like contrast and sharpness saved.
Previously if you soft reset or power off and on the phone, these settings would always revert back to the defaults.
In Contacts, when you edit a contact you now have 'File As' useful if you want Forename Surname instead of the default Surname, Forename
Bump for added Features.
Not new, but little known and well hidden:
- press and hold the action button
- tap and hold the clock in the title bar until the dots stop moving
- when you release both the stylus and the action button, you get a small menu with an "execute" (or "run") entry. Tap that to get sort of a command line prompt.
Cheers
Daniel
Very nice thread. thnx for the little hints
Are there any real easter eggs in win mobile?
Pisquee said:
Are there any real easter eggs in win mobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope that is a joke. i wouldnt be surprised if it's not
tadzio said:
Not new, but little known and well hidden:
- press and hold the action button
- tap and hold the clock in the title bar until the dots stop moving
- when you release both the stylus and the action button, you get a small menu with an "execute" (or "run") entry. Tap that to get sort of a command line prompt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a real easter egg!
WIKI Pls
In the interest of WIKI and promoting the use of knowledge being written once and used many times, there is already a knowledgebase for this with lots of stuff, if you can add yours and close this, everybody will know where to go for their easter eggs...
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=Hermes_Buttons
Tap and hold the clock on the title bar lets you switch between digital and analog disply - no idea that happened until now!
I guess, you already know this...
Pressing the "power button" for 3 seconds turns off (not just standby) the device (with WM2003 it wasn't possible...)
This is probably an old one but I didn't know it myself until Googling for it:
In Solitaire, open the on-screen keyboard, tap Ctl and Shift and then Deal. It gives you the perfect hand.
Source: The Easter Egg Archive. The site has a few more . . . of which this one is the only one that seems to be working.
VivaErBetis said:
This is a real easter egg!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
. . . but an old one. I could do this one on my old JAMin (WM5 AKU2.0).
pello said:
I guess, you already know this...
Pressing the "power button" for 3 seconds turns off (not just standby) the device (with WM2003 it wasn't possible...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's in the manual
panzer said:
it's in the manual
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i know but...i have never touched a manual for mobile devices
BTW: i don't need this function
Good and handy tips!!! Thank you.
I have just upgraded from a TyTN2/Kaiser to a new TP2/Rhodium running WM 6.1 .. and am enjoying the experience except for one fly in the ointment.
Text selection in certain apps is incredibly painful: using the stylus to select a portion of text is almost always interpreted as an attempt to drag-scroll the display. "Almost always" because if you time it properly, waiting a second or so and start dragging before the context menu pops up, then it sorta kinda works. But the selection seems to kick in quite some time AFTER beginning to drag, and therefore doesn't start at the beginning of the target. And Double-clicks (to select a whole word) no longer stretch word-for-word as I drag.
Most apps still work fine, but the following key apps suffer this annoying misbehaviour:
Contacts - But only the "Notes" tab. All text in the "Details" tab behaves as expected!
SMS texting - This occurs when selecting "Send Text Message" from a contact's Summary display (which is actually my preferred method as it is the quickest!). And it also occurs if you start an SMS from the messaging app via menu options Menu\New\SMS. But if you compose an SMS in the threaded view of a conversation in the same app, then the text selection is ok!
I can't find any posts by others who might be experiencing something similar, so is there a solution for this? A registry hack maybe? Am I the only one who has noticed this problem, or am I the only one who is annoyed so much by it?
Notes tab of Contacts app: I experience the same here. But it doesn't really bother me too much since I rarely have to select text here.
Messaging App: I didn't know you can select text like that (ie. tap and hold for a bit and drag) until you mentioned it! Anyway, if you want to select text here, you can always tap "Menu" and then "Select Text".
ohyeahar said:
Notes tab of Contacts app: I experience the same here. But it doesn't really bother me too much since I rarely have to select text here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the contact notes extensively, so it is extremely frustrating to have it compromised and complicated now (compared with TyTN2).
ohyeahar said:
Messaging App: I didn't know you can select text like that (ie. tap and hold for a bit and drag) until you mentioned it! Anyway, if you want to select text here, you can always tap "Menu" and then "Select Text".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh - thanks for that! Now if only i could find a way to keep that as the default
** UPDATE **
** UPDATE **
I just noticed that everything works properly .. if and only if you use "My Mobiler" to remotely control the phone. So you can use your mouse and your desktop monitor to drag select text in the above compromised apps (including Active Tasks by the way) .. and everything will be fine.
But when it come to using the stylus on the phone's touch-screen directly, the selection still misbehaves!!
This is not a workaround, just mentioning it in the hope that it might help someone enlightened enough to be able to piece the puzzle together
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=85583
Here's a solution to your problems.
digitaliceblast said:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=85583
Here's a solution to your problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but i'm not sure how exactly does it solve the problem? If you mean the post by orlandojumpoff (post #16) about pressing and holding and then dragging when the animation starts, then that's actually the problem itself.
The animation goes by so fast, that each time you do this, it takes a few false starts before you manage to time it right. The overall effect is to give priority to TF3D scrolling at the expense of functionality in terms of text selection. It makes me want to rip out TF3D by it's heart, which of course is a bit overkill.
I'd settle for being able to tell TF3D to stop interfering in specific apps, or simply to stop interferring while editing. Actually, come to think of it .. another viable option might be to find a way to get that animation to take a little longer ... hmmm
One thing you can do to mitigate it somewhat is to double tap on a word to select a word, triple tap to select an entire line. I use Pocket Informant and it too won't allow me to drag to select unless I try to time it like you do. Another trick is to use the hardware keyboard, and your arrow and shift keys combined to select text.
Sure wish the good things we like about WM would stick from version to version, and the bad things would be fixed and stay fixed. Hey, it could happen
trids said:
Text selection in certain apps is incredibly painful: using the stylus to select a portion of text is almost always interpreted as an attempt to drag-scroll the display...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a similar problem on Topaz (Diamond 2). It seems finger scrolling sensitivity was made too high and it can no more tell finger from stylus. I found a (partial) solution. Maybe it works on Rhodium too.
- Find the registry key "HKLM\Software\OEM\TFLOSettings".
- It should contains a subkey named "TFLOIgnoreAPPs". If it does not exist create it.
- For every application where you want to be able to select text add a string value called "IgnoreAppXY" where XY are two characters different for every entry.
- As value enter the name of the application EXE file as seen in file explorer (warning: case does matter).
From then on for that applications finger scrolling is suppressed and text selection works as expected.
This is a sample from my registry
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\OEM\TFLOSettings\TFLOIgnoreAPPs]
"IgnoreAppST"="WiFiNetwork.exe"
"IgnoreAppYT"="YouTube.exe"
"IgnoreAppPH"="PIMHelper.exe"
"IgnoreAppNP"="NOTEPAD.exe"
"IgnoreAppCE"="ContactEditor.exe"
"IgnoreAppTM"="tmail.exe"
"WiFiNetwork.exe" and YouTube.exe" were already there. I added "PIMHelper.exe" (editing inside SPB Diary Today plugin),
"ContactEditor.exe" (editing for Contacts), "tmail.exe" (editing for SMS and email) and "NOTEPAD.exe" (Orneta text editor).
Hope it helps.
That method worked for me for Pocket Informant, using "ignoreappPI"="PocketInformant.exe".
Thanks!
SOLVED!
oruam57 said:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\OEM\TFLOSettings\TFLOIgnoreAPPs]
"IgnoreAppST"="WiFiNetwork.exe"
"IgnoreAppYT"="YouTube.exe"
"IgnoreAppPH"="PIMHelper.exe"
"IgnoreAppNP"="NOTEPAD.exe"
"IgnoreAppCE"="ContactEditor.exe"
"IgnoreAppTM"="tmail.exe"
:
:
Hope it helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brilliant - Thank you! This is EXACTLY what i was hoping for! Awesome!
Update:
I posted this brilliant solution to the standard thread for Rhodium Cabs,Tips,Tweaks etc
.. Thanks again oruam57!
Just a word of caution. My device already had [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\OEM\TFLOSettings\TFLOIgnoreAPPs], with YouTube as the only exclusion, but i notice that the board seems to introduce a space into the "TFLOIgnoreAPPs" portion, which might cause problems for some folks who want to try this out.
And for the record, this solution does not solve the problem for the standard editor for Contacts and Tasks, which doesn't have a Process whose name you can use. So I'll start looking at custom editors for Contacts now, but it's good to have this handy tweak within reach!
trids said:
And for the record, this solution does not solve the problem for the standard editor for Contacts and Tasks, which doesn't have a Process whose name you can use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I do not understand exactly your problem but on my Topaz:
- in the first tab of standard Contacts and Task editor text selection does work (do not know why, I suppose Touch Flow has some internal logic);
- in the second tab (Notes) of Contacts text selection can be forced working by inserting the process "ContactEditor.exe";
- in the second tab (Notes) of Tasks text selection can be forced working by inserting the process "poutlook.exe".
At any rate using Dotfred's Task Manager (http://www.dotfred.net/TaskMgr.htm) you can inspect processes and windows on your phone and with a little patience you can find the owner process of any interesting window.
Hooray!
oruam57 said:
Hope it helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you soooo much oruam57! I searched for hours yesterday for a fix for this issue. It was driving me crazy. I made two of my own for ListPro and eWallet and they work great now too. THANKS!
oruam57 said:
Maybe I do not understand exactly your problem but on my Topaz:
- in the first tab of standard Contacts and Task editor text selection does work (do not know why, I suppose Touch Flow has some internal logic);
- in the second tab (Notes) of Contacts text selection can be forced working by inserting the process "ContactEditor.exe";
- in the second tab (Notes) of Tasks text selection can be forced working by inserting the process "poutlook.exe".
At any rate using Dotfred's Task Manager (http://www.dotfred.net/TaskMgr.htm) you can inspect processes and windows on your phone and with a little patience you can find the owner process of any interesting window.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@ Oruam57, you're right, thanks again! I was in fact using DotFred's Task Manager to discover the processes .. but i came to the incorrect conclusion (that there was no identifiable processes, for Tasks and for Contacts) because i saw no change in the processes listed between editing and not editing their notes, as poutlook.exe was still running after i edited the notes and while the list of tasks/contacts was still displayed.
And this is how I overlooked the possibility that poutlook.exe itself was the editor
BTW, i notice that the exclusion for poutlook.exe works for the notes of both Tasks AND Contacts, they seem to use the same editor. I have no ContactEditor.exe listed at all, must be for your custom editor.
I tried with on WLMMessenger.exe, but it didint work.
I still cant select ( highlight ) text from a conversation. When i do it begins to scroll..
Has anyone the solution?
I would like to hear your ideas for Bada modifications, what things do you want to see done to Bada?
Everything and anything goes! (within reason)
My wishlist.
-
Delete some unneeded "Icons"... because I can remove Facebook, Twitter ...
But few JAVA Midlets are somewhere protected against remove.
I was able to delete jar, jad, Icon but Icon still there in menu
Where is the Database entry to clear?
Preinstalled Widget too...
-
120 Apps Limit...
Hmm, there are other ways to replace ... BUT why 120 Apps are Maximum?
-
Developer signed Apps are only 1 possible to activate...
bada SDK Samples for instance...
Via Broker.exe Install seems more then 1 work at the same time... Why?
And how to expand to install more then 1 App at same time.
-
Filemanager bada App with Access to internal Filesystem.
I'm sure that Samsung will not allow this on their Store... but is it possible.
Someone told their are no APIs to access internal folder...
maybe invetigation of apps_compressed.bin will help to find "Commands"...
-
Folder delete in internal FS
I can create folder with PSAS, but can't delete. They are writeprotected.
More ideas hopefully later...
Best Regards
well for instance i wanna change the keyboard to either htc or iphone.... this one is too crammy like congested.... wanna have a spacious potrait keyboard......... and with universal setting like if i wanna activate predective text it should apply everywhere... not just in messages........ and it should always stay on..........
secondly i wud like to see more UI modifications beyond just themes...... like changing the status bar or the way notifications occur and stuff........... custom roms maybe... variety is a good thing...
I'd like to see:
Ability to create widgets or widget like apps using system parameters..
For eg: GPRS data, browser bookmarks, setting wallpapers etc..
Customization of the top Notification Panel buttons.
Filemanager Drag and Drop to move files and folders
A memory cleanup application.
Big Aspect sized thumbnails for videos.. now we cannot distinguish videos in thumb view.
More Right click options in files/folders - i.e., Click and Hold to show Menu options to Move/Copy/Delete/Rename/Open with/etc..
I'd like to see shortcuts (with names) like on Android and continous autofocus in the video cam !
My ideas or things I want in Bada
Here are my ideas :
1. Ability to replace whole UI like Android.
2. Folders in Menu.
3. Text-reflow in Browser.
5. Unlimited Menu pages and Home screens.
6. Unlimited SMS storage (why you want to restrict us to 1300 on a SMARTPHONE )
7. Sending Group SMS to any number of people (can be very useful for certain type of
businesses. Did u think about it Sammy ?)
8. Auto-hide of Notification bar and Lower bar after certain amount of time or on Tap.
9. Different Wallpapers on every home screen.
10. Better animations.
11. Smaller icons. 4x5 grid with an option to change to suit consumers' taste.
12. Notification Drop down to have buttons for APN, Brightnesss.
13. In-built Backup-Restore app for all phone data. User should be able to select to what he
wants to backup or restore.
14. Highly efficient GPS. (I would not like to buy a BMW whose tires I have to fix. I have
paid for it, btw.)
15. Better Facebook(with chat), Twitter and IM app atleast Gtalk. Current one plainly sucks
16. Various bugs in Messaging to be fixed.
17. Select all and Mark as read option in Email app.
18. Universal availability of Social Hub Premium.
19. A little better sound output through speakers (it is based on personal taste only )
20. Text-reflow and Pinch-to-zoom in Email app.
21. Soft buttons for Menu and Back.
22. All applications to have Exit button.
more to come.................
Out of all these I have already solved 7th but then everybody can't make changes to the file system.
Yes, I do love Bada and its potential. Its simplicity is killing feature
Thanks !
I think user experience would benefit by implementing GPU acceleration in UI and browser as in IOS and Windows phone 7.
TigerCourage said:
I'd like to see shortcuts (with names) like on Android and continous autofocus in the video cam !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi all. @TigerCourage on AF I play with the camera settings file "CamSetting.ini" in folder "Registry" can be seen with the program "sTune" (I started some new options "IntelligentAuto" I do not know what does). There is also an option to focus on video recording "RecordFocusMode" from "0" to "2" default "0". Try setting but do backup before (right click and copy).
Try my sample file
frxbg said:
Hi all. @TigerCourage on AF I play with the camera settings file "CamSetting.ini" in folder "Registry" can be seen with the program "sTune" (I started some new options "IntelligentAuto" I do not know what does). There is also an option to focus on video recording "RecordFocusMode" from "0" to "2" default "0". Try setting but do backup before (right click and copy).
Try my sample file
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did it work for you?
frxbg said:
Hi all. @TigerCourage on AF I play with the camera settings file "CamSetting.ini" in folder "Registry" can be seen with the program "sTune" (I started some new options "IntelligentAuto" I do not know what does). There is also an option to focus on video recording "RecordFocusMode" from "0" to "2" default "0". Try setting but do backup before (right click and copy).
Try my sample file
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I try and I think not works.
Could you explain the issue better?
thanks.
frxbg said:
Hi all. @TigerCourage on AF I play with the camera settings file "CamSetting.ini" in folder "Registry" can be seen with the program "sTune" (I started some new options "IntelligentAuto" I do not know what does). There is also an option to focus on video recording "RecordFocusMode" from "0" to "2" default "0". Try setting but do backup before (right click and copy).
Try my sample file
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't work mate, I tried copying your file and then doing a soft rest and it didn't work. I also tried playing with options like RecordFocusMode and IntelligentAuto but still the same...
It would be very AWESOME if we get continous autofocus on Wave!
rex4u said:
Here are my ideas :
1. Ability to replace whole UI like Android.
2. Folders in Menu.
3. Text-reflow in Browser.
5. Unlimited Menu pages and Home screens.
6. Unlimited SMS storage (why you want to restrict us to 1300 on a SMARTPHONE )
7. Sending Group SMS to any number of people (can be very useful for certain type of
businesses. Did u think about it Sammy ?)
8. Auto-hide of Notification bar and Lower bar after certain amount of time or on Tap.
9. Different Wallpapers on every home screen.
10. Better animations.
11. Smaller icons. 4x5 grid with an option to change to suit consumers' taste.
12. Notification Drop down to have buttons for APN, Brightnesss.
13. In-built Backup-Restore app for all phone data. User should be able to select to what he
wants to backup or restore.
14. Highly efficient GPS. (I would not like to buy a BMW whose tires I have to fix. I have
paid for it, btw.)
15. Better Facebook(with chat), Twitter and IM app atleast Gtalk. Current one plainly sucks
16. Various bugs in Messaging to be fixed.
17. Select all and Mark as read option in Email app.
18. Universal availability of Social Hub Premium.
19. A little better sound output through speakers (it is based on personal taste only )
20. Text-reflow and Pinch-to-zoom in Email app.
21. Soft buttons for Menu and Back.
22. All applications to have Exit button.
more to come.................
Out of all these I have already solved 7th but then everybody can't make changes to the file system.
Yes, I do love Bada and its potential. Its simplicity is killing feature
Thanks !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great list!!!
TigerCourage said:
Doesn't work mate, I tried copying your file and then doing a soft rest and it didn't work. I also tried playing with options like RecordFocusMode and IntelligentAuto but still the same...
It would be very AWESOME if we get continous autofocus on Wave!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey how you copy a file because the file copied to the phone is only by drag and drop. If you are able to copy my files when you start the camera will see the icon "sA" without restarting the phone. Otherwise the effect of the settings I have attached the file with changed sound of shooting
frxbg said:
Hey how you copy a file because the file copied to the phone is only by drag and drop. If you are able to copy my files when you start the camera will see the icon "sA" without restarting the phone. Otherwise the effect of the settings I have attached the file with changed sound of shooting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I copied by drag and drop and I've seen your "sA" icon at the beginning but the continous autofocus is nowhere to be seen...
Is there anyway to save camera shoot images in uncompressed format so that the quality of captured images will be maximum?
I would like to have a "fast-access" GPS button - next to the mute button ("green" menu). I'm really sure that this function will be very popular!
"Originally Posted by rex4u
Here are my ideas :"
about ur 7 th point (group sms to any no. of people).. this can be done using stune... jst modify the ini of messages settings there the limit is set to 10.. i dont remember the exact folder
and too lazy to look ... jst play around and see if u find it. otherwise i'll find it for u
I would like to have more keyboard languages (with T9 or whatever it's called on the Wave).
I have seen a friend of mine with a Wave from Vodafone, and he has 30+ langage/keyboard optinons. On my wave (normal German FW) I have about 10. No Cyrillic characters, no Chinese, no Arabian...
How am I supposed to use the full functionality of such a wonderful phone if i can't write an email to a friend /business associate in Russia for example.
I could grump about it a few more pages, but the essence should already be clear
P.S. AFAIK the languages are stored in the CSC flash file, so it's not so easy to "just add" some in, but I hope someone from samsung might also see this and think about it.
Android.=D
If i where a moderator or administrator i would ban that guy for inciting flame wars...
First off; I love Android. I think that Ice Cream Sandwich has led to a greater harmonisation of the Android operating system and adds a bit of polish to something functional. Google's apps are starting to feel like they belong together, rather than giving a sense that they're being produced by different teams who have little contact.
However, I'm no fanboy. I don't buy a product and deny that it has flaws just because a certain company produced it *ahem *. So here it is; one humble man's opinion on what's wrong with Ice cream Sandwich.
1. Blue theme.... really? There's a reason that designers avoid blue-on-black. It offers poor contrast, and looks cheap; much like the Geocities sites of the 90s. The blue taskbar and app icons used in ICS just don't go with... well... anything. It's all well and good being able to customise your home screen, but when anything except a blue background clashes it's all a little redundant.
2. The stock icons themselves are disgusting. We all knew this from the leaked screenshots, which forums were praying were fake. Mostly, they just don't look like they belong to the same set. There's no consistency. Half are blue, half are not. Some are three dimensional, and some are traditional, flat icons. Some are different sizes. They just don't work. They look cheap, childish and don't match the 'magazine' style of the UI overhaul. It's like someone realised at the last minute that they'd forgotten to redesign icons, so just did a Google Image search and used the first of each that they found.
3. Google Plus pages won't open in the Android Browser. This one is just plain embarrassing. Google's flagship device can't view Google's new hub outside of the restrictive app? The browser just panics and shuts down with no option to report it. Did no-one test this?
4. Google Talk isn't in the sharing options. That's right, click on the share icon within an app and it'll show you every way of sharing except Google Talk. Following the above, it seems like Google is boycotting their own services.
5. Speech to text for UK language setting is insane. After a few words, it seemingly switches to using your contacts directory as a dictionary, rather than real words. You end up with a full sentence made entirely of surnames and forenames. I cannot believe that no-one tested this.
6. Removing the search key doesn't just remove the ability to search from some apps; it means that you can no longer assign functions to long press, or use voice command from any app. You have to return to the home screen each time. This is a huge step backwards.
7. Similarly, this has led to a non-removable search box on the home screen. Not only does it take up space, but the white icon doesn't work on a light background. The customisability of Android has just been taken down another notch. Sure, you can use a 3rd party launcher, but with no search button, you need the box there for searches.
8. A minor point, but Android can't seem to decide if going for a futuristic hologram look, or the Windows Phone 7 style magazine layout. It's like Mathias Duarte turned up, and they said “Make our OS beautiful... but it still has to look like ugly old Honeycomb (TRON)." All in, it just feels a bit cheap and confused.
9. The soft keys which Google has opted for in ICS are not well positioned. The home key is far too close to the space bar, which is infuriating when typing.
10. The action bar is horrific to use. It means that the menu and search keys jump around the screen. So you're in the Facebook app and want to see the menu. Where is it? Well it's not where it used to be and there's no action bar. Oh wait, three dots have appeared in the soft-key bar. Ugly and inconsistent, but OK.
Switch to messaging. Where the heck is it? Ah it's in the top right now! The little scamp.
Now you're in Gmail. Where is the menace? I know you're here somewhere... Ah, there! In the action bar in the bottom right. Android Market: back up top! There is just no consistency and it makes everything feel disjointed and unpredictable.
The action bar essentially negates the large screen on the Galaxy Nexus. The row of soft keys, plus the action bar actually leads to a lower proportion of screen space for the app than on previous versions of Android.
11. Cut, Copy & Paste: What the hell were they thinking?! This doesn't just jump around based on app, but depending on which page of an app you're in. And even then, the buttons are different every time.
Take Gmail for example. Copying text from the body of an email: a menu appears in place of the action bar at the bottom. However, in the 'compose' screen this menu appears at the top, but with different icons. Another 'paste' button (but not using the paste icon) also appears above the selected text, but no cut or copy buttons. If you try and make a selection from a link, a long press summons a pop-up dialogue where paste is an option. That is four ways of pasting, just within the Gmail app.
Not to mention, that they've opted for icons with no words. Unless you're accustomed to using old Windows machines, this may as well be code. It's like it's intentionally trying to confuse you.
12. Relationships with app vendors must be non-existent. If I was releasing an update to a platform which relies upon people being able to install apps, I'd make sure that the most common apps work on the new platform before release. This could involve providing phones and assistance to the big names. As it stands, neither Facebook nor Whatsapp (two of the top 5 most downloaded apps) work. Both of these are communications related. I feel cut off from the world. I'm sure this could have been sorted before release. Swype is another big name that doesn't support the screen resolution.
Google launched the Galaxy Nexus weeks ago. Facebook was initially unusable due to the absence of a menu button. The app was updated today to a version akin to the iPhone. However, the drag-to- refresh animations don't work as they should, and the damn thing will alert you of 'new messages' every 30 minutes if you have any unread, regardless of whether or not they are new. Atop this, Facebook will still not sync with official Google devices as Facebook does not properly use Google's contact API. Rather than being stubborn, Google should be helping Facebook, or seconding engineers, as they know full well that the majority of their users will require his service.
I appreciate that a lot of this is out of Google's hands, but this is just a warning to early-adopters – be prepared to lose the services you use most.
13. The browser is still useless with forms. Try entering text in a field. It'll type past the edge of your viewport and you can't scroll to the cursor. The viewport should follow the cursor. You can't zoom in and out because you can't get 'hold' of the web page due to the full-screen text entry field.
14. Horizontal lines everywhere. Did I mention that text fields are now horizontal lines? Text boxes are indistinguishable from divides and text doesn't sit on the lines so you never know where one ends and the other starts.
As I said, all in, it is an improvement. However, there is a heck of a lot of room for improvement. There is still a feeling that things aren't really designed, or connected; just a bit haphazard. I'm just hoping Cyanogen pulls something wonderful. For the standard consumer, the experience aspect is still playing catchup with Windows Phone and iOS.
I agree with most of what you are saying... nothing makes me angrier than trying to use google search on android's mobile browser, and not being able to add additional words onto the end of my search string because I can't Freaking scroll the text over to enter it in. (I do think this is a webpage issue possible though, because it happens on iphone as well)
I think they should have gotten rid of the flip button (task switcher button) and have that be the settings button, then just have the HOME button be a long press for task switching.... simple, effective, makes sense.. consistent. I guess having settings in the app allows developers to have more control, but I think consistency would be better.
mike freegan said:
First off; I love Android. I think that Ice Cream Sandwich has led to a greater harmonisation of the Android operating system and adds a bit of polish to something functional. Google's apps are starting to feel like they belong together, rather than giving a sense that they're being produced by different teams who have little contact.
However, I'm no fanboy. I don't buy a product and deny that it has flaws just because a certain company produced it *ahem *. So here it is; one humble man's opinion on what's wrong with Ice cream Sandwich.
1. Blue theme.... really? There's a reason that designers avoid blue-on-black. It offers poor contrast, and looks cheap; much like the Geocities sites of the 90s. The blue taskbar and app icons used in ICS just don't go with... well... anything. It's all well and good being able to customise your home screen, but when anything except a blue background clashes it's all a little redundant.
2. The stock icons themselves are disgusting. We all knew this from the leaked screenshots, which forums were praying were fake. Mostly, they just don't look like they belong to the same set. There's no consistency. Half are blue, half are not. Some are three dimensional, and some are traditional, flat icons. Some are different sizes. They just don't work. They look cheap, childish and don't match the 'magazine' style of the UI overhaul. It's like someone realised at the last minute that they'd forgotten to redesign icons, so just did a Google Image search and used the first of each that they found.
3. Google Plus pages won't open in the Android Browser. This one is just plain embarrassing. Google's flagship device can't view Google's new hub outside of the restrictive app? The browser just panics and shuts down with no option to report it. Did no-one test this?
4. Google Talk isn't in the sharing options. That's right, click on the share icon within an app and it'll show you every way of sharing except Google Talk. Following the above, it seems like Google is boycotting their own services.
5. Speech to text for UK language setting is insane. After a few words, it seemingly switches to using your contacts directory as a dictionary, rather than real words. You end up with a full sentence made entirely of surnames and forenames. I cannot believe that no-one tested this.
6. Removing the search key doesn't just remove the ability to search from some apps; it means that you can no longer assign functions to long press, or use voice command from any app. You have to return to the home screen each time. This is a huge step backwards.
7. Similarly, this has led to a non-removable search box on the home screen. Not only does it take up space, but the white icon doesn't work on a light background. The customisability of Android has just been taken down another notch. Sure, you can use a 3rd party launcher, but with no search button, you need the box there for searches.
8. A minor point, but Android can't seem to decide if going for a futuristic hologram look, or the Windows Phone 7 style magazine layout. It's like Mathias Duarte turned up, and they said “Make our OS beautiful... but it still has to look like ugly old Honeycomb (TRON)." All in, it just feels a bit cheap and confused.
9. The soft keys which Google has opted for in ICS are not well positioned. The home key is far too close to the space bar, which is infuriating when typing.
10. The action bar is horrific to use. It means that the menu and search keys jump around the screen. So you're in the Facebook app and want to see the menu. Where is it? Well it's not where it used to be and there's no action bar. Oh wait, three dots have appeared in the soft-key bar. Ugly and inconsistent, but OK.
Switch to messaging. Where the heck is it? Ah it's in the top right now! The little scamp.
Now you're in Gmail. Where is the menace? I know you're here somewhere... Ah, there! In the action bar in the bottom right. Android Market: back up top! There is just no consistency and it makes everything feel disjointed and unpredictable.
The action bar essentially negates the large screen on the Galaxy Nexus. The row of soft keys, plus the action bar actually leads to a lower proportion of screen space for the app than on previous versions of Android.
11. Cut, Copy & Paste: What the hell were they thinking?! This doesn't just jump around based on app, but depending on which page of an app you're in. And even then, the buttons are different every time.
Take Gmail for example. Copying text from the body of an email: a menu appears in place of the action bar at the bottom. However, in the 'compose' screen this menu appears at the top, but with different icons. Another 'paste' button (but not using the paste icon) also appears above the selected text, but no cut or copy buttons. If you try and make a selection from a link, a long press summons a pop-up dialogue where paste is an option. That is four ways of pasting, just within the Gmail app.
Not to mention, that they've opted for icons with no words. Unless you're accustomed to using old Windows machines, this may as well be code. It's like it's intentionally trying to confuse you.
12. Relationships with app vendors must be non-existent. If I was releasing an update to a platform which relies upon people being able to install apps, I'd make sure that the most common apps work on the new platform before release. This could involve providing phones and assistance to the big names. As it stands, neither Facebook nor Whatsapp (two of the top 5 most downloaded apps) work. Both of these are communications related. I feel cut off from the world. I'm sure this could have been sorted before release. Swype is another big name that doesn't support the screen resolution.
Google launched the Galaxy Nexus weeks ago. Facebook was initially unusable due to the absence of a menu button. The app was updated today to a version akin to the iPhone. However, the drag-to- refresh animations don't work as they should, and the damn thing will alert you of 'new messages' every 30 minutes if you have any unread, regardless of whether or not they are new. Atop this, Facebook will still not sync with official Google devices as Facebook does not properly use Google's contact API. Rather than being stubborn, Google should be helping Facebook, or seconding engineers, as they know full well that the majority of their users will require his service.
I appreciate that a lot of this is out of Google's hands, but this is just a warning to early-adopters – be prepared to lose the services you use most.
13. The browser is still useless with forms. Try entering text in a field. It'll type past the edge of your viewport and you can't scroll to the cursor. The viewport should follow the cursor. You can't zoom in and out because you can't get 'hold' of the web page due to the full-screen text entry field.
14. Horizontal lines everywhere. Did I mention that text fields are now horizontal lines? Text boxes are indistinguishable from divides and text doesn't sit on the lines so you never know where one ends and the other starts.
As I said, all in, it is an improvement. However, there is a heck of a lot of room for improvement. There is still a feeling that things aren't really designed, or connected; just a bit haphazard. I'm just hoping Cyanogen pulls something wonderful. For the standard consumer, the experience aspect is still playing catchup with Windows Phone and iOS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yawns, i respect your opinion. But i can list 15 things wrong with IOS5 as well. Overall ICS and android has matured over the few years android has existed. No product software/hardware is perfect. Most of the issues can be corrected with customization. Like i said i respect your complaints and opinions, but i just feel they are picky...Comparing the OS from my G1 to what android is now, i LOVE IT
Thanks for typing this up. While I still plan on buying it, I like to get a well-rounded opinion about the device and software. I have to agree with #12. Launching this device exclusively on one carrier and then delaying it is very embarrasing. I know, the better developers will have a Verizon account or buy the phone unlocked from an international dealer, but still not good. It makes it more difficult for app developers to work their apps for ICS.
I had to laugh at Eric Schmidt's thought that ICS will be #1 for development in 6 months. ICS wont be off exclusivity or on any other devices for at least 3 months.
First of all, the theme Android has used for Honeycomb and ICS - holographic, blue themes, etc. - is awesome. Everybody has their own opinion but for me it's no turn off.
As far as action button placement, Google's central idea on that is leave it to the developer to say where it goes - in the top bar? Bottom ribbon action bar? Wherever is more appropriate for the app design. Matias himself said he's pushing Android to a more unified UI style without straight-jacketing it (ala iOS).
As for apps being compatible with new releases, it's up to the developers to keep that up. Google is not responsible for if Swype or Facebook doesn't update their app before a new release.
And for saying Google should help Facebook, why should they? You realize Google has their own social network, don't you? It sounds like you do know that in the past Google has let Facebook basically hack their way into your contacts list separate from the Contacts API, but later blacklisted that because it didn't conform to their data exportability policy and API. "the majority of their users will require his [sic] service." Since the 2.3 update that cut out Facebook's hackish ways, customers who want Facebook integration in their Android phones should get something non-Nexus. That's why Google is advertising the deep integration with G+, not social media in general.
mike freegan said:
First off; I love Android.
- cut -
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more. This could easily become the best Android phone I've bought (and I had them all), but at the same time it's the first one (and only one) I cannot stand because of the too many hiccups and bugs it has. Can you believe that I haven't put my main SIMcard in it yet? I keep playing with it at home, trying new roms and kernels, but when it comes to using it as my main phone... we're a long way from it!
- The Stock browser is not that good (have you tried to write something in a forum and then move the cursor back in the text to change a word? Good luck with that!!) and Dolphin Browser is not yet supported.
- As we know, Flash doesn't work yet (this is just hilarious).
- The stock Keyboard in the browser doesn't correct your mispelled words, and Smart Keyboard Pro doesn't work all the times.
- speakers are too quite, I have found a workaround using Volume + (but beware! The version available in the market is not working).
- if you try any animated wallpaper, UI will slow down painfully.
In the end as much as I love its gorgeous screen and huge potential, as things are now, I find it one of the most detestable phones out there.
Great job, Samsung/Google!
Nice write up....but so many of your complaints are just because you don't like them. Really your complaining about the color.... I'm sorry so much bothers you because honestly ICS makes Android and the Galaxy Nexus a great phone! Windows phone is a far cry from being compared to Android and IOS.
I'm all for putting out there the faults of devices but if you say I like Android -cut- I hate everything about it bla bla bla....um... how can you like it if you think another brand or device works better?? Wouldn't that mean you like _____ << insert favorite OS here??
Danny80y said:
Windows phone is a far cry from being compared to Android and IOS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But on my Lumia 800 I can write effortlessly on this and every other forum, and things just work well!
I agree, colour is generally subjective. But what they've gone for is almost universally accepted as a poor choice by designers.
And to the dude above: I know very well that I can patch around a lot of these issues. I mentioned that in the article. However, most users buy this phone, don't root and don't change much.
ICS is good. IT could have been great.
And saying Google shouldn't be concerned that third party apps don't work is incredibly ignorant.
I was just using Whatapp two days ago and it was working fine. Is there something specific you were having problems with?
Three words. Point Zero one.
jrl022 said:
I was just using Whatapp two days ago and it was working fine. Is there something specific you were having problems with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine FCs on startup. I think having group chats may kill it. I've read this in a few places.
All I see is waaah waah wahhh
I have to respectfully disagree with most of your observations.
I love almost everything about the redesign. I don't miss the search button at all. I love the color scheme, and don't really care about app incompatibilities because well, it's a Nexus device. It's a brand new OS version and really made for early adopters. Developers will work out the kinks and you'll see more ICS support for common apps in the next week or two, I'd guess.
I do agree with you about the inconsistent action bar. Google should put it in one place for all their core apps. 3rd party apps, you can't dictate, though. I don't mind the slight difference in look in some apps, though. I love the new People app and the way it's set up. But I don't think it fits in everywhere, so I'm glad they didn't force it in all over the place and try to look like WP7.
I can't comment on the UK speech settings, as I'm in the US and not using it. Really lame if it doesn't work, though. I also don't really mind the new text box look. It was a little confusing when I first saw it, but they're not that hard to recognize after you get used to it. I have mixed feelings about the permanent search box. I like it because it doesn't take a ton of space - especially with the 720p display. But I wish there was more customization.
All that said, I think the positives hugely outweigh the negatives. Most of what you posted is a little nitpicking. I don't blame you complaining about things not working as they should, but beyond that, I think the OS has come a very long way and looks amazing all around. Google has already said this is just the beginning of Android's design changes to make it more accessible and fun to use.
I can't wait to see Cyanogenmod's finished launcher. I know they made the search box removable, but we'll see. I do still love the stock launcher, too.
The ultimate question is:
Would you use another OS? I sure as hell would not! ICS is the best thing out there right now by far.
The ultimate question is:
Would you use another OS? I sure as hell would not! ICS is the best thing out there right now by far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed. i can't go back to either iOS or GB after using ics for the last 2
weeks
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
To add the injuries, here are some things that are bad in ICS:
1. Contact photo is still low resolution after synced with GMAIL Contacts. This issue has not yet been solved for years already! Why? Do you run out of storage space to hold high resolution images?
2. The app drawer icon position in the button bar cannot be changed. I hate that thing, because I can't put Phone app there.
Why? If the argument is to never loose the app drawer, at least give ability to change the position.
3. Request Desktop version on the web browser doesn't stick!
Grrrt...!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
gogol said:
To add the injuries, here are some things that are bad in ICS:
1. Contact photo is still low resolution after synced with GMAIL Contacts. This issue has not yet been solved for years already! Why? Do you run out of storage space to hold high resolution images?
2. The app drawer icon position in the button bar cannot be changed. I hate that thing, because I can't put Phone app there.
Why? If the argument is to never loose the app drawer, at least give ability to change the position.
3. Request Desktop version on the web browser doesn't stick!
Grrrt...!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol. Grrrtt.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
To sum up your entire post: Nothing's perfect.
We know. But Google has done a superb job fixing many things, and hey will continue to improve in new updates to 4.0.
mike freegan said:
First off; I love Android. I think that Ice Cream Sandwich has led to a greater harmonisation of the Android operating system and adds a bit of polish to something functional. Google's apps are starting to feel like they belong together, rather than giving a sense that they're being produced by different teams who have little contact.
However, I'm no fanboy. I don't buy a product and deny that it has flaws just because a certain company produced it *ahem *. So here it is; one humble man's opinion on what's wrong with Ice cream Sandwich.
1. Blue theme.... really? There's a reason that designers avoid blue-on-black. It offers poor contrast, and looks cheap; much like the Geocities sites of the 90s. The blue taskbar and app icons used in ICS just don't go with... well... anything. It's all well and good being able to customise your home screen, but when anything except a blue background clashes it's all a little redundant.
2. The stock icons themselves are disgusting. We all knew this from the leaked screenshots, which forums were praying were fake. Mostly, they just don't look like they belong to the same set. There's no consistency. Half are blue, half are not. Some are three dimensional, and some are traditional, flat icons. Some are different sizes. They just don't work. They look cheap, childish and don't match the 'magazine' style of the UI overhaul. It's like someone realised at the last minute that they'd forgotten to redesign icons, so just did a Google Image search and used the first of each that they found.
3. Google Plus pages won't open in the Android Browser. This one is just plain embarrassing. Google's flagship device can't view Google's new hub outside of the restrictive app? The browser just panics and shuts down with no option to report it. Did no-one test this?
4. Google Talk isn't in the sharing options. That's right, click on the share icon within an app and it'll show you every way of sharing except Google Talk. Following the above, it seems like Google is boycotting their own services.
5. Speech to text for UK language setting is insane. After a few words, it seemingly switches to using your contacts directory as a dictionary, rather than real words. You end up with a full sentence made entirely of surnames and forenames. I cannot believe that no-one tested this.
6. Removing the search key doesn't just remove the ability to search from some apps; it means that you can no longer assign functions to long press, or use voice command from any app. You have to return to the home screen each time. This is a huge step backwards.
7. Similarly, this has led to a non-removable search box on the home screen. Not only does it take up space, but the white icon doesn't work on a light background. The customisability of Android has just been taken down another notch. Sure, you can use a 3rd party launcher, but with no search button, you need the box there for searches.
