Androidedz

How to Root And Install Custom Recovery On Motorola Droid 4 With One Click

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Aptly named Droid 4 Utility Pre-Release for Windows, the tool has been developed for the Motorola Droid 4 and released by XDA-Developers forum member mattlgroff which, as the title suggests, includes more than just your one click root. While we leave Motorola to worry about that, we’re glad they let their guard down, or for that matter, kudos to Dan Rosenberg for his motofail exploit that rooted the device. Coming back to the multipurpose tool, it also brings along a one click root for the Droid 4 on ICS 4.0.3 even though an update is not here as yet. More on the functions and how you can use this tool, after the break!

If you’re contemplating on whether to root your device or not, you should see our guide on the top 10 reasons to root your Android device.

From the screenshot above, you can clearly see the features that the tool currently offers. However, fastboot functions will not work as there are not fastboot files included as yet. The developer has said to include a full fastboot restore in the future as well. The addition of the custom recovery via Safestrap Recovery app, gears your device up to get started with all its customization needs.

Now the question is how to go about using this tool?

Disclaimer: Please follow this guide at your own risk. Androidedz will not be liable if your device gets damaged or bricked during the process.

Requirements:

Motorola USB Drivers for 32bit Windows | 64bit Windows.
Droid 4 Utility.

Instructions:

To begin, make sure USB Debugging is enabled under Settings > Applications > Development.
Once that is done, download the Utility from the link above and extract the contents.
Connect the Droid 4 to the PC via the USB cable and run the file named Droid4Utility.bat.
Once the utility is launched, you will see a prompt as seen in the screenshot earlier, and all you have to do to get started, is make a selection of what you want to do.

That is it! If you just rooted your device through this tool, you may like to see our guide on the top 15 apps to install on a rooted Android device. For further updates and queries related to this tool, head over to the forum thread at XDA-Developers.

Top 15 Apps To Install After Rooting Your Android Device

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Rooting your Android device is an attempt to unleash its full potential, break it free of the chains that bind it. Assuming that you have root access on your device, you might now be wondering what more you could possibly do with it. Because root alone is just a state and you’re not accomplishing much with that. So here are 15 of the best apps that you might need, or you may want to try after you get root access on your Android device.

Before we start, you should know that we attempted to list apps that are free on the Android Market, unless we found no alternate to a useful paid app.

Titanium Backup

We cannot stress how useful and essential this app is. It will help you backup / restore your apps along with their data, coupled with the ability to freeze system and non system apps.

Download Titanium Backup (Free)

Download Titanium Backup Pro (Paid)

ROM Manager:

The one app that you can be sure you will find on almost every other rooted Android device. And why not? This app lets you keep the ClockworkMod recovery for your device up to date, allowing you to flash it as well when launched for the first time. Helps you make Nandroid backups (backups of the entire ROM) and manage them by allowing you to delete a backup or rename it etc. Moreover, if you want to install a custom ROM and are not comfortable doing that through the recovery, you can always install it using ROM Manager, and if the ROM is supported by ROM manager, you can even download it straight from your phone and be notified of any updates of the ROM that may follow.

Download ROM Manager (Free)

Download ROM Manager Premium (Paid)

Market Enabler

Are you missing some apps in the Market? Market Enabler will sort this issue out for you. There are some apps (especially paid apps) that cannot be seen in the Market depending on the region you’re in, where your mobile network identifies that region. With Market Enabler, you can spoof your network to be recognized as any you may choose from its list. The fake network provider can be set to last till your device is rebooted or you can set the app to fake it on boot.

Download Market Enabler (Free)

ShootMe

Unlike iOS, Android does not have a built-in function for grabbing screenshots. While custom ROMs like MIUI or the official HTC Sense 3.0 ROMs have begun offering screen grabbing as a stock function, not all devices and ROMs have this option by default. ShootMe is easily one of the best screenshot tools for your Android device, allowing you to take screenshots by shaking your device, speaking loudly into the mic or by simply blocking the light sensor.

Unfortunately, the app was recently taken off the Android Market by the developer due to reasons he probably knows best. However, since the app was free, there are APK files scattered around the internet, a link to one of which is provided below.

Download ShootMe (Free)

CPU Master

CPU Master is your control room for managing overclocking and underclocking. Here you can set the minimum and maximum frequency of your device’s processor and assign a scaling governor as well. You can also enable Profiles, but that requires the Pro version of the app. If, however, however you do decide to spend a few bucks on an overclocking solution, we would advise you to go for the popular and tried SetCPU. Unfortunately, SetCPU has no free version on the Market, so if you’re not too much into profiling and all, CPU Master (Free) will easily cater for your overclocking needs.

Download CPU Master (Free)

File Expert Or ES File Explorer

Honestly, it was a very hard call to make between the two file managers. Both offer you root-level access to the file system allowing you to modify and play around with the system files. While both boast an FTP server, allowing you to browse your phone wirelessly through a computer, ES File Explorer goes ahead to offer a cloud service as well.

Download File Expert (Free)

Download ES File Explorer (Free)

FTP Droid

FTPDroid is your simplest solution for wireless access to your Android device’s data and event better, it gives you access to system files as well. FTPDroid is easy and very quick to set up and sticks to what it does best without luring you into the charms of aimless tweaks and settings.

Download FTPDroid (Free)

Quickboot (Reboot)

This app here is a must-have for all those with rooted devices, but on stock ROMs. See, stock ROMs do give you the option to reboot or power off your device, but they lack the advanced power menu that most custom ROMs include these days. However, many of you may not want to move to a custom ROM, and that is exactly why apps like Quickboot exist. It will allow you to reboot your device straight into the bootloader or recovery, thereby removing the need for holding down those button combinations and messing up each time.

Download Quickboot (Free)

Juice Defender

The ultimate savior of your battery! Juice Defender is the most tried and tested power management app out there for your Android device, designed to enhance your battery life by managing your phone smartly through schedules, triggers and however you may choose to set the app up. This app will definitely make a visible difference to your device’s battery life.

Download Juice Defender (Free)

Download Juice Defender Plus (Paid)

Download Juice Defender Ultimate (Paid)

Bird Bar

With Bird Bar, you now have access to your notification panel, even when in a full screen app (such as the Camera and most games).

Download Bird Bar (Free)

Download Bird Bar Premium (Paid)

Chainfire 3D

Ever wished you could play those awesome Tegra Zone games on your non-Tegra Android device? WithChainfire3D, that is now a possibility. The app here plays around with the OpenGL rendering on your device via configurable OpenGL drivers, enabling your device to play all those Tegra based games out there.

Download Chainfire3D (Free)

Download Chainfire3D Pro (Paid)

Battery Calibration

One of the simplest yet most useful tools on the Market, Battery Calibration is a must-have tool for users who frequently change ROMs and usually don’t have their devices charged to 100% while they do so. This can cause your battery to be misread, giving you a lower than usual battery life. You can correct that manually by fully charging the phone and wiping the battery stats file via a custom recovery, but that is a hassle that most users would want to avoid. With this app, you will be notified when your phone is fully charged, and when it is, just hit the big Battery Calibration button to wipe battery stats.

Download Battery Calibration

SD Maid – System Cleaning Tool

This small little app here will take care of all the dead files, temporary files, caches, history etc. on your Android device and make sure that your device stays squeaky clean.

