Update: Though this guide is written for updating to RC29, it should work for any official update. We have tested it up to RC33.
If you’re constantly glancing at your G1 to check if T-Mobile has graced your handset with the oh-so-slow-to-roll-out RC29 update (”By November 11th”? Pah!), you might be glad to find out that there’s now a way to expedite the process. All you need is a computer, internet connection, a way to transfer the firmware to your Micro SD card and half a brain.
Mandatory warning: Updating firmware can be a delicate procedure, so continue at your own risk. Always back up everything. Unless you’re able to check the hash or otherwise verify a firmware’s source, downloading it is your own risk and not the responsibility of anyone else. Whenever possible, download it directly from Google (as you will in this tutorial). Also make sure that your battery is charged so as to keep it from fizzling out mid-update, and that you don’t have the G1 hooked up to your computer while updating.
After we posted our first Android speed review, we got a handful of e-mails asking us how we managed to take screenshots directly off of the device. We looked around at a handful of other blogs – sure enough, the vast majority of them had fallen back to pointing a camera at the device’s screen and snapping away. While that’s slightly better than drawing the image on paper and scanning that in, we’ve got a better solution.
What you need:
An Android device. At the time this was published, that probably means a T-Mobile G1
USB Data cable for the device (For the G1 at least, it’s included in the box)
Any computer which has USB and is compatible with the Android SDK (Windows, OS X, or Linux)
I’d imagine things are a bit awkward at the Sprint/Nextel camp today. After spending the last few months fielding offers for Nextel, Sprint has announced that they’ve decided to hang on to it.
Not only are they no longer planning on offloading it, but they’re also reupping their commitment to the iDEN network by promising all around improvements. Beyond expanding the iDEN network by way of more towers, they’ll be tag-teaming with Motorola over the next year, with plans to bring at least 8 handsets to market by the end of 2009.
A quick recap for those who haven’t been following the mobile browser scene for a while: Skyfire, currently available for Windows Mobile 5/6 and S60, is the only mobile browser supporting full Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, Quicktime, and other processor intensive multimedia formats. It pulls this off where others fail through a bit of proxy voodoo; rather than forcing your handset to do all the legwork, a remote computer crunches as much as it can before sending it your way.
Skyfire had remained in private beta until recently, just opening its doors last month. With the announcement that the beta was now public, a number of folks around the globe were disappointed to realize that it was only open to US residents. When we asked Skyfire for an international ETA, they responded that it would be coming “in weeks, not months.”
While it’s still limited to North America, Skyfire announced this morning that they’ve expanded their turf to include Canada. Starting today, Leslie Nielsen and Celine Dion can enjoy Skyfire in all of its splendor. The rest of Canada can use it too, of course – but come on, share your health care system or something in return.
If you’re north of the border and itchin’ to dig into some Hulu on the go, go grab Skyfire here.
While it’s by no means playable at this point (unless your favorite hobby is watching sloths tend to a patch of growing grass), the Android Market has now seen it’s first video game emulator: AndroidBoy. As you may have guessed from the tail-end of the name, it’s a Game Boy emulator, supporting games from both the original Game Boy and 1998’s Game Boy Color.
The interface needs some remodeling, and the key mapping is going to need some work as well – but the first emulator on any given platform is always an important landmark, and things can only get better. As the legality of emulators is somewhat dubious, some questioned whether or not such an item would be allowed in Google’s Android Market. AndroidBoy’s success in making it to the market is a great sign of things to come.
I wonder when the Apple App Store will get an emulator? Oh wait, that’s not going to happen.
Just last week, Samsung announced that their widget-fueled Touchwiz interface would hit US shores sometime in late 2008 – and here it is. This morning, Alltel announced that the Touchwiz-powered Samsung Delve has gone up for presale on their site, with delivery (and in-store availability) coming on November 6th.
