Owners of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus have surely heard the name Android Open Kang Project (AOKP). It is undoubtedly one of the most, if not thee most commonly used custom ROM available for select devices. I have had the opportunity to have a quick session with lead developer Roman Birg of AOKP and ask him some questions to get inside the mind of one of today’s top developers.  

DL: So, Roman. What started your work on the AOKP?

Roman: One day on twitter, b16 said he had a few extra Galaxy Nexus devices he was selling for a lot cheaper than stock, so I jumped on it. I’ve been doing ROMs for a little over a year now and I was eager to play with AOSP again, so I jumped on the offer, quick. A couple days after I got it, I released AOKP build 1, and I sort of add features around what I want personally, and AOSP just didn’t do it, so I just started adding things as I saw fit and it just sort of went from there…

DL: What’s your background in development in general? Do you have proper schooling in that or are you all self-taught? It seems like a lot of the Android devs out there these days pumping out ROMs have all just picked up their skills from fellow developers.

Roman: I’m a Computer Science major at college (and they teach Java), but I don’t think any college courses helped me with Android, maybe with a little bit of Java coding, but Android is just so much more than that.

DL: So what got you into Android development in the first place?

Roman: After I got a Samsung Vibrant, I was just flashing everything I could for a couple months. After a while, I wasn’t satisfied with something a ROM developer had done and I wanted to change it to how it was before. it just snow balled from there – I started doing a little theming. Then I started smali hacking and adding new features.

DL: So your first Android device was the Vibrant?

Roman: Yes and no, I found a G1 for like $90 on eBay a few months prior to getting my Vibrant. I’m pretty sure I didn’t even have the G1 24 hours before rooting and putting CyanogenMod on it.

DL: Nice - So do you also work full time alongside development on Android or have you made Android your full time? It seems you put so much work into AOKP that you wouldn’t have time for anything else.

Roman: Actually, I’m a full time student at college, and I was working 20 hours a week until about a week ago.

DL: What were you doing for work? Anything exciting?

Roman: I was working for a network research lab at school. It’s not as exciting as Android.

DL: What do you see in the future for your work on Android? Any goals you have set for yourself?

Roman: Ideally, I’d love to make ROMs as a job, but unfortunately, that doesn’t pay nearly enough to sustain anyone. However! Very soon, I’ll be starting to develop Android Apps. I could definitely see myself doing that in the future. Hopefully I have some success doing that.

DL: So, what types of apps are looking to make?

Roman: I’ve actually started working on my first app just yesterday. I’m working closely with the guys at RootzWiki to bring something (hopefully) awesome for all ROM fiends. It’s tentatively named RootzBox.

DL: Hmm, RootzBox? Can you give us a little hint as to what the app’s purpose is?

Roman: It’s still early in it’s planning and development, but the idea is to make everything related to ROMs easier on the user. We’ve got some nice features planned that will make the app unique and Rootz-worthy .

DL: Nice, be sure to keep us posted on that. So what do you think it is that has made AOKP so tremendously popular among users? Did you plan on creating a ROM that would make people even put CyanogenMod in the backseat for a bit?

Roman: Honestly, I had no idea it would get as big as it has. I do this all for fun, so I was just doing whatever — adding a feature here and there, whatever I felt like doing at the time. Ever since I started playing with ROMs, I’ve always been about options and user-choice. So after a while, I had a toggle for this and I had a toggle for that. People are able customize their phone and make it feel different than others. Furthermore, the community involvement has just been amazing, which is more than any ROM dev could want. People submit code to add a feature, or maybe improve on a feature that’s already been added. AOKP would be nothing without those who’ve contributed (Zaphod-Beeble, Whitehawkx, sethyx, Khas-Mek, and ProTekk just to name a few).

And on the subject of CyanogenMod – I just want to point out that I’m not in any way trying to compete with them. While AOKP is made from pure AOSP, we wouldn’t be able to get AOKP on any phone that’s not supported by AOSP without CyanogenMod and all of the people who contribute to it.

DL: So right off the top of your head, what types of features are you hoping to bring to future versions of AOKP? Anything you want to do but don’t have the ability, or means to quite yet? Anything like that on your mind lately?

Roman: I would love to be able to add a theme manager (like the T-Mobile one that CM7 had), but I don’t know nearly enough to accomplish something like that. More realistically, I think we’d be able to add a way for the user to change the color scheme of the whole ROM. Right now you can change the color of your clock, signal text, and a few other things, but I’d love to let the user be able to pick a color, and their whole phone be in that color.

DL: That’s something everyone has been hoping for. Okay, so I have to ask – What’s the deal with the pink unicorns?

Roman: Whitehawkx and I have a T-Mo SGS2 ROM and it has ROM Control kind of like AOKP, but it’s much more limited since we’re smali-hacking all the features in. Anyways, one day we were just joking around and thought it’d be really awesome to make pink unicorn our ‘logo.’ Before we know it, one of our friends, kwes, makes us a unicorn logo and Rascarlo makes us that boot animation. And it just stuck.

DL: Just last night I went to apply my favorite live wallpaper Phase Beam and noticed it had been replaced by cute pink unicorn heads dancing on my screen. Fabulous!

Roman: That was actually a user-contribution! We all loved it when we saw it, there’s no way I couldn’t not include it. It’s definitely fabulous.

DL: Awesome. Well to wrap it up, is there anything else you want to say to the community, users, fellow devs or anything?

Roman: We’re all here to learn and make our devices better. Users: don’t be afraid to ask questions and be as nice as you can to other users (I remember when I was deathly afraid of posting in fear of being scowled for asking something that was answered 10,000 pages back). Developers: open source is what drives this community, keep it that way.

DL: Excellent, thanks for talking with us!

Roman: May the kang be with you.

If you want to learn more about the AOKP or give it a go on your device, you can find downloads and all the info you will ever need over the AOKP site. Interested in reading other developer interviews we have held? Then you can search through here and find them all.

Interview: Roman Birg, Lead Developer of the Android Open Kang Project is a post from: Droid Life

I was fortunate enough to snag some time with an upcoming developer who’s work can be found for many HTC Thunderbolt devices if they search hard enough through the forums. The neat thing about this developer is that they are an incredible multi-tasker just like the platform they work on. A mother, full-time worker, and part-time Android developer. Impressive. Her name is Misty and she goes by Liquidzgrl on the web, and she creates ROMs and themes for the Thunderbolt.

Down below you can read my conversation with her on starting to develop, being a mom and still having time for a hobby, and possibly being the only underground Android developer who just so happens to be a girl.

DL: To start it off – what’s your name and what is it that you do?

Misty: My name is Misty. Better known by my Android alias, Liquidzgrl. I currently work full-time as a CSR in the utility industry. I’ve been with popular Android developer, Liquid0624 for 11 years now and we have 1 son together. I make boot-animations and other fun graphics for Android and have recently started getting into ROM development and am also experimenting with app development.

DL: Excellent. So what got you into Android in the first place?

Misty: Well, I am a former Blackberry user here. Liquid0624 purchased the OG Droid while I was left in the dust with my paperweight. I loved the capabilities that the Android system had to offer. Once I saw how amazing the graphics were I started my quest into the Android world with inspiration from ChevyNo1 and his Simply Stunning ROM. I never really had any formal background in computer programming although starting at age 14 I did start self study of C++ and VB.net a few years later. I started playing around with boot-animations at first for Chevy but then when Liquid0624 starting getting more involved into ROM development I followed quickly behind like a pesky fly wanting to know all about it so he has been helping me learn more and grow with Android Development myself now. I absolutely love being able to do what I want and have that control of my phone. I couldn’t contain myself any longer once I purchased my HTC Thunderbolt. I wanted to root in the worst way the bloat was getting to me. Though I think all the ROMs out there are amazing none of them were what I wanted so my journey truly began and i decided my goal was to make what I want happen and then root so that is just what I did. Going forward, the possibilities are endless and I love it!

DL: So, do you know of any other girl developers in the Android ROM community? You might be the only one!

Misty: No, I think I might be the only one at least for right now. There could be others out there but certainly none that I know of directly or that have been publicly mentioned. Maybe I’ll start a new trend. Now that I have released my first Rom, Liquid Thundersense V2.0 and some of those who have tried it are commenting as to how well it works and how much they like it, I am hoping it will easy the anxiety of some who are cautious to trust the development abilities of a woman.

DL: So what exactly was lacking from other ROMs that you are delivering in your ROM?

Misty: Actually, this one is an interesting twist on things. The other ROMs were lacking the basic stock only feel that I was seeking. The other ones had more than I wanted in them. So as a newly rooted user my ROM was created to be appealing to those who want the best of Stock minus bloat plus the speed and a ROM that makes newer rooting users feel more comfortable with the transition into the rooted android world.

DL: So where would you like to see your development in the future? Going to pursue making ROMs? Or would you like to do something else?

