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It's looking like we're about three weeks away from our first dose of glasses-free 3D on a smartphone, and Sprint is going to be the one getting you all cross-eyed. But, before you can hold a device like HTC'sEVO 3D to your head, the FCC has to make sure it won't be doing anything  too  nasty to your gray matter. The phone and its myriad of antennas -- covering CDMA, EVDO, WiMAX, Bluetooth, and WiFi -- all ran the gauntlet successfully, and, in the process, exposed a long list of componentry. No, sadly, there's noteardown involved with this one, but we now know the model numbers of just about every major piece of equipment wedged behind that parallax-barrier screen, from its Qualcomm processor to its Broadcom wireless chipset. Really, though, you only need to know one thing: June 24th. Wireless Goodness FCC

We're still waiting for some  completely  official word on the matter, but it looks like a Sprint exec has let slip the carrier's launch details for the BlackBerry PlayBook. While the post has since been removed, Sprint Marketing Director Gerald Evans revealed on his personal blog earlier today that the WiFi-only, 16GB version of the tablet will be hitting Sprint stores on Sunday, June 5th for the usual $499.99. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the carrier's 4G version which, last we heard, was still on track for a summer release. Update:  And RIM's just made it official, also confirming that Sprint will support BlackBerry Bridge with no additional data charges. As for that 4G PlayBook, RIM is just saying that it and Sprint are still "working together" on it. Mobile Burn The Berry Fix

Right on schedule, Sprint made Gingerbread available to any and all EVO 4G owners willing to check for the update manually (and if you're a fan of this site, we suspect you are). As a PSA, you won't just be getting Android 2.3, but also Gmail and SMS fixes, and a tweak for the phone's power management software. We've been getting a flood of tips from delighted readers in various markets who report the upgrade went smoothly. Can't be bothered to check for updates? You'll likely get a prompt to download it on Monday. So, Froyo, good night and good luck, and to everyone else, happy Friday! Update:  Many of you are reporting that the update rendered Netflix unusable. The company just tweeted that it's aware of the incompatibility and is "investigating" the issue. No word on a fix just yet.  Netflix (Twitter)

Are you seeing what we're seeing? That yellow starburst touting a "starting 6/24" promotion date is neatly affixed to the HTC EVO View 4G (aka, Flyer). If the grab above, nabbed from Sprint's internal Rewards Me  site is to be believed, then we've got 7-inches of WiMax-loving Android tablet headed our way in three weeks time. Smack in the middle of the promised summer ship date. It's also a good bet that we'll be seeing the EVO 3D at about this time too. Anyone taking odds?

Well, we already know that a certain tractor manufacturer isn't particularly fond of LightSquared and its GPS-bustin' LTE technology, but  other  companies with yellow logos apparently harbor a much different sentiment. Really, though, who wouldn't be smiling when there's a supposed $20 billion in it for you? According to the ever-familiar "people familiar" with the story, as quoted by  Businessweek , LightSquared is getting closer to a long-rumored 15-year deal that would pay Sprint $20 billion in exchange for piggy-backing on its aggressive network expansion. This would help LightSquared get up to speed much more quickly, get Sprint access to some lovely LTE, and together completely revitalize the paper maps industry. Businessweek

We've been hearing all sorts of details on the HTC EVO 3D as of late, but the only thing that hadn't popped out at us was the launch date. We knew the day was drawing near, evidenced by the phone being put up for pre-orders at Sprint and RadioShack, but we have a little more to chew on. The June 24th launch date on this promotional flyer jumps off the page more than the EVO 3D does, and we really want to believe it; but even if this is an official flyer, it could simply mean that's when RadioShack will begin selling it and it won't be related to Sprint's official launch. Still, if you've been waiting with bated breath to get your hands on your very own copy of  The Green Hornet  -- oh, and a sweet phone while you're at it -- hang tight just a smidge longer.  Phandroid

Well, this was inevitable. After Sprint's website snafu outing its Android 2.3 intentions for the EVO 4G, we've received evidence that points to June 6th as its release date. Better yet, if you're willing to manually check for its availability, you might even find a happy surprise this Friday. In addition to Gingerbread, users will find SMS and Gmail fixes, along with a tweak to the phone's power management software. Hopefully you've got WiMAX, because this update is coming over-the-air. Should everything go according to plan, users will have less than a week to say goodbye to Froyo. It's a trusty companion for sure, but that spicy aroma is quite enticing. Hit the break for some corroborating clues.

