Motorola Droid Razr XT912: Rooting ICS and Gingerbread with CASUAL Root Tool

Motorola Droid Razr XT912: Rooting ICS and Gingerbread with CASUAL Root Tool

There’s no shortage of rooting processes on the Internet, but most methods can be daunting to Android newbies. With so many terms and no idea where to begin with understanding them, it doesn’t take a lot to discourage someone who’s just learning what rooting and its benefits are.

If you’ve just got your Motorola Droid Razr, and you’re running on either the recently leaked Ice Cream Sandwich firmware or Gingerbread then we have what you are looking for. With CASUAL Root Tool, you get a one-click root method that newbies should find simple to use. Read on to know how to use CASUAL Root Tool on your Motorola Droid Razr.

Overview:

Rooting your phone is very risky and can pose a higher chance of bricking your device if you’re not familiar with the terms and instructions in rooting. If you are a beginner, rooting really is a complicated procedure. Thanks to easy-rooting methods, newbies in rooting don’t have to feel nervous in manually rooting their devices with complicated instructions.

Cross-platform ADB Scripting Universal Android Loader, or CASUAL in short, is a one-click root method for the Motorola Droid Razr. The CASUAL Root Tool is dedicated to give its users a shortcut for rooting. This method was released by XDA Elite Recognized Developer and XDA TV Producer AdamOutler. It was made to be very user-friendly, perfect for newbies still learning about the world of customizing their devices. The best thing about the CASUAL Root Tool is that it’s JAVA-based, which means that it’s compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Caution:

• This method is still in beta testing stage right now and may still have a few bugs that need resolving, but it’s already effective in rooting your Motorola Droid Razr.
• Take note that this guide is only applicable to the Motorola Droid Razr with model number XT912.  To know the model of your device go to Settings > About phone.
• Use this guide at your own risk. We will NOT be held liable for any damage on your device as a result of using this guide.

Requirements:

• Motorola Droid Razr XT912
• Create a back up of all the important data (i.e. contacts, call logs, files, bookmarks, and internet settings) just in case something goes wrong.
• Download and install all the appropriate drivers for your device on your computer (MotoHelper_2.1.40_Driver_5.5.0.exe, size: 8.2MB)
• Download and install the latest version of JAVA in your computer.
• Download the latest version of CASUAL root tool. (CASUAL-PublicBeta4.jar, 4.58 MB)
• Enable USB Debugging on your phone. Go to Settings>Applications>Development.

Instructions:

1. Connect your Droid Razr to your computer via the USB Cable.
2. Double click on the CASUAL-PublicBeta4.jar file to run it.
3. To root your phone do the following:
   • For Gingerbread ROM: Choose the “Root with Motofail Exploit” option from the CASUAL tool window drop-down box, then hit “Do It”.
   • For Ice Cream Sandwich ROM: Choose “Root with RootICSRAZR” option from the drop-down box, then hit “Do It”.
4. Once rooting is done, disconnect your Droid from your computer.

Congratulations! You have successfully rooted your Motorola Droid Razr using the CASUAL root method.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Upgrading to Android 4.0.4 ICS via AOKP ROM build 32

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Upgrading to Android 4.0.4 ICS via AOKP ROM build 32

Since Ice Cream Sandwich was released last year, custom ROMs based on the software began sprouting like mushrooms. Everyone wants Ice Cream Sandwich on her or his devices, whether it’s official, a port, or a custom ROM developed by some of the dedicated developers in the Android community.

With some custom ROMs improving Ice Cream Sandwich, it’s no wonder that the ROMs are as well-loved as the original software itself. One of these custom ROMs is the Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) ROM. It’s quickly becoming one of the most well-known ROMs among users, thanks to its performance, customizable tweaks, and its famous ROM Control mod feature.

With AOKP Build 32 rolling out, one of the lucky devices to receive the update is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus . The build is packing some interesting features, such as:

• Camera: Pinch and Volume Zoom
• General UI: Customizable rotation delay is back!
• Bluetooth: AVRCP 1.3+ support
• Lockscreen/NavBar: Allow shortcuts to specify their own icons
• NavBar: Allow tablets to use “hide NavBar” feature
• NavBar: Custom NavBar is now available for tablets as well!
• NavBar: Customizable glow color
• Quiet Hours: Configure the hours your device should be quiet and/or still
• Statusbar: Added ability to WeatherPanel to start a custom app
• Statusbar: Added ability to hide signal bars
• Statusbar: Customizable font size
• Statusbar: Customizable icon transparency

In this tutorial, we are going to give you a step-by-step guide on how you can install AOKP Build 32 ROM on your Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Compatibility:

• This guide is compatible only with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus GSM or CDMA. Check out your device model number by heading to Settings > About Phone.
• Proceed at your own risk. We will not be held liable for whatever may happen to your phone.