Misty: My future ambitions are still a work in progress at this time. I will be continuing ROM development but I would like to learn more about application development as well. I want to be well rounded in all aspects of Android development maybe with the exception of kernels. My current project is a ROM style similar to my first release but for Gingerbread. Basically, it’s going to be a new and re-designed Liquid Gingersense ROM with a new name for the new Dev. In addition, maybe it will be even better that my 1st for 2 reasons. 1= My experience is growing 2= I now have the added support of my team (TeamLiquid)

DL: About how much time would you say is spent on Android in any given week? Hard to juggle being a mother, having a job, and Android as a hobby?

Misty: Harder than I could ever even begin to describe! Being a mother is a full time job. I work a full time job. Android as my hobby though I would like to devote more time to it, sadly I must put it on the back burner. The time I spend on Android work in any given week varies so extremely it is hard to pinpoint a number as a generalized answer. I’d say on a good week 10-20 hours and a bad week less than 10.

DL: That’s got to be intense.

Misty: Indeed.

DL: Do you think Android will be around when your son grows up? Maybe he can be the next big ROM Developer? Going to teach him to code at an early age?

Misty: I definitely think Android will be around when he grows up though by then it might just have the capability to go to work for me. *laughs* Maybe he can be the next big ROM Developer? Absolutely, he has the potential to do anything that he sets his mind too. We all do! Am I going to teach him code at an early age? I may not have to, he watches Daddy(Liquid0624) and me and has started reading internet tutorials already without any suggestion from us.
He longs to hold the LiquidJR title in the community.

DL: Nice. We look forward to his work. Keep us posted on any future development. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us!

Misty: And thank you and all the other great developers out there who have also helped get me here today! Everyone watch for releases and upcoming work from me and our team!

_______________________________________

It’s been a long time since we had one of these and it reminds me that there are so many people out there that spend lots of their free time, to help people enjoy their devices to their full potential. Developers like Misty and her husband are good people that deserve some gratitude. So on behalf of the DL community, a big thanks to all the developers/themers out there that don’t make a living off this, but still sacrifice the time and energy for the love of it.

If you want to follow Misty on Twitter, you can find her here. Interested in flashing her ROM? Then check it out here. Learn more about their work at their website.

More of this series can be found here.

The Tato Series: An Interview With Liquidzgrl – One of the Few Female Android Developers is a post from: Droid Life

So, anyone who knows me should know two things about me:  I love Sapphire and I love me some good ol’ LauncherPro.  When it comes to launchers though there are lots of choices other than LP like ADW, Stock, Helix, and the list goes on. Well we took a poll a lil’ while ago to show what our readers were using then, (Time for an updated poll? I think so!) but there was one launcher missing from that list that lately has pretty much wiped the floor with the competition. That Launcher, is none other than LauncherPro.

Besides ADW, LauncherPro is the definitive Home replacement application. With a widely growing list of widgets and customizable  features…who could argue? I have been fortunate enough to score some time with the man behind the app, Mr. Federico Carnales. Please enjoy this as much as I did; he was a sincere pleasure to talk to!  

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Tim-o-tato: Hi Fede! Thanks so much for ‘sitting down with me’! Mind giving us your name and occupation?

Fede: Thanks for having me, Tim. My name is Federico Carnales, and I’m a full time, self-employed developer of LauncherPro.

Tim-o-tato: And what a great App it is! So how long have you been working on LauncherPro?

Fede: Why, thanks!  I started working on it April of this year.

Tim-o-tato: So from April it has become one of the most downloaded apps in the market place. Surprised with this success?

Fede: Quite a bit…I hoped it would get popular, but I didn’t expect it to become so popular so fast! It’s been a wild few months!

Tim-o-tato: I can only imagine! What made you want to begin this project?

Fede: Well, I really liked the idea of HTC Sense’s launcher, bringing the most used apps of your phone right to the home screen. But I didn’t have an HTC phone, and my phone at the time didn’t support custom ROMs (Motorola Milestone). So in short, the idea behind LauncherPro was to bring an experience similar to HTC Sense, to any phone by any manufacturer. Funny thing is, now I have tons of users who ditched Sense for LauncherPro

Tim-o-tato: Ouch! That poor Milestone. So since you have a Milestone, you must be from out of the States. Where are you located exactly?

Fede: I’m originally from Uruguay, but currently live in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Tim-o-tato: So in Argentina is there a big Developer scene at all?

Fede: For Android? No, I don’t think so. There aren’t many Android phones in the market here. Which is upsetting.

Tim-o-tato: So you’re a big fish in a pretty small pond.

Fede: Indeed

Tim-o-tato: If there are more Devs down there like you, we need all the Android phones down there as we can get!

Fede: Hahaha … I’m sure there’s tons of talented developers here. Android just hasn’t quite caught on yet. Give it some time, you’ll see more developers from around here!

Tim-o-tato: So you must have a background in development. Care to share you history?

Fede: My background in development is all self-taught. I started developing websites when I was around 14, and then got into web programming a couple of years later. Started getting some freelance gigs, which I did for a few years. Then got a bit sick of freelancing and decided to do my own thing.

Tim-o-tato: Wow, so started at 14..

Fede: Yup

Tim-o-tato: What type of sites were you working on at that age?

Fede: I was mostly just learning, playing around with HTML. I think my first website was a portal for Webmasters. I was really into web marketing and that kind of stuff.

Tim-o-tato: Haha. Wow. That’s good! At 14 I think I was just sitting on the couch playing video games. I should of been on a computer. I could of doing bigger things

Fede: Haha, yeah, I’ve always been a bit of a lone wolf, so that was a good hobby for me.

Tim-o-tato: You’re not alone anymore! So we all know that people arent allowed to purchase the Plus Version of your app since you live out of the US. What’s the story behind that? Have you contacted Google about that at all?

I would think they could make an exception for Apps with a certain download marker? Like a prize for being so popular!

Fede: At the moment there are only 9 (I think) countries allowed to sell paid apps on the Android market. The rest of the world doesn’t exist apparently. It’s weird because I was getting paid by Google (Adsense) almost ten years ago without a problem

Tim-o-tato: I would think since you’ve made something better than even their Devs have that they would just hire you. I’ll talk to some people! Haha

Fede: Hahaha! I don’t think I’d like to work for Google though. I’m quite comfortable being my own boss.

Tim-o-tato: Wish I could say that! So how many hours would you say you’ve put into LauncherPro?

Fede: Hmmm… hard to say, wish I kept track. Several hundred hours for sure.

Tim-o-tato: So since this last update, can we see a lot more coming from LauncherPro? More feautres for the future? (perhaps a gmail widget PLEASE!)

Fede: Yes, there will be a LOT more coming in the future and a Gmail widget is part of the plan, yes!

Tim-o-tato: Yay! Well I’m happy now.

Fede: Haha. Also, I’m slowly starting to work on rewriting the whole thing from scratch. Instead of starting with Android’s launcher.

Tim-o-tato: That must be lots of work

Fede: Yes. But I will keep updating the current LP while I re-build it from scratch.

Tim-o-tato: Lots of people have talked (wished for) a partnering with ADW and yourself in making the ultimate Home Launcher. Do you think something like that would ever become reality?

Fede: Probably not. We have quite different takes on software.

Tim-o-tato: So you two talk and are aware of the fact that people either use you or him? lol It is actually quite the feud I would say between users. ADW or LauncherPro!

Fede: Yup, definitely. It’s all about personal preference.

Tim-o-tato: That’s what I always say. Both are better than stock and that’s all that should matter. Haha

So is it just you, or do you have any other helpers/developers with this app?

Fede: Just me so far. I am definitely planning to hire a developer to help though. And also someone else to take care of support, documentation, website, etc.

Tim-o-tato: Well you have my email? The future is looking extremely bright for LauncherPro which is great!

Fede: Yes, I see a lot of future in LauncherPro!

Tim-o-tato: So you must get lots of emails about your App. About how many a day would you say?

Fede: I used to get over 500 hundred a day! Most with the same questions and suggestions. So I started referring people to the forum instead. It was getting out of control. The forum has been there from the start but a lot of people didn’t know about it, and a lot of people think it’s better to just email the developer. Which was fine when I started and was getting 10-15 emails a day.

Tim-o-tato: Then it blew up! Haha

Fede: Yes. And a lot of pepole don’t realize how much time it takes to reply to that many emails a day. Time that is much better spent adding cool new features to the app instead of answering the same questions over and over.

Tim-o-tato: Exactly. I could not agree more. So say you weren’t a Launcher Dev. Is there any other type of Apps you would want to Dev for at all?

Fede: Hmm… I know what I don’t like developing, and that’s games. I’m much more comfortable developing utilities. As for types of Apps I’d like to develop, maybe a Twitter app. There’s lots of great ones out there already, but I think there’s room for improvement. Or maybe a music player? Haha

Tim-o-tato: The Facebook App is also HORRIBLE… Help Fede! Haha

Fede: Yeah, that would be cool too! The problem is that the Facebook API is currently a bit limited. So there’s no way to make a fully functional Facebook app with the API. Twitter on the other hand, exposes pretty much every feature through their API.

Tim-o-tato: Awe. So when you’re not Developing what do you like to do? Any hobbies?

Fede: Baking! Haha! I always liked baking since I was a kid, and a few years ago went to pastry school and got a pastry chef diploma! Other than that, I love going to the movies and eating out.

Tim-o-tato: That’s awesome! For giggles, whats your favorite thing to bake?

Fede: Hmm, I make a bad-ass lemon meringue pie

Tim-o-tato: Yum!

So do you ever stop by Droid-Life to read up?

Fede: Yeah, whenever I have time. To be honest I hadn’t heard of it until you wrote your first piece on LauncherPro. But I’m glad I found it, it’s definitely one of the best Android sites out there!

Tim-o-tato: I’m using that as a quote! Haha

Fede: And you guys have been nothing but awesome to LauncherPro and me. You’ve been covering LauncherPro from the very beginning!

Tim-o-tato: Thanks! We love to hear that!

Tim-o-tato: Is there anything you want ask the readers? Feature requests or anything of that nature? Now would definitely be the time!

Fede: Hmm, not that I could think of…I always try to make some time to read the comments when LauncherPro gets blog coverage.  So I’m watching everything and always taking notes when someone suggests something interesting.

Tim-o-tato: Now since I have you right here…this is MY chance! There is a feature I was always curious about, and thats the infinite loop of the homescreens. Is that gonna be in the works? I would pay big bucks for that! Haha

Fede: That’s a tricky one. The main problem is the wallpaper. Live Wallpapers would be incompatible with that, and normal wallpapers would have to be loopable to keep them from looking awful when you join two ends together.

Tim-o-tato: Hmm, well if there is one man I believe in…it’s you hopefully! lol

Fede: LOL! It will probably come eventually.

Tim-o-tato: Well I wanna thank you SOOO much on behalf of Droid-Life and everyone Fede for your time! It was a real pleasure!

Fede: Thank you! Pleasure was all mine! Take care!

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It was a great time talking to Fede and I know we are ALL looking forward to future updates and progress reports.  Thanks everyone for another great week in life, a Droid-Life!

-Tim-o-tato

Get LauncherPro here at Fede’s Website!
And please check out the rest of The Tato Series!

Got ideas for more interviews? Message me at timotato@droid-life.com

The Tato Series: An Interview With Fede Of LauncherPro is a post from: Droid Life

Another great week down!  We had Kellex at OpenFeint in my neck of the woods (That was fun.).  We got 4G on the Droid Incredible? And I’m changing the name of the IRC to CCROM-Life? More about that after the break…or not.

So since the release of Bugless Beast Version Zero Point Five, I have been looking for a theme to throw on top and I think I have found someone who knows what I’m shooting for. Widgets, whole APK’s, Pulldown Menu, and even your Mommas Pajamas are themed here! Yes, please!

I present RZ Alien Darkness by ‘RaidZero’.  Enjoy…

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Instructions:

This theme is intended for Bugless Beast V 0.5 but is available on other ROMs (Sapphire, FRG22D)

1. After installing Bugless Beast please download the theme right—> RZ_frg22d_Alien-update.zip

2. Place theme zip on the root of your SD Card.

3. Open ROM Manager and select “Install ROM for SD Card”

4. Locate the theme file and select it.

5. Make a backup just in case. This goes without saying. You may skip wipe data/cache.

6. Sit back and allow Clockwork to do its thing. Enjoy!!!

If you run across any problems please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments section or in the Live Support IRC section!

Thanks everyone and have a great weekend! And a big thanks to RaidZero for being kind and porting this to Bugless Beast for me.

See Droid Forums post here.
See more Custom Theme Fridays here.
Email Tim here with ideas for next week! timotato@droid-life.com

Custom Theme Friday: RZ Alien Darkness for BB V0.5 is a post from: Droid Life

Exciting times around here seeing as how Kellex’s Droid X finally got some 2.2 love, but I wish all you DX users the best. (I was skeptical hehe.)

I got to have a very fun chat with JRummy the other day and can tell he is a very well spoken, smart individual. Throughout the Tato Series I have yet to converse with anyone that hasn’t come off as someone who isn’t extremely nice and knowledgeable in their respective fields including JRummy. Put all these guys in one room and North America might explode!

Task Killers, nicknames, future of LithiumMod, and even a possible interview with “The Great Tim-o-tato”? Ha! We’ll see about that!

Continue on….

Tim-o-tato: So can I have you introduce yourself and what it is you do?

JRummy16: Well, My name is Jared Rummler and on internet sites I usually go by the name JRummy16. Rummy has always been kind of a nick name so I went with it. I am from Southern California and besides working on Android I am a full time student at Cal State Fullerton and also have a full time job doing accounting. On my free time I love to hang out with my beautiful wife at the beach where I surf and skim board.

Tim-o-tato: Excellent! What are you currently in school for?

JRummy16: Accounting. Far from anything I do in the Android community but I have some opportunities that I don’t want to pass up. Learning and developing in Android has definitely opened my eyes into different things that I have grown to love though.

Tim-o-tato: Well I know that any work you put towards Android people will be happy with. What got you into Android to begin with?

JRummy16: I am fairly new to Android and the ROM world actually. I have always had a “nerd” side to me and when I purchased my Droid1 I wanted to learn everything about it. After rooting my device I wanted to unleash the full potential of my new toy. I think my first ROM was Bugless Beast 7.4 or something.  I started with simple hacks I could teach myself, then I got into creating themes where I learned simple but necessary things like xml’s, smali and backsmali, and Eclipse. I then started building ROMs. First they were based off of Cyanogen Mod (which I believe was the only source built ROM at the time). Then I began to teach myself Bash and Java (which I’m still doing) and started compiling my own ROMs from source.  So far it has been a fun and educational little hobby

Tim-o-tato: Wow! So JRummys first ROM was Bugless Beast?

JRummy16: Ha, yep!

Tim-o-tato: When you started working on all of this, did you have any clue that people would accept your work so widely? In other words, did you expect to become so popular?

JRummy16: I didn’t know what would become of my work. When I started I really looked up to AdamZ and Xeudoxus. Those are developers that do it just for the fun of developing and not for numbers or show (like many other developers too).  I am stoked that so many people have enjoyed my work. I compile ROMs and theme because that’s what I love to do and it’s just a bonus that others love it too.

Tim-o-tato: Awesome. So what got you thinking about making a *super* pink theme for Droid-Life then?

Tim-o-tato: Think it got people to check out the good work you were pumping out at the time?

JRummy16: Because Droid-Life is just that cool! When my wife got her droid I wanted to root and install a custom ROM for her but she was hesitant until I showed her my Pink-Life theme. She is still using it today and loves it. Also, I had a color scheme going I guess. Besides Pink-Life I have developed a green, blue, red and a cyan theme.

Tim-o-tato: My ex girlfriend really liked it too! Turns out she likes iPhones more though…(hence the Ex).
What types of things are you working on these days? Anything up those sleeves?

JRummy16: Lately I have been swamped with school and work but I can’t seem to step away from Android.  So, when I have time I have been working on a compilation of scripts which act much like BusyBox and getting them into a GUI. I have also spent some time working on more customization on status bar icons, SetCPU and other customization in the Settings App.

Tim-o-tato: Sounds good. I’m sure we’ll all be on the lookout. So may I ask you age Jared? I’m guessing you’re not “16″?

JRummy16: I’m 25. But what about you? When is Droid-Life going to have an interview with the amazing Tim-o-tato?

Tim-o-tato: Haha. I’m 21! The amazing? Hmm, I guess I could get use to that.

Tim-o-tato: So what are your thoughts about the Android community as a whole? Likes? Dislikes?

JRummy16: As a whole it is a great group. I have become friends with a great group of Developers and Theme makers. I talk constantly to JDLFG, Xeudoxus, {n8}, Liquid0624, and many others. I have also had a good opportunity to share what I have learned with other developers. I think I have spent more time talking, learning and teaching other people than I have spent developing because there are so many good people here.

Tim-o-tato: That’s what we like to hear! Hopefully it’s only gonna get better!! As someone that’s on the inside, where do you see Android a few years down the road?

JRummy16: I think Android has a huge potential and it’s obvious that the competition is scared. I’ll be sticking with it for a long time and hope to keep bringing some amazing work to the table.

Tim-o-tato: What type of phone did you have before your first Android phone? (which was? Droid? G1?)

JRummy16: My first Android phone was the Droid1 and before that I had a bulky ugly Windows Mobile phone.

Tim-o-tato: Ohh, so no I*hone?

JRummy16: Nope!

Tim-o-tato: Clever…

Time for my dumb silly Q’s…

Tim-o-tato: Task Killers: What is your view and opinion them?

JRummy16: I never used one and I think they are a bit over rated. :-/

Tim-o-tato: We hear that a lot!

Tim-o-tato: So Steve Jobs writes to you, say he needs your help with the new i*hone. Your response?

JRummy16: Lol! Umm…I would say heck yes, if it were April Fools day or if he offered me a ton of money!!

Tim-o-tato: Yea, ton of money would be nice I suppose…

Tim-o-tato: If you had to change your nickname, what do you think you would choose?

JRummy16: Mr.GinormousMuscles would probably be the best way to describe me…so probably that.

Tim-o-tato: Awesome! Who could argue?!?

Tim-o-tato: So you mentioned some other Developers you admire. Is there something you hope to be an innovator for maybe in the future? Or that you would like to create that isn’t already available?

JRummy16: There are always ideas and new things to work on. It has been a little of a slow start but Lithium Mod has some great developers and has some real potential.

Tim-o-tato: That’s good to hear that it’s still alive! Well we are ALL waiting. You’ll make us proud!

So before I let you go, is there ANYTHING you would like to ask the Droid-Life readers?

JRummy16: Sure. First, what do you look for most in a ROM (features, stability, theme, customization, etc.)?

Second, what is going to be your next device?

Tim-o-tato: That seems to be the question on everybodies mind. As contracts are starting to end, everyone wants to know what the next big thing is. In your opinion, what do you think the next big phone will be?

JRummy16: The droid X is starting to explode but for the next device honestly I’m not sure.

Tim-o-tato: Thanks so much for your time Jared! I myself and everyone at DL really appreciate it!!!

JRummy16: Your welcome! Thanks!

Tim-o-tato: Have a good one and talk soon!

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Well that was fun! I had no idea I was “great”, buuut I am not one to argue with a guy like Jrummy, so I’ll run with it! Thanks for everyone reading these and letting me know that you care for it!

Huge props to JRummy for giving me his time!

So tell me…What’s gonna be the next big phone?!?

-Tim-o-tato

Read the rest of the Tato Series interviews!

Follow JRummy on Twitter!

Check out Tato’s Band!

The Tato Series: An Interview With JRummy16 is a post from: Droid Life

Happy Friday everyone! Now we all know Mrpicolas is a master of customizing home screens with a bunch of cool widgets and apps to make it look how you want, but may I just say, I think I know how to make a pretty cool home screen myself. I am a more reserved ‘less is more’ type of guy and can’t really enjoy looking at a bunch of clutter. (I need order!)  And let me tell you, that’s what makes this theme quite nice. Thanks to Ludacrosse05 (for always hooking it up Bro Status) I am able to tinker with a bunch of imagery.

Last week we had a few people wanting a lighter theme. Is this light enough for you?

This is the Invertnito theme by Shocka2430 based on BGill55′s Incognito theme but, you guessed it….Inverted! I’m usually not a white notification bar kinda guy, but I will admit that this theme is extremely clean. Good job Shocka and BGill!

Instructions on installation after the jump!

This theme is for Sapphire 1.1.1 and the original Droid only.

Instructions:

1.  Install CCROM’s Sapphire 1.1.1 ROM which you can pick it up from ROM Manager under ‘CVPCS’.

Select the stock theme and after it loads up then we can start having fun!

2. Download Invertnito theme HERE and place the zip file on root of your SD Card.

3. Open up ROM Manager and select “Install ROM from SD Card”. Locate the Invertnito.zip and hit it.

4. You won’t need to wipe but PLEASE EVERYONE, make a backup! Why would you root and not take advantage of that feature?

5. Allow Clockwork Recovery to work it’s magic and and after reboot you will be playing in a Winter Wonderland! Enjoy!

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*Note* – May I say that this theme works great with the Themed White LauncherPro we posted.

*UPDATE* - BGill55 has confirmed with me that this zip file will work with ALL GEM Builds.

Let us know if you run into any problems and we’ll try and help you out. Check out our Live Support IRC Channel!

-Tim-o-tato

Check out other Custom Theme Friday installments here.

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Custom Theme Friday: Invertnito by ‘Shocka2430′ for Sapphire is a post from: Droid Life

HOWDY D-L! Hope everyone is having a great week!

So I have had the chance recently to sit down for a bit with Aaron aka “InsaneNemesis” (definitely the most brutal Dev name so far). I’ve been following him personally for a while and have passed a lot of cool stuff on to Kellex and even demanded he post this all the way back in July! He complied….

When I heard Aaron (17 year old whiz) was working on a new project I knew I just had to catch up with him and have him give me the scoop and how this young dude got into all this! I give you the 4th installment of The Tato Series!

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Tim-o-tato: Hello sir! Mind introducing yourself for anyone  who may not know you?

InsaneNemesis: Hello my name is  Aaron (InsaneNemesis) and I develop for ShadowROM. I am 17  years old and am currently a Senior in High School.

Tim-o-tato:Wow! How long have you been developing  for the community?

InsaneNemesis: About a two months…

Tim-o-tato: ShadowROM….there has been lots of talk about it. Mind letting us in on the hype? Whats it all about?

InsaneNemesis: Well it is a highly source modified CyanogenMod based beast! There are some never before seen things, some features utilizing some of the less noted parts of CyanogenMod. Billygalbreath and I both hope this is our best release and we have certainly put lots of effort in it.

Tim-o-tato: So let me get this straight: You’re a Senior in High School? And you’re building “beastly” ROM’s?!? That is not what I was doing in High School! What got you into all this?

InsaneNemesis: I’ve always liked to mess  with things and since Android is open and free I thought it would be a  good way to start. When I got the Droid back in January I was just a normal user. Didn’t know what a ROM was, and had no prior Android experience. Actually before Android I had never used Linux or even coded. I was scared to root as were a lot of people. I was un-rooting and rooting trying to decide. Then I started thinking what I could do to make my Android more likable (not that Android isn’t awesome) but I wanted something more custom. So I started with live wallpapers and moved on to themes. It wasn’t what I really wanted to do. So I decided to make the jump to full ROMs. I decided if I was going to do a ROM, I might as well start off in the right direction by building from AOSP. I met ‘billygalbreath’ and it seems we have the same views on a lot of things. So we decided to start ShadowROM! Besides 2 devs is a lot better than one. Billygalbreath is an awesome Dev. He knows a lot about stuff I’ve never learned before. And over the time I’ve worked with him and have learned more than I could ever imagine. *Woo, that was a lot*

Tim-o-tato: Well that’s great! So not just anyone can say, “Hey I wanna Dev!”. How were you able to learn the coding aspect of it? Any background in that??

InsaneNemesis: Well I am not in any respect good at coding lol. I can do the stuff that’s needed but sometimes I need help. That’s where having a team member is great! You are able to learn and help each other. It’s really not that hard to learn some java. A lot of it is close to English in androids form of GUI. Other than that you need to learn the basics and then you can use the android docs for the rest

Tim-o-tato: So before you met up with Billygalbreath what were you doing ROM wise?

InsaneNemesis: Well I was working on my own ROM Insanely Clean which was going well and I had a lot of users and stuff. Then I wanted to branch out and work as a team. Me and Billygalbreath started ShadowROM and since then that’s been my first priority.

Tim-o-tato: What are a few words you would  attribute to your work with ROMs?

InsaneNemesis: Clean, fast, simple, and  unique.

Shadow on D-Incredible

Tim-o-tato: Excellent! Now we’ve mentioned your age a bit. Does any of this  sometimes get in the way of your schoolwork at all? Or social life in  general?

InsaneNemesis: Not during the summer. When school starts up I plan on studying and  doing homework then Android stuff. Then while I’m at school my laptop  will compile for me everyday at 8AM if its on and in Ubuntu.

Tim-o-tato: Haha Nice! It’s good to know we have people out there taking the time to do all this amazing work  that benefits the Android Community!
Whats the future looking like for you? Big aspirations?

InsaneNemesis: Well I want to go to college and eventually go into the field of engineering.

Tim-o-tato: Excellent! Can’t go wrong there!  Are there any other Devs you’re keeping your eye on?

InsaneNemesis: Cyanogen and his team of 300 Spartans! lol

Tim-o-tato: So do you think anything is missing then from the community?

InsaneNemesis: Not really. I think we have a solid community with lots of devoted Devs and users and it growing more and more each day
Android as an OS has gotten more user friendly every time they release a new version. The community is great but not perfect. There will always be bad apples. But other than that I think people in Androids Community help each other are devoted and are respectful to other users.

Tim-o-tato: OK, now is my time to ask you silly Q’s! My favorite part! lol

Task Killers. What are your position on them?

InsaneNemesis: Hate them. Useless. Pointless. Are we doing word association here?? lol

Tim-o-tato: But they’re the most downloaded app in the market! How can they be worthless?

InsaneNemesis: Verizon tells people to get it cause it’s a good idea. I can confirm about 10 times they have told me that. I always say back, “NO IT’S NOT!”

Tim-o-tato: So, Mr. Steve Jobs personally writes you and says, “Please work for us!”. What would your honest answer be?

InsaneNemesis: No.

Tim-o-tato: Just “No”?? This is Steve Jobs we’re talking about! lol

InsaneNemesis: Yeah…..”No” lol

Tim-o-tato: You’re very well spoken. Well in closing…is there ANYTHING you wanna ask the community? Now is your chance to get some good user feedback or to see what the people want! Any Q’s for us???

InsaneNemesis: Suggestions for features is what I want people to tell me

Tim-o-tato: Is basically anything fair game?

InsaneNemesis: Sure! lol Not saying everything will be put into effect, but ideas are good!

Tim-o-tato: Well Aaron, as always it has been a serious pleasure. We all look forward to playing with Shadow. We wish you the best! Hope to see you soon in the forums!

InsaneNemesis: Yeah it’s been fun Tim! Thanks!

________________________________________________________________________

It’s good to know there are people (let alone young people) who will become the “future of rock n’ roll” and carry the flag for development of things like this! A huge plus one to young people who are smarter than me! Yay!

-Tim-o-tato

Stalk InsaneNemesis on their IRC Channel.
Pick up their brand new ShadowROM HERE!
And of course…feel free to check out my band Abriel. Like “Gabriel” without the “G”

Submit questions in the comments for our next interview with LauncherPro creator, Federico Carnales!

The Tato Series: An Interview With InsaneNemesis Of Shadow ROM is a post from: Droid Life

Tato’s Homescreen!

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all doing well this glorious Friday! What an amazing week here at Droid-Life! We’ve been running our Live Supprt IRC Channel, and now have our very own Droid Life Forum! It’s turning into an amazingly glorious place to be and I am completely honored to be here as a part of it. *Note: I always tear up when writing these*

So, this week we have an truly beautiful theme for Sapphire 1.0.0 for you; it’s called the Drop Theme by Pandroid. I’m sure most people here have heard of Dark Edge. Well imagine if Dark Edge had a “sexy cousin”. That is this theme. So, come on and take the plunge and give it a shot!

Downloads and install instructions after the jump…

This theme is intended for the Sapphire 1.0.0 STOCK THEME ROM. If you are not running that, please download from ROM Manager under the “CVPCS” section. Thanks!

*FOR THE ORIGINAL DROID ONLY.

Step 1: Download which color you would like RED, BLUE, GREEN, or ORANGE.

Step 2: Place zip file on root of SD Card.

Step 3: Open ROM Manager and select “Install ROM from SD Card”.

Step 4: Please proceed to make a backup if you do not have a current one already. Do not wipe data.

Step 5: Click “OK” and watch Clockwork Mod Recovery turn your phone into pure “money”.

As always, resort to our awesome comment section if you need help! So many great people on this site! And if you don’t find your answers there, then come check us out in the IRC Channel! Much love you all! Have a great and SAFE Labor Day weekend!

-Tim-o-tato

_______________________________________

If you wanna make your screen look just like mine, check out these links!
BattStatt Battery Widget, D-Clock Clock Widget, Droid-Life wallpaper, and the lovely Icon packs!! Have fun everyone!

See previous Custom Theme Fridays!

Credit for theme to: Drop Theme by Pandroid.

And special thanks to Ludacrosse05 for all the special things you do for everyone around here!

Custom Theme Friday: Drop Theme for Sapphire is a post from: Droid Life

Well…..Hello there lovely readers of Droid-Life! Boy, has it been busy around here! We got an IRC Channel, we got OTA’s, and even Manual Updates! Plus, you can expect it to get busier!

Time for a break and a nice lil’ sit down with one of my favorite peoples in the Android Community, Mr. CVPCS of the most righteous Sapphire ROM. You guys may know me for my non stop flashing of different ROM’s and themes, but if I had just one choice for a “backup” emergency ROM….it would be Sapphire. *sheds tear* It’s very good!

Anyways, enough of the emotional stuff. TechDeft and I had a great time chatting it up with CVPCS and are very excited to share this with you!

ENJOY!

_______________________________________________________________

Tim-o-tato: So, its great to chat with you as always CVPCS. For the people who might not recognize the handle, mind giving us your name and what it is you do?

Cvpcs: My name is Austen Dicken, and I am currently a software developer full time over the summer and full time student in the fall/winter/spring.

Tim-o-tato: What is  it you are currently in school for?

Cvpcs: Computer science and Mathematics (double major)

Tim-o-tato: From your work, I would say that’s just about right!

TechDeft: Is the development you mention just android or professional as well?

Cvpcs: Professional.  I develop software that tracks the manufacture and testing of black box recorder systems designed by the company where I work for use in helicopters.

Tim-o-tato: I feel out of my league already! Thanks!

TechDeft: Sounds like you’ve already said too much! Do you have to kill us now?  When did you get your start in programming?

Cvpcs: I started programming around when I was 12. About a half-year after my parents had bought their first computer.  I started with Javascript, and then moved onto Java.  From there I wanted to get into more low-level stuff. Around the time I turned 13 I started working on learning C. (give or take a year, it was some time ago)

Tim-o-tato: So with all of these things you seem to have going on, how is it you find time for Android? A natural love?

Cvpcs: Like most of my personal programming projects, they tend to be quite time consuming and don’t pay well, so I would have to say I do it out of love, haha.  I find programming in general to be a ton of fun, especially when it comes to just trying to do interesting things with technology. Android is the coolest thing I’ve been involved with in a long time.
I always love seeing the different things there are to do.  And it’s an extension of some of the stuff I’ve done in the past.  I used to spend lots of time fiddling around with trying to see what different devices I could get to run Linux. Haha

TechDeft: Whats a personal goal for Android that you are working on now?

Cvpcs: Well currently I am excited to see the GEM series of ROMs ported to new devices.  Most know we are working on Ruby for the Incredible, and we are also looking into Emerald for the Evo.
I am also working on some other really exciting stuff, but sadly I can’t openly discuss it at present.

Tim-o-tato: Awe. We understand how that is!  So tell us, how did the affair start for you and Android?

Cvpcs: Well, as soon as I heard Google was going to put out a Mobile OS I was hooked.  I knew I wanted a droid pretty much as soon as they released it.  After that, it took me about a month until someone asked me, “Have you rooted yet?”.  While I knew what he meant I had never really thought about it. So I went online and (of course) Googled it.
After that I found “Alldroid” and a lot of information about all this “ROM” business.  To be honest though, at first I was a bit skeptical, and like most people a little scared.  I mean I had just dropped a few hundred on this phone!! Haha

Tim-o-tato: Makes sense lol
Given your background with java, were you able to easily dive right in once you got your feet wet?

Cvpcs: Well, after awhile I just decided, “Hell, I hack every other thing I own, why not this?!” I did it and haven’t looked back since. It actually wasn’t quite as easy as you’d think.
I didn’t start in the java end of it (what can I say, I’m a low-level guy).  My first android-related hacks were working on porting various x86 libraries and programs over to android. My first popular port was of the CWiiD Wii-mote connectivity library.
After I got that working I knew I was going to be messing with my phone for awhile.  It was bliss being able to use my classic controller to play SNESoid!

Tim-o-tato: Wow! I can see it now! Must have been exciting knowing you were doing all this…with a phone!
So then how did you make your way to building ROMs? From source nonetheless!

Cvpcs: Well, to be honest I started by reading some of Sniffle’s guides on Alldroid, but needless to say the source building process is very difficult, and very hard to explain in a simple guide.
I was determined to build my own ROM just out of the curiosity to learn how it’s done and the excitement of being able to make in-source changes.

TechDeft: Outside of programming for Android phones, what are some hardware or software hacks that you have done that might be interesting to our readers?

Cvpcs: Well, I personally love the reboot recovery menu option and the extended volume/camera button music controls.
I also love seeing what kind of crazy things I can get running on my Wii, as well as attempting to push the limits of my EeePC.

TechDeft: Wii and Netbook hacks!  Have you tried installing Android to the Asus EeePC at all?

Cvpcs: Way ahead of you!  I think I first installed android-x86 on that thing back in March. Right now it dual-boots!

TechDeft: That is impressive! So what do you feel Android is lacking?

Cvpcs: An open-source bootloader

Tim-o-tato: Amen to that

Cvpcs: Let me rephrase that…A standard open-source bootloader.

Tim-o-tato: So did you ever think your work would become as popular as it has with the community?

Cvpcs: Well, yes and no.  I always figured that one day Sapphire/GEM would become popular, as I truly believe in open source, and a lot of people hadn’t really been going down that route when I first started.  I wanted to do work that was freely available and always online for others to look at and base their work on or add their work to it, to show what it is like for a project to be completely open.  Everything about GEM is open.
What I had never expected was that it would take off so fast.  People have been so supportive that it caught me off guard.  It’s been a real blast working on all of this!

TechDeft: You do have quite the community! Do you have any metrics available?  Number of ROM installs, number of contributors, etc?

Cvpcs: Well, we have Google Analytics on our website, but the most interesting metric is I suppose downloads to date. Haha

TechDeft: Oh yea?  Would you care to disclose?

Cvpcs: The 1.0.0 zip has been tracked at approx: 20,000 downloads as of right now.

Tim-o-tato: That’s quite the number! What about all this work and social status. Do you get a kick off knowing you are a Dev for one of thee best built and popular ROMs for the Android device? Get a sense of cockiness at all? I think I would. Just being honest

Cvpcs: I try my best to keep a level head about it.  If I ever find myself feeling popular I just tell myself, “Yes Austen, you’re popular….. on the Internet!” Haha.  But in all seriousness I do enjoy when people recognize the name. But it’s about community and helping out. I still get a lot of help from a lot of people and I still like doing my best to help out anyone who has questions be it about the ROM or about Dev.

Tim-o-tato: Classy answer. +1 Do you mind if we ask your age?

Cvpcs: I’m presently 23, going to be 24 this fall.

Tim-o-tato: Happy early B-Day!

