Motorola Announces The Droid 2

Motorola has announced the sucessor to its popular Droid Android mobile phone, the Motorola Droid 2. The Motorola Droid 2 featires a 3.7 inch display, plus a slide out QWERTy keyboard and it comes woth the latest version of Google’s mobile OS, Android 2.2.

The Motorola Droid 2 is the first Android smartphone to be released that features native support for Adobe Flash, and it supports the latest version of Flash, 10.1.

Storage wise you get 8GB of built in storage, there is also a microSD card slot that can take up to 32GB cards, giving you a total of 40GB of storage.

The Motorola Droid 2 is available from today from Verizon, prices start at $199 with a two year mobile contract.

via Geeky Gadgets

Samsung Epic 4G Available On Sprint From August 31st

The Samaung Epic 4G is Samsung’s latest Android smartphone, and looks like it may be their most impressive to date, it features a 4 inch Super AMOLED touch screen display, plus a five megapixel camera and an LED flash.

The camera can record HD video in 720p and there is also a front facing video camera, which means that the Epic 4G can be used for video calls.

Other features on the Samsung Epic 4G include, integrated 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a six axis accelerometer, and a 1GHz processor, plus EV-DO Rev and WiMax, there is also a full QWERTY keyboard.

The Samsung Epic 4G will be available for $249.99 on a two year contract with Sprint, after rebates, and it can be reserved for store pick up on the 31st of August 2010.

HTC Taiwan

In this July 27, 2010 file photo, Peter Chou, chief executive officer of Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp., or HTC Corp., talks about the introduction of the brand into China's market during a press conference held in Beijing, China. East Asia is the world's electronics factory, yet unless they are Japanese, producers are anonymous. Now HTC Corp., the Taiwanese maker of smart phones, is moving out of the shadows and trying to establish its own brand name as it competes with Apple's iPhone. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

(AP) -- East Asia is the world's electronics factory, yet unless they are Japanese, producers are largely anonymous. Now HTC Corp., a Taiwanese maker of smart phones, is moving out of the shadows and trying to establish its own brand name as it competes with Apple's iPhone.

supplies U.S. carriers Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile but says a year ago only one in 10 Americans knew its name. With the help of marketing by cellular carriers and HTC's own television ads during the baseball World Series, HTC says that number is up to 40 percent.

"We want to be one of the leaders," said John Wang, the 13-year-old company's chief marketing officer.

In trying to establish a global brand, HTC is following in the footsteps of another Taiwanese company, Acer Inc., which is battling Dell Inc. for the title of second-largest personal computer maker. Other rising Taiwanese technology names include software producer Trend Micro Inc. and Asustek Computer Inc., a maker of PCs and cell phones.

HTC's path to its own brand has been complicated by U.S. carriers' preference for many years to market its phones under their own brands.

That started to change in 2007, and the "HTC" brand started showing up on phones, as carriers figured that the company had some cachet among early adopters that they could capitalize on. HTC phones on the U.S. market include the Droid Incredible, sold by Verizon Wireless, the HD2, sold by T-Mobile USA, and the Hero, sold by Sprint Nextel Corp.

Even now, HTC is careful to avoid straining ties with carriers by promoting its own identity too aggressively. Such ties are crucial in the United States, Japan and other markets where carriers usually pick which phones to offer. In Europe and elsewhere, customers pick their own phones and buy service separately.

"I don't think it should ever become a 'destination phone,' because that is very arrogant," Wang said.

The company's slogan, "Quietly Brilliant," expresses both modesty and pride.

Apple, of course, is anything but quiet, and HTC sets itself apart from the U.S.-based giant in other ways, too.

In contrast to lookalike iPhones, HTC tries to make handsets for every taste, some with slide-out keyboards, others with touch screens. While Apple has its own online store, HTC focuses on phones while carriers pick which music and applications to offer.

Nokia N8 in India

We were invited to the Nokia N8 Preview Event in Delhi on Friday and here are some pics of the upcoming phone we wanted to share with you. In terms of hardware , the N8 is certainly a great device. The body is made of Anodized aluminum which gives a nice feel to the device and due to the metal used, this device will be available in various colors which you might have not seen on a Nokia phone before. The device supports QWERTY input in the landscape mode.

Olive Telecom unveils the OlivePad, a 3G Android 2.1 tablet phone, at Rs. 25,000

Olive Telecom has unveiled the OlivePad, an Android 2.1 3G tablet that’s also a quad-band 2G phone. Dell Streak-like, the 7-inch smartphone/tablet is priced at Rs. 25,000 and will release in the “third week of August” in India. The company also announced the capacitive multi-touch tablet will be upgradeable to Android 2.2, FroYo, around October.
Calling the OlivePad VT-100 a “window to the world in your [largish] pocket”, Olive Telecommunication has shown a will to compete with Apple in the handheld space, and Mr. Arun Khanna, Chairman of Olive Telecommunication, made several references to the iPad and the fruity computer giant as their chief competitors. We had a chance to play around with the 7-inch OlivePad, and got the impression that this is no empty boast, rather that the surprisingly sturdy and well-built OlivePad might be a serious Android contender in the tablet space, even supporting video calling over its 7.2Mbps HSUPA 3G connectivity, and access to more than “1 million free apps” in the Android Market (no paid apps until an Indian payment solution is agreed upon, much to everyone’s happiness).
Powered by an ARM11 600MHz processor, the OlivePad is based on the new Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset, and features 512MB RAM, 512MB inbuilt flash memory, and microSD expandability up to 32GB, aside from a CMOS 3MP camera and webcam. It also has full Flash support, as well as WiFi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR), and microUSB connectivity.
Supporting 720p video playback, the OlivePad has a 3.5-mm jack and offers good media features, playing the following formats: 3GP, MP4 AVI, and MP3. Weighing in a substantial 410 grams, the 7-inch tablet has dimensions of 110x11.5x179.4mm, and a 3240mAh Li-polymer battery that gives 16 hours of standby time, and 7 hours of talk time.
With inbuilt GPS, the OlivePad offers a Google Maps and MapMyIndia navigation, and also has a gravity and ambient light sensor, apart from a compass and full-fledged internet browser that has full Flash support.

Nokia C6-01 with Slide-out

Nokia's latest handset from its C-Series stable has made an appearance on its Netherlends website. The phone is known as the Nokia C6-01.

This phone is quite similar to the already known Nokia C6-00 except that the C6-01 comes with an 8 megapixel camera and dual LED flash. The C6-01 has a 5 megapixel camera and single LED flash.

The weird thing about the C6-01 is that there has been no announcement regarding this handset until now. It simply appeared on its website without any warning. Feature wise, the C6-01 is not very different from the C6-00. The list of features include a slideout QWERTY keyboard, 360 x 640 pixels touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, GPS, Ovi Maps and so on.

The device is expected to be priced at around the 279 (Rs. 17,000) mark. On the other hand, the slightly lower-end C6-00 will set you back by almost 220 (Rs. 13,500).

There is no word if this one would make it to India any time soon.

Nokia launches Nokia 2690 a low cost, feature rich mobile in India

Nokia, the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturer has launched its low cost mobile N2690 in India at Rs 3700. The phone in addition to the basic features also incorporates Nokia life tools, camera, video and internet to name a few. Nokia 2690 has all features such as good looks, durability and superior quality that consumers looks for in addition to affordability. Though the market is flooded with plethora of low cost handsets, it is Nokia’s brand value that sets Nokia 2690 apart from others.

Nokia 2690 looks attractive in the color combinations that are offered namely Graphite, Hot pink, blue and White silver. The phone is compact in size and can be termed pocket size. The 1.8 inch wide screen is capable of displaying a resolution of up to 128 x 160 pixels. Simplicity of design coupled with superior performance is Nokia’s trademark and Nokia 2690 is no different.

Nokia 2690 packs essential connectivity features including Nokia life tools, GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth and USB together. Staying in touch with close ones is no longer a distant possibility as Nokia 2690 supports email and Social networking. Nokia Life tools provide a whole new world of options to the user to gain accessibility to the outside world information and happenings at the touch of a button.

Nokia 2690 has a very good sound quality which is evident from its mp3, AAC ringtones. With the handset’s music player and Inbuilt FM Radio one can have music on the go. There is an option to increase the memory to accommodate more music and other files through MMC expansion slot to add memory to the phone. Speaking about memory, the handsets memory can be extended up to 8 GB. Its phone book can accommodate up to 2000 entries as contacts.

The basic VGA camera exists in Nokia 2690 is a bit of a spirit dampener. But coming to the other positive aspects, the phone scores in terms of Battery life. Its BL-4C 860 mAh Li-Ion battery gives up to 270 minutes of talk time and a standby time of 335 hours. Videos can be recorded with the handset at 176x144 pixels, 15 fps. The phone supports S40 themes, Java games and MMS.

Nokia 2690 has other basic features at par with other Nokia handsets. These include Calendar, Contacts, To-do, Notes, E-mail, converter, clock, calculator and recorder. With all these features backed by such affordability, Nokia 2690 deserves a good consideration.

Micromax Q3

Micromax Q3
Micromax Q3 is a GSM phone. Micromax Q3, a CandyBar mobile comes with a great list of features. Micromax Q3 price is optimal and it is a great buy.
The Micromax Q3 is a brilliant phone with a candy bar shape that has a neat look and brilliant shape. With dimensions of just 111.2 x 61.2 x 13 mm, it weights just 97 grams, thus making it portable and easy to carry it anywhere.

Some of the features worth mentioning about this phone are Dual GSM-Dual Standby, Qwerty Keypad(ezpad), Preloaded mobile social messenger (Nimbuzz), 1.3MP Camera, Multi Format Music Player, Stereo FM radio, Bluetooth(A2DP), Large SMS & PHB using Photocall, Expandable Memory (upto 2GB)

The internal memory of the phone is 10 MB. Power management is handled by a Li-Ion battery of 1000 mAh capacity providing a talk time of up to 4 hours and a standby time of 160 hours.

The Micromax Q3 packs in features like Bluetooth, WAP, and GPRS for connectivity. Users can enter data through keypad on a TFT display which has a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels and 262k colours. More features like speaker, camera, FM radio and music player are available. The handset is capable of playing music in MP3, AMR, MIDI, and WAV formats. Other features include speed dialing, SMS, MMS, and games.

LG KF 510

LG KF510 is a GSM phone. LG KF510, a Slider mobile comes with a great list of features. LG KF510 price is optimal and it is a great buy.
The KF510 from LG is the latest sleek and appealing mobile phone that has full touch navigation with InteractPad and Touch Lighting. The KF510 touchpad has some interesting animations and interactions with the interface, which partially make up for the lack of a full color navigation display.

Apart from that, the unique features of the mobile include sleek metallic finish and bigger 2.2" display covered with tempered glass and features a light sensor on the front in addition to power-saving auto-luminance control. The exceptionally slim slider phone is good looking and easy to handle. Other features include a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus, microSD card slot with hot-swap, USB v2.0 and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, FM radio and web browser. Basically a music oriented handset the camera also comes along with red eye reduction and image stabilization. It has GPRS EDGE for connectivity. The entertainment features apart from the inbuilt FM radio are MPEG-4 player and dedicated MP3 player. Above all it can record video in QVGA resolution and also play back.

LG Group, which stands for Life's Good, is a large South Korean conglomerate that produces electronics, mobile phones, and petrochemical products and operates subsidiaries like LG Electronics, LG Telecom, Zenith Electronics and LG Chemical in over 80 countries.

LG Fathom Windows Mobile Launched In U.S.

LG has launched its latest Windows Mobile 6.5 powered handset, the LG Fathom, in U.S.

The phone boasts of a 3.2 inch screen with a powerful 1Ghz processor. The other features associated with this handset include 3.2MP autofocus camera minus flash, a slide out QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi ...

Motorola Squarish Flipout Smartphone Announced

Motorola has announced a new Android handset, the Flipout that resembles Microsoft's Kin smartphone. The handset appears in a square form factor and is all set to be shipped by the Orange network from July.

The Flipout has a 2.8-inch touchscreen QVGA display with a full size 5-line ...

Apple’s iPad goes on sale in the UK tomorrow

Apple’s iPad goes on sale in the UK tomorrow, there will be two models for sale a WiFi model and a WiFi +3G model. If you are looking to buy the 3G model you will need to get yourself a micro simcard
with a data plan from one of the providers in the UK, but which one is the best deal?

Samsung announces AMOLED Beam cellphone in South Korea

We all know that our friends over at South Korea do have a slew of smartphones which are by far and large, much more advanced that what the rest of the world gets (of course they are a close challenger to Japan which has some pretty far out handsets as well). For those who are in the know, the Samsung Haptic Beam (SPH-W7900) which has been out for some time already has just received its successor in the form of the AMOLED Beam (SPH-W9600), making it the first full touch beam projector phone in the world which is capable of delivering an enhanced viewing experience and richer image projection.

Wall Mountable Charging Station

Sometimes the best solution is the most simple one. This charging station is probably the most plain one you’ll come across, but it hids the cords and it attaches to the wall. All around it will easily simplify charging your smaller gadgets. If you don’t want a charging station that draws attention to itself, then this one would be a great solution.

Sony Ericsson Zylo with Walkman cellphone

Sony Ericsson is back with a bang, this time round they have expanded their Walkman line of cellphones (guess the Cybershot fans will have to take a back seat for this time), where the Zylo is the latest model to be introduced. This next generation Walkman phone will not break the bank if you are interested in picking one up, where it not only offers the best musical experience from a Walkman handset, but will also merge both music with social networking in a single device. That’s right, you will be able to catch up with family and friends over Twitter and Facebook among others using but a few button presses, while enjoying your favorite tunes in the background. Apart from that, the Zylo will also sport the TrackID feature which lets you access the name and artist of a track which you currently hear.

Verizon Wireless unveils Samsung Reality Stateside

Do you live in the US, and are currently looking for a new phone? Granted, there are virtually tons of handsets to choose from, and most folks would probably veer towards the smartphone variety, ultimately whittling their choices down to an iPhone or a BlackBerry. For those who want to try something different, why not give other handsets a chance instead of the two mentioned models? Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) have teamed up to bring the Samsung Reality from April 22nd onwards, where this sleek and stylish model will come in Piano Black and City Red colors, bringing a 3″ touch screen display, full horizontal slide-out QWERTY keyboard, customizable widgets, and multiple messaging options to the fore

T-Mobile Garminfone is coming to the US

Love having convergence devices, especially cellphones that come with GPS navigation capability? Well, you’ll be stoked to know that T-Mobile USA has just announced that they will be bringing the new Garminfone to the masses on an exclusive basis. This is the first Android-powered smartphone that sports a fully integrated Garmin premium navigation experience to help you get from point A to point B without having you get lost. Touted to hit the market later this spring, the Garminfone is a sleek, full-touch 3G smartphone that boasts a large 3.5″ screen, and we can check out the rest of its specifications right after the jump.

ShoutOUT speech recognition app now on the Android Market

Promptu Systems Corporation’s latest free speech recognition app known as SoutOUT is now available on the Android Market, where it allows users to compose text messages in natural speech instead of lettingt their fingers to all the typing. Motorolad Droid owners will be able to check out this app over the Android Market, although we do have our reservations as to the accuracy of such an app – how fast is it able to detect the number of words spoken, and will it be able to handle non-native English speakers? Still, ShoutOUT bears some merit since at point of publishing, there are no other Android speech recognition app that can be used for text messaging, including Google Voice functionality in Android 2.1, which is able to hold a candle to ShoutOUT’s accuracy which has been fully integrated with the Android SMS client. Apart from that, it relies on Smartword, Promptu’s editing tool that allows users to see and select from likely word alternatives.

Vodafone UK customers able to get their hands on the Nexus One

Looks like the superphone known as the Google Nexus One is finally made available legally for folks in the UK, as long as they decide to tie themselves down to a contract for the next couple of years with Vodafone. This makes Vodafone UK the first European mobile operator to release the Google Nexus One, and folks who place a pre-order online will be the first to get a legit Nexus One on the continent for free, albeit having to agree to a £35 monthly price plan for 24 months from tomorrow onwards. Apart from being online, you can also check out the Nexus One at Vodafone stores and telesales, with the added advantage of having Vodafone provide direct support to customers with the superphone when you require such assistance.

HTC Droid Incredible hits Verizon Wireless

The HTC Droid Incredible is ready to rock and roll Stateside, where it will arrive today at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores. Of course, for folks who prefer to do their shopping online, there is always the option of pointing your browser to www.verizonwireless.com and place an order for this, er, incredible handset. The asking price for the Droid Incredible? It is going for a relatively affordable $199.99, although this is after sending in a $100 mail-in rebate and committing yourself to a spanking new two-year customer agreement. If you have been holding out for a brand new smartphone, the HTC Droid Incredible could very well be a decent purchase, unless of course, you are looking at the iPhone 4G which is touted to overcome many of the current iPhone 3GS’ weaknesses. The choice is yours, but before you make it, why not check out the HTC Droid Incredible in greater detail after the jump?

Phone for the elderly has SOS function

Alright so this does look highly similar to the joke remote controls that you give anyone turning 40 or 50, but this does have a lot of useful qualities. When you’re half blind, you might want a cellphone that allows for you to read the numbers easily. If an elderly person normally has to whip out the reading glasses to read the numbers, then this would save them the hassle. Plus there is also an added function for those emergency situations.

Vodafone rolls out Palm Pixi Plus in Spain this month

Folks living in Spain might have wondered why is it they have yet to receive the Palm Pixi Plus after all this while, and we bring good news that this easy-to-use smartphone will be making its way to the Basque country this coming May 10th before the name of the handset is officially changed to the HP Pixi Plus. Yes, Palm might not be in the best position financially at press time, but at least there is a certain sense of security attached when you make your choice to pick up the Pixi Plus after knowing that HP has rode up on its horse, ready to rescue Palm from the evil clutches of bankruptcy. Folks in Spain who are subscribers of Vodafone might want to consider this simple smartphone in a week’s time if they are ready to renew their contract for a new phone.

Microsoft Communicator Mobile for Nokia smartphones

Nokia’s smartphone market share has taken quite a beating over the past couple of years or so, with the rise of the Apple iPhone as well as the introduction of newer players to the market including Android-powered handsets. Well, that doesn’t mean that Nokia does not have a commanding lead – the Finnish cellphone company has come up with some pretty neat devices over the past year, and this time aims to improve the productivity level of their devices with and alliance with Microsoft, resulting in the Microsoft Communicator Mobile. This new unified communications client will hook up directly with a company’s communications systems, helping streamline mobile collaboration. As long as you own a Nokia E72 or E52, you will be able to download the English version today from Nokia’s Ovi Store to get started right away

Sprint offers Samsung Seek officially

Sprint has announced a brand new cellphone for the masses Stateside, where you will be able to pick yet another touchscreen device that also sports a full slide out QWERTY keyboard if you’re a messaging and email fiend – we’re talking about the the Samsung Seek, also known as the Samsung M350 if model numbers are your cup of tea. This 3G phone will come in a trio of color options alongside an easy-to-use, customizable menu system that provides instant access to their favorite features and applications. Basically, this is a phone that aims to bring the best of messaging features as well as multimedia favorites in a compact and stylish design, where you can choose from Cool Blue and Scarlet Red colors for a mere $29.99, with of course, the now customary new two-year service agreement and this also after a $50 mail-in rebate. For those who can wait until June 6th, you will then be able to pick it up in Fantasy Pink.

Verizon Wireless announces LG Ally

Watched Iron Man 2 already? Well, you would probably have seen LG made an appearance early in the movie when Tony was facing off with Senator Stern, where he hijacked the rest of the video transmission system using his touchscreen, translucent LG handset from the future. Well, many of us won’t mind toting one of those, but too bad it is just a concept at this point in time – perhaps in a decade, we could see an equivalent hit the market. After all, we’re pretty sure that many of us were amazed at the multi-touch interface seen in Minority Report a few years back, and it is nice to know that technology has caught on recently, with a plethora of devices going the multi-touch way. Back to the topic at hand, the LG Ally will arrive at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores from May 20th onwards, making it the first Android device from LG in the US. For those who can’t wait, pre-orders can be placed from today onwards.

RadioShack ready to rock and roll with HTC EVO 4G

Are you ready for the next superphone? Just what makes a phone “super” in the first place, you ask? Well, HTC’s EVO 4G fits the bill perfectly – after all, it is the first 4G smartphone in North America, and the good folks over at RadioShack are more than willing to roll out one of these puppies to you, where it will remain a Sprint-exclusive device at the moment. RadioShack customers who are interested will be able to place a pre-order of this exciting new device at any one of more than 4,000 RadioShack stores from May 14th onwards, so if you haven’t done so already, what’s keeping you? After all, it offers far superior hardware compared to the Google Nexus One which was dubbed a superphone by the Big G themselves, so why not check out the hardware specifications right after the jump before taking the plunge?

Amazon announces Kindle for Android

Amazon has just announced their latest free application known as Kindle for Android, where it will enable folks worldwide to enjoy their digital tomes right from the comfort of their respective Android-powered devices. This free app will be arriving this summer, where Kindle for Android enables customers to discover and read from more than 540,000 books that are currently available in the Kindle Store (with more to come, of course), making it the largest selection of the most popular books that people want to read at the moment, ranging from New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases that will retail from $9.99 onwards. Similar to all other Kindle apps, Kindle for Android will come with Amazon’s Whispersync technology that helps save and synchronize a customer’s bookmarks across their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and, of course, Android, letting you have your reading material all the while without losing its place.

BlueAnt rolls out S4 Bluetooth car speakerphone

BlueAnt has just introduced its latest device known as the S4, where this is touted to be the first true hands-free voice controlled Bluetooth car speakerphone. What does this mean for the driver? Well, for the first time, drivers are able to communicate on the road without having to touch either their phone or car speakerphone – now how about that? All you need to do is speak to the BlueAnt S4 if you want to make or receive calls, or even access information on the phone itself. Before starting, clear your throat and say the hands-free trigger phrase “BlueAnt Speak To Me” at any time, and watch the S4 more than ready and willing to serve you at every beck and call. Following that, say the command to activate your phone’s voice dialing feature, and you can make a call by mentioning the person’s name. Works great if you are familiar with your very own naming convention on the phone, but we’re not too sure how many of us out there are able to remember every single name keyed in. What happens when there are multiple same names but different people? Apart from that, whenever there is an incoming call, the S4 will read out the caller’s name and ask you whether to proceed with answering the call or not. Text to speech (TTS) technology is utilized and will b able to transfer and store up to 2,000 phonebook entries from each paired mobile phone

Wilson Electronics Cell Phone Signal Booster hits Amazon

The Cell Phone Signal Booster from Wilson Electronics has arrived at Amazon at last – after all, we can surely identify with moments when we were desperately trying to find a decent signal in order to receive an important phone call, but fail to do so? Hopefully this device from Wilson Electronics will be able to help you out, where it is touted to extend the calling range and signal strength of any phone as long as they are on any North American cell service provider’s network (save for Nextel/iDEN). Basically, this translates to fewer disconnects, dropped calls, and no-service “dead zones,” not to mention speedier data transfer rates on 3G networks for you to enjoy faster Internet access. The price is touted to be half the cost of comparable signal boosters, but is said to offer up to 10 times more power than competitive products. It is meant to be used in a vehicle primarily, retailing for $129.95. You can also use it in tandem with a Bluetooth headset and other hands-free device. Anyone given this a go yet, and how did you find it?

HTC Wildfire introduced

HTC seems to be playing out a balancing act between Windows Mobile smartphones as well as handsets that are powered by the Google Android operating system, but lately the company seem to be trending more towards the latter with a slew of Android phones rolling out, while Windows Mobile has taken a backseat. This could be due to the fact that Windows Phone 7 isn’t out just yet for the masses to consume, so HTC might as well make the best out of the entire situation by releasing phones that folks want to look at, right? Their latest attempt is known as the HTC Wildfire, where it is another HTC Sense-based Android phone which will integrate the most popular social networks, following in the footsteps of the HTC Desire while ensuring its signature HTC Sense experience remains accessible to a younger demographic.

Android 2.2 unveiled at Google I/O 2010

Folks who have been using Android-powered devices will be pleased to know that Android 2.2 is finally out, having been announced at Google I/O 2010 yesterday in San Francisco. This is the seventh platform update since Android 1.0 rolled out earlier in September 2008, and you can bet your bottom dollar that a whole slew of improvements have been made in this situation, with five particular areas that Google wanted to highlight that we’ll look at in greater detail right after the jump.

LG and Versace team up, union results in Versace Unique luxury phone

Now most folks would not have thought that LG and Versace would ever team up, but the day has arrived. What do you expect from this union – a branded LED HDTV, an expensive washing machine or a luxurious cellphone? If you picked the handset as the answer, then you’re right on the money with both companies working in tandem with ModeLabs Group to roll out the Versace Unique, the first luxury touchscreen and full-featured multimedia smartphone which can be purchased via the most important and exclusive watch and fine jewellery networks and Versace flagship boutiques throughout the world from early next month onwards. That doesn’t give you too much time to save up for one if you’re a wage earner, eh?

Verizon Wireless to roll out LG Fathom

Both Verizon Wireless and LG has come together this time round to offer a brand new cellphone for the masses known as the LG Fathom, where it will make its appearance on Verizon Wireless business sales channels from May 27th onwards, while those who prefer to pick it up online and in Communications Stores can do so from June 3rd onwards. This smartphone is touted to be the ultimate on-the-go office (although we are sure that many other folks who are extremely happy with their smartphones will beg to differ), where the LG Fathom redefines productivity with Windows Phone power (hmmm, isn’t Windows Phone stuck in a rut at the moment without any sight of Windows Phone 7 bringing them to the promised land?), stylish design and smart global capabilities

AT&T and LG to unveil LG Vu Plus

AT&T, the largest mobile carrier Stateside has just announced that their partnership with LG has resulted in the availability of the LG Vu Plus, which is the latest AT&T Mobile TV-capable device that ought to keep you entertained on the go without having to miss your favorite TV program. Perfect for folks who do not like mobile gaming on a Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, the LG Vu Plus is clearly the handset for mobile couch potatoes. Available online and in AT&T stores nationwide from June 6th onwards, the LG Vu Plus will be an AT&T exclusive, where it will play nice with AT&T’s High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 Mbps technology that is capable to deliver a considerable speed boost to the nation’s fastest 3G network. Want to know more about what the LG Vu Plus offers? Read on after the jump.

Samsung Rugby II heading for AT&T

AT&T and Samsung have teamed up this time round, allowing the top cellphone provider in the U.S. to release the Samsung Rugby II. What makes the Samsung Rugby II so special, you ask? Well, it is a next generation Push to Talk device that certainly lives up to its namesake of a rough and tumble sports, boasting a durable, military-grade design which is touted to withstand up to the harshest of elements. This will be an AT&T exclusive offer, so you won’t be able to find it anywhere else with other mobile carriers. Just because it is tough, that doesn’t mean the Samsung Rugby II will lose out in terms of specifications and features, not when it will play nice with AT&T’s High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 Mbps technology that offers a much faster speed compared to traditional 3G connections

Champ Sofa is both couch and a punching bag

Here is a couch that is “more than meets the eye” by German designer Tobias Fraenzel.

As you can see, the back cushion can flip up and become a punching bag. Granted, I don’t know why I would want such a thing, but you never know when frustration is going to hit, and hit hard. So why not just prop up the cushion and smack the living heck out of it?

This is the Champ Sofa, and it was made for Italian Campeggi and unveiled for Milan Design Week 2010.

The Mint: A Swiffer robot

Have you seen those Swiffer ads that show that the mop or broom is jealous of the lady with the Swiffer? They usually play “Love Stinks” or some other dead love song from a bygone era.

Yeah, I can’t stand those commercials either, but now it is Swiffer’s turn to be jealous with the Mint.

Simply put, the Mint is a Roomba for hardwood floors. That is how my source describes it, and I’m pretty certain that is how others would describe it as well.

After all, it is great to have those vacuum robots suck up the trash on the carpets, but that still leaves the hardwood floors unattended by your robot cleaners. The Mint has a Swiffer dry rag to get the dust, and then has it a wet cloth to do a mopping job

SOLARLINK FR360 from Eton Corporation, recommended by the American Red Cross

I’ve seen emergency devices before, but the SOLARLINK FR360 has four options for powering.

It has a solar charger on the top of the handle that isn’t visible on this photo, and it also has a hand-crank for charging the rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack.

Of course, those are the green power sources. You can also use 3 AAA batteries, or an AC power cable, which is not included.

The FR360 is clearly meant to be used in emergency situations, and is given the recommendation by the American Red Cross.

VTech has new spring range of phones for the home and office

Mention VTech and most probably you would associate the brand name with a wide range of cordless phones, especially for the home and office. Well, the company has danced with the seasons, releasing their latest range of digital cordless phones, where among them would be the first of its kind in the industry – the Push-to-Talk capable LS6325 series. VTech’s LS6325 series was specially designed to cater to today’s busy households, offering maximum efficiency without breaking your delicate monthly budget. Slapped with a price point that does not surpass $100, the LS6325 cordless phones will come with Push-to-Talk (PTT) functionality, enabling instant communication to any room in the house, making it perfect for mom to “holler” to the kids to get to the dining room if they’re still occupied in the playroom three stories up. A modern day walkie talkie of sorts, so to speak, with the tried-and-tested ability as a regular cordless house phone

Panasonic prices VIERA VT25 Series of Full HD 3D Plasma TVs

Panasonic has finally revealed the pricing structure for its range of VIERA VT25 Series of Full HD 3D Plasma TVs, where this will mark an expansion of Panasonic’s 3D offerings to a grand total of four screens which come in varying sizes. The first VIERA VT25 models will hit the US market sometime early next month onwards, where you get 50″ class (49.9″ diagonal) and 54″ class (54.1″ diagonal) sizes with the 58″ class (58″ diagonal) and 65″ class (64.7″ diagonal) sizes to follow a month later – just in time for the World Cup, don’t you think so? You will find that the 50″ and 54″ models will retail for $2,599.95 and $2,999.95, respectively, while the 58″ model will knock your bank account back by $3,399.95 with its 65″ model going for $4,299.95. More details on what the TVs are able to offer in the extended post.

