Landscape mode comes to Nexus 7
Some people—such as ZDNet's own Jason Perlow—really, really hated that the popular Android-powered Nexus 7 locked its home screen into portrait mode. Well, if you're with Jason, worry no more! A new Android update , 4.1.2, is even now coming your way that will let you set your default home display to landscape or portrait.
In other Nexus 7 news, besides the 10.1-inch Nexus 10 news, it seems that there will be a small update coming for the Nexus 7. In a discussion about this release, Queru wrote, "There's a new revision coming indeed with a different power management chip. It's functionally identical to the existing one, but requires a new driver and bootloader that weren't part of 4.1.1."
As Google usually does, the Android update is being slowly rolled out rather than be pushed to everyone all at once. Can't stand to wait? Well, you can try going to Setting/About tablet/System updates/Check now and hope for the best. Me? I'm still clicking.
While this update is now in the Android Open Source Project (ASOP) site, the Nexus 7 update has been seen rolling down the Internet highway to users, other Android Jelly Bean users will have to wait for their vendors to deliver the goods. As Jean-Baptiste Queru, Google's technical lead on Android, wrote, "Availability of factory images will match the timing of the OTA (over the air) to retail devices, as usual." In other words, don't hold your breath.
A close look at the source files, thanks to FunkyAndroid, reveals other minor changes in this release. These are almost entirely under-the-hood fixes. The net effect should be to provide a smoother, faster experience. Users who've been having trouble with the touchscreen registering their touch should also see improvements.
Related Stories: