Hasta La Gadget!

If you’ve been pining for the freedom of the Moto X Developer Edition, you can now pick one up. Motorola has started selling the Verizon model for $650; the company also lists a GSM version, although it’s currently out of stock. Regardless of which version you buy, you’ll get the same ROM-friendly unlocked bootloader, 32GB of storage and that unmistakable Developer Edition imprint on the back. That’s a lot to pay for a Moto X that you can’t even customize, but it may be worthwhile if you simply have to tinker with a smartphone made in the USA.

Update: Motorola has since mentioned that the GSM version will be available on Friday; a Droid Maxx Developer Edition is launching today. And if you’re a Sprint customer, you don’t have to worry — your version already has an unlocked bootloader.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Verizon

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Via: The Verge

Source: Motorola (1), (2)

AT&T seems to have taken a look at their rivals Verizon’s move in locking down just about every single Android-powered device that goes through their doors, regardless of whether they are HTC, Samsung or Motorola handsets, and AT&T intends to follow in the same footsteps as Verizon. Apparently, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S4, AT&T will no longer support unlocked bootloaders.

It must be said that the most recent Samsung Galaxy S4 does have a locked bootloader on both AT&T and Verizon, although the Galaxy S3 did not happen to fall under a similar fate over at AT&T. Concerning the Moto X’s bootloader status, AT&T mentioned that they will not support unlocked bootloaders in order to ensure a “safe and consistent experience on your wireless device”. I guess this would mean all future handsets, too. Of course, the homebrew club will most probably be able to find a way around this, as there would still be a fair number of people who would want to install custom ROMs on their respective devices, and an unlocked bootloader is the way to go.

Do bear in mind, however, when you unlock your phone’s bootloader, its warranty will become void, not to mention your handset’s internal memory including applications, contacts, SMS and MMS messages will be wiped clean.

AT&T Stops Unlocked Bootloader Support original content from Ubergizmo.

We hope you weren’t planning to tinker with your Chromecast this weekend. GTVHacker has confirmed that a recent firmware update to Google’s streaming media stick plugs the bootloader exploit that many are using to get root access. Some XDA-Developers members have tried maintaining root by flashing recovery images and disabling signing keys, but those aren’t reliable solutions — we’ve seen a few reports of bricked Chromecasts. If you’re cautious, it may be best to wait until more adventurous owners find a vulnerability in Google’s newer code.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Via: Android Police

Source: XDA-Developers, GTVHacker (Twitter)

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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If you read our post on Steve Kondik confirming that AT&T Samsung Galaxy S4 bootloader arrives locked, and wondered how long would it take for someone to unlock said bootloader, look no further as the AT&T Galaxy S4 bootloader has already been unlocked. Developers weren’t put off by the fact that AT&T was shipping S4 with locked bootloader, because it didn’t mean that it became unbreakable, it only causes delays for developers who will be creating custom ROMs for this latest smartphone.

Dan Rosenberg, a well known figure in the root/unlock arena, tweeted a photo earlier today confirming that he had unlocked the Galaxy S4 bootloader. In a Q&A published on xda, Dan has confirmed that it was the AT&T S4 that he cracked and it allows him to run custom kernels and recoveries. He has also made it clear that a release won’t be taking place until Verizon’s Galaxy S4 comes out later this month, Dan is almost certain this will work on Verizon’s variant as well, releasing it now would give the carrier an opportunity to plug it. Those who are willing to take advantage of this are advised not to install new Galaxy S4 software updates, though that might deprive them of, if any, crucial security and bug fixes so its really the user’s own decision.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Xperia Sola Gets Stock Jelly Bean Port, Flexible Phones On The Way,