4G is Good 4Go

Sprint has released its second 4G phone, the Samsung Epic, legitimately establishing that 4G is really starting to catch on. The network is far ahead of other carriers on this front, having released the first 4G handset, another handset to back it up and bringing its 4G network to 36 cities already. With all this time and money Sprint’s putting into WiMAX, and with AT&T and Verizon pouring even more money into LTE networks, it’s safe to say that a predominantly 4G mobile industry is not far away.

The Samsung Epic, part of the Samsung Galaxy line, features a 4” OLED screen, 1 GHz processor and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It also has a front-facing camera for video chat or pictures. This combination provides for a higher-quality experience when it comes to handling multimedia files and processing. It seems Samsung left no stone unturned on this one, setting the bar pretty high for other handset manufacturers currently working on other 4G projects.





Apart from higher quality of service and increased reliability of connection, a 4G network means that Privus Mobile’s Caller ID for smartphones will experience some enhancements as well. While this service currently provides information regarding callers to smartphones on GSM networks while the call is coming in, all smartphones with 4G service will be able to use this feature whether the phone is on a CDMA or GSM network.

Interested in the Samsung Epic 4G? Check out some reviews below.
CNET

Digital Trends

InfoSync

Caller ID goes hands-free with Privus Mobile for BlackBerry v4.0

Privus Mobile, the first company to offer true Caller ID for mobile phones, is about to release their newest update for BlackBerry, Privus Mobile version 4.0. The update, which will be available through BlackBerry App World, Handango or www.privusmobile.mobi, maintains the features available on previous versions such as the reverse caller name look-up application, and adds text identification as well as the audible announcement of names as a call or text message is being received.



The upgrade is a big step for BlackBerry users as the previous versions displayed the name of a caller after the call ended and version 4.0 provides real-time identification as the call is coming in through the new voice announce feature. In addition, the ID is audible, rather than just words on a screen, providing the user with hands-free knowledge of callers without having to look at the phone. This means no digging through purses for phones, safer mobile use while driving and the peace of mind that comes with knowing exactly who is on the other end of a line when you’re receiving a call.

The Privus Pack, which includes all features of the application—Caller ID, Text ID, Voice Cue and Reverse Caller Name Look-up—can be downloaded directly onto your BlackBerry as a 10-day free trial.

Google Launches New Voice Services

At a special event for Android in San Francisco today, Google announced its newest suite of services for Android tailored around voice actions. With it we’ve got your typical voice actions such as “call Megan Fox” and “send message to Megan Fox;” however, after that it starts to get interesting.

With the new action items, you can elaborate on that call or text by dictating the actual message – and if the demo is anything to go by, it actually works. So while this has actually been around for a little while from other app developers, the compatibility and accuracy has always been a little touchy. Here’s to hoping Google’s years of collecting voice recognition samples has come in handy.

Not content with just a typical implementation, Google expanded on the voice functionality quite a bit. In addition to allowing for location-specific phone look-up via voice so you could say “call Megan Fox Los Angeles” to make sure you’re getting the right number (She’s listed, right?), you can also go straight to a website, set alarms and speak locations for directions. Even bigger, Google has implemented online music searching with support for Pandora and Last.fm via voice. Simply say “Find music [Artist Name]” and Google will scour the Internet to find what you’re looking for. When we used it for Lady GaGa, it instantly gave us the option to create a Pandora station.



If it thinks it might have missed a word, it will highlight it in blue and you can go in a fix it through the onscreen or physical keyboard pretty quickly. The suite is available now in the Android Market if you’re running Android 2.2 so feel free to jump on it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the expanded language support we saw for Google Voice Search (Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese) have made it to the voice actions but here’s to hoping for a quick update soon for our Android brethren across the sea.

It seems like voice services are becoming pretty popular lately. And why shouldn’t they? They are a lot safer for hands-free driving and make using a phone far more quick and convenient. If you haven’t heard, even Privus Mobile is getting in on the action with its latest demo for BlackBerry devices that features voice announce for incoming calls regardless of whether they are in your contacts list or not. If you weren’t in the demo group, keep your eyes open. It should be hitting an app store near you soon!

BlackBerry has even more new features than you thought

The new BlackBerry 6 operating system has been long-awaited. A steady stream of previews, leaks and reviews have kept mobile junkies intrigued and wondering what new functionality will be introduced. Now that the OS has been officially released and built into a handset for AT&T, what’s going to change for BlackBerry?

