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Suggested preliminary reading (although the 7″ Kindle Fire has an IPS screen, the 10″ coming in 2012 may have the FFS?): Amazon Tablet PC with E Ink Holdings’ Hydis FFS screen [May 3, 2011]

Updates: Chimei Innolux to Supply Panels to 2nd-Gen. Kindle Fire [Dec 21, 2011]

Chimei Innolux Corp., the largest maker of thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels in Taiwan, recently won Amazon`s order for panels used in its Kindle Fire second-generation tablet PCs.

The company is already a panel supplier to Apple`s iPad 2, and the new order from Kindle Fire would further consolidate Chimei Innolux`s leading position in Taiwan in supplying tablet-use panels.

Industry sources said that tablet-PC panel is one of a few panel models still generating profits now for panel suppliers, so the new order is expected to have positive effects on Chimei Innolux`s operation.

The first-generation Kindle Fire was contract assembled by local Quanta Computer Inc. using panels supplied by Korean company LG Display and Taiwanese maker E Ink Holdings Inc. (formerly known as Prime View International Co., Ltd., who contracted local Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd., or CPT to produce the panels).

Hon Hai Group of Taiwan reportedly won the contract-assembly order for the second-generation Kindle Fire, allowing its affiliate Chimei Innolux to supply the panels.

Data compiled by market research firm iSuppli showed that Chimei Innolux ranked as the world`s No. 3 supplier of tablet-PC panels, trailing only LG Display and Samsung. With the new order from Amazon, Chimei Innolux`s market share is expected to rise further, industry sources said.

– Jeff Bezos Owns the Web in More Ways Than You Think [Wired, Nov 13, 2011]

…

Bezos doesn’t consider the Fire a mere device, preferring to call it a “media service.” While he takes pride in the Fire, he really sees it as an advanced mobile portal to Amazon’s cloud universe. That’s how Amazon has always treated the Kindle: New models simply offer improved ways of buying and reading the content. Replacing the hardware is no more complicated or emotionally involved than changing a flashlight battery.

…

Competing Visions

The Kindle Fire isn’t just a rival to the iPad. It represents an alternate model of computing: It’s Apple’s post-PC vs. Amazon’s post-web.

Apple: Post-PC

Amazon: Post-Web

Device-centric

Cloud-centric

Own the OS

Forget the OS

Specialized apps

Specialized browser

Hardware is king

Content is king

Downloaded media

Streamed media

…

How Amazon Powers the Internet

It began as a way for Amazon’s engineers to work together efficiently. Now Amazon Web Services hosts some of the most popular sites on the web and is responsible for a significant amount of the world’s online traffic. Here’s a look at some of the companies that rely on Amazon’s cloud computing platform.

Customer

What it uses Amazon Web Services for

Foursquare

3 million check-ins a day

Harvard Medical School

Vast database for developing genome-analysis models

NASA Jet Propulsion Lab

Processing of hi-res satellite images to help guide its robots

Netflix

Video streaming service that accounts for 25% of US Internet traffic

Newsweek/The Daily Beast

1 million pageviews every hour

PBS

More than 1 petabyte of streaming video a month

SmugMug

Storage for 70 million photos

US Department of Agriculture

Geographic information system for food-stamp recipients

Virgin Atlantic

Crowdsourced travel review service

Yelp

Data storage for its 22 million-plus reviews

…

Levy: You’ve leveraged Amazon Web Services by making use of it in your new Silk browser. Why?

Bezos: One of the things that makes mobile web browsing slow is the fact that the average website pulls content from 13 different places on the Internet. On a mobile device, even with a good Wi-Fi connection, each round trip is typically 100 milliseconds or more. Some of that can be done in parallel, but you typically have a whole bunch, as many as eight or more round trips that each take 100 milliseconds. That adds up. We’ve broken apart this process. If you can be clever enough to move the computation onto our cloud platform, you get these huge computational resources. Our cloud services are really fast. What takes 100 milliseconds on Wi-Fi takes less than 5 milliseconds on Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud. So by moving some of the computation onto that cloud, we can accelerate a lot of what makes mobile web browsing slow.

Levy: Was it difficult to turn yourself from a retail company into a consumer electronics company?

Bezos: It’s not as different as you might think. A lot of our original approaches and techniques carried over very well. For example, we’ve always focused on reducing the time between order and delivery. In hardware, it’s the same principle. An example is the time between when we take delivery on a processor to when it’s being used in a device by a customer. That’s waste. Why would we own a processor that’s supposed to go into a Kindle Fire that’s not actually in a customer’s hands? That’s inventory management.

Levy: By the way, how many Kindles have you sold?

[Bezos gives a long, loud example of his famous laugh.]

Levy: You don’t even answer!

Bezos: I know you don’t expect me to.

Levy: For years you’ve been touting e-ink as superior to a backlit device for reading. But the Fire is backlit. Why should Kindle users switch?

Bezos: They should buy both. When you’re reading long-form, there’s no comparison. You want the e-ink. But you can’t watch a movie with that. And you can’t play Android games. And so on.

Levy: And you now are selling a new version of the basic Kindle for $79. At this point, why not give it away—offer a deal where if people buy a certain amount of books, they get a free Kindle?

Bezos: It’s an interesting marketing idea, and we should think about it over time. But $79 is low enough that it’s not a big deal for many people.

Levy: Speaking of pricing, I wanted to ask about your decision to include streaming video as part of Amazon Prime. Why not charge separately for that? It’s a completely different service, isn’t it?

Bezos: There are two ways to build a successful company. One is to work very, very hard to convince customers to pay high margins. The other is to work very, very hard to be able to afford to offer customers low margins. They both work. We’re firmly in the second camp. It’s difficult—you have to eliminate defects and be very efficient. But it’s also a point of view. We’d rather have a very large customer base and low margins than a smaller customer base and higher margins.

…

Media Powerhouse

Amazon has stealthily become a major player in the competitive content business, with a major footprint in every medium. Meanwhile, its web services division owns one-fifth of the cloud computing market.

…

– Amazon increases Kindle Fire orders [Nov 10, 2011]

Amazon has recently increased its Kindle Fire orders to more than five million units before the end of 2011 as pre-orders for the machine remain strong, according to sources from upstream component suppliers.

Amazon already raised its order volume once in the middle of the third quarter, up from 3.5 million units originally to four million units.

Since the company estimates that demand for Kindle Fire will become even stronger at the end of 2011, Amazon has further increased its orders. Amazon’s upstream partners including Wintek, Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), LG Display, Ilitek, Quanta Computer, Aces Connectors and Wah Hong Industrial will all benefit from the short-term orders.

UMC Becomes Exclusive Supplier of Kindle Fire’s Processors [Nov 10, 2011]

Benefitting from the launch of Amazon’s tablet PC Kindle Fire, Taiwan-based United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), one of world’s largest semiconductor foundries, has landed orders from Texas Instruments to exclusively supply ARM processors for the devices, becoming part of Amazon’s supply chain.

With some 215,000 Kindle Fire tablets sold in the first week of launch, the device, ranked in the top-10 gifts for Christmas, is regarded the biggest challenger to the Apple iPad. Optimistic about its constantly growing popularity, market researchers have also raised fourth-quarter sales projections for the Kindle Fire to 5 million units.

Hot sales of Kindle Fire bodes well for UMC as the Taiwanese company is to exclusively supply Texas Instruments OMAP4430 through the 45-nano process. The OMAP4430 is a dual-core 1GHz processor based on ARM architecture, and is widely adopted in a variety of smartphones and tablet PCs, including Motorola’s Droid 3 and Droid RAZR, Fujitsu-Toshiba’s Arrows Z, Panasonic’s Lumix and Toshiba’s Regza.

UMC’s business ties with Texas Instruments have increasingly grown recently, reflected in the influx of orders for the new OMAP4 series processors, contrasted against TI’s erstwhile reliance on mainly Korea’s Samsung Electronics for its older OMAP3 series processors.

Industry insiders indicated that UMC’s capacity utilization rate at the 12-inch wafer foundry will improve significantly in the fourth quarter, thanks to TI’s increasing orders.

Amazon.com Management Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript – Q@A – Seeking Alpha [Oct 25, 2011]
HEAVY Amazon investments into the future:

We’re seeing the best growth which we’ve seen since 2000, meaning in 2010 and so far over the past 12 months ending September.

1. And so with this strong growth, we’re investing in a lot of capacity … we had announced 15 new fulfillment centers this year that’s on a basis of 52 from last year. And then we’d likely open one or two more. We are actually going to be opening 17 new fulfillment centers. …

2. We’re investing to support retail growth fulfilled by Amazon growth, fast-growing AWS business, as well as infrastructure to support our retail business.

3. We’re investing in our Kindle and Digital business. … if you take a look at our Kindle business, for example, we’ve launched 4 new products at the end of September, and we’re very, very excited about those products. They’re at great prices, and they are certainly premium products. And so we’re very excited about those. And we think about the economics of the Kindle business, we think about the totality. We think of the lifetime value of those devices. So we’re not just thinking about the economics of the device and the accessories. We’re thinking about the content. We are selling quite a bit of Special Offers devices which includes ads. We’re thinking about the advertisement and those Special Offers and those lifetime values.

Because according to Amazon.com Management Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript [Oct 25, 2011]:

North America segment operating income decreased 23% to $144 million, a 2.4% operating margin. … Consolidated segment operating income decreased 35% to $260 million or 2.4% of revenue down approximately 290 basis points year-over-year. … For Q4 2011 … We anticipate consolidated segment operating income, which excludes stock-based compensation and other operating expense, to be between $0 and $450 million or between 100% decline and 28% decline.

End of Updates

Amazon Kindle Fire Official Presentation [Sept 28, 2011]

Check out the official presentation of the new Amzon Kindle Fire tablet.

Kindle Fire [product site]

…
Fast, Dual-Core Processor [1GHz TI OMAP 4, 512MB RAM]

Kindle Fire features a state-of-the-art dual-core processor for fast, powerful performance. Stream music while browsing the web or read books while downloading videos.
…
Amazon Whispersync

Like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire uses Amazon’s Whispersync technology to automatically sync your library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across your devices. On Kindle Fire, Whispersync extends to video. Start streaming a movie on Kindle Fire, then pick up right where you left off on your TV – avoid the frustration of having to find your spot. Learn more

Free Month of Amazon Prime

Experience the benefits that millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy, including unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows and Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items. Learn more
…
Technical Details

Display 7″ multi-touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and anti-reflective treatment, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi, 16 million colors.

Size (in inches) 7.5″ x 4.7″ x 0.45″ (190 mm x 120 mm x 11.4 mm).

Weight 14.6 ounces (413 grams).

System Requirements None, because it’s wireless and doesn’t require a computer.

On-device Storage 8GB internal. That’s enough for 80 apps, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.

Cloud Storage Free cloud storage for all Amazon content

Battery Life Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as web browsing and downloading content.

Charge Time Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via USB.

Wi-Fi Connectivity Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.1X standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.

USB Port USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)

Audio 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers.

Content Formats Supported Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV, MP4, VP8.

Documentation Quick Start Guide(included in box); Kindle User’s Guide (pre-installed on device)

Warranty and Service 1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Kindle is subject to the terms found here.

Included in the Box Kindle Fire device, U.S. power adapter (supports 100-240V), and Quick Start Guide.

Amazon launches Kindle Fire [The Telegraph, Sept 28, 2011]

Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos shows off the Kindle Fire, a tablet device designed to build on the success of the company’s e-reader and to challenge the dominance of Apple’s iPad.

… Decked out in jeans, white shirt and a jacket, Amazon’s founder and chief executive, Jeff Bezos, told an audience in New York that “this is unbelievable value. What we’re doing is making premium products and offering them at non-premium prices.”

Mr Bezos also claimed that the ability of Amazon to store all the content users download on the internet will prove a key selling point. “All of the content on this device is backed up on the cloud,” said Mr Bezos. “The model where you have to back up your own content is a broken model.”

Live from the Amazon Kindle Fire Launch [Mashable, Sept 28, 2011]

Mashable gets up close with Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet at the official unveiling event in New York City.

The Fire’s interface bears no resemblance to any Android tablet (or phone) on the market. Its home screen looks like a bookshelf, with access to recently accessed content and Apps (books, movies and music) and another shelf to pin favorites or frequently used items. At the top of the screen is search and menu accessto Newsstand (for magazines), books, music, movies, apps and docs.

… There are no ports to connect the Fire to your HDTV, but if you have a device that supports Amazon Prime connected to your TV, you can switch from watching a movie on the Fire to your TV. Whispersync will ensure that the movie starts just where you left off.

… The biggest innovation of all may be Amazon Silk, the company’s home-grown browser that uses the power of Amazon’s own cloud servers to offload Web page building duties. It can even, Amazon promised, prefetch the next page it thinks you’ll view.

Kindle Fire Tablet: The 3 Biggest Disappointments [Sept 29, 2011]

… the Kindle Fire lacks three really important features that a tablet needs to have.

#1. No memory expansion. There are no memory card slots, and no USB host (it has a mini USB port for transferring files). No matter what you are stuck with the 8GB of storage that it comes with. Sure, the Kindle Fire comes with free cloud storage, but that only applies to Amazon’s content.

#2. No HDMI port. I can’t believe the Kindle Fire with it’s access to 100,000 movies and TV shows doesn’t have an HDMI port. Even crappy sub-$150 tablets like the Pandigital Starhave an HDMI out port for connecting to a TV.

#3. The Kindle Fire runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but it is closed off. It’s not like a regular open Android tablet with a customizable homescreen, widgets, Android Market, or any of that. It has Amazon’s customized interface and the Amazon appstore. The Kindle Fire may run Android but it is an Amazon tablet, not an Android tablet (hackers will fix that in about 2 days after its release).

Don’t get me wrong, the Kindle Fire is a good starter tablet for Amazon. It has a lot of nice features, especially the IPS screen and dual-core processor, and will compete with the Nook Color very well, but it certainly isn’t breaking any new ground in the tablet world.

Amazon: The Kindle Fire Will Get Rooted [Sept 28, 2011]

Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet has a great user interface, but many of our readers already want to get rid of it. That’s OK. Amazon isn’t doing anything special to prevent techies from “rooting” and rewriting the software on its powerful yet inexpensive new tablet, Jon Jenkins, director of Amazon’s Silk browser projectsaid.

“It’s going to get rooted, and what you do after you root it is up to you,” Jenkins said.

(Curious about rooting? Check out our Concise Guide to Android Rooting, which explains what the fuss is about.)

Amazon’s Kindle Fire is powered by the cloud [GigaOM, Sept 28, 2011]

The Kindle Fire also taps into Amazon’s cloud infrastructure to offer free cloud storage and backup of all content, so users don’t have to worry about irrevocably deleting something from local storage. And there’s also simple wireless syncing and integration of Amazon’s Whispersync technology in movies and TV shows, so users can keep their places in videos when they switch from one device to another.

…

Amazon has built its own interface layer that hides the Android underpinnings. It’s an approach that Barnes & Noble also undertook with its Nook Color. The interface on the Fire looks great and seems extremely snappy. Users get a search bar at the top and then a selection of books, music, video, docs, apps and the web. There’s a carousel of recently added content and then a shelf for favorites.

…

UPDATE: Here are some more details on the Kindle Fire. It will ship with its own email application that supports IMAP and POP3, but the Fire will rely on third-party apps to provide Exchange support for email. The device will also ship with contacts, shopping and gallery apps but no calendar app. Users will be able to sideload their own content, including photos and videos, with most of the popular formats accepted.

Amazon will go through its Appstore for Android, which has more than 15,000 apps, and filter out those apps that won’t work on the Kindle Fire for users who visit the store from a Kindle Fire. The company is approaching app developers to build new apps and optimize existing titles for the Kindle Fire, but it’s not putting out its own SDK. Instead it will encourage them to use Google’s existing tools. Amazon has started talks with Twitter, Facebook, Pandora and Netflix to optimize apps for Kindle Fire, but it’s too early to say what will happen.

Kindle Fire Live Demo [Sept 28, 2011]

A very detailed 4:39 long demo video with a lot of details.

Introducing Amazon Silk [Amazon Silk blog, Sept 28, 2011]

Today in New York, Amazon introduced Silk, an all-new web browser powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and available exclusively on the just announced Kindle Fire. You might be asking, “A browser? Do we really need another one?” As you’ll see in the video below, Silk isn’t just another browser. We sought from the start to tap into the power and capabilities of the AWS infrastructure to overcome the limitations of typical mobile browsers. Instead of a device-siloed software application, Amazon Silk deploys a split-architecture. All of the browser subsystems are present on your Kindle Fire as well as on the AWS cloud computing platform. Each time you load a web page, Silk makes a dynamic decision about which of these subsystems will run locally and which will execute remotely. In short, Amazon Silk extends the boundaries of the browser, coupling the capabilities and interactivity of your local device with the massive computing power, memory, and network connectivity of our cloud.

We’ll have a lot more to say about Amazon Silk in the coming weeks and months, so please check back with us often. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AmazonSilk. Finally, if you’re interested in learning more about career opportunities on the Amazon Silk team, please visit our jobs page.

Amazon Silk—Amazon’s Revolutionary Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser [Kindle, Sept 28, 2011]

The web browser on Kindle Fire introduces a radical new paradigm — a “split browser” architecture that accelerates the power of the mobile device hardware by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services Cloud. The result is a faster web browsing experience, and it’s available exclusively on Kindle Fire.

Amazon Silk: Bridging the gap between desktop and mobile web browsers [ExtremeTech article, Sept 28, 2011]

… Silk is WebKit-based, uses Google’s SDPY HTTP-replacement protocol, supports Flash 10 — and no, despite what it sounds like, Silk is not comparable to Opera Mini.

…

If you’ve used Opera Mini — an existing browser that you can use on almost every phone platform — Amazon Silk certainly sounds similar, but it’s important to note that Silk does not send out images of the content; all of the assets arrive on your Kindle Fire tablet, so you get a full browsing experience. With regards to video content, we are told that Amazon Silk doesn’t transcode content — but presumably the dual-core processor in the Kindle Fire and Flash support is enough to handle most YouTube videos.

By leveraging EC2 and S3, Amazon can also do a few other clever things with Silk. For a start, Amazon can cache static files in the cloud — images, CSS, JavaScript — further speeding up page load times on the Kindle Fire. Amazon says that EC2 keep permanent connections open to popular sites like Facebook and Google, too, reducing latency by a few more milliseconds — and if that wasn’t enough, Amazon EC2 will also use predictive algorithms to pre-download the link that it thinks you will click next. Finally, the use of SPDYinstead of HTTP between Kindle Fire and EC2 should result in Silk being much, much faster than comparable Android or iOS browsers.

With regards to privacy, because all of your web requests will go through the cloud, your surfing will effectively be fully anonymous — target websites will see Amazon’s IP addresses, not yours. If you’re worried about Amazonsniffing your data, though, you can turn off “EC2 acceleration” in the browser’s settings.

All in all, then, Amazon Silk will be faster than the competition, it will save everyone (except Amazon) bandwidth costs, and it will even provide a little more security. One important fact is unknown, though: what version of WebKit is Amazon Silk using? Is it closer to desktop versions of Chrome and Safari, or is it like Android 2.3′s stock browser? Has Amazon designed the Kindle Fire to be a first-rate device for HTML5 web apps, or merely a content-consumption machine? We probably won’t find out until we receive a review unit for some real hands-on testing and benchmarks — which will hopefully be in the next few weeks.

Opera: Amazon’s Silk Browser is Flattering, But Five Years Late [Sept 28, 2011]

According to Mahi de Silva, executive vice president for Consumer Mobile at Opera Software ASA, however, the concept of rendering a complex Web page in the cloud and sending an optimized version down to the client is already in several Opera products today. Opera Mini applies compression to most interactions with the Internet while on a mobile device, and Opera Mobile refines this for the Web. Opera’s desktop browseralso has a “turbo mode” that allows the optimization to take place on the desktop, as well.

In all, Opera already does the sort of cloud optimization that Amazon Silk claims to do, deSilva said. OnLive’s Steve Perlman, who runs a cloud gaming service, has also talked about how easy it would be to provide a cloud-based browser, given the fact that it can push an entire remotely-rendered video game down to the client. However, de Silva endorsed the Silk concept.

“It’s very helpful for the consumer because you get a snappier, consistent quality, and also a less expensive experience,” as well as a boon to operators to reduce their own network congestion, de Silva said.

“We’re very flattered that Amazon chose to replicate something that we’ve had in the marketplace for a long time,” de Silva added. “It’s a good reflection of sort of that value proposition of having cloud-based browsing solutions, and also having the ability to switch full featured version – for example, [within Opera] if you want to support full HTML 5 interaction, Javascript, and Flash, you’re in a native browsing mode, but if you don’t encounter a lot of that content, you can be in [an optimized] browsing mode, and you can overlay that to some extent.”

“We’ve been doing this in mobile for five years as a key feature, and with the Opera browser, even longer,” de Silva said.

The performance of Silk is accelerated by the fact that users who need to wait for a browser to connect and download to dozens of Web objects, many of them relying on different domains, Amazon engineers said. The portion of the Amazon Silk browser that lies on the Amazon EC2 infrastructure can quickly negotiate and fetch those objects, connecting to the Web through Amazon’s “fat pipes”. Those who wish can also surf in “off-cloud” mode, somewhat anonymizing the experience.

“I’m sure you’ve had the experience, where you’re on a page, and you’re hanging, and you’re saying, I wish I was on a better network,” said Peter Voshall, a distinguished engineer for Amazon. “We’re on a better network. Our back end has some of the fattest pipes you’ll ever find, and we do all the heavy listing on the back end.”

Still, de Silva said it was doubtful that users will ever see a marked difference in performance between Opera’s implementation and what Amazon offers, based on its infrastructure connections alone. Opera also caches data that’s frequently accessed by many users in a content delivery network (CDN) close by, so that all of Opera’s users don’t have to ping cnn.com to constantly download the logo graphic.

De Silva called Silk a “smart move” for Amazon, one that will provides an always-on, connected experience. Consumers will have to decide for themselves what the effect of Silk will be on their browsing experience, and whether or not it will differentiate it from other manufacturers.

“Over 200 million unique users per month use this,” de Silva said of the Opera cloud browser technology. “Will Amazon ship 200 million devices anytime soon? Probably not.”

Amazon’s Kindle Fire is powered by the cloud [GigaOM, Sept 28, 2011]

The Kindle Fire also taps into Amazon’s cloud infrastructure to offer free cloud storage and backup of all content, so users don’t have to worry about irrevocably deleting something from local storage. And there’s also simple wireless syncing and integration of Amazon’s Whispersync technology in movies and TV shows, so users can keep their places in videos when they switch from one device to another.

…

Amazon has built its own interface layer that hides the Android underpinnings. It’s an approach that Barnes & Noble also undertook with its Nook Color. The interface on the Fire looks great and seems extremely snappy. Users get a search bar at the top and then a selection of books, music, video, docs, apps and the web. There’s a carousel of recently added content and then a shelf for favorites.

…

UPDATE: Here are some more details on the Kindle Fire. It will ship with its own email application that supports IMAP and POP3, but the Fire will rely on third-party apps to provide Exchange support for email. The device will also ship with contacts, shopping and gallery apps but no calendar app. Users will be able to sideload their own content, including photos and videos, with most of the popular formats accepted.

Amazon will go through its Appstore for Android, which has more than 15,000 apps, and filter out those apps that won’t work on the Kindle Fire for users who visit the store from a Kindle Fire. The company is approaching app developers to build new apps and optimize existing titles for the Kindle Fire, but it’s not putting out its own SDK. Instead it will encourage them to use Google’s existing tools. Amazon has started talks with Twitter, Facebook, Pandora and Netflix to optimize apps for Kindle Fire, but it’s too early to say what will happen.

Introducing the All-New Kindle Family: Four New Kindles, Four Amazing Price Points [Amazon press release, Sept 28, 2011]

New latest generation Kindle – world’s bestselling e-reader now lighter, faster, and more affordable than ever – only $79

New “Kindle Touch” with easy-to-use touch screen – only $99

New “Kindle Touch 3G” with free 3G – the top of the line Kindle e-reader – only $149

New “Kindle Fire” – the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon’s new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor – all for only $199

… and Kindle Fire – a new class of Kindle that brings the same ease-of-use and deep integration of content that helped Kindle re-invent reading – to movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps, books, games, and more.

… said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “Kindle Fire brings together all of the things we’ve been working on at Amazon for over 15 years into a single, fully-integrated service for customers. With Kindle Fire, you have instant access to all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, the convenience of Amazon Whispersync, our revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, the speed and power of a state-of-the-art dual-core processor, a vibrant touch display with 16 million colors in high resolution, and a light 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand – all for only $199. We’re offering premium products, and we’re doing it at non-premium prices.”

…

New Class of Kindle–“Kindle Fire”–Only $199

All The Content–Over 18 Million Movies, TV Shows, Songs, Apps, Games, Books, and Magazines

Kindle Fire puts Amazon’s incredible selection of digital content at your fingertips:

Over 100,000 movies and TV shows from Amazon Instant Video, including thousands of new releases and popular TV shows, available to stream or download, purchase or rent – all just one tap away. Amazon Prime Members enjoy instant, unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 11,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost. Kindle Fire comes with one free month of Amazon Prime.

Over 17,000,000 songs from Amazon MP3, including new and bestselling albums from just $7.99 and individual songs from $0.69.

Over 1,000,000 Kindle books, including thousands of bestsellers, children’s books, comic books and cookbooks in rich color.

100 exclusive graphic novels, including Watchmen, the bestselling – and considered by many to be the greatest – graphic novel of all time, which has never before been available in digital format, as well as Batman: Arkham City, Superman: Earth OneGreen Lantern: Secret Originand 96 others from DC Entertainment.

Hundreds of magazines and newspapers – including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Wired, Elle, The New Yorker, Cosmopolitan and Martha Stewart Living – with full-color layouts, photographs, illustrations, built-in video, audio and other interactive features are available from the new Kindle Fire “Newsstand.” Kindle Fire customers will enjoy an exclusive free three-month trial to 17 Condé Nast magazines, including Vanity Fair, GQ and Glamour.

All the most popular Android apps and games, such as Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, Cut the Rope and more. All apps are Amazon-tested on Kindle Fire to ensure quality and Amazon offers a new free paid app every day.

Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser – “Amazon Silk“

The Kindle Fire web browser Amazon Silk introduces a radical new paradigm – a “split browser” architecture that accelerates the power of the mobile device hardware by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services Cloud. The Silk browser software resides both on Kindle Fire and on the massive server fleet that comprises the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). With each page request, Silk dynamically determines a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2 (i.e. which browser sub-components run where) that takes into consideration factors like network conditions, page complexity, and cached content. The result is a faster web browsing experience, and it’s available exclusively on Kindle Fire. Additional technical details are available in the Amazon Silk press release, released today at www.amazon.com/pr. To see a video about Amazon Silk go to www.amazon.com/silk.

Simple and Easy-To-Use

Amazon designed the Kindle Fire user interface from the ground upto make it easier than ever to purchase, manage, and enjoy your digital content. Just like with Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire comes automatically pre-registered to your Amazon.com account so you can immediately start enjoying your digital content purchased from Amazon or shop for new content. All of your digital content is instantly available to enjoy and manage with a simple, consistent experience across all content types.

Free Cloud Storage

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire offers free storage for all your Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. Amazon digital content is automatically backed up for free in the Amazon Cloud’s Worry-Free Archive where it’s available for re-downloading anytime.

Amazon Whispersync Now for Movies & TV Too

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire uses Amazon’s popular Whispersync technology to automatically synchronize your Kindle library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across the widest range of devices and platforms. With the introduction of Kindle Fire, Amazon is expanding this technology to include video. Start streaming a movie on your Kindle Fire, and when you get home, you can resume streaming right where you left off on your TV – avoid the frustration of needing to find your spot.

Easy to Hold in One Hand

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire was designed to disappear so you can lose yourself in the content. Weighing in at just 14.6 ounces, Kindle Fire is small and light enough to hold in just one hand and carry everywhere you go. The lightweight, compact design makes Kindle Fire perfect for web browsing, playing games, reading and shopping on-the-go.

Brilliant Color Touchscreen

Content comes alive in rich color on a 7-inch full color LCD touchscreen that delivers 16 million colors in high resolution and 169 pixels per inch. Kindle Fire uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology – similar technology as used on the iPad, for an extra-wide viewing angle – perfect for sharing your screen with others. In addition, the Kindle Fire display is chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, which means it is incredibly durable and will stand up to accidental bumps and scrapes.

Fast, Powerful Dual-Core Processor

Kindle Fire features a state-of-the-art dual-core processor for fast, powerful performance. Stream music while browsing the web or read books while downloading videos.

Free Month of Amazon Prime

Right out of the box, Kindle Fire users will experience the benefits that millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy – unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of over 11,000 movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video and the convenience of Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items from Amazon.com.

Only $199

The all-new Kindle Fire – with all the content, Amazon’s revolutionary cloud-accelerated browser, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand, brilliant color touchscreen, and a fast and powerful dual core processor – is only $199. Customers in the U.S. can pre-order Kindle Fire starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefireand it ships November 15.

For high resolution images and video of the all-new Kindle family, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle.

Introducing “Amazon Silk”: Amazon’s Revolutionary Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser, Available Exclusively on Kindle Fire [Amazon press release, Sept 28, 2011]

Amazon’s cloud computing infrastructure and eight years of cloud computing expertise come together in new web browser for Kindle Fire—Amazon’s new Kindle for movies, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing

Amazon Silk introduces a radical new paradigm – a “split browser” architecture that accelerates the power of the mobile device hardware by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services cloud (AWS). The Silk browser software resides both on Kindle Fire and on the massive server fleet that comprises the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). With each page request, Silk dynamically determines a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2 (i.e. which browser sub-components run where) that takes into consideration factors like network conditions, page complexity and the location of any cached content. The result is a faster web browsing experience, and it’s available exclusively on Kindle Fire, Amazon’s new Kindle for movies, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing.

“Kindle Fire introduces a revolutionary new web browser called Amazon Silk,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “We refactored and rebuilt the browser software stack and now push pieces of the computation into the AWS cloud. When you use Silk – without thinking about it or doing anything explicit – you’re calling on the raw computational horsepower of Amazon EC2 to accelerate your web browsing.”

Modern websites have become complex. For example, on a recent day, constructing the CNN.com home page required 161 files served from 25 unique domains. This degree of complexity is common. In fact, a typical web page requires 80 files served from 13 different domains. Latency over wireless connections is high – on the order of 100 milliseconds round trip. Serving a web page requires hundreds of such round trips, only some of which can be done in parallel. In aggregate, this adds seconds to page load times.

Conversely, Amazon EC2 is always connected to the backbone of the internet where round-trip latency is 5 milliseconds or less to most web sites rather than the 100 milliseconds seen over wireless connections. In addition, EC2 servers have massive computational power. On EC2, available CPU, storage, and available memory can be orders of magnitudes larger than on mobile devices. Silk uses the power and speed of the EC2 server fleet to retrieve all of the components of a website and deliver them to Kindle Fire in a single, fast stream.

In addition to having more horsepower than a mobile processor, AWS has peering relationships with major internet service providers, and many top sites are hosted on EC2. This means that many web requests will never leave the extended infrastructure of AWS, reducing transit times to only a few milliseconds. Further, while processing and memory constraints lead most mobile browsers to limit the amount of work they attempt at any one time, using EC2 frees Silk from these constraints. If hundreds of files are required to build a web page across dozens of domains, Silk can request all of this content simultaneously with EC2, without overwhelming the mobile device processor or impacting battery life.

Traditional browsers must wait to receive the HTML file in order to begin downloading the other page assets. Silk is different because it learns these page characteristics automatically by aggregating the results of millions of page loads and maintaining this knowledge on EC2. While another browser might still be setting up a connection with the host server, Silk has already pushed content that it knows is associated with the page to the Kindle Fire before the site has even instructed the browser where to find it.

A typical web request begins with resolving the domain names associated with the server and establishing a TCP connection to issue the http request. Establishing TCP connections for each request consumes time and resources that slow down traditional browsers. Silk keeps a persistent connection open to EC2 so that there is always a connection at the ready to start loading the next page. Silk also uses EC2 to maintain a persistent connection to the top sites on the web. This approach reduces latency that would otherwise result from constantly establishing TCP connections. Further, Silk’s split architecture uses a pipelined, multiplexing protocol that can send all the content over a single connection.

Finally, Silk leverages the collaborative filtering techniques and machine learning algorithms Amazon has built over the last 15 years to power features such as “customers who bought this also bought…” As Silk serves up millions of page views every day, it learns more about the individual sites it renders and where users go next. By observing the aggregate traffic patterns on various web sites, it refines its heuristics, allowing for accurate predictions of the next page request. For example, Silk might observe that 85 percent of visitors to a leading news site next click on that site’s top headline. With that knowledge, EC2 and Silk together make intelligent decisions about pre-pushing content to the Kindle Fire. As a result, the next page a Kindle Fire customer is likely to visit will already be available locally in the device cache, enabling instant rendering to the screen.

“Silk”

The name “Silk” is inspired by the idea that a thread of silk is an invisible yet incredibly strong connection between two different things. In the case of Amazon Silk, it’s the connection between the Kindle Fire and Amazon EC2 that creates a better, faster browsing experience. For more information on Amazon Silk, visit www.amazon.com/silk.

Exclusively on Kindle Fire

Silk is available exclusively on Kindle Fire. To pre-order Kindle Fire, visit www.amazon.com/kindlefire.

About Amazon Web Services

Launched in 2006, Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. As one of the world’s most reliable, scalable, and cost-efficient web infrastructures, AWS has changed the way businesses think about technology infrastructure–there are no up-front expenses or long-term commitments, capital expense is turned into variable operating expense, resources can be added or shed as quickly as needed, and engineering resources are freed up from the undifferentiated heavy lifting of running onsite infrastructure – all without sacrificing operational performance, reliability, or security. AWS now offers over 21 different services, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and Amazon SimpleDB. AWS services are used by hundreds of thousands of enterprise, government, and startup customers in more than 190 countries around the world, powering everything from the most popular games on Facebook to NASA’s Mars Rover project to pharmaceutical drug research.

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Amazon increases Kindle Fire orders

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How Amazon Powers the Internet
It began as a way for Amazon’s engineers to work together efficiently. Now Amazon Web Services hosts some of the most popular sites on the web and is responsible for a significant amount of the world’s online traffic. Here’s a look at some of the companies that rely on Amazon’s cloud computing platform.
Customer	What it uses Amazon Web Services for
Foursquare	3 million check-ins a day
Harvard Medical School	Vast database for developing genome-analysis models
NASA Jet Propulsion Lab	Processing of hi-res satellite images to help guide its robots
Netflix	Video streaming service that accounts for 25% of US Internet traffic
Newsweek/The Daily Beast	1 million pageviews every hour
PBS	More than 1 petabyte of streaming video a month
SmugMug	Storage for 70 million photos
US Department of Agriculture	Geographic information system for food-stamp recipients
Virgin Atlantic	Crowdsourced travel review service
Yelp	Data storage for its 22 million-plus reviews

Windows 8 Metro style Apps + initial dev reactions

September 15, 2011 11:28 pm / 8 Comments on Windows 8 Metro style Apps + initial dev reactions

With this style of apps there is a clear platform diagram:
but there is no similar kind of diagram for the structure of the applications themselves, although that structure is absolutely different from the ones we are familiar with in the existing Windows applications of different kind.

First I will present the current confusion in that regard and then SOME answers to that from current MSDN documentation. Some because an equally important part, the contract mechanism is not described in the “answer excerpts” that will follow after the “introductory confusion part”. For the contract mechanism I will include here just this simple paragraph from the Fact Sheet:

Apps are part of a web of apps, not a silo of unrelated apps. Apps can communicate with one another in Windows 8. Rather than switching apps to share information, you stay immersed in your app and share the information to another app right in that context, never losing your place. So if you want to share a photo from a social network app, you just swipe the share charm and share to the app. No burdensome and baroque cut and paste.

Other missing information in brief from the published short guide:

Adding Metro style to your apps
Your apps get a predictable, Metro style UI that’s tailored to the device by using Windows 8 controls. The controls are designed for both touch devices and for mouse and keyboard. By default, your apps convey the Windows personality, which is a familiar user experience that customers understand. Here are the three kinds of controls that you can use.

Standard controls: these include everything you need to display, enter, and manipulate data and content. Control families include view, text, pattern, overlay, media (audio and video), content, collection, and basic.

Collection controls: These help designers to create rich content experiences in consistent, touch-friendly ways. They include built-in support for drag-and-drop operations, and they let you customize display modes by using styling and templates. Examples are the simple list, grid view, grouped grid view, flip view, and semantic zoom.

Intrinsic controls: These are available in the Windows Library for JavaScript (WinJS), and they go beyond the limitations of CSS3 box-type controls, if you need more flexibility in your interface design or you want to integrate your own brand into your customers’ experience.

Creating immersive user interfaces with adaptive layout

Windows 8 gives you creative options for adapting an app experience dynamically to the size of the screen area, changes in orientation, and different display capabilities using CSS3. These features enable you to give your customers a fluid, natural-feeling experience in your Metro style apps. Here are some examples.

Animation: Create smooth, animated experiences and elements with HTML5 and CSS3 that embody the Metro style. Take advantage of a comprehensive set of pre-defined animations that are lively and unique, yet familiar to users.

3-D transformations: Add smooth, fluid visual experiences, such as perspective transforms and flipping elements on and off the screen. In the past, you’d have to create these effects using native code, but now you can create them with HTML5 and CSS3.

Flexible box layout: Create flexible containers that expand proportionally to fill any remaining space in an HTML5 layout. This is great for designers to use to create key components of apps, such as toolbars or navigational elements.

Grid layout: Position and size content elements into cells on a grid structure that you define with fixed, fractional, or automatic units.

Multi-column layout: Mimic newspaper and magazine layouts by creating a single column of HTML5 content in multiple parallel columns with equal width and height.

A typical confusion about Windows 8 Metro style apps:

Re: Windows 8 apps going html5, wtf – part 2 [Sept 15, 2011]

I just watched this BUILD speech by Jensen Harris: http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011/BPS-1004 [although it is the most detailed video “answer”, [1:33:05] long, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BTW]

I must admit that all those concepts regarding the metro touch UI appear to be really thought through. They actually looked at how people hold und use tablets, and the optimization to the “two hands, use thumbs”-method seems quite sensible (the split up touch keyboard was a little odd though … c’mon! … typing with your thumbs?).

Next I browsed the Windows Runtime Reference, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br211377(v=VS.85).aspx(thx to jackbond for the link), and I was relieved to find lots of familiar stuff in there like XAML of course, Dependency Properties, Control Templates etc.

So I’d be willing to change my former “do not want!” attitude to a more excited “Lots of work coming up, but it’ll pay off” one if … well, if all of this was covered by “BUILD – the conference solely for handheld device developers”. As I said before: I might be too stubborn to grasp all this visionary stuff (I guess there’s a reason it’s not me working at the top of win dev ;-), but I simply cannot seeANYof this apply to the desktop environment.

I absolutly disagree for example with Harris’ statement that in the near future we will all unbelievingly remember that there once were screens without touch. I still don’t see me working (yes, Mr Harris, I actuallyWORKwith my Computer rather than spend my whole time looking at beautiful RSS-Feeds, weather forecasts, tweet@rama and stuff like that) here at my desk by pawing my monitor.

And when he showed how to operate Metro UI with a mouse I ultimately thought “Hey, you cannot be serious about that”. So instead of having a context specific pop up menu at the very position of my mouse pointer when I righclick I now get the ususal app bars at the top and bottom of the screen which forces me to move my mouse pointer a much greater distance to achieve the wanted result. This is not “fast and fluid”, but its sheer opposite.

So I’ll try a new evaluation of where this leaves me as a developer. We now have a new UI that (in my opinion) is awesome for handhelds, but doesn’t make any sense on the desktop. We finally(!) have a true replacement for the WIN32-API (“YES!!”) that unfortunatly only works with Metro UI (“D’oh!”). We still have the traditional desktop, but it is clearly labeled as “NOT modern, NOT immersive, NO WinRT” (I still don’t understand why). We have Silverlight that doesn’t run in the Metro UI Browser because its own creator(!) thinks that this plugin only disturbs the indeedily-doodily HTML5 experience.

I stand here scratching my head in disbelief, and I cannot resist the impression that this whole show is about “Heeeyyyy, we developed an AWESOME solution! Wait, it gets better: for a problem that didn’t even exist!”. I think it’s hilarious to read posts like this http://dougseven.com/2011/09/14/i-know-what-youre-thinking-and-youre-wrong/ (thx to jrboddie for the link). So while Mr Sinofsky is still on stage at BUILD trying to sell Metro to the crowd as the next big thing, developers are wiping the sweat off their foreheads in relief to hear people like Doug Seven say “My advice…keep doing what you are doing [with WPF and Silverlight], and invest 20% of your time in learning about Windows 8 and the Metro style app models“. There’s something going very wrong here, and I wonder if anyone at the top of Microsoft does take notice.

Short Answers:

Windows 8 Previewed Today at BUILD [Sept 13, 2011]

Build: More Details On Building Windows 8 Metro Apps [Sept 14, 2011]

Jensen Harris Walks Us Through the Windows 8 UI [only 10 minutes long Channel 9 video, Sept 14, 2011]

A great example: Metro style browsing: one engine, two experiences, no compromises[Sept 14, 2011]

A great number of Metro style app samples

Answers from Metro style app development:

[Roadmap for creating Metro style apps using C#, C++, or Visual Basic]

Touch is an important part of many Metro style app [they are touch first!] using C++, C#, or Visual Basic apps. But the mouse remains a primary means of interacting with these apps on some devices. Learn how to make your apps work with both means of input.
>> Quickstart: Touch input

[Primer for current Windows developers]

With the Windows desktop, the shell is static. Icons can be colorful and pretty, sure, but they really just sit there. A running app is also often surrounded by visual noise that has little to do with the app itself—noise that comes from other apps and from Windows itself. Even an app’s own menus, ribbons, and other command structures often consume a noticeable portion of screen space and can distract the user.

In contrast, Windows Developer Preview is designed to help Metro style apps engage and re-engage the user much more deeply:

Apps typically run full-screen and the Start screen disappears after an app is launched. System UI also appears only as needed in response to specific user interactions. As a result, users are completely immersed in the foreground app by default, and you don’t need to implement a special full-screen mode.

The exception to this is that two apps (and only two) can run side-by-side. One occupies the majority of the screen and the other, a smaller portion to the side. This keeps multi-tasking focused on the user’s most important apps.

For all but its most essential UI, apps can use the app bar and flyouts to reveal secondary operations when needed, in response to specific interactions.

Live tileshelp apps dynamically display their most important content on the Start page, providing users with essential info at a glance. This way, users don’t have to open the full app to engage with it.

Users can create content tiles [secondary tiles] that link directly into specific parts of an app. This makes the interaction with an app both highly efficient and meaningful, in contrast to the user wasting their time simply navigating the app structure.

Apps can use notifications to surface events to the Start page in a way that feels natural to Windows. Such consistency increases the likelihood that a user will take notice of the event and re-engage with the app.

In addition to having two side-by-side apps, Windows Developer Preview introduces a new means of multitasking— apps can now work together to perform common tasks such as searching, sharing, and managing contacts:

Instead of having the user switch between apps, as in the classic Windows shell, portions of other apps that help fulfill a task, like sharing, appear directly in the foreground app.

In the classic shell users often must switch between apps because the data they want is accessible only within a particular app. In Windows Developer Preview, such apps can act as sources for searchable data, sharing services, contacts, and files. This means that selecting and sharing a picture that’s managed in an online service like Flickr is as easy as picking a file that’s on the local hard drive.

With all this aliveness and active integration, it is also important to optimize battery life and maximize the responsiveness of the foreground app. Here is what’s new:

Windows Developer Preview automatically suspends background apps once those apps have an opportunity to save their state and finish long-running tasks.

Suspended apps remain in memory and can be quickly resumed if the user switches back to them, they’re needed to fulfill a task (like providing search results or a sharing service), or they’ve asked to be awakened in response certain events like a timer or network activity.

If the system needs to free memory, it can unload suspended apps, knowing that the app can reload its saved state when it starts up again to bring the user right back to where they left off.

Selective app features, such as music, voice-over-IP, and data transfer, can continue running in background mode (subject to user approval).

Finally, because many users spend the majority of their computing time in a web browser, with Windows Developer Preview an app can specify itself as the primary handler for certain internet domains. This means that navigating to those domains takes the user to a typically richer app experience rather than a generic browser experience. Developers can also use header markup in web pages to identify a handler app, which improves app discovery both through the browser and through Bing search.

[What are Metro style apps?]

Your Metro style apps engage users with the info they are interested in and the people they care about. Live tilesupdate users at a glance and draw them into your app.

The Start screen is about showing off what apps are great at. App tiles are alive with status and activity updates, encouraging your users to dive into your app. When designing your tile, you need to:

Highlight your brand. Your app tileis a chance to visually define your brand for your users. It should be attractive and distinct.

Showcase the info and activities your users are most interested in. You want your users to keep returning to your tile, looking for updates, checking in. You want those updates to pull your users back into the app itself. The more thoughtful you are about the kinds of info and activities you showcase, the more likely users are to engage.

For more info on designing and creating an app tile, see Guidelines and checklist for tiles and Guidelines and checklist for notifications.

[Creating and managing tiles, toast, and Windows push notifications]

In the new Windows Developer Preview Start screen, tiles are the primary representation of an app. Users launch their apps through those tiles and tiles can display new, relevant, and tailored content to the user through [tile] notifications. This makes the Start screen feel vibrant and allows the user to see at a glance what’s new in their world.

An app can also communicate time-critical events to the user through toast notificationswhether the user is in another app, in the Start screen, or on the desktop. The methodology to design and deliver toast closely parallels that of tiles, lowering the learning curve.

Tile notifications, toast notifications, and badge updates [or notification badge] can all originate either from a local API call or from the cloud.

Tiles and tile notifications

Tiles represent your app in the Start screen. They are the primary method for the user to launch your app, but can also surface information and notifications directly through tile itself, making it a dynamic representation of your app even when your app is not running. This contributes to making Windows feel alive and connected. An interesting and useful tile can give a user incentive to launch your app and this aspect of your app development should not be slighted.

Tiles are available in two sizes. Which of the two sizes is displayed is entirely controlled by the user.

Square: This tile size can contain application branding—either an application icon or name—as well as potential notification badges. Because a square tile contains only basic information, only one template is available to create them.

Wide: This tile size can contain any of the content of a square tile plus richer, more detailed, and more visually compelling content as well. A broad choice of layout templates is available at this size to allow the additional content. Any app that uses a wide tile must also provide a corresponding square tile because the user can choose to shrink the tile at any time as they personalize their Start screen.

The content of a tile is defined in XML, based on a set of templates provided by Windows. To define a tile’s contents, the developer simply retrieves one of the templates and provides their own text and images.

A tile can contain text and images, depending on the template selected, and can also display a badge and either a logo or short name. The badge is displayed in the lower right cornerand the logo or short name in the lower left. The choice of whether to show the logo or the short name is declared in the app manifest.

Cycling

Up to five update notifications can cycle repeatedly through the tile if the developer declares the tile to have the cycling capability. Notifications can be given a tag to use as a replacement ID. Windows examines the tag on a new notification and replaces any saved notification with the same tag. Notifications cycle until they expire, are pushed out of the queue by newer updates, or are replaced in the queue with an updated version of themselves.

Default tiles

When your app is first installed, it is represented by a default tile. This is a simple, static tile defined in your app manifest; generally just a representation of your logo or brand. This tile is replaced only when you send your first tile notification. It’s a significant concept to grasp that the only time you technically “create” a tile is when you define it in your app manifest. All further changes are tile notifications.

Your tile can revert to the default when there are no notifications to be displayed on the tile; for example, when the user is offline or all tile notifications have expired.

As with any tile, if you supply a wide tile, you must also supply a square tile.

Default tiles are rendered on top of the app color, so if there is any transparency in the default tile image, the app background shows through.

…

Secondary tiles

Secondary tiles provide the ability to create tiles pinned to the Start screen that launch directly to a specific location or subexperience in a parent app. The app decides which content to offer as a pin option, but the user has the final say in whether the secondary tile will be created or deleted. This allows users to personalize their Start screen with the experiences they use the most.

This tile is independent of the main app tile and can receive tile notifications independently. When the secondary tile is activated, an activation context is presented to the parent app so that it can launch in the context of the secondary tile.

…

Toast notifications

A toast notification is a transient message to the user that contains relevant, time-sensitive information and provides quick access the subject of that content in an app. It can appear whether you are in another app, the Start screen, or on the desktop. Toasts are an optional part of the app experience and are intended to be used only when your app is not the active foreground app.

For your app to be able to receive a toast notification, you must declare that it can do so in your app’s manifest file.

A toast notification can contain text and images but secondary actions such as buttons are not supported. Think of toast as similar to a Windows balloon notification arising from the taskbar’s notification area. Like those notifications, a toast appears in the lower-right corner of the screen. When a user taps or clicks on the toast, the associated app is launched in a view related to the notification. It is the only mechanism by which one app can interrupt a user in another app. Toasts can be activated, dismissed, or ignored by the user. The user can also choose to disable all toasts for an app.

A toast notification should only be used for information considered of high interest to the user, typically involving some form of user opt-in, therefore it is a good choice for incoming e-mail alerts, IM chat requests, and breaking news. However, it is extremely important that when you consider using a toast notification, you realize that, due to its transient nature, the user might never see it.

Raising a toast notification is very similar to sending a tile notifications: a developer creates an XML payload based on a provided template and passes that payload to a manager object to display. Toast is visually distinct from a tile but the markup structure is nearly identical.

There are two types of toast notification:

Standard toast: Most developers will use the standard toast. This toast remains on the screen for 7 seconds, playing a brief sound to alert the user when it appears. This toast is best for notifications such as a new e-mail, an IM contact sign-in, or a new social media update.

Long-duration toast: This toast looks the same as a standard toast but stays on the screen for 30 seconds and can play longer, looping audio. This is used in situations where developers want to grab the user’s attention because there is a human waiting on the other end of the connection. This type of toast is appropriate for person-to-person communication like instant messages and VOIP calls.

Scheduled and recurring toast

A toast notification can also be scheduled to appear at a specific time. Use this feature for alarms, calendar reminders and notifications that depend on precise timing. These notifications do not depend on the app’s state or the computer’s network connection.

A scheduled toast notification can also display multiple times within a short period to increase the user’s chance of seeing it. For instance, you might want to show important meeting reminders three times, five minutes apart.

Scheduled toast notifications specify the date and time when Windows should raise that toast notification. In the case of a recurring scheduled toast it is the first time that the OS will display the notification.

…

Badges

A tile can display a notification badgewhich conveys summary or status information concerning and specific to the app. Badges can be displayed on either the square or wide tile. They can be numeric (0-99) or one of a set of Windows-provided glyphs. Examples of information best conveyed through a badge include network connectivity in an online game, user status in a messaging app, number of unread mails in a mail app, or number of new posts in a social media app.

The system provides a set of glyphs for use with a badge. These glyph values are available:

none

activity

alert

available

away

busy

newMessage

paused

playing

unavailable

error

…

[Guidelines and checklist for notifications]

Use what you know about the user to send personalized, tailored notifications to them through the tile. Tile notifications should be relevant to the user. The available information about a user on which this relevance is based is largely internal to the individual appand may be limited by a user’s privacy choices.For example, a television streaming service can show the user updates about their most-watched show or a traffic condition app can use the user’s current location to show the most relevant map.

Send updates to the tile frequently so the user feels that the app is connected and receiving fresh, live content. The cadence of tile notifications will depend on the specific app scenario. For instance, a busy social media app could update every 15 minutes, weather every two hours, news a few times a day, daily offers once a day, and a magazine app monthly. If your app would update less than once a week, consider simply using a square tile with a badge.

Provide fun and engaging tile notifications to help users make an informed decision about when to launch your app. For instance, if you provide a shopping app, tell the user when a sale is going on.

If your app is not connected to cloud updates, use the tile to display local content or recent activity, updated each time the user launches or exits the app. For instance, a photo viewer tile could display photos from a recently added album. A video streaming service could show a static image to represent a video the user recently watched but didn’t finish.

Don’t use relative time stamps or dates (for instance, “two hours ago”) on tile notifications because those can become out of date. Use an absolute date and time (for instance, “11:00 A.M.”).

…

[How to Create the Best User Experience for Your Application [April, 2006]]

Figure 10. Custom toast window with graphics and multiple controls

“Toast” windows (see Figure 10), made famous by instant messaging clients like MSN Messenger, are a great solution for informing the user of something without annoying or disrupting his or her work flow. There is a great article by Bill Wagner on creating Toast windows. It is good policy (and manners) to not disturb any other application’s toasts. Obstruction of such windows can be annoying and unproductive. One solution is to use the ToastSemaphore Mutex provided by the OS to avoid toast collision.

Sometimes you may need to show multiple items by the toast. Popping up 3 or more toasts would not really be advisable. Instead, cycling through each by popping/fading one toast after the other would be better. Microsoft Outlook implements a similar solution when notifying the user of incoming e-mails.

[Guidelines and checklist for notifications]

Toast notifications

Consider that the user might not see the toast. If the information is important, you may want to retain related information on your tile or within your app views.

Notify the user of something personally relevant and time sensitive. Examples include:

new e-mails in a mail app

an incoming VOIP call

a new instant message

a new text message

a calendar appointment or other reminder

notifications that the user has explicitly opted-in for

A running app can hide a toast notification if it is no longer valid, such as an incoming call where the other party has hung up or the user has already answered on another device.

Do not include text telling the user to “click here to…” It is assumed that all toasts have a click/tap action with a result made clear in the context of the notification.

Combine multiple related updates that occur within a short period of time into a single toast. For instance, if you have 3 new e-mails that arrive at the same time, the app or app server should raise a coalesced notification.

Don’tuse toast to notify the user of something that must be seen, such as a critical alert. To ensure the user has seen your message, notify them in the context of your app with a flyout, dialog, app bar or other inline element.

Don’t use toast to notify the user of transient failures or network events, such as a dropped connection.

Don’t notify the user of something they didn’t ask to be notified about. For instance, don’t assume that all users want to be notified each time one of their contacts appears online.

Don’t use toast for anything with a high volume of notifications, such as stock price information.

Don’t notify the user of something that is not user-initiated, peer-to-peer, or explicitly enabled by the user.

Don’t use toast notifications for non-real time information, such as a picture of the day.

Don’t use toast to notify the user of routine maintenance happenings, such as the completion of an anti-virus scan.

Don’t raise a toast when your application is in the foreground. Use PushNotificationReceivedEventHandler to intercept push notifications when your application is running.

[Working with templates]

…

A badge is used to provide status on a tile, such as the number of new e-mails received or the status of a network connection. There are two variations: a number and a glyph. Badges are also defined as an XML document and its elements are defined in the badge schema.

[Guidelines and checklist for tiles]

Tile designers should attempt to create an appealing tile for their app that presents new, tailored, and engaging content that the user will want to check in the Start screen and that invites them to launch the app.

For a suite of apps, create one tile for each unique app in the suite.

Don’t create multiple tiles that open subexperiences in the same app. There should only be one tile for each unique app. Instead, consider whether secondary tiles [content tiles] would be a better option for those scenarios.

Don’t clutter the user’s Start screen with tiles for extras or accessories along with the app’s main tile. Only create multiple tiles when the product is truly a suite and each tile represents a separate core app in that suite.

Don’t create a tile for a configuration or troubleshooting experience within the app. That functionality should be provided to the user through the app’s Setting charm.

…

Don’t use tiles for advertisements.

Avoid the overuse of loud colors in tiles; simple, clean, elegantly designed tiles will be more successful than those that scream for attention.

Don’t use images with text on them; use a template with text fields for any text content needs.

Don’t rely on tiles to send urgent real-time information to the user. For instance, a tile is not the right medium for a news app to communicate an immediate earthquake evacuation message. Toast is a better medium for messages of an urgent nature.

Avoid image content that looks like a hyperlink, button, or other control. Tiles do not support those elements and the entire tile is a single click target.

[Creating and managing secondary tiles]

Secondary tiles [content tiles] enable users to promote interesting content and deep links—a reference to a specific location inside of the pinning app—from Metro style apps onto the Start screen. Secondary tiles enable users to personalize their Start screen experience with playlists, photo albums, friends, and other items important to them.

The option to create a secondary tile is seen most often in UI as the Pin to startoption. To pin content is to create a secondary tile for it. This option is often presented as a glyph on the app bar.

Selecting the secondary tile through a touch or a click launches into the parent app to reveal a focused experience centered on the pinned content or contact.

Only users can create a secondary tile; apps cannot create secondary tiles programmatically.Users also have explicit control over secondary tile removal, either through the Start screen or through the parent app.

Secondary tilesare associated with a single parent app. They are pinned to the Start screen to provide a user with a consistent and efficient way to launch directly into a frequently used area of the parent app. This can be either a general subsection of the parent app that contains frequently updated content or a deep link to a specific area in the app.

Examples of secondary tile scenarios include:

Weather updates for a specific city in a weather app

A summary of upcoming events in a calendar app

Status and updates from an important contact in a social app

Specific feeds in an RSS reader

Any frequently changing content that a user wants to monitor is a good candidate for a secondary tile. Once the secondary tile is pinned, users can receive at-a-glance updates through the tile and use it to launch directly into the parent app to reveal a focused experience centered on the pinned content or contact.

…

[Adding a splash screen]

A splash screen is requiredfor all Metro style apps.

.

Your default splash screen displays when users launch your app, providing immediate feedback to users while your app initialized its resources. When your app’s first view is ready for interaction, the splash screen is dismissed. Good use of a splash screen can improve how the user perceives the performance of your application.

You can customize your application’s loading display by specifying the splash screen image and background color, and by using the Splash Screen API to display your splash screen for longer, and/or to notify your app when your splash screen is dismissed.

Extending the length of time that your splash screen is displayed enables your application to complete additional startup tasks and display additional loading information. For example, your app might need to load resources from the network. You would extend your splash screen by retrieving the coordinates of the splash image in order to construct your own splash screen (which is the first view in your app) that mimics the default splash screen, but can also provide the user with additional loading information. Mimicking the default splash screen in this way ensures that your app is in full control of its loading process while also maintaining a clean, consistent, loading experience for users.

If you have entrance animations, detecting when the splash screen is dismissed lets you know when to begin your app’s entrance animations.

[Choosing the right UI surfaces]

You have a number of surfaces you can use in your Metro style app, like the app window, pop-ups, dialogs, and bars. Choosing the right surface at the right time can mean the difference between an app that is a breeze to use or a burden.

The app window, or canvas

The app window, sometimes called the canvas, is the base of your UI. The canvas holds all of your content and controls. Whenever possible, you should integrate your UI elements into this base surface. For example, instead of using a pop-up to display an error, you can smoothly show, hide, or shift the error message on the window with the built-in animations. Presenting your UI inline lets users fully immerse themselves in your app and stay in context.

The app bar

Outside of the app window, the app bar is the primary command interface for your app. Use the app bar to present navigation, commands, and tools to users. The app bar is hidden by default and appears when users swipe a finger from the top or bottom edge of the screen. It covers the content of the app and can be dismissed by the user with an edge swipe, or by interacting with the app.

The charms bar

The charms bar presents a specific and consistent set of buttons to users in every app: search, share, connect, settings, and start. We believe these are core scenarios that every user wants to do in almost every app they use.

SearchUsers can search for content located your app or in another app, and they can search your app’s content from another app.

ShareUsers can share content from your app with people or services.

ConnectUsers can connect to devices and send content, stream media, and print.

SettingsUsers can configure your app to their preferences.

Start Users can go directly to the Start screen.

Context menus

The context menu, sometimes called a popup menu, shows actions that users can perform on text or UI elements in an app. You can use up to five commands on each content menu, like cut, copy, or open with. This limit keeps the context menu uncluttered, easy-to-read, and directly relevant to the text or object that the commands act on.

Don’t use context menus as the primary command interface for an app. That’s what the app bar is for.

Message dialogs

Message dialogs are dialogs that require explicit user interaction. They dim the app window and demand a user response before continuing. Use message dialogs only when you intend to stop the user and to demand response.

In the example above, the app window is dimmed, and the user must tap one of the two buttons to dismiss the dialog. That is, the message in the dialog cannot be ignored.

Flyouts

Flyouts show temporary, dismissable UI related to what the user is currently doing. For example, you can use flyouts to ask the user to confirm an action, to show a drop-down menu from a button the app bar, or to show more details about an item. Flyouts are different from message dialogs in that you should show a flyout only in response to a user tap or click, and you should always dismiss the flyout when the user taps outside of it; you should show a message dialog only when you need to interrupt the user and demand some kind of interaction.

In the example above, the app stays active, and the user can tap the button or tap outside the flyout to dismiss it. That is, the message in the flyout can be ignored.

Toasts

Toasts are notifications that you show to users when your app is in the background. Toasts are great at updating users with information they want to know in real-time, but it’s ok if they miss. Users tap on the toast to switch to your app and learn more.

Errors

Errors within an app can be communicated to the user through three main surfaces. The right surface for an error is chosen by the app developer based on the content and consequences of the error. See also Guidelines and checklist for error messaging.

To show: Use this surface:

A non-critical error specific to an element in the app. Your app cannot fix the problem, but users can.User interaction: Users can continue to interact with the app, system components, and other apps without dismissing the error.

Example: The user enters an invalid string in a text box and then retypes it.
Text inline on the canvas· Text only

· Dismissed by app

· Appears inline near the source of the error

A non-critical error that applies to the whole app. Your app cannot fix the problem, but users can.User interaction: Users can continue to interact with the app, system components, and other apps without dismissing the error.

Example: Mail cannot sync at the moment.
Text at the top of the page· Text only

· Dismissed by app

· Appears at the top of the page

A significant but non-critical error that applies to the whole app and your app can suggest a solution.User interaction: Users can respond to your prompt or continue to interact with the app, system components, and other apps without dismissing the error. Error and warning bar· Text, two buttons

· Dismissed by user

· Appears near the top of the page

A critical error that applies to the whole app and prevents the user from using the app.User interaction: Users cannot continue interacting with the app unless they dismiss the error. Users can still interact with system components and use other apps. Message dialog· Text, 1 to 3 buttons, title (optional)

· Dismissed by user

· Appears centered across the app

Do not use flyouts, toasts, or custom UI surfacesto display errors.

Errors: Inline text

In general, the inline error is the first choice of surface. An inline text error delivers messages in the context of the user’s current actions or the current app page itself. An inline error does not require an explicit user action to dismiss the message. The message goes away automatically when it no longer applies.

Do
Align the message with the control or element that the message relates to.

Lay out the message with ample surround space to increase its focal strength.

The following example shows an inline error message associated with a specific text box.

Don’t
Include actions or commands in the message.

In the following example, an Error and Warning bar would be a better choice.

Errors: Error or warning bar

Use a Error or Warning bar to notify users of important errors and warnings and to encourage the user to take action. Error messages inform users that a problem occurred, explain why it happened, and provide a solution so users can fix the problem. Warning messages alert a user of a condition that might cause a problem in the future.

Do
Position the bar at the top of the screen, encouraging the user to notice and take action.

Color the bar with a color from the app’s palette.

Use the same color and layout for all your error and warning bars.

Don’t
Display bars with different colors or glyphs (such as a shield or exclamation point) based on perceived severity.

Use an ‘X’ glyph to close the bar; instead, use a labeled Close button.

Use an error and warning bar for information-only message.

The message in the example below is purely informational and no action is required. In this case, an inline message at the top of the screen should have been used.

Errors: Message dialogs

Use a message dialog only if a modal message is required, blocking the user from interacting with the app.

Do
Use a message dialog if the user must take action before using the app any further.

The following example is an appropriate use of an error message dialog because users cannot use the app unless they have an active account.

Don’t
Use a dialog if the user can ignore the message.

In the following example, there is nothing about the error that would require you to block users until they address it. An error or warning bar would have been a better choice.

Windows 8: the first 12 hours headlines and reports

September 14, 2011 11:37 am / 9 Comments on Windows 8: the first 12 hours headlines and reports

After A too early assesment of the emerging ‘Windows 8’ dev & UX functionality [June 24, 2011] we came to an as full disclosure as possible by the keynote of the BUILD conference. Here are the very first (12 hours) reactions to that:

Windows 8 debuts at Microsoft Build (live blog) [cnet, with keynote liveblog replay embedded]

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Powering Windows 8 Prototype PCs [PCMag.com]
At the Build conference, in Anaheim, Microsoft demonstrated a number of prototype PCs running its Windows 8 development platform. And if you expected Intel or AMD guts in most of them, you’d be wrong.

Qualcomm Powers Next Generation of Windows 8-Based Prototype PCs Previewed at Microsoft BUILD [Qualcomm press release]

The next generation of Snapdragon processors is a family of all-in-one chipsets with the option for integrated multimode 3G/4G, differing numbers of CPU cores and the ability to support a range of device types.

Shown for the first time, Qualcomm’s Gobi solution provided the 3G/4G LTE connectivity of a Windows 8-based prototype PC. Qualcomm’s Gobi mobile Internet connectivity solution is a pre-certified multi-mode 3G/4G LTE module that makes it easy for OEMs to certify the connectivity of any Windows 8-based PC. By integrating a Gobi-based module into Windows 8-based PCs, Qualcomm will provide a fast, easy-to-use global connectivity solution for an untethered, productive user experience.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon family of mobile processors also delivers dual-band Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth and FM radio connectivity through Qualcomm Atheros’ WCN3660 combo chip. The WCN3660 is an integrated solution optimized to work with a broad range of mobile operating systems and will be the first in a series of 802.11n wireless LAN solutions to fully support Windows 8.
[see also:
– Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs with a new way of easy identification [Aug 4, 2011]
– Next-gen Snapdragon S4 class SoCs — exploiting TSMC’s 28nm process first — coming in December [Aug 9, 2011]
– Mobile Internet (Aug’11) containing a lot of information about Qualcomm’s truly leading edge capabilities in that space]

Hands-on with Windows 8: A PC operating system for the tablet age [ars technica, pre-written with full knowledge already, but published just as the keynote began]

It’s not finished yet, and Microsoft still has plenty of work ahead of it, but one thing is clear: Windows 8 is a genuine, uncompromised tablet operating system.

Liveblog: Microsoft previews Windows Server 8 at BUILD [ars technica, with keynote liveblog replay embedded]

Hands-on with Windows 8: it’s good stuff on the PC, too [ars technica, published (?written?) after the keynote quite probably because the keynote was mostly Metro/tablet oriented]

[summarized opinion in the end of the article:]
Windows 8 is a usable touch-screen tablet operating system, and it certainly has some compelling features when used on that kind of machine. The look of the software is different from what traditional Windows users are used to, but the operating system remains true to its PC roots: you can use it on a tablet, but you won’t need to.

//Build/–Windows 8 Thoughts [the below summarized opininion of a blogger already got 49 votes “for” vs. 1 vote “against” on DZone]

Game on. After going through the Day 1 keynote for the Build event, I should say I’m pretty much convinced that Microsoft has got the equation correct. They corrected the Tablet part of the equation, and got the entire Cloud <-> Tablet stack in place, with proper platforms and a nice set of developer tools. And with out doubt, Windows 8 devices are going to be a definite competitor for iPad/iOS, and Microsoft has officially entered the post PC era.

Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM [engadget]

We highly doubt it’s enjoyable, but at least you (probably) won’t be forced into an upgrade if you don’t want to be.

Microsoft launches Windows 8 developer preview, downloads are live! [engadget]

… everything from “10-inch tablets to laptops to all-in-ones with 27-inch HD screens” will be able to ingest Win8 with ease. That’s a markedly different take than the folks in Cupertino have expressed, with an (admittedly limiting) mobile OS being chosen to run the tablet side of things. Only time will tell which mantra proves more viable, but we’re guessing the both of ’em will find varying levels of success.

Windows 8 for tablets hands-on preview (video) [engadget]

Wrap-up

With the introduction of OS X Lion, Apple gave us a glimpse at what a post-PC operating system might look like, and now Microsoft’s gone and pushed that idea to the limit. If Cupertino’s latest was a tease, than Windows 8 is full frontal. And we have to admit, we like what we see. Sure this may not be the final build, or anywhere near it, but for whatever flaws it may have, the UI being offered in this developer preview is really something special. Time will tell if the “one ecosystem to rule them all” approach will catch on, but for now it’s time to give props where props are due — at least until we can get our hands on a final build.

Windows 8 Store to sell both Metro-style apps and conventional Win32 programs [engadget]

Oh, sure — you’ve already started digging into the upcoming Windows Store (or, at least what it’ll deliver), but Microsoft just revealed a cute little nugget about its future functionality here at Build 2011. In keeping with its mantra of making Windows 8 a one-size-fits-all affair, the Store will be home to both Metro-style apps (useful for tablets and desktops alike) as well as traditional Win32 programs.
…

Microsoft demos NFC-based tap-to-share for Windows 8 devices (updated) [engadget]

There’s not a ton of details on this just yet, but Microsoft confirmed during its Build keynote today that Windows 8 devices equipped with an NFC chip will be able to use a tap-to-share feature to either send content from one device to another, or simply receive content from something like an NFC-equipped card.

Update: NXP Semiconductors has now confirmed that it “worked closely” with Microsoft to develop an NFC driver for Windows 8, and that it’s also supplied the NFC solution used in the Windows 8 tablets given out at Build. According to the company, the NFC support in Windows 8 includes things like device pairing (simply tapping to pair a Bluetooth headset, for example), data sharing, and the ability to transfer control from one device to another (such as during a video call). And that’s all to say nothing of the usual fare like interacting with an NFC-enhanced advertisement, not to mention other applications that will surely follow once it’s actually put into practice. The company’s press release is after the break.
[NXP’s NFC Solution Supports Windows 8]

Microsoft shows Windows 8 on existing Ultrabooks, acts like it’s never seen a thin laptop before [engadget]

Microsoft gives Samsung Windows 8 developer PCs to Build attendees, AT&T throws in 3G service [engadget]

… that PC comes complete with a second-gen Intel Core i5 processor, an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 Samsung Super PLS display, a 64GB SSD, 4GB of RAM, and a dock with a USB, HDMI and Ethernet ports.
[Super PLS (Plane Line Switching): see A Beautiful Display [Anandtech, June 13, 2011] from which the below photo is copied here to explain the improvement of Super PLS over previous S-IPS and I-IPS:
]

NVIDIA opens Windows 8 developer program with support for Kal-El tablets [engadget]

… it’ll embrace not just x86-based PCs, but Tegra-powered tablets as well. Specifically, that means support for its forthcoming quad-core Tegra platform, codenamed Kal-El, along with PCs packing GeForce, Quadro and Tesla cards.
[NVIDIA [press release] Helps Transform the PC With Windows 8 Developer Program]

Windows 8 details: new features, UI enhancements and everything in between [engadget]

Staying true to its roots, the new OS implements the familiar keyboard commands users have become accustomed to over the years — you know, like CMD and Ctrl+F. And as for its update to Internet Explorer, MS has imbued its tenth iteration with the ability to switch between the much-hyped Metro-style UI and plain old desktop view — all according to your whimsy. Of course, Redmond’s instituted other sweeping changes across the platform, and you can check some of the highlights after the break.

All Windows 7 applications will run natively on Windows 8

Security update notifications have been minimized to the lower right of the log-in screen

Refreshed Windows Task Manager suspends apps when they’re not running on-screen

New “Reset and Refresh PC” functions enable simplified system wipe and restore

HyperV virtualization software comes pre-loaded on Windows 8

Multi-monitor support now enables a single background across screens, as well as monitor-specific task bars

Multi-touch support enabled for Internet Explorer 10

Magnifier function enhanced for desktop manipulation

Optional thumb-by-thumb input mode

SkyDrive storage support integrated into all cloud-based apps

Metro-style refresh for Mail, Photos, Calendar and People apps with Windows Live ID

Settings roam allows for preferences to sync across a user’s Windows 8 devices

Continued update support for Windows 8 Developer Preview Beta

Even a Lenovo S10(first-gen Atom + 1GB of RAM) can “run” Windows 8

There’s “no overlays” with Windows 8; Metro-style goodness is baked into the core

Both Metro-style and conventional Win32 apps will be soldin the Windows Store

Windows 8 devices equipped with an NFC chip will be able to use a tap-to-sharefeature to either send content from one device to another, or simply receive content from something like an NFC-equipped card.

Logins will use a photo-based system

Apps will be able to natively connect and understand one another (if written as such)

Built-in antivirus software will ship in Windows 8

There will notbe a different edition of Windows 8 for tablets, and presumably, not for Media Centers either

It’s unclear how many “editions” (Home, Professional, Ultimate, etc.) of Windows 8 there will be

ARM devices will be supported, but not in the developer preview

Windows 8 developer preview: when and where to download (update: right now, here!) [engadget]

… you’ll be able to download a copy of the Windows Developer Preview to your 32- or 64-bit x86 machine (no activation required) from dev.windows.com. Sorry, ARM hopefuls!

Microsoft launches Windows 8 preview [Computerworld, ]
Microsoft will post the first developer preview beta of Windows 8 late on Tuesday, the company announced as it showed off the new OS running on a Samsung tablet.

5,000 Microsoft developers get Samsung preview tablets [Computerworld, ]
Microsoft on Tuesday gave the 5,000 developers attending its BUILD conference preview units of a Samsung tablet running a version of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

Windows 8 on ARM to open up for developer scrutiny [Computerworld, ]
Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 OS running on ARM prototype tablets and other devices will be open for developer scrutiny at the software giant’s Build conference this week.

Microsoft opens Windows 8 preview to all [Computerworld, ]
Taking a different tack than it did three years ago, Microsoft has made a preview of Windows 8 available to anyone who takes the time to download it.

Microsoft leaves Windows 8 questions unanswered [Computerworld, the headline on the homepage of the Computerworld after the day earlier demonstration for journalists and analysts, while the article headline is a more natural one: “Windows 8 steps beyond the desktop”]
On the Windows computer of the future, live tiles will replace icons, touch-based gestures will replace mouse clicks and semantic zooming will replace the arduous traversal through nested menus and folders.

Microsoft leaves Windows 8 questions unanswered, say experts [Computerworld, the same thing reiterated now with quoting analysts to support the Computerworld headline]
Today’s long-awaited look at Windows 8 left analysts almost as perplexed as they were before Microsoft’s top Windows executive walked onto a California stage.

But if Microsoft was hoping to generate excitement about the upgrade, it succeeded, if only because of the fast-paced presentation by Steven Sinofsky, the president of the Windows group.

“It all looks great,” said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, a Kirkland-Wash. research firm that specializes in tracking Microsoft’s moves. “If the goal was to get everyone excited, they did that. I was impressed by what they showed, by what they’ve done, but it’s too much to digest. I think I’ll have to watch the keynote [webcast] two or three more times to get it all.”

During the keynote, Sinofsky and other Microsoft executives spent most of their time showing off what they called the “Metro experience,” a tile-style, full-screen interface borrowed from Windows Phone 7 that’s intended to address the company’s lack of a true touch-based operating system.

“This is interesting for consumers,” added Michael Silver, a Gartner analyst who attended the keynote. “Certainly, Microsoft has to catch up on tablets [with Apple and Google] and get consumers excited about Windows again. I think this was a good effort at trying to do that.”

But for Cherry and Silver, who spend most of their time scrutinizing Windows for corporate clients, not consumers, there were tons of unanswered questions.

“We still don’t know when this will be shipped,” noted Cherry. “And we don’t know how stable Windows 8 is. Remember, these were all demos, and demos are carefully rehearsed.”

Silver echoed Cherry.

“They haven’t made the case yet that enterprises will want this,” said Silver. “I expect that they will have [enterprise-specific features] to show later, but at this point there are still lots of questions that haven’t been answered.”

Tops on his list: Can Microsoft successfully pitch Windows 8 as an upgrade for businessesthat have just recently migrated to its predecessor, Windows 7?

“Microsoft has implied that [Windows 8] would not drive an upgrade cycle,” said Silver, talking about corporations purchasing new computers to replace outdated machines and operating systems. “After all the work on Windows 7 deployment, organizations will think twice before deploying this everywhere,” said Silver. “They’re looking for a little respite, and planning to take a break because of migration fatigue.”

But Cherry was taken with the apparently smooth integration of the two interfaces: Metro and the traditional desktopfamiliar to users for decades.

“It appears that they will coexist well,” said Cherry. “I don’t envision a lot of problems for businesses there, although we’ll have to see how they handle group policies.”

Even so, he was hesitant to applaud Windows 8 until he knows more.

“The story they’re trying to tell — that they’ve re-imagined Windows — is a good story, but when I hear that they’re making major changes, I remember that changes lead to instability.”

Later today, Microsoft will distribute Samsung tabletswith a developer preview of Windows 8 to attendees at the BUILD Windows conference, which Sinofsky kicked off with the two-and-a-half hour presentation.

Microsoft has not said anything about when it will release a Windows 8 beta that will be available to the general public.

Windows 8 BUILD conference – The best reviews

Microsoft is currently previewing Windows 8 at the BUILD conferenceand the web goes crazy. It appears the interest in Windows 8 is even bigger than it was for Window 7. Of course, this is due to the fact that Windows 8 is the biggest overhaul since Windows 95.

I compiled a collection of the best Windows 8 reviews that have been published today. I divided the link list into two sections. The first part covers general reviews, and the second part specific Windows 8 features.

The first blog post is from Steven Sinofsky (President of the Windows Division). Most interesting is that everyone will be able to download the developer’s prelease of Windows 8 later today.

General Windows 8 reviews

Welcome to Windows 8 – The Developer Preview

Microsoft reinvents flagship software — Windows 8 — for PCs and tablets

Windows 8 developer preview UX in pictures

Windows 8 really does change everything, it’s mind-blowing

Windows 8: A Reimagined PC, But What About Businesses?

Hands on: Windows 8 review

Microsoft blows up Windows with Windows 8

Download Windows 8 ISOs Right Now

Windows 8 feature reviews

Windows 8: What’s new on the desktop experience

Windows 8 app store approval policy outlined

Windows 8: Introducing Windows 8′s tablet interface, Metro

Windows 8: classic desktop features

Windows 8 Metro apps and Windows Store

Hands on: Windows 8 input options and pen computing

Windows 8 tablets: How Microsoft can win this time

Hands on: Windows 8 File History backup

Windows 8: A look at Internet Explorer 10

Windows 8 Developer Preview: Samsung 700T Photo Gallery

Windows 8 requires less power than Windows 7

Microsoft unveils Samsung Windows 8 tablet for developers

Windows Live SkyDrive Integration in Windows 8

On the spot responses

Windows 8 Shines at Build Keynote

Microsoft Build: Windows 8 will scale from tablets to PCs to servers

Top 10 Features of Windows 8: Will Microsoft Outshine Apple?

Build 2011: What Is WinRT, and Is Silverlight Dead?

‎Microsoft BUILD Event: Three Top Priorities for Windows 8

Windows 8 and Office 365: Microsoft’s Killer Cloud Combo?

Windows 8 boots ‘faster than monitor’

‎Microsoft Touts Windows 8, “Reimagines” Computing

Microsoft blows up Windows with Windows 8

‎Microsoft Build conference starts with Windows 8 demo, talks on programming apps and hardware platforms

Microsoft’s BUILD Conference Windows 8 Blowout

Sinofsky Spotlights ‘Fast and Fluid’ Windows 8 in Build Keynote

Microsoft Gives BUILD Attendees Copies Of Windows 8

Build 2011: First Glimpse of the Windows 8 App Store

Microsoft shows off new Windows 8 tablets, notebooks and more

Microsoft Demoes Windows 8 Features At BUILD Conference [SCREENSHOTS]

Developers receive Windows 8 tablets; Windows 8 DP build coming

Microsoft BUILD: Windows 8 developer preview now available

BUILD 2011: Windows 8 keynote highlights

Microsoft Build conference 2011: Windows 8 round up

Microsoft launches Windows 8 and details new features at Build 2011

Microsoft Demoes Windows 8 Features At BUILD Conference [SCREENSHOTS]

Microsoft showcases Windows 8 at BUILD

Microsoft’s Build Windows 2011 [Windows 8 info]
The Build Windows Conference has initiated, I would quickly give you a foreword : The Windows 8 OS Showcase seems outstanding in terms of interface. It seems as if your big computer screen is going to have a interface as competitive as Android or iOS.
Windows 8 Build Windows 2011 [Update 2]
Windows 8 Build Windows 2011 [Update 3]

Samsung Windows 8 tablet revealed at Build 2011

Microsoft Previews Windows 8 at BUILD Conference

Windows 8 Details Emerge at Build Conference Demo

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 – New features and screenshots

Tuesday Keynote @ Build Windows 8 [quite good notes]

Keynote started with a video of developers, designers etc. working on Windows 8 giving their favorite features in Win8.

~450 million copies of Win7 sold (1500 non-security product changes seamlessly delivered)

Consumer usage higher than XP

542 million Windows Live sign-ins every month

Lots of change in Windows

Form factors/UI models create new opportunities (touch)

“People who say touch is only for small or lightweight devices are wrong. As soon as you use touch on a tablet, you’re going to want to touch on your desktop & laptop.”

Mobility creates new usage models – e.g. use while reclining on a couch

Apps can’t be silos – “customers want a web of applications”

Apps to interact easily

Services are intrinsic

What is Win8?

Makes Windows 7 even better – everything that runs on Win7 will run on Win8

Reimagines Windows from the chipset (ARM work) through the UI experience

All demos shown today are equally at home on ARM and x86

Performance / Fundamentals

Kernel Memory Usage

Win 7 RTM
540 MB
34 processes

Win 7 SP 1
404 MB
32 processes

Win 8 Dev Preview
281 MB
29 processes

Demos

User Experience (Julie)

Fast and fluid – everything’s animated

Apps are immersive and full screen

Touch first – keyboard/mouse are first-class citizens (“you’re going to want all three”)

Web of apps that work together – “when you get additional apps, the system just gets richer and richer”

Experience this across devices and architectures

Notes from Julie’s demo

Picture password – poke at different places on an image (3 strokes) to login

Tiles on the home screen – each is an app – easily rearranged. Pinch to zoom in/out

On screen keyboard pops up

Swipe from right side to bring up Start screen – swipe up from bottom to get app menus (“app bar”) – relevant system settings (e.g. sound volume/mute) also appear

Select text in a browser – drag from right side to see “charms” – these are exposed by apps. One is “Share” – shows all apps that support the “Share contract”.

Think of sharing as a very semantically rich clipboard.

Target app can implement its own panel for information (e.g. login, tags, etc.) for sharing when it’s the target.

Search

Can search applications, files – apps can also expose a search contract to make it easy for search to find app-specific data.

Inserting a picture

Shows pix on computer

Social networking sites can add content right into picture file picker

Showed settings syncing from one machine to another machine she is logged in on that is an ARM machine.

Metro-style Platform/Tools (Antoine)

Current platform a mixed bag – silo of HTML/Javascript on top of IE, C#/VB on top of .NET & Silverlight, and

Metro apps can be built in any language

Reimagined the Windows APIs – “Windows Runtime” (Windows RT).

1800 objects natively built into Windows – not a layer.

Reflect those in C#/VB.Net/C++/C/JavaScript

Build your UI in XAML or HTML/CSS

Launch Visual Studio 11 Express – new app to build Metro apps.

Pick the language you want – pick the app template you want.

Enable millions of web developers to build these apps for Windows.

Code you write can run either locally or in a browser from a web server – just JavaScript and HTML 5.

New format – App Package – that encapsulates

Use mouse or touch seamlessly – no special code.

Modify button to bring up file picker dialog…

Also allows connecting to Facebook if the app that connects FB photos to the local pictures is there – every app now gets access to FB photos.

Adding support for the “Share” contract is 4 lines of JS

Use Expression Blend to edit not just XAML but HTML/CSS.

Add an App Bar – just a <div> on the HTML page.

Drag button into there to get Metro style where commands are in the app bar

Uses new HTML 5 CSS layout as Grid. Allows for rotation, scaling, etc. Center canvass within the grid.

Expression lets you look at snapped view, docked view, portrait, landscape.

58 lines of code total

Post app to the Windows Store

In VS Store / Upload Package…

Licensing model built into app package format. Allows trials.

Submit to Certification

Part of the promise of the store to Windows users is the apps are safe and high quality.

Processes can be a bit bureaucratic.

Does compliance, security testing, content compliance.

Will give Developers all the technical compliance tools to run themselves.

The Store is a Windows app. Built using HTML/JavaScript

Win32 Apps

Not going to require people to rewrite those to be in the store.

Don’t have to use Win8 licensing model.

Give the Win32 apps a free listing service.

XAML / Silverlight

Using ScottGu sample SilverLight 2 app.

Not a Metro app – input stack doesn’t give touch access.

How to make it a Metro app?

Runtime environments between SL and Win8 are different.

Had to change some using statements, networkin layer.

Reused all the XAML and data binding code – it just came across.

Declare it supports “Search” and add a couple of lines of code.

Also can use same code on the Windows Phone.

“All of your knowledge around Silverlight, XAML just carries across.”

If you write your app in HTML5/CSS/XAML, it will run on x86/x64/ARM. If you want to write native code, we’ll help make it cross-compile to these platforms.

IE 10 is the same rendering engine as for the Metro apps.

Can roam all settings across your Win8 machines – including you app settings if you want.

Hardware Platform (MikeAng)

8 second boot time – win7 pc.

UEFI

New power state called “Connected Standby”

Windows coalesces all the timer and network requests, turns the radio on periodically to satisfy them, then goes back to very low power consumption.

But because app requests are getting satisfied they are up to date as soon as you press “ON”

USB 3 ~4x faster at copying a 1 GB file than USB 2

Can boot Win8 from up to 256 TB drive.

Direct Compute API – can offload compute loads to GPU

Every Metro app has hardware acceleration UI baked in.

Doing work with OEMs on testing sensitivity of touch hardware

Windows reserves only one pixel on each side for the Windows UI, so sensitivity important.

Down to 1024 x 768 for Metro apps. If 1366 x 768, get full Windows UI (side-by-side snap in). Any form factor – about resolution.

Have a sensor fusion API – accelerameter, touch.

NFC – near field communication – business card can have a little antenna built in to send data to Win8.

Integrating device settings (web cam, HP printer, etc.) into Metro UI rather than as a third-party app.

Ultra Books

Full core powered processor in a super-thin and light package.

Some are thinner than legacy connectors – RJ45 and VGA – they are bumps.

These things are mostly battery.

Samsung PC giveaway – to all BUILD attendees

64 GB SSD

4 GB RAM (Steven: “so you can run Visual Studio”)

AT&T 3G included for one year (2GB/mo)

Windows tablet + development platform.

2nd generation core i5

1366×768 display from Samsung – amazing

Refresh your PC without affecting your files

Files and personalization don’t change.

PC settings are restored to default

All Metro apps are kept – others are removed.

Command-line tool to establish base image for this for pros.

Hyper-V in the Windows 8 client

ISOs get mounted as DVD drives.

Multi Mon –

Screen background extends

Task bar customizes to multi-mon – can have identical across two mons or have per-monitor task bar (show only apps running on that monitor)

Ctrl/PgDn to switch Metro start screen between the two monitors – develop on one, test on another.

Keyboard works the same – type “cmd” from Metro Start screen and are in search for CMD.

Cloud Services (ChrisJo)

Windows Live mail Metro client connects both Exchange and Hotmail.

Full power delivered by ActiveSync.

Windows Live Metro calendar app.

Bring together all the Friends through Linked In, Facebook, Windows Live.

Photos

Connected to Facebook, Flickr, local photos.

Written as a Metro app.

SkyDrive – 100 million people.

Every Win8 user, every Win Phone has a SkyDrive.

Also accessible to developers – access the same way as you would use local store.

Wrap

Used college interns to develop sample apps included in dev preview build.

17 teams (2-3 devs per team).

10 weeks.

Developer Preview (not Beta).

Learn more:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b8

MSFT will let everyone download the Developer preview starting tonight.

http://dev.windows.com

X86 (32- and 64-bit)

With Tools + Apps or just Apps

No activation, self-support.

Pre-written with full knowledge already:

Microsoft BUILD: Windows 8, A Pre-Beta Preview [AnandTech single multi-part article]

ZDNet’s whole series (mostly pre-written with full knowledge already):

Windows 8 unveiled
This morning, Microsoft officially took the wraps off of Windows 8, unveiling its radically revised new operating system in front af an audience of software developers. I had a chance to get my hands on the new system (literally) last night. Here’s what you can look forward to.
September 13, 2011 | 9:05am PDT

Microsoft to developers: Metro is your future
Silverlight and .Net are not dead (yet). But Metro is really the future for Windows 8, Microsoft is telling developers on the opening day of Build.
September 13, 2011 | 9:13am PDT

Windows 8 will ship with built-in antivirus protection
In a move that is likely to anger the antivirus industry, Microsoft is adding security features from its Security Essentials program to Windows 8.
September 13, 2011 | 2:36 PM PDT

Nvidia launches Windows 8 developer program
Under Nvidia’s Windows 8 developer program, its quad-core Tegra processor, GeForce GPUs, Quadro and Tesla processors will be included.
September 13, 2011 | 12:00 PM PDT

Windows 8 will run on old Atom CPUs and 1GB RAM
Seems like Microsoft’s taken those bloatware claims to heart and has actually been working hard to minimize the system requirements footprint of the OS.
September 13, 2011 | 10:58 AM PDT

Get the Windows 8 Developer Preview – Today!
Want to check out Windows 8? You’ll be able to tonight!
September 13, 2011 | 10:32 AM PDT

Microsoft’s Windows 8: Here’s what we now know (and don’t)
Microsoft’s Windows 8 developer conference kicks off on September 13. Here’s a cheat sheet of what we now know and don’t going into the four-day confab.
September 13, 2011 | 9:05 AM PDT

Microsoft’s big task: Juggle PC, post-PC eras
Windows 8 is one mammoth hedge on the possibility that PCs won’t be able to evolve well in a land of Android and Apple smartphones and tablets.
September 13, 2011 | 2:35 AM PDT

Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 ‘Apollo’ OS convergence, Tango1 and Tango2, and more
Is Windows and Windows Phone OS going to converge to form one all-encompassing OS? With Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, code name “Apollo,” it may just happen.
September 12, 2011 | 2:21 PM PDT

Five unanswered Windows 8 questions
By the end of the day tomorrow, we’ll know much more about Windows 8. But some questions will remain unanswered, even after a thorough demo. Here are the top five on my list.
September 12, 2011 | 10:00 AM PDT

winrumors whole series (some pre-written with some knowledge already):

[the indicated hours are relative to September 13, 2011 | 12:00pm PDT]

Windows 8 really does change everything, it’s mind-blowing
Microsoft is welcoming around 5,000 developers to its BUILD conference today to unveil the most significant change in the PC space since Windows 95. “It’s a launch,” explains Windows chief Steven Sinofsky. 15 hours ago

Hands on with Windows 8′s new Metro experience
Microsoft unveils Windows 8 to the world today, a reimagined Windows for the next-generation of devices and hardware. The new Start Screen and immersive Metro experience are designed to make experiences in Windows 8 “totally … 15 hours ago

Windows 8 Metro apps and Windows Store
Microsoft’s new application model for Windows 8 comes coupled with a Windows Store for developers and end users. The Windows Store will play a big role in Windows 8 applications going forward. 15 hours ago

Windows 8: classic desktop features
Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system sees a fresh start for the interface as a whole, but what about classic desktop? Don’t fear if you’re a die hard Windows power user. Microsoft has kept the fundamentals … 14 hours ago

Hands on: Windows 8 input options and pen computing
Microsoft has nurtured pen based computing inside Windows for a number of years, but what’s it like in Windows 8? The Windows 8 developer preview build includes the ability to use pen based devices. Microsoft … 14 hours ago

Hands on: Windows 8 File History backup
Microsoft’s backup options are changing in Windows 8. The developer preview of Windows 8 includes a File History feature that was previously known as “History Vault” during the early Milestone builds of Windows 8. File … 14 hours ago

Microsoft to release Windows 8 developer preview ISO bits later today
Microsoft is planning to release an early developer preview copy of Windows 8 today. The Windows 8 Developer Preview will be made available alongside guides, tools, samples, forums, docs and other resources to build on Windows. … 12 hours ago

How fast does Windows 8 really boot? Really fast
Microsoft unveiled its incredible fast boot feature of Windows 8 earlier this month, but how fast does Windows 8 really boot? The answer is super fast. The Samsung Windows 8 developer preview tablet restarts in … 12 hours ago

Microsoft to outline Xbox LIVE Windows 8 support at BUILD
Microsoft’s BUILD session is now live and it reveals an interesting look at Xbox LIVE integration in Windows 8. The software giant currently ships Games for Windows LIVE for Windows 7 PCs which offers a … 11 hours ago

Windows 8 beta and RC on the horizon, updates to developer build
Microsoft’s Windows 8 develop schedule will include one beta and one RC before the RTM and general availability points. Windows chief Steven Sinofsky revealed the schedule in a keynote address on Tuesday. 10 hours ago

Windows To Go: Run Windows 8 from a USB device
Microsoft’s Portable Workspace feature has been renamed to Windows To Go inside Windows 8. The feature allows Windows 8 to boot from a USB device. First discovered in leaked builds, Microsoft looks set to detail … 9 hours ago

Windows 8 Xbox LIVE UI is identical to the new Xbox dashboard [pic]
Microsoft’s new Xbox LIVE integration in Windows 8 is identical to the company’s Xbox dashboard. Larry Hryb (Major Nelson) revealed the interface in a blog post on Tuesday. Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE support in Windows 8 … 8 hours ago

Microsoft captured users fingerprints for Windows 8 touch work
Microsoft’s early research work with Windows 8 saw the company capture a number of consumers fingerprints. The software giant captured fingerprints and handprints to figure out the best interface to suit people’s varied hand size. 7 hours ago

Windows 8 Developer Preview now available to download Microsoft’s Windows 8 Developer Preview is now available to download. The Windows developer center is now live and Windows 8 available to download in the following flavours: Windows Developer Preview English, 64-bit (x64) DOWNLOAD (3.6 GB) … 6 hours ago

WinBeta whole series

Download the Windows 8 Developer Preview
The moment we have all been waiting for has come to fruition. Microsoft has just uploaded the Developer Preview build of Windows 8. Check out the download links at the bottom of this post to grab the 32bit or 64bit versions.

Microsoft to be streaming the BUILD conference live
There has been speculation on whether Microsoft will be streaming the BUILD conference live. Fortunately, Microsoft have confirmed the legitimacy of a LIVE stream starting from September 13th at 9AM PDT time.

Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Screenshots
Windows 8 Developer Preview has only been out for a few hours now but we have some screenshots for you that will give you an idea of what to expect, in case you are not planning on trying it out for yourself or your download is taking ages. Either way, we got you covered with some lovely screenshot action!

Microsoft’s Highlights Windows 8’s New Features
During the Build Developer’s Conference today in California, Microsoft showcased Windows 8 and detailed its new features. “We re-imagined Windows. From the chipset to the user experience, Windows 8 brings a new range of capabilities without compromise,” explains Steven Sinofsky. So what are the new features?

Windows 8 Screenshots: Start Screen, Keyboard, and more
We’ve got a few new Windows 8 screenshots for you, directly from the Windows 8 demonstration at the Build developer’s conference. In these screenshots, we get to see the new start screen, the classic desktop, the new onscreen keyboard, and the new Metro-styled applications (mail, calendar, and photo).

Microsoft Reveals the Path to Windows 8 RTM
Microsoft revealed its plans for Windows 8’s release during the Build developer’s conference. We learned that Windows 8 will have only a few more milestones before going final. First we will have a beta, a release candidate, release to manufacturing, and finally, general availability.

Windows 8: Reset PC and Sync Settings
Microsoft is revealing a ton of new information regarding Windows 8. This time, we learn about a feature that will allow you to reset your PC settings and another feature that allows you to sync your settings across all PCs that run Windows 8.

Windows 8: Screenshots of new Task Manager
During the Build Developer’s conference, Microsoft showcased the new task manager in Windows 8. At the demonstration, Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky stated that this new task manager was years in the making.

Silverlight and .Net are not dead, but Metro is the future
During the Build Developer Conference in California, Microsoft revealed that both Silverlight and .Net are not dead. Instead, those two platforms will be utilized to write classic and desktop apps for Windows 8, rather than the new Metro styled apps, which is Windows 8’s primary focus.

Windows 8 Developer Preview available tonight at 8PM PDT
BUILD is live and Microsoft are talking about their new operating system, Windows 8. They have announced many new features and the best bit yet, it will be available today!

The high-end Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) marketing

September 4, 2011 5:57 pm / 4 Comments on The high-end Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) marketing

HTC Unveils HTC TITAN And HTC Radar Smartphones [HTC press release, Sept 1, 2011]

HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today hosted a series of consumer meet-ups in London, Paris, Madrid and Berlin to unveil its new HTC TITAN™ and HTC Radar™ with Windows® Phone smartphones. The HTC TITAN brings your favorite content and multimedia experiences closer than ever with a large 4.7 inch display, HTC’s largest phone screen ever wrapped in an ultra-thin 9.9mm aluminum case. The HTC Radar is designed to keep you close to the people, news and entertainment that matters to you most. Consumers enjoyed exclusive hands-on demos of the new devices and got to try out Microsoft’s next release of Windows Phone, code-named Mango.

“The new HTC TITAN and HTC Radar smartphones raise the bar with new advanced photography, multimedia and social capabilities that enable you to take full advantage of the latest Windows Phone innovations,” said Jason Mackenzie, President of Global Sales and Marketing, HTC Corporation. “With its large, cinematic display, the HTC TITANpacks an amazing amount of power and innovation into a device that is unlike anything you’ve ever held before and the HTC Radar’s aluminum uni-body, compact size and finish will capture people’s attention.”

Picture Perfect
Both HTC TITAN and HTC Radar include a dedicated hardware camera button which enables you to capture vivid images without unlocking the phone while the f/2.2 aperture lens and back-illuminated sensor provide improved low-light performance – making sure you never miss that perfect shot. With 28mm wide-angle lenses you can capture more of the scene in front of you while the new panoramic feature lets you create dramatic pictures of skylines and landscapes. Both devices can shoot bright and vibrant HD (720p) videos, making them perfect companions for family functions or a night out with friends. And with the HTC Photo Enhancer, you can quickly touch up pictures and upload them to Facebook, tagging your friends as you go using automatic face detection built in to Windows Phones.

“Phones were originally designed for communication, but they haven’t kept up with the way consumers are actually communicating today. That’s why we built Windows Phone to put people first, building in all the key types of communication people are already using right out of the box,” said Andy Lees, President of Windows Phone Division. “Both HTC TITAN and HTC Radar bring a sleek, modern design that perfectly complements this people first experience, making sure it’s easy to connect & share with the people you care about most so the message always gets through.”

HTC TITAN
With its large and bright 4.7 inch super LCD screen, an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for live video calling, HTC TITAN combines high performance innovation with a super-slim 9.9mm curved bodymade from a brushed aluminium shell that fits comfortably in your hand and exudes style and quality.

HTC TITAN is also the perfect portable office that enables efficient multitasking like viewing a presentation while you’re on a conference call or listening to music while compiling an email. With its expansive screen with built in Microsoft® Office Mobile, this super smartphone enables you to create, edit and collaborate quickly and easily. Advanced email features like Linked inboxes makes it easy to manage multiple email accounts, synchronize your to-do list and calendars in one place, group contacts to make communication simpler and faster, and even store your latest ideas and notes in the cloud with Microsoft® OneNote®. Typing on the HTC TITAN is quick and easy with the huge virtual keyboardon the responsive 4.7 inch screen.

HTC Radar
[According to non-HTC data it also has super LCD screen] Elegantly crafted with an aluminium unibody, HTC Radar brings you closer to the important things in life, with the new People Hub from Windows Phone. The People Hub keeps you up to date with your friends’ latest news showing all of your communication history with each person, as well as their recent social network updates and photos. You can also stay in touch using SMS, Facebook chat and Windows Live®Messenger in one conversation, without having to switch applications or disrupt the conversation flow. Alternatively, speak “face-to-face” with new video calling that lets you see your friends’ faces on the bright and sharp 3.8 inch screen.

Entertainment on the move
With HTC TITAN and HTC Radar, mobile multimedia is greatly improved. Both phones include HTC Watch™ – an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. Utilizing Virtual 5.1 surround sound for a rich audio experience, these phones are perfect for enjoying the Zune® music service. Internet browsing is fast and smooth with HTML5 support. You also get an amazing mobile gaming with Xbox LIVE®, giving you access to a great selection of games for Windows Phone, which include features like Leaderboards and Achievement that connect you with your friends and the Xbox LIVE community around the world.

Availability
HTC TITAN and HTC Radar will be broadly available from October 2011 globally, beginning in Europe and Asia.

About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile industry. By putting people at the centre of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones and tablets that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

Super LCD, Explained [DISPLAYBLOG, Nov 24, 2010]

Super LCD is manufactured by Sony Mobile Display (SMD).

…

Samsung has chosen to closely guard the Super AMOLED displays being manufactured by Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) and use nearly all of them for its own branded smartphones. The result has been a shortage for other manufacturers like HTC, who has replaced some of its smartphones with Super LCD instead.

Super LCD can be considered a close second to IPS. Although viewing angles are stated as 160/160 Sony is using a more strict rule that requires the contrast ratio at angles to be at least 100:1. Most LCD viewing angle specs are stated with a minimum contrast ratio of 10:1, so the Super LCD most likely has viewing angles that are just as wide as IPS. On the other hand, the threshold pixel format of 800×480 is lower than what is used in the iPhone 4: 960×640, so IPS is already ahead in its ability to pack more pixels into the same amount of space. The 800:1 contrast is equal to the stated contrast of the iPhone 4′s Retina Display, but tests have resulted in contrast of 1000:1 or more.

Infosync:

When it comes to the actual viewing experience, the Super LCD technology should produce an experience worthy of a high-end smartphone. It can’t match Samsung’s new Super AMOLED technology on an isolated technological level, but that’s also the case with the iPhone 4′s IPS LCD screen.

There has been a lot of debate as to which is the best display. Super LCD, IPS, Super AMOLED all have pros and cons but when it comes to color fidelity or accuracy on smartphones using these displays IPS and Super LCD come out ahead. Sunlight readability? LCD technology comes out ahead of OLED, even the super variety. The one area that OLED technology spanks any LCD, including IPS and Super LCD, is in black levels: OLED displays are as black as black can be.

HTC Radar: Reveal[Aug 30, 2011]

The HTC Radar is designed to keep you close to the people, news and entertainment that matter to you most. Loaded with the new People Hub from Windows Phone, the HTC Radar helps keep you up to date with your friends’ latest news- showing all of your communication history with each person, and all recent social network updates and photos. Or just stay in touch using text messaging, Facebook chat and Windows Live® Messenger in one conversation, all without having to switch applications or stop the conversation.

HTC TITAN: Reveal[Aug 30, 2011]

The HTC TITAN is packing the largest screen on an HTC phone—ever. With a large and bright 4.7 inch super LCD screen, an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera (for those live video calls), the HTC TITAN combines high performance innovation with a super-slim 9.9mm curved body made from a brushed aluminum shell that fits comfortably in your hand, bringing your favorite content and multimedia experiences closer than ever.

HTC Radar & HTC TITAN: Learn More[Aug 30, 2011]

The HTC TITAN brings your favorite content and multimedia experiences closer than ever with a large 4.7 inch display, HTC’s largest phone screen ever wrapped in an ultra-thin 9.9mm aluminum case. The HTC Radar is designed to keep you close to the people, news and entertainment that matters to you most, thanks to the brand new People Hub from Windows Phone.

HTC Radar – First Look[Sept 1, 2011]

Introducing HTC Radar, featuring a premium unibody aluminum design, advanced F2.2 camera lens and BSI sensor, People Hub for easier connection with your social network, advanced entertainment capabilities with Xbox Live built in, HTC Watch and Zune, and better web browsing experience with IE9, giving you a phone designed so you never miss a thing in life.

HTC Radar – A design that makes you look good [Sept 1, 2011]

The HTC Radar offers a premium design. Crafted from a single piece of polished metal, the phone just feels great in your hands and is built to last. The HTC Radar is that friend who will always be there for you. It’ll make the right impression on you and everyone around you.

HTC Radar – Perfect photos in any condition [Sept 4, 2011]

The HTC Radar offers a 5 megapixel camera with an F2.2 lens and BSI sensor and gives you an experience beyond what you’d expect from a phone. You’re always active so no matter the circumstance, you’ll always get a high-quality photo to share real-time with your social network.

HTC Radar – One-for-all sharing for active lifestyles[Sept 1, 2011]

The HTC Radar fits seamlessly with your life and keeps you in touch with your social network. With Windows Phone “Threads” you can easily switch between Facebook chat, text, and Windows Live Messenger and never miss a beat with your world. And the “Me” tile keeps you one-step close to Facebook check-ins and your friends’ updates on your wall. Also, People Hub pulls together your contacts and social networks into one place, so you can easily follow them and stay connected.

HTC Radar – Unmissable entertainment[Sept 4, 2011]

The intuitive HTC Radar knows you will be bored at times, too. The phone has amazing entertainment features that ensure your journeys will fly by. With HTC Watch you can enjoy Hollywood blockbusters at your fingertips. The HTC Radar gives you instant access to millions of tunes at your fingertips with Zune. And you’ll always be in the game with Xbox LIVE built in right on your phone!

HTC TITAN – First Look[Sept 4, 2011]

Introducing HTC TITAN, the phone that makes amazing things happen, featuring a huge 4.7 inch screen with an ultra-slim 9.9mm contoured unibody design, superior web browsing, emailing and multitasking, Microsoft® Office built in, 8MP camera, advanced F2.2 camera lens and BSI sensor, People Hub for easier connection with your social network and advanced entertainment capabilities with Xbox Live built in, HTC Watch and Zune.

HTC TITAN – Unlike anything you’ve ever held before[Sept 4, 2011]

No more squinting at small screens for you. With a massive 4.7″ screen and an ultra-slim 9.9mm unibody contoured design, the HTC TITAN feels great in your hand. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever held before.

HTC TITAN – Entertainment that really comes to life[Sept 4, 2011]

Enjoy entertainment that really comes to life on the big screen whenever, wherever. With HTC Watch you can enjoy Hollywood blockbusters at your fingertips. The HTC TITAN gives you instant access to millions of tunes at your fingertips with Zune. And you’ll always be in the game with Xbox LIVE built in right on your phone!

HTC TITAN – No more point and shoot camera for you[Sept 1, 2011]

It takes a lot to capture your special moments. Rather than dragging your point and shoot camera around, the HTC TITAN offers an 8 megapixel camera with F2.2. lens and BSI sensor that gives you a high-resolution photo under any condition. With such pixel-packed photos, you really can feel comfortable leaving your point and shoot at home.

HTC TITAN – A multitasking machine[Sept 1, 2011]

The HTC TITAN is the perfect phone for multitasking and enhancing your efficiency. It simplifies your email by bringing all your accounts and conversation history by each person together in a linked inbox. And the HTC TITAN lets you easily jump between work mode and play mode. Listen to music while working on a document, or check important emails in the middle of a game without restarting the game.

Notes:
– The Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 Mobile Processor used in both models is the current high-end only for Windows Phone 7.5 (see: Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs with a new way of easy identification [Aug 4, 2011])
– Things highlighted in red in the specifications below are either additions to TITAN or differences between TITAN and Radar

HTC TITAN at a glance

Size:131.5mm x 70.7mm x 9.9mm
5.18″ x 2.78″ x 0.39″
Weight:160 grams (5.6 ounces) with battery
Display:4.7-inch touch screen with 480 x 800 resolution
Screen size: 119 mm (4.7″)

CPU Processing Speed
1.5 GHz [new Scorpion CPU with Adreno 205 GPU, 3G HSPA+ and 1024×768/720 – all integrated in the Qualcomm MSM8255 SoC: Snapdragon S2 Mobile Processor]Storage
Total storage: 16 GB
Available storage: up to 12.63 GB
RAM: 512 MBConnectors
– 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
– micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) portSensors
– Gyro Sensor
– G-Sensor
– Digital compass
– Proximity sensor
– Ambient light sensorMultimedia
– See photos from your camera, Facebook and Windows Live™ accounts in the Pictures hub
– Music and Videos Hub powered by Zune lets you listen to radio, download music, and more
– SRS enhancement
– 5.1 surround sound for videoAudio supported formats:
– Playback: .m4a, .m4b, .mp3, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9)

Video supported formats:
– Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .m4v, .mbr, .wmv (Windows Media Video 9 and VC-1)
– Recording: .mp4
(You can only playback a .3gp or .3g2 video if the video is an email attachment or is part of an MMS message.)

Power & Battery
Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery

Capacity: 1600 mAh

Talk time:
– WCDMA: Up to 410 minutes
– GSM: Up to 710 minutes

Standby time:
– WCDMA: Up to 460 hours
– GSM: Up to 360 hours

Network
HSPA/WCDMA:
– Europe/Asia: 850/900/2100 MHzQuad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
– 850/900/1800/1900 MHzPlatform
Windows® Phone OS 7.5Camera
8 megapixel camera with F2.2 lens, dual LED flash, and BSI sensor (for better low-light captures)Front camera:
– 1.3 megapixelfront cameraHD video recording:
– 720p HD video recording

Internet
3G:
– Up to 14.4 Mbps download speed
– Up to 5.76 Mbps upload speed

GPRS:
– Up to 80 kbps downloading

EDGE:
– Up to 236.8 kbps downloading

Wi-Fi®:
– IEEE 802.11 b/g/n

Bluetooth®
– Bluetooth® 2.1
– A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
– PBAP for phonebook access from the car kit
– Other supported profiles: AVRCP, HFP, HSP

Social Networking
– Twitter™, Facebook® and Windows Live™
– Share photos on Facebook® or Windows Live™ SkyDrive®

Location
– Internal GPS antenna
– HTC Locations
– Bing™ Maps

Tethering
– Internet Sharing

Recommended Windows System Requirements
– Windows® 7, Windows Vista®, or Windows® XP
– Zune® software

HTC Radar at a glance

Size: 120.5mm x 61.5mm x 10.9mm
4.74″ x 2.42″ x 0.43″
Weight: 137 grams (4.83 ounces) with battery
Display: 3.8-inch touch screen with 480 x 800 resolution
Screen size: 96.5 mm (3.8″)

CPU Processing Speed
1 GHz [new Scorpion CPU with Adreno 205 GPU, 3G HSPA+ and 1024×768/720 – all integrated in the Qualcomm MSM8255 SoC: Snapdragon S2 Mobile Processor]Storage
Total storage: 8 GB
Available storage: up to 6.54 GB
RAM: 512 MBConnectors
– 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
– micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) portSensors
– G-Sensor
– Proximity sensor
– Ambient light sensorMultimedia
– See photos from your camera, Facebook and Windows Live™ accounts in the Pictures hub
– Music and Videos Hub powered by Zune lets you listen to radio, download music, and more
– SRS enhancement
– 5.1 surround sound for videoAudio supported formats:
– Playback: .m4a, .m4b, .mp3, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9)

Power & Battery
Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery

Capacity: 1520 mAh

Talk time:
– WCDMA: Up to 485 minutes
– GSM: Up to 600 minutes

Standby time:
– WCDMA: Up to 535 hours
– GSM: Up to 480 hours

Network
HSPA/WCDMA:
– Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHzQuad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
– 850/900/1800/1900 MHzPlatform
Windows® Phone OS 7.5Camera
5 megapixel camera with F2.2 lens, LED flash, and BSI sensor (for better low-light captures)Front camera:
– VGAfront cameraHD video recording:
– 720p HD video recording

Internet
3G:
– Up to 14.4 Mbps download speed
– Up to 5.76 Mbps upload speed

GPRS:
– Up to 80 kbps downloading

EDGE:
– Up to 236.8 kbps downloading

Wi-Fi®:
– IEEE 802.11 b/g/n

Bluetooth®
– Bluetooth® 2.1
– A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
– PBAP for phonebook access from the car kit
– Other supported profiles: AVRCP, HFP, HSP

Social Networking
– Twitter™, Facebook® and Windows Live™
– Share photos on Facebook® or Windows Live™ SkyDrive®

Location
– Internal GPS antenna
– HTC Locations
– Bing™ Maps

Tethering
– Internet Sharing

Recommended Windows System Requirements
– Windows® 7, Windows Vista®, or Windows® XP
– Zune® software

HTC unveils their new global lineup of Windows Phones [Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President, Windows Phone Program Management, Microsoft, Sept 1, 2011]

HTC just unveiled two new Windows Phones that will be landing in stores around the world later this year, running our latest version of Windows Phone. A lot of people ask me via Twitter “what phone are you using now”. I’m delighted to say in rotating through various phones and helping our partners finish them with high quality, I’ve spent quite a bit of time carrying one of the prototypes of these HTC phones and it’s terrific. For those of you who haven’t read the press details—here’s a quick recap. HTC introduced the phones in a series of meet up style events in London, Paris, Berlin and Madrid, and they’ll be broadly available from October 2011 globally, beginning in Europe and Asia, with pricing info to come later. In the meantime, let’s dig into what makes these phones awesome.

First up, the HTC TITAN features a big 4.7-inch screen with a slim 9.9mm brushed aluminum shell, and a front facing camera, is a great device for working or for playing. Movies, music and your favorite apps will really come to life on this big screen. Sometimes I hear feedback from some users that “fonts are a little small” on WP7—absolutely not the case on the TITAN! As designers, we love seeing the wide variation of phone sizes so that our customers can find one that’s the perfect fit for them.

The second phone announced today was the HTC Radar. The first thing you notice with this phone is the unique design, crafted with an aluminum unibody shell. The Radar also includes a front facing camera so you can video chat with your favorite people. I am really excited to see phones like the Radar, because it’s a great marriage of beautiful software and great hardware design.

A lot of you have asked us whether Mango will support front facing cameras—and now that these HTC phones have been formally announced, I can confirm officially that Mango does support these. We’ve included support for “switching to FFC” for photo/video shooting into the native camera experience and we’ve added API support to the application platform so ISVs can build all kinds of interesting apps using the FFC. We’ll have more announcements on some of the specific apps that will take advantage of this capability a little later on.

The announcement of these new HTC phones is a big milestone in our march to Mango, with many more exciting things still to come!

Microsoft Says Windows Phone May Exceed Researcher’s Market Share Forecast [Bloomberg, Sept 1, 2011]

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)said its Windows Phone operating system may capture more than 20 percent of the smartphone market over the next two to three years with the help of hardware manufacturers and increased marketing efforts.

Forecasts by researchers Gartner and IDC, which expects a market share of about 20 percent in 2015, are conservative, said Achim Berg, head of Windows Phone marketing, in Berlin today.

Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, is betting that Windows Phone will retake market share lost to Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone and handsets running Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android software. The company will start offering the enhanced “Mango” version of its operating system, with functions including better social-media offerings, for the first time in Europe on two HTC Corp. phones, set to go on sale by Oct. 1.

HTC and other partners will run advertisement campaigns for the Titan and Radar phones, and the company has joined Microsoft in training “hundreds” of salesmen worldwide to better demonstrate the product, Berg said at the IFA consumer electronics fair. Microsoft plans to build on Windows Phone’s initial success with female consumers as well as with young and first-time usersto win market share, he said.

“We’re seeing an extremely positive response” to the Windows Mobile system, HTC’s President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Florian Seiche, said in an interview. “We’re now thinking that this year is a great time to get that momentum accelerated, to reach out to a broader group of customers.”

The Titan, which has an 8-megapixel camera with dual-led flash and a wide-angle lens, will sell for 599 euros ($855), while the Radar costs 399 euros [$570]. HTC is in talks with retailers and operators, Seiche said, adding that the phones will be broadly available in Europe.

…

“This is a completely new platform, it takes time,” said Berg. “It took time with Android, it took time with Apple. We have to show that we’re very capable and that we have the fastest and easiest phone.”

In April, Gartner forecast that the Android operating system will have the largest smartphone market share during the next four years, rising from 23 percent in 2010 to 49 percent in 2015. Apple’s iOS is predicted to grow from 16 percent to 17 percent, while Microsoft’s share will go from 4.2 percent in 2010 to 19.5 percent in 2015. IDC in June predicted that Microsoft may hold a 20.3 percent market share in 2015.

Notes:
– HTC’s most popular Desire S (announced Feb 15 as a follower to award winner 2010 Desire) is ~$US400 (Amazon) with rather similar specifications as Radar
– 3.7″ Super LCD as well as 1GHz Snapdragon™ MSM8255 processor, dual front and back cameras etc.
– So Radar could cost $US100-150 more even at the best retail shop

Gartner Says Android to Command Nearly Half of Worldwide Smartphone Operating System Market by Year-End 2012 [April 7, 2011]

Worldwide smartphone sales will reach 468 million units in 2011, a 57.7 percent increase from 2010, according to Gartner Inc. By the end of 2011, Android will move to become the most popular operating system (OS) worldwide and will build on its strength to account for 49 percent of the smartphone market by 2012 (see Table 1).

Sales of open OS* devices will account for 26 percent of all mobile handset device sales in 2011, and are expected to surpass the 1 billion mark by 2015, when they will account for 47 percent of the total mobile device market.

“By 2015, 67 percent of all open OS devices will have an average selling price of $300 or below, proving that smartphones have been finally truly democratized,” said Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner.

“As vendors delivering Android-based devices continue to fight for market share, price will decrease to further benefit consumers”, Ms. Cozza said. “Android’s position at the high end of the market will remain strong, but its greatest volume opportunity in the longer term will be in the mid- to low-cost smartphones, above all in emerging markets.”

Table 1
Worldwide Mobile Communications Device Open OS Sales to End Users by OS (Thousands of Units)

OS 2010 2011 2012 2015

Symbian 111,577 89,930 32,666 661

Market Share (%) 37.6 19.2 5.2 0.1

Android 67,225 179,873 310,088 539,318

Market Share (%) 22.7 38.5 49.2 48.8

Research In Motion 47,452 62,600 79,335 122,864

Market Share (%) 16 13.4 12.6 11.1

iOS 46,598 90,560 118,848 189,924

Market Share (%) 15.7 19.4 18.9 17.2

Microsoft 12,378 26,346 68,156 215,998

Market Share (%) 4.2 5.6 10.8 19.5

Other Operating Systems 11,417.40 18,392.30 21,383.70 36,133.90

Market Share (%) 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.3

Total Market 296,647 467,701 630,476 1,104,898

Source: Gartner (April 2011)

Gartner predicts that Apple’s iOS will remain the second biggest platform worldwide through 2014 despite its share deceasing slightly after 2011. This reflects Gartner’s underlying assumption that Apple will be interested in maintaining margins rather than pursuing market share by changing its pricing strategy. This will continue to limit adoption in emerging regions. iOS share will peak in 2011, with volume growth well above the market average. This is driven by increased channel reach in key mature markets like the U.S. and Western Europe.

Research In Motion’s share over the forecast period will decline, reflecting the stronger competitive environment in the consumer market, as well as increased competition in the business sector. Gartner has factored in RIM’s migration from BlackBerry OS to QNX which is expected in 2012. Analysts said this transition makes sense because RIM can create a consistent experience going from smartphones to tablets with a single developer community and — given that QNX as a platform brings more advanced features than the classic BlackBerry OS — it can enable more competitive smartphone products.

Gartner predicts that Nokia will push Windows Phone well into the mid-tier of its portfolio by the end of 2012, driving the platform to be the third largest in the worldwide ranking by 2013. Gartner has revised its forecast of Windows Phone’s market share upward, solely by virtue of Microsoft’s alliance with Nokia. Although this is an honorable performance it is considerably less than what Symbian had achieve in the past underlying the upward battle that Nokia has to face.

Gartner analysts said new device types will widen ecosystems. “The growth in sales of media tablets expected in 2011 and future years will widen the ecosystems that open OS communications devices have created. This will, by and large, function more as a driver than an inhibitor for sales of open OS devices,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.

“Consumers who already own an open OS communications device will be drawn to media tablets and more often than not, to media tablets that share the same OS as their smartphone,” Ms. Milanesi said. “This allows consumers to be able to share the same experience across devices as well as apps, settings or game scores. At the same time, tablet users who don’t own a smartphone could be prompted to adopt one to be able to share the experience they have on their tablets.”

Note *: An open OS makes a software developer kit (SDK) available to developers, who can use native application programming interfaces (APIs) to write applications. The OS can be supported by a sole vendor or multiple vendors. It can be, but does not have to be, open source. Examples are BlackBerry OS, iOS, Symbian, Android, Windows Phone, Linux, Limo Foundation, WebOS and bada.

Gartner’s detailed forecast is available in the report “Forecast: Mobile Communications Devices by Open Operating System, Worldwide, 2008-2015.” The report is available on Gartner’s website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1619615.

IDC Forecasts Worldwide Smartphone Market to Grow by Nearly 50% in 2011 [March 29, 2011]

The worldwide smartphone market is expected to grow 49.2% in 2011 as more consumers and enterprise users turn in their feature phones for smartphones with more advanced features. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone vendors will ship more than 450 million smartphones in 2011 compared to the 303.4 million units shipped in 2010. Moreover, the smartphone market will grow more than four times faster than the overall mobile phone market.

“Overall market growth in 2010 was exceptional,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “Last year’s high market growth was due in part to pent-up demand from a challenging 2009, when many buyers held off on mobile phone purchases. The expected market growth for 2011, while still notable, will taper off somewhat from what we saw in 2010.”

To capture the strong consumer demand for smartphones, manufacturers have unleashed a steady stream of new models and features over the past two years. The battle for mind and market share has also resulted in stiff competition among the smartphone operating systems.

“Android is poised to take over as the leading smartphone operating system in 2011 after racing into the number 2 position in 2010,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trendsteam. “For the vendors who made Android the cornerstone of their smartphone strategies, 2010 was the coming-out party. This year will see a coronation party as these same vendors broaden and deepen their portfolios to reach more customers, particularly first-time smartphone users.”

Nokia’s recent announcement to shift from Symbian to Windows Phone will have significant implications for the smartphone market going forward. “Up until the launch of Windows Phone 7 last year, Microsoft has steadily lost market share while other operating systems have brought forth new and appealing experiences,” added Llamas. “The new alliance brings together Nokia’s hardware capabilities and Windows Phone’s differentiated platform. We expect the first devices to launch in 2012. By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android.”

Worldwide Smartphone Operating System 2011 and 2015 Market Share and 2011-2015 CAGR (listed alphabetically)

Operating System 2011 Market Share 2015 Market Share 2011-2015 CAGR

Android 39.5% 45.4% 23.8%

BlackBerry 14.9% 13.7% 17.1%

iOS 15.7% 15.3% 18.8%

Symbian 20.9% 0.2% -65.0%

Windows Phone 7/Windows Mobile 5.5% 20.9% 67.1%

Others 3.5% 4.6% 28.0%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 19.6%

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, March 29, 2011

CEO of Microsoft Germany to become Microsoft Vice President of Mobile Communications [April 14, 2010]

In an interesting move Achim Berg (46), previously CEO of Microsoft Germany, is moving to Redmond to become Corporate Vice President of Mobile Communications Business & Marketing, a newly created position. He will be responsible for all marketing and business development activities for Windows phones worldwideand report to Andy Lees, senior vice President of Mobile Communications.

“Achim Berg will be excellent addition, and brings his excellent management style and his practical sales and marketing experience in the Mobile Communications Business Team (MCB) . His experience at Deutsche Telekom, Fujitsu / Siemens and Dellgives a comprehensive view of our business. Achim will be a major asset to the Leadership Team and will contribute to the Mobility business and MCB to help the team succeed with the important Launch of our Windows 7 Phone, “said Andy Lees.

“The wireless market is essential for Microsoft. Already more smartphones are sold worldwide than PCs. Mobile Internet access has become the standard and is more important than the simple network with other devices. I see a huge opportunity for Microsoft in this innovative market, “said Berg.

Germany has been one of the stronger markets for Windows Mobile, with the Microsoft OS holding a 19.9% market share there, only after Symbian and iPhone and well ahead of RIM’s 5.4%, according to recent Comscore numbers.

Achim Berg, Corporate Vice President, Windows Phone Marketing [Feb 22, 2011]

Achim Berg is corporate vice president of Windows Phone Marketing, responsible for business performance and marketing for Windows Phone software and services.

Berg joined Microsoft in February 2007 as general manager of Microsoft Germany and area vice president Microsoft International. In his capacity as chairman of the Managing Board he was responsible for the operations of Microsoft Corporation in its third-largest subsidiary.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Berg served as a member on the board of directors of Deutsche Telekom T-Com, Europe’s largest telecommunications company, where he was responsible for marketing and sales of the company’s fixed line business since 2002. In addition he was appointed to the supervisory board of T-Mobile and Matav (the largest telecommunication company in Hungary). From 1999 to 2001, Berg held the position of managing director of Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH. Between 1995 and 1999, he performed executive sales roles for the computer manufacturer Dell Deutschland GmbH, most recently as director for midmarket customers. Berg made his first career steps from 1989 to 1994, when he worked in various sales positions for Bull AG in Cologne, Germany.

In Cologne, Berg completed his studies in computer science in 1989. He attended the European Potential Management Program at the European Economic School (EAP). Berg spends his free time with his family and participates in sports such as marathon running, skiing and golfing.

Innovative entertainment class [Android] tablet from VIZIO plus a unified UX for all cloud based CE devices, from TVs to smartphones

August 21, 2011 6:10 pm / 5 Comments on Innovative entertainment class [Android] tablet from VIZIO plus a unified UX for all cloud based CE devices, from TVs to smartphones

Update: Vizio Jumps Into PC Fray [The Wall Street Journal, Jan 7, 2012]

Vizio Inc., which shook up the market with inexpensive high-definition televisions, now wants to become a computer manufacturer.

The Irvine, Calif., company, which ranks as one of the top sellers of televisions in the U.S., plans to show a line of thin laptop computers and all-in-one desktop PCs running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows software next week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Vizio, which also produces Blu-ray players and a tablet, says it worked on its computer designs for two years in attempts to offer an aesthetic that competes with Apple Inc.’s popular products but at a lower price.

Vizio says it spent months, for example, shaving millimeters from its desktop computer so the central processing chip could hide in a sleek base while the screen stands attached to its thin aluminum neck.

“It doesn’t look mechanical or industrial,” said Matthew McRae, Vizio’s technology chief. “The industrial design is something we sweat.”

The closely held company said it is well aware it is entering an already crowded market. Hewlett-Packard Co., Lenovo Group Ltd., Dell Inc., Acer Inc., Toshiba Corp. and Asustek Computer Inc. are among the competitors that have staked out nearly all of the computer market. Most compete for attention from either price-conscious consumers or value-focused corporate customers.

One result has been continually falling prices and ever-tight profit margins. But Vizio said it believes its brand will entice consumers looking for distinctive designs at attractive pricing.

It is not yet specifying price points for its computers, which aren’t expected to go on sale until May. But Mr. McRae said they will cost “substantially less” than comparable products from Apple. He said the company isn’t shooting for the price range of low-end laptops, many of which sell for around $499.

The announcement comes as many other companies are trying to emulate Apple’s ultra-thin MacBook Air—which starts at $999 for an 11-inch screen—with models called ultrabooks that mainly range in price from $899 to $1,400. Vizio isn’t using the ultrabook moniker, but its laptops are also thin and offer screens ranging from 14 inches to 15.6 inches.

Vizio has been able to offer its televisions, accessories and tablets at lower prices by keeping a small staff and restricting itself to a smaller number of products. Vizio also standardizes many parts across its product line, allowing it to buy parts in bulk for cheaper prices.

The company expanded its lineup to include an 8-inch tablet, which uses Google Inc.’s Android mobile operating system. Vizio said its supply of the device—priced at $329, compared with the $499 entry price for Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad—quickly sold out after the debut in August, marking unusual demand in a crowded market where few iPad rivals have done well.

“We underestimated demand,” Mr. McRae said. He declined to disclose sales other than to say the company sold out of its initial inventory in four months and that unit sales are “way over six-figures.”

Mr. McRae said his team is working on software that will help Vizio’s televisions to share content, like movies, with its computers and tablets connected to a home network. That software, which Vizio said it plans to offer for competitors’ laptops and tablets as well, will be part of a larger strategy to tie its line of products together.

A planned update of the software will help different devices interact with one another, Mr. McRae said. A customer watching “Two and a Half Men,” for example, could open a program on his Vizio laptop that would tell him details about the episode, offer other information on the series and even connections to social networks.

Such features could help the company distinguish itself in the crowded PC market, said Tom Mainelli, an analyst at IDC.

“If they’re smart about how they bundle these products together, and make it clear your Vizio PC will talk to your Vizio TV and media tablet, it could be pretty interesting,” he said. “Customers want to share content across these devices.”

VIZIO 8” Tablet with WiFi [Aug 16, 2011]: VTAB1008 Model Features
– 8″ high resolution 1024 x 768 touch screen – VIZIO Internet Apps Plus™ [V.I.A. Plus UI] – 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth® – Front facing camera – HDMI® video output – play video and music on your TV	– Multiple speakers for premium audio in portrait and landscape – Built-in IR blaster with universal remote control app

… Access hundreds of thousands of apps from the Android Market™ to enjoy movies, TV shows, music and more†. … Master your domain with the Tablet’s built-in IR blaster and universal remote control app. This VIZIO-exclusive app enables the Tablet to communicate with your home theater devices‡ and control them all with the Tablet. You can also set up a profile for each room in your house and then control those devices as you move from room to room. The built-in HDMI® port is fully HDCP compliant so you can output HD video to multiple TVs and monitors, making it a breeze to watch HD content on your big screen HDTV**. …
†A wireless connection is required to access content over the Internet including apps and video chat.
‡Applies to most home theater devices which are IR controllable.
**Requires an HDTV with HDMI input.

Vizio Tablet Review [SlashGear, Aug 6, 2011]

The Vizio Tablet is a pleasant surprise. Vizio is known more for affordable TVs and it has entered the tablet market with a similar value-oriented mindset, offering an 8-inch Android slate that delivers a well thought out consumer-centric experience along with unique features that even the most discriminating tablet enthusiasts can appreciate. It has its drawbacks, but if you’re budget-conscious and want to find your first tablet that’s the best bang for the buck, then do read on for our full review.

When it comes to the hardware specs, the Vizio Tablet isn’t going to blow your mind given its cost constraints. But, what’s there has been thoughtfully selected for the least amount of compromise. The 1GHz Marvell Armada 600 Series single-core processor [details about that in Marvell ARMADA beats Qualcomm Snapdragon, NVIDIA Tegra and Samsung/Apple Hummingbird in the SoC market [again] [Sept 23, 2010]], along with 512MB of RAM, offers enough performance power without the battery drain, but we’ll get into the benchmarks and battery life later.
[The latest information on Marvell is in First real chances for Marvell on the tablet and smartphone fronts [Aug 21, 2011]]

…

The VIA Plus interface brings apps to the forefront, with widget windows relegated to its own app called Widget Board. The main interface is split into two sections, one on top of the other. The first section shows all the apps in a particular category. Pressing the arrow button at the top right brings up a dropdown menu for you to select which category to display. You can add/delete categories and add/remove apps from each category. The second section shows all your apps in one place.

And, along the bottom of the screen sits a menu bar that works like a shortcut dock. There’s a total of five shortcuts that can be customized. Below is a quick video demo of the interface.

…

With $2.9 billion revenue last year (see: Kingston, Vizio Drive Minority-Owned Gain [July 24, 2011]) generated by only 196 employees the privately owned VIZIO Inc. is the prime example of a true 21st century consumer electronics company. No wonder why PCs and cloud clients are not parts of Hewlett-Packard’s strategy anymore [Aug 19, 2011].

Now VIZIO is showing an even better example of how to exploit the true commodity character of the recently formed Android ecosystem to expand its current HDTV business into the much wider realm of all cloud based consumer electronics devices. By doing so it is not only passing the big name CE and PC vendors by but also the typical actions of new entrants, what is represented – for example – by Huawei’s IDEOS U8150 smartphone for US$86 in Kenya: 350,000 units sold in 8 months [Aug 17, 2011].

In order to understand that let’s see first a short transcript excerpt from the second video below in order to better focus your attention on the value proposition video coming first:

[0:17] We are Gingerbread right now. We will advance to Honeycomb when we feel that the product is stable enough. [0:22] … [0:47] The other thing we’ve done also [in addition to an attractive price] we’ve done, I mean, Android is not very good at UI stuff. So you notice if you look at the TVs everything here is the same exact UI. We’ve spent a lot of time and effort on customizing the UI to make it really easy for users to navigate through Android. That is another thing when we look at Honeycomb, that they made some UI improvements but it is a lot more cluttered. So we’re doing a lot of work around that on Honeycomb project as well to make the user interface much better. [1:16]

… [4:00] This has a remote controller up on it. A universal remote controller. Not just VIZIO products, all other products … I mean home theater etc. So we have IR blaster here [built into the thin edge of the device], covers like ninety five percent of all CE [consumer electronics] products. … It is an application, a VIZIO application. [4:20] … [4:28] What is great about software based remote control is that when you pair it to your device it will only show you the keys that are for that device. [4:37]

VIZIO Tablet [VIZIO video, Aug 1, 2011]: the value proposition video from the vendor which is extremely well demonstrating not only the VIZIO-specific V.I.A. Plus UI but the whole new user experience

– [0:04] Listen to music – [0:19] Get social – [0:51] Read books – [1:10] View pictures and watch videos – [1:33] VIZIO’s Theater 3D. Leave behind the expensive battery powered glasses, the screen flicker, the darkened picture. – [1:46] Browse the web – [2:28] Control of your entertainment at your fingertips [i.e. the software based remote control] … [Watch at the end how easy is in the V.I.A. Plus user interface to switch over from your tablet to a Theater 3D TV set when viewing a 3D video on YouTube! See also the Theatre 3D related indormation further down in this post.]

Why Android will gain HUGE tablet marketshare later this year [Robert Scoble, June 15, 2011]

[0:17] We are Gingerbread right now. We will advance to Honeycomb when we feel that product is stable enough. [0:22] … [0:47] The other thing we’ve done also [in addition to an attractive price] we’ve done, I mean, Android is not very good at UI stuff. So you notice if you look at the TVs everything here is the same exact UI. We’ve spent a lot of time and effort on customizing the UI to make it really easy for users to navigate through Android. That is another thing when we look at Honeycomb, that they made some UI improvements but it is a lot more cluttered. So we’re doing a lot of work around that on Honeycomb project as well to make the user interface much better. [1:16] … [4:00] This has a remote controller up on it. A universal remote controller. Not just VIZIO products all other products … I mean home theater etc. So we have IR blaster here [built into the thin edge of the device], covers like ninety five percent of all CE [consumer electronics] products. … It is an application, a VIZIO application. [4:20] … [4:28] What is great about software based remote control is that when you pair it to your device it will only show you the keys that are for that device. [4:37]

Why is this huge? Because it doesn’t compete with iPad. At least not head on.

“What is Scoble smoking,” you are probably asking yourself.

Well, see, people who will buy an iPad will buy an iPad and won’t buy anything else. Count me in that group. I don’t care if Larry Page gave me $10,000 I’m not switching off of an iPad. At least not this year.

But, there are a whole range of uses that don’t need an iPad, but need a good tablet.

For instance, let’s say you are outfitting a school with tablets and all you need is a good web browser at a very low cost? Vizio wins here. Apple doesn’t.

Or, say you are a restaurant and need to put a tablet at every table with a menu on it? Vizio wins here. Apple doesn’t.

Or, like we just saw at Oakley’s headquarters, let’s say you are building a custom retail experience where you can order custom sunglasses. Are you going to spend $500 on an iPad when a $350 [$299, see the below press release from VIZIO]one from Vizio will do? No way. Vizio wins. Apple doesn’t.

Get it? This is how Android will take over the marketshare battle in tablets. There are more of these uses than the ones people use iPads for. After all, how many schools need tablets? A whole lot. How many custom retail establishments need tablets? A whole lot. How many manufacturing machines need tablets built into them? A whole lot.

Thanks to this single tablet I can now see how Android is going to get the market share numbers it needs to get developers excited.

But don’t call it an iPad competitor, OK? At least not until there are a ton of great tablet-based apps, which there aren’t today.

VIZIO’s New 8” Tablet Delivers Knock Out Video, Audio and App-based Entertainment at sub-$300 Price Point [VIZIO press release, Aug 8, 2011]

VIZIO’s New 8” Tablet Delivers Knock Out Video, Audio and App-based Entertainment at sub-$300 Price Point

– VIZIO Tablet to shake up the marketplace by offering intuitive tablet experience at a price point that extends availability to the masses

– Unique three-speaker designdelivers stereo audio in both landscape and portrait modes

– Control Your Entire Home Theater with the VIZIO Tablet’s built-in universal remote control app

– Built-in 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth® capabilitiesoffer optimum connectivity with multiple devices

VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV company, announced today the new VIZIO 8” Tablet with WiFi is arriving at retailers nationwide. As part of VIZIO’s continued commitment to deliver great technology at a superior value, the sleek, feature-filled, Android-powered VIZIO Tablet is now available at Sam’s Club, Walmart, Costco, Amazon, and other VIZIO retailers at a breakthrough price of $299.

The VIZIO Tablet features VIZIO Internet Apps® Plus which combines the latest technologies with a unified, easy-to-use and fun user interface across select future VIZIO HDTV’s, Blu-ray® players and other devices — further differentiating the sleek VIZIO Tablet. In addition, the new Tablet is able to control nearly every element of a user’s home theater with a universal remote app and includes a built-in HDMI port with HDCP support for content protected HD playback on the big screen

…

By offering cutting edge technology and exceptional features at a competitive category price, the VIZIO Tablet is ideal for a wide range of users. With support for Adobe® Flash®, casual gamers, movie, TV and music enthusiastsare able to enjoy rich content and applications on the go. It also comes equipped with a unique three-speaker configuration, strategically placed for stereo sound in landscape or portrait mode.

Additionally, parents looking to entertain their children on-the-gocan quickly access the Android Market™ which gives access to hundreds of thousands of apps, including educational programs, games and eBooks.**

With back-to-school season in full swing, students will also find the sleek VIZIO Tablet an ideal and fun complement to a busy year as it makes checking email, news and social networks as simple as ever. Multiple storage options make saving assignments and downloading music a breeze with a MicroSD™ slotthat allows consumers the freedom to expand memory up to 32GB for optimal organization and entertainment.

“VIZIO set out to build an innovative tablet that breaks new ground and addresses the gaps in current offerings in the market,” said Matt McRae, Chief Technology Officer, VIZIO. “The VIZIO Tablet offers a superior multimedia experience with its three speaker design, home theater integration with IR, and a perfect size for typing, eBooks, gaming and portability. These innovations and our ground breaking price push the category forward and deliver on our brand promise of Entertainment Freedom For All.”

About VIZIO

VIZIO, Inc., “Entertainment Freedom For All™,” headquartered in Irvine, California, is America’s HDTV and Consumer Electronics Company. In 2007, VIZIO skyrocketed to the top by becoming the #1 selling brand of flat panel HDTVs in North America and became the first American brand in over a decade to lead in U.S. TV shipments. Since 2007, VIZIO LCD HDTV shipments remain in the TOP ranks in the U.S. and was #1 for the total year in both 2009 and 2010. VIZIO is committed to bringing feature-rich consumer electronics to market at a value through practical innovation. VIZIO offers a broad range of award winning consumer electronics. VIZIO’s products are found at Costco Wholesale, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target, BJ’s Wholesale, and other retailers nationwide along with authorized online partners. VIZIO has won numerous awards including a #1 ranking in the Inc. 500 for Top Companies in Computers and Electronics, Fast Company’s 6th Most Innovative CE Company of 2009, and made the lists of Ad Age’s Hottest Brands, Good Housekeeping’s Best Big-Screens, CNET’s Editor’s Choice, PC World’s Best Buy and OC Metro’s 10 Most Trustworthy Brands among many other prestigious honors. For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit on the web at www.VIZIO.com.

VIZIO’s First Tablet Launches the VIZIO Internet Apps Plus Ecosystem, Maximizing Your Entertainment Experience with Great Picture and Sound for the Ultimate in Gaming, Video, Chat, and Value [VIZIO press release, June 28, 2011]

– VIZIO Internet Apps® Plus (“V.I.A. Plus”) ecosystem delivers a unified and intuitive user experience across multiple devices, including HDTVs, Blu-ray players, tablets and more

– VIZIO Tablet features an 8 inch high-resolution capacitive touch screen, HD video playback with HDMI video output, front-facing camera for video chat, and unique 3 speaker configuration for stereo audio playback in both portrait and landscape modes

– With access to the world of Android apps, VIZIO Tablet brings a complete entertainment experience, whether playing games, watching videos, listening to music, having a video chat and much more

– 47 inch and 55 inch XVT 6 Series Theater 3D HDTVs with VIZIO Internet Apps Plus use Full Array TruLED technology for significant performance advantages over edge LED backlit sets, with superior uniformity, better off-angle viewing and deeper blacks

Irvine, CA and NY, NY (CEA Line Shows) – June 22, 2011 –- VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company*, announced today the upcoming release of its VIZIO Tablet, the first in the VIZIO Internet Apps® Plus (“V.I.A. Plus”) ecosystem. This next generation of VIZIO Internet Apps brings a unified, sophisticated and intuitive user experience across a wide range of CE devices that will include VIZIO HDTVs, Blu-ray players, tablets, smartphones and more. The first product to ship will be the VIZIO VTAB1008 VIZIO 8” Tablet with WiFi, arriving this summer to retail stores nationwide. Each VIZIO V.I.A. Plus product features a VIZIO-designed user interface that is not only intuitive but also consistent across screens, for superior ease-of-use for the casual, non-technical user. Built on the Android™ platform, users have the ability to access more than 400,000+ apps in the Android Market™.

Other VIZIO V.I.A. Plus products will include the XVT 6 series 47” XVT3D476SV and 55” XVT3D556SV Theater 3D HDTV’s, which deliver exceptional 3D picture quality thanks to VIZIO Theater 3D and Full Array TruLED™ technology, as well as Blu-ray players and the VIZIO Phone, its first smartphone.

The VIZIO V.I.A. Plus ecosystem represents the evolution of VIZIO Internet Apps®. This world-class connected ecosystem combines the latest technologies with a unified user interface to provide the very best HD entertainment experience – anywhere.

VIZIO V.I.A. Plus HDTVs and Blu-ray players will come with a premium Bluetooth touchpad universal remote with keyboard for full web browsing and search capabilities. With built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi, connecting the TV or Blu-ray player to the Internet is a snap. On the VIZIO Tablet, users can also take full control of their home theater with the Tablet’s universal remote control app and built-in IR blaster, which has codes for up to 95% of the remote controllable CE devices in the U.S.

“With the introduction of the VIZIO V.I.A. Plus ecosystem, VIZIO is bringing a new level of cohesiveness to the HD entertainment experience, beyond what conventional CE devices have been able to deliver in the past,” said Matthew McRae, VIZIO Chief Technology Officer. “Understanding that today’s user touches multiple devices in the course of their daily routines, we feel it’s important that the next generation of CE devices office a seamless user experience across all screens, from the living room to their handhelds. VIZIO V.I.A. Plus combines that common interface with today’s best innovative technologies for a connected experience that delivers on our promise of Entertainment Freedom for All.”

Just in time for summer fun, the VIZIO VTAB1008 8” Tablet with WiFi features a 1 GHz processor, an 8” high-resolution 1024×768 capacitive touch screen, built-in GPS and both 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The extended battery lasts up to 10 hoursdepending on usage. Its 2 GB of onboard storage can be easily extended with the addition of a microSD card, up to a maximum of 32 GB, for flexible storage at a fraction of the cost of other popular tablets. HD video playback is also available through its micro HDMI output, and its front-facing camera is ideal for video chats.

A Sound Approach for a Complete Entertainment Experience

A unique three-speaker design ensures users enjoy stereo audio in both portrait and landscape modes. Includes SRS TruMedia™ technology, which optimizes the audio experience on mobile devices, for enhanced audio playback and rich, natural voice communication.

VIZIO 3D Smart TVs with Full Array TruLED Picture Quality

VIZIO Internet Apps Plus also makes its entry in the emerging smart TV category with the new XVT3D476 and XVT3D556 Theater 3D HDTVs, VIZIO’s most advanced connected HDTVs yet. Their universal IR/Bluetooth remote with touchpadallow for easy web browsing, and also includes an integrated QWERTY keypad. With access to Android Market, users can find their favorite app from more than 400,000 apps currently available, and integrated Wi-Fi makes getting connected to the Internet quick and seamless.

VIZIO’s revolutionary Theater 3D technology delivers a crystal-clear, flicker-free 3D that’s up to two times brighter than current active-shutter 3DTVs, with significantly less crosstalk, a wider horizontal viewing angle and much less blurring with fast motion. Each set comes with 4 free pairs of lightweight, battery-free 3D glasses.

With VIZIO’s most advanced display technologies, these sets feature exceptional picture quality that exceeds that of the highly acclaimed XVT3SV series of HDTVs. These technologies include a TruLED display with Full Array LED backlighting and Smart Dimming, as well as 240Hz SPS™ (scenes per second) refresh rate. VIZIO Smart Dimming controls the LED levels in 160 zones, including the ability to completely turn them off to achieve a full 100% black level for an extraordinary contrast ratio. Smooth Motion technology provides sharp, blur free images with less judder, even in fast action scenes.

These new XVT3D 6 series sets will ship later this year.

*Source: IHS iSuppli Corporation Research Q2 2011 Market Tracker Report of Q1 2011 U.S. and North American LCD Market Share Shipments.

Sneak Peek at New VIZIO 3D TV – Full Scoble Interview [Robert Scoble, June 15, 2011]

Tech evangelist, Robert Scoble (@Scobleizer) interviews the VP of Product Planning about their new 3D TV.

Discover 3D (a Vizio site about Theater 3D)

Sneak Peek, VIZIO 21:9 aspect ratio TV [Robert Scoble, June 15, 2011]

Tech evangelist, Robert Scoble (@Scobleizer) checks out the upcoming Vizio 21:9 aspect ratio TV for cinema lovers.

VIZIO Brings Theater 3D™ Technology to All with a Full Lineup of Bright, Flicker-Free 3D HDTVs Including Three 21:9 Cinemawide HDTV Models [June 28, 2011]

– VIZIO announces Theater 3D HDTVs in all three product groups – E Series, M Series, XVT Series and the new 21:9 Cinemawidemodels, with screen sizes ranging from 32” to 65”

– Theater 3D™ revolutionizes 3D for the home – up to 2 times brighter, virtually flicker-free picture and significantly reduced crosstalk in comparison to current Active Shutter [3D] LCD TVs

Irvine, CA and New York (CEA Line Shows) – June 22, 2011 — VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company*, revealed today their full line up of Theater 3D™ LCD HDTVs, including the ultra-sleek M Series models. All of VIZIO’s new 3D HDTV models use Theater 3D passive 3D technologyto achieve superior performance with a bright, crystal clear, virtually flicker-free 3D picture. Available in each of VIZIO’s product series, E, M and XVT, in screen sizes ranging from 32 to 65 inches, Theater 3D technology will be available in 11 models at a wide range of performance and price levels, making the entertainment freedom of VIZIO’s 3D technology available for all.

“We are highly encouraged by the positive response our circular polarized 3D technology has received from industry experts, the press, and Hollywood leaders like James Cameron,” said Randy Waynick, VIZIO’s Chief Sales Officer. “VIZIO’s early commitment to this direction, with its superior viewer experience, has enabled us to develop the industry’s most comprehensive range of 3D HDTVs, ranging from introductory price levels to the most advanced cinematic displays available today.”

VIZIO Theater 3D HDTVs use a revolutionary new technology to deliver crystal-clear, flicker-free 3D that’s up to 2 times brighter than current active shutter LCD TVs, with significantly less crosstalk, a wider horizontal viewing angle, and much less blurring with fast motion. Theater 3D eyewear produces far less eyestrain and headaches than active glasses, and is battery-free, lightweight and comfortable. Up to four pairs of Theater 3D glasses are provided with each set, and they are also available in a rapidly growing range of styles and colors from brand name designers. They even work in most 3D movie theaters!

“Passive polarized 3D ¬TVs will appeal to many consumers for a variety of reasons, and products at a variety of price points are possible too,” noted Insight Media President, Chris Chinnock. “By 2014, sales of passive sets will outpace shutter glasses sets, according to our forecast.”

VIZIO’s passive Theater 3D technology utilizes circular polarization, producing superior performance that results in a better viewing experience. This technology uses Polarizer Filters built into the TV, enabling viewers to use lighter and more stylish glasses instead of the bulky, heavy and uncomfortable active shutter glasses used for other 3DTVs. VIZIO’s technology team was an early champion of this approach for 3DTV, which has led to VIZIO taking a market-leading positionin the adaptation of Passive 3D technology for the home.

“DisplaySearch is forecasting that North America 3D TV shipments will increase by more than 300% in 2011 to 7M units**, driven by a range of new 3D TV types, including circular polarizer filter systems like VIZIO’s Theater 3D,” stated Paul Gagnon, Director of North America TV Market Research, DisplaySearch.

Each Theater 3D™ model supports the widest range of 3D encoding formats, ensuring compatibility with Blu-ray, broadcast, cable, satellite, and gaming sources. These formats include Frame Packing, Side-by-Side, Top and Bottom, as well as those with SENSIO® HiFi 3D and by RealD.

VIZIO Smart Dimming for Leading Picture Performance

VIZIO’s Edge-Lit Razor LED™ technology with Smart Dimming™ is featured on the M Series models and the Cinemawide 50” and 58” HDTVs. VIZIO Smart Dimming™ intelligently controls each set’s array of LEDs, which is organized in zones. Working frame by frame, based on the content being displayed, Smart Dimming adjusts brightness in precise steps down to pure black (where the LED is completely off). This cutting-edge technology minimizes light leakage and enables a Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 5 Million to 1, for blacker blacks and whiter whites.

The XVT Series models at 47” and 55” will utilize VIZIO’s Full Array TruLED™ backlighting with Smart Dimming™ technology. With over 160 zones across the entire display, TruLED backlighting is able to control specific areas of the image to a much finer degree than edge-lit sets, resulting in even better blacks and higher contrast with life-like images that “pop” off the screen.

VIZIO Internet AppsDeliver More Entertainment Freedom

All of VIZIO’s new Theater 3D models feature the VIZIO Internet Apps® (V.I.A.) Connected HDTV platform. VIZIO Internet Apps deliver unprecedented choice and control of web-based content directly to VIZIO televisions or Blu-ray players without the need for a PC or set-top box.

VIZIO’s new XVT Series models will include the next generation VIZIO V.I.A. Plus platform, which delivers a unified and intuitive user experience across multiple devices, including HDTVs, Blu-ray players, tablets and more.

Navigating VIZIO Internet Apps is simple, using the QWERTY keypad built into the included remote control (most models). State of the art wireless Internet access is available through built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi (many models with Dual Band Wi-Fi), allowing viewers to enjoy the convenience of on-demand movies, TV shows, social networking, music, photos and more with just the push of a button.

Audio for a Home Theater Experience

The stunning 3D video of the Theater 3D™ sets is matched by the latest high performance audio technologies from SRS Labs. SRS technologies help deliver an immersive, virtual, high definition surround sound through

StudioSound™ HD – the ultimate all-in-one audio suite designed specifically for flat panel TVs. Years of excellence in audio, practical experience, and patented technologies allow StudioSound HD to deliver the most immersive and natural surround sound ever using built-in TV speakers. The suite also delivers remarkably crisp and clear dialog, rich bass, an elevated soundstage and consistent, spike-free volume levels. StudioSound HD features optimized audio presets for movies, news, sports and music while also providing a built-in EQ toolset for peak audio performance.

Experience M Series Theater 3D™ at Home

VIZIO’s newest Theater 3D™ set to hit the shelves this summer is the sleek and stunning M Series. At only 1.2” thin*** (42” and 47” models. 55” model is just 1.6” thin***), this HDTV makes the most incredible technology on the market available at the best value. Not only will you have beautiful LED 2D picture quality at 42”, 46” and 55” sizes, but the latest addition of VIZIO’s Theater 3D technology to this series will make this the perfect centerpiece to any family room. Pair that with four pairs of stylish Theater 3D™ glasses and built in VIZIO Internet Apps, and make your family room the number one summer destination.

Cinemawide HDTV Ultra-Widescreen

VIZIO’s Cinemawide HDTV™, 21:9 aspect ratio TVs are the ultimate display for cinema enthusiasts. Its unique ability to display films created in the CinemaScope 2.35:1 aspect ratio on its full screen, without any black bars, means viewers will see each frame of the movie as the director intended, providing an immersive movie experience at home. On traditional HDTV models, prime screen real estate is taken up by these black bars, forcing home theater enthusiasts to stretch and zoom in. Now instead of a stretched and distorted picture, VIZIO’s Cinemawide sets ensure movie buffswill never have to miss an inch of the action.

Most HDTVs have an aspect ratio of 16:9 (sometimes called 1.78:1), with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 (Full HD). This aspect ratio was selected as the ATSC HDTV standard as a compromise between television’s original aspect ratio (4:3 or 1.33:1) and the wider 1.85:1 aspect ratio selected for the many Hollywood movies. Big-budget Hollywood blockbusters, though, are usually filmed in the much wider 2.35:1 or 2.39:1 aspect ratios. VIZIO’s new Cinemawide HDTVs accommodate these “CinemaScope” or “anamorphic” aspect ratios well with a 2.37:1 (21:9) aspect ratio. So you’ll be able to watch classics and today’s best movies in the film’s original aspect ratio and without black bars.

Cinemawide HDTV also takes VIZIO Internet Apps to the next level, making its use more seamless than ever. While watching a pixel-perfect 16:9 full HD image, full size and in the correct aspect ratio on the right side of the screen, users can simultaneously browse and use VIZIO Internet Apps on the left side of the screen– with both images presented with no compromise in resolution or size.

“Connected TVs are expected to account for 20% of Global TV Shipments in 2011, rising to 122 million units globally by 2014**, representing one of the most exciting areas of growth in the TV industry and ultra-wide aspect ratio TVs, such as 21:9, and will enable consumers to view their TV content and Internet content simultaneously without overlap,” stated Gagnon.

*Sources: Q3 2010 iSuppli and DisplaySearch Reports

**Report source: DisplaySearch Quarterly TV Design and Feature Report

***Depth without stand

VIZIO Continues to Expand the Beyond TV Product Portfolio, with Introduction of New Blu-ray Players, Sound Bars, Headphones, Wireless HD Kit, Advanced Media-Centric Wireless Internet Router and More [VIZIO press release, June 28, 2011]

– High-performance Home Theater Sound Bars, from the #1 manufacturer of Sound Bars, deliver exceptional sound quality with designs that complement a wide range of HDTV sizes and premium features that include wireless subwoofers

– Headphone models offer listening solutions for consumers from audiophiles to style-conscious listeners, with Active Noise-Cancelling Wireless Home Theater Headphones, Bluetooth headphones with microphone, and high-resolution earbuds for on-the-go mobility

– Wireless HD Kit provides freedom from unsightly cords by eliminating the need for any signal cables attached to the HDTV, delivering flawless performance with uncompressed audio and Full HD picture quality

– Universal Wireless HD Gigabit Internet Router connects any Wifi device to the Internet with optimization for streaming media, for a superior HD connected entertainment experience

– 3D Blu-ray playerswith VIZIO Internet Apps® bring the 3D experience home, with high-resolution audio and streaming access to content

-Fashionable new Theater 3D eyewear line features style and comfort, with brighter, flicker-free performance compared to Active Shutter glasses

Irvine, CA and New York, NY (CEA Line Shows) – June 23, 2011 — VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company*, announced today a wide range of products that provide audio, home theater and Internet streaming solutions, all part of VIZIO’s growing Beyond TV lineup. These new additional to VIZIO’s Beyond TV product portfolio represent an expansion in categories that complement VIZIO’s industry-leading LCD HDTV lineup. As the #1 manufacturer of Home Theater Sound Bars**, VIZIO will have six models available in the market with various performance levels and options to maximize your HDTV audio experience no matter the size of your home theater room. VIZIO also offers a family of headphones that should please the public, from the audiophile to the MP3 listener on-the-go, with Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Home Theater headphones, Bluetooth Stereo headphones and Sound Isolating High Performance Ear Buds. VIZIO’s Wireless HD Kit provides freedom from cords while still delivering seamless HDMI video and audio performance. The Universal Wireless HD Gigabit Internet Router prioritizes streaming media over data transmission for fewer interruptions and better performance. For those who want a comfortable, stylish alternative to bulky Active-Shutter 3D Eyewear, VIZIO offers a fashionable lineup that can be worn for Theater 3D viewing in the home and even at most movie theaters.

“Our Beyond TV products have been enthusiastically accepted by consumers, who have recognized that the high-performance value of VIZIO technology is not just limited to HDTVs,” said John Schindler, VP of Product Development at VIZIO. “Our audio products have been particularly well received, and our overall success in these new categories has helped drive our development of an ever-increasing range of accessories and even more innovative products, such as our high-performance Wireless HD Kit and Wireless HD Internet routers.”

Upgraded Audio For the Ultimate HD Experience

VHT215 Home Theater Sound Bar

Turn your room into the ultimate home theater with VIZIO’s VHT215 Home Theater Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer. The exceptionally thin and stylish design is the perfect compliment to match ultra-thin LED LCDs that are 40 inches or larger. Experience unsurpassed in class audio performance and connectivity options for multiple devices including two HDMI 1.4a inputs, one HDMI 1.4a output with Audio Return Channel support, and one each digital optical audio, coaxial digital audio and analog stereo inputs.

Featuring integrated wall-mount and table-stand options for easy installation in any home theater environment, the VHT215 delivers simplicity of use with VIZIO’s acclaimed ergonomic home theater remote control and new front panel display that can easily communicate volume and input status with the press of a button. The VHT215’s wireless capability enables freedom to place the powerful subwoofer conveniently in the room, as well as the ability to connect with any of VIZIO’s Wireless HD Audio products, including Home Theater Headphones. With no physical connection, uncompressed high definition audio is transmitted between devices at distance up to 60 feet. Available in August 2011, SRP is $329.

VSB205 Home Theater Sound Bar

Perfect for HDTVs sized 32 inches and larger, the VSB205 Home Theater Sound Bar is an excellent upgrade. Featuring SRS WOW HD audio processing, which produces rich, natural bass, with incredible high-frequency definition and clarity, the Sound Bar brings powerful sound to any home theater with dual 2¾ inch drivers for each channel.

Dual analog audio inputs (both RCA and mini 3.5mm) allow for easy one-cable connection from any TV. The Sound Bar can be either table or wall mounted with included hardware, making for a compact fit. The VSB205 is currently available at an SRP of $119.

VHT510 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Home Theater with Wireless Subwoofer

A complete 5.1 channel surround sound solution, the acclaimed VHT510 Surround Sound Home Theater Speaker System creates the ultimate in class home theater experience. This powerful yet compact Sound Bar is ideal for HDTVs 40 inches or larger. Achieve high-definition sound from the left, center and right speakers that reside in this Sound Bar, with surround channel playback from two satellite speakers and impactful low bass produced by its wireless 6.5 inch long-throw subwoofer. This VIZIO premium surround sound system supports Dolby Digital®, DTS, SRS StudioSound HD™ and SRS TruVolume™, providing listeners a truly immersive audio experience, whether listening to music, watching television or viewing movies on Blu-ray disc.

Reducing the need for unsightly wires, the subwoofer uses Wireless HD Audio™ 2.4 GHz technology to allow convenient placement of the speaker in the home theater. The Sound Bar can send High Definition quality audio to other Wireless HD Audio compatible devices like VIZIO Home Theater Wireless Headphones. With a built-in amplifier and audio receiver, this 5.1 channel system completes any home theater with all-in-one convenience. The VHT510 has a SRP of $389 and is in stores now.

XVTHP200 Home Theater Headphones with Wireless Dock for iPod

Experience unparallel sound with VIZIO’s Active Noise Cancellation High Definition Home Theater Headphones. The audiophile’s choice, these headphones provide true lossless audio for maximum quality from a convenient wireless or wired connection. Professionally-tuned 40mm Neodymium drivers with integrated Dolby Digital, SRS TruSurround™ and SRS TruVolume™, enhance both stereo and surround audio sources ensuring that even the most demanding listeners will be pleased.

The base station with dock for iPod lets users enjoy the freedom of listening to music on their iPod. Part of VIZIO’s Wireless HD Audio Ecosystem, the Home Theater Headphones work together with your VIZIO Sound Bar (VHT models) to automatically re-direct sound to the activated headphones. For folks on-the-go, VIZIO’s Active Noise Cancellation reduces background noises, helping listeners to relax and lose themselves in rich, natural sound. With a standard 3.5mm audio cable option, a built-in long-life rechargeable Lithium polymer battery, and a sleek fold and go design, the headphones are perfect for travel. For convenience, the headphones can be charged from the base station or through the provided mini-USB cable. Available now, SRP for the headphones is $309.99.

XVTHB100 Bluetooth Headphones

With VIZIO’s XVTHB100 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones, superb audio quality for wireless music listening is just the beginning. Using Bluetooth and a built-in microphone, the headphones can connect to a laptop, mobile phone and even a VIZIO Internet Apps-enabled HDTV for telephone and video calling. Answering calls, even while listening to music, is handled with a single pushbutton click.

High-performance 30mm Neodymium drivers take full advantage of advanced SRS sound processing to produce a rich, immersive audio listening environment. A lightweight, adjustable over-the-ear headband design makes the headphones comfortable even for extended listening sessions and telephone conversations. Rechargeable with up to 9 hours of talk time, these headphones are the perfect all-in-one source for work, play, and travel. Currently available, SRP is $99.99.

VHE211K and VHE211W Sound Isolating High Performance Earbuds with built-in Microphone

VIZIO’s Sound Isolating High Performance earbuds with built-in microphone are perfect for on-the-go entertainment and hands-free calls. Use them with the new VIZIO Tablet, your mobile phone, or use them for video calls for superior sound quality and sound isolation to keep out distracting ambient noise. While ordinary earbuds use ceramic magnet drives, VIZIO utilizes 9mm rare-earth Neodymium dynamic drivers that are professionally tuned to produce crisp, accurate audio with powerful bass. Listeners will find themselves rediscovering their music collections, hearing notes as they were meant to be heard.

Further improving on conventional earbuds, the VIZIO Sound Isolating High Performance earbuds are designed to insert easily and comfortably into the ear canal. Ergonomic silicone ear cushions create a tight seal within the ear, minimizing background noises and ensuring that every sonic nuance can be heard. Three pairs of in-ear cushions are provided for an optimum fit to any ear, making for a comfortable, personalized fit and exceptional low-frequency performance. Listeners that have used other earbuds will also appreciate VIZIO’s high-quality flat, tangle-resistant design that keeps the earbuds tangle to a minimum, especially important for active listeners. VIZIO’s Sound Isolating High Performance Earbuds will be available in Summer 2011 in both white and black, at an SRP of $29.99. The model number for the White version is VHE211W, and the Black version designation is VHE211K.

Stay Connected with Wireless HD Options

XWH200 Universal Wireless HD Video and Audio Kit

The XWH200 Universal Wireless HD Video and Audio Kit fulfills the longstanding dream of many HDTV owners – the elimination of signal cables connected to the set. The XWH200 transmits uncompressed full HD video and audio wirelessly to the HDTV. With no software required, up to four HDMI source components, whether they be set-top boxes, Blu-ray players or game consoles, can be connected to the remote controllable transmitter, which then sends the desired HD source wirelessly to the TV.

Compliant with the WirelessHD™ 1.0 standard, the XWH200 operates at the 60 GHz frequency and is able to handle up to 4 Gbps of data, more than enough for 1080p Full HD and 3D. Unlike other products on the market, it does not interfere with existing wireless networks, and it’s compatible with any HDMI source including game consoles, cable/satellite boxes, Blu-ray disc players, digital media receivers and more.

Users can now hide their A/V equipment away in a cabinet or other discrete location in the room, separate from the HDTV, which can now be the visual centerpiece of the home theater, floating clean on the wall as the customer has always envisioned. The XWH200 has an SRP of $229.99 and is available now.

XWR200 High Performance Universal Wireless HD Gigabit Internet Router

Following the rapid success and press acclaim for the XWR100 Router, VIZIO introduces an even higher level of Internet router performance with the XWR200. This Dual-Band Internet router operates in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands to allow data transmission in the lower band while streaming media in its higher frequency band.

With higher wireless transmission speeds up to 450 + 300 Mbps, media streaming is faster than ever, and its Gigabit Ethernet capability lets media intense apps or large files function at full capacity without being limited by the network bandwidth. For use in larger homes where wireless signals may be difficult to receive away from the router, the XWR200 features additional wireless power amplifiers, and adds a third antenna for the 5 GHz band. The XWR200 is expected to hit stores in first half 2012.

Experience Unparallel Video Playback with VIZIO Blu-ray Players and Theater 3D

VBR133 3D Blu-ray Player With VIZIO Internet Apps

The VBR133 3D Blu-ray Player brings the same stunning 3D and 2D picture quality and exceptional lossless surround sound and a powerful suite of streaming entertainment services. 1080p Full HD picture quality in 2D and 3D quality and both Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD audio technologies ensure the ultimate in audio and video performance. With access to VIZIO Internet Apps through a wired Ethernet connection, content from top online services like VUDU™, Netflix, HuluPlus™, Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube, Pandora and more is at the user’s fingertips, with instant access to an almost unlimited library of online movies, music and more. This player brings entertainment freedom and a premium home theater experience to any room. The VBR133 has an SRP of $109.99 and is in stores now.

VBR122 Blu-ray Player With Wireless VIZIO Internet Apps

The VBR122 Blu-ray Player brings stunning picture quality, exceptional lossless surround sound and a powerful suite of wireless streaming entertainment services. With access to VIZIO Internet Apps through an integrated WiFi connection, content from top online services like VUDU™, Netflix, HuluPlus™, Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube, Pandora and more is at the user’s fingertips, with instant access to an almost unlimited library of online movies, music and more. What’s more, the VBR122 delivers an industry-leading ergonomic remote control with an integrated full QWERTY keyboard to allow fast and easy searching for favorite movies, shows, actors, songs and more on the many available entertainment services. 1080p Full HD picture quality and both Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD audio technologies ensure the ultimate in audio and video performance. This player brings entertainment freedom and a premium home theater experience to any room. The VBR122 has an SRP of $119.99 and is in stores now.

Theater 3D Eyewear Line

VIZIO’s new line of Theater 3D eyewear is the stylish and comfortable complement to Theater 3D HDTVs. By utilizing a circular polarized 3D filter, Theater 3D moves the burden of 3D processing into the TV, allowing the Theater 3D eyewear to be free of the batteries and shutter mechanisms inherent in Active Shutter 3D TVs. In fact, Theater 3D eyewear can be used to view 3D movies in a majority of movie theaters.

Besides using more comfortable eyewear, Theater 3D offers several performance advantages over conventional Active 3D systems. Theater 3D is up to 2X brighter, has significantly less crosstalk in comparison to current Active Shutter LCD TVs, handles fast motion with less blurring, has a wider horizontal viewing angle, and eliminates the annoying flicker of Active Shutter 3D systems that often causes eye strain.

The XPG201/202 glasses feature an attractive design with curved lenses for more comfortable viewing, premium quality optical lenses for best in class 3D experience and a high quality, durable frame. Both the XPG201 single pack and the XPG202 2-pack are available this month.

*Source: IHS iSuppli Corporation Research Q2 2011 Market Tracker Report of Q1 2011.
**Source: CEA’s Q1 2011 MarketMetrics Data
# # #

Source: VIZIO, Inc.

VIZIO Unveils New Smartphone and Tablet Featuring VIA Plus for Even More Entertainment Freedom [VIZIO press release, Jan 3, 2011]

Irvine, CA—January 3, 2011 — VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company*, announced today it is expanding into the mobility category with the VIZIO smartphone and tablet (referred to as the “VIA Phone” and “VIA Tablet” below) — both part of the VIA Plus ecosystem, the next generation of VIZIO Internet Apps™, that features a unified, sophisticated and intuitive user experience across multiple CE devices including VIZIO HDTVs, Blu-ray players, smartphones and tablets.

“Both the VIA phone and tablet feature the highest performance coupled with innovative features that tie them into the media consumption experience,” said Matthew McRae, Chief Technology Officer at VIZIO. “And by integrating the VIA Plus user experience also found on our next generation TVs and Blu-ray devices, VIZIO is delivering the multi-screen, unified ecosystem others have talked about for years and never delivered.”

The VIZIO VIA Phone features a 1 GHz processor, 4” high-resolution capacitive touch screen, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, a MicroSD card slot for memory expansion and HDMI output with HD video playback. It also features a front-facing camera for video chats and a 5 megapixel rear camera for photos and HD video capture.

The VIZIO VIA Tablet also features a 1 GHz processor, with an 8” high-resolution capacitive touch screen, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, a MicroSD card slot for additional memory expansion, HDMI output with HD video playback, and a front-facing camera for video chats. It also boasts a unique three-speaker design for stereo audio in both portrait and landscape modes.

Both devices include a built-in IR blaster with universal remote control appfor quick access to the entire home theater or nearly any other CE device in the home. Both run on the Android™ Platform, which will also allow users to access thousands of apps through Android Market™.

“As part of the VIA Plus ecosystem, the VIA phone and tablet are natural extensions of the HD entertainment experience that historically has centered around the TV,” added Mr. McRae. “Whether consumers are looking to enjoy content on the big screen, on their tablet or on a mobile phone, VIA Plus delivers on the promise of Entertainment Freedom for All by creating a rich and consistent user experience across all devices that’s accessible to everyone, from the power user to the casual browser.”

VIZIO will be demonstrating the VIA Phone and VIA Tablet in their private CES showcase at the Wynn Hotel from January 6 to 9, 2011.

*Sources: Q3 2010 iSuppli and DisplaySearch Reports

Important details from ABOUT VIZIO [page on vizio.com]:

VIZIO, Inc. was founded in 2002 by William Wang with the idea that everyone deserves to own the latest technology. Mr. Wang’s first two employees, Laynie Newsome and Ken Lowe, were honored as co-founders and eight years later are still hard at work taking entertainment freedom by storm! By providing a myriad of high definition entertainment options and unmatchable value, VIZIO has grown to over 160 employees and remains the first American brand in over a decade to lead in U.S. LCD HDTV sales.

VIZIO’s uncompromised technology and incredible value has continued to make us America’s Best Selling LED LCD HDTV and the industry leader in sales growth through the 2nd quarter of 2010,* as well as the Highest Rated LCD HDTV of 2010.** VIZIO’s lineup can provide an even greater value with our efficient LED backlit TVs that exceed current ENERGY STAR® 4.1 Guidelines by at least 15%***. So whether you are looking for entertainment essentials with our E Series, sleek design with the M Series, or ultimate performance with the XVT Series, VIZIO has the perfect solution to exceed all of your entertainment needs. Combined with 3D, VIZIO Internet Apps™, Wireless HD Audio, full array TruLED™ and edge lit Razor LED™ displays, we truly give you the freedom to fearlessly expand your entertainment world.

VIZIO Timeline:

2002
* Founded in October of 2002 under the name V, Inc.
* With a total of 3 employees, they provided consulting services to Gateway, Inc.

2003
* Launched the VIZIO brand
* Launched Plasma monitor and DVD up-convert line at CES
* VIZIO signed on with Costco Wholesale to sell VIZIO products
* Total of 5 employees

2004
* VIZIO expanded their product offerings to include LCDs, Plasmas, DVD and DLP
* Total of 25 employees

2005
* VIZIO’s 50” Plasma was ranked CNETs Top Holiday Tech gift
* VIZIO signed on with Sam’s Club to sell VIZIO products
* Grew to 41 employees

2006
…
* Total of 62 employees
* Shipped a total of 750,000 HDTVs

2007
…
* Grew to 85 employees
* Shipped a total of 2,900,000 HDTVs

2008
…
* Total of 100 employees
* Shipped a total of 3,500,000 HDTVs
* Total revenue exceeds 2 Billion Dollars

2009
* VIZIO continues to add new innovative products to their portfolio such as Blu-ray® players, Home Theater Sound Bars with Wireless Sub, Motorized Wall Mounts and more.
* VIZIO launches 40 new HDTV models with sizes ranging from 19” to 55” and including the top technologies such as VIZIO Internet Apps their version of the internet connected TV, 240Hz LCD models and the latest TruLED technology which delivers the ultimate HD experience with less impact on our planet.
…
* VIZIO HDTVs can be found on more store shelves than SONY in July 2009
* Over 160 employees

2010
*As CEA member, VIZIO¹s first CES booth promoted their VIZIO Internet Apps™ connected HDTVs and key platform partners Yahoo!, Twitter, vudu, & Facebook
*2010 CES announcements included eleven categories in addition to TVs including High Definition Blu-ray DVD Players™, wireless HD Internet routers and VIZIO Internet Apps™ enabled entertainment systems, HD home theater sound, HD Personal Home Theater headphones, and portable razor thin LED LCD HDTVs.
…
*196 employees total (includes 76 South Dakota and 3 international)

Beyond 2010 and well into the future:
VIZIO has made great strides in providing Entertainment Freedom For All™ and will continue to build this principle through 2011. With the explosion of 3D TV, we currently have many exciting new developments to reveal at the Consumer Electronics Show and throughout the upcoming year. While staying true to our roots in vision and value, VIZIO is excited to continue and grow our brand within the U.S. and beyond. VIZIO: Taking entertainment freedom by storm!

* Based on iSuppli US LCD-TV Unit Shipments Market Share Q2, 2010
**HDTV Magazine and CNET Reviews
***While TV is on

Consumers Make VIZIO the #1 LCD HDTV in North America [VIZIO press release, Feb 23, 2011]

Consumers Make VIZIO the #1 LCD HDTV in North America

VIZIO #1 in US LCD HDTV for the full 2010 year with over 21% market share

VIZIO’s share for Q4 US LCD HDTVs was 28%– the highest share any brand in the industry has achieved since 2004

VIZIO led the top brands in the industry with 55% Y/Y LCD HDTV sales growth, continuing to increase their leadership role over the competition based upon consumer preference and choice

VIZIO secures 3 spots in the top 5 Best Sellers including a popular big screen 42” model

IRVINE, CA – FEBRUARY 24, 2011— VIZIO, Inc. America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company, announced today that it outperformed the industry as the number one shipper of all flat panel HDTVs in Q4 2010 for both North America and the U.S. With an LCD HDTV share of more than 28%* VIZIO has captured the important essence of consumer desires in flat panel HDTV performance features, design form and value.

VIZIO saw significant sales increases with its 7-time award winning XVT Series lineup with VIZIO Internet Apps®, as well as in the Beyond TV category, headlined by Blu-ray players with wireless Internet apps and the nation’s bestselling Soundbars. VIZIO was also the leading shipper of LED backlit HDTVs in North America in Q4** behind the strength of its TruLED and Razor LED products shipping over 50% more backlit LED LCD TVs than its nearest competitor.

“VIZIO continues to defy conventional wisdom in the consumer electronics space with strong growth and innovation. Our team’s success has proven that consumers recognize great technology at a great price by unseating the industry’s traditional leaders in the LCD market,” stated Randy Waynick, Chief Sales Officer, of VIZIO. “Customers have embraced our higher performance product lineup and efficient retail partners in TVs and have now carried over their brand loyalty to our Beyond TV products, making VIZIO’s soundbars and Blu-ray players best sellers as well. Stay tuned in 2011 as we extend our “Entertainment Freedom for All” brand vision to Theater 3D HDTVs, tablets and smartphones.”

Adding to the meteoric growth of the brand, VIZIO’s Beyond TV Category, which includes soundbars, Blu-ray players, Headphones, Wall mounts, Cables, Wireless Routers, and other accessories, saw tremendous increases in Q4. Market-leading Soundbars saw sales growth of 200% Q/Q while sales of VIZIO’s popular Blu-ray players grew 163% representing 10% of the market***. Offering a wide range of Soundbar solutions with innovative wireless subwoofers in 5.1 and 2.1 channel configurations and sizes for small to large size televisions has allowed VIZIO to dominate this market — capturing 54% of the growing market in Q4 based on CEA’s MarketMetrics data.

VIZIO has also become a leader in some key advanced TV categories, rising to #1 in LED LCD TV unit shipments in North America and was #2 in high frame rate LCD and 40”+ screen size,” stated Paul Gagnon, Director of North American TV Research at DisplaySearch.

DisplaySearch: Top 10 LCD TV Brands in North America for the Year of 2010 (Ranking by Unit Shipments in Thousands)

Rank Vendor 2010 Market Share 2009 Y/Y% Change

1 VIZIO 6,962 18.2% 5,941 17%

2 Samsung 6,715 17.5% 6,418 5%

3 Funai 4,613 12.0% 4,758 -3%

4 Sony 3,998 10.4% 4,338 -8%

5 LG 3,711 9.7% 2,704 37%

6 Toshiba 2,274 5.9% 2,635 -14%

7 Sanyo 2,250 5.9% 2,106 7%

8 Sharp 1,243 3.2% 1,770 -30%

9 Panasonic 1,035 2.7% 889 16%

10 Westinghouse 476 1.2% 386 -1%

Source: DisplaySearch February 2011

The fourth quarter’s results showed that consumers are looking for innovation as well as value for their HDTV purchases. Outpacing the industry, VIZIO LED HDTV shipments grew 993% Y/Y, Full HD LCD TVs grew 44% Y/Y, 46” and above TVs grew 92% Y/Y and 120Hz+ TVs grew 119% Y/Y***.

“U.S. consumers are demanding full-featured LCD TVs at the lowest possible prices,” said Riddhi Patel, Director, Television Systems, for IHS. “Television brands that successfully offer a combination of low pricing and advanced features, such as LED backlighting, Internet connectivity are gaining market share. Because of VIZIO’s ability to provide latest features at attractive prices, the brand has reached number 1 position in the US flat panel TV market in Q4 2010.”

iSuppli: Top 8 LCD-TV Brands in the United States for the Year of 2010
(Ranking by Unit Shipments in Thousands)

Rank Vendor 2010 Market Share 2009 Y/Y% Change

1 VIZIO 6,929 21.3% 5,920 17%

2 Samsung 6,123 18.9% 5,608 9%

3 Sony 3,373 10.4% 3,681 -8%

4 LG 2,865 8.8% 2,533 13%

5 Toshiba 2,092 6.4% 2,394 -13%

6 Sanyo 1,978 6.1% 1,934 2%

7 Sharp 1,082 3.3% 1,592 -32%

8 Panasonic 963 3.0% 1,183 -19%

Total 32,459 32,324 0%

Source: iSuppli Corp. February 2011

iSuppli: Top 8 All Flat Panel Brands in the United States for Q4 2010
(Ranking by Unit Shipments in Thousands)

Rank Vendor Q4 2010 Q4 2009 Y/Y% Change Q3 2010 Q/Q % Change

1 VIZIO 2,867 1,844 55% 1,602 79%

2 Samsung 2,572 2,095 23% 1,817 42%

3 LG 1,247 1,048 19% 1,025 22%

4 Sony 1,049 1,318 -20% 796 32%

5 Panasonic 793 657 21% 812 -2%

6 Toshiba 708 708 0% 533 33%

7 Sanyo 522 443 18% 651 -20%

8 Sharp 264 317 -17% 380 -31%

Total 11,978 11,299 6% 9,699 23%

Source: iSuppli Corp. February 2011

Further displaying VIZIO’s growing popularity for the family’s main living room TV is Quixel Research’s Q4 list of the Top 5 Best Selling models in the US LCD TV market. One of VIZIO’s 40”+ LCD TV models was both the largest and the highest priced among those ranked in the top five best sellers for the quarter.

Quixel Research Market Update – Q4 2010
Top 5 Best Sellers by Units

Manu-
facturer Product Size Resolution Tech List Price

Samsung LN32C350 32″ HD 720 LCD $499.00

VIZIO E320VL 32″ HD 720 LCD $469.99

VIZIO M260VA 26″ HD 720 LCD $399.99

VIZIO E420VO 42″ HD 1080 LCD $663.99

Samsung LN40C500
F3FXZA 40″ HD 720 LCD $559.00

“VIZIO has become the brand to purchase for newest technology such as LED and Internet connected HDTV as well as their larger main living room TVs where they get the latest features at prices that allow them to step up to the next generation of entertainment,” stated Tamaryn Pratt, Analyst at Quixel Research.

*Source: iSuppli Research Q1 2011 Report of Q4 2010 US LCD Market Share
** Source: DisplaySearch Quarterly Advanced Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report
***Source: VIZIO, Inc.

Nokia feature phones (S40) are losing market more than Nokia smartphones (S60, Symbian)

August 14, 2011 11:59 am / Leave a comment

and look what entry level Android smartphones are destroying Nokia’s w/w market:
– Huawei’s IDEOS U8150 smartphone for US$86 in Kenya: 350,000 units sold in 8 months [Aug 17, 2011]

Gartner Says Sales of Mobile Devices in Second Quarter of 2011 Grew 16.5 Percent Year-on-Year; Smartphone Sales Grew 74 Percent [Aug 11, 2011]

Table 1
Worldwide Mobile Device Sales to End Users by Vendor in 2Q11 (Thousands of Units)

Vendor 2Q11 Units 2Q11 Market Share (%) 2Q10 Units 2Q10 Market Share (%)

Nokia 97,869.30 22.8 111,473.70 30.3

Samsung 69,827.60 16.3 65,328.20 17.8

LG 24,420.80 5.7 29,366.70 8

Apple 19,628.80 4.6 8,743.00 2.4

ZTE 13,070.20 3 6,730.60 1.8

RIM 12,652.30 3 11,628.80 3.2

HTC 11,016.10 2.6 5,908.80 1.6

Motorola 10,221.40 2.4 9,109.40 2.5

Huawei 9,026.10 2.1 5,276.40 1.4

Sony Ericsson 7,266.50 1.7 11,008.50 3

Others 153,662.10 35.8 103,412.60 28.1

Total 428,661.20 100 367,986.70 100

“Smartphone sales continued to rise at the expense of feature phones,” said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner. “Consumers in mature markets are choosing entry-level and midrange Android smartphones over feature phones, partly due to carriers’ and manufacturers’ promotions.” However, replacement sales in Western Europe showed signs of fatigue as smartphone sales declined quarter-on-quarter.

In smartphones, Nokia’s sales into the channel in the second quarter of 2011 were low. This was partly due to a very competitive market that deflated demand for Symbian [S60], but also to inventory management issues in Europe and China in particular. The channel bought less and worked hard to reduce stock levels, partly by cutting prices on older products. These factors reduced Nokia’s average selling price for smartphones, compared to the first quarter of 2011. “The sales efforts of the channel, combined with Nokia’s greater concentration in retail and distributors’ sales, saw Nokia destock more than 9 million units overall and 5 million smartphones, helping it hold on to its position as the leading smartphone manufacturer by volume,” said Ms. Cozza. “However, we will not see a repeat of this performance in the third quarter of 2011, as Nokia’s channel is pretty lean.”

Before continuing the Gartner press release let’s see a recalculated diagramm based on Gartner data but showing more precisely the change in the market from Nokia point of view (Nokia S60 = Symbian = Nokia smartphones, Nokia S40 = Nokia feature phones):

Operating System	2Q11 K Units	2Q11 Market Share (%)	2Q10 K Units	2Q10 Market Share (%)	Y/Y (unitwise)
Nokia S60	23853.20	5.56%	25386.80	6.90%	-6.04%
Nokia S40	74016.10	17.27%	86086.90	23.39%	-14.02%
Apple	19628.80	4.58%	8743.00	2.38%	124.51%
RIM	12652.30	2.95%	11628.80	3.16%	8.80%
Android	46775.90	10.91%	10652.70	2.89%	339.10%
Total:	176926.30	41.27%	142498.20	38.72%	24.16%
Others	251734.90	58.73%	225488.50	61.28%	11.64%
Grand total:	428661.20	100.00%	367986.70	100.00%	16.49%

Samsung achieved strong growth in sales of mobile devices. For example, the Galaxy S II sold well, and this model went on to chalk up 5 million sales by the end of July. A strong performance in the smartphone market helped Samsung increase its market share, to become the third-largest smartphone vendor. However, its overall share dropped year-on-year, and grew only marginally quarter-on-quarter, mainly due to Samsung’s weaker presence in more price-sensitive market segments.

Apple continued to exceed expectations, even though the iPhone 4 will soon be replaced by a new model. Part of its growth came from the 42 new carriers and 15 new countries that it entered in the second quarter of 2011, which brought its total coverage to 100 countries. This expansion caused its inventory to grow a little by the end of the second quarter of 2011, when sales to end users stood at 19.6 million units. In mainland China, Apple is the seventh-largest mobile phone vendor and the third-largest smartphone vendor.

Research In Motion’s (RIM’s) share of the smartphone market declined to 12 percent in the second quarter of 2011, from 19 percent a year ago. Also, the company lost its No. 5 position in the worldwide ranking of mobile device vendors to ZTE. Demand for RIM’s devices in the second quarter was impaired by an ageing portfolio and delays in shipping products. In the coming quarters RIM will have to deal with increased competition to its messaging offering and manage a platform migration from BlackBerry 7 to QNX.

Google and Apple are the obvious winners in the smartphone ecosystem. The combined share of iOS and Android in the smartphone operating system (OS) market doubled to nearly 62 percent in the second quarter of 2011, up from just over 31 percent in the corresponding period of 2010 (see Table 2). Gartner analysts observed that these two OSs have the usability that consumers enjoy, the apps that consumers feel they need, and increasingly a portfolio of services delivered by the platform owner as well.

Table 2
Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Operating System in 2Q11 (Thousands of Units)

Operating System 2Q11 K Units 2Q11 Market Share (%) 2Q10 K Units 2Q10 Market Share (%)

Android 46775.90 43.4 10652.70 17.2

Symbian 23853.20 22.1 25386.80 40.9

iOS 19628.80 18.2 8743.00 14.1

RIM 12652.30 11.7 11628.80 18.7

Bada 2055.80 1.9 577.00 0.9

Microsoft 1723.80 1.6 3058.80 4.9

Others 1050.60 1 2010.90 3.2

Total 107740.40 100 62058.10 100

Nokia’s own report is first shown in a diagramm form:

Nokia Q2 2011 net sales EUR 9.3 billion, non-IFRS EPS EUR 0.06 (reported EPS EUR -0.10) [July 27, 2011]

Devices & Services5

EUR million	Q2/2011	Q2/2010	YoY Change	Q1/2011	QoQ Change
Net sales	5 467	6 799	-20%	7 087	-23%
Smart Devices net sales	2 368	3 503	-32%	3 528	-33%
Mobile Phones net sales	2 551	3 190	-20%	3 407	-25%
Mobile device volume (million units)	88.5	111	-20%	108.5	-18%
Smart Devices volume (million units)	16.7	25.2	-34%	24.2	-31%
Mobile Phones volume (million units)	71.8	85.8	-16%	84.3	-15%
Mobile device ASP6	62	61	2%	65	-5%
Smart Devices ASP6	142	139	2%	146	-3%
Mobile Phones ASP6	36	37	-3%	40	-10%

Note 5 relating to Devices & Services reporting structure: Effective from April 1, 2011, our Devices & Services business includes two new operating and reportable segments – Smart Devices, which focuses on smartphones, and Mobile Phones, which focuses on mass market mobile devices – as well as Devices & Services Other. Prior period results for each quarter and the full year 2010 and Q1 2011 have been regrouped (on an unaudited basis) for comparability purposes according to the new reporting format. The regrouped financial information can be accessed at: http://www.nokia.com/investors

Note 6 relating to average selling prices (ASP): Mobile device ASP represents total Devices & Services net sales (Smart Devices net sales, Mobile Phones net sales, and Devices & Services Other net sales) divided by total Devices & Services volumes. Devices & Services Other net sales includes net sales of Nokia’s luxury phone business Vertu and spare parts, as well as intellectual property royalty income. Smart Devices ASP represents Smart Devices net sales divided by Smart Devices volumes. Mobile Phones ASP represents Mobile Phones net sales divided by Mobile Phones volumes.

…

– In Smart Devices, those who already have viewed our early Windows Phone work are very optimistic about the devices Nokia will bring to market and about the long-term opportunities. Step by step, beginning this year, we plan to have a sequence of concentrated product launches in specific countries, systematically increasing the number of countries and launch partners.

– In Mobile Phones, early results of the Dual SIM product launches are very encouraging, and we are on track to deliver more products this year.

…

At the end of the first quarter 2011, our sales channel inventories were slightly above normal levels given then anticipated volumes. During the second quarter 2011, distributors and operators purchased fewer of our devices across our portfolio as they reduced their inventories of Nokia devices. The second quarter 2011 ended with our sales channel inventories near the midpoint of our normal range of 4-6 weeks.

…

Nokia Crashing in China, Distributors Refusing Nokia Products [Aug 15, 2011]

Nokia faces challenge in China market [China.org.cn, Aug 15, 2011]

Nokia has a crisis on its hands as vendors in China, its biggest market, are facing a huge pile-up of inventory and have refused to place new orders, Caixin Century reported Monday.

“Our (sales) channels collapsed in the second quarter because of the inventory overhang,” said a mid-level sales manager with Nokia China. Nothing like this has ever happened before, said the manager, who refused to be identified.

Nokia shareholders clamour for answers on Microsoft cooperation [HELSINGIN SANOMAT, May 4, 2011]

The Annual General Meeting of Nokia saw a record turnout on Tuesday.
More than 3,000 shareholders appeared at the Helsinki Fair Centre to listen to President and CEO Stephen Elop address the shareholders for the first time, in what many of them said was an inspiring speech.
The meeting chose a number of new members for the company’s Board of Directors, including paper manufacturer Stora Enso CEO Jouko Karvinen, Finance Company Sampo CEO Kari Stadigh, oil company Statoil CEO Helge Lund, as well as Stephen Elop himself. Chairman Jorma Ollila said that the search is already on for his successor. Ollila has said that he will leave the post at next year’s AGM.

: Nokia’s Windows phones are very important. How does Nokia plan to press the gas pedal and change engines at the same time?
“Our cooperation has gone well. We are very enthusiastic about our family of products, which we will publish soon. With the help of our cooperation with Accenture we will see to it that we will have the Symbian operating system available after the change. We are increasing investments into the operating system of cheap phones, and in technologies of the future”, says Nokia CEO Stephen Elop

Analyst Ben Wood says that Nokia has been wandering aimlessly for years as in a dream, and done only what it has done before. Why is this?
“First of all, Nokia’s management has not wandered in a dream. Nokia’s strategy has been quite clear, because we saw this change, and we have the steps for how to move ahead. As far as Symbian is concerned, we saw the forthcoming change on the basis of the demands of our customers, but we are not able to influence it as quickly as we should have”, says Chairman of the Board Jorma Ollila.

Did you consider using the Meego operating system along with other manufacturers?
“We discussed Meego with HTC, RIM, Samsung, LG, and Motorola. One manufacturer was fairly interested in Meego and the others have their own plans, and they were not particularly interested in Meego. They were afraid that Nokia had too much power in Meego”, Elop says.

There have been extensive reports in the media about the security breach affecting the Sony PlayStation. Microsoft Windows has been very vulnerable in data security. How will Nokia protect its telephones and its services with many credit card transactions?
“Data security and privacy are very important for us, and we need to take care of it in all of our business activities. We have comprehensive means for securing the privacy and data security of our consumers. Our phones have a completely different operating system than the Windows that is in a computer.”

Nokia pays Microsoft for the use of Windows, and gets payments in return. Can you say how many billions in profit are involved, and what is the schedule for payment?
“We do not give any details on compensations and fees. If we would tell them now, our competitors would get information which would cause problems for all of us. The payments [software licences] that we pay to Microsoft are very competitive, because we aim to sell a significant number of Windows phones.”

Will the Meego product that comes on sale at the end of the year be a touch-screen computer?
“No, it is not a tablet computer. There are 200 touch-screen computers on the market, and the only one that is a financial success is the Apple iPad. There is no point in us imitating it, like all of the others are doing without success. We need to make different kinds of products.”

Competition in China is intense, and they copy almost anything there. How can Nokia secure its competitiveness in China?
“Our industrial rights are our most important asset right after our personnel. It has long been predicted that officials in China would start taking a more serious attitude toward industrial rights, now that their own industry is starting to produce patented inventions. We are approaching this moment, and we are starting to defend industrial rights in China.”

When Nokia announced its new strategy, investors were not immediately excited. The share price fell sharply. Is this because Nokia has failed in assuring investors or is this cooperation simply bad news?
“Big investors understand and support our strategy. The first reason for the uncertainly was that in February we had no binding contract. In addition, we could not initially report on savings in costs, and we have still not revealled precisely when the first Windows phone will be available. The message from investors was clear to us: Nokia needs to show that changes will be implemented, and that they will bring results.”

Qualcomm’s new partnership with Nokia

August 8, 2011 8:45 pm / 4 Comments on Qualcomm’s new partnership with Nokia

Follow-up:
Nokia Lumia (Windows Phone 7) value proposition [Oct 26, 2011]
Note: The “affordable” Nokia Lumia 710 is the one produced by Compal (the 800 is by Nokia itself). Snapdragon S2 MSM8255 @ 1.4GHz is used in both models.

From being an enemy to being a partner [China Daily, Aug 4, 2011]

Paul Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of Qualcomm Inc, said the biggest challenge for him since he took over the company in 2005 was to turn Qualcomm from an enemy disliked by many industry players to a popular and amiable partner.

The company, which was founded by his father, Irwin Jacobs, in the United States city of San Diego in 1985, had been known for providing support for a digital wireless technology named Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

Unlike his father, who closely focused on CDMA technology, the son has a much broader vision and he strongly believes in the upcoming mobile Internet, in which cell phones are going to be the devices that everybody uses and connects to the Internet.

The idea has driven Jacobs junior to expand his father’s business into two major parts – mobile phone chipset production and patent licensing. The patent licensing includes CDMA technology and European-adopted technology Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA).

Jacobs said he has witnessed some critical changes in the past six years. Instead of being caught up in lawsuits concerning intellectual rights, which used to be a common occurrence, companies have begun to regard Qualcomm as a good partner.

“Partnership was the thing we were missing,” he said in an exclusive interview with China Daily. It was great that Qualcomm had been known for two things – innovation and execution– because the company would come up with new things and would deliver qualified chips on time.

However, many companies didn’t like Qualcomm because it imposed high intellectual property royalties on its products. “They felt like they were our hostages. They didn’t like us. They resented us,” Jacobs recalled.

So in the first all-hands meeting after the son took the helm in 2005, he got up and said: “We are going to be known for three things – innovation, execution, and partnership.”

The company seemed to benefit from the decision and win back partners. Qualcomm and Nokia Corp, the world’s biggest mobile phone maker by volume, had fought for years over intellectual property disputessince Jacobs started to act as CEO.

Now the two companies have settled the lawsuits and are working together in San Diego to develop Nokia’s first smart phone running on a Windows platform.

Nokia Corp’s chief executive officer, Stephen Elop, said Qualcomm would be “an important partner” as his company is about to enter the Windows phone era.

“But Nokia still has a general strategy that we would like to have multiple partners for critical components,” Elop said at the Nokia Connection 2011 event in Singapore in June.

Jacobs said he is “very excited about that opportunity”, as Nokia eventually paved the way to adopt Qualcomm’s chips. “Our relationships are good and I think they will be even better when the first batch of Nokia phones starts to come out.”

Currently, all nine Windows phone models in the world’s markets are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, said the company.

“Qualcomm has the lead position on Windows Phone and it will take its competitors time to get up to speed on that operating system,” Jon Erensen, research director of Gartner’s mobile handset and consumer electronic semiconductors, wrote in an email to China Daily.

Qualcomm also sees good partnerships growing in the Chinese market, as China contributed the biggest revenue share of 29 percent in the company’s 2010 fiscal year, surpassing South Korea.

In China, the most important strategic alliance for Qualcomm is China Telecom Corp Ltd, the smallest telecom carrier of the country. The operator took the 3G license in 2009and runs a CDMA network in China.

China’s CDMA industry chain has flourished since 2009. Wang Xiaochu, general manager of China Telecom Corp Ltd, said the toughest time for China’s CDMA terminal industry chain had passed, since the market volume grew to 41.9 million units in 2010 from 7.67 million mobile phones in 2008.

China Telecom expects to sell more than 60 million CDMA mobile phones in 2011 and, by mid-June, about 25 million units had already been shipped.

“China Telecom is really where the center of the CDMA universe is now. It used to be more North American focused. Now I think it’s much more about China and Asia,” Jacobs said.

Qualcomm could be one of the companies that benefits most from China’s booming CDMA industry, since the company dominates the world’s CDMA chip market.

Meanwhile, the company has also cooperated with China Unicom to help produce WCDMA handsets.

Qualcomm’s relationship with China Mobile Ltd, the world’s biggest telecom carrier with more than 600 million subscribers, was relatively weak in the past. China Mobile adopted GSM technology in the 2G era and home-grown TD-SCDMA technology in the 3G era. Qualcomm had few products supporting these standards.

But Jacobs said his company’s latest chips, such as dual-core MSM 8960, are about to support various international telecommunication standards, including TD-LTE technology, which China Mobile is actively promoting.

Since China is now the world’s biggest mobile phone production country and mobile phone market, Qualcomm would really like to build up its partnerships with Chinese carriers and mobile phone makers here, the CEO added.

Wang Yanhui, secretary-general of the China Mobile Phone Alliance, said Qualcomm had signed patent licensing agreements with more than 50 mainland handset manufacturers and is setting up a research and development team of roughly 1,000 people in Shanghai.

Domestic handset makers, such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp, are all in good relationships with Qualcomm. Jacobs expected these Chinese companies to achieve a similar success with South Korea companies such as LG Corp and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

Jacobs said it was very interesting in China that because China issued 3G licenses relatively later than other countries, Chinese mobile phone makers had built up an export market first.

“Then they come back to China’s 3G market with rich experience. That’s going to help them to achieve a greater success.”

In addition to providing high-end chips, which run at a fast speed and have rich functionality, Qualcomm also focuses on low-end mobile chips aimed for the mass market.

“We are driving the price down at that low endto get the mass market smart phone because we really believe that providing mobile broadband very widely to a lot of people is important, not just because of the good business for us, but because it also improves people’s lives,” he added.

Qualcomm’s move to further cut the low-end mobile phone chips could apply more pressure on some Taiwan-based chip makers, such as MediaTek Inc, but the hundreds of small- and medium-sized mobile phone manufacturers in China would benefit from the competition.

…

Qualcomm’s global annual revenue rose to $11 billion in fiscal year 2010 from $7.53 billion in 2006. The company shipped 207 million MSM chips in fiscal year 2006, and the figure increased to 399 million in fiscal year 2010.

Qualcomm Signs MOU with China’s Ministry of Information Industry for CDMA [Dec 4, 2000]

The MOU confirms MII’s support of Qualcomm’s Framework Agreement with China Unicom dated January 28, 2000, pursuant to cooperation between China and Qualcomm in developing CDMA technologies. This MOU also supports the deployment in China of a nationwide network based on CDMA technology with continued migration to advanced CDMA technology supporting higher data rates. With over 70 million mobile communications subscribers, China has become the second-largest and fastest-growing mobile market in the world. Qualcomm’s MOU with MII has laid down the foundation of long-term cooperation between Qualcomm and China’s information industry.

Qualcomm Announces Signing of Commercial License for CDMA Network Products with Huawei Technologies [Nov 1, 2001]

Under the terms of the royalty-bearing license agreement, Qualcomm has granted Huawei a license under Qualcomm’s CDMA patent portfolio to develop, manufacture and sell cdmaOne™ and third-generation (3G) CDMA2000 1X/1xEV network equipment. The license grants Huawei the right to use Qualcomm’s patented technology and chipsets to make and sell cdmaOne and CDMA2000 1X equipment in China and worldwide.

Qualcomm Enters into CDMA Subscriber Unit and Infrastructure License Agreements with 11 Chinese Manufacturers [Jan 23, 2002]

… making a total of 17 domestic Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturers that are now licensed by Qualcomm. Under the terms of the worldwide royalty-bearing license agreements, Qualcomm has granted these Chinese manufacturers licenses under Qualcomm’s CDMA patent portfolio to develop, manufacture and sell cdmaOne™ and third-generation (3G) CDMA2000 1X/1xEV-DO subscriber unit and/or infrastructure equipment.

China Unicom Announces the Signing of a Detailed Agreement with China Telecom on the Disposal of its CDMA Business [July 28, 2008]

Previously, on 2 June 2008, Unicom announced that it had entered into a CDMA Business Framework Agreement with China Telecom. On that same day, Unicom announced that it planned to merge with China Netcom Group Corporation (Hong Kong) Limited (“Netcom”) (HKSE: 0906, NYSE: CN).

The total consideration, payable in cash to Unicom by China Telecom, remains unchanged at RMB43.8 billion (approximately HK$50.1 billion [US$6.3B]) and Unicom expects to realise an estimated net gain before tax of approximately RMB37.6 billion (approximately HK$42.9 billion). The net proceeds from the disposal are expected to be used by Unicom for the expansion of its GSM network coverage, the improvement of GSM customer service and the enhancement of IT support systems and platforms for value-added services, in order to lay a solid foundation for the introduction of 3G services. The net proceeds will also fund the Unicom’s working capital and other general corporate purposes.

Upon completion of the Transaction, Unicom will focus on the operation of its GSM network and prepare for the introduction of 3G services. As of 30 June 2008, Unicom had 127.6 million GSM subscribers and 43.17 million CDMA subscribers. As part of the Transaction, 29.3% of Unicom’s employees will be transferred to China Telecom.

After that restructuring – however – Qualcomm had no China Telecom related press releases at all showing clearly that the company’s focus moved elsewhere on the China market (CDMA/EV-DO tech. manufacturing or other technologies), e.g. ZTE to Develop CDMA2000 Femtocells Based on Qualcomm System on Chip Solutions [March 23, 2010] or Qualcomm Now Demonstrating Products Based on LTE TDD Technology [Sept 8, 2010].

The Changes in the Nokia relationship

– Qualcomm Initiates Patent Infringement Proceedings in the UK against Nokia [May 24, 2006]
– Qualcomm Files Complaint Against Nokia with International Trade Commission [June 12, 2006]
– Nokia’s Announced Plan to Ramp Down its CDMA2000 R&D and Manufacturing Will Not Impede the Continued Growth of CDMA2000 [June 23, 2006]
– Qualcomm Responds to Nokia’s Latest Maneuver to Delay Judicial Determinations that Nokia’s GSM Handsets Infringe Qualcomm’s Patents [March 20, 2007]
– Qualcomm Files Additional GSM Patent Infringement Suits Against Nokia [April 3, 2007]
– Qualcomm Files Arbitration Demand Against Nokia to Resolve Dispute Over License Agreement [April 5, 2007]
– Nokia and Qualcomm Enter Into a New Agreement [July 23, 2008]
Companies Agree to Settle All Litigation

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) today announced that they have entered into a new agreement covering various standards including GSM, EDGE, CDMA, WCDMA, HSDPA, OFDM, WiMAX, LTE and other technologies. The agreement will result in settlement of all litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia of its complaint to the European Commission.

Under the terms of the new 15-year agreement, Nokia has been granted a license under all Qualcomm’s patents for use in Nokia mobile devices and Nokia Siemens Networks infrastructure equipment. Further, Nokia has agreed not to use any of its patents directly against Qualcomm, enabling Qualcomm to integrate Nokia’s technology into Qualcomm’s chipsets. The financial structure of the settlement includes an up-front payment and on-going royalties payable to Qualcomm. Nokia has agreed to assign ownership of a number of patents to Qualcomm, including patents declared as essential to WCDMA, GSM and OFDMA. The specific terms are confidential.

“We believe that this agreement is positive for the industry, enabling the market to benefit from innovation and new technologies,” said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia Corporation. “The positive financial impact of this agreement is within Nokia’s original expectations and fully reflects our leading intellectual property and market positions.”

“I’m very pleased that we have come to this important agreement,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm. “The terms of the new license agreement, including the financial and other value provided to Qualcomm, reflect our strong intellectual property position across many current and future generation technologies. This agreement paves the way for enhanced opportunities between the companies in a number of areas.”

Nokia and Qualcomm Plan to Develop Advanced Mobile Devices [Feb 19, 2009]

Nokia and Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) today announced that the two companies are planning to work together to develop advanced UMTS mobile devices, initially for North America. The companies intend for the devices to be based on S60 software on Symbian OS, the world’s most used software for smartphones, and utilize Qualcomm’s advanced Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) MSM7xxx-series and MSM8xxx-series chipsets for cutting-edge processing performance and ubiquitous mobile broadband capabilities. The first mobile devices based on this collaboration would be expected to launch in mid-2010 and be compatible with the forthcoming Symbian Foundation platform.

“Nokia is very pleased to be in discussions with Qualcomm around designing mobile devices that can benefit from the high level of integration found on MSM chipsets,” said Kai Oistamo, executive vice president, Devices, Nokia. “We are eager to demonstrate to the industry the possibilities that exist when innovative and open software is combined with advanced hardware solutions.”

“Nokia and Qualcomm are leaders in advanced wireless technologies, and this new level of cooperation would bring exceptional leaps in mobile performance to people around the world,” said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “We are very excited about the possibility of the substantial synergies between S60 software and MSM chipsets.”

Qualcomm Innovation Center Joins the Symbian Foundation [Oct 29, 2009]

Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc. (QuIC) and the Symbian Foundation today announced that QuIC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, has joined the Symbian Foundation and has been appointed to the Symbian Foundation board of directors. QuIC will support the Symbian Foundation with active participation on the board of directors and each of the four councils that govern the development of the Symbian platform.

QuIC’s charter is to focus on optimizing open source software for use with Qualcomm technology. QuIC brings to the Symbian Foundation a wealth of knowledge and expertise in open source and, as a Symbian Foundation board member, QuIC is committed to working with its fellow board members for Symbian’s continued commercial success. QuIC joins wireless operators AT&T, Vodafone and NTT DOCOMO; silicon providers ST Microelectronics NV and Texas Instruments; and handset manufacturers Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Nokia on the Symbian Foundation board.

The Symbian platform comprises a complete, open source mobile operating system, user interfaces, middleware and key mobile applications used in more than 300 million smartphone devices worldwide. It includes the critical software elements a manufacturer or operator needs to build a mobile device. Symbian was built for mobile and enables mobile developers to use open SDKs to create compelling mobile applications that take full advantage of all Symbian-based handsets.

“QuIC joining the Symbian Foundation and the Symbian Foundation board demonstrates our commitment to provide expertise and to optimize technology with the Symbian platform,” said Rob Chandhok, president of QuIC. “High-level operating systems offer the potential to unleash tremendous innovation and we are excited to help advance that process on the Symbian platform. Working as part of the Symbian Foundation, QuIC looks forward to participating in technology innovation in areas such as multi-core CPU support, Web browser and application enhancement, and CDMA and LTE support.”

“The Symbian Foundation welcomes QuIC, whose membership and board participation brings us significant wireless technology expertise and whose leadership will act as an important catalyst for the growth of the Symbian ecosystem,” said Lee Williams, executive director of the Symbian Foundation. “On behalf of the Symbian Foundation board, we look forward to collaboratively evolving and rapidly expanding the Symbian open source software platform with QuIC.”

Qualcomm, HP, HTC and Nokia Executives to Keynote at Uplinq 2011 [April 28, 2011]

Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), the leading developer and innovator of 3G and next-generation wireless technologies, products and services, today announced the general session keynote speakers for the Uplinq® 2011 conference, hosted by Qualcomm on June 1-2 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. Speakers will include Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm, Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, Hewlett-Packard Company, Peter Chou, CEO of HTC and Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia.

Dr. Paul E. Jacobs will open the conference on June 1 with his keynote, “Mobile Computing: The Next Great Frontier,” which will focus on the continuing evolution of mobile and expanding opportunities for developers to take the mobile experience to new levels. In addition, Dr. Jacobs will share insights about how advances in mobile computing and other technology enablers are breaking down barriers for developers and empowering them to change the lives of people everywhere. HP’s Jon Rubinstein will follow Dr. Jacobs with a fireside chat on the opening day of Uplinq.

On June 2, the second day of Uplinq, HTC’s Peter Chou will give the opening keynote. Rounding out this lineup of wireless industry leaders will be Nokia’s Stephen Elop who will give the second keynote on Day Two of the conference.

Key message: transition from device-to-device battle to ecosystem-to-ecosystem battle

Uplinq 2011: Nokia Stephen Elop Keynote Highlights [June 17, 2011]

The Uplinq Daily Show on Qualcomm LIVE! Interview with Nokia’s Stephen Elop [June 2, 2011]

Cali Lewis interviews Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia about his keynote and the importance of mobile ecosystems

Stephen Elop’s keynote at Qualcomm’s Uplinq [June 10, 2011]

… There is an opportunity for a third and competitive ecosystem to emerge. …

It is not just the device, or the software on that device. These ecosystems that I described are so much more than what you are holding in your hand. Nokia will be contributing mapping, navigation and various location-based services… and you know what… all the manufacturers of Windows Phone will be taking advantage of that… I want HTC and Samsung to be successful with Windows Phone because our principal competitor is not each other, but Android. So we are contributing service elements for the benefit of everyone in the ecosystem.

…

Equally, Microsoft is contributing a number of services and capabilities… for example: Bing, AdCenter, Xbox, Office productivity experience, unified communications (voice, video etc.) You will have heard about the acquisition of Skype ten days ago, clearly that will be part of the Windows Phone ecosystem.

…

Parts of the ecosystem, as well, are the chipset and other hardware contributors. Which is why Qualcomm, ourselves, Microsoft, are all working together to deliver the best experiences for this ecosystem.

…

How do we take the ecosystem beyond the mobile experience? We believe that, fundamentally, we are just at the beginning of the mobile revolution. The mobile platform, with a variety of sensors and capabilities associated with a device, is giving opportunities to create entirely new and extended experiences that are only possible on that mobile device. So we are only at the beginning of mobility and have an opportunity to extend the ecosystem in different directions to make that even more compelling.

…

Of course, this ecosystem is not just about mobility and the smartphone, it is also about tablets, it’s about television sets, gaming platforms, automobiles and all the different places where people expect to have a fully connected digital experience.

…

And so we at Nokia definitely recognise the importance of delivering on this broader promise of the larger connected digital experience.

…

Perhaps the first and most notable of these today relates to tablets. So there’s a lot of activity and hype about tablets in the marketplace. But the market conditions are not yet optimised… Say there are 201 tablets being sold today, only one of them is being sold out a furious rate… and being very successful. The other 200 tablets… are not really landing with consumers. For Nokia, when I get asked about our tablets strategy, the first thing I say is that I don’t just want to be tablets number 202. Because, really, if we cant differentiate from that pack… then we’re not going to be successful. So as we look at it, we believe we have to do something that is fundamentally differentiated. And we have some options to do that, given our market penetration, our strengths in emerging markets… so watch this space, you will see some interesting things.

…

We do have the ability to reach out to very large numbers of well identified consumers. With our existing smartphone operating system we have, today, over 200 million registered users, 60 million of whom are active in our apps and store environment on a [rolling] thirty day basis. … Around the world we have tremendous reach. It is today that we are adding 140,000 new registered users [every day]… and they are downloading 5 million items a day [now 6 million]

Now part of the reason, in many parts of the world, that this has been attractive is because of the focus we have had on monetisation enablers. I mentioned earlier the operator billing relationships – we are able to measure the uplift for developers in areas where there is operating billing, compared to those where there is not. You get a three and half times uplift in the volume of money you can make when we have an operating billing relationship. The reason is simple… it is much easier for consumers to just click the button.

A lot of other things we are doing for developers: removing the registration fees to participate in Windows Phone development, all sorts of thing to make it easier to publish and distribute your application. We are also hoping you will recognise the extended opportunity, even beyond Windows Phone, to monetise your application on other platforms [Symbian, Series 40] that reach into China, India and Russia.

Nokia picks Qualcomm for Windows phone, seeks others [Reuters, May 20, 2011]

Nokia said on Friday it was negotiating with several chipset suppliers for its future Windows Phone models after deciding to use Qualcomm in its first smartphones using Microsoft’s software.

Nokia announced in February it would use Microsoft’s Windows Phone software in all of its smartphones.

Microsoft Windows Phone operating system (OS) is available only on Qualcomm’s chips, but the U.S. software giant has said it was expanding the supplier base.

“The first Nokias based on Windows Phone will have the Qualcomm chipset,” said a Nokia spokesman.

“Our aim is to build a vibrant ecosystem around Nokia and the Windows Phone OS and with that intent we are naturally continuing discussions with a number of chipset suppliers for our futureproduct portfolio,” he said.

He said one of the companies involved in the talks was ST-Ericsson.

Nokia To Use ST-Ericsson Chips For Windows Phone 8 Handsets [May 19, 2011]

In an interview at STMicroelectronics’ annual Analyst Day, [Carlo] Bozotti [the Chief Executive of the European semiconductor maker] told Forbes that ST-Ericsson will be one of two chip suppliers for Nokia’s upcoming Windows Phones.

…

The first ST-Ericsson chipset that will appear in a Nokia Windows Phone is the U8500, a sophisticated dual-core system-on-a-chip that has been favorably compared to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line because it offers multiple wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and a fast, built-in HSPA+ modem, all in a compact format. Some later Nokia Windows Phones – the company has previously said it is planning to release 12 Windows Phone devices over the course of 2012 – will run on future versions of the U8500, said Bozotti.

The 5-years long experience of close partnership with Microsoft

– Microsoft and Qualcomm to Revolutionize the Next Generation of Smartphones [May 4, 2006]
– Qualcomm’s Collaboration with Microsoft Reshapes the Smartphone Market [Oct 23, 2007]
– Qualcomm [Snapdragon] Powers Next-Generation Windows Phones [Windows Mobile 6.5] Launching Around the Globe [Oct, 2009]
– Qualcomm Becomes the First Chipset Company to Support Microsoft Windows® Phone 7 Series [Feb 15, 2010]

The Company is working with Microsoft and multiple device manufacturers on smartphones powered by its Snapdragon™ platforms and running Windows Phone 7 Series software, currently scheduled to begin launching in time for the 2010 holiday season. Snapdragon chipsets integrate high-performance, custom CPUs with 3G and powerful multimedia capabilities in a single chip.

The latest version of Windows Phone software, announced today, is distinguished by its smart design and delivery of truly integrated experiences. Combining the capabilities of Windows Phone 7 Series software and Qualcomm’s industry-leading chipset solutions will enable a new generation of devices that redefine the possibilities of mobile experiences.

“People’s lives are not a set of discrete tasks and their phones should not be either. Windows Phone 7 Series software offers a fresh approach that integrates the Web, applications and content and brings new services such as Zune and Xbox LIVE to the phone for the first time,” said Andy Lees, senior vice president, Microsoft. “We’ve worked closely with Qualcomm on Windows Phone 7 Series software and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets are an integral partof bringing to life the rich, integrated experiences on a Windows Phone in a way that conserves battery life and provides always-on connectivity.”

“Qualcomm has a long history of working closely with Microsoft on Windows Phone, and we are continuing this collaboration to support the launches this year of exciting new Windows Phone 7 Series devices based on our Snapdragon chipsets,” said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “We are very excited about the next generation of devices that will leverage the synergy of our highly integrated system on a chip solutions and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 Series software.”

Nokia Windows Phone to debut on August 17 at the huge gamescom 2011 event

August 3, 2011 5:20 pm / 1 Comment on Nokia Windows Phone to debut on August 17 at the huge gamescom 2011 event

Follow-up:
Nokia Lumia (Windows Phone 7) value proposition [Oct 26, 2011]
Note: the “affordable” Nokia Lumia 710 is the one produced by Compal (the 800 is by Nokia itself)

Update:
– DroidUser999 says: … What happened to Nokia-MS Party on Aug 17th. Did they announce anything? [August 17, 2011 at 12:42 pm]

Taigatrommel says: August 17, 2011 at 6:38 pm

It was said they’d have a “small portfolio of devices” ready this year for small launch on limited regions.

I think they talked about a touch-only phone as well as one with a keyboard. So this small portfolio would include two different devices.

– More information: – Nokia’s North America centric approach for Windows Phone 7 [Aug 11, 2011]

– @dnystedt Dan Nystedt
Nokia supplier, Compal, to start shipping Windows Phone 7 smartphones to Nokia in September, total 2 million in Q4, Taiwan media say.
12 Aug via web

– More information: First Nokia WP7 in Q4 via an ODM route from Compal [Aug 13, 2011, with updates up to Aug 17, 2011]

– GIGA Tech Gamescom Special – Zu Gast bei Microsoft Xbox Live [Aug 20, 2011] (only the short intro is in German!)

– Microsoft Unveils Mango’s New Games Hub Features And Xbox Live Titles [Aug 16, 2011]

… today Microsoft announced Avatar Awardables, which are virtual badges that represent gaming achievements. The more you win, the more your avatar begins to look like an Eagle Scout’s merit badge sash. Microsoft also introduced what the company is calling Game Add-ons, which are basically just in-app purchases for games, like buying new weapons or levels.

The next new feature will please parents more than anyone else, as Microsoft has included parental controls within the Games Hub.

– Nokia Teams Up With Polar to Launch Over 300 Mobile Apps for Major Media Brands Globally [Aug 17, 2011]:

Nokia (www.nokia.com) has entered into an agreement with Polar Mobile (www.polarmobile.com) to launch over 300 mobile apps for Nokia smartphones over the next 12 months. Polar Mobile will be launching apps on Nokia smartphones for over 300 top tier media brands globally, including the likes of Wired UK, Kompas, Advertising Age, Globe and Mail, Shanghai Daily and 7DAYS. The apps will be made available to consumers of Nokia’s Symbian smartphones, the recently announced Nokia N9 and future Nokia with Windows Phone devices.

End of updates

The invitation sent out by Nokia and Microsoft this week:

is saying:

Save the date.

Nokia & Microsoft party.

For the beginning of games week in Cologne, we would like to celebrate with you in a special location.

A live act and great dj’s guarantee amazing sounds. Exciting actions and surprises will make it an event to remember.

An invitation with more details will follow soon.

> Competition
We raffle

3x Xbox 360 250 GB console with Kinect

3x Nokia with Windows Phone (as soon as available)

The last sentence makes it clear that “Nokia with Windows Phone” might not be available by the time of “games week in Cologne”. It is also made clear, however, by the very fact of this joint Nokia & Microsoft party (note also the order of company names!) that this will be the first public showing of the Windows Phone from Nokia.

Keep in mind that at an earlier Singapore event for the local Nokia employees the first Nokia Windows Phone 7 device has already been shown. See the 2nd embedded video in Engadget’s Nokia’s first Windows Phone: images and video, codenamed ‘Sea Ray’ [June 23, 2011] post which came from a 3d party video record. And that seems to be very much an intentional leakage (although the YouTube version has been made inaccessible on request from Nokia).

There is also a kind of clarification in RUMOR: Nokia to launch its first Microsoft Windows Phone mid of August? No! [UPDATE] [Aug 1, 2011]:

As of yesterday, we’ve received further information and according to them, it’s not a launch event at all but should engage (games) developers to the Windows Phone platform as well as to Nokia and Microsoft. It wasn’t confirmed that there won’t be a Nokia Windows Phone on some kind of display but I could imagine anyway that Nokia might give a first public sneak-peek anyway.

Now, what is gamescom 2011? This is:

The world’s largest trade fair and event highlight for interactive games and entertainment

with the tag line of:

Celebrate the games

held in:

Cologne, 17.-21-08.2011, open for everyone: 18.-21.08.2011

For trade visitors [i.e. “everyone”]

gamescom 2011 is the world’s largest trade and media platform in the game sector. More information for trade visitors

For exhibitors [for whom also the first day, Aug 17 has ben reserved as a closed one]

gamescom 2011 is the ideal place to establish and maintain business relations. More information for exhibitors

as per the home page [Aug 18, 2008] of this series of events.

According to the last year’s gamescom 10: Final report [Aug 23, 2010]:

This Sunday the second run of gamescom – the largest trade fair and event highlight for interactive games – successfully came to a close. A total of 254,000 visitors experienced over 200 world, European and
German premieres on five spectacular trade fair days. At the leading European trade fair in Cologne, 505 exhibitors from 33 countries(2009: 458/31) presented their product innovations, including the hardware enhancements “Kinect” (Microsoft), “Move” (Sony) and the topic of fascinating 3D trends, which provide new momentum for the market of interactive entertainment.

…

Of the 505 exhibitors, 230 companies alone came from abroad(+15%), thus increasing the internationality of gamescom on the exhibitor side to 45.7% (2009: 43.8%). The team of all major national and international companies in the industry was almost fully represented.

…

and according to the No. 11 press release gamescom with successful interim result [April 19, 2011]

* Currently 20 percent more exhibitors than at the comparable point in time in 2010
* Notable exhibitors SEGA and Capcom to return to the highlight in Cologne
* First country-specific pavilion for Mexico

…

In addition to key players including, among others, Electronic Arts, DeepSilver, Konami, Namco Bandai, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Warner Bros., Take-Two Interactive and Bethesda Softworks, leading online and browser games companies such as Frogster, NCsoft, Trion Worlds, Valve Corporation and hardware suppliers such as Hama, Razer and Bigben Interactive have registered.

More information has been regularly broadcasted as well, according to the No. 21 press release gamescom tv 2011 goes live today [July 15, 2011]

– First episode today, Friday, at www.gamescom-cologne.com, www.youtube.com/user/mygamescom and www.gamestar.de/gamescomtv2011/
– Presenters Annica Hansen and Nino Kerl provide comprehensive information on the largest trade fair and event highlight in interactive entertainment of the year 2011
– More entertainment thanks to new contents and English subtitles

…

In 11 episodes, gamescom tv 2011 will present all highlights of the largest games and entertainment event

Clearly the first, closed day of such an event is the ideal place to introduce Nokia’s new Windows Phone for the press as well as the exhibitors of the event. Especially so because gaming and entertainment are the biggest differentiators of the Windows Phone platform vs. the competition.

Because of the widely known connection to the Xbox platform via Xbox LIVE the gaming advantage is quite obvious. For entertainment 3d party views for ‘Mango’ version go as high as:

… Windows Phone’s music experience is rivaled by none. Whether you are talking iOS or Android or Blackberry or WebOS, nobody does music playback and discovery as well as the Zune offerings in Windows Phone.

Gaming is supported via the new Games Hub while entertainment via the new Music +Video Hub. Below are a couple of notable video demos as well as detailed information about those two enhanced and redesigned hubs for Windows Phone 7, ‘Mango’ release:

Windows Phone Mango Games Hub Preview [June 18, 2011]

The Games hub has seen a total redesign and it looks fantastic. The collection listing has smaller game tiles now and the Xbox Live section now shows your fully animated avatar right away. Sometimes he’ll actually sneak off to other parts of the Games hub panorama when he gets bored. Your friends listing, messages, profile, and achievements are now all accessible right inside the Games hub. The Friends tile actually shows some of your friends’ avatars in the thumbnail and will change periodically. You can see which friends are online and compare their scores and achievements for each game. There’s no need to install the Xbox Live Extras app anymore… for those features. The Avatar customization features and Avatar Marketplace are not directly built in and will require the installation of the new Xbox Live Extras app (which is not available yet.)

In terms of the actual games, one of the features we’ve seen demoed was the instant resume while multitasking. Unfortunately we’ll need updated games that support the fast resume feature. Right now, with current games, they’ll essentially restart themselves and then resume while using the fast task switcher.

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Windows Phone Mango Music + Video Preview [June 18, 2011]

The Music + Videos hub has seen some pretty significant changes. The hub design has been slightly altered and now there’s a little “…” menu at the bottom like most other applications. The “play all” button has also been moved to the bottom. The History section is now a vertical scrolling list of square tiles rather than a horizontal panning list. The same is true with the “New” listing, and the “Marquee” of music/video apps that integrate with the Music + Videos hub is now called “Apps”.

You can tap and hold anything in the New or History section of the top-level hub in order to pin them to the start menu or (if supported) play a smart DJ mix. Unfortunately there are no “Add to Now Playing” menu commands here. It would be great if I could quickly make a playlist of the new music in my music hub, but instead you still have to navigate to the artist/album/song deep within the music library before you’ll find that “Add to Now Playing” command in a tap & hold menu.

The music, videos, and podcasts libraries are mostly the same as Windows Phone 7, however you’ll notice a couple new additions when you find an artist page. First of all the “Smart DJ” button is there at the top, and if you have a Zune pass that will create a mix of music that includes the artist you’re looking at along with streaming cloud music that really nicely goes along with that artist. You’ll also notice a new pivot tab for “Related” artists. This is another excellent feature that was imported from the Zune HD. The related tab will show nice artist tiles from musicians that you might also like if you like the one you’re looking at. This is a great way to discover new music.

Website: http://pocketnow.com
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Space Shuttle Landing Mission in Infinite Flight 1.8 for Windows Phone [July 21, 2011]

The Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down this week, marking the end of a era for NASA and manned space flight. The good news: Atlantis is alive and well on Windows Phone. To commemorate the final shuttle flight, Flying Development Studio has released a new update for its popular and highly-regarded flight sim, Infinite Flight. Here’s a peek. This is a video of one of the missions in Infinite Flight 1.8, the Space Shuttle Landing!

Find out more at http://www.flyingdevelopmentstudio.com
Download at: http://www.infinite-flight.comor by searching for “Infinite Flight” in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

WP7 Game Review: Tentacles (WMPowerUser.com) [July 21, 2011]

This is a Windows Phone 7 video review of Tentacles, reviewed by Andrew Bares from http://wmpoweruser.com

See more: Tentacles: An exclusive game to be proud of! [July 22, 2011]

…
Title: Tentacles
Price: $4.99
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
http://redirect.zune.net/External/LaunchZuneProtocol.aspx?pathuri=navigate%3F…

Windows Phone 7 Mobile Games | ilomilo [Feb 4, 2011]

One of our most popular mobile games on Windows Phone, ilomilo is a puzzle game where the player controls two friends named ilo and milo. This fun game requires players to use a great deal of three dimensional thinking to reunite ilo and milo and win.

To download ilomilo, visit the Windows Phone app marketplace: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/apps/paid-apps.aspx

See also: This week’s Deal of the Week–Ilomilo [Aug 3, 20110]:

Ilomilo is one of the cutest games on Windows Phone 7 and also may have some of the best graphics.

The Windows Phone 7 launch title has been selling for $4.99 but has been announced as this week’s Deal of the Week, so will see a temporary drop in price soon.

The game scored a very solid 5/5 in Presentation, Gameplay and also scored 5/5 for its overall score in our full review here, and is of course an Xbox Live title, so if you have not picked it up yet now may be a good time.

Ilomilo can be found in Marketplace here.

Windows Phone 7 Mobile Games | Krashlander [Feb 4, 2011]

This is a physics-powered mobile game with epic crashes. You are Krashlander. Armed with only your krash-suit and a pair of skis, it is your mission to blast down snowy mountains, jump over gaping crevices, and lay some hurt on any robots you find. Krash well my friend!

To download Krashlander or other related Windows Phone games, visit the Apps Marketplace: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/apps/paid-apps.aspx

Xbox LIVE | Windows Phone 7 [Jan 11, 2011]

Preview the new mobile games coming to Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone 7. You’re always in the game with Xbox LIVE on your Windows Phone.

Learn more about Xbox LIVE on your WP7: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/apps/xbox.aspx

Fresh from E3: Xbox LIVE enhancements and new games for Windows Phone [Windows Phone Blog, June 6, 2011]

I know all of the gamers out there have been eagerly following all of the news coming out of the E3 expo in Los Angeles [games and voice]. Of course, I am partial to Xbox news especially when it comes to new stuff for Windows Phone. With that, I am stoked to announce some new Xbox LIVE functionality coming in the release of Windows Phone code-named Mango, in addition to some awesome new game titles.

First off, soon you’ll find an update to the Xbox LIVE Extras app, this is the new Avatar Marketplace! Now, you have more options to customize your Avatar with a wide range of props and clothing right on your phone.

Coming later this year in Mango is more native support of Xbox LIVE features in the Games Hub like:

See your played games and unlocked/locked Achievements

Compare Achievements with other Xbox LIVE members

Search your list of friends to see who is online and what they are doing

See your Xbox LIVE messages and Send/Accept/Reject friend requests

But what would the kickoff of E3 be without some new games to announce? This new line-up of Xbox LIVE games for Windows Phone will be available later this year; four of which will be available exclusive to Windows Phone! Here’s a snapshot of the games we will be previewing this week:

“Beards & Beaks” (Windows Phone exclusive!):Developed by the award-winning team at Microsoft Game Studios, “Beards & Beaks” is an all-out turf war between gnomes and crows that knows no bounds. A race of treasure heisting, a ballet of gnome flicking, and a natural disaster of very unbecoming behavior, this game is unlike any other!

“Hasta La Muerte” (Windows Phone exclusive!):In this unique 2D world, you are the emissary of death responsible for freeing souls of those whose time has come. Encounter trials, bosses and enemies in more than 30 worlds with the aid of “soulpets” in this thrilling quest.

“Tentacles” (Windows Phone exclusive!): From Press Play, the creators of “Max & the Magic Marker,” this beautifully crafted game features Lemmy, a creepy yet adorable creature who navigates through 40 levels of madness attaching his tentacles to the environments with the tap of your finger. Enjoy groundbreaking, intuitive gameplay as you guide this eyeball-eating creature through boss fights and challenges and outrun Dr. Phluff’s acid attacks.

“Z0MB1ES (on teh ph0ne)” (Windows Phone exclusive!):This is not a typo. It’s an epic 3-pack of musically charged shooters from Ska Studios which includes: “I MAED A GAM3 W1TH ZOMB1ES 1N IT!!!1,” “Time Viking,” and “ENDL3SS ZOMB1ES!!!1” – including original music and the ability to upload a friends (or foes) face onto your zombie enemies from your photo library!

“Let’s Golf”: Gameloft presents a fun new way to golf with eight fun 3D characters with super powers, customized golfers, 108 holes across 6 locations, an in-depth Career mode, and new challenges like Shoot Out.

“Splinter Cell”:In this game from Gameloft, play as Sam Fisher, a highly skilled Special Forces operative and fight a corrupted secret agency to get your daughter back. Follow a trail of intrigue that leads from Iraq to a high-security building in Washington. Run, jump, fight, and shoot using a handgun, shotgun, AK47 and bazooka, or maintain stealth by improvising with nearby objects.

“Top Gun”: Defend the skies in the most authentic first person jet shooter game on Windows Phone, courtesy of Paramount. Become one of the few to survive the Highway to the Danger Zone! Shoot down enemy jets, dodge incoming air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, navigate dangerous environments and obliterate the enemy’s air power.

Some great new titles coming soon to Windows Phone! I’ll be honest, I am looking forward to donning my black skin suit and night vision goggles for some Splinter Cell action on the bus. In the coming weeks, look for a deeper drill down into the Games Hub to see what’s new and hear from some of the folks behind the scenes responsible for creating it. In the meantime, happy E3 week!

Upping our game: What’s new in the Games Hub for Mango [Windows Phone Blog, June 23, 2011]

I used to play games on my Xbox only on the weekends. Now that I work on and own a Windows Phone, I play them at least once a day. As a new “avid gamer” and one of the program managers behind the Games Hub, I’m excited to take you on a gamer’s tour of Mango, the next release of Windows Phone coming this fall.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Games Hub in Mango is its new look: A cleaner and lighter design that emphasizes your game collection and Xbox LIVE info—the heart of the hub. Responding to your feedback, we also made tweaks to improve the overall performance and speed.

Finally, the Games Hub in Mango now comes with many of the features previously found in the popular Xbox LIVE Extras app, such as 3D avatars with fun animations, a new Collection view, and more. Here’s a rundown of the changes.

Improved Collection view

When you download a game from Marketplace, it shows up in the Collection view of the Games Hub. Large icons now dominate this view. But we found this design forces some users to memorize icons to identify a game. The layout also isn’t currently consistent with the App list, located off the Start screen, where all your apps appear.

Since our guiding principle for Mango was making it easier for people to quickly and efficiently find the games they want to play, we’ve made some improvements.

In Mango, games are neatly organized in the same familiar alphabetical list view as your apps—icon on the left, name on the right. Once you’ve amassed more than 20 games—something that can happen pretty quickly on this Xbox-friendly phone—finding titles you play frequently can become a chore, requiring multiple swipes. Our customer research and your feedback told us people want to quickly and easily get back to recently-played games.

To fix that, in Mango we’re introducing a new Recent category. When your collection exceeds 20 games, the last three titles you’ve played now appear right up top, so you can get to favorites faster. (This has been very useful every time I find myself with a couple minutes to spare during the day!)

New 3D avatars with attitude

We know how much Xbox LIVE users love their avatars. In the current release of Windows Phone, the Games Hub displays avatars as a static 2D image. To flesh out your alter ego with an extra dimension, you need the free Xbox Live Extras app from Marketplace.

In the past few months we’ve received a lot of feedback from people wishing 3D avatars would be the norm on the phone. We’ve heard you loud and clear! So you’ll be happy to know that in Mango, we’ve fully integrated 3D avatars into the Games Hub.

Avatars on the phone are also now more playful: They wave at you, yawn, and perform a host of other actions. Shake your phone and your avatar dances—or even faints. Bug your poor alter ego too much and it might lash out at you (I won’t spoil the surprise by saying what it does) or pull the Collection screen into view to hide behind (my personal favorite).

Better Xbox LIVE experience

Besides better avatars, all the features previously found in the Xbox LIVE Extras app are now built into the Games Hub. These include:

Improved Xbox LIVE messaging: Read and reply to Xbox LIVE messages sent from another Windows Phone, a PC, or an Xbox console. We’ve also added more avatar delighters here. If a message contains certain emoticons (e.g. , ), you’ll notice your avatar’s expression change to reflect that emotion! (If a sender overloads a message with conflicting emoticons, your avatar will look bewildered.)

Connect with Xbox LIVE friends: Find out if your Xbox LIVE friends are currently online through the friend status view. You can also search, browse, initiate, and respond to friend requests right from your Windows Phone 7.

Integrated achievements and new comparison views: See the recent games your friends have been playing, and compare gamerscores and achievements for all Xbox LIVE games played on the phone, console, or PC.

Edit your profile: Moved to a new city? Have a new motto in life? Now you can update your name, bio, motto, and location right from the phone.

Improved Spotlight content: We’ve improved the news and info delivered to you via Spotlight in the Games Hub. Your window to the Xbox LIVE community will now be complemented with rich and vibrant images!

Improved game request notifications: In Mango, you’ll receive notifications for multiplayer game or turn requests and can track them in the Requests section of the Games Hub.

It’s been fun to watch the new Games Hub go from concept to reality over the past year. I hope you’re as excited as I am about all the tweaks and improvements on the way for gamers in Mango—many of them inspired directly by your feedback. Let me know what you think!

…

Shirlene LimJune 24, 2011

Thanks for all the comments and feedback. Appreciate all the great suggestions and feature ideas. I’ll pass them on to the team for consideration in future releases. Here’s answers to some of the questions you had…

Q: Do we support push notifications for messaging on Xbox LIVE?

A: No, we do not support that for Mango. I agree it’ll be cool to have instant notification like we do for text and IM. We will look into this.

Q: What about real-time multiplayer support?

A: What about real-time multiplayer? Right now, we’re focused on delivering a great selection of Xbox LIVE games for WP7 and integrating the features that connect the community on mobile, like achievements. We currently offer asynchronous multiplayer functionality in certain Xbox LIVE games. We will continue to evolve and improve the experience in future releases.

Q: Any news on more countries being supported?

A: When Mango arrives in the fall, you’ll see a significant increase in the number of countries where Xbox LIVE service for Windows Phone is available. We’re not quite ready to announce the details yet – expect to hear more about this later this summer.

Q: Will there be a way to quickly sign in and out of different Xbox LIVE profile in the games hub or have support for multiple Xbox LIVE account?

A: No, not at this time.

Q: Will non Xbox LIVE games be integrated in the games hub?

A: Yes. You will find all games in your games hub regardless of whether they are Xbox LIVE or not.

A tour of the new Music +Video Hub [Windows Phone Blog, June 3, 2011]

From the beginning, the chief design principle for the Music+Videos Hub in Windows Phone was simple: make it easy to discover and consume the content you love.

In Mango, it only gets better.

The next release of Windows Phone introduces on-phone podcasts, new features like Smart DJ (my personal favorite), and loads of refinements and tweaks that make it easier to find and enjoy great music and video. As one of the program managers that helped conceive and design many of these new features (yes, I do get paid to listen to music all day), I thought it’d be fun to tell you not only what changes we’re making in Mango but also to give you a little insight into whywe’ve made them.

Podcasts now included

You can already listen to podcasts on your Windows Phone. The catch is you need your computer and the Zune software to actually browse and download them. In Mango, you can now do all this right on your phone (U.S. customers only). [See the comments section for explanation of this from Josh. –ed.]

In the Marketplace hub, you’ll see a new menu option: Podcasts. Tap it to see featured, top, or new podcasts and to browse by genre. Under genres, we’ve also added audio and video pivots, so you can find exactly the type of podcasts you’re interested in. You can also search for specific titles.

Once you’ve found a podcast that interests you, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it. I like Discovery Channel video podcasts but they tend to be quite large. No problem. In Mango, I can stream podcasts directly from Marketplace. Every once in a while, I want the latest episode of The Onion for a laugh but don’t need them all. That’s OK, I can download individual episodes.

I do, however, always want the latest DJ Tiesto podcast when I leave the house every Monday morning. Easy enough: I can subscribe to the series right on the phone and it will automatically download new episodes while charging overnight. Windows Phone will be the onlyphone to do this without a PC or third-party app!

When you subscribe to a podcast series, you control how many episodes you want to keep and what order the episodes play back. To save your battery life, new podcasts are downloaded only if your phone is connected to a power supply. To save your monthly phone bill, podcasts download over Wi-Fi by default (unlimited data plan customers, don’t worry: there’s a setting to change this).

If you’re already a hard-core podcast listener (like I’ve become since working on this feature), have no fear. Your existing subscriptions won’t be affected when you update to Mango. But you’ll now have the option of managing those subscriptions on your phone instead of your computer. (To make things as simple as possible, we don’t allow both the computer and phone to manage subscriptions.)

A DJ in your pocket

We all have those moments when we want to listen to some music. But not just anything. We want tunes that fit the mood. A new feature coming in Mango called Smart DJ is designed to provide just the right mix.

Smart DJ takes “seeds”—an artist, album, or song— and creates a music mix that’s similar using whatever songs it finds on your phone. If you have a monthly Zune Passmusic subscription, Smart DJ selects from the millions of tracks available in the Zune catalog.

We’ve sprinkled the Smart DJ feature all over the Music + Videos Hub: It’s available from artist cards, the music player, and every artist, album, and song in your collection via the tap-and-hold menu. Since we have a hunch that you’re really going to like Smart DJ mixes, we’ve add them to the History pivot and made them pinable to the Start screen, so you can quickly find favorite mixes again.

Find stuff in Marketplace easier

We listen closely to customer feedback, and one of the things we heard loud and clear was that searching the Marketplace is sometimes painful due to the lack of auto suggestions and jumbled results. We’ve fixed both in Mango.

Now when you start typing in the Marketplace search box, you’ll see search terms appear. Search results are also now organized by content type (apps or games, music, or podcasts). We make it even simpler to find what you want by indicating exactly what each search result is—artist, album, song, or playlist, for example. Marketplace search is also context sensitive. Start a search from the podcast Marketplace and you’ll land right into the podcast results pivot. Same goes for music.

If you’re like me, you probably also love to discover new music. We’d made that possible in Marketplace now, too. In artist results, we followed in the Zune HD’s footsteps and added a Related pivot that lists similar artists.

Changes to the Music + Videos Hub

In addition to new features like podcasts and Smart DJ, we also made a ton of smaller but noticeable tweaks to the Music + Videos Hub, much based on customer research or feedback from you. Here’s a rundown of some of the more notable ones:

More discoverable playback options: Research showed we provided a great option—“shuffle all music”— that almost nobody knew we had! So we’ve moved the button and updated the icon to make it stand out. Ditto for the old Rate, Shuffle, and Repeat playback options, which were hidden behind album art. In Mango, they’re front and center.

Improved History and New: These areas are designed to make it easier to find and play content. But usability studies taught us the horizontal layout and 8-item limit slowed people down. So in Mango, we’ve gone vertical— and added room for 25 items.

Better mini-playback control: We noticed people were having trouble tapping the small buttons of our handy mini-playback control. Now when you tap the volume button on your phone you’ll see bigger, easier-to-tap music controls as well as the artist name and what’s playing. Tap on that info to launch the full music player and turn on options like shuffle or repeat.

New lock-screen options: We thought it would be handy if you could easily control your music player while your phone is locked, so in Mango you’ll find playback controls there.

New artist wallpapers: We also figured music lovers would like to see those great artist images in the Music + Videos Hub show up as wallpaper on the lock screen. In Mango, that’s now a settings option. (We keep this one off by default, since it does have a small impact on your battery life).

We also made a bunch of tweaks to the music player itself. These include:

Better playback controls: The playback controls are bigger and are now aligned with the mini-playback control—so your thumbs always know where to go.

Better artist images: We found that the background artist images were sometimes too bright, which made some controls hard to see. Our design team worked hard to find the right opacity for the images. The end result you’ll see in Mango has a great layered look and never interferes with the controls.

More playback info: We’ve added the artist name to the music player queue so that when you’re jamming to your new Smart DJ mix, you know exactly what’s up next.

More playback options: Tap the Repeat button a couple of times and you’ll see the addition of a Repeat Once mode for those songs you just can’t get enough of.

New playlist option: Yep, that’s right—you can finallycreate playlists on your device. Add a mix of whatever you want to your queue or start a Smart DJ mix and save it as a playlist.

Better data management: In Mango, Zune Pass subscribers now see an icon on the phone when they’re listening to streamed music—so you always know when you’re consuming data.

More video options: Last but not least, for videos, we’ve added a full-screen toggle and video scrubbing (where supported) so you have quick access to the parts of your videos you love most—features we heard you ask for!

We appreciate all the feedback you gave us on the Music + Videos Hub over the past several months—and we want to hear more for Mango! Conceiving, designing and building these features has been a blast—but it’s even better when we get to watch our customers use and love them.

Josh Phillips, program manager, Windows Phone Engineering

…

Josh Phillips June 07, 2011

Wow! Thanks all for the kudos and feedback – my apologies for the delayed response! I see lots of questions and I’ll get to a few of the smaller ones later but I want to first address the podcast concerns that take up the lion’s share of the comments.

I should have been a little bit clearer on how podcasts work in both 7 and Mango. Today, you can use the Zune PC software to subscribe to any podcast series, anywhere in the world that has Windows Phone in market, and consume them on your phone. That option will not change with Mango but it will improve. Once you have synced a series subscription from your PC to your phone (using the Zune software), you can have the phone manage the subscription by tapping the “subscribe” button on the series details screen – at which point, whenever new episodes are available they will automatically be directly to your phone – without a PC! Again, this is for any podcast series, anywhere in the world with Windows Phone. Additionally, in Mango and starting in the U.S., there will be a full-fledged podcast marketplace that you can browse right on the phone. You will also be able to download or stream individual episodes and subscribe to a series without ever having to connect to a PC. We are working to bring this feature to other markets but the U.S. is the only market for which we can confirm support at this time. There are lots of nuanced and unique regulations in each region and we have to make sure that we’ve dotted all our i’s and crossed all our t’s before we can bring an on-phone podcast marketplace to additional locales.

To summarize, you’ll still be able to enjoy podcasts all over the world with Mango but, once you’ve gotten the series from your PC to device, you won’t need a PC to get new episodes (yay!). Additionally, if you’re in a region that has a supported marketplace, you’ll never need to use a PC at all as you can browse and subscribe to series right on the phone. Stay tuned as we continue to invest in bringing new features and services to new markets. In the meantime, keep up the great feedback! Thanks!

REMARKABLE first 16 hours reading results:

References:

Aug 3: 42 from the below one [hup.hu]
Aug 4, 9:30: 18 from the below one [hup.hu]
which is 60 out of 103

nokia + wp7 debut [hup.hu]

( bervi | 2011. augusztus 3., szerda – 20:59 )

https://lazure2.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/nokia-windows-phone-to-debut-on-august-17-at-the-huge-gamescom-2011-event/

hurráhurráéljenhurrá :)»

6 hozzászólás
243 olvasás [reads] [i.e. every 4th reader on hup.hu clicked over here]

Netbook prices starting $50 less at $200 via Intel MeeGo strategy

July 29, 2011 3:19 pm / 2 Comments on Netbook prices starting $50 less at $200 via Intel MeeGo strategy

Preliminary reading:
– Acer & Asus: Compensating lower PC sales by tablet PC push [March 29, 2011 with comprehensive update on Aug 2, 2011] which is showing IHS iSuppli’s recent mobile broadband device forecast with constituents of Apple’s dominant position in the media tablet space as well as serious technical and market problems with the original version of Honeycomb up to now
>>> please note after reading this that for ASUStek the below $200 market trial with MeeGo netbooks is much-much more than simply to keep the netbook category alive
– Intel: accelerated Atom SoC roadmap down to 22nm in 2 years and a “new netbook experience” for tablet/mobile PC market [April 17, 2011]

Asus will ready some other experimental products in the coming weeks, such as the X101 model of its popular Eee PC netbooks. The device has attracted attention for its low price ($199) and use of the MeeGo operating system, a relatively new, open source technology project backed by Intel (and, formerly, Nokia). Shih said the X101 will also be available in Microsoft Windows and Google Android versions. Asus decided to offer a MeeGo flavor of the device so consumers could choose from a range of operating systems, he added.

Asus: Super-Thin ‘Ultrabooks’ Can Capture 50% Of Notebook Market [July 29, 2011]

Intel: MeeGo exists because Microsoft let us down [April 20, 2011]
Interview: Even Windows 7 doesn’t do enough for Atom, says chip giant

Despite saying that “Intel is very supportive of Windows,” James Reinders, Chief Evangelist of Software Tools at Intel, criticises Microsoft roundly in an interview with TechRadar.

Why? He says it’s taken too long for the software giant to make Windows run well on Atom and to make a success of Intel’s UMPC and MID ideas.

…

“Microsoft hasn’t been quite as aggressive as we might have hoped at supporting Atom, especially in the embedded space and that’s why we came up with our platform Moblin – which is now MeeGo. Intel is all about platform choice, choice of operating system and so on, and we believe in the opportunity of embedded very strongly.”

“Some of their Windows offerings are great now, but Moblin started a number of years ago when we didn’t see Windows in that space at all. We’re thrilled to death to see user mode scheduling in Windows 7 but the progress of Windows 7 still limited – it doesn’t go all the places we think Atom will go.”

Those places include smartphones, MIDs, tablets and in-car systems, for a start, and Android – or the version of Mac OS in the iPad – just isn’t enough in his view. “We feel people want an operating system that is more powerful on these devices.

What web browsers does MeeGo come with? [Dec 24, 2010]

There are two MeeGo images, one comes with Google Chrome that requires you to agree to a EULA. The other image comes with Chromium. Both images also come with Mozilla Firefox.

Chromebooks Are Doomed to Fail [PCWorld, May 15, 2011]

The Chromebook is not any lighter or smaller than a standard netbook. It boots up faster, and has longer battery life than a full notebook, but so do most netbooks. The difference between the Chromebook and a standard netbook is that with a netbook you can do everything you can do with a Chromebook, and you can still do all of things you normally do with a PC.

Essentially, buying a Chromebook is like buying a television that is only capable of delivering some of the channels, even though there are televisions available for the same price that can give you all of the channels. The Chromebooks are going to retail from $350 to $500. Funny thing about that–at BestBuy.com there are 15 netbooks listed that range from $230 to $530.

Early MeeGo devices supporting a compute continuum [July 1, 2011]

… MeeGo has a full featured PC OS at its core, with a series of device UI builds. Device manufacturers take these builds and build their own device experiences upon them. Thus with this approach MeeGo is raising the tide of all devices in a relative short time period. It is a different approach to spending years focused on one segment like handsets before stepping out incrementally to tablets. Not saying it is a better approach. It’s a different strategy, or strength, that gets a broader set of device types and experiences out there running MeeGo sooner. At this pace with IVI and embedded devices, next year MeeGo could be running on more device types than any other mobile OS.

…

In the PC world a desktop vs a laptop is a hard distinction. There’s little possibility to get those confused. With mobile devices it will be harder to have a distinction between handset and tablet, and tablet and netbook. And with TV, having devices work cooperatively for a full TV experience, it’s hard to define what is a definitive TV computing device.

For OSs that are built from the ground up with a specific device in mind this could be a problem. We see that with Windows today. It’s just about the most mature OS out there, and while you can put Windows on a tablet it’s not the best experience. The text based menus and mouse designed boxes, and file based navigation, do not translate well to touch based devices. Thus with Windows 8, Microsoft is putting a significant effort to build it from the ground up to be more touch friendly.

For MeeGo, as an OS that can be easily tweaked to work for a new devices segment, this is an opportunity. As device categories blur lines; as tablets get keyboards, as netbooks get touch screens, as OLED screens come out and devices can wrap, bend and extend their shape, it will be hard to define what is a handset verses another device. Device manufacturers will have flexibility with MeeGo, to quickly pull together what they need for the device they are shipping.

Update: Asustek expects better business performance in 2H11 [Aug 17, 2011]

Asustek Computer expects its performance in the second half of 2011 to be better than that of fellow Taiwan-based companies, according to CFO David Chang.

Asustek is likely to hit record quarterly revenues in the third
quarter and is optimistic about business operation in the fourth mainly due to the launch of second-generation Eee Pad Transformer tablets and ultrabook notebooks, Chang said.

Asustek aims at a 14% market share for notebooks in China, and
became the largest vendor in Eastern Europe’s notebook market in the second quarter. In addition, Asustek is poised to make forays into Latin America, especially Brazil and Mexico.

Asustek expects to ship 14 million notebooks and 4.5-5 million Eee PCs in 2011, Chang indicated. Asustek shipped 11.4 million motherboards in the first half and expects to ship 22.5-23 million for the year.

Asustek begins marketing Eee PC X101/X101H netbooks [July 29, 2011]

Asustek Computer will begin marketing its low-priced Eee PC X101/X101H netbooks in the US, Taiwan and other markets by the end of July. For the US market, the Eee PC X101, which runs on Intel’s MeeGo OS, is priced at US$199, while the X101H, powered by Windows 7 Starter, is available at US$299.

Since global sales of netbooks have been pressed down drastically by the launch of tablet PCs, the roll-out of the Eee PC X101/X101H will be crucial for other vendors to decide whether they should continue to bring out new netbooks, according to industry sources.

More information from elsewhere:

	Eee PC X101 from Eee PC X101 product site	Eee PC X101H from ASUS Product Guide (July-August 2011)
Operating System	MeeGo	Genuine Windows® 7 Starter
Display	10.1″ LED Backlight WSVGA (1024×600) Screen	10.1″ LED Backlight WSVGA (1024×600) Screen
CPU	Intel® Atom™ N435 [Q3’11, single core, 1.33GHz/0.5M cache]]/N455	Intel® Atom™ N455 [Q2’10, single core] (1.66GHz)/1M cache [?0.5M cache?]
Memory	DDR3, 1 x SO-DIMM, 1GB (Maximum 2GB )	1GB DDR3 RAM
Storage	2.5″ SATA 8GB SSD HDD, 2 GB DropBox cloud storage	250GB
Wireless Data Network	WLAN 802.11 b/g/n@2.4GHz¹ Bluetooth V3.0¹	Integrated 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0
Camera	0.3 M Pixel Camera	Built-in Webcam
Audio	Stereo Speakers
Interface	2 x USB 2.0, 1 x Audio Jack (Headphone/Mic-In), 1 x Card Reader : SD/ SDHC/ MMC
Battery	4hrs (3cells, 28W/h) battery life* *Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations. For more information, please visit our web site.	3 cell battery, 2600 mAh
Dimensions	262 x 180 x 17.6 mm (WxDxH)	262 x 180 x 22 mm (WxDxH)
Weight	0.92 Kgs (w/ 3cell battery)	1.02 Kgs (w/ 3 cell battery)
Color	Texture : Red, White, Brown	Texture : Red, White, Brown
Note	*¹ : Availability is dependent on selected model, country or operator support. Check with your local ASUS website for more details.

Eee PC X101H from ASUS Product Guide (July-August 2011)

The ASUS X101H is not just another netbook, it’s a social media machine. Super lightweight weighing less than 1.02 Kgs and only 22 mm thin, it still packs in the latest Intel® Atom™ CPU for exceptional performance. It comes in two flavors: the all-new MeeGo operating system, which boots up in seconds and integrates all your favorite social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr into one convenient and easy to use home screen, and the popular Windows® 7 OS, which has ASUS Instant On technology so you can resume your session in 2 seconds. Offered in a variety of stylish colors, it’s the perfect accessory for wanting to stay connected when traveling.

Eee PC X101 from Eee PC X101 product site

Colorful and light, right at your fingertips

· Wing-shaped inspired design, under 17.6mm

· Easy-use MeeGO operating system for real netbook usage

· Have fun with asus @vibe and asus app store for cloud content enjoyment

Slim profile

The X101 was designed to be thin and lightweight, for maximum portability. Boasting a profile that’s less than 17.6 mm thick and weighing less than 920 gram, it easily slips into bags without adding much bulk. Featuring a comfortable chiclet keyboard for typing and large responsive touchpad, the X101 just screams to be used.

Your social networking companion – MeeGo OS

Today’s digital life is all about staying connected. We write blogs, upload photos and stay connected with friends on countless social networking sites. The new MeeGo Operating System on the X101 brings the internet to you in a new intuitive interface, integrating Facebook, Twitter and other popular social media sites onto the homepage for quick access so you can stay connected even faster.

English learning application

The X101 isn’t all play; it’s also a learning tool. Included with the MeeGo OS is the British Council English Language Learning application, designed for people from non-native English speaking countries who aspire to improve their English. The product takes the form of a content bundle of interactive games, videos and mp3s which are preinstalled on the X101. Over 300 pieces of material was developed by English Language Training (ELT) leaders and the British Council, with the application designed by Intel’s award winning Performance Learning Solutions.

Cloud computing for everyone

The X101 is preloaded with not only the MeeGo OS, but also the ASUS App store so you can download applications and stay productive and entertained. Discover apps, games, extensions and themes for the Google Chrome web browser on the Chrome Webstore. Also available is access to asus @vibe, which provides a fun, easy and convenient center filled with rich cloud computing content. As an added bonus, the popular Dropbox online storage is preloaded so you can easily and seamlessly sync files across your desktop, netbook or smart phone.

Chip Shot: MeeGo Netbooks Based on Intel Atom Arrive at Computex [Intel, May 31, 2011]

The ecosystem around MeeGo-based netbooks expands with the introduction of devices including the Acer Aspire One Happy 2, Asus Eee PC X101, Samsung N100 and Lenovo IdeaPad S100 at Computex. These systems are based on the new, 1.33 GHz single-core Intel® Atom™ processor N435. These netbooks will provide new levels of affordability for market expansion. Acer and Asus netbooks will come pre-loaded with the Intel AppUp^SM center in select countries. Also at Computex, Acer demonstrated a MeeGo-based tablet on stage at the Intel netbook, tablet and software focused satellite event.

Intel officially unveils Atom N435 chip for low cost netbooks [June 1, 2011]

The Intel Atom N435 is a 1.33 GHz single core chip with 512K of cache and an estimated TDP of about 5W. As expected, it’s basically the newest and slowest member of the Intel Atom Pine Trail family. The next step up the ladder are the 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 and N455 chips which were introduced last year and which have TDP’s of 5.5W and 6.5W respectively.

Intel is making an interesting move by launching a new Pine Trail chip this summer. The company is pushing its new Oak Trail platform for tablets and will start shipping next-generation Cedar Trail chips for netbooks and notebooks soon. So why launch a new chip using last year’s tech and offering lessperformance?

In a word: price. The Atom N435 is a budget chip which makes dirt cheap netbooks like the Eee PC X101 possible. You also don’t need a blazing fast processor to offer decent performance with MeeGo Linux, an operating system optimized for Atom and other low power chips. I also suspect that Windows 7 will run reasonably well on the 1.33 GHz processor… I just wouldn’t expect good results with HD video playback.

Intel’s New Atom Processor to Lower Netbook Prices [PC World, June 1, 2011]

Intel on Wednesday [June 1] said it has introduced a new Atom processor to bring down the price of netbooks in emerging markets to under US$200.

…

Netbooks are generally priced above $250. New netbooks using the N435 will provide “new levels of affordability for emerging markets,” said Suzy Ramirez, an Intel spokeswoman, in an e-mail [to PC World].

…

Lower prices could also help draw renewed interest in netbooks, which are small and low-powered laptops for basic word processing and Internet surfing. After a phenomenal take-off in 2008, netbook shipments have stumbled in the last year, partly due to a growing interest in tablets.

ASUS “INNOVATION BEYOND EXPECTATIONS” AT COMPUTEX 2011 [Asustek, May 31, 2011]

…

Eee PC evolved

ASUS evolves the Eee PC further with new models that take netbooks to ever-greater heights. The new Eee PC X101 has been designed from the start to be the perfect ultraportable for modern mobile users, with its Intel® MeeGo operating system incorporating full support for a wide range of social networking services. Eee PC X101 Series netbooks are also offered with the Windows® 7 operating system, and models ship with both solid state and mechanical hard drive storage configurations.

…

ASUS Unveils New Innovations at Computex 2011 [Asustek, June 2, 2011]

…

New Eee PCs
ASUS are committed to developing the Eee PC range and bring users three new options for fully functional computing on the go.

The 10.1” Eee PC X101 is a true ultraportable with the Intel MeeGo OS and the latest Intel Atom 435 processor. Offering a QWERTY keyboard, wireless and full support for social networking it is the perfect companion for computing away from home.

The 10.1” Eee PC X101H is the X101’s big brother, with the added choice of either Intel MeeGo or Windows 7, and the option of either HDD or SSD drive. Featuring Instant On technology to bring the netbook to life in just seconds (and last 2 weeks in standby) plus a range of stylish colours, users can make a statement across the entertainment, work and fashion worlds.

…

There’s a reason the $200 Eee PC X101 will be so cheap [May 30, 2011]

… now that more specs are available, it turns out that Asus isn’t just keeping the price low by using open source software instead of paying for a Windows license. The company is also taking a page out of it’s 2008 playbook and offering the MeeGo Linux version of the Eee PC X101 with a small battery and very little storage.

Asus Eee PC X101H lands at the FCC [July 19, 2011]

Here’s a comparison between the Eee PC X101H (above) and the X101 (below) and you can see the difference in thickness, and port choice:

Thanks to MeeGo, Asus Makes Good on Its $200 Laptop Promise [PC World, July 28, 2011]

Reportedly due to begin shipping in September, the Eee PC X101 was first spotted earlier this week on several U.S. retailers’ websites, as Liliputing pointed out on Tuesday. At PCSuperStore, for instance, it’s now available for preorder at a price of $199.73, while at Directronit’s listed at $208.98.

Now there’s also an official product page for the machine on the Asus site, and the netbook turned up on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Exhibits List as well, complete with photos and a user manual.

Samsung launches new Super-Light N100 Netbook [July 21, 2011]

The N100 Netbook demonstrates Samsung’s continued innovation while delivering superior quality, mobility and satisfaction to our customers.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd,a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the launch of the N100 Netbook in India. Containing a powerful Intel Atom processor within a highly portable ultra-durable casing, the N100 is the answer for users looking for a simple, practical and connected device to use on-the-go.

“The N100’s design is based on our tremendously successful N150P Netbook, which has sold over 3 million units to date. The N100 Netbook demonstrates Samsung’s continued innovation while delivering superior quality, mobility and satisfaction to our customers. The N100 continues our line of high-quality Netbooks and represents superb value for money,” said Mr. Ranjit Yadav, Country Head, Samsung Mobile& IT.

Durable Design with an Anti-Reflective Screen

Despite weighing just 1.03kg, the integration of Samsung’s scratch-resistant Duracase ensures the Samsung N100 is durable and robust. The device delivers long-lasting reliability, which has been demonstrated through an exhaustive testing process. This durable portability ensures the device can be used for long stretches whilst on-the-move. However durability doesn’t have to come at the cost of design and the N100 is stylish and elegant and available in either black or white.

High quality video and pictures can be enjoyed both inside and outdoors with the device’s anti-reflective 10.1” LED display. The display contains a matt surface designed to reduce ‘mirror effect’, which allows longer use without undue strain on the eyes. The screen is also more resistant to scratching, enabling a higher quality viewing experience for a longer amount of time.

A User-Friendly Experience

Usability is at the heart of the N100’s design. The device includes Intel’s innovative MeeGo™ operating system*1 (OS), to deliver an efficient and enjoyable user experience. The interface has been designed to enable easy access to online and offline contents, while social networks can be viewed at a glance – meaning that it’s easier to stay connected. A fast boot-up process and energy-efficient design means that MeeGo™ is perfect for those on the move. A free DOS or Genuine Windows® 7*2 operating platform is also available as a factory option.

While the N100 may have a compact form factor, this does not impact upon the device’s usability. Thanks to the inclusion of an ergonomic keyboard with intelligent key spacing, typing is easier, faster and more accurate. The user experience is also enhanced through improved connectivity options; two USB ports enable the connection of additional peripheral devices as well as a VGA port to connect a larger external monitor.

Performance & Satisfaction Guaranteed

The N100 is powered by a ~~dual~~[single] core Intel Atom processor, which combined with an Intel GMA 3510 graphics processor delivers a swift, responsive experience. The Intel Atom processor is also incredibly energy-efficient, making better use of the battery life and extending usage time when on-the-move. Power reduction is reduced by up to 50 times.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung N100 Netbook is priced at Rs. 12,290/- [US$278]. With the addition N100, Samsung has a range of eight netbooks in its portfolio priced between Rs. 12,290/- to Rs. 21, 990/-.

Specifications

Display 10.1” (1024*600) WSVGA, Anti-reflective LED

Operating System* MeeGo

CPU* Intel® ATOM™ Processor N435 (1.33GHz)

Memory* 1 GB DDR3

HDD* 250 GB (5400 rpm)

Graphic Intel GMA 3150

Port GA, Headphone-out, Mic-in, 2 x USB 2.0,4-in-1 (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC), RJ45(LAN), DC-In(Power Port)

Battery 3 Cell (40 Watt)

Dimension 264 x 188.0 x 26.7~34.7 mm (10.3” x 7.4” x 1.05” ~ 1.36”)

Weight 1.03 kg (2.27lbs)

Tackling the Android tide

July 16, 2011 12:11 pm / 6 Comments on Tackling the Android tide

Remarks by Larry Page on the quarterly earning calls [July 14, 2011, see also Larry Page to boost Google even more as becoming CEO again [April 2, 2011]]

We have tremendous new businesses being viewed as “crazy” Android We actually have a new metric to report of 550,000 Android Devices activated a day!

[See the full post by Larry Page later]

Follow-up:
Nokia Lumia (Windows Phone 7) value proposition [Oct 26, 2011]
Note: the “affordable” Nokia Lumia 710 for 270 EUR [US$ 376] is the one produced by Compal (the 800 is by Nokia itself)

Updates:
Supercharging Android: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility [Larry Page, Aug 15, 2011]

We recently explained (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/when-patents-attack-android.html) how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android. The U.S. Department of Justice had to intervene in the results of one recent patent auction to “protect competition and innovation in the open source software community” (http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/April/11-at-491.html) and it is currently looking into (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903635604576476430510833852.html) the results of the Nortel auction. Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.

Is Google buying Motorola for its 24,000 patents? [April 15, 2011]

Motorola Mobility Holdings’ CEO Discusses Q2 2011 Results – Earnings Call
Transcript [July 28, 2011]

… we own one of the strongest and most respected patent portfolios in the industry. We have over 17,000 patents granted and over 7,000 patents pending with particular strength in 2G and 3G essential, non-essential patents important to the delivery of competitive products in the marketplace, video particularly compression, decompression and security technologies and finally, a leading position in 4G LTE essential.

With new entrants to the mobile space resulting from the convergence of mobility, media, computing and the internet, our patent portfolio is increasingly important. …

@parmy Parmy Olson [Forbes’ London bureau chief]
Microsoft buying Nokia doesn’t seem like such a wild idea anymore. #Google #Motorola
2 hours ago via TweetDeck

Google’s Motorola Deal Could Give Windows An Opening [Forbes guest post, Aug 15, 2011]

Nokia says Google-Motorola deal may help Windows Phone [Aug 15, 2011]

This further reinforces our belief that opportunities for the growth of Nokia’s smartphone business will be greatest with Windows Phone. This could prove to be a massive catalyst for the Windows Phone ecosystem. Additionally, with our respective intellectual property portfolios, Nokia and Microsoft are working together to build and nurture an innovative ecosystem that benefits consumers, operators, developers and other device manufacturers.

Quotes from Android partners [Larry Page, Aug 15, 2011]

“We welcome today’s news, which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem.”

– J.K. Shin

President, Samsung, Mobile Communications Division

“I welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”

– Bert Nordberg

President & CEO, Sony Ericsson

“We welcome the news of today‘s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.”

– Peter Chou

CEO, HTC Corp.

“We welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”

– Jong-Seok Park, Ph.D

President & CEO, LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company

Google acquisition of Motorola likely to benefit Taiwan production partners, but potential uncertain [Aug 17, 2011]

Share prices of Taiwan-based companies known to have strong business relations with Motorola staged a rally on August 16, one day after Google announced its plans to acquire Motorola Mobility as investors expect the deal will bring more orders for those companies. However, some industry watchers commented that Google may eventually release Motorola’s hardware business, forcing Taiwan handset ODMs, and parts and components suppliers to face more uncertainties.

The deal should help improve the financial structure as well as
business of Motorola, which will then release more orders to its production partners in Taiwan, said the sources, indicating the potential beneficiaries include Arima Telecommunications, Compal Communications, Merry Electronic, Ichia Technologies and Chi Cheng Enterprise.

Arima is currently a major ODM of feature phones for Motorola, while Compal and Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) are smartphone ODMs for the vendor. Motorola’s focus on Android phones after being merged with Google will benefit all three ODMs, said the sources.

Motorola is expected to outsource a total of 11-13 million handsets to Taiwan ODMs in 2011, with more than 90% being feature phones, said the sources, indicating that shipments of smartphones to Motorola have more growth potential.

However, the sources pointed out initial orders from Motorola after being merged with Google are unlikely to increase substantially as Google has said it will run Motorola as a separate business and will treat all Android partners equally. This means that Motorola will be able to increase its orders to production partners if doing so remains competitive.

Motorola, operating as an independent handset vendor under Google, still also posts a potential threat to HTC and other Android phone vendors. Google is likely to compete directly with HTC or Samsung Electronics unless it sells or terminates Motorola’s hardware business eventually, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

Taiwan handset PCB and chipset vendors hail Google acquisition of Motorola [Aug 17, 2011]

Taiwan-based handset PCB and chipsets makers have applauded Google’s announcement of acquiring Motorola Mobility, expecting that a growing Android mobile device market will help boost their sales.

Unimicron Technology and Compeq Manufacturing are currently two Taiwan-based PCB suppliers for Motorola, but supply volumes take only a small portion of their total shipments, according to industry sources.

Taiwan-based handset chipset vendors MediaTek and MStar Semiconductor have been developing handset solutions for Android models because Apple has a preference of buying handset chips from players outside Taiwan.

MediaTek has also been cooperating with Motorola for some time and so the integration between Google and Motorola is certainly good news for MediaTek as well as MStar from a long-term point of view, the sources asserted.

IHS iSuppli News Flash: Fast Facts on Google’s Purchase of Motorola Mobility [Aug 15, 2011]

The Motorola Mobility acquisition puts Google Inc. in a stronger position in any potential patent dispute with Apple Inc. “From an intellectual property (IP) standpoint, the acquisition bolsters Google’s negotiating position with Apple, in the event that Apple goes after Android-based products the same way it did with Samsung in Europe,” said Francis Sideco, principal analyst, wireless communications, for IHS. “If nothing else, Google will be able to assert Motorola’s IP for the 3GPP and 3GPP2 cellphone specifications, which are used in both the iPhone and iPad.”

Motorola’s product development capabilities also may have made it an attractive acquisition target for Google. “Motorola has been closely following Google Android’s operating system release schedule,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for IHS. “Whenever Google releases a new version of Android, Motorola almost immediately has a device ready with the latest revision of the software, reflecting the company’s prodigious product development capabilities.”Google previously has used new HTC and Samsung products to demonstrate the latest capabilities of the Android operating system. For example, the HTC MyTouch and Samsung Nexus S served to show off the operating systems’ capabilities so other OEMs could follow the example. Now, Motorola is the company that will set the example.“

Motorola can serve as Google’s product R&D department as Android spreads into new markets,”Teng added. “Motorola has engineering expertise in a wide range of products where Android will be used, including set-top boxes and televisions. The addition of Motorola’s engineering and intellectual property will accelerate Android’s time-to-market in these areas and potentially revitalize the Google TV business, which so far has met with little success.”

The acquisition could prompt some Android licenses to increase their focus on alternative operating systems, such as Windows Phone.“ Although Google has said Motorola will continue to operate as a separate company, this development has to raise questions among the other Android licensees as to the level of support they will get from Google in the future. Even before this announcement, Motorola already had gotten preferential treatment, receiving first access to Honeycomb on the tablet side. While it’s unlikely that the other licensees will abandon Android, they could shift their priorities and focus more R&D toward Windows Phone from Microsoft.”

Motorola ranked sixth in the global smartphone business in the second quarter. The company held a 4 percent share of global unit shipments. Company shipments amounted to 4.4 million, up 7.3 percent from 4.1 million in the first quarter, as shown in the table below.

Since hitting bottom in the first quarter of 2009, Motorola has been experiencing nearly uninterrupted quarterly growth in smartphone shipments. Quarterly company shipments have expanded sequentially for the past nine consecutive quarters, with the exception of the first quarter of 2011, as shown in the figure below.

Motorola once was the world’s No. 2 cellphone maker. As recently as the first quarter of 2007, Motorola was the world’s second-largest cellphone shipper after Nokia on the strength of its stylish RAZR product line. However, because of its difficulties in offering compelling new models following the success of the RAZR, Motorola’s share of global cellphone shipments went into decline. Following a precipitous and sustained drop in shipments and market share, the company made a strategic decision to shift its focus away from low-margin, mass-market cellphones and toward higher-profit smartphones based on the Android operating system, like the Droid and Backflip.

Motorola Inc.’s XOOM media tablet introduced early this year represented the first legitimate match for Apple Inc.’s iPad 3G, in terms of features and pricing. The IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis service’s dissection of the device determined the Motorola XOOM carries a bill of materials (BOM) of $359.92, based on pricing in March 2011, compared to approximately $320 for a 3G iPad with 32GB of NAND flash memory, based on pricing from April 2010.

Learn More > Low-End Smartphones Boost Market Growth

Has Google wasted $12bn on a dud patent poker-chip? [The Register, Aug 15, 2011]

Larry Page’s Moto bluff fails to convince

Analysis It’s all about patents, says Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page. Google insists that it bought Motorola to shore up its Android platform, which is caught in a litigious pincer movement from old buddies Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison. Microsoft is merely egging them on the sidelines as the manbags fly, shouting: “Fight!”

But analysts I’ve spoken to are already wondering how much due diligence Google performed before the announcement, or whether the Motorola acquisition will turn out to rival Terra’s legendary, rushed purchase of EMI. Here’s why.

Android is a copycat platform. The APIs copy Java, and the UI copies Apple’s iPhone. Oracle believes Google has violated Java IP, which it acquired with Sun Microsystems. Google says the language, and a third of Android’s API’s are “derivative” of Java. On the other warpath, Apple has launched three dozen lawsuits relating to usability and UI. Apple is hurling these lawsuits at Android licensees, rather than at Google itself. Google has refused to indemnify its partners, causing much nervousness.

But Motorola’s IP war chest does not help Google here. It is poor where it needs to be rich. It is no help at all in the Oracle battle, which (alas) as many people have forgotten today, is largely about copyrights not patents. The Motorola patent war chest could only help Google against Apple by opening up a new front, with retaliatory litigation which threatens every rival handset manufacturer. But have a look where Motorola patents’ strengths are: radio engineering and design. The most vital radio patents are already covered by existing patent pools.

Bear in mind, too, that Nokia has a patent portfolio that is as strong as – or stronger than – Motorola’s. Nokia executives believed it was so strong it would derail the Cupertino upstart. But when Nokia and Apple settled last month, Nokia barely came out ahead, with a one-off payment of €430m.

These radio and design patents of legacy manufacturers such as Motorola or Nokia really aren’t worth quite as much as their owners think they are.

Google has paid $12.5bn for a negotiating chip that appears to be almost impossible to redeem. In this light, the acquisition looks like panic, rather than a calm and carefully deliberated strategy. Google didn’t take IP seriously, bidding silly numbers (such as pi billion dollars [1]) for the Nortel patents. Then it realised it might be in trouble, and so went out and bought some IBM patents. Now it has splurged $12.5bn, truly believing the IP is going to be useful.

…

Hats off again to Motorola’s leadership, though. The company has been trying to sell its phone division for over three-and-a-half years [3] – and nobody wanted to know. “Who would buy a
loss-making mobile maker?” we asked in 2008.

Moto merely had to whisper to Google: “We can solve your patent woes,” and its shareholders were rewarded beyond their wildest hopes. Google’s offer price has a huge premium over the market’s valuation of what Motorola is worth.

With the right timing and the right sales seduction, it is amazing what the right mug punter can be prepared to pay.

End of Updates

Regarding the Apple vs. Android situation in the tablet space see:
– Acer & Asus: Compensating lower PC sales by tablet PC push [March 29, 2011 with comprehensive update on Aug 2, 2011] which is showing Apple’s dominant position as well as serious technical and market problems with the original version of Honeycomb up to now
– Update: Apple hikes 2H11 iPhone orders to over 56 million units [Aug 15, 2011]

Apple has upward adjusted the total order volume for iPhones,
consisting of iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4 CDMA and iPhone 5, for the second half of 2011 by 12-13%, from 50 million units originally estimated at the end of the second quarter of 2011 to more than 56 million units. iPhone 5 will account for 25.5-26 million units, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

iPhone 5 orders for the third quarter of 2011 have been lowered from seven million units to 5.5-6 million units, while fourth-quarter orders have been raised from 14 million units to more than 20 million units, the sources pointed out. Total orders for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4 CDMA for the third quarter exceed 20 million units, and fourth-quarter orders have been
reduced to eight million units, the sources indicated.

Total shipments iPhones in 2011 will reach 95 million units, the sources noted. While Taiwan-based supply chain makers will benefit from increased component orders, they are expected to see pressure for price cuts from Apple, especially touch panel makers which account for the largest proportion of total production costs, the sources said.

What about Windows Phone 7 chances to compete with that?

The chances are suddenly becoming quite good as:

1. The Next Release of Windows Phone, codenamed Mango, is coming

Designed to be the best Windows Phone yet. Check out how the next Windows Phone release, codenamed Mango, will deliver smarter and easier mobile apps, web, and communication. Coming Fall 2011 to a Windows Phone mobile smartphone near you. Tons of new features and everything you love about Windows Phone 7.

More: Meet the next release of Windows Phone: Smarter and easier communications, apps, and web

Update: Mango phones to compete with new iPhone in September [July 29, 2011]

Branded handset vendors including HTC, Samsung Electronics, and LG Electronics all plan to launch Microsoft’s Mango-based smartphones in September, competing neck and neck with the forthcoming iPhone which is also slated for the same month, according to industry sources.

Other vendors to unveil Mango phones at the recently concluded Microsoft’s 2011 WPC (Worldwide Partner Conference) included Acer, ZTE and Fujitsu Toshiba, the sources indicated.

In cooperation with Fujitsu Toshiba, Japan-based mobile carrier KDDI has unveiled its first Mango phone, the IS12T, which features a Qualcomm MSM 8655 processor, 3.7-inch touch screen and 13.2-megapixel camera.

HTC is expected to roll out a number of Mango phones, powered by Qualcomm 1.5GHz single-core CPUs with display sizes ranging from 3.8- to 4.7-inch, the sources noted.

Nokia is expected to unveil its first batch of Mango phones at Nokia World 2011 to be held in October, at a time when fellow vendors have already heated up the market for Mango phones, which will probably be a good strategy for the handset vendor, commented the sources.

But the very latest legal problems with Android could become an even more decisive factor:

2. Android legal losses reportedly prompt exodus to Windows Phone and MeeGo [July 19, 2011]:

HTC’s recent legal loss in the ITC Apple patent case, along with Microsoft’s aggressive patent push amid Android OEMs, has reportedly left manufacturers increasingly wary of Google’s open-source OS. According to the 21st Century Business Herald, growing Chinese brands like ZTE and Huawei are looking to adopt Windows Phone Mango either as a placatory measure toward Microsoft or the first step in a transition from over-reliance on Android. However, the platform spat could also have an unlikely beneficiary: MeeGo.

Chinese analysts have pointed to the relatively closeness of MeeGo’s system kernel and that of Android, suggesting that both hardware and apps could be reasonably straightforward to migrate. MeeGo’s under-the-radar legal situation, and backer Intel’s extreme willingness to find new partners – now that Nokia has all but abandoned MeeGo in favor of Windows Phone – could make the platform a safer bet for spooked Android OEMs. Interestingly, rumors have already surfaced earlier in the year regarding the possibility of a ZTE handset powered by Intel processors.

However, just as Nokia has left the N9 to helm its fledgling MeeGo effort, more manufacturers are expected to look to Windows Phone. Although Microsoft charges a roughly $15-per-device licensing fee for Windows Phone 7, versus Google’s free distribution of Android, there are suggestions that should Apple, Oracle and others win their patent cases then $15-20 royalty fees may become commonplace for Android phones and tablets. HTC is already believed to pay Microsoft roughly $5 per Android device in licensing, while Samsung is supposedly being chased for up to $15 per Android device.

Of course, whether Apple would agree to licensing its technologies remains a sleeping-dragon issue. HTC has already announced that it has “alternate solutions” to the systems Apple alleges are infringed, perhaps in unspoken admission of the fact that the Cupertino company is likely more interested in squashing and hamstringing its rivals than it is in clawing license fees from them. Forcing Google back to the drawing board to identify and replace elements of Android found to overstep into iOS IP would certainly sap some of the platform’s current momentum.

DETAILED INFORMATION

Some key Microsoft sites to watch:

App Hub down July 18 for service upgrades
Windows Phone Blog
Windows Phone Developer Blog
Windows Phone Newsroom
Windows Phone Marketplace [Windows Marketplace for Mobile]
Zune Marketplace
Xbox LIVE
Windows Phone Videos Channel on YouTube
Meet the next release of Windows Phone: Smarter and easier communications, apps, and web [“See what’s coming this fall” campaign site]

Joe Belfiore shows off Windows Phone Mango [May 23, 2011]

A Web experience that goes beyond the browser [00:40 or separate excerpt]
Windows Phone Mango has the power of Internet Explorer 9 built-in and the ability to localize the Web based on where you are. Corporate VP of Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore, demonstrates how Windows Phone Mango takes mobile internet to the next level.
Bing serves you better than a hotel concierge. Use Local Scout to find cool restaurants, sights, and shops—then buy tickets or make reservations on the spot.
A smarter approach to apps [04:45 or separate excerpt]
Smart app integration is built into Windows Phone Mango, so mobile apps show up when and where you need them. Corporate VP of Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore, demonstrates how to get the most from your mobile apps on Windows Phone Mango.
Thousands of apps and counting. Rather listen to music? Create playlists, download podcasts, or track down that tune you can’t place with Music search. Live Tiles are more dynamic and informative in the next release of Windows Phone, codenamed Mango.
Easier to connect and share [07:10 or separate excerpt]
Windows Phone Mango communications features are organized around the person or group you want to interact with, not the app you have to use. Corporate VP of Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore, shows how access to mobile Facebook and Twitter has never been easier with Windows Phone Mango.
Texting, Facebook chat, and Windows Live Messenger—now in one seamless experience. Create Groups to send your messages, videos, and pics to friends or family at warp speed. Groups and Threads coming to Windows Phone this fall, make it easier to stay connected with friends and family.

Remarks by Larry Page on the quarterly earning calls [July 14, 2011, see also Larry Page to boost Google even more as becoming CEO again [April 2, 2011]]

We have tremendous new businesses being viewed as “crazy”

Android
We actually have a new metric to report of 550,000 Android Devices activated a day!
That’s a HUGE number even by Google’s standards

Chrome
It’s the fastest growing browser
With over 160 million users

People rightly ask how we will monetize these businesses?

And of course I understand the need to balance the short term with the longer term needs because our revenues and growth serve as the engine that funds our innovation

But our emerging high usage products can generate huge new businesses for Google in the long run, just like search And we have tons of experience monetizing successful products over time

Well run technology businesses with tremendous consumer usage make a lot of money over the long term

I think about our products in three separate categories

First, there is search and our ads products, the core driver of revenue for the company. Nikesh and Susan are going to talk more about ads later in the call

Next, we have products that are enjoying high consumer success–YouTube, Android and Chrome. We are investing in these in order to optimize their long-term success

Then we have our new products–Google+ and Commerce and Local. We are are investing in them to drive innovation and adoption

Overall, we are focused on long term absolute profit and growth, as we have always been–and I will continue the tight financial management we have had in the last two years, even as we are making significant investments in our future

Exclusive: AT&T’s Ralph De La Vega on Which Smartphones Are Winning [June 4, 2011 — Excerpt 1 ]

AllThingsD: You guys have always offered the broadest range of smartphones. What are the trends?

De la Vega: They definitely are buying a lot less feature phones than they used to. We’ve seen a dramatic shift from feature phones and quick messaging devices, which were texting devices only, into smartphones. We love that.

Android is becoming more popular. Our Android business is doing very, very well. I think what’s happening is people have latched on to smartphones. I think over time there will be fewer and fewer feature phones.

There are a million Android devices. Do you want to see more customization? I know at Mobile World Congress you said that you would carry the HTC device that is very Facebook-centric. Do you want to see more devices like that, that are a little more specialized?

De la Vega: I think you are going to see more people put a different UI on top of Android, like HTC has very successfully done. I love what they have done with their UI. It’s very simple, but it is still Android. I hope others will step up to the plate and Android itself will get better.

…

What have been the positive surprises? We talked about how BlackBerry has had a rough time and with Windows Phone, even though you like the product, the volume hasn’t been maybe what you hoped for.

De la Vega: iPhone and Android. I’ve been very pleased with HTC. HTC has come out with the HTC Inspire and it is selling extremely well in our stores. I think HTC has done a great job with the user interface. You go in and it is distinctive and I think other players are going to have to step up to that. So, Android and Apple are really the hot products right now.

Microsoft’s Android Plan: Evil Genius Or Just Evil? [July 13, 2011]

Buried in all the intrigue surrounding the Nortel patent auction was an interesting tidbit: Microsoft did not have to bid on the patents, but they did anyway. Why? As far as I can tell, it’s one of two reasons. One is evil. The other is evil genius. Either Microsoft really wants to kill Android. Or, if Android continues to thrive, Microsoft wants to be the ones that make billions of dollars off of its success.

…

… they’d prefer that Android (which killed Windows Mobile) would die and Windows Phone would take it’s place. But the next best option is to catch a free ride on the Android train. Patent licensing deals already in place with HTC, General Dynamics, and others could mean revenues of over $1 billion by next year, as Forbes reports. And if they’re able to convince Samsung to sign one as well (which could effectively force every Android partner to sign one), we could be talking multiple billions of dollars of revenue each year.

…

Microsoft’s intent here is pure evil genius. “It’s not like Android’s free. Android has a patent fee. You do have to license patents,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said last year. What he didn’t explicitly say is that you’d have to pay Microsoftand not Google for those patents. Think about this for a second: it’s entirely possible that Microsoft is going to end up making more money — perhaps significantly more — from Android than Google will. A year ago, such a statement would have seemed like a joke. But now it’s becoming reality. And it must be the ultimate nightmare for Google.

By being a part of the winning team, and not allowing Google to get Nortel’s patents, Microsoft put themselves in a win-win situation. If their continued threats to Google’s Android partners force those partners to reconsider their Android commitments, well there’s Windows Phone waiting with opened arms. If the threats lead to licensing agreements and the continued rise of Android, well there’s a huge pile of money from each participating OEM.

So no, Microsoft did not have to bid on the Nortel patents. But doing so may prove to be one of the best moves Microsoft has never made. And strangely enough, they have Apple to thank. Of course, they’re likely playing their own little game in this situation. Keep your enemies closer. Or keep them fighting.

Behind Microsoft’s $15 Samsung Android royalty claim [July 6, 2011]

…

Samsung is reported to be trying to lower the payment to $10.

The source for this report is the South Korean Maeil Business Newspaper, which quoted unnamed industry officials.

The Samsung story follows a week in which Microsoft named three OEMs as having agreed to license its patents for devices they make and sell running Android.

A fourth manufacturer was named on Tuesday this week, only this time Google’s Chromewas added to the Android mix. Microsoft said it had signed a deal with Wistron on tablets, mobile phones, e-readers and other consumer devices that use Chrome in addition to Android.

…

Microsoft is giving manufacturers two choices: pay up over the long term or incur years of high legal fees. You decide which your board or your investors like best.

That’s a tough choice given patent and IP cases can drag on for years and can cost billions of dollars. It’s a hard course of action to take when, given the fashion-driven nature of consumer devices, the product you’re battling over stops selling or gets canned. It’s an even tougher decision to fight cash-rich Microsoft alone while the maker of the thing you’re fighting over, Android, doesn’t want to step in to back you up.

…

Microsoft is putting other Android OEMs on notice that it’s coming after them for some easy patent money. That’s the first “win”.

The second? Microsoft will be hoping it can influence the courts in the Barnes & Nobel and Motorola cases – and in any future cases – by saying: if you don’t believe us on Android violating our patents, just look at all those who accepted we were right and agreed to pay up.

Nortel Announces the Winning Bidder of its Patent Portfolio for a Purchase Price of US$4.5 Billion [June 30, 2011]

Nortel Networks Corporation [OTC: NRTLQ] announced that it, its subsidiary Nortel Networks Limited (NNL), and certain of its other subsidiaries, including Nortel Networks Inc. and Nortel Networks UK Limited (in administration), have concluded a successful auction of all of Nortel’s remaining patents and patent applications. After a multi-day auction, a consortium emerged as the winning bidder with a cash purchase price of US$4.5 billion. The consortium consists of Apple, EMC, Ericsson [USD 340 million], Microsoft, Research In Motion and Sony.

The sale includes more than 6,000 patents and patent applications spanning wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patents. The extensive patent portfolio touches nearly every aspect of telecommunications and additional markets as well, including Internet search and social networking.

“Following a very robust auction, we are pleased at the outcome of the auction of this extensive patent portfolio”, said George Riedel, Chief Strategy Officer and President of Business Units, Nortel. “The size and dollar value for this transaction is unprecedented, as was the significant interest in the portfolio among major companies around the world.”

The sale is subject to applicable Canadian and U.S. Court approvals which will be sought at a joint hearing expected to be held on July 11, 2011. Nortel will work diligently with the consortium to close the sale in the third quarter of 2011.

As previously announced, Nortel does not expect that the Company’s common shareholders or the NNL preferred shareholders will receive any value from Nortel’s creditor protection proceedings and expects that the proceedings will result in the cancellation of these equity interests.

On the very latest legal problems with Android:

ITC says HTC violating two of Apple’s patents [July 15, 2011]

The ITC administrative law judge’s initial determination was that HTC infringed on two of the 10 patents Apple had filed a complaint over in March 2010, according to an HTC statement. The ITC still needs to make a final ruling on the complaint. A loss carries the threat that HTC’s products would be banned from coming into the U.S., and Apple only needs to get a favorable decision on one of the patents.

…

The latest development is also a major blow to HTC, which has made strides in building market share and a brand with its line of Android-powered smartphones, many of which feature the company’s own Sense user interface. HTC was the first Android supporter that Apple went after, signalling the growing threat of Google’s software to iOS and the iPhone franchise.

On Monday, Apple had filed a second complaint with the ITC, claiming that five additional patents were being illegally used, including one used for scrolling operations, another for programmable tactile touch-screen displays, and one for a double-sided touch-sensitive panel, all of which are used in another complaint against Samsung.

The other relates to the ability to scroll, zoom, and rotate content on a screen, while the last references “portable computers.”

The five additional patents weren’t a part of this ruling.

…

HTC is considered the most vulnerable legally of the Android partners because it lacks a robust portfolio of patents that act as a potential shield. Earlier this month, HTC purchased S3 Graphics, largely because of a collection of patents that the ITC administrative law judge recently determined were used illegally by Apple.

Apple, meanwhile, is still in the middle of a similar patent fight against Samsung Electronics.

Apple Notches Patent Win Against HTC [July 18, 2011]

Apple Inc. netted a victory in its legal dispute with HTC Corp., as a U.S. International Trade Commission judge ruled the Taiwanese cellphone maker infringed two patents that Apple had cited in a March 2010 complaint to the agency.

The patents relate to multimedia processing technology and data detection technology that lets users dial a phone number that appears in their email. Apple originally alleged that ten of its patents were used in smartphones from HTC, which uses Google Inc.’s Android mobile operating system. The ITC ruling Friday only applied to four patents.

Apple, which helped reshape the mobile phone market with its hit iPhone, has been grappling with the rise of competing smartphones that run Android.

The ruling comes as a blow to HTC, and could have implications for other Android phones that offer similar functionality. Apple has squared off in other patent cases against smartphone makers such as Motorola Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for HTC said it plans to appeal the decision. “We are confident we have a strong case for the ITC appeals process and are fully prepared to defend ourselves using all means possible,” she said, adding that “this is only one step of many in these legal proceedings.”

A spokesman for Apple reiterated its previous statement that “competitors should create their own original technology and not steal ours.”

Taiwan’s HTC rejects fresh Apple patent claim [July 11, 2011]

Taiwan’s leading smartphone maker HTC on Tuesday dismissed fresh patent infringement claims by US giant Apple as the legal battle between the rivals escalated.

Apple Monday filed a complaint against HTC with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) — which is already reviewing three other disputes between the two — over five cases linked to technology used in the iPad and iPhone.

It has also lodged a suit in a US District Court in Delaware.

“HTC is disappointed at Apple’s constant attempts at litigations instead of competing fairly in the market,” said HTC general counsel Grace Lei in a statement.

“HTC strongly denies all infringement claims raised by Apple in the past and present and reiterates our determination and commitment to protect our intellectual property rights,” she said.

Shares in HTC closed limit-down seven percent at Tw$915.0 ($31.5) in the Taipei bourse.

“Sentiment was hit by Apple’s fresh legal action as well as heavy losses in the international and regional markets,” said Alex Huang, an analyst at Mega International Investment Services.

HTC touts its own brand of smartphones and also makes handsets for a number of leading US companies, including the Nexus One unveiled by Apple rival Google.

Apple in March 2010 called on the ITC to investigate the Taiwan company over iPhone patents. That was followed months later by HTC filing for a probe into possible software patent abuse by the California-based firm.

Patent lawsuits are a regular occurrence among technology giants and Apple is currently being sued by Nokia for patent infringement. Apple has fired back a countersuit against the Finnish mobile phone giant.

And last week Apple hit back at an infringement claim by Samsung by calling for the South Korean company to be investigated.

— Dow Jones Newswires contributed to this story —

ITC judgment of HTC infringement of Apple patents arouses concern in China handset industry [AFP from Taipei, July 19, 2011]

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has made an initial ruling that Taiwan-based smartphone vendor HTC has infringed two of Apple’s 10 patents related to iPhone, and this has caused concern among China-based vendors and white-box vendors of smartphones mainly because almost all of these smartphones are based on free and open-source Android, according to China-based 21st Century Business Herald.

Some of these vendors worry about the risk of becoming embroiled in patent infringement due to adoption of Android, and have drawn up three strategies to cope with potential impact. The three strategies are enhancement of support to Microsoft Mango operating system, promotion of smartphone customization by mobile telecom carriers for protection through binding common interest (especially carriers partnering with Apple and Microsoft), self-development of own operating systems, the source pointed out. China-based smartphone vendors Huawei Device and ZTE have planned to adopt Mango, the source indicated.

However, other vendors hold the opinion that China-based vendors are not so competitive and important in the global smartphone market as to become targets of Apple’s or Microsoft’s patent infringement lawsuits, the source indicated. They also think the ITC ruling will push up cost of adopting Android and this will benefit white-box vendors because it is impossible for them to pay royalty fees to Apple or Microsoft, the source noted.

Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 Information:

Steve Ballmer: Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 [speech transcript, July 11, 2011]

… Phones, we’ve gone from very small to very small, but it’s been a heck of a year. (Laughter.) And you’re going to see a lot of progress in that market competitively as we move forward.

…

… A year ago, Microsoft had no Windows Phone. In the last year, we’ve sold millions of phones. When we survey our users, nine out of ten of the people who bought a Windows Phone absolutely would recommend it to a friend. It’s certainly a very busy, active, competitive market. We’ve got a lot of work to do to break through. And yet, the people in the phone business believe us. We’ve already had over 20,000 applications built for Windows Phone in eight months. That’s a faster ramp than either Android or iPhone had. Nokia, who had a choice this year to bet on themselves, to bet on Android, or to bet on Windows Phone said for their bet the company strategy, they’re going with Windows Phone. They saw our roadmaps. They saw what we’ve done. They saw what we’re planning on doing. They’re pushing us. They’re pushing us to go broader geographically with Windows Phone. They’re pushing us to hit new price points with Windows Phone. But, they believe.

Others believe, too. Gartner and IDC both did predictions this year that said Windows Phone would be the No. 2 phone in the market by 2015. We’ve already shipped two major updates since we launched Windows Phone less than a year ago. The update that we just made available, “Mango,” which will be on phones this fall, has over 500, 500 new features. We know we’ve got a lot to do, but like the cloud, like NT many years back, we’re all in when it comes to mobile devices. And whether it’s phones or slates, or PCs, or console devices, we’re certainly pushing extremely far, and extremely fast.

Windows Phone 7 ‘Mango’ video demo YouTube [July 13, 2011]

The 3 main things about ‘Mango’:

Connecting and sharing more easily with people
Making apps smarter
Taking the web beyond just the browser

Andrew Lees: Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 [speech transcript, July 12, 2011]

… there are some key trends that are fundamentally changing the world of devices. Now, they’re going to have a huge impact in the technology that we provide, and the solutions that you build. And it starts right at the core of the devices themselves, the core technologies.

… we’re at an inflection point in Moore’s Law, where you can put all of the key things required to run a computer into a single chip, a system-on-a-chip. That means that you can have full PC compute power available in whichever form factor that you like. And that’s part of the reason why we’re seeing all of these different form factors.

… Another advantage of moving everything onto a single chip is that the price comes down dramatically. And, in fact, if you look even at the price of smartphones, a year ago all smartphones cost over $400 when they left their hardware manufacturer. Today, they’re down to about $200, and next year, a smartphone that can run something like Windows Phone 7 will actually be down to $100 to $150. So, you’re seeing a dramatic price reduction. …

…

… a lot of people have asked me, are we going to produce a phone that is a tablet? You know, are we going to use Windows Phone 7 to produce tablets? Well, that is in conflict with this strategy. We view a tablet as a sort of PC. We want people to be able to do the sorts of things that they expect on a PC on a tablet, things like networking to be able to connect to networks, and utilize networking tools, to get USB drives and plot them into the tablet. To be able to do things like printing, all of the things using Office, using all of the things you would expect from a PC and provide a hybrid about how you can do that with the tablet, as well.

And so at the Build Conference in September we will talk about how we can provide the bet of the PC and the tablet. And our strategy is not just limited to that. We are aiming to provide coherence and consistency across the PC, the phone, and the TV, particularly with Xbox. That’s through providing new types of scenarios, things like the way in which we make the user experience more common, as you saw yesterday in the demonstration of the user experience that you have on Windows 8, Windows Phone, and also on Xbox. But, also sharing key pieces of technology.

You see if you looked at the update that we’re providing to Windows Phone this year, we include a new browser. It’s Internet Explorer 9. It’s the same technology that we have on the PC. It’s not similar. It’s the same. So, we can take the advantages that we provide on the PC and immediately leapfrog and provide those across different types of devices.

This is very important to you, because it protects the investments that you have made with ustogether, and your customers have made in key elements of the technology, not only the device, but the infrastructure, the productivity, and the solutions that are used to feed those devices to enable those business and consumer scenarios.

So, for a phone the strategy here is not to provide a business phone, or a consumer phone, but to have them all be the same thing. There’s only one thing. And so there’s a few key things that we’re delivering with our phone strategy:

The first one is that we need to provide what end users desire and what they require. These personal scenarios like music and games, and communications, personal communications, social networking, build them into the phone, but also enabling a line of business solutions, business productivity, getting access to information inside of your company. And we may need to make sure that it works with the existing infrastructure and we provide the same tools for you to provide solutions to customers.

… what is “Mango” all about? Well, it’s about three main things. The first thing is communication, the second thing is about applications, and the third thing is the Internet.

You see, the phone has always been a communications device, but people today are communicating in lots of different ways. Communications, email, instant messaging, sharing pictures and laugh-out-louds, and social networking; even checking in is a type of communication. Rather than doing all of that in individual applications we build those core capabilities into the phone. It is the easiest and simplest way to communicate across a variety of different services, and to go from phone to phone, phone to PC, or phone to Xbox.

The second area is applications. The problem with applications is they all run in silos. So, with “Mango” we let applications break out of their box. It means that information from the application is available throughout the phone, and also, the application participates in the total experience.

Then finally with the Internet, the challenge here has always been to provide a desktop-type experience on the phone. And we deliver that by including things like Internet Explorer 9, in with “Mango.” But, we go one step further, and we say imagine if you could take the power of the Internet and deliver that beyond the browser, in a way that enables you scrape the Web so that you can quickly find answers and get things done, find information to be more productive. …

… IDC recently did a study; first of all, they’re predicting that Windows Phone will be the number two smartphone in 2014. More about that in just a second. But what they’ve also done is looked at the revenue attach opportunities that there are for partners when they go through to provide infrastructure that feeds the phone, through things like management, security, and enabling these types of scenarios. The second thing is productivity through delivering things like Office 365, Office itself, et cetera, to make employees more productive, SharePoint, and then solutions, line-of-business solutions, that you develop. And the opportunity here is just mind-blowing. …

So, the message here is make sure that the phone is a key element of your strategy for how you’re providing productivity, infrastructure, and solutions for your customers.

The second area is with operators. And here what we want to do is provide the largest geo-footprint that we can. We’re going to more than double the size of the market that we have in “Mango.” We significantly increased the number of countries, and we will lower the price of the phones by half, increasing the total addressable market very, very dramatically.

And, of course, we’re doing that in partnership with the handset makers. There will be a whole new range of phones that are available this fall around “Mango” at different price points, with different features, particularly from the partners that we have already been working with, Samsung, HTC, and LG. But I’m also very excited about the partnership that we announced in February with Nokia, and this is where they’re going to move to exclusively rely on Windows Phone as their platform.

Microsoft Reveals New Windows Phone 7 Mango Handsets From Samsung, Acer, And More.flv [July 12, 2011]

Steve Guggenheimer: Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 [July 12, 2011]

[see the above video excerpt]
Andy talked about Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE as new phone providers. I’m happy for the first time ever to have one of each of the phones up here and running. All of these are running live “Mango” builds. Acer brings one of the large OEM brands into the phone space on Windows 7. I think this Fujitsu brings a little bit of lightheartedness and life along with a waterproof design. Great capability in terms of the camera. And the ZTE brings one of the largest manufacturers in the phone space into the Windows Phone 7 world. So, as we see the technology move forward in Derek’s great demo, we’re going to have devices that take advantage of it.

Last, but not least, I’m very happy to show, this is the first time, this is the new Samsung that’s coming. It’s very thin, and light, and that’s the theme you’re going to see as the processors get thinner and better battery life, as the screens get better, we’re going to see phenomenal screen resolutions, great battery life, lightweight devices across the phone.

Fujitsu to launch first Windows Phone Mango handset in… August? [July 16, 2011]

Say it ain’t so — not only is a phone not delayed, it’s actually planning to come out earlier than its quoted launch window? This particular miracle is the exception much more than the rule, but Microsoft’s latest Windows Phone OS (nicknamed “Mango,”) might come out prior to the anticipated fall release. According to Nikkei, Fujitsu will offer the very first Mango device, a waterproof phone called the IS12T, on KDDI “as early as late next month.” The phone is to be sold for 30,000 – 40,000 yen ($378 – 505), a reasonable amount of coin for what will likely be a higher-end device. And — if it’s the same handset showcased at this week’s Worldwide Partner Conference — a pink version will be on sale. So, what’s more enticing: a Hello Kitty-flavored Windows Phone, or a Samsung Galaxy S II lookalike running Mango? It’s a tough call.

Microsoft slips Windows Phone Mango ready by September

Microsoft spoils WP7 Mango launch timing

Microsoft’s Imagine Cup account on Twitter inadvertently gave away timing for the first Windows Phone 7 Mango devices through a Twitter post(since deleted). The company promised that the finalists in the student competition would all get “Windows Phone 7.5 Mango.” Every winning student would get a phone with the new OS “by September.”

The statement doesn’t directly equate to a full, public launch of Mango in September, but it does hint that the OS will at least be ready by the same time. Microsoft is holding its Build developer event the same month and will probably want a complete OS, if not production hardware, to show.

Outside of the new misstep, Microsoft has only ever committed to fall for the new WP7 update. Its timing may depend on new hardware. This year, the hardware partners are expanding significantly and include very regional companies like Fujitsu and ZTE along with returning veterans like HTC, LG, and Samsung. [via Mobility Digest]

Microsoft President Announces New Partner Benefits and Underscores Opportunity With Windows Phone ‘Mango’ [feature story, July 12, 2011]

During a keynote address at WPC, Lees also emphasized that now is the time for partners to join and benefit from the expanding Windows Phone ecosystem.

Lees highlighted a number of new featurescoming to the next version of Windows Phone, code-named “Mango,” that build upon the unique design of Windows Phone and deliver integrated experiences with the company’s massive business user base of more than 750 million Microsoft Office users, 150 million Exchange users and 100 million licensed SharePoint users.

As the only phone to offer Microsoft Office Mobile and Outlook Mobile built-in, the next version of Windows Phone, available later this year, will enable greater productivity by allowing businesses to extend their IT infrastructure and utilize Microsoft cloud-based services such as Office 365while increasing opportunities for partners around the globe, Lees said.

…

At WPC, Lees unveiled a range of new benefits and opportunities for members of the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN).

Lees announced an exclusive discount program that makes it easier for MPN members worldwide to obtain and experience Windows Phone. The new discount program, which begins immediately, is available to all MPN memberswith at least one Microsoft competency.

Lees also unveiled a new MPN app for all Mobility Competency partners that enables them to easily access exclusive technical and sales contentfor Windows Phone while on the go.

“When people try Windows Phone, they love it,” Lees says. “But it’s more than selling phones. Our goal is to equip partners with what they need to be successful, giving them the guidance and tools they need to bring compelling experiences to their customers.”

As a specific benefit to Mobility Competency partners, Lees announced a special MPN logo, available today, that partners may use to distinguish their apps from others in the Windows Phone Marketplace and App Hub.

Lees also announced that the next round of MPN updates in the fall will include a new way for partners that build mobile apps to attain the Mobility Competency certification by developing an app that meets specific business criteria.

For another view of the partner news shared about Windows Phone during WPC 2011, view the Windows Phone Mobility Partners video of Microsoft Partners discussing the opportunities for building Windows Phone applications and solutions.

Mango Provides Sweet Opportunities for Windows Phone Partners [July 12, 2011]

[Author: Paul Bryan – Sr. Director, Product Management, Business Experience on the Windows Phone team.]

I’m at Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Los Angeles today, which this year is hosting almost 15,000 Microsoft Partners from around the world. Today, Windows Phone Division President Andy Lees addressed attendees on the opportunities for partners with Windows Phone. It’s an exciting time for the Windows Phone business and we’re thrilled to see the great things people are saying about our next major update – code-named Mango. Take the great new product capabilities coming in Mango, combined with new partner benefits just announced and there’s never been a better time to join the rapidly growing Windows Phone ecosystem.

Expanding Windows Phone Partner Ecosystem

We launched Windows Phone 7 last fall with the help of our partners and have seen the ecosystem momentum build rapidly ever since. We’ve received great customer feedback about their experiences across the range of devices being offered by our hardware and mobile operator partners. More than 42,000 developers worldwide have registered with the Windows Phones Marketplace. To date, these developers have added more than 22,000 apps to the Windows Phone Marketplace, greatly expanding the range of experiences for Windows Phone customers. From hot consumer apps like Angry Birds, ESPN Scorecenter and Netflix, to business-focused apps like CWR Mobile CRM 2011, and PushBI, the Marketplace is growing stronger each day with the help of our partners.

Additionally, with our agreement with Nokia finalized, work is well underway to deliver Nokia phones on the Windows Phone platform before the end of the year.

Sweet, Sweet Mango

There’s a lot of buzz around our upcoming Mango update, which will add hundreds of new features and capabilities that build upon the unique design and integrated experiences of Windows Phone. If you’re a partner building solutions with Exchange and SharePoint, Mango adds a number of new Outlook and Office Mobile productivity features bringing even more value to your solutions on Windows Phone. Mango will also add built-in support for Office 365 and a free Lync Mobile app, making communication and collaboration a snap for companies whose infrastructure is on premises or in the cloud. Mango will also offer added functionality for organizations to make the most efficient use of resources, allowing IT departments to use existing infrastructure to manage phones or distribute their own applications using Targeted App Distribution in Marketplace.

For developers, Mango adds a range of new capabilities for delivering richer more compelling apps. In addition to support for SQL Linq, sockets, and background processing, Mango brings new ways for app developers to make the user experience more engaging and seamless through Live Tiles and integration with Bing search services.

Not only do these new features in Mango extend the premier productivity smartphone experience, but they’ll help partners to grow their business. In fact, a new study by IDC study suggests that by 2012 Windows Phone has the potential to generate annual attached software and service revenue of nearly $300 per Windows Phone device for partners. In other words, Windows Phone for the long-term is a huge opportunity for partners to attract new customers and grow their business.

For app and solution developers, a familiar platform and enhanced development tools in Mango will enable partners to create and distribute new solutions and applications. Partners will continue to leverage familiar tools such as Silverlight, the XNA Framework, Visual Studio 2010 and Expression Blend, to bring new apps to market quickly. Some good examples of this are Yellowbook and REALTOR.com. Additionally, Yammer announced today they will be bringing their enterprise social networking app to the Windows Phone Marketplace later this year.

We also recently released the Windows Phone Mango Beta 2 Developer Tools so developers could try out the new capabilities and get a jump on building and testing new apps for Mango.

Revamped Mobility Competency and Added Discounts for Microsoft Partners

As part of WPC, we are happy to announce several new benefits designed to help partners experience Windows Phone and promote their Windows Phone expertise to customers.

First, we’re making it even easier for partners to obtain and experience Windows Phones with a new Windows Phone Discount Program. Partners with at least one Microsoft Competency can take advantage of exclusive discounts from mobile operators and hardware vendors for all of their employees worldwide.

We’re also making it easier for partners to stay informed through a new MPN app for Windows Phone, which provides access to exclusive technical and sales content.

In addition, we’re revamping the Mobility Competency certification. Partners can earn the Microsoft Mobility Competency for their organizations through newly revised Windows Phone training. And for the first time, beginning with the next round of MPN updates this fall, partners will be able to obtain the Microsoft Mobility Competency certification for their company by developing an app that meets specific criteria as a business application. Through the Mobility Competency, partners can become and stay proficient in Windows Phone app development and solution deployment. They will also be able to utilize a special MPN logo, available immediately, to distinguish their apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace and App Hub.

Exciting times indeed! With new partners, new products, new platform capabilities, new partner benefits and more great apps and solutions being delivered every day, it is a great time to be part of the Windows Phone ecosystem and take advantage of the tremendous opportunity ahead.

For information about the opportunities with Windows Phone Mango or the Marketplace, visit our Partner site. To view sessions from Worldwide Partner Conference, visit here. For more information, we encourage you to check out this feature on Microsoft News Center.

To learn more about the Windows Phone partner news shared today, we encourage you to check out this video that features Microsoft Partners discussing the opportunities for building applications and solutions for Windows Phone.

The Weekly Wrap: Marketplace tops 25,000, Windows Phone goes Hollywood, Garmin’s new app [Windows Phone Blog, July 8, 2011]

Marketplace tops 25,000 While estimates differ, unofficial Marketplace counters now peg our app inventory at somewhere north of 25,000, as multiple bloggers noted last week. Regardless of whose numbers you trust, the bottom line is that Marketplace is going gangbusters. But buzz about the overall app count overshadowed what I think was the week’s most exciting news: the boatload of brand-name apps that poured in. WPCentral counts at least 52 marquee titles in the last two weeks. Liveside.net, meanwhile, compiled its own handy list (complete with download links) of standouts. Check it out

Devices’ information:

WP7 Mango: HTC Eternity Windows Phone 7 Specs and Release Date [Jul 13, 2011]

The images leaked online provides glimpses of new HTC Windows Phone 7, currently being called ‘Eternity’. HTC Eternity will land as one of the first most smart phones running Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Mango (WP7) operating system.

HTC reconfirmed its commitment to Windows Phone 7 based smartphones in a statement at Global Technology Summit in Paris by HTC Head European Nations, Florian Seiche to to Reuters that they will keep developing Windows Phone 7 smart phones like HTC Eternity and HTC Omega, despite of Microsoft Nokia deal:

It will not change our commitment to Microsoft. With a new player entering, it should actually help to elevate the relevance of that platform. We actually feel that we should be able to benefit. The long-term opportunity with Nokia entering will definitely bring Windows back to critical mass.

There were few news leaks back in May 2011, which failed to attract much attention, but this time there are enough details to be given weight. The new HTC Eternity appears to have a big 4.7 inches WVGA Super LCD display screen, bigger than on the Samsung Infuse 4G. So if a large screen is what you wish for, the HTC Eternity might be the phone you want to wait on. Other than that, HTC Eternity seems to have a typical spec sheet for a mid-to-high level device, beside running Windows Phone 7 (WP7 Mango).

HTC Eternity is said to have a single core 1.5GHz processor, 4.7 inch screen with WVGA resolution, 8P autofocus camera with dual-LED 720p video recording capabilities, 1.3 MP front camera and 16GB internal memory. There was also a DLNA, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, 1650mAh battery. Here under is the HTC Eternity Windows Phone 7 complete specs:

WP7 Mango: HTC Eternity Windows Phone 7 Specs

Microprocessor Chipset CPU:Clock: 1500 MHz
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255

Memory,_Storage+capacity RAM+capacity: 512 MiB
ROM:capacity: 14.9 GiB

Display Display Type: Super LCD , 16777216 scales Display:Diagonal: 4.7 ”
Display:Resolution: 480 x 800

Sound Microphone(s): stereo
Loudspeaker(s): Supported
Audio-Output: 3.5mm

Cellular Phone Cellular_Networks: GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS900, UMTS2100 Cellular-Data-Links: CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+
Call Alert: 64 -chord melody
Vibrating+Alert: Supported
Speakerphone-: Supported

Control+Peripherals Positioning:Device: Multi-touch screen Primary Keyboard: Not supported Directional+Pad: Not supported
Scroll-Wheel: Not supported

Interfaces Expansion:Slots: Not supported USB: USB 2.0 client, 480Mbit/s
micro-USB Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Wireless LAN: 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n Infrared:Gate: Not supported

Multimedia+Telecommunication Analog Radio Receiver: FM radio (87.5-108MHz) with RDS Digital+Media-Broadcast_Tuner: Not supported

Satellite Navigation Built-in-GPS module: Supported Complementary GPS-Services: Assisted GPS

Built-in-Digital-Camera Main-Camera: 8 MP Autofocus-(AF): Supported Optical+Zoom: 1 x Macro_Mode: Supported Built-in Flash: mobile light (LED) Secondary-Camera: 1.3 MP

Additional Details Built-in-accelerometer: Supported Battery: removable Battery Capacity: 1650 mAh

WP7 Mango: HTC Eternity Windows Phone 7 Release Date

Release Date and Price of the new Windows Mobile 7 based HTC Eternity are yet officially disclosed by the HTC, but reportedly HTC Eternity will be released in fall 2011.

HTC to tap tablet boom with many models [Reuters from Paris, May 17, 2011]

Smartphone maker HTC plans to roll out a range of different tablet computers to gain a foothold in the fast-growing market, a company executive said on Tuesday.

The global market for tablets, started only last year with Apple’s iPad, will likely grow to 108 million devices next year, compared with just 17.6 million in 2010, according to research firm Gartner.

“I really believe that the tablet market is really going to be a big market in the future and this is just the start,” HTC Europe head Florian Seiche told the Reuters Global Technology Summit.

“In five years’ time, schools will have tablets probably instead of physical notebooks. I think that’s going to be such a massive wave of additional penetration in society… I think we can’t even guess the potential.”

Seiche said HTC’s first tablet, the Flyer, had made a good start in terms of sales.

“It’s early days but we feel very good about it,” he said.

NOKIA BOOST

HTC should benefit from Nokia’s deal to start using Microsoft’s software in its smartphones as this will boost Windows’ share of the smartphone market, Seiche said.

“It will not change our commitment to Microsoft,” he said. “With a new player entering, it should actually help to elevate the relevance of that platform … we actually feel that we should be able to benefit.”

Microsoft’s mobile platform has rapidly lost appeal among consumers who have instead picked iPhones, BlackBerrys and phones running on Google’s Android platform, which became market leader in the last quarter. It now controls only around 3 percent of the smartphone market.

“The long-term opportunity with Nokia entering will definitely bring Windows back to critical mass,” Seiche said at the summit at the Reuters office in Paris.

HTC uses Microsoft software, although its growth has mostly come from smartphones using Google’s Android platform.

“Android has had tremendous growth and we believe that this trend is going to continue, definitely,” Seiche said. “Android’s growth … is going to expand further to Asia and the emerging markets.”

Seiche added that he expects HTC to roll out its first mobile phone using near-field communications (NFC) technology for mobile payments within the next 12 months.

NFC is a short-range way to swap data wirelessly, meaning mobile phones can become a way to pay for goods, store e-tickets or swap photos and business cards.

Samsung GT-i8350 with Windows Phone Emerges [July 11, 2011]

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics is reportedly gearing up for the launch of a new Windows Phone handset, one that would become the direct successor of the company’s Omnia 7 handset.

Samsung was named among the launch partners for Microsoft’s Windows Phone Mango OS, and we knew that the vendor was preparing the release of new devices based on the platform, but no specific info on the handset was available until now.

However, a user agent profile (UAProf) of the Samsung GT-i8350 shows that the company might have this device included among the first series of Mango-powered handsets.

What the said agent string shows is that this mobile phone will arrive on the market with the IE9 browser on board, which leaves little room for speculation when it comes to the operating system it would be based on.

Windows Phone Mango was unveiled previously this year with the new Internet Explorer Mobile 9 on board, and this is the platform the Samsung’s GT-i8350 will land on shelves with.

Moreover, the said UAProf (found by nanapho) unveils that the new device will arrive on the market with a screen capable of boasting a 800 x 480 pixel resolution, and that it would sport Bluetooth 2.1 and HSPA+ connectivity capabilities as well.

As UnwiredView notes in a recent article, the new mobile phone was already added to the handset vendor’s website, though its page does not offer any info at the moment.

Last year, Samsung came to the market with more than just one Windows Phone device, and chances are that it would launch more than one such device this year as well.

This means that Samsung GT-i8350 will soon be accompanied by more new Windows Phone devices on the company’s website, most probably targeted at various segments of the market.

However, it remains to be seen what hardware Samsung would pack inside these mobile phone since nothing was confirmed on it for the time being.

Samsung GT-i8350 may be the WP7 Mango-running successor to the Omnia 7 [July 11, 2011]

Steve Ballmer has said that a new wave of Windows Phones is due out for release before the end of this year, and as we’re approaching that deadline, the leaks are starting to come in. Today we have what is probably going to be one of Samsung’s new WP7 handsets, one to run the Mango update (which will likely be called either WP 7.1 or 7.5) from day one.

Japanese site Nanapho has uncovered a user agent profile (UAProf) of the Samsung GT-i8350, and apparently its Web browser will be IE9. Now, those following Microsoft stuff closely know that Mango is the first version of WP7 to come with what the company is branding IE9, so that can only mean that this new device will run just that.

The GT-i8350 will have an 800×480 resolution screen (which is the standard resolution for WP7), and will come with support for Bluetooth 2.1, and HSPA+.

The i8350 has also received its very own (blank, for now) page in Samsung’s UK support database, pretty much confirming that it’s real. You can see a screengrab of that above.

WMPU speculates that this may be the successor to the Omnia 7, Samsung’s first WP7 device released last year, which has the model number GT-i8700. However, that may not be the case. The i8350 may just be a lower-end device to accompany that successor onto the market. This is also pure speculation, but let’s keep in mind that Samsung likes to increment model numbers for sequels (successor devices). So, for example, the Galaxy S II is GT-i9100 whereas the original Galaxy S was GT-i9000. If Samsung hasn’t just changed that strategy, logically it means that the i8350 should be part of the WP7 lineup, yes, but not a successor to the Omnia 7. Perhaps the Omnia 7 will get a higher-specced successor that will be called i8750, or i8800. That would make sense.

Then again, these are all just (almost) random numbers anyway, so Samsung may have just chosen to do things differently this time. We’ll let you know as soon as we find out for sure.

New images of ZTE’s Mango device destined for China [July 16, 2011]

During WPC11, we saw the first glimpse of ZTE’s entry into the Windows Phone field. Now a few more images have come forth, posted by ZTE’s Dr. Luo Zhongsheng, who evidently is their head of smartphone development.

The phone can be seen sporting some art on the start screen as well as localized Chinese language support. In addition, it looks to have Weibo built in instead of Twitter, which is blocked in China. Weibo is described as “a Chinese microblogging site akin to a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook…”. The device itself looks like a prototype as opposed to the more polished version demonstrated at WPC, though as NanaPho suggests perhaps different color schemes will be offered. No other device specs are currently known.

This coincides nicely with the leak about the Toshiba-Fujitsu phone release in August, suggesting that indeed these phones are coming earlier than expected an the Asian market is gearing up for release.

Update: Evidently it’s not Weibos that’s built, but rather a standalone app running the service.

Fujitsu IS12T with Windows Phone 7 Mango coming next month [July 18, 2011]

At Microsoft’s 2011 Partner Conference , the company had a handful of unreleased smartphones on display running the Windows Phone 7 Mango update. The quartet included models from Samsung, Acer, ZTE, and Fujitsu, and it was thought that the phones would launch sometime in September when Mango is due to be released. The Fujitsu IS12T, however, appears to be ahead of schedule and could be the first to market — launching in August on Japanese carrier KDDI.

Details on the new smartphones remain scant so far, though the Samsung SGHi937 looks an awful lot like a Galaxy S II — one of the most popular non-iPhones in the world right now — running Windows Phone 7 instead of Android. If the internals remain unchanged, then we know exactly what kind of hardware the SGHi937 will pack.

When it comes to the Fujitsu IS12T, there’s not quite as much information. The IS12T won’t sport a massive display like the Samsung’s 4.5″ — instead, it’s a more modest 3.7″ screen that’s expected. There’s also a very good chance the IS12T will feature a 12 megapixel camera, based on its model number, Fujitsu’s past 12MP offerings, and the company’s statement that the phone will feature “great capabilities in terms of the camera.” In addition to a stellar camera, the IS12T is going to be waterproof.

While snapping high-quality digital pics in the rain is cool, it’s even more amazing to think that a manufacturer may actually be releasing a smartphone ahead of schedule for once — instead of repeatedly delaying its launch. Pricing has yet to be revealed for the IS12T, but it’s safe to say this won’t be one of those $100 Windows Phone 7 devices Microsoft talked about.

More at WM Power User and Nikkei

Acer reveals its first Windows Phone Mango device [May 31, 2011]

Acer W4Windows Phone

Acer has revealed its first Windows Phone Mango device at Computex this week.

The device, expected later this year, will be named the Acer W4. Acer’s Windows Phone includes a 5PM camera, 8GB storage and DLNA support. Chinese blog zol.com.cn published images of the device on Tuesday after discovering it on display at Computex this week. Microsoft previously revealed that Acer was a new hardware parter for Windows Phone Mango devices during a VIP event last week.

Acer’s W4 specifications:

3.6-inch WVGA

Screen Resolution: 480×800

5mp Camera with auto-focus

HSPA 850/1900 or 900/2100 /GSM quad band 850/900/ 1800/ 1900 MHz Support

Qualcomm MSM8255 running at 1GHz

Wifi, Bluetooth 2.1

DLNA Support (DMC)

Windows Phone Mango

8GB Storage

Acer W4 Windows Phone Mango device

Image credits: zol.com.cn

What a difference from the current offering!

From Buy your phone [US] site and HTC’s past press release:

Vendor and model:	Date:	Highlights:	Display:	Processor:	Carrier(s) and store(s):
HTC HD7	Friday, December 03, 2010 4:51 PM	•Seamlessly brings together work, play and family. •Features the largest screen on a Windows Phone. •Enjoy Netflix, T-Mobile TV, and Slacker Radio.	480×800 (4.3”)	1 GHz Qualcomm QSD8250	US: T-Mobile, Microsoft Store, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Walmart Singapore [Oct 12, 2010], Malaysia [Oct 13, 2010], Hong Kong [Nov 11, 2010], Australia: Telstra [March 29, 2011]
HTC Arrive™ [= HTC 7 Pro]	Friday, March 18, 2011 9:58 AM	•Sliding full QWERTY keyboard •Tilt-up display •5MP camera and 720p HD camcorder [access to Zune, Xbox LIVE and Netflix]	480×800 (3.6”)	1 GHz Qualcomm QSD8250	US: Sprint, Microsoft Store, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Walmart
Samsung Focus™	Sunday, August 01, 2010 5:50 PM	•Thinnest, lightest Windows Phone. •Brilliant 4″ Super AMOLED WVGA screen. •Audience Noise Reduction for crystal clear calls.	480×800 (4.0”)	1 GHz Qualcomm QSD8250	US: AT&T, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Costco, Walmart
LG Quantum™	Friday, October 08, 2010 3:52 PM	•Full QWERTY keyboard for faster, easier texting. •16 GB internal memory. •Play To (or DLNA) software that lets you easily transfer photos & videos to your home entertainment system.	480×800 (3.5”)	1 GHz Snapdragon [Qualcomm QSD8250]	US: AT&T, Amazon.com, Costco, Walmart
HTC Surround™	Monday, October 04, 2010 2:51 PM	•Slide-out speakers with SRS Dolby Mobile surround sound. •Surround yourself with entertainment, wherever you go. •Kickstand for hands-free viewing. 16 GB internal memory.	480×800 (3.8”)	1 GHz Qualcomm QSD8250	US: AT&T, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Walmart
Dell Venue Pro	Sunday, September 26, 2010 3:58 PM	•Vertical QWERTY keyboard provides quick access. •Scratch and shatter resistant screen. •Available on the T-Mobile network, exclusively from Dell.	480×800 (4.1”)	1 GHz Qualcomm QSD8250	US: Dell
HTC HD7S [largely = HD7 but with a Super LCD screen, it is exclusive to AT&T in the USA ]	Tuesday, May 17, 2011 10:13 AM	•High resolution 4.3” WVGA Super LCD Screen •Slim, premium design with kickstand •5 MP camera with auto focus and dual LED flash (records 720p HD video) •Voice-activated, location-aware Bing search engine	480×800 (4.3”)	1 GHz Qualcomm QSD8250	US: AT&T, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Walmart
HTC Trophy™	Thursday, May 19, 2011 1:09 PM	•3.8” touchscreen for optimal gaming [harnesses the power of Xbox LIVE® for epic gaming] •HD video •5 MP camera with autofocus and flash	480×800 (3.5”)	1 GHz Qualcomm QSD8250	US: Verizon, Microsoft Store, Amazon.com, Best Buy Singapore [Oct 12, 2010]

wikipedia HTC HD7: The HD7 shares nearly all its specifications with its older Windows Mobile 6.5-running brother, the HD2, including the screen resolution and size (4.3 inches diagonal and WVGA 800×400 resolution).

HTC GOES BIG WITH MICROSOFT; LAUNCHING FIVE NEW WINDOWS PHONE 7 SMARTPHONES [Oct 11, 2010]: … HTC 7 Surround, HTC 7 Mozart, HTC 7 Trophy, HTC 7 Pro and HTC HD7 …

HTC 7 Mozart („a phone powered by high-fidelity audio”): Singapore [Oct 12, 2010], Malaysia [Oct 13, 2010], Hong Kong [Nov 11, 2010]

From List of Windows Phone devices (wikipedia):

Product	Release Date	System on Chip	Memory (RAM)	Display	Weight (g)	Carrier	Notes
Dell Venue Pro	November 8, 2010	QSD8250	512MB	4.1″, WVGA 800×480 AMOLED	165	AT&T, T-Mobile USA, Rogers (Pending)	Has vertical slide-out keyboard
HTC 7 Pro	January 17, 2011	QSD8250	576MB	3.6″, WVGA	185	Sprint, US Cellular, Cellular South	CDMA: HTC Arrive Has slide-out keyboard
HTC 7 Surround	October 21, 2010	QSD8250	448MB	3.8″, WVGA	165	AT&T, TELUS	Has slide-out speaker
HTC 7 Trophy	October 21, 2010	QSD8650	576MB	3.8″, WVGA	140	Vodafone UK, Vodafone Australia, Vodafone NZ, Verizon	LCD, 8GB, Yellow back on International version. SLCD, 16GB, Red back on Verizon.
HTC 7 Mozart	October 21, 2010	QSD8250	576MB	3.7″, WVGA	130	Orange U.K., Telstra	Camera: 8 megapixels + Xenon flash
HTC HD7	October 21, 2010	QSD8250	576MB	4.3″, WVGA	162	T-Mobile USA, O2 UK, Bell	Largest screen on a WP7 device
LG Optimus 7	October 21, 2010	QSD8250	512MB	3.8″, WVGA	157	TELUS, Vodafone UK, Optus	DLNA
LG Quantum	October 21, 2010	QSD8250	512MB	3.5″, WVGA	178	AT&T, Bell	Has slide-out keyboard
Samsung Focus	October 21, 2010	QSD8250	512MB	4.0″, WVGA Super AMOLED	115	AT&T, Rogers	Storage may be expanded with a compatible microSD card
Samsung Omnia 7	October 21, 2010	QSD8250	512MB	4.0″, WVGA Super AMOLED	138	Orange UK, 3 UK, Optus

Developers’ information:

Developer News: Beta Mango Tools Available Today [Windows Phone Developer Blog, July 8, 2011]

Today Microsoft is showing off many of the new features coming in the next version of Windows Phone, code named Mango. We highlighted a few features like hardware accelerated IE9 with HTML5, increased multitasking capabilities and the addition of Twitter to the People hub at Mobile World Congress in February. During April’s MIX11 event, we gave developers a deep dive into new Mango capabilities and opportunities and promised new tools in May.

I’m pleased to announce that the beta release of the Windows Phone Developer Tools that support Mango will be available for download today, in just a few hours! We also have some exciting news to share about Windows Phone Marketplace.

First the tools. Developers can use this beta release to get ready for the upcoming Windows Phone OS release. The new application platform capabilities coming in Mango deliver the top features you have asked for:

– Background processing- New profiler and emulator for testing- Use of Silverlight + XNA together- Silverlight 4- IE9 web browser control- Live Tile enhancements: use of back of tiles and ability to update Live Tiles locally – Deep linking into apps from notifications and Live Tiles- Additional sensors; direct camera access, compass & gyro- Fast application switching- Networking / sockets for communications- Local SQL database for structured storage- Access to calendar and contacts for apps

You also asked us for new ways to keep customers engaged with your apps, so we’ve taken steps in Mango that will help keep great apps front and center. The Mango release allows you to create a new wave of apps and games that appeal to consumers by further extending the popular Windows Phone design system. Mango also helps apps remain engaged with the customer and contextually relevant through integration with the Bing Search, Pictures and Music & Video experiences, as well as added functionality for the Live Tiles that live on the Start screen. For example, with Bing Search, when searching for products, movies, events or places, the customer will see among the results a link to a “Quick Card” for that specific search. That card contains an “apps” panel (formerly known as the “extras” panel). This panel will display both installed and non-installed apps associated with that search query term. This is just one example of how the app experience is different on a Windows Phone in ways that give you a unique opportunity.

With Mango we are not only improving the way we merchandise your apps within our Marketplace, we are also exposing your apps as a part of our customers’ everyday experiences. You want more ways for consumers to find your apps; and consumers have been raving about the Windows Phone design. In short, we are listening and investing accordingly. You should expect us to continue to deliver technology and services unlike anyone else.

Below is simple graphic to help show how new tools and resources are unlocking additional developer capabilities:

Another way we’re growing the Windows Phone ecosystem is by expanding geographically. With Mango, Windows Phone Marketplace will expand from 16 to 35 countries where both app submission and app purchase are supported locally.

Today Adding with Mango

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Korea (South), Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan

In addition, Windows Phone Marketplace now supports app submission in China, Israel and Luxembourg. For those countries that are not yet locally supported by Marketplace, we continue to expand the Global Publisher Program we announced in early March. Today, developers in 69 Middle Eastern and African countries can submit applications via Yalla Apps. App Port supports 13 countries in East Asia. APPA Market is available to developers in 19 central European countries. And both Device7 and MTel service China.

To better reach customers worldwide, I’m also pleased to announce today that Mango will offer a new web version of Windows Phone Marketplace. This will enable customers to shop, share and buy/download apps and games from any PC and send them directly to their phones. You get more visibility for your apps with no extra work. The Mango Marketplace will bring several new features and capabilities that Todd Brix will be expanding upon here a little later.

We’re extremely grateful for all that the Windows Phone developer community has accomplished in a few short months and we’re excited to see what you can do with Mango. Today we offer more than 17,000 apps, and with 42,000 registered developers and counting, plenty more are on the way. We recognize that the strength of our developer community and the Windows Phone ecosystem is a big reason why analysts are so optimistic about the Windows Phone ecosystem in predicting sales of hundreds of millions of units by 2015. With the release of beta tools for Mango, we hope we’ve taking another big step toward giving you exactly what you want from a platform so that you are inspired to create the next generation of amazing Windows Phone apps and games. In the coming weeks we will announce the date when App Hub will begin accepting Mango apps for certification.

Whether you’re a new or existing Windows Phone developer, now is the perfect time to take the next step and be what’s next in mobile. The checklist is simple:

Register on App Hub at http://create.msdn.com

Start a Windows Phone project and get ready for Mango with the new Beta Windows Phone Developer Tools 7.1 [WPDT]

Thank you, Matt Bencke General Manager, Windows Phone Developer and Marketplace Experiences

More information:
– Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta2[June 29, 2011]

The new Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta2 (renamed from WPDT) can be used to develop Applications for both 7.0 and 7.1 version of Windows Phone OS releases.

… The Windows Phone SDK includes the following

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 (Beta2)

Windows Phone Emulator (Beta2)

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Assemblies (Beta2)

Silverlight 4 SDK and DRT

Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Extensions for XNA Game Studio 4.0

Microsoft Expression Blend SDK Preview for Windows Phone 7.1

WCF Data Services Client for Window Phone 7.1

Microsoft Advertising SDK for Windows Phone 7

– SketchFlow Template for Windows Phone [June 9, 2011]

The SketchFlow Template for Windows Phone 7 adds a new SketchFlow template for Expression Blend* users that makes creating a prototype of a Windows Phone app quick and easy. * Please note: To use the SketchFlow Template for Windows Phone 7 you need to be using Blend 4 with SketchFlow enabled (this is the version of Blend that comes with both Expression Studio 4 Ultimate and Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate) you also need to have the Mango developer tools Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta2 for Windows Phone installed.

– Developers Get Goody Basket Full of Mangos [Windows Phone Developer Blog, June 29, 2011]

Over the course of the past six months, the Windows Phone team has been working very hard to ensure that there is a great experience for all of our customers with the upcoming Mango release of the Windows Phone OS. That means educating consumers, empowering developers, and working closely with our hardware and carrier partners to bring it all together with great devices.

Just last week, the first reviews of Mango started landing in press and blogs and the early sentiment is very encouraging. People get that Mango is a big step that dramatically enhances the core experiences that we all rely on our phones for every day; messaging and communication, use of any of our more than 20,000 great apps and games, and great use of the Web. AllThingsD wrote that the OS “is a mix of elegance and whimsy that’s a treat to use.” Gizmodo went so far as to say that Mango feels “complete.” However, it was The Daily that offered some bigger picture perspective in noting that, “it took Android nearly two years before hitting critical mass and three years to begin carving out a significant chunk of the smartphone market.” We’ve got a great product in Windows Phone and we feel we’re right on track, in fact we’ve already seen reports showing that in only a few months we’ve surpassed the more established RIM marketplace in the number of real apps available to customers.

Since beginning this journey with the new Windows Phone developer platform, we have aspired to be transparent, easy to build for, and easy to partner with.

We know that one of the most impactful things we can do for developers is to help them get their hands on the actual product. For Mango, that starts today with an early access program for developers. We’re still working out some final kinks in the distribution and support infrastructure for delivering Mango to all of our registered developers around the world, but are inviting the most eager developers to come get Mango today, for their retail devices, as part of our early access program! We expect the full distribution infrastructure to be fully operational in the next couple of weeks. For now, consider yourself a beta tester for the distribution process. Registered developers will get invites to the Microsoft Connect site, which will give them access to Mango. This build of Mango should also be viewed as beta quality, so there are still consumer features missing, but you can now start building apps and testing them against retail devices. Here’s what you need to do:

Download the Windows Phone Developer Tools Beta 2 – You will need to update your developer tools to update your phone and to deploy your apps, so run…get them now.

Read the instructions before updating – These are very important steps which you need to follow to the letter. We’re committed to supporting our developer community with such an early access program, so if you have questions, start with the forums, which we are monitoring.

This is especially well timed for the tens of thousands of student developers who have registered through DreamSpark or related programs. Just as our Spring Cleaning program encouraged developers to finish up their projects over the past few months, delivering thousands of new apps, summer break is the perfect time for student developers to relax and have some fun with Mango. With the free Windows Phone Developer Tools Beta 2 and free access to Mango, now is the perfect time to see what you can do with Windows Phone. To make it even more interesting for students looking for a great summer project, we’ve set aside 50 Mango phones for those students who are building the next big thing on Windows Phone. Want one? Here’s what to do:

Make sure you’re registered for DreamSpark

Download and install Expression Studio Ultimate and the new Mango Windows Phone Developer Tools (available free as a member of DreamSpark)

Get the free Sketchflow Template for Windows Phone and create a Sketchflow mock-up of your app

Post the Sketchflow mock-up somewhere online and tweet out the link using the hash tag #WPAppItUp

We will review all prototypes and will contact the developers who submit the best ones and send them a special Mango developer device

There’s lots to like in Beta2 of the developer tools, and some new goodies as well. You can find the release notes here, but I also wanted to talk about the new Advertising SDK June 2011 Update that was released for Windows Phone 7 earlier this week. The June update makes it even easier for developers to earn money and build ad-enabled mobile apps with streamlined Ad Control APIs and other new features.

Lastly, we got a lot of questions in email and on twitter as to why reviewers got Mango first. In short, it was to allow us to get you Mango today. Bringing a product to market requires a healthy balance between marketing features and empowering the ecosystem. Striking that balance is all about sequence. Microsoft believes in developers like no other company, but not even we want developer tear downs serving as the foundation for how consumers ultimately understand Mango. To get Mango to you today, we had to first set some context so that the market would have a good understanding of the product and not define us only by those features that developers uncovered. Think of it this way: if you could choose which path to go down, would you rather have a tightly selected group of influential people write your first reviews of your amazing app, or leave it to the customers with the fastest fingers?

So what now? First, go get the tools. Second, update your retail phones to Mango. Third, go rub it in your friends’ faces that you have Mango and they don’t. Fourth, start building your Mango apps using some of the cool new functionality like fast app resume, updated Live Tiles, Motion Sensor, Live Agents, sockets, background audio or raw camera access. There will be a tools update in the coming months which will have the go-live license you need to publish Mango apps to the Marketplace, but don’t wait. With the tools and the ability to test on Mango enabled phones, you should all be in really good shape when Mango is released later this year.

For the early access program, here are the countries which are explicitly supported – meaning that should your device become unusable as a result of updating, we will be able to process it for fixing once the full distribution infrastructure is fully operational in the next couple of weeks:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States

– Windows Phone around the world: Language support in Mango [Windows Phone Blog, July 6, 2011]

At launch last year we supported 5 display languages: English (US and UK), French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

In Mango, we’re adding 17 more: Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Swedish.

The Zune software will be available for the same set of languages.

…

Displaying some of these new languages required new phone fonts. Specifically, we’ve added 4 beautiful new fonts for the East Asian languages:

…

… The 20 new keyboard options are: Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, and Ukrainian.

The keyboard languages shown in italics regular [here] also support text prediction, which makes typing on your phone faster and easier. Even better, all these input languages are available on any Windows Phone, regardless of which display languages come with it.

The new East Asian keyboards—which were developed in Asia by the same team that creates them for Windows and Office—are especially neat. We’ll explore them in more detail in a future post.

…

This fall you’ll see a significant increase in the number of new countries where the Xbox LIVE service for Windows Phone is available. The Zune Marketplace for music, video, and podcasts is also expanding to more markets. We’re not quite ready to announce specifics just yet—expect to hear more later this summer.

Finally, we get many questions about specific phone features—especially ones related to searching and mapping— and where they’ll be available. Here’s a list of ones we hear about most:

Bing search (accessed from the phone’s hardware Search button) is available in 33 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States. (Elsewhere, handset and mobile operators can configure the hardware search button to a locally-relevant search site).

Local search results show up in 6 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Maps is supported in 19 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Voice-to-text and Voice-to-dial is available in 6 countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and the Unites States.

Voice search is supported in 4 countries: France, Germany, United Kingdom, and the United States.

…

Extending services such as Marketplace or Xbox LIVE to more markets, on the other hand, is a very different type of challenge—as much legal and organizational as it is technical. But we’re working hard to scale up our engineering effort from a couple dozen countries to the entire world.

…

Application Certification Requirements for Windows Phone

Windows Phone

June 24, 2011

This section provides the policies and technical requirements that a Windows Phone application or game must meet to pass certification and to be eligible for listing in Windows Phone Marketplace.

1.0 Program Overview

A core principle that is applied in designing the certification process is that each individual policy or requirement is clear, objective, and testable. This transparency is designed to help developers easily design and test applications to meet these requirements.

The following list shows the pillars of the certification program:

Applications are reliable.

Applications make efficient use of resources.

Applications do not interfere with the phone functionality.

Applications are free of malicious software.

1.1 What You Need to Know About the Submission and Certification Process

When your application is ready for publication, it must go through the certification process before it is eligible for listing in Windows Phone Marketplace. Your application does not have to be signed before submission.

The certification process involves static validation and automated testing of your application to verify that it meets all the policies and requirements. The following list shows the five major categories of policies and requirements:

Application Policies

Content Policies

Application Submission Requirements

Technical Certification Requirements

Additional Requirements for Specific Application Types

The following is a simplified illustration of the submission and certification process.

CertificationDiagram

1.1.1 Process Outline

The following is a brief outline of the submission and certification process:

Sign in to your account in App Hub.

Create a new application submission.

Upload the application XAP file.

Enter the metadata for the application, such as title, description, category, and iconography.

Select the distribution countries/regions and pricing.

The XAP file is validated while you are entering metadata.

If the XAP file validation succeeds, the submission process continues to Step 8; otherwise, the process terminates and you get a notification. Select the option to publish immediately after passing the certification process or to wait until you decide to publish.

The XAP file is repackaged as described in Section 4.1.2.

The repackaged XAP file is deployed to a phone for the certification testing. Certification involves the automated and manual verification of the meeting of the requirements that are described in Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

If the application meets all the requirements, the repackaged XAP and assembly files are signed, and the application is eligible for publication according to the option selected in Step 8.

If the application fails one or more of the requirements, you get a failure report and the application is not published.

Important Note:

When you submit an application update for certification, it goes through the same process as the original application.

1.1.2 Code Signing

Code signing occurs automatically once the application has successfully passed the certification testing without any failure. The application and repackaged XAP files are signed with the Authenticode® certificate assigned to you when you registered for App Hub membership. Any signatures in a submitted application or XAP files will be replaced and are not retained.

Important Note:

All applications must be signed with the Microsoft issued Authenticode certificate before they can be installed and run on commercially available Windows Phone devices.

Important Note:
When you submit an application update for certification, it goes through the same process as the original application.

Important Note:
All applications must be signed with the Microsoft issued Authenticode certificate before they can be installed and run on commercially available Windows Phone devices.

– Zune to Expand Multiscreen Entertainment Services Into International Markets [Sept 10, 2010, as Zune Marketplace was originally only available in the United States]

Microsoft Corp. today announced the further international expansion of Zune, its digital entertainment service. This fall, Zune will expand its music and video footprint and bring the free Zune software, Zune Marketplace online store, Zune Pass¹ music subscription service and enhanced features on Zune.net to new markets, providing a comprehensive entertainment experience on Windows-based PCs, on the go with Windows Phone 7 and in your living room through Xbox LIVE.²

“The integration between Zune, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox LIVE is an exciting expansion in our entertainment offerings,” said Craig Eisler, corporate vice president, Interactive Entertainment Business Group at Microsoft. “Zune enables users to access the entertainment they want, wherever they want it — and now, more people than ever will be able to enjoy the freedom and flexibility that the Zune service offers.”

Zune software has been upgraded with new features and functionality and will serve as the Windows Phone 7 synchronization client. The new software (version 4.7) will be available to download for free in more than 20 countries, including the U.K., France, Italy, Germany and Spain, to easily manage your personal collection of movies, music, podcasts and pictures. Zune software continues to set the standard for entertainment software, providing best-in-class experiences to organize, discover and enjoy digital media with a variety of exclusive features. For example, the Quickplay menu enables immediate access to recently played content and personal favorites, and Smart DJ³ automatically creates playlists from your personal music collection and takes the extra step of mixing in suggested music from the Zune Marketplace. The updated Zune software will also enable instant streaming of high-definition movies, allowing you to watch some Zune Marketplace movies in HD, with no download time, directly on a Windows PC.

Zune Marketplace online store is accessible from within the Zune software and offers the ability to purchase millions of individual songs or albums from its catalog, all in MP3 format. Here, consumers can also subscribe to Zune Pass,⁴ which provides unlimited downloads and music streaming capabilities from the Zune music library, including content from major music labels such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music and Warner Music Group, as well as thousands of independent labels. Zune Marketplace also has a large library of videos from major studios such as Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution for purchase or rental. Video purchases will be accessible through Xbox LIVE and Windows-based PCs, and can also be added to a Windows Phone 7. Simply buy your favorite video from Zune Marketplace and watch it on the screen of your choice.⁹

Zune.net is the perfect resource for consumers as it allows them to download the software and set up a Zune account with a new or existing Windows Live ID.⁵ Zune.net will also provide Web access to Zune Marketplace so you can purchase music or use a Zune Pass to stream music directly through an Internet browser,⁶ as well as purchase video content.⁷

Zune Expansion to New Markets

As Zune expands internationally, its music and video service will be tailored for each market. Genre experts will custom program Zune Marketplace and feature the top songs, videos, movies and unique promotions for each country.

The fall 2010 international expansion of the Zune music and video service includes the following:

Zune Marketplace will extend services to several markets in Europe and beyond.

• Zune Pass (U.K., France, Italy and Spain). The monthly music subscription service will be available for 9.99 euros /8.99 pounds per month for unlimited download and streaming access to the Zune music catalog and will be accessible on Windows-based PCs, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox LIVE. The offer in the U.S. will remain at $14.99 per month for unlimited downloads and streaming access, with the ability to keep 10 MP3s per month.⁸

• Music purchase (U.K., France, Italy, Spain and Germany). Expansion to these markets will enable consumers to purchase MP3s and listen on their Windows-based PC, Windows Phone 7 or any other device that supports MP3 format. Users will also be able to purchase music videos to enjoy on Windows-based PC, Windows Phone 7 and Zune on Xbox LIVE.

• Video purchase (U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). Consumers will now be able to purchase movies to download and watch anywhere — on the big screen in the living room with Xbox LIVE or their Windows-based PC as well as sync it to their Windows Phone 7 to enjoy on the go.⁹

• Movie rental (U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). In addition to Zune video on Xbox LIVE, consumers in these countries will now be able to rent movies for viewing on their Windows-based PC or choose to sync the rental to their Windows Phone 7.

The global expansion of the service is the latest step in a series of milestones for Zune, including powering Bing music search results, the added ability to purchase music and video on Zune.net, and the forthcoming integration with Xbox LIVE and Kinect for Xbox 360. By continuing to integrate Zune across the most important screens to consumers, Zune provides an all-in-one music and video service for users to discover, enjoy and experience their entertainment wherever they want.About Zune

Zune is Microsoft’s music and video entertainment service that provides an integrated digital experience across Zune devices, Windows-based PCs, Xbox LIVE and Windows Phone 7. The Zune platform includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune Marketplace and Zune.net online stores, the Zune Social online music community created to help people discover music, and the ZuneOriginals.net online media player customization store. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

¹ Zune Pass available in U.K., France, Italy and Spain.

² Zune Pass on Xbox 360 requires an Xbox LIVE Gold membership and a Zune Pass subscription.

³ Only available with Zune Pass.

⁴ Zune Pass is a music subscription; some Zune Marketplace songs and content are not available via Zune Pass. Available content may vary over time.

⁵ For cross-screen functionality, the same Windows Live ID needs to be used on the Zune software, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox LIVE accounts.

⁶ Internet browser support for Silverlight required.

⁷ Service features may vary based on market availability.

⁸ Keep 10 MP3s per month feature available to U.S. Zune Pass subscribers only, on their PC or Windows Phone 7.

⁹ Content available for download on multiple devices may vary over time. Availability of content and video resolution will vary by device.

On Windows Phone 7 history:

Thoughts on Windows Phone 7 Series (BTW: Photon is Dead)[Feb 17, 2010]

The real Windows Mobile 7, that is, Photon as it once was called, is dead. Windows Mobile 7 was supposed to be an evolution of Windows Mobile 5 and 6. It was supposed to be built on the paradigm that previous generations of Windows Mobile had been created from: a Start-menu centric application experience, two soft keys on bottom, and applications that acted as they would on the desktop (often with a close button). Well Photon was scrapped, probably around 2008 when the Mobile division of Microsoft saw a big reorganization. With that, Microsoft started from scratch to build the next generation of Windows Mobile, or Windows Phone as they began calling it in 2009. Also at that time, they decided to extend the life of Windows Mobile 6 to buy some time, and a year later we saw 6.5. And despite rampant criticism, 6.5 shipped on a lot of really awesome devices like the HTC Touch Pro2 and HD2, Acer neoTouch, and Samsung Omnia II.

Back in 2007, as you may or may not recall, I wrote about Windows Mobile 7 after having seen it at a Microsoft event. If you want to go back and see the text, it’s still available at MobilityToday. I contended that what Microsoft had in store for the next version of Windows Mobile was awesome, and that it could succeed. But I also warned that if they didn’t bring the product to market before the target late 2009 launch, it would fail. It would fail because by that time, two years later, iOS, Android, and other mobile platforms would be wildly evolved, and that Photon would seem like more of the same, instead of a breakthrough new operating system that the market would so desire.

I also saw Photon two years prior to 2007. Back then, it was pretty much the same as we know Photon to be today. It’s very possible that work began on Photon as early as 2004, which begs the question: how could a company with such vast resources and fantastic human talent take nearly half a decade to roll out a product? The answer could come down to mismanagement or lack of investment. My guess is that Microsoft didn’t truly understand how big the mobile category would grow, and how fast it would happen. …

Behind the scenes: Windows Phone 7 [June 17, 2010]

… The launch of the new phones is critical for Microsoft, which is trying to play catch-up with Apple and Google. Despite having been in the phone business far longer than either of those two rivals, complacency, lack of focus, and bad bets have left Microsoft an afterthought in the cell phone business. It now has just a single-digit percentage market share among smartphone operating systems, trailing Symbian, RIM’s BlackBerry, Apple’s iPhone, and Google’s Android, according to Gartner. Windows Phone 7 is the big bet to reverse years of decline, assuming it’s not too late.

Leading that effort is vice president Terry Myerson, the 37-year-old former head of the Exchange Server development team. Myerson is the rare Microsoft exec who knows what it’s like to be an underdog. He came to Microsoft in 1997 through the acquisition of his own Web analysis company [Interse’ see Terry Myerson [Duke Pratt School of Engineering, Oct 16, 1998]] and went to work on Exchange back when it was badly behind IBM’s Lotus Notes software.

… Myerson, who agreed to take on this job in October 2008, has picked up the pieces on a next-generation mobile operating system that Microsoft has been developing in fits and starts for several years now, switching leadership and approaches several times along the way.

Despite its long and winding road to fruition, Windows Phone 7 has a chance, Myerson says with a quiet conviction that sounds more like an engineer sure of his work than a salesman looking to close the deal. Myerson is convinced that Microsoft can get back in the game if Windows Phone 7 really nails the set of things that it does tackle–merging personal and work contacts, integrating Xbox Live games and Zune music and video, including mobile versions of Office and aiming to bring together photos from various social networks.

…

What they’ve already done hasn’t been easy. Although it retains Windows CE at its core, Windows Phone 7 has a completely new look and interface. The overhaul was so significant, that when it was first outlined in early 2009, the project’s leaders handed out a bottle of Pepto Bismol to the several hundred people on the development team. “The entire user experience of Windows Phone 6 was built on a certain graphics framework,” Myerson said. “We decided to change that to a different one. We sort of decided that top down and teams just had to digest that, so it was sort of a joke that people were given that.”

…

“I think we are going to have something very high-quality and different this holiday,” Myerson said. “We won’t be better on every dimension and we won’t be better on a feature point on all of the dimensions we wish we could… I think about this really as a first release, a first release for this team.”

…

A blunt assessment

Catching up with the market leaders, Myerson figures, is a multiyear project, something he warned both executives and colleagues when he took over the project. “We’re going to reset, but it is going to take us five years to build a product we all want to have,” he said.

Myerson’s less-than-rosy assessment scared off more than a few people. “There were people that looked in the mirror a year ago and said, well, if we aren’t going to win next year, I am out of here,” he said. “There were people that looked in the mirror and said what a great fun project to spend the next three to five years of my life on and kind of buckled down for it…Those are the people you want because that’s how long it is really going to take. The company has that level of commitment.”

If anything, Myerson hopes that is what he is bringing to the team–clarity, along with enough resources to get the job done.

“If you invest in people as craftsman and give them great tools, I think they will build great products.” Myerson said. “Probably the most important thing we can give these guys is a clear plan. If the plan changes every three months, it’s hard to do great engineering.”

With that in mind, the company decided more than a year ago to start over yet again, with a new approach and a firm target–holiday 2010–to have the all-new Windows Phone on the market. “I think when we look back on the release five years from now, this was a foundational release, not the release that broke through,” Myerson said. “We’ve got some tough competition.”

In particular, Microsoft will need to make a good impression with carriers–the companies like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile–who decide which phones will get the prime shelf space and the big ad campaign, and which will not make the cut at all.

“They take all the burden of support calls and all the burden of selling it,” he said. Given that “they want it months ahead of time so they can learn how to sell, learn how to support it.”

…

Having to coordinate among chipmakers and Microsoft and hardware makers and carriers is a lot of work, Myerson acknowledges. It requires a lot more companies working together than is the case with Apple, which now even designs the iPhone’s main processor.

“The OEM partnership model we have is more complicated,” Myerson said. “We aspire to have the same level of end-user finish as Apple, but getting that level of user finish requires a level of partnership.”

The idea of partnering with phone makers like Samsung and HTC is to get the benefit of their ideas as well as have more models than Microsoft could if it built the hardware itself. But add that to a business model that also includes 180 different carriers across the country as well as other components and it’s a lot to juggle.

“Between Qualcomm and Broadcom and Samsung and LG and HTC, AT&T and T-Mobile, it’s just very partnership-complex, it just is,” Myerson said. “I don’t know any other way to describe it.”

Microsoft has considered but rejected the idea that it should go it alone in the phone business, building its own hardware to better take on Apple. Among other reasons, it’s just how the company prefers to do business. Although it makes the Xbox and Zune, the company prefers to build software that is used a wide range of hardware makers.

“We’ve made it work many times in the past and as you know, there’s times in the past where it hasn’t worked out so well,” Myerson said. “We’re aspiring to do it well, which unfortunately does take more time.”

But time is running out for Microsoft, which needs to get the first devices to carriers soon if it wants the devices to be on sale by the holidays. Hence, the conference rooms inside Microsoft this day are filled, not just with folks from Microsoft, but also from its many partners.

As the work day draws to a close, the hours-long meeting between Qualcomm and Microsoft engineers beaks up. Myerson meets in his office with Torrey Harmon, a Qualcomm senior vice president. The conversation is informal–a mix of some subtle salesmanship and small talk and venting about some of the project’s more challenging aspects and people.

Between trading jabs at various partners and competitors, the two turn their attention to their own companies’ partnership, discussing how they might further reduce the amount of friction between the teams working on the chips at Qualcomm and those working on the software at Microsoft.

“We want you to see us as an extension of your team and we’re trying hard to figure out how to do that,” Harmon said. Qualcomm recently hired one of the members of the Windows 95/98 development team to help the company in that effort. “We’ve made a lot of progress and still we’ve got a ways to go. We’d like just to look like another one of your technology groups, that’s our goal.”

As the conversation continued, they talked about the battery life issues on a particular prototype. “Usually it runs out by about 2 o’clock,” Harmon said, although, that’s better than before a recent software build. “It was running out at about 11 o’clock when I first got it. It’s better already than it was.”

As it often does, Myerson’s mood this day shifted quickly between optimism and pessimism. “I just want to survive this launch,” Myerson told Harmon. “If I can get out there and get some respect, for lack of a better word, from consumers, everything will get easier. Right now things are hard.”

Windows Phone 7: A Fresh Start for the Smartphone[Microsoft feature story for the press, Oct 11, 2010]

The goal for Microsoft’s latest smartphone is an ambitious one: to deliver a phone that truly integrates the things people really want to do, puts those things right in front of them, and either lets them get finished quickly or immerses them in the experience they were seeking.

“When you first get the phone, the stuff that’s more obvious makes you smile,” says Andy Lees, Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business president. On the phone’s Start screen, “live tiles” show users real-time content, such as social media updates and contacts. “The features sort of scream out at you,” says Lees. “But the other thing that is even deeper for me is the elegance of the experience, which you only appreciate if you’ve used the phone for some time.”

The result is Windows Phone 7, which will make its debut in some European markets on Oct. 21 and in the U.S. Nov. 8. The phone uses an elegant operating system that is very different from the current trend toward app-focused phones. Instead it provides active and configurable interface elements called tiles that update on the fly with real information, allowing users to place the tiles that interest them most where they want on their Start screen. Facebook photos, music and contacts are pulled into the phone and distributed appropriately across Hubs. It also brings together many of Microsoft’s popular offerings from other platforms, including Xbox, Zune, Office and Bing.

The new phone is an important step for Microsoft in three ways. To begin, it is a completely fresh start for Microsoft in smartphones. Second, it represents a new approach from Microsoft toward integrating products and services from across the company into the phone to create a richer experience and greater productivity. Hence the presence of Office, Zune and Xbox LIVE and their integration within the Hub model. And finally, the new phone approach is critical to Microsoft’s efforts to make new gains in the huge smartphone market, which despite the success of the iPhone and Android is still relatively untapped globally.

As people use their phones, they’ll discover lots of thoughtfully designed features and perks. Holding down the camera shutter button, for example, lets the user take a picture even if the phone is locked – as Lees says, “unlocking your phone can sometimes mean the difference between missing the moment or not.”

The phone’s interface features Hubs for categories such as People, Music and video, Photos, Games and Office. These Hubs are never more than a few screens away, no matter how deep the user navigates within the phone. The People Hub, for example, pulls in Facebook status updates from friends as well as providing the more obvious contact information and phone numbers. Users can take actions like responding to updates or sending a text message right from the People Hub rather than having to find and launch a particular app. The Hubs also update live, pulling in pictures and information so that in many cases a glance and a couple of clicks will be all that users need to bring themselves up to date with phone messages, e-mail and what is happening with friends and colleagues.

“We think people want to get updates from their social networks, they want to get contact information, they want to get e-mails from a variety of different places, they want to share music — but they want control over it,” says Lees.

Plus, says Lees, “They want one thing that they can access their work e-mail on and then put in their bag and go to the party, and they want it to be easy to use. That’s exactly what we’re delivering.”

Applications will be available for the phone as well via a Hub called the Marketplace. But, unlike other smartphones, they won’t be required for the majority of everyday tasks.

Smartphones are increasingly a part of our lives. It is incredibly seductive to be constantly connected, to be able to communicate with and interact with friends and associates at any time. Or to be able to dive into the sea of information on the Internet at any time. But the current smartphone designs aren’t helping. People either take too long to find what they need on their phones or they get distracted and drawn in to unproductive activities simply because they have to click in and open apps to see things.

To highlight the problem, the company is launching a provocative advertising and marketing campaign, showing how Microsoft’s new phone is different. The new Windows Phone 7 is designed to help users connect with the people and information they care about most, then let them return to the real world as fast as possible.

Terry Myerson, corporate vice president of Windows Phone engineering at Microsoft, led the development group for the new phone. “We had this list of things we knew we wanted – e-mail, a browser, games, a music player,” says Myerson. The team knew that they wanted the phone to be versatile and deliver exactly what the customer wanted out of a phone. But its greatest asset is something less tangible than a single feature or access to a program. “Using this phone is truly a delightful experience,” says Myerson.

Creating this ease of use was one of the design team’s primary goals. “We talked a lot about smart design when we talked about this phone,” says Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Windows Phone program management. Belfiore joined the project shortly after Myerson and oversaw, among other things, user experience. “We wanted this phone to be able to anticipate what you want and give it to you before you ask for it.”

New phones in a variety of hardware designs will be available from Samsung, HTC, LG and Dell.

Microsoft is so committed to the new phone that it has arranged for every full-time employee worldwide to be able to switch to the new phone as soon as it launches in their market. And while executives say they are thrilled with the final product, they also acknowledge there is a lot more to be done. When the phone is released, they plan to enjoy the moment – but not for long. “There’s so much more of Microsoft we’ve got to bring out in the phone,” says Myerson. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Exclusive: AT&T’s Ralph De La Vega on Which Smartphones Are Winning [June 4, 2011 — Excerpt 2]

Nokia has made this huge bet on Windows Phone. One of the reasons, they have said, is to have a bigger presence then they have had in many years in North America. How interested are you in adding them to your lineup?

De la Vega: We already have Windows Phone 7 in our lineup. We actually like that software very, very much. It hasn’t sold as well as Microsoft or we would want it to, but I think having the Nokia hardware capability with the Microsoft software capability is a really good combination. They have to prove it by bringing some great devices to market. But I would love to have a great Nokia device with Microsoft Windows Phone 7.

Windows Phone 7, is it a hard sell, or are their features that are missing?

De la Vega: Keep in mind this is the first product that Microsoft has come out with since Microsoft redid their OS. I think for the first thing out of the chute it is pretty good. I think they just need to make it better. If you listen to what Steve Ballmer is saying (Mango, the next version), is going to add about 500 features. I think they are going to make it a lot better. Giving customers more application choices, having a bigger app store with more functionality on the phone, I think that is all that it needs.

Actually, I loved Windows 8. That looks a lot like a Windows Phone screen, with the tiles. I think that’s a huge win for Microsoft. Now they have their same look and feel on their PCs and tablets as they have on their smartphones.

Building the Next Great Mobile Software Developer Opportunity [by Terry Myerson, Feb 14, 2011]

On Friday Feb 11th our two companies announceda partnership that we believe will shake up the mobile phone market. Together Nokia and Microsoft are bringing to bear significant and complementary strengths in global smartphone and mobile phone market reach, hardware, software and services. Based on these strengths, we will build a new, global ecosystem that creates a wealth of new opportunities and innovative experiences.

However, we can’t do it alone. We need you: our developers. Over the years, you, our developer communities, have created great experiences for your customers. You’ve also given us feedback that you want new opportunities, accelerated innovation, and access to more consumers. We are going to realize this future based on a shared set of principles about what developers want and deserve:

Opportunity: a large number of customers with unparalleled global reach

Feedback: so that you can improve your applications and games

Ovi Store and Windows Phone Marketplace: a great shopping experience, where your creativity can be discovered

Flexibility: in how you are compensated for your work– in dollars or notoriety

Amazing tools: to take creativity from idea to sale

Structure: a prescriptive roadmap that balances opportunity and diversity while maintaining the stability of the platform

Innovation: combining services assets to drive innovation including putting Nokia’s Ovi Maps at the heart of key Microsoft assets like Bing and AdCenter

We appreciate that applications and games are many peoples’ livelihoods, and that developers deserve respect and transparency. We further understand that choosing a mobile platform is a serious commitment of time and energy that we must earn. This new conversation is just starting and we would like it to be an open and continuing dialogue.

To that end, we want to make clear that our alliance represents a long-term commitment to developers. Nokia developers working with Qt or Java will continue to do so and enjoy healthy demand for those. Nokia has an installed base of 225 million Symbian devices, and plans to sell 150 million more, and Series 40 has an addressable market of 600 million devices today. Nokia continue to enhance and innovate on those platforms and in Qt tools. Nokia, and now Microsoft, are committed to making sure that your contributions to and investments in the Nokia ecosystem will be worthwhile. In the coming weeks we will provide more information about programs that will help you access the Symbian and Qt opportunities more effectively.

Nokia’s Windows Phone portfolio will support the existing, free Windows Phone Developer Tools. Nokia and Microsoft will support Symbian developers wishing to port their application to Windows Phone. Both Nokia and Microsoft manage rich application and game commerce platforms in Ovi Store and the Windows Phone Marketplace. We believe that both platforms bring distinct strengths to the alliance, and we are planning to combine these strengths into a single great commerce experience for developers and consumers alike.

We still have much work to do and we will provide you, our developers, with more details in the weeks and months to come. We will ensure that developers can count on timely and prescriptive guidance on the implications and opportunities of this new alliance. For now, we hope that you are as excited about the long-term potential of this alliance as we are, and that you are already thinking of new application and games that you’ll bring to market to take advantage of the significant volumes of Nokia Windows Phones, as well as the existing and future Symbian and Series 40 devices from Nokia.

If you’re interested in learning more about developing for Windows Phone, please visit http://create.msdn.com. For the latest guidance to Nokia developers, visit http://forum.nokia.com. Sincerely Tero Ojanpera, Executive Vice President, Services, Nokia Terry Myerson, Corporate Vice President, Windows Phone Engineering, Microsoft

Reindeer Antlers and Reykjavik: How Microsoft and Nokia Are Getting Down to Business Together[July 11, 2011]

“We’ve spent the last couple months working really closely together to get first products really materializing,” Nokia’s Jo Harlow, who is in charge of Smart Devices at the phone giant, said in an interview. “We all feel confident about where we are.”

… Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has been boasting for a while that he is carrying something along those lines, and a recently leaked video shows him with an early version of the hardware.

Harlow declined to comment on that leak, but says she is increasingly confident in the first product that will arrive this year, and that the company may yet have multiple devices for sale before the end of the year. The first Nokia phones are expected to arrive this fall alongside Mango, the first major update to Windows Phone 7.

“I’m committed to one model this year,” Harlow said. “More would be great.” For next year, though, Harlow said there will be a steady stream of releases — something that Microsoft badly needs as it tries to keep up with rivals, particularly Android devices, which are released on a constant basis.

If Microsoft was close to the latest hardware when it released the first Windows Phones last fall, it is fair to say that its models now look dated when stacked up against the latest Android models, some of which boast 3-D screens, dual-core processors, high-definition video recording and other features. “I’m hoping that won’t be an issue next year,” Myerson said. Harlow said her goal is that Nokia will have more frequent hardware updates, keeping the company, and by extension Windows Phone, front of mind with phone shoppers.

… For its part, Microsoft said it has shifted its priorities to make sure that Nokia’s needs are being met first. The company has increased its focus on going global more quickly, as Nokia counts on Windows Phone to quickly fill a gap created by the rapid decline in its existing Symbian phone business. “We had been focused on North America and Western Europe,” Myerson said of the company’s early efforts. That, he said, has now changed.

Although Microsoft is also working with its other partners, Myerson isn’t shy about saying that he is pouring more energy into his partners in Finland. After all, while HTC and Samsung build Windows Phones, they also make phones running Google’s Android software. Nokia, meanwhile, has pledged to make Windows Phone the core of its smartphone strategy. “We are prioritizing work proportionate to Nokia’s commitment to Windows Phone, which is unlike anything we have had before,” Myerson said.

On Andy/Andrew Lees’ promotions:

Microsoft Announces New, Expanded Roles for Key Executives[Feb 14, 2008]

Microsoft Corp. today announced a series of executive promotions — seven new senior vice presidents and seven new corporate vice presidents — reflective of the company’s commitment to build and maintain a strong and dynamic management team across its unique portfolio of businesses.

… “Along with attracting world-class talent from outside the company, one of my top priorities is growing Microsoft’s existing leadership team,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Each of these executives will play a critical role in leading Microsoft into the future. Today’s promotions are a result of their ability to think strategically on a global scale, the respect they’ve earned from their peers, customers and partners, and their significant contributions to the company.”

… Andy Lees, senior vice president, Mobile Communications Business. Previously corporate vice president of the Server & Tools Marketing and Solutions Group, Lees will oversee the development, marketing and sales of software and services that power mobile devices for business and consumer customers worldwide. Lees will fill the role previously held by Pieter Knook, who made the decision to leave Microsoft to pursue new opportunities.

… Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president, Original Equipment Manufacturer Division. Previously general manager, Application Platform Marketing, Guggenheimer will move to a new role leading the group that manages Microsoft’s relationships with the makers of personal computers and other devices.

Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president, .NET Developer Platform. Previously general manager, Guthrie will continue to oversee several development teams responsible for delivering Microsoft Visual Studio developer tools and Microsoft .NET Framework technologies for building client and Web applications.

Microsoft Announces Retirement and Transition Plan for Robbie Bach [May 25, 2010]

Underscoring the strength of the leadership teams in place for the entertainment and mobile businesses, the company announced that Senior Vice President Don Mattrick will continue to lead the Interactive Entertainment Business and Senior Vice President Andy Lees will continue to lead the Mobile Communications Business. Each will report directly to CEO Steve Ballmer effective July 1.

… Bach will remain with Microsoft through the fall, working with Ballmer and his leadership team to ensure a smooth transition. …

… Lees has led the Mobile Communications Business since February 2008 and has been instrumental in reinvigorating Microsoft’s mobility efforts, bringing in new business and development talent and overseeing the creation of both KIN and Windows Phone 7. A 20-year Microsoft veteran, he previously served as corporate vice president for Server & Tools marketing and sales, led a variety of worldwide sales and marketing functions, and began his career in Microsoft’s U.K. subsidiary. “One measure of a leader is the team he assembles around him, and Robbie built an incredible team.

Don and Andy are exactly the right leaders to carry our entertainment and mobility efforts forward,” Ballmer said.

Microsoft also announced that J Allard, senior vice president of Design and Development for E&D, will be leaving Microsoft after 19 years, and will take an official role as an advisor in a strategic role for Ballmer and his leadership team. “J has brought a game-changing creative magic to Microsoft for years, from Windows to Xbox, from Zune to KIN,” Ballmer said. “He was one of the key drivers in our early work on the Web, and we’re absolutely delighted that J’s role with the company will evolve in a way that lets all of Microsoft benefit from his business insight, technical depth and keen eye for consumer experience.”

Microsoft Announces New Leadership Promotions[Oct 1, 2010]

Microsoft Corp. today promoted Kurt DelBene to president of the Microsoft Office Division, Andy Lees to president of the Mobile Communications Business, and Don Mattrick to president of the Interactive Entertainment Business. … As President of the Mobile Communications Business, Lees, 45, will continue to oversee the overall marketing and product development for Microsoft’s mobility efforts. Lees, a 20-year Microsoft veteran, has led the Mobile Communications Business since February 2008 and was at the center of the company’s efforts to rebuild the mobile business, including the development of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 to be released this holiday season. Windows Phone 7 is designed to make every-day tasks faster by doing more in fewer steps and providing timely information in a “glance and go” format.

Microsoft Mobile Communications Business is now the Windows Phone Division[June 16, 2011]

Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business (MCB) is no more. The group itself still exists, but is known officially, as of this week, as the “Windows Phone Division.” I noticed the change on the bio page for the division President Andy Lees. (Until yesterday, Lees was listed as President of MCB. He’s now President of the Windows Phone Division.) A Microsoft spokesperson said that only the name of the unit has changed and that there’s no change in the unit’s responsibilities or charter.

Say it ain’t so — not only is a phone not delayed, it’s actually planning to come out earlier than its quoted launch window? This particular miracle is the exception much more than the rule, but Microsoft’s latest Windows Phone OS (nicknamed “Mango,”) might come out prior to the anticipated fall release. According to Nikkei, Fujitsu will offer the very first Mango device, a waterproof phone called the IS12T, on KDDI “as early as late next month.” The phone is to be sold for 30,000 – 40,000 yen ($378 – 505), a reasonable amount of coin for what will likely be a higher-end device. And — if it’s the same handset showcased at this week’s Worldwide Partner Conference — a pink version will be on sale. So, what’s more enticing: a Hello Kitty-flavored Windows Phone, or a Samsung Galaxy S II lookalike running Mango? It’s a tough call.

Experiencing the Cloud

Category Archives: Cloud client SW platforms

Nokia Windows Phone to debut on August 17 at the huge gamescom 2011 event

Gaming is supported via the new Games Hub while entertainment via the new Music +Video Hub. Below are a couple of notable video demos as well as detailed information about those two enhanced and redesigned hubs for Windows Phone 7, ‘Mango’ release:

Fresh from E3: Xbox LIVE enhancements and new games for Windows Phone [Windows Phone Blog, June 6, 2011]

Upping our game: What’s new in the Games Hub for Mango [Windows Phone Blog, June 23, 2011]

A tour of the new Music +Video Hub [Windows Phone Blog, June 3, 2011]

Post navigation

Competing Visions
The Kindle Fire isn’t just a rival to the iPad. It represents an alternate model of computing: It’s Apple’s post-PC vs. Amazon’s post-web.
Apple: Post-PC	Amazon: Post-Web
Device-centric	Cloud-centric
Own the OS	Forget the OS
Specialized apps	Specialized browser
Hardware is king	Content is king
Downloaded media	Streamed media

Display	7″ multi-touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and anti-reflective treatment, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi, 16 million colors.
Size (in inches)	7.5″ x 4.7″ x 0.45″ (190 mm x 120 mm x 11.4 mm).
Weight	14.6 ounces (413 grams).
System Requirements	None, because it’s wireless and doesn’t require a computer.
On-device Storage	8GB internal. That’s enough for 80 apps, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.
Cloud Storage	Free cloud storage for all Amazon content
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as web browsing and downloading content.
Charge Time	Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via USB.
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.1X standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.
USB Port	USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
Audio	3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers.
Content Formats Supported	Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV, MP4, VP8.
Documentation	Quick Start Guide(included in box); Kindle User’s Guide (pre-installed on device)
Warranty and Service	1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Kindle is subject to the terms found here.
Included in the Box	Kindle Fire device, U.S. power adapter (supports 100-240V), and Quick Start Guide.

OS	2010	2011	2012	2015
Symbian	111,577	89,930	32,666	661
Market Share (%)	37.6	19.2	5.2	0.1
Android	67,225	179,873	310,088	539,318
Market Share (%)	22.7	38.5	49.2	48.8
Research In Motion	47,452	62,600	79,335	122,864
Market Share (%)	16	13.4	12.6	11.1
iOS	46,598	90,560	118,848	189,924
Market Share (%)	15.7	19.4	18.9	17.2
Microsoft	12,378	26,346	68,156	215,998
Market Share (%)	4.2	5.6	10.8	19.5
Other Operating Systems	11,417.40	18,392.30	21,383.70	36,133.90
Market Share (%)	3.8	3.9	3.4	3.3
Total Market	296,647	467,701	630,476	1,104,898

Operating System	2011 Market Share	2015 Market Share	2011-2015 CAGR
Android	39.5%	45.4%	23.8%
BlackBerry	14.9%	13.7%	17.1%
iOS	15.7%	15.3%	18.8%
Symbian	20.9%	0.2%	-65.0%
Windows Phone 7/Windows Mobile	5.5%	20.9%	67.1%
Others	3.5%	4.6%	28.0%
Total	100.0%	100.0%	19.6%

Rank	Vendor	2010	Market Share	2009	Y/Y% Change
1	VIZIO	6,962	18.2%	5,941	17%
2	Samsung	6,715	17.5%	6,418	5%
3	Funai	4,613	12.0%	4,758	-3%
4	Sony	3,998	10.4%	4,338	-8%
5	LG	3,711	9.7%	2,704	37%
6	Toshiba	2,274	5.9%	2,635	-14%
7	Sanyo	2,250	5.9%	2,106	7%
8	Sharp	1,243	3.2%	1,770	-30%
9	Panasonic	1,035	2.7%	889	16%
10	Westinghouse	476	1.2%	386	-1%

Rank	Vendor	Q4 2010	Q4 2009	Y/Y% Change	Q3 2010	Q/Q % Change
1	VIZIO	2,867	1,844	55%	1,602	79%
2	Samsung	2,572	2,095	23%	1,817	42%
3	LG	1,247	1,048	19%	1,025	22%
4	Sony	1,049	1,318	-20%	796	32%
5	Panasonic	793	657	21%	812	-2%
6	Toshiba	708	708	0%	533	33%
7	Sanyo	522	443	18%	651	-20%
8	Sharp	264	317	-17%	380	-31%
	Total	11,978	11,299	6%	9,699	23%

Manu- facturer	Product	Size	Resolution	Tech	List Price
Samsung	LN32C350	32″	HD 720	LCD	$499.00
VIZIO	E320VL	32″	HD 720	LCD	$469.99
VIZIO	M260VA	26″	HD 720	LCD	$399.99
VIZIO	E420VO	42″	HD 1080	LCD	$663.99
Samsung	LN40C500 F3FXZA	40″	HD 720	LCD	$559.00

Vendor	2Q11 Units	2Q11 Market Share (%)	2Q10 Units	2Q10 Market Share (%)
Nokia	97,869.30	22.8	111,473.70	30.3
Samsung	69,827.60	16.3	65,328.20	17.8
LG	24,420.80	5.7	29,366.70	8
Apple	19,628.80	4.6	8,743.00	2.4
ZTE	13,070.20	3	6,730.60	1.8
RIM	12,652.30	3	11,628.80	3.2
HTC	11,016.10	2.6	5,908.80	1.6
Motorola	10,221.40	2.4	9,109.40	2.5
Huawei	9,026.10	2.1	5,276.40	1.4
Sony Ericsson	7,266.50	1.7	11,008.50	3
Others	153,662.10	35.8	103,412.60	28.1

Total	428,661.20	100	367,986.70	100

3x	Xbox 360 250 GB console with Kinect
3x	Nokia with Windows Phone (as soon as available)

Display	10.1” (1024*600) WSVGA, Anti-reflective LED
Operating System*	MeeGo
CPU*	Intel® ATOM™ Processor N435 (1.33GHz)
Memory*	1 GB DDR3
HDD*	250 GB (5400 rpm)
Graphic	Intel GMA 3150
Port	GA, Headphone-out, Mic-in, 2 x USB 2.0,4-in-1 (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC), RJ45(LAN), DC-In(Power Port)
Battery	3 Cell (40 Watt)
Dimension	264 x 188.0 x 26.7~34.7 mm (10.3” x 7.4” x 1.05” ~ 1.36”)
Weight	1.03 kg (2.27lbs)

WP7 Mango: HTC Eternity Windows Phone 7 Specs
Microprocessor Chipset	CPU:Clock: 1500 MHz CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255
Memory,_Storage+capacity	RAM+capacity: 512 MiB ROM:capacity: 14.9 GiB
Display	Display Type: Super LCD , 16777216 scales Display:Diagonal: 4.7 ” Display:Resolution: 480 x 800
Sound	Microphone(s): stereo Loudspeaker(s): Supported Audio-Output: 3.5mm
Cellular Phone	Cellular_Networks: GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS900, UMTS2100 Cellular-Data-Links: CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+ Call Alert: 64 -chord melody Vibrating+Alert: Supported Speakerphone-: Supported
Control+Peripherals	Positioning:Device: Multi-touch screen Primary Keyboard: Not supported Directional+Pad: Not supported Scroll-Wheel: Not supported
Interfaces	Expansion:Slots: Not supported USB: USB 2.0 client, 480Mbit/s micro-USB Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Wireless LAN: 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n Infrared:Gate: Not supported
Multimedia+Telecommunication	Analog Radio Receiver: FM radio (87.5-108MHz) with RDS Digital+Media-Broadcast_Tuner: Not supported
Satellite Navigation	Built-in-GPS module: Supported Complementary GPS-Services: Assisted GPS
Built-in-Digital-Camera	Main-Camera: 8 MP Autofocus-(AF): Supported Optical+Zoom: 1 x Macro_Mode: Supported Built-in Flash: mobile light (LED) Secondary-Camera: 1.3 MP
Additional Details	Built-in-accelerometer: Supported Battery: removable Battery Capacity: 1650 mAh

Today	Adding with Mango
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA	Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Korea (South), Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan

•	Zune Pass (U.K., France, Italy and Spain). The monthly music subscription service will be available for 9.99 euros /8.99 pounds per month for unlimited download and streaming access to the Zune music catalog and will be accessible on Windows-based PCs, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox LIVE. The offer in the U.S. will remain at $14.99 per month for unlimited downloads and streaming access, with the ability to keep 10 MP3s per month.⁸
•	Music purchase (U.K., France, Italy, Spain and Germany). Expansion to these markets will enable consumers to purchase MP3s and listen on their Windows-based PC, Windows Phone 7 or any other device that supports MP3 format. Users will also be able to purchase music videos to enjoy on Windows-based PC, Windows Phone 7 and Zune on Xbox LIVE.
•	Video purchase (U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). Consumers will now be able to purchase movies to download and watch anywhere — on the big screen in the living room with Xbox LIVE or their Windows-based PC as well as sync it to their Windows Phone 7 to enjoy on the go.⁹
•	Movie rental (U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). In addition to Zune video on Xbox LIVE, consumers in these countries will now be able to rent movies for viewing on their Windows-based PC or choose to sync the rental to their Windows Phone 7.

Category Archives: Cloud client SW platforms

Kindle Fire [product site]

Introducing Amazon Silk [Amazon Silk blog, Sept 28, 2011]

Amazon Silk: Bridging the gap between desktop and mobile web browsers [ExtremeTech article, Sept 28, 2011]

A typical confusion about Windows 8 Metro style apps:

Short Answers:

Answers from Metro style app development:

[Roadmap for creating Metro style apps using C#, C++, or Visual Basic]

[Primer for current Windows developers]

[What are Metro style apps?]

[Creating and managing tiles, toast, and Windows push notifications]

[Guidelines and checklist for notifications]

[How to Create the Best User Experience for Your Application [April, 2006]]

[Guidelines and checklist for notifications]

[Working with templates]

[Guidelines and checklist for tiles]

[Creating and managing secondary tiles]

[Adding a splash screen]

[Choosing the right UI surfaces]

General Windows 8 reviews

Windows 8 feature reviews

On the spot responses

Tuesday Keynote @ Build Windows 8 [quite good notes]

Demos

User Experience (Julie)

Metro-style Platform/Tools (Antoine)

Hardware Platform (MikeAng)

Cloud Services (ChrisJo)

Wrap

Pre-written with full knowledge already:

ZDNet’s whole series (mostly pre-written with full knowledge already):

winrumors whole series (some pre-written with some knowledge already):

WinBeta whole series

The Changes in the Nokia relationship

Key message: transition from device-to-device battle to ecosystem-to-ecosystem battle

The 5-years long experience of close partnership with Microsoft

Gaming is supported via the new Games Hub while entertainment via the new Music +Video Hub. Below are a couple of notable video demos as well as detailed information about those two enhanced and redesigned hubs for Windows Phone 7, ‘Mango’ release:

Fresh from E3: Xbox LIVE enhancements and new games for Windows Phone [Windows Phone Blog, June 6, 2011]

Upping our game: What’s new in the Games Hub for Mango [Windows Phone Blog, June 23, 2011]

A tour of the new Music +Video Hub [Windows Phone Blog, June 3, 2011]

Eee PC X101H from ASUS Product Guide (July-August 2011)

Eee PC X101 from Eee PC X101 product site

Updates: Supercharging Android: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility [Larry Page, Aug 15, 2011]

End of Updates

The chances are suddenly becoming quite good as:

1. The Next Release of Windows Phone, codenamed Mango, is coming

But the very latest legal problems with Android could become an even more decisive factor:

2. Android legal losses reportedly prompt exodus to Windows Phone and MeeGo [July 19, 2011]:

DETAILED INFORMATION

On the very latest legal problems with Android:

Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 Information:

Devices’ information:

What a difference from the current offering!

From Buy your phone [US] site and HTC’s past press release:

From List of Windows Phone devices (wikipedia):

Product

Release Date

System on Chip

Memory (RAM)

Display

Weight (g)

Carrier

Notes

November 8, 2010

QSD8250

512MB

4.1″, WVGA 800×480 AMOLED

165

AT&T, T-Mobile USA, Rogers (Pending)

Has vertical slide-out keyboard

January 17, 2011

QSD8250

576MB

3.6″, WVGA

185

Sprint, US Cellular, Cellular South

CDMA: HTC Arrive

Has slide-out keyboard

October 21, 2010

QSD8250

Updates:
Supercharging Android: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility [Larry Page, Aug 15, 2011]