HTC Desire HD and Incredible S Android 2.3 Gingerbread going OTA now

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HTC has confirmed it is pushing out the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the HTC Desire HD and HTC Incredible S. The OTA update will be flagged up with a message on the smartphones themselves, and bring the handsets up to speed with newer HTC devices like the HTC Desire S.

Of course you’ll still have HTC Sense and all the usual apps, but we’re expecting a little extra speed and stability thanks to the joys of Gingerbread. HTC advises backing up your phone before you upgrade, though it’s not clear if the update will actually wipe your phone in the process.
We’re checking our Desire HD now and will report back when we find out more. Let us know how you get on in the comments!

Update – HTC Desire HD Firmware Over The Air (FOTA) update
Your phone will receive a notification of FOTA update when it is made available. Simply press OK to accept the update via a data connection such as Wi-Fi or GPRS/3G. After installing the update, you can confirm a successful update by confirming the Build number (From the Home Screen go to MENU> Settings> About Phone> Software Information> Software number). The new Build number after the update will be 2.36.405.5. Update: Android 2.3 upgrade. Note：Please back up your data first before upgrading your phone. We recommend using a free Wi-Fi hotspot or an unlimited data plan to apply this update. If not, standard data connection charges may apply. For any questions, please contact us at http://www.htc.com/www/CA_Hotline.aspx
Update – HTC Incredible S Firmware Over The Air (FOTA) update
Your phone will receive a notification of FOTA update when it is made available. Simply press OK to accept the update via a data connection such as Wi-Fi or GPRS/3G. After installing the update, you can confirm a successful update by confirming the Build number (From the Home Screen go to MENU> Settings> About Phone> Software Information> Software number). The new Build number after the update will be 2.12.405.7. Update: Android 2.3 upgrade. Note：Please back up your data first before upgrading your phone. We recommend using a free Wi-Fi hotspot or an unlimited data plan to apply this update. If not, standard data connection charges may apply. For any questions, please contact us at http://www.htc.com/www/CA_Hotline.aspx

 

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Galaxy S II gets root-friendly insecure boot ROM

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The Samsung Galaxy S II has only been on the market for a short while – and units are still in high demand – but we’ve already seen one of the first hacks of the smartphone. MoDaCo’s Paul O’Brien has come up with a custom GSII insecure boot image that allows for adb shell root and adb remount.

The ROM itself doesn’t actually root the Galaxy S II, but it will allow owners to push the su binary and Superuser APK required for root. It also disables the flash-recovery script, replacing it with a call to /data/local/custom-scripting.sh.
It’s not the first root – one method was released at the tail end of April – but we’re definitely excited to see more modders turn their attention to the Galaxy S II. While the phone itself impressed us in our review, we also saw plenty of potential as a platform for custom ROMs.
 

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Vodafone HTC Sensation pre-orders open ahead of May 19 release

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Vodafone UK have begun taking pre-orders for the HTC Sensation, ahead of what’s expected to be a May 19 release date for the dual-core Android smartphone. Announced last month, the Sensation will be priced from free with a new, two-year agreement of £35 ($58) per month or above.

Your money – and commitment – gets you a 4.3-inch qHD display, 8-megapixel camera, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the latest version of HTC Sense with a clever lock-screen that integrates various widgets and app shortcuts. There’s also Qualcomm’s new dual-core 1.2GHz processor keeping things running, and 1080p HD video capture.
The Sensation is expected to launch in the US later in 2011 as the T-Mobile Sensation 4G, but for the moment Vodafone have exclusivity on the handset in Europe. No word on how long that will last for. More details on the HTC Sensation in our hands-on report.

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HTC ChaCha launch tipped by HTC Facebook events

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HTC only confirmed a Q2 2011 release window for the HTC ChaCha, one of its two “Facebook phones” announced at MWC 2011 a few months back; however, it seems the company’s own Facebook pages have tipped more accurate dates. HTC Germany has announced a series of Facebook-centric events in Dortmund (Germany), Wien (Austria) and Zürich (Switzerland) kicking off June 18.

The Austrian event follows on July 2, while the Swiss event will take place on July 18. We’ve seen HTC hold similar public launch events before; the HTC Sensation gave them cause to stage a party in London last month for the new flagship.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the ChaCha – and perhaps its Facebook friend the HTC Salsa – won’t arrive in other markets first. HTC’s European range often goes on sale in the UK initially, so it’s possible the Android smartphone may show up there prior to mid-June.

 

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Google Voice Integration With All Sprint Numbers is Now Live

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Sprint and Google have been beta-testing a full integration of Google Voice with the Sprint network over the past several weeks, and today the service has been declared “live.” Sprint customers can now use their Sprint number to run all of their Google Voice services, allowing them to set the phone to ring at multiple locations, or even different locations determined by the caller or time of day. Or if you’d prefer, you can have all outgoing calls go out through your Google Voice service. This brings a lot of versatility, and the process is fairly seamless, though by default it will disable SMS messages from coming into your phone and route them through Google Voice instead. This feature isn’t hard to reverse, and tonight we’ll be bringing you a quick how-to on that, plus any other tips and tricks we find this afternoon.  Catch the video promo after the break, and head to the official site to get started.

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What is the HTC Kingdom?

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Earlier today, two ROMs from unknown devices were leaked, referred to as the HTC Kingdom and HTC Rider. Code in the Rider ROM makes reference to KT-KR, Korea’s cellular network, making it probable that this is going to be a Korean-released phone. While early reports seemed to indicate that the Kingdom was the HTC EVO 3D, some ROM developers dissecting the leak have come to the conclusion that it’s some other device. This seems to stem mostly from the fact that while the HTC EVO 3D has stated specs of 1 Gig of RAM and a 4.3″ qHD screen, the code in the Kingdom leak mentions specs of 768 Megs of RAM and a 4″ qHD screen. Other developers argue that the code also refers to the device as the PG86100, the model number of the EVO 3D. Regardless, the developers are still working on cracking this ROM wide open, and there are several developers already attempting to port the ROM to various devices, including, of course, the current HTC EVO. Time will tell what device this mystery ROM originates from, but I, for one, am looking forward to some of the ROMs these brilliant ROM chefs are going to cook up.
 

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Google I/O Official App – Go Get it Now!

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Are you going to Google I/O next week? Well then, you need the official Android app for the conference. Even if you’re not attending, and want to follow the happenings, it is a good app to have. Google I/O, in case you were not aware for some strange reason, is Google’s sold-out developer conference being held on May 10th and 11th, and is jam packed with sessions and speakers.


The app allows you to look at the schedule, see detailed session and speaker info, and see the conference map.

You can also star sessions and Sandbox companies so that you can organize your schedule and refer back to the companies you’re interested in.
The app has a Bulletin section that gives you official updates during the conference so you can keep up with all the news, and also a realtime stream that shows tweets about the conference.

The app also lets you create and manage notes using Catch, and has a search feature so that you can quickly find what you’re looking for.
Remember, Android Community will be covering Google I/O live, so be sure to set up camp here next week as we feature all the breaking news from the conference.
 

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Asus Transformer preorders cancelled by Target – or were they?

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We’ve been getting word from Target customers that due to severe product shortages, the Bulls Eye is canceling their Asus Transformer pre-orders. Customers following up by phone with Customer Service, however, are learning a different story – that the Transformer is actually just out of stock and that their orders aren’t canceled. Checking on Target’s Website, we found the Transformer listed as being out of stock. But whether it’s just out of stock or Target is giving up sending it out, many customers are frustrated and just plain angry.

Thank you for shopping at Target.com. Unfortunately, the following item is not currently available from any of our sources.
Asus Eee Pad Transformer 10.1″ Android Tablet (TF101-A1) with 16GB Hard Drive, 1GB Memory – Black/Brown
We have canceled this item from your order.

Earlier today we reported, Asus announcing they can only make about 10,000 units per month and that most were heading to Europe. A short production schedule is likely due to parts being in short supply. And that translates into retailer stocks being pretty low. And now, it’s apparent they’re running out.
Conspiracy theorists might think to link to Amazon where they may see the tablet ready to ship out the door – but take note! Amazon is supplied by Target, especially in this case you’ve got to know that the tablet wouldn’t come to your door any faster than if you’d ordered the same thing from a Target store. That is, unless you get some super sweet one day shipping deal out of Amazon. That’s always a possibility. As it stands now though, right around $600 is the best you’re going to be able to do.

 

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Notion Ink Tablet gets Gingerbread update, does anyone care anymore?

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Notion Ink has added a new chapter to their two year old odyssey of building their Adam Android tablet from scratch. Notion has confirmed an update providing Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a new browser, and even a new eBook reader client. As you well know, Notion has been blogging the process step by step, giving users an inside peek on how tablets are created. For awhile, we thought they’d disappeared. Then last month, they announced updates to their tablet were forth coming. But since Adam was launched, Notion has run into customer service and shipping issues which has caused many who were eagerly awaiting release to seek other options. So the question is … does anyone really care?

Notion says that updating to Gingerbread moves them towards the goal of acclimating the Kernel and all apps closer to a merge to Honeycomb, which will require converting to eMMC OS. In addition to Gingerbread and the new eBook reader, usability issues resolved, a new multi-tasking environment added, and even simple video and music players.
CEO Rohan Shravan said that the delays before had been due to licensing issues pertaining to the book reader. Issues that appear to have been cleared up. The update is again promised here, but remains to be seen in the fleshy text. Shravan also goes on to say that the process has been a journey requiring “determination,” “the ability to learn fast,” “understand” their critics, and “keep moving forward.”
But could it be it too little to late?
 

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