International Atrix unlocked bootloader uncovered, hackers around the globe rejoice

Atrix Unlocked Bootloader

That Atrix unlocked bootloader that leaked last month had one nagging limitation — it was only for the AT&T version of Motorola’s dual-core device. Now, thanks to the tireless folks who haunt the XDA forums, all of our international friends rockin’ the laptop-dockable handset will soon be free of Moto’s chains. Project Cheesecake, as the quest was known, has dug up files from a forthcoming Orange UK firmware upgrade that can be applied to any Atrix across the globe. That means even our impatient neighbors to the north on Bell will be able to get in on the unlocking action early. If you can’t wait for Motorola to officially get the update out the door, just keep an eye out at the source and more coverage links. The devs are doing some final testing to ensure it doesn’t brick phones and creating localized builds, so you’re just gonna have to wait a tiny bit longer.

[Thanks, Guillermo]

International Atrix unlocked bootloader uncovered, hackers around the globe rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Titanium coming to Sprint on July 24th for $149, still stubbornly rocking Eclair

When Motorola took the wraps off it’s rugged Titanium in May it left out a pair of pretty crucial details — namely price and release date. Thankfully, our friends over at Sprintfeed scored some details and it looks like the “Sturdy and QWERTY” Android handset will be landing on July 24th for $150. Otherwise there’s nothing new to report, you’re still getting the same military-grade resistance to the elements, support for Nextel Direct Connect, and five megapixel camera. Sadly, it’s also still shipping with Eclair leaving this Moto a solid two generations behind the current crop of Google phones. Still, if you need a smartphone with a physical keyboard that can withstand some serious abuse there aren’t too many other options out there.

Update: We just received the image as well from an anonymous source — looks legit!

[Thanks, Jon]

Motorola Titanium coming to Sprint on July 24th for $149, still stubbornly rocking Eclair originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Redesigned Droid Bionic wants to fight you, shows up in leaked Best Buy ad

Motorola has sure been taking its sweet time with the Droid Bionic. But hey — better late than busted, right? We got some hands-on time with the LTE handset way back in January, only to get word in April that the device was going back into hiding while the company made “several enhancements.” Rumors about said improvements have popped up in the meantime, and the device has made an appearance on the FCC, but Motorola hasn’t done all that much talking about the upcoming smartphone. Looks like the handset may finally be getting its day in the sun — a newly-leaked Best Buy ad offers up some familiar specs and tough-talking advertising copy, as well as the enticing and vaguely threatening promise that the Bionic is “coming soon.” It’s worth noting that a Droid Bionic accessory page has been live at Best Buy since February, but sadly, not even this ad gets us closer to a cemented release date.

Redesigned Droid Bionic wants to fight you, shows up in leaked Best Buy ad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moto mysteries abound: Droid HD posts to Flickr, new blurry cam pics

Droid HD? Bionic? Targa?

Gadget news, like dating and crate digging, is all about the thrill of the hunt. Sure, big press events where you get to manhandle the objects of your desire are fun, but give us Mr. Blurry Cam and some EXIF data any day. With that in mind, we present to you an out of focus pic of what looks like that tweaked Bionic and a reference to the Droid HD on Flickr, coming straight out of the Motorola campus in Libertyville, Illinois (since removed). Now, the two things are not necessarily related, but it’s possible that the dual-core LTE handset is getting a new name to match its updated internals and redesigned exterior (though, if it’s different inside, outside, and has a new name, is it really the Droid Bionic any more?). We do know that, what began life as the Targa, can capture 1080p video, which matches up nicely with the HD moniker. It’s also possible that the pic taker is an as yet unseen device and our (moto)blurry friend above is simply a Bionic destined for another carrier. Either way, we’re hooked — at least until the PR hits our inbox, then it’s back in the Mystery Machine.

Continue reading Moto mysteries abound: Droid HD posts to Flickr, new blurry cam pics

Moto mysteries abound: Droid HD posts to Flickr, new blurry cam pics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Central, Electronista  |  sourcePop Herald, PocketNow  | Email this | Comments

Motorola Xoom gets Android 3.1 update that activates microSD card support outside the US

You know that microSD card slot that’s been laying dormant in your Motorola Xoom? Provided you don’t reside in the US, that’ll be getting activated soon as part of the tablet’s Android 3.1 update, which is starting to roll out now and should have all of Europe covered within the next few weeks. Motorola explicitly identifies this as a firmware update for “non-US” Xooms, so Canadians would be well advised to check their software update utility, though the big question is why didn’t the American 3.1 update include microSD support as well? What tangled web of intrigue lies behind this selective activation?

[Thanks, Alan]

Motorola Xoom gets Android 3.1 update that activates microSD card support outside the US originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMotorola Europe (Facebook)  | Email this | Comments

Verizon video shows an unannounced tablet, could it be the Xoom 2? (update: it’s back!)

Oh Verizon, did you just spill confidential information all over your YouTube channel? The guys over at Droid-Life spotted a VZW ad starring a mysterious new Honeycomb tablet, which to our ninja-trained eyes looks to exhibit many of the design elements of Motorola’s Xoom. It could, of course, be just about anything, given that Verizon yanked the video almost as soon as the above screengrab was lifted, but the rear of this 10(ish)-inch tablet looks very much like a Xoom designed to be used in portrait orientation. We know Moto has a Xoom 2 cooking in the oven and it’s not unreasonable to surmise that Verizon is putting together the finishing touches on a promo campaign for it. Now if only we could get a look at that video with our own eyes…

Update: The video is back! Watch it after the break.

Continue reading Verizon video shows an unannounced tablet, could it be the Xoom 2? (update: it’s back!)

Verizon video shows an unannounced tablet, could it be the Xoom 2? (update: it’s back!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Droid-Life  |  sourceVerizonWireless (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

Motorola Droid 3 official in China under Milestone 3 moniker, packs 4-inch qHD display

The Droid 3 is upon us! Well, it is if you live in China and don’t mind calling it the Milestone 3. A new XT883 model has just been made official by Motorola during China Telecom’s CDMA Summit, touting the tagline “the third Milestone” and a new five-row slideout QWERTY keyboard. The salient specs include a 4-inch touchscreen with qHD (540 x 960) resolution, a dual-core Tegra 2 processor capable of driving 1080p video recording, an 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, up to 32GB of built-in storage, and of course, Android 2.3 as the shipping OS. A pretty compelling package, we think you’ll agree. It’s coming to China this summer, though Moto could still be crafty enough to squeeze the US launch in before actual units start shipping to Yao Ming’s homeland. Because, well, who’s ever heard of a Milestone coming before a Droid?

Continue reading Motorola Droid 3 official in China under Milestone 3 moniker, packs 4-inch qHD display

Motorola Droid 3 official in China under Milestone 3 moniker, packs 4-inch qHD display originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Droid-Life  |  sourceMotorola  | Email this | Comments

Droid 2 Global gets Gingerbread, customizable dock and more in latest update from Verizon

Droid 2 Global users, your moment in the Gingerbread sun has arrived. Verizon’s put up a page with download instructions for a 103MB update, taking your QWERTY slider from version 2.4.330 to 4.5.600. Updating isn’t the most taxing of activities, you just look for a system update in the About Phone menu and then give your blessing for the download to commence. VZW will also be prompting tardy users to take their OTA medicine in due course. So what’s new apart from Android 2.3? Well, the big change is that the previously static phone, contacts and apps icons at the bottom of the UI have now been turned into a user-customizable dock, with three links of your choosing sidling up next to the App Launcher. There’s also a freshened up UI look, a Download Manager App, user-definable App Groups, encryption for data both on the device and its SD card, improvements in battery life while using WiFi and Bluetooth, and the obligatory stability fixes. If all that sounds irresistible and you have the requisite phone in hand, go get it!

[Thanks, Jon]

Droid 2 Global gets Gingerbread, customizable dock and more in latest update from Verizon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 02:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceVerizon Wireless  | Email this | Comments

MOTOBLUR name phased out due to public feedback

The first rule of MOTOBLUR is do not talk about MOTOBLUR. Not in public at least. We got a bit of a mixed message on the matter, while discussing the newly announced Motorola Photon 4G with the company. Representatives mentioned the UI by name during our hands-on, but failed to discuss the proprietary Android skin in any press materials discussing the device. Asked what precisely is going on with the interface, a Motorola spokesperson confirmed CEO Sanjay Jha’s earlier comments that the handset manufacturer is moving away from the name, adding that the decision was due in part to public feedback. Pieces of the UI’s social functionality will remain present on devices, however, combined with more enterprise-focused features delivered as part of the company’s purchase of 3LM. Of course, all of this not talking about MOTOBLUR certainly hasn’t stopped the company from singing its praises.

MOTOBLUR name phased out due to public feedback originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola leaks Xoom 2 tablet, Tracy XL watchphone, and Slimline, Zaha, Targa, and Pearl handsets

So here’s the story: Pocketnow was able to snatch some screengrabs from a Motorola Mobility site redesign. The image above (and two more after the break) is what they saw. In addition to the Tracy XL homage to the Dick Tracy watchphone, we can also see the back of the Slimline handset and the front of the Zaha. The grabs also show a bit of the “Xoom 2” tablet and Pearl handset along the bottom of the screen in addition to a fleeting glimpse of the previously rumored Verizon LTE handset known as Targa. And you know what makes this all truly compelling? The fact that Motorola made Pocketnow remove the images from its site.

Continue reading Motorola leaks Xoom 2 tablet, Tracy XL watchphone, and Slimline, Zaha, Targa, and Pearl handsets

Motorola leaks Xoom 2 tablet, Tracy XL watchphone, and Slimline, Zaha, Targa, and Pearl handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePocketnow  | Email this | Comments