A few months ago, the American mobile phone service provider MetroPCS launched, together with ZTE – the Chinese handset manufacturer – an affordable, entry level Android phone called the ZTE Score M. This Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) comes with a variety of features like a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen, a 600MHz CPU, a 3.2-megapixel camera,  Wi-Fi, 4GB of internal memory, a microSD slot. Oh yeah, and a root backdoor!

Thanks to an anonymous post to Pastebin, details have now emerged that the device has a setuid-root binary (a program that runs with root privileges) in /system/bin/sync_agent that serves no function other than to provide a root shell backdoor. If you know the hard-coded password (ztex1609523) then you get unlimited root access to the phone.

It has also been confirmed that the ZTE Skate, which is sold by Orange in the U.K., has the same backdoor. Security researchers are scrambling to see if other ZTE devices suffer from the same security vulnerability.

But… Don’t Panic! The ZTE Score M and the ZTE Skate aren’t the best selling phones on the market and so the number of actual users affected is small.

Reactions on the Internet are varied. In response to an unofficial quote that ZTE will fix the problem one user wrote, “That’s like finding a camera in your shower and your landlord saying sorry about that, I’ll fix it soon.” While another added that “it’s a massive security hole.” However they did offer a solution, “it would also be fairly easy to fix. Use the backdoor to get root, delete the backdoor, close the shell, done.”

Do you own a ZTE Score M or a ZTE Skate? Does this revelation worry you? Or do you think it is a storm in a tea cup? Let us known by leaving a comment below.

NEXT: Virgin Mobile offers contract-free $99 Venture 3G, Cricket goes even lower with $30 Muve ZTE Score

Score Alarm: Receiving Sports Alerts Through Your Phone ZTE Skates Into the Gingerbread Age

So, you’re new to the Android community. First off, welcome to the wonderful world of customizing your phone! Android’s all about the power to make your phone truly yours and if you dig deep enough, you’ll find a hundred ways to make your phone unlike anyone else’s on the planet. Or, at least, nearly unlike anyone else’s. The more you customize, the slimmer the chance people will have the exact same settings. If you’re a stickler for individuality, you’ve made the right choice by getting an Android. But, the moment you loaded up Android Authority, you already feel overwhelmed by new words.

What’s a ROM? What does root mean? What are all these funny words people keep throwing at each other and what is the meaning of life? We’re kidding on the last one, sort of, but just like any newbie, getting into the world of Android is intimidating. You can still your racing heart and wipe those sweaty palms on your pants because Android Authority’s got your back covered. We’ve put together a list of some of the high-sounding words that newbies frequently encounter and compile the words into some sort of easy-to-digest layperson’s dictionary of rooting terms. Come across a word that you don’t understand? Check out our list, it should be here.

ADB

The acronym for Android Debug Mode. Whenever your Android device is connected to your computer, ADB is the command line tool that helps your computer communicate with your device. ADB is part of the Android Software Developers Kit (SDK) and is often used in root tools, whether or not you’re typing the commands in yourself. Unless the instructions call for installing the SDK and running ADB commands, you won’t need to mess with it.

AOSP

Short for Android Open Source Project, you’re likely to see this in ROM descriptions. AOSP usually indicates that the ROM is based on the Android source code provided by Google itself, and not on some other ROM project or a company’s firmware.

Bloatware

Like it says on the tin, bloatware is software or apps that you don’t need, but come pre-installed to a device’s /system partition. What this also means is that you can’t remove them unless the device has been rooted. Usually, these are apps are sponsored by a company and are included by a carrier for profit. For example, the Photobucket app included on the G2 by T-Mobile is deemed by many to be bloatware, although, arguably, some folks do find the app useful.  Bloatware is a subjective thing.  Some person’s bloatware is another person’s lifeline.

