Nokia said on Twitter Wednesday that a second software update will roll out to Lumia 800 devices over the next two weeks. It is largely expected that the update will help fix the poor battery life that has plagued some, but not all, Lumia 800 users. Nokia has already addressed the battery issue, which limits the capacity of the battery, and has even recommended that those with the problem send their devices in for replacement phones.

[Via The Verge]

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Amazon on Wednesday began rolling out an update for its Kindle Fire tablet that is expected to address a number of user complaints. Software version 6.2.1 should “enhance fluidity and performance” and “improve touch navigation responsiveness.” The patch will also enable users to customize the order in which applications appear in the Kindle Fire UI carousel and enable additional security features, such as the ability to create a password lock for Wi-Fi access. Amazon says the free patch will be delivered over the air via Wi-Fi to the Kindle Fire, and the company advises that users make sure their devices are fully charged before initiating the update.

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Nokia’s European support team has issued an official statement to those who have a Lumia 800 with poor battery life. “We immediately started to investigate these reports and can now confirm that while the battery itself is fine, a software problem on certain variants is limiting the phone’s ability to access the full battery capacity,” a Nokia representative wrote on the support forums Monday. Michael explained that the battery life issues are only the result of a software flaw and, as such, Lumia 800 owners can expect a software patch that fixes the problem early next year. Lumia 800 users who do not want to wait that long can contact Nokia and request a replacement handset. Hit the break for Nokia’s explanation of how to find out whether or not your Lumia 800 is affected by the bug.

Anyone who wants to know if their phone is affected can run the battery status test from the diagnostics tool already installed on their phone. (The tool is designed for service use and only displays approximate values.) Dialling ##634# opens the diagnostics tool. By accepting the disclaimer and then selecting ‘Battery Status’ from the list of options, anyone will be able to see their available battery charge capacity.  If your full charge capacity reads less than 1000 mAh then your phone is affected with this specific issue and you may find it is necessary to charge your phone more frequently than normal.

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Amazon confirmed recently that it will release a patch for its Kindle Fire Android tablet that will address a number of bugs and user complaints. “In less than two weeks, we’re rolling out an over-the-air update to Kindle Fire,” Amazon spokesperson Drew Herdener told The New York Times in a recent interview. Herdener explained that Amazon will improve multitouch performance on the device, and will also enable a feature that allows users to edit their usage history on the tablet. Despite mixed reviews, including our own, Amazon’s Kindle Fire has been labeled a potential “blazing success” by Morgan Stanley and a number of analysts expect the firm to ship as many as 5 million units during the fourth quarter.

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HTC has issued a new statement addressing concerns over a security flaw recently discovered on several of its Android-powered smartphones. The vulnerability could allow third-party apps to access and steal private data including SMS messages, contact data, system logs, location information and more. ”HTC takes claims related to the security of our products very seriously. In our ongoing investigation into this recent claim, we have concluded that while this HTC software itself does no harm to customers’ data, there is a vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by a malicious third-party application. A third party malware app exploiting this or any other vulnerability would potentially be acting in violation of civil and criminal laws.” HTC says that it has not yet received any reports of malware exploiting the security flaw, and it recommends using caution when installing or updating applications from untrusted sources until a patch is issued in the near future. HTC’s full statement follows below (emphasis added by HTC).

HTC takes claims related to the security of our products very seriously. In our ongoing investigation into this recent claim, we have concluded that while this HTC software itself does no harm to customers’ data, there is a vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by a malicious third-party application. A third party malware app exploiting this or any other vulnerability would potentially be acting in violation of civil and criminal laws. So far, we have not learned of any customers being affected in this way and would like to prevent it by making sure all customers are aware of this potential vulnerability.

HTC is working very diligently to quickly release a security update that will resolve the issue on affected devices. Following a short testing period by our carrier partners, the patch will be sent over-the-air to customers, who will be notified to download and install it. We urge all users to install the update promptly. During this time, as always, we strongly urge customers to use caution when downloading, using, installing and updating applications from untrusted sources.

AT&T announced on Tuesday that its first 4G LTE devices, including the USBConnect Momentum 4G and the Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G, will be available in-store and online later this month. The USBConnect Momentum 4G and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G will launch on August 21st for $49.99 and $69.99, respectively, each with a new two-year agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate. AT&T’s existing USBConnect Adrenaline modem will receive a software update on August 26th that will add support for the carrier’s 4G LTE network. AT&T will charge $50 per month for a 5GB data plan on its LTE network and any additional data past the 5GB cap will cost $10 per gigabyte. AT&T’s LTE network will first launch in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio this summer, and will eventually expand to at least 15 markets later this year.

HTC began pushing out the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) update to the AT&T HTC Inspire 4G on Monday. Customers will receive notifications to update over-the-air or they can manually initiate the installation process by navigating to Home > Menu > Settings > AT&T Software Update > HTC Wi-Fi software update > Check now. The patch also includes an updated Sense application tray, new FriendStream features, fixes for minor bugs and an updated Quick Settings menu in the notifications shade. HTC says Inspire 4G users should notice an improved media experience and better power management as well.

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Motorola has pushed out Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) to the Motorola ATRIX 4G. The update adds a number of new enhancements unrelated to Gingerbread, including support for 1080p HD video playback, a re-designed home screen with white backgrounds for easier reading of text, an enhanced photo gallery, the ability to dismiss notifications one at a time, a faster Webtop browsing experience, enhancements to the dock icons and more. To update, make sure your ATRIX 4G is connected to a Wi-Fi network and then go to Settings > About Phone > System updates > Download. Read on for a link to Motorola’s website, which includes the full release notes on software v4.5.91.

[Via MobileBurn]

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Apple released iOS 4.3.4 on Friday in an effort to fix a security vulnerability that was present on both the iPhone and the iPad. The fix was supposed to prevent hackers from using a PDF security hole to jailbreak both devices. That didn’t quite work. The next day iPhone Dev Team was able to route around the security fix and issued a jailbreak tool for iOS 4.3.4. iPhone Dev Team has released the latest redsn0w jailbreak tool, but unfortunately it forces iOS 4.3.4 users to keep their iPhone or iPad tethered to their computer during sync and reboot. In other words, if you haven’t already updated to iOS 4.3.4 and want your iPhone or iPad to remain jailbroken, you’re going to be best off sticking with iOS 4.3.3 until another workaround is found.

[Via Mac Observer]

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Apple has promised to patch a security hole found in the iPhone and iPad following a report published by Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security. Reportedly, a PDF security hole could allow hackers to gain unauthorized access to personal data — such as messages and passwords — stored on an iPhone or iPad and could “infect the mobile device with malware without the user’s knowledge.” Apple’s PR team was quick to respond to the allegations. “[Apple is] aware of this reported issue and developing a fix that will be available to customers in an upcoming software update,” Bethan Lloyd, an Apple spokesperson told AFP on Thursday. Apple has not yet confirmed when it will push out the security update.

[Via Mobile Burn]

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Microsoft’s new Windows Phone Mango update is expected to begin rolling out this fall, but there are already reports that the company is working on the next updates, codenamed “Tango” and “Apollo.” DigiTimes reported on Tuesday that Compal Communications, which manufacturers devices for Acer and Nokia, recently inked a Microsoft deal confirming that it will build devices for Mango as well as the next-generation Tango update. Microsoft hasn’t discussed Tango yet, so it’s unclear what will be included or how big of a jump it will be from the long awaited Mango release. Reportedly, Tango will then be phased out in favor of a new “Apollo” OS, which we first heard about late last year.

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Sony Ericsson confirmed in a blog post on Monday that its developers have been working hard on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the Xperia X10, and that the roll-out will begin in early August. The company confirmed that it will keep the original camera UI as found in the Eclair version of the phone, and that the Facebook Inside Xperia functionality in the newest Xperia family of phones will be available on the X10 as well. Unfortunately, SE  said that it will not add DLNA support to the X10, as adding that would “jeopardize the time schedule.” Generic trade phones will get the Gingebread upgrade, which was announced in March, but Sony Ericsson did note that “some of you will not be able to upgrade your customized version of Xperia X10.” In other words, we seriously doubt AT&T users will ever get it. Hit the jump for a video of a prototype running Gingerbread in action.

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Adobe has issued an update for its Adobe Flash Player application on Android smartphones. “A critical vulnerability has been identified in Adobe Flash Player 10.3.181.23 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux and Solaris, and Adobe Flash Player 10.3.185.23 and earlier versions for Android,” the company said. “This memory corruption vulnerability (CVE-2011-2110) could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this vulnerability is being exploited in the wild in targeted attacks via malicious Web pages.” The latest version, 10.3.185.24, is available in the Android Market for free now.

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Well that didn’t take long. Yesterday, we told you about an Android vulnerability found in ClientLogin that could have serious security ramifications. Using a dummy open access-point, a nefarious third party could passively — via Wi-Fi — collect authentication tokens to password protected services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google Calendar stored on affected Android devices. Speaking with Mobilized’s Ina Fried, the Android-maker has stated that it is taking action, and fast. “Today we’re starting to roll out a fix which addresses a potential security flaw that could, under certain circumstances, allow a third party access to data available in calendar and contacts,” Google told the publication. “This fix requires no action from users and will roll out globally over the next few days.” The vulnerability will still be present in the company’s Picasa online photo offering, but Google stated that it is working to patch that service as well.

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Nintendo will launch the 3DS web browser and eShop on June 6th during the E3 game tradeshow in Los Angeles. A post on Nintendo’s website confirms: “The Nintendo eShop will be enabled through a system update which has been announced for the evening of June 6, 2011. We’ll have more information for you after this update becomes available.” The eShop should allow 3DS users to download extra game content directly to their devices, although it’s unclear what else will be available at launch. Nintendo has said that a Netflix client is in the works, so our fingers are crossed that it’s part of the package, too. We reviewed the Nintendo 3DS in early April and the lack of an eShop, Netflix, and web browser, were some of our biggest gripes with the device.

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