Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich and TouchWiz® Make for a Sweet Experience
Cell Phones : [ Samsung Galaxy Axiom™ (U.S. Cellular) ]
Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich and TouchWiz® Make for a Sweet Experience
Build Android on Test Versions of Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr
With every new Linux distribution, some changes are required to successfully compile an Android build. Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution and is widely used to compile Android builds on home workstations. The most recent stable release is 13.10, but 14.04 is in testing and will be released in less than two months.
Trusty Tahr already can be used to stress test your CPU and compile your favorite ROM. As with almost every distribution, some preparation is needed, but a solution has been posted by XDA Senior Member sylentprofet.
Sylentprofet’s guide compiles all the necessary information, and how to use it. The main issue with Ubuntu 14.04 is Java. To build the Android OS with current tools, the Java version must be reverted to 1.6. Luckily, that can be done with just a few commands. Sylentprofet also shared a list of required tools and libraries needed to compile a ROM. The guide includes everything you need to know about setting up a build environment on Ubuntu and all Ubuntu-based distros like Mint, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, and so on.
Daily builds of Ubuntu can be obtained from the official Canonical website. Perhaps it’s a good time to test the beta, since it can now be done without losing the ability to compile Android. More information can be found in the guide thread.
[Thanks to my fellow news writer Samantha for the tip!]
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 versus the new Galaxy S5 — what’s new?
Having just announced the Galaxy S5, Samsung fans are undoubtedly joyous about the new flagship. We like the new styling, which pinches a bit of cool from the Note series. There are also the typical litany of features packed in, but what’s changed? The device is clearly updated, but is there enough to get excited about? We give a quick overview of what’s new!
The S5 has some features the S4 just doesn’t, which almost takes away from it being a simple update. An included heart rate monitor is fancy and clever, and ushers in an era of fitness monitoring. In a previous post, we noted the inclusion of a heart rate monitor might be Samsung’s way of accepting their limitations in wearables — or wearables in general.
When it comes to specs, though, the playing field is leveled. The screen is pretty much the same, as the S4 packed a 5-inch, 1920×1080, 441 ppi compared to the S5’s 5.1-inch, 1920×1080, 432 ppi. The SoC gets a significant bump, too, as the 2.5GHz processor replaces the 1.9GHz powerhouse from the S4. The 2GB RAM remains the same on both, though.
The battery also gets s slight boost, going to 2,800mAh from 2,600mAh. The camera also gets more megapixels, 16 compared to 13 from last year. The first shooter remains the same, with a 2.1MP camera replacing the 2MP from last year. A natural LTE category bump exists as well, but we doubt yo’ll touch the 150/50 top end it can provide. A MIMO antennae on the GS5 is nice, too.
Dimensionally, it's a touch taller at 5.59-inches. The S4 was 5.38 inches, and a bit slimmer too. At 2.75-inches, the S4 is a touch more svelte than the 2.85-inch wide S5. In regard to how thin the devices are, there isn’t much change — the S5 is 0.32-inches, while the S4 is 0.31-inches. The S5 is also a bit heavier, checking in at 5.1 ounces, whereas the S4 was just over 4.5 ounces.
The S5 doesn't come in quite as many colors just yet, but look for that to change as the device ages. It comes with Android 4.4 out of the box, too, making it both current and top of the line. Samsung did take away the 64GB option for the S5, but a microSD card should help with that. All in all, a pretty decent upgrade for the Galaxy S lineup.
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 has a heart rate monitor for those who shun wearables
Wearables are great, but still finding their way in the world. They promise to do all sorts of great things, but one function remains pretty standard — heart rate monitoring. If you don’t want to wear something on your wrist that keeps track of heart rate, Samsung has you covered. Their new Galaxy S5 has a heart rate monitor on the back.
What previously looked to be a secondary flash for the camera is actually dual purpose. When you look at the device, the flash/heart rate monitor sit just under the camera. In their announcement of the handheld, Samsung noted that the right side was the heart rate monitor, which would give your vitals with just a finger placed over it.
Pretty slick, and something that could show some humility from Samsung. Their original Galaxy Gear wearable showed that smartwatches are just plain limited in functionality. Fitness wearables are similarly limited, with heart rate monitoring being the biggest draw so far. By cobbling it into their smartphone, Samsung may be accepting their current lot in the wearable life.
The heart rate monitor on the S5 doesn’t necessarily poach from the various wearables Samsung has, but it does signify their understanding that many of us just don’t want them. Smartphones dealt a crushing blow to watches, and got many of us away from wearing them at all. Similarly, we need more reason to have a wrist wearable now. If heart rate is all they can really offer, and Samsung can put it into a smartphone, we’ll consider it a win-win for naked wrists.
Samsung Galaxy S5 pre-registration now open at one retailer
Excited for the Galaxy S5 form Samsung? You should be, it’s a stellar handset. In our hands-on, we found it to be a really strong device, and the fingerprint scanner is really neat, too. If you’re anxious to get your hands on it, you’ll still have to wait for April — but you can make sure you get yours via pre-registration.
Radio Shack tells us they are currently accepting pre-registrations for the device, via their website or in-store. It’s a simple “put your name down” scheme right now, but does reserve you a device when they’re available. If, after hearing all the great things the S5 has packed into it you want one, Radio Shack is one way to go.
The new look of the device is strikingly different from previous Galaxy S devices, instead borrowing from the Note series with a faux leather back. A bit more stylish and sleek than previous models, the Galaxy S5 is meant to usher in a new era of functionality for the flagship. With so much jammed in, there is almost nothing you’ll go wanting for.
Radio Shack hasn’t made clear if a down payment is required, but we’ll be sure to update this article if they get back to us. For now, it sounds as though it’s a simple reservation system, but for those who know they want a Galaxy S5, at least it assures you that you’ll get one quicker than many. We’re in Barcelona at MWC, so please be sure to keep checking back for all your new handheld and wearable info!
Samsung Galaxy S smartphones top the 200 million milestone
We're here at Mobile World Congress and the Samsung Unpacked 5 event is currently in progress. While we've already seen Samsung announce the Galaxy S5 smartphone, as well as the Gear 2 and Gear Fit, there was also a bit more talk coming from JK Shin. To that point, he mentioned a rather large number -- 200 million.
JK Shin has said Samsung now has more than 200 million Galaxy S customers. This was a global number, and as Samsung has released quite a few Galaxy S devices, there is still a bit of mystery here. Basically, Shin left it as this general number for all Galaxy S devices. But still, 200 million.
Along with the number there was also some chatter about the customers, and the future. Shin mentioned how "innovation will never stop" coming from Samsung. And perhaps nicer for the end user to hear, he also said "they will always be inspired by those people they serve around the world."
That said, make sure to dive down into the Story Timeline sitting below to see our hands-on posts for the Galaxy S5, Gear 2, and Gear Fit. We'll also have plenty more coming from MWC 2014 throughout the week.
Samsung Galaxy S5 US availability announced [Updated]
Samsung Galaxy S5 will be coming to the US in April. The newest flagship from Samsung will be available for all major carriers, and via all major retailers. This, after being announced at MWC, brings the handset to us faster than previously thought.
We speculated on this when we saw a Spigen case for the device listed on Amazon not long ago. The case, available April 15th, hinted to us that April would be the timeframe for release. Thankfully, we were right in that speculation, with Samsung now promising April would be the timeframe for release in the US.
Available via all four major carriers, as well as MetrPCS and US Cellular, the Galaxy S5 release is likely to see a staggered rollout throughout April. Samsung wasn’t forthcoming about the actual dates, but we don’t expect to see them come out on the same day. Alongside the new flagship, Samsung will also be rolling out their new wearables — the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.
Samsung is also saying the device will be available via all major retailers, online or otherwise. It will of course be in their experience shops at Best Buy, but will also be available via Amazon. Costco, Target, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, and Walmart round out the retailer options for now, but we expect you’ll be able to find the new had set everywhere. This is the latest from Samsung, but please feel free to check back soon for more on the newest Galaxy S device from Samsung.
Update: Samsung says the Galaxy S5 will launch worldwide starting April 11.
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