Daily Update: Be What's Next

Good afternoon.

Microsoft is previewing a redesign of its corporate web site, where it is using the tagline Be What's Next. I like that. The new site is awful busy-looking though.

Xbox 360 users will notice a time-consuming and mandatory Dashboard update that will need to be installed before they next use the console. The reason: anti-piracy. A second update is coming Thursday that will change the Gamercard UI slightly.

Mary Jo Foley reports that Microsoft is getting set to open more retail stores, all on the west coast. Hey, guys. How 'bout some east coast love too?

Man, Jobs is only gone for a few days and Apple is already foregoing core values: Playboy is coming to the App Store.

Has Microsoft found the Windows Phone 7 data hog bug? I suspect it's more than that.

My buddy Barb is mourning the loss of Wendy Stidmon, who was let go at Microsoft, and, more generally, the loss of end user advocacy, feedback, and enthusiast engagement that goes along with that. Amen.

Looks like Windows Phone isn't the only mobile platform suffering from a lack of updates. According to ZD's James Kendrick, Android fragmentation is leading to a situation where device makers are refusing to ship updates for the phones, leaving owners with older OS versions.

Related: Only half of Android users are running Froyo and Gingerbread is MIA

Lenovo has formed a new tablet and smartphone product group. Smart.