This is what the new CyanogenMod OS looks like on the OnePlus One

OnePlus has been constantly dishing out teasers for its upcoming One smartphone since December, but little is known about its UI until we received these two screenshots today, courtesy of a reliable tipster. First of all, this Android KitKat-based OS is dubbed "CyanogenMod 11S," and given how the lock screen on the left looks nothing like the one in the original CyanogenMod, we assume the "S" indicates that this flavor carries OnePlus' customizations. This cleaner lock screen lacks the usual unlock slider, but it still shows the clock, date, weather, battery level and text messages over a solid-color background. Here's hoping that we can also toggle specific apps from the lock screen using swipe gestures.

The screenshot on the right confirms the presence of the three virtual Android buttons (as opposed to hardware ones), and that this Android 4.4.2-based OS is made for a device named "One." With 23 more days to go until the phone's launch, we'll be keeping an eye out for the OnePlus One's few remaining secrets -- especially its sub-$400 price tag, which is very competitive for this 5.5-inch 1080p, Snapdragon 801-powered device.

Source: engadget

CyanogenMod releases ROM installer for Macs

Cyanogen Inc has released a new installer for Mac systems that takes out a few of the more daunting steps involved in 'flashing' its version of Android onto smartphones and tablets.

Released in beta on Thursday, the installer app for Macs automates several steps that a user would normally have to do manually to flash a CyanogenMod to a device. For example, the user won't need to root their device or unlock its bootloader, and the installer obviously handles the flashing process. Backups on the other hand need to be done separately.

 

Mac CyanogenMod installer interface

The Mac installer follows Cyanogen Inc's — the company behind CyanogenMod — release of a Windows installer last November. Its companion installer app for the Android device made a brief appearance in Google Play before Google requested its removal because it encouraged users to void their warranty on devices. (One of the risks involved in installing a custom ROM such as CyanogenMod is that rooting the device in the first instance voids the warranty for many devices.)

Mac users that want to download the installer need to join beta group to access the software.

The installer only uses a stable build of CyanogenMod, meaning its KitKat-based CM-11 — which is still only available as a 'nightly' builds or the more stable ‘snapshot’ build — is off the menu for now. Still, as CyanogenMod's wiki pages note, its stable Android 4.3-based CM 10.2 supports dozens of devices, including Samsung's Galaxy S2, S3 andS 4, Galaxy Note 2 and the HTC One.

Source: ZDNet

CyanogenMod says goodbye to Jelly Bean with 10.2.1 release

Aftermarket firmware company CyanogenMod has released a final update to its 10.2 line of Jelly Bean-based code.

The latest CyanogenMod update, CM 10.2.1, will be the last to be based on Android 4.3, according to the company. "CM 10.2.1 has been branched and released, officially ending our planned release process for Jellybean (Android 4.3) code," the CyanogenMod team announced on Saturday.

As a "maintenance release", the update focuses on bug fixes over adding features but does bring support for a handful of new devices too. The CM 10.2.1 release sees support extended to the Droid RAZR HD, Photon Q, Nexus Q, Nook, Nook HD and HD+, which are among around 40 other devices that have a stable release.

The first CyanogenMod release for Android 4.3 came last August, about a month after Google released that version of Android.

As noted by Android Community, the 10.2.1 release doesn't support the international version of Samsung's popular Galaxy 2 (the i9100), which got a stable release last September under Android 4.2-based CM 10.1.3. The site points out that OmniROM, a younger alternative ROM-maker with a smaller list of supported devices, has added the device to its roster, however. The device is also supported in the nightly build of CyanogenMod's KitKat-based CM11 release.

As with previous final releases, the developers of Cyanogen Mod will now plough more resources into building new features for its CM11 codebase. The team plans to add CM11 support for at least 65 devices and currently has a "snapshot" release (one up from the bleeding edge nightly releases) for around 50 devices. 

Cyanogen Inc, the newly formed company behind CyanogenMod, is also working with Chinese hardware startup OnePlus to deliver a device in the first half of the year that will feature a customised version of the firmware. 

Source: ZDNet