Bumblebee Windows 7 Theme: An Epic Overhaul

Most Awesome Theme Ever: Bumblebee through and through. Even the Logon Screen!

Owing to the fact that Bumblebee rocks and it the coolest of the autobots, I only thought it appropriate to put together this Windows 7 theme in his honor. It's a big change in comparison to the standard Windows 7 Aero theme, and requires several tools, but I think you will find that its well worth the 20 minutes you'll spend setting it up. And when you've done it once, it will only take 5 minutes for you to set it up for your friends.


Theme Includes:

A new look for the Windows Explorer Windows. This is thanks to the Elegant Glass Theme by Simply the Frankie. Notice the black accents and the transparent navigation bar.










The Start Menu gets a new color. The right side is still transparent but the main body has a black background. Also, the start orb is changed to an autobot logo.

Progress bars are now blue, and buttons are blue on hover and glow slightly yellow when selected.

Desktop Screenshot

Here is a list of the tools with links that you will need to complete the theme:

UXTheme Multipatcher 8.0
Logon Studio by Stardock
Elegant Glass Theme by Simply The Frankie
Windows 7 Start Button Changer


Bumblebee Wallpapers 1920x1080 and 1920x1200
Transformer Sounds
Bumblebee User Icon


Phase 1: The Third Party Theme


Elegant Glass is a fantastic play on the existing Aero visual styles in Windows 7, but it is not a standard theme that can be installed with the simple click of a mouse. The operating system must first be patched to allow for themes of this nature to be installed.


1) Patch Windows

Download the UXTheme Multipatcher by clicking on the link above. This is a portable app, that is, it doesn't need to be installed to your computer. Simply run the file from the download and click the Patch button. The program will do the rest and notify you when it has completed.




2) Download Elegant Glass
Do not restart your computer when prompted. We will first put the theme files into their place in the operating system. Download the Elegant Glass Theme by clicking on the link above.




3) Locate Theme Files

Unzip the folder to your desktop or somewhere you can easily find it. Then locate the folder and open it. Then Click Elegant Glass Top. You are then presented with a folder and a file, both of which are labeled "Elegant Glass". These are the items that we will need to copy and move into a particular folder in windows. Leave the window with the Elegant Glass Theme files alone for the moment while we find the folder where we will put them.




4) Place Theme Files in the C:\Windows\Resources\Themes Folder
In the Start menu click on the Computer link on the right side. Click Local Disk(C:), then Windows, then Resources, then Themes. This is where the Elegant Glass folder and its companion file need to be placed. Go back to the window where we located the Elegant Glass Theme files. You can drag and drop the two items from this window into the Themes folder that we just navigated into. 




5) Apply the Theme
Now restart your computer. When you log in again, right click on the desktop and click Personalize. In the list of themes scroll down until you get to the My Installed Themes section. Click on the Elegant Glass Theme.  


Phase 2: The Logon Screen


Logon Studio is a simple program whose sole purpose is to allow you to change the wallpaper of the logon screen. It is a standard desktop application and will need to be installed in order to function.

1) Download and Install Logon Studio
Using the link at the top of the page, go to the Logon Studio website and download the program. Run the downloaded file and follow setup instructions. This should be a brief install. 


2) Create a Logon Screen
Open the application. On the left side there are a list of available options. Click the Create button. In the Name field give your new logon screen a name, then click the browse button and select the background wallpaper you would like to put on your logon screen. You may choose from one that I provide in the Wallpapers download or choose your own. Click Save then Apply and you will automatically be taken to your new logon screen.


Phase 3: The Start Orb

The Windows 7 Start Button Changer is also a portable app, though because it makes backups of your all important windows explorer program, it is useful to tuck it away as a program on your system.


1) Move the Program into your C:\Program Files Folder
Click on the link above to download the Windows 7 Start Button Changer. After unzipping the folder, click the Start button, then Computer  on the right side of the Start Menu. Click Local Disk (C:), then Program Files. Move the unzipped folder (Should be called buttonChanger) into the Program Files folder.


2) Change the Start orb
Click on the folder you just placed in Program Files. click W7SBC, Right click over the Windows 7 Start button Changer v 2.6 icon and then click Run as Administrator. When the Program comes up click Select & Change Start Button. You now need to navigate to the 10 Sample Orbs folder located in the W7SBC folder. In the windows explorer window that popped up you can click Local Disk(C:)  on the left panel and then click Program Files, then buttonChanger, then W7SBC, then 10 Sample Orbs. Select the picture that looks like the transformers autobot logo by double clicking it. The Start Orb should change and you can then close the program.


Phase 4: Additional Elements


Wallpapers, sounds, and window color are simple changes that can make or break a good theme. 


1) By clicking on the wallpapers link above you download a series of BumbleBee wallpapers that I just found online. you can search for your own wallpapers too. Any one of them can be set as your logon screen wallpaper.


2) I personally like to set the window boarder color to Slate and turn the color intensity down. This can be done in the Personalize option by right clicking on the desktop.


3) The sounds included are some that I found online. In the Personalize menu you can click Sounds which is located at the bottom and change sounds individually. If you find any sounds that might be more appropriate please let me know!


4) You can also change your user icon by clicking the Start menu and then clicking on the user icon that you see in the upper right-hand corner of the start menu. Click Change Your Picture and then click Browse for more pictures which is located underneath the picture choices that windows provides for you. You can download the Bumblebee Icon from one of the links above (Right click on the picture and select Save As) and then use it as your own.


And now you have the most epic windows 7 theme known to exist! Let me know if you have any comments or concerns.

A Day in the Life of A/V

. Sometimes It’s the blocky anti-aliased pixels on an LCD screen that make me cringe, other times It’s the scratch of a low bit rate mp3, but whatever the cause, I often find myself annoyed and unable to enjoy that which is supposed to be entertaining.

The thing is that I see things differently than others. There is a beauty in High-Resolution, High-Definition, and High-Fidelity that I strive so hard to experience, and I can't stand settling for less when there might be an easy solution that would only take a few minutes to set up, or a little concerted effort to plan ahead for. For example, watching a movie from a DVD player using standard A/V cables on an HDTV often distorts the aspect ratio of the original film stretching out the image and giving all of the actors unusually rounded heads. Why not just hook up a computer via HDMI, or adjust the aspect ratio settings on the TV? Problem Solved. Maybe we want to watch a cool YouTube video such as a movie trailer. I would rather wait the 10 minutes required to have it queue up at 720p resolution.

This often gets me into trouble. Some of my friends don’t seem to see things the way I do. They are not so obsessed with the way things look or sound, and it doesn’t bother them that they are not experiencing the best of what current technology has to offer us in the audio/visual world. My critical attitude is sometimes impossible to understand, and can bother me as much as it does them.

I’m am currently studying Information Technology. Somehow this means that I’m supposed to like Linux and hate everything Microsoft. I love Linux for what it offers in certain situations, but I will never be able to give up Windows. The user interface is so much more pleasing, and is much better suited for media reproduction and entertainment.

Other areas that are big considerations for me:

• Music Downloads – iTunes 128 kbps bit rate - really!?
• TV’s – 720p at 46+ inches – What’s that? Like, low-hi def.?
• Online TV – Just let it queue up at the resolution I want, don’t try and stream at 240p. Please.
• Speakers and audio devices – Yes, you must respond to frequencies down to at least 20Hz.
• “Which movie should I rent?” is analogous to “Which one is available on Blu-Ray?”

It’s not my fault that the blaring difference between 64 kbps and 192 kbps audio can determine how much I enjoy it. All I can do is try and be tolerant and not impose my pickiness on those around me. At the same time, I wouldn’t trade my sensitivity for anything, because when the sounds ring just right, and the visuals are bright and crisp, I’m in heaven.

