Microsoft Empowers the Republican & Democratic National Conventions

Palm Announces Q1 FY 2010 Results Conference Call Details

Palm, Inc. today said it will announce its first-quarter fiscal year 2010 financial results on Thursday, Sept. 17, shortly after 4 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Pacific), followed by a conference call for the public at 4:30 p.m. Eastern (1:30 p.m. Pacific). The conference call will be hosted by Jon Rubinstein, chairman and chief executive officer, and Doug Jeffries, chief financial officer.

Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to listen to the call via audio webcast at Palm's Investor Relations website. Investors wishing to listen to the conference call via telephone may dial 866.700.6979 (domestic) or 617.213.8836 (international). There is no pass code required for the live call. A telephone replay of the conference call will be available through Sept. 24, 2009. The dial-in number for the replay will be 888.286.8010 (domestic) and 617.801.6888 (international). The pass code 41831354 is required for the replay.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc. is a leading mobile products company, creating instinctive yet powerful mobile products that enable people to better manage their lives on the go. The company's products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm Pre, Palm Treo and Palm Centro phones, as well as software, services and accessories.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels throughout the world, and at Palm online stores.

Palm, Treo, Pre and Centro are trademarks of Palm, Inc. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.

Happily Ever After Movie

Synopsis

Nan Au-Yeung and Sze Tso-chi share the same birthday, go to the same school, love photography, and are just as competitive. But they did not know of each other’s existence until they “crossed swords” at a debate tournament. And they both felt as if the fairytale prince and princess finally found each other.

Director : Y.Y. Kong, Azrael Chung
Cast : Ken Hung, Michelle Wai, Carlos Chan
Duration : 92 mins

High Road Sports and HTC Announce Partnership to debut at 2009 Tour de France

"Team Columbia-HTC" will ride the 2009 Tour de France under new three-year sponsorship agreement

High Road Sports, Inc., the owner of Team Columbia-Highroad and HTC Corporation, a designer of mobile phones, today announced a three-year sponsorship agreement that prominently places the HTC brand at the starting line of the 2009 Tour de France in Monaco.

"High Road Sports is elated to be partnering with HTC, a recognized leader and growing global brand in mobile phones," said Bob Stapleton, Owner, Team Columbia-HTC. "Team Columbia-HTC is now sponsored by two leading companies in their related industries and we are ready to show the growing power of our partnership at this years Tour de France.

The team currently called Columbia-Highroad, and known in 2008 and 2009 as the team with the most victories in professional cycling, will compete as "Team Columbia-HTC" and will present the new team uniform in Monaco on July 3, the day before the start of the 96th Tour de France.

"The HTC High Road Sports partnership is a great match of like minded organizations driven by innovation, excellence and competitiveness and we are excited about the opportunity to communicate HTCs brand value through the great sport of cycling," said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. "HTCs sponsorship of Team Columbia-HTC is one step in HTCs commitment to increasing its global brand value and recognition."

Recognized in Business Weeks 2009 InfoTech 100 as the 13th best-performing tech company in the world, HTC focuses on putting people at the centre by making their phones work in a more simple and natural way. This drives HTCs choice of partners, product creations and platforms. HTCs global team of designers, researchers and engineers quietly listen and observe people with their phones and in life so they can better understand and anticipate peoples needs to create a more personalized experience. This is central to HTCs culture, spanning across its more than 9,000 employees worldwide.

The three-year sponsorship agreement runs through 2011 and includes both the mens and womens professional cycling teams, which are top ranked worldwide and have won over 80 races combined in 2009 – the most wins of any competing team.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry and continues to pioneer industry-leading mobile experiences through design, usability and innovation that is sparked by how the mobile phone can improve how people live and communicate. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498.

About High Road Sports

High Road Sports, Inc., based in San Luis Obispo, California, operates elite-level professional mens and womens cycling teams that have won more victories than any other teams in the 2008 and 2009. High Roads athletes include 36 men and women, and staff members from 20 different nations making it the most international team in the sport.

High Road is founded on the principles of clean and fair sport, and focuses on developing young athletes under veteran leadership and an experienced management team. The team is a leader in best methods and practices, technology development, and self-improvement.

HTC sense debuts on new HTC Hero

HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile phones, today debuted HTC Sense, an intuitive and seamless experience that will be introduced across a portfolio of phones beginning with the new HTC Hero. With its distinct design and powerful capabilities fully integrated with HTC Sense, Hero introduces a unique blend of form and function that takes Android to new heights.

HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the centre by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were designed by quietly listening and observing how people live and communicate.

"HTC Hero introduces a more natural way for reaching out to the people and accessing your important information, not by following the status quo of todays phones, but by following how you communicate and live your life," said Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer, HTC Corporation. "HTC Sense is a distinct experience created to make HTC phones more simple for people to use, leaving them saying, it just makes sense."

HTC Hero

HTC Hero continues HTCs leadership in cutting-edge design that focuses on introducing a variety of distinct devices to represent your own individuality. Boasting bevelled edges and an angled bottom, the HTC Hero is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand and against your face while youre on a call. The HTC Hero is built to last beginning with an anti-fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge resistance and a longer lasting, clearer display.

With its 3.2-inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is optimized for Web, multimedia and other content while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including a GPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a 5 mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. HTC Hero also includes a dedicated Search button that goes beyond basic search, providing you with a more natural, contextual search experience that enables you to search through Twitter, locate people in your contact list, find emails in your inbox or search in any other area in Hero.

HTC Sense

Built on a culture of innovation and a passion to enhance peoples lives, HTC shapes the mobile experience around the individual. Debuting on the HTC Hero and available on all new HTC devices moving forward, Sense delivers on three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.

Make It Mine

Make It Mine, is about feeling your HTC phone was created for and by you. To do this, HTC encourages you to dictate and organize how you want to access the people and content in your life in a way that fits best for you. For some, this means adding glance view widgets that push content like twitter feeds, weather and other content to the surface while others may want quick access to business-focused information like email, calendar and world-times. HTC is also introducing a new profile feature called scenes that enables you to create different customized content profiles around specific functions or times in your life.

Stay Close

Today, staying in touch with the people in your life means managing a variety of communication channels and applications ranging from phone calls, emails, texts, photos, status updates and more. HTC Sense takes a different approach by integrating these communication channels and applications into one single view enabling you to stay closer to your important people. With HTC Sense, friends Facebook status updates and photos along with their Flickr photos are included along side their text messages, emails and call history in a single view.

Discover the Unexpected

Many of the most memorable moments in your life are experienced, not explained. HTC Sense is focused on providing a variety of these simple yet innovative experiences on your HTC phone that will sometimes bring you moments of joy and delight. It can be something as basic as turning the phone over to silence a ring or as simple as improving the smart dialler for making calls quicker. HTC Sense also includes perspectives, a new way for viewing your content such as email, photos, Twitter, music and more in different ways.

Availability

The HTC Hero will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer. A distinct North American version will be available later in 2009.

Adobe and HTC Bring Flash Platform to Android

New HTC Hero Delivers More Complete Web Browsing Experience with Adobe Flash Technology

Adobe Systems Incorporated and HTC, a global designer of mobile phones, today announced that the new HTC Hero is the first Android phone to ship with support for Adobe Flash Platform technology. The new phone delivers a more complete Web browsing experience and provides access to a broad variety of Flash technology based content available on the Web today.

"As the first Android device with Flash, the new HTC Hero represents a key milestone for Android and the Flash Platform. With close to 80 percent of all videos online delivered with Adobe Flash technology, consumers want to access rich Web content on-the-go." said David Wadhwani, vice president and general manager, Platform Business Unit at Adobe. "The collaboration with HTC offers people a more complete Flash based Web browsing experience today and presents an important step towards full Web browsing with Flash Player 10 on mobile phones in the future."

