This handset is a Verizon-branded Motorola DROID device, this meaning that it’ll come packed with an official Google-made suite of applications as well as Verizon’s own additions, plus a Motorola custom user interface. This device has a 1.2GHz OMAP4 dual-core processor from Texas Instruments, a 4-inch qHD display, 4G LTE connectivity, and a lovely slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The look of it reminds one very much of the Droid RAZR and the Droid RAZR MAXX, both of which have been released inside the last couple months.

The video above is yours truly checking the device out at CES 2012, it looking ready and willing to be launched inside these first few months of the year. You’ll be able to find all the lovely details on this device that haven’t been listed here at Droid Does or in the timeline of leaks below, and stick around on SlashGear for the full review soon as well! Will this be your next QWERTY superstar, you Motorola lovers, you?

[via Android Community]

From what’s been tipped so far, the DROID RAZR is expected to feature a 4.3-inch display with a qHD resolution, an 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture, and possibly a 1.2GHz or even 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. That could make it much faster than the recently launched iPhone 4S with its 512MB of RAM.

The front of the device is said to be fully Gorilla Glass while the chassis is made of Kevlar covered in a splash-proof coating. Motorola has been teasing it with the slogan “Faster. Thinner. Smarter. Stronger.” We’ll find out just how much so in a matter of minutes, so keep it here.

There are several factors to consider here, the first and very possibly the most important of which being that there’s a new iPhone coming to at least a couple of carriers in the next few months. Verizon is certainly on the list for future iPhone devices, so carrying a Samsung Galaxy S, perhaps the iPhone’s biggest competitor yet, may not be in the cards. On the other hand, it does appear that AT&T will be getting the Galaxy S II even though they’ve carried the iPhone for longer than any other group.

Next thing to think about is the Motorola DROID Bionic. This device is a 4.3-inch display having dual-core 4G LTE Android much in the same way the Galaxy S II is a 4.3-inch display having dual-core and possibly 4G LTE-having device of the future. Would Verizon be willing to market them both at the same time? Verizon is one gigantic group and they’re certainly not incapable of showing both the Bionic and the Galaxy S II at the same time. Only question is – since Natalie Portman is promoting the Bionic, will Mila Kunis be tapped for the GSII? We’ll see!

[via PocketNow]

With a gigantic batch of alternate Samsung devices soon to be released at IFA 2011, we’ve got to guess that Verizon will continue to lead with Samsung’s DROID Charge as it runs on their 4G LTE network as well as some future Galaxy devices, perhaps the Galaxy R, for example, a “Premium” version of the new Galaxy line while the Galaxy S II is considered “Flagship.”

One reason for this possible decision should be obvious to all those lovers of the Verizon DROID line, that being the upcoming dual-core LTE 4G capable Droid BIONIC. This device is set to be the world’s first 4G LTE device with a dual-core processor on the market, this device to be rolling out SOON by the looks of it. Why have two of what consumers might see as essentially the same device on one network? On the other hand, Verizon may seek to continue to dominate the market as it ends up holding, again, the only 4G LTE dual-core smartphone in the world while the rest of the networks have the Galaxy S II. I’m sure you can see how they’d be able to market that as a major advantage.

[via WSJ]

Hardware

The Droid 3 features a larger 4-inch (960 x 540) qHD display and a five-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Inside, it runs on a 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 dual-core processor with PowerVR SGX540, which is rated to be twice as fast as the previous SGX530 GPU. RAM remains at 512MB, while internal storage is now bumped up to 16GB, expandable with up to 32GB microSD.

External ports include the usual micro-HDMI, micro-USB, and 3.5mm headphone jack. It has the physical power button centered on top, volume rocker on the side, and the standard four capacitive touch buttons of Android devices.

Camera specs have been boosted to an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, capable of 1080p HD video capture. However, the LED flash is now replaced with a single LED that seems to do the job of the dual-set used previously. A front-facing camera has also been added, but only of VGA quality.

Software & Performance

Motorola’s customized interface runs on top of Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. It’s no longer called Motoblur with a rather nice, clean look and some new icons along with new animations between windows. Five windows are available for adding your favorite widgets and apps, and the included widgets are nicely minimal. There is also a dock at the bottom of the screen with four customizable icons.

Preloaded are around 60 apps, which include a selection of Google apps, GoToMeeting, BlockBuster, and Skype to name a few. At the top right corner is a shopping bag icon that takes you directly to the Android Market, while to the top left is dropdown menu that lets you sort and filter your apps by Recent, Downloaded, All, or any custom group that you’ve created.

Benchmark scores for the Droid 3 are decent. The synthetic benchmarking tools we used include Quadrant Pro, Vellamo, and Smartbench 2011.

Battery & Camera

The Droid 3 will last you about a day given average use. It’s 4-inch qHD screen and dual-core processor will put a drain on the small 1540 mAh battery, but if you charge nightly, then it shouldn’t be an issue.

The camera quality boost to 8-megapixels is a nice bonus, offering crisp image stills and sharp 1080p videos. The below image and video were shot very close-up to some dry brush full of prickly thorns sitting in lava rock and demonstrates how nicely the camera captures all these tiny details. However, after video compression, the short clip you see below doesn’t really do the Droid 3 camera justice.

Wrap-Up

The Motorola Droid 3 is a good upgrade from the Droid 2. The overall design has remained mostly unchanged, which will be good for fans of the original that are looking for the same form factor but with boosted specs.

You will especially like the larger 4-inch qHD display, a thinner profile, and redesigned QWERTY with an extra row dedicated for number keys. There’s also the better 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture and the addition of a front-facing VGA camera—although that will be good only for video chatting.

The new “not Motoblur” interface is clean and snappy without too many custom widgets that get in the way. Performance is excellent with the new TI OMAP 4430 dual-core processor and battery life is decent though not great.

The only gripe perhaps is that the device does not support 4G LTE on Verizon’s network. But it is a world phone with dual bands and even comes with a SIM card inside. For those hoping for a 4G LTE handset, then perhaps wait for the Droid Bionic that should arrive sometime in September. But the trade-off then will be no QWERTY and no use abroad. So it really depends on your priorities.

The Droid 3 is currently available through Verizon for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement. Off contract, the phone is selling for $459.99.

Physically and aesthetically the DROID 2 is very much an evolution of its predecessor, itself a particularly distinctive device. Motorola has toned down some of the more dramatic hard lines and eye-catching detailing – gone, for instance, is the gold grill-work, replaced by more traditional silver – and the result is an altogether smoother, slicker device. The most noticeable physical change is to the keyboard, and welcome it is too. The original DROID’s QWERTY was frustratingly flat and even more annoyingly offset, with Motorola choosing to put a large D-pad on the right hand side and forcing users to stretch their thumb across.

On the DROID 2, however, the D-pad has been relegated to a small, far more usable arrow key cluster integrated with the keyboard itself, and the buttons are now all slightly domed. The layout itself is improved, with no blank placeholder keys left wasted, and the typing experience on the whole is significantly improved. Not as good as, say, the Samsung Epic 4G (review) – which benefits from being a bigger handset and thus having more room for its keyboard – but certainly enough to put the original DROID to shame.

Other changes between the two handsets are more subtle, certainly when viewed from the outside. The same 3.7-inch 854 x 480 capacitive LCD touchscreen is used, and it remains a strong panel (though pales these days in comparison to the Galaxy S’ Super AMOLED screen or the iPhone 4′s Retina Display). Motorola has changed the order of the touch-sensitive buttons under the screen – search is still on the far right, but menu, home and back have all been shifted, meaning DROID 2 upgraders will have to do a little muscle-memory retraining – but the overall shape of the new phone is generally the same. That means you can use the same accessories, the Desk Dock and Car Dock, as for the original DROID, rather than spending on new ones.

Inside, Motorola has used a 1GHz OMAP 36×0 series processor, almost twice as fast as the original, and that – coupled with Android 2.2 Froyo being loaded as standard – makes for a generally swift moving software experience. It’s the same CPU as in the Motorola DROID X (as well as 512MB of RAM) but of course the touchscreen-only phone ships with Android 2.1 Eclair. We’ve seen the improvement Google’s more recent Android release makes to day-to-day performance on other devices, and indeed the DROID 2 felt a little snappier completing regular task than the DROID X did.

It’s worth remembering, however, that the original DROID is getting an Android 2.2 update right now, potentially smartening up the existing phone to the point where current owners might not choose to upgrade to the DROID 2. Also in their favor is the original handset’s unmodified OS; in contrast, like the DROID X, Motorola has customized Android 2.2. The latest, relatively pared down version of MOTOBLUR makes an appearance, together with dynamically resizable widgets, for pulling in social networking updates from Facebook, Twitter and others. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen before (from Motorola and other device manufacturers), when the OS is modified from stock it usually takes longer for handsets to get newer Android versions. As we felt with the DROID X, the customizations Motorola have chosen simply don’t deliver enough extra usability, for us, to warrant the likelihood of later delays.

The DROID X’s camera UI is carried over to the DROID 2, but unfortunately the hardware hasn’t come with it; instead there’s a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, just as you’d get on the first DROID. It pales in comparison to modern rivals, too. Indoor stills, despite the dual-LED flash, are fuzzy and prone to blurring, while outdoor shots have decent color balance but still lack fine detail when blown up. It’s not a terrible camera, no, but rivals like Samsung are definitely doing better. As for the camcorder, it falls short of the 720p HD video commonly found on high-end alternatives, instead maxing out at 720 x 480. Clips tend toward the blurry, though the exposure and color-balance is reasonable.

Motorola’s other main changes to the software are to preload Swype, the gesture-based onscreen keyboard gaining momentum on Android phones, and a Mobile Hotspot app, which allows you to share your 3G connections among up to five WiFi clients. However we wish the company had spent some more time finessing their Microsoft Exchange integration; the problems with sync we experienced on the original DROID are still apparent on the second-gen model, despite an update to ActiveSync 12.0. There’s now Flash 10.1 support in the Android browser, which worked reasonably well, though certain games are obviously written for keyboard and mouse control and don’t lend themselves so well to touchscreens. We were able to stream in-page video, but higher bitrates content did tend to choke the DROID 2.

More worrying, though, were the persistent signal and call issues. We praised the original DROID for its strong audio quality and tenacious grip on Verizon’s network, but the same really can’t be said for the DROID 2. Without physically moving the handset we saw it flick between various levels of Internet connection speed, and minor changes in position were enough to prematurely end conversations. It’s a shame, because when we had a solid connection the in-call audio was strong and clear. Hopefully Motorola will release a firmware update to address reception, since we’re not the only people to have complaints about the DROID 2′s abilities in this area. Finally, we’d like to have seen Motorola make this a world-phone, rather than CDMA-only; as with its predecessor, take the DROID 2 outside of North America and you won’t be able to roam onto the more common GSM networks.

With the DROID 2′s WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR turned on, we managed to get through a regular workday on a single charge of the 1,400mAh battery. Still, as with most other recent smartphones, you’ll be charging nightly: Motorola’s Desk Stand – which automatically puts the DROID 2 into a clock/media player mode – makes this more palatable, at least.

When we started, we asked whether Motorola had done enough with the DROID 2 to maintain their momentum, or whether they’d perhaps been too conservative in their changes. The outcome is certainly less clear-cut than back when we reviewed the DROID. In the new handset’s favor are the improved keyboard, faster CPU and boosted RAM; however the mediocre camera and customized Android 2.2 OS count against it. That’s before you get to aberrations of the cellular wireless, which we’re hoping will be addressed soon. For original Verizon DROID owners, we don’t see any great push to upgrade; the keyboard is improved, yes, but if physical QWERTY is your priority then there are better ‘boards out there, and the Android 2.2 update for the first phone closes the gap when it comes to functionality.

In the context of the rest of the market, meanwhile, the DROID 2′s 3.7-inch display is beginning to feel a little small. The DROID X’s 4.3-inch panel is huge in comparison, and even 4-inch phones leave the DROID 2 feeling cramped. Still, there are plenty of people who prefer physically smaller devices. We’re glad to see the Android smartphone segment continue to grow – we’re all for more choice, after all – but Motorola will likely find the Verizon DROID 2 makes less of a splash than its illustrious predecessor managed.

“Verizon Wireless has begun pushing an update  today to the DROID by Motorola (introduced November 2009) that will  allow customers to download Adobe Flash 10.1 via Android Market. Flash Player 10.1 provides access to millions of sites  with rich content including animations, casual games, videos, rich internet  applications, audio and much more.”

The news comes on the heels of the Android 2.2 Froyo update for the DROID, which recently began distribution OTA.  It brings the DROID up to date with the DROID 2, software wise, though the second-generation model does have Motorola’s MOTOBLUR social networking enhancements.

[via Android Community]

We’ll be watching the feedback closely to see whether the battery and other issues affecting some devices updated to Android 2.2 reoccur with the DROID; it seems that, no matter how “finished” the upgrade package, some people are inevitably going to have problems.  Let us know how you get on in the comments!

[via Android Community]

We had actually heard rumors that the original Droid would be updated to Froyo at the end of July, so this isn’t all that far from the case. And, while the HTC EVO 4G is getting updated to the same version number on August 3rd, we expect the roll out for the original Droid to happen right around the same time. There’s no exact date, but considering the competition, we wouldn’t be surprised.

So, we’ve got confirmation from HTC, Samsung, and now Motorola that existing devices in the market right now are getting updated to 2.2. This is great news for all the Android fans out there, especially those who have been waiting patiently for their official upgrade. Now, the Motorola Droid X is next on the list — so hopefully that happens before the end of the month of August. Any word on that, Motorola?

[Thanks, Verizon!]

The Samsung Knack U310, Smooth U350, Intensity U450 and Saga I770 are also tipped for the chip, as well as the Gateway LT2016U.  No word on what stock Verizon have left of any of the handsets; we’ve checked the two Motorola phones on the carrier’s site, and both seem to still be in stock, but we’d recommend calling ahead if you’re planning on making the trip out to your nearest Verizon store.

Motorola’s newest Android handset, the DROID X, was released on Verizon yesterday and has already sold out; new shipments aren’t expected to go out until July 23rd.  Meanwhile the DROID 2 – which will, like the first DROID, have hardware QWERTY keyboard – is expected to debut imminently.

[via Android Community]

As for why they made that exception, there’s only the mysterious explanation that Motorola had “a specific business reason for doing so.”  In contrast, the European version of the DROID – the Motorola Milestone – had a locked bootloader, as do all of the other Android smartphones from the company.

“The use of open source software, such as the Linux kernel or the Android platform, in a consumer device does notrequire the handset running such software to be open for re-flashing.  We comply with the licenses, including GPLv2, for each of the open source packages in our handsets.” Motorola

[via Android Community]

The Best of R3 Media

Froyo Landing on Motorola Droids in July and August: At the announcement for the Droid X today, it was made perfectly clear that the update to Android 2.2, for the Droid X and the original Droid, was coming by the end of the Summer. And now, thanks to some leaked direct images from an internal Verizon Wireless source, we are starting to get a bit more of a clearer image. The original Droid is apparently getting the update to Froyo a month ahead of the Droid X — it’s expected to launch at the end of July. As for the Droid X? That’s coming at the end of August, apparently. [via Android Community]

Parrot AR.Drone Hands-On: The Parrot AR.Drone is definitely one of the most talked about, and heavily wanted items on the planet right now. And, thanks to our charms here at SlashGear, we were able to get some hands-on time with the new-fangled device. You’ll be able to control the Drone from your iPhone or iPod Touch (that includes the iPad, too), and there’s even an Android application coming some time in the future. There will be interactive games that you’ll be able to “play” on the mobile controller, with more games coming from an open source approach later, after the device launches later this year. Check out the other details, pictures, as well as the video through the link. [via SlashGear]

BlackBerry 9650 Heading to US Cellular: As CDMA-based devices go, the BlackBerry lineage is a breed that gets passed around a lot. No surprise here, but the device that’s already made an appearance on Verizon Wireless and the Sprint Network is making its way to the sixth largest wireless carrier in the United States, better known as the regional carrier U.S. Cellular. It’s launching some time in early August, but other than that, we’ve got no more information, as US Cellular is being remarkably quiet on the launch. Guess they have to have their surprises, too, right? [via PhoneMag]

The Dredge ‘Net

Zune Music Comes to Xbox 360, No You Can’t Listen to It While You Play Games: Long title, because it deserves one. Not because it’s good news, though. If you’ve got your hands on an Xbox 360, and you’re one that’s used Last.fm before, then you know that music played from Last.fm can’t be played while you’re playing games, or anything else for that matter. That’s right — you’re console can’t multitask that certain application. In any event, Zune is just about ready to make it so you can use your Zune Pass on your 360, but it’ll work just like Last.fm — no music multitasking. But, then again, if you’ve got a Zune Pass, then you probably have a computer and the Zune Software, which means you can just connect your computer to the Xbox 360, thanks to wireless syncing, and play your music that way, right from the media player. So . . . Problem solved? [via Gizmodo]

Nintendo 3DS May Do 3D Video Chat, How Cool is That? Yes, that rhymes. Excuse us, we’re in a curious mood tonight. Anyway! Apparently, Nintendo’s dropped some hints that 3D video chat can, and will be done on the Nintendo 3DS. No idea how, considering that the 3D cameras are on the outside of the device, but hey, Nintendo’s obviously got some ideas. Now, we make it happen. We want 3D video chat! [via Kotaku]

Trinity Euphoria Yacht is Real, Costs A Lot: Yachts are expensive. There’s definitely no denying that. And, the Trinity Euphoria is $39,000,000 worth of 168-feet goodness. It can comfortably hold 10 people in its five state rooms. There’s a pair of 2,250-hp engines, too, and they can send the yacht on 3,000 nautical miles on a tank of fuel. That’s beyond impressive. [via The Awesomer]

So, what big device is it going to be? We heard that Verizon and Motorola were going to launch two DROID devices in July, and we imagine that it wouldn’t take much imagination to assume that they could be talking about two devices at the press conference, but our money is on one device: the Droid X. While the Droid 2 has been rumored as well, it just doesn’t feel like its big enough to get this kind of attention.

As for the Droid X, we’d be looking at the official unveiling of the 4.3-inch device. Which, will at least run Android 2.1. But, considering the CEO of Adobe is going to be on hand to talk about something, we might be willing to place our bets that it will be the first device on Verizon to run Android 2.2, or Froyo. We’re also looking at a 1GHz processor under the hood, and a new version of Motorola’s MOTOBLUR, codenamed NinjaBLUR. Of course, we’re going to be there, live, giving you all the breaking information as it happens thanks to our legendary live blog. So, head on over to http://live.slashgear.com on June 23rd, beginning at 1:00PM Eastern, and get ready to meet the next generation of DROID.

[Update]: Well, looks like we don’t necessarily have to wait until June 23rd to get a glimpse of what’s coming down the pipe for the DROID lineage. Thanks to our friends over at Engadget, we get to see the DROID X first-hand, and watch as they snap through the homescreens. First impressions are always the most important, and it looks like they’re pretty excited about what Motorola has in store for Verizon customers. Here’s what they’ve confirmed:

The DROID X doesn’t have a 4.3-inch screen, apparently. It’s actually 4.4-inches, and it features FWVGA at a resolution of 854 x 480. They weren’t able to directly confirm it with the model they got to spend some time with, but they aren’t saying it isn’t possible. The screen’s very crisp, and the capacitive touchscreen is very responsive. Hardware wise, it’s thin. It’s also longer, and just a little bit wider than the current Android big-wig, the EVO 4G. And there aren’t any capacitive buttons on the bottom, but good old-fashioned hardware keys. They do say that it feels remarkably light, lighter than they had assumed it would, but it feels solid, and well built. It does fit in the pocket, but there’s definitely a presence there.

They were also able to confirm that the DROID X is indeed running Android 2.1, and there’s definitely some new version of MOTOBLUR running behind the scenes. They are quick to point out that the whole UI customization isn’t so “up-in-your-face” this time around, though. They aren’t sure how they feel about it, which is to be expected with any customization after spending such a short time with it, but from what we can see, we’ve got to admit that Motorola has indeed made some interesting changes.

As for the 8MP camera on the back, it does indeed record video at 720p. There’s a tap-to-focus feature, but it doesn’t actually refocus until after you’ve actually snapped the image. They also noted that the physical camera button, while a welcomed addition, is a bit too stiff, and therefore they found that images come out shaken, and not as exact as they’d like. While the video recording is a bit laggy, the video does play back smoothly. The white balance fluctuates quite a bit, as does the exposure.

The last two bits are about the software keyboard and the software itself. Motorola preloads the Swype keyboard, so that’s good. However, they are also throwing in a multi-touch keyboard for good measure. That’s right, Engadget tested it, and the keyboard does indeed register two keys pressed at the same time. It looks responsive, too. Very responsive. And then the performance. They say it’s “snappy,” and we wouldn’t argue that at all. It looks very, very slick, and Engadget does confirm that there’s a 1GHz processor under the hood. (No, not a Snapdragon.)

So, there’s the DROID X. No, it’s not official yet. That’s coming on the 23, so stay tuned. We’re curious, now more than ever, as to why a head-honcho of Adobe is on the scene, and we’re sure you are, too. So, stay tuned to http://live.slashgear.com on June 23rd, starting at 1:00PM Eastern, as we bring you the latest information.

[via Engadget]

The Motorola Droid Xtreme is supposedly one of two devices Motorola is primed to launch next month. While the Droid 2 has already been photographed, the Droid Xtreme has taken a bit more of a blurry cam approach to the Internet so far. Not this time. Thanks to our fine friends at Gadget University, we finally get to see what the Droid Xtreme looks like, up close and personal (with no blurriness). How are the specs looking? Something like this: A 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, Android 2.1, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and a new version of MOTOBLUR. And, on the back, while we can’t say for certain, it sure does look like there’s an 8MP camera there.

Gadget University makes a note that this new version of BLUR isn’t as bad as we think it is, and that makes us wonder if Motorola has finally fine tuned their custom User Interface to be something that’s not more aggravating than helpful. If they have, and it’s running on something as powerful, and beastly as what we have here in photo form, then consider us pretty interested. Is this the Motorola device we’ve all been waiting for to take over the original DROID’s thrown? Only time will tell.

[via Android Community]

Video demo after the cut

There’s also tipped to be 8GB of onboard storage, with Motorola throwing an 8GB microSD card into the box too.  Optics are still courtesy of a 5-megapixel camera, and contrary to previous rumors there’s no HDMI port and, disappointingly, no sign of Android 2.2 Froyo; this prototype is running Android 2.1.

Still, that could change before the smartphone’s release.  Opinion over at Android Community is that the DROID 2 has lost some of its predecessor’s charm, and Motorola’s decision to leave key specs like the camera unchanged isn’t helping matters.

[via Android Community]

Over at Droid-Life, a tipster managed to drop some new pictures, along with a few tid-bits of information, regarding one of the upcoming handsets from Motorola. Right off the bat, you’ll see that it’s resemblance to the original DROID is remarkable, and it makes us wonder if this isn’t the DROID 2, then what on Earth will that piece of gadgetry look like, if this one is stealing so many pieces from the original’s design? The tipster confirms that the Xtreme is running Android 2.2, that it features 9 homescreens, and that there isn’t any version of Motoblur on it. The tipster also says that it is “very metal,” which definitely piques our interest.

From the side-view, its’ obvious this is a DROID successor. Even that gold camera button is making a return. Of course, it looks ridiculously thin, but there is an odd “hump” at the top of the device, on the back, which makes the design look kind of “off.” Then again, if those other specifications are right, including that 4.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, 8GB of internal memory, HDMI port, and 700MHz OMAP3630 processor turn out to be true, we think the similarities will be a welcomed addition, and not a detracting factor. What do you think? Is this your next Android device?

[via Droid-Life]

That handset was first unveiled back in Q4 2009, and with the first half of 2010 fast running out we’re perhaps overdue a new flagship CDMA device from the company.  The assumption is that, since the Xtreme MB810 – along with various accessories, including a desk dock and multiple cases – has been added to the Verizon database, a retail launch isn’t far off.

[via Android Community]

“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!]

First and foremost, it doesn’t look like the Ally is going to be winning any beauty contests. LG definitely took an industrial approach to the new Android 2.1 handset, much like in the vain of the Motorola Droid, perhaps, but they do get one thing right: the keyboard. It’s not nearly as bad as Motorola’s physical QWERTY keyboard, even if it isn’t the best on the market. And while we’re not necessarily fans of plastic-feeling touchscreens, it seems that the Ally’s is responsive enough, so we may be able to forgive that.

As for features, you’re looking at a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, with WVGA resolution (which, AC mentions may be too much), and two capacitive touch buttons underneath. Below them, there’s four hardware keys: Answer, Home, Menu, and End Call/Sleep. The distinction is something that’s frowned upon, especially considering that Back, and Search are the two capacitive touch buttons and are inexplicably removed from the standard row of keys. You also get WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, and a MicroSD card slot. As we mentioned above, it’s running Android 2.1, and LG was nice enough to include a Theme, to break apart the “boring” stock Android homescreens. You can pre-order the LG Ally right now from plenty of different locations, and you’ll be able to buy it on May 20th. It will run you $99.99 after a mail-in rebate (from Verizon stores), and you’ll have to sign a new, two-year agreement, too.

[via Android Community]

The Best of R3 Media

Meet the Motorola A955: We’ve got no idea what it is. It’s either the Motorola Shadow, the Nexus Two, or the Droid 2. All of which haven’t officially been announced, or even spied on camera (completely), but we know that at least one of those handsets exist. And, sure enough, the Motorola A955 fits right in with the Droid 2 mythos, as it follows the first version of the Droid’s model number (A855) quite nicely. So, that’s our bet. But, then again, it could be something completely different, too. [via Android Community]

Apple Asks “What’s the iPad?”: Good enough question for some, we imagine. While the iPad has been basically a smash hit here in the States, there’s still no telling how well it will do around the world once the tablet starts showing up in people’s hands. So, Apple wanted to make sure that you get the point of the iPad, or at least something close to that. That’s why they made a nice little video for you. Hopefully it answers your questions. [via Everything iPad]

Microsoft Mobile Office Available Now: For Windows Mobile 6.5, no less. Considering that Windows Phone 7 is getting its own, pretty spectacular version of Windows Mobile, there’s no doubt that this version won’t be making it to the next iteration of the mobile platform. But, it’s good to see Microsoft giving Windows Mobile some love, even in the shadow of what’s coming. Features include mobile versions of Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Excel. It’s available for download right now, so get crackin’ and let us know what you think. [via SlashPhone]

The Dredge Net

One Man Wants to Give All of Africa WiFi: Yes. All of it. Not just the large metropolitan areas, or even some villages. But all of the villages out there, and everything else in between. Paul English is the co-founder of the travel search engine Kayak (which is also available in an application format on some smartphones) has an idea to use satellites, along with terrestrial infrastructure, to give the entire continent access to free, high-speed WiFi. It would basically be like the “closed” Internet that you get at a local, public library: access to Skype, Gmail, and Google, but “non-essential” things like pornography, or high-bandwidth intensive videos wouldn’t be allowed, either. A lofty goal, yes, and it probably won’t be done for a decade, but at least he’s trying. And using his own money, no less. [via DVICE]

Comcast Makes an iPad App: Yes, two pieces of iPad information tonight. We couldn’t really help ourselves. As soon as we saw this app, we had to share it here. It’s a pretty simple, relatively, channel guide, which shows you all the available channels for your account with Comcast. The User Interface (UI) is great, and it looks really, really easy to navigate through. One of the most simple features, like having the TV station’s logos visible, is also one of the coolest. Definitely worth a look if you’ve got an iPad and are using Comcast, that’s for sure. [via CrunchGear]

Netflix Begins Streaming HD to PCs and Macs: This one’s quick, because we know as soon as you read that title, you closed this window and went right on over to Netflix. We don’t blame you. The video streaming and disc-sending company is now starting to stream HD videos to PCs and Macs, which should make pretty much everyone happy. Why are you still here? [via Netflix]

The shift in balance is being credited to strong promotional pushes by US carriers to drive Android device adoption, particularly in the face of the iPhone’s current exclusivity on AT&T.  ”In order to compete with the iPhone,” NPD analyst Ross Rubin explains, “Verizon Wireless has expanded its buy-one-get-one offer beyond RIM devices to now include all of their smartphones.”  This promotion saw particularly strong sales of the DROID, DROID Eris, and Blackberry Curve.

Nonetheless, AT&T’s smartphone sales alone accounted for 32-percent of the smartphone market in the US as a whole, ahead of Verizon’s 30-percent, T-Mobile’s 17-percent and Sprint’s 15-percent.  It’s possible that the situation may not change until Q3 2010, when the new iPhone HD is expected to make its sales debut.

Press Release:

Android Shakes Up U.S. Smartphone Market

First quarter 2010 information from The NPD Group’s Mobile Phone Track reveals a shift in the smartphone market, as Android OS edged out Apple’s OS for the number-two position behind RIM

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Android operating system (OS) continued to shake up the U.S. mobile phone market in the first quarter (Q1) of 2010, moving past Apple for to take the number-two position among smartphone operating systems, according to The NPD Group, a leading market research company. NPD’s wireless market research reveals that based on unit sales to consumers last quarter the Android operating system moved into second position at 28 percent behind RIM’s OS (36 percent) and ahead of Apple’s OS (21 percent).

“Recent previews of BlackBerry 6, the recently announced acquisition of Palm by HP, and the pending release of Windows Phone 7 demonstrates the industry’s willingness to make investments to address consumer demand for smartphones and other mobile devices”
“As in the past, carrier distribution and promotion have played a crucial role in determining smartphone market share,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. “In order to compete with the iPhone, Verizon Wireless has expanded its buy-one-get-one offer beyond RIM devices to now include all of their smartphones.”

Strong sales of the Droid, Droid Eris, and Blackberry Curve via these promotions helped keep Verizon Wireless’s smartphone sales on par with AT&T in Q1. According to NPD’s Mobile Phone Track, smartphone sales at AT&T comprised nearly a third of the entire smartphone market (32 percent), followed by Verizon Wireless (30 percent), T-Mobile (17 percent) and Sprint (15 percent).

“Recent previews of BlackBerry 6, the recently announced acquisition of Palm by HP, and the pending release of Windows Phone 7 demonstrates the industry’s willingness to make investments to address consumer demand for smartphones and other mobile devices,” Rubin said. “Carriers continue to offer attractive pricing for devices, but will need to present other data-plan options to attract more customers in the future.”

The continued popularity of messaging phones and smartphones resulted in slightly higher prices for all mobile phones, despite an overall drop in the number of mobile phones purchased in the first quarter. The average selling price for all mobile phones in Q1 reached $88, which is a 5 percent increase from Q1 2009. Smartphone unit prices, by comparison, averaged $151 in Q1 2010, which is a 3 percent decrease over the previous year.

Methodology: The NPD Group compiles and analyzes mobile device sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced and demographically-representative sample, and results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers. Note: Sales figures do not include corporate/enterprise mobile phone sales.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us, visit http://www.npd.com/, or follow us Twitter at https://twitter.com/npdgroup.

The creator, David Gilday, has actually solved a Rubik’s cube by way of LEGOs before, but this time around there’s a Motorola Droid powering the whole event. It’s running a customized application on the phone, and from what we can tell in the video, it’s using the camera on the back to keep track of the cube below it, as the device tells the LEGO robot what to do next.

The things that people create are just awesome, aren’t they? Just to have this little robot in our homes, just to show off to everyone we know would be something worthwhile, and we imagine that Gilday has done the same thing, even before he put the video on YouTube. Check it out below and tell us what you think.

[via Ubergizmo]

The Best of R3 Media

The Motorola Shadow Shows up Again: And this time it passed through the WiFi Alliance, gaining itself a pretty fantastic specifications and paperwork. While there’s still a bunch of speculation going on about what the Shadow even is, with some saying it’s the Nexus Two, others might be more comfortable saying it’s the Droid 2. Whatever it is, with a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen and a full, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, we’d be happy with whatever it’s called. [via Android Community]

Scosche In-Vehicle Car Mount is Awesome: We know you want to be a police officer, without having all that responsibility. So, what better way to make it look like you’re one than to have your iPad on an in-vehicle mount, positioned right next to you for quick, easy access. With the iPad 3G now available, you’ll be able to use navigation software like never before. And yes, that is pretty exciting. There’s a video of the mount in action, which we think you should definitely check out. [via Everything iPad]

Nokia CEO May be Let Go Due to Low Numbers: Apparently, 2010 was supposed to be the year of growth, especially when it comes to money. That memo apparently passed Nokia, because shareholders are not very happy right now. And, in their frustration, they may be ready to take it out on Nokia’s CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. According to a recent report, he may be on the way out, unless he can assuage the shareholders into thinking that he has an iPhone-killer in the works for this holiday season. Think he can do it? [via SlashPhone]

The Dredge Net

BlackBerry 9630 Tour Now With Free Push-To-Talk, Forever: Yep, that’s right. Apparently the whole Push-to-Talk thing didn’t fly over all that well for current Tour owners. Whether that’s because they didn’t know the feature existed, or they didn’t want to pay for it, who knows. Whatever the case may be, Verizon Wireless has decided to make it free, for the life of your phone. So, as long as you add the service before June 30th of this year, you’ll get in on the great deal. Nothing beats instant communication, right? [via unwired view]

Ogg Theora Could Violate Video Patents: Jobs believes in open source projects, and he wants to make sure that it gets handled the right way. In that regard, he has addressed the Free Software Foundation of Europe in hopes to prevent them from using Ogg Theora, because it could indeed violate patents, and therefore lead to a lawsuit. He points out that despite the fact a video codec may be open source, like H.264, there’s still patents involved in the software. Ogg Theora could step on more toes than necessary, and Apple wants to avoid this. Of course, he then wants the Free Software Foundation to incorporate H.264, but that’s not surprising to anyone, right? [via Electronista]

Motorola RAZR3 Might Have Been Worth it, Maybe: There’s no telling in any real capacity whether or not the Motorola RAZR3 would have actually been worth anyone’s time, but from the video we saw earlier today, and these shiny new pictures, we might be willing to admit that we could have been excited about this bad boy. Especially considering it would have featured WiFi, GPS, 3G connectivity, and Symbian UIQ. Very interesting features for a phone that doesn’t exist anymore. Alas, we didn’t know you. [via Boy Genius Report]

Froyo is also believed to allow more access to OpenGL ES 2.0 for developers, potentially permitting better gaming graphics, together with introducing the JIT compiler and perhaps even unlocking the Nexus One’s rumored FM radio hardware.  While the Nexus One seems guaranteed to get Android 2.2 Froyo, there’s also speculation that the Motorola DROID will receive the update at the same time; that’s based on the fact that Google will be giving out both Nexus One and DROID handsets to attendees of Google I/O.

[via Android Community]

The Snapdragon chipset has seen plenty of use in recent HTC devices – the Nexus One and the Desire, if you’re limiting things to Android – as has the 3.7-inch OLED WVGA display. Previous phones have had EVDO Rev.A, too, and WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS are par for the course too. Where things improve are in the optics and the internal storage: the Incredible will be the first HTC device to ship with an 8-megapixel autofocus camera, and it’s paired with a healthy 8GB of onboard storage.

What’s interesting is that we’re expecting Google’s CDMA Nexus One to arrive imminently, and the most obvious difference between the two will be HTC’s use of their home-grown Sense UI. Initially limited to T-Mobile USA, now also on AT&T, the Nexus One runs the bare Android 2.1 OS, and while it’s a more attractive, usable proposition than earlier iterations of the platform, it’s still nowhere near as intuitive out of the box as Sense makes things. As well as adding an extra two panes to the homescreen, Sense packs a preloaded Twitter client in the shape of HTC Peep, Flickr and Facebook integration, and a Friend Stream app which pulls all your contacts social network updates into a single timeline (complete with a desktop widget and the ability to update one or more of your own profiles with just a few taps).

More surprising is a noticeable improvement in touchscreen quality when you have both devices side by side. We’re not sure exactly what HTC have done with the Droid Incredible’s capacitive layer, but it’s both more accurate and less likely to miss taps than that of the Nexus One. Many Google phone users have complained of patchy touch response, something we’ve not encountered on this newer handset. The Incredible also has a broader brightness range than the Nexus One, particularly at its lower settings.

The Droid Incredible’s main competitor on Verizon is likely to be the Motorola DROID (review on SlashGear). It’s a testament to Motorola’s ambitious design that, while the DROID has been on sale for several months now, it’s still a viable option among newer devices. Like the Incredible it has a 3.7-inch display (running at the slightly higher 854 x 480 resolution) but the Motorola uses a more traditional LCD panel than HTC’s currently favored OLED screens. Although the latter is arguably more power efficient, the DROID’s display is in our experience just as bright and color rich as that on the Droid Incredible; it also has the benefit of being more usable (at lower brightness settings) outdoors.

As with the Nexus One, the Motorola runs Android 2.1 with no embellishments (not even the company’s own MOTOBLUR social networking integration). While you could argue that the DROID’s slide-out hardware QWERTY keyboard makes it a more proficient messaging device, HTC’s updated Mail client actually pushes the Incredible ahead in our opinion. Although 2.1 has native Exchange support, it’s only for email and contacts; the HTC app adds in calendar sync too, and the mail app itself allows you to view messages organized by whether they’re flagged, unread or from certain “VIP” contacts, or if they’re meeting invitations, and there’s a threaded “conversation” view too. Although the Motorola’s QWERTY is fair, HTC’s standard on-screen keyboard is a pleasant boost over and above the regular Android QWERTY – thanks to improved auto-correction – though we’re also fans of Swype on which we’re actually faster than with a hardware ‘board.

The flip side to out-of-the-box usability with Sense, though, is the ease of future OS updates. It’s telling that, in the months the DROID has been on the market, Motorola have already upgraded it from Android 2.0 to 2.1; HTC users have been waiting considerably longer for an update of early Android devices (such as the HTC Hero) to a newer version of the platform. That’s down to the headaches of getting Sense to play nicely with a changed OS, and while we don’t doubt HTC’s intent to keep the Droid Incredible as current as possible, we also feel pretty confident saying that the Motorola handset, unmodified as it is, will likely get official builds sooner.

Where the Droid Incredible particularly kicks away from the Motorola – and, for that matter, the Nexus One – is with its camera. It’s not just a win on the spec sheet, either; the Incredible’s 8-megapixel autofocus camera has a brighter, dual-LED flash than the Nexus One, and the still photos it takes are significantly better than those of either the Google phone or the DROID. It’s also more flexible, with granular control over exposure, contrast, saturation and sharpness, ISO ranges from 100 to 800 and optional geotagging and face detection. Sadly there’s no 720p HD video recording on any of the three devices, but the Droid Incredible’s 800 x 480 WVGA footage is reasonable if uninspiring.

Tour of Grand Canyon at 30,000 feet through Droid Incredible’s camera

Sample videos taken with Droid Incredible

Image taken by Droid Incredible of Grand Canyon

Unfortunately, the flip side is battery life. The Nexus One requires some goading of settings to get it through a heavy day’s use, and – since some of the more recent firmware updates – the Motorola DROID actually stretches out its battery surprisingly well. Here, though, the Droid Incredible falls resolutely into bottom place; we’re not sure quite what’s happened, but it ousts even the hungry Nexus One. With the settings as standard, and push email turned on, we didn’t make it through a full day of use before the phone expired. Toning down the amount of social network updates that Sense makes, together with notching down the screen brightness a little, each helped prolong things, but the Incredible is definitely an over-eater.

Compounding the issue is the absence of a charging dock. Both the DROID and the Nexus One can be paired with an optional cradle, and we’ve found that we’re more likely to drop each phone into its respective dock than we are to plug them in with a regular microUSB adapter. That way, the handset gets a mild top-up and you get to stay wireless for more of your day. The Incredible’s lack of charging contacts (unlike the Nexus One) and side-mounted power connector mean a portrait-orientation dock is unlikely, and the fact that Sense doesn’t have a landscape-orientation mode leaves us doubting that HTC plan a cradle similar to Motorola’s.

It’s frustrating, because there are lots of power-hungry reasons we’d rather have the Droid Incredible in our pockets. There’s Flash Lite 4.0 support in the browser, for one, though performance at streaming video is very much dependent on the bitrate it has been recorded at; too high, and the Snapdragon CPU chokes and playback gets stuttery.

Audio performance during voice calls is a little better than with the DROID, though lags behind the Nexus One. That’s primarily down to the Incredible lacking its sibling’s noise-cancelling microphone array. Meanwhile 3G data performance over the Verizon EVDO Rev.A network was strong, though without a CDMA Nexus One we can’t make any direct comparisons. As with the DROID, the Incredible is CDMA-only and – shortsighted in our opinion – lacks global 3G support; saying that, as far as we’re aware the upcoming Verizon Nexus One won’t get that either. If you regularly travel outside the US and still want to use your smartphone, neither the Incredible nor the DROID are the devices to choose.

Strong contender as the Motorola DROID is, the Droid Incredible by HTC edges ahead by virtue of its better performing camera and Sense UI. Similarly, we’d pick the Incredible over the Nexus One; don’t underestimate the value of having Verizon’s after-sales support network to hand, something that – even when the CDMA Nexus One goes on sale – the Google-branded phone will lack. Our only real Incredible concerns begin with battery life and end with firmware updates; we hope HTC can tweak their power management to address the former, though the latter could be the sting in the smartphone’s tail. As we said with the HTC Desire, though, opting against a Sense device out of what may or may not transpire a number of months into the lifecycle does mean you’re missing out on an excellent handset experience today.

When the HTC EVO 4G arrives on Sprint later this year, the Android balance will change again. Connected services are arguably the future of smartphones and mobile devices, and the boost in data speed WiMAX will bring may just change our minds again. Until then (and of course that assumes you live in an area served with Sprint 4G coverage) we’re leaning toward the Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC. International travelers and those unwilling to experiment with their data and power settings should look elsewhere, but everyone else will be enjoying excellent camera performance served up in a user-friendly package.

Unboxing Droid Incredible by HTC for Verizon

Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC key specifications:

Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon chipset
512MB ROM, 512MB RAM
3.7-inch WVGA 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touchscreen
8-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
8GB internal memory & microSD card slot (32GB)
EVDO Rev.A, WiFi b/g & Bluetooth
GPS, accelerometer
Android 2.1 with HTC Sense
3.5mm headphones socket & microUSB 2.0 port
1,300mAh Li Ion battery (rated 5.2hrs talktime or six days standby)
4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches / 4.59 oz

In-between there’ll be a 24hr period where nobody will get the upgrade, presumably so that the first 10k can be treated as test-subjects and report any DROID-killing bugs that may have made it through quality control.  Among the changes users should see are pinch-zoom in the browser, maps and gallery, speech-to-text in any text box, a new Gallery app and Yahoo! Email support (though not, bizarrely, over WiFi).  Anybody reading this and seeing the update on their DROID?  Let us know in the comments.

Verizon Memo:

Starting 03/30/2010, Verizon Wireless is pleased to announce a new software update for the DROID by Motorola. Users will be able to upgrade their software to version AP: ESE81/BP: C_01.3E.03P to receive new improvements and enhancements.

*Key Advantages:*

o Email – Yahoo Mail is now supported – customers can simply
sign in with their Yahoo! Email address and password. Note:
Yahoo! Email is not available over Wi-Fi
o Pinch to Zoom now available in the Browser, Maps, and Gallery
o Speech-to-Text – Customers can now use their voice instead
of typing whenever a text-entry box appears
o Google Goggles is now preloaded
o The new Gallery application uses 3D layout and shows both
pictures taken with the customer’s Android device and images
from Picasa Web Albums account online

*Software Schedule:*
Below is the software-upgrade notification schedule (All times listed are Eastern Time):

o At noon on 03/30, 1,000 users will receive notification of
the update.
o At 11:59 PM on 03/30, 9,000 more users will receive the
update notification.
o After the first 10,000 users receive the update on 03/30,
there will be a 24-hour period when no additional upgrades
will be delivered.
o On Day 3 (04/01), 200,000 users will receive the update
notification at 11:59 PM. This schedule will continue each
day thereafter until the update has been delivered to all users.

*Download & Install Conditions:*

o An OTA download requires 40% or more power availability if
the device is not connected to an external power source or
20% or more power if it is connected to an external source
o If roaming, the customer will not receive the update. The
only option in this scenario is for the subscriber to enable
Wi-Fi and wait for a mandatory OTA. The wait period in this
case will not be more than 12 hours
o User must wait to receive the upgrade via OTA
o User is unable to make or receive calls, including emergency
calls during this time
o Users will see the following information when they select*
More info* on the update screen:/ This software update
includes new enhancements to support Yahoo! Email,
pinch-to-zoom, and many other improvements for your DROID by
Motorola. You will be unable to use your device or make
emergency calls for the duration of the install. The
software updates automatically, and your DROID will power
off and on as part of this software upgrade.

Verizon Wirelss Adds HomeCel and Motion’s Rugged Tablet to the Network: Hopefully you stuck around throughout the day as we covered the crazy launch announcements from CTIA 2010. Did you see the EVO 4G? It’s okay, our jaws hit the ground, too. But, pick them back up real quick, and let’s talk about Verizon here for a moment. They’ve gone ahead and added two platforms to their already substantial base of products running on their wireless network. First up, we’ve got the Waxess USA HomeCel, which is a cordless, cellular solution for your home office, or other landline need you may have. They want you to add the HomeCel to your existing plan, so hopefully you get to save some money, rather than pay them for your wireless bill, and some other company for your home-based phone. That would just be silly, right? And then we’ve got the Motion J3400 Rugged Tablet, which we’ve seen before around these parts. Nothing different about the set-up, except that it’s running with Verizon Wireless 3G network sewn up inside. Same 12.1-inch WXGA touchscreen and everything. Oh, and it’s rugged. Just look at the back of this thing.

HTC Launches Online Store, Start Buying Phones and Accessories: Are you one of the five people out there that thinks there needs to be another online retail store out there? Well, good, because that means this story was hand-picked for you. HTC have gone ahead and launched a new online retail store, where you can go ahead and pick out your latest HTC manufactured handset, or any accessories you might need. Oh, and if you’re wanting to sign a new, two-year contract with one of the four (major) wireless carriers here in the States, you can do that from the site as well. Pretty fantastic news if, you know, you’re not a fan of actually touching the phone you’re buying. [via PR Newswire]

Motorola Milestone Gets Updated to 2.1, Way Before the DROID: Sure, the DROID may have launched on the Verizon Wireless network before the Milestone  launched in the European regions (by a matter of days), but that’s not stopping Motorola from going ahead and launching the prodigal 2.1 update for that other device. It’s not like Motorola isn’t trying though, right? It’s looking like the only regions able to get the update at this moment are Hong Kong and Macau, but that’s sure to change very, very soon. The Milestone is officially getting Live Wallpapers (yay!), and it looks like Motorola has made something called . . . Motorola Car Home, which activates a special interface for when you’re using the device in a car. Oh, and there’s some speed improvements in there somewhere, too. Word is that by the end of March, all Milestone units should be up and running with the 2.1 update. So . . . How about the DROID, Verizon… [via Engadget]

Meet the Lund Variable Velocity Weapons System, or LVVWS: Ever felt like there needed to be more guns on the market that, based on how you were feeling at a particular moment, could be lethan or “less-lethal?” Apparently, the military agrees with those sentiments, as they’ve been searching for a weapon that can do this exact thing. While other weapons, or ammunition for that matter like rubber bullets, are still lethal at close range, Lund Technologies has created a weapon that can actually become less-lethal, depending on the velocity settings. The rifle itself weighs just six pounds, it fires two types of rounds (lethal and less-lethal), and it’s pump-action. Oh, and it looks awesome. We agree that the military and law enforcement agencies need less-lethal options, because it really does depend on the situation. So, kudos to Lund Technologies, and we hope that their LVVWS gets picked up soon. Oh, and we hope it gets a better name. LVVWS is a pain to say. [via Wired]

Tanks Get Force Fields (yeah, force fields): Man, we love this stuff! Can you believe you even read that title? And no, it’s not the title of our next science fiction novel. This is the real deal. Or, at least, that’s what scientists are planning. It seems that researchers at the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) have found a way to put material known as supercapacitors into armor, which basically turns the entire thing into a giant battery. Once a threat is determined, which means once a projectile is fired at a tank, then the supercapacitors release the stored energy into the metal plating of the vehicle, which in turn creates an incredibly strong electromagnetic field. Bam. Force field. And just like that, we blur the line between science and science fiction, ladies and gentlemen. [via Telegraph]

So far there’s no sign of a replacement timescale for the update, which users were expecting to begin receiving today.  Neither is there any hint from Verizon as to what might have impacted on the upgrade; there’s talk of some sort of last-minute bug, but nothing official.  Still, it looks like DROID owners can stand down from OTA alert, there may be some wait involved.

[via SlashPhone]

Contrast that with the Motorola DROID, another Android handset, of which 1.05m were sold in its first 74 days of availability, or the first-gen iPhone which, in its first 74 days, sold 1m.  Flurry’s stats aren’t perfect – they track usage figures through partnerships with mobile app developers rather than counting actual devices in-the-wild – but even with flexibility either way the numbers aren’t looking hot for the Nexus One.

Of course, Google haven’t helped themselves by making the Nexus One an online-only device, rather than pushing it into retail stores as with the iPhone and DROID, and nor will its T-Mobile USA-only official carrier support have helped it much.  Still, as an experiment to see whether it’s possible to marginalize the carriers and push the device to the fore, it looks like the US market isn’t quite ready; we’ll have to see how imminent CDMA availability on Verizon changes things.

[via Android Community]

Video demo after the cut

Control is either via the keyboard, touchscreen or the trackball, and it uses OpenGL 3D rendering; there’s also audio support, though you can turn that off to improve framerates.  A minimum of Android 1.6 is required – sorry HTC Hero owners – but some devices, like the T-Mobile G1, have relatively little RAM and can crash pretty easily.  Future work planned includes better 3D rendering, control systems and general optimization of the Quake 3 code.

Right now kwaak3 isn’t in the Android Market, but you can download it from the project site here and install it manually.  androidandme shot a quick demo video of the game in action, which you can watch below.

[via AndroidCommunity]

Unfortunately, while it might recognize those peripherals it doesn’t necessarily mean you can do much with them.  Android lacks the drivers, for a start, and the hack itself has some problems; leave the adapter in too long, for instance, and the DROID loses the connection, and if you unplug one USB device to plug in another you’ll need to power-cycle the handset first.  Still, a custom ROM or two and that could all be addressed.

[via Android Community]

Motorola’s official Facebook message states:  “We’re happy to relay the 2.1 upgrade to DROID will start to roll out this week, and we will have more information to share on other device upgrades later …this week as well.”  Other updates?  It’d be nice if Motorola revealed what’s exactly going to be in this update first, other than the standard Android 2.1 bits and pieces.

[via Engadget]

The Euro-bound Motorola Milestone (essentially a Droid) ships with multitouch out the window, so pinch-and-zoom on the Droid wasn’t a surprise, but nonetheless welcomed by many.  3.4 Google Maps is available in the Android Market via an update, so Droid owners, get it and start pinching.

Interestingly, the most expensive component iSuppli found is the DROID’s 16GB microSD card, which costs $35 apiece.  That’s followed by the pretty marvellous 3.7-inch LCD TFT display, at $17.75, just edging ahead of the capacitive touchscreen layer at $17.50.

There’s at least one surprise inside, too, in that Motorola have apparently used a camera autofocus module with a mechanism so-far unseen by iSuppli.  They reckon it could use bimetallic strips – which flex when heated – rather than the more common voice-coil actuation of other such modules.

[Image via phoneWreck]

As standard procedure, Droid users must input a “password” pattern utilizing on-screen dots, and the “password” confirmed before they can access their homescreen and phone functions.  What’s been just found is that when the phone is receiving an incoming call, all someone has to do is tap the Back button after accepting an incoming call and an unfortunate voilà, he /she has God-mode access to you emails, contact lists – umm…basically your entire phone, that is.

Google seems to be “aware of the issue” and is working on a fix, but has not announced any timetable for just how long they’ll be able to fix this problem.  Of course, in the meantime, just hope Aunt Marie doesn’t call when your phone is out of your hands.

Meanwhile MOTOBLUR – which is already available on the CLIQ and will be preloaded on the new AT&T Backflip – will apparently be updated to “much greater capacity” in 2010.  We’re presuming that means more interaction with different social networks, and perhaps sorting out some of the usability issues we’ve complained about.

As for the Motorola Backflip, it has a 3.1-inch HVGA display, AGPS, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 and a 5-megapixel camera; the name comes from the unusual way the QWERTY keyboard folds back against the screen section, leaving the keys exposed.  That also allows you to use it as an alarm clock or a standalone PMP.  On the back of the screen section there’s a touch-sensitive navigation pad Motorola are calling BACKTRACK; that lets you navigate webpages and lists without obscuring or smudging the touchscreen with your fingers.

Initially, like the CLIQ, the Backflip will run Android 1.5, so we’ll have to wait for the 2.1 update for this new device as well as the older model.  The Backflip will apparently see a global launch kicking off in Q1 2010; AT&T have said to expect a release early this year.  No word on pricing.

Press Release:

Motorola Globally Introduces BACKFLIP™ with MOTOBLUR™ – Taking Smart in a Whole New Direction

BACKFLIP bends the smart phone rules with a unique reverse flip design and BACKTRACK™ feature for speeding through MOTOBLUR social streams

January 06, 2010

LAS VEGAS – CES – Jan. 6, 2010 – Today Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) announced the latest addition to its Android™ portfolio: BACKFLIP™ with MOTOBLUR™. The Motorola BACKFLIP, which combines the social saviness and personalization of MOTOBLUR with the multitasking performance of a smart phone, will be available in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia beginning in Q1 2010. The unique reverse flip design makes it easy to enjoy videos, music and photos, and the QWERTY keyboard allows you to blast through e-mails, texts, news feeds, social network messages and more.

“Since introducing our first MOTOBLUR-based device, we’ve remained focused on differentiating the Android experience and bringing it to new carrier partners around the globe,” said Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola and CEO of Motorola Mobile Devices. “BACKFLIP maximizes the multi-tasking and multi-functional potential of MOTOBLUR with its unique design elements, making it as smart as it is social.”

MOTOBLUR is Motorola’s Android-powered content delivery service created to make phones more personal and socially smart. It is the first and only solution to sync contacts, posts, messages, photos and much more—from sources such as Facebook®, MySpace, Twitter, Gmail™, work and personal e-mail, and LastFM—and automatically deliver them to the home screen. Content is fed into easy-to-manage streams allowing you to spend less time managing your life and more time living it.

BACKFLIP is designed around the MOTOBLUR experience and provides multiple features to keep phone conversations moving. Multi-tasking has never been easier with BACKFLIP’s reverse-flip QWERTY keyboard and high-res 3.1” HVGA screen—letting you see more and respond faster. Navigate quickly and easily through menus and features with the new and unique BACKTRACK™ feature. BACKTRACK is a touch panel located on the other side of the device, offering you a new way to scroll through—the Web, texts, e-mails and news feeds without obscuring the home screen.

The truly original design allows BACKFLIP to create new ways to enjoy photos, music and more. In the reverse-flip, tabletop mode, listen to music or view videos hands free. The digital picture frame mode lets you show off your latest adventures. You can even turn BACKFLIP into a bedside alarm clock for your morning wake up call.

BACKFLIP comes fully equipped with the MOTOBLUR features you know and love. The full HTML browser on BACKFLIP’s 3.1” high-res, touch display will be sure to impress, and, with 3G speed and Wi Fi access, you will never be out of the loop. Android Market™ gives you access to more than 18,000 apps and widgets, so you are free to customize BACKFLIP to your liking. Capture the moment with BACKFLIP’s 5 MP camera with flash and easily upload to your favorite photo sharing or social site. Additional extras such as aGPS and stereo Bluetooth1 make BACKFLIP the complete package.

Finally, MOTOBLUR provides end-users with convenience and peace of mind, as lost devices can be located from a secure personal information portal and even remotely erased if necessary. Then, one user name and password brings back your contacts, messages and connectivity to your previously configured networks and email providers.

BACKFLIP with MOTOBLUR will be available in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia beginning in Q1 2010. For specific regional availability and pricing, contact your local Motorola representative. To experience BACKFLIP, please visit www.motorola.com/backflip.

For more information, product specifications and images of BACKFLIP, please visit Media Center Fact Sheets. For multimedia assets from CES, visit CES 2010 Press Kit. Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Certain features, services and applications are network dependent and may not be available in all areas; additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply. Contact your service provider for details.

1 This device supports Bluetooth A2DP, HSP, and HFP profiles. For Bluetooth devices to communicate with one another, they must utilize the same Bluetooth profile. To determine the profiles supported by other Motorola devices, visit www.motorola.com/bluetooth. For other devices, contact their respective manufacturer. Certain Bluetooth features including those listed may not be supported by all compatible Bluetooth-enabled devices, and/or the functionality of such features may be limited in certain devices, or by certain wireless carriers. Contact your wireless carrier about feature availability and functionality.

BillShrink work out prices based on two years of contract ownership, with the 16GB iPhone 3GS totalling $3,799 on AT&T if you opt for an unlimited plan or $2,839 for an “average” plan.  Meanwhile the DROID on Verizon adds up to $3,799 unlimited or $2,839 average, both undercut by T-Mobile’s pricing: $2,579 and $2,339 respectively.  Only the Palm Pre on Sprint edges in underneath the Nexus One.

Of course, there’s more to a device than baseline costs, and most users will want to closely examine the rest of the chart to see how the third-party app totals, camera specs and other details compare between models.  Click the graphic below to see the chart full-sized.

This latest remedy requires the installation of a custom version of the 2.0.1 firmware to enable Wi-Fi GUI tethering, which is currently being shared online.  However, the faint-hearted be warned, as this apparently involves rooting the smartphone and installing a custom recovery image along with a custom kernel.  Earlier hacks for the Droid only allowed USB cable tethering with the running of unwieldy shell scripts on a PC or Mac, and not actually through the Wi-Fi connection.

Verizon affirmed recently that their official tethering plan, dubbed the “Mobile Broadband Connect” would be scheduled to arrive in early 2010, with no firm information on the actual date or pricing (but with a potential doubling in cost).

In fact with an 18 month contract on T-Mobile – priced at £35 ($57) per month – you can take away the MILESTONE for £49.99 (8$1) instead.  Either way, you’re getting a 3.7-inch 854 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, dualband (900/2100) HSDPA/HSUPA and a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and a dual LED flash.

In the box there’s an 8GB microSD card, wired stereo headset, data cable and mains adapter, but you can use your own headphones since Motorola have sensibly fitted the MILESTONE with a 3.5mm socket.  For more on the handset, check out our review of the Motorola DROID, which is pretty much the same device bar using CDMA EVDO Rev.A rather than HSDPA/HSUPA, and the fact that it has Google Maps Navigation which is currently unavailable outside of the US.

[via Twitter]

Details on the Motorola DROID root are here, while the Acer Liquid A1 root app is available here.  As ever, there’s a remote possibility that hacking your phone might leave it bricked and unusable, so we recommend only reasonably adept users attempt it.  Still, there are plenty of content people who have done it successfully, and the instructions for both devices make it sound a straightforward process.

[via Android Community]