A surge in sales turned Android into the second biggest smartphone platform in the world last year, according to a new report from Gartner. Unit sales of smartphones running Google’s mobile OS grew 888.8 percent year over year, from 6.8 million in 2009 to 67.2 million in 2010. In terms of market share, that translates …

Hewlett-Packard today took the wraps off its long-anticipated tablet, a 9.7-inch device it’s calling the TouchPad, along with the bombshell that its WebOS is headed to PCs. The TouchPad will run the company’s WebOS, which it acquired along with Palm as part of a $1.2 billion deal in April. Among its list of features are: a 1024×768 pixel display, a …

The hunk of burnin’ love that is the LG Optimus Pad has been spotted in a new video. Known in the US as the LG G-Slate, the dual-core, Android-powered tablet has had its ports and sockets laid bare by YouTube user 50sElvis. According to the video, the G-Slate’s full US moniker is the ‘T-Mobile G-Slate with Google by LG’. Gee, …

For a game with “angry” in the title, Angry Birds sure does make people happy. Maybe it’s because of the steady supply of extra goodies developer Rovio Mobile continues to push out–like the new Valentine’s Day addition to Angry Birds Seasons. (That’s the iOS version; it’s also available for Android!) Like an unexpected gift from that special someone, Seasons 1.2.0 …

Not ones to be left out of a party, Orange and T-Mobile — or Everything Everywhere as they’re known in their SuperMegaZord combined form — have confirmed that they will be stocking the Sony Ericsson Xperia play gaming smart phone from April. The Xperia Play has had more buzz than a bucket of hornets and it hasn’t even been officially …

Move Google’s home page logo to see the world of Jules Verne. Screenshot by Joe Aimonetti If you’ve got an iOS device, head on over to Google’s home page today and check out the Jules Verne-inspired logo. Google has created an interactive logo that allows iOS users to control the view from a Jules Verne-esque submarine (the windows of which …

If you’re struggling with languages at home or abroad, the new Google Translate app for iPhone is a faster way to untangle your tongue than the iPhone-optimized Web app that was previously your ticket out of confusion. The app has a handful of main features. First, you can speak into the app (in 15 languages) to translate words and phrases …

Kyocera’s Echo smart phone has a dual-touchscreen design that makes it one of the most eye-catching Android handsets yet. It’s only going to be available in the US for now, but we suspect Kyocera will be fielding calls from a few UK operators enquiring about the possibility of bringing it across the Atlantic. Dual-touchscreen? Aye: the Echo comes on a …

Google is set to sneak out an update to Android before Honeycomb arrives, if reports from a tablet-maker are to be believed. We know Android will split into two branches at the next update: version 3.0, codenamed Honeycomb, is specifically designed for tablets, while on the phone branch of the software the next version will be called Ice Cream Sandwich. …

Nokia’s E7 smart phone finally began shipping to customers yesterday, according to Nokia, but it appears us Brits are still in for a bit of a wait. The handset marries the new Symbian 3 OS with a slide-out keyboard design that harks back to Nokia’s classic Communicator devices. A company blog post merely says, “The hotly anticipated Nokia E7 begins …

HTC may have vaulted to glory in recent years with its selection of Android phones, but last month at CES the company broadened its portfolio just a bit with the new Freestyle quick-messaging phone. The Freestyle, which goes on sale from AT&T this Sunday, February 13, lacks the high-end features of the new HTC Thunderbolt and its simple design won’t …

Android has swiped second place from Apple as it climbs the ranks of the top smartphone platforms in the U.S., ComScore reported yesterday. In the fourth quarter, the Android operating system accounted for 28.7 percent of U.S. smartphone market share, edging out Apple’s OS, which captured 25 percent of the market. That represents a reversal from the third quarter when …

Telecommunications infrastructure maker Alcatel-Lucent announced this week new technology that will help wireless carriers expand their networks to keep up with the explosive growth in mobile data. The company announced this week a new compact cell phone antenna system called lightRadio, which incorporates radio technology and base station technology in a single box. The entire system, which can fit on …

Verizon Wireless is promising improved voice quality on phone calls when its able to deliver voice services over its new “4G” LTE network, according to a story on CNN.com. CNN spoke to Brian Higgins, executive director for ecosystem development at Verizon Wireless, who said that the company will be offering voice over LTE service sometime next year. The improved voice …

Having made their back catalogue available on iTunes last year, the Beatles now have an official iPhone app, based on the Cirque du Soleil musical LOVE. The app, developed by Mobile Roadie, is free and went live on the App Store this morning. The show itself is based in the Mirage casino in Las Vegas, and is the subject of …