The news that was expected to come from Microsoft is true. They have unveiled the Windows Phone 7 Series to the world. A few things that I would like to comment on. First, the lack of Flash. It seems like Apple and Microsoft are abandoning the Flash platform. With Adobe’s support for 64-bit Flash, and the problems with the standard 32-bit version, it almost seems like Adobe has abandoned it as well.

Second, it is almost a “Too little, too late” scenerio. I’ve always been a fan of Windows Mobile, but have just recently jumped ship to the Android platform. I still use my Dell Axim x50V with WM6.0 occasionally, but my MotoQ phone is just a bad phone. A lot of people have already switched to Android, iPhone or the business friendly Blackberry. I’m hoping that the Windows Phone 7 Series can bring back some respect for the Microsoft mobile platform, but judging from the screenshots, it just doesn’t look like it will bring a whole lot of innovation to the table. Maybe I’m wrong, but only time will tell.

I do think that the addition of the Zune features and XBox Live functionality is great, and will help bring in some sales, but it just isn’t a major reason to switch to a new phone. Now that I’m on a contract with my new Android phone, I’ll have to wait for the new Microsoft phone, unless they offer some great incentives or deals to make me switch.

Engadget has some good coverage and screenshots on their page. It looks nice, sure, but I just don’t see what would make me switch this late in the game. I’m going to wait until the next revision of hardware and software before I make the switch. Unless they have a new “killer application” that I can’t live without.

Besides just flipping the script on the brand, the company seems to be taking a much more vertical approach with hardware and user experience, dictating rigid specs for 7 Series devices (a specific CPU and speed, screen aspect ratio and resolution, memory, and even button configuration), and doing away with carrier or partner UI customizations such as Sense or TouchWiz. That’s right — there will be a single Windows Phone identity regardless of carrier or device brand. Those new phones will likely look similar at first, featuring a high res touchscreen, three front-facing buttons (back, start, and perhaps not shockingly, a Bing key), and little else.

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Ars Technica posted an article describing a few issues with Windows 7 that are known, and some fixes via hotfixes or patches from Microsoft. Glad to see that MS is fixing these as they come along… Well, most of them.

Microsoft has been tracking some odd issues that occur on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. These bugs are not typically fixed via Windows Update, because these hotfixes should only be applied to systems that are experiencing specific problems. So if you are not severely affected by either of them, wait for the relevant service packs. Here are the four most prominent issues, listed in order of decreasing severity.

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Later this month, Microsoft will be releasing an optional update that will help stop piracy. But, if you are running a pirated version of 7, it will fix the files and loopholes and basically an “uncracked” copy of Windows 7. So, if you are not running a legit copy of Windows, beware. Also, a lot of those pirated copies include some form of malware built into the OS, so it makes sense to go legit. Unlike Vista, though, the new update won’t force you into reduced functionality. It sports the older Windows XP model of just letting you know your OS isn’t genuine.

The Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7, which will be released later this month, closes more than 70 “activation hacks,” according to Joe Williams, general manager of Microsoft’s Genuine Windows unit, responsible for anti-counterfeiting measures. The update will also check with a server periodically to see if there are further hacks that need to be addressed, though Williams said no personally identifiable information about the user will be sent to the server.

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Wow. Windows has come a long way since Windows 1.01. Found this nice little video going through the history of Windows from it’s early beginnings to now.

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For those of us with kids, the Internet can be a scary place to let them play. Sure, they have Disney sites and other kid friendly sites. But, what happens when they accidently misspell a word? Some sites are definitely not appropriate for kids. Ars Technica takes a look at the new IE8 optimized for kids browsing. I’m sure this combined with the Windows Parental Controls, your PC will be a bit safer online for your children. Of course, I really like the conclusion! 🙂 [Emphasis is mine]

If you believe these tools will be useful to you and your kids, we definitely recommend you go ahead and use them; they look like good resources. That said, we’ll repeat what we’ve said many times before: software is there to help you parent, not meant to do the job for you.

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Some of you might have experienced a message stating that your laptop battery needs replaced when using Windows 7. Over the past few months, a lot of fingers were pointing at Microsoft, calling it a Windows mistake. Microsoft has fired back stating that it isn’t their fault, but is in fact a battery issue. I haven’t seen this first hand yet, but I have seen it reported on the various newsgroups.

Last week, Microsoft said it was investigating issues in Windows 7 that affect batteries on certain notebooks after hundreds of users reported they thought the OS was to blame. Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division, has posted a lengthy response on the Engineering Windows 7 blog. “At this time we have no reason to believe there is any issue related to Windows 7 in this context,” Sinofsky writes. Here’s his explanation…

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In a move that may be a temporary, Microsoft has slashed some prices on the Zune HD to help boost sales. Sure, the iPod Touch is fun, but it has a lot of little quirks that I don’t like. I’ve been wanting to grab this new Zune, and it looks like the time may be soon to pick it up. As soon as I do, expect a thorough head to head against my Wife’s iPod Touch and my shiny new Zune HD! 🙂

The company has dropped the prices of its 16GB model to $190 on Amazon, while the 32GB model will now sport a price tag worth $249, a significant drop of around $30 and $40 on the models respectively.

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Sorry for the lack of updates the past week and a half, I was on a much needed vacation to the Oregon/Washington Coast. It was great! But, I also tried to follow my rule: no work while on vacation. 🙂 So, back to the news!

For you programmers out there, Visual Studio 2010 Release Candidate has been released to MSDN subscribers, with a public release very soon after (February 10th). Check it out if you are a programmer that needs the extra features. Even if you are just a beginner, it’s still fun to play with. Also remember that Microsoft has the Express versions of Visual C#, C++ and Visual Basic. Very handy.

An integrated development environment that simplifies the entire development lifecycle, from design to deployment. Beta 2 comes with a