09
Jan
11x05101719

Hey Transformer Prime Owners! The Ice Cream Sandwich OTA Breaks Root, But We Can Help With That

Posted by in ASUS, Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0
Last Updated: January 12th, 2012

Remember this? It was no joke. Ice Cream Sandwich is indeed hitting the Asus Transformer Prime today, and we've got the OTA file to prove it.

Before you frantically skim the post for the download link, listen up: this will update will break root. So beforehand you are going to want to run OTA RootKeeper, so you don't lose root access. Then you are free to update.

After saving your root access, download this (for U.S. Prime models), and enjoy that ice creamy goodness.

Edit by Artem: I've requested detailed installation instructions from our tipster - we'll update the post when we figure everything out.

09
Jan
Android-ice-cream-sandwich-580x441

[Updated] [CES 2012] Nvida CEO Says The Asus Transformer Prime Gets Ice Cream Sandwich TODAY, January 9th - Confirmed!

Posted by in ASUS, Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0

Update 2 - It's Out! We've got the download right here.

Update 1 - Confirmed: Asus says ICS hits at 8pm Pacific time, today!

Here's a bit of news from the Nvidia's CES Press Conference. Jen-Hsun Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, announced that the Asus Transformer Prime is getting its Ice Cream Sandwich update today (January 9th, for those of you in the future).

The Transformer Prime sports an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, so Huang should have inner knowledge of the TPrime's update schedule. Previously the Prime's Ice Cream Sandwich OTA was set for January 12th, so if Huang is right, it looks like Asus finished up a little early.

09
Jan
vitashotsfuji2mat600

[CES 2012] Fujitsu Has A Quad-Core Tegra 3 Smartphone In The Works And Yes, It Sports Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted by in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Hot on the heels of the unveiling of Fujitsu's ES IS12F, the world's thinnest smartphone, a leaflet circulating at CES today indicates that Fujitsu has something even more awesome in the works. It would seem that Fujitsu is on the brink of revealing a (yet unnamed) smartphone that packs not only Ice Cream Sandwich, but a quad-core Tegra 3 processor.

vitashotsfuji2mat600

Little else is known about the mystery device, but judging from the specs we have so far, this phone sounds like a dream machine. It's unclear whether we'll get to see the device at CES, but we'll be here to cover any and all details as they are revealed.

08
Jan
K91 55'3D_03

[Update: First Look Video, We're Kind Of In Love] CES 2012: Lenovo Announces K91, The World’s First Ice Cream Sandwich-Powered TV

Posted by in Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, K91 TV, Lenovo, News, Videos
Last Updated: January 11th, 2012

Lenovo wasn’t on the list of Google TV partners, but for good reason: the company has just announced that, in addition to its new tablet and smartphone, it will soon be launching a “Smart TV” powered by none other than Ice Cream Sandwich.

K91 55'3D_01 K91 55'3D_02 K91 55'3D_13

Indeed, Lenovo hasn’t abandoned all hope of an Android-based TV OS; in fact, the situation is in reality quite the opposite – with the K91, it’ll be embracing everyone’s favorite robot completely. Its (presumably heavily) modified version of the OS will feature:

  • Video on Demand that tailors itself to your viewing history
  • “Internet applications” (it’s not quite clear whether this indicates something outside of ICS’ regular contents, or just Google’s traditional web browser)
  • “Traditional TV programs” (again, it’s not quite clear what’s meant by this)
  • Access to the Android Market (of course)
  • Access to the Lenovo Store
  • Voice control
  • Cloud support (yep, that’d be the “personal cloud”)

K91 55'3D_14 K91 55'3D_03 K91 55'3D_04

Powered by a dual-core Snapdragon 8060 CPU, the K91 Smart TV will ship with a 5MP (!) webcam for video chat and a full HD IPS display at 240hz with SRS TruSurround.

08
Jan
android-lenovo-logo

[CES 2012] Lenovo Unveils Android-Powered IdeaTab S2 10, S2 Smartphone, And "Personal Cloud"

Posted by in Android OS, Gingerbread 2.3, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, IdeaTab S2 10, K91 TV, Lenovo, News, S2

Lenovo, "the world's number two PC company," has just introduced a bevvy of new Android-powered devices, emphasizing their specs and compatibility with Lenovo's "Personal Cloud," which promises to make the company a "personal cloud solution." Liu Jun, Senior VP and President of Lenovo's Mobile Internet and Digital Home business group, explained the significance of the Personal Cloud:

Lenovo is breaking down the barriers of device differentiation and weaving together hardware, software, and cloud services that are connected, experiential, and dynamic. We understand our users need more than just the traditional keyboard and screen for a truly satisfying digital experience. Our Personal Cloud vision integrates all devices, from tablets to TVs, for a comprehensive mobile Internet experience anytime, anywhere.

08
Jan
ics

[Weekend Poll] Ice Cream Sandwich Takes Android To A Whole New Level Of Usability And Polish - But Is It Good Enough For Your Parents To Use? [Fixed]

Posted by in Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Polls

Update: I had the wrong poll displayed for about an hour after posting. Sorry everyone - correct poll is live!

Let's face it: when Android first officially dropped, it was ugly as hell and not exactly designed with non-techies in mind. But as we've seen in the past 3 years (and a few months) since then, things have come a long way (albeit gradually at first) - the look, feel, and usability of vanilla Android became a major focus in the last year or so, especially with Gingerbread (2.3), Honeycomb(3.0), and Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0).

cupcake ics

Left: Cupcake (1.5). Right: Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0)

Again, while it just plain looks a lot nicer now, things are much deeper than what can be shown in a screenshot.

07
Jan
face unlock

Samsung Galaxy S "Value Pack" Update Leaked – Brings Minor UI Changes, Face Unlock, And More

Posted by in Galaxy S, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

It's been a rather wild ride for Samsung Galaxy S users regarding a possible update to Android 4.0. First, Samsung, issued a statement saying that they could not update their former flagship phone. After a community outcry, however, they responded with a different possibility - a "Value Pack" update, one that would include some key features from Ice Cream Sandwich (such as Face Unlock) but which would still be based on Gingerbread. Samsung later decided to not go through with the Value Pack update.

The plot has thickened once again, however: a version of the update has been leaked, and while it may not be as good as Ice Cream Sandwich itself, it does bring a host of improvements:

  • Face Unlock
  • Updated Camera
  • Photo Editor from Galaxy SII
  • Unlock screen from Galaxy Note
  • General improved performance

face unlock Value Pack sc20120106201427

The firmware, which is based on Android 2.3.6, is available for download from the links below, but it at this time it's unclear if or when Samsung will officially release the final version of the update to the general public.

03
Jan
android-under-construction1

Google Requires OEMs To Include The Stock Set Of UI Widgets In All Ice Cream Sandwich Devices, Developers Can Stop Skins From Messing With Their Apps

Posted by in Android OS, Applications, Development, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

We are going to need some restraint and careful explanation for this one.

Google is making life a little easier for developers. Today a post on the official Android Developers Blog announced a new rule for OEMs that insist on skinning Ice Cream Sandwich: You must also include the unmodified ICS "Holo" Theme files. Regular users still have to deal with a skinned OS, but developers can opt out of the skinned parts for their app. Observe:

screen_20120103_2011 Screenshot_2012-01-03-23-15-53

This is what developers currently have to deal with. Apps will look wildly different depending on what skin your phone has. On the left is Motoblur, on the right is stock ICS.  It's the same APK, but everything looks different because apps take many parts of their UI from the OS.

22
Dec
image

[Update: Now With ICS Source] Gold For Android Developers: Add AOSP Source Code To Eclipse With The "Android Sources" Plugin

Posted by in Android OS, Cupcake 1.5, Development, Donut 1.6, Eclair 2.1, Froyo 2.2, Gingerbread 2.3, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Tips & Tutorials

As an Android developer, the first thing I do when I set up Eclipse with ADT on a new machine is hunt down the Android source for the API level I'm working on.

Earlier this month, I added a request for Android 4.0 source to be added to the plugin, and I'm pleased to report that the plugin maintainer just added it to the latest version.

Honeycomb sources are being worked on.

Note: If you already have the plugin installed, you'll need to re-install for this addition to show up.

Developers should understand what I'm talking about, but for the rest of you - this priceless little addition to our development process means whenever we want to see just what exactly Android is doing at a certain point in our programs, we can actually take a peek.

21
Dec
galaxy-nexus-product-image-1

[Review] The Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich: The Future Of Android Starts Here

Posted by in Features, Galaxy Nexus, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, Reviews, Samsung, Verizon Wireless
Last Updated: June 16th, 2012

Make no mistake about it - the Galaxy Nexus is the most important phone of 2011. It's the first device from the next generation of Android. It hits every major feature the phones of 2012 will be touting: On-screen buttons, a massive 720p OLED screen, NFC, LTE, and Ice Cream Sandwich. Together these things make this phone unlike any other Android phone. This is what Android's future looks like.

Specifications

  • CPU: 1.2 GHz, Dual Core TI OMAP 4460
  • GPU: 384 MHz PowerVR SGX540
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Storage: 32GB (28GB usable, no SD card)
  • Screen: 4.65" 720p Super AMOLED PenTile
  • Camera: 5MP rear, 1.3MP front, 1080p Video
  • Battery: 1,850 mAh
  • OS: Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich (Stock)
  • Weight: 135 g (4.8 oz)
  • Dimensions: 135.5 mm x 67.94 mm x 9.47 mm
  • Verizon LTE

The Good

  • Ice Cream Sandwich is a revolution.

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