HTC: ThunderBolt Gingerbread update expected to be returning "soon"

Wondering where your Gingerbread update is, HTC ThunderBolt owners? We don't blame you after your long-awaited, oft-rumored helping of Android 2.3 was unceremoniously yanked due to a voicemail bug. The good news is that — barring any last-minute issues — the update is finally nearing release. When asked about the TBolt's Gingerbread update on Twitter, HTC responded that it expects the new software to be "available soon."
So just how soon is soon? That much is still a bit of a mystery. Ask just about any tech fan what he or she thinks about the word "soon" and you'll probably get an angry, rant-filled response due to the fact that it's a seemingly-promising-but-ultimately-vague word whose definition changes depending on who you are. That said, I'm sure HTC and Verizon are eager to get the ThunderBolt's Gingerbread update out the door ASAP, so when HTC says that it's coming "soon," I'd wager that the company means it. We'll let you know more when we do, TBolters.

Via Android Central, @HTC

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Samsung releases source code for T-Mobile Galaxy S II

And just like that, the source code for the T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S II is now available for developers to download and play with. Samsung has always been good with releasing the source code for their devices; sometimes they even do it before the device goes on sale.
If you’re a developer, hit up Samsung and download the source code for the T-Mobile Galaxy S II. The Android community is eager to see what type of magic you will create with this in your hands. Thanks for everything, as always.
via Samsung

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Motorola releases DROID BIONIC source code

ROM cookers, get your kitchens ready. Motorola has just released the source code for the LTE-sporting DROID BIONIC, and the Android masses are waiting on their custom software. We can rebuild it. We have the code. Make it, and fame and adulation on countless Android forums are yours for the taking. Get going!

The code should be welcome for a lot of users, since the DROID BIONIC has seen more than its fair share of glitches and errors having to do with Motorola and Verizon’s Android customizations. The BIONIC is currently running a little behind the Gingerbread pack as well, so perhaps the modders out there can give it a boost to the latest version. For those of you who don’t regularly go elbow-deep into the more technical side of the operating system, expect initial custom ROMS within a week or so and stable releases a few weeks after that.
Sadly, the release of the code does not mean that Motorola will extend the same courtesy for its proprietary bootloader or kernel. This means that the software modifications are going to be skin-deep for the foreseeable future. For example, CyanogenMod, which uses a customized version of the AOSP Android kernel, won’t be coming any time soon. This is a problem that’s plagued Motorola handsets ever since the Droid X and Droid 2, but maybe their new benefactors at Google can make them see the light on upcoming devices like the DROID RAZR.

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Espier Launcher temporarily cures iPhone envy

We give Apple a lot of grief here for outdated software, lackluster hardware, litigating for a monopoly, designing form over function, needlessly restricting their App Store, engineered obsolescence, hyperbolic marketing and… where was I? Oh yes, despite all that, Apple makes a fine-looking phone operating system. Many have tried and mostly failed to emulate the shiny, glossy look of iOS on Android, with possibly the best example being the custom ROM MIUI. If you’re not quite ready to take the flashing step, consider the new Espier Launcher, which will let you ape Apple’s darling design without lowering yourself to last year’s hardware.

Espier has been in development for some time, but now it’s available via a free download on the Android Market fore anyone running Froyo or later. The custom launcher app replicates the iPhone homescreen almost exactly, displaying 4×4 grids of apps and not much else. You can pin apps to the dock or bunch them up into iOS 4 folders, or if you need to search and can’t bring yourself to hit the nearest capacitive button, just slide over to the left. All joking aside, it’s an impressive achievement, and there are worse (and certainly uglier) ways to get your homescreen on.
Notably absent are any sort of widgets, resizing or many display options, but if iOS is your bag that’s part of the draw. There’s no app drawer because, well, they’re all right there, and the standard Android notification bar makes sure you won’t miss any alerts. Check it out in the Android Market before Apple stars launching their air-to-ground lawyers, and while you’re there, check out some other apps that have been performing iOS’s innovative “new” features for years.
[via Lifehacker]

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T-Mobile Monthly4G unlimited plans are available starting today

T-Mobile has recently released a few awesome smartphones to their portfolio like the Amaze 4G and the Galaxy S II, but today they have officially announced and started their brand new Monthly4G unlimited and contract free plans. Earlier this month we mentioned the T-Mobile and Walmart exclusive $30 unlimited data plan and now we have more details regarding that, and other contract free offerings from T-Mobile.

Today the company announced four new plans, the Monthly4G unlimited plan as well as three different pay by-the-day plans. The Monthly4G plan costs $60 per month and offers unlimited talk, text, and 4G data. This plan also features no annual contract and just like any other “unlimited” plan from most carriers you’ll get throttled once you pass 2GB of data, most of T-Mobiles current plans have a 5GB limit but then this is new and requires no contract.
Next, the pay by the day plans are quite nice and they give us three options. The first includes a $3 per day unlimited talk, text and web plan that provides 4G speeds on data up to 200MB, while this may not be a lot it is plenty for the average user that doesn’t do anything data or web intensive. Then they have another PBTD plan that offers the same unlimited talk, text, and web but this is only on 2G speeds so you wont be doing anything extremely fast, but you’ll get there — this is only $2 a day. Last but not least we have the $1 per day plan for unlimited text and 10-cents per minute for talk. I don’t see a huge need for this plan but I’m sure some will find it useful.
These are all officially available starting today from T-Mobile and you can call or head to your nearest store for more information. That deal is pretty impressive and for $30 a month (off contract) you get unlimited text and web with 100 talk minutes and 5GB cap for only $30 dollars. For someone that texts and uses the web the most this is an awesome deal if you can stay under 100 minutes.
[via SlashGear]

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New Ice Cream Sandwich mail and calendar widgets leak out

Is “leak” still an applicable term for all the Ice Cream Sandwich information that’s come to light before the official unveiling in Hong Kong? Perhaps “deluge”, “torrent” or “tempest” would be more appropriate. The latest is a quick look at some of the Honeycomb-style widgets that are coming along  for the ride. They’re not that different from their progenitors, but they do show off ICS’ spiffy new UI, and smartphone users may be seeing similar versions when the software trickles down.

The three leaked widgets are for Gmail, the generic Email and Android’s built-in Calendar. If you’ve used a Honeycomb tablet for any length of time they’ll probably feel pretty familiar to you. Note the larger text, cleaner graphics and blue-tinted accents, all of which line up with the videos and screenshots we’ve seen of Ice Cream Sandwich so far. Honeycomb already includes some pretty extensive widgets, so it’s no surprise that a lot of them are just getting a spit and polish. What’s more interesting is that this is the first we’re seeing of tablet elements from the new release – will Google show off ICS running on the Nexus Prime / Galaxy Nexus and a tablet device at the sane time? We can only hope.

Since we’ve only seen ICS running on the leaked Nexus video, I wonder whether any of these new widgets will make it to the smartphone side of Android’s new double life. Current widgets for Gmail, Email and Calendar are a little sparse for Gingerbread, especially since the new version of Gmail has effectively broken third-party viewers. In any case, we’re likely to get some answers to our burning questions in a little over 24 hours – keep an eye on Android Community here and on Twitter for the latest updates.
[via AndroidGuys]

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‘Battery Upgrade’ malware shows users how to make their phone vulnerable

Is anybody feeling some 90s nostalgia right about now? It seems like hardly a day goes by where we don’t hear about some sneaky new way for hackers and identity thieves to compromise incautious Android users’ phones. The latest is a “battery manager” app that not only compromises your data, but gives you a quick lesson on how to open up the “unknown sources” app install method your phone for easy exploitation. Once installed the app steals your phone number, email address, unique IMEI code and other personal information.

The app is going by both “Battery Doctor” and “Battery Upgrade”, mimicking popular (and legitimate) apps like Juice Defender and Power Manager. It’s being advertised, presumably via paid ads, on real apps like Scrabble right now. That sets a disturbing precedence for normally harmless ad networks, but it should make it pretty easy for administrators to quickly shut down its primary method of distribution. Adding insult to injury, the app places permanent ads in the pull-down notification bar once installed, which almost certainly drains the battery even faster.
We can’t say it enough: never download an Android app from a source that you don’t completely trust, just like on any operating system. We’re huge fans of Android’s expandability around here, not to mention frequent users of non-Market apps, but it’s an indisputable fact that it’s become the primary vector for malicious apps like the recent fake Netflix data miner. Spread the word to your less technically-inclined friends to keep them from becoming digital victims.

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ITC sides with Apple over HTC in latest patent case

Android can’t catch a break when it comes to patents. After enduring a few months of Apple’s legislative offensive in 2010, HTC acquired some mobile patents and decided to try a few volleys in the other direction. The first of those has been rejected by the International Trade Commission, which ruled today that the patents in question were not violated.

Judge Charles Bullock issued the ruling, taking care to mention that the patents in question weren’t invalidated ,just that the iPhone, iPod and iPad weren’t actively violating them. The four patents that HTC was using cover extremely basic phone operations, like touchscreens, dialer and battery management. HTC still has five other patents that they’re suing Apple with in other courts, but the outcome of those case may be heavily influenced by this one, and if HTC loses it could give Apple even more ammunition for a sales injunction.
Apple has been firing lawyers head-first at HTC and Samsung over the last year in courts all over the world, even winning some outright sales bans on Samsung tablets in Germany and Australia. Here in the U.S. they’re suing both HTC and Samsung and hoping to win similar bans on phones and tablets before the holidays. It’s a lot harder to block commerce in the United States, and even when Samsung was found to be in violation of one of Apple’s overly broad patents, the judge would not immediately commit to a sales ban. Google, Verizon and T-Mobile have come out in support of both manufacturers, alternately claiming that Apple is trying to create a monopoly using the courts and that a sales ban would irreparably harm their businesses.
[via SlashGear]

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Google I/O 2012 dates announced

The biggest Google event of the year, Google’s I/O developer conference has just been announced for 2012. It will be held on April 24-25th and will most likely be just as amazingly awesome as the last. Hopefully this time around we get a bigger stage because tickets sold out in less than an hour for I/O 2011. It will take place at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco, California. Just in time for Easter you bet we’ll be seeing plenty of hidden eggs and special treats from the G-men.

Details are still a bit scant and we have no idea what to expect this early, although we learned of Ice Cream Sandwich last time, which is finally being revealed tomorrow. No details were given regarding when registration or ticket sales will get started but like I mentioned above, they sold out fast last year and I’m assuming will only go quicker next year. We were live at I/O this year and indeed will be again next. You can expect to see plenty of awesome news from the teams at Google. Here is our I/O 2011 Keynote 1 recap.
From Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Google Music BETA, the new Chromebooks and more, last time around Google had an awesome event and I’m just as excited for next year. If you’d like to see ALL of our coverage from the past then head to our Google I/O portal, then check out that awesome Ice Cream Sandwich logo.
Google gave a Chromebook to all 5000 developer attendee’s at I/O 2011, what will they give everyone next year? Don’t forget to save the dates and set your alarms, we sure wont.
[via Google]

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