Requirements:

• Rooted Samsung Galaxy Nexus CDMA or GSM.
• ClockworkMod Recovery installed on your Galaxy Nexus. Check out this guide here if you haven’t installed ClockworkMod Recovery installed yet.
• Enable USB Debugging on your device. You can do this by going to Settings > Developer options > USB Debugging. Make sure that there is a check mark beside that option.
• Fully charged battery or at least 70% battery left.
• Backup of your personal files and important data.

Instructions:

1. Download the appropriate AOKP build 32 ROM version for your phone model and save it to your PC.
   • AOKP Build 32 for Galaxy Nexus GSM (aokp_maguro_build-32.zip, md5sum: 0b9a58d35cfcf5bbcce266c3925d0620)
   • AOKP Build 32 for Galaxy Nexus CDMA (aokp_toro_build-32.zip, md5sum: 0b9a58d35cfcf5bbcce266c3925d0620)
2. Download the GApps package from here (gapps-ics-404-Kejar31-020512.zip, md5sum: 042f8395d32af4660f70ddd1764f416f) and save it to your PC.
3. Connect your Galaxy Nexus to your PC via a USB cable.
4. Copy the AOKP ROM and GApps package to your phone’s internal SD card.
5. Disconnect your phone from the PC.
6. Switch off your phone.
7. Boot into ClockworkMod Recovery. You can do this by pressing and holding down the Volume Up and Down Keys then pressing the Power button. Keep pressing the button until Fastboot Mode shows-up on your screen. Select Recovery using the Power Key to confirm.
8. In Recovery Mode, create a Nandroid backup of your current ROM. Select Backup and Restore > Backup.
9. Go back to the main recovery menu.
10. Select Wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on the screen that follows to confirm data wipe.
11. Select Install zip from sdcard > Choose zip from sdcard.
12. Browse for the AOKP ROM package and select it. Select Yes on the screen that follows to confirm the installation.
13. Repeat the step 11, but this time, choose the GApps package.
14. Select Go back from the recovery menu.
15. Select Reboot system now to reboot your phone.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed the AOKP ROM build 32 on your Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

TubeMate YouTube Downloader 1.05.28 APK

TubeMate YouTube Downloader 1.05.28 APK

TubeMate: The fastest and most famous YouTube downloader

TubeMate is tool for Enjoying YouTube (m.youtube.com) search, related videos, favorites and Downloading them to SD in various qualities

Features:

• Fast download mode (with multiple connections for a download)
• Multiple download resolution options
• Background, multi-download
• Resume downloading
• Convert to MP3 (powered by MP3 Media Converter)
• Playlist as video/audio(powered by Meridian Player)
• Share your video finds via Google Buzz, Twitter or e-mail at the tap of a button
• YouTube search and related videos suggestions
• Save favorite videos to your YouTube account, create playlists

TubeMate YouTube Downloader enables you to quickly access, search, share, and download YouTube videos. Because downloading always happens in the background, you can go on watching YouTube, surfing the Internet, tweeting, and listening to your music as you download.

Requires Android: 1.6 or later

Speed Booster v1.33 APK Android

Speed Booster v1.33 APK Android 

Requires Android: 2.0 o later

This Android Speed Booster will improve your Phone Speed by up to 100%, Guaranteed!!!

Install this Android Speed Booster App & you can double the speed of any Android phone. The Android Speed Booster FREE… frees up your critical CPU resources which reduces the drain on your systems speed, improving performance by up to 100%. Get a real Speed Boost!

BONUS: Included with the App is Privacy Protector that keep your phone Privacy Protected and Secure. (Some of these features may not work in Android version 4.0)

HTC One X (Flagship Device)

HTC One X (Flagship Device)

The HTC One X is HTC‘s flagship device and currently the most powerful and feature-rich Android device on the market. I’ve had the device a little over a week now and thought I’d compile an objective criticism of the device. While the One X is a superb phone, it’s not perfect- there are a few issues with it and a few niggling problems that I have encountered since I received it.

