The Flipboard app was the first of the exclusive goodies to be pulled from the Galaxy S III for use on other devices, and now the full Android 4.0.4 ROM has been leaked. Developers and other folks anxious to get their hands on Samsung’s latest TouchWiz with all the tweaks and other apps are going to want to download the full thing and start taking it apart. Hopefully some of the new features will start trickling into other custom ROMs.

Download: I9300XXALE8 (4.0.4) – Turkey (OJV) [19-05-12]

If you’re just an ordinary user, the S-Voice app has already been pulled from the ROM and is ready for a standalone download on XDA here.

How to install: You can either install it through the Android package installer like any other 3rd party app but reports suggest it is better to install it as a system app. To install as a system app do the following:

• Make a nandroid backup! (just to be safe)
• Download the apk on your SD card
• Using a file manager, copy/paste into system/app
• Longpress the apk file from Within system/app, select “permissions” and change to r-w, r, r

If you are experiencing force closes or other issues after installing as a system app, try this route: After the app is installed, use a file explorer and navigate to system/app and press on the voicetalk.apk to reinstall again over top of the original install. Readers have reported that this helps with ongoing issues.

[XDA Developers]

To sum things up shortly, the new tool is installed in the background, but will not be running and gathering data. It will only be used when the customer calls Verizon with a problem and give explicit permission for them to run diagnostics. When a customer care rep runs the diagnostics, the customer will have to press Accept on their device for it to send any info. Verizon also stated “The tool never pulls contacts, account numbers, passwords and the like.”

This sort of solution seems slightly better than the Carrier IQ option that most customers would never know was even on their phone. However there’s probably more than a few people out there that would still rather not have the application on their device. While Verizon said the diagnostic app cannot be removed, I’m sure it won’t be long before the developers find a way to extract it from the firmware and provide stock ROMs without it.

For the rest of Droid-Life’s Q&A with Verizon, head over to the original post here.

It was about a month ago when we first saw some Ice Cream Sandwich builds leak out for the Samsung Galaxy S II i9100. Now there’s a new one out. The latest is build I9100XXLPB and it’s Android 4.0.3 based, complete with Samsung’s TouchWiz interface so there’s not much visual change from Gingerbread ROMs. Those with the international SGS2 that have tried it out say it offers better battery life from previous builds, along with some 3D effects, faster speeds and general better performance.

We have yet to see any builds out for the Galaxy S II variations here in the US, but hopefully they’ll be coming along soon, since we know Samsung is working on it. If you have the i9100, feel free to hit up the source link for downloads and let us know how you like the latest firmware.

[SamMobile]

Although the Nook Tablet has been rootable for a while now, the method was a bit complicated for the average user. Now a new method has been released making it simple enough to root merely by copying some files to the SD card and rebooting the tablet. This method is much like the process for the original Nook Color which has been a favorite of modders and ROM flashers since it’s been out. The new Nook Tablet root method should work for firmwares up to version 1.4.1 and brings all-important Android Market access with it. Now if we could just get some Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs for the Nook like the Kindle Fire has been getting a taste of recently. Head over to the XDA Developers thread for all the downloads and instructions.

[XDA Developers]

This release combines the code of the CM9 project, along with the a leaked Samsung kernel and some various other bits to form a (nearly) fully functional ROM. This is only a Release Candidate and there remain a couple of minor issues such as less than stellar battery life, some theme issues and getting the file manager to read the SD card. Other than that, it’s a full Android 4.0 ROM with a gorgeous look.

Right now it’s only available for the international version of the Galaxy S II, the i9100, but hopefully we’ll be seeing MIUI ROMs on other SGS2 variants soon. Head over to the XDA Developers link for more info and downloads.

[XDA Developers]

Although the developer stresses this is an early alpha, most all the major functions of the ROM are working. But it’s not yet a stable build for everyday use. For more information and downloads, visit the XDA thread. And be sure to read the whole thing before you get started flashing this thing, since it’s not just a simple 1-2-3 procedure.

[XDA Developers]

After hitting the milestone of a million unique installs, the makers of CyanogenMod are considering implementing a custom app store into their ROM. The proposed app store would focus on apps for rooted users as well as apps banned from the Android Market such as one-click rooting apps, tethering apps, game emulators and more. A portion of the proceeds from the CM app store would go to funding the CyanogenMod project. Of course, in the spirit of open-source and sharing, the store would not be limited to just CM ROMs, any developer could include it in their custom ROM.

[CyanogenMod Google Plus]

The Trebuchet Launcher, a tweaked version of the stock Ice Cream Sandwich launcher, will be found in upcoming CyanogenMod 9 releases. But for now the developer has released a version available for public consumption, for those running Android 4.0.3 devices.

Features

• Custom number of Homescreens
• Enable/Disable Persistent Search Bar
• Separated Apps/Widgets in Drawer
• Resize Any Widget
• Show and Fade Scrolling Indicator in Homescreen and Drawer
• Enable/Disable Auto-Rotate
• Drawer Apps Sorting (Title, Install Date)

Planned Features

• Infinite Scrolling
• Dock (Custom pages and size)
• Transition Effects (Homescreen and Drawer)
• Backup and Restore

The release is currently only for devices running Android 4.0.3, those of you still on 4.0.2 will have to hunt around for updated ROMs or wait for the official OTA update. If you’re looking for more guidance with installation, or wish to report a bug or request a feature, hit up the XDA Developers thread below.

Manual Install (Latest version)

1. Download Trebuchet.apk
2. Run: adb remount
3. Run: adb push Trebuchet.apk /system/app

CWM/Recovery Package

1. Download Trebuchet.zip
2. Put on sdcard
3. Flash in recovery

[XDA Developers]

Google has released the source code for Android 4.0.3 and that means here come the custom ROMs. The latest of these is the Motorola XOOM. Although the XOOM is expected to receive an official update to Ice Cream Sandwich in the near future, if you just can’t wait, there’s a ROM for you. There’s a version available for both the Wifi-only XOOM and the 3G/4G version. As expected with early ports, some things are not working. Namely the camera, GPS and some video playback on the WiFi model, and 3G/4G, camera, video playback issues on the 3G/4G version. Flash as your own risk.

[3G/4G XOOM]
[WiFi-only XOOM]

Sony Ericsson has just done something that most other phone manufacturers would never consider doing. They have released an alpha version of Ice Cream Sandwich for unlocked Xperia phones. The ROM is Android 4.0.1 and is currently available for the Arc S, Neo V and Ray. It’s meant for developers only for testing purposes and not everyday use. Functions such as calling, WiFi, bluetooth and Google apps like Gmail have been disabled in the ROM, but it’s a way for those knowledgeable with flashing ROMs to get a taste of what’s to come when Sony Ericsson releases Ice Cream Sandwich officially on their devices.

For full instructions and downloads, head over for the Sony Ericsson Developers Blog for all the details. And if you’re not interested in flashing your phone, you can just check out the demo video below: