Slatedroid info

As of late, we have been covering apps that have surfaced on XDA that perform functions that we are used to seeing on most mobiles. However, the gist of these new/old apps is that they all add a bit of a twist to the already working models, thus breaking the status quo of all the other apps in its category. In the particular case of RSS feeds or other types of news feeds, most apps will deliver vast contents to your screen, from any source capable of relaying information to your particular app. However, the limitation for most if not all apps of this kind is that they will display only a couple of sentences, maybe even a small synopsis of the entire piece, and will link you to the source’s website to read the article. XDA Recognized Developer h4oxer has come up with a rather elegant solution to avoid having to go to yet another site to finish reading interesting stories.

The News: UK Edition is, as stated before, a news feed. It is capable of retrieving information from pretty much any news source in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), so you can stay up-to-date on anything from local news, traffic, to even some of that juicy gossip that revolves famous people. The difference between this app and others is that the app can retrieve the entire article and put it in your screen thanks to what the dev has called EasyRead technology. Because of EasyRead, there is no the need to link to an external website anymore, thus forcing you to read the article in a web browser. The articles are formatted newspaper-style, so they are quite easy to read. You do have the option to go to the website as well in case you are more comfortable reading the pieces that way.

The app’s interface can be fully customized by letting you change the order of all pieces, sources, and news type. On top of that, the app offers integration of some of the most commonly known media tools. This way you can share your favorite stories with the rest of the world via Facebook, G+, e-mail, and much more. The dev is looking for good feedback, whether it is bugs or suggestions. So, please leave your thoughts in the thread.

The News: UK Newspaper Edition (Free) is the ultimate App for getting the latest UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales) news from all the UK’s top newspapers, from broadsheets to tabloids. With our EasyRead technology you can decide to view the full articles in perfect newspaper format right from the App!

You can find more information in the original thread.

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[Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer h4oxer for the tip!]

You may or may not recall sometime last year, when a member by the name of XDA Recognized Developer rovo89 introduced a brand new concept to this world, named Xposed Framework. This essentially enables the user to hack any ROM and change virtually anything without coding, cracking the ROM open with a kitchen, or even flashing a zip through recovery. Possibilities with such a tool are virtually endless, and it is nearly risk free. Some people have released a few things here and there, but as with most novel concepts, things take time to take a foothold in people’s minds. The good news is that more and more people are beginning to see the wonders of this framework and have begun using it to add functionality that would otherwise require a brand new ROM (as what you want may not be available for your favorite ROM). XDA Forum Member ruqqq is among those people, and he has released something quite interesting based on Xposed.

XThemeEngine is similar to TMobile theme engine found in CyanogenMod and derivatives. Essentially, choose a theme, download it, and apply it via the engine. There’s no flashing, and there’s no mess. The only difference is that the CM engine is only available for AOSP ROMs (there are some engines analogous to this like VR Theme Engine, but this one is completely built on Xposed as the platform). The dev states that this will work if two conditions are met: The device needs to be rooted, AND Xposed framework needs to be installed. It has been tested on a wide range of devices already without issues. The dev also states that it is possible (and in fact quite simple) to make new themes from scratch (template provided as well), so you can literally let your imagination fly. If your imagination pool is somewhat dried up and you feel like using an existing theme,  porting can also be easily accomplished by following a few steps.

Please take it for a spin and share your creations with the rest of the world. Do keep in mind that this is still under beta phase and as such, there are some bugs. So, please read the entire opening post for all the details.

XThemeEngine allows you to theme your device similar to how T-Mobile/CM10 Theme Engine. Install theme apk, activate theme from XThemeEngine app. Voila!

You can find more information in the original thread and you can read more about Xposed Framework in this thread.

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Ever since the days of Windows Mobile, we have had features available on our devices that we pretty much have taken for granted. This includes things like applications for taking down notes, setting calendar events, alarms, and many others are things that we have lived with for many years. Because of this, not too many improvements are done to said features as they essentially do everything we expect of them—and they do it well. We have some developers out there who apparently can take these 100% working, reliable concepts and squeeze an extra 5-10% more out of them, making them effectively even better than the original tools. In this particular case, the concept in question is ensuring that you can use your devices when you wake up the following morning.

XDA Forum Member shadrmg has developed an application called AC Socket. The concept of this app is quite simple: It is a reminder to charge your device every night. Stock Android (well, not just Android but pretty much any device out there with a battery) will normally start complaining about lack of juice somewhere around the 10-20% battery charge remaining mark. While this app does not actually mess with that, it provides the device with a dedicated app to ensure that you remember to plug in your phone at a specific time, regardless of the charge level present in your phone. While you could potentially accomplish the same by setting up an alarm on your phone, this app also goes a step further and provides you with an average for your daily battery usage. The app also gives the user the opportunity to either disable this notification for a single day or completely.

Again, while this may not be the most novel concept out there, it takes an existing one and adds a bit more functionality. After all, lets face it. How many times have you gone to sleep after a stressful day only to find out that your phone died halfway through the night because you forgot to plug it in? Please take this for a spin and provide any feedback you may have to the dev.

AC Socket is an easy tool to help You not to forget dock-in Your smartphone at night every evening to have fully charged battery each morning.

You can find more information in the original thread.

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Not too long ago, XDA Forum Member taomorpheus released a rather interesting alternative to the current official Facebook app called Fast. The app is essentially a replacement for the original, bringing to the table a far simpler, less bloated, and much lighter client for the the infamous social media site. As good as it is, there is always room for improvement. Since the dev knew this to be the case, he kept on cranking ideas to make the experience of Fast even faster. The result after some months worth of testing, one can now use the app without going into the app thanks to widgets. With that in mind, he embarked on a journey to add as much FB functionality to the home screen launcher as humanly possible. However, this had to be done without compromising the lightness of Fast, which is (after all) what sets it apart from its official counterpart

Fast Home Widgets, much as its name suggests, is a set of widgets (10 to be precise) to do virtually everything you normally do on Facebook, but without actually opening the FB app. As mentioned earlier, the beauty of this pack is that it allows you to do something different with each widget, so you could essentially arrange them and use just the ones with the services that you normally use. For instance, lets just say that the only two things you do on Facebook are update your status and upload pics, but you are not interested in anything else like group chats, instant messaging, or even the news feed. You now have individual widgets dedicated to these two things alone, without having to have extra options that you do not use, effectively reducing the clutter and making the entire experience a more simplified one.

As a quick note, the dev has stated that these are in private beta testing at the moment. If you would like to participate as a tester, to please send him a pm. There is no mention of limit for the beta testing program, so this can only mean that the dev is doing it to have a better pulse on the feedback for the widgets. They will be released in two batches: The first few will be available for testing in the next day or so and the last few towards the end of next month. As it is the case for everything on XDA, please do not ask for ETAs.  If you get on the beta list, please provide any and all feedback for the dev. After all, that is exactly what you are signing up for.

 It’s a set of 10 widgets (android 4.0+) created in order to do the basic stuff on Facebook.
The first release will come with 5-6 widgets. I have planned to release the other 4-5 widgets by the end of May.

You can find more information in the original thread.

One of the key advancements in the mobile industry is the fact that people want to break away from the chains of a desktop (and even laptop) computer. Not having to carry 5-7 lbs of tech on your back is always an interesting point to consider when deciding what you want to get for work/play. However, since our devices are not (yet) fully capable of replacing our computers, the best thing we can do is try to utilize what we have and make ourselves as comfortable as humanly possible. After all, even if it is a pain, being able to use your PC from a distance with wireless devices is not nearly as bad or cumbersome when you are sitting in your most comfortable couch. The only issue with this is that you need to spend money on wireless devices (such as keyboard and mice) to do what you normally do on a PC, and these are not always cheap. If you are reading this article and are on XDA, you more than likely have a wireless-enabled mobile device. Why spend more money when you have something perfectly capable of accomplishing said task?

XDA Forum Member monect released his own version of a wireless interface to control a PC, effectively turning your phone/tablet/phablet into a keyboard/mouse/joystick/keypad all-in-one combo. Monect uses WiFi or Bluetooth to connect to your computer via a sever application that needs to be installed in the target computer. Once that is installed, the device can act like a wireless mouse or a keyboard, just like most other apps of its kind. What truly sets this one apart from the others is the fact that it can also be used as a controller for different types of games such as racing, FPS, RPG, and more. Each type of game has its own different set up with familiar layout for those who are used to having different kinds of controllers for each game style. And it is not just the layout, the app makes full use of the on board sensors to provide the user the ultimate experience when playing (accelerometer, G-sensor, gyro, etc). For instance, FPS mode enables the gyroscope sensor, allowing you to aim at your target, while Race mode uses the G-sensor to enable steering. And these are just a few perks in this loaded all-in-one goodness of a control app.

The app is freely available in the Play store and has no special requirements such as root (other than the installation of the server side app on your computer, that is). The only thing that the dev is looking for at this point is feedback regarding bugs and suggestions on how to improve it. Please take it for a spin and share your experience with the dev.

Monect is a free app that allows you to control the PC over wi-fi or bluetooth,

You can find more information in the original thread.

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HotSpot functionality: the forbidden apple of mobile telecommunications. Being able to share your Internet connection with others or even with your own multiple devices is something that we did have always desired, particularly those who hate the idea of paying a “convenience/access fee” to a carrier. The feature/idea of tethering from our mobile devices is not new, and in fact has been around since well before the PDA Phone came to be. However, ever since its implementation, both manufacturers and carriers have been on a crusade to limit or flat out eliminate this functionality from our devices. Android comes with native wireless tethering capabilities, which again, are disabled, blocked, or removed from the OS for a wide variety of reasons. Well, if you fall under this category,  XDA Elite Recognized Developer Chainfire can help you with his latest work.

HotSpot Control will allow you to use this functionality as long as it is present on the device (meaning, it was not removed from the OS). Normally, the native app can be disabled or hidden to favor other things such as carrier apps, which could prompt you to sign up for tethering monthly services. What’s more, there are times when the functionality will be blocked regardless of whether you have a carrier or not. In this particular case (and what really prompted Chainfire to work on this app), the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has a “feature” which disables the option to create a tethered connection to other devices if the SIM card is missing from the device. This app will allow you to activate and configure your hotspot regardless of whether you have a SIM card in there or not, or even if the native component is hidden from sight. Oh, and unlike other apps for tethering, root is not a requirement here.

Do keep in mind that this app was intended to allow the connection to be established between the devices. This app was not created as a means to bypass any software locks your carrier may have implemented to charge you for hotspot usage. There are various practical uses for this, so if you have something that requires a tethered connection to your device, now you can do it. As always, if you have any feedback or run into any bugs, please leave the information in the thread. Logs welcome.

THIS IS NOT DESIGNED TO BEAT YOUR CARRIER’S TETHERING PROTECTION - For some people it does (it depends on how that protection is implemented) but this is not what the app was made for. It’s no use complaining that it doesn’t do this for you.

You can find more information in the original thread.

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[Thanks to OEM Relations Manager jerdog for the tip!]

Altering your home screen has been made simpler thanks to the work of XDA Forum Member Buzz Plan. Buzz Launcher, which is only available for phones with Android 4.0.1 or greater, allows users to quickly download, apply, and share home screens. The application also makes it possible to create your own home screen using features such as Multi-Wallpapers and My Icons. 

The Buzz Custom Widget add-on gives users access to clock, date, and battery widgets to include in their own personalized home screens. If the stock look of the widgets doesn’t leave you satisfied, you can modify them to look any way you want. Home screens that you create can easily be shared thanks to a one-touch upload feature.

 Buzz Launcher also has other features such as:

ï¿­ MULTI-GRID: you can designate different grids for each screen (up to 12×12)

ï¿­ MANAGE FOLDERS: you can make folders in app drawers/Homescreen, modify folder image, and resize folders

ï¿­ MANAGE APPS: features for viewing most frequently used apps, recently installed apps, and hiding apps

ï¿­ MANAGE APP DRAWERS: Screen concept is applied to app drawers so you can manage apps by screens

ï¿­ GESTURE SUPPORT: Glide up, Glide down, Double tab and more.

ï¿­ Previewing is supported for various view settings.

If creating home screens is not your thing, there are more than 300 available to choose from—and they are all provided through Homepack Buzz Service. Installing a home screen only requires you to download the one that you want. Buzz Launcher automatically sets everything up once the download is complete. Linked apps can then be downloaded at your own leisure.

There are many useful and created home screens available for use with this application. Many of the changes that Buzz Launcher users have made are reminiscent of Rainmeter. So if you’re in the market for a new launcher or simply just want to try something novel, more information can be found in the original thread.

As our devices become more powerful, larger, and are filled with more and more software from the manufacturers (bloatware and some spyware); some things tend to take a hit that tend to make our experiences with our devices rather short lived. The battery is about the only thing in the entire technological salad that comprises our mobile devices that does not keep up with the rest. In this day and age, you will see similar sized batteries (in terms of capacity) to what you saw 2 years ago for far less power hungry devices. On top of that, as stated earlier, some software packages pre-installed do not help with your battery life either, which is why custom ROMs (particularly those of the AOSP variety) are a blessing as they are not loaded with the extra overhead. These extra apps are not only unnecessary, but many of them have a rather nasty side effect: They prevent your device from fully going to sleep when it has to.

Wakelocks have been around for quite some time (meaning they are nothing really new), and they are part of your overall Android experience. The wakelocks essentially will prevent certain apps from being totally killed by the device’s native memory management, allowing you to enjoy a faster response when opening apps, preventing your device from sleeping while you are in the middle of something, and even allowing you to do things with the screen off. As one would expect, there is no free lunch and keeping your device’s processor active has a toll on battery life. Determining what is responsible for these wakelocks is not always an easy or straight forward task because any given app could have more than 1 process keeping your device from sleeping.  XDA Forum Member ahikmat has developed an app that allows you to determine which apps are causing the biggest wakelocks.

Wakelock Detector will group all processes causing wakelocks on a per app basis, which makes it easier to determine which ones are the biggest offenders. This is indeed a great tool for analysis of battery drain on devices suffering from constant power “bleeding.” Please leave some feedback for the dev in case you have any suggestions or run into any bugs.

Ever wondered why your smartphone screen doesn’t turn off automatically when it should have, the screen wakes up all of a sudden or you find your phone battery drained even when you exited apps and turned off the screen? This might be due to wakelock holding apps.

You can find more information in the original thread.

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Ahh, the joy of flashing! For us mobile, ORD-positive, addicts, there is no better feeling than that which comes after refreshing our devices with the newest leaks of the newest OS versions. Of course, not too many pleasures in this world come without having to make some sort of effort. In the case of flashing, the issue normally is that we tends to flood our storage with files upon files on top of more files, all of which can be confusing at times and flashing the wrong file could potentially have serious consequences. What if there were a way to automatically flash everything you want without having to dig around? If this sounds appealing, then XDA Forum Member richardddd may have a surprise in stock for you.

Autoflasher is a small and very light weight script, which essentially hunts down flashable ZIP files that fall under certain nomenclature. Instead of having to pre-organize everything in folders or having to go up and down throughout your storage folder(s), looking for the correct ROM and kernel to flash, autoflasher will do that for you. You simply define the naming structure of the file(s) that you intend to flash on your device and the script does the rest. It will find, lump, and flash all the files that are being requested with minimum to no input required from the end user. Most recoveries already offer such functionality (batch flashing) as well as other apps like Mobile Odin (in the case of Samsung devices). However, autoflasher does not even require you to go into recovery as it will do it by itself. The filters are fully definable and easy to set up.

Please be advised that you will need to be rooted and have TWRP installed on your device. Please take it for a spin, flash a few things, and share your experiences with the rest of this ORD-filled world of ours.

Im a flash junkie and I was getting tired browsing trough differend folders in my recovery to flash ROM, kernel, themes, tweaks etc – every time i wanted to update my ROM.

You can find more information in the original thread.

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Not too long ago, we started covering how-to guides in the Epic 4G Touch section. These guides aimed to teach users and aspiring developers alike the ins and outs of messing with ROMs internals at the code level, as opposed to simply flashing zip files from recovery. The guides covered a few minor mods (features of TouchWiz ROMs on SGS3) that were mostly for eye candy and some functionality. However, the underlying point of them was not to make your phone prettier (this was the end result). The point was to try and get people to understand the process involved in coding and making tweaks is not as simple as some make it seem.

Taking on a very similar concept, we now jump to the Sony Xperia Arc where XDA Forum Member sandy7 brings us something rather similar. The dev has created a one stop shop thread for mods that can be enabled in the Xperia device. The first tutorial covers a mod that has been ported to virtually every brand of phone out there… music track skipping by using the volume rockers (long press). The dev goes on to discuss and talk about the different parts of code that must be added and modified in order to get this going on the Arc. The following one talks about modifications to the lock screen and the addition of the magnifying glass. Last but not least, the third post covers addition of settings to control things like CPU and panel settings. All these mods will require you to modify the android.policy.jar and whatever APK you are trying to mod, so make sure that you have the necessary tools available to decompile APKs and add the reuqired lines of code to them.

XDA Forum Member jader13254 has also contributed to the thread by adding a guide to make the mods compatible with the newer ICS base (.13). This means that if you know of something that could be included in this master thread, you should definitely drop by and add your share of knowledge to enlighten and motivate others. Lastly, leave your feedback and things you would change if you find easier methods to get to the same end result.

• android.policy.jar
• APKTOOL
• Notepad++
• winrar or 7zip
• and some patience.

You can find more information in the original thread.

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[Thanks to XDA News Writer jman2131 for the tip!]