Intel plans to port Jelly Bean to Atom-based gadgets, no ETA announced just yet

The Verge

Intel, the world’s number one supplier of PC processors, has neglected getting in the Android game until a few months ago, thus allowing ARM to easily dominate the market. The Santa Clara-based company is now finally looking to make a push in the Android world, and, while its first steps might seem a bit hesitant, its future plans are pretty bold.

There might not be many Intel-based Android gadgets available for sale right now, but, according to official claims, they will soon get Jelly Bean updates. The news comes from the guys at PCWorld, who’ve had a very short talk with Suzy Greenberg, one of Intel’s spokespersons.

According to Greenberg, “Intel continues to work closely with Google to enable future versions of Android, including Jelly Bean, on our family of low power Atom processors.” Naturally, Intel’s spokeswoman “neglected” to announce any kind of timeframe for the Android 4.1 updates, which should help cool off some of the enthusiasm generated by the news.

It’s also worth noting that before current Intel-based gadgets will be able to take the leap to Jelly Bean, they’ll first need to be upgraded to Android 4.0 ICS. Both the Lava Xolo X900 and the Orange San Diego are running Gingerbread for the time being, which seriously affects their chances to get Jelly Bean by the end of the year.

Ironically, it’s possible some unreleased Intel-based Android devices would get Jelly Bean before the Xolo X900 and the San Diego. We know that Motorola and Vizio have plans to launch Android-based smartphones and tablets powered by Intel’s Medfield platform soon, and there’s a shot, albeit a slim one, that these new devices will come with 4.1 JB out of the box.

As far as Intel’s next-generation Atom chip, Clover Trail, goes, it has zero chances of ever being paired with Jelly Bean, for one simple reason. The new processor will only be powering Microsoft Windows 8 upcoming slates, if we are to believe PCWorld’s usually trustworthy sources.

To recap, Intel is saying that is currently working on Jelly Bean ports for gadgets that haven’t yet received ICS updates, all while tech users don’t seem very interested in the respective devices, due to their limited availability and unattractive specs. On top of it, there’s no news about a next-generation Intel chip for Android gadgets. Okay, can I reconsider that “bold future plans” claim made in the article’s opening paragraph?

SOURCES PC World

TAGS Android 4.1intelIntel AtomIntel MedfieldJelly BeanJelly Bean UpdateOrange San DiegoXolo X900

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Jelly Bean OTA update for WiFi Motorola Xoom now available, soak testers get it early

Getting jealous seeing those jolly jelly beans on the Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus, and Nexus S?
The official Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update for the Motorola Xoom will be rolled out soon, but you can try your luck by downloading and installing the OTA file yourself, which has been uploaded by Google on its website.
Manually flashing the Jelly Bean OTA file on your Motorola Xoom will be quite a challenge though, because the file is meant only for “soak testers” and it may still contain bugs and the likes. Those who tried (and failed) have reported a “space issues” error while trying to install the update.

But if you’re brave enough and up for the challenge, the folks at XDA-developers have come up with a workaround. It’s worth noting that, at this point, it’s not guaranteed to work 100%. The workaround involves the use of CWM, a USB drive, and an OTG cable. You can head to the original thread at XDA for more details and instructions on how to make that leap to Android 4.1.1.
If this sounds like too big of a hassle, we suggest that you wait for the official rollout of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on your trusty old Motorola Xoom.  The time to flick away those floating jelly beans on your WiFi Xoom will come soon enough.





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Want Adobe Flash on your Jelly Bean-running device? Find out how to install it and make it work

As expected for quite some time, Google has broken all  ties with Adobe Flash and ceased offering support for the web technology in the latest Android version, Jelly Bean. And while many users are probably doing fine without the multimedia platform, there surely are a few nostalgic ones who would like the chance to install Flash on their new Android 4.1-running gadgets.
Fortunately, a couple of XDA-Developers forum members have already thought about that, so you can now easily and safely install Flash on any gadget with JB. Those who own a 4.1-running device with Android’s native browser app, like the Galaxy Nexus or the Nexus S, will have the easiest time.
If you have a Nexus and would like to get a taste of how Flash works on Jelly Bean, you’ll only have to go to recognized XDA contributor Stempox’ thread here and follow the simple instructions. The same goes for those who are currently using any of the numerous custom ROMs based on JB and have a device running Android’s native Browser (Flash won’t work with the Chrome browser, which doesn’t support plugins).

