Droid Charge review or Samsung's Galaxy S II

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We're still shaking our heads and sighing longingly at the performance of Samsung's Galaxy S II, a phone that wowed us in Europe but likely won't be coming to American shores for some time -- and who knows what it'll look like when it does. But don't get too down, dear reader,

Simple DIY cellbot ditches Arduino, jousts poorly

Want an adorable little Android cellbot to call your own, but aren't quite ready to tackle Arduino code? Darrell Taylor's got you covered with an audio-controlled, jousting cellbot: no muss, no fuss, no microcontroller. The Make project, called TRRSTAN, accepts commands via Google chat, web browser, or Wii remote piped through the headphone jack of your Android phone -- the robot's brain, of course. Tack on a few makeshift weapons procured at the local dollar store, and you've got a homemade warrior you can be proud of. Want one? Taylor has a ready-made kit available for just shy of $50, and offers a 'fully assembled' option for the extra-lazy robot enthusiast. Of course, you could always go back to playing Android-bots with your Legos if you aren't quite ready to big-boy world of DIY. Just sayin'.

Make Make: Projects

LG Revolution At Verizon Shows the Future of 4G

The LG Revolution is the first Android device to arrive on the market optimized for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. With download speeds of between 5Mbps and 12Mbps and upload speeds of between 2Mbps and 5Mbps — ten times faster than the company’s 3G network — phones running on 4G should be able to make good use of any cloud-based services. LG has certainly cashed in on that potential with a multimedia phone that includes Netflix’s app as a built-in feature.

LG Revolution Basic Specifications

Micromax’s Bling 2 - One for the Ladies

India’s mobile phone market might not be the place to look for the latest technological breakthroughs but it does have some of the most creative niche devices. This is only made possible through Android’s open platform and India’s up and coming innovative and entrepreneurial population.

Micromax has been churning out a series of highly-targeted phones since 2008 and now has an inventory that includes the M2, a device available in canary yellow that looks like a stretched MP3 player and fittingly calls itself “a music player that’s also a phone.” The X395 Convertible switches networks with a shake, and the X505 comes with pre-loaded MTV content.

The Bling 2, a follow-up to Micromax’s Q55 Bling, stands out for its direct appeal to women. Under the

Sony S1 vs Sony S2

Image courtesy of Expansys

Sony is due to release two tablets into the market later this year, both of which are currently under the codenames of Sony S1 and, you guessed it, Sony S2. The Sony Tablet will hit the shelves in autumn 2011 as the Japanese tech giant makes its first attempt at producing a competitor to Apple’s hugely popular iPad.

The S1 and S2 are different, to say the least, so here is a comparison of the two for you to consider if you are thinking of making a purchase that will help Sony establish itself as a major player in this booming market:

Sony S1 Tablet

Galaxy S Gingerbread update lands in the UK, better late than never

So, Samsung missed that mid-May target date for the Galaxy S Gingerbread update... after already aborting an earlier push to Google's latest and greatest in mid-April. But, time for some cautious optimism -- it appears that Android 2.3 is finally here for Sammy's carrier-agnostic former flagship. A reader from the UK wrote in to let us know that he fired up Kies today and voilà -- firmware version 2.3.3. He was even kind enough to send us the photo above. We're not sure when to expect this as an OTA update here in the states, but we'd venture to guess it'll be soon.

from engadget

Droid X gets genuine Gingerbread update, leaked build floats out for the impatient

Still bothering with that unofficial 2.3 update for your comparatively monstrous Droid X? Good news, eager beaver; right on cue, the bona fide Gingerbread update is rolling out to select Droid X owners this weekend, and if you aren't lucky enough to be included in the initial soak test, you can take matters into your own hands by visiting the source links below. Per usual, we'd caution against a manual install for those who aren't familiar with the process, particularly since the masses should receive it as the week forges on. Naturally, the v2.3.3 changes are subtle (at least in comparison to the changes seen in the leap from Eclair to Froyo), but hey -- an update's an update.

Droid-Life (1), (2), Android Central

ZTE Skate - Today’s Software on Yesterday’s Hardware

ZTE, a Chinese manufacturer, named its Android smartphone after the skateboard, a simple, light and highly mobile mode of transport mostly used by trendy young folk. The phone itself though is not a skateboard. It’s barely a go-kart.

ZTE Skate Basic Specifications

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play - Android is ready to play

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is the latest Android smartphone to arrive on the market and it is a real divergence from the typical smartphone of today because it comes with PlayStation certification and a slide-out control pad which lets you get much deeper into the action than its touchscreen-only rivals. In this article, we will weigh up the pros and cons to see whether the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is worth the investment.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Basic Specifications

LG Revolution At Verizon Shows the Future of 4G

The LG Revolution is the first Android device to arrive on the market optimized for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. With download speeds of between 5Mbps and 12Mbps and upload speeds of between 2Mbps and 5Mbps — ten times faster than the company’s 3G network — phones running on 4G should be able to make good use of any cloud-based services. LG has certainly cashed in on that potential with a multimedia phone that includes Netflix’s app as a built-in feature.

LG Revolution Basic Specifications