How to add games to Pantech Hotshot?

[bbinnard]

I'd like to be able to add free downloadable games to my Pantch Hotshot. These are Java <name>.jar files but I have no idea how to transfer them to my phone once I have them on my PC.  Is there a "secret" folder they need to go in? Or some mysterious upload process that goes from PC to phone?

[SuzyQ]

The Hotshot uses BREW as the programming/games platform, so you need to have games designed for it. Java won't work on the Hotshot.

[bbinnard]

That's interesting because this site

http://www.mobileheart.com/cell-phone-games/2969-Pantech-Hotshot-Games.aspx

provides plenty of Java games that it says are for the HotShot.  But I agree, it does also say to "Check compatability before downloading."

So are there Brew games, ringtones, wallpapers etc. available online?  Apparently not since the only information I can find on Brew is this:

The BREW system is basically carrier controlled. You cant load anything not aproved by your carrier, so in effect, no free stuff.

Which leads me back to my original point: the HotShot is useful only for talking.

Thanks Suzy - at least I no longer have to try to find ways to download stuff for the phone. And I am glad I paid only $0.01 for it.

[SuzyQ]

The link you gave also has a link to HotShot specs, and under Games, it says Java support - NO. You can google for BREW games, or shop on Verizon's Media Center, but yes, those will cost.

Ringtones you can get just about anywhere; try phonezoo.  Those are just music files and work with just about any phone.  Same for wallpapers.  but games are dependent on the phone's OS.

[bbinnard]

Thanks (again) Suzy - I am aware that ringtones are just MP3 or MID files.  I have in fact created my own custom  ringtone (30 seconds of Blue Rondo a la Turk) but it's not at all clear how to get this into the phone.  Right now my phone is not activated, but it will be later tonight, so maybe that will make it obvious how to load a custom ringtone.  

What I have found out so far is that the way to load ringtones into the HotShot is to send them as an attachment as an IM to the phone (send to yourself) and when received the phone will provide an option to install the attachment as a ringtone.

This sounds really kludgy to me but I guess it fits with the tightly closed architecture of this phone's OS.  I can just imagine a bunch of telco marketing people sitting around the BREW development desk wringing their hands, grinning, and cackling something like "Just wait till we sic this one on them."  

What a shame more companies don't have an understanding of the benefits of open archtecture. I think Apple is starting to learn this lesson now.

[MojaveMoon_]

bbinnard:

You can make your own wallpaper from anything with the right tools. Here are two ways to do that.

With a free program called Irfanview, you can crop and resize any image to fit the dimensions of your cellphone screen.

With a free video player/dvd player called VLC, you can take snapshots from the video or DVD and then use Irfanview to crop/resize. For the version of VLC that I'm using, the Snapshot feature is found under the main menu option "Video" located among the row of main menu options.

http://portableapps.com/apps/graphics_pictures/irfanview_portable

http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/vlc_portable

Using these two tools, I've made wallpaper from DVDs, movie trailers from apple.com/trailers, images downloaded from the internet, and personal photos taken with our cellphones.

[bbinnard]

Mojave:

Yes, I have many ways of making images of any size (I have Photoshop Elements) but there are 2 key questions no one seems to have answered in public forums:

1. What are the pixel dimension of a HotShot wallpaper image?

2. How do you get an image from a PC into the HotShot so it gets used as a wallpaper?

[MojaveMoon_]

---

bbinnard wrote:

but there are 2 key questions no one seems to have answered in public forums:

2. How do you get an image from a PC into the HotShot so it gets used as a wallpaper?

---

But I did answer that; I answered that two days ago -- (link)

You'll insert a memory card into the Hotshot and then format it using these instructions:

http://support.verizonwireless.com/clc/devices/knowledge_base.html?id=45930

On Motorola, Samsung, and LG phones, formatting it in the phone erases any previous information and then creates folders on the memory card for storing media; the behavior on the Pantech brand Hotshot ought to be same.

You'll then transfer the pics to the memory card that you want to use as wallpaper. You'll perform the transfer via either a memory card reader or via the phone's "USB mass storage mode":

http://support.verizonwireless.com/clc/devices/knowledge_base.html?id=46753

For Motorola, Samsung, and LG phones, the formatted memory card has a folder that is identifiable as the folder for putting pictures into it. e.g., "my pix" or "my pictures". Based on the instructions at verizon's website, there's a chance that the Hotshot deviates from this in so far as Verizon's instructions make it sounds as though the folder names are created not by formatting the memory card with the Hotshot by the user creating the folder names on the computer.

http://support.verizonwireless.com/clc/devices/knowledge_base.html?id=46750

Once the pictures are on the memory card, luckily Verizon's website has several links that explain three different ways to apply the picture as wallpaper.

(1of3) http://support.verizonwireless.com/clc/devices/knowledge_base.html?id=46838

(2 of 3) http://support.verizonwireless.com/clc/devices/knowledge_base.html?id=45985

(3 of 3) http://support.verizonwireless.com/clc/devices/knowledge_base.html?id=46545

If you don't have a memory card or if you initially are unsuccessful at transferring pictures to the memory card, you can also transfer pictures to the Hotshot by text message:

http://support.verizonwireless.com/clc/devices/knowledge_base.html?id=46933

You also might be able to transfer pictures by Bluetooth from your computer or from another cellphone.

---

bbinnard wrote:

Mojave:

Yes, I have many ways of making images of any size (I have Photoshop Elements) [...]

1. What are the pixel dimension of a HotShot wallpaper image?

---

The screen dimensions are listed at verizon's website while the phone on the market. You can also find the dimensions for current and previous phones at phonescoop.com and phonearena.com

Hotshot: 3.2” TFT 260k color LCD (240 x 400)

If the image is greater than the phone's dimensions, one approach is to apply the image as wallpaper and leave it up to the phone to resize the image.

The other approach is to resize it yourself. Frustratingly, sometimes the ideal dimensions are a little under the screen dimensions. For example, our flipphone has a screen dimension of 320x240; however, the ideal dimensions for wallpaper for it seem to be 240x296 while the ideal dimensions for another flipphone we own with a screen resolution of 320x240 are 240x274

[nuger93]

You cant. Verizon and Qualcomm starting using the BREW MP os. This os was intended for better open development but it took away almost all methods of customization (aka custom full song ringers and custom themes via bitpim etc). The "wallpaper" is only visible from the lock screen and as soon as you unlock the screen, you get stuck with the default wallpaper that came with the 3 themes.