latest
Download Android USB Drivers for popular OEMs
Download and install the correct USB driver for your Android device.
Aftermarket tinkering on Android phones isn't as prominent as it once used to be. That's not to say you can't root your Android phone or install a custom ROM like LineageOS on it. You can still tinker and customize your phone to a large extent as long as you have the interest and the technical know-how. Most — if not all — aftermarket tinkering requires you to connect your Android smartphone to a computer using a USB cable, so you can use tools like the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to interact with the device.
10 worst tech fails of all time
The graveyard of epic tech failures is ever-growing. Here are some of the worst hardware and software fails of all time.
Despite producing products like landmark phones, excellent tablets, and some incredible GPUs, not every product is going to be worth getting. The tech industry has had no lack of epic failures over the decades. From "groundbreaking" AR/VR hardware and disastrous phones and tablets to software that simply failed to get off the ground, here are some of the 10 worst tech failures of all time, in no particular order.
BlackBerry 5G phone might be cancelled as OnwardMobility reportedly loses license
OnwardMobility has been working on a new BlackBerry-branded phone for a while, but the project might be dead.
OnwardMobility, a startup tech company, announced in August 2020 that it was working to develop a new smartphone with the BlackBerry brand. Few details about the device were revealed, besides that it would have a physical keyboard and would arrive in the first half of 2021. That didn't happen, and now the company has reportedly hit a significant roadblock.
BlackBerry OS phones won't work anymore after January 4
BlackBerry is shutting down the servers for its pre-Android mobile operating system, BlackBerry OS, on January 4, 2022.
BlackBerry was an early leader in the smartphone industry, but after the introduction of the iPhone and countless Android devices, the company quickly fell behind in market share. BlackBerry eventually switched its phones to Android, starting with the 2015 BlackBerry Priv, but the company kept its own mobile operating system functional for a while longer. However, the servers keeping BlackBerry OS alive are finally being turned off this week.
BlackBerry-branded 5G phone with physical keyboard is apparently still happening
There's still no specific release date for the BlackBerry 5G phone, but now the company making it wants your opinion on features.
BlackBerry was once a titan of the smartphone industry, but the company started to lose ground once Android devices and the iPhone went mainstream. The last smartphone produced by BlackBerry itself was the Priv in 2015, and after that, BlackBerry simply licensed its name and software to other manufacturers. OnwardMobility is the latest company that acquired the BlackBerry license to produce phones, and now the group is seemingly closer to releasing a BlackBerry-branded 5G phone.
New BlackBerry smartphone with a physical keyboard and 5G is coming in 2021
The BlackBerry brand is getting revived once again. This time, users in EU and NA are promised a 5G smartphone with a physical keyboard in H1 2021. Read on!
BlackBerry once occupied position as the maker of one of the more coveted pieces of technology to own, but the company and the brand have fallen a long way since then. When the company lost its market share in the smartphone market, it opted to license its name in 2016, letting other smartphone manufacturers design smartphones under the brand name. TCL took up the opportunity with devices like the KEYone, Motion, KEY2, and KEY2 LE, but the company had to stop using the BlackBerry name as its agreement came to an end this month. But if you are still yearning to own a BlackBerry device, a new company has picked up the mantle, promising new BB-branded smartphones with 5G connectivity and physical keyboards.
TCL will stop selling BlackBerry-branded phones in August
TCL will stop selling BlackBerry-branded smartphones in August, marking an end to a four year licensing deal. Is this the end of BlackBerry?
Despite the reputation carried by the "BlackBerry" name, the company has struggled to break out and succeed in the modern smartphone market. In 2016, BlackBerry opted instead to license out their name, letting other device manufacturers design the smartphones whilst reaping the benefits of the respected brand. TCL Communications took up the mantle on this one, though even still, their devices failed to attain commercial success. This isn't an uncommon arrangement - TCL also sells devices under the Alcatel branding and HMD Global does it with the Nokia branding. That arrangement between the two companies is set to end though, as, in August 2020, TCL will stop selling BlackBerry-branded smartphones.
BlackBerry Messenger for consumers shuts down May 31, but an enterprise version is now free for 1 year
Today, Emtek is announcing that the consumer version of BlackBerry Messenger will be retired on May 31st. The enterprise version will be free for 1 year.
