By This is becoming a weekly tradition, it seems! We know we’re a few days late (we’ve been very busy), but Federico Carnales has just updated his LauncherPro app – versioned 0.7.9.0 – which brings a nice list of improvements and new features. That Friends widget that looks to emulate FriendStream has been added to round off his plans for scrollable social network widgets (and widgets in general: he states that he’ll now be focused on improving the suite of widgets currently offered. While this doesn’t mean he won’t continue to add more widgets down the line, he won’t promise anything for the immediate future.)
Also added is the ability to customize your homescreen grid size, a feature many ADWLauncher fans have been enjoying for a while. Take a look at the full list of changes and fixes below, and be sure to go grab your update from the Android market or the LauncherPro site after you’ve done that.
A new version of LauncherPro has just hit the market. Here’s what v0.7.9.0 brings:
For all users:
Increased the sensitivity for swiping through homescreens. It should respond to shorter swipes now.
New: Customizable homescreen grid size! You can now choose how many columns and rows of icons/widgets to have on your homescreens (Preferences > Homescreen Settings). There’s also an “Auto-fit items” option which will resize the grid cell size to match the grid dimensions, so that widgets/icons don’t overlap.If you increase the grid size and move stuff around (or resize widgets), and then want to decrease the grid size again, make sure to revert your changes, otherwise some widgets will be unusable, and some icons might fall off the screen.
For Plus users only:
Fixed the Calendar widget’s Agenda view not updating at the end of each day.
Enabled vertical scrolling in the “Facebook Login” process so that users with low pixel density devices (like HTC Wildfire) can reach the buttons.
New: Friends Widget. This is the last promised widget in the LauncherPro Plus series (Note: there *will* be more widgets in the future, after making some improvements to the current widgets). The Friends widget blends Twitter and Facebook updates into one widget. If you’ve used the individual widgets, then you already know the drill. There’s a Timeline view (with your Twitter timeline and Facebook news feed) and a Wall view (with your Twitter mentions and Facebook wall). A third view might come in a future update with Twitter direct messages and Facebook inbox. Since the Facebook API doesn’t support sending direct messages, those would be read-only, with no way to reply from the widget.There’s a small logo over the contact pictures to show which network each status came from. The “Compose” button will let you update your status on both networks at the same time, or only one network (use the checkboxes to choose where to post the update to).
I like the friends widget, but I can’t use it until the bug is fixed so I can post comments to FB. I am loving my 5×8 layout on my Droid X. It looks super nice with the big screen after changing the LCD density!!
The main things I’m waiting for are more white launcher icons (generic ones like for all note taking apps, for instance) and the home button taking you to the default screen from apps (as opposed to the last screen you were on).
I’m half-and-half on this. I like LauncherPro, but it seems to reload icons often and slowly. I like some feature of adw.launcher more, like the dock. I wish they would merge somehow!
@Simon LauncherPro keeps getting slow and slower as he adds more “stuff.” When it first came out, it was blazing fast, no redraws. Now it is turning to mud, just like all the other launchers.
If it gets sluggish then it may be due to a rotten connection. At least that’s the case with me. I prefer it over the stock launcher hands down.
Brad: There’s an app called launcher pro icons that has a ton of those white/generic icons. It is a pad app. However, I have the apk. I’ll send it to you. [email protected]
Works perfectly on my Epic 4G, sucks really bad on my wife’s CM6 Sprint Hero.
Not a fan of social widgets that pull info from the web all the time but this should be good news for those who really want to use LP for the features yet don’t want to lose a widget they like from Sense. The more third party widgets there are the less people will be tied to any particular launcher. Still running great on my Evo.
if it’s slow go to advanced settings and set the preset memory usage to light or low. voila!
Yup if your phone can’t handle the settings, change the settings. LauncherPro still super smooth for me on Acer Liquid FroYo.
I don’t understand why the hell he won’t just release a fucking launcher without all the social network crap on there. The widgets aren’t really even that great. They don’t particularly look good either, imo.
With every update LP update on my Droid, which is not using any of the widgets he has tied to it, I always have to go back in and change the memory settings around to where it doesn’t redraw. It’s been a different setting every time since LP Plus was released.
Here’s a suggestion, release the launcher by itself, and then give people the option to install the social widgets “add-on”.
@chris
if its such a problem then why dont you go make your own launcher? Devs weren’t born to take care of your every need
@Chris $ales it what drives development. I love launcher pro its the next best thing to Sense. However Sense would not allow as many customizations as CM6 thanks to LP Pro Iam able to replace Sense without the guilt.
Now if he would only make a Sense like folding email and Album Widget………….
@Chris i agree with you, im 25 and i think all these Social Networking crap blows and needs to be removed but like @Z-Liberator said that sales is what drives development (like Apple and its icrap) untill i learn how to code and make my own launcher i guess i have to accept whats offered to me. LP is smooth and quick so i cant really complain that much.
I still only have the free version and it works just fine for me (actually Bugless Beast was having redraws but Liquid runs well); what are the advantages of paying for it other than widgets I know I won’t use?