Jailbroken iOS vs. Custom ROM Android

Sometimes it feels like the “Android vs. iPhone” war is taking on epic, religious proportions. Each side has its loyal fanatics absolute in their knowledge that their platform of choice is the best one, and that the other side doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

This can be seen with “regular” users who just take their devices and do what they’re supposed to do with them, but it is even more pronounced with hard-core geeks. I am talking about Android users who install custom ROMs and kernels on their devices, and iPhone users who jailbreak their devices and use Cydia to install all sorts of goodies.

So let’s take that class of users and ask a difficult question: Which does more – a jailbroken iPhone, or an Android device running a recent, custom build of Ice Cream Sandwich?

What I Use

The most important thing to get out of the way here is what I use personally. I won’t try to claim I am neutral here, nor do I think this story could be written by anyone who is truly “neutral”. So, I have an Android device – a Samsung Galaxy S II, running a custom ROM called Resurrection Remix (Android 4.0.3) and a custom kernel called Siyah kernel. To represent the iOS side of things, I’ve done my research online and asked my fellow MakeUseOf writers, several of whom own jailbroken iOS devices.

Rooting Vs. Jailbreaking Vs. Custom ROMs

There are a few important distinctions to make when it comes to jailbreaking an iOS device versus installing a custom ROM on an Android device. Let’s get our terminology straight here:

Rooting: This is something you do with an Android device, and does not require a special ROM. When you root a device, you are effectively telling Android to treat you like a grown-up. Suddenly, apps you install on your phone can do crazy things like backup and freeze system software, keep your phone from ringing when someone annoying calls, and more.

Jailbreaking: This is the iOS parallel for rooting, more or less. Meaning, you don’t install a separate version of iOS itself, but you use the same iOS you’ve used before, just with special permissions and the options to install more software and plugins via Cydia.

Custom ROM: And here we’re back to Android; a custom ROM is a complete operating system, such as CyanogenMod, which outright replaces the OS that came with your phone. So all of the carrier-specific crapware that came with your phone goes away, replaced by something (hopefully) leaner and cleaner. There is no exact parallel for a custom ROM on iOS: iOS is a closed-source operating system, so nobody can create a “modified” version of it. Android, conversely, is open-source and thus it is easy to create numerous spinoffs, each with its unique qualities.

Jailbreaking and Rooting: An Open Door

When you jailbreak your iOS device or root your Android one, you are effectively opening a door. The device won’t be any different off the bat: On iOS, you will have Cydia and would be able to install some new apps. But there won’t be any other major differences until you start customizing things and really using the power you’ve unleashed. Just like any door you open, both good and bad things might come across to the other side.

Says Aibek Esengulov, MakeUseOf CEO and long-time jailbroken iOS user:

“With the jailbreak you get lots of goodies like Cydia and tons of apps that come with it. I noticed that my phone became considerably slower after a few months of playing around with Cydia apps. Another problem is the actual security of the iOS, I wouldn’t open my Gmail or a banking app on a jailbroken iPhone.”

Since jailbroken apps are so unofficial, they might not all be completely on the up-and-up. The same thing can be said regarding rooting your Android device: Great, it’s rooted, now what? If you just roam around Google Play (or less savory corners of the Internet) installing apps as you find them, you may certainly mess things up. After all, there is a reason your phone is not rooted to begin with.

So, both with jailbreaking and rooting, the real question is what next? i.e – what do you do once you’ve broken down the wall, what apps do you install? And here, nothing will serve except for common sense. Both on Android and on iOS, there are root-level apps that are well-regarded and highly trusted, and you can install those without being too afraid they will mess things up. Still, even after jailbreaking, your iOS device will still be an iOS device – you will not be able to suddenly start using widgets, for example, although there is a tweak for that.

There is one difference between jailbreaking and rooting: Apple is definitely against jailbreaking, and tends to disable well-known jailbreak methods with software updates. For example, iOS 5.1 disabled known jailbreaking methods, and jailbreak users were warned not to install it or they would lose all of their jailbroken customizations. This doesn’t generally happen on Android, especially when you go with a custom ROM.

Custom ROM: The Complete Package

Unlike jailbreaking and rooting, when you install a custom ROM, you really get a package deal. The custom ROM is usually already rooted, and many ROMs come with a numerous apps already bundled in, such as Swype, as well as localizations. This is not always a good thing: If you are an advanced user and know what you want, you may not want your ROM to include a whole bunch of apps you’re not going to use, and will just take up space on your device. So again, here you need to carefully pick and choose what you’re looking for.

The best place to find Android ROMs is XDA Developers, a fantastic forum system for mobile developers and users. For example, this is the forum for the Galaxy S II, and it contains plenty of ROMs for you to choose from. XDA also contains forums for other devices, of course. This is not something you should go about recklessly: It is not like installing an app from Google Play. Flashing a new ROM could theoretically go wrong, but the bigger issue is that new ROMs can be buggy in all sorts of annoying ways and freeze your device just when you need it (speaking from experience). So, it is usually best to really take time and read the discussion threads, and go with a ROM you feel you can trust. And of course, don’t forget to make a backup!

Bottom Line

This is where I blow you away with a sensationalist punchline that will set off furious flame wars in the comments. Or not, actually: There is no clear winner here. As much as I love Android, the selection of apps on Cydia is truly impressive, and it is a mature platform. I would say that for dedicated power users, both options are equally viable, and both require care and attention to what you’re doing (with power comes responsibility, right?).

The only key difference is that Apple is actively trying to fight jailbreaking, while Google doesn’t fight rooting at all. Still, if you’re nerdy enough, you will be able to get your phone to work like you want it to – whether it is an Android or iOS device.

iOS 6 vs Jelly Bean vs Windows Phone 8

First Apple released iOS 6 at WWDC, then Microsoft put to fore the most awaited Windows Phone 8, and at the most recent Google I/O the Search giant...

First Apple released iOS 6 at WWDC, then Microsoft announced the most awaited Windows Phone 8, and recently at the Google I/O event, the newest Android iteration Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) was launched adding a new competitor to the two-horse mobile race. The new OS iterations were sheer improvements for Apple and Google to stay in the competition. On the other hand, Microsoft is here to prove its mettle and regain the ground that it has been losing on the mobile platform. It has tried hard and the feature set of the Windows Phone 8 will vouch for it. We decided to compare these three leading OSes, on the basis of what we know to be on paper, so far.  User Interface Apple’s iOS platform has been endowed with some nifty features over the year as it leaped forward with newer versions. It has ensured to keep its competitors on their toes. However, it is the user interface that still remains stagnant in the iOS 6, save minor visual changes. There hasn’t been much change and we still see the plain menu stretched across pages, and yes it lets you segregate apps into folders. Android ensures complete customizations, as you can pick your most favoured and frequently used widgets and place them on to homescreens as you wish. Now, it also allows you to resize these widgets. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 is quite similar to what we loved about Windows Phone 7.5. It offers a refreshing change with live tiles that can be resized. Interface...iOS 6, Jelly Bean, Windows Phone 8 We like the Windows Phone 8 UI, not just for its fresh, refreshing and sheer attractive looks, but also for the personalization of the lively tiles. Though many iOS loyalists may not agree, iOS UI looks too old, dull and boring; we would love to see an overhauled iOS UI. Maps With the new iOS 6, Apple has shrugged off its reliance on Google Maps. The maker of popular ‘i’ devices now has its own Maps app that is powered by TomTom. The company just didn’t lay out a mapping app, but added some useful features too. Android users can access Google Maps, which are integrated with Google search listings, something we all pretty much like. Microsoft has been trying hard to keep up with the competition, and plans to leave no stone unturned with its new Windows 8 OS for phone and tablets. To rebuild its losing mobile ground, the software giant even ditched its own Bing Maps to favour the Nokia Maps. Jelly Bean, iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8, all support turn by turn navigation, 3D views, and traffic information. However, Jelly Bean and Windows Phone 8 support offline mode for Maps, while iOS 6 doesn’t. Also, all iOS 6 features would be made available for users in India. Here, we think iOS 6, is comparatively new and could need some tweaks, while we don’t at all doubt the capabilities of Google Maps and think that Nokia Maps are good at what they do. Voice assistant Talking about voice assistants, iOS 5 stirred waves in the tech arena with Siri last year. Siri was an instant hit, although it didn’t really work that well. However, Siri has been taking intensive lessons and is launched with some good-to-know improvements in the iOS 6. Siri-integration within iOS platform also gets tighter. Android has some voice enabled abilities, and is working on a full-fledged assistant too. The Jelly Bean update adds some improvements to its speech recognition and voice search abilities. It now brings along the knowledge graph and also a built-in speech recognizer. Microsoft has entered the battle fully armed to face its competitors, Google and Apple. It also allows voice commands to make calls, send texts, search the web and more. Siri is famous and improving and Google has added some nifty improvements to its voice commands. Though Microsoft is armed with voice commands, we aren’t sure how well it would be trained to do so. New maps for iOS...goodbye Google maps Social network integration ‘Mobile’ and ‘social,’ walk hand in hand, and phone makers know how much social networks matter to the masses. Last year iOS 5 had Twitter integration and Apple added Facebook integration this year, to make the iOS 6 completely socially integrated. Jelly Bean follows suit, and you get integrated social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Picasa, its own Google+, and more.  Windows Phone 8, has been learning the tricks of the trade and has also integrated Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and its own Windows Live. Seemingly, Google offers more integration, and yes of course it is also trying to pimp its Google+.  Apple and Microsoft have also integrated the two most popular social networks. Newest flavour of Android... Mobile payment ‘Mobile payment’ is one promising aspect that leading mobile players plan to exploit to the fullest in the future. Apple has given NFC a miss, but stays in the game with its Passbook feature in the iOS 6. Passbook is a mobile wallet that keeps your debit cards, credit cards, tickets, and likewise in one place. It even offers updates to tickets in the passbook, and we may expect a lot happening in this space in the future. Google’s Jelly Bean brings in Google wallet, which is inclusive of mobile payments, rewards, offers, deals and more. The support for NFC ensures that Google’s mobile wallet is warming up for the mobile payment in the future. While Google has NFC and Apple has Passbook, Microsoft has both. Now, we don’t mean it has Passbook, but a similar feature called Wallet that stores all your credit/debit cards, rewards and more. Calling features Apple has added some cool calling features with the iOS 6, like ‘rejecting the call with a response.’ There are response templates, while one can even personalize their response. It also adds Do Not Disturb feature wherein the device doesn’t alert users about their calls/messages. However, the feature is smartly designed, so that if the number of calls from the same number exceeds 5 times, the phone recognizes the urgency and alerts the user. Android also allows users to create several replies, which can be sent as quick auto-replies, while declining a call and you can also filter out calls from specific people. Windows Phone has missed out on this bit. There is no Do not Disturb-kind feature nor the support for composing auto-response replies, while declining calls. However, it adds advanced filtering and call block options. Apple and Google both offer call rejection functions, while Apple earns brownie points for its Do Not Disturb feature. Windows Phone 8 has some catching up to do here. Video calling Apple has spruced up its FaceTime, which can now be used on cellular networks, along with Wi-Fi. However, like everything else ‘Apple,’ its usage is restricted to ‘i’ devices. Google has Gmail and GTalk for Android (works on cellular network and Wi-Fi), that allows communicating with Gmail users on other device platforms. For Microsoft, it has to be Skype, the company had acquired the video calling service lately. Skype also supports other devices and platforms. Google and Microsoft come with support for multiple platforms, while Apple’s FaceTime is limited to its platform. Lively and attractive... Apps Apple’s App Store is inundated with apps and the number is growing with each passing day. Google has been taking its Market seriously and has redesigned the Google Play store experience with the Jelly Bean version. It has even re-christened the Android Market as Google Play, to take the experience beyond Android apps. It is even selling the Nexus 7 through Google Play. As beginners, Microsoft has also been adding new apps from the time it was conceived. Apple scores high, not just for the number of apps, but also for the quality, Apple strives to offer malware-free apps by laying dowm some strict rules. Google has a growing number of apps, but has failed at controlling malware. Microsoft is still at the nascent stage, taking apps into account, especially while comparing it to the other two giants. Conclusion Though Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 appears to be promising, Apple’s iOS 6 and Google’s Android Jelly Bean still appear to be superior in many aspects. We can clearly see the efforts Microsoft has put in to keep up with the existing competition, and is striving to deliver neck to neck competition to the leading mobile OSes. However, it is nice to see another addition to the mobile race, which is until now dominated by only Apple and Google (we do miss BlackBerry). However, the overall performance delivered by all three OS iterations and how soon they reach the market will make quite a lot of difference. We still believe that Microsoft will have to do some catching up initially, but may completely allure masses sooner or later (this again would depend upon how it prices its smartphones).

Samsung Network/Sim Unlock Code Generator/Patcher (SGS1/2/3)

Today we present a unified/streamlined and simple as (some words here) SIMLOCK/NetworkLock unlock code generator by stock+ team!

Mytool generates ORIGINAL unlock code without modyfying any files!(like most of unlocker program does)
or PATCHES The file directly, removing simlock without code!

Feel free to read README.NOW file and post your comments / infos here!



