Microsoft's handsets have been overshadowed by Apple's iPhone, Google's Android devices, and Research In Motion's BlackBerry.

 The goal for Microsoft’s latest smartphone is an ambitious one: to deliver a phone that truly integrates the things people really want to do, puts those things right in front of them, and either lets them get finished quickly or immerses them in the experience they were seeking.


“When you first get the phone, the stuff that’s more obvious makes you smile,” says Andy Lees, Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business president. On the phone’s Start screen, “live tiles” show users real-time content, such as social media updates and contacts. “The features sort of scream out at you,” says Lees. “But the other thing that is even deeper for me is the elegance of the experience, which you only appreciate if you’ve used the phone for some time.”

The result is Windows Phone 7, which will make its debut in some European markets on Oct. 21 and in the U.S. Nov. 8. The phone uses an elegant operating system that is very different from the current trend toward app-focused phones. Instead it provides active and configurable interface elements called tiles that update on the fly with real information, allowing users to place the tiles that interest them most where they want on their Start screen. Facebook photos, music and contacts are pulled into the phone and distributed appropriately across Hubs. It also brings together many of Microsoft’s popular offerings from other platforms, including Xbox, Zune, Office and Bing.

The new phone is an important step for Microsoft in three ways. To begin, it is a

Samsung has announced three more handsets in its Wave family -Wave 525 (GT-S5250), Wave 533 (GT-S5330) and Wave 575 (GT-S5750). All three handsets will run Samsung Bada operating system and on top of it will rest TouchWiz 3.0 interface. Just two days ago, Samsung had unveiled new Wave II S8530 that too runs Bada OS and sports 3.7-inch super-clear LCD screen.

Samsung Wave S5250 already available in Russia while Samsung Wave533 be introduced lataer this month over there. Both phones would gradually hit CIS, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Middle East, Africa and other countries. Sweden will get Samsung Wave S5750 in mid-November and then it would be released in Europe, Southeast Asia and China. Prices of neither of the handsets were announced.

New entrants to Wave and Bada family - Samsung Wave 525 (GT-S5250), Samsung Wave 533 (GT-S5330) and Samsung Wave 575 (GT-S5750) handsets have similar specifications. Out of these three phones, Wave S5330 will be a slide-out QWERTY with a full touchscreen. While Wave S5250 and S5750 smartphones will come in candy bar form factor sporting full touchscreen.

Samsung Wave S5250 Specifications:

- 2G Network:GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

- GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps

- EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps

- 3.2-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display 256K colors (240 x 400) 

- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate

- TouchWiz UI 3.0

- Multi-touch zoom

- 3.5 mm audio jack

- 100 MB Onboard Phone Memory 

- Up to 16GB microSD expandable 

- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

- Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP

- 3.15 MP camera (2048x1536) with Geo-tagging & Video recording

Mozilla has released the first Firefox 4 beta for Android, the organization’s best shot for mobile relevance. And that relevance could increase as Android tablets hit the market.

With the release, Firefox has a shot to be more of a mobile player. Today, Firefox really has little to no presence on the mobile front. Firefox isn’t available on Apple’s iPhone or Research in Motion’s BlackBerry. Android popularity is surging so Firefox could gain traction that way.

Firefox’s real chance for mobile stardom will be with the adoption of Android tablets. With tablets you’re less forgiving about the browsing experience. As Android tablets hit the market, Firefox could tag as companies like Samsung ramp up the Galaxy Tab.

The good news is that the Firefox 4 beta is “built on the same technology platform as Firefox for the desktop and optimized for browsing on a mobile phone,” according to a blog post.

That’s also the bad news. In my limited testing on a Motorola Droid X, Firefox 4 beta 1was solid, but I did suffer more than my share of crashes. Those crashes also occur on the desktop from time to time. CNET News’ Stephen Shankland has a thorough review and noted the crash problems on his gripe list.

But Firefox 4 for mobile is a beta so some hassles are to be expected.

Mozilla said:

A major focus of this release is to increase performance and responsiveness. Two of the big architecture changes are Electrolysis and Layers. Our alpha contained Electrolysis which allowed the browser interface to run in a separate process from the one rendering Web content, resulting in a much more responsive browser. This beta brings the Layers pieces which improve overall performance and in graphics areas such as scrolling, zooming and animations.

The performance of Firefox 4 beta 1 was ok, but didn’t strike me as a speed demon by any stretch. It’s likely that the speed will improve over time with new releases.

Firefox’s challenge is to bridge its desktop audience to the mobile front. Firefox users who happen to have an iPhone are likely using Safari. Other smartphone users may be accustomed to Opera. Fortunately for Mozilla, no mobile browser is perfect so it has room to elbow Firefox into the conversation.

By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows 7, Vista, and XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to more efficiently maintain your computer and safeguard your privacy when you're online.

1. Free up disk space

The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk to improve the performance of your computer. The tool identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

Use Disk Cleanup to:

• Remove temporary Internet files.
• Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
• Empty the Recycle Bin.
• Remove Windows temporary files such as error reports.
• Remove optional Windows components that you don't use.
• Remove installed programs that you no longer use.
• Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.

Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup

Window 7 users

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, then clickDisk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.
2. When Disk Cleanup has calculated how much space you can free, in the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.
   
   

   Disk Cleanup dialog box
3. Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.
   • For more options, such as cleaning up System Restore and Shadow copy files, under Description, click Clean up system files, then click the More Options tab.
     

Concept cars are essential part of any Auto Show. They are a great way for both companies and designers to show what they could possibly do in the future. Although most of them never make it to the roads usually, they offer a visual treat to the visitors. Here are some of the exhilarating concepts from the Paris Motor Show.

The Citroen Survolt debuted way back at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, but the

Acer to Install Both Android and Windows onto Netbooks

Acer, the largest producer of netbooks in the world, plans to install two operating system onto future netbooks that feature dual-core microprocessors. According to the sources close to the company, installation of both Google Android and Microsoft Windows brings a lot of value for the consumers.

“Since adopting Google's operating system does not cost much, but will provide more efficiency to its consumers, the strategy is expected to stimulate demand,” a source from Acer is reported to have said in an interview with DigiTimes web-site.

Google Android operating system boots instantly and allows to do basic things that are typical for a netbook, including checking e-mail, browsing the Internet and so on. Microsoft Windows system allows to run productivity applications, such as Word or Excel.

Scott Lin, the president of Acer, said that the company planned to ship 30 million notebooks and 10 million netbooks in 2010. Acer is confident of achieving the goal and will continue its lead in the netbook market

Android to Become No. 2 Worldwide Mobile Operating System in 2010 and Challenge Symbian by 2014

The worldwide mobile operating system (OS) market will be dominated by Symbian and Android, as the two OSs will account for 59.8% of mobile OS sales by 2014, according to Gartner. Symbian will remain at the top of Gartner's worldwide OS ranking due to Nokia's volume and the push into more mass market price points. But by the end of 2014, the No. 1 spot will be contested with Android, which will be at a very similar share level.

"The worldwide mobile OS market is dominated by four players: Symbian, Android, Research In Motion and iOS. Launches of updated operating systems - such as Apple iOS 4, BlackBerry OS 6, Symbian 3 and Symbian 4, and Windows Phone 7 - will help maintain strong growth in smartphones in 2H 2010 and 2011 and spur innovation. However, we believe that market share in the OS space will consolidate around a few key OS providers that have the most support from CSPs and developers and strong brand awareness with consumer and enterprise customers," said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner

Communication service providers' (CSPs') marketing and vendor support for Android-based smartphones will drive the platform to become the second-largest platform, following Symbian, by year-end 2010. This is almost two years earlier than Gartner predicted a year ago.

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Windows 7 has been out for almost a year, and the PCs you bought right after its release may be slowing down now. User complaints are minimal when new PCs are rolled out. They start up quickly, and programs seem to open in a snap. But over time, users begin to notice that their systems are slower or hang up more and more often. While the possible causes of system slowdown are endless, this article identifies 10 common troubleshooting areas you should examine before you consider drastic steps such as reformatting and reimaging or buying new computers.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Processor overheating

Chipmakers have recently been working to make processors more efficient, which means they generate less heat. Nonetheless, some modern processors still generate a lot of heat. That’s why all processors require some sort of cooling element, typically a fan of some type. A system’s Thermal Design Point (TDP) rating indicates, in watts, how much heat it can safely dissipate without exceeding the maximum temperature for the chip. When the processor temperature goes over spec, the system can slow down or run erratically (lock up) or may simply reboot. The processor fan may fail for several reasons:

• Dust is preventing the fan from spinning smoothly.
• The fan motor has failed.
• The fan bearings are loose and jiggling.

Often, you can tell if there is a fan problem by listening and/or touching the computer. A fan that has loose bearings starts jiggling and vibrates the case, making a characteristic noise. As time goes by, the sounds and vibrations will become so prominent that you’ll change the fan out just to regain some peace and quiet.

You don’t always need to replace the fan. If it is covered with dust, you can often spray away the dust with compressed air. But even though you might get the fan running again, its life span has likely been reduced because of the overwork. You should keep an extra fan in reserve in case of failure.

Processors may also overheat because the heat sink is not properly placed above the processor or the thermal paste is not of good quality or was applied incorrectly (or not at all) when the system was built. This is more likely to be a problem with home-built systems but can happen with commercially manufactured ones as well. The paste can break down over time, and you may need to reapply it.

Case design is another element that can contribute to or help prevent overheating. Cases with extra fans, better vents, and adequate room inside for good airflow may cost more but can provide superior cooling performance. Small cases that squeeze components together can cause overheating. For this reason, laptops with powerful processors are prone to overheating.

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Tip

Another common reason for processor overheating is overclocking. Until heat begins to take its toll, overclocking does allow for significant

Because of the iPad, 2010 will likely be remembered as a landmark year in computing. It will rank right up there with 1984 when the graphical user interface debuted to the masses in the first Macintosh, and 1995 when the launch of Windows 95 made PCs much easier to use at a time when a lot more people were about to buy computers to connect to the Internet.

However, as groundbreaking as the iPad is, its capabilities sometimes get exaggerated — not the least of which by Apple itself, which repeatedly refers to it as “magical” and “revolutionary.”

I’ve been using the iPad since launch day on April 3, trying lots of different apps and experimenting with lots of different scenarios. I have honestly had mixed feelings about the device throughout the experiment, switching back and forth between the amazement of holding a full screen of computing power in a single hand and yet frustrated over its awkwardness or inability to accomplish some of my most basic and important computing tasks such as writing an article (inserting links and images are painful at times) and navigating interactive websites that use Flash or some of the advanced Javascript and AJAX actions that make sites act more desktop apps.

Flash doesn’t work at all on the iPad and AJAX is supported but mouse interactions such as hover events don’t work since there’s no mouse pointer on the iPad and elements such as the drag-and-drop functionality for moving items in your Netflix queue, for example, often don’t work properly since they were not designed with a multi-touch UI in mind.

When people want to chat with me about technology, the iPad is naturally one of the hottest topics right now, but I’ve typically been evasive about it. I’ll mention a few of the things it does well or a couple of my favorite apps, but avoid giving a definitive opinion on it. That’s because I haven’t been completely sure what I think of the thing.

To my close friends and colleagues, I’ve been more candid. I’ve often said, “The iPad is only good for two things: Reading and Scrabble.”

Well, I’ve now come to some longer-term conclusions about the iPad and I have to say that my initial quip about the two things wasn’t too far off, although I’ve adjusted No. 2.

Hear me out on this one. Below is a further explanation of my two things.

1. Reading and viewing

The iPad often gets called a “consumption” device. But since it’s not really that useful as a music or video player, so I would narrow that definition even further and say the iPad is primarily a reading device.

The iPad isn’t great for long videos such as movies because it’s heavy and awkward to hold for long periods of time. If you have some kind of stand of it, then it’s great, but at that point you might as well have a laptop. It’s a similar story for using the iPad as a music player. It just feels big and bulky compared to using an iPod or a smartphone for music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

But, as a reader, the iPad is admittedly amazing because of its brilliant full color screen, touch-based interface, and long battery life. And when I say “reader” I mean reader in the broadest sense of the term. As you’d expect, it’s great for reading news, books, static web pages, emails, long PDFs, and business documents. (For just reading books, the Amazon Kindle is still superior, but for omnivorous readers the iPad is the new king.)