Hasta La Gadget!

The next update for Google’s Android mobile operating system, Android 2.2 (codename: Froyo) will support date tethering via USB and Wi-Fi, according to Michael Arrington of TechCrunch. A giant (fake) cup of frozen yoghurt has also been added to the other oversized confections outside Android HQ, indicating that a launch is imminent.

The tethering function, which AT&T has still not allowed on the iPhone despite a promise that we would have it by the end of last year, will let you share the phone’s data connection with other devices. You can either hook it up via USB, saving battery-life and acting much like a 3G USB dongle, or you can create a Wi-Fi hotspot like the MiFi personal wireless router.

This isn’t the only new feature in Froyo. The intrepid reporters over at Android Police got ahold of an early build of Android 2.2 and installed it on the Nexus One. They measured a staggering 450% speed increase over 2.1.

Arrington thinks that Froyo will ship on or before the Google I/O developer conference next week. This doesn’t mean you’ll be getting an update anytime soon, though. The Motorola Droid took a painfully long time to receive an update to Android 2.1, and the Droid Eris only got that same update yesterday.

AT&T needs to fix itself up fast. With this update, an Android phone looks to be the perfect partner for a tablet (read:iPad), avoiding one of the biggest complaints of iPhone owners who also have a 3G iPad: double data tariffs. Instead of duplicating both monthly bills and device functions, why not use an Android phone with a Wi-Fi iPad piggybacking the connection?

Exclusive: Google To Add Tethering, Wifi Hotspot To Android 2.2 Froyo [TechCrunch]

Perhaps eager to steal some of the thunder from Everything Everywhere’s recent debut, Vodafone has updated its Coming Soon page to show a selection of new handsets, which is highlighted by Samsung’s pair of Super AMOLED beasts, the Wave and Galaxy S. The Wave brings the new Bada sensibility to British shores, while the Galaxy S will be pretty much the most advanced Android handset the UK has yet seen. It runs version 2.1 with Samsung’s own skin on top, but it’s the hardware behind it that’ll be pushing Brits to upgrade. Hit the source link to peruse the full list, which also includes the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G, but do remember to be patient — an Amazon pre-order listing for the Wave (priced at £350, or 521 greenbacks) indicates a one to three month waiting period.

Samsung Galaxy S and Wave ‘coming soon’ to Vodafone UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 06:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Never given much thought to owning something with an iiView label on it? Think again, vaquero. Teased here beside two of Apple’s most well-known cash cows, the M1Touch packs a rather delicious list of specifications. Behind the 10.1 multitouch display (1,024 x 600) is a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, integrated webcam, USB socket, 4-in-1 card reader and an inbuilt accelerometer. She’s running Windows 7 Home Premium and should last around three hours (sad, we know) on a full charge, with pricing set for just over $500 when converted to Greenbacks. Further details are few and far between, but given that it’s expected to ship by the end of May, we suspect we’ll know more as Computex kicks off in Taiwan.

iiView slates M1Touch Windows 7 tablet for release later this month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 05:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And the good Froyo news just keep flowing in. TechCrunch have flexed their exclusive muscle this morning in revealing their discovery that Android 2.2 will come with built-in tethering and WiFi hotspot support. That means you’ll be able to use your phone’s 3G internet connection to hook your laptop up to the worldwide webosphere, with a choice of wired or wireless methods. Of course, this dreamy scenario will be subject to the big bad network operators permitting — or at least not forbidding — you to do such awesome things with your hardware, but at least we know the goods are being baked into this forthcoming release from Google. Frozen yogurt for all!

Android 2.2 ‘Froyo’ to include USB tethering, WiFi hotspot functionality originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 05:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The DIY Suction-Cup iPhone Stand is so simple it doesn’t really need a one-and-a-half-minute video to show you how to make it. Heck, it probably doesn’t even need a picture: the thing is so simple the name alone is description enough. But because the inventor, Max Rudberg, has such a great accent, we’re running it anyway:

Simple, right? A pair of those unreliable picture-hook suction-cups that always unstick themselves after an hour or two, with the wire hook removed from one and added to the other. This augmented cup then sucks onto the smooth back of your iPhone (or any other gadget with a smooth rear) and the wire feet keep it standing at an angle. That’s it, and all for just $3.

We’re not sure why the “market” for handmade stands and cases has exploded since the iPad launched, but we’re happy to see all the cheap innovation. Perhaps its because so many people have just dropped $500+ on a gadget they didn’t think they needed, and all the extra money is going on sweet new apps.

DIY Suction Cup iPhone Stand [YouTube. Thanks, Max!]