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T3: Google’s long-awaited open-source mobile operating system is slowly but surely gearing up for its full release. These leaked shots emerged over the weekend and show it in a near-finalised condition. But wait, what’s that it’s running on? Only HTC’s equally anticipated first Android handset, the Dream.

Dream features 3G connectivity, along with 802.11g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR. And, like so many of HTC’s smartphones, it hides a full QWERTY keypad beneath its sliding screen.

By the looks of the T-Mobile branding, T-Mobile will be the first network to boast this Android device, although we don’t yet know if this includes T-Mobile in the UK, as well as the US, so we’ll have to wait for official confirmation of who’ll be bringing it to the UK.

In other Android news, Android’s developers blog took the first piece of wrapping off its upcoming Android Market content distribution system last week. Think iTunes App Store but for Android phones.

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Stuff.tv: Those expecting HTC’s Android stuffed Google phone, the Dream, to resemble an original BlackBerry are in for a pleasant surprise.

It turns out that the first in a slew of Android mobiles will actually be smaller than the iPhone 3G.

US site Engadget has got hold of this FCC document showing the new cell clocking in at 115 x 55mm, compared to the iPhone 3G’s 115.2mm x 62.1mm.

It may not sound much, but considering pics of the device have previously suggested a phone to make even your granny embarrassed, this is great news.

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ITProPortal: HTC and T-Mobile will, together, launch the first Google Android Phone, codenamed Dream, in two months’ time as the phone will be rolled out worldwide in countries where Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile has a foothold.

The phone, which will be one of the fiercest iPhone rivals, will also compete with the likes of HTC’s own phone as well as smartphones from Microsoft partners, Palm, Nokia and RIM.

HTC’s Dream debut could also see the launch of a rival to Apple’s App Store which could possibly be backed by Google and rolled out to other platforms excluding Apple’s iPhone.

Not much details are available and it is certainly hurting Google as FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) creeps in; already, sources are describing the phone as bulky and heavy.

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Brighthand: Getting a new mobile operating system on the market isn’t a simple task, as Google and its partners are learning.

Still, despite problems HTC says the first device based on Android will definitely debut during the fourth quarter of this year.

According to previous reports, the initial Android model — made by HTC — was originally scheduled for release in the third quarter of this year. Now, however, a statement from HTC’s CFO Hui-ming Cheng confirms that this introduction has been moved back to the fourth quarter.

Google, the company heading up development on Android, has been quite willing to talk openly about it. It will be based on the open-source operating system Linux and strongly encourage third-party development. It will offer robust multitasking, and many of it’s bundled applications will tie in to Google’s services, like Gmail.

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PC Advisor: Google may use a user-driven rating system to help keep bad or harmful applications off Android-based smartphones.

The search giant is in talks with mobile operators about offering phones based on its Android open-source platform, said Rich Miner, group manager of mobile platforms at Google, in an interview at the AlwaysOn Stanford Summit.

However, the carriers want reassurance that users won’t install troublesome applications, Miner said.

Google is making Android freely available to developers under the Apache open-source licence and not restricting what they build with it.

The company says its aim is to establish a common software platform for many handsets and help mobile applications proliferate. In much of the world, software for mobile phones traditionally has been supplied through carriers after laborious reviews and modifications.

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NaviGadget: Manufacturer of the most popular GPS receiver chip Star III, SiRF, today announced that they started to implement features to make sure that GPS-enabled mobile phones based on Android provide location awareness experience for the consumers, joining Google to promote Android.

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