OtaUpdate
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Original Pre, Pre Plus, Pixi and Pixi Plus won't get updated to webOS 2.0
We had a chance to sit down with Jon Rubinstein after HP's webOS event today, and he confirmed some unfortunate news for us: older Palm devices like the original Pre, the Pre Plus, the Pixi, and the Pixi Plus won't receive that previously promised update to webOS 2.0. Jon was pretty candid with us, saying that Palm had "missed a product cycle" in the midst of its financial troubles and subsequent acquisition by HP last year, and that the older products simply don't have the horsepower to properly run webOS 2.0 and beyond. That said, it's clear that he wants to do right by customers -- he told us that HP would do "something special" for owners of older hardware when the Pre 3, the Veer, and the TouchPad hit the market. We'll see what that entails -- and whether or not anyone actually sticks it out on webOS 1.4.5 until the new gear ships sometime this summer. P.S.- We have lots more from our talk with Jon coming up -- including some actually good news -- so keep an eye on this space.
Apple rolling out Apple TV 4.1 alongside iOS 4.2 today for perfect AirPlay harmony (update: it's live)
Macworld is reporting that Apple's promising to roll out (at long last!) Apple TV 4.1 at the same time iOS 4.2 hits, at around 1PM Eastern today (roughly nowish). Sure, we could hit some last minute snags, but we want to believe. Especially after we reviewed the new versions of the softwares on our new-lease-on-life iPad, blasting AirPlay video all over the house like it was going out of style. In addition to being able to play video to your Apple TV from your iTunes-equipped PC or iOS-based device, the new Apple TV software adds VoiceOver support for spoken menus and meta data. Update: It's live, we're downloading it now and basically just having the time of our lives!
T-Mobile won't confirm the G2 OTA update, says it's working to deliver WiFi calling and tethering 'in the future'
We're still not sure what's up with the few reports of G2s receiving OTA updates that add WiFi calling and native hotspot support, but T-Mobile isn't fessing up to them just yet. In a statement issued to Phone Scoop, T-Mobile said that these features "are not currently supported" on the handset, although T-Mobile thankfully added that it "knows these features are important to consumers and we're working to deliver them to G2 users in the future." It's hard to tell if that means an update is just minutes away from widespread distribution, or if we've still got weeks or months to wait for these features. Familiar story?
T-Mobile G2 getting an OTA update to add WiFi calling and tethering?
It almost sounds too good to be true, but apparently some G2s are getting an official (if stealthy) OTA update from T-Mobile that adds the inexplicably withheld Android 2.2 native internet tethering back into the phone, along with the UMA WiFi calling T-Mobile plans to offer on all of its forthcoming Android handsets. What's not to love? Well, so far our G2 hasn't been offered the update, which is, like, totally unfair. Also, if you've been messing around with a "soft root" on your G2, you'll probably want to hold off for now. Still, if this is legit and meant for the masses it's a pretty major score for current and prospective G2 owners: WiFi calling is basically a beautiful dream short of a desirable handset, and of course tethering is becoming a requirement in this Android-age.
Droid Incredible getting a spoonful of Froyo on August 18th?
The Droid's slated for a second helping of Froyo, the Droid 2 came with one, the Droid X will see Android 2.2 by early September -- when's Droid number four getting its due? According to Mashable's anonymous sources, August 18th will be the day Verizon begins the Droid Incredible's OTA rollout -- which lines up pretty well with what we heard a couple weeks back, not to mention the fact that HTC just released the handset's Android 2.2 source code. As always, dates slip and Verizon often dishes out small batches at a time, but now you've got a ballpark estimate to assuage your troubled mind. And hey, you can always go shoot something in 720p if you get tired of waiting.
Droid Incredible OTA update said to be bringing mobile hotspot, 720p recording
Well, it looks like Droid Incredible owners might soon be rewarded with more than a $25 gift card -- Droid Life is reporting that the phone is set to get an OTA update that will add some of the most oft-requested features. That includes mobile hotspot functionality, 720p video recording and, last but not least, the familiar Droid red eye boot animation that's been curiously absent. No word on a rollout date just yet, but Droid Life's tipster has provided some pics, and a video of that boot sequence (check it out after the break). [Thanks, Dustin]
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.
Nexus One getting Android 2.2 FRF83 update over the air?
The Android 2.2 source code just went public this morning, but we're hearing a fully-compiled, legitimate OTA version of Froyo may be hitting small batches of Nexus One handsets as well. Though a 1.78MB ZIP file floating around XDA-developers this afternoon was originally thought to be the droid we've all been looking for, Android and Me reports that they received an honest-to-goodness OTA version of FRF83 after trying (and failing) to get that ZIP to work, and we're getting several similar reports. Let us know in comments if you've received a frozen treat of your own. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Android 2.2's Froyo goodness hitting the Nexus One already? (update: just press so far)
Sometimes it's good to be the chosen child, the special one, and in the eyes of Google the Nexus One is that special phone -- at least for the moment. As such it seems to have been given a special treat: access to Froyo, earlier than expected. TechCrunch's MG Siegler is reporting that his handset received Android 2.2 overnight. So far we're not hearing too many other reports of folks seeing this update, but that could be thanks to everyone sleeping off a week of exciting announcements. Sound off in comments if you're waking up to this frosty, low-calorie snack. Update: We're not sure how this is being rolled out, as hardly anyone is seeing updates, but via Droidnytt we found a number of reports on Twitter that people are indeed seeing the update. Update 2: Count us among the lucky few who just received the OTA Froyo update, to our original T-Mobile-based device. Update 3: We've done some additional investigation, and as far as we can tell, Google is only updating review Nexus Ones that had been provided to the press -- not off-the-shelf phones. We'll stay on this and let you know more as soon as we do. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Droid Incredible's mysterious OTA update actually fixes Exchange bug
Saturday afternoon, reports came in that Verizon's new Droid Incredible had already received its first OTA update. Nobody knew quite what it did and few even received it, but some figured it probably fixed the smattering of random reboots and radio bugs experienced by some early adopters. We reached out to Verizon on the matter, and we're afraid to say that's not the case -- the new 1.22.605.2 CL161494 software build merely fixes a bug in Microsoft Exchange support. As such, you'll only see the update if you've got a corporate handset, and those who do can expect their carbon-copy email fields (which would apparently fill with unintended addresses beforehand) to be fixed sometime around May 6th. On the off-chance that fix magically transforms your mobile world, feel free to let us know in comments. Full statement after the break.
HTC Legend gets firmware update in Europe, reunites with missing apps in Android Market
Attention, possessors of the European HTC Legend! Have you noticed a handful of missing apps in the Android Market, namely Twidroid, Layar, MySpace Mobile, Barcode Scanner, Google Goggles, FxCamera, and so forth? Today, the brilliantly quiet HTC has finally come to light with the bizarre offending bug -- camera incompatibility. Oopsie! Any moment now your metallic slab should receive the OTA update to patch things up, and hopefully the Droid Incredible will get the same fix even sooner. Crisis averted.
Sprint confirms Pre and Pixi webOS 1.4 update coming tomorrow (update: full changelog!)
Just hours after we wrapped our mitts around what looked to be Palm's official webOS 1.4 changelog, along comes this: confirmation from none other than Sprint itself. According to a post on the carrier's official forums by Sprint Admin 'izzyks,' both the Pre and Pixi will see the long-awaited webOS 1.4 update hit sometime tomorrow evening. As always, users will see an OTA alert when the new files are ready for consumption, and you can find a full list of the fixes and changes just beyond the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: Seems the post was yanked! The message, in its entirety, is after the break. Update 2: We just snagged the full changelog from an internal Sprint document, which is also tucked below. For the spec hounds, the webOS version will be 1.4.0, while the Sprint Configuration will sit at 2.3 and the Build at 195.
Some Droid Eris owners getting Android 2.1 update?
We're not entirely sure what's going on here, but that's a shot of a Droid Eris running Android 2.1, and we're told the update came over the air -- a story seemingly corroborated by a couple other people around the web. Unfortunately, it seems like things aren't quite fully baked yet: the update doesn't include Sense UI, and it apparently wipes all your data and doesn't allow you to log back into your Google Account. Verizon tells us that the Eris update to a "newer" Android is still in testing and hasn't yet been officially released, so we're taking all this to mean that there's been a slip-up along the line -- especially since this obviously isn't final software. In the meantime, we'd say Droid Eris users should probably back up their sets just to be safe. [Thanks, Vido]
Nokia N97 firmware update 1.1 is live
Well, today is July 1st -- and Canada day, we'll have you know -- and true to our mention and Nokia's word, the N97's update of glory to version 1.1 (11.x.021) has indeed landed. So, what treats lie in store for you lucky Nokia N97 users? According to the changelog posted by Serie-N.it, we can expect a USB detection fix, widget fixes, some MfE (Mail for Exchange) tweaks, UI transition improvements, photo thumbnail performance improvements, and the backlight issue that made out very own Chris Z. howl with rage is apparently patched, too. Yeah, that's all we're seeing, though, perhaps more will come to light once we've seen it updated and hear people telling their tales. Let us know how you get on, won't you?[Thanks, serie-N.it for the changelog]
BlackBerry Storm OTA update now available on Verizon
We're certain it has been a painstaking weekend for you Storm-owning Mac users, but the long-awaited OTA download for the first firmware update is finally available. For those somewhat confused, the update we covered on Friday was exclusively available via the Windows-only RIM Desktop Manager application; now, Storm owners can suck down v4.7.0.75 without a liaison. Early reports are pretty positive, with jkOnTheRun noting that the troublesome lag that came bundled with the handset was now all but history. The 14MB download (plus installation) is said to take around 20 to 30 minutes, so fire yours up and let us know how things turn out.
