Ice Cream Sandwich AOSP Build Compiled for the Motorola XOOM

Now that Android 4.0.3 is available as part of the Android Open Source Project’s codebase, you can expect to see a lot of effort from the developer community to get Ice Cream Sandwich ported to new devices. An easy place to start is the Motorola XOOM. The world’s first Honeycomb tablet received its own custom-tailored AOSP build from Google, so getting it up and running was mostly a matter of compiling the code and flashing over the new software. The guys at DroidNerd did just that and posted the results up to their YouTube page. They call the updated OS “crazy fast” on the XOOM, making it feel “new again.” With all this fresh source code floating around, we are expecting many opportunities to make Android devices feel new again will be popping up over the coming weeks.
[via DroidNerd]

Read more »

Want to Manually Update Your Nexus S To 4.0.3, Here’s How

So maybe your like me and your impatient. Who has time to wait for an update to come to them, when you can go get it yourself. Worry not my friends, we have the download file for you. As well as the walk through. Go on, you know the suspense is killing you.
This is only for the GSM version, And the T-Mobile version. If that’s not your phone, don’t follow through with these instructions, this isn’t an update for your phone. For all the rest of you that it does cover, read on:

• Grab the OTA package here
• Rename it to something you will remember, like update.zip, or sweet.zip, whatever works best for you.
• Copy it over to the internal storage on your Nexus S.
• Power off, then hold volume up and power to reboot to the bootloader.
• Using the volume key to navigate, select recovery, then use the power button to confirm
• When you see the warning triangle and arrow, hold the power button and tap volume up. You’ll see a menu.
• From the menu, select “apply update from /sdcard”, and choose the file you named from the list.
• Let it do its thing and update your system, radio, and other partitions. When finished, choose “reboot system now”
• As long as you did everything correctly your phone should reboot, and you should be enjoying that sweet goodness called Ice Cream Sandwich.

Source Android Central

Read more »

Motorola XOOM graced with Android 4.0.3 build

We just saw Android 4.0.2 officially roll out to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus today, and even confirmed what would be in the Android 4.0.3 update to come. Well it seems the latest AOSP build has been pushed and supports the Nexus S and Motorola XOOM [WiFi]. Even better, the guys at XDA Developers have a bootable version of the ROM up and running for the XOOM.

Many features such as the camera are still broken, and there are a load of bugs that will need to be fixed – but that’s normal when taking an AOSP source. This is more of an extremely early Beta (or more appropriately an Alpha) of ICS for the Motorola XOOM, but their developmental community is strong, and this push should offer a great start. Of course, Motorola will eventually update the XOOM themselves; even if development starts to slow down.




From the clip you can see the obvious glitches when transitioning from screen to screen, but it’s extremely smooth. Even debatably smoother than the XOOM’s initial Honeycomb release. It’s great not having one universal OS to rule them all, and I have a feeling the developers are going to love it.
[via The Verge]

Read more »

Samsung Nexus S Android 4.0 update officially rolling out today

We heard a rumor about this last week that never went very far but today it’s officially official. Google has started the update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the Google Samsung Nexus S. We are assuming this will be Android 4.0.3 that was detailed earlier today — This was confirmed by Google over on Twitter this afternoon.

A few weeks ago a couple Google employee’s received the OTA update and were commenting on Google+ but those were all quickly removed. It looks like the testing phase has been completed as Google themselves have confirmed to be started today and rolling out over the next few weeks.

Google has also put together a neat set of tips for those moving from Gingerbread to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The update should start hitting both the T-Mobile and the non GSM versions of the Nexus S soon. I’m sure it will be plastered on XDA any minute now so be sure and start checking your favorite developer forums. I’d be hitting menu > settings > about phone > check for updates right about now. Enjoy that Ice Cream Sandwich and feel free to look over our ICS hands-on and more below from the Timeline.

Read more »

Android 4.0.3 Update: Better social integration, camera capabilities, and tons of fixes

Whoa that sure was fast. Google isn’t wasting any time and have already announced the next incremental update for the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform. We just received 4.0.2 on our Verizon Galaxy Nexus phones yesterday and it looks like 4.0.3 will be here very shortly. That is the wonderful part of owning a Nexus — it gets all the updates right away. All the details are after the break on the new update.

Soon we’ll be saying hello to Android 4.0.3 as it should rollout in the coming weeks. Along with the changes are plenty of API updates and tweaks for developers to take advantage of. Some of those include access to social integration like how Google+ and Gtalk have now and more. Here is the list right from the Android Developer Blog.
— Social stream API in Contacts provider: Applications that use social stream data such as status updates and check-ins can now sync that data with each of the user’s contacts, providing items in a stream along with photos for each. This new API lets apps show users what the people they know are doing or saying, in addition to their photos and contact information.
— Calendar provider enhancements. Apps can now add color to events, for easier tracking, and new attendee types and states are now available.
— New camera capabilities. Apps can now check and manage video stabilization and use QVGA resolution profiles where needed.
— Accessibility refinements. Improved content access for screen readers and new status and error reporting for text-to-speech engines.
— Incremental improvements in graphics, database, spell-checking, Bluetooth, and more.
It looks like the API changes will give developers and applications more access to the camera and calendar, improve tons of access for screen readers and text-to-speech engines and more. Then at the end it mentions improvements to graphics and even spell-checking — I’m excited to see what more they bring to that area as it’s already quite excellent.
Bring on the Ice Cream Sandwiches Google, we’ll take them all.
[via Android Developer Blog]

Read more »

Tips and tricks for your new Galaxy Nexus

After a longer wait than anyone anticipated, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has landed on US shores under the auspices of Verizon Wireless. This is a totally different kind of Android phone running completely new software. Despite Google’s attempt to make Android more user-friendly, some of the most interesting features are still not exposed to the average user. With that in mind, let’s go over the three things that you should do as soon as you unbox your brand new Galaxy Nexus.

Set up Data Usage

One of the new features in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) is a very robust Data Usage meter. For users that have capped mobile data plans, this can be a real money saver. The data monitor is available in the main settings page under Data Usage. This interface has a toggle for disabling mobile data at the top, and a large graph below it.

Tap on the graph and drag up or down to move the orange Warning line to just short of your monthly data cap. When the phone has reached this volume of data, a notification will appear in the status bar. This is nice, but if a user doesn’t see the notification, the data cap could still be blown. Luckily, Android 4.0 is smart enough to actually shut you down if things get out of hand.

Tap the check box next to “Set mobile data limit” to set a hard stop for your data guzzling ways. This option produces a second red line on the graph. Just drag this one to someplace above the orange one. To avoid overages completely, leave it just below the data cap. Alternatively, set it at a level over the cap that you would still be comfortable paying.

Down below the graph, Android also aggregates data usage by app so you can figure out what is hogging all the data. Tapping on any of these will bring up a detailed report of its activity.

Turn on GPU acceleration

Ice Cream Sandwich supports hardware accelerated drawing of 2D surfaces just like Honeycomb did, but now that power is at the user’s control. Developers are being encouraged by Google to enable this feature in apps, but we need not wait for them. Hardware acceleration can be forced on with minimal risk.

In the main settings screen, scroll down the the bottom and find “Developer options.” About two-thirds of the way down is the listing we need and it’s called “Force GPU rendering.” Enabling this will speed up the interface drawing of all the apps on the phone. Activities like scrolling and swiping will be more responsive and just plain nicer-looking.

Be aware that some apps might tolerate this better than others. The user interface could be broken in small, or more significant ways in these apps. If something seems broken, try toggling GPU rendering off.

Get used to real folders

As part of the home screen redesign, Google has added a new way of making folders. Android has always had folders, but in the past they were clunky and unattractive. ICS folders are so easy that there’s no reason not to base your experience around them.

