If you haven’t heard, and we’re not sure how you haven’t, there has been active development towards an open source bootloader for Samsung devices. In a nutshell, it involves loading the open source bootloader to an SD card, and using some hardware hacking skills to boot from it. All of this had to start somewhere, and among the first things required is finding the UART. It is now possible to identify it on the US variants of the Samsung Galaxy S III.

If you hadn’t guessed, this bit of hardware hacking awesomeness was done by XDA Elite Recognized Developer AdamOutler. This is very similar to work Adam has been doing for the Samsung Galaxy Camera, which you can find here. Why would this be helpful? AdamOutler explains it best:

UART provides eyes before any other method of debugging (aside from JTAG) begins to work. UART is the first thing to do in order to make a device into a development board.

The process of getting it is a little complicated, and if you’re a beginner, will probably take some time. Users will have to pull the kernel from the device, add some command line parameters to enable UART, and flash the kernel back to the device. Since you’ll need Ubuntu (or at least a Debian based distro) to follow along, you’ll be using Heimdall to do the flashing. Then, it’s a simple matter of tearing down the device without breaking it and probing the correct spot. Adam has uploaded a video that demonstrates the entire process the exact spot for UART. As can be expected, there is some danger because you are tearing open your device. Be sure to use the utmost caution and follow the directions.

As Adam states in the thread, he sometimes does these hacks live via a Google+ Hangouts live stream. They are a lot of fun to watch, give you a chance to learn some new things, and let you watch the magic as it happens. To catch the next one, circle Adam on Google+ and keep an eye out.

For the full video, all the details, and more, check out the original thread. Or, if you want to watch it happen, here’s Adam’s video:

Carriers in the United States (other than Sprint) generally aren’t fans of Google Wallet. According to Verizon, it’s because of Google Wallet’s “secure element”, but just about everyone knows it’s really because T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon are getting ready to launch their own NFC payment app, called Isis. US Samsung Galaxy S III variants now have an app that installs and enables Google Wallet quickly and painlessly.

XDA Senior Member Prl91 released an application that takes the Google Wallet installation process and turns it into a one-click solution. Of course, you’ll need root access. The app is free and available in the Google Play Store. Here is the full list of supported devices and requirements to run:

Currently Supports: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular Samsung Galaxy S3′s.
Requires ROOT, an UNLOCKED BOOTLOADER, and BUSYBOX.
Wallet Installer will install Google Wallet on most US based Samsung Galaxy S3′s.

The process to install Google Wallet isn’t difficult, but it’s a little tedious. Users have to edit the build.prop, install the proper NFC libs, set up Google Wallet, then edit the build.prop back to its original values. Depending on whether you are running ICS, JB, and AOSP, the process can differ a little bit. The app does all of this for all of the supported devices by itself. If you’re a fan of Google Wallet, then this is the app you’re looking for.

For additional details, check out the original thread.

To quote fellow News Writer and Member Advocate Admin egzthunder1:

Theming has been as popular on XDA as ROM cooking and development in general. The ability to customize the appearance of our devices is always an appealing concept for many of our members.

Theming can be a lot of fun because it helps personalize a device in ways beyond simply changing a wallpaper. You can theme virtually anything on an Android phone. Now, you can learn how to theme your own keyboard if you own one of the US variants of the Samsung Galaxy S III.

XDA Senior Member rompnit has released a manual method to theme your own keyboard. Finding a theme for your keyboard can be tricky because there are only a finite number that themers release. Now those who what something truly their own can simply make their own. The process is a little complicated and requires—more or less—the same steps involved in theming any APK.

To get started, you’ll need APKTool as well as your favorite zip program, like 7zip. From there, you tear down the keyboard APK you wish to theme, theme it, recompile it, and get it on your phone. It sounds easier than it is, as the process will take some time and effort. However, rompnit does an excellent job of keeping the explanations as simple as possible so even beginners can get in on the action.

For more info, check out the original thread.

Having a corrupt IMEI can be a real pain. It seems to happen randomly to flashaholics, and having the radio go down on a cell phone really defeats the purpose of owning a cell phone. Thankfully it is not problem that is overly common. Unfortunately, it does still happen. For AT&T Samsung Galaxy S III users, and in some cases users of the other US Galaxy S III variants, there are not one, but two ways to prevent this problem. There is now a tool that will back up your IMEI without much difficulty and a manual guide for those who prefer to dive into the nitty gritty.

The tool was developed by XDA Forum Member <:GeeK:>, while the manual method was written by XDA Senior Member Peoplearmy with some credited help from others. Both methods eventually perform the same task, which is backing up and restoring your IMEI, and each has its set of pros and cons. Without a doubt, the manual way is more involved. However, it actually supports all 4 US variants, although it hasn’t had to be tested on the Sprint version yet. The tool involves a much shorter and more simple—root free—process. Both methods also have tutorials on how to get your IMEI back if it is already corrupt. Between the two, they address every conceivable IMEI concern for the US Galaxy S III variants.

For more information, check out either the tool thread or the guide thread.

One of the files you often have to deal with when learning to theme is SystemUI.apk. Inside, you find a number of things that themers often play with such as the notification drop down, status bar, and icons. Modifying files can give users a good insight into how Android works, and thus help them become familiar with the files that make our devices run.

Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer freeza, there is now a set of tutorials to help get users get more familiar with editing SystemUI.apk on US variants of the Samsung Galaxy S III. The tutorial is actually comprised of a number of smaller tutorials including:

Custom notification pulldown background:
Remove battery full notification:
How to decompile troublesome ICS apks on the GS3:
How to remove Quick settings toggle text or hide Quick Settinsg toggle:
How to change carrier label:

With more likely on the way, this is an excellent start for beginners to become more acquainted with the inner workings of the OS, as well as some of the tools used to modify these files. Plus, who doesn’t like custom notification drop down backgrounds?

To learn more, head over to the original thread.