Canon Powershot S2 IS Disassembly

. Ever wonder what a digital camera looks like from the inside? I didn't until yesterday, so I went to find out. It took me half a lifetime to get my old Canon S2 open. There were literally 30-40 tiny screws holding the thing together, and I had to work like crazy to try and get them apart. When I finally reached the sensor behind the lens, one of the screws was glued to the mount on the body meaning we had to cut through the metal to get to it. It was worth it though. When it comes down to it, digital cameras are terribly complex machines, and at the same time, after tearing apart the lens, the whole zoom assembly seemed flimsy and cheap. These are the pictures I took.

Canons Dig!c Processor This is the 5MP Sensor

here is the motherboard,

lens, and Sensor.

Fujifilm Finepix S1800 Review

. New camera! I got it at Fred Meyer for a measly $159. The first time I saw it I was dumbstruck by its price and immediately dismissed it as a cheap gimmicky camera that would ultimately fail (epically) in the real world. You know what they say about cats and curiosity, but I got it anyway. Its a rough economy these days and after having spent a good deal of time without a camera after my Canon S2 IS petered out (2004 - 2009 may it rest in peace) I felt I needed a new one and couldn't pass up the opportunity. I must say, in comparison to my initial reaction, I am quite impressed with this little beast.

The Bads:

1) A bit smallish in the hand as compared to most SuperZoom cameras on the market. I have medium sized dude hands so any bigger and the camera grip won't hold all three fingers. It's also lighter than the rest, especially when compared to the Canon SX 20 or SX 30.

2) Face Recognition and Blink Detection are not nearly as useful on this camera as they are on most Sony or Canon models for example. every so often a random face will appear where there is none (I tell others it can see invisible spirits to smooth it over), and it has a hard time finding the faces that ARE in the frame.

3) The LCD screen is extremely noisy. This is even noticeable in medium light scenarios. Don't expect to be blown away by the screen or the user interface for that matter. Its all about function. it doesn't make cool sounds, or have pretty, high-resolution menu screens.

4) Colors from the camera are often very dull. To correct for this, I almost always have the "Chrome" color setting enabled which increases saturation and contrast. Only in high contrast or dark (or reddish) skin tone scenarios do I disable it. Also, noise reduction at high ISO settings is much less effective than on most other SuperZoom cameras.

5) 720p video gives par image quality with mono sound which sounds a bit tinny. Nothing impressive here.

The Goods:

1) FULL manual controls. I love to be in control, though with this camera you kind of have to be. Auto mode will produce very noisy and often dull photos. Shutter speeds only go up to 8 seconds and there are only two aperture settings available.

2) I was able to produce very acceptable and even great images after understanding what the does well and not so well, even in low light. Full manual controls help adjust for not-so- desirable factory settings. Compression doesn't seem to be an issue (there are two modes normal and fine), and at low ISO (64-(about) 400) I was able to capture great detail in things such as hair or leaves.

3) The camera is solidly built. The large LCD screen does serve for better photo composition, and with the single press of a button (the erase button in playback mode) you can brighten the screen for sunny days. There are more than enough dedicated buttons in convenient places to keep me happy, and shot to shot, and power up times are reasonably quick (though not particularly impressive). The menu system is simple and most functions are just a couple button presses away. Also, live shutter speed and aperture updates in program mode let you know what the camera is doing, and when you press the exposure adjust button a live histogram pops up which is very convenient. Love this!

4) Very quick continuous shooting mode at medium resolutions, and even faster at smaller resolutions.

. It was a long shot, but this cat ain't dead! Overall I'm glad I got it. No, its not the best at anything it does, but the fact is that it can be compared to cameras which fall in the $250-$500 price range, for such a low price ($159) this camera has great value. Sure, intense photographers will be frustrated by its "almost-good-enough" approach to almost everything it does (when compared to its pricier competition), but beginners and enthusiasts such as myself will do well with it on a low budget. It would also make a great step-up camera from compact point-and-shoots.