Google Cardboard is a platform for turning your smartphone into a virtual reality headset using a folded piece of cardboard and a few lenses to adjust the focal distance. It’s probably the cheapest way to experience VR, assuming you’ve already got a phone. A growing number of mobile apps let you do everything from explore […]
bootloader unlock
Moto G (2015): Root, Bootloader unlock, and custom recovery
Less than a week after the Motorola Moto G 2015 model went on sale, folks have already figured out how to root the phone and install a custom recovery. This opens the door for running apps that require superuser permissions, making complete backups of your device, and installing custom updates, firmware, or even replacement operating […]
Unlock the Asus Zenfone 2 bootloader (unofficially)
The Asus Zenfone 2 is a smartphone with a fast processor, a good display, and a reasonable price tag: for $199 you can get a model with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, or you can pay $299 for a model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. While I was pretty impressed […]
Amazon Fire HD 6 and 7 get (unofficial) bootloader unlock, custom recovery, and root
Amazon’s Fire HD 6 and Fire HD 7 are low-cost tablets featuring Amazon’s custom version of Android. They’re designed to let you run apps and games from the Amazon Appstore, listen to music from Amazon MP3, watch movies and TV shows from Amazon Instant Video, and read Kindle eBooks. But Amazon’s Fire tablets run a […]
LG releases bootloader unlock tool (for only one phone so far)
Have an LG smartphone and want to unlock the bootloader so you can install a custom recovery, custom ROM, or other firmware? Now you can do that… maybe. LG’s last few flagship phones have shipped with locked bootloaders, and while there have been unofficial tools for getting around that, LG didn’t officially support unlocking your […]
Lilbits (9-22-2014): SunShine for the Moto X (unlock the bootloader)
Just a few days after updating the SunShine tool for unlocking the bootloaders on smartphones to support the Motorola Moto G, developer Justin Case has announced that SunShine now works with the Moto X, Motorola Droid Maxx, Mini, and Ultra smartphones running Android 4.4.3 or earlier. Some devices may also work even if they’re running […]