Google Business App Store Launching This Week

Early last month, there were reports that Google was working on an app store a-la Apple App Store in order to cater to the business customers. We are now hearing that this App Store is up and ready to launch this week.

Sources close to Mashable have revealed that Google’s Business App Store will be focused around Google Apps and is likely to launch tomorrow (Tuesday March 9).

As we had opined last time, a business app store has terrific opportunities for developers to create true value adding applications for businesses. Also considering the margins on offer, if this takes off, it could be a major coup for the Mountain View based company. What do you think?

[via Mashable]

Nexus One To Sell At Verizon Retail Stores

The launch of Nexus One not only brought the world’s most popular Internet company to the mobile space, but also heralded a new age business model where the sale of the handset was moved completely online. However, has this model failed? Or is Verizon not convinced about the viability of the same?

Just a couple of weeks after we reported speculations that the Google Nexus One could move out of an exclusive carrier to also be offered on Verizon (as was promised during launch), we are hearing that the handset could actually put up on sale on the Verizon retail stores; contrary to the famed Google.com/Phone online marketplace.

For now, this is just a rumor and take it with skepticism. But we wonder if Google is trying to make a side-by-side comparison of the two models to see which one fares better. Though, it is unlikely that T-Mobile would be game for such an experimentation.

[via Boy Genius Report]

Palm Elan TouchScreen Phone Coming To AT&T?

Ok, first and foremost, we are not still sure if “Elan” is the name of an upcoming model from Palm or if this is a codeword for something that exists already. But rumors are in that AT&T has been testing on this WebOS handset due for release in the first half of May.

You might recall that we had written about WebOS coming to AT&T last month. Back then, the speculations were that Palm Pre and Pixi could be the models coming to Ma Bell. The new name doing the rounds is expected to be a completely touchscreen phone with soft keyboard – much like the iPhone or Nexus One.

We hope this rumor turns out to be true. You can then expect the Palm handset to be out on AT&T stores on May 10.

[via PreCentral]

High Speed Wireless Broadband On T-Mobile Launching March 14?

T-Mobile has announced that the company shall be making certain changes to its coverage map to more accurately depict the data and voice coverage across the country. This is expected to launch come March 14.

However, one of the internal documents posted points to a new category of wireless broadband titled :  ”Very fast mobile web : Home broadband like speeds on the go“.  It is not clear if this is the 21 Mbps connection that T-Mobile is working on. Nobody’s confirmed it, but we definitely hope that is the case.

[TmoNews via Erictric]

Internet Explorer 9 To Support HTML5

The upcoming MIX 2010 conference could see Microsoft demoing its new version of Internet Explorer. Rumors are doing the rounds that the new Internet Explorer 9.0 may offer extended support to open web standards including support to HTML 5 and SVG Vector Graphics standard.

As PCWorld notes, Microsoft has often been ridiculed in the past for the non-adherence to open web standards and this has also been a primary argument against the company in its attempt to monopolize the browser market. The shift to more open web standards could mark a new beginning for the company as it tries to ward off growing competition from the likes of Mozilla and Google in what has been a lucrative market for advertising revenues.

[via PCWorld]

Motorola’s Multiple Screen Display To Improve User Experience

Is watching a video on your tiny smartphone screen not good enough? Are your fingers too big to type on your smartphone touchscreen? Don’t worry, Motorola may have just heard you. According to a patent application filed by the company, you may be able to make your viewing screen bigger by simply placing your Motorola handsets beside one another.

In the filing, the inventors describe a technology whereby the display of several handsets may be configured to act like one to run applications such as streaming a video while maintaining the same aspect ratio. The inventors write

“A device comprises a display arrangement which includes a plurality of displays that are movable relative to each other such that a plurality of display configurations can be achieved. Each of the display configurations provides a combined display area which is different for at least two of the display configurations. An application processor is operable to execute a plurality of user applications, each of which can provide a display output. A display driver is arranged to generate an arrangement of display output for the display arrangement from the display output of an application being executed. The display driver sets a display characteristic for the arrangement of display output in response to a characteristic of the executed application and the deployed display configuration.”

Looks like an iBoard and iMat killer is not too far away!

LG Panther Is First Windows Phone 7 Handset?

Ever since Microsoft unveiled their new generation mobile OS, there have been a lot of rumors about the Windows Phone 7 based handsets launching in the markets. Though a majority of them are not expected to launch until the holiday shopping season, the earliest to launch is likely to be in September.

It is now rumored that LG, the company expected to come out with the first Windows Phone 7 based handset is likely to name the device Panther. Pretty uninnovative and un-cutesy for a brand that is expected to take on the likes of iPhone and Droid.

How do you like the name? Will you be buying one Tell us in the comments.

[Best Mobile Contracts via Gizmodo]

Microsoft Smartphone On Verizon Launching Next Month?

Microsoft’s Project Pink is well and alive according to an inside source. Reuters cites the source as being informed of a Microsoft branded smartphone hitting the US market by “late spring or early summer“.

According to the claims, the phone shall run on Verizon Wireless and shall be targeted at the heavy social networkers. We are not sure of the OS though it is likely to be Windows Phone Classic considering that the newly unveiled Windows Phone 7 series phones are not expected to launch until late this year – earliest by September.

While Microsoft has all along denied these rumors, considering that the expected launch date is just over 10 weeks away, we expect the beans to be spilled sooner than later.

[via Reuters, Gizmodo]

Sony Tablet To Take On Apple iPad?

Realizing that the iPhone and iPad have been implicitly chomping away at Sony’s market share in the portable game console market, the Japanese manufacturer is believed to be working on a smartphone and tablet device that will take on competition from Apple head on.

A recently published article on the Wall Street Journal claims that these new devices expected to launch later this year will be based on Sony’s new online media platform.  Incidentally, this new media platform, tentatively named Sony Online Service will be taking on Apple’s iTunes platform to distribute music, movies, TV shows and other forms of digital content.

The specifications and price of the smartphone and tablet devices are not known as yet, though it is believed to be taking off from where the Sony eReader left; selling close to one million units since launch.

[via WSJ]

Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Investment To Exceed $1 Billion

A while back, there had been rumors that Microsoft could be acquiring RIM or Palm in order to turnaround its sagging fortunes in the smartphone segment. However, according to Bill Koefoed, a manager of Microsoft investor relations, the company could be investing as much as $1 billion in developing its Windows Phone 7 platform.

What this could then mean is that an acquisition of Palm or RIM is out of question now. One had imagined Redmond to acquire one of these handset manufacturers not just for the hardware but also the OS platform that they had built. But with so much money pumped into the research and development of the company’s in-house OS, it is unlikely that Microsoft could still be looking at an acquisition.

[via Forbes]