Apr 21

HTC Hero won’t see upgrade to Android 2.1 until June, at least in Europe

Posted in: Android, AndroidOs, firmware, Google, hero, HTC, Today's Chili, update, upgrade

Plenty of UK Hero owners were disappointed this morning upon hearing the news that free Google Maps Navigation had spread beyond the borders of the USA but required Android 1.6 as the minimum OS version. Stuck in their Android 1.5 world, they must have hoped that HTC would just hurry up and open the gates to Eclair heaven, but hurrying up is, regrettably, the opposite of what’s happening. Tech Radar heard from a Google rep that the Hero’s move to Android 2.1 won’t be happening until June, and followed it up with HTC directly. The official response was that a free update for European Hero variants will indeed be provided “starting in June.” At least this cloud of disappointment will only hang over Europe, as other territories — like Taiwan — might still get the update reasonably soon.

[Thanks, Paul]

HTC Hero won’t see upgrade to Android 2.1 until June, at least in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 19

Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player gains Netflix streaming

Posted in: content, download, firmware, media player, media streamer, MediaPlayer, MediaStreamer, Movies, netflix, stream, streamer, streaming, Today's Chili, update, upgrade, watch instantly, WatchInstantly, YouTube

Seagate’s FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player has quite a few competitors surrounding it, and for the most part, it didn’t really offer a huge competitive advantage when we peeked it back in September. ‘Course, that’s before support for Netflix‘s Watch Instantly came along, and today, the tables seem to have turned. The aforesaid storage outfit has announced that a gratis firmware update will enable this here player to stream Netflix as well as content from YouTube, vTuner and Mediafly. For those just now willing to give this unit a second look, it also doubles as a UPnP / DLNA streamer to play content stored on networked PCs and drives, and it can procured for right around $100 sans a FreeAgent HDD. So, Roku — you just going to sit there and take this, or what?

Gallery: Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player gains Netflix streaming

Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player gains Netflix streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 16

Sony Ericsson X10 can do multitouch after all, will get Android 2.1 in September?

Posted in: Android, ericsson, multitouch, sony, Sony Ericsson, SonyEricsson, Today's Chili, update, upgrade, xperia

So, was all that hubbub for nothing? British retailer mobiles.co.uk — a wholly-owned subsidiary of giant Carphone Warehouse, for what it’s worth — is claiming a “man on the inside” as saying that the X10 actually can do multitouch after all, despite word from a Sony Ericsson product manager to the contrary. In fact, not only can it do multitouch, but it will do multitouch through a software update in the second half of the year, the source goes on to say. This all ties in nicely with the dude’s claim that the X10 will see an official update to Android 2.1 in September, a window that dovetails rather nicely with Sony Ericsson’s official line of 2H 2010. Of course, by the time September rolls around, we can only assume that Froyo will be alive and well, so the ultimate question of relevancy for Sony Ericsson’s very first Android venture remains to be answered.

Sony Ericsson X10 can do multitouch after all, will get Android 2.1 in September? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 14

Charlie Kindel on Windows Phone 7: some things will be missing at launch

Posted in: Microsoft, ota, Today's Chili, update, upgrade, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone7, Wp7

In the weeks since Microsoft’s MIX conference, the company has obviously done a little introspection and refined its message around Windows Phone 7 — there’s no greater example of that than the fact that they simplified the name at the public’s urging. Microsoft’s Charlie Kindel, who’s been leading up developer evangelism for the platform, has gone on record a few times recently with some interesting tidbits around their post-launch strategy, including the very good news that they want to “do the right thing” with copy / paste — not a meaty answer to the problem, obviously, but a heartening sign that they’ll end up adding a clipboard into the mix at one point or another. Managed multitasking — something similar to what Apple has announced in iPhone OS 4.0 — also appears to be on the docket, though it’s not something we can expect in the first volley later this year.

