PhoneTalk

Windows Mobile Phone 6.x will no longer have access to its dedicated marketplace. The store is closing today. Users will still be able to use the apps they have already installed on existing phones, however, if a “hard reset” (basically, this is returning the phone back to factory settings) is performed the apps will also be wiped from the Windows Mobile Phone and users will have no access to them. While the store is closing, some of those apps may still be available from the app developers or third-party stores.

The new Windows Phone Marketplace, which offers apps for Windows Phone 7 and later models, is still open and users of Windows Phone should check that our for new apps in the future. More information on the shutdown can be found in this story from Fierce Mobile Content.

Part of the allure of getting a smartphone is the apps. It’s what lets users truly customize their phone. Whether its games, productivity apps, photo apps, or anything else, now users who buy a new Windows Phone can get a $25 prepaid app card. The Microsoft promotion is available for people who purchased or will buy a Windows phone from November 2, 2011 to the end of year. The prepaid card can be used for apps or Xbox Live Games. Find out more by clicking this link.

This week we cover Amazon’s announcement of its new Kindles including the Kindle Fire, new phones coming to Virgin Mobile, MetroPCS, and T-Mobile. We also tell you Motorola Xoom owners how to get the 4G LTE update and discuss the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update. The test drive is of a product focuses on Privacy ScreenGuardz.

This week, Microsoft released the update (code name: Mango) for Windows Phone 7. The 7.5 update includes quite a few features that should enhance the overall user experience such as the ability to create custom ringtones, visual voicemail, messaging threads that combine text and Facebook messages, linked inboxes, groups, multitasking, picture tagging, video sharing, and more. You can see a complete list of all the enhancements found in the update at Microsoft’s Windows Phone site.

If you get the message on your phone that the update has arrived and are not sure how to install it, just check out this post from the Windows Phone blog for more details. In the meantime, get a closer look at Windows Phone 7.5 by watching the video below.

The HTC Trophy is Verizon’s first Windows Phone 7 handset. It sports a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5-megapixel camera with flash and the ability to capture 720p HD video. The cell phone has 16GBs of onboard storage, which should be enough to store videos, music, pictures and documents. Get a closer look at the HTC Trophy in the first look video below.

It was a busy week for wireless with new cell phones available from Verizon including the LG Revolution, HTC Trophy, and Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY (check out the game controller on this phone) and data plan changes from T-Mobile and Verizon. We also learned about Google Wallet and the Windows Phone 7 Mango update. For information on these stories and more watch our Weekly Wireless Wrap-Up video below.

Watching a movie on a Windows Phone 7 handset just got a little more interesting. Paramount Digital Entertainment's movie apps let you do more than simply watch a movie on a cell phone, now you can access similar features found on DVDs. The new movie apps will include the following features:

Clip Sharing: Create and share custom clips of favorite scenes with friends on Facebook, Twitter, or send via e-mail.

Scene It? In-Feature Trivia Game: Play the Scene It trivia game and share results with friends.

Movie Info: Access actor bios, music, historical information and even maps to film locations.

Chapter Selection & Bookmarking: Jump to favorite chapters in a movie or bookmark select scenes to view them later.

Search: Find items, products or people in the film using keyword search.

Mean Girls and School of Rock will be the first movies to receive these features (Note: If you already downloaded School of Rock, you'll get an update on your Windows Phone 7 to download the additional features). More movies will be added over the coming weeks including apps for True Grit, The Last Airbender, Zoolander, The Italian Job and more. You can see a complete list of upcoming movie apps and release dates by clicking this link. The movie apps can be downloaded directly to a Windows Phone 7 smartphone from the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.

Verizon customers who have been waiting for a Windows Phone 7 smartphone from the carrier will be happy to learn that one has finally arrived, the HTC Trophy. The cell phone will sport a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5-megapixel camera with flash and the ability to capture 720p HD video, and will have 16GB of onboard storage. Since this is a Windows Phone 7 handset you'll be able to sync with Xbox LIVE mobile to access avatars, profiles, and scores. Of course those who want to be able to do a little business on the phone will be able to via the included Microsoft Office apps: Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. You can also further customize the phone via the HTC Hub offering of applications. The smartphone will be available in the coming weeks.

LetsTalk.com is giving away the ultimate gaming experience in the "Ultimate HD7 Gamers" Giveaway. What can you win? One fan a day through Wednesday, March 30th (weekend excluded) will be chosen to win a T-Mobile HTC HD7and a 1-year Xbox Live Gold Card. There will also be one grand prize winner who will receive a HTC HD7 for T-Mobile, Xbox, Kinect, and a1-year Xbox Live Gold Card. All you have to do to enter the Giveaway is become a fan of LetsTalk’s Facebook page or follow LetsTalk on Twitter and use hashtag #HD7X. Not sure how to become a fan? Simply visit LetsTalk on Facebook and click the "Like" button at the top of the page.

If you’re already a fan of LetsTalk on Facebook, you’ll still be entered to win. Already following us on Twitter? Then all you have to do is Tweet about the giveaway using the hashtag #HD7X. Entering into both WILL increase your chances of winning. Only one entry per person through Twitter and Facebook during the promotion period is permissible. We should note that you only need to enter once to win and selecting/deselecting "Like" on Facebook will not increase your chances of winning.

The contest has just begun and ends Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 12:00am Pacific Time. So, be sure to spread the word. Becoming a fan of LetsTalk’s Facebook page or following LetsTalk on Twitter will help keep you informed about the latest cell phone news, let you know when the most popular phones are available, and more. Know all you need to know to enter? Then click this link to become a fan of LetsTalk’s Facebook page and Tweet about it on Twitter.

What is it? Get a Clingo Game Wheel when you buy a HTC HD7. The Clingo Game Wheel accessory will let you make the most of all the XBox games you can play on the HD7.

How much? The Clingo Game Wheel is free with purchase of the HTC HD7 for T-Mobile.

Why is it such a good deal? In addition to getting the free accessory with the purchase of the smartphone, there's also currently no activation fee for T-Mobile service with the cell phone.

The HTC HD7 for T-Mobile is a Windows Phone 7 smartphone that has a lot of features to keep you entertained on the road. To get a closer look at what the new Microsoft mobile OS has to offer and how to stream Netflix movies on it, watch the video below.