Customize S2U2 "Slide to Unlock" text Animation [Windows Mobile]

Here I will tell you guys how to customize the "slide to unlock" text animation.

1. The Animation file is in \Program Files\S2U2\gfx Folder named "slideanis.png"
2. It is made up of several slides of images of size 112x12 pixels(IMPORTANT), each placed right next to the other.
3. Its like the GIF animation but the images here are placed in a single image.
4. The resulatant file can be of any width but a multiple of 112, the Height should only be 12pixels.
4. You can also make customized animations like I did.

Creating animations using only Paint & Irfanview

Designing Frames:
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1. Open Paint.
2. Goto Image --> Attributes(Ctrl+E)
3. Set Width to 112 & Height to 12(If values are altered thing will go hazy). Choose the pixels combobox in 'Units' group.
4. You will get a 112x12 pixels white page.
5. Zoom in it to make designing easy.
6. Design a frame to be used in the animation.
7. Save it in BMP Format. I recommend using any naming convention. If Saved in other formats quality will be decreased.
8. Got the first frame, now create each & every frame to be used repeating the steps.
9. Save all of them in BMP format.

Of course: Instead of designing frames u can use any image just resize them.

Designing Animation:
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1. Open IrfanView.
2. Goto Image --> Create Panorama Image.
3. Choose Horizontal in the 'Directions' group.
4. Click 'Add images' & Choose all the frames u wish to use.
5. Adjust them 'Up', 'Down' as you want them in the animation. Top frame comes first & Bottom frame comes last.
6. Uncheck 'Insert file name into image'.
6. Click Ceate Image.
7. Save it in PNG format.

PS: Animations play really fast if only one unique frame is used once, In the Loading animation I got 12 frames, each frame was used 3 times repeatedly, to make it slow. i.e each frame was added 3 times.

Use Them:
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1. I recommend to backup the \Program Files\S2U2\gfx folder.
2. Rename the saved PNG to 'slideanis.png'
3. Copy it to the \gfx folder.
4. Run iLock2 to stop S2U2.
5. Run iLock2 to rerun it.

That's it, Design your own animations & Share them here.

Have a look at a couple of mine:


Here's how my S2U2 looks like:

Customize S2U2 Slider Button [Windows Mobile]

Here is a tutorial to customze the S2U2 Slider Button.

1. S2U2 Slider button image is in Device\Program Files\S2U2\gfx folder as Arrows.png.
2. It consists of two images each of size 47x30 pixels, that makes the original image 94x30 pixels.
3. The first image is used when Slide to unlock & second image is used when Slide to Answer.

Designing Buttons:
===============
1. Open Paint.
2. Goto Image --> Attributes
3. Change width to 47pixels & height to 30pixels.
4. Design button u want to use for slide to unlock.
5. When Done, save it in BMP format.
6. Repeat the process for the next button i.e. Slide to answer.
7. Open IrfanView.
8. Goto Image --> Create Panorama Image.
9. Choose 'Horizontal' in Directions Group.
10. Click Add Images & add the images (Remember the first file is for Slide to unlock & the second is for Slide to answer)
11. Untick 'Insert file names in images'.
12. Click Create Image.
13. This file should be of 94x30 pixels.
14. Save it in PNG format.

Use Them:
=========
1. Rename the file to arrows.png
2. Copy it to Device\Program Files\S2U2\gfx folder.
3. Stop S2U2 by running iLock2.
4. Start again by running iLock2
5. U are done.

How to: Record your calls [Windows Mobile]

Calls recording is not something every WinMo device supports.

Apparently, there's a hack that opens this option for HTC devices (Diamond / Pro / Fuze / HD).

To do so, head over to the XDA-Developers, and download this file.

Install the CAB and restart your device.

This will add a new option to your left soft menu whenever you are running a phone call. Cewl!

There's also a way to remove the annoying "beep" when you start to record the call (so that no one will notice you are doing it... ohhhh...)

Windows Mobile: What’s coming when

Much was made of this week’s slip-up by Motorola’s CEO that Windows Mobile 7 is due in 2010 (something that’s actually been expected for a few months now).

I’ve been curious about how Microsoft plans to try to catch up with its mobile-phone competitors given the slow, plodding pace at which it has been rolling out new versions of its Windows Mobile platform. After asking around, it sounds like the Softies are definitely aiming to speed up development.

While Windows Mobile officials won’t talk about ship-date targets (hmmm… sounds like Windows client), some folks familiar with Microsoft’s plans are talking. Here’s the latest I’m hearing from my sources:

• Windows Mobile 6.5 RTM (release to manufacturing): April 2009
• First Windows Mobile 6.5 devices from cell phone makers: September 2009
• Windows Mobile 7.0 release to testers: November 2009
• First Windows Mobile 7.0 devices from cell phone makers: April 2010

When CNet first reported that Windows Mobile 7 had slipped, it sounded like the latter half of 2010 was the soonest the first Windows Mobile 7 devices would appear. My guess as to what’s compressing the cycle: Fewer WinMobile phone carriers means closer working relationships with Microsoft. Potentially, it also could mean smaller, shorter beta tests and quicker release cycles.

Windows Mobile increasingly seems to be going the way of Windows client: Multiple, small milestone test releases involving just a few external partners. There doesn’t seem to be an equivalent to the big public Windows client betas in the WinMobile world, but if you’re only going to release the product to a handful of carriers, as Microsoft brass indicated was the plan earlier this year, maybe you don’t need to….

I haven’t heard anything recently about the feature set that Microsoft is planning to deliver as part of Windows Mobile 6.5 or 7.0. There have been a few tidbits about some of the gesture recognition and multi-touch capabilities in the works for future WinMobile platforms, but that’s about all that’s leaked.

Back in late 2007, Microsoft told some enthusiasts a bit about its plans for Win Mobile 7 and 8. Even back then, there were hints of the Skybox/Skyline/Skymarket services, if you read between the lines. While Microsoft doesn’t seem to be tying those services to specific Windows Mobile releases, they do seem to be in lockstep with each other, from what my sources are saying. Skybox 2.0, for instance, seems to be timed to coincide with Windows Mobile 7, according to source reports.

What are you expecting — and hoping — to see Microsoft deliver as part of Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7.0?