Top gadgets receive annual awards

The HTC Hero is the third phone for the Android operating platform

Android handset the HTC Hero has won phone of the year and gadget of the year at T3 magazine's annual awards ceremony.

It's a sign that Google's Android operating system for mobile phones is beginning to find favour among technology enthusiasts.

T3 editor Michael Brook said: "Our readership are early adopters. So something will happen in T3 terms and then it will happen six months to a year later in mainstream terms.

"Certainly in ours, it is making real inroads into Apple's dominance."

Apple's iPhone won commuter gadget of the year and gadget you can't live without.

Music streaming service Spotify was named innovation of the year.

The UK-based site, which was founded in Sweden, launched in October 2008.

Its advertising-funded service allows users to listen to music from a library of around six million tracks.

Spotify also offers a premium service, without advertising, for £9.99 per month. One year after launch, it has 2.5 million users in the UK.

More to come

However, its founder recently warned that it could take a some time to find a business model for music streaming that works in the longer term.

Several other companies, including Sky, are expected to launch similar products over the coming year.

Actor Stephen Fry, known for championing online services like Twitter, was crowned gadget personality of the year.

He's also been very outspoken on issues including illegal file-sharing.

Stephen Fry is credited for helping to boost Twitter's popularity

In his acceptance speech, which was delivered by video message, he said the award reflected "the thing that perhaps gives me the most pleasure in my life, and that is playing with new tech, destroying it, building it, making it fall apart".

More than 800,000 people follow his Twitter feed and he has been credited with helping boost the social networking site's popularity.

His Tweeting highlights have included a series of photographs and updates sent while stuck in a lift.

However, Fry's links with technology go further back.

He claims to have bought the second Macintosh computer in Europe and is known to be a devoted fan of Apple products.

Recently he caused controversy by admitting to downloading TV programmes illegally.

In the same speech, he criticised large record companies for taking legal action against file-sharers.

The awards in full:

Drop dead gorgeous gadget

Apple MacBook Pro

Home gadget of the year

Humax Foxsat-HDR

Work gadget of the year

Apple MacBook Pro

Retailer of the Year

Amazon

New media service of the year

BBC iPlayer HD

Gadget personality of the year

Stephen Fry

Outstanding contribution to tech

Jon Rubinstein

Game of the year

Call of Duty: World At War

Commuter gadget of the year

Apple iPhone 3GS

Gadget you can't live without

Apple iPhone

Camera of the Year

Canon EOS 50D

Computer of the year

Lenovo IdeaPad S10E

Brand of the year

Google

Green gadget of the year

Sony Bravia

Launch of the year

Google Android

Music product of the year

Sony X-Series Walkman

Phone of the year

HTC Hero

Innovation of the year

Spotify

TV of the year

Samsung UE40B7000 WW

Gadget of the year

HTC Hero