Android - 8/167 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Feb

The Nexus 4 Finally Gets Android 4.2.2 (JDQ39) As Well - Here Are Instructions For Installing It Manually

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Jelly Bean 4.2, News, Nexus 4

Good news, everyone! The Nexus 4 Android 4.2.2 OTA (JDQ39) is finally here, surprisingly late in the update cycle, following the Nexus 10 and older Nexus devices, such as both variants of the Nexus 7 and both variants of the Galaxy Nexus. Chances are you probably don't have the coveted update notification just yet, but who wants to wait if you can sideload it manually? Rooted, unrooted, stock or custom recovery - it matters not.

What's New?

To see what's new in Android 4.2.2, see New Android 4.2.2 Features: Toggle From Quick Settings, Better App Download Notifications, and Some New Sounds!

Feb

Here's The Android 4.2.2 JDQ39 Update For The Yakju GSM Galaxy Nexus [Manual Installation Instructions]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Galaxy Nexus, Google, Jelly Bean 4.2, News

A few days ago, Google pushed out the Android 4.2.2 (build JDQ39) update to the takju variants of the Galaxy Nexus. Takju Nexuses are the devices sold in the Google Play Store, whereas yakju ones can be found in other retail channels. Good news for those waiting on the latter - though a day after its sibling, we finally have the yakju OTA file that can be applied manually on any stock device, including unrooted ones with stock recovery.

If you're not sure whether you have a takju or yakju variant, download Nexus Update Checker from the Play Store and see what it says.

Feb

Here's The Android 4.2.2 JDQ39 Update For The Takju GSM Galaxy Nexus [Manual Installation Instructions]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Galaxy Nexus, Google, Jelly Bean 4.2, News

Last Updated: February 13th, 2013

A couple of hours ago, Google started rolling out the Android 4.2.2 update to a very limited subset of Nexus devices (build JDQ39). At this point, almost nobody can get the OTA pulled by going through the Settings screen, but don't worry - one of our loyal readers extracted the OTA url for the Galaxy Nexus and sent it over to us (great work, Daniel Koch!).

For now, we only have the link for the takju Galaxy Nexus variant, i.e. GNex handsets bought from the Play Store. Once we get the yakju build, we'll update this post.

If you're not sure whether you have a takju or yakju variant, download Nexus Update Checker from the Play Store and see what it says.

Feb

Breaking: Android 4.2.2 (Build JDQ39) Update Rolling Out To GSM Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7, Nexus 10

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Galaxy Nexus, Jelly Bean 4.2, News, Nexus 10, Nexus 7, Rumors

Nexus owners may have a reason to stay up tonight, as a couple of Reddit users report that Android 4.2.2 has begun rolling out to the GSM Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 7.

There's not much word regarding what the update (which carries build JDQ39) includes just yet, but readers may remember that Google promised a Bluetooth A2DP audio streaming fix in the "next release" of 4.2 after 4.2.1.

Update: Here's The Android 4.2.2 JDQ39 Update For The GSM Galaxy Nexus [Manual Installation Instructions]

Feb

Hideman Is A Stellar Multiplatform VPN App That Lets You Route Traffic Through One Of 22 Countries [Deep-Dive Look]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

For the past few weeks, I've been testing Hideman - a VPN solution with a feature set I've been seeking for a very long time. I've been using both Android and Windows apps to test the service, and let me tell you - it is everything I was hoping it would be and then some.

Hideman is available for the following operating systems:

Android
Windows
MacOS
Linux (via OpenVPN - you can find configs once you log in)
iOS.

But let's start from the beginning.

Feb

Neptune Pine, A $335 Android-Powered Smart Watch, Skips The Smartphone Altogether With Its Own Micro-SIM

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Accessories, News

The Pebble sure wasn't the first smart watch, but it's been getting a lot of attention lately. In fact, wearable computing as an industry is seeing a bit of a resurgence in general. The trouble, at least as one company sees it, is that smart watches require you to already have an expensive phone. That's two batteries you have to keep charged! Craziness! That's where the Neptune Pine comes in.

The idea here is that your watch can have a micro-SIM of its own. It will connect to a data network and even make phone calls. Oh, and it runs Android.

Feb

Yet Another Study Shows The Galaxy Brand Is Becoming Synonymous With Android

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News

One of the biggest problems Google faces with Android is avoiding a situation where one manufacturer controls so much of the market that everything else falls by the wayside. As study after study shows, though, this is becoming an increasing risk as Samsung gobbles up more customers. To wit, this survey from Localytics—a company that provides analytics for mobile apps— showed that of the top ten Android devices its customers used, eight were made by Samsung, and seven had the Galaxy brand attached.

The trend is staggering, but not surprising. After all, between Samsung and Apple, the two companies account for somewhere between most and more than all the smartphone profits.

Feb

21 Best New Android Games From The Last Week (1/29/13 - 2/6/13)

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News, Roundups

Last Updated: May 13th, 2013

Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so.

This edition focuses only on new games. The app roundup is coming up soon.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Featured App

CritiCall Free

Today's roundup is sponsored by CritiCall from Simply Applied. CritiCall solved one of the most obvious problems with modern smartphones: the lack of a selective silent feature.

Feb

Google Adds 38 Run And Lift Maps From Major Ski Resorts To Google Maps, But Please Don't Use Them On the Mountain

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Google, News

A non-zero number of Android Police team members enjoy skiiing. Who wouldn't, right? Well, people who get lost for starters. Mountains can be mazes! However, Google did what Google does best and made some sense of the madness. Now you can find guides for 38 different resorts all on your mobile phone.

The runs are color coded by difficulty, as they normally are on the mountain. You can view them with GPS on your mobile phone, or even check them out on the desktop before you hit the snow. A few slopes even have a Street View preview (though they're not quite as thorough as regular Street View).

Feb

Platform Numbers Are In For January 2013: Gingerbread Down To 45.4%, ICS Down (Wha-?) To 29.0%, Jelly Bean Up to 13.6%

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Android OS, Google, News

It's that time again! We get another glimpse at what the platform distribution numbers are like for Android. If you've been following along, you'll notice there aren't many changes: Gingerbread is still the biggest slice of the pie, Ice Cream Sandwich is second, and the two major versions of Jelly Bean together make up the third largest. 2.3 is down to 45.4% from 47.4% a month ago. That 2% difference seems to have gone overwhelmingly to Jelly Bean which went up to 13.6% from 10% a month ago.