CyanogenMod for Nexus 4

26/08/2013

CyanogenMod
Cyanogenmod – Make Mako your own! destructions for installing Cyanogenmod onto the Nexus4

Cyanogenmod was my preferred ROM for my Nexus 1, after it was no longer supported for updates.

Now I’m considering switching back to it, on my N4, for different reasons… the main one to break away from Google’s tracking. The down side is that I’m hooked on Google Apps 🙁

So here’s a list of the benefits of Android supported with Google apps.


Gmail

For me an millions of others Gmail has become as synonymous to email as Google.com as to search.

  • I have several accounts that I use for different purposes
  • the app is good, clean and simple
  • more storage than I’ll ever need
  • built into the phone, the functionality is great


Now I probably will not burn all of my Google accounts, I’ll just look to stop using Gmail habitually.
I already use K9-Mail, and finding a new email address won’t be a challenge… I could even look into using one on the Onion network


Ingress

I loved this game for the first few months after begging on the interwebs for an invite 🙂
Trying to find an invite was one of the driving reasons behind me signing up for Google+ (we’ll get there in a while).

The idea of this augmented reality game is amazing, backed up by Google deep pockets it has become a modern day masterpiece. the story and community behind it, really take it beyond the other apps and games on any smartphone.

But it is just a tracking device, anyone would be naive to think otherwise. Maybe not totally nefarious, after all our pocket PC’s have a rough estimate of what we’re doing daily; but this game then takes it to another level.

If I was to guess its true purpose I’d go with the idea of mapping the time distances between locations n foot and bicycle… but if you did want to know where I am at 3 O’clock on a workday, just check my Ingress history log.

I’ve pretty much stopped playing Ingress, so this won’t be an issue to remove off of my phone.


Google Play

Google been the king of search it’s not surprising that they can make an app marketplace so efficient.
Any app you need, seconds away on a search, downloaded as quick as your network speed allows.

Great features of feedback… although I don’t like how this is now linked and tracked to your G+ account.

The similar app feature is useful, introducing you to different apps doing the same as you’re looking at. but with different approaches and features. Products by the same developer also lets you investigate products by those who you think have created something of worth.

That Google Play also manages your apps is a great selling point, not only allowing you to download / delete with one click, but keeps them all up to date, downloading only on wi-fi to save you pennies.

This will be a loss to give up, OK apps can be found elsewhere, but keeping them updated will be a chore.


I’m using several more, reasons to be added some time soon… although I’ll have probably ditched Android tried Cyanogen, switched back to 4.3, and decided to wait for Ubuntu by them 🙂