Pimp My Mobile

After a short deliberation, I thought it would be better to choose to exercise my artistic side and personalize my brand-new Sony Ericsson mobile phone….the other option would've been drinking with the flies, but let's keep it confidential…

To be honest, I'm paying a daily tribute - and that reminds me of a song - I'm paying the rent everyday in the tower of…conceit (aren't we all?)….the idolatry of uniqueness, that is. Yes, I admit, I always try to step-out of the ordinary and that gets reflected in most of my belongings as well. So, why shouldn't I make my mobile phone unique?

That's the moment when a Theme Creator sounds like a good idea, knowing that the options for changing a compact phone's shell are quite reduced. In short, the best option remains to change the interface: simple, fun and relishing for a uniqueness-freak like me.

As a result, I've jumped in front of my PC, opened the Sony Ericsson Themes Creator and started to work; next I've discovered a friendly-user, intuitive interface, not much of an extraordinary design, but having enough options so I was able to make some (major) improvements to my gadget's looks.

Well, the combinations are not unlimited and the application doesn't make more than it says. Yes, a Themes Creator is creating themes….it would've been nice for it to transfer the personal "state of the art" themes to the phone, but that's just a trifle in our times of infinite possibilities of finding, choosing and customizing all the things that we need.

The hints are useless, for the simplicity of tabs is to make all imports and other changes easy-to-do by means of intuitive actions, as I've already said. The remove option is addressing the issue a critical eye, making up for the unwanted results. The submenus depend on the phone type and allow the user to take one step at a time in "building" the new looks.

If you're not much of an original creator, don't loose your hope. Instead, you can import an existing theme and use the application as a preview tool … .it's just the virtual and more convenient version of getting dressed-up - getting undressed…

The preview option will provide an overview, so you can simply choose your favorite theme, the one that satisfies your taste. Alternatively, it can offer you a moment of final pleasure after the fever of creation.

There is a size report as well, for a better management of space on your phone, in case you're undecided, yet practical. I'll also mention the wide specter of colors and if you desire to keep the same pattern, you'll find it useful the sixteen custom colors saving option. Alright now… should I also say that this themes creator hasn't forgotten about the audio part, which makes it more fun? In fact, that's one of my favorites: a feature that brings another element of detail in the personalization process.

And last, but not least, what could an artist ever want more than being recognized in his efforts and complimented for his work? Well, you have the chance of feeling fulfilled and look up to yourself after signing your work, for the application has an "Author" section, where you can enter your "nom de plume". We're neither Picasso, nor Van Gogh, but let's keep in mind that they didn't get to see a Sony Ericsson mobile phone, much less a Themes Creator (which is quite comforting if you think of what they could've done…).

You'll see some snapshots I took during my testing, except for my final creation; that will remain for my eyes only. I hope this will clarify all the possible questions you might have, if there are any…

The Good

Reiterating, the Themes Creator's strengths are simplicity, intuitive interface, quite a few features and options to juggle with. In other words, it doesn't take a genius to use it and it doesn't take an artist to create something nice, something good for your state of mind.

The Bad

Bad is my final creation, but you'll never get the chance to see it….. Anyway, you might get the impression that you're building with bricks, not with clay. That means the program is not very flexible, so don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.

The Truth

Sony Ericsson Themes Creator is a useful application if you hunt for diversity and for a little pleasures in life. All you need is to get in the mood for creation and to spare some time to materialize your ideas of different / personal identity. Do not ever get bored….keep paying the rent everyday in the tower of conceit!

Here are some snapshots of the application in action: