The last time I checked, the internet was full of custom ROM para-mercenaries thinking they’re getting away with murder by developing and distributing these codes of sweetness without “permission” and so many users thinking they’re getting away with murder for using the custom ROM’s.

A ROM (Read Only Memory) is the programming of any cell phone (yes, any, and not just smart phones) that tells the phone how to operate. The ROM, or firmware, contains everything you need to crank the phone up and use it, which includes the operating system (i.e. Windows, iOS – iPhone, WEBOS – Palm, Android, Symbian, and Blackberry OS), carrier-added applications, and drivers, which is software that tells the hardware how to operate. When you turn any phone on, for the first time out of the box, the ROM is what you will see. Then you start adding on your own applications, email accounts, etc.

A sprawling section of the forum world on the internet has hosted a harbor for custom ROM developers. These are people dedicated to altering the factory ROM to meet certain needs. Some of these needs include writing in capabilities that were not intended by the carrier, such as tethering, and some just want less “junk-ware” or other carrier-added applications so that there is more available memory. Even though this may sound like a little clandestine group of super-geekers who are just getting their hacking hormones out of their system, there is actually a “big show” goal for the more ambitious ones.

Most of the custom ROM writers will provide a path to “donate” to their efforts with a PayPal link or some other payment portal and they may be able to compile enough change to satisfy their coffee shop tab. Some, however, get the attention of enterprise level forum stalkers.

So what happens? This is the really cool part. These brainiacs who have been working for peanuts (aka: PayPal donations) have now made it to the big show. The big companies have a Microsoft, Android, Blackberry, or iOS – Authorized ROM written by these lucky people and they have all of their standard mobile device apps written into the ROM. This, of course, usually includes a remote assistance app, maybe the company’s sales app (also custom written), and possibly a GPS tracking app. After the ROM is complete, the writers will get the go ahead from the OS and OEM hardware manufacturers, then somebody makes a deal for the device and carrier and, a few hundred thousand bucks later, employees are issued their custom designed mobile device.

That’s how it goes. So don’t think these folks have nowhere to go. It’s a race to the big show for them. Not a whole lot make it in, but the ones who do benefit greatly. It’s kind of like actors. So many aspire, and so few make it big.

- Matt Allgood

Have you ever come across a feature that stops you operating your device in a manner you would prefer? You are required to ignore it or take extra steps to avoid it; perhaps it exists as a mechanism to enhance marketing or company reputation. This is called an ‘Anti-feature’.

Anti-features are features deliberately added to a design to reduce the functionality of a hardware or software system.
[There is a short section at the bottom explaining the subjective nature of anti-features]

An anti-feature is not a bug. A bug is a software design fault, caused by complacency, oversights or a misunderstanding of the design specification.  Anti-features are a subset of features, they are documented functionality.

Most of the anti-features listed below are implemented by manufacturers rather than Google.  That said, they are common to Android handsets regardless of the brand, hence the title.

5. External GPS Support

Kicking off with the most subjective anti-feature on this list, Android has never supported external GPS devices and Google are happy to keep it that way. Their documentation on Location Services states ‘external GPS receivers are unsupported for use with Google Maps for mobile at this time’. Internal GPS receivers are accurate enough for road navigation at best. Activities such as mountain climbing, geocaching and hiking require a strong GPS signal that isn’t assisted by network triangulation or Wi-Fi. In recent months, several patches adding support for external GPS modules have been submitted to Google for review, I wonder if any are accepted.

Solution:
There are plenty of apps on the Market to provide external GPS Support via Bluetooth.

4. ‘Converting to Multimedia Message’

In 2008, when Android was in development, a member of the design team came up with an idea, ‘why not automatically convert SMS to MMS when they are too long’? Monthly price-plans offering unlimited SMS were uncommon and prepaid users had to fork out a princely 4 to 20 pence per message. It was a good idea at the time and it saved users money.

In 2012, price-plans offering unlimited SMS are everywhere and many users now see it as a form of instant messaging. Users don’t need their phone to automatically convert long SMS messages anymore, however a quick search of the Internet reveals plenty who can’t escape the problem.
Google implemented a patch in Android 2.2 Froyo (2010) giving users a choice to enable or disable the automatic conversion. The patch seemingly got lost on the way to every major manufacturer including HTC, Samsung and Sony. They even omitted it from major updates like  2.3 Gingerbread.  This feature hasn’t been useful for years yet manufacturers and networks insist on including it without a method of disabling it. Why? If you have 5000 free SMS and 0 free MMS, who benefits from converting your free SMS messages to a paid MMS?

Although this isn’t confirmed, I have spoken to several Galaxy Nexus users who suggest this feature is present in Ice Cream Sandwich.

Solution:
The quickest solution is downloading a free app I maintain called BigSMS. It provides you with a simple front-end to send SMS messages of almost unlimited length. It’s compatible with the standard Android Messaging System, supports delivery reports and has a tiny footprint. If you want to replace the stock messaging app entirely, check out Handcent or Go SMS.
Alternatively, you can root your device and modify the Messaging APK. It’s quite a tough job and varies depending on the device you use but there are plenty of tutorials on the Internet.

3. Alternatives to Android Market

This would be number one if there were no ways around it. A growing number of manufacturers have started replacing the standard Android Market with device specific alternatives. Hannspree’s Hannspad and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet are two popular Tablet devices shipped without the Android Market. Instead, they are sold with specialist App Centres offering a limited number of apps most of which are supplied by affiliate companies. There tends to be a greater number of paid apps and sealing off users from the official Android Market results in a disappointing user experience.
Alternative app sources cause unnecessary fragmentation due to inconsistent updates, erratic technical support and different price structures. Branded App Centre’s destroy the centralized nature of mobile app distribution. In laymen’s terms, two or more app sources have to be maintained otherwise a mismatch in versioning and functionality will occur. While standalone apps are probably safe those connecting to servers or other devices will function improperly; if one source isn’t updated on time, a whole user base will suffer.

Solution
You can search the Android Market via the Browser and download the APK manually .
Another solution is to install a modified version of the Market from the Internet. A quick Google Search for ‘tablet install market‘ yields hundreds of results. There are some that don’t require you to root your device.
A more desirable way is to root your device and install the full Market. This should enable you to receive important updates to the Market app, something you might not get with a modified version.
The hardcore solution is flash a custom ROM. Custom ROM’s will have the Android Market integrated by default. You’ll get all the benefits of the Market and probably enjoy several performance enhancements. You’ll need to install ClockWorkMod recovery for this.

2. Totalitarian Style Root Prevention

Android devices are regularly advertised as free and open. Customization is encouraged and as a user, you control the phone, not the other way round. It’s blissful… Unsurprisingly, the utopia Google envisioned didn’t quite match that of major manufacturers who promptly locked down their devices and developed new ways to prevent any kind of modification. To genuinely customize a device, you need root access.
Simple protection is expected but some devices are almost impossible to root. Bootloader protection, updates to reverse root procedures and heavily restricted permissions all stink of some totalitarian regime where users operate the device in a manner satisfying the manufacturer.

Solution:
Research your device. See if the bootloader can be unlocked via an official (or unofficial) method. HTC have just announced a large number of their phones can now be unlocked via their website for free. Better yet, check the ease in which a device can be rooted before you buy it.

1. System App Bloatware.

Bloatware installed as System Apps was always going to be top of the list and you knew it. What do most people do when they buy a new PC? Uninstall the unnecessary OEM software that is included. That’s not possible on many Android devices as manufacturers (and networks) include bloatware as System apps. Without root access, bloatware installed as a System App cannot be removed from an Android device. What makes it worse is quite a large number of bloatware apps require you to pay a fee to use them. You can’t remove them and you can’t use them unless you pay…
Go Team Dictatorship.

Solution:
There is only one, root your phone. User apps are sandboxed preventing you from modifying internal data… such as system apps.

Anti-features continued:

The definition of Anti-feature is open to interpretation as many consider the term anti-feature to be subjective. What exactly constitutes an anti-feature?

In my opinion, an obvious example of an anti-feature is Microsoft’s original Zune blocking content that didn’t use Microsoft’s DRM (Digital Rights Management). It was a feature, but it didn’t benefit the majority of users and was included as a marketing ploy. Therefore, it was an anti-feature. Yet, some will look you straight in the face and tell you it was useful, important, ‘maintained stability’ etc.

A more ambiguous example is this:

Konica Minolta Laser Printers prevent users installing imitation toner cartridges by checking a microchip that verifies it’s a legitimate replacement. As a secondary function, the chip also monitors the levels of toner within the cartridge. When the cartridge is empty, the chip expires forcing the user into purchasing a replacement. You cannot reuse the cartridge by refilling as the microchip has expired and this process is irreversible.

The example above is tricky. You can understand why Konica Minolta want to block users installing imitation cartridges but is it necessary for the chip to expire? I’ll leave that up to you.

Leaked ICS ROM for the Galaxy S II has been making its rounds around the internet for quite a while now, and the nerdier ones among you might already have your hands wet with it. Here’s good news for the rest of us; it seems the wait wouldn’t be long before Samsung officially rolls out the update.

Eldar Murtazin, one of the biggest names when it comes to leaks, has broken the news that Samsung will start updating its line of Galaxy S II smartphones to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, starting from the 1^st of March. As usual, the update will roll out as OTA packages or via Samsung’s Kies PC client.

The ever-present catch, as always, applies – the exact date the update releases for your device will depend on your country and carrier. Considering that Galaxy S II has nearly a dozen variants across carriers, this might potentially turn out as a bummer. At least, we have something solid to hold on to – we’ll now have to see how long it takes for carriers to respond.

[  Source  ]

First, they confirmed that they wouldn’t be showcasing the SIII at this year’s MWC in Barcelona.  Now the electronics giant has pulled out of the press conference all together.

