This advertisement page with interactive display was run by the CW, showing commercials for programs like The Arrow and Emily Owens, M.D. – both of them coming to your television set soon. The device shows a commercial or two then moves on to CW’s Twitter page where you’ll see them Tweet in real-time. This means of course that you’re working with a wireless internet connection – and indeed the setup has been discovered to be working with a T-Mobile SIM card inside.

Of course the SIM card is quite likely rather limited in its scope, pre-paid without a doubt. This device still has a microUSB port which means you’ll be able to tinker with it if you like – and charge it too. There’s no keyboard, on the other hand, and it’s almost certainly going to be more than just a little challenge for you to break into this little gem if that’s your goal.

According to the BBC, this isn’t the first time the magazine worked with a video display – back in 2009 they ran an advertisement program with a display created by Americhip. This newest integration, working with 3G data and able to be pulled apart and tinkered with outside the page (though not by intention, we must suspect), make this the strangest – and yes, most technologically advanced – magazine advertisement in the universe today. Time for the next step – full page tablet ads!

[via Mashable]

If you’ve got something larger than a handset that came out inside 2011 running Android, more than likely it is running Honeycomb. By mid-2011 we not only expected but demanded that a tablet-sized Android device run at least Android 3.0 Honeycomb for it to be considered worthy of the market. As the market directed it, both thinness and lightness reigned supreme when considering sales tactics, but some notable exceptions did appear (and where quickly destroyed at the hands of small sales and lack of interest on the part of consumers.) We reviewed so many Android tablets it’d make your head spin, each of them listed here, one by one:

Dell Streak 7 Wi-fi with Gingerbread
Motorola XOOM Verizon with Honeycomb
T-Mobile G-Slate (LG) T-Mobile with Honeycomb
ACER Iconia Tab A500 Wi-fi with Honeycomb
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Wi-fi with Honeycomb
HTC Flyer (International) Wi-fi with Honeycomb
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-fi with Honeycomb
HTC Flyer (USA) Wi-fi with Honeycomb
HTC EVO View 4G WiMAX with Honeycomb
BeBook Live Wi-fi with FroYo
Toshiba Thrive Wi-fi with Honeycomb
Vizio Tablet Wi-fi with Gingerbread
Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Wi-fi with Honeycomb
Acer Iconia Tab A100 Wi-fi with Honeycomb
Sony Tablet S Wi-fi with Honeycomb
Acer Iconia Tab A501 AT&T with Honeycomb
ARCHOS 80 G9 Wi-fi with Honeycomb
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet Wi-fi with Honeycomb
HTC Jetstream AT&T with Honeycomb
ASUS Eee Pad Slider Wi-fi with Honeycomb
T-Mobile Springboard (Huawei) T-Mobile with Honeycomb
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE Verizon with Honeycomb
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Verizon with Honeycomb
NOOK Tablet Wi-fi with custom interface
ASUS Transformer Prime Wi-fi with Honeycomb
Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 Verizon with Honeycomb
Motorola DROID XYBOARD 8.9 Verizon with Honeycomb

There isn’t only good Android tablets out there, mind you, we’ve seen some really terrible pieces of machinery come through running Android mostly because Google offers up the operating system as open source. What this means is that unless a manufacturer wants the Android Market on their device, they can use Android however they want it, free of charge. As a result, mistakes are sometimes made, and a Crappy Android tablet: a Christmas Guide was this year made. For the rest of you running awesome Android tablets (many of which have been listed above, you can hit up the ten Android apps for your new tablet also written up for this holiday season.

We had the onset of a few keyboards created specifically for the Android tablet line including such gems as Swype 3.0 and SwiftKey Tablet X. We also had a couple of cross-over devices whose manufacturers decidedly called not-quite-tablets and not-quite-smartphones, the first being the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0, the next being the Samsung Galaxy Note. These devices are just a bit bigger than what’s generally considered a smartphone, but just a bit smaller than what’s generally considered a tablet. Will these middle sizes continue through 2012, or will the USA release of the Galaxy Note sign the death warrant for such displays worldwide? It all depends on that one device.

We had our fair share of excellent adventures with tablets this 2011 season, including such lovely bits as Tabletpalooza, giveaways for oddities like the Archos 101, and a brand new Android device directory by the name of Device.AC.

Then there was a wave of lawsuits of all kinds, with results as strange as a redesigned Galaxy Tab 10.1 to avoid them. Oddities such as Microsoft making more money on Android than on Windows Phone through patent agreements as the result of lawsuits once again. Make no mistake, the Lawsuit punchout we’ve experienced this year has been no less than a vast annoyance, especially given that such webs of law spin just as thick year-by-year. That said, your humble narrator hopes for less kicking and screaming in 2012.

Android tablets haven’t had any kind of monstrous sales thus far, the iPad 2 still having a domination of the two-handed touchscreen display device world still. But when you consider such things as the response we’ve had to the Transformer Prime, you’ve got to think twice before suggesting the Android OS won’t find its way into the first tablet-like form factor that knocks the iPad out of first place – perhaps even inside 2012. Have a look at our review of Android 3.0 Honeycomb as well as our review of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to see what we’re looking at for the screens of Android tablets through 2012. We’re going to be seeing Intel’s Medfield SoC hit tablets, NVIDIA continue to hit tablet after tablet with it’s Tegra chip, this time in the form of the quad-core Tegra 3, and many surprises in the mix as well.

As you may remember from all the way back at CES 2011, Orbotix presented what was then a whole new concept in remote controlled objects. Was it an RC car? Nope. Was it some sort of flying device? I suppose if you’re going fast enough over a cliff, yes. Was it a robot? I suppose that depends on what you think a robot really is! This is Sphero, the world’s first smartphone-controlled robotic ball. What you’re about to witness is its first final prototype design debut (what a mouthful!) and we’re getting to see it in NYC at the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular this week in Brooklyn, NYC.

This orb device showed its cool face again at Google I/O 2011 with talks of a developer program for the device. You can now access that program which is still in full swing at http://developer.orbotix.com/. There you can download the full API and Mobile SDK codes as well as documentation, sample code, and customizable UIKit. Everything you need to create your own unique app to work with the official Sphero remote-control game ball. I say game ball almost for lack of an adequate name since, as with all seemingly completely original products, one must ask: what is this, really?

Have a look at what Berberian has to show us if there’s one person on the planet whose best qualified to show you the awesome in this device, it’s him.

He’ll be demonstrating on an iDevice you may well recognize and will show you basic controls as well as an app called “Draw and Drive” in which you can draw lines in any combination of shapes and your Sphero will follow the path. And these aren’t the only controller apps you’ll get right at the onset, there’s also games in which you’ll be able to, as Orbotix notes, “Race your friends with Sphero Drive, take a swing down your hallway with Sphero Golf, outrun your cat with KittyCam, or crush virtual zombies in your living room with ZombieBall.”

Berberian also gives us all a closer look at the near-final packaging for the device and some information on the final release – where and when!

Sphero will be available to consumers throughout the USA inside 2011 for an initial price point of $129.99. Each package contains a Sphero orb, an induction charger (you can see these flickering on the tablet behind Berberian,) and multiple free downloadable games (with more on the way, of course!) You can pre-order Sphero from http://www.gosphero.com/ – they’ll start taking credit card orders in November 2011 and will start shipping in December 2011 and they’ll be for sale on a first-come, first-serve basis. You’ll be able to purchase this device in retail (both in the USA and abroad) starting in 2012 – note though that, at least at first, it’ll only be available direct or through Amazon until additional retailers are announced, again, in 2012.

Sound like a good price point to you? You gonna get one? Be sure furthermore to take a peek at our full collection of hands-on videos from the event in our Pepcom Holiday Spectacular 2011 portal!

This is great news for Netflix subscribers who have had to rely on leaked APKs to get the app running on unsupported Android phones. Unfortunately, the update still doesn’t support all Android tablets, which have much more suitably sized screens for enjoying a Netflix subscription.

So far, the only tablets that support Netflix are the Lenovo IdeaPad K1 and the Lenovo ThinkPad tablet. The app allows subscribers to stream movies and TV shows over WiFi or 3G connections as well as to manage their DVD queues.

[via Android Community]

What you’re about to see is something so breathtakingly hilarious that you’d better sit down before you watch it. Virgin Mobile uses this advertisement to promote their unlimited web, data, messaging, and email plan at $35 a month, daring T-Mobile (and whoever else wants to join the party) to create a better plan. Virgin also pokes fun at the idea that AT&T may be taking over T-Mobile and that they’ve got the nation’s lowest customer approval ratings (based on American Customer Satisfaction Index 2011 Virgin Mobile tells us.) Bob Stohrer, vice president of Marketing for Virgin Mobile, notes the following:

“T-Mobile has anointed itself as the value leader in wireless, yet they’ve conveniently left Virgin Mobile out of their comparison set, so we’re crashing their party. No matter how you dress their plans up, they’re no match for Virgin Mobile’s no-contract, Unlimited Data offering at $35/month coupled with Android-powered phones like the new Motorola Triumph. … It’s a competitive market and we’re not going to shy away from an opportunity to debate things publicly so that consumers can see both sides of a story.” – Bob Stohrer

We’ve conveniently got a full review of said Motorola Triumph if you’d like to take a look. It’s an extremely simple top-tier Android device running a cool vanilla flavoring of Android with a hefty display and a lovely soft plastic casing. Check out the birth of Sparah below, made earlier this year by Virgin Mobile:

UPDATE: An official statement on the ad featured in this post has been released by T-Mobile’s Communications Director Hernan Daguerre:

“Virgin’s new ad proves that our successful Monthly4G no annual contract plans are putting pressure on their business. And this is because consumers looking for a great prepaid rate plan also want cutting-edge devices on a nationwide 4G network, which is exactly what they get from T-Mobile. It’s flattering to see their marketing efforts center around our advertising properties, but consumers will see right through their gimmicks.” – Hernan Daguerre

Do you agree? Are you a customer of either side’s network?

Certainly what we’re looking at here is some competition for the ancient T-Mobile Sidekick, a T-Mobile favorite, or it’s much more recent Android version the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G. In both of those devices it’s the screen which flips up rather than sliding up as we’re seeing in the LG Flip II. There’s been only one other Android device on the market thus far that’s carried a dual-screen orientation, that being the Kyocera Echo. What the Flip II seems to offer that no device like it has offered before is the draw of a second screen WITH a keyboard beside it.

Or on either side of it, it seems. Look for this device to be rather affordable sub-$200 price running Android 2.2 FroYo or above with some custom Android action to allow the second screen to work for you and your multitasking needs. Also look for this phone to NOT compete with the upper-tier, instead attempting to beat out such mid-range devices at the HTC Wildfire S and the Samsung mid-range trio in the Dart, Exhibit 4G, and Gravity Smart, another slide-out device with no second screen.

T-Mobile certainly seems to have a whole boatload of Android devices these days, wouldn’t you say? Everything across the board!

[via PocketNow]

This device will be running Android 2.2 Froyo with a fully customized UI on the top, has a candybar shape, and will be able to use “any SIM card” connecting over Edge & HSUPA working with 3G, has 4 Band GSM/Tri Band WCDMA, AGPS, Wifi, WAPI, and stereo Bluetooth. And such a wild device like this would never be able to get in under Google’s radar and get approval for the Android Market, would it? It sure did – you’ve got access to the full official Google Android Market and all of its thousands of apps, with a few fine favorites already built in: Google Search app, Google maps, Gmail, YouTube, and a lovely new oddity E-Blogger.

This device has a 3.5-inch TFT LCD display with a resolution of 800×480 pixels. The TAG Heuer LINK has a standby time of up to 330 hours (14 days) supposed on a 1400 mAh battery, and on the back of the device you’ll be rocking a lovely 5-megapixel camera. Have a look at this presentation video and head below for the rest of the specs. Get ready for some slow motion passes over some fine craftsmanship to be sure:

This device is no thin sissy, sizing in at 118mm (H) x 67mm (W) x 16.6mm (D). It’s not made, though, to be held in your pocket with your wallet, your tablet, your box of crayons and your remote control though, it’s meant to be rough and touch. Have a look at this short description of the elite nature of this device, as provided by TAG Heuer:

Luxuriously crafted and detailed, the TAG Heuer LINK incorporates the most prestigious materials and advanced components in the watchmaking and automotive worlds, including black PVD, diamonds and rose gold. The mirror-polished and fine-brushed stainless steel is premium grade surgical 316L, corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic. The big display front is made from visually stunning, lightweight, and highly damage-resistant Gorilla glass®. The exclusive, hand-worked coverings are in calfskin, alligator or lizard. Every material, precious stone and exotic skin or leather is sourced within the strictest industry standards.

This design is mean to be as rough and as tough as any similar device on the market, coming in steel, titanium, or 18k rose gold – also making it a rather luxurious device if I do say so myself. You’ll also be able to choose between rubber, alligator, and leather. The TAG Heuer LINK is shockproof, airtight, water-tight, and has Gorilla Glass up front – so GOOD LUCK trying to bust this.

What do you think? You gonna pick one up when they become available at TAG Heuer retailers this July?

[via Android Community]

A few more specs here: This phone sports a 4.5-inch screen, running Android 2.2 Froyo, and with a RM Cortex A8 1.2GHz processor. It has an 8MP camera on the back and 1.3MP camera on the front. This most definitely is the precursor to the Samsung Galaxy S II. It will be $200 on contract and will be coming out on May 15th.

They’ve also slipped in an announcement that there’ll be an Angry Birds contest coming up somehow or another tied in with the phone. It appears that the gameplay (if this slide is any indication) will be exactly the same, but perhaps a hidden Infuse in some eggs or boxes? Who can tell?

We’ve got a hands on and unboxing coming imminently, so stay tuned, and expect a full review before the weekend. Park it right here, because we are throwing out all the details as they happen.

Hardware

In comparison to the design of the Galaxy S II, the DROID Charge is more Galaxy S in its aesthetic. Plenty of plastic and glossy-finish plastic at that, with the majority of the phone being 0.46-inches thick and a lip at the bottom that bulges out somewhat. Although many prefer a uniform design, the lip does at least lift the rear of the phone off the table and help avoid scratches.

Up front there’s Samsung’s 4.3-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED Plus display, protected by a slab of Gorilla Glass, and as lovely as we saw on the Galaxy S II. It’s bright, color-saturated and beautifully vivid, and while the resolution may fall short of what you find on the iPhone 4 or Motorola ATRIX, the Samsung’s sunlight performance and vast viewing angles go a long way to making up for that lapse in pixels. Not all WVGA is created the same, either: Samsung’s 50-percent extra sub-pixels do a great job of smoothing out text and graphics.

Under the display there are four physical buttons – menu, home, back and search – which are reasonably easy to press though, given the length of the DROID Charge and the fact that the keys are pushed all the way down to the bottom, they can be tricky to press with a thumb while simultaneously supporting the handset. Above is a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera and the usual proximity/light sensors, while on the top edge is a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Down the right side there are volume keys and the microUSB charging port, while on the left is the power/lock button and, under a small flap, a micro HDMI port. We prefer the separate connector to the Galaxy S II’s hybrid USB/HDMI port, which requires an adapter cable to use. On the back is an 8-megapixel autofocus camera with an LED flash.

That camera sits above a neat little “4G” reminder that the DROID Charge is Verizon’s second LTE-equipped smartphone. Following on from the Thunderbolt, the Charge promises high-speed data connections that, in some cases, can exceed what you’ll get from your home internet. There’s also the usual WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS – which showed no issues getting a fix when we loaded up Google Maps – along with the standard digital compass, accelerometer and other sensors. Keeping things running is Samsung’s 1GHz single-core Hummingbird processor, not the dual-core 1.2GHz Exynios chip found inside the Galaxy S II.

Software and Performance

Samsung has given the DROID Charge its old processor, and it has paired it with old Android as well: Android 2.2 Froyo, in fact. When you consider the Galaxy S II is already running Gingerbread, that’s a disappointment. On top is Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, always an acquired-taste, with its various custom widgets and colorful, somewhat clownish theme.

Of most use is the Mobile Hotspot app, which, assuming you have the relevant tethering plan, allows you to share the DROID Charge’s 4G connection with up to five devices over WiFi. Samsung’s AllShare DLNA app is also present, for streaming content wirelessly, though of course there’s the HDMI port for direct connections. Unfortunately the useful is outweighed by the dull: Lets Golf 2, Rhapsody and other titles, which can’t be removed and which could just as easily have been distributed through the Android Market.

Performance is quick, but not dual-core quick. The DROID Charge scored an unimpressive 998 in benchmarking tool Quadrant Advanced, and a sluggish 6337.3ms (lower is better) in browser benchmark SunSpider. Contrast that with the Galaxy S II’s 3540 in Quadrant Advanced and 3584.3ms in SunSpider, and you can see that the LTE handset is at a disadvantage. That’s not such an issue today – Froyo moves along at a fair pace – but as Android gets more demanding it may hold Charge owners back.

Camera

Samsung’s 8-megapixel camera is capable of some great pictures, and the DROID Charge is no slouch when it comes to capturing them. The camera app is responsive and touch-focus useful, and while the LED flash is of limited use in truly dark scenes, it does perk up the Samsung’s stills in low-light situations.

Sample pictures:

The Hummingbird processor limits video recording to 720p HD, rather than the 1080p on the Galaxy S II. Still, the end result is very watchable, with accurate colors and little blurring aside from during faster pans. There’s the choice of either autofocus or touch-focus during recording, though it’s not the quickest to react.

Sample 720p HD recording:

Phone and Battery

Verizon’s voice network puts in a solid showing once again, and the DROID Charge suffers no issues with calls. Still, it’s the 4G that we’re most interested in, and – as long as you have coverage, obviously – it’s capable of some impressive numbers. We saw speeds of up to 17.62 Mbps on the downlink and up to 7.2 Mbps on the uplink.

Having seen the HTC ThunderBolt chew through a full charge in short order, we were more than a little nervous about the DROID Charge’s appetite. Happily it seems Samsung has managed to balance performance and power – impressive given the size and brightness of the Super AMOLED Plus display – with us managing 6-8 hours of heavy use before it died. With more casual use, and some tweaking of things like social network updates and other power settings, you could comfortably get through a day. Still, using the Mobile Hotspot app for any length of time chews through the battery in relatively short order.

Wrap-Up

The ThunderBolt opened our eyes to LTE on a smartphone, but its voracious thirst left us unable to recommend it to anybody other than early adopters. The DROID Charge by Samsung, however, is a far more balanced device, with plenty on its own to recommend it. The plastic chassis doesn’t exactly inspire us with confidence, but the Super AMOLED Plus display is a joy and the battery life sufficient for a day’s use.

As with other single-core smartphones we’ve reviewed recently, however, our primary concern is longevity. With Verizon asking a hefty $300 for the DROID Charge, with the usual two-year voice and data plans (and tethering if you want the useful mobile hotspot functionality), we’d want to know our new smartphone could handle anything Google or developers might throw at it down the line. The Samsung can certainly keep Froyo running today, but it falls short of the capabilities of a dual-core device and that might undermine what updates it can receive.

That’s a concern not limited to the DROID Charge by any means, of course, and the single-core processor does likely assist with battery life. If data performance is your primary concern and you want the biggest, brightest display around, Samsung’s Super AMOLED Plus smartphone ticks those boxes and then some.

DROID Charge unboxing and hands-on:

The pattern goes like this: 1.5 Cupcake, 1.6 Donut, 2.1 Eclair, 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread, 3.0 Honeycomb, and what’s next? The letter “I” is next. It’s almost certainly Ice Cream, but because they’ve already gone with Froyo for one of their earlier iterations, they’ve got the differentiate the image. How about adding a few more scoops and some toppings? Sounds tasty!

This is one of those rumors that really doesn’t affect the world one way or another, but is certainly a fun little tidbit to think about. Ice Cream or Ice Cream Sundae or Ice Cream Sandwich or whatever you call it is certainly a few months away, at least, since Gingerbread isn’t even on more than a couple devices out in the wild right this moment (legally, that is.) Therefor, who knows? Let’s celebrate the moment with whichever tasty treat we choose!

This is one big fat beautiful phone with what they’re calling an “Inside-Out design that we’re torn on the feel of. Inside, this phone will include Android 2.2 at launch, but will have an upgrade to the 2.4 version of Gingerbread “early on.” On the back you’ll see there’s a big fat 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, and there’s a 1.3-megapixel webcam up front. There’s 1.1-GB of internal storage, 768MB of RAM and a microSD memory card slot.

This is the sort of phone you want if you want a gigantic entertainment machine. It’ll be covered with HTC Sense, an overlay most people with skills in developing end up pushing aside for a greater ROM, but the insides are going to be just fine for playing of games and the clicking of high quality photos. Have a look at the photos we took of this phone whilst at Mobile World Congress 2011 as well as our lovely hands-on video with some lovely music instead of the loud clamor of voices all around us.

Updating to Android 2.2 Froyo for the Samsung Epic 4G will mean increased speed, improved Bluetooth device support, Bluetooth voice dialing, Flash Player 10.1, GPS enhancements, and the ability to install applications to external storage. Once your device has been queued by Sprint, you will receive a message on your device letting you know the update is available. If you attempt to check manually before your device is queued, you will receive a “no upgrade available” message.

The Sanyo Zio will also receive the Android 2.2 Froyo update on February 21st. Improvements here will include the addition of Swype, Sprint Zone 2.5.5, Sprint ID activation improvements, and better battery life. However, Flash 10.1 may not be supported and the update will come as three separate downloads best received via a Wi-Fi connection.

[via IntoMobile]

This is the support page that explains how to find your operating system and firmware versions. Does this mean an upgrade is on the way? Or is this just a tease for long-suffering Samsung customers?

We can only hope to find out soon. It’s probably not wise to read too much into it.

[via BGR]

The Disney phone packs a 3.8 inch screen with some sort of 3D capability, a 9.6-megapixel camera, possibly TV tuner, and an app that puts the popular sticker booth in your hand as it lets you add bows and cat whiskers onto your own original photos.

The phone has plenty of Disney exclusive features such as live wallpapers that change depending on your time zone, Disney emoticons to impress your friends, and seven different Disney designs: Disney castle, Minnie Mouse plant print, Minnie Mouse polka dot, Star white, and mouse-patterns in pink, white, and gold.  The phone is only available in Japan and is not planned for a US release.

[Via Android Community]

R3 Media Network

Editor’s Choice
Notion Ink Adam’s Canvas Image Editing Program Demo [VIDEO] [ROBOT ROBOT]
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Tron Guy Banned from Seeing Tron in his Tron Suit [SRSLY]

Android Community
Notion Ink Adam’s Canvas Image Editing Program Demo [VIDEO]
Notion Ink Adam Unboxing ala Van Gunst
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SlashGear
Dell Streak 7 In-Production Commercial Leaks Out
Chumby 2 Breaks Cover, Features Larger Display and Thinner Frame
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Harmonix Officially Splits From Viacom, is Independent Once Again
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Why I Find Time for Gaming (and Why You Should Too) [COLUMN]
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LG offers European launch date for Optimus 2X Android smartphone
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Ambarella iOne SoC makes better photos and more for Android phones
Def Jam Rapstar gets support for Kinect
NewerTech launches NuStand Alloy for iPad and Mac mini
ASUS, MSI and ECS tablet plans tipped: Android, Windows 7 and Tegra 2 galore
Samsung SCH-I520 4G LTE phone leaks on way to Verizon
iPad 2 to have speaker boost and slimmer bezel?
ASUS Eee Pad E121 makes video tease: 12″ Core i5 Windows 7 slate
Dell Streak 2 M02M spotted in testing: Opus One or Looking Glass?
HTC 4G LTE smartphone teaser revealed: HTC Incredible HD on Jan 6 2011?
Tron Guy Banned from Seeing Tron in his Tron Suit

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

R3 Media Network

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To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

Hardware

There are compromises involved whichever smartphone design you choose: all-touch candybars have to make do with virtual keyboards; QWERTY sliders or folders have the added bulk of a hinge mechanism, and the DROID PRO loses screen real-estate. At a time when we’re used to seeing 3.7-inch or larger Motorola Android devices, the DROID PRO is a mere 3.1-inches running at HVGA resolution. It takes up the top two thirds of the handset, and while 480 x 320 is a fair step down from the 854 x 480 on other recent Motorolas, when spread over a smaller panel it’s less obvious than you might expect, and decent touch responsiveness goes a long way to making up for the reduced scale. In comparison to the 480 x 360 BlackBerry Torch it’s a narrower screen, though the handset overall is also slimmer than the RIM slider.

On the lower third is a QWERTY keyboard, and it’s here the BlackBerry similarities really kick in. Viewed side-by-side with the Torch, you could well think the ‘boards were from the same company: each has a heavily bowed keycap with pronounced ridges to guide the fingertips, and each is snappy and responsive. The number and symbol layout is different on the Motorola, pushing the number keys to the top row rather than as a block, and there are dedicated @, comma and period buttons which we prefer. Despite the relatively narrow width, this is one of the best hardware keyboards on an Android device at the moment.

In-between the screen and keyboard there’s a row of the usual four touch-sensitive controls: menu, home, back and search. No optical trackpad, however, which is a shame considering it would be well-placed for thumbing. On the top there’s a 3.5mm headphones jack and the power/standby button, while the volume rocker and a microUSB charge/sync port are on the left side. On the right is a user-assignable multifunction key, preset to load the calendar, but easily changed to trigger the camera, media player or whatever app you’d prefer.

On the back is a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash, embedded into a slightly protruding bulge across the top edge. The whole back panel has a translucent, wavy pattern across it, while a band of silver-effect plastic runs around the outer edge of the phone. It’s solid, but we’d prefer more metal in a business device.

Altogether, though, it’s a surprisingly compact device, with press shots proving misleading as to its perceived blockiness. In fact it measures 119 x 61 x 11.7 mm and tips the scales at 134g; longer than the Torch, but otherwise narrower and thinner. It’s also one of Verizon’s so-called Global devices, packing the usual CDMA/EVDO Rev.A connectivity for use in North America, together with quadband GSM/EDGE and triband UMTS/WCDMA for use abroad. There’s also WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, along with GPS, a digital compass, proximity and light sensors. Motorola has used the same 1GHz TI OMAP processor as in the DROID 2, with 2GB of onboard storage and a microSD card slot (Verizon pre-load a 2GB card).

Software

We’re glad to see Android 2.2 Froyo on the DROID PRO, though it’s not a clean install; instead, there’s Motorola’s MOTOBLUR-inspired UI, a halfway house of sorts before the full MOTOBLUR experience which has seemingly been relegated to the company’s entry-level consumer-centric devices. There’s the full gambit of Google apps – Maps, Gmail, the Android Market, etc. – along with Skype Mobile, QuickOffice, a File Manager app, Mediashare and AuthenTec’s VPN client.

There’s also business-friendly functionality, such as encryption and more complex root certificate management, and you can remotely wipe or lock the handset (and the microSD card) with the right server-side software. Password expiration and automatic-wipes are also supported. We’ve no qualms about performance, the 1GHz CPU keeping things moving slickly and pretty much lag-free, though the limited resolution and display size does begin to grind after a while.

Log in with your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking accounts, and the DROID PRO pulls in recent updates from your contacts and slots them into their respective Contacts app entries. There are also various resizable homescreen widgets, from which you can view updates in one or more of those networks, as well as post status changes of your own. It’s worth noting that this is Motorola’s own system; there are official Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other network apps available in the Android Market, which generally have more functionality but less integration with the overall system.

Browser & Messaging

With Android 2.2 comes Flash Player 10.1 support, and the usual arguments about whether mobile Flash is worth the inevitable browser sluggishness. Suffice to say, we’d rather have the option than not, and it’s possible to turn Flash off altogether or set it to only load on-demand, making everyday browsing lag-free. There’s pinch-zoom and the usual Android extras, but the experience is underwhelming thanks to the smaller screen size.

Messaging, meanwhile, is the usual combination of a Gmail app and then a separate Mail app for everything else. You get Exchange support, together with POP and IMAP, and there’s a decent amount of granularity over which folders synchronize, how labels are handled and whether you view the full contents of your inbox or only certain categories of message. Unfortunately, there’s less flexibility in instant messaging, and while the Torch gets RIM’s popular BlackBerry Messenger service, the DROID PRO makes do with Google Talk. Still, there are various third-party IM options available in the Android Market (in comparison, the BlackBerry App World feels pretty sparsely populated).

Camera & Multimedia

At 5-megapixels, the DROID PRO’s camera isn’t exactly top-end for an Android device, but it comfortably exceeds the 5-megapixels the BlackBerry Torch offers. Motorola has tweaked the standard Android camera app, and though the UI is a little cramped on the smaller display, we’re glad to see the extra functionality. There are eight different scene modes as well as color effects, and of course more basic control over things like the flash. As with all LED flash units, you’re limited to the effective range, but the DROID PRO is certainly brighter than many cameraphones we’ve seen. It’s worth noting that, even if – like we did – you set the hardware shortcut button to trigger the camera, it won’t then also take the photo itself; you still have to use the on-screen button.

Image quality is surprisingly good for a 5-megapixel camera, better than the results we managed from the DROID 2. Decent automatic exposure and good color balance make for strong shots, and though poor lighting forces you to deal with the LED flash’s range sweet-spot, once you’ve got to grips with it we found it more useful than normal.

What you don’t get is 720p HD video recording, though the 720 x 480 30fps clips were smooth and well detailed. There’s no HDMI port for easy connection to an HDTV, and while we can see it being outside of the scope of most business users, the benefits in being able to show presentations or documents direct from the phone seems a missed opportunity.

Phone & Battery

Phone performance was average, though there’s no advanced DSP as we’ve seen on, say, the Motorola DEFY. The speakerphone was solid, and Android’s voice-control functionality is surprisingly flexible for hands-free use (you also get a dedicated voice-input button). Meanwhile mobile hotspot service is supported, sharing the DROID PRO’s 3G connection with up to five WiFi-tethered devices.

Motorola quote up to 390 minutes of talktime from the DROID PRO’s standard 1,420-mAh battery, or 330 hours of standby. With the smaller display requiring less power than some of Motorola’s larger devices of late, we comfortably managed a full day of use with push-email turned on and some calls, messaging and browsing. Nonetheless, RIM’s BlackBerry range still has the edge when it comes to power management.

Wrap-Up

There’s a lot to like about the DROID PRO, not least one of the best keyboards on an Android device today. That Motorola seemingly had to look to RIM’s design in order to achieve that may prompt a few fanboy arguments, but the end result is excellent provision for heavy emailers. Those who spend their time browsing, however, may want to look to other phones, given the cramped display and relatively low resolution on offer. It’s not a deal-breaker, especially if you’re used to the typical BlackBerry screen, but it’s a pain-point if you’ve come from another touchscreen-centric Android handset.

As for Motorola’s business ambitions, the DROID PRO is probably the most enterprise-friendly mainstream phone running Android, but despite the addition of a VPN client and QuickOffice it still falls short of what a well-provisioned BlackBerry offers. That’s undoubtedly down to RIM’s track record in catering for business use, and our expectations of preloaded software; Motorola could do worse than to load either a solid multi-platform IM client or develop one of their own, to take some of the appeal away from BlackBerry Messenger.

This is definitely a device for email and messaging addicts, however, and if you spend more time gaming or browsing on your cellphone, the compact display is unlikely to satisfy. Still, we’d opt for the DROID PRO over the BlackBerry Torch, the more compact phone giving up little when it comes to the keyboard and offering a larger breadth of third-party apps and an OS that feels more intuitive than BlackBerry 6.

Unboxing and hands-on with Droid Pro

SlashART
Ever wonder how many floppy disks it would take to install your modern day applications on your desktop? What’s that? You never used floppy disks to install anything before? You kids. Here’s a project that’ll make you appreciate this modern age of USB stick installation: “3.5 Inch Poster” is a set of posters displaying color-coded floppy disks with labels displaying which application they’re going to be used to install. On each disk is a number, for example “iTunes 8 – Install Disk 17/46″ that means it’d take 46 of these hunks of plastic just to install your everyday iTunes 8 update. The other results are thus (and they’re approximate: 358 disk for Adobe Photoshop CS4, 1760 disk for the Sims 3, 12 disk for Firefox 3, 36 disk for Firefox Add-ons. Old programs, old disks! Also, looks like Firefox wins! Or loses? These posters will be available for purchase soon via AntrepoShop. Designed by Mehmet Gozetlik in collaboration with Emre Basak.

[Via Mehmet Gozetlik]

R3 Media Network

Android Community
Angry Birds Update Gets Mod to Optimize Gameplay and Hide Ads [HAPPY BIRDS]
ACCESS Launches NetFront Life Mobile Browser for Android Devices – Free for Download [ALL SIDEWAYS]
T-Mobile G2 Overclocked to 1.9Ghz [FAST]
Australian Sony Ericsson Twitter Releases Android 2.1 Update Info for Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and Mini [UPDATES]
Samsung Galaxy Tab Production Cut in Half, According to Analyst [CHOP]
Panasonic entering the japanese smartphone market in 2011 [WATCH OUT]
Bootlace creators to bring Froyo to iPhone 4 and iPad [STRAP EM UP!]
LG Vortex due Nov 18; 1m Optimus One smartphones sold in a month [LIKE HOTCAKES]
Swedish firm outs world’s first Android TV [WATCHIN STAR WARS]
Aigo aigopad N700 Tegra 2 tablet launches [TABLET ALL AROUND]

SlashGear
SoundFreaq SFQ-01A Review [REVIEW]
A Week with the HTC HD7: Software [FEATURED]
Twitter Launches Push Notifications for @mentions [KNOW ALL]
Phonekerchief Lets Your Date Know They’ve Got Your Full Attention [GIFTABLE]
Google Voice for iPhone Review [REVIEW]
Google Voice for iPhone Launches [LAUNCH]
Samsung Continuum Hands-On & Unboxing [FEATURED]
Beatles hit iTunes as Apple announce gets early reveal [FEATURED]
LG “Star” Tegra 2 Android phone leaks: 8MP, 1080p & HDMI [LEAKY]
Schmidt’s Nexus S tease video now online [VIDEO]
B&N NOOK Color on sale now; new firmware for original NOOK next week [COLOR FOR ALL]
Proporta outs TurboCharger Back Pack battery case for iPhone 4 [PLUGGIN]
Giftmeister makes shopping easy on Android and iPhone [BURGERMEISTER MEISTERBURGER]
Microsoft Kinect sells a million units in 10 days [GO FOR THE GOLD]
PLX Devices XWave brain interface for Apple devices ships [CREEPY FUTURISTIC]
Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook on sale November 23? [FLIPPY SCREEN]

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

R3 Media Network

Android Community
Bootlace creators to bring Froyo to iPhone 4 and iPad [STRAP EM UP!]
LG Vortex due Nov 18; 1m Optimus One smartphones sold in a month [LIKE HOTCAKES]
Swedish firm outs world’s first Android TV [WATCHIN STAR WARS]
Aigo aigopad N700 Tegra 2 tablet launches [TABLET ALL AROUND]

SlashGear
Beatles hit iTunes as Apple announce gets early reveal [FEATURED]
LG “Star” Tegra 2 Android phone leaks: 8MP, 1080p & HDMI [LEAKY]
Schmidt’s Nexus S tease video now online [VIDEO]
B&N NOOK Color on sale now; new firmware for original NOOK next week [COLOR FOR ALL]
Proporta outs TurboCharger Back Pack battery case for iPhone 4 [PLUGGIN]
Giftmeister makes shopping easy on Android and iPhone [BURGERMEISTER MEISTERBURGER]
Microsoft Kinect sells a million units in 10 days [GO FOR THE GOLD]
PLX Devices XWave brain interface for Apple devices ships [CREEPY FUTURISTIC]
Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook on sale November 23? [FLIPPY SCREEN]

To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

R3 Media Network

SlashPhone
LG Vortex Heading To Verizon
Walmart Give Away $100 Giftcard For Purchasing a Smartphone

Android Community
Motorola MOTOPAD to be 7-inch Android 3.0 debut?
20+ custom Adam apps claim Notion Ink
Black Flyday helps you find shopping deals for holiday season
PC World yank Toshiba’s Folio 100 over poor buyer feedback?
Another Dual-Core Samsung Phone Confirmation (Plus More Anzu)
Gingerbread Comes Out Tomorrow(?) at Web 2.0 Summit
Dell Streak to get Froyo at end of November

SlashGear
Apple iTunes announcement “you’ll never forget” promised for Tuesday Nov 16 [FEATURED]
Android 3.0 MOTOPAD is Motorola & Google’s Honeycomb opener?
Nokia production line death sparks Indian investigation
Nokia E7 clears FCC, pentaband WCDMA intact
AMD join MeeGo project with Intel & Nokia: will use it with APUs
Rumor pegs Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 and X7 Mini inbound in Q1
Palm Pre 2 lands in UK
Stun Fone was a viral marketing campaign
HTC EVO Shift 4G trademark filing tips upcoming Android tablet?
Free MeeGo IdeaPad S10-3t for developers as Intel get open-source serious
T-Mobile Samsung Tab Review [REVIEW]
A Week with the HTC HD7: Hardware [FEATURED]
Verizon Ad Leaks Look at Pantech and LG LTE Modems
Jolicloud Jolibook Official Press Photos Now Available (2 Sizes?)
Why I can’t wait to get rid of my DVR [COLUMN]

To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

To get a full instructions manual on how to do this particular bit of hacking, head over to Redmond Pie and grab yourself a piece. Of course, we must remind you that you’ll be breaking a few laws and could get into lots of trouble. On the other hand, you will after installing correctly have a super-neato dual-boot situation on your hands, that allowing you to either boot into Android via Froyo or your version of iOS.

Inside Android 2.2 Froyo, you’re said to be able to run Adobe Flash 10.1, allowing you to do … whatever it is you’ve got to do using flash to view and interact with things. Writer Chuong Nguyen over at Gotta Be Mobile reminds us (specifically me) that Apple has for a long time “touted its dual-boot solutions for PCs and notebooks via its BootCamp interface to allow Mac OS X users to boot between running a Windows PC environment or OS X on their Mac hardware,” but that, yes, I can’t imagine these same folks being all that pleased when they find that the android is lofting their logo high overhead!

[Via Gotta Be Mobile]

The original Droid went officially out of stock early in the week. The out of stock notice came only a few days before the Droid 2 successor hit stores. A prototype Menlo smartphone from Microsoft surfaced packed inside a weird case. The case attached to the prototype was being used for some sort of location-based services testing.

It appears the loss of the exclusive chokehold on the iPhone is nearing its end with AT&T hinting at the loss of the exclusive in an SEC filing. AT&T figures it won’t see a mass exodus of subscribers but I bet a bunch of iPhone fans have been waiting for the day they can leave. AT&T announced that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 will land in stores on August 15 for $130. The phone has a giant 4-inch screen and uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

RED makes some of the sweetest cameras that also happen to be among some of the most expensive you can find. The RED Scarlet camera has surfaced in photos and is expected to cost around $3,000. The Dell Streak MID official pricing and availability was finally unveiled. The Streak will land on August 13 for $300 with a new AT&T contract.

The Droid 2 went up for sale on the Verizon website on Wednesday. The smartphone carried a $199.99 price with a new 2-year agreement. The Droid 2 is the reason the original Droid was retired earlier in the week. The same day the Droid 2 landed the original Droid got its Android 2.2 Froyo update.

The official accessories for the Galaxy S smartphone were unveiled. There will be desk and car docks along with a DLNA HD streamer. A cool camcorder surfaced from a company called Ordro. The camera is the HDV-D350S and it has a pico projector grafted onto it for watching what you record with a bunch of people.

The crap Apple TV device is apparently being replaced with something more along the line of the iPhone 4 in size and performance. The new device will be called iTV says a rumor and will have access to apps and more. Apple launched the iOS 4.0.2 software update mid-week. The update was specifically to fix that PDF flaw used for remote jailbreaking.

If you were hoping the pricing announcement on the Dell Streak MID that included a price with no contract meant the Streak was unlocked, you are out of luck. Dell has stated even Streaks sold with no contract will be SIM locked to AT&T. Rumors are making their rounds that the CDMA iPhone anticipated for so long is in engineering verification testing. All we need is an Apple worker to leave it in a bar for confirmation.

A prototype device from Dell surfaced Thursday called the Thunder. The device has a 4.1-inch screen, 8MP camera and a removable 1400mAh battery. We posted up our review of the Blackberry Torch 9800 Thursday. We still say that a year ago the Torch would have fared better as it is the device is not that great.

We also unboxed our Droid 2 and offered up some hands-on first impression this week. You can check out the pics and impression here ahead of our full review. iFixit did its teardown thing with the shiny new Droid 2 late in the week. The Droid 2 has lots of parts inside it and the teardown might be perfect if you should need to fix your device DIY style.

MSI showed off its new WindPad U100 ahead of IFA. The device has an Atom Z530 CPU, 10.1-inch screen 2GB of RAM, and a 32GB SSD. Genius unveiled a new MousePen M508 and M598W tablet this week selling for $149 and $199 respectively. The tablets will work for drawing and regular old mousing.

The Nikon D3100 DSLR surfaced with some impressive features this week. The features came by way of a German magazine and the camera will supposedly have a 10MP sensor, 1080p HD video, LiveView, and an ISO range of 100 to 12,800. Thanks for reading this week’s edition, see you next time!

That includes a Froyo update for the Vodafone Google Nexus One as early as next week, with the carrier-branded device finally getting what unlocked users have been enjoying for a few weeks now.  Handy, since Google has announced that they’ll soon not be offering the unlocked version themselves, leaving it up to carrier partners to supply the phone.

Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S is tipped to get Android 2.2 in September 2010, in France at least.  That’s particularly good news, as we found the Galaxy S’ processor to have plenty of promise when we reviewed the smartphone and expect Froyo to only make things better.  Remember, if you want to keep up to speed on Android, check out Android Community our sibling site; they’re pretty darn obsessed over there.

We’re yet to see an official changelog, however, so that might not be the extent of the differences between the two versions.  According to xda-developers you’ll need to have installed FRF85B before you can install FRF91; they have the necessary download links if you’ve not had luck waiting for an OTA install.

Co-CEO of Motorola, Sanjay Jha, decided to open up in regards to just about anything that his company might be thinking about for the future, which included HTC, tablets (of course), and where he and his company stand on that proprietary Operating System (OS) he mentioned a few months back. There’s not a lot that we didn’t see coming, and definitely no surprises here, but nevertheless it’s always good to hear it coming from a company’s Chief Executive, rather than the rumor mill.

First up, Android 2.2 and how it relates to Motorola’s devices. Jha said that he and his company would be “aggressive” in bringing Froyo to its devices. That plays right into the hands with the statement we received from the company a few days back, and sheds a bit more light on what they meant about “devices.” It’s pretty clear now that Jha intends for the latest version of Google’s mobile OS to show up on some other handset, and not just the DROID. Which handsets, of course, remains to be seen. (And yes, that could very well mean “future” devices.)

Also touching on the subject of Android and HTC, Jha said that he isn’t worried about the Droid Incredible stealing away any of the thunder brought to the scene by Motorola’s original DROID. He admits that his company has more Droid phones coming down the pipe that he’s excited about, which definitely includes some for Verizon Wireless, which we’ll go ahead and assume is (at least) the Motorola Shadow. As for Motoblur? There’s apparently a new version of it coming out later this year, but there aren’t any more details to elaborate on that.

And finally, talk about tablets is never far off from this day and age. How does Motorola feel about them? They make good “companion devices,” and that’s about it. Jha admitted that Motorola is thinking “about the right solution there,” but didn’t suggest that they were actually working on anything on that front. So, no Motoblur tablets. It sounds like Jha and company have a firm plan for what’s coming, and we can’t wait to see what it leads to.

[via Electronista]

According to Ry Guy, a Google Employee, the release of Froyo floating around the Internet, and installed on quite a few Nexus Ones out there, isn’t the official release. Plain and simple. Nexus One owners out there, whether they’ve upgraded or not, will still receive an Over the Air (OTA) update notification when Google does finally push out the update. Of course, that’s only if the official release is newer than the build that Google is releasing at the time. So, it’s perfectly plausible that you, with your manually updated Nexus One, will have the “final build” even before Google updates the rest of them.

Google is “striving hard to OTA the build to you ASAP,” according to Ry Guy. We should also mention that, as long as you upgraded your N1 from Google, and the update was from the Mountain View-based company, then you’ll be good to go when the official update comes rolling around. We’re still expecting it within the next couple of weeks, and some time in the “near future” for Motorola DROID owners out there. Of course, if you haven’t put Froyo on your Nexus One yet, and you’re curious about it, then read “Froyo is Delicious.” It’s worth it.

[via XDA Developers Forum; Thanks, Paul!]

“We’re excited to see Google’s news of the next version of the Android operating system and look forward to integrating it on our Android-based devices as it’s made available to the open source community.”

While I can’t comment on specifics, we do expect DROID by Motorola users will receive Android 2.2 as a software upgrade in the near future.”

There’s something to take away from this right from the start. They’re looking forward to integrating it in their Android-based devices. Yes, this could be just the standard PR talk, and basically “beating around the bush,” but here we are again hoping beyond hope that it means the MOTOBLUR devices out there aren’t being left out to pasture.

As for the DROID by Motorola, it gets a bit more buttoned down, but not much. They’re looking at upgrading the software in the “near future,” and all we can say at this point, is that better be sooner than later. Of course, Android 2.1, for all intents and purposes, just hit the DROID, so maybe we’re wishing on the stars to think that it could come sooner than, say, a month from now?

We know that the Nexus One is first in line for the update, and that HTC is planning to release Android 2.2 some time by the end of the year, so at least we have some kind of answer now about how the DROID stands in all of this. We’re still prodding our way around the folks at Verizon Wireless, hoping that we can dig out a far more detailed answer from them, so stay tuned.

[Thanks, Motorola!]

The Best of R3 Media

Android is Innovation for Everyone: There’s no doubt that Android is on the rise. It’s pretty much everywhere right now. (Even our TVs.) But, we’re like the rest of you: we want proof. So, thankfully Google today gave us a brief run down of how they’re mobile Operating System is doing. And, just to make a long story short, it’s doing very well for itself. They’re looking at 60 Android-compatible devices, from 21 OEMs, in 48 countries, on an unprecedented 59 different carriers. They’re also selling 100,000 Android-based devices every day. So yeah, pretty good for themselves. [via Android Community]

Meet the Versace Unique: We’d say it’s unique (maybe we already did), but the truth is, well, okay, maybe it is. It’s manufactured from hand-crafted pure ceramic or handmade lacquers, you can choose from an 18K yellow gold finish, or having a 316L grade stainless steel inlay. On top of that, with no pun intended please, the touchscreen is protected with a single sheet of sapphire crystal. Unfortunately, the uniqueness comes to a sudden halt when you realize that LG is actually providing the software. Go check out its purple goodness, it’ll definitely make your night. [via SlashPhone]

The Dredge Net

Steve Jobs Isn’t a Fan of Google’s WebM: Open source is a good thing. Just ask Google. But, not everyone wants to jump on the open-source bandwagon of the moment. Point in fact, Steve Jobs has a plan, and unfortunately for everyone who wanted Safari to start including WebM in the future, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. In a terse reply to someone brave enough to email the question to Jobs himself, Jobs basically said that WebM is weak, incomplete, and heavy with patent issues. Of course, this won’t be the only thing we hear of Jobs’ opinion on WebM, but it’s definitely an interesting start. Stay tuned for more, certainly. [via Apple Insider]

White iPhone HD gets a Nice Render: Despite the fact it’s ridiculously fake, and right now there’s not even a slightest bit of confirmation that the iPhone HD in white even exists, but that didn’t stop someone from setting it up in a three-dimensional render, and showing it off to the world. And for that, we thank them. Because, if the iPhone HD in white actually looks like this, consider us a little bit more sold on the hardware. We don’t have long to wait, so let’s hold tight, and see what Apple announces here in a few short weeks. [via Mac Stories]

The AT&T Palm Pre Plus Gets Unlocked: It’s brought to you by the NextGenServer SIM unlock method that broke cover last month. And, just as we’ve seen with any other unlocked phone showing up here in the States, you’ll be able to use the AT&T Palm Pre Plus with T-Mobile USA, or TELUS up there in Canada. However, don’t expect 3G speeds if you’re using it on T-Mobile. Go crazy with your 3G downloads if you find yourself on TELUS, though. The unlock costs $37, so figure it out for yourself if that’s worth it to you. [via PreCentral]

We don’t know right now how many WiFi devices you’ll be able to associate at any one time, but if you splurged on an iPad WiFi, for instance, and are now looking enviously at those with iPad 3G models, this could be a straightforward way to address it.  We’re expecting carriers to have something to say about tethering, mind, which will likely come in the form of an extra fee on top of your data plan; more worrying, we don’t know if they’ll have the option to block the functionality so as to prevent over-stressing their 3G networks.

Android 2.2 Froyo is expected to debut at Google I/O 2010 next week, and we’ll be there to bring you all the news.

[via Android Community]

The Best of R3

Dell Introduces the Thunder, Flash, and Smoke: We’re going out on a limb here and saying that Dell obviously wants to make sure that they’re a presence in the smartphone market again. And, if they release even one of these Android-based devices, we’ll firmly admit that they’ve made it. The Dell Thunder is an Android 2.1-based handset, with a 4.1-inch WVGA OLED screen. It has an 8MP camera on the back, and it features Dell’s “Stage” User Interface, which looks eerily like HTC’s Sense UI. It’s going to be hitting AT&T later this year, and there’s even going to be an LTE model in the fourth quarter 2011. The Flash is a ridiculous piece of architecture, with Dell aiming to mold it out of a slice of curved glass. Yeah, sounds expensive, right? It will feature a 3.5-inch WVGA LCD screen, a 5MP camera, WiFi, TV-out, Bluetooth 3.0, and a Qualcomm MSM7230 processor running at 800MHz. And finally the Dell Smoke, which is like a Palm Pixi but that got beat with a sexy stick. Featuring a beautiful full QWERTY keyboard, with a 2.8-inch QVGA display. It’s also featuring Android’s Froyo version, which already makes it a highly anticipated device. The trouble is, the Smoke won’t launch until the second quarter of 2011. [Thunder via Android Community; Flash via Android Community; Smoke via Android Community]

100 iPads Ordered for California Hospital: The iPad is a perfect fit for the medical industry, and Nick Volosin thinks so, too. He’s the Director of Technical Services for the Kaweah Delta Health Care District, and after he managed to get there iPads over to his hospital to test out, they’ve now put in an order for an additional 100 tablets for their staff. Utilizing the Citrix Receiver, they can take full control of a virtual PC to watch over patient statistics, read X-rays, and look over EKG results while on the go. [via Everything iPad]

HTC Hero Won’t be Seeing 2.1 Until June: Bad day for the owners of the original HTC Hero. According to an email correspondence, it doesn’t look like the Hero is going to be seeing any kind of major update until June. They will be getting an update to prepare their handsets by some time in June, and then a short time later, the full Eclair update will be delivered to their devices. A long way from February or March, if you ask us, and considering the HTC Desire is already out and about, we can’t see why customers are still waiting. [via SlashPhone]

The Dredge Net

Android Lives on the iPhone: It’s about time, right? According to a recent posted video, the notorious iPhone hacker planetbeing has successfully booted the Google mobile Operating System, Android, onto a fully functional iPhone. And, everything works. You can watch in the video as he tries several different features, such as a Skype call. Planetbeing even says that Flash could be supported. As of right now he is able to actually dual-boot, and choose which mobile Operating System he wants to load. It’s good to have choices, right? [via Quick Pwn]

Even Washers of the Future Are Awesome: We’d have to say that perhaps “thinner isn’t better” when it comes to washing machines, as the idea is to get as much done in a single load as possible, but we can’t argue a sexy piece of technology when we see one. For example, this Electrolux washing machine is just about ridiculous, and we can’t stop staring at the beautiful illuminated ring of light. It changes color depending on what cycle your wash is in, so you’ll always know, just by a quick glance, what stage your clothes are currently being washed. A great idea, especially considering there’s a wall-mounted model, as well as one that fits into the cabinets. Great ideas that we hope to see come to fruition soon. [via DVICE]

Microsoft Planning a Live TV Channel for Xbox 360: As video game consoles go, there’s definitely several different features for each of them. And, while Sony has already tried their hand at original video content, it seems that Microsoft wants to test out the action, too. According to a recent report, it seems that Microsoft is in current talks with former President of News Corp., Peter Chernin, to create a dedicated TV Channel for the Xbox 360 LIVE network. The channel would be jointly owned, and would not only have new, original content, but also air reruns of old shows, so that there is always something playing. Customers would have to pay an additional one, or two dollars a month to access the channel, though. [via TG Daily]