We're a little more than a week away from likely finding out what all the Windows Phone Seven (or Windows Mobile 7, or Seven, or whatever) is all about. And that means it's time for more rumors to come crawling out of the woodwork.
After the break, let's tackle the latest batch that was seeded to a couple of sites (Mobile Tech World and PPCGeeks) and what we think of them.
Looks like Microsoft is once again denying anything about a Zune phone. Quoting a Microsoft spokesperson: "we have no plans to create a Zune phone," which seems pretty open and shut.
Then again ... Assuming there is something in the works, it's not like they would confirm either. And as NeoWin points out, they also denied ever making an MP3 player, too.
With the rumors flying high this week, especially with the USB reference codes found in the .inf file from the latest Zune software update, Microsoft is probably feeling some heat from their OEMs over the issue--don't forget, they are also very interested in the prospect/denial of such a device. We can understand if they are nervous and causing some little waves with Redmond.
Regarding that Zune update, consensus seems to be swaying from an actual "Zune phone" to "these are plans to incorporate the Zune experience into Windows Mobile,"
Check out Paul Thurrott's piece over at WinSuperSite, which delves deeper into that issue as well as detailing the recent changes to the Zune software, it's a good read.
Oh Mobile World Congress, you can't come soon enough. Please rescue us from ourselves.
[via NeoWin.net]
Whatever Microsoft is up to, they are sure up to something big.
Long Zheng (iStartedSomething) has taken a look-see at the update Zune desktop software, which just came out today.
Going through the .inf file (responsible for identifying the driver, associating the device with USB) he was able to find a few lines of code that, for the first time, specifically reference a phone.
In fact, there are three hardware Product IDs associated with the 'phone' class in addition the the three current Zune players (see above image).
Zheng also contemplates whether this is just part of a larger integration with Windows Mobile and his tentative conclusion is 'no' stating
Whilst it is possible there might be system-wide Zune integration into Windows Mobile 7, this particular driver references specific hardware IDs that are locked to a vendor (Microsoft) and product which under USB body regulations cannot be masked, thus this has to be Microsoft devices.
That's right folks, it looks like we are looking a three-pronged strategy from Microsoft:
The big question is what is the Zune phone built on? We wouldn't be surprised if it's not WinCE based but something different, putting it outside the class of Windows Mobile devices.
Does this lend more credence to the idea that the 'Zune phone' is targeted towards the younger crowd and will be released within the next two months as one analyst has claimed? Maybe the "Project Pink is DOA" story was Microsoft doing its own spinning? Like we've said, next month will be real interesting and we'll be there to cover it...
[via iStartedSomething]
Funny how on the last past podcast we were just lamenting the XBox Live's "point system" for purchasing games, videos, services, etc. It was hardly transparent, made you do conversions and came across ... well ... as slightly dishonest.
How we pay for things in XBox is relevant for Windows phone users because, make no mistake, XBox and Zune integration are coming down the pike in addition to our Marketplace. How we pay for those services across our "three screens" will be quite relevant to the success or failure of such an ecosystem, if we can be so bold.
Luckily, Microsoft has evidently heard the cacophony of complaints regarding this system and appears to be at least re-evaluating the process. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg said in a recent interview:
We never intended to ever mislead people. I think we want to be transparent about it, and so it is something that we're looking at. How can we be more transparent and let people see it in actual dollars?
Well, perhaps they won't be ditching the points system, but at least they are considering improving it.
Microsoft, do us a favor: just ditch the points and go with dollars. Things are complicated enough already, and there is NO benefit for the consumer with the points system. Not a single one.
[via Gizmodo]
Unsurprisingly, there wasn't much at Microsoft's CES booth that we hadn't seen before. The HTC HD2 and yesterday's official announcement that it will be available "this spring" on T-Mobile was on the tip of everyone's tongues. But other than that, there were no new Windows phones announced.
We did take a spin with Ford Sync, which is Microsoft's system that will pair just about any device -- Bluetooth or otherwise -- with a new Ford or Mercury vehicle. Voice commands are the key to the whole thing, so you keep your hands on the wheel.
The Zune guys were more than happy to hear that we're hoping to see Zune software integrated into Windows Mobile in the next year or so. But we could get neither them nor the Windows phone folks to spill the beans as to what might or might not be coming in Windows Mobile 7.
Awkward moment of the morning: Our pal Rene Ritchie from The iPhone Blog hits up the Bing team to ask about the Bing iPhone app. And they'd never heard of it.
Photos of the exploits after the break.
Sometimes you look so hard in the back alleys for leaks on something that you miss it when it's right in front of you.
In this case, lets flash back to October 2009 at the Microsoft San Francisco Dev Camp (we covered it here). A traveling, nerdy roadshow, the Dev Camp was meant to get developers to attend presentations on programming and working with WM6.5 as well as a chance to meet with and ask questions members of the WinMo development team.
In other words, pretty technical and dry. Unless some questions on Windows Mobile 7 and prospects of Zune phones get brought up...and answered.
Thanks to forum member Interframe, who watched the nearly 3 hr video, he caught some major gems that we all missed.
For example, at the 2hr mark, we get this exchange:
Q: (roughly translated): "So Steve Ballmer went out and recently said "Windows Mobile 6.1 wasn't what we wanted it to be, neither was 6.5", so with that in mind, when is 7 coming out?"
.....
(The WM7 developer added to what the others from the WM team had to say about the question)
.....
A: "I can give you a little inside information there Mike. I'm not gonna give you anymore than Loke gave you, but I can give you some context. My day job, is working on Windows Mobile 7. I own the calendar feature in fact. I had to try really really hard to convince my manager to let me come down here in San Fransisco and take a day off. All day long, working on 7, staying focused. Its on track (Ed. cough, cough)The reason its been delayed and you haven't heard much about it is cause we had to go back to the drawing board with our strategy. Change things a little bit to be more competitive when we come out the door, so were not laughed at. We wanna make the same kind of impact the Zune HD made, if you look at Engadget and the blogosphere, people were very impressed with the Zune HD in many ways except for the lack of an app store.
We wanna put out something that we're all proud of, which is competitive on day one, we don't wanna wait any longer."
But there's more.
Read Interframe's word-for-word transcript here and check out the whole video here for yourself. The video is chock full of little tid-bits and we encourage you folks to watch it from 1hr 58mins and forward for the Q&A. Either way, next year, when we're all gawking at our WM7 calendar, I want you to think of "blue shirt guy".
(And note, in case that video disappears, we have the whole thing on our HDD ready to be re-posted).
The Zune HD (read our reviews here and here) is still not a Windows Mobile phone, no matter how much I wish it to be so. (And no matter how many times I try talking into it.) That said, it desperately has been in need of a Twitter application. Microsoft finally delivered. Sort of.
I'm so distraught over the $@!#^& automatic censoring that's built in (and can't be turned off), I can't even bring myself to review it. (And don't get me started on the settings menu.) The good news is Microsoft reportedly is updating the app to remove the censorship. But, c'mon, guys. That never should have made it out the door.
There is a bit of good news in that Microsoft dropped the ads from its "utility" apps. But it still takes way to long to launch the calculator. Ugh.
Anyhoo, we'll let our pal Matt Miller from ZDNet and NokiaExperts fame do his thing. Thanks for taking one for the team here, Matt. Check out his full rundown at ZDNet, and peep his video after the break.
MSFT Kitchen has once again done all the dirty work by shifting through LinkedIn profiles to find little cherries of information on Windows Mobile 7. Check out the last summary of such an adventure.
Nothing too extraordinary though we do see that, as we've said in previous podcasts, Silverlight will play a major role on the device.
Other tidbits:
Read all the nerdy details at MSFT Kitchen.
You asked, we answered. The WMExperts Podcast finally is in the Zune Marketplace. You can get to it through the Zune desktop software or at Zune.net. Or anytime you see the following link on our site.
'Cause you can never get enough of us.
Still on the fence about buying a Zune HD? Not sure if it's ever going to have real apps? Look no further as we take a brief look at a couple of the new 3D games available. Join us after the break.
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