Widgets on the LG Cookie
The LG Cookie has managed to retain an impressive level of popularity and relevance despite having been on the market for over a year. Whilst in terms of hardware it is hardly overwhelming, it is the Cookie’s touch screen interface married with its intelligent software and widgets that have allowed it to masquerade as a much more expensive phone without the associated high price.
The LG Cookie widgets are essentially shortcuts to various different applications and functions that the phone can perform, although there are a number which actually offer live functionality on the Cookie’s home screen. Before we get into the various LG Cookie widgets and their types, let us take a quick look as to how you can use them in conjunction with the touch screen interface. All of the widgets to which the Cookie plays host are located in a little pop-out pin board menu which can appear from the side of the screen at your behest. You can scroll through the available widgets and then drag and drop them onto the home screen as you see fit.
You can use the touch screen interface to place the widgets anywhere you like on the home screen. This allows for a personalised placement of the widgets that is not subject to a rigid, boring menu structure. However, there is a particularly enjoyable function that allows you to place the widgets wherever you like and then give the phone a shake. The built in accelerometer will sense the movement and automatically marshal the widgets into a more organised grid layout. If you are bored of the clutter or prefer a cleaner look then this quick and fun control method for moving the LG Cookie widgets will impress.
The widgets are not strictly stuck to the home screen and you can get rid of any you feel are superfluous, or add new LG Cookie widgets in at any time. To get rid of widgets you simply need to re-open the pin board menu and drag the widget back into the list, which is as quick and simple as adding a widget. This transient widget existence actually comes into play when you want to access your speed dial numbers. Swiping your finger from left to right across the screen will pull up 8 different contacts, complete with photographs, so your widgets will not get in the way when you want to make a quick call to your nearest and dearest. This essentially endows the Cookie with a second home screen, as the background image remains the same and you always know that your widgets are safely stored on the second screen.
The LG Cookie widgets come in a variety of flavours. There are some, such as the clock and calendar, which keep your home screen up to date with the time and date and are therefore useful for a bit of personal organisation. In addition, when you are using the media player in the background you can use the on screen widget to get instant access to the controls without having to trawl through the other menus. There is also a widget for access to the image gallery as well as a quick function to write short notes and memos whenever you have a flash of inspiration.
Interacting with the LG Cookie widgets can be handled either using a finger or the built-in stylus. Since the widgets are brightly designed and big without being clunky it is easy to use a finger, whilst the stylus will probably only be used for more precise typing of messages. As such the overall integration of the LG Cookie widgets into the core functionality of the phone is both thoughtful and fun.
