We originally helped break this news a week ago, and today Motorola took to Twitter to confirm that the Cliq will receive and upgrade to Android 2.1. (Actually, @motomobile initially said it'd be a 2.0 upgrade, but they went back and corrected themselves.)

A date for the upgrade has yet to be announced.

Update: For what it's worth, @motomobile has also confirmed the Droid will get 2.1. Which we also reported last week. lol (thanks, Chris!)

Seems like it was only yesterday when we were discussing the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Fender edition and how it's likely coming later this month, but we'd seen neither hide nor h- ... Oh, wait here it is. And speaking as a guitar fan, it sure looks purdy. Look for it Jan. 20, folks. [Engadget]

We're not sure it's news every time one OS manufacturer pokes fun at another, but here we go again anyway. During a panel on netbooks (attended and reported by LaptopMag's Mark Spoonauer) at CES, Microsoft GM of consumer products James DeBragga took a swipe at Android after it was lauded as being versatile and free. DeBragga sort of agreed, calling it "free like a puppy" in that it's cute at first but has to be trained and can be a hassle. And, yes, pee on your rug. (It really tied the room together.)

Now there may be some truth to that (erm, not the rug part), and DeBragga's point was that an open and free platform like Android doesn't have the proper muscle behind it for a proper support infastructure and is "leashed" to the Android Market. That's certainly a concern, and we're seeing results of Android's relative immaturity in the recent Nexus One launch. But we'd argue that it's not that Android (and Google) doesn't have the capability of proper support, it's just that the organization appears muddied at the moment.

Either way: It's a cute line, but probably one that has more bark than bite.

There's some great discussion going on in our forums about the Google Nexus One, including questions about using it unlocked on AT&T. And that brings us to the following poll. Let us know which way you're rocking the Nexus One, check out our Nexus One FAQ, and then join in the discussion! 

Registration just opened up for the Google IO conference May 19-20 in San Francisco. Two days of Android, Chrome, APIs, apps, robots, flying cars and just about anything else Google that you can think of.

Expected are more than 3,000 developers with 80 educational sessions and 100 demonstrations by the devs. Android-centric sessions include:

• "A beginner's guide to Android"
• "Casting a wide net: how to target all Android devices"
• "Home sweet home"
• "Writing real-time games for Android redux"

Anybody out there planning to go?

You knew this was going to end badly. Kid breaks into home. Kid steals Motorola Droid. Kid takes pictures of himself with the Droid. Droid uploads pictures. Kid caught. It's a cautionary tale.

Actually, it was a pretty scary situation for the homeowner, who got some of his stuff back thanks to the Android backup and security app Lookout.

Moral of the story: You can't always prevent your stuff from being stolen, but it's good to have backups in place, just in case.

Via SlipperyBrick and KPTV (thanks, John!)

As our pal Jeremy points out in the forums (and is widely being reported today), if you buy a subsidized Nexus One (the one you get alongside a T-Mobile Account) and then cancel within 120 days, you're going to pay more than you would have if you bought the Nexus One unlocked in the first place.

The breakdown:

• Equipment Recovery Fee charged by Google: $350.
• Early termination fee charged by T-Mobile: Up to $200.

That's $550 in penalities if you break the contract. Sure, that's causing a bit of an uproar. But is it really greedy? Google sold you a subsidized phone. As in: Somebody (in this case, Google) paid the difference so you'd be more likely to buy a cheaper Nexus One. Google took the hit. Not you.

Then there's T-Mobile. For math's sake, let's say you had a brand-new $50-a-month plan along with your Nexus One. That $50 a month over two years is $1,200 that T-Mobile planned on collecting from you, and you signed a contract stating you'd be good for that money over the 24 months. Sure, you probably have a perfectly good reason for wanting to get out of that contract. Just like the next guy.

Wanna play it safe? Make up your mind during the 14-day grace period. Or, better yet, just buy an unlocked Nexus One for $530. Yes, you pay more up front, but there's no carrier hassle, you can use it on AT&T if you want, and you don't have to worry about anybody breaking your legs if you want out.

This is the real world, boys and girls. You don't get something for nothing. I know, it's coming in the comments. Fine. But if you really want to get mad about something, remember what you're paying for text messages, m'kay?

Looks like analysts are feeling pretty good about the Nexus One. Barclay Capitals analyst Doug Smith believes that Google will sell 5-6 million Nexus Ones this year. That's a very, very big number and if reached, the Nexus One and Google's new Google.com/phone will be an out and out success.

Do we think it's possible? Maybe. With Google's name and dollar behind it, anything is possible. But hitting 5-6 million is a little harder if the Nexus One isn't available in stores. Don't forget, a lot of people like to actually play with a device before they plop down the cold hard cash. And if more Nexus-type devices come out this year, like we expect, it'll definitely slow down the momentum of the original Nexus One.

But one thing the Nexus One got going for it? It's headed to Verizon. Verizon plus Newest Smartphone almost always equal success. Heck, by the end of the year, Verizon Nexus Ones will probably make up 90% of that 5-6 million.

Do you guys think they'll hit 5-6 million this year?

[unwiredview]

See that little chip there, outlined in yellow? That's the Audience A1026 Voice Processor. It's the voice chip that's inside the Nexus One and pretty much the reason why the Nexus One can make such amazing sounding cals. How does it work? Well, basically the Audience A1026 uses two mics to identify the primary voice in the conversation and to eliminate the surrounding noise. According to Audience, "it also automatically adjusts voice volume and equalization during calls to adapt to local noise interference."

Phone call quality has become relatively overlooked as smartphones get more powerful. We're doing so many different things on our phones that it's easy to forget that these devices make phone calls too. Luckily, the folks at Google and HTC upped the technology with the Nexus One and brought us back to our roots. If you don't have a Nexus One to test phone quality, head over to the Audience web site to check out the demo of the A1026 in action.

How's your phone quality on the Nexus One? Getting any compliments or complaints? Or are you just having a hard time getting reception?

[venturebeat, image via ifixit]

You already know that the HTC Hero comes in many different flavors: the European GSM version of the HTC Hero, the Sprint HTC Hero, and the Droid Eris but this latest one might be the best flavor yet--chocolate. Yep, this Chocolate HTC Hero looks exactly like the European GSM Version but it's made from chocolate, yes chocolate--completely edible and probably delicious.

A few folks in the Russian press had received this chocolate bar from HTC which probably signifies that the real HTC Hero--complete with touchscreen, circuit boards, big chin and so on--is probably going to be released very soon. It's a really wonderful phone that while not as tasty as the one you guys have now, works a heck of a lot better.

HTC, can you send a couple Chocolate Heroes our way?

More pictures after the jump!

[mobiletechaddicts]