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Motorola Cliq gets rooted by the Dude
Sick of Motorola meting out Android firmware updates when it chooses? Trust in The Dude -- TheDudesAndroid, to be specific, a user over at ModMyMoto who has posted The Dudes Root for Cliq (following up an earlier and similarly unkempt version for the G1). The install process looks about as complicated as you might expect, so make sure you keep Walter away while you're re-flashing lest your handset go all nihilistic on ya. At this point it's just another 1.5 ROM being installed, but the hope is for a 2.1 port coming in the not too distant future. Unless you're really pining to get full control over your handset we'd go ahead and wait for that version of the Dude to abide. Update: The Dude mentioned in comments that credit is also due to fellow Android magicians danation, Skilrax_CZ, and others. We can't think of any funny movie references for those names so we'll just leave it at that. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Motorola Droid now just a (hacked) firmware update away from WiFi tethering
Add one more item to the "Droid does" column -- unofficially, at least. WiFi tethering from Motorola's hottest is now possible straight from the phone itself, over WiFi even. PDANet already enabled the thing to share its connection, but relies on an external driver installed on a Windows or Mac device. This latest fix does away with that, but does require the installation of a hacked version of the 2.0.1 firmware. The process, laid out at the read link by DroidForums.net user webacoustics, doesn't sound that bad, but warnings like "if your phone stays at the white Motorola logo for longer than a minute or two, you probably bricked [it]" will leave many users sticking with PDANet or waiting for the official Verizon solution -- and paying out the nose for it.
Nook 1.1 doesn't affect hacks, root still possible
The NookDevs team hasn't wasted any time poring over the recently-released Nook 1.1 update, and there's good news: 1.1 can still be rooted, and rooted 1.0 devices will stay that way after the update. In other news, nookdevs team member robbiet480 just sat down with Nookaholic for an interview, and he dished a few tidbits: the Nook's Android build is called "Bravo," the internal WiFi had to be tweaked to stop turning itself off every three hours, and Bravo itself is basically Android 1.5. Nothing major, but we're definitely getting the feeling the Nook is going to be leading a double life as both a mom-friendly ebook reader and a happy-hacker hardware playground from here on out, you know? [Thanks, Cameron]
Stable Android 2.1 hacked onto Droid, speeds through those extra home screens
Staying warm out there? Got a cup of hot cocoa in hand? Good, because Mr. Greek35T over at AllDroid has a stable version of the (previously rough-around-the-edges) Android 2.1 ROM ready for all you Droid users to play around with. It's officially "super fast," and probably the best thing to happen this weekend outside of that wicked jump you built on the neighborhood sledding hill before you went and watched Avatar with all your old high school friends. Hit up the source link for the full install instructions, and there's a video of 2.1 in action after the break. [Thanks, Brandon]
Nook hacked with Web browser, Facebook, and Twitter apps for starters
And here we go. With the Nook rooted and plenty of Android devs at the ready to exploit the device's free 3G data and semi-useful WiFi connection, it's officially open season on Barnes & Noble's new e-reader. Within the last few hours the Nook has been given a web browser (pictured left) to join the Pandora hack just announced by NookDevs. A trick that adds plenty of functionality to the Nook including the ability to login to public WiFi hotspots and read the news on an RSS aggregator (pictured right with Google Reader). Better yet, the rogue band of devs have already ported AndTweet and the Facebook app from the Android Marketplace. Unfortunately, the Google Maps port failed due to some missing libraries within the Nook's Android implementation. Naturally, none of this has been packaged for the everyman yet, but at this rate we might have off the shelf Nook homebrew before those January Nook orders can be delivered. Hey Barnes & Noble, welcome to the wild west of consumer electronics. [Thanks, Scott]
Rooted Nook gets Pandora, shot at true happiness
Outside of swearing up a storm on a Twitter app, there aren't many better ways to announce your presence on a new Android device than the comforting song selections of well-curated Pandora station. A newly rooted Nook with an unlimited supply of free 3G? Even better. The folks behind the rooted Barnes & Noble Nook have now managed to install Pandora onto the device. It took some VNC trickery to get past the login screen, but after that the app works perfectly with the Nook's touchscreen and even runs in the background while you read. Right now the NookDevs are working on a software unlock so that you don't have to open the Nook to root it, and are also looking into a Nook app marketplace of sorts. We don't know how long the fun will last, or what Barnes & Noble's response will be -- so far they've been mum on the issue -- but the NookDevs claim that based on a perusal of the end user license agreement "there is nothing in there to get us into trouble," so hopefully we're looking at the beginnings of a beautiful, awkward friendship between a device maker and hackers. We can dream, right?
Motorola Droid finally rooted?
Every time an Android phone launches, a stopwatch quietly starts ticking, because we all know it's just a matter of time before the thing gets rooted. This time around, it's a big one: it appears that the mighty Droid has fallen to the hands of hackers looking to drop whatever they please onto the phone's firmware -- and anyone enjoying Cyanogen's works over in the HTC world understands full well the benefits of being able to do this. We'll hold off on cracking open the bubbly until we start to see some practical benefits to the root, but this is a stellar way to start if it's legit and functional. [Thanks, Eliot]
New Android Market finds its way into latest Cyanogen ROM
Can wait to check out the new and improved Android Market slated for inclusion in the upcoming Android 1.6 release? Then it looks like you won't have to wait for the official release after all. You will, however, need a rooted Android device, and the latest, less-than-official Cyanogen ROM. Among other updates and fixes, it includes what appears to be the very same Android Market revision that's headlining Android 1.6 (a.k.a. Donut), and includes such enhancements as a bright new look, screenshots of apps, and a number of new browsing options to help you find what you're looking for. All rooted and ready to go? Then hit up the link below to get started.
T-Mobile's myTouch 3G gets rooted, Questlove unavailable for comment
Looking to run the latest and greatest homebrew wares on your myTouch? Just a week after release the Android handset has been set free of its corporate restrictions, the most private sections of its kernel unlocked for you to mess with. Full instructions (and we do mean full) are available at the read link, so proceed with caution -- and don't come crying to us if you wind up with a shiny merlot brick. [Thanks, Scott]
Factory-fresh ASUS Eee PC vulnerable to hackers
Everybody's ritual when they get a new computer is different: some people start installing their favorite programs, some people set their desktop picture to Pushing Daisies (not us, other people... who aren't us), and others check for vulnerable processes that might allow hackers to gain root access. RISE Security falls into that latter category, and spotted a vulnerable version of Samba on a virgin Xandros Eee PC. They ran a pre-built exploit they had for just an occasion, and found that they can indeed root the system through ill-gotten means. No word if there's an update available to patch this hole, but in the interim keep an eye out for scruffy-looking men wearing skull and crossbone paraphernalia snooping around your network. [Thanks, Eliot]
