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The Windows Store has passed 150,000 applications, but Microsoft are not making any fuss over it. The psychological 100,000 app mark was passed earlier in the year, and if Microsoft are of the opinion that they don't need to shout out every app milestone, then I am in agreement with them. The hurdle of 'volume' has been overcome, the next step up is 'variety'.

Microsoft is working with Asian suppliers to test its own smartphone design, suggesting the computer-software giant is increasingly adopting a similar business model to that of rival Apple.

Far from throwing their existing users under a truck marked Windows Phone 8, Microsoft have promised an update that will keep their handsets up to date, and add functionality to their smartphones. It's just a shame they didn't do very well in telling the world that bit of the Windows Phone story.

On Wednesday, Microsoft announced features of its upcoming Windows Phone 8 mobile OS, including built-in turn-by-turn navigation, a secure "wallet" system, a new, faster browser and live tiles that can be custom sized to better fit the Start screen. Perhaps most importantly, the company revealed that the next wave of Windows Phones will really be Windows Phones, because when Windows Phone 8 comes out, it will share a "common core" of software with Windows 8.

Nokia says that a bug is causing its latest smartphone to occasionally lose its data connection and is offering customers $100 (£63) in call credits. The Finnish manufacturer said a fix for the Lumia 900's "memory management issue" would be issued on 16 April.

Microsoft announced today via its Windows Phone Developer Blog the release of a new tool designed to help developers migrate iPhone applications to the Windows Phone 7 platform.

Devices running Windows Phone 7 Series software won't hit store shelves until later this year, but Microsoft recently offered a peek into the upcoming OS at its MIX10 conference for developers and Web designers.