Download SD Maid

ScreenCast Video Recorder – Free

ScreenCast is way better than ShootMe when it comes to capturing screencasts. The app records your screen in real time and the result is almost as smooth as when you go through the device itself. So if you ever wanted to record your Android screen (while playing games, for e.g.), you can do so via ScreenCast. The Free version only lets you record up to 30 seconds. For more, you’ll have to buy the Pro version.

Download ScreenCast Video Recorder FREE (Free)

Download ScreenCast Video Recorder (Paid)

AdbWireless

If you’re a geek at heart, whether you just rooted your Android device or it’s been a while, you would possibly know about ADB and some of it’s basic usage. If you do, this app here will rid you of the need to connect your device via USB in order to execute ADB commands. As the name of the app suggests, you can do all that wirelessly.

Download adbWireless

Philips Fidelio Speakers For Android Devices Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:49:00 +0000

When it comes to Android accessories, I’ve always been all about the wireless speakers. I love ‘em. For me, they’re the greatest things since sliced bread. In my quest for finding the best wireless speakers money (on a tight budget) can buy, I came across the Philips Fidelio line of Bluetooth wireless speakers, tailored made specifically for Android devices.

Before I even opened the speakers, I thought I’d walk you guys through my first time — from start to finish – taking you through the unboxing, software, initial impressions and at the end, some areas of improvement, in my review of the Fidelio wireless speakers from Philips.

I actually received 2 versions of the speakers; a smaller bedside clock/dock (AS111), and the medium sized AS351. Not reviewed was the larger sized AS851. Both the AS111 and AS351 feature an adjustable micro USB dock that can be moved and fined tuned to dock a variety of Android devices, be it a phone or tablet. The dock really acts as nothing more than a charger for when listening to tunes and the audio connection is all done via Bluetooth. Both speakers had solid construction with a high-quality feel to them — something important form any electronics device. Although, technically, all these speakers are compatible with any Bluetooth device and even non-Android devices with micro USB ports (BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, etc.), the speakers gain added functionality when used with the optional Fidelio Android app.

Software

Philips has an Android application in the Market that when installed to your device, brings hassle-free plug-and-play functionality that will auto-launch the application, activate Bluetooth and pair the device with the speaker simply by doing nothing more than docking it. This is great for older folks or girl-friends who don’t exactly know how to jump into their device’s settings configure their Bluetooth. The application also features a few custom alarm clock functions, internet radio stations, and (after downloading another application) music player all in one easy to find place. Firmware updates for the speakers will provided using the Fidelio application as well. While the Fidelio app sounds great in theory, in my experience with it, I found it a little too buggy to keep on my device, turning on Bluetooth (and not turning if off) even when I was away from the speakers and plugged my phone into a standard charger. While minor, it was a nuisance and hopefully something Philips will address in a future update.

AS111

The smaller AS111 bedside dock packed a surprising amount of features with it’s LED clock and mood lighting along the bottom. This made it seem like the better value of the two, especially when you factor in the surprising audio quality and volume output from this little guy. The video may not demonstrate this very well (thanks to my camera’s auto-volume leveling), but the AS111 was able to push out enough volume to where it could actually become uncomfortable for the listener and to me — that’s a very good thing. Definitely more than your standard squawk-box, the AS111 exceeding my expectations from a bedside clock/dock.

AS351

The AS351 has 2 goals in mind: to deliver more power than the bedside dock — which it fully accomplishes this thanks to 10W of output, and improve sound quality — which is vastly improved thanks to its “dynamic bass boost” for deeper “wub wubs on teh dubstepz.” The AS351 also offers a wider variety of connections in the back, in case you wanted to plug in a non-micro USB device using the included AUX cable (sound freaks will tell you this will drastically improve sound quality). If you’ve ever put your device near a speaker, I’m sure you’ve heard your phone’s data transmissions picking up on the speakers but that was never a problem with the AS351′s “special shielding technology” keeping the speaker interference free.

Conclusion

Overall, I’d give Philips high marks when it comes to their Fidelio line of wireless speakers. I’ll admit, when I went into this review, I really wasn’t expecting much (long time lover of the Jawbone Jambox) but was pleasantly (as you can see from the video) surprised. It’s not everyday you’ll find speaker docks suited specifically with the Android user in mind and even if you decided to forgo the dock altogether, just as a stand-alone Bluetooth speaker for any device, the Fidelio line shines with excellent sound quality and a compact design. As I mentioned in the video review, my only complaint was the lack of rechargeable battery for taking on-the-go, but I guess they had to leave room for improvement in future models. If you’ve got a family of Android devices, or need something for the work place, I’d say look no further. Both the AS111 and AS351 are an instant buys.

[Amazon: $66 Philips Fidelio AS111 Clock/Dock | $108 Philips Fidelio AS351 Medium Speaker Dock]

Motorola Droid 4 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:41:00 +0000

When the Motorola Droid hit the scene, the whole Android landscape changed. Since then the marquee device has fallen from the spotlight, but it’s back in a big way for the fourth installment. The Motorola Droid 4 continues to improve upon the design of the QWERTY-slider handset, upping the specs yet again and adding in a first for the line, 4G LTE. Motorola has again made strides to improve the keyboard and has added in a few new software twists to round out the latest edition of the Droid. Is it the best Droid yet? Read on to find out.

Hardware

At first glance, the Motorola Droid 4 could be mistaken for a much fatter Droid RAZR (Droid RAZR MAXX MAXX?). Its 12.7mm thickness — same as the Droid 3 — won’t hold a candle to the RAZR’s 7.1mm profile. At a millimeter thinner than the original Droid, the line isn’t doing much to slim down. The silhouette of the Droid 4 features the same angled corners found on the RAZR and XYBOARDs, an element that seems to define Moto’s current Android crop. A 4.0-inch display holds par with the Droid 3, which was the first in the line to move up from the 3.7-inch screen size. It’s qHD (540×960 resolution) in this case.

Inside the Droid 4 rests a dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. The phone sports an 8MP camera with LED flash and 1080p video recording and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. Also found are microUSB and microHDMI ports, a volume rocker (but no dedicated camera key), and 3.5mm headset jack. The hardware alone makes this the most powerful member of the QWERTY Droid branch of phones, and it definitely counts. Gaming and web rendering hardly lag and navigating through the phone’s UI is a breeze.

The phone’s 4G LTE connectivity was nice and zippy, just like we have come to expect from Verizon’s network. Call quality was good and connectivity was a non-issue. 3G/4G network switching showed no hiccups.

The Droid 4 does feature removable microSD storage (my review unit came with none pre-installed) up to 32GB, which is accessible by removing the phone’s back cover. A special key, provided in the box, is needed to gain access. The phone also utilizes a microSIM for 4G LTE connectivity, which can be found in the same location. The battery, however, is not removable. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the 1785mAh battery installed is a far cry from the 3300mAh of the Droid RAZR MAXX. The ability to swap in a fresh battery or install an extended one will be missed, especially with extra elements such as keyboard backlighting drawing even more juice.

Keyboard

Because this is a Droid phone, we should dedicate a special section to the ever-improving keyboard. I am on the record as someone who actually liked the original Droid’s keyboard and missed the D-pad when they did away with it, but I can’t deny that Moto keeps making this thing better and better. The Droid 4 carries over the five-row QWERTY from the Droid 3, dedicating a full row for the numbers and other symbols. The layout is the most similar to a computer keyboard yet, carrying over many of the same keys and leaving them in their familiar places.