There was a time in history when BlackBerry was considered one of the most innovative technology brands. Unmatched security and reliability were the key factors of BlackBerry's success. I'm sure many of you remember BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), which was built into the company's devices. BlackBerry's vanishing from the industry significantly reduced the users of the service. Emtek, which owns the rights on BBM, tried to make a comeback by implementing new modern features like payments and cross-platform support into BlackBerry Messenger. Three years have passed, and time has shown that there is no comeback story for BBM.
How an Anime Game's Root Detection led to the discovery of a Security Vulnerability in phones from LG, OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi, and others
Smartphones from several manufacturers like LG, OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi have been found to leak the process information of apps. Here's what that means.
The mobile Android operating system is used on over 2 billion devices each month by both regular consumers and tech enthusiasts. Although the number of people who unlock the bootloader and root their smartphones is relatively small when compared to the overall population of Android users, there's still a lot of us out there on forums like XDA and Reddit. Magisk is an indispensable tool for the tinkering community. It provides systemless root access and has tools like MagiskHide to enable rooted users to continue using the apps, games, and services they enjoy without restrictions. However, a popular Anime game has been cleverly abusing a system security vulnerability to bypass Magisk's anti-root detection. Here's how that works and which devices are affected by this security vulnerability.
[Update: Hands-on] BlackBerry KEY2 LE announced with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 and Android 8.1 Oreo
TCL has announced the BlackBerry KEY2 LE. This is a less powerful and cheaper version of the BlackBerry KEY2 Android phone with a hardware keyboard.
Smartphones with physical keyboards aren't in high demand these days. That hasn't deterred TCL Communications from trying to bring back the glory of the BlackBerry brand with its famed hardware keyboard. TCL launched the BlackBerry KEYOne and BlackBerry Priv as their first BlackBerry-branded Android smartphones with dedicated hardware keyboards, and while the company hasn't had the runaway success that HMD Global has had with the revival of the Nokia brand, they've done well enough to justify releasing the BlackBerry KEY2. Rumors of a more affordable version of the BlackBerry KEY2 have been popping up since late July and mid-August. Today, at IFA 2018, TCL officially announced the BlackBerry KEY2 LE, a less powerful but cheaper version of the KEY2 Android phone with a hardware keyboard.
Every upcoming/unreleased Android smartphone and tablet we're monitoring
Here's a list of every Android smartphone and tablet from Xiaomi, Samsung, OPPO, Huawei, Google, Vivo, Sony, Nokia, Motorola, etc. we're monitoring.
Android smartphone and tablet leaks can be exciting, but there are so many new devices on the horizon that it can be a real headache to keep up with them all. There's the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Google Pixel 3, Nokia 9, Sony Xperia XZ3, Huawei Mate 20, and Motorola One Power just to name a few. From what I can see, there are over 100 upcoming devices from major device makers such as Google, Huawei, LG, Nokia, Samsung, and Xiaomi. To wrap my own mind around the confusing mess of smartphone leaks and to help others who have trouble keeping up with all of the rumors, I've put together several tables sorted by brand of every upcoming/unreleased Android smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch.
BlackBerry Motion, TCL's First All-Touchscreen Android Smartphone, Has Leaked
A newly leaked render of the BlackBerry Motion phone sheds some light on what this previously rumored device will look like.
Since TCL acquired licensing rights to the BlackBerry brand name, the company has been pumping out phone after phone. The two DTEK phones were said to be trial devices to see if the licensing program would catch on, and in our opinion they were fairly decent smartphones (though the lack of software support for the Priv proved to be a disappointment). TCL is looking to release an all-touchscreen Android smartphone in the near future, as previously reported. Now that device, allegedly code-named Krypton, has been leaked. The BlackBerry Motion is said to be the Krypton, and a new high-quality render shows off the front of the device in all of its glory.
Install Blackberry Apps, Launcher, Keyboard on any Android Device With ‘Blackberry Manager’ [XDA Spotlight]
Blackberry Manager is an application that patches Blackberry apps such as the launcher, keyboard, and Hub in order to work on non-Blackberry devices.
Blackberry has long been known for its triumphs in software and security. Since the company’s 2015 decision to put its newest devices exclusively on the Android OS, Blackberry and Android’s software worlds have been settling in together, attempting to take the best from what the other has to offer. In an effort to bring some of Blackberry’s most popular features to non-Blackberry branded phones, XDA Senior Member, and creator of the Google Play Store port to Blackberry 10 OS, cobalt232 has released Blackberry Manager.