The most popular custom ROM for rooted Android phones has been updated today! First Release Candidate for CyanogenMod 7.1 is up for grabs for users interested in getting more from their Android smartphones.
CyanogenMod is a custom ROM based on Google’s Android OS that is developed and maintained by the CyanogenMod team. Users with rooted Android smartphones can install the custom firmware on their devices to enjoy features otherwise not available on official Android releases.
Today’s update brings support for new devices, bug fixes, performance updates and a handful of new features.
CM7.1 is based on the latest version of Android (that’s 2.3.4 “Gingerbread”) whose major new feature is native video/voice chatting on Google Talk. Previously, users could only use text to chat with each other, but that’s not going to be the case anymore. Video/voice chat works over 3G, 4G and WiFi (no need to “jailbreak” the device to make it work over 3G *cough My3G cough*).
Other new little features include Bluetooth mouse support, an option to get notified about incoming call in the background when screen is on and a bunch of other small tweaks to improve the overall user-experience.
The latest version also brings support for devices like the Samsung Galaxy S (and its American, carrier-based variations), HTC Incredible S, T-Mobile G2X/LG Optimus 2X and Motorola Cliq/Cliq XT.
Users interested in updating to CM7.1 RC1 are suggested to back up their current set up using ROM Manager and Titanium Backup. The simplest way to upgrade is from ROM Manager itself, but users who know their device’s codename may install it manually by grabbing it from here.
Keep in mind that this is an RC release, so there will be bugs that need to be squashed. Proceed with caution.
The complete change log is as follows:
- Common: Android 2.3.4 (Google)
- Common: Bluetooth mouse support – Scott Brady
- Common: Improve notification swipe-to-clear – Evan Charlton
- Common: Improve album-artist support in media scanner – Paul Crovella
- Common: Profile improvements and bugfixes – Martin Long
- Common: RTL text improvements – Eyad Aboulouz, Eran Mizrahi
- Common: Wake on volume key option – Sven Dawitz
- Common: Support for revoking application permissions – Plamen K. Kosseff
- Common: Latest Superuser app – ChainsDD
- Common: Control brightness by sliding on statusbar – Danesh M
- Common: Add "copy all" to context menu – Danesh M
- Common: Lockscreen haptic and statusbar indicators toggle – Danesh M
- Common: Nicer timepicker/datepicker – Jiri Tyr
- Common: Configuration 0/90/180/270 rotation – Jonas Larsson, Scott Brady
- Common: DSP Manager bugfixes and improvements – Antti S Lankila
- Common: Support for launching apps via gestures in the background – Jiri Tyr
- Common: Option to hide hold button during call – Roberto Leinardi
- Common: Allow using wildcards for call blacklisting – Nihanth Subramanya
- Common: Option to allow in-call lockscreen to match main lockscren – Sven Dawitz
- Common: Option to notify about incoming call only in background when screen is on – Pavel Kucera
- Common: ADWLauncher- Transitions, catalog improvements, bugfixes – John Van Etten
- Common: Optional GMT correction for SMS/MMS timestamps – Terry Hau
- Common: Add FM Seek for TI devices – KalimochoAz
- Common: Add FM support for SI4708 devices (Blade, V9, Racer) – Stéphane Konstantaropoulos
- Common: Add FM seek implementation to FM application – Tom Giordano
- Click, Motorola: Speed up photo recording – Emilio López
- Click, Motorola: Add Geolocation to photo app – KalimochoAz
- Vision/Glacier/Ace/Speedy/Vivo: 2.6.35 kernel and updated userspace
- Buzz: 2.6.35 kernel – Arne Coucheron
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