Nokia has already warned that such a slump is likely to continue through 2012, with interest in Symbian devices fading faster than previously expected. Meanwhile the company is pushing ahead with Windows Phone, though Microsoft’s platform only had 1.9-percent of the worldwide smartphone market share in Q4 2011.

Android held the Q4 smartphone OS top place, with 50.9-percent of the market worldwide, while iOS had less than half that amount at 23.8-percent. Both saw significant increases year-on-year however, unlike RIM whose share dropped from 14.6- to 8.8-percent.

Overall, Gartner says smartphone sales worldwide reached 149m units in Q4 2011 and 472m units for the full year, a rise of 47.3- and 58-percent year-on-year respectively. Smartphones made up almost a third of overall device sales, though 2012 growth is predicted to slow somewhat. Of course, market share and league tables doesn’t necessarily equal success for individual companies: iOS may be less popular than Android, but since only Apple uses it the Cupertino company keeps the spoils to itself. Meanwhile, Android’s dominance has to be shared between the many Android devices and multiple vendors using Google’s platform.

The tip comes in through TechRadar who have an exclusive on the details behind this mystery device. What they’re hearing is that the Windows Phone platform will be getting its least expensive entry yet with the Lumia 610, it looking to be a pay as you go device, costing just under 200 pounds in the UK with carrier O2. Is £199.99 on PAYG with O2 enough to make you switch from an Android or an iPhone? Probably not – but how about switching from a feature phone?

This is likely Nokia’s thought process in making such an inexpensive entry into their already decently-popular line of Lumia devices. Have a peek in our timeline below to see our reviews of Windows Phones created by Nokia in full reviews. Then head to our [MWC 2012] portal to stick with us through Mobile World Congress 2012 to get the full scoop from Nokia as they let is all out in the open!

[via TechRadar]

Similar to what the Microsoft operating system Windows 8 will be doing, this version of Firefox will include two interfaces: one similar to the Windows 7 interface titled “Classic” and another closer to Windows 8 new vision called “Metro.” The update to the Classic interface will be a “simple evolution” while the Metro update will have “a new Firefox front end and system integration points.” According to Mozilla,

“Firefox on Metro, like all other Metro apps will be full screen, focused on touch interactions, and connected to the rest of the Metro environment through Windows 8 contracts. Our UI will need to adjust to show the most relevant content for each size. In order to provide users with access to other content, other apps, and to Firefox from other content and apps, we’ll need integration with the share contract, the search contract, the settings contract, the app to app picking contract, the print contract, the play to contract, and possibly a couple more. We’ll be a source for some, a target for some, and both for some.” – Mozilla

Live tiles may be a possibility in this built, as will the front end being built in XUL, C or C++, or HTML/CSS/JS. In other words, Mozilla hasn’t finalized one whole heck of a lot in this future build, noting that they’ll be focusing also on Boot to Gecko, this being a complete, standalone operating system for the open web. Gecko will likely be completely separate from Windows 8, with our Consumer Preview at Mobile World Congress 2012 set for February 29th, 2012. Seeya there!

[via Mozilla Wiki]

The photo that replaced the website homepage showed that the responsible parties for the hack were EvilShadow team – 7z1&Ancker. The hackers are apparently from China and at this point, there’s no indication of why they hacked the site. The hackers were also able to upload an additional photo some verbiage the read “Unsafe system will be baptized.”

The part of this hack that will concern people who have done business with the Microsoft Store in India the most is that the database was breached, and passwords were stolen. The passwords were reportedly stored on the server in plain text. As of now, there’s no word on whether credit card data was stolen in the hack.

[via WPsauce]

CD Projekt said that if a game doesn’t make a lot of money, it’s the developer’s fault. The guy who goes to GameStop to save a few bucks isn’t the one to blame. Now, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch is sharing a similar feeling. “I don’t think we should prevent people from playing used games. I understand why they would want to do it, but I think the approach should be different,” Karch said in a recent interview.

Under the rumored Xbox 720 infrastructure, every game would be registered to one and only one Xbox 720 unit. Then, if a customer tried to put that disc in another system, even if it was a second system that he bought or just wanted to play at a friend’s house, it would not work. “$60 is a lot to pay for a game and if a player buys a dud and is stuck with it, then that’s just not fair to force him to keep it,” said Karch. He said the way to ensure developers and publishers still make money is to better encourage in-game purchases, so even someone who gets the game through GameStop or Ebay or whatever can still be a profitable customers.

[via CVG]

According to Xbox World Magazine, the successor to the Xbox 360 will use controllers that have “an HD screen surrounded by the traditional 360 buttons and sticks.” The main purpose of incorporating a display into the controller is apparently to demonstrate the multipurpose functionality of the Xbox 720. That is to say, when you’re playing an Xbox game the controller will display game menus and functions, but when you’re watching streaming video it might be used as a virtual TV remote.

The Xbox 360 has obviously been transformed from a game box that had no HDMI output or Wi-Fi connectivity, to a living room hub with the ability to do everything from log into social networks to watching live TV without ever needing to pick up your TV remote. However, it appears Microsoft might be heading down the same road Sony did when it went from PS2 to PS3 – going too far too fast, and expecting customers to pay an arm and a leg to keep up. Xbox World Magazine projects that the Xbox 720 will retail for more than $500.

