David has done a lot of searching, downloading, and re-uploading and put together this awesome application that will pretty much fulfill your boot animation needs called Boot Animation Installer.

The name sounds pretty straight forward, and it is. The application gives you access to install over 100 different boot animations, which more are being added with every update. One thing we did forget to ask David about was if the updated list will come in the form of a silent update, or if the application will need to be updated from the Android Market.

The application allows you to set the install location for the boot animations, since different ROM devs put them in different locations, for example: /system/media which is the most common, /data/local, which is used in CM, and /system/customize/resource which is used on Tablets.

Another nice feature is the application gives you the option to reboot the phone so you can see your newly installed boot animation.

With David only being 15 years old, I’m sure we can expect some great things from him in the future. Below is a “About Me” segment that he sent in to be posted with this review.

I started toying with Android in June of 2010. I got my first android phone on my 14th birthday from my Dad. I rooted it not too long afterwards and started messing with custom ROMs. Not to much longer after that (I’d say end of July, beginning of August) I started making themes. I made a whole series of themes called the midnight series. (http://droidforums.net/forum/davidjr621). I started my own ROM about mid November (which caused me to stop updating the midnight themes). The ROM had one or two releases then I didn’t have time to maintain it, along with my school work and after school activities. Around January, I started teaching myself Java, then JRummy16 came into help that. I had NO prior knowledge of any coding language. By March, I released my first 2 apps, STFU Toggle and Rebooter. About April, I released BAI (Boot Animation Installer) which has been my biggest app yet. Between April and Now, I have released a few other apps, but nothing has taken off like BAI did. In early May, I joined the OMFGB team and was the maintainer of the nightlies, and I did a little bit of coding here and there. About Mid – End of July, r2DoesInc created a buildbot which, kinda took my job (as we were starting to support so many devices). I started to have less and less to do with the ROM, and me and r2 agreed to go our separate ways. Now, here I am, an Android Developer (apps) and a themer

The Boot Animation Installer does come with a price tag of $1.00 however, and also requires the device to be rooted. This is due to the fact that it is overwriting the current boot animation on the device.

Be sure to check out some of Davidjr621′s other applications in the market.

Click or Scan the QRCode below to find out more information about the Boot Animation Installer. You can also find out info and share the application with your friends on the AndroidSPIN App Site.

Summary and Downloads:

Application: Boot Animation Installer
Developer: davidjr621
Cost: $1.00

I love Swype, at the same time, it is not as effective as some other keyboards in landscape mode.  I know that I have been looking for a way to change my keyboard depending on the orientation of my phone.  I found the answer.  There are a few caveats to this – you must be rooted, have more than one keyboard, and have an app like Root Explorer to be able to make the changes that are necessary via your phone.

I currently have Swype and the Gingerbread keyboard installed on my Evo, this will let me switch between the two.  This is a work in progress, it is not always smooth, but if you pull down the notification bar and hit the Keyboard Manager in the menu all issues will disappear.

1. Download Keyboard Manager to the root of your SD Card

2. Using Root Explorer move the apk to /system/app

3. Using Root Explorer, edit the file permissions like below:
— User: ‘Read/Write’ checked
–Group: ‘Read’ checked
–Others: ‘Read’ checked

4. Exit Root Explorer

Next time you open up the app drawer you should find Keyboard Manager there.

Update:
– Added option to disable notification icon
-’Start on boot’ feature is disabled because it’s not yet complete and tested… Sorry for the confusion
Bugs:
-On certain applications (i.e: Messaging on Samsung Captivate), the input window occasionally freeze on orientation switch. Exiting the app, and resuming should fix it.

Download Keyboard Manager here

How to install Gingerbread keyboard w/haptic feedback and more  here

Download Root Explorer here

Source and walk through found on XDA

I am pretty impressed with these icon packs. If you have been looking for more icons and even some that are different from the rest, feel free to head to digitalstyleswars website and get your hands on some very well done work.

To Install any of these files:

1. Boot into clockwork recovery
2. Clear the cache
3. Flash file
4. Clear the cache once again
5. Reboot and enjoy, BTW after you clear the cache the phone may take longer to reboot

As always make a nandroid backup before doing this and I am not responsible for damage to your phone.

Through a collaborative effort from members on XDA such as MINUS Stl, holysmokesbatty, Lakers3408 and others,  a port of the Captivates battery icon has been made available for the Vibrant owners. All these Vibrant battery MODS were made possible by work done by xda member zimphishmonger. He made it possible for a simple zip flashable file that worked well with clockwork recovery.

This MOD may not seem like a big deal to most. It isn’t a crazy looking new battery icon. What it does do though is increase the battery icons accuracy and give you a visual indicator of yellow at 20% and red at 10%.

Captivate.zip

Alternatively, s0niqu3, posted up a battery icon mod  which is green for 100-51%, yellow for 50-30%, orange for 29-15%, red for 14-0% with a percentage listed in the icon and is also accurate. Original thread located HERE.

Stock_color_accurate.zip

Next modification is a Circular battery Icon. This mod came from multiple location sources. I do believe they originated with work done by Fightspit with the help of zimphishmonger and the3dman13.

This modification tells you the actual battery percentage in the center of the circle. I haven’t done much testing other then to see if the file flashes. Which means I’m not sure exactly how accurate it is. I do know it registered 100% just fine. The original poster (zimphishmonger) states it has an accurate battery percentage. Color changes from BLUE – GREEN – YELLOW – ORANGE – RED as your battery depletes. Find the original thread HERE.

Circular_Battery.zip

Next up is a green segmented battery icon. Again they included the battery percentage in the middle of the circle. As it depletes it changes color from GREEN – YELLOW – ORANGE – RED.  Find the original thread HERE.

Segmented_Battery.zip

Here is a simple battery accuracy file. If you just want to keep the battery icon the same but would like it to be more accurate then you can flash this simple file. Find the original thread HERE.

Vibrant_accurate_battery.zip

Here are two more from the3dman13 that I located as well. I didn’t flash them myself because the creator loaded the image file for us to view. This one is a square battery icon.

Square_Battery.zip

Here is an Orb battery Icon.

Orb-Battery.zip

If at any time you wish to go back to original stock battery icon you download this file,Vibrant_Stock.zip, and flash in the usual manor to return to stock.

I know they are working on many more including some MetaMorph versions as well. Keep your eye on our forums HERE for more updates. I am sure I missed a few so please let us know about any you may have found.

To avoid the post wars you can get the Font I am using HERE, it is Tim Burton. The clock and weather widget is Beautiful Widgets.

Sources: xda-developers1, xda-developers2, and xda-developers3

In my never ending search for fun and useful things to bring to you guys, I have yet again stumbled across something new to share. Over at XDA, I found a thread by jzero88 which is a master list of APK files that, as far as I am aware, were created by users and submitted on XDA. They do not require root access to install, so all you stock users can have some goodies too. I can confirm the files work on the Samsung Vibrant version of the Galaxy S. It should also work on all variants in the U.S. and International.

The poster noted that he used ritalin‘s instructions on creating your own flip fonts. You can view those instructions HERE if you wish to learn how to make them. It doesn’t seem too horribly difficult.  If you are more interested in just getting your hands on some more fonts to give your Galaxy S a little bit more of a unique flair, please head on over to XDA-Developers and get your fonting on!

P.S. You will need an XDA account to download the files, but sign-up is free. Installing the APK is a breeze. Copy the file to your phone, open the APK file, install using the package installer and install the file. Once done go to MENU > SETTINGS > SOUND AND DISPLAY > FONT STYLE. You should see the font you just installed. Select it then restart the phone for it to take effect.

Here are a few samples and coincidentally the ones I am using right now.

Tim Burton

Army Of Darkness

Buffy

I will be working on bringing a lot of these over to the AndroidSPIN forums section in the next few days. The Master List is pretty big so it will take some time but keep an eye out for it.

Update: Apparently the original source link is no longer available. I have found another source with 350+ fonts available via XDA. Check that thread out HERE. I know there is another collection of easy to install apk’s as well, but can’t seem to find it at the moment. I will update that when I locate them.

Source: xda-developers

I dug this nice little port from the good guys over at xda-developers. User chaoscentral has created two zip files that are easily flashed through Clockwork recovery. It will flash the Samsung Captivate’s camera program to your Samsung Vibrant.

Why would anyone want to do this? The UI layout is slightly different and makes getting in to change some settings a lot easier and with fewer steps. Another benefit this brings to your Vibrant includes a much faster response time when starting and stopping video recordings.

Here are the instructions:

1. Copy zip to internal SD
2. Reboot into Clockwork MOD recovery
3. Flash zip
4. Reboot and Enjoy!

Captivate.zip

Stock.zip

To talk about this MOD you can access AndroidSPIN’s forums HERE.

Source: xda-developers

Found this volume mod over at xda-developers posted by bchalk. By default the Samsung Vibrant’s software is set at 88. That leaves a little more room for volume if you so desire. Follow the instructions below if 88 just isn’t quite loud enough for you.

WARNING: 100 IS VERY LOUD!

Dialer: *#*#197328640#*#*
[5] AUDIO
[1] HANDSET
[1] VOLUME
[1] SRC Speech RX Volume
[5]5_lvl : 88
Menu -> Key Input
Change to any number greater than 88 (Max:100)
OK

Press back to save.

Default values:
0_lvl: 63
1_lvl: 68
2_lvl: 73
3_lvl: 78
4_lvl: 83
5_lvl: 88

It will reset after a reboot so be sure to run through it again if you wish to increase the volume level again. There isn’t enough testing done or reports at this time to tell if moving the volume past 88 will damage or blow out your speaker. So as usual if this mod blows out your speaker you are using at your own risk.

You can also access AndroidSPIN forums HERE to talk about this MOD.

Source: xda-developers

First step is to go to the Android Market and download Ownskin.

Second, register an account at Ownskin. Once you are all set up, you can start creating your own masterpieces to be shared with the world.

There are many options for you to tinker with.

• Choose the number of screens you want from 1-7.
• Wallpaper – You can choose from a set of preloaded or load your own.
• Stickers – Preloaded choices or add your own. You can also adjust the size. Supports animated GIF files as well.
• Analog clock – Preloaded choices or add your own. You can also adjust the size.
• Digital clock – Preloaded choices or add your own. You can also adjust the size.
• Calendar – Only available options are preloaded for use.
• Battery Icon – Many to choose from but again only preloaded are available. You can also adjust the size.
• Compass – 3 to choose from right now no option to add your own. You can also adjust the size.
• 24 Hours Picture – Not sure what this option is as there is nothing in the folder to view.

Once you create a LWP you like, you can save and you can name your wallpaper, add a description, add tags and choose if you want to share it or keep it private. Now that you have the information filled in select submit. That’s all there is to it.

Now to get your wallpaper loaded to your phone. On your device go to your Ownskin application, on the right hand side you will see a tab that reads ‘ By Me’; tap on it, and sign in with the username and password you set up on the web and you will now have access to your wallpapers.

Now that you have it sitting in front of you there is more control options. Select edit and now you can change the following:

• Change icon size
• Change the icon transparency
• Rotate the icon
• Select animation speed and direction
• Move them to different locations or screens

My favorite aspect of this application is the on phone customization. It is not limited to just your own creations. Every wallpaper you download can be twisted around to your liking. Makes it easy to take my wallpaper and move the icons to where you want them or add or remove them. It is quite nice.

This combination of web based interface and on phone app makes it a breeze to whip something up in no time.

Now the website itself supports a lot more then just the creation of live wallpapers. It has support for Blackberry, Nokia, Motorola and a whole host of other devices that aren’t Android based. I looked through some of the other stuff available and it is quite extensive. I also spent a little time in the forums section and found many users and posts with a huge selection of images to get your hands on if you wish. I also put a couple wallpapers together my self just to see how easy it was and I found it to be very simple. I have no doubt more options will become available as time goes on. I am also positive some of you will know a lot more and be able to create some really nice additions to the public collection. What are you waiting for? Go get creating!

Source: xda-developers

Have no fear, the answers are here. One of AndroidSPIN’s contributors, Jason Bowdach, shared a chart with the team today regarding a very nicely done breakdown of what the CM6 UI Tweaks actually do. Being a faithful Cyanogen follower since I rooted my G1, I know that all his tweaks can be a little overwhelming for the first timer. So I thought I would share some of the UI settings. You can locate them from Menu > Settings > CyanogenMod Settings > User Interface.

Here’s the break down:

Now that there is a simpler breakdown in the form of a table, here’s a screen shot of what those actually affect.

Most of the time you will just use the color wheel to get the color you like then tap on the circle in the middle to select it. You can also reference THIS site if you wish to learn more on specific color codes and numbers.

Once you have a color in your circle you can also adjust the intensity of the color. All the way to the right is for the most color intensity. All the way to the left makes it transparent. If you are going for a transparent look, any color will do.

Well there you have it. A very nice set of structured help on changing your CM6 UI settings. Have fun with it, customization is what Android is all about. Make it your phone.

Source: Absolutelyandroid

The beautiful thing about Android, in my opinion, is how truly open and wonderful it is. If you have been around the block a few times or even if you are new to Android, you should all know about home replacements. With wonderful applications out their like ADW Launcher, Launcher Pro, Home ++ or GDE, there’s no shortage of replacements that give you various options that you just don’t get from your stock launcher. It helps us individualize and customize our phones just a little more, based on our preferences, not a carrier’s or a manufacture’s. I think we can all agree on that.

Two weeks ago another one came onto the market. I know I missed it and I’m sure some of you may have as well. Let me introduce to you to Livehome. It’s an Android home replacement with some unique features, originally based on the Nexus 1 and ADW Launcher, but Roger added many utility functions as well and a few tweaks of his own.

Current Features:
1. Desktop Customization
2. Online themes and wallpapers
3. Icons and Task Manage
4. Desktop transitions
5. Quick Search

*supports: pandahome, ahome and openhome themes
*Updated with 6000 wallpaper
*More stability and efficiency

By: Roger Davis

Latest version: 1.0.2 (for all Android versions)

current downloads: 10,000-50,000

With so many home replacements available on the market I know its hard to choose. I have been a hardcore ADW Launcher user for a long time. Since I purchased my Vibrant, I haven’t been able to change over due to a single widget provided by Samsung. This is still a very nice, fast and stable home to try out. If you like it, keep it. After all it is free. Just to point out a few details. The photos show off the ‘Book Effect’, which turns a page when you swipe to the next screen. Very unique and visually pleasing. I haven’t personally seen that setting in another home replacement. There are 4 effects to choose from beyond the standard Android sliding. Another feature I enjoyed was when you reach the far left or far right screen, you can keep going, which means you can go from screen to screen.

Scan or click on the QR Code below to download the application. Enjoy.

More information: AppBrain

If you install this application, let us know how it goes!  What other home screen replacements do you use?