Softpedia News - Help guides, tweaks and facts

10 Tips to Get the Most from Your Nokia Lumia Smartphone

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:51:01 GMT

Nokia’s Lumia smartphones, those who run under Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, have some great features to deliver to their users, but not all of them are known to all people out there.

Many of those who chose a Nokia Lumia device previously owned an Android or an iOS device, and they might not be com... (read more)

Setting Up the New Local Windows Phone Marketplaces

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:19:00 GMT

Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace is currently available for owners of devices running under the company’s mobile OS in 13 new countries.

The Redmond-based software giant has just announced the availability of the storefront in these markets, but pointed out the fact that it might take a while before applications... (read more)

How to Install Gingerbread Update on LG Phoenix (AT&T)

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:01:02 GMT

One of the most popular budget-friendly Android smartphones available on the market, the LG Optimus One already received its Gingerbread upgrade a long time ago.

However, several carrier-bounded Optimus One models have been left out from the initial deployment of the upgrade. One of these carrier-branded models is AT&T’s LG... (read more)

BlackBerry Bold 9900 ‘No Sound’ Issue Gets Fix

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Thu, 5 Jan 2012 20:01:01 GMT

There are many BlackBerry fans who purchased one of the latest BlackBerry 7 smartphones unveiled by Research In Motion (RIM) last year, namely the Bold 9900. Some of them experience problems with the phone, which renders the device unusable for phone calls.

How to Manually Install the Official Ice Cream Sandwich on Nexus S

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:01:02 GMT

Google has just started to deliver the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system upgrade to Nexus S devices on its network, offering a brand new experience for all those who purchased the first Google phone from Samsung.

The update will be pushed out to all Nexus S users over the air during the coming mont... (read more)

Nokia N9 Tips and Tricks (II)

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Sun, 6 Nov 2011 11:17:00 GMT

It's been almost a month since Nokia N9 hit shelves and the excitement built around the MeeGo device brings more fans to the Finnish company.

Nokia created almost the perfect symbiosis between a smartphone and a mobile operating system. The way a user interacts with the N9 is simply fabulous, different from anything that's been thrown at users in the last ... (read more)

How to Take Screenshots on Nokia N9

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Tue, 1 Nov 2011 20:01:01 GMT

Recently launched on the market, Nokia N9 comes with a brand new operating system based on Linux, MeeGo.

Even though it took Google quite a long time to make it possible for basic users to take screenshots on their Android devices, it appears that Nokia N9 received this feature at launch.

Obviously, the feature does not come embedded in ... (read more)

Nokia N9 Tips and Tricks (I)

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:01:02 GMT

Although Nokia confirmed that the N9 will be its first and last smartphone based on the MeeGo operating system, the Finnish company announced it will support the device with software updates and apps until at least 2015.

Nokia N9 comes with a brand new operating system based on Linux, and features a unique user interface, which seems to be based on a single... (read more)

How to Manually Install Android 2.3.6 on Google Nexus One

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:01:02 GMT

The venerable Nexus One handset is about to get the latest Android 2.3.6 update far ahead other modern smartphones.

In fact, Nexus One is the second smartphone to receive this update, after Google pushed Android 2.3.6 to all Nexus S devices about three weeks ago.

Unfortunately, Nexus S owners who updated to Android... (read more)

DROID Bionic Can Already Be Rooted, Here's How

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Fri, 9 Sep 2011 19:21:02 GMT

Motorola's latest high-end smartphone, the DROID Bionic, hit Verizon's shelves on Thursday, and it already got rooted, the latest reports on the matter suggest.

Apparently, this is the same rooting process that was used for some other Motorola handsets that landed on shelves this year, including the DROID 3 or the DROID X2, or older... (read more)

How to Update Nokia N8, C6-01, C7 and E7 to Symbian Anna

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:51:02 GMT

Last week, the new Symbian Anna mobile operating system flavor was made available for download for handsets launched on the market with the Symbian^3 OS on board, namely the Nokia N8, C6-01, C7 and E7.

The Finnish phone maker announced at the time that users can download and install the new OS upgrade on their devices using diff... (read more)

How to Speed Up Your Galaxy S II Usage

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:45:00 GMT

Samsung's Galaxy S II is one of the most appealing mobile phones that arrived on shelves with Google's Android operating system on board, with over 3 million units sold in less than two months after its official release.

The handset comes with powerful and fast 1.2GHz application processor inside, complemented by 1GB of RAM, and can deliver in... (read more)

How to Delete a Desktop Contact List from a BlackBerry Smartphone

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:01:01 GMT

It appears that BlackBerry smartphones are plagued by an annoying issue that makes Desktop Contact Lists to duplicate every time someone moves or re-adds a BlackBerry user to the Blackberry Enterprise Server without wiping their device before reactivating.

Although users will be able to select a single address book... (read more)

How to Upgrade Samsung Showcase to Android 2.2 Froyo

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Wed, 6 Jul 2011 19:01:02 GMT

Cellular South has finally released the highly-anticipated Android 2.2 Froyo software update for its rebranded Galaxy S.

Dubbed as Samsung Showcase, the smartphone was initially delivered with Android 2.1 (Eclair), but the latest EE25 update will bring the phone's firmware to Froyo.

The update is available via Sa... (read more)

How to Upgrade Cincinnati Bell Motorola Milestone XT720 to Android 2.2 Froyo

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Mon, 4 Jul 2011 19:01:02 GMT

Although Motorola decided against pushing any major software updates for the Milestone XT720, it appears that Cincinnati Bell will offer its customers a non-Motorola certified Android 2.2 Froyo update.

It is unusual for a carrier to deploy an unapproved software update, but Cincinnati Bell considered that ... (read more)

20 Years Since the First GSM Call

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Fri, 1 Jul 2011 13:40:00 GMT

Today, the world celebrates two decades since the first GSM call in the world was made, on July 1st, 1991, in Finland.

The very first call on GSM was made on the airwaves of Radiolinja, which has become Elisa in the meantime, on a network infrastructure provided by TeleNokia and Siemens, which is known today as Nokia Siemens Network.
read more)

How to Take Screenshots on Windows Phone 7 Smartphones

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:01:01 GMT

Until Microsoft will enable Windows Phone 7 smartphone end-users the capability of taking screenshots of their devices, we're left with a simple emulator tool that take marketplace-compatible screenshots.

This is only useful for developers who wish to post screenshots of their apps in the marketplace, but there's no functionality... (read more)

General Tips and Tricks for BlackBerry Users

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:01:01 GMT

Even though RIM's market share plummets, while Android and iOS continue to skyrocket, BlackBerry smartphones remain the bread and butter of business customers.

The nemesis of the whole lineup of Blackberry devices is the fact that most of them look alike, while software differences are minimal.

However, this might also be ... (read more)

Shortcuts and Tricks for BlackBerry Smartphones

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:01:02 GMT

Although a BlackBerry smartphone is by definition a business device, there are several lesser-known functions that can help make users' experience more enjoyable and entertaining.

Most of them have little to no use in the business world, but others are very useful for those who wish to tweak their handsets and give them an original... (read more)

Tips to Improve Your Android Smartphone's Battery Life

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Tue, 7 Jun 2011 19:01:00 GMT

One of the biggest issues with Android smartphone is the low battery life, which seems to plague almost all models regardless of the battery's capacity.

Either it's a 1900 mAh or a 1500 mAh battery, they are drained almost at the same pace by Android phones partly because of the hardware that requires high amounts of energy somet... (read more)

10 Interesting Facts About Nokia India

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Thu, 26 May 2011 19:01:01 GMT

Although there's little unknown information about Nokia, it appears that the Finnish giant felt the need to pinpoint some of its milestones in India.

As Nokia reports, India reached the status as one of the most prolific mobile phone markets for the company.

Even though the latest figures show a considerable decline for Nokia, fan... (read more)

How to Get Netflix on Android Devices Without Rooting

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:01:01 GMT

Netflix, the popular video streaming service, was already launched on Google's Android devices, though with support for only a small number of devices, which made a lot of users unhappy.

Of course, Netflix did promise that the mobile application and the service associated with it would soon offer support for more devices but tha... (read more)

How to Enable USB Storage Mode on Windows Phone 7 Devices

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:01:00 GMT

Good news for Microsoft fans, as their Windows Phone 7 smartphones will now support the USB storage mode.

One of the downsides of WP7 devices is the fact that they do not support the USB storage mode and most of them do not even feature a microSD card slot.

However, courtesy to XDA Developers user MarcHoover, anyone... (read more)

How to Update U.S. Cellular's LG Apex to Android 2.2 Froyo

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:01:02 GMT

U.S. Cellular has recently announced that the Android 2.2 Froyo update is now available for download for customers with LG Apex smartphones.

It appears that the carrier decided to let users update their Apex phones manually, thus the procedure requires a few additional third-party apps and a bit more time.

Before an... (read more)

How to Install Additional Custom Themes on HTC DROID Incredible 2

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:01:01 GMT

Good news for HTC DROID Incredible 2 owners, as the device is fully compatible with custom themes that were initially made for the HTC Thunderbolt.

It appears that both smartphones feature similar software, which is not surprising as they are manufactured by the same Taiwanese company.

Even though the DRO... (read more)

How to Manually Update ViewSonic's ViewPad 10 from Android 1.6 to Android 2.2

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Tue, 3 May 2011 19:01:02 GMT

ViewSonic has recently announced the release of an Android 2.2 Froyo update of its ViewPad 10 tablet. The device was initially delivered with Android 1.6 Donut on board, but due to the recent update, the retailer will ship the ViewPad 10 with Froyo.

However, for those who already own the tablet and are... (read more)

How to Flash ClockWorkMod Custom and Stock Recovery on the T-Mobile G2X

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Mon, 2 May 2011 19:01:00 GMT

If you are one of the lucky owners of a rooted T-Mobile G2X smartphone and wish to have a go at the custom recovery or you simply want to try out a new official Android stock that has just been released, you will need to use a special tool called ClockWorkMod Recovery.

Developed by the guys over at XDA ... (read more)

Windows Phone 7 Keyboard Tips to Speed Up Your Typing

Softpedia News (Ionut Arghire) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:13:00 GMT

Typing on a mobile phone with touch display is not always a simple action, nor a fast one. First of all, the screen of the device is small, than the keys on the soft keyboard are close to one another and you have to make sure you hit the right one, and the like.

On handsets running under Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating syst... (read more)

How to Download and Install Android 2.3.4 on Nexus S

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:31:00 GMT

Google has recently announced a software update for the Nexus S that adds the ability to make voice and video chat over a carrier's network (3G or 4G) or Wi-Fi, through Gtalk.

Currently, Android 2.3.4 is only available for Nexus S devices, but Google announced that the software update will launch on other Android 2.3 or newer smar... (read more)

How to Manually Update NOOK Color to Android 2.2 Froyo

Softpedia News (Cosmin Vasile) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:31:01 GMT

The $249 eReader from Barnes & Noble, NOOK Color has just received the highly-anticipated Froyo software update that turns it into an Android tablet.

The manufacturer announced that the update is available for download directly from its website starting this week.

Barnes & Noble also stated that the firmware u... (read more)