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September 3, 2012 By: Haroon Q. Raja
AOKP fans who are also lucky owners of Google Nexus 7, you’re in for a treat! If you have been waiting to get the latest Jelly Bean-based AOKP on your device, your wait is now over. Official AOKP nightlies have started rolling out for the Nexus 7. For those of you who are still surprisingly unfamiliar with AOKP, it’s an AOSP-based Android ROM that has gained a lot of critical acclaim over the past year, and has made its reputation as one of the most popular Android ROMs available for multiple devices, along with CyanogenMod and MIUI.
These nightlies are brought to us here on XDA by Senior Member Stephen.k.spear, with all due credit going to Team Kang. For more information, visit the discussion thread.
August 28, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
When Jelly Bean source was first released, XDA members wasted no time putting it on anything and everything. This was also helped immensely by a guide by XDA Recognized Developer dastin1015 to help users learn to compile Jelly Bean. As Jelly Bean has become more commonplace around here, more device specific guides have been writte. Among the latest is a guide to compile CyanogenMod 10 for the Nexus 7.
The tutorial comes in a Google Document shared by XDA Recognized Developer fattire. To start, users need to be running Linux. Next, they simply follow the instructions and end up with a booting ROM. While we talk quite a bit about compiling source code here at XDA, fattire has compiled (see what I did there?) a list of reasons why compiling ROMs yourself is beneficial.
You never, ever have to wait for a nightly
You can add or remove as-yet uncommitted features with ease.
You learn how Android works under the hood
You learn how to use Linux
You’ll learn how to use git
You may, even accidentally, pick up a little C, Java, C++, and learn about the build system.
You can personalize Android– make your own tweaks, replace kernels, modules, graphics, add or remove projects, overclock, underclock etc. In other words, you have control over every aspect of your device’s functionality. Your build is custom to you.
You can audit the code for potential security issues such as back doors or trojans (as opposed to just trusting a random person who posts a build). Since CM10 source is open, you can examine every commit, and there are many eyes looking at the code. (does not apply to proprietary blobs, but these are pulled from your device, so you have and are using them already)
You can contribute features/fixes back upstream
You can start ports to other as-yet-unsupported devices (start by copying folders from similar devices to devices/manufacturer/model)
You come to really understand that Android phones and tablets are full-fledged general-purpose computers just like laptops and desktops.
AAAAND….you get huge bragging rights
So the question remains: What are you waiting for? Getting the latest CM on one of Android’s most loved tablets is as simple as following a Google Doc guide. To learn more, head to the original thread.
August 22, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
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.
Released by XDA Senior Member techfanatic9, the tool is actually based off of a number of scripts that previously wouldn’t work on a Mac. This is especially helpful for users who aren’t familiar with Nexus devices or Android in general. It provides Mac users with a number of features, including:
* Root Nexus 7
* Restore / Unroot Nexus 7 to Stock 4.1
* Install ClockworkMod Recovery on Nexus 7
* Unlock Bootloader on Nexus 7
* Lock Bootloader on Nexus 7
Given that Mac-compatible root methods often come late, it’s nice to see that the toolkit appear on the Nexus 7. Additionally, techfanatic9 has released each feature as a separate script, meaning that you can download each piece as needed or download the full set to have the full tool. For more information, check out the toolkit thread.
August 18, 2012 By: jerdog
We recently told you about the CyanogenMod team beginning work on CM10. Now, a significant milestone has been reached: CM10 Nightlies have appeared for select devices. For those who aren’t familiar, a nightly build is an automatic build incorporating the latest changes in CM source for a device. Yesterday, CyanogenMod released the list of those devices that would be getting the first round of nightlies:
# The US SGS3 variants (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint)
# The Galaxy Nexus variants
# The Nexus S varaints
# The Nexus 7
# The Transformer and Transformer Prime
# The SGS1 variants (Vibrant, Captivate, International, and i9000b)
# The SGS2 i9100g
# P3 and P5 tablets
That list will grow as other devices become ready and receive the blessing from their maintainers to begin nightlies. Be sure to keep your eyes open for when your device joins the list.
Update: We’ve received various reports from XDA Forum Member Scotto70 and others that the Nexus 7 build is currently nonfunctional. So if you’ve got a N7, we recommend that you hold off for the time being!
August 18, 2012 By: Ian Stacy
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:
As impressive as the current function list is, mskip has also added capability to apply upcoming mods to the tablet (though there are none available as of yet). Both new and existing Nexus 7 users will surely find this toolkit to be extremely helpful. To download the utility, head to the release thread, and be sure to thank mskip for putting it together!
August 17, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
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.
The kernel, called Elite Kernel, is actually a modified kernel based on the Motley kernel developed by XDA Senior Member _motley. Modified by XDA Senior Member clemsyn, the revised kernel adds a number of tweaks and mods to push the Nexus 7′s hardware. In fact, it pushes it to the extent that some users may not even be able to use it if their specific Nexus 7 can’t handle the mods. Some of the features include:
1. JRCU is implemented
2. Lowest backlight setting set to 5 (save battery and better reading at night, if you have screen flicker issue it will be more noticable because of this so I suggest covering the ground pin of wifi)
3. Core voltage increased from 1200 to 1250mv on the high side to hit 1.7 frequency and 600 GPU but decreased from 950 to 900mv on the low side.
4. Increased CPU voltage to 1240mv for 1.7 frequency but allows decreased 750mv in low side
5. Increased GPU clock to 600 and pixclock increased (please let me know if you have problems on screen due to pixclock increase but so far no issues on testers)
6. Built using gcc 4.5.2 ( I know, I’m an oldie)
7. DVFS core table completely changed to allow max clock of host1x and pll_c and hit most max frequencies.
8. Enable Thermal_Sys to throttle at 68 (BTW, if you are using system tuner, the reading is +10 as per secret)
Assuming your Nexus 7 can handle these settings, it can increase the performance substantially, especially when playing very resource-intensive games. It’d be a good idea to create a Nandroid before flashing in case you need to restore. For more info, check out the original thread.
August 14, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
As Captain Obvious would be wont to point out, tablets aren’t really made for making phone calls. This, however, doesn’t mean that you can’t use your tablet to make phone calls. In some cases, it can even be preferable. Google Nexus 7 owners can now get in on the phone calling action. It requires that you have a Google Voice account to make phone calls from, but otherwise the mod isn’t all that difficult.
Released by XDA Senior Member bongostl, the guide instructs users on how to modify the Nexus 7′s framework-res.apk using a tool provided in thread. Some users running custom ROMs have reporting boot loops, but bongostl is trying to help users by modding their specific files personally. So for now, it only seems to work on the stock ROM.
For more info, check out the original thread.
July 25, 2012 By: Jimmy McGee
Recently Google announced its new tablet and Google I/O 2012. Milliseconds after it was announced XDA Elite Recognized Developer AdamOutler had his ordered. When he received it, he did what you would expect from our resident mobile deconstructionist.
In this episode of Unboxing the XDA Way, Adam unboxes the Nexus 7 all the way down to the circuit board and talks about the build while doing so. Adam covers both the good and the bad design characteristics. Finally, like any XDA Forum Member would do, he unlocks the device and installs ClockworkMod recovery. This is a must watch video!
July 25, 2012 By: Will Verduzco
As those of us lucky enough to be running Jelly Bean have found out, Adobe Flash isn’t officially supported. While many no longer care about the dying technology, quite a few of us still have use for it.
XDA Recognized Contributor stempox has found that by simply side-loading the APK, users are able to view media content as always through the native Android browser app. From there, users simply have to enable plugins in the browser settings, as was done in previous versions of Android.
Naturally, this will not work with Chrome Browser, which doesn’t support plugins and has supposedly replaced Browser as the default web browser on the platform. However, since Browser still comes as the default browser on the Galaxy Nexus and (presumably the Nexus S), this still has the potential to help quite a few.
For those running the Google Nexus 7, which does not come preloaded with Browser, you must manually install Browser. Luckily, this is also possible, thanks to a guide written by XDA Forum Member Censura_Umbra. In order to accomplish this, users need to copy over Browser.apk to /system/app using a root-enabled file manager and modify its permissions accordingly. Afterward, users have to remove or rename a couple of files that would otherwise cause issues with the app. What about Flash? According to XDA Forum Member NeoMagus, Flash content works just fine when installing Browser this way. Alternatively, users have reported that side-loading the latest version of Firefox browser works as well.
