New HTC Hero ROM leaked, Flash 10 already chugging along on a few lucky G1s

Step aside, JAC Hero, there's a new firmware in town. Fatal1ty (that Fatal1ty?) and nk02 have not only managed to obtain the HTC Hero's new (and almost final) Sense UI-infused firmware, but have spruced it up for consumption by HTC Magic / Dream users. There's naturally a bit of glitchiness -- apparently WiFi and Bluetooth don't work at the moment, and the camera is all funkified, but the real treat here is the first implementation of Flash 10 on Android, even if it is a bit "laggy" on the RAM-starved G1. The widgets are also on display, and other than Flash the general experience is apparently pretty snappy. Naturally, the xda-dev folks won't be leaving well enough alone, and we should be seeing refined versions of this and future Hero firmwares leading up to and after the release of the actual device.

[Via xda-developers forum; thanks Jeremy W., screenshot by johnnylicious]

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 1:00PM]

i doubt any of you naysayers know the first thing about what flash even does. HTML5 doesn't even come close. it's ridiculous to even make the comparison. oh wow you can embed videos.

if you think that was the primary function of flash you are pretty dumb

[Chefgon Posted Jun 30th 2009 1:24PM]

Just to clarify, I am a developer but not specifically a web developer. I work mostly in managed languages like Java and C#, with some unmanaged C++ on the side. I approach HTML as a person who is experienced at programming in general but who struggles constantly to get HTML and Javascript to play nice in any kind of complex scenario. When things do work, the code is rarely elegant or beautiful as it usually is with compiled languages.

I'm also not saying that a proprietary Microsoft standard should take over the web. That would be pretty horrible for everyone. I'm simply saying that Microsoft has developed an XML based markup language for user interface that is both significantly more robust as well as exponentially easier to write, so I know that HTML isn't "as good as it gets" for a text based interface markup language, and I would prefer that it gets phased out in favor of something much closer to XAML in design.

[SirNoDroin Posted Jun 30th 2009 1:51PM]

HTML was developed back when transferring large amounts of data was considered a thing of dreams, and the fact that we still use (and build upon) such an arcane system is ridiculous. There is no reason why a "webpage" can't be a standardized compiled piece of software. The fact that you have to "work" with HTML to make a page look the way you want it to and "check it" against other browsers, shows its problem right there.

I hate flash, but one thing is with flash, you load it on ANY platform that supports it, and it looks the EXACT same (sans-performance), you don't have to put in 2 API calls into your scripts for backwards capability, and, other then the HTML embedding, you don't have to test it on 5 computers to make sure it looks the same.

XAML and silverlight are great to work with, feel more like traditional programming, and give you consistant, relilable results. HTML was developed to make quick vertical slop via scripts when the web first came out (think geocities). Now-in-days we have to Frankenstein web pages together and hope that all our APIs talk nicely, ;

The fact that there still exists jobs to convert "photoshop mockup to working web page" and it can't be done 100% of the time (still no subpixel positioning) shows that HTML is not good.

HTML != a thing of beauty

just my 2cents.

[Tsing Tao Posted Jun 30th 2009 3:42PM]

@ryan And if YOU think that video and Audio are the primary standouts for HTML 5, then you sir are the less intelligent one. You got animations both 2d and 3d, you got Canvas which is life in browser multi-user vector drawing, the list goes one. Flash will die a horrible death hopefully sooner than later.

You could call adobe and ask them but they are closed for the week, hmm interesting.

[Dimitri Posted Jun 30th 2009 5:03PM]

@dan2600
Where are all you people coming from??

Flash and Silverlight do NOT always behave the same way on all browsers and platforms, even when you're running the same version.

As a programmer who is quite familiar with Flash and both iterations of Silverlight (1.0 is completely different from 2.0), I can tell you there are LOTS of inconsistencies and bugs.

A Flash SWF that works fine on one system or one browser, may inexplicably crash on another. I know this all too well.

If you haven't inexperienced such problems, you're still green. Give it 10 more years and talk to me then.

D

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2009 12:06PM]

Tell you what, you guys go mess around with some "neat" programming languages, I'll keep focusing on the open, hypertext and evolving Web which we have thanks to HTML, which you clearly don't understand (comparing HTML to a programing language is astounding ignorance) is critical as a universal open standard designed for any device, rather than whatever it is you think is so great about Silverlight or today's other branded kit. We would not have anything like the Internet from Microsoft or any other single tech company, so maybe you would be happier on a closed AOL or Compuserve or XBox land, where your programs work perfectly on computers exactly like yours (same OS, performance, libraries and general display/io properties). The web sites I develop are for government and health and are meant for everyone, not gimmicks for bored people, and fortunately standards are where the weight of the Internet goes.

[mikeisgo Posted Jun 30th 2009 11:09AM]

ooooh i so want to try this, but i can't deal with no WIFI, so I shall wait for a little while longer.

[POZ Posted Jun 30th 2009 11:50AM]

It seems all (or most) of the Android devices use the same class of CPU... I would love to know when something a lot more powerful is going to surface. These devices are obsolete CPU wise. Thinking to the future for power it needed.

[schema Posted Jun 30th 2009 11:13AM]

Just as an FYI, JACHero is already up to 2.0r6, and he has Wifi and a few other things fixed.

justanotherdev: @cyrowski it looks like they took a saphirre ROM and dumped the system apps and framwork on it

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 11:29AM]

Can you guys ever research your shit before releasing. There is already a Jac version of this out and a superhero on the way.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 11:30AM]

Is flash 10 visually/graphically enhanced then its predecessors?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 11:37AM]

Finally Sprint is getting some cool phones!

Sources speaking to PhoneNews.com have confirmed that Sprint is internally testing the HTC Hero currently slated for release at the end of the year.

The biggest news however, has to do with Samsung and its device currently in testing which is a CDMA/WiMax device running Android according to preliminary details.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 11:39AM]

No amount of Hero ROM refining will get me a 3.5mm headphone jack on my G1.

[Sheppard Posted Jun 30th 2009 12:16PM]

No but for £($)2-3 you can buy a htc port to 3.5mm adapter i have one for crappy HTC phone its not rocket science to figure out im bored of people whining about no 3.5mm port

[KrazyCalvin Posted Jun 30th 2009 12:56PM]

So yea... Think about it artic fox... Your listening to music on your phone and it dies... what are you going to do now? Unplug your headphones and use the usb port for charging... you have no other choice... No headphone jack was a stupid decision on the G1 and its a bad decision on the mytouch. Some enterprising person needs to find a way to make a usb adapter that has the usb plug and another port on the thing so that way you could charge and listen to music on headphones at the same time.

I had a 6 hour layover at an airport right after I got the phone and I had to sit there watching stuff on youtube with my head next to the speaker while I was charging it.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 1:20PM]

Don't worry, I bought two. A regular 3in. wire adapter and a 3 in 1 adapter. The regular one broke right away (I pulled too hard on the wire unplugging the headphones) and the 3 in 1 has terrible static while the phone is plugged in charging. I'm a big fan of the G1 ... some things are just nice to have.

[Chefgon Posted Jun 30th 2009 1:44PM]

@KrazyCalvin

There are a bunch of those out on the market, they've been available for years for HTC's other handsets. Just do a search on Amazon for extUSB to 3.5mm adapter. You'll get a bunch of standalone things, but there are at least a couple splitters available as well. They're a little more expensive ($10-15), but they work.

I agree that a bonafide headphone jack is better all around, but there are solutions to your problem that don't involve buying a whole new phone.

Personally, I just carry a separate MP3 player (flash Zune, to be exact) because I'm still not sold on the concept of using your phone as a music player. It's kind of cool for stuff like Last.fm and streaming radio, but to just listen to my MP3 collection I'd rather use a standalone unit with physical music controls. It seems more cumbersome to juggle the music player running in the background on your phone than it is to just carry a separate physical device where the music interface and controls are always available no matter what you're doing.

[Wes Steele Posted Jun 30th 2009 11:49AM]

It's just not fast enough for me to use as a day to day firmware, I'll stick with my CM mod firmware, it's fast as hell. Hopefully the sense UI get's optimized for the G1 and someday it becomes fast enough for everyday use.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 4:18PM]

Yes, the CM mod is incredibly fast...my g1 leaps at the slightest touch, its great, especially if you've overclocked(doesn't CM mod do it by default?)

[fnybny Posted Jun 30th 2009 12:06PM]

@engadget
this fatality->Johnathan Wendel

[fnybny Posted Jun 30th 2009 12:16PM]

@engadget
this fatality->Johnathan Wendel

[Cheesus Crust Posted Jun 30th 2009 12:10PM]

This is running on an HTC Touch Pro just fine!

[fnybny Posted Jun 30th 2009 12:17PM]

@engadget
this fatality->Johnathan Wendel

[KrazyCalvin Posted Jun 30th 2009 12:51PM]

I played around with installing custom roms back when I had an MDA and most of the time the rom was more harm than good. Mainly i would have problems with phone calls not ringing in... Id just randomly have a voicemail without a call. When I would flash back to the default rom it would be fine. Id rather not beta test a phone operating system, thank you... I have enough troubles without having to deal with a phone I broke myself.

[iDavey Posted Jun 30th 2009 1:33PM]

I just flashed this ROM...the beauty and functionality of it is unparalleled rght now.
But as someone stated...it's just too slow for everyday use

[coolbho3000 Posted Jun 30th 2009 1:42PM]

Thanks, Engadget, you crashed XDA.

[fourblades Posted Jun 30th 2009 2:48PM]

Dear engadget,

Please keep us up-to-date when a stable release is available, even if it's by download squad!

And thanks for this awesome news.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 9:38PM]

I'll be testing the new JAChero based on this tonight. I'll let everyone know how it works. The latest version before 2.0 was pretty snappy and stable enough for someone like me. Hopefully this compares.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 9:41PM]

It's not bad. An easy install with Jacman's 2.0r6. Definitely better widgets than 1.7 had. Big issue right now is no MP3 support so no music and also no ringtones for incoming calls as well as no alarm clock. Kinda a big deal, but all things considered, I can live with it till the next rev.

JAC and Manup are the real heroes.

[srismart Posted Jun 30th 2009 4:54PM]

For all those Android ROM developers out there: while working on the other updates, can u squeeze in UMA support (T-mobile hotspot@home) somewhere there? :)

With low signal receptions @ my new place, really miss my BB Curve for the wifi calling feature.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 5:50PM]

Hi there,

I'm Andrea Baccega co-owner of www.androidiani.com ..

Could you please cite us as the official announcement about the Magic rom?

And.. The rom was first created for htc magic and it is under development for the dream. (Wifi doesn't work)

The "official" announcement is here and not on xda-developers.. Please change the link to:
http://www.androidiani.com/news/i-nostri-heroes-ci-regalano-la-hero-2985

PS: fatal1ty is not the one you think :)

[pinetreehater Posted Jul 5th 2009 10:21AM]

Isn't this kind of like what you were beating Haykuro up about in your diatribe about how self-centered he is behaving (see http://www.androidiani.com/news/androidiani-presents-haykuro-2999#more-2999 ).

You, too, are seeking attention and credit for hard work, in this case scooping the spy-shots of the Hero. Human trait that is, attention seeking.

Cheers,
Will S.

[newjaruz Posted Jun 30th 2009 5:55PM]

I know the Iphone was/is a great product.. but why must every post about other phones be filled with some comparison? Can people just stick to the current topic of discussion?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 7:21PM]

It's actually Flash Lite 3.1 that's installed on this device. However, if anyone can confirm it has Distributable Player capability then it *may* be possible to update to Flash 10 OTA at a future date.

BTW, those interested in developing for devices using Flash should check out our upcoming book we wrote the developer community at large. :)

AdvancED Flash on Devices:
Mobile Development with Flash Lite and Flash 10
http://www.friendsofed.com/book.html?isbn=9781430219040

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2009 1:52AM]

More screenshots here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9982622@N02/sets/72157620742967010/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9982622@N02/sets/72157618858201445/

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2009 9:08AM]

WOW! Engadget is late!
I had it (Hero build) running since Monday....or Sunday......wow.....does it really take 4 days to get this "news"......