There is a so-called ‘OS neutral’ tech website falling over themselves to knock the One X down, making the very most of the small issues the device has and comparing it unfavourably to the iPhone. I’ve noticed it is often called “too big” and “too powerful” (which can only hint that it’s actually just bigger and more powerful than an iPhone). There’s been criticism of the battery, the internal storage, the screen and the software. It just seems like they are protesting a little too much… perhaps their own preferences are feeling threatened? I wonder too that if the next Apple phone screen is bigger than the paltry 3.5″ of the 4S and incorporates a quad-core processor it too will be deemed “an overkill”? Somehow I doubt it.

In light of this, I thought it might be an idea to give some balanced criticism of my own. Now, this is not going to be an embarrassing love-in between me and my Android, I intend to be objective and highlight the things that genuinely bother me as a user. I should also stress I’ve so far refrained from rooting my One X, and it is currently exactly as I began with it. So, in no particular order:

Battery
The internal, and therefore irreplaceable, battery lasts me approximately 11 hours with typical usage. While I went into this in a little detail in my review, I’ve monitored the battery since then quite closely. This 11 hours has improved slightly- the battery seems to get better with charging and calibrating (I don’t know the science behind this but it’s prudent to run the battery right down and leave it to charge while switched off a few times). I now get closer to 12 hours per charge with normal usage.

While I don’t think this is unreasonable for a smartphone, it’s still disappointing considering that the 5th ‘stealth’ processor is meant to improve battery life. It was in the midst of this funk that I discovered a good reason for this battery problem; essentially some of the software was compiled incorrectly resulting in the battery-saving effects being lost. The good news for One X users is, however, as a software problem, it can be rectified. Currently there is a method to do this without rooting but then it might be a safer option to wait for an HTC update which is supposedly imminent. This adjustment should result in up to 20% extra battery life, so for me this could mean a life of around 14 hours per charge, which is significantly better.

Screen Lag
This is a curious one. I find that, from my homescreen, there is always a tiny- almost unnoticeable- lag when you very first swipe either way. It always occurs when I return to the homescreen and only happens once. There is absolutely no slow-down or lag anywhere else that I have seen, and I’ve pushed it quite hard. Everything, from opening settings to the app draw, locking, unlocking, opening the camera or other apps is all done flawlessly, so I’m guessing this lag I have detected must also be in some way software-related.

Contacts
In my People, Groups and Call history, you can clearly see people’s numbers and pictures. However, in ‘Phone’ under recent calls, these number as listed as ‘Unknown’. It doesn’t really make sense, and is probably yet another small software issue, but it is a little weird.

Dropbox integration
I use Dropbox a lot, so I was chuffed to bits that I’d be getting an extra 23GB of storage with the service. Nothing could be easier for me to take screenshots of apps I’m reviewing and then upload to Dropbox for easy access on my laptop. However, since this upgrade to extra space, transfer seems to be incredibly sporadic and very unreliable.

In the past files upload automatically, however, now they can take forever to kick in- sometimes hours and hours. In the end, if I need the pictures on my computer immediately, I have to manually plug my One X and transfer via USB.  After using Dropbox regularly for a number of months now, this feels incredibly old fashioned and worryingly it means Dropbox is not reliable enough for me to use at the moment.

HTC Hub
I remember I logged into and made good use of the HTC Hub (a collecting pot of extra wallpapers, skins and ringtones, etc.) when I had my HTC Desire HD. It contained plenty of cool content that you could easily download straight onto you phone. However, now it seems all but empty. There are few ringtones but most often I get a little notice that says “No available content”. If that is the case and there is no content, why have it as an option at all?

Again, this is an incredibly minor niggle, and possibly something that could go unnoticed by many users, but for me it’s a little annoying as I’ve not been overwhelmed by the personalisation choices available pre-installed.

Sprint Galaxy Nexus Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) available April 22

Sprint Galaxy Nexus Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) available April 22 

Sprint officially announced the flagship Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), Galaxy Nexus, smartphone available April 22nd for $199.99; while pre-orders start today. The Galaxy Nexus on Sprint will be capable of blazing the Internet with 4G LTE in select cities. Just like the Verizon version, this smartphone boasts a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED contour display and dual cameras enabling video chat. The $200 price, of course, is subsidized with a two year agreement and available at http://www.sprint.com/nexus