It’s going for $289.99 – $40 instant rebate + free shipping = $249.99!

It’s $199 – $35 instant discount + free shipping = $164!

What’s worth more to you – time or money?  When I got my MW2 Xbox 360 I manually transferred game saves to my new 250GB HD through my 64MB memory card.  To say the least, it took about an hour.  If you are approaching the scenario above and want to go a different way you are in luck.

The Microsoft  Store now sells their proprietary HD transfer cable for $15 and it should effectively save you a bunch of time when you get a new HD.  Worth the asking price?

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They’ve got it for $289.99 – $40 instant savings + $0 S&H = $249.99 delivered!

Today, at World Mobile Congress, Microsoft finally got official about Windows Mobile 7.  The UI has been completely refreshed and integrates a wide array of apps directly into the OS, something Microsoft is calling ‘the hub’.  For instance, you can updates all of your social networking sites with a a status update using just one application.

They’ve also (and finally) dialed in Xbox Live directly into the Windows OS and now let you view your ‘friend activity’ amongst other gaming info.  More importantly, the OS more closely resembles the Zune interface and integrates all your music, videos and photos into one easy to use format.

Game changer?  No.  But the update will be warmly welcomed by Windows Mobile users.

Full release after the ‘leap’

Microsoft Unveils Windows Phone 7 Series

New phones designed for life in motion to debut at holiday 2010.

BARCELONA, Spain – Feb. 15, 2010 – Today at Mobile World Congress 2010, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the next generation of Windows® Phones, Windows Phone 7 Series. With this new platform, Microsoft offers a fresh approach to phone software, distinguished by smart design and truly integrated experiences that bring to the surface the content people care about from the Web and applications. For the first time ever, Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone, exclusively on Windows Phone 7 Series. Partners have already started building phones; customers will be able to purchase the first phones in stores by holiday 2010.

“Today, I’m proud to introduce Windows Phone 7 Series, the next generation of Windows Phones,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience. Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people’s lives and their need to connect to other people and all kinds of seamless experiences.”

Designed for Life in Motion

With Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft takes a fundamentally different approach to phone software. Smart design begins with a new, holistic design system that informs every aspect of the phone, from its visually appealing layout and motion to its function and hardware integration. On the Start screen, dynamically updated “live tiles” show users real-time content directly, breaking the mold of static icons that serve as an intermediate step on the way to an application. Create a tile of a friend, and the user gains a readable, up-to-date view of a friend’s latest pictures and posts, just by glancing at Start.

Every Windows Phone 7 Series phone will come with a dedicated hardware button for Bing, providing one-click access to search from anywhere on the phone, while a special implementation of Bing search provides intent-specific results, delivering the most relevant Web or local results, depending on the type of query.

Windows Phone 7 Series creates an unrivaled set of integrated experiences on a phone through Windows Phone hubs. Hubs bring together related content from the Web, applications and services into a single view to simplify common tasks. Windows Phone 7 Series includes six hubs built on specific themes reflecting activities that matter most to people:

People. This hub delivers an engaging social experience by bringing together relevant content based on the person, including his or her live feeds from social networks and photos. It also provides a central place from which to post updates to Facebook and Windows Live in one step.
Pictures. This hub makes it easy to share pictures and video to a social network in one step. Windows Phone 7 Series also brings together a user’s photos by integrating with the Web and PC, making the phone the ideal place to view a person’s entire picture and video collection.
Games. 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.
Music + Video. This hub creates an incredible media experience that brings the best of Zune, including content from a user’s PC, online music services and even a built-in FM radio into one simple place that is all about music and video. Users can turn their media experience into a social one with Zune Social on a PC and share their media recommendations with like-minded music lovers. The playback experience is rich and easy to navigate, and immerses the listener in the content.
Marketplace. This hub allows the user to easily discover and load the phone with certified applications and games.
Office. This hub brings the familiar experience of the world’s leading productivity software to the Windows Phone. With access to Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace all in one place, users can easily read, edit and share documents. With the additional power of Outlook Mobile, users stay productive and up to date while on the go.
Availability

Partners from around the world have committed to include Windows Phone 7 Series in their portfolio plans. They include mobile operators AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, and manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc. The first phones will be available by holiday 2010. Customers who would like to receive additional information about Windows Phone 7 Series and be notified when it is available can register at http://www.windowsphone7series.com.

To watch the full replay of Steve Ballmer’s press conference at Mobile World Congress, and to experience Windows Phone 7 Series through an online product demo, readers can visit http://www.microsoft.com/news/windowsphone.

While they haven’t been releasing any new Xbox games for quite some time now, Microsoft has finally decided to pull the plug on the online service for the big black box.  As of April 15th, Xbox Live will be unavailable on the original Xbox.

What this means is that you’d better get your Halo fix by then and that Microsoft probably has a Halo Collection up their sleeves that they’ll release sometime in the near future to capture some more of your hard earned cash.

Word has it that some updates for the service are on their way and that these older titles are just not compatible.  All of this is unsubstantiated and some of these rumblings also include that these new updates/features also have something to do with Project Natal.  Your guess is as good as ours.

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Now that Mass Effect 2 is almost upon us, will the massive amounts of hype and marketing actually add up?  I had some major issues with the first one, so I will not be playing Mass Effect 2.  Officially confirmed, Mass Effect 3 will “effectively” mark the end of the epic trilogy.

Us here at GadgetReview are dying to know your thoughts on what has made Mass Effect 2 that much better than the 1st, and what you’d like to see in Mass Effect 3.

Hit us up with your comments!

Being is that I have not had cable in years, I never get to watch Monday Night Football because it’s always on ESPN.  Rumors are abound that ESPN and Microsoft are taking clandestine meetings in regards to broadcasting live sporting events on Xbox Live.

While all this is currently unsubstantiated, Microsoft “could” effectively absorb the ESPN fees, making it free to Xbox Live Gold Members. Or not.   Content would be similar to ESPN 360 (nice), and would be a great addition to the already robust Xbox Live experience.  Thoughts?

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