Windows Phone 7

Microsoft announced its latest operating system yesterday, which will hit devices "later this year." Dubbed Mango, the OS update will come with a whopping 500 new features, which will be centered around communication, social connectivity, and the Internet. Although Microsoft didn't unveil all 500 latest features to come with Mango, here are a few standouts I think you'll love.

• Hands-free — When you're driving, Mango can announce an incoming call or text message, and will allow you to respond to either without ever picking up your handset. Safe driving FTW!
• Threads — Switch between your active texts, Facebook chats, or instant messages in one threaded space so you can keep the conversation going no matter where it takes place.
• Social networks — Mango will add Twitter and LinkedIn feeds to contact cards and includes built-in Facebook check-ins, along with integrated face detection to easily tag pics of your pals before you upload to Facebook or the web.
• Local Scout — Bing will aggregate activities and events that are going on around your current location, and allow you to rate each activity.
• App Shortcuts — Kind of like multitasking, App Shortcuts are a handy feature in Mango. For example, if you're reading about a movie while surfing the web, Mango will create a quick shortcut to your IMDB app so you can check out the film's details.

What other features are you looking forward to in Windows Phone 7.1? If you want to see the entire Windows Phone 7.1 presentation from yesterday, check out the video on Microsoft's website.

It looks like at least one of the predicted tech trends for 2011 might be coming true. Today, during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer detailed updates to Windows Phone 7, parts of which users can expect to see next month.

Announced features include Internet Explorer 9 for faster browsing, multitasking, and built-in Twitter integration. But arguably the most exciting announcement is that the phones will connect with the Kinect, serving as a kind of controller for the device. Details are still sketchy, but based on the demonstration, the Kinect will be able to detect players using Windows phones and allow them to use the phones as controllers to enhance the game. The phone's screen will also display game play, adding another level of interactivity. No official date was announced for this functionality.

These updates, plus the recent announcement that Nokia would be ditching its own software in favor of Microsoft's mobile OS in its phones by the end of the year, could signal that 2011 is the year of the Windows Phone.

Amazon is still in the gift-giving spirit, it seems: it is once again selling a great selection of smartphones for a penny.

The retailer ran a similar penny sale late last year; this time around, it is offering three Windows Phone 7 devices for a penny, to celebrate the release of the Kindle app on the handsets earlier this week. If that's not your thing, it's still worth checking out: other phones, including the HTC Incredible, are also being offered for the same great price.

Want to know which other phones you can grab for practically nothing? Check out the deal details after the break.

I finally caught one of the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 ads on TV last night, and although I've seen it before, I realized just how confusing it may be. The commercial is a full minute long and features people going about their daily activities completely distracted by their phones. There's a commuter on a bike, a female jogger, a dude standing at a urinal, and more. The real issue for me is when the commercial shows a distracted mother not minding her toddler.

If you watch the video straight through, you get the message: Microsoft designed a phone that won't distract you. But if you don't catch the very end of the commercial — or if you watch it with the sound off — it's completely confusing and sends a total mixed message. What do you think? Check out the full video after the break.

To coincide with the launch of its Windows Phone 7 next month, Microsoft is offering a yearlong Zune subscription for $150. The yearly pass allows users to stream an unlimited amount of music and includes 10 song downloads each month on your new Windows phone, which comes with built-in Zune functionality.

Find out what else is included after the break.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled a plethora of new Windows Phone 7 devices this morning at a press conference in NYC. Steve took the stage to detail the sleek WP7 operating system and outline the upcoming phones, which will be available in 30 countries through 60 wireless providers. Microsoft has its hands full with the sheer volume of phones it's set to release this year, but Steve Ballmer says he likes them so much that he'll be using them all. Which one will you use?

Get the lowdown on the new Windows Phone 7 devices, their carriers, upcoming apps and features, even the first ads after the break.

Get excited! Microsoft sent out an email yesterday morning, inviting the press to its Windows Phone 7 launch event on October 11 in NYC. You've seen what the new handset can do thanks to the numerous demo videos and my up-close early impressions, but there's some other info you may want to know about the new Microsoft handset before you decide to buy. Get all the latest details in this launch guide after the break.

Mobile gaming just got a lot more exciting — Microsoft recently announced its lineup of games coming with the upcoming Windows Phone 7, which includes a large number of Xbox Live games. We already knew that you could hook up your Xbox Live avatar to the Windows Phone 7, but Microsoft wowed the crowd at this year's GamesCom 2010 in Germany with the sheer number of games that will be made available to mobile gamers. Looks like Microsoft is ready to take on the iPhone (or the PSP?) in the mobile gaming arena.

Not only will you have access to a ton of Xbox Live games, but you'll be able to try them before you buy, see live Xbox gaming leaderboards, and play along with your pals in turn-based multiplayer so you don't have to game alone. Additionally, your Xbox Live friends, achievements, and messaging will be made available right from the Windows Phone 7 when it hits this holiday.

Want to see a few of the Xbox Live games you'll be able to play? Then just keep reading!