Older PS3s losing ‘install other OS’ option in Thursday’s firmware 3.21 update

Bad news, Linux fans. The older PlayStation 3 consoles are losing one of the features they could tout over their Slim successor. Firmware 3.21 is coming out this Thursday, April 1st, and its major raison d’être is to kill the “install other OS” option. (This is “not an April fools joke,” as the PlayStation Europe blog clarifies.) “Security concerns” is the cited reason, although we’re sure that doesn’t make you feel much better — no one likes the loss of a feature, even if it wasn’t being used. Those who wish to keep Yellow Dog or Fedora running can opt to not upgrade, but skipping out means losing the ability to access PlayStation Network and play games online, among other things. DARPA enthusiasts notwithstanding, we can’t say we know many people still running Linux on their console, but if you count yourself among the few and proud, our condolences. Them’s the breaks, but hey, at least some of you still have PS2 compatibility.

Older PS3s losing ‘install other OS’ option in Thursday’s firmware 3.21 update originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePS Blog (US), (EU)  | Email this | Comments

China Unicom won’t use Google’s search engine on Android phones

Oh, brother. This just keeps getting better and better, and by “better and better,” we mean “uglier and uglier.” Google’s abrupt decision to stop censoring results in China and redirect users on the mainland to the outfit’s Hong Kong portal has stirred up all sorts of tense feelings around the globe, and if you thought this whole war would be confined to the desktop, you were sorely mistaken. China Unicom, which is gearing up to present its customer base with a few more smartphone options with Android loaded on, recently announced that it wouldn’t be using Google as the search engine on those very phones. Lu Yimin, president of the operator, was quoted as saying that his company was “willing to work with any company that abides by Chinese law,” but that it didn’t have “any cooperation with Google currently.” Granted, this is just the latest in a series of blows to Android’s proliferation in the world’s biggest nation, but you can really tell it’s getting personal now. C’mon guys — can’t we just hug it out?

China Unicom won’t use Google’s search engine on Android phones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMarketWatch  | Email this | Comments

BlackBerry OS 6.0 leaked?

Are these grabs from RIM’s refreshed BlackBerry OS 6.0 or just fanart from some sleepy design school student meant to trick the tech press? We don’t know, but BBLeaks claims that they come “highly regarded as real from one of our best connects.” But before getting too worked up, it’s worth noting the bizarre similarities between these grabs (San Francisco, the weather widget colors, Haiti tweet, and font) and the slide pulled from that “Super Apps” developer webinar back in February — images that RIM called nothing more than mockups of nothing important at the time. Still with a consumer-focused, BlackBerry slider rumored to be making its first appearance next month at RIM’s own WES show, well, who knows. Really, does anybody know? Webinar image after the break for your clinical comparison.

Continue reading BlackBerry OS 6.0 leaked?

BlackBerry OS 6.0 leaked? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CrackBerry  |  sourceBBLeaks  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft takes a note from Palm in new Windows Phone 7 Series ad

We’ve held no punches in sharing our thoughts on Palm’s recent ad campaigns, but the one spot that was actually not heinous has seemingly served as the basis for one of Microsoft’s first-ever WP7S commercials. Debuting here at the tail-end of MIX, the ad spotlights Anna — a fictitious gal we’ve certainly heard of before — using her new smartphone to share photos with her dear lover Miles. It also features Luca, a kid with an undying love for playing Xbox LIVE titles, who seems to be caught somewhere in between the world of nature and nurture. At any rate, it’s worth your while to give the new Microsoft commercial and the Palm ad which it has oh-so-much in common with right after the break.

Oh, and Palm — we guess “Windows Phone 7 Series was your idea,” right?

Update: Yes, that definitely looks like an HTC HD2 at the 0:43 mark, but you can rest assured WP7S won’t ever come to that gem in native fashion.

[Thanks, Sean]

Continue reading Microsoft takes a note from Palm in new Windows Phone 7 Series ad

Microsoft takes a note from Palm in new Windows Phone 7 Series ad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Everything Pre  |  sourceYouTube [Microsoft], [Palm]  | Email this | Comments

Android-powered Roewe 350 motorcar hits production line, we reserve space in our garage

We aren’t exactly hopeful that the Roewe 350 will ever ship stateside, but given that our Volt pre-order is still in limbo (and we’re not about to lease a Tesla Roadster), we can’t help but look longingly at this gem. Hailed as the first Android-powered automobile, this here car has just hit the production line, and it’s expected to make its formal debut next month at the Beijing Auto Show. The 350 was based on the N1 concept shown last year, and we’re told that the integrated DVD / GPS navigation system will run on Google’s Android (v2.1) operating system. As you’d expect, the system will be able to pull down real-time traffic reports and figure out the most effective route from point A to point B C, though we suspect you’ll need to rig up some sort of WWAN card in order to check your Gmail on the go. Oh, and did we mention this thing will start at just over ten grand? Huzzah!

[Thanks, Ash]

Android-powered Roewe 350 motorcar hits production line, we reserve space in our garage originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceChina Car Times  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy Spica grows up to Android 2.1

Also known as the Galaxy Portal in the UK, Samsung’s i5700 is today officially entering the Eclair portion of its Android existence. We got a nice leak of the 2.1 ROM in February, whose small glitches will no doubt have been ironed out in this official release. You’ll need to either hook up to the Samsung neural network using their proprietary PC Studio 7 software to leech the upgrade or just buy a new handset — it all depends on the ratio between your disposable time and income. Guess this will make the Spica that little bit more seductive to Rogers customers, who only just got the option to own the handset last week. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Spica grows up to Android 2.1

Samsung Galaxy Spica grows up to Android 2.1 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Phones Still Sold With Old Versions of Android

android-phones

Two weeks ago when Buddy Roark bought a brand-new HTC Eris smartphone from Verizon, his first Android device, it was a big step up from his feature phone. But it wasn’t until a few days later that he realized part of his new phone wasn’t so new after all. The Eris was running a version of Android that came out almost a year ago, which means many of the newer apps available in the Android Market won’t work on Roark’s phone.

“I didn’t know that I had an older operating system until I compared it with my friends,” Roark says. “They said my Android Market looks very different from theirs.”

At the store, Roark had never been told that his HTC Eris has Android 1.5, nicknamed “Cupcake.” Until told by a reporter, he had no idea what features he’s missing as a result. For instance, free turn-by-turn navigation is available in the latest version, Android 2.1 (”Eclair”), but is only available to Cupcake users for $10 a month from Verizon.

“I didn’t know that,” he says. “I think I will be pretty disappointed if I can’t upgrade to a higher version.”

Like Roark, many Android customers are discovering that their new smartphones do not have the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. Despite state-of-the art hardware and design, many new Android phones are shipped with older versions of the firmware, cutting off consumers’ access to newer features and apps that require the most recent versions.

For instance, Motorola’s Backflip, released last week on AT&T, runs Android 1.5, while the just-launched Devour on Verizon runs Android 1.6, aka “Donut.” A slew of new Sony Ericsson phones, set to hit the market in the next few months, will ship with Android 1.6. Of the phones that are available today, only Google’s Nexus One has the very latest version, Android 2.1. Motorola’s own Droid phone, launched in October, has Android 2.0.

The profusion of versions is bad enough. But adding to the confusion is the fact that carriers and handset manufacturers rarely explain which version of the OS their phones have, or what that means.

“I can’t figure out why the handset makers are doing this,” says Chris Fagan, an Android developer who owns an app development company called Froogloid. “I find it very peculiar that they release new phones on older firmware.”

Motorola declined to comment.

Syncing With Google

  • Version
  • Release Date
  • Notable Features
  • Phones Still Using It
  • Android 1.0
  • November 5, 2007
  • Original version
  • HTC G1 (upgradeable to version 1.6)
  • Android 1.5 “Cupcake”
  • April 30, 2009
  • Video recording and playback, new keyboard with autocomplete, Bluetooth A2DP support, enhanced copy and paste
  • Motorola Backflip, Motorola Cliq, Samsung Moment, HTC Hero (upgradeable to 2.1)
  • Android 1.6 “Donut”
  • September 15, 2009
  • Improved Android Market, updated Voice Search, enhanced search, speed improvements
  • Motorola Devour, HTC Tattoo, Sony Xperia X10 (to be launched in Q2), Sony Ericsson Mini, Sony Ericsson Mini Pro, MyTouch 3G (limited edition only upgradeable to 2.1)
  • Android 2.0 “Eclair”
  • October 26, 2009
  • Revamped user interface, turn-by-turn driving directions, HTML5 support, Microsoft Exchange support, Bluetooth 2.1, Live Wallpapers, speed improvements
  • Motorola Droid
  • Android 2.1 “Eclair”
  • January 12, 2010
  • Minor update with no significant new end-user features
  • HTC Nexus One

Source: Wikipedia

Smartphone manufacturers have simply not been not able to keep up with Google’s pace. In the 16 months since the first Android phone hit the market, Google has upgraded the operating system four times. Meanwhile, it can take more than a year to develop a new smartphone.

Although the core Android operating system itself is free, handset makers need to create the middleware that interfaces between the hardware and the OS.

This middleware layer, called the Board Support Package, or BSP, can take three to five months to create. The BSP is a set of drivers that initialize processes and bind the OS to the chips.

Handset makers can write the code themselves or outsource it, but development time remains about the same. Add additional months for integration and testing, and handset makers are inevitably far behind Google’s Android release schedule, says Al Sutton, who runs a company called FunkyAndroid that offers app stores for Android devices.

The exception is when Google handpicks a company to work with it closely on a device — as in the case of the Motorola Droid or HTC Nexus One — in which case, the chosen handset maker gets an early heads-up about the next upcoming version of Android.

For consumers who unwittingly buy new phones with older versions of the operating system, these out-of-sync development schedules can translate into real differences in the user interface.

“When the firmware went from 1.5 to 1.6, it changed the way the Android Market looks and works,” says Fagan. For instance, users of Android phones that run versions 1.5 or earlier, such as the HTC Eris, can’t see screenshots of apps in the Android Market.

They also don’t have access to some apps that only support the latest version of the operating system. Take Google’s own app called Gesture Search that was released last week. Gesture Search, available only on the Android Market, lets users search their phones by just drawing letters on their touch screens. Gesture Search, though, is only available on Android phones that run OS version 2.0 or 2.1.

So what happens if you search for the Gesture Search app on the Motorola Backflip, a phone that’s barely a week old but runs Android 1.5? Instead of a notification that the app is not compatible with the OS, the app simply doesn’t appear in the search results.

Customer Confusion

A Google spokesperson told Wired.com that the idea is make sure only apps compatible with the OS are shown to the user.

But that also makes it difficult for apps to truly go viral. If you hear your friends talking about Gesture Search, your next step is probably going to be searching for it in the Android Market on your phone. Unless you know what version of Android you’re running, you’ll have no idea why the app you want doesn’t show up.

“From the customer-support perspective, this happens almost every single day,” says Froogloid’s Fagan. “I receive an email from an older Android OS user saying, ‘I am having trouble downloading your app and I don’t see it anywhere in the marketplace.’”

Froogloid’s popular Key Ring app only supports Android versions 1.5 and higher.

Sometimes, putting an older version of the Android OS on the phone is a shrewd marketing decision, says Sutton. Older versions of the Android operating system allow telecom carriers to charge for features that would be otherwise available for free, like navigation.

Though Motorola and HTC say they will upgrade some of the phones to the latest version of Android, Sutton says consumers shouldn’t assume it will be the case with every phone.

Upgrading the OS consumes resources and many companies don’t want to take that on, he says.

“The larger the company is and larger the installed base of phones, the more time it takes to get out those updates,” says Sutton. “And nine of out 10 times, when the company has to make a decision on whether they are going to update the firmware or not, they will say they won’t do it because people already have their product.”

See Also:

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com


Steve Ballmer emphasizes importance of the cloud, Google pretty much does likewise

Microsoft has had its run-ins with the cloud before, but if CEO Steve Ballmer is being serious (and we’re guessing he is), the company is about to get even more connected. Speaking with computer science students this week at the University of Washington, Ballmer was quoted as saying that “a year from now… 90 percent [of Microsoft employees would be working in the cloud].” He went on to say that the cloud base “is the bet, if you will, for our company,” and he noted that it’ll “create opportunities for all the folks in [the] room to do important research and build important projects.” It’s not like any of this is an epiphany, though; we’ve already seen a shift to Google Documents given the ability to access it from any web-connected computer, and with the proliferation of broadband on the up and up, it’s only a matter of time before it’s more convenient to open a web app than to wait for your taskbar to stop bouncing. In related news, Google Europe boss John Herlihy has essentially mirrored those thoughts, calling the desktop an item that will be “irrelevant” in three years. Why? Largely because most everything you’ll need a tower for will be available via a mobile or the web, but we all know that sect of hardcore gamers will keep the beige boxes rolling for at least another score.

Steve Ballmer emphasizes importance of the cloud, Google pretty much does likewise originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceComputer World, Silicon Republic  | Email this | Comments

North Korea’s Red Star OS takes the ‘open’ out of ‘open source’

You know, Tux always seemed so harmless… little did we know that he is actually a Che Guevara-type figure who’s been traveling around the world, fighting the good fight on any number of fronts. First, Cuba announces its national Linux variant, Nova, and now? Red Star is North Korea’s very own Linux-based operating system, featuring a desktop very similar to Windows — but for the red star that replaces the Start button. It first came to light when Mikhail, a Russian blogger living in Pyongyang, picked up a copy for $5 near Kim Il-sung University. The install disk apparently features a quote from Kim Jong-il about the importance of an operating system “compatible with Korean traditions,” and the system requirements are a Pentium III 800MHz with 256MB RAM and 3GB hard drive space (North Korea’s version of Minesweeper must take up a lot of room). Of course, this bad boy has Firefox — except here it’s called My Country, and it will only connect you to something called “My Country BBS,” a web portal on North Korea’s own (restricted) version of the Internet. Where will the plucky penguin turn up next? We don’t know, but we bet it’ll be one hell of a ride.

North Korea’s Red Star OS takes the ‘open’ out of ‘open source’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashdot  |  sourceSays and Shows Pyongyang  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft tells IE faithful on Windows XP to avoid F1 key

Still hanging around on Windows XP? Perfectly acceptable. Still using Internet Explorer to browse the world wide web? Just a wee bit less forgivable, but we understand that some of you simply can’t get around it. If we just rung your bell, you might want to rip the F1 key right off of your keyboard (at least temporarily), as a recently discovered vulnerability in VBScript — which can only bother Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 — could allow malicious code to weasel its way right into your life with a single keystroke. As the story goes, some ill-willed web sites are encouraging users to smash the F1 key in order to access a Microsoft Help file, and when said key is depressed, “arbitrary code could be executed in the security context of the currently logged-on user.” Microsoft has promised to fully investigate and resolve the issue in due time, but ’til then, we’d highly suggest avoiding your F1 key like the plague switching to Firefox.

Microsoft tells IE faithful on Windows XP to avoid F1 key originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Switched  |  sourceMicrosoft  | Email this | Comments