evo
Latest
HTC EVO 4G suffering new calendar bug, cracked shells, broken dreams?
It wouldn't be the first time the EVO's been dinged for a manufacturing defect, but it seems that at least a few owners are reporting cracks near the power button. Fortunately, these cracks seem to be purely cosmetic without any effect on feel or any real danger of the case falling apart -- and seeing how other high-profile devices have suffered similar fates, we can certainly buy that there are high-stress points in the phone's case where this is prone to happen. We'll wait a moment to continue the story while you pull your EVO out of your pocket and check yours. Alright, now that we have you back, the second issue is purely software -- and arguably quite a bit more troublesome than a tiny, harmless crack. Apparently, the recent Android 2.2 upgrade has introduced a bug whereby event descriptions are being overwritten by their locations when you open them, which basically means this is a legit data loss problem. No ETA yet on a fix, but considering that it's been filed and verified in Android's official tracking system, we're hopeful it's going to get patched up sooner rather than later. [Thanks, Lee H. and Andrew]
Froyo code for HTC EVO 4G, Droid Incredible goes open source
You know the drill: if you're rolling custom firmwares for your Android-powered devices, you've got to release the GPL portions of those binaries for all of our prying eyes to see. It's a drill HTC is well-acquainted with at this point, and once again, they've come swooping in with a couple that should pique the particular interest of the North American hacking community: kernel source for the Android 2.2 releases for Verizon's Droid Incredible and Sprint's EVO 4G. Of course, finding a frickin' Droid Incredible is another matter altogether... but hey, at least when you do, you'll have the source for it. Half the battle, right?
HTC EVO 4G Froyo .6 update starts OTA rollout for early adopters
Sure, XDADevelopers has had an unofficial fix for a few days, but we understand your hesitation -- installing custom firmware is how you got burned in the first place. Thankfully for you, HTC is now beaming the official EVO 4G patch over the airwaves, which updates your tainted 3.26.561.3 dairy dessert to a more toothsome 3.26.561.6. Just scoot on over to Settings > System Updates and invoke the download -- assuming Sprint is being nice in your area -- or wait it out and your handset might even update itself. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Screen Grabs: EVO 4G captures illicit in-progress surgery on The Closer
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. The Sprint badge on our EVO 4G definitely isn't lit up in florescent yellow, but the logo on Sgt. David Gabriel's sure is. During last night's episode of The Closer, Brenda's right hand men were instructed to bust out their cellphones in order to videotape a crime in progress, with the "crime" being the removal of a rapist's heart for transplant into a young, innocent lady back at the hospital. We'll spare you the gory, sticky details, but suffice it to say this 8 megapixel shooter definitely proved valuable when it came time to show and tell. Oh, and didn't 4G just go live in the Los Angeles area? Man, talk about a timely appearance... %Gallery-99131%
HTC EVO 4G Froyo .6 update seems to fix early adopter issues
We know our readers: obsessive early adopters who'll stop at nothing to have the latest and greatest software on their handsets. Just like us. Unfortunately, sometimes we get burned in the process. But the community is nothing if not tenacious. Now we've got an apparent "fix" for anyone who updated their EVO 4G to the Android 2.2 Froyo build discovered on HTC's servers, only to find out that they were running a non-final build. User Pojoman over at XDADevelopers just upped the .3 to final .6 RUU from Sprint that should correct any woes. Based on the enthusiastic feedback we're reading we'd say that this is good news. Nevertheless, the usual disclaimers apply before hitting the source link below, especially with HTC already acknowledging that a fix is on the way via official channels. Yeah, we know, blah blah blah.
EVO 4G starts getting Android 2.2 update over the air
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/EVO_4G_starts_getting_Android_2_2_update_over_the_air'; We've just gotten a deluge of tips that EVO 4Gs are starting to get blessed with the official update to Froyo -- a few hours prior to the promised August 3 rollout -- so if you've got one handy, you're going to want to start checking it right this second. Seriously, now that it's got a trick flashlight app included in ROM, what could you possibly be waiting for? On a related note, if you happened to apply that early update that HTC posted and pulled late last week, the company's working on a fix so that you aren't out of the over-the-air update loop and promises to "get back" in "the coming days." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
EVO 4G's Froyo firmware was available for download, manual install (update)
Like we said, you don't have to wait until August 3rd to get your Android 2.2 Froyo update for the EVO 4G. You can grab the update file right now from HTC's servers (via source link). All you gotta do then is move the file to the root directory of your SD card, boot the phone into recovery mode (hold the "up" button while the phone is turning on), and select apply update from the associated .zip file -- you might also have to rename the file "update.zip" and expect a few other variations in the instructions, user depending. Too much thought process for Friday evening? Feel free to take a crack at it tomorrow, or simply wait for Sprint to give your phone the head's up next week. Update: HTC just shot us a message to clarify that this is not the final ROM version and that the company is strongly recommending not to install this. Additionally, a request has been put in to remove the file from the server, so if you still want to try at your own risk, better download now while it's still available. Update 2: ... and now it's gone. We're sure crafty internet users can still find the file lingering elsewhere, but you won't be getting it from HTC's servers this weekend. You know the old saying, ye who snoozes, something something, tough luck. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
EVO 4G's Froyo features detailed in pictures, car dock coming in September?
We're not far from seeing this big update in the flesh, but in the meanwhile, EVO 4G owners (and fans) might be interested to take a closer look at the features they'll be getting once it arrives. HTC appears to have put surprising effort into rendering a lifelike torch for its Flashlight app, while app sharing (seen after the break) is a neat addition -- and don't worry, devs, it only works on items that aren't copy protected. We're also being told that the update has car dock-specific functionality, which will match up with a dock release somewhere around the second week of September. Has everyone decided what dark things they plan on illuminating with their EVO's LED once this thing goes live?
EVO 4G's Android 2.2 update starts trickling out tomorrow, loads of new features and fixes in store? (update: official for August 3rd!)
We're not certain that this date is going to hold -- things like this have an uncanny tendency to slip at the last possible moment -- but we're at least hopeful to see some internal Sprint communication that they're trying to get the EVO 4G updated to Froyo as soon as tomorrow, July 30. It'd be the perfect way to kick off the weekend, wouldn't it? Turns out this is no mere 2.2 upgrade, though -- they're making a bunch of changes, too, including a host of new preloaded widgets, a flashlight mode for the camera's LED flash, light-assisted 720p video, and "improvement" to the quality of said video capture (something we specifically complained about in our review). Unfortunately, it looks like the hotspot hack might be sealed off with this update, but that really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. As we said, we're hopefully the date sticks, because Sprint has identified it as a "high priority for competitive reasons" -- in other words, these guys must be feeling the Droid heat -- but the PR is apparently going to identify the week of August 1 as the first push, so the devices getting the OTA tomorrow might just be a very small, select group to ensure that nothing spectacularly bad happens. We're pulling for you, EVO owners. %Gallery-98495% Update: It's been made official! Notifications will go out starting August 3, but Sprint's doing something extremely cool by allowing eager users to opt-in early and grab the download at their choosing. Follow the break for the full press release.
How would you change HTC's EVO 4G?
It may be America's first 4G smartphone, but if we had to guess, we'd surmise that not everyone sees it as perfect. Even if we (almost) did. HTC's EVO 4G was (and still is) a showstopper of epic proportions, boasting one of the largest screens in the smartphone universe and offering blistering speed under the hood. But with phone innovation happening faster than anyone could've ever imagined just a few years ago, we're sure that some ideas have been planted in your head since its launch earlier in the year. For those who've been toying with this here phone, we're keenly interested in learning how you'd change things if given the chance. Would you offer a 3G-only version for those uninterested in paying that extra $10 / month surcharge? Would you be a lot more satisfied with Android 2.2 loaded on? Toss it over to another carrier? Go on and get vocal in comments below, cool?
Apple's Steve Jobs: 'no one's going to buy' a big phone
In response to a question at its press conference today about whether Apple could've done anything to avoid its antenna issues with the iPhone 4, Steve took the opportunity to rip on bigger rivals, saying that making a phone so big "you can't get your hand around it" helps, but that "no one's going to buy that." We're assuming he's likely talking about the latest crop of 4-, 4.3- and 5-inch phones that include the Galaxy S series, the EVO 4G, Droid X, and Dell Streak, even going so far as to call them "Hummers" (we take it you don't ever drive a Hummer, Steve?). Though ripping on the competition is to be expected, perhaps the more interesting takeaway here is that we can't realistically expect an iPhone much bigger than the 3.5-inch display they use today -- presumably that'll all be reserved for iPad territory going forward. We personally don't mind something with a little more screen real estate -- but hey, maybe humans need to go through a few more cycles of evolutionary hand enlargement before Cupertino's willing to capitulate.
EVO 2010 farewell video will pummel your heartstrings
With EVO 2010 concluding this past week, you're likely jonesing for the grody juggles and those tech combos -- it's only natural to go through withdrawal. We are, too, but we have something to tide you over just past the break: an expertly-crafted farewell video, courtesy of 1UP's Richard Li. It's like those tearful series finale end segments you've seen on TV, except it's full of a bunch of strangers you may have never seen. Oh, and sorry we couldn't help you with your need to see crazy fighting action. May we suggest watching the EVO 2010 finale video like a billion times?
Daigo Umehara wins at EVO 2010; EVO Japan announced
With "over 3,000 player signups," this year's Evolution Championship Series had the largest turnout in the tourney's history -- perhaps unsurprising given the recent resurgence in the popularity of fighting games. What's even less surprising? Daigo "The Beast" Umehara took the number one spot in Super Street Fighter IV, once again trouncing his competition. Meanwhile, Justin Wong headed up the Marvel vs Capcom 2 ladder and Yoichiro "Garu" Aruga topped the Melty Blood boards. Alongside the ballyhoo and smack talkery of EVO 2010's proceedings came the announcement of the first-ever EVO Japan, set for September 11 and 12 (just before the Tokyo Game Show). According to Versus City, the event will take place "somewhere in the Tokyo/Kawasaki area" and is being put together by the EVO staff with the folks from Godsgarden. We've listed all of the winners after the break, alongside a video of the dramatic final SSFIV round.
HTC says EVO 4G's 30fps cap on video output can't be increased
Even though we've seen evidence of a hack that circumvents it, we've been able to corroborate a story over at AndroidGuys this week that the HTC EVO 4G's 30fps cap on screen output is a terminal condition -- so says HTC, anyhow. The official story is that the cap was necessitated by the phone's support for HDMI-out, and there's no way the company could craft a software update to nix the limitation. Of course, as usual, we have every faith that the xda-developers community is going to magically take care of this in a way that's easy enough for at least power users to install -- but until then, you'll just need to deal with a frame rate that's just barely perceptible to the human eye. We suspect you'll manage.
White HTC EVO 4G lands early in Best Buy stores (update: unboxing!)
Good news, EVO 4G lovers! The striking white version of Sprint's most gargantuan (by diagonal screen size, anyway) smartphone has started to splash down into Best Buy stores across the nation a full five days early. If you'll recall, the white EVO 4G wasn't supposed to land in the hands of those who pre-ordered until July 11th, but we've received two independent confirmations that they are indeed arriving early in select locales. Stay close to your current phone -- you may be getting a pick-up call in the not-too-distant future. Update: A tipster has just sent in a gallery's worth of unboxing shots -- looks like these are indeed being handed out early! Huzzah! [Thanks, Anonymous and Justin] %Gallery-97000% %Gallery-97004%
Latest EVO 4G root uses Flash Lite exploit to do its deed
The cat-and-mouse struggle between Android users, carriers, and manufacturers to gain, patch, and re-gain root is one that shows no signs of slowing down, but the EVO 4G's latest recommended root method is particularly creative. Made necessary after the most recent over-the-air firmware update patched the old way of doing it, you've now got to visit a page on Adobe's site for tweaking local Flash settings, at which point a script works some magic and apparently takes advantage of a vulnerability in the EVO's Flash Lite build. Of course, that's just one of twelve harrowing steps in the whole process -- but regardless, it's not often we're thanking our lucky stars for a security issue.
EVO fighting game tournament to be televised
Want to see insane fighting game skills on display? The annual EVO fighting game tournament promises to be full of amazing comebacks, seemingly endless combos and furious Hadoken duels -- and you'll be able to watch it both online and on TV. Capcom announced that G4 will stream coverage of the event on its website through the whole July 9-11 tournament, and will also run a special EVO edition of X-play on July 20. If they have any sense, Pringles will be sponsoring the broadcast. If you'd prefer to watch the world's best fighting game players vie for golden FightSticks firsthand, you can head to Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, and get a chance to play the first public demo of Marvel vs. Capcom 3!
Nokia (N9 / N8-01?) prototype sized up against iPhone 4 and EVO 4G on video
Setting aside the naming confusion, this Nokia prototype procured by Negri Electronics just keeps attracting our attention. Though we saw plenty of it in an earlier video, this latest rendezvous between Finnish hardware and camera lens includes a few familiar suspects to offer us the best size comparison we've had so far. Squaring up against a 3.5-inch iPhone 4, the QWERTY slider from Nokia seems barely any larger from the front though quite a bit thicker from the side -- an expansion justified by its inclusion of a physical keyboard. It does a lot better when compared to the EVO 4G and the departing iPhone 3GS, looking only marginally chunkier than those keyboard-less devices. Don't take our word for it though -- skip past the break and see for yourself. P.S. -- The UI on this device looks to us a lot more like Symbian^3 than the S60 the narrator believes it's running, leading us to think that this is most likely a keyboard-equipped variant of the N8. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Latest EVO 4G update is back online, presumably won't brick your phone this time
That didn't take too long, did it? That pulled EVO 4G update promising a handful of fixes for WiFi, Exchange, and battery life (no Froyo yet, sorry) is back online according to our contacts at Sprint -- and indeed, we're getting prompted on our own unit, so that's that. Go forth, readers; get your update on, now with less brick than ever before. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: To be clear, you don't need to apply this update if you already have done so successfully -- the only change that we're aware of here is that attempting to apply the update multiple times won't kill the phone.
Sprint halts EVO 4G update due to reports of it bricking phones
Uh oh. There's been a tiny little hitch in the latest EVO 4G update, which has resulted in a number of people finding their superphones becoming unusable. Aside from rooted handsets having their predictable woes with new official software, some users have found that applying the update twice bricked their phones, stock OS and all. That's pretty worrying, particularly when you consider that checking for updates after a successful install gives you the option to apply it all over again. Sprint and HTC have acted quickly to pull the OTA for the moment, and promise to restore it as soon as its lethal streak has been ironed out: While the vast majority of consumers successfully downloaded and installed the most recent HTC EVO 4G software update, we have received a handful of reports from customers having some issues with the update. In light of this, HTC and Sprint have decided to temporarily halt distribution of this software release until we can investigate further. We expect to be able to resume software updates shortly. In the mean time, let's all just sit, wait, and hope the sky doesn't fall on our heads.
