Looks like LinkedIn might be working well for Hand Huang's because his profile certainly caught some attention for this little blurb (emphasis mine):

3. Joining Caesar product development, lead a team to do telephony feature and other applications development. Migrated relative applications from Windows Mobile 6 to Windows Mobile 7

Language: C++
Tools: VS2008, AKU, Platform Builder
Runtime Environment: Windows Mobile 7.0 (Beta)

According to Ars Technica, Huang might not just be fluffing up his resume. The timeframe seems about right for WinMo 7 to hit beta testing since it's been in development for years and there'd been a search for internal testers in the recent months. The timeline Ars lays out based on this information is that testers would truly be seeing the OS in November of this year, while we would see it out in the wild in April of 2010. The dates are loose and based on rumors, but when isn't that the case?

The way I see it is that WinMo 7 is pretty much Microsoft's last hope for a decent mobile OS, so I certainly hope this is true, shortening the time we'll have to endure Windows Mobile 6.5. [Ars Technica]

Not one of the more exciting features, sure, but if you're the type of gamer who enjoys seeing their games boot up a few second fast than usual it's gravy. [Kotaku]

Update: And it looks like you can cut and paste small videos. [9to5]

Other than this, there are a number of fixes that you can head over to the developer site to check out.

UPDATE: Reports are coming in that, predictably, some of the simpler tethering tricks no longer work.

UPDATE 2: A few more features have come to light, including new accessibility options (VoiceOver and high contrast mode can be toggled with three clicks on the home button), as well as new video saving and editing buttons. [iPhone Dev]

And of course, it comes with a new beta of the SDK and iTunes 8.2. We will update this post as we get new information about what's new—if anything.

Update: According to the release notes, there are changes in the StoreKit and multiple fixes. No new features. [Thanks Hugo]

Screen recording has been an option in the Snow Leopard betas, but hasn't actually done anything until the release of build 10A335 this Thursday. It's a nice little feature that'll save Snow Leopard users the need to download an extra program just to handle that one task. [AppleInsider]

It's just a rumor for now, bits of newly discovered beta code, really, but that last pairing could be true, and soon.

Now, video editing and the iPhone isn't total out of the blue. Just last month, in the aftermath of the big firmware 3.0 beta reveal, intrepid cyber sleuths uncovered an "upload my video" option in the MobileMe section.

But this tip from Gizmodo reader Ben is something a bit new. Buried in the beta are some graphics that future iPhone directors might use for video editing. There are also some art resources that allegedly show scrubbing and clip features.

And naturally, if these features pan out, they would make massively more sense paired up with a device that has a faster processor, more storage, etc. You picking up what I'm laying down? [Benm.At - Thanks, Ben]

We're keeping this news in rumor land for now, but there is visual evidence out there that this beta test is indeed happening. Our tipster David over at Zatz Not Funny vouches for the accuracy of his sources (who also supplied the pictures).

Other things of note: The current library is (unsurprisingly) pretty limited, but at the very least we do get our man Tony Stark here. We also don't know if this functionality is coming soon to other devices, like that plucky Roku box I've had my eye on, but it would also be unsurprising if this feature was scaled out. [Zatz Not Funny]

What were your impressions? What features do you like / not like?

[UMPC Portal]

The most obvious new feature is the inclusion of Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate, a step up from the previous build's beta edition. But it also includes a bunch of new icons and animations, and apparently the start menu's search option is faster than before. Despite a few flaws, we're pretty much in love with Windows 7 over here and it's good to know that it'll get even better before the final release. [Computer World]

I installed Windows 7 Beta on an HP TouchSmart PC over the weekend, getting cozy with the new touch and multitouch features, then loaded up a sweet two-handed Air Hockey demo. Have a look:

[When you're done here, check out our complete Windows 7 coverage]

The basic touch and multitouch actions found native to Windows 7 are nothing to oooh and ahhh over, but there are a lot of little intuitive moves and conveniences that work well, even in the beta stage. More importantly, developers in and out of Microsoft are now getting all touchy, and we plan to track that pretty closely. But first, here's the starter menu of touch and multitouch maneuvers:

Tap: The quick screen touch doesn't reveal an arrow cursor, but the screen ripples outward, like water, plus there's a tiny crosshair where you are actually tapping. The TouchSmart makes a beep (and when you tap with a second finger at the same time, that touch emits a higher-pitch beep).

