HP releases Android TouchPad kernel to CyanogenMod team

Remember how we saw some HP TouchPad devices mysteriously show up running Android, and the ensuring HP investigation as to how they ended up in the hands of consumers? Well, there was no conclusive answer as to how that happened, however HP has now released the kernel source code for that version of Android for the Touchpad to the CyanogenMod team.

Wifi drivers aren't included, but this is still great news for those toiling away to bring the latest version of Android to TouchPad owners. The information derived from the kernel brings some interesting info to light, as RootzWiki user Green notes --

"It seems to be a totally separate development from the webOS kernel (this was suspected from the very beginning), but now the comments in the code seem to imply that HP had another team working on Android port to Touchpad and that team appears to be totally separate from the webOS team. I wonder if that means there was a plan to ship the Touchpad with Android that were then preempted by webOS plans after Palm purchase."

What it all amounts to in the long run isn't really known just yet, but hopes are that portions of it will be adopted into the CyanogenMod 9 Android 4.0 port for the HP TouchPad. Bugs aside, the TouchPad make a great little tablet when Android is loaded on it (and, some would argue, when it's not).

Source: RootzWiKi; via: webOS Nation

Late-nite poll: Is no Flash on Chrome a non-starter?

So we've finally got a Chrome browser on Android. Huzzah. But it's missing Adobe Flash support. Uh, not huzzah. That is, for some. While Flash is going the way of the dinosaur -- an extremely slow-moving, refuses-to-die dinosaur -- being phased out it is. And for that reason, says Adobe, the new Chrome browser for Android doesn't support it. (And let's face it -- while Flash may have an expiration date, nobody actually knows what it is.)

So is that a deal-breaker for you? Will you stick with the (current) stock Android browser, or a third-party browser, to get you through the interim? 

LG Optimus Vu teases a 5-inch display with 4:3 aspect ratio

The first half of 2011 was all about 3D displays for Korean manufacturer LG, with the likes of the Optimus 3D and the Optimus Pad. Looks like LG has something new cooked up for 2012. The LG Optimus Vu has bade an early appearance on LG's Youtube channel. And, yeah. It looks a little squat there. That's a 5-inch display you're looking at with a 4:3 aspect ration. Not something you see every day. 

Other hardware features we've been able to glean from the video are a couple buttons (or maybe screws?) on the top bezel (perhaps three, actually), along with a USB port that appears to be hidden behind a door, and a headphone jack. The volume rocker appears to be on the right-hand side.

Other unofficial specs are said to be a 1024x768 display, a dual-core Qualcomm WPQ8060 processor running at 1.5GHz, 1GB or RAM, 8GB of ROM, and an 8MP camera.

Interesting here is that most of the phones we've seen leaked for the first half of the year have gone to three capacitive buttons -- including the already released LG Spectrum on Verizon -- presumably in preparation for an Ice Cream Sandwich update. We've got no idea when an Ice Cream Sandwich update might be in store for the Optimus Vu (though it's said to be destined for one), nor if it's intended for any markets outside Korea.

Check out the video for yourself after the break, and stay tuned, as we're willing to put money down that we'll see this guy at Mobile World Congress in a few weeks.

Source: LG Blog (Korea); via Datacider (translated), The Verge

Youtube link for mobile viewing

Chrome Beta, Galaxy Note pre-orders [From the Forums]

It's been a pretty busy day with all the udpates coming from Google and of course their release of Chrome beta. If you missed out on anything thus far, get yourself caught up and once you're done -- hit up the Android Central forums:

HTC Rezound Forums - Battery life sucks, anything I can do about it?HTC Thunderbolt Forums - HTC dropped the ballGalazy Nexus Forums - Chrome Beta for ICSGalaxy Note Forums - Got an email from AT&T - Note on backorder?Kindle Fire Forums - Any problems using your own PDFs?

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

Google Authenticator updates with 'UI improvements', looks the same to us

There's only so much you can do to improve the appearance of an app that's essentially a black screen with a six-digit number on it. But that's exactly what Google's done with the latest version of its Google Authenticator app, which has just been pushed out on the Android Market. The official changelog for version 0.87 notes "UI improvements" as the only new feature in this version. We'll have to take Google's word for it -- to us, it's still just a blank screen with a number on it.

In any case, Google Authenticator is an important app for those using two-step authentication for their Google account, so it's always best to keep things up to date. We've got the Android Market link for you after the break.

 

White Nokia N9 hands-on: behold the last unicorn (video)

Let's keep this short and sweet. This is the rare snow-white Nokia N9 and it's absolutely stunning. We first captured a glimpse of it at Nokia World and now we've obtained a specimen. The only difference between this piano-lacquer white handset and its more pedestrian sibling is the (likely less durable) shiny clearcoat finish covering its machined polycarbonate body and the leather pouch replacing the silicone case normally supplied in the box. Everything else is exactly the same as the matte black phone we reviewed last year. We've attempted to document the exquisite beauty of this mythical beast -- sadly the last of its kind -- in our hands-on gallery below. Go ahead and take a look, then hit the break to watch our unboxing video. Just be warned that there's a strong chance you'll drool profusely whilst ogling these pictures. At least the white Lumia 800 and 900 are just around the corner, right?
White Nokia N9 overview

Could LG's Fantasy be an outright Miracle?

If you ask us, miracles are pretty hard to come by, and it would take a great amount of gusto for a smartphone manufacturer to bestow such a weighty name upon a rather middling handset. The crew at Pocketnow claim that's exactly what LG's done with its latest Windows Phone, however, which was previously known as the Fantasy. That's right, folks, you're looking at a purported Miracle -- weren't you expecting more? The phone is said to contain a 1GHz (naturally single-core) Snapdragon SoC, a 4-inch NOVA display (that we can safely assume to be WVGA), 8GB of storage and a five megapixel primary cam that shoots video at 720p, along with a run-of-the-mill VGA front-facer. As connectivity goes, we're told to expect a 14.4Mbps HSPA radio and 2.4GHz / 5GHz WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and -- get this -- NFC. Whether this Miracle comes to fruition is anybody's guess; perhaps it was just a Fantasy all along.

[Thanks, Mark]