Hasta La Gadget!

Nexus One owners feeling a little Nexus S envy can breathe a little easier — we’re hearing that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is being pushed out to the N1 as we speak. We’d imagine that all the slick new features that don’t require new hardware (like NFC support) will be there, and we’re definitely interested in playing with this built-in WiFi calling stack. We’ll let you know what we find — won’t you do the same?

Update: Looks like our flood of tips came from people who were seeing their N1s get a different, less-interesting update. Google tells us that Gingerbread isn’t rolling out just yet, but is coming. Of course, we’ll let you know when the actual 2.3 update hits the OG Nexus. Ah, the heady optimism of hope.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Android 2.3 update now rolling out to Nexus One owners (update: not yet) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember that “Related” / “Similar” tab we spotted in Google’s own Gingerbread video? Looks as if you won’t have to wait for Android 2.3 to enjoy the spoils of having El Goog sort out what similar apps you may like after you download one. This morning, waves of Android loyalists are finding a new tab in their Market, with a Droid 2 and Nexus One both seeing the update here at Engadget HQ. Naturally, it works just like the App Store’s equivalent, but it remains to be seen just how accurate the advice is. When looking at ‘Related’ for the (also recently updated) Engadget app, we’re finding items we’d prefer to be listed first about a page or so down, but we’re sure the mix-and-match engineers in Mountain View are already fine tuning things as we speak. You know, during the brief moments they aren’t preparing for Tuesday’s big Chrome reveal.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Android Market update brings long-awaited ‘Related’ tab, similar app suggestions originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 13:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Walsh — one of the forces behind the ChevronWP7 app sideload hack for Windows Phone 7 — went on record earlier this week saying that the first platform update coming early next year would be “massive” with so many improvements and new features that “they could have called it Windows Phone 8.” That’s a pretty bold statement, and it’s been making the rounds so fiercely today that Microsoft felt the need to lay down the law with an official statement — albeit not a very strongly-worded one:

“Microsoft is committed to delivering regular updates to the Windows Phone experience. Our first update will make copy & paste available in early 2011. In addition to this first update, all Windows Phone 7 users should expect to see additional updates delivered in the future as part of Microsoft’s ongoing update process.”

So it sounds to us like priority one in Redmond is to get copy and paste up and running (which is basically the message they’ve been delivering for a while), though we should expect plenty more through future updates. When you figure in the size of the team Microsoft has built for engineering this platform — and the fact that they’ve now got the initial retail release out of the way — we’re hoping they’ve got nothing better to do than to churn on some of these pain points users have identified over the next few months. Should be a heck of a year coming up, eh?

Microsoft reiterates copy and paste is Windows Phone 7’s first update, ‘additional updates delivered in the future’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We think this is a veiled way of passing the buck to AT&T — but whatever it is, Sony Ericsson USA has extended an old, crusty, TimeScape-enabled olive branch to Xperia X10 owners in the States by attempting to explain what’s going on with the Eclair update ’round these parts. Basically, the company says that getting an update out in the US is way harder than it is elsewhere because of “the technical requirements that must be met” over which Sony Ericsson has “no control.” The blame is levied on an “especially rigorous” testing cycle that can (and presumably, often does) take several months, which is why they’ve thus far refused to offer guidance on when the update will be released. Honestly, is there any way we can trade in our warranty card to get on the fast track with this stuff? And more importantly, would us bleeding-edge types be willing to take that risk on a wide scale?

Sony Ericsson faults ‘especially rigorous’ firmware testing in US for X10’s Eclair update delay on AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes and Noble’s just made version 1.5 of its Nook e-reader’s firmware available. What can Nook owners expect from this latest upgrade? Well, the company says it boasts improved page refresh rates about 50 percent faster than the previous version — which is good news as we found it to be slower than its competitors. The update — which is available for both the 3G and WiFi versions — is also Barnes and Noble’s largest to date for the readers, and includes other fixes such as syncing across devices like the Nook’s various apps (finally!), customizable folders for your library, password protection options, improved search functions and battery performance. That sure does sound like a big update to us, so go get it if you’re a Nook user! Full press release is below.

Continue reading Barnes and Noble Nook firmware version 1.5 now available

Barnes and Noble Nook firmware version 1.5 now available originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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