Android: aHome
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 running time 07:26
Dissatisfied with the interface on your Android phone? Change it with aHome! Alter the way your phone looks and launches programs and free up more space for apps.
Segments
One of the advantages of the open development platform of Android is that it allows applications like aHome from mAPPn to exist. For only $4.99, aHome is a home replacement application for your phone. What does that mean? Well simply put, it replaces your desktop and launching applications from the default launcher installed in Android. By doing so, it enables additioanl functionality and ways to organize your phone. Additionally, aHome opens up the possibility of themes on your phone, so you can customize the look and feel of your phone, away from the default set of icons and graphics with Android. With the ability to support themes, aHome opens you up hundreds of themes available in the Android Marketplace to make your phone look how ever you want it to. One of the most powerful apps I've run into in a while, aHome has a wide array of settings and preferences so you can tweak and adjust the application and how it manages your phone to your desire.
Review by: Ron Richards
aHome
aHome
Version 2.6.2 | Developed by mAPPn | $4.99
PROS:
- More screens to store apps
- More widgets
- Application Dock launcher
- More powerful launcher for your phone
- Themes!
CONS:
- Can be overwhelming for the novice
- Hard to manage all the settings
- Spotty performance on the G1
Hot App Of The Day
Drive Safely is designed to stop those of you who drive and text - which is a very dangerous thing that too many people do!
Do you have another app you'd like us to review? Email us at appjudgment at revision3 dot com, ping us in the forums or on Twitter: @AppJudgment
Highlights
blackberry: 3:17, 4:04apps: 0:20, 0:45, 2:00, 3:02, 4:37, 6:25
Automatically Generated Transcript
May not be 100% accurate" Feeling trapped -- their android phone. -- home will set you free."
" This upset about judgment brought to buy godaddy. Welcome to -- judgment revision three's mobile phone application review show I'm Ron Richards and they wanna show you one of the most powerful apps that come into contact with an android phone."
" Eight home by --"
" For 499 map that has created a fully customizable want to program to replace the default home screen and watch it shipped to their -- on."
" Since Sandra platform is open the opportunity for other developers great -- an innovative ways to your phone exist and -- home as an example of that."
" Giving you the user greater flexibility museum customizing your phone he wanted to be if you have a lot of apps installed and you wanna have them on the main screen of your phone. No doubt he rented for the limitation of the default and red -- three screens. Probably two days ago in Landry -- knew that three screens would be enough. We knew that collapsed being introduced every day my three streets filled up quickly and costly adding and removing apps because of the limitation. Right and he gave this one of the biggest advantages stay home."
" What to launch it only takes over your watch a program you'll notice immediately that looks different than your current phone setup. Along the bottom of the phone you'll notice some new elements first of laughter there's a purple button which opens her after."
" To the right -- a new button which opens a drug containing widgets which is a much better way -- it would just in the default watcher. Additionally there for app icons that appear on the bottom these -- make up your dock and are always locked in this position are changeable to your most these acts. Above the dock you'll see several -- these are to identify the screen here. Now here's where its interest in utilize your new you lied to add applications to customize your phone."
" At a -- just like you normally do you open your drop long tap on the app icon -- clicks on the screen. What's on the screen you won't happen again a small menu pops up that allows you to delete the -- from experience. Or some new functions available only in a home like renaming icon change and -- on itself or uninstalling the gap."
" Simple small -- manager apps that are genius. Nelson you've filled up your screen full of applications. Will just log cap on an app icon and dragging toward the edge of the screen and moved to a new screen. Note the dots in the bottom of the screen changed to reflect what number screener on. But the -- remains of the bottom. You can expand from the default three screens all the way up to ten additional screens even I had a hard time filling up ten experience. One of the neatest things about the entry -- for me was the addition the widgets that platform and it home takes that one step further. With all those additional real state and your screens you have not only for all the icons for applications for for widgets beyond simple ones like the clock. By long tapping on the screen you can pull the menu of things that she's widgets and get a list of all the available with its."
" Where can simply hit the -- strong on the dock finder widget -- tap and drag the place on the screen. In addition to the default android widgets they hold shift of some new ones like idiots can't widget and a nifty power controls -- it."