To make a folder, drag any app icon on top of another, and let go. The result is a folder with both the apps in it. Anyone that’s used an iPhone recently will recognize this as almost the same system Apple uses. When opened, the apps in a folder can still be dragged around for better organization within the folder. Dragging an icon out of the folder returns it to the home screen.

Folders in ICS work on any home screen panel, and even in the dock area next to the app drawer icon. By making folders usable, Google has probably changed the way people will use the Android home screen.

There is, of course, much more to do with Android 4.0 on the Galaxy Nexus, but these are three easy steps that will get any user off on the right foot. ICS will reveal all its secrets in time, but hopefully not too long.

Read more »

Bell Canada Ice Cream Sandwich update plans leaked

According to a leaked Bell document, this Canadian telecom operator will be releasing Android 4.0 update for HTC Sensation in February 2012, making it one of the first phones after Galaxy Nexus on the network to run on Ice Cream Sandwich.
This document also revealed the ICS update dates for HTC Raider, and Samsung Galaxy S II, which are scheduled to roll-out around March, and April next year.
This is no guarantee that these updates will come right on time, but it certainly gives us an idea of when to expect the updates.

Read more »

Target offers Verizon Galaxy Nexus for $189.99 with a new 2-year contract

Now that the Verizon Galaxy Nexus has finally launched, the only thing left to do is look for the best deal. LetsTalk had quite a good deal at 12:00AM PST this morning, with it priced at $154.99 after using a special coupon code. Unfortunately, they oversold it leaving some customers on a 2 week waitlist. This is not an ideal situation to be in, so you may want to act fast on this deal at Target while it’s relatively new.

I went over to my local Target earlier today and they didn’t have any in stock, therefore I figured they wouldn’t be carrying it. Needless to say I was wrong. This deal will save you an extra $100, so if it for some reason is out of stock online later tonight, it might benefit you hit up Target as soon as they open. This may turn out to be an online-only deal, but we’ll definitely find that out through the next few days
More deals are bound to come, so stick with us and we’ll feed them to you as they emerge. Surprisingly, over at XDA in the Galaxy Nexus general chat, most users (if not all) are able to score some sort of discount before they complete their purchase. So don’t plan on paying the full $299.99 advertised retail price, there is some obvious markup involved. Not to say the phone isn’t worth it of course – but you may as well save money where you can.
[via Target]

Read more »

Adobe Flash Player updates just in time for the Galaxy Nexus

When review units of the HSPA+ “international” version of the Galaxy Nexus came out, we were surprised to find that Adobe’s Flash Player was nowhere to be seen on the Android Market. Of course, that didn’t mean much to most US users, since Verizon’s combined exclusivity and “delays” meant they couldn’t get a hold of an Ice Cream Sandwich phone anyway. Well, Adobe’s software developers have delivered just in time, and you can now download Flash for your shiny new Galaxy Nexus, no matter where you are.
The update is a little confusing, since it appears to be the same APK file that was sent out on December 12th. That was thought to be a minor stability fix, but now it appears that it’s the full-fledged Ice Cream Sandwich compatible Flash Player. I’m guessing that Adobe still had some last minute testing to go through, and updated Flash’s compatibility list in the Android Market today.

Read more »

Netflix updated with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich support

Just in time for everyone in the US to start receiving their Galaxy Nexus phones running ICS, Netflix has updated today with full support for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The update has just hit the Android Market and it only shows a few small bug fixes and ICS support. This is just in time because I’m sure many are picking their Nexus up at this very moment.

Netflix was working it just had some major issues and wasn’t playing right with Ice Cream or the 1280x720p screen resolution on the Galaxy Nexus. We still don’t have an official tablet app for Honeycomb (and now ICS) from Netflix either. They’ve recently updated and released a nice tablet specific app for iOS so we should be seeing something similar land for Android very soon.
Now I’m sure everyone is reporting Galaxy Nexus news but with a phone this big, and important, finally available it is worth mentioning more than a few times. We’ve already received more than a few with our team here at Android Community and will be testing out the new Netflix app soon.
Netflix Market Link

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy S II test ROM leaks with Ice Cream Sandwich [UPDATE]

What’s this? An official Samsung ROM with the most desirable bit of software this holiday season? Someone out there has been a very god little Android modder this year, and if you own the international version of the Galaxy S II, you can take advantage of his or her good fortune. Sammobile got their ans on a leaked version of Ice Cream Sandwich for the SGSII, and the adventurous can flash it at their leisure.

The ROM is a customized version of Ice Cream Sandwich that’s a long way from ready for an OTA release, but it’s surprisingly complete for a test build. All the basics are covered, including calls, SMS, Internet access, etc. Sammobile claims that some of the apps are unstable, and random reboots are an unfortunate reality at this stage. By all accounts, it isn’t ready for use as a daily driver.

Read more »

Xiaomi’s MI-One Ice Cream Sandwich build shown on video

If you’re a fan of the MIUI family of custom ROMs, you’re almost certainly aware of Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi’s MI-One, the phone that comes with MIUI pre-installed. Keeping their title as the most mod-friendly manufacturer in the eastern hemisphere, the company is hard at work integrating the Ice Cream Sandwich version of MIUI into its flagship phone. The company showed off a video of their progress on YouTube – see below.

MIUI version 4 is the first update with Ice Cream Sandwich at the core. But like previous versions of the custom ROM, it’s integrating a home-built user interface that combines elements from Android, iOS, WebOS and just plain beautiful design. It’s not for everyone, but MIUI has gained quite a following in the Android community, and interest has only grown since it became the only aftermarket ROM to feature in a commercial phone release.
Check out the progress below. At the moment it looks exactly like stock ICS, probably running on a kernel that’s only been slightly modified:




MIUI is still a ways out from delivering an ICS-based ROM that’s ready for prime time, but considering its reputation for solid performance and regular updates, I’m sure it’ll be a welcome upgrade for many. Remember that the MIUI ROM is available on a variety of devices – head on over to their official website to check them out.

Read more »

Snapdragon S4 Liquid MDP Now Running Android Ice Cream Sandwich

The extra-powerful Snapdragon S4 Liquid MDP surely looks to be shipping to market with Android 4.0 instead of 3.2 as Qualcomm has gotten Ice Cream Sandwich up and running on it. We’re sure there’s work yet to be done but it shows they’re making huge strides and it gives us hope that their desire to bring Android 4.0 out of the box to their developers is more than just desire and a sure-fire reality. [Qualcomm via Engadget]

Read more »

Modaco custom ROM fixes Facebook’s Ice Cream Sandwich issues

According to Nielsen, Android users spend more time in the Facebook app than just about anywhere else. So it’s no wonder that early Galaxy Nexus users cried foul when Facebook’s contact sync, among other things, wouldn’t work in Ice Cream Sandwich. ROM wunderkind Paul “Modaco” O’Brien has updated his customized version of Ice Cream Sandwich to re-enable the missing feature, along with his already extensive list of tweaks to the basic ICS framework.

Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ users can find Modaco’s ROM at the usual place on Modaco.com. Basic users can download the standard ROM with all the bells and whistles, while subscribers to the popular ROM kitchen can pick and choose features and apps to install or remove. Popular options include the permanent virtual search button, Google’s proprietary apps (Gmail, YouTube, Android Market, etc) and various root-friendly tools. As the first person to post a public superboot for the Galaxy Nexus, Modaco should be pretty good at this by now. Frequent Twitter users should also check out his customized version of TweetDeck, which works properly on the Galaxy Nexus.

Read more »

Android 4.0 hitting Archos G9 tablets in Q1 2012

Both Archos G9 tablets should see Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in Q1 of next year. A successful update to ICS will not only make Archos look like an even more reliable manufacturer, but also show its customers they want their products to be the best they can be. Android 4.0 will bring a wealth of UI changes and help the G9 series compete with other tablets after the holidays.

