Hasta La Gadget!

A couple of years ago, CyanogenMod founder, Steve Kondik, was hired by Samsung to help them with their Android smartphones. However in a recent post on Kondik’s Google+ page, it was revealed that he has left Samsung, and in the process he has decided to share some of his experience. He did not state the reason why he left, but according to his response to the question posed by Android Police, he claims that he left on amicable terms and that there wasn’t any drama like some are probably thinking. He stated that Samsung “was great” and he wanted to do something new.

He also praised the Samsung Galaxy S4, claiming it blows the competition out of the water, although he did not seem to particularly like TouchWiz that much, stating, “Unfortunately, it feels like it has been sent a few years back in time to the Froyo days.” Then again that seems to be the sentiment of many Samsung Galaxy owners in the past, which is why many have opted to flash CyanogenMod onto their phones in order to get rid of Samsung’s TouchWiz UI.

[Image Credit – Erica Joy]

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Remember we reported yesterday that the Samsung Galaxy S4 might not be seeing the CyanogenMod custom ROM? For those who don’t bother rooting or flashing custom ROMs, this isn’t a big deal, but for some this is a deal breaker. However it turns out that might not entirely be the case. The announcement was actually made by members of Team Hacksung, a collaborator for the CyanogenMod. Since that news has made headlines, the folks from CyanogenMod themselves have decided to step forward and clear any misunderstandings regarding that statement.

This morning, a comment from a CM collaborator on XDA was taken to be as an ‘absolute’ in regards to support of the S4. He offered the opinion of four TeamHacksung maintainers, their frustrations and lack of interest in supporting the S4. What’s seemingly lost on those reading this is that his comments as an individual do not speak for CyanogenMod as an organization.

As for the team’s stance on the S4, there isn’t one at this time, and most definitely won’t be one before the device is sold at retail.

So what does this mean for potential Samsung Galaxy S4 owners? Does this mean that there will be a CyanogenMod ROM for the Galaxy S4? Or is the CyanogenMod team simply playing it diplomatically and are still assessing the situation? It’s hard to tell so we guess would-be Galaxy S4 owners will have to make their decision as to whether to buy the device based on the device’s own merits, instead of possible customizability through ROMs.

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Google’s Nexus devices are favored by some Android users due to the stock Android experience. However the Nexus 4 when compared to the Samsung Galaxy S4 pales in comparison in terms of specs and features, and we expect that many Android users will flock over to the Galaxy S4 and ultimately root and flash a custom ROM on their device to rid themselves of Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. If that is your plan and you were eyeing CyanogenMod as being your custom ROM of choice, you might want to start looking elsewhere because according to the team behind CyanogenMod, they claim that they will not be supporting the Galaxy S4.

Nobody at Team Hacksung (the team behind Galaxy S2, Note, S3, Note2, G Tabs… official CM ports) plans to buy it, neither develop for it. There are two variants which will be a pain to maintain, [and] the bugs we have on the S3 will probably be there on S4, too (camera), and we all know Samsung ability to release sources while staying in line with mainline. Yes Qualcomm releases sources, but Exynos sources we had were far from [working on] actual Galaxy products. I’m pretty sure the same will happen for this one.

That’s a uniform “no” from us.

Of course we expect that there might be other custom ROMs out there that you can flash on the Galaxy S4, but considering that CyanogenMod is probably one of the most popular custom ROMs out there, this will no doubt be a bummer for would-be Galaxy S4 owners.

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CyanogenMod 10.1-toting photography fans are in for a treat: the latest version of the modified Android OS now packs an HDR mode, which was in development for three months, within its stock camera app. When a user snaps a photo with the function, a total of three pictures (one at minimal, neutral and maximum exposures) are taken and combined into a single HDR image with the help of an algorithm. Differences in shutter speed, sensors and optics means quality will vary across smartphones, but the CyanogenMod team says that mid- to high-end devices outfitted with decent imaging hardware — especially those with zero shutter lag — should perform admirably. Of course, the group also recommends using a stand or tripod to thwart movement and vibration from fouling up photos. Android Central points out that a few handset builds haven’t received the update, so a handful of CyanogenMod-wielding photogs will still have to get their HDR fix elsewhere.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Via: Android Central

Source: CyanogenMod (Google+)

Despite all the nightly builds of CyanogenMod 10.1, there hasn’t been much of anything definitive to hang our hats on. There’s at last some sense of reliability now that Milestone 1 versions have hit the servers. Most Nexus devices, as well as swaths of Samsung’s Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab 2 ranges, can get the unofficial Android 4.2 build for themselves. The M1 code is deemed “mostly stable” and good enough for daily use, although that’s relative — it’s not yet to the level of a fully stable build, let alone factory firmware. If you only needed fewer risks than before, though, the downloads and details await at the source links.

[Thanks, Rashid]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google

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Via: DonAndroid

Source: CyanogenMod (1), (2)