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AP – Microsoft on Wednesday let consumers start trying out its upcoming touch-based Windows 8 operating system, which aims to power a new wave of computer tablets and traditional PCs designed to counter Apple’s big gains in the market through its Macs and iPads.

Reuters – Microsoft Corp released an incomplete version of Windows 8 for the public to download and try out on Wednesday, looking to rev up excitement for the slick, new-look operating system that it hopes will restore its fading tech supremacy.

AP – If you’re amazed — and maybe even a little alarmed — about how much Google seems to know about you, brace yourself. Beginning Thursday, Google will operate under a streamlined privacy policy that enables the Internet’s most powerful company to dig even deeper into the lives of its more than 1 billion users.

AP – Messages from brands such as Walmart and Starbucks may soon be mixed in with your Facebook status updates and baby photos from friends and family.

Reuters – Tony Award winning actress, Kristin Chenoweth, returns to prime time television with “GCB” (Good Christian Belles), portraying a Botox-injecting Bible blogger, Carlene Cockburn.

Appolicious – Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt had plenty to discuss during his keynote at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, sharing his vision of the future for mobile and Internet technology. Some topics included human rights and how technology is shaping our future, hinting at various Google-related products all the while. But the keynote kicked off with a demo of Google Chrome for Android Ice Cream Sandwich, showing off some key features. The new Chrome actually pre-loads web pages it anticipates you’ll open next, speeding up the browsing experience. …

ContributorNetwork – Since Apple doesn’t exhibit at Mobile World Congress — which is sort of like the Consumer Electronics Show for smartphones and tablets — gadgets that run Google’s open-source Android operating system dominate the trade show. Google’s head of its Android division, Andy Rubin, announced nearly 1 million Android devices are activated every day and more than 300 million have been activated so far, roughly one for every person in the U.S.

Digital Trends – Mobile World Congress has seen a big coming out for Nvidia’s new Tegra 3 quad-core processor with appearances in a number of phones, including LG’s new powerhouse, the Optimus 4X HD. As you might guess from its name, the Optimus 4X HD has four processor cores and an HD 720p screen. Still, despite packing in more cores, the Optimus 4X won’t have a feature that almost all phone fanatics should be looking for: 4G LTE connectivity. 

Digital Trends – Mobile World Congress has been dominated by Android smartphones and tablets, plus the Tegra 3 quad-core processor, with Windows Phone hardware coming a distant second in terms of major new device announcements.

Reuters – Microsoft Corp unveils the first widely available test version of Windows 8 on Wednesday, giving the public the first chance to try out the slick, new-look operating system it hopes will restore the company’s fading tech supremacy.