Know How... 49

We're going to put a new ROM on our Galaxy S3, so we asked you what's your favorite ROM.

Ask the Audience

What's your favorite Android ROM? #twitkh

Thomas Schneider @Schneitj
CyanogenMod, but be careful with nightly builds and flashing radios to switch carriers.

Matthew Murphy @Mmurphmsu
I used to use Cyanogen Mod but have been using Carbon for S3 exclusively. Won't go back to anything else.

Michael Sherman @NexusSUser
@iyaz paranoid android"

What's an Android ROM?
It's the firmware on your phone. Essentially, it's the operating system that your device uses.

Installing a new ROM

This will be possible only if you rooted your device and put ClockworkMod Recovery software on your Galaxy S3. We put together a tutorial during Know How 48.

We used ROM Manager Premium ($5.99), but you can use the free version if you'd like. Launch ROM Manager. We went into settings and turned on the "Use External Storage" switch for backups because our device has limited storage. From there, we downloaded CyanogenMod and chose to add GApps so we can have Google Apps like the Play Store on our device.

CyanogenMod

Based on the Android Open Source Project, CyanogenMod is designed to increase performance and reliability over Android-based ROMs.

Troubleshooting

If your device gets stuck on the loading screen, go into recovery mode by holding down the volume button, the home button, and the power button. We found the following tips over at AndroidCentral: Using ClockworkMod Recovery, choose wipe data. wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache, wipe Dalvik cache (in the advanced menu), install the CM10.1 rom again."

Another ROM

We're also restored SlashDW which is an unofficial AOKP ROM. AOKP is the Android Open Kang Project and is supposed to be lightweight and based on vanilla Android.

Know It Alls

"Hi guys,
I love all your shows and could really use some advice. I'm going to be moving into my RV permanently this fall and starting early next summer traveling all over the country. I don't want to give up any of my tech advantages in life, but it looks like internet is going to be a challenge.

I will likely be working online (medical coding) and also am a huge Netflix and Amazon watcher. I have two questions, A. what advice can you give me for now? and B. Do you see any interesting improvements or new tech to improve things in the (near) future?

Thanks
Peggy College Station TX

PS I'm not at all tech savvy (52 year old who never had a computer until I was in my 40s) But I watch TWIT all the time and am learning every day!"

We found some options for Peggy, but some were pricey. There was a satellite options that cost about $1 per MEGAbyte. Hughes has an option, but the hardware is about $7400! Leo recommended Exede as a solution.

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You think you can do this project? Ask Batman and Robin.

Links

• CNET's guide to hacking your android phone
• Iyaz's Journal: Man vs. ROM
• How Iyaz spent his Wednesday