10
Oct
nex7back

If you're a developer, you've likely been chomping at the bit for Google to release the updated binaries and full device images after yesterday's Android 4.1.2 release. Just moments ago, Android maintainer JBQ placed 4.1.2 driver binaries for all maintained Nexus devices on the Google Developers site, as well as updated factory images (JZO54K) for the Nexus 7 and "takju" and "maguro" variants of the Galaxy Nexus.

These files are absolutely essential for tinkerers and developers wanting to stay on the cutting edge of Android, and Google has always been pretty on top of getting them out in a timely fashion.

10
Oct
Jelly-Bean-Logo

Hello and Welcome! Android 4.1.2 hit yesterday, and, in record time, we are pumping out a new version of everyone's favorite series. If you want to know about everything new in 4.1.2, you've come to the right place. To be perfectly honest, there isn't much to cover. 4.1.2 is just as minor as its 0.0.1 version bump would suggest. I've gone over all 164 system APKs (old and new) with a fine tooth comb, and this is all I could come up with.

First up, by now you've probably heard of the new, one finger notification expansion trick, and that the launcher has finally learned how to rotate.

09
Oct
image

Buried deep within the changelog of Android 4.1.2 that arrived today is a very welcomed change to the way expandable notifications are handled by the OS. Introduced in Jelly Bean, expanding and collapsing notifications originally required two fingers to operate. Not anymore! A handy gesture now allows easy expansion and collapsing with just one finger, making it easier to perform this task while holding a device in one hand.

Collapsing is a little tricky at first and requires first pulling down and then up. Once you figure it out, it becomes a no-brainer, but is a little confusing if you don't know what you're doing.

09
Oct
image

As a developer, I absolutely love days like today. If the high-level "improves performance and stability and fixes bugs" changelog of Android 4.1.2 isn't good enough for you, how about we dive into the actual low-level source code commit logs Android engineers made into AOSP since 4.1.1_r1.1 (JRO03D) all the way through today's release 4.1.2_r1 (JZO54K). These commit logs are spread over probably 100+ repositories, so hunting for all of them manually would probably take you days. However, thanks to Al Sutton, you can check them out all in one place.

Be prepared for lots of code jargon and incomplete git commit messages, which probably won't mean much to most of you.

09
Oct
image
Last Updated: November 13th, 2012

If you want to update your Nexus 7 to official Android 4.1.2 that started rolling out earlier today but your turn hasn't come yet, you have two options: wait (possibly for a while) or flash it manually. The latter is absolutely safe and lets you bypass the line without any risk whatsoever. Even better - you don't even need to be rooted or running a custom recovery - updating with Jelly Bean and full stock recovery is easier than ever before.

Let's get to it.

Prerequisite: Your Nexus 7 should be running Android 4.1.1 build JRO03D.

Step 1.

Download the JZO54K Android 4.1.2 update zip from Google's servers (32,862,193 bytes, MD5: 1a68f499129ae2ee373806a9cad13174).

09
Oct
nex7back

Android maintainer "JBQ" just broke the news that Android 4.1.2 was being released into AOSP today, and now we're hearing that a matching OTA update is being pushed to the Nexus 7 as we speak. It's 31.3MB in size, and the build number JZO54K. If you're not finding the update when you check, don't worry - it'll get there. The rollout is likely staggered and limited to a smaller group of devices to start. None of our N7s have found the update yet, either.

Update: Here's how to flash the update manually, even if you're not rooted.

JellyBean jellybean1

jellybean2

Images via EETimes

Aside from the addition of landscape mode in the launcher, the update dialog indicates performance and stability improvements, as well as bug fixes (thanks for the fine detail there, Google).

09
Oct
android-logo-font
Last Updated: October 10th, 2012

Google's chief release engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru just announced via the Android Building group that version 4.1.2 of Android is being released to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) today.

The release follows Android 4.1.1, which was the final version of Jelly Bean, and is marked as minor. The build number, which we spotted in the logs yesterday, is JZO54K, while the AOSP tags are android-4.1.2_r1 and jb-mr0-release.

It's also a good time to bring up the fact that the LG Nexus prototype that we saw yesterday was also running 4.1.2. Today's announcement seems to add further credibility to that story.

02
Oct
OneXOneS

Tucked away in HTC's press release about the HTC One X+ and Sense 4+ was one tidbit that should make quite a few people happy:

The Android Jelly Bean with HTC™ Sense 4+ update is scheduled to begin rolling out for the HTC One™ S and HTC One™ X from October.

As most of you probably already know, Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) is the most polished version of Android yet. Coupled with some of the "enhancements" in Sense 4+ - namely, the improved camera software and the Get Started functionality - it should be quite a nice update. With the rollout scheduled to begin "from October," it seems safe to assume it should be out en masse by the end of the year.

02
Oct
image
Last Updated: October 26th, 2012

The worst kept secret in HTC's recent history, the One X+, was finally officially announced this morning by the Taiwanese manufacturer. Let's take a closer look at what has changed.

Hardware

The updated One X variant features:

  • A beefier Cortex-A9 NVIDIA Tegra 3 AP37 processor running at 1.7GHz (up from 1.5GHz)
  • ULP GeForce NVIDIA GPU, running at 520MHz (up from 416MHz)
  • 64GB of internal storage (up from 32GB)
  • 2100mAh battery (up from 1800mAh), which HTC says may give you up to 6 hours of extra talk time
  • 1.6MP front-facing camera (up from 1.3MP)
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
  • Sense 4+
  • 135g - slightly heavier but only by 5 grams (up from 130g)

The rest of the specs remain the same, including a 4.7" 1280x720 display, 1GB of RAM (a real bummer considering Samsung's and LG's latest offerings contain and really benefit from double that), Beats Audio, and an 8MP rear-facing camera.

01
Oct
nexusae0_image_thumb2_thumb

Google has once again updated the Android platform distribution numbers. The numbers, released right on schedule today, show Gingerbread still leading the pack at 56% of devices (down from 57.5% last month), with Jelly Bean crawling up the ladder to 1.8%, up from 1.2% last time.

image

The two most important stat changes from last month, Gingerbread and Jelly Bean, are somewhat disappointing – both shifting at a lower rate than last cycle, but promised updates and leaked devices we may or may not see in the near future will likely help those numbers along.

Other versions, meanwhile, are moving as expected.

Page 8 of 17«First...678910...Last»