Android Tablet Update

Now that Android 4.0.4 for the Nexus S (i9023, i9020-T) is out, you may be wondering how to get your device up and running with the latest version of Android. Allow us to help. If you’re running stock 4.0.3 or any ROM with Clockwork Mod Recovery, the process to update your device couldn’t be easier.

For those of you with Clockwork Mod Recovery flashed, all you have to do is:

• Download the flashable ROM from this XDA thread
• Place on the root of your SDcard (plug your device into your computer, mount as USB storage and drag the flashable ROM onto your Nexus S, not in any folders)
• Reboot your device into recovery
• Wipe data/factory reset
• Install .zip from SDcard
• Choose .zip from SDcard
• Flash the ROM you put on your Nexus S
• Enjoy!

If you’re using the stock build of 4.0.3, the steps to flash the update file are just as easy:

• Grab the update file from Google
• Place on the root of your SDcard
• Power off your Nexus S, then once it’s off, hold volume up and power to boot into the bootloader
• Navigate with the volume buttons to recovery, and use the power button to select it
• You should see a warning triangle shortly after that, from there, hold down the power button and press volume up
• Select apply update from /sdcard and choose the update file
• Reboot your Nexus S with the menu option provided
• Enjoy!

Of course, using either method to update your Nexus S is your decision. Only you are responsible for what happens to your device. For any additional help, or more information on the update process, you can use the comments or visit the XDA threads for either the rooted ROM or update file.

I’ve been playing around with the rooted but totally stock ROM and so far, and I love it. Everything is very fast and super smooth. No problems yet.

And don’t forget, those of you who don’t want to get their hands messy, this update will be hitting your device before you know it. So just hold on tight.

The Android modding community will never cease to amaze me. XDA developer NODO-GT has recently developed a software mod for the HTC Sensation 4G that drastically improves the device’s imaging capabilities with a few simple flashable files.

With NODO-GT’s camera mod, called “HQ Camera for ICS,” Sensation users can get much more out of the 8 megapixel shooter affixed to the device’s backside. By doing away with compression on .jpgs and increasing the allowed data size of images, photos taken with the Sensation come out cleaner and sharper than with stock software.

Video recording has also been improved. HQ Camera for ICS allows for 1080p video recording at 20Mbps, with future updates to the mod bringing improved 720p video capture and 1080p recording at 40Mbps. There’s also an experimental 1250 ISO mode.

So just what do all these numbers mean? Do they really translate to better quality images? Yes. Just take a look at the sample images in the gallery below. Both images are still frames from video taken. You can easily tell which one comes from the modded camera app.

For more info on the mod, head on over to XDA. Let’s hear it for the developers that make this stuff happen.

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Android developer Koush has been working on a touch enabled version of his popular ClockworkMod Recovery for quite some time now. He posted a teaser video on Friday, January 27,  and already there’s a beta version available to download for the Galaxy Nexus and GSM Nexus S.

Announced on Google+, both versions (Verizon CDMA, international GSM) of the Galaxy Nexus are supported in the beta, but only the GSM Nexus S is. Not much information was made available on the beta, but so far reports seem good. There’s over 50 comments on the original Google+ post with download links, many of which are users confirming everything works well.

If you’re comfortable with Fastboot and understand the risks involved with flashing a recovery still in beta, head on over to Google+ to download Koush’s touch-based ClockworkMod Recovery now. To get an idea of how the recovery will work, check out the video below. If you decide to install the recovery, let us know how it works in the comments below.

Could you imagine being throw in jail or fined thousands of dollars just for rooting or jailbreaking your own device? If the US Copyright Office doesn’t renew rooting and jailbreaking’s status as exempt from the laws of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), it could happen.

Back in 2010, the US Copyright Office ruled that jailbreaking phones doesn’t violate the DMCA, letting the user take full control of their device without violating any copyright laws. Unfortunately, that ruling is about to expire. The EFF is looking to extend jailbreaking’s exemption from copyright laws and add coverage to tablets and video game consoles along with phones. But they need your help.

The EFF is reaching out to anyone who jailbreaks or roots their devices to utilize independent software and is asking them to submit a comment to the Copyright Office that addresses the following questions.

• Which jailbreaking exemption are you supporting—smartphones/tablets, video game consoles, or both?
• What’s your background (i.e., are you a developer, hobbyist, academic, independent researcher, user, etc.)?
• What device do you want to ensure you have the legal authority to jailbreak?
• Please explain why you want to jailbreak this device. What limitations do you face if you aren’t able to jailbreak it? Is there software you couldn’t run, computing capabilities you wouldn’t have, cool things you couldn’t do, etc.?
• If you’re a developer, did an online application store or console manufacturer reject your app or game? If so, what reasons did they give?
• Is there anything else you want to tell the Copyright Office?

The EFF is also suggesting that anyone interested in keeping jailbreaking legal sign the petition found here.

It’s been awhile since I’ve rooted and installed custom software myself, but I can’t imagine it being made illegal. I’m sure there’s plenty of you out there who read Android and Me and feel exactly the same way. Now’s your chance to make your voice on the subject heard.

For more information on the EFF’s fight for your digital rights, along with how to submit your comments to the US Copyright Office, visit EFF.org.

Back in late December, Android Developer Andrew Neal revealed some of the new features coming to the CyanogenMod 9 music app that had control freaks everywhere dying for a taste. While the default music app in Android 4.0 isn’t terrible, it does lack much in the way of customization and control. Andrew Neal’s new CyanogenMod music app aims to fix that. Finally, last night, Neal took to his site Seeing Pixels and released an early 1.0 build of the music app for Android 4.0 devices.

At first glance, the CyanogenMod 9 music app (it just appears as Music with a blue icon on your Android device) isn’t all that different from the default music player. The default theme is slightly varied from what comes stock with Ice Cream Sandwich, but you might not even notice if you weren’t looking. The total overhaul comes from the setting menu.

There’s a ton of options and setting under the customization menu option, but that’s only the beginning. There’s some in-depth audio options including a full equalizer with bass boost, shake and flip gesture support and a theme chooser. The music theme template for the app was also released yesterday, along with a Google Music theme. The default theme that comes with the app looks much more native on Android 4.0 than Google Music, but options are what this app is all about.

As much as I like the CyanogenMod 9 music app, I need Google Music. All my music is on Google Music now. And the CyanogenMod 9 music app lacks Google Music support. Because of this, it could never become my go-to music app for Android. I will keep it installed for anything local, but that won’t be much.

To try out the new music app for CyanogenMod 9, head on over to Seeing Pixels now. Be sure to let us know how you like it.

Just yesterday, when we told you the developers behind CyanogenMod were thinking about releasing a root-only app store for Android, we mentioned that CyanogenMod has a unique user install base of around one million. Last night, that number became official.

Announced by Steve Kondik on Google+, this is a huge milestone for Android modding and the community behind it. CyanogenMod officially has over one million unique user installs. According to the CyanogenMod stats page, over 200,000 users have installed CyanogenMod 7.1 alone. The next closest is CM 7.1RC, with only 48,000. And as for the single most popular device? That would be the HTC Desire with nearly 81,000 installs.

Considering 700,000 Android devices are activated daily, and 200 million total devices have been activated so far, one million unique installs may not seem astronomical. But when you think of it in terms of 1 out of every 200 Android users on the planet uses CyanogenMod, that’s impressive to say the least. And those numbers don’t say anything about the passion, voice and devotion behind the Android modding community.

For more information on CyanogenMod, visit CyanogenMod.com.

If you’re on the hunt for root only apps, or looking for something that was taken down from the Android Market due to carrier or company complaints, you’re pretty much on your own. You could always check forums and other file sharing sites, but wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sort of go-to root only app store for modded Android devices? The folks behind CyanogenMod think so, and there might just be one on the way.

Koushik Dutta, CyanogenMod team member and the developer behind apps like ROM Manager, has taken to Google+ to ask if members of the Android community would be interested in a CyanogenMod App Store.

I've been bouncing this idea around for a while now, and it seems like an even better idea now, given my recent brush with this problem: we need an App Store for root apps. We also need an app store for apps that are getting shut down for no good reason, other than carrier, or some random corporation doesn't like it.Koushik DuttaCyanogenMod

Essentially, we’re looking at Cydia for Android. A standardized app store that specializes in root only and banned apps, that would be available to use in any ROM.

Dutta has already talked with Amazon about bundling it with their app store, but they aren’t interested in participating at this time. So CyanogenMod may tackle the task alone.

Personally, I’m all for this. Not only would it be much easier to find tweaks and mods for rooted Android devices, but it would help keep the Android community’s most active user base funded. A portion of the profits from app sales out of the CyanogenMod App Store would go to funding the development behind the ROM, as their unique user install base has grown past one million and become rather costly to maintain.

To voice your opinion, and help get the word out, check out the original post on Google+.

Shortly after Samsung announced they wouldn’t be updating their Galaxy S line of handsets to Android 4, Ice Cream Sandwich, word got out that the company was working on some sort of enhancement package for the device known as a “value pack,” or ICS-lite. Unfortunately, a Samsung spokesperson speaking with The Next Web has said that no value pack is expected and that older Galaxy devices will not be updated beyond Gingerbread, Android 2.3.

Citing memory issues and hardware inadequacies that are “limited to and fully optimised for the Gingerbread experience,” Samsung will abandon their older handsets and focus on newer models like the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy Note.

The value pack that was rumored for the Galaxy S would not have been a full-blown Android 4 update, but it would have brought some of the more coveted features from Ice Cream Sandwich, like multitasking improvements, face unlock and Android Beam, to the device. Instead, users looking for these enhancements will have to turn to alternative software and the Android community.

Right now on XDA, the “Android Development” section of the Galaxy S i9000 sub-forum is chock full of Android 4 ROMs. The Vibrant, Epic 4G, Captivate and all US variants of the original Galaxy S have Android 4 ROMs on the way as well.

It’s unfortunate to see Samsung abandon the some 10 million users who bought the Galaxy S, many of whom are still tied to a contract with the device, but it doesn’t look like Samsung is going to budge on this one. We’ll be sure to keep an eye on any updates to the situation and will let you know if anything changes.

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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