I haven't been blogging here for the past days, but I didn't stop browsing the net so here is a quick summary about some points I have to clarify:
1 - Creating Sub-directories
Tommi posted a link to a thread @ Nokia Support Discussions Board where the sub-directory process is done in an easier way than my previous post. Apparently, refreshing the menu can also be done (aside the installation that takes time, memory and freezes the phone) by simply switching the phone to offline mode... Quite impressive...
2 - Sub-Directories on FP2
Following my previous rant about the impossibility to create sub-directories on FP2, Jouni later clarified that it is feasable, but it was an option he didn't pay attention to.
3 - Uninstalling themes tip
I was browsing around the internet when I came across this post on Nokia S60 3rd Edition Applications Review website, and I just read a reply to Darla's post (of this tip, giving me credit) where BabyGirl stated that he (or I assume she) found this tip on Howard Forums a couple of months ago.
So since I don't like to take credit for other's work and since I don't want to be recognized as the blogger who surfed, got the tips and posted them as hers, i'd like to say that:
- in the post on the Nokia s60 3rd website, it was clearly noted that u don't have to delete the whole theme folder, while i said to delete it all
- also in this post, the guy (sorry i don't know his name) behind the website, gave a trick with notepad to find out the name of a theme that doesn't appear clearly in the .skn or .mbm file's title. Read his post for details.
- Although my post came a little bit later than the 2 others, In my defense, I came up with this trick while working on Best TaskMan, while browsing in the Opened Files tab i found that one of the opened files was Sylvester.mif, located at "/private/10207114/impo..." that's the whole thg my screen showed. So since my theme at the moment was sylvester, by babi, i figured that that was the folder the themes should be kept in (not too hard to understand, ight?). But I had trouble opening that private folder since I could neither find it on the mem card, neither on the C drive. Until one day I thought that it may be hidden and decided to set my pc on show hidden files. That's the story, now that everythg is clear, I feel so much relieved.
4 - The N73
My friend bought an N73 and the moment I held it in my hands, I fell in love with it. Sticking with my 3250 though (budget issues).
5 - Two new trial programs
I came across two new programs for s60 3rd just yesterday, TalkinSilent by SilentCom and Interactive Voice Call Master by Mobisophy. I should say I liked both, especially TalkinSilent... such a funny idea (and useful). Bottom line: my advice: go check out the trial, download it and see what I'm talking about. I think both of these programs really make use of the symbian system.
6 - Trivopaedia
If you have mobipocket on your phone, Trivopaedia Is A Must!
Trivopaedia, by Steve Litchfield of 3lib is a list of all must-know general knowledge basics + some wiked informations, like things to do before you buy a 2nd hand car or the english letter frequencies. Trivopaedia is a lot of fun, and a lot of information, for you, whether you like astronomy, movies, physics, history, geography, or whether you're just looking for a couple of minutes to waste in the subway, or dare I say, in the bathroom (apparently not Tommy is only obsessed with bathroom phone usage, all mobile users are too), Trivopaedia is a must. I can't deny how much time I've spend reading some articles from this .prc but it sure makes a good use of the time. And the best part is: it's free!
Ok so we all know about the new Nokia s60 3rd Feature Pack 2 release... Ok so we are all excited about it... Ok, it brings Open C-and-all-that-technical-talk-I-understand-nothing-about-but-is-supposed-to-be-a-real-step-ahead-of-the-rest-in-developping... Ok, and then what? Ha?
When I read New FP2 on Darla's and Tommi's blogs, I expected to see many improvements in the UI, and when I say many, I really mean MANY! I mean the s60 wishlist has been going for months now (and even before that, Tommi did a wish compilation himself)... they'd better take it off the net if they aren't going to at least try to implement the most rated (and hence most wanted) wishes!
I'm disgusted!
Ok we'll have to wait for another year or so for the developpers to realise those changes, and change needs time and beta testing, blablabla but isn't it weird to notice that many of the wishes stated were already realities in the S40 UI? Hmmmm, leaves me perplex...
I read the whole piece from Jouni on the UI and what I think is:
- the new "active applications" in the options menu is useless, just talk more about it and people will know it. Plus there should be a way to take it off, which I suppose isn't possible, ight?
- the middle softkey is more than useless! I've seen this type on my friend's S40 device (which I found less intuitive) and I thought S60 was supposed to move ahead, and not backwards. I think pressing the middle joystick/5-way button is more of the same... so why add text on the screen for that?
- so the timed profiles are back? ok and where are the reminders? the font and color changing possibilities? the different alarms?
- why oh why can't we create sub-folders? Since it is doable, and I've already explained that just in my previous post, why can't it be "legally" added? Is that too much of a trouble? Or do users always have to come up with tricks to make the phone do stuff that it's supposed to do... I mean Nokia are branding their devices as "Multimedia Computers", PLEASE TELL ME IN WHICH COMPUTER ARE YOU FORBIDDEN THE RIGHT TO CREATE A FOLDER IN ANOTHER FOLDER?
Ah I could go on for years like that... I'll just shut up before I say anything I'll regret.
Ooooooh i have to mention that i love the full screen contact picture, the slideshow wallpaper (since the slideshow screensaver is already available by a free Nokia download from their chinese support pages), the vertical idle screen toolbar (though no screenshot was available) and the ability to playback a downloaded song/video whilst still downloading...
But what I expect of Nokia and symbian are G.R.E.A.T changes and I expect them Q.U.I.C.K.L.Y.
I guess none of the "wishes" stated on the s60 wishlist are hard to realise. I even do believe all of them are already realised, but still waiting in the drawers of Nokia developpers, marketing choices. If all those changes were implemented in the s60 platform right now, what would Nokia people do in the future? Well, they'd kick out the developpers for a couple of years, because we'll all have our dream device in our hands...
But please don't we, loyal users of s60, deserve a prize for our loyalty? Like some little changes? Maybe gallery folders, sub-directory possibility, multiple alarms...? (a) Oh then I guess Best Alarms would stop selling, hehehehe (6)
Now, before saying this is a long thread, before giving up, before supposing this tip is a hell of a one,..., before all of that, calm down, read it carefully and then try it... and try it again if it doesn't work... and even again, because eventually it will work and eventually you'll get used to it and eventually you'll start wondering how you've survived so long with your symbian device without knowing it.
I want to create a "Most Used" folder inside my "My Own" folder
I will demonstrate this trick using my screenshots and this example. Then I will re-explain the trick.
Preparing the menu for the trick
Before doing the trick, you need to have a couple of things done on your phone's menu:
1 - Create the new folder "Most Used" in my main menu
2 - Move the "Most Used" folder so it is the first icon in my menu (and this is very important)
3 - Place any application, like Camera, so it is the 5th application on the menu list (the default icon highlighted when you press menu)
Refreshing the menu
In order to do this trick, the menu needs to be refreshed, and that's how you achieve this:
1 - Place any .sis / .sisx / .jar application on your phone
2 - Install this application (I will install eBook mobile trial)
3 - Before the installation is over, ie check the screenshot, press the menu button, the default highlight will be "Camera" (as I have move it to be my 5th application)
Performing the trick
1 - Directly after pressing menu button, press options (left selection key)
2 - WAIT for a couple of seconds and don't press anything more (even though it may seem like the phone has frozen)
3 - The menu will refresh: instead of having "Camera" highlighted, the highlight will be on the first icon, ie the folder "Most Used" but the options list will still be open (check the screenshot)
4 - Choose "Move to Folder" from the Options list
5 - Then choose "My Own" as a target.
6 - That's it :D The "Most Used" folder is now in the "My Own" folder as a sub-directory
Explaining the trick
1 - The whole point of the trick is to have the menu refreshed while the options list is open with "move to folder" as one of the possible choices. This happens when u press options while having an app (and not a folder) highlighted. That's why I chose Camera.
2 - I decided to place Camera as the 5th app (the default one selected, so no buttons needed to be pressed) because when u press Menu just before the installation is over, the phone is in such a delicate confused state that the least buttons are pressed, the better it is.
3 - When the menu refreshes, the highlight moves to the first icon on the menu, which means that whatever this icon is, if the options list is still opened, you can pick any choice from it and let it apply to the first icon, instead of the 5th icon
More to the trick
1 - You can create sub-directories and sub-sub-directories and sub-sub-sub-directories... the possibilities are endless
2 - You can move any app / game to this newly created folder, just by selecting it and pressing options > move to folder, ie like you normally do with any other folder (check screenshot)
3 - The menu also refreshes after uninstalling an app, so you can also perform this trick just before the uninstallation process is over
Other
1 - If you want to act delicately with your phone and are afraid this trick will confuse it, try to turn bluetooth off and other running apps (like autolock)
2 - After trying this trick a couple of times, you'll get used to it, it would sound so easy ;)
! Huge thanks to Ayush for this helpful tip !
It took me ages to figure it out (no screenshots available, so I had to trust my instincts) but now I do it blind-folded (or almost)
Coming soon: renaming applications / games (also by Ayush)
