[feature-request] Dynamic Icons showing status information

+1, very nice ideas. One thing we must take care of is that the solution would be resource wise (started only when entering launcher screen, and with enough of free RAM) - which might cause slower opening of the launcher (depending on the icon list and their dynamic content). Also 3rd party devs should have a possibility to implement dynamic content to their app icons - so, there's a lot to think about.

My opinion: Some light content, which adds true value to the user, would really be great. Flick gesture(s) on app icons would be awesome, as suggested in your behavioral examples. I'd love to have two flicks on my browser icon to open my two most important bookmarks, for example.

Yeah, this feature may use a little bit more resource and so the OOM handler will need to be even more fine-tuned. I think "flick" gestures on icons will be tough though. I tried flicking on the browser app icon (trying to simulate the gesture you mentioned), and the screen immediately scrolled up. I think this "sensitivity" is what makes the "flick for scrolling" gesture so effortless. If they add "flick over icons" gesture, then we would have to be very careful while scrolling the screen to ensure we don't accidentally flick over any icon and trigger some unwanted action. "Flicking up / down" gestures on the cover though shouldn't affect usability much if the cover size could be kept constant and doesn't dynamically become smaller (like now, when more than 4 apps are opened). Come to think of it, it would help if the icons were a little bigger too, for dynamic icons to be more effective ... just a little bigger.

good points again. Maybe the angle between horizontal/vertical flick could be set to its optimal, so that there would be close to no effect to scrolling. +1 for slightly bigger icons.

I don't always have the Email app open. Or Messages, Store, Calendar, Phone... These all could show the notification count in the icon. This would be in addition to the great functionality and information app covers offer.

But that's the point of having active covers: leave open whatever you use more often. More so, you will get notifications for new events (sound, vibra, LED), so you don't need to always manually check the Events screen.
That being said, I wouldn't mind having this feature, redundant as it is.

It is somewhat redundant, but not altogether. There are reasons to have not too many apps open, like to save battery/cpu/memory, or to keep the home screen less cluttered and have bigger covers for the apps that are running. With dynamic icons you could see a little bit of information also from those apps you don't have open – like that missed call you forgot already, or a new update in the Store, a calendar invitation, etc.

Anyway, I see your point. Some will feel this is needed, some won't. :)

Ok, you got my vote :). It could be a less-dynamic notification system, which is part of the Events mechanism and requires no changes in the implementation of the apps. Whenever there's a new event for an app, the icon associated with the app is updated to reflect the number of events.

Yes, clau, this sounds pretty much like what I am looking for.

Also, redundancy's not necessarily something bad. People are just different and make use of different approaches to achieve the same goals. I for example, am a notorious window closer on standard desktop systems. If there are too many windows open I start feeling uncomfortable. I recognize having a little bit the same attitude on mobile non-windows systems.

So if the efforts are acceptable why not give it a try?