HTC has continued updating their developer site bootloader unlock tool with new devices and this time around they’ve gone ahead and added:

If you have any of those devices, and are wishing to have the bootloader unlocked then you can hit up the HTCDev site below to get started. Not sure what your bootloader is or if you want it unlocked? Check out our Android A to Z covering what, exactly a bootloader is.

Source: HTCDev; via @HTCDev

Ya know, I don’t think Carrier IQ is all that bad, and it kinda sucks to see all the uproar that ensued when people discovered Carrier IQ came down to HTC straight removing it from phones. I mean, it’s used as a diagnostic tool for the carriers so they know when there are service outages, poor network performance, and what-not. Hell, being on AT&T’s network I would have probably signed up for the service so then maybe AT&T will get their 3G network working right. I think the only problem with Carrier IQ was people not being told it was there, and not being given an option to opt out. A better option would have been to implement a notification that pops up (kinda like when you boot an Android phone for the first time) and says, “hey, Carrier IQ is on here, this is what it does, do you want to remove it?”

Microsoft and LG have signed a patent agreement that covers LG’s tablets, mobile phones, and other consumer devices running Android or Chrome OS. Terms of the deal between the two companies have not being disclosed. However, this isn’t the first time Microsoft has targeted an Android vendor, previously signing deals with Samsung, HTC, and Acer, among others. “Together with our 10 previous agreements with Android and Chrome OS device manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung and Acer, this agreement with LG means that more than 70 percent of all Android smartphones sold in the U.S. are now receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft. “We are proud of the continued success of our program in resolving the IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome OS.” Each vendor who signs a deal with the Redmond-based company pays an undisclosed licensing fee for using Microsoft’s patents, which Android and Chrome OS reportedly infringe upon. However, not every company is giving in, with Motorola and Barnes & Noble currently involved in a lengthy patent battle with Microsoft. Read on for the press release.

Microsoft and LG Sign Patent Agreement Covering Android and Chrome OS Based Devices

Agreement provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio.

REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 12, 2012— Microsoft Corp. and LG Electronics have signed a patent agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for LG’s tablets, mobile phones and other consumer devices running the Android or Chrome OS Platform. The contents of the agreement have not been disclosed.

“We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Together with our 10 previous agreements with Android and Chrome OS device manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung and Acer, this agreement with LG means that more than 70 percent of all Android smartphones sold in the U.S. are now receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft. “We are proud of the continued success of our program in resolving the IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome OS.”

Microsoft’s Commitment to Licensing Intellectual Property

The agreement with LG expands upon a pre-existing agreement, and it is another example of the important role IP plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant IT ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 1,100 licensing agreements and continues to develop programs that make it possible for customers, partners and competitors to access its IP portfolio. The program was developed to open access to Microsoft’s significant R&D investments and its growing, broad patent and IP portfolio.

Kodak isn’t really having the best time financially right now, but that hasn’t prevented the company from filing patent lawsuits against both HTC and Apple. 

The claims from Kodak are that both smartphone manufacturers are infringing upon some of their digital imaging patents. While they already have an existing lawsuit directed at Apple, this one brings more devices to the table. HTC meanwhile are being targeted through their EVO View 4G, Flyer, Jetstream, Vivid, Amaze 4G, Desire, EVO Design 4G, Hero S, Rezound, Rhyme, Sensation 4G and the Wildfire S devices. That’s a lot of Android. Notably missing from the list are any of HTC’s Windows Phone devices.

FOSS Patents blogger Florian Mueller speculates that the whole show may well be designed to create attention around Kodak’s patent portfolio as they search for a buyer for the company. 

Source: Mobileburn

HTC took a few minutes away from their time at CES and updated the bootloader unlocking tool database with a few more devices this evening, namely the Desire HD and additional versions of the Desire and Wildfire.  The list is growing at a nice steady clip, with over 40 listed models and support for other devices not yet listed.  Nice job HTC, keep it coming!

Source: HTCdev; via @HTCdev

Usage of Apple’s iPhone slid more than 4 percent in December despite what analysts estimate will have been a huge month in Apple’s biggest-ever quarter of sales. Advertising network Chitika on Friday published its smartphone vendor usage share data for the month of December as measured by traffic across its network. Apple’s iPhone showed the biggest slide last month but Apple was still the most popular vendor by a wide margin with a 49.62% share. Chitika also recently reported that iOS’s overall operating system share was up 1.12% in December. HTC’s vendor share followed at 16.83%, up 1% from November, and Samsung jumped 2.74% to 14.53% in the No.3 spot. Motorola was nearly flat at 7.94% and RIM slid half a point to 0.99%. Charts detailing Chitika’s data follow below.

HTC has slowly been rolling out their bootloader unlock tool, we have seen a few devices receive the ability to use it, and now they have updated for support of more devices. HTC tweeted that the HTC Wildfire, HTC Wildfire S, HTC Status, HTC Merge, HTC Salsa and the original HTC Desire. If you own one of these devices and want to take advantage of this, head over to the source link to get it done!

Source: HTCdev; via @HTCdev

Last May, HTC’s chief executive officer Peter Chou responded to customer feedback and announced that the company would no longer be locking the bootloaders on its devices. HTC later introduced the web-based HTCDev unlocking tool, giving users a simple and safe way to unlock their devices. The solution was not perfect though, and phones such as the HTC Vivid and HTC Rezound were released with locked bootloaders and users had no method to unlock them. HTC has made good on its promise once again, however, and the company’s developer site has now been updated with the following message:

All HTC Android devices launched after September 2011 are unlockable. The website will be updated accordingly to reflect this in the coming weeks. We continue to work on models launched prior to September 2011, please check back often for the status of older devices.

Anyone interested in customizing their HTC device should visit the source link after the break.

Read

HTC has updated their Developer site’s bootloader unlock page, and the news is good:

All HTC Android devices launched after September 2011 are unlockable. The website will be updated accordingly to reflect this in the coming weeks. We continue to work on models launched prior to September 2011, please check back often for the status of older devices.

We’ve verified this with the HTC Vivid, which does not appear on the “official” list. Same goes for the HTC Rezound. This is a big step in the right direction, and HTC has made good on their promises.  Thanks, HTC!

HTC Developer. Thanks everyone who sent this in!

HTC has updated their Developer site’s bootloader unlock page, and the news is good:

All HTC Android devices launched after September 2011 are unlockable. The website will be updated accordingly to reflect this in the coming weeks. We continue to work on models launched prior to September 2011, please check back often for the status of older devices.

We’ve verified this with the HTC Vivid, which does not appear on the “official” list. Same goes for the HTC Rezound. This is a big step in the right direction, and HTC has made good on their promises.  Thanks, HTC!

HTC Developer. Thanks everyone who sent this in!