It is common knowledge that the Windows Phone 7 GUI looks sweet. And since Microsoft is no dummy when it comes to design, the company apparently filed a patent application for their panoramic type GUI.

Patent serial number 240,729 pertains to a “contiguous background” that is able to extend beyond what is shown on the screen. It was filed back in September 2008 and refers to how the GUI works wherein the image glides either horizontally or vertically (but not both at once) when switching panels. The “mixed media” elements are found anchored on top of the background which will be accessed via a launched media playing device.

That would be Microsoft’s legal speak to prevent any conflicts with other patents. Remember how the Windows Phone 7 layout works. The icons are strategically and uniquely placed on each section’s layout and the background does not tile or repeat. The background design works much like a horizontal or vertical slideshow without cuts. Each section of the interface is tied up to the other in sort of wrapped fashion from the back to the beginning. And why exactly is Microsoft doing this? This is what they had to say:

“Most cellular telephones, personal data assistants, and personal media players utilize a series of discrete, cascading screens to present information to a user. Some users may find such screens and such lists to be uninspiring. Further, some users may not proactively explore such screens and such lists because of the unrewarding user experience.”

There you have it, straight from Microsoft. The design is to encourage people to view the content on each screen. The Panoramic User Interface patent was made public by the US Patents and Trademark Office on April 1 and the detailed terms will prevent other companies from waltzing in with a Windows Phone 7 UI lookalike without having to answer to Microsoft first.

Read more about the patent on Engadget.

So far, details on what the new 4.0 operating system would look like are still pretty scarce. But rumors have been going around stating that the new OS would be enabling some form of multitasking on the touch screen handset.

While most of us have already given up on Apple enabling multitasking support for the iPhone (it is like begging Steve Jobs to start supporting Adobe Flash), it seems like the engineers at Apple have finally found a way to convince the higher powers that multitasking is one feature that the smart phone badly needs.

Much like the Expose’s user interface, a list of running applications can be brought up on a menu by tapping the home button twice. It’s a simple function, and one that many non-iPhone smart phone users take for granted with other device. But for the iPhone community, the ability to multitask is pretty much like cut and pasting two years ago –a hopeless dream.

With the Apple iPhone 4G smart phone expected to be running the iPhone OS 4.0 right off the bat, the addition of multitasking to the may impressive hardware features of the 4G device makes us all giddy with excitement that Apple might just announce or even launch the new handset this coming June.

Summing up the rumors, the new device is expected to come with a large touch screen display, possibly with a 4.3 AMOLED screen. It is also rumored to have a removable battery, a touch sensitive casing and even a new high speed processor.

Of course, it is all rumors and speculations for now. But with devices such as the Motorola Shadow, the HTC Scorpio and other super high end handsets expected to come out later this year, the newest iPhone will have to go all out to stay on top for another two years in the industry.

Find out more about the news about multitasking on the iPhone at Mobile Choice UK.

Google has a sense of humor. Believe it. For years, they have constantly been outdoing themselves when it comes to their April Fool’s Day jokes. Being known to post application requirements for a human settlement on Mars (also known as Virgle) and solving dating problems via search in Google Romance, the guys at Google can definitely dish out some serious funnies.

This year is no exception, because the guys at Google have released a real, downloadable Android app that gives your animal friends a human voice.

The Translate for Animals app caters to a wide variety of animals, from dog, cat rabbit, guinea pig, bird, chicken, hamster, turtle, sheep, horse, pig and donkey. According to the site, Google is not liable for any disappointing conversations you may have with your chosen animals:

“It is not Google’s responsibility if you are offended or disappointed by what your chosen animal may say. Also please note, we do not guarantee stimulating conversation.”

Using the app is very simple. It works. Select the language you want it translated to. Record the animal speaking by stroking its fur gently in order to encourage it to meow, woof, oink or neigh. Wait for it to be processed as it is compared to millions of sounds in the Animal Linguistic Database. After that it will be translated to words. It will also have an audio option if you wish to hear what the animal had to say instead.

The only language option available now is English but in the future, Mongolian, Cantonese, Hindi and Pig-Latin translations will be available.

The fun, silly app is available for download to Android 1.6 devices now. You can grab this amusing app for free so you will be able to make use of your Nexus One to check just what your cat said about lunch.

Check out the hilarious Translate for Animals video at Engadget.

What is the real objective of teachers and parents when it comes to teaching children about the internet? It’s a pretty odd thing, since schools have only recently added in the subject into their curriculum and there are still any disadvantaged children without access to the technology.

Regardless of the situation, it is undeniable that with the trend of the world we currently live in, being part of the online community will become a necessity in the coming years. Use of Facebook and Twitter alone has shown how reliant our society can be on digital tools when given an option to socialize online.

For children however, this means that learning about the internet has to start at an early age.

With homework, socialization and even entertainment tied up to online profiles and accounts, many children learn to sign up for their first e-mail account at a very early age. While parents would be able to teach children the necessary skills for this, there are still plenty of adults who are unable to properly use a web browser. Sadly, educating the children about the internet cannot be easily split between teacher and parent.

Though one might assume that it would be okay for parents to handle morality while educators focus on technical skills, it would be impossible for parents to fully take part in the process if they themselves are not tech-savvy.

Before being able to teach what is proper behavior and decorum would require that a parent actually know what it is like to take part in a forum, a bulletin board, a chat room or even a shout out box.

Prof. Byron’s report of safety for children in the digital world has missed out on one crucial factor: educating parents.

Read about child safety on the internet at the Telegraph UK.