Hasta La Gadget!

Stephen Elop himself spilled the beans about Nokia’s first WP7 handset, codenamed Sea Ray, when he told a large live audience and some whirring video cameras that he wanted the phone to be kept “super confidential.” Now we have a whole new puddle of legumes lying on what sounds like a Chinese factory floor, courtesy of the authentic-looking video above. The clip reveals the N9-like device removed from what appears to be a stealth case, followed by a speedy boot-up into the Windows Phone OS. We’re also treated to a quick look at the camera in action — triggered by a dedicated shutter button that’s missing on the N9 — before a hurried “goodbye.” There’s not much else to see here, but could that reddish theme be a hint that this particular example is destined for Vodafone? Only time will tell.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Nokia ‘Sea Ray’ WP7 handset revealed on a factory floor? (Video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WPCentral  |  WPXAP  | Email this | Comments

Another year, another Imagine Cup. The annual competition, sponsored by Microsoft, gives students the opportunity to apply technology to tackle hunger, poverty, and other global problems, thereby making the world a better place (for you and for me, and the entire human race). We’d say the finalists deserve a pretty cool reward for their efforts, right? According to a status update on the Cup’s Twitter account — an update that’s conspicuously been pulled — one of the prizes for finalists is a Windows Phone with Mango pre-loaded, a jackpot they’d receive by September. We’re not completely certain if this will be a pre-release version intended for developers or if it’s an indication that the final iteration will be ready for public use by this time; we’ve only heard that Mango’s slotted for a fall release, so both are definite possibilities. Since many of these students are developers, however, it’s entirely possible they’ll receive a prototype device with an early version of the firmware. No phone could replace the warm feelings in their heart for such a great accomplishment, but at least they can share their joy with built-in Twitter integration.

Microsoft promises Mango phones in September for Imagine Cup finalists originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashgear, Mobility Digest  |  Twitter  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft’s Andy Lees quashed dreams of Windows tablets running a Mango-style OS during a talk at the company’s Worldwide Partners Conference today, saying the mobile operating system would conflict with the outfit’s ideas of what makes a slate. According to Electronista, Lees said the computing giant sees tablets as PCs, making the mobile OS incompatible with its vision. He went on to say that Windows 8’s networking and printing functions make it more suited to the needs of tablet users. So, if you’re looking for the sweet style of Mango, it looks like you’ll have get your hands on one of these bad boys.

Andy Lees says no to Mango on Windows tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Electronista  | Email this | Comments

Steve Ballmer may have confessed during today’s WPC keynote that Windows Phone 7’s market share is still “very small,” but it’s obvious the team is doing monumental things with Mango. As the mobile OS finds it own, things like indoor mapping and a pristine iteration of Visual Voicemail could be key to swaying folks who still believe that Microsoft’s latest attempt in the smartphone universe still lacks the basics. The fine folks over at Pocketnow and WMPowerUser have been putting the latest build of Mango through those exact paces, and both instances are looking downright delicious. We won’t bore you with textual details; head on past the break for a bit of visual proof.

Continue reading Bing Indoor Maps and Visual Voicemail shown in latest WP7 Mango demo videos

Bing Indoor Maps and Visual Voicemail shown in latest WP7 Mango demo videos originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Pocketnow, WMPowerUser  | Email this | Comments

This certainly isn’t the first music video we’ve seen shot with a smartphone. And whether or not it’s the first one shot entirely on a Windows Phone device is almost beside the point. What really makes the whole thing remarkable is that, unlike a lot of these fairly gimmicky videos, this one’s for a truly terrific artist, Kurt Vile, whose awesome Smoke Ring for My Halo dropped on Matador back in March. The Todd Cole-directed video for the first track off that LP follows a day in the life of an East LA-based couple. Check out the video and an obligatory making of after the break.

Continue reading New Kurt Vile video shot with Windows Phone handset (video)

New Kurt Vile video shot with Windows Phone handset (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jul 2011 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments