Magic without Siegfried and Roy

Courtesy of HTC.

A quick break from our nonstop coverage of NYC Fashion Week: HTC has announced the follow-up to its underwhelming first Google phone, the G1 . Dubbed Magic, the phone is considerably more attractive than its predecessor, shrinking the menu button and employing a curvier overall aesthetic. (In that respect, it's a lot like this month's other gadget sequel, the Kindle 2.) They've also added a video camera and dropped the physical keyboard—which could turn off some potential customers, even if the one on the original was so awkwardly placed as to be nearly useless. Under the hood, not much has changed—no surprise, given it runs on Google's largely open-source Android software. No word on pricing or when even if it's coming stateside.

- Master Chief ~AIM HIGH