Futurecat - Michael Karek

The Kentucky Derby—first leg of the famous Triple Crown of horse racing—takes place Saturday in Louisville. The Derby is always a thrill to watch (it’s not called the “The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports” for nothing). But one of the unique things about this year’s race is the beautifully different white thoroughbred named Hansen.

Just like Windows Phone, Hansen really stands out from the pack—he’s the only white horse in the field and one of a handful to run in any Derby. As sportswriter Frank Deford noted this week, “most eyes will unavoidably be upon him.” One look and it’s easy to see why. (Here he is winning the 2011 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.)

Hansen will be ridden by award-winning jockey Ramon Dominguez, and we’re looking forward to seeing Windows Phone on his riding pants!

To celebrate the Derby, we’re also launching a Twitter contest today and giving away two new white (natch) Lumia 900s. To enter, you’ll need to follow @WindowsPhone, then send us a tweet using the hashtag #TrifectaTweet with the horses you think will win, place, and show in the Derby (that’s first, second, and third place, by the way.) The contest ends Saturday at 5 p.m. Pacific, and you must be a U.S. resident 18 or over to enter. See the official sweepstakes rules for all the details.

NBC kicks off its Derby coverage at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Post time is 6:24 p.m. Eastern. See kentuckyderby.com for more info.

We hope you’ll tune in this weekend and root Hansen to the Winner’s Circle! (And feel free to mix up a Mint Julep, the traditional Derby day companion, using the Cocktail Flow app in Marketplace.)

Photo credit: Adam Coglianese

Last Friday one of my Twitter followers, @Nok4US, posted this picture and asked Twitter to caption it:

I retweeted and almost instantly started getting some really funny responses, so I turned it into a spontaneous contest; send me your best caption for the picture with the hashtag #captionthatlumia, and one lucky winner will get a brand new Lumia 900 in the color of their choice.

I got a whopping 1,499 responses. They included lots of tributes to Outkast (so fresh & so clean!) and few parodies of #smokedbywindowsphone (#soapedbywindowsphone?) and some tweets channeling Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World” (I don’t always bathe, but when I do, it’s with a Lumia 900).

But amidst all of them, my crack team of judges – you know, the people in my hallway here in Studio G - and I picked this one by @dnanian as the winner:

It took a heck of a lot of scrubbing, but I finally got all the cyan out.

I was also partial to this punny tweet by @donjuan914:

The perfect Finnish

And this satirical Haiku by @Sohraab:

Lumia so lean

Makes bar of soap look unclean

Lumia haiku

As our first and second runners-up, you’re both getting an awesome Windows Phone swag pack!

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest and to @Nok4US for inspiring the whole thing.  I had a blast reading the captions and I can assure you that we’ll DEFINITELY do something like this again!

Remember to like Windows Phone on Facebook & follow Windows Phone on Twitter.  Oh, and be sure to follow me, too!

Do you live in Washington DC or Minneapolis? Are you a blogger, a mom or a simply interested in how to make a great gift for the Mom or inspiring lady in your life? If so, then join us this coming week for a series of Mother’s Day workshops being held at the Microsoft Store. Windows Champions Michelle McGraw of Scraps of My Geek Life and Melissa Mitchell of Sippy Cup Mom will be in Washington DC and Minneapolis respectively. The events will be a great chance to learn how to make Mother’s Day cards, or family movies while also socializing with area bloggers. Plus, there will be the chance to get a bit of free goodies, and be eligible to win an ASUS ZENBOOK UX21 in Rose Gold – perfect for yourself or the mom in your life!

Minneapolis

• Where: Microsoft Store in the Mall of America
• When: May 2nd, 10:30am

Washington DC

• Where: Microsoft Store in Tyson’s Corner
• When: May 3rd, 10:30am

Hope to see you there and if you have questions, please drop me a tweet @kristinalibby and use #saythankstomom to follow the discussion from wherever you are!

The UE-V and App-V teams both have ways for you to get a chance to win some cool prizes like a unlocked Nokia phone or a Microsoft Xbox 360, by sharing your UE-V or App-V templates. Check out both pieces below to learn how to participate in these contests.

Creating and Sharing Your Own Microsoft User Experience Virtualization Settings Location Templates

We recently shared this via the Springboard Newsletter, but wanted to make sure that if you were not yet a subscriber you saw this article about creating and sharing settings location templates with Microsoft User Experience Virtualization written by Senior Product Marketing Manager A.J. Smith.

With the recent beta announcement of Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) on the Windows for your Business and Springboard Series blogs, many of you are already seeing how it can easily roam the experience for Windows 7, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, and the Microsoft Office 2010 suite regardless how they are deployed. Now you want to move on to the next step of creating a settings location template for your line of business or 3^rd party applications. For those of you not familiar with settings location templates, they are XML files that tell the UE-V agent:

• What applications to roam the experience for
• Where in the file system and registry that the application writes the experience information to.

Creating these templates is easy using is the UE-V Generator. This wizard based tool that you can get from the Connect site is will help automate the creation of your templates. To make it even easier I am going to walk you through using the tool step by step using Microsoft Expression Design 4.

1. After launching the UE-V Generator from the start menu and choosing the option to create a settings location template, you provide the tool with the path to the executable that you want to create the template for.

2. The application will launch and the Generator will look and see where in the file system and the registry the application stores its settings.

3. Close out of the application and review the locations the Generator discovered.

Note: The Generator will show you the locations split up into two groups, standard and nonstandard locations. Standard locations are areas on the machine where you would typically find settings written to, like C:usersAJappdataroaming or HKey_Current_UserSoftwareMicrosoft. Nonstandard locations are places where an application might write if it assumes the user has administrative rights, like C:Windows or the HKey_Local_Machine location in the registry. By default, the UE-V Generator will assume that you want to roam all the standard locations but none of the nonstandard locations. You should review both sets of locations and decide which ones you do or don’t want to roam.

4. Review the properties of the template to complete the creation of the template.

Now that you have created a template, why not share it with the community? To make this easy we have created a Settings Location Template Gallery so you can share and find templates.

Some of you might be thinking, “What’s in it for me to upload settings location templates to the gallery?” Well beside the thanks and adoration from your fellow IT pros, we thought we would make it even more worth your while to share. From now until May 3, 2012 we will be running a contest and invite you to create your best settings location templates, share them with the community, and possibly win an unlocked Nokia Windows Phone or an Xbox 360! We’ll pick the best two contributions and announce the winners in May*.

*No Purchase Necessary. Open only to IT Professionals 18+. Game ends 5/3/12. For details, see Official Rules.

Create and Share Your App-V Package Accelerators

This was also shared this via the Springboard Series Insider Newsletter, but I wanted to make sure that you saw this information about the App-V Package Accelerators contest as well- Senior Product Marketing Manager David Trupkin

Where do you start when you need to create a package for a new application in Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V)? If you’re an App-V expert, maybe you dive right in and create the package yourself. If you’re just getting started, or trying to save time, maybe you’ll search the Internet to see if one of your peers has already packaged the same application. If they have, they may have shared the step-by-step process, the recipe, for creating the package. In App-V, this is a process known as Sequencing.

Where can you find App-V recipes? A good place to start is the App-V Sequencing Recipe Forum. We’ve even provided a link to the Recipe Forum right inside the Sequencer! Here you’ll find recipes for applications like Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and AutoCAD 2010 LT. Other popular packaging-oriented websites and our own App-V MVP community also frequently post App-V recipes.

Starting with App-V 4.6 Service Pack 1, we’ve made it even easier for the App-V community to share packaging knowledge with the introduction of App-V Package Accelerators. Package Accelerators help make App-V packaging easier, faster and more predictable, taking most of the manual steps out of Sequencing. One of the best explanations I’ve heard of Package Accelerators came from the App-V development team. They think of Package Accelerators as “dehydrated” App-V packages. When you use the App-V Sequencer to combine them with the application’s original installation files, you’re “rehydrating” the App-V package.

Where can you find App-V Package Accelerators? You’ll find them in the App-V Package Accelerator Gallery. And, just like the Sequencing Recipe Forum, we’ve included a link to the Package Accelerator Gallery right inside the App-V Sequencer.

One of the best things about the App-V Package Accelerator Gallery is that it’s easy for you to share
Package Accelerators that you create by uploading them to the Gallery!

Between April 5, 2012 and May 3, 2012, we invite you to create your best Package Accelerators, share them with the community, and possibly win an unlocked Nokia Windows Phone or an Xbox 360! We’ll pick the best two contributions and announce the winners in May*.

To help you get started, check out these videos on how to create an App-V package from an App-V Package Accelerator, and how to create your own App-V Package Accelerator. You can also find more information in the App-V 4.6 SP1 Sequencing Guide and the Online Technical Library for App-V. You can get App-V 4.6 SP1 by downloading the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2011 R2 Language Update on MSDN or TechNet, or check out the App-V 4.6 SP2 Beta on Microsoft Connect. Happy Sequencing!

*No Purchase Necessary. Open only to IT Professionals 18+. Game ends 5/3/12. For details, see Official Rules.

The UE-V and App-V teams both have ways for you to get a chance to win some cool prizes like a unlocked Nokia phone or a Microsoft Xbox 360, by sharing your UE-V or App-V templates. Check out both pieces below to learn how to participate in these contests.

Creating and Sharing Your Own Microsoft User Experience Virtualization Settings Location Templates

We recently shared this via the Springboard Newsletter, but wanted to make sure that if you were not yet a subscriber you saw this article about creating and sharing settings location templates with Microsoft User Experience Virtualization written by Senior Product Marketing Manager A.J. Smith.

With the recent beta announcement of Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) on the Windows for your Business and Springboard Series blogs, many of you are already seeing how it can easily roam the experience for Windows 7, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, and the Microsoft Office 2010 suite regardless how they are deployed. Now you want to move on to the next step of creating a settings location template for your line of business or 3^rd party applications. For those of you not familiar with settings location templates, they are XML files that tell the UE-V agent:

• What applications to roam the experience for
• Where in the file system and registry that the application writes the experience information to.

Creating these templates is easy using is the UE-V Generator. This wizard based tool that you can get from the Connect site is will help automate the creation of your templates. To make it even easier I am going to walk you through using the tool step by step using Microsoft Expression Design 4.

1. After launching the UE-V Generator from the start menu and choosing the option to create a settings location template, you provide the tool with the path to the executable that you want to create the template for.

2. The application will launch and the Generator will look and see where in the file system and the registry the application stores its settings.

3. Close out of the application and review the locations the Generator discovered.

Note: The Generator will show you the locations split up into two groups, standard and nonstandard locations. Standard locations are areas on the machine where you would typically find settings written to, like C:\users\AJ\appdata\roaming or HKey_Current_User\Software\Microsoft. Nonstandard locations are places where an application might write if it assumes the user has administrative rights, like C:\Windows or the HKey_Local_Machine location in the registry. By default, the UE-V Generator will assume that you want to roam all the standard locations but none of the nonstandard locations. You should review both sets of locations and decide which ones you do or don’t want to roam.

4. Review the properties of the template to complete the creation of the template.

Now that you have created a template, why not share it with the community? To make this easy we have created a Settings Location Template Gallery so you can share and find templates.

Some of you might be thinking, “What’s in it for me to upload settings location templates to the gallery?” Well beside the thanks and adoration from your fellow IT pros, we thought we would make it even more worth your while to share. From now until May 3, 2012 we will be running a contest and invite you to create your best settings location templates, share them with the community, and possibly win an unlocked Nokia Windows Phone or an Xbox 360! We’ll pick the best two contributions and announce the winners in May*.

*No Purchase Necessary. Open only to IT Professionals 18+. Game ends 5/3/12. For details, see Official Rules.

Create and Share Your App-V Package Accelerators

This was also shared this via the Springboard Series Insider Newsletter, but I wanted to make sure that you saw this information about the App-V Package Accelerators contest as well- Senior Product Marketing Manager David Trupkin

Where do you start when you need to create a package for a new application in Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V)? If you’re an App-V expert, maybe you dive right in and create the package yourself. If you’re just getting started, or trying to save time, maybe you’ll search the Internet to see if one of your peers has already packaged the same application. If they have, they may have shared the step-by-step process, the recipe, for creating the package. In App-V, this is a process known as Sequencing.

Where can you find App-V recipes? A good place to start is the App-V Sequencing Recipe Forum. We’ve even provided a link to the Recipe Forum right inside the Sequencer! Here you’ll find recipes for applications like Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and AutoCAD 2010 LT. Other popular packaging-oriented websites and our own App-V MVP community also frequently post App-V recipes.

Starting with App-V 4.6 Service Pack 1, we’ve made it even easier for the App-V community to share packaging knowledge with the introduction of App-V Package Accelerators. Package Accelerators help make App-V packaging easier, faster and more predictable, taking most of the manual steps out of Sequencing. One of the best explanations I’ve heard of Package Accelerators came from the App-V development team. They think of Package Accelerators as “dehydrated” App-V packages. When you use the App-V Sequencer to combine them with the application’s original installation files, you’re “rehydrating” the App-V package.

Where can you find App-V Package Accelerators? You’ll find them in the App-V Package Accelerator Gallery. And, just like the Sequencing Recipe Forum, we’ve included a link to the Package Accelerator Gallery right inside the App-V Sequencer.

One of the best things about the App-V Package Accelerator Gallery is that it’s easy for you to share
Package Accelerators that you create by uploading them to the Gallery!

Between April 5, 2012 and May 3, 2012, we invite you to create your best Package Accelerators, share them with the community, and possibly win an unlocked Nokia Windows Phone or an Xbox 360! We’ll pick the best two contributions and announce the winners in May*.

To help you get started, check out these videos on how to create an App-V package from an App-V Package Accelerator, and how to create your own App-V Package Accelerator. You can also find more information in the App-V 4.6 SP1 Sequencing Guide and the Online Technical Library for App-V. You can get App-V 4.6 SP1 by downloading the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2011 R2 Language Update on MSDN or TechNet, or check out the App-V 4.6 SP2 Beta on Microsoft Connect. Happy Sequencing!

*No Purchase Necessary. Open only to IT Professionals 18+. Game ends 5/3/12. For details, see Official Rules.

Our Free-Time Machine events across the country celebrating AT&T’s launch of the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II drew big crowds and lots of news cameras today. We also gave away a ton of cool prizes, had fun with celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, and showed people how Windows Phone saves time by finishing everyday tasks faster. (Speaking of quick: The Lumia 900 rocketed to the top of Amazon.com’s best seller list this morning—and hasn’t budged all day.)

Here’s a quick recap—and a couple fun videos—of what went down. We’ve also posted a bunch more shots on Facebook. And if you couldn’t make it to today’s launch events, remember that we’ll be giving away 200,000 instant prizes and a trip for four to Hawaii on our Free-Time Machine website through May 31.

New York

Launch day fun kicked off in New York with Kourtney Kardashian, who appeared on Fox & Friends and Good Day New York to show off her new Lumia 900 and favorite features like easy picture sharing and fast Facebook and Twitter updating. After a quick tweet to her 5.7 million followers, she jetted over to Bryant Park and one of the Free-Time Machines we set up. Wait until you see what happened next.

Chicago

In the Windy City, crowds gathered at Pioneer Court and Hancock Plaza to meet Top Chef 4 winner Stephanie Izard and try their luck on a Free-Time Machine. One time-starved (or just starved) winner won a home-cooked meal by Izard, a James Beard Award nominee. Yum.

San Francisco

In San Francisco, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis worked the crowds in Union Square, signing autographs and showing off his Lumia 900’s Live Tiles—and his dance moves. Although his footwork couldn’t compete with the 49ers fanatic who won lunch with him. Take a look.

Our Free-Time Machine events across the country celebrating AT&T’s launch of the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II drew big crowds and lots of news cameras today. We also gave away a ton of cool prizes, had fun with celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, and showed people how Windows Phone saves time by finishing everyday tasks faster. (Speaking of quick: The Lumia 900 rocketed to the top of Amazon.com’s best seller list this morning—and hasn’t budged all day.)

Here’s a quick recap—and a couple fun videos—of what went down. We’ve also posted a bunch more shots on Facebook. And if you couldn’t make it to today’s launch events, remember that we’ll be giving away 200,000 instant prizes and a trip for four to Hawaii on our Free-Time Machine website through May 31.

New York

Launch day fun kicked off in New York with Kourtney Kardashian, who appeared on Fox & Friends and Good Day New York to show off her new Lumia 900 and favorite features like easy picture sharing and fast Facebook and Twitter updating. After a quick tweet to her 5.7 million followers, she jetted over to Bryant Park and one of the Free-Time Machines we set up. Wait until you see what happened next.

Chicago

In the Windy City, crowds gathered at Pioneer Court and Hancock Plaza to meet Top Chef 4 winner Stephanie Izard and try their luck on a Free-Time Machine. One time-starved (or just starved) winner won a home-cooked meal by Izard, a James Beard Award nominee. Yum.

San Francisco

In San Francisco, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis worked the crowds in Union Square, signing autographs, and showing off his dance moves. Although his footwork couldn’t compete with the 49ers fanatic who won lunch with him. Take a look.

If you had more free time, would you spend it on Pinterest?

I hope so, because that’s where we’re giving away a shiny new Nokia Lumia 900. Here’s how to enter:

Step 1: Sign in to your Pinterest account. (If you don’t have one, request an invitation to register for a free account.)

Step 2: Re-pin this Nokia Lumia 900 shot, creating a board that expresses what you’d do if you had more free time.

Step 3: Share the link to your new board in the comments section here.

The contest, which kicks off at 12:01 PM Pacific today, is open only to U.S. residents and ends Saturday, April 14. Our lawyers have pinned the contest’s official rules here on SkyDrive, if you want to check them out. (Click View Folder if you don’t see them immediately.)

We can’t wait to see what else you pin!

To celebrate the debut of the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II—the first 4G LTE Windows Phones at AT&T—we’re giving away something most of us crave but can never seem to get enough of: time. 

To pull off this seemingly Einsteinian feat, we’ve installed Free-Time Machines in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago (see where to find one). They’ll operate from 8 AM to 6 PM local time today.

What’s a Free-Time Machine, you ask? Think of it like an ATM. Only instead of cash, these things spit out prizes that will save you time—stuff like free grocery deliveries, cleaning and dog-walking services, and access to personal concierges.

Or the ultimate time-saving tool—a new Windows Phone.

A few lucky folks will have celebrity help at their disposal. In New York, Kourtney Kardashian will free up one winner’s time by providing access to her hair stylist, makeup artist, car service, and a personal shopper from her clothing boutique, DASH.

In San Francisco, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis will give one time-pressed winner some extra help for the day. While in Chicago, Top Chef winner and James Beard Award-nominee Stephanie Izard will dish out free time and food to a lucky someone.

Don’t live in one of these cities? Just visit our online Free-Time Machine at www.freetimemachine.com for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii and other great prizes (must be a U.S. resident 18 or older). And check back here throughout the day for more on our new phones—and to see what contest winners did with their newfound free time.

Would you rather have more free time or a free Windows Phone?

Well, you don’t have to choose. To celebrate the official launch of the Nokia Lumia 900 on AT&T this Sunday, we’re giving one away today.

Here’s how to enter:

Step 1: Sign into your Twitter account and, if you’re not already, become a follower of @windowsphone.

Step 2: Tweet @windowsphone with your answer to the question, “What would you do with more free time?” Your tweet must include the hashtag #freetimemachine to be eligible.

Step 3: Hurry! You only have a few hours to enter to win. The contest ends at 5 PM Pacific Time today. It’s also only for U.S. residents.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a contest without the official terms and conditions. Read the official rules on SkyDrive.

Bing yesterday kicked off a new sweepstakes though its Bing Rewards program. The grand prize: Five Nokia Lumia 900 handsets, plus $200 cash to help cover your new AT&T contract.

To enter, go to Bing Rewards and sign up for a free account—or sign in with your existing one. Then click on the Lumia 900 banner (shown right). One entry will cost you 10 Bing Rewards credits. The contest ends May 1. Winners will be chosen soon after by random drawing from eligible entries.

Spring is finally here and we are excited to announce a new Pinterest contest! Celebrate the season by using these fun images starring Microsoft Hardware Mice and an array of hot colored PCs. The photos were shot a few weeks ago in Seattle and inspired by the idea of a sugar-free basket of beautiful things – an Easter basket for the 20^th century health-conscious and ergonomically-conscious Mom. When building your board, you can start from that point of inspiration too or create your own board filled by whatever inspires you! It’s simple to enter:

1. Go to Pinterest, here: http://pinterest.com/windows/spring-inspirations/
2. Re-pin the announcement image below
3. Add 10 images that are inspired by the announcement image
4. Submit the link either in the post below or below the announcement image on Pinterest
5. Check back on April 6^th to find the winner!

Read the full rules and terms and conditions here.

Heading to the Hunger Games this weekend? Here are two good reasons to detour to your local Microsoft Store instead: You could win either a new District 12-decorated laptop or a new Windows Phone.

It’s all part of a Smoked by Windows Phone contest that Microsoft Stores kicked off yesterday. Here’s the deal: You walk in and tell any store employee you want to take the challenge. You then get one shot to beat them at an everyday task like finding a 5-star restaurant or updating your Facebook status.

Win and you take home a special edition HP Folio 13 ultrabook engraved with the Hunger Games movie title and District 12 insignia. Lose—even Katniss would like her chances here—and you get a free Windows Phone, as long as you’re willing to toss your current handset in the recycling bin.

Hurry: the contest ends March 29 or when each store’s 10 allotted prizes have run out. Study the official contest rules for more details, and visit us on Facebook to watch previous Smoked by Windows Phone challenges as a warm up.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Four months ago we threw down a challenge to college students around the country: Build a great app for Windows Phone. The incentive? $15,000 in hard cash and other great prizes.

As you might expect, we got a few takers.

Today I’d like to share the winners with you. Why? Because I think they’re great apps worth downloading and because the work done by these students was inspiring—not to mention a ton of fun to be part of!

The “Big App on Campus” contest

My job on Windows Phone is working with students to help them bring their passion and creativity to the platform. Sometimes students already know how to develop apps and they just need some motivation (like a big check). Others are new to building apps and need help and coaching. It’s a great gig, and I know firsthand how talented and creative this group can be.

We created the Big App on Campus challenge to tap that ingenuity and see what surprises students would come up with. When we saw the high level of interest in the contest, we dispatched members of the Windows Phone engineering and evangelism teams to 19 college campuses around the country, hosting training sessions on our developer tools and competitive app-building “hackathons.”

We judged each Big App entry by several criteria—Was it innovative and polished? Did it take advantage of unique Windows Phone features like Live Tiles? How many people would likely download or pay for it?—and ultimately narrowed the list to our 10 free and 10 paid favorites. Then we turned it over to the public to decide the 10 finalists, based on downloads and Facebook “Likes” each received.

Last week, we flew finalists to the South by Southwest music festival in Austin for an exclusive concert with four amazing bands: The Canvas Waiting, The Gracious Few, Live, and Candlebox. Finalists also earned a private dinner with the groups, who shared amazing stories about creating music and life on the road.

Then I had the pleasure of getting on stage and presenting a big (literally) check to the winners. Two students earned $15,000 Grand Prizes and the coveted “Big App on Campus” title. The two apps with the most Facebook Likes received $2,500 People’s Choice awards.

It’s been a fun and inspiring journey, and I’ve enjoyed seeing all the amazing apps students submitted. But enough about me. Here are the winning apps and a few words from their creators about the Big App on Campus experience and what they plan to do with all that cash.

And the winners are…

Power Planner | Grand Prize

Andrew Bares of the University of Arizona won a Grand Prize for creating what he calls the “ultimate homework planner,” an app that helps students stay on track with their classes. Windows Phone owners agree: The app has 163 reviews and a 5-star average. $1.99+free trial 

Ninja Fruit | Grand Prize

Jeremiah Isaacson of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire earned a $15,000 Grand Prize for the game Ninja Fruit. You play Green Lime, a citrus warrior seeking revenge on the millions of human ninjas who’ve been slicing and dicing your fellow fruit on a daily basis. Free

ScanBizCards | People’s Choice

Chevon Christie of CUNY/Hunter College won a well-deserved People’s Choice award for his very handy business card app, which uses the phone camera to scan the info on a card and add it to your contacts. $6.99+free trial

Baconit | People’s Choice

Quinn Damerell of Purdue University also won a People’s Choice award for his well-designed Reddit app, which has nearly 1000 ratings and a 5-star average. Free

Winner Q&A

What are your 5 favorite apps?

Chevon: Snowball Assault, People Hub, Twitter, TouchDevelop, and My Travel Buddy

Andrew: Kleio Flashcards, AppTracker, Pageonce Money & Bills, MyAuto, and Yelp.

Quinn: Baconit, Carbon, 4th & Mayor, Fuse, Messaging Hub

Jeremiah: Netflix, Ninja Fruit, eBay, Across The Room.

What are you going to do with $15,000?

Andrew: “Repay my parents for all the things they have done for me. After that, I may possibly buy a used motorcycle, or be responsible and invest in some stocks! But hey, motorcycles get 50 MPG, I would call that responsible!”

Jeremiah: “The funds will go to college expenses, to support a great non-profit organization called Kiva.org, to purchasing a new development laptop so that I can continue to develop apps when I am on the go, and a portion will go into savings.”

What advice would you give to somebody creating their first Windows Phone app?

Chevon: “Don't wait forever to publish your first app. Just get it out there to get the ball rolling!”

Jeremiah: “Don’t be intimidated. Each developer had to start from scratch and the only way to learn is to ask questions and seek answers.”

Quinn: “Make it easy for users to give feedback, and when they do, consider it. Users have a lot of great ideas, and often you will find that many users will be suggesting a similar feature in different ways.”

Ben

@benlower | phoneninja@microsoft.com | +1 (206) 659-NINJA (6465)

Today Microsoft Hardware is launching 6 new Artist Edition mice and a few other colors of their signature mice lines. I think that’s awesome. What is even more exciting is the fact that today we are also launching Microsoft’s first Pinterest Sweepstakes around the new Microsoft Hardware mouse designs and colors.

To enter the Pinterest sweepstakes, visit the Windows Pinterest page and re-pin one of the new mice designs from our sweepstakes board. Then, simply create your own Pinterest board, using the mice as inspiration. Focus on the colors, the design or your favorite workspace- surprise us! Lastly, make sure to share a link to your board in the comments section of the Pinterest sweepstakes announcement pin. We’ll choose a winner at random from the entrants and alert you via a post in the Pinterest comments section. If you have questions about how it works, tweet me @Kristinalibby.

Here are some of my favorite mice below or find them all on our Pinterest board. Legal rules and conditions here.

Last month, we kicked off “Smoked by Windows Phone” at CES as a fun way of showing the world why Windows Phone is simply faster at the real stuff that real people do on their smartphones every day. Since the show, where we won 88% of our challenges (95%, including the wins from our tour of California) against the best smartphones in the business, we’ve seen a huge swell of support for “Smoked”; the videos of the challenges have been viewed over 500,000 times on YouTube; and the #1 request on the our suggestions page is to make an ad campaign featuring the challenges.

You asked, and we listened. We’re flipping the switch on a brand new digital ad series starting today!

On your favorite sites like CNET, Forbes.com, Entertainment Tonight, Geek.com, and Daily Candy (and more) you’ll find 15 and 30 second clips of Windows Phone taking on the competition. Here’s a sample of what you’ll see:

Click through, and you’ll end up at a really great new tab on the Windows Phone Facebook Page. This is “home base” for showing the world why Windows Phone is simply faster; here you’ll be able to see all of the ads, watch longer cuts of the videos, and download “Smoked by Windows Phone” phone & desktop wallpapers. And, of course, you can – and should – share all of this stuff with your friends.

This is just the beginning. Look for more videos and fun stuff soon!

Remember to follow @windowsphone and me on Twitter to keep up with our latest news, ask a question, or just say hello.

Here’s your chance to mingle with some Windows Phone big wigs, pepper us with questions, and try out our phones.

