Microsoft signs Android patent deal with HTC

Microsoft, which holds a wide range of software patents, did not say exactly what technology in the phones the agreement concerns.

The deal comes as smartphones using Google's new operating system -- which Google allows phone makers to use for free -- gain in popularity. Microsoft charges handset makers like HTC and others to use its Windows phone software.
The smartphone market is riven with legal disputes as software companies and handset makers wrangle over who deserves compensation for technology behind new devices which go well beyond traditional mobile phones.
In March, Apple Inc (AAPL.O) sued HTC over its Android phones, accusing it of infringing 20 hardware and software patents related to the iPhone. HTC makes a number of Android-powered phones, including the Google-branded Nexus One.
Tuesday's deal signals that Microsoft is not likely to start a similar legal patent dispute with HTC over Android phones. Licensing arrangements are standard procedure for Microsoft, which has similar deals with more than 600 companies.[Source: Reuters]

Windows Phone 7: Revolutionary Product

Microsoft just planted a massive flag in the ground with the debut of Windows Phone 7 Series. The company's new mobile operating system is a radical and potent departure from the past, and there's a lot to take in -- so we've gathered together all our knowledge and impressions of the device so far and rolled them into a single, concise guide. Of course, there will be plenty more to learn in the coming months, and we're going to be beating down Redmond's door for more details on this thing, but for now let's dive into what Microsoft has revealed so far about its latest and (potentially) greatest phone operating system.[Source: Engadget]

New Arrival: iPad

The Apple iPad. The name is a killing word -- more than a product -- it's a statement, an idea, and potentially a prime mover in the world of consumer electronics. Before iPad it was called the Apple Tablet, the Slate, Canvas, and a handful of other guesses -- but what was little more than rumor and speculation for nearly ten years is now very much a reality. Announced on January 27th to a middling response, Apple has been readying itself for what could be the most significant product launch in its history; the making (or breaking) of an entirely new class of computer for the company. The iPad is something in between its monumental iPhone and wildly successful MacBook line -- a usurper to the netbook throne, and possibly a sign of things to come for the entire personal computer market... if Apple delivers on its promises. And those are some big promises; the company has been tossing around words like "magical" and "revolutionary" to describe what many have dismissed as nothing more than a larger version of its iPod touch. But is that all there is to this device? Is the hope that Apple promises for this new computing experience nothing more than marketing fluff and strategic hyperbole? Or is this a different beast altogether -- a true sign that change has come to the world of the PC? So get a ipad and feel the most fantastic technology with your touch!

Jump to Engadget for full review.

[Source: Engadget]