Microsoft continues to plug away at Mango, the coming update to the Windows Phone 7 platform that, depending on who you ask, will either represent the coming of age party for the phone line, or merely another milestone on its trek to irrelevance. Whatever the case, the Redmond software giant is happily crowing about the coming software bump, and is hoping to get the WP7 community excited about it in the process....

When we got our hands onto a Windows Phone 7 handset that had the coming Mango update installed, the first thing that we wanted to try was the new Twitter integration into the People Hub. We couldn’t, as the company had disabled that part of the new operating system, likely due to that section of the software simply not being ready for use. Still, it was a disappointment. However, happily, today the company has released a new video that demonstrates and outlines much of the forthcoming Twitter and LinkedIn integration into the People Hub....

Microsoft might know that its Windows Phone 7 platform lacks momentum, but that is not stopping the company from not only pouring cash into the project, but also continuing to hype the mobile line at every turn. Today was no exception. At its Worldwide Developer Conference, Microsoft showed off a number of new Windows Phone 7 handsets that were on display almost certainly to assuage the fears of jumpy partners who have heard rumors of a WP7 flop....

TNW Quick Hit: News continues to spill out of the MIX11 event, including the announcement that popular European music service Spotify is coming to the Windows Phone 7 platform in the fall in conjunction with the ‘Mango’ update. WinRumors managed tosecure a videoof the demo that Microsoft executed, which we have embedded below: Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam. Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders!...

Back at CES, Steve Ballmer showed off a neat upcoming feature called ‘Avatar’ for the Xbox 360. Employing the new Microsoft Kinect, Avatar is a way to host conversations with your friends. That assumes of course that they also have a Kinect and Xbox. Microsoft calls Avatar a “social experience.” With Avatar, you have, like in the movie, a character that you animate with your body, giving you the the ability to interact with other people using the same software....