HTC adds a bit more to why they are not updating the Desire HD to Ice Cream Sandwich and more

In This Issue...

HTC adds a bit more to why they are not updating the Desire HD to Ice Cream Sandwich
HP appears to have revealed the Slate 8 tablet in a new commercial [Video]
Nike+ FuelBand for iOS gets an update, brings faster syncing and more
Power Nap for Mountain Lion now available for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display
No Jelly Bean for 2011 Sony Xperia owners
Pinwheel, still in beta, changes name to Findery after legal dispute with Pinweel
Kickstarter project: MetaWatch STRATA, Bluetooth watch
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HTC adds a bit more to why they are not updating the Desire HD to Ice Cream Sandwich

The story of why the HTC Desire HD smartphone will not get an update to Android 4.0 seems to be never ending. We first got word from Telus and then later from HTC. And well, it looks like HTC had a bit more to say on the matter. In this latest offering, HTC acknowledges that this was a controversial decision and goes on to offer more detail. Basically, in order to update the Desire HD to ICS they would have to re-partition the device storage which means overwriting the user data and that was a path that they felt the “majority” of the users would not like to take. Anyway, those interested in the full side of the story from HTC, here is what they had to say;

“We've heard your feedback on our decision not to update the HTC Desire HD to Android 4.0. We completely understand that this is a controversial decision.
For more background, due to how storage on the HTC Desire HD is partitioned – and the larger size of Android 4.0 – it would require re-partitioning device storage and overwriting user data in order to install this update. While technically advanced users might find this solution acceptable, the majority of customers would not. We also considered ways to reduce the overall size of the software package, but this would impact features and functionality that customers are currently using. Even after installing the update, there were other technical limitations which we felt negatively impacted the user experience.
We believe an update should always improve the user experience and carefully evaluate each update based on this criteria. While we are very aware of the disappointment from this decision, we believe the impact to user experience was too great. We recognize this is a change from our previous statement and for that we're truly sorry.”

Via [HTC Blog]

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HP appears to have revealed the Slate 8 tablet in a new commercial [Video]

There is not all that much in terms of detail, however it appears as if HP has revealed the Slate 8 tablet in a recent promotional video. Said video is dubbed ‘HP Make it Matter’ and was recently posted on YouTube. More importantly though, the tablet makes an appearance towards the end of the minute long video. Unfortunately, all you can see is a quick glance at the back — you see a silver tablet with black up top and an HP logo in the center. All said and done, HP has previously acknowledged that they are working on a Windows 8 tablet. That device is rumored to be the Slate 8 and if we have to venture a guess — this is a first look at what will debut as the HP Slate 8 tablet.

Via [YouTube] and [Engadget]

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Nike+ FuelBand for iOS gets an update, brings faster syncing and more

Nike has recently rolled-out an update for their iOS FuelBand application. At this time the update is not yet available for Android, however we suspect that will be arriving in Google Play sooner rather than later. The Android app aside, the iOS FuelBand app has gone up to version 1.3 and with the new number comes a few new features — one of which is targeted for August 12th. It seems that Nike is going to be offering a special Trophy on that date, you just need to beat your best day to get it. Nike refers to this as achieving your day of greatness. Otherwise, the app update also brings an increase in sync speeds and support for multiple Nike+ FuelBands.

Achieve Your Day of Greatness: Beat your best day on 8.12 and unlock a special Trophy.
Increased Sync Speed: Now you can sync your activity data faster than before. No waiting. No delay. (Make sure to update to the latest firmware by plugging your band into a computer with Nike+ Connect)
Multiple Nike+ FuelBands Support: Have multiple Nike+ FuelBands? You can now sync all of them to your Nike+ profile through your mobile app.

Via [iOS App Store]

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Power Nap for Mountain Lion now available for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display

Apple rolled-out an update for the 2011 and 2012 MacBook Air notebooks shortly after the release of Mountain Lion that added the Power Nap feature. At the time the update was rolling out to the MBAs, Apple was promising the same for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The update for the Retina display MBPs was noted as coming soon, and well, it looks like Apple has lived up to that soon timeline. As of now, those sporting a MacBook Pro with Retina display have the Power Nap update ready and waiting. The update arrives as an SMC update by way of Software Update and once you have this installed — your Mac will be able to stay up to date even when it is in sleep mode.

Via [Apple]

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No Jelly Bean for 2011 Sony Xperia owners

Are you a proud owner of a Sony Xperia 2011 phone? Well, I hate the be the bearer of bad news, but Sony has unofficially stated via their official social networks that 2011 Xperia models aren’t getting the latest version of the Android mobile OS, Jelly Bean.

In a Facebook thread, a Sony representative said:

Unfortunately Arc S won’t be getting the Jelly Bean update, but we’re always developing new phones and make sure they get the latest updates.

So, no Jelly Bean for you! But, the good news is that you can spend more money to upgrade to a new phone, even though you might still be under a subsidized 2-year contract. Thanks Sony!

Via [Xperia Blog]

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Pinwheel, still in beta, changes name to Findery after legal dispute with Pinweel

So, the title, referencing some names that you may have yet to hear of — before or after the name change. Lets begin with this, there is this really cool social site. The site is called Pinwheel. Well, it was called Pinwheel and moving forward it is being rebranded as Findery. The name change comes as a result of a legal dispute with another Pinwheel. Though, this other Pinwheel is missing the letter H, Pinweel.

The legal dispute aside, those who have heard of Pinwheel, take note of the new name — Findery. Those who have yet to hear about Findery in the first place, this is a social site that focuses on notes — both finding and leaving notes. The concept is simple, yet really compelling. You visit a place and you can leave a note. The note can be text only, or what I prefer to leave and find, text with images.

That being said, those looking to discover new places may want to give Findery a look. The one catch, the site is still in private beta mode at the moment. But on that note, you can request an invitation to join. Or if you ask nicely, I have a few invites to share. And lastly, Leo Laporte did a great interview with ~~Pinwheel~~ Findery founder Caterina Fake (of Flickr fame) back in March on episode 46 of Triangulation (which is the show that spurred my interest in the site).

Via [Findery Blog]

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Kickstarter project: MetaWatch STRATA, Bluetooth watch

Another day, another cool and geeky KickStarter project to get behind. Introducing MetaWatch STRATA, a “SmartWatch” that is the perfect companion for the iPhone 4S and Android phones. Capable of displaying text messages, Tweets, calendar items, the weather, and more thanks to its open source firmware and available SDK for developers, this next generation of watch was designed and developed by former Fossil team members. Check out their video below

Important features:

5-7 battery life
Open source firmware
iPhone and Android SDK
Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity
Water resistant

Once the project is funded and the initial batch of watches are manufactured, the STRATA will cost $180 and is expected to ship in September. If the prospect of wearing a “SmartWatch” seems like a cool idea, go on over to their Kickstarter page and put your money where your mouth (or wrist) is.

Via [Kickstarter]