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The Clock and Calendar apps have a handy and intuitive wheel for selecting time. This kind of wheel selector could be put to use in other places also.

Situation now: When selecting for example email sync interval, device lock time, or display sleep time, you are given a list of options.

As you can see, in different contexts you get different, and somewhat arbitrary, options for the time interval. You can’t choose a time that is not in the options; for example, you can’t have the device lock activate in 1 minute. There are inconsistencies: In device lock ”not in use” is the first option, whereas in exchange sync ”off” is the last option, and in display sleep, there is no ”never” option at all.

Now here’s a mockup of an alternative: a wheel selector.

Up is off (not in use). When you roll a bit clockwise, you get 0 minutes (”always-up-to-date” or ”no delay” or similar, depending on the context). Further clockwise, you can select any number of minutes. The scale changes when you roll further, so after 1 hour it changes at 1 hour intervals, after 1 day at 1 day intervals, or something like that. (Note: don't look too closely at the time marks in the mockup and how they are placed, it's just a sketch.)

The scale of the wheel can be adjusted for different contexts (for display sleep, you could adjust in seconds up to one minute and then in minutes up to one hour, etc.). (Also, if needed, it could be open-ended: If you roll clockwise past 360 degrees, the scale changes to include longer times.)

The time wheel would work consistently the same way everywhere. Still, it would adapt to different contexts with different time scales. Just like the options now, it could be used as a contextual menu (a wheel wouldn’t take more space on screen than the list of options) or a separate screen (where a pull-left gesture would accept the selected time).

The Clock and Calendar apps have a handy and intuitive wheel for selecting time. This kind of wheel selector could be put to use in other places also.

Situation now: When selecting for example email sync interval, device lock time, or display sleep time, you are given a list of options.

As you can see, in different contexts you get different, and somewhat arbitrary, options for the time interval. You can’t choose a time that is not in the options; for example, you can’t have the device lock activate in 1 minute. There are inconsistencies: In device lock ”not in use” is the first option, whereas in exchange sync ”off” is the last option, and in display sleep, there is no ”never” option at all.

Now here’s a mockup of an alternative: a wheel selector.

Up is off (not in use). When you roll a bit clockwise, you get 0 minutes (”always-up-to-date” or ”no delay” or similar, depending on the context). Further clockwise, you can select any number of minutes. The scale changes when you roll further, so after 1 hour it changes at 1 hour intervals, after 1 day at 1 day intervals, or something like that. (Note: don't look too closely at the time marks in the mockup and how they are placed, it's just a sketch.)

The scale of the wheel can be adjusted for different contexts (for display sleep, you could adjust in seconds up to one minute and then in minutes up to one hour, etc.). (Also, if needed, it could be open-ended: If you roll clockwise past 360 degrees, the scale changes to include longer times.)times, and to get back to zero you need to roll back.)

The time wheel would work consistently the same way everywhere. Still, it would adapt to different contexts with different time scales. Just like the options now, it could be used as a contextual menu (a wheel wouldn’t take more space on screen than the list of options) or a separate screen (where a pull-left gesture would accept the selected time).

The Clock and Calendar apps have a handy and intuitive wheel for selecting time. This kind of wheel selector could be put to use in other places also.

Situation now: When selecting for example email sync interval, device lock time, or display sleep time, you are given a list of options.

As you can see, in different contexts you get different, and somewhat arbitrary, options for the time interval. You can’t choose a time that is not in the options; for example, you can’t have the device lock activate in 1 minute. There are inconsistencies: In device lock ”not in use” is the first option, whereas in exchange sync ”off” is the last option, and in display sleep, there is no ”never” option at all.

Now here’s a mockup of an alternative: a wheel selector.

Up is off (not in use). When you roll a bit clockwise, you get 0 minutes (”always-up-to-date” or ”no delay” or similar, depending on the context). Further clockwise, you can select any number of minutes. The scale changes when you roll further, so after 1 hour it changes at 1 hour intervals, after 1 day at 1 day intervals, or something like that. (Note: don't look too closely at the time marks in the mockup and how they are placed, it's just a sketch.)

The scale of the wheel can be adjusted for different contexts (for display sleep, you could adjust in seconds up to one minute and then in minutes up to one hour, etc.). (Also, if needed, it could be open-ended: If you roll clockwise past 360 degrees, the scale changes to include longer times, and to get back to zero you need to roll back.)

The time wheel would work consistently the same way everywhere. Still, it would adapt to different contexts with different time scales. Just like the options now, it It could be used as a contextual menu (a wheel wouldn’t take more space on screen than the list of options) or a separate screen (where a pull-left gesture would accept the selected time).

The Clock and Calendar apps have a handy and intuitive wheel for selecting time. This kind of wheel selector could be put to use in other places also.

Situation now: When selecting for example email sync interval, device lock time, or display sleep time, you are given a list of options.

As you can see, in different contexts you get different, and somewhat arbitrary, options for the time interval. You can’t choose a time that is not in the options; for example, you can’t have the device lock activate in 1 minute. There are inconsistencies: In device lock ”not in use” is the first option, whereas in exchange sync ”off” is the last option, and in display sleep, there is no ”never” option at all.

Now here’s a mockup of an alternative: a wheel selector.

Up is off (not in use). When you roll a bit clockwise, you get 0 minutes (”always-up-to-date” or ”no delay” or similar, depending on the context). Further clockwise, you can select any number of minutes. The scale changes when you roll further, so after 1 hour it changes at 1 hour intervals, after 1 day at 1 day intervals, or something like that. (Note: don't look too closely at the time marks in the mockup and how they are placed, it's just a sketch.)

The scale of the wheel can be adjusted for different contexts (for display sleep, you could adjust in seconds up to one minute and then in minutes up to one hour, etc.). (Also, if needed, it could be open-ended: If you roll clockwise past 360 degrees, the scale changes to include longer times, and to get back to zero you need to roll back.)

The time wheel would work consistently the same way everywhere. Still, it would adapt to different contexts with different time scales. It could be used as a contextual menu (a wheel wouldn’t take more space on screen than the list of options) or a separate screen (where a pull-left gesture would accept the selected time).

The Clock and Calendar apps have a handy and intuitive wheel for selecting time. This kind of wheel selector could be put to use in other places also.

Situation now: When selecting for example email sync interval, device lock time, or display sleep time, you are given a list of options.

As you can see, in different contexts you get different, and somewhat arbitrary, options for the time interval. You can’t choose a time that is not in the options; for example, you can’t have the device lock activate in 1 minute. There are inconsistencies: In device lock ”not in use” is the first option, whereas in exchange sync ”off” is the last option, and in display sleep, there is no ”never” option at all.

Now here’s a mockup of an alternative: a wheel selector.

Up is off (not in use). When you roll a bit clockwise, you get 0 minutes (”always-up-to-date” (”always up-to-date” or ”no delay” or similar, depending on the context). Further clockwise, you can select any number of minutes. The scale changes when you roll further, so after 1 hour it changes at 1 hour intervals, after 1 day at 1 day intervals, or something like that. (Note: don't look too closely at the time marks in the mockup and how they are placed, it's just a sketch.)

The scale of the wheel can be adjusted for different contexts (for display sleep, you could adjust in seconds up to one minute and then in minutes up to one hour, etc.). (Also, if needed, it could be open-ended: If you roll clockwise past 360 degrees, the scale changes to include longer times, and to get back to zero you need to roll back.)

The time wheel would work consistently the same way everywhere. Still, it would adapt to different contexts with different time scales. It could be used as a contextual menu (a wheel wouldn’t take more space on screen than the list of options) or a separate screen (where a pull-left gesture would accept the selected time).