The universal root tutorial

If you've read our Root page, you should be convinced that all Android devices should be rooted. Once you've decided that, it's time root. There are multiple methods, most of them involving a root toolkit. Today, I'll teach you how to manually root an Android device, developer style.

The reason for this tutorial is that there are often rare Android devices which do not get much (if any) attention from the developers. These include Korean devices and other small companies. This method is universal and really handy. REMEMBER: Though really simple and harmless, I don't take any responsibility for your device not working, not dancing (or dancing for that matter) or if turns into an AK-47 and kills you.

What you need:

• An Android device
• Android SDK
• These files

SDK is a developers' tool provided by Google. You just need to install it in your C drive. It looks really complicated but don't worry, you won't have to use it directly; rather from the command prompt.

When you have downloaded and extracted the ZIP given above, you should have the su-v3, busybox, Superuser.apk, psneuter, and GingerBreak files. Rename su-v3 to su and place all the files in C:\SDK\platform-tools.

Next, you need to have the proper drivers. Enable the USB debugging mode from Settings>Developer options and connect your device to your PC. Most probably it will detect the ADB interface and automatically install it from the internet. But if it doesn't work, Google ADB drivers for your particular device and install them like a program. Remember, the process will not work unless your Windows detects and installs the ADB interface.

The rooting process:
Now is the fun part. It might appear difficult but it's really simple if you follow the instructions and commands carefully. I did it right the first time.
Open command prompt. (Ctrl+R "cmd" or Start>All programs>Accessories)
Navigate to the SDK folder. If you don't know how to navigate in command prompt, Google it. Briefly, type cd\ to go one step up and cd foldername to navigate into a folder. (cd means for change directory but you just have to type cd)
You should be in C:\SDK\platform-tools>

Step 1: Entering the shell
This command will leave you with a shell prompt in the platform-tools directory. From here, you can run the commands that will actually root your phone. Be sure to run these commands exactly as they are written. The commands with an "$" or "#" will only run after the "adb shell" command.
First, here are the commands that run the psneuter exploit and gain a root shell.

• adb devices
• adb push psneuter /data/local/tmp
• adb shell
• $ cd /data/local/tmp
• $ chmod 777 psneuter
• $ ./psneuter

Step 2: Restart ADB server
At this point, the exploit will run and close the shell. You will need to run these commands to restart the ADB server.

• adb kill-server
• adb devices

Step 3: Confirm root
Now comes the moment of truth. Use the

• adb shell

command to open a shell. If you see a "#" sign, you have root access, so go ahead and continue to the next part of this tutorial. If not, you can go back and try the previous steps again, or ask for help in the comments.

Step 4: Make root permanent
We now need to make this root permanent. From the root shell you just opened, type the following commands.

• # mount -o remount,rw -t rfs /dev/block/st19 /system
• # exit
• adb push busybox /system/bin
• adb push su /system/bin
• adb install Superuser.apk
• adb shell
• # chmod 4755 /system/bin/busybox
• # chmod 4755 /system/bin/su
• # mount -o remount,ro -t rfs /dev/block/st19 /system
• # exit
• adb reboot

Step 5: Confirm root from device
At this point, your device should reboot. You can check for the Superuser icon in the app drawer, and then try a root only app like Titanium Backup. If that works, congratulations. You have successfully rooted your Android device. Prepare to enjoy all the benefits of root.

If you face any kind of trouble, leave a comment and we will try our best to respond quickly.

Source

Android 4.2 Camera

               

Hot on the heels of the Android 4.2 keyboard (the one with Gesture Typing) getting leaked, we now have the new camera and gallery apps from Android 4.2 available for manually installing as well. The camera now sports a new interface, allowing you to access settings by swiping anywhere on the screen, and other improvements, while the gallery app also features a new interface, similar to other Google apps like Google+.

However, the most talked about feature of the Android 4.2 camera – Photo Sphere – is not yet working, though the person responsible for leaking the app is said to be working at fixing it. Everything works nicely though, and people running an Android 4.1 ROM like CM10, AOKP, or any other similar AOSP ROM can try the camera and gallery right now.

Follow the instructions below to install the Android 4.2 camera and gallery.

How to Install Android 4.2 Camera and Gallery


1.    First, make sure your device is rooted, as this requires changing a few system files not accessible without root.

2.   [Important] Ensure you are using an AOSP Android 4.1 ROM, such as CM10, AOKP, or any other similar ROM. Do NOT try this on a stock manufacturer ROM. This will only work with Android 4.1.

