overtheair
Latest
iTunes leak suggests 'Automatic Download' over-the-air updates are coming in iOS 5
In the lead-up to this year's WWDC, we so far know three things for sure: Apple will unveil OS X Lion, iCloud, and... automatic, over-the-air app updates for iOS 5, apparently. While searching for updates in iTunes, a MacRumors reader stumbled upon this page, which alludes to an "Automatic Download" feature that allows for wireless syncing. Also, the fact that Apple went out of its way to say "...if your device has Automatic Download enabled for apps" makes us wonder what else we'll soon be able to update over the air. The company has since pulled the tattletale page in iTunes, but MacRumors grabbed a screenshot while it was still live. Looks like the cat's out of the bag, but we'll let you know when Jobs & Co. make it official on Monday.
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer gets Android 3.1 update right on schedule
It's here! We've received word that owners of ASUS' shape-shifting Eee Pad Transformer woke up this morning to find a nice big hunk of an over-the-air Honeycomb 3.1 update awaiting them. We first caught wind of the Android upgrade at Google IO less than a month ago, and just one week later ASUS was boasting of a June rollout on its Italian Facebook page. If you need a quick reminder, 3.1 brings resizable widgets, support for a slew of USB devices, and new Movie and Books apps. Now isn't that refreshing? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
OTA Gingerbread 2.3 update now available for Droid X
Android 2.3 hit the web for Droid X owners earlier this week, but that update previously required a tethered, manual install. As of today, the update is available over the air, so cable-free purists can finally start cooking with Gingerbread on their Droid X handsets. We first saw 2.3 popping up on the device in March, but if you opted out of rooting your handset for an early look at the new OS, you can now get your feet wet with speedy navigation, a customizable dock, and an overhauled camera app. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Confirmed: T-Mobile blocking GTalk video chat over 3G on Nexus S
Many Nexus S owners received a rude surprise when attempting to initiate an Android 2.3.4 video chat on T-Mobile's 3G network. Rather than being greeted by a smiling friend on the screen, a terse message explained "You must be connected to a WiFi network to start a video chat." Ouch. Doing the responsible thing, we tested the issue and were able to confirm that T-Mo is blocking this headline feature -- which worked just dandily over Sprint's 3G network on the Nexus S 4G. While the latest Gingerbread update includes built-in support for 3G video chat, Google has left the decision to mobile carriers whether to implement the functionality. We know choice is great, but when it ultimately hinders consumers, we'd really prefer an iron-fisted display of strength from Mountain View.
iOS 5 updates expected to be carried over-the-air, at least for the Verizon iPhone
Having spent a good part of our day yesterday negotiating with iTunes and downloading a whopping 666.2MB file to update our iPhone to version 4.3.3 -- a version, we might add, whose sole claim to fame is the removal of things -- we know well the pains of updating Apple's mobile software. Those aches, however, may soon be coming to an end. 9to5Mac has multiple sources informing it that Apple and Verizon are scheming to start delivering iOS updates over the air from this fall, or just as soon as iOS 5 is made available. Untethered OS updates are a familiar feature to users of other smartphone operating systems and even the iOS-infused Apple TV, but getting Apple's mobile devices up to date has so far always required going through the company's own cable and software. There's no reason to believe this wireless update feature will be limited to Verizon, mind you -- that's just where the informants are coming from in this instance -- though Apple will almost certainly have to alter the file sizes of its updates. We can't think of many carriers who'll be happy to push more than half a gigabyte of data per user per update. Additionally, since iTunes currently acts as the major backup hub, 9to5Mac speculates Cupertino must be working on a cloud backup service as well, which would seem a very sensible idea. Of course, that doesn't paint a very happy or busy future for iTunes, but so what?
iOS 5 may offer over-the-air software updates
One major complaint about iOS thus far has been the inability to apply software updates over the air. If you want to move from iOS 4.3.2 to 4.3.3, you have to download the appropriate update through iTunes, or via direct download, assuming you can find the links, plug your iOS device into your Mac or PC, and apply the software update using iTunes. It's a bit of a backward process in an era when iPhones and iPads are looking more like portable computers in their own right with each new iteration. But according to 9to5Mac's sources, after iOS 5 this will be a thing of the past. While iOS 5 itself won't be available over the air, following "point" upgrades (i.e., iOS 5.1) will. This means that like competing devices using Android or webOS, once you receive a notification on your device of a new OS update being available, you could download and install that update from the device itself rather than using iTunes as a go-between. If true, this will be welcome news for iPad users particularly. Wireless carriers may not be so thrilled, however. iOS updates are usually well north of 500 MB, and if a few hundred thousand iPhone owners in markets like New York City or San Francisco all start downloading a big update at once, that's going to cripple the network very quickly. That may be why Verizon is thus far the only carrier that's been "confirmed" (by those always-reliable "sources") to be discussing over the air updates with Apple. Alternatively, Apple might be working out a way to reduce the size of iOS "point" updates by offering smaller "delta" updaters like it does with Mac OS X.
HTC starts OTA Gingerbread updates for Desire HD and Incredible S
It's true, it's true. HTC is today extending some tender loving care to owners of the Desire HD and Incredible S handsets in the form of an over-the-air update delivering Android 2.3. We've seen the notice of the new firmware update on the company's European support site, though our UK-based Incredible S has yet to be pinged with a refreshing dose of Gingerbread. Shouldn't be long now, though! That just leaves the Desire Z and original Desire, both of which should be joining the party by the end of June.
AT&T brings HSUPA to Atrix 4G and Inspire 4G, one requires WiFi to download update
If you're the somewhat-proud-but-feeling-throttled owner of a Motorola Atrix 4G or HTC Inspire 4G, your days of terribly slow uploads are nearly through -- following some preliminary tests, AT&T is rolling out updates that provide "increased potential data speed" to both HSPA+ handsets right on cue. The Inspire 4G's patch will also "make the email set up process much easier," while the Atrix 4G will actually get a pair of updates which will allegedly bring better Bluetooth headset compatibility, fingerprint reader performance and battery life (which is always a plus) as well as the questionable utility of turning the Atrix into an EDGE hotspot, and a bump to Android 2.2.2 to hopefully fix any lingering SMS routing bugs. Word of warning though, you'll need to throw your Atrix up on a WiFi network to obtain these goodies -- all the Gs in the world won't help you.
Nexus S 2.3.4 update now available to early adopters via manual install
The Nexus S is due to receive an over-the-air update to Android 2.3.4 over the coming weeks, but Google earned a +1 from eager fans and devs hoping to get the extra Google Talk functionality sooner. Instead of hopelessly checking for updates until the time is right, the Powers That Be are now offering the upgrade as a manual download to anyone who is already running 2.3.3 on the i9020T (the AWS-equipped model). We urge you to proceed with caution here and double-check that your phone is compatible, since those are the two requirements for the download to install properly. We've happily bumped one of our devices up to 2.3.4 this way without any sweat or tears, so we hope it will be a smooth experience for others as well. If you choose to be adventurous and update your Nexus S, click the source link below to download the necessary ZIP file. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Android 2.3.4 heading to Nexus S over the air, bringing video and voice chat to Gtalk
For an update with such a modest name, this is actually quite a major step forward. Google's about to start delivering Android 2.3.4 to Nexus S devices out in the wild, and in among all the bug fixes and optimizations, users will find the addition of video and voice chat to Google Talk. You'll be able to do it anywhere you can get a web connection going, whether by virtue of WiFi, 3G, 4G, or the force, and other Gingerbread handsets are expected to get the same improvements in time. For now, however, Google's own-branded device is the only one enjoying the very freshest Gingerbread around.
Gruber ruminates on Apple's cloud
Recently, Amazon introduced a new cloud-based file storage and media playback system aptly named Cloud Drive and Cloud Player. The debut of this system, which is compatible with Android handsets, kicked off a debate on cloud storage and Apple's lack of a similar mechanisms for its iOS devices. In a lengthy post, John Gruber of Daring Fireball discusses this deficiency and points to four areas that Apple should move to the cloud. These cloud features include the transfer of media to an iOS device, the ability to backup and restore an iOS device to the cloud, a mechanism to deliver iOS updates wirelessly and a way to activate your device without connecting it to iTunes on your computer. Gruber points to the Apple TV 2 as a preview of this cable-free future as the device streams its content. There is no need to transfer and backup up content as its media is stored in the cloud. Unlike other iOS devices, the ATV 2 also updates itself independently of iTunes. If Apple can develop such a system for the Apple TV, it could do the same for other iOS devices. This system, though, is difficult to put into place with the large number of devices Apple has in the wild. Apple will also have to accommodate a wide range of user scenarios, including those who have never synced their device to those who synced but ran out of space on their device. In these two example cases, Apple must have a method to resolve these customers' issues before a sync can be performed. You only need to look at Microsoft's botched Windows Phone update to see how difficult this can be. Gruber asserts Apple is interested in the cloud, but the company is taking an incremental approach. Rather than sever the tie in one major update to iOS, Apple will slowly cut the cord one piece at a time starting with the Apple TV 2. Eventually, the Cupertino company may move to an over-the-air update system and iTunes-free activation system for iOS. Later, Apple may introduce streaming but still require users with large media libraries to sync via a Mac or a PC. Apple may never completely cut the cord as it is not feasible for someone with a 10 GB library to backup and restore their media over a cellular or even a Wi-Fi connection. Google, Gruber points out, has a cloud syncing system that performs better than Apple's MobileMe service, but it lacks the slick UI and ease of use associated with Apple's products. Apple is admittedly behind, but it still has a chance to catch up if all these rumors of free MobileMe and a cloud-based media storage and streaming service come to fruition.
Nokia announces Symbian smartphone 'briefing' for April 12
It looks like Nokia is planning a little get together in London next Tuesday. That is, at least according to the invite posted at Mad For Tech -- and verified ourselves, after a quick call to the company (it seems that some of the invites accidentally went out early, though we've been assured that ours is forthcoming). Will we finally get the inside dope on the next OTA Symbian update? We can't really say, but we assure you that we will be on hand when it all goes down. Update: Nokia contacted us to clarify that the "event" is actually a "media briefing." Hint: that's journalistic code meant to temper any enthusiasm you might still feel for the platform.
Nokia promises strong Symbian devices through Windows Phone transition, major OTA update this summer
Nokia loves telling the world about the 150 million Symbian handsets it will ship in the years to come. Problem is, that's far from a factual statement -- it's a goal, a hope, and something that will only be possible if developers and fans don't abandon the platform wholesale as the company transitions from Symbian to Windows Phone smartphones over the next two years. As such, Nokia is desperately trying to convince us that Symbian and the Qt developer framework are far from dead. In an open letter of encouragement to developers from Purnima Kochikar, VP of Nokia Forum & Developer Community, Purnima attempts to coax devs into fine-tuning their Qt skills in preparation for a "strong portfolio" of new Symbian products with "GHz+" processing and faster graphics coming in 2011 and 2012. Presumably she's talking about the T7, X7, and E6 leaks among others. And because Symbian is still the leading smartphone platform in markets like China, India, Russia, and Turkey, she hints that Nokia will likely continue to support Symbian well beyond the transition to Windows Phone, at least in select markets. Of course, hardware has never really been Nokia's issue so it's nice to hear Purnima commit to a first major Symbian user experience update this summer that includes the new home screen, icons, browser, and navbar we've already seen, in addition to a "fresh look and feel" to the Ovi Store and Maps with the latter also getting a integrated social media services update. The Symbian update -- some of which has already been seen on the C7 Astound -- will come to "all users" over the air. Too late to save the platform but just in time for the Symbian faithful.
HSN details Nook Color update for 'mid-April': Android 2.2, Flash, apps and push email
Spent some quality time watching the Home Shopping Network this morning to hear just how the Nook Color will be improved? That's what we thought... but we bit the bullet and tuned in ourselves to get the details for you. Simply put, HSN says Barnes and Noble will start rolling out an over-the-air software package in "mid-April" that will update the Nook Color to Android 2.2, bringing Adobe Flash Player, Angry Birds, and push email of some sort. It'll also apparently include "lots of Nook apps," though the channel's pitchmen only had one to show on TV -- a kid-friendly sketchpad, with a variety of drawing utensils and colored paper. HSN hosts also claim that customers who purchase the Nook Color on the show are "guaranteed to be the very first people updated," though we're not sure we'll take them at their word, considering some of the other fabulous exaggerations we just heard on the air. %Gallery-119775%
Nexus One Android 2.3.3 update arrives OTA, breaks Google Voice for some
We're guessing that most of our readers pounced on the official Android 2.3.3 update just as soon as the links lit up last week. But if you did dawdle, don't dally... the latest Gingerbread update is now rolling out over-the-air. Unfortunately, the update also broke Google Voice on our N1 -- something that we fixed by downloading and installing an old GV.apk and then updating to the latest version in Market per instructions found in Google's support forum left by others suffering from the same issue. Hit up the More Coverage link for details. [Thanks, Tony]
Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G and Sanyo Zio signed up for Froyo next week?
We've been tipped with a document today that seems to suggest that the age of Android 2.2 is nigh for owners of Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G and Sanyo Zio. The Epic's looking like a four-day phased rollout to build EB13, while the Zio push spans five days (strangely, it says you'll end up on Eclair build DF05, which clearly isn't accurate, so we're hoping this is just a miss by whomever created it). Both are said to kick off next Monday, the 21st -- and for Epic owners in particular, it's a long time coming. Best of luck, folks. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Italy's Mediaset sends 3D content over terrestrial connection, isn't actually broadcasting 3D TV
While Mediaset appears to be (one of) the first to convey 3D content over a terrestrial connection, it isn't actually serving up any 3D television -- it is "datacasting" or ever-so-slowly downloading 3D movies to a set-top box, which you may later consume directly from the hard disk that received them. The innovation here is in the utilization of spare airwaves to basically trickle a movie into your Motive Bestv STB -- we know, it's an irrelevancy to most of you cable- and internet-connected media mavens, but it's one way to deliver 3D content to less technologically developed nations. Motive is already in talks with companies in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Turkey about doing the same, but Italy gets the honor of being first with a choice of 50 3D titles on Mediaset's 3VOD service. Let's see what the Azzurri think of it, eh?
Nexus One will get Gingerbread OTA update 'in the coming weeks'
The original Google phone got us all excited a couple of weeks back when an OTA update was presumed to be the oven-hot Gingerbread upgrade, only to disappoint us. Now we've got the most lucid statement from the Android chefs yet on when the real Gingerbread Nexus One will stand up, which is placed in the relatively ill-defined window of "the coming weeks." Hey, better weeks than months, right?
PSA: AT&T doesn't charge you for OTA firmware updates
In speaking with AT&T today about the Captivate's latest update, we learned something interesting that we thought we'd pass on: data isn't deducted from your bucket for over-the-air firmware updates. That's important since updates can climb into triple-digit megabytes -- and if you're on one of AT&T's newer DataPlus or DataPro plans, you really don't have any data to squander. Obviously, this isn't going to take away the sting of unlimited data's untimely demise -- but the next time you get a notification on your phone that some shiny, new system update is available, don't hesitate to kick it off (unless you're in some foreign country, we suppose, in which case you could very well be bankrupted).
Shocker! MobiTV customers prefer larger, easy to see displays
MobiTV wants you to know that its ESPN Mobil TV offering had 100 percent uptime during the recent World Cup. Also, it's parsed some of the subscriber data that it accumulated during the tournament, and the analysis is in: subscribers with 5-inch displays watched an average of 118.2 minutes of soccer, while those with 2-inch displays watched almost half that (about 61.1 minutes on average). That's right: people with displays that are large enough to actually see what's goin' on will watch more TV than those with displays roughly the size of a postage stamp. Also presented here is viewing time-per-platform (Android wins at 125.7 average minutes / viewer, while WinMo takes up the rear at 62.7 minutes), and adoption markets (LA has the largest number of subscribers, followed by New York, Chicago, and San Francisco). It looks like all this is putting poor Norman to sleep here, but if you're interested in the specifics (and you want to learn the difference between a "sophisticated" tweenager and a regular ol' tweenager) check the PR after the break.
