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Microsoft may not have gobs of  Windows Mobile 6.5 demo units out at MWC09, but that doesn't mean your intrepid friends at WMExperts weren't scouring the floor trying to find one.  Find one we did, at Texas Instruments' booth.  It's running on a development platform (the OMAP34x-II) they've created to help manufacturers use their new OMAP3430 processor.  We'll cover both our thoughts from our brief time with Windows Mobile 6.5 as well as some tidbits about this processor that ought to have Qualcomm and Broadcom a little nervous.

Go on and click the link for more.  Or else you could click the thumbnail above for the full size image of that beautiful, creepy, awesome Grey Crowned Crane.  It's mesmerizing, innit?

Oh, while you're staring: think about this.  That's a capacitive touchscreen you're staring at.  We know, we know, WM6.5 doesn't support it and you'll likely never see such a thing actually sold to consumers and frankly, there were times we couldn't hit the button we were aiming for (the fact that it was a huge 4" screen helped).  But it's there: Windows Mobile 6.5 on a capacitive touchscreen.

But you should read on now and pay attention, we're going to bring up HDMI.

Sprint has added mobile broadband to its "Simply Everything" plan, calling it "Simply Everything + Mobile Broadband." We had to curb out enthusiasm a little bit (thanks, PreCentral) when we were reminded that Sprint's mobile broadband isn't the same as using your phone as a modem, tethered to a laptop. We're talking data cards only, folks.

That said, for $149, you get all the usual from Sprint's "Simply Everything" — unlimited voice, texts, GPS and data — plus 5 gigabytes of tethering data. That's (unfortunately) the usual cap these days.

Hit up sprint.com/nowires for more details, and see the full press release after the break.

During all the excitement of the 2009 Mobile World Congress, AT&T has quietly acknowledged that it should have a fully ready Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in 2011. AT&T has pledged in the past to introduce the 4G Network in 2010 but, according to Senior Architecture VP Kris Rinne, will see the first phase limited to trials in 2010, with commercial services available the following year. This will put AT&T's 4G Network about a year behind Verizon's 4G network, which is for trials later this year with commercial services planned for 2010.

AT&T doesn't seem too worried about Verizon's time line, maintaining that it can rely on HSPA+ and have the advanced 3G networks reach 20Mbps sometime later this year through software upgrades. The LTE network theoretically is at least five times as fast in downloads, about 100Mbps and has a lower latency that should make multi-layer games, VoIP, and two way calling more practical than on 3G networks.

Speaking of time lines, it's probably safe to say that Apple's future plans for the iPhone could well be a factor here. On the other hand, it's entirely possible that AT&T has no idea what Apple's plans are.

[Read: Electonista.com]

A few weeks ago we mentioned the pending release of SPB Mobile Shell 3. And while the application hasn't gone live yet, it does have it's own Web site, and a video presentation has surfaced on You Tube. Still no hard a release date (Aprilish maybe?) but the updated version is being billed as having such features as multi-home pages (hello, Xperia X1 panels?), widgets, kinetic scrolling, 3D screen switcher, hardware acceleration support, Facebook integration and support for Windows Mobile 6.5.

Barcelona Bureau Chief Dieter Bohn was able to get his hands on the application at Mobile World Congress. Check in after the break for his impressions and a few more pictures.

Obviously Windows Mobile 6.5 dominated the bulk of Microsoft's announcements at the start of Mobile World Congress, but we've also seen My Phone and, to a much lesser extent, Marketplace.

But the Windows Mobile Team blog chimed in today, pimping some of the bennies for developers:

• An easily discovered on-device application that is installed on every Windows Mobile 6.5 device, and includes prominent placement on the Start menu.
• Global marketplace distribution (30 countries) with flexible payment options for end users through both credit card and mobile operator payment methods.
• Single source developer-focused web site for sign-up, publishing, and management of applications in the marketplace.
• Transparent set of policies that clearly articulate the types of applications allowed in the store.
• Streamlined, yet flexible workflow for getting applications published to the marketplace.
• Leverage existing Microsoft developer tools, such as Visual Studio, for faster time to market.

Otherwise? Not a whole lot yet. Try to make do with Windows Mobile and My Phone for now, m'kay?

And, finally, from the Acer booth we have the DX900, which we know as a rebranded, dual-sim E-TEN Glofiish. The specs:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Dual-sim
• 128MB RAM/256MB ROM
• 480x640 VGA touchscreen
• Samsung S36410 processor
• 3MP camera
• GPS, Bluetooth

The DX900 Dieter saw didn't have the custom user interface on it, instead opting for a custom version of SPB Mobile Shell.

After the jump, the pics.

What do you get when you take an Acer DX900 and strip out a few bits? The Acer X960. Gone are the DX900's dual SIMS and G-Sensor, here to stay are quad-band EDGE, tri-band HSDPA, 256 ROM/128 RAM, and the 480x640 screen. The processor goes from a Samsung S3C 6400 to the 6410, and what that means is outside our present knowledge.

While not the powerhouse (at least on paper) that the Acer F900 and M900 are, the X960 may just manage to beat them on battery life (we don't yet know the battery size on any of them) by dint of it's slightly smaller resolution screen. The question we're asking is whether the X960 is really differentiated enough from the F900 (likely by price) to find a market.

Welcome to the party, Acer, now let us know when your stuff will ship and for how much (yeah, and where too).

More pics after the break.

We already saw the Acer DX900 Glofiish rebrand, but what we were really hoping for from these guys was something new. They're somewhat delivering with the F900 and the M900. The F900 (that's it on the left there) is your non-keyboarded device and the M600 is a standard horizontal slider. Specs look pretty darn beefy, though:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Tri-Band 3G, Quad-band Edge
• GPS, WiFi
• G-Sensor, FM Radio, Light Sensor
• Samsung S3C 6410 Processor
• 256 ROM / 128 RAM
• 480 x 800 WVGA Touchscreen

In addition to all that, the F900 gives you a 3MP camera. The M900 steps it up with a 5MP camera and a fingerprint reader. We were hoping that Acer would make a splash at MWC09 and except for RAM and ROM being a little low, these 900 series devices initially look like cannonballs to us. Will they hold up to a hands-on? Find out after the break.

Microsoft broke ground early by unveiling Recite, a searchable voice notes application for Windows Mobile. The application is being labeled a "technology preview," which is basically a demo of what the application can do. While it lacks a lot of features that we expect the final version to have (e.g. delete messages, sort messages, play messages, etc.) the "technology preview" will let you record a note and search through the recordings. Follow the break for a few screen shots and more information on this new application from Microsoft.