Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your lovely Valentine’s Day surprises, the NBA All-Star Game, or what you think of the Winter Olympics so far, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Earlier today, Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress. It’s an important step for the company’s mobile future and by most accounts, it’s a huge leap forward for the Windows Mobile Operating System. After losing ground to RIM’s BlackBerry OS in the business world, as well as Apple’s iPhone OS and Google’s Android OS in the consumer market, Microsoft is stepping up its game. One of the ways it’s attempting to reach out to consumers is through connectivity with Xbox Live. Here’s the official description of Windows Phone 7’s “games hub”:
This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox Live experience on a phone, including Xbox Live games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements and gamer profile. With more than 23 million active members around the world, Xbox Live unlocks a world of friends, games and entertainment on Xbox 360, and now also on Windows Phone 7 Series.
There are a several interesting implications here. First of all, Microsoft has a huge opportunity to compete with and possibly eclipse the games market in Apple’s iPhone App Store. The company already has deep relationships with several of the best game developers and publishers in the world. Secondly, Windows Phone 7 Series has the chance to extend the social aspects of Xbox Live in a major way. So many people use Facebook and Twitter on mobile devices. By unchaining Xbox Live from a console or PC, the company could make the service a major force in social networking.
I want to know what you think of Windows Phone 7 Series. Check out the official press release and look at its impressive features. Can you see yourself using a Windows Phone 7 Series device in the future? If so, is Xbox Live connectivity a major reason why?
@Smartguy Microsoft is being pretty strict about the hardware Windows Mobile 7 will appear on. It has required specs for CPU, screen size, etc. for its hardware partners.
I have been waiting to go back to WinMo OS for WinMo 7. 6.5 was not a big enough change for me to ditch my BB Bold. I have always enjoyed using the WinMo OS. The ease of tethering (which I use daily) is ridiculous when compared to nearly all other phones.
I just hope MS adds some standards to minimum hardware specs and makes a virtually lag free phone.
Sidenote: I haven't been able to drop by here for over a week. I have been too dang busy with A&P tests in school. Finally 2 days of free time.
The key word in that statement is "official".
There are already a few different apps that allow you to do all they mentioned.
I'm sure there will be exclusive games… but XBLA titles? I doubt it unless they're compressed, watered down versions of Shadow Complex and such.
@ people with an iPhone
Get "The Cartel". It's pretty much the only game I play on it anymore and I'm on it every waking minute I can get to it.
@Ray
Hopefully they will require a stick or directional button on a left side. That would be so huge if they want to have a mobile platform. I like the Iphone, but sometimes I wish it had a small analog stick or directional button.
@Smartguy That's not one of the requirements. As expected, MS is favoring touchscreen devices, though phones with a touchscreen and keyboard are welcomed.
Wow. I just don't get it. Adobe says WinMo 7 won't support Flash either, but that they are working on it. If so much of the internet requires Flash then why hasn't this been taken care of. Seriously we live in a very mobile internet world, and we are missing a key component in it.
@Ray
Yeah, but I really hate having my fingers on the screen of my iphone because there isn't that much real estate to begin with. Give me buttons!!
@Slicky
The answer is easy: They can't sell you content if you are able to utilize flash. Would people buy tv shows if they could get to Hulu? How about buy games if they can play flash games for free? It's all about being the sole provider of content on said device. It is really my biggest knock against the Iphone and Ipad. Guess I can add WinMo7 to the list as well.
I read the presser…I wonder if you would have the option to changing your default search to Google?
I'm not really a big fan of windows mobile. I had it a long time ago maybe from 2006-2008 when i had a cingular 3125 phone. It was very limited now and that whole experience just turned me off from windows Os. I'm very happy with my iphone now and i probably wont switch until Google catches up with apple's app store or shows me more features than the iphone. My is jb so i can multi-task, tether, and customize it. I really don't need to see gaming achievements from my phone. I'm sure there are people out there that asked for this but i'm not one of them.
@slickyfats
Hey did you see this beaker vid? i was laughing my a** off when i saw it. I meant to post it but forgot to.
@Smartguy I'm sure it will be very hard for users to switch the default search engine, though it might be easier for carriers to control.
@tokz_21 Windows Phone Series 7 is a pretty big departure from Windows Mobile. At the very least, it's worth a look.
I'll stick with my android
@rpad
I'll check it out if i see it somewhere. Hey did you read that WWE is getting rid of the Survivor Series name. Now i'll never get to see a S.S ppv in Chicago for sure.
@Ray
I'm sure it will. I think Verizon phones default to Bing now with the exception of the Android phones. I don't think Bing is bad though, I just prefer what I know and what I use on a daily basis. Google doesn't let me down.
This is a nice change of pace compared to the last few days. Chatting about tech stuff instead of being in the revelry in NOLA. I think I will go back for Lundi Gras tonight.
