Wednesday, August 24, 2011

I touched the first WP7 in Japan....ooooooooh

Well I stopped by Labi tonight on my way home. I held the two live devices in my hands and for the first time got to experience the Metro UI first hand. The IS12T is fast and smooth. The screen is adequate and the beast is slim and light. I asked the salesman who approached me, when Softbank would be getting a WP7 phone in their line up. He asked me to wait a moment and brought over a rep, who asked, "You wanna buy this phone?" I said sure," but my contract is not up yet and I don't wish to switch carriers."

"Oh, Softbank. Then you can get iPhone5." "I don't want iPhone 5." "How 'bout iPhone 4? Great phone." "My wife has an iPhone 4 and hates it (I didn't tell him she works for Google Japan). And I already have an iPhone." "Oh, iPhone 3." "No, iPhone 3GS. I want a Windows Phone. All I want to know is when Softbank will get a Windows Phone. My contract is up in December, so I will switch then."

"Oh, you have a 3 year contract." "2 year." "All phones are a 2 year contract," he said.

He then proceeded to give me his card and told me to come back because they had three people including him who spoke English. "Come back when you want to buy a phone." I will, but don't try to sell me an iPhone. To their credit, the best of the two phones was in a separate display side-by side with an iPhone 4 and and Android of some kind. People have got to get their hands on one, and they need sales people who are interested in finding out what they want and then explaining all of them. To give him the best of it, he was a Softbank guy. He can't sell me a WP7.5. But while I was there, I switched them both the English, cruised to my blog, set the wall paper to Mango...that's how easy it is to use. I have never touched one before but I will again soon.....Very soon.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Zune gets Update 4.8...Zune.net in Japan now shows WP7

The Marketplace is taking a step closer to becoming a full Marketplace in Japan with the imminent release of the new Toshiba Windows Phone Mango. Read More...

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Windows Phone 7 and Kinect working Together

Here is an interesting video that not only shows off the integration of how WP7 helped Kinect become more real-world, but also gives a taste of the new Dashboard coming soon to an XBox near you! Read more...

The Price is Right?

Rumors of the high-cost of going Toshiba in the Japanese market. What would you pay for the only Mango phone to be announced thus far and the only in Japan so far? Read more...

Monday, August 8, 2011

It's here!

It is the 9th of August as I write this in Japan, and that means I have close to 48 hours to wait, but I will be powering on my XBox 360 and Kinect with trembling expectation. Here comes "Fruit Ninja!" I am excited on more than one level. I have been playing for a year on iPhone, it was not long ago released on WP7 (waiting here as well), but now, Kinect. This should be as close to having a blade as imaginable! On another level, I am please to be ready to download a Kinect game I don't have to power up the CD/DVD drive to use, don't have to order, and don't have to plunk down $50 to purchase. At about $8, this is a bargain and brings a new level of excitement to the world's top gaming system. Read more...

Microsoft's Cloud Data Systems

The word "cloud" has begun to take on a mysterious connotation and most people think you must be on Skydrive, Google Mail or the Apple Cloud for data storage to participate. What we miss is that all the services from these large companies all are part of the data "cloud." Microsoft has put together a great little video describing the system, showing their modular approach, and even outlining cost and environmental savings. Read more and watch...

Sunday, August 7, 2011

This makes Cloud Computing More than Worth it's Weight in Collaboration

Here is a great project that I have not seen approached any where but on WP7. Could be it is there, but the possibilities of this kind of Internet sharing seem endless, from video training to collaborative critical analysis. Seems well thought out. Read more...

WikiRama Updated with Cool Windows 7 Phone Features

Wikipedia has become an indispensable tool for finding information on the web. Love it or hate it's open structure which must sometimes be weighed against accuracy, more often than not, finding casual information and following links to deepen knowledge has made Wiki a staple of mobile computing. Here is a reader that seemingly takes full advantage of the WP7 UI. Read more...