Thread: All Things Android

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie release date, news and rumors
UPDATED Here's what we know about Android 5.0 so far
By Paul Douglas 8 minutes ago

Key Lime Pie may be on the back burner as Android 4.3 surfaces

Google's showing no signs of slowing its pace of Android development, with Android 4.0 appearing on the Galaxy Nexus late in 2011, followed in July of 2012 by the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release that arrived powering the super Nexus 7.
But, forward-looking, update-obsessed people that we are, we can't help but imagine how Google's going to maintain the pace of innovation in its next version of its mobile OS, Android 5.0.
All we know so far is that Google's working away on the K release of Android, which it's developing under the dessert-related codename of Key Lime Pie. Regarding the version number, it's likely that the Key Lime Pie moniker will be given to Android 5.0. We thought we might find out on 29 October 2012 but as yet there is no official word from Google.
So now as we wait on official news of the Android 5.0 release date and features, we can start to pull together the Key Lime Pie rumours from around the web, with the first sighting of Android 5.0 on a benchmarking website, apparently running on a Sony smartphone. There has previously been speculation that Sony is in line to produce the next Nexus phone, which may lend some credence to this rumour.

Android 5.0 release date

Google has announced that its next developer conference - Google IO - will take place from May 15 to May 17 2013, a month earlier than 2012's June dates. Given that Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at 2012's IO conference, it's not unreasonable to expect to see Android 5.0 at this year's event.
On 31 January, a Google IO showing of Android 5.0 looked more likely when screengrabs of a Qualcomm roadmap were leaked, showing Android 5.0 as breaking cover between April and June 2013.
On 24 April 2013, we read that Key Lime Pie may not make its debut at Google IO after all. Apparently, "trusty internal sources" told a site called Gadgetronica (a site we hadn't previously heard of) that Google has decided to delay Android 5.0 for two to four months to give hardware makers the chance to properly roll out Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
We'd take this rumour with a pinch of salt and add another pinch of salt for good measure, as even if Google decides not to ship the finished build of Android 5.0 until later in the year, that doesn't preclude the company from talking up the new OS at what is, after all, a developer-focused conference.
However, the notion of Key Lime Pie being off the menu at Google IO raised itself again on 26 April when Android 4.3 surfaced in server logs over at Android Police. Those log entries supposedly came from Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 devices running an updated version of Jelly Bean - Android 4.3 - and apparently the IP addresses of those devices trace back to Google HQ. So might that point to a delayed Android 5.0 arrival?
Android 5.0 phones

Rumours of a new Nexus handset started trickling in during the third quarter of 2012, as we reported on 1 October 2012. There was speculation that this phone would be sporting Key Lime Pie, but sources who spoke to AndroidAndMe correctly claimed that the handset, which turned out to be the Google Nexus 4 would be running Android Jelly Bean.
While the Nexus 4 didn't appear with a helping of Key Lime Pie, speculation that we reported on 21 January 2013 suggests that the Motorola X Phone is the Android 5.0-toting handset that will be revealed at Google IO. According to a post on the DroidForums website, the phone will also feature a virtually bezel-free, edge-to-edge, 5-inch display.
Androids out in force at Google IO 2012
The same leaked Qualcomm documents cited above also made mention of a two new Snapdragon devices, one of which will be, unsurprisingly, a new Nexus phone.
That Nexus phone is most likely the Google Nexus 5, though we'd be surprised to see it break cover at Google IO, given that the Nexus 4 only went on sale at the end of 2012.
On Monday 18 March, supposed images of the Nexus 5 surfaced, with the handset apparently being manufactured by LG. If the accompanying specs, leaked along with the photo by the anonymous source, are true, then the Nexus 5 will feature a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 OLED display, 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 3GB of RAM.
While a sighting of the Nexus 5 at Google IO is unlikely, rumours that we wrote up on 19 April reckon that there will be an Android 5.0-powered Nexus 4 launched at the event. Apparently, the revised handset will also feature 4G capability and improved storage of 32GB.
Android 5.0 tablets

The original Nexus 7 tablet was unveiled at Google IO 2012, so it's possible that we'll see a refreshed Nexus 7 2 at Google IO 2013. The speculation is that Google will team up with Asus for this, as it did with the original Nexus 7. We expect an upgraded display on the new Nexus 7 tablet, while Digitimes is reporting that the 2nd generation Nexus 7 will have 3G service and and range in price from $149 to $199.
Samsung's Android 5.0 upgrades

Although Samsung is yet to officially confirm its Android 5.0 schedule, a SamMobile source is claiming to know which phones and tablets will be getting the Key Lime Pie upgrade. According to the source, the devices set to receive the upgrade are the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy Note 10.1.
As you'd expect, the S4 will be getting an Android 5.0 update
Android 5.0 features

For 24 hours, it seemed as though the first kinda, sorta confirmed feature for Android 5.0 was a Google Now widget, which briefly appeared in a screenshot on the company's support forum before being taken down. As it was so hurriedly pulled, many people assumed it was slated for the big five-o and accidentally revealed early.
As it happened, the following day, on 13 February 2013, the Google Now widget rolled out to Jelly Bean.
On 28 February 2013, we learned from Android Central that Google is working with the Linux 3.8 kernel, which gives rise to the notion that this kernel might make it into Android 5. One improvement that the 3.8 kernel brings is lowered RAM usage, which would mean a snappier phone with better multitasking.
Android Geeks has reported that Google Babble will debut on Key Lime Pie. Babble is, apparently, Google's in-development cross-platform service and app with the aim of unifying its various chat services which include Talk, Hangout, Voice, Messenger, Chat for Google Drive and Chat on Google+.
Android Geeks' source also said that Google Babble will be supported by devices running Android 2.3 and above, which would make sense given that Google will want as many people as possible on the platform.
A screenshot that we were sent from a Google employee on 8 April confirms that not only is this unified chat service on the way, but that it is now called Google Babel not Babble. Babel will come with a bunch of new emoticons and Google+ built-in so you can jump from Babel chat to hangout. A leaked Google memo on 10 April provided a few more juicy details including talk of a new UI and synced conversations between mobile and desktop.
We've been fishing for info on Babel
Following an 18 April tear-down of the Google Glass app MyGlass by Android Police, it now looks as though there may be an iOS Games Center-like service coming to Android 5.0.
Android Police found references in the code to functionality that doesn't exist in Glass, which suggests that developers accidentally shipped the full suite of Google Play Services with the Android application package.
The files in the package contained references to real-time and turn-based multiplayer, in-game chat, achievements, leaderboards, invitations and game lobbies.
So it seems that Google Games (or whatever it ends up being called) is real, and we may find out more about it - and whether it will ship with Key Lime Pie - during the Google I/O conference. As Android Police points out "It being including in a shipping product suggests that it's finished and freely floating around Google HQ."
Android 5.0 interface

While this is pure speculation, we're wondering whether Android 5.0 might bring with it a brighter interface, moving away from the Holo Dark theme that came with Android 4.0.
Google Now brought with it a clearer look with cleaner fonts, and screenshots of Google Play 4.0 show Google's app market taking on similar design cues. Is this a hint at a brighter, airier look for Key Lime Pie?
Google Play is lightening up [image credit: DroidLife]
Our Android 5.0 wishlist

While we wait on more Key Lime Pie features to be revealed and scour the web for more Android 5.0 news, TechRadar writer Gary Cutlack has been thinking about what we want to see in Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Hopefully the new mobile OS will feature some of these things...

