Mobile

Google Gives Everyone At Google I/O A Free EVO 4G. You Read That Right.

May 20

Remember the days when you knew someone who had something that you didn’t, and you wanted that thing desperately? Now multiply that feeling of hatred, anguish, and disappointment times: 1 million. And what do you get? A few dozen gadget bloggers like Greg at MobileCrunch and Bettiol at BGR who won’t be one of the 5000 people getting a free EVO 4G. That’s yours truly, included. *insert epic sigh here*

Even Vic Gundotra, our new favorite nerd presenter of all time put it: “To everyone watching back home on Youtube.. I’m.. I’m sorry? Register early next year!”

Darn it.

Android 2.1 update now rolling out to Sprint Hero

May 19

At long last!

Yes indeed. It’s been a saga. There was a first time, second time, third, fourth, and then even fifth delay of the Android 2.1 Sense UI update for the Sprint Hero. And guess what, my Sprint Android friends? The over-the-air update (OTA) is now rolling out, gradually to all owners. And not only that, but your version of Android is now longer a boring “Cupcake”, but now you’re in style with “Eclair”.

Until Android 2.2 “FroYo” comes out. Then, you’ll be screwed.

Source: Sprint

Hurrah! Sprint EVO 4G allows Sense UI to be turned off, at will

May 16

YES! The Sprint EVO 4G is a very cool cat, no doubt about that. But the Sense UI isn’t to everyone’s taste, even though it is to mine. So what happens then? Do you completely ignore the best-looking and most highly specced smartphone in the world? Do you simply ignore the brilliance of the EVO 4G? Heck, no! As Androinica shows us above, you can simply turn it off to reveal the classy Android 2.1 UI, complete with the 3D apps cube.

New Rumor: myTouch Slide to cost $150 on June 16th release?

May 16

Going back to the myTouch Slide, an Android 2.1-based smartphone with the T-Mobile influenced ”Espresso” Sense UI, and a QWERTY slide-out with entry-level specs, new documents by TmoNews suggested that the Slide will in fact cost $149.99 on a 2-year agreement with T-Mobile. Customers who wish to pay full retail price to use with their own GSM SIM cards on the device are purportedly going to be paying $399 for the Slide, which again, is the costly full retail price.

Whatever price it might be, the MyTouch Slide is going to be the only Android phone with a proper looking physical keyboard, unless something else comes along.

HTC sues Apple for patent infringement, seeks to ban iPad, iPod, and iPhone

May 12

HTC has responded to Apple’s patent lawsuits with their own. In fact, mainly what these infringements are targeted at are the iPad, iPod, and iPhone. Better yet, HTC’s compliant was to the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) to halt the importation of all iProducts mentioned above.

Basically, they’re trying the stop the iPod, iPad, and iPhone from being sold. Giz has obtained some docs claryfing what HTC is suing over, and the answers are: “Two are related to power management, two are over personalized phone dialers, and one’s over a telephone dialer with easy access memory.”

Although you can wait several years until any of this actually results in court dates. Give it your lifetime even. OK, not your lifetime, but give it a few long years. On the other side of the isle, Apple has not responded.

Sprint Hero and Samsung Moment Android 2.1 update delayed till “Q2 2010″

May 7

There are strange things that companies do, then there’s what Sprint is doing with the Samsung Moment and Sprint Hero. Both devices yearn to be freed from the ever-so-old grasp of Android 1.6 and Android 1.5, respectively. But noooo, Sprint just keeps on delaying the update, again, and again, and again. Hopefully though, as according to Sprint themselves for the thousandth time, is hope:

Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition Review

May 3

With contenders like Google Maps Navigation, most navigation apps used on smartphones like the iPhone are utterly blown away. Nokia on the other hand, so far is the only manufacturer with a navigation system on par or a little better than Google Maps. The Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition is actually a 5800 XpressMusic, which in turn was pretty much was a music player. The main difference between the two is that this, as according to its name, is a navigation phone that can be used on either T-Mobile or AT&T networks. Check out our thoughts after the cut.

This Week On LaptopMemo: Shadow Edition

May 2

This week on LaptopMemo features Pac-Man cutting boards, a business plan for Android, Microsoft Courier is dead, the Droid Incredible becomes a 100 bucks, and more…