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How to install a custom ROM on your Android device

Josiah Ward
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We get it…you’ve gotten all you can get out of your stock software and it’s time for a change. A solid  custom ROM is a great place to start and I’m gonna give you a guide to help you on your journey.

Notes and disclaimers:
Not all devices are bootloader unlockable. Please do not be angry with us if your device does not unlock and we are in no way responsible for any hard or soft bricking. If you have any issues other than bricking, report it in your device forums on XDA or leave it in the comments and we will do our best to assist

Things to download and how to prepare

Fastboot drivers:

These guides and software will help you install all the necessary drivers about as easily as possible

  • TWRP: Look for your device here and download the proper version of TWRP
  • SuperSU: Required for root(some ROMs may have root default)
  • ROM: There are so many ROMs available. It is recommended to go to your device forum on xda and find the development subforum. For the matter of this post, we used the popular ROM Dirty Unicorn. You can find downloads for it here.
  • GAPPS: These are required for your ROM to run Google Play Services. You can find your processor architecture by searching on gsmarena. If your device has an Intel processor, its x86. If your device has another processor, its likely arm. And then just determine if it is 32 or 64-bit architecture.

Preparing your phone: Unlocking your bootloader will erase all data. Make sure all your pictures and music are backed up either to your preferred cloud storage platform or your sd card. Also, before connecting your device to your computer, go to Settings>About Phone and click Build Number until you see a message saying you are now a developer. After that go to Settings>Developer options and make sure that USB debugging and OEM unlock are enabled(Note: If you don’t see the OEM unlock option, it is no big deal and you can continue with the process.)

Step 1: Unlocking your bootloader

  1. Connect your phone to your PC and make sure it is detected
  2. Open your terminal and type adb reboot bootloader(Your device should display a screen similar to this)
    image
  3. While still in your terminal, type “fastboot devices” to make sure your computer still sees your device
  4. Now type fastboot oem unlock
  5. On your device, use your volume buttons to highlight yes on the confirmation screen that shows up and select it with your power button
  6. Your device should now be bootloader unlocked. Leave your phone connected to your computer IMG_0527-1

Flashing TWRP
Screen Shot 2016-06-09 at 9.29.28 AM

  1. Rename your downloaded TWRP twrp.img
  2. In your terminal type adb reboot bootloader
  3. Now type fastboot devices to make sure your device is recognized
  4. Type fastboot flash twrp.img
  5. Reboot your phone using fastboot reboot
  6. Use the proper key combination to boot into TWRP and let it patch your system.(If your device does not boot corrrectly,flash SuperSU in the next step)

Flashing your ROM

  1. Move the SU download and ROM to somewhere you can find the path of easily. It is also recommended that you rename them to short names like su.zip and rom.zip
  2. Reboot to TWRP on your device
  3. Go into >Advanced>ADB Sideload
  4. On your computer type adb sideload /path/to/file.zip
  5. Your installation will start immediately
  6. If you want your ROM to be rooted, follow the same process for SuperSU
  7. If you want Google Play services, follow this process for it

This process is very general. If your device cannot be unlocked and twrp flashed using this method, look for it in your device forums on XDA.
There are many one-click methods for doing these things, but they don’t always work and may actually be very buggy. A prime example is that Gerson tried to use Windroid and his device almost bricked 5 times.
It is good to note that if your bootloader cannot be unlocked, then you can still get a custom-ish ROM on your device as long as it is signed with your manufacturer keys. For example, my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 is not unlockable, but I am still running the Touchwiz based version of AllianceROM.
Gerson is now on the popular ROM Dirty Unicorns. Screenshots are included below:

Scraby: Simple design and simple to play (Review)

AndroidGuys
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0

Overview

Who doesn’t like a good word puzzle game? Whether it’s a fast-paced, thinking on your toes style, or a laid back playing the long game, they can definitely keep your mind sharp. Luckily for you there is a new app in town called Scraby. What is Scraby? Let’s find out.

Developer: Bushido Games

Cost: Free

Review

Scraby was until recently only available in Polish. But with the warm reception it had in Poland Bushido Games decided to extend it to English. The game is so short and simple that it only took a few minutes to learn.

When you open the app you are prompted to create a username, and don’t worry, if you don’t like it, it can be easily changed. After that, you click play and you are now in the game.

Scraby6What really sets this game apart is the gameplay. It’s not too far off from Scramble in that you have a bunch of letters mixed up and you have to score as many points as you can in two minutes. Each letter has an assigned value and there are also bonus letters that you can use. The main difference is while creating the words the letters don’t have to touch each other. You can pick any letter off the board that you want from anywhere.

The next thing that really makes it a unique experience is the way you play against other people. They have the same letters as you do on the same board. The game is the same for everybody who is online. There is only one game going on at a time. So when you click play you are added to the game in progress. Once the game is over you are added into another game in ten seconds or you can just leave the game.

Baked inside this game is a leader board among your friends. It doesn’t use Facebook or anything like that, it just recognizes people you have played with that are in the same location as you. The setting is really stripped down to only two options. Light and Dark mode as well as animations on or off. That’s it.

Conclusion

This game isn’t overly complicated or covered in flashy animations that distract you. It’s a simple game with a simple design that can really drive your competitive spirit. I also appreciate that this game is totally free with no ads or in-app purchases of any kind. Bushido Games could easily charge a little for Scraby and it would be totally worth it.

 Download Scraby in the Play Store

Personalize your Nexus 5X, 6P or 6 with a Google Live case (review)

Derrick Miyao
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3

Back in April, Google announced it was launching official Live cases for its Nexus 6, 6P and 5X smartphones. Live cases are personalized smartphone cases where you can put just about any image onto a blank slate for a personal touch to add to your smartphone.

There are two types to choose from, the Photos Live Case, and the Places Live Case.

google live cases

I decided to pick up two live cases for my Nexus 6P to test them out.

Designing your own live cases

The process of designing a Live case is simple. All you have to do is go to the Google Store, select Live Cases, pick from Places or Photos and follow the four step process.

For exact instructions, you can follow my tutorial here.

I chose to do one of each – one of my dog Taro when she was a puppy, and one from Places where I spend most of my time.

live case photos
Taro on the Google Photos Live Case.

 

Custom Google Places Live Case for the Nexus 6P.
Custom Google Places Live Case for the Nexus 6P.

Setting up a custom case design is very simple. Google will even warn you if your image is blurry and will result in a blurry print. In both of my cases though, I had no issues with resolution.

You’re free to choose from stock images, or you can place pre selected designs Google has laid out for you, from different colors schemes to different shapes and patterns. In the Live Case I made, I selected a two tone fading color scheme of blue and purple. My Places Case though remained stock from Google Maps.

Cases come with a live wallpaper and NFC chip

What’s an especially cool feature built into both live cases, is an NFC chip that serves as a button to bring in your image from your creation to create a live wallpaper. Once you download the official Live Case app from the Google Play Store, all you have to do touch the case to your phone to activate it.

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Your live wallpaper will be the image of your Place or Live photo, so with my Live Case of Taro, my wallpaper became an image of her as well.

The shortcut button on the back can give you one-touch access to places of interest around you, or you can customize the button to open your camera or your favorite app.

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Fit and Feel

The fit of the official Google Live cases is perfect. At the time I placed my orders back in April, the Matte option was available, but Glossy was not. Matte provides a smooth finish that doesn’t attract fingerprints and is nice to hold.

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As you can see in the images, the cases fit about as perfect as one can ask for.

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There’s also a lip that protrudes just above the display to offer drop protection for your screen.

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Conclusion

At $35 per case, with shipping included, the price for a custom and well-built case is a great price. It fits perfectly, offers excellent protection for your Nexus smartphones, and looks pretty darned cool. It’s a nice change from the black and clear cases we normally purchase. The only downside to ordering a custom case is the long wait time of 4-5 weeks, but that may be shorter now that it has been available to purchase for a couple of months now.

Get your own custom Live Case from the Google Play Store for $35.

The Nexus 6P is also on sale at Amazon and Newegg for a limited time.

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Samsung Gear Fit2 now available from retailers

AndroidGuys
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Consider this a quick and friendly notification that the recently introduced Samsung Gear Fit2 is now available. Offered at a variety of outlets, you’ll find the new wearable selling for about $180.