It’s got some reasonable specs for a not-so-smartphone, with a full touchscreen, 3.5 mm headset jack, 2 megapixel camera for videos/stills, Bluetooth, and support for Alltel Navigation, TV on Demand Connect, and Radio Connect. It’s not going to take down the big players in the touchscreen market, but if you’re searching for that smartphone look without the “smart” aspect, the Delve might do the trick. It’s not final yet, but we’re still expecting this one to also make its way to U.S. Cellular in a few weeks.
After the announcement that Qik would be a featured download on the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, it looks like competitor Flixwagon is prepared to battle for their chunk of the Nokia mobile streaming market. Flixwagon has announced that they’re now compatible with Nokia’s Share on Ovi media hosting service.
Once a user downloads the latest Flixwagon for Symbian application and plugs in their Share on Ovi details, they’re able to share live and stored videos directly to their Ovi account. While sharing a video to Ovi doesn’t provide any functional benefits over sharing it to just Flixwagon, it allows those who use both Share on Ovi and Flixwagon to keep all their content in one place without nearly as much hassle.
While it’s not quite clear how much work was required on Nokia’s part, Lior Nir, Director at Nokia’s Entertainment & Communities group, had this to say:
“Nokia is committed to helping people capture and share their mobile experiences anytime and anywhere. This integration with Flixwagon is another step in enabling people to connect in a powerful yet simple way.”
That said, it seems like Nokia’s holding off on putting all of their eggs in one mobile streaming basket – a smart move. While we all have our favorites, the battle for mobile streaming king has only just begun. Between the Qik shortcut on the 5800 and working with Flixwagon to integrate it into Ovi, they’ve established relationships with two major players without either requiring all that much work on Nokia’s part (we’d assume), nor does it lock them in to either service. Now, what about Kyte?
When the developer world first got glimpse of the iPhone 2.2 firmware back in late September, many were surprised to find out that nothing had been done to try and block users from jailbreaking (that is, hacking the handset to allow third party applications and modifications not approved by Apple). Nearly a month later, a second beta release of the firmware is in the hands of developers, and the iPhone-dev team has good news: jailbreaks are still working just fine.
With 2.2 presumably nearing its public release, there are only a few possible explanations for this. Either Apple’s omitting the jailbreak-breaking code until the final release to prevent a workaround being discovered preemptively, they’re not quite sure how to fix it, or they’ve simply stopped caring about jailbreaks. We’re hoping it’s the latter.
Its been a few months since we last mentioned Mobile Dead, but this zombie-blastin’ “Mobile Multiplayer Trans-Reality” (MMTR) game has now gone live in New York City.
Like other MMTR games, you’re wandering the streets of your own city rather than some made up fantasy land. Your character and other in game objects are superimposed onto a map of your area, with your character’s position determined by your real-world location (via GPS or cell tower triangulation). Move in the real world, and you move in the game.
Because everything can be made better with a dash of the undead, Mobile Dead takes the MMTR concept and throws zombies into the mix. Weapons and health items are scattered around your area, with on-screen danger lurking behind every corner. As you come across other players (zombies), you’re free to friend them, fight them – or both. According to Perk Mobile, Mobile Dead’s developers, the game will even extend past the screen, with “real world puzzles” and hidden codes placed around NYC.
Though the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 has been shipping for a few weeks now, the long known about red variant has yet to launch – until now. Beginning this morning, folks looking to nab this rosy red release can stop by T-Mobile.com (Product Page) or their local T-Mo spot and pick one up for $149.99 on a 2-year contract. Not looking for a commitment? That’ll be $349.99.
We weren’t too fond of the Pearl Flip’s look when we spent some time with it back in September – but if we got to choose, we’d pick the black one.
AT&T just sweetened the pot for all of its iPhone subscribers. If you own an AT&T iPhone, you now get free WiFi access at AT&Ts 17,000 hotspots across the country, including at most Starbucks. Although just last summer AT&T teased customers with the same freebie service, only to put up a pay wall afterwards, this time it looks like the free WiFi is here to stay.
So if you live in a part of the country where AT&T’s 3G data network is spotty, you can now supplement that coverage with AT&T’s WiFi network. It is a nice a bundle. You want to go with the WiFi connection whenever you can get it, regardless.
