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The Register - Biting the hand that feeds IT
Last Checked: 09.02.2012 12:20:22

Kodak to kill off digital cameras
End in sight for snappers, camcordersKodak is knocking its line of budget digital cameras on the head, part of its plan to revive the fortunes of the troubled firm.…

Hitachi GST pushes out boosted SSD
Intel's new NANDHitachi GST has birthed a boosted Ultrastar SSD using Intel's latest 25nm NAND. Intel launched its own 520just a few days ago.…

Appcelerator adds Titanium backend with Cocoafish buy
I like backends and I cannot lieMobile platform developer Appcelerator has completed its second purchase of the last year, snapping up Cocoafish to gets its APIs and server backend system.…

Google will swap you a box of crisps for your web privacy
Or anything else from Amazon for $25 if you agree to be stalkedGoogle has revealed exactly how little cash it thinks a user who is willing to "sell" their data to the search giant is actually worth.…

Airport bomb Twitter joker in second fine appeal bid
Judges deliberating whether or not to quash convictionPaul Chambers, the Twitter joker turned misdemeanour conviction martyr, returned to court on Wednesday to launch a second appeal against a conviction over a "threatening message" to blow Doncaster's Robin Hood Airport "sky high".…

Vodafone squirrels cash into Blighty nightly as Europe falters
Spain, Italy disappointing - Turkey, India a pleasant surpriseVodafone's numbers for the tail-end of 2011 show the network doing pretty well, though it admitted husbanding cash back to the UK nightly just to be on the safe side.…

What downturn? Lenovo stuffs pockets with 54% extra profit
World's number 2 PC maker buoyed by China performanceLenovo Group is one of the few PC makers still in the pink, beating market expectations with a fat third-quarter net profit.…

Ofcom: Make it easier for punters to switch ISPs
But could middleman plan jack up prices?Broadband and landline customers could soon find it a lot simpler to ditch one telco in favour of another, after Ofcom published its proposals on cutting the hassle out of switching providers for punters in the UK.…

Alibaba! suspends! shares! amid! Yahoo! stake! buzz!
Chinese biz counts readies to buy back web biz's shareAlibaba.com has suspended its shares on the Hong Kong market, pending news from its parent company Alibaba Group, which reportedly wants to buy back Yahoo!'s stake in the company.…

Microsoft sets date for Windows 8 preview - at mobile shindig
Barcelona, it was the first time that we metMicrosoft will unveil Windows 8 at Mobile World Congress, says an invitation sent out today.…

How Zuck wields power over Facebook for a few hundred bucks
CEO's voting rights and package exposedMark Zuckerberg's effortless swagger into the business world got an airing in public yesterday when Facebook filed more documents to the US Securities and Exchange Commission ahead of the company going public in a few months' time.…

Ethernet standards for hyper-scale cloud networking
Always just over the horizonWhat if the largest Ethernet networks we see today are just precursors, initial steps on the path to what's been called hyper-scale cloud networking?…

Ingram Micro CEO outlines growth plan as 2011 profits falter
Weak Euro consumer biz and challenged Oz operation blamedIngram Micro's new chief exec has set out three strategic priorities as he gets to grips with the challenges facing the world's largest distributor and looks to bolster bottom line goodness.…

Groupon loses $42.7m in Q4, shares tumble
Hang on to your coupons, we'll make a profit next quarterGroupon (GRPN) has posted a net loss of $42.7m for the last three months of 2011, disappointing Wall Street's expectation that the coupon-pushers would make a small profit. Groupon stocks closed the day at $24.58 but in after-hours trading stocks tumbled 15 per cent to $20.75 – suggesting that Groupon shareholders might want to brace themselves for a rocky ride when Thursday trading opens in New York.…

UK cops set up new £30m bases to nail cybercrooks
They're proper champion e-bobbiesThe UK is to establish three regional policing e-crime hubs as part of efforts to boost the capability of British police to tackle the growing problem of cybercrime.…

New sat data shows Himalayan glaciers hardly melting at all
Results 'really were a surprise', say climate profsNew scientific analysis of satellite gravity measurements has shown that ice is melting from glaciers around the world much less quickly than had been thought. The new research is important as worldwide glacier melt is thought to be one of the main factors which could drive rising sea levels in future.…

Google Wallet PIN security cracked in seconds
Luckily no one important is using itA researcher at website categoriser zvelo has discovered Google Wallet's PIN protection is open to a brute-force attack that takes seconds to complete. And Google is powerless to fix the problem, it seems.…

Royal astro-boffin to MPs: Stop thinking about headlines
'Nuclear biz is screwed, chill out about carcinogens'"In politics the urgent seems to trump the important," venerable astro-boffin Lord Martin Rees told a committee of MPs yesterday, saying that it there needed to be "bipartisan consensus on long-term issues" such as energy and the environment if Britain is to haul its sorry ass into the next century.…

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Hit and mythReviewLike a mage's potion, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoningis based on a tried and tested formula: the essence of Fable II, a dash of Oblivion, the gizzards of God of War. And let's not forget the vital binding agent, of course: a liberal dose of Tolkien's legendarium.…

iPad 3 shell shots spied on web
Snaps point to bigger battery. PossiblySnaps are circulating Apple and iPad fansites revealing that the upcoming iPad 3 will hold a larger battery than its predecessor… probably.…

Google drive cloud to rain on Apple, Dropbox parade
Web giant has our email and docs, might as well hand over everything elseNever one to miss out on an up-and-coming tech trend, Google is all set to launch its very own cloud storage service, competing with the likes of Dropbox, Microsoft and Apple.…

Asus posts patch for Prime random reboot bug
Tablet's auto-restart glitch fixedAsus UK has posted a firmware update for its Android tablet, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime.…

Japan enlists foreign bloggers to revive tsunami-hit tourist biz
Will 10 gaijinreally make a difference?The Japanese government is trying to get foreign bloggers to do PR for it by inviting them to earthquake- and tsunami-hit areas to write compassionately about the progress being made in reconstructing the ravaged north-east of the country.…

Life-size Portal gun to shoot onto shelves soon
Hole in the wallDespite the fact they generally sit on the mantlepiece as a decorative reminder of where one's interest lies, replica weaponsare a big business and gaming enthusiasts are an eager audience to target.…

Trustwave admits crafting SSL snooping certificate
Allowing bosses to spy on staff was wrong, says security bizCertificate Authority Trustwave has revoked a digital certificate that allowed one of its clients to issue valid certificates for any server, thereby allowing one of its customers to intercept their employees' private email communication.…

HP hands in-house Android code to TouchPad tablet hackers
Developed as a WebOS fall-back plan?Top marks to HP for handing over an Android kernel it once coded for its TouchPad tablet to fondleslab hackers.…

Now Siri brushes up on Russian, Japanese languages
Mandarin lessons going well too, says Apple dev moleApple is already testing Chinese, Japanese and Russian language support for its voice-activated personal assistant technology Siri - and will roll out the new functionality next month as its efforts to cosy up to customers in these lucrative markets gathers pace.…

Privacy warriors sue FTC over Google's policy tweak
Failure to halt imminent changes makes EPIC angryThe Electronic Privacy Information Center is suing the US Federal Trade Commission for failing to take action against Google's plans to change its terms of service on 1 March.…

Lenovo slates Ice Cream Sandwich for ThinkPad tablet
Unlock your fondleslab with your faceLenovo will update its ThinkPad Android-based tabletto Ice Cream Sandwichin May, the PC giant said last night.…

British Red Cross First Aid
In case of emergency, break out app...iOS App of the WeekThe Red Cross was in the news recently when it issued new guidelines for performing CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - and it has followed this up with a free First Aid app that's worth downloading in case of emergencies.…

MongoDB straps SQL to Google's MapReduce
One toasting too many for NoSQL?To NoSQLers he's the Devilwho flames their work. Bring up his name while interviewing the CEO or founder of any NoSQL start-up, as I have, and the interviewee withers to a tight smile.…

Hackers claim to have penetrated Foxconn backdoor
We don't care about iPhones or workers, only lulzIt had to happen eventually. Controversial hardware manufacturer Foxconn was reportedly hacked late on Wednesday and a heap of staff email log-ins and intranet credentials posted online which could allow third parties to lodge fraudulent orders.…

Licked RIM has a lifeline: a social network in a box
Don't forget the secret power of BBMAnalysisRIM's fortunes have taken a catastrophic, Nokia-style nosedive in the past year - but it has a chance of pulling up. Admittedly, the odds are long, but this week the Canadian company began its fightback.…

IBM stuffs XIV array with flash tech
Big Blue puts pedal to the metalIBM has pressed the gas pedal to the floor with its third generation XIV array and given it up to 6TB of solid state drive cache storage.…

NHS hands out 3G slabs and phones to roving nurses
Should help community care workers cut down on desk-timeThe Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust is piloting mobile devices for its community care nurses and therapists to enable them to access files, capture data and update back office systems remotely.…

Asus UX21E Zenbook 11.6in Ultrabook
Thin! Small! Mad! Gorgeous!ReviewHaving already reviewed the slightly larger Asus UX31E Zenbookfor El Reg, and quite liking it, I whinged that sending me the UX21E model would be a waste of time. It wasn’t, obviously, because you’re reading this. I loved it. In fact, I preferred it.…

Apple Stores getting petitions on ethical conduct for breakfast
250,000 signatures for fair treatment of iWorkersBreakfast at Apple retail outlets in Washington, DC, New York, San Francisco, London, Sydney, and Bangalore will come with a side order of protest on Thursday morning, as “concerned Apple customers” will be dropping off 250,000-signature petitions calling out Apple on supplier working practices.…

Robot surgery gets virtual at Euro Space Agency
CAMDASS augmented reality for astronaut patch-upThe European Space Agency is showing off an augmented-reality kit which it says will ultimately pave the way for diagnosis and even surgery for astronauts.…

Thodey chimes in on TV Now decision
Telcos 'need clarity'Telstra CEO David Thodey has told journalists and analysts that the telecommunications industry “needs clarity” following the Federal Court decision which clearly and simply said “Optus TV Now is legal”.…

Huawei gets more UFB kiwi action
Rolls out that fibre for New ZealandHuawei has secured another key government win in New Zealand to provide fibre services to the Christchurch UFB with Enable Services Limited.…

Loral set to build NBN Co satellites
Turnbull doesn't like it, againNBN Co has awarded Space Systems/Loral an $AU620 million contract to build, deliver and deploy two next-generation Ka-band satellites to cover regional Australia.…

Cisco stabilizes switching and routing in Q2
Raises dividend, remains cautiousNetworking - and some would say data center bellwether - Cisco Systems turned in a better-than-expected fiscal Q2 ended in January, with revenues up 10.8 per cent to $11.53bn and net income up a very good 43.5 per cent to $2.18bn.…

iRobot Warrior-bot goes on sale this Spring
For the geek who has everythingiRobot has confirmed it’s ready to start manufacture and sale of its Warrior 710 robot early this year.…

Eolas claims royalties for browser apps and plug-ins
Berners-Lee warns of disaster for internetEolas Technologies has begun its trial against Adobe over two patents that, it claims, gives it the rights to embedded browser applications and plug-in and AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) web development techniques.…

US Navy preps railgun for tests
Bedding down BAE Systems prototypeThe US Navy’s Office of Naval Research is preparing to test a prototype railgun delivered by BAE Systems under a $US21 million contract signed in 2010.…

Solarflare turns network adapters into servers
When a CPU just isn't fast enoughSolarflare, a maker of 10 Gigabit Ethernet server adapter cards for performance-obsessed companies like stock exchanges, hedge funds, and supercomputer centers, is turning its network interface cards into servers, more or less.…

Telcos to shape up under new code
Comms Alliance lays down the lawAustralian carriers, voice services and ISPs will be forced to take their obligations to the rights of consumers seriously under a new revised consumer code from industry group, the Communications Alliance.…

Path runs screaming from privacy snafu
We meant to copy your address book but we didn’t think you’d mindAfter sparking an outcry – and arguably putting itself on the wrong side of privacy laws outside America – ex-Facebooker and now CEO of Path, Dave Morin, has blogged an apology.…

Toshiba may be getting excess WD disk biz
Rumour mill spits out Tosh as buyerWe are hearing that Toshiba is buying Western Digital's "excess" 3.5-inch disk drive business, clearing the way to the completion of the WD's acquisition of Hitachi GST .…

Windows Phone Thoughts.com - Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves
Built: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:49:59 GMT
Last Checked: 09.02.2012 12:20:26

RCA's USB Wall Charger, Just Plug It In!
http://www.macworld.com/article/165...l#lsrc.rss_main"Most modern smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, and other gadgets rely on USB-based chargers. Some of these come with their own AC wall adapters, while others include nothing more than a USB cable-meaning you have to plug them into your computer to get them charged."The nice thing about this thing is that you just plug it into the existing outlet, so it's basically a cover. No need to replace the current outlet so you don't have to worry about shocking yourself silly. And it goes for the small sum of $15.00 USD at Lowes (currently out of stock in my area), or you can get it at Amazon.com for $12.47 USD (currently in stock with both white and almond colored versions).

Microsoft To Sell Lumia 800 Bundle Starting On 2/14
http://www.theverge.com/microsoft/2...ore-february-14"Microsoft will launch Nokia's Lumia 800 device in the US as a special bundle item priced at $899."The Nokia Lumia 800 will be available from Microsoft Stores starting February 14th in a special bundle priced at $899. The phone will be an unlocked GSM model and come packaged with a Nokia Play 360 Wireless Speaker, Purity HD Stereo Headset and an in-ear Bluetooth headset. Not known is whether the phone will be available without the bundle or if the bundle is the only option. Personally, I would rather wait for the Lumia 900. It comes with a bigger screen, front facing camera, better rear camera and is probably cheaper.

Attention Smartphone Gamers, This Xappr is for You!
http://www.imore.com/2012/02/03/xap...-dream-machine/"Xappr is a gun accessory for your iPhone that'll instantly appeal to everyone from fans of the original Duck Hunt on Ninteno to the latest Halo or Call of Duty FPS shooters."Awesome concept for smartphone games that are first person shooters. You can preorder yours here, and they are expected to run about $30.00 USD when it is launched this summer. Yes, this is made to use with any smartphone, be it iPhone, Android or Windows Phones.

Think You Can Do A Better Job Than Microsoft?
https://windowsphone.uservoice.com/...g-and-promotion"If you're here, we assume that's because you love Windows Phone as much as we do - but maybe you're frustrated that word's not getting out to everyone about how great Windows Phones are? Just like with your suggestions on features to add to future versions of the product, we'd like your suggestions on how we can spread the word about Windows Phone itself via advertising campaigns, community or social media involvement and other types of promotions."One of the big disadvantages of being a big company not named Apple is that its sometimes (ok, most of the time) pretty hard to have your ear to the ground and keep track of the pulse of consumer likes and dislikes. So what's a big company to do? A couple of years back I had the chance to read Gary Hamel's "The Future of Management" and one of the recommendations was for companies to co-create with their customers. I think we're seeing that principle in action here - Microsoft wants YOU, to help them market Windows Phone 7 to the masses. Here's your chance to write copy, and break into advertising!

Nokia Lumia 900 Pre-order Now Available For $25
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/2/27...-store-preorder"We reached out to Microsoft, and it confirmed that $25 will secure Nokia's latest Windows Phone handset for you, but there wasn't any new info on how much the phone will cost in full when launch day comes around."Microsoft's Brick and Mortar Stores are now taking pre-orders for the Nokia Lumia 900. The 900 is one of two LTE capable WP7.5 phones being released by AT&T on March 18th. The other being the HTC Titan II. If you want to pre-order the 900, grab $25.00 and head to your local Microsoft Store.

Details Of Windows Phone 8 Apollo Revealed
http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/...hone-8-detailed"Microsoft has some major changes in store for Windows Phone 8, we've learned, which is the version of the platform currently being referred to by codename "Apollo" (the one scheduled for deployment after the upcoming Tango update)."Details of Windows Phone 8 "Apollo" are now available thanks to a video meant for Nokia hosted by Joe Belfiore seen by pocketnow.com. Looking at the features coming in Windows Phone 8 Apollo, this upgrade will definite put the OS in the running for top three mobile OSes. Here are just a few of the changes as cited by pocketnow.com. - Multicore processor support - Four new screen resolutions - MicroSD card storage - NFC wallet and tap sharing - Windows 8 integration - Data management - And many more...So, the question now is do you pick up the Lumia 900, wait for the 910 or hold out for Apollo and the phones that will inevitably follow?

Nokia Chargers Power Up
http://www.wpcentral.com/nokia-char...s-phones-faster"While it's been confirmed by Nokia already, the team over at WeLoveWP.hk have run some tests on charging the Lumia Windows Phone with a number of options. Turns out...the Nokia Lumia adapters provided more charge for a faster rate of recharge."I'm not sure a "faster" charger is that much of an advantage, as bearing in mind my rudimentary knowledge of battery technology, fast charging like this tends to stress the battery more while also generating more heat. You might be trading off faster charging against a shorter battery lifespan. Of course, if you're in the habit of buying an extra battery or two, or changing phones every couple of years, that might not matter much. The nice thing though is that since the Lumia models will charge off a standard USB port, the decision is yours.

30 to Launch Coming Soon
http://www.30tolaunch.com/Home/IndexStarting tomorrow, Microsoft will begin the '30 to Launch' campaign to encourace developers to submit apps to the Windows Phone Marketplace. The schedule has not been revealed, but the rules state that each sumbitted app will mean entry into the contest. The 500 winners and the grand prize winner will be selected by a panel of judges and receive prizes such as a Lumia 800. Four grand prize winnders will win an entertainment package consisting of a Samsung 46" television, an Xbox 360, and more. Apps are required to utilize features such as push notifications, background agents, or music and video hub integration. Hit the link for more information and get coding to win!

Flygrip Will Ease Your One Handed Fears
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/fl...e-handed-usage/"So you're walking with your iPhone in one hand, and a Starbucks latte in the other, and granted it is possible to use the iPhone in one hand, it could prove to be "fatal" since one hand tends to offer less support compared to two, and we all know that heart wrenching feeling when your brand new gadget slips out of your hand and onto the hard pavement." Basically very simple, as all this does is attach to the iPhone case or the iPhone itself and you slide your fingers in and can start using your iPhone one handed without fear of dropping it. I can also be attached to the back of your iPad, or any other tablet for that matter. As you can see from the photos, it doesn't have to be an Apple product to work. Three sizes (small, medium and large) depending on the finger size and you can get them for $29.95 USD each from the Flygrip store located here. That seems a bit spendy to me, and I think I would rather just spend that on a better case. What are your thoughts?

The Value Of Microsoft To Nokia
http://www.slashgear.com/nokia-micr...phone-26210827/"Microsoft paid Nokia $250m in Q4 2011 for adopting Windows Phone, the Finnish company's financial results today have revealed, the first of a "platform support payments" scheme expected to eventually account for billions of dollars. The two companies have always declined to put an exact figure on the "significant investments" Nokia would receive, though this new stat lends weight to earlier talk of over a billion in Microsoft subsidies."Talk about getting paid - what kind of reward do you think would a CEO get from his shareholders, if he got another company to pony up a billion greenbacks? Conversely, what should the shareholders of Microsoft think of a billion dollars in cash going to somebody else, who isn't even a big name in the US (and losing ground everywhere else)? Still it shows the kind of lengths Microsoft, or should I say Steve Ballmer, will go to to get WP7 into wider circulation. As much hammering as Nokia has taken in the last couple of years, they're still a big presence in most major and emerging markets. This is a gamble, but given the competition, it's probably no time for half measures.

Will 2012 Be The Year Of Windows Phone?
http://robtiffany.com/windows-phone...f-windows-phone"So here we stand with the best smartphone operating system, best hardware, best development tools and the best mobile web browser. I'm certain that Windows Phone with its army of app developers, OEMs and Mobile Operator partners will be marching to victory this year."Yes it will, says Rob Tiffany in his blog. How is he so sure? Well, he thinks it's a convergence of a number of factors that play well into Microsoft's hands. For instance, he believes that exciting new hardware options will entice customers from a handset perspective, and developers will be able to develop compelling new apps using Microsoft's effective development environment. Good points, and indeed these will be important factors. I think marketing, product positioning with both vendors and the public, and continual evolution of the reference hardware specs will be important too. Read through his blog and the drop over to our forums to let us know if you think 2012 will be "the" year for Windows Phone.

AT&T Lumia 900 Set For March 18th Release At $99.99
http://www.bgr.com/2012/01/25/atts-...18th-for-99-99/"We just received a portion of AT&T's 2012 roadmap from a trusted source, and it looks like AT&T isn't playing around this year."BGR is reporting that a leaked AT&T 2012 roadmap shows the Nokia Lumia 900 will be available on March 18th for $99.00 with a two year contract.

Pinspiration: A Social Network Based Around Photos
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/a...29-1054028bac4c"Pinspiration is the best way to browse and post to Pinterest on your Windows phone. Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard - a place to catalog and share the things you love." Pinspiration is a social network app that allows users to browse and share favorite photos. If you find a photographer you like, you can elect to follow that user and subscribe to their new pins. If you pin the app to the home screen, the Live Tile will rotate through the most popular photos that are currently being shared. Pinspiration is available in the Marketplace. There is a paid version with full access and an ad supported one. Give the free version a spin here.

Reminder: Revised AT&T Data Plans Takes Effect On Sunday
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5443/...tphones-tablets"Beginning this Sunday, January 22, AT&T will begin offering new data plans to its US smartphone and tablet customers, its first change to the plans since June 2010."If you are constantly finding yourself using just a tick over your data plan allowances and thereby incurring overages, AT&T's new data plans may be for you. Smartphone plans are now available in either 300MB ($20), 3GB ($30) and 5GB ($50). Subscribers of the 5GB plan will get tethering tossed in for free. Tablet plans have also been revised to 3GB ($30) and 5GB ($50). The low end 250MB tablet plan for $14.99 is the only plan that remains unchanged. Of course if you are happy with your current plan, you may elect to stay with it but new subscribers will have to choose from one of the new plans.

Comprehensive Lumia 710 Review
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews...obile,3109.htmlThe Nokia Lumia 710 was released last week on T-Mobile USA and the reviews have been largely positive. The device is the first Nokia Lumia device released in the US and will come with a large advertising campaign funded by both Microsoft and Nokia. The device has 3.7" screen 5MP camera, and of course Windows Phone 7.5. Tom's Hardware has done a thorough review that looks at the hardware, special features, camera and more. Hit the link for the full review.

Lumia 900 With Improvements May Be Coming Mid-2012
http://www.winsupersite.com/blog/su...-mid2012-141907"But according to my source, it is indeed temporary. And other carriers will be able to sell the device 45 days after AT&T's launch date of March 18."Paul Thurrott via his winsupersite blog is citing a rival to AT&T source that has given him some new information on the availability of the Nokia Lumia 900. Supposedly, AT&T's exclusivity on the Lumia 900 will expire in 45 days at which time Nokia will make an improved Lumia 900 with a 12MP camera available to other carriers. Remember, this rumor is unconfirmed and comes from an AT&T rival.

Samsung's 2nd Gen Focus - the Focus S
Product Category: Windows Phone 7 SmartphoneManufacturer: SamsungWhere to Buy: Expansys [affiliate]Price: $775 USD (unlocked, no contract)System Requirements: Comes with Windows Phone 7 Mango (7720) installed.Specifications: 1.4Ghz single core CPU, 16Gb internal storage, 1Gb RAM; 4.3in WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED screen; Quad band (850/900/1800/1900) GPRS, Tri band UTMS (900/1700/2100), HSPA+; GPS; 8mp colour camera w/autofocus + LED flash, 720p HD video recording; BT 2.1 EDR & A2DP; 802.11b/g/n; 3.5mm stereo audio jack; microUSB 2.0; G-Sensor; 124mm (4.96in) x 66mm (2.6in) x 8.4mm (0.33in); 110g (3.9oz). Full specs are available at the Samsung site.Pros:Large, bright screen with amazing contrast;Light weight, but solidly built; All round, an amazing phone!Cons:Positioning of the power button makes it easy to 'accidentally' hit and turn it on/off when not intended;A keyboard slider version of this phone would be a big bonus;Sorry, it only comes in black :-).Summary: The original Samsung Focus, despite some niggling flaws, multiple versions, and difficulties with upgrades, has been the Windows Phone 7 'phone to beat' almost from the day it arrived. While the HTC Titan and HD7 have been making inroads, the Focus still holds a significant portion of the Windows Phone 7 user community. Now, Samsung has issued the successor in two slightly different models - the Focus S with better specs and screen, and the more budget-minded Focus Flash. While not quite the massiveness of the HTC Titan, Samsung has again shown that it can 'lead the pack' in design and features with the Focus S.IntroductionI was introduced to the Samsung Focus S by a friend of mine who had secured on through a friend who got it from the Microsoft Store in Seattle. Normally, I wouldn't even have considered the Focues S since I'd convinced myself that I had to have a hardware keyboard to handle all the emails, etc during my day. But, after seeing and playing with the Focus S for about half an hour, I was hooked. The screen was much bigger than I had on the LG Quantum and it was just plain gorgeous. I immediately started trolling eBay for an unlocked version, since they aren't available from any of the cellular providers here in Canada.I had to spend a little bit more than I usually do on new phones, but I eventually found an unlocked one from AT&T still in its original box.What Comes in the PackageThe contents of most phone packages are getting pretty standard these days, with just the basics needed. There was, however, a nice surprise here when it came to the earphones.Figure 1: Here's what came in the box. As mentioned, this particular unit was pretty well direct from AT&T. I suspect the only reason the box was opened was to unlock the unit. The box is the typical AT&T colour scheme but is good and sturdy. To the right of the box is the Focus S itself and just below that is the USB to microUSB charge/sync cable. It was a very nice surprise to find that the cable was almost 1m (39in) long -- almost twice the length normally provided. Below that is the wall charger with USB output, and to the left is the stereo earphones. This set is of significantly better quality than is normally seen included in most phone packages, both in terms of comfort and sound quality. Also included (in the little plastic bag below them) are alternate rubber tips to provide a more comfortable/snug fit in the ears. Nice touch, ATT & Samsung!Figure 2: A closeup shot of the wall charger (North American), showing the standard USB port in the side of the unit. This is the first time I've seen a charger with this particular configuration. By having the cable come out sideways from the unit (instead of the back), it does cut down a bit on the extrusion from the wall, and protects against the cable being bent by furniture, etc. Exterior ShotsMicrosoft has been pretty prescriptive about the physical specifications for Windows Phones, so there's not a lot of variation when it comes to button and port locations.Figure 3: Here's the front of the Focus S. Almost the entire front is taken up with the 4.3in (109 mm) screen. The 'buttons' on the bottom are 'soft' keys (specific dedicated areas of the touchscreen) rather than actual hardware buttons, as we've seen on earlier units.Figure 4: The bottom of the Focus S basically sports the microUSB port for charging and sync. Just to the right is the small hole for the microphone.Figure 5: The only button on the left side of the unit (as you look from the front) is the volume rocker near the top (just visible on the left side of this picture).

Windows Phone $100 Challenge: Final Tally
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...t-ces-2012.aspx"#smokedbywindowsphone is a wrap at CES 2012, and it was a raging success! Thousands of people (yes, we had crowds watching the challenges happen) saw first hand why Windows Phone connects them to the stuff and people they care about faster and easier than other smartphones."The final tally is in for the $100 Windows Phone challenge. Windows Phone won 30 times, lost 3 times and tied once. Not a bad record considering the competition. You can watch the day two wrap up video posted by Microsoft on their Windows Team Blog here.

20 Questions for Microsoft and Nokia
http://www.wpcentral.com/wpcentral-...hields-ces-2012"WPCentral was lucky enough today to sit down with Nokia's senior vice president, Windows Phone program management Kevin Shields and Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President, Windows Phone program management."It's a fairly long interview, but what you get is some insight into Nokia's plans for entering the US market and the design process for the Lumia 900. Enjoy!

Windows Phone $100 Challenge: WP7.5 VS Galaxy Nexus
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...ndowsphone.aspx"The challenge was to find a 4-star Chinese restaurant nearby, then find directions to it. Here's how it went down:"Image courtesy of dailymobile.seBen the PC Guy is at CES challenging users of other OS's to speed contests. If Ben wins, the loser has to say "I got smoked by Windows Phone." If they win, they get to pocket $100.00. The first taker was using a Galaxy Nexus and the challenge was to find a 4-star Chinese restaurant with directions. This challenge highlights Local Scout and it's advantage over having to go through a search then pop over to maps for directions. You can watch the video here. The best part is when the Galaxy Nexus user asks, "What app are you using?"