The Samsung Gear Fit2 pairs with most Android smartphones and provides a number of functions. The internal sensors include GPS and heart rate monitors so tracking fitness and activities comes easy. Thanks to the built-in storage lets users load up music to play through Bluetooth headphones. And, because it’s flexible and works with your phone, it offers up notifications from your apps.

If you’re in the market for a new wearable, we’d definitely recommend picking up the Gear Fit2. You can buy the Samsung Gear Fit2 at Samsung, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo Video, and Target.

The post Samsung Gear Fit2 now available from retailers appeared first on SmarterWatching.

Source: SmarterWatching

[Review] JolyJoy makes minimal design accessible with an LED lamp

Andrew Orr
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I’ve always been somewhat of a minimalist. Whether it’s trying out the One Backpack Lifestyle, or putting together modern architecture boards on Pinterest, I appreciate minimal and modern design. So when I received an LED lamp in them mail by JolyJoy, I was immediately enamored of its sleek look.

First Impressions

Not only is the lamp minimal, but the packaging is as well. It came in a simple black box with a thin plastic covering, so unpacking it was a breeze. The device comes out of the box fully charged, so you can start using it immediately.

The lamp itself is made of white silicon rubber and aluminum, so it is, dare I say…light. The most interesting feature of the lamp is its flexibility. You can bend it a full 180° back so it lies flat against the table, or bend it forward so it fits inside the packaging. The lamp also comes in black.

LED_lamp04

Features

  • Brand: Joly Joy
  • Item Weight: 1.9 lbs
  • Dimensions: 15.1 x 3.8 x 3.2 inches
  • Light Source: 0.4W – 0.5W
  • Battery: Rechargeable lithium-polymer, 2000mAh

On the top of the base near the front, there is a power button symbol etched into the plastic, but it’s not a button per se. Rather, it is touch sensitive. All you need to do is lightly touch the power symbol to turn it on and off.

At the front of the base you’ll see a small touch panel, to control the dimming/brightness of the light (six dimmable levels) and to cycle it through different shades of white. That’s right, another cool feature is the lamp’s ability to shine in three shades of white: a cool white, a neutral white and a warm white. The shades of white are meant be used for different reading situations in order to help reduce eyestrain.

LED_lamp03

The 2000mAh battery can last up to 30 hours on a single charge, and it takes about three hours to charge it up again with a micro USB port on the base. The lamp comes with a USB cord that’s about 12 inches long.

Fluorescence vs Incandescence vs LED

So what is the difference between these types of light anyway?

Compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs generate light by sending an electrical charge through an ionized gas mixture of argon and mercury vapor. First introduced in 1970, they were believed to replace incandescent bulbs because of their higher energy efficiency (lasting anywhere from 6,000 – 35,000 hours). But CFL bulbs are more expensive and contain mercury, which caused some people to worry about them as a health hazard.

Incandescent bulbs emit light by heating a metal filament, commonly made from tungsten, inside of a bulb filled with an inert gas like argon. These types of bulbs only last for about 2,000 hours. They aren’t as energy efficient but they are cheaper than CFL bulbs, so this bulb has stuck around for decades.

Light-emitting diode (LED) lights were meant to be a solution to the hazards of CFL bulbs. These lights are called solid state lighting (SSL), because instead of emitting light from a vacuum (incandescent) or a gas (fluorescent), an SSL commonly emits light from a solid piece of matter, like a semiconductor.

LED bulbs aren’t commonly found in most households yet, but they can be even more energy efficient than CFL bulbs, with some lasting up to 50,000 hours. The LED method loses less energy in the form of heat than other light technology.

LED_lamp10

Conclusion

This LED lamp has quickly become one of my favorite products. It’s a little pricey and doesn’t shine as brightly as a traditional incandescent bulb, but it’s more environmentally friendly and rechargeable. And if you’re a lover of modern design as I am, you might like this product too.

Check out the product on JolyJoy’s website for $45, or buy it on Amazon (Affiliate Link).

10 of the absolute best icon packs with Material Design

AndroidGuys
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0

As many of you know, Material Design was a concept introduced by Google in 2014. Slow to see adoption early, it is now seeping into apps, games, and other aspects of the mobile experience. But, not everything we see on our Androids is Material Design. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense, like in the area of games. Where do you add or incorporate that in a game?

The notion of Material Design may not be a big deal to some people but for its fans, it certainly is. Take, for instance, icon packs. You download what looks like a pretty well-designed bundle with all these pretty icons and then suddenly there’s an Angry Birds icon that just doesn’t match.

Take a look through the Play Store and you’ll see there are quite a few with Material Design in mind. Some are done really, really well while others didn’t quite hit the mark. We have combed through the Play Store in search for what we feel are some of the best icon apps with Material Design.

Candy Cons: More than 1,000 icons, nearly two dozen wallpapers, and support for just about every launcher you’ll find. The dynamic calendar option is a cool touch and shows a different corresponding date each day. Throw in the Muzei support for the wallpapers and we’re digging it. Price: Free

Polycon: Over 600 icons and 20 beautiful wallpapers, 14 App drawer icons and 12 folder icons Polycons will certainly brighten up you screen. Price: Free with some in-app purchases

Glim: Featuring long shadows and vibrant color ripped straight from the palette of Material design, Glim has over 1500 HQ icons and support for cloud-based wallpapers with Muzei. Spring for the upgrade and you can get over 2500 icons that feature variant colors of popular apps. Price: Free/$2.79

Moonshine: The original Material Icon pack and still the best. With 925+ icons and 28 homemade wallpapers it has from start embraced Material design and continues to improve. Price: Free

Materialistik Icon Pack: With over 3300 stunning icons, Materialistik also supports Muzei. In order to use this pack, you must download a custom launcher. Since the support 29 launchers, this shouldn’t be an issue. If you act quickly you can catch the sale price. Price: $.99 (sale)

marshmallow-Icon Pack HD: With a long list of supported launchers marshmallow is a subtle, minimalistic & elegant theme. It’s certainly bound to keep your screen looking nice. Price: Free

Urmun: As of right now Urmun is half off…that’s right half off. This gets you 73 beautiful wallpapers, 3,730 icons, and a clock widget. It also supports a dynamic calendar, which is always nice. It’s also updated weekly. Price: $.99 (sale)

MaterialOS Icon Pack: This one is a small one but still packs a big punch. It features 450+ icons and wallpapers from many talented designers. There is also multi launcher support. Price: Free with some in-app purchases

Cygnus: Sleek and sexy, two words to describe this pack. Rocking cloud-based wallpapers, 8 Zooper templates, oh and…800+ icons. Price: Free with some in-app purchases

Clix: As described by the dev, clean, simple and flat. It’s another small pack that features 400+ icons. However, it does have a dynamic calendar and cloud wallpapers. Price: Free

Pelican PROTECTOR: A case review

AndroidGuys
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0

The Shpeel

Smartphones are not cheap. In fact, if you already have a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge you know this all too well. Almost 800 bucks is the current going rate.

The debate is fierce, do I go “NAKED’ and show off the beauty of this very expensive pocket size computer. Or do I cover all the beautiful glass and metal up with a case, so that it lasts longer than the first day when inevitably I drop it on the sidewalk, face down and try to convince myself that ” it didn’t drop that hard. The screen is fine!” only to pick it up and to realize that even though “it didn’t drop that hard” it’s now a shattered mess that will cost almost as much to fix as replace.

I say COVER IT UP! Protect that investment and put a good case on it. Even though it’s not 100% certain that it still won’t break, there is a lot better chance of it dropping and being ok with a case on.

Back in package
Back in package

The Scoop

Enter the Pelican Protector! Pelican has been at the “protecting things” game for a long time. 40 years in fact! It started out making Scuba diving gear, and have since moved into protecting everything imaginable.

Which so happens to include the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. The Protector is “Tested to Military Specifications to survive multiple drops”, has impact absorbing TPR rubber lining to protect the electronics inside the phone, and angled edges to divert energy and protect the screen from surface contact. The case is made with hard plastic and rubber for “two layer” protection. 

61hw9rbLFbL._SL1500_

 

Summing it up

This case has a hard plastic back, but softer rubbery side walls. There is a rubber ring around the back that helps it not slip around when the phone is sat down on its back and when it’s in your hand. This case is two layers, not two pieces like with some other cases.

The smooth look of the hard plastic with rubber grips in all the right places make this case from Pelican visually pleasing and feels great in your hand.

Some drawbacks are the power and volume buttons are a little bit too small and take just a slightly harder push than I would like. Also the charging port cutout is slightly smaller than the non-Samsung chargers I have. Neither of those issues are a deal breaker by any means.

The other drawback for me specifically is I use a magnetic CD tray mount in my car (LIKE THIS ONE). The thickness of the hard plastic on the back, and the slippery section in the middle where the magnet connects, made my phone fall off the mount while driving. I really like the look and feel of this case and definitely feel my phone is protected from drops. Also, this case comes with a lifetime warranty that covers the case if it breaks. “Guaranteed For Life: You break it, we replace it” is the Pelican’s motto.

You can buy the Pelican Protector at Amazon HERE for around $39.99 with free shipping included.

You can also learn more at Pelican.

 

 

 

How to get the LG V10 camera app on the LG G4 [Tutorial]

Jason Botha
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Shortly after the release of the LG G4, LG announced the LG V10. With a secondary auxiliary display and the Snapdragon 810, it was a reasonable step-up from LG’s yearly flagship, and was perhaps what the G4 was meant to be.

Among the features that came with the V10 was the manual video control that was missing in the G4. Although you could extensively tweak settings like the exposure and color warmth while taking photos, that was not the case for video recording. Fortunately, some tweakers from XDA have ported the LG V10 camera app so that it can be used almost flawlessly with the G4, with no root required.

Screenshot (59)

Instead of replacing the original camera app, it installs it as a separate one. This effectively means that you’re not fiddling with things that you’re not supposed to and that you can easily turn back to the original app if needed.

To install, you simply need to download the .apk and install it as you would any other application. You of course need to have installations from unknown sources turned on in the phone settings menu.

You can download the app from the XDA website right here after reading the brief instructions on their site. 

Screenshot (60)

Among the features you’ll receive on top of the V10 features, is the 60FPS FHD recording and advanced microphone control with wind noise cancellation.

The only bug is that you cannot save files to the SD card directly from the camera, and there’s another small bug which duplicates the HD/FHD/UHD buttons when you open the settings tab (which is not really a problem).

sddefault

Thanks to XDA users @defcomg and @yener90 for making this possible.

Iconic game publishers make moves on mobile market

AndroidGuys
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Mobile gaming is now much more than just something you do while you’re waiting for the bus or riding the subway. It’s big business and even companies that built their fortunes on traditional console titles can no longer afford to ignore the ever-growing, omnipresent platform. Among the publishers making renewed efforts at capturing the mobile market are Nintendo and Capcom, two of the most classic and beloved game makers of all time.

We’d been hearing since last year that Nintendo was finally going to get into the mobile market amidst less than stellar sales of the Wii U. The first among these is the recently released social title, Miitomo. According to Wired, the launch of the app was a resounding success in Japan, accumulating more than 1 million users in a mere three days. Nintendo’s first foray into the world of social titles isn’t as innocent as it may seem, though. The app supports micro-transactions and the company looks poised to be making a large chunk of change with its entry into the mobile market. Miitomo is just the tip of the iceberg for what the gaming titan has in store (and since its release, it’s been the subject of harsh criticism).

Nintendo has also been teasing the forthcoming Pokemon GO with a series of trailers and screenshots that have fans frothing at the mouth for the opportunity to hunt their favorite monsters in the real world. Gameplay of the augmented reality title was previewed at SXSW, but there’s still no word yet as to an official release date. Although, it has been said that the game will definitely be released at some point in 2016. That day can’t come soon enough, and with the new VR capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S7, we can’t for the possibility of combining the two.

Joining Nintendo is another Japanese gaming giant, Capcom. As the industry continues moving toward mobile platforms in lieu of traditional consoles, it’s not surprising that a company so rooted in the old-school way of the thinking is finally beginning to look at things differently. Capcom’s launch of Street Fighter V was plagued by server issues, requiring several patches within the first month of its release and the company desperately needs a shot in the arm if it hopes stay relevant.

IGN reports that Capcom is planning to release four games based on some of its more popular franchises before March 31, 2017. These titles are expected to include classic franchises such as the Mega Man series along with modern staples like Monster Hunter and Sengoku Basara. The company also recently released a comprehensive gathering of its titles starring the Blue Bomber in last year’s well-received Mega Man Legacy Collection. Taking a similar approach to some of its IP on mobile devices could work well, too, especially for a publisher struggling to cope with the modern marketplace.

Mobile is simply the way of the future, and everyone from casual game developers to AAA publishers to social casinos are competing to get a piece of the action. Online hub Gala Casino has expanded its own mobile offerings by providing a wider variety of gameplay styles and improved interactivity. The latter is especially evident through the use of live dealers, which creates a more immersive experience that can still be played on the go. Considering that Superdata estimates social casino revenue for 2015 was $3.4 billion, it’s not hard to see why companies that once relied on arcades and consoles are looking to the market as a vital revenue stream.

With potentially billions of dollars at stake in the market, a gaming company would have to be crazy not to have products available for mobile. When it comes to Nintendo and Capcom, all we can say is that it’s about time!

Ragnarok: Heroes of Midgard could use some Godly help (Review)

AndroidGuys
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0

Overview

Ragnarok: Heroes of Midgard is a free-to-play card collecting/RPG game that has a lot of potential, but also a lot of faults.

Developer: OmegaGamesLLC

Cost: Free (with micro-transactions and ads)

Impressions

Ragnarok: Heroes of Midgard is an interesting game, to say the least. It’s a sort of card game/RPG hybrid with characters based off of Norse mythology and fantasy. The game features card collecting, exploration and battling with a team of characters – sounds great, right? Unfortunately, Ragnarok doesn’t exactly do any of these things in an outstanding way.

The story of the game is essentially Loki, the Norse god of Mischief, is up to no good and you need to stop his evil deeds across the realms of Asgard. The game takes some liberties with Norse lore, but it isn’t the worst premise.

The game is similar in style to other popular mobile games like Brave Frontier, where you collect characters of varying rarity and power, put them in a team, and fight in automatic battles. Ragnarok uses cards instead of characters, with admittedly nice art on them, which you collect from the field of battle and from the environment. You can summon cards using in-game currency and real money, as well as upgrade and fuse them together to get more powerful units. Once you get the cards, however, the game takes a sharp drop in fun.

Where a game like Brave Frontier has Final Fantasy-style animated battles with interesting effects and some degree of interactivity, Ragnarok does not. Battles in Ragnarok boil down to two parties bumping into each other with little to no animation, and just some numbers popping up.

The battles last about 2-10 seconds at most, and sometimes you don’t even know what happened until the win/loss screen appears. I wish they had sprung for animations, or added some strategy to the mix, letting you pick which cards attack when, or maybe add some ability to launch special attacks. The game just doesn’t give the player much to do besides tap one button and watch.

The same can be said of exploration, which consists of tapping the “explore” button and watching a little animation over and over until something happens. Occasionally a battle will crop up, or a cut-scene detailing the story will occur, but they are not very frequent, making exploration become tedious at times.

There are other modes to play as well, including an arena mode, where you can battle your party against others. A guild feature is also available, in which you can create and join teams with other players or friends. These modes are fine, but the arena is just more of the same boring battles.

Also, the app has a weird issue where it installs two different icons. Worst of all, one works and the other doesn’t. Confusing and frustrating for sure.

Conclusion

Overall, I was disappointed with Ragnarok: Heroes of Midgard. It has a lot of promise and a bunch of content to work with, but the gameplay itself, coupled with the bevy of superior games available in the same genre for the same price, make this game a hard sell. If you’re looking for a decent game to pick up and play for a time waster, or if you need that collectible free-to-play card game/RPG fix, you could certainly do worse, but also a lot better.

Download and install Ragnarok: Heroes of Midgard from the Google Play Store.

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