Articles about Android

Almost a week ago the team behind the popular custom Android distribution CyanogenMod announced that Android 4.2-based nightly builds for the Google Nexus 10 were on the way. The developers kept their word and have now delivered the first official CyanogenMod 10.1 release for the 10-inch tablet.

The CM10.1 builds for the Nexus 10 (codename "Manta") are available with December 3 and December 4 time-stamps. Users should expect a number of features to be missing due to the early nature of the development and on-going feature porting process. However, Quiet Hours, the battery percentage indicator, and Trebuchet launcher are all included. Steve Kondik, the project's founder, has further good news for CyanogenMod fans.

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Jelly Bean may be the youngest member of the Android family, but it’s also enjoying some amazing month-on-month growth, based on the number of devices accessing Google Play during the 14 days ending December 3. It still has some way to go to match Gingerbread though, which is yet again the green droid ruler.

On November 13, the search giant introduced its latest sugary treat, Android 4.2. Three weeks later, the new version of Jelly Bean had claimed a distribution level of 0.8 percent, a number aided by Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 sales, and Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 upgrades. That growth however, pales in comparison to 4.1 Jelly Bean which is now found on 5.9 percent of green droid devices, an increase of 118 percent when compared to the previous figures released in early November.

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Smartphones and tablets can take on many roles, like delivering recipes in the kitchen to beginner chefs or entertaining owners with kitten videos during their commute. However, the very same devices can also be used to control PCs through an Android app like WiFi Mouse.

As the name might suggest, the app allows green droid smartphones and tablets to operate as wireless mice, that can be connected to a Mac OS X or Windows PC. The interface is fairly simple to use as it employs a classical three-button layout, with a scroll wheel in the middle, and touchpad-like surface. Even though modern mobile devices come with motion sensors, WiFi Mouse still sticks to the tried-and-true touchscreen interface, which is more accurate, to move the cursor around.

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When Motorola introduced the Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr Maxx HD for Verizon Wireless there was one major feature missing from the spec sheet -- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Three months later, the big red finally announced that the two smartphones will be upgraded to the first Jelly Bean iteration starting this week.

The software update for the Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr Maxx HD comes in at a fairly significant 276MB in size and it bears the "9.1.41.XT926.Verizon.en.US" moniker. Users should expect a customized Android 4.1 Jelly Bean experience with the typical Motorola add-ons and Verizon-branded apps. Some of the most significant changes introduced by the upgrade include better voice search capability through Google Now, expandable notifications, revised keyboard and an overall improved responsiveness due to Project Butter.

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Well that was fast. Little more than two months after Apple launched the iPhone 5 in nine countries, the Cupertino, Calif.-based software corporation offers its latest smartphone free of any carrier obligations. Pricing starts at $649 for the 16GB model and tops $849 for the 64GB version.

The models that Apple offers are actually unlocked GSM units, meaning that using either of the three available versions on a CDMA network such as Verizon Wireless is not possible. For the advantage of owning a carrier-free iPhone 5 prospective buyers have to shell out an additional $450 for the equivalent version available at major US carriers such as AT&T, Sprint or Verizon.

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Just three days ago Google released the Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean update which now recognizes that December and Santa Claus do exist. Today the Mountain View, Calif.-based corporation updated the factory images for the Nexus 4, 7, 10 and HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus with the latest version of the green droid operating system.

Using the factory images the four Nexus devices can be directly upgraded to Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, build number JOP40D, without waiting to receive the over-the-air update. In similar fashion, green droid modders can take advantage of the factory images to restore the devices to stock after previously using a custom distribution such as AOKP Jelly Bean Milestone 1 or CyanogenMod 10.

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Google announced a major update to cloud storage app Drive, which can now be used to manage spreadsheets straight from mobile devices. The search giant first touted the update on the Android Blog, but the new feature made its way to iOS as well.

With the latest Google Drive version, the Mountain View, Calif.-based corporation brings its mobile cloud storage app closer to the web version. Users can now create, perform alternations and even collaborate on spreadsheets. On the Android front the updated app comes with the ability to edit contents of tables and single tap to edit in the Docs editor, better formatting, shortcuts to files and folders on the homescreen. The revised Send Link can now be used to copy to clipboard.

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Almost four months ago Microsoft relaunched Hotmail as Outlook, as the company's response to Google's Gmail. In the meantime the new service reached more than 25 million active users, a number which has steadily grown since its introduction. To expand reach into Android territory, Microsoft even launched a new app for green droid devices.

The Redmond, Wash.-based corporation says that because of conversation threading, keyboard shortcuts, quick access to search operators and tab/send the transition towards the new Outlook email service is easier. Taking the fight over to its main competitor, the company also "finds" that four out of five (that's 80 percent in pie chart talk) Gmail users would switch to Outlook after just five days of use. That's a rather bold claim, and it seems a bit far fetched. But why?

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If you're one of the lucky few Google Nexus 4 or Nexus 10 owners around the world that prefer a third-party ROM to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, then you're in luck. Today the team behind the popular CyanogenMod custom distribution released an official CM10.1 build for the LG-made smartphone, with another on the way for its tablet sibling.

The CyanogenMod 10.1 build for the Nexus 4 comes in response to unofficial custom distributions, that recently surfaced, built using the former's source code. The first release available to the general public is based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, rather than the newest version issued yesterday. However a missing December in the People app is unlikely to hinder its success considering CyanogenMod's popularity among the modding community.

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The LG-manufactured Nexus 4 is nearly perfect. Unless you have no other choice, perhaps because of unsupported cellular carrier and binding contractual commitment, put Google's newest smartphone at the top of your must-buy list. The device satisfies in all the right places -- battery life, call quality, display clarity, size and visibility, operating system and performance. There are other Androids with comparable or better hardware, but they typically slap on a secondary UI and ship with older OS. It's not the measure of one attribute, or even a couple, but many combined that make Nexus 4 so good.

But nearly isn't perfect. Nexus 4's flaws, while subtle, will be serious for some potential buyers. There is no 4G LTE, for example. The feature is built-in to the Snapdragon processor but not properly enabled. The phone is HSPA+ for data, which works on GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile USA. No LTE is a deal-breaker for some people, as seen in commments here and elsewhere. Something else: LG copied Apple, which put glass on the back of iPhone 4 and 4S and rightly abandoned the design with the newest handset. Double-sided glass makes the phone less durable than should be, particularly if dropped. Finally, many Galaxy Nexus users won't find its successor to be a compelling upgrade; much depends on what they use their phones for.

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At 9:24 am ET this morning, I received surprising email from Google: "Nexus 4 will be available for purchase later today! Order yours from Google Play starting today, November 27 at 12:00 noon PST (US only)".

Sudden availability follows shipping notices many people who had placed orders previously received yesterday. The question: Can Google Play handle the orders this time? Another: Will you get a phone?

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Two weeks ago, Google launched Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the latest treat in the candy jar. In addition to delivering a number of improvements, the new operating system also introduced some software issues. As a response to this, the Mountain View, Calif.-based corporation started rolling out the Android 4.2.1 update for the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 on Tuesday.

The most notable mishap in Android 4.2 is the missing month of December in the People app. This bug caused quite a controversy around the interwebs, with plenty of sarcasm and humor directed towards Mountain View for dismissing Christmas. 

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With an increasing number of car manufacturers jumping on the efficiency bandwagon it's rather interesting that none touts a driving cost meter. Luckily Fuel Calculator keeps track of fuel bills and efficiency right on your Android device.

Fuel Calculator allows the driver to determine fuel costs over time, for more than one vehicle, through a detailed history based on each fill up. It also delivers a number of indicators such as average distance per unit currency (in KM per EUR for instance) or total amount of used fuel (in gallons or liters). In order to determine the cost the app requires the user to input distance between fills, quantity of fuel used as well as the price per unit, in the "Fill Up" tab.

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Modding fans, you're in luck. Shortly after Google released Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and pushed it to AOSP, custom ROM developers started work on new builds. The effort has paid off, as new unofficial AOKP and CyanogenMod releases are available, based on the latest version of the green droid operating system.

Almost two weeks ago the CyanogenMod team announced that a future version based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean would be released, but without mentioning a launch date. In the meantime, sporting minor alternations, custom distribution JellyBro is available using the CM 10.1 source code. The currently available build contains a limited number of enhancements, due to early stages of the feature porting process. However, if Android Open Kang Project is preferred, then developer Roman Birg has some good news.

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Sure Windows Phone may have Office and the iPhone may be  increasingly acceptable to IT departments, but that doesn't mean that your Android device can't be an excellent travel companion. Thanks to the open nature of Android there is a wealth of apps that can cover most anything you will need on that big business trip.

If you use Android then you are probably familiar already with the plethora of travel apps that are available, not only on the Google mobile OS, but also on other platforms as well. There are ways to book your hotels and restaurants as well as track your flight. Those are all nice, but what can Android  do that the average non-techie business user may not be aware of?

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