Custom ROM brings Android 4.0.4 to the Desire HD, does what HTC wouldn’t

Custom ROM brings Android 4.0.4 to the Desire HD, does what HTC couldn't

HTC wasn’t too popular when they denied Desire HD owners a hearty mouthful of Ice Cream Sandwich, but as usual, the community over at XDA Developers has stepped up to make it happen. Despite HTC claiming various technical issues as barriers for the upgrade, Team Blackout’s Android 4.0.4 build (aka Blackout ICS Incredible) is said to work perfectly on the device. The complete ROM is based on an ICS build for the Incredible S, and it requires you sacrifice your data in a full wipe before you can enjoy that Sense 3.6 UI. However, if you’ve got the knowledge to take advantage of this gift, you probably know how to backup all those bytes anyway. Hungry? Then head over to the source for your desirable dessert.

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Custom ROM brings Android 4.0.4 to the Desire HD, does what HTC wouldn’t originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony starts pushing Android 4.0 update to Xperia P owners, Xperia U and more coming soon

Sony Xperia P review

Sony has been steadily deploying its Android 4.0 updates, but it’s been leaving some of its newest phones out of the loop. Consider the Xperia P back in the groove: its upgrade is rolling out over the course of a few weeks, starting today. As always, the exact timing will depend on the carrier and country, and some owners may have to download the update the archaic, wired way instead of through the air. Should the Xperia P deployment still leave your device out of the running, Sony keenly points out that the Xperia U, Xperia go and Xperia sola are next on deck to receive a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich. About the only question left is when Android 4.1 will reach any Xperia models, although we’re really just thankful to have much of Sony’s current lineup on the same page.

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Sony starts pushing Android 4.0 update to Xperia P owners, Xperia U and more coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G (update: image)

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G

The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q might have missed the August 15th date mentioned in its leaked press shot, but a rumored name change would still put the future T-Mobile device in the running for the most convoluted phone name ever. Although there’s a distinct lack of tangible evidence — take this with a grain of salt — the usually reliable TmoNews hears Samsung’s TouchWiz-infused QWERTY slider will be called the Galaxy S Relay 4G when it ships. No, we’re not feeling it, either. While there’s no word on an updated release date, we’d at least like the earlier claims of a Snapdragon S4 to be true so that the phone is worthy of the respect the name isn’t providing.

Update: Just in case there was any doubt, TmoNews has snagged a training document that shows the new name and mentions a 1.5GHz processor of an unknown make (likely the S4), a 4-inch display, S Voice and support for mobile hotspots.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G (update: image) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google+ update lets iOS open links in Chrome, Android join Hangouts on Air

Google update lets iOS open links in Chrome, Android join Hangouts on Air

If you’ve been dutifully checking your mobile app updates (you do check, right?), you may have noticed a Google+ upgrade slip through largely unannounced. That revision might be bigger than you think — although its exact value depends entirely on the platform you’re running. If you’re an iOS user, you now have the choice to open web links in Chrome for iOS instead of Safari; it’s not the same as changing the default browser, but it will keep Google fans firmly ensconced in their preferred ecosystem while they’re using Apple devices. On the Android side, it’s now possible to watch live Hangouts On Air sessions if friends aren’t ready and waiting for a chat. Both versions now let teens join any kind of Hangout, and there’s a raft of tweaks on either side of the fence. If you’ve been waiting for either of the two major features to jump in, the app downloads are waiting at the source links.

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Google+ update lets iOS open links in Chrome, Android join Hangouts on Air originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei Ascend D Quad XL hits the FCC with North America-friendly 3G, 12MP camera mention

Huawei Ascend D Quad hits the FCC with North Americafriendly 3G, 12MP camera mention

We’d been hoping that Huawei’s flagship Ascend D Quad would roll by the FCC, hinting that the long-in-waiting hardware was soon to become a reality. It’s here, and it looks to be the XL version we were promised back in Barcelona, with no mention of the LTE that some US carriers love so well. Like the Ascend D1, though, it’s carrying pentaband HSPA+ that would let its 3G fly at full speed on any North American GSM carrier. There’s a slight surprise in the camera. Schematics mention a 12-megapixel sensor as a possibility alongside the officially announced 8-megapixel shooter — that said, whether it’s a quiet upgrade, a regional variant or just a discarded dream isn’t made obvious here. More certain references can confirm video out through HDMI and MHL as well as the increasingly de rigueur NFC. We don’t need the FCC to confirm launches that start late this month in China and October in Europe, but the approval guarantees that there won’t be rude surprises for the release or for any imports, whether they’re unofficial or through a carrier deal.

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Huawei Ascend D Quad XL hits the FCC with North America-friendly 3G, 12MP camera mention originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu’s Stylistic M532 quad-core tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security

Fujitsu's Stylistic M532 quadcore tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security

Fujitsu’s Stylistic M532 has had a protracted development process that saw it appear on our radar as early as January; imagine our surprise after it ships to the US with barely more than a knock on the door. Now that it’s here, it looks to be on the sunnier side of average for an Android 4.0 slate. A quad 1.4GHz Tegra 3, a 1,280 x 800 display and 32GB of built-in space won’t rock our world in mid-2012, but the rough-and-ready among us will likely appreciate the military-spec abuse tolerances and support for optional Absolute CompuTrace theft tracking, just in case it’s pilfered from an open bag. Fujitsu’s obstacles? Apart from not having much of a cachet in the tablet arena, the company also has to convince buyers that the extra safeguards are worth a $549 price — for those who treat their tablets more delicately, there are a few tempting alternatives.

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Fujitsu’s Stylistic M532 quad-core tablet ships to the US with toughened body, dash of security originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kno textbooks arrive on Android with the Galaxy Note 10.1, take on a social side

Kno textbooks arrive on Android with the Galaxy Note 101, take on a social side

Kno’s post-hardware textbook platform has called the iPad its only tablet home for more than a year; it’s about to spread its wings. Starting with a bundled presence on the Galaxy Note 10.1, Kno is an option for K-12 and college students who’d rather go the Android route. While all the 3D, note-taking and navigation features remain the same, there’s an obvious selling point in supporting the S Pen (and hopefully other pens) to more directly put thoughts to virtual paper — or, let’s admit it, doodle in the margins. All of us, Android and otherwise, get a new Social Sharing component that lets us crib each other’s notes before the big exam. We’re still waiting on Kno for other Android devices as well as the already-promised Windows 7 support, but it’s hard not to appreciate at least a little more variety in our digital learning.

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Kno textbooks arrive on Android with the Galaxy Note 10.1, take on a social side originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live from Samsung’s ‘Meet the new way’ event in New York City!

It’s just about time to “meet the new way.” Samsung’s sketch-heavy invitation clearly points to some type of pen-input device, and given the timing of the event and the fact that plenty of tablets have already been sold across the pond, we’re expecting the Galaxy Note 10.1 to be outed properly… again. Judging from reports earlier this month, there will be plenty of new features (and color options) to be demoed since our last in-depth look at the evolving device, so expect a fairly packed show, complete with the typical Samsung fanfare. The event kicks off at 11AM ET, so stay tuned right here for the play-by-play from NYC.

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Live from Samsung’s ‘Meet the new way’ event in New York City! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 packing 4G LTE comes to Verizon on August 17th

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 70 packing 4G LTE comes to Verizon on August 17th

Verizon subscribers jonesing for a 7-inch LTE tablet won’t have to consider springing for the pricey Galaxy Tab 7.7 any longer. The carrier just revealed plans to offer up a 4G-equipped (and previously hinted) version of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 starting on August 17th. There’s no revolution under the hood outside of the cellular link: it’s still toting Android 4.0, the rear 3.2-megapixel and front VGA cameras, a (slightly faster) 1.2GHz dual-core chip and a somewhat thin 8GB of built-in memory. At the $350 contract-free asking price, however, the tinier Galaxy Tab is low-hanging fruit for data lovers.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 packing 4G LTE comes to Verizon on August 17th

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 packing 4G LTE comes to Verizon on August 17th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Adobe halts new installs of Flash on Android as of tomorrow

PSA Adobe halts new installs of Flash on Android from tomorrowAdobe has been broadcasting as much as possible that Flash on Android is going away, although it’s been offering a grace period for those addicted to the plugin. It’s now time to wean yourself off. As Adobe warned earlier in the year, new installations from Google Play won’t be an option from August 15th onwards. Any downloads after that point will be limited to updates for existing installations or to those willing to raid Adobe’s archives — assuming would-be users aren’t already running Android 4.1, that is. While we’d still expect Flash to preserve some of its relevance in mobile as long as phones ship with it preinstalled, and alternatives like Skyfire persist, we’d strongly suggest getting comfortable with HTML5 and native apps from now on.

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PSA: Adobe halts new installs of Flash on Android as of tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 21:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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