Android update - 4.2.2

I use the Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone with Verizon Wireless as my carrier, and today I was updated to v 4.2.2.  Android 4.2 is still 'Jelly Bean', and so this is a minor update.

I immediately noticed a few nice new features.

Multiple Lock Screens
We are now able to have multiple lockscreens.  By default, one of the extra lockscreens is the camera app.  In the past, if I wanted to take a picture, I had to enter my password to unlock my phone, find the camera app icon and then take a picture.  Now, with an additional lockscreen, all I have to do is swipe to the right, and the camera app opens.

As of now, only a small portion of my apps support widgets that can be embedded into the lockscreen.  However, I'm sure app developers like myself will eventually build widgets to use on the lockscreen.

Improved settings screen
I used to use an app/widget called "Power Toggles" which gave me quick access to a few settings that I would toggle on and off, like turning on wifi or adjusting the screen brightness.  Android 4.2.2 now provides a quick settings widget.  This is available from the notification center.  Here's a screen shot.

This quick settings widget looks similar to some tools my wife has on her Samsung Galaxy Note and other Samsung Android phones that I have seen.

Improved clock app

The clock app from Android now has a timer and a stop watch.  Both look much better than any existing app.  I actually was so fed up with the existing set of clock apps, I thought about building an app to replace the stock Android Clock app.  It looks like the Android team has beaten me to the punch, and I really like the final product.  It would be nice if you could add the timer app to the lock screen, but it doesn't look available yet.  I guess it's just one step at a time.

Updated camera app

It looks like the camera app has been updated.  I don't really use the camera too much, so I can't remember how it has changed.  I can just tell that it looks a little bit different.

Overall, this update has improved in ways that I have found useful without taking away anything.