HTC One with KitKat and HTC Sense 5.5 is finally out!

Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense 5.5 is now available for the HTC One. This is A-MUST-HAVE update for all HTC One owners. Prepare your USB cable and get ready for some KitKat!

Sounds great? Well, you might not be happy after all. So far the update is available only for the owners of the Developer Edition of the HTC One. But there is a good news too - you can have KitKat update on your "regular" HTC One too, without waiting for the official update (which might take few more weeks).

To make it possible, Android Revolution HD has been updated to 40.x series, based on the official Android 4.4 KitKat & HTC Sense 5.5 update (4.06.1540.2). 

Why Android KitKat update is that important? It has several major changes:

1. Much improved security
2. Smarter Location settings
3. Better performance
4. Improved battery consumption
5. Faster multitasking
6. Better Google Hangouts integration
7. ...and much more!

Here are some screenshots. You can see the new Location settings panel:

Users feedback so far leaves no doubts - this update brings significant performance improvements. Some users are even reporting, that Android 4.4 with HTC Sense 5.5 gives better performance experience than pure KitKat update for the HTC One Google Edition we wrote about here. I think this is enough said. Don't stay on your old 4.3 OS and grab newest 4.4 update as soon as possible!

Link to the original XDA-developer thread
Link to the download page

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KitKat for HTC One Google Edition is out. Sense version coming soon!

Android "four point four" (aka KitKat) is what most HTC One users are still eagerly waiting for. The "senseless" version is already available to download via Over The Air (OTA) update on the HTC One Google Play Edition.

If you haven't received the update yet, or you don't have a Google Play Edition variant of the HTC One, you can still have a taste of the fresh Google goody. Just navigate to my HTC One Google Play Edition thread on the xda-developers forum and download Android Revolution HD based on Android 4.4 KitKat for the HTC One.

What we've already learned so far is that you'll probably need an S-OFF device in order to properly boot KitKat custom ROM. It's a weird issue we still investigate and we hope to come up with some more convenient solution soon!

Also some good news for HTC Sense fans - Android 4.4 with HTC Sense 5.5 on board will be available very soon! Don't be upset it's still Sense 5.5 instead of Sense 6.0. New update will bring a lot of bugs fixes and all the goodies Android 4.4 comes with. Stay tuned!

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Stock system dumps (Android 4.3 with official HTC Sense 5.5) for HTC One

First official update with brand new HTC Sense 5.5 for the HTC One arrived today. The new software number is 3.62.401.1 and it's based on Android 4.3. To receive the OTA update your device must be running 2.24.401.8 software and you must own the international version of HTC One (M7_UL). If there is no update for you CID yet, you can download and flash stock system dump instead.

HTC One thread - HTC One *STOCK* ROM | 3.62.401.1 | Jelly Bean | HTC Sense 5.5

Download links can be found on this blog, under Downloads section - Downloads

The official list of changes from the OTA update:

• System Improvements
  - Android 4.3 and HTC Sense 5.5 update
• Video Highlights improvements
  - Updated interface
  - Add soundtracks to videos
• BlinkFeed improvements
  - Access recommended news from your social network
  - Additional global news sources
  - Save articles to read later or offline
  - Create custom feeds from news media, Twitter and YouTube
• Music improvements
  - Updated interface
  - Embedded music channel with new scenes
• Sense TV improvements
  - Updated interface
  - Add MY Picks Page to improve program management

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Android terminology explanation and why ROOT isn't a crime

This Android terminology dictionary will be growing in time. If you have any suggestions for terms to be included here, please leave a proper comment below this article. The purpose of this dictionary is to explain basic and fundamental Android terminology to a regular "noob" Android user. It is supposed to be written in language that everyone can understand.

Related articles:

• Do we really need S-OFF?
• Virtual SD card on Android
• Unlocking bootloader or flashing custom ROM doesn't void your warranty

ROOT (Superuser) - special user account used for system administration with the highest possible access permissions. The root/superuser account on Linux/Android OS has the same purpose as the Administrator account on MS Windows. For some reason however the term "root" has a very pejorative meaning in the Android world. Many users believe that "root" (or "rooting") is a forbidden fruit that might brick their Android device, void its warranty, make it unstable, unsecured or even explode in some situations.

What is the truth? Very simple - just go to the Control Panel on your PC/notebook and in User Accounts check the type of your account. Is it "Administrator"? Ouch! You're rooted! I really hope you can live with that. Anyway, it seems that having account with an Administrator rights on the Windows powered machine is nothing unusual. What you need to realize, is that having Android powered device without root access is like using the "Guest" account on your Windows computer.

So what will root access give you? Well, it might give you everything, but might give you nothing too. Basically it all depends on what the user would like to do with his device. Root access by itself doesn't change anything. Just like Administrator account on Windows, you can use its capabilities and change almost everything on your device or you might just keep using the OS as it is.

To add root access to Android device you need 2 files - Superuser.apk and su binary. The su binaries people commonly use are modified to latch onto a companion app, which prompts the user when an app requires root access.

ROM (proper definition) - Read Only Memory. Actually it has nothing to do with what most people think. What does an internet definition say about it? "Read-Only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware".

ROM (wrong definition) - most people call Android installation package a "ROM" or a "custom ROM". What we call a "ROM" is just a content of /data, /system and boot partitions. Their technical name is "update package". Flashing this package is nothing other than just replacing particular files on device partitions. Where do these files come from?

1. Developers can compile builds from Android Open Source Project (AOSP) or similar open source projects like Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) or CyanogenMod (CM).
2. They can modify closed source vendor images (HTC, Samsung, Sony, LG) by extracting factory system partitions, images (i.e. system.img) or dumping the system partition directly from the device.

What does a typical "custom ROM" looks like? It's a .zip package with files organized in a specific order - applications, framework, binaries, libraries and other files required for proper system work. Imagine a .zip package with "Windows, Users and Program Files" folders inside. That, if we massively simplify it, is what an Android "custom ROM" package is made of.

"Custom ROMs" usually contain root access, so flashing a "custom ROM" results in rooting the device, BUT rooting the device does not always mean flashing a "custom ROM" because you can add root access on a stock system too by adding the su (superuser) binary.

The best name for Android "custom ROM" would be a “modified system zip package”. Why .zip? Because update.zip packages were originally designed for over the air (OTA) updates. So both OTA update and custom "system zip packages" have more less the same construction - system files with the proper update-binary/updater-script (inside META-INF), compressed into ZIP archive. The only method to install (or "flash") ZIP package is via Android recovery.

Boot - The boot.img file is commonly mistaken for the Linux kernel that powers Android. It is actually the image containing the kernel and a ramdisk. The kernel is the fundamental layer of the operating system that controls the input and output of data in the system, it mounts the ramdisk during the boot sequence.

RUU - ROM Update Utility used by HTC to flash/update firmware on HTC device. Again - not very fortunate naming. In fact RUU does contain some "low level" firmware like bootloader, radio, touch panel drivers but it also contains entire EXT3/4 partitions like system or data, which surely can't be considered "Read Only Memory".

Firmware - a combination of persistent memory, program code and data stored in it. "Firmware" is actually a better term than "ROM", but many people are used to calling "Firmware" everything else that comes in the RUU except from system.img. The content of so called "firmware.zip" (called that by HTC itself) was described in this article.

S-OFF/S-ON - S-OFF stands for "Security OFF" and S-ON for "Security ON". It's a term specific to HTC devices (and refers to digital signature checking on the bootloader "hboot"). Retail devices always come with SHIP S-ON locked bootloaders. Hboot can also be found in an engineering version (ENG as opposed to SHIP), but it's not easy to get such a device.

Bootloader - a computer program that loads an operating system and has all the parameters for how to boot the OS. Bootloader is located on a separated partition on your device and is responsible for a low level security on your device. Extended bootloader commands (usually executed via fastboot protocol) can basically manage the whole device, including possibility to gather all device sensitive details (like IMEI, software version, serial number and more), flashing a new operating system or recovery, updating bootloader and other parts of the firmware or even formatting EXT partitions. This is why some vendors (like HTC) lock the bootloaders on their devices to avoid giving end-users too much control over the device.

Fastboot - diagnostic protocol used primarily to modify the flash filesystem via a USB connection from host computer. After enabling the protocol on the device itself (entering "fastboot" mode from inside the bootloader), it will accept a specific set of commands sent to it via USB using a command line, for example "fastboot flash boot boot.img" or "fastboot erase cache".

Android Recovery - a separate partition on your device responsible for installing original OTA updates (.zip) and performing some basic operations on partitions (wiping, formatting, mounting). In some way Android recovery is a sort of mini-OS because it has its own kernel (so it boots independently from the main OS) and on custom recoveries (like 4EXT Recovery, TWRP Recovery) you can run simple applications like AROMA installer or AROMA Manager. Custom recoveries also provide touch support and many advanced features like partition conversion (EXT3--->EXT4), Nandroid backup, possibility to use themes, different wipe and format options, permissions fix and more.

Android Recovery can be based on open source or closed source code. The Android kernel inside the recovery must be always based on open source code.

CID/MID - CID (Carrier ID) and MID (Model ID) numbers are specific tags used by HTC to match a particular device with proper software updates. Many Android devices need different settings, hardware drivers and applications depends on the region of the world or carrier. One device can be available in a few different variants, for example HTC One has 6 different models IDs (MIDs) - PN0711000 (Taiwan), PN0714000 (Austraila, Hong-Kong, Singapore), PN0710000 (Europe), PN0712000 (United States and Canada), PN0771000 (China) and PN0720000 (U.S. Sprint). To check your current MID/CID number you need to use fastboot protocol and type "fastboot getvar all" command or respectively "fastboot getvar mid" / "fastboot getvar cid" if you don't want to see all variables output.

NANDroid backup - an 1:1 copy of the /system, /data, /cache and boot partitions. NANDroid backup can be created and restored using custom Android recoveries like CWM, EXT4 or TWRP. The form of NANDroid backup vary from different custom recovery - could be .tar, .zip, .img or other. NANDroid backup is saved on your SD-card (either virtual or physical) and can be easily transferred to the PC. It's highly recommended to do a regular backup, but to be even more secured, remember about having backup of the backup too.

Article contributors:

• Shen Ye
• Want to became an article contributor? Write a comment with an explained term in the the comments section.

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Ubuntu 13.10 for Galaxy Nexus - first look

I have to say I was very excited to install freshly released Ubuntu 13.10 for Nexus devices. I couldn't resist so I took my old Galaxy Nexus (maguro) and I started the installation procedure. It's very simple to do it all manually. Screenshots below!

I didn't have much time to play with this OS on my device, but so far I have mixed feelings. I am aware it's the first public release and it MUST have bugs. Of course all fundamental features are working fine (GPS, modem, camera, Bluetooth, touch panel etc.) and on the project site it's clearly stated that:

"It is an experimental development snapshot that can potentially brick your device. It does not provide all of the features and services of a retail phone and cannot replace your current handset. This preview is the first release of a very new and unfinished version of Ubuntu and it will evolve quickly."

So far I had few issues like not responding touch screen, system hangs from time to time or it slows down, so that you can't basically do anything except from reboot. However, in most cases it's very snappy. Navigating through the system is completely different than on Android. There are no back or home keys, you need to swipe left/right/down/up and swiping effect is different if you swipe from the centre of the screen or from the edge.

I have a feeling that the whole UI is sort of "too large". Massive icons are taking a lot of space and working with this interface is far from being intuitive. I think that this OS would be much more suitable for tablets instead, where the average screen size is 10".

In current stage this OS is surely not suitable for daily use, but the developers are working very hard to fix all submitted issues and to preview all commits. Here are the screenshots:

Home Screen with 3 additional desktops: Music, Applications and Videos

Lock-screen (swipe left to unlock)

System Settings, About the phone and Battery

Phone, Messages and Contacts

Calendar and Album

Sort of "Quick Settings" available from the notification menu

Installed applications screen and a "must have" app ;)

Weather, Gmail and Notes

Navigation panel (available on every screen, even lock-screen), File Manager and Camera

That would be all for now. I think the first preview of the Ubuntu OS for phones looks very promising, however it's officially available only for 3 devices for now and it can't be used as a daily driver just yet.

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The official Nexus 5 press shot directly from Google

It seems that the photo of the incoming Nexus 5 "leaked" to the web. Of course, I believe that nothing happens mistakenly, especially when it comes to Google. Let's call it "official leak" then.

As you can see, the device is powered by the Android 4.4 KitKat with a refreshed User Interface. It still has a very minimalistic design, so probably there won't be an "interface revolution", which appears to be a common policy by Google. And it seems to work quite well, looking at the marketing success of the Nexus 4.

Not much we can say yet about the visual changes in the Android 4.4 KitKat, but looking at the picture you can see white notification icons and refreshed "Phone" and "Camera" icons.

Personally, I think that the new Nexus 5 looks gorgeous. The volume buttons are again on the left and the power button is on the right side, which is the best combination (typical for Nexus devices), because you can easily turn the device ON with your thumb right after grabbing the device into your hand. It also seems to be made of an really high quality material. The screen would be probably IPS LCD 4,95" with a 1080p (Full HD) resolution.

If the rumours are true that the heart of the new Nexus 5 will be a Snapdragon 800 SoC, then I see no other scenario but a great success of this device.

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How to fix a corrupted DATA partition on the HTC One

Since the HTC One was released, I've had a few users asking me to help them fix their broken device. They couldn't boot their system or access anything on the DATA partition from inside custom recovery. Why this happens so often on the HTC One I have no idea...

Here is a short guide explaining how to fix this problem without sending the device for repair under warranty.

Short Explanation

This method can be used to fix any other partition too, just remember about changing the mount point number - from "mmcblk0p37" to the relevant one. For example, the SYSTEM on the HTC One is "mmcblk0p35". In some rare cases the mkfs.ext4 attributes (like dir_nlink or resize_inode) might change too! To get a list of all eMMC mount points on HTC devices use the command cat /proc/emmc. Never format RAW partitions! This method can be used only to format EXT4 partitions. Not following the guide properly might end in permanent damage to your device. I do not take any responsibility for that.

Some people might also find this helpful in case of need to remove the entire contents of the virtual SD-card. As long as the virtual SD-card is not a separate partition, (i.e. it is emulated space on the DATA partition [/data/media]) it can't be formatted - only wiped clean. I wrote an in-depth explanation of how the virtual SD-card works on Android here - Virtual SD card on Android.

How Do I Recognise The Problem?

When trying to mount the DATA partition from inside the custom recovery using the mount /data command you will most likely see this output: mount: mounting /dev/block/mmcblk0p37 on /data failed: Invalid argument

To be 100% sure you can check filesystem structure with the following command: /sbin/e2fsck -p /dev/block/mmcblk0p37

Repair Process

Note: the content of your DATA partition will be lost, including the contents of your virtual SD-card! I also assume you already have custom recovery flashed and you are a Windows user - LINUX people please amend as needed.

1. Download this mini-sdk package and extract it to c:\mini-sdk
2. Download this mkfs.ext4 binary and put it into c:\mini-sdk
3. Connect your device to the PC
4. Boot your device in recovery mode
5. Open a command prompt on the PC (cmd.exe), type and confirm each command with ENTER:
6. cd /d c:\mini-sdk
7. adb push mkfs.ext4 /tmp
8. adb shell
9. chmod 777 /tmp/mkfs.ext4
10. /tmp/mkfs.ext4 -b 4096 -O ^huge_file,^dir_nlink,^ext_attr,^resize_inode,^extra_isize -m 0 /dev/block/mmcblk0p37

Image of the whole command in one line to avoid mistakes:

Now your DATA partition will be formatted. It is not the same as "wiping", which is only removing all or just some files from particular partition. Formatting means that the entire partition will be re-created with the above attributes. You should see the following output:

mke2fs 1.41.12 (17-May-2010)
Filesystem label=  
OS type: Linux 
Block size=4096 (log=2)
Fragment size=4096 (log=2)
Stride=0 blocks, Stripe width=0 blocks
1703936 inodes, 6815744 blocks
0 blocks (0.00%) reserved for the super user
First data block=0
208 block groups
32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group
8192 inodes per group
Superblock backups stored on blocks:
32768,98304,163840,229376,294912,819200,884736,1605632,2654208,4096000
Writing inode tables: done
Creating journal (32768 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done
This filesystem will be automatically checked every 25 mounts or 180 days, whichever comes first. 
Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.

Your DATA partition is now completely empty, so we need to copy our particular ROM zip file there:

1. Copy ROM zip file to c:\mini-sdk and rename it to "rom.zip"
2. In the same command prompt window type and confirm each command with ENTER:
3. mount /data
4. mkdir -p /data/media/0
5. exit
6. adb push rom.zip /data/media/0

Copying rom.zip to the device will take a few minutes. Wait until it's done. The output should be: xxxx KB/s (xxxxxxxxxx bytes in xxx.xxxs). Now you can flash rom.zip from inside custom recovery. Done!

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