How to manually install the Lollipop OTA on your Nexus device, download links included

Manually installing Lollipop to Nexus device

There are two methods for manually updating your Nexus device to Android 5.0 Lollipop. You canflash the factory image, but if your bootloader isn’t unlocked, it means you have to do a factory reset. The good news is that there is another method and that is to install the actual Over-The-Air (OTA) update. Even better news….you won’t lose your data!! Oh wait, there’s even better news…..we have all the instructions on how to do it right after the break.

You will notice that there is a lot of information here. In fact a lot more than other sites. I remember when I first tried to do this method and found a lot of guides online, but every single one left out a lot of relevant info, especially for the newbies. I tried to compile every little detail in an attempt to make it as easy as possible for you. If you have already done this before, and only need a refresher, a lot of it is overkill for you.

If you’re running a custom recovery, you can go ahead and download the appropriate Zip file below and flash it. The below instructions are for those that are running stock, which is the majority of you.

The first thing you want to do is download and install the Android SDK if you haven’t already. You only really need ADB so you can skip the entire Android SDK and download and install Minimal ADB and Fastboot instead, which will give you just the necessary files.

Note: If you go the route of installing the full SDK, ADB and Fastboot will be in the C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools folder. If you use Minimal ADB and Fastboot, you can choose the directory you want.

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Now it’s time to download the appropriate Zip file for your device and place it in the folder where ADB and Fastboot is. If you installed the full SDK, it’s in the C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools folder. Below are the links. Note:You want to make sure that your device is on the“From” Build Number that’s listed for each device. To see that, just open Settings > About Phone and scroll down to About Phone. Now scroll down to the bottom and look at the Build Number. Make sure it matches the “From” listed below for the device that you’re upgrading.

Nexus 4 (occam) From KTU84P to Unknown (C0ming Soon)

Nexus 5 (hammerhead) From KTU84P to LRX21O

Nexus 5 (hammerhead) From KTU84Q to LRX21O

Nexus 7 (2013) WiFi (razor) From KTU84Q to LRX21P 

Nexus 7 (2013) LTE (razorg) From KTU84P to Unknown (Coming Soon)

Nexus 7 (2012) WiFi (nakasi) From KTU84P to LRX21P

Nexus 7 (2012) 3G (nakasig) From KTU84P to Unknown  (Coming Soon)

Nexus 9 (volantis) From LRX21L to LRX21Q

Nexus 10 (mantaray) From KTU84P to LRX21P

Note: The Zip file has a rather large name so feel free to rename if it you wish so you don’t have to type out the entire file name in the CMD Window. Alternatively, you can paste it in the CMD prompt window by pressing ALT and the Space Bar, then choose Edit, followed by Paste.

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Now you need to make sure USB debugging is enabled. If the Developer Options aren’t showing in the Settings on your device, follow these steps…..

1) Tap on About Phone and find the Build Number.

2) Tap on the Build Number 7 times and the Developer Options will appear on the main page of the Settings.

3) Tap on the Back key to see the Developer Options.

4) Tap on Developer Options.

5) Check to enable USB Debugging

Before you connect your device to the USB port on your desktop / laptop, you want to make sure you have the appropriate drivers installed. You can grab them here.

Now connect your device and you are ready to flash the Zip file that you downloaded earlier. Note: You might get a pop up box on your device stating what the computer’s RSA Key is. Just check Always allow from this computer and tap on OK

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Now it’s time to install the OTA update that you downloaded earlier

1) Open the Command Prompt in Windows and navigate to the folder that ADB and Fastboot are installed in. Again, if you installed the full SDK, it’s in the C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools folder. Just type cd\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools. If it’s somewhere else, just navigate to it.  Note: To make things easier so you don’t have to type out long directories, you can also paste it by pressing ALT and the Space Bar, then choose Edit, followed by Paste.

2) Assuming you device is already connected to your computer via USB and USB Debugging is enabled, you need to start it in fastboot mode. Follow one of the two methods below.

A) Type adb reboot bootloader

B) Turn your device off, then turn it back on while holding down the relevant key combinations for your device. For many devices it’s Volume Up + Volume Down + Power. You can see what your device’s key combinations are here.

3) The  fastboot menu should appear and you should see “Start” in the top right. Press Volume Up till it changes to “Recovery.” Press the Power button to select it.

4) You will see an Android with a red exclamation point icon, press Volume Up and the Power button at the same time.

5) You will get a new menu. Navigate to apply update from adb and select it by pressing the Power button.

6) In the CMD window (make sure you are in the right directory), type: adb sideload [the full name of the file].zip (Note: without the brackets around the file name)

7) The update will install and reach 100%.

I hope this guide helped you. Please let me know if I missed anything.

If you want to learn how to flash factory images, make sure to check out our guide on that here.

8) Reboot and enjoy your new update!!

How to manually install the Lollipop OTA on your Nexus device, download links included

2:17 PM manual installation of lollipop, nexus upgrade

10 Things We Want To Do With Google Glass

The Google glass workout

So we’ve talked about what Google Glass has tooffer, its features and capabilities and how it is the most anticipated wearable gadget in 2013. But why leave it there? Add a dash of wishful thinking (okay, maybe a whole lot of it) and here’s a wishlist of things we want to see happen with Google Glass.

Google Glass is a sight for sore eyes as it is touted as the lightweight, hands-free solution to the smartphone. It still tethers to the Internet access of the smartphone via Bluetooth but has a built-in GPS chip for navigational use. Voice commands make the integration almost seamless and Glass also comes with a camera for recording pictures and videos in first-person view.

With this recap, you now probably have a sense of the potential Glass has in all sorts of situations. Here are just 10 examples of how Glass can further enrich our lives. Note that this is just a wishlist and while Glass may not be able to do these things, who know what will happen in the near future?

1. Benefit Education

If Youtube tutorials have taught us anything, it’s that videos can go far in education that is not confined in the classroom. Glass can help push that barrier even further by recording tutorialsin for instances the type spaces mechanics find themselves in when fixing a car engine or machinery parts, or in restricted areas where only the surgeon and its staff is allowed.

In both examples, Glass keeps the mechanic’s and surgeon’s hands free to work their magic, and still gives students a first-person view of the masters at work. It would be great for the feed to be streamed live and to allow the viewers to get to experience what is happening in real-time.

2. Live Information When You Need It

In #1, the surgeon would appreciate having access to the vital stats of his patient straight in Glass if he needs it. For the rest of us, Glass could even provide information about programs we are watching on TV such as stats about the actor, the shows they’ve acted in, synopsis or facts about fashion.

Glass could also work in the world of sportswhere it gives you the latest team and playernews, table standings and past results the moment you switch TV channels or when you’re at a live sports event.

3. Recommendation Guides

With augmented reality in place, it’ll be cool to have Glass give you information of restaurants as you walk past, such as the chef’s recommendation of the day, prices and reviews. Information of promotions going on at each shop outlet would appease the shopaholic in you and can even be sorted to cater to the specific needs of each Glass user

This will even be a good thing to have for touristswho visit foreign lands where they don’t speak the language.

4. Health Monitor Interface

With Glass’ built-in GPS chip, it can easily track your movement. Together with an external health tracking monitor or through health related apps, Glass could probably display, track or log in yourpace, speed, heart rate and running durationfor use such as when you’re running a marathon.

Its capability to have sunglasses attachmentalso means it’ll be perfect for use on brigh sunny running days, and the avid calorie counter may be able to keep his or her nutritional intake in check almost constantly.

5. Get More Out Of Life

A person who has to keep an eye on the family while working from home could benefit from Glass. Instead of having to worry about missing an important call or email on their work phone, wearing Glass allows them to receive notifications while doing things around the house since both their hands are free.

They also need not tether themselves to any computer, laptop or tablet to receive updates.

6. Assisting Busy Lives

That said, having Glass equipped with apersonal assistant app like Siri on iOS or alternatives found on Android lets you manage your work life even better via voice commands, say, to schedule reminders, alarms and events.

You can set reminders as and when you have made decisions during a meeting, gotten a reply from a client or finalized a plan that is good to go.

7. Documentaries In First Person View

We’ve seen the video introducing Glass where skydivers recorded their descent. However, Glass can be used to push documentaries even further.

For instance, viewers can actually step into the shoes of police officers during an actual drug raid, first responders during a disaster or emergency event or even of paramedics who have to think on their feet to save lives. This beats reality TV shows anytime.

8. Video Conferencing Alternative

Google Hangout is a fine tool for conferencing but you still need to sit yourself in front of a laptop to use it. For companies that need to have a lot of meetings regularly it’s common to spend a budget on a state of the art conference room.

Perhaps Glass can be a great alternative for decision makers who are always on the move and who everyone wants an audience with.Group meetings can be done regardless of where everyone is.

9. Easier Video Logging

For the avid DIY builder, keeping track of screws and parts may be a common annoyance during the assembly process, but this is recitifiable with some strategic video logging. Since Glass has a camera equipped, the builder gets a first-person recording of what he does and keeping track of steps and parts are just a matter of playbacks.

Alternatively, scientists can log the results of their experiments easier, faster and more accurately. Video recordings and voice logs neatly time-stamped can ensure that they can focus more on the science instead of the documentation. To top it all off (since we’re dreaming anyways) it’ll be cool to then create an app for data-logging using speech-to-text with itemized logging.

10. Work Together With Any Smartphone & Its Apps

This is probably the most important thing anyone who is eager to try out the Glass would want. We’re talking about support for popular mobile OS like iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry as well as upcoming OS like Ubuntu, Firefox, Tizen and Sailfish.

With widespread support and a higher user base, and seamless integration with apps, there is probably hope for the prices to drop to affordable ranges so everyone can grab a pair

10 Things We Want To Do With Google Glass

8:55 AM Glass, google glass, wearable gadgets

iPhone 6 vs. Google Nexus 6 comparison

Apple iPhone 6 vs. Google Nexus 6: which phone will be better?

With the iPhone 6 now on our doorstep and being pre-ordered by the millions, those of us firmly entrenched in Camp Android are looking to the Nexus 6 to bring balance to the universe in the next few weeks. So given what we know so far, let's speculate on which phone is shaping up to dominate the rest of the year in our Nexus 6 vs iPhone 6 comparison.  

Will the Nexus 6 be better than the iPhone 6?/

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Design

The Nexus 6 has a 5.96-inch screen and is based on the Moto X (2014). The new Moto X itself is certainly quite striking, with curved back, large camera lens and circular LED ring flash. With the Nexus 6 taking design cues from this it certainly looks like an interesting looking phone indeed.

The Nexus 5 proved you can't judge a book by its boring cover.

The iPhone 6 is a pretty nice change to the blocky iPhone style we've seen repeated a lot over the last few years. The corners are curved, the chassis is made outal and everything seems sleeker, thinner and more "designed" than the iPhone 5s or even the iPhone 4, which have all been iterations on basically the exact same thing.

The Nexus 6 has a refershing design, but we also admire Apple's thinking on the new iPhone design. The iPhone takes a few cues from Android too, with the new device looking a lot like the new Sony Xperia Z3. The iPhone screen has finally grown up too: offering a 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch The new iPhones have finally increased their screen size.

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Display

The Nexus 6 will arrive with a 5.96-inch, QHD display with 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 493 pixels per inch. The AMOLED screen technology is a wise choice if the touchless controls and ''always-on'' listening are as big a feature of the Nexus 6 as they are to the Moto X.

Evolution of screen sizes and pixel densities on Android and Apple smartphones (infographic).Up front, the iPhone 6 still looks a lot like the iPhone 5s and shares a similar pixel density.

The iPhone 6 on the other hand introduces a Retina HD LCD. ''Retina'' HD basically just means that its pixel density is over 300 ppi: in the 4.7-inch iPhone 6's case, 326 ppi. The screen resolution comes in at 1,334 x 750 pixels, which is just a tad above regular HD. The Nexus 6 will destroy the iPhone 6's screen, in terms of pixel density and size, but we'll have to wait and see them in real life to make judgments on quality.

If the Nexus 6 takes after the Moto X's touchless controls, an AMOLED display makes sense.

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: System

Both smartphones will arrive with the latest versions of their respective operating systems: the Nexus 6 will appear as the showcase for Android Lollipop and the iPhone 6 has iOS 8.1 on board. We already know a bit about Android Lollipop thanks to the developer preview and we've already seen a bunch of iOS features. We don't have enough room for a full comparison here, but check out our iOS 8 v Android Lollipop comparison for more information. Of course, we expect you have a pretty good idea of which OS is right for you.

Android 5.0 Lollipop: what you need to know.The Nexus 6 will arrive showcasing Google's new Material Design standard for Android L. © Google

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Performance

Not the easiest thing to compare on two phones you haven't used yet, and because Apple and Android components are quite different its not always so easy to figure things out on paper. But we can make estimations based on the improvements over what we already have.

The iPhone 6 has not changed too much compared to the iPhone 5s, which admittedly does its job quite well. Of course, the fluidity and stability of the iPhone 6 will be just as good as what we have seen before and the upgrade to the A8 64-bit chip and M8 motion co-processor will certainly uphold their end of the bargain.

Android fans may tease Apple's ''walled garden,'' but it's super stable and smooth. © Apple

However, the Nexus line has always been jam-packed with the best specs around and the Nexus 6 will arrive with a quad-core Snapdragon 805 clocked at 2.7 GHz with 3 GB of RAM (we don't know how much RAM is in the iPhone 6, but we think it's 1 GB). Considering the 64-bit support in Android Lollipop we're a little surprised that the Nexus 6 will arrive with a 32-bit chip, but regardless, the Nexus 6 will be just as buttery smooth and lag-free as the Nexus 5.

The Nexus 5 camera got much better with software, but it could still be improved. 

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Camera

The camera of the Nexus is usually its weakest point. While not a catastrophic flaw, camera quality is a serious concern for most smartphone owners, and its importance is only increasing. Google has announced it wants Nexus devices to offer a class-leading camera experience, and while we admire their pluck, we haven't seen a good enough camera to compete with the iPhone yet.

Keeping costs down on the Nexus usually means a smaller battery and weaker camera than many fans would like. The Nexus 6 has a 13 MP camera with optical image stabilization and a 2 MP front-facing camera.

The iPhone 6 camera will be just as great as previous offerings from Mountain View. 

The iPhone 6 comes with an 8 MP iSight camera that we expect will produce the same outstanding results we see on every iPhone and a low resolution front-facing camera. The iPhone 6 misses out on OIS, but its bigger brother, the iPhone 6 Plus has OIS on board. We have to be honest though, we fully expect the iPhone 6 camera to embarrass the Nexus 6 camera.

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Battery

Neither the iPhone 5s or the Nexus 5 are known for their outstanding battery life. In fact both are generally the butt of every battery-related joke in the smartphone world. Of course, no one is ever satisfied with their battery life, but both devices have been typically poor performers. Apple don't like to tell anyone what battery capacity the iPhones have, so it won't be until we have a tear down that we can share that little nugget with you.

I wouldn't be working for an Android site if I didn't take the opportunity to post this again. © Samsung/YouTube

This Nexus 6 comes with a 3220 mAh battery, up almost 1000 mAh over the Nexus 5. Android Lollipop is also packing Project Volta, which, combined with the new Android Run Time, should squeeze unheard-of amounts of battery life out of even the most pitiable battery. We'll have to wait and see what Apple can do with its poor battery in the iPhone 6. In the keynote however, they rather blandly said it will be as good as or better than the iPhone 5s. Yay.

 Conclusion

The Nexus line is like the Android prophet: not everyone listens but those that do listen to every word and accept it as Truth. We expect the Nexus 6 to be just as impressive as the Nexus 5 was but with even better specs and performance.

The iPhone 6 is probably much the same for iOS fans, although of course I'm going to compare it to a cult leader instead. Most Apple fans are simply not as concerned with the internal specs of their idevices as they are simply with owning the newest iPhone, and this alone will assure the iPhone 6 of insane levels of success.

Until we can put both side by side for a real life comparison, the jury is still out.

Do you think the Nexus 6 will be the mythical iPhone 6 killer? Or is it simply different strokes for different folks?

iPhone 6 vs. Google Nexus 6 comparison

8:49 AM google nexus 6, iPhone 6 plus