I’ve still got the thing in storage, so I may have to whip it out and follow the development thread XDA developer jaybob413 started on November 14th. They seem to be coming along rather smoothly on the port, with one user even reporting working radios; which is of course important if you plan on using the ROM daily. It definitely boots, and touchscreen function is a go. Audio, Google Apps, WiFi, and the Camera are all still under construction.

Even better, it seems both the GSM and CDMA communities of the Hero within XDA are collaborating towards making this a reality. Expect me to show off a quick clip of ICS on it as soon as it’s available to test! It will certainly feel weird rolling back to the rather small screen, but getting a taste of Android 4.0 will be well worth it.

[via XDA Developers]

Best game ever
by sean– April 18, 2011

So far, most of the users who have downloaded it today love it. Some say it’s a bit lagging on older handsets like the HTC Hero, and that they can’t update on the Evo 4G or HTC Desire forcing to uninstall and reinstall. And some complain that iPhone gets updates sooner than Android. But on the whole everyone seems to love the latest Spring themed chapter!

Rovio also has further plans for mobile world domination. According to the Rovio blog, Angry Birds Seasons will be going global. Plans are to take the game to the next level with clues around the world prompting users to discover secrets hidden in the game. Sounds like they have a ton of fresh new and cultural ways to get some porcine payback!

“For HTC to be recognized by the industry in this way for the growth and success we have experienced in the last year is truly humbling. Thousands of people at HTC work tirelessly to create the intuitive and deeply personal smartphone experiences for which we have become known. This award is a measure of their passion and dedication,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “This award also belongs to the tens of millions of customers around the world who enjoy our phones and inspire us each day to create new innovative experiences. To those people, to our partners around the world and to the HTC family, you have my sincere thanks and congratulations.”

In awarding HTC, GSMA commented that HTC came out of nowhere and built it’s market clout on fresh branding and a strong portfolio of smartphones across multiple platforms. Additionally, they enjoy good customer service and communication, making the award well-deserved.

HTC AWARDED AS ‘2011 DEVICE MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR’ BY THE GSMA

Device Manufacturer of the Year Award Is Industry’s Top Global Honor

BARCELONA, SPAIN – Mobile World Congress – 16 February, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, has been honored this week with the highest industry honor as ‘Device Manufacturer of the Year’ by the GSMA at its Global Mobile Awards ceremony in Barcelona. The award follows a year of global momentum for HTC, which saw the launch of a large portfolio of industry leading smartphones such as the HTC Desire. HTC was awarded from a list of three finalists that included Apple and Samsung.

“For HTC to be recognized by the industry in this way for the growth and success we have experienced in the last year is truly humbling. Thousands of people at HTC work tirelessly to create the intuitive and deeply personal smartphone experiences for which we have become known. This award is a measure of their passion and dedication,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “This award also belongs to the tens of millions of customers around the world who enjoy our phones and inspire us each day to create new innovative experiences. To those people, to our partners around the world and to the HTC family, you have my sincere thanks and congratulations.”

The GSMA judges commented, “this company (HTC) has built its market presence from nowhere, with fresh branding and marketing and a strong portfolio of devices across many platforms. In particular, it has proven an exceptionally popular and enduring phone manufacturer. With great communication and good customer service, this is a well-deserved award.”

HTC previously was awarded for the ‘Best Mobile Phone of 2010’ with the HTC Hero.

A committee of judges that include industry analysts and consultants, mobile operators, educators and other industry leaders determines the GSMA Awards. For more information on the 2011 GSMA Global Mobile awards please visit – http://www.globalmobileawards.com

About GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media & entertainment organizations.

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.

When using ADWLauncher EX, on the “fast” preset, this ROM really flys. With such limited resources every consideration has to be made to conserve them. The only issue we have had is with the natively included portable hotspot and the power-on/power-off animation. Fortunately, the Wireless Tether application still works perfectly. The animation works, but the screen density must be altered to 140 from 160 – even then it performs sluggishly. If you decide on giving aospCMod a try, it can be found here.

[Via XDA Developers]

With just a few fixes, the update includes the following:

• Correct a non-customer impacting issue (device diagnostics)
• MMS issue with contact number format
• Updated Sprint Zone application

To update your device:
• Go to All Applications
• Tap Settings > About Phone > System Updates > HTC Software Update
• Select Check Now
• Follow the on-screen instructions to download the update

The update will take about 5-10 minutes to download, followed by another 5-10 minutes to install and will bring your current software up to 2.32.651.2.

The HTC Hero features a 3.2-inch capacitive touch screen and runs HTC’s Sense User Interface. HTC’s Sense UI is one of the reason why it takes long period of time for HTC Hero to be able update. However, bad news for those who have T-Mobile UK and the Orange because theirs updates will be available by the end of the month.

[via HTC Hero Blog]

Yes, the HTC EVO 4G is getting Android 2.2, and Sprint is intending to get it out of the way some time in the future. Actually, “in the near future.” But, we know that could mean anything from tomorrow until, well, some time in the future. But, the Samsung Moment and HTC Hero have been left in the wake of Android 2.1. So, if you haven’t upgraded, are you ready to upgrade now?

[via Sprint's Twitter]

That second upgrade will wipe the Hero completely, so HTC are recommending users back-up their handsets prior to installing it.  Meanwhile it’s also a sizeable package, so HTC recommend downloading it over WiFi rather than 3G.

“Android Éclair update for HTC Hero will be released by the end of June. The upgrade will come in two parts, the first of which will roll out from this week and will be detected when the Hero next automatically checks for software updates. The second part of the update will follow towards the end of the month. As the second part of the upgrade will wipe all data on the handset, Hero users should ensure any important data has been backed up before proceeding with the installation. Due to the size of the update, wherever possible, we would advise using a WiFi connection for this download to avoid additional data charges.”

That seems to be happening for Hero handsets in Europe; HTC have previously said are on track for a June 2010 release for the new firmware, having already released it in Thailand.  Anybody out there with a Hero that’s been offered this update OTA yet?

[via Twitter]

Two are rooted (one of which has the Chinese-specific functionality stripped out as well, and is the recommended path for most users to take) while there’s also an unrooted version.  We’re keeping a watchful eye on HTC’s European support sites, and have a request in with their PR team for any public timescale they may be able to give.

Update: We’ve just heard back from HTC’s UK PR team, who say that they expect the Android 2.1 firmware for the HTC Hero to be released sometime in June 2010. Nothing more specific than that, sadly.

Of course, that’s just in Taiwan right now, and since it’s an OTA update – and likely localised to their regional device – it’s not much use yet to the rest of us with Hero devices aching for an upgrade.  Still, if one is getting pushed out then it stands to reason HTC may be looking to do the same in other countries where the Hero has been available.

[Plurk via CoolSmartPhone]

At this stage, Tweakers aren’t conclusive on whether the issue lies with the AMOLED display itself, or its white balance settings.  However, the effect – in varying degrees – was observed in two Legend handsets they tested.  Meanwhile brightness was also down, with the Legend mustering 253 cd/m2 while its Hero predecessor – which uses an LCD display – managed 310 cd/m2.  Unfortunately an HTC Desire wasn’t available for Tweakers to similarly examine.

Unlike the update for the Sprint Moment, though, this one’s coming Over the Air (OTA), so you’ll just have to be a little patient as it rolls out in waves. The update itself adds the necessary alterations to HTC’s Sense User Interface (UI), along with adding full functionality in the Android Market. It also adds voice recognition, which debuted with the Motorola Droid, as well as improving corporate email synchronization. Other included features are bug fixes, and minor tweaks to the OS. It is an OTA update, but we’re sure the direct download link will be out soon enough. Hey, at least you know it’s really coming now, right? Let us know when you get yours!

[via Sprint]

There’s no physical branding on the handset. It looks exactly like the Sprint version of the HTC Hero, but obviously without any logos on the front or back. It was purchased off Craig’s List for $230 (which is probably a very, very good deal), and it features several ways to see the Cox branding within the device. For example, it has a Cox boot screen, which we will admit is a bit strange for just a test device. Additionally, digging into the Settings menu shows Cox as the network provider.

It was only able to run on a CDMA network of 1xRTT (the source said he wasn’t able to get it running on any 3G networks). Additionally, as we’ve probably come to expect, the device is running Android 1.5. There’s absolutely nothing official about this, so for now you’ll have to keep that salt shaker handy, but at least it’s a sign of something that could come down the pipe soon.

