One of Samsung’s latest unveilings at the recent Barcelona MWC expo last week was a fascinating – if not entirely original – idea. Their new smartphone device called the Beam i8520 (previously known as ‘Halo’), is intriguing mainly due to the fact that, on top of its body, it carries a pico-projector which has a number of possible functions – from the merely playful to the ability to facilitate immediate and impromptu business meetings and presentations, not to mention sudden slide and photo displays of your new baby or holiday snaps. The Beam also comes replete with all of the necessary modern smartphone accoutrements such as the super-fast Android 2.1 operating system and an incredibly stylish 3.7-inch Super AMOLED display.

The screen of the phone features a capacitive touchscreen that is well-appointed and responsive, allowing for fast and largely error-free text input. The Beam also come complete with a rear-appointed 8.2-megapixel camera that takes fantastic quality still snaps and would quite easily rival entry- and even mid-level stand-alone digital cameras. The camera also features an integral LED flash – a welcome addition to any camera phone – which allows the user to take snaps in all lighting conditions. All in all the Beam adds up to a very smart device, running at decent speeds while functioning well in a number of situations.

As you might imagine the primary interest of most spectators at the conference was device’s integral pico-projector and its capabilities. The projector itself is a Texas Instruments made device (the same company that make calculators) and it runs at WVGA resolution. This is the same resolution, in fact, as the AMOLED display of the Beam itself. In order to bring the projector into play the user need only press down on a button on the right side of the Beam and then point at anything they wish to project. The projector is able to then capture and project anything that is captured on the main screen, and has a brightness rating of 6 lumen. Whilst this will never allow you to professionally screen the newest releasing it seemed to work well enough in the darkened setting of the exhibition hall. When the lighting came up a little, though, it became hard to see the images and most likely means that any display in a light room with no shading would make viewing a fairly difficult experience.

The idea is, though a very interesting one, and many feel that Samsung will develop the concept further in some of its later devices – however at that point other manufacturers may also develop their own picture phones as well to compete with Samsung’s current niche market. For now, though, the pico-projector on the Beam is definitely one of the most outstanding on the market.

As far as memory is concerned, the Beam’s capacity is a bit on the low side for a modern smartphone, although there is integral support for memory expansion via the MicroSD slot which enables the user to expand to a greatly-improved 32GB, enough for the most heavy-duty of users. The Beam also boasts good connectivity, with Quad-band GPRS as well as 3G support. The 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities further allow the user a seamless and fast Internet surfacing experience in a number of locations, either at specific Wi-Fi hotspots or in any 3G serviced area. There is also integral Bluetooth capability, allowing the easy transfer of data wirelessly to and from the device via other enabled devices.

Overall the Beam is certainly a stylish looking phone, able to house both the projector as well as all internal systems without becoming overly bulky and unwieldy. This helps maintain the overall aesthetic appeal necessary in many phones these days, and the screen resolution displaying a huge 16 million colours on a 480×800 pixel resolution display is enough to attract most eyes away from any of the additional bulk near the top where the projector is housed..

Knowing the chassis type for a mobile platform is pretty telling, after all, it pretty much lets us know the adaptive capabilities or the versatility of an OS. While this may seem like a big deal, in application it is not.

Still, news is news and we just got some interesting info regarding the upcoming Windows Phone 7 series mobile platform. According to a recent podcast from ZDnet, the new Microsoft mobile OS will be relying on three basic chassis types.

The type 1 chassis is the traditional touch screen smart phone look. As made famous by the Apple iPhone, the touch screen layout is both basic, easy to use and takes only a few moments to figure out. We are honestly not surprised by knowing this since the user interface displayed by WP7 will need the traditional large screen that touch screen devices use.

The type 2 chassis is equally well known as the type 1 even though not all mobile phones use it. This is the touch screen layout that comes with a slide out QWERTY keyboard. This is perfect for all mobile phone users who rely heavily on sending emails, long messages and other keyboard-reliant functions.

The type 3 chassis details are sketchy at best, and while we have heard that this might be a candy bar phone layout, it is likely that the phone might be similar to the Backflip or the N900.

Anyway, WP7 is a mobile platform that everyone is looking forward to getting their hands on. From what we have seen at the Mobile World Congress, the new user interface is not only amazing, it is outright revolutionary. We actually wondered why no other mobile devices used the same kind of interface.

The first WP7 device is expected to arrive later this year.

Get to know more WP7 chassis info at Stuff TV.

When thousands of iPhone apps get booted off the app store in a matter of hours and the only thing developers get is an email notification, we can expect some serious repercussions in the mobile phone industry.

There is no doubt that Apple wishes to trim down the hedge before jumping into the iPad era. The last thing the company wants is for the iPad to be able to access over 5000 applications with scantily clad women. Well, or so Schiller would want us to believe.

As the global marketing head of Apple, it is not surprising that Phil has taken the bull by the horns in this issue. The man certainly does not want any ill will towards Apple.

Considering what has happened, Phil acted a little too late. While Apple does have the final say on the removal of applications, the move to suddenly remove the source of income for many developers comes as a very harsh and cruel thing to do. Many of these developers are amateur developers slaving over codes day and night.

Even the “protecting children and women” defense feels a little off. Children would never have access to the Apple app store unless they are explicitly allowed by their parents. This is because access to the online store requires the use of a credit card, which no minor can have.

The “women” defense is even sketchier. Apple has chosen not to remove Sports Illustrated and Playboy applications. Phil cites that the fact that these are published materials seems to foster an excuse that it is okay –though it is actually printed material such as these that often incite women’s rights rallies, not iPhone Apps with sexy women.

For those who want to read more about Phil Schiller and the big Apple excuse over the app purge; go to the Telegraph UK.

The upcoming release of Sony Ericsson’s Aspen is very much a continuance from the previous Xperia X1 and X2 featuring, as it does, the corporation’s third Windows mobile powered phone. The device is pencilled for release in the second quarter of this year and will also go by the name of Sony Ericsson Faith is some markets. The device itself is principally geared towards business users, and is packed with a whole range of high-end features to make these users happy.

Sony have utilised their Greenheart range of eco-friendly materials to produce the Aspen handset, meaning that most of the handset itself has been manufactured using recycled materials. In the green spirit there is also a bare minimum of packaging, a very good selling point in an increasingly eco-aware marketplace. Going even another step further the box in which the device comes contains no user manual as it is instead stored integrally on the phone itself in .pdf format. Because of this it is a good idea, on receipt of the phone, to copy the file for the instruction manual straight to your computer as this is a much more pain-free way to access the instructions in the event that something goes wrong with your phone than what you might face otherwise. It also negates the need to waste time trying to find the .pdf file for the manual on the Internet. The handset also features waterborne paint, which further enhances Greenheart’s green credentials. For those slightly newer to such things, waterborne paint is more environmentally friendly than the alternatives.

The Aspen, in terms of its appearance, looks somewhat similar to a traditional Blackberry device, with its QWERTY keyboard taking up four rows. The displays features a TFT touchscreen that displays anywhere up to 16 million colours in a display size of 2.4 inches across while the touchscreen capability gives a useful choice between the integral keyboard and the screen itself. Usefully the screen also supports handwriting recognition for those who prefer to write their messages in that format.

Ideally for Web browsing, the display comes with the auto-rotate function, allowing a choice of viewing angles and options. To fully utilise this, the Aspen has excellent connectivity and features quad band GSM, making it ideal for global coverage – essential for the business customers at whom the device is aimed. The Aspen also supports Bluetooth 2.1, and connects to a PC via a Micro USB connector. A drawback for some is that the onboard storage capacity stands at a paltry 100MB, though this can easily be upgraded with the use of MicroSD memory cards – via which the device will be able to store anything up to 16GB. To help provide a boost the device will supply its basic package with a 4GB memory card.

Again in keeping with the Aspen’s strong business credentials the device supports all of the major messaging platforms and also includes e-mail and push e-mail – extra-useful as it negates the need to continually sign in to your e-mail account in order to check for new e-mails. Instead, an alert will come up on the homepage alerting you to the fact that your account has receive new e-mail. This is a big plus for those multi-tasking on a range on apps all at once. There are also integral applications for YouTube, Skype, Facebook and Twitter, allowing easy and convenient access to a range of useful tools to enhance connectivity over the most popular sites used today.

Another excellent feature for business users is the inclusion of Pocket Office which allows the user to display a range of office documents on screen, including Word and Excel documents as well as PowerPoint and .pdf files. When you decide that you need a bit of a break from such high-powered professional machinations you can also access the media player that supports a range of formats such as WMA, MP3 and AAC audio files. The Aspen also features a stereo FM radio with full RDS support. There is also a capable ‘point ‘n’ shoot’ 3.2 megapixel camera which also allows video recording. Google Maps will also be pre-installed with all newly-shipped devices, making this an excellent high-performance all-rounder for the business person. It will be interesting to see how it performs against the handsets also due for release in the second quarter of 2010, though it is sure to be a strong contender on the market for those looking for a new and powerful business tool at their disposal.

Many consider the Mobile World Congress and the biggest event for the mobile phone industry since it focuses strictly on mobile phones and related technologies unlike events such as the Consumer Electronics Show.

The MWC was held last Valentine’s Day at Barcelona, Spain. Yep, and for the lack of any other way to put it, the event was a date with the future of mobile phone technology. There were plenty of sneak peeks at the lineup of upcoming devices for 2010, and of course, we have our favorites.

Topping off our list is the Samsung Wave smart phone. This 1GHz device features Samsung’s very own Bada operating system. It comes with a 3.3 inch super AMOLED touch screen which has one of the nicest displays we have seen on a smart phone. Overall, this is one device to look out for. The Bada OS is pretty good and intuitive, but when it comes to platforms we want, there is nothing quite like the upcoming Microsoft mobile OS.

Steve Ballmer of Microsoft went onstage to present the Windows Phone 7 series progress. What we saw blew us away. We originally expected the new Microsoft operating system to be a simple update of the existing WinMo series; instead what we saw was a complete re-imagining of how mobile phones should be used and how we should expect a user interface to look. Zune, Bing and Xbox Live Games service will be available.

Google’s Android is a definite pick by phone manufacturers as it popped up with Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro as well as HTC’s Desire and Legend smart phones. As much as we would have wanted to get a quick look at the upcoming HTC Scorpion, it was not around at the MWC.

Get more info about the MWC at Times Online UK.

Here’s a quick wrap up of all the interesting headlines that appeared last week:

First off, the Mobile World Congress held last February 14 at Barcelona, Spain finally ended with many attendees bearing witness to new releases and upcoming devices. Microsoft was the unexpected star of the show with their presentation of the new Windows Phone 7 series mobile platform. Though their newly released Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Maldives did appear on the Sony Ericsson Aspen; the big star was their work in progress, WP7.

Not only did the platform get a new name, it also changes everything we knew about Windows Mobile –in a good way. Many are now looking forward to the recently announced October release date for the OS.

Sony Ericsson just unveiled several new mobile phones in the form of the XPERIA X10 Mini, X10 Mini Pro and the Vivaz Pro. While many are already familiar with the Snapdragon Android XPERIA X10 and the Symbian HD recording smart phone Vivaz; the new X10 Mini and Mini Pro sports a half sized, watered down version of the X10. The “Pro” phones are similar to their namesakes in terms of specs, but also come with slide out QWERTY keyboards.

HTC also made several new announcements. First off, the HTC Bravo was now renamed as the HTC Desire. Both the Desire and the HTC Legend are expected to be released this coming March. No word has been given regarding the upcoming HTC Scorpion.

Lastly, we’ll take another look at Microsoft as it was just confirmed that the European Regulators have approved of the tie up between Microsoft and Yahoo! No word yet as to what this means for the tech industry, but we can expect to see something new later this year.

Read more news about the mobile industry at the Guardian UK.

The HTC Desire has lived to its billing as one of the perfect super phones in the market. The phone has an array of features that make it one of the most appealing and innovative in the market. It has been manufactured to fit the diverse needs of the customer in terms of entertainment, information and communication. The phone contains some of the most sophisticated and innovative features that ensure it lives up to the wildest expectations of the phone market. Its compact design and look increases its appeal to the majority.

One of its unique features is the relatively large LED screen which gives the customers the unrivalled experience of experiencing clear cut crisp images. The screen is large enough and you do not have to worry about the clarity it provides since it has been taken care by the state of the art AMOLED screen which opens up a whole new world of experience of fantastic viewing experience. The phone from its name desire is just the perfect gadget to invest in for those who marvel at quality, clarity and compactness are the perfect specifications of a phone.

Colors in the phone are greatly enhanced by the display screen. This makes sure that the little details are taken care of by the phones design and this makes all your entertainment solutions to be taken care of in the most sophisticated and innovative manner. Entertainment with the HTC Desire phone lives up to its expectation and this is one of the major things that the phone takes care of in the simplest of ways. The phone is equipped with not only entertainment features but its news features are very hard to ignore. This feature allows you to get in touch with the world of information technology. You will never have to be left behind with the latest happenings be it in sports news, latest stock market reports  or other interests you may have with this phone.

One of the unbeatable features in the HTC Desire is the internet connectivity. The phone brings the internet world at the palm of your hands with super fast speed. This means that internet connectivity with the phone will be at an all time high. The phones processor which is amazingly fast ensures that you get not only fast internet but also high quality. With this phone, you can jump from application to application without being slowed down or interrupted. You can also access the latest and popular applications such as face book, twitter or others with great style which is provided by the relatively large screen.

The phone also has a status feature and you can use this to verify your status. This would be of great help especially to those who work since they can indicate to their work mates their status. Another great aspect of this phone is the fact that it can store all your emails or calendars and so you can access them wherever you are with ease.

The phone becomes more and more spectacular as you discover the little things you can do with it. One of these things is the leap thumbnail which allows you to go into one of the seven icons which appear your homepage. This means that you can read a mail and still go to the application that you were using before with any settings being altered. Another small feature that makes a huge difference is the polite ringer which is capable of lowering the volume of the phone and so your phone does not need to cause any disturbance.

The LG Mini GD880 is classy and sophisticated scratch resistant touch screen that comes with various features making the user to keep in touch with loved ones throughout. This amazing phone is built to satisfy the users need. Among this features include an internet browser that is able to support many of the popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The phone comes in a cool and attractive outer casing. It has a solid bar shaped form that is classy but also user friendly.

The LG Mini GD880 outer look is simple but yet gives it that sophisticated style look. The phone comes in black casing but with a clear polished accent on the edges and on the top. The 3.2 inch covers the entire front part of the LG Mini GD880 thereby providing the user with really fantastic display. In addition, it gives the user an easy access to the controls. The screen has a 480 x 854 pixels display resolution.

The LG Mini GD880 user is able to access using the simple but elaborate controls on the touch screens. Furthermore, they can use the onscreen display keypad in order to input text on their easy and interactive screen. The people at have spaced out the keys on the touch screen to make it easy to use.

The LG Mini GD880 has a 5.0 mega pixel camera. The camera allows the user to record videos and capture still photos. The LG Mini GD880 camera allows for high quality videos and photos through the automatic focus feature. This feature allows the user to get well balanced and focused shot each moment the capture key on the phone is pressed. The LG Mini GD880 camera capture key is placed on the right hand edge allowing the user to place their phone in a horizontal position if they prefer. This feature allows the LG Mini GD880 user to hold their phone just like a standard camera when shooting a video or capturing a picture.

