Beginning with 22nd February 2012, Vodafone started the deployment of this OS flavor to its PlayBook customers in Australia.

Following the installation of the new PlayBook 2.0 update, users should benefit from a wide range of enhancements, along with the possibility to download and install Android applications available for them via the BlackBerry App World.

The new platform release was made available for download for all PlayBook customers for free, and has just started rolling out on devices available on the airwaves of wireless carrier Vodafone in Australia.

Some of the main enhancements that users will enjoy when installing the new OS flavor would be:

- Native Email (does not require BlackBerry Bridge)
- Built-in Video Chat between updated PlayBooks
- Social Calendaring and Contacts with FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn support
- Support for Android Apps
- BlackBerry Bridge Enhancements

Before kicking off the installation process, users should make sure that the battery inside their tablet PCs has been fully charged.

“Data should not be lost, but for safety’s sake, back up your device via Desktop Manager prior to the performing the upgrade,” the wireless carrier notes.

Users are advised to download the new software update over a WiFi connection, to avoid any unnecessary data charges.

To check for the update, users will have to go to Software Update under the Settings menu. The new OS flavor weighs in at 510MB, the wireless carrier notes.

“To install the update, follow the on-screen prompts. You can continue to use your PlayBook while it downloads the update,” Vodafone continues. “Once ready, your PlayBook will restart and install the update.”

As soon as the installation is completed, the device will restart once again. Not all data on the PlayBook will be available as soon as the device powers up.

T-Mobile UK is one of these major carriers that announced via Twitter it would sell the Samsung Galaxy mini 2, along with the Galaxy Ace 2.

Official word on Galaxy mini 2 pricing options and availability will follow soon, but there’s a high chance this will go live sometime in April. The smartphone is likely to be available for free with select plans on most networks.

Unlike the original Galaxy mini, the recently announced Samsung Galaxy mini 2 comes with a slightly larger display, a better processor and more memory.

In addition, the smartphone is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with Samsung’s TouchWiz 3.0 user interface on top. The original Galaxy mini was delivered with Android 2.2 Froyo platform at launch, but received a Gingerbread update in the meantime.

On the inside, Samsung Galaxy mini 2 packs 4GB of internal memory, 512MB of RAM and microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB), whereas the original Galaxy mini only features 160 MB onboard memory and 384 MB of RAM.

It also worth stressing that the Galaxy mini 2 is equipped with an 800 MHz single core processor, while the Galaxy mini only embeds a 600 MHz CPU.

Galaxy mini 2 also features a better 1300 mAh Li-Ion battery, which has yet to be rated by the handset manufacturer. The smartphone sports a 3.27-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 320 x 480 pixels resolution and 16 million colors.

There’s also a 3-megapixel rear camera with video recording, as well as HSDPA and Wi-Fi support. The phone comes pre-loaded with ChatON service and deep social networking integration.

These new devices have been included in a new family of smartphones, brought together by a shared design, the “L-Style”.

These three devices are expected to become available for purchase on the European market starting with the first half of the year, the leading handset vendor announced (in fact, Optimus L3 will be released next month).

Of the three, the Optimus L5 and Optimus L7 seem to be the most appealing. They sport large 4.0- and 4.3-inches touchscreen displays, respectively, while being powered by Google’s new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

As for the L3, it is said to feature only a 3.2-inch display, while being powered by the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system version.

The L-Style that these new mobile phones feature translates into a thin, square, metallic design, complemented by a leather-like back panel.

The lines of these new smartphones are similar with those featured by the company’s renowned Prada lineup. The latest smartphone in that series, Prada phone by LG 3.0, arrived on shelves in late 2011.

Recently, LG unveiled to the world some other Android devices as well, including the LG Optimus Vu, a smartphone packing a large 5-inch screen that offers a 4:3 display ratio.

Moreover, the company launched an NFC-capable version of the Optimus LTE. Dubbed Optimus LTE Tag, the device is smaller than the original and packs lower hardware specs as well.

The South Korean mobile phone maker has also announced that it will bring these L-Style smartphones to the Mobile World Congress 2012, set to kick off in Barcelona on February 27th.

At the event, the leading handset vendor is expected to make official other new smartphones as well. Some of the latest rumors suggested that the company might launch its first quad-core smartphones at this year’s conference.

With the latest Xbox 360 Dashboard update, the Indie Games section becomes even more attractive, which indicates that Microsoft takes great care of Indie games devs and players alike.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with Windows Phone users who have been left out for the time being. Microsoft has yet to debut an Indie Games section on Windows Phone, so fans of the genre will have to wait a bit longer.

However, until Microsoft goes official with a new section of games in the Xbox Live mobile platform, a slew of independent game developers decided to take it on their own and created a dedicated Xbox Live Indie Games section on Windows Phone.

While this is not exactly an official Indie Games category for Xbox Live, it’s an interesting initiative, which is meant to give Microsoft a head start with the integration of these indie games onto the Windows Phone platform.

Those who want access to the latest indie games for Windows Phone will need to download and install a third-party application called XBLIG Companion.

According to the folks over at Joystiq, this application reads RSS feeds from XboxIndies.com and brings together the XML and CSV data for any game suitable to be listed in this category.

In addition, XBLIG Companion offers users the possibility to browse the Xbox Indie Games section and allows them to make purchases for their Xbox 360 consoles directly from a Windows Phone device.

The third-party application was created by Casey Young and put together by Dave Voyles. For the time being, XBLIG Companion is in beta testing, but Windows Phone owners can download the application and leave their feedback here.

Originally designed only for the company’s Xperia phones, the easy-to-use application will connect with / manage NFC SmartTags.

These Xperia SmartTags were meant to be available when the Xperia S smartphone arrived on shelves next month, yet it appears that other handsets will also be capable to connect with them.

The app can be downloaded on any NFC-enabled device that runs under Google’s Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread or newer operating system flavors.

Through it, users will be able to set their devices to trigger specific actions when they touch NFC SmartTags.

“You can trigger many things at once to start the exact behaviors you want on your NFC phone by reading Xperia SmartTags,” Sony explains.

“For example, when you nudge a tag embedded with Bedroom scenario with your phone, the sound, Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi will be turned off at once. SmartTags have ready-to-use profiles each with a pre-defined set of actions. Profiles include Home, Car and Bedroom.”

The mobile application also comes with an Xperia SmartTags widget that can be placed on the phone’s homescreen for fast access.

“To get the most out of the application we encourage you to activate the Xperia SmartTags widget on your desktop,” Sony notes.

The mobile application weighs only 666k and is available for download for free. As stated above, users need to have an NFC-capable smartphone in their hands.

Those who would like to learn some more info on the new Xperia SmartTags Android application from Sony should have a look at the video embedded below.

More info on these NFC SmartTags is available on Sony’s website. Details on the application and on how it can be used on supported Android devices are available on the said webpage as well.

Suddenly, coming from nowhere, Samsung and Verizon decided to bring back from the past a certain update that will make Continuum owners very happy.

Starting today, Verizon Wireless is pushing OTA (over the air) two updates that will bring Samsung Continuum’s software to version 2.2 Froyo.

In addition, several improvements and enhancements have been included as well, which are meant to turn the Continuum in a worthy smartphone coming from the past.

The first software update is in fact the first step of two when upgrading to Android 2.2 Froyo, so this would be the first thing a Samsung Continuum owner will need to install. This update also contains improvements in the OTA (over the air) user interface.

The second software update will bring Android 2.2 Froyo to the Continuum, along with a huge number of improvements and new features.

With the latest updates, Samsung Continuum will now fully support Adobe Flash 10.1. Furthermore, the browser’s performance has been enhanced and users will be able to receive calls with limited interruption.

Media Hub now comes pre-loaded on the smartphone, along with the ability to allow automatic application updates in Android Market. The GPS accuracy has been improved while using the VZ Navigator app.

The update also enhances the stability of the phone’s software while playing streamed music using the Google Music application. With the latest updates, while using V CAST Apps to download apps, Samsung Continuum will remain active until the transfers are completed.

For the complete (huge) changelog of the update head over to Verizon Wireless’ support site.

Dubbed, the first real Windows Phone smartphone, Nokia Lumia 800 made its debut in Europe last year, but the handset has yet to arrive in Canada.

Although the Finnish company confirmed the device will be available in Q1 2012, there are no details regarding the exact release date of the phone.

However, the folks over at MobileSyrup were able to learn that Nokia might launch the Lumia 800 in the week commencing March 5, possibly on the 9th.

Even though this is just a rumor coming from sources close to the matter, at least we now have a general idea on the smartphone’s launch date.

The Lumia 800 would be Nokia’s second Windows Phone device in Canada, as the Finnish handset maker already launched the Lumia 710, which is now available via Rogers.

Still, Nokia Lumia 800 is a big step forward from the entry-level Lumia 710, though there are only few differences between the two smartphones.

Obviously, both devices are powered by Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system and pack a single core processor clocked at 1.4 Ghz. On the inside, the Lumia 800 comes with 16GB of internal memory, whereas the Lumia 710 only features 8GB of onboard memory.

It is also worth mentioning that Lumia 800 boasts an impressive 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, dual-LED flash and HD (720p) video recording.

In addition, the smartphone sports a 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, which is based on Nokia’s ClearBlack technology. The screen supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution and features Corning Gorilla Glass coating.

Available within the next few days, Motorola PRO+ is priced at $1199 with a plan of $199, or $1399 with a plan of $149.

It is also worth mentioning that Movistar Business and Professionals customers can access the same promotional price of $1199, but they will need to acquire the Business and Professionals plan 1000. In addition, they will have access to the $1399 promo price as well, but they will need to get a Full Navigation plan.

Aimed at business customers, Motorola PRO+ is the company’s alternative to RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones. The device offers both worlds, a QWERTY keyboard and a decent touchscreen display.

Motorola PRO+ is a mid-range smartphone and features a 1 GHz single-core processor, as well as 512 MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB).

The QWERTY keyboard allows users to type more efficiently while on the go. In this regard, the phone is packed with productivity tools such as Quickoffice Connect, which enables users to edit and create documents. The phone also encrypts sensitive data information automatically.

The smartphone is powered by Google’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is likely to remain stuck on this platform forever, but that shouldn’t bother customers, as the phone should perform very well.

It also sports a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 640 x 480 pixels resolution and features Corning Gorilla Glass coating. There’s also a 5-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash.

“Motorola PRO+ is an incredibly efficient smartphone; built to consolidate work and personal life for an advanced smartphone experience. Why shouldn’t you expect your smartphone to make your life easier and to give you an edge at work? That’s our goal at Motorola,” said German Greco, marketing product director, Motorola Mobility.

Today, the company announced the availability of the highly-acclaimed Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for one of its larger tablets, the TouchTab 10.

The TouchTab 10 falls in line with the manufacturer’s vision to produce reliable and affordable tablet PCs priced between $100 and $299. Currently, TouchTab 10 can be purchased for less than $250, and it is one of the best-selling 10-inch slate, the manufacturer claims.

The tablet comes with a 10-inch capacitive touchscreen display, a Cortex 9 single-core processor clocked at 1 GHz, 512 MB of RAM and 8GB Flash Drive.

More importantly, those who already own the TouchTab 10 will be able to download and install the latest Android 4.0 firmware, starting today. The update is now available for download at the manufacturer’s support site. 

It is also worth mentioning that Idolian TouchTab 10 is currently available for purchase from the manufacturer’s online store and all major online retailers such as Amazon and Sears.

“We are very satisfied with our Android 4.0 upgrade for TouchTab 10. It took a little longer than expected to get the upgrades done but we wanted to double confirm everything before we can release to our customers. Customers love the new Android 4.0. We have many more models with Android 4.0 release very soon,” said the President, Debbie Kim.

In other news, Idolian also released an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for TurboTab Z, which is also available for download via its support site. Moreover, the company claims that more ICS-based tablets will be launched in the not-so-distant future.