Windows Phone 7 will get a Mango update this year

SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft's updated version of Windows Phone 7 (WP7) called Mango will bring more features including navigation and dictation.

These features are already available on Android and Iphone handsets, so Microsoft is playing catch-up with its mobile operating system.

The next update for handsets with the WP7 operating system will also feature an improved version of Bing.

It will upgrade Bing Maps to include turn by turn directed navigation for driving and, using Microsoft's Tellme, will let users verbally dictate a text message or email using the phone's microphone.

Bing Audio will be much like the popular Shazam app, will capable of recognising songs and likely will be linked to the Zune marketplace. Bing Vision will use the phone's camera to scan and detect barcodes, QR codes and the like using optical character recognition.

This update for WP7 phones is expected later this year, if Microsoft sticks to its schedule. Previous updates have come with problems and more recently the WP7 marketplace was down for several hours. µ