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~ $>  RetroLCD widget (for UCCW) - Bring that nostalgic look to your Android home screen (full article)

After coming across the awesome LCD style from z3u5, I set forth to create a similar setup on my Android phone. I ran into difficulty when trying to duplicate z3u5' exact configuration, as there were quite a few apps required, wallpaper cropping/resizing, etc..

I figured that creating a _single widget_ which held all of the info that I wanted to display was my best choice, as it would also be easy to re-setup after flashing a fresh ROM.

I ended up using UCCW alone to accomplish this, and basically pushed it to the limits in terms of which elements are able to be displayed at once, including the memory size limits of the background image.

I’m really happy with how it turned out, and I’ll continue to tweak/update it, so bookmark this page or follow me on Twitter (@scar45) to check for updates. I was going to put it on the Play Store, but there are issues with UCCW skins and the /assets folder breaking. If it ever gets fixed, I’ll surely upload it there.

Notes

  • This widget is provided as a “.uzip” which can be opened within UCCW after you add a new widget to one of your launcher’s screens.
  • In most launchers, the widget size shouldn’t matter, but I use 4 × 4 – The launcher in my screenie is TSF Shell, which can resize widgets perfectly (without corruption). TSF Shell is not required of course.
  • You’ll need to change your UCCW Settings to enable Show short form of location (within Location). Edit the widget by clicking here:
  • While editing, you’ll also need to setup your Gmail account for pulling unread message counts. Click the large button (which should be “BACKGROUND” by default), then select Gmail 1 from the option list. Swipe to the last set of Controls (#5) and click the Account button. Select yours, then press Back to apply it to the current widget.
  • Some weather icons may not be shown, as this has to do with how UCCW associates them from the weather feed. I’ll continually try to fix them over time though.
  • Every element has a Hotspot action associated with it, and uses standard apps for wide compatibility. Feel free to edit the Hotspots to your preference.
  • I did not develop UCCW, so any issues that exist may stem from it. I tested this widget extensively, and it’s definitely ‘release-worthy’

Downloads

Now for the fun. Grab the .uzip file below, place it anywhere on your SDCARD, then add a new UCCW widget and tap the UZIP button to browse for the file.

RetroLCD_by_scar45_v1.0.uzip
   » 1.62 MB // LastMod: 3819 days ago

QR code

Many thanks to z3u5 for the original idea, as well as some of the icons used. Shoot me some feedback or ask questions below. Hope you enjoy using this as much as I do!