11
May
image

CyanogenMod 10.1 RC2 Making Steady March Across CM Roster

Posted by in Android OS, Development, Jelly Bean 4.2, News

Have you finished downloading CyanogenMod's 10.1 RC1 release for your device yet? If not, hit cancel and refresh your browser. Just three days after RC1 started rolling out, CM 10.1 RC2 has hit the download center, going up over night for forty seven devices at the time of writing, including devices from the Galaxy SIII to the Nexus Q.

cm

the list goes on

For those not sure why they should care about CM10.1 RC2, an RC or Release Candidate is basically a firmware release that the CyanogenMod team believes is up to snuff for a daily driver – a new-but-not-bleeding-edge release that's stable enough to rely on.

10
May
credit-cards-cut

AllThingsD: Larry Page Declines To Go Forward On Physical Google Wallet Card, Kills Project, Axes VP Of Wallet

Posted by in Android OS, News

In an oddly-specific narrative published this morning, AllThingsD reported that sources close to Larry Page and Google Wallet have confirmed that plans for the physical Google Wallet credit card have been cut up, and VP of Wallet Osama Bedier pushed out of the company.

We exclusively reported on the Wallet card last November, when it appeared in a leaked version of the Google Wallet app. You could even initiate the card ordering process, suggesting the project was well on its way to completion. So, we waited. And we waited. And then we waited some more. The Wallet card seemingly went off the radar, and as Ron noted, the "new Google Wallet" sign up page still greets visitors of the Wallet site, like a big "Coming Soon" banner in front of that one restaurant that never seems to actually make progress on those renovations that have been going for like 6 months now.

05
May
image

Samsung Aims To Block Root Exploits And Tighten Up Security With Latest Exynos Galaxy S4 Update, But This Is A Good Thing

Posted by in Android OS, Galaxy S4, News, Samsung

Note from Artem: The post's author, Justin Case, also known as jcase in the Android community, is an xda Elite Recognized Developer, AP team member, and an all-around knowledgeable guy when it comes to Android's internals. When he speaks, I tend to listen.

The Android world was slapped in the face when well-known developer AndreiLux made a post in the XDA Galaxy S4 forum titled [Info] Rooting will be impossible on newer stock kernels.

His post has caused some unwarranted drama in the community, and I wish to set this subject straight as much as I can. AndreiLux is pointing out a new feature in Samsung Galaxy S4 kernel called CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_SETUID.

01
May
nexusae0_1_thumb5_thumb

Google Updates Platform Distribution Numbers – Gingerbread Down To 38.5%, Jelly Bean Up To 28.4%

Posted by in Android OS, Development, Google, News

As usual Google has updated monthly platform distribution numbers for Android in its developer dashboard. The numbers, based on devices accessing the Play Store over the last 14 days (ending May 1st), tell developers which versions of Android are most prevalent, and which are on the decline.

This month, as last month, we're seeing a decline in Gingerbread and a rise in Jelly Bean. Gingerbread has dropped from 39.8% to 38.5%, a 1.3% drop for those keeping tally at home. Jelly Bean, meanwhile, has seen a slightly more substantial shift, rising 3.4% from 25% to 28.4%.

image

Elsewhere, the ebb and flow of version numbers is more or less expected.

30
Apr
image

Paranoid Android Says Hello To Halo – 'This Is How You Do Multi Windowing On Android'

Posted by in Android OS, Development, News

After some teasing, Paranoid Android has unveiled (in a lovely promo image) their plan for multi-window functionality on Android, which they promise to "get right," – Halo.

The premise is simple, yet extremely ambitious in scope – allow apps to give you notifications right on top of your screen, which allow you to pop into that app without leaving the one you're in (no matter what it is), take care of business, and resume your experience uninterrupted. The general concept, which rejects the notion of a distracting notification shade, and shuns implementations like "whacky s-multiwindow,"  is no doubt inspired by Facebook's admittedly awesome Chat Heads functionality, perhaps the most compelling feature of its new Home app.

30
Apr
googlexlimepie

[Editorial] Stop Making Crap Up And Then Whining About It

Posted by in Android OS, Editorials

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? The year was 2012, the Galaxy S III and the HTC One X were still new, and some jerk on the internet suggested that maybe it's cool if people started appreciating their amazing phones instead of complaining about how their device wasn't revolutionary.

In the time since then, certain segments of the tech community have opted to go in the other direction. Rather than accept that smartphones are incredible and that the wow-factor comes from using them instead of hyped up tech events, some people believe that the next revolution is just right around the corner.

29
Apr
2013-04-10-16.09.19

Google I/O 2013: Google's To-Do List This Year

Posted by in Android OS, News
Last Updated: May 3rd, 2013

Google I/O is coming! We'll know about all of Google's new projects in just 2 short agonizingly long weeks. While we desperately count the days until May 15th, we thought it would be a great idea to take stock all of the things we've caught wind of lately.

Calling this an "I/O Preview," sounds a little too certain. I'm not predicting everything here will come out at I/O, this is just a list of everything we know Google is working on - their "To-Do" list. Just like any to-do list, Google could cross something off and release it, or endlessly procrastinate, or completely cancel something.

26
Apr
image

Google Is Working On And Testing Android 4.3 - It's Still Jelly Bean

Posted by in Android OS, Exclusives, News

As everyone is trying to guess whether the next big Android update is going to be Key Lime Pie or not, and whether the release will be Android 5.X or 4.X, we have yet to hear anything concrete. After getting a tip from an eagle-eyed reader (thanks, deepayan!) and digging deeper, I can definitively tell you that Google is currently working on Android 4.3, and it is still Jelly Bean.

4-26-2013 3-47-47 PM

  1. Specifically, the build I'm seeing floating around our server logs is Android 4.3 JWR23B, which indicates this is still Jelly Bean (the first letter of the build is always the same as the first letter of the Android version name).

26
Apr

C Spire's Motorola Photon Q Jelly Bean Update Rolling Out (Build 9.8.2Q-122_XT897_FFW-7)

Posted by in C Spire, Device Updates, Jelly Bean 4.1, News, Photon Q

QWERTY phones might be few and far between but they haven't died out completely. If you have a Motorola Photon Q and you're on C Spire, you might want to open your Settings menu and check for updates. The round sugary goodness of Jelly Bean is on its way.

The update brings a bunch of improvements in its wake:

Enhancements:

  • Google Now
    Added feature that generates real-time notifications throughout the day with relevant, contextual information such as weather, traffic, calendar. To access Google Now, press and hold the phone's search key.
  • Voice Search
    Enhanced Voice Search to recognize questions asked in colloquial language, such as "Do I need an umbrella today?" Some questions may receive a spoken answer, while others will trigger a Google Search.

25
Apr
thumb

[New Game] Headup Games Releases The Bugtastic Shiny The Firefly

Posted by in Apps/Games, Games, Gingerbread 2.3

In Headup Games' latest release, Shiny The Firefly must fight his way through a picturesque garden in search of his lost children. Join Shiny as he fights, flies, and hides from a variety of enemy garden dwellers. This game's rich animation includes detailed movements for all the characters, as well as numerous animations that let you know how Shiny is feeling. Gameplay includes both fights and problem solving. You'll need to use various special skills to navigate the level: make a plant grow so it will divert a waterfall, shoot an enemy to make him shift his location, or simply keep pounding on a boss until you defeat him.

Page 2 of 16412345...102030...Last»