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HTC EVO 4G safely overclocked past 1.2GHz, battery begs for mercy
With root obtained for the EVO 4G, it was just a matter of time before the overclocking hilarity ensued -- and as it turns out, that Snapdragon core was ready and waiting to fulfill your wildest desires. The root-only SetCPU app is in full effect on the EVO, churning out speeds of well over 1.2GHz -- apparently with no effect on stability, though it'll require a bump in voltage. The change results in a linpack improvement of over 25 percent, over 8.8 MFLOPS all told, which means your processor is finally worthy of the speedy 4G radio. Now let's get cracking on that 3,000mAh battery, alright? Follow the break for video. [Thanks, Mike]
HTC EVO 4G fully rooted, freedom loving people everywhere rejoice
You've undoubtedly been following the story -- hell, maybe you've even partaking in some serious WiFi tethering. Well, the Android Police (not an actual police force) are reporting that the EVO 4G has finally been rooted, fully and completely. What's this mean? Well, for starters, enterprising individuals will soon be writing to /system from within the OS, removing Sprint's apps and flashing from custom ROMs. Pretty sweet, right? Hit up the source link to get started! But please, don't brick your phone. For real.
Droid Incredible gets rooted at long last
The Incredible wait is finally at an end -- HTC's finest handset on Verizon had proven quite the tough nut to crack, but at long last it has succumbed to the efforts of some industrious root-hungry coders. You should be mindful that progress is still at a very early stage, and hacking your own Incredible is said to be both "very hard" and "not very repeatable." The important thing though, is that it's happened, and we're now probably only a few days removed from a user-friendly patch that lets us truly do whatever we might want with that handsome device. They say roots are an important part of a balanced diet, and this one should go very nicely with a bit of Froyo, don't you think? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nexus One steps up to 720p HD video thanks to latest hack (video)
Just more evidence that rooting is the only true path of the geek. The indefatigable coders over at xda-developers have just pushed out a download that allows the Nexus One to start shooting video at 720p resolution. You'll need to have at least CyanogenMod version 5.0.8test3, but once you get your house in order, you'll be enjoying one of the big touted features of the latest handsets on your five-month old Googlephone. Pretty neat, and what's even better is that work is already underway to improve audio and the fps rate, as well as making the code compatible with Android Froyo, it all just requires a bit more tinkering. So, hit the source link to get the download or join us after the break for a quick sample video. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sprint's HTC Hero rooted, promptly patched over-the-air
Great news: the original Android 2.1 firmware for Sprint's HTC Hero was recently rooted. Bad news: Sprint and HTC were entirely too quick about fixing it, pushing out an over-the-air update this weekend that patches up the so-called "security vulnerability" without a new root yet in sight. Owners of rooted devices are naturally being advised not to pull the trigger on the new build at this time; too bad HTC couldn't have shown this kind of hustle with the 2.1 upgrade in the first place, isn't it? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Dell Streak gets rooted, now accepting superusers
Yes, we're still waiting on the official release of the Dell Streak over here in the colonies, but abroad it's already available, and MoDaCo's Paul O'Brien has taken his to the root. He's figured out how to make the Streak a more willing partner for your su exploits, and has kindly shared the details. The application process looks easy, just a few steps, and from what we can tell looks to be fully functional, with only the remount command requiring some extra finesse to get working. You can find the full details at the source link and have yours rooted in time for tea. [Thanks, Rado]
HTC EVO 4G gets unlimited WiFi hotspot skills, courtesy of root
The root, the root, the root is on fire! Well, not quite, but you just got another pretty splendiferous reason to hack your EVO: android-wifi-tether, an app doing exactly what its name suggests, has now been confirmed to support HTC's 4G-capable phone. There were apparently some compatibility issues at first, but those have now been ironed out and superuser-empowered folks have been successfully pairing the free app and supersonic phone since. Might as well jump on board with this one -- Google has already said Froyo's native ability to do this might be circumscribed by carriers, meaning Sprint's likely to package any official firmware upgrades in such a way as to keep you paying for hotspot capabilities. And who wants to do that?
