Nexus 4 KaysCase Slim Hard Shell Review

I love using my phones caseless. Especially the gorgeous glass sandwich that is the Google Nexus 4. Unfortunately, it's not always practical to use it without protection. If you'd like minimal protection, without the $15 price tag, the KaysCase Slim Hard Shell is a perfect option. Although the top and bottom edges aren't fully covered, it offers excellent back and side protection, along with a decent sized lip to protect the screen.

KaysCase Slim Hard Shell: http://www.amazon.com/KaysCase-Shell-Cover-Google-Nexus/dp/B009ZNBI1S

Ubuntu touch coimg to a plethora of devices

Well well well, looks like Ubuntu doesn't want to stop at the Nexus lineup. Today Ubuntu released images and instructions for more devices and lot for devices as work in progress.

Below is the list of devices for which images and instructions were released today :-

• Asus Transformer Infinity - tf700t
• Sony Xperia S - nozomi
• Sony Xperia T - mint
• Verizon Galaxy S3 - d2vzw
• LG Nitro/Optimus HD - p930
• Huawei Ascend G300 - u8815 

There is also another list of work in progress devices, for more details and links head over to the devices page.

Silly Google Bloat Ware Is For Kids!

It seems Google planted a new app on our devices. I turned my phone on this morning and noticed a new app in my app drawer called Google Settings.

It doesn't seem to be much so put the pitchforks and torches away. There are a few simple settings in there that can easily be done else where but I guess the brass at Google figured they'd be helping us out by making these features easier accessible. Why wouldn't they?  It makes it easier for the average user to get tied in to their ecosystem.

As far as I can tell its nothing to get your panties in a bunch over. When the "we need your Social Security number app" comes out, then we grab the pitchforks.

So head to your app drawer, open the app and maybe it will be helpful to you (there is an ad mob ads check box).

Let us know what you think. Is Google getting a little Google app crazy?  Or are you on team Google and want to see more Gapps on your device?

Acase Screen Protector - Google Nexus 4 Video Review

Regardless of whether your phone's screen is made of Gorilla Glass or not, you will eventually notice scratches on it. For a few dollars, you would be foolish not to apply a protector. Acase provides a well priced pack of screen protectors that are guaranteed to protect your phone's screen.

Note: Tonight, I managed to drop my Nexus 4 two times. Each time, it fell from waist level onto a hard floor. If I had decided against a screen protector, my Nexus 4 would have several nice gouges in the screen. This $7 pack of screen protectors saved my Nexus 4.

Link: Acase Screen Protectors For The Google Nexus 4

An Android Developer needs help, Please Donate

I do not know how to put this in words, I can only this made me very sad. CyanogenMod device maintainer Ryan Scott aka ChiefzReloaded is suffering from a rare disease called Necrotizing Fasciitis. This infection is caused by bacteria that eats skin, fat, and other tissue; it is literally a flesh-eating disease.

He needs help as the bills are too much for his family to pay. Please help him in any way you can, either by donating to him via paypal at chiefz.reloaded@gmail.com or by sharing this post.

You can read more details about on CyanogenMod's Google+ post.

Ubuntu Touch ported to Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100

With the release of Ubuntu Touch images for the Nexus devices and the source code last week, we knew that ports for various devices would start coming up soon. Ubuntu touch has been ported to the Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 (please do not try to flash it on other versions).

Please note if you flash the build it will wipe ClockworkMod Recovery (or any other custom recovery you have), and you cant transfer files to the phone. so make sure you have a PC, This will also bring back the Triangle of Evil.  To re-install CM or AOSP or any other ROM, you will need to use Odin or Heimdall.

For download links and installation instructions head over to the original thread on xda developers.

CyanogenMod 10 port for the Droid DNA gets a working Radio

A few days back we had reported that efforts were on to port CyanogenMod 10 to the Droid DNA. Well, some good progress was made last night, the port now has a working radio (and by radio I mean network access & data). Historically, the radio or ril (as the developers call it) is one of the hardest thing to port on Sense devices.

The ROM is still a work in progress and is not a daily driver as of now , but expect that to change very soon.

Working:
Radio/RIL (no sound, so can't hear yet)
SMS / MMS
3G / 4G Data
Display
Orientation
Sensors
Lights
NFC
Torch
GPS (but unconfirmed as playstore is crashing)

Not working:
Camera
Wifi
Audio


For more details and download links head over to the original thread at xda developers.

Poetic Atmosphere Case For The Nexus 4 Video Review

It's no secret, the Nexus 4 isn't an overly sturdy phone. With glass on the front and back, it's twice as prone to cracks compared to most other phones. The Atmosphere case by Poetic is the prefect protection solution.  It boasts a sturdy hard shell, while maintaining a thin, stylish profile.

Confirmed : Galaxy S IV launching on March 14th 2013

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, mark your calendars, the much awaited Samsung Galaxy S IV is launching on March 14th 2013 at 7pm EST. Samsung is handing out paper invitations for the event at MWC.

We already have an idea of what to expect in the new smartphone from Samsung from the leak over the weekend, but rest assured more leaks will pop up over the internet in the coming few days.

So, whose excited for the Galaxy S IV? I am pretty excited about the new Samsung flagship Android smartphone.

Source - engadget.

Dual Boot Kernel for Samsung Captivate

Ever wanted to dual boot your Android phone, well if you own the good old Samsung Captivate, you can now do that.

XDA recognized developer DerTeufel1980 has made this possible through his custom kernel. This is why we love XDA, the developers out there never let your phone get old enough for you to not get excited every few months.

For details, download links & instructions head over to the original thread.

Trade Your Phone, Tablet or Laptop at Cell Trader Online

Have an Android phone, iPhone or Tablet laying around but you're really craving another device or gadget?

Cell Trader Online is the best place to be if you're in a predicament like the one I stated above!  There are a few online trading sites but I say Cell Trader Online is the best because of a these reasons.

-  It's a tight knit community, where everyone knows each other and almost always willing to lend a helping hand or give sound advice

-  Everyone there has knowledge in one area or another.... whether you have a question about carriers, gadget worth,  who ships first, condition rating questions and so on.

-  It's become a reputable site with mods that truly have the best interest in us users having the best trading, selling or buying experience possible.

-  It's tapatalk compatible.  If you're on the run and need to stay in contact with the person you're doing a transaction with it's a click of an app.

-  Most of these members trade gadgets like it's their job so they need to keep their reputation in a positive light so other members don't have any concerns.

-  It's FREE to join (who doesn't like free?)

-  And most of all we talk cougars all day!  Just kidding.  It's a great bunch of people over there from all over the world.

-  I could keep the list going but I think you get the idea.

I recently had the urge to go all pure Google with my devices.  I had the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, a Nexus 7 and an Acer Chrome Book.  I was missing two pieces to the puzzle, the Galaxy Nexus (because I'm on Verizon) and the Nexus 10.  So what the hell?  Let me put my mint Note 2 on CTO and see if I can get a Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 10.  BOOM!  It happened!  I'm now the proud owner of a Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and a Chrome Book and somebody else is a happy camper with there new shiny Note 2.  That's pure win if you ask me.  BTW....  this is just one trade of many that I have done with the fine folks over at CTO.

As always use your head when you're thinking of trading or selling your expensive gadget.  There are still creeps in this world.  So keep an eye on peoples feedback, posts and most of all your gut feeling.  There's also off topic forums over at CTO where you can express your questions or concerns and I promise you someone will have a solid answer or advice for you.

To wrap this up I'm just going to say in my personal trading experiences Cell Trader Online is hands down the best and most reputable gadget trading, selling and buying site around.

So what are you waiting for?  Head over to CTO, make an account and start yucking it up with all of the local yocals.  I've made quite a few friends over there.  A bunch of great guys!  Like a brotherhood!

