Brick Archive

  • EVO 4G gets 802.11n WiFi by changing two lines of code

    EVO 4G gets 802.11n WiFi by changing two lines of code

    Posted on June 23, 2010 | No Comments
    The EVO 4G has a lot of weight in the smartphone arena thanks to WiMAX and that 4.3-inch screen, but though its Broadcom BCM4329 silicon also technically supports 802.11n WiFi over 2.4GHz, the protocol was disabled for some reason. Thankfully it's just a matter of ten characters to enable greater throughput, as the fine folks at xda-developers recently discovered. Better yet, you don't even have to edit those characters yourself -- if your EVO's nice and rooted and the word "brick" doesn't inspire fear, you'll find instructions and flash-ready ZIP files at our source link.

    EVO 4G gets 802.11n WiFi by changing two lines of code originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • HTC EVO 4G fully rooted, freedom loving people everywhere rejoice

    HTC EVO 4G fully rooted, freedom loving people everywhere rejoice

    Posted on June 14, 2010 | No Comments
    You've undoubtedly been following the story -- hell, maybe you've even partaking in some serious WiFi tethering. Well, the Android Police (not an actual police force) are reporting that the EVO 4G has finally been rooted, fully and completely. What's this mean? Well, for starters, enterprising individuals will soon be writing to /system from within the OS, removing Sprint's apps and flashing from custom ROMs. Pretty sweet, right? Hit up the source link to get started! But please, don't brick your phone. For real.

    HTC EVO 4G fully rooted, freedom loving people everywhere rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • HTC EVO 4G sold out pretty much everywhere

    HTC EVO 4G sold out pretty much everywhere

    Posted on June 8, 2010 | No Comments
    It's being widely reported that the HTC EVO 4G is sold out all over the US -- at brick and mortars and online. And while we can't 100 percent certain that Sprint doesn't have a few hidden away in some of the less traversed pockets of this great land, the fact that they're selling out shouldn't come as a huge shocker. The phone overtook the Palm Pre to become Sprint's best-selling launch day ever, though we don't have an actual number of units moved. Be sure to let us know in comments if your local store has any left -- we'll be sure to stampede over there.

    HTC EVO 4G sold out pretty much everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • iPhone OS 4 beta 4 drops in

    iPhone OS 4 beta 4 drops in

    Posted on May 18, 2010 | No Comments
    If you like living on the brutal, life-altering bleeding edge the same way we do, odds are you've got iPhone OS 4 beta 3 installed on that 3GS of yours -- assuming you have an iPhone 3GS, naturally. That also means that you'll likely be interested to hear that beta 4 is now out and ready for you to download, install, and not brick your phone if everything goes according to plan, just as long as you've got access to an Apple iPhone Developer Program account. Go forth, intrepid readers -- and do report back on your exploits, won't you?

    [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

    iPhone OS 4 beta 4 drops in originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 May 2010 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Hands-on with the Sprint EVO 4G (with video!)

    Hands-on with the Sprint EVO 4G (with video!)

    Posted on March 23, 2010 | No Comments
    We just got back from the Sprint EVO 4G announcement, where ol’ Yeller just happened to have a few devices on hand. I spent a few minutes getting to know the device (far less than I wanted to, trust me) — read on for my first impressions and a quick demo video. I was genuinely surprised [...]

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  • AT&T ZERO to save the planet one phone charger at a time

    AT&T ZERO to save the planet one phone charger at a time

    Posted on March 17, 2010 | No Comments
    They’re in our homes, and they’re in our schools. There they sit, silently, eating our power. Even if you unplug your phone, they keep devouring power. What’s next!? Will cell phone chargers some day EAT YOUR CHILDREN? More at 11. In a move to save you some gadget juice and boost their “green”-factor, AT&T has just [...]

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  • The ITG xpPhone gets officially priced

    The ITG xpPhone gets officially priced

    Posted on January 18, 2010 | No Comments
    Screen shot 2010-01-18 at [ January 18 ] 11.16.25 AM Its only been around 8 months since the xpPhone -- a phone which, as the name implies, runs Windows XP -- made its online debut, but its already caused quite the rift between the mega-geeks. One camp seems to think its the coolest thing since air-conditioned underpants; the other seems to think it's a big pile of nonsense. Throughout all of this dweeby disputing, one important item remained a mystery: the price. Mystery solved after the jump.

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  • HTC Hero’s Android 2.1 ROM hacked onto Droid with all sorts of busted

    HTC Hero’s Android 2.1 ROM hacked onto Droid with all sorts of busted

    Posted on December 30, 2009 | 1 Comment
    We don't really recommend trying this yourself if you like "using" your Droid for performing "tasks," but if you're the 1337 type or you're just looking for a quick, easy, and fun way to brick a perfectly good Eclair device, you might want to take a look at this ported ROM that's just hit the streets. What we're looking at here is an early, half-baked conversion of that leaked Hero ROM with Sense and Android 2.1, apparently with functional messaging and calling (whew) but without a working WiFi stack. If nothing else, this is a good start for the community; hopefully we'll see something a little more solid soon that can actually be used day to day without an iron will and a brass pair.

    HTC Hero's Android 2.1 ROM hacked onto Droid with all sorts of busted originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • MMS for iPhone 2G and tethering on OS 3.1.2 explained, not for the faint of heart

    MMS for iPhone 2G and tethering on OS 3.1.2 explained, not for the faint of heart

    Posted on October 19, 2009 | No Comments

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    Let's be clear upfront that this isn't for the casual iPhone jailbreaker, but if you feeling like living on the edge, you can give your original model an added boost of MMS capability, or any device with OS 3.1.2 the power to tether. Highlighted in a series of tweets today by iPhone dev team lead MuscleNerd, whiterat (for MMS) and two-bit (for tethering) will get the job done, but both require tinkering with the baseband, which is exponentially more advanced and brick-inducing than, say, installing Cydia. Venture forth with the instructions beyond the read links below.

    [Via 9 to 5 Mac]

    Read - iPhone 2G MMS
    Read - OS 3.1.2 tethering

    MMS for iPhone 2G and tethering on OS 3.1.2 explained, not for the faint of heart originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Apple Moves To Block Jailbreaking In New iPhones

    Apple Moves To Block Jailbreaking In New iPhones

    Posted on October 13, 2009 | No Comments
    In the endless game of cat and mouse that is Apple vs. the jailbreak scene, the cat just put a pretty nasty gash in the mouse’s face. For the past seven months, jailbreaking (opening an iPhone to applications not signed by Apple for installation) has relied on an exploit dubbed “24kPwn”. We’ll skip the technical voodoo [...]

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  • Gigantic iPhone charger packs 3000mAh battery

    Gigantic iPhone charger packs 3000mAh battery

    Posted on October 7, 2009 | No Comments
    Whoever manipulated the above image to make this humongous iPhone battery pack look relatively manageable ought to be given a raise. Conversely, whoever wrote “It is not bulky either as it just extends a little at the bottom” in the product description ought to immediately undergo a workplace evaluation. If it happens to be the same person who handled both the photo and the product description, then God help us all.

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  • Big Brother says no texting

    Big Brother says no texting

    Posted on October 5, 2009 | No Comments
    Texting while driving seems to be the hotbed issue of today's world. Even though texting is only one of a multitude of distractive factors in the car, 18 states will have legislation by January 2010 banning text messaging in vehicles. But for those parents who don't think the law is enough to keep their kids from texting, help has arrived! TXTBlocker is a piece of software installed onto a mobile device that prevents the phone from calling out, texting, or e-mailing while you are driving. Emergency calls are still allowed, but your phone pretty much becomes a useless brick whenever you move faster than 5 MPH. On the FAQ section of the TXTBlocker website, they explain how the software knows you're driving with the following: "TXTBlocker™ uses a variety of proprietary technologies to monitor the mobile phone’s location, acceleration, and velocity. Our guess is GPS. It also offers the feature to check where the device is located, simply by logging onto their website. Creepy.

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  • Review: Kensington Nightstand Charging Dock for iPhone, iPod Touch

    Review: Kensington Nightstand Charging Dock for iPhone, iPod Touch

    Posted on August 18, 2009 | No Comments
    Short Version: If you’ve never purchased a charging dock for your iPhone or iPod Touch and you’re without an alarm clock then the Kensington Nightstand is a perfect alternative for you, friend. Being able to check on the weather first thing in the morning is an added bonus. The $40 price tag might give some of you sticker shock considering the Rise & Shine app is free from the App Store, but a quick look around to other iPhone/iPod accessory vendors quickly reveals that the Nightstand is actually a good deal. If you’re looking to buy a charging dock that is.

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