Robot Briefs News and Info

Gingerbread for the Droid Incredible 2 Leaked

2011-06-28T13:11:52Z

You own a Droid Incredible 2? Want to chow down on some Gingerbread with that bad boy? If so, then happy days are here... with a caveat. If you are now, or ever planing on rooting your DI2, then you might not want to flash this. You see, the guys at AlphaRevX have determined a way to unlock and root the Droid Incredible 2, but it only works on Froyo. If you flash this version of Gingerbread, you will be overwriting the only known method for root/unlock.

That being said, if you care nothing about rooting your phone, then this leak is for you. Instructions for upgrading your phone with the RUU file could not be easier:

Download the RUU
Plug your phone into your PC
Run the RUU

And that's it. It will take a few minutes for the program to work its magic, but once completed, you will have a completely stock DI2 running Gingerbread. Not too shabby, eh? Warning: doing this will erase everything on your phone. Your SD card will be fine though.

If you want root though, stay clear of this update. Give it some time. The guys at AlphaRevX are making great progress on their rooting efforts, so I imagine it won't be real long before they have a flashable ROM based off of Gingerbread that you will be able to install via Clockwork Recovery.

Source: Android Police

Avast Anti-virus Making Its Way to Android

2011-06-28T12:45:18Z

Avast is a very popular Windows anti-virus, and now apparently, they are working on an Android version. Recent malware scares in the Android Market have started to underline the fact that Android devices aren't merely just phone any more. They are full fledged computers, and as such, they are susceptible to the nefarious attacks of the evil-doing jerks of the world.

The Avast app will reportedly have VPN services integrated in to the app, in addition to the antivirus engine, anti-theft functionality, phone tracking, as well as parental locks.

What is of particular interest with this anti-virus application is that additional features will be unlocked on phones that are rooted. According to Avast CTO, Ondrej Vlcek, the reason for this is "rooted phones are more prone to certain kinds of attacks […] We consider people with rooted phones high-risk users, and so they need more security."

The VPN functionality is also an interesting addition in that it will make it possible for users to securely access the Internet, even when doing so over an unsecured public WiFi network.

No pricing or release date has been confirmed at this time, so stay tuned for more information as it comes available.

Source: MakeUseOf

HTC Working on Unlocking EVO 3D Bootloader

2011-06-28T12:28:35Z

Earlier this year, HTC made a promise that going forward, they would ship phones with the bootloader unlocked. Unfortunately, the EVO 3D still arrived in a locked down state. This has caused great troubles to the hacking community in trying to not only root the device, but also begin the development of custom ROMs for it.

The people have spoken, however. Taking to HTC's Facebook page, customers have been sounding off against HTC over the locked bootloader on the EVO 3D, even going so far as threatening to return the phone within the 30 day return window if HTC doesn't do something about it.Apparently, this has generated a certain amount of concern within the HTC corporate office. Yesterday, they finally posted a statement in response to one customer, saying that they are "diligently working" on unlocking the bootloader. They went on to say that once everything is finalized, they will post a statement on Facebook.

One of the reasons I really like HTC is that they seem to listen to their customers, and this seems to be another example of that. Granted, they probably should not have started the practice of locking bootloaders to start with, but you have to give them some amount of credit for seeing the error of their ways.

We'll keep an eye on this and let you know once they've announced a patch to unlock the bootloader.

Source: Good and Evo

Samsung Droid Charge Getting Gingerbread Soon? [Video]

2011-06-27T18:33:49Z

There has been a lot of rumors and speculation running around lately about Gingerbread updates for various phones. Unfortunately, nary a word has come forth about the Droid Charge. That changes a little today with a video released by popular Android hacker p3droid from MyDroidWorld. He uploaded a video of the Charge running Android 2.3.3 today, and it looks pretty darn good.

The device seems to run quickly and everything looks fairly polished. He even brings up Netflix and gets it start streaming a video. So what does this mean for you Charg owners out there? It's hard to say at this point, but I would consider this video good news. With some luck, hopefully you'll be going nom-nom-nom on some Gingerbread yumminess before too long.

Full video after the break.

LG Girl Says More Info on G2x Gingerbread Update Coming Soon

2011-06-27T12:20:06Z

The LG Girl (remember her?) sent out a tweet late last week saying that updating the G2x to Gingerbread (aka Android 2.3) is a "huge focus". Of course, it seems we've sort of heard this song before. However, she went on to say that they (LG) are hoping to provide more information in the next few days.

Of course, this isn't really what we wanted to hear. It would be really nice if LG or the LG Girl would give some sort of time frame on when the update is expected to release. However, for those of you with the G2x, at least you have the satisfaction of knowing that you haven't been forgotten about.

We'll keep you posted on this and let you know if we hear anything more.

CyanogenMod 7.1 RC1 Now Available for Download

2011-06-27T12:02:42Z

CyanogenMod is probably the most popular AOSP-based custom ROM out there. Overnight, the wizards behind this ROM released v7.1 Release Candidate 1 of their wares. The changelog for this release is fairly massive, and quite impressive as well. Probably the biggest change is an upgrade to Android version 2.3.4 (from 2.3.3 in v7.0). They are now also supporting Bluetooth mice, a wake on volume key option, and support for launching apps via gestures. We've got the full changelog after the break.

If you're interested in taking this new release for a spin, just download it via ROM Manager, or hit up the source link after the break. If you download it via the source link, don't forget to grab an updated copy of GAPPS (the Google apps, such as the Market, etc.).

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Headed For the U.K.

2011-06-24T14:23:56Z

It's official. The thinnest and lightest 10.1" tablet on the market is headed across the pond. Our frineds in the U.K. will be able to grab one of these bad boys on August 4th. The 8.9" version will released in U.K. later this year.

In case you haven't been paying attention to the news about this powerhouse, this baby comes in a couple of varieties: 16GB and 32GB. On the outside, the device has a beautiful 10.1" display running at 1280x800. It also includes a 3.15MP rear camera and a 2MP front webcam. Powering this jewel is a dual core ARM Cortex-A9 processor which support the Android 3.1 operating system. For the full specs, you can head over to Samsung's website.

Full press release after the break.

ARCHOS Reveals Some Serious Honeycomb Tablets With 250GB HDD

2011-06-24T13:43:04Z

ARCHOS is a name you may or may not recognize. They've been putting out lower-end Android tablets for a while, but now they're releasing some serious contenders. The ARCHOS 80 G9 features an 8-inch screen running at 1024x768, while the ARCHOS 101 G9 is nicely equipped with a 10.1 inch 1280x800 screen. Other than the screen size, the specs on the two devices are identical:

1.5GHz OMAP4 Processor
Seagate 250GB Hard Disk Drive
HDMI out, supporting 1080p video
Optional 3G USB stick
Android Market
Android 3.1 OS

The most intriguing part of this deal is the price. The 8 inch model will retail for $279, while the 10.1" version will be $349.

More details, and the full press release after the break.

Free App Friday - 6/24/2011

2011-06-24T12:35:07Z

It's a rainy Friday morning here at Robot Briefs HQ so what better way to spend it than coming up with a quick list of free apps that I love. This week we've got a couple of great games, a bandwidth tester, full screen radar, and an awesome file manager. So step inside for this week's Free App Friday.

It's HTC EVO 3D Launch Day!

2011-06-24T11:41:35Z

After months of waiting, the HTC EVO 3D is finally available today at Sprint, Radio Shack, Best But, Sam's Club, and Walmart stores everywhere for $199 with a new 2 year agreement. As a quick refresher, the phone is sporting a dual core 1.2 GHz processor, 4.3" 960x540 3D qHD display, 4 Gb of ROM, 8 Gb SD card, as well as the usual assortment of radios (3G/4G, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, Accelerometer).

Obviously the big push with this phone is its 3D capability with dual 5MP cameras on the back, and the ability to view 3D images and video without the use of glasses. While some people may think the 3D aspect is a gimmick, it's still a pretty cool conversation starter. The phone is also very nicely equipped, even if you never use the 3D feature.

So what say you? Are you going to brave the masses today to grab one? Don't forget that Best Buy is opening early today (8am local time) for the event.