Android is now most wanted smartphone OS in U.S., says Nielsen.

In the period of July to September 2010, consumers looking for a new smartphone overwhelmingly wanted iOS, with 33 percent saying they would get an iPhone. 26 percent wanted an Android and 13 percent wanted a BlackBerry.

That has changed, however. For the period of January to March 2011, 31 percent would-be buyers said they wanted an Android phone, compared to 30 percent for iOS and only 11 percent for BlackBerry. The remaining were unsure or wanted Windows.

Many of those surveyed were already Android phone owners and it was now their preferred OS.

By market share, Android is leading the way at 37 percent followed by iOS at 27 percent and BlackBerry at 22 percent.

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Two weeks after the useless Windows 8 M1 build was leaked to torrent and warez sites, a newer version (M2) is now available for download.

The build is Windows 8 Milestone 2 (M2) Build 6.2.7955.0.110228-1930. That number implies the build is from February 28th and is "time-bombed to expire in July," says Soft.

This latest build, whilst still hiding some new features, adds a Webcam, Logon UI, TaskUI, PDF Reader, Ribbon UI, Application Folder, full DWM and the "immersive IE."

Touchscreen gestures are also supported in the latest build.

Potential downloaders are reminded that this is not an officially released Windows 8 build and will be highly unstable.

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Microsoft's upcoming "Mango" firmware update for mobile phones will actually be Windows Phone 7.5, says the software giant.

On the Microsoft Partner page, the company says "Preview the New Windows Phone OS 7.5 coming later in 2011."

Windows Phone 7.5 will add (says Giz)

• Application multitasking for background processing, audio and file transfer, and fast application switching
• Deeper phone integration so apps can, for example, take better advantage of the versatility of Live Tiles
• Access to the camera and Motion Sensor library so developers can build apps that incorporate device hardware and build augmented reality experiences

Nokia will release their first Windows Phone 7 device later this year, or early in 2012, when 7.5 is readily available.

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Sony has finally unveiled its much anticipated Honeycomb tablets today, dubbed the S1 and S2.

The S1 has a curved design which Sony says will make it much easier to carry (check first video) and the S2 is a clamshell with dual touchscreens.

At 9.4-inches, the S1 is comparable in size to the iPad 2, Xoom and Galaxy 10.1, and each device has a Tegra 2 dual-core SoC.

Each tablet has a customized UI and a "Swift" Web browser.

You can use the S1 as a touchscreen remote control thanks to built-in infrared.

The S2 has dual-5.5-inch screen with 1024x480 resolution. As seen in the video, the devices can be used for PSOne gaming, with full controls.

Each tablet is 3G and 4G-capable, support DLNA and are PlayStation-certified.

There was no word on release day or price, but expect prices between $500 and $700.

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Following 5 days of downtime, Sony has finally confirmed the reason behind the PSN outage, sparking outrage from concerned gamers.

Sony says hackers have stolen PSN account info, forcing the company to shut down PSN and Qriocity as it rebuilds its services.

In an announcement, Sony says the attack took place between April 17th and 19th.

The company notes that your "Name, address (city, state, postal code), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID, profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, postal code), and the subscriber's PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers" have all likely been compromised.

Even worse, the company says your credit card info and expiration date are likely to have been compromised, as well.

There are 71 million registered PSN accounts.

If you are worried, Sony says you should check your credit card statements and credit reports daily, and of course, to change your password once PSN goes back online.

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