Slatedroid info

If you have ever heard the expression there is no free lunch, you likely know what that means. Like with most things in life, sometimes you need to give a little to get a little. This is normally the case when it comes to bootloader unlocking of most devices, regardless of manufacturer (keyword here is “most”…. I had to say this before Samsung fans jump out of their chairs with pitchforks :p). The likes of Asus and HTC normally offer official methods for unlocking their bootloaders. In order to do this, you must turn over your soul… err, I mean your warranty, just for that bit of extra functionality (and in the case of HTC, that is just a bit of extra functionality as there are still several things that are blocked even after a bootloader unlock). There are of course other manufacturers that offer these unlocking services as well, which give you a far richer experience and more freedom for the same price. One such case is Sony and their Xperia line up. Many moons ago, Sony came up with an official tool to unlock your bootloader, much like the aforementioned manufacturers have done, and yes, they also take your warranty along with the unlock right. However, you gain full control of the device by doing it, or at least nearly full control as you lose a little something in the process… Unlocking the bootloader on any Xperia device that supports it will also wipe out the included DRM (Digital Rights Management) keys embedded in the device, which are essential for a few software bits to work on the Xperia .

The newest addition to the Sony lineup  the Xperia Z, suffers from the same predicament. Unlocking the bootloader will effectively wipe your DRM keys, leaving you with a non-functional Bravia Engine 2, TrackID, or OTA update capabilities, as well as a few other things. If you have not yet unlocked your BL, but are considering doing it, you must read the guide made by XDA Forum Member rickwyatt. The member provides an easy to follow guide with tools to help you back up your TA partition, which contains (as you may have guessed/known) the DRM keys. Being able to back up the TA partition effectively gives you a “time machine” allowing you to go to the point before you unlocked your device. Restoring the partition will do two things: it will restore your DRM keys as stated earlier, and it will relock your bootloader. Mind you, this can only be done BEFORE unlocking the BL because your TA partition WILL change, and backing up someone else’s will instantly kill your device, hard brick style.

While this is not exactly the solution a few of you were waiting for to get BE2 working again on your unlocked Z, it is a step in the right direction. Just keep in mind that it is always advisable that if you are going to restore your TA partition from your backup, you should be on a completely stock rom/kernel. There are reports from some people in the thread who have had soft bricks by restoring over custom ROMs and/or kernels while others have had very few if no issues at all.

Take it for a spin only if you have not unlocked your device yet. The thread is a good discussion and is filled with lots of useful information that might prevent you from making a mistake in the process. Please make sure that you read and understand what is going on before diving in.

This wont work if you Unlocked your bootloader already because
you have already changed you TA partition. also don’t flash
someone elses TA it will hard brick your phone

You can find more information in the original thread.

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Back in August of 2012, XDA OEM Relations Manager jerdog brought us news about a little Android project that was a bit “out there.” The Phone Sat project is NASA’s latest attempt at keeping up several parts of the space program while substantially cutting down on costs by using more day-to-day hardware and electronics. Remember that unimpressed astronaut meme with a caption of “so your phone has more computing power than the Apollo 11?” It seems that NASA engineers must have taken it to heart. So, over the last 8 months or so, 3 Nexus One devices have been prepared for being blasted into space with the sole objective of being tested as satellites. The entire project costs roamed in the vicinity of $3,500 to $7,000 USD, which is several orders of magnitude less than the cost of a normal satellite equipped with a similar array of sensors and onboard hardware.

As of this past Sunday (4/21/2013), the 3 devices have been orbiting around Earth, reporting their location as well as sending down imagery taken with the on board cameras. Before you all start wondering about battery life (really a common subject in most XDA threads), the devices are not only equipped with their regular Lithium Ion battery packs, but the blocks on which they are mounted are fit with large capacity battery packs as well. One of the prototypes is also equipped with solar panels. After all, what better energy source is there than the Sun itself? Most radio communications on the N1s have been disabled, so no SMS, MMS, or phone calls can be made either from/to the device. No word on the ROM used or if it is rooted, but we can only assume it is vanilla Android with a few extras added.