Bootloader

A number of ROMs require your bootloader to be unlocked, but what in the world is it? The bootloader is the lowest level of software on your phone, running all the codes necessary to start up your operating system. Most bootloaders come locked, which prevents users from rooting their phones. This is because manufacturers want you to use the version of Android they’ve provided. With a locked bootloader on Android phones, you cannot flash custom ROMs. Unlocking your bootloader doesn’t mean rooting your phone, but it does allow you to root and to flash custom ROMs.

Boot loop

When your system re-cycles over and over without entering the main OS, your system is stuck in a boot loop and the phone is said to be boot looping. This may happen if you do not follow instructions.  At other times, boot loops are caused by defects in the software code. Usually developers who are aware of this problem include boot loop patches that must be flashed after you flash the custom ROM.

Brick

You’ve probably heard this one a few times. It’s usually the result of tampering with the insides of your device and doing irreversible damage. A brick can be the result of a faulty flash or firmware update, a mod gone wrong, or being struck by lightning. Brick refers to a device that no longer functions, generally caused by a failed firmware or SPL update. Since the device no longer works as intended, it is often referred to as a “brick” or “paper-weight”, since that is all it is good for. Since any modification to the device’s software could potentially brick it, following instructions is very important.

BusyBox

BusyBox is an application that provides a standard set of UNIX tools. The default toolbox provided by Android is limited, so BusyBox is required to allow rooted ROMs or apps to use more advanced UNIX features.

Dalvik cache

Sometimes in flashing ROMs, wiping the Dalvik Cache through Recovery Mode is important, but just what is the Dalvik Cache? The dalvik-cache directory holds all of the pre-compiled *.dex files created from installed apps. These files are static and do not change unless the app is updated.

Deodex

This term is most often seen on a custom ROM’s list of features. When a ROM has been deodexed, it means that its apps have been prepared for modification. Deodexed ROMs have apps that have been repackaged in a certain way. Developers of custom ROMs choose to deodex their ROM packages, since it lets them modify various APKs, and it also makes theming possible after the ROMs have been installed.

Flash

Flashing is the term used to install something on your device, whether it’s a ROM, a kernel, or something else that comes in the form of a flashable ZIP file. It is the process of applying a firmware image or a ROM, to your device and usually entails a very specific order of steps. If you don’t follow instructions, you may end up bricking your device.

Fastboot

Fastboot is a boot menu that you can do stuff from before Android is launched. From this menu, you can choose to boot into Recovery Mode, and more. Fastboot is a protocol used to directly update the flash filesystem in Android devices from a host over USB. It allows flashing of unsigned partition images. It is disabled in almost all production devices since USB support is disabled in the bootloader.

Firmware

A phone’s firmware is basically its operating system. A “firmware update” means that the operating system, the software that controls the phone, is updated. “Stock firmware” means that the firmware is unmodified: it’s the version of the operating system the phone’s manufacturer delivers.

HBoot

When you switch your phone, HBoot is loaded immediately and is mainly responsible for checking and initializing the hardware and starting the phone’s software. HBoot can also be used for flashing official software releases, as well as a few other things.

IMEI

The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number is a number unique to every GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN mobile device, as well as some satellite devices. The IMEI number is used by the GSM network to identify valid devices and therefore can be used to stop a stolen device from accessing the network. For example, if a mobile device is stolen, the owner can call her or his network provider and instruct the provider to “ban” the device using its IMEI number. This renders the device useless, whether or not the device’s SIM is changed. The IMEI can be displayed by dialing *#06#. When a procedure asks you to take note of your IMEI, make sure to store it in a safe place.

Kernel

The kernel is the heart of any Linux-based operating system. A kernel acts as the brain of the system and controls how the hardware and software interact. It also decides which activity your Android device should carry out at any particular instant.

NANDroid backup

Most how-to guides include this and all developers demand you to take a few seconds before flashing their ROM to make a NANDroid backup. NANDroid is a set of tools and scripts that will enable users who have root on access their Android device to make full system backups, in case something goes wrong or you would like to out an experimental ROM or theme. NANDroid will backup (and restore) the /system, /data, /cache, and /boot partitions. This backup can be restored later, whenever you want. NANDroid backups are created from the Recovery Mode, often with ClockworkMod Recovery.

