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Android first sprung up on the Nokia N810 internet tablet a few months back, however the install process was a little more challenging. Well as technology goes, things generally have a way of becoming easier with some time and that certainly applies to completing the Android installation process on the N810.

Now its as simple as three easy steps.

1. Download “android.img.bz2” to the memory card in your tablet. That file can be found here or here.

2. Download and install the “android-installer.deb” file. That can be found here or here.

3. Reboot your N810.

Once the reboot is complete, you will have the ability to run and check out Android. The start up for Android can be found in the extra’s menu.

Almost makes me wish I had an N810 to check it out. That said, we have not tested this personally, so I would recommend any important files be backed up first, just in case.

Via [Mobile Computer]

I’ve been waiting for some kind of response from the big manufacturers to the iPhone.  Sure they’ve thrown some clones our way but nothing that puts them on the path to a true “iPhone killer”.  Today, they’ve shown they mean business by uniting the Symbian OS. 

Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DoCoMo have all joined forces to open up Symbian and work to encourage developers on the common platform.  By bringing together Symbian OS, S60, UIQ and MOAP(S) they will create one open mobile platform.  And they are working with carriers and other telecom giants like AT&T, LG, Samsung, STMicro, Texas Instruments and Vodafone to widen the net of users and developers.

This is a relatively big deal.  To me, it says, “we get the idea that software is king.” To the world, it says, “this is how we move forward.” And a lot of weight moving forward it is.  Going open source and royalty free they hope to attract all the developers who have iPhones royalties in their eyes right now.

This is definitely a step in the right direction.  As my Econ professors used to say, “competition is a good thing.”

Read [Sony Ericsson]

Whether you are into the recent popularity of the ultra-portable notebooks that have been swamping the market lately, or just sitting back and waiting for it to finish, its hard to deny that some of the pre-loaded operating systems are less than desirable. While the pre-installed OS on the Eee PC from Asus is limited and seems slightly child-like, its very functional, especially when compared the the gOS that comes loaded on the Everex Cloudbook that is slightly painful to use.

Given the options available lots of people have been choosing to install an older, albeit still very functional OS, Windows XP. However in some good news coming from the Linux front, Mark Shuttleworth, the CEO if Canonical has given up some excellent information in a recent interview with The Guardian. Its news that should make any ultra-portable and Ubuntu fan very happy, they are planning on launching a new flavor of Ubuntu, dubbed the “Netbook Remix.” The OS, which is being worked on closely with Intel is expected to be announced during Computex, which takes place during the first week of June. Luckily this is just a short time away, hopefully the Netbook Remix OS will be available shortly after the announcement with drivers to support the wide variety of ultra-portables currently on the market.

Read [The Guardian] Via [Gizmodo]

Rumors are around that Microsoft will be releasing their latest update to Windows Mobile on April 1, 2008, which is also know as April Fools Day, so this may or may not be a lead-in to a huge disappointment. While the version 6.1 release is not a full new version, it is said to offer a lot of usability improvements over the current version 6.0.

Microsoft’s rumored Windows Mobile version 6.1 is expected to feature an improved web browser, copy and paste from IE, a Vista-like user interface, new fonts, a better task manager, Wi-Fi indicator and an some improvements to ActiveSync that will allow it to be auto-configured.

While this may be a big lead up for an April Fools joke, it does have good timing with CTIA, which will take place in Las Vegas beginning on none other than April 1. Luckily its only a short wait to see just how accurate this rumor is.

Via [Slash Gear]

Microsoft is offering free support to Vista users who have encountered problems when updating their installations to the recently released Service Pack 1. What was normally offered free by Microsoft to those who purchased the retail product is now also available even for users who have OEM copy installations of the operating system.

The free support was caused by the numerous complaints from users who have installed the Vista SP1 update on their machine and then later on experienced endless reboot cycles and struggled with broken Vista application. Under the support plan, Vista users will have three options to get the free support. Users can either send an email and Vista support staff will reply within one business day, chat online with Vista customer support, or call the customer support hotline. The last option though is applicable only to Vista users who have software assurance agreement, professional contract, TechNet subscription or MSDB subscription or for those who belongs to the Microsoft Partner Program.

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Microsoft’s Windows Vista SP1 OS gets an “unofficial” release date via Amazon’s Windows Vista comparison page. Though Microsoft has failed to issue an official statement concerning the said release date, Amazon had this to say:

You can pre-order Windows Vista with SP1 or Windows Vista with SP1 Upgrades now to get SP1 included in the box. Or buy the current versions of Windows Vista now, then update to SP1 online--free of charge--when the new versions are released on March, 18, 2008.

Well, it was bound to be released someday, and it’s already past mid-March so this news shouldn’t come as as a surprise. It always proves interesting to see when another company leaks a release date, lets see if this one holds true.

Read [Amazon] Via [Engadget]

You love your Linux and Linux works perfect for you. But, sadly, most people will come across those files that they just need Windows to access. So, during some critical moment, you might need to reboot your computer to start up Windows just to open a tricky Microsoft office file or some other Windows application, which is just as frustrating as it looks. Now won’t it be cool to run Windows file seamlessly on your Linux? Yes it is, and you can do it now right away with your Linux OS.

You can do it by following a few steps at LifeHacker and you’re good to go with. The concept is using partially the same method as those Mac users who are currently running Windows on their Macs. This is called the Parallel’s Coherence, so users can have Windows apps running right on your Linux desktop and sharing the same desktop files. The process of doing so takes a little bit longer as compared to installing a Windows XP OS but you just need some free tools and a Windows installation disk and the best part is, aside from the Windows disk it’s all free!

Via [Life Hacker]

A report from Reuters cites Asustek Chairman Jonney Shih as saying nearly two-thirds of the Eee PCs to be shipped this year will carry Windows XP instead of the originally installed Linux OS. An analyst at JP Morgan commented that this is because a Windows-based Eee PC is “more attractive” to users due to the lack of familiarity with Linux, among other things. Now, although I agree that a Windows-based Eee PC will be more familiar to consumers than a Linux-powered one, I think this will go against the vision of the company for low-cost, consumer-affordable mobile computers. Linux is an efficient platform supported by a dedicated community of users and developers and of course its biggest selling point is that anyone can take it for free. Compare that to a Windows OS that you have to pay a few hundred dollars for, plus the fact that there have been a lot of reported bugs that keep it from operating smoothly. I’m sure you’ve realized by now that I’d prefer Linux over Windows (just for the Eee PC) but if you disregard that, I think you’d still agree that having a “retail” OS goes against the original vision of Asus for keeping the costs low, even if Windows lowers its pricing for XP for the sake of cheap computers like this one. At any rate, it will still be up to the user whether they use XP or Linux when they finally buy the Eee PC (if they haven’t already).

Read [Reuters]