Speaking in more generic terms, Kindel says that the company is well aware that “some things are missing at the launch,” choosing to concentrate instead on getting a limited set of functionality perfectly polished for version 1.0 — a distinctly different philosophy than in versions past. Fortunately, both OTA and tethered updates will be possible, though it sounds like Microsoft will be using a mix of the two depending on the size and complexity of the update — you can’t pick your own poison, the way you can with BlackBerrys and Android devices today.

On a related note, we wanted to take this opportunity to spruce up our complete guide to Windows Phone 7, which you’ll be able to use over the course of the year to stay abreast of the latest and greatest information we have about the platform as we get close to launch. Check it out here!

Charlie Kindel on Windows Phone 7: some things will be missing at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WMPoweruser.com  |  sourceTweakers.net (1), Tweakers.net (2)  | Email this | Comments

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Apr 12

Steve Jobs apparently says original iPhone won’t be upgraded in the future

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, rumor, rumors, steve jobs, SteveJobs, Today's Chili, update, upgrade

Now that the iPad is out and iPhone OS 4 has been announced, it looks like Steve Jobs is taking a little time to catch up on his email — in addition to taking up the new SDK rules, it appears he’s very tersely confirmed what we sadly suspected all along: the first-gen iPhone won’t get an upgrade to iPhone OS 4. That makes a certain amount of sense, given that Apple’s subscription accounting model for the original iPhone only booked free upgrades for 24 months, but really, that’s just paperwork — we don’t see why Cupertino couldn’t at least allow for an iPod touch-style paid upgrade, especially since the upgradeable iPhone 3G runs essentially the same hardware. And let’s not forget that first-gen iPhone owners paid more or less full price for their devices, so if this is true, Apple’s summarily dead-ended a $400 phone just under three years after it launched. Of course, none of this is officially confirmed yet, so anything can change — we’ve pinged Apple for comment and they haven’t responded yet, but we’ll let you know what we find out.

[Thanks, Tanzeel]

Steve Jobs apparently says original iPhone won’t be upgraded in the future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 05

T-Mobile offering up to $350 off an HD2 in exchange for your iPhone, soul

Posted in: HTC, iPhone, t-mobile, Today's Chili, upgrade, Windows Mobile, WindowsMobile
T-Mobile offering up to $350 HD2 discount in exchange for your iPhone, soul

HTC’s HD2 is the hottest piece of WinMo of the moment, and ever since it got the nod for an (unofficial) update to Windows Phone 7 it’s been looking all the more tasty. Now it’s getting more affordable too — if you happen to have an iPhone you’re willing to give up. T-Mobile appears to be running a promotion at certain locations through May 19 that would give between $100 and $350 off of a new HD2 for anyone trading in a working handset. Frankly we don’t figure too many dedicated iPhoners will be taking this opportunity to hop onto the Windows Mobile train but, if you can get yourself a cheap old handset from a friend who upgraded, you might just be able to snag yourself a hefty discount on a hunky new smartphone.

T-Mobile offering up to $350 off an HD2 in exchange for your iPhone, soul originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 31

Droid mercifully gets a manual 2.1 update option

Posted in: Android, droid, Google, moto, motorola, Today's Chili, update, upgrade, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

As is pleasantly often the case with Android devices, it turns out there’s already a quick, easy, nearly painless way to circumvent the phased rollout of Android 2.1 to Verizon’s Droids out in the field. Anyone who’s already been through this will feel right at home with the process: grab the binary straight from Google (so you know it’s legit, which is always nice), rename the file, transfer it to your microSD card, and reboot to the recovery mode screen. The rest is pretty self-evident, and when all is said and done, you’ll have a Droid equipped with the very latest and greatest that Google has to offer. Let us know how it goes, y’hear?

