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Will your device get CyanogenMod 9?

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by Robert Nazarian on
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I’m sure many of you are wondering if CM9 will make it to your device. Rather than get bombarded with questions from everybody and their brother, the CyanogenMod team posted a chart that should give you the answer. All you have to do is follow the chart by answering the questions (starting at the top). Looking at the first question, if your device doesn’t have 512MB or more of RAM, than you are out of luck. This means original DROID owners won’t see CM9. Of course if you have 512MB or more of RAM, it doesn’t necessarily mean for sure that you will get it, you just have to continue on with the next question and so on.

Kudos to CyanogenMod for doing this. I wish other manufacturers would do something similar instead of constantly flip flopping with consumers on whether certain devices will receive major updates.

source: google+

Turn Your Galaxy Nexus Into a Mini Tablet

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by Stacy Bruce on
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Want to make your Galaxy Nexus screen appear even bigger than it already is? Then you need to check out this awesome mod created by Rootz Wiki member CurrentWeb. What he has done is create a flashable .zip file that will trick your ROM into thinking your GNex is actually a tablet. This means that instead of having the typical status bar up top and the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen, you will now have the exact same layout as any Android tablet. The nav buttons and status bar will be moved to the bottom, your app drawer and Google search will be up top, and you will have more room to place apps on your home screens. It seems that this would make more sense in landscape mode but actually looks pretty good in portrait mode, too.

There is already a large list of compatible ROMS and the developer plans to keep adding to it. If you are running any of the more popular ICS ROMS right now you will be pleased to see that it is most likely already supported. All it requires is a simple flash over your current ROM and your up and running in tablet mode! The developer is even working on some sort of toggle so that the mod can be turned on or off with a simple reboot. I don’t know about you but I think this is a pretty sweet idea and may give it a go later today barring any major user reported issues. As it stands right now, some ROMs are having a few issues but the dev is looking into all reported problems. If you’re ready to check it out for yourself hit up the source link below.

Thanks Kevin!

source: Rootz Wiki

 

 

 

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note now working on T-Mobile thanks to modem hack

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by Robert Nazarian on
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While the Samsung Galaxy Note finally made it to the U.S. a few weeks ago, unfortunately it was an exclusive to AT&T and left T-Mobile customers in the dark. There has been some development to get the AT&T version up and running on Magenta, but constant freezing didn’t get anyone excited. Well XDA user tomin.fhl found a solution that only flashes the modem file (mdm.bin) and excludes the modem software (amss,bin) and lib files.

So far he’s been able to replicate T-Mobile 4G with three modems: T-mobile SGH-T989 KID, T-mobile SGH-T989 VKL1, and Telus KJ3. Don’t expect great speeds on a regular basis, but tomin.fhl was able to achieve 9 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up in certain areas. You should expect 5 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up on a regular basis though, which is not awesome, but better than Edge. If you’re loyal to Magenta and you really want a Galaxy Note, this isn’t a bad alternative. Hit the source link below to get in on the action.

source xda

 

Google Play PIN code can be easily disabled

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by Emily Aquin on
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We’ve already reported the possibility that your Google Wallet account could be compromised with a brute-force attack. Now, Google Play has a similar issue that has come to light. If you have been using the PIN code verification feature in Google Play to protect your phone, read on.

There is a setting for the Google Play Market that enables a PIN code prompt when you are about to purchase something. The idea is to protect you in the event that someone steals your phone, and wants to buy a ton of apps on your dime.

The problem is that the PIN is stored on the device itself, not in the cloud. So, if a thief were to clear the data for the Google Play Market in the “Manage application” settings of your phone (the same way we explained to update Google Play from the Android market), the PIN would be gone, and the thief could buy anything they wanted in the Google Play Market using your credit card. If you realize your phone is gone, you can change your Google password so that Google Play will prompt the user to reenter the password. However, if you don’t realize your phone is gone right away, the thief might already be using your account to purchase things.

Hopefully Google will issue an update for this soon, but in the meantime, you can use a lock screen on your phone to keep unwanted people from messing with your stuff.

source: Mgamerz
via: Briefmobile

 

 

 

MoDaCo Does it Again: HTC One X Gets Root Thanks to Superboot

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by Jack Holt on
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Like the Galaxy Nexus before it, the One X by HTC is already seeing root thanks to superboot files released before well, the phone even sees a release thanks to MoDaCo. Basically it’s a script that you run on your Linux, PC or Mac computer when the device is connected via the USB cable. What the script does is push the necessary root files to your device without the need for all those fancy ADB commands. It’s not as easy as a one-click root method but it isn’t as much of a process as using ADB.

Given that Android 4.0 is running on the One X with an ICS kernel it shouldn’t be too difficult to get custom ROMs and recoveries onto the device. Even though the bootloader is still locked my guess is that it will be added to the HTCDev site sometime shortly after it gets released. So while we will have to wait for the phone to release here in April for the UK and Europe and on AT&T this summer for the U.S. it’s nice to know that you’ll be able to root the device right out of the box. Hit the break below to find the instructions to do so as well as the file to download. Enjoy! » Read the rest

CM9 Alpha Officially Available For The Nook Tablet

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by Roy Alugbue on
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Another obstacle has been overcome— this time the Nook Tablet is CM9′s latest victim. In what can be described as nothing short of remarkable, CM9 Alpha has been ported to the device and while a few features are currently non-functional, the ICS-powered tablet is otherwise running smooth like butter. Here’s a quick rundown of what is non-functional at this time:

  • microphone
  • hw composition
  • hw video decoding
  • Bluetooth
  • FM radio

The ROM is again in alpha status, so it’s expected that some items wouldn’t be working. Moreover, the developers won’t be providing any type of support for those who are brave enough to try it out. This means you’ll have to use the forums as your resource and try to develop solutions with other amateur developers and forum members. You’ve read enough about this, so why don’t you check out CM9 Alpha 0 on the Nook Tablet in action before slapping it onto your own Nook Tablet? You’re going to be mighty impressed.

 

YouTube Preview Image 

 

source: XDA Forums
via: Phandroid

 

 

 

Xperia Phones Used to Drive Automated Cars on Real Life Reckless Racing Track

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by Stacy Bruce on
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We talked plenty about Sony’s Xperia line of phones over the past couple months, the Xperia P and U, Xperia S, Xperia Ion, Xperia Play2 and the Hayabusa(?). Now, it’s time to see what the Xperia name can really do… on the racetrack. The Reckless Racing 2 racetrack. In real life even!

The crazy people behind the Xperia Studio have taken a couple of MGF cars and completely automated them to be driven entirely by the physical buttons of the Xperia Play and the touchscreen of the Xperia S. I don’t suspect this is anything that you think about when shopping for a smart phone, let alone will attempt to do, but it’s pretty bad-ass nonetheless. What you are about to see is a couple of grown men playing with some seriously cool toys. Check out the video below and let us know what you think.

YouTube Preview Image

If you want to see more on this Xperia Studio experiment and others, be sure to hit up the source link.

source: Xperia Studio
via: Xperia Blog 

 

Google Wallet Unsupported on Rooted Devices

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by Emily Aquin on
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The idea of using your phone as your wallet is a great one, but Google Wallet is proving to be a bit of a security nightmare. It looks as though Google has thrown up their hands on rooted devices, at least for now, and put a warning in the Google Wallet app of unsupported devices. The problem is the ability to perform a brute force hack on rooted phones, where a thief could crack the pin code on Google Wallet and proceed to use your phone to make purchases with your credit cards.

Google had issued a statement encouraging rooted users to seriously reconsider using Google Wallet. To make sure everyone received the message, Google has also decided to make this information into a warning message at the top of the app. If you tap the link, you’ll see an explanation of the unsupported device policy, which basically comes down to: “Don’t use this if your phone is rooted”.

While the capability to root your phone is one of the great things about Android, it does take away the control and therefore the responsibility from the carrier, the manufacturer, and Google. We hope that Google is still working on a way to secure Google Wallet on rooted phones, although that is a huge task given that they have no control over a ROM they did not produce.

Let us know in the comments if you’ve received this warning message, and if it has changed your ability to use Google Wallet.


source: Droid Life

Beats Audio No Longer Limited to HTC Devices, Now Flashable to Any Gingerbread ROM [Updated]

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by Stacy Bruce on
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I am sure many of you are familiar with Dr.Dre’s Beats Audio line and that HTC bought exclusive rights to integrating the audio improvement software in their devices. I’ve heard people say that their HTC/Beats device provides a sound that is unmatched to other devices they have owned and I’ve also heard folks say the improvement isn’t even noticeable. While I am still on the fence on whether or not this software actually makes a noticeable difference, at the same time I have yet to couple the experience with a quality pair of headphones. Either way, the Beats Audio software is no longer tied to just HTC devices and is now flashable for non HTC owners to enjoy. Now you can be the judge on whether or not HTC spent their money wisely.

Since Beats Audio is nothing but software, thanks to XDA members fuss132 and willblake13, we now have an easy way to flash Beats Audio to any rooted device running a Gingerbread ROM. It’s pretty simple really, all you need to do is hit up the XDA link at the bottom of this post, download the .zip file, and flash through CWM. Not much to it. The real question is whether or not you will notice a difference. Although fuss132 takes a similar stance as I do and says “I think at some ponts beats audio is only a audio marketing strategie,”  he also claims ”The sounds will be more natural, playing with more clarity.” However contradicting that may sound, he includes some test results that clearly show that there is some level of improvement to be gained. So if you’re the flash-happy type of person I think you are, you should check it out and decide for yourself. Test results after the break.

Beat on my friends… Beat on

Update: It looks as though this didn’t bode well with someone (most likely HTC) and the thread has been removed from XDA already. If you have more insight please let me know, I am curious.

source: XDA

» Read the rest

Verizon Responds In A Letter To The FCC Regarding Locked Bootloaders

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by Axl Logan on
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Well, bootloaders are back on the menu and this time our friends over at Droid Life managed to intercept a letter given to a DL reader by Verizon Wireless regarding locked bootloaders.  The customer politely reminded Verizon about the “Block C License” but Verizon provided a song and dance claiming the unlocking of a bootloader would cause an instability in customer service and a negative impact on the user experience altogether.  The company has taken a serious stance on not allowing “unapproved” software on their mobile devices.  However, many argue that in the license agreement, nowhere does it state that Verizon is referring to “bootloaders” when it states that “no device shall be locked”.  Most argue that this is referring to the device’s capability to access the network and not in fact the bootloader.  While we’re not 100% sure what they’re referring to, one thing can be certain, customers are complaining.  Having a locked bootloader denies a user his/her God given ability to make certain changes and take certain advantages of their device.  It’s no wonder users will grab their torches and pitch forks the second a bootloader gets locked.  So, for now, Vz’s stance is this, regarding bootloaders; The carrier has issued that OEM’s lock device bootloaders in an effort to obtain a “standard of excellence in customer service“.  The company is bent on not letting unlocked phones lessen the experience of users.  Ok, I guess.  What say you though?  Feel free to throw your rants in the comments below.  Meanwhile, check out the letter in its entirety after the break.   » Read the rest

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