Flash Android 5.0 to a Bootlooping Nexus 5 in 2 Minutes

We all know the feeling of having a bootloop occur on our devices every so often, whether it be when we’re flashing a new mod or ROM, making an edit to a root-level file, or because of some unknown and unreported compatibility issue. But when it occurs over and over again and you have no viable backup made, flashing a fresh ROM again and again and starting everything from scratch can get pretty tedious and annoying.

With this said, XDA Forum Member Julian_os developed a very handy batch file tool aimed to bring some much needed relief in the aforementioned scenario. Called the Flash 5.0 N5 Tool, it flashes stock Android 5.0 Lollipop to your Nexus 5 automatically within 2 minutes of starting and can be used with your device when it is in either bootloop/bootloader mode and in a normal state with the bootloader locked or unlocked. And one can even say that this tool is home grown through and through as it was developed according to the XDA TV tutorial on writing batch files. Julian_os plans on updating the tool so future releases of Android will also be supported. Moreover, you can easily adapt the batch for use on additional devices, provided that you have the applicable image files, paths, fastboot drivers.

If you would like to give this a go, check out the Flash 5.0 N5 Tool thread for more details.

The post Flash Android 5.0 to a Bootlooping Nexus 5 in 2 Minutes appeared first on xda-developers.

Blackphone to get app store focused on privacy

The Blackphone launched last summer as a device that is focused on private communications more than performance or style. Since that launch, the makers of the Blackphone have been working to patch vulnerabilities to keep the device secure. A new announcement was made recently about an app store for the Blackphone that is coming soon.

The Blackphone app store will be aimed at users concerned about privacy and security and will launch in January. The app store will monitor apps to ensure that they in no way try to compromise the privacy of users. The apps will be vetted in several ways says Blackphone CEO Toby Weir.

Weir says that Blackphone will use the Apple model and validate that all apps will do what they intend. Weir says that the app store won't do games and won't offer versions of social networking apps. All apps on the store will have a broad alignment with privacy and security focus.

Blackphone users now typically use the Amazon app store because Blackphone doesn't have access to the Google Play store. Weir says that the company wants to reach a wider audience that cares about usability and privacy.

SOURCE: TheGuardian

HTC Releases Kernel Source for One M7, M8 GPe Devices

A few days, we talked about the Google Play editions of the HTC One M7 and M8 getting an Android 5.0 Lollipop update. Those updates, in addition to the totally new user experience, gave developers a chance to use the updated binary files, which were built to handle Android 5.0 without issue. HTC did its homework accordingly, and has now released the kernel source in a timely fashion.

Most big OEMs respect open-source licensing and release the GPL-compliant kernel source code for all their shipping devices and firmware. However, this usually takes a few weeks to make its way to developers, but HTC has released these files almost instantly, thus giving developers a chance to implement the changes into the kernel branches and make them Lollipop-ready. The provided zip files aren’t small, as they are both almost half a gigabyte each, but HTC servers seem to be in really good shape all things considering. We do hope that other OEMs will follow HTC’s lead and provide the GPL content within a day or two after the official roll-out, or provide them at all…

Developers interested in working on the HTC kernels can get the source code by visiting the official HTCdev webpage, where you can find kernel source for Android 5.0.1 and other Android revisions for all HTC devices.

The post HTC Releases Kernel Source for One M7, M8 GPe Devices appeared first on xda-developers.

Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey add more purchase options for Google Play Store

As Android devices continue to dominate most markets, particularly outside the United States, app downloading from the Google Play Store continues to rise as well. But sometimes, for countries where credit cards aren't the norm, actually buying apps is still a problem. Google has been helping some regions get around this stumbling block by offering other payment options, and now Indonesia, South Korea, and Turkey are three countries included in their list.

For Indonesia, the fourth most populated country in the world, one of their biggest carriers Indosat, has added support for Play Store billing. This means that users who are on the carrier can charge their app purchases to their carrier billing. This way of payment is seen as a much more convenient way of buying content from Google Play Store and now Indonesians can enjoy this option too.

For South Korea and Turkey, their option comes in the form of the availability of Google Play gift cards in their local convenience stores. These cards come in different denominations and can be used to make app and in-app purchases on the Google Play Store. Again, if you don't have a credit card, this is a great option, especially if you've always wanted to add more apps to your device but didn't have the payment option before.

Indosat is not yet in the list of supported carriers from Google, but they have already advertised the fact on their own website. As for the Google Play gift cards in the two countries, they're already available in 25, 50, and 100 lira denominations for Turkey and ₩15,000 to ₩50,000 and more options for South Korea.

