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Here's how to get Google Assistant on Android 5.0+ Tablets WITHOUT Root
A tutorial on how to get the Google Assistant on Android tablets running Lollipop (5.0), Marshmallow (6.0), or Nougat (7.0) without needing root!
Google Assistant is Google's answer to Amazon's Alexa - a smart, personal service that has evolved in numerous ways and has expanded to multiple new platforms since its initial unveiling during last year's Google I/O. Although initially exclusive to the Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones (and available in a more limited manner in the Google Allo app), the awesome users on our forums were able to get Assistant running on any rooted Nougat phone. Back in March, Google announced that they would make Assistant available for all smartphones running Android 6.0+ in certain countries. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
OTA Updates for Nexus 7 and Nexus 7 (2013) Mobile
OTA updates of Android 5.0.2 have been captured for Nexus 7 and Nexus 7 (2013) LTE
A few days ago, Google finally released factory images for mobile versions of Nexus 7 and Nexus 7 (2013). The waiting period was quite long, as Google had a 3 month delay to provide the update. It was a bit of a weird situation, but it's definitely nice to see the factory images being released.
Lollipop Factory Image for Nexus 7 (2012) WiFi Leaked!
The Android 5.0 Lollipop factory image for the Nexus 7 (2012) WiFi has leaked! You can get in on the action and install the update on your own device today!
It's been a little over a week since Google pushed the full Android 5.0 Lollipop source code to its AOSP servers. While the source code has lead to the rapid release of quite a few source-built ports for existing devices, many users are still eagerly awaiting the official updates.
LuneOS Goes Official and Brings webOS to Android Devices
webOS has been reincarnated as the new LuneOS, a Linux-based OS that works on Android devices.
webOS has had rather turbulent history. Initially developed by Palm, the Linux kernel-based operating system has never found had an easy time making its way to mobile devices. However, and what may come as a surprise to many reading this, development work on the platform is still well underway. There are even working ports for some of popular devices like the Google Nexus 4, Nexus 7 (2012), Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and the long since forgotten HP Touchpad.
Android 4.4.4 KTU84P Factory Images and Driver Binaries Available for Nexus Devices, Source Code Now Live
Android 4.4.4 KTU84P factory images and proprietary driver binaries have been released to most of the the current generation Nexus lineup. Source now live!
Well, that was unexpected! After dozens of leaks leading up to the eventual release of Android 4.4.3, Android 4.4.4 has suddenly arrived without so much as a moment's notice. The update itself has not yet begun rolling out to actual end user devices, but just like what we saw with 4.4.3 KTU84M, the factory images have been posted for the majority of the current generation Nexus fleet.
It's no secret that despite being a great device overall, the Google Nexus 7 (2012) offers less than ideal flash memory performance. While the issue has been mitigated to a certain extent through the use of TRIM, file system performance is still often the device's Achilles heel. Because of this, it stands to reason that any steps taken to improve storage performance on the device will greatly improve the overall user experience.
Just two days ago, we wrote about how Android 4.4.2 was rolling out to the most recent Nexus devices. This was only four days after the Android 4.4.1 roll out. And earlier today, we took a quick look at what changed from 4.4 to 4.4.2. Now, we're glad to report that the Android 4.4.2 source code has made its way over to the AOSP, and factory restore images are now available for the Google Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Nexus 7 (2013), and Nexus 10.
Ever since Android 4.4 KitKat was released, the question quickly turned to when devices other than the Google Nexus 5 would get to see the goods. We've seen various unofficial builds pop up for unsupported devices. In fact, we've highlighted quite a few highly functioning releases for a few of the more popular devices currently available. But up until yesterday, if you wanted to enjoy Android 4.4 KitKat in official capacity, you needed to own a Nexus 5.
Last week, XDA Developer TV Producer Jordan showed us how to work with developing an app in the upcoming Ubuntu Touch OS. Of course, developing an App for a device or operating system is always easier if you have a device to test it on. Luckily, Google released a new version of the Nexus 7, and the market is full of old Nexus 7s you can pick up for cheap.
Blob files for Nvidia Tegra-powered Asus devices are incredibly useful. This is because they allow us to easily flash images to our devices using Nvflash at an extremely low level.
One of our goals for the year has been to better organize all of the development works (ROMs, apps, tools, kernels, etc.) on XDA. We wanted this to be useful but also to have minimal impact on how developers post to XDA and on users who are happy with the current structure of the forums.
Back in October, we brought you news that you could connect a XBox 360 controller to the Nexus 7. That was a nice mod because the more controllers that are compatible with an Android device, the better. This is expecially true for people who don't have other gaming systems or gaming-capable computers. Now, a very simple hardware mod can be made to make the original Xbox controller compatible with the Google Nexus 7 and presumably other devices running Jelly Bean.
Update: Due to questionable gains and inherent drawbacks, we recommend that users please read this explanation before proceeding.
Most of the CM10.1 releases we talk about are unofficial. That's to be expected, as most of these releases are alphas, pre-alphas, or preview builds that don't really run well, but show that work is being done. When it's official, it's usually more stable. Now, there are official CM10.1 builds out for the Nexus 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.
One of the more fun ways to customize an Android device is by giving it a custom boot animation. OEM and carrier boot animations are lacking most of the time, and many don't spend a lot of time looking at the boot animation. Some, like flashaholics on the other hand, spend quite a bit of time staring at boot animations. Now there is a very in depth tutorial that helps users create their own boot animations for the Google Nexus 7.
The wonder of being part of a community like XDA is that it doesn't take long before someone catches an inspiration and starts finding ways to put different flavors of an OS on their device---or even a different OS entirely. One need only look at the HTC HD2 to find the perfect example of that inspiration with Windows Mobile 6.5, Android, Ubuntu and Meego all making an appearance on what was arguably one of HTC's most notable devices. Every time a new, more powerful device comes along, it isn't long before threads talking about how to load Ubuntu on that device start popping up. Most of the time it is in the form of such methods as chroot, but occasionally you'll find someone like XDA Recognized Developer lilstevie porting full-blown Ubuntu to devices like the ASUS Transformer TF101.
Usually when we think of pairing a wireless controller to an Android device, it is a Playstation 3 or Wii controller. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this, there are those who simply prefer the Xbox 360 controller. While the wired variant has worked on Android natively for a while, there is now a way to get a Wireless Xbox 360 Controller working on a Nexus 7.
Very recently, we brought you news of an awesome toolkit for the Nexus 7. It brought many features and gave Nexus 7 users a stable tool to do a lot of things. However since it was for Windows users only, many Mac users were left longing for their own. Thankfully, there is now a toolkit available for Mac users to easily flash and modify their Nexus 7 devices.
The Nexus 7 is quickly becoming the most popular Android tablet. Unsurprisingly, it has amassed a large community of developers who have produced some great tools and utilities for the device. A common utility for popular devices is the 'one-click' root tool. XDA Senior Moderator and Recognized Developer mskip has created such a tool for Nexus 7 users that contains one-click root functionality and much more. Some of the notable functions include:
Some users like to push their devices to their limits. Whether it's overclocking the CPU or GPU, changing governors and schedulers, or applying every speed tweak they can find, there are some out there that give their devices a harder workout than most Olympic athletes. This is especially true for some tablet owners, who like to use their devices for gaming. After all, the less lag the better. For Google Nexus 7 owners, you can now push your tablet to its limit.