The new HTC Hero is a key element of the HTC experience and a new generation of HTC mobile phones and devices. Users can browse and discover a broad set of Web content and applications not supported by mobile phones in the past. People can also view YouTube videos using Flash technology, and enable full screen viewing mode by simply double tapping the screen.

"Adobe Flash is an important core technology for people interacting and experiencing the Web, it is only natural to be offering it on the new HTC Hero first," said John Wang, chief marketing officer, HTC Corporation. "We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with Adobe and to bringing Flash Player 10 support to our phones in the future."

The HTC Hero delivers powerful, compatible video playback performance using Flash technology, and interactive content enabled by ActionScript® 2.0. Users can enjoy and navigate through Web videos using intuitive video controls. With progressive streaming of large MP3 audio files from a Web server and the local file storage, the HTC Hero provides a seamless audio experience. Support for Sorenson and On2 VP6 codecs enables higher quality video and playback of existing Web content. A demo of the user experience enabled by the Flash Platform on the HTC Hero and the Android operating system.

HTC Participates in Open Screen Project

HTC also announced its participation in the Open Screen Project, a broad industry effort to deliver a consistent runtime across screens and to provide access to all Flash technology based Web content in the future. As a contributor to the initiative, HTC is collaborating with Adobe and more than 25 other industry leaders to bring Flash Player 10 and full Web browsing to the next generation of Android based smartphones and other mobile computing platforms and devices.

About Adobe Flash Platform

The Adobe Flash Platform is a complete system of integrated tools, frameworks, clients and servers for the development of Web applications, content and video that runs consistently across operating systems and devices. Adobe Flash Player content reaches over 98 percent of Internet-enabled desktops, and Adobe Flash technology is the No.1 platform for video on the Web. In addition, the mobile runtime has shipped and delivered Flash technology based content on close to 40 percent of all new mobile phones and devices in 2008.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry and continues to pioneer industry-leading mobile experiences through design, usability and innovation that is sparked by how the mobile phone can improve how people live and communicate. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498.

HTC and CHT Unveiled First Traditional Chinese-language Android-Powered Device HTC Magic

Taiwan’s leading operator Chunghwa Telecom and HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today unveiled the world’s first traditional Chinese-language Android-powered mobile phone, the HTC Magic. The HTC Magic will be available on various price plans offering CHT customers an unbeatable mobile internet experience.

Providing broad flexibility for personalization

The HTC Magic has a 3.2” HVGA touch screen display and features a trackball for easy access, a 3.2 mega-pixel camera and GPS. It also provides access to Android Market, where users can find and download unique applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle.

“HTC is proud to launch the world’s first mobile phone powered by Android. The introduction of HTC Magic represents another demonstration of HTC’s leading position in mobile technology, mobile entertainment, and highly personalized mobile devices. It is our ambition to fulfill the needs of various types of customers. Also, we are very pleased to partner with CHT to offer local customers a superior mobile internet experience,” said Peter Chou, President and CEO, HTC Corporation.

“CHT is delighted to collaborate with HTC again in launching the world’s first traditional Chinese-language device powered by Android, the HTC Magic. We offer a variety of mobile services far more than just voice. Through our popular mPro services, with a simple click on the home screen, HTC Magic users can access a broad range of information including the latest news, stocks, weather and horoscopes. mPro also allows users to synchronize Exchange mail, calendar and contacts with their PC. In addition, through Hami services on the home screen tailored for the HTC Magic, users can enjoy a ticketing and ringback tone sampling service, or watching highlights of important SBL or NBA games. CHT aims not only to enrich customers’ personal lives but also get their work done!” said Dr. Shyue-Ching Lu Chairman & CEO of CHT.

Superior support and unbeatable mobile internet experience

HTC Magic features a trackball with zoom in/out function for easy navigation and internet browsing. It also provides popular Google applications such as Google Search and Google Maps.

