Custom power off menu on root devices with Xposed – Android customization

Continuing forward with our root projects on our Android customization series, let’s take a quick look at a simple little tweak today. Last week we took control of battery life, this week we will use an Xposed module to control the power menu. Most of us do not need extra ways to power off our phones, but those that do, this is or you.

As mentioned, we installed both Amplify and Greenify last week, each serve a different role, but both look to improve battery life on your Android device. Continuing with Xposed modules on our rooted Android tablet, we want to use a tool called Power Menu, I bet you can’t guess what it does.

Before we begin

Is it safe to assume that you’ve been following along this string of customization projects, that you considering the pros and cons of rooting, went ahead and rooted your device and flashed at least the Xposed Framework to your device? Have you then installed the Xposed installer and have been playing with modules on your Android device? Oh good, today will be easy then.

If you have not gone through the above, no worries, here are the important parts:

Rooting your phone? A few things to consider
Xposed Module and Installer basics

Custom shutdown menu on your Android device

Do you recall back in the day when the shutdown dialogue on your Android device included a few options – maybe it had the option to Shutdown, Restart or more. In the later years of Android, most of this has been removed. Actually, most stock Android devices today have but one option, Power Off.

As most experienced root users know, there is so much more to be done than just power off a device, and a reboot or power up can go one of a few ways. As you’ll see moving forward, we’re going to add a few reboot options to the list for you using the module called Power Menu.

There is not much for tutorial here today, head into the Xposed Installer app and look for Power Menu. It may be hiding under the name Material Power Menu, as it prides itself on being Material Design. Download it, install it, reboot your device to activate and off we go.

For this specific software, we recommend using the built-in tool in the settings to add a shortcut to your Homescreen, you’ll see shy in a bit. Otherwise, there is little need to make any major changes to the settings of the app.

As you can see, when you run the app, it provides a simple power menu for your device. Tap any of the options to follow through. You’ll notice that you really have just two options, power off and reboot.

For those familiar with root and especially with flashing custom ROMs, the reboot options can be a huge time saver. Allowing you to soft reboot, reboot into Recovery, into Safe Mode, into your Bootloader and even, believe it or not, a plain old Reboot.

To get to the settings, simply tap the “x” in the bottom right corner to close out the actual power menu.

What’s next

One huge word of caution folks, at least for my device, Power Menu does not sync with your physical power button. You may press your power button like you normally would, the Power off dialogue will pop up, but tapping on it will do nothing. You will have to fire up the Power Menu app to shutdown your device.

This tool is little more than a nicety for those root users that like to go to the Bootloader or into their Recovery, for the most of us, it will probably be easier to just hit that power button again in order to ‘reboot’ our devices. It’s up to you, Power Menu is free, simple and offers an actual reboot option, I don’t often go to the fancy boot alternatives, but I still use Power Menu.

Next week

Are you getting bored of Xposed modules already? We are not, there are just so many great tweaks to play with. That said, we think we’ll take some time away from root for next week, we may revisiting the world of Android Wear and smartwatches. I haven’t done anything out of the norm with a smartwatch in a while, but I hope to share some cool stuff with you. Let’s leave it open though, we may have to publish another Xposed module on this Android customization series as we get our wearable pieces under control.

Hope you enjoyed this new Power Menu for today, is there a better Xposed Module or other root option that you prefer?

Looking for more Android customizations?

Update coming soon to Pandora featuring new ‘Browse’ section loaded with music that you’ll love

Right now, as I write this, I have Pandora on in the background spinning me some great new tunes. Pandora is just an incredible tool for discovering new music without much hassle. Soon though, Pandora is going to be even better at dishing out fresh music that you love to listen to. A new ‘Browse’ section is coming to the app, and Pandora is claiming it will be “your ultimate personalized discovery destination.”

