Hasta La Gadget!

An early peek at BlackBerry OS 7.1 revealed that RIM’s handsets would finally be getting mobile hotspot capabilities. Now you can download the leaked update yourself and start sharing your Torch 9810’s data connection. Of course, it goes without saying, this is not an official update yet and the usual caveats about stability and the danger of bricking your device apply. Then again, that might seem like a small price to pay for a feature that’s become standard on practically every other mobile OS. Hit up the source link to get your hack happy hands on the unsanctioned 7.1 upgrade for the sliding BlackBerry.

Download leaked BlackBerry OS 7.1 now, make your mobile hotspot dreams come true originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The latest revision of Google’s Android Market app is hitting handsets now, and while it doesn’t bring any new tabs for music, Android Police mentions a few changes you might find notable. Among them are the ability to select auto updating for apps as the default option, as well as a setting to auto update only when connected via to the internet via WiFi. One change stolen from Honeycomb is a setting to automatically add homescreen shortcuts for new apps, while the UI has also been tweaked with a smaller font, new app drawer icon, and voice search button. As usual, it will probably automatically appear on your device eventually, but those who can’t wait can hit the source link and download the ripped APK of v3.1.11 right now.

Android Market v3.3.11 APK now available, adds auto-update by default and other new settings originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:23:00 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 attips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

• Guess which phone’s finally getting Gingerbread: the HTC Thunderbolt. Yes, we’re being serious. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in, and thanks Eddie for the image!]
• Gingerbread is now rolling out to the Motorola Droid Pro and Droid 2 Global. [PhoneScoop]
• The HTC EVO Design 4G wasn’t out for very long before it was ready for a maintenance release. It’s called version 1.19.651.0, and no change log was found right away.
• More HTC stuff: the EVO 3D also offers a small bug fix in the form of a security update under the name of version 2.08.651.3. [AndroidCentral]
• The LG Revolution on Verizon’s also officially gaining Android 2.3. [Pocketnow]
• In the UK, HTC Desire S owners are now finding themselves beneficiaries of the Android 2.3.5 firmware update as well as Sense 3.0. [AndroidCentral]
• How about a couple for the little guys? CSpire, formerly known as Cellular South, is pushing Gingerbread to its Samsung Galaxy S and Motorola Milestone X. [AndroidCentral(1) and (2)]
• Sony Ericsson announced this week that Android 2.3.4 is rolling out to the 2011 Xperia lineup around the world. Additional enhancements include 16x video zoom, WiFi DLNA, screen capture capability, ability to attach USB peripherals to Sony Ericsson LiveDock and more.

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

• The Samsung Stratosphere on Verizon has been successfully rooted. [AndroidCommunity]
• HTC devices receiving the official Gingerbread kernel source from HTCDev this week: The Evo Shift 4G, the Thunderbolt and Droid Incredible. [AndroidCentral]
• When it rains, it pours — the Thunderbolt, on top of receiving Gingerbread and its accompanying kernel source, has also found itself on the receiving end of an Ice Cream Sandwich SDK port. As can be expected, it’s still in prealpha stages and has a few bugs to work out. [AndroidCommunity]
• If you’re a CM7 user, there’s now a file available that will turn your lock screen into one that resembles Ice Cream Sandwich’s style. [Droid-Life]

Other platforms

• Microsoft’s pushing a firmware upgrade to the LG Optimus 7 Windows Phone which seems to grace the device with WiFi tethering and the ability to locate hidden WiFi networks. [WMPowerUser]
• It’s not a BlackBerry firmware update, but many people still have a soft spot for BBM and will be interested to know that RIM is putting out version 6.0.1 with a few enhancements. Head to the source to check it out. [MobileTechReview]

Refreshes we covered this week

• Windows Phone Mango now being delivered to 100 percent of compatible devices
• Windows Phone Apollo coming ‘middle of next year,’ says Nokia VP
• Nokia N8 gets Symbian Anna service pack update
• Symbian Anna update rolls out to compatible Nokia smartphones in the US
• Motorola Xoom will get updated with Ice Cream Sandwich
• Ice Cream Sandwich supports USB game controllers and HDMI
• RIM confirms PlayBook OS 2.0 delayed until February, still no BBM in sight
• Sprint issues OTA fix for HTC Android handset vulnerability

Refresh Roundup: week of October 24, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A top Nokia exec just confirmed the much-rumored schedule for the next Windows Phone update, codenamed Apollo. Michael Halbherr, Executive VP for Location and Commerce, told us that it’ll launch in mid-2012 and be a “very different game” to Mango — hinting that Apollo actually refers to Windows Phone 8 rather than any mere decimal increment. What do we know about Apollo at this point? Well, not a great deal, but Halbherr also revealed that he’s been pushing Microsoft to integrate NFC and a “positioning framework” to make its mobile OS work better with Nokia’s Navteq mapping platform and thereby provide new location-based services. Sorry HTC, Samsung, but everything points to a more ‘Nokia-fied’ OS.

Update: We’ve spoken with some sources close to Microsoft who indicate that the timing given to us by Nokia is inaccurate. Unfortunately, the truth serum we used wore off before we were provided with a surrogate timeframe, but we’ll of course keep our ears to the ground.

Windows Phone Apollo coming ‘middle of next year,’ says Nokia VP originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already got an early look at Microsoft’s soon-to-launch revision of the Xbox 360 dashboard, but for the general public early access is possible via the preview test program. Those who signed up for it can see if their applications were accepted now, right back at the official Microsoft Connect page. If you’re in, you’ll see information and get access to a private Xbox.com forum so you can help sort out any bugs before it officially drops; if not, relax and play some Battlefield 3. Win / win.

Find out if you’re in the Xbox Live Update Preview Program right now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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