But why is AT&T doing this? It’s not to seal customer loyalty. The two-year contract does that. Perhaps it is to make up for lapses in its 3G coverage, or simply to take some of the load off the 3G network so that everybody’s mobile Web surfing doesn’t slow down. I really don’t care. What I want to know is why isn’t there an AT&T WiFi Locator app in iTunes?
And we’re off! Just 7 days after the G1’s release, some clever folks have managed to get the handset up and running on networks outside of T-Mobile’s grasp. Unfortunately, they’re also clever enough to go about it as entrepreneurs; if you want the unlock code, it’ll set you back $22.99.
Once you’ve given Unlock-TMobileG1.com some cash and your device’s IMEI number, they’ll give you an 8 digit unlock code. Once you’ve got that, it’s as easy as popping off the battery, slipping in the non-T-Mobile SIM card, and punching in the code they gave you.
The downside? Taking the device off of T-Mobile’s network seems to prevent you from connecting to Gmail or the Android Market. While the latter is a bit obvious (Once paid apps are available, how would they bill you?), the Gmail malfunction comes as a surprising disappointment.
While the haste on the part of the unlockers is impressive, I don’t really see the point of unlocking a G1 outside of a few special cases. With a good chunk of the handset makers dipping their feet into Android’s cool, cool waters, it’s a matter of months before all of the major carriers have an Android handset of their own. At the very least, wait until someone gets around to hacking up an unlock code generator and putting it up on BitTorrent.
Once word got out that the iPhone firmware 2.2 had been seeded to developers, the rumors mills started churning at maximum power. While speculation has been rampant, a source of ours stopped by to verify a few of the recently leaked features. Though we’re still waiting on one bit, we can positively confirm that Google Street View and application rating upon deletion are currently built into 2.2.
Google Street View being added to the Maps App seems to be the biggest update. Its adds public transit, walking directions, and the ability to e-mail your location to other people. This will make the iPhone a handy tool when urban hiking takes off in your city.
The other update that we’ve confirmed is one that I am not too happy about, but I understand why they added it. Starting with version 2.2, you will be asked to rate an app when you delete it. I think this so Apple can have another way to find and delete crappy apps. You are given the option to say “No Thanks” instead of rating, but I would like to see an option to disable the prompt altogether. Such an option hasn’t been spotted in the seeded firmware yet, so we’ll have to wait and see if that makes its way in.
While we haven’t personally confirmed it yet, various reports indicate that podcasts will be downloadable over WiFi via the iTunes application. While there’s no reason such a feature wouldn’t be implemented, we’re looking for a bit of confirmation from our own sources before we call it a sure thing. We’ll update you as it comes in.
While details are still sparse, Digitimes is reporting that Asus is getting set to release their own Android handsets. By word of “company sources”, the company plans to push the handsets into the Taiwan market under its own brand sometime in the first 6 months of next year, later moving on to developing handsets for other parties.
While ASUS isn’t a huge name in the handset market yet (with just 30,000 smartphone units pushed this year), dabbling with Android is a good move. Like Motorola, it seems they’ve realized that the idea of developing a proprietary OS in-house is on the way out. With a dash of Android added to Asus’ ability to make rock solid hardware, we’re looking forward to checking out these new handsets.
Just a few days ago, the above shot of a supposed XPERIA concept device started floating around. Though its authenticity can’t be confirmed, we certainly hope it’s fake – or, at most, a concept never intended to leave the labs.
Besides being a damned nice looking piece of hardware, much of the XPERIA X1’s appeal stems from its full, landscape QWERTY keyboard. In this concept, the keyboard slides out vertically, keeping the phone in portrait mode. No thanks. As a portrait slider requires just about the same amount of hardware and sliding mechanics as a landscape slider, it’s not as if it makes the phone any less bulky. What it does do, however, is take a nice, roomy keyboard and cramp it down, removing a big chunk of what made the X1 worthwhile.
With the doors to the Android Market open to developers as of yesterday, the applications have begun pouring in. To celebrate, we decided to take a look at some of the notable applications lurking about in this first batch. Notable, mind you, doesn’t necessarily mean the best. A few were highlighted for their greatness. Some were noted because we just like the concept. And the others? Well, they were just too weird not to mention.
Title: Twidroid Summary: One of the first, and best Twitter clients out there for Android so far. Twidroid does what you expect it to, and has some great features in the works, such as photo uploading and background updating so you can always get the latest tweets. Replying to your fellow Twitts is a breeze as well, just press the direct or public reply button.
The Good: Easy to use, clean interface.
The Bad: The photo feature isn’t quite ready for the masses, but they decided to leave it in there anyway. Sometimes gets stuck loading tweets.
Worth the download? Definitely. If you use Twitter and don’t want to do it through the web interface, this is the best alternative so far. Read More
Finally! The day no one has been waiting for has come. It’s being reported the HTC Opal is currently being reviewed by the FCC. While some are speculating that this means it will be released in the US, don’t get your hopes up – HTC told us back in September that it’s only intended for emerging markets. As far as we know, the only reason the FCC’s taking a glance at it is for the sake of folks internationally roaming in the US.
Just look at the stats of this device; it has emerging markets written all over it. With its plastic screen and EDGE-only connection, it’s a little underpowered for the big markets unless it’s brought in as an ultra economy phone – but with other companies setting that bar fairly high at a pretty low price, even that could be tough.
Just yesterday I was babbling about how impressed I was that they’d managed to squeeze WVGA (480×800) into a 3.1″ screen on the 8.1 megapixel Casio W63CA. Apparently, its got a (somewhat less sightly) twin.
This morning, Hitachi announced the W63H which, as you could probably guess from the model number, is pretty dang similar. Well, as long as you ignore that the Hitachi handset is missing the 8.1 megapixel camera, instead touting a 5 megapixel shooter with face recognition. While the shots it takes might not be as mammoth, its got the same Samsung 3.1″ WVGA OLED screen, and the keypads are similar enough that it would take a few extra takes to spot the differences.
From the outside, however, the differences seem obvious, with the Casio looking. to be a whole lot easier on the eyes. Either the Hitachi model is being placed in the market as more wallet-friendly, or they need to get better product photographers. Though we’ll never see this one outside of Japan, look for it on the shelves at Yodobashi in orange, white, or black.
Got a grudge against your local T-Mobile spot keeping you from picking up your new G1? Come Wednesday, you’ll be able to get your Android fix at 550 Wal-Mart locations around the country.
Not surprisingly, the company known for pulling discounts out of thin air has managed to lop some change off of the G1. While getting the handset direct from Big Magenta would cost you $179.99, Wal-Mart is kickin’em out the door at $148.88 on a 2-year contract (or for those eligible for an upgrade) – that’s almost 18% cheaper.
It’s not yet clear who’s shaving pennies here: Is T-Mobile eating a few bucks to get contracts they otherwise never would? Or is Wal-Mart taking the brunt to get geeks into the store? We’re guessing it’s the first one. One of the biggest obstacles in front of the G1 (and the Android platform as a whole, really) will be making it popular outside of the geek crowd. Until your Grandma is telling you about how much she loves her new “robot phone”, Android isn’t a success. Getting handsets into the general retail space is a huge step in that direction.
This morning, Canadian carrier giant Rogers announced that they’d managed to sell roughly 255,000 iPhones between its launch in July and the end of September.
While 255,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the 6.9 iPhones pushed worldwide in the same window, it’s pretty significant in the battle for carrier supreme going on north of the border. With the two other big players of Canada (Telus and Bell) unable to offer Apple’s finest being as their network is CDMA, Rogers is quick to tout the fact that 33% of its new members are either from a competitor or new to cellphones altogether.
It may be a different story next year, however. As Electronista points out, both Telus and Bell are making the switch to HSPA in 2009, removing the only obstacle keeping the iPhone from jumping on their network.