To get started, head over to the Adobe Flash and Nexus 7 Browser installation threads.
July 16, 2012 By: Jimmy McGee
Today on XDA Developer TV our good buddy Jordan, talks about Jelly Bean and the Samsung Galaxy S III. Jordan covers news on the Samsung Galaxy S III launcher being ported to any Ice Cream Sandwich ROM. Jordan talks about getting that Android Open Source Project feel while keeping the TouchWiz features on the US variant of the Samsung Galaxy S III.
In more Jelly Bean news, Jordan mentions source-built Jelly Bean for the Acer Iconia A100. Also getting Jelly Bean, is the Asus Transformer. Jordan wraps up the video with some some news about the Nexus 7 toolkit.
July 14, 2012 By: Joseph Hindy
As the Google Nexus 7 is finally entering the hands of lucky new owners, development activity for the device is becoming increasingly impressive. It had one of the most active and unique pre-release development atmospheres of all time.
With root, recovery, custom ROM, custom kernel, and a plethora of other development present before the tablet even reached the masses, perhaps the only thing it didn’t have a was a good toolkit. Not anymore. XDA Forum Member WugFresh has released the Nexus 7 Toolkit, which takes many features and puts them under one umbrella. Some features include:
Unlock and Root
Lock and Unroot
flashing zips
installing apps
restoring android backup files
flashing/booting img files
backup/restore all your important data
flash zips
set file permissions
push and pull files
install apps
The functionality of the toolkit seems only limited to the imagination of the person wielding it. The development on the Nexus 7 is primed to be of truly epic proportions. It’s only fitting that users have a solid toolkit to help get them started.
To get started, head over to the original thread.
July 13, 2012 By: Jimmy McGee
Today on XDA Developer TV, our good buddy Jordan, talks about Jelly Bean. Jordan covers news on Android version 4.1. Also covered is news from the XDA Portal regarding Google’s latest operating system. There is so much Jelly Bean news this week that it feels like a candy shop.
More specifically, Jordan covers the Jelly Bean Source Code release to the Android Open Source Project, AOSP, and Android 4.1.1 rolling out to the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus. The article about compiling Jelly Bean from source is mentioned. Then Jordan mentions various devices that have gotten Jelly Bean such as the Samsung Galaxy S II, the HTC EVO 3D and the Acer Iconia A500. Jordan wraps up the video with some administrivia, mentioning the article regarding XDA’s new forum theme and XDA Elite Recognized Developer AdamOutler’s latest Meizu MX unboxing video.
July 10, 2012 By: Will Verduzco
Those lucky enough to already have their hands on the Google Nexus 7 are in for a little bit of a treat today. A 12.6 MB over-the-air update has been pushed out, updating Google’s own tablet to Android 4.1.1, build JRO03C.
While there is no official changelog for the Nexus 7 update and the release notes are quite sparse, users upgrading to the latest build will immediately notice the appearance of Google Wallet on their devices. One can only wonder about the real life practicality in using a tablet to purchase an item when a phone would be far less cumbersome. Since Wallet relies on an active Internet connection, and the tablet is not available with a cellular radio, one can only assume that this will get little use on most devices. [As pointed out by Lucian Armasu and Unlawful, Internet connectivity is apparently not required!]
Luckily, that’s not all for the Nexus line. As seen on the Nexus Google+ Page, Jelly Bean is starting to roll out to GSM Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Previously, we wrote about how 4.1 was rolled out to takju devices following the keynote presentation on the first day of Google I/O 2012. Now it looks like yakju devices will be able to get in on the Jelly Bean fun as well. Curiously, my own JRN84D 4.1-laden takju device (courtesy of the aforementioned conference) reports that there are no updates available.
Wondering which Nexus devices will receive Jelly Bean next? According to Google:
If you’ve got a Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ device, you will receive a prompt alerting you to the update over the next several days. Up next for Jelly Bean: all Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, Motorola Xoom and of course, Nexus 7, which will ship with Jelly Bean later this month.
Eager to get in on the discussion? Head over to the Google Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Nexus to get your fill!
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