" You can also download a home specific widgets from the -- marketplace like quickly. That allowed to post its order for their home screen no need for -- Mix these in with the new widgets for progress and apps like pandora FaceBook and your home -- gets way more powerful. We're just scratching the surface here what they hope to do next up -- say -- can customize your phone books before that let's hear about."
" Hot lap of the day -- everyone Eileen here let's start with a little bit of hardware news. Blackberry just announced people 9700 Smartphone and besides getting beefed up with a faster processors more memory it's thinner lighter. And the track ball has been replaced with a touch sensitive -- pat. And our hot -- of the day is an application that reads text messages emails allowed in real time. It's called drive safely and it's designed to stop those of you would -- tax at the very same time which is a very dangerous thing to do in the many people did it. Even -- an -- response to the person on the other and telling that person here is me and it'll respond here so here's a quick demo."
" text message sent and I mean yeah. I want it and can't say candidate."
" It's free thinking android and Blackberry and will be available for the iPhone Windows Mobile and Symbian phones very soon. Check it out and let us know what to think. -- judgment is brought to -- by godaddy. Keep your personal information Weytman spammers hackers and your crazy ex roommate. Private domain registration from godaddy.com protects your privacy by speaking your address phone number and more out of the public database. And support at judge Manning is the code judge five -- check out to get ten dollars off your order of forty dollars or more. Now back to run and his judgment."
" On a home. For -- got many more screens all -- apps and widgets laid out doesn't want somebody doesn't get any better than -- yes it does with one word themes. Nagging customize your phone looks if you don't like the icons that came to fall of android you can change him. And home allows you to download the -- android marketplace and easily insolvent. What's it gonna be like in the marketplace simply download to your -- been selected even -- also it just that easy."
" replace the wallpaper color icons fonts everything."
" Dean of the game changer as far as I'm concerned."
" A on the creative bunch of awesome teams you can try many of them for free and third party developers can also create themes and charged them in the marketplace."
" This is a great way to get a feed from whatever -- for example if you were our producer relieved he's probably wanna download the twilight theme."
" Or Inglewood and -- it -- to cater to any of your interest or sex. You can find games or movies sports computers -- maker -- phone with an iPhone or Windows Mobile phone or even Linux. Whatever you want it very cool the only real hang up to -- with a home is that it's really powerful may be too powerful for the novice user."
" Some of the functions are easy like these patrols and adding screens and widgets but what you get deep into the -- a phone it can be a bit overwhelming."
" The ability to change the settings is great for power user but the casual user may get lost an elaborate ways to customize the application."
" The other -- that I ran into was the performance of the phone after running a -- I have a lot -- insults -- is -- my do you want a home with all the widgets and everything else that goes on notice would tax the performance of iPhone sometimes even crashing. I found myself in situations where he -- simply just worked exiting a home run in the phone in the default mode to ensure performance and stability. This may be a drawback on the phone hardware itself but with newer handsets coming out the -- to be able to handle -- home better with my G1 is a bit of a concern."
" So let's break it down."
" I don't give you more screens is more apps and widgets on and allow you to customize look at the phone with themes. It's often that an awesome -- easy is it access to the -- he's the most is basically a way more powerful water for your phone."
" But it does have some drawbacks to be a bit overwhelming to a new and it's got a lot of settings to manage and I found performance and what you want to be spot. Despite those drawbacks I think it'd downloads that he do it and customize and expand your launchers far too attractive to turnout."
" Do you stay home I want to hear from -- we -- are -- revision3.com slash -- judgment we can also find ways to -- that doesn't watch it however you want it. Haven't and I actually think we should check out emails after it's been a revision3.com. Or has our FaceBook page to FaceBook dot com slash after that. I'm Ron Richards is up judgment I wanted to amend extend the more -- the peaceful scenes. Girls."
" Yeah."
" Feeling trapped -- their android phone. -- home will set you free."
" This upset about judgment brought to buy godaddy. Welcome to -- judgment revision three's mobile phone application review show I'm Ron Richards and they wanna show you one of the most powerful apps that come into contact with an android phone."
" Eight home by --"
" For 499 map that has created a fully customizable want to program to replace the default home screen and watch it shipped to their -- on."
" Since Sandra platform is open the opportunity for other developers great -- an innovative ways to your phone exist and -- home as an example of that."
