Disclosure: Some links on this page are monetized by the Skimlinks, Amazon, Rakuten Advertising, and eBay, affiliate programs. All prices are subject to change, and this article only reflects the prices available at time of publication.
Google might develop new versions of Android behind closed doors, but after (nearly) every build is launched, Google releases the source code. That’s prompted independent developers to pore of the code, looking for ways to fine tune Google’s mobile operating system.
Paranoid Android is a custom version of Android based on Google’s source code. The developers started out a few years ago by figuring out how to enable Google’s tablet user interface on devices with phone-sized screens. These days the Paranoid Android team regularly introduces new features that can change the way you think about multitasking, notifications, and other basic features of your phone.
The team took the reddit today to answer questions, resulting in a pretty nifty discussion about what drives folks to build custom Android ROMs… and what might be in store for Paranoid Android.
Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web.
- Paranoid Android custom ROM developers answer questions
The amount of work this group of mostly students has put into customizing Android is pretty remarkable. Incidentally, they have no plans to incorporate the way CyanogenMod Inc. did recently, but the team doesn’t seem opposed to the idea. [reddit] - Nokia may not deliver an 8.3 inch tablet after all
Nokia never actually announced plans to launch an 8.3 inch tablet, so it’s not like the company is cancelling anything. But there’s a new leak suggesting that things we learned about in earlier leaks may not come to pass. [My Nokia Blog] - Samsung could introduce its first phone with a 2560 x 1440px display at MWC in February
That phone had better have a 9 inch display, because otherwise I’m not sure you’d actually be able to tell the difference between a WQHD display and a 1080p display on a smartphone. [SamMobile] - Samsung introduces Galaxy Core Advance smartphone with emphasis on accessibility
The Samsung’s Galaxy Core Advance has an Optical Scan feature that can recognize text in an image and read it aloud, an instant voice recorder, and a voice guided camera, among other things. Â [Samsung Tomorrow] - Chromecast in 2014: More apps, more countries
There are now more than a dozen internet apps that work with Google’s Chromecast, bringing things like Hulu, Pandora, and Netflix to your TV. Next year we could see many more apps after the Google Cast SDK becomes official. Google also plans to expand into more countries. [GigaOm] - This is what Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS operating system for gaming looks like
Valve released an early build of its Linux-based operating system for gaming on Friday. Under the hood it’s based on Debian, but the OS is designed to be used with a video game controller and TV, and puts gaming front and center. Here’s what it looks like. [Ars Technica]
You can keep up on the latest news by following Liliputing on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.