California girth: Katy Perry's skin-tight silver dress clings in all the wrong places

It could well be a trick of the light, combined with an unflattering outfit choice.

But the usually immaculate Katy Perry was looking a little curvier than usual during a concert in Budapest, Hungary, last night.

The 25-year-old star took to the stage in a skin-tight silver rubber dress, which clung in all the wrong place.



With the material buckling around the waist, the figure-hugging design even gave the impression of a protruding belly.

Usually Katy looks a million dollars, but apparently even she has her off days.

Perry is also something of a gym fanatic, and has been working out extra hard ahead of her wedding to comic Russell Brand, who she is expected to marry before the end of the year.

The star has been hitting the headlines recently after being axed from Sesame Street because the scenes, featuring her wearing a low cut top, were deemed too racy.

Olivia Wilde joins Justin Timberlake in Andrew Niccols project

House’s Olivia Wilde has landed yet another feature film role but this one is probably the most unique. For she will play Justin Timberlake’s mother in the Untitled Andrew Niccols project (previously titled I’m. mortal) for New Regency and Fox.

How, you ask, can this 26- year old actress play the mother of J.T.? Well the new thriller is based on a society where aging stops at 25 and time has become the currency. As such, even a 50-year old can look 25. In this world, the rich are immortal and the rest struggle to stay alive. The plot of the film center’s on Timberlake’s character Will who is falsely accused of murdering a wealthy man for his time, and is forced to go on the run with a hostage, Sylvia, played by Amanda Seyfried. Cillian Murphy is playing one of the time keepers out to stop Will.

Niccols had wanted Wilde for the part but it was touch-and-go as to whether she could do it considering she’s set to co-star opposite Ryan Reynolds and Justin Bateman in the Universal comedy The Change-Up and still has her House role as Thirteen to manage. The young actress has become a hot commodity as of late, co-starring in Disney’s highly-anticipated winter release of Tron and just finishing up her role in Jon Favreau’s genre mash-up Cowboys vs. Aliens. With all this film work on her plate, it’s a wonder how long the Thirteen role will last.

What Was Miley Cyrus Doing at a Naughty Nightclub?

Miley Cyrus is only 17, but she partied last night at Voyeur nightclub, a very grown up venue that features topless dancers and S&M performances.

Miley hit the West Hollywood hot spot—sans Liam Hemsworth—to attend a private birthday bash. And by the looks of her short shorts and bare midriff, she seemed to be in the mood to show some skin herself.

So what was Miss Miley doing inside?

MORE: Miley went clubbing in Paris with costar Ashley Greene

Keep your shirts on! Nothing too scandalous, according to sources at the scene.

"She wasn't drinking, just dancing with a girlfriend," one tells me.

Another partygoer, sitting at the table next to the teen, dishes: "I was expecting her to be pretty wild, but in all honesty, she seemed pretty chill and looked like she was having a good clean time."

Miley's rep didn't respond to our request for comment.

The "Party in the USA" singer left Voyeur around 1:30 a.m., but didn't want to get photographed. Her friends shielded her as she walked out, and then she hid on the floor of a pal's car as they drove off.

Just another Thursday night in Mileyland, right?

The Hills' Stephanie Pratt is a bikini babe as she lounges poolside

There's no doubting who inherited all the good looks in the Pratt household.

Spencer's little sister, Stephanie Pratt looked stunning yesterday as she lounged poolside in Los Angeles, California.


Making the most of the current California heatwave, which has seen some of the hottest temperatures since records began, Pratt rocked her itsy bitsy bikini and wide, floppy, straw hat.

The 24-year-old had taken a book with her to help while away the hours as she worked on her tan, but opted instead to spend her time texting on her ever present Blackberry.

Pratt, who has struggled with bulimia in the past, looked healthy and happy, at the perfect weight and in great shape.

The reality star shot to fame on the hit MTV show, The Hills, which ended its series run on July 13.

Aiming at Android, Microsoft sues Motorola

Microsoft today sued Motorola, alleging several of the cell phone maker's Android devices infringe on Redmond's patents.

Microsoft both sued Motorola in U.S. District Court in Washington and brought a complaint before the International Trade Commission. Microsoft alleges Motorola infringes on nine Microsoft patents related to key smartphone experiences such as syncing e-mail, calendar, and contacts, and notifying applications about changes in signal strength and battery power, Microsoft said. The complaint cites Motorola's Droid 2 phone as an example.