Leak: Samsung Galaxy S IV (aka GT-I9500) Image & Specs

Leaks are stating to trickle in fast & steady for "The Next Big Thing" from Samsung, the Galaxy S IV (aka GT I-9500) just showed up in an image thanks to the guys over at sammobile. It won't be having Samsung's Exynos processor because of overheating issues, instead will have a Snapdragon 600.

We know it's only the boot logo but we can be pretty sure that the release is not far enough now, we would be correct in saying that this is the most awaited phone of the year for Android nerds.

The specs as per insider information obtained by sammobile are :-
- 4,99″ Full-HD SoLux Display
- Snapdragon 600 1.9 Ghz
- 2 GB RAM
- 16, 32 or 64 GB internal memory
- 13 Megapixel rear camera
- 140.1 x 71.8 x 7.7mm
- 138 gram
- Home button with touch buttons
- Plastic back with aluminum sides
- Removable battery
- Black / White
 
Source - sammobile.

Just the tip. Just to see how it feels

Just the Tip. Just to see how it feels:

One of my favorite things I've found on the internet are the little collections of LPT's (formally, Life Pro Tips);
 which are basically little shortcuts in life that are meant to make things easier. 
*This is where I finally learned how to open a banana the right way: like the monkeys do it, 
from the bottom instead of the top. (It may not sound like much, but to me it felt like reading Page One of the Rosetta Stone.)

I thought it'd be simple enough to start a list of Android Pro Tips, as well; to hopefully make someone else's
Android experience a little easier...I mean, everyone loves a shortcut, right?

So, to make it official, (drumroll), here's the first one I can think of:

(A)ndroid (P)ro (T)ip #1: How to install an Android app like a Ninja.

(*My definition of Ninja here means without Anything: without a file manager, without a data connection or Play Store/Market link of any kind, 
  and without any cables/computer connection whatsoever.)

Ever done this?
You flash a new Rom, and then go to install a copy of a much-needed app from your SD card.
Then you realize that the Chef/Developer forgot to include a Very Important Thing: a File Manager.
Unless you have a data connection/wifi access point/Play Store link, this can be a very real problem. 
First time this happened to me, this was my thought process:

my dumb brain: 
"Wha?...er, no problem, I'll just install that copy of Root Explorer 
 I keep on my SD card, that'll be my new file manager!"

my smart brain:
"How ya gonna access that, you Dink?"

my dumb brain:
".....I don't care for you much, you know that?"

my smart brain:
"Just shut up. Aren't you missing Storage Wars?.."

Anyway,
It's frustrating to no end to have available, working copies of important apps, 
just sitting there on your SD card, with no way to access them...

Here's the solution.

A true Android Ninja would use this little-known trick:

1. Open the Browser. (All Roms at least come with at least a browser, it's in the Constitution.)
2. In the address bar, type "file:///sdcard/nameofapk.apk" (Don't type the exclamation points, and yes, those are 3 forward slashes.)
3. Press Enter.
4. Profit.

Now, the above example is written assuming you'll insert the name of your apk, and assuming also 
that it's on the root directory of your SD card. 
If it isn't, then just alter the command, 
reflecting the proper folder and location; e.g.: 
"file:///sdcard/download/games/nameofapk.apk"

(Just make sure you remember the EXACT name and location of the app. You'll be all set.)

So that's it.
 
Install an Android apk, straight from your browser, no cables necessary.
 
Impress ALL your friends! 

(I would guess that there are even more Browser commands that exist within the Android OS, 
but that's the only one I know: anyone else know of some, please feel free to chime in!)

*Oh yeah, need to say this: "First Post!"
More to follow, be back soon;

-Zook

FacePalm S-OFF comes to HTC One VX

A few days back we published news about the FacePalm S-OFF, well the S-OFF method can now be used to S-OFF the HTC One VX.

Head over to the original thread over at xda forums on how to S-OFF your HTC One VX.

Leak : Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean for International Galaxy S III

Android 4.2.1 Jellybean for the International Galaxy S III (i9300) has leaked.

Please note this is an unofficial build so flash at your own risk, head over to sammobile for download links and installation instructions.

How to Install Ubuntu on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

We all knew today was going to be a jam packed day with Ubuntu news for the Nexus devices so let's keep it going with installation instructions for your beloved Samsung Galaxy Nexus.  If you're new to the whole flashing, rooting and hacking process I suggest you sit this one out until the devs have worked out the kinks and make this as easy as possible for everyone.  For those of you ready to take the plunge read on!



These instructions were posted by Lesicnik1 over at XDA -

1. Nandroid backup
2. Factory Reset
3. Grab quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip (MD5: e4c9c5601019ec7ce24f43f317361982) and quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip from here: http://nexfiles.kjonigsen.net/ubuntu/
If those links are down, use this one to download the needed files: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-tou...ntal/mwc-demo/
4. Flash quantal-preinstalled-armel+maguro.zip
5. Flash quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip (this one will take a while, grab some coffee )
6. Reboot (screen will go black but after a few seconds Ubuntu is up)
7. Profit 

This install didn't wiped my sdcard. I just restored my TWRP backup after a short Ubuntu testdrive.
If you are paranoid, just copy your stuf from SDCARD to your PC before flashing.

As always folks!  Flash at your own risk!  And READ, READ and READ more if you have any doubts or questions.

I will be running Ubuntu on the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 for a week on each device.  At the end of the 7 days I will give a full review of my experience using Ubuntu as my daily driver.  So stay tuned folks!

How to Install Ubuntu on N4

Well the folks over at XDA wasted zero time sharing a clockworkmod flashable zip for Ubuntu on The Nexus 4.  Thanks to Brenix at XDA there are simple directions for us to take the plunge and get some of that beautiful Ubuntu on our Nexus 4's.

1. Download quantal-preinstalled-armel+mako.zip and quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip from: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-tou...ntal/mwc-demo/

2. Push files to sdcard

3. Reboot into recovery (using CWM here..)

4. Flash quantal-preinstalled-armel+mako.zip

5. Flash quantal-preinstalled-phablet-armhf.zip

6. Reboot and enjoy 

P.S.: This method retains CWM recovery. I haven't tried flashing the imgs via fastboot yet though..

In rare circumstances, the Nexus 4 may get into a state where it may not boot at all after the battery is drained ( even into recovery ). If this happens, the only way to restore it is to disassemble the back of the phone and unplug/plug the battery connector. 

taken from here https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/ReleaseNotes

Here is the link for the XDA thread if you have any questions for Brenix.

More to come for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 so stay tuned folks!

Ubuntu 12.10 Touch Preview Images available for download

You read it right peeps, the newest open source operating system for mobile phones and tablets now has the images available for download. Ubuntu Touch preview from Canonical is now available for download for the following devices:-

• Nexus 7 aka grouper
• Nexus 10 aka manta
• Nexus 4 aka mako
• Galaxy Nexus aka maguro

Head over to Ubuntu’s download page to download the images, an installation tutorial can be found here.

Google Glasses - How They Feel and how I feel about the price

Watching this video for the first time had my mind spinning with ideas that I could use these for.  As a father of four, a chef, blogger and android geek the possibilities are endless with Google Glasses.  Rumor has it that Cyanogenmod's team will be having their fun with these as well, which has me even more excited.  Google Glasses could benefit my life in so many ways except for that rumored $1500 price tag.  That would take a lot of trading over at Cell Trader Online (more about this great site to come) to get my hands on a pair of these with out my wife making me wear these in a way that would be uncomfortable to sit down while using them.  $1500 dollars is a lot of money anyway you look at it.

Rumors have it that they will be available for consumers late 2013 - early 2014, so this gives me plenty of time to start rolling my change or start trading my butt off over at CTO.

Bottom line!  $1500 is way to much mula for the average user and android geek.  I realize it takes a lot to get a project like this off the ground and takes a lot of money to produce something like Google Glasses.   Google really needs to figure out a way to get this price point down, by at least half if they want the regular everyday guy and gal like myself sporting a pair of these.

With all of that being said, I will definitely own a pair of these even if it involves me getting on my hands and knees begging my wife.  Don't think I wont folks!

Am I out of line saying $1500 is too expensive for Google Glasses?

Tweedle - A fast and simple Twitter client for Android

If you have been on Android for awhile, you know the official Twitter client isn't exactly "great". It's slow, outdated, but offers one of the best experiences available on Android in a Twitter client. That is, until you try Tweedle.

Tweedle is a highly customizable lightweight client for Twitter, that offers a whole bunch of useful features while maintaining a clean, fast interface for all users on Android 2.3 and higher.

• customizable theming
• lightweight Holo interface
• inline image loading
• multiple account support
• support for Twitlonger and multiple image uploads
• free, no ads, no hassle 

HTC One Launch Wrapup

Here's the highlights from yesterday's HTC One's launch all warapped up for ya!  Exciting stuff folks!

Wallbase wallpaper app

I know there are tons of wallpaper app reviews out there but Wallbase is the bees knees when it comes to wallpaper quality and dimensions.

Anyone who owns an Android device loves the customization's that comes with Android.  Android has widgets, custom launchers, folders, lock screen apps, live wallpapers and so much more that other platforms don't offer (I'm looking at you Apple).  All of these customization's can be done with out rooting your device also (again, I'm looking at you Apple).

Let's be honest.  Wallpapers are one of our favorite ways to make our devices look like ours and a way to express ourselves when showing friends our phones.  ZEDGE is probably the most popular wallpaper app in the Play Store.  ZEDGE, while being a great wallpaper app with a ton of options isn't the best option available for crisp - clean wallpapers.

HTC One in Red!

At the press conference today the press shots of the HTC One only had 2 color options, the black and the silver.

Well if you head over to http://www.htc.com/www/smartphones/htc-one/#overview you will see the third color option which is red.

 






It looks like HTC has a liking for the color red and I am pretty sure the red One will sell like hot cakes if it is ever released.

HTC One is now Official

After all the rumors and leaks, the HTC One (supposedly was to be called HTC M7) is now official.
The device was officially unveiled by HTC today.

The specs of the One are pretty impressive:-

• 9.3mm thick, 137.4mm long, 68.2mm wide
• 143g
• 1.7 Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 600 with Adreno 320 GPU
• 2GB of RAM with the option of 32/64 GB of internal storage
• 4.7-inch Full 1080P Super LCD 3 display 
• Rear Camera with 4 Ultrapixels (the new technology from HTC)
• Front Camera is 2.1 MP with 1080p recording
• 2300mAh Battery
• Android 4.1.2 with HTC Sense 5 and BlinkFeed

What is interesting is that the body is made from aluminum, let's hope we do not have GPS or Wi-Fi issues like we had on the Asus Transformer Prime. I guess HTC would have taken care of that but we will have to wait and see once the masses get their hands on the One.

The drawbacks would be:-

• no micro sd card support
• no Qi wireless charging
• uni-body design which makes the battery non-removable and spare parts expensive

The device will be released in Q2 of 2013 (which could be as early as March end) on all major carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint in the United States.

Facepalm S-OFF for HTC Devices released

Facepalm S-OFF for HTC Devices has been released. Please note you need to be rooted and have super CID for this hack to work. Below is the list of devices which are currently supported:-

• Droid DNA
• One X/L 
• HTC One S

Download link and instructions are available here.
 

Please read the instructions carefully & try at your own risk. Neither we nor the developers are in any way responsible or liable for any bricked devices.

Is HTC releasing an Ubuntu tablet tomorrow?

It's getting interesting, www.ubuntu.com has a countdown which coincides with HTC's press conference tomorrow where HTC is supposedly going to release the HTC M7 aka HTC One. The countdown says "Tick, tock, tablet time!".

We already know that Ubuntu images for the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 will be released on February 21st, and we also know that HTC quit the tablet market last year.

It could very well be that HTC had a change of mind and wanted to try something new, we may very well see the HTC One (or whatever they name it) tablet running Ubuntu at tomorrow's press conference. Just a little over 15 hours to go and we should know pretty soon what's coming from HTC.

Coming Soon - S-OFF for various HTC Devices

Earlier today we published a story that the Droid DNA had been S-OFF'ed, well it looks like the same S-OFF method will be used to S-OFF other HTC Devices as well.

We do not have a complete list as of now but below are the devices which have already been tested:-

• Droid DNA
• One XL
• One S

The device list most definitely grow as the exploit is tested on other HTC devices. What is interesting is the timing of this exploit, with the HTC M7 aka HTC One to be released tomorrow I guess we should have S-OFF on the One as well as HTC would not have got time to fix the exploit. Here's hoping that we get S-OFF for the One as well.

For updates on the release of the S-OFF and what other HTC devices are tested follow Justin Case on twitter.

 

Droid DNA is S-OFF'ed

The Verizon exclusive Droid DNA has been S-OFF'ed. Yes you read it right, late last night Justin Case tweeted that the DNA has been S-OFF'ed.

While trying to achieve this a device was bricked and there is no public release as of now, but when it will be released it will be free as it is a software hack.

Please do not update to the latest DNA OTA from Verizon as the hack has not been tested on the latest update.

For more details follow Justin Case on twitter.

The Blackberry Z10 is coming to the U.S. mid March! **YAWN**

Before I go down this road I want to make myself crystal clear that I am not a Blackberry hater by any stretch.  With that out of the way, I could give two hoots if my hands ever have the pleasure (or displeasure) of holding a Blackberry Z10 or Q10!  The phone bores me to tears.

Blackberry has their fans like Kevin from Crackberry.com that's hoping this is Blackberry's hail Mary pass to be a contender.  I would bet if you were to hook Kevin up to a lie detector test he would even have to admit that BB10 is a DUD.  I'm not picking on you Kevin....  I'm a fan of your enthusiasm!

When I see a Blackberry Z10 being used, I feel like I'm physically looking at the spawn of an iPhone and the Droid X, confusing interface (even for a phone geek like myself) and a clunky OS that struggles with some of the simplest of tasks.  I'm not going to get in to every hardware and software spec of the phone but this could have been released this time last year and it would still be behind the curve.

T-Mobile is hoping to be the first carrier to offer the Blackberry Z10 mid March and we'll see if I'm wrong about this (I hope I am).   As far as I know the Z10 will also be offered by all of the major US carriers, which is proven to be a good thing (SGSIII and Note 2).

I think some of the old hardcore Blackberry users and curious phone geeks will migrate to the Z10, then back to Android and iOS.  It's just not enough to pull the average or hardcore user away from the two kings of the hill.  Blackberry is hoping to hold the third spot behind Android and iOS but I think Windows Phones may have something to say about that.

To conclude this semi rant I'm having.  I just don't see Blackberry being able to compete with what they have to offer.  They took to long of a break from the party and when they showed back up to the party they brought moon shine to a martini bar.  I hope I'm wrong but I'm afraid I'm not.

S-OFF comes to HTC J Butterfly

The developers over at unlimited.io have brought S-OFF to the HTC J Butterfly. As of now it works on hboot 1.39 only. Please note this is for the Japanese version only, means it won't work on the Droid DNA.

A complete tutorial on how to s-off is posted on their website.

As always neither we nor unlimited.io are responsible for any damage done to your phone while trying this.

Ubuntu for Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 release date announced for February 21st

When Canonical announced that they were releasing a whole new mobile OS, many people including myself were thrilled to see what they could offer and the improvements over Android. January 2nd they released a teaser video. They showed a beautiful UI and most importantly showed it running on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus. One of the main features that caught many people’s attention is that you could plug the Ubuntu powered phone into a secondary display and have a full-fledged Ubuntu OS. If you have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus or an LG Nexus 4, on February 21st you can flash the OS yourself to try it out. Expect a full hands on from us soon after. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Market Helper - Bypassing Android App Incompatibility (Root Only)

Have you ever gone to your favorite tech blog to see that a new great app has been released, only to find that it's not showing up in your app store? A few weeks ago I went to download the latest version of Grand Theft Auto, and it wasn't compatible with my HTC One XL. I'm happy to share with you an app that solves this problem.

There have always been tweaks for getting apps that otherwise show up as incompatible, but Market Helper gives rooted users a simple method of doing this, in a clean and light application. This application is relatively new, and the developer is asking for people to send their device information for more spoofing goodness to follow.

You simply select the profile you wish to spoof, click activate and wait. You do have to grant the application superuser permissions, but within a few seconds you will be greeted with a confirmation message telling you to visit the Google Dashboard to give your devices a quick refresh. Once there, download your "incompatible" applications, and when you are all spoofed out, just reboot your phone and you should be back to normal. The phone has a restore option as well, but in most cases it's not needed.

(Download Market Helper)

    

CyanogenMod 10 ported to Droid DNA

The Verizon exclusive Droid DNA is getting some custom ROM love from the developers over at xda-developers.com.

The ROM aims to port CyanogenMod to the Droid DNA, please note this is still a work in progress and is not fully functional yet.

What works:
Display
Orientation
Sensors
Lights
NFC

What doesn't work:
RIL
Camera
Wifi / Data
Audio

If you see the not working list above you will see why it can't be used as daily driver yet but if you want to play with CM 10 on your DNA head over to the original thread as a flashable zip and boot.img are available.

As always, flash at your own risk, neither we nor the developers are responsible for any bricked devices. 

HTC One AKA HTC M7 rumor roundup

HTC One in a leaked press shot. 

So, it’s this time of the year, the time of year when HTC is releasing a new flagship phone. We all have heard of the HTC One (M7).  What is official is that HTC is going to announce it on February 19th. That is exactly five days from today.  Also the HTC One is rumored to run sense 5. Evleaks has been the main source of rumors for the HTC and they have had a very good credible history. Among the rumored specs is a 4.7” 1080p screen with a Snapdragon S4 pro.  We have also heard of HTC releasing an ultrapixel camera. The technology behind this is using three 4.3 megapixel cameras to create one ‘super camera’. This may be HTC’s savior phone only if it releases on the four major carriers similar to the release of the Galaxy S3. HTC also has a countdown clock and has whenever the clock hit :01 the one glows green and it flashes a glimpse of their next flagship phone. According to HTCsource the phone will be released on At&t,T-Mobile, and Sprint on Match 22nd for 199$ on contract price. It will come with 32GB of stoarge and for people who want more they can get the 64GB storage option for  299$. There will be a black and white/silver color option with a metal casing and front facing speakers. Let us know what you think in the comments box. 

[Review] Nexus 4 dbrand Vinyl - Red Leather

I just love the color red especially when it comes to red phones, as soon as I saw that dbrand makes red vinyl skin for the Nexus 4 I knew I had to get it, here's a review for the vinyl.

Where to buy
dbrand official website 

How to get a discount
Like them on there Facebook page and ask for a discount on there wall, they will send you a discount code as a reply to your post.

Shipping
Shipping is from Canada and they do ship pretty fast, got mine to Florida in a week. Please note they ship in a black envelope so do not throw the envelope thinking it's from some Credit Card company.

Application
They do have a howto page on there website and trust me it is very easy to apply, no soap solution needed, simple dry application and yes when they say you can remove it if it is not aligned you can (unless you have already pressed it), just take care of the "e" letter in the Nexus.

Quality
The quality is pretty good, it is made from 3m material. The cutouts are perfect and considering how OCD I am, when I mean perfect I mean perfect.

Likes
Ease of application
The material is good
Cutouts are perfect
Makes the phone less slippery considering that the back is made of glass on the Nexus 4
Does not add excessive thickness, it's neither too thin nor too thick, just about the perfect thickness for you to not notice the extra layer of vinyl on the back

Dislikes
None as of now

Verdict
Not a bad investment for around $10, well worth the price.


Pictures

 

Weekly poll

Hello Readers,

From now on every week we will have a weekly poll. We will start off this week for which phone are you most excited for? Give feedback of reasons behind your choice in the comment box below.