Posts From GermainZ

GermainZ
GermainZ

Currently studying for a Master's degree in Computer Science at EPFL, Germain Z. is interested in all things related to technology, mobiles and programming. Previously, he was also a Forum Moderator and Recognized Developer on the XDA forums.

Android Development Shell Tools: Handy Shortcuts for ROM Developers

Android Development Shell Tools: Handy Shortcuts for ROM Developers

November 5, 2017
As any Android ROM developer would know, most of the time is spent in the shell. Be it to build the ROM, merge and keep track of changes, or to debug issues, the shell is the ROM developer's home. With that in mind, it only makes sense to customize it to be as comfortable as...
Xposed for Nougat & abforce Submodule Explained, and Why It’s Worth Waiting for rovo89’s Full Release

Xposed for Nougat & abforce Submodule Explained, and Why It’s Worth Waiting for rovo89’s Full Release

August 10, 2017
The Xposed framework was -- and still is -- a major way to customize your Android device, compatible with pretty much all devices, letting you easily install modules to tweak virtually any detail. Want to get all the features a custom ROM offers without having to flash one? GravityBox or XTouchwiz will do that. Want to...
PSA: Using an Ad Blocker? A Bug in Google Play Music May Be Draining Your Battery.

PSA: Using an Ad Blocker? A Bug in Google Play Music May Be Draining Your Battery.

June 12, 2017
Many of us use an ad blocker on our Android devices, be it to reduce bandwidth usage, avoid tracking or simply get rid of visual distractions. The way ad-blockers work is simple: they block all requests to known domains that serve ads or allow analytics and tracking. What happens when a network request fails? Well, what...
No, Google Isn’t Eavesdropping on You for Those Crazy Ads and Predictions

No, Google Isn’t Eavesdropping on You for Those Crazy Ads and Predictions

June 3, 2017
«My phone was in my pocket as I was talking to my friend about XYZ. I had never heard of XYZ before (my friend brought it up), and I didn't google it or anything. Yet when I opened an app a day later, I saw ads related to XYZ! Is Google listening in on my...
Best VPN for Android (and PC) in 2017

Best VPN for Android (and PC) in 2017

March 6, 2017
A VPN service is a must-have to secure your traffic over the public Internet. There are several major benefits: - Privacy: hide your activity from your ISP (or anyone else who might be watching) - Encryption: protect your traffic on public WiFi networks - Circumvention of restrictions: access services blocked by your school, work, ISP, government and those...
Upgrade Not Needed: How the 6P Holds up as the Last Nexus Phone

Upgrade Not Needed: How the 6P Holds up as the Last Nexus Phone

January 9, 2017
The Huawei Nexus 6P is one of the best Android devices I've used, and certainly the best I've owned. It looks and feels like a premium device, has a rich and pixel-dense screen AMOLED display, great speakers, a fast fingerprint sensor, an excellent camera and an awesome custom ROM scene. You probably know all of this, as the...
Android Apps on ChromeOS: What Devs Need to Know for the Best User Experience

Android Apps on ChromeOS: What Devs Need to Know for the Best User Experience

May 25, 2016
Google I/O 2016 brought many exciting announcements this year. If you've missed them, make sure to check our articles which recap announcements geared towards developers and those aimed at users. We wanted to cover one particularly interesting I/O session in more details, though: "Bring Your Android App to Chrome OS", presented by Luis Héctor Chávez, an...
Multi-Window in Android N: What Devs Need to Know to Make the Best of It

Multi-Window in Android N: What Devs Need to Know to Make the Best of It

May 21, 2016
Multi-window support is a neat feature we're waiting for in Android N, and one we've wanted to be available on all devices for a long time. For it to be an enjoyable experience, though, developers may have to make some changes in their apps to support it correctly. One of the Google I/O sessions was for...
WallFlix Brings Smooth HD Videos to Your Wallpaper, Now Lets You Add Yours

WallFlix Brings Smooth HD Videos to Your Wallpaper, Now Lets You Add Yours

February 19, 2016
We've featured VidWall by XDA Senior Member Flyview in the beginning of the year, but the recent updates have added several improvements and new features. Now called WallFlix, this app still aims to provide you with a collection of HD videos to use as smooth, live wallpapers. While live wallpaper apps are not a novel concept,...
Open Source RISC-V Core Designs, Why Google Cares and Why They Matter

Open Source RISC-V Core Designs, Why Google Cares and Why They Matter

January 8, 2016
The CPU is one of the most crucial components of our computers, responsible of performing basic calculations, logical comparisons and moving data around. These simple tasks are the building blocks of any more complex operation, and make running our systems and programs possible. How these operations are done is not random: an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)...
VidWall Sets HD Videos as Smooth Wallpapers

VidWall Sets HD Videos as Smooth Wallpapers

January 4, 2016
Android gives us plenty of ways to customize our devices, which many of us have turned into a hobby by constantly trying to find the best custom ROMs, themes, third-party launchers, icon packs and wallpapers. The last is the easiest to modify, but still provides one of the biggest changes. Live wallpapers take it a notch...
XenoAmp, Feature-packed Music Player with an Alien-Feeling Interface

XenoAmp, Feature-packed Music Player with an Alien-Feeling Interface

December 28, 2015
We've featured XenoAmp by XDA Senior Member ssuukk a couple of times before, in 2012 and 2013. It's come a long way since then, going past the 1.0 release to mark its maturity. The core is still pretty much the same compared to when it first came out. If you're used to other music players, this...