Well, we've been waiting for a PlayBook packing something more than WiFi to rear its enterprise-friendly head, and there it is -- sort of. Search Google for "Sprint PlayBook" and the number one (non-sponsored) result is a page "introducing the BlackBerry 4G Playbook tablet," which means the companies are right about on schedule for that promised summer release. Clicking on the link just redirects you to the Sprint homepage for now and, sadly, price and exact ship date are still anyone's guess. There's enough detail in the search snippet to tell us that this is legit and and an announcement page is ready to go, though -- so, WiMAX fans, we hope you like QNX.

Some crack reporting from an NBC affiliate news station has revealed a little foible in Best Buy's cellphone upgrade checking utility. If you punch in your Sprint mobile number and ZIP code, you get taken to a screen showing all the other numbers on your account as well. This applies only when yours is the main number on the account, mind you, but the issue is in the obviously lax approach to securing data you might care to keep private -- Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile customers have to pass a security check first. Of course, the actual risks resulting from someone being able to find other numbers associated with your cellular account are so small as to verge on the benign ("somebody can use that... for something", as the KXAN report sagely advises), though that hardly excuses Best Buy from being sloppy with Sprint subscribers. They're human too, you know! KXAN.com Best Buy Mobile Upgrade Checker

We've got some good news and some bad news. Let's do the bad news first: much like the Sensation, Thunderbolt, and Incredible S,  Android Police  has confirmed that the upcoming HTC EVO 3D will also be sporting a locked down bootloader of similar fashion, meaning custom ROM modders will have a hard time glamming up said phone. Not that anyone should be surprised by this finding though, given the sad trend. That said, there is still hope: earlier today, HTC announced on Facebook that it's "reviewing the issue and our policy around bootloaders" -- looks like someone's pulled a page out of Sony Ericsson'sgood book. If all goes well, we'll just have to wait and see whether HTC will beat Motorola to making their fans smile again.   Android Police ,  HTC (Facebook)

More than a year after it first lost contact with its Mars rover Spirit, NASA has finally decided to throw in the towel. Yesterday, the agency confirmed that it will end all planned communications with the robot on May 25th, effectively ending the craft's seven-year mission. NASA was hoping that the approaching Martian spring would allow the Spirit to recharge its solar panels and re-establish radio contact, but it now appears that the craft sustained irreparable damage last winter, when it was forced to endure brutally cold temperatures. NASA executive David Lavery, however, says the rover team will remember the Spirit more for its achievements than its slow demise: "I think we'll all sit around and have a sip of Guinness and reminisce about when Spirit was a wee small little rover and look back at the accomplishments and successes rover had over its entire lifetime." So the Spirit's spirit will live on, but what about NASA's mission to Mars? Well, the Oppo...

Cox Communications had some grand designs on the cellular market, but they're not panning out quite as the company planned --  FierceWireless  reports that though Cox already poured cash into rolling out 3G equipment, it's going to scrap the whole thing, in favor of continuing to pay Sprint for borrowed airtime. Cellular service in the original three launch markets will reportedly continue, though a quick peek at Cox's website shows the current phone selection is getting a bit stagnant. While we've yet to hear any particular reasons why Cox would want to stick it out as an MVNO, we imagine that mandatory roaming agreements make it a tad easier to offer those "Unbelievably Fair" contracts. There's also the possibility that with all the 4G fervor, Cox has decided there's no point in moving forward with CDMA equipment whenLTE is ripe for the picking -- and when Cox has $304 million worth of 700MHz spectrum waiting for such a network.   F...

Sprint and Motorola have a little special something up their sleeves, and are rolling them up to show off their latest "collaborations" at a press luncheon on June 9th. Since big bosses CEO Dan Hesse and Sanjay Jha will be in attendance, and the event will be held during Apple's WWDC, we have a feeling this is going to be something big. Whatever this project is, it's been kept under the radar very well -- until now. We're hearing buzz about a Tegra 2-powered device planned for a launch next month; different reports have come out over the last few days claiming Sprint will finally take a turn sporting a Tegra 2 Android -- the yin to the EVO 3D's yang, we suppose -- sometime next month. The device may be called the Motorola Photon 4G, a name that first appeared in a WiFi certification form (seen after the break) a month ago. According to the rumors, Sprint was ready to launch its own version of the Atrix 4G back in March, but stalled th...

Well, it's certainly been a busy week in the city! First Kobo, then Mango, then Nook, and now... Google Wallet? Yes, it looks like Big Search is coming to contactless payments, finally giving Nexus S users something good to do with that NFC chip. The event happens at noon EST, and we'll be bringing it to you live.   if you'd like to join in the fun, and if you happen to be tuning in from a land far, far away, check out the local times below: 06:00  - Hawaii 09:00  - Pacific 10:00  - Mountain 11:00  - Central 12:00  - Eastern 17:00  - London 18:00  - Paris 20:00  - Moscow 00:00  - Perth 00:00  - Shenzhen 01:00  - Tokyo (May 27th) 02:00  - Sydney (May 27th)

There's been rumors of a Google-fied mobile payment system for some time, and now it looks like the Mountain View crew is teaming up with Sprint to finally make it happen. Last month, we heard that the Now Network would bring NFC payments to its customers this year, and  Bloomberg  reports that the partnership and payment system will make its debut on May 26th. Apparently, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. are the first cities getting the service, which is a much broader initial footprint than its Isis mobile payment competition. The anonymous sources also say that Verifone and Vivotech are providing the hardware and software that will let you replace your credit card with a Nexus S -- because you  always  wanted to replace your credit card with your Nexus S. Update:  According to  All things D , the payment system will be put through its paces by none other than El Goog's Exec...

You've been able to pre-order an HTC EVO 3D since last week, but it involved a bit of a leap of faith since both price and release date were unannounced. Well, we can now solve at least one of those mysteries -- the EVO 3D will run you the industry standard $200 with a 2-year contract, while the commitment averse can snatch one up for $500. You can save yourself an extra $100 by picking yours up at RadioShack and trading in your EVO 4G or Shift 4G. Obviously, you'll still have to plunk down for the monthly "premium data add-on" and exactly when you'll be able to start leaving fingerprints all over that glasses-free 3D screen is still anybody's guess but, hey, at least it comes with a free copy of  The Green Hornet  and the Black Eyed Peas'  Phenomenon . You know, because while a high-end smartphone may cost $200 on contract, good taste is priceless.   Good and Evo

Lookie here, everyone -- we just pointed our browsers over to Sprint's official online store and if our eyes aren't deceiving us, the HTC EVO 4G is now shipping with Gingerbread. This is definitely news to us, as we have made some calls out to the brick-and-mortar retail stores with no indication that the carrier's top-selling phone is currently loaded with anything besides Android 2.2. It's difficult for us to fathom this being a simple typo, considering it's mentioned in  four  separate places, with one of them triumphantly declaring "now with Android 2.3." We're still waiting to get official confirmation from Sprint, and we'll have an update on their response for you as soon as we get our hands on it. In the meantime, take a look at the source link for yourself. Update : We received word from Sprint that the inclusion of Gingerbread was an unfortunate mistake, and that it plans to upgrade the EVO 4G as soon as it can. Sprint

Want an unlimited WiMAX hotspot for $45 per month? Sprint's got a new plan that gives you just that, plus 3GB of 3G data. There's also a brand-new 10GB plan for $90 if you need to cruise a bit further down the slow road. Sprint's 4G-only devices still carry a $50 monthly fee, and like the carrier's existing 5GB plan (still $60), the new ones also have unlimited WiMAX, making the $45 plan a bargain if you happen to own a compatible device. If you already pay for unlimited service on a Sprint cell phone, you can also avoiding paying the included $10 "premium data" surcharge -- this means Unlimited Everything and Everything Data subscribers can now add an unlimited 4G hotspot (with 3GB of 3G usage) for just $35. MobileBurn Sprint

We've been keeping a close eye on Sprint's Google Voice integration since its  troubled  release last month, and Sprint has confirmed that many more of you are now able to activate the feature. Previously, individual customers with discounted accounts were being grouped with corporate and government enterprise customers, but it appears that the issue has been resolved (though corporate and government accounts are still unable to activate). However, Sprint confirmed that readers in Puerto Rico remain unable to activate regardless of their account status, and was unable to provide as estimate as to when integration will be available there. That said, Google has been incredibly proactive in getting these issues resolved from day one, despite clearly having their hands full this week. It looks like Google and Sprint have managed to work out some of the major kinks, but let us know in the comments if you're running into any other problems. Goog...

We're here live at Google I/O, and the folks from Mountain View have just shared something rather sweet -- a coalition of manufacturers and carriers committed to making sure their Android devices receive the very latest updates. All four major US carriers (and Vodafone) as well as HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG and Motorola are on board, and all will guarantee you timely upgrades to the latest version of Android for eighteen months after release, provided the hardware's capable. Now that'schange we can believe in. See our liveblog of Google's I/O 2011 keynote for the very latest.