3.   Download the Camera/Gallery APK from one of the links below:
Download Link  |  Alternate Link  |  Filename: GalleryGoogle.apk

4.   Copy the GalleryGoogle.apk file to your device.

5.   Now, we need to use a file manager app that allows accessing system files. If you already use one and know how to make changes to system files, open that file manager and go ahead to step 6.

Those who don’t have a root file manager installed, follow steps 5.1 to 5.5 below:

       5.1   Install ES File Explorer from the Play Store.


       5.2   Go into its Settings, then scroll down and click on the Root settings option.

       5.3   Enable the “Root Explorer” option, then click Yes when prompted. Then, click the Allow/Grant button on the next popup to grant root access to ES File Explorer.

       5.4  Also enable the options “Up to Root” and “Mount File System”. Then, close the settings and go back to the main app.

       5.5 Then, press the “Up” button on the top till you can see folders such as “acct”, “cache” etc.



6.   Go into the system/app folder. Here, if a file named GalleryGoogle.apk already exists, rename this file to anything else (make sure to mount the system as R/W if you are using a file manager other than ES File Explorer).

7.   Now, browse to where you copied the GalleryGoogle.apk file in step 4. Long press on this file and select Copy. Then, browse to the system/app folder and paste this file there.

8.   Then, long press on the GalleryGoogle.apk file and click the Properties button. 

Then, click on the Change button.


9.   In the Change window, make sure that the read and write are options are enabled for User, and only the read option is enabled for Group and Other. It should be like the screenshot below.



Now, reboot your device.

Once your device reboots, you will be able to use the Camera and Gallery from Android 4.2.

NOTE: To revert to the original Gallery and Camera, simply delete the GalleryGoogle.apk file from system/app. Also, rename the original file back to GalleryGoogle.apk if you renamed it in step 6. Then, reboot your device.
The Android 4.2 camera and gallery app are now installed on your Android device. Enjoy, and do let us know how they work for you!

Via: XDA

Android 4.2 Keyboard

Guess what we've got for you today. Some Android 4.2 goodness for you to try out in the form of the new Gesture based with the hovering suggestions that the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 have. The folks over at Droid Life have managed to put up an apk file as well as a flashable zip file of the new Android 4.2 keyboard that has apparently been pulled from a Nexus 4 system dump.

The apk seems to be from an early build, and the floating predictions may not look as they sharp as they actually appeared in some of the Nexus 4 demo videos, but I can say from personal experience after having installed it that it works smoothly, accurately, and is by far the best Android keyboard ever made available to date – period. It automatically predicts the next logical word in a sentence, picks references to names from your contact list so you don’t have to spell them out by typing the letters individually, and the floating predictions look uber-cool. Perfect show off material!

Here’s how you can install it on your device. You need to be on Android 4.0 or higher though. Assuming you are, there are two methods of  installing the new 4.2 keyboard, depending on what kind of a ROM you are running on your device.

How to install the Android 4.2 Keyboard – Method 1

If you’re on a phone with a custom UI like Touchwiz, or HTC Sense or Sony’s Xperia UI that has the stock keyboard disabled, you can just download the file from the link below and install it like any other apk file. You do not need to be rooted, but you do need to make sure you have “Install from unknown sources” enabled in your phone settings.

Download Android 4.2 Keyboard APK

Once you have installed the apk file, just enable “Android keyboard.” from the Language and Input section in Settings, and switch to the new keyboard.

How to install the Android 4.2 Keyboard – Method 2

If Method 1 doesn’t work, you’re probably using a ROM that is based on stock Android (AOSP, AOKP), or you are using stock Android on a Nexus device.  In this case, you’ll need to download the ZIP file below, and flash it through CWM recovery. Which also means that you need to be rooted, as the zip file will flash the new keyboard to your  /system/apps folder. Before you flash the new keyboard, it is recommended that you back up just the stock keyboard OR to be on the safer side, perform a full backup of the system image in CWM recovery.

Download Android 4.2 Keyboard – Flashable zip file

Once you have finished flashing the zip file in recovery, just reboot your device, and activate the new Android 4.2 keyboard from the Language and Input option in your phone settings.

Go ahead and check it out. It’s really cool to use, and installation is a cinch. And don’t forget to let us know how you liked it.

Via Droid Life

Samsung Galaxy Premier: Galaxy Nexus meets SIII

Galaxy Premier is one of Samsung’s ill-kept secret and the company has now officially announced the Galaxy Premier (I9260). The phone as expected, is an improved Galaxy Nexus with Galaxy S III-inspired design and features Samsung software improvements like TouchWiz UI, S Beam, Smart Stay, Direct Call, Pop-Up Play, S Voice, Best Photo and runs Android 4.1.

On the hardware front, it has a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED Display (1280×720), 8MP rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera, full HD video recording support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, 8GB or 16GB internal storage, microSD card slot up to 32GB and 2100mAh battery.

Android 4.2: Google nailed it again!

The new Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 aren't just new Android devices — they're showcases for a new version of Android. Google's calling Android 4.2 "a new flavor of Jelly Bean" to reflect its essential similarity to Android 4.1, but there are some major new features in the mix

Multiple user accounts

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for tablets adds multiple user-support to the OS. This way everyone in the household can have an account, which once logged in, welcomes them to their own homescreen, background, widgets and apps. Even the games keep the individual high scores and levels.

Settings center in the notifications drawer

The expandable notifications were a welcomed addition in Android 4.1, but now in Android 4.2, you can also take various actions like toggling Wi-Fi, adjusting screen brightness, go to Airplane mode, and more.
To do so, just tap on the icon on the top right once you have the notification drawer on. It took Google a while to copy the time-saving feature that TouchWiz, SenseUI and many other manufacturer Android skins implemented a while ago. Still, it's good to have it backed in right into the OS.

Photo Sphere

With Android 4.0, Google introduced the Panorama capturing mode, and now with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean users will get a cool feature dubbed Photo Sphere. It's a panorama mode on steroids and allows you to capture photos in multiple directions (up, down, left, right).

After they've been captured and saved as JPEG files you can view them and navigate around the whole image. You can share the image on Google+ or, if you feel like it, contribute the Photo Sphere to Google Maps.
The feature itself was inspired by Street View, as the Product Management Director for Android Hugo Barra points out. He adds that the photos pack embedded XML metadata in them allowing you to easily share them on Google+ and put them in Google+ photo albums, where your friends can view them as well.

Google Now is updated

Google has added a lot of new cards to its Google Now service. It now can feed data directly from Gmail, which will provide new cards, such as package shipments info.
Google Now also got cards for events, restaurant reservations, hotels, and flights. Some of them, like hotels and flights will be location specific. There are also new cards like movie screenings, concerts, stocks, public alerts and developing stories & breaking news.
Naturally, most of them won't be available world-wide at launch, but make sure that Google will work hard to bring them to more and more places in the future.

Gesture Typing

Forget about Swype, Android's very own Gesture typing is the new cool kid on the block. It works in a manner very similar to Swype -- you just Swipe your finger over the letters you want to type, lifting after each word is complete.

Naturally, the Gesture Typing feature benefits from the already existing Android word prediction, so you can just click on the words the keyboard suggests. This comes in addition to the offline voice typing service that Google offers, which makes for an all-round great messaging experience.

Wireless TV integration

Better late than never, finally in this version of Android Google has allows you to wirelessly share the screen of your phone or display with a big screen TV set.

All you need to do is connect a wireless display adapter to an HDMI-enabled TV and then it'll start mirroring whats on your screen using DLNA. The new feature uses the Miracast protocol for streaming.
It's another feature most customs launchers had, but is only now making its way to the platform itself.

Widgets on the lock screen

Widgets are a major part in Android and now you can assign a widget on the lockscreen as well. Think of the Music player widget on the lockscreen, but now you can assign another one there, so it's always just a click away.

Daydream

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean isn't just business and no play. Google has integrated a little feature called Daydream, which is simply a sort of a screensaver. Once turned on, you can set it up to show photo albums, latest news from Google Currents and more when the device is either docked or idle.

Various improvements

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean has a lot going for it, including some minor additions. You can now use pinch-to-zoom in Gmail for enhancing reading, triple-tap to magnify the entire homescreen and the pan and zoom with two fingers, as well as added speech output and gesture mode navigation for the visually impaired users.

Expect Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to start its roll-out once the new Nexus family of devices goes on sale on November 13.

Source

LG Nexus 4: The people's Champ

Not caring about the hurricane, Google has launched three of the expected devces: 32GB version of the Nexus 7, Samsung Nexus 10 and the most anticipated LG Nexus 4 E960.

“This is the first time we collaborated with LG to build a Nexus device,” said Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content at Google. “They brought an extraordinary amount of talent to the project, and the result is a feature-packed device that feels great in your hand, and blazingly fast under the hood.”

Camera for your world
Nexus 4 comes with a high-performance 8MP camera and takes stunning Photo Sphere images, letting you capture every detail of the world around you. Up, down and all around you, it’s like no camera you’ve ever seen; with Nexus 4, you can snap pictures in every direction that come together into incredible, immersive Photo Spheres that put you right inside the scene. Plus, photos upload themselves with Instant Upload so you’ll never lose a shot.
All of this comes to life with stunning clarity and crisp, natural color on the vibrant 1280-by-768 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display supported by Zerogap Touch technology. Gently curved glass edges allow your finger to slide smoothly on and off the 320ppi screen, while cutting edge display technology means you feel like you’re touching every pixel, protected by scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2.

Speed like no other
Nexus 4 comes with a cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor, so you’ve got speed and power to spare. Zip around the web, experience rich 3D graphics and gameplay, and effortlessly switch between multiple apps without ever missing a beat. With 2GB of RAM and the fastest version of Android ever, Nexus 4 is the snappi-est Nexus smartphone yet.

Google and you
Nexus 4 comes with the latest Google apps, putting the best of Google in the palm of your hand. The latest version of Google Now is built-in, which keeps you even more organized – get reminders about upcoming flights, restaurant reservations, hotel confirmations and even nearby photo opportunities – when and where you need them.
Get to the places you care about quickly and easily with Google Maps™ for Android. With turn-by-turn GPS navigation, live traffic info, and integrated driving, walking and public transit directions, getting from A to B has never been easier. 3D Maps and rich satellite imagery give you a more realistic sense of what’s around you while features like Street View and Indoor Maps make sure you always know what’s in front of you.
Nexus 4 is sold unlocked and is GSM/HSPA+ compatible so it will operate on more than 200 network providers worldwide. Just pop in a supported SIM card and be up and running in no time. It will be available to purchase in both an 8GB version ($299) and a 16GB version ($349) on Google Play™ starting November 13 in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia. Offline availability in Europe, Central/South Americas, Asia, CIS and the Middle East will begin from the end of November.

Key specifications
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs
• Operating System: Android 4.2, Jelly Bean
• Network: 3G (WCDMA), HSPA+
• Display: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus (1280 x 768 pixels)
• Memory: 8GB / 16GB
• RAM: 2GB
• Camera: 8.0MP rear / 1.3MP HD front
• Battery: 2,100mAh Li-Polymer (embedded) / Talk time: 15.3 hours / Standby: 390 hours
• Size: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm
• Weight: 139g
• Other: Wireless charging, NFC

 In a nutshell, we need this phone. And we need it now.

AOKP JB Milestone 1 is out!

AOKP have just released their first Milestone release for Jellybean. It will be the last milestone for the current AOSP as they plan for the next Android OS i.e. 4.2. This does not imply a cease of development as they are still working on new features which they intend to release with the build for the next AOKP.

Here the new features:

• Adjustable NavBar width for Tablets
• Allow "Vibrate on Touch" behavior for Slide unlock
• Toggles can be hidden like in ICS - long press on the Settings button!
• Clickable (short & long configurable) Clock and Calendar in the Notification Slider

And further notes:

• Evita (AT&T HTC One X / XL) is back!
• Tunas (Galaxy Nexus phones) ship with a different kernel (LeanKernel 4.5.0), you might need to reset your Color/CPU settings in ROMControl. Do it if you encounter any weird colors (usually green) on your screen.
• Grouper (Nexus 7) includes the stock kernel from Google
• Vastly improved Torch functionality, thanks to Boris Bershadskiy and sethyx

Good luck!
If you're wondering what the difference between Milestone and Build is, Builds are regularly updated versions which are relatively raw but Milestones are more stable and complete ROMs.

Picture Password Lock Screen

There are an abundance of various lock screen replacements available for Android, each using a slightly different method of verifying the authenticity of the user—including the standard PIN code or the grid pattern options. Inspired by the Microsoft Windows 8 picture lock screen, XDA Senior member kevdliu has developed something a little more unique. 

Picture Password Lock Screen is a lock screen application that allows you to set a custom  image and a custom swipe gesture on the image. You have the option of setting a single point, a point to point line, or a circle gesture. These can also all be used at once in order to make the unlocking process even more complex. The app allows you to of course test your gesture once it’s set, to ensure you don't get locked out of your phone!

Another handy feature of the app is the option to disable the ability of the status bar to be slid down in the lockscreen, which has been known to cause the odd accidental unlock in the trouser pocket!

If you fancy giving the app a try, head on over to the app thread.




Source

Getting The Best Out Of Your Battery

If you have been around the smartphone world, one issue that you will find every person dealing with and trying to improve is and will be BATTERY LIFE.


As the smartphones are evolving so is the capacity of its battery increasing  but one might find that it is still not at par with the power hungry CPU's and Apps we come across these days.
Now there are a variety of solutions to this core concern, such as a script , a kernel tweak or an  application you may find on play store but now, a new tool has been released that’s looking to be the best.

The application is called One Power Guard. Made by XDA Forum Member fonter, it is designed for rooted and custom ROM users. It brings an all-in-one approach to battery life and phone tweaking. You can adjust pretty much anything, including the I/O scheduler, CPU governor, CPU over- or under-clocking, settings tweaks, and more. There are also six modes you can choose from that tweak your phone for you. They include:

AI Mode: It intelligently adjusts CPU frequency and optimizes kernel to greatly extend battery time according to system loading.
Power Save Mode: It runs devices under low frequency to extend standby time.
Game/Video Mode: It provides flow game and video experience while offering satisfactory power-saving strategy.
Call Mode: It powers up the core function of phone conservation. For business persons trapping by phone.
Standby Mode: It lowers system frequency and prolongs stand-by time to the extreme. For sleepers and dreamers.
Custom Mode: It indulges pros to customize cpu frequency  scheduling and io adjustment, and to choose parameters of their own.

It’s a really nice application for those who don't want to re-tweak their phone after every ROM flash and those who don't know how to tweak their phones manually. For additional information on how each mode works and download links, check out the original thread.

LG NEXUS 4, Behold the new king... at least for Dev's.

It has been a month now since the leaked pictures and specs of highly anticipated Google Flagship phone first surfaced. Since then fans have been getting their daily required dose.

Initially much to our surprise, Google has asked the services of "LG" this time around surprised the whole android community but that was not all as it turned out that the non-expandable storage on the phone will be a mere 8GB (which is still hard to digest) but now further leaks have confirmed for a much needed and understandable 16GB version.

With that said the design and build of the phone looks promising. Front panel is signature "All black" buttonless LCD 4.7" with HD resolution of 1280 x 768 and has not been changed much from the gorgeous looking galaxy nexus, back mimics the new LG Optimus G.

Under the hood it will be a beast running Qualcomm's latest chip APQ8064 which is a quad core 1.5Ghz S4 pro Krait CPU with Adreno 320 GPU that is using the company's 28-nanometer architecture, same as the S4. This means better battery life than chips based on 32- and 40-nanometer processors, such as the Samsung Exynos and Nvidia Tegra respectively. It also blows off all its competitors out of the water with its performance as the benchmarks have proved.This will be coupled with 2GB of RAM, 8MP back camera. Bluetooth will be V4.0 as well. It is also expected to run android new version 4.2 i.e. KEY LIME PIE.

We will keep a check on this one as the launch event unfolds.

Google cancels the October 29 event due to hurricane

Google has canceled the October 29 public event due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Sandy in New York, where the event was planned to be held. It's sad news for Android fans everywhere since they were expecting the release of Samsung Nexus 10 and LG Nexus 4 devices.
Nevertheless, Google will hopefully announce a new date and we will keep you informed.

Nexus 10 leaked photos and specs

As with all greatly anticipated devices, some specs and photos of the upcoming Nexus 10 tablet have leaked on the internet.
So far, this is what is known:

• Dual-core Samsung Exynos 5250 chipset (Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.7GHz)
• 2 gigs of RAM
• 10.1" display with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels and a pixel density of 298.9ppi
• Mali -T604 GPU
• 5MP rear camera with a FFC as well
• 16GB of non-expandable internal memory
• 4.2 Jellybean OS

It is expected to be released at the Google public event this Monday. We can't wait!

Source

Android Experts Pakistan is now online!

After providing Android services to people on an unofficial level, we have decided to go online!
Feel free to contact us for all sort of Android services and queries.