Hasta La Gadget!

Bring. It. On. Rolling out a phone update tends to take a few weeks before it’s available to everyone, so we were expecting Windows Phone to have its share of hiccups when doling Mango out to several different models simultaneously across the globe. As it turns out, Redmond’s just as surprised at its silky smooth outcome as everyone else; in fact, it’s going so well that the team’s decided to open the floodgates ahead of schedule and make the refresh available to no less than half of all Windows Phone devices. According to Microsoft, the update still isn’t ready to be unleashed to the masses because it’s still “collecting and analyzing installation data from [their] smaller operators, and need to watch it a bit longer.” The team also mentions that this information gets collected as more users download their updates, which means the fate of the unlucky half rests solely on the fortunate 50 percent. Those of you who can download Mango and still haven’t, think of the tremendous power — and awesome responsibility — now resting in your tiny hands.

[Thanks, Stephen]

Continue reading Mango rollout going smoothly, now available to half of all Windows Phones

Mango rollout going smoothly, now available to half of all Windows Phones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember all that iPhone tracking hubbub back in April? Sure you do — you probably also recall Apple’s denial, the subsequent Senate hearing, and the rest of the fiasco’s dramatic fallout. Amid the ballyhoo, Microsoft stepped out to admit that its Windows Phone also collected location data, but quickly promised to knock it off following the next scheduled update. According to ChevronWP7 collaborator Rafael Rivera, Windows Phone 7.5 cinches it: Mango “no longer sends location data prior to being granted permission to do so.” Redmond previously told the US House of Representatives that it only collected location data if a user expressly allowed an application to send it along — a claim which Rivera debunked last week, noting that simply launching the camera application captured and transmitted “pin-point accurate positioning information.” The big M maintains that the collected location data was anonymous, and that it shouldn’t have been sent at all unless the user allowed it. Either way, Microsoft’s chapter in the big location tracking blunder of 2011 seems to be at a close, squaring the firm with Congress, its developers, and hopefully its customers.

Mango kills Microsoft’s always-on location tracking, makes good on letter to House of Representatives originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 26, 2011:

• Last week we heard the rumor that Sprint would be launching the BlackBerry Curve 9350 on October 2nd, and we’ve finally received the official confirmation. The device will be hitting stores tomorrow for $80 with a two-year contract. [PhoneArena]
• The Motorola Photon WiMAX, referred to as the Photon 4G in the US, is now making its way to Japan as KDDI announced the launch of the device this past Monday. [Motorola]
• Verizon Wireless launched the Pantech Jest 2 this week, which is a feature phone with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. [Verizon Wireless]
• The Samsung Galaxy Y is now listed as “coming soon” on O2’s website, which makes it the second carrier to announce upcoming availability in the UK. The actual date of release, however, is still unofficial. [O2]
• Softbank (Japan) looks ready to land the ZTE Lord V882, which appears to be an Android device running on Gingerbread, and comes packed with a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, 3.8-inch LCD at WVGA resolution and a 5MP camera. [LandofDroid]
• NTT DoCoMo and Orange have teamed up to offer the Sharp AQUOS SH80F, which features dual 8MP stereoscopic cameras and claims to be the world’s first Android device capable of converting 2D content into 3D in real time. It’ll first be launched in France on October 6th and will follow to other European and Asian countries shortly after. [Softpedia]
• Maybe Microsoft Canada just assumed nobody actually reads terms and conditions, because the company outed the names of a few upcoming Windows Phones in the T&C for a developer contest: the Nokia Sabre and a duo of Samsungs named the Yukon and Wembley. The Nokia Searay was also named in the list, indicating the Sabre is a second device running on Mango. [Nokia HDBlog (translated)]
• In preparation for its Windows Phone debut, Nokia is also rumored to be featuring a new voice navigation system with 3D maps, according to some leaked marketing materials. [WinRumors]
• Here’s a rendering of the HTC EVO Design 4G, also known as the Kingdom or Hero S. [Pocketnow]
• Samsung may have a midrange device coming soon to AT&T’s lineup as a complement to the Galaxy S II. We’ve already seen the I857 pass through the FCC and show up in a leaked roadmap, and now it appears to have been dubbed the Doubletime, according to uncovered Cellebrite records. [Pocketnow]
• Also appearing in Cellebrite records are the HTC Vigor (PH98100), Motorola Droid HD (XT912), and the Samsung Nexus Prime (SCH-i515). [Droid-Life]

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 26, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Long live the Samsung Taylor: prototype device to receive Mango? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Phone 7.5 has officially landed, but unless you’re among a fortunate few, Redmond’s tropical getaway might seem like only a twinkle on the horizon. In a wild turn of events, we’ve now stumbled across (and confirmed) a method that promises instant Mango gratification, and if you’re so inclined, we hope you’ll find similar luck. Here’s the gist: something very special happens when you run the update and then promptly disable your internet connection — about one second seems to do the trick. We first checked for Mango and kept WiFi enabled; the Zune software dutifully reported that our phone was up-to-date. Then, we executed the process and disconnected the internet… and wouldn’t you know it, the update presented itself. Now, we’re happily frolicking through Microsoft’s latest delights on our Focus. If you’re willing to try your luck, you’ll find a full list of instructions in the source. Here’s one final tip: once it’s reported that an update is available, be sure to restore that internet connection.

[Thanks, Rohit]

PSA: Force Windows Phone 7.5 Mango to update, right now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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