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Simranpal SIngh
Showing posts with label Android 4.0. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Android 4.0. Show all posts
Friday, December 30, 2011
Sony Announces ICS Updates for Tablets, Tablet P SDK Now Available
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Springboard of T-Mobile spotted with Android 4.0.1 on board
The tablet was originally released with Android 3.2 Honeycomb on board and costs a relatively affordable $430 (this was before the Amazon Kindle Fire) with relatively decent hardware specifications to match. The update to Android 4.0.1 doesn’t really surprise us considering that a while back the company released a beta Android 4.0 update for the Honor handset.
No word when the update will arrive, but hopefully based on this screen shot the update should be closed to completion and should start making its way to owners of the Springboard/MediaPad soon.
[Image credit - CNMO]
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 CM9 preview build available [ICS]
If you want to have a look at what is coming in CM9, then you can take a shot at this build but make sure to do a full Nandroid backup. Installation process is pretty easy; you just need to have the latest CWM recovery. Do a backup, full wipe and install ROM. There is no clarity on what hardware components are actually working in this build, but according to users till now, Automatic screen rotation and camera are not working, graphics are also buggy.
You can grab the download from here.
Amazon Kindle Fire gets an Ice Cream Sandwich alpha port
More than a few of you are probably running brand new Kindle Fire tablets through the ringer right now, as it’s been one of the most popular electronics gifts of the season. But the default Amazon interface isn’t really anything to write home about – the Gingerbread-based version of Android is primarily designed to access Amazon’s content, with a few apps and web browsing on the side. If you’re handy with a bootloader, you can try out an early version of Ice Cream Sandwich on your shiny new 7-inch tablet, courtesy of “bl1nkk” and company at XDA-Developers.
Before you break out your USB cable, remember that this is a pre-alpha build. That means that performance will be well below what you see in tablets that run Honeycomb at retail, and a lot of features including the horizontal launcher, proper partition mounting and a few others aren’t fully baked. But for the Kindle Fire owner with decent technical skills and no fear, it’s hard to argue with a $199 Android 4.0 tablet. If you want to try out a more stable version, CyanogenMod 7/Gingerbread (as opposed to CyanogenMod 9) is available for the Fire.
In order to apply the ICS ROM you’ll need to use a tool called the Team Win Recovery Project. It’s an alternative recovery like the familiar ClockworkMod, but the more popular one apparently hasn’t made it to the highly customized Amazon tablet just yet. Once you’ve got your recovery ready, just flash the ROM file from XDA, as well as the ICS version of the Google Apps ZIP (Gmail, Android Market, etc) and the root files, if you wish. Remember to always back up, and don’t cry to Uncle Harold if your tinkering messes up your new toy.
[via The Verge]
In order to apply the ICS ROM you’ll need to use a tool called the Team Win Recovery Project. It’s an alternative recovery like the familiar ClockworkMod, but the more popular one apparently hasn’t made it to the highly customized Amazon tablet just yet. Once you’ve got your recovery ready, just flash the ROM file from XDA, as well as the ICS version of the Google Apps ZIP (Gmail, Android Market, etc) and the root files, if you wish. Remember to always back up, and don’t cry to Uncle Harold if your tinkering messes up your new toy.
[via The Verge]
Monday, December 26, 2011
LG Announces Ice Cream Sandwich Updates to Begin Q2 2012
LG is “taking all possible measure to offer a smooth OS upgrade in a timely manner” and will be providing further updates, such as specific release dates, as they become available.
[via Facebook]
Friday, December 23, 2011
Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S won’t get ICS updates, sky continues to be blue
Considering how hard it is to get Android manufacturers to update nearly new phones to the latest official software version, it should be no surprise that Samsung has declined to upgrade the Galaxy S line of smartphones and the original Galaxy Tab to Ice Cream Sandwich. The company confirmed the news on its Samsung Tomorrow (translated) blog, disappointing many and surprising few. If you can read Korean or make sense of the Google translation, it looks like TouchWiz is a primary culprit.
Samsung notes that unlike Nexus phones, the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab require extra space for TouchWiz, video applications and carrier additions. There’s an obvious answer to that conundrum, Samsung, and it’s spelled A-O-S-P – just leave out the extra stuff that few are particularly fond of anyway, and you’ll be golden. But TouchWiz has become Samsung’s hallmark on the Android platform. It would be easy enough to send out a Galaxy S Ice Cream Sandwich ROM based on the software update now available for the near-identical Nexus S, but it appears that differentiation via TouchWiz is more conducive to “the best user experience”. It’s not especially good news, but at this point in Android’s evolution it’s unfortunately par for the course.
