Matthaus Krzykowski and Daniel Hartmann, founders of the stealth startup Mobile-facts, have found that you can take Google’s smartphone operating system, Android, and use it as a desktop operating system. The news probably has many of you jumping for joy (I am, too).

They actually tested their theory and succeeded by running Android in desktop Linux mode on a netbook, the Asus Eee PC 1000H. All the necessary components were working, so that just leaves us waiting to see when the first Google desktop will hit shelves.

This is right about the time when the blame game gets cracked open at Microsoft Headquarters.  The stock hit it’s 10-Year low today after analysts cut Microsoft’s 2009 revenue forecasts.  The reason?  The projections were reduced due to “downward pressure on PC unit sales.”  Guess we can’t blame Vista or the lawsuits this time, considering the company decline in the past few months has mirrored the decline of the S&P.

Microsoft launched the Microsoft Store today which gives consumers the chance to get there hands on software and hardware online instead of a retailer.  You can download or have software shipped to you.  This is a first, as Microsoft has never offered downloads of any Microsoft OS before.  There’s no price difference, so whether you opt for a digital download of the Microsoft Office or have it shipped to you in a box with all the packaging, you’re going to pay the same.

You’ll see the XBOX 360 and peripherals for your PC on there as well, which is no surprise.

[Via downloadsquad]

The AP’s reporting that U.S video game and hardware and software sales went up 9 percent in August to $994.8 million.  Madden NFL 09 came out last month, which really helped overall industry numbers.  Even with the slump in the economy, it seems parents are not holding back on making their kids happy.

According to market research NPD Group, Americans bought 384.6 million in video game hardware, up 3 percent from a year ago, mostly due to the Nintendo DS, which sold 518,300 units.  Nintendo’s Wii was the second-best seller with 453,000 units, and Microsoft’s 360 sold 195,200.  Sony’s PS3 sold 185,400 units last month.

With the price cuts on the 360 announced by Microsoft last Friday, expect their sales to jump higher than they already have.  Sony’s got a great value in the Blu-ray ready 80-gigabyte version of their PS3 at $399.

Software sales rose 13 percent to $489.1 million.  Aside from Electronic Arts’ “Madden NFL 09,” top sellers included Nintendo’s “Wii Fit” and “Mario Kart.”  NPD analyst Anita Frazier said that, “Despite smaller growth this month, the industry is up 32 percent year-to-date and remains on target to achieve annual revenues in the range of $22 billion to $24 billion.”

Source:  AP

This week, Microsoft’s set to announce something different than anything before.  No, we’re not talking about that horrible advertisement with Gates and Seinfeld (We have to admit though, it’s growing on us).  On Microsoft’s hardware department’s homepage, the above image was shown not too long ago, leaving us to think about what’s to come.  Apparently, the beans have already been spilled.  Microsoft is set to launch a new type of mouse for your PCs that uses a new technology called “Blue Track.”

The MS Explorer Mini Mouse was spotted on Amazon.de last week.  It features Blue Track technology.  It’s said to be based on a blue LED combined with a wide-angle lens that’s supposed to work on more surfaces than laser and optical.  With the size of this mouse and it’s wireless adapter, it seems that Microsoft is aiming this at people on the go.  Guess we’ll have to wait and see, right?

Check out the MS Explorer Mini Mouse below.

MS Explorer Mini Mouse:

The Olympics were great if you were just looking to watch your essential primetime events.  But for some of us, it was a bit frustrating.  Having to head over to NBC’s Olympic site to watch some non-broadcasting events was a pain, because it required you to download Microsoft’s Silverlight first.  Then, after numerous tries, it would finally begin.  The interface itself was not that appealing.  We were watching Phelps on our flat screens and not our PC monitors.  But, some people were.

Now, NBC has abandoned the application, for unknown reasons and is going to go with a more user-friendly approach.  It’s been announced that NBC will stream its NFL football games this season using Flash video.

This is the first time full-length NFL football games have been available in the US over the Internet.  The fun’s already begun, our friends.  The streaming service made its debut on Thursday during the NFL season opener between the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. Besides the video feed, the streaming service also offers the ability to switch camera angles, view picture-in-picture playback, receive live statistics and interact with commentators in real time.

Check out the service and let us know what you think!

Source:  Alley Insider

We love Google for many reasons, and this might turn out to be another one.  Simple, yet useful, Google’s new web browser, Chrome, is what surfers have been looking for and then some.  We heard of the the public beta that came out, and we instantly downloaded it to see what Google’s been cooking up.  This post is actually written using the beta browser, but we’ll see if it’s a solid enough beta to use for all posts.

Microsoft has released information about their upcoming holiday lineup.  On the list was this beauty:  The Arc Mouse.  It’s a collapsible mouse that is portable when it needs to be and comfortable like a full-sized mouse when it needs to be as well.  It’s MSRP’d at $59.95, which is par with current wireless mice on the market, so it’s a pretty good deal.

“Featuring a revolutionary new design shaped like a crescent moon, Arc folds closed to reduce in size by almost half, giving consumers the comfort of a full-sized mouse with the portability of a notebook mouse. Arc is all about the fashion edge, with a stylish micro transceiver that you can leave right in your computer and it’s available in two colors – red or black.”

Expect to see it in stores in the coming months.  Check out the gallery below.

Microsoft Arc Mouse: