Hacking Emperor

Google doesn't get enough credit for it, but they definitely make some of the best phones for rooting and modding. Heck, if you want to replace the entire operating system on a Pixel, you can do it pretty easily. It all starts with the bootloader. On Android, the bootloader is a piece of software that loads the OS every time you boot your phone, hence the name. By default, it will only load software that was signed by Google, such as the official factory images and OTA files. But if you unlock the bootloader, it will load whatever software you tell it to — software like TWRP recovery, custom... more http://dlvr.it/Rkd0yJ

Every year, Apple adds some old technology to the iPhone and gives it a catchy marketing name, then like clockwork, it becomes the next big thing. Google, on the other hand, creates some truly innovative features, doesn't really bother naming them, then lets them languish in obscurity until Apple reinvents them at a later date. (But for real, I can name a hundred times something like that has happened.) Sure, there are some features Google actually advertises with their Pixel phones — headliners like Night Sight in the Camera app, Now Playing that identifies music around you, or the... more http://dlvr.it/RkXDxL

Every year, Apple adds some old technology to the iPhone and gives it a catchy marketing name, then like clockwork, it becomes the next big thing. Google, on the other hand, creates some truly innovative features, doesn't really bother naming them, then lets them languish in obscurity until Apple reinvents them at a later date. (But for real, I can name a hundred times something like that has happened.) Sure, there are some features Google actually advertises with their Pixel phones — headliners like Night Sight in the Camera app, Now Playing that identifies music around you, or the... more http://dlvr.it/RkSqr7

In a tradition dating back to the Nexus days, Google has always used fish-themed codenames when communicating internally about their phones. Their laptops and tablets are usually named after video game characters. These names often give us the first evidence of an upcoming device when they're used in software commits in Android's open source code. Jump to a model year: 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 Codenames become very important when you're dealing with custom ROMs and root mods. The numerals in friendly names like "Pixel 2" could cause problems if they were used in... more http://dlvr.it/RkSqnQ

In a tradition dating back to the Nexus days, Google has always used fish-themed codenames when communicating internally about their phones. Their laptops and tablets are usually named after video game characters. These names often give us the first evidence of an upcoming device when they're used in software commits in Android's open source code. Jump to a model year: 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 Codenames become very important when you're dealing with custom ROMs and root mods. The numerals in friendly names like "Pixel 2" could cause problems if they were used in... more http://dlvr.it/RkP3jb

Android updates don't have as many headlining features as they once did, but that's the point. If you keep updating software to add features and fix bugs, you'll eventually reach a point where the main focus is polish. That doesn't mean you can't get excited about a fresh coat of wax. Android 11 adds two of these finishing touches to your notifications. One is actually a regression in terms of functionality, but there's an option to put things back the way they were. The other setting is new and quite useful, but it's disabled by default. I'll give you a rundown on both. Don't Miss: There's... more http://dlvr.it/RkDLcN

Niantic recently added a new Field Research task type called AR Mapping that challenges players to capture video footage of PokéStop landmarks and upload them. In return, players receive rewards in the form of in-game items. What probably sounded like a small ask for players has been met with a mild backlash in the community. The scanning task puts players in the position of pointing their smartphones awkwardly at seemingly random public places for an extended amount of time in return for that are worth pennies based on the exchange rate of real currency to PokéCoins. Here's what you need to... more http://dlvr.it/RkD2vn