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Refresh Roundup: week of May 7th, 2012
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!
AT&T's HTC One X gets rooted, catches up with the global gang
No sooner did the international variant of the One X reveal its source code, now the AT&T version has landed itself an unofficial root. Better still, the folks over at xda-developers have already squeezed the occasionally laborious process into a one-click install. For those not in the know, this doesn't mean an unlocked bootloader, which is still wrapped up in AT&T red tape. Root meddling types can hit up the source for the necessary files. Just, be careful -- that's some pricey polycarbonate and the Galaxy S III's still some weeks away.
AT&T's One X discovered to have 'restricted' bootloader, HTC responds
Since last year, HTC itself has been happy to let you unlock the bootloaders on its Android devices, but that doesn't mean you'll always be able to. If you'll recall, the international version of the One X was rooted just a few weeks ago, but such access apparently isn't in the cards for the AT&T-branded variant. The inconsistency was discovered by the likes of the XDA-Developers forums and MoDaCo, and after we pinged HTC for comment it responded with the following: HTC is committed to listening to users and delivering customer satisfaction. Since announcing our commitment to unlockable bootloaders, HTC has worked to enable our customers to unlock the bootloader on more than 45 devices over the past six months. In some cases, however, restrictions prevent certain devices from participating in our bootloader unlocking program. Rest assured, HTC is committed to assisting developers in unlocking bootloaders for HTC devices and we'll continue to unlock additional devices in the future." While HTC clearly isn't spilling the beans on what "restrictions" are blocking this variant of the Android superphone from entering the land of custom ROMs, it's become a general suspicion that AT&T might be the source. Naturally, we can't know for sure at this point, but we've reached out to the carrier in hopes of potentially getting more details on the situation. We'll be sure to keep you posted if we hear anything, but in the meantime, hit up the more coverage links below for further info. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Cyanogenmod 9 struts its stuff on HTC's One X
So you've procured yourself HTC's new super slim, 4.7-inch halo phone: the One X. By now, you probably have the device set up just the way you like it: applications configured, widgets in place and Adele ringtone set. But there's just something else left to do, isn't there? If (like some of us) you're a smartphone user who just can't leave well enough alone, you'll be excited to learn that a build of Cyanogenmod 9 for the Uno Equis has been made available via the MoDaCo forums. The ROM will deliver that stock Android experience, and all those CM9 accoutrements, to those that don't fancy the panache of Sense 4.0. The forum post does caution that the One's camera, and hotspot functionality, aren't currently working, so interested parties best proceed with caution. If all that doesn't phase you, grab a cup of coffee, get the Android SDK all warmed up and take this ROM for a spin!
Play Runes of Magic in your browser (if you're in Europe)
Want to play Runes of Magic in your browser? Now you can, thanks to the fruits of a partnership between Frogster and Kalydo. Frogster tells us that "game quality is not compromised in the new version, and Runes of Magic can now be played on any PC that meets the technical requirements without having to download the full client." It usually takes about 30 seconds of streaming to reach RoM's main menu and character creation interface. Also of note is the fact that the browser version runs on the same servers as the client version, so you'll still have access to all of your friends and familiars. The bad news is that the browser version is only available in Europe as of today. We'll update you as soon as we hear about Frogster's plans for additional markets. [Source: Frogster press release]
Refresh Roundup: week of April 2nd, 2012
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!
Android Open Kang Project brings hyper-customization to your nav bar (video)
Still dallying at the corner of Custom ROM Road? Then maybe the forthcoming update from Team Kang (AOKP Build 30, no less) will entice you onwards. The preview clip after the break reveals a new level of freedom for the ICS navigation bar, including the ability to add up to five buttons, assign them to apps or actions as you wish, modify their icons and add separate long-press functions. It also gives you the ability to incorporate Nova Launcher actions into the bar, effectively bringing a whole extra layer of customization. Reactions over at RootzWiki range from "I'm crying, this is a beautiful moment" to "I just broke my hand punching a wall," but the latter dude admitted he'd been drinking.
