Reported on Android KitKat 4.2.2

Sadly, on some versions of Android, the three-dots “Overflow Menu indicator” does not appear. (See yellow arrow in image at right.)

Because of that, the following options are not available:

• Shutdown
• Restart
• Note Check
• GPS
• Settings

Shutdown

The missing menu option is particularly problematic because, if you leave it running, the Plnkx App will suck the battery life from your phone. It sucks your battery life because it’s working hard on your behalf. It pings and pings and pings, looking for new notes, as you move around.

That’s a feature

Yes, that’s a feature, but maybe it’s not what you want.

You can (if you’re able to get to the Settings option) change Note Check frequency and Note Check distance. Reducing the frequency from, say, Every 15 seconds to Every 3 minutes, will reduce the load on your phone.

New plnkx app on the way

App settings aside, you probably want everything to just work, without having to worry about it. Me, too.

Because of that, we’re working on a slimmer version of the app that let’s – well, okay, requires – you to Check for notes. So instead of the app automatically pinging the server periodically, you press the big Check-for-notes button, as-needed.

This changes the dynamic of the app. Instead of being surprised by what’s there, you have to be curious about what’s there. There may be nothing at all. Given the amount of heads-down time we see with phones, this may be a more natural approach.

Long-term, though, I see a blending of the two approaches. Which is to say, when battery-life improves and plnkx coding skills mature, why not have your suprise and curiosity, too!

The plnkx app is currently in BETA release.

The new stripped-down plnkx app is on the way!