"Fix" your 2012 Nexus 7 slowness on Android 5.0 Lollipop and above.

If you've got a 2012 Nexus 7, then updating it to Android 5.0 Lollipop and over is likely to be the worst mistake you can make in regards to the software on this tablet. If you did not upgrade it yet to Lollipop, I would recommend NOT doing it (yes, I know, update notifications can be annoying). If you updated it, then just keep reading. I will explain to you what you can do in order to relieve yourself from the stress that any 5.0 and above firmware is creating while using the tablet.


There is one single thing that can be done in order to fix the incredibly poor performance of the tablet: to downgrade it to Android 4.4 KitKat or below. Trust me, I have tried almost 10 different ROMs which run from 5.0 all the way to 5.1.1, and I am still trying to understand what is going on through the head of whoever is responsible at Google for providing these updates on the tablet.

Luckily, since it is an Android tablet, downgrading is extremely simple.

• if you've got a tablet with an unlocked bootloader and a custom recovery, I would recommend following getting this link and getting the provided ROM (it is pre-rooted). I've got the Odexed 1.6 version and it works flawlessly. Since you are downloading this version, I assume you already know how to flash that (gapps are included and do not need to be flashed separately);

• otherwise, you can follow this official link for the official Factory Images (I would recommend downloading the 4.4.4 image). More detailed instructions are available here, but please make sure you are downloading a pre-Lollipop version and flashing that on the device, not the latest version which is 5.1.1!

The reason for the extremely poor performance of the 2012 Nexus 7 on Lollipop ROMs is not clear. People speculate it might be due to flash wear-out but this is highly unlikely due to the fact that KitKat is running as new once installed. It is true that it has only 1GB of RAM and the pressure for low prices might have forced Asus to put low quality (thus slow) components that provide insufficient IO speed. But that does not explain the fact that a similar device which was also sold cheaply, the Nexus 4 is absolutely flying through Lollipop (the Nexus 4 does have 2GB of RAM, but this is not an excuse for the low memory killer on all Lollipop versions not being much more aggressive in order to keep the tablet usable, this, of course, provided that RAM was the culprit). 

Thank you for reading these and please let me know if downgrading to KitKat managed to help you!

PGM Nexus is an application which makes you forget of the power button.

PGM Nexus is a great kernel module (or an app, if you prefer it in simple terms), designed for rooted Galaxy Nexus phones which allows you to turn your screen on or off using just swipe gestures. For example, on my Nexus I just swipe from left to right across the screen, and it powers on. If I do the same thing but on the other direction at the bottom of the screen (where the navigation buttons are located), screen just turns of. It takes a bit of time to get used to it, but after you start enjoying it, it'll be the exclusive mode you turn the screen on and off.

If your power button fails and you are afraid of that, this is exactly what you need. I still can't figure out how it actually works (the screen is off, it doesn't use any power but it still recognizes the swipes), but it's a great idea which is well implemented. It's really great, but because of the kernel thing, it will automatically turn off (if set to start on boot) when a kernel is flashed, but selecting that option again seems to stick through reboots afterwards.

Only drawback: it's $3. There's a free version available, but people complain that it completely stops working after a week. So you decide on which way to go. 

Whatever you do with your Galaxy Nexus, just make sure you don't crack the screen glass; or you'll have to pay a lot.

Last week I succeeded in cracking the screen (glass) on my GSM Galaxy Nexus but I really didn't care very much about that when it happened because I was sure I would be able to repair it at a quite decent price, as I knew how much this job usually costs for iPhones. However, I got quite fast to the reality, and everything I was able to find on the internet indicated a price of $170 for this repair alone. OK, don't get me wrong, I am not stressed about this, because the screen is fully functional and I can use it like it is without any problems, but paying that money for just a screen isn't worth at all!

The problem is the following: the glass, which is basically what we touch when we use the screen, is simply fused to the LCD, so they can't be separated, resulting in something stupid. If you need to replace the glass, you have to replace the entire screen, including the LCD, for which you must pay that price ($170).

Of course that you can only buy the glass from eBay, but it is very har to detach the two parts because the screen is fused at an extremely high temperature to the LCD. And all the repair shops refuse to do it, so you can only do it yourself... but the chances of succeeding are very reduced. I wouldn't even try if the touch is still functional and cracks don't bother me, because if you break the LCD, you just paid around $20 for the glass and you'll have to pay another $170 for the entire screen to get the phone functional again. (and no, CDMA screens won't fit correctly of GSM and otherwise).

