Currently browsing posts in the category: Windows Phone.

Windows Phone 7 Series – a gaming platform?

Written by: StevenHodson on March 12, 2010

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Over the next week we will probably be hearing a lot more about Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 Series offering as well as some more tidbits about the new Metro UI that is suppose to being powering it; as well as the Zune HD, given that the big MIX10 conference is starting on Monday.

However word is beginning to leak out courtesy of the team at Engadget that Microsoft will also be showing off the game playing abilities of the new Windows Phone 7 Series. With the phone being powered by the nVidia Tegra 2 chipset those who have seen two of the games being prepped say the graphics are pretty sweet.

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Category: Windows Phone

When will we really see a Windows Phone 7 Series we can buy?

Written by: StevenHodson on February 16, 2010

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wp7s

The word out of Redmond is that we will be able to get our grimy mitts on a real live Windows Phone 7 Series in late 2010 – meaning in time for Christmas. Now some tech pundit are suggesting that given the timeframe WP7S will be already out of date by that time.

The reason as exemplified by John Paczkowski’s post at Digital Daily

But as I said, it’s potentially 9 months away from market. And in nine months time, the market will likely have seen the launch of a a new iPhone and iPhone OS and the next iterations of Google’s Android OS and Palm’s WebOS. And any one of them, if not all three, could make Windows Phone OS 7.0 look like table stakes at a game that Microsoft is, once again, losing.

On the surface I could agree with John’s assessment. A lot can happen in nine months especially considering the fact that Apple will more than likely be releasing the next version of the iPhone during that time.

However I think that there are a couple of factors that people are missing when they make these kinds of statements.

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Category: Windows Phone

Protecting Your Phone

Written by: StevenHodson on November 16, 2009

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microsoft_windows_mobile_6.1_operating_systemLast article was a brief introduction.  Lets start with protecting your phone.  Screen Protectors.

One of the very last things you want to happen to your phone is  to damage the lcd screen.  So a protector is a must have at all times.  I know there are all kinds of hard and soft case covers.

I’ve never used one.

Some makes/models  have the manufacture screen protectors available online or your local carrier store.  What’s up with manufactures not providing lcd screen replacements?  Ever do an insurance or warranty claim? You just paid several hundred dollars for your new phone,  and now you get a refurb?

More on that issue later.  Specifically the Alltel to Verizon merger.

My protectors seem to last about two weeks, until some corner starts to curl up and become a hindrance.  Asking around about cleaning the lcd prior to installing the new protector elicited the response to use a small amount of glass cleaner (ammonia free) with a soft cloth.

Been doing that for several months and can say I’ve not seen any problem doing this.  My Touch Pro does not seem to have a supplier that makes a screen protector for this model.  Tried a few online places that said they fit the TP, still had to trim them and paid three times the price for them.

Not cool.

I use a generic from Fellows that I trim to fit. With practice, I’ve become quite adept to install them and not leave bubbles  under the protector.  After trimming,  I peel back just a bit ~1/2” or so, starting at the top of the lcd screen, and use the provided squeege to work that in and then pull the backing slowly as I work the squeege back and forth.

Next up, batteries.

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Category: Windows Phone

Microsoft to bring Twitter and Facebook to 800 million people

Written by: StevenHodson on August 24, 2009

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oneapp_thumbNever mind your puny iPhone numbers of 40 million users as they pale in comparison to some 800 million or more people using the lower powered (and jokingly called) feature phones that you find developing countries. As popular as these types of phones are they also limit a person to what they can do with them. Never mind Twitter and don’t even think about Facebook – you won’t find people using these types of phones sending you tweets or poking your Super Wall.

That is about to change with help from Microsoft and a new mobile app called OneApp that once loaded will let the person use Twitter, Facebook, and Windows Messenger – not just as websites rendered on a feature but the real live mobile apps that those using smartphones are use to. From the OneApp blog

Let me walk you through how this can happen, technically:

· OneApp’s very minimal on-phone footprint of just 150 KB (whereas most downloaded mobile apps are measured in terms of MB) makes installing it quick and easy.

· OneApp will launch only the parts of a mobile app that you want to use; that cuts down on additional installation time and the need to store all of your mobile apps on your phone.

· OneApp uses data networks very efficiently to help lower data access charges, which can really create substantial savings for the customer.

· OneApp includes cloud services that can help shift processing and storage weight from the phone to the Internet, which improves overall performance

The service will roll out first in South Africa with Microsoft’s local partner Blue Label Telecoms. You can find out more both at the blog and at the OneApp website. The video below gives a brief overview of OneApp.

I can understand the sense of going after the developing market with something like OneApp but I know I sure would love to see this as something that would be available for other countries as well, such as Canada. After all not everyone in developed countries are running around with smartphones and don’t want to either.

How about it Microsoft?

hat tip to Steve Clayton and Brier Dudley

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Category: Microsoft and Windows Phone