1) Start breaking the UI out into Fragments.
2) Switch to Cursor loaders from managed cursors.
3) Switch to inflated menu resources.
4) Break out some basic functionality into helper classes.
1. New look for quick contact badges.
2. No more unread indicator, replace with bolded text.
3. Style message count with color rather than parens.
4. Remove "New Message" item, add as item in action bar instead.
