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Easily Make Wallpapers for your Phone
You may have noticed the lack of updates to this blog in the last couple of weeks. Well, rest assured that I wasn't letting my guard down, nor have I stopped working for you, kind reader. For in the last two weeks I have been working on a website that will take all the complication out of the most humdrum and mundane of tasks--cropping, resizing, and transferring wallpapers to your phone. It'll even send the wallpaper to you as a picture message (which Verizon will charge you 25 cents for if you don't have a picture messaging plan).
Follow the simple instructions, and quickly and easily create 176x184 wallpapers and images of the ideal size for your VX8300's display. (It'll also make wallpapers for dozens of other phones.) All the instructions are explained right there on the site, so I might as well send you straight there. Be warned, however, that site can still be considered Beta, so not all the kinks have been worked out. Please email me any bugs, questions, and suggestions, as these would be very helpful at this stage.
Without further ado, I present the Hellaphone Wallpaper Maker.
Update: Ok, the site's been up all day now, and I know people have been using it, but I haven't heard a word of feedback. Anyone? How's it working?
Follow the simple instructions, and quickly and easily create 176x184 wallpapers and images of the ideal size for your VX8300's display. (It'll also make wallpapers for dozens of other phones.) All the instructions are explained right there on the site, so I might as well send you straight there. Be warned, however, that site can still be considered Beta, so not all the kinks have been worked out. Please email me any bugs, questions, and suggestions, as these would be very helpful at this stage.
Without further ado, I present the Hellaphone Wallpaper Maker.
Update: Ok, the site's been up all day now, and I know people have been using it, but I haven't heard a word of feedback. Anyone? How's it working?
posted by Andy Moskowitz at 12:48 PM
61 Comments:
Quick, simple and great quality. Thanks again
The VX8300 uses 176x184 pixel wallpapers for its main display. I used to crop my pictures in Photoshop, but it was kind of a pain in the ass. This tool makes things quicker and easier, even for savvy folks like us.
Nice. I didn't ask the site to email me but I assume that would have worked fine. The pic it cropped looks good on my phone when I emailed it to myself.
Great program! I always hate having to relearn photoshop every year when I get a new phone or find a picture I want to put on my phone every couple months. This makes life so much easier.
So just to confirm this tool you created will send me a pix message with my 176x1784 wallpaper and thus I'll be charged for one pix message. So if I have a txt,pix,flix package its essentially free [other than the fee I pay to have the plan].
Never mind its free with the card reader option. Damn this is such a good thing you've created; THANKS
Any chance of you doing one for the front display as well?
so the 8300 works with jpeg files? I read somewhere it only works with bitmap.
Great Job by the way no problems
"So just to confirm this tool you created will send me a pix message with my 176x184 wallpaper and thus I'll be charged for one pix message. So if I have a txt,pix,flix package its essentially free [other than the fee I pay to have the plan]."
Correct.
"Any chance of you doing one for the front display as well?"
Good idea, I'll get right on that.
"so the 8300 works with jpeg files? I read somewhere it only works with bitmap.
Great Job by the way no problems"
Yes, the 8300 displays jpegs. This is the format it takes pictures in.
Ok, I've added the front display to the wallpaper options.
Who da'man? ... you da'man!
Thanks, love the site!
Very nifty. Hell of a job with that site and on this blog as well Andy, hell of a job.
It's great. Thanks!
Andy, I just have to agree with others... you are the man. My Kyocera 7135 died a few days ago, and I bought a VX8300 to replace it. Needless to say, going from a Palm handheld to a BREW phone has been quite an adjustment... but I just discovered this site and am looking forward to making full use of my new phone's features. Can't thank you enough for this great blog!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Main display image dimensions are 176x184, while the front display is 96x81.
I've been using photoshop to resize and crop the images for my LG8300. I found the best quality/size compression ratio for jpg's is 60%. It was a pain at first, but I wrote a couple of PS actions, so it's not as bad to do it now.
Your new tool makes this process a whole lot simpler, especially for those that don't have the tools or knowhow. I don't have any special pix plans, so I just save it and transfer it to my phone via cable/bitpim. I refuse to give Verizon more money for something that I can easily do for free. =)
I just bought this phone a few weeks ago, and with the information I got from here, along with a few tips off of howardforums, I've been able to make my phone do exactly what I wanted.
THANK YOU ANDY!
