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Windows Phone 7 |OT|

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New WP7 Developer Blog, hoping to have 3000 apps by weeks end

We’re heading into one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year and we’re on pace to offer roughly 3,000 apps and games by the end of this week. We’ve also seen a near 80% increase in the number of registered developers since September, with more than 15,000 developers already signaling their intent to bring exciting content to Windows Phone. Clearly we’re just getting warmed up.

The developer community is placing some big bets with Windows Phone this holiday, so I want to take a minute to highlight a few things we’re doing to further promote their apps and games.

1. Find Windows Phone 7 Apps & Games on Bing Visual Search (pictured): We’re using our own popular Bing decision engine to further showcase developers’ Windows Phone 7 apps through Bing’s Visual Search capabilities in the US and UK. This allows anyone with a browser to easily find, view and access the growing list of apps and games available for Windows Phones.

2. Promoting Windows Phone 7 Apps & Games on Xbox 360 (pictured): Last week Microsoft announced that it had sold more than 1 million Kinect devices for Xbox 360 in the first 10 days of availability, adding to the 45 million Xbox 360 consoles already sold. Windows Phone devices, apps and games are now prominent features of the Xbox dashboard that people see on their televisions when they start Xbox and view tabs such as the Spotlight category.

3. Windows Phone 7 Apps & Games on Windowsphone.com (pictured). Microsoft.com is one of the most frequented portals on the Web and Windowsphone.com is the starting point for all things Windows Phone. This site now features an “apps” tab that takes viewers to a Marketplace page that delivers a dynamic list of “featured” and “top free” apps and games. Furthermore, these lists are localized for several markets including: Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, U.K., and the U.S.

4. Campaigns featuring Windows Phone 7 Apps & Games. The introduction of Windows Phone 7 is being supported by an extensive marketing and advertising campaign in several major markets around the world. Apps, games and Marketplace are prominent features of our integrated communication activity.

5. Windows Phone Marketplace on Zune PC software (pictured). With the international expansion of the Zune music and video service on Xbox LIVE, Windows PC and of course Windows Phone, the Zune PC software is now on more screens and in more markets than ever. With every update and download of the Zune PC software, customers are seeing the latest music, videos and apps for Windows Phone in a single well organized desktop experience.

In addition to the things we’re doing to promote apps and games for Windows Phone 7, we’ve added a few features that developers can use to better market their apps and games. For example, developers can now add “deep links” to their Web sites and other marketing material, taking customers directly to the specific app or game purchase page, on either their phone or the Zune PC software, in a single click.

Developers can take advantage of deep linking by installing the Download Now Kit
Click to expand...
 
Surprised I didn't see anyone post about this

Buy one HD7, get one free at T-Mobile

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/cmpn/t-mobile.aspx

[Edit] Looks like AT&T has a BOGO too

On one hand, so many deals is a little scary given that we haven't seen any sales numbers. On the other hand, these phones should have been cheap in the first place since they use essentially the same hardware that (free) phones like the HD2 use.
 
Talon- said:
Alright, as slow as iTunes can be, this is hyperbole.
Click to expand...

It took 45 mins this morning for me to sync iPad though to be fair I was also upgrade to 4.2. Do you have iPad running on iTunes with win7 ? Or do you just like to call people liar?

Back on topic, I relally enjoy zune pass but I really dont want to give MS anymore money...
 
Raistlin said:
To think I was actually waiting for this phone :lol Dell - they never learn.

So happy I went with the focus. Amazing phone ... and $50.
Click to expand...

I never understood why people were so excited for Dell phone ... Their other phones were pretty crappy though I have to admit the spec on paper look pretty good.

I can't wait to see next crop of windows phone 7.
 
antiquegamer said:
I never understood why people were so excited for Dell phone ... Their other phones were pretty crappy though I have to admit the spec on paper look pretty good.

I can't wait to see next crop of windows phone 7.
Click to expand...
Me too. Would like to see some more battery life from using a more efficient CPU; maybe a front facing camera. Think I'll look at upgrading in a year.
 
