Tecnologia » microsoft

Pre-Review Preview: Windows Phone 7

shoommany — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:55:27 +0000

To make a short story shorter: for the last three days, I’ve been one of but a handful of people carrying around a handset running Microsoft’s unreleased Windows Phone 7 operating system. This specific handset isn’t one that’s ever intended for release, and, while it’s looking pretty close to done, the build running on the handset is by no means finalized. With these bits in mind along with my new personal policy of not reviewing big-ticket items until I’ve really lived with them (even if that means not being first out of the gate with a review; for logic, see here ), I present our pre -review of Windows Phone 7 in its nascent state. Read more…

Zune Pass Subscriptions Jumping Over to the UK?

shoommany — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:54:28 +0000

For one lucky UK-based resident, the Zune Pass snuck up on him. As many of us out there know, the Zune HD isn’t available in the UK, and on the software side of things, neither is the Zune Software or Zune Pass. And while there may be plenty of other options, there’s at least a few members of civilized society who would love to get their hands on the Zune Pass, which offers up an unlimited amount of song downloads for just $14.99 per month. At least, that’s what it costs in the States. UK pricing, if the screenshot is to be believed, is a bit different. Greg, that UK-based resident we spoke about earlier, signed up for a trial account for the Zune Pass, and he was greeted with a page that confused him. Instead of seeing prices in American dollars, he saw the local price instead. So, how much is the Zune Pass going to cost patrons of the UK, if it does indeed launch some time in the near future? £8.99 per month, or £26.97 for a three month subscription plan. This is, by no means, a confirmation that Microsoft’s Zune Pass is coming to the UK. Nor does it mean that the Zune HD is getting to launch overseas, either. Though, one without the other doesn’t seem to make much sense, so you probably don’t have to let your imagination run all that rampant. And considering Netflix is finally heading up to Canada , we can safely say that anything is possible in this day and age, right? Any UK-based residents out there excited about the possibility? [ via LiveSide] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Zune Pass software makes your music vanish? Microsoft rolls out Zune Pass affiliate program Zune HD purple and magenta versions arrive Zune 2 already on sale Zune & Zune Pass could see Apple compatibility; WinMo phones next

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Zune Pass Subscriptions Jumping Over to the UK?

Windows Phone 7 Technical Preview

Snissastnew — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:00:47 +0000

Tensions must be high at Microsoft. The recent embarrassment of the short-lived KIN project has left all eyes on Windows Phone 7 , not only to justify its own existence but also to legitimize the company’s place in the mobile ecosystem. With iOS4 freshly released, Android developing at a rapid rate, and webOS now under the auspices of HP, those in the market for a smartphone are spoiled for choice; never before has it been so competitive. A few months out from release, SlashGear has been given a Windows Phone 7 device – the latest OS build running on Samsung hardware – for a technical review. Check out our findings after the cut. First, some background. Officially announced back at Mobile World Congress in February 2010, and fleshed out in no small part at MIX 2010 the following month, Windows Phone 7 is the successor to Microsoft’s long-lived Windows Mobile OS, and practically a fresh start for the company’s smartphone ambitions. Built on the Windows CE 6.0 R3 kernel, but borrowing the same aesthetic as Microsoft’s Zune HD PMP, Windows Phone 7 signals a transition from the more enterprise-centric ethos of Windows Mobile and a recognition that the consumer market has a taste for always-connected, socially networked portable devices. That’s a market Windows Mobile always felt ill-equipped to deal with, at least in its factory-pure state. Facelifted and retrofitted in its latter 6.5 and 6.5.3 stages – themselves stopgaps as Windows Phone 7 missed its original planned 2009 launch window – the OS nonetheless only really found favor among consumers in heavily customized states, usually at the hand of device manufacturers themselves. HTC’s Sense UI, itself the culmination of several years of the Taiwanese firm’s TouchFLO interface augmentations, kept Windows Mobile usable – and distinct – and as it stands the platform has a roughly 15-percent smartphone market share. Still, dimming consumer interest means the updated platform is much needed. Our review is primarily of the Windows Phone 7 OS itself, not the hardware it runs on here. The Samsung handset is familiar from its MIX debut several months ago, a prototype designed to demonstrate the OS and for developers to use; it won’t be among Samsung’s line-up of launch devices. Actual Windows Phone 7 handsets will have to comply with Microsoft’s minimum specification, including a capacitive touchscreen supporting 4-point multitouch, at least a 1GHz ARMv7 processor paired with a DirectX9 capable GPU, 256MB of RAM and at least 8GB of onboard flash storage, and a 5-megapixel or higher camera with flash. There are also various mandatory sensors and controls, including an FM radio, accelerometer, digital compass, light and proximity sensors, A-GPS and five hardware buttons: power, Start, search, camera and back. Windows Phone 7 unboxing video: That’s pretty much par for the smartphone course, and was so even back in February. By October, when the first Windows Phone 7 devices are expected to arrive, we’re hoping manufacturers up their game from that minimum so as to at least stand a little distinctive from the rest of the handset market. What’s certainly distinctive is Windows Phone 7′s software aesthetic. Gone is the fussy, icon-loaded UI of its predecessor and in comes Metro, Microsoft’s new chromeless interface that stands pretty much apart from anything else in the cellphone market right now. If you’ve used a Zune HD then you’ll find it familiar; there are no fussy menus, highlight boxes or paneling, with bold typography and large buttons – or tiles in Microsoft parlance – adding up to a seriously finger-friendly and unusual environment. The onscreen keyboard is stark and usable, with quick auto-prediction that meant one-handed typing was relatively error-free, while holding the hardware Start button triggers voice-searching that proved surprisingly accurate. The bluntness of the resolutely 2D tiles is softened by Microsoft’s attempt to squeeze information into them, so that the homescreen gives you an overview of status without necessarily needing to dip into individual apps. Each tile is a cross between a widget and an icon: they can show basic information, like number of messages or missed calls, but they can also dynamically update with new content, such as the latest images from your Facebook friends or animations from your Xbox Live avatar. From the unlock screen – which, like in WinMo, shows missed call, message and calendar information, only sticking to the new design language – you get the stark Start menu that can be user-reorganized. There’s a decent amount of flexibility here, too; tiles can link to an app, but also to websites or people, galleries of content (with updating images showing the newest additions), media playlists or Microsoft’s Hubs. Hubs are Microsoft’s attempt to cut down on app-hopping; that is, the common smartphone habit of leaping from app to app so as to get things done. Rather than deal with various silos of information – one app for your local photo gallery, one app for your video gallery, another for images stored online such as at Facebook or Flickr – it pulls them together into themed panes. Each of those panes is “broader” than the handset’s display: you pan across the page to see more information. Microsoft describe this as “pivoting”, but it’s perhaps easier to imagine a wide panoramic desktop across which you pan the display “viewfinder”, seeing a portion at a time. At the bottom of the screen are a few contextually-relevant options, and which you can drag up to show a more capable menu with controls that are similarly themed to the Hub you’re in. It’s certainly different, but the question of course is whether it’s any better than rival systems. On the face of things, pulling together similar content is hardly a bad idea, and the galleries – with their mixture of local and online media – work well. What’s lacking is breadth and customization. Out of the box, Windows Phone 7 has native Facebook and Windows Live support but no Twitter or MySpace integration as you’d find on, say, Motorola’s MOTOBLUR. That’s an opening for third-party developers, certainly, but we’re disappointed not to see it from the start. Similarly, the Hub experience is basically a fire hose of new information, with no way to prioritize or filter it. You can pick out a certain contact for a homescreen Tile, certainly, but you can’t then tell the gallery Hub that you’re interested in that person’s new content above all others. It’s a shame, because Microsoft has otherwise treated inter-Hub integration surprisingly well. One of the crowing points for iPhone fans who had to suffer criticism from Windows Mobile users over the Apple platform’s tardy addition of Copy & Paste functionality was the news that Microsoft wouldn’t ship Windows Phone 7 with those abilities. In practice, though, their omission is less of an issue, thanks to some reasonably intelligent linking abilities. Addresses, for instance, are automatically linked to the map app, while links always open up the browser and phone numbers are spotted and triggered by a tap. It’s obviously not perfect – and Microsoft admit that Copy & Paste will be added in a future update, though there’s no public timescale for that – but it’s a half solution. Unfortunately, a half solution may not be good enough. We’ve handed the phone to several people, and there’s a worrying sign that people just don’t “get it”. In fact, after a few basic questions – “are there apps?”; “can I play games?”; “can I Twitter?” – we generally got the Windows Phone 7 device back after a minute or two, often with the comparison that it felt like “a first-gen iPhone”. The Hubs are a good start, and show promise, but that lack of breadth means that people soon get bored; there’s not quite enough here to make the new paradigm worth getting to grips with. Microsoft has denied handset developers the ability to put their own, custom UIs onto Windows Phone 7 devices, but the OS’ native abilities don’t, in many ways, exceed what, say, HTC Sense can achieve. In a similar vein to the Copy & Paste shortcomings, Microsoft has done a dramatic about-face when it comes to multitasking. Where Windows Mobile was a free-for-all of simultaneously running apps, Windows Phone 7 apes the iPhone in its limitations on what can be running in the background. The arguments are the same – apps churning away while invisible to the user can reduce the overall experience of the phone – and the solution is relatively similar too, with Microsoft keeping a snapshot of the running app (which it calls “tombstoning”) that quickly resumes when you flick back to the program. There’s minimal background support – less than Apple’s latest batch of multitasking APIs in iOS4 – for things like audio playback, pretty much only for the native apps, but Microsoft’s notification system is an improvement on the iPhone’s. Instead of attention-stealing pop-ups, messages – or “toast” as Microsoft calls them – slide into view at the top of the display. It’s similar, though a little more eye-catching, to what you get in webOS, but Microsoft has also chosen to hid the phone’s status bar: you have to tap or swipe near the top of the display if you want to check how much battery you have left or what sort of network you’re connected to. Both local and cloud-based apps can send “toasts” to the system. As for how you’re get those apps, Microsoft has axed side-loading support in favor of the more controllable Marketplace download store. For the sort of consumer audience they’re targeting that’s probably not such a bad decision. Apps can be written in Microsoft’s own Silverlight environment (Windows Phone 7 will supports Flash, too) – thus running on both Windows Phone 7 handsets and on PC and Mac desktops – while game developers can use the same XNA framework from Xbox 360, Zune and Windows desktop. The latter could certainly be Microsoft’s ticket into convergence heaven, if they can leverage their 360 developer community to take advantage of the Xbox Live integration on Windows Phone 7 devices. Right now it’s a fledgling effort, with the promise of mini-games for the smartphone that can be used to unlock features in their companion mainstream titles, and Xbox achievements and your avatar pulled into the games Hub. The music and video Hub is another key area in Windows Phone 7, and happily it’s one of the most successful. This is where the Zune HD resemblance is most strong, primarily because Microsoft has pretty much lifted the standalone PMP’s functionality straight across. We were able to get our Zune Pass account ($14.95 per month) up and running simply by dropping in our registered email address and then were happily downloading content under Microsoft’s all-you-can-eat package. Audio in the native app can continue playing in the background, with tapping one of the hardware volume buttons calling up on-screen playback controls. If you’re more keen on creating content than consuming it, Microsoft’s baseline specs for Windows Phone 7 cameras should ensure at least reasonable quality. Given that this Samsung device isn’t destined for sale we don’t plan on reviewing it specifically, but the camera interface itself is certainly slick, loading fast and then with minimal gaps between shots. There’s some nice animation here too, blending the live preview with a film-roll of your previous shots; rather than jumping between a gallery and the camera, you can simply swipe back and forth. As with Android there are instant sharing options, to send images to Facebook or to Microsoft’s own SkyDrive online gallery component of Windows Live, or you can have them automatically uploaded with various default levels of privacy. A strong Internet experience is key to any smartphone these days, and happily Windows Phone 7 feels more like browsing on the Zune HD than it does in Windows Mobile. There’s pinch-zoom support and the rendering engine is a big step up, being fast and smooth. Unfortunately, despite what Microsoft has promised, right now there’s no Silverlight or Flash in the browser, and nor is there HTML5 support. You can have up to six tabs open at any one time – we couldn’t find a way to increase this in the sparse settings pane – and double-tapping automatically zooms in. Windows Phone 7 falls short when it comes to text-reflowing, however, though page orientation flips were quick and clean. As we said before, you can create homescreen tiles from webpages, which automatically get a thumbnail image of the site (which doesn’t, however, seem to update dynamically as other tiles to). There’s no Google Maps here, obviously, with Microsoft’s own Bing mapping app taking center stage. It lacks the turn-by-turn voice navigation you’ll find on Android devices, but still gets aggregated business reviews and on-screen directions for car or pedestrian journeys. The Bing UI has been neatly brought in line with Microsoft’s Metro design language, and there are numerous neat animation touches. Zooming out, for instance, eventually flips the map from normal to satellite view, while there’s similarly clever use of zooming to show your own location in relation to search results or destinations. When a sizeable proportion of the world’s computers use their Office software, you’d expect Microsoft’s mobile Office functionality to be top notch. Frustratingly, some of the limitations of the Windows Phone 7 OS itself impact most notably here, with the biggest being the omission of Copy & Paste. In the Office Hub there are mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, together with SharePoint server access. Both Word and Excel allow you to create new documents, as well as view and edit pre-existing documents, but PowerPoint will only allow you to view or edit; if the device you eventually buy has a TV output then hooking up the Windows Phone 7 for a lightweight presentation is possible, though at the moment none of the Office apps work in landscape orientation. The most successful Office app, in fact, is OneNote, Microsoft’s much-underrated notetaking app, which is actually the first page you see in the Office Hub. This allows you to combine text, images and audio together into a virtual notebook, complete with basic text formatting and lists, and which is then synchronized with Windows Live. You can log in and see your notes from a browser, email them, or pull them down into OneNote on the desktop via SharePoint. Unfortunately, while SharePoint has traction in enterprise markets, it’s not something mainstream consumers are likely to have, and bizarrely there’s no Office section in the companion Zune desktop software for managing personal content. We’ve always praised Windows Mobile for its strong Exchange integration – as it should be, given that Microsoft are behind both products – but in the meantime rivals have caught up. Exchange support on iOS4 and Android 2.2 is very complete, and Windows Phone 7 has some notable omissions that do the OS no favors. While you can register multiple POP and IMAP accounts, together with Windows Live, Gmail, Yahoo! and Exchange mail, there’s no unified inbox; each shows up separately and, if you want them all on the homescreen, you have to have tiles for each. Triaging messages is straightforward, and you can flag messages for later attention (though not label Gmail messages in the inbox); there’s a little animation, too, though the whole experience is relatively clean. Another obvious absence is threaded conversations, but the capable Bing search does work well for cutting through a hefty inbox; you’ll want to have as many messages as possible sync’d down on the handset, though, since Windows Phone 7 currently lacks server-side search. As for the calendar, it’s a starkly simple UI but it works well, pulling in entries from Windows Live, Exchange and Gmail (though not your Facebook calendar). These can be toggled from view, and each is color coded. As well as a listed Agenda view there are Day and Month displays (though not a Week view), and new entries support attendees and notes. Only a single Google calendar would sync across, however. Beyond that, most of our other complaints are minor. The phone pesters you for a live.com or hotmail.com email address when you first power on, as with Google’s approach with Android, though you can bypass it if you want to. The digital compass is mandatory, but non-functional, since Microsoft hasn’t written the API yet; similarly there’s no VoIP support as there’s no socket access in the networking API. Removing SD card support and PC tethering, while we hear Microsoft’s claims that it makes Windows Phone 7 more secure for enterprise users, still feels like another attempt to unduly lock down the platform and force owners through the company’s mandatory hoops. The barebones SMS/MMS app bizarrely color-codes both incoming and outgoing messages the same shade, though at least supports in-line images. Some of our criticism could be mitigated by developers. The encompassing nature of the Hubs means that, if a careful and clever developer chooses, the empty spots could be fleshed out with broader functionality. That’s certainly different to, say, iOS, where Apple’s core applications are sacrosanct and new third-party abilities are offered alongside – rather than integrated with – the core tenets of the platform. Microsoft’s primary challenge is to convince not only enterprise customers to either upgrade from Windows Mobile devices to Windows Phone 7 handsets or jump ship from rival platforms like BlackBerry OS, but to persuade the increasing consumer market that WP7 has promise against Android, iOS and webOS. It’s arguably easier for devices to transition from consumer to enterprise – look, for instance, at the iPhone’s phased evolution from media-centricity to full Exchange compliance, remote administration and everything else a network administrator might demand. The opposite path, taking an enterprise device and making it consumer-friendly, is perhaps the tougher route, a heady mixture of multimedia, social networking, app availability and nebulous “fashion” allure. Does Windows Phone 7 work as advertized? Yes, it does, and it’s a distinctive and in some ways innovative platform, certainly leagues away from what we’ve been used to – and, it must be said, bored by – in Windows Mobile. The harder question is whether the new OS competes with the rest of the smartphone market, both now and at its Q4 release. That’s not something Microsoft can take sole responsibility for; they’ll need third-party developer support, together with the investment – and imagination – of device manufacturers. Therein lies the rub. Much of what’s missing is not in Microsoft’s hands: the support of the developer community – who have helped make Apple’s App Store the platform-driving success that it is, and Google’s Android Market the fast-growing competitor – is essential if Windows Phone 7 is to gain traction among the smartphone segment. Microsoft are making the right noises, and their various developer blogs are doing their part in reaching out to third-party content providers, but it remains to be seen how many will choose to adopt the platform. A roster of big-name partners is one thing – Associated Press, Netflix, Pandora and Seesmic are among the names Microsoft announced at MIX – but it’s the smaller developer teams that make up the bulk of Apple and Google’s offerings, and they’re the people who will need to justify the time expense in adopting another OS. The tools – which we’re told are surprisingly straightforward, though not perhaps as simple as Google’s recent drag-&-drop App Inventor – are there, as is the Marketplace for ease of distribution, and so it seems platform adoption will be the element that tips their hands. Without production hardware it’s hard to say what the day to day experience of Windows Phone 7 will be like. In its current state – Microsoft tells us what we’ve been using is 99-percent ready to ship out to manufacturers and carriers for preliminary testing – it runs as swiftly as you’d hope for and suffers little in the way of lag or crashes. It also has elements that are a real departure from the smartphone norm; we can certainly see where Microsoft is trying to take their Hubs concept, even if it’s not the key differentiator they might bill it as today. In other ways, though, while it differs significantly from Windows Mobile, it’s very much a v1.0 product; that might have been enough to compete strongly against early versions of Android, say, or iOS, but, by the time Windows Phone 7 devices reach the market, Android 2.2 will be mainstream and iOS4 firmly entrenched. That’s strong competition, even for a company with the relative might of Microsoft. This isn’t KIN. It’s altogether more serious and there’s altogether more riding on it. Microsoft is making plenty of promises about the future of Windows Phone 7, and if they can coerce developers into play then they could carve a niche. In comparison to Windows Mobile, the new platform looks better, performs better and feels more aligned with how smartphone owners use their devices today. Of course, in the process Microsoft has cut ties with their sizeable back catalog of third-party WinMo apps and that’s left a big gap in what’s currently a sparsely-populated Marketplace. With only months to go before the first production devices are expected to go on sale, it remains to be seen whether Microsoft’s distinctive UI and what we’re hoping will be top-notch hardware can persuade users to look past established rivals and take a chance on what, even at launch, will be a work-in-progress. Windows Phone 7 full walkthrough: Relevant Entries on SlashGear Microsoft Windows 7 Embedded Gets a Technical Preview Windows Phone 7 Metro UI skin for WinMo 6.5 gets early alpha video demo MIX 2010 delivers fresh WP7s news: Windows Phone Marketplace, Silverlight 4 RC and more Verizon HTC Imagio gets pre-launch video preview Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series Now Called Windows Phone 7

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Windows Phone 7 Technical Preview

Dual wired/wireless Xbox controller patent application spotted

shoommany — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:00:40 +0000

Microsoft has applied for a patent on a dual-mode Xbox gaming controller that could seamlessly switch between wired and wireless modes mid-gameplay. According to the documentation, the controller would not only be equipped to run either on batteries in a wireless mode or via a physical connection – i.e. a USB cable – but of informing the currently playing game to flip between the two. That way, if you wanted more flexibility in movement, you could detach the cable and go wireless – Microsoft envisage any combination of infrared, Bluetooth or RF being possible – before returning to a wired connection when the controller battery runs down. The game itself wouldn’t have to be paused, and could automatically keep track of which controller goes with which player (and their accompanying saved games). Of course, patent applications aren’t necessarily a sign of actual intent to produce but we can think of quite a few gamers who would be keen on this dual-mode hardware. [ via I'm Just Being Manan] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Xbox 360 controller crammed inside of big brother The PS3 Xbox Controller mod Sony working on a universal LCD game controller for Xbox, Wii, and PS3? Wii football controller accessory debuts BGRMods brings IntensaFIRE to PS3 controllers

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Dual wired/wireless Xbox controller patent application spotted

ASUS Bamboo U33 and U53 notebooks pack Core i5 and NVIDIA Optimus

Snissastnew — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:00:17 +0000

ASUS UK have outed a pair of new notebooks in their Bamboo series, with the U33 and U53 both clad in a mixture of brushed aluminum and “smoky-brown” bamboo. The 13.3-inch U33 and 15.6-inch U53 each get an Intel Core i5-430M processor paired with NVIDIA Optimus graphics, automatically switching between a GeForce 310M 1GB GPU and integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics. Ports include a USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, HDMI and VGA, along with ethernet and audio in/out. There’s also a DVD burner and a 640GB hard-drive on the U53 or a 500GB hard-drive on the U33. Each gets 4GB of DDR3 memory together with a 2-megapixel webcam and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Battery life is up to 10hrs, though that’s assuming you make judicious use of the integrated graphics. Both Bamboo Series notebooks are available now, priced from £849 ($1,297) for the U33 and from £899 ($1,373) for the U53. Press Release: ASUS Bamboo Series Notebooks: Inspired by Nature. Designed for Style. ASUS have today announced the UK launch of the U33/U53 Bamboo notebook series. Green living is an ideal. An aspiration. Above all, a choice. As part of ASUS’ continued innovation in the area of environmental sustainability, the new U33/U53 Bamboo Series is manufactured using environmentally- friendly bamboo. Delightfully slim and light, and stylish thanks to the incorporation of brushed aluminium, the Bamboo notebook boasts a smoky- brown bamboo exterior reminiscent of contemporary designer furniture, bearing natural patterns that are unique to each notebook and providing individuality in a green-inspired product. Combining this stunning bamboo exterior, modern technologies and eco- friendly credentials, the U33/U53 bamboo notebook range is as much for the green consumer as it is for the performance-demanding style icons. Super Hybrid Engine and NVIDIA Optimus use intelligent monitoring to keep energy levels efficient and reduce CO2 emissions, whilst USB 3.0 delivers the fastest transfer speeds. With the new Intel® CoreTM i5 processor the U33/U53 notebooks deliver superior performance with up to 10 hours battery life. The notebooks will be available from a range of retailers and e-tailers including Micro Anvika, Selfridges, PCWorld.co.uk, Ebuyer.com and Amazon.co.uk at a price of £849 and £899 inc VAT SRP. To watch the promotional video of the Bamboo Series please visit: http://www.youtube.com/asus Key Features:

New Microsoft Xbox 360 Shortage In The UK | Geeky Gadgets

shoommany — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:59:15 +0000

Microsoft [MSFT] recently launched its new Xbox 360 console here in the UK, and it seems that the new console has become popular amongst UK gamers as many stores are reporting that they have already sold out of the new Xbox 360.

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New Microsoft Xbox 360 Shortage In The UK | Geeky Gadgets

Foursquare in Talks With Major Search Engines [REPORT]

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:46:12 +0000

Foursquare’s co-founder Dennis Crowley claims the company is in talks with major companies in the search space, including giants such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. “Our data generates hugely interesting trends which would enrich search,” Crowley said to Telegraph . “We can anonymise data and use it to show venues which are trending at that moment. Twitter helped the world and the search engines know what people are talking about. Foursquare would allow people to search for the types of place people are going to – and where is trending – not what.” This reminds us of Twitter’s search deal with Google and Microsoft , which brought Twitter users’ status updates to Google Search and Bing. Microsoft in particular has been very interested to adopt third-party data into Bing, and it wouldn’t surprise us to see Foursquare making a deal with Microsoft first. The two companies already have a deal which puts tips from Foursquare users on Bing Maps . On the other hand, Crowley has connections with Google reaching back to 2005, when he sold the text messaging app Dodgeball to the search giant. Unlike Twitter who, despite being pitted against dozens of clones, was always the leader in its space, Foursquare has strong competitors such as Gowalla and Yelp breathing down its neck. Foursquare is a great service, but it’s not the only option for a search deal with Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and others. However, having recently raised capital at a $95 million valuation, and reaching a user base of about 2 million members , things are looking good for the NYC-based company. More About: foursquare , Google , microsoft , Yahoo For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

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Foursquare in Talks With Major Search Engines [REPORT]

Windows Phone 7 Preview | Geeky Gadgets

Snissastnew — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:45:38 +0000

The guys over at Engadget have got their hands on a Samsung smartphone which features Microsoft’s [MSFT] new mobile OS, Windows Phone 7. From the looks of the photos and video, Windows Phone 7 looks pretty impressive, especially the UI …

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Windows Phone 7 Preview | Geeky Gadgets

11 Essential Online Resources for Consultants

Snissastnew — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:01:35 +0000

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum , where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. One of the keys to being a successful consultant is information — having it at your fingertips the moment you need it. While some sources might come and go depending upon the projects I’m working on or the hot topics of the day, there are a few that I keep bookmarked and ready, because I seem to need them on a regular basis. My top 11 suggestions for online resources that cater to the needs of consultants are listed below. This is just a starter list — add your own suggestions in the comments below. 1. You’re the Boss : Because small business owners oftentimes get very little formal training, The New York Times has started a blog where you can read about what’s keeping entrepreneurs up at night. The topics covered on the blog enhance the lessons you are already learning on the job. A couple of my favorite posts include “ Inside a Family Business: Maybe This Isn’t the Best Place for Everyone ” and “ It’s the Economy, Mr. Bernanke “. 2. Workshifting : Even solopreneurs need a place to turn and the Workshifting blog focuses on independent workers. Their mantra is about making work more productive so people can work from anywhere – home, an airport or your local coffee shop. I enjoyed reading “ The Great Debate: Coffee Shop vs. Home Office ” and “ The Nature of Remoteness .” 3. CNN Travel : I don’t know a consultant out there who doesn’t travel, whether it’s to client sites or conferences. And trends in travel can impact business. CNN Travel does a good job of reporting tips and information on everything from baggage fees and security screenings to situations that might impact your travel plans. You can even access their information on the go via Twitter . 4. LinkedIn : We’ve talked about using it for recruiting , but you can also use LinkedIn as a marketing tool. Be sure to regularly change your status update and share with your connections those projects you’re working on. Also get out there, join some groups and answer questions. 5. MarketingProfs : Every business, regardless of size, needs to market itself. MarketingProfs offers resources in the areas of email marketing, branding, SEO, lead generation and so on. They offer a free membership as well as a pro level with enhanced benefits. I find their data very useful. For some examples, take a look at “ Consumers Want Print Magazines, but Also Relevance ” and “ Average Value of Facebook Fan $136.38 .” 6. Help a Reporter Out (HARO) : Let’s face it… we all want free PR. But we can’t all afford a public relations firm. HARO connects reporters with sources. Sign up to get their regular queries — it’s not only good from a response perspective, but it gives you some sense of what writers are researching and the hot topics. You can also follow HARO on Twitter for fast breaking stories that need experts. 7. USA.gov : The official website of the U.S. Government provides tons of resources for the self-employed. If you need information about starting a business , being self-employed , small business loans or government contracts , it’s all on the USA.gov site. You can also follow them on Twitter for regular updates. 8. IRS : Speaking of government, the Internal Revenue Service is another site with a seemingly endless amount of information. You can apply for your Employer Identification Number (EIN) , download required tax forms and check on the latest mileage rate . The IRS also has a Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center that includes news, events and videos to help you with your tax-related questions. 9. LegalZoom.com : Sometimes there are situations where you need an attorney, but for those times when you just need a form, this is a great option. There are other online legal document companies as well that offer trademark documentation, partnership agreements and other business services. Of course, I don’t need to remind everyone that you have to do your homework about when and how to use a site like this. 10. Evernote : Consultants are always working on multiple things — on one hand you’re working with a client project and in the other you’re running your business. Evernote is a web-based application that allows you to save your ideas and inspiration. You can record a message, write a note, clip an article or take a picture. I really like their blog because it profiles people and companies using Evernote. I’ve discovered many ways to make my work life easier . It integrates with the iPhone and Android, allowing you to capture your best thoughts on the go. 11. Google Docs : Speaking of ways to make life easier, Google Docs and Wave are great collaborative tools as well. And Microsoft is offering free online storage and document sharing via Office Live . As you can see, there is no shortage of places for consultants and the self-employed to get tips, tricks and resources that help with the everyday running of a business. What websites are on your “go-to” list? Image courtesy of iStockphoto , webphotographeer Reviews: Android , Evernote , Google Docs , LinkedIn , Twitter , iStockphoto More About: CNN Travel , consultants , evernote , google docs , HARO , Help a Reporter Out , IRS , LegalZoom , linkedin , MarketingProfs , new york times , the new york times , USA.gov , Workshifting , You’re the Boss For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

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11 Essential Online Resources for Consultants

10 Fun Microsoft Facts You Might Not Know

Snissastnew — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 21:11:04 +0000

Despite ever-increasing Mac sales, Microsoft’s still has an undisputed dominance over the computer industry. With such a vast presence, much has already been written about Microsoft: Its history, its products, even its former CEO Bill Gates. For those itching to know even more, we’ve dug up 10 snippets of info that you might not have heard before. What experimental musician created the Windows start-up sound? How do they celebrate anniversaries? Does Microsoft have a “pest” problem? Have a read of our Microsoft-themed facts, stats and trivia and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 1. “Micro-soft’s” First Ever Mention The first ever mention of “Microsoft” was in a letter from Bill Gates to co-founder Paul Allen in 1975. Gates initially wrote the company name as Micro-soft, which made sense considering it’s a portmanteau of “microcomputer” and “software.” Losing the hyphen, “Microsoft” was officially registered as a company in November, 1976 in New Mexico where Gates and Allen were working with their first major customer, MITS. Microsoft didn’t move to its current campus in Redmond, Washington until 1986. The Microsoft logo has changed several times over the years, the current “Pac-Man” logo was introduced in 1987, but previous to that was the “blibbet” logo that’s pictured above. The “blibbet” refers to the stylized “o” and was apparently once the name of a burger served in the Microsoft company cafeteria. 2. Brian Eno Composed “The Microsoft Sound” Pioneering musician Brian Eno was the musical brains behind Window 95’s start up tune, dubbed “The Microsoft Sound.” The influential musician, who has worked with the likes of David Bowie and U2, told the San Francisco Chronicle that making such a short piece of music was “funny” and “amazing.” Eno likened the process to “making a tiny little jewel.” Other musical trivia from the launch of Windows 95 is, of course, the use of The Rolling Stones “Start Me Up” in the ad campaign, while a related Eno fact is that he also composed the music for the computer game Spore . 3. Microsoft’s Fave Food Is Pizza Although not quite at Google ’s level of snack-tastic, free-for-all wonder, Microsoft does offer free drinks. Over 23 million gratis beverages are downed on the corporate campus each year. Apparently the top two drinks of choice for Microsoft staffers are milk and OJ. There’s also free candy on the Microsoft campus shuttle. As far as food goes, Microsoft has around 35 cafeterias (one of which is pictured above) serving around 37,000 people each day. Pizza tops the list of most popular meal. 4. Microsoft Uses Codenames Ever since the company’s first operating system, Microsoft has worked on its projects under codenames, of which Wikipedia has a long list . Apparently Gates was ready to launch Windows under the name “Interface Manager” before he was persuaded to change it by an employee. Past codenames include “Longhorn,” “Lone Star,” and “Vienna.” While you might be tempted to add “Mojave,” to that list, it’s actually part of a Microsoft ad campaign. The “ Mojave Experiment ” was a marketing exercise that battled Vista’s poor PR by presenting the software to new users as a fresh product. 5. The Average “Softie” The average Microsoft employee, or “Softie” as they call themselves, is a 38-year-old male with the average salary for a developer coming in at $106,000. Microsoft currently employs 88,180 people who work across 32,404,796 square feet of Microsoft’s premises, over 50,000 of which are U.S.-based. The male to female ratio is very high among Microsoft’s American employees with a staggering 76% male workforce. 6. Microsoft Celebrates Anniversaries With M&Ms All companies have their little in-house traditions, and Microsoft is no exception. It seems it’s customary for Softies to celebrate their yearly employment anniversaries with candy, and more specifically, M&Ms. Each anniversary, a Microsoft employee is expected to provide one pound of M&Ms for every year they’ve worked. That means if Bill Gates observed the tradition, he should have turned up with 33 pounds of M&Ms on June 27, 2008. 7. Microsoft’s Stock Has Split Nine Times Microsoft has split its stock nines times since it went public back in March 1986. Put very, very simply, a company will generally split its stock when its share price becomes too high. Since Microsoft has had six 2-for-1 splits and three 3-for-1 splits, one original Microsoft share would now be equal to 288 shares today. Interestingly the price of Microsoft’s stock at its initial public offering was $21 a share, at the time of writing a share is now around the $23 mark. One original MSFT share would now be worth over $6,000. 8. Microsoft Has a Huge Art Collection No, we’re not talking about Clip Art. Microsoft is one of the largest corporate collectors of artworks with over 5,000 contemporary pieces including painting, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, ceramics, studio glass, and multimedia works. Microsoft gathers arts from local artists, up-and-coming artists and big names such as Cindy Sherman, Chuck Close and Takashi Murakami . A large proportion of the works are on display at more than 150 of Microsoft’s many campuses, as the company subscribes to the belief that art in the workplace reduces stress, increases productivity and encourages discussions and expression of opinions. 9. Microsoft Asks Strange Interview Questions Microsoft has a reputation in the industry for asking off-beat, off-the-wall questions during its job interview. The most oft-quoted question is: “Why is a manhole cover round?” Whether this particular example is genuine, or an urban legend, it’s certainly true that Microsoft employs a very unusual, and forward-thinking interview process. It’s even rumored that companies like Google have since emulated the style. Rather than plain “Where do you see yourself in five years” type questions, Microsoft is more likely to ask you to solve a logic puzzle or think through a problem like “Design a coffee maker that will be used by astronauts.” Obviously, Microsoft isn’t planning to go into the coffee-in-space industry anytime soon, but the process serves to find candidates that can think creatively. 10. Microsoft Holds Over 10,000 Patents Microsoft holds over 10,000 patents and files around 3,000 every year, ranking as one of the top five patent owners in the U.S. Although a large majority of the patents relate to obscure elements of software, the 5,000th and 10,000th were consumer-friendly, easily-understandable ideas. The 5,000th was for tech in Xbox 360 games that lets people “watch” a video game remotely, while the 10,000th was for the Microsoft Surface, linking real-life objects with data and images. Microsoft also rewards its staff members for securing a new patent. Besides a $1,500 bonus, they get a wooden plaque and a decorative black “cube” that features their name, as well as the title and date of the patent. BONUS: The Microsoft Campus is Full of Bunnies! Our very own Jolie O’Dell found a great factoid about the Microsoft Corporate Campus, she gleaned while on a recent visit. “So, back in the mists of time, some people dumped a bunch of rapidly reproducing pet bunnies — leftovers from kids’ Easter gifts — on a grassy knoll near the MSFT campus,” Jolie said. “The bunnies started doing what bunnies do best, that is, making more bunnies. At one point, there were so many that MSFT staff had to start catching them and having them spayed and neutered! Nowadays, you’ll still see lots of rabbits hopping around, though. Way cuter than Google’s goats.” It seems the bunny proliferation has been a long term issue. According to a 1998 Seattle Times article, the “ Redmond rabbit problem ” does not just affect Microsoft, but Nintendo, Eddie Bauer and other companies in the area. The problem back then spawned the Redmond Rabbit Coalition group (many members of which are now involved in the current day Evergreen Rabbit Rescue ) who campaign for a humane solution to the ongoing pest problem. Rabbit image courtesy of iStockphoto , LindaYolanda More Tech Resources from Mashable: – Top 10 Geekiest Marriage Proposals – 5 Must-See Google Easter Eggs – Tech Tourism: 10 Great Geek Destinations – 10 Must-See Google Street View Sightingse – 10 Essential Accessories for the Fashionable Geek Reviews: Facebook , Google , Twitter , Wikipedia , Windows , iStockphoto More About: bill gates , brian eno , codenames , facts , microsoft , pizza , rabbits , rolling stones , Windows For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

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10 Fun Microsoft Facts You Might Not Know