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Nokia clarifies battery update on Lumia 800, promises audio / camera fixes soon
Nokia already came clean about the Lumia 800 battery bug, but evidently that just wasn't enough to appease the masses. A community manager in the outfit's own forums has just responded to pages upon pages of comments regarding the most recent update, partly to (re)set the record straight regarding the battery, and partly to address more fixes that are just around the bend. The latest update (1600.2483.8106.11500) was meant to "enhance standby time as well as to bring an improvement to the issue reported by some customers in December," and according to Nokia, said update does indeed address those problems. However, folks that still have concerns regarding audio and camera settings aren't being ignored; those quirks will be worked out in "a series of future updates." Eager to learn more? The full reply is embedded just after the break.
Eye-Fi CEO slams SD Association's eerily similar Wireless SD card standard, says his IP is being violated
Yuval Koren is not pleased. For those unaware, he's the CEO of Eye-Fi, the company that has practically written the rules on embedding WiFi into SD cards. If you blinked last week, you probably missed the SD Association's announcement that it had created a new Wireless LAN SD standard that would effectively give just about anyone the ability to add Eye-Fi abilities to their SD cards. As it turns out, Eye-Fi's none too pleased about it, and Koren has gone so far as to publicly admit that the standard is seriously infringing upon highly valuable Eye-Fi technology. To quote: "As [the SDA's standard is] currently written, essential Eye-Fi patented technology would be violated by anyone implementing this draft specification." Bold.He goes on to explain that his company has invested "tens of millions of dollars and several years to create unique technology that lets people wirelessly transfer photos and videos directly from their camera and mobile devices," and calls the SDA protocol "flat out misrepresentation." He's effectively calling for the SD Association to either pony up and license Eye-Fi's tech, or scrap the "standard" and rewrite it using something else altogether. The full letter is posted up after the break, with absolutely no elation to be found.
Some Transformer Prime users unable to upgrade to ICS, serial number 'Unknown'
Ice Cream Sandwich for the Transformer Prime was one of the most anticipated updates for one of the most anticipated tablets of recent memory. It was pushed out last week and so everyone's happy -- right? Sadly, some folks are missing out. We've received a number of reports from users who haven't been as successful as we were in updating to Android 4.0, their slates showing an "Unknown" serial number preventing the application of the update. ASUS is looking into the issue and affected users were told to perform a factory reset and, if that doesn't work, try it again and let the slate sit at the desktop for about 15 minutes. Let us know how you're faring in comments, and hit up the xda developers links for more support should you need it.[Thanks, Ben]
Quanta sues AMD, claims it sold defective products
Yikes. Quanta -- also known as the planet's largest contract maker of laptops -- has just slapped a nasty lawsuit on the world's second-largest chipmaker. According to Bloomberg, Quanta is alleging that AMD and ATI sold chips that "didn't meet heat tolerances and were unfit for particular purposes." Those chips were then used in NEC-labeled machines, and caused them to "malfunction" in some regard. No big deal? Hardly. In the complaint, Quanta states that it has "suffered significant injury to prospective revenue and profits," and it's seeking a jury trial and damages for good measure. As if that weren't harsh enough, the suit also claims "breach of warranty, negligent misrepresentation, civil fraud and interference with a contract." When pinged for comment, AMD's spokesman, Michael Silverman stated: "AMD disputes the allegations in Quanta's complaint and believes they are without merit. AMD is aware of no other customer reports of the alleged issues with the AMD chip that Quanta used, which AMD no longer sells. "In fact, Quanta has itself acknowledged to AMD that it used the identical chip in large volumes in a different computer platform that it manufactured for NEC without such issues." Somewhere, Intel has to be smirking.
ASUS now catching heat for locked Transformer Prime bootloader, probably wishes the thing was never made
Man, talk about not being able to catch a break. After launching what was largely considered the first Android tablet worth drooling over at AsiaD, ASUS has ran into every conceivable issue in the months since. Delays, on-again / off-again claims about GPS and now, a locked bootloader that has the vocal Android modding community all sorts of angry. The primary issue here is that the Prime is a WiFi-only device, which leaves little room for ASUS to justify its decision to thwart the use of uncertified ROMs. Of course, HTC has faced similar pressures in the past, and its decision to cut loose of the locked bootloader chains won it universal praise from a universal audience. Time for ASUS to step up and do likewise?
Verizon backs down from convenience fee, values your two cents
The people (and government) have spoken and Verizon has listened -- and issued a press release. The carrier has officially backed off of the "single payment fee" that drew almost universal ire amongst subscribers and nabbed the attention of the FCC. Says Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead, "we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time." Looks like the company's gonna have to get a couple of bucks from you another way. No word yet on whether the FCC plans to investigate Sprint's similar long-standing fee. Official statement after the break.
Verizon's $2 convenience fee inconveniences the FCC
Just like hard working humans, giant companies like to get paid consistently and on time for services rendered. But Verizon's method for motivating customers to pay up -- in the form of a $2 convenience fee -- isn't sitting so well with consumers, or the FCC. A Federal Communications Commission official confirmed that the fee hasn't gone unnoticed, saying "on behalf of American consumers, we're concerned about Verizon's actions and are looking into the matter." The $2 "payment convenience fee" is scheduled to hit consumers beginning on January 15th, but if the FCC doesn't step in before then, you can still skip the toll by signing up for AutoPay, or making your way to a different carrier.
Leaked memo details Verizon's $2 fee for paying your bill; autodraft or ACH the only way out (update: confirmed)
A couple of years back, AT&T offered select customers a $25 prepaid MasterCard to switch their billing over to autodraft. Soon, Verizon Wireless will be following Sprint's footsteps and charging you for every month that you aren't using that very system. Tactical differences aside, the leaked memo shown above details what has to be one of the most consumer-unfriendly policy changes since the carrier boosted its early termination fee for "advanced devices." Effective January 15th, any customer that opts to pay their wireless bill online or over the phone will be charged an extra $2 each month, and the only way to sidestep it is to sign up for AutoPay or to pay by electronic check, where there's no credit card fee passed on to the carrier. For those unaware, AutoPay automatically drafts the most recent amount from either a linked checking / savings account or a credit card on file, and while we can understand VZW's desire to better control when it's getting paid, charging customers to make it happen is just downright ludicrous. Here's a thought, Verizon: enforce stricter penalties on late payments, or just offer those that shift to AutoPay a small discount for going out of their way to make your life a little easier. Or, you know, for all those hours that your network has been down during the holidays. Update: Verizon has officially confirmed the change to its policies and the $2 surcharge you'll be hit with each month if you're not using autodraft or some other small subset of payment options. Head after the break for all the details straight from the horse's mouth. [Thanks, Alex]
Verizon sidesteps Galaxy Nexus antennagate, claims signal indicator is to blame
This is just hilarious. Remember when Verizon Wireless stated rather unequivocally that its Galaxy Nexus suffered from a "signal strength issue" and that a fix was coming? Worry not, dear readers, because the company now claims that it's identified the issue: apparently, there's really no problem at all. According to Big Red, the Galaxy Nexus doesn't suffer from poor reception, but simply reports its reception poorly. To resolve these 'perception' issues, the carrier states that it will deliver a software update that "will adjust the signal strength indicator to more closely match other Verizon Wireless devices." So, whether or not there really is a problem with the Galaxy Nexus (LTE), one thing is for certain -- very soon, its owners will have more bars to look at. Huzzah, indeed?
Verizon confirms Galaxy Nexus 'signal strength issue,' says a fix is in the works
Well, there's good news and bad. Per usual, we'll kick it off with the latter. The LTEified version of the Galaxy Nexus has signal problems. Or, more specifically, a "signal strength issue." According to Verizon Wireless' Support account on Twitter, the issue is currently being investigated, and while there's no ETA at the moment, a software update is "being developed" to remedy it. We haven't seen a flood of gripes regarding the call quality (or lack thereof) with this particular handset, but it's not exactly uncommon for carriers to work on these types of things soon after a hero device hits the masses. Naturally, we'll keep you abreast of any release details.
AT&T blows a gasket, calls FCC report 'an advocacy piece, not analysis'
You know who's madder than hot fury right now? That guy you picked last on your recreational kickball squad. Also, Jim Cicconi, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President of External & Legislative Affairs. He's credited with penning a scathing response to the recent FCC Staff Report surrounding the proposed AT&T / T-Mobile transaction, which obviously didn't go at all in the way that the former had intended. In fact, he goes so far as to call the document "so obviously one-sided that any fair-minded person reading it is left with the clear impression that it is an advocacy piece, and not a considered analysis." And in turn, effectively teaches us that his rebuttal is equally so. As you'd expect in any legal / political throw down with billions at stake, AT&T feels that the report "cherry-picked facts to support its views, and ignored facts that don't." Hardly shocking, mind you, but it's the clearest evidence yet that the company isn't backing down from its stance. Of course, with a $4 billion break-up fee looming if this all falls apart, it's probably worth a few Hail Marys along the way. As you'd expect, Sprint also took the time to respond to AT&T's response of an FCC report, which responded to both Sprint and AT&T's initial responses. You'll find that, and perhaps other tales of intrigue, after the break.
Thanks to iOS 5, some users lose WiFi connectivity
Of all the enhancements to discover in Apple's iOS 5 upgrade, it seems that an unforeseen monster may have snuck its way into the release. We're now reading through a handful of user complaints about losing WiFi after taking the plunge, with most replies mentioning intermittent connectivity and / or a significant loss in signal strength. The issue remains unconfirmed by Apple, but it appears to span across a number of devices, including the iPhone 4S, 4 and 3GS, along with the iPad (and possibly, the iPod Touch). By troubleshooting, one user was able to resolve the problem by reverting to iOS 4.3, then cause it to manifest -- once again -- by upgrading to iOS 5. The recent iOS 5.0.1 update certainly hasn't fixed the matter, either. Could these reports be an unfortunate series of unrelated events, or is there something larger at play? Sound off about your experience with WiFi and iOS 5 in the comments below. [Thanks, Iain]
Poll: Have you noticed battery improvements after updating to iOS 5.0.1?
Yesterday, Apple pushed out iOS 5.0.1, just about four weeks after releasing iOS 5 to the masses. Among the reported fixes: battery life improvements, following a confirmed bug in the initial release. We're hearing reports that battery life remains an issue for some iPhone 4S owners, however, and that it's been reduced even further for others. We want to hear about your experience, though, so let us know what's up in the poll below, and jump past the break to join other iPhone owners in the comments.%Poll-70860%
Poll: What's broken (or working) for you in iOS 5?
If you haven't updated to iOS 5 by now, let's face it: you never will. It's cool. We get it. Some of us are still using Netscape, too. For the rest of the iOS universe, though, iOS 5 has almost certainly been installed, and now that you've had a few weeks to tinker with it, we're interested in seeing what quirks are being found. We've received a number of reports surrounding call connection issues (on both Verizon Wireless and AT&T), "invalid SIM" warnings, a bug that shows an inbox as being full (when it clearly isn't) and iCloud refusing to load email altogether. Oh, and then there's that pesky Siri pincode bypass -- tsk, tsk! Toss your vote in below, and converse amongst yourselves in comments. Sharing is caring! %Poll-70290%
Google Voice pulled from App Store following iOS 5 crash
What once was there now is gone. Earlier today, Google Voice was just two clicks away in the iOS App Store. Now, all that remains is a page cache (at the source link below) and versions of the app that were already installed on iPhones and iPod touches. Vincent Paquet, Senior Product Manager for Google Voice confirmed that the app had been pulled, explaining "our last update of this week had a bug that caused the app to crash at sign in. We removed it so it did not affect additional users until the fix gets published." We've been using the most recent version -- 1.3.0.1771 -- on an iPhone 4 running iOS 5 without issue, but recent reviews cite the reported crashing, so it's definitely affecting at least some users. We don't have an ETA for when you can expect the app to return, so if you don't already have it installed, you'll need to hang tight for the time being. The service should function normally otherwise, assuming your phone number has already been registered, though you won't be able to begin new text threads or make outgoing calls using your Google Voice number.
Toshiba promises cure for Thrive's sleep disorder 'early next week'
In the wee hours of the morning, a not-so-little green pheasant flapped through our open window and disturbed our dreams with an official message from Toshiba: the company has developed a fix for the Thrive tablet's sleep addiction and will release it "early next week" via the Service Station app. The red-faced birdie also told us that the update will improve the device's "multimedia playback capabilities," although it didn't tell us how. Good news, to be sure, but now we'll need an afternoon siesta to make up for it.
Amazon briefly pulls Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS due to 'inventory issues,' reinstates it moments later
Here's a weird one. Earlier today, we heard (and confirmed) reports that the Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS was unavailable for purchase directly through Amazon. We followed up with the company to get to the bottom of things, and were fed this explanation from a company spokesperson: "We received customer feedback that there may be an inventory issue with the Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS. The integrity of the product is not under review. Customers are still able to purchase the Amazon.com offer of the Aqua Blue Nintendo 3DS, however the Amazon.com offer of [the] black Nintendo 3DS has been removed until the inventory issue is resolved. There is no problem with the Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS units themselves. This is an internal inventory problem that was brought to our attention from customer feedback and we are looking into it and will resolve as soon as possible." Turns out, "as soon as possible" meant "three minutes later." As of this very moment in time, the handheld is available and in stock over at the world's most recognized e-tailer, with the outfit confirming to us that sales "have been reinstated." At any rate, we suppose this serves to clarify one thing while bringing about a totally separate question -- there's nothing physically wrong with the 3DS so far as Amazon's concerned, but how on Earth is its inventory team reacting that quickly?
Toshiba acknowledges Thrive's sleep addiction, fix apparently in the works
Has your Thrive been acting more like sleeping beauty, and less like the tablet you paid for? Before embarking on a mythical tale, whereupon you eventually find its more charming compatriot, know help from Toshiba is forthcoming: "We're aware of the issue and are working on a fix." No further details on when it'll land, or what exactly it'll fix, but if you're anything like us, you're just happy it won't end up where another Tosh tablet did -- in eternal slumber.
Toshiba Thrive experiencing sleep / wake / reboot issues? (updated)
Toshiba's Android-powered Thrive just started shipping to end users during the past couple of weeks, but already we're seeing an alarming amount of bug reports crop up over at the outfit's own site. Specifically, legions of users are suggesting that their Thrive is having a whale of a time coming out of Sleep mode without a full, hard reboot, and some are even suggesting that it'll turn on by its lonesome on occasion. Hard to say if this is something that could be remedied via a future firmware update, but here's hoping, right? Let us know if you're seeing the same troubles in comments below -- we haven't seen any of this in the handful of days we've been testing our own, but we'll be sure to report more thoroughly in our upcoming review. Update: We spoke too soon. Although our Thrive review unit behaved just fine at first, we, too, have since found that it's unable to wake from sleep without a hard reboot. In our case, it happened after charging the Thrive overnight, as opposed to letting it sit around unplugged. Since then, Toshiba has acknowledged the problem and promised a fix is on the way, though it's still unclear when, exactly, the company will pull through. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
ASUS promises fix for Eee Pad Transformer power drain, keeps the apologies coming (update: Android 3.2 is coming "soon")
ASUS's mighty morphing Eee Pad Transformer might be a commercial success (even despite early delays) but, it seems, there's something amiss with the shape shifting tablet. Earlier today, the company admitted to an issue relating to the slate's keyboard dock. A post to ASUS' UK Facebook page reads: Apologies to anyone who has encountered issues with their Transformer keyboard dock (power drain and charging). The issue is related to the way we configured the device's power management in/out of sleep mode. We will shortly be announcing details on how this will be resolved for our customers. We'd say that's about as vague a promise as a company could offer, but we'll keep you posted as ASUS opens up. Update: Looks like the Transformer is set to join the Xoom on the Android 3.2 bandwagon, as ASUS' Twitter account announced that the company is testing the latest Honeycomb build on the Transformer as we speak, and ASUS hopes to release it "soon." Update 2: We got a note from a Japanese ASUS representative indicating that units released in that market are not affected by this issue.
