Top 10 Apps for Samsung Galaxy S3 (Jelly Bean CyanogenMod 10)

If you've rooted your Samsung Galaxy S3 and installed CyanogenMod 10, here are my top 10 must-have apps! These are in no particular order...
How to Root Your Samsung Galaxy S3... and Why? Top 3 Root-Required Apps
How to Upgrade Your AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 to Jelly Bean 4.1 (CyanogenMod10)... and Why?

1. GooManager - This makes keeping up with gapps updates super easy. With the specific configuration on my phone (ClockworkMod Recovery) the automated install/update functions don't work. However, searching for the latest version of gapps, downloading it, and rebooting into recovery to install it couldn't be easier. This is a great app to keep on hand and it is official, so it stays up to date unlike some other ROM management apps that check for updates of gapps.
2. Triangle Away - This is good to keep handy since the Samsung Galaxy S3 has a flash counter. This app allows you to reset the flash counter so that it appears your device has never been flashed. I suggest doing this ONLY if necessary. There are risks involved with running this tool. I keep it handy just in case I decide to flash back to stock and un-root my phone.
3. Titanium Backup (Pro) - This is a must-have for any rooted Android. This app is a life-saver when it comes to maintaining app data. You can backup and restore any app, even system apps. Same with data. You can even backup and restore bluetooth settings and accounts. Set an automated schedule for backing up apps and store a few versions at a time. You can also sync to Google Drive or Dropbox.
4. ROM Toolbox Lite (Pro) - This is a 'monster app' according to the developer. That is not an exaggeration as it basically includes the functions of 20+ individual apps. While I like the convenience, I still prefer to use the individual apps intended for these various functions. This app still makes the list though due to its epic feature list.
   • ROM Management is like ROM Manager: a tool for checking for ROM/gapps updates.
   • App Manager is a mix between Titanium Backup and the built-in Android App Manager: allows you to perform a number of operations against any installed app.
   • Root Browser is like ES File Explorer: allows you to browse the root directory and open/edit files.
   • Scripter and Terminal Emulator: allows you to create, save, and run command line scripts and Linux utilities.
   • Ad Blocker: directly edits your hosts file with the proper entries for blocking ads, porn, casino, and risky sites. Also includes a DNS changer tool and app level ad detection settings.
   • Auto Start Manager: like startup management for a PC, this lets you enable or disable broadcast receivers for any app on startup.
   • Configure Apps2SD: allows you to force all apps to install to SD Card or internal storage. Default setting is auto.
   • Rebooter: gives quick access to special reboot options such as reboot, reboot recovery, power down, or reboot the status bar only.
   • CPU Control and Kernel Tweaks: allows you to overclock or underclock the CPU to save battery or boost performance.
   • build.prop Editor: makes editing the build.prop file easy so you can alter the lcd density, decrease call ring delay, increase wifi scan interval, and more.
   • Memory Manager and Task Manager: this is an improvement on the built-in task manager to improve performance and save battery life.
   • SD Booster: makes read/write on the external SD faster by increasing cache size.
   • Font Installer: allows selection from over 150 fonts that can be applied for a custom look.
   • Boot Animations: allows selection from over 300 boot animations that can be applied for a custom look on bootup. You can also use your own custom GIF.
   • Theme Manager and Statusbar Icons: lets you customize your selected theme and install new ones
   • Theme Chooser: allows you to browse 100's of themes available for download (this doesn't work on the current version of CyanogenMod 10 for the AT&T SGS3)
5. ROM Manager (Premium) - With a ClockWorkMod Recovery rooted Android, this app is obligatory. It offers shortcuts and utilities for functions that can be performed through the actual recovery. You don't really need this, but it can come in handy to keep tabs on updates and to process backups/restores.
6. BusyBox (Pro) - This is a must-have for any rooted Android. Just install it, run the install process, and you're done.
7. ES File Explorer - This should be standard for any rooted Android. Install this to gain full read/write access to your internal storage, internal SD card, and external SD card. This (along with DroidEdit) makes tasks like updating the hosts file super easy.
8. Adobe Flash Player (apk) - Unfortunately, Adobe Flash is no longer supported in Android 4.1+. This means you'll have to download and install Flash from a source other than the Play Store. Luckily, it is super easy to do. The link goes to an XDA forum thread which has more details. It mentions installing Dolphin Browser, but simply installing the Flash apk worked to enable Flash in the default browser in my case.
9. Headseticon - After installing CyanogenMod 10, I no longer received a headset icon in the notification bar when plugging in an aux cable. This app fixes that and goes the extra step of letting you pick a an icon from an extensive list of options. You can also define a default volume level and even set an app to open when you connect an aux cable.
10. avast! Mobile Security - This is a must have app for any rooted Android. It combines top-of-the-line virus protection, firewall, phone locator, remote phone management, and more to give you the ultimate in security and control of your data's integrity.

How to Upgrade Your AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 to Jelly Bean 4.1 (CyanogenMod10)... and Why?

I recently put up a short blog post on How to Root Your Samsung Galaxy S3... and Why?

Since then, I have installed Jelly Bean 4.1 (CyanogenMod 10) on my rooted Samsung Galaxy S3. The process went surprisingly quickly compared to installing Jelly Bean on the Samsung Captivate which I did a few months back. Here I will share the steps to get this done on your SGH-i747 AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 as well.

Before I go through the steps though, I want to share the "why" on this upgrade.
The SGS3 is a new phone and retails for a hefty sum of dollars. Even with a 2-year contract it goes for up to $200 or so. Modifying it better be worth it, right? To me... it is. I already took the plunge by rooting the Samsung Galaxy S3 so I could use many of my favorite apps without limitation. In the end, I could only take the AT&T bloatware and Android 4.0 for so long. This is because I had been running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on my Samsung Captive for months and had gotten spoiled by it. The ROM was CyanogenMod 10 which is one of the most reliable, supported, and tested ROMs available. There were some features I found myself missing while using the stock AT&T Android 4.0 on my new Samsung Galaxy S3. I missed these features enough to upgrade to a CyanogenMod 10 after owning the SGS3 for just over a week.

Some of the features/improvements from CyanogenMod10/Jelly Bean 4.1 that are must-haves for me include:

1. Google Now and voice search
2. Reboot into Recovery/Download mode and screenshot option from power menu
3. Detailed notifications for emails/texts which show extended previews, even for multiple email/text notifications
4. Shortcut icon 'groups' for the launcher
5. Improved interface for selecting which app to execute a specified action with
6. Improved interface for copying/pasting
7. Improved web browser with built-in ability to set the user agent
8. Ability to customize the notification LED
9. Battery/signal icons for the notification bar can include actual values, not just icons

So on to it... how to install Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (CyanogenMod 10) on your AT&T SGH-i747 Samsung Galaxy S3:

Keep in mind that you alone are responsible for the results here. I am only sharing my experiences, methods, and results for your information and curiosity. Once you root and/or flash a new ROM to your phone, you are risking 'bricking' your phone and at the least you will no longer be covered by warranty. This method is specific to the AT&T SGH-i747 model. Other carrier models will need to follow different steps.
Guide to revert your AT&T SGH-i747 Samsung Galaxy S3 back to stock
Official forum thread for the CyanogenMod 10 ROM for the SGH-i747 AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3

1. Follow the steps in my previous post: How to Root Your Samsung Galaxy S3... and Why? to root your SGS3 and install ClockWorkMod Recovery. Ensure you can boot into CWM recovery successfully and perform a backup.
2. Download the most recent 'stable' CyanogenMod 10 ROM (currently cm-10.0.0-d2att.zip from 11/13/2012) to your computer.
3. Download the most recent Google Apps package (currently gapps-jb-20121130-signed.zip from 11/30/2012) to your computer.
4. Connect your Galaxy S3 to your computer and transfer the 2 files above to your phone's internal memory. Backup your phone's files to your computer at this time if you prefer.
5. Boot into recovery (you can do this via ROM Manager, ROM Toolbox, or just by shutting down the phone and holding down the Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons together until it boots into recovery mode.
6. Use the volume keys to highlight 'Wipe data/factory reset' and press the power button to select that option. Select 'yes' to confirm.
7. Now go back to the main menu and select Install ZIP from SD card, then Choose ZIP from SD card
8. Find the CyanogenMod 10 zip file and select it, then 'yes' to confirm.
9. Once complete, go back to the main menu and select Install ZIP from SD card, then Choose ZIP from SD card again.
10. This time, find the Google Apps zip file and select it, then 'yes' to confirm.
11. Finally, go back to the main menu and select reboot to boot up your phone newly CyanogenMod 10 equipped Samsung Galaxy S3.
12. Setup your Google account(s), configure all the options/settings, and enjoy!