Microsoft Delays Windows Phone 7 Update

Microsoft is delaying updates to Windows Phone 7 citing compatibility problems with new phones, a stumble that could slow the company's progress in the smartphone market.

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Originally scheduled for January, head of the Windows Phone 7 program Joe Belfiore apologized for the delays at a software developer conference on Wednesday.
"We felt it would be better to be a little bit patient, make sure that when we get updates out that they would happen reliably, and unfortunately that caused a delay in getting things out," he said.
The update will add cut-and-paste functionality but not the ability to run multiple apps at the same time, called multitasking -- features already present in Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
That will have to wait for the next update, called "Mango," which is expected in the fall. It will offer at least partial multitasking, including the ability to listen to music while running another app. It will also feature Skype and music streaming service Spotify. Microsoft will also give developers deeper access to Mango, enabling more capable apps.
The delays will not do Microsoft's new mobile platform any favors, which has failed to make a splash in the larger market since its release last fall. It holds an estimated 5 percent of the U.S. smartphone market, while the top three platforms, Android, iOS and BlackBerry, command close to 30 percent each.
Microsoft's alliance with Nokia that will see Windows Phone on the Finnish company's devices could begin a serious rally for the platform, but it won't happen until next year. The platform's appearance on a much larger number of devices may prompt the company to roll out improvements faster to take advantage of the scale, but any potential issues would also have larger ripple effects.
In the meantime, delays in rolling out basic functions like cut-and-paste that should have really been included at launch are not going to help the OS get traction.

Sensation 4G vs Galaxy S II vs G2x vs ATRIX 4G: specs comparison

In the latest battle of epic proportions, dual-core behemoths meet the new contender: the HTC Sensation 4G. Does it have the technical guts and software polish to win the dual-coreathon kicked off by the T-Mobile G2x and Motorola Atrix 4G? To see its prospects we broke down specs meticulously, but before jumping into that let's mention the software that runs the show.

HTC takes pride in its flashy Sense UI and in its newest 3.0 version it has quietly improved not only the looks, but the functionality as well with dynamic updates of widgets straight from the lockscreen. To support its memory-hungry muscle, HTC has included 768MB of RAM and a 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor. Samsung's TouchWiz UI is much less demanding, but you don't get that many snazzy effects, but rather a clean down-to-business interface. It's those two handsets that will come out with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, giving them a slight edge over the Froyo-powered T-Mobile G2x and Motorola Atrix 4G. While LG went with vanilla build of the green robot, Motorola chose the controversial Motoblur skin.

In terms of hard silicon, the Sensation 4G matches the clock speed of the Galaxy S II, but its slightly less RAM leaves it second. The Galaxy S II also scores a first with Bluetooth 3.0 + HS, capable of delivering 21Mbps transfers and we're eager to test it. And here's the tale of the tape: the Samsung Galaxy S II stands out with its razor sharp 0.33" body and unmatched weight of 4.09 ounces. The rest is the poetry of numbers and we'll let you enjoy it in the detailed breakdown below. Already got a favorite? Feel free to leave your opinions in the comments below.

AutoTrader iPhone App Connects You to Canadian Car Shopping Heaven

At least once or twice a week, I find myself ‘browsing’ for cars. I love ‘em, and I enjoy checking out what’s for sale in my area. For some time now I’ve been using the AutoTrader.ca app, and quite honestly, it’s a great way to shop for cars, all from the convenience of your iPhone.

Use of the app is quite simple. Hit the ‘browse’ tab at the bottom, and your iPhone will use GPS to locate your current coordinates. From there, it will return a listing of car brands available in your area. Touch the brand of your choice, and a listing of models becomes available. Touch the model, and from there you can see individual listings.

The listings themselves usually contain multiple pictures (the more the better in my book!), the asking price, mileage (ams), contact information, stock number, transmission type, drive train, and a thorough description. Each listing is quite concise, and contacting the seller is as easy as touching the phone number.

The built-in search feature is quite nifty as well. If the car you’re looking for isn’t available in your area, pop open the search and look elsewhere. Simply punch in the type of car you’re looking for in the ‘what’ field, and the location you’d like to look in within the ‘where’ field. Easy stuff.

Besides the features above, there’s also a dealers section that lists dealers in your area… and you can also save listings to the ‘saved’ section for future reference.

All-in-all, the AutoTrader app for iPhone is a great way to browse and search for that new (er, used!) car. I use it all the time to satisfy my curiosities, and I suspect when the time comes to pick up some new wheels, I’ll probably use it at that point too.

AT&T claims synergy with T-Mobile, but history casts doubt

AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile has been met with serious skepticism, and even anger from T-Mobile customers. But despite AT&T's best efforts to paint a picture of perfect harmony between the two carriers, most people, including regulatory bodies, remain skeptical.

AT&T is now promising that the 'synergy' created by the acquisition would offset the $39 billion purchase price. "But how?," you might ask. AT&T says that the synergy will increase smartphone penetration and data ARPU (average revenue per user), while saving money from the network overlap, reduced churn (a.k.a. customer turnover), and spectrum purchases.

But even though AT&T has claimed a "run rate of $3 billion three years after closing onward," experts are quick to point out AT&T's broken promises of the past. AT&T's acquisition of Bell South in 2006 promised run rates of $2 billion by 2008 and $3 billion by 2010, thanks to diminished staffing and advertising costs.

But their margin of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ("Ebitda"), only grew from 34.5% in 2006 to 34.6% in 2008. And profits were barely increased. So is AT&T just blowing smoke with their promises of synergy with T-Mobile? Maybe not. For one thing, they need the spectrum. And for another, their savings from advertising, staffing, etc. will be significant. But even if they can produce a more powerful, affordable network for both sets of subscribers, it still might constitute a dangerous monopoly.

Facebook Scam Targets Twilight Fans

The latest malware making its way around Facebook involves a promised link to a "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" game, and delivers a marketing scam instead.

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Clicking the link to play the game lets the malware automatically selects the "Like" feature, "click-jacking" the user and allowing the link to appear on his or her wall to lure more victims.
Twi-hards who haven't noticed anything amiss and still want to play the game will probably next give permission for a Facebook App that accesses their profile information and fill out a questionnaire with personal data, satisfying the scammer and getting no game.
The malware operation isn't incredibly original and to activate it, users have to take steps that should set off some alarms, but it sinks its fangs into a very targeted group of fans that may be unaware of malware threats, using the bestselling vampire romance book and movie series as bait.
But it's now just Twilight fans that need to look out for the increasing amount of malware on social networking platforms. Some defensive measures for everyone to take include thinking twice before clicking on links that are unfamiliar, suggest a sleazy payoff, or are overly forceful, like the "Look at this!" messages that proliferate the web.
Facebook outlines these and other precautions in its security guidelines, but some think that may not be enough.
The need to address the rise in social media malware and implement better security measures to protect Facebook and Twitter users was sounded last month in a report from Sopho, which identified the Twilight threat this week.
In its March report, antivirus firm Sopho found that 40 percent of social network users encountered malicious attacks, a whopping 90 percent increase from just eighteen months ago.
The report points to insufficient malware countermeasures as a major reason for the increase. Facebook defends the security provided to its 500 million-plus members, saying its filtering systems are effective, and pointing to internal reports which indicate that despite constant attacks, the "vast majority" of Facebook users have not experienced a security issue.
However, a recent report from antivirus firm Symatec backed up the Sophos conclusions and found that social media and mobile devices represent key threat vectors for malware.
Social network users may be particularly vulnerable to malware because of the implied trust on the networking sites. Users assume that a link on their page is sent from a "friend," and so may be less likely to notice warning signs.

It's official: Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY and Xperia arc to be launched on April 28 in Canada

Yesterday we told you that a rumour claims the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY and Xperia arc are set to be available for Rogers subscribers starting on April 28, and now that is already official as the Canadian carrier broke the news during a party dedicated to the event.

The beautiful Xperia arc and the Xperia PLAY, which is said to have (creepy ads alert: the links to the Xperia PLAY promos are here and here) everything you need and the one thing you want, are to be launched with a contract price of $99.

Meanwhile, you will find it's unlocked model available on http://www.m2cmobile.com/ next week this month.

As you surely know, the regular contract in Canada is three year long, so it's only right to tell you that the contractless price for these phones is expected to be $549, although that's not officially confirmed.

You can pre-order the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY and the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc from the source link, while you can also take a look at the launch party of these handsets thanks to the videos below.

BMO Mobile Banking app for iPhone and BlackBerry now available

Finally the fourth largest bank in Canada has released both an iPhone and BlackBerry app. The BMO Mobile banking app is free and is available in English and French and gives customers the ability to check balances, view and search transaction history, locate branches and ABM’s and transfer funds between registered accounts. BMO said last week that an Android app is in the works and also noted today on Twitter that “bill payment functionality will be coming in a future release”.

IPad 2 Gets 3D Display, Kind Of

Researchers have developed a way to show 3D images on the iPad 2 with no special hardware, a technology that could bring a "faux" 3D effect to virtually any device with a front-facing camera.

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The technique uses the tablet's front camera to track the movement of a user's head and adjust images accordingly to show a glasses-free 3D effect on the iPad 2's screen.
The effect works on any display; a video demonstration on a regular computer monitor shows the effect to be less convincing than a true stereoptic 3D, but surprisingly convincing nonetheless.
The experiment is the latest in bringing 3D technology to a growing number of mobile devices, most of which use specialized display technologies to create the 3D effect. Some devices don’t require the viewer to wear special glasses, like the HTC Evo 3D and Nintendo’s 3DS, while others, like the LG G-Slate, do. Accelerometers can help produce the effect as well, as with the LG Thrill.
The ever-expanding world of 3D devices isn't just about seeing 3D -- it's also about making 3D. Apple filed a patent with the likely intention of creating a way to take 3D pictures and videos on a future iPhone using hardware instead of the disparity-detecting software used on some other cameras. Three-dimensional smartphones like Thrill and Evo 3D also both have two cameras, making it possible to capture three-dimensional images.
The ability to create semi-3D effects using software and increasingly common front-facing cameras could lead to new user interface models for mobile devices. The "taste" of 3D offered by this technique could also drive demand for the more "intense" hardware-dependent 3D technologies.
Researchers Jeremie Francone and Laurence Nigay of the Laboratory of Informatics at the EHCI Research Group developed the technique, called Head-Coupled Perspective, which adds another 3D viewing method to the growing list of ways to see in three dimensions on smartphones, tablets and gaming devices.
Francone and Nigay explain their method this way: "We use an off-axis projection in order to adapt the perspective of the 3D scene according to the head’s position of the user. Such spatially-aware mobile display enables one to improve the possibilities of interaction."

Rogers launching Xperia Play & arc April 28th

The upcoming Rogers Sony Ericsson Xperia Play and arc will be priced at $99.99 on a 3-year and $549.99 no-contract. The only official conformation Rogers announced was that these Android devices would be sometime during “Spring 2011″. Then we received an internal doc that showed “late April” and thanks to one of our reliable Rogers tipster who informed us that the launch date is scheduled for Thursday, April 28th 2011.
A couple weeks back Rogers put up a pre-order for both of these Android 2.3 powered devices along with a contest to a Major League Gaming event. Check out our quick video overviews of the Play here and the arc here.

Ralph Lauren Solar Backpack Charges Phones

Fashion icon Ralph Lauren has come out with a stylish solar panel backpack, highlighting the growing trend toward technology's use of renewable energy sources.

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The carryall uses a solar panel on the back to generate about 3 watts of power, enough to charge a phone in about three hours on a sunny day, and features a buckle-closed top, water-resistant construction, and soft shoulder straps.
The luxury fashion outlet's backpack may be a forerunner of a growing trend towards harnessing solar energy for mobile tech.
A company called Wysips recently introduced a prototype of its transparent screen coating that will allow smartphones and other mobile devices to soak up energy from the sun to boost battery power. Wysips hopes to have the product ready early next year.
Apple was awarded a patent this year for a solar charging system for portable devices, which could come handy since the Ralph Lauren backpack can't charge an iPad because of its hefty battery.
In addition to conserving energy and extending battery life, the use of solar power in mobile devices could lead to slimmer battery requirements, opening up new design options.
For now, the Ralph Lauren's RLX solar backpack runs $800 for U.S. customers in both black and orange colors. Ralph Lauren's website mentions compatibility with the iPhone and iPod, as well as other mobile phone devices, so potential customers are encouraged to check the site to verify compatibility.

The F-07C, a 4 inch dual boot mobile phone that does full blown Windows and Symbian

According to a rumor coming straight out of Japan, NTT DoCoMo is going to release a product from Fujitsu dubbed the F-07C that packs a 4 inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and it’s going to run both Windows and Symbian. We’re not talking Windows Phone either, we mean full blown Windows 7. That’s right, there’s an Intel Atom processor inside this thing, along with a 32 GB solid state drive. No word on how much RAM it packs, nor how Fujitsu is going to make Symbian even work. Is it going to be an x86 port of Symbian? Is there a tiny ARM chip in there that does Symbian? Will you need to reboot between the two or can both be running at the same time? At 125 mm x 61 mm x 19.8 mm it’s what some may call chunky, but just think about the possibilities. You wake up in the morning and boot up your phone, we’re assuming this thing will come with some sort of docking accessory, and you do whatever it is you need to do on your large screen, keyboard, and mouse, and then when it’s time to go to work you just put your computer inside your pocket and head out. Once your in the office you dock your phone again and bam, there’s your desktop.

The F-07C is likely to cost an arm and a leg and will never leave the island of Japan, but we’re actually wondering if such a device would catch on if it was released in Europe and America. With the next version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system supporting the ARM architecture, why not release an all in one phone/computer that you use as your one and only computing device? Hardcore gamers and creative types who edit photos and videos would never buy such a thing, but for the majority of folks this is perfect.

Some HTC Droid Incredible 2 specs leaked, is a world phone

The HTC Droid Incredible 2 has already been photographed with Verizon's logo, but before this leak, hard evidence about its specs has been missing. It was yesterday when that state of things changed as the handset popped up in Big Red's internal system and disclosed some details about itself.

Sadly, this leak doesn't reveal the full specs of the handset, and yet it shows a few hardware features. To start with, the HTC Droid Incredible 2 is to pack two cameras - an 8MP rear one, which is capable of recording HD video plus a 1.3MP front-facer.

It's set to be one of the few world phones in Verizon's line-up (it packs both CDMA and GSM radios), i.e. you can use it abroad with GSM networks, which is definitely something we would like to see with this handset. Moreover, it's expected to have a 16GB built-in storage and DLNA capability.

We can clearly conclude from this document that the new Droid Incredible won't be launched before April 12 (rumors claim this beast will be set free on April 28), as it's to offer a new "Sync & Connect" feature that "will provide multiple e-mail and address books in one place". The feature itself will be launched on April 12 and will come pre-loaded on the HTC Droid Incredible 2 when it's released.

Also, it's to sport a 3G hotspot capability, which will cost the affordable $20 for 20GB a month.

Previous rumors about this phone claim it's to offer a second-generation Snapdragon processor clocked at 1GHz, a 4-inch LCD display and 768MB of RAM. As of now, all indications point to the fact the HTC Droid Incredible 2 won't be an LTE-enabled device.

RIM hopes to make a comeback with PlayBook, Jim Balsillie admits shortcomings

When it comes to the BlackBerry Playbook, it doesn’t seem like RIM has the confidence it needs to really make it a huge success. In a recent interview with the New York Times, co-chief Mike Laziridis seemed to complain about why RIM isn’t getting the respect and praise it deserves.

“Why is it that people don’t appreciate our profits? Why is it that people don’t appreciate our growth? Why is it that people don’t appreciate the fact that we spent the last four years going global? Why is it that people don’t appreciate that we have 500 carriers in 170 countries with products in almost 30 languages?”

Those are pretty impressive numbers. The report also states that in the last fiscal year, RIM “shipped a record 52.3 million phones — a 43 percent increase over the previous year — and its fourth-quarter income of $924 million exceeded forecasts.”
Clearly, the BlackBerry maker isn’t hanging by a thread by any means.
But it’s not just Laziridis who seems to be less than certain when it comes to tackling this problem. Jim Balsillie, the other co-chief at RIM, says that no other company has really been as successful as Apple in making the transition into tablets or mobile computers. However, he curiously says that it’s a move where “tech companies go to die.” Unless he was shaking in his boots, I highly doubt that tech companies like HTC, Motorola and Samsung are going to die by pumping out a few Android tablets.
Balsillie also admits that if the PlayBook was released a little sooner, the general perception of the company would be a little more positive. Then again, it’s all ifs, ands and buts at this rate. If the PlayBook is going to be a reasonable success, RIM is going to have to pick its head up and exhibit a little more confidence to boost appearances. It’s going to need to show customers why they should own a tablet computer from the same company that makes their beloved BlackBerry handsets. It’s also going to need a rich third-party application store in order to keep with Apple and Android. But perhaps, more importantly, it’s going to need to deliver sooner rather than later. And RIM is definitely going to need to back up its promises.

Motorola ATRIX 4G just $49.99 from Amazon this weekend

Imagine picking up "The world's most powerful smartphone" for a ridiculously low price. This weekend, the Motorola ATRIX 4G can be yours for just $49.99 from Amazon. While AT&T offers the dual-core powered handset for $200 with a 2 year contract, Amazon normally has a $99.99 price tag on the model. And while that price seems low, cutting it in half this weekend might just leave you stunned.

Your $49.99 will buy you a device with a 4 inch qHD display, running a dual-core Tegra 2 processor. The 5MP camera on the back captures video at 720p with a 30 fps rate. And the .3MP front-facing camera allows you to see who you are talking to with video chat. All of this is powered with a 1930 mAh battery. Android 2.2 is on board and there is 1GB of RAM under the hood. Storage can be increased by up to 32GB with a microSD card.

If you have been waiting for a price break to pick up the Motorola ATRIX 4G, things won't get much lower than the $49.99 that Amazon is selling the device for this weekend.