It's not exactly known how close the UX concepts and flows bellow are coming to whatever Windows Mobile 7 might look like but Microsoft Kitchen found some interesting information from a freelance UX designer who notes in his LinkedIn profile, that he worked for "Microsoft on UX Design for Windows Mobile 7 from March 2009 to December 2009". On his website, Jeremiah Whitaker published some examples of his work and under UX he's noticing, that "NDA dictates I keep this vague. For a leading cell platform I created UX flows of common controls and usages. After client review I created flash demos. Those demo's were then reviewed and passed on to SectionSeven development to create interactive prototypes".

Motorola earning calls aren't about financials only, they are also a pretty good source of industry information, for instance when Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha confirmed in 2008 the existence of Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Mobile 7. However, in yesterday's Motorola earnings call, Jha focused on Motorola's upcoming products only, without giving a glimpse of what Microsoft or Google might have in planning but it's also interesting to see what Motorola is working on. While it's already known that Motorola will continue to work on Android OS-based smartphones only, Jha confirmed that Motorola will launch "at least one direct-to-consumer device with Google" which is expected to be the "Nexus Two".

Handmark today released TweetCaster, a feature-rich Twitter application available for Android smartphones. TweetCaster makes "tweeting" from Android-based smartphones fast, easy and fun, delivering a simple, yet comprehensive Twitter experience. In addition to all the standard features needed to enjoy a complete mobile Twitter experience, TweetCaster offers: multiple Twitter account integration, retweets, Twitter lists, push notifications for tweets, mentions and direct messages as well as offline tweet caching, URL shortening (and previews), photo upload, threaded direct messages and font/theme customization.

T-Mobile Germany just announced that it will launch Sony Ericsson's first Android smartphone, the Xperia X10 in April. Therefore, the Xperia X10 was indeed delayed as expected but nevertheless, it's good to see that another carrier confirms the launch now. The Xperia X10 runs on Android 1.6/Donut and features a massive 4.0" WVGA (480x854) scratch-resistant capacitive screen, a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, a 8.1 megapixel camera and supports all the typical Android Google Mobile apps. On top and building on Sony Ericsson's entertainment heritage and combining rich graphics with intelligence capabilities, the Xperia X10 introduces a new UX platform incl. Mediascape and Timescape.

It's somewhat clear now that Microsoft will show something new, something different at next month's Mobile World Congress and this can't be the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 refresh only but it must be something different. Doesn't matter if it is "Windows Mobile 7", "Project Pink" or the "Zune Phone", it has to be something great because otherwise Microsoft would have a press conference on Monday the 15th, followed by "Microsoft financial analyst briefing" the same day with a dedicated "Windows Mobile financial conference call" seven days later. I'm not aware that Microsoft ever had three so important Windows Mobile (funny enough that it's not called "Windows phone") events within 7 days only.

While Sling Media's SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile was the company's first mobile SlingPlayer client for its famous Slingboxes, it came into its years since the initial SlingPlayer Mobile 1.0 for Windows Mobile was pretty stylus-centric and Sling Media already showed-off - how a nice looking finger-friendly GUI could look when the company released its Apple iPhone/iPod Touch SlingPlayer Mobile. Now, after months of work, Sling Media released its SlingPlayer Mobile 2.0 for Windows Mobile 6.x touchscreen-based Professional smartphones which features a similar, finger friendly GUI by not cutting-off any of the Windows Mobile features including native streaming over 3G wireless networks.

Following yesterday's news that the recent Zune player software update features an indication for phone devices support, the new Zune player software carries another secret: It's language localized! While Microsoft has neither unveiled any plans yet to sell its Zune hardware outside the U.S. nor is the Zune player software available from the German Zune.net website, it can be downloaded from the U.S. English website anyway. However, if the Zune player software is installed on a non-English PC (in this case a German Windows Vista PC, other languages aren't confirmed yet but are most likely), all dialogues change to German, immediately after the installation was started:

Following today's scheduled Zune.net maintenance, Microsoft has also updated its Zune player which is used on Windows PCs. While there aren't any major improvements from the consumer perspective, even more interesting are the changes under the hood. As "istartedsomething" found out, Microsoft's new Zune player features an updated Zune.inf file which is an essential component of Zune's driver package - responsible for identifying the driver and associating it with compatible USB hardware IDs. However, in addition to today's known device identification for the Zune and Zune HD media players, the new Zune.inf file also features information about a so called "Phone.Device".

The Global Cerification Forum just approved Sony Ericsson's first Android smartphone for Europe - the Xperia X10 as well as its first Android smartphone for Japan - the SO-01B - which NTT DoCoMo plans to launch in April. While both devices will be powered by a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU and both will feature Android 1.6, a 4" WVGA (854 x 480) touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, Sony Ericsson's "Timescape" and "Mediascape" as well as a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and the 8 megapixel autofocus camera, there are some differences between the European and the Japanese X10/SO-01B. Most notable are - according to the GCF - the supported WCDMA bands!

Following last year's launch of the Amazon MP3 app in the U.S., Amazon just brought its handy Android MP3 application to Europe. From now, users with an appropriate Android smartphone (Amazon supports any Android version > Android 1.5), can explore and buy songs from the entire Amazon MP3 store. The Amazon Android MP3 application uses the existing Amazon account and allows to search, browse and shop for millions of DRM-free MP3 tracks and albums. Because Amazon features DRM-free MP3s only, bought and downloaded songs can later transferred to the PC to be used on any other MP3-player like a Microsoft Zune, Windows Mobile smartphone or Apple iPhone/iPod.

Following the big success of its first Google-based Android smartphone, the Acer A1 Liquid, in an interview , Jim Wong, Acer President of the IT Products division, unveiled yesterday that Acer will release its second Android smartphone this first quarter 2010 and he confirmed that the device will be manufactured by Foxconn, a subsidiary of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. While no details were given yet, it might be a much smaller Android smartphone than the Acer Liquid was. Wong said: "Hon Hai has very highly integrated mechanical parts, and on a smartphone, if you want to make it very small and compact, the mechanical parts are very important".

While Windows Mobile 6.5 was officially launched October last year, so far Microsoft hasn't offered an updated SDK (Software Development Kit) for its latest Windows Mobile version. But yesterday, Microsoft silently launched the Windows Mobile 6.5 SDKs which provide documentation, sample code, header and library files, emulator images and tools which can be used with Microsoft's Visual Studio to build applications for Windows Mobile 6.5. The Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK must also be installed in order to use any of the Windows Mobile 6.5 API or samples. It comes with the images for Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional (touchscreen smartphone) and Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard (non-touchscreen) and features different language-sets.

So called "reliable sources" have told WMPowerUser that HTC's rumored "HTC Obsession" is said to be HTC's next super-phone, following the HTC Diamond2 and HTC HD2. According to the tipster, the so called HTC Diamond3, is expected to be launched in summer already and running Windows Mobile 7 instead of Windows Mobile 6.5. The device is said to be powered by a Qualcomm QSD8250 CPU at 1 GHz, it's said to feature GSM and WCDAM (most likely UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA), a 3.7" capacitive AMOLED multitouch touchscreen and sports a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with flash which is capable of recording HD videos at 720p with 25 fps.

Following Palm's earlier U.S.-only webOS 1.3.5 and 1.3.5.1 firmware updates for the Palm Pre, last night Palm released webOS 1.3.5.2 for the European Palm Pre, available in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Spain. webOS 1.3.5.2 features all previous 1.3.5 and 1.3.5.1 enhancements and bugfixes which allows customers to download and store more applications by removing the current limitation of available memory for applications. Furthermore 1.3.5 enhanced the WiFi and application performance as well as it improve the battery life and multitasking capabilities (like background downloads).

Neither officially announced nor introduced, during last week's CES in Las Vegas, Microsoft silently showed-off Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Professional for Windows touchscreen smartphones. However, as it turned out and was earlier confirmed by an article on Microsoft's MSDN network, it's neither called "Windows Mobile 6.5 Second Edition" (as I called it) nor is it called anything special but it's just an AKU 3 which means it's simply Windows Mobile 6.5.3. As expected, Windows Mobile 6.5.3 updates the Windows Mobile touch-interface to make it more finger friendly. Additionally it will feature some application updates like threaded E-Mails and pivots but all together it stays Windows Mobile 6.5.

Following Motorola's earlier CES announcement to provide Android 2.1/Eclair upgrades for the Motorola Cliq and Motorola Backflip, Motorola Europe followed-up with a Facebook posting where the company confirmed that the Android 2.1/Eclair updates will also be available for the Motorola Dext and before the Motorola Milestone will get the 2.1 upgrade, it will even receive the Android 2.0.1 update, the Motorola Droid already received in the U.S: "Attention Android lovers. The 2.01 update is on its way for all Milestone users. The Android 2.1 upgrade for Milestone is also on its way and will be ready in the next 2 months. We can confirm that Dext will get the Android 2.1 upgrade as well."

During the CES, Dave Zatz from Zatz Not Funny just had the chance to talk with John Gilmore, Sling Media' General Manager, who unveiled an upcoming Adobe Flash-based SlingPlayer being demo'ed in their booth. This means that you'll be able to turn your Sony PS3 into a SlingCatcher and additional mobiles should be more quickly supported. At the end of the day, it could mean that smartphones like Windows Mobile, Android and webOS will soon be able to be used as a SlingCatcher. According to Gilmore, the Flash player will hit the market first half of 2010 with initial support for the Slingbox Pro-HD and with the Slingbox Solo to follow-up.

While nothing is confirmed yet, Sony Ericsson just updated its German mobile phone page and mentions, that the "Xperia X10 is available in 3 month" which would mean an early Q2-2010 release! Back in November, the Xperia X10's availability was announced for Q1-2010. However, this delay would be in sync with Rogers recent announcement that the Canadian carrier will launch the Sony Xperia X10 in the second quarter 2010. That's definitely bad news for Sony Ericsson which, for some reasons, wasn't able to launch its Windows Mobile Xperia smartphones in a timely manner first and now Sony Ericsson's first Android Xperia smartphone seems to face the same destiny.

On the first sight, it looks like a typical HTC Sense smartphone but HTC's latest mobile phone is neither running Windows Mobile nor Android. HTC just officially unveiled the HTC Smart - which leaked as Touch.B or HTC Rome before - a new type of smartphone that creates a new category of easy-to-use, connected smartphones that are accessible by people all over the world. HTC Smart begins with a friendly compact touch design and integrates an intuitive user experience that is centered around HTC Sense, an HTC design philosophy that puts people at the center by focusing on three core areas: Make It Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.

While some bloggers expected that Microsoft's Steve Ballmer might announce Windows Mobile 7 during his recent keynote at CES, he hasn't said a single word about Microsoft's next Windows phone version but was talking about Windows 7 and other upcoming products only. Nevertheless, according to Engadget, LG unveiled during their CES press conference that "LGs new phones will feature Meta Material Antenna, with (more) Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7 smartphones coming this year". It sounds pretty reasonable that Microsoft hasn't taken the opportunity to announce its most important Windows Mobile release at the CES but might better wait to get the full mobile industry attention at next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

While the Motorola Backflip was just announced today, like its forerunners - the Motorola Cliq/Motorola Dext - it's only running Android 1.5/Cupcake; unlike the Motorola Droid/Motorola Milestone, which were the first Android smartphones running Android 2.0/Eclair. However, MobileBurn reports now that earlier today, at a CES press event, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha confirmed that the company plans to offer an Android 2.1 update for its Motorola Cliq (and hopefully Dext) as well as for the Motorola Backflip. It wasn't mentioned if the upgrade will also feature Motorola's MotoBlur service, but it's most likely that Motorola will port it to Android 2.1 as well, since it's a key-differentiator.

Today, Motorola announced the latest addition to its Android portfolio: the Motorola Backflip with MotoBlur. At the first sight looking like the Motorola Dext/Cliq, the Backflip features a unusual but unique reverse flip design which is said to make it easy to enjoy videos, music and photos while the QWERTY keyboard allows you to blast through E-Mails, texts, news feeds, social network messages and more. The Backflip is designed around the MotoBlur experience and provides multiple features to keep phone conversations moving. Multi-tasking has never been easier with Backflip's reverse-flip QWERTY keyboard and high-res 3.1" HVGA screen - letting you see more and respond faster.

While the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 isn't available yet, GSMArena.com just received two photos of a new, yet unannounced, Sony Ericsson smartphone which looks like the Xperia X10's smaller brother. Most likely code-named "Robyn", the "Xperia X10 Mini" seems to run Android and featuring - resolution-wise - a much smaller touchscreen (could be a HVGA or QVGA screen only). While further specifications are yet unknown, it's said that the Sony Ericsson "Xperia X10 Mini" will feature 3G support as well as an integrated camera and it seems that the Sony Ericsson "Robyn" will be available in a wide range of fashionable colors (the original Xperia X10 will be available in white and black only):

Following HTC's earlier commitment to launch the HTC HD2 Windows phone early 2010 in the U.S., T-Mobile USA and HTC today announced the HTC HD2 is expected to be available for the first time in the US exclusively from T-Mobile USA this spring. With its industry leading, high-resolution, 4.3" capacitive touch display and high-powered features, the ultra-thin HTC HD2 phone delivers content in a sharper, brighter and richer way. Running Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, the HTC HD2 comes equipped with the 1 GHz Snapdragon by Qualcomm mobile processor and utilizes T-Mobile's high speed 3G network for a fast mobile data experience. The HTC HD2 is the first Windows phone with HTC Sense, a software experience focused on putting people at the center by making their phones work in a more simple, natural and personal way.

As expected, at a press conference at its headquarter Google has announced the Nexus One today, Google's own Android smartphone, running on Android 2.1/Eclair and manufactured by HTC. Featuring quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE and triband UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA at 2100/1700/900 MHz with HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA up to 2 Mbps as well as WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. Furthermore onboard are aGPS, cell tower and Wi-Fi positioning a digital compass and an accelerometer. The device sports a 3.7" widescreen WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) AMOLED touchscreen, a 5 megapixels autofocus camera with LED flash AGPS support which is able to capture videos at 720 x 480 pixels at 20 frames per second or higher, depending on lighting conditions.

Canadian Rogers just announced in a company tweet, that Canadians will be among the first in the world to experience open and integrated social media, communication and entertainment with the launch of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android smartphone, which will make its North American debut first in Canada, exclusively from Rogers. Introducing signature applications like Sony Ericsson's Mediascape and Timescape, the Xperia X10 lets consumers organize everything in their phone and in an intuitive way.

At the moment, European Palm Pre users cannot buy any paid apps from Palm's App Catalog but can only download free apps. However, in its Developer Blog, Palm just announced that following the launch of the e-commerce program in the U.S., the European e-commerce program is planned to go live in March 2010. The e-commerce program has about 600 new paid apps available in just 2 months, and the extension to Europe gives developers a compelling new opportunity to distribute and monetize their apps. In Europe, Palm Pre is currently available in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Germany.

Following the recent webOS update for North American Palm Pre's and Pixi's, Palm just released another minor update for its webOS smartphones. While the new webOS 1.3.5.1 doesn't features and new applications, it's just a buxfix for the webOS Calendar. The previous 1.3.5 version included an issue in which the Calendar app displayed no events for any account after a user synchronized Calendar with an Exchange account. With this update which fixes the issue, webOS Calendar events now appear correctly after an Exchange sync. As before the update will be distributed through an OTA (over the air) update, but it can be also downloaded through W-LAN.