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Long long time ago… or just some time before my leave I’ve reviewed Black Plastic Theme Pack for N900, which was first major step to theme customization. This time I’d like to present Theme Customizer – another way to change default (or theme specific) fonts, sizes and colours. Let’s begin the next chapter in personalization and customization…
If you remember the Plastic Theme, it gave opportunity to change few aspects of theme, like global font size (relative from base), desktop shortcuts background visibility or colour theme. This time range of settings is a bit wider. Just have a look at the screenshots, you can adjust every colour of user interface yo your needs, change global font size, pick icon theme from available sets, turn icon backgrounds on or off or size of grid for homescreen elements snapping. But the thing I really like in this customizer is changing size for homescreen icons and web bookmarks, perfect for using with thick fingers. After all of this changes, just like in case of Plastic, there is need to reboot the phone.
The nicest option I’ve found is changing backgrounds for few system applications on the fly, without need to reboot. You can change it for clock, application manager, media player and lock screen, easy way to make your theme more system-wide or put your favourite picture everywhere you can on your N900.
Right now I have already pretty well customized Nokia N900, but as I say ‘customization never ends’. I’ve already seen few nice things to have, but this is something for next time and one of upcoming evenings.
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MJ

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Captain’s log – Maciej Jablonski, stardate… well, today.
Nokia N900 themes are developing quite fast recently. There is much commotion and progress with regular themes and highly customizable Black Plastic Theme Pack. Recently Okuda theme appeared with really nice futuristic look.
If you watch science-fiction movies you can spot huge black touch screens or holographic displays with bright-coloured round-cornered interface elements flying around. This is exactly what Okuda theme brings to almost every single part of N900 UI. Stylish wallpaper with blue border, fancy icons for status area, custom system icons, everything looks like it came straight from USS Enterprise.
The best part is that this theme doesn’t end on wallpaper and color set, if you open App manager or Media Player you can see that every single area is nicely covered and consistent. Look-and-feel changes everywhere if it’s only possible. Since Plastic this is the first time I’m really satisfied with what theme brings to the phone. Just have a look at screenshots!
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MJ
Win Solar Charger by posting on our Nokia N900 forum

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I’m reviewing lots of applications, themes and games for N900 and sometimes I’m adding my personal likes, dislikes and expectations. If I recall correctly that at least few times I’ve wrote ‘I hope that in future versions it will..’. But words and expectations is one, reality is… actually quite promising.
My first article on this blog is about Maepad – multi purpose notepad application for Nokia N900. Today we can see that application is really getting better. Once I’ve mentioned vi-like keybindings for Maepad and it wasn’t the last improvement. The flow of events with constant need of portrait-mode applications encouraged developer to include at least checklist portrait mode, belive me it’s awesome while shopping. Lots of minor changes, updates in translations, as for free application it’s getting better and better.
Now something more rapid, if you’ve read about Black Plastic Theme Pack and you use extras-devel catalogue you should already know that this is changing almost every day (!), 5 updates a week is minimum I’ve seen for this theme (I’m not updating every day). When I first installed there was custom transitions, theme itself and small application to configure. In time more color schemes came, configuration was moved to more appropriate place, installation or update doesn’t ask you for theme features choices, so it goes faster and something that was missing in every previous theme – custom fonts. Right, you can now change UI font using Black Plastic!
This is only example and as you can see applications are really improving, some slowly, step by step, some more rapidly almost every day, but there is a real progress. This proves that ‘I hope some day this app will…’ is not always futile
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MJ

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When you take a look at previous Nokia N900 theme reviews you can see that most of them was changing background, color scheme and looks of interface elements. This time we have something more interesting in Black Plastic Theme Pack.
At first you can see glossy theme with dark elements, though it’s pretty clear with bright fonts, so nothing to complain about. Dashboard and menu icons are changed, not only recolorized as in most of themes I’ve mentioned before. Media Player and App  manager backgrounds are not so revolutionary but fit well in dark and glossy design of theme.
The most interesting, eyecandy element in this theme is the fact that it introduces ‘custom transitions‘. In simple words you will see some of the animations changed, like for the dashboard wallpaper isn’t blurred, just zoomed a bit, and for menu zoomed even more. Phone rotation animations are also little changed, but it’s harder to notice, it’s rather change in animation parameters.
I like this theme, I use it for a over a week now and I’m really satisfied. It doesn’t tire eyes, is clear and easy to use in every application, phone and conversations. Even fever-limited perception wasn’t obstacle and animations are really nice looking. It’s really good start for advanced theming with custom transitions.
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MJ

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Welcome back in theme review series. Long time no see, but more themes coming and more to review, so let’s see what can we have in Carbon theme for Nokia N900.
Carbon theme, as the name says, makes user interface look line modern machines built with carbon fiber. Dark grey motif looks pretty clean with bright, contrasting font colors. Carbon fiber structure appears as background in most important applications like App manager or Media Player and in homescreen, making it clean and tidy. Buttons mostly look smaller than in most themes, their background makes them look like leveled with rest of interface with groove around. Text colors are nicely cooperating with dark background. White letters for main elements and blue for minor are visible and easily readable.
In my opinion such set of colors and widget looks doesn’t tire eyes, it’s easy to work with such theme even for long time. Carbon theme makes good duo with black-grey-blue-white coloured wallpapers, like Bleach wallpaper I’ve made some time ago. Try it yourself and if you’re looking for theme for your own wallpaper see other reviewed themes and feel free to ask, I’ll try to find of maybe even make such theme.
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MJ

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New things are coming to theming world. But first things first, if you have problem with changing themes (no theme list window), just read forward.
Recently, after PR1.2 update came to my N900 I was having quite annoying problem with themes. When I tried to change theme there wasn’t any popup, window or anything. I’ve found that themes were moved to other place to save place for installing applications, but everything seemed fine. After that I’ve tried to change the theme by changing symbolic links directly (current theme is pointed with link in device configuration) and it worked. A little bit of googling and finally I’ve found solution. Some time ago I was writing about Widgets Gallery and problem was located in this packages (package set for libdui library). If you have it installed and theme picker doesn’t pop up just uninstall it, it helped me, now works like a charm.
And what’s new in theming… well I was a bit surprised but positively. now there is possibility to create themes for instant messaging, unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work for my SMS conversations, but for all of IMs it changes appearance nicely. Initial theme is packed in Shaded chat theme (currently available in extras-devel and extras-testing) in application manager, so feel free to download and test it and if you want maybe you can make your own theme!
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For more info on devel and testing catalogues visit Application catalogues tutorial
Please visit Nokia N900 Forum

Shaded chat theme

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This time I have there rather simple, monochromatic, but futuristic and interesting at the same time. ‘Nerv’ part of Contour Nerv theme name may already give you some idea on what to expect, but let’s take it in some order.
At first glance you’ll see where the ‘contour’ came from. Orange borders around black objects are everywhere. Background with hexagonal field and some signs fitting the same background-border idea remind of some futuristic science-fiction computer interface, like from Star Trek, or some cyberpunk anime. It’s quite good first thought if I’ve understood author’s intentions correctly, sice Nerv was hi-tech paramilitary organization in one cyberpunk story, anime fans should know which one .
Theme isn’t making any revolutionary changes to UI, but I think it’s pretty readable, with good contrast, elements are clear even with minimal backlight on screen. Contours are giving good idea on interface elements boundaries, using fingers on touchscreen seems easier when I see where exactly I have element to tap or drag.
Contour Nerv theme gives a good view on simple, but futuristic concept, without many annoying details or inconsistencies, I like this kind of monolytic approach to theme creation. If you want a good and simple theme I can recommend Contour Nerv.
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For more info on devel and testing catalogues visit Application catalogues tutorial
Please visit Nokia N900 Forum

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If you want to fully customize your N900 you’ve probably already spent hour’s looking for good theme. I think I can help you a little by the means of review for some of available free themes. Let’s start with free Buff Theme.
On first sight this theme shows calm set of sandy brown and blue elements. Everything looks pretty clean, desktop widgets are readable, shortcuts placed on blue fields, bookmarks have contrasting black border and white caption. Wallpaper is simple and tidy, vertical strips are good base to create loopable wallpaper without much effort, but if you watch carefully one of strips is double-sized when switching desktops, most users won’t even notice that minor issue .
One of the most interesting parts of this theme appears when you go to App manager download section. If you’re familiar with Icon sets for Linux desktop you may recognize these icons as a part of Buuf icon theme, a bit grotesque cartoon images, used as category icons in this theme.
Complete view on this theme shows well-thought-out concept and pretty good implementation. As for me it makes good alternative for my standard theme and wallpaper when I decide to change it some day. Try it, maybe it will be your favourite.

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For more info on devel and testing catalogues visit Application catalogues tutorial
Please visit Nokia N900 Forum

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If you follow the blog and all of the posts, you probably noticed that Sam mentioned some good themes and wallpapers few times. I like most of this stuff, really good looking, well balanced and readable, but I like having N900 really personal device, so I will say my piece.
First of all I pay attention to something I like to call ‘consistency’. This covers my view on balanced color space, similar graphical solutions for every part of interface, overall smoothness of theme or wallpaper. If theme uses different palette on every screen I just can’t stand it, it’s not my way. I also cannot bare some color sets, like bright orange background with lime elements on it, it just hurts my eyes .
On the other hand I like going back to times when most screens were monochromatic, with green backlight and visible scanlines. In addition I’m big fan of Fallout games, where this type of display was widely used in interface. Since I have no time for making full theme I decided to choose one of available and make good wallpaper for it.
At first I’ve tried to find theme that suites my scenario, this step is pretty hard because it’s trial-and-error process. First choice was Melody theme (see Sam’s article), after some time I’ve found Matrix theme, which was a bit more fitting, lime and black theme. In the mean time I’ve found pipboy theme (Fallout fans should know what is it about) but it wasn’t very good choice, orange background and green and grey UI elements doesn’t fit my needs, I like App manager icons though.
Second thing is background, simple, minimalistic and mine, see the screenshots. I’ve putted some simple pictures, converted to monochromatic and added scanlines. And poof – my theme/wallpaper set is ready! Maybe you have some ideas of personalization combinations? Share it on Nokia N900 Forum.
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For more info on devel and testing catalogues visit Application catalogues tutorial