Hasta La Gadget!

Google said yesterday that the new limited edition Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be getting updated to Android 3.1 in the next couple of weeks, and it looks like it will be a similar situation with the WiFi-only Xoom. Motorola has just announced that it will receive the update “within the next several weeks.” It also reaffirmed that the Verizon 3G Xoom is rolling out over the air this week, so you should be receiving it soon if you haven’t already. Full press release is after the break.

Update: Judging from the official Motorola support forum, it seems like a few lucky individuals may have already received the update on their WiFi-only Xoom. 3G Xoom users now also have another option besides waiting for the OTA update — they can install it manually, as explained by Android Total.

Continue reading Motorola Xoom WiFi to get Android 3.1 update within the ‘next several weeks’

Motorola Xoom WiFi to get Android 3.1 update within the ‘next several weeks’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 10:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soon enough you’ll be able to transfer photos from your digital camera straight to your Xoom, provided you’re willing to shell out $20 for the Xoom Camera Connection Kit. We already knew that the tablet was capable of reading USB drives with a little trickery, but Motorola’s upcoming update will officially unlock that functionality (albeit in a limited form). The glorified micro-USB cable isn’t available online yet, but we’ve heard if you call Verizon and ask nicely for item number MOTMZ600ADPKIT they’re more than happy to send one your way. If asking for a random series of letters and numbers seems a little strange, just pretend you’re a secret agent and it’s some kind of cipher — preferably one that doesn’t remind you to drink your Ovaltine.

Xoom Camera Connection Kit makes us lust for Photoshop on Honeycomb originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola’s just finished giving the news and the numbers on its quarterly financial report, and there was one bit of badness that we just had to share: the Xoom LTE upgrade has been delayed. We won’t be seeing it until summer according to Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha, which is also when we’ll be seeing the Bionic, a delay that we were already sulking about. Jha was a little vague about what the “issue” was that is causing the delay, only that whatever quality concern there is applies to both devices, and it could simply be that the company is waiting for its LTE rollout to get a little further along. Net result: one less G for Xoom owners until the summer, and no Bionic at all until then. Bummer.

In terms of the numbers: Motorola says that it shipped over 250,000 Xooms in the first quarter of the year, and managed net revenues of $3 billion. That’s up 22 percent from this time last year, which brought losses down to $.27 per share — much nicer than the $.72 in Q1 2010. Mobile device revenues were up 30 percent and 9.1 million total mobile devices were sold, of those almost half (4.1 million) were smartphones.

Motorola Xoom LTE update delayed until summer, same time as Bionic launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android users have spoken, and maybe, just maybe, Motorola actually heard — AusDroid claims to have a statement direct from the mobile phone manufacturer promising unlocked bootloaders later this year:

We completely understand the operator requirement for security to the end user, and as well, want to support the developer communities desire to use these products as a development platform. It is our intention to enable the unlockable/relockable bootloader currently found on Motorola XOOM across our portfolio of devices starting in late 2011, where carriers and operators will allow it.

Wonderfully corporate of them to pass the buck to the carriers, no? This quote comes by way of a gentleman who petitioned Moto for just such a thing, mind you, so please take it with a grain of salt, and you’ll be the first to know if we get confirmation from Motorola itself.

Update: AusDroid managed to get in touch with Motorola North Asia, and it sounds like we’re looking at the truth — let’s see if Sanjay Jha agrees when he wakes up tomorrow morning.

Motorola promises unlocked bootloaders for future Android phones? (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to the latest episode of the The Engadget Show, in which we change things up just a little bit. Everything starts with a trip to the New Mexico desert for a ride on the Shredder, love child of a tank and a skateboard. Next, Tim and Associate Editor Jacob Schulman sit down with RIM’s Ryan Bidan to talk about the BlackBerry PlayBook. Then, Tim has a chat with Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally about the future of transportation, and just what’ll be driving you in to work in 20 years.

After that, Engadget founder Peter Rojas joins Tim and Managing Editor Darren Murph to look at a plethora of tablets. Favorites are chosen, lines are drawn, and allegiances pledged. There’s also talk of Amazon’s next play in the tablet space, the death of Flip, and what’s up next for GDGT.

It’s an action-packed show and it’s ready for you. What are you waiting for? Watch it now! The video stream is above, or download the show in HD below!

Hosts: Tim Stevens, Darren Murph, Jacob Schulman
Special guests: Ryan Bidan, Alan Mulally, Peter Rojas
Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm
Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger
Edited by: Danny Madden
Music by: Sabrepulse
Visuals by: Paris and Outpt

Shredder segment music: Minusbaby

Taped live at AOL Studios

Download the Show: The Engadget Show – 020 (HD) / The Engadget Show – 020 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show – 020 (Small)

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The Engadget Show – 020: RIM’s Ryan Bidan, GDGT’s Peter Rojas, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, lots of tablets, Shredder test-drive originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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