How to get an Ingress Invitation

Ingress is an android game developed by Search engine giant Google. Ingress is right now in closed beta stages right now. What that means it is currently in advanced testing phase and there could still be bugs in the game. In short it is not yet reached the final stages of open release. Be it Gmail or Google plus during its initial stages, a stratergy Google has always used, Ingress also is available to people with invites only. Check the video below about Ingress, it is more like a movie trailer.

Interesting isn't it? I am sure you want an invite too. There are many fake ways to get an invite but the only legit way is requesting an invite on the Ingress Webiste. Go to www.Ingress.com and there you shall see a box wherein you need to fill in your email address and request an invite. If you are lucky enough you will recieve an activation code from Ingress.

 Watch the video below if you are still confused :



 Also you can still download the app from the Google Play site : Download Ingress for Android. (Does not need an invite)

Stay Tuned and enjoy.

Android 4.2 Realeased

Android 4.2 source code has finally been pushed by Google to AOSP. This means ROM developers can go fetch the code and start developing ROMs based on the newest Android OS that is Android 4.2 aka "The New Jelly Bean". Many of you might have an ETA question for CyanogenMod, but I hope you know the rule that the first rule of CyanogenMod or even the developer community is no ETAs. Even the as this is a minor update, one can guess that there is only merging of codes to be done which does'nt take more than a month as we have seen in transition of Cm9 to Cm10. There won't be any CyanogenMod 11 but the new builds would be called CM 10.x .If you are a developer you might want to check the Google groups post.

Remove ads on Android device using AdFree

Ads are probably the most annoying thing one experiences while using free apps. If you do no tget annoyed by them, well you should. What most people do not  know is ads running inside apps may cause severe battery drain as they are powered by your android device's internet. In other words apps use internet to work and that obviously drains battery.

This problem can be solved simply by using a free app called Adfree. Please note this app is for root users only. More details on how to Root Android device using SuperOneClick.,

Check out the video below for furthur details :

 

Download Adfree here : Adfree for Android

Android 4.2 Keyboard with Gesture Typing

Android 4.2 also know as the new Jelly Bean was recently premiered by Google on a new set of Nexus devices. Although not a major update on the Android platform, there are some pretty cool features that are added. One of them is the new Android 4.2 keyboard that has cool features like gesture support.

Thanks to xda member mrmako777 you can get the Android 4.2 keyboard on any device that is Android 4.0 or up. Whether or not this is better than Swype is a debatable topic. Just download the apk file and install it as a normal application. You also need to change the default keyboard from settings.

Download Android 4.2 keyboard

CyanogenMod 9 Stable

Some good news for CyanogenMod users this week. Many builds featuring CyanogenMod 9's stable release have begun to be rolling out. As stated by the CyanogenMod team this is probably the last release of new Ice cream sandwich source code. The main reason behind this is because most devices with CyanogenMod 9 on it are fully functional and tend to perform better than stock. The CM team is now shifting its focus entirely to Android 4.1 that is Jelly Bean. Most devices still do not have CyanogenMod 10 ports.

There are many devices out there that are deprived of ICS but still thanks to CyanogenMod devices like the Samsung Galaxy S have also got Jelly Bean ports. There is no doubt that suce devices can easily run ICS and Jelly Bean. CyanogenMod team will now whole heartedly work on Jelly Bean and fix those bugs soon. Do not expect stable CM10 yet, but expect a nice Jelly Bean experience. There are also many unnofficial builds out there rolling out day after day. Good work CyanogenMod!! All the best for CyanogenMod 10.

Save android phone battery with Data Enabler

The major drawback of android phones is that the battery drains far to quickly. Drainage of battery when the device is in use is accepted but what when your device is in sleep mode? There are things running at the background that eat up your battery. These background processes use your android device's packet data or 3g for sync and other purposes. A lot of people use battery saver apps but what I have noticed is that these apps do not fit perfectly for all kinds of users and they may end up draining more battery than saving. The best practice is to switch of your android device's internet when not in use. But who like going all the way to settings and disabling internet? We don't want to waste time do we? So a simple solution to this problem is a small widget on your home screen that enables you to switch on and switch off your packet data (internet) as per your own requirement. Its just a small and neat button that does it job fast and efficiently. This would not only save battery but also help you cut down bills.

Data enabler

Take a look at the app from the play store, its free : Data Enabler

CyanogenMod 10 to take some more time

Google has already released the source code to AOSP and the world is eagerly awaiting a stable CyanogenMod 10 which is based on Jelly Bean. Since the android 4.1 update of Jelly Bean is not a major update on the android platform, it was thought that stable Jelly Bean roms like CM10 would be available very soon. But the makers of CyanogenMod are facing a few problems which would push the CM10 update.

 CyanogenMod mentioned it earlier this week that the codes need not be written from scratch but they need to be merged manually. This would be a very tedious task but not an impossible one. It looks like its going to take some serious manual coding and developers have to work round the clock. Here are the few major problems CyanogenMod team is facing:

• CyanogenMod's Trebuchet launcher would pose a problem while porting to Jelly Bean.
• Theming on CyanogenMod need to be reworked.
• Different lockscreen of Jelly Bean needs to be restyled.
• Major changes in Interface.

One must not forget that CyanogenMod is also working in the stable RC2 build for CM9, so there is a lot of work the coders need to do.

Google Now for AOSP based ICS ROMS

Certainly on of the best features of the new Jelly Bean operating System is Google Now. It can do a bunch of cool and intelligent things like weather reports on your current location, route and time taken to reach work from your current location and also various modes of transport that can be taken. Not only this, Google Now also comes with a voice assistant much like Siri. However the only difference between Google's voice assistant and Siri is that Google's voice assistant is much faster and a million times more powerful than Apple's Siri. Trust me its not an overstatement. Check out the video for features of Google now.




 Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer febycv and dave7802 , it is now possible to have Google Now on AOSP based ICS ROMS. I have tried it on CM9 and it works pretty smoothly with some issues as listed below.

What works:

• Search with the text box.
• Location services.
• Information cards like weather report.
• Notifications.

What doesn't work:

• Back button to exit app.
• Voice search and assistant (Needs Jelly Bean)

Its worth installing this, just follow these simple steps:

1. Do a Nandroid backup!
2. Download the file from here: http://www.mediafire.com/?ln5g4bub91kgaa4
3.  Rename GoogleQuickSearchBox.apk in system/app to GoogleQuickSearchBox2.bak
4. Rename the downloaded file to "GoogleQuickSearchBox.apk".
5. Place the renamed .apk in the system/app folder and set the permissions to rw-r-r
6. Reboot the device and enjoy!

You can always leave a comment if you have a problem with the installation or any other query.

CyanogenMod 10

Some good news for people using Cyanogen Mod roms. According to their post on Google+ Cyanogenmod stated that they are already working on a Jelly Bean update. There were a lot of questions regarding to what it would be called, most people thought it would be CM 9.x but it is clear that it is now CyanogenMod 10. The logic behind this is "J" is the first letter of Jelly Bean and the 10 letter, so the ten comes from here. Just like ICS was CM9 as I=9th letter.

   They say it would not be that hectic to update the code as its not a major leap like CM7 to CM9. Still it is too early to say as the source code for Jelly Bean has not released by Google yet. One thing is for sure, if your device runs ICS that is CM9 then it is also sure to run Jelly Bean that is CM10. Take a look at the exact post below.

CyanogenMod Official page.

Root Android device using SuperOneClick

The most easiest way to root your android device is by using SuperOneClick. It enables super noobs to root their device with a simple click of a button. Although I prefer Chainfire root, SuperOnClick method is way easier as people start panicing while the phone goes in download mode.

Follow these simple steps to root your phone using SuperOneClick.

1. Download the softwate :CNET LINK
2. Run it and enable USB debugging on your phone.
3. Connect your device to the computer via usb and make sure the sd card is not mounted
4. Hit the root button and wait.
5. Once the process is done check for SuperUser app on you phone.
6. Success!