The choice of hardware is quite interesting, and just goes to prove that the potential uses of open source hardware and software literally have no boundaries. The obvious fact that NASA engineers have the capability to talk to and interact with all levels of hardware and sensors in the device puts them in absolute control of their hardware and therefore, their mission. The need for open development not only helps hobbyists and ORD positive people fulfill their addiction. This working model essentially can be used to expand the limits of what we know today and even allow us to conceive projects that were beyond our grasp or even imagination. Just imagine the benefits! Looking at this particular example, the savings generated from a single satellite being replaced by these devices are astronomical (no pun intended). That same money can then be put back into R&D to start pushing forward other possible breakthrough projects. So, for those who still think that open source is a waste of time and that GPL is useless, just remember: GPL and open source in general just saved NASA a few million dollars, and all for the betterment of mankind.

Now, lets just hope that they don’t burn to a crisp upon atmospheric re-entry. Thanks for reading.

WASHINGTON — Three smartphones destined to become low-cost satellites rode to space Sunday aboard the maiden flight of Orbital Science Corp.’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia.

You can find more information in the original article from NASA website.

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A little over a year ago, a thought began to permeate among some of the staff here at XDA: “Why doesn’t XDA create its own conference?” After much exploring and discussion, and maybe even a few group hugs (inside joke), we’re pleased to announce the first XDA:DevCon on August 9th to 11th.

We want to offer a conference where developers from across the spectrum can gather, collaborate with other developers, learn something new, and hone their existing skills. So we are bringing in some of the biggest names in the mobile development space to teach on app development, UI/UX design, app security, root apps, Windows Phone development, and more.

As for the location, we wanted a place that was attractive, easy to get in and out of, and relatively inexpensive (in August). The result: beautiful Miami, FL.

The other thing we wanted was a venue that was comfortable, accessible to a lot of great attractions, and reasonably priced. So after some nifty negotiations, we’ve arranged to have the conference at the Conrad Hilton. Situated just a few blocks from the Bay of Biscayne, and a short drive away from South Beach, it really doesn’t get any better than this. The room rates are very competitive, with a really nice breakfast included as well.

We will also have free food, giveaways, and a few more surprises sure to be in store. To find out more about the conference, visit the website at http://www.xda-devcon.com. You can also keep tabs here on the Portal, as we’ll continue to keep you up to date.

Despite the size of our community, our ethos still stands strong: to advance the technology we use by means of research and collaboration. We are delighted to see our growth, but we also have a sense of responsibility to give back to the community. All ticket fees (and sponsor contributions) are going back into the conference to make it more fun, valuable, and educational for the attendees. The conference is sure to attract a lot of attention, so make sure you register soon.

Last time, we introduced a couple of beginner-oriented guides at XDA-University. They’re guides that aim to get new users familiar with XDA and Android and hopefully act as stepping stones to things a bit more complicated yet a whole lot more rewarding. Such activities include modifying and tweaking your Android device, installing new and improved custom roms, and incorporating scripts into the device’s operation. Today, we’ll be talking about how to go about such activities, and how to recover from the dreaded bootloop if things go wrong.

If you would like to mod or or tweak your device or install a new rom or script, it’s more than likely that the process involves ‘flashing,’ whereby you load or install the mod, tweak, ROM, and script onto your device through ‘recovery’ or OEM tools. The Android Flashing Guide found at XDA-U does a great job at detailing the different methods, and particularly how to flash roms and kernels with Clockwork Mod Recovery and TeamWin Recovery Project. However, the guide doesn’t cover the installation of mods and tweaks, as they may require additional actions to be perform if the creator says so. This shouldn’t be a problem, as flashing is a pretty universally unchanging action with a process that can be applied to almost any flashable file.

The Android Flashing Guide also breaks down the process of flashing with OEM tools such as Motorola’s RSD Lite and Samsung’s Odin into simple, straight forward steps. Links to downloads of these tools are conveniently provided, as well as steps to troubleshooting if things go unplanned.

Speaking of things going unplanned, if you were to find yourself in a sticky situation where you helplessly witness a continuous loop of your device’s boot sequence, also known as a bootloop, XDA-U has a guide to bootloop recovery. It’s separated into 3 different chapters, each detailing 3 different ways of bootloop recovery:

1. Finding the cause of the bootloop and acting towards the appropriate fix. Potential causes may include improperly flashing a rom, restoring a system only backup, after installing an incompatible mod or theme, and setting the wrong permissions for system files. This chapter provides the known fixes for bootloops under such situations.
2. Using a CWM (Clockwork Mod Recovery) zip file as a solution. Applying only to mods as the causation, this fix consists of replacing every file in the mod’s flashable zip file with the original files that they replace. Original files can be found in their respective directories of your original rom. This zip file is then to be flashed back onto your device.
3. Using ADB (Android Debug Bridge). This chapter can be seen as an extension of chapter 2, involving a CWM zip file being flashed onto the device. Since the zip file must be on the SD card in order to be flashed with CWM, some users of devices that do not support SD cards may not be able to complete steps outlined in chapter 2. Chapter 3 aims to guide users through the steps required to flash these CWM zip files through ADB, along with explanations as what happens during the process.

In the rare occasion that all three methods do not work, it’s probably best to flash a stock rom, which in most cases is not a zip file, and go on your merry way from there.

So there you have it. You now know how to essentially flash mods, tweaks, roms and scripts onto your Android device, and how to recover from a bootloop. These may seem like complicated processes, but once the nerves are calm and after a bit of practice, flashing and bootloops will be a piece of cake. More details can be found in the respective guides at XDA-University, and if there are still any questions left unanswered, you can always query the wealth of guides and ‘how-to’s found in the XDA forums.

If you would like to contribute to XDA-University or get involved in any sort of way, feel free to contact us.

Until next time, happy flashing!

XDA encourages collaboration between developers and within the community, so it’s only fair that we seek out opportunities to do so ourselves. Working with the fine folks at Cruzerlite is just such an example. We’ve done some great shirts and a good assortment of cases for the top devices out there, and the response from the community has been spectacular.

Now, we are happy to announce a new case to add to the collection: the HTC One XDA Molded Case. The cases are molded into high-quality TPU to provide the most protection while remaining amazingly thin. The sleek, lightweight design of the case fully wraps around the HTC One, while at the same time raising the front of the phone to protect the screen when face down. These affordable cases are flexible, easy to apply, and easy to remove. They come in several different colors, allowing you to choose the case that fits you as well as it fits the phone. Or, for the hipsters out there, you can have a case for each social situation you might find yourself in.

To really launch this new case, Cruzerlite is giving away ten (10) $14 gift cards and will throw in free shipping. All you have to do is follow @xdadevelopers and @cruzerlite, and then tweet what your first smartphone was with the hashtag #xdacruzerlite. So something like this:

@xdadevelopers @cruzerlite my first smartphone was the Palm OS Samsung i500. #xdacruzerlite

Ten winners will be chosen by Cruzerlite on Friday. So get out there and show your support for the largest mobile development community in the world!

One of the key advancements in the mobile industry is the fact that people want to break away from the chains of a desktop (and even laptop) computer. Not having to carry 5-7 lbs of tech on your back is always an interesting point to consider when deciding what you want to get for work/play. However, since our devices are not (yet) fully capable of replacing our computers, the best thing we can do is try to utilize what we have and make ourselves as comfortable as humanly possible. After all, even if it is a pain, being able to use your PC from a distance with wireless devices is not nearly as bad or cumbersome when you are sitting in your most comfortable couch. The only issue with this is that you need to spend money on wireless devices (such as keyboard and mice) to do what you normally do on a PC, and these are not always cheap. If you are reading this article and are on XDA, you more than likely have a wireless-enabled mobile device. Why spend more money when you have something perfectly capable of accomplishing said task?

XDA Forum Member monect released his own version of a wireless interface to control a PC, effectively turning your phone/tablet/phablet into a keyboard/mouse/joystick/keypad all-in-one combo. Monect uses WiFi or Bluetooth to connect to your computer via a sever application that needs to be installed in the target computer. Once that is installed, the device can act like a wireless mouse or a keyboard, just like most other apps of its kind. What truly sets this one apart from the others is the fact that it can also be used as a controller for different types of games such as racing, FPS, RPG, and more. Each type of game has its own different set up with familiar layout for those who are used to having different kinds of controllers for each game style. And it is not just the layout, the app makes full use of the on board sensors to provide the user the ultimate experience when playing (accelerometer, G-sensor, gyro, etc). For instance, FPS mode enables the gyroscope sensor, allowing you to aim at your target, while Race mode uses the G-sensor to enable steering. And these are just a few perks in this loaded all-in-one goodness of a control app.

The app is freely available in the Play store and has no special requirements such as root (other than the installation of the server side app on your computer, that is). The only thing that the dev is looking for at this point is feedback regarding bugs and suggestions on how to improve it. Please take it for a spin and share your experience with the dev.

