Hasta La Gadget!

With Gingerbread freely distributed to the open-source masses, it probably won’t surprise you to hear there already a custom ROM for Google’s darling Nexus One. But what if we told you Android 2.3 is now available for the HTC HD2 as well? That’s right, the Windows Mobile 6.5 powerhouse can now snap off a sugary piece of the same Android code, and from what we hear in the XDA-developers forums, it works pretty decently, too. Like the Samsung Galaxy S we saw getting the green tie treatment this morning, the HTC HD2 and Nexus One don’t exactly have stable, fully functional builds, but as long as you know what you’re doing and don’t need petty luxuries like cameras, GPS receivers and official Google apps, you’ll probably be just fine. Find files and a modicum of instruction at our source links below.

Update: While these cookies are half-baked, unconfirmed and potentially dangerous to those not well versed in the art of Android hackery, we’re hearing that the HTC EVO 4G, original Motorola Droid and HTC Desire are now sporting early Gingerbread ROMs too. It seems the source code is relatively easy to compile for other phones, so with any luck there’ll be a compatible build for your device soon.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

HTC HD2 and Nexus One get some Gingerbread crumbs (update: EVO, Droid and Desire, too) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want to dig through 2.3 and see what all the fuss is about for yourself? Well, you’re in luck, because Gingerbread has just hit the Android Open Source Project’s repository, which means you can set up your machine to download the code. It’s great news for hardware companies that don’t care to get Google’s certification to include Android Market access — but it’s also great news for casual and serious hackers alike who are looking to craft some seriously wild, wacky custom ROMs. So, what are you waiting for? Get to it, folks.

[Thanks, Mike]

Update: Eager coders are being asked to “wait a few hours or a few days” before downloading to balance out the server load — and while you’re likely not interested in doing that, it’s probably in your best interest to heed the advice.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread’s source code now available originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s so fresh, so new, and so comfortably shaped we don’t know how anyone could resist getting their own Nexus S to have and to hold this holiday season. Well, there is one reason: getting up on a cold Thursday morning at 8am is no fun. If you’re dedicated enough, Best Buy is selling them right this very moment, and again the up-front cost is $199 on contract, $250 for adding a line, or $529 if you roll restriction-free. Still on the fence? Maybe our review will help you to fall on one side or the other.

[Thanks, Michael]

Nexus S now available, get to your nearest Best Buy post-haste originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That’s right, it’s official. Needless to say, that LG Star we recently got our paws on is very real, though it won’t go by that name at retail — just as LG’s own release materials had suggested, this monster has picked up the Optimus 2X name as it morphs from a prototype into brutally fast, overpowered reality. At the phone’s heart beats a dual-core Tegra 2 processor running at 1GHz, the first such configuration to be officially announced by any smartphone manufacturer (though we’re expecting others any day now). In case you’re wondering how such power might be used, well, for starters, you’ve got both full 1080p TV-out via HDMI and video capture through an 8 megapixel primary camera paired with a 1.3 megapixel cam up front for face-to-face calling.

A 4-inch WVGA display is along for the ride along with 8GB of on-board storage (expandable with up to 32GB of microSD) and a 1,500mAh battery — no larger than most single-core smartphones these days, so it’ll be interesting to see if the final retail units hold up through a day of typical use. Unfortunately, the Optimus 2X is launching out of the gate with Android 2.2, but LG’s already committing to releasing Gingerbread updates “in due course.” It hits first in LG’s home market of Korea next month, followed by Europe and other Asian locales in the coming weeks; we’re sure you can hardly wait, so why don’t you check out some eye candy from our preview while you pass the time? Follow the break for the press release.

Continue reading LG Optimus 2X: first dual-core smartphone launches with Android, 4-inch display, 1080p video recording

LG Optimus 2X: first dual-core smartphone launches with Android, 4-inch display, 1080p video recording originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s hard to believe this is what Android looked like two years ago. It’s a testament to how far it’s come that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is focused on making it feel good more than anything else. More »