So im gonna go for the goofy questions now! Feel free to let loose and open up on these!

Cvpcs: Haha sounds good!

Tim-o-tato: So….Steve Jobs hands you an iPhone and says, “Come to the Dark Side and Dev!” What do you say back?

Cvpcs: “You’re holding it wrong”

Tim-o-tato: Yay! Good answer!

Task Killers- Do you use one? Or have you ever?

Cvpcs: I use Advanced Task Manager Free.  I don’t really support task managers the way people tend to use them, but when developing it’s common to have an app that may go haywire and for whatever reason the system won’t let you force close it.  In those cases a task killer can be useful.

Tim-o-tato: Well from a Dev stand point that is understandable lol

TechDeft: I like to keep the ATK widget on a screen for quick and dirty memory management myself.

Cvpcs: Haha don’t even get me started on task killers and memory management. >.<

Tim-o-tato: So Austen, tell us all something you think no one would know about you.
Exclusive Droid-Life info lol

Cvpcs: Well, when I was 16 I toured Europe as a tenor in an a-capella choir, where I performed in ~14 locations in 7 different countries.

Tim-o-tato: Wow! That’s awesome! Do you travel a lot anymore? Ride any of the helicopters? lol

Cvpcs: I haven’t been overseas again since then, but I have traveled quite a bit around the states.  I’d like to go see Asia next, as I’ve never been there and the culture is so rich.  As for helicopters, I’m strictly a developer, so no I haven’t had the pleasure, haha.
I’ve always wanted to see Japan, China, Mongolia, and India

Tim-o-tato: The Japanese would LOVE you! lol

TechDeft: So we are getting about ready to wrap it up…but before we go, can you think of one question you would like to ask of the Android Community readers?

Cvpcs:  Hmmm, that’s a tough one!

Tim-o-tato: Good! It’s hard thinking of tough Q’s for someone of your caliber!

Cvpcs: Last I heard, the Droid1 makes up 80% of the market share for android devices.  This as well as it being one of the most hackable phones created such a strong and vibrant development community that we have today.  Other phones had communities of their own but they never seemed as big or strong as the Droid1 “home brew” community.  Now Verizon/Motorola have discontinued the Droid1.  I’m curious what people think will be the next big thing!

Tim-o-tato: Great question! (ANSWER IT PEOPLE!) lol

I wanna thank you for all of your time today!!!
It has been a real pleasure! I’m walking away with +5 I.Q. points

Cvpcs: It’s been a real pleasure for me as well!

Tim-o-tato: Excellent! Hope to see you around Droid-Life sometime! Don’t be a stranger!

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And there it is. Another one for the books! Talk about someone who is on a completely different conscience level then me (and most people). Reminds me of Russel Crowe’s character in Beautiful Mind. Just a complete whiz. Someone with a gift. I absolutely LOVE how the Android Community is filled with them too! We need more people like Austen to lead the way in Development!  *sheds more tears*

I wanna thank everyone again for all your support of this site and Android in general. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for the readers! Keep it up! I’ll see ya in the comments section! (I’ll be the one posting “first”)

-Tim-o-tato & TechDeft

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Don’t forget to check out Tim’s previous interviews with Peter Alfonso and ChevyN01.

Support Cvpcs and check out the Sapphire Wiki Site! | Also: Cvpcs on Droid Fourms

Check out Tatos band! They just released an album! | Mr TechDeft runs a Blog. Perhaps you’ll stop by?

So tell me…”What’s gonna be the next BIG thing?”

Also: Submit questions for my next interview with Aaron Carpinteri of InsaneNemesis/Shadow ROM!!!

The Tato Series: An Interview with CVPCS of Sapphire is a post from: Droid Life

WELL! We had a sweeeet idea floating around and here we are today. With tons of time to fill waiting to find Kellex and for that darn Froyo Update on the D-Inc, I have decided to start a manifest of *almost* ALL custom ROM’s. This is my way of making droid-*life* easy on all you.

I know there are screen shots of mostly all of them, but there is never full write ups from the people who really use them. I think it would be great to get real user opinions out there for people to read and also see. Sometimes forums are just TOO jumbled to find what you’re looking for.

So I am taking comments below about what YOU (the droid-lifers) want to see! What type of reviews do you want? Check lists of features, “smoothness”, lag, aesthetics? You tell me, and I’ll make it happen….as always! The possibilities are pretty much endless.

So, HAVE AT IT!

-Tim-o-tato and everyone here at Droid-Life

Thanks everyone for the great ideas! Droid-Lifers are the best!

Picture is credit to: Cyanogen Mod

The Tato Custom ROM Manifest! is a post from: Droid Life

HELLO DROID-LIFE! Well as much as I promise, I also deliver.

We had such great feedback last week that this will become a weekly series on Droid-Life! Can I get a “heck yes”?!? I have had some awesome interviews lately and I (we) really can’t wait to share all it all with each and every single one of you.

Me and TechDeft (TechDeft and I?) had the supreme pleasure to chat it up with Doug (aka ChevyNo1, aka Kernel Masta, aka Mr. Simply Stunning). If you are in the rooted community, then you know this name. If you are non-rooted, you know this name. Let’s face it……you know his name!! So without further ado I give my second installment of The Tato Series. This place has become my second home. After Facebook of course

Enjoy!

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TechDeft: So Mr. Chevy, could you introduce yourself for readers who may not recognize your name?

ChevyNo1: Well, I call myself ChevyNo1 on all online forums (not just tech). My first name is Doug!

Tim-o-tato: “ChevyNo1″…whats the story behind that?

ChevyNo1: I started off in online forums I would say around 1997 – for me it was all about cars. Was looking into buying a 1998 Camaro, and wanted to get involved in the scene – so that’s where the name started. Of course, I am a HUGE Chevy fan. So I belong to a few automotive forums, also known as ChevyNo1.

Tim-o-tato: Excellent. Who doesnt love American muscle!

ChevyNo1: YEA!

TechDeft: So how did you chart a course from the car scene to the linux/Android scene?

ChevyNo1: Well, I’ve been quite the tech geek for quite some time as well … and over the years, tech I would say has pulled even with automotive for my interest level, and in the past few years has even surpassed it. I have been a programmer for 18 years now, but never mobile. I got the Droid in December of last year, and that was my first foray into ANYTHING mobile.

TechDeft: What have you been programming in? 18 years, you must have learned on COBOL I’m guessing?

ChevyNo1: Yep, COBOL was my primary language that I learned … ‘C’ was just starting to become popular so I only got one class of that … learned on a DEC VAX. My first job out of college though (1992) plunged me headfirst into UNIX – first 10 years was all UNIX, ‘C’, X-Windows/Motif.

TechDeft: You have an extensive background! Some readers are nodding their heads here, others are scratching them. Was it hard to move into mobile? What about Android made you want to develop for it?

ChevyNo1: I had been interested in either programming Palm or Windows (had several Palms before the Droid) … but didn’t jump in. Once I heard these phones were running a Linux OS, it was a no-brainer for me. I HAD to have one!
I actually wrote an app in the emulator even before the phone arrived!

TechDeft: Wow, you were excited! So you started with applications? Or you dove into kernel development?

ChevyNo1: Started with apps – and I haven’t written once since – that is until recently, when I started digging into Settings.apk. But after the apps – first it was a basic ROM build – THEN it was kernels – then it was more extensive ROM changes.

TechDeft: What apps did you write? Should we be scouring the market for gems?

ChevyNo1: Lol! No, nothing really exciting, pretty basic stuff. One of the earliest was a patcher for the wifi-tether application. There were lots of manual steps needed to make it work, so I put together an apk that did all the work, and made it a single-click widget on the desktop. Another was a brightness patcher, because the wireless driver floating around broke brightness. I have never put anything on the market – maybe one of these days!

TechDeft: Some of the work you have done is fairly complex, in some cases requiring pretty deep hardware knowledge(Overclocking). Did you do this kind of work on Linux kernels previous to Android, or did you learn it fresh for the mobile platforms?

ChevyNo1: I learned it fresh – I had never worked on a kernel in my life. Got 2-3 tips from Tasmanian Droid (old alldroid board) and from there I learned the rest!

Tim-o-tato: That’s very impressive!

ChevyNo1: I think of myself as a pretty quick learner

Tim-o-tato: So how old were you when you got into all things programming?
I did the math and if it was 18 years ago when you started, that means I was still receving milk from my mother still! LOL

ChevyNo1: The first time I saw a computer was in 7th grade – a Vic 20!! First programming of any kind was done in 1987 on a SuperPet running Basic. Our science teacher wouldn’t even let us touch it! Haha

Tim-o-tato: Wow, 87! I wasn’t even a thought lol

ChevyNo1: I can’t believe I’ve been around this long … *sigh* lol I still feel 20!

TechDeft: What kind of things do you feel are lacking in your work right now? What do you think could improve?

ChevyNo1: I am constantly digging into the guts of Android – and day by day I am becoming more knowledgeable, and more comfortable. I feel like I am just starting to get a firm grasp on it. If I weren’t so busy with ROMS, I would like to get into the kernel even more! I would specifically like to get into the hardware, and be able to tweak things beyond what I’ve done already. For example, make the screen more sensitive. Those types of things – really hardware-level stuff. Anything in the kernel is more difficult in my opinion than in the ROM. ROM programming is more intuitive, since it involves layouts, graphics, etc. Kernel development is all behind closed doors, and it’s just so low-level.

