Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 11:21AM I've heard a bit of feedback about things that people switching from iPhone are enjoying most about Windows Phone 7. Here's the top things so far - keen to hear more. I'm sure there are things people miss too.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 10:13AM When Microsoft designed Windows Phone 7 they wanted to provide an easy experience for users that didn't involve understanding where apps would be installed. Hence just one block of storage. Much like the iPod, Zune and iPhone. This meant software that was not designed to offer storage upgrades. All Windows Phone 7 manufacturers however are used to providing customers with handsets that have upgradable storage. So, Samsung in particular launched the Focus with a Micro SDHC slot for a memory upgrade. Also, most (if not all) other Windows Phone 7 devices launched to date have a hidden Micro SDHC slot which you can get to if you pull the phone apart.
Monday, January 17, 2011 at 12:16AM Ever since the Zune Client version 4.7 was prepared for early testers of Windows Phone, Microsoft have had a team working on a new Zune client. That team is led by Microsoft Zune client Programme Manager Matt Akers (co-host of the Windows Phone Radio and Zune Insider Podcasts).
In addition to bringing new features it is understood that the Microsoft team working on updating to the Zune client software are going to deliver a fresh and improved User Interface compared with the current Zune 4.7 release (which is actually very good already - especially when put side-by-side with other media players).
Rumour has it that the update will be finalised within the next 90-days although no official release date has been announced by Microsoft. I've also heard speculation however that it may not land until much later in the year. I will add more details once I have something more solid.
Note: You can stay tuned for updates on this and WP7/Zune news by following @PaulSpain and @WindowsPhoneNZ on Twitter.
Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 12:48AM If you need to synchronise your email, contacts and calendar between your phone and your server then Microsoft have always provided the most reliable software to do this. When the robustness and reliability of both Windows Phone 7 handsets and Windows Mobile 6.x is compared with other platforms (such as iPhone and Android) – it’s the Windows phones which are the most consistently solid performers.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 11:40PM One of the top arcade games of all and a personal favourite of mine. It launched today in the Windows Phone 7 marketplace and is available now.
;)
Marketplace Description: PAC-MAN, the world famous arcade classic, returns in this faithful rendition for Windows Phone 7! Who can forget the countless hours and quarters spent avoiding pesky ghosts while chompin’ on dots and gobbling up the fruit for bonus points? Relive the retro arcade action! Control PAC-MAN using the standard flick-to-change-directions method, or try out the virtual-analog “PAC-PAD” method, new for Windows Phone 7. Munch fruits and other items for big points! Gobble blinking Power Pellets to turn the ghosts blue and weaken them temporarily. Eat the ghosts while they are blue and rack up the bonus points! Gain an extra life at 10,000 points! Avoid capture by Blinky, the leader of the ghosts, and his fellow ghosts Pinky, Inky and Clyde, each with unique personalities, as you strive to chomp all the dots and advance to the next stage!
Price: US$4.99
Publisher: Namco
Download: here
Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 3:52PM Many have been anticipating this since the release of Windows Phone 7. This, the official Amazon Kindle apps has been released just in time for CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, USA.
;)
Marketplace Discription: The Kindle app is optimized for the Windows Phone, giving users the ability to read Kindle books on a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. You'll have access to over 750,000* books in the Kindle Store, including the best sellers and new releases. Amazon Whispersync automatically syncs your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices (including Kindle), so you can pick up where you left off on another device.
Price: Free
Download: here
Top Apps Monday, January 3, 2011 at 1:53PM It has been revealed that Microsoft have recently established a team dedicated to differentiating Windows Phone from other mobile platforms. This means we can certainly expect future versions such as Windows Phone codename Mango (due H2 2011) to offer more standouts in addition to existing Live Tiles, Hubs, Ingrated Social Networking and instant on camera functions.
Steve Balmer last year highlighted Microsoft's long term play for Windows Phone would take some time to deliver on the companies vision. It appears this is another piece in their plan to win a large chunk of the mobile phone pie.
There is currently one job posting on Microsoft's jobs site which refers to this new team. The posting states:
If you’re a developer looking to have a big impact on a major Microsoft initiative then this could be the role you’ve been waiting for! The Windows Phone team is one of Microsoft’s fastest growing; most cutting edge businesses. And we just created a new team to curate brand new differentiated experiences for the phone. This *is* “what’s next” . And our new team is looking for a Software Development Engineer to help realize our three year inspiration.
If the role sounds like you then get in touch with Microsoft. For the rest of us, we will wait with anticipation for what the future holds for Windows Phone. One thing is for sure - Microsoft is investing heavily in the future of Windows Phone (and Tablets too) as they continue to hire people in the mobile space. Currently there are 43 "Windows Phone" job listings at Microsoft - not a huge amount down on the figure in August 2009 when I broke the news that Microsoft had a team of 1000 dedicated to Windows Phone 7 (then referred to as Windows Mobile 7).
Sunday, January 2, 2011 at 6:30PM Welcome to our new site dedicated to the new Windows Phone 7 software and associated mobile phone handsets. Expect to find details of all Windows Phone 7 handsets released within NZ including those available by mail order from overseas.
To get the ball rolling you can find short reviews of the following handsets in our Windows Phone 7 Reviews section:
We have also included a few other sections specific to Windows Phone 7 - and specific in many cases to New Zealand. Highlights include:
Stay tuned, there is more content to come. If you have any suggestions or would like to contribute, please make contact via Twitter.
Sunday, January 2, 2011 at 1:35AM Another promo video for Windows Phone 7 - this one takes places a few thousand feet up in the air.
Sunday, January 2, 2011 at 1:23AM This app puts both the Yellow Pages and White Pages in the palm of your hand. But this app is much more useful than an old paper book.
;)
Price: Free
Marketplace Description: Access New Zealand’s largest business and residential directories in style, with the official Yellow® app for Windows Phone 7! Features include: - Business and Person searches - View results in map and list modes - Get directions to businesses and people you find - Call businesses and people direct from the app - View detailed business descriptions to help you make informed decisions - View business that service you area as well as businesses that are located in your area of interest - Save businesses and people to your contacts - Save maps and directions - Share listings via email
Download: here