Jan 09 2012
Ever wanted to have a phone that would have the option to be two phones in one? By that I dont mean dual-sim but rather a phone that would be able to switch between being a phone for work and a personal phone.
Well looks like VMWare was able to implement virtualization into Android, so you will be seeing a lot of virtual phones in the market soon.
All we know is that its only aimed at Android phones, but who knows if it will ever be implemented into iPhones and Windows phones.
Jan 04 2012
- iTechNow will not be held responsible if you lose data or your device gets damaged in the following of this guide. Proceed at your own risk.
- Please note that this is an early, buggy build of ICS and is, thus, not suitable for use as a daily driver. This only works on the international version of the Galaxy S II and not on the Epic 4G Touch, Skyrocket or other variants.
- Be sure to back up your data beforehand.
Step 1: Download the following files:
- ODIN 1.83
- Leaked Android 4.0.3 ICS XXKP8 (password: samfirmware.com)
Extract the ICS ROM. Place its contents to your desktop for easy access later in the guide.
Step 2: If you have Samsung KIES opened, shut it down completely.
Step 3: Launch ODIN.
Step 4: Turn off your Galaxy S II. Once shut down, press and hold Volume Up + Home + Power while booting up to enter Download Mode.
Step 5: Connect your Galaxy S II with PC via USB. ODIN will detect it.
Step 6: Click on PDA and select: I9100_CODE_I9100XXKP8_CL42141_REV02_user_low_ship. tar.md5 which you placed on desktop in the first step.
Step 7: Click on PHONE and select: MODEM_I9100XXKP8_REV_02_CL1092599.tar.md5
Step 8: Similarly, click CSC and select: GT-I9100-MULTI-CSC-OXAKP8.tar.md5
Step 9: Click on START.
Step 10: ODIN will now flash the leaked ROM to your Galaxy S II. Once phone restarts, unplug it from your PC.
Jan 04 2012
The news comes from XDA, popular forum for Android devices, developer capslock666 has come up with this application which called ”reverse tethering” for rooted Android devices only.
The ability to tether has caused an uproar with some networks due to the excessive drain it places on their resources, and some even require an additional charge per month to allow users the tethering luxury. However, this has been widely met with fury with users due to the belief that they pay on a monthly basis for a cellular data allowance which should entitle them to use that allowance in whatever manner they choose. In some cases networks have actually imposed a charge upon users who they have deemed to be frequent tethering users.
Very similar to the ongoing cat and mouse game between Apple and jailbreakers, capslock666′s reverse tethering, as you might expect, is the opposite to tethering and allows users to browse the internet on their mobile devices using the ADSL of your PC or Mac.
Although in the early stages, the development of the reverse tethering application is looking promising with only a few bugs needing to be ironed out before it is ready for prime time. It is also worth noting that the reverse tethering functionality will only be available for rooted Android users who are using the Windows operating system. For non-rooted Android users, the developer does have an alternative, albeit more labor intensive solution (found here) which is limited to surf only.
Information regarding the reverse tethering tool can be found here including full installation and technical instructions. The tool has been tested by the developer on around twenty Android devices but is always willing to accept user information on alternative devices.
Dec 27 2011
You will have to search for an ICS-based bootloader on your own, and then flash it using ODIN.
NOTE:
iTechNow will not be held responsible if you lose data or your device gets damaged in the following of this guide. Proceed at your own risk.
Step 1: Download CWM-flashable build of CyanogenMod 9 Experimental Build for your Galaxy S II [MultiUpload], Google Apps [MultiUpload] and Face Unlock [MultiUpload]
Step 2: Transfer all of these files directly under the /sdcard directory on your Galaxy S II.
Step 3: Reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery. You can either do this from ROM Manager by tapping on Reboot to Recovery or you, if that doesn’t work, shut down your device. Once it is completely turned off, press and hold Volume Up + Home + Power button to boot into ClockworkMod Recovery.
Step 4: From the main menu, take a nandroid backup from backup & restore > backup. After backup is complete, do a wipe data/factory reset.
Step 5: This is the part where we flash CyanogenMod 9 along with Google Apps and Face Unlock. Navigate to install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > [.zip file]. You must flash the files in the following order:
update-cm-9.0.0-RC0-SGS2-KANG-signed.zip
gapps-6.0-IML74K.zip
faceunlock-6.0-IML74K.zipStep 6: Select reboot system now from the main menu.
Dec 27 2011
CF-Root tool has been released for the Galaxy Nexus by Chainfire, Android developer and hacker, CF-Root released to root the device on Android 4.0.2 Ice Cream Sandwich, now we are going to show you simply how to root your Galaxy Nexus on Android 4.0.2 Ice Cream Sandwich after the jump!
This rooted kernel is for the “rooting beginners” and those who want to keep as close to stock as possible. CF-Root takes the kernel from an original firmware, and just adds root and busybox.
First you should download CF-Root (GSM) [Build: ICL53F], CF-Root (LTE) [Build: ICL53F], for Galaxy Nexus.
You can check which version you should download by going to Settings > About phone and observing the build number.
Ensure that your device is not connected to your computer.
Step 1: Download and install ODIN version 1.85[XDA Thread].
Click on PDA and select CF-Root-xxx-vX.X.tar
Step 2: Turn off your Galaxy Nexus, once it’s off, press and hold Volume Down + Power buttons to boot into download mode.
Once in download mode, connect your Galaxy Nexus with your computer.
Step 3: Now make sure that you have not checked the Re-Partition option.
Now click on START and wait for your device to reboot.
Quick guide (for experienced users)
– Reboot into download mode
– Using the attached Odin version, flash the attached XWKDD kernel as PDA. Do not use the PIT, do not have any options checked except for “Auto reboot” and “F. Reset Time”
– Wait for the device to reboot
– Use the “adb root” command to restart ADB in root mode, followed by “adb shell” to get a rooted shell; then you can manually push Superuser.apk / su, busybox, OR use SuperOneClick to finish the job for you.
Long guide (for beginners)
– Download the attached ODIN file and extract the .zip file
– Download the attached XWKDD, but do NOT extract the .tar file
– Download and extract SuperOneClick
– If you do not have Samsung’s KIES 2.0 installed, download and install it. You need it to install the correct USB drivers, so the programs can communicate with the device. Reboot your computer after installation of KIES.
– Make sure your device is in USB debugging mode: Settings -> Applications -> Development -> USB debugging
– Reboot your device into download mode: Turn the device off, then power it on again by pressing and holding VolumeDown + Home + Power simultaneously. You will know when you are in download mode, it is really obvious 
– Start ODIN
– Connect the device to your computer using USB
– Wait a few seconds, the ODIN screen should show you that a device is now connected
– Make sure that in ODIN NOTHING is checked, except the “Auto reboot” and “F. Reset Time” checkboxes. Press the “PDA” button, and select the “XWKDD_insecure.tar” file.
– Press “Start”. ODIN you should now be flashing the kernel, and the device should reboot.
– Wait until the device is rebooted, and while still being connected over USB, start SuperOneClick, and press ROOT.
– Reboot the device
– Done !
Dec 04 2011
Developer Trevor Eckhart, the same person who discovered the curious software himself, developed “Logging Checker” an app that will allow you to check if your handset is bugged and if so remove it.
Logging Checker checks the logging activity on your phone and lets you know where the logging data is going to be. Besides checking Carrier IQ logs, it can look for Google and HTC Usage logs, Dropbox logs etc. while allowing you to check app usage logs in a UI as well as giving you some pretty strong internet security features (like enabling HTTPS wherever possible and more).
This app has started to turn into a full security suite. It can be used to verify what logging is being done on your phone and where data is going to. It will assist you in manually removing parts you do not running (see post#1), or you can go pro for automatic everything (and support me).
There are two versions of the app available; a free and paid. The paid version not only checks for CIQ activity, but also removes it. To get it, you `ll need to install the free version first and then purchase the pro key from the Android market for $0.99
The app can be download in the form of an APK from HERE. But before installing, please ensure that your phone is rooted and that Unknown sources is enabled from Settings > Applications.
Dec 02 2011
This was to be expected, but didnt think it would be this fast, I am glad that the Senate is taking action immediately.
The plaintiffs go after Carrier IQ as well as Samsung and HTC for violating the Federal Wiretap Act.
The suits allege that as customers were using their phones, the handset makers were surreptitiously monitoring and collecting private information without permission. If they lose, the companies could face penalties of $100 for every day that violation took place.
Dec 01 2011
What do I do about it?
iOS users who want to disable logging have it pretty easy here: chpwn believes that in iOS 5, CarrierIQ is enabled during the initial setup process if you opt-in to sending log back to Apple. Since that’s the case, all it takes to disable Carrier IQ is to jump into Settings/About/Diagnostics & Usage, and change the setting to “Don’t send.”
If you’re an Android user and the thought of CarrierIQ unnerves you to no end, you have two options to rid yourself of it.
Uninstall Carrier IQ with the Logging Test app
This is about as straightforward as the process gets: once you’ve installed the aforementioned app, pay the $1 for the Pro key in the Android Market. Once you’ve done that, the option to remove Carrier IQ will be unlocked in the app, although ExtremeTech notes that the process may not always be successful.
Flash a custom ROM
This is a bit more extreme a solution than simply uninstalling the service, but it has its benefits: since many custom ROMs are based of the of the open-source Android code provided by Google, carrier-mandated services like Carrier IQ aren’t an issue. On top of that, a good custom ROM can also help give your aging hardware a shot in the arm thanks to software tweaks and features it may not get otherwise.
This process also requires you to root your device, and can be very tricky for first-time modders. If you decide to go this route, check out the XDA-developer forums for more information on what it takes for your specific device. CyanogenMod is a great first ROM for beginners, and they have a pretty extensive list of supported devices along with tutorials on getting it running.
