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Confirmed: Marketplace will be the only way to get apps on Windows Phone 7 Series
We just got out of a meeting with Microsoft's Todd Biggs, who dropped a little bombshell on us: the only official way to get apps on a Windows Phone 7 Series device will be to download them from the just-detailed Windows Phone Marketplace. That means developers will have to abide by Microsoft's technical and content guidelines in order to make it in, with the very real possibility of rejection -- sound familiar? Todd told us Microsoft plans to avoid Apple-style submission headaches by making the process transparent and predictable, with a group of Microsoft execs regularly meeting to examine edge cases and refine the guidelines as needed, but even the best intentions can be led astray by a sexy app or two. We also got some additional details on Marketplace and how it's going to work, catch the highlights after the break. Update: Microsoft wanted us to clarify that enterprise customers will be able to deploy apps to employees outside the consumer-facing Marketplace -- details on that will be released in the future.
Windows Phone Marketplace for Windows Phone 7 Series unveiled
The biggest chunk of eye candy we've seen out of Microsoft's MIX10 event so far today has been the unveiling of the significantly-retooled Windows Phone Marketplace that'll debut in Windows Phone 7 Series -- and needless to say, it's a looker. It's got support for credit card purchases, operator billing, and ad-supported content -- a hot topic right now with Google's and Apple's mobile advertising acquisitions -- and a try-before-you-buy scheme not unlike Android Market's policy (though WP7S devs can choose what kind of trial period they want to offer; Android devs have no such option). We've been offered some video of the new Marketplace in action, and it looks super polished and well-integrated with the typical WP7S way of getting around -- you're given a "panoramic view" where you can browse categories and titles, see featured items, and get details with ratings, reviews, screen shots, and pricing information. Purchased apps can be pinned to your Quick Launch screen, saving you a couple taps for your favorite and most frequently-used items. Watch the full video after the break -- and keep an eye out for the trick "tilting" of menu items based on finger location toward the end of the clip, something we haven't seen before. %Gallery-88251%
Microsoft demos push notifications on Windows Phone 7 Series
Microsoft's flavor of push notifications for Windows Phone 7 Series -- the so-called Microsoft Notification Service -- was just demoed using an MLS (Major League Soccer) app, and it fits in really well with the "Metro" UI motif. Notifications come in via an unobtrusive bar across the top of the display -- better than iPhone, and not unlike webOS -- and tapping them takes you into the app where you're presumably taken to a fuller view of the relevant information. The notifications are available regardless of whether the app is open, a model that mirrors Apple's and likely a heavy dose of foreshadowing that multitasking -- at least, multitasking as we know it -- won't be available. Check of pic of the notification bar after the break.
Microsoft announces Windows Phone 7 Series dev partners and details apps: Sling, Pandora, Foursquare and Xbox gaming (video!)
Microsoft just dropped its first press release of MIX10 on us, and in addition to detailing the Sliverlight and XNA-based Windows Phone 7 Series development situation, we've also got a list of launch software partners and some screenshots of apps in action. There's some heavy hitters here, and everything from games to enterprise apps are represented -- notables include the Associated Press, Citrix, EA Mobile, Foursquare, Namco, Pangeonce, Pandora, Seesmic, Shazam, and Sling. We've seen a handful of this new software in action, so check out the full list and details after the break. Updating with impressions (and video!) after the break! %Gallery-88236% %Gallery-88246%
Netflix prototyped for Windows Phone 7 Series
We just got a quick look at Netflix for Windows Phone 7 Series, one of the third-party apps Microsoft's showing off here at MIX10, and it looks... well, very Netflixy -- it's red to the bone. Unlike other mobile Netflix apps, this one's got Watch Instantly support and it looks great -- a real testament to the capabilities Microsoft's bringing to the table with it Silverlight-based dev platform. Video after the break! %Gallery-88244%
Microsoft tells its Windows Phone 7 Series developer story, tools available today
At its dev-focused MIX10 event kicking off today, Microsoft's closing the loop on some of the Windows Phone 7 Series third-party development details it started sharing in the days leading up to GDC last week -- and as you might expect, Silverlight and XNA are the stars of the show. XNA will naturally be the core, critical element of Redmond's gaming story while Silverlight is serving as a catch-all for the "rich internet applications" that make up much of your other mobile activities for those rare moments when you're not... you know, blowing up aliens or navigating a race course littered with your opponents' destroyed vehicles. To that end, Microsoft is kicking things off on the right foot by offering a free package of developer tools to would-be WP7S coders that includes both Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone and the Silverlight-focused Expression Blend for Windows Phone, pretty much everything you need to start building apps in preparation for the platform's anticipated launch toward the latter part of the year. The beta dev tools are available today. Developers are going to be treated to a host of must-have services out of the gate, including accelerometer support, location-based APIs using Microsoft's own Location Service, a newly-announced Microsoft Notification Service for pushing notifications regardless of whether an app is running (sound familiar?), hardware-accelerated video with integrated DRM and support for Microsoft's Smooth Streaming tech, multitouch, and camera / microphone access. On a related note, Microsoft has shared some important details on the revised Windows Phone Marketplace (notice the subtle name change) for WP7S-based devices today. The revenue split remains unchanged -- 70 percent goes to the publisher, 30 percent to Microsoft -- but the developer portal for managing submissions has been "streamlined" and some of the incremental costs associated with it have been killed off; what's more, students enrolled in the DreamSpark submission will have their registration fees waived altogether. The Marketplace has evolved from an app store to a content "destination," housing apps, casual and premium Xbox Live games, music, and customized carrier stuff in one spot. We'll be wandering MIX10 throughout the day, so stay tuned as we get more of the story.
Microsoft demos platformer across Xbox 360, Windows Phone, and PC
While we've been repeatedly assured by Microsoft that we'll hear more about gaming on the recently announced Windows Phone 7 Series in a few weeks at the company's MIX10 event, Engadget spotted some early footage of a company rep demonstrating a fairly basic platformer game being played seamlessly across a PC, a "Windows Phone 7 Series prototype device," and an Xbox 360. In a speech at TechEd Middle East, Microsoft's Eric Rudder (to his own admission) poorly played a game that then allowed him to save his position on a PC, pick it up on his (Windows) phone, and eventually move it over to his Xbox 360. Otherwise, Rudder was at the conference to show off the company's development software, Visual Studio. He revealed that 90 percent of the code between each iteration of the game is shared (and then went on to speak about code in a way that made us start seeing stars). Sure, we'll see more official (and likely cooler) stuff on this soon, but for now we've got the speech just after the break.