Multiple email options

The HTC Magic offers a variety of email options such as Gmail, POP3 and IMAP as well as Google Talk for instant messaging. It helps users to separate their personal and work emails for efficient communication.

Android Market

From Android Market HTC Magic users can search and download unique applications such as MP3 applications, calendar, Skype, and mobile phone games to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle.

The HTC Magic is scheduled to be available in Taiwan from May 2009 with the suggested price of NT$20,900. Customers can ensure that they are the first to receive information about the HTC Magic’s availability, pricing and pre-ordering by registering their interest via CHT’s website from today. HTC will also deliver a series of HTC Magic consumer experience gatherings starting from May.

About HTC

Founded in 1997, HTC Corporation (HTC) is a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design. Since its establishment, HTC has developed strong R&D capabilities, pioneered many new designs and product innovations and launched state-of-the-art mobile phones for mobile operators and distributors in Europe, the US, Asia and around the world. HTC is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile device market. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498.

Vodafone and HTC unveil Android-powered HTC Magic

The stylish new handset is exclusive to Vodafone in the UK, Spain, Germany and France (SFR) and available on a non-exclusive basis in Italy. Customers can ensure that they are the first to receive information about the HTC Magic’s availability, pricing and pre-ordering by registering their interest via their local Vodafone website from today.

•Vodafone extends world-class range of Internet phones with latest Android-powered smartphone from HTC
•HTC Magic smartphone exclusive to Vodafone customers initially in UK, Spain, Germany and France (SFR) and non-exclusively in Italy. More countries to follow.
•Online registration for early information on pricing and availability now open for customers
•Android platform gives customers easy-to-access downloads from Vodafone and Android Market

Vodafone and HTC Corporation today announced the HTC Magic smartphone, Vodafone’s first Android-powered mobile, which will be available in the spring.

The introduction of the HTC Magic is the result of a successful relationship between Vodafone and HTC, and Vodafone’s joining, late last year, of the Open Handset Alliance.

A tablet-style device, with a sleek design and unprecedented compactness for a smartphone featuring the Android platform, the HTC Magic enables a superior mobile internet experience, providing broad flexibility for personalisation via the application-rich Android Market. Available in white in the UK, Spain and France, black in Germany and in both colours in Italy, the HTC Magic will be for sale in several other Vodafone markets over the next few months.

“Delivering an unbeatable mobile internet experience for our customers is a priority for Vodafone, so we are very excited to be introducing our first Android-powered smartphone in the spring,” says Patrick Chomet, Global Director of Terminals, Vodafone Group. “Following our joining of the Open Handset Alliance, we have worked very closely with HTC to bring this cool new phone to the market. Our customers want to access a wide range of the most attractive mobile devices to help them make the most of their time - the HTC Magic helps meet that need.”

“The HTC Magic embodies the compact style and sophistication for which HTC has come to be known, with the powerful and intuitive internet experience for which the Android platform was designed,” says Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corporation. “We are proud of our partnership with Vodafone and excited about making the Android-powered HTC Magic available to Vodafone customers in Europe.”

"The announcement of the HTC Magic is an important step for Android and the Open Handset Alliance," says Andy Rubin, Senior Director of Mobile Platforms at Google. "With it, Vodafone is opening up the mobile web for consumers across Europe and giving more third-party developers a platform on which they can build the next wave of killer applications."

Available for free on various price plans, the HTC Magic has a 3.2” HVGA touch screen display and features a trackball and navigational buttons for quick, easy access. The HTC Magic includes a variety of email options such as Google Mail, POP3 and IMAP as well as Google Talk for instant messaging.

The HTC Magic has a variety of powerful mobile internet capabilities beginning with an Android-optimised Webkit browser. It also features the popular Google applications, Google Maps and Google Search as well as favourites like YouTube. In addition, Android Market allows for quick and easy downloading of games and applications utilising Vodafone’s fast and reliable network.

