It’s no Google TV, but electronics manufacturer TCL has unveiled their own set powered by the Android to become the first on the Chinese market. TCL has been developing this one for quite a while, dating all the way back to 2008 when Android was but a fresh young lad. The new TV is getting all that you might expect including internet browsing, video-on-demand services, and the Android Market, but also allows for deeper integration of the entire home entertainment experience.

Similar to the announced Harmony Link for Google TV, users will be able to control all of their devices from TCL’s Android-based TV, and there are even plans to bring control systems to future smartphones and MIDs produced by TCL. Fascinatingly, the televisions, which were designed for release in China, may get a delay in release because of censorship laws. Provided it does see the light of day it could become a excellent alternative to Google TV considering the Chinese governments long list of reasons why they don’t like Google.

[via ChiniTech]

Want coverage from a source that has been at every World Cup match since 1930? Then look no further, as the Assoicated Press has released its very own FIFA World Cup 2010 mobile app for smartphones. It certainly isn’t the live video coverage that Sprint subscriber’s can procure through ESPN Mobile, but you will receive all of the news, previews, and analysis you could want.

Given the global nature of the World Cup, there is language support for English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, and you can customize the UI skin to match your favorite team. Add in some exclusive video and photo content and you’ve got everything you could want to know about the World Cup in your pocket, including information on the various stadiums and regions showcased by the tournament.

The app  is available now from the Android Market, and the World Cup is a mere few days away. Who are you rooting for?

[via IntoMobile]

HTC’s announced they’ve bought Abaxia, a firm that makes custom user interfaces for handset manufacturers and carriers. CEO Cedric Mangaud says HTC and Abaxia have worked closely with each other since they were founded in 2001 as their businesses complement each other nicely. HTC CEO Peter Chou commented on the deal, saying:

“HTC is committed to making the best possible mobile experience for our customers today, tomorrow and into the future. “The addition of Abaxia deepen and broaden our software development capabilities so that we can innovate at an even quicker pace.”

These have no apparent implications for HTC’s Android fronts yet, from what I can tell. There are a number of different reasons HTC could’ve bought the firm. For starters, let’s not forget that HTC also produces handsets for the veteran operating system Windows Mobile. Even more plausible would be the thought that this has nothing to do with HTC’s smartphones period: they could just be venturing into a new territory that Abaxia’s already set the groundwork in. Or HTC Sense on Android will just get even more awesome from here (but that’s a given, anyway).

It’s always notable when HTC makes movements regarding their user interface business as HTC Sense has become a fantastic deal for them over the past few years (both in consumer adoption and legal disputes). Read on for the full press release.

HTC STRENGTHENS SOFTWARE CAPABILITIES WITH

ACQUISITON OF ABAXIA

TAOYUAN TAIWAN – June 7, 2010 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, today announced it has bought Paris-based Abaxia, a leader in custom software for mobile operators and handset manufacturers around the world.

“HTC is committed to making the best possible mobile experience for our customers today, tomorrow and into the future,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The addition of Abaxia deepen and broaden our software development capabilities so that we can innovate at an even quicker pace.”

“HTC and Abaxia have worked closely together in the past and our businesses complement each other well,” said Cedric Mangaud, CEO of Abaxia. “We’re excited to be joining such a significant and emerging mobile brand.”

About Abaxia

Founded in 2001, Abaxia is a leading software developer specializing in mobile solutions that quickly promote and monetize operator and handset manufacturer services on smartphones. For more information about Abaxia, please visit www.abaxia.com.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC makes innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

After having some fun leading up to an official announcement, Cellular South is definitively revealing the Motorola Milestone (or the Droid if you prefer it by that name) as their next Android handset. We didn’t get a firm date, but, only the usual ‘coming soon’ mantra. Those who want to take the Milestone for a spin on the regional carrier can sign up at the phone’s landing page.

And if the Milestone doesn’t get you all hot for Android, don’t worry. Cellular South is promising more phones of the Android variety are in the works for the carrier.

[via AndroidGuys, Press Release]

Android Guys came through with a shot of a smallish HTC phone – the one we believed to be the HTC Aria – nearly a week ago, but the latest information to surface from Android Central suggests that the phone may have been renamed. The HTC Liberty looks nearly like the Aria we saw then, but we can’t tell if the speaker grill is any different because of the image quality of the older shot.

It’s said to have an ARM 11 processor (not sure what clock speeds) and will have a screen resolution of 320×480 and what looks to be a 4.5-megapixel camera.

The Samsung Galaxy S has launched in Europe, and while the plot is to bring the flagship smartphone to over 100 carriers worldwide there is still no clear time frame for when the US might see that shimmering Super AMOLED show and hummingbird processor. It is currently believed that the Galaxy S will hit T-Mobile first, and it may even happen as early as the end of this month. One thing is for sure, according to the promotional packages that have been getting out to several websites the phone will be “landing soon.”

Along with that promising message the packages also contained flying saucers emblazoned with the Galaxy S logo. It might have been cooler if there was an actual working Samsung Galaxy S in the box, but — as the saying goes — beggars can’t be choosers.

[via UnwiredView]

What’s that? A 4G phone with Android for only $100? If the folks at HelloSoft have anything to do with it that is exactly what we will be seeing. Today they announced their TriPhone, a tri-mode WiMAX/GSM-EDGE/WLAN reference phone developed with Comsys Mobile and aimed at bringing 4G accessibility to as many people as possible, increasing the mass-market appeal of WiMAX coverage.

With HelloSoft coming from a background in VoIP technologies the phone isn’t lacking in that department either, featuring an optimized VoIP stack and Convergence Client running on a low-power HS100 IP convergence processor. The shift towards using data for voice calling rather than your plans minutes is a go echoed by Verizon and many in the mobile industry, making more cost effective plans in line with the newer mobile technologies.

While specific release information is not available, the phone was shown off last week at Computex and should be seeing the light of day sometime soon. What carriers it ends up on (if any in the US) remains to be seen.

[Press Release]

This is a HUUUUUGE contest – we’re giving away an Android phone EVERY DAY until we feel like stopping! What phone? Whatever Android Phone you choose from our Android Phone Store! Call me Ms. Cleo: you’re wondering how you can enter, right?

We just announced the launch of AndroidApplications.com and we REALLY want to encourage users to write in-depth application reviews and game reviews. To enter, you just have to submit a review and the best review for each day (chose by us) wins the phone for that day! There is no limit to how many times you can enter or how many times you can win!

Allow me to clarify in a small more depth.

The Prize

• Winner(s) will receive an Android Phone of their choice from THIS LIST of options
• Winner(s) will ONLY receive the phone (and typical contents of box) and it will not come with any type of service or contract
• Winner(s) may choose to receive $200 via PayPal INSTEAD OF selecting a phone

How To Enter:

• Sign up for a free account at AndroidForums.com
• Visit AndroidApplications.com
• Find the application or game you want to review
• Make sure you’re logged in and press the “Post Review” button on the “Reviews” tab
• Submit an original review for the specific app/game on the page you’re browsing
• No limit to the number of times a person can enter or win
• After 7 days, entry method may be changed or updated with a new contest

How Winners Will Be Chosen:

• Each “day” will have 1 winner, with a “day” being identified as 12:00 AM EST to 11:59PM EST
• To allow contestants time to prepare, the first “day” starts now and will not end until Tuesday, June 8th at 11:59 PM EST
• Phandroid.com staff will review previous “day’s” entries/reviews and select what we determine (in our sole discretion) is the best and most helpful review for that day.
• Each day after a competition day, a post will be made on Phandroid.com announcing the previous day’s winner
• Winner will be contacted by E-Mail through the address they used to sign up for their AndroidForums.com/AndroidApplications.com account

Rules & Requirements

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Must have a United States mailing address to be eligible
• Contest starts on June 7th, 2010 continues until at least June 13th, 2010 at which time it will be renewed, altered or finished
• Changes to the contest will be announced on Phandroid.com and appear prominently on AndroidApplications.com
• End of the contest will be announced on Phandroid.com
• Selection and shipment of specific prizes/options cannot be guaranteed and is subject to availability
• Submissions MUST be original works of entrants to qualify
• Phandroid.com reserves the right to disqualify any contestants for any reason and at their sole discretion

Tips On Winning:

• Submit thorough and helpful reviews
• Embed pictures and videos when possible/helpful
• Review applications or games that you reckon other people would like but might not know about
• Share you submission with friends and in social networks to gain visibility

EXCELLENT LUCK!

Phandroid.com has been your #1 news source for all things Android since 2007. With nearly 150,000 members, AndroidForums.com provides a treasure trove of information and is home to the largest and most active group of Android enthusiasts . But where do you go for all your Android App needs?

We’re proud to announce the third member in our Phandroid Family: AndroidApplications.com!

You can search for apps, browse apps, filter apps based on a ton of different criteria, scan QR codes to help you download apps/games right to your phone, rate apps, and much more. One specific feature we’re really, REALLY excited about is application and game reviews.

Reviews

While star ratings, number of downloads, and Market comments are helpful, they are extremely limited in terms of depth and quality – they can’t help you determine whether an app or game is just what you’re looking for. We hope you delight in reading our app and game reviews at Phandroid.com, but what if ALL our readers could submit their OWN reviews? What if the 150,000 members at AndroidForums (who are already spilling their guts about everything Android related) could post in-depth app/game reviews of their own, complete with pictures and videos?

That’s exactly what we’ve aimed to do at AndroidApplications.com but we’re able to take it a step further. In addition to posting reviews, we allow the community to thumbs up or down individual reviews to help identify the ones that are most helpful. Or you can discuss a specific review in depth by clicking through to the forum thread for that particular review. You can also browse a forum list of all review discussions for both Applications and Games.

With the help of our awesome members, we’ll quickly become the go-to resource for the best Android App & Game Reviews, provided by the most knowledgeable Android enthusiasts in the world… YOU! It doesn’t hurt that we’re giving away a ton of free phones to members who submit the best reviews with our “Phone-A-Day Giveaway” Contest.

Find, Browse & Learn

In many cases, you might already be thinking about an Android application or game and simply want to find more information. No more wild goose chases! AndroidApplications.com makes it simple to track down the information you want:

• Quick search – type a search term in the huge blue navigation bar, press enter, and quickly get the results you want!
• Browse – Our Apps and Games tabs make it simple to peek around in sections you know you’re interested
• Filtering & Sorting – The fact that Android is “Open” means a lot of rubbish finds its way on board. Filter it out by setting minimum requirements for stars, downloads and more!
• Power Search – want to search the market by developer name? No problem. That and mostly every other criteria you could imagine in one powerful search make this a feature that many people are sure to like.
• Phandroid Integration – from now on, whenever you read an article about an application or game on Phandroid, the bottom of the article will have information such as  title, icon, stars, downloads, QR Code and a link to the listing on AndroidApplications.com

Learn

It’s impossible to know about EVERY application/game on Android Market (unless you’re Doogie Howser), and oftentimes the apps and games you would like the most remain hidden. Please… allow us to uncover them.

Our “Hot” tab is designed to help show YOU what other AndroidForums.com members CURRENTLY reckon is HOT. We take the applications that meet certain minimum criteria that are also receiving the most “thumbs up” from members and share them with the group. This feature works best with the participation of people like you, so if you test out an app and like it, swing by the app page on Android Applications.com.

Like it? Thumb it up! Despise it? Thumb it down!

Right now this is a generic way of showing you EVERYTHING that is HOT at THIS particular moment with OUR members. But in the near future we’ll be introducing features that customize the experience for what you specifically might like.

From Beta To Beyond

Keep in mind that currently AndroidApplications.com should be slapped with a “Beta” tag. We know it isn’t perfect and hopefully, with your help, we’ll fix all the small bugs and issues. We also realize that right now we’re just skimming the surface. There is a TON more we could do with the power of Phandroid.com, AndroidForums.com, AndroidApplications.com and our Phandroid Android Application on Android Market.

And trust us… we’re just gettin’ started. We’ve got huge plans and we hope all our fellow phans are as excited as we are about what the future holds. Keep your eyes peeled because the winds of change are-a stirring.

We’re incredibly keen to hear your feedback on AndroidApplications.com and of course, we can’t wait to see all your entries to the HUGE Phone-A-Day Giveaway Contest!

Last week we did an HTC EVO 4G Review and in it we promised to give it away in a contest. Of course we were teasing the launch of AndroidApplications.com and now the REAL contest starts. That being said, congratulations to David Orosco (@DodgerBlueDavey) who is the random winner of our contest – he won with the following Tweet:

We used TweetAways.com to hold the contest and randomly select a winner and as you can see. David please contact us via DM on Twitter with your mailing address so we can send you out your groundbreaking new semi-used HTC EVO4G!

For those that didn’t win – STOP POUTING – you can still win an EVO 4G!