TechDeft: Which is some of the harder programming to do.(If you do get into it, figure a way to make 270 rotation less finicky lol) What phone do you focus your development for? Android as a whole? The “original” Droid(Moto)?

ChevyNo1: Right now I’m ONLY programming for the D1. I pretty much have enough donations now to purchase an ‘X’ – so that is my next victim

TechDeft: Will you continue to develop for the original Droid? Or will you focus your efforts on breaking your way through the bootloader?

ChevyNo1: I plan on continuing both – I have a loyal base of clients for D1, and I don’t intend to leave them in the dust. BUT cracking that bootloader will be high on the list of priorities!

Tim-o-tato: Let’s hope you crack it!

TechDeft: What do you think could most benefit the Android community as a software developer?

ChevyNo1: I think so far it’s doing well – it’s a good community of sharing, and I think that ultimately is the key.

Tim-o-tato: Agreed. It is a wonderful community.
Did you ever think your work would be admired by so many people?

ChevyNo1: No I didn’t!!! lol

Tim-o-tato: How does it make you feel to see so many people admire your kernels and the Simply Stunning ROM?

ChevyNo1: It makes me very proud of the effort I put into this – and thankful that people have given me a chance when they have choices. I only dream my job could be this much fun, lol

Tim-o-tato: Don’t we all? lol So do you have any family or friends that use Droids??

ChevyNo1: My best buddy bought a Droid after he saw mine
And now of course he’s running my ROM!

Tim-o-tato: Well he has the best user support anyone can ask for! lol

ChevyNo1:That’s actually one way I plan to make myself known – is by my support – I want everyone to know where the best support is. That and my attitude towards people – I feel I am very approachable and do not make anyone feel stupid for asking questions.

Tim-o-tato: That’s definitely a way to do it. As a user myself, having a way to get the right answers to questions is a big issue I myself have all the time.

TechDeft: How many hours a week do you spend doing this stuff?

ChevyNo1: Let’s see…I would estimate 15? Maybe 20 if I have a release.
I had a pretty big learning curve compared to the other ROM builders who have been at it for a while.

Tim-o-tato: Considering that Pete (Bugless Beast) has been working on programming for about 6 months, I would say you have a huge curve!

ChevyNo1: Yep, considering Pete has no programming background, I think he’s done a very nice job – he’s just limited as to how deep he can dig. Good work though!

Tim-o-tato: Are there other Devs that you look to for answers to questions you have? Or any Devs whos work you admire a great deal?

ChevyNo1: The obvious – Cyanogen, whom I’ve never interacted with, Koush ( have interacted some ). Another newcomer I’ve spoken a lot with and helped is JRummy – he’s doing excellent considering he has no background either. And also Sniffle (Sapphire|CVPCS).

Tim-o-tato: Sniffle is quite the comedian sometimes!

ChevyNo1: Haha yea! Nice guy from all I can tell – and smart!

…..So it’s time for my silly Q’s.

Tim-o-tato: If Steve Jobs offered you a job at Apple. Would you take it?

ChevyNo1: Only if he lets me make it open-source!!!

Tim-o-tato: We won’t get our hopes up lol

Tim-o-tato: Task Killers. Do you yourself have one?

ChevyNo1: Nope! I feel Android does quite a good job of managing that sort of thing – and yes, I was using one for a while. Not that I’m against it, but people must realize that if ANYTHING kills your app, it’s going to take time to reload. Often times this stuff gets blamed on a ROM or kernel.

Tim-o-tato: The name Simply Stunning. How did it make its way to fruition?

ChevyNo1: As far as the name – I felt two ‘words’ seemed fitting – I think at the time I was thinking of what would sound good alongside ‘Bugless Beast’ … and I really did feel my first attempt was ‘stunning’

Tim-o-tato: That’s wonderful! I must say when I first rooted and had only a few choices. JRummy, and Simply Stunning. I went with SS 3.1!

ChevyNo1: Glad you liked it!

Tim-o-tato: What launcher do you use for your Droid?

ChevyNo1: Just the good old stock Launcher2 that comes with the build – I am fine with it – have played around though, and if I recall correctly, I really did like LauncherPro. Would be fun to create my own Launcher as well – but so many others have done it, and have done it well …

Tim-o-tato: Tell us something no one would ever guess about you…

ChevyNo1: I a huge metalhead – not sure anyone would guess that, especially at my age!
I go with my son to metal concerts – not sure how many dads do that lol
I DO start out the day very lite – classic rock, 60′s and 70′s – but by the time noon rolls around look out!

TechDeft: (you just became Tims bestfriend)

Tim-o-tato: I’m in love! A Dev who likes metal! This is great!
So for the readers, name some of your favorite bands if you’d like.

ChevyNo1: My new favorites – Lamb Of God, Devildriver, Droid (the band)
Older metal – Pantera, Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, etc

Tim-o-tato: Oh yea! +1 all day long!

ChevyNo1: When I moved to Pheonix 14 years ago I went into concert frenzy, because everything comes here. I’ve been to about 100 metal shows in the last 14 years and I have the ticket stubs and concert t’s to prove it! lol

Tim-o-tato: You mind giving just a bit of insight as to what your day job is or is like? Do your co workers know about your Droid fixation?

ChevyNo1: I work for a Fortune 500 company as a lead programmer analyst – mostly business programming. I do more leading than coding these days, which is why it is Android to the rescue of my sanity lol. A few at work know about my obsession – they think its quite cool. It’s been there 14 years now since I came to the USA.

Tim-o-tato: Since you came to USA? Where do you hail from?

ChevyNo1: I came from New Brunswick, Canada – that is where I grew up. Then I lived in Toronto for 2 years – then I came to the USA in 1996.

Tim-o-tato: Excellent. Canada is great! Poor Milestone users though lol

ChevyNo1: Hahaha I know it!

TechDeft: Is there anything that you would like to ask the non-developers of the community?

ChevyNo1: What can I do to become their premier ROM of choice?
What is it, about “ROM x” that makes them want it more than SS?

Tim-o-tato: That’s good for sure! (So, in the comment section below people: Answer his Q!)

TechDeft: What is the best way for folks to get in touch with you about your ROM? Is there a best forum post to post on, or an e-mail that you want public?

ChevyNo1: Sure! You can mail (chevyno1.droid@gmail.com) for any questions related to my ROM or kernels – also I have twitter (@ChevyNo1Droid)

Tim-o-tato: Well Chevy, I really wanna thank you for ALL of your time. This has been a true honor for myself. It’s been fun!

ChevyNo1: Very cool – thanks SO MUCH!

Tim-o-tato: You got it

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So there it is. ChevyNo1 has been doing his thing for 18 years! A true pioneer! We salute him and all his hard work to make our phones better everyday! Woo-hoo! Anyone else notice how when TechDeft and Chevy go into their ‘Nerdery’ I retreat and don’t say much? I really am clueless about all that!

So tell me everyone in the comments: What makes you choose other ROM’s over Simply Stunning? Chevy wants to know!

Thanks again everyone! See you in the comments!

-Tim-o-tato and TechDeft

Follow @ChevyNo1Droid on Twitter! And see his ROMs and Kernels HERE!
You can check out: TIMS BAND They have a CD release party this Thursday in San Fran!
TechDefts Blog is SUPER SWEET!

The Tato Series: An Interview with ChevyNo1 is a post from: Droid Life

Hey everyone~

Welcome to an idea I’ve had in my brain for a little while. I thought to myself how cool it would be to chat “Q&A” style with Androids most popular and hard to reach Developers. To try and get under the surface a bit and see just what these guys are all about. My buddy and fellow reader TechDeft have decided to track these people down and ask them the questions we think everyone wants the answers to!

Last week I had a rare privilege to sit down (at a computer) with Mr. Peter Alfonso, the man behind one of the most popular custom ROMs to date, ‘Bugless Beast’. As a fan and frequent user myself I was very excited and even nervous to be chatting with him. As it turns out though, he is a super easy going and NICE guy! We love that! Makes for an easy chat and we hope you like it as much as we did!

-Tim-o-tato

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Tim-o-tato: So Mr. Pete, if you could for people who may not know (live under a rock), could you please introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

Pete: Well, people call me Pete. By day I am a student and employee at Advance Auto Parts and by night I work on Bugless Beast. Currently in my second year of college.

TechDeft: College student?  Whats your major?

Pete: Currently I’m finishing my last semester at a local community college. My major is computer science. I recently switched it.

Tim-o-tato: What were you taking before?

Pete: I used to want to pursue a career as an orthodontist but then I bought a Droid and my life changed   So most of my classes I completed are no longer needed for Computer Science major so I am a bit behind in school now.

TechDeft: So you wanted to give people braces and now you want to do comp sci!  And you saw Droid commercials, and now you are going to program. That’s quite a shift!  Were friends and family surprised?

