Samsung Galaxy Note 2 now available on Verizon Wireless

Hey, how about that -- it's Nov. 29, and that means Verizon Wireless' Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is now available to buy online and in stores. Verizon's Note 2 sells for $299 with a two-year service plan, and comes with a rather ridiculous home button bearing the carrier's logo.

Besides the cosmetic differences, this is the same Galaxy Note 2 we've been seeing since its debut atIFA -- it rocks a massive 5.5-inch non-PenTile HD SuperAMOLED screen, a Wacom-powered S Pen, 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos CPU and 2GB of RAM. And it's running on Verizon's 4G LTE network, of course.

If you're buying today, you may want to think about a sticker to cover up that unsightly home button. If you're still on the fence, check out our review of the international Galaxy Note 2.

Anyone picking up a Note 2 on Big Red today? Shout out in the comments!

Samsung Galaxy Advance due for Jelly Bean update in January

Despite the size of its Android smartphone portfolio, Samsung's doing a pretty good job keeping popular handsets up-to-date with OS upgrades. That's further evidenced by today's news that the humble Galaxy S Advance, a recent mid-range offering from the Korean manufacturer, will be getting its Jelly Bean update sometime in January 2013.

Roughly translated, a message posted on Samsung's German Facebook page reads --

Dear fans, more and more devices will now receive the update to Android Jelly Bean. Even the Galaxy S I9070 Advance will get this update in January, through Kies and over-the-air.

There's no word on which version of Jelly Bean will be heading to the Galaxy S Advance, but as theAndroid 4.2 source code hasn't been available for long, we'd imagine 4.1 will be what's on offer here.

Still, it's a substantial upgrade from the Gingerbread-based ROM that ships on the Advance.

Samsung is expected to push out Jelly Bean upgrades for the Galaxy S2 and original Galaxy Note, though no timetable has been offered for these updates. Equally, whether these updates make it to U.S. variants of these phones remains to be seen.

Android 102: Wireless file transfer

I use Linux for my PC operating system. That means I don't get any fancy Android File Transfer programs to use to copy files on and off of my devices, and setting up MTP support is a hassle -- not to mention the closed nature of the whole mess. I can use the command line and adb to copy files back and forth, and sometimes I do, but the easy way is to use an app that acts as a remote server and "browse" my files with Chromium or Firefox. They also work with Windows or Mac OS for those times when you don't want to look for a cable.

There are plenty of apps available that will work. Airdroid is a pretty popular one that also offers the ability to send and receive SMS message through your PC. It's also free, and free is always good. I like things a bit more lightweight and simple, so I use Wifi File Explorer Pro. It's not free ($0.99) and doesn't let you text from your PC. It's just the first one that was made available and I hate change. My point is, there's plenty of apps that will work, and they all work basically the same.

1. Grab the app from Google Play, install it, and run it.
2. The app will tell you a URL to put in your browser. You may need a code or need to scan a barcode to log in.
3. When the page loads, you see everything that's on your phone storage, and can transfer files both ways, or play music or video. 

The apps are actually running a tiny web server on your phone, so the result acts like a website. You will need to have both machines on the same Wifi, and in theory a cable is faster, but wireless file transfer is pretty darn easy.

Microsoft attacks Google with “Scroogled” campaign

While anti-Google ads from Microsoft are nothing new, their latest salvo fired against the company seems less like an advertisement for a search engine, and more like a political attack ad.

“Scroogled,” a portmanteau of “Google” and “screwed,” seems to be a major focus of Bing’sholiday advertising, and to be fair, it isn’t completely baseless. In May of this year, Google Shopping made a transition from using a search algorithm similar to how other Google searches work to a system where listed merchants pay to be included in the results, either on a pay-per-click or pay-per-transaction basis.

Ads or Answers?

Microsoft says that this practice isn’t fair, but Google sees it differently, saying that “ads are just more answers to users’ queries.” As with Microsoft’s criticisms, this isn’t as easy to write off as it may seem. Those who use Google Shopping are doing so because they are looking to buy something, and companies paying to make sure that they are seen first in search results isn’t that different from placing other ads.

Google has been relatively transparent on this matter, but this is where Microsoft is really playing its hand. By suggesting that customers are being “Scroogled,” they are also suggesting that Google is breaking its “Don’t be evil” policy. The most prominent text on Microsoft’s Scroogled website reads:

In the beginning, Google preached, “Don’t be evil”—but that changed on May 31, 2012. That’s when Google Shopping announced a new initiative. Simply put, all of their shopping results are now paid ads.
In their under-the-radar announcement, Google admits they’ve now built “a purely commercial model” that delivers listings ranked by “bid price.” Google Shopping is nothing more than a list of targeted ads that unsuspecting customers assume are search results. They call these “Product Listing Ads” a “truly great search.”
We say that when you limit choices and rank them by payment, consumers get Scroogled. For an honest search result, try Bing.

Who Is This Good For?

Microsoft is promising that Bing won’t “switch to pay-to-rank to allow some shopping search results to appear higher than others,” and that’s a good thing for consumers, but it raises a question. Are these types of ads, which seem to be increasingly prevalent, a good thing for consumers? Or will this just lead to an ultimately more confusing climate for regular people?

Future Google to provide search results even before you search for them

Delivering the right information even before you ask for it seems to be Google’s next big venture. According to MIT’s Technology Review editor Tom Simonite, Google is working to improve its mobile search by conducting studies that will enable the search giant to provide information you have never thought of searching for online. Tom Simonite revealed some questions he wouldn’t have gone to Google to answer such as how long the line is at the nearest grocery store or questions that appear during offline activities such as reading a book, cooking a meal etc.

Simonite, who was part of Google’s research writes that he was contacted on his mobile device eight randomly chosen times per day for three days by Google and was asked different study related questions. Google’s researchers asked questions like “What did you want to know recently?” and the research included around 150 people who were asked the same questions.

To explain what Google wants to deliver to its users in the future in a nutshell, Jon Wiley, the Lead user-experience designer for Google says, ”the perfect search engine will provide you with exactly what you need to know at exactly the right moment, potentially without you having to ask for it.”

While Wiley has not revealed any other significant information related to this project, he says that similar studies will be conducted in the future as well. The future Google Search will provide more sophisticated search results and will combine the information it has related to you such as location data and real time feeds to provide relevant results to your searches, including those that you haven’t thought of searching online. The first steps in that direction have already been achieved with Google Now on Android devices.

Gameloft’s World at Arms blends simulation, strategy and action, available for free from Google Play

It’s been almost three weeks since the last time we talked about a new Gameloft release for Android, which is like three years in mobile gaming time. Thankfully, the French video game developers are back in the spotlight and with a much cooler title than My Little Pony (not that I have something against “Bronies”).

World at Arms is a free to play “ground-breaking” social game and, you guessed it, you’ll be asked to defend the USA in a war against an evil alliance of highly trained forces known as the KRA (way to be politically correct, Gameloft).

Unfortunately, as most free Gameloft titles, World at Arms will require plenty of in-app purchases to ensure you stand a chance on the battlefield, though, according to some user reviews, the gameplay that you get without paying is pretty decent too.

Talking about user reviews, there seems to be a love-or-hate relationship between Android gamers and World at Arms, with the game scoring 5 stars in 100 Google Play reviews, but also one star in 12. The average is not bad (4.3), and considering most of the folks who are disappointed by the game complain about not being able to play it, you should definitely give it a chance.

The game itself doesn’t look too visually demanding at a first glance, but the graphics are quite complex as you advance in your war campaign of over 75 missions. Combining simulation treats with strategy elements, World at Arms has a very cohesive and immersive in-game experience, with a real eye for details.

Besides engaging in war actions, you’ll be asked to manage the United States economy by collecting resources, building, developing and upgrading bases, so you can imagine this is not just a “dumb” action game. Finally, you should know that you can get help from friends you can connect with via Facebook, Game Center or Gameloft Live, by borrowing their units to defeat tough enemies. Not too shabby for a free game, right? Then drop by Google Play and take it for a spin.

Galaxy S Advance Jelly Bean update scheduled for January, Samsung Germany reveals

Left: Galaxy S Advance, Right: Galaxy Ace 2

While regular Galaxy S versions will not be officially upgraded to Jelly Bean, there are some special Galaxy S-based handsets that will get to run Android 4.1.2 in the near future. One such device is the Galaxy S Advance, which is apparently set to receive its Jelly Bean taste early next year.

Samsung German has confirmed that the that the handset (model number GT-I9070) will receive the update in January, without providing any actual roll out dates for this Jelly Bean upgrade.

The smartphone maker did say in the short Facebook status update that German Galaxy S Advance owners will be able to update their devices via Kies or over-the-air (OTA), which is how you’d expect to receive such upgrades in the first place.

The Galaxy S Advance is currently running Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread, and it will jump directly to Jelly Bean, skipping Ice Cream Sandwich in the process. Among its highlights, we’ll mention its 4-inch touchscreen display with 800 x 480 resolution, 1GHz dual-core processor, 768MB of RAM, 8/16GB of storage and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

In other words, the handset, which was launched in the first months of the year and which is known in certain parts of the world as the Galaxy S2 Lite, is more similar to the original Galaxy S than the Galaxy S2, although it does sport a better SoC and extra RAM when compared to the Galaxy S flagship. But Samsung will not update the original Galaxy S to Jelly Bean, will they?

Is Nokia Lumia 920 too popular in the U.S. or is it just short in supply?

When you say something is in short supply it does not necessarily mean that it is in high demand. For Nokia Lumia 920 we could be facing such a situation, as it appears it is difficult to determine whether the highly anticipated Windows Phone 8-powered device is selling like hot cakes in the U.S. or is in short supply because Nokia simply missed its production targets.

Currently, American customers thinking of buying a Nokia Lumia 920 should think again, as the device is sold out in most online and retail outlets. Or try AT&T, which is the only mobile operator carrying the handset in the region.

For example on Amazon’s online store the device is labeled as ‘backordered’ and the site is showing the shipping time of about one to two weeks for this particular smartphone. According to The New York Times, the Lumia 920 is not available even for those buyers who want to pick it up in person from Best Buy Manhattan locations.

Moreover, publication notes that Nokia representatives have already revealed that the company was having problems in providing the newly released smartphone to tech writers who wanted to review the device for their respective news organizations. One of the reasons behind the short Nokia Lumia 920 supply in the U.S. could be that Nokia is currently focusing on the European market that has proven more reliable in the past for the company than the U.S. market.

Nevertheless, the fact that Lumia 920 went from available to the status of ‘backordered’ on Amazon in just three days after it went on sale on November 7, signifies that the device has a demand in the U.S., which certainly was not anticipated by its manufacturer. This demand gives Nokia a new hope as it has been losing the smartphone battle to Apple and other Android phone manufacturers.

When contacted, Nokia’s Spokesman Doug Dawson declined to provide details on why Lumia 920 is in short supplies. He noted that his company is working hard to meet the demand for its Windows Phone 8-powered phone. Do you agree?

Huawei T8830 on offer in China for just $104, features dual-core Mediatek MT6517

Not everyone wants or needs a super-powered quad-core beast of a smartphone, and this is especially true for many Chinese smartphone buyers. In China, there are tons of cheap single and dual-core smartphones that are more than capable of offering a basic smartphone experience without costing a fortune. The newly released Huawei T8830 is one of these highly affordable yet reasonably spec’d handsets.

For the U.S. equivalent of just $104 you can’t expect the world, but this Huawei handset does offer a dual-core Mediatek MT6517 CPU, 512MB of RAM and a 3.2MP camera. The screen is reasonably sized at 4-inches and has a resolution of 800 x 480, while also providing an anti-scratch layer. As for the operating system? The handset is powered by Android 4.0 ICS.

While far from impressive specs, Huawei is a solid brand and $104 isn’t a huge asking price by any means. Still, for Chinese smartphone buyers there are many even cheaper offerings with similar hardware from Chinese budget brands such as JiaYu, Zopo and Mogu. What do you think of the Huawei T8830, is it worth the asking price or not?

Angry Birds Star Wars Hoth update now available, brings the debut of Princess Leia

And for those needing a bit more explanation, Rovio Mobile has rolled-out the latest update for Angry Birds Star Wars. We saw the teaser video yesterday and we suspect that some may have been playing a little more than usual to knock out some extra levels before the new ones arrived today. On that note, the update is available and it has brought 20 new levels of game play along with a few bonus levels — all on the remote ice world of Hoth.

“It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth. Unfortunately the evil Darth Vader discovers their hideout, and the desperate Rebel birds must escape the AT-ATs and Pigtroopers hot on their trail. But the Rebels have an ace up their sleeve with the debut of PRINCESS LEIA!”

And what else can we really say, those who have already been playing have likely already stopped reading this and are either waiting for the update to install or have already begun playing. As for me, honestly, I love this game and having to sit and write this and not be able to play is killing me. So yes, now that I outed myself as an Angry Birds Star Wars fan, I will end this madness of a post and get some game time myself.
But one final thought for those who have yet to get into this version of Angry Birds. If you like Star Wars and have enjoyed previous versions of Angry Birds, this is probably a good game to download. Those not looking to spend any money are in luck as there is a free download available. And for those willing to shell out a few bucks, Rovio Mobile also released an HD version for $2.99.

Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 new buyers, remember to get your free Google Play content

In case you happen to have purchased a new Nexus 4 smartphone or a new Nexus 7 or Nexus 10 tablet, you should know that you’re entitled to some free content for your shiny new devices.

We’re not talking about the $25 Google Play credit that was offered with initial Nexus 7 purchases. That ended a few months ago, so now it’s time for a new promo for Nexus buyers. Depending on what device you purchased and where you’re located you’ll get different content, but it’s all still free of charge.

Nexus 4 owners get to download and/or stream Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the series premiere of Falling Skies (2-hour episode) and an episode of Planet Earth.

Nexus 7/10 buyers will get Ice Age and Planet Earth only, while all devices have access to some free music and magazines from Play Music and Play Magazines, respectively.

Naturally, if you purchased a mix of devices, namely Nexus 4 and a Nexus tablet, you’ll get access to all of the above.

We’ll add that this offer is available in the U.S. and may change depending on where you get your Nexus from. In fact, if you’re reading this from other countries, let us know what free content you’re able to download from your local Google Play Store on your Nexus gadgets!

Android 4.2.1 firmware update now heading to the Galaxy Nexus

We’ve seen Google pushing out the “December bug fixer” update to the Nexus 4, 7, and 10 justa few days back. Showing once and for all how it pays to go the Nexus way, the Galaxy Nexus has now joined the ranks of other Nexii that sport the latest Android software.

The Android 4.2.1 software update (build JOP40D) is now rolling out to the GSM Galaxy Nexus, both takju and yakju variants.

Bear in mind that this really is just a minor update. Aside from the aforementioned bug fix, we’re seeing conflicting reports on whether or not it fixes the Bluetooth issue that’s plaguing Android 4.2, but it’s looking increasingly likely that it won’t. Nevertheless, the update is heading your direction.

If you know your way around the Galaxy Nexus, you can install the new firmware on the phone by first downloading the update package. Click here for the takju variant and here for yakju; these are direct links from Google. Please note that we won’t take any responsibility should something go haywire. You might as well wait for the update to arrive on your device.

Have you gotten the Android 4.2.1 update yet? How’s the phone running on the JOP40D firmware

Download/Install XXJVS Firmware- Update Galaxy S i9000 to Android 2.3.5

Yes, it’s been so long since we all flashed XXJVR (Android 2.3.4) firmware long back on August 2 and later, while the some portions of the android blogosphere was already beaming with the latestAndroid 2.3.5 builds of Android OS. So, it was time Samsung showed their supremacy, yet again, with this tiny update too, updating their rockstar GalaxyS (international version GT-i9000) android phone to Android 2.3.5, from 2.3.4 — just an addition of 0.0.1 but says a lot about how hard Sammy’s update team is working on to push timely update. Not only is Samsung the first one to update their phone to Android 2.3.3 and 2.3.4, but now, to 2.3.5 too.

So, without much ado, let’s see XXJVS Android 2.3.5 in flesh on our lovely Galaxy S i9000 — btw, even the mighty Galaxy S II is yet to see Android 2.3.5 builds. And for your information, this Android 2.3.5 update firmware/ROM, XXJVS, is said to be an official leak of Samsung’s team, but like always there is no confirmation from Samsung about that. We’ll know only when XXJVS reaches to consumers using Kies, Samsung’s PC update software.

Before seeing the whole flashing/installation procedure, let’s see warnings and compatibility notes first:

 This guide is applicable only for Samsung’s Galaxy S international version (GT-i9000). Check your phone’s version in Settings – About Phone. It has to be “GT-i9000” for this firmware to be compatible with your phone. If it’s not GT-i9000, simply don’t try this ROM on your androidhandset — don’t even think about it if you care about your android device.

 The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to you or your device, we won’t be held liable — you only will be responsible, you’ve been warned!!!

Pre-Installation thoughts:

1. Installing/Flashing this ROM will erase your apps and data. So, it’s a very important you back them up, before proceeding further. To backup your apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. Restore APN settings if Internet isn’t working for you. This Android backup guide would help you. And if you’ve rooted your Galaxy S, you can save application’s data too, using Titanium backup (free app on android market) to backup apps with data. And use this this app only  again to restore those apps with data.
2. Drivers! — it’s important you’ve the proper drivers installed. Download links below:
   • 32 bit (x86) Windows |   64-bit (x64) Windows
3. If you have Samsung’s PC software Kies installed, un-install it first because it may interrupt the flashing process. If you’ve installed it for sake of drivers which otherwise weren’t working, make sure you exit the Kies completely before beginning the procedure below.

How To Install XXJVS on Galaxy S i9000 (for experienced users)

Well, it’s pretty easy if you’ve already had fun flashing using Odin a decent number of times already.Download XXJVS (password: samfirmware.com) and install it using Odin3 v1.7. Put the *CODE* file in PDA tab, *Modem* file in Phone tab and *multi CSC* file in CSC tab. Put the .pit file in PIT tab and make sure Re-Partition is ticked too. Hit Start!

If you didn’t get what was said above, don’t worry one bit, a detailed guide for you is just below.

Step-By-Step Guide (for not so experienced users)

Although the guide below is very much detailed, step-by-step and sufficient for you to easily flash the XXJVS firmware on your Galaxy S, but in case if you want to watch a video of how you are going to do it, that is, flashing the XXJVS firmware is flashed using Odin, check out this video showing installation of an earlier firmware ‘XWJVB’ on Galaxy S. The procedure is same, so it would be helpful for those who are new.

1. Download XXJVS firmware first. Filename: I9000XXJVS.rar. Size: 228 MB. Download Link. (password: samfirmware.com)
2. Extract the downloaded file ‘I9000XXJVS.rar’ to get these 5 files:
   1. CODE_I9000XXJVS_CL565837_REV03_user_low_ship.tar
   2. GT-I9000-CSC-MULTI-OXAJVS.tar
   3. MODEM_I9000XXJVS_REV_00_CL1059471.tar
   4. s1_odin_20100512.pit
3. Download Odin PC Software which we will be using to flash the XXJVS Android 2.3.5 ROM on Galaxy S. Filename: Odin3 v1.7.zip. Size: 192.55 KB. Download Link.
4. Extract Odin3 v1.7.zip to get .exe file – Odin3 v1.7.exe. Run it when asked in step 7 below.
5. Disconnect your phone if it’s connected to PC.  Then Switch it Off. Wait 5-6 seconds for vibration to confirm complete switch off.
6. Now, put the Galaxy S in “Download Mode” — press and hold these keys together: Volume_DOWN+Home+Power. This is required to Install XXJVS using Odin PC Software.
7. Open Odin (from step 4) — I9003_Odin3 v1.82.exe.
8. Connect your phone to PC now. You should get the message “Added! !” under the Odin’s message box in the bottom left. If you don’t get “Added! !” message, than probably there is a problem with drivers. Make sure you’ve drivers installed (links given above under heading ‘Pre-Installation thoughts’).
9. Now, in Odin, select these files at respective tabs (for visual help, see the screenshot at step 11 below):
   1. Click the PDA Tab, and select CODE_I9000XXJVS_CL565837_REV03_user_low_ship.tar (from step 2.1)
   2. Click the Phone Tab, and select MODEM_I9000XXJVS_REV_00_CL1059471.tar (from step 2.3)
   3. Click the CSC Tab, and select GT-I9000-CSC-MULTI-OXAJVS.tar (from step 2.2)
   4. Click the PIT Tab, and select s1_odin_20100512.pit (from step 2.4)
10. Make sure these 3 checkboxes are ticked: Re-Partition, Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time. [Note: Since we’re using the .pit file, it’s important that the Re-Partition checkbox ticked, too. If sometime is future, you do not use the .pit file, then that time, keep the Re-Partition button unchecked. Just keep this in mind, always.] Leave everything else on Odin untouched.
11. Double check everything said in step 9 and 10 above. Your Odin’s screen, after selecting all the files and ticking and not-ticking the checkboxes, should look like this: 
12. Now, hit the START button to begin the flashing process. When it finishes, your phone will automatically reboot, upon which you can unplug the cable. Plus, you’ll get a PASS (with green background) message in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. If it’s in red and with FAIL written over it, the process flashing process wasn’t successful.
13. When it restarts, your Galaxy S will be running the Android OS, v2.3.5 with Samsung’s custom UI TouchWiz 3 atop it. Not TouchWiz v4 — that you find on Galaxy S2 — for Galaxy S right now, at least officially from Samsung. Check out you’re your phone’s android version here → Settings → About Phone.
14. (Optional, of course) If you found this guide useful, share it with your friends and others on your Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and on websites you normally visits. That would be helping us grow too!

ROOT XXJVS

Yep, we just posted the root guide (with download links and all that) to root XXJVS firmware. Find the XXJVS Root here.

That’s it.

BTW, as for what’s changed apart from the Android 2.3.5 build number in “About Phone” under settings, there is not much to say. The video talk feature is missing from the GTalk app. But, the Gmail app has been updated to latest version, 2.3.5, which supports individual label-wise notification system, always show images, etc. Let us know if you find any more changes — as also how is the battery life on your Galaxy S running XXJVS.

We’d be glad to hear back from you. See you all in comments below.

New XXJVU Galaxy S Firmware Leaked. Updates Phone with Value Pack (Face Unlock, Photo Editor and New Lock Screen)

It’s time again, time for another leaked  firmware from Samsung for the Galaxy S i9000. This time it’s another 2.3.6 firmware, dubbed as XXJVU, a successor to XXJVT for Open Europe region.

But it’s still not just another firmware for lovely Galaxy S1. Yep! It packs in new Lock Screen from Galaxy Note, a photo editor app from Galaxy S2 and lastly the Ice Cream Sandwich special Face Unlock feature, all besides the usual Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread. Check here to know more about what and what has changed with XXJVU firmware.

We know none of you, if not most of you, are happy with Sammy’s blunt announcement to not support Galaxy S with Android 4.0, but the XXJVU update is a major one which you’ll really enjoy, and should bring smiles on a bit choked faces of many Galaxy S users.

Yeah, we know you wanna try it, so we have a detailed guide right here on how to flash it.

Compatibility

This guide is applicable only for Samsung’s Galaxy S international version (GT-i9000). Check your phone’s version in Settings – About Phone. It has to be “GT-i9000” for this firmware to be compatible with your phone. If it’s not GT-i9000, simply don’t try this ROM on your android handset — don’t even think about it if you care about your android device.

Warning

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to you or your device, we won’t be held liable — you only will be responsible, you’ve been warned!!!

Pre-Installation Tips:

1. Installing/Flashing this ROM will erase your apps and data. So, it’s very important you back them up, before proceeding further. To backup your apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. Restore APN settings if Internet isn’t working for you. This Android backup guide would help you. And if you’ve rooted your Galaxy S, you can save application’s data too, using Titanium backup(free app on android market) to backup apps with data. And use this this app only  again to restore those apps with data.
2. Drivers! — it’s important you’ve the proper drivers installed. Download links below:
   • 32 bit (x86) Windows |   64-bit (x64) Windows
3. If you have Samsung’s PC software Kies installed, un-install it first because it may interrupt the flashing process. If you’ve installed it for sake of drivers which otherwise weren’t working, make sure you exit the Kies completely before beginning the procedure below.

How To Install XXJVU on Galaxy S i9000 (for experienced users)

Well, it’s pretty easy if you’ve already had fun flashing using Odin a decent number of times already.Download XXJVU (password: samfirmware.com) and install it using Odin3 v1.7. Put the *CODE* file in PDA tab, *Modem* file in Phone tab and *multi CSC* file in CSC tab. Put the .pit file in PIT tab and make sure Re-Partition is ticked too. Hit Start!

If you didn’t get what was said above, don’t worry one bit, a detailed guide for you is just below.

