Microsoft are taking a firm hand when it comes to Windows Phone 7 updates, saying that they, and they alone, will be responsible for updating customers handsets. Its a far cry from Android whre individual manufacturers and networks push out updates when they are ready to do so, often meaning two different people with the same device are running two different versions of Android.

In an interview with ZDNet Microsoft commented:

"Microsoft will push Windows Phone 7 software updates to end users and all Windows Phone 7 devices will be eligible for updates."

Of course this sort of universal control is made possible by the minimum specifications Microsoft set for devices as well as their insistence that manufacturers and networks do not tamper with the UI, etc. It will certainly be a great boost to the new platform and immediately removes one of the biggest weaknesses found in Android. 

Google have unleashed their very own search app on the nascent Windows Phone 7 marketplace, or at least they will soon. Not that that is surprising in and of itself, after all Google has a presence on just about every mobile platform going, including iOS, but unlike Apple, Microsoft has some interest in the search market itself with its very own offerring: Bing.

How Google and Microsoft will interact over the long term when it comes to Windows Phone 7 remains to be seen, but with both companies increasingly competing in the same sphere e.g. search, instant messaging, mail, etc it may not be rosy. There is some hope that they will live side by side though, Google having apparently raised no objections to American network Verizon replacing Google search with Bing as the deafult search engine on their Android handsets.

A Windows phone 7 User from Middle-East Shared a Video of an Arabic Enabled version of Windows phone 7 OS, The Phone was HTC HD7 and has a Modified MENA (Middle-East and North Africa) ROM. Microsoft Always support Many Languages beside English on her products but this the First Arabic Device for Windows phone 7.

Microsoft also said there will be a Full Arabic ROM Officially Released due to November,2010 with many Great Features for Arabic Users on Arab Gulf and Middle-East.

The Windows Phone 7 marketplace opened up a few weeks ago only for early registration, but now any developer can start submitting software at App Hub. The process is not however as clear cut as it might appears, with some gothas along the way.

Adam Nathan, who is writing a book about developing for Marketplace, and has submitted more than 30 apps so far, has graciously shared his experience and some good advice.

The Good:

Some interesting comments on Windows Phone 7 from Michael Dell, CEO of his namesake company, during an event in Hong Kong appear to have been redacted. Mr Dell apparently said that it was easier to make a Windows Phone 7 handset than it was to make an Android handset and given that Dell has produced devices for both platforms he will have seen it from both sides.

The quote itself has now been removed from the Reuters article covering the event, perhaps to save any embarassment? Dell are unlikely to be ditching Android any time soon so they undoubtedly will not want their relationship with Google to sour. The interesting thing though is that if the alleged quote is correct then its quite the coup for Microsoft who are hoping that their nascent platform will be a hit, not just with consumers, but also with device manufacturers, the very people that have been so instrumental in helping to push forward Android rapid growth.