Keys are isolated (no membrane keyboard) and each press results in a satisfying click. Ample spacing really lets the thumbs fly without much fear of hitting the wrong key, but you will need to adjust your strokes slightly. The whole keyboard feels a bit off-center. The left-hand thumb needs to reach out a bit to hit the space bar. In fact, most keys seem shifted just a bit too far to the right. After getting used to the layout, this shouldn’t be a huge problem.

Software

In the software department, the Motorola Droid 4 again takes plenty of cues from the Droid RAZR. The phone runs Android 2.3.6 with the most recent version of Motorola’s custom interface on top. Nothing is incredibly new about the interface, which should be immediately recognizable for anyone who has used a recent Motorola handset. There is enough in common here with other Android interfaces that things won’t feel too foreign to most users. What you get is Moto’s custom look with a selection of widgets for social networking, favorites, and more. You will also find two features Motorola is emphasizing in their latest product releases, Smart Actions and MotoCast.

Smart Actions are designed to automate certain functions in order to achieve things like better battery life and profiles for home and work. For starters there is a list of pre-defined actions, but new ones can be created based on specific criteria. The phone will also learn from your interactions with the handset and suggest new automations. Turn your WiFi off every time you leave the house? The Droid 4 will suggest a Smart Action that uses GPS to detect when you leave home and then automatically switch off WiFi. We’ve seen the functionality in previous third-party apps, but the ability for Moto’s app to learn new actions makes it particularly intriguing.

MotoCast is Motorola’s version of a personal cloud. You set up the devices on your network by installing certain software and designating shared folders to gain access to your files from your mobile or vice versa. You can share audio, video, and photos directly or share files such as Word documents or PDFs. Forgot to forward that important spreadsheet to your work email? Grab it via MotoCast. It’s pretty simple to use and depending on network speeds quite fast.

Motorola’s stock web browser isn’t the fasted we have ever used, but on the Droid 4 there were no complaints. It was able to quickly render web pages and scrolling showed little lag. Particularly impressive was the phone’s ability to play a YouTube video within a page’s content while scrolling and zooming the page. The video didn’t skip a beat.

Other included software ranges from Blockbuster to a demo for Madden NFL 12, which looked great and ran smoothly. There does seem to be an abundance of pre-installed applications, which some users won’t mind and some will take a distaste to.

Overall the software didn’t do much to blow us away, but it felt solid. Things worked how you would expect them to work and were helped along nicely by the phone’s strong hardware.

Camera

The Droid 4′s camera was surprisingly impressive. After a bit if fiddling around I managed to snap off a few nice shots. The 8MP camera doesn’t knock you over with its quality but the images had a certain look to them that was aesthetically pleasing. Pictures were snapped almost instantly and the phone’s auto-focus did a pretty good job of reeling in the photo’s subject.

The camera features a macro mode among others plus a selection of effects to spice up your pictures. Also included were modes for panorama, multi-shot, and timed photos.

Video left a bit to be desired, but its 1080p quality at 30fps was more than adequate. Don’t expect the Droid 4 to become a go-to HD camcorder, but for capturing a YouTube video or one of life’s random events it gets the job done.

Conclusion

Is this the best Droid yet? In many ways, yes. But it won’t revolutionize the phone landscape in the same was as the original. The phone doesn’t feel quite fresh enough to get us raving about it, but it doesn’t do much wrong at the same time. Given its similarities to the Droid RAZR, many will want to compare the two and see which is right for them. For the text addict that isn’t too concerned about having a thicker phone with a bit more heft to it, the Droid 4 is just the ticket. For those looking for something with the same functionality but in a thinner form factor, the RAZR may be a consideration. The QWERTY Droid has become a stalwart of Verizon’s line and looks to be a real workhorse in its latest revision. We’d like to see a bit more innovation with the form factor on Motorola’s end, but the Droid 4 proves that the line is here for the long haul.

First image of LG Optimus 3D 2 surfaces, new specs revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:07:00 +0000

In advance of Mobile World Congress the first image of what is said to be the LG Optimus 3D 2 has made its way online. A point of emphasis with the new design is the device’s thinness. Last year’s Optimus 3D suffered from the fact that the handset measured in at 11.9mm thick. This year LG has reportedly shaved that number down to 9.8mm, reducing the Optimus 3D’s weight in the process. The Optimus 3D 2 will feature a hi-res IPS display, likely the same as the HD screen found on the Optimus LTE.

The Optimus 3D 2 (or potentially Optimus 3D Max) will find its place next the Optimus Vu as one of LG’s MWC booth darlings, but the company may have some surprises for us yet. With Samsung staying low key this year, does LG have a chance to steal the show?

[ETNews via OLED Display]

How To Root Verizon Motorola Droid 4 On Android 2.3 Gingerbread

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:59:00 +0000

The Droid 4 gets rooted! Motorola may have been trying hard to lock down its handsets lately but this is a seriously blow to all that effort. This comes in straight from Dan Rosenberg’s blog, but not much is known about the exploit or for that matter the success rate. What is known however, is that the root method is more or less a one click method, making it very easy for novice Android users to root their Droid 4.

So if you were lucky enough to get your hands on a Droid 4 and wished to root the device, here’s how you can do that.

Disclaimer: Please follow this guide at your own risk. Androidedz will not be liable if your device gets damaged or bricked during the process.

Requirements:

Motorola USB Drivers: Download for 32 bit Windows | Download for 64 bit Windows.
Root for Droid 4.

Instructions:

To begin, download and extract the root exploit from the link above.
Connect the device to the PC and make sure USB Debugging is enabled in Settings > Applications > Development.
Once connected, open the contents of the root exploit you extracted and run the file named run.bat, following the on screen instructions if any appear.

[VIA DAN ROSENBERG]

Ubuntu Installer Runs Ubuntu On Android Devices

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Ubuntu lands on Android! If you haven’t been living under a rock, Linux being ported onto various Android devices is not entirely a new concept, and to be honest, has not been the easiest to install, let alone port onto the devices.Ubuntu Installer tends to change all that and brings to you an easy to use installer app for Ubuntu bringing you the choice of two Ubuntu images (Small and Large). The large image comes with a few software installed as well, such as Firefox, Thunderbird, Openoffice etc.

So what does this app have to offer?

Run Ubuntu within Android.
Access to both Android & Ubuntu at same time.
Highly optimized for ARM devices.
LXDE Desktop (very lightweight).
Ubuntu update manager, Software center fully operational.
File system access: Ability to access files on your SD card and internal memory from Ubuntu.
Set resolution: Ability to set screen size on boot (you no longer have to download a certain image for different screen sizes!).
Choose Ubuntu Installation type: ‘large’ and ‘lightweight’.

Proceeding from here is pretty straight forward, simply download the Boot Script and the Ubuntu Image of your choice and follow the instructions as they come. However, before trying to install Ubuntu on your device, be sure to check your device’s compatibility from here.

Download Ubuntu Installer

10 Android Apps to Enhance your Social Networking

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:39:00 +0000

This is in fact true that most of the people, especially the young generation around the globe are fond of Android smartphones and other Android devices which are influenced by Android apps which are meant to run on the Android operating systems. Android operating systems are one of the well-known platforms used in smartphones, tablets and many other devices. More than 400,000 Android apps have been produced since the Android OS was initiated and set to run on mobile devices. Well, the Android Market avails a good number of these apps for download but some of these apps are not available for free. The Android Market is one of the online software stores which are owned by Google and which is the most popular store preloaded in various Android devices. So, here are the top 10 apps which facilitate consumers for phone and messaging. Check out the unexaggerated information’s discussed below.

Dialer One (681 KB)

Dialer One- The best free dialer, is an uncomplicated, small application which is an appropriate set up from the Android dialer stock and other contact apps but apologetically it’s not worth for a private Android version. The Dialer One’s main screen provides the option menu which reveals the option to view the call log, view contacts, view speed dials, and provides with an option which enables to go to the settings menu. In fact, the Dialer One has a remarkable setting, which features language settings, robust color settings and accompanies the ability of exporting call log and to set a dialer one in the notification bar. Moreover, it enables to view contacts which are only related with phone numbers and helps to setup a default view for favorites, contacts and the most called contacts.

aContacts (602 KB)

aContacts- The best free contact manager, is an application to accelerate the searching of contacts featuring the search over various factors. This particular app has a modified way of searching through contacts; I mean to say that it allows one to search by group, company, a particular field, contact group, call log and also enables a T9 search. It is enhanced with a Callback reminder which facilitates the user to call back to an unattended call and is also enabled with a Speed dial setting which allows making a call at a go.

Contact Group Manager (558 KB)

Contact Group Manager is a free application which facilitates and assists the user to manage, organize and search contacts. It manages the contacts by grouping them in a number of ways like by creating a group which is grouped by organization and title. It facilitates creating groups in a variety of titles such as birthday, name, phone number, organization, notes, address, Email, relationships, websites and many more. In this, one can set a particular ringtone for a particular group and can send SMSs and emails to these groups enabling sending to all the contacts in that particular group.

GO SMS Pro (2.38 MB)

GO SMS Pro- The superlative free browser texting, is a well-designed, high-speed performance messaging app that does basically everything you could crave for in a texting app. It is the most popular messaging app which is very powerful, Cool, Safe, customizable app which features a cool UI along with speedy and convenient SMS/MMS experience. One of the interesting features is its MIUI-esque interface that supports a variety of themes ranging from Grey to Dark along with Christmas themes too. It is provided with an excellent setting that initiates a pop-up for the incoming messages and enables the user to respond by replying or deleting directly within the same window itself. Above all, it support s batch actions which facilitate deleting, marking all or backing up of texts. It allows one to back-up his or her messages to a SD card, email, or to a Dropbox and restore those messages to delete.

MightyText – SMS from PC (206 KB)

MightyText, is an application that enables one to sync his or hers Android device to a PC and then send and receive text messages from the PC. One, who is fond of messaging or usually does numerous messaging, can use this app as it offers unlimited SMS but make sure that the app is only supported on Chrome. This particular Android app, the Mighty Text along with Chrome Extension enables one to send or reply SMSs directly from the PC without touching the Android device as soon as a text is received.

Meebo IM (291 KB)

Meebo IM- the Instant Messaging app, is an absolutely free Instant Messaging app which is almost a mode of entertainment and probably seems like a social networking app. It is a user friendly app with a clean, clear and uncomplicated design.

Skype (7.52 MB)

Skype- VoIP app, is an Free Voice Over Internet Protocol application allows the user to make free voice and video calls to anyone else who is on Skype. This application enables one to conveniently chat by seeing each other through rear or front camera and also enjoy high quality sound which makes the conversation clearly audible. For instant messaging especially Skype to Skype, video calls and voice calls are free over 3G or Wi-Fi and an Android device makes it possible to make low-cost calls and SMS to mobiles or landlines.

Tango Voice & Video Calls (4.03 MB)

Tango, is a voice and video Call app that allows one to make free phone calls and video calls to another person who has a PC, phone or tablet with Tango installed in it. This particular app is user friendly and easy to use and works over 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi. Start a Tango call with just voice, and easily move into a video call when you have something to share.

Vlingo Virtual Assistant (3.55 MB)

Vlingo Virtual Assistant is an Android application that features the combination of high-speed and exact voice into text. It possesses the intelligence and ability to accurately listen to what one says and therefore it accordingly connects with people, businesses and other activities.

BlackList (481 KB)

BlackList, this particular application is a specifically designed app which avails the ability to filter calls and SMSs and other tools which are become stumbling blocks. It is a simple app which is well furnished with important facilities to manage unwanted calls and messages and which enables to create a black list providing safety. Basically, the app works on caller ID or the incoming number and filters or blocks the caller Ids and incoming calls which are blacklisted and configured to block.

The above discussed Android applications are the top ten Android apps which facilitate for phone and messaging. Some of these apps are well known to most people who are Android owners. The apps are really interesting and provide a wide range of facility to its users. Hence, you need to go through these discussions to grab a detailed information and better preference of Android applications. Well, hope you would like this piece of article and do convey your feedback.

Cartoon Camera: Real-Time Sketch Photo Effects For Android

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:49:00 +0000

You might’ve come across quite a few Android photo editing and styling apps that let you apply various effects and filters to your images to give them a cartoonish or drawn look after they are captured. New to the Android Market, Cartoon Camera by Fingersoft is a handy camera replacement app that lets you preview said effect live within the camera’s viewfinder. That is, the app applies the effect to whatever the camera is looking at in real time, so that you know exactly how a photo is going to turn out before you capture it and even lets you adjust the Sensitivity of the effect. Details to follow.

Unlike most similar apps that support real-time preview for photo effects, Cartoon Camera doesn’t annoy you with frequent force-close instances. In fact, it is as smooth as they come. If your device is running Gingerbread (Android 2.3) or above, you can enjoy using the app via the front-facing camera too (that is, if your device sports one).

As of now, the app supports the following five effects:

Cartoon
Sepia
White Strokes
Dark Strokes (my personal favorite)
Colored Edges

Using the app itself is pretty simple. Once launched, the app opens to its camera interface. The sliders at the bottom and bottom of the screen can be used to adjust the zoom as well as the sensitivity levels respectively.

Various on-screen buttons let you enable/disable flash, access the gallery, switch to a different effect. Another highlight of Cartoon Camera is that it supports tap-to-focus. Photos captured via the app can be found within the Cartoon Camera folder on your SD card/local storage.

Although Cartoon Camera also has a $1.41 paid variant in the Market, it is just meant to remove the ads that the free version contains. Android Market links to both the variants of the app are provided below along with their respective QR codes.

The official demo video provided below shows the app in action.

Download Cartoon Camera (Free)

Download Cartoon Camera Ad-Free (Paid)

Official Microsoft OneNote Mobile Client Released For Android

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:36:00 +0000

Today seems to be a good day for Android fans with a couple of big announcements coming from tech giants. First, it was news of the release of Google’s Chrome browser for Android, and now it’s Microsoft bringing its trusted note-taking and sharing tool, OneNote, to the Android Market. Initially released as an iOS-exclusive app, and then released for Windows Phone 7, Microsoft’s official OneNote client is now available to Android users with all the note management features it is known for, including remote access to your SkyDrive account for syncing notes and notebooks in real-time (with support for offline access), enhanced text formatting (with built-in spell check tool), in-app photo capturing and attachment, option to add hyperlinks, images and bullets to notes and plenty more.

To access all aforementioned features, you must log in to the app using your Windows Live ID. New users can easily sign up for a fresh account from within the app for free.

OneNote Mobile for Android focuses on keeping things simple; a feature that is translated not just throughout its interface, but also in the manner in which it goes about its job. Your personal OneNote Notebooks are presented on the app’s homescreen. Tapping the clock icon at the top of this screen reveals your Recent notes whereas doing the notes and camera buttons let you start editing a blank note, or one that has a freshly captured image inserted in it respectively.

Multiple notes can be added to a notebook, multiple images can be added to each note, and each note can be edited using any of the aforementioned tools, including checkboxes, checklists and numbered list. The camera button at the top-left of the note editor can be tapped to capture a new photo, or import existing ones from local storage. As soon as you finish editing a note, it automatically gets saved to your SkyDrive cloud. The app keeps you apprised of sync progress through status bar notifications.

The Settings screen of the app (Menu > Settings) lets you enable/disable the Sync on Wi-Fi only option, and manage your Windows Live account.

It must be mentioned here that OneNote for Android only lets you create a maximum of 500 notes, after which the app can be used only for viewing, deleting and syncing them. To lift this restriction, you may purchase the upgrade from within the app for $4.99.

Also, currently, there is no support for adding audio, videos or doodles, and apparently, no support for creating a new notebook. It would be safe to assume that, in its current form, Microsoft OneNote Mobile for Android isn’t as big a threat to Evernote and other popular note-taking Android apps as one would think. Still, if you prefer sticking with your Windows Live ID to access and sync your notes/notebooks, and are content with whatever editing tools OneNote Mobile has on offer, you may grab the app via the Market link or QR code provided below. OneNote Mobile for Android requires Android OS v2.3 (Gingerbread) or higher to run.

Download Microsoft OneNote Mobile for Android

How to Root MOTOACTV Android Watch On Gingerbread

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:32:00 +0000

The worlds first Android based wrist watch gets rooted! Sporting a tiny 1.6” screen, you’d wonder why would anyone need to root the MOTOACTV. Well, it’s simple, because it can be done, and if you own this one of a kind device, you will definitely want to root it. Intended as a fitness device with an mp3 player and GPS, the device runs a highly customized UI atop Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Once rooted, you also have the ClockworkMod recovery available as well, but that’s another thing. For now we focus on rooting the device. It’s not your One Click solution so be very careful.

This will currently only work on the 8GB model and not the 16GB one.

Disclaimer: Please follow this guide at your own risk. Androidedz will not be liable if your device gets damaged or bricked during the process.

Requirements:

Should be running the firmware version 4.55.78.
Patched boot.img.
SuperoneClick.
ADB installed on your system.

Instructions:

To begin, download the patched boot image and SuperoneClick.
Copy the boot.img file to the folder where fastboot.exe is in the Android SDK.
Boot the device into fastboot mode. (Turn off the device and hold the power key and the start key for 3 seconds then release.)
Connect the device to the PC via USB and run command prompt or terminal and enter the following commands:

fastboot flash boot boot.img

fastboot reboot

Once rebooted, use run SuperOneClick and hit the Root button to begin the rooting process.
Once rebooted, make sure USB debugging is enabled on your device in Settings > Applications > Development.

Run command prompt or terminal and enter the following commands to make a backup image of your system partition:

adb shell

dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk1p18 of=/sdcard/system.img bs=1024

exit

adb pull /sdcard/system.img system.img

Now to re-enable mass storage and sync with the Motorola Tools, run this command:
```
adb shell

stop adbd
```

Now that you have your MOTOACTV rooted,

[VIA CWM.ME]

How to Root the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet with Just One Click

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:14:00 +0000

Lenovo is the best known product all over the world and running massively in computer business. The ThinkPad laptops are sold worldwide and this shows the establishment of its product, competing with other devices available in the market. In the range of computer device the ThinkPad tablet is the first tablet released in ThinkPad version running on Android 3.1 Honeycomb operating system. The tablet is embedded with NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual-Core 1GHz processor and it has got 10.1” HD multitouch display with pen input and weighs 1.65 lbs. It has much more than you can imagine and now in this article we are going to teach you how to root it to get more than its limitations. Follow the guidance below and before that we gonna warn you that after rooting the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet will cancel your warranty.

You must follow the steps but first keep certain points in your mind and they are:

You must keep backups of all data separately.
The device battery must be charged with at least 60%.

Pre-Requisites:

Computer running on Windows XP/7
USB cable for connecting to computer
Internet connection for downloading files
Computer installed with Android SDK with ADB

NOTE: Androidedz will not be responsible for any mishap or data loss.

Steps to Root the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet with Just One Click:

Step 1: Download one-click rooting package.

Step 2: Now in a folder extract the rooting package on your computer.

Step 3: Via USB cable connect the Lenovo ThinkPad tablet to your computer and make sure it is unlocked so that the computer recognize the device.

Step 4: Now open the rooting package folder in your computer.

Step 5: Among the file open the ‘run.bat’ or open the ‘run’ file according to your desktop configuration that hides the filename extension.

Step 6: You must double click the ‘run.bat’ file to run the script and start rooting.

Step 7: Follow all the prompted instruction that appears on your computer. Your tablet will also some process running on it but you must not interrupt it and just concentrate on the work going on your computer.

Step 8: After all the processes are finished with all information those are prompted and now the tablet is rooted.

Walla! Your Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is successfully rooted without any sweat. Isn’t it super fast? Tell us through comments if any problem occurred during process, but I would suggest you to follow the step 4 again. Have fun with it.

How to Install Stock Android 4.0.3 ICS on HTC Sensation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:05:00 +0000

HTC Sensation a.k.a HTC Pyramid gets power from Dual-core 1.2 GHz Scorpion Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon processor and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread , can now be turned into the latest sensation Ice cream sandwich. The users of Samsung Galaxy Nexus are presently enjoying their Ice cream sandwich to the fullest and the version has been updated with 4.0.3 (unofficial). All gratitude to Virtuous Quatto ROM, owner of HTC Sensation has just got the Android 4.0.3 on his rooted HTC Sensation that includes Android skins, ICS updates with a entwine. You must get this work done on your HTC Sensation and tell us about it.

This procedure is exactly done by the third party developer, XDA dev and this is in its Alpha 3 stage and almost of ICS core features are accurately executing but we are afraid that the camera and Bluetooth won’t work. Few other bugs may appear and fret not! The ROM is still being in development stage. Below are following things that will work after you installed stock Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich on HTC Sensation:

Wallpapers
Live Wallpapers
Sounds
Boots without any problems
2G/3G Radios
Facebook contact sync
Touchscreen and keys
SD card
Tethering
All Sensors
Gallery
Root
Headphones
Wi-Fi
Microphones
Advance power menu
Screenshots
Android Market
3D Accelerator
3D games
EGL
GPS
Video Playback

All these are features that will work and according to developers Virtuous Quattro ROM is compiled directly from AOSP code which is a pure ICS. This have been optimized for the targeted device and is pre-rooted and install the Android 4.0.3 ICS. If you owe a rooted device then try the following procedure to get install the stock Android 4.0.3 in your HTC Sensation.

You must follow the steps but first keep certain points in your mind and they are:

You must keep backups of all data separately.
The device battery must be charged with at least 60%.
Install the ClockworkMod Recovery in your Smartphone.

