George Hotz a.k.a GeoHot is a name which needs no introduction when it comes to hacking devices, after working his way out pwning Apple and Sony devices he has now released an Android rooting tool named Towelroot.
Towelroot allows most Android smartphones users to root their Android devices with a single-click and that too without connecting to a computer, one simply needs to download the Towelroot apk file and install it on their devices. Towelroot exploits recently discovered vulnerability CVE-2014-3153 in Linux kernel version 3.14.5 and most versions of other Android devices to get the job done.
The beauty of Android is that it allows users the flexibility to tweak things to the extent that their devices can run other operating-systems. Ubuntu Dual Boot Installer takes advantage of this and has now released an app allowing users to run Ubuntu and Android on a single device as a dual-boot system. A user can install and use fully functional Android and Ubuntu images and switch between them easily, on each-side, an app with a simple user interface enables them to boot back and forth at the tap of a button.
Google Android 4.4 KitKat brings some changes which will definitely raise some eyebrows, specially with users who are touchy about their privacy. After amending their TOS which enables Google to use your photos in advertisements all across the web via Google Shared Endorsement, the company is now making your Google+ photo connected to your phone number which will be shown to any user on their Android mobile phone as Caller ID when they dial your phone number. Currently this "Smart Caller ID" feature which is now live on Android 4.4 shows caller ID photos pulled automatically from verified Google Places and Google Apps customer accounts. This feature will however get expended to include personal Google+ accounts in early 2014, after this expansion anyone with an verified phone number and discovery turned on in G+ profile will have their names and profile photos display on each others screen even if they have not exchanged/saved contact information. Thankfully, users can easily opt-out and disable this feature as shown below.
Google has unveiled the next version upgrade of their mobile operating-system "Android 4.4 KitKat" accompanied with new "Google Branded" flagship Android handset "Nexus 5". Powered by Android 4.4, stunning 5” 1080p display, Quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 4G/LTE and 8 MP camera with image stabilization - the Google Nexus 5 is without a doubt the best smartphone in it's price category.
On the software front Android 4.4 update is designed to run fast, smooth, and responsively on lower hardware specs like older devices with 512MB RAM and offer's a more polished design with many new features. Do watch the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 First look video below.
The quick and dirty Google Android 4.3 installation instructions for Windows shared earlier were not perfect and resulted in slow performance. Free virtualization utility Virtualbox offers an superior alternative to QEMU based virtualization used in the previous approach offering much superior working experience and performance benefits. Here's a complete picture-guide to get Google Android 4.3 x86 working in Windows using Oracle VirtualBox.
Using Android on a Desktop PC can have multiple usage scenarios, for example testing of android applications, mobile-websites or using Android applications and games like WhatsApp from PC. While using a virtual machine is an easy way to get what's needed, it results in performance degradation, being an open-source project there are now native x86 architecture ports available for PC users like SocketQ and Project Android-x86.
When Google released Android 4.3 last week, the Android-x86 team got to the work and ported the brand new OS upgrade for x86 hardware, and we now have an ready to download test build of Android 4.3 for x86 platform.
With Android 4.3 Jelly Bean source, new 3.10.2 linux kernel and support for hardware-accelerated graphics on devices with AMD Radeon and Intel graphics chipsets the test build has almost all features enabled from the upgrade except Superuser (root) access and non-functional Suspend and resume support. Watch the demonstration video running Android 4.3 natively on an Acer Aspire 522 mini-laptop posted below, also shared is a simple "novice friendly trick" to test-run this new Android build under Windows with a few clicks and no additional software installation.
With tagline - "Swipe in. Cash out", Locket is a brand new way for users to earn money while they unlock there smartphones. Sounds unbelievable. Well for $0.01 every time you unlock your phone (maximum 3 an hour) the company will show you highly targeted advertisements. With every swipe, a user has option to either open the ad or unlock the phone as always. No matter what you opt for, you get paid.
Available for Google Android now, the app is a big no for "privacy" concerned users as it tracks and records users location and their shopping pattern data to offer personalized, targeted advertisements. While this can be a killer for battery backup, it also can be an advantage to get highly targeted, location specific discounts/offers which might save user some money while shopping. Do watch the demonstration video posted below.
A leaked technical video demonstration showing the upcoming high-end Motorola's Moto X smartphone is now posted on YouTube. The Moto X model, which is scheduled to get launched exclusively with Rogers in Canada this August, will be featuring some impressive hardware punch, the most amazing feature and the highlight of the demo video (posted below) is not the hardware but the completely hands-free voice activated features using Google Now.
In the demo, a woman is shown interacting with the handset while she types away on a computer, never having to reach down to tap the handset. Youtube and Vimeo have already taken down the original video citing claim by Motorola, but as it is impossible to censor things on internet we managed to get it for you - do enjoy the video by clicking the image below before it gets pulled down again.
Speaktoit, the popular virtual assistant for Android, announced Friday that it has introduced several new features that will expand the app's range of functions and make it easier to use. Users can now ask the app to read emails aloud, and Speaktoit will also allow for easy hands-free navigation while driving. Speaktoit also added a feature that enables premium users to wake the device up with a voice command when the display is off, making it the first virtual assistant capable of doing so. More information is below.
No hands, ma!: Speaktoit Premium now allows users to do something that no other app does: wake their device up without using their hands. A simple command of "Hey Assistant" is all that's needed to bring the sleeping display to life, thanks to integration with new technology by Sensory (see a video demonstration here).
Google has unveiled the next version upgrade of their mobile operating-system "Android 4.4 KitKat" accompanied with new "Google Branded" flagship Android handset "Nexus 5". Powered by Android 4.4, stunning 5” 1080p display, Quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 4G/LTE and 8 MP camera with image stabilization - the Google Nexus 5 is without a doubt the best smartphone in it's price category.
The quick and dirty 
With tagline - "Swipe in. Cash out", Locket is a brand new way for users to earn money while they unlock there smartphones. Sounds unbelievable. Well for $0.01 every time you unlock your phone (maximum 3 an hour) the company will show you highly targeted advertisements. With every swipe, a user has option to either open the ad or unlock the phone as always. No matter what you opt for, you get paid.
