We’ve been so caught up in the Windows Mobile 7 launch date rumors , we almost forgot about Microsoft’s supposed leaked minimum specifications requirements. After all, this is a company that issued maximum Windows 7 netbook specs. Supposedly, Microsoft’s weighing down on hardware manufacturers wishing to create tidy little phones for the platform, with the following list of minimum specifications garnered by Eldar Murtazin, the editor of leaky site Mobile-Review : - 1GHz processor - 3.6-inch WVGA display - G-sensor accelerometer and compass - 8GB of internal storage - 5.0-megapixel camera I’ve got to say, if Murtazin is on the money with this list of minimum requirements, then we’re in for a treat—though potentially an expensive one, with some of those specs bound to push the cost of each device north-ways. [ Eldar Murtazin on Twitter via Unwired View ]

Windows Mobile 7 will most definitely, positively, absolutely be shown off next month at Mobile World Congress , sez CNET . And Digitimes . Despite more conflicting stories than a Brangelina love-saga, I believe there’ll be solid news next month for WinMo fans. It wasn’t going to launch until next year, then the end of this year, and then as soon as next month, but with this latest rumor comes some believable news: Microsoft is still working on the code for WinMo 7, and while it won’t be completed until the end of summer, it should be included on end-of-the-year hardware. Nonetheless, we’re expecting to see some demos of the latest phone OS next month, and heaven forbid if it’s hexagonal screengrabs. [ CNET via Electronista ]

In case you weren’t aware, Mobile-review’s Eldar Murtazin is somewhat of a living legend around these parts. The Russian-borne phone guru manages to get his hands on an ample number of then-unreleased devices and juicy scoops — but this time he might’ve just outdone himself with some apparent hands-on time with Windows Mobile 7 . Here’s what he’s saying: the OS has been built on scratch, and none of the old WinMo 6.x apps worked. There’s “a lot of horizontal movements, a lot of additional info by clicks… for WM users it will be a great step ahead. For market it’s a copycat of Android 3.1/3.2 [sic] or iPhone.” No direct comparison to Zune HD, except to say that it’s a simpler UI than what he was seeing here, and also no clue on the kernel underneath

Even compared to its wacky Windows 7 parties , Microsoft’s promo with Burger King Japan is pretty out there. The Windows 7 Whopper costs ¥777 ($8.50), and is 5-inches tall. I’ll try to avoid any bloated jokes. D’oh, too late. [ Electronista ]

It’s really happening, people — these Windows 7 retail boxes just turned up at a Chicago electronics store today. We’ve got our party packs ready , what about you? [Thanks, Frank] Filed under: Software Windows 7 retail boxes hitting stores originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

It may not be the Microsoft Courier or Apple Tablet , but GottaBeMobile’s Xavier reckons the Hanvon is a pretty slick-looking device. The 8.9-inch multi-touch screen supports gestures, and would be great to watch movies or fool about online. The prototype was shown at the Intel Developer’s Forum last week, so it probably has an Atom processor of some description. As you’ll see in the video, it also has two USB ports, audio in/out and an SD card slot.

It may not be the Microsoft Courier or Apple Tablet , but GottaBeMobile’s Xavier reckons the Hanvon is a pretty slick-looking device. The 8.9-inch multi-touch screen supports gestures, and would be great to watch movies or fool about online. The prototype was shown at the Intel Developer’s Forum last week, so it probably has an Atom processor of some description. That’ll explain why it’s a little sluggish. As you’ll also see in the video, it has two USB ports, audio in/out and an SD card slot. Hopefully the final version will be cheaper than the roughly $500 Archos 9

Earlier this week the internet alarms rang loud with word that Microsoft had added an app “kill switch” to its upcoming Windows Mobile 7 platform. Of course, such a kill switch is not unprecedented, as both the Android and iPhone platforms have their own variant. A Microsoft rep recently relayed a message of peace to assuage fears, telling Ars Technica that the vast majority of app rejections won’t cause a remote uninstall, and it’ll only be used if the app “exhibits harmful behavior or unforeseen effects” — not that we’re entirely assured by the latter scenario, but wording aside, it does echo statements from the aforementioned companies that have so far been very conservative with its use (i.e. we can’t recall a single instance of its use). “While we hope to avoid this scenario,” he said, “we will make refunds available in such cases.” Only time will tell just how trigger happy Microsoft gets, assuming they ever use it. Hey, just be happy we know about it — remember the last time we were surprised to discover such a feature

In two separate pieces, DigiTimes reports that MSI wants to be first with Intel Pine Trail-M netbooks (likely with Windows 7), and that Acer plans to launch three touch-enabled products along with the OS: Could a netbook be amongst them? An Acer product manager is quoted saying “touch-enabled netbooks may see good market acceptance if they are to be marketed as cheaper alternatives to tablet PCs.” Unfortunately, the report doesn’t make it whether such a netbook is one of the three initial Windows 7 products or not. Either way, we know at least one: the Aspire Z5600 multi-touch all-in-one PC. Meanwhile, Though Intel has apparently postponed Pine Trail-M to the first quarter of next year, DigiTimes says MSI intends to launch the platform ahead of schedule—in netbooks expected to run Windows 7 and have touch screens. No time frame was given, but we’ll keep you posted.

A user backlash is brewing after Sony confirmed it deliberately disables hardware virtualization (required to run Windows 7’s XP Mode) on all current Vaio laptops, due to security concerns. That’s despite the fact that the Intel Core 2 Duo processors that they use support Intel’s Virtual Technology (VT), which is needed to run the Windows XP Mode included in Windows 7 Pro and above. Of course, many users have been looking forward to Windows 7’s XP Mode because it allows software designed for XP to run without breaking like it might in Vista. Over at the Windows 7 blog , Sony’s Senior manager for product marketing, Xavier Lauwaert, responded that the company had: …received very little if any requests to enable VT technology up until very recently. In addition, our engineers and QA people were very concerned that enabling VT would expose our systems to malicious code that could go very deep in the Operating System structure of the PC and completely disable the latter. For these two reasons we have decided, until recently, not to enable VT