Those of you looking to pick up one of the “turbo” editions, you will find them on sale just before Christmas for ~$469. These are already available in Europe, and sport a 1.2GHz TI OMAP dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM. The 10.1 version will have a 1280×800 resolution and 16GB of storage. It’s rather surprising Archos would charge so much for these particular devices, because the specs are almost already outdated. They are even close to Apple’s iPad 2 pricetag.
To take a look at its build and dimensions, go ahead and check out our hands-on from SlashGear. Its a very solid device, and though it won’t receive Android 4.0 until Q1- the included Android 3.2 is still a rock solid OS. Although, I advice waiting for the turbo version if you’re set on purchasing an Archos, they’re bound to perform better in every way.
[via The Verge]

Read more »

Huawei Honor first to Android 4.0 ICS upgrade

I’m honored today to confirm Huawei is one of the first to bring an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to one of their smartphones. The Huawei Honor is just starting to hit the market in parts of Asia and Huawei is already offering the ICS update available for download right from their website — for those who dare.

The Huawei Honor is one of their best and highest class smartphones available and it was just recently reviewed by yours truly over on SlashGear. Officially announced back in September we are still hearing the Honor may land stateside as the Glory from Cricket Wireless complete with a 4″ display, 1.4 GHz single-core processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
At the rate Huawei seems to be churning out what they consider stable releases for Ice Cream Sandwich this could possibly land on Cricket as their first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich device — but it’s too early to tell. Many other manufacturers have stated ICS updates will be coming sometime in 2012 so for Huawei to be on track so fast is very encouraging. Feel free to head to SlashGear for the full review and rundown of the smartphone rocking Gingerbread and if I can get this baby running that sweet and tasty Ice Cream I’ll be sure and shoot some more hands-on video.
Here is a demo running Gingerbread and feel free to head to Huawei and give the ICS builds a download — although I’m not having much luck here in the US.
Huawei Honor product page




[via TheUnwired]

Read more »

Coby shows off a quintet of Ice Cream Sandwich tablets for 2012

Not one to be left out in the cold, budget manufacturer Coby has announced no less than five new Android tablet,s all of them running Ice Cream Sandwich. The devices will cover the gamut as far as screen sizes for tablets go, with 7, 8, 9, 9.7 and 10inch varieties. There’s no specific launch date available, but Coby says that the tablets will be on hand at CES in January.

All five of the tablets will feature 1Ghz Cortex 8 processors and a full gigabyte of RAM, which should be enough to run Ice Cream Sandwich, even if it doesn’t exactly zoom. Naturally they’re WiFi only, but they’ll be equipped with HDMI ports and up to 32GB of storage – not bad. There’s no mention of the Android Market or Google apps, so they may not be included. We’ll see soon enough.
The variety of screens doesn’t stop as sizes. Coby notes that the capacitive screens on the MID8042 and MID 9742 use a 4:3 aspect ratio like the iPad and HP Touchpad, while the MID7042, MID9042 and MID1042 weren’t specified, which probably means either 16:9 or 16:10. There’s no word on price, but given Coby’s position in the market, you can expect them to be competitive; whether you’d want the tablets over more expensive alternatives is yet to be seen.

Read more »

Motorola phones getting upgrade to ICS in about 6 months

We have heard and seen plenty of reports from all types of manufacturers over the future of their Android line up. Many have stated when updates to the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will arrive and today Motorola has made the process even more clear. They stated the DROID RAZR would see ICS early next year and also unlock bootloaders, but we’ve heard that chime from them before. Today Motorola breaks down the process but I’m not sure how I feel about the news.


Motorola has also recently tweeted devices would see ICS updates within 6 weeks of Google releasing the source code. We now know that meant we would all receive an update and details on when to expect ICS for their devices — not that they’d actual get updated that fast.
In a Motorola Blog post we now have a breakdown of the events and a timeline for what to expect. How does around 4-6 months and possibly more sound? CM9 anyone? For those expecting Android 4.0 ICS on their new Bionic or RAZR early next year, you might be waiting a little longer than expected.
Here is the breakdown of steps needed to bring an update — according to Motorola:

1. Merge and adapt the new release for different device hardware architecture(s) and carrier customizations
This means that we take the source code and incorporate it into upgrades for devices on which this can perform well, along with making sure the carrier requirements are met. Silicon partners such as Qualcomm, TI, and nVidia adapt this to their chipsets in parallel and we incorporate these as they become available. This is also the time when we begin integrating all of the Motorola-specific software enhancements into the source code. Features like MotoCast, Smart Actions, and our comprehensive enterprise solutions are integral parts of our device experiences, and we want to make sure we continue delivering differentiated experiences for our consumers with these software upgrades.
2. Stabilize and ‘bake’ the result to drive out bugs
This means that we will prepare the upgrade to meet the quality and stability requirements to enter the wireless carrier’s certification lab.
3. Submit the upgrade to the carriers for certification
This is the point in the process where the carrier’s lab qualifies and tests the upgrade. Each carrier has different requirements for phases 2 and 3. There may be a two-month preparation cycle to enter a carrier lab cycle of one to three months.
3.5 Perform a Customer pre-release
We may perform some customer testing before a final release is delivered publicly to our user base.
4. Release the upgrade
We are planning on upgrading as many of our phones as possible. The ability to offer the upgrade depends on a number of factors including the hardware/device capabilities, the underlying chipset software support, the ICS support and then the ability to support the Motorola value add software.

After looking at past updates and how long devices took to receive Gingerbread this actually all sounds pretty accurate. We are looking at around 4 months at the soonest, and 6+ months at worst. Verizon isn’t the quickest company either when it comes to approving software updates so that could also be a factor here. Many phones are just now getting Android 2.3 Gingerbread while 4.0 is already here, so it is same to assume the same could happen for many with this latest iteration of Android. I’ll be rooting and installing custom ROM’s before I wait that long — but that is just me.
[via Motorola]

Read more »

Developer Gets Android 4.0 Up and Booting On The Amazon Kindle Fire [Video]

This is the moment many brand new Kindle Fire owners have been waiting for. The day a developer would successfully port Android 4.0 to the affordable little tablet. I don’t have many details regarding the developer, G1011999‘s work (will update the post once I dig around a bit), we can see Ice Cream Sandwich is up and booting. It’s all still very much a work in process and aside from the touchscreen, not much else is working. The dev did get up a quick video of his feats in action and while it did seem a bit laggy, I’m sure it’s something that can be optimized in the future. For now check out the video for some Android 4.0 pr0n.

Read more »

ADWLauncher EX gets an Ice Cream flavored update, 10 Billion App discount

There’s a lot of aftermarket Android launchers out there, but very few can claim to have the kind of following that ADWLauncher EX enjoys. A rock-solid foundation, tons of customization options and a robust theme engine makes it one of the most popular launchers on the Market. Of course, with Ice Cream Sandwich‘s enhanced launcher a lot of the current offerings are looking long in the tooth. To that end, developer Anderweb has released a new version, with a ton of new features to bring it up to date.

Most dramatic is a new dock bar system that apes ICS’ “pinned” apps at the bottom of the screen. Most launchers including ADW have had some variation on this feature before, but new placement and visual options make ADW’s feel fresh. Folders have been given an ICS-flavored upgrade, with more visual settings to tweak. Other small visual and under-the-hood changes are present, including support for hardware acceleration on some devices. Notably it now plays nice with tablets running Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich, allowing for easier integration with the bottom action bar.
But don’t run out and purchase ADW Launcher EX just yet, if you haven’t already: the developer has announced that he’s participating in Google’s 10 Billion Apps promotion, and the full version will be just 10 cents/pence some time in the upcoming week. So if you can wait to try out the new features, you’ll save yourself a coffee’s worth of cash. Download it in the Market – but not right away!

Read more »