Sony Xperia Tablet Z receives AOSP support

by Aditya Thawardas on May 18th 2013, 11:16am
tagged AOSP, sony, Xperia Tablet Z

Sony opened AOSP software code for the Sony Xperia Z last month, and now the Xperia Tablet Z has been added to the program as well. This will be the first tablet to receive the AOSP port from Sony. The source code will be available through GitHub, usable after the bootloader on the tablet is unlocked. Keep in mind, this software is not intended for everyday use and several apps and services will not be functional.

You can see a Jelly Bean walkthrough of AOSP on the Tablet Z in action below.

Source: Sony Blog

ZTE reveals Grand X2 In with Intel CloverTrail+ processor capable of taking 24 photos per second

by James Gray on May 15th 2013, 2:32pm
tagged atom, Clover Trail+, CloverTrail, Intel, ZTE

ZTE is no stranger to Intel’s up-and-coming CloverTrail+ project, including one of Intel’s chips in the ZTE Geek we reported on about a month ago. Today we bring you Intel and ZTE’s newest collaboration, dubbed the ZTE Grand X2 In. The Grand X2 In is a sleek purple device with a 4.5-inch, 720p display. It runs Android Jellybean and is powered by Intel’s 2GHz Atom Z2580 chip. Also under the hood is 1GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1-megapixel front-facing camera. While this phone is not going to compete with today’s flagships, it does have some features that set it apart, most notably the aforementioned camera. Capable of 24 frames-per-second, zero shutter lag and image stabilization, the camera alone puts this mid-range offering ahead of many other comparable devices. Hit the break for the full press release. » Read the rest

Google announces unlocked Samsung Galaxy S 4 with stock Android coming June 26 for $649

by Aditya Thawardas on May 15th 2013, 1:39pm
tagged galaxy s 4, Google, google io 2013, Samsung

We told you last night about the possibility of this happening, and today at the I/O keynote, Google made it official that they will be releasing an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S 4 running stock Android. The LTE compatible, completely unlocked phone will come with an unlocked bootloader and will work on AT&T and T-Mobile. Storage will be 16GB and the device will arrive on June 26 for $649. The crowd at I/O went silent, with a few boos audible when they heard about the high price tag.

This is the first non-Nexus device to get this kind of Google treatment. It’s a little surprising Samsung is on board with this, considering how much they market their TouchWiz UI’s additions to the Android experience. » Read the rest

Google Play developers now able to reply to user reviews

by Aditya Thawardas on May 13th 2013, 3:01pm
tagged developers, Google Play

google_play_developer_reply

In line with Google’s priority of strengthening communication between developers and their users, they have given developers the ability to reply to user reviews via the Google Play Developer Console. Responses by developers will appear publicly below the original comment in the Play Store. Once a developer replies to a user’s comment, the user will receive an email and can then either reply to the developer directly by email, or update their review.

Back in November, Play Store reviews became integrated with Google+, with the goal of less anonymity leading to higher quality comments. Today’s update strengthens communication a step further. It’s a feature that’s long overdue and should help improve app development.

Source: Android Developers Blog

Portland tech startup Instrument teams up with Google to create Map Diving, a realistic skydiving simulator

by James Gray on May 9th 2013, 10:14pm
tagged Google, Google I/O, Intruments, Skydiving

Google I/O is always a place for innovation and next week’s event will be no different. Those lucky enough to attend will get treated to some of the greatest breakthroughs in technology at Google’s annual event, including a lifelike skydiving simulator based on Google Maps. Using data gathered over the years by Google’s Maps and Earth teams, Instrument has created an extremely advanced skydiving simulator game.

Unfortunately it appears that I/O is the only place Map Diving can be experienced for now, but Instruments has hinted at a possible slimmed down take-home version in the near future. Video demos after the break.

» Read the rest

CyanogenMod 10.1 available for T-Mobile Galaxy S4 with other variants soon to come

by James Gray on May 5th 2013, 3:36pm
tagged CyanogenMod, galaxy s 4, Samsung

For those of you who purchased the Samsung Galaxy S 4 through T-Mobile, today is a good day to tinker. CyanogenMod founder Steve Kondik just released the first build of CyanogenMod 10.1 for the T-Mobile variant of Samsung’s excellent flagship device. Considering Kondik’s recent departure from Samsung, this is a relief to those who purchased the phone hoping to use it to its full potential. Additionally, Kondik also promises builds for all other variants of the S 4 very soon. While this is the first build for the S 4, Kondik says that it is stable enough to be a daily driver, so if you have an S 4 and you’re on T-Mobile hit the source to download this awesome ROM.

Source: Steve Kondik’s Google+

Paranoid Android’s new Halo notification system hits testing stage with builds available for Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus (GSM), and Oppo Find 5

by James Gray on May 5th 2013, 1:59pm
tagged Halo, Paranoid Android

Not long after unveiling their newest project Halo, the Paranoid Android team has released alpha builds featuring the new feature for a handful of devices. Owners of the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus (GSM users only) and the Oppo Find 5 can all head to Paranoid Android’s Google+ page to download builds for their devices.

For those who haven’t followed the progress of this project, Halo is Paranoid Android’s solution to multi-tasking in Android. Inspired by Facebook’s recent Chat Heads feature, Halo places a small notification bubble on top of whatever application you are running. Tapping the Halo opens a small applet where you can respond accordingly. While this is in its earliest stages, the developers promise this is only the beginning. This is an alpha build so if you are brave enough to try it, be warned that there will be bugs. Hit the break for a video of this feature in action.

» Read the rest

Latest Android Distribution Reveals Gingerbread Down 1.3% and Jelly Bean Up 3.4%

by Harrison Kaminsky on May 1st 2013, 11:44pm
tagged android distribution, Gingerbread, Jelly Bean

As can be seen in the above graphic, Jelly Bean continues its growth, which is nowhere near last month’s increase of 8.5%. Unfortunately, the numbers still aren’t at a point where Google (and Android customers) should be satisfied. Of course the Jelly Bean numbers will naturally rise as newer phones are released and older phones become discontinued, but we would like to see this happening at a much higher rate— this starts with the manufacturers.

They need to start developing their skins/bloatware for updates more efficiently, or getting rid of it altogether. (Which would make a lot of us pretty happy.) Stock Android with unlocked bootloaders for all phones is still somewhere in fantasyland, but hopefully the imminent release of Android 4.3 (or 5.0) will make OS-integration simpler. » Read the rest

Paranoid Android ROM to feature floating bubble notification system similar to Chat Heads

by Jared Peters on Apr 30th 2013, 11:07pm
tagged Paranoid Android, ROM

One of the greatest features that Facebook has introduced recently has been the floating Chat Heads found in their messenger app. It’s a fantastic notification/multitasking system for chatting and messaging with friends on top of other applications. The developers of Paranoid Android ROM have decided to take that amazing feature and apply it to notifications across the board, whether that’s a text message, email, or any other notification. Instead of having to switch back and forth between apps, PA’s “chat heads” will let you truly multitask regardless of what you’re doing on your phone.

For the Android OS as a whole, this feature is a gigantic step forward. Multitasking has always been a strong suit for Android, but this builds on the multitasking framework in a major way. Hopefully we’ll see this feature hit more devices in the near future.

source: Phandroid

Use a custom kernel to turn your HTC One’s logo into a functional extra button

by Jared Peters on Apr 23rd 2013, 9:59pm
tagged HTC, HTC One, kernel, XDA

Are you the proud owner of a new HTC One? Is your only complaint the weird button layout? Developer tbalden at XDA may be able to solve your problem with his new kernel tweak which turns the HTC button into a sleep button (which also enables the home button to wake the device) or a menu button, depending on your preference.

This little tweak is possible since the digitizer of the HTC One extends a bit under the HTC button, which allows a different function to be assigned to it with a custom kernel. Currently, the hack isn’t 100% functional, and there’s been a tiny amount of weird behavior with it, but it’s definitely going to be a great mod as it’s further developed and tweaked. Hit the break below to check out the forum post to get the mod working on your shiny new phone.

source: XDA

12 3 4 5...10 20...›Last »