Microsoft starts taking Windows Phone 7 Mango apps

Microsoft is now ready to accept apps from developers for its upcoming Windows Phone 7​.5 (Mango) release. The company has let developers know through an update on its developer blog that the system for submitting apps is now up and running. Accordingly, a release candidate SDK download is available so that programmers can compile their apps to adapt to the final version of Mango and test it to make sure it works.

Microsoft officially released Mango to manufacturers in late July. It takes manufacturers time to integrate the software into phones. The first device, the Toshiba-Fujitsu IS12T, ships Thursday.

This much awaited OS release should help bring Microsoft closer to par with rivals with multitasking, HTML5 support, Twitter integration, and other features that iOS and Android based devices already have had for awhile or will be getting shortly. But to be really successful, Windows Phone devices must be able to match the extensive library of apps already available for these other OS environments. For this, Microsoft must rely on apps from third party developers.

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AT&T roadmap: two WP7 Mango phones, two Samsung Androids

An AT&T roadmap surfacing Tuesday has given clues as to the network's non-iPhone launch strategy for the late summer and fall. Along with known quantities like the Torch 9860, it shows at least two Windows Phone 7 Mango devices. One fall release, the "Kupua," is Samsung's i937, is believed to mostly be a take on the Galaxy S II using Microsoft's OS. The other seen by PocketNow, the HTC "Bunyip," is most likely the Eternity 4.7-inch flagship.

Samsung would play more of a role in the Android lineup than thought. The "Singa," or i777, has the high-end specs and summer release window to suggest it's AT&T's version of the US-spec Galaxy S II. The "Gidim," or i927, could be the unnamed QWERTY slider and might ship at the same time.

Other devices are few and would all be ready by the fall. The Motorola "Fuath," or MB865, should be Motorola's LTE smartphone. Pantech is due to have two budget phones, the "Nuli" (P9060) and "Onza" (P7050), with five- and three-megapixel cameras respectively. Huawei should bring up the rear with an entry-level phone, the "Jengu" (U8652), with Android 2.3 but a 320x480 screen, a three-megapixel camera, and just 256MB of RAM. RIM's BlackBerry Curve 9360 would have to wait for the fall as well.

The roadmap is plausible and lines up with rumors. The codenames may all be AT&T-only, though, as none of them are used by the hardware makers themselves.

At least one of the Samsung Android phones should be made public next week, at Samsung's August 29 Galaxy S II event.

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ASUS Eee Pad Transformer price cut to $350

ASUS appears to have dropped the price for its first-generation Eee Pad Transformer tablets. The 16GB variant is now listed through Walmart's website for $350, which represents a $50 reduction from the $400 retail price, however several other online retailers still show prices ranging from $470 to $500 for the 32GB variant.

The company has yet to announce specific reasons for the price reduction, however recent reports suggest the company may be clearing out inventory ahead of the Transformer 2 debut. The second-generation model is rumored to be on its way sometime in the next month.

Owners of the first-generation Transformer have continued to receive attention from ASUS, with regular updates that have kept the tablet up to date with Android 3.1 and 3.2. The original is based on NVIDIA's Tegra 2 platform, while its successor is expected to be based on the quad-core Tegra 3 platform.

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Korea making own mobile OS to offset Apple, Google-Motorola

South Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy deputy minister Kim Jae-hong stated late Monday that the country was looking to develop its own mobile and desktop operating systems to reduce dependency on outsiders like Apple and Google. A plan due to start before the end of 2011 would see Korean companies, presumably LG, Samsung, Pantech, and others, make their own open-source platforms both for mobile and a Chrome OS​-like desktop. It would also hope to establish a "habitat," Kim told Yonhap and other media outlets, where locals were encouraged to pick their own OS over others.

The move would give Samsung an out should the worst happen in its legal battle with Apple and it requires an alternative. Samsung already has Bada but has largely treated it as an entry-level smartphone platform, with little app and sales support.

The actual threat, however, might be Google. Its buyout of Motorola could lead to Google itself competing against its own hardware partners, leaving Korean phone makers at an inherent disadvantage, Kim suggested. Google has publicly promised that Motorola would be kept as a "separate entity," but leaks have suggested it plans to emulate the Apple model and have Motorola make official Google phones.

Google would likely be safe in the near term. "Because Google is an open-source system, it cannot just switch over to a closed-source system overnight," Kim said.

Apple would most likely welcome a Korea-made OS. As Samsung and LG are two of the largest Android supporters, their lowering dependence on Android would mostly feed into reduced market share for Google, particularly in South Korea. Self-developed platforms, even custom OS variants like China's Android-based Open Mobile System, rarely gain relevance outside of their home countries.

A home web-based OS would be unusual given their poor uptake. Although market share is still unknown, relatively few have bought into Chrome OS so far and instead have opted for either Macs or Windows PCs. Korea would would be trying to take on two of the largest software developers with an OS that might not reach other areas.

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VooMote One iPhone case/remote control ships in US

Introduced at the end of last month, Zero1.tv's VooMote One has begun shipping in the US. Available at Amazon, among others, the device costs $100 and turns an iPhone 3GS or 4, as well as third- and fourth-generation iPod touch devices, into a universal remote control. It does require a corresponding app (free, App Store).

The device doesn't require a PC setup and will control TVs, DVD players, stereo systems and other consumer electronics that use infrared remotes. The app can be customized to control all of the devices in one room and command chains/macros can be programmed like many of the universal remote controls out there with a single click. This could involve powering up a DVD player, turn on the TV and switching to the right TV source, and turning on the AV receiver, for example.

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USB 3.0 On-the-Go arrives, lets mobile devices communicate

USB 3.0 On-the-Go arrives, lets mobile devices communicateThe USB 3.0 Promoter Group on Wednesday added the USB On-the-Go (OTG) 3.0 and Embedded Host supplement to the USB 3.0 Specification. It allows compatible SuperSpeed USB portable devices to communicate without the need for a PC. They can act either as USB host or USB peripheral through the same connection.  The new capability will speed up synchronization or streaming of rich data. The new spec is also more energy efficient than USB OTG 2.0 while being backwards compatible with the older standard.  Before consumers can take advantage of the benefits of USB 3.0 OTG, companies need to begin implementing it into their hardware and ship it first. No one has yet announced any products using the new spec.

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LG Optimus Sol named after the Sun in Spanish features an Ultra AMOLED which makes it more visible in sunlight and will make its trip to Europe this mid- September followed by Central & South America . The device also features some power consumption tech called 'DARK UI' which is expected to increase your battery by 20-30%.

Highlights:

• 3.8-inch WVGA "Ultra AMOLED" Display 
• 9.8mm Thick 
• Android Gingerbread
• 1GHz CPU
• 5MP camera
• VGA Front Camera

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