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Tool kits are often one of the most useful things a user will ever download. They usually let users efficiently perform a variety of tasks including acquiring root, installing a custom recovery, and flashing various development work ranging from ROMs to kernels. In other words, it lowers the entry cost for new users, and allows even the more experienced users to enjoy easy flashing.
As the number of Android devices that are getting official ICS updates continues to grow, the number of devices getting unofficial ICS is growing even faster. With AOSP ROMs making their way around at a healthy rate and leaks flooding the forums, users practically everywhere are getting their shot at some new firmware goodness. This time around, the Acer Iconia A500 receives its share.
With the newer iterations of the official Facebook app, many users have been outraged to find that Facebook has taken some liberties and have installed new software on their phones. Along with the official Facebook app, users also get the Facebook Messenger app and the Facebook Camera app.
With a lot of tools out there to help users modify, de-compile and re-compile .APK files, there are few out there that seem to offer the complete package. Normally, users would have to grab up a few applications in order to get all the proper tools to work effectively. Well, not long ago, this was a problem that Virtuous Ten Studio was working to correct. With an all-in-one design philosophy, Virtuous Ten Studio aims to be the de facto application for users looking to do virtually any kind of modding.
While there are ways to SIM unlock the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, it is a bit harder to keep it unlocked when you change ROMs or perform a factory reset. There's terminal emulator stuff you'd have to do and applications to install every time. While the workaround is perfectly acceptable for most, for others it's permanent SIM unlock or nothing. XDA Forum Member jup007 has been working on a method to accomplish this with limited success. It is nowhere close to stable yet, and as jup007 says:
One of the most irritating things about the Google Play Store, is trying to install an application, only to be thrown back by things like country restrictions. Granted, some apps wouldn't work in some countries anyway, but there's quite a few out there that have nothing to do with your geological location, which would work perfectly fine if downloaded.
Getting a new Android phone can be as daunting as it is exciting. However, the new technology, the newest versions of Android and OEM skins, and the superior hardware are just the beginning of the fun. The next step is unlocking the bootloader, rooting the device, getting recovery, and finding a new favorite ROM. It can take awhile even for advanced users to find the methods to do all these things.
For those who don't know, BlueStacks is a program for Windows PCs that lets you run fully functional Android applications right from the comfort of your desktop. It's a nice way to test out new apps you're developing, play Angry Birds Space on your gorgeous 1080p HD monitor, and is an even better way of getting Google+ Huddles on your computer. However, the application is not without its problems and there are several key Android apps missing from the experience.
The Android SDK is the default software when dealing with Android on a computer. The vast majority of rooted users have run into the SDK, whether they know it or not, when they use the ever-popular Android Debug Bridge, or ADB for short. While the SDK does very well for its intended purposes and works perfectly, anything created to augment or help out is always exciting and fun.
One of the biggest appeals of Android---aside from it being open source---is the ability to customize every aspect to get a completely individual and unique experience. Users and developers alike have used countless tools, ROMs, themes, modifications, and whatever else they can get their hands to customize their Android experience.
The rooting process of the Sony Tablet S has been done and redone several times. Usually it's to keep it up to date, but every new iteration of the root method has made it just a little easier for Tablet S owners to get their root on and the newest root method is no exception. XDA Senior Member condi, who brought users the last root method, has done it again with an all-in-one root tool that not only gives one click root access, but also includes a number of other fun and cool features. Many of them are user tools to help make processes easier, but there are also a few dev tools included to help developers out.
Most users have heard of Tapatalk. For those who haven't, it is a forum browser for mobile devices that allows users to connect with many forums with a single user interface. In fact, our own XDA forum app is based on Tapatalk.
There is a lot of scripting fun to be had with Android. Whether it be init.d or a build.prop tweak or even built into the framework and SystemUI files, developers have put scripts into every nook and cranny of Android with each method having its advantages and disadvantages.
The modification, customization, and tweaking of Android lends itself to an incredibly broad set of methods. General programming, video game modding, and hex editing all have alternate homes, as many of their concepts can be reused on Android. As an example, you can't learn how to compile CyanogenMod without learning what code modules are. Similarly, you can't learn object oriented C++ without learning what API's are and how they're used across all platforms. It's all interconnected---like a M. Night Shyamalan movie.
Hardware mods can be tricky business. Modifying software is one thing, because if it messes up you can always restore that back up that all our rooted readers should have by now. Then it's back to normal to try something different another day. With hardware mods, though, there's a much bigger risk because if you mess up it is the end of the line for whatever you're hardware modding. So, with that in mind, be careful when doing hardware mods because if it gets messed up, that's the end of the road.
Many Samsung devices can be placed into download mode using a USB Jig, which when plugged in, allows users to ODIN restore a factory ROM from what would normally be a hard brick.
Tower defense games seem to be on the rise lately. The reason behind it is anyone's guess, but it probably has something to do with the simplicity of the genre and virtually infinite number of creatures, races, and other things to pit against one another. In any case, the addition that is tower defense can be sated in many different ways.
It's a little bit of a face palm moment when developers who've worked hard to fix problems with older devices see an application that brings those problems flying back at the click of a button.
Sometimes bad things happen and you don't even know it. Flashing modules can wreck your WiFi, kernels can bork your camera and, and flashing some ROMs can mess with your EFS folder---and thus your IMEI---on Samsung devices including the popular Galaxy S II I9100.
A negative side effect of flashing a new firmware is that there's always the possibility that you break root, re-lock your bootloader, and lose your custom recovery. Unfortunately, it often takes a considerable amount of time to get root for the new firmware, which means you could very well be stuck until you find a way to downgrade or a new root method is presented. XDA Senior Member jm77 wishes to fix with for Acer Iconia A500 owners with a comprehensive guide on how to get their bootloaders unlocked, restore their custom recoveries, and obtain root once again.