Hasta La Gadget!

Google+ app update welcomes iPhone users to Hangouts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

• The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with LTE is now getting some very minor plastic surgery, with what appears to be a simple maintenance update. [Droid-Life]
• Not the biggest fan of your buggy keyboard, Motorola Droid X users? The latest bug fix update, eloquently called 4.5.605, resolves keyboard stability and usability issues that have affected a large number of users. [Droid-Life]
• Owners of the HTC Sensation on O2 should be enjoying an enhancement to Android 2.3.4 soon, as the rollout has already begun. [Pocket-Lint]
• How ’bout that Motorola Xoom WiFi? Android 3.2.1 (aka build HTK55D) is rolling out to devices now; we imagine the update’s a minor bug fix of some kind, but we haven’t seen any change log on it yet. [Droid-Life]
• Telus is cranking out Gingerbread to the Samsung Fascinate 4G. [AndroidCentral]
• The HTC Droid Incredible 2 is now on the receiving end of build 4.08.605.3, a minor refresh that improves server connections for email sync, enhances Visual Voicemail stability as well as other minor bug fixes. [Droid-Life]
• Rogers customers are now reporting that the Samsung Captivate is now seeing an upgrade to Gingerbread. [MobileSyrup]
• The Sony Tablet S came shipped with Android 3.1, but it’s already getting the bump to 3.2. [AndroidCentral]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

• Remember Android 2.3.6? You know, the update that blocked tethering on the Samsung Nexus S? It appears that the Nexus One is due for the infamous build. If you don’t care to wait for the refresh to pop up OTA, you can download and install it on your own. No word on if tethering is blocked on this update as well, but we can’t imagine it being different from the Nexus S. [Redmond Pie]
• Android 2.3.5 has leaked for the Samsung Infuse 4G in the form of build I997UCKI4. Such a leak causes us to suspect the official rollout should be heading our way in the near future. [AndroidCentral]
• XDA’s rooted the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, and has published a full tutorial on exactly how you can do it. It’s no SuperOneClick, of course, but it’s certainly bound to get you to the same destination — as long as you follow the instructions precisely. [XDA-dev]
• An early preview version of CM7.1 for the LG Optimus Black is available for download. Keep in mind that it’s a test build, and won’t be completely polished. [AndroidCentral]
• The first deodexed ROM for the Motorola Droid Bionic is now downloadable. Follow the link to get the full set of instructions. [Droid-Life]
• If you desperately want to have Gingerbread on your HTC Thunderbolt, a RUU for build 2.11.605.2 is all yours. [Android Police]

Other platforms

• SFR France indicated this week that they’re ready to push the Mango update out to the HTC 7 Trophy, though it didn’t specify exactly when it will begin. Vodafone Romania and Telus (Canada) also let it slip that they’d be rolling out the update to their phones to Mango by the end of this current month. No date for the latest version has been officially set.
• The Nokia N950 is a bit of a rarity as it is, but that doesn’t mean it can’t receive continued support. The MeeGo-run device just received a beta of its latest firmware boost, and appears to be available for download. [NokiaHD blog]

Refreshes we covered this week

• Existing Windows Phones to get Mango within the next two weeks
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play finally gets HD video capture
• Mango bumps NoDo, rolls the update train to Dell’s Venue Pro
• Samsung Nexus S 4G updated to Android 2.3.7, brings Google Wallet support
• Telstra won’t be Gingerbreading the HTC Desire after all

Refresh Roundup: week of September 19, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you live in one of Bell’s LTE markets and own a laptop? Do you wish your machine could hitch a ride on the Canadian carrier’s 4G waves? Well sir or ma’am, may we submit for your consideration, the Novatel U679 Turbo Stick — an LTE USB modem that can hit a maximum speed of 75Mbps. (Though, generally you’re looking at between 7Mbps and 14Mbps.) When LTE is unavailable, the U679 falls back on 42Mbps, dual-carrier HSPA+ or plain ol’ 21Mbps HSPA+. You can pick one up today for just $60 with a three-year contract, but those with a fear of commitment will have to plunk down $120 to avoid being locked into a service contract. If you’ve still got questions, might we suggest peeping the PR after the break.

Continue reading Novatel U679 Turbo Stick delivers 4G LTE to Bell laptop customers for $60, with 3-year contract

Novatel U679 Turbo Stick delivers 4G LTE to Bell laptop customers for $60, with 3-year contract originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 04:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The ZTE Skate — spiritual successor to the Blade and current flagship — is pushing on with its global roll-out and it looks like it may reach the US. Now on sale in Hong Kong, Brazil and Spain, the Skate is rolling down the French Alps and into France and the UK, where the Orange-branded Monte Carlo (a Skate in phone network clothing) is already available. With a different ZTE device set to arrive on Cricket soon, the electronics giant also intends to bring this 4.3-inch phone to the US in the near future, though there’s nothing concrete on dates and prices just yet. According to ZTE’s executive VP He Shiyou, the company is set to launch “a total of 30 smartphone models” by the end of the year. We fear the company may run out of flat-shaped names before the end of November. Head on over to our Chinese site for some hands-on shots.

Continue reading ZTE Skate launches worldwide, attempts to stick landing in the US

ZTE Skate launches worldwide, attempts to stick landing in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 06:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we’ve gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don’t need). Enjoy!

Phones

Read – Fujitsu F04D
Read – HTC PI06110 Radar (AWS)
Read – Huawei C2931
Read – Huawei C8511
Read – Huawei C8651
Read – Huawei G6050
Read – LG E510G
Read – LG L85C
Read – Motorola WX306
Read – Samsung GT-E2600
Read – Samsung SGH-I857
Read – Samsung SGH-I937 (Focus S)
Read – ZTE Movistar Vega
Read – ZTE V860

Tablets and peripherals

Read – Archos A100H
Read – Kobo Vox
Read – Motorola HZ720
Read – Motorola KZ500 bluetooth keyboard
Read – Samsung HM6000

FCC Fridays: September 23, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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