Posts From Chris Gilliam

Chris Gilliam
Chris Gilliam

Chris Gilliam is a front-end web developer with a background in physics, but his passions lie with open ecosystems, Android, linked data, and the unfettered exchange of ideas. He dreams of a semantic future in which knowledge organically evolves within hives of creativity like the XDA forums, and works, tinkers, and writes to help make that future possible.

New App Spotlight: Geak Camera

New App Spotlight: Geak Camera

March 17, 2015
Do you love adding filters to the snapshots you share on Instagram and Facebook, but wish you could see the filtered effects live while taking the shots? Senior XDA Forum member Flying Snail's new app is here to help. Geak Camera contains a pack of eight filter effects, two aspect ratios, and an intuitively minimal interface. Nothing here is...
Droid Turbo Root Achieved, But Not Ready Yet

Droid Turbo Root Achieved, But Not Ready Yet

March 13, 2015
Those who opted for the gargantuan battery of the Nexus 6's little brother have cause for celebration today, as the Droid Turbo appears to be rooted! Junior XDA Forum member maiko1 has posted two videos in the Droid Turbo Root Bounty thread, each of which show root level actions being taken on a Droid Turbo. No tutorials or...
LG G Note: Everything We Know So Far

LG G Note: Everything We Know So Far

March 12, 2015
Large form-factor phones were once derided as giving users the appearance of talking into bricks the size of Texas toast, but now the humble "phablet" category is widely regarded as the true flagship class of smartphones. LG is late to the super-sized game, having produced only a handful of ill-fated devices like the G Pro series in the...
Xposed For 5.1 Will Take Time

Xposed For 5.1 Will Take Time

March 11, 2015
With news of Android 5.1 hitting many devices this week, it's no wonder that the Xposed Framework - answer to the single biggest complaint of Lollipop users - is again a topic of discussion. Namely, the question being asked is "when will Xposed work on Android 5.1?" Today, the creator of Xposed pulled back the curtain...
[ROOT] Restore KitKat’s “Recents” View on Lollipop

[ROOT] Restore KitKat’s “Recents” View on Lollipop

March 10, 2015
Senior Moderator and Recognized Developer Chainfire is well known here on the XDA Forums for his outstanding work on SuperSu, CF.Lumen, StickMount, 500 Firepaper, and more. Today, he brings us an answer to another Android annoyance - Lollipop's overly-inclusive Overview that has replaced the subdued Recent menu with a rolodex of every app and webpage ever opened by your device. The new...
SkyDragon ROM: First Sense 7 ROM for the HTC One M8

SkyDragon ROM: First Sense 7 ROM for the HTC One M8

March 10, 2015
The HTC One M8 is frequently lauded as a standout among last year's smartphone offerings, boasting a sleek metal design, and a gorgeous software experience. But with the updated UI of this year's lookalike M9 set to hit store shelves later this month, industrious XDA Forums members have been hard at work bringing the latest software advances...
Hold The Hype: Google’s MVNO & The Nexus 6

Hold The Hype: Google’s MVNO & The Nexus 6

March 7, 2015
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal set the internet abuzz with reports that the Nexus 6 will be the sole device supported by the new mobile network Google is set to launch in the coming weeks. The ensuing re-posts and speculation seized on the notion of an ultra-exclusive carrier, but what do we know...
HTC One M9: 20 MP Camera & More

HTC One M9: 20 MP Camera & More

March 1, 2015
HTC is known for continually trying new things in the smartphone camera game, like dual sensors, trading pixel count for pixel size, and incorporating software to change the focal point after the fact. The new HTC One M9 looks to continue the trend, but this time with a single rear shooter at a whopping 20 MP,...
Best Apps To View RAW Images On Android

Best Apps To View RAW Images On Android

February 28, 2015
Last week, I wrote about the best apps to unleash the raw photographic power of your Lollipop smartphone. All four of those cameras generate lossless DNG images with pounds of potential for apps like Photoshop to unlock, but what if you’re looking to edit or view those pics on the go? QuickPic, Google Photos, and the...
How To Upsell Free Android Apps

How To Upsell Free Android Apps

February 25, 2015
There are many ways to make money from users in the Android ecosystem: subscriptions, recurring in app purchases, paid apps, advertisements... the list goes on. None are inherently better or worse than the others, and we all have to find our own way as devs. One of the gold standards touted by analyst firms, though,...
Top 4 Camera Apps for Lollipop’s New API

Top 4 Camera Apps for Lollipop’s New API

February 21, 2015
Lollipop is supercharging our Android cameras with a new API, but not all apps (or devices) are created equal. For example, one would think the AOSP shooter would cry from the rooftops: "pro photographers rejoice - manual ISO and shutter speeds have arrived!" Alas, this is not the case, and even Google's closed-source version lacks support....
Cyber Threat Sharing: What’s in Store for 2015

Cyber Threat Sharing: What’s in Store for 2015

February 18, 2015
The hack of Sony Entertainment last December did much more than help The Interview make $40+ million in digital sales; it renewed public interest in cyber security. Two months later and with a second major hack fresh on our minds (Anthem Insurance), American politicos and tech firms alike are gearing up to change the ways...