Of course, we would be lax in our editorial duties if we didn’t remind you that the carrier and manufacturer isn’t the only place to find software updates. Both the international version of the Galaxy S and the WiFi Galaxy Tab already have home-cooked Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs in the making, and they will probably only get better now that the Nexus S update is widely available. Official updates for the Galaxy S II and all the second generation versions of the Galaxy Tab should be ready by early next year. [via The Verge]
Of course, we would be lax in our editorial duties if we didn’t remind you that the carrier and manufacturer isn’t the only place to find software updates. Both the international version of the Galaxy S and the WiFi Galaxy Tab already have home-cooked Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs in the making, and they will probably only get better now that the Nexus S update is widely available. Official updates for the Galaxy S II and all the second generation versions of the Galaxy Tab should be ready by early next year. [via The Verge]
Samsung explains why older devices won’t get Ice Cream Sandwich
No reason was mentioned previously, but now it looks like Samsung Korea has cleared the air with a statement released yesterday. According to them, the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab both feature TouchWiz customizations and will not run smoothly on the hardware of the devices if they were ported over to Ice Cream Sandwich. From that statement, it seems that Samsung is unwilling to drop TouchWiz customizations just to give its customers the latest version of Android. Ouch.
Fortunately Android users will be able to rely on the developer community for third-party versions of Ice Cream Sandwich. Do you think Samsung explanation for not having Ice Cream Sandwich is a valid one? Would you prefer to keep the TouchWiz customizations or would you rather drop them in favor of a newer version of Android?
Smart Devices roll out Ten3 tablet that runs on Ice Cream Sandwich
Dropbox supporting Android 4.0 optimizations hits Android Market
The Dropbox team has updated their Android app for 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) optimization and added some great new features. To name a few, the Favorites tab offers quick offline access to files, multiple uploads of photos and videos are now available, renaming files and folders now works, and single-tab access to all file and folder actions functions properly.
Until now, this version has been sitting over on the Dropbox forums to allow users to publicly test it out to make sure it was ready for prime time. And after two days, it finally is. Just navigate over to the Android Market for a quick update or initial download. The improved and polished gallery view is a step up as well – so be sure to check it out.
But when all is said and done, I can’t seem to steer away from Box (formerly Box.net). Once it too becomes ICS optimized, I’ll probably convert completely and use it alone as my primary cloud storage container. It is fast, responsive, and I currently can’t conceive a way to improve it.
[Market Link]
Until now, this version has been sitting over on the Dropbox forums to allow users to publicly test it out to make sure it was ready for prime time. And after two days, it finally is. Just navigate over to the Android Market for a quick update or initial download. The improved and polished gallery view is a step up as well – so be sure to check it out.
But when all is said and done, I can’t seem to steer away from Box (formerly Box.net). Once it too becomes ICS optimized, I’ll probably convert completely and use it alone as my primary cloud storage container. It is fast, responsive, and I currently can’t conceive a way to improve it.
[Market Link]
Thursday, December 22, 2011
HTC Sensation Android 4.0 ROM Leaks, teases Sense UI on ICS
While developers have been going crazy porting and working on ROM’s for all devices to get a taste of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich today we have something even better. This appears to be a full Android 4.0 ROM for the Sensation XE that was leaked to the public. Developers have already ported this to the regular HTC Sensation and it seems to be working great. This also gives us our first glace at what to expect with HTC’s Sense UI on Ice Cream Sandwich — more of the same sadly.
This ROM comes to us courtesy of XDA Developers and has already become hugely popular in just a few short hours since being released earlier today. Based from the leaked Android 4.0.1 build for the Sensation XE it currently has HTC Sense UI 3.5 but we may see 4.0 from HTC at release. The changes being seen could very well change once final but for now it’s a good start — for those that like Sense of course. I personally love my Vanilla whether it’s Gingerbread, Honeycomb, or Ice Cream Sandwich but that’s just me.
Being an early leak there are a few bugs and users cant set wallpaper from settings, battery life is quite terrible (although tips are available on the first post) and that is all currently being listed but I’m sure there are a few more bugs somewhere. At first glance nothing really looks different. I personally love the visual changes with ICS so I’m a little sad to see them staying so similar here. You’ll notice this does feature Face Unlock, the new ICS font, menu, and more but either way Sense is still Sense.
