According to Twitter’s Roman L. and the screenshot from Winforum.eu he posted above, meanwhile, Microsoft has already begun referring to Windows 8.1 (or, in this case, 8.1 Pro) by the Windows 8 name in its latest builds. The screenshot apparently comes from build 9375, and if legitimate is one of the more recent 8.1 escapees.

Windows 8 won’t be the only platform to get a splash of color, either. According to the source, Windows RT – the version of the OS designed for ARM-based processors, and most notably used on the Microsoft Surface tablet – will also get a Blue update. That will be referred to as Windows RT 8.1, it’s suggested.

Microsoft has previously confirmed that Blue is a Windows update, but beyond that has been tight-lipped on what exactly PC users can expect. It’s unclear whether the .1 update will be a paid one or not, too.

However, leaks earlier this year did flesh out the rumors with some feature possibilities, including extra personalization support, new split-screen layout support, and a range of new preloaded apps.

The list of new features found in DiskStation Manager 4.2 beta is absolutely huge, so Synology users are definitely in for a treat. Some of the major highlights of this release include an expansion of QuickConnect to cover DS Photo+, DS File, and DS Audio. This upgrade should make it easier for new users to set these features up, which is always a plus.

iOS users now also have a DS Cloud app at their disposal, which seems to essentially be Synology’s in-house version of Dropbox. DSM’s Package Manager is also getting a pretty major overhaul with this release, and it adds a bunch of new ease-of-use features and new apps that users have specifically been asking for. If you’ve been bugging Synology for new apps and functionality in the Package Manager, there seems to be a pretty good chance that your wishes have been granted.

Jumping back to the Cloud-related features, Synology has done quite a bit with syncing in this latest release. For instance, Cloud Station is being brought up to version 2, and with this new version, the size limit for files is doubling – now users can sync files up to 10GB in size, rather than just 5GB. DiskStation Manager 4.2 beta is available for download right now from Synology’s website, with the full release following in another month or so. Be sure to check out our CES portal for all of our coverage from the show!

The calendar in the app for users running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean skips from November of 2012 to January of 2013. Perhaps the Grinch now works for Google and has a new fiendish plot to stop Christmas down in Whoville. The good news is that other Google calendars have been unaffected by the flaw in the latest version of the operating system.

The flaw reportedly affects all Android 4.2 devices. That means if you use a Google Nexus 4 or a Nexus 10 tablet, you are affected. If you’re wondering, the month of December being deleted doesn’t mean you shouldn’t by the significant other a Christmas gift.

While there’s no official word of the fix coming from Google right now, you can bet the fix is in the works. The flaw is known to Android developers. Until the fix is applied, Android users will need to keep track of important dates for December using alternate means.

[via BBC]

Research firm Gartner thinks that the Android operating system will be on more devices than Windows by 2016. They estimate that there will be 2.3 billion devices on Android by the end of 2016, while Windows will claim 2.28 billion devices. It’s not an absurd hypothesis, since Android has already become a dominating figure in the mobile market, and it’s only been four years since the OS first released.

Android controls two-thirds of the smartphone market, and is number 2 in the tablet market behind Apple. Worldwide shipments of PCs dropped 8% in the third quarter, which has been the steepest decline since 2001. Obviously, more and more people are purchasing powerful tablets and smartphones for their basic everyday computing needs.

Of course, Microsoft has dominated the desktop OS market for years, but they’ve been slow to adopt to newer technologies. The company’s smartphone marketshare is only around 3%. However, they’re looking to shake things up with their upcoming launches of Windows RT and Windows Phone 8, both of which will bring the Windows experience to tablets and smartphones.

[via Reuters]

Apple wasn’t quick enough though, with the folks at MacRumors filling out the application and even receiving their codes for the upgrade before Apple managed to take the application offline. The redemption process goes something like this: users are required to fill out the form with information on their eligible Macs, including the date and location of the purchase, personal contact information, and the serial number of the computer that will be receiving the update. After that’s done and sent off, Apple then sends back a pair of emails – one with a password-protected PDF containing the redemption code, and another with the password needed to access the PDF.

Naturally, with Mountain Lion not yet available, MacRumors’ attempt at redeeming the code on the Mac App Store (the only place OS X Mountain Lion will be available) proved fruitless. At the moment, Mountain Lion’s release date is still unknown, but with Apple giving it a release window of July 2012, it has to be coming up pretty quickly here, considering that the month of July ending in just eight short days. If that July release window holds, we’ll likely be seeing the Up-to-Date application go live again soon, so stay tuned.

So, if you’ve loved what you’ve seen of Windows 8 so far, you don’t have that much longer to wait until you can finally get your hands on the full version. How many different versions of Windows 8 Microsoft will be offering seems to be up in the air at the moment, with recent rumors claiming that Microsoft may be looking to axe the retail version of Windows 8 entirely. If it does that, there’s a chance that Microsoft may choose to only offer the Windows 8 upgrade and an OEM version of the OS.

The good news is that the upgrade to Windows 8 will only cost $40 through January 31, 2013, so long as you’re upgrading from Windows XP or later. This means that the Windows 8 upgrade will cost significantly less than past Windows upgrades, but you’ll have to be fast if you want to take advantage of the low price.

Now that we have a firm release date, more details about Windows 8 will likely start pouring out soon, so keep it tuned to SlashGear for more Windows 8 news.

[via Windows Blog]

With the Windows 8 OEM licensing rate starting at $60, this rumor is leading some to believe that Windows 8 might end up costing quite a bit less than Windows 7 did. Consider, for a moment, that the OEM version of Windows 7 only cost $134.99, while the retail version’s price tag came in at a whopping $299.99. It isn’t that hard to imagine that with a price of admission that high, at least a few customers shied away from picking up the retail version of Windows 7.

So, it might be that Microsoft is looking to scrap the retail version of Windows 8 altogether and give potential users a couple less expensive options. Indeed, we were all a bit surprised when Microsoft announced a $40 price point for the Windows 8 upgrade DVD, so maybe this time around the company is more concerned with getting Windows 8 on as many computers as possible than it is with high profit margins. If it isn’t looking to ditch the Windows 8 retail version entirely, it’s possible that this particular iteration may run significantly less than past retail versions. We shall see.

[via Insideris]

Microsoft was recently showing off Windows To Go. Windows To Go is nothing more than a version of Windows 8 on a flash drive that you can plug into any computer and access the newest operating system. Windows To Go operates on a 32 GB flash drive and saves the user’s apps and settings allowing you to make any machine you come in contact with just like your PC at home or the office.

The feature is being aimed at the business user as an easy way to access work data on multiple computers and still use Windows 8. This should be a useful feature. The user could work at the office on the desktop and then take the flash drive home or on the road to work in the same environment using the same apps. I wonder if running operating system from the flash drive will affect performance compared to running it with the traditional install.

[via BGR]

Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal is scheduled to launch in October, but you can get in on the few new features that are ready to go right now by downloading the alpha 1 build today. It’s been less than two months since the last stable version was released so not a whole lot has changed, but there are some notable differences. For starters Linux Kernel 3.4 has been incorporated into 12.10 along with driver support for several new graphics cards.

The default web browser has been bumped up to Firefox 13, Thunderbird is included for email control, and the update manager should have what Ubuntu is calling “a slightly new look.” Last but not least the Ubuntu desktop image has been shrunk down to a single 800 MB image, easily usable on DVDs or USB flash drives. There’s probably much more in the newest alpha so hit the download link above and give the latest build a try today.

[via Liliputing]

Microsoft is being called by Lynch an “ideal partner” for areas like distribution and big software launches due to such upcoming heroes as Windows 8. Barnes & Noble Nook software will be on that operating system in the form of an app that’ll give users access to the company’s ebook library. Microsoft engineers and “Redmond-based talent” as Fortune says will not be working together on Nook devices.

“Currently, we’ve not communicated anything related to the roadmap about any hardware collaboration on Nook. Nook, as you know, uses open sourcing. Microsoft is obviously very entrenched in Windows. On the reading software side, in reading technologies, they’re making interesting integrations into Windows, potentially Office. That kind of work has already started. Definitively yes.” – Lynch

So we’ve got the ability to work back and forth between Office and Barnes & Noble software including Nook for ebooks. We do not have, on the other hand, non-Android operating system bits headed to the Nook.

“So again we haven’t announced anything specifically, but imagine an integration where an information worker, student, author, consumer, creates something in Office and has it immediately published for sale through the Nook book store. It starts to open a lot of exciting possibilities.” – Lynch

The Nook book store might be getting a whole lot more interesting in the weeks and months ahead – Nook as a content editor? Very possibly!

