Windows Phone 7 Tango doesn’t actually allow up to 8 apps to run in the background

Remember when we told you that Tango, the latest update to Windows Phone 7, supports up to eight running applications in the background? Well, this turns out not to be true, as HTC HD2 developerHD2Owner over at XDA Developers proves.

It turns out that the official Tango update will support up to five apps for fast switching, and the magical eight were only supported in a custom ROM. This is the same custom Tango ROM we reported you about, designed for the HTC HD2.

The chief ROM developer had increased the number of applications running in the background just for the HTC HD2 Tango build. Here’s what the developer says about this misunderstanding:

More tasks in taskswitcher is not a Tango feature. It’s just another useful tweak I implemented into my ROM.

So that’s that. Maybe we’ll see this number of background apps to be part of the official with Windows Phone 8 or another future update by Microsoft. Or maybe we won’t.

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Android 4.0 update for the Sony Tablet P and S to arrive in April

Sony may not have had much success in the tablet market but that doesn’t mean it still can’t treat the few people who bought its tablets to the latest version of Android. According to the latest update, Sony will be releasing the Android 4.0.3 update to the Sony Tablet S and Tablet P by the end of April.

Along with the usual Ice Cream Sandwich goodness, users will also be treated so a couple of new features. There will be a Blu-ray recorder app, that will let you watch programs recorded on a compatible Sony Blu-ray recorders. You can also start the camera now from the lockscreen, edit your pictures and take Sweep Panorama shots from the camera.

Other feature is the presence of what Sony calls Small Apps. Basically you will be able to run a second app in a small window on top of the currently running app. You can have a small windows of the browser open to quickly search something or the calculator for a quick calculation, all without leaving the main app, which remains visible in the background.

In other news, Sony will also be selling a cheaper Wi-Fi only version of the Tablet P, which will go on sale on April 21. The current 3G model costs $549.99, so I’m assuming the Wi-Fi-only model will at least be a $100 less.

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Specs for Verizon-bound LG Lucid 4G droid leak

The leaked specs of the LG Lucid 4G mark the second LTE-enabled LG phone rumor for the day. TheLucid 4G (also known as Cayman) is a Gingerbread droid of the mid-range variety that is heading to Verizon.

It has a 4" NOVA IPS-LCD display with 480x800 and Gorilla glass protection. There's a 1.2GHz dual-core processor powering the LG Lucid 4G (the chipset isn't clear yet). There's also 8GB of built-in memory.

The connectivity side is well covered - LTE is present (obviously) and you can share that data connection with up to 10 other devices, EVDO Rev. A as fallback, then there's Wi-Fi b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct support, Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 2.0.

The LG Lucid 4G measures 119.1 x 62.2 x 11.4 mm and weighs 142 g. Its 1700mAh battery is good for up to 350 hours of standby and up to 8 hours of usage.

The Lucid 4G might launch next Thursday (March 29) in the sub $200 price range, but as usual with rumors this isn't set in stone.

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LG Optimus LTE P936 previewed before announcement

What we have here is yet another member of LG's ever-expanding Optimus LTE family. Called LG Optimus LTE P936, the smartphone isn't officially announced yet, but already got its first preview thanks to the guys from GSM Dome.

The LG Optimus LTE P936 is almost identical to the Korea-bound LG Optimus LTE SU640 in terms of both specs and design. You get the hot 720p AH-IPS LCD at the front, a Snapdragon chipset featuring 1.5GHz dual-core CPU inside and a 1080p video-capable 8 megapixel shooter at the back.

   
LG Optimus LTE P936 live shots

What's more interesting here is the target market of the Optimus LTE P936. The model number is close to that of the AT&T-bound LG Nitro HD (P930), so we'd guess the P936 is also headed to the US. Verizon also has an Optimus LTE version - the LG Spectrum, which leaves Sprint as the most probable carrier to get it. Sprint is just a few months away from launching its LTE network and LG might want to be prepared for when the time comes.

Another theory says that the Optimus LTE P936 is the international version of the Optimus LTE. The European market is still to receive some LTE attention from LG and this might be the device.

Anyway, check out the LG Optimus LTE P936 on video:

We're looking forward to the official announcement, which should answer our remaining question.

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Gresso Regal Black melds titanium and glass together

Luxury phone maker Gresso is adding a new model to its Avantgarde lineup - the Gresso Regal Black. The handset is styled to look like a speedboat and (as usual) is priced for people who already own a speedboat.

The Regal Black is machined out of a single slab of titanium, making it Gresso's first attempt at a unibody design. The surface of the phone is painted black and has a rough matte texture.

Only 9% of the original metal remains in the frame after the machining process is done. The front and back of the phone are made of mineral glass, tinted black by an exclusive process designed especially for the Regal series.

The Gresso Regal Black measures 121 x 46 x 12 mm and weighs 130 g. It runs on Nokia's Series 40 platform, so don't expect any technological miracles as far as the software is concerned.

What you do need to know about the Regal Black is that only 333 of them will be made, so it certainly offers some exclusivity. If you want to be in the club, you'll be able to snatch one in April from authorized Gresso retailers or online. It will set you back $5000, but don't tell that to your friends that as this is fairly cheap for the class.

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AT&T releases Android 4.0 update for the HTC Vivid

AT&T has started rolling out the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to all the HTC Vivid users in the US. Along with the usual Android 4.0 features such as Face Unlock, GPU-accelerated UI, homescreen folders, etc., users will also get the new Sense 3.6 UI along with Beats by Dr. Dre Audio.

But the HTC Vivid is not the only device that will be upgraded to Android 4.0. AT&T has revealed a list of handsets that will be getting updated as well in the coming months. It includes the following devices.

• LG Nitro HD
• Motorola ATRIX 2
• Motorola ATRIX 4G
• Pantech Burst
• Pantech Element
• Samsung Captivate Glide
• Samsung Galaxy Note
• Samsung Galaxy S II
• Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

If you have either of these devices, expect to get the update shortly.

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Reuters: Apple iPhone 5 to launch in Q2 with a 4.6-inch LCD

We are still several months away from the iPhone 5 launch, but we are still getting the occasional rumor about the next Apple smartphone. We just got a particularly juicy one, courtesy ofReuters.

The international news agency quoted an unnamed industry source, who revealed in front of the South Korean Maeil Business newspaper that the next iPhone will be packing a huge 4.6" display. What's even more surprising, Apple will reportedly be unveiling it in Q2, merely 9 months after the 4S was announced.

Unfortunately, exciting as this rumor might all be, we seriously doubt its credibility. You see, switching from a 3.5" to a 4.6" display is as drastic a change as you can imagine and such drastic changes risk alienating some customers. And when you have a user base as large and loyal as the one Apple has, that's the last thing you would want to do.

Also, the Holiday quarter release worked out quite well for the iPhone 4S, which scored record sales, despite not getting as great reception from the media as its predecessor. We don't see how Apple would want to cut its product life short by unveiling its successor in Q2.

So while we'd love to see an iPhone with a larger screen and as soon as possible, we don't think any of this is happening. And 4.6" might be stretching it anyway, so we are not really sure you should feel bad about it.

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