Is your Android phone's bootloader unlocked? Is it SIM unlocked? What's the difference?

There's been a bit of confusion in the blogs the past few days over unlocking phones. Maybe you're wondering about an unlocked bootloader. Or maybe you need something that's SIM unlocked. Or maybe you want to unlock your phone's bootloader, but you can't, because it's encrypted.

It's confusing, we know. Even bloggers have a hard time keeping it all straight. But you've come to the right place. We don't have that problem here. 

So let's have a little refresher course on what we mean when we talk about unlocking things, shall we?

If you're among the lucky few to already be in possession of a Google Nexus 7, then you'll be pleased to see hear that the Instagram app for Android has been updated to support your new tablet. The latest version 1.1.7 of Instagram for Android is now fully functional on the Jelly Bean tablet, whereas before N7 owners were turned away with a compatibility message. Though the focus of Instagram on a tablet is on viewing, not creating content, you can also use the Nexus 7's 1.2MP front-facing camera to take your own mugshots and filter them to your heart's content.

In addition, the latest update includes the ability to share Instagram'd photos directly to Flickr as part of the sharing menu once you've saved your image. (Unfortunately there's still no native Google+ support right now, though our fingers remain crossed.)

Check the link below to download Instagram for Android from Google Play.

Download: Instagram for Android

Although there is quite a few options for controlling your Google TV out there already, such as the included remote or any one of the numerous apps in the Google Play Store not all of them work they way some folks want or how they wish to use their Google TV. For me personally, I like to have my Google TV fired up and on when I'm writing up posts as I sit in front of my laptop. The included remote isn't all that great for this and an app would mean picking up my smartphone every now and then and messing around with it. Granted, I'm likely doing that anyhow but that's kind of the point. I have other things on my phone to be doing than controlling my Google TV with it.

Luckily, a new project is under way by a fellow named Robert Smith. His project is called Chromemote and the premise behind is that it allows you to control your Google TV right from within as you may have guessed already, Google Chrome. Chromemote is an extension available for Google Chrome in the Chrome Web Store and in Robert's own words, he is what you can expect from Chromemote:

This will enable any device running a Google Chrome browser or the Google Chrome OS to have complete control over any Google TV device. With Chromemote you will be able to use your notebook's keyboard and touchpad to control your Google TV. Chromemote is designed to have the look and feel of the original Google TV Remote app for Android, but has been expanded to allow a multitude of new features. Chromemote will allow you to rearrange buttons and create custom buttons tailored for your home entertainment system.

Sure enough, after installing the extension from the Chrome Web Store and entering my secure PIN, I was up and running with Chromemote and able to control my aging Logitech Revue all from my MacBook Pro with ease. Other functions such as turning my TV off and on also worked rather flawlessly as well, so I'm starting to think I may have found a pretty decent solution to my remote control problem. If you have a Google TV and are looking for a better way to control it, then I'd say Chromemote is certainly worth a look.

Source: Chromemote, via: GigaOm

For a while now, details about the Samsung Galaxy Note coming to T-Mobile have been floating around. Support documentation, contests showing off the device and countless other small pieces of information have been unveiled over time but T-Mobile themselves have never really come out and said they'll have the device definitively. That is, until earlier Monday morning when they were pressed a little bit for information on Twitter by @EpicRivas:

@epicrivas We are excited to confirm the Samsung Galaxy Note will be coming to T-Mobile! More info to come. ^JM

That's it. That's all the info you get for now. It's coming and T-Mobile will tell us later some more details but for now, you'll have to live with what you got. For T-Mobile's sake though, I hope they plan on rolling it out with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich onboard considering many other carriers have already released the update. Maybe that's what they're waiting on? At this point though, with rumors of the Galaxy Note 2 aplenty is anyone waiting to pick this up on T-Mobile?

Source: Twitter, via: Engadget

It's certainly full steam ahead now, as aside from Google various other retailers across North America are starting to dish out the Nexus 7. The latest addition to the list in Canada, is London Drugs. They're selling the 16GB version at the same price as the Google Play Store, although stocks seem to be limited, at least to start with. 

It's fantastic news that so many different retailers are to offer up the Nexus 7, and it definitely isn't going to hurt those sales figures. Now all we need is for the European retailers -- and Google -- to start officially shipping theirs. 

via MobileSyrup

Eric Schmidt has been out on tour doing his best door-to-door salesman act. The Google Chairman appeared at the Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, armed with a new Nexus 7 and a Nexus Q, and proceeded to demonstrate the both of them. He even went so far as to describe the Q as "cute." Well, it sort of is.

Perhaps more interestingly, Schmidt spoke out about Google's long standing intentions to be in the hardware business, but without describing them as a hardware company.

Saying during his presentation, of the acquisition of Motorola Mobility last year; “We always wanted to be in the hardware business. Larry and Sergey have always wanted to do hardware in one form or another. This was a way to get into it quickly.”

He was otherwise pretty quiet on the Motorola front, although he did promise that a new batch of products were almost ready to go. 

And Sergey Brin got a mention too. He wasn't at the conference, as Schmidt would declare he was on his way to the airport to tend to important Google Glass business. Either that, or he's got some more skydiving in store. Apparently too, Brin isn't seen without his prototype Google Glasses anymore around Mountain View. Something that we find incredibly easy to believe. 

Source: New York Times

Getting started on your brand-new Galaxy S3 won’t take too long. Soon you will be on the Android cutting edge!  

The UPS person just dropped off my Samsung Galaxy SIII (S3) today and I was very excited to crack open the box and get started. It occurs to me that for many, this is your first smartphone.  Others might be coming over from a previous (non Ice Cream Sandwich) device and other still might be coming to Android from the dark side … iOS or BlackBerry or Windows Phone. 

Let’s jump in to get you up and running quickly!

Why launch your LTE network in five cities when you can launch it in 15? We've always known that Sprint intends to have a fairly aggressive rollout for its second 4G network, and true to its word, more cities have come online just a day after the official launch. 

So, if you're counting at home, that means Sprint LTE is available in:

• Atlanta
• Athens, Ga.
• Calhoun, Ga.
• Carrollton, Ga.
• Newnan, Ga.
• Rome, Ga.
• Dallas
• Fort Worth, Texas
• Granbury-Hood County, Texas
• Houston
• Huntsville, Texas
• San Antonio, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.
• St. Joseph, Mo.

Don't forget that 3G speeds should be improved as well, as part of Sprint's Network Vision plan. Now we just have to see how well Sprint can keep up that rollout pace.

Source: Sprint