[via Fortune]

In a statement released this week on their new joint venture, Microsoft and Barnes & Noble noted how “one of the first benefits for customers will be a Nook application for Windows 8.” This will likely be just one element here in this larger equation, but it’s certainly a giant nugget where the rest is set to be subsidiary bonuses. It’s Apple that Microsoft is competing with here, not Android. Because of the fact that Apple has a strong content library on their site via iTunes, Microsoft must move forward with their own set of solutions (old and new) to get Windows 8 on board with vertical integration with downloadable content of all kinds.

Because of this, Barnes & Noble will hand the keys to their own book library to Microsoft and their Windows 8 PCs, tablets, notebooks, and hybrid devices. This Barnes & Noble integration will allow Microsoft to compete not only with Apple, but with Amazon as well. NewCo will continue to create Nook devices running Android and Microsoft will profit from cash earned on that hardware. A two-pronged approach is what Microsoft is after here, not just Windows 8 on Barnes & Noble hardware.

Have a peek at our timeline below for this joint venture and see for yourself where it’s headed!

That gives enterprise users flexibility for office productivity. They can use desktop applications remotely, use browser-based solutions such as Google Docs, or use the pre-installed LibreOffice which is compatible with Microsoft Office formats. Canonical believe Ubuntu makes a good choice for those faced with expensive Windows 7 upgrades.

There’s also a new menu-based search option, tweaks to the login screen, but most importantly improved performance and power management. Ubuntu has suffered from draining batteries far too quickly in the past, and Canonical says they’re working to fix that with the newer versions of the OS.

What about if you’re running Ubuntu 10.04? Canonical say there will be an easy migration to 12.04, and that the company is looking forward for users to experience the upgrade for themselves. If you’re eager to get downloading, head on over to the Ubuntu website where you should find a torrent waiting for you.

[via Engadget]

The BlackBerry PlayBook OS version 2.0.1.358 is an over-the-air update and is available for download today. It improves support for Android apps, offers better browser performance, and optimizes Video Chat, PIM, and BlackBerry Bridge applications. There are several other improvements as well, but no major additional features.

You should be prompted to install the update automatically. If not, you can check for the software update in the Settings menu under “Software Updates” and then tapping “Check for Updates.” If you purchase a BlackBerry PlayBook on or after April 17, 2012, the tablet should automatically be updated to version 2.0.1 during the setup process.

[via Liliputing]

This isn’t the first time that Canonical has attempted to adapt Ubuntu to smartphones. It had previously tried to push Ubuntu Mobile, which ended in 2009, as well as Kubuntu Mobile and an ARM version of Ubuntu. Fans of the platform have designed several concepts for a mobile Ubuntu OS, one of which designed by Musl1m is shown above.

Canonical has also backed the Ubuntu for Android project, which brought the desktop experience of Ubuntu to Android handsets. It runs both Android and Ubuntu simultaneously and was first demoed to be fully operational on the Motorola Atrix 4G 2 at Mobile World Congress last month. It’s believed that Ubuntu for Android can be run on any Android smartphone as long as it has video-out, a dual-core processor, and at least 1GB of RAM.

[via PhoneRpt]

Today’s OS X Mountain Lion Preview 2 has the build number 12A154q and is only available for download through the Mac App Store by registered developers that have obtained a redemption code from the Mac OS X Development Portal. Apple has posted a list of known issues and bugs for the new platform, as shown on TNW.

Some of the iOS 5 features to be woven into OS X Mountain Lion, include a Messages app similar to iMessage that will replace iChat on the Mac, a Reminders app that syncs with the same app on your iPhone, and a Notifications Center like the one introduced with iOS 5. For more details on what to expect with the new platform, make sure to check out our post titled Meet Apple OS X Mountain Lion.

[via 9to5Mac]

The Verge reports that the source that tipped it that the next Android operating system would be codenamed Jelly Bean has now tipped the codename for the flavor of Android after Jelly Bean. According to the source, the future OS will be called Key Lime Pie. I like that name because it’s the first dessert in a while that is a dessert I would eat.

Considering that we called Ice Cream Sandwich by the acronym ICS, I’m sure KLP will be what it’s called most of the time. Let’s just hope that Google offers up a version of KLP that is more sweet than tart. I can’t even think of other desserts that start with “K,” can you?

[via The Verge]

According to the leaked documents, PlayBook owners should be able to start downloading the PlayBook OS 2.0 update as soon as next Tuesday. The update is expected to finally bring the long promised native email, contacts, and calendar support that the RIM tablet has been lacking.

The update will also bring an improved BlackBerry Bridge functionality as well as the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps that will allow users to run certain Android apps directly on the PlayBook. A deadline was announced late last month calling on developers to prepare the first Android app ports for the PlayBook, to ensure that there would be PlayBook-compatible Android apps ready once the feature gets introduced.

Specifically with bug fixes, the updates resolves a WiFi connection issue that has been occurring when Macs with Lion awake from sleep. Compatibility issues with Microsoft Windows file sharing and printing Microsoft Word documents have also been addressed.

The new languages now supported include Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian. RAW image file support now extends to several new cameras, including the latest Olympus PEN cameras, the Nikon J1 and V1, and the latest Sony Alpha and NEX cameras.

The update is over 700MB in size and is available for download now. For more details on what improvements the update brings, visit the release notes.

[via TUAW]

The Update Alliance is a sham, there should never have been an announcement by Google or anyone else that they’d be pushing for manufacturers and carriers to update to the newest version of Android because while it’s not impossible, it’s foolish to think of it as a reality. There’s this mindset out there right this moment in the developer and early-adopter community that says the newest operating system version is the one you should ideally have on your mobile device. This is absurd.

Apple has a product called the iPhone, and with this single product comes the promise that you’ll always have the most recent iOS experience. Google has a product called the Nexus (Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus) which, to a point, also always promises to have the most recent Android experience. Google’s Android operating system is open source for anyone on earth to use with any device they choose, and everyone from high-end manufacturers to undeniably terrible budget-tablet-making OEMs have taken advantage of this fact.

The myth that the newest operating system should be expected to fit and instantly installed in any legacy device running an older version of it is just as absurd as thinking a brand new car engine should be able to fit inside any car previously made by the same factory. When you purchase a device, it should be clearly stated that the user interface you purchased it with will be all that’s guaranteed until it is old and dead. The only other solution is virtualization, this being a subject for another day.

This update to the small set of handsets that’ll be getting it, namely the Wave I, Wave II, Wave 723, Wave 578, and Wave 575, will bring about not only a better UX and UI framework for your everyday working experience, but big enhancements like multi-application execution and background launching of apps. This update will also be appreciated by carriers galore as it’ll bring possible Ad gateways and Operator billing (which will, for example, allow you to put an app payment on your monthly data bill.)

It’s Sammy Hub that brings this update straight from Samsung’s Turkey Facebook page — this means that although the official nature of the announcement is not as solid as we’d normally hope that it’d be, it can still pretty much be counted upon. Also 2012 in general is long enough a period of time that this announcement is basically true mathematically: chances are there’s no way Bada 2.0 WONT be released inside next year.

[via Samsung Turkey]

These classes are set to start by informing beginners on what Android is all about and how they can start in on the world of app developing. From there they’ll go into the things like battery life, audio playbook, and designing effective navigation systems. You’ll find that the classes (which end up being not much more than well-constructed blog posts when it comes down to it), are right on the edge of excellence, with a lot of potential for future creation on the horizon. As Tim Bray of Google notes, they’ll be starting here and working in additional classes through the coming months.

Starting with Ice Cream Sandwich, the entire platform is brought into one single operating system, not just one for tablets and one for handsets – this makes it much easier to teach and to learn how to use the OS as there is now only one set of codes to know. The Android Developer Relations team is aiming for the moon on this one, with much more development coming inside 2012. Those of you who currently develop for iOS: this might be the best time for you to start in on big green!

Head down to Android Training Orientation to get your design on now!

Versions that will be coming include Windows Embedded Enterprise for things like ATMs and kiosks. This version is set to land a quarter after the desktop version of Win 8. Embedded Standard will be offered in Community Technology Preview form in Q1 2012 and is designed for various devices. General availability is said to be coming three quarters after the PC version.

Windows Embedded Compact is for small footprint devices and will come in H2 2012. It will support ARM and x86 processors. There is no detail offered on Windows Embedded Server right now. Windows Embedded Handheld 7 was killed earlier this year.

[via ZDNet]

RIM has officially confirmed that the update to version 2.0 for the Playbook will not be offered until February 2012. RIM says that it would like to get the OS into the hands of users today, but that it won’t launch the OS until it’s confident it has met the expectations of the developer community and end users. As much as PlayBook owners will hate to hear this, it’s a good thing. If RIM launches the new OS for the tablet and it doesn’t work the PlayBook is dead.

Another big piece of bad news is that RIM announced that it has decided to not include the BBM application with version 2.0 and will push that feature until a later version of the OS. The rumors had pointed to RIM having difficulty integrating multiple user devices into a single BBM account. The bright spot in the announcement is that RIM is ready to provide developers with the gold release of the native SDK for the tablet and a beta of the OS 2.0. This will allow the devs to port their apps to the PlayBook in native form.

Metrics firm StatCounter has announced that Windows 7 has now for the first time overtaken XP in global usage statistics. Right now Windows 7 accounts for 40.21% of the global desktop operating system usage around the globe. Windows XP has slipped to 38.64%. Those metrics are from the month of October. This is the first time since the Windows 7 launch that it has pulled ahead of XP.

Windows 7 sold over 240 million licenses in its first year of sales. According to Gartner 42% of all the computers in the world are going to be running Windows 7 by the end of the year. Microsoft is looking to keep the growth momentum moving and is working on Windows 8 already. The new OS is expected in the middle of 2012 on ARM and Intel machines.

[via WinRumors]

You can see the images hint that the next version will have some new native apps like email, calendar, and contacts. However, one thing that is very interesting and of note on the leaked screens that support for Exchange Active Sync with IMAP, POP, CalDav, and CardDav accounts. What is notable missing in these screen shots is support for Blackberry’s own stuff.

There is no support for Blackberry Exchange Server or Blackberry Internet Server accounts listed. Previously there had been rumors that other RIM smartphones like the Colt would not get BES support because it was too hard to implement. One of the screens does show the icon for the Android App player. I bet that feature will offset the loss of Blackberry services for many.

[via Thisismynext]

The OS leans heavily on cloud services that Alibaba offers and comes from the AliCloud branch of the company. The core functions of the smartphone, called the K-Touch Cloud Smartphone W700, will use the cloud. Those functions include email, storage backup, and a lot more.

The smartphone will be made by Tianyu in China and will have a 3.8-inch screen and use a dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor like most modern Android devices do. The OS will run Android apps and supports HTML 5 and web apps too. There is no word on pricing at this time.

[via Android Community]

The data on most common OS spans the last two weeks ending on March 15. The most common version of Android on the market according to the stats is 2.2 with 61.3% of all devices on that version of the OS. The least common is Android 3.0 that is only on tablets right now with 0.2% of the market. The rest of the list includes Android 2.2 at 29%, 1.6 at 4.8%, and 1.5 at 3%.

Android 2.3 has 0.7% of the market and Android 2.3.3 has 1% o the Android market at this time. Android Developers also gives some historical data on OS installations with the data in the second chart spanning September 2010 to March 2011.

[via Android Community]

Windows 7 is still really new on the market having only celebrated its first birthday recently. According to the blog post over the weekend the follow up to Windows 7, being called Windows 8 for now, is under construction.

The OS is about two years away according to the post. We all know that new OS’ from Microsoft have a tendency to be delayed, sometimes for years so don’t hold your breath on that two-year launch window. There have been leaks that suggest the next version of Windows will have an app store like Lion will bring to Mac users.

Google’s Chromoting process is a way for Chrome to provide access to legacy PC applications. Unfortunately the only details we know come in the form of an email sent to a third party, and technical specifications are sparse about the process.

The sender of the email, Google worker Gary Kacmarcik, describes the whole process as being similar to a Remote Desktop Connection in Windows. Presumably, that means that you would be able to load these programs on a Chrome OS netbook by remotely accessing another PC on which they’re already running. However, Kacmarcik didn’t elaborate on specifics of how Chromoting operates, so there’s no way to tell if users will have to access their own machines or, more impressively, a copy of a legacy app running on a virtual machine online in the cloud.

This is in no way official yet, as neither of the company’s have come forward to say anything regarding the situation, but this wouldn’t be the first time an employee’s upkeep of his online resume lead to some pretty interesting things. But, the big question is: what’s Azingo? Well, the company creates their own mobile Operating System, which they’ve called Azingo Mobile. Interestingly enough, it features things like a Webkit-based browser, and even Flash runtime, so it seems that the OS itself may be pretty decent. And, it doesn’t look half bad, either.

But, that’s not really the interesting part. It gets really interesting when you look at the talk that’s been going on for a couple months now. During Motorola’s first quarter earnings call, Sanjay Jha, the company’s co-CEO, said that he has always felt that a proprietary OS would be the right move, and that if his company were in the right place to make that happen, he would look into it. Could this be the start of something very interesting coming down the line for Motorola? Or, will they continue to focus their efforts on Android?

[via Android and Me]

First and foremost, the new OS promises that the system is noticeably quicker on any machine it runs on, especially those that feature SSDs. What’s better though, are the wide range of features that they’ve thrown in: a social networking “Me Menu,” and Ubuntu’s Software Centre 2.0, which provides you an easy access portal for acquiring new software. There’s cloud-based services like Ubuntu One music store, thrown in for good measure.

There’s also Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition, which promotes faster boot speeds (even faster than what you’re already getting), along with a few other optimizations for the smaller form factor. The “Lucid Lynx” is available right now for your downloading pleasure, and one look at the screenshot above, and we can understand why you’d want it, if the features don’t speak for themselves. If you do download it, let us know what you think!

[via Slashdot]

The latest version of Symbian packs in some nice new features that will make it much more popular in the mobile phone arena. Symbian says S^3 will be feature complete by the end of Q1 2010 and offers lots of significant improvements over the previous OS version. Among the new features is support for HDMI out.

The OS also has music store integration in the radio with a buy it now button for easy purchases. Memory management in the new OS is improved with Writable Data Paging and the OS has a new 2D and 3D graphics architecture supporting OpenGL ES. Other features include 4G network support, one-click WLAN connectivity, various usability enhancements, and a new home screen with support for gestures and multiple pages of widgets.

The Symbian OS has been developed for more than ten years and has shipped on more than 330 million dives. The entire source code for the OS is now open source and available to anyone who wants to download it at no charge.

The code can now be used and modified by anyone for any purpose from mobile phones to other types of gear. The move was made to put Symbian in a position for growth and faster time to market. I wonder if we will see the Symbian OS start to pop up on consumer electronic devices like tablets like Android is doing. The use of the software is governed by the Eclipse Public License and other open source licenses.

A new roadmap has tipped up that shows Windows 8 is set to hit in 2012. That would put the OS at a launch date of about three years from the debut of Windows 7. Also, it is interesting to note that according to the slide from the roadmap both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are considered release updates not major releases.

Windows 8 on the other hand is listed as a major release. I wonder if we can assume then that Windows 8 will be all new code wise. The 2012 release date is certainly far from set in store, Microsoft is known to delay software for long periods to get things right. Sometimes things never get right as many saw with Vista.

go4craig was forced to apply the webOS Doctor, which is basically the last-ditch move to return the Pre back to its factory settings. When he rebooted the phone, he found that the device had been automatically updated to webOS 1.2. He quickly began to look for changes, first of which is the ability to add your account (payment information) into the App Catalog, which means that when paid apps debut some time later this month, you’ll be able to have a more streamlined presence within the App Catalog.

Secondly, he found a “select all” feature, within the browser. This leads us to believe that a better copy & paste feature set is on the way, which would be fantastic. There is also a fix for that location situation that had everyone up in a huff, allowing for finer controls regarding how the data is collected, and a way to turn off data usage altogether. There isn’t any official word on when 1.2 will be launched, but considering this leak, it could be any day now.

[via PreCentral]

Microsoft Corporation announced today that starting on October 6th, retail stores across the globe will have Windows Mobile phones on their shelves, all of which will be showcasing the brand new Operating System. Windows is promoting better customer experience as a whole, by delivering an improved, easy-to-use interface, better browsing capabilities, and the ability to access Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone.

“A Windows phone gives people a single phone that works for their whole life, keeping them connected to the people and information they care most about by harnessing the power of the PC, phone and Web,” said Todd Peters, corporate vice president of the Mobile Communications Marketing Group at Microsoft.

Amongst the upgrades lined up for end-users, Microsoft is also proud of the backing they are getting from phone manufacturers and carriers from around the world. On the North American continent, we’ve got AT&T, Bell Mobility, TELUS, Sprint, and Verizon wireless listed as carriers; and HTC Corporation, LG Electronics, HP, Samsung, and Toshiba Corporation pointed for manufacturers. Considering that we’ve been seeing some early builds of the Windows Mobile 6.5 platform via leaked ROM videos, it’s pretty exciting to know that we’ve finally got a date to mark on our calendars. So what about you? Are you going to be an early adopter?

[via Microsoft]

It’s debatable if Apple (and Steve Jobs, incidentally) is admitting or suggesting that Apple is just as capable of receiving malicious content as Microsoft’s Windows, and one that we’re sure will be going on for quite some time. Either way, Apple’s erected the first wall in defending against it, but as it turns out, that wall might be made of sticks, rather than stone. The included scanner can only detect two Trojan horses apparently, and both of them are quite old. “RSPlug.a” was first seen back in October 2007, and “lservice” which first came about in January. The shocking part is that the Snow Leopard anti-virus checker identifies these two Trojans as being brand new. In 2007, “RSPlug.a” made it to the news because it changed a machine’s DSN (Domain Name System) settings, and redirected users to false sites. And lservice made its appearance on pirated copies of iWork ’09, Apple’s suite of productivity software. The first Trojan is old enough that it is hardly ever seen in the wild anymore.

Of course, due to software updates, Apple will be able to update the virus checker whenever they see fit, through their Software Update Service. Apple hasn’t confirmed this to be a possibility, or an option, and there isn’t any word on what this could cost. If it costs something at all, it would be quite the slap in the face to the consumer. Keeping your users safe, especially by a company that strives for usability and user experience, would be paramount to keeping Apple’s squeaky-clean image amongst computer users.

[via TG Daily]

Andy Rubin decidedly disagreed with the <em>USA Today</em> article, and he decided to lay out out for everyone over at Google’s Public Policy Blog. Firstly, he wanted to mention that the “lite” title was only included due to the limitations of the Android Operating System at the time. He went on to say that while the first iterations of Android were not robust enough to take on VoIP applications, it certainly is now, and future upgrades of the OS will only provide wider development tools for the services. Developers are currently able to develop and upload VoIP services. Rubin drilled in the fact that Google did not deny Skype, or any other VoIP services from the Android OS, or the Android Market, and at this point no developer has created a full-featured VoIP product, including Skype. Rubin is actually looking forwar to the day when VoIP can be accessed on any handset on any carrier.

So, while Apple is notorious for denying applications (do they have an app for denying apps?), it looks like Google is trying to do everything they can to make sure every application makes it to their Android Market. So, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Do you prefer closed walls and strict rules? Or would you rather have the possibility to have everything and anything?

[via Engadget]

Video demo after the cut; Update: Plus new live gallery – thanks dt0306!

As you can see in the video, the Click is roughly the same thickness as the Magic, but a little shorter and a little broader.  It also has a smaller LCD touchscreen display, something that wasn’t clear from the standalone leaked images we saw last time, and a 3.5mm headphones socket.

In terms of software, the Click reports that it’s running Android OS Donut, though it’s unclear what changes that implies.  Something conspicuous by its absence is HTC Sense, indicating that the Click is likely to be a “with Google” branded device; it also looks set to hit GSM rather than CDMA carriers, as it flashes up an obvious “no SIM” warning on startup.

Update: New images from Tinh Te forums below.

The figures have been compiled by Net Applications, who highlighted that Linux is still a few points away from taking just 1-percent of the market (at 0.88-percent) together with the fact that this is Apple’s first market-share loss in over a year.  Interest in Windows 7 had climbed through the second half of January, only to slump a little through the following month to end February at around 0.16-percent (though weekend tinkerers push that up to 0.18-percent on Saturdays and Sundays).

Windows Vista climbed from 22.48 to 22.79-percent, while XP and Windows 2000 dropped 0.09 points and 0.04 points respectively to 63.67-percent and 1.33-percent of the market.  Apple, meanwhile, saw their US sales drop by 6-percent in January, a shift that could have pre-empted their falling OS market share.