14
May
1

Modaco Toolkit Enables Easy Multi-User Support For Rooted Phones Running Android 4.2

Posted by in Android OS, Jelly Bean 4.2, News

Multi-user support is one of the most interesting additions in Jelly Bean 4.2, but you can only get it if you're using a tablet. It makes sense - phones are rarely shared between more than one person, while tablets are naturally shareable. Even so, it would be nice if Google gave users the option. But thanks to modder extraordinaire Paul "Modaco" O'Brien, there's a relatively easy way to enable multi-user mode on smartphones. It's detailed on the Modaco blog, but all you need to get started is a phone running Android 4.2 and root permissions.

n4-usersadd1 n4-usersadd2 n4-userswitchmenu

First, download and install the Xposed Framework, a Swiss army knife for modders and the basis of this modification.  Next, download the Modaco Toolkit, a module for the Xposed app.

22
Nov
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MoDaCo's Paul O'Brien Releases Patch For Galaxy Nexus Softkeys With Menu And/Or Search Key Reinstatement

Posted by in Development, Galaxy Nexus, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

One of the most prominent new features on the Galaxy Nexus, and Ice Cream Sandwich, is that the soft-keys are displayed right on the screen. While the notion is a sound one, there will always be those who miss some of the legacy features left behind. In this case, those would be the Menu and Search keys, stalwarts of Android's interface paradigm since its release with the G1. What was once four buttons - Home, Menu, Back, Search* - has been whittled down to just Home and Back, along with the introduction of the new multitasking-purposed App Switcher button. This combination was seen previously in Android 3.0 Honeycomb, but is about to encounter widespread use on upcoming phones**.

04
Nov
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Download: Leaked Galaxy Nexus Full System Dump (ICL23D), Recovery, And Boot Images

Posted by in Development, Galaxy Nexus, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, Samsung

I'm surprised this didn't come sooner, but better late than never, right? The full Galaxy Nexus (presumably GSM) system dump, together with boot and recovery images were leaked earlier today by none other than Paul O'Brien, the founder of MoDaCo, a talented developer, and creator of many custom ROMs. If you remember, previously only the apps as well as certain bits and pieces of Ice Cream Sandwich were made available for download.

The files were extracted by Paul from a test device running build ICL23D and are about 170MB in size combined. You can download all 3 of them over at MoDaCo.

02
Nov
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Exploit Found Allowing Permanent Deletion Of Files On G2's /system Partition (NAND Memory)

Posted by in Desire Z (Vision), G2 (Vision), HTC, News

You're probably aware of one of the slightly more irksome facets of the G2 that is stymying attempts at custom ROMs, namely the locked down /system partition, where the OS is kept. Heretofore it has been impossible to tinker with this internal memory in a permanent fashion. All alterations were reverted on the next boot, leading to solutions like Paul O'Brien's VISIONary soft-root.

Well, Mr. O'Brien isn't the kind of fellow you can restrain with NAND lockdowns, and with a flourish today he unveiled his latest hack. His program, G2 Google Goggles Remover, is a proof of concept which he says will permanently delete the Google Goggles application from your G2.

14
Oct
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MoDaCo's Paul O'Brien Releases VISIONary - One-Click Soft Root For The T-Mobile G2 With Autorun-On-Boot

Posted by in Applications, Development, G2 (Vision), HTC, News

With the G2 already getting a non-persistent "soft-root" solution, it was only a matter of time before someone combined it into a nice, user-friendly package. Stepping up to the plate (or rather, the crease) is Paul O'Brien, the founder of UK smartphone website MoDaCo, well known for a myriad of clever hacks.

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Superusers, you can haz them

Deriving its name from the HTC Vision device codename, VISIONary is a simple one-click temporary root app for the T-Mobile G2. The application installs itself to /data/app, and a version that will run automatically on boot is also available. VISIONary can also be set to run a visionary.sh script immediately after rooting, allowing you to automate any root commands you might usually do by inserting them into the .sh file.

29
Sep
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Orange San Francisco - £99 WVGA AMOLED Phone - Unboxed On Video And Already Rooted

Posted by in Devices By Manufacturer, Orange

Here's a device that's been making some waves in the UK Android community. Over at MoDaCo.com, founder Paul O'Brien picked up Orange's rebranded ZTE Blade for £99 ($160) with a pre-paid SIM. Judging from his video, it seems that you get quite a lot of device for your money, including that aforementioned 3.5" AMOLED screen. Despite being burdened with a silly name and an abundance of network shovelware, the Blade/SanFran's 600 MHz CPU appears to run Android 2.1 pretty nicely.

As is his wont, Mr O'Brien has cracked the Blade right open, with root being achieved pretty much immediately, and the tantalizing prospect of an AOSP Froyo ROM hanging in the air.