iLauncher 3.1 Released

Hi all

We are excited to announce the release of iLauncher 3.1!! As usual, it is a free upgrade to all registered users of iLauncher 3.0 and higher. Upgrade information for registered users can be found at the bottom of this post.

What's new with iLauncher 3.1 release?

iLauncher 3.1 brings lots of new and exciting features and improvements with it that definitely make this similar to any large upgrade. We've been working on this new update for a long time and we hope you will all enjoy the new version features! Many of the features with this new version bring totally new ways and experience to iLauncher based on all of the different requests that were received from our users on the forums. So let's get started!

1. Floating Panels

Floating Panels is a new way that enables iLauncher to cover the today screen with your tabs content when activating a tab and retract back to display your tabs bar only when desired.

In this mode, only the tabs are displayed. When you tap on a tab, the shortcut panel will popup and allow you to select a shortcut. Tapping on the tab again retracts the panel. It also works with the D-Pad: Hitting the Action (Enter) button expands the panel, hitting it again retracts.

This new exciting feature offers the best solution for users that would like to enjoy both thumb navigation and powerful shortcuts management, offering an innovative solution that will allow you to enjoy as many shortcuts as you would like with an easy to use interface that fit Windows Mobile screen with style!

Here are a few pictures that demonstrate the use of the new Floating Panels

Floating Panels are on by default in Thumbs Mode. In addition, you can enable this for Customized Tabs in the Customized Tabs Mode Settings section of iLauncher Options.

When using floating panels, there is no scrolling. The size of the panel will adjust automatically based on the amount of space needed. (That is, the height setting from options is ignored.) The panel will display above or below the tab, based on where there is more room.

2. Revised Tab Display Modes

The display modes available with the new iLauncher have been redesigned to answer the needs of a growing user base on a wide variety of platforms. The new iLauncher 3.1 offers three new optional display tab modes:

2.1. Thumb Tabs: A brand new tabs mode designed to simplify iLauncher for new users and offer optimized configuration for thumb-navigation use with iLauncher! It is a selection of presets from the variety of customization options available in what used to be called Horizontal Tabs mode. Using the new Thumb Tabs mode iLauncher will display large tabs with images only (without captions) and using the new Floating Panels feature described in point #1.

The new Thumb Tabs is also the new default tabs mode when installing the new iLauncher version. This mode offers an innovative solution for users growing demand for one-hand and thumb navigation design

2.2 Customized Tabs: Formerly called Horizontal Tabs, this mode provides additional customization options. New users will find that the settings for Customized Tabs start identically to Thumb Tabs, with the exception that floating panels are turned off by default. Current users will find that their settings for this mode haven't changed. When using this tabs mode you will find many additional configuration options allowing you to define your complete customized tabs layout to meet with your specific needs.

2.3 No Tabs: As its name suggests, no tabs are present in this mode. Only the shortcuts are displayed. Users can switch to other tabs using the context menu, or with the new Jump-To-Tab special shortcuts, described below.

3. Running Programs

iLauncher now provides the ability to display the icon from running applications across the title bar, allowing the user to easily switch between running programs with a single tap on the screen. Among the options for Running Programs are:

Show Desktop Icon
Right Align Icons
Start Location
Space Between Icons
Limit number of Icons for Portrait and Landscape modes
Hide Title in Task Bar for current application

4. Free Placement of Icons

In the context menu for each tab is a new option called Free Icon Placement. This allows the user to drag-and-drop icons with the touchscreen. In this mode, icon will go exactly where the user places it, rather than having iLauncher automatically move it to fit in the icon arrangement.

Icon positions are stored separately for portrait and landscape modes, so the user can create an arrangement that works for either display.

If unsatisfied with a customized arrangement, the user can re-select the current (or new) icon arrangement, and the icons will return to one of the built-in arrangements.

5. Large Tab Icons

Unlike prior versions of iLauncher, much larger tab images are now supported. Note: In order to support some of the new features, existing users will notice is that their selections for custom tab images has been reset to the built-in defaults. However, they can go ahead and restore the tab images to any custom image they desire.

