Microsoft started hunting down again, the first Android-based phone maker was HTC, now is Motorola and others should start looking legal advises and money support from Google, this is going to be huge if Microsoft requires any Android-based phone to have a license with them…

Statement from Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of Intellectual Property and Licensing.

We have a responsibility to our customers, partners, and shareholders to safeguard the billions of dollars we invest each year in bringing innovative software products and services to market. Motorola needs to stop its infringement of our patented inventions in its Android smartphones.”

Samsung today announced the completion of an agreement to use the Windows Phone 7 platform and related application software as a key component of Samsung’s smartphone portfolio.

With the signing of this contract, Samsung makes a long term commitment to including Windows Phone 7 in its smartphone portfolio. Samsung plans to launch several models based on Windows Phone 7 this year in the US, Europe and Asia.

“For years, Samsung has been a key partner in bringing new Windows phones to customers all over the world,” said Steve Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President, OEM Division at Microsoft. “Windows Phone 7 is an important release, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with Samsung on mobile devices and beyond, with our multi-screen strategy.”

WP Hong, Executive Vice President and Head of Product Strategy Team said “The addition of Windows Phone 7 smartphones to Samsung’s smartphone portfolio is a significant milestone for us. Samsung’s new Windows Phone 7 based smartphones will play a key role to reinforce Samsung’s leadership in smartphone market. The new Windows Phone 7 smartphones will provide an unparalleled entertainment experience on the go.”

Samsung’s Windows Phone 7 smartphones will combine the latest hardware design and technology with Microsoft’s software and innovation heritage. Using design to simplify tasks and Windows Phone hubs to organize information, Windows Phone 7 breaks the current smartphone convention with an experience that helps people more easily find and consume the data, information and services they care most about. The new phones are distinguished by unique and diverse experiences built from Microsoft’s deep portfolio such as Xbox LIVE, Office, Zune, Windows Live, Bing and more.

PocketNow has an interesting video comparing the Windows Phone 7 superior usability agains the poorly designed iPhone iOS 4, take a closer look on what’s coming down the corner…

Today, Microsoft has announced that all five of the mobile network operators in the UK – Orange, O2, Vodafone, T-Mobile and Three – will be ranging phones running Windows Phone 7 when it launches later this year. In addition, Windows Phone 7 will be ranged by the leading UK retailers The Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4u.

Windows Phone 7 is a different kind of phone, designed to bring together the things people care about most. Featuring an innovative
and beautiful user interface and integrated experiences, it simplifies what you do every day. Plus, for the first time ever, Microsoft will
bring together the Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience exclusively to Windows Phone.

Alex Reeve, Director, Mobile Business Group, Microsoft UK, said:
“Following our announcement at Mobile World Congress that Orange will be our lead partner, it is wonderful now to have all of the UK’s
network operators supporting the launch of Windows Phone 7. This means we can provide network choice and also a range of phones across
networks for customers to choose from, all with the power of Windows Phone 7. We are thrilled to be working in partnership with these major
industry players.”

Microsoft today released a beta version of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) and introduced consumers to its vision of site-centric browsing and the promise of a more beautiful Web.

At a launch event in San Francisco, Microsoft announced that the IE9 beta is now available in 33 languages worldwide for download. With a simple user interface that masks new technical muscle and all-around fast performance, the new browser is designed to take a backseat and bring forward the full beauty of the websites and applications people care about, says Dean Hachamovitch, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Internet Explorer.

Starting today, tech-savvy consumers can download the beta of IE9 and test drive the new browsing experience at some of the Web’s most popular sites. At the “Beauty of the Web” event in San Francisco, more than 70 top sites and global brands showcased new sites and Web-based applications they have built to take advantage of the new capabilities IE9 offers. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn, and global brands such as Quiksilver, Red Bull, Livestrong and Amazon are showcasing experiences that take advantage of IE9’s ability to tap into the power of the whole PC and modern standards such as HTML5 to offer rich immersive experiences, and to integrate sites seamlessly with Windows 7. “When you add up all these sites, today over 800 million visitors – or two-thirds of active internet users – have a better Web on Windows experiences enabled today by IE9,” says Ryan Gavin, senior director of Internet Explorer.

These sites, which customers can discover by visiting www.BeautyoftheWeb.com, mark a new era in browsing, where websites will increasingly look, feel and perform more like Windows applications, Gavin says.

Windows Phone 7 is here – and with it comes a new world of opportunity for passionate, creative developers. Windows Phone 7 gives you the power to build complex, robust applications using consistent hardware specs, a comprehensive development toolkit, and the all-new, full-service Marketplace for selling your apps. Get ready to capitalize on this exciting new frontier with two days of fast-paced learning and Windows Phone 7 development sessions. Pick the day that best fits your needs – or join us for both. Either way, you’ll get the information you need to build high-demand apps with Windows Phone 7.

Day 1: Jump-Start Your Mobile Development
Go under the hood of Windows Phone 7 and the Windows Phone 7 platform. We’ll start with the basic tools and fundamentals of Windows Phone 7 application development and as the day unfolds, we’ll go deeper into development scenarios using Silverlight®, XNA® and the Windows Phone 7 SDK. You’ll also see how to earn cash for your apps in the fully loaded Marketplace.

