Hasta La Gadget!

If you have an Iconia Tab A500 and an unbridled passion for running the latest Android software, we’ve got good news for you. Acer’s 3.1 update for the 10-inch Tegra 2 slate has actually slipped out a little early and can now be downloaded at the source link below. It brings the resizable widgets and other goodies that Xoom and Eee Pad Transformer users have been savoring for a while, though that’s naturally not been enough for some and there are already custom ROMs built off this leak that augment the upgrade with superuser privileges. Alternatively, should you be disinclined to flash your own tablet, you can just wait for Acer to start beaming Android 3.1 over the air to its European A500s on July 5th.

Android 3.1 update for Acer Iconia Tab A500 leaks out in China, can be downloaded worldwide originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What’s this we spy in the dusty depths of a Telstra software update page? A little sentence that displays some crowd-pleasing logic in bringing Android 2.3 to the hoary old Desire. HTC originally told us the handset had insufficient memory to run Gingerbread, and so would be excluded from the update. Then it did a 180-flip and said the Desire would be getting Gingerbread after all, but with the sacrifice of some memory-hogging apps. But now Aussie Telstra has opted for arguably the smartest alternative: prepare a special update that kicks HTC’s Sense UI out of the pub instead, freeing up plenty of room for Gingerbread while also pleasing punters who like to drink their Android neat. If it can work Down Under in August, other operators around the world ought to be able to make it work too. And if they don’t, there’s always the option of a spicy home-brewed beverage instead.

[Thanks, Alejandro]

Telstra will scrap Sense UI to make room for Gingerbread on the HTC Desire originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It looks like Apple’s getting another fix in before Lion slinks on to the scene. Mac OS X 10.6.8 is now available for download, and brings with it a number of “general operating system fixes,” including further support for IPv6, improved VPN reliability, and removal of known variants of Mac Defender. It also promises to fix a glitch that has Preview randomly shutting down, and will get the App Store ready to roar for when Lion lands on the scene. We’re getting it going on our laptop at home. If you’ve done the same, let us know how it’s working out for you.

Mac OS X 10.6.8 update now available originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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“Having difficulty with your PRO-HD this week?” That announcement headlining the Slingbox Answers Forum sums it up: a software update pushed last week “caused some Slingbox PRO-HD models to appear unavailable for TV streaming” — a fairly significant issue, considering TV streaming is what these things do. Sling Media has since released a fix, but your device will need to connect to the internet to receive it. A spokesperson said that a “very small percentage” of users were affected, and that power cycling the device and waiting 10 minutes should solve the problem, as each box is programmed to connect and check for updates during the boot sequence. One Pro-HD owner wrote in claiming that the new software “bricked” his unit, meaning it’s unable to power-up to receive the new update. If you’re experiencing a similar issue, Sling suggests calling customer service at (877) 467-5464 — mentioning the failed firmware update should help you avoid that nasty $30 service call charge.

[Thanks, Tom]

Sling sends some users offline with PRO-HD update, issues fix originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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