unlock

Jan

Motorola Releases More Details About The Dev RAZR Bootloader Unlock Process (And It's Not As Good As It Sounds)

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Droid RAZR, News

Over the weekend, we found out about Moto's upcoming dev-friendly version of the RAZR, its first device with an unlockable bootloader. What we didn't have, however, were any details about how the unlock process would work, how it would affect the warranty, and so on. Moto has now posted the details answering many of those exactly questions, and there's one thing for sure - it doesn't look like it's going to be as good as it sounds.

How it will work

Since this is a developer device, the process will be the exact same as the Nexus devices. It ...

Jan

PSA: The DMCA Exemption Allowing Legal Rooting Of Smartphones Expires This Year, And The EFF Wants Your Help To Renew It

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Legal, News

This a cause I think we can all get behind. Back in 2010, the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress issued a rulemaking statement exempting smartphones and DVDs from reverse engineering laws under the DMCA. Previously, companies like Apple had used these provisions to threaten criminal prosecution (as well as civil action) against those who "jailbroke" (rooted) devices such as the iPhone (or iPad). The exemption to these penalties put in place by the Copyright Office extended to the "jailbreaking" (or, as we know it in the Android community, rooting) of all smartphones (it also extends to things like ...

Jan

HTC Adds Bootloader Unlock Support For More Devices - Desire Z, Aria, Droid Incredible, T-Mobile G2, Status, And ChaCha

Posted by Brandon Lancaster in Aria (Liberty), Chacha, Desire Z (Vision), Droid Incredible, G2 (Vision), Status

If you didn't know, HTC has promised to provide bootloader unlock support for all devices released after September of 2011 as well as many others released before, and they have been keeping good on that promise with added support for many devices over the last few months.

They're still going strong, and added several more devices to the list earlier today.

There you have it, the newly supported devices are the HTC Desire Z, ChaCha, Aria, Droid Incredible, Status, and T-Mobile G2. If you own one listed above, you can head on over to the HTCDev website to unlock your ...

Jan

HTC Adds Bootloader Unlock Compatibility For Desire HD, Additional Desire And Wildfire Models

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Desire (Bravo/BravoC), Desire HD (Ace), HTC, Mods, News, Wildfire (Buzz), Wildfire S / Wildfire 2 (Marvel)

Those following HTC's efforts to liberate bootloaders everywhere have a bit more to talk about tonight, as the Taiwanese manufacturer added support for a handful of devices.

For those not in the loop, HTC pledged to enable unlocking the bootloaders of all devices released after September 2011, but is doing the community one better by extending support to older models as well. HTC allows users to unlock their bootloaders using a quick, (relatively) easy online tool.

Among the newly unlockable devices are the original Desire, the Desire HD, Wildfire, and Wildfire S. To get started, just head over to ...

Jan

PR-ASUS-Eee-Pad-Transformer-Prime-front-Amethyst-Gray_thumb1

You Spoke, ASUS Listened - An Unlock Tool For The Transformer Prime's Bootloader Is In The Works (And ICS Is Coming On 1/12)

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Eee Pad Transformer Prime, News

Well, that didn't take long, did it? Just one short day after news hit the web that the Transformer Prime's bootloader is encrypted and locked, ASUS has issued a statement on its Facebook page regarding the matter, and it's definitely a step in the direction that the modding community was hoping for. Here's the meat and potatoes of it:

Regarding the bootloader, the reason we chose to lock it is due to content providers' requirement for DRM client devices to be as secure as possible. ASUS supports Google DRM in order to provide users with a high quality video

...

Dec

[Update: Incredible S Added] HTC Expands Bootloader Unlock Compatibility – Incredible 2, Thunderbolt Make The Cut

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Dev, HTC, Incredible 2 (Vivow), News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

In a continued effort to unlock bootloaders everywhere using their online tool, HTC has added several exciting entries to the "supported devices" list. Perhaps the most notable of the new entries are the Droid Incredible 2 and HTC Thunderbolt. Officially, HTC's online unlock tool is compatible with all devices launched after September 2011, but the new additions reflect an effort to add compatibility for older devices.

Update: HTC just added the Incredible S to the mix. Go get unlocked!

"What does this mean for users of the Incredible 2 or Thunderbolt," you may ask. An unlocked bootloader basically allows ...

Dec

[Updated x3] HTCDev.com Now Unlocking HTC Rezound, Vivid, Jetstream, Rhyme, And All HTC Devices Released After Sept 2011

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in HTC, Jetstream, Mods, News, Rezound, Rhyme, Vivid

Last Updated: December 29th, 2011

HTCDev.com has been unlocking the bootloaders of select HTC smartphones for some time now, but up until today, the Rezound was not among their ranks.

Update #1: HTC Vivid is unlockable as well - thanks again for the tip, jcase.

Update #2: HTC just updated the bootloader unlock site and announced that "All HTC Android devices launched after September 2011 are unlockable. The website will be updated accordingly to reflect this in the coming weeks. We continue to work on models launched prior to September 2011, please check back often for the status of older devices.

...

Dec

HTC EVO View 4G And MyTouch 4G Slide Now Officially Unlockable At HTCDev.com

Posted by Cameron Summerson in EVO View 4G, myTouch 4G Slide (Doubleshot), News

HTC is continuously adding phones and tablets to its official bootloader unlock page, and a couple of new devices have made their way into the now-unlockable arena. The EVO View 4G is one such device, as it now joins its Wi-Fi only brother, the Flyer, in the world of open bootloaders. Also joining the mix is the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide, the first device from the myTouch family to make its way onto the portal.

As always, the unlock process is a simple one, but keep in mind that, while it is an official method, it will still void ...

Dec

Easy Bootloader Unlock Now Available For The LG G-Slate, Custom ROMs Incoming

Posted by Cameron Summerson in G-Slate, News

Owners of the LG G-Slate have been waiting a long time to get some custom ROM action on the 8.9-inch device, and now that dream may finally become a reality thanks to a quick hack that unlocks the bootloader. The process is stupid-easy - it's basically as simple as flashing a .zip file in ClockworkMod.

While there aren't any custom ROMs available for the device just yet, the first custom kernels are starting to show up on RootzWiki - a good sign indeed.

For full instructions, including all required downloads, head over to this Google Code page.

Good luck!...

Nov

Still Not Convinced That Face Unlock Is Easily Fooled By A Photo? Here's Another Video Showing Face Programming And Photo Unlocking From Start To End

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Galaxy Nexus / Nexus Prime, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, Videos

One of the most interesting features in Ice Cream Sandwich is, without a doubt, the new Face Unlock that lets you unlock the phone using your face and the front-facing camera. Before we go any further, please read the following bullet points, as I'd like to clear a few things up:

The question of whether Face Unlock can be duped by a photo was raised by many almost immediately after the feature was announced, to which Google responded with "give us some credit".
The final verdict will be out only when we can test Face Unlock with actual production

...

Nov

Lockitron Aims To "Replace Your Keys With Your Phone," Offers Intriguing Remote Lock Management Functionality

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Joining the race to replace all of your practical possessions with mobile apps, Lockitron is offering an NFC-based, key-free lock control solution for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry that has the potential for tons of applications, from letting people into your home while on vacation, to simply buzzing in a friend with no effort whatsoever.

Utilizing a system of "mobile keys," Lockitron's system communicates with a small hardware device connected to the user's internet router, which in turn communicates with your doors, either automatically, or through the use of an optional NFC tag that the user would manually slap onto a ...

Sep

HTC Flyer Now Unlockable Via HTC's Bootloader Unlock Portal

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Flyer, News

The HTC bootloader unlock portal has been updated yet again, this time bringing the company's first tablet, the Flyer, to the mix. It appears that basically all versions that carry the Flyer name are supported, so if an unlock for the View 4G is what you're after, you'll have to keep playing the waiting game for a while longer.

Like with previous devices that made their way to the portal, the process seems simple and intuitive -- but keep in mind that it effectively voids your warranty if you choose to use this "legit" method.

So, if you're ready to ...

Aug

T-Mobile HTC Sensation 4G Bootloader Now Officially Unlockable

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Sensation / Sensation 4G (Pyramid)

HTC has been steadily making good on its promise to unlock the bootloader of its more recent models -- first came the EU Sensation, followed by the EVO 3D. Continuing along this same path, today HTC updated the unlock portal on HTCdev.com to include the T-Mobile variant of the Sensation.

Keep in mind that if you plan on making use of this process that it will likely void your warranty, so tread with caution.

With that said, you can head over to the official HTC Dev site now and officially get your unlock on.

...

Aug

HTC Bootloader Unlock Portal Updated, Now Includes The EVO 3D

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in EVO 3D (Shooter), HTC, Mods, News

A couple of days ago, HTC revealed their bootloader unlock portal and started with 1 of the 3 (so far) promised devices - the European Sensation. The EVO 3D and the T-Mobile Sensation 4G remained MIA for the time being.

Notice how the Sensation was unlocked shortly after receiving an Android 2.3.4 OTA, which apparently gave it its "unlockability." Now remember what happened this morning? Yup - the EVO 3D also got the 2.3.4 update and, you guessed it - it's now unlockable at HTCDev.com.

So, if it's the bootloader unlock you're after, hop on over to HTC's bootloader ...

Aug

HTC Bootloader Unlock Portal Open - European Sensation Now Unlockable

Posted by David Ruddock in HTC, News

It seems HTC has made good on its commitment to begin unlocking the bootloaders of its recently released handsets, starting with the European version of the HTC Sensation. You can find the instructions at HTC's developer portal, here. (You may need to log in). Also, here are the scary things you'll have to disclaim before beginning:

So, as long as you realize that your warranty will/might be voided all or in part, get cracking. HTC's instructions are several pages long, and pretty in-depth. You'll have to get the Android Device Bridge (ADB) up and running, as well as ...