It's been a hectic first couple of days at Mobile World Congress, with Team Shiny spreading far and wide to seek out new phones, cool services, and interesting mobile people to interview. Feast your eyes on the stories and videos below:

THE HOTTEST NEWS
Sony Ericsson launches Xperia brand - and introduces the Xperia X1
Nokia finally (finally!) unleashes the N96 handset
LG's MusicStation Max handset offers free unlimited music as part of your tariff
NVIDIA shows off iPhone-busting concept phone
Spice Movie Phone has a built-in optical disc drive
Texas Instruments showing off Google's Android TODAY! And a prototype handset...
Nokia N96 versus Nokia N95
Samsung's G810 with 5megapixel camera and GPS
MWC 2008: Will the LiMo Foundation pip Google's Android to the open-source post?
Vacuous corporate stand slogan roundup: Part One

THE COOLEST VIDEOS
Susi looks at Samsung's Soul, but what does she see?
Nokia's N96 mobile phone
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 handset
Susi looks at the Zeemote JS1 joystick for mobile gaming
LG F600
The top 10 hottest phones
MWC 2008 Video Preview: Google Android platform shown off at ARM's stand

Don't really understand what the big idea is behind MSN Direct, to be honest.

It seems to be a system a bit like the Windows Vista sidebar, that lets you see weather reports and read news headlines and watch your share values plummet in real time on your Windows Mobile device.

Only if you have a Windows Mobile device, surely it's not really that life-endingly difficult to open you your web browser, go to bbc.co.uk and look at what the news and weather's like, then see what the latest financial crisis is for yourself?

Sorry to come across like it's Cynical Tuesday here in Misery Town, but this does seem to be about the most pointless example of software innovation Microsoft's managed to come up with since... whenever Vista launched.

(Via MSN Direct)

Related posts
Microsoft taking Nokia out to lunch - the subject? Windows Mobile world domination...
Official: Mac users are pervier than Windows users
Man gets Windows Vista running on his Asus Eee PC

We're still in disbelief over how disappointing Samsung's collection of phones is for MWC - even with the Soul in mind - and these models shown, the L770, E251 and i200 don't disappoint in the disappointment stakes. It's just so disappointing. Get the picture?

Clockwise from top left, the i200 has some nice 3G power hammered into the candybar casing, along with Windows Mobile 6, a 2-megapixel camera, and microSD slot. With a slightly larger screen than usually seen on a 'budget' phone like this - 2.3", it should be out in Spring, for around €200.

The large plum-coloured L770 is getting higher in the price-tag wars, at €260-280 when it hopefully launches in April. Again, it's fairly simple with just a 2-megapixel camera, radio, and UMTS, or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, a variation of 3G technology.

Try not to snooze when I rattle off the specs of the last model, the E250, as boy oh boy this one is dull. Entry-level to the max, it's got - snicker - a VGA camera, FM radio, and microSD slot. It'll be €120-130. *Yawn*

Samsung (via Mobile-Review)

Related posts
MWC 2008: Samsung epitomises 'entry-level' with the J700, J150 and L170 mobiles
MWC 2008: Samsung hedges its bets with both Google Android and Linux-based LiMo handsets
MWC 2008: Samsung's G810 with 5megapixel camera and GPS

Possibly the most EXCITING news that's come out of MWC, country singer Tim McGraw has confirmed exactly what all mobile users have been waiting for: his very own mobile internet site.

McGraw2go.mobi is the one-stop site for fans of his music (and aren't we all), giving us amazing access to view BREAKING NEWS, tour dates, download photos, video and even pay for - get this - electronic media, in the form of wallpapers and ringtones no doubt. Don't you just feel like all your Christmases have come at once?

"The mobile medium is the latest way in which Tim McGraw is reaching out to his fans, giving him access to them 24 hours a day and seven days a week," said his manager, Scott Siman, no doubt forgetting that most people are probably accessing the mobile site in the hopes of seeing nekkid piccies of his hardbody wife, Faith Hill.

(via MWC)

Related posts
O2 offering (limited) free access to MySpace mobile site
Rightmove partners with Vodafone for improved mobile site
YouTube launches its own mobile site

Though mobile operators are usually in direct competition with one another, it's encouraging that, where the subject really matters, they can cooperate to help combat a problem.

The GSM Association, the global trade association for mobile operators, has announced the launch of the Mobile Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Content, which aims to block those who wish to access or profit from websites depicting child sexual abuse.

Their concern is that, with the continued rollout of high-speed mobile networks (mobile broadband), those determined to access such material will move from more conventional technology to the mobile space.

Phew. Yesterday was without a doubt one of the most exciting days in the history of the mobile with innovative launches everywhere you looked. Judging by the new range of handsets it really is worth hanging on until at least the early summer before grabbing a new mobi.

So after playing with all the key mobiles, until we were forcibly removed from the stands, here’s our top ten.

1 Nokia N96 – Boring choice as top phone, but it really does a look like a significant leap on from the N95. The build quality is sturdier, it has a more stylish finish and that 2.8inch screen is gorgeous. Poor battery life, iffy build quality and a GPS system that was a law unto itself, made the N95 a bittersweet experience for me. If Nokia can get those things right I’ll be at the front of the queue for this one come late summer. It is interesting to note that the Nokia N96s at the show ere very well developed for prototypes. You get the feeling that Nokia is taking no chances with the N96 and won't rush it to market until it is ready for it. Seems like they have learnt a lesson or two from last time.

We're not yet done with Samsung's plethora of entry-level handsets, as the J700, J150 and L170 will surely appeal to some people doing a Google search on these rather budget models. Oh, hai, Google searchers!

Starting at the left, the J700 slider model contains a 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD slot, FM radio, music player and 2.0" 160x128 display within its mirrored finish. It should be released early March, for between €130-140.

Squeezed in the middle there is the J150, an inexpensive handset at €125-130, measuring 9.9mm deep, with a 1.9" display, 1.3-megapixel camera, FM radio, and microSD slot. €120-130 should be able to buy you one when it's released shortly.

The latter of the three pictured, the L170 is the priciest at €175, but contains the most impressive specs. Well, if a 2-megapixel camera impresses you, anyway. A 1.6" display is one of the smallest of the show so far, and the 10.7mm thickness is fairly standard business.

Samsung (via Mobile-Review)

Related posts
MWC 2008: Samsung hedges its bets with both Google Android and Linux-based LiMo handsets
MWC 2008: Samsung's G810 with 5megapixel camera and GPS

As every man and his Labrador puppy is talking about the Google Android platform at this year's Mobile World Congress, I cajoled Ashley into showing us just how spiffy it is, through the medium of interpretive dance video. He spotted it at ARM's stand, which if you remember, is the British chip designer which promised to show the first prototype at the show.

Google Android

Related posts
Brit chip company ARM to show first Google Android handset next week?
Is Dell to release a phone using the Android platform?
MWC 2008: Samsung hedges its bets with both Google Android and Linux-based LiMo handsets

BlackBerry wishes to remind everyone of their Pearl colourways whilst the Mobile World Congress is a-happening, because having a choice of pink, titanium, blue, sunset red, amethyst and black phones is just as important as Nokia's N96. Maybe.

We've seen some of the colours before, but here's an opportunity to ogle them in their Domino modelling poses. Phwroar!

BlackBerry Pearl

Related posts
Shiny Review: Blackberry Pearl 8120
RIM launches BlackBerry Pearl 8120 in the UK
Hark, the herald businessmen sing, as RIM's BlackBerry Pearl 2 (or 8130) is announced in US

Announced today, Nokia is to roll out Google's search engine across many of their handsets, predominantly yesterday's new N96, N78, 6210 Navigator and 6220 Classic models.

The search engine will be integrated into their Nokia Search application, which already offers easy access to the web, and the ability to search content on the actual handsets.

"Adding Google to Nokia Search provides mobile users with fast, relevant and comprehensive search experience that will be familiar to the people who use Google to search the web from their desktop," Google's VP of Engineering and Products for Mobile Vic Gundotra said of the new collaboration.

The service will be extended to other handsets in the future, with over 100 countries given access to the search engine.