Massively's Easter event roundup: 2012 edition
Whether you're an Easter traditionalist or you simply need an excuse to eat a chocolate bunny, it's that time of year again. It's also time for a few of our favorite MMO devs to don their silly hats and introduce all manner of egg hunts and contests into games like RuneScape, Runes of Magic, and World of Warcraft. That's just the tip of the Easter event iceberg; you'll find several more festively inclined titles in our roundup after the cut. Before you hop on over, have a look at the two bunnies above and repeat after us: d'awww.
Ice Cream Sandwich leaks for Samsung Galaxy Note (update)
For its part, Samsung has been none too coy about the upcoming Android 4.0 release for the Galaxy Note. So far, we know that it's set for a Q2 debut and will pack a new set of S Pen apps, but if you've longed to jump into the frozen goodness a bit early, today you can rejoice -- a leaked build of Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung's fabulous phablet has reared its head in the forums of RootzWiki. Curiously, the file is available only as an EXE, so you'll want to exercise a bit of due diligence with this one. That having been said, comments in the forums are quite enthusiastic.Update: Now that Ice Cream Sandwich is out in the wild, the community is already circling back to provide a rundown of what more timid users may expect. Most notably, Samsung's Premium Suite for the Galaxy Note isn't included in this build, and while TouchWiz is said to crash upon first boot and with the addition of a Google Play account, reports suggest that these are one-time glitches. Otherwise, much of the system is said to be in excellent shape. As for the EXE that we'd mentioned, it's an Odin one-click file that's designed to make the installation rather painless.[Thanks, Tyler]
ICS upgrade leaks for AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
We bet that when you decided to skip AT&T's regular Galaxy S II in favor of the 4.5-inch LTE Skyrocket variant, you hadn't counted on being left to twiddle your thumbs while the ICS wave gets started. But that's what's happening, despite the fact that an official ICS build for the handset has apparently been in existence since March 14th. How do we know that? Because RootzWiki reckons it has the leaked release along with full installation instructions and download mirrors at the source below. It doesn't get along with those larger GS II variants from T-Mobile or Rogers, but on AT&T handsets it brings the full works, including NFC and Google Wallet functionality. Go ahead -- patience may be virtuous, but then so is Android 4.0.
Runes of Magic Chapter 5 features new race, two new classes
Frogster is prepping for the next chapter in its Runes of Magic saga, and the company says it's going to be a doozy. Chapter 5 is called Fires of Shadowforge, and not only will it bring the requisite new zones, dungeons, and quests, but players will also have access to a new race and two new classes. The Shadowforge Dwarves have been hidden beneath the ground of Taborea for some time now, perfecting their dark arts and blacksmithing skills as well as founding a kingdom in the continent's network of caves. Thus far Frogster is remaining coy about the gameplay associated with the new race and the two new arcane-based classes (the Sorcerer and the Champion), but the company says it will publish skill info and other details in the coming weeks. [Source: Frogster press release]
The Soapbox: The hidden perils of Guild Wars 2's microtransactions
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. The ArenaNet post about microtransactions in Guild Wars 2 reveals that the "gems" currency will be bought with real money and be available for purchase with in-game gold in GW2. But people seem to have forgetten that Runes of Magic's cash shop operated this way three years ago. I've been playing RoM since closed beta, and the cash shop is one of the reasons RoM is so different from other F2P MMOs of its era. Frogster eventually removed the ability to buy diamonds with gold because of fraud, so I'm curious to see how ArenaNet handles that issue. My time in RoM has shown me that there are other issues involved here, issues of security, players gaming the system, botting, and pay-to-win debates. In other words, there's more at stake here than whether cash shops sell gear or items toward gaining power.
Windows Phone Tango ROM leaks out, reveals support for more background tasks
Rumors point toward a probable Tango launch in China on the 21st of the month, but folks over at the XDA forums already have their eager palms on a "world first" ROM. The leaked Windows Phone goodies show support for more multitasking apps, getting a boost from the five that are currently supported in Mango to eight. Additionally, Tango (8773) seems to use less no-task memory than its older 8107 sibling, while it also brings Delivery Confirmation and Acknowledgment to its MMS settings. More secrets are bound to shell out over the next few hours, and you can keep yourself entertained by checking what else slipped through the cracks at the XDA site by clicking our source links below.
Runes of Magic on its third anniversary
Runes of Magic's third anniversary is finally upon us. Frogster has been gearing up for the event by holding diamond sales and cash-shop specials. Each anniversary, you can also take part in multiple frog-related quests and events. Frog-bashing, frog disguises, and more frog-bashing have long been a staple. Frog-racing and frog etiquette have been added to the roster. What's frog etiquette? Why, it's either insulting or complimenting frogs, silly. During the festivities, various freebies are usually handed out to players who log in, as well. The real question is what's new in the land of Taborea, but if you wanted to know about new lands or dungeons, you'll have to wait a little bit longer. There's no official word, but given the time that's passed and the unofficial images and information that are floating around the Internet, we know Chapter 5 can't be too far off. There are still players out there who are far from making their way through the Chapter 4 content, but many guilds on the cutting edge are starting to trample Tomb of the Seven Heroes into a well-worn path. During this intermediary period, Runewaker added the random attribute extractor and the costume interface. This isn't a replacement to aggregating; it's more like an extension. Most recently, the team introduced a patch containing bug fixes and a sprinkling of changes to the user interface, guilds, pets, vendor NPCs, quests, crafting, and skills. Some of the most exciting information is sketchy but does point to two possible new classes. And what class (or race?) could possibly have skills with names like "forge" and "runecraft" in them? Hmm...
Refresh Roundup: week of March 12th, 2012
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!
CyanogenMod disables root access by default, now requires user configuration
Holy crap! CyanogenMod, the custom ROM of choice for many power users, will no longer offer root access upon first install. Now before you panic, let's make this part clear: everyone so inclined may still enable superuser access -- for ADB, apps or both -- from the Developer Options menu. The biggest change, in fact, is that CyanogenMod is making a significant departure from the majority of custom ROM developers, which offer root access to all users by default (and often without their knowledge). The move is an attempt by CyanogenMod leaders to make the platform more secure, and given the number of ROMs that are based on CyanogenMod (or glean its packages), we wouldn't be particularly surprised to see this feature become more commonplace amongst other custom Android ROMs. To learn more about the rationale of the project leaders, be sure to hit up the source link below.
Unofficial VLC beta hits Android, no video format is safe
VLC is the Swiss Army knife (nope, not you Perian) of media players and it has never baulked at any of the increasingly weird and wonderful formats we've thrown at it -- which is good because now it's available on Android. The unsupported, unofficial beta by user adridu59 is tailored to run on selected Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich handsets. It's available to grab from the source link, with the caveat that as an unofficial build, it'll require a little bit of tinkering at your end
Refresh Roundup: week of February 13th, 2012
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!
CM9 for TouchPad gains access to nightly builds
Happy tidings for TouchPad owners looking for the latest Android 4.0 action: the Alpha 6 build of CM9 can now tune into nightly broadcasts of fixes and updates, courtesy of TeamWin members Eyeballer and Kevank. This is an unofficial development branch and users have so far seen mixed results, but the main CyanogenMod crew seems content enough to recommend it -- at least until a new Alpha or Beta build comes along with major improvements like video playback or camera support. It's definitely healthier than holding your breath.
HTC Endeavor specs revealed in leaked ROM: Tegra 3, 720p, Sense 4.0 (update: screenshots)
HTC fans spent the last couple of days (i.e., their weekend) unpicking a leaked ROM Update Utility for an officially non-existent handset called the 'Endeavor.' The specs revealed so far include a 1280 x 720 display spread over 4.7-inches, a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, eight-megapixel rear shooter, front-facing camera, NFC, 1GB RAM and the new ICS-adapted version of HTC's Sense UI. These leaked specs tally with an earlier tip-off to MoDaCo, which further hinted at a 1.5GHz clock speed and Beats Audio. There's also a bunch of screenshots showing off the Sense 4.0 skin that we already glimpsed in a fuzzy HTC Ville video -- and it conspires to look both new and deeply familiar.Update: Screenshot gallery just added below, via Android Central.
