Want to Mango your Dev WP7 retail device? Today's your day! Mango Beta 2 released, including the capability for dev's to flash their phones with Mango! (Well the actual flash part is coming really soon... but...still)

Nikita Polyakov -  Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta2

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This time it has ability for your to Flash your Developer Unlocked phone to Mango Beta!

How awesome is that? Mega-Ultra-Mango-Awesome!!

The Windows Phone SDK includes the following

• Windows Phone SDK 7.1 (Beta2)
• Windows Phone Emulator (Beta2)
• Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Assemblies (Beta2)
• Silverlight 4 SDK and DRT
• Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Extensions for XNA Game Studio 4.0
• Microsoft Expression Blend SDK Preview for Windows Phone 7.1
• WCF Data Services Client for Window Phone 7.1
• Microsoft Advertising SDK for Windows Phone 7

The direct download link is: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=26648

Official Details and instructions: http://create.msdn.com/en-US/news/Mango_Beta

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App Hub - Update Your Windows Phone to Mango Today

"The Windows Phone Developer team is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Windows Phone OS 7.1 codenamed Mango for registered Windows Phone developers.

If you're registered for Windows Phone Marketplace, you'll receive an invitation from Microsoft Connect that will provide access to a firmware update for your retail Windows Phone device. Visit our membership page to become a registered Windows Phone developer.

Here are some details about this program:

• You must have an active, validated App Hub account.
• You may update only one phone per developer.
• To develop applications for a device that you've updated to Mango build 7661, you must update your development environment to the Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2 (formerly known as the Windows Phone Developer Tools).

IMPORTANT: As with firmware flashing on any device, there's the potential to ‘brick’ or permanently disable your phone if you don't follow the instructions exactly. The Windows Phone Developer Team strongly recommends that you carefully read all instructions before starting the process.

• The update is available only to developers in these countries or regions:

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The Windows Phone Developers Blog - Developers Get Goody Basket Full of Mangos

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Since beginning this journey with the new Windows Phone developer platform, we have aspired to be transparent, easy to build for, and easy to partner with.

We know that one of the most impactful things we can do for developers is to help them get their hands on the actual product. For Mango, that starts today with an early access program for developers.  We’re still working out some final kinks in the distribution and support infrastructure for delivering Mango to all of our registered developers around the world, but are inviting the most eager developers to come get Mango today, for their retail devices, as part of our early access program! [GD: emphasis added] We expect the full distribution infrastructure to be fully operational in the next couple of weeks. For now, consider yourself a beta tester for the distribution process. Registered developers will get invites to the Microsoft Connect site, which will give them access to Mango. This build of Mango should also be viewed as beta quality, so there are still consumer features missing, but you can now start building apps and testing them against retail devices. Here’s what you need to do:

• Download the Windows Phone Developer Tools Beta 2 – You will need to update your developer tools to update your phone and to deploy your apps, so run…get them now.
• Read the instructions before updating – These are very important steps which you need to follow to the letter. We’re committed to supporting our developer community with such an early access program, so if you have questions, start with the forums, which we are monitoring

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NOTE: Read ALL the tips and instructions from all the above posts. Yes, even you... (RTFP) Read The Fine Posts! Remember folks, this is BETA software. You use it at your own risk and there ARE bugs in it...

That said... I need to run out and finally get a WP7 device... like now... LOL