Hasta La Gadget!

LG has told the press at MWC that it will not be developing its own smartphone platform “at least for the next two to three years.” We think companies should focus on what they do well, and given our ambivalence toward the S-Class UI, it’s probably a good thing that LG will narrow its operation down to churning out delectable slabs of electronics and leaving the software side to the geeks over at Google and Microsoft. The head of the company’s handset unit, Skott Ahn, has indicated that the future of LG smartphones will be shared between Android and Windows Phone 7 (sorry, Symbian lovers). It will have taken plenty of restraint to not respond to local nemesis Samsung — who has just introduced its first Bada handset — but LG appears to be of the opinion (which we share) that the smartphone OS sector is already overcrowded, and its expectation is that over the next couple of years the market will distill itself down to just three predominant operating systems.

LG not interested in proprietary smartphone OS, likes Android and Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore did a really thorough job yesterday of walking us through the key hubs on the shiny new Windows Phone 7 OS, but one area that was conspicuously missed out in the overview was the Marketplace. Well, let us fill in that gap of knowledge right quick with the above image of the interface. As you can see, the first thing visible when you enter the hub is a full-screen feature for individual games or applications — this could either work as with the music hub, wherein you see the last bit of content you accessed or, less awesomely, could function as a promotional (read: advertising) spot before you get into the market proper. The Marketplace is then fragmented into its constituent elements, with apps, games, music and podcasts leading you into their respective subsections. We’ve grabbed an image of how the Applications section will look as well, which you can see for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Windows Phone 7 Series Marketplace gets pictured

Windows Phone 7 Series Marketplace gets pictured originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not quite sure if you’ve heard, but Microsoft launched a new mobile operating system today. Crazy, right? Unfortunately, it’ll be a few weeks seasons still before you can actually wrap your palms around an actual Windows Phone 7 Series device, but the folks over at MSDN aren’t holding back. They’ve hosted up a 22 minute video walkthrough to explain every nook and crannie of the fresh OS, and if you’re one of those “impatient” types, you owe it to yourself to hit the source link and mash play. Grab a beverage first, though.

[Thanks, Nathan]

Microsoft offers up lengthy Windows Phone 7 Series video walkthrough originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wondering why your PC has been infested with malware, random popups, intermittent shut downs and all sorts of other atypical garbage since the day you installed that downloaded copy of Windows 7? In case you aren’t capable of determining that your copy of Windows isn’t genuine (as in, you didn’t buy it from a legitimate source), Microsoft is about to lend you a serious hand. In the “coming days,” the software behemoth will be pushing out a new update for Windows Activation Technologies, which will look for over “70 known and potentially dangerous activation exploits.” It sounds as if the update is intended to alert folks who purchased complete PCs from the back of their local White Van that they may have gotten ripped off, but either way, we’re not particularly stoked about having yet another item running in the background, consuming system resources and telling us that we’ve been naughty. Thankfully it’s a voluntary update, but keep your eyes peeled if you don’t want to okay the installation accidentally.

[Thanks, Troy]

Windows 7 Activation Technologies Update coming down the pike, will tell you things you (should) already know originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google is yet to release its Chrome operating system for netbooks but already Acer is betting big on it.

Acer says it plans to ship about one million netbooks this year running Chrome OS.

“For Chrome, we’re aggressively pursuing to become one of the first,” Jim Wong, Acer’s president of IT products division told Bloomberg, “so there’s a change to the Microsoft-Intel environment.”

The Acer netbooks with Chrome OS are expected to be released in the third quarter of the year.

For the fledgling operating system, Acer’s support will ensure it debuts with a bang.

Google introduced Chrome OS two months ago as a lightweight, browser-based operating system that would boot up in seven seconds or less. The first Chrome OS netbooks will be available in late 2010, the company said, through hardware from manufacturers Google has partnered with.

Acer’s support is important for Google as the former is one of the biggest netbook makers. Acer’s also an ambitious company that has set its sights on overtaking HP to become the leading PC maker.

Acer hasn’t mentioned pricing for its Chrome OS netbooks but Google has said that it will cost about the same as those running Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

Acer’s ambitions extend beyond netbooks. At the end of June, the company plans to launch an e-reader with a 6-inch black-and-white screen.

Though Acer has been one of the pioneers in the netbook market, it is a late entrant to the fast-growing e-readers segment. So, instead of competing with rivals such as Amazon’s Kindle, Sony’s Reader and Barnes & Noble’s Nook in the U.S., Acer plans to focus on Europe and Asia.

The company says it will target its e-readers at customers outside North America and build partnerships with publishers in other countries.

See Also:

• Five Things Google’s Chrome OS Will Do for Your Netbook
• Why Google Should Cool It With Chrome OS
• Google Chrome OS Netbook Specs Leaked?
• Google FAQ Reveals Chrome OS Hardware Partners

Photo illustration: Charlie Sorrel/Wired.com; Original photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com