Step-By-Step Guide (for not so experienced users)

Although the guide below is very much detailed, step-by-step and sufficient for you to easily flash the XXJVU firmware on your Galaxy S, but in case if you want to watch a video of how you are going to do it, that is, flashing the XXJVU firmware is flashed using Odin, check out this video showing installation of an earlier firmware ‘XWJVB’ on Galaxy S. The procedure is same, so it would be helpful for those who are new.

1. Download XXJVU firmware first. Filename: I9000XXJVU_I9000OXAJVU_OXA.rar. Size: 225.9 MB.Download Link. (password: samfirmware.com)
2. Also download this PIT file: s1_odin_20100512.pit
3. Extract the downloaded file ‘I9000XXJVU_I9000OXAJVU_OXA.rar’ to get these 3 files:
   1. CODE_I9000XXJVU_CL851880_REV03_user_low_ship.tar.md5
   2. GT-I9000-CSC-MULTI-OXAJVU.tar.md5
   3. MODEM_I9000XXJVU_REV_00_CL1059471.tar.md5
4. Download Odin PC Software which we will be using to flash the XXJVU Android 2.3.6 ROM on Galaxy S. Filename: Odin3 v1.7.zip. Size: 192.55 KB. Download Link.
5. Extract Odin3 v1.7.zip to get .exe file – Odin3 v1.7.exe. Run it when asked in step 8 below.
6. Disconnect your phone if it’s connected to PC.  Then Switch it Off. Wait 5-6 seconds for vibration to confirm complete switch off.
7. Now, put the Galaxy S in “Download Mode” — press and hold these keys together: Volume_DOWN+Home+Power until a screen saying ‘Download Mode’ comes up.
8. Open Odin (from step 5) — Odin3 v1.7.exe.
9. Connect your phone to PC now. You should get the message “Added! !” under the Odin’s message box in the bottom left. If you don’t get “Added! !” message, than probably there is a problem with drivers. Make sure you’ve drivers installed (links given above under heading ‘Pre-Installation thoughts’).
10. Now, in Odin, select these files at respective tabs (for visual help, see the screenshot at step 11 below):
    1. Click the PDA Tab, and select CODE_I9000XXJVU_CL851880_REV03_user_low_ship.tar.md5 (from step 3.1)
    2. Click the Phone Tab, and select MODEM_I9000XXJVU_REV_00_CL1092175.tar.md5 (from step 3.3)
    3. Click the CSC Tab, and select GT-I9000-CSC-MULTI-OXAJVU.tar.md5 (from step 3.2)
    4. Click the PIT Tab, and select s1_odin_20100512.pit (from step 2)
11. Make sure the ‘Re-Partition’checkbox in ODIN is selected. Also, Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time checkboxes should be selected too. Leave everything else on Odin untouched.
12. Double check everything said in step 10 and 11 above. Your Odin’s screen, after selecting all the files and ticking and not-ticking the checkboxes, should look like this: 
13. Now, hit the START button to begin the flashing process. When it finishes, your phone will automatically reboot, upon which you can unplug the cable. Plus, you’ll get a PASS (with green background) message in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. (Check screenshot below) 
14. When it restarts, your Galaxy S will be running the Android OS, v2.3.6 XXJVU firmware.
15. Off the screen and then open with the all new Galaxy Note ported lock screen. Find the Photo Editor app in app drawer, a port from Galaxy S2. And check the options for Face Unlock set up — go to Settings » Location and Security » Set Screen Lock. Enjoy!
16. Lastly, if internet isn’t working, fill in the correct APN settings under mobile networks settings, under wireless and network settings.

Root and CWM for XXJVU

And before you ask, root for XXJVU isn’t out yet, which it should be in a matter of hours. We’ll update you with same as sson as we come to know of it.

Link to Root Galaxy S on XXJVU (also installs Clockworkmod recovery)

IMPORTANT NOTE: If Odin doesn’t seem to be progressing/doing anything for more than a minute, do the following:

Disconnect the phone from the PC, close ODIN, remove battery, re-insert it, turn phone on in Download mode again, and do the procedure again from Step 6.

Share your thoughts, observations and improvements (and disappointments) you see in the XXJVU firmware in comments below. If you face a problem in installation, don’t hesitate to ask us below.