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Cupcake posts

Giant Android eclair delivered to Google by even bigger nerds (video)

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 15th 2009 at 1:37AM

By now you should be familiar with Google's confectionary codenames for its Google Android OS: version 1.5 (Cupcake), 1.6 (Donut), 2.0 (Eclair) and version x.x (Flan). What you probably didn't know is that Google honors each release by dropping a steaming hot foam facsimile onto its front lawn. Historically, the arrival of the giant Donut at the GooglePlex was followed by the 1.6 developer release of Android just a few days later. Don't get too excited though, last we heard Eclair wouldn't arrive until Q2 of 2010 for consumers. Video and another view of the nerds "gone wild" just after the break.

[Via TechCrunch]

Continue reading Giant Android eclair delivered to Google by even bigger nerds (video)

T-Mobile G1 won't see any Android updates beyond 1.5 (update: maybe it will)

by Darren Murph posted Aug 17th 2009 at 7:23PM

Pioneering T-Mobile G1 owners have been enjoying the spoils of Android 1.5 (or Cupcake, as it's known 'round these parts) for months now, but it looks as if that very treat will be the last taste of confectionery goodness that the smartphone gets. According to Android software engineer Dave Sparks, a time is soon coming when devs "wont be able to fit the latest [Android] release on the G1's internal flash," and yet another engineer has chimed in via Twitter to say that he "can't promise" that any update after 1.5 will fit. For whatever reason, HTC gifted the G1 with an incredibly meager amount of internal flash, and considering that no Android phone will support app storage / loading from a microSD card, there's no way to free up room for Donut, Eclair or Flan. You've been a real champ, G1, but without 2.0+, we just can't give you the love and devotion you truly need. Go on, call us fickle -- we deserve it.

[Via Electronista and jkOnTheRun]

Update: We've received a statement directly from T-Mobile on the matter, saying "We plan to continue working with Google to introduce future software updates to the T-Mobile G1. Reports to the contrary are inaccurate." It's unclear whether those are just going to be security and stability updates to 1.5 or whether we'll see wholesale new versions like Donut and beyond, but for the sake of G1 owners everywhere, we're hoping it's the latter.

Sprint's Dan Hesse says Android coming to Sprint this year, is glad to have waited

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jul 24th 2009 at 3:22PM

While speaking at Fortune's Brainstorm: Tech event in Pasadena on Friday, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse apparently got all kinds of verbal when it came to Android and his carrier. The honcho (and TV commercial star) remarked at the industry conference that he was "Glad we waited on Android," adding "The reviews say now it's ready for prime time. It wasn't when it first came out." While we knew Sprint had interest in Android phones (and potentially some forthcoming models), we hadn't heard a peep about timeframes, and the last thing Dan had to say was that he thought Googlephones weren't quite ready for prime-time. That's all changed now with the appearance of Android 1.5, it seems, as Hesse stated that the carrier will ship at least one model with the OS onboard this year. We don't want to be zany conspiracy theorists, but the timing of this seems to dovetail nicely with the very public launch of HTC's heavily modified Hero and Sense UI... a device which has been rumored to be making its way to Sprint sometime this year. The carrier obviously has a storied history of partnering with HTC on phones, so it wouldn't come as a surprise to see it land on Sprint (we certainly haven't seen any other carriers pipe up). Regardless, it looks like Sprint won't be putting all of its eggs in the Palm basket for long. It's going to be a very interesting holiday season.

T-Mobile myTouch 3G gets unboxed, user guide outed

by Ross Miller posted Jun 23rd 2009 at 7:44PM

Can't wait until July to check out every nook and cranny of T-Mobile's version of the Ion / Magic? A couple of tipsters, including one anonymously, have lent us a hand in that department with pictures of an apparent myTouch 3G unboxing, as well as an entire user guide dating back to May 19th. We're still rummaging through it ourselves, but so far we're not seeing anything we didn't already know or see for ourselves with the phone's many other releases. Completionists can hit up the 113-page manual in the gallery below.

Gallery: T-Mobile myTouch 3G unboxed

Gallery: T-Mobile myTouch 3G user guide

[Thanks, Derek]

Video: MakerBot's build-it-yourself 3D printer in action, replicator in the works

by Paul Miller posted Jun 10th 2009 at 9:09PM

We just bumped into the MakerBot industries folks and got a quick look at the CupCake CNC rapid prototyping machine (3D printer, for us luddites). The thing extrudes Lego-type plastic into fairly detailed shapes, and MakerBot sells it as a kit for $750, or fully assembled for $2,500. What's most exciting is that the MakerBot folks are now working on a 3D scanner kit, which once combined with the CupCake CNC will make a full-on homegrown replicator. Diamond Age, here we come! A quick demo of the CupCake is after the break.

Continue reading Video: MakerBot's build-it-yourself 3D printer in action, replicator in the works

Android 1.5 update for T-Mobile G1 now rolling out, for real this time

by Chris Ziegler posted May 28th 2009 at 6:31PM

There have been a whole bunch of false starts on this, but honestly, folks -- for real, we're not messing around -- T-Mobile has finally started distributing Android 1.5 over-the-air to American G1 owners. This means that anyone who hasn't taken the time to install the update of their own accord is just about to get hooked up without any intervention whatsoever, bringing third-party widget support, a virtual keyboard, email and messaging improvements, a revised UI, and of course, an endless font of delicious pastries that will make you morbidly obese if you eat enough of them over time. Honestly, while you're waiting for the update to arrive, hop on the Bowflex for a few minutes. It's not going to kill you.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Google Ion hands-on and unboxing

by Ross Miller posted May 27th 2009 at 4:41PM

Looks like Chris' hatred wasn't totally unfounded. We just got our hands on a Google Ion -- which as you can tell is a spitting image of the HTC Magic -- complete with 30 days' worth of T-Mobile service on an included SIM card. It's not a public release model, but seems fully capable. Yes, it's got Cupcake, and while the portrait keyboard seems more cramped than the iPhone's, we found it very comfortable to type in landscape mode. Form factor wise, this thing is as sexy as hardware gets -- light, sleek, and thin. The only thing that exceeds our love for it right now is its own love for fingerprints -- seriously, the entire body and screen attract them like flies to honey. Colorful similes aside, hit up the gallery below for all the pics you could ask for.

Gallery: Google Ion unboxing and hands-on

Trimble Nomad handheld gets Android 1.5 upgrade

by Donald Melanson posted May 22nd 2009 at 6:32PM

It's not exactly one of the first places you'd expect to see Cupcake popping up, but SDG Systems has announced that the Android update (or a developer build of it, specifically) is now available on its Trimble Nomad rugged handheld. That device, in case you missed it, has primarily relied on Windows Mobile for an OS to date, and packs an 806 MHz Marvell PXA320 XScale processor, 128MB of RAM, up to 2GB of storage, CompactFlash and SD card slots for expansion, built-in GPS, and a hot swappable lithium-ion battery that supposedly lasts a whole day on a charge. Anyone looking for an alternative to the G1 will likely want to look elsewhere though, as the Nomad isn't actually a phone, and this particular $1,200+ Android-equipped device is apparently intended specifically for developers looking to test out Android apps on a rugged device.

T-Mobile USA starts pushing Android 1.5 to G1 owners (update: not yet)

by Chris Ziegler posted May 22nd 2009 at 11:19AM

That delay wasn't too painful, we suppose. After slipping the US release of the Cupcake-rich Android 1.5 by just a handful of days, T-Mobile USA is starting to push it out to G1 users in the field. The company estimates everyone will have it by early June, so if you haven't gotten the notification yet, hang tight, shake your fist at the sky, and scream a few choice obscenities for us. One more screencap is after the break, and it's a real treat for the anti-Apple crowd.

[Thanks, Raymond and Jamie]

Update: We're aware that the screen shot here shows a UK build -- we're currently awaiting official comment from T-Mobile USA on how the rollout is progressing over here. Stay tuned!

Update 2: So far, it seems like the only folks getting updates are those who'd previously installed a UK build on their US-spec G1, which means the good people playing by the rules and avoiding any firmware tomfoolery are still update-less. We're still waiting on official comment from T-Mobile, but it's not looking good.

Update 3: Indeed, the push hasn't started. T-Mobile tells us that "nothing has changed... plans are still to roll it out this week" -- so if you're crazy anxious to get this installed, your best bet is probably still to install the ADP or UK build.

Continue reading T-Mobile USA starts pushing Android 1.5 to G1 owners (update: not yet)

Dell's Mini 10v shown running a plethora of operating systems, Android Cupcake among them

by Tim Stevens posted May 20th 2009 at 8:21AM

Dell's Mini 10v shown running a plethora of operating systems, Cupcake among them

Need some further proof that Dell is working on an Android-powered netbook? How about a video featuring Doug Anson, Dell's Technology Strategist, sitting next to a Mini 10v that's running Android? And it's not just any flavor of Google's OS -- oh no, this is the frosting-covered goodness of Cupcake. Sadly the demonstration is nothing more than showing the desktop with that big, iconic clock, but it's proof enough that Round Rock's finest are working on something special. Also shown are 10v's running standard Ubuntu and the Netbook Remix, but they don't taste nearly as good. Video after the break.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Continue reading Dell's Mini 10v shown running a plethora of operating systems, Android Cupcake among them

T-Mobile USA delays Android 1.5 rollout by a few days

by Chris Ziegler posted May 18th 2009 at 3:11PM

We knew it was too good to be true, eternal curmudgeonly pessimists that we are -- and sure enough, T-Mobile USA has put the kibosh on the start of its Android 1.5 rollout to G1 users. It seems that the build is still being "optimized" to "ensure optimal functionality and smooth delivery," which doesn't necessarily explain why T-Mobile UK users are already enjoying this stuff -- but then again, we're not the engineers and tech support folks that have to put up with the fallout from a failed launch. The carrier thinks everything will be delayed by about a week, which means that we're now looking at early June before everyone gets it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Android build for upcoming HTC Hero has revamped interface, social networking?

by Paul Miller posted May 18th 2009 at 9:46AM

This one's a bit of a mystery, but it's certainly a tantalizing one: Haykuro of xdadevelopers fame has posted video of what purports to be the Android build off of HTC's upcoming Hero device. What's special about it is a reworked interface, which shows a lot of polish from icons to built-in apps to general interface elements... and maybe just a bit of TouchFLO flair. There are also new features like a login / logout menu for "social networks" in the settings menu. While the device lists the firmware as 1.5, there's a small possibility that some of this new look and feel could be headed for Android 2.0 "Donut," or perhaps HTC just feels like it needs to diverge from the pack a bit now that other manufacturers are starting to drop their own Android handsets. Check out the incredibly epic video after the break.

[Via Android Central]

Continue reading Android build for upcoming HTC Hero has revamped interface, social networking?

Android 1.5 coming to T-Mobile UK now, USA next week

by Chris Ziegler posted May 6th 2009 at 4:19PM

And so it's finally confirmed: no consumers on un-hacked T-Mobile G1s in the US have this yet, but Android 1.5 and all its gooey, chocolatey Cupcake goodness will finally be hitting American units come late next week. Of course, you know how Android updates go -- they "roll" -- and not everyone is expected to get hooked up until the end of the month. Meanwhile, British G1 owners are getting updated as we speak -- so you might say they're getting back their American counterparts for launching the hardware afterwards. You know, what goes around, comes around.

[Thanks, Shawn and David]

Update: The 1.5 update includes Picasa and YouTube uploads (you didn't forget about video capability, did you?) straight from your device, which is pretty cool.

Read - T-Mobile USA announcement
Read - Android 1.5 now available in UK

Android 1.5 already hitting T-Mobile G1s?

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 30th 2009 at 2:29AM

We'd kinda gotten used to the cold, hard reality of being teased with the promise of a Cupcake build on our retail G1s out in some distant, nondeterministic future that we may or may not be a part of -- but all of a sudden, it looks like we might've vaulted right past Cupcake. We've now received multiple tips this evening suggesting that T-Mobile may have started distributing Android 1.5 as an over-the-air update to G1 owners, which would bring customizable widgets, messaging enhancements, virtual keyboards, and UI tweaks (among many other goodies) to an eager public. Anyone out there seeing this?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

P.S. - No, your eyes aren't deceiving you: these are little green pastries baked by T-Mobile. "We heard people wanted cupcakes," one representative told us.

Video: Android 1.5 'Cupcake' on-screen keyboard and camcorder action

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 28th 2009 at 5:16AM

Released into the developer wilds yesterday, Cupcake (Android 1.5) is already making its video debut on an Android Dev Phone. Arsen goes through some of the main new features including the camcorder (with YouTube sharing feature), new on-screen keyboard required for Android devices like the HTC Magic and Samsung I7500, and enhanced Web browser. 3GP videos captured by the G1 were a bit choppy with dropped frames and weak audio but on par with what we'd expect. The on-screen keyboard and enhanced browser fared far better with Google providing real-time suggestions during URL lookups and the browser itself feeling a bit snappier when zooming and scrolling. All-in-all the latest build seems more stable than previous iterations and leaves us itching for the May release. See for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Video: Android 1.5 'Cupcake' on-screen keyboard and camcorder action