6 ms·

Show HN: Conjure - A launcher for Android

27 points by gotosleep 14y ago

eranation 14y ago
I was waiting for something like this (translate, thought about writing, and then realized someone without 2 kids and a mortgage will beat me to it) after getting the infamous dumb search and being forced to install go launcher / use gensture search. This is actually what I was missing for my galaxy s III to save it from being replaced with an iPhone 5 (ok, google maps is an added argument, but this is was beaten to death already). Thank you, and please say no to any acqui hire attempts from Google (and get a good lawyer in case Apple sue you for violating omni search patents).
- gotosleep 14y ago
  Glad to save you from a switch to iPhone! Yeah, the Google offerings just don't do what I want in a launcher app. I feel like I did something right because I ended up using the app all the time; it's pretty much my interface for my phone at this point.
  - mulya 14y ago
    Just like ctrl+3 in eclipse, command space in a Mac, win key in Windows. Find stuff by text is by far faster than anything else I can think of
iuqiddis 14y ago
This works great. It's fast and responsive. Just one comment/request: Maybe allow the user to position the web searches at the bottom of more relevant items in the result. So for example, if I search gmail, it should be the first item. Right now, the first 4 items are : Search 'gmail' using Browser, Search 'gmail' using Chrome, Search 'gmail' using Dolphin, Search 'gmail' using Firefox. Then gmail shows up. If i had a smaller phone, I'd have to scroll down to see the most relevant item.
- gotosleep 14y ago
  Conjure actually learns from your selections. So, if you search for gmail & then tap the Gmail app, it should be the first result the next time you make the same search.
  - rcthompson 14y ago
    I think the point is that if those are always the first 4 choices for every new query, it could get annoying quickly. Also, aren't those 4 suggestions redundant? Shouldn't it just have a single "search the web" suggestion, which pops up the standard browser selection dialog and allow the user to choose the default?
    - d4n3 14y ago
      Exactly, I have about 8 browsers installed and I find this very annoying. Your suggestion fixes this nicely.
  - gotosleep 14y ago
    Good point, I'll fix this in the next release. Thanks for the suggestion!
colig 14y ago
Does this replace the homescreen like Apex Launcher and Nova Launcher? It doesn't seem to be that kind of launcher, from looking at the screenshots.
- gotosleep 14y ago
  No, it doesn't. It's a launcher more in the vein of Alfred for OSX, Gnome-Do for Linux, or Launchy for Windows.
malkia 14y ago
LOL - Was I the only one that read this as Clojure - A Launcher For Android!
Semaphor 14y ago
No trial? It's not exactly the kind of app I can test in 15 minutes.
- moystard 14y ago
  I would be happy to give it a go as well, a 7 days trial good be a good idea, or a alfred'ish model.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
wib 14y ago
How does this improve on Quickdroid? Can I run scripts with it? tasker integration?
- andrewaylett 14y ago
  Thanks for the Quickdroid hint -- I've just installed it :).
- gotosleep 14y ago
  Interesting, I hadn't heard of Quickdroid until now. I just tried it out and it is pretty good, but I still think Conjure is better. Here are a few things Conjure can do that Quickdroid can't: - Abbreviations. Searching for "gv" in Conjure produces the google voice app, in Quickdroid nothing - Toggles, Conjure provides access to a bunch of different toggles - Volume, Conjure provides access to all the volume controls There are a few features in Quickdroid that I like which Conjure doesn't have, namely the Quick Launch feature. I'll be adding that ASAP.
  - wib 14y ago
    That's cool. I'll definitely buy your app in the future if you incorporate a Tasker plugin. http://tasker.dinglisch.net/developers.html http://tasker.dinglisch.net/developers.html
    - DanielHimmelein 14y ago
      Quickdroid can also search for abbreviations. You just have to enable this in the settings. It is not activated by default.
mlarsen 14y ago
I'd love the possibility to add aliases for certain applications. On my (Danish) Galaxy S3 the calendar is named "S-Planlægger". It would be nice to just be able to type in "cal" for it to start. Aliases for specific bookmarks would also be nice.
- gotosleep 14y ago
  I plan on supporting that in the near future. Thanks for checking out the app!
gotosleep 14y ago
A little late, but I made a webpage that goes over the features and provides a pretty comprehensive demo: http://c.onjure.com http://c.onjure.com

27 points by gotosleep 14y ago

I was waiting for something like this (translate, thought about writing, and then realized someone without 2 kids and a mortgage will beat me to it) after getting the infamous dumb search and being forced to install go launcher / use gensture search. This is actually what I was missing for my galaxy s III to save it from being replaced with an iPhone 5 (ok, google maps is an added argument, but this is was beaten to death already). Thank you, and please say no to any acqui hire attempts from Google (and get a good lawyer in case Apple sue you for violating omni search patents).

gotosleep 14y ago
Glad to save you from a switch to iPhone! Yeah, the Google offerings just don't do what I want in a launcher app. I feel like I did something right because I ended up using the app all the time; it's pretty much my interface for my phone at this point.
- mulya 14y ago
  Just like ctrl+3 in eclipse, command space in a Mac, win key in Windows. Find stuff by text is by far faster than anything else I can think of

iuqiddis 14y ago

This works great. It's fast and responsive. Just one comment/request: Maybe allow the user to position the web searches at the bottom of more relevant items in the result. So for example, if I search gmail, it should be the first item. Right now, the first 4 items are : Search 'gmail' using Browser, Search 'gmail' using Chrome, Search 'gmail' using Dolphin, Search 'gmail' using Firefox. Then gmail shows up. If i had a smaller phone, I'd have to scroll down to see the most relevant item.

gotosleep 14y ago
Conjure actually learns from your selections. So, if you search for gmail & then tap the Gmail app, it should be the first result the next time you make the same search.
- rcthompson 14y ago
  I think the point is that if those are always the first 4 choices for every new query, it could get annoying quickly. Also, aren't those 4 suggestions redundant? Shouldn't it just have a single "search the web" suggestion, which pops up the standard browser selection dialog and allow the user to choose the default?
  - d4n3 14y ago
    Exactly, I have about 8 browsers installed and I find this very annoying. Your suggestion fixes this nicely.
- gotosleep 14y ago
  Good point, I'll fix this in the next release. Thanks for the suggestion!

colig 14y ago

Does this replace the homescreen like Apex Launcher and Nova Launcher? It doesn't seem to be that kind of launcher, from looking at the screenshots.

gotosleep 14y ago
No, it doesn't. It's a launcher more in the vein of Alfred for OSX, Gnome-Do for Linux, or Launchy for Windows.

malkia 14y ago

LOL - Was I the only one that read this as Clojure - A Launcher For Android!

Semaphor 14y ago

No trial? It's not exactly the kind of app I can test in 15 minutes.

moystard 14y ago
I would be happy to give it a go as well, a 7 days trial good be a good idea, or a alfred'ish model.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

wib 14y ago

How does this improve on Quickdroid? Can I run scripts with it? tasker integration?

andrewaylett 14y ago
Thanks for the Quickdroid hint -- I've just installed it :).
gotosleep 14y ago
Interesting, I hadn't heard of Quickdroid until now. I just tried it out and it is pretty good, but I still think Conjure is better. Here are a few things Conjure can do that Quickdroid can't: - Abbreviations. Searching for "gv" in Conjure produces the google voice app, in Quickdroid nothing - Toggles, Conjure provides access to a bunch of different toggles - Volume, Conjure provides access to all the volume controls There are a few features in Quickdroid that I like which Conjure doesn't have, namely the Quick Launch feature. I'll be adding that ASAP.
- wib 14y ago
  That's cool. I'll definitely buy your app in the future if you incorporate a Tasker plugin. http://tasker.dinglisch.net/developers.html http://tasker.dinglisch.net/developers.html
  - DanielHimmelein 14y ago
    Quickdroid can also search for abbreviations. You just have to enable this in the settings. It is not activated by default.

mlarsen 14y ago

I'd love the possibility to add aliases for certain applications. On my (Danish) Galaxy S3 the calendar is named "S-Planlægger". It would be nice to just be able to type in "cal" for it to start. Aliases for specific bookmarks would also be nice.

gotosleep 14y ago
I plan on supporting that in the near future. Thanks for checking out the app!

gotosleep 14y ago

A little late, but I made a webpage that goes over the features and provides a pretty comprehensive demo: http://c.onjure.com http://c.onjure.com