Aug 02

Best Buy dishing out free Nexus S for one day only, ball and chain included

Posted in: Android, att, BestBuy, free, gingerbread, Google, GoogleAndroid, NeXus, nexus s, NexusS, samsung, t-mobile, Today's Chili
Have you been looking to get your hands on a nice slice of Gingerbread without totally wrecking your wallet? If so… your time has come. Best Buy has announced that starting tonight (August 2nd) at 11 p.m. CST — we’ll assume they meant CDT, aka midnight Eastern — it will begin offering the Google Nexus S for free (you read that right). Of course, you’ll still have to chain yourself to a two-year agreement with AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile to cash in on this deal, but wait a day later and the price will certainly jump back up to a full Benjamin. So set your clock, and make sure you score one either in-store or online before 11:59 p.m. CST tomorrow. Check out the full details in the PR, just past the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Best Buy dishing out free Nexus S for one day only, ball and chain included

Best Buy dishing out free Nexus S for one day only, ball and chain included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 02

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide review

Posted in: 1080p, Android, dual-core, DualCore, gingerbread, Google, hspa, HTC, htc sense, HtcSense, netflix, qualcomm, review, sense, smartphone, snapdragon, t-mobile, Today's Chili, video

Not too long ago, things were pretty simple in T-Mobile’s Android land. For us (the nerds, geeks, power users, early adopters, and other misbegotten social deviants) there was the G series of phones with plain Android, culminating recently with LG’s delightful G2x. If you wanted to buy your mom an Android smartphone, you’d point her at the myTouch series of handsets with custom HTC Sense-based skins, like last winter’s myTouch 4G. Life got a bit more complicated with the introduction of LG’s Optimus T, Samsung’s Galaxy S 4G, and other devices that don’t neatly fit into the carrier’s grand branding scheme. Well, fear not! T-Mobile and HTC went ahead and refreshed last summer’s lovely myTouch 3G Slide with a dash of dual-core tech lifted right from HTC’s Sensation flagship and a bespoke 8 megapixel shooter said to be “the most advanced camera of any smartphone”. Those are fighting words… so does the myTouch 4G Slide (as it’s called) beat the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S II, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc, and Nokia’s N8 in terms of imaging performance? Is the sliding keyboard as pleasant to use as its predecessor? And most importantly, is this your mom’s next phone? Read on for our full review.

Gallery: T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide review

Continue reading T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide review

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 02

Pandigital’s Nova Android tablet hits Best Buy, explodes for $170

Posted in: Android, android tablet, AndroidTablet, barnes and noble, BarnesAndNoble, BestBuy, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, price, tablet, Today's Chili, touchscreen
Pandigital has added a new star to its growing galaxy of e-readers, with the Nova Digital Reader — a seven-inch, Android 2.3-powered slate that looks awfully similar to that eight-inch Super Nova we recently spotted at the FCC. The tablet, which just popped up at Best Buy, is powered by an 800MHz processor, offers 4GB of internal storage, and features an ActiveTouch display with 800×600 resolution. Much like its forerunners, the Novel and the Planet, the Nova also connects directly to the Barnes and Noble bookstore, and sports a pair of front- and rear-facing cameras. Aside from that, you’ll find the usual 802.11 b/g/n wireless capabilities, a built-in microSD card slot, and a micro HDMI port, all packed within a frame that’s half-an-inch thick. Persuaded? Grab your ‘scope and zoom in on the source link to purchase.

[Thanks, Charlie]

Pandigital’s Nova Android tablet hits Best Buy, explodes for $170 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 01

Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update now rolling out, may brick (update: rollout pause)

Posted in: firmware, gingerbread, smartphone, Software, Sprint, Today's Chili, update

Kyocera may have jumped the gun yesterday with word of the Echo’s Gingerbread destiny, but today those Android 2.3.4 goods have been made official. Rolling out to users in the next few weeks, the OTA update adds Google’s latest OS refinements to the dual-screened phone, as well as a new Downloads app, Swype 3.0 and power-saving Eco Mode. Impatient owners can always forego the wait for a carrier-pushed upgrade and pull it themselves, but a word of caution: commenters over on AndroidCentral’s forums are claiming this update bricks phones. We’ve reached out to Sprint for comment on the matter and while the company is aware of the issue, no official statement has been made. So, go ahead and start downloading, or not?

Update: We’ve confirmed with Sprint that there is indeed an issue, and that its product team is “troubleshooting the issue and [has] suspended the update until further notice.” Here’s hoping things get going soon, with the sailing being a bit smoother the second go ’round.

Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update now rolling out, may brick (update: rollout pause) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 01

Sony Ericsson’s tiny Xperia Mini and Mini Pro on sale now in Taiwan and Hong Kong

Posted in: Android, available, gingerbread, Google, Mini, on sale, OnSale, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, xperia
Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Mini Pro

They’ve been announced, manhandled (by us and the FCC), and now they’re finally on sale… in Taiwan and Hong Kong. That’s right, some of the first folks to put Sony Ericsson’s latest Android phones in their pockets will be the citizens around HTC’s very own turf. According to VR-Zone and our brethren over at Engadget Chinese, both the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro are on shelves now for NT$7990 / HK$2,098 (about US$270) and NT$8990 (US$310) / HK$2,198 (US$280) respectively. It probably won’t be much longer now till these pair of itty-bitty, 3-inch Gingerbread phones hit the states but, if you’re impatient, those two cities are only about a 13-hour flight away.

Sony Ericsson’s tiny Xperia Mini and Mini Pro on sale now in Taiwan and Hong Kong originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 01

HTC Desire Gingerbread update available, excludes US and comes with long list of caveats

Posted in: Android, developer, gingerbread, Google, GoogleAndroid, HTC, rom, Today's Chili, update

First off, if you own the North American variant of this handset then you’re out of luck. Likewise, Japanese, South Korean and some German handsets are also excluded. Still here? Okay then, but you might not like what comes next. We already knew that either the Sense UI or some pre-installed apps would be cleared out to make room in the Gingerbread house, but now it seems the update is so unstable that HTC is only prepared to release it as a ROM via its developer site. That means a factory reset of your device, a bunch of worries about SMS and MMS not working properly, and a cold disclaimer in the event of things going wrong. Still, at least HTC gave (some of) us the choice. Visit the source link below for deliberately spooky instructions.

[Thanks to everybody who sent this in]

HTC Desire Gingerbread update available, excludes US and comes with long list of caveats originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 31

Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update bringing WiFi calling, NFC support? (update: sadly not)

Posted in: firmware, gingerbread, nfc, smartphone, Software, Sprint, Today's Chili, update

Um, okay? Hot on the heels of rumors that Kyocera’s Echo would see its first major Android update on August 1st, in flies an updated page over at the company’s own website detailing the impending changes. Unless someone at Kyocera’s pulling a fast one, it looks as if the imminent Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) update will bring a downright staggering list of new features, making an already unique handset capable of even rarer feats. Interest piqued? We’re told that the refresh will provide pinch-to-zoom support in the browser, gallery, Maps and Sprint Navigation, an improved downloads app and an upgrade to the Swype 3.0 virtual keypad, with Tap Correction and Horizontal Word Choice list.

But that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg — the real kicker is the addition of “internet calling over WiFi” as well as “an NFC reader to interact with posters, advertisements, products, etc.” You heard right, WiFi calling and a previously unmentioned NFC chip — hopefully of the UMA variety, rather than just SIP. As of now, the only major US carrier to support WiFi calling is T-Mobile, and neither Sprint nor Kyocera have mentioned any secretive Near Field Communications module to us. The luckiest of the early adopters should see their over-the-air update swing through as soon as a half-hour, so be sure to let us know if this all proves true in comments below. Naturally, we’ll be watching for the update on our own set and updating accordingly.

Update: Bah, humbug! A Kyocera rep contacted Brief Mobile and explained that the feature page shown here went up prematurely, and that the WiFi calling and NFC support in particular weren’t supposed to be listed. Consider our hopes dashed, and our dreams crushed.

[Thanks, Brain_ReCall]

Kyocera Echo Gingerbread update bringing WiFi calling, NFC support? (update: sadly not) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 28

Powermat accompanies MyTouch 4G Slide at retail launch, or so the manufacturer says

Posted in: accessories, Android, gingerbread, Google, HTC, t-mobile, Today's Chili
If you’ve already misplaced the charging cable for your MyTouch 4G Slide, then it’s time to hustle back to your local T-Mobile retailer, where the new QWERTY handset is joined at its in-store launch by Powercube’s inductive charging cover. Sure, your bank account just received $200 worth of hurt, but if you’ve got a $90 buffer on your credit card, what’s an extra $30 for the shell and $60 for the Powermat, especially if it means keeping your phone alive? Sadly, both stores we called didn’t have the cover, so you might want to give Magenta a buzz beforehand, although T-Mo’s website is ready to take your money. No matter how you get it, you’ll still need to keep the base station from getting buried under pizza boxes and laundry, but we know you’re up to the task. Follow after the break for a slice of the PR.

Continue reading Powermat accompanies MyTouch 4G Slide at retail launch, or so the manufacturer says

Powermat accompanies MyTouch 4G Slide at retail launch, or so the manufacturer says originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 28

Motorola Atrix sequel gets candid with the camera, heading for AT&T?

Posted in: Android, att, gingerbread, motoblur, motorola, nexus s, NexusS, Today's Chili

With all of the hype building for the Droid Bionic’s arrival, we can’t say we were expecting to see an unannounced Motorola device receive love from the camera instead. But sure ’nuff, we beheld our gadget-lusting eyes on a handset that’s likely AT&T-bound in the near future — the carrier’s logo is flaunted on the front, at least — and may even be the next-gen Atrix 4G. Sporting a coincidentally similar design to its supposed predecessor, we only know of a few specs so far: the mystery device offers an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, HDMI connectivity, Moto’s new Blur UI replacement and a curved display similar to the Nexus S — though this time there’s no fingerprint scanner onboard. It looks and sounds great, but let’s just hope that this one really is the “world’s most powerful” smartphone. The gallery below shows the device in all its glory.

Gallery: Motorola Atrix successor

Motorola Atrix sequel gets candid with the camera, heading for AT&T? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 28

Coby Kyros MID7022 tablet gets teardown and thumbs up from FCC

Posted in: Android, gingerbread, tablet, Today's Chili

That’s the latest tablet from budget manufacturer Coby lounging around a blue velvety backdrop. The Kyros MID7022 got the customary FCC teardown treatment from the agency in exchange for a little approval. The seven-inch Gingerbread slate sports a microSD slot, HDMI port, WiFi, 4GB of built-in memory, and should be headed to the Home Shopping Network in no time.

Coby Kyros MID7022 tablet gets teardown and thumbs up from FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 04:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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