Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"Feed your need for Xbox 360 info & stories all day long while on the go (or stuck in meetings). You're just a few clicks away from enjoying Xbox 360 news, video & audio clips, community updates, gamer tag status, and more on your iPhone, iPod Touch, Windows Mobile phone or BlackBerry device."

Zumobi and Microsoft have teamed up to deliver what is apparently the only Microsoft-endorsed mobile application for Xbox. The NXE-themed Inside Xbox 360 offers the latest news, trailers, and updates from Xbox.com, the Xbox Live Marketplace, Gamerscore Blog, and Major Nelson, and also a way to tap into your and your friends' gamertags. It's riddled with ads, but if you can look past that, it's a decent application.

If Xbox isn't your thing, but skiing is, check out the new REI Ski and Snow Report.

"We've heard Microsoft make vague references for some time about a Zune-like experience involving non-Zune devices (Windows Mobile phones, Xboxen), and it looks like they may be making real moves in that direction. A recent job posting from Redmond for a 'Software Development Engineer in Test' calls on someone who 'dream[s] about having a mobile phone based entertainment experience powered by a unified entertainment service across devices such as Zune, Xbox and PC.' Someone, the ad reads, who will, 'create a 'Connected Entertainment' experience, realized through the Zune service, that spans multiple devices such as Zune, Xbox, PC and Mobile phones.'"

When I read this the first thing that pops into my head is "It is about time they started focusing on convergence!" I mean, seriously, how long have we been in the 21st century now? This is basic stuff we were promised whenever someone mentioned the future! This, and flying cars, and we all know those aren't being created anytime soon so why not just give us the one basic thing that is well within the grasp of technology? Well I'm glad the good folks at Microsoft are starting to realize this as well. Better late than never I always say. I am really excited and looking forward to Microsoft and mobility in 2009. With the new 3rd generation Zunes right around the corner and the awesome features they will bring, as well as the rumblings of Windows Mobile 7 devices out in consumer hands around Q1 of next year, it really is starting to look like 2009 will be the year Microsoft comes out swinging!

What if filling up on Microsoft Points was as easy as picking up your phone and having the cost added to your phone bill? That's how it is for NTT DoCoMo users in Japan, and hopefully, that's just a starting point.

If Microsoft is working with other carriers to make this available around the world, great. If not, they probably should. A vast majority of Xbox Live Marketplace and Zune Marketplace users probably have a mobile device of some sort - some have their reasons against directly linking their Windows Live ID and credit card together, while others don't always want to make the trek to their local store to pick up one of the many Microsoft Points cards on offer, so this third option makes a lot of sense.