LG is into WM 6.5

Microsoft seems be doing them all at once. Along with the imminent release of Windows 7, that is certain to get into a lot of new notebooks and PCs, they also want a share of the smartphone market. Especially since Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android are giving the headaches when it comes to mobile device users.
So it makes sense for the Redmond software giant to try and push the newest version of Windows Mobile on as many devices as they can. And manufacturers couldn’t be happier – LG is the last one to join the club. Their new model, called GM750 is the first out of a range of 13 Windows Mobile 6.5 devices that LG Plans to release by the end of 2010.
The phone does look very good, with a 3 inch touchscreen, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS navigation and a 5 megapixel camera. It has a 200 MB memory, expandable via microSD slot and it’s already on the market.

The TerreStar Genus: Phone for the Going

Do you travel to places in and around America where your smartphone isn’t exactly receptive? Hate paying for a separate satellite phone just so you can call home from Puerto Rico? AT&T has a phone for you: The TerreStar Genus. It’s a first for the carrier, a dual-mode cellular / satellite smartphone. And it is packed with a bevy of functionality that the continent hopper will surely love.

The Genus has Windows Mobile under the hood, and given the release date, Q1 2010, will have the latest, greatest version of WinMo. Expect Microsoft Exchange to be hyped as one of this phone’s selling points. The device looks a lot like the wide Blackberry from a few years ago. It sports a 2.6 inch touchscreen, a full QWERTY keyboard, and the de facto track button in the center. The device connects to Wifi– no word on 802.11n support– Bluetooth, and GPS, of course. Along with supporting nearly all modern cell networks (GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA), the phone can directly connect with AT&T satellites to make a call where cell towers aren’t available. For now, the satellite option only works in the United States, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and surrounding territorial waters.

This phone could be a dream come true for certain types, such as contractors and political figures that make their business in the developing parts of the United States and its surroundings. However, this initial version of the Genus is aimed at business-types and government workers, with a seeming preference for those who spend a lot of time in the territorial waters of the United State. But AT&T has said they are working on a consumer-aimed version which, giving the race to market on this first Genus, could happen by the end of next year.