Link:

Download Version (1.4-GPU/Patch) With UI (as on screenshot)

If you like it, consider donation by clicking "donate" button in my profile 

Quote:

Version History: - 1.4 * Galaxy S 2 flashing H/W 1.5+ support added. * Unlocker confirmed to work also on Samsung Captivate (US version of SGS1), just choose I9000 when you want to generate code. - 1.3 * Added direct patch method for Galaxy S 3 devices. * Code optimization. * More GFX card support added to hash cracking module. - 1.2 * Added direct patch method for Galaxy S 2 devices (if you your code cant be generated or you dont have proper GPU, use this method - Read README.TXT before) * Patching method confirmed working on HV 1.4+ version ! - 1.1 * Added GPU supported/not supported message - 1.0 * Requires Windows .NET Framework v4 * Support for Galaxy S II Added * Nice UI added * ATI RV 7X0 card or nVidia 'CUDA' one (G80+) required to decrypt pass in this release. Next version will not use GPU but it will be slower. For these who dont have supported GPU, please wait. * Warning: if generated code will not work for a first time when you are sure you typed it correctly, report it to us and stop trying, your phone will lock out after 3 unsuccessful unlock tries.

HOW TO RE-LOCK SAMSUNG GALAXY S (GT-I9000) (FOR WARRANTY PURPOSES ONLY)

Quote:

After you get the Unlock code using our tool, enter: *7465625*638*# Pop-up box will show up. Complete the first field (MCC/MNC) with the network you want your phone locked to (for example 260 03 where 226 = Poland; 03 = orange etc.) and the second field (Control Key) with the Generated Unlock Code. After pressing OK, your phone should relock.

READ THIS!

ALWAYS DO BACKUP OF EFS PARTITION BEFORE REPLACING FILES IN THIS DIRECTORY !!
I'M NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR DATA LOSS!
REPLACING NV_DATA.BIN WITH BROKEN VERSION MAY CAUSE YOUR IMEI LOST! - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED![




Enjoy and Happy unlocking!!
stock+ Team

DIY USB OTG CONVERTER FOR i9100! IT WORKS!

 DIY USB OTG CONVERTER FOR i9100! IT WORKS!

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The most Micro USB to USB converters are not work if you want to use it for OTG converter, because the 4. pin of the micro usb plug is not connected!
The most ebay and computer shop's converters like this!



If you want to use it for working OTG adapter you have to connect the micro usb connector 4. pin to GND (5. pin).
Like this:


I made this mod on my adapter and it works!

First you have to open up the outter cover and carve the plastic around the micro usb pins. You can use multimeter to check the pinout.

After that solder the 4. pin to 5. pin with a piece of wire.


And finally glue back the outter cover.

Video:


So if you have not working adapter you can mod it, if you have suffice experience with electronic and proper tools.
Only do with your own risk!

CREATE YOUR OWN FONTS IN WINDOWS

If you want to make your own fonts in window then

just follow these steps:
first go to----- start>Run & type here eudcedit and hit enter.
Small but very cool trick. 


Or


If u r on Win 7 then just simply type eudcedit in start menu search bar.

How to remove Newfolder.exe

If you are using pendrive for data transfer at school, college or at your office or any where
you must have come across the VIRUS creates an exe file in your usb drive with the name New Folder.exe.
► WITH THIS VIRUS
Task manager is disabled.
Registry Editor is disabled.
Folder options not working.
Taking too much time for accessing pendrive.
Uses half of your computers processing power.

► Now you can easily remove this virus
Just download the tool from the link below.
Run this downloaded exe by double clicking on it.
Then click on “Delete Autorun.inf file”.

After that click on ” Remove virus from USB”. The virus will be removed from your pendrive.
with this tool you cal also restore your task manager, registry editor and other things which were disabled by virus
just click on “Restore Default Windows Settings”. thats it...........

NEWFOLDER.EXE

                    Click here to Free Download smart virus remover.

Use Your Keyboard As a Mouse

If you find it difficult to move the mouse or wish to have an alternative way to the mouse using the arrow keys on the numeric keypad follow the below steps.
Microsoft Windows users can enable the accessibility feature to move the mouse using their arrow keys by following the below steps. 

1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel.
2. Within the Control Panel open Accessibility Options or Ease of Access
3. Click the Mouse tab.

1. Check the "Use Mouse Keys" check box.
2. If you wish to increase the speed or change any other settings, click on the Settings button.
3. Click Apply and then close out of the box.

After performing the above steps you will be able to used the numeric keypad as a mouse moving up, down, left, right, and all the diagonals. In addition, you may also use the center "5" key as a left click. 

Note: You must have the Number lock on for this feature to work by default. This can be changed through the settings.

How to: Make your own USB OTG cable for an Android smartphon

Some high-end Android phones and most of today’s Android tablets support USB OTG (On-The-Go). This enables users to connect a standard USB input

Some high-end Android phones and most of today’s Android tablets support USB OTG (On-The-Go). This enables users to connect standard USB input devices such as keyboards and mice, or even extend storage using a regular USB pen drive. However, only a few Android tablets are equipped with a USB host port (Type A Female connector), while no mobile phone is. Some mobile phone manufacturers ship USB host ports with their handsets while others have them as optional accessories, usually at a premium price. In order to connect an Android phone to a standard USB device, you need to use a micro (or mini) USB to USB Type A Female convertor, but this should also be an OTG cable. A mini USB OTG cable is available in the market and can cost you around Rs.150 – Rs.300, but finding vendors who actually sell it is not easy. The ones that are available are not guaranteed to work. The case of the micro USB OTG cables is also similar. USB connector types In this workshop, we show you how you can build yourself an OTG cable (be it micro or mini) at almost no cost. Do note that the procedure mentioned here will involve hacking into your existing cable, and even a small blunder can potentially damage your cable or the device you use it with. Proceed with extreme caution as we take no responsibility for any damages to your device. Do this at your own risk. Furthermore, do take note of your Android specs and check carefully to see if it has OTG capabilities before trying out this workshop. Phones don’t need to be rooted as the stock ROM usually supports OTG in compatible handsets. Those who have installed third-party developer ROMs should check with the developers if the OTG feature is enabled in the kernel. Slicing the connector sleeve Since all phones usually ship with cables, we suggest you opt for a second one from the market to create the OTG cable. For those who are not able to find a similar cable, this workshop will also show you how you can use the same cable for regular and OTG modes. In the following procedure, we'll be using a micro USB cable that we’ll convert to be used with USB OTG. Requirements: A standard mini or micro USB cable Some small, thin wires A sharp knife Soldering iron and solder wire Wire cutter Hot glue or any quick glue Firstly, we need to slice open the micro USB connector end very carefully using a knife. The idea here is to cut the outer sleeve (length-wise) into two halves to reveal the connector inside. Be careful not to destroy the outer sleeve as we shall be glueing it back on after the work is done.  A miniature switch After the sleeve is taken apart, some of you might find a whitish plastic mould covering the connector’s leads. This is for strengthening the cable to connector contacts, and its use depends from manufacturer to manufacturer. Those who have this mould will also have to cut through it to reveal the connector leads. On revealing the connector leads, you will find that it has five leads and not four. The usual four are power, data, data and ground, while the non-connected lead is sense. This lead needs to be grounded before connecting the cable for the phone to switch to OTG mode and sense a USB device connected to the interface. The difference - circuit Given above is the pin-out diagram for the micro and mini USB connector. Pin 1: VCC Pin 2: data Pin 3: data Pin 4 Not connected / unused Pin 5: ground In order to get the phone to go into OTG mode, we need to short Pins 4 and 5. You can either choose to short them permanently by soldering them together or soldering two wires to each of the pins and leading those outwards from the connector, which can then be soldered to a small switch. Using the switch, we can switch the cable between normal and OTG whenever needed. If you choose to short it permanently, you will have to cut off the connector at the other end (The Type A Male USB connector) and solder a Type B Female connector to accommodate a USB device. You can also choose to have a male to female USB convertor at that end. Here's what we did: The connector and the sleeve We chose to connect a small switch to the leads at Pin 4 and Pin 5 and glue the switch to the wire itself. This way, we could use the cable for both regular and OTG purposes. Next, we glued the connector sleeves back carefully using hot glue. Now the other end of the cable, which has a male USB connector, needed to be converted into a female. For this, we opted for the scrapped USB rear panel connector of a desktop PC. We soldered the wires of the USB connector to create a USB female-to-female convertor. Once done, we now have an OTG cable ready for use. Just to ensure we do not end up frying our phone, we used a multimeter to double-check any cable shortings during the soldering. Lastly, we connected the OTG cable to our Android (the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman) and used a USB mouse with it. If your cable worked for you and your phone is compatible with OTG features, you can also connect a USB hub to the OTG cable and use a USB keyboard, mouse and pen drive together on the same Android device. Micro USB Pin points By following this workshop you can now conveniently use a pointing device to control your apps and games, use a keyboard to type e-mails and messages or use a pen drive to store or access media or large files. If you are lucky enough to find a micro USB connector and a Type A Female USB connector at an electronics store though, you can make your own OTG cable for under Rs.100.