But it's a brand-new decade, and Microsoft is about to leapfrog Apple — and every other player in the cell-phone world — with the launch of Windows Phone 7 (WP7).

While many of us were preoccupied with cursing Windows Vista, Microsoft was busy developing a lineup of stellar non-Windows products, including the wildly popular Xbox game consoles and the Bing search engine, which is already averaging more than 3 billion queries a month. But the most underappreciated product in Microsoft's vast portfolio, the Zune digital media player, is about to roll all these products into one handy little phone that catapults Microsoft ahead of Apple, Google, Palm and BlackBerry's maker, RIM.

What sets Microsoft apart? For starters, every WP7 device, regardless of manufacturer, will have a dedicated search button that gives you one-click access to Bing — no hopping around required. WP7 will also let users play an assortment of Xbox Live games on their phones.

Both of these add-ons are certainly nice, but the real game changer is Microsoft's solution to a fundamental flaw in most mobile platforms. Instead of having to toggle back and forth between separate apps so you can check Facebook or send a tweet, the WP7 team figured out how to aggregate all your social-networking content in a People hub on your Start screen. Likewise, photos from your mobile device, PC and various social networks will be neatly organized within the Pictures hub. In all, WP7 has created six distinct hubs — People, Pictures, Music+Video, Games, Office and the App Store — like Marketplace, which is due to be open by the time the phones are available to consumers at the end of this year.

So is WP7 an iPhone killer? (Like you weren't wondering that.) No, but every other company, including Apple, will be racing to catch up with it. It's a bit surreal to lust for a Microsoft product, especially a Windows phone, but come Christmas, I'll be first in line to buy one.

Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1966464,00.html#ixzz0h78awJGK

Users of the Palm Pre can now get an over-the-air update that will improve the overall running of the phone. The new 1.4 software update enables the user to capture, edit and share video, with the ability to edit and then upload footage direct to YouTube or Facebook. You can also send your clips to a smaller select group of friends by sending them via MMS.

The new 1.4 webOS also promises faster apps with increased response time and quicker access to specific tasks. With the calendar app for example, users will be able to dial a number from within the application, while emails can now be viewed by date, sender and subject. In addition, an LED light will appear with a short vibration each time you have a new notification. Palm Pre users will automatically be notified when the software update is available.