Android OS 2.3.3 Gingerbread Released for Nexus One, Nexus S; Facebook Contact Sync Revoked on NS
Own a Google Nexus One and tired of smelling the cinnamon and spice but not getting any dessert? Great news for you, and for Google Nexus S owners as well: The latest, greatest version of the Android operating system, 2.3.3, is rolling out over the air to all the Nexi. The tweet above announces the news!
So what can you expect with your winter treat? There are new NFC APIs that should enable the Nexus S to use the former with Bluetooth, sharing info with another device by tapping them together. This implementation should allow that NFC chip, via the Tags app, to write as well as read (writable) NFC tags, as well as act as if its an NFC tag itself (the screenshots above show all this).
And remember those Nexus S reboots that happened at the most inconvenient times? Google has rolled out some fixes to those issues with this release as well.
Now, this update is going to bring you a fix to a problem you didn’t know you had, that is if by “fix” I actually mean “disabling a useful feature.” Google has decided that Facebook’s integrating your Friends list into your contacts list isn’t playing nice with its contacts API. What’s really happening is Google wants Facebook to share its data rather than continuing an exception that allows the Facebook app, and only that app, to keep its data in the cloud while everyone else has to do things the Google way. So, if you have a Nexus S, this 2.3.3 update is going to revoke the “Sync friends with contacts” permission and your Facebook friend info won’t be in your contact database anymore. Expect this new way of handling Facebook contacts to continue with other “new lead devices,” but the Nexus One should not be similarly affected. According to Google,
“There will be no change in the way Facebook contacts appear on the Nexus One. Since the Facebook app was preloaded on Nexus One, it created an expectation for users of how the device would function.”
The Facebook info will still be there, of course. You’ll have to go to the Facebook app to see it, though. Interestingly enough, according to Tech Crunch it was Google who enabled the merger of Facebook and Android contacts in the first place… when the Nexus One shipped.
Sources: Engadget, more Engadget, more, Tech Crunch
Category: Software
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jason Urgo, Jorge Servin and Maddi Sojourner, Android Headlines. Android Headlines said: Android OS 2.3.3 Gingerbread Released for Nexus One, Nexus S http://goo.gl/fb/Lrnrc #android [...]
Well I sure hope the update doesn't take away my Facebook contacts sync on my Nexus One, because I really like that feature. Why do they always want to mess with something good? I thought we were supposed to move forward, not back!
Thank you google for my gingerbread i been waiting since x-mas, guess is late x-mas gift.Now i want my 2.4! LOL
I have to admit that the facebook thing does not bother me a whole bunch, but is i am sure they will fix it.
[...] dominance. The latest war tactic is Google declaring that the Facebook contact sync feature is a violation of the Android Terms Of Service. The sync feature, which Android users haver come accustomed to, takes your Facebook contacts and [...]
[...] appears certain that this format won’t be going away any time soon as the new Android 2.3.3 update and later iterations will only support WebM. Perhaps, by forcing it on future OS it will ensure the [...]
Alright, pissing match between Google and Facebook; lime green versus royal blue!
Not sure how I feel about the Facebook sync situation at the moment. I THINK I agree with Google on this one, I don't see why Facebook should get special treatment. This didn't really bother me until this morning however, being a htc Desire user, Sense would always over write this problem with it''s built in app, however, I've been using Oxygen 2.0 Release Candidate ROMS for the last couple of months and they've been great, however the final release is 2.3.3 and has the Facebook issue, annoyed me immediately.
Here's hoping Facebook crumble under pressure.
[...] Own a Google Nexus One and tired of smelling the cinnamon and spice but not getting any dessert? Great news for you, and for Google Nexus S owners as well: The latest, greatest version of the Android operating system, 2.3.3, is rolling out over the air to all the Nexi. The tweet above announces the [...] Androidheadlines.com » Software [...]