MIUI, the stylish ROM which transforms Android into an unrecognizable beast, will be getting open-sourced. That’s right, Chinese company Xiaomi has decided to make the source code for their ROM and applications available to the masses via GitHub, the same git repository that the CyangenMod team uses.

They will be open-sourcing individual applications and the ROM in its entirety, apparently. However, not all code is available at this time. They will likely publish more in the very near future, said MIUI. This is great news for everyone and while we’re not exactly sure what will come of it yet (different variants of MIUI is the logical expectation) we’re glad to see that any developer will be able to get their hands on it. [MIUI via AndroidGuys]

Samsung Mobile may need to better screen their developers seeing how yet another Ice Cream Sandwich build for the Samsung Galaxy S II (international version) has begun making the rounds across various Android forums across the net. Software version I9100XXLPB, dated January 29th, is fresh out of Samsung’s engineering offices and gives us a good look at exactly what Samsung has up their sleeves for the melding of Android 4.0.3 and TouchWiz. ROM flashers are reporting the build seems more stable than the previous version (I9100XXLP6) which means Samsung’s Q1 promise for Ice Cream Sandwich across their GS2 line is right on target. Check out the video below to see it in action.

[Via Sammobile]

While the original Epic 4G never saw a truly stable release of CyanogenMod 7, the Epic CM team are making a lot of great progress with CyanogenMod 9. The Android 4.0-based ROM brings a stock Android offering for those who’d rather not deal with TouchWiz. An “alpha 0″ build was posted yesterday and it looks pretty good for its stats. The list of bugs and things not working is quite long but none of them are experiencing-breaking features. Take a look at the full list here. If all of that looks fine to you and you want to give it a shot just to see what’s on the way, grab the download links here. Take a look at a video review of this alpha above.

Those looking for some Ice Cream Sandwich love on their Nexus S 4G should listen up. A new build of Android 4.0 – 4.0.4, to be exact – has leaked online for rooted users. The build for this particular device and release is IMM26. It appears that the build is quite stable but it’s not yet known if this is the final firmware ready to be pushed out to handsets. Download links and instructions can be had at the source link ahead. Remember that you, and only you, are responsible for anything that happens to your devices – no one’s putting a swordfish up to your neck and making you flash it. [XDA via PocketNow]

In a world where fragmented devices and patent lawsuits are a regular occurrence, the Android environment can be a harsh one. Today is no different. Disgruntled Motorola users have begun banding together, taking to online petitions to raise awareness of Motorola’s failed promises, in an effort to “Make Ourselves Heard,” better known as Operation: MOSH.

If the acronym sounds familiar, it’s because this was the same group who put pressure on Motorola to unlock their bootloaders last year and even though Motorola promised to comply — things didn’t turn out exactly as planned. Motorola’s initial announcement was that the bootloaders on all their devices would be unlocked by the end of 2011 and here we are, well into 2012 with no announcement and devices still locked down tight.

Motorola did, however, throw users a bone today when they announced a special “developer edition” of the Motorola Droid RAZR would be released in the coming months complete with an unlocked bootloader. I’m sure you’re thinking, “What about all of those new Motorola customers who recently purchased Moto devices with hopes of unlocked bootloaders in their future?” Seems they’ve been left high and dry. And that’s where Operation MOSH comes in. Their demands are simple:

“To let Moto know that this ‘Developer Edition’ had better be available either as a trade for our devices, paying the difference, or not at all, since we all bought our devices in hopes that they would keep their word in the first place.”

Seems reasonable enough. So what can you do to help? Well, the first and most important step is signing the online petition. From there you can take it as far as you’d like emailing Motorola executives, filing FCC complaints or simply hounding Motorola on Facebook. All the details and links can be found on the respective thread on XDA. Link for the online petition can be found below.

[MOSH Online Petition | XDA]

We’ve seen Windows 95 running the on the Motorola Droid, but how about putting the golden child of 90s computing onto something a bit more powerful? Something like the HTC EVO 3D. Thanks to an APK made available by mnomaanw of XDA Forums, we now can. But it doesn’t stop there. Also bootable with minimal hassle are Windows 98 and XP as well as Linux. The specific method does require a bit of technical know-how, but full instructions are available on at the originating thread. You can get all the files you need there, as well. Booting into an alternative operating system will lose you a bit of phone functionality (and makes less sense in an age where smartphones can accomplish most of the same tasks). So which classic OS is it for you?

[via TheAndroidSoul]

When it comes to hacking and modding a device’s software, it’s always played out like an episode of Tom & Jerry. A developer will take advantage of an exploit in the software that allows them to root the device, followed by the hardware OEM who will release an update to patch up the software, and things start all over again. Such is the case with the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet, after B&N’s latest update, shall we say, complicated things a bit.

But now, as to be expected, a new root method has found its way to the N-Tab, making it possible once again to not only root the device, but get that precious Android Market up and running on the ‘old e-reader. It’s a little tricky in that you will have to use an SD card to get the Google apps on the device but if you’re at all familiar with partitioning SD cards (like the oldschool G1 days) using ADB, Linux and ClockworkMod, you’ll feel right at home.

The boys on on XDA put together a nice, quick tutorial further explaining the whole process, complete with download links to get everything working properly. Good luck and godspeed, folks.

XDA | Via Liliputing

ClockworkMod developer Koushik Dutta has shown off some early progress in bringing touchscreen functionality to his popular custom recovery image for Android. In a video posted on his Google+ page, Koush demonstrates the ability to navigate through menus using touch, rather than the regular volume rocker/power button combo required by current ClockworkMod builds.

A custom recovery image is an important tool for anyone wanting to use custom firmware on their Android device, so it's great to see advanced functionality like touch headed to a popular recovery like CWM.

This isn't the first time we've seen early implementations of touch support in custom recoveries, though. Previous efforts have included an unofficial version of ClockworkMod for the Galaxy Nexus, which uses on-screen keys instead of old-fashioned clicky buttons. The important difference with Koush's implementation is that it allows you to touch and scroll anywhere on the screen to select the item you want, just like when you're browsing through menus in Android.

The developer points out that the version shown in the video is still a "rough cut", with plenty of work yet to be done. But based on what we've seen in the video, things are already looking very promising.

Source: +Kouishik Dutta

Our friend Koushik Dutta has posted a new teaser video to his Google+ page showing a touch-based recovery that he’s been working on. This isn’t quite like the touch-based recovery we saw before that simply had on-screen buttons for navigating. Koush is going all out with the project, implementing the ability to scroll and select list items, all via touch and without the use of buttons, virtual or otherwise. While we’re not sure how far off we are from seeing a stable release and while we don’t know how many devices this will be intended for we’re glad to see that progress is looking good. Check it out in the video above. [Thanks Micah!]

The GSM Motorola RAZR got a leaked, unfinished Ice Cream Sandwich ROM yesterday and its American cousin – Verizon’s DROID RAZR – didn’t want to be left out of the fun. DroidRzr.com moderator dhacker29 posted an Ice Cream Sandwich-based ROM that is actually pretty stable, all things considered. The camera isn’t working, you can’t download from the market yet and ADB doesn’t work. Other than that, things are pretty much stable. This won’t be for the weak at heart but if you don’t mind taking it for a spin head here for links and instructions. Remember that you need to be on the .748 kernel and radio and not the leaked .173 version. [via Droid-Life]