Opensource

This term refers to software whose source code anyone is allowed to view, modify, or redistribute. In the context of Android, opensource refers to the approach of the design, development, and distribution of software. This offers accessibility to a software’s source code for modification, improvement, bug-fixing, and security-enhancement. The CyanogenMod project is based on this principle.

Overclocking

This term is used when users want to increase the speed of their device’s CPU or GPU. Overclocking can be done by installing special kernels designed for this purpose.

Radio

The radio on your device handles communication and sending and receiving voice and data. Flashing new radio firmware can improve your radio hardware’s reception and bring other benefits. You can flash radio firmware through Recovery Mode, just like how you would a custom ROM.

Recovery

Recovery is the software on your phone that allows you to make backups, flash ROMs, and perform other system-level tasks. The stock recoveries don’t do much, but if you can install a custom recovery such as the extremely popular ClockworkMod Recovery, you’ll have increased control over your device.  Other popular custom recoveries also include 4EXT Recovery and TWRP Recovery.

ROM

In the context of Android, a ROM (acronym for “read-only memory”) or, more specifically, a “custom ROM” is a modified version of Android. Developers may give it extra features, a different look, enhanced performance, and others. It may even be a version of Android that hasn’t even been officially released yet. Some of the popular custom ROMs you may have heard of are CyanogenMod, Android Open Kang Project (AOKP), and MIUI.

ROM Manager

ROM Manager is an immensely popular app for root users, allowing users to flash ClockworkMod Recovery, install ROMs from their SD card, perform backups, and even download new ROMs over-the-air.

Root

Root refers to “administrator” or “full” access to the device.  That is, your device earns enhanced privileges and can grant you more control in customizing it.  The term referring to the process of gaining such administrative access is “rooting.”

With root access, you can mount the device’s internal memory partition as read/write, allowing you to do various things like USB or Wi-Fi tethering and uninstalling annoying bloatware. You can also enjoy certain applications that require root access, overclocking or underclocking the CPU, and more.

Some phones are easier to root than others. Certain phones require a tedious process to gain root access while other phones and firmware have easy and painless one-click methods. You can get root access by either installing the Superuser application or by flashing a custom ROM that already has root access included.  Check out our section dedicated solely for guides on how to root your Android device.

Rooting, unfortunately, also voids your warranty, so you must be extra careful with whatever you do to your phone after you’ve rooted it.

RUU and SBF

ROM Upgrade Utilities (RUU) and System Boot Files (SBF, for Motorola phones) are files direct from the manufacturer that change the software on your phone. RUU and SBF are how the manufacturers deliver over-the-air upgrades and modders often post leaked RUU and SBF files for flashing when updates haven’t been released yet. They can also be handy when you’re downgrading your phone, especially when a rooting method is not yet available for the newest software version. You can flash RUUs directly from your HTC device, but Motorola users will need a Windows program called RSD Lite to flash SBF files.

S-OFF

HTC phones use a security feature called Signature Verification in HBOOT, the bootloader on HTC devices. S-ON (security on) will read-lock your /system and /recovery partitions, blocking you from performing certain root-level actions directly from Android. By default, your phone has S-ON, which blocks you from flashing radio images. You can disable this security measure with S-OFF (security off), although you risk bricking your phone in the process but will allow you to flash new radios. Rooting doesn’t require S-OFF but many rooting tools give you S-OFF in addition to root access.

Superuser

Since Android is a Linux-based operating system, Linux has something called root access. By rooting your Android phone, you gain superuser access. The superuser, or root user, is a special user account for system administration. Superuser is also the name of an app, which lets you grant or deny superuser privileges to other apps.

Wipe

Usually refers to wiping data and cache partitions of the device. Usually before flashing a custom ROM, developers will instruct users to perform a wipe. Not performing a wipe may result in problems with the ROM’s performance.

Zipalign

You’re likely to see this term on the list of a custom ROM’s features. Zipalign is a tool that optimizes the way an Android app (APK) is packaged. The Android device can interact with an application more efficiently, and in doing so, has the potential to make the app and the entire Android system perform much faster. Zipaligned applications are launched more quickly, and they use less amounts of RAM.

Congratulations! You’re now equipped with some basic rooting and Android knowledge. Now you can dive into XDA Developers and feel less like a noob. Using your newly acquired knowledge, you can make better informed decisions when  looking for a ROM to power your Android device with. Good luck and happy hunting!

Got a rooting term that’s bugging you?  Let us know in the comments and we’ll try adding it to our dictionary.

NEXT: Rooting for dummies: A beginner’s guide to rooting your Android device

Rooting the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 or Transformer Prime TF201 using a rooting app Motorola Droid Razr XT912: Rooting ICS and Gingerbread with CASUAL Root Tool

Well, it didn’t take long for the folks at XDA-developers to come up with a permanent rooting solution for the HTC One X on AT&T. You can head to the thread right now if you can’t wait to remove some bloatware from your shiny new phone. Of course, that’s just one of the benefits that root access can provide you.

For now, the rooting method seems to be working for the HTC One X versions offered by AT&T and Rogers. The one-click process is super simple – all you have to do is follow six simple steps. Therefore, you might want to leave your preconceptions aside and enter the wonderful world of customizing Android.

Nevertheless, since we are talking about a device that has probably cost you hundreds of dollars, here are some mandatory warnings. Rooting your HTC One X using this method will apparently bring out the “tampered” flag on the phone’s hboot. We’re not sure if there’s a way to remove the tampered flag. Anyway, that tampered flag may render your warranty void, so proceed only if you’re willing to accept this risk. While, for the well informed, the rooting method is easy enough to complete in a couple of minutes, that may not be the case for the more inexperienced ones.

The point is – please make sure you know all the risks associated with rooting the HTC One X before going through with it. Alternatively, you can just disable the bloatware if you can’t stand seeing those pesky preloaded apps in your app drawer.

As for the rest, enjoy your rooted HTC One X! This will hopefully remove some of the bitterness that HTC has caused by not providing an official bootloader unlocking tool for AT&T’s HTC One X.

NEXT: The HTC One X Gets Rooted Weeks Before Its Launch

Root acquired: Galaxy S2 ICS rooted, update instructions available online Root the Rogers Samsung Infuse 4G SGH-I997R

If you own an Android device, or for that matter visit any Android-related news site then you will have heard about ROMs. Though a lot of people catch onto what ROMs are, for some people it’s not such an easy thing to get your head around. If you aren’t quite sure what a ROM is, hopefully I will clear things up for you today.

First I should explain what a ROM is. The term ROM is misused, and a pseudonym. Up until recently, ROM’s were storage chips consisting of Read-Only-Memory. Ever played Gameboy games? They were ROM’s. Sometimes there was a separate area in the cartridge where you would save games to, but the game itself was Read-Only. You couldn’t modify it. The term which is closer to being correct with reference to Android, is Firmware. You can easily replace it all, if you choose to.

This board has a few ROM chips, one of which tells the device how to boot the Android software (Firmware)

When people talk about installing ROM’s on their devices, they are referring to erasing/overwriting old Android software/system files, and replacing them with new ones to alter the behaviour of Android and the device. If you’ve ever reinstalled your computers operating system (Windows 7, OSX, Linux), this is pretty much the same procedure. Wipe the disk or ‘memory’, then give the computer some new software for it to boot into.

Custom ROMs

JBThemes

Carbon Glass Theme for ICS

A custom ROM is one that has undergone any modification from being a pure distribution of Android. Google make the Android source code available for anyone to play around with, and people take this code and alter it for themselves. Whether to add features they come up with, or to redistribute it with fun tweaks and additions. So a custom ROM can range in definition from some custom code modifications to make Android run better on a device, all the way to changing the homescreen, background services, and default software.

Many software experts collaborate together in communities to build the fastest or most feature filled ROM’s. The most popular today are CyanogenMod (which supports over 70 devices!), AOKP (a lightweight ROM with plenty of customisation options), and Android Revolution, a heavyweight ROM which often focusses on looking great. Just because these Android builds are made by ‘ordinary people’ and not highly paid developers at HTC or Samsung doesn’t mean they are full of bugs or risky to use. In most cases the software built by communities is ten times better. Release cycles are much shorter, fun features can be put in, and anyone can contribute an idea to the development.

I like to use AOKP myself, and in the screenshot below is an example of how much they let you customise things. My Navbar, Clock, and battery-charge-level bar are neon-green. Also note that my WiFI Signal is measured by percentage, and as well as the charge meter running along the top of the nav-bar, I have a circular meter in the bottom right too.

Some ROMs!

If you aren’t satisfied with your current software from HTC or Samsung, take a look at these websites. These are three of the most popular ROM’s in existence today.

• CyanogenMod – They almost certainly have a minimalistic and speedy build for your device.
• AOKP – A great ROM that is rising enormously in popularity. They don’t support an enormous amount of devices right now, but worth a look to find out.
• Android Revolution HD – The big daddy in appearances – Scroll down the page to see a list of supported devices, mostly HTC and the Asus Transformer, Galaxy Nexus too.

The advantages of having Custom ROMS on your device

• Regular Releases – Rather than waiting month after month for a new Android distribution or a set of features from your carrier. Custom ROM developers can turn them out within a few weeks. Keeping you on the very cutting edge of what Android is capable off.
• Interchange With Ease – Once you have Rooted your phone once to install a ROM, you can easily install any other one afterwards. If you wanted to, you can even revert to the stock build your phone came with, as most manufacturers release the software.
• You have Root – To install a custom ROM, you need to root your device. This allows you to remove and tinker with anything you like on your phone. It also means that some applications require Root access such as overclockers can work.

We have loads of rooting articles for you to take a look at here, covering the rooting process and ROMs across a range of devices.

What ROM;s have you tried? Any favorites?

The CyanogenMod  project has finally acknowledged that the 1,000,000+ devices running CyanogenMod  come with a gaping security hole – default root access. With privacy issues and app permissions becoming more of a concern to smartphone users, running a jail-broken (rooted) device negates any security and data safeguards that Google has tried to build into the OS.

So, in an attempt to keep everyone happy, while improving security, the team has decided on a compromise that will allow enthusiasts to keep using root privileges but also provide better default security for the majority of users. Starting with the first public CyanogenMod 9 alpha builds, root access has been disabled by default but with the option to enable it again. The new changes allow root access to be selectively enabled with four states available:

• Disabled
• Enabled for ADB only
• Enabled for Apps only
• Enabled for both ADB and Apps.

This means that on a default CyanogenMod 9 installation, root usage will have to be explicitly enabled by the user. If a user is fully aware of the implications of enabling root (including the fact that any root enabled application  may perform actions that can compromise security and privacy), then they are free to enable it. As before, apps that request root (by calling the su binary) will be redirected to SuperUser.apk where the user can grant access. SuperUser.apk is also used to manage which apps have root permission as well as monitor the usage of the permission.

Why the concern?

With root enabled, any app installed on the phone has unrestricted access to functionality that would normally be off limits to an app. This super user access has given rise to specific types of Android malware that can circumvent smartphone security mechanisms either by using the existing root access or by actually jail-breaking the phone during its installation process. With root access, the malware can access parts of the API that are supposed to be protected by the permissions system.

“We honestly believe there are limited uses for root on CyanogenMod, and none that warrant shipping the OS defaulted to unsecured” wrote Jef Oliver, a member of the CyanogenMod team.

NEXT: Root access to HTC Desire and HTC Legend pre-release

CyanogenMod Makes You The Overlord Of Your Android Installation How to regain root access on the T-Mobile G1

The Joy Of Using Experimental Software

One of the main reasons behind me rooting all of my devices and playing with custom ROM’s is that I enjoy being a part of projects that are in development or experimentation. Anyone can use a ‘perfect’ ROM from the device’s manufacturer, but I enjoy running Android builds that other people have gone to the trouble of making for us all. Manufacturers never get this right when it comes to development, they’re under the illusion that we like what they give us. Whilst this is partially true, we end up discovering we want more features, and we know exactly what these features are. Across forums on the internet, these ideas are submitted and kind souls make these community builds of Android.

I also love snagging the development builds before the final versions are released. If something works perfectly, I get bored of it. If something doesn’t work quite as you would expect, I like trying to find a workaround, or submitting a bug to the developers of that ROM. Using a custom ROM makes you part of a deeper community, one of like-minded enthusiasts who want to get the most out of their smartphones and tablets.

Don’t Worry, You’ll be Fine

If you’re looking into the world of Rooting and custom ROM’s, then you will doubtless have heard the rumors that if you do it wrong it makes your phone unusable. Whilst this is possible, it is extremely – like extremely – rare. If you follow the simple instructions on a trusted forum or site for your device (like ours), or, even better, from the the ROM creators site, and follow them closely, you will be successful. I would say that 99% of custom ROM flashes are successful. The 1% of failures comes from people forgetting to charge their devices before flashing, as depending on how many steps you have to follow, the rooting process can take up to forty minutes.

So Many to Choose From!

One of the not-so-obvious joys of using a custom ROM is that you have so many to choose from. Each one with a slightly different aim and objective. The most popular ROM is CyanogenMod, partly because it is a fast and well-maintained ROM, but also because it is available for so many devices, 100 and counting in fact. Then there are other ROM’s like Android Revolution, focused on speed, improved usage, and occasional graphic driver enhancements. Then there is AOKP, and many more, so research as many as you can find which have a build available for your device. Identify the one that appeals most to you, and then find the instructions to install it. Bam!

Do I Need To Flash a New Rom? Can’t I Just Enjoy Having Root?

Well it depends on what your end objective is. If you want to enjoy a new Android experience different from your current one, or you want a certain set of features that a ROM provides, then no. You will need to take the brave step and flash your device. If however you want to run some applications which require root privileges like the network encrypting and disguising application Tor#, then you don’t need to flash a custom ROM, and a plain old root will do just fine.

The Forums Expect Me To Know Everything, But I Don’t Understand Some of the Terms.

That’s to be expected and not at all your fault. Though a large percentage or rooters and rom-users are a bit geeky or computer inclined, anyone should be allowed to enjoy their Android phone this way. So here are some definitions and explanations of terms which I hope might clear up some things for you.

Flashing

Easy there, Flashing doesn’t have any connotation with that. Nor does it have quite the same meaning older computer users may be thinking of, the act of ‘Flashing’ EEPROM in older computers. What flashing means in the Android world is basically copying files, be it a whole Android build or a collection of applications, to your devices internal memory. I suppose the idea of flashing is that ‘BAM’ your old system files are gone, and the new ones are laid in their place. So, the expression ‘Flashing the ROM’ pretty much means copying the ROM files to where they need to go.

Root User

Users of Linux or advanced users of OS X will understand the meaning of Root User, but it’s unlikely that Windows Users will. Android is based upon the Linux operating system which runs on many computers, that in turn was based off of Unix. Something that has carried down these generations is the name of what Windows users call the ‘Administrator’ user. The only difference here is the name and that the Root User can do absolutely anything. Even deleting files which a computer or Android device needs to boot up, which Windows protects even from the Administrator in most cases.