For Google Nexus 7 adopters, the road to installing Flash is a bit bumpier, due to the fact that the new 7-incher doesn’t come preloaded with Browser. What you’ll have to do in this case is go to senior XDA member Censura_Umbra’s thread here and download Android’s native browser. There are a couple of permissions and folder names you’ll have to change after installing the app, but, overall, you should get everything done pretty quickly, even if you don’t have much experience in installing unofficial APKs.


After installing Browser, which supposedly works like a charm, with no bugs reported until now, your Nexus 7 Tablet will have to be taken through the same “treatment” like any other JB-running device. You’ll have to go to Stempox’ thread as well and follow his six short steps.
Has anyone tried installing Flash with Steampox’s APK and guide? Does it work? Do you recommend other users to go for it as well, or is it as glitchy as one would expect? Let us know in the comments section below.

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CM10 has a Jelly Bean Easter Egg

We reported on the Jelly Bean “Easter egg” that comes standard with the latest version of Android a while back. You tap 5 times on the Android version number displayed under about phone or about tablet and you’ll be greeted with a large Jelly Bean. If you then press and hold on said Jelly Bean for a second or two, Jelly Beans fill the screen and you can playfully flick them away.

Not to miss out on the fun, it seems our favorite Android modding team, CyanogenMod, has joined in on the Easter egg game with CM10. In a similar fashion to the stock Android Easter egg, you tap on the CyanogenMod version and you’re greeted with Cid’s head. If you then press and hold down on Cid’s head, instead of Jelly Beans, you’re greeted Cid’s head and his various facial expressions, floating around the screen. Feel free to flick them away as needed.


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Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean update brings unexpected, but fixable, GPS bug

In addition to the Google Nexus 7 tablet that runs Android 4.1 out of the box, other Nexus devices including the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S smartphones have also received their taste of Jelly Bean, at least in certain markets. But it looks like it’s not a flaw-free roll out for Google’s latest mobile operating system.
A few days ago we heard that Vodafone had to postpone the Nexus S Jelly Bean upgrade in Australia, as the ROM did not mean certain local regulations and now new reports suggest that the Galaxy Nexus Android 4.1 build comes with an unexpected GPS bug.
Apparently Galaxy Nexus users are unable to get a “precise GPS fix” after installing Jelly Bean, and this leads to the inability of the phone to track their location. Talk Android says the bug doesn’t affect all users, but that those that suffer from such GPS issues can easily fix it.
To check whether the problem affects your Galaxy Nexus device you should open an app that uses GPS to track you, preferably Google Maps, and then see whether you get a flashing icon with your “Searching for GPS…” notification. In case the icon is absent then your GPS is not functioning properly and needs to be manually fixed.
To do that, you’ll have to go to Settings > Location services and then “uncheck and re-check ‘Google’s location service.’” It should be as simple as that, but let us know in the comments section whether you have any GPS problem on your Galaxy Nexus freshly adorned with Jelly Bean.


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Many rumors, very few confirmations. What devices will get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean?

 Almost a month has passed after the formal introduction of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The new operating system’s source code has itself been released a couple of weeks back, so it’s only natural for users to expect official Jelly Bean updates to be flowing, right?
However, as recent history has sadly shown us, the road from an OS update becoming open source to it actually hitting the most popular devices around is a very bumpy one. So it’s no wonder that we still (officially) know very little about the Jelly Bean upgrade timeframes.
The only three devices that are already running Android 4.1 are the unlocked Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 7 tablet, and now the Nexus S. The list of gadgets officially getting JB “sometime soon” is rather flimsy itself. However, the rumors are piling up, confusing many users who might think they are entitled to get Jelly Bean just weeks after the OS’ release.
Confused? Angry? Frustrated? I’m sure that most of you feel at least one of those feelings, which is why we’ll try to throw a bit of light on the Jelly Bean update darkness below.

Devices officially confirmed to get Jelly Bean

HTC One X, One S, One XL
Motorola Xoom
Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Asus Eee Pad Slider, Asus Transformer Pad, Asus Transformer Prime, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity

If we were to take bets a month ago on what would be the first confirmed devices for Android 4.1 updates, I am absolutely certain that no one would have ever guessed this “formation”. It’s a bit crazy to see those “raggedy” Transformer, Slider and Xoom tablets next to the fresh high-end One X and XL smartphones on the list.
You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that the Transformer Pads will be updated to Jelly Bean, but Asus has taken the time to announce something on the matter (albeit not something very definitive). Acer and Samsung, on the other hand, have felt the need to go all secretive on us.
As far as HTC goes, we want to take the time and congratulate them once again for being the most straightforward with us. HTC are keeping mum on devices such as the EVO 4G LTE or the Droid Incredible 4G LTE, but they still have three officially confirmed smartphones, which is more than any other OEM around.

