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May

TV Guide Mobile Version 3 Released With Interface, Experience Overhaul For ICS, Jelly Bean Users

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

If you've been paying attention to TV Guide's official app, you know that it's needed some attention for a while. Its UI through version 2.x was an outdated pastiche of Gingerbread tabs and gradated iconography desperately in need of a redesign (and support for 4.0+). Today, TV Guide has fulfilled that need (for the most part), bringing to the Play Store TV Guide Mobile version 3.0. The update also brought "many cool new features" to the app, which we'll discuss momentarily. First though, check out the difference between the old and new interfaces.

Before: ew.

After: yay!

Mar

AT&T Resurrects The LG Thrill 4G From The Dead, Gives It ICS

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, News

After all these years, two star-crossed lovers have finally found their way back into each others' loving arms. Of course I'm talking about AT&T and the LG Thrill 4G. The two started off as a hot couple, but despite their feelings for each other, they knew it just wouldn't work. After all, one was a major carrier, and the other but a simple smartphone. Still, after months apart, the two rekindled the relationship for a brief fling that resulted in the Thrill getting Gingerbread. Since then, the pair have barely spoken.

Today, AT&T has once again proclaimed its love the Thrill – it's giving it Ice Cream Sandwich.

Mar

Verizon Approves An Update To... The Droid Charge? Face Unlock And A Photo Editor Come To Gingerbread

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Charge (i510), News, Verizon Wireless

Verizon is just not letting up on the updates. Which is kind of a crazy thing to say about the carrier. Today's is an oddity, though, as the Droid Charge will be getting a mild upgrade. Yes, really. It's not a huge change, though. Unfortunately, it's not Jelly Bean (or even Ice Cream Sandwich), but it does bring a couple of the features from those platforms, including face unlock and a photo editor.

Since it's not coming with Ice Cream Sandwich, we have to assume that either Verizon or Samsung (more likely the latter) added the features in themselves.

Mar

PSA: LG Intuition's Latest Update Wreaking Havoc, Should Be Avoided For Now

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Intuition, News, Optimus Vu, Verizon Wireless

Owners of LG's Verizon-connected Intuition (otherwise known as the Optimus Vu) would be well-advised to avoid an update that began rolling out recently. The short version of this story is that the update is wreaking havoc on handsets –users who have already accepted the update are reporting constant app errors, an inability to connect to the Play Store, camera/gallery failure, and more. You can read users' impassioned responses to the flawed firmware here, here, and here.

It should be noted that although some users report total loss of photos and contacts, user files should still be present on the device.

Feb

[Update: Rolling Out Now] Verizon Pulls A Miracle Out Of Its Hat, Will Release ICS For The HTC Thunderbolt Soon

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

Update: The OTA is rolling out now. Go get it! Thanks for the heads-up, James!

We didn't think it was possible. We thought it was abandoned, left on the side of the road where no one would ever find it. Yet here, through the fog, a light comes shining through: Verizon is actually releasing Ice Cream Sandwich for the HTC Thunderbolt. Assuming that users haven't already thrown theirs into a lake by now.

The support page says the update is "coming soon", so we can't confirm exactly when the OTA will roll out, but the important thing to take away here is that it's real, it's definitely coming, and it won't be long now.

Jan

Motorola Atrix 4G Gets The Soak Test Treatment, ICS May Be Coming Soon

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Atrix 4G (Olympus), News

If you're an Atrix 4G owner, I've got a case of the feels for you. When the handset came out, it was one of the first pieces of hardware with a dual-core processor and it seemed like it would last forever. So far, though, it hasn't managed to get ICS. We all get burned by manufacturer updates but this one seems particularly harsh. Which is why I'm glad to bring a bit of good news: Motorola appears to be beginning its soak test program for the handset.

A tipster has sent in the above screenshot announcing the program, and a thread on XDA corroborates the story.

Dec

US Cellular's Samsung Galaxy SII Receiving Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 Update (FK19)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy S II, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, US Cellular

If you're still toting the US Cellular-connected Galaxy SII, good news – it seems the device's update to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 is ready to go and can be installed using USC's "Simple Upgrade Tool" any time now.

The update, which carries software build number FK19, brings with it all the Ice Cream Sandwich goodness some other carrier variants already enjoy including Face Unlock, TouchWiz improvements, and more.

^{Image: US Cellular's Ice Cream Sandwich Promo Document}

While US Cellular's Galaxy SII may be a bit late to the Ice Cream Sandwich party, it's nice to see continued support for the device, 10 months after it first debuted on the carrier.

Dec

Tasker's Developer Is Working On A UI Overhaul Too, Plus A Bunch Of Other Updates

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Last Updated: December 9th, 2012

A few days ago, we were treated to a lovely look at what Tasker, the highly-customizable Android automation app, could look like if it got a nice facelift. Unfortunately, this was done by the Android team and was not representative of any real work being done by the developer. As it turns out, though, the developer behind said application is working on a holo conversion. There are quite a few obstacles to deal with in the meantime:

I started working on a holo conversion about a week ago coincidentally, with half the goal being use of the holo conventions and half replacing under-the-hood deprecated APIs for dialogs etc.

Dec

SoundCloud App Updates With A Slick New UI, Improved Search, And The Ability To Repost

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

SoundCloud may not be the most famous app around, but when it comes to sharing a simple audio clip or a song, it's hard to beat. Now, the company's mobile app is getting an overhaul and with it comes a shiny new interface that doesn't suck. The UI upgrade makes use of the action bar, side navigation panel, notification controls and all the other fancy new features that we've grown used to since Ice Cream Sandwich and beyond.

The update also brings improvements to the search features that should help you track down public audio (like our podcast!) more easily.

Nov

AT&T Is Rolling Out Ice Cream Sandwich For Samsung Captivate Glide For Real This Time On November 10th

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Captivate Glide, News

Back in September, we heard that AT&T was rolling out Ice Cream Sandwich for the Samsung Captivate Glide. Well, it turns out, that was delayed. How long, you ask? Until tomorrow, it seems! According to a blog post by AT&T, the upgrade should be available starting November 10th via a download on Samsung's website. There will not be an OTA.

Android 4.0 simplifies common actions and includes a new typeface optimized for high-resolution screens to improve readability.

The many new features include the new browser with improved page loading, tabbed browsing, offline reading and desktop mode. There are new lock/unlock features such as the ability to unlock directly to the camera, text messaging, phone dialer, or home screen, or you can use Face Unlock which lets you unlock your screen using facial recognition technology.

You can easily swipe away notifications with the new notifications bar and multitasking is easier with the new Recent Apps Shortcut that lets you switch between apps quickly. There’s even a setting to help your track your data usage.