Keep that 25GB on your Skydrive!

Microsoft has recently announced that the 25GB your skydrive is getting for free right now will no longer be that as most skydrive useres uses a lot less.

So what MS is doing is scaling back the Skydrive storage from 25GB to 7GB for all the users who currently have less than 7GB stored in their SkyDrive.

In case you want to keep that 25GB for all your WP7 SkyDrive auto pictures upload awesome, there is still a way for you to keep your 25GB.

Simply hit this link and it will take you to your Skydrive->Manage Storage webpage (Or sign on to SkyDrive website and on the left of the page, there is a "Manage Storage" link you can hit.  From there, select the free 25GB for Free!  and you are set.  Please note that this is for limited time only so head on over and keep that free cloud storage space!

On another note, the long overdue, skydrive desktop applications are now available for Windows 7 and Mac. On the Mac front, it appears you will need to be on 10.7.X of OS/X to install the skydrive app.

Enjoy!

*Update* - the offer is over, you can still click the link and see if you can still get the free upgrade :)

Unlocked Dell Venue Pro for cheap at Newegg.ca

If you are looking for a cheap, portrait keyboard slider WP7, there was only one available.  It was never available in Canada but newegg.ca now got some in stock and on sale at a very good price for $229.99 with free shipping.

It will work on Fido/Rogers 2G network but not the 3G network.  It's a Tmobile USA version so the only 3G network it will support is WIND/Mobilicity and whatever local carrier that uses the 1700 Mhz 3G band.  It WILL NOT WORK on TELUS/BELL has TELUS/BELL do not support EDGE or GSM.

Please note that warranty details if you are interested in this phone.  Please also noticed that Mango is likely the last firmware you will get for this phone as Dell is no longer manufacturing this phone and their position in the smartphone market is bleak.

I just ordered one for my wife for use on the Fido network as she really doesn't care about the data plans.  She isn't a phone savvy type people so she's not going to care about whether or not it gets more firmware updates. (Mango is already pretty damn great).

If you are on WIND/Mobilicity (and you have coverage where you are), it's definitely a good consideration.

click here to head over to newegg.ca

*Update* - looks like the new price is now at $219.99 (*&(*!@#()!@#!%#@Q$).  Anyhow, newegg.ca does NOT offer price protection so double *(%&$@#$@$ for me

HTC Radar price drop at WIND

Back in February, WIND released the HTC Radar on their network for a off contract price of $399.

I was going through the WIND website today and noticed that the HTC Radar have received a price drop

$349.99 off contract
$49 on a $40/month plan
$149 on a $25/month plan

So that's a $50 price drop for a pretty good WP7 handset. This is likely in preparation to the imminent arrival of the Nokia Lumia 710 on WIND.

Source: WIND

WIND now listing the Nokia 710 as "Coming Soon"

Looks like WIND is about to launch a second WP7 device on their network.

The Nokia Lumia 710 is now listed as "Coming Soon"

No price information just yet but it would be interesting to see how they can price it since Rogers is selling it for $250 outright.

Stay tuned!

Source: WIND

Excellent Word games for your WP7

If you are into spelling games like Scrabble, the first thing you would noticed that in the WP7 marketplace, popular titles on the iPhone/Android phones like Word with Friends are missing.  Personally I am just glad Zynga hasn't invade the WP7 spaces with virtual cows and imaginary chickens.  

There are 3 excellent spelling type games that you should definitely have on your WP7 handset.  Best of all, they are all FREE!

Spell It!

Spell It is one of the original scrabble type game to appear since the launch of WP7.  Large user base means that you don't have to wait forever after starting a game for your opponent to respond.  Support games up to 4 players.  Like all the non-scrabble word games, it has it's unique board layout. Supports fast app switching!  Click here to install

Words BY POST (FREE)

I had played word with friends but one of my biggest complaint (also my friends) is that it doesn't keep track of how you are doing against each other.  Words BY POST changes that by keeping records against your opponents so you know how badly you are beating your friends or how badly they are kicking your ass.

Your friends don't have WP7 devices? other than "convincing" them they should get with the program and get a spiffy new WP7 device, Words BY POST are also available on iPhones and Android handsets so you can challenge your friends on other mobile platforms.  You can invite your friends via facebook posting as well.

Words BY POST is an ad driven app but does have a paid version that is Ad free.  Get it here

Wordament

Wordament is an unique spelling where at any given moment, you are challenging all the other players on the Interwebs who are playing the same game at the same time.  2 mins to swipe and spell all the words you can find on a 4x4 tile board.

Fast face, addictive and fun.  Definitely worth a try.  Get Wordament here

Nokia Lumia 900 page is now live at Rogers!

The long wait is finally over.  The Nokia Lumia 900 is now available for order at Rogers.

Only the black one is currently available


Prices are as follows:

$99.99 - 3 year contract
$424.99 - 2 year
$474.99 - 1 year
$524.99 - no term


There is also a "deal" where Rogers will give you a XBOX360 (4GB) with the Kinect Sensor valued at $299.99 if you activate 2 smartphones on any couples and family plans (*UPDATE* might want to check out the fine prints as  per Lotos' comments below.  Thanks Lotos!)


Free XBOX360
Nokia Lumia 900 @ Rogers

*UPDATE* - Nokia/Rogers is now going to give you $100 bill credit should you buy the Lumia 900 (on contract likely)  This is due to a radio bug that is affecting some initial Lumia 900 handsets (patch is rolling out Apr 16 at least in the US).  So if you get the Lumia 900 now (unsure when this offer ends), you can get it for free (likely on a 3 yr term).. now if they only release the Cyan version

So what does being a Featured App on the Canadian WP7 marketplace mean?

As a casual WP7 developer, I am always interested in seeing what happens when an app is "featured" in the Canadian WP7 marketplace.

I am also confused about how an app is "featured" but since my normal job keeps me pretty busy, I never had the chance to look.

That is until this morning when I woke up to check out the new applications and and the featured apps.  And man was I surprised to find that something I wrote was front and center on the featured apps list.

Canada Border Wait Times was listed in the featured app section and man was I surprised.  I released this app around the beginning of February and it constantly sits in the top 50 in the travel & navigation category within the marketplace.  Last I checked, it was again hovering between 40-45 spot within the category.

I will report back in a few days with the results of what happens to this app when it gets featured.  I have already seen an increase in the ads impressions report.

Before Being Featured:
                    impressions per day avg: 20
                    estimate revenue per day avg: 1.5 cents
                    downloads per day avg: 5
                    downloads per month: 64
                    spot in travel & navigation free category: 40-45

After Being Featured (also coincide with Easter Weekend so I am pretty sure it is skewed):
                    impressions per day avg: 150
                    estimate revenue per day (it's only been 2 days): 30 cents

I will report back in a few days' time once apphub updates with the figures

Few things you will noticed if you are using free ad-driven apps:

• Ads are annoying but still don't get indie wp7 developers like myself anything close to being significant (considering subscription to appHub is $99 + tax a year)
• Not every developer is Rovio (maker of Angry Birds) or OMGPOP (makers of Draw Something)
• Clicking on apps increases the revenue but no one actually clicks on the ads (next time you use a free, ad driven app, click on the ads once in awhile.. That's why WP7 has a "back" button")

Other tidbits:

• My wife does laugh at me for being so happy for making 30 cents a day these last couple of days - I do tell her it's 30 times better than before)
• Microsoft pay threshold is $50 for ads.. before you say MS is evil and is all about $$$, Google's pay threshold is $100 for ads - this blog since the beginning 1.5 year ago has 15K visitors which yielded a grand total of $10.18 that I can't have 
• 15K visitors to this blog also only yielded 10 ad clicks

Looks like Bestbuy Canada is finally paying attention to Nokia Lumias

If you were looking for Lumia 710, Lumia 800 on the Bestbuy website, chances, you have to search for it and sometimes searching for Lumia 710 gets you no result.

Well, looks like that's changing.  The screen capture here is part of the welcome page at Bestbuy.ca and lo-and-behold, the awesomeness of the Nokia Lumia 900.

Nice to finally see the Lumia 900 finally getting some love from Bestbuy.ca

The product page at the time of this post contains no information on the release date but it appears to be very imminent (consider that the Lumia 710 is still no where to be found on Bestbuy.ca).  The Lumia is getting some search love but only the black one is available from Bestbuy.ca

Check out the product link here

Source: bestbuy.ca

How to Transfer stuffs to a new Windows Phone

With all the new and sexy Lumia phones coming out, some of us WP7 users are seriously thinking about upgrades and/or already have.  So if you have an existing WP7 devices, how do you move your contacts and your apps over to your new WP7 handset?

Fortunately, with the launch of the Lumia 900 in the US, the Windows Team Blog has a pretty good post for those of you upgrading from an old WP7 device to a shiny new one.

Head on over to the Windows Team Blog and check it out!

WP7 XBOX LIVE Games Easter Sale!

Over at wpcentral, they are reporting that several popular XBOX LIVE games for your WP7 are currently on sale for 99 cents.  This price is even lower than the normal deal of the week which are priced at $2.99

Popular titles like Angry Bird and Burn the Rope are included.

Check out the post at WPCentral for the list of games.

Rogers Lumia 900 Pricing

Ok, looks like the Nokia Lumia 900 has a price and from what MobileSyrup tells us (and again, they are very accurate with their rumours):

$99.99 - 3 year contract
$424.99 - 2 year
$474.99 - 1 year
$524.99 - no term

This pretty much puts it at exactly the same price point as (except the 3 year contract price) as the Nokia Lumia 800 on sale right now at Telus

Will we see Telus dropping the price of the Lumia 800 as the 900 obviously is bigger at 4.3 inches, and it spots a front facing camera + LTE support.

MobileSyrup is also speculating that the release date at around April 10.

Source: MobileSyrup