[via CVG]

Windows 8 ARM will be available at retail at the same time as Windows 8 x86. Or at least Microsoft hopes to make this the case. No doubt about it, Microsoft understands that low-power and mostly mobile devices are critical to their future, and don’t want to waste any time making inroads into this section of the market. There’s no guarantees here, but even if the date for WOA slips, it shouldn’t be by more than a couple of months.

Windows 8 ARM will retain a standard Windows desktop interface and programs. Despite a focus on the new Metro interface, Microsoft has assured its current users that the Windows desktop and core experience apps like Internet Explorer, File Explorer and the like will remain a central part of Windows. Of course, they’re going to need a lot of tweaking, including a lot more of the Ribbon interface (love it or hate it) and possibly the complete removal of the Start button. The next version of Microsoft Office, which they’re calling Office 15, will work on WOA.

You can’t run x86 or x64 software on Windows 8 ARM, but Metro apps will run on both. It’s a fairly obvious point, but bears repeating: with a shift to a completely different architecture, developers will have to work within the boundries of the ARM system-on-a-chip. Current programs just won’t work on ARM machines. However, applications built to Micrrosoft’s Metro standards (and published to the Windows Store) will work on both x86 and ARM-based hardware, and can access standard stored resources. And speaking of Metro…

New Windows 8 ARM software can only be downloaded from the Windows Store. Yup, Microsoft’s going full integrated in WOA, not unlike their similar moves with Windows Phone 7. In keeping with the integrated platform vibe, you won’t be able to just download an EXE file and install it – paid or free, every new app, Metro interface or not, will have to come through the Windows Store. By the way, expect this to be cracked and circumvented roughly twenty minutes after the first WOA machine is sold. Even new driver downloads will come through the Windows Store. x86/x64 Windows will still operate the way it does now.

Windows 8 ARM will be labelled clearly and separately from Windows 8 x86/x64. Remember the fiasco that was the “Vista Ready” program? Now imagine that with two separate code bases and a a dozen or so form factors. Microsoft doesn’t want to repeat that, so they plan on making the differences between W8 and WOA completely transparent. Of course, it doesn’t help that they’re both called “Windows 8″, and around the same time Windows Phone 8 may be coming out. So yeah, expect massive confusion from the Best Buy crowd, and lots of cries for help from your relatives.

You can’t buy Windows 8 ARM. Not as a consumer, anyway: the ARM division of Microsoft and Windows is going to focus on completely integrated devices, not unlike regular smartphones and tablets today. WOA will be sold as a consumer electronics device, not a traditional PC. If you want a WOA machine, you’ll have to buy one from a hardware partner. That said, keeping modders from doing their thing is nigh impossible, and various hacks from published versions of WOA and developer builds should make for some interesting projects. It should be possible, if not entirely practical, to run WOA on some current Android tablets. We can’t wait to see what comes out of the modder crowd.

Most of your peripherals will work with Windows 8 ARM. WOA includes basic plug-and-play functionality for most of the basic add-ons out there, so adding a mouse and keyboard, external hard dives, card readers, et cetera should work just fine.  As usual more esoteric hardware, like the shortcut buttons on your keyboard, will need specific drivers. These may be downloaded from the Windows Store if the accessory manufacturer supplies them. More complicated hardware add-ons, like TV tuners or graphics tablets, will probably need entirely new drivers. There’s no word on external displays, but most ARM licensees have at least some support for HDMI-out already on the market, so it’s probably coming along for the ride.

Windows 8 ARM will support DirectX 10 gaming. And hardware acceleration in the browser and general UI too, but what you want to know about is gaming. There have been some impressive gains in ARM-based graphics cards lately, and getting DirectX support in WOA is a major accomplishment. This doesn’t mean that your current Windows games will work with WOA (because of the architecture – see above) but the tools are there. Developers should be able to get some very impressive graphical oomph out of Windows 8 ARM hardware, and maybe soon after launch ARM downloads from indie and then major publishers will start appearing in the Windows Store.

Windows 8 ARM beta is coming soon, and you can’t have it. At the same time as the next milestone release for Windows 8 x86/x64, Microsoft will be starting a closed beta program for Windows 8 on ARM. A limited number of developers will be given access to WOA hardware and software. There’s no word of a public beta for Windows 8 ARM at all. For some good news, the Windows 8 x86/x64 Consumer Preview will be available in late February. The closed ARM beta will start at this time.

There you have it – just about everything we know about Windows 8 ARM from a consumer standpoint. Developers, you really should go and read the full post at MSDN – just make sure you don’t have anything else planned for this evening. If Microsoft is true to their word, manufacturers should have WOA devices hitting shelves in late 2012, with internals from Texas Instruments, Qualcomm and Nvidia. This is all very far out, as Microsoft keeps reminding us – nothing’s set in stone yet.

Love or hate Apple, you have to admit that the company is growing in a massive way on the backs of incredibly popular products such as the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook notebooks. The massive growth the Apple has reported since the untimely death of Steve Jobs is nothing short of astounding. While Apple is growing hand over fist, Google and Microsoft aren’t seeing the same sort of growth.

In fact, shares in Google fell more than 9% last month after the company missed expectations from Wall Street on earnings and revenue. Microsoft, on the other hand, met expectations, but its revenues from Windows operating system slipped. Much of the success of Apple is due to the iPhone, which continues to sell in huge numbers.

Apple is doing so well that it’s also pulling ahead of many of the largest firms outside the technology world. For instance, Apple is worth more than Exxon Mobil, which has a market cap of about $402 billion. The thing that really pushes home the massive amount of money that Apple is worth to me is this; Apple is worth more than the gross domestic product of Sweden, which is $458 billion. Apple is also worth more than all the gold ($350 billion) in the Federal Reserve Bank.

[via AppleInsider]

Users of the ARM-based Windows 8 will still be able to access the conventional desktop file system, Internet Explorer 10, and most other core features that are available to the x86 version of Windows 8. However, Windows 8 on ARM will not be sold separately and will be tightly integrated with the devices they ship on. Also, there will be a limitation on the apps available for it from the Windows Store.

Microsoft also revealed beta copies of its Office 15 applications in a preview video, including revamped Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Office 15 appears more Metro-styled with more white space and less lines along with touch and power optimizations, although it will be run in the conventional desktop environment.

[via Engadget]

The group reportedly took advantage of an Internet Explorer vulnerability that had been left unpatched by a Foxconn employee, pulling out sensitive information from the company’s servers and bundling it into a freely-available torrent. Other users were encouraged to access the servers using the disclosed passwords, which could reportedly be used to place fake orders with Foxconn under the names of its vendor partners like Apple, Microsoft, Intel and Dell.

“This is Swagg Security, we aim to to reshape your perspectives, our perspectives, by the inducing of entertainment. A unique approach to spreading a unique philosophy which brings the sought after tranquility. In a way we are “hacktivist”, but in our own views we are Greyhats. We believe there is no reality in hacktivism, even with good intentions. We know those who claim to be “hacktivists” that inside of you, a suppressed part of you, enjoys playing a part in the anarchist event of hacking of an infrastructure. One which at the same time presents a challenge, upon completing reveals an almost unknown feeling of a menacing satisfaction. We encourage not to continue quelling such a natural emotion but to embrace it. Only when embracing what society has taught you to hinder, is when you realize your own identity” Swagg Security statement

Although Foxconn has been in the headlines recently around allegations of worker abuse, with staff said to be underpaid and subject to arbitrary and unfair disciplinary procedures, the hackers claim not to be working on some moral crusade. “Although we are considerably disappointed of the conditions of Foxconn,” the group said, “we are not hacking a corporation for such a reason.”

The security breach is the latest in an increasing number of tech attacks in recent months, with hackers broaching company servers in chase of chaos, private information or even extortion. Earlier this week, Symantec’s Norton Antivirus code, among other data, was released into the wild after attempts to coax a $50,000 payment from the company failed.

[via 9 to 5 Mac]

The invitation doesn’t give any clues as to how the actual consumer version of Windows 8 will be any different from the versions we’ve seen thus far, so we must assume that we’ve essentially seen it all already – but you never know! This version of Windows 8 should let us in on the newest version working on both desktop computers and tablets, and should give us an idea of when manufacturers will be releasing devices with the newest system on devices natively. Will 2012 be the year that Windows makes its triumphant return to the mid-class between mobile and desktop?

We’ll be live at the events on Wednesday, February 29th, 2012, and you can join us in our Mobile World Congress 2012 portal right here: [MWC 2012] Don’t forget then to stick around for the rest of the MWC 2012 action which will surely bring some surprises alongside the releases we’ve been teased with over these past few weeks between CES and now. Can’t wait!

“It’s like starting all over again” the exec conceded. “But we must succeed in the U.S. if we are to succeed in the world.” Nokia announced it had sold over 1m Windows Phone based Lumia devices by roughly the end of January, though that wasn’t enough to save the company from around €1bn in losses.

Meanwhile, Symbian demand has slowed more quickly than Nokia envisaged, with developing markets proving more interested in cheap Android phones than cheap Nokias. Saeijs says he is pleased with Nokia’s Windows Phone success, but the road ahead is still likely to be difficult.

Earlier this year, Nokia revealed its first 4G LTE Windows Phone, the Lumia 900, which is expected to go on sale with AT&T later this quarter. Meanwhile it announced a new color variant to the original Lumia 800, now in gloss white, earlier in the week.

[via Nasdaq]

The Microsoft products that Motorola subsidy General Instrument Corporation alleges infringe on its patents include Windows 7, IE9, Windows Media Player, and Xbox 360. The amount of money generated in sales from Windows 7 and the Xbox 360 is massive and Motorola is seeking 2.25% of all the sales of those products in royalties.

Motorola likes the 2.25% number, and wanted Apple to pay that much for patents it was infringing on. Microsoft has never confirmed exactly how much in royalties it collects from Android device makers, but company attorney Brad Smith has hinted before that about five dollars per device is a fair number. The two patents at the core of the Motorola versus Microsoft case help reduce the bandwidth needed for streaming video online, reducing the bandwidth needed for streaming is hugely important for online video.

[via Seattle Times]

One of my favorites in the pack is the 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 owned by UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. If you like old school Japanese race cars the 1991 Mazda #55 Team Mazdaspeed 787B with the Wankel rotary engine is in the pack. Another of my favorite cars is included in the new car pack, the 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R.

The remaining vehicles and pack include: 2011 Bentley Platinum Motorsports Continental GT, 1986 #2 Audi Sport Quattro S1 rally car, 1992 Alpha Romeo 155 Q4, 2011 Holden HSV GTS, and rounding out the cars is the 2011 Volkswagen Polo GTI. This individual pack sells for 560 Microsoft Points, and Season Pass holders will get the add-on as part of the package. The Forza Season Pass costs 2400 Microsoft Points and if purchased now also gets you all six previous add-on packs.

Notes can include checklists for easy task management, and bullets for lists. However, unlike the full version of the software, there’s no support for handwritten notes, and inked notes created on a PC can’t be viewed on the Android app. There’s also no voice note support, and early-adopters have been complaining about the absence of a widget.

It’s a shame, as OneNote has always been the great unsung hero of Microsoft’s tablet strategy; in fact we’ve gone on record before as saying the company could do a whole lot worse than make it their centerpiece of an iPad-alternative tablet strategy. This is only the first-gen release, though, so hopefully Microsoft will tweak the functionality in an upgrade.

The free version of OneNote supports up to 500 notes; if you want to create more, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version (which is £2.99 in the UK). You’ll need an Android 2.3 device or above in order to install it.

[via Android Community]

The developer in question is CD Projekt, which is best known for creating the expansive role-playing game The Witcher 2. In an interview with Eurogamer, CD Projekt’s Adam Badowski was quoted as saying the idea of banning used games “can be a bad thing,” adding, “We are losing money not because of pirates; we are losing money because people decided not to buy our game.” Now there’s a refreshing dose of reality.

Obviously, the idea of locking a game to one Xbox 720 unit creates more problems than it solves. There’s the issue of game rentals, taking a game over to a friend’s house, or needing to get a new Xbox if yours breaks or a newer model becomes available. Badowski said instead of trying to punish gamers, “We should invest more power to upgrade and polish our products and convince players to keep our products, to be with us, to understand our needs.”

[via Eurogamer]

This shouldn’t be taken as an iron-clad confirmation: the blog post talks about power-saving measures for “both desktop and Metro-style apps”, specifically on system on a chip architectures like ARM. That implies, but doesn’t guarantee, that traditional desktop programs will still be allowed on ARM-powered Windows 8 machines, presumably using the old Windows 7 and earlier interface. Microsoft still isn’t answering questions on the subject.

Even if a desktop mode is included on the ARM version of Windows 8, applications will need to be tweaked and in some cases completely rewritten to run on the architecture. The situation would be somewhat similar to when Apple switched from PowerPC processors to Intel: initially, some apps would work on x86 machines and some on ARM machines, with a little technical wizardry needed to make a program universal. This is in addition to the distinction between normal desktop apps and Metro apps.

It still seems possible that Microsoft will want to focus on low-power (and in most cases low-function) programs for ARM-powered machines. In recent builds of the x86 version of Windows 8, even the good old Start button seems to have been given the boot. Developers can’t even work with the ARM build at the moment, though it’s expected to arrive sometime this month. ARM Windows devices aren’t expected to reach retail shelves until well after the debut of Windows 8 itself.

[via ZDnet]

The bundle will cost $899 and includes a Nokia Play 360 Wireless Speaker, Purity HD Stereo headset, and an in-ear Bluetooth headset. Initially, the Lumia 800 will not be sold separately from the bundle, but will likely be made available on its own soon alongside the recently announced white edition.

The Lumia 800 is Nokia’s first Windows Phone and has been available in Europe for some time already. Make sure to check out our hands-on for more details. A larger version of the device with LTE support, called the Lumia 900, has been announced for AT&T later this year.

[via The Verge]

Shown off back in July last year, the bundle – and the game – has been a long time coming. Originally, Microsoft promised to have the console and title on sale by the 2011 holidays, but plans changed in August when the firm began telling eager gamers that it would instead drop in 2012 giving the developers time to fettle it to its “full potential.”

That game tweaking looks to be at an end, and the promo bundle is finally ready for primetime. Kinect Star Wars itself is priced at around $50, and allows you to hold lightsaber fights, pilot Speeder Bikes and other vehicles, and navigate various puzzles, all using gestures tracked by the Kinect.

There’ll also be a “Jedi Destiny Mode”, Microsoft’s Major Nelson reveals, allowing gamers to duel with Count Dooku and Darth Vader, while those looking for more Lucas-style whimsy can take part in the ‘Galactic Dance Off” mode. That includes a Star Wars-themed pop playlist, and if you have the limited edition console you can also unlock an exclusive C-3PO Dance Mode.

The line-up includes well-known casual games like Angry Birds along with Reckless Racing and Toy Soldiers. No word from the source as to whether the titles will be paid or free, though Microsoft has said before that, during the pre-official launch later this year, only free apps will be supported in the Windows Store.

The preview Windows Store – and the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 – are expected to be released later this month. Recent leaks suggest Microsoft has killed off the Start button, though that won’t be confirmed until the preview arrives.

Of course, there’s more to Microsoft’s gaming strategy than Solitaire. The company has previously said that it plans to integrate Xbox LIVE into the new PC OS, just as it has with Xbox 360 and Windows Phone. That opens the door to cross-platform challenges and more.

• Hydro Thunder
• Toy Soldiers
• Reckless Racing
• Angry Birds
• Ilomilo
• Rocket Riot
• Full House Poker
• Tentacles
• Crash Course
• Ms Splosion Man
• Wordament

According to the sales staff, the white and black Lumia 900 handsets are expected sometime in the second half of March. Pricing seems to be the source of some in-store confusion, with $150 to $200 being discussed; previous leaks have suggested AT&T is aiming for the altogether more competitive $100 point, however.

They also confirmed the latter-March release, with the 18th being mentioned before now. Last we heard, final-stage testing could see that date bumped later into the month, though, and the absence of an official release date would seem to confirm that arrangements are still in flux.

As for the white Lumia, until this morning we weren’t even sure that such a model was in the pipeline, though the confirmation of the white Lumia 800 we played with yesterday certainly implied it was likely. More on the Nokia Lumia 900 in our full hands-on.

Before preliminary rulings, the ITC staff attorney assigned to a case makes a recommendation to the ITC judge. In this case, staff attorney Jeff Hsu revealed in an interview today that he will be recommending to judge Theodore Essex that there has been no violation by Barnes & Noble on the Microsoft patents in question.

However, the judge is not required to follow the recommendation and if Essex rules in favor of Microsoft, the Nook e-reader could face an import ban. The patent suit is part of Microsoft’s strategy against Android device makers, which has already successfully secured patent royalties from several manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung, and LG. The preliminary ruling for the Barnes & Noble case is set to be released on April 27.

In this game created by some of the most notable names in gaming and comic book fantasy you’ll be not only diving into a story so thick it’d take you days and days upon days to read the entire text included in the game without even playing. Inside you’ll find yourself so deep in the world of Amalur that you’ll often forget that the objective includes some of the most action-packed sequences since Skyrim. And let’s face it: this game will be compared to Skyrim one way or another, so it’d better stand up strong right up unto it!

And it shall, as Rolston lead design teams behind Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind as well as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, these both coming right behind the Skyrim masterpiece of 2011. The only thing you’ll not be selecting is the shape of your face, as Reckoning cuts a bit more to the chase than Skyrim does, with basic faces, hair, and a few trinkets around you before you jump right in. And jump right UP you shall, as you begin this game in a pile of corpses, you yourself having been dead before the game began.

This story is no ordinary monster, even though your quest is indeed to destroy all evil and save the future of the world you’re on. As you advance, you choose your skills and shape your person, costume and epic weapons included. Make this your next deep dive after you’ve completed your months of food and water-less nights of Skyrim – soon!

We’ve got a rather lovely feature up now to put a header on your humble narrator’s week with the iPhone 4S: Switching between Android 4.0 ICS and iPhone 4S – check the comments! The first ever 3D printed pirated Pirate Boat has been printed via the Pirate Bay as btJunkie is shut down forever. For those of you in the mobile world, heed this: the Galaxy S III will continue the line’s dive into thinness at 7mm.

Netflix is releasing its first ever original program Lilyhammer this week. We’ve got our own official hands-on look at the brand new Nokia Lumia 800 in white if you’d like to take a look. Meanwhile the AT&T Galaxy Note LTE is up for pre-order – Galaxy Nexus in white is also up for sale on the 13th of February. Samsung is really dishing it out with these numbers here and during the Superbowl with no less than The Darkness itself, complete with white and pink stripes.

HTC is not doing so well on the other hand, even though both iOS and Android are decimating the competition. In two completely unrelated stories, Google Earth has removed Atlantis and teased their soon to be released Solve for X project.

When you download this game, you’ll find that in its completely free form, you’ll be given Hawaii as a map to fly around in. When you’re connected with Games for Windows Live, you get extra features. You can also get extra features by downloading them via Microsoft’s online store, this falling right in line with our most awesome futuristic gaming model born of this mobile revolution we’re in: free to play and in-game upgrade. Freemium is another name for this model, and Microsoft will be more than willing to tease you with the most awesome flying around with a promise of more on the way.

So clear the end of your February calendar out because you’ll be doing two things: first, playing Microsoft Flight, then second: following SlashGear’s Mobile World Congress 2012 coverage. You know you’ll love both, they’re both free! Have a peek above at a trailer for the newest installment in what’s up until now been called Flight Simulator X, then head to our portal for the rest. You can follow us all through Spain while you’re flying in Hawaii via our tag [MWC 2012] – seeya then!

[via Major Nelson]

“Like China, we too can block such websites” Kait told lawyers from Facebook and Google, going on to refer to laws passed in India last year that mandates a 36-hour take-down from the point of complaint. Both Google and Facebook have already complied with such requests, the two companies confirmed.

Now, the high court has demanded the two firms – along with 19 others – present their plans for a blocking system that will prevent “objectionable material” from being accessed by users in India. A fifteen day deadline has been imposed, though Facebook, Yahoo! and Microsoft have all protested that they are yet to be targeted with specific complaints.

The argument that users are responsible for their own uploads and shared content, however, and that Facebook, Google and others have a non-interference policy, did not go down well with the Indian judge. The sites face criticisms from the Indian government that standards deemed suitable for the US market are insufficient for India’s 100m internet users.

The 8220 build of Windows 8 is labelled as Consumer Preview, meaning thaqt the software is nearing completion. That implies that Microsoft is seriously considering making the change to the Start button permanent. That said, the company often integrates feedback from its public betas into the final product – if testers have an immediate and universal disdain for the change, it’s likely to be reversed. The Start button has been a crucial part of the Windows user interface ever since Windows 95, and its exclusion is sure to cause some distress among those who opt for the more conservative desktop.

Microsoft has seen its fair share of controversy surrounding Windows 8, mostly due to the touch-friendly Metro interface changes. The Desktop tile is meant to be a window into Windows past for power users, and as such, the removal of something so integral as the Start button seems odd indeed. Other small but crucial changes, like the Ribbon menu interface finding its way into more applications, have also drawn ire from more experienced Windows users. If you’d like to try out Windows 8 for yourself, you can download the Developer Preview at the Windows Dev Center. THe build shown above isn’t public yet, but an open beta program is expected in the next few months.

[via ZDNet]

Toulouse perhaps gained the most notoriety when he tried to respond to angry gamers who disapproved of Microsoft’s policy of not allowing gamers to reveal their sexual identity in their username. That is to say, users were not allowed to have the words “gay” or “homo” in their account ID, even if they were using it as a positive means of self expression. Toulouse eventually publicly announced he wanted to banish that policy.

He also presided over decisions like banning all Xbox Live users who gained illegal early access to Modern Warfare 3 or Halo Reach. Toulouse, who has the Xbox Live gamertag Stepto, will step down in two weeks. His reign of terror will not end, though, as someone else will take control of the banhammer. We’ll know his (or her) name soon enough.

[via Gamasutra]

For most people, landing an executive position at Microsoft would be the pinnacle of their career. Watson’s new position at Amazon is working on Kindle apps, so it is almost exactly the same line of work, though now for what was one of his biggest competitors. It leaves a question mark about Microsoft’s future in the mobile space, though not a black hole. The software giant has actually done a formidable job at building the Windows Phone brand.

It got a much-needed boost from Nokia, which recently launched its Lumia 710 smartphone in the US. At $50, the Lumia 710 is seen as a great entry-level smartphone. But alas, selling Windows Phone as the “cheap” option is only driving a bigger wedge when it comes to the smartphone aficianados who simply don’t believe there’s a need for a third player in an iOS and Android duel. For Watson, that battle won’t be an issue anymore.

[via SFGate]

The Xbox Live bonus for the upcoming demo is perhaps a realization of just how crazy the two-tiered online system is. Just for players to access a demo requires a service that costs $60 per year. By comparison, the PS3, which will also have its own version of Mass Effect 3, has never once charged a single player for the ability to play a game online against others. The Xbox Live infrastructure was put in place in 2005, when online gaming was still a niche concept.

The PS3 does still monetize its online network, but only for users who want access to exclusive content and special features. Online gaming should be a standard feature in today’s world, and hopefully in the Xbox 720 this will be the case. For now, though, if publishers want to be able to demonstrate their games’ online features, they’ll have to hope Microsoft is willing to offer a free month of Gold to anyone who wants.

[via 1UP]

The Marketplace may take a few hours to be fully activated in all regions and not all apps may be available right away. Developers are encouraged to make their existing apps available in these new countries. To do so, log into the App Hub and select the “worldwide” option. This has to be done even if an app was previously set to be available globally.

However, apps submitted for Indonesia, Malaysia, and China are subject to additional requirements due to local regulations. With the addition of five new countries, the Windows Phone Marketplace now reaches 41 markets around the world. It also has more than 50,000 apps available since December.

There’s been some talk by Tim Cook on Apple charitable givings. Apple is discussing fitness tech behind the scenes. Motorola’s newest war is against Apple and they’ve won an iCloud ban in Germany. Meanwhile their sales injunction on iPad and iPhone in Germany has been suspended.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 has been confirmed with details including deep-hook Skype and Win8 Kernel for all. Google’s been speaking with congress about privacy and has failed to convince them that they’re no longer evil. Meanwhile Megaupload’s Dotcom remains in jail with no bail and alleging police brutality.

That integration isn’t expected to arrive until Windows Phone 8, according to leaks earlier this week. The updated smartphone OS will apparently offer deep hooks for Skype integration, though the VoIP service won’t be specifically baked into the platform, allowing internet-base calls to be handled just as easily as traditional voice calls.

This first iteration, therefore, will be a standalone app, though that’s likely enough to keep Windows Phone users satisfied for the time being. It’s been a point of frustration for adopters of the platform that, while Microsoft now owns Skype, so far most rival mobile platforms have access to a version whereas Windows Phone does not.

The practicalities of a Mobile World Congress launch depend on how well internal testing goes, it’s claimed, though the Skype app itself is said to be “near complete.” We’ve already suggested that Skype – and some clever investment by Microsoft – could be the wildcard Windows Phone needs, and it seems that time may well be close at hand.

Microsoft and Kaspersky Lab were able use some sort of technical means to get the 45,000 computers that make up the botnet to communicate with what they called a “sinkhole” which was a computer that the two firms controlled. The problem was the computers that were infected with the software for the botnet were still unclean. It was known from the get go that eventually that the nefarious sorts in command of the botnet would regain control.

Microsoft and Kaspersky could have used the communications with their sinkhole computer to force the infected machines to clean their act up, but in some countries, that act would have been illegal. Apparently, there are also new variants of Kelihos using new forms of encryption to hide the mass communication between the slaves and the botnet controllers. One researcher has also pointed out that there are two different RSA keys being used, indicating that two nefarious groups may be controlling the botnet. All this really means for normal Internet users is that we can probably expect an increase in spam.

[via Techworld]

The Microsoft-owned VoIP service is “a separate but better app and not integrated into OS” Thurrott claims, and will remain “optional.” There appears to be some confusion around this; from what’s been said, it looks like Windows Phone 8 will offer deep-level hooks for Skype, allowing the app to integrate seamlessly alongside traditional voice calls as far as the user sees, though it won’t be bundled as part of the OS itself.

There’ll also be better use of sandboxing, with a way for Windows Phone 8 apps to communicate with each other but not cause each other to crash or leak data, and the DataSmart system is also confirmed. That, as Microsoft wrote about the same system on Windows 8 machines recently, will prevent mobile data causing “bill shock” headaches, with current real-time use shown on a homescreen live tile.

Windows Phone 8 will also be a more serious platform, as Microsoft sets its sights on enterprise customers. That means “full-device, hardware accelerated encryption with BitLocker and always-on Secure Boot capabilities” Thurrott claims, along with “Exchange ActiveSync policies and System Center configuration settings and inventory capabilities.”

Backward compatibility with Windows Phone 7.5 apps is a given, but developers will be able to make better use of a single code base for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 apps, as well as increase collaboration between apps on each platform.

Microsoft hasn’t commented on the leak, though ZDNet claims the company will be talking – albeit in private, closed-door meetings – about Apollo at MWC 2012 later this month. That’s likely a safety play to avoid overshadowing existing high-profile Windows Phones, as well as the Tango update which is expected to arrive prior to WP8.

The first thing you should know here is that Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a time-traveling game with plotlines that fit in several places after the original XIII. There’s one timeline 700 years into the future, one 100 years into the future, and one just 10 years into the future, each of them after XIII. Reviewers seem to have mixed feelings on this installment of the game for a variety of reasons, but one thing seems clear: everyone who has reviewed this game has played several Final Fantasy games before.

“Final Fantasy XIII-2 feels less like a standalone sequel than a concerted effort to bring back fans disappointed by the last game. Somewhere within the bowels of Square Enix, there’s a memo that details every major criticism of XIII. The sequel addresses enough of those points to make it feel different from FFXIII, but without making the game as a whole all that much better.” – Garrett Martin of Ars Technica

The story for this game, to be fair, will give any new person to the series quite a run for their money – but like every single Final Fantasy game before, this is part of the whole project. Final Fantasy games are sort of like chapters in a book series – not necessarily a series that’s meant to go together, but one told many times in the same sort of tenor. The greatest part of this series is still in-tact here as well: the combat system.

“I found “XIII-2″ more absorbing than its predecessor, in part because I’ve gotten used to its “paradigm”-based combat. Instead of controlling all three characters in your party, you control just one — though you can switch the paradigms used by the other two so they concentrate on physical attacks, magic or defense. Boss battles force you to constantly adjust your paradigms, so while the fights are fast-paced, they require strategy.” – Lou Kesten from AP for ABC News

So what this game really adds up to is a rattlingly difficult to follow storyline littered with entertaining bits of combat and fabulous graphics. There are loads of entertaining cinematic segments, the whole game feels good to play, but in the end it comes up short – unless you compare it directly to its predecessor.

“Weirdly enough, on a piece by piece basis Final Fantasy XIII-2 manages to one-up itself in almost every department. At the same time, you get the distinct feeling that Square Enix has lost its way with the franchise, especially in the story telling department. The game is littered with moments throughout that just don’t add up. For a game that starts out as strong as Final Fantasy XIII-2 ,with Lightning battling through Valhalla, it immediately squashes all hopes of a exciting journey by beginning to loosely explain what is transpiring, and what your ultimate goals of the game are to be.” – Bill Hess of Attack of the Fanboy

You’ll be able to pick up Final Fantasy XIII-2 for your Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for the cool price of $59.99 from all great places sweet games are sold. If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, this game is of course not to be missed – unless you’d rather spend the cash on several iterations of the game from years past. Never played Final Fantasy VII? Maybe a quick dash to the store and $10 later you’ll have the greatest RPG experience of your life in your hands instead!

BONUS: You can also download the demo direct from your Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 today – go grab it and test away!

The name Windows Phone 8 does not share the number by accident with the Windows 8 software that’s popping up on desktops and tablets galore this year. Instead we’ll see a setup that will look very similar to those selections in its User Interface and will allow developers to “reuse — by far — most of their code” when they want to port applications from one to the other. The kernel, security, networking stacks, and multimedia support will be heavily overlapping in many ways. Zune’s desktop client will be dropped in favor of a much more dedicated companion application and ActiveSync will be pumped up to compensate.

As far as games go, the Xbox Companion app will be given a partner client in the desktop version of Windows 8. Skydrive will allow you to share seamlessly (FINALLY) between devices, and such examples as a music collection being instantly available on a new Windows Phone without the need for a PC sync – streaming, that is. App-to-app communication will be coming to life in a much more real way, Skype hooking into the operating system allowing for nearly perfect non-VoIP-like telephone action.

The camera on your Windows Phone will have a basic camera application that can be skinned by OEMs or third party groups wanting to make new camera applications. These apps will fall in line and very possibly be better than the camera selection already available in the 100,000 apps that’ll be in the Marketplace at the launch of Windows Phone 8 – we’ll see about that when the time comes. Native code support will be in play as well, this making it easier to make more powerful applications and bring a great ease to the porting of code on the whole.

In the hardware department, scale and choice will be the top words in the environment. Apollo will have support for multicore processors, high resolution displays, removable microSD card storage, and a whole lot more (tailored to finally compete with their biggest competitors in specs, iPhone and Android.) NFC will be supported, tap-to-share will be a reality, and sharing will be a much more integrated experience on the whole. Can’t wait to see what’s really in store!

[via PocketNow]

Microsoft’s video – which was seen last year, though not hosted on the company’s own YouTube account - suggests Google is in effect reading your email and using that information for promotions. On the contrary, “no one reads your email but you” Google insists.”Like most major email providers,” the company says “our computers scan messages to get rid of spam and malware, as well as show ads that are relevant to you.”

As for suggestions Google’s changes are impacting their government users, the company says that’s also false. “Our new Privacy Policy does not change our contractual agreements,” it explains, “which have always superseded Google’s Privacy Policy for enterprise customers.”

“We don’t make judgments about other people’s policies or controls. But our industry-leading Privacy Dashboard, Ads Preferences Manager and data liberation efforts enable you to understand and control the information we collect and how we use it—and we’ve simplified our privacy policy to make it easier to understand. Microsoft has no data liberation effort or Dashboard-like hub for users. Their privacy policy states that “information collected through one Microsoft service may be combined with information obtained through other Microsoft services” Betsy Masiello, Policy Manager, Google

Google deputy general counsel Mike Yang and public policy director Pablo Chavez will appear in a private meeting with the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade this week, USA Today reports. The pair will be expected to comment on one of the key concerns the Subcommittee has, that “Google will not permit users to opt out of this information collection and sharing across platforms and devices.”

It’s not the first time Apple has looked to execs with gaming experience to head its various iOS teams. Last year, the company hired Robert Saunders, formerly the lead of Nintendo’s PR team, to work on iOS app promotion, simultaneously grabbing Activision PR chief Nick Grange for a role “focussed on iPad hardware” that many assumed would be game-control related.

More recently, Apple hired a new retail manager, John Browett, who had been CEO at European electronics retail chain Dixons.

Apple declined to comment on Burrowes joining the company, and it’s unclear if the games-focused exec will be tasked with pushing the App Store as a gaming platform. The company has long been expected to make further inroads into the traditional games market, timely given Sony and Nintendo‘s underwhelming sales performance in the segment in recent months.

Nokia chairman Jorma Ollila warned yesterday that the impact the major changes in Nokia’s smartphone operations and the partnership with Microsoft for smartphone operating systems would affect the earnings at Nokia throughout most of 2012. Nokia made the announcement last week of a 73% decline in fourth-quarter earnings. Ollila said, “For a significant part of the year the transition will be seen in the results.”

Nokia has failed so far to make significant sales with its Windows Phone smartphones. However, the phone giant is pointing out that any new operating system took while to catch on and take off. Android certainly had a rocky year so before it gained traction became wildly popular. Nokia maintains that the Windows Phone platform will take off, but it will take time. Nokia says that each of the popular operating systems has one strong manufacturer, and it believes that it will be that strong manufacturer for Windows Phone.

Jorma Ollila said, “Nokia will make it into the three, it’s completely obvious and the first signs are already there. None of the operating systems have taken off quickly. It will take time, as we have seen, and as was expected.”

“When looking at the bigger picture, it shows that three operating systems will dominate in the near future and each of them will have one strong manufacturer, with Nokia having a very good chance to be one of the three.”

[via Yahoo]