Android Tablet Update

The Samsung Galaxy Note is getting quite a bit of attention today. The first bit of news isn’t huge, but it does give us more proof that the Note is headed to AT&T. The first press shot of the Galaxy Note has surfaced, prominently displaying AT&T’s logo above the screen. While specs are nearly identical, the AT&T variant is also said to feature an NFC chip, something that its European counterpart lacks. ^[1]

The modders and hackers among us will probably be thrilled to hear that the Samsung Galaxy Note has received an early Android 4.0.3 CM9 build. Naturally, there are quite a few things not working as they should, but we suspect the Cyanogen team will have the bugs worked out long before Samsung gets around to rolling out its official Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy Note. ^[2]

The last bit of news seems to confirm some of our previous speculation about the Galaxy Note. According to the latest rumor, Samsung is working to bring the Galaxy Note to Sprint’s network. No specifications for Sprint’s variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note are currently available. We suspect the Sprint version of the phone will not come equipped with support for its new LTE network, but WiMax support is certainly on the table. ^[3]

We’ve known for a while that the Samsung Galaxy Note is coming to the US market this year. We suspect Samsung and its carrier partners will fill us in on all the details at CES. Stay tuned folks; we should know the Samsung Galaxy Note’s fate in less than a week.

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The default music player in Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, leaves much to be desired in the way of customization. There are options to change some of the settings for Google Music and playback, but that’s about as far as customizations go. The fine folks behind CyanogenMod are looking to change that, for rooted and non-rooted users alike.

Android Developer Andrew Neal recently sat down with The Verge and spilled some details on CyanogenMod 9’s upcoming music application. Among the normal options found throughout the default Android music app, CM9’s music app will feature fully customizable notification area playback options, shake controls, the ability to search the Android Market, options for setting music as ringtones and gesture recognition.

In keeping with the spirit of CyanogenMod ROMs, the music app will eventually come equipped with a full theme engine, allowing users to take total control of their music playback experience.

Fortunately for non-rooted users, the CyanogenMod 9 music app will be made available as a stand-alone download in the Android Market.

Progress on the rest of CyanogenMod 9 is coming along quite nicely. Every day, more and more devices land ports and early alphas of the ROM. The Droid X and Droid 2 Global are just two devices to see their own version of CM9 come out in the last week. Surely, we can expect to see many more devices gain compatibility soon.

While hackers and modders from all over the world are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for CyanogenMod 9 to make a mass release appearance, anyone lucky enough to own an Android 4.0.3 device can get a taste of the ROM now. Trebuchet Launcher, the launcher that will come preloaded in CyanogenMod 9, is available for download in early alpha form.

There are two requirements for running Trebuchet Launcher, you must be on Android 4.0.3, and you must be rooted. If you happen to own a device that fits that criteria, like a Galaxy Nexus or Nexus S, then you can download Trebuchet and see what the standard launcher for CM9 will come with. TreBuchet is modeled to look just like the stock Android 4 launcher, but comes with a slew of customization features not found in vanilla Android.

• Custom number of Homescreens
• Enable/Disable Persistent Search Bar
• Separated Apps/Widgets in Drawer
• Resize Any Widget
• Show and Fade Scrolling Indicator in Homescreen and Drawer
• Enable/Disable Auto-Rotate
• Drawer Apps Sorting (Title, Install Date)

Personally, I’m really looking forward to app drawer sorting and disabling the persistant Google search bar. Since I have a Nexus S, I still use the search button, making the persistant search bar pointless. And who couldn’t use a little more organization in their app drawer?

As time goes on, more and more features will find their way into Trebuchet Launcher. Infinite scrolling and screen transition animations are just two among many slated to make an appearance eventually.

For more information on Trebuchet Launcher, and to download the alpha, visit XDA now.

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