IT RUNS the latest version of Android, 2.2, supports Flash Player 10.1, has a chunky Qwerty keyboard and boasts 8GB of built-in memory with SD card expandability. Motorola have clearly listened to the feedback from the first Milestone and put their money where their mouth is.

OK, so it might be a bit chunky looking, and the new handset may be more an improvement of the old phone rather than a brand new handset in its own right, but there are several reasons why any self-respecting Android fan should give this one some serious consideration.

The Milestone 2 looks and feels almost identical to its older brother, with some crucial differences and improvements.

The first change worthy of note on the Milestone 2 is that Motorola has installed Motoblur, onto the phone. So, all your data gets backed up to the cloud, which means if you already have a Motorola phone or you need to restore your new Milestone 2 to its original settings it’s easy to do. Motoblur also prides itself on its social-networking features – allowing you to seamlessly merge Facebook, Twitter, email and dozens of other updates.

The Milestone 2 also has better, chunkier keys on the side-sliding QWERTY keyboard, meaning they are less flat than on their predecessor - one of the major bugbears with the first iteration of this handset. 

It’s not sloppy with its camera offering either. It has a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and video recording capability and playback at 720p HD. Very nice indeed.

The original Milestone was never the best looking smartphone on the market and the Milestone 2 is no different. But its USP was never its looks. It was what was under the hood that won it acclaim across the globe. And Motorola have done well not only to keep but improve on these solid foundations. The Milestone 2 is running the latest version of Android, 2.2. That means you get Flash Player 10.1 bringing the delights of Flash games and the BBC iPlayer to your handset. Crucially, it also makes the phone faster.

A suite of Google Android apps including Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail and YouTube are also integrated onto the device. Plus you have access to the fantastic Android Market which has more than 70,000 applications, and is growing by the day.

So, let’s be honest here – this isn’t going to appeal to the kids. It doesn’t have the looks. But for anyone aged over 18 who wants a smartphone that is truly smart on the inside, this is right up there with the HTC Desire and the iPhone in capability and bang for buck.

Motorola have boxed clever in every sense with the Milestone 2. They’ve taken a tried, tested and acclaimed formula and added Android 2.2, Motoblur, better QWERTY keyboard, a bigger screen and a host of other enhancements. Like Sir Alex Ferguson would have done, they’ve made no massive changes to the squad but installed some key differences under the hood that could well see them give the Big Two (HTC and Apple) a real run for their money this season.

The Milestone 2 may well lose out in the fashion stakes but for sheer quality and usability it really will be very difficult to beat.

Pre-order your Milestone 2 today.

WE NEED A BLUE RINSE REVOLUTION TO BRING THE INTERNET TO EVERYONE

MORE than nine million adults in the UK have never been online, according to new official research. 

The annual report by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) claimed 9.2 million had never been on the internet, a million less than in 2009, but a shocking statistic nevertheless.

Who are these people and where have they been?

Well, the research reveals that the majority of the over 65s – 60 per cent – had still never surfed the web and almost half of those without formal qualifications are in the same boat. 

May I boldly suggest that something needs to be done, and quickly. We need to give these people a virtual paddle to navigate the information superhighway.

Surely, it is these people – the elderly in particular – who stand to benefit the most from the wonders available online? 

My mother is almost 73 and deaf. She would be lost without her internet connection. Her deafness makes socialising very difficult but since she’s signed up to Facebook she has managed to find and re-establish relationships with friends and cousins she has not seen or spoken to in years and made lots of new friends too. It is, very much, her lifeline to the world beyond her village.

The Government has already promised to do everything it can to get everyone in the UK online. It needs to push this promise up the priority list – particularly for the more elderly. With things like Skype they can be in regular touch with grandkids and family at the very least. They deserve it more than anyone.

A huge 60 per cent of the adult population in the UK say they use the internet either every day or almost every day.

That’s great news. 

Just over 19 million households have an internet connection, according to the survey, which is 73 per cent of all UK households.

Now, Mr Cameron and Clegg, you have a responsibility to launch the blue rinse revolution we’ve been promised.

The AR.Drone by Parrot has landed! 

First quadricopter that can be controlled by an iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad. An interactive game that you can also play with others via a WiFi network and coming soon to other platforms.  Play it indoors or outdoors, and with live video feed via WiFi connection, you can control both cameras.

An online store has been created for your direct shopping pleasure for the AR.Drone and its extreme accessories.  Click here to purchase your AR.Drone and get your party started!

Even though we know we aren't supposed to, most of us still do it... it's so hard to resist... we TEXT while DRIVING!!  Motorola's answer to that is their H17txt Bluetooth Headset with MotoSpeak App! 

As easy as:

1) Pair your headset with your device;

2) Download and install the free App from the Marketplace and

3) Turn on your H17txt headset and as soon as a text or email comes in, it will be read to you. 

So simple, everyone should be doing it!

The Motorola H17txt recognizes the caller from your contact list and announces their name, reads their text/email, translates our favorite acronyms like LOL, BTW, etc. and then replies automatically to sender that you will get back to them L8R.

NOW THRU SUNDAY, 9/5, GET YOURS FOR JUST $74.99!!  IT EVEN QUALIFIES FOR STANDARD $3.00 SHIPPING!  AT THIS PRICE, THEY WON'T LAST LONG!!

eXpansys UK is continuing to offer free delivery on all UK orders on www.expansys.com.

The charges, ranging from £3 to £37, have been completely wiped in this one time deal.

In America, Android's market share has spiraled upwards since the start of the year, with a massive 886 per cent rise in sales according to a recent article on cnet.

It is now the most popular OS for any smartphone, dethroning reigning champ Apple as the king of the hill.

Is the UK about to follow suit?

Well, yes. Probably.

Google's smart-phone platform has not only surpassed the behemoth that is Apple it has also trumped BlackBerry-manufacturer RIM, the previous market leader in the USA.

Handsets running Android grew by nearly ten times in the second quarter of 2010 due largely to its successful partnerships with popular phone manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung.

Analysts have put Android's market share at 34 per cent.

Will Apple and RIM fight back?

I’d bet my house on it.

The recent launch of the iPhone 4, means it may be some time before Apple’s fightback is registered in sales and market share but BlackBerry has already come out fighting - the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and its new OS 6.0 is due any day.

Google is welcoming the battle, saying the competition can only be good for the industry and, ultimately, the consumer.

And they’re right to do just that. The smartphone market is now very much in the Premier League of consumer technology. It is bigger today than the computer industry ever was, and growing ridiculously fast.

So who will emerge the victor?

Well, the consumer wins all day, every day, clearly. As for the manufacturers – it’s maybe too early to call. Apple is probably the most recognisable brand of the 21st Century. It’s everywhere. BlackBerry is the old bear, stirred from its slumber by two new cubs who’ve suddenly realised their offering has claws. And Google’s Android is growing faster than anyone could have predicted.

They’re all smiling right now.

eXpansys UK has thrown out the rule book by offering free shipping on all UK orders before the end of the month on www.expansys.com.

 The major online retailer for consumer technology, has announced the offer already to its faithful twitter followers, but is now shouting loud and proud.

 The charges, ranging from £3 to £37, have been completely wiped in this one time deal.

 The offer ends at the end midnight 31st August so don’t miss out. Get clicking!

Want the latest version of the famous handset from Apple?

Choose your region and order now the 16GB or the 32GB. Both are in stock!

After a long wait, the Quadricopter designed by the French company Parrot, is now available.

Several online stores have been especially created to sell the Ar.Drone and its dedicated accessories.

Choose your region and enjoy!

Deutschland

France

United Kingdom

More countries will come soon.

IT DOESN’T have to be a straight choice between play or work when choosing a new smartphone, you know.

The BlackBerry has long been the preserve of pin-stripe wearing business-types, mostly because of their unequalled reputation for emailing stability and digital security.

Even the iPhone and its many Android-driven rivals, are not fully-optimised for office work. They may be the businessman’s favourite toy but they’re still not quite the mobile secretary that the BlackBerry has become.

That’s all about to change.

Take a bow the BlackBerry Torch. It’s as much fun as it is serious business contender. Like a briefcase with a sense of humour and the buttons to take you beyond the workplace.

The BlackBerry Torch is a new breed of BlackBerry. This is a businessman who takes his leisure time seriously. So the Torch covers all bases. Want to access Facebook, Twitter, download some fun applications but still rely heavily on instant email delivery, the stability of a seven-foot-doorman and the security of an isolation cell? It’s all built in.

The BlackBerry Torch boasts both a touch screen and the physical QWERTY keyboard that has come to characterise top-of-the-range RIM phones.

Could the BlackBerry Torch become the ultimate phone for the office and the home? Well, yes. Actually. It really could.

Possibly even the phone that puts BlackBerry back in the smartphone premiership alongside reigning champs Apple and new contenders HTC.

The BlackBerry Torch really does give BlackBerry owners more of everything they already love – and then gives them a bit more on top.

Want to stay on top of all your social networks in one place? Social Feeds brings all your social networks together into one single inbox, just like your email. Cool? Oh yes.

Stay up to speed with current affairs, or just check in on what’s going on around the globe with the new enhanced web browser that brings desktop-like internet to your hand. Improved? Oh yes.

There’s also a rather sexy 3.2" touch sensitive screen to make browsing the internet or watching a movie easy and intuitive. All this on top of the by now legendary BlackBerry services you’ve come to love and expect - BlackBerry Messenger and its legendary email.

So, what else?

Well, it has an oversized handset (not everyone’s cup of tea but certainly not out of place in today’s super-sized smartphone market) to include that gorgeous big screen.

It has the best operating system of any BlackBerry – the BlackBerry 6 OS is an absolute delight to use. It has been completely revamped with pinching and zooming, and includes tabs that let you swap between web pages.

It comes equipped with a 5 mega-pixel camera with flash, auto focus, video capability, image stabilisation and new scene modes. So you don’t need a separate digital camera.

It even has iPhone-like universal search which will scan all your folders, apps, Internet, email and more, all in one search.

And its battery life is hugely impressive – easily matching the iPhone 4 and HTC Desire spec.

Want more?

Of course you do. How about GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4 GB straight out of the box? You can add more memory - up to 32 GB – if you want all memory bases covered.

I loved it. It is the first BlackBerry I’ve tested that hasn’t had a ‘it is great but if it only had…….’ afterthought attached.

I didn’t put it down all weekend. If it was a woman I’d be rightly accused of having an affair.

--

Have you any questions about the BlackBerry Torch? We are running a Twitter Q & A session on Thursday. Start following us and start your message with the word '#exptorch' - expansysuk

Click here to pre-order the BlackBerry Torch today.