Mypressi Handheld Espresso Machine

Fancy having your very own Espresso Machine, and a handheld one at that? The Mypressi Handheld Espresso Machine seems to be the perfect tool, since it works just about anywhere you bring it with you. This portable espresso dispenser relies on canisters of compressed N20 instead of hand pumps to give you a half-dozen or more strong pulls at an even 9-bar (135psi) throughout the duration of your brewing period, resulting in a hot, flavorful cuppa with a mild bitterness and strong crema. All you need to do is insert one of the NO2 chargers into the handle, spoon your choice of ground espresso into the chamber, fill up the reservoir with really hot water and pull the trigger after sealing it – resulting in an excellent hot brew of italian-style coffee shortly after. Looks like those who love pulling all nighters could make do with one of these puppies

Rotating Brush Water Broom

The Rotating Brush Water Broom is one unique way to keep your home or driveway clean, since it uses rotating brushes powered by water pressure in order to quickly scrub outdoor areas that normally would eat up hours of your precious time if you decide to take the well worn route of using a push broom or garden hose. A couple of circular nylon brushes on either side of the nozzle will spin when water passes through their turbines, helping you remove dirt efficiently from a variety of places including driveways, patios and poolsides. Since it is made of heavy-grade aluminum, you won’t have to worry about it falling victim to rust over the years. The Rotating Brush Water Broom will make the perfect Mother’s Day gift for supermoms worldwide at just $79.95.

QuickSnap Ice Tray

Most fridges these days come with an automatic ice maker, where you fill up the ice tray with some water and wait for a few hours before turning it over for ready ice cubes to drop out. Of course, the more expensive models have a better mechanism that churns out ice cubes by itself to make sure the ice box is always full without having to have human intervention. The QuickSnap Ice Tray however, costs a mere £7.99 so you can forget about it being automatic, but at least it has a built-in mechanism that allows you to release just one or a couple of cubes at a time – giving you just enough for your needs without unleashing an avalance of ice cubes at once thanks to the incorporation of individual switches.

Interference Avoiding Wireless Speaker

Speakers tend to have interference when placed with other forms of electronics, especially those that are not magnetically shielded. Well, Hammacher has a solution for those who want to enjoy their music anywhere and yet are averse towards headphones – we’re talking about the Interference Avoiding Wireless Speaker.This wireless speaker is capable of rolling out great audio by operating over an FM frequency which will avoid interference from cordless phones and microwaves. It comprises of a transmitter that can connect to a compatible audio playback device as long as it uses a 3.5mm jack, and has a working broadcast range of up to 100 feet. Features include a 12-watt subwoofer that is augmented by an acoustic bass chamber, producing powerful low range sounds while the 3-watt tweeter provide accurate high frequencies. It will be a strain on your finances in the long run if you don’t go for rechargeable batteries though since the speaker requires eight C batteries and transmitter four AA batteries. Expect to fork out $99.95 for the Interference Avoiding Wireless Speaker.

Doctor Who TARDIS Talking Cookie Jar

Fans of Dr. Who will definitely find the Doctor Who TARDIS Talking Cookie Jar to be worth checking out, even more so when you have kids at home who prefer to spoil their appetite just before dinner by sneaking in a couple of cookies into their stomachs without you knowing. However, with the $26.99 Doctor Who TARDIS Talking Cookie Jar, it will emit authentic TARDIS sounds as long as there is enough juice in the trio of 1.5V G13 button cell batteries required to power it. Of course, you can also check out other Dr. Who merchandise that we’ve covered in the past just in case a cool cookie jar such as this isn’t enough

Babycakes Cupcake Maker

Cupcake makers are officially the kitchen gadgets I never knew I needed. Alright, so no one really needs it, but come on they’re mini cupcakes. Plus they pop out fresh out of the maker extremely quickly. This isn’t the first cupcake maker I’ve come across, but this one comes with a whole lot more and it’s even at a slightly better price. Not enough to make it seem as if it might be an inferior product, but just enough to make you jump on the cupcake maker bandwagon a whole lot faster.

Dream Machine Offers Under Bed Storage

People have been hiding things under their bed for ages. I just can’t really say it’s ever occurred to me to stash a big flat screen TV under my bed. Apparently one gadet creator has a slight thing for stashing things under the covers, because they decided to create a mechanism that will hide your TV and then bring it out again with just the touch of a little button.

Domestic Transformer turns 344-foot square space into 24-room house

This is one of those posts where I think you should just watch the video (located after the jump) and read about it.

This is Gary Chang’s “Domestic Transformer”, located in the heart of Hong Kong. It is one of the most populated cities on Earth, and Gary Chang has made his typical 344 square foot living space into a 24-room house.

It is possible with sliding walls. What you see here is his 2-meter wide kitchen, which is located behind his bookcase. If he wants the bookcase back, he folds up the kitchen and pushes it against the wall.

Contech CatStop Cat Deterrent

Alright, so let’s say you have a sand box that you enjoy allowing your kids to play in without worrying about what they’ll find. That or you just happen to have a deep unwavering hatred for felines, now you can make sure that they’ll stay away from your lawn. It won’t harm the cats at all, it’ll just make an obnoxious noise that keeps them away.