Where my BlackBerry at?

Good news for all you CrackBerry addicts who can never figure out where you are! RIM has introduced a brand new feature to its BlackBerry operating system called “Locate Service,” and (you guessed it) it tells you where you are when you don’t have coverage for the traditional GPS application. Beyond directions and the usual location finder, the feature has been made freely available to app developers, allowing for a smooth integration into more widespread location-based applications such as Foursquare.

The new Geolocation format uses cell phone frequency towers to triangulate your position. Although it is not as accurate as a true GPS application, the Locate Service function is able to produce an address along with nearby points of interest from virtually anywhere with cell phone service regardless of a clear line of sight to GPS satellites. Also, since the program was designed by RIM, Locate Service should easily integrate with standard OS applications such as BlackBerry Maps and Contacts.

While the application is still relatively new, it shouldn’t be long before it is integrated into quite a few existing applications.

Nokia is dying

Nokia’s Q2 2010 earnings, as reported this month, have taken a sharp fall (40% less than Q2 2009), and it may be because people aren’t buying Nokia products anymore. Well, that’s actually exactly why they’re not making as much money as they used to. Don’t get me wrong. The majority of the world still uses Nokia handsets right now, but most of the world will also be switching pretty soon if Nokia doesn’t get with the program. While Symbian has remained the world leader in operating systems for several years, it has not led the world in innovation, despite its open-source operation. So why is it that, when Symbian users have the freedom to shape the operating system and create exactly what they want, consumers are choosing other smartphones?

Maybe it’s because Nokia hasn’t exactly stuck with the mainstream when it comes to user interfaces. Looking at the rising stars of the OS world, application and homescreen layout has evolved into a pretty standard grid layout of icons. Busy people don’t want to have to read names of applications and navigate through menus. They want to look at a picture, touch it and get work done. It’s sort of similar to the ongoing battle between Mac loyalists and PC users. The difference in look and layout between operating systems with the same basic capabilities has created a technology war for the ages, and it doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to watch how Symbian grows with new images of Symbian^3 and ^4 starting to pop up as well as MeeGo, Nokia’s newest operating system formed in a joint venture with Intel’s Moblin.

Windows Phone 7 is preparing for takeoff

Microsoft has officially released a preview of the new Windows Phone 7 operating system to developers and other partners in order to generate feedback and put the final touches on its user interface. The OS, which has reportedly been issued on Asus, LG and Samsung handsets, has already generated reviews from several mobile bloggers, and opinions seem to be pretty positive so far.

All in all, it seems that Microsoft has succeeded in creating an operating system with every bit as much functionality as the other mainstream OS’s while maintaining its own personal spin on features and producing an original UI, coined “Metro,” with little borrowed from its iOS and Android counterparts. Check it out for yourself in this clip from Engadget.



Developers still have a few months to mull over the updates as the OS is not scheduled for release until the holiday season. Still, it is rumored that Microsoft is already offering financial incentives for app developers to get to work on beefing up its app storefront. Microsoft is going to have a tough time catching up to Apple and Google in the app department, but it’s possible that its interface will attract business from consumers who are loyal to other Microsoft products such as Office or Exchange, are looking for a change from the now-standard grid application list started by Apple or are migrating away from OS’s that are losing market share such as Symbian.

Let us know what you think!

RIM Unveils Latest OS 6 Teaser

Well Storm users, it only took a few years for BlackBerry to realize OS 5 isn’t really suited for a touchscreen interface and start rebuilding. We’ll most likely see a few more touchscreen-enabled Berries hit shelves alongside OS 6, but RIM’s keeping pretty quiet on the hardware front for now. Instead, we’ve got another look at the new interface, browser and universal search bar.

The video mostly concentrates on the social applications of the phone. Evidently, RIM thinks its plethora of corporate users mainly Tweet and text about how “kick-tastic” the latest action flick was. However, it does offer some unique insight into some new functionality for the operating system including a new universal search feature and the new Web-kit based browser that we’ve all been clamoring for.

Check out the video below and let us know what you think! How many of you are looking forward to the operating system refresh or have you already jumped ship?

AT&T Looks to Android to Help with Network Problems

AT&T just launched an Android version of its Mark the Spot app, which lets customers report the precise location where they dropped a call, had no coverage or had a failed call. The idea behind this app is that AT&T can track and improve their services.

Everyone in the tech community has known about the problem AT&T has had with dropped calls but it is good to see that they are trying to do something about it. Mark the Spot records the data where customers received poor cell phone service and sends it to the provider. With the data AT&T might just be able to do something about their constant drop calls.

iPhone users have had their own version of Mark the Spot for several months now, and that information has actually helped improve coverage in places. AT&T Android users may want to familiarize with the app because they may end up spending quite a bit of time with it until things improve further.

iPhone OS 4 Unleashed to the Masses

If you haven’t already tried downloading it, you can grab iOS4 for your iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPod Touch via iTunes. After you get done searching around on Bing (we all know that’s what you’re really looking forward to), you can check out some of the interesting apps taking advantage of all of the other must-have new features like multitasking and quick switching.

Unfortunately, Apple’s idea of “multitasking” doesn’t involve apps refreshing in the background so we still can’t get real caller ID on the iPhone like we can on Android, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry, but there are a few apps that can take advantage of Apple’s newest API features. Engadget’s got a list going over at http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/21/ios-4-apps-the-best-of-whats-new-and-updated/ including their impressions of updated apps like Dropbox, Evernote and Pandora. Make sure to check them out and let us know what you think.

EVO helps HTC increase its hype

In a recent blog, we mentioned that the HTC Droid Incredible was number one on the PCWorld Top 10 Android Cell Phones list. It seems that HTC wants all the glory, now that it has released the highly acclaimed HTC EVO 4G. Those who have had the pleasure of testing out this fine piece of work believe it to be the best smartphone available on Sprint, and second overall to the HTC Droid Incredible on the Verizon network. What makes this phone so impressive is its accoutrement of powerful specs and numerous features packed into a slick, stylish design. The only downfall is that EVO users will have to fork over the money for its 4G connectivity, even if they’re not in the right location to enjoy this feature. What’s it matter? If you want this phone bad enough and you’re in a 4G area, you’ll pay.

There is one thing almost every review is pointing out about the HTC EVO; the packaging of the smartphone. Some have compared it to a tofu container, while others have compared it to a microwavable meal. With that said, let’s not judge a smartphone by its casing because that would be an unfair judgment, especially for this phone. Included with the EVO 4G is a Micro-USB cable, a USB wall charger, a 1500mAh battery and an 8GB MicroSD card. I would say this equipment makes up for the ugly packaging.

HTC Introduces Budget-Friendly Alternative for Smartphone Enthusiasts

It won’t be available until Q3, but soon enough, there will be another decent Android device available at a reasonable price. HTC has unveiled a new budget smartphone to add to its existing line, the HTC Wildfire. The new device will feature the latest 2.1 Android operating system as well as an updated version of HTC’s patented user interface, HTC Sense. Other features on the Wildfire will include a five megapixel camera with flash and a MicroUSB charging port.

There’s Much to Compare When it Comes to Smartphone Shopping

Basically, if you don’t have a smartphone, consider yourself far removed from the inner loop. The wireless market is being dominated by the latest and greatest devices that have brought the convenience of a laptop to the palm of your hand. If you haven’t dug deep down in your pockets to get one, perhaps it’s time you conform to what is becoming the norm for today’s fast-pace, on-the-go society and buy a smartphone.

You’re first instinct tells you to observe which smartphone seems to the most popular among your friends and coworkers. However, you should know that AT&T’s iPhone isn’t the only option just because it’s the only one you see in the palm of everyone’s hand. I’m not trying to suggest that the iPhone would be a poor choice. It’s just that you have some great options to choose from if you happen to belong to another network like Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint. To give you a simple summary of the top smartphones on the market today, I will break this down by carrier so that you are able to gain some insight on a smartphone with your network.

One-Two Punch Gives Microsoft ‘Cool’ Factor

Microsoft has been in hot pursuit to develop a phone with more appeal to a younger demographic. Microsoft’s new devices are not meant to compete with smartphones, but, instead, highlight social media attributes, a feature many users of the iPhone admired when it was first released. With the release of the KIN 1 and KIN 2, Microsoft may attract a significant segment of the market looking for more social media convenience, rather than business and professional functionality.

The KINs, which will be sold through Verizon Wireless, are extremely social media friendly. The software of KIN 1 and KIN 2 allow the devices to give their full attention to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and blogging. Once you’ve connected to all of your accounts on the KIN, your friends’ status updates and tweets will appear on the home screen, as will news updates from RSS feeds you subscribe to. Microsoft refers to this impressive social media concept as the KIN Loop. With either of these new devices, you will constantly be in the loop via popular social media websites.

Dell Shows Promise in Its Smartphone Forecast

The company hasn’t shown the same zeal and gusto that other smartphone developers have displayed, but Dell is finally in the game with some new, impressive devices. Details about a Windows Phone 7 smartphone and four Google Android smartphones are spreading like wildfire in the media. Many people thought Dell would never compete in the smartphone industry after receiving scrutiny over the years for not developing a smartphone in the U.S. Now the company has the devices to claim some significant market share.

Probably the most impressive of all the new devices is the Dell Lightning. This Windows Phone 7 device is expected to rock a 4.1 inch WVGA OLED display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G compatibility, 1GB of flash, 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of storage on an internal microSD card, GPS and FM radio. The massive display screen slides up to reveal a sleek QWERTY keyboard, much like the Palm Pre Plus. This device is also rumored to be upgradeable to LTE in 2011.

High Ranking for Privus Mobile on Softpedia Top 100 List

Privus Mobile has continued to astonish smartphone users in North America and Europe with its accurate and reliable mobile Caller ID application. More and more customers are controlling who they talk to and when on their smartphones with better call management through Privus Mobile. Many of those customers shared their impressions of Privus Mobile with Softpedia.com and, as a result, two Privus Mobile applications, Privus Mobile for Android and Privus Mobile for Symbian S60, earned high rankings on Softpedia’s “Top 100 Most Popular Handheld Programs” listing.

Softpedia measures an application’s popularity by using a unique formula that combines four characteristics: total number of downloads, the users’ rating, number of comments and the Softpedia pick. The overall score determines the application’s position on the frequently updated list. As evident by this ranking that directly reflects customer feedback, Privus Mobile’s mobile Caller ID application has helped a lot of people gain back control of their smartphones,.

Privus Mobile’s ranking on Softpedia’s list is the second honor it has received in the past month. You may remember Privus Mobile recently being named by smartphone enthusiasts as Biz-News.com’s 2009 “Product of the Year” in the smartphone category. Both of these honors, along with the other recognitions Privus Mobile has received for its mobile Caller ID application, are testaments of the benefits it brings to all its customers.

Smartphone users can download the complete application with a 10-day free trial on their devices through Privus Mobile’s mobile site at www.privusmobile.mobi, the BlackBerry App Store or any of the numerous mobile application dealers. iPhone users can download Privus Mobile’s iPhone application, iPrivus, at Apple’s App Store.

Privus Mobile Impresses Judges at CTIA Wireless

It should come as no surprise that Privus Mobile, our beloved mobile Caller ID application for smartphones, impressed judges at the recent CTIA wireless convention in Las Vegas. The company entered AT&T’s fifth annual “Open Call – Apps For All!” contest and was chosen as a semifinalist to present their Caller ID application to a panel of judges at CTIA Wireless 2010. The contest, designed to identify the country’s most innovative wireless applications, was divided into four categories: Brew Mobile Platform (BMP), Android, Java & RIM, and an “Open” category reviewing applications and content of all platforms. Privus Mobile finished in the Top 20 at the Open Call contest and placed in the Top 5 in the Java & RIM category. You can view the full press release from Privus Mobile here.

As a first time entry, Privus Mobile earned a top ranking among hundreds of talented developers with its simplistic, accurate and useful design. As part of its demonstration, Privus Mobile showcased how the application works to identify all calls from unknown numbers on smartphones and how easy it is to lookup caller information and save it in the contacts list. The judges and conference attendees at CTIA wireless were able to see firsthand the true luxury of having better call management with Privus Mobile, an application that many of us have been enjoying since its 2008 launch.

The “Open Call - Apps For All!” contest was open to any developer who wished to present new and exciting applications that may ultimately find their way into the handsets of AT&T’s wireless customers. As you may already know, Privus Mobile works on more than 30 devices on AT&T's network as well as major operating systems such as Apple, RIM, Symbian S60, Android and Windows Mobile. Smartphone users can download the complete application with a 10-day free trial on their devices through Privus Mobile’s mobile site at www.privusmobile.mobi, the BlackBerry App Store or any of the numerous mobile application dealers. Additionally, Privus Mobile’s iPhone application, iPrivus, can be found at Apple’s App Store.

Customers Vote Privus Mobile as 2009 ‘Product of the Year’

Our favorite mobile caller ID provider and sponsor, Privus Mobile was duly awarded for its service and performance across all major operating systems with Biz-News.com’s 2009 “Product of the Year” in the smartphone category.

Biz-News, a technology blog that covers consumer electronic business news, took a vote amongst its readers in January for their favorite smartphone, HDTV, VoIP and storage products, and Privus Mobile, powered by Accudata Technologies, emerged victorious in the smartphone category. This award is a well-deserved honor for Privus Mobile, in addition to receiving “Best Blackberry Evolution” in the 2008 Handango Champion Awards and its nomination for the 2009 Champion Award for “Best Android Phone Tool.”

Privus Mobile launched their Caller ID service when the company identified a need for better call management capabilities. North American landline users and nearly the entire European market had never seen a caller ID service capable of identifying up to 95 percent of caller’s that aren’t already in a phone’s contact list. So, it should come as no surprise that a service which enables customers to take advantage of a wide range of benefits, including increased privacy, call screening, ID protection and a quick-save feature, should be voted as product of the year by the very people for who the application was created.

As I’m sure your intrigue has peaked at this point about Privus Mobile and its caller ID service, users can download the complete application with a 10-day free trial on their devices through Privus Mobile’s mobile site at www.privusmobile.mobi, the Blackberry App store or any other mobile application vendors.

WebOS 1.4 Update Helps Palm Catch-up in Smartphone Arena

Since launching its new line of smartphones a few months ago, Palm has taken considerable steps to remain competitive in this ever-advancing market. Little advantage has come from Palm’s strategy in partnering up with Sprint and Verizon, two wireless providers who either lack in smartphone customers (Sprint) or already have quite a few options available (Verizon).

The WebOS 1.4 update was much needed after initial impressions of Palm Pre’s features were nothing to cheer about. Many users loved the idea of such a revolutionary OS, but experienced hardware issues, such as wobbly screen display and random shutdowns that quickly led to frustration. Not to mention the absence of many user friendly features that smartphone users have come to expect, like application launch status and better hyper-linking to phone numbers embedded in e-mails or text messages.

With the WebOS 1.4 update, Palm Pre and Palm Pixi Plus users are benefiting from tons of improvements, including video recording, editing and uploading capabilities, customization of calendar notifications, full hyperlink support for phone numbers and email addresses in Calendar, Memos, Web browser and Email applications, grouping of multiple calls from the same person in call history and custom ringtones. Additionally, WebOS 1.4 has improved Bluetooth headset support for conference calls, email sorting features, more user friendly web browsing and SMS messaging.

With that said, Palm still has a long way to go if it plans to surpass the competition. Though its improvements through WebOS 1.4 were much needed, Palm is still battling the timing issue. If a smartphone developer attempts to position its device as the latest and greatest, it is essential to not only introduce something new and unseen, but it also has to work. Palm didn’t necessarily do that with WebOS. And it’s merely playing catch-up to the competition for the time being.

Privus Mobile Launches New Enterprise Service for Businesses

Privus Mobile, the premiere mobile Caller ID application that business professionals, sales representatives and real estate agents can’t function without, is launching a new corporate enterprise service. Privus Mobile has set the standard for mobile Caller ID and now is making it easier for business professionals and entire sales teams to benefit from Caller ID screening and caller name lookup services on company smartphones.

Companies and sales teams of all sizes who take advantage of Privus Mobile’s special volume licensing rates and support for IT deployment will be able to easily push the service out without having to purchase it for each individual phone. Corporate enterprise customers will be able to dramatically improve customer service, strengthen sales leads and better manage daily tasks with the ability to see the full caller details of incoming calls from unknown numbers. They also can input any complete phone number and quickly receive the name and company name of the person registered to the number with Privus Mobile.

To top off the launch of its new corporate enterprise service, Privus Mobile also received the AT&T Enterprise Solution Certification and can now be found in the AT&T Certified Solutions Catalog. AT&T tested, certified and approved Privus Mobile’s placement alongside its other trusted enterprise applications.

We’ve all enjoyed increased privacy and control with mobile Caller ID, and now Privus Mobile is sharing the wealth and making it simple for all professionals to experience the luxury of better call management. If you’ve been missing out on mobile Caller ID, you can download the complete application with a 10-day free trial on your smartphone through Privus Mobile’s mobile site at www.privusmobile.mobi, the BlackBerry App Store or any of the numerous mobile application dealers, including Handango, Handmark and Mobile2Day.

Privus Mobile Launches Enterprise Service and Volume Licensing

Pretty interesting development from our favorite mobile Caller ID provider (and sponsor): The app developer has just opened up it’s a new service offering specifically for enterprise customers and got AT&T’s blessing to coincide with the launch! Now, entire companies can deploy Caller ID to all of its users smartphones with special volume licensing rates. Privus also opened up new support options for IT deployments as part of their new enterprise services.

Overall, it’s a pretty interesting development for the application and something that I think a lot of businesses could benefit from. With so many professionals switching to their mobile being their primary lifeline, Privus becomes necessary rather than just convenient. Throw in AT&T’s recent Enterprise Solutions Certification for the app and you’ve got a pretty nice, trustworthy package to provide to sales staff.

You can check out additional info on the new services at http://www.privusmobile.com/caller-id-business.html . How many of you are in the same boat as this guy?

Is Dell's Mini 5 a Mini PC or a Large Smartphone?

Anticipation is growing for Dell’s Mini 5. The device is expected to rival the recently revealed iPad, which is more or less an oversized iPhone. The Mini 5 will be smaller than the iPad, but will have an impressive 800 x 480 capacitive screen. It will boast 3G features and will include Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS capabilities, not to mention a forward facing camera, although most interesting is the fact that it comes with voice support as well.

Fans of Android should be excited for most of the Mini 5’s features. With its 3G connectivity, Qualcomm Snapdragon 1-GHz processor and camera features, gives way to notable video conferencing abilities.

Dell is taking note of what the iPad lacks and exploiting those weaknesses. To curtail some concerns about the small stature of the Mini 5, Dell is going full steam and already talking big about the family of tablets it will introduce following the launch of the Mini 5.

You can almost bet that Dell will continue to try to incorporate all the critical things that Apple left off of the iPad into their tablets. Users are going to want to place video calls to their relatives, watch Flash videos and be able to use multiple applications simultaneously – and Dell and Google know it. With the iPhone app market losing ground to other emerging rivals, the Android Market will continue to make considerable gains in market share and ooffer services, applications and features that Apple refuses to support. With over 30,000 apps already and growing faster than any other app market, Android might offer the potential and capabilities Dell needs to have an impact.

Now, the only question that remains: Do you plan on using it as a phone or as a tablet?

So What's the Big Deal About the AT&T MicroCell's Expanded Availability

We’ve all seen the AT&T and Verizon commercials taking direct hits at one another, each claiming to have more wide-spread 3G coverage than the other. Unfortunately for all the major players in wireless service, AT&T took a big step in proving their superiority in 3G coverage with the introduction of the Cisco-built MicroCell.

You may remember the introduction of Sprint’s version of the same device nearly a year ago. As impressive as it was, AT&T’s MicroCell raises the bar for fast, reliable 3G coverage within the home. Simply put the MicroCell works - and now it works for a lot more people. With amazingly clear reception and strong 3G coverage, you could crotch down in the most notorious spot for poor coverage and still experience the superior performance of this device.

Windows Phone 7 Series Round-up

In case you missed it yesterday, Microsoft blew the lid open on Mobile World Congress with its unveiling of Windows Phone 7 Series (WP7S). While its name may be complicated, Microsoft took great strides to make sure its operating system doesn’t fall into that category. Completely overhauling their entire approach to the operating system, there isn’t one bit of this new mobile Windows experience that is reminiscent of its predecessors.

Taking on the Zune HD approach of bold white lines and text with heavy emphasis on custom groupings and customized content, Microsoft has done what many thought was impossible and started anew. What’s even better (at least for me and the other 20 people out there with a Zune) is full integration with Zune and Zune Marketplace! What does this really mean? Well, in theory, it means our friends across the pond will be able to finally take advantage of Zune and all WP7S users will be able to take advantage of the subscription-based music Zune offers. Basically, for $15 a month you can download any and all Zune Marketplace songs at your leisure and keep 10 of those tracks DRM-free for permanent use regardless of whether or not you keep the subscription. Of course, that’s assuming WP7S users can use the Zune Pass, but we’ll hope for the best.