Pete: Well to be honest I have no idea what sparked the orthodontist thing. I had braces when I was younger and most parents tell their kids, “Your going to be a doctor when you grow up” so I just went with it. Once I decided to switch my family was not surprised. My mom works for IBM, I think she knew it was going to happen sooner or later.

Tim-o-tato: How did you hear about the Android OS? Or the Droid in general.

Read the rest of the interview with Pete after the jump!

Pete: I have always heard of “Android” but never really knew what it was before my Droid. One of my friends had bought an HTC Hero and I noticed how well it combined all of the Google services I was using. So I decided to do some research on these phones. At the time the Droid commercials got me hooked.

Tim-o-tato: Yea, those commercials are what got me too! So have you always been sort of a tech guru? Into programming and things of that nature?

Pete: Actually before buying my Droid I had opened a command prompt window only a few times! That’s how I know this is what I was meant to do. I pick it up and learn this extremely fast!

Tim-o-tato: So how did you learn about it?

Pete: I have always been around technology, but nothing like what I do now.  After buying the Droid (the day it came out) I was curious as to why some of the stock applications could not be removed. This REALLY bothered me so I decided to Google, “How to remove amazon mp3 android” or something similar. The search eventually led me to a You-tube video of a kid typing in some commands into a terminal to remove the app. I eventually found out root access was needed. After I rooted my Droid, I found these threads that would provide simple tutorials on how to add apps or remove apps but at the time I thought these people were like gods. After I became more comfortable and able to add or remove a few things I decided to make a “ROM” for my friends.

Tim-o-tato: So then how is it that you got to where you are these days? ‘Interwebs celebrity’ status! Did you know your work would become such a success??

Pete: I decided to post my “ROM” (although at the time I had no clue what a “ROM” was) on forums and some people were daring enough to try my work! I got a lot of positive feedback so I kept working. Then I got my own section and was labeled a “developer”. Just seeing that motivated me more than you could believe. I would wake up with ideas in my head and try them until they worked.

TechDeft: And how did that translate to what we see today?  Many hours of hard work? Inspiration?

Pete: Tons of hard work! I stay up very late most nights reading and trying to learn as much as possible. Inspiration yes, the feedback I got from people using my ROM and the “Developer” label under my name pushed me to continue.

TechDeft: What do you feel is currently lacking in your work? What do you wish you could improve that you do not have the knowledge to do?

Pete: Well, as I mentioned earlier I am in my second year of college. Unfortunately I have not had any classes to guide me with any of this. So far its all been self taught. You can mark my words, V0.6 will be built from source. I have never had the time to set aside to teach myself how to do it. But after I release V0.5 that will be my goal. I am sure I can do it, I just need to put aside some time and learn how. Things might be quiet for a while but that’s because I will be learning how

TechDeft: That is a question I see come up often, how come there is so much time between Bugless Beast versions, would you say that is generally because you are trying incorporate a new feature that you have to teach yourself?

Pete: Well when I first started I used to update about every 2 days, although I did learn a ton I did not manage my time well at all. Lately the releases have been more spread out because I learn so much in between that I try to incorporate in my release. Every release is somewhat of an expression of what I have learned, as I go on the ROM will get better and better as I learn.

TechDeft: Which is extremely impressive…do your friends and family know how deep into software development you are?

(TechDeft bails for work)

Pete: As far as family knowing. Most don’t really understand. My Mom does though. In fact when I have a question I go to her. lol

Tim-o-tato: So Pete, what’s it like being one of the most bugged Developers on the planet? People always asking for ETAs??

Pete: Well it’s actually very difficult. When it comes to building Bugless Beast (or anything that I have made actually) I am VERY OCD about it. I feel that if my name is going to be put on it that it has to be perfect. Because of this I am the only person I trust to work on my ROM and have very limited time to do so. I love the fact that people want the latest versions though. As far as being bugged, I get an insane amount of emails a day, I wish I could reply to all of them but it is impossible. For those who have emailed me and never got a response, please do not feel that I ignored you.  In my section on various forums I try to be as kind as possible to the users and answer their questions. I can relate to them and write it in a way they understand because I was there not long ago.

Tim-o-tato: I’m sure everyone appreciates that! What about other Developers ROMs? Are there any Developers out there whom you admire their work a great deal or anything of that nature?

Pete: Yes, the work that “Xeudoxus” does is simply amazing. I could only wish that one day I will be as knowledgeable as him. Another Dev I admire is “t3hSteve”, when the Droid first came out he did some great work as well. I haven’t seen any activity from him lately but maybe that just means he moved on to bigger and better things.  Really, all the Devs are great in there own ways.

Tim-o-tato: So what is it about your ROM’s in general that you think draw SOOO MANY users? You post a ROM and servers crash!  What makes your so special?

Pete: I honestly have no clue. The things I see mentioned about my ROM’s the most are stability, performance, and increased battery life. I suppose that’s the mixture that makes the servers crash! I also feel that I relate to people a lot more than some other Devs since I just started 6 months ago. I still consider myself a noob and feel like a nuisance when I reach out to ask a Dev a question. It might sound crazy that I consider myself a “noob”, but I feel that there is much much more to learn. I have only skimmed the surface. I have so many ideas that I can not implement until I have the knowledge to do so.

Tim-o-tato: Then that makes me an ULTRA noob! Haha Is there anything in the works that you might want to hint readers at, at all?

Pete: Well, lets just say some extra “goodies” will be included in V0.5  And on the subject of noobs, V0.5 will be the most user friendly ROM to have flashed to a noobs Droid. It will come with EVERYTHING they need. I will be doing some things that have not been done in previous ROMs.

Tim-o-tato: Oh really? Care to elaborate?

Pete: I don’t want to elaborate too much because it will be kanged before it gets out

Tim-o-tato: The name Bugless Beast. Where did it derive from?

Pete: Bugless Beast started out as Bugless Beauty. I wanted to provide a completely stable ROM. At the time, most of the ROMs had a small bug here and there and were mostly for advanced users to flash. I wanted something that would give users more features yet still be completely stable. Bugless Beauty was not overclocked. Someone suggested making an overclocked version for the more daring users and deeming it “Bugless Beast”. I supported both builds for a while as I learned what the Droid could handle. When I realized the Beast was still completely stable, I focused my attention on it and dropped the beauty.

Tim-o-tato: So I’m gonna ask you a couple silly Q’s. Feel free to go wild on them!

Tim-o-tato: If Steve Jobs offered you a job at Apple. Would you take it?

Pete: Wow! Let me think about this one lol just kidding I would turn it down.  I think I’d rather continue selling auto parts at Advance then work at Apple!

Tim-o-tato: Good answer!

Tim-o-tato: Task killers….do you use one?

Pete: No no no! Task killers are the biggest waste of time and money for Android users. They are simply not needed, the OS handles task perfectly without them.

Tim-o-tato: Tell us something that people would never know about you!

Pete: Oh gosh, I don’t know If I want to admit it lol

Tim-o-tato: Do it

Pete: Guess what phone I had before the Droid?

Tim-o-tato: Oh no!!! Say it ain’t so!!! iPhone?

Pete: You said it, not me

Tim-o-tato: Well my opinion of you has changed! haha

Pete: Haha! When I got my Droid I gave the iPhone to my mom. She hated it with a passion so I bought her a G1. Android family for life!

Tim-o-tato: So other then Bugless, and auto parts….what takes up your time? Any Bugless lady friends?

Pete: Well this is terrible but I did have a lady. Lost her to Bugless Beast I guess you could say. Too much time on the Droid lol This time I have learned how to set the Droid down and finish working on it later. Thats why BB V0.5 has been taking so long lol

Tim-o-tato: Oh no!  That’s too bad!

Pete: Its OK, everything happens for a reason!  That was a while ago, back when we were running android 2.0  Now I got my eye on someone else UPDATE: He got her!!! Congrats Pete!

Tim-o-tato: Pssh, 2.0 was ages ago!

Tim-o-tato: So I know you’re busy. Is there ANYTHING you want to say to the community or in general before I let you go?

Pete: Hmmmm….let me think.  I really just want to say thank you to all those who use Bugless Beast and to those who have donated to me. Without their support I would have never found my true calling. I would have been stuck working on kids braces all day as a career. Now I can pursue my dreams!!!

Tim-o-tato: And what are your dreams?

Pete: My dreams are to work for Google. I just smiled typing that!

Tim-o-tato: Awe! That’s awesome man. I wish you the best of luck. And I am sure I speak for everyone when saying that!

Pete: Thanks man, you better believe Im not gonna stop until I make it!

Tim-o-tato: Pete, I wanna thank you for your time and generosity in allowing us the privilege to talk to you!

Hope to see you drop by Droid-Life sometime!

Pete: No problem! Anytime!

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Hope you all have enjoyed the first of many Q&A’s. If anyone has any questions for future Developers, please leave it in the comment section below and we will do our best to get it done! Thanks everyone!

Tim-o-tato & TechDeft

*You can stay up to date with Pete at his excellent website!

*Tim is in a band! Check it out!

*TechDeft is an IT wizard! Check his blog HERE.

The Tato Series: An Interview with Peter Alfonso is a post from: Droid Life