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Unroot Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE N7105, Restore to Stock Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

2013-06-17T23:05:00.001-07:00

This process of unrooting and resetting the binary flash counter of your device shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Remember that in case you stumble upon any major problems, then you will be forced to repeat the entire tutorial. Also, it would be best for you to ask for extra help in comments or at XDA Community dedicated forum page for this tutorial here.

Advanced Android users should use this guide, which is why you should only use it in case you know what you’re doing. Note that you might end up bricking the phone if you’re applying the wrong steps.
In order to successfully complete this tutorial, you need to take a look at the preparation guide below. It should help you to correctly configure your PC and the Galaxy Note 2 Unrooting process, so that you’ll manage to finish all tasks at your first attempt. Here’s what you have to do:

use the guide only with the Galaxy Note 2 LTE model number N7105.
don’t try to unroot any other smartphone using this tutorial nor the files found in it.
make sure to backup all the data that is currently stored on your phone’s internal and external storage.
your PC should have the Samsung USB Drivers installed on it, otherwise it won’t recognize the smartphone.
enable the USB Debugging option from the Developer Options.
make sure that your computer doesn’t run the Samsung KIES software when connected with the Galaxy Note 2 LTE.
any antivirus and security programs shouldn’t be running on your PC, as these will interfere with the unrooting process.
make sure that the device’s battery has enough power left in it, so that it won’t switch off while you’re applying any chnages.
this is a guide for advanced Android users, don’t try to use this tutorial if you don’t know what you’re doing, as you’ll risk bricking your phone.
you cannot held us responsible in case you lose data or you brick your smartphone in the process.
if you cannot complete the tutorial, then you should ask for extra help in comments.

Now that you know all of the above, continue to the next part of this article and learn how to unroot your device, restore it to stock Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and reset the binary flash counter.

How to unroot Galaxy Note 2 LTE N7105 and restore it to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean stock ROM:

Download the stock Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean from HERE. Save the file on your PC.
> choose the region that’s corresponding to your location.
Extract the contents of the zip and place them into a single folder. You will get a file with the .tar.md5 extension, don’t extract it any further than that.
Download Odin3 v1.85 from HERE. Extract its contents and save them on your PC.
Power off your Galaxy Note 2 LTE completely.
Boot the phone into Download Mode using Volume Down, Home and Power buttons simultaneously. Confirm that you wish to boot into Download Mode by pressing Volume Up.
Launch Odin exe on your PC.
Connect the phone with your computer via USB data cable.
> wait for Odin to recognize and add the device.
> if the phone is not recognized, then you should change USB ports or try to reinstall the Samsung USB Drivers with the link provided in the preparation part of this post.
Click the ‘PDA’ button from Odin main screen.
Browse your PC for the .tar.md5 Android 4.1.2 JB file. Load it into Odin.
> don’t edit any other Odin default settings.
> make sure to disable the Re-partition option.
Press the START button when you’re ready for the installation of the ‘new’ and stock Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware.
Wait several minutes for the installation to complete. When that happens, the phone will reboot and you can unplug it from your PC when the Samsung boot animation screen appears.
Enter your Google Account details when you’re at the main screen of the new OS.

These were all the steps that you had to take in order to complete the installation of its original stock Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware. This is only the first part of the ‘unrooting process’, as you will still have to reset the binary counter and wipe the data that keeps the information about how many times you’ve changed the device’s internal OS. The ‘reset binary counter’ part is listed after the NOTE below.
NOTE: In case your device doesn’t boot successfully then you will be forced to ‘factory reset’ it. Do it like this:

power the Galaxy Note 2 LTE completely.
boot into Recovery Mode using Volume Up, Home and Power buttons.
Select ‘wipe data/ factory reset’ option and confirm this process.
go back to the first Recovery screen and select ‘reboot system now’.

The device should boot now in normal mode.
Now you can reset your device’s binary counter using the instructions that I have listed below:

Power off the Galaxy Note 2 LTE device.
Boot it into Download Mode and check its status info. If it says ’0′ or ‘NO’, then you’re done and the warranty has been restored.
> If otherwise, then you will need to continue with this tutorial.
If the ‘device status’ says ’1′, then you will be forced to root your device and use Triangle Away app from Google Play store here.
Install and use Triangle Away on a rooted firmware of Galaxy Note 2 LTE N7105.
Now, return to this tutorial and flash the stock firmware above once again. This means that you will unroot the device for a second time.
The counter will be restored to ‘zero’ value, but it might say that it is ‘modified’. In that case you need to perform a ‘factory wipe’ and then the device will be restored to 100% factory firmware.
That’s it, now you can reboot the phone and you should check the phone’s version of the firmware, by going through Settings, then About Phone and check its version.

I hope that you’ve managed to complete this guide and reset the phone’s binary counter so that it will have its warranty restored. If you have any other questions, then you should ask for extra help in our comments field. Make sure to post a detailed comment so that we will be able to offer you a viable solution for any problems that you might’ve encountered in your quest to unroot the Galaxy Note 2 LTE smartphone.

Source : http://www.android.gs/

Sony i1 Honami specs allegedly leaked, and we’re hoping it’s a Nexus device

2013-06-17T23:02:00.004-07:00

If a recent report is true, and we sort of hope it is, the upcoming Sony i1 Honami is a monster device. Allegedly shown in the blurry pic you see below, not much can be learned about the aesthetics of the device. The specs being mentioned, however, are something to behold.
If you’re wondering what a true next generation device would have under the hood, look no further:

5.0-inch screen at 1920×1080, 2000:1 Contrast Ratio
Snapdragon 800, clocked at 2.3 ghz
2 GB RAM
3000mAh battery
NFC
WIFI Miracast
32 GB Internal memory, with MicroSD slot
4G LTE
IR Remote
2/3″ 20/13 MP Exmor RS camera with Sony G lens, a Cybershot Camera, and Interchangeable lenses
BlueTooth 4.0
1080p, 2.2 Megapixel front camera
Android 4.2.2
Shatterproof front glass
Metal and/or Carbon Fiber shell

In addition to that, we could see a revised Xperia UI, S-Master MX mobile audio amplifier, and dual speakers. The report also suggests an improved stamina mode, so that big battery could last quite a while. All told, this is one device that will turn heads, Sony or not. If we’re making a wish list, we hope this list of goodies is really a Sony Nexus 5. The report suggests the device will make an appearance in the fall, and with Google giving I/O back to developers, it’s clear the fall is Nexus time. Sony makes really nice devices, and a Nexus phone could give them a needed lift back into smartphone prominence.

Source : http://www.androidauthority.com/

White Nexus 4 available with free wireless charger on T-Mobile

2013-06-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

The white version of the handset, rumored very intensely before finally being officially confirmed, can now be purchased together with a free wireless charger, for a limited time. The interesting thing is that T-Mobile doesn't actually explain what the “limited time” is, so presumably the offer stands until the stock of chargers is depleted.

If the Nexus 4 is your dream phone, it can be yours for $19.99 down, plus $17 per month for a period of 24 months. However, if you prefer to purchase it from T-Mobile by paying for the device in full, you'll have to shell out $427.99.

In that case, it would probably be a better idea to just head to the Google Play Store, where the same 16 GB version, also in limited edition white but including a free bumper, can be purchased for $349.

And if you're still sitting on the fence regarding the Nexus 4 and whether you want to buy one or not, you can always take a look at our review below to get a better idea. There is also a really cost effective plan you can sneak your way into, which could end up saving you quite a bit of cash.

Do you plan on taking advantage of T-Mobile's offer?

Source : http://www.androidauthority.com/

25 HTC One Tips and Tricks

2013-06-16T23:20:00.001-07:00

I’ve had the pleasure of using the HTC One as my main phone for a little over a month now, and I have learned a lot of cool little tips and tricks along the way. In this article, I want to share some these tips and tricks with you. How many tips exactly? 25 and counting! I’ll be updating this list as I discover more or as you guys suggest them to me in the comments. While you may know some of these tips, I’m sure you’ll find at a few that you didn’t.

Scroll to the top of a list: Tap the notification bar to scroll to the top of the list or feed you’re looking at. Note that this only works with apps built by HTC (excluding the browser).
Scroll by letter or date: In certain apps (like messaging, contacts, call logs, etc) you can filter through the list by scrolling with two fingers to search by letter or date.
Volume key controls: On certain apps, you can use the HTC One’s volume buttons as controls. For example, the volume rocker controls the volume on your TV when using the remote app.
Touch to capture: You can take pictures by pressing anywhere on the screen (instead of just the shutter) by going to the settings within the camera app, go to shutter options, and then check touch to capture.
Wireless shutter: Perfect for group shots, you can take a picture with a connected Bluetooth headset in the camera app by pressing the “call’ button.”
Quickly switch cameras: You can quickly switch back and forth between the One’s front facing and rear cameras by swiping across the screen from one edge to another in the camera app.
Continuous shooting: You can take multiple pictures at a time by pressing and holding the shutter button in the HTC One’s camera app. After taking these photos, you can choose the one you like most and delete the rest automatically by using “best shot.”
Remove continuous shooting limit: You can remove the 20-shot limit for continuous shooting by going into the camera app’s settings, tapping on continuous shooting, and un-checking the “limit to 20 frames” option. This will allow you to take up to 99 photos in one sequence.
Increase battery life: Use the power saver mode to conserve battery life on the days you think you might need a little more juice. Enable power saver mode by either swiping down the notification shade and checking “power saver” or by going into the main system settings, then power, and flip the “power saver” switch to ON.
Hide apps: You can hide the apps you don’t use (but can’t delete) by opening the app launcher, swiping your finger down when at the top of the list, hitting the menu key, and then finally hide apps. Check the apps you want to hide and press done when you’re finished.
Edit tabs: You can either hide or rearrange the tabs in the phone and clock apps. To do this, simply press menu, then edit tabs. Unlike when hiding apps, this time keeping a tab checked means it will be visible and vice versa.
Taking screenshots: There are two ways to take screenshots on the HTC One. The quickest way is by pressing and holding the power button and then quickly pressing the home button right after. The second (but easier to use) way is to simultaneously hold the power and volume down buttons until you see a screen animation.
Customize LED notifications: You can choose which type of notifications make your LED light flash by going into the main system settings, tapping on display, and then notification flash. Check the notifications you want the LED light to flash for.
Magnifier: You can enable an option to show a magnifier glass when selecting text. To do this, go into the main system settings, tap on accessibility, and check the show magnifier option.
Calibrate the keyboard: If you use the stock Sense 5 keyboard, calibrating it can help improve its accuracy. Go to the main system settings, tap on language and keyboard, choose HTC Sense input, tap on advanced, and select the calibration tool.
Speed up the phone: To make the phone feel a little bit faster, shorten the transition animations. You can do this by going into the main system settings, tap on developer options, go to advanced, then change the the animation scales (there are three) to either .5x or off. If you don’t see the developer options, you have to unlock them first by going into settings, about phone, software information, and then repeatedly tap on Android version.
Offline voice controls: To be able to use voice controls when offline, go to the main system settings, tap language and keyboard, select voice search, and then tap download offline speech recognition and select your desired language.
Car mode: If you haven’t checked out that care mode app in your app drawer, I suggest you do so. It makes using your phone in the car a lot more convenient by making the icons easier to see, giving you only the information you’d need in a car, and turning things like Bluetooth on automatically.
Change messaging font size: You can easily change the font size in the messaging app you using pinch to zoom to make the text either larger or smaller
Move BlinkFeed: While you can’t disable it completely, you can move BlinkFeed off to the side by pinching out on the home screen or pressing and holding on an empty space. Add a new panel or select an existing one (that isn’t BlinkFeed) and set it as your main home screen by holding on it and moving it to the “set as home” button that appears at the top left of the screen. After you’ve done this, press and hold on the BlinkFeed screen and move it off to the side.
Restarting: Being that there is no removable battery, a good tip to know is that you can restart the phone by pressing and holding on the power button for ten seconds. This is useful just in case the phone locks up or freezes on you.
Fast boot: Speaking of restarting, you can speed up the boot up times by enabling fast boot. Do this by going into the main system settings, choose power, and then check the fast boot option at the bottom.
Make more space: Should you run out of room on your HTC One, you can easily find ways to free up some space by going to the system settings, choosing storage, and then selecting make more space. Note that choosing to use this option will delete whatever you select.
Lower ring volume: When you’re getting a phone call, picking the phone up will lower the volume of your ringtone automatically (which is good considering how loud those speakers are).
Video highlights: The HTC One can make you little Zoe montage clips from your pictures and videos with background music and awesome effects automatically. To access this feature, go to your photo gallery, tap my photos, and sort your media by “events” in the top left corner drop down. Tap on an event (the phone sorts them by date and location) and the top option you’ll see will be a video highlight of the event.

There you have it, that’s our list of the top 25 tips and tricks on the HTC One. Know of some tips and tricks that we missed? Let us know down in the comments below and we’ll add them to this official list!

Source : http://www.phonebuff.com/

Root Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware for Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

2013-06-16T23:15:00.001-07:00

This tutorial will teach you how to root the Galaxy Tab 2 7 inch tablet using Chainfire’s CF Auto-Root exploit files. Read this entire post and you should be able to complete the root in under 10 minutes.

The firmware supported with this tutorial is the Android 4.1.2 XXCME2 Jelly Bean build and in order to successfully root it, you will need to read the guidelines below:

use this post only with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 with the model number P3100.
don’t try to root any other Samsung tablets or smartphones with this tutorial.
make sure that you have the Samsung USB Drivers installed on your computer.
by rooting your tablet you will lose the warranty, but you can restore it by reinstalling / updating your device to an official Android OS firmware upgrade.
backup all the data that’s currently stored on your PC.
disable any Samsung KIES software programs that are running on your PC along with any other antivirus or security programs that are currently enabled. Such apps will interfere with the rooting program and you might not be able to complete the tutorial.
this is a guide for advanced users.
do not blame us in case you lose any important data in the process, also we cannot be held responsible in case you lose any important files in the process.
don’t skip any steps.
read the entire post and if you cannot complete the root, then you should ask for extra help by leaving a detailed comment at the end of this guide.

Now that you know all of the above, get to the next part of this post.

How to root Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 P3100 on Android 4.1.2 XXCME2 Jelly Bean:

Download the CF-Auto-Root zip for this tablet from HERE. Extract its contents and save the files on your computer.
> after you extract the files from CF Auto Root, you will get a file named ‘CF-Auto-Root-espressorf-espressorfxx-gtp3100.tar.md5‘. Don’t unzip any further than that.
Download ODIN3 v3.07 from HERE. Unzip the file.
Power off your tablet.
Next, boot the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 into Download Mode.
Launch the Odin exe on your PC.
Connect the tablet to your computer using the USB Data cable.
> wait for ODIN to say that the device has been ‘added’ and then continue to the next step.
> if the tablet is not recognized by your PC/ ODIN, then you can try to switch between USB ports or reinstall the Samsung USB drivers -download link listed in the guidelines above.
Click the PDA button in ODIN.
Browse your PC for the CF-Auto-Root-espressorf-espressorfxx-gtp3100.tar.md5 file and load it into ODIN.
> don’t mess around with any other Odin settings.
> make sure that the Re-Partition option is not enabled.
Hit the START button when everything is set for the updating process to begin.
When the installation of all root files is complete, ODIN will display the ‘PASS’ alert and your tablet will reboot.

If you have any problems with ODIN, then you can choose to unplug your tablet from PC, close ODIN and then repeat the entire tutorial once again. Also, before re-trying to root the tablet you should power it off completely by removing its battery and after 5 seconds are passed you can retry to root the tablet. Make sure not to skip any steps listed above.

Source : http://www.android.gs/

Clear all your Android app caches

2013-06-16T23:10:00.001-07:00

The apps on your Android device typically use a cache to improve performance. Over time, the cache for certain apps can grow quite large. Clearing the app cache can free up precious space and sometimes resolve problems you might be having with the app.

To clear the cache, you normally go to the Android app manager, click on the app from the list, then tap on "Clear cache." If you want to clear the cache for all your apps, you have to repeat this procedure for every single app, unless you use a cache cleaner like App Cache Cleaner.
App Cache Cleaner lists the apps on your Android device by the apps with the largest cache. You can tap on the individual apps to clear their cache, or tap on the green "Clear All" button at the bottom to clear all the caches at the same time.

If you prefer a hands-off approach to managing the cache for your apps, you can configure App Cache Cleaner to clear them at regular intervals.

App Cache Cleaner is relatively small in size and focuses on just managing the cache. If you want to try an advanced cache management app, take a look at Clean Master, which also erases Snapchat files.

Source : http://howto.cnet.com/

All-in-One Root Tool Kit Samsung Galaxy S4

2013-06-16T23:08:00.001-07:00

A few days weeks back we came up with a very detailed tutorial on rooting the Verizon Galaxy S4 SCH-I545 but as we said, it was a little tougher for an average user. So if you already have a shiny new Galaxy S4 from the biggest carrier in the US and want to root your device and install a custom recovery on it, we now have another easier method that not only saves your time but also makes the rooting drill a thing of few mouse clicks.

Thanks to XDA member bhp090808 for taking the inconvenience of the Verizon S4 users seriously and compiling all resources required to root Verizon Galaxy S4 into a simple All-in-One Root Toolkit that does it so neatly! The easy root toolkit works with a Windows computer and demands little effort to achieve root access on your Galaxy S4.

Besides rooting the phone, the All-in-One Root Toolkit for the Verizon Galaxy S4 SCH-I545 is also capable of installing your favorite custom recovery like ClockworkMod Recovery or TWRP. So, if you are willing to hack your device, it’s high time to do it.

Using Root ToolKit:

Download the All-in-One Root Toolkit and extract the zip on your Windows desktop: I545_ALL_IN_ONE_TOOL_6_3.zip – Mirror Link
Download and install either latest Samsung Kies or USB Drivers on your computer: Download
Turn on USB Debugging on your phone. To do this, enable Developer Options on your Verizon SCH-I545 first. Open Settings> More> About and tap the “Build Number” for 7 times. Then go back and you’ll see “Developer Options” under Settings> More. Tap on it and select USB Debugging.
Now hook up your device to computer using USB cable.
Open the Toolkit folder and double click the RUN_ME.bat file.
Doing this will launch a command window as shown below.
As you can see, there is numbering before each option in the cmd window. Wahat you have to do it to enter the corresponding number and hit the Enter key. For example, if you have to root your phone, enter “1″.
When the phone is rooted, enter “2″ to prepare the device for installing a recovery. You can then enter “3″ or “4″ to install CWM or TWRP” recovery on the device.
In case, your SCH-I545 is already rooted an yo wish to install a custom recovery only, enter “2″ first and then continue with “3″ or ”4″.

Wasn’t it easy! At the end of the procedure, your Verizon Galaxy S4 should be rooted and have your favorite custom reocvery installed on it. Congrats! If you get into any problem while doing the steps above, or have a question, feel free to drop a comment below.

Source : http://droidviews.com/

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean vs iOS 7

2013-06-16T23:05:00.001-07:00

Apple’s WWDC is in full swing, and arguably the biggest part of its keynote yesterday morning was the unveiling of the new iOS 7. Now that iOS 7 has been announced we can formally pit the two biggest mobile operating systems head to head. It’s go time – Android 4.2 Jelly Bean vs iOS 7 – in an all out fight to the death (or at least till one smartphone runs out of battery, whatever comes first).
Disclaimer: I do not absolutely, positively hate iOS. I think it’s a decent operating system, but I do believe Android has surpassed iOS in terms of functionality and user experience (or at least when compared to iOS 6). I own a fourth-gen iPod Touch and a third-generation iPad, and both devices are running the latest version of iOS 6.

UI design

iOS 7 offered the first major change in the design of iOS since its inception, opting for a cleaner, more modern look with flatter icons, and a big emphasis on translucency. Apple has also chosen an ultra-saturated palette of colors that you'll either love or hate. The overall design is refreshing, yet still familiar, a difficult feat that Apple has managed to pull off.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean offers a darker, moodier user interface, with black the predominant background, white text using the familiar Roboto font, and accents of blue. Android 4.2 Jelly Bean offers the consistent Holo UI, which has been heralded for its modern look.

Multitasking

Multitasking is a big part of your smartphone user experience, and it was also one of the places where Android had the upper hand. Well not anymore, as Apple completely redesigned multitasking on iOS to provide a smarter, more efficient multitasking experience.

Now all apps in iOS can open background tasks, moving iOS closer to Android in that respect. But one place where iOS defeats even Android is the fact that the multitasking is intelligent. If you open your favorite news apps every morning and night, iOS knows this and refreshes the app at those times.

It’ll also analyze aspects like the strength of your Internet connectivity so that it will refresh apps at the right time. This is a very cool feature, in fact it’s probably my favorite from the keynote and for that I’ll forgive it for its webOS-like appearance, but of course we’ll have to wait and see how this all plays out in the real world.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean offers the same reliable multitasking that’s been available since Ice Cream Sandwich. Click on the multitasking button and you’ll see all of your recently opened apps in a preview. Clicking on the app preview will open the app, and sliding the preview to the left or right will get rid of the preview.

Lock/Home screen

Apple developed a brand new Lock screen for iOS 7, offering a live wallpaper which may or may not look like the Phase Beam live wallpaper in Android. iOS 7 also gives you access to your notifications straight from the Lock screen.

There aren’t many radical changes to the Home screen, besides the ability to add pages to your folders and a new color scheme and design for app icons. Sadly, this means there are no widgets available for use on iOS 7.

The Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Lock screen is a much more eventful place. The addition of Lock screen widgets allow you to get a glimpse of what is going on in your phone without ever having to unlock it. It also gives you quick access to apps like the camera, clock, mail, messaging and Google Now.

Android’s customization is also shown in the Home screen. Here you can add apps, folders and yes widgets too. This allows you to customize your device to exactly the way you like it, and with the thousands of widgets available in the Play Store, you certainly have a lot to choose from.

Source : http://www.androidauthority.com/

11 best Android smartphones

2013-06-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

Not all Android smartphones are created equal. And yet most of the very best models that have ever come out have one common ingredient: the stock Android operating system. Indeed, many of today's greatest Android phones have been made available with nothing more than the bare bones version of Google's famed mobile OS. To some users, it's like the secret sauce. And Google, along with today's many different Android OEMs, is just all too glad to fulfill the demand.

We have put together a list of all the best Android smartphones running stock Android, with models coming from big name OEMs as well as some not-so-popular ones. If you can't stand anything other than the stock version of Android on your phone and you'd like to see what kind of options you have, then this is the list that you are looking for. Read on to get started.

Nexus 4

We've said it before, and we'll gladly say it again: the LG Nexus 4 is one of the best Android smartphones ever due to the fact that it offers the latest and greatest software in a package that combines killer specs, a crisp and very pleasing display, and a familiar design aesthetic. The Nexus 4 is basically the result of putting together all the great features originally found in the Nexus phones that came before it, and making them all greater. It's the culmination of Google's Nexus efforts (so far) and truly deserves to be considered royalty among all Android handsets.

It isn't without faults, though. You can't add storage space to it via microSD cards, you can't use it to listen to FM radio (unless you do it over the Internet), and it doesn't support 4G LTE. Still, if timely system software updates matter much more to you, this is one of the best phones you can get.

Nexus 4 Specs

Display: 4.7-inch IPS+, HD (1280×720 pixels), 318 ppi
Camera: 8MP auto-focus camera with LED flash (1080p video recording)
SoC: 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, Adreno 320 GPU
Memory: 8GB/16GB internal storage (no microSD support, 2GB RAM
OS: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, upgradeable to Android 4.2.2
Battery: 2,100mAh battery (non-removable)

Samsung Galaxy S4 with Nexus user experience

The biggest difference between this and the original Samsung Galaxy S4 is the use of stock Android and Google-issued updates in the place of Samsung's own TouchWiz UI and carrier updates. This major change got a lot of people's attention, and for good reason. It's practically a dream come true for those who enjoy top-notch hardware but can do without unneeded “bloat” often added by either carriers or the OEMs themselves.

So if it's such a great phone, why isn't everyone lining up to get it and Samsung still bothers to release new ones? Well, for one thing, it hasn't been released yet. Also, it's being sold at a premium over the standard one — $650 a piece. And that is what will likely keep a lot of people from buying it. That, and the earlier mentioned fact that it lacks TouchWiz. Yes, people that like it do still exist. And they enjoy their extra features just fine.

Galaxy S4 Google Edition Specs

Display: 5-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels), 441 ppi
Camera: 13MP auto-focus camera with LED flash (HDR + 1080p video recording)
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 with Adreno 320
Memory: 8GB/16GB internal storage with microSD support, 2GB RAM
OS: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with unlocked bootloader
Battery: 2,600mAh battery

HTC One with Nexus user experience

As soon as the Galaxy S4 Google Edition was officially announced, people began speculating that the flagship HTC One could be given the exact same treatment, too. And then it was. Now it belongs to this list of the best phones running stock Android, and we're not complaining.

The HTC One Google Edition benefits from the award-winning design and innovations found in the standard model, while also taking full advantage of the Google Nexus experience. You really can't go wrong with it, unless your aim is to not spend so much on your next phone. In which case, you might want to check up on alternatives, because it's also priced higher than five Benjamins like its Samsung counterpart.

HTC One Google Edition Specs

Display: 4.7-inch Super LCD3, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels), 469 ppi
Camera: 4MP Ultrapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash (1080p video recording @ 30fps)
SoC: 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 and Adreno 320 GPU
Memory: 32GB/64GB internal storage (no microSD support), 2GB RAM
OS: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Battery: 2,300mAh battery (non-removable)

Sony Xperia Z with Nexus user experience

We know, Sony still hasn't officially announced such a phone yet. But we believe that it's no longer a question of if, but when. We know that Sony is capable of delivering such a phone — it created the Xperia Z AOSP back in April. So we're really counting on an official Xperia Z Google Edition release very soon.

In case you need a refresher on what kind of phone a Nexus-ified version of the Xperia Z will be, remember that the standard model comes with a Full HD 5-inch display, a fast and powerful quad-core CPU, and a 13.1-megapixel HDR-capable camera — all of which is packed into a casing that's both dust tight and waterproof up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.

Are people getting frustrated that the official Google Edition Xperia Z still hasn't been outed by Sony yet? You bet. But at least we all know it will be worth the wait.

Xperia Z Google Edition Specs

Display: 5-inch TFT, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels), 441 ppi
Camera: 13.1MP auto-focus camera with LED flash (HDR, 1080p video, sweep panorama)
SoC: 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600, Adreno 320 GPU
Memory: 16GB internal storage + microSD (up to 64GB), 2GB RAM
OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, upgradeable to Android 4.2
Battery: 2,330mAh battery (non-removable), 40 hrs. music, 11 hrs. talk

Coolpad 8920

The Coolpad 8920 first caught our attention at CTIA 2013. Based on what we know about it so far, it delivers a slightly more premium feel than Coolpad's own Quattro series of phones. It stands out among many of today's lesser known China-based smartphone models because it has a full 5-inch HD screen and it uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro. It's worth a look if you plan on using a smartphone in China, or you're already with either China Unicom or China Mobile.

Coolpad 8920 Specs

Display: 5-inch HD (1280×720 pixels) display
Camera: 8-megapixel rear camera
SoC: 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
Memory: 16GB internal storage + microSD (up to 64GB), 1GB RAM
OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Battery: 3,000mAh battery (removable)

Archos 35 Carbon / 50 Platinum / 53 Platinum

Archos is one brand that we don't mention enough around here. It may not be among the top Android handset makers in the world right now, but one thing we know for sure is that whenever we take at its latest creations, we end up admitting that they aren't that bad at all. Case in point: its latest Carbon and Platinum series phones. Archos made three new Google-certified phones to try and meet the needs of not just the entry-level segment but the high-end segment as well.

The Carbon 35 is Archos' weapon of choice for the entry-level. It has very basic features and a very affordable price tag. Again what truly sets it apart from many of today's other new entry-level phones is the fact that it comes with the stock Android OS — albeit one version late.

And as for the Archos Platinum handsets, their purpose is to hit phablet makers like Samsung where it hurts: price-wise. Both the Archos 50 Platinum and Archos 53 Platinum come with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and they're sure to excite those who want phone screens to be as big as possible.

Archos 35 Carbon Specs

Display: 3.5-inch HVGA (320×480 pixels) IPS display
Camera: Dual VGA cameras (front and back)
SoC: 1GHz Qualcomm 7225A CPU
Memory: 4GB internal storage + microSD (up to 32GB), 512MB RAM
OS: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Battery: 1,300mAh battery (removable)
Archos 50 Platinum Specs

Display: 5-inch qHD (540×960 pixels) IPS display, 220 dpi
Camera: 8-megapixel AF camera with LED flash and BSI sensor (720p HD video recording)
SoC: 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm 8225Q Cortex-A5
Memory: 4GB internal storage + microSD (up to 64GB), 1GB RAM
OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Battery: 2,000mAh battery
Archos 53 Platinum Specs

Display: 5.3-inch qHD (540×960 pixels) IPS display
Camera: 8-megapixel AF camera with LED flash and BSI sensor (720p HD video recording)
SoC: 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm 8225Q Cortex-A5
Memory: 4GB internal storage + microSD (up to 64GB), 1GB RAM
OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Battery: 2,800mAh battery

BLU Vivo 4.3

The BLU Vivo 4.3 smartphone received its long-awaited Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update a couple of months ago, and this only cemented its status as one of the best Android phones that you've (possibly) never heard of. It has pretty modest specs compared with the others listed on this page, but due to its use of the stock Android OS, it's worth more than just a cursory look.

Apart from the software, the BLU Vivo 4.3 is also noteworthy for the fact that it's available in a total of four different color variants. Of course, in a world where the use of third-party cases has become the norm, this won't matter much to some people. But for those who still believe in colors and whatever they're supposed to be representing, this easily puts the choice — no, the power — right into your hands.

Vivo 4.3 Specs

Display: 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus WVGA (480×800 pixels) display
Camera: 8-megapixel rear camera
SoC: 1GHz MediaTek MT6577 processor
Memory: 4GB internal storage + microSD, 1GB RAM
OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Battery: 1,600mAh battery

HTC First

While certainly not an Android-powerhouse, the HTC First is still worthy of your attention because of the software that it comes with. And no, we're not referring to Facebook Home. We're talking about the fact that the HTC First, after a few minor adjustments, can be made to run a virtually untouched version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. And even in a 4.3-inch phone, that's something.

The problem with the HTC First is that you may soon find it very difficult to find it, much less buy one for yourself. Facebook has already pulled the plug on it and cancelled all UK pre-orders, plus the public's reception of the handset has generally been very chilly. So if you've been putting off the decision to buy one now, you may soon regret it. Especially since the price has has already been cut down from $99 to only a single cent on contract.

HTC First Specs

Display: 4.3-inch HD (1280×720 pixels), 342 ppi
Camera: 5-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video recording
SoC: 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400, Adreno 305 GPU
Memory: 1GB RAM
OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Battery: 2,000mAh battery, 14 hours talk time

Sprint ZTE Vital

Announced earlier this week, the Sprint Vital joins the ranks of literally dozens of other new handsets that seem to be getting announced every single day. What makes it different from the rest is that it uses Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean in a way that “keeps the Android experience closer to the way it was intended,” according to Sprint. If the real Android experience is what you're after, this can only be a good thing.

The OEM behind the Sprint Vital is none other than China-based ZTE. It has had ample experience making impressive 5-inch handsets in the past, so things are looking good for this particular model.

Sprint Vital Specs

Display: 5-inch HD (1280×720 pixels) display
Camera: 13-megapixel rear camera, 1-megapixel front-facing camera
SoC: 1.5GHz dual-core CPU
Memory: 8GB internal storage + microSD (up to 64GB), 1GB RAM
OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Battery: 2,500mAh battery, 15 hours talk time

Make smartphone look like stock Android without rooting

2013-06-15T23:56:00.001-07:00

Android handsets are purchased on a daily basis, whether we're talking about that shiny new HTC One, a mid-range device like the Galaxy S4 Mini, or any other phone for that matter.
However, far too many people come to be disappointed with their purchase due to the modifications on top of Android that ruin the experience for them. This problem can be solved by rooting and flashing a custom ROM, but that's hardly a solution for everyone. But there's another way to get that vanilla Android experience on a smartphone without rooting.

Developers have been hard at work creating solutions to feed our stock Android craving, in the form of launchers, icon packs, keyboards, and other apps. We're going to walk you through some of the most useful and show you how to transform the interface into a vanilla-like one, without root and without hassle.

Launchers

There are a lot of cool launchers out there. Action Launcher Pro combined with the Stark icon pack is one of my favorites, however, there are a lot of offerings to get that stock Android feel.

So the first step is to choose a launcher. For that, we're going to take a look at Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher, and Holo Launcher HD. Alternatively, you can use Holo Launcher Plus to achieve stock Android for Ice Cream Sandwich.

Nova Launcher is a free download, however, paying for the Prime version of the app will give you access to a few more features. Apex Launcher and Holo Launcher HD are both free downloads, but they have pro versions for added features as well.

Before and after

When it comes down to it, you're going to need to choose which one you're most comfortable and satisfied with. In my case, I went with Nova Launcher. After you have a launcher downloaded, simply hit the Home button on your device. A pop-up window will appear, and you're going to need to set your chosen launcher as the default (instead of TouchWiz, Sense, etc). Alternatively, open up the Nova Settings, and, on the first page, there'll be an option to set the Nova Launcher as the default launcher.

Once that's done, your home screen should, more or less, look like the image above.

Lock screens

Custom lock screens on Android are a fickle thing, as they're often filled with bugs and are unreliable. However, there are a couple that'll get the job done, though not many.

Holo Locker Plus is a good a Jelly Bean locker to use when paired with a Jelly Bean-themed wallpaper. If you don't want to pay for anything, a great alternative is the GO Locker, which will require you to download two apps, the base GO Locker app and then a theme addon, namely a Jelly Bean one.

Once GO Locker is downloaded, adding the Jelly Bean theme is pretty self-explanatory. However, Holo Locker Plus is another story — it's easy to enable Holo Locker, but in my findings, it does not come with a Jelly Bean wallpaper. So you're going to need to find your own. To do that, you need the Plus version of Holo Locker to access the features that let you add a custom wallpaper to the lock screen. You can use any wallpaper you'd like, but, to get the coveted stock Android feel, a Jelly Bean wallpaper would be ideal.

If you're looking to achieve stock Android with Ice Cream Sandwich, GO Locker is your best bet with this theme.

If you're using Holo Locker, the final outcome should look like the image above.

Keyboards and Wallpapers

Nexy, you need a new keyboard and wallpaper to finalize the makeshift vanilla Android experience we've created. A Jelly Bean wallpaper package can be easily found in the Play Store. Anyone will do, but I used this one. A Ice Cream Sandwich wallpaper package can be found in the Play Store easily as well. Lastly, we need a new keyboard.

When it comes to keyboards, you really don't need a Jelly Bean one in particular. Any kind will do as long as you're comfortable with it, even if its your manufacturer's stock keyboard. However, a lot of people tend to go for things like SwiftKey or Swype. If you insist on a stock Jelly Bean keyboard though, Google recently brought it to Google Play.

Final thoughts

It should only take you a few minutes to complete these steps. After you do though, you'll have an awesome makeshift vanilla Android experience on any device of your choosing. If you'd like to break away from stock Android a tad bit, I like to download the Stark icon pack to freshen things up a little bit. It's not a requirement though, it just looks nice.

Finally, to show you that this was all done using apps through the Google Play Store, we used Root Checker to prove that there was no rooting or flashing involved.

Do you plan on using this method for a makeshift vanilla Android experience? If you went ahead with it, how did it work out for you?

Samsung torture-tested the Galaxy S4

2013-06-15T23:53:00.003-07:00

Samsung has occasionally been criticized in the past for sticking with lighter, plastic-y, and presumably less tough materials in even its flagship phones like the Galaxy S4. But the Korean monolith is out to prove that it did its best to torture-test at least the S4 before unleashing it on our harsh, unforgiving world filled with countless basins of water, fumbling fingers, and perhaps worst of all -- curious kids.

The below video shows the gauntlet of Samsung's "reliability" testing that the Galaxy S4 was run through. Apparently the phone had to survive being dropped a few feet onto a hard, metal surface hundreds of times, free-fall from a height high enough to shatter a ceramic mug, and a front-facing impact hard enough to crush a walnut shell.

We also see the Galaxy S4 submerged in water for "dozens of seconds" and given a "saltwater sauna" among other tests.

The demonstration is pretty impressive, but coming directly from Samsung it obviously isn't that objective. However, it seems in line with what CNET's Luke Westaway found when he put the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5 through some serious abuse. Scroll down further to see the results of that head-to-head and let me know in the comments if you're convinced that Samsung has created one tough (plastic) cookie.

Remove Bloatwares or Junk apps or Waste apps or System apps or Unusefull apps or etc Apps on Xperias

2013-06-08T21:36:00.001-07:00

Often at times you get junk files and unwanted system apps puffing up your phone’s memory. This is made more annoying by the fact most of the unwanted apps are hidden. In the cause of this article, you will learn how you can easily remove all junk apps, waste apps and useless system apps from your xperia smartphones. You should however remember that your phone must be rooted for this to work for you.
You can follow our various articles on how to root your xperia phones.

Pre Requisites & Requirements:

Make sure your device have at least 60% battery power. [How to Check Battery Percentage in Android Device press settings>>Battery or download any battery optimizing app from google play e.g]
You already have USB Driver Installed for HTC Hero S in your PC. [Download USB Driver]
Make sure USB Debugging is enabled. [ You can do this by pressing settings>.developer options>>USB debugging]

STEPS TO GET RID OF UNWANTED APPS FROM YOUR XPERIA PHONES

1) Download Root Explorer or root browser or ES file manager from google play ( Or any similar app ) .
2) Grant any of this application superuser permissions. that is to say, When you open this app Superuser would ask for permissions. Allow it
3) Now using that app go to SYSTEM/ APP / Copy all the apps and paste them somewhere on memory card ( in case if you need in future)
4) Now again go to SYSTEM/ APP / . On the top right corner you’ll see Mount R/W , tap on it ( Now you should see it as Mount R/O )
5 Now to delete an app tap and hold on the app you want to delete and press delete

After deleting the necessary apps, restart your phone. ( You can also select the mark options and delete all the NECESSARY apps in one go )

Be carefull with the procedure above. If you remove any usefull app, you may run into trouble

Here’s the list of apps that you could remove safely/ without harming your phone . Remove the ones you don’t use at all

Note: If this Tutorial and News worked for you (and it should work), please leave a comment below. Thanks.

Root Any Motorola Razr Running Android Jellybean

2013-06-08T21:33:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of months ago, i post an all-in-one toll to help you root your sony xperia android phones.here am i today given you a method to get all your motorola razr rooted. this post also contain the video for newbiews

Disclaimer & Warning!

It is strongly advised that you use this tutorial only for Motorola Razr phone. Trying using this tutorial in any other Android device May result in unpleasant outcomes of which am not liable.So before you proceed, Check your device’s model number in: Settings » About phone. Try this at your own risk. Although, it is very unlikely that your device will be damaged if you follow all the instructions here to the last letter in this tutorial

Before you root your phone take note of this: Once you have rooted your android device, your device warranty will get void; However, you can reclaim the warranty by applying official firmware update or by unrooting the device.

To check if you have successfully rooted your device or not simply install an app called “Root Checker” t available for download on Google PLAY store.

Pre Requisites & Requirements:

Make sure your device have at least 100% battery power. [How to Check Battery Percentage in Android Device press settings>>Battery or download any battery optimizing app from google play e.g]
You already have USB Driver Installed for HTC Hero S in your PC. (heck this site for all drivers for all phone)
Make sure USB Debugging is enabled. [ You can do this by pressing settings>.developer options>>USB debugging]
rooting file Download DROID_RAZR_Utility_Jellybean_XT912 about

STEPS in Windows Instructions

Extract .zip to its own folder on the Desktop.
Install the required drivers. The folder with the drivers is called “Drivers [WINDOWS ONLY]” and is included in the Utility folder.
Double click the “.bat” file. This will be called “WindowsUtility.bat” the image is just for reference.

Mac & Linux Instructions

Extract the .zip to any folder you like, the /Downloads/ or /Desktop/ folder should work just fine.
Open a Terminal window. (On Mac: Applications > Utilities > Terminal)
Learn your ‘sudo’ password. This is almost always your Admin password on a Mac computer. On Linux you should already know what this is, its yours account password if your account is an admin as well.
Type the following code into the Terminal Windows, places where it says ***DRAG HERE*** are telling you to simply drag the folder there. For example: cd ***DRAG FOLDER HERE*** then press ‘Enter’ after each line.

Code:

cd ***DRAG UNZIPPED UTILITY FOLDER HERE***

chmod +x ./LinuxMacUtility.sh

bash ./LinuxMacUtility.sh

You will be asked for your sudo password at least once in the Utility process, so make sure you followed the instructions to learn it.

Functions of the DROID RAZR Utility XT912 Jellybean:

Code:

Flash Official Jellybean Firmware (Wipe Data)
Flash Official Jellybean Firmware (No Data Wipe)
Razr Blade: Motorola Droid Razr 4.1 Root Exploit by djrbliss
Install Safestrap 3 App by Hashcode.
Number 1 Explained — This option requires your phone be in AP Fastboot mode. It will flash the official Jellybean firmware to your device and will wipe data.
Number 2 Explained — This option requires your phone be in AP Fastboot mode. It will flash the official Jellybean firmware to your device and will NOT wipe data.
Number 3 Explained — This is Dan Rosenberg’s DROID RAZR 4.1 Jellybean exploit called ‘RAZR Blade’. This option requires your phone to be booted normally, with USB Debugging enabled.
Number 4 Explained — This option requires your phone to be booted normally, with USB Debugging enabled. It will install Hashcode’s App for Safestrap 3.11.
Remember, do not run this utility unless your phone is at 100% battery OR you have bought yourself one of Team Black Hat’s Factory-Style Programming Adapters.

Note: If this Tutorial and News worked for you (and it should work), please leave a comment below. Thanks.

Most Advanced Android Malware

2013-06-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

A security firm posted information about a new Android Trojan that appears unlike anything seen before when it comes to complexity and the number of malicious actions it’s able to perform.
Called Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a, the malware is compared to malicious threats that usually target Windows, not Android. The new malware uses several exploits, some of them new to security researchers from Kaspersky, who discovered Obad.a.

The Trojan is able to perform a variety of tasks once installed, and it appears to be impossible to remove, as Obad.a doesn’t even have an interface, and acts directly from the background, without alerting the user that a malicious app is running.

The Trojan is encrypted, and needs an internet connection in order to install and perform its intended malicious tasks. Once it’s installed, the device can gain device administrator privileges (without showing up in the list of apps that have such powers) and root privileges to further achieve its desired goals.

Here’s what the malware can do, according to Kaspersky:

Send text messages. Parameters contain number and text. Replies are deleted.
PING.
Receive account balance via USSD.
Act as proxy (send specified data to specified address, and communicate the response).
Connect to specified address (clicker).
Download a file from the server and install it.
Send a list of applications installed on the smartphone to the server.
Send information about an installed application specified by the C&C server.
Send the user’s contact data to the server.
Remote Shell. Executes commands in the console, as specified by the cybercriminal.
Send a file to all detected Bluetooth devices.

Because it comes encrypted before installing itself on the device, and because it exploits certain vulnerabilities, analysis and detection of this particular program may be very difficult. However, despite its complexity, the sophisticated Trojan is not widely spread, and is said to have infected only a certain number of devices, with most of them being in Russia.

At the same time, it's not clear who devised the program, and what their intentions were for it.

No connection between existing Google Play Store apps and the Trojan has been established, so it looks like the malicious app is downloaded from other app sources. But, Google has been informed about the new Android vulnerability the Obad.a uses, which will make it much easier to detect if it is repackaged into apps that appear legitimate, intended for syndication via Google Play.

As always when talking about Android malware, we’ll advise exercising caution when getting apps from untrusted sources. Paying attention to what you install on your devices can save you the trouble of having to deal with the consequences of malware apps. There are also a variety of security applications to help protect your device, but as long as you’re careful with what you download on your handset and/or tablet you should be fine, no matter what Android malware apps may be out there.

Note: If this Tutorial and News worked for you (and it should work), please leave a comment below. Thanks.

Google Smartwatch is Real

2013-06-08T07:36:00.001-07:00

Leading into I/O, lots of information gets tossed around. Some of it is complete nonsense, later unearthed to be so. Some is solid information, and questioned thoroughly before being vetted as accurate.

Android Authority has recently spoken with sources close to Google regarding some of what is in store for us. We know, the ubiquitous “sources” moniker is tiresome, but had we not spoken to these folks ourselves, we wouldn’t feel confident in what we’re reporting.

The annual I/O conference always brings us great stuff, and this year should be no different. Now that you all know Hangouts is real, we’re looking to the next big thing. We may not see skydiving and bike tricks, but we will get some poignant future developments that have their roots at this year’s I/O. We’ll also see some various updates and tweaks. While perhaps minor, all changes represent a step forward, and Google is always focused on “what’s next”.

Finding yourself

Easily a top-tier Google service, Maps has long been fairly static on mobile. The UI hasn’t varied much in quite some time, but that’s all about to change. According to our sources, Maps is about to go full screen. Essentially, we’re set to get the iOS version of Maps, which is much prettier, on Android.

Rather than the bottom and top bar, Maps for mobile is said to have a floating search bar towards the top of the screen, with the navigation button to the right of it. The Android menu button (three dots, vertically aligned) will rest at the bottom right of the screen, and house all other functions associated with search.

These developments would more closely resemble the new desktop version we heard about not long ago. The only question remaining is whether or not searching via mobile will bring up cards like Google Now, as the desktop is said to do.

Email me when you get the update

Gmail is also set for an update, and makes a move in a slightly different direction than we're used to. It also mimics Maps a bit, going full screen. Gesture based and full screen seems to be the order of the day for Google apps.

One source tells us “it’s really cool, with a swipe from the left bringing up the menu.” That menu will house things like inbox, sent, draft, and labels. The bar at the top will still be there to make navigating multiple accounts easier, and will have the menu button to the right. So, like Maps, the bottom bar will go away and the functions housed in it will reside elsewhere. “I think they’re getting away from bottom bars” one source told us.

When I asked how this would affect swiping to delete an email function, we were told it wouldn’t. Swiping the menu in “requires touch from kind of off the screen, and swipe to delete is more of grabbing the email and swiping it away”. This reasoning makes sense, and utilizes Project Butter nicely. Think of it like the tablet version of Gmail, with the menu hiding.

It’s about time

We’ve heard it now and again, but the Android smartwatch is now in physical form. The watch has been shown in at least three different Google offices: Berlin, Manchester, and Mountain View. We were told the original watch rumors popped up when displayed in a rough form at the Berlin and Manchester offices. Having recently been shown off at the Mountain View campus, the watch is set for release sometime soon.

Our source reports some interesting tidbits about the watch. “Functionality will be very much like Glass”. When prompted for further info, our source tells us that while they haven’t experienced Glass, they’re aware of the interface. That interface relies on a type of card, a bit like Google Now, with swipes to the left telling you what is coming up.

Still not free of the smartphone

One of the values we see to a smartwatch would be the inclusion of radios, which Glass could then tether to, freeing us from smartphones. Is Google ready to take the leap? Are we going to see a completely alternate method for information consumption? “Still needs tethering”, our source tells us. “It’s not a standalone device yet. It needs to be tethered to a smartphone.”

If it uses the same interface as Glass, we’re left to wonder if it uses the same or similar Mirror API. We have no word on that.

Another nagging question we had was who made the watch. Google is usually fairly tight lipped about who manufacturers their hardware, but this one is no real secret. In fact, it doesn’t stray far from home.

Our source tells us, without hesitation, “Motorola”. While we have a bit of hesitation believing that, it makes quite a bit of sense. If wearable technology is Google’s new focus for mobile, Motorola making their smartwatch makes perfect sense.

Motorola made a very good smartwatch once upon a time, with their MOTOACTV watch a great offering. It was solidly made, and among the best on the market. Wearable technology was, at the time, not popular or welcome. Glass proves that times have changed, and opinions softened.

Now what?

There was no solid answer as to when any of this would take place, or be available , but I/O would be a great time to do so. The apps are simply an update, and currently being “dogfooded”. If they’re stable, that’s no big deal to push an update.

The watch, however, is a different story. If it has been mass produced, we should see it as the splash at I/O. A Motorola produced watch would be subtly brilliant, and out of left field. We’ve been so consumed with the X Phone unicorn, it’s plausible that we’d all have missed that boat.

All of this sounds great, and we’re hopeful we see it sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned for more Google I/O coverage this week. Our Nate Swanner and Joshua Vergara will be in San Francisco to bring you the hottest information on all things Google.

Note: If this Tutorial and News worked for you (and it should work), please leave a comment below. Thanks.

6 Underrated Games for Android

2013-06-06T19:48:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of fun games on the Google Play Store, but it's difficult to find a game that isn't overshadowed by a game that has millions of downloads and high ratings. So just like last month, we've gone into the depths of the Google Play Store searching for some of the best underrated games, and we're back to show you what we've found. As usual, if you'd rather watch the video, just head down to the bottom of the article.

Attack of the Wall Street Titan

First up on our list is Attack of the Wall Street Titan, which is a very underrated game. As the title implies, this game focuses on the people who work on Wall St, commonly known as the one percent, and lets you take control of a giant robot to lay waste on them without getting in trouble. It's a very fun smash-em-up arcade game.

Here's how it works. An anonymous hacktivist hacks the giant robot and gives you control over it. After taking control, you use the war machine to take on the military, police officers, and rich people. It's really easy to play, and the humorous political theme makes it all the more better, however, the game can get annoying if you don't turn off the pop ups that explain in detail what every single power up does.

We'll admit it, this underrated game is certainly cheesey, but that doesn't discount how much fun it is. After all, it's free, so it's worth giving a quick try.

Cardinal Quest

Next on our list is Cardinal Quest, an old school game. How old school are we talking? Considering that checkerboard tiles are on the map, Cardinal Quest will take you back to the days of the SNES. It's a dungeon crawler RPG with some very simple controls and an easy going attitude.

So how simple are the controls? Very simple — the only thing you'll really be doing is tapping. Tap in any direction you want to move, and the same thing for combat. There's also an inventory and map that you can access to give the game a bit more meat than just tapping, but the game's biggest strength is how easy it is to pick up and play.

Being an old school RPG, Cardinal Quest certainly isn't going to appeal to everyone, thus its underrated game status. It's still a lot of fun though, and worth a try.

EDGE Extended

EDGE Extended is an interesting game — it's all about shapes. You move shapes around to reach the end of a puzzle. It's not very complex though, so if you're looking for a challenge, it might be wise to look elsewhere. This is one of those games that you'd quickly play on lunch break at work, etc.

The controls are fairly easy. You simply slide your finger across the screen and it will move the cube accordingly. You'll also be climbing some walls, avoiding traps, triggering events, and even ride on the shoulders of a really cool giant polygon robot. Despite its simplicity, there are a few complicated parts, but nothing too head scratching.

Given its simplicity, it's understandable as to why EDGE Extended is an underrated game, however, there's still some fun to be had!

Oil Rush

When Oil Rush was first announced, it was a game many people were looking forward too. Unfortunately, and due to the system requirements, the game has lost a lot of media attention. To place this game, you're device will need to be running a Snapdragon processor. Bad news for Exynos and Tegra fans.

Oil Rush is a real-time strategy game. A lot of strategy games simply don't work on Android, but Oil Rush does it right, though, when it comes to gameplay, it does play like your average real-time strategy game. You collect resources, build, upgrade your stuff, and then attack your enemies. While that may sound pretty average, for an Android game, Oil Rush is gorgeous in the graphics department.

With its lack of media attention and the fact that it is limited to a small number of devices, Oil Rush is a very underrated game. If you have a supported device on hand though, you're in for hours of fun.

One Epic Knight

If you've been a fan of Temple Run and its successor Temple Run 2, you're going to love One Epic Knight. Now, Temple Run and Temple Run 2 are certainly not classified as a underated game, but One Epic Knight sure is. It's like your normal runner game with a twist. You can switch lanes, jump, slide, collect times, and even use those items.

You'll have a sword and shield, which you can use to defeat enemies and break traps. Furthermore, and like Temple Run, you can collect coins which can later be used to purchase power ups. So in a way, One Epic Knight is Temple Run with a few combat elements mixed in. This underrated game is free though, so it's certainly worth giving a try.

Pixel Towers

Last up on our underrated game list is Pixel Towers. This particular game focuses on the ability to place a block in the exact same place over and over again for all eternity — or until you get bored and close the app. Like a few games on our list this time around, it's quite simple and will only last you a good 10 – 15 minutes of fun at a time.

Underrated Games Wrap Up

If you take a look at out leaderboard, you can check out how these apps stack up against each other. These are all based on Google Play Store ratings and downloads, so there's no bias on our part.

Of course, there's bound to be more underrated games out there. After all, the Play Store has nearly one million apps available. So if you've got a favorite underrated game you'd like to talk about, let us know about it in the comments below!

Note: If this Tutorial and News worked for you (and it should work), please leave a comment below. Thanks.

BBM for Android Set for Release on June 27th

2013-06-06T19:43:00.001-07:00

BBM for Android, yes you have heard it right! It’s all coming this summer and you want to be one of few users who wanted to try out this app before anyone then we will tell you on how in the due course of this article. But before we proceed, let’s check out on what exactly is fuss about BBM and why its been talk of the town of late. Like most of you know, BBM till now was the exclusive Chat client just like Whatsapp exclusively for Blackberry OS. But now Blackberry has decided to launch this much awaited BBM for other platforms as well that is for Android and IOS.

Update: There was a tweet by T-Mobile UK that BBM for Android is all set for the release on June 27th which is just 20 days away. T-Mobile has later deleted this tweet.

While some see that it will be an end of life for Blackberry with BBM no more remaining an Exclusive client. Heins from Blackberry went on to say recently, ”BB 10 prospects are very strong and BBM has grown enough to become an independent messaging client which can now be used by IOS and Android users as well”. No doubt, BBM will still be remembered as the best experienced app on Blackberry, we can only hope that it will be able to turn some IOS or Android users as BB users after using BBM in their Android and IOS devices. BBM will support iOS hardware running iOS 6 and above; the Android version will be compatible with version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above.

BBM has got good amount of fanfare following among youth and just for the heck of BBM, people still use Blackberry phones which may sound bit rude but it’s true. So, get the special preview before anyone does, you need to head over to the link which we have mentioned below and Blackberry will keep you posted about trialing the BBM for Android smartphone.

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Root the Samsung Galaxy Camera

2013-06-06T19:41:00.001-07:00

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is not your traditional Android device per se, and definitely not the kind of Android device you are likely to handle on a daily basis. But coming from the largest manufacturer of smartphones, Android or otherwise, it was just a matter of time before they started coming out with Android on devices other than smartphones or tablets.

The Galaxy Camera is a 3G/4G enabled device which features a 16.3 Megapixel camera with 21x optical zoom and a pop-up Xenon flash, WiFi & 3G/4G LTE connectivity, a 4.8 inch Super LCD 720p display. 4GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot, a powerful Exynos 4412 Quad core processor clocked at 1.4GHz along with 1GB of RAM, and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.

How To Root the Samsung Galaxy Camera GC100

Make sure you have downloaded and installed the latest Samsung USB drivers on your PC.
Download ODIN and extract the zip file to your desktop
Download the Root package from HERE. Extract the zip file to your desktop to get a .tar file named CF-Auto-Root-gd1-ekgc100.tar.md5
Launch ODIN on your PC
Click the PDA button in ODIN, and load the CF-Auto-Root-gd1-ekgc100.tar.md5 file from Step 3
In ODIN, make sure Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time boxes are checked, and the Re-partition box is left unchecked. Make no other changes in ODIN
Switch off your camera and reboot to Download Mode by pressing and holding down the Volume Down + Camera + Power buttons together. At the warning screen press Volume Up to enter Download Mode
Now connect your phone to the PC via USB cable
Wait for the Added! message to appear in ODIN. Also, the ID:COM box in ODIN will turn yellow, indicating that ODIN has detected your device
Now click the Start button in ODIN to start flashing the CF-Root package on to your device
Once ODIN has flashed the file successfully, your phone will reboot automatically, and you will see a PASS message in the ODIN window
You can disconnect your Galaxy Camera now

Congratulations!!! Your Samsung Galaxy Camera is now rooted. Have fun with your rooted device

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Official Accessory Samsung Galaxy S4 Wireless Charging

2013-06-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Official accessory brings Qi wireless charging to the Galaxy S4, at the cost of a little extra girth

Wireless charging is one of those features that seems like an unimportant luxury until you've used it for yourself. The ability to place your phone down on a magical pad and have it charge through the ether can change the way you use your device. Suddenly, you're free from wires and don't having to worry about constant plugging and unplugging. It's an added convenience if you're sat working at a desk all day, or even if you want to charge your phone on a nightstand without getting tangled in wires.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 doesn't include wireless charging capabilities out of the box, but the official S Charger kit brings Qi-standard inductive charging to the device, in the form of a replacement back cover and charging plate. In exchange for a little extra thickness on the phone, this lets you take advantage of wireless charging on your S4. So let's take a closer look -- we've got video, photos and more words after the break!

The Samsung Galaxy S4 S-Charger kit comes in two parts. The first, a replacement back cover for the phone, houses all the components necessary to let the phone use inductive charging. Gold contacts connect to the interior of the S4, and the cover sturdily snaps into place with a few reassuring clicks. The first thing you'll probably notice about the wireless charging cover is the extra heft it brings to the Galaxy S4. It adds a few extra millimeters to the back of the device, and a small amount of additional weight, too. Looking at the LED flash -- now recessed away from the surface of the back cover -- gives you an idea of how much extra thickness it adds.

It's not a trivial amount of extra thickness, and the differences are more than cosmetic. The S4 becomes more rounded with the new back cover, which might change the way you hold it. (In our opinion, this actually makes it a little easier to hold.) Finally, in case you were wondering, NFC still works even with the thicker back cover in place, although any form-fitting cases you might have bought likely won't fit with the wireless charging back in plate.

Galaxy S4 regular back cover versus wireless charging cover - Click animation to enlarge

The second part of the kit is the official Samsung charging plate, which as the name suggests is a small, curved slab onto whick the phone sits. Its edges are curved upwards and the top is matte textured to stop things slipping off, the sides are shiny plastic, and the base is rubberized to hold it in place. Once it’s plugged in, it’s just a case of placing the phone on the pad and it’ll start charging automatically -- you'll get a little popup message telling you that the phone’s charging wirelessly, and an LED on the plate will light up.

The Galaxy S4 charges wirelessly at 650mA, which is pretty reasonable. To put that in perspective, charging over USB 2.0 from a computer will give you 500mA, and most AC chargers will charge at 1A. The Galaxy S4’s wall charger actually charges at a full two amps -- so that’s still going to be your best bet for a fast charge. That said, the main benefit of wireless charging is convenience, not speed.

As it's based on the Qi wireless charging standard, which means the charging back should work with existing Qi charging pads, and the pad should work with Qi-compliant phones (we successfully tested ours with a Nexus 4.)

The bottom line is that you’re trading extra thickness for the convenience of wireless charging, and whether that’s worth it to you is going to depend on how you use the phone, and how important the thin, sleek design is. We're going to keep using the S-Charger kit as our main way of juicing up the Galaxy S4, and we'll update this article with any long-term impressions.

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Turn on Data Compression in Chrome 28 Beta

2013-06-06T19:31:00.002-07:00

Help save that valuable mobile data with just a few taps in Chrome Beta

One of the lesser talked-about features rolled out at Google I/O last week was a new option for Chrome on mobile devices to cut down on the bandwidth used while browsing. Well the feature has been rolled out in an experimental capacity as part of the latest Chrome Beta update on Android, and it's a quick way to help save on data usage while browsing. Like most systems that work to preserve data while browsing, Google routes your browsing traffic through one of its own proxy servers, compressing it along the way as data is sent back and forth to your phone. Correctly, Google has chosen to only route HTTP connections through the proxy, and HTTPS request will always be sent directly. Google claims data savings can be as much as 50-percent, which is nothing to sneeze at.

To enable this new feature, you'll have to be running the latest Chrome Beta update (version 28, technically) on your phone or tablet. You will likely be greeted by a splash page the first time you open Chrome Beta after the update, but if you're not, head to the browser settings, scroll down to "Bandwidth management" and then tap "Reduce data usage" and hit the button at the top right to enable it. (If you don't see the option, try heading to "chrome://flags" in the navigation bar and enabling it manually.) You'll be able to come back after you do some browsing and see how much data you saved by enabling this new feature.

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Google Glass Update Version XE6

2013-06-05T22:14:00.001-07:00

Google is now pushing a fresh monthly update to their world-famous Google Glasses. The company is rolling out the Google Glass update version XE6 coming to the Glass owners along with some gorgeous incredible enhancements to photo captures. The update number is XE6 and follows version XE5.

We have brought the complete changelog given to use by the Google Glass team.

Google Glass XE6 Update:

Fixes for many issues
Voice annotate your videos and photos when sharing
Enhanced cards in the Google Now for sports and a fresh card for the Birthdays
Developments to On-Head detection. Re-calibrate to enable the improvements.
Improved photos for glass.

Moreover, the company has brought another great thing along with the current update.

New attractive sound when taking the Google Glass off

Well, the Google Glass update XE6 does not only carry the aforesaid improvements, but there is something special added to the Photo-taking experience. We have come to know that the Glass team is now enabling the HDR mode, which leads to better photos in bright & particularly low-light situations. The High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode works by taking several good shots at once at various exposure levels and after than blending all of them altogether into one.

The Google team has provided us with some examples of the improved camera shots and it is more than just impressive.

Note: The first pictures were taken with no HDR enables, and the XE6’s enhanced camera software photos appear on after that.

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Keyboard Arrives on Google Play

2013-06-05T22:08:00.001-07:00

The stock Google Keyboard is now an official Android app that can be installed for free through Google Play. This is the same keyboard that was introduced with Jelly Bean (Android 4.2), that includes Gesture typing, a way to swipe from letter-to-letter to spell out words. It should also actively predict words on-screen as you gesture between letters, making this one of the smartest keyboards you’ll use. After spending tons of time with it on my Nexus 4 over the last few months, I can tell you that this new 4.2 keyboard has been one of my favorites to use. This is a great day for keyboard enthusiasts.

So for those of you without a stock Android device (like the Galaxy S4 or HTC One), this is your chance to get in on the action. It also works great on tablets. Once you install and open for the first time, Google will walk you through a tutorial to enable it.

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Hide Apps or Games on Android

2013-06-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

By default, all installed apps and games on your phone will be displayed in the app drawer, which is not suitable when someone else can access your phone. You may not want to display some apps or games to your friends or your kids when they borrow your phone. Luckily, you can hide the apps from the drawer if you want.

This tutorial is written based on Samsung stock Android 4.1.2 firmware and is for Samsung phones only. Other phones may also have this feature, but the steps may vary. If the feature does not exist in the stock app drawer, you will need to install a third-party app from the Play Store to hide to apps.

1. Open the app drawer.
2. Press the menu button on your phone to open the drawer’s menu. From there, choose Hide applications.
3. The app drawer will then turn to select mode with a box on top of each icon. Tap on the app icon to choose the app. The selected app will have a check mark on it. When you have selected all the apps you want to hide, tap Done.
As a result, all selected apps are now hidden.
4. When you want to unhide the apps, just choose Show Hidden Applications from the same menu, and repeat the steps above. After tapping Done, the selected apps will appear in the app drawer again.

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Way to Track Packages on Android

2013-06-05T22:02:00.001-07:00

Tracking packages, monitoring their every movement from the vendor to your front door, can feel a bit like an addiction at times. Once you have the tracking number, you're either refreshing the respective carrier's tracking page, or you're mercilessly opening and closing your favorite package-tracking app hoping you can will the item to inch closer to its final destination.

As someone who has used iOS as my primary device for the last three years, I have often relied on the Delivery Status app to do the dirty work for me. There's a free OS X widget where I can add tracking numbers and have them sync to my iPhone and iPad, and then receive push alerts as the package takes its journey. But this setup had one major flaw: me. In order for the package to be tracked I have to manually enter a tracking number into one of the apps, and I didn't always do that.

Since I started using Android more and more over the last year, I have been constantly looking for a package tracking solution that at least matched the setup I was using on iOS; even with its flaw. What I ended up finding -- finally -- was a better solution.

The first thing you'll need to do to make all of this work is sign up for FedEx Delivery Manager and UPS My Choice. Both services will provide you with delivery options, better control over incoming packages and (most importantly) alerts of incoming packages, complete with tracking numbers. When you set up either account, which are free for basic users, make sure you use e-mail alerts instead of text message alerts.

The next piece of this puzzle is a package-tracking app on your Android device. In the past I had tried Boxoh combined with IFTTT and Pushover, but this solution took way more effort than I wanted to put into tracking a package. Instead, head over to the Play store and download the Pro version of Package Buddy. It'll set you back roughly $2, but it's well worth it.

The Pro version provides you with one critical feature -- the ability to forward delivery e-mails to the service and have them automatically added to your account. You'll need to sign up for a Package Buddy account and add your e-mail address(es) to the service so it knows what account to tie to the incoming messages.

Once you've installed the app, set up an account, added your e-mail addresses and logged into your account on the app you're all ready to go. The next time you receive an incoming package alert, be it from a vendor or the carrier itself, you simply forward the message to packages@package-buddy.com and let the service do the work for you. If you'd rather eliminate this step, you can always assign labels (assuming you're using Gmail) for the FedEx and UPS alerts and have IFTTT forward the e-mails for you. Or set up your own filters and have the messages forwarded if you're using a different e-mail provider.

Once a package has been added through e-mail, you should receive a confirmation message back indicating it was successful. I have found that I don't receive e-mails back when forwarding a FedEx e-mail, but it's still added to the app. A few minutes after forwarding a message, refresh the app to see if it was added. If you're running into issues, contact support to help them iron it out.

Of course, the Package Buddy app has all of the features you'd expect from a package tracking app: background updates at an interval of your choosing, a long list of supported carriers, bar code scanning, sorting by ETA, multiple themes and more. It's the complete package, pun fully intended.

Hopefully you find this setup as efficient as I have. Yes, it still requires action on my part (sometimes) to get a tracking number into the app, but two or three taps to forward an e-mail compared with copying and pasting a tracking number after navigating multiple screens and apps, is a lot less work.

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Install Android 4.2 Photosphere Camera on Samsung Galaxy S4

2013-06-05T21:54:00.001-07:00

The Photosphere camera feature, that as introduces first with Nexus 4, is really one of the most interesting camera features. The Photosphere camera mode is an advanced form of 360º photography because it beautifully synthesizes several photo frames into one whole to give you a spherical shot. The feature achieves this by piecing together the picture in a virtual space. It then combines all the pieces together, adding depth to the space. Thus you can create an spherical image by moving and aligning the camera sensor to left, right, up or down. Below is very beautiful example that shows what kind of images you can capture using Photosphere.

Requirements:

A rooted Samsung Galaxy S4 with a custom recovery like CWM or TWRP.
Nexus 4 Photosphere camera flashable zip: Photosphere_camera42_galaxy_s4_v2.Zip

Installing Photosphere on Galaxy S4:

Here is how you can install the Photosphere camera from Nexus 4 on your Samsung Galaxy S4. I have tested it on GT-I9500 but it should work on other variants of the device including GT-I9505 LTE, AT&T SGH-I337, T-Mobile SGH-M919, Verizon SCH-I545, Sprint SPH-L720, etc. Besides, the port should also work with other device with Android 4.2.

Please note that installing the Android 4.2 stock camera will not delete or replace the Samsung Camera. Since the Nexus 4 camera app is integrated with the Gallery app, you will also have ane Gallery app icon in your app drawer.

Download “photosphere_camera42_galaxy_s4_v2.zip” file and copy to your phone internal or external SD card storage.
Turn off your Galaxy S4 and reboot it into CWM or TWRP recovery mode. Press the Volume Up+Home+Power button together till the “Samsung Galaxy S4″ logo blinks for 2 times, then release the Power key. Keep other keys pressed till you see the CWM or TWRP menu.
Inside the recovery mode, use the volume keys to scroll and the power key to select an option. If you have the touch version of recovery, you know well what to do.
First thing that you must always do whenever you flash a mod or port on your Galaxy S4, is the backup stuff. Go to “backup and restore” option in recovery menu and backup your current ROM. In the case of any mishap, you can restore your ROM anytime to get the device back to its normal state.
Go to ”advanced” option and “wipe dalvik cache”. Choose “yes’ when asked.
Returning back to the main menu, go to “install zip from sdcard> choose zip from sdcard” and select “photosphere_camera42_galaxy_s4_v2.zip”. Select “yes” on the next screen to confirm installation which will take just few seconds.
Go to “advanced” menu again and “wipe dalvik cache”.
Finally, come back to the main menu and select “reboot system now”.

Your Galaxy S4 will reboot now and you’ll see “Android is upgrading…” message. Wait till it finishes. Open your app drawer and look for the new Camera and Gallery apps. Enjoy!

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