[via Android Central]

But, please keep in mind that we’ll put a big fat warning on this one: it isn’t official, and there’s no way to tell whether or not this is the final build that we should expect to see when(ever) Sprint decides to release the final version. What this does show us, though, is that the final one might be close. So, choose your path carefully.

[via Android Central]

The DROID came out last year, but it’s still arguably one of the best Android-based devices out there with a full, physical QWERTY keyboard. Thanks to Cellular South’s Facebook page, and a cleverly worded riddle for the masses, the wireless carrier showed off to the world what Android phone would be next on their network. Here’s the riddle, if you’re curious:

Many of you have asked, “What’s next for Android?”
It won’t be long now.
Look out for an announcement very soon.
Everyone is going to be excited when they see what’s next.
Sorry we can’t tell you the name of the phone just yet.
There’s one thing we can tell you, though.
Once you’ve seen what this phone can do, you’ll be amazed.
Now, stay tuned.
Everyone will know eventually, but you’ll hear it here first.

Seems pretty normal, right? Well, it is. But, if you look at the first letter, in the first word, of each sentence, you’ll start seeing what Cellular South was getting at. MILESTONE. So, unless they’re about to pull the biggest prank in the history of pranks, it looks like the regional carrier will be getting the premiere handset from Motorola soon. Unfortunately, no word on when that will be, exactly, but as soon as we know more, we’ll pass it along.

[via Android Guys]

Kendon at the VillainROM forums has recently release some software that allows you to accomplish this. Currently it’s only for the original but I’m sure the dev community or Kendon himself will be able to modify this to work with any Android device that has root. But for now all you original Hero owners now have something nice a shiny to play with.

i have managed to have two different android flashes on the hero, tested using VillainROM5.5.0 and SlideVillain1.1.0. it is designed to work with every rom you throw at it. it uses the /system partition for the first rom, the /data partition for the second rom, and two ext partitions for the userdata of each rom. apps2sd support is completely removed during the process, it is obvious that two roms using the same apps2sd partition would create a mess. the process is completely reversible (except for the wiping, so backup!). i have written a bash script that does the necessary steps for you, which are:

- modify the boot.imgs of the roms
- partition your sdcard
- flash the roms
- move the second rom to the /data partition
- move the two roms’ userdata to the sdcard’s ext partitions

[via villianroms]

We can also pretty much confirm that Sprint wanted to give the upgrade to the two Android handsets on its network at the same time. For whatever reason, they apparently wanted to make it reasonably fair for everybody. In any event, as you can see from the images herein, Sprint is saying that the upgrade to Android 2.1 for both the HTC Hero and Samsung Moment will be coming in early May. We’ll assume that’s the first week, but we could also see somewhere in the second week, too.

Those of you out there sitting on your hands, waiting every day for some kind of update to hit your phones should probably relax now. You’ve always known the update is coming, but now you can have some solace knowing it won’t be this month. So, start enjoying your phone as they are, because here soon they’re going to get a nice face lift. Excited?

[via AndroidForums]

“Some of the phones in our Android line up including your Hero are due to receive an upgrade, and it is scheduled to be released starting at the end of April. Your phone should be upgraded Over-The-Air. You can expect a pop-up message on your phone when connected to the internet once it is ready. When the upgrade is ready, we will notify you via our website and on various social media networks including Twitter and Face book”

The statement above is from HTC. There you have it, straight from the horse’s mouth. If you have the original Hero, you can expect this update by the end of the month. The rest of the Sense UI devices should be upgraded shortly after.

The schedule points to an April 2nd release to the original Hero. T-Mobile UK/Germany and Orange updates coming on the 16th April. These updates seem to pertain to the European Hero only. Looks like all Android phones should be running 2.1 by the end of May.

HTC Hero Android 2.1 Update Schedule

HTC EU (Nordic/Greek/RUS/UKR/SA) 2010/4/2

TMO – UK TMO 2010/4/16

UK/ES Orange 2010/4/16

TMO – DE TMO 2010/4/16

SFR signature Orange 2010/4/22

ZA(Vodacom) HTC 2010/4/22

H3G UK H3G 2010/4/22

HTC BE HTC 2010/5/4

HTC TUR HTC 2010/5/4

TMO – PL TMO 2010/5/10

TMO – HU TMO 2010/5/10

TMO – MK TMO 2010/5/10

[via htcheroblog]