Those of you who own the HTC made Google Nexus One will be disappointed to hear that Google will not be releasing an official Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update for the phone.  Due to the Nexus One’s hardware limitations, Google has deemed the device as being too old to run the latest version of [...]

Nexus One owners looking to get a taste of Gingerbread should “hand tight” as the update for the handset is will start rolling out in the coming weeks.  Google’s always been pretty quiet about when they roll out updates for the Nexus One, but we can assure you that you’ll be getting all the Gingerbread [...]

Shortages of Samsung’s AMOLED display have finally forced HTC to change supplier and display technology.  HTC has finally made an official announcement that the HTC Desire and global Nexus One will both be equipped with SONY’s new SLCD screens which feature VSPEC III technology. 

The new screens should offer a better experience for customers since SLCD should reduce power consumption and increase display performance when viewed in direct sunlight.  We expect HTC to make the change in production immediately, though we don’t know how long it will be before the handsets with the SLCD displays will show up in the marketplace. 

Surprisingly, HTC’s press release made no mention of the HTC Incredible, which has been struggling with supply shortages due to the Samsung AMOLED display ever since it went on sale two months ago.  We’re hoping to hear back from HTC shortly so we’ll be sure to keep you posted if we get an update from them. 

UPDATE: We just heard back from HTC in regards to our inquiry on the DROID Incredible.

Because amoled supply is being relieved on other models, we currently feel we can meet demand of droid incredible with amoled screens. Of course we may need to change our minds and add sLCD screen models should demand continue to remain high.

HTC officially moving to SLCD displays for the Nexus One and HTC Desire

HTC Introduces SLCD Display Technology To Its Portfolio

New Displays to be integrated into HTC Desire and Nexus One

Taoyuan, TAIWAN – July 26, 2010 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, today introduced Super LCD display (SLCD) technology into a variety of HTC phones including the HTC Desire and global Nexus One later this summer. The SLCD display offers an exceptional natural balanced colour, clear contrast, broad viewing angles and improved power efficiency.

“HTC is experiencing high-demand for many of our phones, specifically our phones with 3.7 inch displays. The new SLCD display technology enables us to ramp up our production capabilities quickly to meet the high-demand,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The SLCD displays provide consumers with a comparable visual experience to HTC’s current 3.7 inch displays with some additional benefits including battery performance.”

SLCD is the latest generation of LCD technology that offers improved performance from earlier LCD panels including approximately five times better power management. SLCDs also offer an enhanced viewing experience with wider viewing angles that are enabled by Sony’s new VSPEC III™ technology.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

Google has officially sold out their entire inventory of the Nexus One.  If you visit Google’s phone store, you’ll be greeted with a message, stating that the Nexus One can no longer be purchased directly from Google.  The news is not surprising, given that Google did mention a while back that they would be closing up shop and the fact that last week they received their final shipment of the phone from HTC. Most of us were expecting Google’s inventory of the Nexus One to last a few more week.  While Google doesn’t have any phones to ship out to potential customers, those of you still on the market for a new Nexus One will still be able to get your hands on one.  Google’s help center points out that the Nexus One is still available from Vodafone in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.  And those living in South Korea should still be able to get their hands on the phone through KT.

While the Nexus One reign as the elite Android superphone has been surpassed by nearly a half dozen phones in the past six months, it’s probably still one of the most sought-after phones for Android purists.  Google will most likely continue to support the Nexus One with new firmware updates over the next year, bringing a smile to those lucky enough to own the only official “Google Phone” ever to be sold. 

Source: Google Phone Store

Google’s official Froyo build is finally rolling out to Nexus One owners.  Late last night, Google started rolling out the latest OTA update to the At&t and T-Mobile versions of the Nexus One.  Nexus One owners can simply wait for the update notification to hit their handsets or navigate to Settings > About phone > System updates to see if the update is available. One trick that seems to work with other Android phones to force an OTA update is to simply change the date settings forward on your handset. 

Starting today, Nexus One users will begin to receive the Android 2.2 (codenamed Froyo) over-the-air software update on their phones. This update provides some great new features including support for making your handset a portable hotspot and support for Adobe Flash within the browser. For a complete list of everything we’ve included in Android 2.2, please see the Android 2.2 Platform Highlights.

In order to access the update, you will receive a message on your phone’s notification bar. Just download the update, wait for it to install, and you should be all set. This update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users will receive the notification by the end of the week . We hope you enjoy these new features.

If you simply can’t wait, follow the steps below to download and install the update manually.

• To go from FRF83 to FRF85B download this file, rename it update.zip and flash it.
• To go from EPE54B to FRF85B download this file, rename it update.zip and flash it.

To manually install Android 2.2 FRF85B on the Nexus One, perform the following steps:

1. Download the official Android 2.2 firmware for your current build (see links above)
2. Copy the file to your MicroSD card and name it update.zip (Pro tip: not update.zip.zip)
3. Power off your phone.
4. Hold down the VOLUME DOWN button and power it back on.
5. The phone will now search for files like PB00IMG.zip, etc. This is normal. Scroll down to recovery and press the POWER button.
6. When you see the “/!\” symbol, press the POWER button and the Volume Up button at the same time. You should be presented with a menu and one of the options should be “Apply sdcard:update.zip”.
7. Use the trackball to navigate to “apply sdcard:update.zip” and select it.
8. When you see “Install from sdcard complete”, select “reboot system now”.

 Source: Nexus One Blog, Android and Me

Owners of the Google Nexus One phone are the first to get Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) rolled out to their handsets. Google is already pushing an OTA update as we speak, but if you simply can’t wait to see what Froyo tastes like, here are the manual steps needed to download and install the update. Be advised, it’s always safer to wait for the update to come through automatically and we take no responsibility if something goes wrong along the way.

1. Download the Andorid 2.2 update for the Nexus One
2. Rename zip file to “update.zip”
3. Transfer the update.zip file to the root directory of your memory card
4. Power off the Nexus One
5. Hold the “volume down” key and press the power button
6. When phone restarts, scroll down to “recovery” and press the power button
7. When a triangle with exclamation point in the middle appear, simultaneously press the power and volume up buttons
8. On next screen, select “Apply sdcard:update.zip” from the menu
9. Once the update file is installed, select the option to reset your handset.

From what I have read, the update should take well under ten minuted to install. Some of the new features in Froyo include the ability to move apps to your memory card, a small update to the Android Market, improved browser speed, and overall system improvements. If you flash the update or already have, let us know what you think. I’ll be waiting for my wife to get home so I can flash the update to her Nexus One.

Note: this update will only work for the Nexus One.  Do not try flashing this file to any other handset.

Update: step seven was incorrect,  but thanks to those who commented we now have the correct information.  The correct button combination has been posted above

I’m sure we’ve all wondered what it would be like to travel through space.  We typically think of space as a weightless vacuum where we can float free without the influence of gravity.  But what happens when you visit another planet?  Neil Fraser was wondering the same thing, but he was more interested in what would happen to a Lava Lamp on another planet.  Neil took the time to build a centrifuge in his house to help simulate the gravitation pull on Jupiter (3 G’s).  In order to assist him on his project, Neil opted to enlist the most advanced handset currently available on the market, the HTC built Nexus One. 

We could explain how the experiment works, but I think it’ll be a lot more fun if you watch it for yourself. 

Source: Neil Fraser via Engadget