LG’s dual-core Optimus 2X Android phone will be available in “key European markets” this month, the company says, but there’s a sting in the tail for potential buyers, as the handset won’t be shipping with the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread software. The 2X has been on sale in LG’s native South Korea since January, and …

Legitimate Android apps are being compromised by phony versions that masquerade as the real thing but deliver a payload of malware, according to a Symantec blog published yesterday. Found on unregulated third-party Android markets, malicious versions of legitimate apps like Steamy Window are difficult to distinguish except for their tendency to request permissions that are more excessive than usual, says …

Good news for HTC smart phone owners itching to give their handsets a taste of Gingerbread. The Android 2.3 software update is heading to four of HTC’s devices in the next few months: the Desire, Desire HD, Desire Z and Incredible S. Sorry, we can’t be more specific than that, as HTC itself has been vague about the exact launch …

MeeGo isn’t going anywhere, says Nokia. The company will be releasing its second MeeGo phone, the Nokia N950, this year. The Nokia N950 will be the successor to the N900, and it will be similarly targeted at geeky developers who want to have fun in the Linux-based software sandbox, GSM Arena reports. The MeeGo-powered N950 was confirmed by Nokia’s CTO, Rich …

Starting today, Evernote’s popular note-taking app for iPhone and iPod Touch will have more than a few new features and enhancements. The design is cleaner in Evernote 4 as a whole, and changes include everything from a revamped home screen and note-taking screen to new capabilities–like removing attachments you no longer want or need and adding multiple images at a …

After a lot of hype and an awkward Super Bowl ad, Sony Ericsson finally introduced the Xperia Play to the world at Mobile World Congress 2011. Since then, however, we’ve yet to get a proper gaming impression of the phone, at least until this afternoon, when a few CNET editors headed over to a Sony event to get their hands …

SamFirmware The Samsung Galaxy S is officially still chilling with Android 2.2 Froyo. But if you’re fed up with frozen yogurt and you want to try a little Gingerbread, an update to bump up the phone to Android 2.3.2 has appeared online at the SamFirmware forum. Read more of “Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.3 Gingerbread update leaked” at Crave UK.

Sony Ericsson is betting big that its Xperia Play will offer a new way to bring gamers and phone users together, but it’s not the first time that the company has tried to do so. Seven years ago, just as Sony Ericsson was getting into a groove with notable handsets like the P910 and S710, the company rolled out one …

One wouldn’t naturally associate chip- and GPU-maker Nvidia with apps, but nevertheless, the free Tegra Zone appeared today in the Android Market. The app showcases current and forthcoming games that have been optimized for the Tegra 2 platform and promise cutting-edge gameplay and graphics. Clicking on a game title provides reviews, trailers, videos, and comments. If you want to buy …

Apple Verizon’s “darling” status with iPhone users may quickly be coming to an end as a new report from Bloomberg cites Verizon’s Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo saying unlimited data plans will no longer be available from the new iPhone carrier. Current switchers can grab the $30 per month unlimited data plan for their iPhone 4, but that could all …