Android: Phone News and Discussion Thread
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Yes but the partition layout they use is similar to stock unless stated otherwise. The reason they don't like to change the partition size too much because it can lead to internal memory corruption if not done correctly. On the original Galaxy S, for example, they had to resize the partitions to fit Jelly Bean onto the phone at the expense of a smaller app storage partition.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,012
Likes: 439
From: SoCal
It can still be better optimized:
Where you're seeing red is where Facebook half-assed its app and just tacked on functions over each other instead of coding it properly. So its not 100% using project butter which would make it even faster if they fix it. The same thing happened with Falcon Pro for Twitter and the dev cleaned up his code the next day after being used as a lesson by Romain Guy on how to optimize Android apps and his app has gotten a lot faster since its first implementation which was pretty fast already:
http://www.curious-creature.org/docs...e-study-1.html
^The article above sheds some light on how Project butter works and how devs can optimize their apps without tasking the CPU to death.
Where you're seeing red is where Facebook half-assed its app and just tacked on functions over each other instead of coding it properly. So its not 100% using project butter which would make it even faster if they fix it. The same thing happened with Falcon Pro for Twitter and the dev cleaned up his code the next day after being used as a lesson by Romain Guy on how to optimize Android apps and his app has gotten a lot faster since its first implementation which was pretty fast already:
http://www.curious-creature.org/docs...e-study-1.html
^The article above sheds some light on how Project butter works and how devs can optimize their apps without tasking the CPU to death.
I see, nonetheless i'm a lot happier with the app and i dont get frustrated over opening pictures anymore that I just dont open them.
Now that its a native app they can start really giving out real updates that actually make a difference. The first step was going native.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
I see, nonetheless i'm a lot happier with the app and i dont get frustrated over opening pictures anymore that I just dont open them.
Now that its a native app they can start really giving out real updates that actually make a difference. The first step was going native.
Now that its a native app they can start really giving out real updates that actually make a difference. The first step was going native.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Oh my Power A MOGA controller supposedly shipped this afternoon. We'll see how this one compares to a WiiMote with the Pro Controller. I haven't used the free Zeemote JS1 controller from AndroidPolice since I received it because the layout just plain sucks. Lol.
I Shoot with a Camera
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 23,082
Likes: 3,683
From: Vancouver BC
anyone else find that the Photo Sphere on the GNex still needs some work? It seems like I never get the perfect stitch... sometimes there's always a spot that's out of focus or "soft" (see first pic, the numbers on the boat to the left aren't stitched right)
this was probably the best Photo Sphere I've been able to do
this was probably the best Photo Sphere I've been able to do
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Yeah it does. But the stitching is very difficult to do without a tripod the closer the object is to the camera especially when its less than 15 ft away. Its just the nature of the tech at the moment and they'll probably figure it out over time. Also, I've noticed the 4 seems to have a higher resolution than the Nexus when comparing Photospheres. Whether or not that's due to software or the camera itself I'm not 100% sure on.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,012
Likes: 439
From: SoCal
Interesting. I know with my NS I never got a good stitch but I was doing it around my body for the most part and close objects... Didn't Know it was bad at the time . It never crashed on me though
I Shoot with a Camera
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 23,082
Likes: 3,683
From: Vancouver BC
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 30,994
Likes: 4,733
From: Kansas City, MO
^^^ I am unsure why Android is becoming more like Apple....
Samsung got KIES in the picture which sucks ass....some Android phones are now coming with non removable battery....some phones do not support SD card anymore....these are the reasons we came over to Android....
to mention more, cant create folders in the APPS list in JB, loved the swipe right to call and swipe left to text in ICS which is not supported in JB....these are the features which Apple doesnt have and android should have let em be as is....
Samsung got KIES in the picture which sucks ass....some Android phones are now coming with non removable battery....some phones do not support SD card anymore....these are the reasons we came over to Android....
to mention more, cant create folders in the APPS list in JB, loved the swipe right to call and swipe left to text in ICS which is not supported in JB....these are the features which Apple doesnt have and android should have let em be as is....
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
to mention more, cant create folders in the APPS list in JB, loved the swipe right to call and swipe left to text in ICS which is not supported in JB....these are the features which Apple doesnt have and android should have let em be as is....
