mango

Microsoft developer evangelist Nuno Silva apparently confused applications with devices when he claimed that users of Windows Phone 7 (aka Mango) would be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 (aka Apollo).

Offering a mea culpa on his blog today, Silva said he was trying to echo Microsoft's own statements that existing Windows Phone apps would run under Apollo. But for some reason he gave the impression that current devices themselves would also be able to run the next version of Windows Phone.

"I mistakenly confused app compatibility with phone updateability, which caused the rumors we saw yesterday,&… Read more

Will Windows Phone 7 device owners be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8? Sources are saying no, while Microsoft itself has yet to provide a straight answer.

The controversy erupted yesterday after a Microsoft developer evangelist stated in an interview that all current Windows Phone 7 (aka Mango) devices will receive the Windows Phone 8 (aka Apollo) upgrade, as reported by WMPower User. The interview was conducted in Portuguese, so the English translation may not be exact. But the translated comments seemed to confirm the upgrade path.

However, some folks are saying there will be no Windows Phone 8 … Read more

At some point in every one of our days, we are moved by particular words.

We hear the word "love" directed at us and we melt. We hear "downsizing" and we shiver. And when someone says "Idol," for many what appears (at least this week) is the image of a 63-year-old rock star's moobs.

But what does the word "mango" do when you see or hear it? How about "acai"?

A fascinating--no, wait--depressing new study from PC Tools and the Ponemon Institute offers data that depicts Americans as highly … Read more

LAS VEGAS--HTC should be feeling pretty proud of itself right about now.

This morning at CES, the smartphone maker managed to bag two U.S. firsts. Not only was its Titan II the first to announce the world's first 4G LTE Windows Phone, but it also contains the highest-megapixel smartphone camera we've heard of stateside, a 16-megapixel whopper.

Just after the smartphone was announced today, I got a chance to get eye-to-eye with the Titan II. At first blush, it looks nearly identical to the original Titan, which is new to the scene in its own right. There … Read more

Microsoft seems to have solved the mystery of the disappearing Windows Phone keyboard.

Just rolling out to select phones yesterday, the latest update to Windows Phone 7, known as build 8107, resolves a variety of issues, according to Microsoft. Chief among them is a fix for the vanishing keyboard, which has vexed many users of Windows Phone 7.5, aka Mango.

First spotting the glitch in October, users complained that their keyboard would either vanish in the middle of an e-mail or text message or simply fail to pop up when activated. At the time, Microsoft told CNET that it … Read more

Microsoft plans to target inexpensive smartphones with the next release of its mobile operating system, and won't add more advanced features until a software release slated for the fourth quarter of 2012, according to a leaked Windows Phone roadmap obtained by the Web site Wmpoweruser.com.

The next iteration of the software known as Tango will be out the door in the second half of 2012, the leaked plans reportedly indicate. By Q4, Microsoft plans to roll out its next big upgrade, known as Apollo. This update will provide features such as dual-core devices, near-field communications, and HD screens. … Read more

It's been a couple of weeks now since we first glimpsed the Nokia Lumia 800, one of the first two of Nokia's brave new Windows Phone world, just after it was announced at Nokia World.

This phone had promise: a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED screen, a 1.4GHz processor, a singular design in crazy bright blue and magenta, and a fancy 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss Tessar optics, dual-LED flash, and 1080p HD video capture.

Let me tell you, specs don't always pan out. I have few complaints with the phone's interesting, gutsy design, but the … Read more

Microsoft says it's learned its lesson from its disappointing Windows Phone promotion last year.

Windows Phone President Andy Lees said he expects a steady stream of product releases over the next few months, as well as a marketing campaign that will rely more on its vendor and carriers partners. That contrasts with Microsoft's strategy from a year ago, when the company launched several phones at once in a pre-holiday blitz, meanwhile also shouldering much of the promotional burden itself.

Result: Microsoft struggled to make a significant dent in the market.

Microsoft hosted an event in New York today … Read more

I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by AT&T's Samsung Focus Flash.

The specs looked more than reasonable for a smartphone that costs a quarter of the price of most high-end smartphones out there. More than that, the features all came together to achieve a solid Windows Phone at a stellar value. While the Samsung Focus S may be a better choice for those interested in more onboard memory (16GB versus 8GB) and a potentially higher-end camera (8 mexapixels versus 5), this model has its own shot at mass appeal.… Read more