Monect is a free app that allows you to control the PC over wi-fi or bluetooth,

You can find more information in the original thread.

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HotSpot functionality: the forbidden apple of mobile telecommunications. Being able to share your Internet connection with others or even with your own multiple devices is something that we did have always desired, particularly those who hate the idea of paying a “convenience/access fee” to a carrier. The feature/idea of tethering from our mobile devices is not new, and in fact has been around since well before the PDA Phone came to be. However, ever since its implementation, both manufacturers and carriers have been on a crusade to limit or flat out eliminate this functionality from our devices. Android comes with native wireless tethering capabilities, which again, are disabled, blocked, or removed from the OS for a wide variety of reasons. Well, if you fall under this category,  XDA Elite Recognized Developer Chainfire can help you with his latest work.

HotSpot Control will allow you to use this functionality as long as it is present on the device (meaning, it was not removed from the OS). Normally, the native app can be disabled or hidden to favor other things such as carrier apps, which could prompt you to sign up for tethering monthly services. What’s more, there are times when the functionality will be blocked regardless of whether you have a carrier or not. In this particular case (and what really prompted Chainfire to work on this app), the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has a “feature” which disables the option to create a tethered connection to other devices if the SIM card is missing from the device. This app will allow you to activate and configure your hotspot regardless of whether you have a SIM card in there or not, or even if the native component is hidden from sight. Oh, and unlike other apps for tethering, root is not a requirement here.

Do keep in mind that this app was intended to allow the connection to be established between the devices. This app was not created as a means to bypass any software locks your carrier may have implemented to charge you for hotspot usage. There are various practical uses for this, so if you have something that requires a tethered connection to your device, now you can do it. As always, if you have any feedback or run into any bugs, please leave the information in the thread. Logs welcome.

THIS IS NOT DESIGNED TO BEAT YOUR CARRIER’S TETHERING PROTECTION - For some people it does (it depends on how that protection is implemented) but this is not what the app was made for. It’s no use complaining that it doesn’t do this for you.

You can find more information in the original thread.

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[Thanks to OEM Relations Manager jerdog for the tip!]

A while back, we introduced XDA-University to the world, an ongoing project that aims to guide your steps in the world of Android development. Featuring a wealth of information, guides, hints, and tips on a variety of topics regarding Android and development, XDA-U serves to help beginners and experienced pros alike, from knowing how to root your first Android device to porting and building your own ROM. Today however, we’re going back to the basics with getting to know XDA and your first Android device.

Now, if you’re starting off as an overwhelmed newcomer on XDA, it’s recommended for you to check out the New Users’ Guide to XDA-Developers to help you get on your feet and start browsing a site as large as XDA. The guide breaks down many activities for which new users visit XDA, such as finding answers to questions and problems, showing appreciation for helpful replies and users in the form of the ‘Thanks’ button, finding the most likely place to get help, and a general explanation to the temporary restrictions placed on new forum users.

The New User’s Guide to Android is up next, with a simple but thorough explanation of all the necessary basics of Android, covering matters ranging from setting up the Google Account and importing contacts to the home launcher and the files systems to APKs and USB Debugging. It serves as a 101 for your mum or dad, friends and colleagues, or even you—anyone who may be starting out with this OS but doesn’t know where exactly to begin. The guide is also conveniently available in eBook and PDF format for those who prefer to view it offline.

So now that you have a grasp of the Android basics and XDA navigation, how do you use the resources found on XDA? What’s a flashable zip? How do you use RSD, Odin and Fastboot? Can you eat a bootloader and what does it taste like? Well, the answers to all your questions can be answered with the guide on using XDA resources. The guide explains what a flashable zip is and how to flash them onto your Android device, what to do with an SBF file with RSD, how to use TAR files, Odin and Fastboot, and what a bootloader tastes like.

Hopefully by now, you may know a little bit more than when you first started. And if you’re looking for help on more the more advanced development, you’re invited to check out more of XDA-University.

Mobile technology has taken quite a leap in terms of evolution. As technology advances, we are able to put more and more power into these handheld beauties that we “used” to use to make calls, which are now used to do virtually everything, including serving as a credit card thanks to the wonders of NFC. Dual cores, quad cores, and recently announced octo-core devices seem to be a dream taken straight out of The Jetsons, where technology is powerful enough to interact with us and become a day to day necessity, almost like an electronic extension of our bodies. However, much as with everything else, technology has a limitation which can render it useless in the blink of an eye. Mobile devices are not always impervious to the effects of mother nature, and as such, they can get easily damaged by something as basic to humanity as water and gravity. Tech manufacturers are well aware of this “deficiency” and have, for many years, been working on taking the elements out of the list of possible things that can hurt their products.

The military/defense oriented manufacturers have offered rugged hardware able to take serious beatings for a very long time. However, it was not until recently that this tech made its way into the consumer market, based essentially on the potential clumsiness of people. There are, nowadays, a wide array of devices that are presented as “rugged” or capable of withstanding elements such as rain, dust, elevated temperatures, and also capable of taking moderate to high levels of physical punishment. This is a great cure/remedy for the aforementioned clumsiness of the everyday consumer. Lets face it, how many times have you had your friend tell you that his/her phone decided to take a dive into a toilet, a cup of water/coffee, swimming pool? What about an issue that has plagued our devices since the very early days, which is dust “magically” appearing behind the screen? Accidents do happen, and getting a phone that fits your “lifestyle” could potentially save you from having to buy replacement devices often. But understanding the specifications could save you from making a costly mistake.

Most of the claims from manufacturers about protection levels for electronic devices are not simply made up. They are carefully studied and tested standards that are used during the manufacturing process of devices. These standard testing procedures are used to evaluate the devices in question to see if these can be certified under the rigorous standards. Some of the most commonly used standards for testing come from organizations such as ISO, NIST, ASTM, and several others. They provide manufacturers guides to follow for the manufacturing and testing of certain qualities and properties such as ingress of external contaminants, impact protection, etc. Certification is done by certain other agencies such as UL, CSA (for Canada), and many more, which make sure that these standards are met. Once these conditions are certified, products are given IP (ingress protection) ratings followed by numbers which denote their level of protection. So, the format for IP ratings looks like this:

IPXYZ

• X= Solids Ingress Protection Level
• Y= Liquids Ingress Protection Level
• Z= Mechanical Impact Resistance

The third digit, which denotes the resistance against hitting it, is not displayed according to IEC60529. This is the standard to which enclosures for small electronics must adhere to. However, not showing in there does not mean that the test was not performed.

Dust Protection

As stated in an earlier example, dust can get under your screen. We have all seen this at one point or another with our electronics. It is almost inevitable since our devices operate with electricity. Thus, you will have some level of static that will attract dust onto the electrical components. This will find its way through the seals around the screen and into your device. But dust is not your only concern, as there are larger solids that can also get into your device that could damage key hardware components inside (salt, sand, etc). Protection against the ingress of solids into our devices can be categorized as follows:

IP First number – Protection against solid objects

Water-Proofing / Water Resistance

Quite possibly one of the most commonly known misconceptions in technology is that of water resistance. There are very few man-made tech apparati that can be considered to be fully waterproof.  Cell phones unfortunately are not among them. Having said that, in recent years, companies such as Motorola, Kyocera, and Sony (among a few others) have made devices that will comply more with a less stringent level of protection, water resistance. Before we go into the ratings themselves, it is worth mentioning that waterproof is something that is completely sealed off and will prevent the ingress of water under most/all conditions. Water resistance, on the other hand, means that the device is protected against the ingress of water to a certain degree. And as such, depending on the exposure to water, ratings are given to the various possible situations. All in all, a water resistant device is not waterproof, and making sure that you understand this difference can save you from having to replace your device since most manufacturers do not cover water damage under their limited warranties. Having said that, let’s take a look at the ratings:

IP Second number – Protection against liquids

Mechanical Impact Resistance

Aside from dropping your device(s) in puddles of water/washer/swimming pools/etc., one of the most common occurrences with mobile devices is the accidental drop or the (un)intended accidental meeting with walls, hammers, or other blunt objects. This test is fairly straightforward, it is tested to see how much “love” a device can take. It is measured in Joules, a unit of energy. Due to the fragile nature of most electronic devices in this day and age, it is assumed by the manufacturer that you will not test the device’s “time of flight” capability, nor that you will test if your glass screen is able to hold its own against a hammer. However, there are some devices out there that will provide (without the need for a second enclosure) some level of protection against possible mistreatment. The third digit (not depicted in the IP standard) conforms to the following testing criteria:

IP Third number – Protection against mechanical impacts

Other common rugged factors

While the IP ratings are the ones that will protect against mostly everything, there are other things, not covered in the standard that are tossed around by manufacturers as “features.” For instance, one of the most commonly known ones (that we are used to anyways), is scratch resistant screens, which are made out of Gorilla Glass (a product developed by Corning). This glass is essentially regular aluminosilicate, but with chemical additions and coatings to boost some of its mechanical properties. The scratch resistance comes from a special, invisible coating on top of the actual glass that prevents light scratches from ever reaching the surface of the actual glass. While some of the other chemical additions actually do increase the mechanical strength of the glass by a little, Gorilla glass is not more resistant to impacts than its untreated sibling (regular glass). This is a big misconception that has been around as long as Gorilla glass where people believe that scratch resistance equates to impact resistance. Thousands of handsets are sent in for repairs by people who believe this to be the case.

Last but not least (and along the same lines as Gorilla Glass), is another misconception about glass strength: shatter resistance. The way this feature is presented is by calling it anti-shatter screen. The crux of this is that this is a bit of a fallacy. There is nothing special done to a screen deemed as “anti-shatter” other than a adding a special film, which will contain all the glass shards in case of screen breakage. This is the same technology used in car windshields. A coating gets added to the user-facing area of the glass, so that glass pieces do not pose a risk to the user in case of the glass breaking. What this film does not do is provide additional mechanical strength to the glass itself (well, maybe a bit, but certainly not enough to protect it from significant impacts).

I hope that this article is useful to some. If you see someone using their device as a prop for party tricks (“Hey look! I am going to hit my phone with this hammer!!”), please stop them (unless of course, you believe that the person deserves not having a device that could potentially be smarter than he/she is). Remember, these features are added onto devices for “what ifs” and “oops” situations. If you don’t have to put the devices to the test, be on the safe side and don’t, unless of course you have extra cash laying around to buy devices every time you decide to show your friends how you use your Motorola Defy for deep scuba diving.

Thanks for reading.

Sources, ratings and tables, and more information can be found in the following websites:

• UL IP Code Designations
• The Engineering Toolbox
• International Electrotechnical Commission

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Dan Rosenberg (a.k.a. XDA Recognized Developer djrbliss) gets the credit for finding exploits on a lot of devices, and now you can add to it the line of Motorola units that use the Qualcomm MSM8960 chipset. There are currently three models included in this category, the Atrix HD, Razr HD, and Razr M. They’re based on the processor marketed as the Qualcomm Snapdragon, and they’re hiding some interesting tricks that may eventually keep users from loading their own ROMs. Dan’s investigation did lead to an exploit, but I find some of the pseudocode he authored based on the disassembly an interesting look at what the future might bring from Motorola.

Dan’s article is posted over at the Azimuth Security blog. In it, he starts by covering an online bootloader unlocking tool provided by Motorola that allows you to upload a blob generated using fastboot with your handset. It will return an unlock key, which is used in the same fashion. Great, if you have a developer version of the hardware. If not, you’re out of luck because this chipset includes internal fuses, which when blown can never be reset again. One of the QFuses is blown on every user model to differentiate it from an otherwise identical developer version.

The most interesting part about this is what Dan uncovered when disassembling the parts of a leaked Atrix HD update, which pertains to these fuses. Luckily he rebuilt the program as psuedo-code that is readable by the non-assembly-guru crowd. In addition to a fuse for the developer edition and one to signify that the bootloader is unlocked, he discovered a rather sinister flag. He calls it is_unlocking_allowed() as his psuedo-function label. He thinks that once burnt, that fuse will never allow the ‘bootloader unlocked’ QFuse to be burned, something that would have prevented all exploits including the one he eventually found. Dan is fairly certain that the units Motorola is shipping now do not have that QFuse blown.

At this point Dan started looking at how the official unlock method manages to write to the ‘bootloader unlocked’ fuse. It ends up that the ARM kernel is doing the work,which brings us to a familiar package, the TrustZone kernel running inside the ARM core. XDA Elite Recognized Developer Adam Outler wrote a terrific post covering TrustZone earlier in the year that will help fill you in on the role that TZ plays in the chain of trust. Having already worked with the kernel many times, Dan was able to quickly find an arbitrary memory write which he used to clear the global flag preventing writing to the bootloader unlock QFuse location. He posted the details for those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty.