The HTC Wildfire is finally available from mobile network operator Vodafone UK. According to the most recent announcements, the device is available for free on several contract offers by the network operator.

Our recommended pick would be the 20 Pound monthly tariff for two years which gives the user unlimited text messages, 300 minutes of talk time and about 500 MB of data allowance each month. The offer takes full advantage of the device’s social networking capabilities, which is much recommended for anyone who wants to have the full value of owning this impressive Android handset.

In terms of specs, it is hard not to be impressed with what the HTC Wildfire has to offer. First off, the device comes with a nice big 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen. A typical display for a mid range handset, it handles video playback and web browsing quite easily. The screen will support multi touch gestures, has an accelerometer, a proximity sensor that will automatically shut off the screen when used for a voice call and the HTC Sense user interface. Aside from the touch screen, there is an optical trackpad on the bottom of the device as well as support for movement gestures which will allow users to instantly switch the device to mute or to “dim out” an incoming call.

With the Qualcomm MSM7225 528MHz CPU, apps run fairly fast on this Android OS. Just do not expect to get super smooth performance when running resource intensive games. But for most phone functions, the CPU is able to provide a stable and fast experience.

The Wildfire’s main features focus heavily on social networking. It has several integrated apps that would allow users to easily access accounts on Facebook and Twitter as well as file hosting sites such as Flicker and YouTube for uploading media content to be shared.

The UK is no stranger to policy debates and discussions regarding the need to extend and expand mobile network coverage. Even in the busy streets of London, there are locations where signal is slow, bad or in some cases, completely absent and there is a need to address this concern.

With technology now pushing for the use of 4G/WiMax networks and faster data transfer speeds, there is also a humanitarian and social call for operators to seek and find the places that are not covered by their services. After all, having faster connections is not as important as bringing the connection to everyone.

However, seeking out the places, regions and area that have weak or no mobile coverage is difficult and even if Vodafone places all of its resources to finding these places, they would need plenty of time. In order to make the task easier, Vodafone has sent out a call to all of its users and subscribers to give the network a quick and instant feedback of network signal strength and availability in the various areas of the UK.

In order to participate, Vodafone users simply need to make a quick Tweet about where they are, what connection they are using and how strong the connection is. This will give Vodafone a clearer and more defined idea of which places are not getting good signals (as these locations would not be present in the tweets). For anyone who does not use Twitter, Vodafone will also allow you to post the information directly on their website.

While there are no incentives or rewards for anyone participating in the program, this is actually something that people should do when they can. The effort spent here is not just going to be beneficial to Vodafone, but for everyone as well as it will help Vodafone UK determine how they will improve and expand their network to provide coverage for more people.

Twitter is not the first place you should go to for child-friendly conversations. Not that everyone is vulgar, but the concept of free speech on the internet is very well practiced by its millions of online denizens. Still, when you are browsing through the official Twitter page of a corporation, the last thing you would expect is a disparaging remark regarding homosexuals and women.

Last weekend, an employee from within Vodafone posted a tweet that “breached several rules” of the company.

While some might say that the remark was made to elicit humor from the readers, it was downright offensive. The individual who posted the Tweet has already been identified and Vodafone is internally handling the matter. So far, it has been known that the person has been suspended though it is possible that a harsher reprimand will be given after the investigation.

At the very least, Vodafone’s employees have been taking care of the situation and have addressed many of the concerns by those who were able to read the offensive post. While some people were obviously offended by the Tweet, there were more who were concerned that the mobile operator may have been hacked. Employees quickly sent notices and apologies that informed everyone about the nature of the situation along with assurances that Vodafone UK has not been hacked.

The concern about hacking over the initial response of offense to the post is somewhat very assuring. It shows that people in the internet have become more aware about the relevance of events such as these and to focus on the more important things -in this case, a possible hacking situation.

On a side note, indefinite suspension is a pretty lenient consequence of the act. While the Tweet caused no irreparable damage, there is no doubt that the culprit needs to be reprimanded on a more substantial level.

Go to CNET for the rest of the news.