Android beanies, weird handles and inside joke nicknames, netbooks and chargers. That's right: the modders roundtable discussion at the Big TX Android BBQ has just finished, and we've got some Q&A to share with you, the readers.
We were able to attend a conference with Team Douche, creators of CyanogenMod, and we got some great insight into the minds of these Android hacking masters.
One of the questions thrown forward was on the bootloader locking, and how necessary it will be in the future to continue unlocking it to put custom ROMs on devices. The answer came back as: yes, it's still necessary, and will continue to be. When asked on their feelings towards manufacturers locking bootloaders, their response was that it's like DRM, and said that the developers and manufacturers should be putting the time and effort into fixing issues, not creating more by locking things down.
When asked about upcoming phones they're excited about, one resounding answer came out: the Mozilla Seabird, a concept phone found here. There were also questions about why we don't see more changes to app-specific functions, like the ability to change the status of an email through GMail straight from the pulldown menu, to which they responded that most of that code would have to be changed in the GMail app itself.
Some other questions / answers:
With GoogleTV coming into the public eye, can we expect CyanogenTV? Answer: Maybe, we'll just have to wait and see.
Are there any other Mobile OSes that Team Douche is interested in modding? This question was first met with laughter from the audience and TD crew, followed by some mentions of Meego and Moblin. There was also a comment that the problem with most Mobile OSes is that they're “vaporware”, meaning they're either not in existence.
Does Team Douche have any inside ties to Google? More laughs here and a “no comment”.
Finally, when asked about trying to push CyanogenMod to a bigger audience, they stated that the main problem there comes from the fact that their ROM modding is still at the hobby stage, and to put more effort into the project would force a push into full-time.
They also said that most of their modding ideas come from user suggestions, and to keep giving them ideas.
There are currently 20 devices in around 90 countries running CyanogenMod 6.
