Sony Ericsson will let you unlock the bootloader on new Xperia Android phones — subject to conditions

While one group of Android phone makers is swinging towards locking their hardware down, Sony Ericsson is resolutely headed in the other direction. The Swedo-Japanese consortium has just announced it will provide a secure and legal way for eager Android hackers to gain full control of the bootloader on some of its upcoming 2011 Xperia line of phones. All four models are covered, the Xperia Play, Neo, Pro, and Arc, however you have to make sure you buy a handset that isn’t SIM-locked to a carrier and then there are territorial considerations to take into account. Warranties may still be voided by fooling around with your Xperia’s software (again, depends on individual handsets and markets) and SE warns gravely of the potential for “physical injuries or material damage” if you freak your Android into overheating or worse. So proceed with caution, but know that Sony Ericsson is by your side*.

* Subject to terms and conditions, repair charges may be incurred, Android upgrades are promised but never guaranteed.

Sony Ericsson will let you unlock the bootloader on new Xperia Android phones — subject to conditions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia promises strong Symbian devices through Windows Phone transition, major OTA update this summer

Nokia loves telling the world about the 150 million Symbian handsets it will ship in the years to come. Problem is, that’s far from a factual statement — it’s a goal, a hope, and something that will only be possible if developers and fans don’t abandon the platform wholesale as the company transitions from Symbian to Windows Phone smartphones over the next two years. As such, Nokia is desperately trying to convince us that Symbian and the Qt developer framework are far from dead. In an open letter of encouragement to developers from Purnima Kochikar, VP of Nokia Forum & Developer Community, Purnima attempts to coax devs into fine-tuning their Qt skills in preparation for a “strong portfolio” of new Symbian products with “GHz+” processing and faster graphics coming in 2011 and 2012. Presumably she’s talking about the T7, X7, and E6 leaks among others. And because Symbian is still the leading smartphone platform in markets like China, India, Russia, and Turkey, she hints that Nokia will likely continue to support Symbian well beyond the transition to Windows Phone, at least in select markets.

Of course, hardware has never really been Nokia’s issue so it’s nice to hear Purnima commit to a first major Symbian user experience update this summer that includes the new home screen, icons, browser, and navbar we’ve already seen, in addition to a “fresh look and feel” to the Ovi Store and Maps with the latter also getting a integrated social media services update. The Symbian update — some of which has already been seen on the C7 Astound — will come to “all users” over the air. Too late to save the platform but just in time for the Symbian faithful.

Nokia promises strong Symbian devices through Windows Phone transition, major OTA update this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Thinking Machines flashes back to 1968 for a lesson in computer logic, sideburns (video)

Another dusty gem’s emerged from the vintage gold mine that is AT&T’s Tech Channel archive, and this one’s packed full of useful information and some classic Jetsons-style animation. The Thinking Machines pits man against computer to explain how the things reason, and it does so with a soundtrack that’s straight out of, well, 1968. Unsurprisingly, the film’s populated by giant, button-laden switchboards, early computer graphics, ladies sporting beehives, and gents rocking unfortunate facial hair, but if that doesn’t do it for you, it also offers genuine pearls like this: “Best of all, they never get bored. Like other machines, they can do the same monotonous chores all day long without complaining.” Someone should tell that to the disgruntled Roomba residing in our hall closet. Check out the full video in all its dated glory after the break.

Continue reading The Thinking Machines flashes back to 1968 for a lesson in computer logic, sideburns (video)

The Thinking Machines flashes back to 1968 for a lesson in computer logic, sideburns (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint begins Kyocera Echo reservations, challenges you to a ‘dual’

Surely you remember the Kyocera Echo, that dual-screen Android 2.2 phone that Sprint unveiled way back in February. Well, if it managed to pique your interest, then you’ll be glad to know that Sprint’s thrown up quite the unique reservation page that will let you reserve the phone now for $200 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) to ensure you’ll have it on its April 17th release date. The company warns that there’ll be limited quantities, so if you want to be the only one in town rocking a dual-screen smartphone, hit the source link and punch in your info — and don’t forget to try your hand at a game of Bottle Bustin’ Bandits while you’re there for a chance to win one of these phones.

Sprint begins Kyocera Echo reservations, challenges you to a ‘dual’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashphone  |  sourceSprint  | Email this | Comments

Verizon’s Samsung LTE Mobile Hotspot goes on sale: $100 on contract

We’d heard March 31st for this thing, but hey — are we about to complain when it goes on sale early? That would be a definitive “no,” and we’re happy to report that Samsung’s SCH-LC11 Mobile Hotspot with 1x, EV-DO Rev. A, and LTE compatibility on Verizon’s network is now being offered on the carrier’s website for $99.99 on contract after a $50 instant discount. That makes it the cheapest way to get five devices attached to some of the fastest wireless broadband around — sure, you can do it with a Thunderbolt, but it’ll run you a little more upfront and you need a voice plan. Who’s in?

[Thanks, Nick R.]

Verizon’s Samsung LTE Mobile Hotspot goes on sale: $100 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon Cloud Player goes live, streams music on your computer and Android

Oh snap! Look who just ate Apple and Google’s lunch here? Minutes ago, Amazon rolled out its very own music streaming service which is conveniently dubbed the Amazon Cloud Player. Existing Amazon customers in the US can now upload their MP3 purchases to their 5GB cloud space — upgradable to a one-year 20GB plan for free upon purchasing an MP3 album, with additional plans starting at $20 a year — and then start streaming on their computers or Android devices. Oh, and did we mention that this service is free of charge as well? Meanwhile, someone will have some catching up to do, but we have a feeling it won’t take them too long.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: As some readers have confirmed, it appears that the Cloud Player will support music purchased from iTunes as well, presumably from the post-DRM era.

Update 2: Press release after the break.

Continue reading Amazon Cloud Player goes live, streams music on your computer and Android

Amazon Cloud Player goes live, streams music on your computer and Android originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix Canada announces new bandwidth management settings for capped users

The second bit of news for Canadian Netflixers in less than 24 hours deals with the other pressing issue facing the service in the Great White North: bandwidth caps. While they exist in the U.S., many Canadian ISPs have set the max amount of data allowed at much lower levels and they may cut further if a recent CRTC decision on usage-based billing stands. In response, starting today Netflix.ca accounts all have a new Manage Video Quality setting that lets users select Good / Better / Best bitrates as defaults for their video streams. According to CPO Neil Hunt’s blog post, previously watching 30 hours of Netflix would typically consume up to 30GB of data, while now it can be as low as 9GB under the “Good” setting. Of course, dropping bitrate means lowering picture quality accordingly, despite promises that “the experience continues to be great.” Even with HD and 5.1 audio available, PQ probably isn’t your highest priority if you’ve turned to streaming, but it remains to be seen if customers find the compromise suitable, and whether a similar option comes to U.S. users facing similarly limited connections.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Netflix Canada announces new bandwidth management settings for capped users originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu LifeBook AH572 starts shipping, Sandy Bridge and 3D for under a grand

We saw the Fujitsu LifeBook AH572 way back in January at CES, and at the time, we were intrigued by the prospect of Sandy Bridge speed and 3D capability — it boasts a passive 3D display and dual cameras for recording in the third dimension — for an eminently reasonable $999. Well, were you able to resist the wave of laptops from the rest of computing’s usual suspects, you can now get your hands on Fujitsu’s 3D lappy packing Intel’s latest silicon, a 500GB HDD, and Blu-ray combo drive to boot. Sound good? Hit the source link to grab some of the laptop love for yourself.

Fujitsu LifeBook AH572 starts shipping, Sandy Bridge and 3D for under a grand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Intel solid-state drive hits 600GB

Chip giant is now offering a massive 600GB solid-state drive. That’s just about as big as these ultra-fast storage devices get these days. As always, the extra speed comes at a price.

Originally posted at Nanotech – The Circuits Blog

HTC EVO 3D coming to Europe, keeping the sexy name and specs

Earlier this year, HTC allowed its previously Verizon-exclusive brand name out to prowl the globe with the Incredible S, and now it’s doing the same with the heretofore Sprint-only EVO moniker. The EVO 3D, says a tweet from HTC’s French mouthpiece, is coming to the land of baguettes, stylish mustaches and stripy pullovers, though a little bit of mystery remains as to when exactly its arrival shall be. Whatever the schedule (the EVO 3D’s set for a “summer” release in the US), the rest of Europe’s unlikely to be left out, meaning a 4.3-inch superphone with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1080p video recording in 2D and 720p in 3D, HTC’s newest Sense skin and Android’s freshest Gingerbread build, is headed out to the Old World. And that, fellow pilgrims, is a mighty awesome thing indeed.

Continue reading HTC EVO 3D coming to Europe, keeping the sexy name and specs

HTC EVO 3D coming to Europe, keeping the sexy name and specs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Coolsmartphone  |  source@HTC_Fr (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments