T-Mobile has responded to allegations that the G2 will unroot itself if modified. Basically they’re saying tough cookies, bucko. Even if you’re a tech-savvy Android ninja, the G2 will never stay rooted. Until, of course, someone figures out how to wipe the ROM.
Code-Level Modifications to the G2
As pioneers in Android-powered mobile devices, T-Mobile and HTC strive to support innovation. The T-Mobile G2 is a powerful and highly customizable Android-powered smartphone, which customers can personalize and make their own, from the look of their home screen to adding their favorite applications and more.
The HTC software implementation on the G2 stores some components in read-only memory as a security measure to prevent key operating system software from becoming corrupted and rendering the device inoperable. There is a small subset of highly technical users who may want to modify and re-engineer their devices at the code level, known as “rooting,” but a side effect of HTC’s security measure is that these modifications are temporary and cannot be saved to permanent memory. As a result the original code is restored.
Yesterday afternoon, Sprint announced “Sprint ID”, a new service that they’d be putting on their Android phones. It’s a bit of a weird concept to explain in a few sentences, but here goes: at any time, you can pick up to 5 IDs (read: themes) for your phone. Each ID comes pre-packed with apps, games, ringtones, and wallpapers that ought to fit their respective theme. The “Oprah” theme might come with a ringtone of the Oprah theme and some Oprah-appoved apps, for example, while the “EA Games” theme could come with Sims wallpapers and EA game demos.
For the power-user-types that read blogs like this one, the idea might seem a bit crazy. You read the reviews, you sift through the charts — you know exactly what you want. Unfortunately, most people probably don’t. A big ol’ chunk of the Android userbase is made up of those making their first trip out of the feature-phone world — and for them, the Android Market can be a bit daunting. That’s where Sprint ID comes in.
Yes, a few exclusive Galaxy Tabs are shipping with a Porn button. It’s not what you think, though — unless you think it’s the abbreviated Romanian for “Start.” Then it is what you think.
[via Unwired View]
It appears the Chronic Dev Team are ready to launch GreenPis0n, a jailbreak for iOS 4.1. This isn’t an unlock, mind you, but a jailbreak that cannot be undone by Apple through updates, only hardware changes.
via Gearlive
Earlier this week, we blogged Sharp’s new Android phone, the IS03. On paper, the handset has a lot going for it: a nice 3.5-inch touchscreen with 960×640 resolution (same as the iPhone 4) with a combined memory LCD, a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 9.6MP CCD camera, Wi-Fi, and Android 2.1 as the OS.
In a move that mirrors the fall of Communism in 1989, Yahoo! and T-Mobile have announced that, in a roundabout way, T-Mo users can now video chat with iPhone 4 users using Yahoo! Messenger. Using the new T-Mo Slide with front-facing camera, users can make video calls to other users of Messenger. It’s not direct Facetime compatibility but it’s a start.
via MacWorld
If you thought the 13MP sensors you’ve seen lately in some Japanese cell phones were enough, think again. Sony today unveiled the 1/2.8-inch back-illuminated Exmor R IMX081PQ CMOS sensor (pictured on the left), which boasts 16.41MP. Needless to say, it’s the first of its kind.
In the latest episode of Xtreme Mobile Patent Fight™, Motorola has filed suit against the youngest player in the smartphone industry, Apple.
Motorola is alleging that Apple is in breach of no less than 18 of its closely held patents relating to:
“…early-stage innovations developed by Motorola in key technology areas found on many of Apple’s core products and associated services, including MobileMe and the App Store. The Motorola patents include wireless communication technologies, such as WCDMA (3G), GPRS, 802.11 and antenna design, and key smartphone technologies including wireless email, proximity sensing, software application management, location-based services and multi-device synchronization.”
This, of course, comes after Apple sued Motorola for patents infringed in Google’s Android OS (makes sense, right?)
Not that I really care (I live in Australia), but I’m pretty darn sure that a few of you out there were simultaneously happy and disappointed with the news yesterday that Skype has finally made its way to Android.
Happy because it exists, disappointed because the powers-that-be decided that you Americans weren’t worthy enough to use the service when running over 3G.
Well, you can now breath a sigh of relief, as xeudoxus from the Droid Forums has taken the Skype .apk, worked a little bit of voodoo, and given you yanks the ability to use the service when there isn’t a WiFi access point in sight.
Peachy keen to get this on your handset? You can check out the post here for the download link.
[via Talk Android]
It’s a great time in the smartphone world right now, with the cost of entry being lower, and the selection greater, than ever before.
Cue the LG Optimus T from T-mobile (looking suspiciously similar to the LG Optimus S for Sprint).
Billed as being an entry-level, easy-to-use phone for those that have yet to put the smart in smartphone, it comes with (stock, “With Google”) Android 2.2 (Froyo), a 3.2MP camera, and a bundled 2GB MicroSD card. Oh, and it’ll come in “burgundy” or “titanium”.
Expect it to land in time for the holiday season for an undisclosed price. You can check the press release after the jump for all the hyperbole you need.
Do you remember a couple o’ days ago when we told you about the upcoming Palm “Mansion” handset? You know, the one with the 800×480 screen and no keyboard. Yeah, that one!
Well, I’m not saying it’s the same device (it probably is), but a device known as the Palm P102UEU has just gotten its love on with the FCC.
I’m not often one to write about obvious PR moves — but when they’re primarily aimed at making the world a better place, I’ll suck it up and give’em a mention. At the very least, it might inspire another company to go out of their way to do good stuff. It’s like my crappy little version of playing it forward.
Palm. Maybe you know’em as the PDA-building giants of yesteryear; maybe you know’em as the underdog hardware company who just can’t nail out that perfect device. Whatever you know’em as, they’ve got a new badge: charity-doers.
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The WSJ reports that the long, long-rumored Verizon iPhone will be entering mass production by the end of the year. Their source claims to be “briefed by Apple,” which gives this rumor the usual amount of credibility, but it does make some sense if Apple intends to offer a variant of the iPhone 4 before introducing the iPhone 5 in June of 2011. The source also confirmed that, by the way.
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Obnoxiously overplayed Black Eyed Peas songs and pre-built content packs aren’t the only things Sprint had to offer at today’s press gathering in San Francisco. Also debuting: a trio of sub-$150 Android phones from Sanyo, LG, and Samsung.
We’ll be getting a hands on with all three devices later — in the meantime, join us after the jump for a glance at the specs.
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We’re live at CTIA 2010 in San Francisco, where Sprint has called around 100 members of the press into a little room filled with Black Eyed Peas songs and TVs showing the weirdest B-Roll video I’ve ever seen (really, think extreme sports mixed with little girls braiding some lady’s hair). Amongst their news? Pre-built packs of content called “Sprint ID” packs.
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