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Multitouch Issues, Slow Rotation Speeds Reported by Galaxy Nexus Owners

Jack Holt
December 20, 2011

By Jack Holt | December 20, 2011

Us early adopters of new technology have to put up with the quirks and speed bumps that this new tech has to offer. I know this, you know this, we all know this, but sometimes they can be frustrating nonetheless. Less than a week after the launch of maybe one of the most hyped phones on the planet, the Galaxy Nexus, users are running into some major and minor bugs. Even with the 4.0.2 update right out of the gate, and a swift push for Android 4.0.3 in the coming weeks (though we aren’t sure when), some of these bugs are hard to over look.

While users have reported some bugs, even our writers have reported issues in their 24hr and 48hr initial impressions of the phone, some of them can be overlooked. However there appears to be a slew of newer found bugs that are giving users even more headaches. The folks over at RootzWiki are reporting that users are having issues with Multitouch in 3D games like Gun Bros and Shadowgun. Apparently after playing the game for a little bit, sensitivity on the right side of the touch screen is lost. This can be remedied with a quick turning off then back on of the display leading folks to believe that this is software related.

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Motorola Xoom Gets Unofficial Taste of Android 4.0.3 [Courtesy of XDA]

Jack Holt
December 17, 2011

By Jack Holt | December 17, 2011

Quickly after the release of Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3 and the push to AOSP, developers over at XDA have created an almost fully functional ROM for both versions of the Xoom. A few issues for both the WiFi and 3G/4G versions are apparent and they are as follows:

What is working: (That I can tell so far)
– Wi-Fi
– Browser
– All the basics

What is not working:
-3G/4G – baseband issue?
-Camera*
-HDMI*
*Need binaries from Moto

There also seems to be an issue with some green coloring on the screen at times, but it appears that we are pretty close to seeing a fully functional Android 4.0.3 ROM for the Xoom.

So if you have a rooted Xoom and want to give this a try, you can hit the break below to download the files and get the instructions on how to do this. Those who want to try this I wish you good luck and let us know how it goes, although if you have 3G/4G I would hold off until those work. A big thanks to razorbladex401, xxspark89xx and XDA for developing these. Note: You need to use fastboot for the 3G/4G files.

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Google Announces Android 4.0.3 Fresh Off the Release of Android 4.0.2

Jack Holt
December 16, 2011

By Jack Holt | December 16, 2011

If you are anything like me then I bet you were pretty excited when you got your Galaxy Nexus yesterday. I bet you were also excited that there was already an update out to fix bugs on your phone moments after you got it into your hands. Well if you were impressed with that, Google has even more awesome news for you. Google announced today an incremental increase from yesterday’s update bringing it to 4.0.3.

Some of the new APIs in Android 4.0.3 include:

– Social stream API in Contacts provider: Applications that use social stream data such as status updates and check-ins can now sync that data with each of the user’s contacts, providing items in a stream along with photos for each. This new API lets apps show users what the people they know are doing or saying, in addition to their photos and contact information.

– Calendar provider enhancements: Apps can now add color to events, for easier tracking, and new attendee types and states are now available.

– New camera enhancements: Apps can now check and manage video stabilization and use QVGA resolution profiles where needed.

– Accessibility refinements: Improved content access for screen readers and new status and error reporting for text-to-speech engines.

– Incremental improvements in graphics, database, spell-checking, Bluetooth, and more.

So there we have it. Although I have no idea on when this update will come out, I know I will be checking my status update option constantly. If you do get the update let us know and tell us what you think.

[via Android Developers Blog]

ICS 4.0.2 (ICL53F) Factory Images Released for Verizon Wireless Galaxy Nexus

Jack Holt
December 15, 2011

By Jack Holt | December 15, 2011

More good news for those of you who managed to score the Galaxy Nexus on this Merry Nexus Day. Not even two hours after the Android 4.0.1 images were released for the Verizon Nexus, Google has decided to drop the 4.0.2 factory images on us as well. The build for ICS 4.0.2 is ICL53F and is the current build you’ll have after the phone updates shortly after activation. For those of you who are wanting to flash, mod and tweak your phone it is suggested that you tuck these away just in case. Check back and we should have an update on how to flash these to your phones should you botch a flash.

maguro/yakju download link

toro/mysid download link

[via Google]

New developments in Galaxy Nexus Builds – Yakju & Mysid are AOSP supported

Jim Farmer
December 14, 2011

By Jim Farmer | December 14, 2011

Yesterday we posted an article concerning the discovery of alternative builds on GSM Galaxy Nexus Phones. Google’s own build for the Galaxy Nexus is named “yakju,” however some owners who were not receiving updates for their device discovered the problem lay in the fact that their phone sported a different fingerprint, “yakjuwx.” Android software engineer Jean-Baptise Queru, shed some light on the information, declaring that yakjuwx and yet another alternative build yakjusc are from Samsung, not Google. While the experience is largely the same between the versions, only Google’s yakju build is guranteed updates as they happen. Samsung will presumably distribute the updates to their modified build at unknown time intervals. Not having to wait on updates is one of the major draws of the Nexus brand, so it comes as no surprise that many, discovering they had the yakjuwx build, were a bit disappointed. Others, however, turned their gaze to the impending release of the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon. Would it be receiving updates through Google, Samsung, or shudder Verizon?

It appears that those of us waiting to purchase the Verizon version can all take a big sigh of relief today, as JBQ has chimed in once more on the situation. He writes,

After reviewing the situation, Google concluded that the only Galaxy Nexus that can be supported in AOSP are the ones that are originally sold with a “yakju” or “mysid” system.

yakju is one of the GSM/CDMA+ variants, while mysid is indeed the CDMA/LTE variant for VZW.

There you have it folks. Verizon Galaxy Nexus gets its updates through Google. Rest a little easier, until our next startling discovery…

[via Google Groups]

Nexus or Not? Varying builds have come to light, are your updates from Google?

Jim Farmer
December 13, 2011

By Jim Farmer | December 13, 2011

Google

samsung galaxy nexus

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, a phone which should stand as the epitome of a pure Google Experience device, has been receiving a lot of flak lately for inclusion of bloatware and exclusion of Google Wallet, at least in the Verizon version. That being the case, many have resorted to obtaining a purer version elsewhere, purchasing the GSM counterpart for use on alternative networks. As it turns out the GSM version may have its fair share of problems as well, besides the volume bug. One of the key aspects of a Nexus device is the fact that it is updated before any other devices, and the updates come to you straight from Google immediately thereafter they release them. As expected, Google pushed out update 4.0.1 and people started receiving it without missing a beat, some people that is. A buzz began when select XDA community members realized they had failed to receive the 4.0.1 update. Many of them anything but new to Android took matters into their own hands and decided to flash the update to their devices manually using the Google provided update zip file. They subsequently found that they could not manually install either.

What’s going on here?

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Razr Sandwich Progressing Ever So Slightly (Video)

Axl Logan
December 13, 2011

By Axl Logan | December 13, 2011

It’s a work in progress and a pleasure watching it in the making as ICS comes to the Droid Razr. The folks over at RootzWiki managed to successfully boot Ice Cream Sandwich on the device. They’ve dedicated this a whole thread to keeping you up to date in what’s working, what’s not working, all features, news, pics and videos of the port. And if you can get through a ton of heavy metal music and bad viewing angles, check out the video of the new OS on the Razr and don’t forget to let us know what you think of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-bTEDx8R8E&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udp0uRQJpdg&feature=player_embedded

[via RootzWiki]

Flash CyanogenMod 7 to Your Kindle Fire in 43 Easy Steps

Jack Holt
December 5, 2011

By Jack Holt | December 5, 2011

The other day we told you about the CyanogenMod team bringing CM7 to the Kindle Fire. Well as of today you can too. However, this is a lengthy process (43 steps and use of ADB) and I suggest taking extreme caution by reading through the entire guide before you take on this task. According to the post, this is still an alpha build and some stuff doesn’t work. We reported before that the wifi wasn’t working, but both that and the touchscreen are working just fine. The sound and hardware acceleration aren’t working however. According to the post:

“- First, this method will require some knowledge of ADB.
– This version is very much an alpha build, and as such there are features that are not yet working, though most of the important stuff is.
– Wifi and touchscreen controls are reported to work just fine, however sound and hardware acceleration are not.
– This has been tested with firmware versions 6.0 and 6.1, but not on 6.2.
– In addition, there is no way (currently) to return to the stock software.
– There are likely other issues as well, but if you’re willing to test it then proceed.”

So, those of you that are interested in trying this out, I still, advise extreme caution in flashing this, and like with rooting and flashing on other devices, it does void your warranty. If you haven’t rooted your Kindle Fire yet and want to, you can go here. There is no way to get back to the Stock software as of yet, so again, extreme caution advised, have I stressed this enough yet?

If this doesn’t deter you from trying this out, hit the break below to download the files and for the install process. Those of you that successfully flash this, we would love to hear from you. How well does it work?

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Droid Bionic Gets Alpha Build Ice Cream Sandwich ROM

Jack Holt
December 4, 2011

By Jack Holt | December 4, 2011

Good news for those with rooted Bionics. A somewhat functional, alpha build of Ice Cream Sandwich has been released for the Bionic thanks to dhacker29 of the Th3ORY ROM team. Not everything works as of right now, so using this as a daily driver is probably not a good idea. Here is what works:

– Graphics working smooth now
– Adb is working so we can track the rest
– Touchscreen
– Capacitive buttons
– Charging indicator
– BlueTooth
– External SD Card
– Gallery
– Builtin Screenshot
– Reboot menu

However, wifi and phone data aren’t working and the developer still needs to get the internal SD card to mount. This should happen sooner rather than later though.

If you are interested in trying this out, you need to make sure your Bionic is rooted, which you can do by going here. Keep in mind that this is an alpha build and is intended for preview purposes only. As always, what happens when flash the ROM is your responsibility. If that doesn’t deter you, hit the break below to download the ROM or view the source for more details.

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CyanogenMod Posts Update on CM 9 Progress

Jack Holt
December 2, 2011

By Jack Holt | December 2, 2011

Chomping at the bit for some Ice Cream Sandwich action brought to you by CM9? Then you’re in luck, sort of. The developers of CyanogenMod released an update to their blog showing progress for CM9. As they say things are “slowly starting to come together.” I think however, that given they got the source code a little over two weeks ago, they are moving along pretty well. They have a number of devices running CM9 and they are focusing on getting it on more devices. OMAP4, MSM8660/7×30 and Exynos devices will most likely be the first ones ready for this ROM. Tablets are being shown some love too as both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Asus Transformer are in the “pipeline” early.

Older devices will be seeing CM 9 as well. As the blog put it:

“Our goal is to provide continued support to all CM7 devices back to the QSD8250 series of devices such as the Nexus One. I don’t want to make any promises at this time, but that is the plan.”

Bad news for those of you with the original Droid. CM9 will not be seen on your device. As the CyanogenMod puts it, “time to upgrade.” Given that the Android framework has had some major changes the CyanogenMod team has had trouble with compatibility with older proprietary camera and graphics drivers, but, they are pretty confident that they will be able to overcome these issues like they have in the past. The CM team has also created a solution to CM7‘s long spin-up time by adding new devices on-demand which saves bandwidth and avoids long start-up time.

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Factory Image Released by Google for HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus, ROM Flashers Everywhere Breathe Sigh of Relief

Jack Holt
December 1, 2011

By Jack Holt | December 1, 2011

Good news for you owners of the Galaxy Nexus. The Android Building Google Groups page put up an announcement stating that a complete factory image for your Galaxy Nexus has been released. This image includes the bootloader, baseband, and the rest of the system. As we all know, Google phones have always been easy to root and the Galaxy Nexus continues this tradition. This factory image will restore your phone back to its factory state should you mess it up. If you are interested you can un-archive the package and check out all of the files individually, however, there is a “flash-all” script that has been added so that flashing to the factory state is easy to do.

Jean-Baptiste M. Queru, Software Engineer for the Android Open-Source Project, was quoted to say:

“hopefully this’ll be useful to people flashing custom AOSP builds, as it provides a clean supported way to return to factory state.”

Those of you who are interested in flashing your phone, you can head to the link below the break to get your image. If you haven’t rooted your phone yet and are interested in doing so, you can go here. This is certainly good news for the Android community. What about you guys? Does this help you breathe a little bit easier?

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Samsung Fascinate Gets “Alphalulz” Ice Cream Sandwich ROM

Joe Sirianni
November 29, 2011

By Joe Sirianni | November 29, 2011

The race is on, that is, to see how many different devices can we port ICS to in the least amount of time. Next to make the ICS port list is the seemingly forgotten Samsung Fascinate. The device was recently graced with the “Alphalulz” ICS build courtesy of the folks over at RootzWiki, primarily dev JT1134. Working features include 3G call quality, WiFi functionality and the camera. The build is definitely being touted as good enough to be your daily driver. Want to give it a try? Remember that you’re doing this at your own risk. That being said, you can hit the source link for all of the download instructions. Good luck and have fun with this.

[via RootzWiki]

Nexus S and Galaxy S Receive Early Build Of CyanogenMod 9

Joe Sirianni
November 28, 2011

By Joe Sirianni | November 28, 2011

We didn’t think it would take too long before the creators of CyanogenMod got………creative. Since the Android 4.0 source code release, the team has been hard at work and now we’re seeing the blood sweat and tears begin to manifest into fruition. Early alpha builds of CyanogenMod9 for the Samsung Galaxy S and the Nexus S are surfacing and certainly showing some promise. The build is doing well so far per Koushik Dutta, CM9’s initial developer. He also states that as the build is performing well, it’s stable enough to become a “daily driver-type ROM”. Video playback and MMS are experiencing some issues but otherwise it’s still a good build for Nexus S.

In regards to the Galaxy S, a beta version of CM9 made its way to the folks over at XDA and you can download it now to try. The ROM is being touted as “functional” with the exception of some minor but important issues. For instance, the Galaxy S version has been known to completely wipe users’ SD cards. So keep in mind you’re attempting this at your own risk. If you’re still interested in giving it a go, you can head on over to XDA via the source thread and try your luck. Good luck and don’t forget to report back on how well the builds are working on your respective devices.

[via XDA 1, 2]

HTC Releases Source Code For The Amaze, Rezound, Explorer And Desire S

Joe Sirianni
November 22, 2011

By Joe Sirianni | November 22, 2011

HTC, one of the hottest handset manufacturers in the word has just announced the availability of source code for several of its popular handsets. Among these are the HTC Amaze, Rezound, Explorer and Desire S. You now download the kernel source code by heading over to HTC’s Dev site. Here’s to hoping the wide array of developers get on board and do what they do best which is checking out what’s under the hood, extracting some goodies and tidbits and of course, producing some awesome and useful custom ROMs for the masses.

[via HTC Dev]

Koush Releases ICS Alpha Build For Nexus S, Now in ROM Manager [Courtesy of XDA]

Jack Holt
November 21, 2011

By Jack Holt | November 21, 2011

Android 4.0

android 4.0 ice cream sandwich

Have a Nexus S? Looking to get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich? Well look no further. If you are wanting to get a taste of an early build of ICS check out Koush’s build available in the ROM manger. For those of you who don’t know, Koush is famous for the Clockwork Recovery mod that allows the flashing of various ROMs and mods and for the ROM manager itself which makes the process entirely painless. Let it be known that this is an Alpha build and everything isn’t working as it should be and that your Nexus S needs to be rooted. According to Koush:

“What doesn’t work:
Camcorder
Facebook account sync, missing apps from market. I am fairly sure this is a build fingerprint issue. Can probably be resolved by using the fingerprint of the Galaxy Nexus, etc. Will need to wipe between changing fingerprints.”

The GPS may not work but I will let you head over to XDA and read why that is. So for those of you who are chomping at the bit to get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich, here is a chance by a more-than-reputable source. Just remember that it is an Alpha build and there may be some bugs or issues that have to be resolved. Hit the link below to download the zip file courtesy of Koush and XDA.

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