@tokz_21 I did see that. It's disappointing. *sigh* Another piece of my childhood destroyed.
@Smartguy You are correct, Microsoft and Verizon have a deal for Bing.
@Everyone One thing I didn't mention is that Windows Phone 7 Series devices take a lot of interface design from Xbox Live and Zune. For consumers that use both, it will feel very familiar.
@ tokz
I'm just mad that I've been a wrestling fan long enough that I know Jericho is gonna win the Elimination Chamber and set up him and Edge at Mania… or the Undertaker will win and it will be a 3-way dance.
I'm also mad that they faked Morrison's injury because they felt he wasn't a contender yet.
@ Smartguy
I don't think so. I don't think that the Undertaker would lose that match (breaking the streak) at Wrestlemania.
I think he's gonna end up facing HBK again and possibly switching to Raw.
@ Smartguy
They are also setting Edge up to win at Mania and HBK has already challenged Taker.
@Smartguy Windows Phone 7 uses "hubs". Think of the overall UI as a lot of Zune with a good bit of New XBL mixed in.
@N8R Perhaps a three-way dance (Canadian style) with Jericho vs. Edge vs. Christian?!? It will be interesting to see what they do with Christian now that ECW is going away.
@n8r
yeah i see Jericho winning it and Edge facing him. They will be able build up their match very well. I was telling my friend that HBK and Taker at WM is done but it won't be a title match. I think if they had a 3-way match for the title with Taker, HBK and Jericho it would be okay but it would taint the story line of HBK wanting to stop Taker's streak and it would also be a horrible way for Taker to lose his streak. I think they should let his streak stand.
I'm upset to read this news about Morrison! I was hoping he would start getting his push soon.
Also, TNA is making a major announcement today at 11:30. I'm guessing it's going to move Impact to Mondays.
Stop the Presses! They are dumping Survivor Series? WTF. It hasn't really been the survivor series for years now anyway (it was the best when the whole card was wall to wall 4v4) but the name was a staple. That was one of the big 4… You would know what season you were in by which of the big shows Mean Jean was spreading the word on. Bastards. Gone the way of Todd Pettengill. We'll miss you homie!
did anyone see the dunk contest?
what a shit spectacle that was
@N8R
I haven't watched wrestling in a long time honestly. Even then I know that Undertaker is undefeated at Wrestlemania. I think it is one of the staples that VInny Mac will keep. Taker has to be the longest tenured wrestler by now. Also, Taker sells tons of merch. This is a generalization…but some of the dumbasses and rednecks really love some of that tacky goth crap that they sell of the Undertaker. Don't want to taint the pool. (pun intended)
@Tokz – they should let Taker retire with the streak in tact. There should be something sacred there. Everything else in wrestling is about wins and losses, i.e. So and So is a 4 time Champion. Yeah he won it 4 times, but he also lost it at least 3. Let something stand that won't be sullied, especially something that was really never planned on in the beginning. Let the Deadman ride!
@thundercracker
Who won? What happened? Mardi Gras weekend here…totally didn't realize it was all star weekend. Though I personally wasn't going to partake anyway since AI got voted in.
@Thunder – honestly, what the hell else can someone do. By now, unless you can literally fly, everything has been done.
– Wait, take that back. They should have that David Blaine dude bolt a rim to his chest and suspend himself in the air, and then dunk off his ass. That would be awesome and rid the world of a douche.
@larcenous
so…uh…you don't like david blaine huh?
I too think the Undertaker should retire with the streak intact. If he does lose it, it should be to an up and comer, not a veteran on their hind legs. Someone who needs the push.
@ Smartguy
I'm fairly certain HBK has been there longer, though he took alot of time off.
Taker was even in WCW for a short time. He jumped ship and came back.
@Tokz
That's hilarious. Dust in the Wind with only "Me's" The two old guys at the end crack me up too they remind me or Randolf and Mortimer.
I really will not want WinMo 7 if it controls like the NXE. That thing pisses me off every time I see it. And I have never used a Zune so I have no clue.
@LarcenousLaugh I disagree that it's about wins and losses. It's about stories and performances. Shawn Michaels has lost more WrestleMania matches than he has won, but he's considered one of the top — if not THE top — performer in the event's history.
@slickyfats
Yeah those old guys were my favorite part of the Muppet show, even though sometimes it meant it was the end of the show. I loved the way the Muppet studio updated their jokes, instead of being in the balcony; they are viewing it online and bashing them.
Since I'm unemployed, I totally forgot that it was a long weekend. Quick poll! Do you have the day off from work/school?
@Larcenous
I have to agree with Rpad. Wrestling now has become more about the storytelling and not about wins and losses but then again i never paid attention to wins and losses. wait, have they ever shown what the wrestler's win/loss record is? I remember the whole goldberg with the streak but i never really liked that story. I like wrestler's if they have good mic skills, can entertain me with their ring skills and charisma (i guess that goes with mic skills, no?)
@quick poll
i'm at work but it's sloooooow. We're having a potluck for Vday and Mardi Gras. We have visitors tomorrow so we can't really celebrate on Tuesday. So taking a page from Smartguy Lundi Gras here i come!
@Ray
I have classes tonight, but a lot of the k-12 schools are out today for "Teacher Work Day"
I also have to work today but for the life of me I don't know why. When it is a government holiday all the City Halls and Public Works department around here close so we don't really do anything all day except work we previously had.
@topic
Yes to both questions. If they let me join Live Partys on my phone, that = win.
@quick poll
Still working. My company would never let us off if they could get away with it.
@Ray
Mardi Gras babe. Going to Orpheus tonight, you should come along. Free beer and crawfish bread. and boobs.
@Ray/Tokz – The storylines are central to the drama that is wrestling, but as it takes place within the confines of a "sport", that drama is essentially confined to wins and losses. Does the record of a particular performer matter? No, not especially, unless it has context in the match itself. However, because it takes place within the "squared circle", the hopes and desires of the fans really come down to those performances.
Break it down to the most basic ideas. A heel is a heel because he wins in the least desirable possible… he cheats. Think of all the real big heels and you think of them in conjunction with the matches they have essentially stolen. McMahon himself has a laundry list of matches that he has screwed with to cement his character with that archetype, the most notorious of which is the Montreal Screwjob.
Faces on the other hand win against the odds. Shawn Michaels pulling the win out in the Iron Man Match at Wrestlemania 12. Steve Austin, starting as Number 1 in the Royal Rumble, mows through 29 other competitors including McMahon to seal the vicotry and cement his spot for the title. The storylines are contained within the confines of the ring, in a world where a physical match can decide a "winner". You can't have one without another… otherwise you are watching General Hospital.
@LarcenousLaugh 'Taker won his match with Shawn last year, but most people remember it as another amazing HBK performance at WrestleMania. This is especially true with "smarks" that realize that 'Taker has problems walking around these days and appreciate that Shawn carried him to such an amazing match.
@larcenous
I see what you're saying now. you're comment #27 is a bit misleading but i got it. The quality of the win/loss matters because it adds to the storyline but you're comment seemed to have been stressing the point that a win/loss record in sports entertainment matters. I don't look at it as Ric Flair being champ 16 times as he lost 15 other times so he's eh. I look at it as that guy was the best or considered to be one of the best at the time he earned the belt. The belt is a reward for your ability to manipulate the crowd and keep people in the seats.
@tokz_21 That's not always true about belts. Sometimes belts are purely a marketing decision.
@Ray – True. I would say that there comes a point when the matches, especially between two people that have been there forever, are less about who wins and who loses. People remember Shawn's performance in the match, but it's also within the context of whether or not he won or lost. I find it extremely funny considering the matches are all preplanned and the stories are set barring anything but catastrophic injury (Triple H tearing his quad in the ring during a tag match comes to mind), but the win loss of the match is a part of the story. It has to be, or it really doesn't need to take place in the ring.
i think they need a device that would actually support a good hardware experience in addition to a much needed software revitalization.
Does the phone require xbox live gold? lol.
Off topic, I had a dream last night that I was able to get an N900 for $200. I bought it on the spot and threw my iphone in the trash.
Just got home and watched a video on Win Phone 7. Now I am very impressed. Also, does this count as Microsoft fabled Zune Phone?
Why is it that when I read this article, the first thought that came into my head was: "Sony should have made the PSP Go into a smart phone instead."? What a missed opportunity to have a PSP Smart Phone called "PSPSP"
-M
Now for a Randy Orton-style knee report (remember when he used to give updates on his shoulder?). I just finished my last session of physical therapy. The knee is a lot better than it was, but still weak. It looks like I'm going to have to go for another month. In Orton terms, I guess my knee is at 65%.
That means Undertaker wins it then. Next!
@Ray
New XBL experience or is WinMo going to utilize blades? Never used Zune on xbox so I have no clue what it looks like.
WAY OFF TOPIC
Question: (anyone may answer) Why isn’t Toby Gerhart seen as a legitimate RB for the pro level? Everyone wants to make him a blocking back. I think he’ll be a steal for someone in the 3rd round. Personally I’m hoping my team takes Charles Scott, but i’d be happy with Gerhart.
if windows mobile starts to suck less, ill be upgrading to the htc hd2 very shortly….
best phone on the planet of earth
you need a radioactive spider bite.
You need to get laid. That'll help your knee… or at least the pain.
-M
@iceman
touche
@Smartguy I rather have a power ring from a blue space midget.
@iceman I'm covered!
@rpad
Yeah i forgot about that part. I kind of figured you would bring that up so i didn’t want to add another post.