If you use a custom ROM on your Android phone, you should know about CyanogenMod. If you don’t, go hit Google now, then come right back. (pretty freakin’ sweet, huh?) With the drop of the Froyo (Android 2.2) source code everyone is patientl…
Stories have been going around that a botnet was being spread by the HTC Magic on Vodafone. Specifically, it was Panda Security that sounded the alarm after they plugged in said Android phone and had all kinds of alarms go off. However, it turns out it was an infected memory card that was the culprit, and not a bad batch of phones, as original post author Pedro Bustamante later points out in the comments.
It’s the memory card for sure, not the actual Android filesystem. It could be a malicious employee, a bad batch, provided by the manufacturer, lack of QA or a returned and refurbished unit. But as you said, either way Vodafone needs to better QA these before shipping out to customers.
Pedro’s right, there should be better Q&A to keep this from happening. But there also should be a little more discretion used before we see headlines such as "Vodafone distributes Mariposa botnet." (And the post itself hasn’t been updated?) An infected memory card is bad, but one bad apple does not an outbreak make. The sky’s not falling, folks.
In an interesting move, Vodafone UK has discontinued sales of the HTC Magic. According to a Vodafone rep:
Unfortunately the HTC Magic is now end of life, and we don’t have stock of that phone.
Vodafone UK’s decision to stop selling the HTC Magic contrasts with T-Mobile and Rogers’ stance with the HTC Magic. T-Mobile still heavily advertises the myTouch 3G and has recently introduced a myTouch 3G 1.2. Likewise, Rogers has offered free Magics to Dream users and will even add Android 2.1 to the Magic. Funny how one carrier sees the phone as end of life while others keep on pushing, right?
In any case, Vodafone probably needed to clear way for the Desire anyway. Discontinuing the Magic is a step in that direction. Though it does leave Vodafone UK’s Android offerings pretty bare right now..
Just when we thought the Rogers Magic was out of the spotlight, Rogers has rebranded it as the Magic+. So what does that + bring? Reports are that it’s basically the same, with the new Sense UI with multitouch to the device.
Yeah, it’s not the new Sense, but it’s Sense nonetheless. Oh, yeah, and reportedly the Magic+ will be receiving its own 2.1 update toward the middle of the year. With the addition of Sense UI and the hopes of 2.1 on the horizon, for $79.99 it seems like a pretty good deal. [MobileSyrup]
Good news and bad news for those of you on Rogers with either the HTC Dream or Magic. You’ve already been told you’re not getting an upgrade from Android 1.5, and that’s not changing. (That’s the bad news.)
The good news: Magic owners will see Android 2.1 later this year. As for Dream owners, well, you’ll be getting an exciting new update that’s still not anything other than Android 1.5. (OK, that’s bad news, too. Sorry, we tried.)
Here’s some of what Rogers had to say:
First, we will be implementing an update for the 1.5 OS to both the HTC Dream and HTC Magic in the upcoming weeks. These will offer a number of benefits for these devices, including bringing the HTC Sense experience to the HTC Magic, although the OS version will remain 1.5.
By mid-year, HTC will issue an upgrade to Android 2.1, including the highly acclaimed HTC Sense experience for the HTC Magic.
However, due to certain limitations on the HTC Dream, the software path for the HTC Dream will not be developed beyond the next Android 1.5 update. While we regret not being able to offer the same updates to both devices, by bringing this upgrade to the HTC Magic, we are delivering the best solution possible given the situation at hand.
We know that’s not going to make you folks feel any better, but some update is better than no update, we guess. Complete statement after the break.
Hey, Cellular South fans: Be sure to send this to your friends on Rogers. You’ll be getting an upgrade to Android 2.1 in the next six months. As for the Canadians, all they’ll be getting is … well, a Web site lamenting the fact they’re not getting an upgrade. [Twitter via Android and Me]