Microsoft started sending invites yesterday for its Windows 8 event at Mobile World Congress. It’s a consumer preview event where Microsoft will give a detailed peek on the upcoming Windows 8 OS and most likely release the consumer-centric preview version to the masses.

Interesting thing about the event is the venue that confirms Microsoft’s focus for its Windows 8 OS.

The event will take place in Barcelona on February 29 from 3-5PM.

[Via The Next Web]

It’s a bit sad when we devour in the latest and greatest of technology in one part of the world and in the other part, people manufacturing the same devices threaten to mass suicide. Foxconn is back in the news after several hundred workers producing Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console threaten to mass suicide.

The details for threatening suicide are unknown but is said that Microsoft is looking into the matter.

“Microsoft takes working conditions in the factories that manufacture its products very seriously, and we are currently investigating this issue.”

This is not the first time Foxconn has attracted attention for the wrong reasons. The company came into limelight when one of its employees committed suicide after losing an iPhone 4 prototype.

[Via TheNextWeb]

Microsoft via its official blog confirmed yesterday night to pull out of Consumer Electronics Show from 2013. Microsoft won’t be exhibiting nor Steve Ballmer give a keynote address because the Redmond giant reckons the timing of the show is not aligned with their product launches or milestones.

Microsoft however, will showcase their products and give a keynote address at the upcoming CES which begins on January 9.

We seriously hope Microsoft does not name their next-generation Xbox console as Xbox 720 but its a debate for another day coz a new report claims Microsoft is working on two different variants of the new Xbox.

One would be a cheaper “along the lines of a set-top box” with Kinect that will be targeted at users who want to use Xbox as a streaming platform. Another SKU will be a premium model loaded with all the goodies you’d expect from a gaming console like an optical drive, hard disk and backward compatibility.

Needless to say the premium model, if true, will be priced higher than the feature SKU.

Xbox 720 is rumored to show its face at CES 2012 early next year.

[Via OXM]

Microsoft has announced that they’ve entered into a patent licensing agreement with Compal Electronics that allows the Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) to use Microsoft’s patents in devices running Android or Chrome OS. Intrinsic details of the agreement are under wraps but Compal Electronics will pay royalties to Microsoft.

With Wistron, Quanta and now Compal, already under Microsoft’s licensing agreement, Android’s future without the patent deal is a big question mark. Microsoft has got more than half of the world’s ODM industry for Android and Chrome devices under their patent licensing agreement.

Press Release

Microsoft Canada has inadvertently spilled the beans on upcoming devices running Windows Phone 7.5 codenamed Mango. In the terms of Mango App Challenge for devs, Microsoft promised to give away couple of Nokia and Samsung phones.

Although we know about Nokia Sea Ray, another phone that will be unveiled by Nokia will be known as Sabre. On the Samsung front, the Korean giant will launch Yukon and Wembley. Details are slim on the Yukon but Wembley will be a mid-range device that will come with a 3.7-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz CPU, 5MP autofocus camera and VGA front-facing camera for video calling.

There’s no word on the release or the price but expect these to get official within the next few weeks.

App Challenge Terms

[Via Pocket Now]

Microsoft has caught a big Android fish today to pay royalties. Samsung is the latest company that will pay Microsoft royalties for every Android smartphone and tablet sold. This deal makes Samsung seventh Android manufacturer to enter into an agreement with Microsoft.

Moreover, both companies have decided to sign a cross-patent licensing agreement that will allow them to use each other’s patents and Samsung will help Microsoft to develop and market Windows Phones.

Needless to say, such a move have a chance to cripple the surge of Android OS unless Google chimes in to protect other manufacturers, which currently, doesn’t seem to be the case.

Press Release

As promised, Microsoft has released the update allowing consumers to delve into the Mango goodness. Although Microsoft plans to roll out the update to 98 percent of Windows Phone owners, the Redmond giant will slowly and gradually make the update available to all.

Accordingly, the Windows Phone 7.5 update will be available this to 10 percent of the users with another 15 percent expected by next week. If the update goes well for the small percentage of users, Microsoft will open the tap for the remaining ones.

The Mango update boasts more than 500 features and improvements like improved social networking integration, real-time Live Tiles, IE9 browser, multitasking and more.

[Via Windows Team Blog]

Microsoft has confirmed the release date of its impending Windows Mobile update. All Windows Phone devices can expect the 7.5 update aka Mango update reaching their devices in the “next week or two.” Microsoft says they’ve been working with operators and mobile manufacturers to release it as soon as possible and also warned about installing unofficial or leaked copies of Windows Phone 7.5, which could apparently bar the phone from getting an official update.

The Mango update touts to have more than 500 features and improvements like improved social networking integration, real-time Live Tiles, IE9 browser, multitasking and more.

[Via Windows Team Blog]

Lucky day for Windows developers today. In addition to the detailed preview of Windows 8 OS, Microsoft also announced to give away Samsung tablets running the developer preview version of the OS. The unnamed Samsung tablet is packed with some powerful hardware like Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, 11.6-inch Super PLS display, USB and HDMI port, microSD card slot and free 3G from AT&T.

[Via Sammy Hub]