Are "live" icons the next big thing to hit the iPhone?

sjn419 · Oct 13, 2010, 09:25 AM

I cant think of too many examples myself but I would love to have the actual temperature shown on the weather app icon.

Real time updated app icons?

h1r0ll3r · Oct 13, 2010, 09:26 AM

Depends, I doubt it though. Real time updates to app icons would consume more data. If they did do this then I would hope that it would be a setting you can turn on/off.

Intell · Oct 13, 2010, 09:29 AM

Its possible that Apple will include them. There's WeatherIcon and LiveClock in the jailbreak world. Both run nicely (LiveClock only on 3.X.X) on my iPhone. If Apple does add this feature, it'll be another one of their "innovations", just like Summerboard.

sjn419 · Oct 13, 2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h1r0ll3r

Depends, I doubt it though. Real time updates to app icons would consume more data. If they did do this then I would hope that it would be a setting you can turn on/off.

I don't see how, if your notifications are set to push then the info is already there.

saving107 · Oct 13, 2010, 09:30 AM

I'm not sure how this works on other phones, but the only problem I see with live update (in regards to the weather icon) is it going to adapt to my current location?

I travel a lot for my job, which means that I'm always in different city's, so in order for a live update to be useful to me, it would have to constantly be using my GPS to track my location, and I see this consuming a lot data and battery, no thanks.

r3voLoLwuT · Oct 13, 2010, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saving107

I'm not sure how this works on other phones, but the only problem I see with live update (in regards to the weather icon) is it going to adapt to my current location?

I travel a lot for my job, which means that I'm always in different city's, so in order for a live update to be useful to me, it would have to constantly be using my GPS to track my location, and I see this consuming a lot data and battery, no thanks.

Could get the ZIP code of your current location from the tower...

steezy1337 · Oct 13, 2010, 09:41 AM

if it was to work like WeatherIcon then i think it just goes based on the city you're weather app is set to so when that changes so does the icon.

h1r0ll3r · Oct 13, 2010, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjn419

I don't see how, if your notifications are set to push then the info is already there.

Specifically for the weather app, if you wanted real time data, it would need to constantly refresh data in order to achieve this. Depending on the frequency of the refresh, it would increase the amount of data you used.

If you simply wanted push notifications of certain apps, then it would still need to refresh the data in order to give you real time information and then it would notify you of it.

omyard · Oct 13, 2010, 09:46 AM

Live icons really don't do much for me. Even less since I've moved pretty much all my apps into folders.

I'd like to be able to put the temp up in the status bar. When I had my iPhone jailbroken I preferred that over the live icon.

Intell · Oct 13, 2010, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h1r0ll3r

Specifically for the weather app, if you wanted real time data, it would need to constantly refresh data in order to achieve this. Depending on the frequency of the refresh, it would increase the amount of data you used.

The increase would be minimal. It'd probably just download a plist off of Apple's or Yahoo's servers to get the latest local weather.

RiceRacerDX · Oct 13, 2010, 09:56 AM

I think if Apple was going to do this, it would be accomplished through some form of local push notification iteration.

For example, if the weather changes, it will send a local push notification where instead of being displayed as a numbered badge, it would instead be displayed as a change in the icon itself, either through preset animations (such as if there is a storm coming, the app icon will change to a preloaded picture/animation of a storm).

In addition, there could also be synced icons. For example, if you purchased a clock application, the app would sync every time you opened the application and perform modest adjustments to the time accuracy. For special instances such as Daylight Savings Time, there could once again be a form of local push notification to make a one hour adjustment to the clock on the app icon.

Tom G. · Oct 13, 2010, 10:08 AM

Not only would it use more data, not a problem to those of us with unlimited data plans

, but what would the battery life be like.

Could the shortened battery life experienced by some with jailbroken phones be partially caused by apps like these?

g35 · Oct 13, 2010, 10:25 AM

If it refreshes the current temperature and weather condition (eg. sunny) every 10 minutes, and each update is 10kB (wouldn't that be too high?) that's only 42 MB per month. That's hardly anything, and 10 minutes is a pretty quick interval...temp doesn't change much in that time. That's assuming it's updating 6x/hour for 24 hours for 30 days.

ucfgrad93 · Oct 13, 2010, 10:31 AM

The only other live icon I would want would be the weather.

Rodimus Prime · Oct 13, 2010, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saving107

I'm not sure how this works on other phones, but the only problem I see with live update (in regards to the weather icon) is it going to adapt to my current location?

I travel a lot for my job, which means that I'm always in different city's, so in order for a live update to be useful to me, it would have to constantly be using my GPS to track my location, and I see this consuming a lot data and battery, no thanks.

Not hard to do with out using GPS. The most common method is to use the cell tower your phone is connected to. That will have you with in a range of 1 mile, normally less. Never touches the GPS and never requires your phone doing anything extra. That is generally close enough to update your location.

Quote:

Originally Posted by h1r0ll3r

Depends, I doubt it though. Real time updates to app icons would consume more data. If they did do this then I would hope that it would be a setting you can turn on/off.

Well on my black berry I have a weather app that updates every 15 mins and I could set it to be less or more but 15 min fine.

Each update is less than 1kb data and that is updated 5 location ever 15 min. That is less than 3 megs of data per month assuming I am never in range of wifi which most phones are going to spend at least 50% of their time in so those updates would get off loaded to wifi any how.

Sherifftruman · Oct 13, 2010, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saving107

I'm not sure how this works on other phones, but the only problem I see with live update (in regards to the weather icon) is it going to adapt to my current location?

I travel a lot for my job, which means that I'm always in different city's, so in order for a live update to be useful to me, it would have to constantly be using my GPS to track my location, and I see this consuming a lot data and battery, no thanks.

My wife has an AT&T Tilt2 (made by HTC) and this is exactly what it does and the battery on her phone lasts fine. Now, she does not use it nearly as heavily as my iPhone, especially for games or web, but it will last 3 times longer than my iPhone also. Its certainyl possible to do it in a way that economizes on battery usage.

saving107 · Oct 13, 2010, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherifftruman

My wife has an AT&T Tilt2 (made by HTC) and this is exactly what it does and the battery on her phone lasts fine. Now, she does not use it nearly as heavily as my iPhone, especially for games or web, but it will last 3 times longer than my iPhone also. Its certainyl possible to do it in a way that economizes on battery usage.

Interesting, I had no idea.

and Rodimus Prime, thanks for the reply as well, I didn't consider the towers, I just assumed it would require GPS, but your methods makes sense.

kdarling · Oct 13, 2010, 02:24 PM

Good golly.

A certain Apple CEO sure has frightened a lot of people away from useful items over the years, using the battery as a boogeyman to excuse missing features.

I've had live weather on several phones. Right now, it's on my Incredible.

You can set the update schedule to be every 1, 3, 6, 12, or 24 hours. Or you can click the update icon any time you wish.

Interestingly, it seems to notice a location change (by cell tower switch, perhaps?). I'm always amazed when I look down and it's changed town labels. It's like magic

According to my battery watchers, the impact is negligible.

ogdogg · Oct 13, 2010, 02:40 PM

I've wondered why the weather app didn't update since day 1 with my original iPhone. I wouldn't even want it to be live. Hourly updates or the option to turn off updates or update every 15-30 minutes would be fine with me.

maclaptop · Jun 17, 2011, 04:14 AM

If Stevie decides to catch up to Android then the fanboys will eat their words and do a complete turn about. Suddenly all this Android bashing will be moot.

Oct 13, 2010, 09:25 AM	#1
sjn419 macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2010	Are "live" icons the next big thing to hit the iPhone? I cant think of too many examples myself but I would love to have the actual temperature shown on the weather app icon. Real time updated app icons?
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 09:26 AM	#2
h1r0ll3r macrumors 68040 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Maryland	Depends, I doubt it though. Real time updates to app icons would consume more data. If they did do this then I would hope that it would be a setting you can turn on/off. __________________ 15" MBP iPad (3rd Gen) iPod Nano (6th Gen) & 160GB Classic ATV Galaxy Note 2
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 10:08 AM	#12
Tom G. macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Champaign/Urbana Illinois	Not only would it use more data, not a problem to those of us with unlimited data plans , but what would the battery life be like. Could the shortened battery life experienced by some with jailbroken phones be partially caused by apps like these? __________________ Tom G. Sent from my iPad2 24" Aluminum iMac 2.93 GHz; 8 gig retina screen MBP; iPhone 4s White 64G, iPad White 64GB 4G.
	0

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Oct 13, 2010, 09:29 AM	#3
Intell macrumors G4 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Inside	Its possible that Apple will include them. There's WeatherIcon and LiveClock in the jailbreak world. Both run nicely (LiveClock only on 3.X.X) on my iPhone. If Apple does add this feature, it'll be another one of their "innovations", just like Summerboard.
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 09:30 AM	#5
saving107 macrumors 603 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: San Jose, Ca	I'm not sure how this works on other phones, but the only problem I see with live update (in regards to the weather icon) is it going to adapt to my current location? I travel a lot for my job, which means that I'm always in different city's, so in order for a live update to be useful to me, it would have to constantly be using my GPS to track my location, and I see this consuming a lot data and battery, no thanks.
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 09:41 AM	#7
steezy1337 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Carlisle, UK	if it was to work like WeatherIcon then i think it just goes based on the city you're weather app is set to so when that changes so does the icon.
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 09:46 AM	#9
omyard macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2010	Live icons really don't do much for me. Even less since I've moved pretty much all my apps into folders. I'd like to be able to put the temp up in the status bar. When I had my iPhone jailbroken I preferred that over the live icon.
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 09:56 AM	#11
RiceRacerDX macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2009	I think if Apple was going to do this, it would be accomplished through some form of local push notification iteration. For example, if the weather changes, it will send a local push notification where instead of being displayed as a numbered badge, it would instead be displayed as a change in the icon itself, either through preset animations (such as if there is a storm coming, the app icon will change to a preloaded picture/animation of a storm). In addition, there could also be synced icons. For example, if you purchased a clock application, the app would sync every time you opened the application and perform modest adjustments to the time accuracy. For special instances such as Daylight Savings Time, there could once again be a form of local push notification to make a one hour adjustment to the clock on the app icon.
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 10:25 AM	#13
g35 macrumors regular Join Date: Dec 2007	If it refreshes the current temperature and weather condition (eg. sunny) every 10 minutes, and each update is 10kB (wouldn't that be too high?) that's only 42 MB per month. That's hardly anything, and 10 minutes is a pretty quick interval...temp doesn't change much in that time. That's assuming it's updating 6x/hour for 24 hours for 30 days.
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 10:31 AM	#14
ucfgrad93 macrumors G4 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Colorado	The only other live icon I would want would be the weather.
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 02:24 PM	#18
kdarling macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Device engineer for 30 yrs, touchscreens for 20.	Good golly. A certain Apple CEO sure has frightened a lot of people away from useful items over the years, using the battery as a boogeyman to excuse missing features. I've had live weather on several phones. Right now, it's on my Incredible. You can set the update schedule to be every 1, 3, 6, 12, or 24 hours. Or you can click the update icon any time you wish. Interestingly, it seems to notice a location change (by cell tower switch, perhaps?). I'm always amazed when I look down and it's changed town labels. It's like magic According to my battery watchers, the impact is negligible.
	0

Oct 13, 2010, 02:40 PM	#19
ogdogg macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona	I've wondered why the weather app didn't update since day 1 with my original iPhone. I wouldn't even want it to be live. Hourly updates or the option to turn off updates or update every 15-30 minutes would be fine with me.
	0

Jun 17, 2011, 04:14 AM	#20
maclaptop macrumors 65816 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Western Hemisphere	If Stevie decides to catch up to Android then the fanboys will eat their words and do a complete turn about. Suddenly all this Android bashing will be moot.
	0