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
So I just flashed CM 10.1 on my Galaxy Nexus yesterday and its amazingly faster than the Xylon ROM I was using which is kinda weird. I guess CM is just that much more optimized. They do have the availability of using the original Power Widgets setting they took from Samsung and the more enhanced Quick Tile Settings that Android 4.2 implemented (which I prefer). It just makes the feature redundant so I hope they remove the old Power Widgets settings but then again I guess its for people who don't like the new Quick Tiles. Still a few features missing but I'm sure that's coming. So far its been stable although I had some SuperUser issues with yesterday's build which was easily fixed with SuperSU. Today's build has been okay with the SuperUser app though. If you guys haven't checked it out yet, they added a bunch of devices to 10.1 including the US S3 variants.
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 30,994
Likes: 4,733
From: Kansas City, MO
my english is very poor, see this video LOL
The non-removable battery thing is happening because manufacturers are trying to slim down their phones as much as possible. At least there are still some Android variants that have removable batteries.
You should be able to create folders inside the apps drawer with certain third party launchers such as Nova Launcher (paid version), Apex Launcher (paid version), Go Launcher, etc. They don't require root access so you should be able to install them over stock any time. Swiping Left to text and Right to call is a TouchWiz feature and always has been. As much as people crap on TouchWiz, Samsung brought a lot of features that were actually very useful most notably the quick widget settings in the notification bar amongst other things that CyanogenMod implemented afterwards. There are a few things I wish they could bring over from TouchWiz but I'm sure Samsung wouldn't be happy about that.
You should be able to create folders inside the apps drawer with certain third party launchers such as Nova Launcher (paid version), Apex Launcher (paid version), Go Launcher, etc. They don't require root access so you should be able to install them over stock any time. Swiping Left to text and Right to call is a TouchWiz feature and always has been. As much as people crap on TouchWiz, Samsung brought a lot of features that were actually very useful most notably the quick widget settings in the notification bar amongst other things that CyanogenMod implemented afterwards. There are a few things I wish they could bring over from TouchWiz but I'm sure Samsung wouldn't be happy about that.
You should be able to create folders inside the apps drawer with certain third party launchers such as Nova Launcher (paid version), Apex Launcher (paid version), Go Launcher, etc. They don't require root access so you should be able to install them over stock any time. Swiping Left to text and Right to call is a TouchWiz feature and always has been. As much as people crap on TouchWiz, Samsung brought a lot of features that were actually very useful most notably the quick widget settings in the notification bar amongst other things that CyanogenMod implemented afterwards. There are a few things I wish they could bring over from TouchWiz but I'm sure Samsung wouldn't be happy about that.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Google Music Scan and Match is coming!
Awesome news if this is true!
http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/18/3...us-music-store
Engadget is saying that Google will match it to 320 kbps which is probably more than the average MP3 file format for most users. The best thing about it is its free unlike the other services!
The days of laboriously uploading your music to a locker in the cloud are over. After launching the feature in Europe last month, Google is today bringing scan and match functionality to its US-based digital music store. Much like Apple and Amazon, Google has secured the necessary agreements with record labels that permit it to analyze your music library and match it against the company's own digital catalog — which grew even more comprehensive with the addition of Warner Music Group in October. Beginning today, users who store their songs in the cloud will no longer have to endure lengthy upload times; you'll realize the feature is active when tracks "upload" instantaneously.
MATCH YOUR LIBRARY AGAINST GOOGLE'S
Google plans to go back and enable matching for existing users (by replacing previously-uploaded files) in the coming weeks. That could either be good or bad depending on the bitrate of your music library. Matched tracks from Google Play seemed to fluctuate in quality when we took a deep look at the service last month. Like Amazon and Apple, Google will no longer offer the option of manually uploading your personal music files as it did before; that only occurs if it can't find a match for a particular track.
WILL FREE CLOUD STORAGE PULL MUSIC BUYERS AWAY FROM APPLE AND AMAZON?
But most importantly, Google continues to best Apple and Amazon in pricing. So long as your library is less than 20,000 tracks, matching is completely free, just as it is in Europe. Amazon Cloud Player subscribers need to pay $24.99 annually once they've gone over 250 tracks, though doing so allows them to store a generous 250,000 songs in the cloud. For the same price, Apple's iTunes Match grants you storage for up to 25,000 tunes. So it may seem like an easy decision to go with Google if you no longer want to worry about backing up and maintaining a digital music library. Of course, that's assuming you haven't already made the full transition to Spotify, Rdio, or other subscription services.
MATCH YOUR LIBRARY AGAINST GOOGLE'S
Google plans to go back and enable matching for existing users (by replacing previously-uploaded files) in the coming weeks. That could either be good or bad depending on the bitrate of your music library. Matched tracks from Google Play seemed to fluctuate in quality when we took a deep look at the service last month. Like Amazon and Apple, Google will no longer offer the option of manually uploading your personal music files as it did before; that only occurs if it can't find a match for a particular track.
WILL FREE CLOUD STORAGE PULL MUSIC BUYERS AWAY FROM APPLE AND AMAZON?
But most importantly, Google continues to best Apple and Amazon in pricing. So long as your library is less than 20,000 tracks, matching is completely free, just as it is in Europe. Amazon Cloud Player subscribers need to pay $24.99 annually once they've gone over 250 tracks, though doing so allows them to store a generous 250,000 songs in the cloud. For the same price, Apple's iTunes Match grants you storage for up to 25,000 tunes. So it may seem like an easy decision to go with Google if you no longer want to worry about backing up and maintaining a digital music library. Of course, that's assuming you haven't already made the full transition to Spotify, Rdio, or other subscription services.
Engadget is saying that Google will match it to 320 kbps which is probably more than the average MP3 file format for most users. The best thing about it is its free unlike the other services!
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Here we go. Something more official straight from Google:
https://plus.google.com/106886664866...ts/VZhB6EpsWKx
This is pretty awesome.
Traveling this season and want to make sure your music goes with you? Add up to 20,000 songs from your music collection to Google Play and stream it to your Android devices and your computer, anywhere you go.
Our new music matching feature gets your songs into your online music library on Google Play much faster. We’ll scan your collection and quickly rebuild it in the cloud - all for free. And we’ll stream your music back to you at up to 320 kbps.
This feature is live today for people in the US, following our European launch last month. Check it out: http://goo.gl/Hehq6! It’ll be music to your ears.
Our new music matching feature gets your songs into your online music library on Google Play much faster. We’ll scan your collection and quickly rebuild it in the cloud - all for free. And we’ll stream your music back to you at up to 320 kbps.
This feature is live today for people in the US, following our European launch last month. Check it out: http://goo.gl/Hehq6! It’ll be music to your ears.
This is pretty awesome.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Here's some more pics taken from my Galaxy S:
MOGA Controller with my Galaxy Nexus:
MeO23.jpg UCmup.jpg jPzkF.jpg
bkNvI.jpg T8ogQ.jpg
Playing Zeda: OoT on my Nexus 7 via N64oid using the MOGA Universal drivers and gamepad. I have to say it works fairly well just that there's not enough buttons for the C-buttons. Luckily, Zelda doesn't use the D-Pad so I managed to map the C-buttons onto the right joystick:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...C5tb2dhaW1lIl0.
vugWg.jpg
The thumbsticks are set pretty low. It reminds me of the PSP joysticks if you've ever used one. Sensitivity is adjustable based on the emulator/game you're playing but its something I don't like to tinker with. The stand to place your device in is adjustable and it tucks away when you're not using them.
The instructions on the box tell you to download MOGA's Pivot app which walks you through the pairing process and is sort of a game hub for the product.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...QubW9nYXBncCJd
In the app, you get a free copy of Pacman which works with the controller. When you register, you get a free copy of Sonic CD which they e-mail you a link to download the game (232 MB). There's also a free copy of Modern Combat 4 that you put in a serial key to get from Gameloft's website as well. I'm not entirely sure how it checks the game license so I'm not sure if I transferred my game to my Nexus if it would work or not.
The Pivot app showcases all of the games that work with the controller out of the box. (There's quite a few on there including Doom GLES, GTA Vice City, Jet Set Radio). For Pacman, I didn't have to set anything up. I just had to launch the game and the joystick knew what the buttons did. Haven't tried Sonic yet as I got caught up playing Zelda and the reason why I didn't post this until now. Lol.
To use it outside of the apps they showcase, you need to download the universal drivers then map it according to the game/emulator of your choice. If you're rooted, the universal driver allows you to map either joysticks as d-pad. You can still use the drivers without root but its better if you have it. It also comes with a pretty cool leather pouch and its not one of those ceap ones at all. The controller is pretty light and its as big as my Galaxy Nexus. It uses two AAA batteris and only has two trigger buttons on the back so that might be an issue when playing some Playstation games. Overall, if I didn't have a WiiMote and needed a bluetooth controller, this would certainly fit the bill. It has ample buttons so it would work for most people and for the games it showcases, there's almost no set up required besides pairing it. I'm guessing if you wanted to make this compatible with any game, you could pair it up with the universal drivers and the USB Joystick app.
MOGA Controller with my Galaxy Nexus:
MeO23.jpg UCmup.jpg jPzkF.jpg
bkNvI.jpg T8ogQ.jpg
Playing Zeda: OoT on my Nexus 7 via N64oid using the MOGA Universal drivers and gamepad. I have to say it works fairly well just that there's not enough buttons for the C-buttons. Luckily, Zelda doesn't use the D-Pad so I managed to map the C-buttons onto the right joystick:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...C5tb2dhaW1lIl0.
vugWg.jpg
The thumbsticks are set pretty low. It reminds me of the PSP joysticks if you've ever used one. Sensitivity is adjustable based on the emulator/game you're playing but its something I don't like to tinker with. The stand to place your device in is adjustable and it tucks away when you're not using them.
The instructions on the box tell you to download MOGA's Pivot app which walks you through the pairing process and is sort of a game hub for the product.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...QubW9nYXBncCJd
In the app, you get a free copy of Pacman which works with the controller. When you register, you get a free copy of Sonic CD which they e-mail you a link to download the game (232 MB). There's also a free copy of Modern Combat 4 that you put in a serial key to get from Gameloft's website as well. I'm not entirely sure how it checks the game license so I'm not sure if I transferred my game to my Nexus if it would work or not.
The Pivot app showcases all of the games that work with the controller out of the box. (There's quite a few on there including Doom GLES, GTA Vice City, Jet Set Radio). For Pacman, I didn't have to set anything up. I just had to launch the game and the joystick knew what the buttons did. Haven't tried Sonic yet as I got caught up playing Zelda and the reason why I didn't post this until now. Lol.
To use it outside of the apps they showcase, you need to download the universal drivers then map it according to the game/emulator of your choice. If you're rooted, the universal driver allows you to map either joysticks as d-pad. You can still use the drivers without root but its better if you have it. It also comes with a pretty cool leather pouch and its not one of those ceap ones at all. The controller is pretty light and its as big as my Galaxy Nexus. It uses two AAA batteris and only has two trigger buttons on the back so that might be an issue when playing some Playstation games. Overall, if I didn't have a WiiMote and needed a bluetooth controller, this would certainly fit the bill. It has ample buttons so it would work for most people and for the games it showcases, there's almost no set up required besides pairing it. I'm guessing if you wanted to make this compatible with any game, you could pair it up with the universal drivers and the USB Joystick app.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Oh I also got my Google Wallet refund today? I think its my Google Wallet refund because they gave me a MasterCard Everywhere card similar to this post:
http://www.pocketables.com/2012/12/t...astercard.html
I don't remember signing up for a credit/debit card recently so this has to be it.
http://www.pocketables.com/2012/12/t...astercard.html
I don't remember signing up for a credit/debit card recently so this has to be it.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Oh my goodness I'm in emulation nirvana right now. I just discovered the Hires pack for OoT and I am in love with this game all over again. Djipi created a Hires pack that makes OoT look like Wind Waker and apparently the textures work perfectly on N64oid! Ingame screenshots from my Nexus 7:
A7l3F.png ec4Mf.png Po4GH.png
fsIIX.png fmWlW.png SuCM6.png
Look at those textures, the font, the fire, water, shield, rocks, door, everything. It looks amazing and there's no lag on my Nexus 7. Love it. This is what the remake of OoT should've been like!
