24
Nov
1

[Exclusive] How To: Unlock The Droid DNA's Bootloader

Posted by in Development, DROID DNA, News

When the Droid DNA was first announced, we were all surprised to find that the bootloader was unlockable at HTCdev.com. Because of this, the device actually got root, recovery, and custom kernel days before the official release. Unfortunately, by the time the device became available in retail channels, Verizon pulled the plug  and it was no longer unlocked through official means.

Thankfully, there's another way (isn't there always?). The softmod below will effectively change the carrier information, allowing it to once again be unlocked via HTC's official tool.

Before we get started, special thanks to Sean Beaupre, who stepped in at the last minute and made this release possible.

21
Nov
1

Nexus 10 Toolkit Now Available: Get Your Tweak On The Easy Way

Posted by in News, Nexus 10

A few days ago, developer mskip released the Nexus 4 toolkit, which simplifies the unlock/root/recovery/etc. process on the device. The same dev has now released the Nexus 10 toolkit, which does essentially the same thing, only for Google's first 10" slate. These toolkits really take the work out of doing a number of otherwise potentially tedious tasks:

FUNCTIONS OF GOOGLE NEXUS 10 TOOLKIT V1.0.0 [20TH NOVEMBER 2012]
* Install correct adb/fastboot drivers automatically on Windows xp/vista/7/8 32bit+64bit
* Backup/Restore a single package or all apps, user data and Internal Storage
* Backup your /data/media (virtual SD Card) to your PC for a Full Safe backup of data
* Unlock/Re-Lock your Bootloader
* Root Stock Jelly Bean builds (upto 4.2.0 JOP40C)
* 1-Click For All to Unlock the Bootloader, Root, Rename the Restore File and Flash Custom Recovery
* Perform a FULL NANDROID Backup of your system (Boot, Cache, Data, Recovery and System) via adb and save in Custom Recovery format on your PC which can be Restored via CWM Recovery
* Pull /data and /system folders, compress to a .tar file and save to your PC
* Dump selected Phone Partitions, compress to a .zip file with md5 and save to your PC
* Install BusyBox on your phone
* Extras, Tips and Tricks section available to all ToolKit Donators
* Auto Update ToolKit to latest pushed version at startup (donator feature)
* Program up to 10 Quickpic slots and run them very quickly (donator feature)
* Mods section to automatically perform certain tasks on your phone
* Download Google Stock Image directly to correct ToolKit folder for extracting and flashing (no need to move it manually anymore)
* Flash Custom Recovery or Google Stock Image to phone
* Rename the Recovery Restore File present on some Stock Roms
* Boot into CWM Touch Recovery without Flashing it
* Boot or Flash .img Files directly from your PC
* Install a single apk or multiple apk's to your phone
* Push Files from your PC to your phone
* Pull Files from your phone to your PC
* Dump selected LogCat buffers to your PC
* Dump BugReport to your PC
* Set Files Permissions on your phone
* Open new Command Prompt for manual input
* Reboot Phone to Fastboot Mode or Android from fastboot mode
* Reboot Phone to Fastboot Mode, Recovery, Android or Download Mode from adb mode

The ToolKit.exe and ModsSection.exe files may be detected as malicious by some anti-virus software.

26
Oct
gavel

New DMCA Exemptions Allow Rooting Phones (But Not Tablets), Unapproved Phone Unlocks Will Be A Thing Of The Past

Posted by in Legal, News

Good news, bad news, and really bloody ridiculous news, Android fans. Today, the latest round of DMCA exemptions has been passed and if you've ever jailbroken or rooted a phone, you'll be happy to know that this will continue to be legal. At least, for your phones. If, however, you want to gain su access to your tablet, you're fresh out of luck. Also, phones purchased after January 2013 cannot be legally unlocked for use on a carrier that didn't give you explicit permission. Yeah, it's kind of a mess.

Wait, What Are DMCA Exemptions?

A brief intro, for the uninitiated: the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, signed into law in 1998, has a certain set of rules concerning circumvention of DRM.

10
Oct
image

Apple Granted Another Slide-To-Unlock Patent That Covers More Than Just Predefined Paths

Posted by in Android OS, Legal, News

Following up on last year's slide-to-unlock patent grab (which itself built on a patent granted in 2010), Apple has been granted another, yet more expansive slide-to-unlock patent, one which ditches the previous patents' emphasis on "predefined paths" in favor of more ambiguous language covering the movement of an unlock image to "an unlock region" on a device's display.

While US Patent 8,286,103 is largely similar to Apple's previous two slide-to-unlock, its language is considerably broader. The logic of the patent is not concerned with what path a user takes to unlock a device, nor where the user starts or stops that path, just that an unlock image is moved "from the first location to an unlock region."

