Although Xperia provides the default Device Lock today plug-in, i never used it. Turning off the display was always good enough for me. Besides, the Device Lock plug-in didn’t appeal much when it came to functionality and looks.
But then last night i came across Sunscape. Sunscape is an open source lock application for Windows Mobile. Written in C#, it tries to allow the user to fully configure the screen locker down to the very last details as well as maintaining a small memory footprint and trying to be as compatible as possible with many different devices.
Sunscape includes an impressive set of features:
- R2U (rub to unlock) and S2U (slide to unlock)
- fully configurable interface (including graphics etc...) based on a documented XML file with configuration tool.
- on screen display for time, date, appointments, alarms.
- on screen display of battery, messages, notes, emails, signal, weather, etc...
- uses pressure-points instead of "slide to unlock", future releases will include other nifty ways to unlock based on touch.
- has a small memory footprint and triggers based on time and load opposed to OEM "backlight" triggers.
- can hotswap portrait vs landscape, I.e., it will automatically switch to landscape or portrait mode on supported devices.
- has separate configuration options for both modes portrait and landscape.
- supports fully configurable full screen callerID and answer or reject by reaching a pressure point.
The default theme (Hooded Beauty) works good on WVGA. The Pipboy theme however comes with a fully compatible WVGA version. For more information and to download the Source+CAB, go here.
Some screenshots below (sorry for the low-quality capture, but the software i usually work with was having problems connecting to the device):
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To change the skin, download the skin file (usually a compressed ZIP file) from the XDA thread. (as far as i know, only the PipBoy theme at the moment is fully compatible with WVGA, and is the only one that i tried.
After you download, extracting the ZIP would reveal a Source folder - i.e. containing the theme's source code. Ignore that folder and look at the IMG folder and the Sunscape.xml file.
Connect your device to the computer and then go to the folder where you installed Sunscape to. Replace the existing Sunscape.xml file with the one from the theme you just downloaded. Then delete the existing IMG folder from the Sunscape folder and copy in the IMG folder from the theme. No need to reset the device as the skin is automatically picked up the next time the device locks out. (TIP: copy the original XML file and IMG folder onto your PC in case you want to revert to the default theme).
As for unlocking the device by rubbing it... it should automatically be set up for that. When the lock screen comes up, simply rub a finger or thumb on the screen - create circles or go back and forth or whatever. As you keep rubbing, you'll notice a bar at the bottom or somewhere on the screen fill up. When filled, the screen is unlocked. (TIP: If too slow for you, set the pressure interval to a higher value from the configuration).
Hope that helps. :)
Best regards.
Salman Khalid.