'7 series'

LAS VEGAS--Although Windows Phone 7 Series devices won't hit the market until the end of the year, Microsoft has already started its sales pitch to developers.

At the Mix10 trade show on Monday, Microsoft detailed how programmers can write software for the phone using Silverlight and XNA and made available test versions of the tools for writing code.

In a video interview, Joe Belfiore and Scott Guthrie talked about the approach that Microsoft is taking with regard to design, multitasking and the company's effort to make things simpler than they have been in the past.

Here's the … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The next generation of Windows Phone, due out toward the end of the year, is a big focus at Microsoft's Mix conference here this week, and I'm starting to learn a few things about how Windows Phone 7 Series will--and won't--be different from the Zune HD.

Windows Phone 7 Series, the next-generation mobile-phone platform from Microsoft, is set to offer a great value to music fans: every phone will basically include the complete functionality of the Zune HD. Joe Belfiore, Windows Phone program management vice president, on Monday confirmed that the Zune HD's wireless sync--one of my favorite features--will be carried forward to the phone platform.

When you bring your phone home and plug it in, it will automatically scan local wireless networks to see if it recognizes your home Wi-Fi network. If it finds it, and your PC is turned on, the Zune software will launch and automatically do a two-way sync of all your music, videos, and pictures. … Read more

One of the key questions surrounding the new Windows Phone Series 7 devices has been whether the operating system lets you use more than one application at once.

And while Microsoft announced a bunch of different details about the new phones, it wasn't exactly clear about this question. In part, that's because the answer isn't a simple yes or no.

To reiterate what Windows Phone boss Andy Lees said in a CNET interview last month, Microsoft is doing some multitasking with Windows Phone, such as letting one play music and run an application or check his or … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 is set to be the star of the show on Monday as the Mix10 trade show gets under way. The software maker is detailing how developers can write software for phones running the new mobile operating system, which are set to hit the market later this year.

In a press release, Microsoft detailed some of the features of the OS, including a built-in location and push notification system, which works whether an application is running or not. The phones will also support hardware-accelerated video with digital rights management and smooth streaming.

At the event, … Read more

I'm a big believer in cloud-based music services. As wireless bandwidth increases, there's no reason that my collection of music (or other content, such as pictures) should be limited to the small hard drive that comes with my phone or MP3 player, or bound to various types of swappable memory sticks.

On-demand subscription services like Spotify, Rhapsody, and Thumbplay are one solution. But I'm also seeing more interest in the concept of the "music locker," which lets you back up your computer-based music collection into the cloud--Melodeo is working on an update to Nutsie that … Read more

This year's Mix trade show won't be the first time that people hear about Internet Explorer 9 or Windows Phone 7 Series, but it is the event where developers will get enough information to start creating products targeting the new browser and mobile operating system.

The three-day Las Vegas event kicks off on Monday, with Windows Phone executive Joe Belfiore talking about the new phone operating system. On Tuesday, Internet Explorer head Dean Hachamovitch is slated to talk IE 9 and I would not be surprised at all if actual code is offered up this time. Microsoft offered a brief glimpse of IE 9 … Read more

The Zune HD is a strong music player. It's got a lot of features I wish Apple would add to its iPod and iPhone lineup, particularly wireless sync and queuing. But with the impending release of the Windows Phone 7 Series, which will include full Zune HD functionality in its "Music + Video" hub, I've begun to wonder if Microsoft will phase out the Zune as a standalone music player.

Here's one clue: Microsoft developer Michael Klucher on Tuesday put up a blog post about the upcoming XNA Game Studio 4.0. Thus far, XNA Game … Read more

As I noted last night, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Series is a clean break with the past, from the look and feel of the product down to the way software makers will write programs for the device.

Microsoft confirmed on Thursday that the primary tools for developers will be Silverlight and XNA, while the look of the device, as outlined at last month's Mobile World Congress, is closer to the Zune HD than to any prior version of Windows Mobile.

I had a chance to do a short video interview with Microsoft's Charlie Kindel and get a … Read more

Microsoft on Thursday confirmed that its new phone operating system is as different under the hood as it is to the eye.

In a blog post and at an event with a handful of journalists, the software maker said that those developing software for Windows Phone 7 Series devices will do so using either Silverlight or XNA, the toolset used to create Xbox games.

"Overnight those developers have become Windows Phone developers," said Charlie Kindel, the Microsoft executive in charge of the mobile developer strategy. "One of our principles is to build on the shoulders of giants.&… Read more