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Refresh Roundup: week of July 23rd, 2012

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

  • ASUS PadFone: A new firmware update is now available for the PadFone that's based on Android 4.0.4. Additionally, the new software brings improved performance and greater system stability, along with more refined power management. The update also introduces support for 64GB microSD cards and brings refinements to the camera. The download weighs in at approximately 500MB and is available directly from the manufacturer. [ASUS]

  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Verizon Wireless): It looks as if Big Red is prepping an update for its Galaxy Nexus, and while the changes are rather minor, a new version of the baseband software is said to be in the mix. [Android Central]

  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Sprint): Those on the Now Network should know that a minor update is available for the Galaxy Nexus that's said to bring Sprint TV to the handset. Additionally, LTE and WiFi will now be on by default, and the signal strength indicator has also received a few tweaks. [TechnoBuffalo]

  • HTC Flyer: We'll have to stick this one in the "better late than never file," but US Cellular has made a Honeycomb upgrade available to users of the HTC Flyer. The software must be downloaded from the manufacturer's website, as an over-the-air download will not be in the cards. [Android Police]

  • Samsung Galaxy S III: Following the recent "security update" that also brought a quick death to universal search, Sprint is issuing another software revision for the Galaxy S III with a handful of worthwhile improvements. This includes better voice recognition, support for Music Hub and optimizations for LTE network selection. Also, a single picture MMS will no longer display as a slideshow, and further security fixes are also part of the latest update. [Android Central]

  • Motorola Admiral: This Android-powered QWERTY handset from Sprint will soon be eligible for a refresh that's said to bring expanded Direct Connect coverage. It also brings support for wireless emergency alerts and tweaks to the home screen. [TechnoBuffalo]

  • LG Optimus LTE: Latest info from Telus suggests that Optimus LTE users can expect an upgrade to Android 4.0 on August 20th. [MobileSyrup]

  • ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700: If you have one of these tablets and have wanted to dive into the world of custom ROMs, then you'll be glad to know that ASUS has released a bootloader unlock utility for the TF700. No time like the present to start the grand experiments. [Android Police]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

  • Samsung Galaxy Ace and Gio: Those looking to breathe new life into these entry-level smartphones may want to check out the ports of CyanogenMod 10, which are based on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). The ROMs are currently said to be of alpha quality, which means that more timid folks might want to watch the project from a distance. [GSM Arena]

  • Nexus 7: Users of Google's tablet looking to stray from the pack will be glad to know that an unofficial build of CyanogenMod 10 is now available for download. As with anything based on CM10, be sure to treat it as an experimental build. [Ubergizmo]

  • Samsung Galaxy S II: We've one more port of CyanogenMod 10 that may be of interest, which is now available for the global Samsung Galaxy S II. Like other builds, this one is said to be buggy, but if you're looking to join the bleeding edge, look no further. [Thanks, Max] [xda-developers]

Other platforms

Refreshes we covered this week