Is anyone else wondering why Nokia needs to call upon the mighty power of Google's search abilities, when they have their own Search function in existence? Guess things aren't quite as rosy with Nokia Search as they'd like us to believe.

Nokia

Related posts
MWC 2008 Video Preview: Nokia's N96 mobile phone
MWC 2008: New Nokia 6210 Navigator and 6220 classic handsets offer advanced navigation and multimedia functions
MWC 2008: Nokia N96 versus Nokia N95

Every phone worth its salt has A2DP streaming these days, so it's no surprise that more Bluetooth speakers are making it to the market - the latest of which is the Parrot Party Black Edition.

It's an upgrade to an existing speaker, now in black, smaller and with a rechargeable battery life of eight hours, as well as having compatibility with music stored on a Mac running Leopard. Other features include connectivity via RCA as well as Bluetooth, a built-in Class-D amplifier, a total output of 6w, Stereo Widening (the sound seems to come from all around) and Virtual SuperBass (reinforces the bass frequencies).

The Parrot Party Black Edition will be available in the middle of 2008 for the equivalent of 99 Euros.

Parrot

Find more mobile news in our Mobile World Congress 2008

Russian firm CBOSS makes convergent IT solutions for end-to-end automation of telecommunication enterprises. Its services include consulting, turnkey implementation and technical support, promising to guarantee mobile operators' operations quality while minimising operational and capital expenditures.

If you're struggling to get your head round that, don't worry: here's a video explaining the company's raison d'etre through the medium of interpretive dance. Sorry, they're fully dressed this year.

Find more mobile news in our Mobile World Congress 2008 category

No, your eyes aren't kidding you. That really is the processor-shredding Second Life virtual world running on an iPhone. But how? And why is it so slow? Well, the answer is that it's a concept demo produced by mobile technology firm Comverse.

In a layman's nutshell, all the processing is being done NOT on the iPhone, on a central server. All that's being streamed to the iPhone is the visuals - essentially, a video feed of the Second Life environment. Then, when you tap the on-screen buttons to move, or type in a message, that's sent back up to the server for processing.

So, it's not a Second Life client on the iPhone - it's just streaming Safari-friendly video of your SL session, with you able to send your commands back in the other direction. That's why it's this sluggish at the moment, because you're one step removed.

One of the defining things about Mobile World Congress is the huge number of dreadful stand slogans. Y'know, the lines companies have chosen to sum up what it is they do. Revolutionising the mobile value chain? Driving the convergence zeitgeist? Shattering the usability barrier? Cobblers, all of 'em.

Well, I'm not standing for it. It's time to name and shame the worst examples, starting with perhaps the all-time worst corporate slogan, with more after the jump. Watch out for more throughout the week.

1. Sheer genius. Inspire with inspiration. Rivals will struggle to top this for sheer silliness this year. Or will they?

What's this? A 20-foot God sitting astride the stand of mobile messaging firm Zlango​? Sounds like a good idea to us: it's not as if there are loads of Catholics in Spain who might get offended and... Oh.

Okay, so having a great big God on your stand might be a strange move given local cultural sensitivities, but it hasn't stopped Zlango. What does the firm do though? Well, it's developed an icon-based messaging platform using icons instead of words. The idea is you send colourful 'ZMS's' (Zlango messages) rather than SMS texts.

It runs on mobile phones, as well as within web browsers, social networks, and PC-based instant messaging apps like ICQ, with more to follow. I can't help wondering why icons are better than text for communication in a messaging sense, but maybe I'm just being a doubting Thomas. Maybe God can sort that out...

Zlango website

Find more mobile news in our Mobile World Congress 2008 category

LG has revealed that it'll be the first handset maker to launch a phone with Omnifone's new MusicStation Max service built in. What's that? It involves buying a phone on a monthly contract from an operator, with free, unlimited music downloads bundled into the tariff.

"The consumer buys a 20 or 30-euro price plan that might include, for example, 500 voice minutes, 600 texts and unlimited data," Omnifone CEO Rob Lewis told me. "But when they get their music phone out of the box, it also has the rights to unlimited free music downloads direct to the phone."

LG's first MusicStation Max handset will be released by June, and although the two companies aren't allowing any photography of the device, they are showing it off: basically, it's a 3G/HSDPA touchscreen iPhone-like handset, except with a slide-out keyboard.

Spanning laptops and mobile phones, Toshiba is adding to their Portégé range with the G810 touchscreen handset. Yes, you've heard the model number 'G810' before - Samsung announced a handset by the same name today at MWC, and LG released the KG810 clamshell back in October of last year.

Running on Windows Mobile 6, it's got HSDPA and HSUPA support, integral for the push email and web-browsing WM6 is renowned for, alongside Office Mobile applications and Windows Media Player. The camera has a 3-megapixel sensor, with photos viewable on the 2.8" QVGA touchscreen, and can be saved on the internal 256MB memory, or through the microSD slot.

Still rolling out the features, it also has GPS capabilities.

Expect it to become available in late Spring across Europe.

Toshiba Mobile

Related posts
Toshiba's G450 4-in-one mobile phone / USB flash drive / MP3 player / HSDPA modem
Toshiba launches Portege M700 tablet PC series
Toshiba slashing HD DVD prices, but will it work?

Clever sods. Instead of just banking on one format, they're hedging their bets and developing handsets for both Google's Android and the LiMo Foundation, with some Linux-based handsets. They must've learnt their fence-sitting ways recently with their HD DVD/Blu-ray multi-players.

Unveiled today, the Linux-based SGH-i800 handset is powered by the LiMo mobile OS, although little more is known on it than that. As for the Android-based models, well, they're hoping for a release date of early 2009.

LiMo knows a good thing when they come across it, with Ben Wood, the Research Director at consultancy CCS Insight claiming "having the Koreans on board is good news for LiMo as they will drive innovation," but that they know "that these companies will quickly desert the initiative if it does not deliver against the ambitious expectations it has set."

(via PC Pro)

Related posts
MWC 2008: Will the LiMo Foundation pip Google's Android to the open-source post?
MWC 2008: Texas Instruments showing off Google's Android TODAY! And a prototype handset...
Brit chip company ARM to show first Google Android handset next week?

You may not have noticed, but there's a mobile phone show going on today. Here's another one of the 27,000 new models announced at MWC 2008 - Samsung's sleek and silver G810 slider.

The G810's reason to exist is its 3.5G data access - letting you browse the web at a network-permitting maximum speed of 3.6Mbps, plus there's wi-fi for when you're just using it to do a little bit of pre-sleep browsing in bed.

It's fully compatible with YouTube, if that's how you like to spend your spare time, with proper GPS, geo-tagging, Google Maps and a 2.6" TFT LCD screen for amazing your dad with. And a proper 3.5mm headphone socket so you don't have to use some ugly-arse proprietary headphones.

Plus there's more! A 5megapixel camera sits round the back, accompanied by a 3x optical - yes, OPTICAL! - zoom. Crikey. And it all runs on the fantastic Symbian OS - v9.2 if you're into the homebrew application scene.

The G810's one seriously packed and impressive multimedia "phoneputer," and another one I would very much like to see the inside of to work out exactly how they managed to fit it all in.

(Via Symbian.com)

Related posts
MWC 2008 Video Interview: Ash talks to Samsung's Marketing Manager about the Soul
MWC 2008 Video Preview: Samsung Bang & Olufsen F400 handset
MWC 2008: Nokia N96 versus Nokia N95

When we wrote about the KT610 yesterday, there weren't any images to be found, and whilst there still aren't any official ones available, the fine chaps over at Pocket-Lint have managed to shoot some photos with some nice hand-modelling action to boot.

In case you've already forgotten due to the healthy amount of handsets launched in the past 24 hours, the candybar KT610 runs on a Symbian OS, and is packing HSDPA connectivity, GPS, and a flip-out QWERTY keyboard.

LG (Photo via Pocket-Lint)

Related posts
MWC 2008: LG unveils GPS-enabled LG-KT610 Symbian mobile
MWC 2008: LG rocks on with their KF700, KF600 and KF510 handsets
MWC 2008 Video Preview: LG F600