Asus promises to open Prime bootloader

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 on Google: the advertising giant's DRM tech demands it.

As a result, the video rental service app bundled with the Prime will break when the promised bootloader unlock utility is applied, Asus said, as will any other service that relies upon Google DRM.

Before the ICS update, Asus pull push out a patch for the current version of the OS, it said, which will "improve the focus of the camera, the fluidity of the touch experience, and the APK capabilities in Android Market".

Alas, Asus wasn't able to provide any aid for folk struggling with the Prime's weak GPS detection. It re-iterated past comments that the tablet's metal body is hindering satellite locking. And that's the way it is. ®