Slowly and steadily more information about Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 7 platform is coming around, but it seems that it’s not generating the kind of wow factor that we saw previously when Android and WebOS were announced. In the past we’ve witnessed Motorola having a great relationship with Microsoft – and of course who can’t forget about the Motorola Q smartphone. We’re unsure as to what could’ve happened along the way to see Motorola alienate itself from Windows Mobile to only see it form an alliance with Android of late. There’s no question about how successful that partnership with Android has managed to bring Motorola back its former glory, but now it seems somewhat apparent that they’re distancing themselves from Microsoft. CNET Asia was able to speak with Spiros Nikolakopoulos, vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific and International Distribution of Motorola’s Mobile Devices business, where he mentioned information about smartphones that would be released in 2010. Spiros said “There will be between 20 and 30 smartphones globally and, at this moment, all of them will run Android. Naturally, not all will be available everywhere as it depends on the company’s partnership with the various telco operators in each country. For non-smartphone models, they will either run Brew or Motorola’s own operating system.” So there you have it – either Windows Mobile 7 doesn’t seem too compelling enough or that Android would seem more likely to return a financial gain for the company. The great thing about the mobile industry is that support for the development of future platforms won’t kick in too heavily until its introduced officially – let’s just hope that Microsoft does its part by really wowing everyone from the start; maybe then Motorola will have a change in heart down the road.
source: CNET Asia via wmpoweruser

As we just reported, the new Motorola MOTOROI, an Android 2.0 device, is going to be launched first in South Korea, but will eventually make it to the U.S. for a March launch. A video that was made in Korea shows the multi-touch, pinch to zoom browser support that is currently on the Motorola Milestone browser, but not the DROID. Watching the video, you will notice that there seems to be some problems with the responsiveness of the touch screen despite the OMAP3 core. We also get to see that the inclusion of the Motoblur UI doesn’t make the homescreen lag and shudder as it does on the Cliq/Dext. The 8MP camera and the Xenon flash are also previewed. Since this is a GSM device, think T-Mobile or AT&T in the States. Oh, and that bump on the side of the unit-something we’ve seen on the Sholes Tablet-doesn’t seem to have any effect on using the handset.
source: TelecomsKorea via EngadgetMobile

HTC has defied a lot of odds over the past year and supplanted itself as one of the top-tiered smartphone makers in the business. Their mobile platform support is ever growing with partners like Android and Windows Mobile on board – and now they’ll be offering their very own Sense UI for feature phones. HTC also had plans of stepping into the tablet market, but things may be too hectic for them to focus heavily on that project. Anthony Petts, HTC’s sales and marketing director, has been heard saying that the Taiwan-based company would cease all work on a planned tablet and would focus their intention on developing a new generation of smartphones. There are still plenty of rumors of what this alleged tablet packs, but with Apple’s special event coming soon, it may prove somewhat overwhelming trying to take away their spotlight. As long as HTC can still create wonderful handsets, we’d rather have them drop what they’re doing and stick to what they do best.
via Electronista & Gizmodo

Not every Android handset that’s first being made public sports the latest cutting edge technology under its shell, they may just aim to cater to the entry level user. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in Gigabyte’s first foray into the Android sector with their GSmart series – it’s kind of your typical Android handset. As we mentioned, this isn’t one powerhouse phone that’s going to jumpstart the company into Android’s spotlight – instead it’s just as smart as your usual entry level smartphone. It’s even proving itself to be in that category with its 2.8” QVGA display, EDGE connectivity, 2-megapixel auto-focusing camera, and Android 1.6 – all of which are the beginnings of an established entry into a new platform. Although Gigabyte doesn’t have a strong presence here in the US, it’s going to be made available in Russia some time around February for 9,000 RUB ($300). Despite it all, we’d gather that it’s best to start from the bottom to make your way to the top through trial and error.
source: mobile-review via Unwired View & Engadgetmobile

Thanks to the tremendous reception received by Android phones like the Motorola DROID and the DROID Eris, the number of cellphone owners using Android tripled in number from September through December. This is based on ChangeWave’s latest research report that shows that 4% of all users have a smartphone running one of the tasty versions of Google’s open source OS, up 200% since September. Back then, only 6% of those looking to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days were looking to buy a model powered by Android. That number had jumped up to 21% by last month. Three months ago, among the dominant mobile OS, the little green robot was tied for last in consumer preference. Now, it is second only to the iPhone OS which lost 4% in the ratings. The combination of more consumers favoring Android and fewer wanting the iPhoneOS has led to an increase in Android’s market share.

The biggest recipients of this surge in Android’s popularity has been Motorola and HTC. Since September, Motorola has seen a 12% increase in the number of consumers looking to buy a Motorola model. That is the first increase for the Schaumburg based firm in 3 years. HTC’s numbers went from 5% to 9% on the release of the DROID Eris and hype about the Nexus One which was launched the month after the survey was taken.
source: ChangeWave via AndroidCommunity

Just how open is an open source OS when it can be blocked from usage? Held hostage because of the fight between China and Google, the latter company is blocking the launch of Android phones in China. “The launch we have been working on with China Unicom has been postponed,” a Google spokesman said. Most manufacturers have been surprised by Google’s action. Two Android handsets were supposed to launch Wednesday. Google last week said it was targeted in a cyberattack that originated in China. The attacks were aimed at the e-mail of human rights activists. Google, as a result, said it would no longer censor search engine results in China, even if that means shutting down in the country. The Chinese government said that Google and other foreign firms must obey the country’s laws and traditions. The two Android handsets affected by Google’s decision are made by Motorola and Samsung.
source: BBC

Alien invasion! All sorts of intergalactic villains enter the Earth´s atmosphere and get down to… unscrupulously stealing our own herds of domestic animals. The brave farmers, however, cannot afford to and will not panic (not to mention most of them wouldn´t anyway, given they tend to play FarmVille on regular and seem pretty obdurate to the tricks of fortune), plus they are aided by the very same loyal and devoted droves of domesticated animals, subject of the hostile abduction endeavour. While taking off the ground, the alien ships seem to have dragged along chunks of the Earth´s crust that the brave victims can now use to get their hands, hooves, paws and whatever limb have you on the vile other-worldly beings.

In a nutshell, that´s the “story” of Abduction! that you can get from Android Market. It´s quite similar to Doodle Jump (and several hundred other titles) for the iPhone and, say, Icy Tower for PC. In other words you will have to jump upon and off various platforms with your main goal being to reach the uppermost level. Of course, you´ll be gathering diverse items that bestow bonus skills to their owners, like, you can jump higher, get to a greater or lower number of accessible platforms etc. Abduction! is controlled via your device accelerometer entirely and offers several types of gameplay like fast action, challenge mode and, of course, single player campaign. The latter gives you the option to play as a mighty cow that feels pretty irritated at Life, the Universe and Everything (later you will be able to opt for characters like sheep, kangaroo, deer etc.). Anyway, the cow is your first, virtual alter ego on your quest of becoming the saviour of the world´s population of domestic animals. You will see and find yourself in various locations throughout the game and while most of them are rather cartoon-like, meaning with basic graphics and visual effects, just like the game they carry their own spirit and atmosphere that is both entertaining and likeable. We have to admit that our favourite character is the cow, so we are eagerly waiting to see Marvel or Milka offer the brave animal a proper industry contract.

Abduction! is one of the titles that do not offer spectacular 3D graphics or stunning visuals, but delivers a truly addictive gameplay that many of you will certainly end up severely hooked up on. The demo trial is completely free, while the full version is available for just $1.99 and this is money well spent, since what you get in return is 16 characters, campaign with 22 single missions, 36 different challenges and the option to create your own levels.  It´s been a while since Abduction! rolled out, but the game still remains one of the most addictive titles for the Android platform. In case you´re unable to find anything else to catch your eye on Android Market, well, we do recommend the game.

In a nutshell, that´s the “story” of Abduction! that you can get from Android Market. It´s quite similar to Doodle Jump (and several hundred other titles) for the iPhone and, say, Icy Tower for PC. In other words you will have to jump upon and off various platforms with your main goal being to reach the uppermost level. Of course, you´ll be gathering diverse items that bestow bonus skills to their owners, like, you can jump higher, get to a greater or lower number of accessible platforms etc. Abduction! is controlled via your device accelerometer entirely and offers several types of gameplay like fast action, challenge mode and, of course, single player campaign. The latter gives you the option to play as a mighty cow that feels pretty irritated at Life, the Universe and Everything (later you will be able to opt for characters like sheep, kangaroo, deer etc.). Anyway, the cow is your first, virtual alter ego on your quest of becoming the saviour of the world´s population of domestic animals. You will see and find yourself in various locations throughout the game and while most of them are rather cartoon-like, meaning with basic graphics and visual effects, just like the game they carry their own spirit and atmosphere that is both entertaining and likeable. We have to admit that our favourite character is the cow, so we are eagerly waiting to see Marvel or Milka offer the brave animal a proper industry contract.

It was only yesterday when we first heard of the Motorola MOTOROI smartphone, another Android 2.0 device that looks like a SHOLES tablet, which is headed to South Korea. Now a day later we’ve learned that a US version will be coming to the States in March and other countries later in the year. Even though no US carrier has announced it yet, our guess would be T-Mobile or AT&T since its GSM-based. However there is always a chance a CDMA version could be in the works for a later release. Features include Android 2.0 (which should be upgradeable to 2.1), 3.7″ WVGA capacitive touchscreen, 8MP autofocus camera with Xenon flash, 720p HD video recording, HDMI video-out port, and supports 32GB microSDHC memory cards. The only thing that appears to be missing from the US version is the T-DMB tuner, which wouldn’t work here anyway, but how about replacing it with FLO TV or Mobile DTV?
source: Engadget

As we just reported, the new Motorola MOTOROI, an Android 2.0 device, is going to be launched first in South Korea, but will eventually make it to the U.S. for a March launch. A video that was made in Korea shows the multi-touch, pinch to zoom browser support that is currently on the Motorola Milestone browser, but not the DROID. Watching the video, you will notice that there seems to be some problems with the responsiveness of the touch screen despite the OMAP3 core. We also get to see that the inclusion of the Motoblur UI doesn’t make the homescreen lag and shudder as it does on the Cliq/Dext. The 8MP camera and the Xenon flash are also previewed. Since this is a GSM device, think T-Mobile or AT&T in the States. Oh, and that bump on the side of the unit-something we’ve seen on the Sholes Tablet-doesn’t seem to have any effect on using the handset.
source: TelecomsKorea via EngadgetMobile

When the Motorola DROID was rooted last month, it was only a matter of time until its European brethren recieved the same status. Reports on Engadget state that the Motorola MILESTONE has officially been rooted by a team of Android-lovin’ hackers, which leads to things like customized ROMs, Wi-Fi tethering, and other goodies for those who aren’t afraid to dive deep into the file system.
source: Android-Hilfe via Engadget