Android OS - 13/164 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

[CES 2013] Belkin Set To Bring WeMo To Android 'Later This Year,' Add Versatile Light Switch To WeMo Arsenal

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, News

Belkin, a little early to the CES party, has just dropped a couple of announcements regarding its WeMo brand. WeMo, for those who don't know, is Belkin's brand of electronic components (so far including a "switch" compatible with anything you could plug into a normal outlet, a baby monitor, and a motion sensor) meant to allow users to control their electronics from anywhere using their mobile device. Until now, however, WeMo has only been compatible with iOS devices.

In today's announcement, Belkin says that's about to change. WeMo is expected to bring Android compatibility "later this year," which the company considers a "necessary step for the continued success and evolution of the WeMo brand." An open beta test for Android users is set to start in February for users of Samsung's Galaxy SIII and "other leading devices".

Jan

HTC One X Gets Jelly Bean 4.1 (3.14.206.27) On O2 UK, With A Spoonful of Alphabet Soup

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in HTC, Jelly Bean 4.1, News, O2, One X (Endeavor)

Don't say we don't love you, United Kingdom readers. Those of you rocking an HTC One X on the O2 network should check your settings menu, if you haven't gotten the update already. HTC representatives have taken to Twitter to announce the arrival of Android 4.1 to the former flagship handheld, and users on the company forums have confirmed the upgrade to software version 3.14.206.27. It looks like a nationwide rollout this ~~morning~~ afternoon, so warm up that wireless connection if you want some Sense-flavored Jelly Bean.

Unfortunately, neither HTC nor O2 have graced us with a changelog, so we've only got users' word for the changes at the moment.

Jan

Android Console 'GameStick' Reaches Kickstarter Funding Goal, Proves People Will Throw Their Money At Basically Anything

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Android OS, Development, News

Stop me if you've heard this one before: An Android-powered <game console / TV / toaster> that's <buzz-phrase> and will <more buzz, with gratuitous usage of 'revolutionize'> and change <your life / entertainment / socks> FOREVER.

I have my own personal skepticism around Kickstarter projects to begin with, so bear with the cynical jabs. GameStick is an Android gaming console on a USB stick, and it just reached its $100,000 Kickstarter funding goal. Go ahead and listen to the pitch video. In fact, I'll transcribe the first part for you, because it's just so... nauseating.

So we were really frustrated by the TV gaming space.

Jan

FTC And Google Settle: Google To Stop Seeking Product Bans Against Competitors In The US, Take Disputes Out Of Court

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Legal, Motorola, News

If you were wondering if this is the sort of legal story you should pay attention to on Android Police, let me make it easy: it is. This is probably the biggest legal story in the mobile sphere since Apple's victory over Samsung last August. Yeah, that important.

This morning, the FTC announced at a press conference that Google had settled its antitrust claims with the agency, and that Google agreed to two very important stipulations as part of that settlement relating to mobile.

First, Google and Motorola will cease seeking product bans for standards-essential patent infringement. I cannot underline enough how important this is to the mobile industry as a whole, at least in the US.

Jan

AOKP Starts Over With Jelly Bean 4.2 - Build 1 For Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 And Nexus 7 Available Now

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Jelly Bean 4.2, News

Good news, ROM enthusiasts: the Android Open Kang Project has released the much-anticipated first build of 4.2. Bad news: it's a completely new ROM, built from the ground up. That means that it won't be quite as feature-packed as you remembered, and device support is limited to the more popular Nexus models, at least for now. You'll also need to install a recovery that's compatible with 4.2 ROMs (the latest ClockworkMod and TWRP should do the trick) and do a full data wipe of your previous ROM. Warm up Titanium Backup.

For the MR1 release, only the Galaxy Nexus (Verizon and GSM flavors), Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 builds are available.

Jan

LG Optimus Black CyanogenMod 10.1 Nightlies Now Live

Posted by David Ruddock in Development, Jelly Bean 4.2, News, Optimus Black (p970)

If you're an Optimus Black owner, you may be interested to know that CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly builds (see blurb below) have arrived for the LG handset. CyanogenMod 10.1 is based on Android 4.2, and includes many of the cool new Android 4.2 goodies like notification bar power toggles, Swype-style keyboard input, and a brand-new camera app.

Definition: A "nightly" is a bleeding edge release that is built on a daily basis, usually at night after a full day's worth of new code has been committed.

It could oftentimes be unstable and not properly tested, lacking any changelogs, but eventually evolving into alphas, betas, release candidates, and finally stable releases.

Dec

First CyanogenMod 10.1 Nightlies Come To Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Wi-Fi, T-Mobile, Verizon), And 10.1v

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Development, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1v, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Jelly Bean 4.2, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless

If you're still toting Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, good news – CyanogenMod let loose a flurry of new nightlies for the device today, all carrying the CM 10.1 moniker, meaning owners of Samsung's ten-inch Tab from 2011 can enjoy a stock Android 4.2 experience with some key improvements. Among those receiving the new nightlies are the Wi-Fi only Tab (p4wifi), Verizon and T-Mobile connected variants (p4vzw and tmo), the p4, and even the p3, which is the Galaxy Tab 10.1v.

Dec

Cricket's Samsung Galaxy SIII Gets Its First Official CyanogenMod (10.1) Nightly

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Cricket Wireless, Development, Galaxy S III, Jelly Bean 4.2

In a post to Google+ today, it was announced that Cricket's Samsung Galaxy SIII (otherwise known as d2cri) had received its first official CM 10.1 nightly, meaning Cricket-connected SIII users can enjoy the Android 4.2-based ROM with all the tweaks and features CyanogenMod fans have come to expect. Those who have followed the Cricket GSIII's progress toward an official nightly build will also be happy to learn that the device's camera woes have reportedly been solved.

If you're ready to treat your Cricket Galaxy SIII to a taste of CM 10.1, just hit the download link below to be taken to get.cm.

Dec

[Deal Alert] Grace Digital's ECO X Terra Waterproof Boombox On Amazon For $50 (That's $100 Off)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Deals

If you've been searching for a way to safely play your Android phone's music library in the rain or at the beach, Amazon's got a deal for you. Grace Digital's ECO X Terra (orange only) is available for just $50 shipped, which is a notable $100 discount over its original price.

If you're wondering how the ECO X Terra works, it's simple – just cram your Android-powered phone (or "any mp3 player") into the center compartment, and enjoy your tunes. Grace Digital boasts, by the way, that the boombox's center compartment can accommodate the "largest Android phone" with a case, as well as keys, credit cards, and other sundries.

Dec

Toshiba Excite 7.7 Jelly Bean Update Rolling Out Now

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Excite 7.7 (AT270 / AT275), Jelly Bean 4.1, News

Given Toshiba's track record with Android updates, I thought I'd never get to write this post. Alas, here it is – Android 4.1.1 is officially rolling out to the Excite 7.7. At first blush, it looks like Toshiba did a good job on this one. It actually uses the new "hybrid UI" (like on the Nexus 7), which leads to a much better experience on smaller slates like the 7.7.

The update clocks in at a cool 348MB, so be prepared to wait for just a bit to grab this Jelly Bean goodness. Past that, though, I see absolutely nothing to complain about – this update really does make a great tablet even better.