1. Performance Profiles

It's bit of a fuss managing your mobile before bed time. Switching off the sound, turning off data, activating airplane mode and so on, so what Android 5.0 really needs is a simple way of managing performance, and therefore power use, automatically.
We've been given a taste of this with Blocking Mode in Samsung's Jelly Bean update on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 but we'd like to see the functionality expanded.
Something like a Gaming mode for max power delivery, an Overnight low-power state for slumbering on minimal power and maybe a Reading mode for no bothersome data connections and a super-low backlight.
Some hardware makers put their own little automated tools in, such as the excellent Smart Actions found within Motorola's RAZR interface, but it'd be great to see Google give us a simple way to manage states.
Another little power strip style widget for phone performance profiles would be an easy way to do it.
Set telephone to BEDTIME SLEEPY MODE

2. Better multiple device support

Google already does quite a good job of supporting serious Android nerds who own several phones and tablets, but there are some holes in its coverage that are rather frustrating.
Take the Videos app which manages your film downloads through the Play Store. Start watching a film on one Android device and you're limited to resuming your film session on that same unit, making it impossible to switch from phone to tablet mid-film.
You can switch between phone and web site players to resume watching, but surely Google ought to understand its fans often have a couple of phones and tabs on the go and fix this for Android Key Lime Pie?

3. Enhanced social network support

Android doesn't really do much for social network users out of the box, with most of the fancy social widgets and features coming from the hardware makers through their own custom skins.
Sony integrates Facebook brilliantly in its phones, and even LG makes a great social network aggregator widget that incorporates Facebook and Twitter - so why are there no cool aggregator apps as part of the standard Android setup?
Yes, Google does a great job of pushing Google+, but, no offence, there are many other more widely used networks that ought to be a little better "baked in" to Android.

4. Line-drawing keyboard options

Another area where the manufacturers have taken a big leap ahead of Google is in integrating clever alternate text entry options in their keyboards. HTC and Sony both offer their own takes on the Swype style of line-drawing text input, which is a nice option to have for getting your words onto a telephone. Get it into Android 5.0 and give us the choice.
UPDATE: Google heard us and this feature appeared in Android 4.2.
P-U-T T-H-I-S I-N A-N-D-R-O-I-D 5-.-0

5. A video chat app

How odd is it that Google's put a front-facing camera on the Nexus 7 and most hardware manufacturers do the same on their phones and tablets, yet most ship without any form of common video chat app?
You have to download Skype and hope it works, or find some other downloadable app solution. Why isn't there a Google Live See My Face Chat app of some sort as part of Android? Is it because we're too ugly? Is that what you're saying, Google?

6. Multi-select in the contacts

The Android contacts section is pretty useful, but it could be managed a little better. What if you have the idea of emailing or texting a handful of your friends? The way that's currently done is by emailing one, then adding the rest individually. Some sort of checkbox system that let users scroll through names and create a mailing list on the fly through the contacts listing in Android Key Lime Pie would make this much easier.
Make this a destination, rather than a never-used list

7. Cross-device SMS sync

If you're a constant SIM swapper with more than one phone on the go, chances are you've lost track of your text messages at some point. Google stores these on the phone rather than the SIM card, so it'd be nice if our texts could be either backed up to the SIM, the SD card, or beamed up to the magical invisible cloud of data, for easy and consistent access across multiple devices.

8. A "Never Update" option

This would annoy developers so is unlikely to happen, but it'd be nice if we could refuse app updates permanently in Android 5.0, just in case we'd rather stick with a current version of a tool than be forced to upgrade.
Sure, you can set apps to manual update and then just ignore the update prompt forever, but it'd be nice to know we can keep a favoured version of an app without accidentally updating it. Some of us are still using the beta Times app, for example, which has given free access for a year.
Let us keep older versions. Many people fear change

9. App preview/freebie codes

Something Apple's been doing for ages and ages is using a promo code system to distribute free or review versions of apps. It even makes doing little competitions to drum up publicity for apps much easier, so why's there no similar scheme for Android?
It might encourage developers to stop going down the ad-covered/freemium route if they could charge for an app but still give it away to friends and fans through a promo code system.

10. Final whinges and requests...

It's be nice to be able to sort the Settings screen by alphabetical order, too, or by most commonly used or personal preference, as Android's so packed with a huge list of options these days it's a big old list to scroll through and pick out what you need.
Plus could we have a percentage count for the battery in the Notifications bar for Android 5.0? Just so we know a bit more info than the vague emptying battery icon.

No one but a few nerds gives a fuck sorry.

I got JellyBean months ago without doing anything. It just arrived during the night while I was sleeping. It is cool!

I couldn't actually see any difference from ICS but it was cool to have it when most other folk were still on ICS.

Looking forward to KLP already!

Even though v4.0.27 doesn't contain big improvements, we always try to make the latest version of the Play Store available to anyone looking for it. You will find 3 mirrors towards the bottom of this page as well as a multi-mirror should the first three links fail.
As a refresher, here are the main highlights of the big 4.0 redesign. The new Play Store looks a lot better, especially on tablets. It groups similar content together, continues showing recommendations as you keep scrolling, and simplifies the purchasing process. Each app in lists now has a handy Install button - just click the menu icon at the top right corner of any card, then press Install. Furthermore, in-app purchases can now be performed without leaving the context of the app you're in. And finally, the annoying post-install screen that appeared a short while ago is also gone.

Download: Latest Google Play Store 4.0.27

Originally Posted by nostromo

Apple stole Sony's design and now they are calling Samsung a thief - for making something with four edges and a display. I buy Samsung.

Originally Posted by Koojo

No one but a few nerds gives a fuck sorry.

Yet you gave enough of a fuck to open a thread you don't give a fuck about and make a brainless comment.

Which means you give a fuck.

What a moron.

Does anybody know what is happening with 'Talking Tom' for Android?

I am on version 2.0.1 at the moment.

I keep getting offered an upgrade but I have heard that you lose the button where Ben the dog comes on and does a fart so I am a bit reluctant to do the upgrade.

Looks like Pesterware, in-app purchases etc.

I'd bin the fucker.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...d0b20yZnJlZSJd

Originally Posted by Looper

Does anybody know what is happening with 'Talking Tom' for Android?

Tom is your pet cat, that responds to your touch and repeats everything you say with a funny voice. You can pet him, poke him or grab his tail.

what the fcuk ? this is a fcuking app ?

I need to write one

patty pussy - a virtual vagina that responds to your touch and will repeat anything you say via fanny fart - you can pet it ,poke it in the clitoris or jam a finger up its arse

and it will be Festerware

They won't let you put that on iToons though....

The Midget longs for the day when her Samsung dies so she can go back to having a 'stupid' phone again. That'll learn her!

Servers Ultimate For Android Gets A Huge Update – 16 New Servers And 14 New Network Tools

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

If you have a spare Android device lying around and want to get some added functionality out of it, turning into a server is a practical and potentially useful way to give it new life. While there are several ways to go about that, Servers Ultimate is a tool that delivers more than 36 servers and 40 different protocols all in a single app to make the task easier. And as of the most recent update, it added a slew of network tools and additional servers to the mix. Here's a look at the new additions:

New Servers:

- PHP + Lighttpd Server
- MySQL Server
- Remote Control App Server
- TFTP Server
- FTP Proxy Server
- Syslog Server
- Styx Server
- Stomp Server
- NFS Server
- iSCSI Server
- DHCP Server
- Trigger Server
- Rsync Server
- Git Server
- NTP Server

New network tools:

- IP Calculator (IPv4 and IPv6)
- Whois
- Raw socket (TCP and UDP)
- Command line
- Ping
- Network speed
- HTTP Headers
- Wake on LAN
- Lookup (mac to vendor, ip to host, host to ip, DNS)
- Traceroute
- MySQL Monitor
- Remote control app client
- Fast port scanner
- Check connectability

Additional functionality:

- Import / Export servers
- Tasker and Llama support
- Help files
- Use cronjob rules to start/stop/switch servers
- Log to a file
- Password protect the app
- Use the remote control client to add/edit/start/stop/etc servers remotely
- Allow to run servers on ports below 1024 on rooted devices
- Now a server can be run on a specific network interface or all network interfaces
- The backlog can be set for most servers
- Added support for notifications when a server is started/stopped (email, sms, etc)
- Added support for IPv6
- Fixed a lot of bugs
- Added a lot of small improvements to different servers

Aside from the additional functionality, tools, and new servers in this version, it has also been completely redesigned to offer Holo UI in both dark and light – simply head into the settings menu to toggle between the two.

There is a trial version of Servers Ultimate available that allows you to see what the app is all about (though it's limited to two servers at one time). If you find utility in it, the full version will set you back $8 – a small price to pay for such a massive amount of functionality.

^ telephones and tablets are going to be the new botnets

Originally Posted by Koojo

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by Koojo

No one but a few nerds gives a fuck sorry.

Yet you gave enough of a fuck to open a thread you don't give a fuck about and make a brainless comment.

Which means you give a fuck.

What a moron.

I really don't give a fuck.
I do like to watch idiots yelling at each other over who's favourite is best.

Bit of a twat then, aren't you. You're in the wrong thread.

I dunno... it is a form of obsessive stupidity that can be amusing to watch in action.

Originally Posted by mao say dung

I dunno... it is a form of obsessive stupidity that can be amusing to watch in action.

Oh look, he's brought his whiny dickhead mate with him.

<yawn>

I don't give a fuck either. Though Lionel did have kickass electric trains.

Look it's Beavis and Butthead!

I hear it's being debated whether if Beavis and Butthead were alive today they would be taking sides on the defining tech issues of the day or not.

Interesting.

My son got suspended from his elementary school for renting out the Beavis and Butthead book I gave him.

So you gotta ask what kind of dad gives their son a Beavis and Butthead book?

Hey one with a sense of humour, my son (now an engineer) has a great sense od humour.

Barnes & Nobile Announces Google Play For The Nook HD And HD+, Inches Them Closer To 'Real Tablet' Status
Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, NOOK HD, NOOK HD+

It's no secret that I've long been against calling the Nook and Kindle Fire series "Android tablets," as neither is more than a glorified e-reader to me. Today, Barnes & Noble dropped a bomb on that way of thinking, as it announced that the full array of Google Play services will now be available on the Nook HD and Nook HD+, essentially turning them into full-fledged tablets.

Moving forward, all Nook HD and HD+ tablets will ship with Google services – including the Play Store, YouTube, Gmail, Chrome, and the like – but for those who already own HD/HD+ units, the new features will be showing up via an OTA update to v2.1.0, which should begin rolling out today. For the impatient among you, B&N has full instructions on its site to manually download and flash the update (HD, HD+).
This move should help put the current Nook HD series back on the map after it has struggled to keep up with the Kindle Fire HD in recent months. The success of the Fire HD series is in no small part due to the vast ecosystem that Amazon has built with the Amazon Appstore and other branded services, so access to the Play Store and Google services should give Barnes & Noble a substantial amount of traction to fight back.

BBC Finally Takes Its Sport App Outside The UK, Now Available To Users Worldwide


Many moons ago (read: back in February), the BBC released a sport app for people who are in to that sort of thing. People rejoiced, birds sang, rainbows formed, yadda yadda, yadda... then the whole world realized the app was only for UK residents. Everything went dark. Storms brewed across nations, wars broke out, and hate consumed the very souls of those affected by the tragedy. It was the beginning of the end.

Fast-forward to today. While much of the world is still suffering the consequences that BBC Sports brought down upon us, things are finally starting to look up.

I just want to know if the current gen of ASUS tablets will be upgraded to Android 5.0. My local Seattle sources say no. That sucks.