5 ms·

On Android we already have dimming/warming apps like Twilight. Why is f.lux any more complicated?

by SamBam 11y ago

yohui 11y ago
For reference, the most popular screen dimming/warming apps for Android: - Lux (free/$3.80): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vito.lux https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vito.lux - Twilight (free/$2.99): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.lux.donate https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid...
OJFord 11y ago
I have no idea. But the developers (of f.lux) seem to claim elsewhere that the existing solutions aren't 'solutions' at all; don't do it properly. I can't speak for the truth of that though. I've used the aptly named "Blue Light Filter" which seems to work fine. CyanogenMod OS bundles something which seems okay too.
FreakyT 11y ago
Twilight and Lux both contain naive implementations using a semitransparent overlay. The result of this that blacks and dark colors end up being brightened instead of left alone, as a proper color-temperature change would do. This looks bad on all screens, but especially so on AMOLED displays that support a true black. Cf.lumen[1] is, I believe, the only Android app that can actually change the color temperature of the screen like f.lux can, but it requires root as well as installation of a special "driver" in order to do so. My guess would be that the "complicated install process" referenced by the f.lux devs is probably similar. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.lumen&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.l...
- tempestn 11y ago
  I believe if Lux has root access it changes its behaviour to also change the actual color temp rather than using an overlay.
  - NoGravitas 11y ago
    It does if you install either a plugin specific to your device, or a plugin to use CF Lumen as its backend.
- _yy 11y ago
  Also that one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.pruss.GalacticNight&hl=de https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.pruss.Gal... And Cyanogenmod has a built-in color temperature changer anyway.
  - tripzilch 11y ago
    > And Cyanogenmod has a built-in color temperature changer anyway. Really? Cool! Where is it though? I just went through the settings and couldn't find anything but Display & Lights > Colour calibration, which just gives some R/G/B sliders (that don't even seem to do anything?) no colour temp, that I could find.
lotu 11y ago
Twilight doesn't properly dim the whole screen, it leave the menu bar undimmed and is good but not great.
andrewaylett 11y ago
CyanogenMod also has a very nice feature which adjusts the colour cast of the screen based on both time of day and the colour of the light hitting the RGB sensor.

On Android we already have dimming/warming apps like Twilight. Why is f.lux any more complicated?

by SamBam 11y ago

On Android we already have dimming/warming apps like Twilight. Why is f.lux any more complicated?

yohui 11y ago

For reference, the most popular screen dimming/warming apps for Android: - Lux (free/$3.80): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vito.lux https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vito.lux - Twilight (free/$2.99): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.lux.donate https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid...

OJFord 11y ago

I have no idea. But the developers (of f.lux) seem to claim elsewhere that the existing solutions aren't 'solutions' at all; don't do it properly. I can't speak for the truth of that though. I've used the aptly named "Blue Light Filter" which seems to work fine. CyanogenMod OS bundles something which seems okay too.

FreakyT 11y ago

Twilight and Lux both contain naive implementations using a semitransparent overlay. The result of this that blacks and dark colors end up being brightened instead of left alone, as a proper color-temperature change would do. This looks bad on all screens, but especially so on AMOLED displays that support a true black. Cf.lumen[1] is, I believe, the only Android app that can actually change the color temperature of the screen like f.lux can, but it requires root as well as installation of a special "driver" in order to do so. My guess would be that the "complicated install process" referenced by the f.lux devs is probably similar. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.lumen&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.l...

tempestn 11y ago
I believe if Lux has root access it changes its behaviour to also change the actual color temp rather than using an overlay.
- NoGravitas 11y ago
  It does if you install either a plugin specific to your device, or a plugin to use CF Lumen as its backend.
_yy 11y ago
Also that one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.pruss.GalacticNight&hl=de https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.pruss.Gal... And Cyanogenmod has a built-in color temperature changer anyway.
- tripzilch 11y ago
  > And Cyanogenmod has a built-in color temperature changer anyway. Really? Cool! Where is it though? I just went through the settings and couldn't find anything but Display & Lights > Colour calibration, which just gives some R/G/B sliders (that don't even seem to do anything?) no colour temp, that I could find.

lotu 11y ago

Twilight doesn't properly dim the whole screen, it leave the menu bar undimmed and is good but not great.

andrewaylett 11y ago

CyanogenMod also has a very nice feature which adjusts the colour cast of the screen based on both time of day and the colour of the light hitting the RGB sensor.