Good and EVO

ROM Picks: Stock Nocturnal Edition for HTC EVO 4G

2012-02-22T11:57:17-10:00

Stock-based ROMs are based directly off of the latest OTA update that HTC provides for their phones, and I personally love them. In HTC EVO 4G land, the last OTA update spawned a handful of these ROMs. They're are all based off of Sense 1.0 and Android 2.3.5, and because of their origins, everything works!

So today we're going to look at Team Nocturnal's latest stock-based ROM: EVO 4G Stock Nocturnal Edition. Gruesomewolf is the mastermind behind this project and has said that the build has three simple goals: "stability, performance, and a stock Feel." Outside of the modifications listed below, he notes that the ROM is "completely stock."

Keep reading for the thorough rundown and some sweet add-ons!

Here are the goods:

Based off of the 4.67.651.3 OTA Update from HTC
Hotspot Hacked
Advanced Power Menu and CRT Animations
Volume Rocker Mod (to change tracks via long-pressing the volume keys when the screen is off)
Quick Settings/Recent Apps, true data displayed, and no GPS icon (in status bar)
Right dock button remapped to LaunchKey (open LaunchKey and map the right button to any app)
Max Browser tabs extended to 7 (was 4)
MMS Compression mod added (won't compress MMS)
Native Screenshot enabled
Wireless-N fix w/stock kernel
Custom wallpapers and boot animation
/data/app enabled, Bash/Nano support and signature verification disabled

Add-Ons

No ROM would truly be complete without some add-ons, and Stock Nocturnal Edition doesn't disappoint.

First is a modification that will remove the Volume Rocker Mod (that changes tracks) and will allow the users to "wake up" (i.e., turn the screen on) their EVO 4G by pressing the volume keys. This also removes Recent Apps from the notification pulldown. Flash this .zip if you like waking your screen with the volume keys.

Volume Key Wake and Recent App Removal

The next add-on is actually a theme. Gruesomewolf said he wanted to "offer up both a themed and non-themed build." This themed build is essentially the base ROM we have been discussing with an ICS-like theme, as shown in the screenshots below. It's definitely a good choice for the more adventurous.

ICSish Themed EVO 4G Stock Nocturnal Edition (this is a full ROM)

As you can see, this ROM has pretty much everything a user could want from a custom ROM: lots of hacks, a great developer, and some add-ons too. It may not be the flashiest choice out there, but if you are a new root user or are looking for something simple, EVO 4G Stock Nocturnal Edition is definitely a solid ROM choice.

Download | Forum thread

Moneto NFC SD-Card available for Android, allows swiping phone to pay

2012-02-22T11:47:43-10:00

We previously mentioned Moneto, a company that was releasing an NFC-enabled SD card to allow our EVOs and other Android devices to swipe-to-pay using NFC (near field communication) connectivity. Other than the approximate release date and the price, details were not available at the time, but Moneto is now taking orders and the full specs are out too.

Sadly, the specs are fairly disappointing. The SD card Moneto offers, while doubling as an antennae, takes a crippling blow in storage space with offerings of only 1GB, an eighth of what our EVOs shipped with. They're also only listing compatibility with one Android phone (not ours), although this is probably more likely to be what they've tested it on and not necessarily the limit of what it could handle.

It's a fairly disappointing initial offering, but it is interesting in that it's quite possibly the first commercialy available add-in that adds radios, functionality, and extends life to older devices. Hopefully they can get their act together and provide listed support for more than one phone and an SD card with more storage. One gigabyte is simply not enough these days if you want to do much with your device other than pay bills.

[Moneto]

Stock 4.67.651.3 kernel with Wireless-N fix available for rooted HTC EVO 4G

2012-02-22T11:42:54-10:00

Kernels are fun because they can help you overclock your rooted HTC EVO for better performance. They can also undervolt your phone for better battery life. Heck, they can even unlock full HDMI mirroring, a feature not included in the EVO 4G.

But sometimes, you just need that stock kernel.

Unfortunately, the EVO 4G's stock kernel has one huge flaw: Wireless-N (802.11n) is broken. And for some reason, HTC completely ignores this bug with every release they put out.

Now, if you're like me and don't need Wireless-N on your smartphone, then this may not be a big deal. But damn it, my EVO has the ability to use Wireless-N WiFi and I want the damn Wireless-N WiFi!

And thanks to OG EVO expert mjhuffer, you can get the stock kernel for the latest 4.67.651.3 OTA update and Wireless-N in one handy flashable .zip. Make sure you wipe your cache and Dalvik cache while flashing this kernel, and it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to make a quick Nandroid backup while you're at it.

Download | Forum thread

G&E reader editorial: What has happened to the EVO franchise?

2012-02-22T02:00:00-10:00

This guest editorial was written by Harry Hawk. Please contact us if you are interested in submitting your own original content to G&E.

As a customer of Sprint, a fan of HTC, and a long-term user of the HTC EVO 4G (since day one), I'm fearful that the EVO brand has been discarded and tossed aside. Mobile World Congress might yet hold a surprise for EVO fans, but this once first-class franchise lately seems to have been knocked down to the second tier.

Back in June 2010, when HTC and Sprint launched the EVO 4G, it was arguably the best smart phone on the planet: it was the first 4G phone and had a huge screen, the fastest processor, the latest version of Android, the best camera, high tech Gorilla Glass, a WiFi hotspot for up to eight devices, a built-in flash light, an FM radio, and a kickstand. The launch of the EVO gave both Sprint and HTC something big to bring to the party, especially at a time when the iPhone was racking up sales for AT&T.

For me, it was love at first sight. But now that Sprint has promised millions of dollars to Apple in exchange for access to the iPhone, does Sprint still have the money and marketing focus to continue the EVO line?

I like HTC and I want to stay with Sprint. I have been a Sprint customer for fourteen years, and more importantly, I love owning a world class phone. I want a phone that is best in class in every category, including one that innovates with features like NFC and 3D screens and cameras. I want innovation without compromise. Unfortunately, a phone like the EVO 3D didn't do it for me, because its 2D still camera doesn't offer enough resolution.

Wild horses, taken using the EVO 4G camera with zoom.

Pictures I have taken with the 8MP camera on my EVO 4G have been printed in marketing materials, on packaging, and included in major press releases. The camera on the EVO 4G has transformed my life, while other EVO 4G features have made my life more fun. The flash light even saved my life on the Caribbean Island of Vieques!

Another example of the capabilities of the EVO 4G camera.

I was attracted to the EVO 4G because I am a gadget fiend and a geek. But more than that, the arrival of the original EVO gave me something to feel proud about: I was on the best network with the best phone.

Being employed in the consumer electronics sector, I understand that every feature and every option has a price and a compromise, and that products have to sell well and not just look good. There is something aspirational about technology and the desire to "own the best."

Owning a smart home or the world's best car can set you back millions and clearly is available only to the wealthy. However, smart phone ownership is one area where the "best in class" can be owned by people like me - members of the middle class - or even teens and college students who have yet to earn their first paycheck.

If I'm forced to abandon the EVO line, I need to warn Sprint that I may have to abandon them as well. I've tasted the best, and that's what I want. So Sprint, go ahead and sell all the Apple products and other Android phones you want, but please give me an EVO with ICS, Sense 4.0, a fast 4 or 5 core processor, Corning Gorilla Glass, a big and bright AMOLED-like screen, a gig or two of RAM, vast internal storage, a customer accessible battery, 4G LTE, an amazing 10+ MP Camera, a 1080p camcorder, NFC, Beats Audio, and everything else you can think of - including a kickstand.

And while you're at it, give me an HTC tablet that shares the same data plan, with just as many if not more amazing features and options. If you do that I'll be your biggest fan and a customer for life!

This guest editorial was written by Harry Hawk.

HTC Dumlock for HTC EVO 3D allows newer HBOOTs to flash normally

2012-02-21T18:29:40-10:00

If your HTC EVO 3D has a newer HBOOT and is rooted but unlocked/S-ON courtesy of HTCDev, then you understand the problems we face. Having to flash kernels and boot animations either separately or via fastboot is a bit of a pain but HTC Dumlock, in conjunction with TWRP 2.0, gets around this limitation.

HTC Dumlock works by flashing a modified TWRP 2.0 recovery image into the boot partition, which runs at a level that allows for flashing of kernels, logos, etc. After recovery is flashed into boot, it can flash your ROM into boot without having to use tools such as Joey Krim's Flash Image GUI before or after new the ROM install.

The downsides to this are 1) to install a ROM, your boot image is flashed twice, which takes some extra time, and 2) if you're a fan of TWRP themes, you can't use them until they are modified to use the HTC Dumlock-enhanced themes.

One bit of oddness is that this flashes a recovery into the boot partition from a program you run. So if you don't flash a ROM, you may be left with recovery as your phone's operating system until such time as you restore that Nandroid we always remind you to make.

[TeamWin] Thanks, Arash Soheili!

