Archives for July 2010

Windows Phone 7 is set to challenge the likes of iOS 4 and Android when it launches in a few months time. Microsoft [MSFT] has dropped quite far behind in recent years due to it’s outdated Windows Mobile OS. The new revamped OS is called Windows Phone 7 and has been built from the ground up. A new UI has been created, compatibility with old apps has been cut off and Microsoft is making a clean start with this OS.

We have heard what the hardware requirements are in the past such as the specific processor, specific amounts of memory, camera resolution, screen resolution and other details. We have also seen some sample handsets from the likes of Samsung and LG amongst a few others. What we haven’t seen, until now, is a list of official manufacturers who will be creating the hardware to run Windows Phone 7.

The list includes HTC, LG and Samsung as we expected. Dell and ASUS will also be building hardware. [Read more…]

Andy Lees, the Senior Vice President of Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft [MSFT] sent out an email to employees letting them know that they will be getting a free Windows Phone 7 and that when they do, they should show it (or evangelise it) to friends, family and colleagues. We first heard this from a tweet yesterday, so it’s good to see that further confirmation has arrived.

We also learn in the email (below) that Microsoft is pushing it’s staff to develop apps and is asking them to download the developer kit as soon as it’s ready and get on with creating apps. Microsoft looks to be making a huge push with Windows Phone 7, and they need to as they are quite a bit behind other in terms of releasing the new OS. [Read more…]

Barnes & Noble [BKS] has announced NOOK for Android is now available. The new NOOK reader allows you to read eBooks purchased from the B&N store which now contains over 1 million eBooks.

The application it’s self is free to download and the only thing you actually need to pay for is books that you want to read. If you already have paid for books on a NOOK reader for example, you can just log in with your account and sync them across.

The new Android app is also the first eReader software to feature Barnes & Noble’s new NOOK-centric branding, leveraging the strength of the company’s NOOK brand across its entire eReading offering. NOOK for Android will soon be followed by an updated NOOK for iPhone®, NOOK for iPad¢, and others in the coming months. The new eReader software branding aligns with the company’s current NOOK offering NOOK 3G and NOOK Wi-Fi® eBook Readers, and the recently announced NOOKstudy¢ online study platform and software solution for higher education.

[Read more…]

The HTC HD2 has a lot of potential locked up inside. The processor on the HD2 is a Snapdragon that can run at 1GHz. The new OverClock applications lets you push it even further to what looks to be 1.267MHz making it run faster than it was designed to do. We of course mention that you should only overclock if you are willing to risk things a little.

On the flip side, you can also lower the CPU speed down to 768MHz to save battery life if needed.

The application has been out a while now, but has received an update recently that lets you more easily control the clock speed through a slider. [Read more…]

Last night, a new version of Skype was approved and released in to the iTunes App store. The new Skype is version 2.0.1 and brings a few new features to the software, one of which includes the ability to run Skype in the background allowing you to leave the app mid-call and carry on talking while browsing the internet for example.

Running the app in the background also allows you to run Skype 24/7 if needed which allows people to contact you at all times.

Receive Skype calls and IM while other apps are running or when your iPhone is locked. You can also continue your call while you switch to another application.

[Read more…]

According to a tweet from a Microsoft [MSFT] employee, all employees of the company will be getting a free Windows Phone 7 device.

Microsoft has over 90,000 employees around the world and each one of them, from what we understand, will be getting a device for free.

It isn’t known why MS decided to do this, but we suspect getting 90,000 smartphones in to the hands of all staff will provide a way for the message about the new OS to spread. [Read more…]

We’ve had a few weeks of no details regarding the iPhone moving to other networks in the US. A few weeks ago we heard it was getting close to arriving at Verizon [VZ] and now we hear again (perhaps the second time this year) that T-Mobile will be getting the iPhone from Apple [AAPL].

This rumour (pinch of salt required) indicates that T-Mobile US are very close to closing a deal with Apple which would see the end of the AT&T exclusivity.

T-Mobile USA is very close to getting the iPhone in the fall, ending Apple’s exclusive relationship with AT&T, according to a highly placed source at the wireless company.

Talks between Apple and T-Mobile are at an advanced stage, our source says, and it’s 80 percent likely that the iPhone will be coming to T-Mobile in Q3.

[Read more…]