Samsung to Focus on Android and Bada

Samsung today indicated that moving forward, Google’s Android mobile operating system and its own bada mobile operating system will be the focus of its smartphone efforts. “We are Prioritizing our Android platform. Android is very open and flexible, and there is a consumer demand for it,” YH Lee, head of marketing at Samsung Mobile, told Reuters in an interview. This focus on Android and bada comes at the expense of Microsoft’s Window Phone 7. Samsung plans to introduce one WP7 ..read more

Windows Phone 7 Hits ‘Release To Manufacturers’ Mark

Microsoft today announced that Windows Phone 7 has reached the Release To Manufacturers (RTM) milestone. That means Windows Phone 7 is now in its final form as developed by Microsoft and is fully ready for manufacturers to use in handsets. In addition to reaching the RTM marker, Microsoft also explained that it was able to integrate some facets of Facebook into Windows Phone 7. Specifically, users will be able to filter through their contacts for Facebook friends, as well as ..read more

Microsoft’s Bing Joins the Android Army

Microsoft today announced the availability of its Bing search application for Verizon Wireless’ lineup of Android phones for the first time. The application will be preloaded on all Verizon Android devices moving forward. It offers Bing Maps, the ability to save favorite businesses or searches, instant answers to everyday questions, such as local movie times, and voice-enabled search. The application is also available to Verizon’s existing Android devices in the Verizon channel in the Android Market. Bing for Android is ..read more

Hotmail to gain ActiveSync support for iPhone and iPad. Finally.

CNET is reporting that Microsoft’s Hotmail will finally gain support for… Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync protocol. Sure, even Google’s had that for a while now, but better embarrassingly late than embarrassingly never, right?

So Hotmail users, very soon you’ll be able to type in your username and password as an Exchange account and enjoy full push support and client/server synchronization. On iOS 4, you’ll even be able to set it up alongside your work Exchange and Gmail ActiveSync accounts, if you have ..read more

H.264 goes royalty-free, web to go H.264?

The MPEG LA licensing group has announced that their H.264 video codec standard would be going royalty free in perpetuity for free-to-end-user use. Why does this matter to us? Well, if you’re using an iPhone or iPad, you’re using the H.264 video codec. If you buy video off iTunes, you’re using H.264. If you’re using Safari on iOS or Mac OS for that matter, you’re using H.264 because it’s the only HTML 5 video standard Apple supports. Google and Microsoft ..read more

Hotmail to Gain Exchange ActiveSync Aug. 30

According to a report from CNet, Microsoft will begin offering its Hotmail web-mail service with support for Exchange ActiveSync. This is significant because it will allow users of mobile phones and other devices to sync their email via ActiveSync protocols — which includes push — rather than POP3. Many phones support ActiveSync, and some can support multiple Exchange accounts. Microsoft’s Dharmesh Mehta told CNET that Exchange ActiveSync and enhanced IMAP syncing will become available on Monday, August 30.

Microsoft Releasing Final WP7 Dev Tools Sept. 16

Microsoft today announced that it has finalized the software developer kit for Windows Phone 7 and will make the final build available starting on September 16. The new version of the developer tools adds new features that developers can use to finalize their own applications for Windows Phone 7. Microsoft also said that the Windows Phone Marketplace will open in early October. Microsoft didn’t confirm that Windows Phone 7 devices would also be available in October. Microsoft has also adjusted ..read more

LG GW910 Windows Phone 7 Device Clears FCC

The FCC has lifted some confidentiality on the LG GW910, a smartphone that will apparently run Windows Phone 7. The device uses the buttons required by Microsoft for the Windows Phone 7 chassis spec. The device has been cleared for 3G radio support on AT&T’s frequencies, though, inexplicably, the FCC testing does not mention Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. While the posted user manual talks about LG’s S-Class user interface, user manuals posted to the FCC site are often exemplars, and ..read more

No Google Voice on iPhone: one year later

Tech Crunch’s Jason Kinkaid reminds us that it’s been a year since Apple responded to the FCC about Google Voice’s rejection (or perpetual non-acceptance) from the iPhone App Store.

Apple denying the app to those who want it, especially when it allows similar apps such as Line2 into the App Store, means it’s almost certainly what we thought it was last year — less to do with what the app does than what it represents.

Before the Google Voice rejection story broke ..read more

LG Nestles Up to Nvidia for Dual-Core Chips

LG has indicated that it will use chips made by Nvidia in its future smartphones, including the Optimus line of devices due later this year. LG has picked a dual-core version of the Tegra chip from Nvidia, which is known mostly for making graphics chips. Nvidia scored its first phone processor win with the Microsoft Kin devices, though Microsoft and Verizon Wireless pulled the plug in Kin mere weeks after launch. LG hasn’t confirmed the clock speed of the dual-core ..read more

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