8. A minor point, but Android can't seem to decide if going for a futuristic hologram look, or the Windows Phone 7 style magazine layout. It's like Mathias Duarte turned up, and they said “Make our OS beautiful... but it still has to look like ugly old Honeycomb (TRON)." All in, it just feels a bit cheap and confused.
9. The soft keys which Google has opted for in ICS are not well positioned. The home key is far too close to the space bar, which is infuriating when typing.
10. The action bar is horrific to use. It means that the menu and search keys jump around the screen. So you're in the Facebook app and want to see the menu. Where is it? Well it's not where it used to be and there's no action bar. Oh wait, three dots have appeared in the soft-key bar. Ugly and inconsistent, but OK.
Switch to messaging. Where the heck is it? Ah it's in the top right now! The little scamp.
Now you're in Gmail. Where is the menace? I know you're here somewhere... Ah, there! In the action bar in the bottom right. Android Market: back up top! There is just no consistency and it makes everything feel disjointed and unpredictable.
The action bar essentially negates the large screen on the Galaxy Nexus. The row of soft keys, plus the action bar actually leads to a lower proportion of screen space for the app than on previous versions of Android.
11. Cut, Copy & Paste: What the hell were they thinking?! This doesn't just jump around based on app, but depending on which page of an app you're in. And even then, the buttons are different every time.
Take Gmail for example. Copying text from the body of an email: a menu appears in place of the action bar at the bottom. However, in the 'compose' screen this menu appears at the top, but with different icons. Another 'paste' button (but not using the paste icon) also appears above the selected text, but no cut or copy buttons. If you try and make a selection from a link, a long press summons a pop-up dialogue where paste is an option. That is four ways of pasting, just within the Gmail app.
Not to mention, that they've opted for icons with no words. Unless you're accustomed to using old Windows machines, this may as well be code. It's like it's intentionally trying to confuse you.
12. Relationships with app vendors must be non-existent. If I was releasing an update to a platform which relies upon people being able to install apps, I'd make sure that the most common apps work on the new platform before release. This could involve providing phones and assistance to the big names. As it stands, neither Facebook nor Whatsapp (two of the top 5 most downloaded apps) work. Both of these are communications related. I feel cut off from the world. I'm sure this could have been sorted before release. Swype is another big name that doesn't support the screen resolution.
Google launched the Galaxy Nexus weeks ago. Facebook was initially unusable due to the absence of a menu button. The app was updated today to a version akin to the iPhone. However, the drag-to- refresh animations don't work as they should, and the damn thing will alert you of 'new messages' every 30 minutes if you have any unread, regardless of whether or not they are new. Atop this, Facebook will still not sync with official Google devices as Facebook does not properly use Google's contact API. Rather than being stubborn, Google should be helping Facebook, or seconding engineers, as they know full well that the majority of their users will require his service.
I appreciate that a lot of this is out of Google's hands, but this is just a warning to early-adopters – be prepared to lose the services you use most.
13. The browser is still useless with forms. Try entering text in a field. It'll type past the edge of your viewport and you can't scroll to the cursor. The viewport should follow the cursor. You can't zoom in and out because you can't get 'hold' of the web page due to the full-screen text entry field.
14. Horizontal lines everywhere. Did I mention that text fields are now horizontal lines? Text boxes are indistinguishable from divides and text doesn't sit on the lines so you never know where one ends and the other starts.
As I said, all in, it is an improvement. However, there is a heck of a lot of room for improvement. There is still a feeling that things aren't really designed, or connected; just a bit haphazard. I'm just hoping Cyanogen pulls something wonderful. For the standard consumer, the experience aspect is still playing catchup with Windows Phone and iOS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Don't care .the only thing that is weird is white background in people app. I'd prefer it to be black like in missed call section.
2. Really? Icons brother you that much when you can change them?
3. The whole google isn't working properly in Android browser. Try searching for images in desktop view and tell my chow do you change to larger images ... this is issue that needs to be addressed directly to Google its not a browser issue
4. I presume you're an American. Here on the old continent we don't use gtalk. Well at least none of my friends is using this. We have things like Skype which is far more popular in EU
5. I'm guessing you're from Texas then . Well my accent isn't really British and everything I date 9 out of 10 times is spelt correctly. Ha I can even say that I use dictation more than actual keyboard. Its easier for me to say the text message then type it especially with my second language which Android keyboard does not have dictionary. So I can speak in either one of the two of my languages and its veeeeeeery accurate
6. Blame the developers not Google. They should be ready for new os
7. I love the search box its easy and accessible.
8. I love tron design. However I have to agree its a bit of hit and miss when it comes to design but colours can be changed in custom roms I bet that CM team will do it .
9. Wtf are you taking about. I'm typing this msg and didn't press home bar even once. Anyway try taping between space bar and home button .... it won't even work. Have you got arthritis?
10. Don't see problem here either.
11. Anything with action bar that you don't know what it does just press and hold on the icon there will be pop up window.
12. Again blame developers. Look at rovio. They could update their games at the same time for all devices and os but they choose not to. If the developer can be bothered to update his app in timely manner than who's fault is that?
13. agree with that.
14. Huh?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Is it posible to set an audible & visual reminder with the S Note App?
EG - Call for Milk On Way Home.. & set it to remind me @ 5pm with a pop up screen & an audio sound?
If so how is this done?
What other things can be done with the Note App.
Thanks
go to the full app if you use the popup version(arrow in the top-left corner), finish your note, press menu, and select "create event"
this will be done through your default calendar app.
as for special features: the only thing i can think of is the popup note, which you can launch from anywhere you want as a small hovering window, by tapping the screen twice while holding the S-pen button.
I am not sure if this is new, but in Picture Insertion Choices there is a choice called (Idea Sketch). it is so cool, i tried to write (Bird) & it gave me few birds pictures to insert! i chose one, & it has been inserted in my original note. That's really cool!
Also the -Knowledge Search- button is very useful.
In addition to the common known functions:
Handwriting to Text
Shape Match
Formula Match