HP has announced the launch of the Compaq AirLife 100, a new Android-based smartbook, for want of a better word, that's due to launch via Telefonica (so O2 in the UK) this spring.

Looking very much like a proof of concept we saw at CES, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon QSD8250 chipset, the AirLife 100 boasts a 92% full size keyboard, 16GB SSD, SD card slot, and a customised touch interface from HP including a new "tabbed" touch browser experience, what's said to be a "simple mechanism" for zooming web pages, and a touch optimised media suite and shortcut menu.

There's also GPS with NDrive navigation, 3G connectivity (which is where the Telefonica team-up comes in), Wi-Fi, a VGA webcam, instant on start-up and the boast of up to 12 hours battery life.

"The browser has become the desktop for many people, and the new Compaq AirLife is the next evolution of a mobile computer that is streamlined specifically for the web", says Charl Snyman, an HP VP.

"This new type of user lives life online and no longer measures computing speeds and feeds, but rather friends, people and online social ranks".

In terms of competitor devices, this section of the netbook/smartbook market is growing, but slowly, the Lenovo Skylight could be seen as in the same category, while as far as other PC maker go, Acer offers an Android-based netbook with the D250 - but this also offers Windows 7.

Apple is offering one lucky shopper $10,000 dollars in the form of an iTunes gift card if they happen to be the buyer of the 10 billionth song from the iTunes store.

In what the company is calling "One huge milestone for music" the Cupertino based company is hoping the chance to win a vast chunk of cash to buy music, videos, and apps will be enough to lure thousands of customers into the iTunes store.

"iTunes changed the way you buy music, making songs and albums available for download, day or night. Seven years later, we’re about to celebrate our biggest milestone for music, yet — 10 billion songs downloaded," says Apple on its website.

All you have to do is buy a song, and if it’s the 10 billionth download, you could win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card.

But don't rush to the iTunes store just yet. At the time of writing, Apple has 9,897,556,116 songs suggesting it will be some time yet before the company reaches the magic number.

Google has been forced to change the way its new social networking service, Google Buzz, works following worldwide criticism and complaints.

"We've heard your feedback loud and clear, and since we launched Google Buzz four days ago, we've been working around the clock to address the concerns you've raised," said the company in a blog post.

The result is that rather that force you to automatically start following people you email the most in gmail, the system will now "suggest" a list for you to select.

"Starting this week, instead of an auto-follow model in which Buzz automatically sets you up to follow the people you email and chat with most, we're moving to an auto-suggest model. You won't be set up to follow anyone until you have reviewed the suggestions and clicked Follow selected people and start using Buzz," says Google backtracking on what it first launched with.

Google has also moved to make other more drastic changes including no longer connecting public Picasa Web Albums and Google Reader shared items automatically and the ability to disable Buzz altogether.

In an apologetic moment, Google's Todd Jackson, Product Manager for Gmail and Google Buzz said:

"We quickly realized that we didn't get everything quite right. We're very sorry for the concern we've caused and have been working hard ever since to improve things based on your feedback."

The latest changes come just days after Google changed privacy options and other elements of how the social networking service operated and just four days after the service launched.

Are the moves enough to make you consider using Buzz? What do you think of Google's new social network to take on Twitter and Facebook? Have your say in the comments below.

Microsoft has always denied it is building it's own phone instead preferring to allow handset manufacturers like HTC do the building for them while they concentrate on the software.

While that isn't likely to change, Neowin.net has dug up pictures of a phone made by Sharp that looks, from the single FCC filed picture remarkably similar to the Turtle phone mock-ups touted around last year.

The rumour goes something like this. Sharp make the phone. They are the same manufacturer of the T-Mobile Sidekick, which in turn is powered by Danger, which in turn was bought by Microsoft in 2008.

Add into the mix some references to the "turtle" name in the Zune MP3 player OS, an expected announcement by Steve Ballmer on Monday for Windows Mobile 7 and you've got yourself an almost legit rumour story for weekend reading.

All eyes are now on Mobile World Congress.

First it was a Billboard leaking the news, now Swedish site dailymobile.se has gone one step further and posted high-res(ish) photos of the new Samsung Wave before what is expected to be an official release on Sunday.

If a picture wasn't enough, the site also claims to have a full spec sheet and a model number - the Samsung S8500 - if you were wondering.

If the specs are to be believed, the new Bada OS running handset from Samsung will include a 3.3-inch AMOLED screen, 5 megapixel camera, flash, 720p video recording capabilities, 2GB of internal memory and be 10.9mm thick.

As you would expect it will be HSDPA ready for fast internet access on the go and come with Wi-Fi. The processor is expected to be in the region of 1Ghz.

Samsung is holding its Mobile World Congress press release on Sunday evening. Pocket-lint will be live from the event bringing you all the news as it happens.

We will keep you posted.

Planning a ski trip soon? You'll want to equip yourself with a pair of these Zeal Optics "Transcend" goggles, which have an inbuilt screen that can display all manner of useful information while you're tearing down the slopes.

Controlled by three buttons on the side of the goggles, the display can show GPS location, speed, altitude, distance travelled, stopwatch, temperature, and time. They're anti-fogging and are compatible with helmets, if you sit on the more extreme side of the winter sports spectrum. All the data is projected transparently onto the inner surface of the goggles, in front of your eyes.

Even better is that they can be updated with extra firmware later on - the company, according to the above video, seems to be planning trail maps, caller ID, text messages, buddy tracking, online stat-sharing, ski traffic reports, camera and video functionality, run previews, music controls and emergency calling.

It comes in a polarized version for $350, and there's also a photochromatic option that comes in at $450. If it were us, though, we'd wait for the next version, which sounds like it'll have cameras and 3G support. Stay tuned.

A new mobile phone watch has been announced for the UK that undercuts LG's GD910 (available on Orange) by around £200.

The sWaP Active is described as a "stylish, sporty, ultra lightweight, touchscreen watch phone" offered SIM-free for use with all the UK's 2G networks.

Measuring 240 x 58.4 x 16mm, the Active is water resistant with a rubber strap and launches with the claim of 100 hours standby and 180 minutes talk time.

It can connect to any Bluetooth device and boasts an "ultra sensitive" microphone for hands free use, takes a 2GB microSD card to store media on and even boasts a camera for still and video with sound recording,

There's a stylus built in the watch strap, to "assist" with dialling and texting (so we presume the screen is a little small/fiddly) as well as use the other functions, including a calendar, alarm, calculator, to-do-list and WAP connection.

Complete with wired stereo headphones, USB data transfer cable, USB mains charger, USB Bluetooth headset and mini stylus, the Active watch phone is priced at £299.99 and available now from Amazon, among others.

3 has announced that it is to offer Nokia's chunky new touchscreen phone, the 5230, both on contract and as a pay as you go option.

Despite the phone being available in a veritable rainbow of colours, 3 is offering the choice of just black or white.

The Nokia 5230 is available for £18 a month on an 18-month contract or for £149.99 on pay as you go.

Features include a A-GPS, a music player, Facebook integration, a 3.5mm headphone jack and it's compatible with Spotify for those opting to pay a tenner a month to be "premium".

The 5230 is now available online, in 3 Stores and via 3's telesales.

3 has announced that it is to offer Nokia's chunky new touchscreen phone, the 5230, both on contract and as a pay as you go option.

Despite the phone being available in a veritable rainbow of colours, 3 is offering the choice of just black or white.

The Nokia 5230 is available for £18 a month on an 18-month contract or for £149.99 on pay as you go.

Features include a A-GPS, a music player, Facebook integration, a 3.5mm headphone jack and it's compatible with Spotify for those opting to pay a tenner a month to be "premium".

The 5230 is now available online, in 3 Stores and via 3's telesales.