6. New Meter Graphics and Built-In Tab Images

As part of the new iLauncher release changes we've introduced new and fresh tab icons store including a variety of tab icon images users can use to assign tab icons to their tabs. Each of the new tab icon graphics includes three different dimensions to support both small and thumb tabs on both QVGA and VGA devices.

The new version also brings a new look for iLauncher meters. The amazing work for the new meters shipped with this new version was done with Juni's great help! along with a few additional new graphics that were needed for the new version.

7. PNG Image Support

Until now, only Targa format has been supported by iLauncher for rendering images with an alpha channel (transparency). Now, PNG is fully supported. PNG images are smaller in size than their Targa equivalents. For this reason, all of the images used by iLauncher starting with this version are PNG by default.

Note 1: If not uninstalling the previous version of iLauncher, the current files in the \images directory with the .tga extension will still be on the file system. These can be manually removed.

Note 2: iLauncher will still support the TGA file format, and still supports user images replacing the installed images in the \images directory and/or the additional images path. The search order for such files (top bar meter images, for example) will be: PNG in additional images directory, Targa in additional images directory, PNG in images directory, and Targa in images directory.

8. Removed Command Center

The command center was a relic of much earlier versions of iLauncher. It was an icon that lived in the system tray and provided the ability to minimize or maximize iLauncher or switch to different tabs. The image used was not customizable, the commands present were not modifiable, and could not be placed or used from anywhere else aside from the system tray. This option has been removed.

Similar, but highly improved, functionality can be accomplished using Tab Menus pointing to hidden tabs populated with any commands desired, and this shortcut can be placed anywhere iLauncher is capable of using them, including the system tray, top bar, or even hardware keys.

9. Minimize/Maximize iLauncher Toggle

Formerly available only in the Command Center, this is a new special shortcut that toggles the minimized/maximized mode of iLauncher.

10. Jump To Tab

A new special shortcut can be placed on any tab, and will automatically cause iLauncher to switch to that tab. Additionally, this command will make the Today screen come to the foreground, and extend the floating panel if necessary.

11. New Czech Translation

New to this release is the Czech language. Thank you to Martin Bodlák for doing this translation for iLauncher.

12. New Default Tabs for New User

New users will see a few more default tabs on install. One of them--Settings--contains shortcuts to commonly used control panel applets. The other--Tools--contains shortcuts to useful commands such as Soft-Reset, Screen Capture, Rotate, as well as New menu items such as New Appointment, New Contact, etc.

13. WM5 Style Menus in Options

The iLauncher options program has been modified so that menus are displayed on WM5 and WM6 devices with soft key support.

14. Save screenshots in JPEG format

WM5 and WM6 users now have the option to save screenshots in the JPEG format in addition to BMP.

Register iLauncher 3.1 for New Users

iLauncher 3.1 costs $14.95. New users can register the new iLauncher version using our online store at the following link:

http://minibrand.han...://www.sbsh.net

A list of additional distributors that can be used to register the new iLauncher can be found at the following link:
http://www.sbsh.net/...p?page=purchase

Download iLauncher 3.1

To download the new iLauncher 3.1 complete ZIP file follow the URL below:

http://downloads.sbs...Launcher3_1.zip

To download Over The Air CAB file for Pocket PC 2003 devices follow the URL below:
http://downloads.sbs...her3_1_2003.cab

To download Over The Air CAB file for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices follow the URL below:
http://downloads.sbs...cher3_1_WM5.cab

Thoughts and Future Plans

The new iLauncher 3.1 release introduces many features that have been in the works for a while now as part of the iLauncher upcoming development plan in upcoming months. Many of the features introduced with this new version were designed to meet with the challenges and needs that latest devices in the market bring with them, bringing iLauncher to the front of leading applications!

We have lots of additional similar plans that will help us continue and introduce some really exciting new features with upcoming new iLauncher updates and hopefully some of these features will be made available in the near future as we continue to move ahead with the development swiftly!

We hope you will all enjoy the new iLauncher version and invite you to stay tuned for additional new upcoming news to follow!

Cheers