The Mobile Fun Blog

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

Zune — along with Expression Blend, Silverlight, Visual Studio and XNA — may yet save Windows Phone 7 Series. During the kick-off MIX10 keynote earlier today, Microsoft product managers showcased features, development scenarios and, most importantly, user experiences derived from Zune HD. Perhaps Windows Phone 7 Series isn’t a hopelessly lost cause after all. Microsoft’s competitive postion would actually look good, if phones were shipping now and not in six to eight months.

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

Now that buzz about Apple’s patent lawsuit against HTC has quieted a bit, I’m ready to pipe in with some contrarian analysis. I agree with other pundits suggesting that the lawsuit is competition by litigation, where Apple hopes to scare off mobile manufacturers from licensing Android. Surely some handset manufacturers will pull back, but they would be foolish to do so. For other existing and potential Android licensees, the lawsuit is a get out of jail free card. Apple’s patent case should embolden, not restrain them. There may never be a better time to license Android than now.

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

One of Microsoft’s major justifications for the Yahoo search deal is scale. CEO Steve Ballmer has repeatedly asserted that greater scale would allow Microsoft to improve search accuracy. Just last week he told Search Marketing Expo West attendees: “The ability to put together Yahoo’s volumes and Microsoft’s volumes and use that in a way that improves the experience more, let’s call it all involved parties, we think is absolutely fantastic.”

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

It’s throw-Microsoft-a-bone Monday, not that I can promise much meat on it. Microsoft may have fallen behind in mobile, been talking about a three-screen strategy off of two screens, and clumsily competed as usual, but some early 2010 actions deserve at least a little praise. So here’s where I give it.

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

It’s fraking Friday and to celebrate Gartner analysts are predicting Apple’s iPad is going to change everything you know about the PC market. Everything. Betanews readers, will you let such prognostications go unanswered?

“Apple’s iPad is just one of many new devices coming to market that will change the entire PC ecosystem and overlap it with the mobile phone industry,” Ranjit Atwal, Principal Gartner analyst, said in a statement. “This will create significantly more opportunities for PC vendors as well as significantly more threats.” Threats to whom or to what? The traditional PC.

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

How disastrous is Microsoft’s hobbled mobile strategy? Today’s Pew Internet report, “Understanding the Participatory News Consumer,” offers some glimpse and even some hope. The report reveals that more Americans than ever rely on their cell phones for news and other information. Speaking personally, I find the Google News widget on my Nexus One to be indispensable.

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

More software developers should follow the lead of Adobe and Skype, which have abandoned Windows Mobile — what Microsoft now calls Windows Mobile Classic. The mobile operating system already was brain dead, even with, according to Gartner, 15 million unit sales in 2009. The heart pumped out licenses, but there was no brain activity to keep the platform going. Windows Mobile flatlined, and it’s about time that some Microsoft developers admit it. Others should get over the denial and do the same. Microsoft doesn’t have the courage to pull the plug. But smart developers can.

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

Apple CEO Steve Jobs wants publishers to support iPad, but not with Adobe Flash. Jobs’ anti-Flash campaign has grown bolder since the company announced iPad last month and during this week’s Mobile World Congress, where Flash 10.1 inched a little close to widespread mobile device availability. What’s Apple’s problem with Flash? Simply put: Competition.

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

Could Windows Phone 7 Series save Microsoft’s mobile platform? Yes. In 2007. In 2010, it’s a non-starter. That’s not easy for me to write, because with Windows Phone 7 Series Microsoft is following much of the advice I offered via blog posts over the last few years.

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews

Google is the great Internet God of goodness, or so claims No. 6 of the company’s “10 Things” corporate philosophy list: “You can make money without doing evil.” But this week, Google has suddenly put its doing no evil claims in doubt.

Yesterday, Google launched social networking service Buzz with opt-out privacy settings, meaning that a user’s list of followers and followees are fully viewable in Google Profile, by default.  Unrelated, but by Twitter — ah, buzz — standards even more evil: Google deleted six popular music blogs hosted at its Blogger service.