The Galaxy S II is another smartphone running Google’s Android operating system, specifically the ‘Gingerbread’ version. The unit we tested was on loan from three.co.uk which is offering the Galaxy S II on a £35 a month contract. The main selling point of this model is a 4.3” touchscreen – almost an inch bigger than Apple’s iPhone – and there’s no denying it looks sumptuous with bold, vivid colours. Although the extra screen space comes in useful for tasks such as browsing and email, there’s little sign of Samsung bothering to do much with it. On its home screens the S II only shows the same 4 apps to a row that the iPhone and every other Android smartphone o

More than a year after Starbucks introduced the ability to pay for coffee with your iPhone, Android is getting in on the action. The java chain has just released the official Starbucks app for Android. The main point of the app is to link a credit card or Starbucks gift card to the device. Then, when you swing by for your latte or frappuccino, just load up the app and hand the phone to the cashier. It will present a special barcode that, when scanned, automatically deducts the funds from your linked gift card. Every Starbucks location in the US is equipped with special barcode readers designed specifically for the app. The way the app works is, instead of actually charging your cred

Adobe said that Android will win the tablet wars because Apple’s gear is not as Flash friendly. Steve Jobs famously refused to allow Apple fanboys to use Flash in his gizmos, claim they were responsible crashing his fruity toys. But Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said the argument between Apple and his company over the lack of Adobe Flash on iOS is over. Narayen claimed the disagreement between the two companies hadn’t ultimately been about the technology. “It’s a business model issue, and it’s about control of a platform,” he said. Now he is seeing Apple approve Adobe apps because it still thinks it has  control of the business model associated w

Netflix launches their much awaited service for Android only to bum users out by having a minuscule list of supported devices. Are you dying to use Netflix but are one of the many with an unsupported device? You might just be in luck. The Android wizards over at XDA have managed to remove the device check for this service, hence allowing pretty much anyone to be able to stream Netflix services on their Android phones. The method seems to be a hit or miss, and majority of the success rate is found on smartphones running Android 2.3 or later. But there’s no harm in trying. Head over to XDA and try it out for yourself.

Google — noting that 40% of its Google Maps users are on mobile devices — updated its Google Maps Web app for iOS and Android today. We’ve been pretty satisfied with the native applications on Android and iOS, but the website allows you to access many of the options that are available from a desktop browser, too. That includes the ability to view your location, search nearby areas with suggestions and auto-complete, get directions for driving, transit, biking, or walking, view different lays, view Place pages, and access your starred locations. We’re particularly excited about the option for accessing our starred locations, a feature that’s not available in the native i