We’ve seen lots of Android apps that offer inventive ways to secure your smartphone, but I don’t think any of them are as interesting as Ergo from Descartes Biometrics. Ergo lets you unlock your smartphone using the unique geometry of your ear, so gaining access to your device is as easy as placing it against your face.
After locking down the bootloader of its devices in 2011, HTC faced strong community backlash. This led to the company to release a web-based bootloader unlocking tool in an effort to appease users. Since then, the bootloader of any Android device from HTC (except for some of the carrier variants sold in the United States) can be completely unlocked in just a few simple steps.
It is not possible to gain root access on any of the HTC’s Android device without unlocking the bootloader first. While the process might be an added inconvenience for some, the whole process is pretty trivial and does not require more than 5 minutes. Here’s how to do it.
The initial launch of the HTC One was delayed by a couple of weeks due to the shortage of certain components, but the handset is now slowly making its way on to major markets around the world. Compared to previous HTC handsets, rooting the One is a pretty straight forward process. In fact, once unlocked, the HTC One behaves like a true Nexus device, as said by a very popular Android developer, Koush.
Before you get down to rooting your HTC One, keep in mind that the steps below are valid for the international device, as well as the AT&T variant of the HTC One. Also, make a backup of all your data on the phone since unlocking the bootloader on the phone will wipe your phone clean.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Earlier this week, we reported that the AT&T version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 had a locked bootloader, and that meant it would be unlikely we would ever see custom ROMs like CyanogenMod for the new Android flagship. But just days later, developers have already successfully unlocked the bootloader.
They won’t be releasing the unlock to the public for another month, however.
A petition against a phone unlocking ban that was introduced last month has now received more than 100,000 online signatures, the threshold petitions must reach to get an official response from the Obama Administration. The petition calls for the White House to make cellphone unlocking legal again, without having to go through a carrier.
