HTC Sync 3.0 for Wildfire hands-on: iTunes sync tested (video)

Good news for Wildfire owners: fresh from HTC’s oven is its 3.0 desktop sync suite that — like the one baked for the Desire over the weekend — enables iTunes sync for the company’s latest budget device. Since we had a Wildfire on hand, we decided to go through the trouble to check out this new feature. And boy, it sure was a bumpy start. We had no problems with obtaining the software, but in order to get the “HTC Sync” option to appear in the USB connection menu, we had to switch on USB debugging mode (Settings -> Applications -> Development) before establishing our first link. As fiddly as it sounds, this was actually the only tricky part of the preparation, and you can leave debugging mode switched off afterwards.

So, how does the iTunes sync work? Well, it’s certainly nowhere as thrilling as Palm’s cheeky hack — it appears to simply access iTunes’ database and playlists for the file locations, rather than fooling iTunes into thinking your Wildfire’s an iDevice. You’ll also be limited to syncing either everything or just selected playlists (smart playlists supported), so in other words, you can’t sync by artists or genres, and you’ll have to set up a dedicated playlist for syncing podcasts. Apart from this minor flaw, we’d say this is still a pretty neat solution for an age-old problem, and hopefully HTC will offer a similar app for Mac users. Hands-on video after the break.

@htc_eu (Twitter) HTC

EVO 4G starts getting Android 2.2 update over the air

// <![CDATA[// We’ve just gotten a deluge of tips that EVO 4Gs are starting to get blessed with the official update to Froyo — a few hours prior to the promised August 3 rollout — so if you’ve got one handy, you’re going to want to start checking it right this second. Seriously, now that it’s got a trick flashlight app included in ROM, what could you possibly be waiting for? On a related note, if you happened to apply that early update that HTC posted and pulled late last week, the company’s working on a fix so that you aren’t out of the over-the-air update loop and promises to “get back” in “the coming days.”

@htc (via Twitter)

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Official: iPhone 4 jailbreak hits from iPhone Dev.

The Library of Congress made it legal, MuscleNerd showed us it was a go, and now Comex and company have delivered the long-awaited jailbreak to the fourth rendition of iPhone. According to their new page JailbreakMe, the hack works right on the iPhone 4 (or 3GS, or 3G, or iPad, or…) itself, using via the handset’s Safari browser to reportedly break into most any iOS device. The servers are getting slammed pretty badly, and only a few Engadget editors have so much as seen the page pictured above so far, but rest assured we’re testing this as we speak and will have more details up soon.

Update: Sorry folks, we’ve tried repeatedly, but apparently the servers just can’t handle the load — Comex tweets that the purple screens we’re seeing are evidence of server fail. Here’s hoping for a Cydia celebration when the stampede is over.

Update 2: Comex says you might want to reboot if you got stuck staring at that purple screen, and you could also try their backup server (click our second source link) to help the Dev Team divide the load.

Update 3: We successfully got the jailbreak to start working, but it crashed Safari. Upon reboot of our phone we’ve got… nothing but the Apple logo. Take note, this can brick your phone, so proceed with caution! Video of the experience after the break. After a reset, our phone is giving us nothing but the Apple logo. (Update to the update, the phone has been restored).

Update 4: Our intern Sam has successfully jailbroken his iPhone 4 according to this pic, so it can be done!

Update 5: Comex reports that iPads running iOS 3.2.1 aren’t presently working properly, and that MMS problems after jailbreak are a known issue.

Update 6: Good news? Saurik (of Cydia fame) has pitched in to secure JailbreakMe some better hosting. Bad news? Reports indicate that FaceTime doesn’t work after jailbreak, either.

Update 7: Seven updates? You bet, because it’s looking like there’s already a fix for the missing FaceTime and MMS features. Head on over to Redmond Pie (in more coverage below) for instructions to install the Cydia package that brought video chat back to two of our iPhone 4 handsets. If you’re just downloading JailbreakMe for the first time though, you shouldn’t need to do a thing, as Comex claims both have been fixed in a new version of the hack that just went live.

JailbreakMe (1), (2); engadget

Android 2.2 upgrade for Droid X may already be trickling out, other Droids shortly?

We’ve already gathered that Verizon, Moto, and HTC all seem to be pretty well committed to bumping most of their Droid models to Froyo (as well they should), but things are starting to get real — really real. First off, we’ve been fed a shot of a tipster’s Droid X that has apparently already been blessed with 2.2 over the air; the baseband version is a tick older than the one in a shot leaked over on My Droid Life, but it’s anyone’s guess how Motorola is staging this and what the final gold binary really contains. We’ve also seen a 2.2 ROM for the Droid Incredible leak recently (and the Droid before that), so uncorroborated rumors we’re seeing that three of the four retail Droids will be getting 2.2 by the 15th of next month aren’t necessarily crazy. Remember: think positive thoughts.

Droid Life

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Qi wireless power standard finalized, universal contactless chargers look closer to reality than ever

The Wireless Power Consortium took a big step forward this past week with the confirmation that its precocious Qi interoperability standard has been finalized. Composed of three documents setting out the interface, performance and compliance requirements, the new dictum has set itself the not inconsiderable challenge of making wireless charging universal, so that any Qi-approved phone can soak up juice from any Qi-verified base station, dock or omnitool. This first spec is limited to devices requiring no more than 5 Watts, an appropriately humble early goal, though cauldrons are already bubbling with ideas for laptops and the like. We just hope the impressive list of big time companies on the Consortium will succeed in taking Qi into the mainstream — who here hasn’t dreamt of their phone being compatible with the Touchstone?

[Thanks, MrStringTheorist]

Wireless Power Consortium (1), (2)

HTC Sense coming to Windows Phone 7, after all

Some cried and some cheered when Microsoft revealed that handset manufacturers couldn’t reskin Windows Phone 7 devices wholesale. But as it turns out, at least one major OEM is still banking on software to help differentiate its phones. HTC’s Drew Bamford told Forbes that Sense UI will still appear in the company’s Windows Phone 7 creations, and believes it will live on in Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) as well. “Microsoft has taken firmer control of the core experience,” acknowledged Bamford, who added that Sense wouldn’t be fully integrated into WP7 phones, but that HTC would “augment” the Microsoft experience with as-yet-undisclosed functionality of its own. As long as it doesn’t eat up too much memory and processor time, right?

Softpedia

Forbes

RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 9300 spotted in T-Mobile branding (update)

It’s certainly not the first time we’ve seen this here BlackBerry (with “this here” meaning “Curve 9300″), but it’s the first time we’ve seen it outfitted in carrier clothing. Notice that T-Mobile logo at the bottom? That’s the clearest indication yet that this particular ‘Berry will soon be headed to T-Mob, but given that it’s unlikely to support an upgrade to BlackBerry OS 6, your off-the-chart excitement level may indeed be unwarranted. At any rate, we’re also hearing that Rogers in Canada will be snagging this at launch, but we’ll be passing along official details just as soon as we get them.

Update: As it turns out, this actually isn’t the first time we’ve seen a magenta-scarved Curve 9300, just the one that has us most convinced it’s got a date with destiny. Not to mention stateside availability.

BB Geeks

Tweaker ports Samsung’s TouchWIz UI onto non-rooted Nexus One for reasons unknown

This one’s been kicking around the interwebs for a few weeks now, but it has managed to grow into something of a beast during that period. Frankly, we couldn’t think of less fitting way to send the glorious Nexus One out than to completely deface it and ruin what Google has worked so hard to perfect. But regardless of what we think, that’s exactly what has happened here. One rolle3k over at xda developers clearly has a masochistic gene or two planted inside of his skull, but at least his APK doesn’t require your N1 to be rooted before providing you access to a TouchWiz user interface. Feel free to hit the source if you’re up for seeing what you’ve been missing out on, but only if you literally cannot think of a single better thing to do with your time.

The Gadgets

xda developers

HP not making Windows Phone 7 devices, focusing on webOS instead

No big surprise here, but HP Personal Systems Group VP Todd Bradley just flat-out confirmed to CNBC that HP will not be making any Windows Phone 7 devices, preferring instead to focus on the newly-acquired webOS for its line of smartphones. Here’s the entire exchange:

Q: Can you make webOS successful with developers when you’re selling Windows Phone 7, maybe Android or Linux at the same time?

A: We continue to be Microsoft’s biggest customer, and we continue to believe we will drive innovation with Microsoft. At the same time, I think it’s clear to say, that we’re very focused on the customer, and giving the customer the experience that’s important to them. We won’t do — will not do a Linux / Android phone. We won’t do a Microsoft phone.

Q: So no Windows Phone 7?

A: We will continue to more broadly deliver the webOS-based phones that are in the market today, and Jon and his team have driven a strong roadmap for the future.

Q: So does that mean you’re going webOS only for phones?

A: For smartphones it does. Our intent is to focus those resources and really make webOS the best OS it can be.

That’s a big ouch for Microsoft — it has to sting when your biggest customer turns its back on your fledgling mobile efforts — but we can’t exactly see HP spending a billion dollars on Palm only to turn around and support multiple platforms. There is a small silver lining for Microsoft, though — Bradley also reiterated that HP’s tablet plans aren’t so locked in, and once again hinted that the Windows 7-based HP Slate has become an enterprise product, which is at least better than being killed off entirely. Lose some, lose some slightly less, we suppose. Full video after the break — the good bit starts around 5:20.

CNBC