6 ms·

Soft bricks can be recovered from.

by Hamuko 6y ago

jessriedel 6y ago
I hadn't heard the term "soft brick" before, and if you Google it all the top results are about this.
- Semaphor 6y ago
  "soft brick" is commonly used on XDA.
  - jessriedel 6y ago
    Is it a term that's usually only applied to androids?
    - 4cao 6y ago
      Not really, it's used for example with OpenWRT too: site:openwrt.org "soft-brick" - 213 results
    - wyldfire 6y ago
      'brick' in general is a sliding scale based on how many device debug/recovery tools you have access to and how much device disassembly you're willing to tolerate.
    - eghad 6y ago
      No, iOS devices can also soft-brick, it's just a general term. Most often people encounter the term in relation to hacking/rooting hardware, like a Nintendo DS/Switch for instance. Hitting up Wikipedia or Trends can help you dig through its usage considering how Google's search algo heavily biases current events wrt relevance.
chooseaname 6y ago
Neither the article nor the headline say soft brick. Besides, "soft brick" is just someone not wanting to admit that brick has an understood definition but they like the word brick and want to use it.
- CathedralBorrow 6y ago
  Does brick have an understood definition though? I think this is the millionth time I see this exact discussion about a news story using the term differently from the one true definition. That doesn't seem very understood to me.
  - parliament32 6y ago
    Well, yeah. "Brick", as in a paperweight, as in it's dead for good, forever. It's in the word.
  - stOneskull 6y ago
    discussions must be had. it's one of those sesame street stories anyway; they want to use tech lingo with the kids.
  - mhh__ 6y ago
    It's so rare these days I really don't understand why people fuss over the definition. It's almost impossible to brick anything with software, and even in hardware unless you damage the PCB itself you can usually recover if you tried hard enough (e.g. Even if you fry a $1500 FPGA you could technically reflow a new one and pray the bitstream is OK if you need it fixed now - although I'd rather you than me)
    - OJFord 6y ago
      Technically you could also lay out new components and copper trace on an actual brick, too. I've always understood it to mean 'broken beyond software or high-level firmware repair'. i.e. if not actually a blown component, something needs to be reflashed which has an inaccessible JTAG header or something, rather than something 'higher level' like recovery images over ADB & USB.
  - pwg 6y ago
    It is in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brick https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brick Under the 'verb' usage: 2 : to render (an electronic device, such as a smartphone) nonfunctional (as by accidental damage, malicious hacking, or software changes) // … those who dared hack the phone to add features … risked having it "bricked"—completely and permanently disabled—on the next automatic update …

Soft bricks can be recovered from.

by Hamuko 6y ago

Soft bricks can be recovered from.

jessriedel 6y ago

I hadn't heard the term "soft brick" before, and if you Google it all the top results are about this.

Semaphor 6y ago
"soft brick" is commonly used on XDA.
- jessriedel 6y ago
  Is it a term that's usually only applied to androids?
  - 4cao 6y ago
    Not really, it's used for example with OpenWRT too: site:openwrt.org "soft-brick" - 213 results
  - wyldfire 6y ago
    'brick' in general is a sliding scale based on how many device debug/recovery tools you have access to and how much device disassembly you're willing to tolerate.
  - eghad 6y ago
    No, iOS devices can also soft-brick, it's just a general term. Most often people encounter the term in relation to hacking/rooting hardware, like a Nintendo DS/Switch for instance. Hitting up Wikipedia or Trends can help you dig through its usage considering how Google's search algo heavily biases current events wrt relevance.

chooseaname 6y ago

Neither the article nor the headline say soft brick. Besides, "soft brick" is just someone not wanting to admit that brick has an understood definition but they like the word brick and want to use it.

CathedralBorrow 6y ago
Does brick have an understood definition though? I think this is the millionth time I see this exact discussion about a news story using the term differently from the one true definition. That doesn't seem very understood to me.
- parliament32 6y ago
  Well, yeah. "Brick", as in a paperweight, as in it's dead for good, forever. It's in the word.
- stOneskull 6y ago
  discussions must be had. it's one of those sesame street stories anyway; they want to use tech lingo with the kids.
- mhh__ 6y ago
  It's so rare these days I really don't understand why people fuss over the definition. It's almost impossible to brick anything with software, and even in hardware unless you damage the PCB itself you can usually recover if you tried hard enough (e.g. Even if you fry a $1500 FPGA you could technically reflow a new one and pray the bitstream is OK if you need it fixed now - although I'd rather you than me)
  - OJFord 6y ago
    Technically you could also lay out new components and copper trace on an actual brick, too. I've always understood it to mean 'broken beyond software or high-level firmware repair'. i.e. if not actually a blown component, something needs to be reflashed which has an inaccessible JTAG header or something, rather than something 'higher level' like recovery images over ADB & USB.
- pwg 6y ago
  It is in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brick https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brick Under the 'verb' usage: 2 : to render (an electronic device, such as a smartphone) nonfunctional (as by accidental damage, malicious hacking, or software changes) // … those who dared hack the phone to add features … risked having it "bricked"—completely and permanently disabled—on the next automatic update …