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…

THQ today announced that its critically acclaimed action-adventure title Darksiders for Windows PC has now shipped to retail outlets across the world.

“It is important that the PC audience get to experience the same great product as the console audience so we pulled out all the stops to optimize this version. If you didn’t previously buy the console version now is the perfect opportunity to try Darksiders for yourself.”
Released earlier this year for home consoles, Darksiders is now available for PC gamers to enjoy in all of its apocalyptic glory. Developed by THQ’s in-house studio, Vigil Games, the Windows PC version of the game has been re-engineered from the ground up to deliver the same great action as the console games, while taking advantage of keyboard and mouse controls.

The Windows PC version of the game has already begun to receive critical acclaim from the gaming press with scores including 91% The Games Machine, 87% Gamers Plus, 86% 3D Juegos, 8/10 Eurogamer.de and 9/10 on Multiplayer.it.

Travis Plane, Vice President of Global Brand Management commented, “It is important that the PC audience get to experience the same great product as the console audience so we pulled out all the stops to optimize this version. If you didn’t previously buy the console version now is the perfect opportunity to try Darksiders for yourself.”

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.”

DeviceVM today previewed the next-generation of its award-winning Splashtop instant-on platform at the Intel Developer’s Forum in San Francisco. The flagship Splashtop product has already shipped on millions of notebooks and netbooks worldwide from leading PC OEMs including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Sony and others. The company now plans to offer a MeeGo-compliant version of the popular companion OS to all existing OEM customers, while enabling current users of Splashtop-powered systems to take advantage of a seamless upgrade in the first half of 2011.

By embracing MeeGo as the foundation for Splashtop, application developers have the possibility to distribute their software to millions of potential users leading to greater adoption of the MeeGo platform. DeviceVM will also consider pre-bundling popular applications along with distribution of the MeeGo-based Splashtop. In moving to a MeeGo-based platform, users will now be able to download, install and run hundreds of apps currently available from the Intel AppUp Center.

DeviceVM is an active Linux proponent, and earlier this year announced the election of CEO and co-founder, Mark Lee, to the Linux Foundation Board of Directors. Beijing-based Cliff Miller, Chief Strategy Officer at DeviceVM, has also been appointed as the Foundation’s Director of China Operations. These appointments recognized the significant role that DeviceVM has played in proliferating Splashtop over the past several years.

Demonstrations of the new MeeGo-based Splashtop product can be seen during the show through September 15th at the DeviceVM booth as part of the MeeGo Community Technology Showcase, Booth # 112 in Moscone Center West.

The MeeGo-based Splashtop is already being made available to leading PC OEMs currently shipping Splashtop on a range of device types. Consumer and commercial end-users will be able to upgrade to the new Splashtop in the first half of 2011.

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.