There’s no shortage of unofficial CyanogenMod versions for various Android devices, and sometimes, those even get merged in the mainline, providing better, more official support. However, it’s almost always more exciting to find out that a device is getting official ROMs from the get go. In that regard, the Nexus line up of devices has always received special love from the original CM team. It makes sense, too, since these devices are Google’s flagships, and whenever a new Android version is out, they’re the first ones to official receive it, even before the source code goes live on AOSP. The best should get treated by the best, don’t you agree?
One of the biggest freedoms of wielding an Android device is the choice of ROMs that you get. Unlike almost all other smartphone and tablet platforms, having an Android means you do not have to always stick to whatever the manufacturer has packaged with your device in its factory state, and much like a computer, you can choose to have your own OS, some with their own specialties and enhancements, while others built from ground up based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Power users always prefer AOSP ROMs over stock or stock-based offerings, because of the broader freedom of customization and tailoring that they entail. Among those, CyanogenMod needs least of an introduction – the first ever AOSP ROM to hit the Android world has now taken another hatchling under its wings – the mighty droid, Google Nexus 4.
The biggest problem with text-based conversation or communication is the lack of all other elements that help in conveying the correct message. For instance, you might jokingly make a remark over something, and the tone of your voice and the emphasis of syllables will tell the listener exactly how you intended it. Likewise, a joke might not really be a joke, which will be demonstrated by your body language. According to communication experts, 70% of the interpretation of our messages is defined not by words, but by how they’re delivered. This is a serious hurdle when you use text messages, IM, email, or any form of the written word.
When Google announced Android 4.2 last month, a lot of people were left unimpressed, mainly because it was an incremental update and not really something that would cause a lot of bells and whistles. Nevertheless, the update did bring a few fresh additions to the Android ecosphere, including the likes of Notification Quick Settings, Gesture typing (trust me, it’s not Swype), Photo Sphere, improvements to Google Now, Miracast support, multiple user accounts for tablets, and more.
Waiting patiently for the official release of the latest version of Android has never been an easy thing to do. Even when the switch is flipped and the latest variant of Google's mobile operating system goes live, it still inevitably takes an eternity for it to filter through the approval process of various manufacturers and networks and make it onto existing devices. That is one of the reasons why we often see individual elements ripped right out of new Android versions and packaged up for existing users to flash onto their current installations, which is something that has happened with the core Google apps from Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Yesterday, we showed you how you could implement a feature somewhere representative of Android Jelly Bean (4.2)'s gesture-based keyboard, provided you were running a device on Ice Cream Sandwich or newer. As exciting as that was, it was only a going to be a matter of time before more of the new firmware's key features and exclusives were ported through to those wielding older devices, and just a day later, here we are with the Android 4.2 camera and gallery, both of which have been successfully ported to a Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean 4.1.1.
Today has been, on the mobile front, one of the most significant occasions in recent times, with both Google and Microsoft grappling for the attentions of the on-looking tech world by releasing some pretty significant products.
Hurricane Sandy may have stopped Google from running its special Nexus event, but with all the devices having been unveiled regardless, the world also gets its first proper look at Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. There was a genuine feeling that Google had finally delivered an Android product to be proud with in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and several months after it began trickling out, how has the Big G improved its "buttery smooth" mobile OS?
Some of the largest players in the game are all holding scheduled press events over the course of the next seven days in an attempt to get their products and services noticed by the tech hungry public. Apple will be taking to the stage first on October 23rd to introduce us to the new miniature iPad, followed closely by Microsoft on October 25th to refresh our memories on Windows 8 and the Surface tablet. To end the month, Google will be holding their own Android event in New York that looks likely to bring some very interesting announcements, on the same day, Microsoft is holding a Windows Phone 8 launch event too.
I'm not sure whether it's down to the fast-moving nature of technology, or our insatiable requirement as tech enthusiasts to be presented as something new, but whenever a new product - hardware or software - hits the market, it seems no sooner do we become acquainted with our new bit of kit than we look ahead to what's coming up next. Thus, with Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 having begun trickling out to the Samsung-manufactured Galaxy Nexus among others, it's only fair we turn our attentions to the upcoming dose of Android - 4.2 - right?