The phone comes with an inbuilt FM radio that allows for radio data system function. This feature enables the LG Mini GD880 user to see the onscreen data that is relevant to the station that he has tuned in. This acts as a good visual and listening experience to the user. Among the best feature of the LG Mini GD880 is the integrated music player that is able to support high quality music and sound. The phone also allows different form of music files like WMA and MP3 among others. The LG Mini GD880 allows guarantee transfer of music through different connectivity options that are available.

The LG Mini GD880 comes with a wide range of games making it a quite lively experience. However you can chose to download games that appeal to you using the phones internet browser. The phones built in player will allow you to play more popular videos in a wide range of formats. In addition, you can enjoy this video playback in horizontal or vertical mode. The stylish LG Mini GD880 call log capability allows you to keep up to twenty calls that have been dialed, missed and received. The phone inbuilt speaker allows the user to multitask while keeping in touch with loved ones and friends.  The LG Mini GD880 phone book has the ability to store up to one thousand contacts that can be edited fully. The photo call feature allows the user to view the picture of contact that exists in the phone book memory. You can also send and receive emails.

The Mobile World Congress was full of impressive toys and gadgets, new applications, accessories and even news about soon-to-come technologies later for the year. All in all it has been a very successful event that has brought to the spotlight some major chunks of news.

Let us start out with the simple news. Sony Ericsson just beefed up their lineup with the new XPERIA X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro smart phones. These Android devices is Sony’s venture into low price range markets as their high end devices are not selling much in terms of quantity. The X10 Mini Pro has an extra feature: a slide out physical QWERTY keyboard perfect for users who like sending messages and like good phones.

HTC also had its own big reveal, but more of existing devices. The Desire and the Legend will be coming out this March. The Desire was originally named as the HTC Bravo and it served as the basis for the Nexus One smart phone. The Desire comes with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen. HTC Hero Legend keeps hiding away.

The big news of the event came from Microsoft as they unveiled the Windows Mobile Phone 7 operating system onstage. Many expected the device to conk out a BSOD warning page. Instead, the new mobile OS reinvented everything we thought were standards for smart phones.

Features such as support for multi touch and gestures are present. Zune, Bing and Xbox Live Games will be available for the Windows Phone 7. So far, no titles of games have been announced for the WP7 when it launches this holiday season. Lastly, HTC has confirmed news that they will be creating the next WP7 device.

Get the rest of the scoop on MWC’s highlights at GSM Arena.

If you have been browsing around Amazon Germany’s website, then you might have chanced upon the new HTC Desire being sold for 419 Euros.

It was a fluke that occurred for a while before Amazon spotted the errant page and quickly put it down. Looks like they are having the product pages ready so that once the device is available, the selling can begin.

In any case, it is not surprising to know that it will be available on Amazon Germany; the device has already been tagged as to be available in Europe. Even the HTC Legend was spotted in Netherland’s KPN site. What is interesting is that the price has already been set. This is the first time anyone has shown the price for the Desire and it is pretty compelling. This will certainly make the HTC phone a more viable choice than the Nexus One.

The HTC Desire was originally named as the HTC Bravo. This device served as the basis for the Google Phone Nexus One. It comes with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen and a 5 mega pixel camera with D1 video recording capabilities. The new name was given when the device appeared last weekend at the Mobile World Congress held at Barcelona, Spain.

Along with the Desire, HTC also showed off the new Android Legend. This smart phone comes with an aluminum casing, a Qualcomm 600 MHz processor, a 3.2 inch AMOLED touch screen and a 5 mega pixel camera. The device is intended to be the successor to the successful HTC Hero Android smart phone. Both the Legend and the Desire first appeared last year when the 2010 roadmap for HTC was leaked. The two devices are expected to be released later this March.

Get more info about the HTC Desire on Amazon at Softpedia.