Google Labs, the testing ground for the search giant’s experimental products, just released a new project today: Google Listen , an audio search engine that runs as a Google Android app (for now). It allows you to stream or download podcasts, web audio, news shows, and more through your phone. The experimental app is part iTunes, part audio search engine. It has access to a number of different audio clips, from speeches by Sonia Sotomayor to newscasts by Charles Osgood.

Google Labs just launched Listen – an “audio magazine” that allows Android users to subscribe to programs and search terms to queue up their podcasts for easy listening. While Listen only offers English audio podcasts for now, the company plans on expanding to index video and content in other languages in the coming months. The product allows you to keep a couple hours of audio on your phone for your daily commute, lets you share podcasts with friends, and helps you find the latest updates for breaking news stories.

When I upgraded my Blackberry for an Android G1 last December I was hoping to get stuck in with some Android development as soon as possible. 9 months later and I’m finally getting around to it! My initial impressions of the development platform are good. There is great documentation , and lots of sample applications. One of the best sample applications I’ve found is WhereAreMyFriends , which uses the phone’s location awareness and Google Maps integration to display your location and that of everyone in your phone book.

HELSINKI, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Microsoft’s high-profile deal with handset maker Nokia could help keep aggressive software rivals at bay, but at the same time spell the end for its ailing Windows Mobile operating system. Last week Microsoft and Nokia unveiled an alliance taking Microsoft’s Office applications—including Word, Excel and PowerPoint—to a range of Nokia cellphones from next year. The pact could counter moves by phone makers to use Google’s free Android operating system, and keep Microsoft relevant in the mobile market despite a poor showing from Windows Mobile.

Research In Motion is set to bring full Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight support to the company’s BlackBerry phones. The BoyGenius Report blog claims RIM will introduce the new functionality sometime next summer, together with more powerful handsets. The BlackBerry Web browser is not particularly famous for its capability to display pages properly, but RIM is working on a major overhaul of the software.

Normally, when you see different versions of the same operating system, the assumption is that the bigger number is the newer one and probably the one that you want. With each successive iteration, you get new features and other improvements, so this only makes sense. Microsoft, however, seems to be taking a wholly different approach when it comes to its upcoming smartphone platforms. We have been looking forward to Windows Mobile 6.5 for some time, but we also know that Windows Mobile 7 is right around the corner too.

Pegatron has been showing off pre-production prototypes of its upcoming smartbook prototype with an ARM processor for a while. But IT Pro Portal has some of the first photos I’ve seen o the prototype hanging out next to the popular Asus Eee PC 1005HA. And in terms of size, there’s no contest: The Pegatron smartbook is thinner and lighter, weighing just about 1.87 pounds. The Pegatron protype also has a smaller display and keyboard than the Asus netbook (both have 1024 x 600 pixel displays, but the Pegatron smartbook has an 8.9 inch screen compared with the 1005HA’s 10.2 inch display).

To all of you who used to think that Dell was only a interested in making money through its desktops and famous laptops, open your eyes Dell is landing on the market for smartphones with its Mini 3i Dell has unveiled its first Smartphone Mini 3i , it will be intended First, to the Chinese market through the mobile network operator China Mobile. this phone will feature no 3G or Wi-Fi which means that this phone will not be really appreciated by “geeks” .

“Studio” for many of us means packing musical production tools into a corner of our desk, then being able to fit the whole thing into a backpack and take it with us. It’s bringing along your entire production to a cramped rehearsal room and adjusting tracks in a hotel room. It’s putting together an assortment of unusual pieces of DIY hardware, mobile game systems and an iPod touch, and composing and performing a live PA set. So packing in functionality means a lot.

PC World – Microsoft will reportedly push two mobile operating systems at once in an effort to battle Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone, but are two heads better than one?