software - 6/7 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

May

AT&T Sony Ericsson X10 Android 2.1 Update Is Available Now... Welcome To Two Years Ago

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, Eclair 2.1, News, Xperia X10 (es209ra)

In this line of work, I get the chance to write about things that are new and exciting. Other times, however, that's just not the case. There are times when writing about certain subjects just makes me sad... and this is one of those times. Sure, it may be good news in a sense, but the fact that I am sitting here, on May 31, 2011, reporting an update to Android 2.1... well, that's just disappointing. Regardless of that, though, here are the deetz on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android 2.1 update.

First off, unlike most modern-day updates, this one does not come over the air - you'll have to use Sony Ericsson's PC Companion software for Windows (you can get it here).

May

[Updated: Download Link Added] HTC Thunderbolt Software Update Rolling Out Now, Brings Improved 3G Connectivity And Minor Bugfixes

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Word via DroidLife's tipsters is that an update for the HTC Thunderbolt is rolling out now. As this just started happening, details are a bit light at the moment, but Kellex surmises that this is the same update we heard about a few weeks ago, and we're inclined to agree.

Assuming this update is an improved version of the one we heard about a few weeks ago, it will be packin':

We're impatiently awaiting details from our guy Justin of TeamAndIRC - in case you haven't heard, he's pretty close to ground zero of the Thunderbolt modding gang, and he's had his hands on various iterations of this update for a few weeks now.

Apr

NOOK Color Official Froyo Update: It's Almost A Real Tablet Now, No Hacking Required

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, NOOKcolor (Encore)

The Barnes & Noble NOOK Color has been the e-reader of choice for many Android power users because of its hackability, making it easy to transform it into a full featured tablet. B&N must've taken note from the Android dev community, because an update has just been released for the NOOK Color that brings Froyo, apps, flash player, and more to this budget friendly device.

Before you get too excited, though, it's not exactly what you think. There is no access to the Android Market, nor does it include any Google Apps. In order to keep the user experience consistent, B&N has its own set of proprietary libraries that developers must use when writing apps for the NOOK Color, so everything flows together within the NOOK ecosystem.

Apr

Motorola DEFY Froyo Update Rolling Out Now

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in DEFY (Jordan), Froyo 2.2, Motorola, T-Mobile

Motorola DEFY owners, you are second-class citizens no more, as T-Mobile's latest OTA software update will infuse your devices with a fresh Froyo taste. Unfortunately, the 112MB upgrade won't free you from the shackles of MOTOBLUR, but it will bring some staple 2.2 features - including Adobe Flash compatibility, WiFi hotspot capabilities, and faster performance - as well as some Motorola additions, such as a task manager and LinkedIn integration.

As the topping on the cake, it appears that all DEFY owners are now able to get the update, not just those lucky enough to have been included in the first "stage" of the roll-out.

Apr

Critical Vulnerability Found In Adobe Flash For Android, Probably No Cause For Concern

Posted by David Ruddock in Applications, Apps/Games, News

With a great plugin comes great responsibility - to avoid malicious Flash files, that is. A zero-day exploit has been discovered in Adobe Flash that affects all Android versions of the software, Adobe announced today.

The most common vessel for the exploit is (fortunately) a Microsoft document (.doc) email attachment with an embedded Flash file (.swf) - and I'm not aware of any Word document viewers/editors in Android that support embedded Flash. Once the Flash file is executed, the exploiter can run malicious code on the target device. How, or whether, this could affect Android is unknown.

Still, it's important to remember that Adobe's products, ever the target of hackers and shady enterprise, share common elements across operating systems - including, at times, potentially dangerous flaws and exploits.

Mar

SPB Shell 3D Comes To Android, Your Current Homescreen Cowers In Fear

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

We all love eye candy, but when combined with practical functionality, it truly becomes a thing of beauty. That’s exactly what mobile developers SPB Software have accomplished with their new shell replacement app, SPB Shell 3D.

SPB Shell 3D is a homescreen replacement that brings 3D modeling like we have never seen before. You don’t have to take my word for it, though, just take a look:

Impressive, right? I’m sure that it takes pretty modern hardware to back something that visually appealing, but if you’ve got the power, why not flaunt it?

There are a couple of downsides, however – it’s not available for tablets (yet) and it will set you back $15.

Mar

Breaking: Download Leaked DROID 2 Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) Update

Posted by David Ruddock in Development, Droid 2, Gingerbread 2.3, Motorola, News, Tips & Tutorials

TeamBlackHat has publicly released a leaked official Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) software update build for the Motorola DROID 2. To install the update, you must have the DROID 2 Bootstrapper by Koush. Instructions and download links below:

Installing Firmware
1. Download this file from the TBH app or download below
2. Use Bootstrap to get your phone into recovery.
3. Create a backup (This is not compatible with new firmware)
4. Install the Firmware using recovery

In Recovery

1. select install zip from sdcard
2. choose zip from sdcard
3. navigate to teamblackhat folder
4. select the file you downloaded
5.

Mar

Breaking: Download Leaked DROID X Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) Update

Posted by David Ruddock in Development, Droid X (Shadow), Gingerbread 2.3, Motorola, News, Tips & Tutorials

TeamBlackHat has publicly released a leaked official Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) software update build for the Motorola DROID X. To install the update, you must have the DROID X Bootstrapper by Koush. Instructions and download links below:

Installing Firmware
1. Download this file from the TBH app or one of the mirrors below
2. Use Bootstrap to get your phone into recovery.
3. Create a backup (This is not compatible with new firmware)
4. Install the Firmware using recovery

In Recovery:

1. select install zip from sdcard
2. choose zip from sdcard
3. navigate to teamblackhat folder
4. select the file you downloaded

5.

Mar

ATRIX 4G To Receive First OTA Update - Doesn't Include HSUPA Or Call Quality Fixes, But You Can Sign Up To Test It

Posted by David Ruddock in Atrix 4G (Olympus), Motorola, News

Motorola is preparing to release its first over-the-air update for the ATRIX 4G (beta signup link here, open until Friday at 12PM EST), which should be exciting news for owners of the device, though it may end up inspiring more angst than joy.

The ATRIX 4G has been known in particular for two problems since its release: first, a lack of HSUPA (high speed upload) support in the software and, second, poor voice quality on phone calls. Motorola has promised to address both of these issues - just not right now. Moto has yet to release the change log for the incoming update, but the admin on the Moto forums who posted on it has made it a point to confirm that neither of the ATRIX's biggest annoyances are being taken care of in the impending release.

Feb

Samsung Captivate To Get Froyo Update February 24th

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in AT&T, Captivate, Froyo 2.2, News, Samsung

Last Updated: February 24th, 2011

The final pieces of the Galaxy S Froyo puzzle are finally falling into place - AT&T's Captivate, one the two remaining GS devices still stuck on Éclair, is now scheduled to get the update to Android 2.2 tomorrow (2/24)! While you're waiting, be sure to check out AT&T's Q&A with Dante Martin video, which attempts to explain the delay behind Android software updates - let us know what you think of his excuses via the comments below.

P.S. Here's the complete changelog, as seen in the support page that leaked out a while back:

Home Screen:

New Home screen tips widget assists new users on how to configure the home screen with shortcuts and widgets and how to make use of multiple home screens.