Next Release of Android 4.3 Will Include Bluetooth Smart Support

For a great deal of the past six months or so, Droidsters had been preparing themselves to tuck into some delicious Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie as the very next iteration, but with logs for Android 4.3 popping up across the Interwebs, that notion was knocked on the head late last month.

When Google took to the stage yesterday in its mammoth 3+ hour I/O keynote speech, many presumed Android 4.3 was going to be one of the main topics of conversation. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the forthcoming update to the Google mobile OS, but reports today suggest that it is, at least, heading our way in the near future, and will feature, among other things, support for Bluetooth Smart.

With the logs emerging and rumor mill in full flow, we shouldn’t feel too foolish for thinking Android 4.3 would manifest itself at yesterday’s showpiece, but it looks as though Google is not quite in those advanced stages with it just yet.

Still, with Bluetooth Special Interest Group having sent out a press email yesterday just after the initial Google I/O fanfare regarding an upcoming Bluetooth Smart-supporting update to Android, we shouldn’t have to wait more than a couple of months to see what Android 4.3 will bring to the fore.

Although we know there will be quite a few new features and alterations in line for Android 4.3 besides support for Bluetooth Smart, precious little is actually known of what Google plans to include. Bluetooth Smart, which is advanced in that it offers a comparable communication range to traditional Bluetooth but on less power, is already supported by the likes of Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry, and although Android and Google is usually first to the punch when it comes to newer technologies and hardware, in this case it appears to be trailing.

While Bluetooth Smart will be a welcome feature, the tech world is eager to learn of some of the more exciting new entries to the Android fold, and with I/O still running over at the Moscone Center, now would seem as apt a time as any for such details to emerge.

What kinds of new Android 4.3 features would you like to see in this upcoming update? Please do share your thoughts via the usual mediums below!

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Download CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly builds for the HTC One

There is some good news for all those HTC One owners who are keen to try out CyanogenMod 10.1, official nightly builds are now available for the GSM version and the Sprint variant.

Codenamed M7 – after the internal development name of the device, the nightly builds aren't yet considered stable but are working sufficiently well for enthusiasts to use. The biggest bug at the moment seems to be that the audio on outgoing calls can be “hit or miss”. The current workaround is to enable the ‘touch sounds' and start a call using the dial pad, that way you will have audio on the outgoing call. This doesn't affect incoming calls which are behaving normally.

The steps to get CM10.1 on your HTC are pretty much the same as for other devices. The bootloader needs to be unlocked and ClockwordMod-Recovery installed. The the CM10.1 build needs to be copied over along with the Google apps. A quick boot into recovery mode will allow the CM10.1 firmware to be flashed onto the device (along with the Google apps) and after a reboot CyanogenMod 10.1 should be running rather than the factory version of Android supplied by HTC.

CyanogenMod is a free, custom firmware based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is designed to increase performance and reliability over the stock version of Android. But be warned, you flash at your own risk and by replacing HTC's firmware you void your warranty. If you hate HTC Sense 5 and don't get on with BlinkFeed then CM10.1 might be the way to go, but it is worth noting the other features which don't currently work including the IR blaster and Wi-Fi Calling for T-Mobile.

There are wiki pages for the M7 (GSM) and the M7 (Sprint) variants  with some preliminary information and the nightly builds can be downloaded from the two different M7 download sections (GSM or Sprint) of the CyanogenMod site.

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Download Android Studio IDE For PC [Windows, OS X And Linux]

As Google demoed during one of its presentations, Android Studio offers real time previews of code changes so developers can always see what their edits are doing to the final app. Change the size of some text and watch the app change before your very eyes. Alter colors and the like and boom, you’re seeing the results, previewed in a variety of screen sizes. That’s right, want to know what the app you’re working on will look like in one of the many different resolutions that Android phones – and tablets – come in.

Google’s didn’t talk about all the changes today, but it is also improving the developer console. There are five new features finding their way to the developer console today, all aimed at making it easier for developers to make more money from their hard work. One area that is being improved is translation. Now, developers will be able to have their apps translated right from within the developer console. The key highlights of the new tool are as follows, as outlined by Google themselves:

• Gradle-based build support.
• Android-specific refactoring and quick fixes.
• Lint tools to catch performance, usability, version compatibility and other problems.
• ProGuard and app-signing capabilities.
• Template-based wizards to create common Android designs and components.
• A rich layout editor that allows you to drag-and-drop UI components, preview layouts on multiple screen configurations, and much more.

Devs can upload what they need translating and then choose from a range of various translation services without having to go out to the big wide world to find someone to do the work for them. Translation is one of the many headaches for developers pushing their apps worldwide, so this will be a welcome addition for many.

Google is also adding new revenue graphs that, obviously enough, display revenues. Staged roll outs and beta testing are other additions to the developer console, making it easier to get testing of new versions of apps done as and when it’s needed. Developers have been asking for something like this for a long, long time. That’s a win, then.

You can download Android Studio IDE from here, and is available for Windows, OS X and Linux. Bear in mind that it’s an early access preview, hence there might be a little rough edges. They will be removed as time progresses, of course.

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How To Backup Android Device Without Root Access

There’s quite a difference to how you’d treat data backups on a PC and a smartphone. On a computer, the operating system itself might not need be copied to any location, since it’s retail available and can be always reinstalled. However, come to an Android smartphone and the game changes significantly. It’s not like the OS isn’t available for a secondary install; what makes people cautious is because they’d usually like to play around with custom firmware, AOSP builds, modified kernels and whatnot to unleash the true power of their devices. For those reasons, and others of the like, people prefer backing up the entire partitions, just in case something goes wrong. And they’re darn right in doing so – ask someone with experience.

When it comes to data backup – both at app-level and system-wide – there’s no shortage of capable tools and solutions that hardly need any introduction. With such competition, it’s hard to imagine a newcomer making notice worthy room for mention. However, developed by XDA member omegavesko, Simple ADB Backup certainly is a head turner. The app uses Android 4.0+’s native backup facility over Android Debug Bridge to save a complete snapshot of your device in its current state, providing a convenient and newbie-friendly GUI to the ADB backup function of Android.

Available for Windows and Linux platforms, Simple ADB Backup differs from all others of its kind in that it doesn’t require the device to be rooted in order to perform the data copy process. Popular alternatives like Titanium Backup and My Backup Pro both require a rooted device to function properly, so this comes as a bliss to all those who haven’t yet rooted the device (or don’t want to), but still would like to have data security. The application’s interface is really simple and easy to navigate, with big buttons indicating their purpose very clearly. It goes without saying that the application will require ADB to be setup on your machine, and USB Debugging to be enabled on the device itself.

Simple ADB Backup is a powerful and useful application, despite the fact that it’s still an open beta. It might not support all the devices, and would only work with those that are running Android version 4.0 or above. You may download the app for your respective platform at the source link below, as well as finding further technical details and assistance.

(Source: XDA-Developers forum thread)

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How To Root Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 On Android 4.2.2

We brought to you the how-to guide for root Galaxy S4 I9505 LTE version, courtesy of Chainfire Auto-Root, one of the best out there. The I9500 proved to be slightly more difficult, but it wasn’t long before that one was cracked, too. Today, we’ll guide you step by step on gaining root access on your Galaxy S4 I9500 International version.

Caution: In my experience nothing has ever gone wrong with rooting. There is always that slight chance something can mess up. Use caution and only do this if you want to. I am not responsible if anything happens (but I really don’t think anything will happen if you do everything right)  Also rooting voids your warranty but don’t worry, unrooting should give it back like nothing ever happened.!! Please read about Rooting here.

Note:

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 On Android 4.2.2. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.
• This Procedure works for Mobiles having stock ROM only, and will definitely void your warranty, although the warranty can be claimed by un-rooting your device.

What you need to prepare:

• GT-I9500 Samsung Galaxy S4 and a PC
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data. Guide from here. You may skip this step.
• Make sure your device has at least 75% of phone battery charge.
• Cofface’s CWM Recovery & Root [download]
• Odin3 Flash Utility [download]
• Samsung Android USB driver for your Galaxy S4

Steps to root Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 On Android 4.2.2:

Step 1: Download the necessary files from above, and unzip them to a convenient location.

Step 2: Put your Samsung Galaxy S4 in Download Mode using the button combination. Power off your device, plug USB cable to your computer, hold down the Volume Up + Down combinations, plug in the USB cable to your S4 while still holding down the volume buttons.

Step 3: Launch Odin3 on your computer, and connect your device in Download Mode to the PC using USB cable. Odin3 will detect the connection and indicate a COM port on top.

Step 4: Under PDA, select the cofface_samsungI9500_recovery_en_0503.tar file to flash the recovery, which will later be used to root the device. Make sure that Re-Partition is unchecked, and don’t touch any other setting. Hit the Start button to begin flashing the new PDA.

Step 5: Once the flash is complete, the phone will reboot. Wait for boot to complete, and then power it back off.

Step 6: Reboot the phone into CWM recovery that you just installed by pressing and holding Volume Up + Home buttons whilst powering on the device.

Step 7: In Recovery, go to root your phone, followed by choosing any of the two methods. CWM Recovery will notify once the process is complete.

Step 8: Reboot your device once again, and you will have the Super User app installed on your Galaxy S4 GT-I9500. Please ensure to not update the su binaries after this.

Enjoy the root access!

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Download Complete Android USB Drivers For All Devices [Windows]

The question does arise, why would you need USB drivers for your Android smartphone or tablet? And, if they’re so important, how come you haven’t had to install those for most of your devices? The answer to this can be multi-faceted. For one, it depends on which Windows version you’re using. In the later iterations of the operating system, Windows update can serve USB drivers for many Android devices from reputable OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). Then, since most of these devices connect, by default, in USB (mass) storage mode, a generic driver can suffice. At still other times, you may have installed an accompanying PC suite or like for your handset, and that, in turn, would’ve set up the proper drivers, too. As I said, there can be various scenarios, each with its own explanation.

However, things play out a little differently when you connect your Android device in USB debugging mode, an essential requirement for application development in Windows, and for modding and customization of your phone or tablet. It also provides a bridge for ADB connection between the droid and the computer. In these scenarios, the automated solutions mentioned above might not always work, and for that reason, most OEMs provide configurable driver packages for Windows based setups, so that you can get your device connected and communicating with the PC in an easy manner.

Now, all of this is pretty neat and useful, but the problem that most users often face is, where to locate these drivers. Since they’re not something you would usually find yourself in need of, they’re more obscure to locate. Beyond this point, I am going to list down the Android USB drivers for Windows download links for several popular OEMs (ADB and Fastboot), so you may use this as a reference point for your future needs.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, although it does cover the most common purveyors of Android devices. Also, these are not direct download links, but instead, may require you at times to perform a search for the driver for your specific device model. It should also be noted that if you’re using a Nexus series device, you require the Google USB driver, and not the one from the manufacturer of the device.

• Acer Android USB Driver
• Asus Android USB Driver
• Dell Android USB Driver
• Fujitsu Toshiba Android USB Driver
• Google USB Driver
• HTC Android USB Driver
• Huawei Android USB Driver
• Lenovo Android USB Driver
• LG Android USB Driver
• Motorola Android USB Driver
• Samsung Android USB Driver
• Sony Mobile Android USB Driver

Apart from the above mentioned USB drivers, you can grab the fastboot drivers from the ever-popular XDA-Developers community.

Need something more? Found a link that we’ve got wrong? Leave a comment on our Facebook page.

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The 5G Mobile Network Technology Already tested by Samsung With 1Gbps Download Speed

With mobile data becoming more and more integral to the way we consume information as well as being the cornerstone of many a business, the scramble for ever increasing mobile data speeds has seen development of 5G begin even while 4G is still a pipe dream for many. Samsung is one company poking its nose into the future with 5G, and it has today announced that it has successfully run tests that have achieved a whopping 1Gbps download speed, with more potentially to come.

The majority of the planet may still be trying to get to grips to 4G, and plenty of areas in technologically developed countries still don’t have even 3G, but that hasn’t stopped various carriers and smartphone manufacturers from working on coming up with the fifth generation of mobile data, or 5G.

The test, using the 28 GHz waveband and 64 different antenna elements, took place at a time that Samsung is claiming that the technology could theoretically achieve tens of gigabits per second, but we’ll settle for just the one right now!

To put that 1Gbps speed into context, the theoretical maximum we should expect from the currently rolling out 4G technology is around 75Mbps, and that’s generally considered to be pretty speedy! Samsung may not expect to get its G technology into the hands of customers until around the 2020 time frame, but we’re just happy to know it’s being worked on. The European Commission’s aim to have 5G ready around the same time fits in nicely, too.

Samsung isn’t the only one currently testing 5G data, with NTT DoCoMo announcing a few months ago that it too had performed successful tests of its own fifth generation technology. It claimed to have achieved 10Gbps using a car full of antennas utilizing the 400MHz spectrum. That’s two big players duking it out in the speed stakes, we wonder who’ll be next. Probably not T-Mobile or Sprint!

We’re still waiting for 4G to become prevalent across the globe, so we won’t count our chickens just yet. Still, any progress is good progress, so we’ll take what we can get. Just don’t expect the next iPhone or Galaxy S to have a 5G badge on it any time soon!

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