Hooray
for social media blackmailing...
Asus has pledged to release a tool that will unlock the bootloader built into its Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet, possibly from 12 January, the date on which it will be pushing out the gadget's Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. The Taiwanese firm blamed its decision to encrypt the Prime's bootloader in the first place …
Heck, that bloatware will probably be one of the first apps deleted after it's been rooted.
Google Books works just fine (given it's crap UI design) on my rooted Droid, isn't that one of the DRMed apps? I'm thinking this unlock utility does a little more than just unlock things.
Since the galaxy nexus works fine for video rental when unlocked (not that I've tried.. paying more than blockbuster prices for a video on a 4 inch screen doesn't appeal). If google were that bothered you'd think they'd have done it first on their own device.
Also, you can't simply void the *entire* warranty because someone installed new software. Of course it's entirely reasonable to say if you install a 3rd party ROM and a software fault develops, tough. If the volume button falls off, then they'd have a tough time saying you caused it.
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"will break when the promised bootloader unlock utility is applied, Asus said, as will any other service that relies upon Google DRM."
My heart bleeds! The quicker DRM is killed off the better. Anyone who buys DRM'd media is a pillock and should have more sense than to allow themselves to be held to ransom.
Have Asus never heard of testing? Sorry, GPS don't work, due to metal case we put antenna in. Doh! Would this not have shown up in product testing? They do have product testing don't they?
Some geniuses (genii?) can even work this out such that they make holes in the metal case, for the aerial to poke out of...
Surely this is even stupider than Apple's iPhone 4 antenna thing. Where at least they might have claimed the dubious excuse that whoever did the testing either used a cradle, or wasn't holding it 'wrong'.