Keep up the good work,
-Trystian
Hey Andy,
I have been looking for a good flash/php photo cropping tool for one of my photo gallery sites. The one you are using seem to be the best fit for what I'm looking for. Are you using the one from SilverOrange?
Yup, SilverOrange is the one! And it's a great little piece of software. I think it might only do fixed aspect ratios, but fortuantely that's all I needed anyway. I could be wrong. Anyway, I recommend it. I like your blinking badger.
Can't thank you enough for everything...the Wallpaper, resetting Speed-dial for my voicemail, links to other sites...I got WAY too involved over at HowearForums, but I did get my V02 files...will be doing that tomorrow after I get some sleep....(BTW, from all the digging, it looks like V02 may only be a testing version, most probably IF Verizon puts out an upgrade, it will be V03)
Anyway, keep up the EXCELLENT work, and I will be looking at your accessories.
Cool, just upgraded to the VX8300 this week and you've got a ton of useful things! Thx, good stuff!
Thank you for all of the great tips and information on this site! I got an 8300 recently and have used a few of your tips, and as for the wallpaper maker, I don't need it at this time but have bookmarked it and sent the link to my boyfriend, who just got a 5200.
This is an amazing site...thank you very much
My buddy has the LG VX8100 and he can check text messages from his Front Display. Is there anyway that I can check text messages on my front display on the VX 8300?? Please let me know.
OMG Andy your blog is just BRILLIANT. I haven't tried out the various things on it yet, but they look incredibly promising. I have some questions and a comment though.
1) Is there a way to turn off the power on and power off videos - or change them, or even atleast just shut down the annoying noise they make without muting the whole phone?
2) Is there any free "mapping" application (like google maps) where you can type in your location and look for directions to another place? I dont care if it has the whole country or even the whole state - just my metro region (SF bay area - hi from another bay areaite ;-D). If there is such a thing, can it handle GPS?
3) Is there any chance you can post up a BREW tutorial (including how to put the phone in "testing" mode so you dont have to pay $400 to Verisign just to be able to use ur own phone)? I was thinking of making such a mapping application if it doesn't exist already.
4) There is a way to hack the phone to make it display your currrent latitude and longitude... here are the directions paraphrased from another website...
WARNING… In some cases dialing 922 will actually dial 911. Additionally, although I have not heard of anyone encountering extra charges on their bill or having their service cut off because of using this hack, it may start happening in the future. By using the steps below you agree that you and you alone will bear any and all consquences that may occur as a result of using them.
1. Menu > 0 > 000000 (Service Code) > 2 (Field Tests) > 8 (gpsOne) > 2 (Test Num) > Change to 922 (may already be set) > OK (save)
2. CLR (back in the gpsOne menu) > 5 (NV) > 5 (gpsOne Lock) > select Off > OK
3. CLR (gpsOne menu) > 1 (gpsOne Test Screen) > select On > OK
4. CLR (gpsOne menu) > 4 (Start Application). The screen will display “gpsOne in progress” for a few seconds. Press “End” to exit to main screen.
5. (main screen) Dial 922 > Send. The display will show “Network GPS Start” for about a minute then finally you’ll see your Latitude and Longitude and most likey will hear a AM or FM broadcast that varies by region. Pressing End will hang up.
Hey, it's they guy from the above post again - I have one more question -
Is it possible to use ur phone's microsd as a usb thumb drive (ie for file transfer from computer to computer) using the usb able or even better, using bluetooth? That seems to me like it's the only major feature missing from this phone now.
hey andy--- great site! i haven't yet bought the VX8300 but this has pretty much convinced me. I just have 1 question-- where is the best place to buy this phone? I saw it on mobiledia.com for free after rebates, but do you have a preferred place to buy?
thanks
~cj~
sorry i kno this isn't the right forum but i figured that you'd check this one
I got mine from Verizon because it was free after rebates and a 2 year contract renewal... I don't really know much about the other offers. I guess you should go for the cheapest, but I'd make sure to read all the fine print.
ok thanks
CJ,
I got mine the same way as Andy; free via Verizon's "New Every Two" program and ordering online instead of from the local Verizon store. It's the best cell program I've seen in 12 years of cellphone usage. And the VX8300 is pretty close to the best phone I've had in 12 years. I just got it 3 days ago so I can't say for sure but so far it's the best.
Thanks Andy for this terrific blog!!! It's what helped me decide on the VX8300.
