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Jan

Cool: Use Your Android Tablet To Paint In GIMP, Just Like A Real Graphics Tablet

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Galaxy Note 10.1 (GT-N8000 / N8010 / N8013), News, Samsung

Any self-respecting digital artist these days uses a graphics tablet to pipe pen input into PC applications. The problem is that good graphics tablets like the Wacom Intuos line are pretty spendy. If you've got an Android device lying around and like to use the GIMP image editor on Linux, you've got all you need for a basic graphics tablet setup thanks to a new app.

The XorgTablet app and driver developed by the gimpusers.com team allow you to select your Android tablet as an input device in GIMP. You may be thinking that sounds interesting but limited – after all, graphics tablets are useful because of the pressure sensitivity, and capacitive screens don't have that.

Jan

Samsung Releases Jelly Bean Kernel Source For The U.S. Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8013)

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note 10.1 (GT-N8000 / N8010 / N8013), News

Hot on the heels of yesterday's Jelly Bean OTA for the U.S. variant of the Galaxy Note 10.1, Samsung has published the matching kernel source code to its Open Source Release Center. This will allow developers to push the device to its limits, add battery-saving tweaks, and more.

For those who may have missed it, the U.S. Note 10.1 was the first of Samsung's Galaxy devices to receive Android 4.1.2 (all the other updates were 4.1.1). The update also brought some enhanced features to Samsung's Premium Suite, as well as all of Jelly Bean's added goodness.

If you're ready to get tinkerin', you can find the source code download right here.

Jan

Sprint Galaxy Nexus Android 4.2.1 OTA Update (GA02) Available For Download Right Now From Google

Posted by David Ruddock in Device Updates, Galaxy Nexus, Jelly Bean 4.2, News, Sprint

The official OTA update to Android 4.2 for the Sprint Galaxy Nexus has just hit Google's servers, and you can grab the build (GA02) right now. Here's a direct download link, originally found on XDA. Sextape at SXTP Developers posted yesterday indicating that a leaked version of this build would end up as the final OTA release. Here's the detailed build info:

post-build=samsung/mysidspr/toroplus:4.2.1/JOP40D/L700GA02:user/release-keys

md5: 4a023ce78c17c8256dfec8ae0615707f

File size: 102,838,616 bytes

So, now you're wondering how you go about flashing this build, right? Well, you can do it now, but it's not a one-step affair. I've placed instructions below, but proceed at your own risk - the OTA update will probably be going out through Sprint fairly soon, too.

Jan

T-Mobile's Galaxy Note II Getting A Bug-Fix OTA, Patches The 'Exynos Exploit'

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note II, News, T-Mobile

If you have a stock Note II on T-Mobile, it's time to hit the "check updates" button, because a fix for that nasty Exynos bug is on its way. If you're not familiar with said bug, it basically allowed any app to root and gain full access to any Exynos 4-powered system. And that's a bad thing.

Fortunately, Samsung recognized the issue and started working on a patch almost immediately. It has already rolled out to the Galaxy S III in the UK, and now it's coming to the Note II on T-Mo. Hopefully other carriers will follow suit shortly.

Jan

Sprint-Galaxy-S-III-Google-Wallet-Preloaded-2GB-RAM-Dual-Core-S4-Preorders-Up-June-5-Release-On-June-21-A

Sprint Pushing Small OTA Updates To The Flash And Epic 4G Touch

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Epic 4G Touch, Flash, News, Sprint

A couple of small OTA updates - both of which are primarily bug-fixers - are making their way to the Flash and Epic 4G Touch on Sprint this morning.

Flash owners, you can expect LED blink timing improvements, camera enhancements, better text input with Swype, and a tweak to the information provided in Settings > Applications > Running applications.

The list is actually shorter for the Epic 4G Touch, with only two things in the OTA: it adds Sprint's Connection Optimizer, and brings some security updates. Exciting, I know.

You can see if the update is available on either device by heading into Settings > About phone > System Updates > Update firmware.

Jan

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8013) Now Getting Jelly Bean 4.1.2 (UEUCMA3) In The U.S.

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note 10.1 (GT-N8000 / N8010 / N8013), News

A few days ago, Samsung starting pushing Android 4.1.1 to the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and 7.0 here in the U.S. Almost immediately we heard a collective shriek from Note 10.1 owners, as they realized that their flagship device was still stuck on 4.0.x.

Well, guys, relax: Samsung's not only hooking you up with Jelly Bean, but it's doing one better by bringing 4.1.2 (build JZO54K) to the table. That's right – none of that .1 business, it's the best that 4.1 has to offer.

The update's rolling out now OTA to Wi-Fi models, but it should also be available via Kies.

Jan

Root Toolkit Now Available For The Samsung Galaxy Camera

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Camera, News

If you're one of the few who dropped the coin and got a Samsung Galaxy Camera, good news: the Galaxy Camera toolkit is available now over at XDA. This comes from developer mskip, who is also responsible for the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7, Nexus 4, and Nexus 10 toolkits, so you can rest assured that it is about as stable and secure as they come.

With the software, you can easily install drivers, root the camera, perform a full Nandroid backup, and so much more:

Install drivers automatically

Backup/Restore a single package or all apps, user data and Internal Storage

Backup your /data/media (virtual SD Card) to your PC for a Full Safe backup of data

Root any public build (different options)

Flash Stock Recovery image to device

Perform a FULL NANDROID Backup of your system via adb and save in Custom Recovery format on your PC

Pull /data and /system folders, compress to a .tar file and save to your PC

Auto Update ToolKit on startup (donators feature)

Dump selected Partitions, compress to a .zip file with md5 and save to your PC

Install BusyBox binary on device

Rename Recovery Restore files if present

Download, Extract and Flash Stock Rom (full steps)

Flash Insecure Boot Image for adb mode

Flash Stock Boot Image back to your device

Create tar file to flash via Odin with 1-click process

Rip cache.img to zip file in CWM format

Install a single apk or multiple apk's to your device

Push Files from your PC to your device

Pull Files from your device to your PC

Set Files Permissions on your device

Dump selected LogCat buffers to your PC

Dump BugReport to your PC (if installed)

Help, Information Screen for various tasks

Mods Section to modify your device (increase bitrate for video, increase camera quality settings, fix permissions in Internal Storage)

Reboot Device options in adb mode

Change background, text colour in ToolKit

The Galaxy Camera Toolkit is for Windows PCs only.

Jan

Samsung's Galaxy Rugby Pro On AT&T Getting The Bump To Android 4.1

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, Galaxy Rugby Pro, News

Back in September, Samsung announced a new ruggedized mid-ranger for AT&T: the Galaxy Rugby Pro. Now, that phone you probably don't remember is getting Jelly Bean. It's pretty weird.

The update, which bumps this rough-and-tumble handset up to Android 4.1, brings many good things for the device, like Google Now and Project Butter, but it also includes some other enhancements and fixes:

Camera enhancements: New live camera and camcorder filters offer a range of camera effects, pause and resume while recording a video

Pop Up Play update: Easily resize or pause the Pop Up Play picture-in-picture video window.

Jan

Samsung Revisits The Pebble Blue Galaxy SIII's 'Shortage', Stresses The Importance Of Keeping Promises

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy S III, News, Samsung

In a lengthy, somewhat intimate retrospective piece posted today to Samsung Tomorrow, the electronics giant revisits the launch of the Galaxy SIII. Readers likely remember a launch that almost came off without a hitch, but which was tarnished by a "shortage" of Pebble Blue colored units. Following the international delay, Samsung said there'd be no delay for the Pebble Blue SIII's in the States, and all seemed to be well. Still, the manufacturer was awfully quiet about the real reason behind the initial delay.

For customers and techies interested in the real story, Samsung's post tells all. According to Samsung, the pebble blue SIII's were packed and ready to go, but a "tough decision" was made to stop shipment, because "the SIII's fundamental design concept had not been perfectly reproduced on the battery cover, creating an aesthetic that was inconsistent with the planned product." In other words, something in manufacturing the blue SIII had caused uneven, unreliable finish.

Jan

Samsung: The Galaxy S Line Has Sold More Than 100 Million Units Globally

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy S, Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II LTE HD, Galaxy S III, Galaxy S III Mini, News, Samsung

One hundred million – that's a pretty massive number. And it's one that Samsung can now tout as a sales figure for the Galaxy S line as a whole. That's a combined number for the entire series: the Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, and Galaxy S III; no other Galaxy phones, like the Note, are included.

The original Galaxy S made its debut in June of 2010, with the Galaxy S II arriving just 10 months later – in April of 2011. Thirteen months after that, the GSIII – Samsung's most popular Galaxy S phone to date – was released.