"We have a responsibility to our customers, partners, and shareholders to safeguard the billions of dollars we invest each year in bringing innovative software products and services to market," Microsoft deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez said in a statement.

The suit comes as Microsoft is trying to line up phone makers to use its Windows Phone 7 operating system. Although Google-developed Android can be used free of charge, Microsoft has been trying to make the case that phone makers should consider the potential intellectual-property issues and related costs before going with Android.

iPad Early Adopters More Satisfied and Active with Their Tablet Than New Buyers

Based on results from a new study, the NPD Group has revealed this week that early adopters of Apple’s tablet device, the iPad, are more satisfied and active with their tablet device, while new purchasers of the tablet device are far less active. The study says that those early adopters use their tablets quite often. The results were revealed by Stephen Baker, Vice President of Industry Analysis with NPD, on the company’s official blog.

In addition to the above, the report says that overall customer satisfaction with the iPad is strong, but that early adopters seem to be just more satisfied with the iOS-based tablet. This new survey was taken during the month of August. The findings says that 65 percent of customers who bought the iPad are “very satisfied” with their purchase in general. That’s a decrease from nearly 80 percent of respondents who said they were “very satisfied” with their purchase right after the launch of the iPad.

The NPD clarified who they believe as an “early adopter” of the tablet, and said that anyone who purchased it within the first two months of the launch is considered an early adopter. As far as activity goes, the survey found that early iPad purchasers use their tablet device up to 18 hours per week, and almost a third of those users see that time increasing. As one might expect, the usage on the iPad is pretty vast, but the normal usage patterns stand out: using the Browser, playing games, and accessing one’s email are all top contenders for most-used features on the tablet.

Andy Lau Avoids Talking About Wife's Pregnancy

It's rumored Andy Lau's wife Carol Chu is 3 months pregnant, but until today Andy has yet officially announced this good news. Even when being interviewed by a Mainland website, he only talk about work.

As for holding his 30th anniversary concert at the end of the year, Andy expresses it would be memorable and touching. "Very touched, because it's hard to support someone for 30 years. Just like you making a friend, or loving someone, it's also hard to keep the relationship for 30 years," he says. He didn't think about retiring from the industry. "If there are still people who want me to be in their films even when I'm 70, I would do it. If I quit, but come back later, then everyone would doubt whether there is a problem with my family," he says.

Over these years, Andy isn't enthusiastic about breaking into Hollywood. "My attitude is, I don't really mind. Or, is it worthy to spend a lot of time doing this thing? Some people might think it's a glory for Chinese people. Then let me ask, who got a very good career after going to Hollywood? I looked at too many scripts that aren't prepared for Chinese, or only let Chinese to play supporting roles. If they let me play Spiderman now, then I'll say yes," he says.

Source: Mingpao
Translation: Kay's Entertainment

A stunning Amy Adams debuts her slender post baby figure, four months after giving birth

It's been just four months since she gave birth, but Amy Adams has already managed to shed all her excess baby weight.

The 36-year-old actress yesterday debuted her slender post baby body in a figure hugging fuchsia pink dress at a Beverly Hills event.

With her red hair pulled up into a loose updo, Adams posed with her hand on her hip, perhaps to accentuate her newly slender waist.



The star was attending Variety’s 2nd Annual Power of Women luncheon, along with the likes of Katie Holmes and Jennifer Garner.

The event was honouring the most philanthropic ladies in entertainment.

Adams gave birth to daughter Aviana back in May - her first child with fiance Darren Legallo.

And the actress has clearly enjoyed her time away from the spotlight to devote to her personal life.

Meryl Streep signs on to play Margaret Thatcher

Though Meryl Streep has signed on to star opposite Julia Roberts in the film adaptation of August: Osage County, the actress will first have to become head of state before she tackles August‘s drug-addicted matriarch. The Academy Award-winning Streep will next film The Iron Lady, the biopic centered on British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. (The film will focus on the days leading up to the Falklands War in the 1980s.) Streep had been rumored to play the role for some time — she’s now set to star opposite Jim Broadbent, who will portray her husband Denis Thatcher.

Streep will partner with her Mamma Mia! director Phyllida Lloyd for the drama, with BBC Films and Pathe International on board to produce. That a British production would cast the American actress as their fabled prime minister certainly speaks to Streep’s acting prowess. And it already has some British citizens up in arms. British bloggers are saying Thatcher’s own children are upset with the casting choice. No matter — this is Streep. And like everything she’s done in the past, she will probably knock this out out of the park too.

Production on The Iron Lady is scheduled to begin by year’s end.

T-Mobile G2 trouble roundup: loose hinges, missing storage?


You know the drill -- new handset, new problems. It's pretty much inevitable that sporadic reports of bugs and hardware problems are going to start popping up by day two of any major phone launch, and sure enough, complaints are starting to circulate on two biggies for the G2. First off, some of the phones are shipping with loose hinges; the most obvious symptom is that holding it upside down causes the screen to hang down, but perhaps more annoyingly, holding it at some angles causes the screen to snap shut if it's open -- still not a huge deal since most humans don't use their phones upside down, but it seems like they could've tightened up a few springs to prevent this from happening.

Secondly -- and more strangely -- at least some G2s in the field appear to have half the promised storage space of 4GB, clocking in at a total of 2GB, which just happens to be the amount promised on the phone's Desire Z doppelganger. We're not sure how that kind of mix-up happens... but if it's legit, T-Mobile's got to take back the units or offer really big microSD cards to affected customers, if you ask us. More on this as it develops -- and let us know your experiences so far in comments.

BlindType acquired by Google, Android typists grin uncontrollably (video)


The note's short and sweet, but it confirms that Google's buying spree is still on -- BlindType was just acquired by the Big G. If you'll recall, we were wowed back in July by the software's ability to predict words regardless of how text was inputted, and it seems as if a few bigwigs within Google were as well. It's unclear what Google's Android team plans to do with its newfound IP, but you shouldn't have to strain your imagination too hard to hazard a guess. As for the BlindType team? They're "excited to join Google, and look forward to the great opportunities for mobile innovation that lie ahead." Likewise, folks... likewise.

Will Miley Cyrus' Next Single Be "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"?

Miley Cyrus' future is lookin' pretty rosy.

Sounds like her cover of Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" may be the second single released off her latest album, Can't Be Tamed…

Poison frontman Bret Michaels tells me he and Cyrus will be hitting the studio to fine-tune the song before its release.

"When we sit down on the guitar and the piano and play, she just nails it," the rocker says.

"And I just said to her, 'Listen, you gotta throw everything else out. 'Every Rose' is a No. 1 classic around the world. It was No. 1 in almost every country. So here's the deal—add just a little pop flair, but keep it organic.'"

And Michaels doesn't want things to end in the recording studio. "I'm just throwing it out there, but I could direct a kickass video that would be insanely cool and very hip," he says. "Very down-to-earth, very hip and just a walk through life."

Just a couple of weeks after Can't Be Tamed's title track was released, Michaels and the teen queen performed "Every Rose" together on Good Morning America. Cyrus also appears on Michaels' song "Nothing to Lose" from his latest album, Custom Built.

That's not all I have for you from Michaels. Come back here later to find out what he said about marrying on-again, off-again girlfriend Kristi Gibson, getting naked for the cover of Billboard magazine and his upcoming heart surgery.

ABC cancels 'My Generation'

An angsty new drama at ABC became the second casuality of the 2010-11 TV season today. ABC has confirmed that it put the kibosh on My Generation, an ensemble series about a group of youths who attended a suburban high school together. The drama attracted 5.17 million viewers when it premiered a week ago but dropped to 3.82 million on Thursday.

The network also stopped production on future episodes. For now, it’s unclear how ABC will fill the timeslot.

Earlier this week, Fox’s Lone Star became the first show to get the ax this season. Viewership sank to 3.2 million during its second outing.

Microsoft rolls out Windows Live Messenger for Zune HD


The Zune HD may not have seen quite the explosion of apps that many had hoped for, but it's just gotten a pretty big one: Windows Live Messenger. That will naturally give you much of the same functionality of its desktop counterpart (also receiving an update today), including the ability to keep watch on updates from various social networking sites, and even use Facebook Chat. It'll also display the music you have playing right in the app and, just like the desktop version, it's free. Look for it in the Zune Marketplace right now.