VIA: Android Police (1, 2)

Relocate the Dalvik Cache to Get More Space on your Moto G with Mod

Having little to no memory left on your Android device is a bummer especially when you’ve already tried cutting down your files, music, videos, photos and apps to only the very bare essentials (which definitely has a wide scope needless to say). For owners of devices without SD card slots, this can be pretty frustrating, and the non-LTE variants of the Moto G is no exception. This is because the internal eMMC storage of the device has an approximately 600MB partition called /cache, which unfortunately and frustratingly not used because cache of apps is stored in /data. Hence, this leaves 600MB of unused space on your phone.

To access this untapped memory space, XDA Senior Member Bert98 has written a tutorial linking files in the dalvik cache to /cache, providing you an extra 600MB of memory which you would not have otherwise. This solution may not work however, if you have a lot of apps installed, being more than 90 apps, and if you’re running ART. The reason for the latter restriction is that ART uses a lot more memory than dalvik and space in the /cache partition would not be big enough to accommodate this size.

If you’d rather not go through the process yourself, you also have the option of a mod automating this for you, courtesy of XDA Senior Member skyguy126. The installation of the mod varies depending on whether you’re running a stock or custom ROM on your Moto G, and in either case, instructions are provided. Skyguy126 has also provided troubleshooting instructions in the event that something had gone wrong during installation.

So, if an extra 600MB of memory space sounds like something you’ll be interested in, head over to the Moto G dalvik relocation tutorial thread and mod thread for more information.

The post Relocate the Dalvik Cache to Get More Space on your Moto G with Mod appeared first on xda-developers.

Snapdragon 810 will launch in 2015 on schedule says Qualcomm

The first time we heard about the coming Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset was when it and its sister platform the Snapdragon 808 were unveiled in April of this year. Since that unveil, some rumors have circulated that suggest Qualcomm has hit a few snags with the new chipsets and that the products will be late to market.

Qualcomm has now stepped up and said that the Snapdragon 810 is on schedule for launch in 2015. The company didn’t offer and firm details on exactly when in 2015 the SoC would launch. The rumors claiming that the SoC would be late focused on claims that the 810 had issues with thermal and memory issues.

Other rumors suggest that the 810 had GPU bugs as well. The Snapdragon 810 certainly presented Qualcomm with a challenge; the SoC will be its first 64-bit offering built on the new 20nm architecture. As close as we have to a launch date at this time is the first half of 2015.

This is good news for fans of Snapdragon SoCs and device manufacturers that are counting on the 810 for next generation devices. If the Snapdragon 810 were late, that would likely mean devices from manufacturers would be late too, or have to change to different hardware and potentially lose performance.

SOURCE: AndroidAuthority

Micromax does an HTC: Canvas Selfie with 13MP front camera

In an attempt to lure in the selfie crowd, India's Micromax has just announced the conspicuously named Canvas Selife. While not yet the Cyanogen-bearing smartphone, which will come via a different brand (YU), this one is still a bit interesting. In a sense, it is trying to match HTC's Desire EYE by pairing rather decent specs with a front-facing camera that is on par with the rear. In other words, 13 megapixels on both sides, both with LED flash of their own.

HTC revealed its Desire EYE smartphone as part of its foray into the field of mobile photography, alongside the HTC RE camera and the HTC EYE experience, basically a suite of photography-related apps. Aside from boasting of surprisingly high-end specs, its real distinguishing factor is that it put the front-facing camera on almost the same level as the back one, at least in megapixel count.

While the Micromax Canvas Selfie doesn't exactly reach Desire EYE specs, it does almost come close. The 4.7-inch screen is at least 1280x720 HD. The processor is a 1.7 GHz octa-core one, most likely a MediaTek CPU. RAM is at a decent 2 GB though internal storage is capped at 16 GB, thankfully with expansion support. Battery is barely enough at 2,300 mAh, and of course there's dual SIM card slots common in India. The real meat is in the cameras. Though both have 13 megapixels and LED flash, the rear camera is still distinctly better, at least on paper, as it uses a Sony sensor and actually has a dual LED flash setup.

At least in India, Micromax's edge will be in price, as the Desire EYE, though part of HTC's budget-friendly line, is sure to fetch a higher tag. That said, Micromax has not yet revealed actual pricing details, though those should arrive once the January 2015 launch date gets closer.

VIA: Fone Arena