Hi, i just got my vx8300 two days ago and i just want to say your site is just amazing. Finding this site is the biggest payoff for my cellphone search this past two weeks. but i was just wondering if there's a way to put mp3 on vx8300 through bitpim (i don't have a micro sd card just a bluetooth dongle), i've tried to put mp3 files in the mp3 panel in bitpim but when i click on the button with green arrow pointing away from the phone, bitpim checks all the options except for the mp3 folder under media. other words i can upload or convert my file into bitpim but bitpim fails to recognize that there is a file in mp3 to upload to my phone. any suggestions? sorry if i'm being hard to understand and for this being off topic.
Thanks for the blog, LOTSA great info here! Just thought I'd add some info. It's already been posted that the image resolution for the main display is 176 x 184, and for the front display it's 96 x 81. However, those dimensions include the upper banner (where it says Verizon Wireless") and the lower banner (where the date/time is located). Even though the phone darkens the image for those upper/lower bars, I still sometimes have a hard time seeing the time/date depending on the image.
Thus, I wanted to determine how large those upper/lower bars were so I could make them black so my image doesn't bleed into those bars. In case anyone wants to know, here are the values:
Main display:
upper banner: 18 pixels high
lower banner: 18 pixels high
Front display:
upper banner: 15 pixels high
lower banner: 16 pixels high
Hope someone else finds this useful!
Great site! This has been a huge help. The only thing I'm missing now is a way to read large textfiles and books on my phone, would you happen to know some way of doing that?
Just wanted to say you have done all the LG 8300 owners a great service, thanks for all you have done so far. Can't wait to see what you come up with next!
do i have to dial *228 send once a month?
how come I cannot save more quick text messages in my phone? Its saying no more space to save messages but I get no errors when I save pix.
Hey, would anyone know why my computer would recognize my 8300 once using a usb cable, but not again. I was able during the one connect time, download my phone information, but cannot connect again. The error is "USB device not recognized". The device connected has malfunctioned...
Help someone!
How do i lock the front and side keys so it doesn't start playing music while in my phone holder?
how do i lock the front music playing keys so it doen't start playing music while in the phone holder?
You can't. Strange, huh?
In response to the question about how to lock the front keys, I simply lock the phone by holding down the # key. You can still answer the phone normally, but will need to unlock it to make a call or check messages. Kind of a pain, but it beats music playing every time I shift my position the wrong way during a meeting at work!
Careful there, Mark. I should mention the way to unlock your phone, or people could get very upset indeed. Press the right "Unlock" soft-key and you will be prompted for a code. This code should be the last four digits of your phone number. If this doesn't work, try 0000.
just curious but i tried to make my vids longer but when i change the settings to store it on my phone i go to take flix but under options i dont have a choise 3 i just have brightness and white balance
Recently purchased the LG VX-8300, and added the 1 GByte memory. I began by adding both WMA and Flix (GP2) files, using the Sandisk USB adapter, directly to the 1 GB card. In any case, both the music files and videos stall, after playing for various time periods. They may run for 10 seconds, then stall, or 10 minutes. I'm going to exchange the phone (and possibly the memory card), in an attempt to get things working properly. I also noticed that I have version T83VZV01 (rather than 2 to 3). So, that also will need to be addressed.
However, I did setup the MP3 capability, which includes an Equalizer, with my software version. I was amazed at the performance, with the MP3 and Equalizer. However, my phone continued to stall out, regardless of song, or length of play time.
Any ideas for a solution (following my exchange), would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the Blog opportunity!
Very nice site...you really helped me out with a few things. Figured I'd do the same by answering a few questions other people left in their comments.
1) To turn off sound on the power on/off videos, on your settings & tools menu, choose option 3 (Sound Settings), then option 7 (Power On/Off Sounds), and switch each of them to off. I haven't figured out yet how to turn these off entirely or replace them with a picture like I used to be able to do on my VX4500.
2) From everything I've read, you must have a mini-SD card in order to store mp3 files on your phone that you play in the media player. You can transfer small mp3 files to your phone's memory for ringtones through bitpim, but this is definitely different from listening to mp3s on your phone.
3) Verizon does recommend dialing *228 and selecting option 2 (refreshes latest Verizon Wireless tower locations) once a month.
4) Sly Paul - I don't know if it will help but go into your computer hardware device manager, and just delete the profile for any USB device related to the phone (or any you're not sure of). Reboot the computer. Windows will auto-recognize any USB-enabled devices and reinstall the drivers for them. If you then plug in your phone, it should recognize it too.
5)For the guy who doesn't have an option 3 on his flix option menu...call verizon about this - it sounds like either something is wrong with your firmware or your memory...you might be able to get them to give you instructions to fix it or guidelines on how to update firmware...you may have to take it in to a store to get it looked at, too.
Thanks for all the helpful tips, Ross! For anyone who read this "mini-SD" should say "microSD".
just used it, works great!!!!
Thanks
Hellaphone is awesome. Thanks so much for providing such a valuable service.
Hey guys, I've been reading the blog for a while and taken a lot of helpful hints that have really made my phone more enjoyable. But I was wondering if you can use the bluetooth headset to listen to MP3s. Whenever I try to play them through the phone, I hear myself navigating to the correct folder, but then when I try to play the songs, it automatically plays through the phonespeakers. I have the Jabra BT350 headset. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hey again, I left the last anon post seen above about the bluetooth mp3 question. After researching pretty much all morning it seems that I have to pick, either I talk to people on a bluetooth headset, or I listen to music on a Stereo bluetooth headset with a2dp support. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Anyone able to listen to mp3s through an earbud headset>
I was on the fence when was looking for an upgrade to my phone, that is until I found your blog.
That clinched it, and now the vx8300 is on its way to my house with a 1 GB microsd card, bluetooth adapter. It has waiting for it when it gets here 2 seasons of Dirty Jobs, custom made ringtones, Bitpim and Bluesoleil, and now a ton of wallpapers.
Please keep up the good work; you're doing a phenomenal job!
I found a 1GB Micro SD card at newegg.com (A-DATA 1GB MicroSD Flash Card Model MICROSD 1GB) for only $18.99 after $8.00 Mail-In Rebate
How can I transfer pictures and video I have recorded with my LG8300?
Hi,
Not sure where to post a new Q. Here 'tis:
Is there anywhere I can set the number of ringtones I want to occur before the phone goes to voice mail?
It rings a ridiculous time before voice mail kicks in. I'd like to set it to, say, 4-6 rings -- whatever seems reasonable. I'm afraid people don't hang with it & I'm missing potential voice mails.
Thanks for any help!
PS - Love this site!
Okay, I forgot another Q. (Unfortunately, I've got a zillion of them with this phone -- will try to hit only a few items bugging me at the moment.)
Is there any way to set it so I can have a ringtone AND vibrate at the same time. At times I found this feature useful with my old phone. I can't seem to find how to do this with the 8300. (Oddly enough, when I texted and saved a new MP3 ringtone, at first -- and on its own -- it behaved this way. Ringtone and vibrate. Then it stopped. Go figure!)
Also, I doubt there is fix for this. Another feature I found most useful with my old phone was the memo feature within contacts. I could use it to enter addresses, other helpful info, etc. for each contact. Have called tech support, been told there is no such thing, can't find it anywhere else. Probably hopeless, wishful thinking.
Lastly...please, where can I write a new post here, without going off-topic? (Sorry for the length of these posts. My bad.)
is there any way to store text messages on the vx8300? Mine is 100% full with 52 messages. Can they be stored on the microSD card or something?
Anonymous #1: Yes, you can have a ring and vibrate at the same time. Under Sound Settings > Call Settings, simply turn on both a ringtone and vibrate. I'm not sure about number of rings before voicemail, talk to Verizon about that, or search their site. If you have more questions, you're probably most likely to get a quick response if you post them to a forum. I recommend howardforums.com
Anonymous #2: I think you can transfer text messages to your computer using Bitpim, but I haven't tried it. If that works, I'd imagine it would be a good way to archive them.
That was awesome. Thanks!
Andy - Is there any way to change turn off the low batter warning chime. Or at least reduce its frequency? I'm glad it notifies me the battery is getting low, but don't need to be reminded every minute. Geez!
Thanks
hey i just got my phone yesterday and this was the first site i found... everything you have on here helps ALOT. thanks for your time and energy. keep up the good work...
im having alot of fun with the mp3 ringtones but i was wondering if there was any way to get "ringback tones"...
I've enjoyed responding to your hundreds of comments, but I've finally decided to disable comment posting now that I've created a better alternative. Please use the VX8300 forums for any further questions, where they'll me answered by me, or any number of other helpful VX8300 users.
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