MIUI - Future features wishes

[Try4Ce]

Hi folks!

I recently flashed the latest MIUI ROM 1.4.8 and so far, I really love the new enhancements and improvements, especially related to the UI. The team does OUTSTANDING work, considering this is all for free.

But, there are some thing I would like to see in an MIUI ROM:

1. Proper contacts sync with Facebook - I know this is an issue with MIUI since its from China and therefore they are blocked out of Facebook. But how about external help for that matter? MIUI became really famous outside of China, too, and alot of people use Facebook to keep in touch with friends. I would love to have a proper Facebook sync.
2. Music Player - I know it is planned, but SRS and Dolby Mobile is still not implemented. Any plans on when they include it? Love the enhancements of the Audio thanks to that feature.
3. SMS / MMS : A more nice Popup layout with actual contact picture shown. Only receiving pure text is kind of a let down since all other popular SMS services do support contact pictures in the notification popup. I like the new interface of the SMS application, and the Idea behind the Gingerbread Popups of MIUI is really nice (sliding down), and this new concept of Popups could make a great base of a more beautiful notification popup (general layout, contact picture, text placement)
4. MIUI Launcher - Scrollable Widgets Support would be nice. I know it has been mentioned multiple times already and is on the wishlist of many other users as well, but I just wanted to mention it here in the thread. Plus, I would like more MIUI Launcher Exclusive widgets as well. The Contacts Widget is already a good example, as well as the new Music Widgets. Beautiful work.
5. MIUI Weather - All right, lets get down on it. MIUI Weather always has been hella beautiful. The chinese developers sure know how to do layout and graphics, and the MIUI Weather application is very pretty and has all needed features plus some nice extras. I know it is already been ported and still in the works, but a real international Edition would be great. But I always ask myself - Why go for a "database solution", if other Weather Widgets / Apps do alot of things with just entering the citiy name and get all the information from google, accuweather or weatherbug? I think it is more efficient without database setups, but I dont know if it is related to China again, and if they even get locked out of international weather forecast networks.

Those are just my wishes for improving MIUI. It is a great ROM and it came a real far way. The improvements on each new version are significant and impress me every time.

 

[ZeroBarrier]

/forehead slap

 

[Try4Ce]

Well, Zero, I hope that forehead slap was directed at yourself for posting something REAL useful here.
I only wrote down what I would like to see how MIUI will improve, and know of some of the issues behind some missing or wanted stuff. So, instead of just spamming a thread with a 2-word-1-liner comment like that (attention-catcher anyone?) you just could go for some productive criticism or just leave it uncommented if you dont see anything useful in here. That would be more productive than playing somewhat smartassy... no offense, but I really hate comments like that with no indication of WHAT is here to criticise, so to me, it looks like some troll comment...

EDIT: And if I understood the system behind the weather apps wrong, I apologize. I am not a programmer, so I dont know how weather widgets / services are handeling the entered information or geolocation ...

 

[Scottndville]

I could be wrong but it seams I read somewhere a while back that the weather app is actually polling MIUIs own server with weather info collected from another server. Thats why mark had such a rough time getting it to work for us.

Sent from my PC36100 using the miui-dev.com Forums App

 

[verboze]

Well, Zero, I hope that forehead slap was directed at yourself for posting something REAL useful here.

Developers on this site have no control over features included in MIUI (they primarily port MIUI to other devices). They don't have the source code, so requesting features from them is a moot point . You need to post feature requests with the rom developers at miui.com. I think this is why you got this reaction from Zero.

 

[nc30012]

Developers on this site have no control over features included in MIUI (they primarily port MIUI to other devices). They don't have the source code, so requesting features from them is a moot point . You need to post feature requests with the rom developers at miui.com. I think this is why you got this reaction from Zero.

Well put. The devs on this site do not have that kind of control over what features are added into this rom.

 

[ZeroBarrier]

Developers on this site have no control over features included in MIUI (they primarily port MIUI to other devices). They don't have the source code, so requesting features from them is a moot point . You need to post feature requests with the rom developers at miui.com. I think this is why you got this reaction from Zero.

Well put. The devs on this site do not have that kind of control over what features are added into this rom.

Thank you.

I had almost lost all hope of anyone actually reading the forums anymore.

 

[tanclo]

Perhaps related, i bet if i could change the database being checked for music album and lyrics, then i could start seeing reliable and meaningful results in my music app. I love miui music app of course but the user should be able to adjust things more easily like i do on amarok.on my linux box?

And before i get slapped, perhaps our comments will eventually be read and taken up by miui china. It's pretty hard to interact on the all chinese site anyway. I don't mean to complain, just query and solve perhaps. Thanks all.

Sent from my HTC Desire using the miui-dev.com Forums App

 

[EndlessDissent]

Really, the only request of yours that the devs here have control of is the weather app, and the devs are way ahead of you on that. The only reason the weather app currently works the way it does, is because that's how the Chinese made it. The devs here had to hack it and make it work within the limits of the Chinese version. Now, though, the devs here have the source code and plan on implementing the exact changes you're requesting. The only question is how long that will take.

As for changing the database that the music app uses for lyrics, you could do it, but probably only if you're experienced with decompiling Java code and editing the decompiled code.

Also, scrollable widgets is one of the most requested features, even among Chinese users. Pretty much everyone is surprised and disappointed that it hasn't been added yet.

The SMS popups have been acknowledged by the Chinese devs, and they released a statement explaining their reasoning behind the design and that they listen to criticism and will keep working to improve the interface.

As for the Chinese reading requests here, it's very unlikely. I wouldn't hold my breath. The most common way for them to hear our requests is when MarkHUK personally suggests it, and I won't lie; I don't think he'd be interested in any of those features except the scrollable widgets, which, as I said, have already been requested.

Basically, your best bet is to make a miui.com account and try to request them there. Or you could wait a bit and try on the English version of miui.com that should be coming soon (news via twitter).

Edit: You also have to keep in mind that, even though MIUI is popular outside of China, China is the primary target audience for the ROM, so requests like your Facebook request will be last in line for implementation into the ROM no matter what.

 

[Try4Ce]

First of all: Thanks EndlessDissent.
Second: ZeroBarrier - If you could have written what EndlessDissent did, we could have had started on the right foot. Like I said, a simple "2-word-1-liner" comment like that was way more unproductive than my post.

In general, I wasnt actually trying to reach the Devs of MIUI. It were "future feature wishes" and no changelog-requests. I wanted to create a base on what could be possible and could mean serious enhancements to the ROM. MIUI has the potential of becoming very well known world wide.
Plus: Maybe Mark reads it and can communicate some most-wanted features of the foreign community to the chinese developers since he is now in the beta test / development team.
So, lets all calm down and stop bitching around, okay? Instead of declaring me for someone that doesnt read the forums (I actually read ALOT), lets stay friendly. I commented on my future wishes and added the maybe known issues, didnt I?

Still, those things would actually really make MIUI my daily and only ROM.

 

[EndlessDissent]

Well, I'm not gonna lie. I actually viewed this topic many times before replying, and my first reaction was actually the same as ZeroBarrier's. It's nothing against you or your suggestions, because I'm sure that lots of people would agree that those would be great features, but as I pointed out, you aren't the first person to make those suggestions (except for maybe the Dolby support request; I don't think that's been mentioned before), and like the others have said, there's really nothing anyone at this site can do about it, so when we see the same feature requests for the hundredth time, our first reaction is a major facepalm.

It's not that we don't care. It's that the features have already been requested, and we can't do anything about it.

Don't take ZeroBarrier's reaction personally. It's just frustrating when people request features that the devs here can't actually add. I realize you mostly just want the requests to be relayed to the miui.com devs, but the chances of even that happening are slim to none.

On the other hand, if you catch Mark on IRC in a good mood and explain your requests along with reasons he should push for them, there is a lot better chance of your request making it through the proper channels, and even then, Mark has relatively minimal sway with the MIUI devs. They listen to him, but only as far as it benefits them. For instance, with the Evo and Evo Shift, the MIUI devs only really need to add a small amount of code to the ROM, and Mark and other devs have explained how easy it is to add, but since the Chinese can't use Wimax, they have no interest in adding the necessary code, and therefore, those of us with 4G phones have to settle for 3G or move to a different ROM.

That's not to completely crush your hopes or anything. That's just the way it is. Until MIUI makes its international push, we are all pretty much just taking what they give us, and so far, except for a couple missing features, most of us are very happy with what they're giving us. It's just a wait-and-see type of thing when it comes to which features MIUI will get. In fact, for me at least, that's half the fun of using MIUI. You get a new surprise every week. Sometimes you like the changes; sometimes you hate them. Then, next week, we do it all over again.

 

[Try4Ce]

Like I already said, those werent "requests" to the developers. Those were simple Ideas from a simple mind just thinking about what COULD be improved.
I know it has been requested, I know people think they can actually push those requests through this forum (and not MIUI.com). But that wasnt the idea behind it.

What about discussions? Ideas? Maybe visions? I love MIUI, but some missing stuff makes it sometimes hard to choose it over Sense UI 2.0/2.1 (Desire HD). Plus: I mentioned known issues related to the feature wishes.

Maybe we should just leave this topic, since this is going nowhere.

 

[tweetypeety]

only a SMALL wish for MIUI Music. Would be nice to support Playlists, because right now only every other Player reads my Playlists except MIUI, and swipe over the Lockscreen would switch du the next or previous song. This would be really nice.

 

[ZeroBarrier]

First of all: Thanks EndlessDissent.
Second: ZeroBarrier - If you could have written what EndlessDissent did, we could have had started on the right foot. Like I said, a simple "2-word-1-liner" comment like that was way more unproductive than my post.

Except this has already been covered hundreds of times now. In reality, I'm tired of reading and replying to the same requests/bugs/complaints/wishes day in and day out; and I'm not even part of the MIUI-Dev team!!! I can't even imagine how those poor people put up with it for this long.

And as for being unproductive; well, let's just say I consider signing up to a forum, reading half a dozen posts/threads and posting questions, concerns, requests, etc. is the most unproductive thing any user/member can do in this community. I swear, people run a ROM for 3 days, read 12 posts and think they are God's gift to Android...

 

[Try4Ce]

Except this has already been covered hundreds of times now. In reality, I'm tired of reading and replying to the same requests/bugs/complaints/wishes day in and day out; and I'm not even part of the MIUI-Dev team!!! I can't even imagine how those poor people put up with it for this long.

And as for being unproductive; well, let's just say I consider signing up to a forum, reading half a dozen posts/threads and posting questions, concerns, requests, etc. is the most unproductive thing any user/member can do in this community. I swear, people run a ROM for 3 days, read 12 posts and think they are God's gift to Android...

Well chief, I guess I can say that I sure have some knowledge about the Android System. I do not only flash new ROMs like every third day and help other devs with bug reports, logcat files and self made quick fixes, I maintain most of the android smartphones at work and even at home. I tried every single MIUI version since it has been released for the Motorola Milestone back in the days, amongst many different Cyanogen ROMs, Sense UI ROMs and AOSP Stock Android ROMs from Android 2.0 till 2.3.3. I am not a God's gift to Android, but I know a good amount about the system. I am not a developer, but for sure a power user that goes deeper into the system than most of the ones I know.
You just dont get my point here, the "term" discussion and not just reading "oh man, same requests all over again". Sorry for being a little enthusiastic on this. And I even mentioned that most of the "requests" (which were nothing more that wishes without counting on the fact that those will be considered anytime soon) have been already made in the past by multiple people. I was just curious and wanted to collect my own little wishes. I never meant to REQUEST, because I know the MIUI Developers dont read this forum and the one single, important link to them here is our trusted Mark who finally got his deserved place amongst the beta team of MIUI.

And well, think about it, you said you are tired of reading and replying to to those posts? Well, here is a friendly advice: DON'T read it if you already know what could be inside because of the topic headline, and DON'T reply if you feel like its useless or you dont need to. I know, it sounds simple, even tho its pretty hard to just leave posts like mine alone without leaving a "annoying!" comment like this...

It is kinda sad how this thread evolved, and I, too, am tired of explaining myself for a simple "wish"-thread.

Sorry if I annoyed you, and PLEASE! Can somebody lock up this thread?

 

[tanclo]

Really, the only request of yours that the devs here have control of is the weather app, and the devs are way ahead of you on that. The only reason the weather app currently works the way it does, is because that's how the Chinese made it. The devs here had to hack it and make it work within the limits of the Chinese version. Now, though, the devs here have the source code and plan on implementing the exact changes you're requesting. The only question is how long that will take.

As for changing the database that the music app uses for lyrics, you could do it, but probably only if you're experienced with decompiling Java code and editing the decompiled code.

Also, scrollable widgets is one of the most requested features, even among Chinese users. Pretty much everyone is surprised and disappointed that it hasn't been added yet.

The SMS popups have been acknowledged by the Chinese devs, and they released a statement explaining their reasoning behind the design and that they listen to criticism and will keep working to improve the interface.

As for the Chinese reading requests here, it's very unlikely. I wouldn't hold my breath. The most common way for them to hear our requests is when MarkHUK personally suggests it, and I won't lie; I don't think he'd be interested in any of those features except the scrollable widgets, which, as I said, have already been requested.

Basically, your best bet is to make a miui.com account and try to request them there. Or you could wait a bit and try on the English version of miui.com that should be coming soon (news via twitter).

Edit: You also have to keep in mind that, even though MIUI is popular outside of China, China is the primary target audience for the ROM, so requests like your Facebook request will be last in line for implementation into the ROM no matter what.

Thank you for the valuable input, Sir - I will make suggestions or requests for assistance over at en.MIUI instead of here from now on. I am trying xavier johns miui-xj release in any case instead of the miuiandroid version.