The article mentions launchers; all the launchers in the app store seem sketchy. Does anyone know of a good Open Source launcher, maybe a version of the AOSP launcher compiled for current Android? I'd love to have something that reclaims the pile of space (thumb-reachable space even) devoted to the Google search bar that now stays on the bottom of the main screen all the time.
The stock launcher that ships with AOSP (and Copperhead OS) [1] is OK but leaves something to be desired. I used Nova Launcher [2] for years before switching to Copperhead and liked it quite a bit, but after forgetting to back up my settings and being to lazy to reconfigure it just the way I liked it, I switched to KISS Launcher [3]. It took a few days to adjust, but I prefer it now, and it has the added benefit of being open source and available through F-Droid.
KISS. I love it. It's a input bar. You get the history when you click on it. It's common to find whatever you want to do here. You also get favorite apps bar. You can search contacts, wikipedia, shortcuts (awesome with http post shortcuts or chrome webpages shortcuts). Contacts have a sms/call button on the side and they also appear on the history list. I use it on all my phones. It's lightweight, open source and half my friends don't know how to use my phone.
