The only condition is that your port must have a user-friendly installation process (such that the average user can easily install it), Hack N Mod posted Monday on its Web site. The first person or group to successfully complete a fully functional task above wins the corresponding prize. All work must be documented under an open source license. As of Thursday, a bounty of $2,100 was extended, sparking a contest amongst developers.Ĭomplete one (or several) of the tasks above and let the world know! Post your source code on GitHub and paste links to your pictures and videos in the comments below (or email us).
The group, led by Thomas Sohmers, has plans to bring the TouchPad to Android's current Honeycomb operating system after Android 2.3, Gingerbread.Īnother initiative run by hacking and developmental website, Hack N Mod, has offered a hefty incentive to any developer to port Android OS for the HP TouchPad. Seeing the value of porting the successful Android operating system to the discontinued device, the group of developers began brainstorming and discussion, TouchDroid said. TouchDroid, a team dedicated to bringing Android to the HP TouchPad, released a statement on Wednesday via their Web site declaring it is moving forward as many of their members are still trying to acquire devices. Qualcomm has replied no comment on the video to Engadget, It is unclear whether or not Qualcomm has plans or is currently planning to port Android to the TouchPad or if there is a collaboration or partnership between HP and Qualcomm.
The user with the Android TouchPad, jiwanish, said the device he purchased from Best Buy is probably just a test unit from Qualcomm, as the tablet cannot access the Android Market although it runs on the operating system. While the origin of the Android TouchPad, which has unofficially been called the TouchDroid, remains unknown, Qualcomm could have accidently let an experimental device part of an initiative to bridge the Android OS to the TouchPad onto the retail market, fall into the hands of a consumer. Multiple videos posted by the Ebay user show an HP TouchPad running the Android OS, flashing the logo of research and development company Qualcomm Innovation Center (Quic) when loading. Manufactured by HP to run webOS, a TouchPad was seen being sold with a costly price tag on Ebay running Android 2.2.1 Froyo software.
The $99 HP TouchPad sale is expected to begin again, according to the Hewlett-Packard Co., which says it will release "one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand." Reutersĭirectly following the discontinuation sale, an HP TouchPad was seen running Android OS in a series of videos that went viral from a user who snagged a $99 TouchPad from Best Buy.