If getting some semi-official ICS on your Sensation is of any interest make sure you follow all the directions provided by the developers at XDA and proceed with caution. This being an extremely early leak, and for the XE makes the possibility for issues bigger than usual. Many comments are saying it works great so give it a run and let us know what you think.
This ROM comes to us courtesy of XDA Developers and has already become hugely popular in just a few short hours since being released earlier today. Based from the leaked Android 4.0.1 build for the Sensation XE it currently has HTC Sense UI 3.5 but we may see 4.0 from HTC at release. The changes being seen could very well change once final but for now it’s a good start — for those that like Sense of course. I personally love my Vanilla whether it’s Gingerbread, Honeycomb, or Ice Cream Sandwich but that’s just me.
Being an early leak there are a few bugs and users cant set wallpaper from settings, battery life is quite terrible (although tips are available on the first post) and that is all currently being listed but I’m sure there are a few more bugs somewhere. At first glance nothing really looks different. I personally love the visual changes with ICS so I’m a little sad to see them staying so similar here. You’ll notice this does feature Face Unlock, the new ICS font, menu, and more but either way Sense is still Sense.
If getting some semi-official ICS on your Sensation is of any interest make sure you follow all the directions provided by the developers at XDA and proceed with caution. This being an extremely early leak, and for the XE makes the possibility for issues bigger than usual. Many comments are saying it works great so give it a run and let us know what you think.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Android 4.0.3 radios for the Galaxy Nexus leaked
Users have reported that the phone now locks onto a data signal faster and tends to keep it longer, along with smoother handoffs between 4G and 3G connections. Of course this leaked radio will require an unlocked phone with custom recovery, so proceed at your own risk as it seems that according to Michael Crider of Android Community, the leaked radio has “broken” his wireless tethering functionality.
We can’t be sure if this has happened to anyone else yet, but if you can’t wait for the official update, you can find the download link and instructions along with various user feedback on the XDA forums.
Sony Ericsson Gives Timeline for ICS Updates, Rollouts Start Late March 2012
Sony Ericsson earlier committed to bringing the Android 4.0 upgrade to all of their 2011 handsets and now they’re detailing which phones are getting it when. Rollouts start in late March or early April 2012 for the Xperia™ arc S, Xperia™ neo V and Xperia™ ray.
Shortly after, from late March or early April 2012 the Xperia™ arc, Xperia™ PLAY, Xperia™ neo, Xperia™ mini and mini pro, Xperia™ pro, Xperia™ active as well as Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™ will all get the update.
Of course, Sony Ericsson warns that not all kits of any of these phones (meaning carrier versions) may not get the upgrade within this timeframe, if at all. That’s nothing new to note but there’s your disclaimer either way. Head on to Sony Ericsson’s site for more details. [Sony Ericsson Blog]
Shortly after, from late March or early April 2012 the Xperia™ arc, Xperia™ PLAY, Xperia™ neo, Xperia™ mini and mini pro, Xperia™ pro, Xperia™ active as well as Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™ will all get the update.
Of course, Sony Ericsson warns that not all kits of any of these phones (meaning carrier versions) may not get the upgrade within this timeframe, if at all. That’s nothing new to note but there’s your disclaimer either way. Head on to Sony Ericsson’s site for more details. [Sony Ericsson Blog]
Nexus S Android 4.0.3 update roll-out paused to gather feedback
So, if you have not got the OTA notification till now, don’t worry it will be available on your phone within this month, or if you got the notification some time back but you declined and now you are not able to get it again, same case – you will get it soon.
According to Google’s Paul Wilcox:
If you received an update notification a little while ago but the update isn’t currently available for your phone, this is likely the result of Google pausing the update in your area while we monitor feedback. The Android 4.0 update is continuing to roll out around the world so your phone will receive another update notification when it’s available again in your region.PS: You can always install it manually using the guide given here.
Root users: install Google Car Home on your Galaxy Nexus
One thing that surprised me when looking through my Galaxy Nexus apps wasn’t the presence of Verizon’s bloatware, it was thew absence of something that’s become a standard on Android phones: Google Car Home. It’s the app that launched when you slide a phone into a car dock, featuring big, easily pressed buttons to help you stay focused on the road. When I looked for it in the Android Market, there was no sign, and navigating via the web version revealed that Google Car Home isn’t yet compatible with either the Galaxy Nexus, Ice Cream Sandwich, or both.