Britney Spears Photo: August

Laughing Gor Turning Point Movie

Synopsis

Brother Laughing (Michael Tse Tin Wah) is supposedly an undercover police officer who has infiltrated a triad organization. During a drug-trafficking operation he is caused by Superintendent Poon (Felix Wong Yuet Wa).
Before he became a police officer, Brother Laughing was a member of the triads and worked for the big boss man No. 1 (Anthony Wong Chau Sang). No. 1 was very good to Laughing, and Laughing looked up to No. 1 as his elder brother. In order to strengthen his business and illegal activities, No. 1 arranges for Laughing to join the Police Force and become his mole to gather information about the plans and counter-plans for operations by the police.

Laughing graduated from Police Academy with outstanding results but before he was assigned to a post as a police officer, his “bad boy” image attracted the attention of the Head of District Anti-Triad Squad, Superintendent Sin (Yuen Biao) who arranges his assignment as an undercover cop to infiltrate the mob syndicate.

Laughing was now a “double” mole. No. 1 was happy with this turn of events as Laughing was assigned to infiltrate the “mob” of his triad rival sibling (Francis Ng Chun Yu). To further complicate the situation, Laughing falls in love with Francis’ sister, Karen (Fala Chen).

How will Laughing contend with the law, the triad brotherhood, and his love affair? No matter which camp he sides with, he is doomed to be a traitor to the other. Which path will Laughing ultimately choose to follow?

Director : Herman Yau
Cast : Michael Tse, Anthony Wong, Francis Ng

FC Barcelona Scores with Tour of Microsoft

Players, coaches, and management of the world-renowned Football Club Barcelona visited Microsoft's Redmond headquarters Tuesday as part of the club's U.S. tour. Wednesday night, FC Barcelona, also called FCB, FC Barça, or Barça, played a friendly game against the Xbox-sponsored Seattle Sounders Football Club and won 4-0 before a record-breaking crowd of 67,000 at Qwest Field.

Cameras flashed, and a small crowd cheered as Football Club Barcelona players filed off of buses and into Microsoft's Executive Briefing Center (EBC), where they spent more than two hours touring the Home of the Future and interacting with Surface machines and Xbox Project Natal.

Once off their buses, there was no flying below the radar for the internationally famous soccer players, who walked around the EBC clad in matching neon yellow shirts and navy-colored jackets and shorts. A small crowd who had caught wind of the team's visit waited outside, memorabilia and Sharpie markers in hand, hoping for a glimpse of their favorite players, or better yet, an autograph or photograph.

"I've been a Barça fan since '92," said Microsoft employee Rod Lopez.

"I was born with a Barcelona shirt on," said employee Mohamad Arabo, one-upping his friend. Arabo had a jersey and ball he hoped to get signed.

The men found out about the team's visit to Redmond because they closely follow the FC Barcelona Web site, which mentioned the team would be visiting Microsoft's Redmond campus on Tuesday afternoon. "It's the best players in the world coming here," Lopez said. "Barça is the best because they play the way the game is supposed to be played. They are the masters of their craft."

Their favorite player: Lionel Messi. "He's the best player in the world by far," Lopez said.

"I think I have a man crush on him," Arabo said. Both men said they had tickets to see the Barça-Sounders game.

Inside the EBC, the Barça players and staff, followed closely by dozens of local and international journalists, were welcomed by Microsoft executives. Tour guide Oscar Murillo led the players through the Home of the Future, explaining in Spanish details of the technology and innovations that enhance the concept house. The model home is complete with a front door, entry/foyer, kitchen, family room, dining room, entertainment room, and bedroom. Murillo showed the players a talking front door, an interactive kitchen experience where the computer provides recipe help projected onto the kitchen counter, a Surface dining room table where the whole family can play a game together, a children's bedroom with digital wallpaper, and a den with lighting and wall illustrations that respond special-effects style when Murillo reads a children's book aloud.

Next, SpawnPoint Studios studio manager Shannon Loftis, who works for Microsoft game studios, showed the players a new Xbox game due this fall, Forza Motorsports, and Project Natal, which allows users to bypass the game controller and interact with an Xbox 360 using gestures and voice activation.

The players were a bit shy about volunteering to play games in front of the group, but with some coaxing, defender Gerard Piqué Bernabeu accepted the challenge. First Piqué, as he is known, raced a Lamborghini on a mountainous track, making his teammates groan every time he hit orange cones or other cars on the raceway. Then Piqué played Ricochet, a Project Natal demonstration game where players try to use their arms, legs, and body to hit balls and break walls. His teammates chuckled and jeered as the balls on-screen hit him in the arms and legs, and even head. Other members of the FC Barça management followed, much to the entertainment of the soccer players, who applauded.

Thierry Henry, largely considered one of the top forwards in the world, stood in the back of the room smiling at the scene. Henry said he used to play video games, "a long, long time ago," and added that he had already seen a demonstration for Project Natal. "It's great," he said.

Dennis Durkin, a Microsoft general manager in gaming finance, said it was fun to see all types of people enjoying Project Natal, be it professional soccer players or team managers and their wives. "Fun is what it's all about," Durkin said. "It was pretty amazing. These are world-class athletes, and we are pretty excited to show them some world-class technology."

Orlando Ayala, Microsoft senior vice president, and Carlos Grau, general manager in Catalonia, Spain, helped host the campus tour. Grau said FC Barcelona is a growing Microsoft customer, using products including Office, Exchange Server, and soon SharePoint. The club is currently pursuing other Microsoft technology as well. "They are already known as a very innovative club, but I think they are looking for even more opportunities in the future," Grau said.

FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta said one of his main goals since arriving in 2003 was to modernize the club. "We need it not just for being efficient and faster and to execute the direction we are taking, but I think it's important to match the way the world is progressing," Laporta said, adding that access to technology is just as important for the fortunate as for the less fortunate.

Laporta said FC Barcelona is deeply rooted in the community. The club's slogan of "Mes que un club," which means "More than a club," refers in part to the way it has passed on corporate sponsors. Instead, its red-and-blue jerseys are emblazoned with UNICEF, a worldwide charity. "I believe the evolution of technology makes it possible for society to be better," he said.

FC Barcelona's Microsoft visit and U.S. tour come after the most successful season in 110 years. The club won the Copa del Rey in Spain, the Spanish League, and the Union of European Football Associations Champions League.

Marc Drieu, a board member for Microsoft Soccer League, said FC Barcelona's popularity comes from its long-standing success, its major victories, its support of UNICEF, and "contrary to other big club teams in Europe, [Barça] prides themselves on developing great players, instead of just buying them."

"Finally, they simply play the most beautiful, flowing soccer we've seen in 20 years," said Drieu, who was born in the suburbs of France and has been playing soccer for 40 years. "So, if you combine all those elements, you'll realize that for the soccer community in the Pacific Northwest and at Microsoft, having Barça visiting is a rare opportunity."

There is a vibrant soccer culture at Microsoft, both in its avid soccer fans worldwide and its soccer league, where dozens of nationalities are represented. Though soccer is slow to catch on in the United States, Drieu is glad to see Seattle embracing the world's game and FC Barcelona. "As kids in Europe and Central and South America, we mostly live for soccer. We play it in the streets, in the parks, on the pavement, down between the tower blocks, and in the parking lots," Drieu said. "We live for it."

Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 Makes Everyday Tasks Easier with Smart Features for Windows 7

More than seven in 10 Americans have felt discomfort from computer use, so today Microsoft Corp. debuts the ergonomist-approved Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, which utilizes a Comfort Curve layout that encourages natural wrist posture with a slight six-degree curve. This new desktop set combines the Microsoft Comfort Curve keyboard layout with a soft-touch palm rest to make the PC experience more comfortable. Since the Comfort Curve design launched five years ago, more than 10 million units have been sold, and the design’s ease of use continues to draw praise, with 94 percent of users recommending the keyboards. To complement the comfort, the Microsoft Hardware Group also created smart one-touch features for Windows 7 to help consumers make the most of their new Windows 7-based PCs.