Unofficial MIUI v4 available now for rooted HTC EVO 3D

2012-02-21T09:06:28-10:00

The same developer who brought us an unofficial version of CyanogenMod 9 for the HTC EVO 3D has also just released an unofficial version of the latest MIUI, version 4, based on Android 4.0.3.

JoelZ9614, who is not part of the official MIUI team, has made his ROM available for download with all the normal MIUI perks, plus an overscroll glow, advanced power menu, and more. Since this is based on AOSP, just like his CyanogenMod 9 ROM, the same bugs are present: this includes no 4G WiMAX, the SD-card not properly mounting to a connected PC, and a non-functional camera. So while it's not quite ready for primetime, and many of you might not be interested in this as a daily driver, it's nice to see that work is being done on it.

If you decide to give this a spin, be sure to let us know how it's working out for you!

Thanks, Justin!

TSF Shell Pro coming to Android Market next week

2012-02-21T09:00:00-10:00

Mark your calendars, folks. In just eight days, TSF Shell Pro, which I previously gushed about, will be released to the Android Market.

In case you've forgotten, TSF is a revolutionary new launcher that allows icons to be resized and rotated, folders to be lassoed, a custom-order quick launch bar for whatever you want, hot apps to catch fire, and props to be positioned to decorate your screens. It puts any other launcher I've tried to shame. The degree of customization possible shown in the video above is staggering.

The release date is listed on the video's YouTube page, but evidently TSF had a massive web server crash last month and it has not been updated (in English) since they got it back up.

Here's hoping for an on-time release next Wednesday!

[Phandroid]

LightSquared may file lawsuit against GPS industry and FCC

2012-02-21T08:15:21-10:00

I don't know about you, but I always like a good bit of drama. And the LightSquared saga is turning out to be just the drama I've been looking for.

The latest news is that LightSquared, which was originally supposed to help Sprint build out its new 4G LTE network, is now hiring lawyers to study whether or not it might be wise to file a lawsuit against the FCC and the GPS industry. As you know, both have been doing everything in their power to stop the proposed network buildout due to possible interference with GPS satellites.

Of course, a lawsuit would be a long shot. More likely would be an attempt to swap spectrum for other frequencies that have been assigned to the US Department of Defense. In any case, it will definitely be interesting to see how this all plays out - and luckily, Sprint seems to be doing just fine without LightSquared.

[IT World] Thanks, Mark!

Could San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston also be on the short list for Sprint LTE?

2012-02-21T06:19:24-10:00

So far, we know for sure that Baltimore, Kansas City, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio are set to be the first official 4G LTE markets for Sprint. But there are also hushed reports that San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston might also be on the short list, even though it hasn't been officially announced yet.

Apparently, construction on the Bay Area LTE network is already well underway, with around 900 new LTE sites expected to go live over the next six months. The estimate launch date is around October or November of this year, but here's the good news: Sprint is expected to turn on each site as it's completed, rather than waiting for the network to be completed. This means that Sprint users in San Francisco will be able to start using LTE little by little as the network goes up - assuming they have an LTE compatible device.

It's a similar situation in Chicago and Boston. Sprint's Chicago market has around 1,120 sites that are expected to be upgraded to LTE, as opposed to Boston's 940, which will actually cover most of the state of Massachusets. If we're to believe the rumors, work is also underway in these two cities, with expected launch dates around the same time as San Fransico.

It's interesting that Sprint hasn't officially announced this yet, as these are all pretty big markets. But perhaps it is waiting for just the right moment, when it will be able to announce all three at once and wow both the general public and the tech world. I just hope we'll have an LTE EVO by then!

[S4GRU | Android Police]

Sprint might owe LightSquared $65 million

2012-02-17T15:46:35-10:00

A couple days ago, we reported that the FCC had finally explicitly banned LightSquared from building out its proposed 4G LTE network due to likely interference with GPS satellites. There's still time to file appeals of this ruling with the FCC, but for all intents and purposes, it looks like LightSquared's plans are officially dead.

But there could be some kind of silver lining for LightSquared - it will probably get a check for $65 million from Sprint. Granted, this is money that LightSquared already handed over to Sprint several months ago as part of Sprint's initial 15-year agreement with the troubled company. But the way things are looking now, I'd say it's safe to bet that it will get its money back.

What are your thoughts on what seems to be Sprint's failed dealings with LightSquared? Do the folks at Sprint have what it takes to fully build out LTE on their own? Did they already learn their lesson with Clearwire about relying too much on another company?

[Engadget]