NOTE: Techcular will not be responsible for any mishap or data loss, so install the ROM at your own risk.

Pre-Requisites:

Computer
Rooted HTC Sensation
USB data cable

How to Install Stock Android 4.0.3 ICS on HTC Sensation:

Step 1: Download Virtuous Quattro Alpha 3 ROM to your computer.

Step 2: Now copy the above ROM to the root of the SD card in your HTC device.

Step 3: It’s time to reboot the device into ClockworkMod Recovery by turning it off first. To get into the Recovery mode you need press the Volume Down and Power Button concurrently.

Step 4: Now on the screen to highlight the ‘bootloader’ use the Volume Keys and to select it use thePower Button.

Step 5: After that highlight ‘recovery’ by using Volume Keys and select it by using the Power Button.All these will bring the phone into Recovery mode.

Step 6: Now in this recovery mode, just select Backup and Recovery->Backup to create a backup of the existing working ROM.

Step 7: At this moment you must fully wipe the phone data by selecting ‘Wipe data/factory reset’->confirm, then ‘Wipe Cache Partition’->confirm and go to ‘Advanced Settings’ from the main menu to select ‘Wipe Dalvik cach’->confirm on the next screen.

Step 8: You had in a minute wiped the cache and now select ‘Install zip from sdcard’.

Step 9: Select “Choose ZIP from sdcard” and then selecting the downloaded ROM file will confirm the ROM to get flashed onto the HTC Sensation.

Step 10: Select “Go back” and restart your phone into ICS by choosing ‘Reboot system now’.

Walla! You have successfully installed the delicious Android 4.0.3 Ice cream sandwich on your HTC Sensation a.k.a HTC Pyramid with Virtuous Quattro Alpha 3 ROM.

How to Root Acer Iconia Tab A500

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:57:00 +0000

Acer Iconia A500 Tablet is a renouned device and it is my personal favorite. Currently it is running through Android 3.0 Honeycomb and it can be updated to Android 3.2.1 version by flashed using ClockworkMod Recovery. But before updating your lovable Honeycomb tablet, you need to root it first and the third party developer XDA has rooted this device and here are steps given below to get the work done. Follow the guidence below and before that we gonna warn you that after rooting the Acer Iconia Tab A500 will cancel your warranty. Techcular will not be responsible for any mishap or data loss.

You must follow the steps but first keep certain points in your mind and they are:

You must keep backups of all data separately.
The device battery must be charged with at least 60%.

Pre-Requsites:

Computer
Acer Iconia Tab A500
USB data cable
Install Android Debug Bridge (ADB) shell on your computer. Here is the way to install.

How to Root Acer Iconia Tab A500:

Step 1: First you must connect your device to the computer via USB cable.

Step 2: In the Setting->Application, enable ‘Unknown Sources’.

Step 3: On your Acer Iconia A500 enable ‘USB Debugging’ , taping Setting->Applications->Development.

Step 4: Now download modified version of the GingerBreak app to save it in a selected folder on your computer.

Step 5: Open a terminal and run the following commands on your computer:

adb push c:/*[path]*/Gingerbreak-v1.20.apk /data/local
(where *[path]* refers to the directory location of the GingerBreak files. For example:c:/Users/user/Desktop/New Folder/Gingerbreak-v1.20.apk /data/local

Step 6: Now lock your tablet in portait mode by turning the tablet vertically.

Step 7: Download the OI File Manager and BusyBox and save them to the computer and copy them to the root of the device’s SD card.

Step 8: Now on the Acer Iconia tablet launch the OI File Manager and search for the/data/local/Gingerbreak-v1.20.apk. and than install the APK file.

Step 9: After installation, than its time to launch the Gingerbreak app on your device and choose ‘Root’. The device must be in portait mode bacuse in the landscape mode it will automatically cloase the app, so keep in mind while going through the procedure.

Step 10: Once the rooting is finished the device will reboot, so keep patience untill the process is over of its own.

Step 11: Rebooting is finished and now get ready to launch the BusyBox and automatically it will install on your device.

Congratulations! Your Acer Iconia Tab A500 is totally rooted and now its turn to flash custom ROM and lift your experience the better use of this tablet.

How to Install ClockworkMod Recovery Touch on Nexus S & Galaxy Nexus

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:42:00 +0000

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you would know that Koush has been working on a touch based ClockworkMod recovery for our Android devices. Touch based recoveries are becoming more and more demanded since a few have already been launched in the Android world. However, to this date, a lot of users remain committed to the ClockworkMod recovery. So after teasing us with what the Touch based rcovery will be like, Koush has now released the recovery for the Galaxy Nexus (CDMA & GSM) and the Nexus S (GSM), but it’s a beta for now and remains largely untested. So if you own one of these devices, you can flash the recovery to your device quite easily.

If you have no clue what the hype is all about, you can catch this video of the recovery in action.

Disclaimer: Please follow this guide at your own risk. Androidedz will not be liable if your device gets damaged or bricked during the process.

Requirements:

A rooted Galaxy Nexus or Nexus S. See our guide on rooting the Galaxy Nexus | The Nexus S.
ADB installed on your system.
Touch Recovery Beta for Galaxy Nexus | Nexus S.

Instructions:

To begin, download the recovery image from the link above and copy it to the folder wherefastboot.exe is in the Android SDK.
Boot your device in fastboot mode and connect it to the computer.
Open a terminal or command prompt and enter the following commands:

fastboot flash recovery name-of-img-file-here.img

fastboot reboot

That’s it, the recovery should now be permanently installed on your device.

[VIA PHANDROID]

How to Update Acer Iconia Tab A500 to Android 3.2.1 Honeycomb

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:22:00 +0000

Acer tablets are one of the popular brands then Smartphones. Acer Iconia A500 gets power from Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 processor with Nvidia Tegra 2 T20 chipset and runs on Android 3.0. If you are the owner of Acer Iconia A500 then here are the steps to upgrade it to Android 3.2.1 Honeycomb. The ROM has two versions and those non-rooted (stock version) and pre-rooted (busybox). These two versions can be simply being flashed using ClockworkMod Recovery.

You must follow the steps but first keep certain points in your mind and they are:

You must keep backups of all data separately.
The device battery must be charged with at least 60%.

Pre-Requisites:

Computer
Rooted Acer Iconia Tab A500 with ClockworkMod Recovery installed.
Stock ROM and rooting package or pre-rooted ROM.

How to Update Ace Iconia Tab A500 to Android 3.2.1 Honeycomb:

You must follow these steps cautiously to successfully install the ROM. Techcular will not be responsible for any data loss or mishap occurs during updation procedure.

Step 1: Download stock version. After stock version downloaded it will revoke previous root access and you need to root your device again and installing this stock ROM/rooting file in your PC.

Download pre-rooted or busyboxed version. If you download this file then again you need not to root your device after flashing the ROM.

Step 2: Now copy the downloaded ROM file and if you are intended to go for stock version then rooting tool files are need to copy to the root of the device SD card.

Step 3: You must turn off your device and boot it in recovery mode and to do this action you need to hold the volume down key and power button simultaneously.

Step 4: A text will display on the screen and after it appears then release both buttons.

Step 5: After this in the recovery mode find out the option ‘Backup and restore’ to backup your data.

Step 6: Now clear your device data, so apply ‘Wipe data/factory reset’, ‘Wipe cache’ and ‘Wipe Dalvik cache’.

Step 7: Select ‘Install zip from SD card’, then get the ROM that have been transferred earlier. After you selected the flashing process will begin and last for few minutes and then it will forward to recovery menu.

Step 8: (Follow this step if you flashed the stock version instead of the pre-rooted version) Follow step 7 but choosing the rooting file this time and this step will root it, where as the earlier step flashed the ROM. Give some time to flash process to finish.

Step 9: Now opt the ‘Reboot system now’ from the main recovery to reboot your tablet.

Walla! Your Acer Iconia Tab A500 is updated with Android 3.2.1 Honeycomb. Tell us your views through comments after you update the tab successfully.

How to Root the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet with Just One Click

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:15:00 +0000

You must follow the steps but first keep certain points in your mind and they are:

You must keep backups of all data separately.
The device battery must be charged with at least 60%.

Pre-Requisites:

Computer running on Windows XP/7
USB cable for connecting to computer
Internet connection for downloading files
Computer installed with Android SDK with ADB

NOTE: Techcular will not be responsible for any mishap or data loss.

Steps to Root the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet with Just One Click:

Step 1: Download one-click rooting package.

Step 2: Now in a folder extract the rooting package on your computer.

Step 3: Via USB cable connect the Lenovo ThinkPad tablet to your computer and make sure it is unlocked so that the computer recognize the device.

Step 4: Now open the rooting package folder in your computer.

Step 5: Among the file open the ‘run.bat’ or open the ‘run’ file according to your desktop configuration that hides the filename extension.

Step 6: You must double click the ‘run.bat’ file to run the script and start rooting.

Step 8: After all the processes are finished with all information those are prompted and now the tablet is rooted.

How to Root Dell Streak 7

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Do you owe a Dell Streak 7? Want to root it and get control over the tablet? So here is the rooting procedure which bit complicated but yet easy if you go through the steps thoroughly. Few users want to stick with their default setting in Dell Streaks and if you are one of them then atleast go through the course of action done below. You never know when you have decided to root your lovable Streak 7 one day. Below you will get handy tools for rooting and that is through SuperOneClick package.

You must follow the steps but first keep certain points in your mind and they are:

You must keep backups of all the SMSs, contacts, videos, images, call logs and other files because they will get erased while rooting.
The device battery must be charged with at least 60%.
Enable USB Debugging through Settings->Application->Development->USB Debugging.
Disable antivirus software and firewall programs in your computer because they might interrupt the rooting process in the middle. And in case you have security software in Dell Streaks they you must uninstall it too.

Note: Root with your own risk. Techcular will not be responsible for any data loss or mishap occurs.

Pre-Requisites:

Computer
Fully charged Dell Streak 7.
USB data cable

How to Root Dell Streak 7:

Step 1: Download SuperOneClick package.

Step 2: Now extract the Zip file into a folder on your PC. Don’t rename the file, leave as it is.

Step 3: Launch the ‘SuperOneClick.exe’ from the extracted files.

Step 4: Via USB cable connect your Dell Streak 7 to your Computer.

Step 5: When you are totally connected, click on the ‘Root’ button in SuperOne Click to start the rooting process.

Step 6: One message will appear on your device that the device has successfully rooted and the SuperOneClick also install Superuser and busybox on your device.

Step7: If any mishap occurs during rooting then reboot your device and again follow the step 3 to 5.

Walla! Now your Dell Streak 7 has successfully rooted with just one click. You can do anything with your Streak 7.

Wikipedia App Released in Android Market

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Wikipedia, the name is sufficient to describe what it can do for us. We had really missed Wikipedia App in Android and now our quest is finished because Wikimedia Foundation had officially released Wikipedia app for Android a week ago. It has just put its baby steps into the market and hope it will show its maturity in time with new modifications, features and customization. This encyclopedia contains more than 20 million articles in 280 languages. Isn’t it amazing!

The Wikipedia is the most widespread app and widely used reference and we use it every day to clear our doubt on any topic from nature, books, gadgets, celebrities etc. It’s interesting to know that Wikipedia receives 2.7 billion monthly page views from the US alone. Wikipedia was launched in January 2001 and now in 2012 we got an app of it for our Android device. Such a long time to wait but at last we got our sweet fruit. Few days back Wikipedia went to Blackout for a day for protest and after a day they were back with the message.

‘Thank you for protecting Wikipedia. We’re not done yet.’

And you click on the message then it leads individuals to another message that was:

Your voice was loud and strong. Millions of people have spoken in defense of a free and open internet.’

Features available in this newly launched Wikipedia App:

Search full screen in your Android Smartphone/ Tablet.
Supports 280 languages, so read article in your own language.
Search articles nearby.
Check the history.
You can save articles to read later, means in offline.
View the saved pages in offline.
Share articles using Android ‘Share’ function.
You can share page using verity options.
There is a ‘Forward’ option but it’s not working properly.
You can select any text by clicking on the ‘select text’.
In setting you can only find the language setting for Wikipedia will be seen.
In ‘About’ page it will show the official copyright page.

Wikipedia is indisputably best app you can have in your Android device for reference and research. The information is more accessible to anyone with Smartphone/tablet and an internet connection is must. The app is in its current 1.0 version and it requires Android 2.2 and higher version to get download. Already 5 stars have been given and you can see the popularity of this app and already 50, 000 users had installed in their device and it’s your turn, so scan the QR code given below. All the screen shots are given below.

How to Install Android 4.0.3 ICS on Samsung Galaxy S2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:07:00 +0000

Samsung Galaxy S2 is a popular phone and you must be proud of it. Here is the unofficial Ice Cream Sandwich update. The Smartphone supports dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and 1GB RAM and which is worth to get upgradation and its Android 4.0.3 ICS with XXKPA firmware. The previous upgradate XXKP8 firmware upgrade has been taken into account with featured bug fixes and issues. If you have already rooted your Galaxy S2 from before with XXKP8 then after applying this new XXKPA update your rooting access will be revoked. So, you have to again re-apply the rooting procedure in your Galaxy S2. This update will faster the UI and smoothen the touch response. In addition, the battery life will get improved more than the previous build.

You must follow the steps but first keep certain points in your mind and they are:

The following procedure will work on only handset model GT-I9100 of Samsung Galaxy S2 and it will not work on U.S. Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100G. If you don’t know about your model number then dial *#1234# on your phone and check the model number.
Check whether your phone is not network-locked because if the device is network locked then the updation will not work.
Keep all the backups of the data into your PC.
Your Samsung Galaxy S2 must be full charge or at least 60%.

How to Install Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich on Samsung Galaxy S2:

Step 1: Download Android 4.0.3 ICS package.

Step 2: Using Win RAR software extract the compressed content into a single folder on your PC.

Step 3: Now run the Odin.exe file on your PC.

Step 4: You must tap on the Menu-> Settings->Application->Development->USB debugging. Make sure that USB debugging is checked.

Step 5: It’s time to turn off your phone and then press down the Volume Down and Home Button keys then the Power button simultaneously to reboot the phone into Download Mode.

Step 6: In the Download Mode connect your device via USB to your PC and you must keep the Odin app opened.

Step 7: Just wait till the ID: COM section of the application will turn yellow which will indicate that the device has been successfully installed and the PC has accepted your device.

Step 8: Make sure that you have checked ‘Re-Partition’, ‘Auto Reboot’ and ‘F. Reset Time’ in Odin application.

Step 9: In the Odin application, click the tabs and locate their associated extracted files that you have downloaded earlier.

PIT – u1_02_20110310_emmc_EXT4.pit
PDA – I9100_CODE_I9100XXKPA_CL51925_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5
Phone – MODEM_I9100XXKPA_REV_02_CL1094591.tar.md5
CSC – GT-I9100-MULTI-CSC-OXAKPA.tar.md5

Step 10: After locating cross check so that later it block your phone and then double click on the respective tabs.

Step 11: All the files have been matched then click the ‘Start’ button in Odin to begin the installation.

Step 12: After the installation get finished, the device will reboot itself, so let it do so.

Step 13: Now disconnect your device from the PC.

Step 14: Shut down your device.

Step 15: Again reboot in Download Mode by pressing down the Volume Down and Home Button keys then the Power button simultaneously.

Step 16: Now connect the device via USB.

Step 17: Hope that you might not have closed the Odin.exe application. Now click on the PDA button and select ‘I9100_KERNEL_I9100XXKP9_CL45181_REV02_eng_mid_ship.tar.md5’ and load.

Remind you that other tabs like PIT, CSC, Phone will not show any file loaded.

Step 18: Check out this options- ‘Auto Reboot’ and ‘F. Reset Time’.

Step 19: Now press the Start button in the Odin and begin the installing the new Kernel.

Step 20: Let the phone to reboot itself.

Walla! Your Samsung Galaxy S2 is dressed with Ice Cream Sandwich means the installation is successful done. Reply through comment about the new XXKPA firmware update.

Play.com Shipping Xperia S January 30th

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

It looks like we may be seeing a release of the Xperia S much sooner than we originally thought. It was first believed that the device wouldn’t be here until later in the quarter – March to be specific – but UK retailer Play.com’s listing for the device says that it will be coming January 30th – that’s just one week from now.

Shocked by the date on the listing, The Inquirer reached out to Play to confirm January 30th availability and they said it wasn’t a mistake at all. The Sony Xperia S was announced at CES and will ship as one of the first smartphones without Ericsson branding as Sony and Ericsson look to end their mobile phones partnership, the former swallowing up the latter.

It’s a pretty good device with its 4.3 inch display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 12 megapixel camera and NFC chip. You can put your preorder in now for 450 and it will ship for free.

How to Root Kindle Fire on Mac

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:25:00 +0000

With most guides, tutorials and one-click root/unroot tools being available for Windows, it is good to see a detailed step-by-step guide written specifically for Mac users. And that is exactly what XDA member northmendo has done; we have here a step-by-step guide of how to root the Kindle fire on a Mac. Off course, you need to have adb (Android Debug Bridge) set up on your Mac, and by following these steps, you can liberate your Kindle Fire from the confinement of the stock OS and unlock all of those amazing abilities that you can only get with a rooted Android device.

DISCLAIMER: The steps and methods included in this guide are considered risky. Please do not attempt to try this unless you know exactly what you are doing, as it may render your device unusable, and your pocket lighter by the amount it takes to replace it. You have been forewarned!!!

Steps to Root the Kindle Fire on Mac (quoted from the developers thread)

First make sure you have the android sdk set up. Download it here.

Put the “android-sdk” folder in your home folder.

Update the sdk In the terminal do the following without the quotes “open ~/android-sdk/tools/android”

Download and run this script to set up the sdk

Download and run this script to copy the usb.ini file nessisary for it to work with the Kindle Fire.

Download and install BurritoRoot on the kindle fire. Make sure in settings on the kindle in the device section that you have “Allow Installation of Applications” is on. You can Download BurritoRoot Here

Run the BurritoRoot app on the Kindle Fire

Click root

Download su Here

Unzip superuser and put the su file and the Superuser.apk on your desktop

Open up a terminal, and Run these adb commands, one at a time!!!

adb root

adb remount

adb push ~/Desktop/su /system/xbin/su

adb shell chown 0.0 /system/xbin/su

adb shell chmod 06755 /system/xbin/su

adb install ~/Desktop/Superuser.apk

adb reboot

That should be it. Enjoy your rooted Kindle Fire!!

You can visit the original development thread HERE, to read user experiences with this method. If you have any thoughts or comments, do feel free to use the comments box below:

via XDA

Imangi Studios Bringing Hit Title “Temple Run” To Android Next Month

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:19:00 +0000

The Android Market is no stranger to gaming apps of the “runner” genre and it looks like you can add one more to that list with Imangi Studios bringing their hit iOS title — Temple Run — soon to Android devices. The developers revealed the news via their Facebook page where they posted images of the game running on Samsung’s Galaxy S II hardware (T-Mobile version) and diehard fans were more than receptive to the news.

As previously mentioned, Temple Run will test your reflexes with its runner style gameplay, putting you in the shoes of various explorers evading obstacles in jungle ruins, while attempting to escape hostile natives. Unlike your typical runner game, character navigation occurs through gestures and a new over-the-shoulder, 3rd person perspective. Survival is the name of the game in Temple Run with no real end to a level. The longer you stay alive. The more points you accumulate. The higher your score.

Originally, Temple Run launched as a 99 cent title but it was only when the developers switched over to the new “freemium” standard that the game really took off gaining over 20 million downloads and 7 million daily active users. It seems Imangi Studios is hoping to cash in once again, this time — in the Android Market. In-app purchases wont be used to progress the game and will only be used to buy new character models and powerups for gaining a higher scores.

Seeing how T-Mobile’s GSII isn’t running any Nvidia Tegra hardware, we can expect a more general wide release of Temple Run when it debuts this February in the Android Market. You can watch a gameplay promotional video of Temple Run below.

[PocketGamer via DroidGamers]

Kindle Fire Receives Early Build Of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:14:00 +0000

You had to see this coming and many of you have actually been waiting for this moment. Android’s first successful “budget” tablet — the Kindle Fire — has finally gotten its taste of Ice Cream Sandwich thanks to the tireless Android modding community who dropped a pre-alpha AOSP ROM for the device early today.

Just how pre-alpha is this build you ask? Liliputing provided a video of Kindle Fire running ICS and I’d have to say, it doesn’t look too shabby. While still very much a work-in-progress, the processor seems to handle the ROM quite smoothly with most of the kinks coming form the software side of things where audio and video functionality are currently broken. Developers did manage to find a fix for the SD card storage problem they were having where the device wouldn’t recognize internal storage. Progress seems to be moving along nicely.

Special thanks to JackpotClavin for getting the pre-alpha ROM up and running. For the adventurous or extremely curious, you can hit up the XDA source link for all the downloads and Liliputing put together a handy quick guide for getting it up and running on your rooted Kindle Fire. If you guys decide to give it a try, check back in here and let us know how it went.

[XDA via Liliputing]

New Features Roll Out to Google+ Mobile Site, Coming Soon to Android App

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:07:00 +0000

A few new features have rolled out to the Google+ mobile site allowing users greater interaction with top content. A new “What’s Hot” pane can be accessed by swiping right of your main “Circles” feed. Doing so will showcase the current top posts from all Google+ users. To see who is making content hot, users can now click the +1 count on a post to see all that gave extra kudos. Look for the features to reach Google+’s Android app in the near future.

[Google+ via DroidLife]