The occasion (as if you really need one) is Mobile World Congress 2012, the smartphone industry’s big annual gathering that kicks off in Barcelona at the end of the month. If you’re headed to the show, we’re handing out 50 passes to our party as a thank you to our biggest Windows Phone fans. (Sorry, we’re not offering plane tickets, hotel rooms, passes to the Sagrada Familia, or anything else—just a good time at our party.)

To enter, leave a comment below between today and Tuesday, February 21 telling us why you’re a fan of Windows Phone. On Wednesday, we’ll pick 50 winners at random to receive a pair of tickets to the event.

Good luck, and don’t forget to check back here next Wednesday to see if you’re a winner.

UPDATE 2.22:

And we have our winners! Big thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. If your randomly-chosen screen name is listed below, you and a lucky friend are on your way to securing a pair of tickets to the event. To claim your prize, email wpblog@live.com with your full name, preferred email address, and Windows Phone Blog screen name by 10 a.m. on Friday, February 24 and we’ll send you all the details. Make sure to put “MWC Party” in the subject line.

We’re looking forward to seeing the lucky winners next week in Barcelona!

A big thanks to everyone who participated in our Valentine’s Day contest and shared their love for Windows Phone on Twitter with the #ILoveWindowsPhone and #DumpingMyDroid hashtags.  I saw tons of fun (and funny) responses.

Here are our two winners, chosen at random:

@cpuzder: #Ilovewindowsphone because it provides the best way to quickly contact my wife, play a fun game and easily get the price of gas!

Glad we help make your life easier, Christian. So are you giving your new Windows Phone to your wife or keeping it for yourself?

@Ran_Jo: Dear Droid, You lag, you freeze, you've brought me to my knees, goodbye! #DumpingMyDroid #DroidRage @windowsphone FTW!

Pure poetry, Randy. Kiss that #DroidRage goodbye.

Congrats and thanks again for all the great tweets. And don’t forget to keep following twitter.com/windowsphone for more fun.

UPDATE: All the twitter love must have overwhelmed us. As a few eagle-eyed readers pointed out, we neglected to follow our own terms and conditions. (Thanks for the catch!) So we’ve randomly selected an alternate winner:

@tdoshier @windowsphone I love big, beautiful typography and slick, minimalist design. #ILoveWindowsPhone

Congrats, Tyler, and thanks for sharing the love.

We don’t want our oversight to spoil Christian’s day, so we’re still sending him a Windows Phone. (Hope your wife loves it, Christian.)

I’m on a flight back to Seattle from San Diego, where yesterday we wrapped up our “Smoked by Windows Phone” tour of Southern California.  This was a really great trip; not only did we show hundreds of people why Windows Phone is simply faster than other smartphones at the real, everyday stuff that real, everyday people do on their phones, but my crew and I had the chance to meet some really cool people.  Here are some of my favorite photos – and stories – from our 3-day trip. 

See you back in Redmond!

This little girl watched our challenges for about 30 minutes before coming over to ask me “Is your phone better than my dad’s iPhone?”  She loves to play games so I showed her Kinectimals for Windows Phone.  Those cute, cuddly cubs pretty much sealed the deal for her and her dad.

These four guys came to South Coast to challenge me, but got there right as we were packing up.  But they came down to Mission Viejo to try their luck the next day!   Really nice guys who love technology.  To say thanks for their energy and for being such good sports, I upgraded all of them on the spot to Windows Phones.

This is Christopher.  He came into the Mission Viejo store to upgrade his 5-year-old HTC Windows Mobile 5 (!) device to Windows Mobile 6.5.  I saved him the trouble by upgrading him to an HTC Titan.  Really nice guy who I know will make great use of that new phone.  He also earned 100 nerd-cred bonus points for wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt…that matched his girlfriend’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt.   Totally awesome.

Brian and Krystal said the most important thing they do on their phones is take pictures of their son.   As a dad of 2 (almost 3, our next little one is due soon!), I know exactly what they mean.  Since there’s no phone better (or faster) at that than a Windows Phone, so I hooked them up with a pair so they never miss a moment. 

Marion’s been a Windows Phone fan since day 1, and he’s also an aspiring Windows Phone app developer.  I got him a Samsung Focus S to use as his every day phone so he could turn his first-gen Focus into a dev/test unit.  I know he’s going to build something amazing!

I wrote this on the chalkboard in my hotel room.   I thought it pretty much summed up the trip. 

Would you love to win a Windows Phone? We’re giving them away to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

To enter, follow @windowsphone on Twitter, then send us one of the following messages:

• Option 1: If #DroidRage is breaking your heart, tweet a “Dear Droid” breakup letter with the hashtag #DumpingMyDroid.
• Option 2: If you already have a Windows Phone (or just want one), tweet why you love it with the hashtag #ILoveWindowsPhone.

Hurry—the contest ends just before midnight on Valentine’s Day. We’ll randomly pick two lucky winners from all valid entries and hand them a prize package that includes one Windows Phone, one annual Zune Pass, and one annual Xbox LIVE Gold membership.

And now for a little love letter from our lawyers: the official terms and conditions. Good luck!

MICROSOFT WINDOWS PHONE SWEEPSTAKES

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES:

These are the official rules that govern how the Microsoft Windows Phone sweepstakes promotion will operate. This promotion will be simply referred to as the “Sweepstakes” throughout the rest of these rules.

In these rules, “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Microsoft Corporation, the sponsor of the Sweepstakes. “You” refers to an eligible Sweepstakes entrant.

WHAT ARE THE START AND END DATES?

This Sweepstakes starts at 12:01 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) on February 13, 2012, and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on February 14, 2012 (“Entry Period”).

CAN I ENTER?

You are eligible to enter this Sweepstakes if you meet the following requirements at time of entry:

· You are a legal resident of the 50 United States and District of Columbia, and are 18 years of age or older.

· If you are 18 of age or older, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Sweepstakes; and

· ·You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and

· You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes; and

· You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes.

This Sweepstakes is void outside of the geographic area described above and wherever else prohibited by law.

HOW DO I ENTER from 2/13 – 2/14

To receive an entry into the prize drawing, do the following:

Step 1: Sign into your Twitter account and if you are not already, become a follower of @windowsphone at http://twitter.com/windowsphone

Step 2: Tweet a message to @windowsphone that includes one of the following options:

Option 1. A reason why you want to break up with your Android device to get a Windows Phone instead and the hashtag #DumpingMyDroid.

Option 2. A reason why you love Windows Phone and the hashtag #ILoveWindowsPhone.

Your tweet must include either the hashtag #ILoveWindowsPhone or the hashtag #DumpingMyDroid and must @reply to @windowsphone, and comply with the Twitter.com terms of use to be eligible. Limit 1 entry per person and Twitter handle per Prize Period.

WINNER SELECTION AND PRIZES

On or around the close of the Prize Period, we will randomly select two winners from among all eligible entries received to win a prize package that includes one Windows Phone, one annual Zune Pass, and one annual Xbox LIVE Gold membership.

If you are a potential winner, we will notify you by sending a direct message via Twitter within seven (7) days following the random drawing. If the notification that we send is returned as undeliverable, or you are otherwise unreachable for any reason, we may award the prize to an alternate, randomly selected winner. Only three (3) alternate drawings will be held after which the applicable prize will remain un-awarded

If there is a dispute as to who is the potential winner, we will consider the potential winner to be the authorized account holder of the Twitter account used to enter the Sweepstakes. If you are a potential winner, we may require you to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release, and a W-9 tax form or W-8 BEN tax form within 10 days of notification. If you are a potential winner and you are 18 or older, but are considered a minor in your place of legal residence, we may require your parent or legal guardian to sign all required forms on your behalf. If you do not complete the required forms as instructed and/or return the required forms within the time period listed on the winner notification message, we may disqualify you and select an alternate, randomly selected winner.

If you are confirmed as a winner of this Sweepstakes:

• You may not exchange your prize for cash or any other merchandise or services. However, if for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value; and

• You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we will award it to an alternate potential winner; and

• If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and

• If you are otherwise eligible for this Sweepstakes, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf; and

• Unless otherwise noted, all prizes are subject to their manufacturer’s warranty and / or terms and conditions.

WHAT ARE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING?

Your odds of winning this Sweepstakes depend on the number of eligible entries we receive.

WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS ARE YOU AGREEING TO BY ENTERING THIS SWEEPSTAKES?

By entering this Sweepstakes you agree:

· To abide by these Official Rules; and

· To release and hold harmless Microsoft, and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Sweepstakes or any prize won; and

· That Microsoft’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this Sweepstakes; and

· That by accepting a prize, Microsoft may use of your proper name and state of residence online and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this Sweepstakes, without payment or compensation to you, except where prohibited by law.

WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE WAY THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS EXECUTED AND ADMINISTRATED?

This Sweepstakes will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Sweepstakes.

WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE SWEEPSTAKES CAN’T RUN AS PLANNED?

If cheating, a virus, bug, catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, (also referred to as force majeure) affects the fairness and / or integrity of this Sweepstakes, we reserve the right to cancel, change, or suspend this Sweepstakes. This right is reserved whether the event is due to human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Sweepstakes, we reserve the right to randomly select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had to cancel, change, or suspend the Sweepstakes.

If you attempt to compromise the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Sweepstakes by hacking or by cheating or committing fraud in ANY way, we may seek damages from you to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, we may ban you from participating in any of our future Sweepstakes, so please play fairly.

HOW CAN YOU FIND OUT WHO WON?

If you send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address by February 20, 2012, we will provide you with a list of winners that received a prize worth $25.00 or more.

Attn. Windows Phone Twitter Contest 500 Washington Street Suite 200 San Francisco, CA 94111

WHO IS SPONSORING THIS SWEEPSTAKES?

Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

We’re through two days of challenges at the South Coast and Mission Viejo Microsoft Stores, and Windows Phone is sporting a 37-0 record against some of the best smartphones in the business.  We’ve taken on the iPhone 3G, 4 and 4s, along with a huge spectrum of Android phones including the DROID Charge, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S and S II, HTC EVO 4G and EVO 3D, LG Thrill, Samsung Fascinate, HTC MyTouch 4G, LG Optimus V, HTC Sensation, Motorola Atrix and more.

Today we wrap up our tour at the San Diego Microsoft Store, where we’ll be showing why Windows Phone is simply faster at the things that real people do on their phones from 1-7pm.  Come by and say hi – or try your luck in the challenge – if you’re in town. 

And remember, be sure to follow me on Twitter for real-time updates on the action!

19-0!

That was Windows Phone’s record against the competition in the $100 challenge that we hosted yesterday at the South Coast Microsoft Store.  It was a great day of challenges – we took on iPhone 4 and 4s’s and a host of the latest Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket, Samsung Galaxy S II, Galaxy Nexus, LG Thrill, HTC Evo 4G, Motorola Atrix, Samsung Fascinate, and more – and against all of them, Windows Phone was simply faster at the everyday stuff that real people like you and me do on our smartphones. 

All in all, a really fun day.  We met a lot of cool people, handed out a bunch of phones and awesome "Smoked by Windows Phone” T-shirts, and welcomed a bunch of new members of the Windows Phone family.

Today we’re bringing the $100 challenge to the Microsoft Store in Mission Viejo.  My crew and I will be there from about 1-7pm. If you’re nearby polish up your smartphone skills, charge your battery, and see if you can win $100!

  And as always, be sure to follow me on Twitter for real-time updates on the action and for a heads up on where we’ll be next.

If you’ve been reading the blog lately, you know that I’m trying to bring back Valentine’s Day as a cool hip holiday. It’s not my fault; really, I’m just a sucker for a love note. The best thing about a Valentine’s Day card, to be honest, isn’t the words (they are always cheesy) - it’s the thought. With that thought in mind, we headed to the wilderness to create this card for you.

You can find behind the scenes shots on the Windows Facebook page or the whole album on our Pinterest page or on SkyDrive below.

		Valentine's Day
VIEW SLIDE SHOW	DOWNLOAD ALL

And because we know Valentine’s Day is about a lot more than just the card, we want to send one reader a Valentine’s Day gift too. In the comments below share a love story or a funny moment that involved using technology with someone you love. Mostly, just share something that makes people smile, tear up or laugh out loud. We’ll then pick at random one person to win a pink Sony VAIO Y worth over $600 dollars.

Why the Sony VAIO Y? It’s the PC that all of our Windows Champions have, so you can ask any of them for their honest opinion. However, here’s what I think – its portable meaning you get stay on task and connected from anywhere in the world while enjoying the company of the one’s you love. Its pink which means it’s a sweet accessory with your favorite outfits, it’s trendsetting and its screams that you are fun, interested and interesting. Oh, and its running Windows 7 and also includes great photo and video sharing apps such as Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Movie Maker to show those you love just how much you love them.

Full Terms and Conditions can be found here.

Love from us here at Windows and Happy Valentine’s Day!

This week the internet was buzzing about how upwards of 5 million Android users have phones infected with annoying adware.  To help out, we offered up 20 free Windows Phones to people who shared their story about their frustrations with their Android phone, and why a Windows Phone would be a welcome upgrade.  

I got nearly 1000 responses since we kicked things off (thanks to everyone who sent in a story!), and out of those, here are our 20 winners:

• @GeoffEff - I REALLY wish my Galaxy Nexus would stop rebooting while I'm on the phone. #DROIDRAGE @BenThePCGuy
• @hippie_mom - @BenThePCGuy At least once a day, I get the pleasure of my phone crashing. Who has time for that? #DROIDRAGE
• @HunterRemington - @benthepcguy how about going through five G2X's and two Sensations in five months, if that isn't #droidrage what is? @windowsphone #WP7
• @MonyelleMingo - @BenThePCGuy 4 phones in 3 months. 3 hard resets in 6 months. I am dying alive from #DROIDRAGE & cannot wait for my new @windowsphone!
• @foodiegrrrl - @BenThePCGuy Wrote a haiku about my Droid: "You make me so sad. No updates available. Windows phone next time!" #DROIDRAGE
• @JuicelessJamie - @BenThePCGuy 140 characters isn't enough to spell out every pain that my DroidX produces #droidrage
• @SomeoneKrozey - @BenThePCGuy My Droid phone forces me to restart to read a text. #Droidrage so hard I'd even consider WinMo 6.5 an Upgrade at this point!
• @mistahclutch - My phone has frozen 3 times in the past 4hrs to the point of having to take out the battery. #samsungexhibit #tmobile #droidrage
• @blackibiza - @BenThePCGuy #DROIDRAGE apps stay always loaded in memory and you have to use a task manager to kill them. For battery's lifetime's safe
• @RawbMarley- @BenThePCGuy Love that exciting sound of a new incoming message. Hate it when it reads "Congratulations! You won a new laptop!" #DROIDRAGE
• @UnfriendlyMoose - @BenThePCGuy My phone became completely irrelavant a few weeks after it came out and will not get a update to the newer OS. #DROIDRAGE
• @adamismobile - @BenThePCGuy Showing my boss something on my phone and an ad about finding a new job pops up in the notification bar. #DROIDRAGE
• @agent2609- @benthepcguy And don't get me started on battery life, task killers, and TouchWiz. #DROIDRAGE
• @Pinkie678 - @benthePcguy Challenged my friend to a #smokedByWindowPhone competition... Lets just say I owe my friend $$$. Pls upgrade me! #droidrage
• @ShanoukBachchan - @BenThePCGuy at any point of time, my 'phone reboots > apps downloaded'. Avoid Android #DROIDRAGE
• @gremsems - @BenThePCGuy Could go on for wks about issues w Android,seeing my sister,brother,mother and girlfriend all come to me complaining #DROIDRAGE
• @fabiopablo95 - @BenThePCGuy Android crashes even when i (try) unlock the screen..i bought it only because other phones was too expensive for me #DROIDRAGE
• @OursTeh1337 - @BenThePCGuy got home from working late. Finally got to sleep only to be woken up an hour later by phone restarting after crash. #droidrage
• @Hobby_Chick654 - @BenThePCGuy Battery issues, freezing, worried about malware, viruses... my DroidX gives me more trouble than my 2 teenage kids #droidrage
• @Wakka420 - @benthepcguy my girlfriends droid incredible calls me on accident all the time, even when they are side by side. Its annoying. #droidrage

If you’re one of the lucky winners all you need to do to claim your prize send me an email with your name, Twitter handle, address and phone number.  Be sure to include the subject “I won the second round of #DROIDRAGE Phones!” so I can find your mail in my inbox!

Thanks to everyone who sent in their story!  And remember to follow me on Twitter to share your story, ask a question, or say hi.

As I wrote last week, our final tally from the CES 2012 #smokedbywindowsphone $100 challenge was 30 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw.  Not all of the  challenges made it into digital shorts (which you can check out on the $100 YouTube playlist) so my team put together a “best of” video to show more of our favorite moments.  Check it out:

I hope you enjoyed these videos as much as I did making them!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter to keep up with my daily shenanigans.