The ergonomist-approved Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 utilizes a Comfort Curve layout that encourages natural wrist posture with a slight six-degree curve.
Click for high-res version.

“People are spending more time on computers than ever before, so comfort is very important,” said Dan Odell, lead ergonomist and user researcher at Microsoft Hardware. “A Comfort Curve keyboard, like the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, provides an easy way to improve your typing ergonomics while maintaining your productivity.”

Full Package: Comfort, Style and BlueTrack Technology

The design elements of the keyboard enhance its look and feel with an updated soft-touch palm rest; low-profile quiet touch keys; and a contoured, compact shape that looks great on any desk. The included Wireless Mouse 5000, with rubber side grips and an ambidextrous shape for comfort in either hand, features Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, which lets consumers go anywhere and work with confidence on more surfaces than when using optical and laser mice. Both the mouse and keyboard wirelessly connect to the computer via a reliable 2.4GHz mini-transceiver that works up to 30 feet away.

Smart Features for Windows 7

The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 is the perfect companion for Windows 7 because it gives people smart ways to make everyday computing tasks easier. A new time-saving feature called Taskbar Favorites gives Microsoft keyboard users an easy way to access their open programs. Instead of the traditional My Favorites Keys with stored locations, Taskbar Favorites will map to the location of open applications on the improved Windows taskbar. The icons in the taskbar can be easily rearranged just by clicking and dragging; Taskbar Favorites will instantly adapt to the new icon locations. Other Windows 7 integration features include these:

• Device Stage. Microsoft Hardware mouse and keyboard products will support Device Stage, a Windows 7 feature that gives customers quick and easy access to common tasks, including product information, registration, settings and more for popular device categories such as cell phones, cameras, printers, portable media players and input devices.

• Windows Flip. Microsoft mouse and keyboard users can easily see a thumbnail preview of all open windows with the press of a button. A full-screen preview of the application will automatically display, enabling the user to better identify and select the desired application.

“Our goal is to have a strong ecosystem of compatible and innovative products,” said Gary Schare, director of Hardware Ecosystem Product Management at Microsoft. “We’re excited about the work Microsoft Hardware has done to light up the key features of Windows 7. For example, the Taskbar Favorites keys on the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 complement our improved taskbar — helping to deliver a full end-to-end experience to make life on a Windows 7-based PC easier and more enjoyable.”

Pricing and Availability

The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 will be available later this month for an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.). The product is available now for presale on Amazon.com and will ship when it is widely released. The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 is backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft.

About Microsoft Hardware

For more than 26 years, the Hardware Group has employed innovative engineering, cutting-edge industrial design and extensive usability testing to create products of exceptional quality and durability that enhance the software experience and strengthen the connection between consumers and their PC. Microsoft Hardware leads the industry in ergonomic engineering, industrial design and hardware/software compatibility, offering consumers an easier, more convenient and more enjoyable computing experience. In 2008, the Hardware Group debuted the world’s most advanced tracking technology — Microsoft BlueTrack Technology — allowing consumers to track on more surfaces than optical and laser mice.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Buy Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 Keyboard and Mouse Set (Black)

Palm to Present at Investor Conference

Palm, Inc. today announced that Palm's Chief Financial Officer Douglas Jeffries is scheduled to present at the Pacific Crest Technology Forum in Vail, Colo. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc. is a leading mobile products company, creating instinctive yet powerful mobile products that enable people to better manage their lives on the go. The company's products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm Pre, Palm Treo and Palm Centro phones, as well as software, services and accessories.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels throughout the world, and at Palm online stores.

Palm, Treo, Pre and Centro are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned by or licensed to Palm, Inc. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.