Essentially, the language of the patent has been loosened to cover workaround solutions (presumably like the circle locks of Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean) and, ostensibly, to ensure that pretty much any method of unlocking a device through a continuous touch movement is protected.

04
Sep
nexusae0_face-unlock_thumb

Google Wins Multi-User Face Unlock Patent, Further Teases Our Multi-User Dreams

Posted by in Android OS, Google, News

Today it was learned, through a US Patent and Trademark Office filing, that Google has been granted a patent concerning the logging in of multiple users by facial recognition.

Typically, the granting of yet another tech patent wouldn't be extraordinarily interesting news. But given the fact that Google's latest patent relates to multiple user support, and the fact that code meant for multiple user support has been sitting right under our noses in AOSP for some time now, patent number 8,261,090 is definitely worth discussing.

Without quoting the entire 17,000 word filing, patent '090 essentially covers methods that allow a "computing device" to recognize one or more users' identities based on facial recognition, and then give them access to resources specifically assigned to them.

31
Aug
beyondtiny

[Deal Alert] BeyondPod Podcast Manager Unlock Key Goes On Sale - Listen To Our Podcast On Any Device For $2

Posted by in Applications, Deals, News

The slew of deals coming out today just isn't stopping. Besides Google's coordinated End of Summer Sale, BeyondPod, an extremely popular podcast manager, is offering its full version unlock key for $1.99, down from the normal $6.99. A handy price drop after Listen was abruptly pulled from the Play Store. The key works for both the regular and tablet-oriented versions. This app is one of the more powerful podcast managers and is able to run on a wide selection of devices, including many Google TV boxes.

beyond1

beyond2 beyond3 beyond4

The normal version only lasts for seven days before you'll be prompted to buy the unlock key.

22
Aug
nobootloader2

Motorola Confirms Via Twitter That Older Devices Will Not Receive Bootloader Unlock Tools

Posted by in Motorola, News

Bad news, owners of older Motorola devices. According to a tweet from Motorola's official Twitter account, if you own an aging Moto phone—including the Droid 3, Bionic, and Droid X2—you will not be receiving a bootloader unlock tool. While newer products like the Photon Q, as well as developer-centric devices like the RAZR Developer Edition and the not-quite-Nexus Xoom are supported, Moto has no plans to add any of its older lineup to the supported list.

It is worth pointing out, of course, that this is coming from a Twitter account and it's not unheard of for the rep running the social media sites for a major corporation to go off-script.

17
Aug
image

[Updated: Initial Device List] Motorola Finally Releases Bootloader Unlock Tool, Dubbed 'Unlock My Device'

Posted by in Motorola, News

Well, well, well, look at what Motorola has done today: it released the long-awaited, often-promised bootloader unlock tool! Unfortunately, the site doesn't appear to be finished just yet, as some of the more important parts - such as FAQ and Supported Devices list - are currently kicking back a "permission denied" error. Boo!

Update: The list of devices initially supported by the unlock tool has been published. Here it is:

  • Photon Q 4G LTE - Sprint
  • Motorola RAZR developer edition - Europe
  • Motorola XOOM - Verizon
  • Motorola XOOM Wifi - Worldwide

Motorola is promising to unlock more devices in the future.

16
Aug
avoidertiny

[New Game] Avoider Is A Puzzle Game That Challenges You To Move Colored Squares In Tandem, Is Harder Than It Sounds

Posted by in Games, News

Well, this one sure is going to bend your brain a bit. Avoider is a puzzle game with a very basic premise. You have to move two colored squares to opposite corners of the screen without hitting any obstacles. The catch? They're movement is locked together, and you only control the blue one. When you move your box, the red one moves in perfectly-synced symmetrical motion. Yeah, it gets convoluted. Though, reading this site, I'm sure you're used to that.

While the concept is great, this game does have one fatal flaw: touchscreens. As you may or may not be aware, fingertips are often attached to hands, which are themselves attached to arms.

15
Aug
image

Verizon Galaxy SIII Unlocked Thanks To Leaked Unsecure Bootloader

Posted by in Development, Galaxy S III, News, Verizon Wireless

Despite Verizon's best efforts to keep their own variant of the Galaxy SIII locked down, ingenious users haven't been deterred in rooting, flashing custom ROMs, and even bypassing the device's locked bootloader to use custom kernels. The fact remained, however, that VZW's SIII had a locked bootloader which, in general, is a hassle for developers and tweakers hoping to customize the SIII to its fullest potential. It was this fact that made Samsung's promised Developer Edition SIII appealing to many.

Things started to look a little brighter for SIII users on Verizon today though, with the introduction of an unsecure bootloader "leaked by an African-Canadian Sock Monkey," revealed earlier this evening at XDA.

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