Disclosure: Some links on this page are monetized by the Skimlinks, Amazon, Rakuten Advertising, and eBay, affiliate programs. All prices are subject to change, and this article only reflects the prices available at time of publication.
Shortly after Google released Android 5.0 Lollipop, folks started finding ways to gain root access on devices like the Google Nexus 6 and Nexus 9. Yes, it’s generally pretty easy to unlock the bootloader on Nexus devices, but Google has stepped up security in Android 5.0 so rooting has been a bit tricky and up until now it’s required you patch the kernel.
Now the developer behind the SuperSU app for Android has a new beta that works without patching the kernel… although it’s pretty unstable at the moment.
Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web. You can keep up on the latest news by following Liliputing on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.
- Chainfire’s latest SuperSU beta may let you root Android 5.0 without patching the kernel, still buggy for now though
SuperSU 2.27 beta can cause your device to get stuck in a boot loop, so it’s probably only a good idea to try it if you’re an experienced (and brave) tester. But folks who do help test this version will make it a bit safer and easier for the rest of us to root Lollipop in the future. [+Chainfire] - Full disk encryption slows down Android read/write speeds significantly, at least on the Gogole Nexus 6
Not surprisingly it takes longer to read and write data when it needs to be encrypted and decrypted first… but part of the problem is that there’s no hardware-accelerated support for encryption on Android devices. It’s possible that future hardware might not be slowed down quite so much. [AnandTech] - Chrome for Android has a hidden video game
Turn off WiFi, try to open a webpage, and then tap the dinosaur to start playing. [reddit] - Black Friday 2014 Mobile Tech deals updated with some of the best deals from the Microsoft Store
Another day, another store reveals a series of discounts: the Microsoft Store will be selling Surface tablets for as much as $150 off. [Liliputing] - Google will check Android TV apps for TV usability, but not for quality… is cool with fart apps for TV
There are also no plans to start patrolling the Play Store for Android phone or tablet apps — it’s still the wild, wild west out there. [TechCrunch] - Acer Iconia Talk S is a 7 inch smartphone (for Asia)
Because the Nexus 6 just isn’t big enough for some people. [Notebook Italia] - Sneak peek at HTC Sense 6.0 with Android 5.0 Lollipop
HTC will start rolling out Android 5.0 to select devices including the HTC One M8 soon. But while multitasking and notifications will look a lot like what you get on a Nexus or other device running stock Android software, HTC devices will run Sense software with a custom app launcher, on-screen buttons ,and Quick Settings, among other things. [Android Central via @LlabTooFeR]
Well, if it wasn’t easy to root the nexus devices, I would never buy them. I see this and the fact that there is so much development for them as a major reason to own one.