Sony Ericsson Satio: Default Media And Files

Don't you love the feeling of having something new to play with? When I get a new 'toy', the first thing I do is go through it to see if there's anything particularly interesting. With S60, a new device usually means new default wallpapers, themes and several other small things. Read on to find my pick of some of the good things that I've found in the Sony Ericsson Satio.

Themes:
The Satio comes with three built-in themes that look great on its 3.5 inch screen. I've extracted these and signed them with certificates provided by my friend P@sco meaning that it'll install on any S60 phone without any certificate worries. Do remember that these themes were designed for the Satio, so they probably won't look as good on other phones. Comments appreciated.

Clarity:

Download

Mosaic:

Download

Unlimited:

Download

Wallpapers:
These are the wallpapers that come pre-loaded in the Satio. Download the full pack here.








The Z Drive:
This is the Satio's Z drive. This is for those who want to look at what makes the phone tick. Enjoy!
Download Z Drive

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Sony Ericsson Satio: Initial Thoughts

With the help of the friendly people at Sony Ericsson, I've recently taken delivery of a Sony Ericsson Satio. In this post you'll find some of my initial thoughts on this phone. The full review will be coming soon.

This is an unbranded and unlocked UK version of a production Satio. It has final hardware and shipped with the R1BB041 firmware dated from the 6th of October, 2009.

First off, the box:
The Satio comes in a small, box. Printed on the box are a couple pictures of the Satio itself alongside some screenshots of applications that supposedly come with the phone.

The Feel:
The satio feels great to hold. It's much lighter than I had expected it to be. It's made almost entirely of plastic but it feels solid in the hand. The plastic has a glossy finish, meaning that the Satio collects fingerprints very easily.

The Software:
When you first turn on the Satio and are greeted by Sony Ericsson's custom homescreen, there's very little to indicate that it's a S60v5 phone. Once you press the menu button, however, the S60 UI that has remained virtually the same for so many years pops up. Similarly to the Samsung i8910, the only places that have been customised are the homescreen and media applications.

Beneath the Satio's shiny exterior is the powerful OMAP 3430 processor. Having used a Samsung i8910 as my main phone for the past ~three months, I'm well aware of the speed boost that this processor gives to S60. Unfortunately, the Satio left me bemused. It just doesn't feel fast. Now, this could be for a number of reasons:
1) The resistive touchscreen.
2) The theme effects that are permanently on - there's no way to turn them off (at least on the default themes).
3) I haven't recieved confirmation on this, but I think there's a chance that some underclocking has taken place in the Satio's processor.
4) Sony Ericsson simply haven't optimised the software for the hardware.

However, Sony Ericsson have already released one firmware update for the Satio, so, if this is a software issue, I'm sure it'll be addressed eventually. *cough* No amount of software will turn a resistive screen into a capacitive one, though *cough*.

Despite having the efforts of the most recent firmware update, the Satio is still quite prone to crashing. In my unit, for example, changing the homescreen theme can cause crashes that require a reboot of the device.

The Satio comes with the standard S60 web browser. When I say standard, I mean standard. There's no kinetic scrolling and it's quite slow in comparison to the Nokia N97 and Samsung i8910's updated browser. This is something that Sony Ericsson should definitely look to change in any future software updates.

Did you note my use of the word supposedly near the beginning of this post? It's because Sony Ericsson are following in Samsung's footsteps and are advertising applications/features that the phone doesn't have. The facebook application, which is shown on the box, is not present in the Satio.

The Camera:

This is where things get good. The camera on the Satio is superb. Prior to release, many critics cited the 'megapixel myth' and claimed that the Satio's 12 million pixel-count was superfluous. Though it's probably true that the increase in pixels isn't what makes the Satio's camera so good, I certainly don't mind having more for comfort. Why is the camera so good you ask? It's the speed. Shot-to-shot times are unmatched. You take the picture and it's there on the screen, saved - instantly. I love it.

On the other hand, the video recording capabilities are average. The maximum resolution is 640x480, a resolution which would have been acceptable on such an expensive device in 2006 maybe. At least it's pretty much locked at 30fps. There's no initial focus, no option to record in 16:9 (stangely, this option is present in the stills part of the camera) and there's no option to record in HD. Ok, maybe I'm just nitpicking with that last one.

Miscellaneous:
HelloOX2 works with the Satio. Ovi Maps and Map loader work perfectly. After following my instructions here, the Ovi Store works perfectly. For those interested, I'll be publishing a post that contains a bunch of the Satio's good things (please don't sue me, Nokia) such as the entire Z drive, wallpapers and default themes. Stay tuned!

If you have any questions about the Satio, please leave a comment so that I can (try to) include an answer in the final review.

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GadgetShieldz skin for Samsung i8910 Omnia HD review

There are few things worse for a gadget enthusiast to see than their brand new device covered in scratches after just a few days’ use. Because of this, many are in search of protection for their device(s). Such protection is widely available in the form of crystal cases, leather pouches and silicon housings; however, such solutions are bulky and take away from a gadget’s aesthetic qualities. Luckily, there are better alternatives available, such as the GadgetShieldz full-body skin. Thanks to GadgetShieldz for sending me skins for review!

Service and speed:
Prices for GadgetShieldz are incredibly competitive, starting at just $6.99 and with free worldwide shipping. The Samsung i8910 GadgetShieldz is $7.49, which is still an excellent price.

Notices will be sent to your email address after purchase and also when your GadgetShieldz have been shipped. The company’s communication is excellent, so if you have any problems or queries, a quick email should do the trick.

The GadgetShieldz skin arrived at my doorstep via TNT after just 4 working days from order confirmation. Note that the products are shipped from Chennai, India while I’m situated in London, England.

Packaging and contents:
The skins arrived in a DL size envelope along with a physical invoice. The skins themselves are like stickers, located on two (in the i8910’s case) separate sheets.

Installation:
Instructions for installation can be found here, on the GadgetShieldz website. As recommended, I prepared my baby lotion solution and cleared my workspace at around 9PM, so that the skins would dry over-night while I slept.

I didn’t really have any trouble installing the skins, but it does require quite a bit of patience to get them on to your device in a satisfactory manner. The key to applying the larger pieces successfully is to make sure that both your hands and the actual skin are covered in a good amount of your baby lotion solution. This allows you to freely slide the skin over your device until it’s in perfect place.

When installing pieces that fold over the sides, I found that using a hair dryer set to the lowest heat (as described on the GadgetShieldz website) to dry the pieces and then stick the sides down worked well.

For a little extra peace of mind, I also used masking tape to secure the parts of the skin that fold over the sides of the device.

After waiting the recommended 24 hours, I was rather pleased with the results, though I did have a few (5-6) medium-sized air bubbles on the back of the phone as well as the screen. Also, the dried solution left the phone looking hazy and somewhat clouded.

Use:
Within the first 3 days of use, all air bubbles had disappeared, including some that were right in the middle of the screen. The haziness had also cleared. I polished the entire phone with baby wipes and was pleased at how good it looked.



The skin makes it easier to grip the highly glossy plastic back of the Samsung i8910, which is definitely welcomed. Though their website claims that GadgetShieldz skins don’t affect the touchscreen sensitivity of the device, I did notice, at first, that my finger dragged across the i8910’s capacitive screen instead of gracefully sliding along. Fortunately, though, this feeling quickly disappeared – I don’t know if it was the skin’s bond to the screen that improved or if it was just me getting used to the feeling. What I do know, though, is that navigating menus and swiping through the gallery feels just as natural as it did without the GadgetShieldz installed on my i8910.

Despite this, I feel the screen protector of the GadgetShieldz is the only negative thing about it. The i8910’s screen is angled-off at the sides and the GadgetShieldz have been cut with this in mind. Unfortunately, this means that the GadgetShieldz screen protector is unable to fully stick down on the sides of the skin because there isn’t enough material for the skin to stick down to; you can see the problems that this causes in the images and video embedded below.


This could be fixed by removing about 1mm from the left and right sides of the film, so that it only sticks to the absolute front of the i8910.


Other than the above issue, using the Samsung i8910 with the GadgetShieldz skin installed is truly enjoyable due to the feeling of security that it provides.

Conclusion:
If you’re in search of scratch protection for your beloved gadgets, you really can’t go wrong with the GadgetShieldz skins. They’re cheaper than similar alternatives while providing the same overall quality and experience. I’ve already fallen in love with the one on my i8910 because it allows me to use my phone without having to worry about scratches. At approximately £4 each, I would have no problems recommending the GadgetShieldz full-body protector to friends and family.

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How to: Use Nokia's Ovi Store on the Samsung i8910

Nokia's recently released Ovi Store allows users of Nokia devices to browse through a selection of content, including wallpapers, ringtones and most importantly, S60 applications. With a little help from the Nokia N97, it is possible to not only browse the Ovi Store but to also download and install applications without a hitch - all from the Samsung i8910.

What you'll need:
-A hacked Samsung i8910 (refer to THIS post)
-THIS text file (copy it to your phone's storage)
-ActiveFile (Download HERE - install it on your phone)

Step 1:
Open ActiveFile on your i8910. Navigate to where you've saved the 101F8731.txt file and then copy it. Now go to the C:\ drive, open the 'Private' folder and then enter the folder named '10202be9'; paste the text file in here.

Step 2:
Restart your phone. Open the web browser and go to store.ovi.com, you should now be greeted with this page:

Select 'No thanks, continue using the website'. The actual Ovi Store application does not work on the i8910.

Note: If you don't get that page, it probably means you've tried to access the Ovi Store before. Try clearing all your browser's private data by going to Options> Clear privacy data> All.

Now you can browse through the applications and install applications as you please.


How does it work?
This hack works by changing the browser's useragent string to that of the N97's. This means that all websites that you view from your i8910 will identify it as being a Nokia N97.

Do note that I haven't tried purchasing any applications from the Ovi Store yet, so I'm not sure if it'll work. Any feedback would be appreciated!

