August 2013 -- XDA Developers

Create Holo-Themed Demo Overlays with ShowcaseView

Will Verduzco August 31, 2013

One week ago, we featured a guide by XDA Senior Member marty331 posted in our App Development forums aimed at helping application developers create in-app usage tutorials using transparent demo overlays atop application activities. However, not everybody is a designer able to create aesthetically appealing overlays. Luckily, XDA Senior Member nikwen discovered the open source ShowcaseView library by Alex Curran, which makes it easy to generate...

BStats Brings Powerful Battery Tracking to Gingerbread

Will Verduzco August 31, 2013

With our ever expanding screen sizes, exponentially faster processors, and marginally slimmer device profiles; there is one thing that still seems to still be stuck in the stone age: battery life. Often the limiting factor in determining just how much productivity is possible when on the go, we are still at the mercy of the...

Wanam Xposed Brings Many Tweaks to Stock Samsung ROMs

Will Verduzco August 31, 2013

Let's face it. Sometimes, there isn't quite as much time for device modification as we would ordinarily prefer. This lack of time, combined with simply not knowing about all the available tweaks, inevitably results less device customization than desired. Thankfully, XDA Recognized Developer wanam compiled quite a few tweaks into one easily installable Xposed Module that works on...

Easily Command Your Device with ADB GUI

Will Verduzco August 31, 2013

While most power users have more than a firm grasp on using the Android Debug Bridge, using a command line interface may be intimidating to new users looking to get into basic device modification. While we greatly encourage learning the commands, it doesn't hurt to also have a GUI for the most commonly used operations. Now...

Get Back the Floating Remote on Xperia Tablet Z AOSP ROMs

jman2131 August 30, 2013

Sony Xperia Tablet Z users who have made the AOSP switch may have noticed the consequential disappearance of Sony's Small Apps suite. One of these small apps is the mini remote control, a floating remote that has no doubt proven its worth to many folks in living rooms on lazy Sunday afternoons. So for those...

Streamline Your App Theming with BatchAPKTool

Will Verduzco August 30, 2013

If you fancy creating and applying themes for your applications, you no doubt have become well acquainted with APKTool. The application, originally created by XDA Recognized Developer Brut.all has become a staple in application modification on Android. It enables the modification of app resources by allowing users to easily decompile and recompile applications. We've recently featured...

Moto X Kernel Source Out, SIM Unlock and Dual Boot AT&T Galaxy S4 – XDA Developer TV

Jimmy McGee August 30, 2013

The Moto X kernel source is out. That and much more news is covered by Jordan, as he reviews all the important stories from this week. Included in this week's news is an article about dual booting on the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and Sony Xperia ZL. Jordan talks about the other videos released this week on...

Rethink the Way You Text with Emu Messenger

jman2131 August 30, 2013

Most standard messaging apps do a pretty decent job. Yes they're quite plain and featureless, often consisting of a simple conversation panel and a text box. But hey, what else does a text messaging app need? Well, quite a bit, according to XDA Forum Member gummihaf. The developer behind Emu Messenger, gummihaf, made sure that the app...

Android APKTool v2 Released, Massive Overhaul

Will Verduzco August 29, 2013

A couple of months ago, we wrote about a tool that allows users to easily decompile and recompile APKs. Similar in functionality to the legendary APKTool (thread) by XDA Recognized Developer Brut.all, Android APKTool by XDA Forum Member Flextrick made the process extremely user friendly by adding a simple and easy-to-use GUI. In the time since our last posting, Flextrick's...

View Your Notifications on Your Car Radio with Botifier

Will Verduzco August 29, 2013

Have you ever received a notification while driving, only to wish you had a way of easily (and safely) viewing its contents? Since many of us own Bluetooth-enabled car radios that support AVRCP 1.3, they can receive quite a bit of information from your mobile device. Now thanks to some clever thinking by XDA Forum Member...

Jordan Interviews XDA:DevCon 2013’s Senior Sponsors – XDA Developer TV

Jimmy McGee August 29, 2013

XDA:DevCon has come and gone. We've already seen XDA Developer TV Producer Jordan talk about his experience at XDA:DevCon. Later, Elite Recognized Developer AdamOutler unboxed the Oppo Find Mirror (R819) the XDA way live at XDA:DevCon. Then after he got home, AdamOutler did an XDA Unboxing of his swag from the XDA:DevCon. As much fun as was had...

Kernel Source Available for the Moto X

Will Verduzco August 29, 2013

Just 14 days ago, we announced that we had given the Moto X a home here on our forums. While the device may not exactly pack the highest specced internals, it offers several software perks enabled by its low power ancillary cores. Now, we are a happy to report that GPL-compliant kernel source has finally been released for...