Microsoft is finally pushing out a software update for Windows Phone 7 devices dubbed NoDo, which brings copy and paste functionality among other minor improvements. Microsoft's revamped mobile OS has been missing copy and paste capabilities since its October launch.
Among other improvements in the NoDo update, Microsoft notes faster start and resume times for apps and better category search in the Marketplace (the Windows Phone 7 app store), allowing users to search for specific apps from the phone. Microsoft added a few performance tune-ups as well for Wi-Fi functionality and the Outlook e-mail client (unfortunately, there's no unified inbox).
For an overview of how copy and paste works on Windows Phone 7, check out this video
The software patch is being sent out on a rolling schedule; a message will appear on your phone when it's available. You could be waiting from a few days to a few weeks for the update, as unlocked phones will be the first to receive the update, followed by carrier-branded models. New handsets like the HTC HD7S will come with NoDo preinstalled.
Only the update notification is sent over the air to a phone, so in order to update a Windows Phone 7 phone you need to connect it to your computer and update it via either Zune software or the Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac.
NoDo is Microsoft's second patch to Windows Phone 7 after a troublesome update at the beginning of the month that gave headaches to one in 10 users. Another software update is expected later this year code-named Mango, but details are sketchy at the moment over what it will entail.