It’s time to get back into the game. While some phones have already launched in Europe and beyond, today is the first day that you can put down cash in the US for a Windows Phone 7 device all your own. The Microsoft online Store just loosed the HTC HD7 (T-Mobile), HTC Surround (AT&T), and Samsung Focus (AT&T). Rumor has it that the 4.1-inch Dell Venue Pro (T-Mobile) will be out on shelves at Microsoft retail locations today as well. So why not use that extra hour of wakefulness that Apple provided to think it over? @TatWza
Willie D. of the Geto Boys Gets 1 Year in Prison
Man…Tip, Gucci now this! Willie D of The Geto Boys, just received a year and a day in federal prison after being convicted on wire fraud charges stemming from the false sale of Apple iPhones. Dude…why!? Willie was caught in a sting operation in May 2009 after fronting a company called Texas One Wireless and selling purported iPhones, but never sending the product to customers, according to an FBI report. Click here for more on this story. @MarisaMendez
Macbook Airs 1 Flaw gets a fix!!!
The new MacBook Airs may have a lot of things going for them, but a matte screen unfortunately isn’t among them. The folks at TechRestore now say they have a solution to that shortcoming, however, and will gladly rip apart your shiny new Air and install a matte screen for $249. That screen will supposedly give you the same resolution, color depth and LED-backlighting as the factory installed one, and TechRestore promises to install a custom black bezel that “matches the look of the unibody MacBook Pro systems and looks, well, pretty awesome.” Of course, they don’t provide an actual image of the finished result, but they do promise a 24-hour turnaround time if you want to try it out yourself — the service will apparently be available “soon.” @TatWza for TatsTechTalk
Apple Bringing FaceTime to Mac’s
Ok so this is pretty dope for apple people!! “Now your smile goes even further. FaceTime for Mac makes it possible to talk, smile, wave, and laugh with anyone on an iPhone 4, iPod touch, or Mac from your Mac over Wi-Fi. So you can catch up, hang out, joke around, and stay in touch with just a click. Sure, it’s great to hear a voice. But it’s even better to see the face that goes with it.” Right Now its in Beta and it Requires Mac OS X v10.6.4 Snow Leopard or later but once up and running you’ll be able to video chat from your Mac book, Mac Book Pro, and Mac Book Air to iPhone 4 or New iPod Touch, which will make life a little more Fun! @TatWza
Apple CEO Steve Jobs Boasting ipad competition is “DOA”
Apple CEO Steve Jobs put in an unusual appearance Monday evening on an Apple sales call — using the opportunity to trash the iPad’s main rivals. Jobs, who has not addressed investors on an earnings call for two years, lashed out at competitors Google and Blackberry-maker Research in Motion, and dismissed the smaller tablets made by rivals including Samsung and Dell. “The current crop of 7-inch tablets are going to be DOA, dead on arrival,” Jobs told analysts on the conference call. “Their manufacturers will learn the painful lesson that their tablets are too small.” Jobs noted that Apple’s iPhone outsold RIM’s BlackBerry in its most recent quarter. “I don’t see them catching up with us in the foreseeable future,” he said. And he criticized Google’s Android as a “fragmented” operating system. RIM and Google did not respond to requests for comment, but Google’s head of Android development Andy Rubin responded in true geek fashion — on Twitter. The developer used his 140 characters to refute Jobs’ contention that Android is not an open platform, showing how easy it is to download and modify it. @TatWza
Video Phone calls not that far away via new Yahoo Messenger!!!
You’ll be seeing a lot more of the good ol’ Yahoo smiley on front-facing cameraphones soon — the web portal’s VP of Mobile David Katz says that a new Yahoo! Messenger with cross-platform video chat is headed to Android and iPhone. Originally confirmed for the new T-Mobile myTouch, it’s presently been submitted to the iTunes App Store for review. It’ll reportedly work over both 3G and WiFi connections and freely conduct video calls with any other device running Yahoo! Messenger, including webcam-equipped PCs. Look out Qik, Fring and Tango — This is SOOOOO F’in Clean, and its exactly what people wanted! @TatWza for TatsTechTalk.com
