Sprint has confirmed today that the Android 2.2 software update will begin hitting HTC EVO 4G smartphones tomorrow, with a full rollout expected August 3rd.

While 2.2 will come with all the standard updates, Sprint says the EVO will also get improved "camera-focused features with better 720p video and options to use the flash as a flashlight or as a focus assist for movies."

Additionally, the update will add new widgets for the calculator, FM radio, messages lists and settings.

Furthermore, 2.2 will close the exploit that allowed users to run free Wi-Fi hotspots after they rooted their device.

It is unclear how long the full deployment will take.

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T-Mobile has retained its top billing for best customer service among cell carriers today, receiving the highest marks possible.

JD Power and Associates gave the 2010 Wireless Customer Care Performance Study award to the carrier, after it received 777 points from the company and five-stars from subscribers.

Close behind was AT&T which got 757 points from the company, but just three-stars from its subscribers.

Verizon and Sprint's scores were not available, but the companies only got three and two stars, respectively.

The points work as follows: If a customer is so loyal he refuses to switch carriers, he will be given 827 points. Someone who is actively thinking of changing carriers or is thinking of doing so, normally gets 602 points.

T-Mobile scored very high in the phone support category.

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Google has added a licensing server to the Android Marketplace which will allow an app to verify whether the user has purchased it or not before opening.

In order to use the new service an app must be sold through Google's Android Market store and be on a device running Android 1.5 or later which also has the Market app installed. Free apps can't make use of the service.

Communication with the licensing server will be done exclusively by the Market app itself using RSA public-key encryption.



This is intended to replace the current copy protection scheme, which has been widely criticized by both developers and consumers. Under the old system, an app compiled as copy protected can't be downloaded from the Market by anyone using a phone which has been rooted or is even just running a custom ROM instead of the OS provided by the manufacturer.

This often leads to frustration for consumers who wished to purchase these apps in the Market, but is easily circumvented by anyone who downloads an unauthorized copy of such an app. In other words it's only effective against people who want to pay, not those who want to pirate.

While apps can be written to handle the response from the licensing server in any way the developer desires, Google is providing two preconfigured implementations.

Both will stop an app from running if the server doesn't verify the app's licens, but one will use a cached response from the last time the app was run if no connection to the Market is available. The other will only allow the app to start if the server is available to verify the license.

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YouTube has reported this week that the streaming video giant will soon increase the video upload limit to 15 minutes, from the current 10.

While most uploaded videos are well under the 10 minute current limit, longer form works, (say an hour long movie) will now only need to be chopped into four installments instead of six, surely a welcome relief for some.

Until now, only YouTube Partners and other content owners were able to upload video longer than 10 minutes, leaving amateur filmmakers on the outside looking in.

Joshua Siegel, YouTube's product manager says removing the limit was the most popular request by YouTube users.

Additionally, the site has started a new promotion dubbed "15 minutes of fame."

Says the site: "Imagine that this video is all the world will ever know about you: what would you want to communicate? What will be the enduring stamp you've left on us all? Tag your video with "yt15minutes," upload it by Wednesday, August 4, and we'll select a handful of people to truly gain their 15 minutes of fame by featuring them on the YouTube homepage in a future spotlight."

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iSuppli has done a hardware component tear down of the popular HTC Incredible and found that the smartphone costs $163.35 to build.

It is important to note that the hardware tear down does not include R&D, manufacturing, shipping or advertising costs.

The device sells through Verizon for $200 with contract.

By comparison, iSuppli noted that the Apple iPhone 4, with 16GB of storage, costs about $188 to build.

Most of the cost of the Incredible came from three components, its $31.40 processor, its $31.20 multitouch display, and its $30 memory.

iSuppli manager Andrew Rassweiler says the Incredible "could have been dubbed the Nexus Two" because of its extreme similarities. The Nexus One, which launched in January, cost $174 to make.

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Warner Home Video has said this week that it has partnered up with LG and Sony to offer 3D Blu-rays bundled with select Blu-ray 3D players, 3D HDTVs and 3D projectors.

A few of the new 3D Blu-rays being bundled are Imax Under the Sea 3D, Imax Space Station 3D and Imax Deep Sea 3D.

The move marks the first time Warner has bundled 3D titles with third-party products.

Consumers in both the U.S. and Canada who purchase the LG BX580 or BX585 3D network Blu-ray players by the end of the year are eligible for Under the Sea 3D.

Buyers in Europe, Asia, South America and Central America who purchase any LG Blu-ray 3D player, Blu-ray 3D home theater, 3D projector or 3D HDTV will get Space Station 3D.

"Imax is simply the best in 3D, and these visually stunning titles are perfect for consumers who want to take full advantage of and show off their new Blu-ray 3D home theater systems," adds WHV VP Dorinda Marticorena.

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Motorola has reported a 600 percent increase in profit for the Q2, thanks mainly to its network equipment division and continued strong smartphone sales.

Droid smartphones, including the original Droid and new Droid X, continued strong sales, and both are well received, critically.

Both devices are sold through Verizon Wireless, the U.S.' largest carrier.

Most of the quarterly profit came from the company's networks equipment unit, which Motorola plans to sell to Nokia Siemens for $1.2 billion.

Overall earnings came to $162 million, up from $26 million last year.

Motorola shipped 2.7 million smartphones during the quarter with 14 million expected for the full year. Co-CEO Jha says he expects the phone business to be profitable by the fourth quarter, for the first time in four years.

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Nintendo has posted their first quarterly loss since 2007 this week, citing falling DS and Wii sales alongside a stronger yen causing overseas earnings value to plummet.

For the three months ended June 30th, Nintendo saw a net loss of 25.2 billion yen ($289 million USD), compared to a profit of 42.3 billion yen ($485.6 million USD) in the same period last year.

Nintendo noted it took a one-time currency-related loss of 70.5 billion yen ($800 million USD) for the quarter.

"The foreign-currency fluctuation exposure and sluggish consumer demand in the U.S. add up to a rather bleak outlook for the company," said Kiyoshi Ishigane, a senior strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management.

That "sluggish consumer demand" is a direct response to falling demand for the Wii and DS consoles, which have long been strong sellers, here in the U.S. and abroad. June saw DS sales plummet 33 percent in the U.S. last month alone. Overall, first quarter sales of the DS fell 47 percent, with software falling 23 percent.

Nintendo is expected to release their Nintendo 3DS handheld in the next 9 months, offering a device that allows gamers to watch 3D images and play 3D games without the need for special glasses.

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A High Court in the UK has ruled this week that R4 carts, used by Nintendo DS owners to run homebrew and pirated games, is illegal.

The Court called the carts "game copiers" and ruled they are illegal to import, sell or even advertise in the UK.

Two defendants, Playables Limited and Wai Dat Chan were arguing that the carts simply allowed owners to run homebrew and playback movies and music.

The Justice did not agree: "The mere fact that the device can be used for a non-infringing purpose is not a defence."

Nintendo was happy with the decision: We are "pleased that the court was not persuaded by the defendant's arguments, claiming that game copiers are lawful, as they allow for the play of 'homebrew' applications. The court affirmed that game copiers first circumvent Nintendo's security systems before any non-infringing application can be played on Nintendo's handheld products."

The ruling follows a recent similar decision by a judge in the Netherlands.

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