Being Manan

From Patent To Product: 22 Months

Back in 2010 I wrote about a gaming patent Microsoft applied for. It was obvious that the patent detailed how Microsoft envisioned Xbox 360 and Kinect working together as a health-focused gaming device. The patent described a system where a user’s health records would be saved and then the gaming experience will be tailored for the user according to his health stats. If you’re fat, I guess the game would suggest exercises for that particular body segment.

As it turns out, Microsoft is expected to announce this at E3. Tom Warren for The Verge says a heart rate monitor that will work with most games will be introduced. The wireless device and feature will be known as Kinect Play Fit.

 

The Problem With SkyDrive

I love SkyDrive and the folks behind it. They’ve had a product and service that’s been in the background of all my systems quietly doing its magic and letting me access my data, in other words, it’s been doing its job without me even knowing what it’s doing.

Live Mesh and SkyDrive have been working together to give me sync and cloud access. Unfortunately, all that’s about to change with Microsoft’s SkyDrive now turning into Dropbox. In doing so Microsoft achieved this: Read the full story »

Nokia Lumia 900 First Impressions

The good folks at Microsoft sent me a Black Lumia 900 review unit and here are some first impressions. Since the software is Mango, it is easy for me to concentrate on Nokia’s device. I had a Lumia 800 for a couple of weeks before and my posts will compare the device to the 800 and my first generation Samsung focus. So here are some things:

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Microsoft Is Already In The “Post-PC” Era

I’ve been writing about how we’re in the post-desktop era and not so much in the post-PC. The iPad is as much a personal computer as a MacBook Air. Those sucked into Apple’s Reality Distortion Field continue to call iOS as the post-PC OS and Microsoft’s Windows still stuck in the stone-age with a new skin for Windows 8 that makes for a poor post-PC OS since it has the traditional desktop interface. Fair enough. If it weren’t for their amusing commentary my life would be very boring.

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