Sprint Epic 4G update delayed by 'administrative issues,' consumer rage released on schedule

And this, folks, is a lesson of what not to do if you're a major carrier with a majorly perturbed user base. In a way, this sort of feels like the Instinct update debacle all over again, with users claiming that a promised software update was being held beyond the 30 day return window in order to keep contracts alive. 24 hours after a Sprint forum administrator proudly proclaimed that a long-awaited Epic 4G software update was rolling out over the next few days, another admin has chimed in with a nearly-audible "sike!" Rather than letting users cheer its hard work over the weekend, Epic 4G owners are now being told that "administrative issues" are to blame for a new delay -- a delay that'll stretch on for an undetermined amount of time, to boot. Oh, and back on the topic of what not to do, the operator's forum admin has also thrown a jab at all of you out there that would even think of accusing Sprint of pushing this update beyond the 30 day return window. Look, we all know it's a baseless conspiracy theory, but there's really no need to get feisty, is there? Full announcement is after the break.

Update: Looks as if the update is out there if you're brave enough to do it yourself. But honestly, is it worth it? Probably.

Medal of Honor Developers Change Taliban to Opposing Force in Multiplayer

Video games creating some kind of controversy isn’t new. Ranging from first amendment rights, to whether games are art or not, they manage to get into the news one way or another. For publisher EA and developer Danger Close, their upcoming title Medal of Honor was gaining quite a bit of press, thanks to its multiplayer mode. As EA representatives were putting it, “If someone’s the cops, someone’s gotta be the robbers.” In the case of the upcoming title, that would mean the robbers would have to be Taliban forces, and that’s exactly what the developers put into the title. But, activists, military families, and friends of those in the Armed Forces raised their voices, and now the developers have changed their minds, opting for “Opposing Force” rather than “Taliban.”



EA and Danger Close said their decision was based on the out-cry they’ve heard since the problem popped up. Even video game retailer GameStop decided to make it known that their retail locations located in Army and Air Force bases would not be selling the title, because of the Taliban name included therein. Announcing today on the Medal of Honor official blog, the developers and EA have decided to change the Taliban name to Opposing Force.

Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in the film version of 'August: Osage County'? BIGGEST. MOVIE. EVER.

The news from Deadline that Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep are in talks to star as daughter and mother in the film adaptation of the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning play August: Osage County is obviously the biggest news ever. Think I’m exaggerating? Okay, let me put it this way: Our (arguably) greatest female movie star and our (inarguably) greatest living actress will play daughter and mother in an adaptation of the best piece of American theater since Angels in America. See. Now you’re convinced. This will be the BIGGEST. MOVIE. EVER.

Yes, granted, it’s based on a three-and-a-half-hour play set entirely in an Oklahoma country house in which a single extended family — led by its pill-popping matriarch Violet (that would be Streep’s character) and her headstrong eldest daughter Barbara (that would be Roberts’ character) — grieve the mysterious death of its patriarch and then proceed to (verbally) rip each other apart. On paper, that doesn’t exactly scream “box office gold.” And, I know, I know, it’s got a serious title problem.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Gets Unboxed on Video

Word has it that the Galaxy Tab, the 7-inch tablet device from Samsung, will be making its presence known in the United Kingdom starting November 1st. Just to drive that point home, pre-registration is underway right now. However, we’re still missing some information, like how much it will cost. If you’ve been waiting to see some unboxing videos of the tablet device, because we all know that they were inevitable (even before its official launch), then today’s your lucky Friday. Because one lucky Italian managed to get his hands on one, and he was nice enough to record it for the rest of us.



The video is just over five minutes in length, and hopefully you speak Italian. If you don’t, then it will probably be touch to understand what’s happening. Then again, it is an unboxing, so showcasing the tablet device is really the main point, anyway. The Tab features that 7-inch display, a 1GHz Hummingbird processor under the hood, and it will be running Android 2.2 with Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz 3.0 User Interface. It’s due here in the States under the flag of every major wireless carrier by the end of the year. Check out the video below, and let us know what you think in the comments.

On the Road With Kristen Stewart: "I Was Very Intimidated," Says Costar Amy Adams

Amy Adams was very popular recently with the young people in her life.

You see, she recently spent four days in New Orleans shooting On the Road with Twilight star Kristen Stewart…

"I got requests for autographs, and I didn't ask for a single one," Adams told me yesterday at Variety's Power of Women luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where she was honored for her work with the Bronx-based Ghetto Film School.

Why?

Adams may be a 36-year-old two-time Academy Award nominee and mother of one, but when it comes to teens, she said, "I guess I'm getting to the point in my life where I'm suspicious of teenagers and I'm intimidated a little bit."

Yes, Adams knows Stewart is 20 years old. "She's not a teenager, but she's close enough and I was very intimidated," Adams said.

Barbie Hsu caught holding hands with Shone An

The starlet was photographed holding hands with fellow Taiwanese artiste, Shone An, after frequent exchanges on the Chinese micro-blogging platform, Wei Bo

After a failed romance with Vic Zhou , are things finally looking up for Barbie Hsu in the romance department?

Taiwanese artiste Barbie Hsu (also better known as Da S) has been single for more than two years following her separation from Vic Zhou in Jan 2008. The 33-year-old actress was recently spotted in the company of Shone An, a member from the now-defunct pop group, Comic Boys.

The pair was seen chatting and holding hands as they made their way to Shone's birthday celebration.

Although Barbie instinctively pushed her cap down to shield her face when the both of them discovered the presence of paparazzi, she did not shrink away from Shone's side and continued holding onto hand.

When the photos surfaced on the internet, Barbie commented on the Chinese micro-blogging platform, Wei Bo, and wrote, "Shone, we were followed! Our photos were snapped and there are even rumours! I really look like your aunty..."

Mariah Carey, 'Oh Santa!' -- Song Premiere


Picking up where her 1994 hit 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' left off, Mariah Carey will be releasing a brand new holiday album, 'Merry Christmas II You,' on Nov. 2. The record includes four original songs written by Carey, including 'Oh Santa!', the album's first single.

Jingling bells and a plea to Santa open the upbeat, festive track that has Carey wishing that he'll bring her back her "baby" for Christmas. 'Merry Christmas II You' also features a new recording of 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' and some traditional holiday tunes, including 'The First Noel,' 'Little Drummer Boy,' 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' and 'O Come All Ye Faithful.'

Get into the holiday spirit early this year, and check out the exclusive premiere of Mariah's 'Oh Santa!' after the jump!

Windows Phone 7′s Best Feature is Xbox LIVE Integration, Microsoft Exec Says

Matt Thompson, General Manager for developer and platform evangelism for Microsoft, spoke at the GigaOm Mobilize conference in San Francisco today, and during that speech, he provided the insight as to why he believes Microsoft’s upcoming mobile Operating System, Windows Phone 7, would excel amidst the competition. That one feature, which will push them ahead of the pack, is the integration the platform has with Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE service.



While other companies are simply trying to break into the gaming market, Microsoft’s presence has been felt there for quite some time, and now they’re trying to put that same experience right on your mobile device. While Apple’s Game Center brings players together, Thompson believes that LIVE integration will be the “hook” that brings new customers into the fold, as well as draw the attention of all those Xbox LIVE players out there. The ability to play 2D and 3D games from your device, and continue to play (some of) them right on your console is a novel feature, as well as being able to take your Xbox LIVE Avatar with you everywhere you go.

'Spider-Man' casting: Spidey's web gets more tangled

As Sony and director Marc Webb sort out the female leads of the highly anticipated movie, more familiar faces keep popping up. Deadline Hollywood reported this morning that Glee‘s Dianna Agron just tested, likely for the role of Gwen Stacy, while Mia Wasikowska already has a test deal in place should they choose the Alice in Wonderland star. Deadline also reported that Georgina Haig (Wasted On the Young) is being considered as well.

And there’s one more name to add to the pot: Relative unknown Dominique McElligott, who played the female lead in Sam Rockwell’s indie Moon and just wrapped the pilot for AMC’s highly anticipated Western Hell on Wheels. The actress likely tested for Stacy, and sources around town keep bringing her name up as the rumored frontrunner for the part. And, of course, Emma Stone’s name has been bandied about for the role of Mary Jane Watson. The Easy A star, who has become a favorite of studio chief Amy Pascal, is also being considered for the studio’s 21 Jump Street reprise. (The role of Jonah Hill’s partner could be rewritten for Stone as a female part.) All this casting needs to wrap up soon, as the movie — which will star Andrew Garfield as your friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man — is scheduled to begin production by the end of the year. In the meantime, 27-year-old Garfield can be seen this weekend in both The Social Network and Never Let Me Go.

A quick look at this year's Golden Horse nominations

The 47th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards announced its nominations earlier today. The big surprise was “When Love Comes (當愛來的時候)” which doesn’t go into wide release (in Taiwan) until the end of October. It garnered 14 nominations including Best Film and Best Director. Coming in second was the big-budget Hong Kong co-production “Bodyguards and Assassins (十月圍城)” with 9 nominations. Lead actor Wang Xue Qi (王学圻) will be the favorite to win Best Actor again for his critically acclaimed performance.

This year’s smash hit “Monga (艋舺)” only received one major nomination courtesy of Ethan Ruan. He will be facing off with Wang Xue Qi, Ni Da Hong (倪大红) and Qin Hao (秦昊) in the Best Actor category. Ethan Ruan’s buddy Mark Chao won’t be adding a Golden Horse to his collection -- He apparently missed out on a Best Newcomer nod by one vote. Meanwhile, director Dose Niu (鈕承澤) and producer Lee Lieh (李烈) were nominated for Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year.

Other surprises included snubs for “Au Revoir Taipei (一頁台北)”, as well as Donnie Yen and Jet Li in the acting categories. Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang should be very proud to hear that his son Derek Tsang (曾國祥) was nominated for Best New Director. He co-directed Lover’s Discourse (戀人絮語) with fellow nominee Jimmy Wan (尹志文). Leehom Wang wasn’t nominated in this category which didn’t come as a surprise. Nevertheless his song “All the Things You Never Knew (你不知道的事)” did receive a nod for Best Original Film Song.

Could Harry Potter return? JK Rowling says maybe

Fans, rejoice – J.K. Rowling offered a bit of hope on Friday that, perhaps, the final Harry Potter story has yet to be told.

"I could definitely write an eighth, ninth, tenth," the celebrated author, 45, told Oprah Winfrey during an interview scheduled to air Friday. "I'm not going to say I won't. I don't think I will … I feel I am done, but you never know."

Speaking in Edinburgh, where the interview took place, Rowling said she felt something of a loss upon finishing the saga's last installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. "It was a bereavement," she said.

Not that she's completely put down her pen. Rowling plans to write more books, and feels there is no need to match or top her previous achievement.

"I did it. I'm really proud I did it," she said. "But this is a new phase."

"Titanic" to See 2012 3D Release After "Star Wars"

Early 2012 suddenly is shaping up as a major launch pad for classic blockbusters bowing in 3D.

Hollywood studios Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment are mulling the 3D re-release of James Cameron's "Titanic" in April of that year.

That could put "Titanic" in theaters mere weeks after the 3D reissue of George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" from Fox and Lucasfilm.

Plans were announced this week to send out the first in a planned series of "Star Wars" re-releases sometime between February and April of 2012.

April 15, 2012, marks the 100th anniversary of Titanic slipping into the icy Atlantic, and Paramount marks its own centennial the same month. But it's possible that "Titanic" could be released as early as that year's oft-lucrative Valentine's Day weekend.

So with "Phantom Menace" awaiting final slotting, there's a chance Cameron and Lucas could arm-wrestle over the hearts-and-flowers frame.

Samsung licenses Windows Phone 7


Okay, two crazy bits of news here: first off, it seems Samsung intends to start making cellphones. Second, some of them will be running Windows Phone 7! Insane, right? Okay, we kid, but Sammy is just now getting official with the news that it has licensed Microsoft's upcoming mobile platform for its own purposes, and that the company "plans to launch several models based on Windows Phone 7 this year in the US, Europe and Asia." Of course, one of the most prominent WinPho 7 prototypes Microsoft has been trotting around this year has been a Samsung loosely based on the i8910 HD, so this should come as... well, absolutely no surprise whatsoever.

Android Market expanding around the world

Google's answer to Apple's App Store, the Android Market, is about to open in many more countries around the world.

According to Google, the Android Market is on its way to 18 more countries--including Brazil, India, Mexico, Russia, and Sweden--bringing the total to 32 countries. Google said that developers who have already made their applications available to "All Locations" will not need to change that status for their programs to be available to the new customers.

Android Market users will likely also find more apps in the store, thanks to Google's decision to allow developers in 20 more countries to sell paid apps in the marketplace, raising the figure to 29 nations altogether. The company said developers in Canada, Switzerland, and Taiwan are among those who can now sell apps.

Developers can start selling apps on the Android Market immediately. Customers looking to buy apps in the new countries can start doing so "over the next two weeks," Google said.

Google said that it plans to bring the Android Market to additional countries in the coming months.

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