Reliance Communications to offer Windows Mobile services

For the launch, the company is offering data download of 200MB for just Rs 95 per month exclusively to Reliance Mobile customers

Reliance Communications and Microsoft have entered into a strategic partnership to offer Windows Mobile solution on Reliance's wireless network. According to the agreement, Microsoft will offer its productivity solutions to Reliance customers including push email support, chat, photo-sharing, content back-up and other applications.

The company will offer Microsoft's Windows Mobile solution as part of its post-paid and pre-paid offerings on its networks.

Nokia to frequently refresh Windows Phone portfolio

Unlike other companies which treat Windows Phone 7 as the secondary operating system, Nokia is betting big on it. That's why it needs to keep its product portfolio fresh to keep the enthusiasm alive in the market.

Nokia, which may come out with its first Windows Phone probably in September or October this year, is likely to launch newer models on the same platform every few months after that.

"We should be launching new devices in a rhythm that might be every couple of months, every three months, something like that," said Jo Harlow, Nokia's executive vice president of smart devices, to PCMag.

Windows 8 tablet version demo possible next week

Microsoft has made statements in the past which suggest it is working on ARM SOC (system-on-a-chip) compatible Windows 8, but it has not commented over reports of possible demo next week.

Microsoft may demonstrate its Windows 8 tablet user interface in June, according to a report. 

The details of the new UI are expected to be announced by the company in near future.

The tablet UI is likely to use ideas from the now famous Metro user interface of Windows Phone 7. The touchscreen interface will likely to be shown on hardware with NVIDIA Tegra chip based on ARM's technology. Microsoft had earlier also made it clear the Windows 8 would support all the architectures — Intel, AMD and ARM. 

Mango update for Windows Phone demoed

The update shows Windows Phone multitasking beautifully, easily switching from one app to another. The browser, Internet Explorer 9, is also zippier compared to other phones' native browsers.

The much talked about Mango update for Windows Phone has finally been announced officially by Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's Mobile Communications business. 

He said the main idea behind the Mango update is to make Windows Phone operating system smarter and easier to operate.

500 Windows Phone updates coming today

The company will also provide details on the companies who will be producing Windows Phones and the associated carriers.

The latest upgrade of Windows Phones 7 will bring about 500 updates to the operating system, its creator, Microsoft has announced.

The updates, dubbed as the Mango update, will be announced in New York later today. The company will also provide details on the companies who will be producing Windows Phones and the associated carriers.

"We have a big launch event to talk about the next release of Windows Phone tomorrow (Tuesday) so that information will be, uh, forthcoming, including some of the particulars about who's going to be building Windows Phones and which carriers will be offering them here in Japan," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive officer, during the Microsoft Developer Forum at Shinagawa Intercity, Japan on Monday.

Angry Birds coming to Windows Phone

The game has three versions: Angry Birds - the Classic Game, Angry Birds Seasons, and Angry Birds Rio. Recently, Rovio has come out with an update of Angry Birds Rio, called as Angry Birds Rio Beach Volley.

The Angry Birds, considered as the most popular mobile game at the time being, will soon be available for smartphones based on Windows Phone 7 operating system. Rovio Mobile, the creator of the game, said that the users will be able to download and install this application in their smartphones from the Windows Phone application store from June 29. 

No Windows Phones soon: Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson is looking to triple its market share in USA with Android phones, particularly those that run PlayStation. The new Xperia series is likely to lead growth for the company.

Sony Ericsson, which had dumped the Symbian platform, is not likely to come out with a Windows phone anytime soon, according to the company's chief technology officer Jan Uddenfeldt.

However, Uddenfeldt's words can also be interpreted to mean that Sony Ericsson's doors are still open for Windows Phone 7, though the company will start making products only if the platform picks up pace.

Sony Ericsson is looking to triple its smartphone market share in the USA, which currently stands at 5 per cent.

After Symbian, it was widely speculated that the company would go for Windows Phone 7. However, it went for Google's Android operating system and has seen reasonable success with the decision.

Microsoft Agrees to Buy Skype for $8.5 Billion to Add Web Calls

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) agreed to buy Skype Technologies SA for $8.5 billion, using its cash pile to gain the world’s most popular Web-calling service and expand its Internet presence after past failures.

Microsoft will acquire Luxembourg-based Skype, with 170 million active users, from an investor group led by Silver Lake, the companies said in a statement today. The agreement was approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

The takeover may help Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer attract Web users and narrow Google Inc. (GOOG)’s lead in Web advertising. Microsoft will connect Skype to its Outlook e- mail, Xbox game console, Windows mobile phones and corporate- phone software. The acquisition is Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft’s largest, surpassing the purchase of AQuantive Inc. for about $6 billion in 2007.

“This could give Microsoft a much-needed kick-start” in telecommunications, said Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at CCS Insight in London. In voice services, “Skype has certainly set the benchmark and gained a lot of traction.”

Skype will become a Microsoft business unit, the companies said. Skype CEO Tony Bates will be president of the Microsoft Skype Division, reporting to Ballmer.

Microsoft to buy Skype, claim reports

The possibilities of Windows Phone and Skype complementing each other might be endless, with the use of Skype on Windows phones to making video calls with Kinect received on mobile devices or vice versa.

On the backdrop of reports of Google and Facebook partnering with Skype, reports have now claimed that Microsoft intends to buy the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) company for close to $8 billion.

Wall Street Journal has said this in a recent report citing its own sources, which in a way confirms the rumours earlier published by GigaOm.

The Microsoft-Skype deal would be a big push for the Windows based smartphones. The possibility of making free calls using Skype on Windows Phones may prove to be tempting for many users, though phone to phone VoIP calls are not allowed in India yet. Only those calls which originate from computers are allowed in India right now.

Another interesting possibility for users may be use of Kinect, another Microsoft product which helps in making video calls, in combination with Skype. The Kinect-Skype combine would enable users to talk to their friends and family through high quality video calls using their televisions. These calls may originate from TV sets and end up on devices such as iPhone, iPad, Android, and of course Windows Phone 7 phones. The reverse may also be possible.

Skype was founded in 2003 and was later bought by eBay in 2005, which then sold its stake to a private investment group. Even earlier, Microsoft has revealed that Skype would soon be available on Windows Phone 7 devices. So one thing's for sure, the interest from the company is already there.

Apple topples Google as world’s most valuable brand

Technology giant Apple has emerged as the world's most valuable brand surpassing search engine major Google.

The iPhone maker's brand is valued at $153.3 billion, an 84 per cent increase since last year. Besides, Google's brand is now valued at $111.5 billion, a 2 per cent fall from 2010.

ICICI Bank is the lone Indian company to feature in the list of top 100 global brands. With a brand value of $14.9 billion, India's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank is ranked at the 53rd position in the league of world's 100 most valuable brands compiled by global brands agency Millward Brown. This is the second straight appearance for ICICI bank in annual BrandZ study.

Interestingly, the report said that with a rise of 27 per cent in brand value to $8.2 billion, India's Infosys was one of the most valuable technology brands in the world and is expected to soon rank among the top 100 most valuable global brands across all sectors.

IBM has bagged the third position with a brand value of $100.84 billion followed by McDonalds ($81.01 billion) and Microsoft ($78.24 billion).

The BrandZ index calculates brand value on several factors, such as an estimate of the brand's contribution to earnings, valuation of intangible assets, measures of customer perception and an estimate of growth potential.

Bing to sing in Blackberrys

Microsoft Corp’s Bing will be the default search engine and map application on Research In Motion Ltd’s BlackBerry smartphones, a boon for the software maker as it seeks expand in mobile devices and catch up with Google Inc.

Bing will be “deeply integrated” into the devices, creating “unique experiences for millions of BlackBerry customers,” Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said Monday in an unbilled appearance at the annual BlackBerry World trade show in Orlando, Florida. He said the partnership will be ready in time for the holiday shopping season later this year.

Microsoft is trying to challenge Google, whose share of the US search market is more than four times larger than that of Bing. The RIM partnership also advances Microsoft’s efforts to expand in mobile devices, a campaign that includes a pact with Nokia Oyj, the world’s largest mobile-phone maker by unit sales.

DigiMo announces new mobile payment solution

DigiMo a mobile payment system provider announced on Thursday the completion of its development of a new platform providing the first true mobile payment solution. The solution requires no hardware or software modification at either the Point-Of-Sale (POS) or mobile device such as cell phone, tablet computer, smart phone, etc. It is ready for immediate deployment worldwide.

Consumers simply register for the service online, supply their preferred billing method and phone number, receive a PIN, and pay quickly and easily at any participating retailer.

The service is designed for online giants, credit card companies and mobile operators who want to launch a wide-scale mobile payment service at multiple retailers without requiring POS integration at each one.