4 ms·

Next step is to make the text the same color as the background

dredmorbius 5y ago
That's what Google Chrome has done (in Incognito mode) on Android. Been that way for most of the past year. It is literally impossible to read the URL, or edit it reasonably. (I'll typically copy it to some open edit-box somewhere to do so.) The depths of idiocy across the development landscape are ... depthy. Firefox / Fennec remains my general very strong preference, though on this specific older Android device, Firefox/Fennec performance remains abysmal. On a newer Android device, Mozilla's aversion to keyboard shortcuts is another major pain-point. On e-ink devices, EinkBro is superior for some tasks (Chromium-derived), though it also has its annoyances.
- mattl 5y ago
  Do newer Android devices have keyboards?
  - sp332 5y ago
    Bluetooth keyboards are pretty common. When I was using one with an Android-based set-top box, I really missed having keyboard shortcuts in Firefox.
    - mattl 5y ago
      I’ll check it out. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29236519 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29236519
  - dredmorbius 5y ago
    I'm using an external Bluetooth keyboard. I'd originally bought the device with a paired self-supporting case/keyboard combo. That ... was already failing from purchase. The current keyboard doesn't mate with the device, but if used on a desk is acceptable. (Logiteck K480, multi-device, PC/Mac, fairly decent reviews, chicklet keys though. I'm ... dealing with that.)
    - mattl 5y ago
      I hadn’t thought about using a keyboard with my phone but I’ll check it out. I have a new Logitech (can’t keep track of model numbers) and iOS.
      - dredmorbius 5y ago
        It's a huge boost in productivity. My estimate is that trying to use a soft keyboard drops my effective intelligence by at least half. Typing is slower and far more error-prone. I'm staring at the keyboard rather than what I've typed, so if there's an error, I don't see it as it occurs (which would enable me to correct it immediately), and navigation is exctremely imprecise. My error / typo rate with a software keyboard is through the roof. With a keyboard, all of that is much more fluid, and I can focus on what I'm actually trying to say. Being able to toggle between apps and access application hotkeys is another huge bonus. Downside is that many applications literally don't know what the fuck to do with a keyboard. Apparently keyboard entry is not a consistent low-level Android feature. - The Pocketbook e-book reader interprets spaces when writing notes or search expressions as "page scroll" events. This is always delightful. - The Mozilla Pocket app loses focus on each motherlovin' keystroke when entering tags. My enthusiasm for this behaviour is utterly without bounds. - Depending on the keyboard and perhaps Android version, input of escape (hullo, vim), function keys, and other modifier keys ... is variable ... with Termux. The Logitech keyboard largely functions as advertised, though there are some workarounds required for function key usage (say, with Midnight Commander). I'm sure you'll discover other fun surprises in your own preferred apps / workflow. That it's easier to write longer pieces with a keyboard may or may not be a feature, though on balance I'd consider it a plus. Using Termux or remotely accessing a Linux / *nix system with a real keyboard is also a huge improvement over soft keyboards. Termux (Linux userland available through F-Droid) remains the one thing on Android that does not precisely suck.
- mleonhard 5y ago
  From Google's perspective, an unusable privacy mode is a feature. It's the same reason that gstatic.com is refusing connections from proxy/VPN services, breaking most Google apps and slowing down loading of every website that uses Google-hosted fonts (which is most websites).
  - dredmorbius 5y ago
    Trust me, I've realised this and it makes the gratuitous breakage all the more aggrevating. I've been aggressive in removing Google from all aspects of my computing experience. When purchasing an e-ink reader/tablet earlier this year, avoiding Android was high on the list. I ended up with the Onyx BOOX line, which is Android, though a somewhat de-googlified variant. Google Play ... won't actually work, which I'm fine with. I've installed Google Play Services, though I'm aware of a third-party alternative. App stores are F-Droid, APK-Mirror, and Aurora. I'm trying to minimise use of non-free software as well. Not entirely successfully but within reason. The stock e-reader, Fennec Fox, EinkBro, Termux, and Pocket are my principle apps. Pocket is the only one of those that's not reasonably available from F-Droid (there's a very old version there, very badly broken --- the current version on Aurora is only badly broken.)
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  To be clear: I'm referring to text/background in the Navbar / Unibar on Chrome. In Incognito it's an ever-so-slightly-lighter-shade-of-pale against a nearly white background. Again, for doing its job, of showing, you know, text, it's an absolute fail. I can't even screenshot the brokenness because Chrome thinks the content is DRM'd. Even in a new tab not opened to any page. (I've just tested this.) See: https://www.chromestory.com/2020/10/incognito-screenshot/ https://www.chromestory.com/2020/10/incognito-screenshot/ https://www.mobigyaan.com/take-screenshot-chrome-incognito-mode https://www.mobigyaan.com/take-screenshot-chrome-incognito-m...
  - dredmorbius 5y ago
    And I've managed to sort out screenshots under Incognito (the chrome://flags tip above works). So here's that white-on-white navbar text: https://toot.cat/@dredmorbius/107285981915812389 https://toot.cat/@dredmorbius/107285981915812389
krater23 5y ago
Just remove the text. Icons should be enough. Wait, I think we have this somewhere...
svnpenn 5y ago
> black print, black background. it's the coolest possible color scheme https://i.imgur.com/41biB.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/41biB.jpeg

That's what Google Chrome has done (in Incognito mode) on Android. Been that way for most of the past year. It is literally impossible to read the URL, or edit it reasonably. (I'll typically copy it to some open edit-box somewhere to do so.) The depths of idiocy across the development landscape are ... depthy. Firefox / Fennec remains my general very strong preference, though on this specific older Android device, Firefox/Fennec performance remains abysmal. On a newer Android device, Mozilla's aversion to keyboard shortcuts is another major pain-point. On e-ink devices, EinkBro is superior for some tasks (Chromium-derived), though it also has its annoyances.

mattl 5y ago
Do newer Android devices have keyboards?
- sp332 5y ago
  Bluetooth keyboards are pretty common. When I was using one with an Android-based set-top box, I really missed having keyboard shortcuts in Firefox.
  - mattl 5y ago
    I’ll check it out. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29236519 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29236519
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  I'm using an external Bluetooth keyboard. I'd originally bought the device with a paired self-supporting case/keyboard combo. That ... was already failing from purchase. The current keyboard doesn't mate with the device, but if used on a desk is acceptable. (Logiteck K480, multi-device, PC/Mac, fairly decent reviews, chicklet keys though. I'm ... dealing with that.)
  - mattl 5y ago
    I hadn’t thought about using a keyboard with my phone but I’ll check it out. I have a new Logitech (can’t keep track of model numbers) and iOS.
    - dredmorbius 5y ago
      It's a huge boost in productivity. My estimate is that trying to use a soft keyboard drops my effective intelligence by at least half. Typing is slower and far more error-prone. I'm staring at the keyboard rather than what I've typed, so if there's an error, I don't see it as it occurs (which would enable me to correct it immediately), and navigation is exctremely imprecise. My error / typo rate with a software keyboard is through the roof. With a keyboard, all of that is much more fluid, and I can focus on what I'm actually trying to say. Being able to toggle between apps and access application hotkeys is another huge bonus. Downside is that many applications literally don't know what the fuck to do with a keyboard. Apparently keyboard entry is not a consistent low-level Android feature. - The Pocketbook e-book reader interprets spaces when writing notes or search expressions as "page scroll" events. This is always delightful. - The Mozilla Pocket app loses focus on each motherlovin' keystroke when entering tags. My enthusiasm for this behaviour is utterly without bounds. - Depending on the keyboard and perhaps Android version, input of escape (hullo, vim), function keys, and other modifier keys ... is variable ... with Termux. The Logitech keyboard largely functions as advertised, though there are some workarounds required for function key usage (say, with Midnight Commander). I'm sure you'll discover other fun surprises in your own preferred apps / workflow. That it's easier to write longer pieces with a keyboard may or may not be a feature, though on balance I'd consider it a plus. Using Termux or remotely accessing a Linux / *nix system with a real keyboard is also a huge improvement over soft keyboards. Termux (Linux userland available through F-Droid) remains the one thing on Android that does not precisely suck.
mleonhard 5y ago
From Google's perspective, an unusable privacy mode is a feature. It's the same reason that gstatic.com is refusing connections from proxy/VPN services, breaking most Google apps and slowing down loading of every website that uses Google-hosted fonts (which is most websites).
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  Trust me, I've realised this and it makes the gratuitous breakage all the more aggrevating. I've been aggressive in removing Google from all aspects of my computing experience. When purchasing an e-ink reader/tablet earlier this year, avoiding Android was high on the list. I ended up with the Onyx BOOX line, which is Android, though a somewhat de-googlified variant. Google Play ... won't actually work, which I'm fine with. I've installed Google Play Services, though I'm aware of a third-party alternative. App stores are F-Droid, APK-Mirror, and Aurora. I'm trying to minimise use of non-free software as well. Not entirely successfully but within reason. The stock e-reader, Fennec Fox, EinkBro, Termux, and Pocket are my principle apps. Pocket is the only one of those that's not reasonably available from F-Droid (there's a very old version there, very badly broken --- the current version on Aurora is only badly broken.)
dredmorbius 5y ago
To be clear: I'm referring to text/background in the Navbar / Unibar on Chrome. In Incognito it's an ever-so-slightly-lighter-shade-of-pale against a nearly white background. Again, for doing its job, of showing, you know, text, it's an absolute fail. I can't even screenshot the brokenness because Chrome thinks the content is DRM'd. Even in a new tab not opened to any page. (I've just tested this.) See: https://www.chromestory.com/2020/10/incognito-screenshot/ https://www.chromestory.com/2020/10/incognito-screenshot/ https://www.mobigyaan.com/take-screenshot-chrome-incognito-mode https://www.mobigyaan.com/take-screenshot-chrome-incognito-m...
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  And I've managed to sort out screenshots under Incognito (the chrome://flags tip above works). So here's that white-on-white navbar text: https://toot.cat/@dredmorbius/107285981915812389 https://toot.cat/@dredmorbius/107285981915812389

krater23 5y ago

Just remove the text. Icons should be enough. Wait, I think we have this somewhere...

svnpenn 5y ago

> black print, black background. it's the coolest possible color scheme https://i.imgur.com/41biB.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/41biB.jpeg