Jelly Bean is now running on the (wait for it) Optimus S via a CyanogenMod 10 port

 

The LG Optimus One line will never die. I have a feeling that one day, far into the future where apes control the planet and man is farmed like livestock, The little Optimus that could will still be going strong and folks will be hacking them with their stubby, apish hands. As proof, I offer Android Developer drewwalton19216801's CyanogenMod 10 (Jelly Bean) port for the Optimus S. 

It's not perfect, as Drew puts it "There will be bugs, and things may crash from time to time", and the usual suspects like camera and MMS still need some work, but I'd wager that more than a few of the folks using and loving the Optimus S will be more than happy to run this as their daily driver. 

We're still waiting for Ice Cream Sandwich on some of last years best phones (hello there, HTC Rezound) but this is proof positive that a little bit of source code and some awesome developers can make magic happen. Whether you're using the Optimus S, or just a fan of all things awesome, hit the link below and have a look. Be sure to give Drew a little well-earned love!

CyanogenMod 10 port for the Optmus S 

 

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

Android tablets running on Nvidia Tegra 3 to hit $200 this summer

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said in a recent interview that their recent cost reductions on the Tegra 3 processor will enable manufacturers to launch Android tablets with $199 pricetags, and that we'll see them as soon as this summer. As Huang explains, this can seriously lower the barrier for entry. 

“We took out $150 in build materials, things like expensive memory. At $199, you can just about buy a tablet at a 7-Eleven.”

$200 is a sweet price point, as proven by the success of the Amazon Kindle Fire, and now others, like the ZTE Optik, are trying to follow up. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more decently powerful Android tablets that also happen to be reasonably priced, but maintaining quality at those lower tiers is going to be a challenge. 

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BlackBerry Messenger once again purportedly caught running on Android

Ever have that feeling of deja Déjà vu? It's happening right now for me with some new images having shown up of what is purported to be BlackBerry Messenger on Android. We've seen such things in the past of course and still nothing ever came out of it. True, RIM is branching off into other OSes these days having launched BlackBerry Mobile Fusion for Android and iOS. But BlackBerry Messenger on Android and iOS?

So many applications already exist for cross-platform chat. What could BlackBerry Messenger on Android even bring to the table? Even if this is some part of the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion integration happening here it just doesn't even seem to matter anymore. Not to mention the fact RIM squashed the idea a while back anyway.

Source: TechnoBuffalo