Mereja

Author: Christopher Chavez

  • Android Hacks: Hands-on T-Mobile’s new myTouch Slide Espresso Sense UI

    Binary over on XDA got a hold of the system dump from the upcoming myTouch 3G Slide and Domenuk was able to port it to his Mytouch 3G/G1.

    I am SO surprised that even in its early state you can see how well this runs on my very limited G1. This may very well be the first SNAPPY 2.1 ROM for the G1.

    The myTouch 3G Slide will be T-Mobile’s FIRST phone with Android 2.1 and HTC’s updated Espresso Sense UI and should be released sometime in June.

    T-Mobile went to great lengths to make Android a little more user friendly to mainstream customers and not just power users like myself. It’s also more appealing to currently displaced Sidekick users and I feel like this is who T-Mobile is trying to target with this new phone in their myTouch 3G series.

    After playing with a leaked ROM, it is easy to see that T-Mobile had a LOT more influence with this Android phone than any others before it. You can see their apps strewn about this phone and although most are pretty useless, I can see how some Android virgins may find them useful.

    One I particularly liked was the myTouch Music app which is essentially a streaming radio station with the top 100 hits and you can even skip ahead to tracks. Nice! Most of the others were apps that overlapped with a lot of other fuctions already found on Android (like Settings). Some even seemed like T-Mobile trying to cash in on some of the more unsuspecting Android newcomers.

    I did like how Swype came preloaded as well as HTC IME.

    Overall, this ROM on the G1 is faster than ANY other 2.1 Sense UI ROMs I have tried. It’s crazy. Especially given the fact the myTouch Slide is much more powerful than the G1. This Sense UI is a little different than tradition Sense in that it’s technically a new version called Espresso. You can see some of the graphical changes such as the bubbles around the apps. Again, I can see what HTC was going for with this and trying to get a more uniform look to the app icons.

    Either you love it, or hate it. I personally don’t mind it at all.

    As of now, the only things not working in this ROM are WiFi, Bluetooth, Browser and Gmail. Although, I’m sure all of these will be fixed before I even finish this sentence. The Android community has been really great in pulling together and getting everything up and running. So much progress in so little time!

    Here’s the link for the the version I’m using at the moment. Look for the Beta2 link.

    Related Posts

  • Android Hacks: How to fully customize the look of your ROM with MetaMorph

    Have you ever seen a theme online and thought, “Why can’t I just have the app drawer tab and leave the rest stock?” Or, “I wish I could change my bootscreen and leave the rest alone.”

    Well, developer Stericson has found the answer. He’s a very well known dev around these parts and you can thank him for making an app called Metamorph.

    Metamorph is basically an app that lets you pick apart pieces of the UI on your custom ROM and theme it however you like! So you can pick apart the pieces of themes you like and combine them to make a whole new theme catered to your liking.

    The app can be a little tricky if you’re using it for the first time but that’s why I’m going to walk you through it and gain full control over the look of your favorite ROM.

    First thing to do is download Metamorph from the Market (the donate version works better than the free one).

    Then find a theme (or part of a theme) that SUPPORTS Metamorph.

    Here’s a list of them on XDA: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showt…

    If you want the Espresso theme by Ultra Spikey that I used in this video: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showt…

    Always perform a Nandroid or save using SwitchROM/BART before modifying any part of your ROM in case of incompatibilities.

    To apply a theme, make a folder on the root of your sd card and name it “AndroidThemes”.

    Then find the theme (or part of the theme) that’s compatible with your ROM and download the zip file.

    Extract the zip file of the theme into the “AndroidThemes” folder.

    Now, open your Metamorph app, click on the “Existing Themes” button and look through the folders until you find the .thm file.

    Select it and you will be asked to apply the whole theme or parts of the theme (if its a FULL theme).

    Select “Apply All” or pick the specific parts and you’re all set!

    Note: Some themes or parts of a theme may require a reboot.

    That wasn’t so hard, was it? Originally I was pretty hard on Metamorph simply beause I didn’t know how to use it. But now that I do, I think its a such a great idea and will provide a better user experience for anyone looking to customize the look of their custom ROM.

    Thanks to all the awesome themers out there! You guys do amazing things and we all appreciate it!

    Special thanks to Stericson for making this app so we could all gain a better user experience from our phones.

    Related Posts