Tap and hold: The "right-click" behavior is very well constructed: You tap and hold, and a circle swirls around your finger. Let go to reveal the right-click menu.

Flick: When you enable flicks, you can swim through longer pages and menus a lot faster, both vertically and horizontally. When you reach the end of the menu or screen, the window recoils a bit, indicating the termination.

Type: There's a surprisingly MacBooky on-screen keyboard lurking just off frame in Windows 7. You tap the screen's edge for it to stick out just a bit; tap it again and out it slides to center screen, sizable to your fat-fingered liking.

Zoom: In spite of new concerns over multitouch patents, this zoom behavior is pretty much identical to the one seen in Apple products (and on Microsoft's Surface as well). You put two fingers on the screen and move them together to zoom out, and separate them to zoom in. I will note that this was easier to do with two hands—one-handed pinching was probably too micro for the TouchSmart screen.

Rotate: Same as zoom, this is straight out of the basic multitouch playbook. Just move two fingers in a circular fashion, and the photo rotates. And again, it was easier to use two hands than one. (I found that amazing bee shot in the video on Flickr—it's by a user called aussiegall who has some beautiful nature close-ups.)

Draw: Two-fingered drawing is a multitouch phenomenon I don't fully understand, but that's probably because I'm not much of an artist. It's cool to show off—and at this point, it's the epitome of the finger Paint interface, because three or more fingers is still apparently taboo—but it seems to be a function awaiting a purpose.

The Windows 7 Media Center touch interface is really cool, especially if you're using MC in a cramped dorm or kitchen, where the "10 foot" remote-control experience just ain't happening. I ran the following video back in November, showing pretty much the same experience I can now pull up on the TouchSmart I have here, only they had more content, so it looks cooler:

A multitouch interface designer called IdentityMine created, among other things, a simple two-person multitouch Air Hockey demo to run at PDC 2008. Since it's still available for download, I grabbed it and challenged my wife to a duel. We're both out of shape, hockey-wise, but man was it a bloodbath:

In case you were wondering, I installed Windows 7 Beta in two ways on the TouchSmart PC, both which had different advantages. First, I upgraded from Vista, keeping all the drivers, etc. intact. Though I was able to get going quickly, the experience was hampered by touch software that HP ran on top of Vista. To get at the control that come native in Windows 7—which I highlight above—I had to partition the drive and do a clean install. Though I had to gather up some drivers and install them manually with some trickery, I got the more honest Windows 7 touch and multitouch experience.

I am happy that HP is pushing its TouchSmart platform to consumers with such enthusiasm, and I'm happy that Microsoft decided to weave touch into the fabric of its OS. One day we may even take it for granted, like keyboards and mice now. The real question is, what will developers do? I'm going to spend the next few days investigating more touch and multitouch applications and interfaces, because while Microsoft and HP should be praised for supplying the capabilities, the goodness will come in what developers do with them.

To automatically read the most recent Windows 7 posts, hit this tag (and bookmark it).