" Giving you the user greater flexibility museum customizing your phone he wanted to be if you have a lot of apps installed and you wanna have them on the main screen of your phone. No doubt he rented for the limitation of the default and red -- three screens. Probably two days ago in Landry -- knew that three screens would be enough. We knew that collapsed being introduced every day my three streets filled up quickly and costly adding and removing apps because of the limitation. Right and he gave this one of the biggest advantages stay home."
" What to launch it only takes over your watch a program you'll notice immediately that looks different than your current phone setup. Along the bottom of the phone you'll notice some new elements first of laughter there's a purple button which opens her after."
" To the right -- a new button which opens a drug containing widgets which is a much better way -- it would just in the default watcher. Additionally there for app icons that appear on the bottom these -- make up your dock and are always locked in this position are changeable to your most these acts. Above the dock you'll see several -- these are to identify the screen here. Now here's where its interest in utilize your new you lied to add applications to customize your phone."
" At a -- just like you normally do you open your drop long tap on the app icon -- clicks on the screen. What's on the screen you won't happen again a small menu pops up that allows you to delete the -- from experience. Or some new functions available only in a home like renaming icon change and -- on itself or uninstalling the gap."
" Simple small -- manager apps that are genius. Nelson you've filled up your screen full of applications. Will just log cap on an app icon and dragging toward the edge of the screen and moved to a new screen. Note the dots in the bottom of the screen changed to reflect what number screener on. But the -- remains of the bottom. You can expand from the default three screens all the way up to ten additional screens even I had a hard time filling up ten experience. One of the neatest things about the entry -- for me was the addition the widgets that platform and it home takes that one step further. With all those additional real state and your screens you have not only for all the icons for applications for for widgets beyond simple ones like the clock. By long tapping on the screen you can pull the menu of things that she's widgets and get a list of all the available with its."
" Where can simply hit the -- strong on the dock finder widget -- tap and drag the place on the screen. In addition to the default android widgets they hold shift of some new ones like idiots can't widget and a nifty power controls -- it."
" You can also download a home specific widgets from the -- marketplace like quickly. That allowed to post its order for their home screen no need for -- Mix these in with the new widgets for progress and apps like pandora FaceBook and your home -- gets way more powerful. We're just scratching the surface here what they hope to do next up -- say -- can customize your phone books before that let's hear about."
" Hot lap of the day -- everyone Eileen here let's start with a little bit of hardware news. Blackberry just announced people 9700 Smartphone and besides getting beefed up with a faster processors more memory it's thinner lighter. And the track ball has been replaced with a touch sensitive -- pat. And our hot -- of the day is an application that reads text messages emails allowed in real time. It's called drive safely and it's designed to stop those of you would -- tax at the very same time which is a very dangerous thing to do in the many people did it. Even -- an -- response to the person on the other and telling that person here is me and it'll respond here so here's a quick demo."
" text message sent and I mean yeah. I want it and can't say candidate."
" It's free thinking android and Blackberry and will be available for the iPhone Windows Mobile and Symbian phones very soon. Check it out and let us know what to think. -- judgment is brought to -- by godaddy. Keep your personal information Weytman spammers hackers and your crazy ex roommate. Private domain registration from godaddy.com protects your privacy by speaking your address phone number and more out of the public database. And support at judge Manning is the code judge five -- check out to get ten dollars off your order of forty dollars or more. Now back to run and his judgment."
" On a home. For -- got many more screens all -- apps and widgets laid out doesn't want somebody doesn't get any better than -- yes it does with one word themes. Nagging customize your phone looks if you don't like the icons that came to fall of android you can change him. And home allows you to download the -- android marketplace and easily insolvent. What's it gonna be like in the marketplace simply download to your -- been selected even -- also it just that easy."
" replace the wallpaper color icons fonts everything."
" Dean of the game changer as far as I'm concerned."
" A on the creative bunch of awesome teams you can try many of them for free and third party developers can also create themes and charged them in the marketplace."
" This is a great way to get a feed from whatever -- for example if you were our producer relieved he's probably wanna download the twilight theme."
" Or Inglewood and -- it -- to cater to any of your interest or sex. You can find games or movies sports computers -- maker -- phone with an iPhone or Windows Mobile phone or even Linux. Whatever you want it very cool the only real hang up to -- with a home is that it's really powerful may be too powerful for the novice user."