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How to: Customise the Samsung i8910's 3D navigation applications

One of Samsung's many UI additions to S60 V5 is their so-called 3D navigation. This allows the user to simply swipe left or right to change from the TouchWiz homescreen to the Photo contacts application or the menu respectively. I personally think it's a great feature but I feel it's silly not to allow the user to pick which applications the 3D Navigation changes between. With this in mind, I sat down, cleared my head and started searching for a solution.

What you'll need:
-A hacked Samsung i8910 (refer to THIS post.)
-THIS text file. Make sure you DOWNLOAD it (right click, save target/link as)!
-ActiveFile (Download HERE - install on phone.)
-AppUidList widget (Download HERE - install on phone.)

Step 1:
Open the text file you've downloaded using a text editor such as Notepad. Replace the current application UIDs with the ones you want.

You can use AppUidList to identify the UIDs of all applications on your i8910.

Once you've edited the UIDs with the applications of your choice, save the file (DO NOT select 'save as', just 'save') and transfer it to your i8910.
Note: The text file I've uploaded has Shazam ID as the left application, as shown in the screenshot at the top of this post.

Step 2:
Grab your i8910 and open ActiveFile. Navigate to where you've saved the 20020607.txt file and copy it. Now navigate to C:\Private\10202be9 and paste the file in here. While still in the 10202be9 folder, open the 'persists' folder and delete 20020607.cre.

Step 3:
Restart your phone and enjoy :) If you have any issues, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Things to note:
The 3D navigation will keep the selected applications open in the background constantly. RAM consumption won't be an issue considering the i8910's massive amount of free RAM, but in the interest of maintaining the phone's excellent battery life, I'd suggest not to choose applications that remain connected to the internet.

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Does the Samsung i8910 have a FM Transmitter?

While searching the internet for user accounts of the i8910, I found that the general consensus was that the i8910 was very close to being the 'perfect phone', scoring 9.7 out of 10 on TestFreaks, for example. So, what is it that the i8910 is missing? What could be done to make it please consumers even more? A FM transmitter, maybe?

When the i8910 was first leaked back in February of this year, the listed specifications included a FM Transmitter. This was proved to be true with Eldar Murtazin's preview of an early prototype of the i8910:


However, as you should all know, a prototype can vary greatly from the final product. The production i8910 features a host of changes from the prototypes, including a plastic back (instead of metal), removal of a number of software features and the apparent disabling of the FM Transmitter. Why did I use the word 'apparent'? Because it still isn't clear if the hardware needed for the FM Transmitter to function has actually been removed from production i8910s.

For example, while browsing the Samsung Mobile Innovator website, I found a table that seemed very strange to me:

That is a table, from an official Samsung website, which lists the i8910 as having a FM Transmitter. It is possible that the Samsung Mobile Innovator team have made a mistake, but I doubt it. Firstly, the website is regularly updated by Samsung, why haven't the staff changed it yet? Secondly, the website recently had a major overhaul, and yes, the table also received a makeover but the information displayed remained the same. Thirdly and finally, the rest of the information displayed in the table is correct and valid, so logic dictates that the i8910's data is correct as well. Could this be proof that the hardware inside the i8910 still remains?

However, it should also be noted that the above table raises another issue: the i7110. It's another of Samsung's S60 devices and it does feature an FM Transmitter. If Samsung have already released a phone featuring a FM Transmitter, what reason do they have for removing it in the i8910? Surely it's not due to legalities, right?

It has come to my attention that there are FM Transmitter configuration applications hidden within the system files of the i8910, as discovered here. As expected, 'enabling' the FM Transmitter via this method results in nothing. Some may say that these configuration menus are proof of the i8910 still bearing an internal FM Transmitter, but, is it not also possible that these are simply remnants from when Samsung were tweaking the firmware from the prototypes?

Unfortunately for owners of the i8910, it still isn't clear whether or not the Samsung i8910 will ever be able to transmit music using FM waves. If Samsung are indeed hiding the FM Transmitter, I certainly hope that they issue an official statement providing a reason and explanation, or simply enable the hardware through a firmware update.

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How to: Disable the Samsung i8910's Startup/Shutdown sounds

Although the Samsung i8910 is arguably the 'best' S60 phone currently available, it doesn't come without its faults. One of these faults is what seems to be an issue that has been overlooked by Samsung: being able to disable the startup/shutdown sounds. Unlike Nokia's S60 phones, the Samsung i8910 will still make some noises even when warning tones are set to 'off'. This annoyed me, so I started hacking away at the i8910 until I came up with a solution.

What you'll need:
-A hacked Samsung i8910 (refer to THIS post)
-THIS zip file (extract it and copy all files to your phone)
-ActiveFile(already signed with Leftup certificate)

Video guide:


Text guide:
1)Copy the 101F8763.txt file to C:\Private\10202be9
2)Copy the Startup.mp3 and Shutup.mp3 files to E:\Sounds\Simple
3)Restart your phone.

This works beautifully with IG2 firmware. If you have any issues, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Enjoy!

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