Where I found the mod. Link is in his description. Its 125 MB big but worth every download. You have to extract it into the hires folder and enable hires in N64oid to allow it. Now I'm looking for other games. I see Mario 64 has some as well...:
A7l3F.png ec4Mf.png Po4GH.png
fsIIX.png fmWlW.png SuCM6.png
Look at those textures, the font, the fire, water, shield, rocks, door, everything. It looks amazing and there's no lag on my Nexus 7. Love it. This is what the remake of OoT should've been like!
Where I found the mod. Link is in his description. Its 125 MB big but worth every download. You have to extract it into the hires folder and enable hires in N64oid to allow it. Now I'm looking for other games. I see Mario 64 has some as well...:
I Shoot with a Camera
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 23,082
Likes: 3,683
From: Vancouver BC
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Straight from their site.
http://www.powera.com/moga
They had a deal last week where they gave away a bunch of them for free you just had to pay for shipping. Their server crashed once word got out though and I was lucky enough to get mine in before the crash happened. They're located in Washington so it took two days to get to me in California. I've been playing OoT with it the past few hours. Lol. Some of the sidequests are hard to beat because they require the subtle movement of the joysticks but its not impossible. Just requires some adjusting.
If you already have a WiiMote and a Controller Pro, you can technically get the same functionality. The MOGA does have the advantage of docking your phone onto the controller though. For example, in Sonic CD, because the phone is attached the the controller, the phone creates a Haptic Feedback that translates onto the controller. Its something that you would normally miss out on if you use another controller just as the WiiMote. Also, there was no setup involved with Sonic CD. It just recognized the buttons automatically as long as the MOGA Pivot app is installed.
http://www.powera.com/moga
They had a deal last week where they gave away a bunch of them for free you just had to pay for shipping. Their server crashed once word got out though and I was lucky enough to get mine in before the crash happened. They're located in Washington so it took two days to get to me in California. I've been playing OoT with it the past few hours. Lol. Some of the sidequests are hard to beat because they require the subtle movement of the joysticks but its not impossible. Just requires some adjusting.
If you already have a WiiMote and a Controller Pro, you can technically get the same functionality. The MOGA does have the advantage of docking your phone onto the controller though. For example, in Sonic CD, because the phone is attached the the controller, the phone creates a Haptic Feedback that translates onto the controller. Its something that you would normally miss out on if you use another controller just as the WiiMote. Also, there was no setup involved with Sonic CD. It just recognized the buttons automatically as long as the MOGA Pivot app is installed.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 28,435
Likes: 1,570
From: Miami, FL
Upgrade coming up in Feb. Seriously considering either Note 2 or iPhone 5. I think apps I'll be ok even though apple typically gets stuff first. but I hear Note 2 battery is awesome. I notice my iPhones get crippled after a year and change. I do jb but I don't have that many tweaks. So yes I'm up for rooting or whatever you do with Androids. If I go Android i want to go big.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Upgrade coming up in Feb. Seriously considering either Note 2 or iPhone 5. I think apps I'll be ok even though apple typically gets stuff first. but I hear Note 2 battery is awesome. I notice my iPhones get crippled after a year and change. I do jb but I don't have that many tweaks. So yes I'm up for rooting or whatever you do with Androids. If I go Android i want to go big.
The S4 should be announced and most likely coming around May for the international version. The Note III rumors will probably be surfacing around then as well most likely based on the S4. With that said, the US variants probably won't come in until around late Summer/Early Fall. Android seems to be going towards the 5" 1080p screens and it seems that's the next gen at the moment. The Sony Yuga sounds pretty amazing minus the battery part. Although, the newer gen processors and displays use less battery to compensate so that's to be seen. Then there's the rumored HTC M7 with a 1080p screen, 802.11ac and 4.7" display! Even more PPI than their just released DNA! (468- M7 vs. 441 - DNA) Also, Google I/O is coming earlier next year in May so Key Lime Pie will be announced.
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news...display-307388
Black_Man_X thoughts on upcoming Key Lime Pie:
Just read a breakdown on the next step for the android os.. Think that the iphone needs more lawyers to sue/stop innovation..