 

Devices that are likely to get Android 4.1

Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 10.1
HTC EVO 4G LTE, Droid Incredible 4G LTE
Motorola Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx
LG Optimus Vu, LG Optimus 4X HD
Sony Xperia S, Sony Tablet S, Sony Tablet PAcer Iconia Tab A100, A200, A500, A700Toshiba AT200 Excite 10 LE and AT300 Excite 10
Before you jump at my throat for not including your favorite device on the above list, I should tell you that I only included some of the gadgets (the most likely ones) that I personally think will get Jelly Bean by the end of the year.
There’s a strong possibility that the list will be significantly widened, but at the same time it is even more likely that only a few of those phones and tablets will be getting Android 4.1 over the next months, while others, not included on the list, will take the JB software leap.

It’s almost impossible to try to guess the manufacturers’ exact plans, as they systematically refuse to communicate with the media. But, based on rumors and speculations, as well as on how well they have done with ICS updates in the past, I trust the above list to be a fairly exact one. Also, I only included already released devices on the list, with pretty much any gadget launching in the near future with ICS out of the box being guaranteed a JB leap soon after.
We’ve heard speculations that Samsung is very close to roll out JB for the Galaxy S2 and S3, we’ve also heard something from Toshiba, while Acer’s and Sony’s plans can be guessed by how fast they have come up with Android 4.0 updates.
There’s also another very important aspect to be taken into consideration, and that is the phones and tablets’ tech specs. We’ve seen ICS rolling out to several low-end devices over the last month or so, but it’s likely that Jelly Bean has higher technical “standards”. That said, we wouldn’t get our hopes very high for any gadget that falls into the low-end or mid-range category.
Whether our speculations will prove accurate or not, it remains to be seen over the next few months, so keep in touch to find out everything about the Jelly Bean upgradeable devices. Also, don’t be afraid to come with your own speculations in the comments section below.

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HTC Talks Jelly Bean Updates, Still Leaves Us With Questions

News broke yesterday that Australian carrier Telstra is expecting HTC to prepare Jelly Bean updates for its One S and One XL models. Obviously, we’re going to start seeing Android 4.1 updates coming out for plenty of recently-released handsets, but outside of Google devices, there hasn’t been much news along those lines to date. Now that the subject of these JB updates for HTC’s phones had been raised, the company decided to release a short statement, verifying the news and mentioning that JB is on the way for another of its models, as well.
It’s hardly a shocker, but along with the One XL and One S, Jelly Bean is in the works for the quad-core international One X. What’s more interesting than HTC confirming the updates for those phones, though, is the group it chose not to address.
HTC has yet to make any mention of Jelly Bean for its other recent Androids, including the One V from its One series, as well as its latest CDMA models, the Droid Incredible 4G LTE and EVO 4G LTE. Now, for those last two at least, we can understand not wanting to publicly announce plans without clearing things with the respective carriers, first.
The One V is a more interesting case. Even with some lower-end hardware than the rest of these guys, we’ve generally been of the impression that phones running ICS should handle JB without issue, and the One V comes straight form HTC with ICS already installed. It’s also new enough that there’s no reason for HTC to drop support anytime soon, making us very curious why the manufacturer didn’t include the model in the statement it released.

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Pocket for Android now supports Jelly Bean devices, more reason to love your Nexus 7

While end-users are clamoring over Jelly Bean, developers are busy making their apps compatible with Android’s latest software iteration. The payoff should be worthwhile, given how in-demand the Nexus 7 tablet is; and to a certain extent the Galaxy Nexus is also seeing a surge of interest amongst customers. These are two devices that officially run Jelly Bean. One app that has just received Jelly Bean’s seal of compatibility is Pocket for Android – previously known as Read It Later.

Pocket 4.1.2 can now be downloaded on Google Play Store. Along with Android 4.1 support, it also comes with a slew of bug fixes. The developer of the app has provided the following change log:
White flash/flicker when opening an article in the Dark ThemeTile View not adjusting to rotation properly on tabletsText selection issues in Jelly BeanLong pressing a list item in Jelly Bean opened the article instead of showing actionsA crash when cancelling sharingPNG image files were not downloading for offline useTag button no longer has jagged edges on some devicesOther minor issues and crashes
For the uninitiated, Pocket collates any article links and videos you come across on your browser and over 300-third party Android and iOS apps for later viewing in a visually pleasing layout – even when you go offline.  Check out Pocket on Google Play to find out why the free app has been dubbed as the “DVR for the Web”.

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