It may be possible that your phone is not supported, like my Samsung Galaxy SL was not supported by SuperOneClick but there is absolutely no harm in trying, just do not unplug your device in the middle of something.

Note: Your warranty is now void! Try at your own risk!

CM9 Vs Stock ICS

Alot of people wonder before flashing Cyanogen Mod Roms about the new list of features it would bring to their device. Some people shift to Cyanogen Mod 9 after getting fed up of buggy and untimely updates. So I decided to make a post telling you, why you should switch to CM9 and show your stock Rom the door.

Cyanogen Mod 9 is an alternative firmware for a number of devices which is based on the Android Open Source Operating System. It includs various features that are not included in the stock rom. Here are the many Pros and the few Cons of CM9.


Pros :

• Super fast updates and fixes of bugs.
• Theme support.
• Incognito mode aka stealth mode browsing.
• DSP equalizer for better sound performance
• Control CPU speed for better battery (Custom kernel needed).
• Better overall battery life.
• Fast and lite Trebuchet launcher by CM9.
• Open VPN.
• Ability to flash anything on your phone as you are already rooted. Eg: TouchWiz 5, etc.
• Add newer Tweaks that are made by various developers.
• Many more.

Cons: 

• Flashing roms are always risky although to the slightest and you might brick your phone.
• Lose your warranty. (You can always revert back to stock and get it back.)
• Initial phases of development are extremely buggy, especially a non functional camera.

As you can see for your self the cons can be taken care of with a little bit of caution and patience. Obviously you need to root your phone before flashing roms. The best part of CM9 is the updates. They shift to a newer source code at lightening fast speeds.

Final Verdict: Say good bye to your stock rom  and switch to CM9. You can always use your current launcher over Cyanogen Mod's Trebuchet launcher.

No Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S2

The title says it all. Just like how Galaxy S was denied an Ice Cream Sandwich update due to hardware reasons, Samsung gives the same lame excuse to deny any Jelly Bean Update for the Galaxy S2. Samsung says Jelly bean needs a quad core processor to run smoothly and The galaxy S2 can't handle Jelly Bean along with Samsung's TouchWiz interface. Apparently the Galaxy Nexus has already received an OTA official Jelly Bean update and it reportedly runs smoothly even though it has a dual core system.

It is pretty evident that Samsung is bullying its customers to buy the higher end phones or the newer phones included in their arsenal. This is exactly the reason why people turn to root their phone and use custom roms like Cyanogen Mod 9 for a full flighted android experience.

Jelly Bean ports

Google Nexus 7 was the first device with Android Jelly Bean which was showcased in the first day of the Google I/O which brought a whole new features to android 4.x. Jelly Bean is not considered as a major update but it has new features embedded in it. You can say its the optimized version of Ice Cream Sandwich. The most promenint features if android 4.1 are:

• Project Butter :Makes the UI smoother.
• Google Ears : Lighter widget version of Shazam.
• Google Now : Gives you information about your location.
• Google Voice search: Voice assistant.
• Expandable notifiications.
• Offline voice typing.

The Galaxy Nexus was the first one to receive an official Jelly Bean Update. The source code is not yet available publicly but still we already have Jelly Bean ports to the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3. Although these ports are not fully functional, its worth a try for an early Jelly Bean experience.

HTC ONE X Port: XDA thread.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Port:XDA thread.

Google Sound Search for any ICS ROM

Most of us are familiar with Shazam and SoundHound on our android devices. Yet another feature of Google's new android release of 4.1 Jelly Bean is the Google Sound Search aka Google Ears. Thanks to an XDA member asdfzz you can install Google Sound Search on any ICS ROM. Google Sound Search is only a widget on the home screen which enables you to recognize the sound or song playing in your surrounding. It needs access to the internet just like Shazam and SoundHound.

Overall I would say this Jelly Bean goodie is a neat widget and is also light when one compares it to functionality. You can simple install it like a normal app on your ICS device.

Here is the download Link :Google Ears download