ASUS providing bootloader unlock for the ZenFone 2
Unbeknownst to the mainstream public, there is a dedicated segment of smartphone users who love to tinker with their high-tech toys. The creation, development, and maintenance of custom made, home-grown ROMs has made places like XDA Developers a haven for life beyond a device’s “digital death” and ASUS is going to make things easier for those using its recent ZenFone 2: the Taiwanese OEM is now providing interested users with a toolkit to unlock their bootloader.
Asus ZenFone 2
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The first requirement is to update the phone to the latest software version (listed as V2.20.40.59), after which you can then download, install, and run the “Unlock Device App” and tinker to your heart’s desire. Note that ASUS warns users that doing so will fundamentally change the way in which their device can receive updates and warranty coverage, that is to say: it can’t. Specifically:
“Once you activate the App you will not be able to recover your ASUS product (“Original Product”) back to original locked conditions; the Original Product with the activated App will not be deemed the Original Product; the Revised Product will no longer be covered under the warranty of the Original Product; the software of Revised Product will no longer be deemed the software of the Original Product and can no longer receive ASUS software updates; your purchased digital content may also be affected.”
While none of the stipulations may come as a surprise to those who have done this before, it’s clear that Asus is seeking to limit any and all exposure to liability that comes with providing this service to users. With that said, those interested in getting started can begin the process here:
Asus ZenFone 2 Official Bootloader Unlock
For reference, the full statement of stipulations follows.
From the ASUS Support site: Unlock Device App: Unlock bootloader
Notice: 1. Update your software image to V2.20.40.59 or latest version 2. Before you download, install, and use the Unlock Device App you acknowledge and assume complete risk to the quality and performance of this App, including but not limited to the following: once you activate the App you will not be able to recover your ASUS product (“Original Product”) back to original locked conditions; the Original Product with the activated App will not be deemed the Original Product; the Revised Product will no longer be covered under the warranty of the Original Product; the software of Revised Product will no longer be deemed the software of the Original Product and can no longer receive ASUS software updates; your purchased digital content may also be affected.
You also acknowledge ASUS does not guarantee service satisfaction to any Revised Product, including events involving paid service requested by you to be performed to the Revised Product. Furthermore, such repaired Revised Product will not be covered under the warranty of the Original Product; the software of the repaired Revised Product will not be deemed the software of the Original Product and will not receive ASUS software updates. It is strongly advised that you avoid activating this App unless you fully understand and accept the risks that may arise.
Jabra announces the rugged Steel Bluetooth headset
Manufacturers have picked up rugged designs and materials in all kinds of electronics recently, especially in the form of drop resistance and water resistance. We’re only starting to see that type of tech hit accessories, though, and Jabra is one of the first to lead that charge with their Steel Bluetooth headset.
The Jabra Steel offers an extremely rugged design, complete with IP54 spec water, dust, and shock resistance. That pretty much means you won’t be able to break the thing by dropping it, and as long as you don’t dunk it in water, it should hold up to any splashes of water. Just don’t go swimming with it.
As far as actual sound quality goes, Jabra claims the Steel is one of the best headsets they’ve ever crafted, with excellent speaker design and fantastic noise cancelling thanks to a dual microphone set-up. Throw in a six hour usage time and you’ve got a pretty decent headset, all things considered.
No word on pricing or release date just yet. It’s slated to be released in Q4, but we’re still waiting to hear the price tag that’ll go with the Jabra Steel.
Copenhagen, 13th October 2015 – Jabra, the leading manufacturer of innovative audio solutions, has launched Jabra STEEL, a Bluetooth® headset specifically designed for rough working environments. The superior, state-of-the-art headset has been developed using Jabra’s 145 years of R&D expertise in delivering audio innovation.
Following an extensive examination of the daily needs of trade professionals and craft workers, Jabra has created a highly durable headset to meet the specific needs of those with the toughest jobs, whether on-site in high winds, covered in dirt or under a kitchen sink. Jabra STEEL has been tested rigorously, by exposing it to high drops on to hard surfaces, testing it for water (and other liquid, such as paint) and dust ingress, as well as vibration, temperature and squeeze testing; all of which make it the right tool for rugged environments.
Better sound equals better business
Jabra STEEL is just right for noisy environments. The headset offers HD Voice with dual-microphone noise cancellation technology that listens to the surrounding environment and isolates your voice. Missed calls will become a thing of the past and stopping working to take a call is no longer necessary. All-important calls can be taken on the spot and clearly heard.
“This is for anyone that does not sit at a desk but still need to take important calls, as the next contract may not call back,” says Darcy Clarkson, Head of Mobile Division at Jabra. ”We know that a specific headset for these kinds of situations is in demand, as standard headsets won’t address the challenges of rough conditions. You don’t worry about breaking your hammer when you are using it, and you shouldn’t have to worry about your wireless headset.”
Ergonomic design
The Jabra STEEL offers a robust audio solution for workers with the added freedom of wireless. Its extra-large buttons have been specifically designed so that they can be used with wet, or even gloved, hands. It also gives easy access to Siri/Google Now and allows voice activated call pick-up, as well as message readout (Android phones only).
The custom designed earhook also provides a secure fit regardless of the task being undertaken. Whether a job requires upside-down work, bumpy rides or safety gear, Jabra STEEL offers a compact, battery-efficient solution that remains securely in place all day.
Throw It, Drop It, Trust It
With a hard casing for shock resistance, water-ingress protection and safeguarded against dust, Jabra STEEL has been tested to cope with challenging workplace environments. For those working in particularly windy conditions, a special windsock ensures clear communications when outside.The toughest headset demands the most durable materials and extensive research has ensured that all bases are covered. In fact, it’s so tough that the Jabra STEEL comes with a 5-year warranty.
Equipped with a unique MicroPOWER battery, the Jabra STEEL is lightweight and comes with a talk time of over 6 hours, as well as a power nap feature for extended standby time.
Teamed with the Jabra Assist Application, the Jabra STEEL offers extra services including a handy set-up guide and access to a battery status.
Available in select markets from Q4 2015 at MSRP XXX
Specifications:
- Large buttons for easy control
- 30m/98ft operating range (phone dependent)
- Built towards US Military standard dust, water and shock resistance (IP54 rated)
- Up to 6 hours talk time, 10 days standby time
- 2 hour charging time (approx.)
- Weighing only 10 grams
- Extra services via the Jabra Assist app: find my headset, set-up guide, battery life and more
Find out more about Jabra STEEL at www.jabra.com/steel
About Jabra
Jabra is the brand of GN Netcom, a subsidiary of GN Store Nord A/S (GN) – listed on NASDAQ OMX. A world leader in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of a broad range of communications and audio solutions, Jabra has a reputation for innovation, reliability, and ease of use that goes back more than two decades. Jabra’s consumer and business divisions produce corded and wireless headsets, plus mobile and in-office speakerphones that empower individuals and businesses through increased freedom of movement, comfort, and functionality. Jabra employs close to 1000 people worldwide and in 2014 produced an annual revenue which amounted to DKK 2,871 million. http://www.jabra.com
© 2014 GN Netcom A/S. All rights reserved. Jabra® is a registered trademark of GN Netcom A/S. All other trademarks included herein are the property of their respective owners. (Design and specifications subject to change without notice).# # #
PR CONTACT
Sheila Tayebi
360PR for Jabra
617-585-5791
stayebi@360pr.com
Come comment on this article: Jabra announces the rugged Steel Bluetooth headset
Shove is a hilarious Chrome extension that lets you take over a friend’s browser
I am not 100% sure on exactly why you would want to do this, but a new Chrome extension called Shove will let you basically take over a friend’s browser. Not only that, but your friend can do the same to you.
The way it works is you go to whatever website you want and “shove” it to a friend’s computer. Your friends can do the same thing to you too and neither of you can stop it from happening.
To me, this seems super dangerous since your friends could send potentially harmful webpages over to you and there is nothing you can do. The only way to stop bad things from happening is Chrome’s built in security. Although, the friends you add have to accept your friend request. So, if someone adds you, or the other way around, you would have to know the person and accept their request before anything can be shoved. Excellent feature as you would not want just anybody sending you webpages.
However, it could also be pretty hilarious to add some friends and all pray the other doesn’t send them something unwanted. Kind of like a modern Russian roulette, you have no idea if something bad will happen, but you know that next website could be a huge problem.
I guess it could be useful as well. For example, if you and your team are working on a project and you want to send them a website, rather than email them the link, wait for them to open it, and then have to wait for them to click the link. With Shove, you can just send it directly to them whether they like it or not. This way it guarantees they get the exact webpage you want them to see right away.
Mike Lacher, who wrote most of the back-end code for the project said:
“At first we wanted to limit it to something where you could only send other people things a couple of times a day,” and “But then, as we started using it, the fun thing isn’t finding the most shocking thing or whatever and sending it to a friend. It was creative conversation… We don’t inspect the URLs going back and forth at all. And we don’t want to be watching what people are doing with it. So there’s no real controls on that level.”
Come comment on this article: Shove is a hilarious Chrome extension that lets you take over a friend’s browser
ASUS has made available the bootloader unlock for the ZenFone 2
If you own an ASUS ZenFone 2 and love to mess around with Android, you will be pretty pumped to hear ASUS has just made available an official bootloader unlock. If you would like to do this to your phone, be sure to first update to the latest software version (V2.20.40.59) before starting.
After that, it’s basically download the bootloader unlock, install it, and launch the “Unlock Device App”. Once done, the device is truly yours to do what you like with. Naturally, ASUS gives a pretty big warning that you are on your own if something goes wrong.
Press Release:
“Unlocking your bootloader allows you to put custom software onto your device. Many developers have created custom ROMs and have had to hack their way into the ZenFone 2 to make this available to powerusers in the community.
Now, unlocking the bootloader is as easy as downloading the utility, installing it, and running it.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION AND READ BELOW NOTICE BEFORE ATTEMPTING
Download the utility HERE
From the ASUS Support site: Unlock Device App: Unlock bootloader
Notice: 1. Update your software image to V2.20.40.59 or latest version 2. Before you download, install, and use the Unlock Device App you acknowledge and assume complete risk to the quality and performance of this App, including but not limited to the following: once you activate the App you will not be able to recover your ASUS product (“Original Product”) back to original locked conditions; the Original Product with the activated App will not be deemed the Original Product; the Revised Product will no longer be covered under the warranty of the Original Product; the software of Revised Product will no longer be deemed the software of the Original Product and can no longer receive ASUS software updates; your purchased digital content may also be affected.
You also acknowledge ASUS does not guarantee service satisfaction to any Revised Product, including events involving paid service requested by you to be performed to the Revised Product. Furthermore, such repaired Revised Product will not be covered under the warranty of the Original Product; the software of the repaired Revised Product will not be deemed the software of the Original Product and will not receive ASUS software updates. It is strongly advised that you avoid activating this App unless you fully understand and accept the risks that may arise.”
Come comment on this article: ASUS has made available the bootloader unlock for the ZenFone 2
Apple found liable of using University of Wisconsin’s patent
Apple can’t win every patent lawsuit it’s involved with. Here’s a good case in point: the tech giant has been found liable of using a 1998 patent owned by the University of Wisconsin without the proper permission. To be precise, that technology was designed to improve chip efficiency as you can see in this USPTO filing, and it was used in iPhones and iPads. The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) filed a case against Intel back in 2008 for using the same patent, but it was immediately settled out of court. It launched the lawsuit against Cupertino in January last year.
The court is slated to try the the case again to determine how much Apple should pay the University. According to Reuters, the judge presiding over the case believes it could be as much as $862.4 million in damages — huge, but even the full amount won’t make a dent in Apple’s finances. Cupertino’s and WARF’s legal battle is far from over yet, though. The company has to face another case WARF filed just last month, this time accusing it of using the technology to boost the efficiency of the iPhone 6s’, 6s Plus’ and the iPad Pro’s A9 and A9X chips.
Psychological thriller ‘Allison Road’ picks up a publisher
Allison Road‘s Kickstarter is canceled. Not because developers at Lilith Ltd can’t reach their £250,000 goal or because they aren’t up for the challenge after all — Allison Road will now be published by Worms studio Team17. This deal allows Lilith to ditch crowdfunding altogether, which is a nice option now that the game has already benefited from the attention of a viral Kickstarter campaign. “Working with Team17 will give us the chance to make our game unhindered creatively, but at the same time will give us the resources, support and experience that only a 25-year-old studio can give,” Lilith writes in a Kickstarter update.
Allison Road takes inspiration from PT, a terrifying teaser for Guillermo del Toro and Hideo Kojima’s Silent Hills (a game that Konami canceled, sadly). In Allison Road, players wake up alone in a British townhouse and have to discover what happened to their families — and what all of those creepy noises are. Allison Road mirrors the first-person, in-house exploration aspect of PT, but promises more interaction options.
The new publisher, Team17, is the studio best known for developing the Worms franchise, though it’s recently entered the publishing business, backing such games as Penarium and Yooka-Laylee. For those who pledged to the Allison Road Kickstarter and were looking forward to in-game rewards, Lilith says it “will look at ways outside of Kickstarter that will allow you to be involved in the game at a later date.”
Source: Kickstarter
Don’t bother emailing AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson because you’ll hear from a lawyer
Businesses like to say that they are actively listening to customers. At AT&T, CEO Randall Stephenson apparently bucks the trend. The carrier’s leader doesn’t want to here from customers, plain and simple. If you do contact him directly with an email, you better be ready for a lawyer representing AT&T to contact you. That’s exactly what happened to Alfred Valerie, an AT&T customer that sent Stephenson suggestions on how to improve customer satisfaction. Notice the message, found after the break, included suggestions and not criticisms.
Here is what Valerie, a self-proclaimed “lifelong customer” of AT&T, sent Stephenson:
“Hi. I have two suggestions. Please do not contact me in regards to these. These are suggestions. Allow unlimited data for DSL customers, particularly those in neighborhoods not serviced by U-verse. Bring back text messaging plans like 1,000 Message for $10 or create a new plan like 500 Messages for $7.
Your lifelong customer, Alred Valerie”
The message was forwarded to the legal department of AT&T where Chief Intellectual Property Counsel Thomas A. Restaino took over. After thanking Valerie for being a longtime customer, Restaino refused to acknowledge any suggestions with this very official statement:
“AT&T has a policy of not entertaining unsolicited offers to adopt, analyze, develop, license or purchase third-party intellectual property … from members of the general public.
Therefore, we respectfully decline to consider your suggestion.”
An AT&T spokesperson told LA Times reporter David Lazarus that the carrier has run into a issues where customers claim that their ideas were stolen. That is why Valerie’s suggestions were declined to even be considered by Stephenson and AT&T. It just seems odd that AT&T would do this when nothing legally protected is being offered.
Who else is in an uproar over the matter? None other than T-Mobile CEO John Legere. Team Magenta now has a hub ready for AT&T customers to drop off their suggestions.
.@ATT & #Randall are nuts. If they don’t want your ideas, we’ll take them! ¯_(ツ)_/¯ #Uncarrier is about listening/improving for customers!
— John Legere (@JohnLegere) October 13, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
In case you forgot, Legere is constantly going after Stephenson and other executives in the wireless industry.
Really, don’t email Randall Stephenson at rs2982@att.com. T-Mobile customers, though, can feel free to send John Legere as many emails as they’d like at this address: John.Legere@T-Mobile.com. Either Legere himself or someone from his camp will respond.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Come comment on this article: Don’t bother emailing AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson because you’ll hear from a lawyer
Engadget Live heads to Austin on Friday!
This Friday, October 16th at 7PM, we’re heading back to Austin, TX, for our second-to-last Engadget Live event of the year! We’re taking over the Austin Music Hall to bring together gadget lovers (like you!) for a night you won’t want to miss. Tickets are free!
Just like the guests at our previous Boston and Los Angeles events, Austinites can hop inside a 2016 Ford Escape and check out its voice-activated SYNC 3 system (or experience SYNC 3 through standalone screens across the venue).
Huawei will give away 3 Huawei Watches to lucky guests. Lenovo will show off some of their latest notebooks and tablets. For those seeking libations (age 21 and older), Drizly will mix up a free drink to the first 250 guests and Vapshot will return to Engadget Live and let you experience vaporized booze! We’ll also welcome back our friends from Chaotic Moon who will show off Halo, their haptic feedback device for the visually impaired. We’ll also see demos from Corning, Sereneti Kitchen, KubeSound, Ricoh and much, much more.
If you’re going to be in or around Austin on Friday, October 16th, come join us at the Austin Music Hall. Get your free ticket (or buy an early-access one) right here.
SanDisk is reportedly eager to sell itself off
SanDisk is a mainstay of the storage world thanks to its memory cards and solid-state drives, but you might not see its name for much longer: Bloomberg sources hear that SanDisk is exploring the possibility of selling itself off. The company is reportedly talking to both Micron and Western Digital about a potential deal, although there’s no guarantee that anything will happen. You shouldn’t expect an acquisition in the immediate future, at any rate. SanDisk runs memory factories alongside Toshiba, and it’d likely have to get approval before changing that partnership.
The companeis involved aren’t commenting on the rumor. However, it won’t be surprising if a merger eventually takes place. Both Micron and SanDisk are tiny compared to industry heavyweight Samsung, whose flash memory is found in legions of computers and mobile devices — a union might help them compete. Western Digital, meanwhile, would get an easy way to reduce its dependence on spinning hard drives.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez]
Source: Bloomberg
Hubble’s 4K images prove Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is shrinking
NASA’s Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy program, which aims to observe the outer planets every year using Hubble, has released its first (UltraHD) maps and images. The subject? Jupiter. While you’re most likely familiar with the gas giant’s distinct looks, these new high-res images show just how much it has changed since the last time it was captured on cam. According to the space agency, the ancient storm has become more circular and more orange than red. There’s also a wispy filament right in the heart of the spot, dancing and undulating as the storm continues to rotate.
In addition, Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 has captured an elusive wave in the planet’s North Equatorial Belt, which was last spotted by the Voyager 2 decades ago. NASA says the program has already taken (presumably high-def) photos of Neptune and Uranus for this year, as well, though we’d have a wait a while longer for those images. When the program adds Saturn to the list — soon, according to the agency — it will be able to properly document all outer planets’ changes throughout the years.
AIVAnet 