How To Install Android 4.4 KitKat Launcher On Any Jelly Bean Device
Last year’s Nexus 4 was an awesome device that proved LG can definitely make goodlooking phones. This year’s Nexus 5 is no different, offering the best specs and the most svelte design a $350 phone has ever offered. But it’s not just the hardware where Nexus 5 really shines; the new Android 4.4 Kitkat that it ships with is every bit as impressive. We’ve already covered a summary of new features in Kitkat, so you might want to check that out as well. Those who’ve been eyeing on the latest version of Android would be aware about its new Google Experience Launcher. The search engine giant has kicked up another notch by presenting the best looking stock Android launcher yet. If you can’t wait to get your hands on it, we’ve got some good news for you. The launcher files have already been uploaded to the internet, and you grab them to try it on your own device running any version of Jelly Bean. Just follow our full guide to get it up and running.
It’s worth noting that Google Experience Launcher may not work on all phones, and you may face force close issues. In our own testing, the launcher didn’t face any problem whatsoever on the international variant of Galaxy S4, but your mileage may vary depending on your device. We advise that you create a backup before proceeding.
Requirements
A phone running Android 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3 Jelly Bean
Again, to be on the safe side we recommend that you create a backup first to avoid any issues
Next up, download the ZIP fie provided in the link above and extract its contents to an easily accessible location. You can download the file to your PC and transfer them to your device, or you can download it straight to your Android device and extract the archive using any file extraction app.
Now, install all three files available in that folder one by one by simply tapping on them, or sideloading them via ADB form your computer.
Once done, simply press Home and select the new Launcher as default.
Note: If you face Google Search Force Close issue, just long-press the home screen in the new launcher, select Settings and then tap Voice. Select Language to change the default. You can change to any another language and then again back to your own language by following the same procedure
Android 4.4 KitKat: A Summary Of New Features & Improvements
All the regular leaks and rumors have kept the Android community abuzz for the past few weeks, waiting for the next major update to Android. Well, Google announced Android 4.4 ‘KitKat’ some time ago, but they just formally detailed all the new features a few hours ago. In this article, we’ll be covering all the new changes you should expect when your device manufacturer ultimately rolls out Android 4.4 to your device.
All Recent Nexus Devices Except Galaxy Nexus Will Support Android 4.4
Most probably due to its weak chip, the Galaxy Nexus will not officially receive Android 4.4 from Google. However, one can expect the active developer to rise to the occasion, and launch custom ROMs built on top of KitKat. It’s a shame considering how Apple has been able to support the three-year-old iPhone 4, while Google isn’t able to support a phone released just a year and a half ago.
Nexus 10, Nexus 7 2012/2013, Nexus 4, Google Play Editions of HTC One and Galaxy S4 will get Android 4.4 soon. Google used the words, “in the coming weeks.”
“Ok Google”: Quick Access To Voice Commands
Remember the “always listening” Touchless Control feature in Moto X? Android 4.4 packs something quite similar but very limited in comparison. You can use the “Ok Google” voice command to gain quick access to Google Now actions, but only if you’re on the home screen or within Google Now. Also, it is currently only supported on the Nexus 5.
Project Svelte Drastically Reduces RAM Consumption For Low-End Devices
The single biggest reason why Android caught up and subsequently leapfrogged iOS in market-share is because of its ability to run on low-end smartphones and tablets. The experience of using Android on these devices is often drastically different than high and even mid-end devices, so Google has announced ‘Project Svelte’ as part of 4.4 KitKat, which makes some clever optimizations to reduce the amount of RAM Android apps use. Low-end devices will get the most out of this, but higher-end devices will see benefits in the form of improved multi-tasking and generally better performance.
Apps Can Now Natively Go Full-Screen
The biggest advantage of using virtual buttons is that they can go away when you don’t need them, which gives you more screen space to enjoy games and videos. On Android 4.4 KitKat, it will be easy for developers to make their app take over the entirety of the screen. If you want to see the status bar or navigation bar again, swipe up or down (respectively) to see it momentarily. It is somewhat similar to how Notification Center and Control Center work on iOS.
Translucent Status & Navigation Bar
We’ve discussed tweaks to achieve this and ROMs that support this by default. From Android 4.4 onwards, both previously mentioned bars will be completely transparent, giving you a sense of extra space on your homescreen. Not a huge difference per se, but it’s a welcome one.
Smarter Phone App
Getting a call from an unknown number? The Phone app will automatically search for the number on Google in the background, and update it with the name of the restaurant, bank, or shop if found. This also works the other way: you can start typing the name of a nearby location on Google Maps and you’ll be presented with the phone number. Additionally, the app will remember who you call the most and show these contacts higher in the list when searching for them.
Hangouts Replaces Messaging App
After replacing the AOSP Camera app, Keyboard, Email, Browser etc. with its own proprietary solutions, Google has now replaced the terrible AOSP Messaging app with the latest version of Hangouts. As most of you already know, Hangouts now supports texting over SMS, and conversations over SMS or Google Hangouts are displayed seamlessly – it’s a long-awaited feature, but you should understand that it is another big step by Google to lock down Android by close-sourcing as many important parts of the system as possible.
Native Support For Printing
With Android 4.4, you will be able to connect to remote printers through Google Cloud Print and nearby printers over the same WiFi network to print the documents you carry with you on your device. This goes well with Google’s move to acquire Quickoffice.
Emoji In Google Keyboard
Though not that groundbreaking an addition, it is certainly one that has been deemed missing from the OS for a long time. Emoji will now be available everywhere, right from within the stock keyboard.
IR Blaster Support
Both HTC One and Galaxy S4 came with IR blasters for controlling your TV remotely, but the hardware didn’t work in Google Play editions of the same phones because of lack of software support. In Android 4.4, support for sending control signals over IR is built in.
Screen Recording
App reviewers and developers rely on screen capture tools to enhance the products of their labor, and there’s no better way to enhance app reviews and development than with recording a video of the screen. Previously, you had to rely on third-party apps, however, you can now record screen activity using Android 4.4 itself. It can be accessed over ADB, and we’ll show you how as soon as we get our hands on KitKat.
DESCRIPTION : VMware Workstation 10 - known program for virtualization. VMware Workstation 10 is a powerful solution for software developers and system administrators who are creating and testing a full-class integrated network applications servers, operating in different environments. The unique technology of VMware MultipleWorlds isolates operating systems and applications within virtual machines, and the disposal of each virtual machine is a standard PC x86, with its own processor and memory. With this solution you can on a single computer to conduct processes of development, testing, debugging and running multi-tier browser-based applications that exploit the new operating systems and legacy applications on one computer, install new or upgrade existing operating systems without performing partitioning operations drive and restart your computer. The new platform offers enhanced capabilities for application developers, engineers, quality control, sales of technology solutions and IT-administrators. One of the most notable innovations package VMware Workstation 8 has enhanced support for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. To display the status of virtual machines are now fully use functions Flip 3D and Aero Peek, implemented in the interface of Windows 7. VMware Workstation Package 8 became the first product with full Aero GUI in Windows 7. Enabling a single application-based technologies DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3 and OpenGL 2.1, which can be run in virtual machines running Windows.
FEATURES : - The simultaneous launch of multiple guest operating systems on one computer - Running a virtual machine in windows desktop core operating system and full screen - Installing virtual machines without re-partitioning - Running is already installed on your computer operating system without reinstalling or re-configure - Launch of Windows applications on a computer running Linux, and conversely - Development and testing of applications at the same time for different systems - Running untested applications without the risk of endangering the stability of the system or lose critical data - Sharing files and applications to different virtual machines by using a virtual network - Running a client-server and Web-based applications on a single PC - Running on the same PC multiple virtual machines, and modeling of network
How to Create a Printer Icon in Adobe Photoshop CS5
In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a simple printer icon in Adobe Photoshop.
Final Image
As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:
Tutorial Details
Program: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Estimated Completion Time: 45 to 50 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Step 1
Open Photoshop and hit Control + N to create a new document. Enter all the data shown in the following image and click OK. Enable the Grid (View > Show > Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap To > Grid). For starters you will need a grid every 5px, so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and focus on the Grid section. Enter 5 in the Gridline Every box and 1 in the Subdivision box. Also, set the color of the grid to #a7a7a7.
Once you have set all these properties click OK. Don’t get discouraged by all that grid. It will ease your work later. You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes.
Step 2
Go to your Toolbar and set the foreground color to #00aeef. Grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool, focus on the top bar and set the radius to 5px. Create a 120 x 40px vector shape, make sure that it stays selected and switch to the Rectangle Tool. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and then draw a 120 x 10px path along the top of your rounded rectangle as shown in the second image.
Move to the Layers panel and double click on the vector shape made in this step to open the Layer Style panel. Activate the Drop Shadow, the Inner Shadow, the Bevel and Emboss and the Gradient Overlay then enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 3
Set the foreground color to #ffda71, make sure that the Rectangle Tool is still active, create a 120 x 35px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this new rectangle stays selected, switch to the Add Anchor Point Tool and add two anchor points as shown in the first image. Next, you need to remove the handles from those new anchor points. Simply select the Convert Point Tool and click on both anchor points. Pick the Direct Selection Tool and focus on the top side of your yellow vector shape. Select the left anchor point and drag it 10px to the right then select the right anchor point and drag it 10px to the left. Move to the Layers panel, open the Layer Style window for this yellow vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 4
Set the foreground color to #ff0000, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 120 x 25px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image.
Make sure that this red rectangle stays selected, go to the Layers panel, lower the Fill to 0% and then open the Layer Style panel. Activate the Inner Shadow and enter the properties shown in the following image.
Step 5
Set the foreground color to white, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create an 80 x 20px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this rounded rectangle stays selected and grab the Rectangle Tool. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw an 80 x 5px vector path as shown in the second image.
Step 6
Make sure that the vector shape made in the previous step is still selected and grab the Rectangle Tool. Check the Add button from the top bar and simply add an 80 x 10px vector shape as shown in the first image.
Focus on the top side of this white shape and switch to the Direct Selection Tool. Select the left anchor point and drag it 5px to the right then select the right anchor point and drag it 5px to the left. Open the Layer Style window for this vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 7
Set the foreground color tp #ff0000, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 80 x 15px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this red rectangle stays selected, go to the Layers panel, lower the Fill to 0% and then open the Layer Style panel. Activate the Inner Shadow and enter the properties shown in the following image.
Step 8
Set the foreground color to #141414, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create an 80 x 20px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this rounded rectangle stays selected and switch to the Rectangle Tool. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw an 80 x 5px vector shape as shown in the second image. Open the Layer Style window for this dark shape and enter the properties shown in the following image.
Step 9
Set the foreground color to #8dc63f, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 90 x 30px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this rounded rectangle stays selected, check the Subtract button from the top bar and then draw an 80 x 20px vector shape as shown in the second image.
Step 10
Make sure that your green vector shape is still selected and grab the Rectangle Tool. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw a 90 x 10px vector shape as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 11
Set the foreground color to #fbaf5d, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 90 x 20px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this rectangle stays selected, focus on its bottom side and switch to the Direct Selection Tool. Select the left anchor point and drag it 5px to the left then select the right anchor point and drag it 5px to the right. Open the Layer Style window for this orange vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 12
Set the foreground color to white, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 70 x 30px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this rectangle stays selected, focus on its bottom side and switch to the Direct Selection Tool. Select the left anchor point and drag it 5px to the left then select the right anchor point and drag it 5px to the right. Open the Layer Style window for this orange vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 13
Set the foreground color to black, pick the Rectangle Tool, create an 80 x 20px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this new rectangle and enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 14
Set the foreground color to #ffda71, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 70 x 25px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this new rectangle and enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 15
Set the foreground color to #3c3c3c, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 15 x 5px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this tiny rounded rectangle stays selected and switch to the Rectangle Tool. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw a 5px square as shown in the second image.
Step 16
Open the Layer Style window for the vector shape made in the previous step and enter the properties shown in the following images.
Step 17
For the following steps you need a grid every 1px,so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 1 in the Gridline Every box.
Set the foreground color to white, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 6 x 3px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this rounded rectangle and enter the properties shown in the following image.
Step 18
Set the foreground color to #fbaf5d, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 100 x 3px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this orange rectangle and enter the properties shown in the following image.
Step 19
Return to " Gridline Every 5px", so go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 5 in the Gridline Every box.
Set the foreground color to #ffda71, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 130 x 10px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this rounded rectangle stays selected and switch to the Rectangle Tool. Check the Add button from the top bar and add a 100 x 25px rectangle as shown in the second image.
Step 20
Make sure that the yellow vector shape made in the previous step is still selected, focus on its bottom side and switch to the Direct Selection Tool. Select the left anchor point and drag it 5px to the left then select the right anchor point and drag it 5px to the right. Focus on the Layers panel, send this vector shape to back (Shift + CTRL + [ ) and replace the yellow with black.
Step 21
Focus on the Layers panel, right click on the black vector shape made in the previous step and go to Convert to Smart Object. Make sure that this new smart object is selected, lower its Opacity to 15% and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 5px radius and click OK.
Step 22
Set the foreground color to black, pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 170 x 20px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Focus on the Layers panel and turn this squeezed circle into a smart object. Make sure that this new smart object is selected, lower its Opacity to 7% and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 5px radius, click OK and you’re done.
