Exclusive interview: Google's Matias Duarte talks Honeycomb, tablets, and the future of Android

We are excited to bring you this interview with Matias Duarte, the man behind webOS (as well as the Sidekick and Helio UIs), who's now heading up Google's user experience for Android. Matias is currently driving the interface and design for Android 3.0 (AKA Honeycomb), and it's clear that he's bringing his big, bold ideas to the Android platform. This is the first video interview Matias has done since leaving Palm, and Engadget pressed the man on his involvement in Gingerbread and Honeycomb, what had to be torn down in Android, how desktop OSs can inform mobile devices, and much, much more. Check it out below.

LG Optimus Black shows off its WiFi Direct skills on video

WiFi Direct, for those not paying attention in class, is a communications protocol for allowing devices with wireless radios to talk to one another and share files without the need for an intermediary WiFi access point between them. Basically, it's like blasting out an ad hoc wireless network, one that permits simultaneous file transfers to up to eight other WiFi Direct-capable machines. LG kindly gave us a peek at its implementation in the Optimus Black, and while things are still pretty rough and (not) ready, we got a decent idea of how they'll operate. Jump past the break to see for yourself.

Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface video!

Microsoft's Surface has been going around for quiet a while now but it keeps getting much better at what it does. Funnily enough, this concept was released way before the touchscreen devices became mainstream and Microsoft plans to get this thing in the market soon now. The "2.0 experience" firmware is early and a bit buggy right now (especially with finger input), but there's plenty of time fix that up before its launch later this year. The hardware itself is much thinner, with a 4-inch profile that can now be placed vertically against the wall (although we suggest using the stylish legs when possible). The 40-inch 1920 x 1080 gorilla glass display was crisp as all out, but since we could get close and scrutinize, you'll definitely notice the pixels. The first demo we got to see is also probably the most impressive, wherein a paper with "I can see" written on it is scanned and read very clearly (a dev monitor was hooked up to show what Surface could "see"). Meanwhile, we couldn't help but touch every point to watch the ripple effect emanate from our fingers. Hit read more for details and a video!

Android Market gets a web store with OTA installations, in-app purchases coming soon

Google's Android Market now has a web client. Finally! And guess what else, it's already live. Hit the source link below to get exploring. It's very simple, really, you can browse the entire Market catalog on your desktop or however else you're accessing the web, you can purchase anything that takes your fancy, and then -- via the magic of over-the-air transfers -- it downloads and installs onto your Android handset. A neat My Market Account section will let you nickname your registered devices to make them more recognizable as well. Hit read more for details.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (PlayStation Phone) preview

http://hbtechguru.blogspot.com/2011/02/sony-ericsson-xperia-play-playstation.html

Before you pop the cork for us, do bear in mind that what we're seeing here is subject to changes, so don't be alarmed by any missing features or exposed cables in our preview. When you're ready, head right past the break to find out what Sony Ericsson's cooking up. Hit read more for details.

HTC Pyramid emerges from the mists of speculation with a 1.2GHz dual-core, 4.3-inch screen, T-Mobile 4G

First Sprint got a 4G-capable, 4.3-inch Android phone from HTC, then this January AT&T (Inspire 4G) and Verizon (Thunderbolt) received promises of the same. Is T-Mobile feeling left out? It might not be for long, as the rumor mill has just churned out a rather mighty 1.2GHz dual-core beast of a handset and is ascribing it to the Magenta network for a launch some time around May or June. We're hearing it'll come with qHD resolution (960 x 540, just like the Atrix 4G) and the SOC within will be that famedSnapdragon MSM8260 that Qualcomm teased briefly at CES a couple of weeks ago. Lending credence to this scuttlebutt is the fact that both TmoNews and Android and Me found sources affirming the Pyramid's existence, leaving us only to wait and wonder about what we can do with a device of its kind.

TOYOTA UNVEILS ALL-NEW PRIUS C CONCEPT

Toyota is billing the Prius c Concept as a “small city-centric hybrid vehicle,” which is to say it will be a bit smaller than the current Prius hatchback, likely aimed at a slightly younger demographic. As a result, expect the price and feature list to me lower and shorter than its big brother. Hit read more for details.

CEO Ballmer: Microsoft will eventually support Kinect on PC

Most of our readers would surely know a thing or two about Kinect by now but if you have been sleeping under a rock for the last few years, heres a little gist. Kinect is Microsoft's Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Move killer. It is basically a controller free interface for gaming in which it looks at your moves and actions and instructs the game to perform accordingly. Now that Kinect competitors have begun to spring up, Microsoft's tipped its hand -- CEO Steve Ballmer told the BBC that his company will officially support the depth camera in Windows PCs at some undisclosed point in the future, confirming earlier suspicions. Whether that will just be part of a riskynew operating system or just another notch in Games for Windows' belt is hard to say, but it's nice to know that there will be uses for those eight million cameras when we're done hacking and dancing our hearts out.

Fling iPad joystick (Video)

Ask any real gamer about gaming on a touchscreen, and the first thing you'll hear is he or she lamenting over the lack of physical buttons. Ten One Design aims to remedy this legitimate complaint with its Fling joystick add-ons for the iPad. The product is simple enough, a twisted piece of plastic with capacitive contact points in the center and suction cups to stick it to the screen. They feel quite like the joysticks on a PSP, and make gaming on the device seriously more enjoyable -- not to mention natural feeling -- and other than that there's not much else to say. Oh wait, did we mention they cost $25! Hit read more for a video.

Splashtop Remote Desktop adds Android compatibility, Control your Windows PC from anywhere in the world!

We aren't quite sure we're on the same page as Splashtop's CEO, who is seemingly on a mission to "build the Bridge to Anywhere," but we're all for a remote access client for Google's mobile OS. Shortly after bringing your Windows PC to the iPhone, iPod and iPad, the aforementioned company has now issued an Android client. As you'd probably guess, it allows anyone with an Android-based smartphone or tablet to tap into their networked Windows PC, with content and applications both accessible. According to the company, it'll allow Android users to "listen to music, access all of their files and applications, and play PC and Flash games remotely." We're a little hesitent to believe all that will be doable on some of the lower-end handsets, but at least it's out there to try (if you're willing to part ways with $4.99).