Even weeks devoid of major announcements and releases from Cupertino can supply exciting (and even stunning) headlines. Couple those with the evaluations, hints, and tutorials you’ve come to expect from Macworld, and the past week of stories was not 1 to be missed. But just in case you did miss something, here’s a roundup of our best stories from the week gone by.

Macworld

We look back at week that included Apple software updates (but not Lion), Netflix price hikes, and still more patent lawsuits.

Macworld

One developer that has been very supportive of the Symbian platform and continues to actively develop and improve its product is Nimbuzz. They just announced version 3.01 and posted the following 9 reasons you should be excited about the update:

1. Improved call quality thanks to peer to peer call connectivity.
2. More space for your chats for full screen chatting experience.
3. Chat bubbles bring an iPhone like chat experience to your (Nokia) Symbian phone.
4. Custom wallpapers in the chat screen choose a color or an image from your gallery to display as background for your chats.
5. Custom color for the text font in your chat screen
6. Call Quality Indicator so you can check the expected call quality before you make a call.
7. Free Avatars choose new and exciting avatars for your profile picture from N-World
8. Last Seen Online – shows you the last time your friend was seen on Nimbuzz.
9. Fast group selection straight from your contact list.

Make sure to read their full blog entry that offers more details for these 9 reasons.

I like the looks of the new chat screen and ability to enlarge the viewable area. I downloaded the update to my Nokia N8 and look forward to testing it out.

Nokia Experts

Click here to view the embedded video.

In a posting on their blog, Fring has announced that they have updated their Android application to improve the quality of video and regular calls using their service.  The above video is the app running on the Nexus S, which touts “enhanced” support with Fring.

Here are the highlights of the new update from the posting on Fring’s blog:

NEW Notifications – Now you get all fring updates right to your home screen/ notification bar so you never miss a call, chat or other fring event

FRESH Activity log – all your fring activities are listed in 1 activity log – calls, new friends, chats, video calls, history, system messages…

IMPROVED Audio – major audio improvements on Jitter buffer so your calls are smoother

ENHANCED Nexus S support – you lucky enough to have this bad boy? Video call us and show us it in action

TASTY Gingerbread support (Android 2.3) – yum.

Go update your app now, or download it from the Android Market.

Fring Updates Android App originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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Apple on Wednesday released an update to Lexmark printer drivers for Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

View full post on Macworld

So a few days ago, we saw Honeycomb running on the Nook color successfully, and had most of the issues worked out, though there were still some kinks. And while we still don’t have root access to it, as it turns out Honeycomb is now running, quite well, quite stable, on the Nook Color, and is available in one easy download. XDA-Developers have been working hard on this project, and have brought the Android-based e-reader into the realm where it can adequately compete with tablets on shelves at twice the price. They’ve come a long way in making this e-reader quite worthy of purchase for those looking for an Android tablet, and I admit…I’ve got my eye on it myself.

Updates to Honeycomb on Nook Color, Fixes Many Issues

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

There was a rumor going ’round that the US-based Galaxy S phones weren’t going to see the Froyo update, and that it was a cost/political issue.   While we never really bought it here at Talkandroid, it was a popular rumor until a few days ago, when Phonescoop reported otherwise. We were pleased to hear that rumor was bogus, not only because it never really made sense, but because it would’ve been pretty underhanded of everyone involved. Well, today, both T-Mobile and Sprint have made statements regarding Froyo updates on their Galaxy S devices.
Read More…

Sprint and T-Mobile Speak Out About Froyo Updates for Galaxy S: Coming Soon

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

It looks like the road is still continuing on different speculations about Samsung and the OTA updates for it’s Galaxy S line of devices. We reported a story stating Samsung could be holding the update hostage due to sales, however there have been many other speculations over the last few days regarding different variations of what may or may not be actually happening. It is also being stated that Samsung is charging carriers for updates. I would hope for the sake of Samsung that the updates are merely being held up due to software development, however at this time we do not have an official answer. Check out the latest response below to PhoneScoop via Samsung.

“No. Samsung is not charging carriers for Froyo updates to Galaxy S. We hope to have more detail on status shortly. Promise!”

Lets just hope that Samsung is on the ball with this, as well that we hear something soon.

What is your take on the whole Samsung debate? Let us know in a comment below.

View full post on AndroidSPIN

A new, somewhat less-than-shocking study has been done involving the major carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon) and device manufacturers. The results were taken from 2009 though 2010. The study examines how many devices were updated to Android 2.2, and how long it took to receive the update. The study also took into account the devices that are still waiting to receive the froyo update.

According to the study HTC has delivered more 2.2 updates than any other wireless handset manufacturer, coming in at 50% of it’s handsets. Don’t count Motorola out just yet though, they were the fastest to get updates out to their handsets. The updates were sent by Motorola just 54.5 days after froyo was announced.

As far as the aforementioned mobile carrier – Verizon is king – taking only an average of 58 days to push 2.2. Rounding out the list was Sprint, T-mobile and AT&T. The report also states that AT&T did not update a single one of their 9 Android devices between June and December.

What do you think about the lack of updates?

Source: ComputerWorld

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Click or Scan the QRCode below to find out more information about the Blink application. You can also find more info and share the application with your friends on the AndroidSPIN App Site.

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Use another notifcation app? Tell us in the comments.

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Computer World determined how long Android updates took for the four major carriers and for the 5 major manufacturers. Google’s Android 2.2 upgrade, best known as Froyo, came out in June, 2010. Froyo has slowly made its way onto handsets around the world. Some phones got the software within a matter of days. Others waited weeks or months.

The chart above shows the percentage of Android phones upgraded to Froyo on each carrier within 2010, while a second chart shows how long, on average, each carrier took to deliver the software. Verizon takes top honors for its Android upgrades with a third of the carrier’s qualifying Android phones received Froyo within the software’s first six months.

The chart above shows the percentage of Android phones upgraded by each manufacturer within 2010; a second chart shows how long, on average, each manufacturer took to deliver the software. HTC is the best manufacturer, with 50 percent of its Android phones having been bumped to Froyo within 2010. Its average upgrade time is also relatively impressive, at 56 days. Motorola comes in second for number of upgrades, and Samsung is third. Dell, LG and Sony bring up the rear.

Ivan Seidenberg discusses Verizon’s adoption of the iPhone with Charlie Rose on Business Week.

About 26 percent of AT&T’s iPhone owners plan to switch to Verizon this year, according to one survey.

Only 4% of Verizon’s customers plan to switch in the next 90 days. In comparison, 10% of Sprint/Nextel’s customers say they plan to switch, as do 15% of both T-Mobile’s and AT&T’s.

View full post on dailywireless.org

In case you’re wondering how minor software updates through the Mac App Store work, here’s a look.

View full post on Macworld

Unrevoked, the all-in-one tool to unlock your Android handset, has updated yet again this time settling at version 3.3. The new version brings along support for new HTC Droid Incredible units sporting an SLCD screen as opposed to the original AMOLED. It will also do a bang up job with newer builds of the HTC EVO 4G.

Head over to the Unrevoked site for the download.

[via DroidLife]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Does iTunes tell you that its list of updated apps is outdated? Me too. I address this and other iTunes app annoyances.

View full post on Macworld

The update for the Evo has started rolling out, but a lot of you haven’t seen it yet. That’s due in part to the fact that there are several different models of the Evo, and each one apparently requires a different file for its specific update. You can determine your version by hitting the menu button on your main screen, choosing settings, and about phone. Your version will be listed under “hardware.” Or, you can always go download the update manually. Either way, keep an eye out for an update to your particular device, and let us know in the comments when you get one.

Evo Updates Continue, New Filename for Different Models

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

Velocity Micro’s Cruz tablet was just quietly refreshed, altering its specs but gaining to real improvements. The 16:9 800×480 sreen and 512MB of RAM featured in the Cruz T103 give way to a 4:3 800×600 screen and 256MB of RAM in the updated Cruz T301. Other specs remain similar and pedestrian, and the tablet boasts 10 hours of battery life.

The Borders eBook app present on the original is replaced with the Amazon Kindle app, and the only other place you will be finding new software is in the Cruz apps market. There are 4GB of internal storage plus USB and SD card expandability. The whole kit and caboodle costs a low $249.99.

[via Laptoping]

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For those of you without automatic updates, it may be time to head to the Market to check for updates to YouTube, Voice Search and Google Voice.

What happened? Nothing major, one would venture to say. YouTube got commenting enabled and subscription viewing along with some tweaks. Voice Search had some improvements in its…voice searching (ya srs). And Google Voice just had some connection issues addressed.

Hey Google: How about GM5?

View full post on Android Phone Fans

 

No doubt about it, when it comes to security BlackBerry wins. But, sometimes you just need an extra layer to keep some of the more private stuff, private. For that, we have BlackBook from MBLWare. BlackBook was recently updated to version 3 and brings a ton of new features to what is already a great app. Check out the new stuff in version 3:

• BlackBerry 6 Support – BlackBook is now fully compatible with OS 6, and the BlackBerry Torch.
• Enhanced SMS filtering - To hide SMS, there’s no more Setup Guide to follow. No firewall settings to change. No complications. BlackBook now instantly hides SMS’ from newly added, and imported contacts!
• Threaded SMS – Chat intuitively with hidden contacts using BlackBook’s new Threaded SMS feature!
• Revamped GUI – The Graphical User Interface has been totally overhauled and now offers a richer experience. 
• Backup and Restore contacts – Never lose your contact list from an OS update, or changing phones again. All BlackBook contacts can now be backed up and restored.
• Real time searching – Real-time Contact Searching lets you quickly locate, and communicate with your hidden contacts.
• Backup and Restore contacts – Never lose your contact list from an OS update, or changing phones again. All BlackBook contacts can now be backed up and restored.
• Real time searching – Real-time Contact Searching lets you quickly locate, and communicate with your hidden contacts.
• Fake app name – To keep it as hidden as possible, BlackBook will be listed as Clock in your Applications list.

Of course, you still retain all of the old features as well such as fake caller ID, hidden contact lists and more. The new version is available right now for only $4.99 in the CrackBerry App Store.

Click Here To Learn More Or To Purchase BlackBook Today

CrackBerry.com‘s feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBook updates to v3.0 – threaded SMS, revamped GUI and more!

View full post on CrackBerry.com blogs

As if their massive app overhaul from last week wasn’t enough, Facebook is back with yet another update. Actually, it was probably enough, but the Facebook team just wanted to make sure it was working up to snuff. Bugs have been fixed, specifically one that affected Places use in non-English locations. Oh, and the uploader now handles images of higher resolutions. If you have the app, your update is waiting in the wings. If not, grab it from the info below.

[via DroidLife]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Just as promised, Adobe has issued an update to Flash Player for Android, bringing its version number to 10.1.105.6 and fixing a recently uncovered security exploit. But there is more! Adobe has also brought AIR up to version 2.5.1, and just as was figured, both new releases serve to prep Android devices for Gingerbread, bringing rumors of an imminent release of Android 2.3 to a head. Here is what the Adobe AIR blog had to say:

“With the anticipation of the Android Gingerbread OS update, we will be delivering an update release for AIR for Android (2.5.1) that will be available on Android Market on Tuesday November 9th. This new release will address compatibility issues and be optimized to run on the Gingerbread OS update…
…In cases where a user receives the Gingerbread OS update before updating to the AIR 2.5.1 runtime, they will receive a native dialog on load stating that the application has quit unexpectedly and your application will fail to load. We’d like your assistance in preventing end users from this type of experience on their device.”

I can smell the tasty gingerbread popping out of the oven now, can you?

[via DroidLife]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

First Facebook decides to upgrade their Android app, and then Twitter follows suit. What’s this world coming to? The new Twitter app is available now in the Android Market, and offers the following changes:

• Tweet details page. We changed the layout of the timeline and introduced a Tweet details page, which you can access by simply clicking on a Tweet. This feature – which is already available in Twitter for iPhone, Twitter for iPad and Twitter for Windows Phone – makes it easier to click on links and reply to, retweet, or favorite a Tweet.
• Speed. The app is now even faster. In this version, we’ve tried a new way of drawing a timeline of Tweets that optimizes for scrolling speed. Try it out, and you’ll see how much faster and smoother the timeline loads and scrolls.
• Polish. We added some more nice touches to the application as well:
  • Pull to Refresh: This popular feature, which was first available through our iPhone app, functions just as it sounds – when you’re at the top of your timeline, simply pull down to load new Tweets.
  • Swipe to Reveal: Swipe across a Tweet to get quick access to several options, such as viewing a user’s profile, sharing a tweet, or replying.
  • Quote a Tweet: Clicking the retweet icon now gives you the option to quote a Tweet. Of course, you can still retweet as you normally would.
  • Hi-res avatar photos

Scan the QR code below, or hit up the market link to grab the latest Twitter app!

Market link

Twitter updates Android app, adds speed and performance boosts

View full post on Android News, Rumours, and Updates

Today, AirMagnet (part of Fluke Networks) has announced the release of new versions of its AirMagnet Survey and AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer. Both products now include the new AirMagnet multi-adapter solution, which delivers enhancements to WLAN design and troubleshooting.

• AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO offers advanced WLAN roaming analysis that leverages the multi-adapter capability to allow users to monitor every client roaming event in the network. It provides details on the success and failure of client device roams and the overall impact of roaming on the client experience. It also offers a new wireless dashboard that focuses on top issues requiring immediate attention, helping to ensure maximum network security and performance.
• The AirMagnet Survey PRO (including the Planner module) allows an organization to perform simultaneous multiple surveys, reducing time and cost associated with WLAN design and deployment with active surveys, and throughput coverage mapping capability. A customized report template provides a customized WLAN report form.

AirMagnet Survey PRO (including the Planner module) and AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO are now available. Each product is available at a U.S. list price of $3,995. AirMagnet recommends the use of its multi-adapter kits to enable the new functionality.

View full post on dailywireless.org

Google doesn’t seem to rest when it comes to continually updating their mobile version of Maps for Android. Another new update is out bringing Maps to version 4.6 and refining the way you find nearby places and friends.

You will find that Place pages in the mobile app have been updated to reflect recent design changes to the dektop version of the service. Reviews are now organized between web reviews such as those from Yelp and Zagat and reviews posted by others using Google Maps.

You will also find new filters for search results. What used to only be sorted by distance and rating can now be filtered by what’s open, which neighborhood and establishment is located in, and also by related searches.

And for those using Maps 4.6 on and Android 2.2 device the experimental “real-time updating” option can be be enabled for Latitude users, providing quicker updating of location information.

Most people should be prompted to install the update on their handset, but you can always go to the Android Market to locate the latest version as well.

[via Google]

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After just crossing the 500,000 users threshold, SCVNGR is striking while the iron is hot with the release of a revamped and renovated mobile app for Android and iPhone. Aside from the initial difference in appearance (which is a pretty drastic change in itself), the 3.5 version of the app adds in a heap of features and enhancements to further shape the way you check-in.

As you may or may not know, SCVNGR offers a slightly different approach to the typical check-in social service with the inclusion of challenges that upon completion score a player points and move them up the social hierarchy. In the latest version users can now ‘+1′ their friends to give them additional points for challenges they deem worthy. Users can now comment on each other’s activity as well.

New ways to follow friends appear in the form of the Social Map and a retooled Activity Stream. The map allows you to see exactly where your friends are while the Activity Stream lets you see exactly what friends are doing at the places they visit.

If you are looking for a new take on what is quickly becoming old-hat in the social media world, SCVNGR might just be enough to breath life into your desire to check-in every where you go. Get the update in the market now.

View full post on Android Phone Fans