So, the entire screen is at least $170 (cheapest price) on the internet. The phone is currently available at $350 in the US, which means that the screen is almost a half of that. Much overpriced, in my opinion. Not to mention that the phone shops asked for at least $270 just for the screen, here, in Romania. Comparing it to other phones, it is still overpriced. The same thing for the Galaxy S2 is $130 (but the quality is also lower, so it's obvious it is cheaper). But the same thing costs only $30 for the iPhone 4S, which means Samsung is definitely overpricing things (a lot) but I can't tell why. Yes, you heard me right, the screen (glass + touch + LCD + whatever else is related to the screen): iPhone 4S - $30 vs Galaxy Nexus - $170.

You probably think I'm furious now...but I am not at all. It could happen to anyone. And I would definitely buy the next Nexus (I love these phones), even if it will still be manufactured by Samsung. The only difference will be that if I go somewhere (I was at a restaurant and I dropped the phone with the face down on a brick walkway), I would definitely keep it in a case to protect it. 

TouchWiz from Samsung working on the Nexus One without root.

Somebody from xda-developers claimed that he ported Samsung's TouchWiz to Android 2.2 for the Nexus One. Even if some users said that this is something great, what I think is that Android's 2.2 default interface looks 10 times better than Samsung's TouchWiz, but this doesn't matter. What is important is that that person worked to do this, so that's why we have to appreciate his work.

He said that it works on the FRF83, so if you're FRF91, I can't guarantee you that it will work. I wasn't able to install it, as the user said that it needs to be installed with adb. It fails to install normally ("There is a problem parsing the package"), and, from what I know, adb means Android Debug Bridge. If I'm right, there's a quite complicated process which needs to be done, but you can try (use Google, it will help you) if you want to.

Via Engadget.
Original Source and download on xda-developers.

Nexus One trackball flashing in different colors (Android 2.2, -no root required-).

If you own a Nexus One, you probably know that there is a conflict between Google on one side, and developers and users on the other side. This happens because users and developers want the trackball to flash in different colors, and it is not known why, but Google doesn't want this. 

I don't know if this is a feature brought by the Android 2.2 update, but, without any root, the trackball from the Nexus One can actually flash in different colors. You can have any color you like: Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Cyan, White, Magenta, Purple, and if you now the hex codes of the colors, almost any other color (or a combination between them). I'm not sure, but what I think is that there is only a single LED, capable of flashing in different colors, and not more LEDs, every flashing in its own color. But this doesn't matter.

What's important is that this feature is working well on Android 2.2, FRF91 Build, without root. I'm now asking myself were the hell are the developers, and why they didn't develop yet their applications with this feature. They can make the trackball to flash blue when you receive a reply or a DM on Twitter, and yellow when you get a message on eBuddy, for example. 

Search for "LED Tester" into the Android Market (it's the second result, that one with the blue trackball at its icon). 

if it doesn't work work for you, please leave a comment telling the version of Android, its build, and if your device is rooted or not. 

Play Flash video content on your Android device! (including Nexus One, already).

Skyfire is a free complex browser, designed especially for mobile devices. It's clearly the best browser for terminal devices. You're probably asking now what is the connection between flash and this browser. It is capable of displaying webpages on their entire, with all scripts and players (and whatever else) included. And the Android version has just came out today!

I've installed it on my Nexus One, and what I have to tell you is that: in normal browsing, Android's default browser is quite at the same level with this browser, but if you need to play Flash on your phone, Skyfire beats anything. Flash content is not automatically played, as you have to go in menu and select "video". A new window will open, playing the requested video.

The advantage of this is that you don't need a modified rom in order to try playing Flash (I'm not sure if it can be done like this), which is done by rooting your phone, which will void your warranty. But with Skyfire, you can enjoy Flash (and other scripts that Android's browser isn't capable of running), risk-free.

Download it now from http://get.skyfire.com/dl_android.php, or directly on your phone from http://www.skyfire.com/ (if you can't download through Market, where it says "Don't have Android Market on your phone?", select "go here").

Nexus One, after three weeks.

I now have about three weeks since I got my Nexus One, so I'll tell you my experience with it. First of all, it's the best phone I've ever touched. It looks, feels, and moves excellent. So, here are its specifications: 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 512 MB RAM and 4GB storage card included. So, very powerful hardware.

It has a beautiful 3,7" capacitive AMOLED touchscreen, and it is a pleasure to view anything on it. Also, it has a 5-megapixel camera, with (single) LED and video recording capability. The battery has 1400 mAH, but because of the hardware, if you use it intensively it will keep you about 2 days. I am really satisfied with battery's life

Android, its operating system, is made and developed by Google, and is one which promises a lot. It's the best OS for mobile devices, in my opinion. It is the direct competitor for Apple's iPhone OS, since it comes strongly behind. Apple's AppStore has now about 180 000 applications, but the Android Market grows fast, having until now about 50 000 apps available.

Here are some problems, with the Android Market. Anybody is allowed to post any app he wants, so Google is probably not testing the applications that are in the Market. There are some ones even infected, so this is a risk for users. But it's better than how it is in the AppStore, where Apple approves and denies what he wants without any reason. One thing is clear. The Android Market grows. And the best of all, there are only free applications inside.

So, let's return to the phone. I have two words to describe what it can. Total customization. I hope you understood what I wanted to say. You have 5 screens, you can customize them how you want, you can add folders, plenty of widgets, shortcuts, you can open what application you want, let it open, open other, return to the first one without closing the other. The phone does a very efficient multi-tasking, the applications work like they are connected to each other, you have lots of options inside the apps, and on that screen.....everything is amazing.

However, I've experiencing some things that are not really ok with the phone:

• The phone started peeling off at the bottom. I think that it's from that sleeve case I got in the pack. Now I'm not using it anymore, so the phone is ok (no more peeling observed)
• When I wanted to wake up the phone, the screen didn't turn on at all. Nothing worked; I've even tried to keep the power button pressed for a few seconds, but the phone didn't wake up. The solution was to remove the battery and then turn the phone on (this happened two times).
• After keeping the phone charging for longer time, it heats quite much, but not excessively so this is not a problem.
• The power led indicator sometimes turn green, even if the phone has not been charged completely yet (it should be orange).
• The screen has also some problems, sometimes. It happened about 3 times (I think) for the touchscreen to be inaccurate when I was writing something with the keyboard(this is not a big problem). Pinch-to-Zoom works excellent in Maps, Browser and Pictures. However, via a painting application, it is obvious that if the multi-touch is used and the fingers are moved in aleatory directions, the screen is highly inaccurate. It is not known if this is a hardware or software failure, or just this is the way screen behaves, but I'm sure that somehow it will be fixed.

These were the only problems I experienced. The phone has also a trackball, which is very useful in different tasks. It also lights if there is something that you need to be notified about. What else I must tell you is that the soft buttons (back, menu, home and search) must be pressed above in order to be used. They work perfectly (don't believe the others who say they are not working as they should).

The sound when you receive a call is not high enough to hear it. I mainly hear its vibration, not its ringtone. What seems strange is that there was not implemented any file browser on the device by default. However, third party applications of this type are found on the Market.

And the biggest problem. If you search something in the Market, you can't delete that! Very unpleasant. If you search for example "gifts for my girlfriend", you won't be able to delete that so she might see that. I think that this is the biggest problem of this phone. There is a possibility to delete this history, but the phone needs a modified rom and this will void your warranty. Browser's history can be entirely deleted without any problem.

But mainly, the phone is amazing. It is everything I wanted. I've been using an iPhone for 1 year and a half, but the Nexus One is like a fresh breath. It's something new, something faster, something better. I've been using it in U.S. with a Vodafone Romania SIM, and I didn't experience any problem with the signal (you probably heard about this), using the phone on T-mobile, AT&T and Verizon. It costs about $565 in the U.S., with all tax included.

Nexus One, peeling off problems?

I've got my Nexus One two weeks ago in the U.S. and I noticed yesterday evening that at the bottom at the phone, the paint has some marks. Exactly like those which appear on devices after using them for a long time, except that my Nexus is only two weeks old.

It's a great phone, the hardware is very powerful, the software is excellent, and it looks great. So I hope that this problem is not caused by a defective painted part of the phone. I was keeping it always (when I wasn't using it, of course) inside that sleeve case that got inside the pack.

There are some threads on Google forum on which several users complained about the same problem, and I am sure that some of them (I don't know if all them) were keeping their Nexus One inside the sleeve case they received in the pack.

So, the problem may be (and I hope that is) that sleeve case. I'm now not using it anymore, and I hope that my Nexus won't peel off anymore. Even if I bought it in the U.S., I live in the eastern part of the Europe so if the peeling continues I will call HTC for support.

Do you have any problems like this? Please let me know if you do by leaving a comment!

Below is a photo, showing the marks I have on my phone (I have marks on the other side also, but they are not so observable):

Very interesting videos showing the making of Nexus One.

Searching over the YouTube I accidentally found a series of videos which are documenting the making of Nexus One. They are only 5, they each take you only a few minutes, and you shouldn't miss them. Watch them:

• Episode 1: Concept & Design: click here.
• Episode 2: Display & 3D Framework: click here.
• Episode 3: Testing: click here.
• Episode 4: Manufacturing: click here.
• Episode 5: Day One: click here.

I didn't post them here directly (embed) because they are going to be played via Flash, and users with slower computers might hate me then.

CONFIRMED: Google is now selling a new version of Nexus One compatible with AT&T 3G.

Yesterday, Google has announced that Nexus one is available in a new version. Since yesterday, the Nexus One has been compatible with most 3G carriers worldwide. However, AT&T and Rangers Wireless from Canada are using a 3G frequency which is incompatible with the Nexus One. But with this additional version of Nexus, Google makes it compatible with the mentioned networks. Now, if you want to buy a Nexus One, you can select if you need this additional version right on the official site (when you make the order):

More on official Google blog here and also on engadget.

Google Nexus One vs HTC HD 2. Which one do you like more?

Which phone do you prefer? It is clear, both phones have similar hardware, but their OS's are completely different. HD2 runs Windows Mobile 6.5, while Nexus runs the Android 2.1, a pretty new OS, in full development, performant and fast. They are both clear the most powerful phones on market at the moment.

Which one do you prefer? Have you got any of these two phones? If yes, what do you think about it? Below is a table which shows you the differences between them.

Device	HTC HD2	HTC (Google) Nexus One
Operating system	Windows Mobile 6.5	Android 2.1
Processor	1 Ghz Snapdragon	1 Ghz Snapdragon
RAM	448 MB	512 MB
ROM	512 MB	512 MB
Screen	4.3 inch TFT, Capacitive	3.7 inch AMOLED, Capacitive
Multi-touch	Yes	Yes
Size	120.5 x 67 x 11 mm	119 x 59.8 x 11.5
Weight	157g	130 g
Battery	1230 mAH	1400 mAH
Battery life	Talk time 5.3 hours on 3G Standby 390 hours on 3G	Talk time 7 hours on 3G Standby 250 hours on 3G
Camera	5 megapixel with Dual LED Flash	5 megapixel with LED Flash
Video	640×480 at 30 fps	720×480 pixels at 20 fps
Connectors	3.5mm headphone, microUSB	3.5mm headphone, microUSB
Control	5 hardkeys, volume keys	4 softkeys, illuminated trackball, volume keys
Additional features	proximity sensor, digital compass, car cradle	proximity sensor, digital compass, dual microphone

I can't understand why Google isn't selling Nexus One out of the U.S.

This is the question I've putted myself many times since Nexus One has been launched in the United States. It is currently unavailable (normally) anywhere else into the world, with the exception of the UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore, which are "test" countries. This is pretty disappointing. I'm from Romania and I can't really understand why I can't get it here.

Hmmm...Ok, I can. A company is selling it here, but at about $740. Because, it is the only one who is selling it here, and there is no competition. Google says that Nexus One will probably be available in the spring 2010 with other carriers than T-mobile, so it might be available even in Romania then.

And this happens while HTC Desire is about to come. Google is now loosing millions of clients in the whole world, and the situation can get as bad as it can, because Desire is going to be a Nexus One replacement for the regions where it isn't available.

HTC Desire - an updated Nexus One?

HTC launched a kind of update to the Nexus One, named Desire. It's a very similar device, having the same capacitive touch-screen (3.7 inch), the same processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon at 1 GHz) and the same battery (1400 mAh). But what's weird is the difference between battery life on devices which is quite big.

HTC Desire also includes a 5 megapixel camera, which has face detection capability (I don't know if the 5 megapixel camera from Nexus has this option). Anyway, both devices have G-sensor, digital compass, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor. Desire has 576 MB RAM, while Nexus has 512 MB RAM (the difference is probably felt only on intensive tasks). Both devices runs Android 2.1 OS, but Desire also includes the Sense UI, which is not present at Nexus.

Nexus costs 529 $, but it is not available worldwide yet. Desire has been launched today, 16th February, and I didn't get an official price yet. If I found out a price, I will let you know.

Nexus One. Do you like it or not ? :)

Nexus One has been recently launched, being already very popular. The phone is very performant, having inside a "monster" Qualcomm QSD 8250 Snapdragon ARM processor which runs at 1 GHz, assisted by 510 MB of RAM, which makes the device one of the most powerful available on market. It has 512 MB storage memory, and a 4GB microSD card included, with the possibility to insert storage cards up to 32 GB.

The screen (capacitive one, of course) has 3,7 inches, and a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, with 100,000:1 contrast ratio and 1 ms response rate. It has a battery which a capacity of 1400 mAh, which offers up to 290 hours on standby, 10 hours while talking, and 5 hours while browsing. The camera has 5.0 megapixels, with recording possibility, geotagging, auto focus, and flash LED.

What I don't like about it is the plastic it is made of, which gives a sensation of cheap phone. Users complained, so far, about problems with connection through 3G networks. The phone runs on 2.1 version of Android, and it is available without any contract (network free) for 529 dollars.

What do you think about the Nexus One? Do you like it or not? Do you have plans about buying one, or you have already got one?