Upgrade UK Xoom to Android 3.1

One of the things I hate about Android is the fragmentation of the operating system. For example, if you live in the US you will already be running Android 3.1 on the Motorola Xoom, however in the UK we are stuck on version 3.0.1. Thankfully, there is a quick, simple and legitimate method of upgrading your UK Xoom (Wi-Fi) to Android 3.1. The guide below shows you how using a Mac (running Snow Leopard).

First up, a couple of warnings: Anytime you flash a device it comes with a risk. Only attempt this procedure if you fully understand this risk and accept it. Also, ensure you backup and wipe (factory reset) your device before starting.

The Steps:

Download and Install the SDK from: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html.

Unzip the contents of the SDK to your "Downloads" folder.

Go into the the SDK folder "Downloads/android-sdk-mac_x86/tools/" and run "android".

Under "available packages" install "Android SDK tools", which will download a couple of files and create a folder under the SDK called "platform-tools".

Download the Wi-Fi zip file: "http://developer.motorola.com/products/software/" (the 122MB one).

Download fastboot-mac from the HTC site: http://developer.htc.com/adp.html#s2.

Unzip the contents of the Motorola Wi-Fi zip file into the Android SDK folder platform-tools "android-sdk-mac_x86/platform-tools".

Unzip the contents of the fastboot-mac into the Android SDK folder platform-tools "android-sdk-mac_x86/platform-tools".

Now open up terminal and type:

cd ~/Downloads/android-sdk-mac_x86/platform-tools/

If you type "ls -l" you should be able to see "fastboot-mac", "adb" and all the "Motorola .IMG files" that you unzipped earlier.

You need to unlock your device before you can flash it. On the Xoom, enter debugging mode "Settings > Applications > Development". Connect the Xoom via USB to your Mac and type:

./adb reboot bootloader

Now when your Xoom reboots you will see it goes into fastboot mode (it loads quickly, and stays on the same screen). Now we can run fastboot commands:

./fastboot-mac oem unlock

And follow the onscreen commands. It will now complete a factory reset and reboot.

Annoyingly you now need to go and set debugging mode again (Settings > Applications > Development).

Once again, reboot into fastboot:

./adb reboot bootloader

Now you can flash using the US ROM (because the Xoom has been unlocked). Type the following commands:

./fastboot-mac flash boot boot.img
./fastboot-mac flash system system.img
./fastboot-mac flash recovery recovery.img
./fastboot-mac flash flash userdata userdata.img
./fastboot-mac erase cache

Once complete, reboot the device by typing:

./fastboot-mac reboot

And that's it. Now you should have the US firmware, and after setting up your Google account you need to check for the 3.1 software update. Enjoy!

Top Motorola Xoom (Honeycomb) Apps

When Google first announced Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) it was clear that this would be the first real iPad competitor. Unfortunately, having now owned a Motorola Xoom for just over a month, I have been left under whelmed with the overall experience. I like the device (like, not love) and the operating system has a lot of potential, however the real killer is the lack of tablet optimised applications and the inability to search for them in the Google Marketplace.

Google have promised that this situation will improve over time, however until it does, I have done my best to put together a list of the top Honeycomb optimised applications. At first glance it looks like a decent list, however when you compare this to the thousands currently available for the iPad, it's actually quite embarrassing that I can list them in a single article.

Social / Messaging / File Sharing Apps:

• Touchdown for Tablets (Exchange App)
• Trendster HD (Twitter Trends)
• FriendStream
• Tango Video CallsAndchat (IRC Client)
• Glympse
• Reddita 
• TweetComb
• Browsers:
• Opera Mini 6
• Dolphin Browser HD

Productivity / Office Apps:

• Due Today
• Docs 2 Go 
• GoAruna - File Manager and Cloud Storage
• Droid Scan Pro - scanner app
• Quick Office Pro HD
• Springpad
• Catch Notes

News / Magazine / Reader Apps:

• Pulse (Blog Aggregator)
• CNN
• USA Today
• HNDroid HD (Hacker News)
• NYTimes 
• Financial Times
• Stock Alert for Tablets
• F5 Reddit Browser
• Newsr 
• Sports Illustrated Tablet
• Golfweek
• Comics
• HoneyReader
• Feedly
• Taptu
• CNBC Real Time

Entertainment Apps:

• Movies (Flixster)
• IMDB 
• Sports Apps: 
• Draft Manager 11

Video / Graphics Apps:

• SmugFolio for Smugmug
• FlickFolio for Flickr
• Zfolio for Zenfolio
• PicFolio for Picasa
• LifeShow Player
• Picsay Pro
• AutoCAD WS

Utility Apps:

• File Station Tablet
• File Manager HD
• Grocery iQ
• Phone My PC
• My Verizon Mobile For Tablets
• myLock for Xoom
• File Station - file browser
• aCurrency Pad
• myLock for Xoom
• Tablet Keyboard
• Proximity Screen Off
• Status Bar Volume
• Tablet CPU Usage Monitor
• App Protector Pro
• Thinking Space
• Unit Converter - ConvertPad
• 2X Client RDP/Remote Dekstop
• Columnar File Manager

Networking / Remote / Cloud Apps:

• Citrix Receiver
• Phone My PC
• Remote Desktop Client
• Splashtop Remote Desktop
• IP Profiler
• LogMeIn Ignition
• Wyse PocketCloud RDP
• Dropbox
• Minus
• Keyboards: 
• Thumb Keyboard
• Tablet Keyboard

Educational Apps:

• Monkey Math Tablet Edition
• Animals for Tablets
• Books / Readers:
• Kindle
• Laputa Book Reader

Weather Apps:

• Accuweather
• Weatherbug
• xWeather Complete
• Barometer HD

Map / Navigation Apps: 

• Google Sky Map
• Earthquake! for tablets
• Google Earth 

Games:

• Shortyz Crosswords
• GUN BROS
• Fruit Ninja THD
• Angry Birds Seasons
• Cordy
• Monster Madness
• Rocket Bunnies
• Backbreaker THD
• Talking Tomcat
• Word Worm HD
• Hardwood Solitaire IV
• Air Attack HD
• Spectral Souls
• Virtual Table Tennis 3D
• Samurai II: Vengeance
• Radiant HD
• Totemo HD
• Everlands HD
• Space War HD
• Evac HD
• Buka HD
• Vendetta Online
• Dungeon Defenders First Wave
• Holotaire (Solitaire Game)
• Minesweeper for Honeycomb
• Speedx 3D
• Tank Hero
• WSOP
• Deer Hunter 3D
• quake3droid
• Glow Hockey
• Bakery Story
• Guerilla Bob
• Wheelz
• Spider Solitaire
• Can Knockdown 2
• Random Mahjong
• Tic Tac Toe
• Backgammon Free
• Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus

Wallpapers: 

• Starfield Xoom
• Xoom Stars
• Golf Courses
• Multipicture Live Wallpaper
• Twisted Colors 

Widgets:

• Beautiful Widgets

 Misc Apps:

• Androidify
• Agricola Score Sheet
• SoundHound
• Draw Free - Honeycomb Tablet
• The Elements - Tablet
• Snaml Book for Android
• PaintBox for Tablets
• Snaml Book
• Minecraft Wiki
• Sony Pictures
• Drawing Pad
• Flight Board
• Yellow Pages Canada
• Electrum Drum Machine
• Google Body
• Fast Calorie Counter Honeycomb

Tablet Wars - iPad 2 vs Xoom vs Galaxy Tab

Over the past month I have been testing a number of tablets, specifically the iPad 2 running iOS 4.3, Motorola Xoom running Android 3.0 and Samsung Galaxy Tab running Android 2.2. At the time of writing these are the main three tablets available in the UK.

I don't plan to write a detailed review of each device, as this has already been widely covered across the web. Instead I thought I would simply post some images of the different devices for comparison. So if you're just interested in the gallery I suggest you jump there now - Tablet Wars - Gallery.

However, being a Tech Guy, I couldn't help but write a quick summary on my experience with each device.

I'll start with the iPad 2. I don't think there is too much more to say on this device. Simply put, it's the best all-round tablet on the market today. iOS 4.3 offers a great user experience that is fast and reliable, it also has the most comprehensive App Store with thousands of applications designed specifically to take advantage of the iPad's features. Regarding the hardware, it is the slimmest and most elegant tablet of the three, but retains incredible performance and battery life. The IPS screen literally shines through as the best of the bunch. The only disappointment is the two cameras that fall below what I have come to expect from mobile devices.

I really like the Motorola Xoom as I see huge potential in Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). Unfortunately, in my opinion, this feels like an unfinished product. The hardware clearly has plenty of power, but at times Honeycomb feels very sluggish, especially when compared to iOS on the iPad 2. The Android Marketplace is also currently unusable for tablet users. Finding an application that has been optimised for Honeycomb is nearly impossible and after many hours of searching the web I found a handful of applications, but none offered the overall quality found in the Apple App Store.

Finally, regarding the hardware, I have high hopes for NVIDIA's Tegra 2 chipset, however it's the Xoom's display that lets it down. The lack of IPS and anti-glare technology results in a display that looks great indoors, under low light conditions and if you are looking directly at it, however as soon as any one of these conditions are changed, it immediately becomes very frustrating to use. Hopefully we will see better results from future Honeycomb devices, such as the Asus Eee Pad which does include IPS technology.

The final tablet I have tested is the Samsung Galaxy Tab. This is an older product and has been on the market since the original iPad. Let me offer one piece of advise "Do not buy this device". Although the hardware is ok, the software (Android 2.2) has simply been ported from a smartphone. Therefore the user experience is awful, with the UI trying to fill the gap between a phone and a tablet and applications looking stretched and in some cases not working at all. This product is the exact reason why Google went back to the drawing board with Honeycomb to create an Android experience designed specifically for tablets. 

So in conclusion, if I was going to recommend one tablet right now it would definitely be the iPad 2. In my opinion Apple are still at least one year ahead of the competition, in terms of hardware quality and software maturity. Going forward I expect to see Google Android devices to close the gap, as it is clear that Android 3.0 is a significant leap forward from where they were with Android 2.2 for tablets. I'm also looking forward to geting my hands on devices from HP with the TouchPad and RIM with the PlayBook.

Don't forget to check out my "Tablet Wars - Gallery".