Think way back to when we started hearing about floating widgets and apps. Seems like a while ago, doesn’t it? Well plenty of people have taken kindly to having features similar to Facebook’s Chat Heads functionality, and I will be the first in line to say that it is convenient. Paranoid Android which is one of the most if “the” most popular ROM out right now, took this idea and ran with it, coming up with a whole new use for floating widgets such as that. What their project called Halo aimed to do was to allow apps to give us any kind of notification and allow us to jump right into that app through the sub-menu that the app created. This idea was revolutionary, and was extremely useful, allowing us to jump very quickly into an app and take care of whatever the notification was for with minimal interruption from what we were doing previously.
Unfortunately, as ‘PirateGhost’, a member of the Paranoid Android team, so delicately put it, “Halo is dead.” In upcoming versions of Paranoid Android’s beta builds, Halo will not be featured, much to the dismay of many. The reason for killing the project was because of KitKat and how User Interface standards have changed. The team is now focusing on new unique software additions that they can add in future versions of the Paranoid Android ROM. Another member of the Paranoid Android team, ‘SferaDev’, released this statement regarding the death of Halo:
“Ok Guys! Before the riots start about Halo’s death, let’s analyze a bit the situation. Some months ago, back to 2.99 versions some of you never realized the way you enjoyed Android would change with Halo. Yes it was revolutionary! Now in KitKat days, Android’s concept has improved the way we face to certain situations (like immersive). That evolution in AOSP moved the team to reinvent us in a manner some thought it was impossible. I only beg one thing, please wait to what’s to come. If you loved Halo you will love whatever will come to your phones. And if you don’t there will be 10+ kangs with old Halo. By the way, remember that most of the team used Halo daily and really understood its benefits! StayParanoid”
Based on that statement, there is no need to despair. It sounds like they have something cooking in the pot, and hopefully it will be something fantastic. Though not all hope is lost… they have made the features of Halo open-source for other ROM developers who may want to use it, so you may see it pop up in a new ROM soon! Have any of you relied on Halo before and want to express your thoughts on its demise? Let us know that and any other comments down below!