Acer Liquid gets early Android 2.2 ROM, unstable CPU unlock (video)
Nexus One, EVO 4G, Droid and Dream sure, but the Acer Liquid? Yes, the underclocked Snapdragon slate that never made it stateside has just received its own Android 2.2 port. Though still in early alpha with no Wi-Fi or camera functionality and plenty of bugs to boot, the freshly frozen yogurt has the Liquid turning tricks already -- with very playable-looking framerates in Raging Thunder II and Flash video support. Early adopters note that the phone isn't terribly stable at higher CPU frequencies, so don't expect to push that processor much higher than stock, but even 768MHz is reportedly nice and snappy when you're running Android 2.2. Video proof after the break, and you'll find the unfinished ROM at our more coverage link if you're the adventurous sort. [Thanks, Miroslav]
Motorola Droid gets early Android 2.2 ROM, ready to download... now!
What shall we call this, Frodroid or Droyo? Either way, an Android 2.2 update has been made available for Motorola's all-conquering slider, and it awaits eager firmware upgraders at the download link below. Produced by the good folks at My Droid World, this includes almost everything you'll need to get your Froyo on in style, though it excludes WiFi support at this stage. Such is the way with unofficial upgrades, but if you really need consolation, there's a whole set of superuser privileges to explore as this bad boy comes pre-rooted. You could of course skip this whole community business and wait for Moto's official update, but that company's idea of the "near future" is about as precise as the length of a piece of string.
HTC EVO 4G root tutorial available, and not a moment too soon
We know that you've been champing at the bit ever since you heard that the EVO 4G had been successfully rooted, so we're pleased to tell you that the gang at the XDA-developers forum has gone and posted everything necessary for you to perform the operation yourself. Better yet, Android Central has even posted a step-by-step tutorial. Now you too can perform a semi-obscure operation on an as-yet-unreleased smartphone! Check out the links below to get started.
HTC EVO 4G gets hacked Froyo port, Sense UI be damned
You know what happens when you give EVO 4Gs to a room full of some of the brightest developers the world has to offer? Well, [expletive] is going to go down, that's what -- so it comes as little surprise that the phone's already been blessed with a seemingly functional Froyo port, even though neither the phone nor the operation system have even seen a public release yet. The largest distribution of the EVO so far has come at the hands of Google itself, which provided the Android 2.1- and Sense-equipped handsets to attendees of its recent IO conference; a timely upgrade to Android 2.2 has unquestionably been a big sticking point for would-be buyers, though, so it's good to see that early owners are already hard at work making this happen. Root is naturally required for the 2.2 port to work -- and there will undoubtedly be some hurdles to overcome to make this totally usable -- but we have full faith in these lovely wunderkinds. Follow the break for video evidence of a Froyo'd EVO in the wild.
HTC EVO 4G rooted in record time (video)
We're still a good dozen days away from its public release, but the EVO 4G has already been given a rooting makeover. Google dished out EVO handsets to all the lucky (so lucky!) attendees of its blowout I/O 2010 event, and a trio of those visitors rolled up their sleeves and decided to get down and intimate with the phone over the weekend. The product of their labor is at this stage just a few screenshots and a blurry video after the break, but fear not, we're sure details of the hack will be forthcoming promptly. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Cyanogen 5.0.7 experimentally brings Eclair to G1, myTouch 3G -- caveats apply
After a brief delay, looks like CyanogenMod 5 is now out for the HTC Dream, Magic and Sapphire, also known as the T-Mobile G1 and myTouch 3G. The release is labeled as experimental, so take care not to flash it onto your work phone, and G1 owners should back up their data as they'll need to install a little something called the DangerSPL (which has phone bricking potential) and perform a full wipe. If you're the kind of individual who doesn't shy away from software explicitly labeled "danger," get cracking on that rooted Eclair at the source link. Update: Can't get through? That's because the sheer willpower of Android early adopters is crushing websites hosting the CM5 ROM like so many stale pretzels. Cyanogen is retweeting alternative options if you simply can't wait for things to quiet down.
Eclair shocker! Android 2.1 leaked for Samsung Moment
Feeling impatient? Can't wait until Moment gets its Android 2.1 upgrade? The kids at SDX-Developers feel you, with one forum member providing a simple, straightforward download link to a 7z archive containing not one but two leaked builds: ECLAIR.DC23 and ECLAIR.DD03. According to the hub-bub, the latter seems to be giving people the most luck, although some are reporting a "faulty" Marketplace. That said, both builds do seem to work with voice and data. And yes, it will wipe your phone completely -- but if you're looking to get into this sort of action you're probably a risk-taker and a heart-breaker anyways. Good luck, and if you brick your phone don't blame us. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC Legend and Desire caught up in root access twofer
Rooting is the first step in the arduous process of hacking the crap out of an Android-powered handset, and we're delighted to report that two of HTC's newest -- the Legend and Desire -- have taken less time than average to crack open. MoDaCo's Paul O'Brien tweeted this morning that he's done the deed, and from there, it should just be a matter of days until we start seeing serviceable replacement ROMs show up. Plenty of folks love HTC's Android 2.1 implementation of Sense, sure -- but if you're one of those crazies that wants a bone-stock "Google Experience" Legend, today's a pretty exciting day for you.
Xperia X10 multitouch issue is hardware-related?
Sony Ericsson's flagship Android smartphone, the Xperia X10, has been plagued by laggy performance since we first laid eyes on it, but that won't always be the case; the company has confirmed repeatedly that upgrades (including a newer Android OS version) will come. However, it now seems that multitouch is not in the cards. "There's no multitouch in X10 – and I also can confirm that it's not only related to [software] but also to [hardware]," said product manager Rikard Skogberg at the official company blog. If true, that means the X10 won't get multitouch even when rooted, much less a Nexus One or Milestone-like level of native, official multitouch support. But remember, Sony Ericsson has fancy UI quirks of its own -- though you may never pinch-to-zoom on an X10, at least you can enjoy reticulating Splines. [Thanks, Björn R.]
Droid Eris rooted to 2.1, but look before you leap
Tired of waiting for Verizon and dissatisfied with a series of recent buggy leaks, the fine folks at XDA Developers were determined to trade their Cupcake-laden Droid Eris for a more toothsome Eclair on their own terms. Yesterday evening, it seems they finally achieved their goal, though not without a caveat or three. If you're still running the stock Android 1.5, it's a simple matter of dropping a ZIP file onto your SD card and restarting your phone; if not, you're completely out of luck. Rooters warn that the hack won't work on phones that have already been flashed to that aforementioned Eris 2.1 leak, and that they haven't yet figured out a way to restore any non-1.5 phones back to factory default. If hacking isn't your daily bread, proceed with caution -- Sense UI may be fancy and all, but chaining your phone forevermore to an unsupported OS just ain't worth it. See what an Eris Eclair looks like after the break. [Update: 2/9/16: The picture originally in this post was taken by the XDA Developers poster Justin Case, and did not contain his original watermark. This is not consistent with our editorial policy. We have removed the picture and apologize for the error.]
Sensorly aims to keep coverage maps honest
Say you're planning that next camping trip and you need to know whether you're going to be able to incessantly check your work email every 10 minutes -- do you trust a carrier's coverage map of unknown age, origin, and honesty, or real-world experience? If French firm Sensorly has its way, you'll soon be able to answer the latter thanks to the deployment of an app for your phone that continuously measures cellular and WiFi signal strength at your location and silently reports it back to the company's servers where it's compiled into color-coded maps predicting your ability to connect. The concept's very similar to that being undertaken by another up-and-comer that's been getting a good deal of coverage lately, Root Wireless, but the key difference is that Root's system is still in private beta -- Sensorly's mobile app is available right now to anyone who'd like to download it and participate (albeit only for Android; iPhone and WinMo are in the pipe). It seems unlikely that they've got critical mass to provide meaningful feedback in most areas at this point, but if marginal boost in battery drain is tolerable for you, it might be worth giving it a whirl.
Motorola Milestone reaches milestone, gets rooted
Following its American cousin by just a few short weeks, the Motorola Milestone has now been rooted by a handful of enterprising hackers, opening the door to the usual array of forbidden fruits that Moto never intended you to have: WiFi tethering, wacky Sense ports, fully customized ROMs, and the list goes on. Proceed at your own risk, but seriously -- you don't want to be the one uncool kid on your block with a stock software stack, do you? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nexus One rooted already?
No, you still can't have one (not yet, at least), but we've received a number of tips directing us Modaco forums, where admin Paul claims to have rooted Google's not-so-mysterious Nexus One. We can't validate the "superboot" file works, but the adjacent picture has popped up from another forum member as apparent anecdotal confirmation. Instructions for Windows, Linux, and OS X users can be found along with the necessary materials. What do you say, hacker community, any chance we can get multitouch loaded into the device before it ever becomes official to the world at large? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