Of course, being an obsessive Android tinkerer I couldn’t simply let things lie. So I downloaded the latest version of Google Car Home on my DROID X, then copied the APK file over to my SD card, and eventually to my computer. Then I copied the APK over to the MTP root folder of my Galaxy Nexus. You can see where this is going. When I tried to install the APK via the Root Explorer file manager, it popped out an error message. So as a last ditch attempt, I activated root permissions and copied the APK file straight into my /system/app folder. Eureka! The app showed up in my drawer immediately, and Google Car Home works just fine, as far as I can tell.
Here’s the Google Car Home APK if you want to skip the roundabout or don’t have a spare Android phone. Just copy it into your /system/app/ folder using a root file explorer. To use the easy method you need to be rooted, but those with stock Ice Cream Sandwich will have to use ADB to manually move the file from your computer into the correct folder. Here’s a guide if you’re new to ADB.
All this is a little disheartening for Verizon Galaxy Nexus users, since the official Samsung car dock for the LTE version doesn’t use the three electrical contacts to automatically enter car mode like the GSM dock does. But the Google Car Home app is still much safer and easier to operate while driving, and features quick links to hands-free voice activation and maps. If you’ve got a Bluetooth-enabled car stereo, you can set Car Home to launch as soon as it makes the Bluetooth connection. And if you’re looking for a good, cheap universal car dock, I’ve had great results with the SGP Kuel S20.
Disclaimer: this app, and the process for installing it, are offered on an as-is basis. Android Community is not responsible if you use it to play Angry Birds in the middle of the highway and end up with some angry people… or worse.
Of course, being an obsessive Android tinkerer I couldn’t simply let things lie. So I downloaded the latest version of Google Car Home on my DROID X, then copied the APK file over to my SD card, and eventually to my computer. Then I copied the APK over to the MTP root folder of my Galaxy Nexus. You can see where this is going. When I tried to install the APK via the Root Explorer file manager, it popped out an error message. So as a last ditch attempt, I activated root permissions and copied the APK file straight into my /system/app folder. Eureka! The app showed up in my drawer immediately, and Google Car Home works just fine, as far as I can tell.
Here’s the Google Car Home APK if you want to skip the roundabout or don’t have a spare Android phone. Just copy it into your /system/app/ folder using a root file explorer. To use the easy method you need to be rooted, but those with stock Ice Cream Sandwich will have to use ADB to manually move the file from your computer into the correct folder. Here’s a guide if you’re new to ADB.
All this is a little disheartening for Verizon Galaxy Nexus users, since the official Samsung car dock for the LTE version doesn’t use the three electrical contacts to automatically enter car mode like the GSM dock does. But the Google Car Home app is still much safer and easier to operate while driving, and features quick links to hands-free voice activation and maps. If you’ve got a Bluetooth-enabled car stereo, you can set Car Home to launch as soon as it makes the Bluetooth connection. And if you’re looking for a good, cheap universal car dock, I’ve had great results with the SGP Kuel S20.
Disclaimer: this app, and the process for installing it, are offered on an as-is basis. Android Community is not responsible if you use it to play Angry Birds in the middle of the highway and end up with some angry people… or worse.
Dropbox Beta updated with ICS support, improved gallery, and bulk uploads
Everyone’s favorite cloud storage option for Android has just released their latest beta build. Currently the version available in the Android Market is the same one we all already use and love but today Dropbox has pushed their latest beta build over at the Dropbox forums. Complete with an overhauled UI that not only looks like ICS but fully supports it too. Download links and more details are available below.
The Dropbox forum has posted a few awesome beta versions in the past but this latest release today is extremely nice and polished — but I do have one complaint. They added a bulk upload option but sadly they didn’t do the same for downloads. Being able to download all the files that aren’t in a select folder in bulk at once would be awesome — I sure hope this makes the final release. Here’s the list of changes with the latest Dropbox beta:
• Favorites: quick offline access to files
• Bulk upload photos and videos
• Rename files and folders
• Single-tap access to all file and folder actions
• Improved gallery view
• Upload from and export to local storage
• Numerous bug fixes and stability improvements
In the forums they mention this is just a beta preview although it should be released to the Android Market here soon. For those that would like to try this latest version of Dropbox today click that download below and give it a try. I love it and wont be going back to the old anytime soon — that is for sure.
Download: Dropbox beta-v1.3.0.6
The Dropbox forum has posted a few awesome beta versions in the past but this latest release today is extremely nice and polished — but I do have one complaint. They added a bulk upload option but sadly they didn’t do the same for downloads. Being able to download all the files that aren’t in a select folder in bulk at once would be awesome — I sure hope this makes the final release. Here’s the list of changes with the latest Dropbox beta:
• Favorites: quick offline access to files
• Bulk upload photos and videos
• Rename files and folders
• Single-tap access to all file and folder actions
• Improved gallery view
• Upload from and export to local storage
• Numerous bug fixes and stability improvements
In the forums they mention this is just a beta preview although it should be released to the Android Market here soon. For those that would like to try this latest version of Dropbox today click that download below and give it a try. I love it and wont be going back to the old anytime soon — that is for sure.
Download: Dropbox beta-v1.3.0.6
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Google Said to be Suspending Nexus S ICS Update Due to High CPU Usage and Battery Life Bug
Alongside abnormal battery drain users are seeing high spikes of CPU usage, two things that could be directly related. If you’ve gotten a notification that the upgrade was available but you have since been unable to apply it, don’t worry – you’re not crazy.
Now is as good a time as any to mention that Galaxy Nexus users have also been experiencing less-than-normal battery drainage for quite some time. Many believe it to be a kernel driver issue and is causing the OS to keep the device awake (this doesn’t necessarily mean the screen has to be on) which causes excessive battery drain.
I personally have been seeing half the awake time as overall up time (for instance, 4 hours on battery gives me 2 hours of awake time even if I’m not using the device more than 10 minutes throughout that period) on my Galaxy Nexus. Compared to other devices this most certainly is an anomaly. We’re not sure what’s going on but Google is apparently aware and working on a fix.
For the time being, if any of you have a Nexus S receiving the official update would you please be kind enough to go into the Battery Usage menu and letting us know what your Android OS usage is showing after using it for some time? It would go a long way toward figuring out if this is an Ice Cream Sandwich issue in general or if the two devices are unrelated. [Google Code (Galaxy Nexus), Google Support, XDA via Droid Dog]
Samsung confirms Ice Cream Sandwich updates coming to Galaxy devices in Q1 2012
Both the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note will receive Ice Cream Sandwich updates in the first quarter of 2012, with the Galaxy R and various Galaxy Tab following soon after.
Samsung lists the following devices will be eligible for an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich:
The ICS-upgradable devices are the GALAXY S II, GALAXY S II LTE, GALAXY Note, GALAXY R, GALAXY Tab 10.1, GALAXY Tab 8.9, GALAXY Tab 7.7, and GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus.As with many of the other major Android vendors, Samsung has said that it will make individual announcements for each of its other Android smartphones, but notes it will be “according to market situation and carrier’s requirements”.
In October, the update roster was seemingly confirmed by Samsung Italy, which said not only would the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note get the update, owners of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus would also see the software release come to their tablet device.
Alpha builds of the Android 4.0 update for the Samsung Galaxy S II have already begun to leak but are currently very buggy, so it is not recommended you update your device until Samsung officially launches its updates at the beginning of next year.
DROID X gets a CyanogenMod 9 ICS port, despite locked bootloader
That’s no small task, as the Droid X is still restricted to using the latest Gingerbread kernel from Motorola. That means that while newer ROMs can use the Ice Cream Sandwich software and expanded user interface, certain upgraded features are just impossible, and getting anything to work correctly is a major pain. Most of the essential features of the CM9-based “EncounterICS X” are working, including Internet access and calling, GPS, WiFi, audio and hardware buttons. There are still problems getting the camera, voice input (excluding phone calls), MMS and the speakerphone to work, and various apps like the gallery and calendar have major bugs.
These issues keep this early ROM from being a serious contender for your daily driver, but it’s still very cool to see ICS running on “locked” hardware. The lads over at RootzWiki are nothing if not tenacious, and most of these issues should see progress in the next few weeks. And after all, it’s not as if the official Ice Cream Sandwich software is completely without it’s faults. Remember: make an Nandroid backup if you don’t want to lose your existing ROM!
Android Revolution HD ROM 2.2.1 on the Verizon Galaxy Nexus
Though still a work in progress, mike1986 has brought Samsung Galaxy Nexus (GSM/LTE) owners his popular Android Revolution HD ROM. I myself have been running this 2.1.1 build without any problems so far. Actually, it is a great improvement over the stock ROM; battery life has improved, and screen transition effects are performed much smoother. The phone is initially very fast, but after installation I’ve only seen an improvement – no hiccups.
Here are a few screenshots of my homescreen; the stock launcher still comes standard with this release, but I can’t seem to veer away from ADW EX. Now it may sound silly, but the main reason I rooted my device is to install a tiny 1% battery mod patch found within the battery icon in the status bar. The only way to install this mod is to have a deodexed ROM so that’s the main reason I went ahead with the ARHD installation. This build still has the original kernel included in the official Android 4.0.2 update devices were just updated with, so don’t expect to undervolt/overclock your device quite yet (on the LTE version at least). For the GSM model however, Paul O’Brien has you covered.
I’ll periodically update with significant improvements that arise within the Galaxy Nexus LTE development community, so stick with us. Installing this ROM was relatively simple, and the instructions were very straightforward. Just download the ROM to your device via MTP, run his “Super Wipe” script from within ClockworkMod, and the install the ROM. I advise running “Super Wipe” even if coming from his 2.1.0 version – I experienced glitchy behavior when I didn’t. The development for Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus has really started strong, and hopefully the trend continues.
[via XDA Developers]
Here are a few screenshots of my homescreen; the stock launcher still comes standard with this release, but I can’t seem to veer away from ADW EX. Now it may sound silly, but the main reason I rooted my device is to install a tiny 1% battery mod patch found within the battery icon in the status bar. The only way to install this mod is to have a deodexed ROM so that’s the main reason I went ahead with the ARHD installation. This build still has the original kernel included in the official Android 4.0.2 update devices were just updated with, so don’t expect to undervolt/overclock your device quite yet (on the LTE version at least). For the GSM model however, Paul O’Brien has you covered.
I’ll periodically update with significant improvements that arise within the Galaxy Nexus LTE development community, so stick with us. Installing this ROM was relatively simple, and the instructions were very straightforward. Just download the ROM to your device via MTP, run his “Super Wipe” script from within ClockworkMod, and the install the ROM. I advise running “Super Wipe” even if coming from his 2.1.0 version – I experienced glitchy behavior when I didn’t. The development for Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus has really started strong, and hopefully the trend continues.
[via XDA Developers]
Nova Launcher brings much-needed options to the ICS home screen
No doubt about it, the fancy new launcher is one of the highlights of Ice Cream Sandwich’s revised user interface. The default launcher has plenty of new animations, a revised app drawer that combines with a widget placement engine, and automatic folders that make grouping your apps easier than ever. But it’s still extremely light on customization, just like all the stock launchers beforehand. Enter Nova Launcher, a quickly-created customization of the launcher found in Ice Cream Sandwich’s open source code.
Nova Launcher looks almost exactly like the Galaxy Nexus stock launcher, but brings a host of options and settings to play around with. There’s the ever-popular landscape mode, a scrolling dock to allow more than just 5 pinned applications, and the ability to resize all widgets – not just the ones with the feature baked into ICS. I’m a big fan of the ability to remove labels from icons. Since ICS goes without a menu option on its native interface, the settings menu is moved to the app drawer.
You’ve got two options for installing Nova Launcher: download the APK file from this XDA-Developers thread, and install it like any non-Market application. Or root users can flash a ZIP file with ClockworkMod. The only difference is that root users will get the nifty widget menu as part of the app drawer. The app relies on various Ice Cream Sandwich APIs, so unfortunately there’s no way for Gingerbread users to join in on the fun. If you want to approximate ICS on an older phone, try the latest version of ADWLauncher EX.
The developer is already updating quickly, and a few of Nova Launcher’s early bugs have been squashed. You can now treat the formerly locked Google search bar as any other widget, for example. Try it out on your new Galaxy Nexus or an ICS ROM, and tell us what you think in the comments!
You’ve got two options for installing Nova Launcher: download the APK file from this XDA-Developers thread, and install it like any non-Market application. Or root users can flash a ZIP file with ClockworkMod. The only difference is that root users will get the nifty widget menu as part of the app drawer. The app relies on various Ice Cream Sandwich APIs, so unfortunately there’s no way for Gingerbread users to join in on the fun. If you want to approximate ICS on an older phone, try the latest version of ADWLauncher EX.
The developer is already updating quickly, and a few of Nova Launcher’s early bugs have been squashed. You can now treat the formerly locked Google search bar as any other widget, for example. Try it out on your new Galaxy Nexus or an ICS ROM, and tell us what you think in the comments!
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