The 404 636: Where we have our Froyo and eat it too (podcast)

Watch this: Ep. 636: Where we have our Froyo and eat it too

29:31

You're a fool for this one, TerrorByte. Get on Twitter right now and add Jeff Bakalar (me and Wilson, too!) because his nerdcore alter-ego is "kickin' fresh jams in versions alpha or beta, don't get it twisted or he'll corrupt your data." In honor of his forthcoming album, "8-Bit State of Mind," we're asking YOU to come up with your best techy rap lyric and e-mail it to us at the404(at)cnet(dot)com. If it's even moderately as clever as Jeff's, we'll read it on the air!

HTC Evo 4G users on the Sprint network last night became the first to experience the next evolution of Google's Android operating system, code-named "Froyo." The proud owner of an Evo himself, Jeff tells us that installing the latest version is as simple as pressing a few buttons on the phone and letting the automated installer work its magic.

The much-anticipated upgrade adds new features like voice dialing over Bluetooth, application share, a new flashlight app that uses the camera LED, and, of course, faster browser performance and Flash 10x support. Check out CNET's full list of Froyo updates. Could all these new features finally convince Wilson to trade his iPhone for an Android-powered device?! No, not likely.

For the first time ever, sales of various Android handsets have just surpassed those of the Apple iPhone. According to a study by Nielson, Android phones now account for 27 percent of smartphone market share in the United States, outshining the iPhone at only 23 percent. But despite iPhone sales dropping over the past six months, it's important to note that prospective smartphone shoppers have only two iPhone models to choose from as opposed to the handful of Android-powered devices on the market. Nevertheless, it's hard to deny Android's 886-percent growth in the last year; take it as a sign that the Android OS won't be disappearing anytime soon.

Just to make your smartphone-buying decision even harder, ATT and Research In Motion just launched a new BlackBerry phone called the Torch. It features a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, 8 gigabytes of storage, a sliding keyboard, and a convenient media sync feature that lets you transfer all your pictures, videos, and music over Wi-Fi--no cords attached.

But perhaps the biggest change is that the Torch will run the touch-enabled Blackberry 6 operating system. The interface is much cleaner, with a universal search, a better Web browser, support for all the major social networks, and a new version of the Blackberry app store. The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is available to AT&T customers on August 12 for $200 with a two-year service agreement. Although you can only get the Torch on AT&T for now, its expected to come to other carriers within the next few months.

And speaking of Blackberry, we have our own Blackberry promotion happening RIGHT NOW! All month long we're giving out a special BBM number for all you 404 listeners to get in touch with us! Add us at 2482F452 and say anything you like! Suggestions: "Hi," "who dis," "I hate you," and "look behind you," are all acceptable messages. Looking forward to hearing from you!