Windows 7 Beta Installation Advice
(Note: The beta is available until February 10th, though downloads may be limited, so hurry!)
• How to Download and Install Windows 7 Beta
• How To Install Win 7 on Macs with Boot Camp
• Understanding the Windows 7 Beta Agreement Fine Print

Windows 7 Feature Analysis:
• Why Microsoft Should Give Windows 7 Away
• Why the Windows 7 Taskbar Beats the Mac OS X Dock
• Why It's Smart To Go 64-Bit With Windows 7
• Windows 7 Runs Better Than Vista On Netbooks
• Why Windows 7 Will Beat Vista Overall

Windows 7 Beta Tips
• The Calculator Now Calculates Your Mortgage Payments and More
• Miss Vista's Quick Launch? Here's How You Get It Back
• Registry Tweak Fixes Window Gadgets and UAC Incompatibility
• Adding Extra Monitors Is So Easy a Caveman Could Do It
• 'Play To' Media Control Might Take Over Your Whole House
• Xbox 360 Streaming Is Buggy For Now, but it Still Works...Kinda
• Windows Explorer Preview Pane Works Much Better Than Vista's
• The Windows Key Is Actually Useful Now!
• Maximize and Dock Your Windows by Dragging to the Screen Edge
• Where the Hell is Add/Remove Programs?
• ISO Disc Image Burning Is Built Right In
• Device Stage Gadget Interface Is Gorgeous (When Supported!)
• Libraries Replace the Antiquated Virtual Folders Feature
• Now You Can Choose Which Folders to Back Up and Create System Images
• Fix That MSI Installer Bug And Get Apps Running Again
• Windows Home Server Almost 100% Compatible Already
• Gadgets Integrated to Desktop (But Still Buggy in Beta)
• New WordPad Opens Word 2007 XML Docs
• Careful: Windows 7 Beta Sleep/Hibernate Is Still Buggy
• Windows 7 Taskbar UI Tips
• Inside the Amazing Problem Steps Recorder

Windows 7 General Observations
• Huge Security Flaw in Windows 7 User Account Control
• Windows 7 Is OK, But Can It Run Crysis?
• Windows XP, Vista and 7 Tested For Multicore Performance, XP Still Wins For Now
• Windows 7 Performance Meter Goes Up To 7.9, Still Not Fantastic For Gaming Measurements

Funny—and Not So Funny—Windows 7 Experiences
• The First Windows 7 Blue Screen of Death
• 131 BSODs We'd Rather See
• 25 Features You Definitely Won't See in Windows 7

When I asked him if it was an unprecedented move, passing out the whole operating system to anyone and everyone who wants it, he said that technology limited previous rollouts. Windows 95's beta test group was 600,000 strong, downloaded mostly from dial-up via FTP sites. He says he even remembers putting out DOS in 1992, and getting 50,000 downloads—within a day. This, though, the combination of the TechNet and MSDN subscriber downloads with the open beta for all, will dwarf those previous OS beta runs. So I asked the obvious question: Are people going to dump Vista for this, wholesale?

I can't speak for what people are going to do. What we're trying to do is involve people in the development of Windows 7 in a way that anyone can choose what their appropriate level is—hardware and computer makers who are deeply involved because that's their job, enterprise customers deciding to dedicate people to work with us at a very high bandwidth, we have other enterprise customers who want to kick the tires; we have enthusiasts—your readers—going crazy to be able to download it and that's awesome.

We have different ways we have people involved. At one extreme, they're part of the professional beta programs and they log bugs and they have feedback. And at the other extreme, all we need them to do is run the product, and their installation telemetry—things that are optional as part of the retail product are part of the beta, the telemetry, what devices you plug in and all that, and at some level, those are all super helpful to us.

I mentioned to him that one the recurring comments from the original Windows 7 walkthrough was that this should be a service pack or, better yet, a free upgrade to Vista. So I asked: Is this a free upgrade to Vista?

Technically if you have a Vista machine you can install this and it will install an upgrade. That's part of what we're letting people test. But that's not a product offering. This is an offer to test the product. I would remind readers that this is a beta product. This is not a done product. That means there are bugs in it that are in the process of being fixed, it means there are bugs we're going to discover, and we're not servicing it like a real product.

Basically, he's saying enjoy it, but know its limitations in trying to be the be-all end-all answer to your Vista problems.

If there's anything more from the interview that I need to share with you, I'll publish it tomorrow. Meantime, let us know how your Windows 7 beta experience is going. [Microsoft Windows 7]