Droid mercifully gets a manual 2.1 update option originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 29

Apple updates Snow Leopard to 10.6.3, loads of minor quirks get patched

Posted in: Apple, Mac, mac os x, MacOsX, operating system, OperatingSystem, os x, OsX, Software, software update, SoftwareUpdate, Today's Chili, upgrade


Nearly five months after OS X 10.6.2 hit the pipes (and just seven months after 10.6.1), Apple has updated its Snow Leopard operating system to v10.6.3. Weighing in rather heavily at 757.3MB (when you upgrade from 10.6.2, anyway), this mammoth update brings along a laundry list of fixes, including improved reliability and compatibility of QuickTime X, a resolution to an issue that prevented files from copying to Windows file servers and boosted reliability of third-party USB input devices. You can check the full changelog after the break, but in all honesty, we’re guessing that the unwritten change is integrated support for Intel’s mobile Core i5 / Core i7 chips, both of which should become options on the MacBook Pro line as early as tomorrow last week. Fire up Software Update to get the download rolling, but only if you’re kosher with subjecting yourself to all sorts of unknown application breaks. We’re installing it ourselves here at Engadget HQ, and we’ll update the post if anything catastrophic happens.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Apple updates Snow Leopard to 10.6.3, loads of minor quirks get patched

Apple updates Snow Leopard to 10.6.3, loads of minor quirks get patched originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 27

Nokia N900 Maemo / MeeGo dual boot ‘will come at some point,’ but not next firmware

Posted in: firmware, maemo, meego, nokia, Today's Chili, update, upgrade

Quim Gil of Nokia’s Maemo team has dropped some knowledge on the folks chatting up the upcoming MeeGo release in the official Maemo forums, and it sounds like there are at least a couple critical points to be aware of for N900 owners and would-be ROM flashers when the first developer preview drops next week. To quote Gil, “nothing beautiful, stable or fully featured” will be a part of that initial release — and to be more blunt about it, “99% of you don’t want to install that release in your N900.” The good news, though, is that Nokia seems to be aware of the importance of a dual-boot solution to MeeGo devs working with N900s in the long term, and Gil reports that a proper setup for that “will come at some point” — it’s just not on their short-term radar. We can totally understand that; we’ve no doubt there’s still tons of reconciliation to manage between the legacy Maemo and Moblin ecosystems, and that’s presumably priority one as they march toward a May release of what’s being billed as a MeeGo 1.0 release.

Speculation had been building that the next cut of Maemo 5 — PR1.2 — might have MeeGo dual boot capability, but it’s not to be. That said, PR1.2’s still got plenty of tweaks that should be of interest to N900 owners, including a totally revamped landscape on-screen keyboard, onboard memory wipe capability (thank goodness), and an option to enable auto-rotation in the device’s settings. The forums are all abuzz over both topics, naturally — and since a proper PR1.2 release for N900 is still just a twinkle in Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo’s eye, you may as well have a peek, right?

[Thanks, Akinwale]

Nokia N900 Maemo / MeeGo dual boot ‘will come at some point,’ but not next firmware originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMaemo Talk (1), Maemo Talk (2)  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 23

T-Mobile USA reiterates that ‘breadth’ of 3G footprint will get HSPA+ this year

Posted in: ctia, hspa, t-mobile, Today's Chili, upgrade

It’s easy for something as grandiose as a national wireless network upgrade to get delayed ad nauseam, so we’re happy to hear here in March of 2010 that T-Mobile is still looking to blanket the “breadth” of its existing 3G footprint with 21Mbps HSPA+ service by the end of this year, covering over 100 market areas and about 185 million peeps. That’s an extraordinarily aggressive timeline for a carrier that was way, way late to the 3G game, and realistically, it’s exactly what they needed to stay competitive in the face of 4G deployments coming down the pike from all of its national competitors — in fact, they’re specifically calling out the deployment as being “4G-like” and touting the fact that they’ll be hitting way more pops this year than Sprint’s WiMAX network will. Them’s fightin’ words to be sure, but hey — competition is extremely healthy when it comes to fast, widely-deployed wireless, isn’t it?

T-Mobile USA reiterates that ‘breadth’ of 3G footprint will get HSPA+ this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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