Review Roundup: Verizon HTC Trophy

Today the Verizon HTC Trophy is available for the first time in stores and so we're starting to see reviews pour in from across the internet. What are the critics saying about Verizon's first, and ridiculously delayed, Windows Phone? Here's the Review Roundup:

CNET

To quote a popular 70s and 80s TV show theme song, "the world don't move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you, may not be right for some." The HTC Trophy isn't going to be right for everybody. Certainly, it's not going to vie for the attention of those seeking 4G and dual-core processors, and we wish certain aspects of the phone were better. However, the Trophy also offers the benefit of Zune and Xbox integration, world roaming capabilities, and a user-friendly interface and compact design, making it a good option for those looking for their first smartphone or for someone who doesn't need all the bells and whistles.

If you've been curious about Windows Phone, the best advice we can give is to go into the Verizon store to play around with the Trophy and the software to see if you like it. We think there's plenty to like, but if you disagree, there are alternatives like the HTC Droid Incredible 2 and iPhone. [Overal Score: 7.3]

InfoSync

Verizon's first Windows Phone 7 device has an interesting interface and decent camera performance, but it's not a phone to end all phones. It's 3G, has a mediocre screen, lacking Internet browser, limited battery life, and call quality was not particularly impressive. At the end of the day, the recently released HTC Droid Incredible 2 striked us as a far better HTC phone for Verizon in this class. If you've been eagerly awaiting the HTC Trophy to arrive on The Network, and don't mind the issues we came across, we'll obviously not stop you from making a move. But you're hereby warned. [74% Score]

IntoMobile

Verizon’s first Windows Phone is a solid device that delivers on many fronts. However, the handset may sell to those who are looking for a Windows Phone, not those looking for a feature-packed handset. The most advanced handsets on the carrier run Android and tout dual-core processors or 4G LTE. In that respect, you’re not going to find the best phone running Windows Phone 7 on Verizon.

Those of you who have been waiting for a Windows Phone to land on Big Red will be very happy with the Trophy. It’s sleek, simple, and delivers the Windows Phone goods some of you have been waiting for patiently. The operating system still has a lot of growing up to do to compete with the likes of iOS and Android, but it’s on the fast track to do just that.

This sleek phone packs a powerful punch without knocking a hole in your wallet and that alone may make some consider the Trophy. Then again, there are many new WP7 handsets on the way, so if the Trophy doesn’t do it for you, just wait a couple of months.

If you’re looking for a Windows Phone on Verizon, the Trophy is your only option right now. Fortunately, it’s a darn good phone that’s sure to please.

Neowin.net

For the price of $149.99, the device falls right into the midrange of products currently on the market and that is exactly where it should be. Using the device on a daily basis will be a pleasant experience for most but far from a perfect one too. The shortcomings on this device are noticeable but are not an inhibitor to using the phone. For the first Windows Phone device on Verizon at the price point given, its a worthy choice for the middle of the road crowd. 

PCWorld

As much as I like the Trophy, it is difficult to recommend mainly due to the fact that nothing about the phone makes it stand out from the competition. Even though it is a good WP7 phone, in comparison with other smartphones currently available the Trophy is lacking where it counts. If you bought a Zune, own an Xbox 360, or are married to Office, the Trophy will fit into your life just fine. For those who don't like Bing or don't have a Live account, I suggest skipping the Trophy and looking at Verizon's other offerings, such as the HTC ThunderBolt or the Samsung Charge. [3.5 / 5 stars]

PhoneArena

Honestly, it’s rather disappointing to see that Verizon is recycling a previous model and making the Trophy as its launch Windows Phone 7 handset. Besides its world phone feature, there’s nothing spectacular to set it apart from the other recently released WP7 devices, but its $150 on-contract price makes it an even harder sell at this point. Unfortunately, this is the only solution available to customers who wish to experience WP7 – meaning, you’ll need to accept it for what it is. [7 out of 10]

Windows 8 ARM-based Prototypes Shown off at Computex, We Want One...or All of Them

Yesterday Windows 8 was revealed for the first time at All Things Digital's D9 Conference to rally the Western journalists, but Microsoft also took to the stage at Computex 2011 in order to make an even bigger splash worldwide. Not much new information was revealed at the event, but we did find out who will be supporting the OS with their ARM chips and you'll see all of the big players including Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and NVIDIA. Each manufacturer was present at the event showing Windows 8 actively running on their hardware although it seems like press was completely barred from getting their hands-on the freshly announced OS. What's even more impressive is the variety of the prototypes which included tablets (of course) alongside netbooks and all-in-one desktops as well. None of this hardware is going to market apparently, but man do we wish we could snatch one up right now and play around with them. Check out the video above to see why we're drooling.

Source: Engadget

Angry Birds Achievements Revealed, "Pig Popper" Definitely a Highlight

Angry Birds is almost here. No, we're not screwing with you; the much-anticipated game about pissed off avian mammals taking revenge upon pigs is less than a month away from release and will act as a fitting conclusion to Microsoft's 'Must Have Games' Xbox Live promotion. Speaking of Angry Birds and Xbox Live, the game's Achievements list was just published which should give you further sufficient evidence to your friends that you're not delusional and the game is actually coming despite the delays. You'll only be gaining 200 Gamerscore points at most with the game just like the rest of the Xbox Live titles on Windows Phone, so no preferential treatment there. Our favorite achievement among the list has to be "Pig Popper" hands-down. It just sounds so violent...in a cute way. Angry Birds will launch on the Windows Phone Marketplace June 29th.

Source: Xbox360Achievements

Microsoft Plans to Expand SkyDrive, Hints at a Smartphone App

Brian Hall, Microsoft's General Manager of Internet Explorer and Windows Live, took the stage at the Cowen and Company Annual Technology Media & Telecom Conference today and the a big topic of discussion happened to be SkyDrive as well as the company's plans to expand the service's usage. Hall touted that Microsoft already has more than 100 million users of SkyDrive, however it seems the company is also aware that many of those people aren't utilizing the impressive cloud service to its full potential. Hall said that Microsoft needs to "turn SkyDrive into a destination application". ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley tuned into the presentation and took note of an example he used that could likely come true very soon:

He cited as an example a SkyDrive application for the phone that would allow a user to see all information — files, photos, Office Web Apps documents — that they stored in their 25 GB of free cloud storage available with SkyDrive. Currently, Hall acknowledged, it’s not always easy for current and potential SkyDrive users to figure out what they’ve stored there.

Yes, Hall basically described the rumored HTML5 SkyDrive app (which may include cloud music streaming) that was previously shown off behind closed doors. Of course we'd love to see a native app for Windows Phone instead of an HTML5 one, but as long as we actually have some way of managing SkyDrive beyond Mango's Office Hub we'll be happy. SkyDrive is really Microsoft's trojan horse service that could explode in popularity, we're just twiddling our thumbs until the appropriate tweaks are made.

Source: ZDNet

SuperTube v1.6 Now Available

  

We've talked extensively about SuperTube in the past and we have to admit the app has seen a nice incremental improvements since its release. Well say hello to yet another update which bumps up the version number to 1.6. See what's changed straight from Fast Code:

Version 1.6 Changes

• Change ‘Most viewed’ to ’Hot videos’ and allow you to choose Most viewed, Top rated, Top favorites, Most discussed option.
• Log the searching text in order to fill the recorded text automatically next time.
• Local player allows you to stream a custom play list or play all videos.

This update is a little more boring than previous ones, but the added ability to use custom playlists for saved videos will surely come in handy for all of those download-hungry YouTube addicts. If you haven't tried SuperTube yet, check out our review in the War of the Tubes feature and also our impressions of v1.5 for a better idea of what you're getting into. After your done studying, head on over to the Marketplace by clicking on either tile below.

	SuperTube Fast Code $1.29 + Trial Version 1.6
	SuperTube Lite Fast Code FREE Version 1.6

'WP7applist' is WP7applist...for your phone

Okay, bear with us because this is going to seem a little confusing. There is a very popular website called WP7applist which does exactly what its name suggests and mimics the entire app Marketplace catalog inside a web browser format (see it for yourself here). Well the site has become so successful and popular, they've done the one thing that most app repositories wouldn't even bother doing: they created their own app. So now you can use WP7applist (the app of the site) on your phone to find apps from the Microsoft Marketplace through them. Phew. That was a tongue-twister. Here's the (much easier to comprehend) description:

This app lets you track changes like price drops and app updates, and provide rankings for every app available in the USA Marketplace for Windows Phone 7.

Search the Marketplace, discover new apps and download them right away.

The optional Live Tile feature will show the current app count, as well as new releases and updates in the last day.

As much as we may tease the app, there is actually a pretty big market for those Marketplace alternatives. Plus it actually looks quite slick and offers some neat app discovery features, something the Marketplace doesn't do nearly as well as it should. On top of that, the detail pages for each app are much more detailed than the current Marketplace, which won't be changed until Mango later this year. Go see the free app for the site for the Marketplace in the Marketplace by clicking on the tile below.

WP7applist ZaamIT.com FREE Version 1.1

How to install Mobile Broadband in Ubuntu 11.04

 Great tutorial to install Mobile Broadband in Ubuntu 11.04 simple&powerfull..
Ubuntu 11.04 comes in a new Avatar with Unity Desktop environment.With new look and extra gadgets like launcher, it seems smooth and good.Also you can add new functionality by customizing Ubuntu 11.04.As now a days all the ISP(internet service provider) provide the internet service either using Broadband cable connection and Broadband Mobile connection.In both the internet connection Mobile connection is quiet very popular as it does not require the wire and cable.And you can use it anywhere and anytime,no any boundary with the wires.

So in this post i will tell you how to setup Mobile Broadband connection in the Ubuntu 11.04/10.10.So that you can use your internet anywhere.This post will help to those who are new to Ubuntu,shifted from Microsoft Windows or Mac OS or any other Operating System,Because in all other Operating System you have to only double click to install and use it.But don’t worry, Using Ubuntu and  configure or setup  Mobile Broadband connection in Ubuntu 11.04 will show you how things are easy with Linux.

Setup Mobile Broadband Connection in Ubuntu 11.04

1.Insert the Mobile USB Datacard or Broadband and wait for few second to initialize it.
2.Go to the Network connection Option and click on the Edit.

3.Click on the Mobile Broadband tab and Click on Add.This will open a window of  Mobile Broadband Connection setup.Click on Forward.
4.Select your providers country or region and choose your provider.
5.Choose your billing plan and confirm Mobile Broadband Setting.Click on Apply and then Save it.
6.Thats it, now enjoy Internet using Mobile Broadband.