While your stations already introduce you to a lot of great new music, it is not always the quickest process. With the new ‘Browse’ section you can simply click on the tab and immediately find new tunes that match your taste. Basically Pandora looks at everything you have ever given a thumbs up/down, then makes recommendations for new artist stations they think you will love. If you are unsure about adding a station it recommends, do not fret. You will have the option to view a list of songs that will be played on that station. If then you are curious about how many other people in the world are listening to the station you just selected, Pandora has also added in Music Metrics enabling you to see how big of a following that station has.

While ‘Browse’ is definitely the biggest feature coming in the new update, it certainly isn’t the only one. There will also be a few new redesigns. You will now be able to organize your station list by either most recent or alphabetical order. On top of that, there will be a new mini-player affixed to the bottom of the app, so that anywhere you go in the app, say the new ‘Browse’ section, you can be back to your current song with a single tap. Lastly, Pandora has decided to redesign artist pages, making it easier to find information on the artists you love.

Pandora has just rolled out this update to iPhone users today. Unfortunately for us Android users, it looks like we are going to have to play the waiting game. All Pandora has said on the subject is a nice non-informative “coming soon.”

Press Release:

Pandora Debuts New Personalized Destination to Discover Music

It’s now easier than ever to discover the perfect music for you

OAKLAND, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pandora (NYSE:P), the world’s most powerful music discovery platform, today launched Browse, a new way to help you discover even more music you’ll love. Browse is the perfect place for you to lean in and discover your next favorite artist because the recommendations are tailor-made from your thumbs and your individual musical tastes. Whenever and wherever you are, Pandora provides the soundtrack that’s always in tune with what you want to hear.

Introducing Browse: Discover your next favorite @Pandora_radio station on your iPhone: http://ctt.ec/aS_R2+

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“Finding new music should be a simple and enjoyable experience,” said Chris Phillips, chief product officer of Pandora. “Our musicologists have scored millions of songs to find the perfect music just for you. The new Browse feature makes it easy to find the music you love whether you know what you want, or need a little help discovering music you didn’t know existed.”

Browse is Your Ultimate Personalized Discovery Destination

• Music You Want: Everyone enjoys music, just maybe not the same type of music. Browse serves up artists and stations that are only relevant to you. The experience will continually improve the more you listen to Pandora.
• Fresh Station Recommendations: You’ll get nonstop discovery of new stations based on your listening activity.
• Take a Look and See: Have trouble committing? You can see what’s spinning on a station before adding it to your station list.
• Music Metrics: Want to know how many other people are also listening to your favorite artist? You can see how many fans have added that station, whether it’s a pop music icon who has millions of listeners or a breaking artist who has a few thousand.

We have also made getting to your music even more effortless.

New Look and Feel

• Always Know What’s Playing: You now have one-tap access to whatever is playing with a new Mini-Player on the bottom of the app. We also placed your Stations, Feed, Profile and Settings in the new Fly-Out menu in the top left corner.
• Find Your Stations Faster: Organize your My Station list by Recent or Alphabetical order.
• Go Behind the Music: Looking to connect with your favorite artist on a deeper level? We redesigned the artist pages with a fresh format, so you can find more information about the artists you love.

Browse is available for iPhones in the United States, Australia and New Zealand and will launch on Android phones soon.

Come comment on this article: Update coming soon to Pandora featuring new ‘Browse’ section loaded with music that you’ll love

Hawaii AG declares that daily fantasy is indeed gambling

Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin issued an official opinion on Thursday arguing that daily fantasy sports, like DraftKings and Fanduel, constitute gambling under Hawaiian law. “Gambling generally occurs under Hawaii law when a person stakes or risks something of value upon a game of chance or upon any future contingent event not under the person’s control,” Chin wrote, “The technology may have changed, but the vice has not.”

Five other state attorney generals — including Texas, New York and Nevada — have already come out in opposition of daily fantasy sports (DFS). 20 states in total are considering legislative remedies to the issue while Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Washington have already banned the games outright.

Source: Reuters