Microsoft will unveil a version of Windows that runs on devices that use ARM-based processors at CES in January, Bloomberg reports. ARM architecture is the basis for pretty much every mobile phone and tablet processor out there, including the Hummingbird chip that’s in the Google Nexus S, the Snapdragon in the HTC Desire HD, and …

When you paint it by numbers, Microsoft did most everything right to launch Windows Phone 7. They created a bold, fresh design, which they previewed to get press excited and involved. Then there was the big, teased kickoff event in New York presided over by CEO Steve Ballmer. Microsoft even shelled out the appropriate bundle for for clever, engaging ads, …

Despite reports of a slow start, Microsoft said on Tuesday that it has sold more than 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 devices in the first six weeks, but it’s important to note that the number reflects the number of units sold to mobile operators and retailers and not necessarily direct to consumers. When asked if the sales numbers met company …

Eric Franklin/CNET Editors’ note: If you’ve already read “Battle Royale: Five smartphones face off”, “Battle Royale 2: Smartphones face off, screen to screen”, or “Battle Royale 3: The Final Conflict” (which, you know, didn’t really pan out given the article you’re currently reading), then you may experience some deja vu when reading this article. We’ve used the same tests and …

The Federal Communications Commission today officially adopted controversial Net neutrality rules, but the fight is far from over as the FCC’s authority to create and enforce these rules may still be in question. With the support of the Democratic FCC chairman, Julius Genachowski, and two other Democratic commissioners, Michael Copps and Mignon Clyburn, the agency passed the rules in a …

If you’re a Samsung Intercept owner who has had problems with the Android 2.2 software update, you’re not alone. Sprint has announced in its forums that some users have reported the Intercept to be unresponsive after the upgrade. The company is working on a solution, so hopefully we’ll get it all sorted out soon. If you own a Samsung Intercept …

Motorola is getting into the Christmas spirit by trash-talking the actual ten commandments, along with the Rosetta Stone, the Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Oh no it di’nt! The teaser video for Motorola’s as yet unnamed tablet also shows a buzzing bee nuzzling up against the company’s logo, in a nod to the fact that it will have …

AT&T took another step toward filling out its 4G wireless broadband strategy with the announcement yesterday that it plans to spend $1.9 billion to buy wireless spectrum from chipmaker Qualcomm. The new spectrum will be used to help build the carrier’s next generation LTE network. This is the same technology that Verizon Wireless is using to build its 4G network. …

Editors’ note: This is a guest column. See Larry Downes’ bio below. After more than a year of palace dramas worthy of a Shakespeare play, the FCC voted this morning to impose new rules on Internet access providers aimed at “preserving the open Internet.” Today’s action is both anticlimactic and incomplete. Despite soap opera hand-wringing the last three weeks from …

We knew it was coming, but Sprint confirmed today that its 4G WiMax network would go live in the San Francisco Bay Area on December 28. Sprint customers should be able to access the fast data speeds in most urban regions surrounding the bay including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. Though the carrier has been testing WiMax in the …

Apple How important is having the top spot in Apple’s App Store listings before the holiday “freeze,” when applications cannot be added, changed, or updated? Important enough for most of the major players to drop prices on their biggest titles. After Electronic Arts dropped the prices of most of its popular game titles, many to 99 cents, Gameloft and Namco …

Apple Apple has posted job listings for engineers specializing in voice technologies such as speech recognition, iOS software development for speech applications, and speech research. Apple recently filed for patents related to greater integration of voice commands throughout iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch apps, including a customizable API that developers could use to include voice control in their software. The …

Though Sprint’s iDEN network will go to the mobile graveyard in 2013, the carrier today announced two new Motorola handsets that will see the technology through to its end. Exact specifications are still to come, but the handsets should have all the markings of an iDEN device, including a rugged design and support for the Direct Connect push-to-talk network. The …

Like games? Here’s your chance to save a few bucks on six indie champs–and support a worthy cause in the process. Screenshot by Rick Broida ‘Tis the season to score iPhone, iPod, and iPad games on the cheap. First, Electronic Arts cut some 70 games to 99 cents each, a promotion that’s likely to run through the holidays. Next, Gameloft …

Google used its Android Developers blog yesterday to deny a correlation between rooting a handset and perceived poor security measures on the operating system. In the blog, Android engineer Nick Kralevich pointed to comments on an Engadget post that characterized the Nexus S’ security as “crap.” Not suprisingly, Kralevich disagreed. “Legitimately gaining root access to your device is a far …