Maybe you should ask for a raise. According to a recent study reported on by the Telegraph, a BlackBerry can add up to 10 days of extra work a year. The study also found that men find it more difficult to turn off their smart phone outside the office. Loyalty program Nectar Business interviewed more than 1,000 office workers to reveal the impact of technology on their working lives.
Some other interesting tidbits: One fifth of Brits interviewed say they leave their phone on all weekend. And of those that do turn it off, 22 percent still peek at work e-mail. About 24 percent of respondents said they feel stressed because they’re always on call. Well, at least we now know exactly how much overtime we should be getting paid for that feeling.
Magical though they may often be, some apps are better left undeveloped. The programs featured in this article comprise a shout-out to the barrel bottoms of the collective Android, Apple, BlackBerry, and WebOS app worlds, including a new menstrual cycle tracker for men (always shameful), an iPhone app that claims to interpret a baby’s cries, and a game to pass the time when you’re in the bathroom. Yep, doing that.
Assuming the image you see above is the real deal, this could possibly be the oddest design and form factor from RIM since, well, ever. The navigation buttons look like your average Storm keys, but it has the odd inclusion of an optical trackpad like the one found on the Bold 9700. This device is presumably a touchscreen, so that trackpad could signal a new operating system since the current Storm 5.0 OS doesn’t need any other navigation method other than your finger. What else can be gleaned from just the images of this device?
The physical keyboard resembles the Bold or Tour keyboard, which has been a favorite amongst BlackBerry users for its shape, contour and layout. We’re now wondering whether this will do away with the soft keyboard and RIM’s SureType technology.
Now, when we said that RIM has to re-invent or die, this was one of the design directions we had in mind. After all, if you’re going to be rolling out a new WebKit-based browser, you’ll want as much screen real estate as possible. And we assume this slider would have a solid build quality. What we don’t know is what OS it will feature, although there are rumors that RIM is working on rolling out BlackBerry 6.0, which we know little about. Would you buy a BlackBerry slider?
Microsoft has been toying with the hearts of Windows Mobile 6.5 users as misinformation about upgrading the OS to Windows Phone 7 has spread on the web. Initially, Microsoft made it clear that most WinMo 6.5 devices or lower did not have the hardware necessary to support Windows Phone 7. Shortly after making this statement, the software company said on its Twitter account that the upgrade may be possible, but it would be up to the hardware manufacturers whether their respective devices will get the new operating system.
So where does this leave Windows Mobile 6.5 users?
According to Microsoft, Windows Phone 7 will require very tight hardware specs, and even HTC’s HD2 won’t meet these stringent requirements. Aside from a high-resolution touchscreen and super fast processor, the HD2 has too many navigation buttons. Yes, you read that correctly: too many navigation buttons. Microsoft is reversing its direction of getting an operating system onto any piece of hardware that will take it. Windows Phone 7 devices are going to have just three buttons and the design is going to be very strict, much like Apple’s approach to the iPhone.
We’re sure there is more to this than just buttons and hardware, but the message here is that Microsoft isn’t just starting fresh with its new mobile operating system, but with hardware, too. The company is slimming down and focusing on quality instead of quantity – something it probably should have done years ago, but better late than never, right?
If you’re a loyal Windows or Microsoft user and you’re desperately wanting a Windows Phone, be prepared to say good bye to your current WinMo handset.
Palm Pre and Pixi users on Sprint might be getting a little antsy for the webOS 1.4 update coming soon. There’s nothing like a big OS update with no solid release date to make people jittery with anticipation. Rumors slated the update for February 25, and PreCentral even had hard proof. We’re past that date now and the update has yet to hit, and the source for the rumor has been pulled from the Sprint website.
Luckily, before the information mysteriously disappeared from Sprint’s community site, a list of fixes and updates were made available. More good news? It looks like the Palm Pre will be getting some Flash 10.0 treatment with this update.
Here is a list of what can be expected from the webOS 1.4 update.
