Hasta La Gadget!

I suppose Sony executives have this funny grin on their faces that shout, “Problem?” whenever someone with a Sony smartphone which carries an unlocked bootloader walks into their service centers to perform a hardware repair of sorts. This is because there is a growing number of owners who claim that Sony Mobile turns away the repair of handsets that have hardware issues including the yellow-tint display issue, simply because their bootloader has been unlocked. Sony Mobile deems such handsets to have been illegally unlocked, affecting so far folks who have sent their smartphones to UK and Dutch Sony Mobile repair centres. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony holding pre-IFA announcement, new Xperia devices expected, Sony boss admits the PlayStation 3 has neglected the family-friendly genre,

Motorola’s record on the whole smartphone bootloader thing is a tad spotty. The world has been promised unlocked bootloaders and, sometimes, the manufacturer has delivered. After the phones have already been on the market for some time, of course. Continuing that trend, will be the recently revealed Atrix HD. The 4.5-inch AT&T-bound phone will follow in the footsteps of its predecessors, the Atrix 4G and Atrix 2, by shipping without the ability to touch the kernel. Of course, that means that not only are custom kernels out the window, but so are custom ROMs as a whole. There is some good news, however. Moto indicated via its Twitter account that an unlock tool would be coming, saying “our goal is still to provide a way to unlock the bootloaders on our devices to those who wish to do so, more details to come.” So, that’s gotta be worth something.

Atrix HD continues locked bootloader tradition, may be set free… eventually originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The gaming public at large has spoken. In less than 12 hours, Yves Behar’s Android-based Ouya gaming console has reached its lofty funding goal of $950,000 on Kickstarter. To refresh your memory, the $99 system (which was only $95 for 1,000 swift early adopters) packs a Tegra 3 CPU, 8GB of storage, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, a USB 2.0 port and an SD card slot — that price also grants you a single controller with a touch sensor. Most notably, the system is aimed at being extremely developer-friendly, having open hardware and software with a push for free-to-play content. There are only about 5,000 units (out of 10,000) (update: that number has been bumped to 20,000, with just under 10k available) left at the $99 price, so feel free to check out our in-depth chat about Ouya with Behar himself here before you head over to Kickstarter. It appears that the traditional business model for gaming consoles just got rocked, and we can’t wait to see the final results.

Update: If you thought that was fast, you’d be right: Kickstarter has confirmed that Ouya achieved the biggest first day ever for one of its hosted projects, and it’s just the eighth project ever to crack the million-dollar mark, joining an esteemed company that includes Double Fine’s upcoming adventure game and the all-time champion, the Pebble smartwatch.

Ouya’s $99 Android-based gaming console meets Kickstarter goal: $950k in under 12 hours (update: it’s a record) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon cleared up its stance on locking the bootloaders in phones using its network earlier this year. In short: it encourages OEMs to do so, to keep its network humming along as Big Red feels it should. Well, it seems that VZW Support is telling a different story, as it’s laid blame for the Galaxy S III’s closed bootloader squarely at Samsung’s feet, claiming that it’s locked “per the Manufacturer.” Now, that doesn’t explicitly state that VZW had no part to play in denying users access, but it surely seems like this is a game of PR pass the buck to us. Of course, as we reported earlier, there’s a workaround to be had by rooting the GSIII, which revealed a vulnerability allowing non-stock ROMs to be flashed to the device. But it’s only a partial workaround, as the kernel’s signed and implementing a full custom ROM experience is neither for the unskilled nor the faint of heart. We reached out to both Verizon and Samsung for comment on the matter, but have yet to hear back. While you wait for official word, feel free to check out the ongoing conversation at the source link below.

[Thanks, @supercurio]

Update: Seems that Verizon’s still singing the same tune it was back in February, claiming that unauthorized software brought by open bootloaders could harm the overall network user experience:

Verizon Wireless has established a standard of excellence in customer experience with our branded devices and customer service. There is an expectation that if a customer has a question, they can call Verizon Wireless for answers that help them maximize their enjoyment and use of their wireless phone. Depending on the device, an open bootloader could prevent Verizon Wireless from providing the same level of customer experience and support because it would allow users to change the phone or otherwise modify the software and, potentially, negatively impact how the phone connects with the network. The addition of unapproved software could also negatively impact the wireless experience for other customers. It is always a delicate balance for any company to manage the technology choices we make for our branded devices and the requests of a few who may want a different device experience. We always review our technology choices to ensure that we provide the best solution for as many customers as possible.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Verizon support blames Samsung for locked bootloader in Galaxy S III (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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