March 2010 Tech News: Microsoft, Verizon, Skype and Google Buzz

Microsoft has made a big splash in Barcelona. Verizon is lighting up on Skype and how many PlayStations do you really need, all that and more on TopTenReports.

Hey everyone! I’m Jessica Foust of TopTenReports. And Microsoft announced their new line of its Windows Mobile Phone Operating System at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The name you ask? Windows Phone 7 Series. Microsoft has never been known for great naming scheme obviously.

The new operating system is a complete redesign from older versions. A name change is intended to distance Microsoft from Windows Mobile which is considered one of the worst Smartphone operating system in recent years. Microsoft plans to take more direct role in deciding what handsets can run the new operating system. While the company won’t be manufacturing the phones themselves, they say it will set up a series of standards in order to ensure that Windows Phone 7 only appears in the highest quality hardware.

In more mobile phone news, Verizon Wireless maybe unexpected move of allowing Smartphone users to start using Skype over its 3D network. Skype is voice service that allows users to make calls over the internet rather than traditional phone services. Verizon has been reluctant to allow its 3G network to make such calls because they’re obviously circumventing Verizon’s traditional network. The Skype mobile application is available on the Motorola, Droid, Droid Eris and several Blackberry phones.

There’s a new rule in town about owning PlayStation 3. Sony says you can only own one. That’s right. Apparently, the PS3, 120 gig version is in such high demand that there’s actually a shortage of them. Analysts are sighting high holiday sales and a price drop as the reasons for its shortage. So with that news, its prompted Sony to implement a new rule; only one PS3 per household and retails for falling into line. Amazon has changed its policy to only allow one purchase per family. It seems kind of an odd move considering that that rule is so easily circumvented. And really, who needs two PS3s anyways?

Last week, Google rolled out Google Buzz and this week and they already have to fix it. That idea behind Google Buzz is to let you. You use your Gmail account as a social networking hub. The only problem was that there was a severe privacy flaw. In fact, the whole problem is they didn’t have any privacy at all. The default setting was to allow basically everyone to see your personal information. So of course, many of us did not like that fact and after a week of intense problems, Google has fixed it. So my only question is this, what was Google thinking? Did they really believe that their users would want everybody’s personal information available to everyone on the internet by default? Fail.

And that’s all for this edition TopTenReports, your tech news resource, I’m Jessica Foust.