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Is Modding Your Android ROM A Good Idea? It Can Be With The Right Precautions

April 8, 2013 by DailyBits Leave a Comment

One of the biggest frustrations among Google Android users is the inability to immediately upgrade their Android OS when a new version becomes available. Because the OS is fragmented among smartphone manufacturers an upgrade for one device does not necessarily guarantee an upgrade for another device.

In many cases a powerful smartphone could be looked over as its manufacturer moves onto new devices. In those cases it could be worth voiding your warranty to mod your smartphone.

Considerations For Modding A Smartphone

First, is your phone out of warranty? Most devices have a one year manufactures warranty, after that point it typically won’t matter what happens to your smartphone since repairs are not supported without costs associated.

It is also important to consider the devices specifications. As Google continues to build out a more powerful OS the power requirements to keep the system running increase. If you’re running a dual-core processor with an OS built for a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 4-cores you might experience system lag.

Finally, make sure you choose a reputable developer for your system mod. I personally use XDA-Developers forums to find widely accepted Google Android mods.

PREPARING YOUR SMARTPHONE FOR A GOOGLE ANDROID OS UPGRADE

There are a few things you need to do in order to prepare your smartphone for an unauthorized Google Android OS update.

First, you need to make sure your device is fully charged and plugged into a power outlet. You want to make sure the devices full upgrade occurs before power runs out.

Next, download Android USB drivers so you can connect your device to your computer. You will need to install the ROM upgrade directly from your computer.

Backup your device. Download files, contacts and other allowed information to your PC or MAC. In case of a system failure this will help ensure that you don’t lose your favorite photos and other important data. Typically your smartphone manufacturer will sell your smartphone device alongside an Android backup application.

Bio:

Frank Hendel is a mobile phone sales expert in the b2b sector. In his spare time he loves modding the ROMs on older Android devices, recently he worked to install ICS on HTC Wildfire handsets. You can read more about ROM upgrades at Geeksuper.com.

Google Looking at USB Sticks to Replace Passwords

March 18, 2013 by noemi Leave a Comment

How many passwords do you have for all your online accounts? From email accounts – of which you probably have at least a handful – to social networking accounts to online banking portals to forums to shopping web sites – we have so many passwords to remember that it can be a headache. Especially when you visit a long ago forgotten site. Then it could be such a hassle to remember the password, that is unless you’ve got a vault where you keep all your passwords. (I highly recommend Lastpass for this.)

If Google’s vision becomes a reality – which I don’t doubt it will at some point – we just might a solution to this password headache. At a recent RSA security event held in San Francisco, Google principal engineer, Mayank Upadhyay has revealed the interesting direction that the company is going in regard to passwords. [Read more…] about Google Looking at USB Sticks to Replace Passwords

Tech Documentaries to Watch This Year

February 11, 2013 by noemi Leave a Comment

There’s nothing like a good, long documentary marathon session to spend a lazy weekend. I have not done that lately, but I would give an arm and a leg to be able to do absolutely nothing for an entire weekend but watch all the documentaries I can watch, with breaks only for the necessary things.

If you hold the same opinion of documentaries as I do, and you particularly like tech (you’re reading this, so you must have a proclivity for the topic), let me help you feel a little better on a Monday. You may not know it, but there are some pretty interesting tech documentaries slated for 2013. While you might have to wait for some them, the idea of having something to give you your documentary fix ought to put a smile on your face AND those that have been released should do you good for now.

Here are the tech documentaries to watch this year. [Read more…] about Tech Documentaries to Watch This Year

Get Inspired by Googlers’ Resolutions

January 2, 2013 by noemi Leave a Comment

Google‘s Zeitgeist is something I look forward to every year. While I may not spend as much time poring over the details as other people I know, I do make it a point to take a look back at the year that was – in the eyes of Google.

This year, the search engine giant put out something new: a map of Googlers’ resolutions from around the world. You know – those promises we make to ourselves at the beginning of the year… [Read more…] about Get Inspired by Googlers’ Resolutions

Will We Be Seeing Self-driving Cars in the Near Future?

December 18, 2012 by DailyBits Leave a Comment

The year 2012 means so many different things to different people, but the general idea is that it is a good year. Well, at least many of us were saying about 12 months ago. Truth be told, though, there have been a lot of great things in the technology scene, one of them all that talk about self-driving cars.

Google has probably gotten the most attention when it comes to self-driving cars, having logged in 300,000 driver hours – albeit with no driver. Other big names in cars are also dabbling with the concept – Volvo and Cadillac namely.

With those brands entering this frontier, it is safe to say that the era of self-driving cars is around the corner. Or is it?

From what we have heard and seen about the tests done for self-driving cars, it seems that the technological barriers are slowly falling down, one by one. At least for the prototypes. And that’s where the problem may be.

Having a working prototype is one thing. Being able to roll out self-driving cars en masse for the general public is another story.

Then there’s the issue of legality. Say self-driving cars do actually become road worthy, and everyone starts buying and using them. What happens if a self-driving car gets into a road accident? Who gets the blame? Who is responsible for the damage?
One the one hand, one might argue that self-driving cars should always be held liable. This is a recipe for class action lawsuit, don’t you think?

On the other hand, one can raise the point that human drivers still need to be held responsible. Then why purchase a self-driving car and spend more money?

There are many other questions…Who will carry the insurance costs? How will auto insurance companies perceive this development? If, for example, you look for car insurance from InsuranceTown.com, how will self-driving cars be classified? Will they cost more?

The issue of self-driving cars is not a purely technological one. Indeed, the technological aspect may be the easiest to resolve. It may be stuff from science fiction, but even Google has welcomed an expert futurist into the fold. (Although being a futurist is not exactly science fiction.)

So, do you think self-driving cars are in the horizon? Should people who have a strong aversion to driving (like me) raise their hopes?

Sad to say, I think not. Ethical and legal questions may be the major deterrents to us seeing self-driving cars in the next years. Still, hope is not lost. If Google CEO Larry Page has anything to do with it, the tech giant will be spearheading the self-driving car movement. And I think that guy can get things done.

Image via Tech Saucer