Mobile

Microsoft has released test editions of its next update to the Windows Phone operating system (OS). It should mean some of the changes will be hitting new and existing phones relatively soon. The update has been codenamed 'Mango' and is the largest ... set of changes to the Windows Phone 7 OS yet, though the company hasn't yet decided to officially dub it version 2.0. There are two slightly different versions of the update in circulation at the moment. One has gone to phone manufacturers and is designed to allow them to test it on both existing and forthcoming handsets to spot any potential ... (view more)

A few years ago it was hard not to think of the BlackBerry when someone mentioned the word "smartphone" -- and with that came recognition of the firm responsible for developing and marketing the device, Research in Motion (or "RIM"). Flash forward a ... few years, and now the term 'smartphone' is much more commonplace, thanks to the introduction of Apple's iPhone and various Google Android devices. So popular are these rival products that the BlackBerry's market share has started to dwindle. For RIM, it's a troubling and frustrating trend that on Monday culminated in Monday's ... (view more)

A pair of summer interns at Microsoft have collaborated on a project to create an Android application capable of interpreting photographs -- complete with the identities and activities of the individuals involved -- via a smartphone camera without ... any human input whatsoever. 'TagSense', as it's called, is the brainchild of Microsoft Research interns Chaun Qin and Xuan Bao. The software works by utilizing Android's accelerometers to determine the exact physical activity the person in the photograph is involved in. This is supported by built-in microphones that can determine whether the ... (view more)

A senior Research in Motion (RIM) employee has publically snubbed the management of his (or her) own company, recommending that executives to "stop shipping incomplete products that aren't ready for the end user." The embarrassing letter comes ... amidst rumors that Microsoft may buy up the flagging firm. Open Letter Asks CEOs to Step Aside The open letter was sent to both RIM co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie as well as online news site BGR. It makes a number of shocking statements, highlighted by a demand that management lay off unproductive workers. It also encourages Balsillie and ... (view more)

An international health agency has reported it sees possible links between cellphone use and the onset of brain cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is an important body in directing World Health Organization (WHO) and ... American Cancer Society policy. The problem the IARC has with cellphones is the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by the devices. Dr. Jonathan Samet, chair of preventive medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine, said that for this reason the IARC considers cellphones "possibly carcinogenic to humans," adding that "We reached this ... (view more)

Verizon Wireless has announced the first Windows Phone 7 handset available on its network. Microsoft hopes it will help overturn disappointing sales that have left the mobile platform well behind its competitors in popularity. Windows Phone 7 on HTC ... Trophy 7 The new handset is the HTC Trophy 7, which will retail for $150 if buyers take advantage of a rebate and sign up to a two-year service deal. That's notably lower than the $200 that most top-end smartphones go for under such conditions. One of the big selling points is that the phone is compatible with the Xbox 360 gaming system. A select ... (view more)

It's rumored that Windows 8 may be released in special editions suitable for devices like smartphones and iPad-like tablets. The buzz has caused concern at Intel, whose products are at the heart of most traditional Windows computers. The change ... involves the processor's instruction set architecture, which is at the very core of a computer. As a very loose analogy, the difference between rival instruction set architectures is as fundamental as the difference between organizing words alphabetically in a dictionary and organizing them by meaning in a thesaurus. Most Windows PCs use Intel x86 Most ... (view more)

Both Republican and Democratic politicians are questioning major tech companies about location data tracking features on mobile devices, such as cell phones. Five Republican congressmen who hold key positions on the House of Representatives Energy ... and Commerce committee have recently written joint letters to six companies: Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Microsoft, Nokia and Research in Motion (RIM). User Awareness Comes Into Question The letters demand information about the location data tracking features on the devices that the companies either manufacture or supply with an operating ... (view more)

An innovative smartphone application is causing great distress for police officers everywhere. It features a built-in warning system that informs motorists when a hidden police vehicle is in the area. Anti-Police Speed Trap App a Hit with Motorists ... "Trapster" was designed by a car enthusiast in San Diego and has since become an overnight sensation in terms of its download figures and usage. Many are referring to the system as a hi-tech version of the age-old scenario in which people flash their headlights to warn one another that a speed trap is in the vicinity. In this same spirit ... (view more)