This move is leaving many wondering what sort of presence Samsung will have at one of the biggest mobile conferences of the year.  They would still be on the show floor, but with no official press conference, their presence will be somewhat diminished.  No major announcements are expected except for a possible new tablet based on Samsung’s 2GHz dual-core Exynos 5250 processor.  There’s a chance that the mid-cycle upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy SII Plus might be shown as well.  It seems that they have decided to hold their own private event to officially reveal the SIII, similar to what their biggest competitor, Apple currently does.

[VIA]

Sky has announced that ‘Sky Go’, the critically acclaimed app available for iPhone, iPod and iPad is coming to Android devices late February. It’s a late Christmas present for Android smartphone users who have waited patiently for over a year since the original debuted on the App Store.

Head of Sky Go Holly Knill said “We know how much Android users have been looking forward to the launch of Sky Go on Android smartphones, and we’ve done everything we can to make sure that our bespoke design is worth waiting for”.

It’s not all good news as the app will only be available to a small number of devices. The Samsung Galaxy S and SII are included along with HTC’s Incredible S, Sensation and Desire range. There was no official word on whether they intend to support other devices but freelance hackers are already licking their lips at the thought of disassembling the app to help extend functionality to other devices.

Sky released several announcements in 2011 stating the Android Sky Go app was almost complete. Despite claiming the app would be released over the Christmas period, it never made it to the Android Market. In December 2011, a representative of Sky claimed the delay was caused by ‘fragmentation of the Android OS’ and the numerous device configurations.

In Samsung’s ongoing ad campaign to poke fun at Apple fanboys, they decided to break out of the subtle little jabs and went all out for their Super Bowl ad which features the Galaxy Note.

It starts off in the same manner as the other commercials did, only this time, those in line are visibly frustrated and break out in a song and dance routine with a rock star who literally drops out of nowhere.  It has to be seen to be believed.

[VIA]

It looks like someone at Verizon fell asleep at the wheel and accidentally sent out the update for Android 4.0.4 to a user with a Galaxy Nexus (CDMA).  It has since been made available to download and install before the official release.

This new version is the very latest and fixes some things that were missing since version 4.0.2 which all Galaxy Nexus’ were running on.  The list of changes is continually being updated by those at xda-developers but include:

• Faster performance.
• Android OS bug fixed (in battery stats)
• Improved 3G/4G switching.
• Improved signal strength.
• New Power Menu. New from 4.0.2, similar to the one on the 4.0.3 ROM.
• Faster boot-up time.
• Auto-brightness Functionality changed. Smoother transition.
• Holding down camera button now refocuses again.
• Multitouch issue seems resolved.
• Autorotate is faster.
• Browser performance noticeably improved.
• Recent apps list opens faster.
• Miscellaneous camera UI changes.
• Increased volume.
• Keyboard fixes.
• Updated News & Weather app UI.
• Improved quick controls in browser, similar to the ones in 4.0.3.

Unleashed on the market in late 2010, it’s no secret the Nokia N8 has been the uncontested champ in terms of its photography credentials. Possessing the largest camera sensor of any mobile phone (and even some low-end dedicated cameras) at 1/1.83″, a xenon flash, and Carl Zeiss optics, few comparable devices over the past fifteen months are even in the same category of photographic quality. The competition is slowly beginning to gain ground, however, as witnessed by a review between the Nokia N8, Apple iPhone 4S, and the Samsung Galaxy SII’s camera capabilities.

Predictably, none of the devices performed poorly. While I don’t believe many of us will be surprised by which phone came out on top during the various tests, it’s always enjoyable to read detailed reviews with plenty of comparison photographs. I particularly liked the last series of shots consisting of the rather dull and lifeless tree; the amount of detail the N8 captures is absolutely amazing, especially considering it was released so many months ago.

Though other manufacturers are slowly catching up to the N8 in terms of photographic muscle in decent lighting conditions, until another device implements a proper xenon flash and aims to achieve accurate color representation, I believe they will continue to trail Nokia’s beast for the foreseeable future. Other platforms may have the advantage of being able to download a plethora of image manipulation and sharing applications, but when one’s main focus is to capture superb pictures, the Nokia N8 is hard to beat. Perhaps the upcoming Mobile World Congress can usher in some new imaging-centric devices that can finally best the N8?

VIA | Source

The yet-to-be-announced Exynos 5450 is rumoured to be a beast of a processor with four cores on a 2GHz chip.

Samsung recently held an invitation only event to show off it’s Exynos line of mobile processors.  While most of the time, they focused on the battery saving features of it’s upcoming processors, what was most interesting was the mention of the 5450 based on a Cortex-A15 quad-core 2GHz chip.  Most likely to be used for future tablets, as it would be considered too powerful for a phone application.  No devices were mentioned to be supporting it just yet but the possibilities are exciting to think about.

[VIA]

Home sweet home.  Samsung is happy to report that over 700,000 units of it’s cross-over device in it’s homeland of South Korea.

While it was certainly a risky move for the venerable phone maker, it seems to have paid off.  This number accounts for a market share of about 66% of the LTE market in that country last month.  Now that AT&T has announced that it will be carrying the device, sales can only get better.  What do you think of the mini-tablet/giant-phone device?