Having not even finished rolling out the Android 2.0.1 OTA update for the Droid, BGR is hearing that there'll be another Droid-specific OTA update come late January 2010. Details are slim regarding what it fixes but it kind of, sort of fits the timeline for an Android 2.1 update, right? Staying hopeful is what we do.

If you can't wait on Verizon to roll out the 2.0.1 update for you, we've already detailed how you can load it yourself. Since the 2.0.1 update has only hit an estimated 10,000 people, we think it's safe to say that you'll need those instructions.

If you're interested in buying the Archos 5 8GB Android Tablet, you can find it in stock at The Shack aka Radio Shack. Now that you can load Gmail, Android Market, Google Maps, etc. onto the device, the Archos 5 delivers an even better Android experience. Though it's been available on Amazon for quite some time now, the Archos 5 has typically cost upwards of $400, now available at The Shack for $250 is quite a deal (though you do give up a lot of storage space).

The Archos 5 Android Tablet packs a 800x480 4.8-inch screen, 800MHz OMAP3440 processor, 720p video and output over HDMI, capacity up to 500GB, 802.11n WiFi, etc. We haven't played with the Archos 5 Android Tablet ourselves but given this new deal, we might just take the plunge. What about you?

[engadget]

We are ridiculously excited to announce that today we're launching the 3rd annual Smartphone Round Robin! If you've never heard of the Round Robin, buckle up: Each year the sites of the Smartphone Experts Network spend some time out of our comfort zone, examining the platforms of our sister sites and learning how other smartphone users live. This year, the event will span six weeks, eight sites, over a dozen phones, over five hours of video, hundreds of photos, several hours of podcasts, dozens of discussion threads, and of course dozens of comparison reviews. Seriously.

What's in it for you? Plenty, we hope. To start with, each site will be giving away one smartphone (or your choice!) representing its platform. We have a Twitter contest for accessory prizes every week too. You can find contest details here.

More than that, though, every year we hear from grateful readers who have said the Round Robin helped them decide on their next smartphone, made them happier about the one they have, or even compelled some to switch outright. Researching and learning six platforms and all the phones on each is a massive undertaking - so we're doing it for you and you can just follow along.

If you want to know more about how to play along with this crazy event, hit up SmartphoneRoundRobin.com, where we explain the contest, the schedule, the participants, and even have an archive of the last two events.

The event begins in earnest on Monday, but today we're releasing the first of several podcasts, all of which are hosted by our friends at The Cell Phone Junkie.  We'll toss direct links to download and subscribe after the break, plus let you know who's playing along this year.

Just last month we wrote that Google Navigation was made available to all U.S. devices currently running Android 1.6. Those of you outside of America pretty much were shut out until XDA-Developers ported the app to work outside the states. Unfortunately, Google has shut that route down ... at least for the time being.

This reminds more than a bit of the back and forth between Apple and jailbreakers (or even more so with Palm). But never fear, as the crafty folks over at XDA-Developers are hard at work trying to figure a way around the block. The bad news is that it may be awhile before a resolution is reached, and they are recommending you update your Navigation app to version 3.3.0.

[Via Engadget]

Those of you (and us) not patient enough to wait for Verizon to roll out the 2.0.1 update on its own are in luck. Not only can the Motorola Droid now be rooted, the incremental update to the Android OS can be applied manually, and it's as easy as applying a couple of zip files.

First up is the update, which comes to us from AllDroid via our forums. Just download this zip file from the forum post, rename to update.zip, and put it on your microSD card. Turn the droid off, and turn it back on while holding the "X" button. After the "/!\" symbol appears, press the volume up and camera button, then follow the onscreen instructions. (We've tested this out, and it worked fine.) As a reminder, here's what you get in the 2.0.1 update.

Next up is is the rooting of the Droid, which again comes from AllDroid (via Engadget) in the form of another downloadable zip file and is applied in the same manner. Note that this is for adb access and you can't yet run apps from the Android Market that require root.

A big night for all you Droid owners out there. Get to it.

We're nearing the end of 2009, and that means top 10 lists galore. And here comes Time's top 10 gadgets of the year. And -- surprise, surprise -- the No. 1 pick isn't the iPhone 3GS. It's not the Nook. Couldn't be the Kindle. It is, in fact, the Motorola Droid. Tipping the scales for the glowing red eye that could is the large screen, full QWERTY keyboard (really?) and its integration with Google. (OK, two out of three ain't bad.) The Droid's excellent navigation also gets a nod, as it should. Here's the breakdown:

The Droid is a hefty beast, a metal behemoth without the gloss and finish of the iPhone, but you don't miss it. The Droid's touchscreen is phenomenally sharp and vivid, it has an actual physical (not great, but good enough) keyboard, and best of all, the Droid is on Verizon's best-of-breed 3G network.

Congrats, Moto. Now let's get that Android 2.0.1 update out to the rest of us, m'kay?

[Time via Electronista]

You UK Android users sure are in for a treat! Along with the recently available Acer A1 Liquid, the Motorola Milestone has also hit the streets of the UK (er, the site of Expansys). Known as the Motorola Droid here in the states, the Milestone is the exact same device except that its browser will actually support multitouch (but won't have Google Maps Navigation). So yes, you'll get that Android 2.0 and that oh so glorious screen.

If you're looking to score one off-contract, you better save those pennies up, cause it looks to be around $733 off-contract. If you sign to a contract, the device will only run for $81 with a $57/monthly plan (all converted from pounds) on T-Mobile. We'd love a GSM Milestone in the states but we're thinking we'll wait for those with US 3G bands (ahem, Canada).

[expansys]

Our lucky friends over at WMExperts have been testing Firefox Mobile Alpha 3, but we haven't had much hope for Android to get the Fennec browser. That is, until a recent Q&A with Madhava Enros, the mobile UI lead for Mozilla, left slip that "there is investigation going on into making it work on Android."

Yes, we know it is not much to go off of. But at least it is better than a flat "no." This indeed can be great news for those of you hopeing for a Firefox mobile expierence on your Android devices.

We've had our eye on the Acer A1 Liquid for a while now, and it's finally starting to ship in the U.K. For about $550 (or so) US you'll get a 3.5-inch capacitive display at 480x800, a 5-megapixel camera, 512MB ROM/256MB RAM, and that Qualcomm Snapdragon processor all the kids are talking about it, running at 768MHz.

Bad news is you'll be lacking the proper U.S. 3G bands if you import the A1, but it should run fine on AT&T and T-Mobile EDGE.

You can order the A1 Liquid now from Expansys and Clove in the UK.

[via Slashgear]