The Android developer/hacker community loves a good challenge so when they found out the AT&T Galaxy Note supported T-Mobile’s HSPA+ frequencies, they immediately went to work. Over at XDA they even had a running bounty for the first person to successfully get the AT&T Galaxy Note running on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. It didn’t take that long before user tomin.fhl found a way to get it working and he’s been kind enough to post the instructions for any brave soul willing to take the plunge.
Today the International Data Corporation raised its 2012 tablet forecast to 106.1 million units, up from its previous forecast of 87.7 million units thanks to a stronger-than-expected 2011 finish. According to IDC, tablet shipments rose 155%, leading to a full-year 2011 total of 68.7 million units shipped. The IDC credits Amazon for raising consumers’ awareness of the tablet category in 2011 thanks to their popular $199 Kindle Fire.
An unhappy Motorola DROID X2 customer decided to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau over their locked bootloader policy and lackluster update practice. Motorola eventually responded to the complaint, passing the bootlocker blame onto the carriers and then informing the customer that the DROID X2 was not on their list of devices to receive Ice Cream Sandwich. This information is very disheartening to DROID X2 owners whose device is less than a year old. I find this to be unacceptable and completely goes against the pledge Motorola (and other manufacturers) made as part of the Google Update Alliance back in May of 2011. The alliance was formed to ensure timely updates would be provided to consumers for at least 18 months after the launch of a new device and this BBB response isn’t a good sign of Motorola’s commitment to that pledge.
Samsung Galaxy S II users in Europe, Korea, and other select markets around the globe are being treated to Ice Cream Sandwich thanks to an update that began rolling out last night. Unfortunately U.S. users will have to sit tight as it hasn’t landed in the states just yet. It’s great to see devices being updated and we welcome all new users to the exclusive Ice Cream Sandwich club. Samsung also announced they would be updating a slew of devices to a newer Gingerbread firmware:
Sony has unveiled their latest Xperia smartphone the Xperia Sola, a 3.7-inch dual-core device touting Sony’s latest “floating touch” navigation. This latest “innovation” allows users to navigate around a page (similar to a cursor) without actually touching the display. We’re not sure how this would come in handy unless your a clean freak or a ghost, but we assume it’s to avoid accidentally clicking on items while navigating. The Xperia Sola also features the usual Sony software along with:
