Android OS - 25/164 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Oct

Matias Duarte Answers Questions About Jelly Bean UI And The Lack Of Micro SD Cards

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Android OS, News

Ever since Gingerbread and the Nexus S, the Android world has been in a constant and dramatic state of UI flux and we've all faced some hard questions as we adjust to new interface design. "What's the best way to layout software buttons?" "Can we live without micro SD cards?" "Where is all this new hair coming from?" Matias Duarte took to Google+ to answer two out of these three questions you have about your growing pains.

On the subject of the decision to change the UI on the Nexus 10 to be more in line with the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 layouts:

Consistency and usability are really important to us, and that’s something we strive to improve in every new version of Android.

Oct

CyanogenMod 10 Nightlies Go Live For The Optimus 2X

Posted by David Ruddock in Jelly Bean 4.1, LG, News, Optimus 2X (Star, p990)

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.

If you're looking for a way to freshen up your Optimus 2X (read: make it not suck), the team over at CyanogenMod may have something of interest for you. CM10 (Android 4.1) nightlies have officially landed for the 2X (this ROM is not compatible with the T-Mobile G2X), and you can get the first build right here.

Oct

A Closer Look At Android 4.2's Quick Settings Menu And The Two-Finger Swipe To Open It Instantly

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Jelly Bean 4.2, News, Nexus 10, Nexus 4

Back in early October while we were knee-deep in a pre-release Android 4.2 system dump, Ron found an interesting tidbit of info on a "quick settings" menu. Back then, it was a double pull down notification area that housed absolutely nothing of value. Thanks to today's Nexus/Android 4.2 announcements, however, we know not only what options the Quick Settings area will feature, but also how to really access it.

There are actually two ways to get into the QS menu, as highlighted by Hugo Barra in an incredible behind-the-scenes video put together by The Verge (see the full video here):

As you can see in the above clip, there will be a small toggle in the notification area directly beside the current Settings button, which, when pressed, will cause the notification area to do a neat little flip, revealing the Quick Setting area.

Oct

The Verge Goes Deep Inside Google HQ For A First Look At The Nexus 4, Nexus 10, And Android 4.2; Also, Matias Duarte With A Beard

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Jelly Bean 4.2, News, Nexus 10, Nexus 4

If there's one thing to say about The Verge, it's that they're already known for world-class reporting in the realm of all things tech. It's clear that Google thinks so, too, as they gave Verge editor-in-chief Joshua Topolsky a personal tour of the new Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and Android 4.2. This is a first look at what to expect from the devices, some of the thought process behind the design of both the N4 and N10, as well as some not-yet-highlighted features of Android 4.2, like lockscreen widgets and the quick settings panel.

Oh, and Matias Duarte has a beard.

Oct

T-Mobile Set To Carry Google's Nexus 4 And 3G Nexus 7 As Premier Launch Partner

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Google, News, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, T-Mobile

In addition to the absolute mania of incoming announcements we saw from Google today, there was one interesting carrier-related development for the Nexus line – T-Mobile, the US' fourth largest carrier, announced that it would be carrying Google's LG-built Nexus 4 and ASUS-built 3G Nexus 7 as a "premier launch partner" starting this November. In fact, users can already sign up for more info at T-Mobile's website.

Oct

Here Are The New Android 4.2 And Google Now Features - Including The Amazing Photo Sphere

Posted by David Ruddock in Jelly Bean 4.1, News

With the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and Nexus 7 3G all having been announced this morning in a rather unexpected way, we're having a hard enough time wading through all the stuff currently flooding our inboxes. And in this storm of hardware, the new version of Android - 4.2 - has gotten a little lost. Google announced the latest iteration of its mobile OS today, as well, and it includes some pretty awesome new features - particularly Photo Sphere.

Photo Sphere

A 360 degree camera mode, Photo Sphere allows you to take Street View-like images that can be navigated in Google+.

Oct

Google Partners With Warner Music Group For Play Music, Promises To Bring The Service (With Song Matching) To Europe November 13

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Google, News

Within the deluge of exciting announcements made today in lieu of its New York event, Google announced that it has partnered with Warner Music Group to explode the Play Store's music selection, bringing the media giant's full music catalog to listeners all over the world. This means that Google is now partnered "with all of the major record labels globally," along with many independent labels and all the major US magazine publishers, which is nothing if not good news for consumers.

Google also announced that Play Music will be coming to Europe. Starting November 13, listeners in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain will not only be able to begin listening and buying from the Play Store, but will enjoy the free 20,000 song upload other listeners use to get their personal library connected with their Google account.

Oct

Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) Jelly Bean Reaches Milestone 1 - Major Bugs Fixed, Last Update Till 4.2

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Android OS, News

As some of you may have noticed, I'm Android Police's resident AOKP nut, running the popular custom ROM on both on my Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7. Good news, everyone: Android Open Kang Project has reached Milestone 1 of its Jelly Bean release, and official downloads are now available for all flavors of Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7, and Nexus S. More supported devices should be updated tonight and tomorrow.

Unicorn POWAH!

Team Kang notes that this will be the last update before the Jelly Bean 4.2 AOSP code becomes available, whenever that is. All of the bug reports from popular modder forum RootzWiki and those submitted to Team Kang's Twitter account have been addressed.

Oct

Counterpoint: The Android 4.2 Tablet UI Looks Just Like A Giant Phone's, And That's A Shame

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Android OS, Editorials, Nexus 10

Yesterday my colleague and fellow Android fanatic David Ruddock took a long look at what was revealed in the leaked Nexus 10 images, examining what will almost certainly be the Android tablet interface for Jelly Bean 4.2. I have a lot of respect for David, but in this case I think he's wrong. And since there's little doubt at this point that the Samsung Nexus 10 will have the same basic UI structure as the Nexus 7, I'll go so far as to say that Google is wrong too.

Having used my fair share of Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich tablets, I've come to love the user interface, which puts both navigation, status and settings all along the bottom bar.

Oct

TeeFury Offering Up 'The Android Attack' Shirt For $10 Today Only – See (And Wear) Bugdroid As A Vintage Sci-Fi Monster

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, News, Off-Topic

We've covered TeeFury's awesome Android offerings in the past, and today the online purveyor of t-shirts is back with a design inspired by vintage science fiction – The Android Attack by Adams Pinto. The shirt features our favorite green robot as a giant robot monster leaving the wreckage of a city in his wake and, for good measure, stomping on a defenseless piece of fruit I think we'll all recognize.

The shirt is just $10 right now, but that deal won't last forever – if you want to grab this tee, hit the link and place your order by the end of the day.