Day 2: Unleash Your Best App Workshop
This hands-on workshop is designed to help you turn those napkin sketches and subway scribbles into real, sellable apps. You’ll apply fundamental Windows Phone 7 design principles to build an app and upload it to the fully revamped Marketplace. Go at your own pace or follow along with a proctored group lab and enjoy step-by-step advice from Microsoft® and community experts.

More Windows Phone 7 Developer Events
We know you’re busy – but the launch isn’t your only chance to get up close and personal with Windows Phone 7. Don’t miss the other exciting developer events happening right in your local area. From boot camps to live learning to hands-on training, these convenient sessions are the perfect opportunity to explore Windows Phone 7 and get expert, one-on-one instruction. You’ll see first-hand how to create incredible games and apps and sell your work in the brand-new Marketplace. If you can dream it, you can build it with Windows Phone 7.

Register here.

The Algiz XRW notebook features cutting edge technology and communication possibilities in an ultra-mobile form factor, at best value available on the market.

Handheld Group today announced the new Algiz XRW rugged notebook. The Algiz XRW is a fully rugged laptop with a 10.1-inch widescreen featuring sunlight-readable MaxView™ screen technology, and a powerful 2 GHz Intel Atom processor. It includes a 64 GB solid state disk and 2 GB of DDR2 RAM. The Algiz XRW runs the Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate operating system, just like the PCs in the office.

The full-featured and lightweight Algiz XRW presents an array of mobile capabilities. The Algiz XRW comes standard with Bluetooth, WLAN and GPS as well as a built-in 2-megapixel autofocus camera that allows video conferencing in the field.

An optional 3G modem can provide high-speed GSM/UMTS/EVDO data transmission. The Algiz XRW is ready for Gobi 2000 technology — which means you’ll be able to work on your choice of wireless frequency anywhere in the world. And you can put in a full day’s work, with a 57.6 Wh battery that works for 8 hours on a single charge.

The rugged Algiz XRW is a powerful performer that weighs in at only 1.5 kilos. Its keyboard and mouse-touchpad, illuminated by two led lights, are fully sealed, and it carries an IP65 rating against sand, dust and water. It passes MIL-STD-810F ruggedness testing, including drop tests from 1.2 meters, and can also handle extreme temperatures from -21 °C to 70 °C.

The Algiz XRW will be shown at trade shows worldwide in the coming months and orders can be placed immediately. First customer shipping will begin in December.

Microsoft today announced the release candidate of Microsoft Lync, the next generation of Microsoft’s unified communications software that enables people to connect in new ways, anytime, anywhere. Lync is the new family brand for the products formerly known as Communications Server, Communications Online and Communicator, and it also now includes Lync Web App, and Lync Online. The release candidates of Lync 2010 and Lync Server 2010 are now available for businesses of all sizes to try for free. They can be downloaded at http://technet.microsoft.com/evalcenter/ff808407.aspx. This broad release candidate is the last step toward release to manufacturing and general availability scheduled for later this year.

Microsoft Lync can make every engagement a virtual face-to-face meeting, because any interaction can include video and audio conferencing, application and desktop sharing, instant messaging, and telephony. Lync has been designed from the ground up to work with Microsoft Office, SharePoint and Exchange, which helps reduce end-user adoption hurdles and increase return on investment. People can also stay connected to others on a wide range of devices while away from the office and manage their communications and calls in new ways, such as easily moving a call from a PC to a mobile device while leaving the office without disrupting the conversation.

More than 120 enterprise customers and partners are enrolled in the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program (TAP) for Lync, testing early releases and providing feedback, and over 400 unified communications partners are involved in readiness activities, preparing for general availability of the software later this year.

In addition, today more than 30 partners announced beta versions of their Lync-compatible hardware, software and service products. Hardware products include a variety of Internet protocol phones and USB endpoints optimized for Lync. Software solutions include contact centers, call recording, accounting and new applications that incorporate communications right within business processes. Routing services work with Lync to allow companies to meet United States E-911 requirements for all U.S.-based workers, regardless of location.

Microsoft Lync is on schedule to become generally available in 2010. In addition, Microsoft will share more about Lync Online, which will give customers the added option of a hosted solution, in the coming months.

The most anticipated entertainment event of the year is almost here. Starting at midnight tonight, millions of people around the world will embark on a mission of courage, sacrifice and valor in “Halo: Reach,” the thrilling prequel to the iconic “Halo” trilogy that became a global entertainment phenomenon and defined a generation of gamers over the past decade.

Not since the debut of “Star Wars: Episode I” have fans been so excited to revisit a beloved franchise. Recently dubbed “a pop culture phenomenon” by Variety magazine and hailed as the No. 1 game series of all time, the “Halo” franchise will once again make history with the launch of “Halo: Reach,” which goes on sale at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 14 in more than 25 countries.

To celebrate the launch, tens of thousands of retailers around the world are opening their doors at midnight exclusively to sell copies of “Halo: Reach,” as well as “Halo: Reach” Xbox 360 consoles and accessories. Special marquee launch events are taking place in major cities around the world, including New York, further adding to the fervor surrounding the highly anticipated video game, which is expected to top all previous entertainment launches this year.

“Halo” fans in New York will be treated to a special performance by hip-hop star Kid Cudi at the new Best Buy Theater in Times Square. The New York launch event will be broadcast live in HD on Spike TV beginning at 11:33 p.m. EDT, and it will also air live on the Times Square MTV billboard.

“Halo: Reach” tells the tragic and heroic story of Noble Team, a group of Spartans, who through great sacrifice and courage, saved countless lives in the face of impossible odds. The planet Reach is humanity’s last line of defense between the encroaching Covenant and their ultimate goal, the destruction of Earth. If it falls, humanity will be perched on the brink of destruction.

Published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise of games is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. As evidence of the game’s highly anticipated release, more than 2.7 million players participated in the “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta in May, making it the largest console video game beta test on record and more than triple the size of the historic “Halo 3″ beta.

The “Halo” franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001), the critically acclaimed and record-shattering series of games has since inspired multiple New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. To date, more than 34 million copies of “Halo” games have been sold worldwide, driving more than 3.3 billion hours of gameplay by people connected to Xbox LIVE.

Regional Launch Events and “Halo: Reach” Midnight Madness
In New York, Seattle and beyond, Microsoft and retail partners are hosting events to give fans a truly memorable “Halo: Reach” launch experience. The launch events will be held at the following venues:

New York: Best Buy Theater, 1515 Broadway (at 44th St.), New York, N.Y. 10036 (event begins at 8 p.m. EDT, Sept. 13)
Seattle: Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, 325 5th Ave. North, Seattle, Wash. 98109 (event begins at 6 p.m. PDT, Sept. 13)
U.K.: GAME, Westfield Shopping Centre, London, W12 7GF (event begins at 9:30 p.m. GMT, Sept. 13)
Norway: Spaceworld Megastore, Storgata 12, 0155 Oslo (event begins at 12:01 a.m. CET, Sept. 14)
Sweden: Webhallen, Sveavagen 39, 11134 Stockholm (event begins at 10 p.m. CET, Sept. 13)

In addition, retailers around the world will host midnight madness store openings to usher in the launch of “Halo: Reach,” demonstrating the appeal of an entertainment phenomenon that has elevated video games into mainstream pop culture and permeated every corner of the globe.

Made exclusively for Xbox 360 by acclaimed developer Bungie, “Halo: Reach” will be made available in Standard, Limited and Legendary Editions. As a special bonus, fans can receive a token to unlock an exclusive in-game Spartan Recon Helmet, by picking up a copy of the game on launch day at North American retail stores, and outside North America by making a preorder reservation at participating retailers. More information can be found at http://www.xbox.com/haloreach.

Microsoft today announced the LifeCam Studio HD Webcam, featuring sharp high-definition (HD) video with a true 1080p sensor. The LifeCam Studio is the perfect complement to Windows Live Messenger 2011, which will offer HD video calling in a 16:9 widescreen format so everyone can easily be seen in the video call with amazing detail. When people can’t attend an important life moment in person, LifeCam Studio delivers the closest thing to being there.

LifeCam Studio
As Microsoft’s first webcam with a 1080p sensor, LifeCam Studio delivers superior sharpness and image quality in video calls. The native 1080p sensor is more than twice as large as the 720p HD sensors on the market and lets more light in so people experience great video in virtually any lighting condition. Whether the sun is streaming in the window or the user is lit only by the light from the computer monitor, LifeCam Studio brings friends and family closer than ever before.

The launch of Microsoft’s latest HD LifeCam comes at an exciting time for webcam users with the recent announcement that Windows Live Messenger 2011 will support HD video calling this fall.

In addition to a high-quality video picture, LifeCam Studio features a stunning industrial design. But it’s not just about great design; every piece of this webcam serves a purpose. The new webcam is Microsoft’s first to feature a tripod thread, perfect for recording long video captures from different angles — not only in front of the monitor. LifeCam Studio also includes these features:
A 360-degree view range, which means that users can easily point the camera at themselves or around the room — no need to pick up an entire laptop and turn it around.
An elongated hood modeled after a high-end camera to help protect the lens from stray light to avoid washed-out colors.
First-Class Technology
LifeCam Studio features premium optics, with improved Auto Focus to keep objects in focus no matter how far the distance from the LifeCam, and a high-precision glass element lens for superior clarity. It also includes two technologies to ensure video remains true to life in almost any environment:
TrueColor Technology automatically delivers bright and colorful video in virtually any lighting condition and helps keep the most important part of the video call — the face — properly exposed.
ClearFrame Technology helps keep video smooth and detailed even in low light.

Microsoft LifeCam Studio will be available exclusively at Best Buy stores later this month for the estimated retail price of $99.95 and is available on BestBuy.com starting today. Microsoft backs this product with a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty.