Google Now ported to Android 4.0 devices running an AOSP ROM

Back during Google I/O 2012, we saw the unveiling of Google Now for Jelly Bean devices. Sadly, Google never released it as a stand-alone app so any device running Ice Cream Sandwich now essentially needs to be upgraded to Jelly Bean in order to make use of it. I say essentially because the fine folks in the Android community have now found a way to make it work on any Android 4.0 device running an AOSP ROM though there is one lingering issue with it. You can't use voice. Sure, the no voice thing is a bit of a bummer but for those who are interested in loading it up, you can do so with only a few steps required:

• Rename the APK to GoogleQuickSearchBox.apk
• Go to System/App and rename the original GoogleQuickSearchBox.apk to 3, something else (Or delete it)
• Copy in the GoogleQuickSearchBox.apk the one you renamed from (Velvet-theos0o.apk)
• Set the permissions, to the /System/App/GoogleQuickSearchBox.apk to RW-R--R--
• Reboot and it should work

As you can tell by looking at the instructions, it's not going to be for everyone. However, if you're willing to give it a shot you can find the download over at XDA Developers to get started. Just remember, you must be on an AOSP ROM in order for it to work.

Source: XDA

CyanogenMod 9 and MIUI 4 ported to Tegra powered HTC One X

Growing tired of HTC Sense 4.0 on your Tegra 3 powered HTC One X? Over the weekend, the Android development community managed to get CyanogenMod 9 and MIUI 4 up and running on HTC’s quad-core flagship phone. As always, the first versions of these ROMs are not perfect.

CyanogenMod 9 is slow to connect to 3G and currently does not feature any camera or WiFi hotspot capabilities. On the plus side, the developers have remapped the buttons on the HTC One X so that the multitasking button now acts as the menu button. This eliminated the black menu bar which would appear across the bottom of the screen on applications which were not optimized for Android 4.0.

While MIUI may not have as many fans as CyanogenMod, a leaked beta of MIUI 4 for the One X is fully functional. The developers managed to keep the stock HTC camera, gallery and music (including Beats Audio) applications in order to retain the unique media capabilities of the HTC One X.

If you’re the adventurous type, click on the source links below and install a custom ROM on your Tegra 3 powered HTC One X. Are any of you planning on running custom ROMs on your HTC One X or will you be sticking to the stock HTC Sense 4.0 experience?

HTC One X CyanogenMod 9 via The Verge
HTC One X MIUI 4 via HD Blog

Beats Audio software ported to non-HTC devices

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Audio quality is always something that will be subjective. Opinions on what good sounds like will always differ from person to person. This definitely applies to Beats Audio, and the inclusion of Beats on new HTC devices. HTC have just opened up the API to the Beats software for third-party apps to take advantage, but XDA member RockoDev has gone further than that. He has managed to port the Beats software for use on non-HTC devices into a flashable zip file.

Beats is essentially a branded equalizer. The files have been pulled for flashing to other devices. Expectations shouldn't be set too high though, as again everyone has different tastes in sound quality. Flashed to my LG Optimus 2X, I actually do feel there was a general improvement. 

When comparing it's important not to fall into any placebo effect. Just because it's there doesn't make it better. The test setup was a song that I know very well, and a pair of good quality Bang and Olufsen earphones. In listening to the same song a few times before and after flashing Beats, there was a noticable change. Nothing groundbreaking, but the bass was improved and the overall sound did feel better.

You'll find more at the source links below if you fancy trying it out for yourselves. We know a lot of you don't like Beats, but there's a lot of people that do. Shout out in the comments with your thoughts if you do decide to try it. 

Source: XDA Developers