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Zune Phone is off the hook. Again

Gone so Zune ('soon')?

Zune Phone is off the hook. Again
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Microsoft’s Zune system hasn’t caught the attention of the British pocket gamer yet, since Bill’s boys have never actually got around to releasing it here. But the idea is appealing nonetheless, especially when we hear that a potential iPhone killing update to the media player is due for a big announcement.

And then it all dies off again. Now we’re told there’ll be no Zune announcement, and no Zune phone, as it was all a big mix up on Microsoft’s part when it ‘linked to the wrong Twitter account’.

Despite our interest in what Microsoft is or isn’t doing (since it can’t seem to make its mind up, and would rather publish retractions than information) ZDNet is reporting that it’s got hold of a spec list put out by Microsoft for the Windows Mobile 7 chassis.

What this boils down to is a list of technical requirements Microsoft hands out to manufacturers that it’d like to see on any third party devices that will be powered by the new operating system - with multi-touch at the top of the list.

This has been something of a sore point with Apple, which apparently owns the patent rights to multi-touch technology, though no action has actually been taken to protect those rights as yet.

All legal shenanigans aside, this at least points toward a full touchscreen addition to the smartphone market from Microsoft, and could wind up being the spiritual Zune phone we’ve been hoping for.

Spanner Spencer
Spanner Spencer
Yes. Spanner's his real name, and he's already heard that joke you just thought of. Although Spanner's not very good, he's quite fast, and that seems to be enough to keep him in a regular supply of free games and away from the depressing world of real work.