DirecTV’s new HD UI revealed to testers, is prettier and faster than the current one

While DirecTV may tossing an old standard def look on the new DirecTiVo, beta testers got a treat tonight (even better than news AMC HD is on the way) when their boxes downloaded a brand new user interface. It’s the HD UI that was mentioned during the last earnings call, and brings not only fully 16×9 formatted graphics but also, according to testers, a serious performance boost to satellite receivers. If you’re in the test group restart your box and punch 0,2,4,6,8 to snag the new software and have a look for yourself, but if you’re on the outside looking in hit the source link for one of DBSTalk’s typical thorough walkthrough PDFs.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

DirecTV’s new HD UI revealed to testers, is prettier and faster than the current one originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Flyer Honeycomb ROM leaks, not for the timid tableter

HTC Flyer

One of the biggest knocks against the HTC Flyer when it launched (besides the extra $80 the stylus would cost you) was that it shipped with a Sensed-up version of Gingerbread, instead of the more tablet-appropriate Honeycomb. But, with the Android 3.1-packing Puccini now official, the Taiwanese manufacturer is working to bring the rest of its inbetweeners up to speed and, as usual, the devs appear to have sprung a leak. There’s not much information about the early Flyer Honeycomb beta that just dropped on MoDaCo, courtesy of Paul O’Brien, but it’s already packaged up in RUU form and ready for flashing. It goes without saying, this is not for the faint of heart. If you cherish things like stability and reliability (you know, if you’re a wimp) it’s probably best to hold out for an official release. The bold can download it now at the source link.

HTC Flyer Honeycomb ROM leaks, not for the timid tableter originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 2.3.6 begins rolling out to Samsung Nexus S, fixes voice search concerns (update: breaks tethering, too)

If you’ve been one of the unlucky folks who’ve been experiencing issues with the voice search on your Samsung Nexus S, fortune may be coming your way this weekend in the form of an OTA update. Android 2.3.6, which aims to fix the voice search bug (other improvements haven’t been detailed yet, aside from “security patches”), has officially begun rolling out to the device. The new firmware hasn’t been pushed to our devices yet — attempting a manual check yielded no results either — but Google is stating that the refresh will likely take a few days to make the rounds. So unless you’ve been hit hard by the bugs, we doubt you should panic if it takes extra time to reach your phone.

Update: We’re getting updates from all over that indicate 2.3.6 is also breaking WiFi and USB tethering across all devices, so this “enhancement” may be something to hold off on for a while until everything gets sorted out — if it gets sorted out, that is.

[Thanks, Neil]

Android 2.3.6 begins rolling out to Samsung Nexus S, fixes voice search concerns (update: breaks tethering, too) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP: Limited supply of TouchPads on the way

Still waiting for your bargain TouchPad to ship? Good news, as HP’s just confirmed that a “limited supply” of the webOS slates are on their way, and they’ll land in “a few weeks.” In an update to a blog post from yesterday, the company confirmed that it will manufacture an additional “limited quantity” of TouchPads in Q4 — presumably to meet existing backorders. Those of you who’ve signed up for email notification will receive an update and one-time offer today (peep it after the break), and a followup when more details are known. For live updates peep the two Twitter accounts linked under more coverage, and to get the full rundown of HP’s plans, hit the source link below.

[Thanks, OneLove]

Continue reading HP: Limited supply of TouchPads on the way

HP: Limited supply of TouchPads on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP: TouchPad will receive OTA update for added ‘functionality’

HP may have abandoned the TouchPad, but that apparently won’t stop the company from issuing a post-mortem OTA update for its webOS tablet. Yesterday, an HP spokesperson confirmed to CNET that “HP TouchPad owners can look forward to an over-the-air update that will enhance the platform and add functionality and a growing applications catalog.” The rep didn’t offer any specifics, but reaffirmed that HP remains “fully committed to the ongoing support and service of customers who purchased webOS devices.” The news comes on the heels of a Quickoffice HD update that dropped yesterday, and at a time when TouchPads are selling like hotcakes — which probably explains HP’s decision to issue a tweak. Indeed, the company went on to say that it’s seen “huge spikes in activations and between 3-5X downloads of apps,” since the TouchPad fire sale first launched.

HP: TouchPad will receive OTA update for added ‘functionality’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refresh Roundup: week of August 22, 2011

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 at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android Updates

  • Motorola’s Photon 4G was the recipient of a minor over-the-air firmware revamp that offers improvements to responsiveness and voice calls, and offers more bug fixes and other enhancements. [via PhoneArena]
  • Want another bug fix update? The HTC EVO 3D is the next contestant, rolling out its second OTA refresh in as many weeks. This time it appears that a new “Corporate 4G” widget and a new radio have been added. [via AndroidCentral]
  • Gingerbread 2.3.4 is now rolling out to Bell’s Motorola Atrix 4G OTA. [via MobileSyrup]
  • Now that its official Gingerbread support page has gone live, Verizon’s Motorola Droid 2 will likely be receiving Android 2.3 in the very near future. [via AndroidCentral]
  • Sasktel’s HTC Incredible S is now the beneficiary of Android 2.3.3 in an OTA install. [via MobileSyrup]

Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery

Other platforms

  • The Nokia N8 was recently blessed with Symbian Anna, but a few camera-related upgrades were left out. No need to fear, as an “experimental” update is now being offered, which adds continuous auto-focus and tweaks the UI to allow for faster access to the camera — among other improvements, such as a boost to 30fps. Check out the change log here. [via ZOMGitsCJ]
  • Given last week’s news about webOS, we were concerned the newly-launched Pre3 would be DOA, with no promise of future updates. HP’s proving this isn’t the case, however, as the device got a minor update that brought the phone’s help center live and fixed a few bugs along the way. [via PreCentral and PhoneArena]
  • Research in Motion released an upgrade to its Tablet OS for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Unfortunately, it’s not the 2.0 version we saw leaked screenshots of earlier this week, but it still brings a nice feature to the tablet: differential updates. This means that in future OS refreshes, only the affected sections will be changed. In addition, the new version, dubbed 1.0.7.2942, will improve WiFi connectivity via WEP and enhancements to BlackBerry Bridge. [via RIM]
  • WP7Mod showed a video of the HTC HD2 booting up with Windows Phone Mango’s RTM build installed. We’ve been told that it’s almost ready for any daring souls interested in a new challenge for their Windows Mobile device. [via WMPowerUser]

Refresh Roundup: week of August 22, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360’s ESPN3 app updated with more voice control, split screen and more

The PlayStation 3 may have NFL Sunday Ticket but the Xbox 360 still has exclusive access to ESPN3’s slate of games, shows and replays, and today the app was updated with a new look and a few new features. Viewers can designate their favorite sports and teams to bring related content right to the front, while a new mini-guide gives easy access to other streams while you watch. If you’re trying to keep track of more than one game there’s also support for split screen viewing (with independent control of each stream) and upgraded voice control for Kinect owners. Other tweaks include a college football scoreboard to keep track of all the games at once, reminders, live alerts on score changes and the addition of ESPN’s BottomLine. Unchanged is the restriction that you need to subscribe to a TV provider that includes ESPN3 in its package, but if you do have the service (and shell out for XBL, of course) it should be available the next time you load up your console. Check out the YouTube videos embedded above and after the break along with a press release for a runthrough of some of the new features.

Continue reading Xbox 360’s ESPN3 app updated with more voice control, split screen and more

Xbox 360’s ESPN3 app updated with more voice control, split screen and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson updates Xperia line with the latest Gingerbread goods

Android update junkies are in for a treat from Sony Ericsson. The handset maker’s serving up the freshest batch of Gingerbread to its Xperia line of smartphones starting this October. Bundled in to this 2.3.4 rollout are a bunch of OEM enhancements, bringing along deeper Facebook integration that’ll let you like and share your app discoveries with friends, and “3D sweep panorama technology,” so you can snap those self-portraits for 3DTV viewing. SE’s also thrown in a native screen capture function and, of course, there’s Google Talk with Video Chat. The Neo V will be the first phone out of the launch gate with these baked-in tweaks, but if you’ve got a beefier Xperia device, it’s probably better just to wait.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson updates Xperia line with the latest Gingerbread goods

Sony Ericsson updates Xperia line with the latest Gingerbread goods originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square app update lets iOS users buy cookies on credit, sans signature

Heads up, card swipers, because Square has just issued an update to its iOS credit card app. Version 2.1 brings enhanced transaction speeds and a streamlined tipping interface to iPhone and iPad users, along with added support for $0.00 price points. Plus, any purchases below $25 will no longer require a signature, meaning you can safely buy that latte while keeping human interaction to a bare minimum. If you’re interested in making the jump, hit up the source link below.

[Thanks, Chris]

Square app update lets iOS users buy cookies on credit, sans signature originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia to announce Symbian Belle update on Wednesday, crafts a countdown timer

Well, that must be embarrassing: Nokia gets a fancy countdown clock set up on its Facebook page as a teaser for something new on Symbian, and the file it set up still says “belle_fb_TeaserMain” in it. It doesn’t anymore, but the cat’s already out of the bag; on Wednesday morning Espoo will most likely unveil Belle, its forthcoming bump up from Symbian Anna. We’re unsure of the exact details that’ll be shared, though we’ve already seen enough of the new update to know what to expect: with a couple lengthy videos, multitudes of screenshots and a leaked version of Belle floating around somewhere, there isn’t much of a mystery left to shed light on. That said, we’re still hoping we’ll see some device announcements as well as dates and device compatibility. Perhaps Mr. Elop just wants us to think it’s Belle, in which case this would be the best teaser of all.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Nokia to announce Symbian Belle update on Wednesday, crafts a countdown timer originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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