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Long-suffering HTC Thunderbolt owners will finally get Android 4.0, Verizon said today.

The wireless carrier confirmed that it would begin rolling out Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, and that it would start pushing out the software in phases today.

The Thunderbolt was a highly coveted device when it came out, the first smartphone to run on Verizon's superfast 4G LTE network. But as with the early run of LTE phones, the Thunderbolt was plagued with bugs, and battery life was a serious problem.

In addition, the HTC Sense skin on top of the stock … Read more

For all their processor-stressing, battery-draining drawbacks, live wallpapers are still lovely to watch. This one animates the rainbow-esque screen that comes stock on Nexus gadgets and has become associated with Ice Cream Sandwich. Ice Cream Sandwich LWP will let you watch those swirls and bubbles in the wallpaper dance around.

The installation of this app goes smoothly. Most of the knocks against this wallpaper are the same as for any live wallpaper. It sucks your battery charge very quickly and it pushes your phone's RAM more than a wallpaper really should. It's clear that this particular live wallpaper … Read more

The latest version of Android is now sitting on about 10 percent of all Android devices, while Gingerbread dropped below 50 percent, according to the latest numbers from Google.

Jelly Bean -- that is, Android 4.1 and 4.2 -- is up in the two weeks ending January 3, though it's Android 4.1 that's made most of the gains (see chart below).

That's a sizable jump from the first two weeks of December when Jelly Bean, released in July, was on 6.7 percent of all active devices.

Driving the uptick are devices including the … Read more

You don't have to be the Audiophiliac (CNET's resident hi-fi guru Steve Guttenberg) to know that vinyl is cool again, but one band has taken this idea to its extreme.

Swedish indie band Shout Out Louds has announced that the first 10 copies of its new single "Blue Ice" will be made out of, appropriately, ice.

The band, with the help of the TBWA ad agency, created a silicone mold from which the listener could freeze their own 7-inch single. Apparently normal tap water resulted in air bubbles and other contaminants that could make the needle skip out of the groove, so the band includes a bottle of distilled water in the package.… Read more

You might agree that the complex design in a snowflake appears almost comparable to a work of art. Do you know how that tiny frozen masterpiece comes to life, though? If you're like me, you may never have witnessed a complete representation of that journey from cloud to ground before.

The trip isn't as simple as you think. … Read more

Research In Motion's upcoming BlackBerry 10 is being eyed by one government agency that had already planned to switch to iPhones.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency will take a look at BB10 starting in January. The agency plans to launch a pilot program to test BlackBerry 10 devices and the BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 to see if the new operating system can meet its needs for security and mobility. ICE will be among the first government agencies to give BB10 a spin, according to Research In Motion.

"ICE has been a valued BlackBerry customer … Read more

Apple's fourth-generation iPad takes on Google's Nexus 10 in another battle between two mortal enemies. The full-size tablet market isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so which one is your top pick?

Apple's latest iPad brings exactly the same design, with the new Lightning port and the power of the iTunes and App Store ecosystem. The Google Nexus 10 brings one of the most feature-packed 10-inch tablets on the market, a screen that bests the iPad's Retina Display, and solid support from the Google Play store.

Which tablet are you picking as your Prizefight champion? Cast … Read more

Good news to anyone who's hungry for Jelly Bean: Motorola recently modified a customer support page that outlines the various devices expected to receive Android updates.

The Motorola Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr Maxx HD are the latest to see the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, both of which are reflected on the support page. Looking ahead, the Atrix HD will be next in line to see the update, slated for later this month.

Moving into the new year, the Electrify M and both versions of the Xoom tablet should see an update prompt in Q1. As … Read more

I've been a sucker for "Star Wars" merchandise ever since I had to get a second C-3PO action figure as a kid because I wore all the gold color off of my first one. My first kiss was with a friend named Arnie, who made my nerdy young heart beat with a sweet collection that included an X-Wing Fighter. My brother and I had matching stuffed Ewoks.

I still get a kick out of "Star Wars" swag today because of the creativity that goes into it. Fans almost always get it right when they do things like build a carpet-covered AT-AT cat condo or custom-painted Stormtrooper My Little Ponies complete with helmets and belts. These things have heart.

But this brings me to the limited-edition $120 Nestle "Star Wars" coffee makers that will be available only in Japan. You can choose between a Dark Side coffee maker with Darth Vader on it or a Rebel Alliance coffee maker with C-3PO on it. Pretty much all Nestle did was slap on some graphics and change up the colors on its regular Barista coffee machine.… Read more