Fixes:
Time Zone bug fixed
Network time sync bug fixed to reflect accurate Network time
Bluetooth car-kit transition to device corrected
No EV icon bug fixed (random)
Random browser formatting bugs fixed
Fixed bug that incorrectly displayed Sprint when actually was Digital Roaming
Missing Contact issue specifically with swap down to 1.2.9.1 or less
Featured Updates:
Phonebook Transfer (import & export)
Adds Video Capture capability & edit Calendar Enhancements
Messaging Enhancements
Improved Performance (Phone & CAL)
Email Enhancements
Notification Enhancements
Adds Adobe Flash 10.0 (Pre Only)
NOTE: The 1.4 software adds the ability to use the Flash 10.0 Adobe plug-in which will be available shortly from the Palm App Catalogue
This looks to fix most issues that webOS users might have been having with their handsets. The addition of Flash 10.0 is also a welcome one, even though it’s likely that running Flash could kill battery life, it’s better to have it and not need it. Fingers crossed that the update hits the airwaves tonight!
At Mobile World Congress this year, Symbian announced Symbian^3 and the foundation’s move to an open-source future. Though not common in the U.S. anymore, the wildly popular operating system still comprises almost half of the smartphone market with over 330 million devices shipped worldwide, mostly by Nokia. Symbian^3 has made some drastic improvements to the aging platform with 3D graphics, HDMI support, a simplified UI and more. Sounds exciting, right?
While Symbian shows no signs of slowing its global presence, recent footage of Symbian^4 from Fierce Wireless fails to scintillate the senses. There is nothing on it that we haven’t seen on other operating systems and touchscreen interfaces before. Sure, the UI is more simple and intuitive, and graphically it is far more attractive than anything we’ve seen from Symbian so far, but it just doesn’t have that “wow” factor.
What’s worse, Symbian is comparing its future OS/UI to the iPhone. The problem is that operating systems like Android, webOS and iPhone OS are already well ahead of Symbian and continuing to move forward. Let’s not forget Windows Phone 7, which impressed even the Windows Mobile haters and gave hope to those who were doubting Microsoft.
See the videos below, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. Prepare to be somewhat underwhelmed.
ASUS Eee PC 1001P [4 Stars - Editor's Choice] — This netbook hits all the right notes: good keyboard, slick design, decent performance and long battery life. All for $299.
Toshiba Satellite L505-GS5035 [3.5 Stars] — Consumers on the hunt for a budget notebook should definitely take a close look at the now Core i3-powered L505.
Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 [3 Stars] — While this machine offers the best keyboard on any netbook and a great instant-on OS, its touchpad is a bit finicky.
Canon EOS Rebel T1i [4 Stars] — This midrange DSLR shoots full HD video and delivers some of the best colors you’ll find.
Notebook too hot for your lap? We tested two solutions to cool your laptop; one portable (ChillCases), and one for your home or office (Cooler Master NotePal U2).
Mobile World Congress
We saw several new and exciting mobile products at this year’s MWC, and learned of some upcoming devices and technology that will have a huge impact on consumer tech. Here are some of the highlights:
Windows Phone 7 Arrives: Phone operatings systems weren’t always a cause for speculation and celebration, but this year they were big news. Nokia and Intel merged Maemo and Moblin into the MeeGo platform. The announcement came right on the heels of Samsung’s introduction of their Wave smart phone with the Bada OS. And, of course, there was Microsoft’s unveiling of Windows Phone Series 7, a reinvention of the company’s mobile brand.
Acer Embraces Ion 2: Acer garnered a lot of attention when they introduced the first Ion 2 netbook this week, the Aspire One 532g. We’re hoping that this system will not only have improved performance but also longer battery life with the combination of an N450 CPU and Nvidia’s Optimus technology. Click here to see our hands-on video.
Tablet Fever: We spotted the almost final design of one of CES’ most impressive tablets, the Notion Ink Adam. It’s now sleeker and lighter and even more desirable. We also got to see a Compal tablet while visiting Nvidia’s table. The UI is pretty sweet — check out the video. If you’re a fan of multitouch, check this new 10-finger multitouch technology that may soon come to tablets.
Just as MWC was getting started in Barcelona, Toy Fair came to New York. Tech toys weren’t limited to education and learning machines. We saw a lot of cute, fun, and engaging products to look forward to in 2010:
Xachi Pets: These iPhone-controlled virtual pets made (sort-of) real are fun and really cute. If you were a Tamagochi fan, you’ll love Xachi.
i-TAG: Avatar toys come to life on your computer with _TAG technology. These 3D interactive toys come with info, stats, and a few surprises.
iXL: A toddler PDA, this touchscreen toy has apps, plays music, helps with reading skills, and much more. Kids will be so engaged they’ll finally leave your iPhone alone.
In this week’s SpoonFed column, Mark Spoonauer calls on RIM, makers of BlackBerry, to Reinvent or Die.
The Toshiba T135 comes with either an Intel or AMD processor, but which one is the better choice? We tested both and compared performance, graphics, battery life and more to determine which CPU comes out on up.
The iPad isn’t the only tablet to hit shelves this year, and it may not even be the best choice for you. Check out our list of the Top 10 iPad Alternatives and see if any slate tempest you as much as Apple’s offering. Of course, you may not be excited about tablets or other Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs). Do Americans care about these in-between devices?
Parents from a Pennsylvania school district have filed a lawsuit after discovering that school administrators have the ability to spy on their kids via the webcams, something they were not informed of.
Today, while hanging around the Motorola booth at Mobile World Congress, I got my hands on the Devour, a phone announced two weeks ago on Verizon Wireless. As a Droid owner, I experienced some serious deja vu: the Devour has a similar slide-out QWERTY keyboard-and-touchscreen combo, only with a more elegant build and the same social-networking friendly MOTOBLUR interface introduced on the Cliq.
Unfortunately, the unit Motorola had on display wasn’t up and running beyond a setup screen, so it’ll be a bit longer before we can show you what a Droid-like phone with Motoblur looks like. For now, we’ve got close-up shots aplenty to pique your curiosity. Find those, as well as some early first impressions, after the jump.
For better or worse, the Droid is often described as “masculine.” That can mean various things: it’s heavier, thicker than most phones. It feels solid, well-constructed. It has a severe geometric shape. And it’s not subtle.
For people in the latter camp, who wouldn’t buy a Droid because they find the design overbearing, the Devour is Motorola’s answer. Although it has the same form factor– a thicker-than-average phone that combines a capacative touch screen with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard– the Devour looks and feels more refined. The smooth aluminum body adds an instant dash of sophistication, as do the slightly more contoured edges. The turquoise accents on the keyboard and on the sides also give the Devour a more playful look than the Droid.
Unfortunately, one complaint about the Droid I’m afraid Motorola didn’t answer with the Devour is the QWERTY keyboard. I’ve long since given up on using the keyboard on my Droid: I find that although the keys are large and have a soft finish, their flatness leads me to make too many typos. The Devour’s keyboard looks and feels similar, although we’ll reserve full judgment until the LAPTOP team gets a final production unit with a functioning OS to play with.
Check out the gallery of close-up shots, and stay tuned for fuller coverage once we get a unit to review.
The swagger is back. While it’s easy to call Windows 7 Microsoft’s mea culpa for Vista with some nice surprises thrown in, Windows Phone 7 Series represents a bold new direction for smart phones and the entire company, one that attempts to put the user (instead of apps for apps sake) at the center of attention. And this ambition and vision is matched with a sense of genuine confidence and excitement we haven’t seen from Microsoft since it launched the original Xbox. Aaron Woodman, director of consumer of experiences at Microsoft, talked with us about its built-from-the-ground-up OS, and he had a lot to share about Windows Phone 7’s unique interface, what to expect from Xbox Live and Zune integration, and how partners will (and won’t) be able to differentiate their devices.
Woodman also told us that Twitter integration is coming to the People Hub, which aggregates social networking updates, and that Flash support is a matter of when and not if. And, yes, you’ll also be able to multitask, but it will be limited. Even though Apple has yet to unleash its next iPhone OS and hardware, and Android has serious momentum, Microsoft isn’t acting like an also-ran in the mobile space anymore. As Woodman told us in our in-depth interview, Microsoft feels “very good about its long-term differentiation.” In other words, bring it on.
During the launch of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft seemed to be positioning apps almost like plug-ins for the hubs you’ve created, as opposed to standalone entities. Is that how you look at them?
AW: First and foremost, we are not trying to de-emphasize apps in any way, shape, or form. We have a strong application store built around a new operating system and a new set of tools and new languages that we’ll support, and we’ll announce those at Mix. Second, we’ve actually changed the user experience in a way that we think will be beneficial for both the ISV and for the end user and that comes in two ways.
The way you mentioned where you can plug into the hub, that is absolutely accurate. You’ll see that in music and video and you’ll see that in games and other places where that makes sense. The other way is just thinking about it from the Start experience and live tiles.
How do live tiles make apps better?
AW: To the right of the Start experience is an application list. But I want the most important or most used or the things I care about most up on the Start experience. The difference is that the application list is just a set of general tiles and as you promote them they become live tiles in the Start experience. So they become much more dynamic and have the ability to expose information dynamically and kind of have a heartbeat. We’re changing the ways applications are getting surfaced on the device through the design.
How will you decide what applications can plug into the hubs or become live tiles?
AW: A lot of that will be decided by the ISV. We’ll be pretty prescriptive in terms of what extensibilities will be available in which hubs, and that’s true with the live tiles as well, where we actually have prescriptive ways to build a live tile and making that dynamic and bringing information to it. So we’ll expose that pretty broadly, and ISVs wil ultimately get to decide how best to articulate that. But there are some basic requirements to get into the hubs and we’ll talk about those in March.
Can you clarify whether Windows Phone 7 allows multitasking? Can you play music while you’re surfing the Web?
AW: There’s a lot of sensitivity around multitasking. Joe Belfiore talked about it briefly during his presentation, where he said you’ll be able to listen to music and use other applications. We looked at end user behavior quite a bit in the development of the platform, and I think you will see the right behavior for the actual operating system in terms of multitasking. That being said, we’re really focused on the end user so there’s some trade-offs in the way we implemented that, and we’ll talk about that more in March.
One of the services we didn’t see in the People hub during the press conference is Twitter. Is that coming, and will users have control over what followers they see?
AW: We will absolutely support Twitter, and we’re working through the Windows Live team to do that. We actually have a pretty significant advantage in the sense that Windows Live has in most cases private reciprocal agreements with social networking. The point is that Windows Live actually helps us interact with those social networking feeds. And you’ll not only see Facebook and Windows Live but over 70 other feeds at launch. So you’ll see pretty wide integration.
In terms of contact integration where you see a lot of people show up I think that might be limited to your Webmail bases, so Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, and your corporate mail like Exchange, and then Facebook and Windows Live. I’m not sure whether we will pull contacts from Twitter or just feeds.
Can your Windows Phone 7 partners differentiate their devices beyond the physical design?
AW: Our strategy behind Windows Phone 7 Series with our OEMs was to unify the user experience so that there wasn’t any fragmentation, increase the quality of the device, and allow for differentiation in both the hardware ID and some software innovation from the OEM but inside the user experience. So mobile operators and OEMs will get some unique access to the controls and access to the system software that won’t be available broadly to third-party ISVs, and then they have an opportunity to use that to differentiate but inside the user experience. So we think that’s going to be the best balance between the end users and what OEMs want to achieve.
So would something like HTC Sense go too far in terms of redefining the user experience?
AW: With Windows Phone 7 Series we changed our approach to the user experience and are taking accountability for the entire experience. That means you will not see layers, like HTC Sense or TouchFLO built on top of the UI by OEMs or MOs (mobile operators). That said, there will be a number of structured ways that OEMs or MOs can customize within the experience to bring their world class brands and services to the forefront.
How many Xbox Live titles will be available at launch and will they be on a par or better than what’s available on the iPhone?
AW: I don’t want to speculate on what titles you’ll see. We’ll start talking about that at Mix, and you’ll see some partners being announced, but I don’t think you’ll see titles being announced. That being said, I think we have an extremely strong development platform and story to tell developers that will be quite compelling and a little bit surprising. And in doing so I think we’ll incent two things that consumers care about. The first is quality. I think you’ll see incredible games and apps in general. Be we also have to get to the more, and we have plans to achieve both of those things.
What do you mean by more? Will Xbox Live users be able to play against gamers on the Xbox console and Windows PCs?
AW: I don’t know if we particularly announced multi-platform support. And I wouldn’t say multiplayer. I would say turn-based games. That is a long-term strategy. We think that we can differentiate over time. We’ll get the right titles and we’ll get some pretty unique social game solutions out there. And I think that’s where we’ll start.
Many Zune Pass subscribers swear by the service, but it’s for music only. Would you offer a service that covers both music and video?
AW: I don’t know to be honest with you. We’ve seen people who use the Zune Pass on Zune HD be extremely loyal customers and have a lot of passion around that business model. The first step for us was bringing the Zune experience to the phone, and then getting on the same software platform as the Zune HD and what we’ve done there so that it can actually be better than the sum of the parts. We’ll continue to innovate there. As a company we have some of the greatest media relationships than any other phone manufacturer out there, primarily due to the relationships we have through Xbox, through the PC, through Media Center, and through Zune. So we’re not backing away. In the same way that the Xbox supports multiple services and is a powerful playback device we want to achieve that with the phone as well.
So there’s reason why there wouldn’t be a Netflix option in the music and video hub?
AW: That’s correct.
Can you clarify whether Flash support will be offered in Windows Phone 7 at launch?
AW: The Flash question is a good one but there are two types of “Nos.” “No we think it’s bad for the end user” or “No we just didn’t get to it.” Flash is in the second camp. The reality is that we have a very good working relationship with Adobe. Adobe announced that they are working on bringing Flash to a future version of Windows Phone. I fully expect that to be something that we support. It’s a really a question of time and how, not a question of whether we think it’s a good thing for end users. We do and we want to get it there. It’s just not there yet.
Do you think that Windows Phone 7 could scale up to work on Tablets, or do you not want to compete against Windows 7 in that market?
AW: We are very much focused on being successful in the phone space. I think the competition is extremely tough. There are some very respectful competitors and that’s our first and foremost prioritization. I don’t think there are any resources or expectations or desire to move beyond that.
Given that your new OS won’t reach consumers until the end of the year and that we will likely see significant enhancements from Apple, Google, and RIM before then, do you think Windows Phone 7 will seem as advanced when it launches? How well have you positioned yourself for the next stage of the smart phone wars?
We talk a lot about this internally. We will continue to see competitors march. We’re announcing early so that we can motivate and move the developer story forward and be ready at GA (general availability) for a powerful experience for end users with applications. And that’s an important part of the strategy. In a perfect world we’d launch with all of our partners including ISVs at GA and no one would know about it, but I don’t think that’s reasonable.
The second thing I would say is that we feel very good about our long-term differentiation. I think we have a very unique perspective about how to build a phone around putting end users and building the user experience around the task rather than just access to applications. And the result is a very different look and feel. But those are very, very deep principles. Additionally, we’re bringing to market a set of services and integration that is not easily copied. That’s something that we’ll be able to defend over a long period of time. And if you look at Xbox Live as an example there is nobody else that has an Xbox Live in their back pocket that they haven’t brought to market. That sort of differentiation is something that is going to sustain us over a long period of time.
It’s a total do over. And now that we’ve seen it in action we think Microsoft is back in the smart phone race, actually putting the likes of RIM and Android on notice when it comes to the user experience. Windows Phone Series 7 has a revamped interface reminiscent of the company’s Zune portable media players, except its been extended way beyond media to include everything from people (social networking) to gaming, photos, and productivity.
With this version of its mobile OS, Microsoft is also insisting on stringent hardware requirements, including capacitive touch and the same three buttons on every device. We just attended Microsoft’s press conference for this new platform, which will be hitting phones at the end of 2010, and came away impressed with the company’s ability to–ahem–think different about smart phones. One thing is for sure: Microsoft is de-emphasizing the need to jump into and out of multiple apps, instead focusing on a more integrated experience.
Live Tiles
At the heart of the Windows Phone Series 7 experience are what Microsoft calls “live tiles,” onscreen squares whose information– weather, social networking updates– update in real time. Users can customize which and how many tiles appear on their home screen, just as other mobile operating systems, such as Android and the new bada, let users customize their home screens with widgets. The live tiles Microsoft demonstrated today ran the gamut from professional to personal, including calendar, Outlook, an Xbox live account .
One of the most interesting tiles we saw was the one for people who matter to you. Borrowing language from its Windows 7 ($77.49) operating system, users can “pin” their favorite people, at which point they can see things like their Facebook status updates from the home screen. By tapping on that friend’s tile, you can then, say, reply to a comment or post he made on Facebook, essentially mitigating the need for a Facebook app.
In fact, as our editor in chief Mark Spoonauer tweeted, apps become less relevant when the operating system integrates multiple apps, pulling in all the information that an app normally would.
Hubs
The other design element coursing through Windows Phone Series 7 are hubs: pages that cull information about all sorts of things: your favorite people, your Office documents, and photos, to name a few. The People hub, for instance, culls contacts from myriad sources, such as Facebook and e-mail accounts. You can then cut through all this information by selecting just the people you’ve contacted recently, or alphabetically. In a flourish that reminds me of Android 2.1, the text animates as you select letters of the alphabet or a specific friend.
The same organizational philosophy applies not just to contacts, but to photos, multimedia, and Office documents. From the Office hub, specifically, users can create, read, and edit Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files, as well as send to and receive from a SharePoint server.
Multimedia
Confirming those persistent rumors, Windows Phone 7 Series incorporates the Zune experience. Basically, the Zune is to future Windows 7 phones what the iPod is to the iPhone: the interface will be the same. It’s like having a Zune in your phone (minus HD radio).
So, the interface looks exactly the same. Users can also shop for music and other content on their phones, as they would on Zune Marketplace using their Zune player. Microsoft also announced that users can install third-party plug-ins, such as Pandora. Consistent with the rest of the OS, users can pin favorite songs, and access their history, as they would recent contacts. In this case, the music hub is mostly Zune, then, with a dash of other services you might use.
Games
While Microsoft’s mobile OS has always been pitched toward business users, Windows Phone Series 7 makes a serious case for entertainment junkies, too, by allowing users to access and play their Xbox Live games on the device. As far as Microsoft is concerned, the integration with its own gaming platform ensures that “the phones aren’t just effective and functional but really fun,” said Joe Belfiori, VP of Windows Phone. You’ll be able to see your Xbox Live avatar as well as invitations from others to engage in multiplayer action.
Productivity
In addition to the Office hub, there are other ways in which Windows Phone Series 7 stays loyal to its professional users. Like the rest of the OS, the calendar culls all of your appointments, but it neatly color codes professional and personal events differently. Users can choose to view their calendars in different ways, such as daily or monthly. As you navigate through the calendar, the screen animates, just like lists of contacts do. Other professional touches include the ability to flag e-mails and delete multiple items at once easily, something users can already do in Outlook 2007.
Search
One of the OS’s secret weapons might be Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, which puts an emphasis on making decisions, such as shopping and restaurant searches, easier. The phone automatically hyperlinks addresses, phone numbers, and other contact information throughout the OS– in e-mails, calendar entries, Web pages. A tap on an address launches Bing Maps, which includes detailed illustrations at the street level.
When it comes to search, the phone uses location to place your results in context. So, a search for “sushi” will yield, first and foremost, local sushi joints. There are three tabs at the top of the search page: local, news, and Web, so, if you wanted to research how to make sushi, you could easily find that information, too. Microsoft also announced partnerships with services such as Yelp, which will help make its contextual results (in this case, restaurant and bar reviews) more useful.
Hardware Requirements and Partnerships
In addition to the stunning, revamped, work-and-play-friendly OS, one of Microsoft’s biggest departures was its insistence on hardware uniformity among its phones going forward. All Windows Phone 7 Series phones must have capacitive touch screens, as well as three buttons for accessing the home screen, navigating backward, and searching. This requirement, in particular, seems to be an answer to Android’s fragmented handset capabilities across different manufacturers.
The hardware partners Microsoft announced today included Qualcomm, Samsung, LG, ASUS, Garmin-ASUS, Dell, and Toshiba. All four major US carriers are on board, among other international ones. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the company has established particularly strong relationships with AT&T and Orange, working with them so they can add their own software and services.
The first Windows Phone 7 Series phones will be available by the end of the year. Stay tuned for hands-on impressions.
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Microsoft has been toying with the hearts of Windows Mobile 6.5 users as misinformation about upgrading the OS to Windows Phone 7 has spread on the web. Initially, Microsoft made it clear that most WinMo 6.5 devices or lower 
Palm Pre and Pixi users on Sprint might be getting a little antsy for the webOS 1.4 update coming soon. There’s nothing like a big OS update with no solid release date to make people jittery with anticipation. Rumors slated the update for February 25, and 
At Mobile World Congress this year, Symbian announced Symbian^3 and the foundation’s move to an open-source future. Though not common in the U.S. anymore, the wildly popular operating system still comprises almost half of the smartphone market with over 330 million devices shipped worldwide, mostly by Nokia. Symbian^3 has made some drastic improvements to the aging platform with 3D graphics, HDMI support, a simplified UI and more. Sounds exciting, right?
ASUS Eee PC 1001P
Windows Phone 7 Arrives: Phone operatings systems weren’t always a cause for speculation and celebration, but this year they were big news. Nokia and Intel merged Maemo and Moblin into the 
Computer Engineer Barbie: Barbie is truly one of us. Geeks and engineers 
In this week’s SpoonFed column, Mark Spoonauer calls on RIM, makers of BlackBerry, to 