" Some of the functions are easy like these patrols and adding screens and widgets but what you get deep into the -- a phone it can be a bit overwhelming."
" The ability to change the settings is great for power user but the casual user may get lost an elaborate ways to customize the application."
" The other -- that I ran into was the performance of the phone after running a -- I have a lot -- insults -- is -- my do you want a home with all the widgets and everything else that goes on notice would tax the performance of iPhone sometimes even crashing. I found myself in situations where he -- simply just worked exiting a home run in the phone in the default mode to ensure performance and stability. This may be a drawback on the phone hardware itself but with newer handsets coming out the -- to be able to handle -- home better with my G1 is a bit of a concern."
" So let's break it down."
" I don't give you more screens is more apps and widgets on and allow you to customize look at the phone with themes. It's often that an awesome -- easy is it access to the -- he's the most is basically a way more powerful water for your phone."
" But it does have some drawbacks to be a bit overwhelming to a new and it's got a lot of settings to manage and I found performance and what you want to be spot. Despite those drawbacks I think it'd downloads that he do it and customize and expand your launchers far too attractive to turnout."
" Do you stay home I want to hear from -- we -- are -- revision3.com slash -- judgment we can also find ways to -- that doesn't watch it however you want it. Haven't and I actually think we should check out emails after it's been a revision3.com. Or has our FaceBook page to FaceBook dot com slash after that. I'm Ron Richards is up judgment I wanted to amend extend the more -- the peaceful scenes. Girls."
" Yeah."
jackierulesall
Started discussion: October 23, 2009 @ 9:10am GMT
Episode 33 - Android: aHome [Discussion]
Dissatisfied with the interface on your Android phone? Change it with aHome! Alter the way your phone looks and launches programs and free up more space for apps.
Watch or download now!
MetallicNitro
5 months ago
I loved aHome when I first installed it however now on my 3rd G1. I'm iffy about installing apps on my G1. My first G1 kept restarting to the point it was unusable, my second phone worked for a few weeks, started rebooting and then ended up freezing, took the battery out only to never have it come back on. I'm on my third G1 in less than a year. I don't know if rooting my phone caused errors but I refuse to root it now.
I had used aHome with my phone but I did have a few other apps, so I don't know that the root of the problem was :(.
I had used aHome with my phone but I did have a few other apps, so I don't know that the root of the problem was :(.
imak92
5 months ago
panda home is better cause
well1-its free
2-its open source
3-it works with themes from every app like open home themes ahome themes and everyother thing
4-the launcher dock is much nicer
5-its won the android award for the best home replacment app
6-when u want to add a screen u dont go to settings u just move aa widget to the furthest left (or app)and when u want to delete the screen just empty it
brianbooher
5 months ago
It's a neat program, but.....
I bought aHome about 2 months ago on the myTouch3G. I was really enjoying it when I decided to shut down my phone and then reboot it. Somehow when I rebooted the phone, it would not load beyond the "Android" screen. I had to call T-mobile for help of which I told them that I bought aHome and the tech said that that program caused a lot of problems with the myTouch 3G. Since I had only bought the app a few hours earlier, I was able to get a refund with no problems.I was able to find aHome Lite, the free version that does basically everything I need it to do. I haven't had any problems with it since then. I guess it's because the hardware just isn't that great to take advantage of the power of Android, of which that is T-Mobile's fault.
I do not know if aHome full version is better on the 1.6 update since I was running 1.5 at the time I bought the app.
If you want to buy the app, go for it and test it out since you do have 24 hours to get a refund if it does not work for you.
cocopuffz
4 months ago
Odd. I have the HTC magic which is basically the MyTouch3g and I haven't had any problems with aHome at all. My phone is supersmooth and I'm not even running any 3rd party roms.














aHome
I've been using it for a while. It's great and brings a whole new level of usability to the stock Android install. I like the ability to leave a screen empty. I like to leave my home screen empty, with just the 4 quick launch apps at the bottom for a clean look. You can also control the background texture or color of the drawer and even control the transparency.Ron, if you're have sluggish performance, and don't want to root & overclock your G1... download "Spare Parts" to control the speed of the animations. It's free in the Market and will give your handset the feeling of being quicker. You'll have to re-apply the settings when you restart your handset but it's a good solution if you're not gonna root your phone or install a leaner rom.