:D the phone finally arrived. Holy shit I didn't realize that the phones in the stores weren't on the highest brightness setting. I was almost blinded when I turned autobrightness off. I'm glad my Apple earphones work with the radio but is there any other solution for the antenna? I plan on using a Bluetooth headset eventually... Oh the volume buttons on my Apple headphones don't work
 
My sister is considering returning her Focus for an iPhone 4. I'm trying my best to educate her about Zune and download some of her favorite apps, but sometimes its the little annoyances that add up. She mentioned Pandora, and I told her its not there yet and downloaded Slacker Radio, but that didn't work. It just wouldn't load up a station at all. Deleted it, dl'ed it again and nothing. So then I try iheartradio, she liked it, but when she went to check her email, the app closed off. Oops, no multitasking, and it took just as long to load up every time. The FB app takes forever to load as well every time, much longer than on iOS/Android.

If I could sell her on Zune Pass she might stick with the phone, but its an uphill battle at this point, she knows she has 30 days to exchange it. I wish I could just buy the phone off her, I know I'd get much more use since I have Zune Pass plus Xbox Live, but then she wouldn't get a new phone, so that doesn't work. And I definitely don't want to use an upgrade on this OS given its limitations right now. She does appreciate a lot of the things it does well, and she likes the aesthetic, but I may have underestimated just how much tougher it can be for a regular person to be an early adopter.
 
Charred Greyface said:
:D the phone finally arrived. Holy shit I didn't realize that the phones in the stores weren't on the highest brightness setting. I was almost blinded when I turned autobrightness off. I'm glad my Apple earphones work with the radio but is there any other solution for the antenna? I plan on using a Bluetooth headset eventually... Oh the volume buttons on my Apple headphones don't work
Click to expand...

Yeah I got a Sony headphone that doesn't work either I have been using the one that come with the focus. (it's pretty crappy)
 
How does one hide the keyboard after using it or pulling it up by mistake?
VanMardigan said:
My sister is considering returning her Focus for an iPhone 4. I'm trying my best to educate her about Zune and download some of her favorite apps, but sometimes its the little annoyances that add up. She mentioned Pandora, and I told her its not there yet and downloaded Slacker Radio, but that didn't work. It just wouldn't load up a station at all. Deleted it, dl'ed it again and nothing. So then I try iheartradio, she liked it, but when she went to check her email, the app closed off. Oops, no multitasking, and it took just as long to load up every time. The FB app takes forever to load as well every time, much longer than on iOS/Android.

If I could sell her on Zune Pass she might stick with the phone, but its an uphill battle at this point, she knows she has 30 days to exchange it. I wish I could just buy the phone off her, I know I'd get much more use since I have Zune Pass plus Xbox Live, but then she wouldn't get a new phone, so that doesn't work. And I definitely don't want to use an upgrade on this OS given its limitations right now. She does appreciate a lot of the things it does well, and she likes the aesthetic, but I may have underestimated just how much tougher it can be for a regular person to be an early adopter.
Click to expand...
She should return it--and then get 2 Focus in the BOGOF deal this Friday. She could then sell both and have enough money for an iPhone4 or give you the second one for coming up with such a brilliant idea. :D
 
Charred Greyface said:
How does one hide the keyboard after using it or pulling it up by mistake?
Click to expand...

If you tap into the space above the keyboard, it goes away.

She should return it--and then get 2 Focus in the BOGOF deal this Friday. She could then sell both and have enough money for an iPhone4 or give you the second one for coming up with such a brilliant idea. :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm seriously pissed that they just now offered the BOGOF deal. Fucking bullshit.

In other news, I'm surprised she is finding it lacking features...I came from a 3GS, multitasking every day, and I don't miss much. But I am a HUGE fan of Zune...if she can't get into Zune, that's a huge selling point marked off the list, IMO.
 
well well.
abirds.PNG
 
VanMardigan said:
My sister is considering returning her Focus for an iPhone 4. I'm trying my best to educate her about Zune and download some of her favorite apps, but sometimes its the little annoyances that add up. She mentioned Pandora, and I told her its not there yet and downloaded Slacker Radio, but that didn't work. It just wouldn't load up a station at all. Deleted it, dl'ed it again and nothing. So then I try iheartradio, she liked it, but when she went to check her email, the app closed off. Oops, no multitasking, and it took just as long to load up every time. The FB app takes forever to load as well every time, much longer than on iOS/Android.

If I could sell her on Zune Pass she might stick with the phone, but its an uphill battle at this point, she knows she has 30 days to exchange it. I wish I could just buy the phone off her, I know I'd get much more use since I have Zune Pass plus Xbox Live, but then she wouldn't get a new phone, so that doesn't work. And I definitely don't want to use an upgrade on this OS given its limitations right now. She does appreciate a lot of the things it does well, and she likes the aesthetic, but I may have underestimated just how much tougher it can be for a regular person to be an early adopter.
Click to expand...
Last FM's on there. There's no real difference between the two is there?
Don't really know - only heared about Pandora in this thread...
 
Some more questions: How may I get my free month of Zune pass? How do I put marketplace purchases on my monthly phone bill (I get an error every time I try)? What's the best notes app that syncs with simplenote/dropbox?

PS IE sucka. It renders pages weirdly and doesn't support bookmarklets *sigh* but it's fast...

PPS OMG, I just subscribed to a Paul Thurrots blog o_0 .
 
Charred Greyface said:
Some more questions: How may I get my free month of Zune pass? How do I put marketplace purchases on my monthly phone bill (I get an error every time I try)? What's the best notes app that syncs with simplenote/dropbox?

PS IE sucka. It renders pages weirdly and doesn't support bookmarklets *sigh* but it's fast...

PPS OMG, I just subscribed to a Paul Thurrots blog o_0 .
Click to expand...
You need to have never have used the service before i.e new email and credit card. Sign up for it and it should give you an option for trial.
 
Charred Greyface said:
Some more questions: How may I get my free month of Zune pass? How do I put marketplace purchases on my monthly phone bill (I get an error every time I try)? What's the best notes app that syncs with simplenote/dropbox?

PS IE sucka. It renders pages weirdly and doesn't support bookmarklets *sigh* but it's fast...

PPS OMG, I just subscribed to a Paul Thurrots blog o_0 .
Click to expand...


If you're talking about the AT&T promotion for a free month of Zune, go here.
 
Thanks guys. I was trying to set it up without a computer but I guess this is as far as I can go without borrowing a PC. So can i use the trial first and then tack on the AT&T offer afterwards? Is it possible to get podcasts without syncing through the Zune client?

Is the only way to be notified of new emails through the lockscreen and the tile? That's lame, what's the point of having a decent notifications system if you don't use it...

i can't find that 'I <3 W P' wallpaper, could someone post it again?
 
brotkasten said:
http://i.imgur.com/iDAbq.jpg
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:) Zune is awesome. I've never used a Windows app like this. Actually the first app that came to mind was the Mac App Store demoed at the 'Back to Mac' event o_0. I've long wished that iTunes would undergo some pruning but maybe want it needs more is a redesign instead. I'm definitely switching over from iTunes to Zune though even if i have to keep a Windows Bootcamp to run it. Has anyone tried syncing a WP with more than one Zune client?

Why are the Samsung Focus' speakers on the back of the phone? :-S
 
Any tips for Zune video conversion?

I've moved one recording from my HTPC to the Focus and there is an issue with the aspect ratio. It's a tad squeezed horizontally, meaning it doesn't cover the entire screen width and circles, for example, are taller than wide. Not unwatchable by any means, but I'd rather it be perfect. Colors and sound are fine.

No complaints about the file size. It's was a half hour HD show clocking in at 2.5 GB. On the phone it was under 800 MB.
 
VanMardigan said:
Yeah, I think that's true, so the plan wouldn't work. :(
Click to expand...
:(


• An Interaction Designer Tries Windows Phone

I've been using a Windows Phone and I'm preparing a series of articles about it. I'll be linking to them from this page in the coming days.

November 17:
• How Windows Phone 7 Feels
Most reviews bore me.

I don't care about ports. I don't care how sexy static screenshots of the interface look. Spec sheets don't mean much. I just want to know it feels.

How Windows Phone 7 Feels

Windows Phone feels clean, thoughtful, intensely personal, and unfinished.

The animations that swing you into different screens make me happy. This is a big deal, because I am usually annoyed by superfluous animations. Microsoft's motion designers must have put a lot of attention into them, because the interface is constantly in motion, but it's never been grating. If anything, it's delightful.

The phone is fast. I never notice lag, even with all the animation. When I'm on loading screens, I trust that they won't last long. iPhone 4 may be faster overall, but Windows Phone 7 makes waiting more pleasurable.

I am somewhat embarrassed letting anyone hold my phone, because instead of a grid of generic applications and badges, people see my wife and best friends (including their latest status updates on Facebook), a nice high quality picture of the band I've most recently listened to, my next appointment, and recent pictures I've taken.

I've never used a device that so clearly announces out who I am on a single screen. It's great when I'm using it, but it can be a little awkward when sharing with co-workers at the bar.

I'm going to be writing more about different aspects of the phone, but there's the summary. In a word, Windows Phone feels nice.
Click to expand...

November 18:
• The Achilles' Heel of Windows Phone

November 22:
• Windows Phone's Music Experience

November 23:
• Windows Phone 7 Apps Feel Roomy
qKiXol.jpg
Click to expand...

The only app that was so horrible that it caused some twinges of regret was Internet Explorer. My only worry going forward is how the Metro UI is going to incorporate fast app switching and mulitasking management. The back button is unidirectional, the search button has been gimped with emphasis on Bing web search and while, the voice commands are a step in the right direction, I hate using voice commands. The Metro UI team better not take the 'safe' option like Apple did with iOS...
 
People have been looking at me funny for months when I say I want a Windows Phone 7 as my next handset. I think I'm going to link them to that interaction design blog once some more posts are up as most of them are IxD students :P
 
grumble. endless searching is yet to reveal any chat clients that aren't web based yet :( and the messenger app. fails hard on my phone, crashes every damned time.
 
Treo360 said:
grumble. endless searching is yet to reveal any chat clients that aren't web based yet :( and the messenger app. fails hard on my phone, crashes every damned time.
Click to expand...

Only thing I know of is fim, which is for facebook messaging :/

BTW, I really hope they open up native code access eventually. The performance of maps, lists, and some other controls is pretty embarrassing compared to their native equivalents.
 
Thanks for posting that series of articles..

I agree with a lot of what was said.. if the buttons were physical buttons on the focus, I think it would be a better experience.. I've accidentally hit "Back" a lot when I don't mean to thanks to my large fingers.

Thankfully, I can separate frustration with the device from frustration with the OS.. but the average person isn't going to do that..

My vibrant had the same kind of problems.. so I've had some training in dealing with sensitive touch-based buttons..
 
PG2G said:
Only thing I know of is fim, which is for facebook messaging :/

BTW, I really hope they open up native code access eventually. The performance of maps, lists, and some other controls is pretty embarrassing compared to their native equivalents.
Click to expand...
yeah just read up on FIM, but it would be nice to have all the clients up and going since launch. It's a bit sad that a windows product doesn't even have its own messenger running flawlessly, and that you have to use the web based version as a replacement.
 
If you're looking for an awesome Google Reader app, I highly highly recommend GReadie.

It was OK in its first rendition, but the developer just released a significant update today that massively improves stability, and adds a fantastic "quick tag" feature. It optionally shows you a "+" next to each item in feed lists, and you can figure that "+" to add the item to your G Reader Starred list, Instapaper, etc.


$2, with a fully-functional free trial. Definitely try it out.
 
Just ordered a Samsung Focus, and it should show up some time next week. I'm looking forward to transitioning over to the Zune Marketplace, and because my current phone is a fairly heavily used iPhone 3G, I'm expecting to see a neat performance bump.
 
Nert said:
Just ordered a Samsung Focus, and it should show up some time next week. I'm looking forward to transitioning over to the Zune Marketplace, and because my current phone is a fairly heavily used iPhone 3G, I'm expecting to see a neat performance bump.
Click to expand...

I'm on the same page, have an iPhone 3G. Thinking about switching to WP7 but will probably wait until the next firmware is out, hopefully it will include the copy/paste function.

However, I do have a Zune mp3 player and I hate the Zune software.
 
dLMN8R said:
If you're looking for an awesome Google Reader app, I highly highly recommend GReadie.

It was OK in its first rendition, but the developer just released a significant update today that massively improves stability, and adds a fantastic "quick tag" feature. It optionally shows you a "+" next to each item in feed lists, and you can figure that "+" to add the item to your G Reader Starred list, Instapaper, etc.


$2, with a fully-functional free trial. Definitely try it out.
Click to expand...

Just tried this app, like it a lot so far. Seems to perform better than Wonder Reader. I'd buy it but the marketplace seems like its growing so fast that its hard to go and spend on common utility like this, haha. Seems like there is a new reader I had never heard about every week :P
 
sweetvar26 said:
I'm on the same page, have an iPhone 3G. Thinking about switching to WP7 but will probably wait until the next firmware is out, hopefully it will include the copy/paste function.

However, I do have a Zune mp3 player and I hate the Zune software.
Click to expand...

I found the best thing coming from a 3G to the Focus was the switch from iTunes to Zune.

What are your issues with the software?
 
venne said:
I found the best thing coming from a 3G to the Focus was the switch from iTunes to Zune.

What are your issues with the software?
Click to expand...
I had the same epiphany when I went to Zune. I'd love to hear what would make someone dislike it compared to iTunes.

It did take me a long time to figure out that Zune uses words instead of buttons.
 
Nope, Chevron is not working for me...

It keeps saying please ensure it's connected and zune is started.

Both are done, but it keeping spewing out this error :(
 
PG2G said:
Just tried this app, like it a lot so far. Seems to perform better than Wonder Reader. I'd buy it but the marketplace seems like its growing so fast that its hard to go and spend on common utility like this, haha. Seems like there is a new reader I had never heard about every week :P
Click to expand...
It's possible that something free and just as good could come around, but look at the iPhone - all of the best RSS readers like Byline cost a few bucks, pretty much all of the free ones are lacking in one way or another.

With Greader, I believe it's already a quality RSS reader up there in quality with the best on the iPhone. It'll be tough for a free reader to beat it.
 
besiktas1 said:
Nope, Chevron is not working for me...

It keeps saying please ensure it's connected and zune is started.

Both are done, but it keeping spewing out this error :(
Click to expand...

Do you have the windows phone SDK installed?

If not, it's not going to work..

http://www.chevronwp7.com/

Go there and download the registry file.. I think that will get you around the SDK issue.. but you'll still need the XAP deploy tool to install the unauthorized apps..

Don't forget you also need to download the certificate file using the browser on your phone before it can be unlocked.
 
dLMN8R said:
It's possible that something free and just as good could come around, but look at the iPhone - all of the best RSS readers like Byline cost a few bucks, pretty much all of the free ones are lacking in one way or another.

With Greader, I believe it's already a quality RSS reader up there in quality with the best on the iPhone. It'll be tough for a free reader to beat it.
Click to expand...

True. I guess support early on is a nice push for them to keep on updating the apps as well.
 
Robobandit said:
Do you have the windows phone SDK installed?

If not, it's not going to work..

http://www.chevronwp7.com/

Go there and download the registry file.. I think that will get you around the SDK issue.. but you'll still need the XAP deploy tool to install the unauthorized apps..

Don't forget you also need to download the certificate file using the browser on your phone before it can be unlocked.
Click to expand...

and done! problem I was having was the cert on the phone.
 
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