Motorola has published a list of general dates detailing the release of Google Android 2.1 “Eclair” on each of its Android-powered devices.

While not complete, the list offers at least some Moto owners a general time to look forward to the added features 2.1 offers:

Motorola CLIQ & CLIQ XT: Google Android 2.1 update in Q2 2010
Motorola BACKFLIP (AT&T): Google Android 2.1 update in Q3 2010
Motorola DEVOUR: Google Android 2.1 update currently under evaluation

This list should be updated with more exact dates and information on additional handsets so stay tuned for that.

A patent dispute case between two giants of the mobile industry that was originally launched in January has been officially settled.

Motorola and Blackberry maker Research in Motion settled the dispute with RIM agreeing to pay royalties to Motorola although the specific details of the settlement agreement have yet to be publicly disclosed. The patents in question involved WiFi technologies, application management protocols, power management controls and user interface technology.

In related news, Business Week is reporting that Motorola may be moving its headquarters from their current location in Chicago, Illinois. The company claims that they are wanting to “shake up the business,” though a new location has apparently yet to be chosen.

Details are sparse but Motorola has confirmed via its Facebook fan page that owners of the popular DROID handset would receive the Google Android 2.1 update this week as the company begins to roll-out over-the-air updates.

CLIQ updates were not mentioned but the company did say that it would have more information to share over the next few days.

Use this quick guide to SIM unlock your Motorola handset with DavnciTeam!

What is the benefit of SIM unlocking? Providers usually lock phones before selling them, forcing the owner to use a SIM card only from that provider and eliminating your ability to switch providers or use international services. SIM unlocking your Motorola phone with DavinciTeam gives you the ability to instantly insert and use SIM cards from any provider, anywhere in the world, allowing you to cut ties with your provider once and for all.

Use this simple set of instructions and accompanying video to easily request and enter an unlock code in order to SIM unlock your Motorola phone.

• Open an account. Unlocking by code costs 13 credits (10 EUR, about $15 USD); you can purchase with us quickly and easily by visiting our secure shopping area. Your account is created the moment payment is sent and you’ll receive your account details via email instantly.
• Log into the customer area. Using the account details that were emailed to you following payment, log into the DavinciTeam customer area.
• Request your unlock code. Click on the link in the left menu titled “Unlock By Code” and then follow instructions to enter your details and request the code. Your code will be delivered by email within 72 business hours of the request.
• Enter your code. Power on your phone with a blocked SIM card inside; you should be quickly prompted to “Enter Special Code” – enter your unlock code at this point.
• That’s it! Your Motorola phone is now unlocked.

If instead of the “Enter Special Code” prompt you see on of the messages below, please wait two hours and then try again:

• Contact Service Provider
• Tamper Alert
• Wait before entering special code

Check out our video tutorial for unlocking Motorola handsets by code, a presentation of under one and a half minutes that gives you a quick breakdown of the steps outlined above.

Google’s release last week of revision 1.0 of the Android 2.0.1 software developer’s kit is a pre-cursor to a firmware update that will soon be available to owner’s of the Motorola DROID.

American wireless provider Verizon has confirmed that owners of the DROID handset on their network will be able to upgrade to Google Android 2.0.1 in the coming weeks, promising everything from bug fixes to an improved camera experience and an increase in voice quality. Google also released a new revision of the software developer’s kit for Android version 1.6.

The Motorola DROID and the Motorola Milestone, a variant currently being sold in Europe, are the only devices currently running version 2.0 of Google’s mobile operating system.

Klausner Technologies, the firm that originally took Apple, LG, Google and Verizon to legal task for apparent patent infringements where visual voicemail technology was concerned, has issued a pair of tense press releases indicating that action will now be taken against Blackberry-maker RIM and Motorola, of recent DROID fame.

While no specific details are given explaining what patents are being infringed upon and in what way, Klausner did specify that the patent problems stem from the Blackberry Bold 9700 and Motorola CLIQ handsets. Given the track record of large settlements established in its previous suits against handset manufacturers and service providers, I see no reason to expect that the same outcome won’t apply in these cases.

The Motorola DROID had yet to be officially announced but specifications of the Google Android-powered handset have already become public via a product splash page put up ahead of schedule last week.

The DROID sports a 3.7″ WVGA touchscreen (480×854 pixels) with a sliding QWERTY keyboard with most phone usage taking place through the touch interface included in Google Android 2.0. 3G and WiFi come standard along with Bluetooth and a stereo headphones jack; a 5.0 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and autofocus rounds out the multimedia features.

Motorola promises 6 hours of talk time with the included battery and will be packaging a 16GB microSD card with each phone. Other tidbits offered by the teaser site include support for HTML 5 within the Android web browser, with support for Flash 10 coming next year.

The DROID is expected to be officially announce on Wednesday so expect pricing and availability details at that time.

Motorola has unveiled the first of its coming line of Google Android-powered handsets, dubbed the Dext in Europe and the Cliq across the pond in North America. Integrating the company’s new Motoblur platform, the Dext allows for easy synchronization of contacts, posts, feeds, emails, SMS, MMS and photos from the handset itself and popular social networking sites such as Facebook.

Sporting a full QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen, the Dext also offers features such as WiFi, a 2 GB microSD card slot and a five megapixel camera. The Motoblur platform turns its focus on the social aspects of typical smartphone use, allowing easy integration and one-touch access to the most-used features.

Today’s mobile phone needs to be more than just ‘smart’. It needs to be social. The Dext is such a phone, offering the ability to funnel your entire social life into a single stream. – Motorola Western Europe vice president and general manager Ralf Gerbershagen

The Dext will be available in the UK and France through Orange, in Spain via Telefonica and (as the Cliq) through T-Mobile in the United States.

Motorola is officially getting in on the Google Android action, announcing the coming launch of MOTODEV, a set of software tools for developers to help them create applications, games and other firmware for future Android-powered Motorola handsets. The move solidifies Motorola’s earlier affirmation that they plan to work closely with Android in the coming years.

Not only providing a platform on which developers can work, Motorola has also indicated that a number of channels would be made available to launch the finished products, giving those same developers the ability to quickly and easily push their apps to the public.

Motorola has previously expressed a plan that would have the company focusing almost solely on the Google Android operating system and current plans have the first release of a Motorola handset sporting the signature Android logo pegged at Q4 2009.