So for reasons that currently escape us, Samsung has decided to release a commercial showcasing the Samsung Behold II--yep, that middling Android 1.5, TouchWiz UI running phone that never picked up much steam when it was released way back in November. The commercial is a nice spot, we think the stylizing is done rather nicely, but why devote new advertising space to a phone that clearly needs an update? And why so long after release? This would have been more effective if the ad onslaught started in Thanksgiving. And if Samsung wanted to wait this long, they should have waited until Android 2.1 was running on the Behold II to re-introduce it.

Otherwise, timing and TouchWiz UI issues aside, the spot is pretty cool, huh? Check out the full commercial after the break!

[via androidandme]

For those of you still rotting away stuck on Android 1.5 or 1.6, we thought we'd do a little hands-on with the new Google Gesture search, which is only available on Android 2.0 and up. Because we're sadists and love twisting the knife every chance we get doing the best we can to help get your phones upgraded.

If you are like me and Google is slowing taking over everything you know (in a good way), you have probably downloaded and tried out Google Chrome. One of the great things about Google Chrome has always been the custom skins. While surfing the net and checking out new themes for Chrome, one by the name of “Robot Theme” jumped out, and after taking a look at it I noticed it was basically an Android theme for your browser.

While the theme isn’t an exact Android theme, it is pretty close and pretty slick looking when applied to the Chrome browser. Check it out, and let us know what you think of it, or if you know of any other Android related themes for your browser. [via Android and Me]

Archos is releasing two tablets soon called the Archos 7 and Archos 8.

The Archos 7 home tablet which is a pretty basic 7-inch touchscreen with an ARM9 CPU meaning your not going to get the faster web browsing experience. But this device is extremely portable, runs on Android,can connect to Wifi, and has a usb port to connect to. This tablet comes in memory sizes of 2GB and 8GB for a suggest retail price of 149 and 179 euros. This is a pretty basic tablet that in which you are getting exactly what you pay for.

More about the Archos 8 and watch the video after the break

Yes, yes, Microsoft has released its Microsoft Tag app -- which has been around for a while on Windows Mobile -- for Android. A little background: Microsoft Tag codes are a lot like those black-and-white QR codes you often see on this site. But the MS Tags can hold more information and, let's face it, they just look cooler.

But here's the continuing problem we have: It's yet another standard that has to be adopted. And right now, they're not compatible. Microsoft Tag Reader doesn't scan QR codes, and something like Barcode Scanner doesn't scan Microsoft Tags. Hopefully that will change, because it's a huge hurdle in Microsoft's quest to get its standard adopted. (And if there is an app out there that does both, let us know, huh?

Go ahead, download Microsoft Tag (it kept crashing on my Nexus One, by the way), and give it a shot with the code you see here. Now try it with Barcode Scanner.

Now remember that it's been this way for a long, long time, so we'll get a little more enthusiastic when things start playing nicely together. [via MSDN]

If there's anything we love for breakfast, it's more leaked shots of unannounced phones. And here we have more of the HTC Incredible floating around Twitter. User DevDroidian (great name, btw, Austin) brings us four new ones that don't really show anything new, but it's always great to see new stuff.

We're still expecting a Verizon launch at some point ... hopefully. Three more pics after the break. [DevDroidian] Thanks, Peter, for the tip!

For all of you Verizon Droid Eris fans out there chomping at the bit for Android 2.1 and the new HTC Sense to be released for your phone, know that it's not far off. A build was leaked on XDA Developers (normally a home for GSM devices, but always friendly to HTC hackery) and subsequently deemed to appear to be genuine, albeit corrupt. But that never stopped anybody at XDA, and just a few hours later a build was foisted onto Big Red's other Droid device. Want to try it yourself? Follow these instructions.

Next question is when will an official update become available? We're waiting for video to pop up anytime now, as this single picture likely won't convince some of you. But the chatter seems legit. Check it out for yourself. [XDA Developers] Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Update: A reliable source tells us this update is likely to be officially released within the next couple of weeks or so.

Android 2.0+ Tapping on-screen keyboards is soooo yesterday. These days it's all about swiping your fingers. (Or Swyping.) And Google's gotten into the game with Gesture Search, which allows you to draw letters on the screen to search through your contacts, browser, apps and music.

While I've been openly skeptical of the Swype keyboard (hey, you guys love it and the Swype folks are quality people, so to each his own), there's enough room for error here that even ol' Fumble Fingers Nickinson can draw out a letter or two and find who or what he's looking for. It works like this: Draw a letter. That's an H above, though the app recognizes it could just be a (very) sloppy A, and thus the results we see. Once you have the initial results, draw another letter and the search narrows.

It's pretty simple, and it works pretty well. Get it now in the Android Market. [Google Mobile Blog]

With Spring Training having just started, it's time for Major League Baseball fans to gear up and figure out how they will be able to keep up to date with their favorite team while on the go. We've got an answer to that: MLB Advanced Media L.P. has brought MLB.com At Bat 2010 out of beta, and in the nick of time. Check out more information as well as pictures after the break.

Yes, the application is $14.99. But the features, the look and feel and the ability to pick your favorite team in the application make it well worth every dollar.

When you first open the application, you see the scoreboard, which shows who your team is playing, the score of the game, as well as how far into the game they are. You can use the arrows on this screen to view future games, as well as look at the scores from the previous days. From here you can navigate to standings, audio, videos, news, preferences or more. These options are pretty self-explanatory.

The features I found to be most surprising were the audio and video features. These areas include highlights from throughout the day, so you don't have to fear having missed that walk off home run, or game winning strike out.

If you are an avid MLB fan, and like to keep current on what is happening throughout the day and season, this application is a must-have for you. More screen shots after the break.

It seems a bit crazy to think that the Android-powered T959 is in the works when the Samsung T949 has yet to even be released, but some specs have emerged showing that's the case.

While the details of this device are limited, we do know it will have a 320x480 screen resolution, offer users 3G bands, aGPS, as well as Bluetooth. Unfortunately the camera is unknown, as well as the version of Android it will be running, but it is speculated to be running 2.1 upon release. Continue to check in as we will post information as it surfaces. [via CellPhoneSignal]