ClockWork Mod / Recovery

This is a small program which you can install, and can boot into instead of Android when you turn your on. This is usually done by holding both the volume down and power buttons simultaneously. Within ClockworkMod, you can flash new ROM’s, back up your existing ones, erase cache’s, install updates, and many more things. Just remember that rooting a device doesn’t install ClockworkMod. It has to be done separately.

If you have more questions, be sure to check out our Rooting for Dummies post here. This post contains all the various rooting guides we’ve made to help walk you through it. We’ve also got another section devoted to custom ROM’s too, so check them out if you are curious to know more.

We also have a dedicated rooting category here, too.

Be brave, count to ten, and go for it

You’ll be worrying about whether or not you’ve done everything perfectly, or if something will go wrong. Remember to check the guide provided thoroughly, and make sure you are ready to do all the steps and you’ll be fine. Afterwards you will have a truly open and customisable Android device.

Happy Rooting! Tell us about your experiences rooting and why you root your Android devices below? To root or not to root?

NEXT: Meet BreakDroid, the automated rooting tool for Mac owners

Rooting for dummies: A beginner’s guide to rooting your Android device Rooting the Samsung Droid Charge on Verizon Wireless

This morning, the Galaxy S2 ICS (Android 4.0.3) update began to sweep the world, first in South Korea, followed by Scandinavia and a few other countries. Of course, it took only hours for the industrious gathering of enthusiasts at XDA-developers to produce a method of rooting your freshly updated Samsung Galaxy S2. And if Samsung has neglected your country so far and you can’t wait to replace that stale Gingerbread on your S2 with a spankin’ fresh Ice Cream Sandwich treat, XDA-developers has you covered too.

If only some carriers would be so adept at releasing updates as Android enthusiasts are at rooting them, the world would be a better place… Enough dreaming, let’s see how you can gain root on your updated Galaxy S2.

Final European ROM available for flashing

If you can’t wait for the OTA to grace your Galaxy S2 phone with its creamy presence, you can try (on your own risk and after bidding your warranty a warm farewell) to update your phone yourself, using the ROM put at your disposal by XDA member Faryaab. Note that we are talking about an European ROM for now –  I9100XXLPQ (Official Final Build) – so if you’re living across the pond or elsewhere in the world, you might give the update a second thought. After all, the carriers will push the Galaxy 2 ICS OTA soon enough, right? Right???

Anyway, you can get complete instructions and maybe some support from Mr. Faryaab himself, on the dedicated XDA thread. The thread is also home to a bunch of screenshots to prove you that the ROM is for real.

If you like your devices thoroughly rooted and free from any trace of carrier spyware, err… quality improvement tools, you also get instructions on how to acquire root on your newly updated Samsung Galaxy S2. Neat.

At the time this post was published, the Galaxy S2 ICS root and update thread was already 53 pages long, complete with cries of help, silly questions, and the victorious proclamations of those who pulled it through. If you’re not sure about what you’re doing, it may be a good idea to wait for the official update. Bricked phones are never funny, so be extra careful with those backups. For those who prefer to wait, we’re keeping our Galaxy S2 ICS rollout coverage updated.

If you do try out the new XDA Galaxy S2 ICS ROM or the rooting method, give us a shout. How did it go? Are you satisfied with the flavor of Ice Cream Sandwich?

NEXT: Root Your Samsung Galaxy S2 Running on Android 4.0.3 ICS Firmware XXLPB

ICS update for Samsung Galaxy S2 is pushed out today [Updated] Samsung Galaxy S2 ICS update coming tomorrow to South Korea?

Now this is something you don’t see every day – XDA member Northmendo released an automated rooting tool and ADB installer, to help Mac users get the most of their Android devices. So, if you’re one of those fellows that can’t make up their minds between the dark side, err, I meant Apple, and Android, you can now go on and mess with your Android phone, without requiring access to a Windows or Linux PC.

Before you get too excited, you should know that BreakDroid is very new and that the tool has only been tested on a handful of Android devices. Nevertheless, Northmendo announced that he is working on expanding the tool’s usability and is actually looking for volunteers to test his creation.

Here are the devices currently supported by BreakDroid:

• Kindle Fire
• Motorola Droid Razr
• Galaxy Nexus
• Galaxy Note

Northmendo is looking for testers for the last two devices, so if you have the guts and the necessary Mac, feel free to drop a line on the BreakDroid thread from the XDA forums. Your effort will certainly be forever appreciated. Or, at least, you’ll know you did a good deed this week. Besides the four phones that are “officially” supported by BreakDroid, the tool is, in theory, compatible with any phone that can be rooted using GingerBreak, psneuter, or zergRush.

What can BreakDroid do?

As the tool’s developer specifies, BreakDroid is not an entirely new tool, built from the ground up, but rather an automation of existing applications and techniques. Still, its importance should not be underestimated. Until now, Mac users had few options when it came to simple rooting tools for Android, and had to delve into complicated, manual operations.

The new BreakDroid rooting tool for Mac lets you automatically root your Android device, and in addition, it provides automatic ADB set up and installation of the Android SDK. Keep in mind that this is an Alpha release, so don’t expect flawless functioning or a full feature set.

As always, make sure to back up and be aware of the consequences that rooting has on device warranty. But if you read so far, you probably know about all that, so I’ll stop the nagging right now.

Happy rooting and let us know if you tried BreakDroid!

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With all the praise that Sony has received for their effort to bring something new to the Android tablet experience, it’s rather a anti-climactic to see how little attention their tablets have received from technophiles in the US.

However, things may change, now that AT&T decided to bring forth the Sony Tablet P to the US. The arrival of this innovative clamshell tablet  to American shores is a couple of months behind the rest of the world, but the group of devs at Pocketables wasted no time in making up the lost ground.  Merely days after the Tablet P became available from AT&T, two Pocketables users have come up with a method to enable rooting on the Sony Tablet P.

According to the instructions offered on the Pocketables forum, it takes but some minor effort on your side to gain that ‘Superuser’ access on your precious tablet. All you have to do is to download both the ADB installer and the provided rooting program, follow the relatively simple instructions, and you will be on your merry way towards a rooted Sony Tablet P. More details can be found on the forum, but as always, keep in mind that you proceed at your own risk.

The Sony Tablet P is a unique tablet that has two foldable screens, each with a 5.5-inch display of 1024 x 480 resolution. It boasts a dual-core Tegra 2 clocked at 1GHz, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and Android 3.2 Honeycomb. The other Sony tablet, which has yet to make its ways to the US, is the wedge-shaped Tablet S, which has similar specs to the P model, except for the single 9.4-inch screen. By the way, it’s only a couple of weeks since the Sony Tablet S has received its very own root treatment.

Sony has mentioned that an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich will be made available for the international versions of its two tablets, but it is currently unknown when the upgrade will make its way to AT&T’s Tablet P model.

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The Root method developed by Modaco is called “Superboot”, and takes a hybrid approach between manual rooting and the increasingly popular one-click root methods. It will take more than one click, but Modaco’s SuperBoot will spare you of tedious tasks, such as manually partitioning or modifying the ADB. It is impossible to asses how well this method actually works since, oh well, none of us has an HTC One X to try it on. The developer claims everything should go silky smooth though, and judging by this guy’s success with previous mods, I tend to believe him, even without conclusive evidence.

An exact release date for the HTC One X is unavailable at this point, but official statements place its launch in the UK (and probably the rest of Europe) during March. The One X is expected to reach US shores early this summer, as the AT&T HTC One XL — an LTE-capable, modified version of the One X that will sport a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor instead of the quad-core Tegra 3. The rest of the One X’ (impressive) specs, including 1GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD display, and an 8MP camera, will remain the same on both continents.

Are you excited about this bad boy or are you going to wait for something better?

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